OT Insights

Deuteronomy 22 was written for a different time and a different place, but I think the principles there can be applied to us in a different way. In verses 2 and 3 we are challenged to look out for the property of our neighbors. Not only should we steer clear of the "finders keepers" philosophy, we should be willing to expend our own time and resources to protect the lost valuables of others until they appear to claim them. Lost wallets shouldn't be scavaged or ignored, they should be returned. Verse four suggests to me that I should always be willing to stop and check on a car that is broken down on the side of the road and help if I can. Being too busy or late wasn't an excuse in the Bible, so I don't know why we think it is now. Unless I am late for work, I'm probably not really late. Few things are more important than being a light to a stranger who needs help.

Holy Party!

Deuteronomy 14:24-26 and Deut. 27:7 both talk about joyful giving. God loves a cheerful giver. The first passage is about firstfruits, a tithe. The second is about a sacrifice. In both cases God fully expects the giver to do so joyfully, not because they feel obligated. In the case of firstfruits, God instructs the people to party and even invites them to buy "strong drink." God is not opposed to fun. He wants his people to rejoice in the abundance He gives them.

Memorial Day

We celebrated memorial day with a not-exactly-solemn celebration of our right to bear arms. I did quite terribly in the aimed portion of our contest. I didn't score any points in the gun-slinger "shooting from the hip" round, but I was quite consistent. I just needed to point about 5 inches to the right. Anyway, here is a picture or four of our madness.
Firing Squad!
Firing Squad #2!
This .22 handgun was a lot of fun.

Raising up a Successor

Deuteronomy 1:38
God gave Moses only one recorded instruction for raising up a successor: ENCOURAGE HIM!
Once Joshua took office, the first thing God did was encourage him some more. I'm sure Moses gave Joshua some instruction also, but more than anything else God knew that Joshua needed a faith boost. As we seek to mentor those around us, let us not forget this all-important ingredient. Some days it is really hard to see anything good in a child. I am now training 4 of them and there are days when I can't wait to see the back of their heads going out the door. But I have to try to see the potential God gave them and do my best to pull that out of them. That is the secret to encouragement. It is not a matter of puffing up a person's self-esteem until they delude themselves into empowerment. It is helping them to believe that God is big enough to use even someone such as them- because He has used you, and that is even more impressive.

The Rescuer

Throughout Deuteronomy Israel is instructed to serve God and revere Him not only because He is God, but also out of gratitude and fear because of the power He displayed in saving them from Egypt.
To those of us under the New Covenant, God's power and love and deliverance have been multiplied a thousand-fold in the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Praise God, our Almighty Deliverer!

What Keeps You Awake At Night?

I spoke at a church in North Dakota on Sunday. After I got done, the pastor preached about wrestling with the Bible. He said that anyone who isn't struggling with at least one thing from the Bible probably isn't reading it the way they should. I think He's right. The Bible is meant to be a mirror, showing us who we are as compared to who God wants us to be. If it isn't challenging us, then we aren't holding the mirror correctly. Most likely we are holding it up so we can look over our shoulder at the person behind us. Maybe we are holding it flat so we can stare at the clouds and get fuzzy feelings. May we have the courage to hold it straight and stare into our own eyes through the filter of God's eyes.

Fear and Doubt

Fear and doubt are caused by an understanding of personal weakness and the magnitude of a particular difficulty, coupled with a miscalculation of the greatness of God. To stave off fear, we need to nurture a proper view of God. This takes two parts. First, we must employ that active memory that is part of "heading yourself." Go back to the basis of your faith often. Second, we need to build an intimate, loving relationship with God.
If we have both in our heart, they fight off fear. If we have one or the other only in our head... a kid knows that the Boogieman isn't real. Does that help him conquer his fears on a dark night? Fear doesn't require logic, so logic fails to starve it. However, when the child's father enters the room the Boogieman is left powerless by comparison. We must have the same trust in our Heavenly Father.

God's Provision and Obedience

God hit me upside the head with something obvious the other night. I was hanging out with a friend who is a youth pastor and his sermon was on worry. They were going through Matthew 6, the well-known passage about how God cares for birds and flowers. Then verse 33 caught my eye. "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." In the past when I have heard that, I just understood it to mean that we should be more worried about pursuing God than we are about meeting our own needs. This time a new nuance struck me. This time I read it roughly as follows:

IF you seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, THEN all these things will be given to you as well.

This is not a reward thing. This is a logical thing. Why would God provide the resources, circumstances, health, etc. for me to accomplish things contrary to His will? He has given me free will, so I can shun His path, but if I do so I would be foolish indeed to expect His resources to redirect themselves to match my blind and swerving course. That is just one more reason to constantly be checking my course with God to make sure that I am not wandering astray. And if I am not receiving provision, my first reaction should be to try to discover God's will. Sometimes I will find that I have strayed. Perhaps sometimes, like Job, I will discover that God has a greater purpose I can not understand, and His will is for me to rely solely on His grace in a time of severe hardship so that He may be glorified. Whatever the case, God cares more for me than for the birds, and He will provide daily sustenance for his child. As Solomon prayed, may God never give me too much, lest I turn away from Him, or too little, lest I be tempted to steal and ruin His name. Give me only as much as I need.

Minor Rant

I saw an add tonight for a youth summer hockey camp, 41 hours of instruction. $475. People spend that kind of money to send their 4th grader to a camp? My gosh. I remember being worried when the athletics fee at my high school went up to $100 per season. That's a lot of money to shell out for 3 months of swimming.

It's Like Christmas!

God has given me many blessings this week. I am really excited to see how it is coming together.
In addition, I got some new running shoes for about 40% off retail value (Thank you God and thank you Ebay). They were badly needed as I press on towards Grandma's Marathon. The shoes I have been using were not made for 22 miles of punishment in one day.
On the same day, I got something for free that almost even made me happier- a pair of anaglyph glasses. I ordered them from an educational website. That's your first hint. They are made out of paper and colored plastic. That's your second hint. They feed my obsession with 3D images. Okay, that is more than a hint. Of course I had to try them out, so I have created a couple of 3D images. These are a little rough. I am hoping to perfect the technique.
If by some crazy circumstance you don't have 3D glasses (Because everyone does, right?), find a piece of red plastic and put it over your left eye and a piece of cyan plastic (or at least blue) and put it over your right eye. NOTE: these images are made for red/cyan anaglyph glasses, and none of the other styles. Anaglyph is the most common, but certainly not the only, 3D technique.

I think this is my best so far.

This one turned out kind of neat.

More thoughts on heeding yourself

Deuteronomy 11:16 -- this has 4 components that I would like to comment on separately.

A. "Beware that your hearts are not deceived and that you...
B. "...do not turn away
C. "...and serve other Gods
D. "... and worship them"

A. The introduction of deception is interesting. Once a person is deceived they can fall victim to anyone or anything. I must give heed to myself every day to avoid deception.

B. Idol worship begins when we turn from God. Another way to say it: We can not worship idols without first ceasing to worship and serve God. Another way to say it: If we are worshiping an idol we can not also be right with God. This is very sobering. Is there anything in my life, other than God, that I am worshiping?

C. We don't usually think of people "serving" other gods. Too often we dismiss it as either ignorant or stubborn, but certainly futile. However, if there is nothing to idol worship, how can you "serve other gods?" How do you serve something that doesn't exist?
Also, it seems here that actions of service are a key way of determining who or what a person truly reveres as God.

D. The progression:
1. heart deceived while poorly guarded
2. hearts turns from God, now totally vulnerable
3. actions and behaviors and allegiances follow

What is the difference between "serve" and "worship?" I think "serve" might be the sacrifice of time/energy/resources, while "worship" is the offering/bestowing of honor.