Tag: sovereignty

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God’s Not Done Yet

Daily Reading

Judges 19-21

Daily Thought

The best thing about chapters 19-21 of Judges is they are the last chapters of Judges. Judges is over, and none too soon. The period of the Judges began when Joshua died “and there arose another generation after him who did not know the Lord” (Judges 2:10); was characterized by the oft-repeated, “the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (Judges 2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; and 13:1); and closes in summary, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). How often what is right in our eyes is not so in God’s?

The hope of Judges is that the book will end, but God will keep going. And he does. God’s story continues through Ruth into 1&2 Samuel, when, at last, Israel does have a king, a king after God’s own heart, “The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people” (1Samuel 13:14). Even that is not enough, and the story is far from over, because there is a King to come, the King of kings and Lord of lords, “the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 25).

God’s unfolding story is best captured in the words of the apostle Paul, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). If it’s not good yet, God’s not done yet.

Daily Prayer

My Father in heaven, Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I’ve met the King, my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I will follow Him. May my life display my allegiance, for I am an ambassador of the good news of salvation.

Thank You, God, that You keep working. That what You began, You will finish, and that it will be once-and-for-all good. Keep changing my heart so that I will desire and delight in righteousness and justice and peace. May I love You fully and out of that love, serve the people of this world who so need to know and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Amen

Daily Question

How can you make the way you see things the same as the way God sees things?

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Broken Records

Daily Reading

Judges 13-15

Daily Thought

When I was young, I listened to records. A scratch in the surface of a vinyl record would cause a song to repeat at the same spot over and over again. We called it a “broken record.” It would sound something like this, “And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord – And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord – And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Judges 13:1, “And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” In the Bible, when something is repeated, you are looking at a theme, and the theme of Judges is God is faithful when we are not. Israel would do evil, a foreign nation would enslave Israel, and God would do something special that only he could do to remind Israel that he is their God. Samson was going to be special; it was obvious before he was born. “There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, ‘Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son’” (Judges 13:2-3).

There it is, another scratch in the record, a child born out of barrenness, life from death, another theme. It has happened before. Isaac, son of Abraham, was born to Sarah, who “was barren; she had no child” (Genesis 11:30). Later, “Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer” (Genesis 25:21), and Rebekah gave birth to Jacob and Esau. Jacob’s wife, Rachel, “was barren” (Genesis 29:31), “then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son and she called his name Joseph” (Genesis 30:22-24). The theme, life from death, continues. Hannah, “though the Lord had closed her womb” (1Samuel 1:5) would give birth to the prophet Samuel, and barren Elizabeth (Luke 1:7) had a son named John, who would be called John the Baptist. 

Then, one very special, not from barrenness, but from innocence. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). God with us. Jesus. Some things bear repeating, again and again. Life from death. “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love for us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Not a broken record, this is grace.

Daily Prayer

God Almighty, I can do all things through You. You give me the strength to find peace and contentment in any circumstance. Whether I have plenty or am in need, weak or strong, You are my strength. If You are for me, who can be against me.

God, may I walk in the confidence of Your strength and the humility of mine. I pray that I grow daily in dependence on You, replacing my will with Yours.

Amen

Daily Question

When have you seen God do what only God can do?

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Forever True

Daily Reading

Numbers 33-34

Daily Thought

The Lord commanded Moses to keep a list of the places Israel camped after departing Egypt–”When they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron, Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the Lord, and these are their stages according to their starting places” (Numbers 33:1-2). It is more than a list of places, it is a testimony to the sovereignty and faithfulness of God. No difficulty too great. 

The Lord parted the Red Sea to let his people escape, then closed it and drowned the Egyptian army. When the people of God met danger, God prevailed over their enemies. When they thirst, God supplied water, and fed them daily manna from heaven. Miriam died at Kadesh (v 36), and the Lord provided another woman to lead the choir. Aaron died at Mount Hor (vv 38-39), and his son Eleazar stepped in. Eventually Moses died, and Joshua succeeded him. In all of these changes, God remained the same, true to his people. 

God is great, and in the midst of our freedom to wander, he still accomplishes his purpose. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan…” (Numbers 34:1-2). No matter what, they are going to the Promised Land.

Daily Prayer

Faithful Father, no matter what, no matter the ways I wander, no matter my heart’s rebellion, you came to seek and to save me. You are at all times true and I wish I was at all times grateful. I’m getting better, though, because you don’t give up on me. Thank You for Your grace, for Your long-suffering, for Your patience and persistence. I strayed and you found me and put me on the right path.

You have invited me to follow You. I will follow. I will be a disciple of Your Son, Jesus Christ. I will learn from You and grow in Your likeness, so that I might display Your glory and point others to the way of life.

Amen

Daily Question

When have you seen God turn a bad situation into something good?

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Right On Schedule

Daily Reading

Zechariah 8-14

Daily Thought

Much of the work of God’s prophets is in the proclamation of judgments and the promise of redemption, but sometimes they foretell the future, and Zechariah more than most. The future of God’s glory will be reflected in the salvation of his people, “On that day the Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land” (Zechariah 9:16). That day speaks of Jesus Christ and, 500 years before God’s son rode into Jerusalem, Zechariah saw it coming. 

“Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ~Zechariah 9:9

Just as Zechariah foretold, it happened: “Throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it, saying, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’” (Luke 19:35, 38).

When Zechariah said, “They weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12), is it possible he knew it was the price of betrayal? “Then Judas went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:14-15). Of those thirty pieces, Zechariah prophesied, “’Throw it to the potter’–the lordly price at which I was priced by them” (Zechariah 11:13), and they did, “So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers” (Matthew 27:7).

As Jesus, God’s only son (John 3:16), the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15), hung on the cross, “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear” (John 19:34); and Zechariah prophesied, “When they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).

Five centuries after Zechariah spoke these words, salvation came in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Peter looked to the prophets to explain to a confused crowd, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified” (Acts 2:23). Everything was right on schedule.

Prophecy is given, not so we will know all the future holds, but that we will know God who holds all the future. 

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” ~Acts 2:36

Daily Prayer

All knowing, Almighty God, You are my salvation. You have rescued me from sin, through the blood and the love of Your Son, Jesus Christ. You have brought me into Your family, clothed me in righteousness, and set me apart to be a witness of Your grace.

You have shown me the future, a great future, a future I can be sure of, with Your Son on the throne and all the world subject to Him. In peace He reigns. I will follow You. Thank You for so great a salvation.

Amen

Daily Question

What is the most important thing you learn from reading the Word of God?

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The Unseen Battle

Daily Reading

Daniel 10-12

Daily Thought

Kings and kingdoms of earth play king of the hill, Persia and Greece, Syria and Egypt, until one alone stands on top, and that “king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods” (Daniel 11:36). He thinks he won, because he only knows what he knows and supposes that is all there is. And Daniel prays because he knows there is more. 

As Daniel prays, God answers and opens his eyes to see things unseen, “and behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees” (Daniel 10:10). While our kingdoms battle, heaven wars. An unnamed angel explains to Daniel, “I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come” (Daniel 10:20). This angel of heaven unveils the unseen but very real battle against spiritual princes of darkness behind our fleshly kingdoms, “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Daniel engages in the otherworldly battle, as well, when he drops to his knees and prays.

We think we are in charge, except God gives Daniel an amazing play-by-play description of world events. “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come” (Daniel 10:12-14). God knows what will happen ahead of time, because God does as he wills, and we only think we do.

Daily Prayer

Righteous God, the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come, You are sovereign over all things. How much better I get along each day when I remember this. This is Your world, so I shouldn’t be surprised that life works when I live according to Your ways.

May I confidently live knowing You are on the throne and will be forever, that nothing on earth can touch my eternity in You. May I make choices based on knowing You, reflecting Your character, serving others instead of self, loving truth and promoting righteousness, giving grace and forgiving others, and humbly recognizing that You forgave me first.

Amen

Daily Question

What events do you see in this world that remind you that God is in charge?

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The Rock of Our Refuge

Daily Reading

Isaiah 13-17

Daily Thought

Much of a prophet’s duty is the announcement of judgment, and for the next 12 chapters Isaiah will speak for God against nations, culminating in chapter 24 with judgment against the world. Their sin is our sin and is two-fold at its core: we forget our God and then we take his place; “for you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge” (Isaiah 17:10).

It works for a time, we “plant pleasant plants” and “make them grow on the day that you plant them, make them blossom in the morning that you sow” (Isaiah 17:10-11), and we begin to believe only in ourselves. When all is sunshine, the world seems like a place we can manage on our own, but there is darkness in our heart, and rather than serve, we want to rule, to be our own god. It started in the Garden with Eve, “for God knows that when you eat of the tree your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). It is the sin of Satan: 

“You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’” ~Isaiah 14:13-14

It works during the day, and we desire to rule, but only one can rule and so we war, and then comes the night; “at evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more!” (Isaiah 17:14). We destroy ourselves.

The judgment of God is levied not to ruin, but to restore, to remind us of our God: “In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made” (Isaiah 17:7-8). His judgment lifts our eyes from the pride of our own hands and returns our gaze to the glory of the one who made everything.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are the God most high, and yet you kneeled low so that we might be saved. Your Son came in humility, considering us better than Himself. You, God, showed that kind of humility for our sake.

I look forward to seeing You return again, in power this time. You have already demonstrated love to its fullest, dying for us even though we had turned out back on You. When You come again, we will see You in full glory, full power, full majesty, and still full of love.

Amen

Daily Question

When people don’t believe God is in charge, who is?

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His Story

Daily Reading

Psalm 78-79

Daily Thought

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done. ~Psalm 78:1-4

Psalm 78 steps back and reflects on God’s care for his people. The stories of God’s mighty work paint the big picture of life and should be told to our children, “so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments” (verse 7). Verse 13, God parted the sea so Israel could walk on dry land; verse 14, God led his people through the wilderness by cloud and fire; verses 15-16, God spilt rocks and water gushed out, quenching their thirst; verses 24-25, God rained manna for food, the bread of angels; verse 27, and quail; verses 42-53, God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt by, verse 44, turning Egypt’s river to blood, verse 45, sending swarms of flies and frogs, verse 46, destroying crops and cattle with locust, verse 47, and hail and frost, verse 51, and finally God struck down the firstborn, verse 52-53, and led the people to safety; verse 54, God established his people in a new land; verse 72, and cared for this new nation.

Still Israel thought life a game of chance, undecided yet if they should bet on God, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness? Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” (Psalm 78:19-20). But life is not a game, it is a story, and not ours, but God’s, and we are players in his plot. It is not, then, for us to ponder what God will do in our story, but what we ought do in his.

Daily Prayer

Mighty God, there is no one like You. You alone are Almighty, You alone are Sovereign. Your will be done.

It is so hard to trust, to release my illusion of control and turn my life completely over to You. The greatest commandment, the greatest life-giving act I can do is to love You with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, all my strength. I know that You are God, that whatever You say will happen will happen. I know it. God help me trust in what I know.

Amen

Daily Question

What stories about God bring you the most hope in your own life?

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King Canute

Daily Reading

Ezekiel 25-27

Daily Thought

God now prophecies, not against Judah, but against the nations surrounding her, for they took pleasure in her pain, yet shared her guilt. The climactic judgment is against Tyre, for she prided herself most of all. 

“O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am perfect in beauty.’
Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders made perfect your beauty.” ~Ezekiel 27:3-4

There is a story told of the wisdom of King Canute of England. When entering a room, the flattery began. “Your highness, there is nothing you cannot do,” someone would smile. “Great Canute, you are the monarch of all,” another would sing. “Nothing in this world dares to disobey you.  The world bows before you, and gives you honor.” The king answered. “In that case, bring me my chair, and we will go down to the sea.  Put it right at the water’s edge.”

“Sea,” cried Canute, “I command you to come no further! Waves, stop your rolling!  Surf, stop your pounding! Do not dare touch my feet!” He waited a moment, quietly, and a tiny wave rushed up the sand and lapped at his feet.  Another wave swept forward and curled around the king’s feet. The tide came in, just as it always did. The water rose higher and higher. It came up around the king’s chair, and wet not only his feet, but also his robe.

“Well, my friends,” Canute said, “it seems I do not have quite so much power as you would have me believe. My men, there is only one King who is all-powerful; and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. It is he whom you ought to praise and serve above all others.”

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves” (Ezekiel 26:3). Tyre, a seafaring port on the coast of Phoenicia, boasted of her ship building and sea trade. But a ship serves the sea and the sea serves at the pleasure of God.

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” ~Mark 4:39, 41

Daily Prayer

God, You are God and I am not. That’s one of the smartest things I can say. “I did it my way,” one of the dumbest. I am not in charge and the universe does not revolve around me. Sometimes I act like it does. I am sorry.

Almighty God, You are the center of my universe, my King of kings, my Lord and Savior. To live for Your pleasure is to live life to its fullest because it is what I was created to do.

Amen

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His Story

Daily Reading

Psalm 78-79

Daily Thought

Psalm 78 steps back and reflects on God’s goodness and greatness. The stories of God’s mighty work present a big picture of life and should be told to our children, “so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments” (Psalm 78:7). Verse 13, God parted the sea so Israel could walk on dry land; verse 14, God led his people through the wilderness by cloud and fire; verses 15-16, God spilt rocks and water gushed out, quenching their thirst; verses 24-25, God rained manna for food, the bread of angels; verse 27, and quail; verses 42-53, God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt by, verse 44, turning Egypt’s river to blood, verse 45, sending swarms of flies and frogs, verse 46, destroying crops and cattle with locust, verse 47, and hail and frost, verse 51, and finally God struck down the firstborn, verse 52-53, and led the people to safety; verse 54, God established his people in a new land; verse 72, and cared for this new nation.

And still Israel thought life is a game of chance. They questioned, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness? Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” (Psalm 78:19-20), undecided yet if they should bet on God. Faith is lost when we see history as our story rather than God’s and we are players in his plot. 

Daily Prayer

Mighty God, there is no one like You. You alone are Almighty, You alone are Sovereign. Your will be done.

It is so hard to trust, to release my illusion of control and turn my life completely over to You. The greatest commandment, the greatest life-giving act I can do is to love You with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, all my strength. I know that You are God, that whatever You say will happen will happen. I know it. God help me trust in what I know.

Amen

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In His Time

Daily Reading

1Samuel 13-14

Daily Thought

Have you noticed how often God is late? God and I have this disagreement. I think “now” would be a good time, but God thinks later. Later is usually better, but that’s not how I calendared it. God has an agenda, and all too often it’s not the same as mine, and that’s my problem.

I’m not alone in this. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was dying. Hurry, they urged him. He waited, instead, two days longer. Both sisters accused Jesus, “If you had been here…”; but Jesus had a better plan, “I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe” (see John 11:1-44).  Peter observes that the whole world thinks God is late, and scoffs, “Jesus said he would return. Where is he?” But God has a better plan, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (see 2Peter 3:1-9). The writer of Hebrews calls God’s people to be “imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12).

King Saul had little patience, and thus showed less faith. Saul was anxious to fight the Philistines, but Samuel was yet to offer sacrifices to God before the battle. Seven days passed and Samuel, and therefore God, was late. It was time for war, so Saul wrongly offered the sacrifices himself. Then Samuel showed `up and said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart” (1Samuel 13:13-14).

Unless we learn to trust God and wait on his timing, we will never experience his better plan. Being obedient is more important than being on time. Saul failed to learn this, but a couple kings later, a wise King Solomon observed, “God makes everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Not ours.

Daily Prayer

God, Your ways are not man’s ways. By faith, I follow You. I trust You and I will jump when You call. I will also wait until You say to go. I know if it is according to my strength and my wisdom, then I am in danger of taking credit. Therefore, God, not by my strength, nor my wisdom, but I submit to You my heart and my soul, and I will follow You in faith.

And You get the glory.

Amen