Too Amazing for Me

Posted on August 8, 2015 by wamplerp

DSCN3437There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:  the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.  – Proverbs 30:16.

This is a fitting last passage to cover in proverbs.  The statement “too amazing for me” sums up much of my journey so far on my float through the bible and the experiences I have had along the way. I just returned from a seven week adventure leading students on a study abroad in Ghana.  It was an amazing experience of learning and growth for both myself and the students.

This passage uses the same rhetorical device as yesterday’s post. I am not sure I understand it any more here. Three things that are amazing and four that the author does not understand.   I guess the “way of a man with a young woman” is not amazing, but it is difficult to understand.

The first three items are a commentary on the amazing nature of creation and the world around us in general.  Water comes in with the “ships on the high seas”.  I find the movement and behavior of water amazing under most conditions, but there is something awe inspiring about looking out upon the seas and the vast expanse of water.

I guess trying to wrap one’s brain around the amount of water in the ocean and how it moves is a bit like trying to know and understand the ways of God.  The seas, and God, are simply too big for our souls to take in from the perspective we have here on earth.  I am thankful that God chose to come here Himself to help us fathom the width and depth of His love for us.

Prayer: God you are truly “too amazing for me”.  Thank You for making yourself knowable and fathomable.

Posted in Death and Dying, Discernment, Following God, God's Love for Us, Heaven, Love for the Lost, Nature, Proverbs, reconciliation, The Earthly Realm, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Enough!

Posted on August 7, 2015 by wamplerp

DSCN3547There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: the grave; the barren womb; land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’ – Proverbs 30:15-16

The end of proverbs contains some interesting and odd rhetorical language.  The author seems to be making a point about three things that are never satisfied and four that never say enough.  I assume this is some sort of hyperbole that was more common at this time or part of the world.  I am not sure I understand the distinction between the first three: the grave, a barren womb, and land never satisfied with water; and the fourth item “fire” which is apparently sometimes satisfied but never says enough.

The general theme of the passage seems to be a failure to be satisfied with what God is providing, whether it is in the form of a long life (the grave), a baby (barren womb), or rains to grow crops (water).  The Israelites have expressed dissatisfaction with God on many occasions.  I think most of the time the root of this dissatisfaction is a sense that the thing God provided was different than what the Israelites desired.  For example the bitter water God provided in the desert.

The last item, fire, is not something most people would ask for unless it was to cook dinner.  Most people do not want to experience fire in their homes or their lives.  For some reason fire has always been associated with hell, so perhaps this passage is saying something about hell not ever having enough souls to be satisfied.  In order for fire or flames to exist something must be consumed like fuel or wood.  Does hell require a steady stream of souls to exist?  I have no idea, but it is something interesting to ponder….

I am struggling to find a deep spiritual meaning in this passage, perhaps there is none.  I am intrigued by the almost puzzle-like language being used.  This is a new thing in my readings so far.  Perhaps the author is demonstrating his earthly cleverness and I am simply not clever enough to understand.

Prayer: God sometimes the truths you are trying to communicate remains veiled.  Help me to be content with what you offer even when I am not sure what to make of it.

SDG
Posted in Death and Dying, Discernment, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Heaven, Hell, Love for the Lost, Proverbs, Redemption, religion, Satan, Sin, The Earthly Realm, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Surely You Know!

Posted on August 6, 2015 by wamplerp

IMGP4417The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.  This man’s utterance to Ithiel:“I am weary, God, but I can prevail.  Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.  I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.  Who has gone up to heaven and come down?  Whose hands have gathered up the wind?  Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know! Proverbs 30:1-4

This passage is truly a prophetic proverb. I am not sure who Agur the son of Jakeh is but he truly has a inspired utterence here in proverbs…reflections of Him.

The proverb starts out with an interesting confession…”I am only a brute, not a man”. The diffference apparently being in the possession of “human understanding” — the logos that comes from God –the “knowledge of the Holy One”. The writer then goes on to describe in some detail the kernel of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The “Holy One” is apparently God the Father and He clearly has a son whose name we can know. This God who became man has “gone up to heaven and come down”. He has crossed the great divide between this land of oblivion and the undiscovered country. This sounds like the incarnation and resurrection to me.

His hands have “gathered up the wind”.  Jesus did some amazing “wind gathering” for his disciples on the Sea of Galilee when he calmed the storm and quelled the waves so Peter could walk on water (Mark 4:35). I like this imagery for God…the great wind gatherer taking the stormy times of our lives and calming the storm.

The Holy One “has wrapped up the waters in a cloak”. I have chewed and prayed over this part of the passage for a while and I am not sure I fully understand the analogy or metaphor. One way to look at it would be to invoke the same water language for God that has been using up to this point…a cloud or godly condensate. If we take this to be true then to “wrap the waters in a cloak” could be a reference to God taking on human form and walking the earth in a human-shaped “cloak” named Jesus. This may be a stretch and I may be totally off in left field, but it is an interesting way to look at it.

The end of the passage asks two very important questions: “who has established the ends of the earth?” and “what is his name, and what is the name of this son?” The answer to the first question is God the Father..the great I am. The one who was, who is, and who is to come. His name is Yahweh. His son Jesus is the one whose ways here on earth I follow and emulate. This passage is truly a hidden well that has changed the way I look at the book of proverbs.

Prayer: God thank You for wrapping yourself in an earthly cloak to show us the way.

Posted in Christian Community, Christianity, Covenant, Discernment, Discipleship, Following God, God's Love for Us, Heaven, Obedience, Proverbs, reconciliation, Redemption, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Driving Rain that Leaves no Crops

Posted on August 4, 2015 by wamplerp

Haiti_leaders

When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order. A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops. – Proverbs 28:2-3.

I took a day yesterday to “eddy out”. I think I am still recovering from my journey out of Africa and back into the culture of the United States. We definitely operate at a different pace here in the U.S. I have prayed and chewed on this passage for the last day or so and for some reason it has been a difficult one to wrap my brain and soul around, but I signed up for the entire river journey so here goes.

The topic of this passage is rulers and the people they rule. As I have thought and prayed about this Ghana and Haiti have come to mind. I have spent quite a bit of time in both of these countries, very different, but also with some striking similarities. One of the similarities is that both countries have struggled with governance since their inception. The reasons for the challenges in governance are different, but the end result is a government that does not always serve the people who elected it.

Haiti was founded by a slave revolt which ousted the French colonial rulers and gained full independence in 1804. Since that time Haiti has had a string of rulers (about 44). Many of these rulers oppressed the people, especially the poor, and failed to leave a legacy that improved the lives of the Haitian people. They were truly like a “driving rain that leaves no crops”. The current president, Michel Martelly, seems to have accomplished a lot for Haiti during his term as president but the Haitian constitution bars him from reelection.

Ghana was a British colony until it gained it’s independence in 1956 and became an independent republic in 1960. The countries first president, Kwame Nkrumah, was ousted in a coup in 1966. Since 1966 the country has had a string leaders which have struggled to produce a lasting infrastructure that serves the interests of the people. The reasons for this are complex and interwoven with the traditional ruling structure of village and regional chiefs. The end result is a tension between those who rule and the governed; and difficulty creating and maintaining a robust infrastructure. So both in Ghana and in Haiti there are often no “crops” to show for the “driving rains” of the ruling class.

The United States has its own problems. We have had our share of rulers who were like driving rains that left no crops. Some would argue that the current federal government of the U.S. is trying to do too much — leave too many crops (healthcare, etc.).

According to this passage the vaccination against rulers who do not leave a positive legacy is to select rulers who have “discernment and knowledge”. When was the last time you heard those words discussed on the campaign trail? Ghana, Haiti, and the U.S. are all electing new leaders in 2016. It is my hope and prayer that leaders will be selected who have discernment and knowledge. It is up to the electorate to make sure that these attributes are at the top of this list of job qualifications.

Prayer: God as we select those who will lead our governments help us to seek out those with knowledge and discernment so that they will seek Your will as they lead.

Posted in Discernment, Following God, Free Will, Ghana, Haiti, Life Together, Obedience, Proverbs, religion, The Earthly Realm, Trusting God, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

As Water Reflects the Face

Posted on August 2, 2015 by wamplerp
Gold Creek Pond, Snoqualmie Pass Washington

Gold Creek Pond, Snoqualmie Pass Washington

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. – Proverbs 27:19.

This passage is in the running for shortest, but once again the length does not reveal the depth.  These few words contain very deep water full of meaning and wisdom.

So how does one’s life reflect “the heart” like water reflects a face (or anything else in front of it)?  There are four parts in this metaphor: water, the face, one’s life, and the heart.  Let’s explore each one first then see what we can attempt to plumb from the depths of the metaphor.

I have always been fascinated by the way water moves and the shape it takes when it is not moving, for example the glass-like smoothness of a lake in the morning.  That is one of the reasons I started this blog.  Water has many forms and “faces” despite the fact that all water is simply a molecule of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.  God is a bit like water in this way, He has many forms and faces yet He is one God.

The second part of the metaphor is a face.  Faces reveal much about our emotions and the state of our inner soul.  If eyes are the window to the soul then our faces are something like a garage door to our soul.  Our faces reveal when we are happy, sad, annoyed, angry, etc.  If the state of our soul is revealed in our faces then seeing our face reflected in water is really seeing something quite amazing.  We can see our souls reflected in the water.

The third player is “one’s life”.  I do not remember who said it but I remember someone saying that your life is summed up by the hyphen between the year you were born and the year you die on your gravestone.  We all have a limited run here on earth of unknown duration.  Some have 100 years while others only have days.  I do not think that the length of time that constitutes “one’s life” is necessarily the most important factor in determining the content of our “hyphen”.  The important thing is what we do with the time that we have here on earth.

The last player is “the heart”.  In my float so far the heart has always represented the soul.  It is hard to define “soul”, but to me, it is the inner self that lived before we found our way through the secret place to be born, and will return to the “undiscovered country” when we die.  Back in Joshua 7:3-9 hearts were said to be like water, i.e. we have “hearts like water“, and just a few days ago God channeled the heart of the king like a river of water.

OK so now let’s try to unpack the metaphor.  Water reflects like a mirror only when the surface is undisturbed by waves, ripples, or rocks thrown from the shore.  If we approach the water and it is a windy day or we are throwing stones we have difficulty seeing our reflection.  If God is like water then we see our faces (inner emotions and soul) in this complex and omniscient presence (God) only when we approach it quietly without “throwing rocks in the water”.

We see “one’s life reflected in the heart”, or the soul reflected in someone’s life, only when that person is near the “water”, the one river, God.  We must approach the Great Reflecting Pool with humble hearts if we are to see reflections of our souls in the “water”.

Prayer: God help us to make our lives reflections of You and the love You have for us.

SDG
Posted in Christianity, Death and Dying, Discernment, Discipleship, Following God, God's Love for Us, Heaven, Obedience, Proverbs, reconciliation, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Leaky Roof

Posted on August 1, 2015 by wamplerp
Thatch roofed hut in remote north central Ghana

Thatch roofed hut in remote north central Ghana

A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand. – Proverbs 27:15-16

I just returned from a seven week trip to Ghana, and I spent the last couple of days leading 15 students home to Michigan. I have recovered from this second Transatlantic Translocation, and now and I am ready to get back on the water.

I confess I was tempted to skip this water reference and go to the next one. Any passage that starts with …”a quarrelsome wife” is a tricky bit of water to be sure. The water is made even more potentially treacherous by the fact that my wife sometimes reads my blog. If my wife is reading this…I do not consider you in any way a “leaky roof”…I am trusting God to help me run this “rapid”.

Let’s explore this idea of “a quarrelsome wife” first then we can see what she might have in common with a “leaky roof in a rainstorm”. When I think of the word quarrelsome I think of someone who is disagreeable, perhaps someone with Limburger Cheese on their nose or someone who is constantly tearing down her husband rather than building him up. Being disagreeable is different than disagreeing on a given subject or issue.

I think a wise husband seeks the council of his wife in all matters related to their relationship, the family, and even in spiritual matters. She has a perspective that often differs from his own (men are from Mars and women are from Venus) and listening to this perspective can prevent foolish decisions based on feeding our male egos. So what does a quarrelsome or disagreeable wife have in common with a leaky roof?

Roofs are pretty important things. They convert an outdoor space into an indoor space where we can have a reasonable expectation that we will stay dry when rain storms come. A “leaky roof” is not fulfilling the purpose for which it is made. It is not keeping out the rain.

A “quarrelsome wife” has turned away from her role of encouraging and supporting her husband when “rains” come…a “leaky roof”. My wife is great at encouraging and supporting me. She keeps me dry when life’s rains threaten to get me down….a loving doe and graceful deer as Proverbs 5:15-23 put it. In one week my wife and I will be celebrating 28 years of marriage. I am very thankful that God has joined us together on this journey through life.

Prayer: God thank You for my wife and the gift of marriage. Help us to support one another to accomplish Your plan for our lives here on earth.

Posted in Christianity, Conflict, Discernment, Divorce, Following God, Life Together, Marriage, Obedience, Proverbs, Sin, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Like Snow in Summer

Posted on July 29, 2015 by wamplerp

gsa 034Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. – Proverbs 26:1

Snow shows up again in today’s passage. I guess I am surprised that snow is such a thing in this part of the world. I assumed the climate was too warm, even during the winter.

This proverb is one of several adjacent proverbs that focus on fools. This term is not really used that often in the circles I run with. A fool in my mind is someone who has difficulty coping with situations others could successfully navigate.  I think the “fool” being described here, and in adjacent proverbs, is referring to someone who is a “fool” by choice rather than as a result of a learning disability or injury.

Both of the similes in this passage relate to water…”snow in summer” and “rain during the harvest”. What do these have in common? They are: 1) unexpected; 2) out of place; and 3) potentially damaging. These attributes also apply to people who are fools by choice.

I have traveled to Haiti many times and as I write this blog I am riding on a bus with 15 students to Accra, Ghana. In my experience in Haiti and Ghana expecting the unexpected saves one a lot of trouble and stress. A colleague calls this “situational awareness”. A fool fails to anticipate the unexpected, and therefore, encounters it more often.

Fools also often seem as though thy are out of place — like “snow in summer”. This could be in a physical sense as is featured in the “jackass” franchise; or in terms of relationships when a person places themselves in relationships that are harmful or destructive.

I have done my share of foolish things physically. For example jumping off the 20-foot high roof of my parents house…I am reminded of this each morning as my lower back creaks and groans (followed by my groaning).  My excuse was youthful foolishness.  As I get older and wiser I am more aware of my limitations.

I am also no stranger to being in the wrong place relationally. When I was growing up my family struggled with effective communication. This was true between siblings and between us kids and our parents. This gave rise to quite a few times when I felt out of place, even in my own family.  I am learning better communication skills but it is a process, and I still sometimes feel rather foolish in this area. I think true “fools” are those who are unwilling to learn how to communicate effectively so they can navigate their place and role in relationships.

Fools can also be potentially damaging, “like rain during harvest”.  The damage comes as a result of the fact that they are unexpected and out of place.  Harvest time in this part of the world was a dry time when the wheat and other grains could mature and dry for proper storage. Rain during harvest created all sorts of problems with sprouting seeds, mold, etc.  The consequences of foolish behavior range from mild embarrassment to life-shattering schisms. The damage can last lifetimes and even generations.

One example that occurs to me from my float through the bible so far is King David. Perhaps it is somehow wrong to say it, but David was a “fool” when he chose to steal the “sweet water” whose name was Bathsheba. He was even more of a fool when he tried to cover up his foolishness by killing Uriah. The consequences of David’s foolish behavior were felt for generations.

Prayer: God help us to avoid foolish behavior and to forgive the foolish behavior of others.

Posted in Discernment, Obedience, Proverbs | 1 Comment

A Snow-Cooled Drink

Posted on July 26, 2015 by wamplerp

Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.   Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of gifts never given. – Proverbs 25: 13-14

This passage holds special meaning for me at the moment. Here in Ghana a truly cold drink is hard to find. I had a bottle of water the other day that was really cold and it tasted like the world’s best bottle of champagne.

The comparison between a “snow-cooled” drink ( the first slurpy or snow cone?) and a trustworthy messenger is interesting on several levels. In a way all followers of the Way of Jesus are messengers for the gospel. So when we successfully lead while following maybe we refresh the spirit of the Master, God?  Is that even possible?

Perhaps the metaphor breaks down when it comes to God the master…I do not know. I do know that on my journey through the bible up to this point the God who has met me is a very intimate and personal God who sees us, loves us, and believes in us. I would not be surprised if His spirit were refreshed when we love and follow Him as faithful children.  The same way my spirit was refreshed when my children held my hand and followed me when they were little.

The flip side, or opposite, of being a “trustworthy messenger” is being “one who boasts of gifts never given”. This person is like clouds and wind without rain. This metaphor is a little more confusing, but I think it is really talking about a tree that bears no fruit.   Something or someone that is not really fulfilling its purpose for being. This would be like a Christ follower who finds it necessary to dwell on their own spiritual gifts rather than the people these gifts are intended to help or the Giver of those gifts.

Peter, Jesus’ disciple, had his moments of losing focus on the giver of gifts. He is not alone in this. I think we all experience a tension between our ego and the new life that is within us in Christ.

Prayer: God help us to be trustworthy carriers of the Good News with our eyes fixed on You rather the gifts You have given us.

Posted in Christian Community, Christian Leadership, Christianity, Discernment, Discipleship, Ghana, Life Together | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Channeled Hearts

Posted on July 25, 2015 by wamplerp

DSCN1332In the Lord ’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.   A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.   To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. – Proverbs 21:1-3

This is an intriguing little passage. The idea of God channeling a person’s heart is somewhat new in my recollection of the part of the bible I have floated so far (Genesis to Proverbs).

Anyone who has watched a stream flow onto a beach has no doubt been mesmerized by the amazing shifting of the water course, or channel. Most natural rivers have channels that move as well, but the rate at which they move is quite variable.

God in this passage is the great “channel” maker for the king’s heart. The “king” of this passage could be Solomon, a generic ruler, and even more broadly, all of us humans here on earth.  God can channel the hearts of anyone willing to be “channeled”. To paraphrase…we may think our own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. He knows the course we should follow and is willing to direct us there if we let Him.

When humans set out to channel or direct a river they can 1) dig a new channel and move the river; 2) fortify the banks of the river to prevent the channel from moving; or 3) they can “train” the river using what are referred to as bio-engineering methods.

The success of any of these methods depends on the dynamism of the river and the ability of the designer to know the river and how it works. God, being our “designer”, should be eminently qualified to channel our hearts, but sometimes He has some pretty dynamic rivers to work with.

Prayer: God channel our hearts and help us to be channeled by You.

Posted in Covenant, Discernment, Following God, Free Will, Obedience, reconciliation, The Nature of God | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Drawing Out of Deep Waters

Posted on July 24, 2015 by wamplerp

IMGP5105The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. – Proverbs 20:5

Today’s passage is almost as short as yesterday’s, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in depth…no pun intended.

The purposes of a person’s heart are indeed “deep waters”.  I have a hard enough time trying to figure out the purposes of my own heart let alone trying to discern the purposes within someone else’s heart.

As this passage correctly points out it takes real insight to be able to do this. The only one that I know with true, accurate, and complete insight is God — the God who sees us, but He does not often make house calls….except that one time in Galilee.

Jesus showed up and demonstrated to the disciples, the world, and us the Way to look straight into people’s souls.  There a some people who have faithfully followed the way of Jesus and are pretty good at seeing into people’s hearts. I do not count myself among them.

The people who are good at “seeing into people” tend to be really good listeners — both to God and the people whose depths they are trying to plumb.  God is still working on my “heart” hearing and I am doing my best to learn.

Prayer: God you have shown us the way to see into souls.  Help us to listen to You and to others so that we may know each other and be known.

Posted in Christian Community, Christian Leadership, Christianity, Following God, God's Love for Us, Life Together, Obedience, Proverbs, Redemption, religion, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments