Stilling the Surging Seas

Posted on May 30, 2015 by wamplerp

You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies. The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name. Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord . They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn. Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord , our king to the Holy One of Israel. Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: “I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have raised up a young man from among the people. I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. The enemy will not get the better of him; the wicked will not oppress him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries. My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted. I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers. He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’ And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure. – Psalm 89:9-29

This passage contains references to a savior who will endure forever…reflections of Him. It begins with an acknowledgment that God “rules over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them”. This rich water imagery has many layers of possible meaning.

At the most basic level it reminds us that God rules over nature and has the power to settle surging seas if He chooses. Jesus did just that when He commanded the wind and waves on the sea of Galilee to be calm: “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm (Mark 4:39).

Another layer of meaning is metaphorical. God has the ability to still the “surging seas” and waves and breakers that sometimes come crashing into our lives. This could be things like illness, conflict, the death of a friend or relative, or a myriad of other life events.  God has promised that He wants to carry us like a son or daughter through these times.

As long as we keep our eyes on Him we can walk on the waves rather than sinking into them. Peter was doing just fine strutting across the water until he lost sight of the one who was allowing him to do so (Matthew 14:29-32).  We are called to do the same.

The passage then begins a circling back to remember God calling on a shepherd boy named David to take on a giant Philistine with three smooth stones and a God who had his back. God promises to set “his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.”. This may be a geographical reference to the limits of this king’s kingdom.  This king will rule from the Mediterranean to the rivers of present-day Iraq. Or it could also be a metaphor for God’s ultimate dominion over everything.

This picture of King David and his rule in partnership with God then transmogrifies into a prophetic statement about a descendant of David. A King who will rule forever, Jesus. The covenant with Him ” will never fail. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure”.

Jesus will walk on water and calm many stormy seas while He walks with the disciples on earth. He promises to do the same for those who choose to faithfully follow Him.

Prayer: God you have the power to calm the storms that sometimes buffet our lives and threaten to swamp our boats. Grant us the faith to step out onto those waves so we can walk on water — with Your help.

SDG
Posted in Christianity, Covenant, Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, God's Love for Us, Miracles, Nature, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Eddying Out – Digging and Dredging

Posted on May 29, 2015 by wamplerp

I am in the midst of preparing for an extended trip to Ghana and I decided today was a good day to “eddy out”.

I had an interesting conversation via chat the other night with a friend from Haiti.  He is a fellow christian and he had many very good questions about God and things related to the bible and christian belief.

I think at one point he was concerned that the questions he was asking were somehow wrong or inappropriate.  At that point I shared with him that I think God is not afraid for us to dig deep into questions about Him what it means to follow Him and neither was I.

One of the questions he asked was about christian marriage and ceremony.  He wondered who can perform the marriage ceremony?  I had to admit that I did not know of a verse that specified who can perform a marriage.  That does not mean that such a verse does not exist, but I certainly do not remember reading such a verse.  There are plenty of verses that talk about proper behavior for married people and the rational behind joining in matrimony, but none that I know about that specify the procedure.

This made me think about where Christian marriage traditions come from, or Jewish marriage traditions for that matter.  If someone knows of verses that talk to who can perform a marriage ceremony please help me out.  In the mean time I will continue to dig and dredge my way through the bible again tomorrow.  One never knows what nuggets await.

Prayer: God You provide many insights and truths as we dig into the bible.  Help us to understand and discuss our questions about them openly. 

Posted in Discernment, Discipleship, Eddying Out, Life Together, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Land of Oblivion

Posted on May 28, 2015 by wamplerp

oblivionLord , you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength. I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care. You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.  You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord , every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction ? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion? But I cry to you for help, Lord ; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why, Lord , do you reject me and hide your face from me? From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair. Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. You have taken from me friend and neighbor— darkness is my closest friend. – Psalm 88:1-18

This is a confusing and challenging bit of water…but it starts out well.  “The God who saves me”…that is a God I want to follow. The psalmist apparently does not think they have much longer on this earth…”my life draws near to death”.  Does any of us know how much time we have on this earth?  The underlying question in this psalm is what happens when we die.  Do we proceed to an undiscovered country or oblivion? Is God present and active in both places?

The writer of the psalm seems to be in the depths of despair and is convinced that they are headed into oblivion.  It almost sounds like it could be describing someone like Job in the midst of his “storm” – isolated from God being buffeted by wave upon wave.  Job never gave up and eventually he emerged from the storm, God showed up, and restored his life. This psalm ends without such tidy resolution.

Then comes some interesting philosophical questions about death and dying (crossing over) and what our relationship with God will be like after we die… “Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction ? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

The writer of the psalm seems to be convinced that they will be “lost” in oblivion after death.  They are consumed by terrors that surround them all day like a flood.  This sounds like a depressed and hopeless person who is not sure about the existence of a reality beyond this earth; and has chosen darkness over light…”darkness is my closest friend”.

I am confident that souls who choose God are also chosen by God.  Their spirits do in fact rise up and praise God when they are “poured out” of their bodies.  I am less sure about the fate of those who choose to be free of God in life and after death.  Do they still have a chance to choose God?  I do not know.  I am confident that all those who want to be found will be found, regardless of whether they are still in their bodies or “lost” in oblivion.

Prayer: God thank You for being a God who saves and preparing a place for those who choose it. 

 

Posted in Death and Dying, Faith, Following God, Free Will, Heaven, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , | 98 Comments

A Doorkeeper in the House of God

Posted on May 27, 2015 by wamplerp

131961188.T999Z3ol.SFODec100405How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord ; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.  Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.  They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. – Psalm 84:1-12

This is an interesting and somewhat perplexing passage.  The water reference comes as the psalm is describing who is “blessed”- “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.”  I have prayed and chewed on this passage and I am not sure I understand it yet, but here is what I am thinking at the moment.

The part about those who find strength in God being blessed makes sense and it also makes sense that those who are set on a pilgrimage are blessed.  I think what is being described here are God-seekers, or “children of the burning heart” as A.W. Tozer would put it.  Then comes the confusing riffle in the passage.  As these blessed children of the burning heart are passing through the Valley of Baka they “make it a place of springs”.

I have always thought of springs as existing or in some cases coming into existence by a miraculous intervention from God, but this passage seems to suggest that by their very faith and “pilgrimage” the springs become prominent.  The only way this makes sense to me is if the springs are really there all the time, but they are hidden from those who are not “blessed” or seeking after God.  If the hidden springs are a metaphor for the spiritual kingdom of God then this passage is really saying that seekers after God can find springs of living water not visible to those who are not seeking God.

The second part about “autumn rains also cover it with pools” is also confusing as it seems to suggest that God will provide pools of water even when we are not seeking and as a part of the natural spiritual cycle.  I am not sure I understand this portion of the passage and how it relates to the springs.

The passage goes on to describe these “blessed” people as going from strength to strength on their way to appearing before God in Zion (going to heaven?).  I take this to mean that their faith provides them with strength and endurance to finish the race that Paul talks about in the new testament (2 Timothy 4:7).  Then comes some interesting parts of the passage about why going to God in Zion is desirable “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” — better to be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

I take this last part to mean that the blessed seekers that the passage is describing must possess both a boldness to find hidden springs and the willingness to hold the door to God’s kingdom if that is what is required of us – A tension-filled combination of hubris and humility.

Prayer: God grant us the boldness to seek hidden springs of living water and the humility to place ourselves completely in your hands.

Posted in Christianity, Covenant, Death and Dying, Faith, Following God, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Heaven, Miracles, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Unknown Voice

Posted on May 26, 2015 by wamplerp

DSCN0668When God went out against Egypt, he established it as a statute for Joseph. I heard an unknown voice say: “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.  Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” – Psalm 81:5-16

This psalm is described as a psalm of Asaph and it contains similar circling back and remembering as the last few psalms.  The psalmist hears “an unknown voice” that proceeds to describe in intimate detail the ways that God has showed up for the Israelites from the slavery and bondage in Egypt to the conflicts in the Promised Land.

How could the Israelites still not know God’s voice?  As I posed this question it occurs to me that in many ways we still do not know God’s voice.  God often speaks in a whisper amid the raging storms that distract our attention.  We have to develop a very sensitive hearing apparatus to hear the voice of God.

God reminds the Isaraelites that when they called out to Him He answered and rescued them from Egypt.  Moses and Aaron failed the “Meribah Test” at the Waters of Meribah. They were not able to faithfully follow God.  Then comes a warning “I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel!”  God seems to be saying throughout the old testament so far…Listen to Me Israel!  God also says it to each one of us who choose to follow Him…Listen to me Peter!

If only Israel had listened things would have been a lot easier for them “how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!”  We also can take heart in this promise from God if we listen carefully and seek God then things will go much better for us.  No guarantees that all of life will be easy, but it will be easier if we are listening to God than if we are not.

Those who listen and obey God will “be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock”  God will satisfy us.  Isn’t that what most of us want out of life…to be satisfied. God says listen to me and you will be satisfied.

Prayer: God thank You for speaking to us even when we are hard of hearing, and for providing for us when we carefully listen.

Posted in Christianity, Covenant, Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, Free Will, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Restoration

Posted on May 25, 2015 by wamplerp

DSCN0853How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. Its branches reached as far as the Sea,  its shoots as far as the River.  Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? Boars from the forest ravage it, and insects from the fields feed on it. Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. – Psalm 80:4-19

This passage contains an interesting reference to tears that I am not sure I understand…”You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful”.  This seems to be describing hardships that accompanied the Israelites in Egypt and the Promised Land.  The blessings came with tears.  I suspect the tears were a result of the “soul sickness” associated with the stubborn rebellion that was the hallmark of the Israelites up to this point.

The passage then turns a corner from the bitter water of tears to restoration through Reflections of Him – the Son of Man.  In this verse the psalmist answers the question I posed in a post a few days ago…Iron Man or Son of Man? The prophetic answer provided here is clearly the Son of Man and the restoration that He will bring.  When I think of restoration I think of antique furniture, rivers damaged by humans; restored relationships; and people whose souls are disconnected from the spring that is God.

Restoration of furniture is actually very rewarding.  I remember purchasing a homely desk at a garage sale when I was in graduate school.  We could tell from the chipped paint and the density that it was made of solid oak.  We bought that homely desk covered in thick paint and took it home.  Over the next few weeks we stripped off all the old paint to reveal an amazing oak desk that we own to this day…restoration.  In the case of restoring furniture the end goal is relatively straightforward.  In my work with rivers restoration is a common goal, but what the goal looks like is not always so clear.

As a geomorphologist part of my career has been researching human impacts from dams and ways to restore rivers.  There are many challenges to attempting to restore a river.  One of the biggest challenges is discerning what the condition of the river was prior to it being altered.  If one is to restore a river one needs to know what the target is for that restoration; otherwise one can never know when one has finished.  As complicated and difficult as rivers are to restore relationships are even harder.

As my wife astutely pointed out to me, restoring relationships involves two or more people; and each of the players has emotions and ideas about how the relationship is supposed to look and function.  Successful restoration of relationships requires really good communication and compromise to arrive at the same end goal of a restored relationship.  In some ways this is true of our relationship with God except that God has the advantage of knowing us better than we know ourselves.  He has the endpoint clearly in view – a new creation.  We have the disadvantage of having to communicate with God in a language not native to us, soul to soul prayer; and through a veil that makes everything a bit “fuzzy”.

Fortunately God is a God who see us for who we are and what we can become.  A God who wants to carry us like a son or daughter.  Just like the old oak desk covered in paint God needs to strip us down to the soul by removing all the sin and baggage that we have accumulated.  This process of restoration can be hard and sometimes feels like our skin is being torn from our bodies, but that is what is needed for us to become the new creation God sees in us.

Prayer: Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

SDG
Posted in Free Will, Healing, Heaven, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, Sin, The Earthly Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Where is their God?

Posted on May 24, 2015 by wamplerp

Christian-persecution-620x318O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild. They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. We are objects of contempt to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. How long, Lord ? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland. Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. May the groans of the prisoners come before you; with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die. Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise. – Psalm 79:1-13

The reference to water in this passage is fleeting, but there was so much going on here that I felt I should pause at this riffle to reflect.  The question posed “where is their God” is one that is often asked when tragedy strikes or Christians are persecuted for their faith.  It is a valid question, especially when we see Christians being killed by the hundreds in Iraq…”where is there God?”

“The blood of the people is being poured out like water in Jerusalem”. This was true during the time of this Psalm, and unfortunately it is increasingly true all over the world today.  God is not absent so why does he not act to prevent the bloodshed?  I do not know.  Perhaps this is one of the questions that will be answered when the veil is lifted between us and God and we are able to see Him face to face.

I think that, just like the Jews during the time of Jesus, we want a mighty messiah who will avenge the spilled blood. What we got was a Messiah who spilled His blood for us instead. The battle is a spiritual one for our souls. The physical pain and shed blood, although heart wrenching and horrendous to our earthly eyes, are a mere distraction from the spiritual battles being waged for our souls.

A common explanation for the reason bad things happen to those who are following God is that we live in a fallen world.  God did not say that in following Him we would avoid earthly trouble, in fact Jesus said essentially that if we choose to follow Him we are almost guaranteed to experience trials and tribulations.  But take heart Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).  The spiritual battle is won not by might but by steadfast souls unwilling to give up on our Savior, and a Savior unwilling to give up on us. In the end God wins.

Prayer: It is hard to see your followers persecuted for the the love they show for You.  Bring us peace through your Son Jesus.

Posted in Christian Community, Christian Leadership, Christianity, Conflict, Covenant, Death and Dying, Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, Healing, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, Sin, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Iron Man or Son of Man?

Posted on May 23, 2015 by wamplerp

imageHow often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland! Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power— the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, the day he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan. He turned their river into blood; they could not drink from their streams. He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet. He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility— a band of destroying angels. He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague. He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness. He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies. And so he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. – Psalm 78:40-55

This Psalm is a great circling back to recount the ways that God has shown up for the Israelites in the past.  Many of these remembrances involved water in some way.  The account begins with a retelling of the story of the Nile being turned to blood to convince Pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 7:14-24).

The God being described here is a “Mad Max” sort of God who comes in and “kicks butt” for the Israelites.  He sends hail, frogs, and all manner of miracle to come to the aid of the Israelites.  This is a God who saves in a tangible way…a real Marvel Comics superhero kind of God who swoops in with vengeance and wrath to take it to those doing evil against the followers of God.  This is where the hearts of the jewish people were when Jesus showed up to rescue them from the Roman oppression of the day.  They wanted Mad Max and they got something else entirely — the Son of Man.

God helped the Israelites make it to the Promised Land after crossing over the Jordan.  They were rewarded for their troubles and trials in the wilderness as they followed the Shepherd who was leading them into the Promised Land.  The situation today is somewhat more vexing.  Those who follow Jesus are also following a Shepherd out of the spiritual wilderness that is this world into a Promised Land (the kingdom of God).  Our pursuer now is not a bunch of chariots and men with spears.  It is a clever deceiver who wishes to win our souls and keep us from following God.

The confusing and hard part about this following is that God is fighting spiritual battles for us now rather than tangible battles that we can feel viscerally in our gut.  It is much more difficult to cheer for the winning of a soul than to clap for a clobbered villain.  The battles are far more subtle and cerebral than those described in this Psalm.  They are not the stuff of a Hollywood action movie, although Hollywood tried with the Movie “Left Behind” starring Nicholas Cage — of course in that movie they had to make it interesting by putting Cage in the cockpit of a jumbo jet landing on a freeway in the dark while almost running over his daughter.

I am confident that God will win this epic battle for our souls, not with high tech suits, amazing weapons, or superpowers, but by His spirit and love.  In reality He has already won this battle, but we must play a part.  He asks us to surrender to Him before He can win for us.

Prayer: God help us to trust You in the midst of what seems like discouraging battles.

Posted in Christianity, Conflict, Covenant, Death and Dying, Discipleship, Following God, Forgiveness, God's Love for Us, Love for the Lost, Miracles, Nature, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, Satan, Sin, The Earthly Realm, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Given what we Crave

Posted on May 22, 2015 by wamplerp

burgerBut they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High. They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness? True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat for his people?” When the Lord heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. He let loose the east wind from the heavens and by his power made the south wind blow. He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like sand on the seashore. He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. They ate till they were gorged— he had given them what they craved. But before they turned from what they craved, even while the food was still in their mouths, God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.  – Psalm 78:17-31

This passage is a bookend to yesterday’s post. The issue in this passage is God providing what the Israelites crave. Unfortunately they were craving earthly food and water rather than God.

I wish I could say that I have never craved earthly “food” over spiritual sustenance but alas it would not be true. Our earthly bodies are needy. They require constant care and feeding. Our spirits do too but our spiritual hunger is often superseded by our bodily hungers.  God fed the earthly bodies of the Israelites so that they would not crave and they could focus on Him.  It did not work.

I tend to associate craving with habits like smoking or eating. Things we crave have a hold on us. God wants us to crave Him. He wants the only thing the “have a hold on us” to be Him.  That is why He was disappointed and angry when the Israelites for choosing earthly sustenance over the spiritual nourishment.

God gave the Israelites both bread from heaven and water from rock —   both miraculous provisions intended to demonstrate His love.  They were received as an end in themselves rather than a means to a greater relationship with the provider of those things — God.  I think I am guilty of the same myopic view of the things of this world.  I tend to see only what is right in front of me and present in the moment to meet my immediate needs.   It takes a significant act of the will to see the deeper spiritual provision that God is giving me every day.

Prayer: God help me to see the spiritual food your provide for me every day.  Help me be satisfied and seek the One who provided it.

Posted in Christianity, Covenant, Discipleship, Following God, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Miracles, Obedience, Psalms, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Things from of Old?

Posted on May 21, 2015 by wamplerp
Colorado River Delta (source: USGS)

Colorado River Delta (source: USGS)

My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord , his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law. They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall. He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. – Psalm 78:1-16

This is the first time I have noticed the use of the term parable in the old testament.  It is interesting that “hidden things, things from of old” are apparently uttered in parables.  It seems like that is what Jesus was all about while he was teaching about the kingdom — telling about “things from of old” in parables.

The direction here is to pass on the great things that God has done to the next generation so that they will remember.  In the past the Israelites have done this through standing stones and monuments.  The direction here is more organic.  We are to tell our children and they will in turn tell their children.  If we stop telling then the chain is broken.

The men of Ephraim apparently broke the chain in their time and there were dire consequences for them and their people.  Despite the miracles and wonders that the Israelites experienced like the parting of the Red Sea and the water from rock in the desert.

We are also reminded that God first led the people as a cloud – a godly condensate and that He provided all the water they needed when they needed it.  He is still doing this for us today through the Holy Spirit and Jesus.

Prayer: God You have provided all that we need through your Holy Spirit and Jesus.  May we tell our children stories of You so that they may know and follow You.

Posted in Covenant, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, Miracles, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment