Category Archives: Bible Stories

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September 3, 2015

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Plan, Obedience, Patience & Perseverance, Trusting God

THE INDIRECT WAY – LESSONS FROM THE TRAIL (2)

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. [Exodus 13:17-18a (NIV)]

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. … After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. [Acts 16:6-7,10 (NIV)]

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While hiking up the ski mountain, we discovered that what takes only nine minutes on the gondola takes several hours. A 2,200 vertical rise became a more than five mile hike. When looking at the trail map, it is easy to see why—rather than walking straight up the face and following the path of the gondola, the trail traverses back and forth across the mountain. Geometry taught us that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line yet, sometimes, the most direct way is not always the best way. In actuality, going straight up the face of the mountain is near impossible except for the fittest, most adventurous, and possibly craziest of hikers. Being none of those, we followed the meandering trail. There were moments of discouragement as we crossed back and forth across the face of the mountain, catching a brief glimpse of our destination in the distance, before passing again into the woods and continuing our slow ascent.

Is that what it felt like for the Israelites who spent forty years on a trip that should have taken only a matter of days? The forty years, of course, were tacked on for disobedience, but their initial route, given them by God, wasn’t the shortest one either. The shorter route from Goshen to Canaan, a four or five day’s journey, would have led them through Philistine country and was heavily guarded by a string of Egyptian fortresses. God wisely knew that His people, their spirits broken by years of slavery, were not yet ready for war. Their inexperience and possible cowardice would make them shrink from conflict and want to return to Egypt. Knowing this, God sent them the long way around to the Red Sea, an eleven days’ journey. Then, just as they’d gotten to the edge of the wilderness, instead of going forward, God re-directed them back to make camp by the sea. It probably made no sense to the people but it did to God. Pharaoh, thinking them lost and discouraged, would be lulled into a false sense of confidence. He would pursue them, giving God the opportunity at the Red Sea to prove to the Egyptians (and Israelites) exactly with whom they were dealing: the one true God.

God knows our abilities, our weaknesses and fears. By giving us lesser trials, He prepares us for greater ones, just as he did for the Israelites. Sometimes, the less direct route is necessary for us to gain knowledge and experience and learn to trust, obey and appreciate God and His blessings. Other times, God takes us the less direct route because He has a greater task for us elsewhere. When Paul wanted to go into the provinces of Asia, for example, he was directed instead to Macedonia where he brought the gospel message to Europe. He eventually got back to Asia but one look at his missionary journeys shows us that the Apostle never took the most direct route; instead, he followed God’s plan. Admittedly, when our journey takes longer than expected, it is frustrating to think we’ll never reach our objective. We must remember that God is guiding us to the destination that He has chosen by the path that He wants us to take. It may not be the shortest or easiest trail; it will, however, be the best.

There is a long way which is short and a short way which is long. [Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 53b]

I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. [Jeremiah 10:23 (NIV)]

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September 1, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, God's Grace & Love, God's Plan, Knowing Him, Obedience, Salvation: A New You, Today: Make it Count

INVITATIONS

The Angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.’” He added, “These are the true words of God!” [Revelation 19:9 (MSG)]

IMGa_8372webI love seeing those thick envelopes in my mail that signify a special invitation. Usually included with the invitation is a request to RSVP. In spite of providing the invitees with a stamped pre-addressed envelope and a response card that requires only a name and check mark, most hosts spend several frantic days shortly before the event trying to track down the people who rudely haven’t bothered to reply. Worse manners, however, are exhibited by the guests who accept an invitation and then fail to attend. Justifiably, the host becomes annoyed; he probably has to pay for the absentee guests whether present or not. Moreover, those people may well have taken the place of others who might have truly appreciated the invitation.

Jesus was dining at the home of a Pharisee. When a dinner companion commented that it will be a blessing to feast in the Messianic kingdom to come, Jesus responded with a parable about a man who hosted a great banquet. Although the initial invitation to his feast had already been accepted, when the host sent his servants to tell the guests the banquet was prepared and ready to be served, the invitees used flimsy excuses about being too preoccupied with their everyday lives to attend. This was a major breach of etiquette; they’d already accepted, animals had been butchered, food was prepared and now the guests rejected the invitation! To add insult to injury, that all of the guests declined at the last minute implies some collusion among them to insult the host. Angry at their rejection, the master of the house, determined not to have an empty table, sent his servants out to bring in the poor, blind and lame—the people who normally would never be invited to such a feast. When that was done, since there was still room at the large table, the master sent his servants beyond the city gates to summon everyone else to his banquet. The host also vowed that not one of those who had been invited and rejected him would ever be invited again; they would never be allowed to dine at his table!

This story was Jesus’ way of warning the Jews that, since they didn’t accept His invitation of salvation, everyone else who came to him by faith would be welcome at His table. Anyone who chose to reject His offer, however, would never dine in God’s Kingdom. This parable, while specifically aimed at the Pharisees attending the banquet, still has meaning to us over 2,000 years later. Jesus reassures us that, while we are totally unworthy to eat at God’s banquet, He will welcome us. All we have to do is accept his invitation and show up when we’re called. The parable also serves as a warning if we don’t accept. God has given us an invitation and, being a gracious host, He’s prepared a heavenly banquet for us. How will He feel and what will He do if we reject his generous offer? I’m not planning on being a “no-show,” how about you?

“All things are ready,” come to the feast! Come, for the table now is spread;
Ye famishing, ye weary, come, and thou shalt be richly fed.
“All things are ready,” come to the feast! Come, for the door is open wide;
A place of honor is reserved For you at the Master’s side.
“All things are ready,” come to the feast! Come, while He waits to welcome thee;
Delay not while this day is thine,Tomorrow may never be.
“All things are ready,” come to the feast! Leave ev’ry care and worldly strife;
Come, feast upon the love of God, And drink everlasting life.
[“Come to the Feast” by Charles H. Gabriel]

Taken aback, Jesus said, “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions—streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God’s kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then those who grew up ‘in the faith’ but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened.” [Matthew 8:10-12 (MSG)]

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August 25, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Knowing Him, Love & Works, Obedience

THE FIRST MUST BE LAST

He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” [Mark 9:35 (NLT)]

Jesus’ disciples believed him to be the long-awaited and promised Messiah. Like most of the Jews, they originally believed that the Messiah would bring a new kingdom into this world: a new government for Israel that was not under the rule of Rome. The disciples began to think about their status in this future kingdom, much like close supporters of a presidential candidate start thinking about an ambassadorship or even a place in the presidential cabinet. The gospels tell us that they argued over which of them was the greatest and who deserved the best position in this new realm. The mother of James and John even had the nerve to ask Jesus to give her sons special status in his coming kingdom. She was like a presidential candidate’s financial backer who requests that a family member be given a cushy or high profile job in the new government. It seemed that everyone around Jesus was jockeying for a choice position in his kingdom.

It took a great deal of time and teaching, however, before the disciples truly grasped that the Kingdom of God of which Jesus spoke was not going to be here on earth. Jesus told his disciples that leadership would not be determined by power and influence but by service. The good leader is not the most prominent, ruthless or esteemed person, said Jesus; the good leader is the servant. This was a new concept of leadership: attending to the needs of people instead of using them for your own purposes, caring for others instead of having them care for you. Instead of looking for ways to earn honors and privileges, Jesus tells us that we should be looking for ways to serve others and minister to their needs.

Just because you’re in the driver’s seat … doesn’t mean you have to run people over. [From “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow]

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as ransom of many.” [Matthew 20:26-28 (NLT)]

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August 1, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Forgiveness, God's Grace & Love, Obedience

FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS

And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors. [Matthew 6:12 (RSV)]

Forgive us as we forgive others. [Matthew 6:12 (GW)]

Various plans for debt relief have been in the news and all over the internet recently. It may be tough to pay back those college loans but being in debt was much tougher in Biblical times. Back then, if someone was unable to pay a debt, he could be thrown into prison or have his family sold into slavery. Jesus told a parable about the forgiveness of debts. When the king decided to bring his financial records up to date, all those who owed him money were brought to him. One servant owed him ten thousand talents and was unable to pay. When the King ordered that he, his family, and everything he owned should be sold to pay the obligation, the man begged the king’s forgiveness; the king showed compassion and generously forgave his servant’s debt.

This servant then went to a fellow worker who owed him only one hundred denarii and demanded immediate payment. His co-worker begged for a little more time, but the man insisted on immediate repayment and had the debtor thrown into prison. Although the king had offered the first servant mercy and forgiveness, this same man was unwilling to offer mercy and forgiveness to someone else. When the king learned of this, he had the unforgiving debtor thrown into prison to be tortured until he’d repaid the original debt.

Jesus then advised His disciples that the same thing would happen if they refused to forgive their brothers and sisters. If they denied forgiveness to others, forgiveness would be denied to them.

It is so much easier to ask God for His forgiveness of our offenses than to offer that same forgiveness to those who have hurt or offended us. God, however, doesn’t hold grudges and Jesus didn’t die on the cross for a select few; He died for all. We are all sinners and our debt was paid by Christ. A refusal to forgive others is a refusal to acknowledge our own sinful natures. It becomes easier to forgive others when we remember how much God (and other people) have already forgiven us.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. [Colossians 3:13b (GW)]

If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures. [Matthew 6:14-15 (GW)]

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July 31, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Forgiveness, God's Plan, God's Promises, God's Word: The Bible, Obedience, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

NO AMNESTY

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. [Psalm 51:1-4 (NLT)]

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Tonight, we’ll experience what’s called a “blue moon,” a somewhat rare occurrence of two full moons in the same month. A few years ago the Chicago Public Library had what they called the “Once in a Blue Moon Amnesty” program. For three weeks, any late fees were waived on all overdue material, no matter how late it was. Apparently, many people prefer keeping their books, magazines and DVDs rather than paying steep fines as a consequence for their late return. The amnesty was offered in hope of getting more than two million dollars’ worth of media back on the shelves. It had been twenty years since the city ran a similar program of reprieve. Avoiding the consequences of our actions, like the Chicago Public Library’s amnesty offer, usually only happens “once in a blue moon!”

David was famous: he was a musician and shepherd, a giant killer and celebrated warrior, a great king and the author of most of the psalms. Nevertheless, he was human and David, like the rest of us, fell into sin. Adultery with Bathsheba was just one of them; he also murdered Bathsheba’s husband Uriah by sending him to his certain death. When David finally confessed his transgressions, the prophet Nathan assured him that they were forgiven. Nathan added that God’s forgiveness didn’t mean David wouldn’t suffer the consequences of his sins: his child by Bathsheba, conceived while she was still married to Uriah, would die. David’s confession and apology to God were not enough to eliminate the consequences of his actions; there was no amnesty for him.

Hopefully, when we wrong others, we confess, apologize and try to make amends. Nevertheless, our confession, someone’s forgiveness, and even restitution won’t free us from consequences. We may still lose respect, a job, a friend or even a marriage. Our actions may lead to a punishment as simple as a traffic ticket or as serious as time in prison. A child may be put in “time out,” a teenager might be grounded and a college student could be put on academic probation. We may receive a poor performance review, not be allowed to participate in an activity, be expelled from school or find a relationship irrevocably destroyed. We could lose money, status or even our family. If we choose to sin, we must be prepared for the consequences of that sin. Amnesty is rarely an option.

We ask God to forgive our sins and he does. We must never forget, however, that God’s promise of forgiveness is not like a “Get Out of Jail Free” card in the game of Monopoly. Neither God’s forgiveness nor the forgiveness of those we’ve wronged will exonerate us from the consequences of our actions in this game of life.

The people of Samaria must bear the consequences of their guilt because they rebelled against their God. [Hosea 13:16a (NLT)]

But they encouraged my people to worship idols, causing Israel to fall into deep sin. So I have taken a solemn oath that they must bear the consequences for their sins, says the Sovereign Lord. [Ezekiel 4:12 (NLT)]

And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution. [Ezekiel 23:35 (NLT)]

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July 23, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Forgiveness, God's Grace & Love, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Temptation & Sin, Wisdom & Guidance

SHIFTING THE BLAME

“I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore. Make me one of your hired men.” … Then his son said to him, “Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore.” [Luke 15:19,21 (GW)]

The man answered, “That woman, the one you gave me, gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” [Genesis 3:12 (GW)]

DSC01629awebAfter brazenly demanding his inheritance while his father still lived, the prodigal son quickly wasted it all in a reckless and immoral lifestyle. Realizing the error of his ways, the ashamed and penniless youth swallowed his pride and returned to his father, hoping to be hired on as a servant. His story, one of repentance, forgiveness and redemption, is quite a contrast to that of a young woman whose tale is circulating on the Internet. She recently called into a radio show and told of getting a $90,000 college fund from her grandparents. In three years, however, she managed to blow through all of it—not just on tuition but also on clothing, college breaks and a trip to Europe. Now, having no way to pay her $20,000 senior year’s tuition, she called the show to complain—not about her recklessness and spendthrift ways but about her parents. Although any fifth grader knows enough to divide ninety by four and figure out how much money can be spent each year, she blamed her parents for not teaching her to budget; it was their fault she was broke. The young woman showed no remorse for her actions and refused to accept responsibility for her predicament. The prodigal son worked at a pig farm before returning home and was willing to work as his father’s servant. This young woman’s response to getting a job in the school cafeteria was, “That’s embarrassing.”

I wonder, however, if we’re really all that different from this young woman. Hopefully, we haven’t squandered $90,000 but we’ve all blamed others for our errors, difficulties, and even our sins. It wasn’t just Eve that Adam blamed for the apple incident; he blamed God for giving him the woman in the first place. We’re not much better. In an effort to excuse our actions, we shift the blame to our parents’ divorce, our ex-spouse’s greed, bad genes, the credit card company that shouldn’t have increased our credit, the loan officer who allowed us to refinance, the persuasive salesman, our idiot co-workers, the teacher who can’t teach, the woman who shouldn’t have been so seductive, the husband who shouldn’t have been so busy, the spouse who just didn’t understand, a troubled childhood, the bartender who over-served, and the other guy who made us angry or started the fight! We shift the blame to justify our own bad behavior and, if we show any remorse, it’s only because of the mess in which we find ourselves once we have to face the consequences.

With a repentant heart, the prodigal son took responsibility for his actions and was welcomed into his father’s house. Make no mistake about it, if we don’t accept responsibility for our actions with a humble and repentant heart, our story, unlike that of the prodigal son, will not be one of forgiveness and redemption.

When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil, and God doesn’t tempt anyone. Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death. [James 1:13-15 (GW)]

If we say, “We aren’t sinful” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. [1 John 1:8-9 (GW)]