Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
I want so badly to understand things.
I feel like Forest Gump so many days. So many things are just beyond my comprehension.
Take something as simple as gravity for instance. Everyone knows that gravity exists. You see its effects. It is measurable enough to calculate a rocket's trajectory to Mars.
Ask a physicist to tell you what it is. What causes it? Does it travel faster than light? Is everything in the universe connected to every other thing by some invisible instantaneous force? How does that work? No one really knows more than the first few layers of that onion.
Lean not unto thine own understanding...
This is our source of pride - we know what to do. We can take care of THIS.
It is the lie that got Adam and Eve kicked out of paradise. "You will not surely die...do what YOU want to do.. not what God told you to do... its alright. You can handle it....
His ways are higher... his thoughts are higher....
I remember when I first started working as an engineer and my brilliant proposal was turned down. It was the low cost, most technologically advanced solution. It was the OBVIOUS course of action to anyone with a brain in their head. Management must be stupid. Thats what young engineers tend to think.
Later when I started calling on CEOs and top management as a sales engineer, I began to understand that they have a lot of issues to deal with and that the low cost most technologically advanced solution, might not meet all of their criteria. The political ramifications, for example, might dictate a high cost low tech solution for some reason. The view from upstairs was much clearer.
God sees things that we can't see. He sees the end of the road and all the obstacles that will be in our way. He knows every intimate detail about us. He knows what is best - what will fulfill us, what will make us happy, what will make us complete, what will make us whole.
Our best life is to trust Him.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Proverbs 3:3-4
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. (KJV)
The NIV version says "Let love and faithfulness never leave you..."
So what is is that we are supposed to cling to? Mercy and truth or love and faithfulness?
Let's try another English translation:
The NASB says, "...kindness and truth...."
The RSV says, "...loyalty and faithfulness..."
Sometimes I get so mad at those Bable-onians... why did they have to make that tower? So much depth of meaning gets lost in translation. Wouldn't it be nice if we all still spoke Hebrew? (There is some strong evidence that Hebrew was the original language of man.....but thats another post).
The first word, in Hebrew, is "kheh'-sed"(if that helps). It is translated as mercy, kindness, loving kindness, goodness, kindly, merciful , etc... depending on the context. The idea seems to be one of doing good to others.
The second word, "eh-meth" can be translated as firmness, stability, truth, fidelity, faithfulness, the integrity of a judge, etc... again, depending on the context. The idea here seems to reflect the unwavering truth of God that you can always count on. God never breaks his promises. His truth will last forever. His principles are everlasting.
So... we seem have a command here that tells us how to relate to others (love them) and to God (trust Him).
Keep mercy and truth close to your heart - cling to truth and love others - and you will find favor with both God and man.
The NIV version says "Let love and faithfulness never leave you..."
So what is is that we are supposed to cling to? Mercy and truth or love and faithfulness?
Let's try another English translation:
The NASB says, "...kindness and truth...."
The RSV says, "...loyalty and faithfulness..."
Sometimes I get so mad at those Bable-onians... why did they have to make that tower? So much depth of meaning gets lost in translation. Wouldn't it be nice if we all still spoke Hebrew? (There is some strong evidence that Hebrew was the original language of man.....but thats another post).
The first word, in Hebrew, is "kheh'-sed"(if that helps). It is translated as mercy, kindness, loving kindness, goodness, kindly, merciful , etc... depending on the context. The idea seems to be one of doing good to others.
The second word, "eh-meth" can be translated as firmness, stability, truth, fidelity, faithfulness, the integrity of a judge, etc... again, depending on the context. The idea here seems to reflect the unwavering truth of God that you can always count on. God never breaks his promises. His truth will last forever. His principles are everlasting.
So... we seem have a command here that tells us how to relate to others (love them) and to God (trust Him).
Keep mercy and truth close to your heart - cling to truth and love others - and you will find favor with both God and man.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Proverbs 3:1-2
Proverbs 3:1-2 "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee."
Here is a command with a promise. This is where "the fear of the LORD" starts adding wisdom. Do you fear the LORD enough to obey? Is His Word true or not? Do you believe that the opposite may be true? What if we forget God's law and fail to keep His commandments? Will our lives be cut short? Will we lack peace (KJV) or prosperity (NIV)?
"Forget not my law." You can't forget what you never knew. How well do we know God's law? Do we even know the 10 commandments? Do you know that Jesus said that all the laws hinge on loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself?
What about all the other laws? Aren't we under grace and not under the law now?
Yes, but this proverb isn't talking about keeping the law as a means to salvation, it is talking about keeping the law as a means to a long life, peace, and prosperity. Other verses talk about keeping the law, "so that it may go well with you."
God's laws are for our benefit. Jesus said (paraphrased) that the sabbath was made for man - not that man was made for the sabbath. The day of rest is for our benefit, not to cut our productivity by 1/7.
In the 1300's the black plague ravished Europe. In time, the Jews came to be blamed because the Jewish communities did not seem to be plagued like the rest of Europe. It was rumored that the plague was a Jewish plot to exterminate Christians. Jews were tortured and made to confess to this atrocity. What was really going on?
The Europeans lived in filth. They threw their sewage in the streets and rats were everywhere. The rats got infected, the oriental rat flea bit the rats and then the fleas bit the Europeans - thus transferring the plague. If only they had taken the garbage "outside of the camp" like Moses said.
The Jewish people understood God's laws concerning sanitation (this is way beyond the 10 commandments). They feared God enough to meticulously keep these commandments and their "length of days" were increased (they didn't get flea bitten and die).
God's laws protect us.
Before we begin a dissertation on the law of Moses, lets just look at the 10 commandments. Every school child used to know these by heart. Do you? There are pretty easy to remember. You just have to use your fingers as memory aids.
Here is what I have taught my kids.
1. ONLY ONE GOD: "Thou shalt have no other God's before me."
1 finger points up. There is only one God.
2. NO IDOLS: "Thous shalt not make unto thee any graven image...thou shalt not bow down thyself to them"
2 fingers are "bunny ears" behind your head. The bunny ears are really idol horns because all idols have horns.. right? Make your ugliest face while the horns are behind your head.
Alternate: Hold up index finger on each hand. One finger bows to the other "idol" finger.
3. DO NOT TAKE GOD'S NAME IN VAIN
3 fingers coming out of the mouth - a triple forked tongue - (abusing the name of the Father, Son or Holy Spirit). Hiss like a snake.
4. REMEMBER THE SABBATH
4 fingers held together on one hand. Bring other fist to palm - its a church! Go to church on Sunday! Maybe the 4 fingers are a pillow: Rest. Snore as loud as you can.
5. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.
Hold up 5 fingers. There were 5 people in my family - the shorter fingers honor the two tallest fingers. If you don't honor or obey your father and mother, what happens? You may get a swat with the open (5 fingered) hand on your bottom. Swat your other hand as loud as you can and say "WAH WAH WAH" (like a baby crying).
6. DO NOT MURDER.
One finger is a gun. On the other hand, 5 fingers are "held up." Scream, "Don't shoot me mister!"
7. DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
2 fingers (on one hand) are committing adultery. The other hand (all five fingers) swats them and yells, "Shame on you!" "What is adultery", they may ask. It is kissing someone else's wife or husband.
8. DO NOT STEAL
5 fingers "hold a cup." Its really a cookie jar. Be VERY quiet. Look to the left. Look to the right - with your sneakiest look. Then reach into the cookie jar with three fingers and steal a cookie.
9. DO NOT LIE (bear false witness)
Hold up 9 fingers. They all scream "HE DID IT!" The thumb (that is not held up) yells "NO I DIDN'T."
10. DO NOT COVET.
All 10 fingers spread wide. Hold your arms wide apart - bring your hands together and pull them to yourself - as if you were raking everything off the table and bringing it to yourself. Yell "ITS ALL MINE!!!! MUHAHAHAHAA"
For other finger methods, google "ten commandments fingers."
That took about 5 minutes to memorize. The other hundreds of commands will take a lifetime.
As Spock says (while making a V between his ring finger and middle finger - can YOU do that?),
"Live long and prosper."
Here is a command with a promise. This is where "the fear of the LORD" starts adding wisdom. Do you fear the LORD enough to obey? Is His Word true or not? Do you believe that the opposite may be true? What if we forget God's law and fail to keep His commandments? Will our lives be cut short? Will we lack peace (KJV) or prosperity (NIV)?
"Forget not my law." You can't forget what you never knew. How well do we know God's law? Do we even know the 10 commandments? Do you know that Jesus said that all the laws hinge on loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself?
What about all the other laws? Aren't we under grace and not under the law now?
Yes, but this proverb isn't talking about keeping the law as a means to salvation, it is talking about keeping the law as a means to a long life, peace, and prosperity. Other verses talk about keeping the law, "so that it may go well with you."
God's laws are for our benefit. Jesus said (paraphrased) that the sabbath was made for man - not that man was made for the sabbath. The day of rest is for our benefit, not to cut our productivity by 1/7.
In the 1300's the black plague ravished Europe. In time, the Jews came to be blamed because the Jewish communities did not seem to be plagued like the rest of Europe. It was rumored that the plague was a Jewish plot to exterminate Christians. Jews were tortured and made to confess to this atrocity. What was really going on?
The Europeans lived in filth. They threw their sewage in the streets and rats were everywhere. The rats got infected, the oriental rat flea bit the rats and then the fleas bit the Europeans - thus transferring the plague. If only they had taken the garbage "outside of the camp" like Moses said.
The Jewish people understood God's laws concerning sanitation (this is way beyond the 10 commandments). They feared God enough to meticulously keep these commandments and their "length of days" were increased (they didn't get flea bitten and die).
God's laws protect us.
Before we begin a dissertation on the law of Moses, lets just look at the 10 commandments. Every school child used to know these by heart. Do you? There are pretty easy to remember. You just have to use your fingers as memory aids.
Here is what I have taught my kids.
1. ONLY ONE GOD: "Thou shalt have no other God's before me."
1 finger points up. There is only one God.
2. NO IDOLS: "Thous shalt not make unto thee any graven image...thou shalt not bow down thyself to them"
2 fingers are "bunny ears" behind your head. The bunny ears are really idol horns because all idols have horns.. right? Make your ugliest face while the horns are behind your head.
Alternate: Hold up index finger on each hand. One finger bows to the other "idol" finger.
3. DO NOT TAKE GOD'S NAME IN VAIN
3 fingers coming out of the mouth - a triple forked tongue - (abusing the name of the Father, Son or Holy Spirit). Hiss like a snake.
4. REMEMBER THE SABBATH
4 fingers held together on one hand. Bring other fist to palm - its a church! Go to church on Sunday! Maybe the 4 fingers are a pillow: Rest. Snore as loud as you can.
5. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.
Hold up 5 fingers. There were 5 people in my family - the shorter fingers honor the two tallest fingers. If you don't honor or obey your father and mother, what happens? You may get a swat with the open (5 fingered) hand on your bottom. Swat your other hand as loud as you can and say "WAH WAH WAH" (like a baby crying).
6. DO NOT MURDER.
One finger is a gun. On the other hand, 5 fingers are "held up." Scream, "Don't shoot me mister!"
7. DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
2 fingers (on one hand) are committing adultery. The other hand (all five fingers) swats them and yells, "Shame on you!" "What is adultery", they may ask. It is kissing someone else's wife or husband.
8. DO NOT STEAL
5 fingers "hold a cup." Its really a cookie jar. Be VERY quiet. Look to the left. Look to the right - with your sneakiest look. Then reach into the cookie jar with three fingers and steal a cookie.
9. DO NOT LIE (bear false witness)
Hold up 9 fingers. They all scream "HE DID IT!" The thumb (that is not held up) yells "NO I DIDN'T."
10. DO NOT COVET.
All 10 fingers spread wide. Hold your arms wide apart - bring your hands together and pull them to yourself - as if you were raking everything off the table and bringing it to yourself. Yell "ITS ALL MINE!!!! MUHAHAHAHAA"
For other finger methods, google "ten commandments fingers."
That took about 5 minutes to memorize. The other hundreds of commands will take a lifetime.
As Spock says (while making a V between his ring finger and middle finger - can YOU do that?),
"Live long and prosper."
Friday, August 1, 2008
Proverbs 2:16-19
As I egress from a truly restful experience in the restroom (if you have kids, you know what I mean) - very happy and content, I am ambushed.
My 9yr old son, in his innocence, had asked his mother a question that she thought would be best answered by Dad.
"Wait here on the sofa until he comes out of the restroom," she had told him.
As I am basking in the afterglow of my very restful experience...I am suddenly torn from my happy place and thrown into the jagged rocks of reality.
"Dad, what is pornography?"
"YIKES!!"
I had barely noticed him sitting there quietly on our bedroom couch. Then BAMM! He hits me. I think I literally saw stars - just like in the cartoons.
As I reeling from the blow, I fall back on the sofa and try to compose myself. I offer up a quick James 1:5 prayer as I sit staring blankly into the eyes of my inquisitive scholar.
"Uh."
I always want to be direct with my kids. I want to tell them the truth about things, but I want to be careful not to tell them more than they can handle. For example, the older kids can all tell you in great biological detail how babies are made, but the actual mechanics of conception (how the man's sperm actually gets to the woman's egg) is still a mystery to them - only because they have not asked the right questions.
"Pornography," I say, "that's just another word for idolatry. Do you remember in the Bible when people were worshiping golden calves, Baals, and other false images? Pornography is like that except that the object of worship is a picture or a video of another person's body."
"Why do people do that?"
"I don't know son. When the Israelites were worshiping the golden calf, they were trying to meet their needs in a way that was not pleasing to God. The were looking for protection, love, acceptance, and maybe even pleasure from an object that was not designed to meet any of those needs - an object that could never meet any of those needs.
"They were having a great time when Moses came down from the mountain, but as soon as they realized what they were doing, I'll bet they felt kind of silly."
"Why didn't they understand that what they were doing was dumb?"
"I don't know son. We were born into a battlefield and the enemy is very powerful. He tries to convince us that his idols will meet our needs better than God can meet our needs.
"Do you remember Adam and Eve? They walked with God all the time. They were amazingly close to God, but even they got tricked by the enemy. They fell for his lies.
"Can you believe that?
"The enemy is very tricky and very strong. He wants us to be wounded (or dead) so that we cannot fight the battle that God has called us to fight.
"You will be attacked. Maybe one day the enemy will even try to trick you into worshiping some kind of idol.
"I will pray for you that you will be strong when the enemy attacks."
"Thanks Dad."
"You pray for me too, son"
"OK Dad."
My 9yr old son, in his innocence, had asked his mother a question that she thought would be best answered by Dad.
"Wait here on the sofa until he comes out of the restroom," she had told him.
As I am basking in the afterglow of my very restful experience...I am suddenly torn from my happy place and thrown into the jagged rocks of reality.
"Dad, what is pornography?"
"YIKES!!"
I had barely noticed him sitting there quietly on our bedroom couch. Then BAMM! He hits me. I think I literally saw stars - just like in the cartoons.
As I reeling from the blow, I fall back on the sofa and try to compose myself. I offer up a quick James 1:5 prayer as I sit staring blankly into the eyes of my inquisitive scholar.
"Uh."
I always want to be direct with my kids. I want to tell them the truth about things, but I want to be careful not to tell them more than they can handle. For example, the older kids can all tell you in great biological detail how babies are made, but the actual mechanics of conception (how the man's sperm actually gets to the woman's egg) is still a mystery to them - only because they have not asked the right questions.
"Pornography," I say, "that's just another word for idolatry. Do you remember in the Bible when people were worshiping golden calves, Baals, and other false images? Pornography is like that except that the object of worship is a picture or a video of another person's body."
"Why do people do that?"
"I don't know son. When the Israelites were worshiping the golden calf, they were trying to meet their needs in a way that was not pleasing to God. The were looking for protection, love, acceptance, and maybe even pleasure from an object that was not designed to meet any of those needs - an object that could never meet any of those needs.
"They were having a great time when Moses came down from the mountain, but as soon as they realized what they were doing, I'll bet they felt kind of silly."
"Why didn't they understand that what they were doing was dumb?"
"I don't know son. We were born into a battlefield and the enemy is very powerful. He tries to convince us that his idols will meet our needs better than God can meet our needs.
"Do you remember Adam and Eve? They walked with God all the time. They were amazingly close to God, but even they got tricked by the enemy. They fell for his lies.
"Can you believe that?
"The enemy is very tricky and very strong. He wants us to be wounded (or dead) so that we cannot fight the battle that God has called us to fight.
"You will be attacked. Maybe one day the enemy will even try to trick you into worshiping some kind of idol.
"I will pray for you that you will be strong when the enemy attacks."
"Thanks Dad."
"You pray for me too, son"
"OK Dad."
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