Week of 7/19/20 - Pages 41 - 54

How incredibly rich is this prophetic book of Micah. What an amazing multifaceted gift God gave the world in this prophecy.  In this short little book God:  

• Warns his people who are left in Judah that they are headed off a cliff. For your own sake please "TURN AROUND." 

• God explains in graphic detail how horrible the consequences of their rebellion will be if they don't repent and turn from their evil ways. The unthinkable will happen to Judah, who only 200 yrs earlier, during the height of King Solomon's reign was a dominant world power and the richest nation in the world. 

• God also blames the Nation's leaders for their favoritism and how unjustly and without mercy they behave.  They are selfish and out for themselves. 

• THEN, as if to say "but I still have a plan to save all those who repent and humbly come to me," in Chapters 4 & 5, God gives the whole world an amazing gift of the prophecy of Jesus' reign after his 2nd coming. This prophecy that WE STILL LOOK FORWARD TO TODAY! 

• Then God gets very practical again for those of that day, and for everyone one of us who has or ever will live until THAT DAY when Jesus returns. In Chapter 6 God gives us the recipe for a satisfying life and the perfect society here on earth.

What an amazing book of prophecy. But again, does it have anything relevant to us in 2020 living in the United States of America? 

With graphic clarity Micah tried to warn the people in 750 BC of the coming destruction. Destruction for them personally, for their nation, and even for God's Holy Temple. They just could not see their sin, and they certainly could not believe God would abandon his people. Would God abandon his favored people? Would God destroy his Holy Temple. NEVER they believed! 

 But He did.  

 Would God let a great country like ours, like America, be destroyed? 

If we can learn anything from the scriptures that is relevant for us today, it is that God does not care about nations in and of themselves, God cares about is His people's hearts. Their hearts for Him, and their hearts for what God cares about in this world – people!  All people, and especially for the vulnerable and hurting in this world. As the prophet reminds us in Micah chapter 6, God simply wants us to act justly, not some of the time, not just when it benefits us, but all the time. He wants us to see to it that justice prevails, especially for those who struggle to obtain justice on their own. He wants us to Love Mercy. To show mercy and to have a heart for – a natural tendency toward - showing mercy, rather than a heart of judgement. And He wants us to walk closely with Him with a proper posture, knowing our place and limitations as a mere human. He wants our default posture to be one of humility, not pride and not focused on self. With this he is giving us a formula for not only a personally rich and satisfying life, but a recipe for a humanity on this earth that resembles best "His kingdom." 

 Well, you decide. Is God's word through the prophet Micah relevant to us today? 

 I pray the Lord's blessing over you and yours, as you Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with the God of heaven.

Week of 7/12/20 - Pages 19 - 39

God is good. The book of Hosea reminds us of that. The people of Israel are constantly straying and falling away from God. Yet God still chooses us. Therefore, God is good. This world is full of distractions and things that draw our attention away from God and away from things of eternal significance. God uses Hosea to remind us and demonstrate to us that God is faithful and God is good . God reminds us through Hosea that, “His people will again live in His shade. They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines. They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon.” He goes on to say, “I am the one who answers our prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” God’s redemptive love is demonstrated throughout this story. God calls Hosea to be this example and demonstrate Gods love to others in his life. God is faithful and will care for us. I want to encourage you that no matter what you are going through God is near. God is good and his grace and redemption abounds. 

Week of 7/5/20 - Pages 1 - 17

As we begin our readings in the Prophets, you will find how amazingly close the issues of their world parallel our own, and how much we have to learn from them.  They are timeless words of warning and challenge that ring as true today as they did when the prophet first spoke them.  May we have humble hearts and ears to see as we read their pages.

Wealth is a relative thing. The average middle class American enjoys comforts that only kings and emperors enjoyed in the ancient world. Most twenty-first century American Christians live in peace and prosperity, enjoying the fruits of their labor as the blessing of God. Certainly such achievements should not be belittled or envied—through personal responsibility in an innovative, free market society, the path to prosperity is a relatively open road. Yet in many parts of the world, the path to wealth is still paved by corruption. When considering the global population, Jesus’s words concerning the poor still ring true. The poor are always with us, often on a massive and overwhelming scale. Poverty may come as a result of laziness and foolish behavior, but it too often as a result of violence, corruption, social injustice, and crimes against humanity. Amos preached in an environment of unparalleled prosperity for the upper class of Israel, though the vast majority of people still lived in poverty and oppression. The political expansion of Jeroboam II ensured a false sense of geopolitical security (see 2 Kgs 14:23–29); the Assyrian Empire was temporarily subdued by its own internal strife, and Israel had little to fear from other external threats. The ruling class had come to see their blessings as a sign of God’s favor, yet they were blind to the suffering of the population they suppressed. Moreover, they were blind to the coming wrath of God. What seemed nearly impossible during the reign of Jeroboam II—the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel—was actually only decades away.

— Dr. Al Fuhr, The Message of the Twelve

Week of 6/28/20 - Pages 319 - 327

This week’s reading ends our time in the book of Poet’s from the Immerse reading bible series and begins with God speaking directly to Job. There are two rhetorical questions that stand out In all of the questions God asks Job, the one question that stuck out. The first being, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” The second being, “who has given me anything that I need to payback? Everything under heaven is mine.” 

Oh how both those questions and statements ring true. We are quick to lose sight of the simple fact that who are we to argue with God. We are quick to forget that everything under heaven is God’s. Sit on that for a moment, let that sink in, and allow for some self-reflection.  We choose to argue and question God despite knowing, as children of God, that everything under heaven is God’s. We constantly challenge His sovereignty, challenge His provision, challenge His plan and we find ourselves complaining and asking questions such as “why...”, “how come...”, and “what if...”.  

But more often than not those questions are asked in an emotional state, where we are focused on the here and now, on the pain and discomfort in the moment. More importantly, even as children of God we ask those questions. If we simply take a moment and ask that same line of questioning from a humble position, with no fire stoking the emotional aspect there is much to be revealed, to learn, and/or to see what we are being pruned. Cause like Job’s response to God “I am nothing - how could I ever find the answer? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” 

This book reminds me that my provision comes from God, even when I am upset and ready to challenge Him, He owns everything, so who am I to inflect my plan on God. I can finally rest knowing that whatever may come blessing or suffering, persecution or perseverance, gifting or pruning, that God is at work and if I remain open and pliable He can flow easily through me.

Week of 6/21/20 - Pages 305 - 319

I’ve read through Job a few times over the years and never really appreciated this part where Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite offers his wisdom to Job and his so-called friends. Truth be told, I totally missed it! What’s a Buzite? Elihu seems to be more of the kind of friend Job needed and we should aspire to be, although, sad to say I’ve belonged more in the other camp. His perspective seemed to exhibit a godly wisdom rather than the mostly judgmental, self-righteousness of Job’s “friends”.

 I have to say that reading Job in general has reinforced in my mind the idea that we have no business shaking our fist at God in anger or judgment. Should we finite creatures be critiquing our infinite Creator?  He is the potter and we are the clay!

Week of 6/14/20 - Pages 291 - 305

With Friends like Job had, who needs enemies…

Job’s friends’ council can be summed up, “you got what you deserved.”  His friends had concluded that Job’s suffering was certainly the result of some sin in his life.  

Job grows weary of his friends’ rude and tormenting accusations.  “How long will you torment me and crush me with words? Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me” (Job 19:2-3).  In his affliction, he asks for pity from his friends, and starts questioning if indeed God is punishing him, “Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh” (Job 19:21-22)?  Despite the suffering and false accusations that Job is experiencing, and while still perplexed by God’s apparent judgment, Job still places trust in his redeemer, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me” (19:25-27)!

Tragedies can strike at any time and leave us confounded and numb, even questioning God for a season.  Friends, even with best intentions, can fail us.  Job is in the middle of a horrible situation, and despite it all, chooses to emphatically still express his strong conviction and deep trust in his redeemer.  Would I do the same?  What a wonderful and powerful example of true faith in God!  I hope my faith can be that strong, even more, since I have greater understanding of God’s salvific and redemptive work through the cross.

Week of 6/7/20 - Pages 279 - 291

We can make life so difficult by being self-righteous, superior, and pious. We feel that we are caring for others when we offer our “holier-than-thou” advice based on our limited knowledge and perceptions. Isn’t this what happened to Job? His three friends come to visit. Job has lost so much and now he is deathly sick and bedridden. Where do you find yourself in this situation? Who do you relate to?

The 3 friends begin to talk to Job.  One by one they begin to explain that good prospers and the wicked are in distress. According to his friends Job is in distress therefore Job is not pleasing to God? Where does that leave Job? Job decides things happen that we just don’t understand and rebukes his friends. Just what sin has he committed to allow God to treat him this way? Where do you find yourself now in this situation? Who are you relating to now?

Job appeals to God and begs for God to appear to him and fast!! Job just does not know how to make himself right with God. 

But his friends begin their character attack again. Now where are you in this account?

When I put myself in Job’s place my heart breaks for him. I don’t ever want to be able to totally understand the depths of Job’s pain, but I understand what it feels like when you think God has walked away. Have you ever had that happen to you? Feeling God just walked away? But now with life experience, I can say that when I thought He left me, He actually was right there, never far from me, yet allowing me to do His will, either learning a lesson or allowing me to become the woman He’s made me to be. It does not feel good at the time yet, it always turns out to be the best for me. Where are your thoughts now?

When I put myself in the 3 friends place I can see me giving advice to a friend (though I hope never as relentless as Job’s friends). The book of Job makes me wonder how many times, with good intentions, have I unintentionally damaged or hurt a friend of mine, using “holier-than-thou” relenting advise? Forgive me, please!

There are wonderous lessons for all of us to gleam out of this horrific account. May God bless you and be with you as you continue your journey through The Book of Job.

Week of 5/31/20 - Pages 267 - 278

When the assignments for blogs came out I thought, oh crud, I have to write on Job.  In the past, I have read Job and thought Job, quit bellyaching, and friends, lay off and give Job a break.

But, I guess (know) I read it in more earnest this time around.  At first glance, it looks like his buddies come around him to support and comfort him, but then realize they are just coming to pontificate about Job’s obvious misdeeds that caused all the troubles that have been heaped on him.  Clearly, Job’s “pals” are clinging to that old adage “bad things happen to bad people”.

I also realized that Job was complaining to God about his situation and offering up that, considering his circumstances, it would have been better if he were never born, but he was not blaming God for his plight.  Early on, when Job loses all his wealth and his children, he still maintains “The Lord gave me what I have and the lord has taken it away.  Praise the name of the Lord”.  Easy to praise the Lord when everything is going well, but not so easy when hard times hit.  Way to hang in there, Job.

The saga of Job continues for quite some time and it amazes me that Job does continue to trust in God through it all.  Pretty good example that God will not give you more than you can handle.

Week of 5/24/20 - Pages 251 - 265

Ecclesiastes. Wow, what a downer, eh? 

As I read through the book, my overwhelming impression was that Solomon seemed clinically depressed. I’m not being flippant: he’s so weary and discouraged and his outlook bears some of the hallmarks of depression, including not finding pleasure in things that usually are or used to be enjoyable. Everything is meaningless. And then there’s the preoccupation with death. 

I struggle to know what to make of the book: why is it canon? Why did the Holy Spirit ensure that it be included as part of our Bible?

Many of Solomon’s observations certainly resonate. He speaks truth. Perhaps this is the reason for the book—the wisest man of all time articulates what most of us have felt at some point. Is life meaningless? What is all this for? Bad things happen to good people . Difficult seasons come into all lives, and we often feel powerless to change things or to find meaning in events in our lives. So Solomon captures man’s perspective on the difficulties, meaninglessness, waste, injustices, and inequalities of life. It seems to me that anyone who reads the book will, in at least one spot, say, “Yeah, what about that?” 

But I wanted to find some higher truth, some God-inspired wisdom in this wisdom literature. I do appreciate the advice Solomon reiterates: it’s good for people to be happy in their work, and we should take pleasure in the simple things like eating, drinking, and enjoying the fruit of our labor. For God gives us means of employment—whether for monetary reward or not, he gives us purpose—and we should never get lulled into taking the simple pleasures for granted. 

Yet overall Solomon doesn’t offer much comfort, he doesn’t give us a spiritual truth to give divine perspective. Maybe that’s part of the point? He doesn’t build up to a platitude to take the sting out of the things that truly wound. Our hope doesn’t lie in the wisdom of the wisest man on earth. 

I read the book through the lens of the New Testament, wherein we are given assurances of everlasting life with God. It’s not just “life sucks and then you die,” it’s that life does indeed suck sometimes, but our death is but entry into life everlasting, into the very presence of joy, peace, and delight. There will be no ennui in heaven. 

In the meantime, I feel sorry for Solomon. I believe the man with a thousand wives and concubines would have been much happier with just one. Did he have people in his life whom he truly knew and who knew him? In whom did he invest? He sounds so lonely. I think that what Solomon is missing is relationship, true God-given relationship, which, though it be a pale shadow, is still a reflection of the communication our spirits* are meant to have with God. We love and connect with people who help us bear our difficulties and breathe joy into our days. This takes investment. It takes community. I’m so blessed and encouraged by the community in the body of Christ at COTC. 

Week of 5/17/20 - Pages 233 - 250

It is amazing to me how the wisdom God gave to Solomon, recorded so long ago is still so relevant for us today.  A few things jumped out at me as I was reading.  First, we are called to “listen,” “apply,” “keep (sayings in our heart),” and “ready (on our lips) (p233).”  Spending time in God’s word is critical if we want God to fill our minds and hearts.  God cares about how we interact with those around us, he cares about the day to day. 

Second, repeatedly it states how God is directly involved in the affairs of this world.  “Those who are poor, he is their Defender, and will ruin anyone who ruins them (p 234).”  “God is the strong redeemer of the orphans and will bring charges to those who take from them (p 235).”  God’s great love is evident in his involvement, are care of our lives.   In some cases, when warnings are followed, it also protects us from painful consequences.  God knows all and gives us The Word as a guide for us, each day, and in all situations that we may come across.  

The third thing that really struck me was how damaging words and false accusations can be, and how much God detests lies.  In our culture where talk is cheap, we are called to a different standard.  Telling lies about others “is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow. (p 239).”   Also, “God detests the prayers of a person who ignores the law” ( p 244).  Obedience to God can seem quite an insurmountable task as we read His expectations in these chapters of Proverbs.  Going through this section I was convicted of my shortcoming, and the realization of my sin when left to my own devices. I need the power of the Holy Spirit to change me!   Once again, the Word God calls us to have in our hearts, and ready on our lips, is proven to be true, and “He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. (p 247).” God is our deliverance, our provider, if we just come to Him.  Praise be to God!