First Week of Advent – Hope – Lighting the Prophecy Candle

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By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance. O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. Psalm 95:5

Hopelessness! This seems to be the primary diagnosis of our nation, of our world and, maybe of ourselves.  It seems as if daily the only news is bad news – conflict, violence, senseless rage against others. This overwhelming daily dose of bad news can quickly numb our hearts and souls. If someone would visit the doctor, the diagnosis would be chronic, low-grade hopelessness. We grasp for anything that offers hope, yet like the advertised medicines on TV, the side effects of the cure seem to be worse than the illness.

The story is told of a little boy in a hospital who found hope in an unusual way.  “One day a teacher who was assigned to a mentoring program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child in the hospital. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the child’s regular class teacher. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”

 The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. “No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back, responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.”

Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”  (article from Bits and Pieces magazine)

“There are no hopeless situations: there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.” – Clare Boothe Luce

G. K. Chesterton wrote that: “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all…it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.” Hope was finally found after four hundred years between the close of Malachi and the coming word that the Messiah would be born. Now, the prophecy candle would be lit. Gabriel, the angel of the LORD, came to Zechariah, announcing that he and Elizabeth would give birth to a son who would be named John. Though they were long past childbearing years they would be part of God’s plan for hope. They would have a son in their old age but not just any son. Their son would “make ready a people prepared for the LORD.”

A few months later Gabriel made his way to Nazareth with the greatest birth announcement the world would ever hear. It was an announcement that would rock the world forever! In this small, politically insignificant village, Gabriel made his way to a young woman and Mary heard the words, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

Hope, as defined by the dictionary is “To entertain a wish for something with some expectation. To be confident; trust. To look forward to with confidence of fulfillment.” God defined hope in the birth of Jesus. “…Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:18-19

Sunday marked the first day of Advent. In the midst of all the shopping, decorating and activities that mark the Christmas season, this Advent season can remind us to set aside time for spiritual preparation for celebrating the coming of Jesus Christ. The flame of the first candle reminds us that God kept his promise to send a Messiah.

Hope found in a feeding trough. Hope – wrapped in a blanket. Hope – worshipped by the lowly shepherds as well as the ruling Kings.

Christmas is the very essence of hope as we experience God coming into the world, “Emmanuel, God is with us.” (Matt 1:23) As you reflect upon the Hope candle, whatever struggle you face, use it as an opportunity to experience the hope found in the coming of Jesus. In a dark world, one candle’s light is as powerful as a floodlight on a dark night.

God wouldn’t send his son to offer hope if we were dying without hope, would he?

Lord, let me be attentive to what truly matters, without being distracted by trivial things.

For opportunities to encourage others who may be struggling without hope.

For grace to rest in the midst of uncertainty and unrest in my life.

For hope that comes each morning through your love and grace. Amen.

 

God is great,

But if not

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But if not….

If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, o king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up. Daniel 3:17-18

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Such was the conviction of Jim Elliot as he entered these words in his journal on October 28, 1949. These words would become true for him and his four fellow missionaries on January 8, 1956, as they were attacked and murdered. Elliot and the others fully understood the dangers, yet were willing to say “but if not.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they had simply gone along with the crowd and bowed on the plain of Dura. They could have rationalized their decision for everyone except themselves. “But if not” became a powerful statement of faith that would echo across the centuries. Could God save them from the furnace of death? Without a doubt. Would God save them from the furnace of death? It didn’t matter.

Fast forward a few years as Daniel, the once-powerful leader within the king’s court now stands looking into the mouth of a lion. Daniel could have closed the windows to his room and prayed in secret but not Daniel. He had no doubts that God could save him from the lions “but if not”, then let it be known I will continue to pray and worship my God.

Jesus standing in the midst of Gethsemane facing the critical juncture in his ministry came to his “but if not” moment. Throwing himself on the ground and praying, he cried out, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not what I want but what you want.” (Matthew 26:39)

Peter and John had their defining “but if not” moment as they stood before their accusers. You can go home, just don’t preach about Jesus anymore. This was their free ticket out of jail. “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge.” Peter and John had no doubts that God could get them out of jail “but if not”, “we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)

Bishops Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer faced their terrifying “but if not” moment being chained to the stake to be burned for their beliefs. Bishop Ridley if you will only revoke and recant, you can go free. Is this the only way of freedom? Yes. “Well so long as there is breath in my body, I will never deny my Lord Christ and his known truth. God’s will be done in me.” As fire began to consume the wood that would quickly take their lives, Latimer, the man of prayer, boldly proclaimed, “Be of good cheer, Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day, by God’s grace, light up such a candle in England as I trust will never be put out.”

Scripture is filled with pages of “but if not” moments for those who follow God. Joseph could have escaped prison if he had only succumbed to the desires of Potiphar’s wife. David could have been king sooner if he had only killed Saul in the cave. Job could have had the easy life if he hadn’t been a righteous man. Stephen wouldn’t have been the first martyr of the church if he hadn’t boldly proclaimed the Gospel.

“But if not” faith comes with a cost, yet it is a faith worth whatever cost. “But if not” faith has been the clarion cry for everyone who follows God. Jesus understood fully that his followers would face a “but if not” moment because “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” (John 15:18-19 NLT)

Centuries have passed since three young men stood in defiance of a king’s order and made their declarations of “but if not” faith in God. This same zealous declaration has been heard in every generation by those who follow Jesus. Today, around the world, there are those who are facing a loss of job, imprisonment, and even death because they have chosen the “but if not” faith in Jesus Christ.

Every follower of Jesus will face the “but if not” moment. What will your “but if not” moment look like?

God could heal me of cancer but if not, I will continue to trust Him.

God could keep my company from going bankrupt but if not, I will continue to follow Him.

God will …. but if not, I will still worship and praise God.

God is great,

 

Words – Use Wisely

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Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. — Colossians 4:2-6

 

I can’t believe he said that to me! Did you hear what she just said? I finally got word they were OK.

Every day roughly 16,000 words are spoken according to a University of Arizona study with no discernable difference between the number that men or women speak. That’s a lot of words! Words that encourage and words that deflate. Words that bless and words that curse. Words to give information and words to bring comfort.

Thankfully you are no longer limited to the approximately 470,000 words in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, they just added 455 new words and definitions in October. Language continually evolves, adding new words almost daily. Surely with this number of choices, you can find a word that is appropriate for the occasion.

Men no longer have a slight belly, they now have a ‘dad bod.’ You can now be a ‘digital nomad’ if you normally work over the internet while traveling. You no longer have to settle for a simple sandwich, you can have a ‘fluffernutter, horchata, chicharron, or Goetta.’ It shouldn’t come as a surprise but “Vax” is Oxford Languages’ word of the year.

No one can escape the word saturated culture we live in today. According to recent statistics, the average time Americans spend on mobile devices is three hours and 54 minutes a day. You can add to this number another three hours and 22 minutes for TV watching. This climate of word saturation can set a pattern of use that no longer encourages us or honors God. Christine Wang writes, “as a society, we like to swear. Swear words have a strange power over us. It starts when we are young when they are deliciously taboo. Then, as we age, our dependence on swear words increases to the point where as an adult, we find that the magnitude of our emotions can only be captured by cursing.”

In this vast reservoir of words to draw from, what do you do with your words? We could use the newest, trendy words. Or we could use the good, old-fashioned curse words.  Whatever, or however, we use our words, “Words have power. With your words you can wound and weaken the people who matter most in your life, such as your colleagues and subordinates, your family members and friends, your neighbors near and far. Or you can use your words to bless those who are close to you, to build them up, encourage, and energize them.” — Mark Roberts

Without a doubt, we need new words to describe our ever-expanding world of language. I guess the world is better off now that the words “blank check company, a doorbell camera, air fryer, ghost kitchen, halotherapy” have found their way into the Merriam-Webster list of words.

Most likely the trendy words of today will be out of vogue with the next generation. However, Jesus offers words that this generation and the next and the next will need long after the air fryer goes to the dump. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” –John 6:63

Jesus knew a few things about words since he is the ultimate Word. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14

Words do have power, use your 16,000 words today with grace and wisdom. Our world is greatly in need of words that give life. Words that give hope. Words that glorify God. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” — Psalm 19:14

 

God is great,

Real Rest

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On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. Genesis 2:2-3

Found it – Your lost hour from March! Do you feel better with a whole extra hour of sleep? Are you really more rested? Do you really have more energy? What did you do with the extra hour you were given? Is it really a gift if it comes at the midnight hour while you are sleeping? Most likely you didn’t gain a lot from that hour.

ulu Tours, a Hong Kong tour company launched a five-hour, 47-mile ride to nowhere. Actually, the tour had a destination: sleep. The company realized the soothing rhythm of the road caused people to fall asleep. Kenneth Kong shared that “When we were brainstorming new tours, I saw a social media post from my friend saying that he was stressed out by his work, he couldn’t sleep at night. But when he was traveling on the bus, he was able to sleep well. His post inspired us to create this tour that lets passengers just sleep on the bus.” The first tour was sold out!

The United States is among the world leaders in reduced productivity and increased health issues from lack of sleep. According to Rand Corporation, the US loses the equivalent of 1.2 million working days per year from people not getting enough sleep. In addition, “The US loses approximately $411 billion a year, or 2.28% of its GDP.”

God’s creation in Genesis included the special gift of rest. He didn’t create a day off but a time of rest and renewal.  It should be a time to slow down and enjoy His creation; a time to step aside and enjoy His presence.  On the seventh day, God set in motion a mini-sabbatical for us to be renewed and restored. The world gives us an hour and then takes it back. God’s life-giving Sabbath is so important that it was included as part of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). However, when the Sabbath became bogged down in the swamp of legalism, Jesus reminded everyone, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” (Mark 2:27-28 NLT)

Countless times throughout scripture, God’s people were condemned for their failure to observe the Sabbath. Condemned, not for keeping rules or regulations, but failure to keep God at the center of the Sabbath and to treat it as holy.

Eugene Peterson regularly shared with his congregation the importance of the Sabbath and the impact that it has on the culture around us. “The great reality we are involved in as people and pastor is God. Most of the people around us don’t know that, and couldn’t care less. One of the ways God has provided for us to stay aware of and responsive to him as the determining and centering reality of our lives in a world that doesn’t care about this is by sabbath-keeping. At regular intervals we all need to quit our work and contemplate his, quit talking to each other and listen to him. God knows we need this and has given us a means in sabbath—a day for praying and playing, simply enjoying what he is.”

Religion tried to legalize the Sabbath through rituals and requirements.   Governments have tried to legalize the Sabbath through Blue Laws and restrictions. Culture tried to dismiss the Sabbath as irrelevant. Technology tried to drown out the Sabbath with busyness and noise.

“A day of rest. A day to humble me with the reminder of my limitations. A day to slow my pace and cease my drive to produce. A day to find my identity outside of what I accomplish. A day to find enjoyment not in what I use, but simply in being myself with God, his creation, and his people, especially my family.”—Bill Gaultiere

God tried to give us the Sabbath as a gift of life and renewal. What will you do with this life-giving gift?

God is great,

Yes, God does forget

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…. for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:34

No game safari would be complete without at least one encounter with elephants. The massive African elephant and the slightly smaller Asian elephant enjoy the distinction of being the largest land mammals on earth with life spans that can reach 70 years. These gentle yet powerful creatures move about the land gracefully and majestically. The beautiful creatures also have a remarkable memory that gives us the saying, “An elephant never forgets.” According to a 7-year Kenya study, the matriarch passes her knowledge on to other members of the herd. Additional studies revealed that as an elephant ages, its memory improves.

I’m sure San Francisco resident Stefan Thomas would have welcomed an elephantine memory when he couldn’t remember the password to access a secure hard drive that contained 7,002 bitcoins valued at approximately $220 million. Forgetfulness is a common problem with 39% of Americans having forgotten or misplaced at least one everyday item in the past week according to a Trending Machine national poll.

We are not surprised when we forget things but what about God? How could God, who is omniscient, forget anything? How could God who created all things, forget anything? How could God who knows our inner thoughts, forget anything?

It is no surprise that God forgives us of our sins. Scripture tells us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9).

We can have confidence that God forgives but forgets? When it comes to our sins, God has total amnesia. “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Hebrews 10:17. “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” Isaiah 43:25(NLT) “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

It is amazing to think that God chooses to forget. In that moment of forgiveness, God also chooses to forget. God chooses not to keep bringing up our past. God chooses not to throw our mistakes and failures back into our faces. God chooses to maintain a relationship with us that is new and fresh each day.

Unfortunately, the one who can’t forget is yourself. Knowing we are forgiven doesn’t seem to be quite enough. We choose to carry the baggage of our past until the weight breaks us from enjoying the beauty of forgiveness. Yes, you will remember but “remember your sin redemptively.”

“We are not capable of forgetting. The memory of a difficult event will always be with us. But we can choose to remember in a redemptive manner. We can remember the event as a time of real pain but also as a testimony of God’s forgiveness and grace. We will always remember our mistakes, but we can also remember that they led to healing.” (James Bryan Smith)

Could it be that Peter stood at the water’s edge reflecting on how Jesus pulled him from the waters of his fear? Could it be the woman caught in adultery walked by the temple spot of her condemnation reflecting on Jesus’ words of grace and healing? Could it be that Paul again walked the road to Damascus but remembered the gift of salvation he received?

Could it be now as you look back you remember “that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor 5:17NLT)

God is great,

Until the End

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The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.

Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I; send me!” Isaiah 6:4-5,8

“Send me” is the only response Isaiah can make. In this moment of complete surrender, Isaiah said he would go. In this moment of total worship, Isaiah knew he had to say yes. In this moment of overwhelming emotion of his own sinfulness, Isaiah said yes.

If you had been standing there, would you have said yes, “send me”?

The call of God hasn’t changed over the generations. He still calls us to go into this world that needs Him. We may be called to the marketplace where we encounter the lost. For some of us the call is to the ends of the world, to other cultures and people groups. Granted the call for most people will never be quite as dramatic as it was for Moses, David, Peter, Paul or Isaiah but the impact will still be Kingdom changing.

Sitting in the Regal Cinema watching the Mission Aviation Fellowship documentary “Ends of the Earth,” I couldn’t help but think, God is still asking the same question, “who will go?”  “It’s a mysterious part of the gospel that says God loves the people at the very edge of what the world thinks matters, the people who are marginalized. You know, even among Christians there’s a kind of calculation about return on investment (ROI) and “bang for our buck.” You hear this with mission work too. But we can’t really approach this from an ROI perspective. The gospel is costly. Jesus comes and he gives his life so we can have life. And he’s the shepherd who goes after the one lost sheep.” David Holsten, Pres MAF

The gospel is costly in so many ways. It puts you in the crosshairs of our secular culture. The cost will require you to sacrifice time and energy. For some such as MAF pilot, Joyce Lin who was killed in a plane crash in Papua, Indonesia. Her yes to “send me” cost her life. In Haiti this week, 17 missionaries were kidnapped. Their yes to “send me” is a loss of freedom and maybe worst.

Your yes to “send me” will cost you. Will the cost be worth it?  Isaiah doesn’t ask what he will suffer, his only question, “How long, O Lord?” God’s answer: forever. Isaiah doesn’t think, he simply says, “send me”. Frederick Buechner writes, “And that is what a prophet does for a living and, starting from the year that King Uzziah died, when he saw and heard all these things, Isaiah went and did it.”

A young coal miner from Iowa said yes to God’s call. George Bennard became an itinerant missionary and preacher. When he was interrupted and harassed in a service by those mocking the cross, it caused Bennard to think deeply about Christ and the Cross. As he meditated on the meaning of the cross, six initial words “I’ll cherish the old rugged cross” birthed the hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross.”

Our yes to “send me” will cost us something. Our yes to “send me” will look different from anyone else’s yes. Yet in the end, our yes will be worth it. The words from the final verse of Bennard’s hymn says it well:

“To the old rugged cross I will ever be true; its shame and reproach gladly bear;

Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, Where His glory forever I’ll share.

 So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown.”

Use me Lord to the end. Let others see you in me. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear your call in my life. Fall fresh on me. Fall fresh on me. Amen

God is great,

 

Would your faith be made easier by having a Lord you could see?

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Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. Hebrews 11:1-3

Would your faith be made easier by having a Lord you could see?

Over the years the people of Israel had experienced a rhythm of revival and regression, domination and defeat. Finally, they had an answer for all their problems, we want a king! They had God but how much better it would have been if they had a flesh and blood king like all the neighboring nations.  Instead of listening to the prophet Samuel’s warnings about what it would be like to live under a king, “the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.” (I Samuel 8:19-20)

“Yahweh alone was King over Israel, the prophets thundered: to be feared, to be loved, above all else to be obeyed. When the people decided they wanted a king of flesh and blood like all the other nations, Samuel warned them that the consequences would be tragic (1 Samuel 8:4-18), and history proved him correct in every particular. In the long run Israel as king and kingdom vanished from history altogether.” (Frederick Buechner)

Mark Buchanan tells the story of musician Ray Charles who went blind at age seven. “He lived his childhood in rural poverty, in a one-room shack at the edge of a sharecropper’s field. In the movie about him, in a scene from his childhood, he runs into his house and trips over a chair. He starts to wail for his mother. She stands at the stove, right in front of him, and instinctively reaches out to lift him. Then she stops. Backs up. Stands still. Watches.

Ray stops crying. He quiets. He listens. He hears, behind him, the water on the woodstove whistling to a boil. He hears, outside, the wind pass like a hand through cornstalks. He hears the thud of horse hooves on the road, the creak and clatter of the wagon they pull. Then he hears, in front of him, the thin faint scratch of a grasshopper walking the worn floorboards of his mama’s cottage. He inches over and, attentive now to every sigh and twitch, gathers the tiny insect in his hand. He holds it in his open palm. “I hear you, too, Mama,” he says. She weeps with pride and sorrow and wonder.” Charles later explains to someone, “I hear like you see.”

To “hear like you see” beautifully describes the faith that allows us to see beyond our physical realm of life. You may think “flesh and blood” answers will solve all the problems but they seldom do. Living a God-focused faith allows you to hear like others see. It allows you to enter deeper into the heart of God than any physical senses can ever take you. Living a God-focused faith allows us to see what others will never see.

Israel looked for their answers in a flesh and blood king but was quickly disappointed. Today we look for answers in “flesh and blood” solutions. If only this political party could be elected, they would solve all our nation’s problems. If only our elected officials would act boldly against neighboring countries. If only…. becomes the “flesh and blood king” that never can provide a future.

Would your faith be made easier by having a Lord you could see? Without a doubt but the great thing, we have that LORD.

He is called Jesus-Immanuel; God is with us. He is called “Our Father” who provides for us, forgives us, and leads us.  He is called Jesus-the Good Shepherd. He is called Jesus-the Resurrection and the Life. He is our Advocate.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. –Psalm 121

God is great,

 

 

Your Treasure Chest

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Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

“How much money is enough?” John D. Rockefeller responded to the reporter’s question with his answer, “Just a little bit more.” Rockefeller would amass a fortune becoming the first billionaire in the United States before his death at 97. Yet I think Rockefeller fully understood the “little bit more” could not be held onto for eternity. Rockefeller who daily read his Bible, attended prayer meetings twice a week and led a Bible study along with his wife understood the temporary status of his treasure. A lot of his giving was church-related; generous to Baptist missionary causes, funding universities and social ministries.

What is the value you place on your treasures? Rockefeller used the wealth entrusted to him “where moths and rust cannot destroy.” Unfortunately, we often don’t realize the real value of something until it is gone. It could be something material or lost intimacy with a family member or a relationship with God. An antiques enthusiast in Connecticut could easily relate to Jesus’ parable in Matthew; “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (13:44)

The antiques hunter came across an interesting looking porcelain bowl at a yard sale in New Haven, Connecticut paying $35 for the bowl. The buyer did some research and found out the bowl was a 15th century Ming Dynasty-era piece. The yard sale $35 bowl ended up selling for $721,800 at a Sotheby action. Angela McAteer with Sotheby said it was a once in a lifetime discovery. McAteer said, “How the bowl ended up at a Connecticut yard sale remains a mystery. It’s possible it was passed down through generations of the same family who did not know how unique it was.”

How easy do you discard your treasure? A 64-year-old man in southeast Germany found two framed paintings in a roadside dumpster. The paintings were actually 17th century original portraits by Italian artist Pietro Bellotti and Dutch artist Samuel van Hoogstraten. The police launched an investigation on how two priceless artifacts ended up in the trash can. I am pretty certain that whoever threw out the two paintings had no idea of their real value.

Time after time Jesus confronted the religious leaders of the day because they repeatedly rejected the precious gift of God’s love replacing it with worthless rituals and requirements. “The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure.” (Matthew 12:35)

Do we discard the real treasure of a friendship over a heated argument about politics? Do we discard the real treasure of a church family because of a disagreement over an issue? Do we discard the real treasure of a relationship with God because He didn’t answer a prayer the way we though He should?

In Star Winar, a most interesting article was posted on the relationship between happiness and treasure. “The most remarkable research is one done between the world’s richest and world’s poorest.  Forbes 400 “richest” list was given a survey and their satisfaction was rated at exactly the same level as did the people of Masai of Kenya and Intuit people of northern Greenland, who have no electricity or running water.

Money is a necessity to live but apparently it can’t buy happiness and that’s for you to decide.  And as the old saying goes, “Money can buy you a house but it can’t buy you a home.”

Regardless of the size of our bank account, our 401k or the square footage of our house; the real treasure is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Paul writes in 2 Corinthians that “we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” There is nothing wrong with earthly treasures if you hold them loosely. The real treasure you need to guard and hold tightly is the treasure of heaven found in Jesus Christ. One writer asked the question, “What do others see in you—the glory of God in a clay pot, or a clay pot trying to look like a treasure chest?’

God is great,

 

Alignment with God

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2 Chronicles 32 captures the story of Hezekiah, the war time King, preparing for the onslaught of an invading army that could easily destroy his kingdom.  Hezekiah had led the nation in implementing spiritual reform and leading the nation in a revival, “he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.” Yet now he is facing another threat, instead of a spiritual crisis, a physical crisis. “After these things and these acts of faithfulness, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself.” (32:1)

Hezekiah does all the necessary and proper preparations for war; outside the wall he built another wall, reinforced the inner city, made weapons and shields in abundance and appointed commanders. As the vast army of King Sennacherib moved into place, Hezekiah rallied the nation.

Hezekiah understood the importance of making all the standard military preparations, but he knew, more importantly, that prayer was an essential and critical part of preparing for battle. Standing before the people he encouraged them saying, “Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and the horde that is with him; for there is one greater with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

Crisis leadership brings out the best and the worst in leaders. Franklin D. Roosevelt reassured a nation with his famous fireside chats throughout the years of the Great Depression and ultimately World War II. England’s opposition leader, Hugh Dalton, said of Winston Churchill that he was “the only man we have for this hour.” Churchill led his nation through the difficult years of the war with determination, focus and energy until victory was achieved. Yet in the years following, he failed as a peace-time leader.

Hezekiah did well in crisis; for he trusted fully in the LORD. Yet in prosperity and peace, Hezekiah didn’t do well as “many brought gifts to the LORD in Jerusalem and precious things to King Hezekiah of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.” In the years of peace and prosperity, Hezekiah failed to keep his eyes on God and focused more on the adoration and praise given him by others.

How easy to forget God when life is easy, when the storehouse is full. We can never stray from staying in alignment with God. Our pride will be our downfall – personally, or as a nation. “Sin is not what is wrong with our minds; it is the catastrophic disorder in which we find ourselves at odds with God.” (Eugene Peterson)

“Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” Thankfully God welcomes repentance as Hezekiah awakened to the reality of his pride and arrogance. “A soldier asked Abba Minus if God accepted repentance. After the old man had taught him many things he said, “Tell me, my dear, if your cloak is torn, do you throw it away” He replied, “No, I mend it and use it again.” The old man said to him, “If you are so careful about your cloak, will not God be equally careful about his creature?”

History is filled with leaders who did well in crisis yet failed miserably in peace. Living in the darkness of crisis leaves us with only two options: turning to God or living in hopelessness. Yet living in the light of peace also leaves us with only two options: staying focused on God or living for self. Eugene Peterson says it well “When we pray, we immerse ourselves in the living presence of God. When we pray the Psalms we pray through all the parts of our lives and our history and cover the ground of our intricate implication in sin.”

Lord, as You give us our daily bread, let us receive it with thankfulness. If You give us peace, let us live with our eyes on You. If You give us a crisis, let us never forget, “with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

God is great,