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Have you noticed that your perspective on an event has a significant impact on how you view it and experience it? This also is the case with how God sees events in my life and how I see them. His perspective can be very different from mine. This reminder hit me when I was reading about the people in the wilderness. In Ex. 19:3-4 it says,

“Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”

When I read that, I assumed that if God brought his people to himself at Mount Sinai on eagles wings, that meant it was an easy ride. That picture brings to my mind an easy transition without problems. The eagle in a sense swooped in and carried them effortless to God’s presence at Sinai.

As John Hannah states,

“God compared His delivering the people out of Egypt, across the Red (Reed) Sea, and to Sinai to His carrying them on eagles’ wings (cf. Deut. 32:10–11). When young eagles are learning to fly, the mother eagle flies under them with her wings spread out to catch them.”

My human perspective of the transition of the Jews from Egypt does not correlate with the hard reality of their journey. The previous chapters described the plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea when it looked as though the Egyptian army was going to destroy them. It also included the complaining of the people because they had no water and no meat and they were thirsty and famished. It was anything but an easy journey from the Jewish perspective. It took great effort and endurance for the Jews to get to Mount Sinai. And yet, God said from his view, it was as though he carried them on eagles wings to himself.  He is the one who humbled the Egyptians and miraculously met every need of the Jews on their journey to him.

The Jews saw the hard road they took and the sacrifice required to get to God. In God’s mind, the journey was easy since he is in complete control of all things. The concerns of the Jews were not concerns of God because he was fully able and willing to take care of them. In the heat of the moment, the Jews forgot the greatness of their God, focused on the challenges at hand and lost perspective!

Father, I need to remember to try to see life from your perspective. I can get caught in the daily challenges of faithfulness and you see it as a path that can be tread because of your enabling. That does not mean it will be easy for me, but it is doable with simple faith and obedience. Help me to focus on you and your promises so that I can live above my circumstances.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

Have you ever told God “no.” Have you known what God wanted you to do and then, for whatever reason, you shied away from simple obedience?

The story of God telling Moses to be his spokesman to Pharaoh is a dramatic example of this possibility. Notice how Moses records a confrontation with God and his will in Ex. 4:10-16,

“‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’ Then the LORD said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.’ But he said, ‘Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.’ Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, ‘Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.’”

What a gripping account of the vulnerability of Moses and God’s grace. Moses fails to trust God and is disobedient. He had the audacity to tell God “no.” Are you kidding me? God is enraged at the lack of faith of Moses, and yet he graciously provides a solution to being God’s spokesman. God selects Aaron to speak for him instead of Moses.

Most of us would probably say that we have not had an experience like Moses and have never so blatantly said “no” to God. When I read this story, it is so easy to find fault with Moses and wonder how he could have been so foolish! And yet, the more I think about it, the more I see myself doing something similar every time I choose to doubt God’s leadership of my life. Every time I want to worry and doubt God and his promises, I am saying “no” to God and his loving care for me. Since life is not going the way I want it, I can fall into the rut of doubting God’s care for me and even question his leadership of my life. That is a slippery slope, and we must all try to avoid it. I simply need to live a life of trust in God and his promises and be faithful to his will as recorded in scripture.  I need to do this in spite of my circumstances.

This truth reminds me of something I heard Professor Howard Hendricks say when talking with one of his students. Hendricks asked a student how he was doing, and the student replied, “ok, under the circumstances.” To which, Hendricks profoundly said, “what are you doing under there!”

In summary, I have to live a life of faithfulness regardless of my circumstances. I have to live “above” my circumstances if I am living by faith.

Father, such faith-living is very challenging. Help me to realize when I am saying “no” to your leadership for my life. I do this when I complain, doubt your promises and when I worry. Help me to live a life of faithfulness and to courageously take the hills that are before me in life. Give my your grace to be a man of passionate obedience and live above my circumstances.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

It seems that in America we always hear about our rights. We are to have these rights based upon the founding documents of our country. I am sure you are thankful for these rights as I am.

This morning, as I was reading John 1, I was reminded of a “right” for which I am very thankful. Notice what verses 12 and 13 say,

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, the gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Through faith in Christ, we have been given the “right” to become a child of God. What an incredible statement. The word “right” means “a privilege reserved exclusively to a particular person or group” (Logos).

Being a child of God is an exclusive right for only those who have embraced Jesus as their Savior and God (Jn 20:30-31). Of all the “rights” I have, there can be none greater than this one. This right to be a child of God is eternal in its benefits. I am on equal standing with all of God’s children through faith in Jesus alone.

Father, thank you for this simple and yet profound reminder of this truth. May I walk with confidence in my position as your son, not because of anything I have done to warrant your favor, but because of what you have done for me through the death and resurrection of your Son. If I view my life based on this truth, it will impact how I choose to live.  I am God’s son through faith in Christ.  That sonship is something that I will never lose (Jn 10:28).

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

The story of Joseph and his brothers is a very compelling and emotional story. Once Joseph is granted the leadership over all Egypt second to only the Pharaoh, his brothers visit because they need grain due to the famine.

Joseph recognizes them, but they do not recognize him. He accuses them of being spies and says that he needs to see Benjamin to confirm the story they told him to show they were not spies.

When his brothers get back to their father, notice what he says in Gen. 42:38,

“But he said, ‘My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. oIf harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’”

Did you notice why sending Benjamin was too much for Jacob to bear? He said, “he is the only one left.” What does that mean? It means that he was the last son alive from his favorite with Rachel. Rachel had two sons, Joseph, and Benjamin.  She died giving birth to Benjamin.

How do you think it must have felt to be a son of one of Jacobs other wives? You did not rate in your father’s eyes unless you were born of Rachel! This must have caused considerable friction in the family and may give more insight into why his brothers sold Joseph into slavery.

As K.A. Matthews states, “Benjamin is ‘the only one left states what the brothers had known all along: Benjamin was the only son who counted in their father’s eyes.”

In light of this fact, John 1:12 is very encouraging, It says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Father, the truth that I am one of your children through faith in Jesus is overwhelming. I am not a second class son; you love me just as you love all your children. We are all equal in your sight. Thank you for loving me so.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

The longer I live the more I realize I need people encouraging me. Have you noticed that? Life is challenging and faithfulness to Christ in our culture has many obstacles. The book of Hebrews gives us guidance to help with the long road of obedience. Notice what it says in Heb. 3:12-13,

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

When difficulties in life come, it is a challenge to us to continue to believe God’s promises and walk a life of faithfulness. Suffering was the norm for a Christ follower in the first century. Our choice of unbelief is dangerous because it will lead us astray from walking with God.

The way God has designed the Church, is for us to be encouraging one another daily. The word translated “exhort” is a reference to “encouragement.” Logos defines it as “to earnestly support or encourage a response of action.” Other believers can be one of my greatest encouragements in the life of following Christ. This also means that I need to take responsibility for being an intentional encouragement to others on a daily basis.

Why do we need to be doing this for one another? The text tells us that on our own we may allow ourselves to be lead astray from a life of faithfulness due to the deceitfulness of sin. Without the encouragement of others we are more vulnerable. We need each other!

Father, help to not try to live life alone. Help me to be open to others speaking into my life. Finally, help me to daily take the initiative to encourage others.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

Hebrews is on an amazing book! It is deep with theology and rich truth. One verse that caused me to stop and contemplate was Heb. 2: 10 which says,

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”

Jesus was made perfect through suffering. What does that mean? I thought he always was perfect because he is God the Son!

Notice the helpful words of the ESV Study Bible on this verse,

“In saying that Jesus was made perfect, the author is not suggesting that Jesus was sinful (cf. 4:15; 7:26) but that as he lived his life, his maturity and experience deepened, yet always with full obedience to the Father. As a human being, he needed to live his life and obey God (which he did perfectly) to become the perfect sacrifice for sins.”

So what this verse is telling us is that Jesus was always sinless, and yet as he matured and lived life in complete obedience to the Father, he became the perfect sacrifice for us when he suffered and died in our place. His final act of suffering fully qualified him for his role as Savior. Jesus was made the perfect founder of salvation through his suffering for us. He is the only one qualified to blaze the trail of our salvation!

As Barclay clarifies,

“The basic meaning of teleios (“perfect”) in the New Testament is always that the thing or person so described fully carries out the purpose for which designed. So, then, what the writer to the Hebrews is saying is that through suffering Jesus was made fully able for the task of being the pioneer of our salvation.”

Father, thank you for the profound truth contained in the book of Hebrews. The reality that Jesus became fully qualified to be our one and only sacrifice for sin. He was perfectly qualified to be my Savior because he suffered in place of me. Suffering for him was part of your plan to make him our substitute for sin. He was on a mission of life-long obedience. His final act of obedience was suffering. May I not lose sight of the cost of my salvation.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

Matthew adds a detail to the betrayal of Jesus that are not mentioned in any of the other Gospel accounts. Notice how he describes the scene,

“And he came up to Jesus at once and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you came to do.’ Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him” (Mt 26:49-50).

Judas had previously arranged with the authorities that he would give Jesus a kiss to identify the person they should arrest. This was necessary because it was dark. Constable quotes E.F.F. Bishop as saying that “Disciples of rabbis often greeted their teachers with a kiss on the hand.”

The tragic irony of this act is summarized by Lenski, who says,

“The kiss, the great and universal sign of friendship and love, is used here for the basest and most damnable act, the betrayal of no less a one than ‘the Son of man,’ he who is man and yet more than man.”

Barclay proposes an interesting possibility when he suggests, “It is much more likely that Judas kissed Jesus as a disciple kissed a master and meant it; and that then he stood back with expectant pride waiting on Jesus at last to act.”

Here then is the scene; Judas has ulterior motives to identify Jesus with a kiss and yet expecting an appropriate greeting from Jesus. The Master he had been following for years now responds with the words, “Friend, do what you came to do.”

For me it was helpful to see that the word Jesus chose which is translated as “friend” is not what we think when we use the word today. Lenski is helpful when he makes this clarifying comment, “It is anything but our mild, gentle ‘friend,’ the Greek φίλε. In all three places in which it occurs it is like our ‘fellow,’ and this word thrusts a man away. No other disciple of his did Jesus ever address as ἑταῖρε.”

Judas executes his plan and appears to expect Jesus to welcome him as a friend! Instead Jesus uses a much less affectionate term that would push him away. Judas could not hide his motive from Jesus. Jesus saw through him and this confrontation made it clear to all.

What must have that confrontation been like for Judas? What an amazing tragedy! Did he finally realize what he just did? We do not hear from him again until he is determined to commit suicide. Some have proposed he ran from the Garden because he finally understood the significance of his betrayal. The text does not make it clear, but certainly makes us wonder.

Father, I cannot imagine what Jesus must have felt when he was betrayed by one of his disciples. What disappointment and yet, Jesus knew all along that was part of your plan. Thank you for allowing your son to be betrayed and suffer for me.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

As I have been reading through Genesis, I paused at chapter 34. If you recall, this is the Story of the defilement (rape) of Dinah. It also records the extreme response of her brothers who came to her defense. Why in the world is that in the Bible? Moses is recounting the history of God’s people and includes a very dark story for a purpose.

The previous chapter in Genesis records the reconciliation of Esau and Jacob. As a result, God’s people now seem to be on a safe path. The chapter following the story of Dinah tells of God’s favor upon Jacob and his name change to Israel. What is the story of Dinah doing in the middle of those two chapters?

K.A. Matthews makes some helpful observations on this chapter which I will summarize:

1. The story in Genesis turns to the story of Jacob’s sons who become the 12 tribes of Israel.
2. The shady character of Jacob’s sons becomes visible.
3. Their moral weakness exposes that the promise of God through Abraham is once again in peril.
4. God again shows that our salvation is based upon his gracious effort on our behalf. As Matthews says, “redemptive purposes survive the moral failures of the nation’s fathers.”
5. Another good observation by the ESV Study Bible is

“While the rape of Dinah by Shechem is inexcusable, the punishment meted out by Simeon and Levi far exceeds the crime. While they are reluctant to acknowledge any fault on their part, Jacob is very conscious of how their actions have endangered his entire household.”

Father, this story of Dinah and her brothers starkly remind me of how corrupt Jacob and his sons were. This very dark story and her brothers misuse of circumcision for destruction rather than a blessing confirm that truth. Once again, you show us through inspiring Moses that our salvation and the promised Seed was dependent upon you and not our ability to make this happen. Our salvation is once again clearly dependent upon you and not us. Thank you for this reality. As a result, I can also have confidence in the surety of my salvation because you are the one who provided it!

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

As Solomon continues his reflections and observations about life, he makes a stunning observation in Ecc 7:2 when he says,

“It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
and the living will lay it to heart.”
What does Solomon mean by such a statement?

He reminds us that life is short. The wise person is the one who thinks deeply about that truth because it will impact the way he lives.

Iain Proven summarizes this thought in this way, “Recognizing the brevity and preciousness of life, we should live life seriously.” We must take life seriously and make the best of it for God’s glory because our days are limited.

Why does Solomon mention the “house of mourning”? He is referring here to the place of death of a friend or loved one. When we are mourning, why are we more open to considering the brevity of life?

Robert Davidson notes, “There are things we learn when face to face with sorrow, ‘in the house of mourning’, which we do not and cannot learn in the midst of happiness, ‘in the house of feasting’”. This reality seems to imply that although times or mourning are difficult and painful, it is at such times that we are more open to God’s prodding for our spiritual growth.

Have you noticed this truth in your life? I can say that has been true for me. I will always remember a good friend on my high school baseball team who died in a car accident in my first year of college. I had recently become a Christian in college and he still had another year of high school left. The news of his untimely death made me think seriously about life and its brevity.

Solomon is wisely reminding us of the importance of making the most of the few days we have upon this earth. It is easy to think we will never die, but the wise person thinks about the certainty of his death because it will encourage him to make the most of life.

Father, thank you for the reminder of the certainty of death. I would be wise to give that truth serious thought because it will impact the way I live my life. The thought of death should instruct me to live for eternal values and boldly give my life away in service for you. As Jim Elliott, the missionary who died on the mission field said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” May you continue to remind me of the wisdom of living for you in spite of my feelings, or what the culture and my circumstances might say.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

I have started rereading a classic book on leadership called “Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for every believer” by J. Oswald Sanders. It is a great book, and as I was considering his initial thoughts on this topic, he got me thinking. He begins with quoting 1 Tim. 3:1 which says,

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.”

As I studied this verse, a couple of things impressed me. The first is the word “aspire.” This word is describing something for which a person eagerly longs. It also describes someone stretching out to grasp something. The concept of aspiring can be a good thing if the motives are right. Aspiring for selfish ambition obviously would be a bad thing. As Sander states,

“All Christians are called to develop God-given talents, to make the most of their lives, and to develop to the fullest their god-given gifts and capabilities. But Jesus taught that ambition that centers on self is wrong.”

Leaders who aspire to be “boss” may not be aspiring appropriately. They may have confused Godly aspiration with selfish. In the time in which Paul wrote this letter, leadership was not glamorous. Being a leader meant you were a servant-leader and the first to suffer.

I also found it interesting that what is being commanded in this verse is not an aspiration to be an overseer but the aspiration to the office of overseer. Although Paul explains what type of character is expected of a person in the office, Paul commends those who desire to attain to the office of overseer. Overseer is a reference to those who wish to serve as servant-leaders in the church. They want to give their lives away serving others.  Unfortunately, some can aspire to an overseer in the church for the wrong reasons.

As Sanders says, “True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you.”

If you aspire to lead, what does that mean to you? If you desire to give your life away in serving others, that is fantastic. If it is more a desire to be in charge and have others, serve you, that probably reveals a self-centered motive and is not a good thing.

Father, thank you for this great reminder that I should evaluate why I want to lead. What is my motivation to serve as an overseer of the church? I also need to make sure I have the same definition of leadership as you do. Leadership is not bossing others around, but serving others and leading them to your will for them. Help me to keep pure motives in my service of you and others.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff