Shine on

Ephesians 5:8-14

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord.¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

Light is one of those elements that is so common, we take it for granted. It is essential to sight, so it is literally a part of most of our waking moments. To really appreciate light, however, you must be able to contrast it with its antithesis, darkness. 

Darkness is really the absence of light. We were once there. This scripture reminds us we were actually darkness. (It does not say we were in darkness, we were once darkness). There was a time we had no light. We should never loose touch with who we've been, it keeps us humble. 


Then came light. One thing true about light is that it must have a source. Our light comes from the Lord (you are light in the lord). It's not about us then, we are not the source, our lives are just the vehicle, the rays from the sun. 

Our job is simply to do what light does by its nature, illuminate. Specifically we are to expose the 'fruitless deeds of darkness'. What does that entail?The Hebrew word for expose is Elegcho which means to reprove, refute, rebuke. I like to think of this visually, considering what light does; when a flashlight beam slides over objects it is simply showing the object for what it is. As vs 13 says, "everything exposed by the light becomes visible".  We are to make things visible, to illuminate the world around us.  

The bigger question is how? If you read the chapter in full there are many answers to how - I'll list a few 1)Be imitators of God 2)Live a life of love 3) Live without sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, and coarse joking 4) Live with goodness, righteousness and truth 5)Give thanks, sing hymns, and make music.

If we do these things, then without thinking, we should shine. Light by it's very nature exposes things and light is uncomfortable to those who've been used to the dark. When is the last time you've been around someone uncomfortable by the natural illumination of your life?  It's time to shine! 

Fear the Lord?

Proverbs 3:7 (NIV)

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

This is part II for the post Be Wise or Seek Wisdom.  It was clear reading through Proverbs chapter 3 that with wisdom comes great things. However, wisdom is a pretty nebulous concept. The post ended with the connection, taken from Job 28:28, that wisdom is fear of the Lord.  This idea looped us back to vs 7.  

What is fear of the Lord though? That phrase is mentioned 347 times in the Bible, more times than the phrase "Love the Lord", which is mentioned 219 times. It must be pretty important. 

Does the word fear imply terror or being scared? I have the image of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz approaching the great wizard for the first time. Is that to be our approach to God? 

Look at Psalm 130:4 "But with you there is forgiveness, therefor you are feared".  That doesn't fit with terror, why would we be scared of someone who forgives us?

A better definition of fear of the Lord comes from a quote by Tim Keller. In answering this very question he says fear of the Lord is "wonder filled, bold humility". In other words, we must acknowledge two very different truths. On the one hand we say "I'm a sinner, God died for me!"  This is a humbling realization, where we come to know inherently our own depravity.  Yet, we also say "I am so loved by God, that he actually died for me!" This is our boldness, to feel set apart, chosen, loved by almighty God. Both the humility and boldness of these truths creates the wonder and awe, the fear of the Lord. 

I believe for each of us, one of these concepts comes more naturally. By realizing which truth is harder to emotionally connect with, allows us something to strive for. This, then, is the wisdom we seek. The concept so valuable that to those who grasp it, much is promised. Proverbs 22:4, "Humility and fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life"  How meaningful, that these three elements; wealth, honor and life, are the exact 3 things that "wisdom" holds in her hands in Proverbs chapter 3. 

Do not be wise in your own eyes (humility), fear the Lord (grasp your sinfulness at the same time that you realize you are so loved that someone died for you) and shun evil. This is wisdom.
  
In closing, from Proverbs 2:9-11, "Then you will understand what is right and just and fair- every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you."

Shalom

Isaiah 26:3-4

New International Version (NIV)

³ You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.
⁴ Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

A simple verse, yet when unpacked gives great assurance. 

The promise is the ability to maintain perfect peace. The Hebrew word for keep means to preserve or guard. The idea is more of God protecting and ensuring this peace within us.  

The phrase 'perfect peace' is actually the word Shalowm(shalom). This Hebrew word is defined as "completeness, soundness, wellness and peace". This is wholeness, a wellness in the state of our mind, rather than the absence of war between nations. 

As is often the case, the promise requires something of us. To have this peace our minds must be steadfast. What does this mean?

The word minds is the Hebrew word Yetser. This word actually is defined as "purpose or intent". This isn't about our thoughts per se, but on the intent of our life. I love this word, because there is such grace behind it. 

What should be our intent? To be steadfast. Steadfast in Hebrew is Camak and is defined as "to lean, lay, rest, uphold". This image changes the meaning for me, especially when you read the next verse about the Lord being the Rock eternal. How easy then to picture our task of resting or leaning upon him, the Rock. 

To sum it up, when we trust in God, that he is the Rock, and our intent is to lean on his strength, resting against him, then he promises to not only to calm our minds and give us wholeness, but to preserve and protect it.

Be Wise or Seek wisdom?

Proverbs 3:7-24

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

    fear the Lord and shun evil.
⁸ This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.

⁹ Honor the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits of all your crops;
¹⁰ then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
    and your vats will brim over with new wine.

¹¹ My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not resent his rebuke,
¹² because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    as a father the son he delights in.

¹³ Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.

¹⁹ By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
    by understanding he set the heavens in place;
²⁰ by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
    and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹ My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
²² they will be life for you,
    an ornament to grace your neck.
²³ Then you will go on your way in safety,
    and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

This one in all about wisdom. What it is, and what is promised if we gain it.  

First, comes the warning; Vs 7 "Do not be wise in your own eyes" There are a few ways to read this.  The word eyes can mean 'of mental and spiritual faculties'. So one way to interpret this is, don't trust your own mental/spiritual faculties, you need to rely on God's wisdom.  The other way to read this is, don't be impressed with your own wisdom.  With the rest of the focus on gaining wisdom, this becomes the challenge; to constantly be seeking wisdom without regarding yourself as wise.  

The second part of vs 7 is the crux of the passage. "Fear the Lord and shun evil". Could it be that when we trust only our own intellect we lose fear (reverence/awe) of God? We'll come back to this vs at the end. 

The majority of this passage is focused on wisdom itself.  Think about the word find in vs 13.  When we find something, it usually means we were looking for it. 'I found my keys', 'Did you find that bill?', etc.  Find also means attain, so not only should we be actively seeking wisdom, we must gain it for the promises to hold true.  Interestingly, though the next phrase uses the word "gain" as in gain understanding, the Hebrew of this is actually defined as produce or furnish.  So it could be read, those who produce or bring out understanding.  In other words, this wisdom we seek must be shared as well. 

This thing, wisdom, that we should seek is described in unbelievable ways. Wisdom is more profitable, more valuable, more delightful (pleasant), more peaceful, more honorable, and long living than anything you can think of.  

And what are we promised if we keep wisdom our pursuit? First of all blessings or happiness (vs13) and vs 22-24 answer the rest with safety, lack of stumbling, lack of fear, and sweet sleep. 

Now, we know how wisdom is described, and we know what is promised if we find it, but what exactly is this wisdom we seek? Wisdom is often mentioned in the Bible along with the words knowledge and understanding, so are we seeking intellect? Vs 7 warns us against pursuit of our own intellect, so what, then? 

Job 28:28 says " And he said to the human race,“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” 

We come full circle then. These are the words of Vs. 7. Could it really be so simple?  It's a least a place to start. 

Heaped or Stricken?

Luke 6:37-38

New International Version (NIV)

Judging Others

³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

When Jesus spoke these words, he said the message plainly as above, but also went on in parable form. There is no excuse then, written or in story form for hearing this message. 

The way this is spoken is in an affirming way, meaning he is not saying "You are going to be judged" but instead tells us positive things to do for our own well being. First, the 4 things he is talking about:

     1) Judgment - this is an act that requires reason. The Hebrew definition is "to separate, pick out, select, choose" It implies thought, examination, a weighing of two or more things. We obviously can't go through life with out selecting things. But we can go through life not selecting out individuals or people as "deserving" and "not deserving". 

     2) Condemnation - throwing out reason, condemnation deals with emotions. The definition being a public expression of disapproval. Condemnation is often the outcome of our judgment. Clearly, we need to let our emotional reactions and public disapproval go. 

     3) Forgiveness - literally in Hebrew "to set free, release". For me as I meditated on the idea of forgiveness I was reminded that I need to release people of my impractical expectations. Forgiveness comes when I set others free of that standard of perfectionism. 

     4) Giving - pretty straightforward. Our generosity determines what we get in return. The next verse really jumps into this specifically:

A little background first. In the time of these words were spoken, there was a system in the temples in which people brought offerings. Often these were measured out, some meant for God, some given to the priests. In the Talmud it indicates that some of the measuring jars were purposefully heaped up and others leveled off, depending on who was getting the offering. The other thing to know is the phrase "poured into your lap" - the original really indicates people giving a material gift to someone (they would carry gifts in their long robes/cloaks close to their chests). 

Taken together then, we see Jesus warns us, there are 3 ways to give things - pressed down and leveled off (the precise amount), shaken up (loose, so that less is actually given) and running over (more than required).  Our motives catch up with our giving, and he's pretty clear that we will get from others in the same way we give. 

I'd like to think we should apply this second concept of motives to the whole passage. Am I forgiving with an overflowing heart, or just doing what's required? Is my lack of condemnation just fluffed up to look like it's the right thing, yet in my heart it's otherwise? Am I living my life in a shaken up, stricken/packed down, or heaped and overflowing way?

Praying a Psalm

1 Chronicles 16:7-36

⁷ That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the Lord in this manner:

⁸ Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
⁹ Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
¹⁰ Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
¹¹ Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.

¹² Remember the wonders he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
¹³ you his servants, the descendants of Israel,
    his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
¹⁴ He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵ He remembers^[c] his covenant forever,
    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
¹⁶ the covenant he made with Abraham,
    the oath he swore to Isaac.
¹⁷ He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
¹⁸ “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as the portion you will inherit.”

¹⁹ When they were but few in number,
    few indeed, and strangers in it,
²⁰ they^[d] wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
²¹ He allowed no one to oppress them;
    for their sake he rebuked kings:
²² “Do not touch my anointed ones;
    do my prophets no harm.”

²³ Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
²⁴ Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

²⁵ For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
²⁶ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
²⁷ Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

²⁸ Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
²⁹ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his^[e] holiness.
³⁰     Tremble before him, all the earth!
    The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

³¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
³² Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
    let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
³³ Let the trees of the forest sing,
    let them sing for joy before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge the earth.

³⁴ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
³⁵ Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
    gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
    and glory in your praise.”
³⁶ Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.

This Psalm is one of the first early prayers meant for the temple service associated with the ark of God. David seems to have combined several psalms to make this official one, using parts of Psalm 96, 105 and 106. 

Looking to this as an example there are really several sections we might mimic in our prayers.  My own way of organizing it follows:

-Look up/speak up: Invitation vs 8-11. Literally call, as in saying God's name out loud, singing and seeking him, talking about what he's done. 

-Look back: Remeberence vs 12-22. Recall God's miracles, his judgments and his covenant

-Speak out: Proclamation vs 23-24. The emphasis is more telling others about his deeds

-Look in: Personal Worship vs 25-29. Give glory and honor to God

-Look out:Outward Worship vs 30-33. Take notice of the world around. This is nature's response to God, but we must recognize the beauty.  

-Speak up: Thanksgiving vs 34. Give thanks to God

-Look forward: Petition vs 35.Going forward, ask for deliverance

There are several things that stood out to me as I studied this. The first was the word ascribe in vs 28,29.  The Hebrew for ascribe is Yahab and is usually transcribed as to give. However when I looked up other verses with yahab they were usually asking for something of need, if not strong desire, as in 'give me a child' or 'give me a spouse' or 'give me food'.  If we reverse this concept and make us the givers this concept is quite profound. Could God desire Honor as we desire a child? Could he crave praise as we crave food? If so, how important that part of prayer is!

The second thing of interest was the last verses commanding that we cry out (vs 35). These words "save us, gather us, deliver us" are themselves very descriptive words. In Hebrew,"free us, rescue us, snatch us away".  This implies not just movement from one place to another but an actual life changing, life saving action. The image is of us in peril, drowning or being kidnapped and then crying to be rescued.  Who does David say we should ask to be rescued from? The Nations, in Hebrew this is non-Hebrew people. Perhaps we would say this is secular society today. In other words, we cannot forget to pray that God snatches us away from negative influences of secular society. 

Finally, I'm struck with the simple perfect organization of the Psalm. I can easily remember these directional attributes when I pray. Look up, look back, look in, look out, and look forward. 

Learning to Hope

Isaiah 40:28-31

New International Version (NIV)

²⁸ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint

The author says it in vs 21 and again in vs 28, "Don't you know this?" 

Obviously we don't. Or, we forget. We forget not just that God is The Creator, but we forget that as everlasting God, he won't get exhausted with us.  

The next reminder is needed daily; we can't do it ourselves. I watch my 3 year old run non stop, constantly revved up and lament that I wish I had his energy. That's not the answer though, I just don't need more energy to sustain myself, because "even youths grow tired and weary". It's not about us doing or gaining more, it's about the key word in vs. 31 hope.

In Hebrew this word is Qavah meaning "to wait, look for, hope, expect"  What the verse doesn't say is, those who love the Lord will renew their strength, or those who endure hardships will renew their strength. It doesn't say if you wait patiently, or go to church a bunch.  The word is pretty specific, it's a waiting filled with expectancy and hope.  It's that feeling at 4:55pm on a Friday at work, or seeing the UPS truck pull up with the gift you've been expecting. It's the last week of being pregnant or the final 2 minutes of a game when your team is just slightly ahead.

Do you have that kind of can't sit still with anticipation feeling towards the Lord? 

Here's the other amazing part about this verse. When we wait with expectation for the Lord he will renew our strength. Renew, however, isn't just a refill, it's an actual change.  

The word in Hebrew is Chalaph and means "to pass through, grow up, or change" This word is most often translated as change. In other words, God doesn't promise just more human strength, he is talking about changing the nature of our strength. The new strength he tells us is something of God, and is described pretty incredibly in those last verses. We will soar like eagles (sounds refreshing), run and not be labored (literally not have to work at running) and walk (translated more like our daily coming and going) without getting fatigued. 

If we can just remember to not rely on our own strength, instead eagerly expect God to take over our weariness and change our strength to his unlimited power... we'll get ready to soar!