Just wait!

Readings for March 4, 2015: Hebrews 11-13, Psalm 27.

“Just wait.”  Kids hate to hear those words.  At least mine do.  If I’m having a conversation with Ruth, they want to bud into the conversation and we have to say, “Just wait.  Not yet.”  They ask us for something from the store and we say, “yes,” but then they want it now. We ordered something for Jakob from Amazon and he kept wanting it to arrive before yesterday.  We kept saying, “Not yet.  Just wait.”  Kids hate to hear those words and so do we.  At least I do.  I don’t like to wait.  I don’t like someone to make a promise and then keep saying to me, “Not yet.  Just wait.”  We’re used to and we really like immediate gratification.  We like it now, not later.

In this closing section of Hebrews the writer really seems to drive us toward a godly faith, an expectant hope, and a patience which is content with God saying to us, “Not yet. Wait for it.”  He spends an entire chapter teaching us about the heroes of faith who were absolutely content with God saying, “Not yet.  The best is yet to come.”  He spends an entire chapter explaining how suffering in this world, hardships that we endure, are God’s way of teaching us. In a sense he says, “Don’t try to escape the hardship.  Strengthen your weak knees and endure every hardship as discipline.  God is treating you like a son and daughter that you might share in his holiness and enjoy what’s coming.”  “For we do not have here an enduring city, but are looking for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

That’s hard though, isn’t it.  Especially when we face hardships here on earth.  Especially when the discipline is painful and our hearts are breaking.  Especially when we see that the threats against Christians are growing.  Especially when we see Christian martyrs dying for the faith in most brutal circumstances right before our eyes.  Especially when we want to God to do something for us and do it now.  Especially when we’re waiting for a promise to be fulfilled or a prayer to be answered.

In a small way the writer teaches us patience.  Just wait.  God’s way of working, God’s way of saving, God’s plan for me and the world isn’t like my plan.  Just wait for God to work and do what God will do. He has our best interests in mind.  He wants to save us for himself for eternity.  He wants us to eternally share in his holiness.  That’s why he disciplines us.  Discipline is no fun, but it is good for us (Hebrews 12:10-11).

In a big way (and this is true throughout the entire book), the writer is saying, “Wait for it…” as if there were something big right around the corner.  And there is!  We’re looking forward to a city with foundations, whose builder and architect is God!  We’re looking forward to an eternal home.  We’re looking forward to something better than anything on earth could ever be.  We’re looking forward to the city that is to come, our eternal life in God’s city, where God is at the center and we’re around his throne.

I know that it’s hard to wait.  But just wait.  You won’t be disappointed, not even a little bit.

Lord Jesus, grant me peace and joy in living my life here and now. It’s hard for me and I often chafe under your discipline.  I often grumble having to wait for your promises to be fulfilled, sometimes not even getting to see them fulfilled with my eyes. Grant me faith like Abraham to see the promise fulfilled with the eyes of my heart.  Grant me faith trust you.  Help me be content with your “not yet” because what I’m waiting for is so much better.  Amen.

Seeking!

There are two choices for us this year and we see them side by side in the readings this last week.  Pastor Jeff Gunn blogged about it and talks about the stark contrast there is in the two paths we can take as followers of Jesus. One is a path that walks with Jesus, seeks him, follows him, obeys him.  This path is tough because it goes against everything that’s natural to us.  This is the path that God says is “blessed” (Psalm 1).

One is a path that seeks me, my desires (boy, that fruit sure looks good!), my wants.  It’s a path that’s way easy because it goes right along with everything that’s normal to us.  Yup, I said it. It’s normal and natural for us to do what God doesn’t want.  God identified that for us when he said, “Every inclination of the thoughts of humans is always evil all the time” (Genesis 8:21).  Easy as it is, this path leads only to destruction.  Sadly, this is the path the people of the past (and we) often want to walk.  Adam and Eve ate the fruit. Cain killed his brother.  Noah got drunk and his son laughed about it.  The world was so wicked God wiped almost everybody by a flood.

God had a choice too and it would have been absolutely just.  Destroy Adam and Eve in the garden the moment they tasted the fruit.  After all, he had said, “The day you eat of the fruit, you will die.”  Destroy Cain for killing his brother, after all God had warned Cain about it quite strenuously.  “Told you so,” he could have said.  But God went further.  I’ll make sure that you live a full and long life.  Yes, God did destroy the world by water.  But did you notice… how long did God wait before the flood came?  And did you know that Noah was a preacher during that time (cf. 2 Peter 2:5)?  God could have destroyed everyone and would have been absolutely just in doing it.

But. He. Didn’t!

Instead, he loved the world.  He loved Adam and Eve and gave them time to know his love and forgiveness.  He gave them ears to hear the promise of the Savior.  He loved Cain and made sure he had a long and full life so that he’d repent.  He loved the world and gave them time and a preacher so that they might believe.  God was patient.  God was seeking.

God is still the same today.  He still seeks us even when – especially when – we don’t seek him.  He chases us down in reckless abandon like a shepherd who leaves behind 99 sheep to go find one lost sheep; Jesus used that picture.  Absolutely crazy.  Bad business decision.  Leave 99 for the 1? But what about the 99?  But that’s the reckless abandon with which our God in heaven loves us and seeks us.  He seeks us passionately.  So passionately he sent his Son to settle the debt we owed him, the Father.

You’re probably reading this because you love your Father in heaven.  Take a moment today to ponder the way God sought you and found you.  Who did he put in your life so that you’d find him and know him?  Was it a parent? A friend? A spouse? A child?  How did you come to faith? Who did God use to seek you out and find you and put you on the path to heaven?  Thank God for those people today.

If you’re reading this because you’re seeking him, take a moment to consider the way that God is working in your life.  What people? What events? What struggles? What questions?   How is God working so that right now you’re seeking him? Know this.  God wants you to be his more than you could ever know, more than you would ever dare believe.  He gave up what was most precious to him (his Son Jesus!) so that you could be his.

Father in heaven, your patient and passionate pursuit is on display.  You never give up on your people; you haven’t given up on me.  You seek me daily. You sent your Son to die for me.  Thank you for the people you put in my life that have led me to you.  Thank you for the things that you’ve used to draw me to you.  Thank you for showing me your great love for me.  Help me to seek you every day all year long.

Note: There are no readings today. Today is a “catch-up day” on readings you might have missed. It is also a day to look back and consider and meditate on what God has taught you in the past readings.  If you ever have any questions or comments, post away!  I’d love to hear from you.

A Good Idea – January 2

Readings for January 2: Genesis 3-5, Psalm 2.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Eve saw the fruit and it looked good to her.  She ate it.  It seemed like a good idea to Cain.  Get rid of Abel and I won’t have to compete for God’s affection anymore.  But, oh what trouble came to them, to the world, to their relationships, even to us because of that one bite from the fruit of that one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Sin is like that, you know.  It always seems like a good idea at the time.  I can’t think of a single sin that I’ve committed where I thought, “That’s a bad idea, but I think I’ll do it anyway.”  My conscience may have been screaming at the time, but I wasn’t listening.  And once it sucks us in it destroys us.  Sin destroys us with guilt, with shame. One sin leads to another.

But God never quits on us.  I hope you see that as you read through this section. Look how God seeks Adam and Eve in the garden even after they had blatantly disobeyed him.  Look how God seeks Cain to warn him about his sin, to seek him after he murdered his brother, even to make sure his life was full and long so that Cain would have time to turn back.  God never quits on us, ever.  He seeks us.  He gives us time to turn back to him.  He shows us that he has something better for us, someone better for us – his Son!

In the middle of Adam and Eve’s rebellion and hiding is a nugget that we don’t want to miss.  Genesis 3:15 – “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers, he will crush your head and you will strike his heal.” Right there God promised a remedy to Adam and Eve’s sin, to Cain’s sin, to my sin and yours.  Right there God promised to send his Son to sit on his throne and to be a Savior for us all.  Right there God promised to send his Son to be a refuge for us all.  Psalm 2:12 – “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”  That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.  Hide in Jesus!

Father, sin seems like such a great idea, but it only brings me heartache and pain.  Forgive me for being so selfish, self-serving, self-preserving, so self seeking.  You only want what is good for me, to save me, to forgive me, to guide me and to help me.  And you never quit on me as often as I seek my own way.  Help me to find refuge in you and to seek you.  That’s the best idea. Help me do it.  Amen.