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Most Boring Book of the Bible?

May 10, 2011 in Communication with God, God, Honesty, Motivation, Thoughts with 2 Comments

Stick with me until the end on this one.

This week I began my trek through the book of Leviticus.  Honestly, Leviticus is not a very popular book of the Bible with modern-day worshipers.  There may be many reasons why, but the most glaring one is that most of the ceremonies and guidelines written in the book are no longer practiced in our culture today.  These practices were specifically designed so that the nation of Israel could comprehend what it meant to properly worship and obey God.  In reality, New Testament worshipers do not practice these sacrifices or rituals because Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross paid the penalty for sin (death) once for all (Hebrews 9:12; 10:8-10), making these sacrifices and offerings unnecessary.  However, just because the rituals written in Leviticus are no longer practiced, should we ignore the practical implications for the modern-day worshiper?  Absolutely not!

One of the biggest lessons to be learned from Leviticus is the necessity of marrying the heart to actions.   Sacrifices were acceptable ONLY when the attitude of the heart was right (see the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4).  Going through the motions in order to “get God off your back” is a waste of time.  A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if you don’t mean it.  After King David committed adultery and conspired to murder the woman’s husband (2 Samuel 11), he finally came to place of repentance and sacrifice one year later (2 Samuel 12; Psalm 32 and 51).  David was convinced that the heart and actions had to be joined together if a sacrifice was to mean anything.  Here are the beautiful words he wrote in a repentant prayer to God, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite [repentant] heart— These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17).

True worship and sacrifice does not come from the hands or the feet but from the heart.

MapQuesting God

September 22, 2010 in Communication with God, Disappointment, Faith, Fear, God, Life, Perspective, Relationship with God, Thoughts, Tragedy, Trials with 2 Comments

Why does God feel distant?  Why is God remaining silent?  Why does it feel like God has abandoned me?  These are questions I have asked plenty of times since becoming a follower of Jesus.   Typically these questions begin surfacing when an unforeseeable circumstance arises and the outcome cannot be governed by me.  I may pray for divine intervention, but when rescue does not arrive quickly I doubt God’s nearness.  I may search the Scriptures for peace, but when the answer is not clear I am overcome with confusion and bitterness.  I may seek wise counsel for clarity, but when the explanations are unsatisfactory I am filled with uncertainty.

I’ve been contemplating this dilemma lately.  Is there a way that these questions can be reconciled?  I believe there is a clear answer.  My feelings do not determine truth. In other words, the way I feel is not an accurate reflection of reality.  David, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these words in Psalm 37:25, “Once I was young, and now I am old.  Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned….”  According to Scripture, God NEVER forsakes or abandons the righteous.  Although I may feel alone in my circumstance, the truth is that God will NEVER leave me.

God’s proximity is not measured by my perspective, but by His promise.

Adultery and Answered Prayer

November 9, 2009 in Attitude, Communication with God, Determination, Failure, Faith, Perspective, Prayer, Relationship with God, Spiritual Disciplines, True Stories with 0 Comments

We recently committed “cell phone provider adultery” by leaving Verizon Wireless, whom we have been with almost a decade, and going with their bitter rival, AT&T. The first few months have been an adjustment – new phones, new customer service, and a whole new process to learn. One of the things we did not anticipate in our initial switch was that most of our family still has Verizon as their service provider, so we went over our minutes in our first month because we lost our free mobile to mobile minutes. On the last day of our billing cycle I checked our minute usage and we were already 50 minutes over, which would have incurred more than $20 in overage charges. Maybe that is not a problem for you, but I HATE paying overage charges for anything! On a whim, I contacted AT&T customer service and explained my dilemma and the gentleman was very kind in listening to my predicament. As I was talking, I was thinking, “This guy probably thinks I’m an idiot! There’s no way he is going to respond to my request.” To my surprise, the AT&T customer service representative understood and told me that he would add 200 minutes to my account and that if I didn’t use those extra minutes this month, they would roll over to next month.

I learned something through that process – asking must precede receiving. Without asking, you’ll never receive. Maybe the reason you have not yet received something is because you’ve never asked. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

A Random Moment with God

September 9, 2009 in Communication with God, God, Prayer, Random Thinking, Relationship with God, Sin, Unspecific Ramblings with 0 Comments

While spending some time alone with God yesterday, I felt the need to confess feelings of apathy I’ve been experiencing in certain parts of my life lately. As I was praying, I sensed the need to locate some Scripture which could serve as a challenge for restoration and revival in my personal connection with God, so I randomly opened up the Bible and it fell to Psalm 80. Here is what I read,

“Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved! O Lord God of hosts, How long will You be angry against the prayer of Your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in great measure. You have made us a strife to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (Psalm 80:3-7)

Even though this passage was most likely written as a prayer for the nation of Israel to repent of their apostasy and be restored to God, I am convinced that this principle is still applicable today. There are times when all of us become distracted or even blinded by apathy and need God to restore our hearts to the time when we first fell in love with Him. When I “randomly” opened up the Bible today, I believe God knew exactly what I needed and I’m now praying that He will restore me each day.

Desert Prayers

June 12, 2009 in Communication with God, Prayer, Random Thinking, Relationship with God, Spiritual Disciplines with 0 Comments

I’ve been praying for years. I’m not talking about the Ben Stiller, Meet the Parents prayer or the Will Ferrell, Talledaga Nights prayer, but real times of conversation with God. I don’t say that in pride or arrogance, but as someone who has practiced a spiritual discipline consistently, yet has never felt as if I am doing it quite right. Although I’m confident God is listening, I always walk away thinking I should be further developing this habit. Over the last several weeks, I have been in one of my many dry spells which, I believe, plagues every individual who prays. You know what I’m talking about? You begin asking questions such as, “Is God interested in my prayers?” “Is prayer really worth my time?” “Does prayer make a difference?” Instead of giving up, I usually try to push through these desert times and pray anyway. I must admit – sometimes it is difficult to continue on; however, I know it will eventually pass.
This week I decided to be more intentional about my prayers by actually writing them out. It was just what I needed. Seeing the words to my prayers in my own handwriting forced me to see exactly what was near to my heart.

So, it’s time for you to contribute. What things have helped you push through times when God seems distant? What can I do next time I enter a desert moment?

Listening

March 26, 2008 in Communication with God, True Stories with 0 Comments

In my opinion, listening is a hard thing to do…even when someone is talking (and I’m quiet) I am usually thinking of what I am going to say next. Giving someone our full attention does not come naturally to most people because they see more value in what they are saying rather than finding significance in the words of another. However, there is one thing that seems to shut me up every time. Silence has met me on the canals of the River Delta in Argentina as well as the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina in late December. A bus tour through the glorious countryside of Utah and the mountains of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic also left me speechless. Simple things such as the quietness of falling snow, the boisterous noise of an approaching storm, and the changing colors of the leaves in the fall leave even the most eloquent without words. Even now as I write this entry I am content to listen carefully to the crashing waves against the shore from the ocean in front of me. I am listening…. God has a real way of speaking to people even though most would say that they have never heard Him speak audibly. In fact, I have never had the privilege of hearing God’s voice (nor do I think most people have), yet I think many are listening for Him in the wrong ways. Nature has this way of speaking and since I firmly believe God is the Creator of all things, I also believe He speaks loudly through His creation. I’m not talking about some freaky, mystical experience but rather a genuine communication of God’s power and might in conjunction with His love for beauty. I am quickly reminded of Paul’s words to the church at Colosse: “For by Him all things were created…. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). God created everything we see for His pleasure and since He enjoys what He sees, I think we should also find joy in what He has designed. Take some time out of your busy schedule to stop doing and start looking and listening. Look for God’s fingerprint in the simple, everyday things around you and then respond by giving Him your full attention…He may be trying to tell you something!