Psalm 124

When we choose sides with God we may still be attacked. We may still encounter floods. We may still fall into the traps that evil people set.  We may still face the anger of those who oppose us. But they will not have the final victory. Even if they kill us they will not have the last say. Our help comes from the LORD.
Stuart

Psalm 123

I need mercy. When I consider the way I live I join with the tax collector and offer up this psalm to God as my prayer.
Stuart

Ezekiel 20-21

Through most of Ezekiel God reveals the history of his grace. He describes the rebellious actions of the people of Israel from the time they were in Egypt until the time of their exile. Every time that God's righteousness call for their destruction he offered an alternative. He acted graciously so as to honor his name and display his holiness to the world. In everything that he did God proved that he could create harmony between his will and the actions of me. But he always did so through his acts of grace.
Stuart

Isaiah 39

"The message you have given me from the LORD is good." Normally I would agree with Hezekiah. When God pronounces judgment it is righteous and just. But unless I'm missing something the message Isaiah gave the king was a warning that should have been taken seriously. Apparently Hezekiah was now living in such a way that he would fail to persuade his new-born son that serving the God of Israel meant life. I wonder if Hezekiah was resting on his laurels? Perhaps he was thinking how his obedience and faith had moved God to rescue Judah. Maybe he was feeling invincible. Maybe he was glad that since this was a problem for some future generation to address he didn't need to focus on it. We should learn from Hezekiah's failure; remind future generations of God's plans in hope that they will seek his guidance.
Stuart

Ezekiel 18-19

The parents ate the sour grapes, but the children got the sour taste.  This ancient proverb still lingers in the mind of modern pagans.  They decry the effects of bad parenting, putting the blame of many social ills on the preceding generations.  There is no question that our upbringing has an impact on how we think, it does not provide an excuse to commit evil and escape punishment.  And that is exactly what God said in the remainder of chapter 18.  When we are old enough to know right from wrong the choices we begin to make are ours alone.  Those who raised us, whether their intentions were good or evil, are no longer responsible for our actions.

Stuart

Ezekiel 17-18

One word describes the problem of Judah in these two chapters; Unfaithfulness.  Chapter 16 focuses on Judah’s unfaithfulness in her covenant with God.  Chapter 17 details Zedekiah’s unfaithfulness in his covenant with Babylon.  The ethics of politics has always followed the morality of culture. 

Stuart

Isaiah 38

"Get ready to die." Isaiah spoke those words to the sickly king Hezekiah and promptly left the room. Surely the door hitting the stop shot jolts of anguish into the king's heart. Were there family members standing by? They would have been wailing as they took in the news. As the tears of fear, confusion, and sorrow rolled down his face the king forced himself onto his side facing the wall. Surely he wondered why the God whom he had trusted had become as hard and impenetrable as the wall Solomon had built. What good does it do to talk to a wall? But God is not a wall. He is the living God who always listens. The Savior who had repeatedly rescued Hezekiah. Chapter 38:3 records the words of the king terminally ill. Having died to self before God the tears of bitterness flowed freely. I wonder if he even heard the door open a few minutes later? I wonder if he was still facing the wall? I wonder if he was still crying when he heard the familiar voice of the prophet speaking for God; "...I have heard your prayer and seen your tears."(vs 5) The God of Israel is not a wall.
Stuart

Ezekiel 12-15

“Time goes by and predictions come to nothing.”  That was a proverb among the Jews in Ezekiel’s days.  That sounds strangely familiar to how Peter repeated the words of mockers in 2 Peter 3:4.  Just as God put an end to the proverb in Ezekiel’s day we can be sure that he will silence the mockers in our days.

Stuart

Isaiah 37

Sennacherib was king of Assyria when it possessed an unstoppable army. Under his leadership the army destroyed kingdom after kingdom. Those he did not destroy were in subject to him. But his successes became his identity. And he saw no difference in any kingdom. They were all vulnerable to his army and therefore, they were his even before he possessed them. But them he encounter the one God of Israel. I wonder if he heard Isaiah's message to Hezekiah? I wonder is Sennacherib ever put two and two together? I wonder if he understood that the God he insulted is the one who killed many of hIs soldiers while they slept? Or that it was this God who sent him home to die?
Stuart

Ezekiel 8-11

There have been times when I’ve heard despairing people say, “God has abandoned me.”  Ezekiel’s vision of the idol worship in secret in the temple proves otherwise.  Even as the leaders of Judah were turning to other gods in hopes of rescue, the true God of Israel was still close by; watching their growing sin.  God said that he would never abandon the people of his covenant and he didn’t.  If he maintained that promise in the face of such sin then surely he will stay faithful when we fail as well.   There may still be consequences to our sins.  There is still free will among those who have rejected God that will result in evil in our lives.  But God will not abandon his people.

Stuart

Isaiah 36

As the officials from the king of Assyria taunted the people of Jerusalem they made one truthful statement. "Hezekiah can't save you."
We don't have a record, in this passage, of what Hezekiah said to the people, but we can be confident that it was not a proclamation of his own abilities to rescue Jerusalem from the Assyrian army. Hezekiah knew that only the God of Israel welded such power. That is where Hezekiah placed his faith.
Stuart

Ezekiel 5-7

These three chapter speak of the punishment that God's nature demand of the house of Israel. The punishment they deserve for their rebellion against his Law. The fate of all, not just those who had trusted in idols, was death and the fear of death. Any survivor would receive abuse and shame. These are the same punishments that we all deserve. Even the house of God today. But all of the suffering, all of this shame, all of this death Jesus took for us. That does not mean we will not face such tragedies. Instead it means that we will come through them because of Jesus.
Stuart

Isaiah 35

What one word describes and defines a desert to you? Dryness. Emptiness. Uninhabited. Sweltering. For me the word is; barrenness. As God revealed a sneak peak of the future to Isaiah he described it in terms of environments. Surely Isaiah was familiar with the wilderness of southern Judah. No one dwelt there. It was not a desert like the Sahara but it was not fruitful like the Jordan valley. God told Isaiah that the he was planning to change the barrenness of the world into fruitfulness (vs 2).  Some of the prophet's audience may have been thinking in farming terms, but I think God's message was targeting the people around the world. Most of them live in spiritual barrenness. God's grace can convert them into fields of bounty for his Kingdom.
Stuart

Ezekiel 1-4

We know that the message of God can burn within us. But God can also silence us. For a time Ezekiel was not only shut up in his house but God took away his speech. Since God had given Ezekiel the message why would he then still the voice that proclaimed his message? Ezekiel doesn't give us any reason. Dramatic effect? To clear the air? To see who was listening? It could have been any of those or others. But one truth I see is that there are times when we need to be silent before God. When we are obedient to God's call for silence we show that we can be obedient when he calls us to speak.
Stuart

1 Peter 4-5

In 4:7 Peter designates two disciplines that we need in our prayer lives. First he mentions self-control. From Paul's Galatian letter we know that self-control comes into our lives by the work of the Holy Spirit.  We need to put aside our selfish desires to be effective in prayer. Peter says we need alertness as well. We need to be attentive to the struggles others are facing. Sometimes the physical anguish is hidden and will require alert observations. But emotional and spiritual difficulties are seldom mention and may be invisible to those under attack. We also need to be aware of what God is doing so that we can pray effectively. When we allow God to develop these traits in our lives we become greater warriors for the Kingdom.
Stuart

Isaiah 33

The last phrase of this chapter must have been wonderful news for the people. In a culture saturated with the words of the Law awareness of sin was a big part of life. The people who heard Isaiah's message knew that rejecting God's standard had brought evil tendencies into the world. They knew that the Law was given to expose the sins in their lives. And they knew that the annual sacrifice removed the penalties for the sins of the preceding year.  But the idea that all sins would be forgiven was amazing. I wonder if someone said; "For all sins to be forgiven that would have to be one special sacrifice." How true that is.
Stuart

1 Peter 1-3

In this section Peter described a historical perspective that I had never really pondered before.  I never stopped to consider how this truth might have impacted the lives of those people of faith that he described.  Peter has a lot to say about God’s revelation in chapter 1 verse 12 of his first letter.  But when I gave it some time to grow in my imagination some interesting questions came to mind.  In that verse Peter wrote: “God revealed to these prophets that their work was not for their own benefit, but for yours, as they spoke about those things which you have now heard from the messengers  who announced the Good News….”  We read in the Bible a common message from the prophets of someone who would come.  A theme that stretches back to Abram.  Along with that message the prophets of the Old Testament also received the message that the someone special would not be seen by their eyes.  I wonder how disappointed Moses was to hear of one to come, who would be like him, but he would not live to see him?  I wonder if David felt greater loss at missing the sight of Messiah than he was of not building the temple?  Isaiah passed on the description of the suffering servant, but how did he feel about not witnessing the servant’s ministry?  Did Jonah understand that his three days in the fish would captivate generations as a picture of God’s firstborn from among the dead?  These faithful people of centuries past were faithful to deliver the message.  They must have felt like many parents; hoping, pining for the better things that God had planned for those believers who would follow them.  I should be doing the same.

Stuart

1 & 2 John

John concludes both of these letters with the same basic theme: there is much to talk about so my preference is to speak face to face. Sometimes, no matter how well prepared we might be, the Word is best presented when spoken rather than written.
Stuart

Isaiah 32

Politicians haven't changed since the days of Isaiah. In the first fives verses of this chapter the prophet describes the attitudes and actions of the future leaders. His description implies that the contemporary leaders display the opposite qualities.  The leaders Isaiah knew spoke about the God of Israel claiming to be his friend. But their words and actions insult and righteous all-knowing God who chose to remain their friend. The same can be said of many high profile leaders today. Whether they be civic or church leaders, holding secular or religious offices they all tend to gravitate toward the same selfish model. I believe that if I find myself in the right position without accountability and transparency I too would fall prey to the corrupting and blinding influence of elevated self-worth.
Stuart

1 John 3-5

I have never really taken the time to ponder what it meant to first century believers to be called “sons of God.” (1 John 3:1)  Without an appreciation of their understand of the privilege there is no way that I can transfer those messages into the 21^st century.  Regardless of their faith in the Greek pantheon first century people all knew the stories of the power and privileges of the sons of Zeus.  When John wrote his letter most of the believer would have learned the greatness of God’s promise to Abraham and his sons.  They would have also known that the church was the true sons of Abraham.  I wonder what other advantages those early believers found in the title; “Sons of God”?  Unrestricted access to the throne room? Out with the title “Your Majesty” and in with “Father”?  No taxes required?  A seat at every banquet?  Taken to its selfish extremes these privileges could have been perverted, but in the proper perspective it would displayed acceptance and provision by the ruler.  A position most believers would have lacked.  How does that apply to us today?

Stuart

Isaiah 31

I face the very strong temptation to base my security on the United States of America. I think that the church in the USA may have been lulled into complacency because of the historical liberty and protection granted the church. But is our confidence based of God acting or in US legal precedence? God's warning in Isaiah 31:1 is timeless.  Those who rely on political or military might are doomed. Our confidence should always rest in the LORD.
Stuart

1 John 1-2

It's all about fellowship, and with whom you fellowship. John reminded his readers that his fellowship was with God the Father and Jesus the Son (vs 1:3). But John is not name dropping. He is extending an invitation to his readers; "You too can have the same divine fellowship as I have. Listen to what I have to say and put my words into practice." It is not the words that produce the fellowship, but rather the fruit of those words in our lives that lead us into eternal fellowship with God.
Stuart

Isaiah 30

Anytime a crack appears in a support wall it is reason for concern. The crack tells a story. It not only speaks of the impending failure of the wall it points accusing fingers at those this that led to the crack. There is the foundation that gave up support first and also the load that bears down on the top. The crack can also display the indifference of the builders' attention to quality or their inexperience in construction techniques. The crack also speaks bleakly about the future of the wall in which it develops. And that was the point Isaiah was making in verse 13. Judah is a cracked wall. Their sin will lead to their downfall.
Stuart

Lamentations 4-5

There is no question that God displays his anger.  When Jesus swept out the cheating money changers and scheming animal sellers from the temple his actions were the result of a simmering anger.  A few centuries earlier Jeremiah recalled the horror of the siege and as he walked through the ruins of Jerusalem asked God; “Is there no limit to your anger?”  What had once been GOOD was now burnt, blood stained, and reeked of the fruits from generations of sin.  Are there limits to God’s anger?  I think the answer to that question is no.  Because was so angry with the impact of sin on his perfect creation that he crossed the line due to his anger.  He did not cross the line to join us in sin, but he crossed the line of immortality and entered mortality.  He crossed the line of eternity and lived in the temporary.  God crossed the line of purity and walked in the land of temptations.  It was both his anger and his love that brought Jesus to earth as the perfect sacrifice.  It was both anger and love that moved him to call people back to God’s love.  As God stretched out his arm of anger to punish Jesus on our behalf he also stretched out his arm of love for us to see. 

Stuart

Isaiah 29

I think that for a Christian one of the highest expressions of worship, one of the best ways to grown in the faith is to memorize scripture. What makes this practice so vibrant is not in committing words to memory. But the motivation for memorization (to honor God) and the investment of meditation (to grow in practical faith and grace) on what was memorized. According to verse 13 the Jews of Isaiah's day had memorized scripture and practiced the rituals. But it all of the effort was for their own selfish desires. That is a temptation I know I will fight all of this physical life.
Stuart

Isaiah 28

When we talk about the wisdom that God provides most often my thoughts focus on the spiritual wisdom that he gives us. But here Isaiah is pointing out that the practical wisdom we possess is also from God (vs 29). He not only laid in creation the idea of order but he has instilled in us the orderliness of the work that we are able to accomplish.
Stuart

Lamentations 1-2

Jeremiah had been freed from the physical chains of exile. The king of Babylon had set him free to remain in Jerusalem. But this pardon became a prison in its own way. Surely the old prophet walked up and down the streets of the city in which he had preached so often. Yet he encounter only remnants of hope. When he was commissioned to preach repentance he surely had hopes the he would not see Isaiah's warning come to life. During Josiah's reforms Jeremiah must have been filled with anticipation of the revival that would soon sweep the city and kingdom. But hope died shortly after Josiah. Now as he walked through the barren and plundered city he could only feel sorrow. In chapter 1 he gave the city a voice in venting the pain and loneliness that he was living.
Stuart

Jeremiah 47-49

In 48:7 God spoke a message to Jeremiah to deliver to Moab.  But it is a message that I needed to hear.  God accused Moab of depending on their strength, wealth, and their false god.  But none of those things would protect them from conquest.  Only the true God could provide the security that they sought.  I’m afraid that I am Moab.  At least one group has been praying to God that HE would provide job stability and wise leadership at the head of the company for which I work.  Recently I learned that we requested of God is exactly what has happened.  When I heard the news I don’t recall if I gave thanks to God or not.  I am guilty of converting into Moab.  I was tempted to thank the leadership of the company (a false god?), to praise the industry of the employees (strength), and showing appreciation to our customers who have been paying our invoices (wealth).  I am so glad that a fellow prayer reminded me of what God has been doing.  I give him thanks for the reminder and look forward to seeing him continue to work.  I wonder if I have been doing the same thing in the ministries in which I am involved? 

Stuart

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Paul of Tarsus

Isaiah 26

From my perspective, after Jesus' resurrection, verse 19 of this chapter is all about the day when all men will be raised. The focus of this verse seems to be on the resurrection of God's faithful. And his blessing of joy and refreshment are promised for those who died in submission to him. I wonder how Isaiah understood this stanza? I wonder how his listeners responded? I wonder what those who transcribed Isaiah's words thought about these claims? I wonder how long it was before a generation understood the connection with resurrection?
Stuart

Isaiah 25

Isaiah's message was comprised of a call to repentance and a warning of judgment for the people who refused.  But rather frequently God would throw in a confusing message about "That Day." And though he never clearly states what he meant by the term it is clear to us, upon whom the fullness of the ages has been revealed, that he was speaking of these days. The time that bears fruit from the sacrifice of Jesus. In 25:7 God explains that there is a cloud of sorrow that covers those nations that have rejected God. Sadly they have little hope during the days of the Law, but there will come "That Day" and the cloud of sorrow will be gone. We need to tell others about that cloud.
Stuart

Jeremiah 43-46

God does not reward good intentions based on a lie.  The Jews who fled to Egypt chose to believe the lie that the Queen of Heaven could save them.  The people of Egypt based their confidence on Amon, their god in Thebes.  Because of such misplaced faith the true God promised destruction on all those who sought refuge in the names of false gods. 

Stuart

Jeremiah 42

This chapter is all about one prayer and God's answer to that request. The most interesting this is how long it took God to answer. Verse 7 says that Jeremiah received the answer 10 days after the request was made. So we should not be discouraged if a week passes by without a prayer being resolved.
Stuart

Jeremiah 40-42

God's word, faithfully spoken, is powerful to convince and convict people. But when we become accustomed to the perverted versions of God's word we become desensitized to that which is really his word. Jeremiah spoke God's word persistently and accurately. But too many of the people in Judah preferred their "version" of God's truth. So they persisted in their rejection of Jeremiah's message. Though he repeated God's call for repentance their hearts remained hard. Nebuzaradan apparently heard Jeremiah's message as well. God didn't record how he heard it, or how many times he listened. But his words to Jeremiah in 40:2-3 indicate that he harmonized God's message with the events that unfolded and had some level of faith. I wonder which message of Jeremiah Nebuzaradan heard.
Stuart

Isaiah 23

There are times when we get a song stuck in our heads. The tune and the words roll around for what seems like hours. I wonder if that is what happened to Isaiah. He might have walked past a tavern or brothel and heard the ditty in verse 16. Maybe the words and the tune was there for hours. Frustrated he might have prayed for help. Then God gave him the message about the future of Tyre. Nothing is impossible for God. He can convert a drinking song about prostitutes into a message of his justice and righteousness.
Stuart

Jeremiah 32-33

Jeremiah begins his prayer in 32:17 acknowledging God’s power as displayed in all of creation; the earth and the sky.  He says that “nothing is too difficult for you.”  In verse 27 of the same chapter God responds to Jeremiah agreeing with his prophet that “nothing is too difficult for me.” But he also seems to be redirecting Jeremiah’s focus from creation to people.  I don’t think God is disagreeing with Jeremiah’s praise of his power as displayed in nature.  But God notes that his display of power is seen through his rule over all the people.  It is a subtle change of focus, but very important as we consider what God values most; people.  Not just the believers but all people.

Stuart

Isaiah 20

It would be easy to focus on the message of nakedness and shame that Isaiah portrayed as a portent of Ashdod's future. But I think that there are other messages in this passage.  Messages that all center on this truth; don't depend upon people to bring deliverance. Government, domestic or foreign, will solve the problems of our culture. As a matter of fact that is not the function God intended. Government is intended to provide security and ensure civility within the culture and with those outside of the culture. Technologist will never provide the solutions for the problems that we face.  They may enable us to do some things with less effort, but the ethically questionable situations they can create only add to the dilution of moral purity in our culture. Artists will never remove the pains of life that we face. At best they can most fully describe those pains. No person or persons can fix life. The problems we face originate in the spiritual realm. So it will take a spiritual solution to resolve them.
Stuart

Jeremiah 28-30

In 28:12-16 Jeremiah pulled Hananiah son of Azzur aside.  How Hananiah had “received” the message that he told others was from the LORD we don’t know, but Jeremiah gave him a very stern message from God.  It wasn’t a warning to him that he needed to change his ways or he would be in trouble.  It was a very curt statement of condemnation; “You will not live out the year because you have led the people in  rebellion against God.”  No religious leader wants to hear these words.  The act of the basis of deep personal conviction.  But Hananiah’s convictions were not based on faith in God.  When I hear a message from God it cuts deep.  When I hear a rebuke from God my stomach turns.  I wonder how Hananiah responded to what we know was truly a message from God?  Did his stomach turn?  Did he repent?  Did he keep on speaking the lies that he desperately wanted to see happen?  Did Hananiah broadcast to everyone what Jeremiah had spoken to him in private?  Did he mock God’s prophet or did he take it to heart and turn from his rebellion.  Other scriptures would indicate that since God did not commute the death sentence but carried it out two months later that Hananiah did NOT turn from his message.  That is the same fate I will face if I proclaim a message not from God and refuse to conform to God’s inspired message.

Stuart

Jeremiah 22-24

The words of Jeremiah in chapter 22 span a time of a dozen or so years. God's message of woe to Joahaz and Jehoiachin were surely delivered early in their 3 month reigns. Then after proclaiming nope hope for these three kings Jeremiah speaks of a king who is to come (23:5-6). At the end of verse 6 he even speaks the name of this coming king; Yahweh is our righteousness.  I wonder if there was hope that Zedekiah was that king. Zedekiah's name means "Yahweh is righteous". So Jeremiah's message could have been a refutation of that wicked kings rule. The chronicler summarized his reign with "he sinned against God and did not humble himself to Jeremiah's message." From our perspective in history we know that the one who fulfilled this title was Jesus of Nazareth; our reigning king.
Stuart

Isaiah 17

What happens to people who know God but live like they have forgotten him? Israel was in that position. We have the record of the events that unfolded in Samaria when God responded to their forgetfulness. Isaiah said that their riches would be lost. And their population decimated. That may not sound bad because of the time and distance that separate us from them but I believe to live through such great terror would be awful. But God still promised that a remnant would survive.
Stuart

Jeremiah 19-21

For a second time Jeremiah records is thoughts regarding the difficulty of his assignment.  The first complaint dialog between God and his prophet (in his writing though there is no way of know if it was the first complaint chronologically) is found in 15:10-21.  God calls Jeremiah back to his task, assuring him of God on-going grace, protection, and provision.  In 20:7-18 we find Jeremiah’s monologue about God’s mission.  Jeremiah describes the terrible burden he is carrying.  But his speech vacillates between complaints against God and praises of his wonderful nature.  The prophets final probing questions regarding his life’s purpose are left unanswered.  

It would be unwise to assume that these complaints are chronologically connected.  What precedes the complaint is Jeremiah’s interaction with the priest Pashhur son of Immer.  I would assume that a different man sought out the prophet after the record of his complaint, Pashhur son of Malchiah who served under Judah’s final king; Zedekiah. 

Jeremiah’s monologue reveals a life struggling to find purpose in God’s plan.  He feels betrayed by God at the same time he is passionate about God’s message to the people of covenant.  He seems justifiably paranoid about the grumbling of the people around him, while he recognizing the way God has continued to grant him life; even if it isn’t always painless.  Because he has been the recipient of so much injustice, Jeremiah so looks forward to seeing God’s plan judgment poured out that he lifts his voice in praise.

Stuart