Not Human

Numbers 23:19 says God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

I love this verse!

Humans lie, change their minds, speak and then forget what is spoken, promise and then go back on what was assured to happen.  It happens to all of us.  We mean well, but we fail again and again. 

I watched a Hallmark movie during the holidays about an aunt who constantly promised her little niece to come visit her, watch her at performances, etc. and she consistently failed and didn’t show.  This saddened her niece and upset their relationship.

God isn’t like humans.  He does not lie, nor does he change his mind.  What he speaks he does, and what he promises he fulfills.

He has spoken that he came to give us life and an abundant life, at that.

This new year that’s coming, read over the promises of God in his word for you and yours.  Believe them…and receive them.  They’re yours.

He never changes…even when we do…and when the world falls apart…he is always there holding us together.

In My Hand

It’s nearing the end of the year, and we will change our calendar to 2016.  Changes occurred last year, and I’m sure more changes are coming in the new year.  So let’s look at the word “change” in the bible as we move forward leaving one year behind, anticipating a new one that’s coming…

The first mention of God changing something is when Moses obeyed God’s commands and made all sorts of changes in order to move Pharoah towards letting God’s people go, out of slavery.

In Exodus 7, we read,

Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.  This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.  The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.

Moses was given a staff and he was given orders by God to take it and strike the water in the river, and then watch it change to blood.  In fact, that change caused the fish to die, the river to stink, and the water to no longer be drinkable.

This year, we have God with us, and he has given us things in our hands to carry, to lead our families.  Maybe it’s not a staff, but we have jobs, homes, talents, and treasures.  And maybe our families are in some sort of bondage, and we long to see our children set free.

God can take whatever is in our hands, when we offer it to him, to cause our enemies (fear, addiction, lust, etc.) to be affected by our obedience to him.  If he says to use what’s in our hand, and we obey, we will see changes that occur.

God changed the river into blood, in order to destroy the enemy of the people, by cutting off their source of life.

God will change our circumstances too, when we take what’s in our hand, offer it to him, and obey.

Mary's Song

Luke writes of Mary’s song after she receives the news that she will bear God’s son in birth, and what a fitting excerpt to read on this Christmas day…

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,  just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary received the most incredible, unbelievable, humbling news one could ever hear, and her response was one of true worship.  She exalts the Lord and rejoices at his favor upon her and gives all the glory to Him.  She recalls his mercy and his mighty deeds and his rule and his provision and how faithful he is.

This Christmas, listen for his voice.  And respond to it in worship.  He is the King. Born of a virgin.  Savior of the World.

Get Up...again

Matthew 2 cont’d:

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

Now that the threat of death has passed, an angel appears again to Joseph with instructions to get up and move once more. 

Joseph had learned to recognize God’s presence in his room while he was sleeping, and he had seen God’s protective guidance, so I’m thinking this time he was like – oh it’s you again – okay let’s go!

The threat was over.  The family could now return to the land of Israel, where the son of God could grow and fulfill his destiny on the earth.

I find it so interesting that each time the angel speaks, he starts out with, “Get up.”

As parents, and as protectors of our children, we cannot sleep so soundly, turn a deaf ear so that we do not hear, or dismiss His voice, when God speaks to us about our children.  It can mean certain life…or death…if we do not obey.

God speaks to all of us in different ways throughout the day.  I have a friend who dreams all the time, but I rarely do.  However, when I awake in the morning I often have thoughts that I know are from Him.  Others see him when watching the sun rise and set each day, and we all hear his voice when we read his word, which guides us into life.

However, if we don’t “get up” and move when we’ve been given instruction, that hearing and seeing and listening does no good for our family.

Get up.  Listen.  And obey.

What a Dad

Matthew 2 cont’d:

 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

Before Herod died, he saw and realized that the Magi did not obey his orders and that indeed had found the Messiah, but did not come back to him as he commanded.  He realized that these men directly disobeyed an order from the king, and this made him fighting mad.

He was so mad, in fact, that he ordered to kill all little boys under 2 years of age in Bethlehem, so that Jesus would be in that group and be destroyed as well.

However, because of Joseph’s obedience, Jesus had now been moved to Egypt, where he was safely tucked away from the king’s order.

There are times when our obedience, our timely “yes” to God’s directive, will be the very thing that saves our children from sure destruction.

It’s a high calling that we have to be parents, and it’s a sobering thought to realize that our kids’ safety sometimes requires our own obedience…but it does.

Even an order from an earthly king to destroy Joseph’s son for good was thwarted, because Joseph was warned and obeyed.

What a good Father we have, and what an excellent dad Joseph was…

During the Night

Matthew 2 cont’d:

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Joseph got up and obeyed immediately.  I think the words “Get up” had a sense of urgency with them, and Joseph knew he could not wait until morning, but he had to obey right them.

Sometimes God’s timing is now.  And it’s best if we obey now, and not later, after we’ve slept and rested.

Joseph got up and took his son and Mary during the night to journey to Egypt.  And he stayed there until the threat was gone…until that nasty king died.  And in obeying and listening to what he was told to do, he connected with a prophecy from long ago that said God’s son would come out of Egypt. 

There are times when our obedience is not only required, it’s required to be succinct with the timing in which we are told to obey.  Even if that obedience disturbs our sleep, requires us to move in darkness, and directs that we stay put until we receive further word.

God could have kept the king from finding the baby Jesus another way.  He could have destroyed the king, he perhaps could have moved the heavens and caused a tornado to sweep him away.  But instead, he asked his servant to listen and obey and move, until the threat was past.

God’s ways aren’t like ours.  But they always require listening and obedience, even in the darkness.

Get Up

Matthew 2 cont’d:

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

The Magi had just arrived and worshiped and brought gifts to the Savior.  And after they left, Joseph too was visited by the Lord in a dream.  He too was told that Herod indeed would be searching for his son in order to do him harm.

The angel instructed Joseph on what to do, to protect his son.  He was to awaken and move and escape and stay…until he received further instruction.

Even though Jesus came to earth to die, the time to die was not now.  He had lots of living to do, first.  He had disciples to call.  He had people to heal.  He had needs to meet.

There was a search on for the baby Jesus in order to kill him, but because his father listened to God in a dream, that never happened.  Joseph received orders to protect his son and the baby’s mother in a dream.

Can you imagine what would have happened had Joseph not been listening and had not obeyed the orders from the angel?

I shudder to think…

The Dream

Matthew 2 cont’d:

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Remember King Herod told the wise men to come back to him, after they found the baby Jesus?  The king had said that he too wanted to go worship him.

However, after having seen and worshiped at the manger, and after experiencing incredible joy when the star led them to the Light, the wise men then dreamed.

When we encounter His holy presence and worship at his feet, even our sleep will be full of dreams and visions of what and how we are to respond to life.

The wise men were warned not to return to the king.  The king had lied.  He did not want to worship Jesus at all.  He saw him as a threat and wanted him dead.

Therefore, the wise men went back home another way.

I love it that God visits us in our sleep and even directs our paths, so that when we awake, we journey to safety and not danger.

The Star

Matthew 2 cont’d:

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

They heard what the king said (to go and come back to him) but they went on their way, following the light.  Herod’s orders weren’t their directive.  The star was.

They followed the star and then it stopped.

They saw the child.

They saw the Savior.

They were overjoyed.

Why do you think God put a star in the sky to illuminate the way for these men?  I don’t know, but I do know that all of creation is beckoned by his voice to appear and that all of creation is under his rule.  And that brings me joy and comfort.

We are surrounded by his love and guidance.  And when he leads us, he will give light to our walk, and when he’s ready for us to stop and worship, he will indicate it and we will be full of joy.

Joy in following the light to the foot of the cradle where Jesus lay – that must have been an exciting day for those guys.

Let’s see what happened after that…

The Big Lie

Matthew 2 cont’d:

 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

The king had missed it.  He had been so busy being king he hadn’t noticed or heeded the star, but now that he heard about it, he was disturbed.  He was then threatened.  And he then responded out of his fear.

He called the guys back in, the ones that had seen the star, and he told them to go, to find him, and then to come back and tell him so that he too could worship.

What a bunch of crock!

He didn’t want to worship at all.  He wanted to destroy the child.

How do we know this?  He did all of this in secret, because he had a hidden agenda.

Already, Christ has barely made his appearance, and people are reacting in fear, because they don’t know or believe or receive who Jesus is – their Savior.

Joseph and Mary, and these Magi, were expecting and awaiting their Savior.  But Herod was dreading and hoping the promises weren’t true, because he was afraid his throne would be overturned.

Jesus brings that sort of reaction to us all.  We either see him as a threat to ruin our lives because he will “make” us do something we don’t want to do, or we see him as the loving Messiah who will seek us, come to live in us, and change us into his image, so that we can experience His presence and truly live.

Which response do you normally have?  I’ve had both.

But this Christmas I want to see the light and kneel to worship the Light of the World.

His Star

Matthew 2

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Now we fast forward through the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy to Jesus’ birth.

Men now appear on the scene, searching for the promised One that they have now heard has been born, come to earth, God’s Messiah among them.

They saw “his” star when it rose and they responded by seeking to worship Him.  They saw the light, in other words, and they walked toward it.

God has lots of promises for us in his Word, and when we believe them, long for them, and expect them, we will then see them appear as a light before our eyes, and we will follow and see them fulfilled.

But when we dismiss them, become bitter in our waiting, and give up hope, the star might just appear over our heads and we will miss it.  We will miss God’s timing and his light that will lead us to the fulfillment of those promises.

I want to see His star and I want to follow, and I want to kneel, amazed, in His presence.  And I want to believe.

The Awakening

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

I’m amazed at Joseph’s response.  I think I would have awakened, shaken myself, told Mary the dream, and responded, “What are we going to do with this?”

But Joseph didn’t spend his time analyzing the dream, arguing with God about the angel and what he was told, or questioning all of the things he was told to do.  He simply woke up and did what he was told.

Maybe that’s why God chose him to be the father of his Son. 

After all, obedience from us is what God loves and cherishes and…demands.

I love the picture here of Joseph’s obedience to God and then taking his wife to cover her and prepare for the promise coming to change their lives…

That’s a perfect picture of Christ and his marriage to us, the ones who are his bride.  He does what the Father tells him to do, he takes us as his bride, and he covers us and brings us into all that God has promised for our lives.

Wow…

Immanuel

Matthew 1 cont’d:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).

Joseph and Mary must have known all of the words and prophecies of the coming Messiah.  It had been told over and over again that a virgin would bear a son, and that son would be “God with us” because he would come to live among men.

But do you think they ever once thought they might be the parents?

I don’t think they ever thought that.  I think they loved God and longed for his promise to be fulfilled and they couldn’t wait for the hope of a Savior for the world, just like everyone else.  I don’t think they went to bed at night thinking, “God pick me!” “Let us be the parents!”

And this verse also reminds us that God’s promises are not limited to time, space, people, or protocol.  His promises are true and they happen, in the most unlikely circumstances, among the most unlikely people – us.

God with us.

I like that.

Just that sentence alone embodies all of the peace and comfort we need for today.

Amazing Words

Matthew 1 cont’d:

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

More amazing words from the angel God sent to Joseph when he was afraid and deciding what to do with the news that his wife was pregnant.

Now he not only learns that he is to go ahead with the marriage and not be afraid, but this child his wife-to-be is carrying is going to have a specific name Jesus – and he is going to save people from their sins.

What?

I can imagine the next few thoughts in Joseph’s mind:

Now what are people going to think? That I’ve gone mad?  The Savior of the World? Are you kidding me? This can’t be happening!

I think I might have fainted right on the spot.

But Joseph wasn’t proud, he wasn’t seeking affirmation and therefore became puffed up that he was going to be the Savior’s father, and he wasn’t combative with God and one who questioned God’s character.

He listened to the angel and he received the word into his spirit, knowing it was from God, and this enabled him to obey.

Joseph must have been some amazing guy.  I think I would have awakened and dismissed that dream as nonsense.

But he didn’t, and I’m so glad he didn’t.  And so amazed...

Because...

Matthew 1:19, 20

Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit…”

We see already what kind of man Joseph is – he is concerned about the welfare of his wife – and he doesn’t want her to suffer shame by the people’s reaction to her news.  He was afraid.  Just like any of us would be.  I can’t even imagine.

God knew this would be a hard circumstance and he sent an angel to calm Joseph’s fear and to direct him as to what to do.

He first spoke to Joseph and affirmed who he was (son of David) and then he spoke to his fear (do not be afraid) and then he directed him (take Mary home) and finally he said why – because this is from the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes our reaction to even a strong word from God is fear.  Because of our lack of understanding and due to what we think others will say about us, we start to make plans to cover ourselves.

However, God is faithful to confirm his word when he speaks it to us.

And he is faithful to bring us peace and direction, as we obey.

This is How

December 12

I want to read the Christmas story again this year, asking for new insight on the particulars of the story.  Join me as we go from now through the end of the year…

Matthew’s account, starting chapter 1, verse 18:

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

There are so many questions I have just from this first sentence!  Why was Mary chosen?  What was so special about her, or was it a random choice by God?  And why Joseph?  Was he qualified to be the best father available on earth?

And God must have known the scandal they would be thrown into, when Mary found herself to be pregnant.  He knew from the get-go there would be gossip about his son’s parents.

Isn’t that interesting that before God’s son was even born, his parents were the topic of conversation around town.  He knew it would be difficult for them.  He also knew Joseph was a man of love and compassion, and we can see this in how he handled Mary’s news that she shared with him.  And Mary was humble and sweet of spirit.

God isn’t looking for anything that stands out in our resume list to use us to bring his light to the world.  In fact, how well we love and respond to Him, and to others, is what he loves. 

I am thrilled with the first sentence introducing us to the Messiah is one of God’s love for us, shown by very way he sent his son to us, to be born of a virgin espoused to a loving man.

I’m feeling very loved…are you?

Banished...

The end of Genesis 3:

The beginning of the end:

 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”  So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. 

Man ruined the bliss of the garden, the innocence and purity of obedience of their Maker, and the beauty and wonder of His hand.  Instead, man used his hand to raise it against God, and therefore God sent him out – away to work – and kept him from his presence.

God is holy.  It’s who he is.  He’s not mean.  He is good.

From the moment Adam and Eve sinned, the path to redemption was laid.  And that path is not one we can travel by good works or sewing together fig leaves.  It’s a path that Jesus had to take from heaven, to lay down his life for us all, so that we can be restored to the garden of bliss.

And it’s not because God is mean.  It’s because God is holy, and therefore we must be holy to be in his presence.  Only we can’t, so Jesus did, so that we then can.

What a powerful beginning of The Book – where we read of creation and were in awe and wonder at the power of God.  Then we read of the first sin and the first fall, and fell in love with the amazing love of God.