Praise in the Midst of Pain

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23

It is truly a hard matter to muster the will to praise God when we are mired in pain. The emotional and spiritual agonies of this world can tempt us to surrender joy. To surrender hope. To surrender trust in the Lord's sovereign rule. The stark reality is that God has never failed to uphold His Word, which ensures us that He will see us through hardships and not abandon us, no matter the outcome. And yet somehow that reality escapes us when we find ourselves engulfed in sorrow. The biblical book of Lamentations has much to teach us in this regard. This Scriptural account was penned after the kingdom of Babylon had overrun Jerusalem, which meant that many of the people of Judah were either killed, displaced, or forced to remain in a territory now under foreign rule. Tradition has it that Lamentations was likely authored by the prophet Jeremiah.

The overarching tone of Lamentations is replete with regret, sadness, and a state of shell-shockness. The writer recognized that Jerusalem's fall, and that of God's people in general, was brought about by disobedience. But the writer struggled to grasp how God could allow King Nebuchadnezzar to tear apart the holy city, the jewel of Judah's territorial crown, so-to-speak. Therefore, the words of Lamentations are bathed in raw emotion, and evoke sentiments of fresh, deep despair. It is an account that acknowledges wrongdoing and its subsequent punishment, but it also relays the human challenge of coping with pain. Although the first few chapters of Lamentations outline Judah's faults, as well as the fierce response of God's righteous anger, chapter 3 comes along and communicates immense confidence in God's leadership. In fact, Lamentations 3:23 speaks of God's unwavering love. Bear in mind, this statement was proclaimed at a time when destitution was impacting the remaining families in Jerusalem. The capital of Judah's land resembled nothing like it once did under David and Solomon's reigns. Jerusalem was now battered, barren, and broken.    

The writer's ability to convey solace in the Lord despite horrible conditions in the community, better yet the nation, revealed the writer's submission to God's governance and glory. He understood that the Lord's plan and purpose are superior to man's. God will always do what is right and best. And the author of Lamentations exercised the faith to believe it, even in the dark days of tragedy and turmoil. God works in incredible ways, and His ways are mighty, mysterious, and magnificent. Though heartache is difficult we can find the tremendous benefit of maintaining assurance and conviction. We fail the Lord, but He does not fail us. So let us take in this knowledge and rejoice in God like never before. 

When I was college I was required to take a freshman orientation class. The course proved to be very beneficial. But one of the lasting experiences of that class was an opportunity to spend a morning overcoming outdoor obstacles. The thrust of the endeavor was to teach the students about teamwork and to develop, or foster, friendships through trust. One of the events included climbing a telephone pole and then walking across a plank some thirty feet in the air. From the ground the telephone pole did not look that high. But the moment I ascended to its peak it gave me a completely different perspective. All the preconceived strength I had disappeared in an instant. Fear swept over me and I froze. I became unsure as to whether or not I could even take the first step onto the plank, which led to a zip line. Seconds seemed like hours. My heart rate accelerated, and it reverberated in my head. Even though I had a safety wire harnessed to my back, the thought of falling was utterly terrifying.

Finally, one of my classmates from below cheered me on, telling me I could do it. Soon other students started to encourage me. The external support gave me the motivation and willpower I lacked. I took my first step, and then another, and then another. Not long after, I was racing down the zip line having the time of my life. In a way, that experience embodies life itself, at least for Christians. We, as believers, will find ourselves travailing treacherous paths. We will get mired in undesirable situations. Like the author of Lamentations we will someday stare at the remnants of a battered, barren, broken dream. We will grieve. We will weep. But there is support in God. There is exhortation in God. And there is company in God. Whether in a valley or on a mountaintop the Lord will not leave us. He will not forsake us. Great, great is His faithfulness. So let us praise even in the midst of pain for our Lord lives. Our Lord loves. And our Lord tarries with us through each and every affliction.  




  

Watching and Warning the World

"Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? The LORD said, 'It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their fathers taught them.'"
Jeremiah 9:12-14

The past few weeks have provided some intriguing considerations and conversations, mainly because America was, by and large, obsessed with the highly ineffective, mean-spirited political discourse that took place in Washington D.C. in relation to the federal budgetary process. Polls and media stories centered on which political party, or representatives, should bear the brunt of the blame. Accusations were made, insinuating that various political factions were attempting to hamper the negotiations because of either a misplaced sense of civic duty or a misguided frame of mind. Horrendous labels and references were employed to make the political opponents look worse in the eyes of the public. I myself became consumed with the daily developments for a time. And I too became emotionally swept up in the political drama, attempting to mentally justify my perceived determination of culpability for the governmental dysfunction. 

But the real crux of the matter is that the issues that plague America, and the issues that plague other nations as well, are not really political in nature. The national state of impairment and gridlock are symptoms of the underlying problem, which is spiritual in nature. And this truth is apparent in so many sections of Scripture, particularly Jeremiah 9. In this passage God explained why Israel (and Judah) would eventually be overrun and overcome by foreign powers. Why Israel (and Judah) would see a large portion of its population exiled to distant lands. Any why Israel (and Judah) would momentarily be stripped of its prosperity and peace. So why did it occur? Because it was the collective punishment for the personal accumulation of disobedient lives. Israel and Judah had become a people consumed with idolatry, wealth, sexual promiscuity, and alliances with pagan powers. None of this revealed a devotion to remain true to God, or rely on Him for wisdom, blessing, or protection.   

Clearly, there is a spiritual boomerang effect portrayed in Jeremiah 9, specifically verses 12-16. In other words, if we, as the cherished creation of God, expel immorality and wickedness we should not expect to receive reward or favor, but rather disarray and misrule. If we dispel carnality we will be sure to take in chaos. This same vein of thought is reflected in Paul's epistle to the Galatians, a principle sometimes referred to as the law of the harvest. In Galatians 6:7, the apostle wrote, "A man reaps what he sows." A person cannot plant tomato seeds and presume that it will yield something wholly different, like cucumbers or carrots. Likewise, if mankind spiritually plants depravity we cannot assume it will produce delight and purity. And this knowledge, though easy to cognitively acknowledge, is difficult to accept for it forces humanity to realize that our attitudes and actions have consequences. 

In Jeremiah 9:13-16 God points out that His covenantal followers refused to wholeheartedly commit themselves to His Word and ways. Instead, they embraced the worship of false gods and erroneously forged ideals. They chose the misleading desires of their heart and paid a steep, steep price. This episode confirms that God demands loyalty and will settle for nothing less. So why is this relevant to America, or the world? Because America, like other countries, is building and strengthening a government that enforces depravity, and believers of God cannot presume that a nation that advocates despicable behavior will ever enjoy God's blessing. The modern day examples where the sum total of a commonwealth's belief system has been corrupted utterly abound. For instance, abortion, the murderous prevention of a baby's birth, is recast as a woman's right to choose, which omits the gory, grisly details of its underlying brutality. Pornography, the vile rendering of the nude human form, is often made readily available across the Internet and on television programming, and its accessibility is so routine that society says little-to-nothing about its harmfulness and unscrupulousness. Debt, the dangerous enterprise of committing oneself to accepting more expenditures than a corresponding income can cover, is performed at the individual and corporate level without fear or negative outcome or concern. 

All this to say, there is a lot of topsy-turviness occurring at the national stage, not just in America but across the globe. And the impactful lesson Jeremiah 9, along with other biblical passages, would teach us is that a nation that sows nefarious, offensive conduct will not experience a wellspring of God's blessing-filled hand. Christians must be the watchmen and women. We must observe the destructive road our fellow citizens are embarking upon and warn them. We must recognize danger and sound the alarm. We must be willing to take up a mantle of responsibility and help change the world for the better. We must call out, in love and compassion, unwholesome habits of people and principalities. We must voice the Word and will of God.

As the older chorus "Knocking on the Door of Heaven", written by Matt Redman and Steve Cantellow, states:

"We will give ourselves no rest 'til Your kingdom comes on earth. We've positioned watchmen on the walls. Now our prayers will flow like tears for You've shared Your heart with us. God of heaven on our knees we fall.

Come down in power, reveal Your heart again. Come hear our cries, the tears that plead for rain.

We're knocking, knocking on the door of heaven. We're crying, crying for this generation. We're praying for Your name to be known in all of the earth. We're watching, watching on the walls to see You. We're looking, looking for a time of breakthrough. We're praying for Your Word to bear fruit in all of the earth. All of the earth."

The real strength of any nation, America or otherwise, is not in the size or scope of its government. Rather, it is measured by the spirituality and sacrificial character of its people. And the real effective form of governance outlined in Scripture teaches us that a community led by the doctrine of God functions much better than a community led by the decisions of godless men. According to Jeremiah 9, the people of Israel (and Judah) were doomed because they had forsaken God. Forsaken reverence of the Lord. Forsaken the desire to cherish and honor His Word. There is a cause-and-effect relationship to our decisions, both individually and corporately. And we would do well to ensure that our hearts are fixated on the will of God.  

Father, my heart aches for America. We, by and large, have chosen to turn to the reign of man for direction, rather than You. We have internally replaced "In God we trust," with "In government we trust". We have allowed the slaughter of defenseless babies to become commonplace. We have legally and culturally prevented the freedom to exercise God-based faith in schools and numerous other public forums. We have become a people consumed with wealth, status, blame, and borrowing. We ignore the underlying plague of personal sin, but attempt to ratify its symptoms with costly civic programs and institutions. In short, we have entrenched ourselves in the belief that government can, or should be, the source of satisfaction and prosperity. God, break us. Intervene and help us return to a recognition that You are the eternal King. And You are the true source of knowledge, truth, and wisdom. In short, may the people of this nation rekindle a passion to live for You. To know You. To serve You. To honor You. To allow You to reign over us. To restore balance in our homes, in our schools, in our workplaces, and in our leaders. Father, may our hearts be receptive to Your Word, will, and ways. For Your glory God, not ours. Amen.

Pursuing a Pure Passion for God

"You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
Mark 7:8a

If you have followed this blog for any length of time then you know that thus far it has worked through the Bible in a chronological fashion. Even though this weekly effort has been in place since April 2012 I have yet to make it past the Old Testament. Frankly, there is so much fascinating and relevant content that the need to trod through the rich inspiration in Scripture requires a steady, patient pace. But the exception to the chronological review pattern occurred four months ago when my wife and I welcomed the birth of our third child: Elizabeth (Ellie) Grace Orr. I was so moved by the stirrings of that event that I momentarily departed from the sequential biblical posts. I mention this because I am moved to temporarily deviate again. And the reason this is the case is because of the convergence of two events.

Event #1: Less than a week ago I read Mark 7 as part of my morning quiet time. It is an account that is pretty familiar to many Christians. Some Pharisees, law-quoting and law-toting religious leaders, and teachers of the Hebrew canons attempted to portray Jesus as a spiritual lawbreaker because He did not chastise the apostles for eating meals with unclean hands. Bear in mind, this tradition of washing hands before eating was not a God-mandated ordinance; it was an ordinance instituted by Hebrew elders. Christ blasted the hypocrisy of the religious establishment because there were numerous examples of where the spiritual leaders had willfully chosen to ignore the very basic tenets and instruction as outlined in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. Jesus would go on to state that what goes into a person's body is not what makes him or her unclean, but rather what comes from within that makes him or her unclean. In other words, the human heart is the real source and indicator of wickedness and carnality, not the breaking of self-imposed societal standards.   

Event #2: A few days ago my wife asked me to help console our newborn daughter. It was getting close to Ellie's bedtime, but not so close that we could lay Ellie in her crib for the night. My wife had done her fair share of cuddling and cooing with Ellie so it was my turn to see what I could do to keep her entertained for a little while. On a whim, I decided to pull my guitar out of its case and perform some worship songs for Ellie. I placed her in a bouncer seat so that she could be close to me, but the moment I put her in the bouncer seat she started to fuss. Determined to see this through, I started to strum the guitar and sing the chorus "Just As I Am" by Travis Cottrell. Within seconds, whines turned to smiles. Ellie's tiny feet kicked in delight as the anthem continued. I was amazed. In all, I went though some thirty minutes of God-centric praise songs. And Ellie was riveted for the duration of the "concert".

It may seem odd to pair these two events together. After all, one is negative and one is positive. But I have coupled these two events together because there is a temptation to reduce Christianity, faith and fellowship for kingdom work, to external measures, or benchmarks. In all honesty, it is hard to achieve a spiritual purity through dedicated activity. What do I mean? Let me put it this way, believers know how to "look the part". We can speak the religious words. We can attend the ceremonial church functions. We can associate with the godly crowd. But if our heart is not wholly committed to honoring the Lord, or holding tightly to His commandments with tender, pure motivation then we are missing the impact, the power, of fellowship with God. Holiness is from the inside-out, not vice versa. The external activity we engage in can have false motives. But if we truly surrender our allegiance, our belief, to God's sovereign control then we will find a pureness in our endeavors. In our thoughts. In our conduct. In our disposition. 

So how does this line of thinking pertain to my experience with Ellie a few days ago? I was obviously elated and encouraged with her response to the worship music. So-much-so that I started to mentally give myself kudos for not only finding a way to emotionally soothe her, but introduce gospel messages to her through music. But as I began to stay in that state of self-appreciation it was as if the Holy Spirit kicked out the pedestal I was internally standing on. I recalled the passage in Mark 7 and realized that if I wanted to be a spiritually effective father, husband, believer then I have to be willing to give more than superficial service. For example, if I sing worship songs with the children in the car, but then let out profane words the instant I sense another driver on the road is being reckless what kind of example am I being for the kids? Or if I tell my family the recent Sunday morning service was very impactful, and then immediately turn around and spew anger and malice over some insignificant event what kind of leader am I being for my family?

Spiritual duplicity is not something God wants in the lives of His believers. Having an inspirational message with an intolerant mind does not honor God. Having a splendid word with a stingy wallet does not honor God. Having a loving essence with a lazy  ethic does not honor God. Simply put, looking the part is not good enough. We should desire serving the Lord's great purpose with a pure passion. And as I think about the kind of man I want to be for my family, for my church, and for this this world, I want to be one who lives to serve God from the inside-out. 
   

     

Principled Purpose

"Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: 'Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank and praise You, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, You have made known to me what we asked of You, You have made known to us the dream of the king."
Daniel 1:19b-23

It is not easy to become, and stay, principled in our daily endeavors. It is not easy to walk the straight and narrow in a world that is replete with crooked paths. It is not easy to establish divine pursuits when unholy internal, and external, spheres of influence seek to draw us towards selfish, and sinful, desires. Sadly, God's believers often tend to settle for a character, or lifestyle, that is less than ideal. We excuse this sub-par spiritual behavior with weak justifications, hoping that somehow the ruse will ease our conscience. But a principled purpose should continually be at the forefront of our heart, as evidenced in the life of Daniel.   

There are several individuals in Scripture who exemplified a spirit of unyielding perseverance and dedication to God. Individuals who held firm to their faith, especially when enemies aligned against them and sought to impugn, besmirch, or ultimately destroy them. Joseph, Elisha, and Daniel come to mind. Of course, Joseph, Elisha, and Daniel paled in comparison to Jesus Christ, Who personified absolute moral and spiritual perfection during His ministry on earth. None-the-less, Joseph, Elisha, and Daniel were devoted followers of the Lord who grasped a fundamental truth: allegiance to God entails a principled purpose, and that purpose is to bring glory to the Lord in everything.

A God-centric principled purpose is difficult for the flesh to grapple with for it necessitates a willingness to allow the Lord's corrective word and righteous discipline to be absorbed in one's life. There is no denying God's ability to penetrate the ears and rattle the souls of humanity. But what we choose to do after the Lord's message thunders in our inner core will determine the effectiveness we have for God's kingdom work. And so we enter the book of Daniel with this underlying tenet: the Lord is glorified in us when we are wholly committed to Him.

Daniel is an intriguing character study. He was exiled from Judah to Babylon in his youth. Shortly thereafter, he was conscripted to serve in the Babylonian government, which included a rigorous three year training program focused on learning the language, culture, and history of the Babylonians. Daniel 1:17 indicates that God's supernatural hand was on Daniel, and three of his Jewish brethren (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah). The Lord provided Daniel a keen mind, which quickly absorbed the influx of information presented to him. Furthermore, God granted Daniel the ability to understand dreams and visions, as well as their application.

Although Daniel was clearly blessed his role as a servant of a foreign regime was a stinging reminder that Judah had, on the whole, forsaken God. But rather than wallow in "could have beens" or "should have beens" Daniel accepted his fate as an exile and did not let his indentured servitude negatively affect his appreciation of the Lord, or the administration of his God-ordained fortunes. Daniel labored diligently, and he lived devoutly. Daniel portrayed a spiritual resoluteness, a steadfastness that was not beholden to compromise or corruption. And this was amplified in the crisis outlined in Daniel 2. One night, King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream. And he was so terrified by the dream that he demanded the meaning of it be offered to him by his counselors. But the royal leader placed a truly difficult stipulation on the request. He asked the kingdom's wise men to recount the substance and significance of the dream without providing any of its inherent details. Apparently King Nebuchadnezzar wanted some level of assurance that the feedback and interpretation was from a higher power. For if the king relayed the content of the dream then his academically-trained and articulate advisers might be able to produce a plausible explanation, an explanation that would likely have sounded good but not been right. That wasn’t satisfactory to King Nebuchadnezzar because he wanted absolute certainty that the  importance of the vexing dream could be revealed. 

The wise men of Babylon went into a state of panic because they believed King Nebuchadnezzar's request was impossible. But there was at least one man who believed otherwise: Daniel. Daniel enlisted the help of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and together they prayed fervently for God's aid. This act alone highlights three critical aspects of Daniel's principled purpose: passion, patience, and petition. One, Daniel's passion for God's instruction and intervention was so strong that his first impulse was to channel the adversity directly to the throne of God. Daniel was dedicated to the Lord, and his immediate, continual response to both hope and hardship was to take it all to God. Two, Daniel exercised patience in choosing to rally godly men around him and wait for guidance from the Lord. In his flesh, Daniel could have pursued an exit strategy of some sort. But he stood his ground and relied on God to make His will and word known. Three, Daniel exhibited a desire to petition God, and God alone. Later passages in the book of Daniel affirm that prayer was a daily spiritual discipline in Daniel's life (reference Daniel 6:10). Daniel understood the real, necessary benefit of seeking God's counsel through prayer and petition.

Principled purpose was the framework that formed and shaped Daniel's activity. And his disposition was forged by his trust in God's might and majesty. He knew that he had a great ally and authority in the Lord, and thus Daniel was convicted to surrender allegiance to the Maker of heaven and earth. Living with principled purpose is not without challenges or complication. The compulsion of the human soul is bent towards mischief and malice. Even in the conduct of the followers of God a duplicity can exist, a duplicity that allows a righteous spirit (the Holy Spirit) to reside in an unrighteous host (mankind). In that vein of thought, I have been burdened for someone who works in my office. This individual emits some rather undesirable traits, including: a practically non-existent work ethic, vile speech, unprofessional behavior, and a willingness to lie, or mislead, to prop up a false image in front of supervision. And the prevailing reason why I feel burdened for this individual is because the person privately professes to be a devout Christian, and regularly attends a weekly church fellowship. The individual has referenced Scripture in personal conversations, and can fluently talk through the beliefs and precepts of Christianity. 

But where is the evidence of a principled purpose in my coworker's life, other than regularly going to church with family? Where is the eagerness to engage in industrious labor? Where is the above-reproach behavior? Where is the honorable tongue? Where is the motivation to glorify God in every aspect of life? But even as I write this I am convicted to admit that I am certainly not without fault. I rarely honor the Lord as well as I should. Both at work and at home, I strain to avoid acting in ungodly fashion. But this passage in Daniel compels to give more than a halfhearted effort. In fact, it compels me to dig deep into Scripture. To drop to my knees in prayer. And to determine to live a life that is characterized by a principled purpose. In short, to live a life like Daniel's.