Hope for Today; Hope for Tomorrow

“But for you who respect My name, the sun of vindication will rise with healing wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall.”
-Malachi 3:2

I write this entry with a burdened heart. Recently, I was contacted by a friend who informed me that his wife had suddenly passed away the previous weekend. The details in which the young woman’s life ended were truly saddening. There is no benefit in elaborating further into the particulars of this massive tragedy, but sufficed to say the death was unforeseen and unexpected. As I talked to my friend I tried to offer some measure of comfort to him, but what words can ever satisfy in the aftermath of an episode like this? After our phone conversation ended, I was overcome with grief. I called my wife, who was away from home at the time, and began crying uncontrollably. My words were fragmented. I could not utter complete phrases due to the deluge of sorrow. My wife, who knew the deceased young lady too, began weeping too. Neither one of could process the circumstances and the outcome. Our families periodically fellowshipped with one another via dates and concerts. At one point, we even attended the same church. In other words, we had relational history with each other. What happened that would necessitate the sad state that ultimately transpired?

I have seen my share of death, having lost a few extended family members throughout my youth. But those deaths, for the most part, were attributed to the end result of the aging process. Difficult as they were to absorb they seemed to be explainable as there is a given, inherent life expectancy. But the death of this thirty year old woman, a friend, was hard to accept. So many thoughts initially rushed through my mind. What will the upcoming funeral service be like? How will my widowed friend raise three young children now? How will the immediate family heal, and stay united for years to come? 

Clearly, the scope of genuine pain and burden encompasses more people than we can ever comprehend. Hardship has a tendency to cast a large net. But God’s strength is greater than our weaknesses and His love is more powerful than our misery. The Lord is amply able to mend broken hearts and restore shattered lives. And this regenerative ability of God is readily apparent in the book of Malachi. Passage after passage in the Old Testament highlights that the Lord took exception with the rebellious behavior of the Israelites, and God’s followers in general. And Malachi is one such biblical narrative that rightly calls out superficial obedience. In Malachi 1:6 – 2:9, God levied a rebuke on the Jewish religious leaders for their role in desecrating worship. In Malachi 2:10 – 4:6, God levied a rebuke on the community of faith for allowing a fake devotion to the Lord to become so commonplace.

But within the scathing reprimands in Malachi are spiritual banners of hope. And one such spiritual banner of hope is found in Malachi 3:2. God said that if His name is respected, which implies a consecrated effort to yield unwavering allegiance, it will usher in a state of spiritual peace. In fact, the Lord likened having a dedicated trust in Him to calves being set free from confined, limited spaces in stalls. In other words, the corresponding liberation and joy that believers can experience in God is incredibly encouraging and reassuring. It can motivate us to praise through the pain. It can help us rely on faith more than our feelings. It can renew us, even when every physical and emotional fiber of our being is on the cusp of breaking down. 

The message in Malachi 3:2 is just as applicable to the modern-day culture as it was at the time Malachi was penned. This generation, like the ancient world, faces fierce challenges every day, including the sudden and swift loss of loved ones. But as great as the daily challenges are there is still a prevailing hope that remains: God. Everything about Him. His love. His affection. His comfort. His nearness. His Word. His aid. His discipline. His redemption. All of it tarries on regardless of the passing of time, treasure, family, and friends. Only God endures. Therefore, let us continue to revere and respect the name that is above all other names for it reflects the only One Who can offer real, lasting hope for today, as well as tomorrow.  

Empty Praise

“‘Yet even now,’ the Lord says, ‘return to me with all your heart – with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!’”
Joel 2:12

A theme that resounds throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament is the propensity of man to practice shallow, or hollow, worship. And sadly this issue is just as relevant today in the modern-day church. The simple truth is that Christians are called and commissioned by God to live a set-apart lifestyle. We are to forego the old ways, categorized by selfish pursuits and carnal beliefs, in order to embrace a new mindset, which is fundamentally transformed by the message and mission of Jesus Christ. And within this spiritual metamorphosis is the expectation that believers will daily strive to exhibit honorable traits, and engage a noble purpose. But how many of us really actively strive for this standard? 

In my life there often exists a dichotomy. Like the apostle Paul, I struggle to let the Holy Spirit reign and direct me in His glorious will. When I choose to ignore divine direction I stumble and walk into a pitfall of horrendous decisions. A string of folly ensues. There tends to be an interconnected nature to unwise, unspiritual choices. Anger, jealousy, malice, and greed are but a few of the attributes that become amplified and overwhelm me when I reject the Holy Spirit in favor of my fleshly tendencies. This, in part, plays into the vicious cycle of empty praise and shallow worship.

The book of Joel has a thing or two to teach us about the fallacy of hollow adoration. This short biblical book is yet another stern reminder that the Lord does not tolerate apathetic, lifeless praise. God wants our full allegiance, and He wants us to relinquish the desire to exercise a divided heart. And throughout the lecture-style exposition of Joel we find that God is serious about His creation, and cherishes us with an intense, unyielding love. But implanted within the text of Joel is a very powerful, humbling verse: Joel 2:12. In this verse God calls attention to the fact that many within the ancient community of faith were quick to fast and weep, but slow to let the underlying motivation be generated through intrinsic contriteness and sincerity. People tore their clothes in public displays of sadness, seeking God’s blessing, but many were not willing to let their hearts be guided and molded by the Almighty Lord.

External conformance to religious or cultural customs in and of itself does not please God. In fact, Jesus rebuked many religious leaders for falsely believing that outward acts alone signify one’s loyalty to the Lord. To adequately serve God is to surrender everything. Heart and hand. Mind and mouth. Attitude and activity. And this can, and should, be an inward incentive, not a superficial intention. To this end, I recall a candid illustration of empty praise. Many years ago, a member in our church, at the time, had become good friends with me and my wife. He stopped us one Sunday in a hallway before the morning worship service. Firmly in his grasp was a very delicious-looking cake, neatly adorned with vanilla icing. My wife and I inquired as to what the dessert was for, and the friend responded that it was a teaching tool for children’s church. Noticing our inquisitive look, the man then proceeded to tell us that the cake was actually filled with broken eggs shells and dispersed yoke. The lesson that day for the children was about genuine worship, and how the Pharisees in the Gospel accounts were guilty of yielding hollow worship. The cake was a great visual display of the principle that what looks good on the outside does not always indicate what is good on the inside.     

That application of that cake has stayed with me for quite awhile. And it often causes me to self-evaluate my motives. Through Scripture it is apparent that God has set a high bar for His believers. And the divine instruction beckons followers of God to find the righteous life as the desirable life, which means repelling the acceptance of empty praise. If we declare with our lips amongst fellow believers that we revere God, but in the privacy of our homes or cars succumb to foul speech and profane thought is that genuine worship? If we wear Christian-themed apparel out in public, but in the company of coworkers in the office setting refuse to provide evidence of our earnest affiliation with the Lord is that genuine worship? If we hold a stellar church attendance record, but do not correlate a devotion to God inside the home and in the community, where faith is most needed, is that genuine worship? May Joel 2:12 continually remind us that genuine worship originates in the heart, and no where else.  

The Mercy and Movement of God

"Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother..."
Esther 2:7a

The biblical account of Esther is stirring on many levels for it overflows with God's mercy and movement. The story candidly reveals that humanity is not without the Lord's affection, nor are we ever apart from His divine aid and authority. God's command over earthly affairs is undeniable. He masterfully orchestrates events and people to accomplish His glorious will. In Esther, the Lord's will was for the Jewish people in Susa and abroad to circumvent a pending onslaught. And to confirm that nothing is impossible for Him God key's agent to carry out this incredible plan was the most powerful, and thereby the most unapproachable, leader in the world at the time: King Xerxes. 

The overarching theme of Esther reveals God's ability to utilize seemingly insignificant and unrelated events together in harmonious fashion. A eunuch's liking of Esther yielded a comfortable stay in the palace, as well as invaluable insight into Xerxes' preferences, which was pivotal in Xerxes' choosing of Esther to become queen. Mordecai's promotion as a palace official, and his reporting of an assassination plot against the king, proved to be instrumental in earning favor with Xerxes. And the king's incapacity to find sleep the night before Haman intended to kill Mordecai affirms God's wisdom, power, and incomparable skill in drawing circumstances together to accomplish His ultimate desire. 

The narrative in Esther provides so many fascinating considerations regarding its prime characters. Persia's king, Xerses, was a prideful man. He was prone to fits of irrational anger, deception, racism, and wholly unwise counsel. But in the end, he perceived the unseen, but very undeniably real, hand of God at work. Esther, otherwise known as Hadassah, was an adopted child who went from obscurity to royalty. Her willingness to risk her fate to save Jewish people was noble, brave, and epic. Mordecai, a God-fearing man, was shown to be a man of integrity, faith, and courage. And his devotion to upholding loyalty and allegiance to God, despite pressure to abandon Hebrew traditions in a pagan land, was truly courageous. 

And it is Mordecai who I want to consider in greater detail. Esther 2:7 states that Mordecai took Esther into his own home, and welcomed her as if she were his child after the death of Esther's parents. I find this to be highly exceptional, and speaks to Mordecai's sensitivity's to Esther's loss, as well as his innate sense of compassion. Furthermore, Mordecai's adopting of Esther was not for personal gain, nor was it generated by an ulterior motive. It was rooted in love. Mordecai was willing to absorb additional emotional and financial responsibilities in order to ensure that Esther, his cousin, would be raised in a setting where she was adequately cared for, and made aware of God's power and presence. And little could he know that when he opened the doors of his house to Esther how crucial this act of kindness would be for the betterment and preservation of the Hebrew people.

How many opportunities do we have every day to to extend goodness and love to others around us? And how many times do we let those opportunities pass right by us without opting to engage the heart and character of God? Very little is written about Mordecai in Scripture, but what information is provided validates that Mordecai was not only attune to the mercy and movement of the Lord, but he was eager to channel it in the community. I have mentioned in previous blog postings that an open heart leads to an obedient heart. Perhaps we could add that an obedient heart, in turn, helps foster open hands, and, when needed, an open home.   

The Hardness of Man; The Holiness of God

"Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?" 
-Ezekiel 34:2b


"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
-Ezekiel 36:26

The account of Ezekiel is an exhaustive, complex study. After all, this biblical chronicle is filled with unorthodox displays and acts, displays and acts that were instituted to jolt the covenantal people of Israel out of a state of spiritual apathy. The record of Ezekiel contains many sad examples of Hebrew rebellion, idolatry, and false prophecies. And many within the covenantal community did not accept responsibility for their wrongdoing. By and large, the people of Israel refused to admit that they had engaged in deplorable behavior. Humanity often tries to deflect blame and avoid accountability. And through Ezekiel's divine proclamations the Lord laid to rest the notion that His holy justice was not warranted or needed. And even though the reckonings of God may not always make sense, within every movement of the Lord is a divine purpose and reason.

Powerfully embedded within the rich text of Ezekiel is a contrasting theme: the hardness of man and the holiness of God. Ezekiel 34:2 provides us one example of the callous nature of humanity. In the latter half of Ezekiel 34:2 God declared that the shepherds of Israel had refused to care for their flocks. The usage of the term shepherd reflected many roles of great influence within the Jewish nation at the time, such as priests, prophets, and princes. And God candidly called attention to the fact that the shepherds of people had neglected the needs of the people. Instead, the societal elite had chosen to use their positions for expansion of personal profit and expansion of personal power. 

But not too long after God rightly pointed out the despicable lack of mercy or compassion flowing from Israel's leaders the Lord revealed the nature of His benevolence. In Ezekiel 36:27 God stated that he would take the national heart of stone and transform into a heart of flesh. Matthew Henry once wrote, in effect, that the changing from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh denoted a disposition metamorphosis. Stone is rigid and is therefore not malleable. It cannot receive an imprint from an external source. But flesh is sensitive to outside forces. It is tender and soft. It is receptive to impressions and injection from without. The working of God to reform and revive dead hearts is undeserved. Just as the return of the Israelites from exile to Jerusalem was without human merit so too God's supernatural refashioning of the heart is not due to even the best of human efforts. No amount of good we could accomplish could ever eradicate all the bad we have done. But God's grace lovingly flows from His heavenly throne and because of this hearts of stone can become hearts of flesh.     

I can’t help but correlate this vein of thought with a passage I recently read in Acts. Per Acts 3 a crippled man was daily carried into the temple grounds in Jerusalem. Handicapped from birth, and now over forty years old, the debilitated individual was continually brought into the Jewish worship complex where he begged for money, supplies, and overall assistance from people on their way to and from Hebrew praise observances. In this we learn that the crippled man was wholly reliant on the generosity of others within the covenantal community to sustain his life. He had likely known despair and destitution for a long time. But one day the apostles Peter and John journeyed to the temple for a prayer service. As Peter and John approached the temple gate the handicapped beggar called out to them, seeking a monetary handout. Scripture states that Peter stopped and asked the handicapped beggar to look at him. The crippled man then locked eyes on Peter, fully expecting to receive silver or gold. In other words, he sought something material to help make it through another day. But Peter declared that he did not have silver or gold to give. Instead, he was prepared and ready to offer a miraculous blessing. In the power of the name of Jesus Christ, Peter told the crippled beggar to stand up and walk. 

And here is where a point of divine intersection occurs. The handicapped man, who had only known a heart of stone was given an opportunity to know a heart of flesh, and a life of faith. When Peter stretched out his hand to help the crippled individual to his feet he essentially invited the beggar to become spiritually revived and refreshed. The courage it took for the man to accept Peter’s hand and help was immense. It required deep trust to believe that Peter’s offer was no cruel prank or joke. It required deep trust to believe that Peter had been granted supernatural authority and ability. And the Bible seems to indicate that it was only upon extending his hand in faith that the crippled man became crippled no more (Acts 3:7). Believe then receive, not the other way around. 

The beggar in Acts 3 had to break away from over forty years of discouragement and despair. He had to break away from forty years of shame, embarrassment, and ridicule. He had to break away from forty years of debilitating thoughts, thoughts that had likely consumed and plagued him relentlessly. He had to break away from his former life, and embrace life anew in Christ. He had to lead, not with his feet, but with his heart. And as a result, a heart of stone was transformed into a heart of flesh. And a heart of flesh can tenderly and gratefully discover the knowledge of God’s great and awesome power. 

Meaningful Marriage

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."
-Genesis 2:24

There have been numerous topics on my mind lately. National leadership. Personal, and corporate, accountability. Industrious labor. And so forth. But one of the issues that I cannot seem to shake is achieving and maintaining a meaningful marriage. My goal every day is to serve and sacrifice for my wife, and my family in general. And though I fail at this aspiration miserably some days, I still recognize that marriage is not about what I believe I am entitled to; marriage is about finding God-glorifying companionship through sincere and spiritual communication, connection, and commitment. Sadly, I do not get the sense that many other people, Christian or not, hold this as the standard anymore. I continually witness husbands emotionally scar their wives through coarse conversations and dismissive attitudes. I continually witness wives berate their husbands and seek to diminish the marital role of husbands through criticism and belittlement. So once again, I am deviating from my biblical chronological blog entry format and devoting some time to a discussion that I submit is relevant and needed. In short, I want to reinforce the notion that marriage should be meaningful. 

Many marriages today are defined by bitterness, unfaithfulness, and out-and-out hurt. Consequently, divorce rates are continuing to climb. That is the worldly direction of an ordinary, everyday marriage. I don't want that for my marriage. I want an exceptional, meaningful marriage. After all, marriage is an institution that God set forth in Genesis 2. It is a covenant - a covenant that requires fidelity, mentally and physically, to another person. And within this covenant lies a host of responsibilities, responsibilities that should not be slighted or forsaken. Sure, there will be conflict in relationships, especially marriages, but the relationships that are hopeful and long-lasting are the ones in which both parties agree to resolve differences and exercise patience, forbearance  grace, and love. 

As is often the case, Scripture offers some insight and inspiration on this matter. Let me highlight a few applicable passages. 

Proverbs 31:23

“Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.”

Proverbs 31 reveals some characteristics of a godly wife and mother. And when I read Proverbs 31:23 I sense that the writer is saying that a noble wife has such a strong, upstanding character that everyone in town respects her. As a result, the husband reaps the benefit of having a wife who is involved, considerate, compassionate, humble, genuine, and loving. To put it another way, a husband who has a moral, good-hearted wife draws respect, not disgrace, from the community.  

Proverbs 31:25

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

A noble wife is one who has an inner, humble strength. She is able to face adversity and setbacks because her faith is grounded in a victorious God. She is able to maintain joy in heartache and she is willing to take the harshness of life in stride, and not let it steal her joy, or negatively affect her daily behavior or outlook on life. A godly woman's desire is to work on the real beauty, a righteous character, rather than the external veneer, or outer form.          

But what about husbands? 

Ephesians 5:25-26a

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy...."

Here the apostle Paul laid down the ground rules for how husbands should relate to their wives. Paul implored husbands to serve their wives, as Christ served all of humanity. Husbands should bear the burdens of their wives. Husbands should advance their wives' needs above their own. Husbands should daily practice humility and love, not intimidation or domination. To husbands Paul emphasized the model of Christ who exercised His authority by saving humanity from evil. He supplied goodness to His creation. Therefore a husband should strive to protect and comfort his spouse, who will then more cheerfully follow her husband's spiritual leadership. Husbands are to be leaders, not lords – meaning they lead through surrender and sacrifice not through supposition and stature. In other words, husbands should live by the same expectation bar that they internally set for their wives.   

All this to say, marriage can be meaningful and exceptional when it is pursued and handled in a way that patterns itself after the edification of Scripture and the example of the Savior (Jesus Christ). If self-serving, egocentric vantage points reign in the hearts of spouses then their marriages will never figuratively provide the water the roots every healthy marriage requires to deepen and tether itself into firm, solid ground. I routinely find myself needing a holy "wake-up call". If I am not careful, I can easily allow casual complacency to seep into my marriage. I can lower the standard for myself, and cast any number of excuses to justify my unwillingness to do what I know I should do in my marriage. But praise be to God that through the Holy Spirit I am continuously prompted to engage in behavior and beliefs that enhance my marriage, not undermine it. After all, God wants me to have a meaningful life, and a meaningful marriage.