Wednesday, June 24, 2009

A Famine of Words

As I read through the book of Amos this week, on a tangent from a New Testament quote, I took in the repetition of fire, destruction and judgment with the same reaction as when it appears in the other prophets’ books. The pattern is similar in most of them: the nation of Israel/Judah has turned away from God in attitude and action so they will be punished, then the nations around them will be punished for having mistreated them, and finally, God will restore Israel/Judah to the position God originally intended – perfect harmony and obedience with God and dominion over the land. Amos is no exception. God promises, through Amos, to send fire, destruction, wrath, and punishment to Israel and the surrounding nations for turning away from God. Right on, I thought. Everybody gets what’s coming to them.


Then I read a passage that quite literally brought tears to my eyes and made me catch my breath. I’m still trying to grasp the gravity of it in my life, but see what happens when you read it:


11”The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD,

“when I will send a famine through the land –

not a famine of food or a thirst for water,

but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

12Men will stagger from sea to sea

and wander from north to east,

searching for the word of the LORD,

but they will not find it.

13 “In that day

“the lovely young women and strong young men

will faint because of thirst.

14 They who swear by the shame of Samaria,

or say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’

or, ‘As surely as the god of Beersheba lives’ –

they will fall,

never to rise again.” (Amos 8:11-14)


I was just about to conclude that Amos had nothing relevant in it for me when I got to these verses. Boy, was I wrong! Sending a famine on the land… that sounds about right. But, wait. A famine of hearing the words of the LORD? Please, Lord, no!


While most of us are familiar with a hunger pang now and then, or even have had our hearts wrenched by photographs of the distended bellies of children in impoverished nations, few of us know the reality of living through a famine in an agricultural community. When there is no food or water, life hangs by a thread. Day after day, week after week, hunger gnaws at the abdomen, and light-headedness, nausea, lack of concentration and other symptoms make one weak and irritable. And underneath the physical symptoms of hunger lie the anxiety and hopelessness that food may never be found to satisfy the body. People travel miles to find food. Women carry baskets for food or buckets for water on their heads great distances in parts of the world just so their children can live. Why? Because without food and water there is no life. That’s exactly the analogy Amos wants us to get.


Jesus replied to the devil in the desert, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”. (Matthew 4:4) He was quoting the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, where Moses recaps what God has done among His people by making them hungry so He could feed them and draw them to Himself. When there’s no food or water, I can still rely on God. When my relationships are suffering and broken, I can still rely on God. When my finances are uncertain, I can still rely on God. But when there is no word from God – when He is silent or I have turned away from Him – I have nothing. That’s the point God wants to make to His people through Amos. When He is convinced that our hearts have completely turned against Him, He will stop talking to us and give us over to our own thoughts and actions as the ultimate punishment. The first chapter of Romans describes it this way:


“Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28-32)


What happened when people stopped listening to God’s voice? When they continued to do what was wrong despite warnings from others and from their own hearts? God gave them over. He let them have what they perceived as freedom, which we know is no freedom at all. And what is the fruit of that pursuit? According to Paul in Romans it looks like envy, murder, gossip, hating God and becoming senseless and heartless. Ah, freedom. According to the message Amos received, not listening to God’s word will cause people to wander desperately in search of direction and comfort, but God will not be found. I cannot think of a more tragic consequence in my life.


Why does God want us to rely so heavily on His words? Because His love and His character are found in them. He speaks His heart for us and His words lead us to Him. Straying a little, listening to a little of the world’s wisdom (or our own), will be a catalyst for more straying and we will lose any sense of true north. God’s absolute standards. His best for us.


Even the “lovely young women and strong young men” will be thirsty (Amos 8:13). And those who swore by false Gods, thinking they would respond and bring them satisfaction will be disappointed and meet their end (Amos 8:14). Youth, strength, trends, self and money are all distractions, at best, and false gods that hide our Creator and stop up our ears and hearts, at worst. We are not meant to live apart from God. We were created to live abundant life, connected to the Father and our brothers and sisters, while seeking God and living to please Him.


So how does a famine like this begin? Can it happen to us? I believe that we live in a broken and sinful world so bad things will happen to us. My son didn’t get cancer because we were a disobedient family. There are mutant blood cells and fanatical religious zealots who will cause us pain. That’s not what Amos is talking about here. This is a specific call to those who have strayed from God’s best and are living in a created world of relativism, marginalizing God and His law. They have convinced themselves that God’s law isn’t good or that it’s irrelevant. That’s the only way His chosen people could have wandered so far from His design. Circumstances will cause them to go back to what they were taught about the God who saved them from slavery and enemy armies, but God will be silent in their disaster. This is the ultimate punishment.


And it can happen to us today. If we don’t read God’s Word, we can’t know it. If we don’t know it, how can we apply it? If we don’t take time to listen to God, how can we sense His direction? His comfort? His discipline? His overwhelming message to the Israelites in Amos’ time was not destruction and punishment. It was a passionate desire for His children to come back into relationship with Him and be restored. That is His desire for us as well. And there is no other way to do that than by purposing to spend time with Him and making the hard decisions that lead to obedience and life.


Please, Sovereign Lord, let there not be a famine of hearing your words in our lives. We cannot live without them. They are our sustenance and our only hope.



• Read Amos 4 and 9:11-15 and notice the connection between the calamity that has befallen the Israelites and God’s purpose for them. Have you noticed those connections in your life? Hard times that were your own fault and you know they were meant to bring you back to God? Did you return to Him? Were you restored?


• Look at the following verses about the importance of knowing God’s Word. Do these verses resonate with you? Are you spending regular time reading and meditating on Scripture? If so, what results have you seen in your life? If not, what’s preventing it?


~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ~ Psalm 119:9-16 ~ Deuteronomy 32:45-47

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Passionate Aging

Do you remember anticipating your birthday as a kid? Counting down the days until you could hold up more fingers when someone asked how old you were? When we’re young, each birthday brings us closer to the next milestone. The next privilege. When I’m 16 I can drive. When I’m 18 I can vote. At 21 I can drink. Thirty is old. Can you believe my grandpa is 60!? Then our perspective shifts as we tick off more years. Upon hearing of the death of a family friend, we say, “60!? That’s so young!” And so it is. 


If not all of us want to live to be 110 like Suzanne Somers, most of us at least want to finish well. I am inspired by older, elegant women who seem to emanate confidence and perspective. Dame Judy Dench. Queen Elizabeth. The retired prayer warrior at church. They are no longer worried about laugh lines or cellulite. They’ve experienced tragedy and hard work and deep love. They know what matters and they have their priorities straight. The older I get the more I envy that. And the more I come to terms with the fact that I’ll never look like Heidi Klum or BeyoncĂ©. 


There are plenty of Biblical examples of individuals having great adventures and accomplishing big things for God well into the autumn and winter years of life. Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters lifted the ark God had instructed him to build. Abraham and Sarah were over 90 when Isaac was born. Moses was 80 when God spoke to him from a burning bush in the desert. And there isn’t a better example, in my opinion, of how to do this with passion and determination than Caleb son of Jephunneh.



                                    6 Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’

                        10 Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five year old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heart then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

                        13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.



Don’t you love that!? An eighty-five year old guy who is every bit as bold and passionate about grabbing all the gusto God has to offer as he was in his forties! And in his forties, he and Joshua were the only ones saying, “We can do this!” after the scouting mission into the Promised Land. They were positive, faith-filled leaders then, and they just got better with age. Oh, how I want to be like that. What would that look like in this day and age? I think there are some timeless principles that resonate.


Like Caleb, we can be people who:


Live by the strength of our convictions – Joshua and Caleb did not cave to the fear and negativity of the other men who went with them to scout out the Promised Land. When ten of the twelve spies were shaking in their sandals, Caleb said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (Numbers 13:30)  And apparently Caleb’s convictions never flagged because forty-five years later he remembers it with clarity and his perspective hasn’t wavered. Faith in God’s vision is more than just wishful thinking; it’s choosing to believe the One who is always faithful.


Follow God wholeheartedly – This phrase is used three times in this passage and every time the story is referenced and told in Numbers and Deuteronomy. Caleb is known for following God wholeheartedly. With all of his heart. Whatever else he did pales in comparison. He was Caleb the wholehearted God-follower. What a phrase to have on a tombstone – “She followed the LORD wholeheartedly”. ‘Nuf said.


Expect God to follow through on His promise – Caleb had been patient and recognized God’s hand in the previous decades. He saw that God had kept him alive and He kept him strong. So now Caleb wants his inheritance. He believed God at His word when He made the promises and he kept believing him, year after year, until the time was right for God to deliver. I want that kind of consistency and longevity in my faith.


Are willing to work to see God’s promises come to fruition – Even though Caleb has waited for God’s promise and sees that the timing is right, there is no sense of entitlement. Caleb has not forgotten that God is God. He is, however, willing to work or fight or do whatever is necessary to guarantee his possession of the land he was promised. “Give me what’s mine; I’ll do what it takes!” Caleb shows us how exciting it can be to work in partnership with God when we are following Him closely enough to know the plan and how we fit into it.



Who are the modern examples of God-followers who live with this kind of passion and integrity? They are all around us and we can learn a great deal from them. They are pastors who refuse to water down God’s truth with the cultural fads of the times. They are parents who don’t cave to pressure to let their kids see movies that “everyone else is seeing”. They are business owners who treat their employees fairly and tell customers and vendors the truth. They are church members who pray for years for family members who are far from God to see and embrace His love. They are individuals who discipline themselves to read and know Scripture so they can apply it to their own lives and the lives of people who matter to them.


We are surrounded by people and can become people who grow and mature into more passionate God-followers. Time isn’t the enemy. Whether we’re in the early productive years of life, middle age, or enjoying the fruits of our labors in years of retirement, we can age passionately and with purpose if we learn from Caleb’s example. We can see God in action if we live with conviction, follow God wholeheartedly, expect Him to do what He says, and are willing to do our part in God’s plan.




• Who do you know that lives part or all of Caleb’s characteristics as they live for God? 



• What parts of Caleb’s example do you find most challenging? Where might you go in Scripture to learn more about how to live differently?



• Ask God to reveal to you any area of your life that made need some tweaking to align yourself with what He is doing in your life currently. He may show you a lack of conviction or a lack of faith. Are you willing to confront that and trust Him to change you?

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Waiting

My husband and I have become quite a team for navigating new territory in the car. We've seen parts of France and Italy in a car that were brand new to us, but have kept our sense of humor and seen some of the most beautiful cities and scenery by working out our system of directions. We have circled roundabouts many, many, many times, until we are sure of the right route. I've asked directions in languages I'm not at all conversant in. And through it all, we've managed not only to laugh and enjoy the ride, but learn a great deal about how we work together as a team. (In France, this system also included walkie talkies to a car with my parents. Stories for another time...) 

Sometimes, however, when my husband and I are driving a familiar route, he'll ask me for directions as if, occasionally, his mind forgets how to get to the airport or a friend's house despite the fact that we have driven there many times before. When I remind him of the route, he'll joke about it by saying, "But we've never been this way before." I reassure him that it's true; this is a new route that we're trying and he'll remember the next time. 

The Israelites wandering in the desert after their escape from slavery in Egypt had plenty of navigational opportunities. Moses led them for 40 years by following the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. And when he disappeared on Mount Sinai for 40 days, Aaron and the others quickly gravitated toward the default value system of their past by building an idol so they would have some sense of leadership. Where there is a vacuum in leadership, people will follow anything that seems plausible. Another lesson entirely.

After Moses' death, Joshua carried the mantle of leadership as the one God had chosen to lead the people into the Promised Land. The wandering was over; the law had been given; the nation had been established. Now all that remained was to kick out all the people already living there and claim the territory for the Israelites as God has commanded. No problem. But this is new territory. And they are surrounded by scary people. And the Israelites are weary from their wandering and aren't sure of the future. Gosh, this doesn't sound like anything I've ever experienced. How about you? Here's some help for us in navigating what could be uncharted life territory. 


            Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the convenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."
            5Joshua told the people, "consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." 
            6Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." so they took it up and went ahead of them.
            7And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.'" (Joshua 3:1-8)


I see several application points in this passage that are helping me navigate my own personal life transition currently. See if any of them resonate with what you're experiencing now or have experienced in the past. If not, wait a bit. It's probably around the corner. At least you'll be prepared. 

Wait For Instructions -- Verse 1 tells us that the Israelites camped by the Jordan river for three days before God gave His specific instructions. I'm guessing those three days felt a lot longer to a group of people who were so close to embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. They'd heard about the Red Sea from their parents or grandparents (who had all died in the desert), and they'd heard Moses talking about what the Promised Land would be like, but here they were, on the shore of the river, and they had to wait. I hate waiting. I hate waiting at red lights. I hate waiting in line at the grocery store. I hate waiting for something to arrive in the mail. And, can I say this? I hate waiting for God's instructions. I will do anything He tells me to do (or so I think), let's just move! But here's what I think I'm discovering: the waiting forces me to press into Him more deeply to hear the instructions, and I catch a glimpse of His heart for me in those times of waiting and listening that I just don't experience when I'm moving. Think there's something in that? Yeah, me too. 

Look For God -- The people were supposed to watch for the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant, and that would be their signal to move. What a sense of anticipation there must have been among the tribes of Israel! What a sense of anticipation among the priests, knowing that they were going to be the ones to hear first from God! The ark of the covenant contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, manna and Aaron's staff - all symbols of God's power, love and provision. Most importantly, the ark contained and represented God Presence. The Israelites were supposed to look for God's Presence and follow. We are to do no less. In seasons of waiting, the most important thing we can do is to watch for God's activity. He is always moving, and sometimes He chooses to clue us in on what He's doing. If He does, we can move. Move toward Him. And when we catch that glimpse, the waiting doesn't seem so long or so useless. Those glimpses make my heart sing and my adrenaline flow. I live for them.

Anticipate -- Joshua tells the Israelites in verse 6 to consecrate themselves because the next day God would do amazing things among them. In the waiting, do you live with a sense of expectation and anticipation? Do you think God will do something amazing in your life or in the lives of the people you know? Or do you think all those biblical promises are for other people? This is one reason why it is so important to know the Scriptures. God loves and involves His children in His plans. If it's true for others it's true for me. And I can't let myself get bored or distracted in the waiting. I must discipline myself to keep expecting great things from God, even when it feels like time's a wastin'. Build in my times of peace, as it were.

Of all these similarities between Joshua's situation and ours, I find one salient difference to be the most striking and the most encouraging in this, a season of rest and waiting in my life. Look at the instructions to the Israelites in verse 4 concerning the ark of the covenant: "...keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it." Why couldn't the Israelites go near the ark? Because it was where God was and only the priests who had been called to serve Him in the tabernacle were allowed to go near His Holy Presence. Why is that encouraging? Because in the Old Testament, God's Presence was confined to the ark of the covenant and the temple. That's where He lived and only the priests and prophets could communicate with Him. Then Jesus came and men, women and children could come right up to God and touch Him. Kids climbed into His lap and He touched the unclean in society. Finally, with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, every believer has access to God's Presence through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Look at these New Testament verses encouraging us to draw near to God:

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." (James 4:8)

"...let us draw near to god with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22)

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

So what can we do in the various transitions of life? Wait for instructions, look for God and anticipate His activity. But most importantly, we can draw near to the Father who made us and loves us because in times of transition and waiting, His Presence is its own reward.



•  Are you in a season of waiting or transition? How can you draw near to God, and look for His activity in your life?

• Take time this week to be still and listen for God. If you are waiting to hear from Him for your next move, let Him know your feelings and ask your questions. Then be still and listen. Look around you this week with a sense of anticipation, and look for Him.