Sermons/Devotional

Simeon’s Story: An exegetical retelling of Luke 2:25-39.

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Preachers often assume that an exegetical presentation of a text requires the typical sermon format. However, one can present the meaning of a text, along with its historical and literary context, in other formats. Below is an example of an one person exegetical drama from the perspective of Simeon. You will notice that a lot of historical context is woven into Simeon’s speech as well as references to the most likely Old Testament allusions. Care was also taken to emphasize Luke’s most likely purpose in including the Simeon pericope in his Gospel.

The hermeneutical task includes presenting a text in a way that hearers can understand and apply. Certain hearers are better able to hear and apply a first-person presentation of an exegeted text. When preachers vary their presentation, they are more likely to reach a broader spectrum of listeners. I hope you find the following presentation of Luke 2:25-39 helpful to your preaching.

Simeon’s story. A historically based, first-person retelling of Luke 2:25-39

 As I look back on my life, I see it has been a life of waiting. Even as a child, my father and I would scan the western horizon for clouds as we waited for the spring rains to refresh the land. He would say, “Simeon, don’t let the wait for rain dampen your spirits.” He told me that every new generation of Israelites must learn to wait on God. Our God announces something through his prophets, and it might take centuries for God’s promises to be fulfilled-but our God keeps His promises. Our ancestors waited in Egypt for 400 years before God raised up Moses to deliver them from slavery. My father assured me that one day God would send a savior whose kingdom will never end. He said, “The prophets have predicted it, so we can count on it. Until then we wait for God’s kingdom, and we don’t settle for a man-made substitute.”  

I later understood that my father was speaking about the Jewish Hasmonaeans who claimed to be God’s chosen rulers. When I was a boy, Israel was actually independent. After the Maccabean revolt threw off foreign rule, many thought that the prophecies of restoration were fulfilled and the wait for Israel’s golden age was over. But eventually the Jewish kings were not much better than foreign ones, and infighting caused them to invite the Romans to come help. The problem is when the Romans help, they help themselves to whatever is best for Rome. When I was a young man just starting on my own, the Romans marched into Jerusalem. We are still waiting for them to leave.

After years of Roman occupation my cousin got tired of waiting. He joined a group of zealots that planned to take Israel’s salvation into their own hands. The Romans heard about the group and crucified them all before they even had a chance to raise their swords in battle. No, only God can bring lasting deliverance. Decade after decade I prayed that God would send the promised Messiah to shine His glory throughout the world and to restore our land.  Of course, there were many pretenders who tempted us to think our wait was over – for instance the current king, Herod.  He convinced the Romans to install him as our local “Jewish” king (Herod is from Idumea not Israel). Herod craftily pitches himself as a new Solomon. He is re-building the Jerusalem temple so that it is even bigger than Solomon’s. Herod wants people to think he is some sort of savior, but he only uses our faith to get popular support. Herod is just another human pretender – a self-obsessed Roman puppet that will cling to power at all costs. Men like Herod made me long for God to fulfill His promises even more.

All my life I waited for God to send a savior as the prophets foretold. I was not just praying for an end to political pain, but personal pain. I have outlived so many of my family members, even some of my grandchildren. My family and I have suffered from drought, hunger, theft, violence, and death. Countless nights I have prayed Psalm 13, “How long, oh Lord will you forget us forever.” My lament was not because I didn’t believe, but because I knew God as gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. I trusted in the promises He made, so I continually and fervently prayed. Decade after decade I waited faithfully, following what I knew God wanted in my life each day. Faith is not just knowing the prophecies but acting right every day. In my daily life I sought to love my neighbor, to give to those in need, and to point people to God. Every day I tried to live faithfully and expectantly in the waiting. 10 years turned to 20, 20 turned to 30, 30 turned to 40.

Finally, God spoke! The Lord revealed that I would not die until I saw the Lord’s anointed! How did he speak? I didn’t hear an audible voice, but as I read through Isaiah’s prophecies of redemption, the Spirit filled me with a conviction that I would see this Messiah with my own eyes! I had a renewed purpose. I was to be a watchman who waits for this King so that I can announce His arrival! I constantly told people that He was coming soon. I continued praying that I would remain watchful and in God’s will. The Spirit of the Lord was upon me. Yet many more months passed and the Lord’s anointed still didn’t arrive. I experienced more heartaches and more injustice from worldly rulers. I prayed as I had for many years, but with an increased urgency: “Lord, how long? I am getting so old; my body is wearing down. More loved ones have died. How much longer? Nevertheless, I trust you, Lord.”  More waiting.

Then last week, the Savior arrived! The Spirit impressed upon me to go to the temple immediately. I went as quickly as these old bones would take me, but I felt a renewed strength as if I was soaring on the wings of eagles (and I certainly was sore the next day). I waited at the gates of the temple, scanning the crowds of worshippers. I prayed that the same Spirit who directed me there would direct me to the right couple.

I noticed a rather plain looking couple carrying an infant. The father had 2 turtledoves- the offering for purification after childbirth that Moses directed in Leviticus. Leviticus actually called for an offering of a lamb and a turtledove. However, the poor could substitute another turtledove for the lamb. The woman looked so young, still in her teens. Just as my eyes were about to move on from this plain, poor couple, I was overwhelmed with the Spirit. This was the one I had been waiting for! I called to the couple, “Wait, let me see your child!” The couple was somewhat startled, but the young woman tilted the infant towards me and said, “This is Jesus. We have come to dedicate him to the Lord our God and give the purification offering.”  His name was Jesus, which means “Yahweh saves”! Here was the savior, and the salvation, we had waited for. The prophecy and my purpose were fulfilled. I said to the couple, “Let me bless this child!” I took this child in my arms and said: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

My mind was overflowing with Isaiah the prophet’s words, which were being fulfilled right in front of me! Almost any scripture from the last third of the scroll seemed relevant to the moment, but one that I have written to keep by my heart is this: “The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:8-10). It was not just the prophetic words of Isaiah that were being fulfilled, but the Lord’s personal word to me that I would not die until I saw the Lord’s Christ.

One day this child will set the captives free, restore sight to the blind, and invite people to repent and enter God’s kingdom! This invitation will not just be to my people; the Messiah will be a light to all nations. Indeed, the Lord God promised our father Abraham that all the nations would be blessed through his descendants. We children of Abraham were not only meant to share in God’s glory ourselves but share it with the nations. Although we have failed at that task many times, the Lord himself is seeing His plan through. This child will bring the light of God to the world and restore the glory of God to Israel. Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

Mary and Joseph marveled, and I pronounced a blessing upon them as well. As I handed the child back to his mother I looked into her eyes (such strong eyes for such a young women) and even more prophetic scriptures flooded my mind. The Lord’s Messiah will bring salvation and restoration, but true restoration requires removing that which is against God. Isaiah spoke of the Messiah as a suffering servant who would take on sin. As this servant takes on that which is against God, he would suffer rejection and even death. This young woman would experience not just the joy of God working through her son, but the sorrow from those who will oppose Him. The prophetic words came out of my mouth before I even realized it: “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Just as salvation is centered on this child, this child himself would be the decision point that reveals people’s hearts towards God. God’s purposes will not be universally supported; they will also be opposed. Mary’s son will be the corner stone of God’s kingdom that some builders will reject. My people have a long history of rejecting God’s covenant gifts, and it will be no different in the messianic age. Conflict will arise that will not only expose the hearts of people, it will pierce the heart of this strong, but young mother.  

My somber realization was quickly overshadowed by the arrival of Anna, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher-a prophetess. Since before Herod even started rebuilding the temple, Anna was a fixture in the temple courts, praying and fasting for the redemption of Jerusalem. When I first met Anna, I asked her about her frequent fasting. She said, “I am a weak widow with no worldly power. Fasting is a type of protest that something is not right. When I fast and pray, I am calling on the power of heaven to come and fix what is not right. I cannot save anyone from the injustice and pain of the world, but God can.” God heard Anna’s pleas, and He often spoke a prophetic word through Anna. Sometimes she would proclaim that God’s redemption was coming and call us to repentance. On that day, the Spirit spoke the same thing to Anna as He spoke to me – your wait is over. Anna joined me in giving thanks to God and witnessing “to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem”. Anna and I were the 2 witnesses that God brought together that day to proclaim and celebrate that the wait for the Savior was over!

I don’t know exactly what will happen as this child grows. I do know he will expose the hearts of many. If Herod finds out, his jealous heart will seek this child’s life. Because of opposition, pain and conflict will continue for a time. While I won’t be around to see exactly what the next step will look like, this child is another reminder that God keeps His promises every step of the way. We can wait on him for the next step.  Even if the wait has been long and full of sadness, God does what He says. His plan and purposes are bigger than my short life, even though He called me to be a part of His plan. Now I can depart this world and its troubles in peace, knowing that God’s plan and promises have prevailed and will prevail. Until the day I depart this earth, I will tell this story and invite all to receive this Jesus and God’s salvation. Is your heart open to receive this child?  My heart and Anna’s heart are full of joy as we receive this savior, this king – our wait is finally over! With my last breath, this watchman can call out, “Joy to the world the Lord has come, let earth receive her king!”

Psalm 19, Encountering the Creator through A.W.E. of Creation

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Since history began, creation has inspired a sense of AWE in people. The opportunities for awe are as varied as creation itself: a sunset, a mountain top vista, the birth of a baby, a honeybee in a colorful flower. As technology has developed, and we see to the microscopic level or deep into the universe, our awe has only increased! The Hubble and James Webb telescopes have brought us amazing images of far flung galaxies-each with billions of suns and planets.  Microscopes have unlocked microscopic processes that have a fine-tuned accuracy and intricacy.

With amazing technology, we see farther and describe natural processes more accurately, but creation still stirs the same ancient feeling in humanity. That sense of awe brings with it deep questions and yearnings for the “why” and “who” behind it all.  Awe of creation stirs in us a desire for the transcendent – the meaning and reason behind the universe. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “God has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart.” Awe of creation is meant to stir our hearts to consider the awesome eternal creator of it all!

Many scriptures encourage us to consider various aspects of creation as a way to draw near to the Creator. Today we look at Psalm 19 not just as a beautiful song about creation and the creator, but as a guide on how to let the AWE of creation connect us to the awesome creator. 

In Psalm 19 The Psalmist begins (1-6) by turning his attention to the sky and being awestruck at how it declares God’s glory. In this section the writer focuses on how God even controls the mighty sun, which runs across the sky like a strong man. Verse 7 shifts from general to special revelation as the writer extols God for His word. The psalmist finishes by Encountering God personally in verses 12-14 expressing a personal confession of repentance and a plea for God to help him see and overcome his own sinful struggles. The AWE of creation set the Psalmist on the path to deeper connection to the awesome creator. This psalm can also guide us so that those stirrings of awe in our heart at nature’s glory can draw us into an encounter with the creator of it all. 

Psalm 19 and the acronym A.W.E. give us a simple method to connect with creation as a way of drawing close to the Creator.

Attention. Turn your attention to something in creation with an open heart toward the creator What feelings/thoughts does it stir up?  What does this part of creation reveal about the creator?

 Psalm 19: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

   The Psalmist turns his attention to the sky. In particular he focuses on the sun and how it charges across the sky. Nothing can escape the sun; “nothing is hidden from its heat.” If you have ever sat in the shade for a while, you know that what once was shady is sunny after a couple hours. How much more, therefore, can one not hide from the creator of that sun! The sky and sun proclaim God’s glory, it is His handiwork. Although it doesn’t proclaim it with words, the message of the creator of it all goes across the globe just like the sun. Verse 4: “Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” This is “general revelation”.

Command to pay attention or consider creation as a way to connect with the creator is all over scripture. Psalm 8 calls us to consider the night sky (astronomy), Psalm 139 proclaims the wonders of the human body (biology), and Jesus himself taught important truths by pointing to examples from creation.

While it is easy to be “blown away” with awe at the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls, even the little things of creation can stir us if we would just pay attention. The crystals on the window from a cold winter’s night have a geometric beauty that can stir the soul.

Scripture commands us to pay attention to how the created order points to the glory of the creator. So step 1 in following Psalm 19 is to turn our attention and consider some part of creation. We can do this every day.

 God’s word or message goes out in a general sense through creation (that is why creation is often referred to as “General Revelation”), but general revelation only reveals so much. For instance, if the sun is powerful and inescapable, how much more powerful is the creator! But many questions remain: Is that powerful God still active in the world? Does this God want to burn us? These questions require “special revelation” to answer. Special revelation is when God reveals his word or message in human language. Step 2 is considering God’s word, which the Psalmist turns to in 19:7-11.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

  Word. Following Psalm 19’s pattern, the message of God’s creation pushes us to His revealed word. The Psalmist first considered creation, but then in 19:7 turned to how the word of God is also beautiful and so valuable in guiding a person into God’s will and blessings. God’s word gives us answers to those stirrings from creation: “This creator is more powerful than all these things beyond me, but is he knowable, is he loving? Why did he make it all?” God’s word, or special revelation, is where God reveals himself in human language so that He can be known.

Once we pay attention, how does God’s word (scripture) inform what you noticed in creation? It can be something concrete and direct, like noticing an eagle and that reminds you of Isaiah 40:31, “they who wait for the LORD shall mount up with wings like eagles . . .” Or noticing something that reminds you of a general biblical concept-like a fallen tree reminds you of mortality and that we will stand before God. Look at the created thing through the lens of God’s word.  

The need for God’s word is crucial to both Jewish and Christian understanding. God has revealed himself, he has spoken to and through people. Just like God has put laws into nature, like gravity, like the speed of light, he has a moral law to guide and form us. As God’s image bearers, and moral agents, God reveals His will and ways to us.

When we think of “law” we think of constraints and reluctant obedience, but the Psalmist sees the law as beautiful, sweat as honey, and valuable like gold. Because the law (which is the Hebrew word Torah, which refers to all of God’s revelation) reveals who God is in an even more particular way, it is particularly valuable and beautiful. The bright morning sun speaks to the radiance of the God who made it, but God’s word reveals that this God is also abounding in love and wants to share his radiance with creation. So we interpret what we see through the lens of Word.

 A side note on the term “God’s word” – Jesus is also referred to as the Word (John 1:1-4). Jesus is God’s ultimate self-revelation! Through Jesus God has not only communicated in human language, but human flesh. While we can know someone through their writings, we can now them even better through a personal relationship! That relationship is possible because God made himself known through Jesus. In Jesus Christ we have the perfect intermediary between our Creator God and created humanity.

Because God has revealed himself in his word to be a personal God, that awe can bring us to an Encounter. Psalm 19:12-14 concludes on this note of encounter:  12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

  Encounter God. The psalmist finishes by encountering God personally, entering into a conversation with God in verse 13. The writer expresses a personal confession of repentance and a plea for God to help him see and overcome his own sinful struggles. This encounter should be a two-way conversation when you talk TO God and then listen for anything FROM God.

To God: Lift up thanks or praise to God for the things He has created and that you are able to enjoy them. The scriptures are full of calls to praise God for His wonderful work. Psalm 148 calls on all of creation: sun, moon, the seas, animals, everything to praise their creator. 

From God: What do you feel God is telling you today?  Whatever you noticed, especially when it has prompted you to seek and exalt God, has become an opportunity for you TODAY. Remember considering the word is so important to discerning what God is saying. People often hear what they want to hear, so God’s written word is the standard by which we measure whatever we think God is saying today. Go from the transcendence of the creator to the intimacy of a personal God who speaks to His people. The psalmist, perhaps from contemplating the inescapability from the sun’s rays, knows that the creator’s light will expose sin in his life, even hidden sin that he can’t see on his own. So he humbly calls on God for help. He wants to be transformed so that his words and deeds are pleasing to the creator. The Psalmist has had a personal encounter with the creator, but he began his journey with turning his attention to consider creation’s testimony about the creator, then the testimony of the word, until the inner testimony of the Spirit applied these things to him personally.

Discussion questions:

Describe the last time you were filled with awe over creation?

What occupies your attention most of the day? When could you set aside time to pay attention to creation with a heart open to the creator?

How might incorporating the AWE method improve your prayer time? How might it create difficulties?

Do you see the importance of looking at creation through the lens of God’s word? What are potential dangers of neglecting the word in this process?

Practice it! Go and try the AWE method above. What do you feel God is telling you today? 

Wisdom Smarts. Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

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If ignorance is bliss, wisdom can sometimes be painful.  Often wisdom smarts, it hurts, it makes us say, “I wish you hadn’t told me that.”  It is like a confused father trying to figure out why the sink won’t drain, only for his son to announce: “I put marbles in it!” Despite finding the answer, the father thinks, “I wish you hadn’t told me that.” Knowledge often brings grief with it.  As we continue our journey through the book of Ecclesiastes the writer of Ecclesiastes observes that adding wisdom usually adds pain. The writer makes this observation in the context of observing and testing out the things of life to see what benefit they have apart from God.

Last post I began this series in the book of Ecclesiastes. For those not familiar with this Old Testament book, it is found right after the book of Proverbs. (Click here for a helpful video overview from the Bible project).  Ecclesiastes addresses the human condition with all its limitations and frustrations. Despite Ecclesiastes being a part of the wisdom tradition, the writer expresses the frustration that finding wisdom often means finding sorrow. Today’s post covers Ecclesiastes 1:12-18:

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (ESV)

In verse 13 the writer tells us about his “life experiment” of observing and testing out the things of life to see what benefit they have apart from God: “I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven.” In the rest of the book, the writer reports on his findings from this life experiment. He explains what he learned through the wisdom of observation and experimentation concerning life on earth apart from God. His general conclusion, which is repeated throughout the book is in v. 14: “I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.” Without God the things of this life are “vanity” (Hevel in Hebrew) and understanding that vanity is the path of wisdom. Hevel/vanity does not refer to “conceit” but to the fleeting quality of life. The things of life are fleeting like vapor or smoke. Previously (1:9) the writer observed that there was nothing really new under the sun. In these verses the writer observes some things about wisdom itself–the very wisdom he is using to observe and experiment on life. He notes in verse 16: “I said to myself, ‘Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.‘”  The writer got all the wisdom he could. A modern quip is that some drink deeply at the fount of knowledge, but others just gargle. Well, the writer of Ecclesiastes drank deeply. 

As a part of the wisdom literature, one would expect Ecclesiastes to say that achieving such wisdom was wonderful. Instead, the writer’s assessment of having attained great wisdom: “I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.” Apart from God, all the wisdom in the world is futile.  The writer suggests 3 reasons why.

 1) You may know something, but not be able to do anything about it. This problem is alluded to in verse 15: “What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.” You may know how to count money, but what good does it do, if you don’t have any money to count?  You may know all about diseases so you can live longer through prevention, but all that wisdom can not stop the eventuality of death itself. Living wisely is to be preferred, but apart from God all that learning and wisdom ends when you do. Ecclesiastes acknowledges the disconnect between knowing something and actually being able to do something significant with that knowledge. Often times wisdom gives you enough understanding to realize that there are some things you can’t do anything about.  This truth is expressed in the famous “serenity prayer”: God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

 2)The second reason that wisdom apart from God is futile: true wisdom will teach you that the more you know–the more you don’t know. After being in school of one kind or another for almost 25 years I understand now, better than ever before, that there is so much I don’t know. There is a wisdom in understanding human smallness, and how the world is so much bigger than what our little minds can get around.  These limitations should not keep us from trying to figure things out, rather we should realize that just because our minds can’t understand something doesn’t mean it is not true. In fact the more we understand the world, the more we see all the things that are beyond our capacity to know. Even the most wise people in the world are totally ignorant in some things. You can be an expert in nuclear physics but still be clueless about how people work. Without God, this human limitation makes wisdom seem like chasing after wind. I’ll always not know more than I do know. However, when God is involved, not being able to understand everything is reassuring–the world is bigger and more wonderful than my little mind. Without God, the limitation of human knowledge is frustratingly futile. 

3) The final reason that the writer gives for the vanity of wisdom is found in verse 18: “Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.” Adding understanding adds pain. As the writer of Ecclesiastes observed life, he discovered the other side of the modern proverb, “Ignorance is bliss.” That proverb is somewhat misleading because that blissful ignorance often is temporary. Despite our ignorance, the reality is still there and eventually it will have to be dealt with.  I may be happily driving along ignorant of the fact that my car is slowly leaking oil, but that bliss won’t last too long. The increasing pain from the increasing mechanic’s bill will correspond to my increased wisdom of car care. Then, once I have the wisdom, I now have the responsibility to use that knowledge and check and change the oil. All that responsibility can be a painful choir, so one way or another adding understanding adds pain. 

Even in God’s economy, when you increase in wisdom, you increase the pains of responsibility.  Those pains can be a blessing when done for love of God and love of people.  Conversely those pains can be the weight of a neglected responsibility bearing down upon you.  The more privileges and resources we have, the more responsibility we have to use those things wisely. With that blessing of wisdom (or any other thing) is the “grief” of being responsible for that blessing. In Luke 12:48, Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”  Every person is responsible for what they have. If you have great wisdom, you have a great responsibility- a greater “pain”.  James 3:1 points out that those with knowledge will be held accountable for that knowledge: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”  

 The added pain of wisdom can be either a negative or a positive. The pain can be on the path to destruction, or the pain may be a “growing pain”. Apart from God, even growing pains ultimately die off, which is why wisdom is described as vanity and chasing after the wind.  With God, the added pain of added wisdom can be an avenue of growth. One example of “growing pains”  is when we increase understanding of a certain person or situation. That knowledge can increase our own pain.  When you enter a hurting person’s world with a real desire to understand them and their situation, you will feel their hurts. You will bear their burdens.  As Christians, we have that mandate to bear one another’s burdens, which will increase our own pain.

Of course it is easier to keep people at an arm’s length.  Although we won’t understand them or their situation as well, we won’t get hurt either. We know that increased understanding increases our own pain, so we selfishly choose the pain free path – which brings stagnation. As Christians we must accept that increasing wisdom increases pain, but that is the path our Savior took. We are called to this path of pain/wisdom because we are not just working towards a vain understanding and growth that is bound to the earth, but we are striving towards an eternal wisdom that God makes possible.  In so doing, we become more like the one who is eternally wise, the one who bore our sorrows and our afflictions and our pains, Jesus Christ. 

With God, the increased pain of gaining wisdom is the path of growth and transformation. Without God, the increased pain of wisdom is futility. Like the writer of Ecclesiastes, do we discern that apart from God even wisdom is futile.  The more we understand, the more we come face to face with the futility and absurdity of life without God. But don’t let that pain destroy you, let it compel you to seek out God who is the only one who can redeem the futility of life and wisdom.  The writer of Ecclesiastes is so painfully blunt because the wisdom of life is a painful truth that we must deal with. But the good news is that the pains of increased wisdom can be growing pains- good pains when God is involved. 

Sermons in Ecclesiastes: 1:1-11

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 Since my pastoral work dominates my time these days, I thought I would depart from the academic content for a time and move into the more practical/devotional. Over the next several posts, I will share a sermon series in the book of Ecclesiastes. For those not familiar with this Old Testament book, it is found right after the book of Proverbs. (Click here for a helpful video overview from the Bible project).  As you read along in the biblical text, you will encounter some provocative reading because Ecclesiastes addresses the human condition with all its limitations and frustrations. In light of the recent Covid 19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, and natural disasters, the truths of Ecclesiastes really hit home. Much of life is out of control; life is precarious. In addressing the futility and toil of humanity, Ecclesiastes doesn’t do so with easy platitudes and fluffy religion. Instead of explaining away the frustrations of life, Ecclesiastes states the human condition and shakes us up so that we will live wisely and not just live in a comfortable stupor.  

 The book of Ecclesiastes holds a special place in my heart because God used it to shake up my life.  When I was in college and sailing along in life, the words of this book shook me up, and continued to whisper to me, until I totally reassessed my life.

The book of Ecclesiastes is a part of the “wisdom literature” of the Old Testament. The Wisdom books also include Proverbs and Job. They look at life from a human perspective and how life plays out in this fallen world; they guide readers towards attaining a deep wisdom for living.  Much of the wisdom literature is traditionally attributed to King Solomon because of his legacy as being the wisest king of Israel. Ecclesiastes is no different, and verse 1 seems to allude to Solomon: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Despite the tradition, the book is technically anonymous since there were many kings who were a “son of David”. Moreover, verse 1 and the last few verses of the book also talk about “the preacher” in the third person. We hear 2 voices in the book, the preacher (maybe Solomon or another person)– who is a critic of simplistic religious formulations, and the author – who interprets the preachers word so that we are pushed toward God and not fatalism.

Read and contemplate Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

(ESV)

 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,  “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”  This same saying is found in chapter 12 verse 8. It both marks off the teaching of the preacher and proclaims his main message or conclusion. The author then applies that conclusion to urge his listeners to live in the now and seek God.  This is good guidance for us in these troubled times when the futility of life presses all around us.

“Vanity” here is not “vain” as in someone who is always looking in the mirror or that person who is so vain that they think this song is about them. “Vanity” here (hevel) can also be translated “Futility”. “Vanity” is one of the key words in this book, so it is important to understand what the writer means. The writer clarifies his meaning through a metaphor he often uses with the word “vanity”: “All is vanity and chasing after the wind.” Chasing after the wind is an absurd mental picture isn’t it? Chasing after the wind/mist/smoke is just chasing air, which you can’t catch it. Wind is just air moving and, in case you haven’t noticed, you already have air in your hand. A dog chasing after its own tail paints a similar picture of foolishness. Why does the dog want to catch its tail, and if it does, what does that change? The tail was attached to its body all along.

In the beginning and the end of Ecclesiastes, the speaker speaks this refrain that emphasizes the precarious nature of life. As we go through the book we will see how the author observed many things about life and came to the conclusion that many of the things that we think are so important are fleeting, that life itself can be futile, and  humans are rather small in the grand scope of time. Understanding these things is the path to wisdom.

The 1st observation that the writer makes about life (found in verses 3-11) is that history repeats itself. Life on this earth is the same old, same old, year after year.  Verse 5 notes that the Sun rises every morning and sets every evening. The wind blows, then blows some more. Verse 7 adds that the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never gets filled up, and yet the rivers just keep flowing. Whether we like it or not the earth keeps turning and turning.

In verse 8 the writer moves on to humanity. Just like the earth is the same old same old, so it is with humanity. We are not satisfied when we see something; we want to see more. Our ears are never filled; we always want to hear more. That is what human life on earth is like and always will be. 

Things in life, just keep going with no foreseeable end. There is a wearisome repetition to life that reaches towards fulfillment and satisfaction but never seems to arrive. We think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but when we get to the other side, we realize that this is nothing new or different.  Verses 9-10 add, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new?’ It has been already in the ages before us.”

This passage of scripture is so relevant to our current cultural climate. We are a people foolishly obsessed with newness and novelty. We always are striving to get the newest and latest thing. If something is new, we assume it must be better. Yet all the fads and trends that are hailed as new, come and go.  Just when they are almost forgotten, they come back around again hailing themselves as new. Think of bell-bottom pants or the mullet hair cut as examples. Verse 11 states it well, “There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.” 

When you read history books it is amazing to see the parallels between what happened in the Roman empire and what is happening in America today. History repeats itself because people don’t remember. We think the challenges and issues of our world are so different than at any other time in history, but they are not. Pandemics are not new. There was the Spanish flu of 1918 and the bubonic plagues of the middle ages. The same basic challenges of life existed long ago and will exist again. Every new generation arrogantly thinks they are somehow different, or better, or more challenged, but the continual march of history tends to trample those pretenses.  A recognition of this fact leads to wisdom. This is what the writer of Ecclesiastes is driving at in this section of our scripture. Instead of arrogantly thinking that you are the only one to have ever had this problem or solution, instead of thinking that you or the group you are in is somehow extraordinary – Ecclesiastes says, “Not really. In the grand scope of history, it is all rather ordinary.” My son had a t-shirt that summed this up well– “You are unique, just like everyone else.”   

Many read Ecclesiastes and think, “Man this book is a bummer. All this talk about life being vain.  This section about the same old same old.  I just want to curl up into a fetal position and not do anything.”  If that your impression of Ecclesiastes, you have missed the point. This scripture is not intended to arrest your development and your life – but deepen your life and make it wiser. 

What is the wisdom that we need to incorporate into life, and how do we go about doing that? 1) Newness is not the answer. It is futility to live your life waiting for the next new thing or person to come and change your life, because there is nothing new. Very few things will make much difference in the grand scheme of your life. God- he is eternal, and He is the only one who can make any real eternal difference at all. The only new life available is the new life that God offers through Jesus Christ. Romans 6:4 promises, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Anything other than God passes like a morning vapor.

     Some may object and say, “Well things are a lot different now than in Solomon’s day. We have airplanes and television. We have been to outer space, we have all sorts of medicines to cure illness. All of those things have changed life as we know it.”  Have they though?  Have they solved the deep problems of humanity? This indictment on nothing new does not mean that every little thing is exactly the same, it simply means in the grand scope of time, any new thing is really just a copy of something that has already been around. It means that any improvements are mere window dressing and don’t go to the heart of the matter. We have invented a vaccine for polio, we landed on the moon, we can talk to someone across the globe over the computer, but our short lives still end. Our memories and our accomplishments are forgotten; so has anything really changed that much? We still have the issues of life, relationships, death and eternity. There is nothing new that will solve these issues.

Certainly there are things in life that make a difference for the better or for worse, but when held up against the backdrop of eternity, it shows its own futility. So stop searching for something or someone of this earth to come and transform your life; that thinking is vanity. We think the grass is so much greener and newer on the other side of the fence. So what do we do? Husbands cheat on their wives thinking they just need something new and find out it didn’t solve the inner issue; it changed life for the worse. People purchase the new car or gadget thinking it will change their lives just like the commercials say – but it doesn’t.  People spend their lives thinking if only I could do this, or if only I could have that, if only this happened, then I would have a meaningful life. The book of Ecclesiastes slaps such notions aside the head and bellows, “No, there is nothing new under the sun that will give you a life of meaning; it is futility.” What we need is something above the sun, the creator of the sun, of life, of meaning, truth, and real wisdom. 

Make the choice today – Stop looking for something under the sun for the answers to life – that is futility. Go to the maker of the sun, the maker of meaning, the maker of all things new. Through Jesus Christ, God will make things new for you – He is the only one able to do that. Will we live in this wisdom that is found only in God, or will we spend our lives vainly seeking out some new answer, which is not really new at all? 

Preaching a Sermon Series on Habakkuk

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I recently finished preaching through the book of Habakkuk. This short Old Testament book is so relevant to our world today. The prophet’s lament over the Babylonian invasion is mirrored in our day as the Russian war machine grinds down Ukrainian cities. The Covid pandemic raises age-old questions about human suffering that Habakkuk also raises. Theologically, Habakkuk provides rich reflection on “the just shall live by faith” (Hab 2:4), lament, and prayer. From a biblical-historical standpoint, Habakkuk introduces people to one of the most important events for understanding the Old Testament–the Exile. This series was one of the most profound Old Testament exegetical series that I have done over the last twenty years.

Using Heath Thomas’s commentary on Habakkuk as my go-to reference, I constructed an eight week series. In a couple sermons, I focused on a smaller section of text to have more time for a deeper treatment. For instance, later biblical books and influential theologians quote Habakkuk 2:4, so I spent more time on that passage; even though structurally it belonged to a larger section. Likewise, I broke off Habakkuk 3:1-2 from the psalm/prayer of chapter 3 in order to speak about the larger theme of prayer and lament in Hebrew writing. As you preach through the book, you will find your own areas of focus. Below are links to the sermon audio. I hope they prompt you to look deeper into this rich and relevant prophetic book.

Short Praises to God for Practicing God’s Presence

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Introduction: In an effort to practice God’s presence and pray without ceasing, I have compiled a list of praises/prayers to God from the Psalms. These are purposefully short phrases that can be easily remembered and recited. This list is by no means exhaustive, as I have selected phrases for their clarity and brevity, as well as trying to avoid repeat entries. Since the Psalms are the praise and prayer book of the Bible, I began my survey in the Psalter.

Rationale: In the Western context, praise seems to be the most neglected area of prayer. This neglect especially hinders our prayer life because recognizing and praising God for who He is provides the foundation for prayer. Jesus seemed to point out the importance of beginning prayer with an acknowledgement of God’s character in His model prayer. He begins: “Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name, . . .”  This short phrase both acknowledges God as the one to be revered and yet one who can be approached like a father. The next lines of the model prayer are further built off God’s nature: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven . . .”  As the Heavenly Father who is to be revered, His kingdom and will take precedence over our own. From this acknowledgement of who God is, thanks, confessions, and requests flow.

    Our problems with prayer stem from skipping over the “hallowing” or praising part of prayer. This neglect is even more problematic when we are trying to develop an inner life of constant connection to God (a.k.a. “Practicing God’s presence,” prayer without ceasing, or constantly inclining our hearts towards God).  For this reason, I am focusing on short scriptural praises that rightly orient us towards who God is–His character. When we see God as both a loving Father and Almighty creator, that understanding provides the proper relational foundation for further conversations with God. It’s not that we shouldn’t ask for stuff, but that our requests should be based on the character of the Giver. Jesus says as much when he was teaching on prayer in Luke 11:10-13: “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Using a lesser to greater argument, Jesus wants His followers’ prayers to be empowered by a proper understanding of God’s character as heavenly Father. That relationship with the Father provides the foundation for transforming the disciples and the world. For this reason, the short praises listed below focus on the qualities, character, or names of God.

    Although there is considerable scriptural overlap between praise and thanks, I reserve the word “praise” for extolling God for who He is. On the other hand, “thanks” is expressing gratitude for what God has done or given. Certainly, praise and thanks are related; for instance we see God’s gracious character though His free gift of salvation. We praise God for His grace, but we thank Him for our salvation. While thanking God for all that He gives would be a welcome improvement over just asking for stuff, we can still look at prayer through a transactional lens instead of a transformational lens. A transformational lens views prayer as a relationship with God that is meant to transform me and my agenda to be more in line with Christ’s character and agenda (see Ephesians 4:15). Praise shines the spotlight on the character of God so that we can clearly see God for who He is and who we are in relationship to Him.  God is our highest good and the one we are striving towards—even that statement is a statement of praise, which re-orients us towards a transformational mindset to prayer.

    The transformational relationship approach to prayer also beckons us to pursue a life of constant prayer and connection to the one we worship. Prayer does not have to be a distinct religious activity, but a way of relating to God. This constant inclination, awareness, and connection with God is how many view the command “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Brother Lawrence eloquently described this type of living as “practicing God’s presence” and other Christian writers like Frank Laubach and Thomas Kelly have continued to urge us on towards a constant connection to God that transforms our lives.[1]  That transforming connection strengthens when we bring to mind the One we are connecting to. The short praises/verses included below are meant to be reminders of God’s character that help us constantly incline our hearts towards Him.[2]

Memorable, but biblical units: In most cases, I have taken the exact wording from the English Standard Version of the Bible, but limit the selections to a verse or phrase to aid in memory. When there are lots of praise phrases all crammed together, I often include a couple of verses so that the reader can choose how much of the verse to hold in mind.

     Each of these phrases and verses have contexts that should also be studied, so I have included at least one Biblical reference for deeper study. We strive for the concepts in our minds to match the Biblical writers’ concepts, but our different historical context means that an attribute of God may conjure different images. This difference does not mean that our praise of God is wrong. Rather, we acknowledge and seek a deepening of our understanding that, at the very least, includes the original intention of Spirit-inspired writer.

    For brevity’s sake, I sometimes include multiple references after one phrase even if the phrase is slightly different in each reference. I have also grouped some similar phrases together under an underlined heading. This topical arrangement makes locating a phrase that fits your need for the day easier as well as enhances memorization. Arranging and grouping the verses really was my own subjective choice. A different arrangement may work better for you, and I hope that this list inspires you to build your own!

Suggested methods: Select one of these phrases and throughout the day, lift it up as a praise to God. In most cases, I have included a whole verse that can be broken down into even smaller units. For example, Psalm 54:4 says, “God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” You may only be able to hold in your mind “God is my helper” or “The Lord upholds my life.” Whichever phrase you feel best suits your needs, no matter how short, is your connection line for a time. You may use the same phrase for weeks, or switch them up hour by hour, or build up phrases into one whole verse over the course of the day. Consider these phrases as means of connecting to God—to help us in transformational prayer. Focusing on memorization of the whole verse can be counterproductive. The phrase is meant to focus us upon God, not to focus on specific wording or memory capabilities.

     Another consideration is feel free to modify the pronouns when using this list. Although all the Psalms are directed towards God, some refer to God in the third person (He, The Lord, Him, etc). You may want to change the pronouns so it feels more like a God-directed prayer. For instance, Psalm 4:3 states. “The Lord hears when I call to Him.” You could modify the phrase to say, “You, Lord, hear when I call to you.” If you feel like you need to address God directly to praise Him, then by all means modify the pronouns.

   Finally, you may find these phrases helpful in making meditation an avenue of transformation and not just a relaxation technique. Try breathing in the character quality of God (as if you are trying to take that quality into yourself) and then breathe out a praise or thanks. For example, Psalm 103:8 says, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”  As I breathe in I could say in my mind, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” As I breathe out I could say, “I praise you Lord for you are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”  If I wanted to add an attitude of thanks, I could instead breathe out saying, “I thank you Lord for Your grace, mercy and steadfast love towards me.”

   At the end of the praise list, I do include an epilogue of short prayers for help (just from the Psalms). One naturally wants to cry out for help from this gracious God who abounds in steadfast love and lifts up the oppressed! I place these prayers for help at the end so that any requests for help will spring up from a deep praise and encounter with God.

   I hope this list of scriptural praises and verses helps you to grow in praise, prayer, and practicing of God’s presence. From a place of praise may we be transformed toward the object of our praise!

Short Praises and Prayers from the Psalms:

God is Near, Hears and Cares for His People

The LORD hears when I call to him (Ps. 4:3)

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Ps. 23:1; 80:1)

God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. (Ps. 54:4)

Lord, you hear prayer, (Ps. 65:2; 77:1)

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Ps. 103:2-5)

O LORD, you have searched me and known me! (Ps. 139:1)

The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. (Ps. 126:3)

He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, (Ps. 105:8; 111:5)

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Ps. 145:18)

The Lord is Holy and Just

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. (Ps. 5:4)

For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield. (Ps. 5:12)

God is a righteous judge (Ps. 7:11)

The Lord loves justice (Psalm 37:28)

For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. (Ps. 11:7)

The LORD our God is holy (Ps. 99:9)

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.( Ps. 145:17)

The Lord is my Highest Good and Joy

You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. (Ps. 3:3)

You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you. (Ps. 16:2)

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Ps. 16:11)

You, Lord, satisfy my soul (Psalm 63:5; 73:25)

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Ps. 73:26)

God is my Salvation

Salvation belongs to the LORD; God is my Salvation (Ps. 3:8; 38:22; 68:20)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1)

The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation (Ps. 18:46)

The LORD is my Rock, my Fortress, Refuge, & Shield

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Ps. 18:2; 31:3; 62:6; 94:2)

The LORD is my strength and my shield; (Ps. 28:7)

The Lord is my fortress (Psalm 46:7; 91:2)

The Lord is my refuge (Psalm 25:20; 31:4; 46:1; 71:7; 91:2)

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. (Ps. 90:1)

For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. 29 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 30 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 31 For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?—32 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. (Ps. 18:28-32)

He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. (Ps. 144:2)

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor.  (Ps. 84:11)

The Lord Abounds in Grace, Mercy, and Steadfast Love

(Psalm 89; 103; also 36:5; 40:11; 59:17)

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. (Ps. 25:6)

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Ps. 103:8; 145:8) 

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Ps. 106:1; 107:1; 117:2; 118:1; 136)

For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. (Ps. 108:4)

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Ps. 100:5)

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. (Ps. 116:5)

The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. (Ps. 145:9)

The Lord is Eternal and Above All

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Ps. 8:9 )

The LORD is king forever and ever; He is everlasting (Ps. 10:16; 29:10; 93:2)

The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof (Ps. 24:1)

The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! (Ps. 24:10)

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. (Ps. 33:10-11)

God reigns over the nations; (Ps. 47:8)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! (Ps. 57:5)

You who are enthroned upon the cherubim. (Ps. 80:1; 99:1)

LORD God of hosts! (Ps. 80:19)

You alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth. (Ps. 83:18; 86:10)

The Lord is high above all other gods. (Ps. 86:8; 95:3; 97:9)

For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. (Ps. 135:5-6)

But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations. (Ps. 102:12)

But you are the same, and your years have no end. (Ps. 102:27)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! (Ps. 108:5)

The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! (Ps. 113:4)

The Lord is Powerful

The Lord is awesome in power (Ps. 66:3)

He gives power and strength to his people (Ps. 68:35)

You are the God who works wonders (Ps. 77:14; 86:10; 92:5)

Lord, you are maker of all things (Ps. 95:5; 96:5)

O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, 2 covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. (Ps. 104:1-2)

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. (Ps. 147:5)

The Lord is Worthy of Praise

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised! (Ps. 113:3)

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps. 118:24)

I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; (Ps. 138:1)

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. (Ps. 145:3)

Psalms 148-150 all call to various parts of creation to praise God loudly and with instruments. These are calls to praise more than praises themselves. Even though I don’t pull from these Psalms, you can shape them into Go-directed praises with a little bit of modification.   .

The Lord Helps the Needy and Oppressed.

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Ps. 9:9)

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Ps. 34:18)

He is the Father of the fatherless and protector of widows (Ps. 68:5)

The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. (Ps. 103:6)

For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. (Ps. 109:31)

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, (Ps. 113:7)

The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. (Ps. 146:8)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Ps. 147:3)

Epilogue: Short Prayers for Help to our Praiseworthy God:

Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! (Ps. 109:26)

Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! (Ps. 118:25)

Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! (Ps. 119:12)

I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies. 147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. (Ps. 119:146-147)

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (Ps. 121:1-2)

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. (Ps. 123:2)

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; (Ps. 130:5)

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!  (Ps. 143:9-10)

The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Ps. 145:14-16)

End Notes

[1] Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach, Practicing His Presence (Library of Spiritual Classics, vol. 1. Sargent, GA: Seed Sowers, 1973)

[2] As I was thinking about making a list of praises to aid myself in practicing God’s presence, I read  A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly (New York: HarperCollins, 1992). In this work he suggests “seizing upon a fragment of a Psalm” as an aid to constant connection. God seemed to be confirming to me that I needed to stop thinking about making a list, and actually make this list.

Visions of Doom and Hope: A Contextual Bible Study in the Book of Ezekiel

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Click here for a free pdf copy of my contextual Bible study guide to the Book of Ezekiel.

Why study Ezekiel? Despite its neglect in contemporary Christianity, Ezekiel addresses many relevant issues for Christian living and thought. Overwhelmingly, Ezekiel speaks to both the justice and grace of God; it shows how a holy God must judge even as He plans to restore. In addition, the book of Ezekiel introduces important concepts that help us understand the scriptures as a whole. Concepts like: the importance of the exile in understanding the biblical story line, idolatry, what is the nature of biblical prophecy and how do we understand it, false prophecy, end times prophecy, God’s glory presence, the role of leaders in the faith community, the Holy Spirit, God’s plan for renewal, and the sacrificial system.

Ezekiel presents challenges due to its length (48 chapters!), its sometimes bizarre and scandalous prophecies, and the disagreement about when and how those prophecies are fulfilled. Nevertheless, we deepen our faith and our understanding when we tackle the difficult passages and pay attention to the “whole counsel of scripture.” Too many Christians have a shallow understanding and faith because they have only encountered the “easy” and palatable scriptures-often taken out of context. 

 Method: This study encourages a contextual reading of Ezekiel. A contextual reading means the specific chapters and verses are read in light of the whole section in which they appear. The study guide constantly reviews previous material and relates each chapter to the larger context and section. Participants are expected to not only read the assigned chapters for that week beforehand, but re-read the whole section when possible. Even though I have tried to balance brevity and depth, averaging more than two chapters a week requires selectivity in what is covered. Even at this rapid, but responsible pace, the sad truth is that any study over 10 weeks requiring preparation probably will see half the initial participants drop out by the end. Such a tendency cannot prevent us from diving into the longer books of scripture. Otherwise, we will never mine the riches of many Old Testament books, and we will settle for a few out of context proof texts.

The study guide deals mostly with unpacking the text and its themes. When I actually led this study, I ended each session with how to apply the text to our lives. I have not included the application section to encourage each group to apply the text to their own situations. Because we are dealing with chapters at a time, there are usually several applications, and I would choose the one I felt most relevant to my group or to contemporary events. Whether your group leader decides to wax eloquent on an application or not, the discussion questions draw participants into application as well.

I hope you find this study guide helpful for your own personal or group study. You have my permission to copy and distribute this study for non-profit purposes.

Become a monk? Yes!

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As I have been concluding this series of posts from my out of print book, When God Gives a Time Out,  I have focused on “time out prevention.” Before we are put in time out, we self regulate by intentionally stopping and listening for God. Last month we talked about the preventative power of journaling.  Today’s post discusses the masters of giving themselves time out – monks!

(Click here to start at chapter 1)

Have you ever wanted to get a nice bald patch on the top of your head and wear a long camel hair robe?  No, me either, but I do want to be a monk.  There were (and are) some monks that totally missed the boat.  There were some monks trying to escape from family, some monks who liked the power that the medieval church gave them, and some monks who were monks out of superstition.  There were (and are), however, some monks that were on to something spiritually.  No, I don’t mean the haircut, although I have seen some aging men reluctantly sporting the “tonsure” and I am on my way.  What the monks were on to was their effort to include God in every aspect of their life.  Every activity, no matter how mundane, was done in the presence of the Father.  Monks sought to tune into the voice of God at any and all times.  Listen to what William of St. Thierry, a monk of the 1100s, wrote in his work The Golden Epistle,

“For that is your (a monk’s) profession, to seek the very face of God which Jacob saw, he who said: ‘I have seen the Lord face to face and yet my life was not forfeit.’ To ‘seek the face of God’ is to seek knowledge of him face to face, as Jacob saw him. . . . This piety is the continual remembrance of God, an unceasing effort of the mind to know him, an unwearied concern of the affections to love him, so that, I will not say every day, but every hour finds the servant of God occupied in the labor of ascesis and the effort to make progress, or in the sweetness of experience and the joy of fruition.  This is the piety concerning which the Apostle exhorts his beloved disciple in the words: ‘Train yourself to grow up in piety; for training of the body avails but little, while piety is all-availing, since it promises well both for this life and for the next’.  The habit (the robe) you wear promises not only the outward form of piety but its substance, in all things and before all things, and that is what your vocation demands.”

William of St. Thierry, The Golden Epistle, trans. by Theodore Berkeley (Kalamazoo, MI.: Cistercian Publications, 1980) p. 18-19.

That is the kind of monk I want to be!  William clearly stated that all the monk stuff, including the snazzy robe, is secondary to the monk’s primary vocation of knowing God.  The goal is “an unceasing effort of the mind to know him, an unwearied concern of the affections to love him.”  In short, the goal is relationship. To hone their relationship with God, and their ability to hear His voice, many monks went into an extended period of time out.  Their goal was the same one that has been written about in this book – remove the distractions, all the tasks, and focus on God’s voice.  In William’s order, monks had what he called “cells” in which they spent their alone time with God.  Of these time outs with God, William further wrote,

“If anyone does not posses this (the desire to know God as written about above) in his heart, display it in his life, practice it in his cell, he is to be called not a solitary but a man who is alone, and his cell is not a cell for him but a prison in which he is immured.  For truly to be alone is not to have God with one  . . . the cell should never involve immurement imposed by necessity but rather be the dwelling-place of peace, and inner chamber with closed door, a place not of concealment but of retreat.” 

William of St. Thierry, The Golden Epistle, trans. by Theodore Berkeley(Kalamazoo, MI.: Cistercian Publications, 1980) p. 19

Twenty first century Christians need a “cell”, not a literal place as much as any place to go and connect with God.  Like the monk’s cell, time outs are not for us to be alone and hide ourselves from a stressful and hostile world.  Time outs are “not for concealment but retreat,” retreat meaning openly resting in the company of the Father, Friend, and Savior.  The location is not important, but the monks saw the value of having a place where there were no distractions.  Each monk had a place where there was nothing to do except connect with God in a transparent, honest, and meaningful way. 

The goal of the time out, or the cell, is to take time to hear God’s voice and train ourselves.  We train because at first we may only be able to hear God while solitary.  The goal, however, is to eventually be able to listen to God when in a crowd or engaged in activity.  This growth does not mean that one graduates from having to take time outs.  No matter how mature a Christian is he/she still needs time to focus on God alone.  To use the theme of this book, it is like a child who needs a time out because there are too many distractions and they can’t hear the parent’s voice.  When the child is almost an adult, they have hopefully matured to a point that when their parent speaks to them in the store they can immediately focus on the parent’s voice. (However, when this child later gets married they may have to battle selective hearing when it comes to their spouse.)  The parent-child relationship still needs some one-on-one time to continue growing – but doing things together actually helps the relationship rather than takes away from it.  The goal of a monk is to live in God’s presence and hear Him at all times, not just while alone or in time out. 

When the principle behind taking a time out (listening to God) begins to infiltrate all of life, then we are starting to “practice His presence” as Brother Lawrence describes it.  Brother Lawrence was a 17th century monk who sought to knowingly enjoy God’s presence in every aspect of his life.  His life of devotion to hearing the Father’s voice is described this way,

“That when he (Brother Lawrence) had thus in prayer filled his mind with great sentiments of that infinite Being, he went to his work appointed in the kitchen (for he was cook to the society); there having first considered severally the things his office required, and when and how each thing was to be done, he spent all the intervals of his time, as well before as after his work, in prayer.

That, when he began his business, he said to GOD, with a filial trust in Him, ‘O my GOD, since Thou art with me, and I must now, in obedience to Thy commands, apply my mind to these outward things, I beseech Thee to grant me the grace to continue in Thy Presence; and to this end do Thou prosper me with Thy assistance, receive all my works, and possess all my affections.’

As he proceeded in his work, he continued his familiar conversation with his Maker, imploring His grace, and offering to Him all his actions.

When he had finished, he examined himself how he had discharged his duty; if he found well, he returned thanks to GOD; if otherwise, he asked pardon; and without being discouraged, he set his mind right again, and continued his exercise of the presence of GOD, as if he had never deviated from it. ‘Thus,’ said he, ‘by rising after my falls, and by frequently renewed acts of faith and love, I am come to a state, wherein it would be as difficult for me not to think of GOD, as it was at first to accustom myself to it.’

As Bro. Lawrence had found such an advantage in walking in the presence of GOD, it was natural for him to recommend it earnestly to others; but his example was a stronger inducement than any arguments he could propose. His very countenance was edifying; such a sweet and calm devotion appearing in it, as could not but affect the beholders. And it was observed, that in the greatest hurry of business in the kitchen, he still preserved his recollection and heavenly-mindedness. He was never hasty nor loitering, but did each thing in its season, with an even uninterrupted composure and tranquility of spirit. ‘The time of business,’ said he, ‘does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess GOD in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.’”

Brother Lawrence The Practice of the Presence of God, Reprint of the 1895 edition. Martino Publishing 2016.

When I read about Brother Lawrence, I get that inner “YES!” “Yes”, because I am happy that someone achieves such constant contact with God.  “Yes”, because I deeply desire to be in the Father’s presence in this way. 

Do you want to be a monk yet?  I do.  I want my primary profession to be knowing God and hearing His voice, like what William of St. Thierry wrote about.  I want to be so deeply aware of God’s presence that I can hear his voice even when I am doing dishes, like Brother Lawrence. 

While monks would go off into their cells to hone their ability to hear God, they also had their faith community to spur them on once they were out of their cell.  Younger monks had elders and all monks had one another to hold them to the task of knowing God.  When a monk got too caught up in doing works for God, he hopefully had someone like Brother Lawrence step in to refocus him.  The monks had a community to keep them focused and balanced.  

Here in the 21st century, we non-monks also have a community to keep us focused.  We have our church.  Even if our church seems to be a distraction, there is nothing stopping us from carving out a group of like-minded believers that will hold us to our goal of being a monk.  In a small group of believers we can help one another overcome things that distract us from God, and we can be co-laborers in striving to practice God’s presence.   Monks are experts in the art of giving themselves a time out.  Find others who desire to live in God’s presence and spur one another on to becoming monks. Robes and haircut optional.

Questions to Ponder

Are the goals of a monk, as talked about in this chapter, consistent with your goals?

Do you have a “cell” or place that facilitates your connection with God?

What are your feelings about the connection with God that Brother Lawrence had?  Is this possible for you?  Why or why not?

Re-hearing through Journaling

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The first several posts from my out of print book, “When God Gives a Time Out”  established that we often have the compulsion to do things. Sometimes this compulsion arises from our need to be esteemed or our need for achievement.  God may give us a time out to remove the distracting activity and grow our relationship with Him. The last three posts have moved on to “time out prevention” as we intentionally stop and listen for God. Last month we talked about “prayer snatchers” and the Sabbath principle. Today’s post will cover the preventative power of journaling.  

(Click here to go to chapter 1)

The following is a common occurrence in many households: A parent sits their child down to ensure that their corrective instructions are heard clearly.  They walk away confident that the child has understood what was said.  Ten minutes later the child is doing the same thing that was just talked about.  The parent asks with frustration, “Why are you doing that again?  Didn’t I just explain why that is bad?”  The response is, “I’m sorry, I forgot.”  What is amazing is that the child did actually forget.  Yes, the heart to heart conversation occurred only ten minutes ago, but it doesn’t take the child long to get caught up in doing stuff again.  The child becomes so focused on activity that the instructions are quickly forgotten.  Before we chuckle at the flightiness of youth we should look in the mirror. 

Every few months I look back through my journal and I usually find some word from God that I have since forgotten. I heard the message clearly and was impressed enough to write it down.  As life started to kick into high gear, however, all the activity crowded the message from my active memory. The journal entry may have been prompted by a great time out, but I either need another time out or I need to re-hear the message.  Instead of being stuck in time out, I prefer to re-hear the message.  Journaling allows us to re-hear what God has said. 

When I look through my journal and discover a forgotten encounter with God, I have two reactions.  My first reaction is one of repentance for forgetting and not continuing in what God has said.  My second reaction is thankfulness that I don’t need another time out to hear the same message.  As I read my journal, I can re-hear and reapply God’s words.  If I hadn’t written anything down, the message would have remained forgotten. 

The process of writing something down, in itself, helps us remember.  Along with the mental image or impression from God, we have the visual and tactile impression from writing it down.  In addition, we read that same encounter again in a month or in a year and if we still remember it, the message is reinforced. Journaling can be thought of as time out prevention.  God gives us a message and through the process of journaling, the message is received and applied.  God doesn’t need to give us a time out because we have heard (or re-heard) what He has said to us.

The primary reason that I wrote When God Gives a Time Out was to re-hear the messages that God had impressed upon me in my time outs.  As I collected thoughts, memories, journal entries, and notes from my Bible, I started to see a pattern to God’s hand in my life. The larger, deeper, and more eternal picture usually becomes clearer when we are able to look back over life and see what God has done.  Journaling, or writing, is the camera that captures the pictures of time spent with the Father.  As these pictures are put together, an epic of personal salvation history and sanctification appear.  Are there scenes missing from your life’s epic story because you forgot them?   

God often told the prophets to write down His words so that the people could re-hear His message after some time had passed.  In Jeremiah 36: 2- 3, the Lord told Jeremiah the prophet,

“Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

God had spoken to the Israelites for some time and they didn’t listen.  God instructed Jeremiah to write the message down so the Israelites could re-hear “all the calamity which I plan to bring on them” and repent.  In fact, when the king burned the scroll that Jeremiah had produced, God told Jeremiah to write the scroll again so that the message would be preserved and re-heard. 

Ultimately, Israel did not heed the message and they were sent into the 70-year time out known as the exile. The writings of Jeremiah would be a valuable teaching tool to the Israelites during and after the exile.  Because the message was written down, the Israelites knew that God had indeed spoken as what was foretold came to pass.  During the exile, Jeremiah’s writings encouraged the Jewish people since God had also delivered a message that one day Israel would be restored. The people read and re-heard the message and it gave them hope.  When their time out was over, the Jewish people preserved Jeremiah’s writings so that generation after generation could re-hear the message that they had failed to hear.

 The Bible is a collection of messages from God that we all need to hear and re-hear.  God directed faithful men to preserve his words because He knew that every generation would need to re-hear some of the same teachings.  In this sense, journaling does have biblical precedent. Of course, our journal writing is not on par with scripture, but it does serve to preserve the more particular, individual dealing between God and each one of us.  God will not say or do something that contradicts His message in scripture.  He does, however, deal with each of us particularly.  When we start to doubt His individual dealings with us, when we forget God’s words to us in particular, we have a choice.  We can re-hear His words in our journals or we can wait for a time out to hear the message we did not hear the first (or twentieth) time.  Of course, if we haven’t journaled and have forgotten God’s word to us then we don’t have the opportunity to re-read (rehear) the message.  We miss the blessing of being reminded that God is active and vocal in our lives here and now.  Journaling preserves the epic history of God’s personal dealings with each of us.  This history can be brought to bear on our current faith struggles.  We all need to be reminded and rehear all that God has said and done in our lives. Journaling preserves these personal, intimate dealings and reminds us that God is alive and active in our lives. 

Questions to Ponder

How could you fit journaling into your life?

Can you remember a time when you forgot something that God impressed upon you, and needed to relearn it at a later time?

Invasion of the Prayer Snatchers

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For the month of January 2021 my church is focusing on prayer. Through intentional prayer we give ourselves a “time out” to hear God’s voice and draw closer to Him. Hearing God’s voice can be difficult. Thoughts and distractions often invade our minds and snatch away our prayers. In this post, I share a chapter from my out of print book, When God Gives a Time Out, that deals with this issue.

(Click here: “An Introduction to Time Outs” if you want to start with chapter 1 of When God Gives a Time Out.)

There is a wonderful spot in New Salem, Massachusetts called Bear’s Den. Two small waterfalls cascade around a large boulder, and built into the boulder is a natural granite chair. When I lived in New Salem I would sit in that granite chair and listen for God.  That place was full of natural beauty but I especially liked the sound of the rushing water.  When I first arrived at the waterfalls, I always was surprised at how loud the water sounded. By the time I was ready to leave I had become so accustomed to the sound of the water that I no longer heard it. At first, I heard the sound of the water whether I tried or not.  Later, I had to focus my hearing to be able to hear the sound of the water. 

This “disappearing water sound” reminds me of how easily the voice of God gets tuned out in my life.  For those of you who are not the outdoorsy type just think about how loud your dishwasher sounds when you first turn it on. After a while, you go about the house and don’t even realize when it stops running. 

 We stop hearing the falling water or the dishwasher partly because that is how the human brain works. Our brains (specifically, a part of our brains known as the reticular activating system) screen out background noise so we can focus on the task at hand. Screening out falling water and dishwashers can be handy, but screening out the ever-present God is always a tragedy.  Because God can, and usually does, speak past our physical ears, our brains’ reticular activating system is not really the problem.  The real culprit is our short attention span and our spiritual attention deficit disorder.  We have trouble staying focused on one thing for very long, even things we need or enjoy, like the falling water or the voice of our Heavenly Father.  Our attention shifts so easily. 

Marketing firms have made a science out of catching people’s attention.  Research indicates that Americans are getting shorter attention spans and marketers know this.  Commercials are becoming more image-driven as so many companies strive to make an impression before the remote control goes “click.”  Americans and their children are being conditioned to take in an image or information quickly and move on.  Not only are we consumers, we are now super efficient consumers who take in as much as possible in a short time.  No wonder we have an attention deficit problem. 

This pattern affects our relationship with God.  In fact, you probably have felt the effects of our attention deficit culture during your prayer time. Does the following sound familiar: One day, you are actually disciplined enough to have an hour of “time out.”  You take a few minutes to open your Bible and ask God to speak to you through His word. You read a chapter of scripture and see a couple of interesting verses after which you ask God to help your children, your spouse and your church (Most people stop their time out here). Feeling you want to really hear from God you leave your prayer line open and sit quietly, waiting for whatever God may say.  About ten minutes later you realize that you haven’t been open to God, you’ve been thinking about whatever task you need to begin after your prayer time concludes. A little disappointed with yourself, you press on with the remaining thirty minutes and let God know that you are listening again. 

Twenty minutes later the following thought fills your mind: “I wonder what happened to the credit card bill that I misplaced the other day.  Can I get another one issued?  Did I check under the pile of papers on the counter?”  Once more you realize that you are not praying, listening, or connecting to God in any way.   Frustrated that you were not praying or listening to God, you leave your quiet time early so you can at least get something done.  

 Oh yes, another devotional time ruined by an invasion of the prayer snatchers.  Although the prayer snatchers have invaded Christian minds for centuries,[i] the American way of life leaves us particularly vulnerable to an invasion of these life-draining aliens.  We want to listen to God and when we actually carve out some time to connect with Him, thoughts, alien to God and the purpose at hand, invade our heads and take our prayer time captive. Our devotional “time out” may have started well as God spoke to us through our Bible reading, but before God could elaborate and clarify what this word meant for our lives we are thinking about finding that lost credit card bill! With a short attention span, these prayer snatchers invade our mind and distract us from hearing God’s voice. 

 How do we turn the invasion back?  Prevention through a good defense is probably the best answer.  Actively trying to cultivate a regular Sabbath time as written about in the previous post acclimatizes our minds to being open for an extended period of time.  It is harder for the prayer snatcher to invade when our minds are in the habit of focusing on God.  This habit doesn’t develop if we give up on a time out because we were invaded the first several times we tried. No, habits take a while to develop and eventually the invasions become more infrequent (However, these prayer snatchers are a tricky sort so we are always susceptible to a surprise attack).

Meditation is a helpful discipline to train our minds to have a longer attention span.  I don’t mean emptying your mind in an eastern religious sense, but readying your mind to receive what God may say to you.  Meditation is intentionally focusing your mind to train your attention span. Meditating on a scripture, promise, or attribute of God to get your mind accustomed to extended focus may be helpful. Meditation may starts out feeling very unnatural-like an extended forced thinking.  With practice you may develop a general ability to open your mind to God for an extended period of time. As with all habits, building up an acute and extended focus through practicing meditation takes time.  This focus is also a means to an end.  I know many non-believers who can focus their minds on the word “Ohm” for hours.  They may have more attention span and more ability to focus than most people, but they do not have more of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Meditation in a Christian sense builds our minds’ defenses against the thought invasions and towards extended focus on God. 

Another preventive measure is using your short attention span and thirst for novelty to help instead of hinder.  Go to a new or inspiring place for a time out.  For instance, after going three straight weeks to my waterfall I went to a scenic lookout. The overlook impressed me with the power and transcendence of God.  Another time, I may go into my room and be impressed with the closeness and intimacy of God.  I also like to read a chapter of a Christian book or listen to a podcast during my time out so that I can get a fresh perspective as God speaks through a fellow believer.  By trying new places or things in our quiet times we are attempting to walk up to the river anew so we can hear the water as we did at first. Of course I don’t mean new in a heretical sense, I mean new as in looking at the same diamond from a different angle. The market research gurus tell us that attention spans are slightly longer for new things.  We can focus on God longer, and prevent the invasion of the prayer snatchers, if we shake away from the same old routine.  This change up may entail not journaling for a while because it has become ritual.  We may need to fast to break free from our routine or pray with someone as part of our time out. “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” and that is why sometimes we need to trick our flesh. When we break free from our routine, it is harder for the prayer snatchers to invade and easier to keep our focus on God. 

 What is one to do in the middle of an invasion? Is there any way to turn back these pernicious thoughts once the invasion starts? A method that works for me (recommended by Richard Foster)[ii] is lifting up the invading thoughts to God. Here’s how it works:  You are praying or listening for God and you start thinking about that credit card bill.  As soon as you realize that you are being invaded, turn the invasion over to God.  Pray about what you are thinking or feeling.  Your prayer may sound something like this: “God, I keep thinking about this bill.  I know my finances are in your hand.  Help me to find this bill and turn over the problem to you. Take this thought from my mind and hold it for now.  Bring it back when I can deal with it effectively.  As for now speak because your servant is listening.”  

You have engaged the invading thought. You have lifted it up to God, and now you are ready for whatever comes next. This method is effective for several reasons. Because you have actually engaged the thought, it doesn’t just keep banging on the door in the background of your mind. However, aliens in your house are very distracting if they stay; so you ask for God’s help in dealing with the problem. Not only does lifting the thought up to God keep your focus on God, but it actually asks God to bring His power to bear on the problem.  Lastly, this method leaves us open to more possibilities. Perhaps God is the one bringing this thought into your head.  He often speaks to me in this manner. If you give an invading thought to God to hold and He keeps returning it to you, perhaps He is speaking to you.  If you continue to be invaded by credit card thoughts, then meditate on that thought.  Ask God what about the bill is really getting you worried.  Is the bill itself the issue or finances as a whole?  Perhaps God brought the invading thought as a goad to speak to you about the larger issue.  Perhaps He wants to guide you in that area.  By lifting up the invading prayer snatcher to God, you can discern if the thought is a distraction or if it comes in peace (or from the Prince of Peace to be exact). 

 What frustrates us all is when we actually show discipline in our life and carve out a Sabbath time, or monkishly practice God’s presence, or journal, and that time out gets invaded and wasted on thoughts alien to our God connection.  We are not helpless, however.  We can build up our defenses to prevent the invasion of our time outs, and we can call in God’s heavy artillery.  Whatever method we decide to employ is a means to an end–hearing God’s still small voice.  Instead of invasion, we will enjoy a time when God’s voice is just as clear and soothing as when we first walked up to that cascade of living water.        

Questions to Ponder

How often do the prayer snatchers invade your quite time? 

Can you identify certain situations that invite invasion?

How do you think you could best train your mind to prevent invasion and stay open to God?

Invasion of the Prayer Snatchers-Endnotes

[i] William of St. Thierry, The Golden Epistle, trans. by Theodore Berkeley(Kalamazoo, MI.: Cistercian Publications, 1980) p. 34.

[ii] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1988) p30.