Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks

 How Matthew describes Jesus' Ministry

"A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out...in His name the nations will put their hope (Matthew 12:20-21).

And when Matthew specifically links these words back to Isaiah's description of the Messiah in Isaiah 42:3 -- written 700 years before -- he directly connects Jesus as God's promised Messiah, our Rescuer and Redeemer!

What is weaker than a bruised reed or a smoldering wick?

A reed growing in a marshland -- let a small bird land on it and it snaps! Every breeze that blows moves it to and fro, a tiny creature scurries around it and it is bruised and broken. It is hard to find a more fragile part of Gods creation!

And a smoldering wick? There is a tiny spark left in it, but it is almost smothered. Even a baby's breath can blow it completely out. A single tear drop will end it forever.

Some of God's children are made strong to do mighty work for Him. He has His Samsons here and there who can pull up Gaza's gates and carry them to the top of the hill. And His Moseses who can lead His people 40 years across the treacherous wilderness!

But most of His people are a timid, trembling group. They are like starlings, frightened at every sound -- a fearful flock of defenseless sheep! Their frail craft bounces along every wave, barely surviving, threatening to sink very moment. Weak things without strength, wisdom and foresight. Yet, weak as they are, and because they are weak, God made this promise to them!

This is grace and goodness. Here is love and kindness A picture of the compassion of Jesus -- so gentle and tender. We never have to fear a harsh word from Him or shrink back  from His angry touch -- those nail-scarred hands caress us with love.

Bruised reeds receive no blows from Him, and smoldering wicks are not attacked in His anger.

Our joyful song, every day, is:

"I am weak,. but Thou art strong...I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk, let me walk, close to Thee"!

STICK CLOSE TODAY!

Waiting for a Do-Over?

  

                                                    Waiting for a Do-Over?

What Isaiah tells us:

"This is what the LORD says -- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the seas.'"

--Isaiah 48:17-18

IF ONLY...Why didn't I?...How I wish I had paid attention...

No, we don't get do-overs. So I can't go back and change anything. I can't redo the past.

But God in His amazing grace allows us to begin anew today, to start fresh and new, with a clean slate and softly tender heart and conscience.

A successful Christian life is a series of 'starting over agains.'

Remember 1 John 1:9 -- 'If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'

Over and over again!

So we can always have a clean slate!

Actually, isn't that a lot better than having do-overs?

A Very Dark Chapter

 

I just read what I think is the darkest chapter of the Bible - Genesis 38.

Judah, the 4th son of Jacob, and Tamar, his daughter-in-law, are the main characters.

Life is messy, but sin makes it even messier. The record of Judah and Tamar is a complex narrative of failure, depravity and deceit, but, ultimately, redemption. Their story is of brokenness an ungodly behavior, yet, unknown to them, a part of a larger tapestry God was weaving. From Judah's deceitful union with Tamar, was born Perez, an ancestor of King David, and, later, our Savior, Jesus Christ!

It's part of that battle between good and evil that God prophesied to Eve, back in Genesis 3:15, when He told her one of her descendants would someday destroy Satan and all his evil works. (That's why Jesus came - see 1 John 3:8)

This messy story demonstrates that God can bring about His redemptive purpose, even through our flawed and sinful actions.  And it reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace and redemption. This record is not an attempt to excuse sin, but a reason to trust in Him to bring salvation and His glory, in spite of our sin.

As Joseph said to his cruel brothers "you meant to harm me, but God turned it to good" (Genesis 50:20)

One of my professors, an atheist, read the Old Testament and considered it reliable history. Why? Because our God didn't try to cover His peoples' wrong-doing, but painted them accurately, warts and all!

And there are a lot of warts in this story! (And lots in my story, too!)

Praise God none of us are out of reach of His grace!

And praise God He thought we were worth the price!

Following the Ark - Psalm 132

            Following the Ark - Psalm 132 


I'm back at Psalm 132. Thinking about those pilgrims, joyfully climbing that winding, upward trail to Jerusalem. Calling back and forth to each other with praises and thanksgiving to God. Focusing on how God answered their prayers abundantly, by promising them even more than they requested.

They would have been following the journey of the Ark of the Covenant as it was brought up to Jerusalem at the time of King David.

Verses 6-9 talk about that journey. It is of great historical significance. Remember when David originally tried to bring up the Ark?

He took 30,000 men to retrieve it. (It had been captured by the Philistines during the time of Eli and apparently no one searched for it, or maybe even thought about it, until David became King. Israel had lost 30,000 men in the battle with the Philistines when the Ark was taken [1 Samuel 4 gives us the story].The Ark didn't turn out to be valuable booty for the Philistines. In fact, it caused all kinds of trouble. So they brought it to a village in Israel and asked the Jews to come take it back! And then for 20 years it remained in one of their fields.)

When David arranged to have the Ark transported he gathered a corp of 30,000 soldiers to make the trip. They placed the Ark on a "new cart" (2 Sam. 6). We can't help but wonder why it was placed on a cart. Were the poles missing? God's instructions were clear -- place the poles through the rings on the Ark and carry it that way.

The Israelites were celebrating -- singing and playing harps and lyres and tambourines and cymbals. They began their journey. Then the predictable thing happened: the oxen stumbled, and the Ark tottered on the cart. Uzzah reached out to steady it. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah and God struck him down.

Why did God do that? Well, why did the Iaraelites trivialize the transportation of the Ark? God had told them how He wanted it carried. They ignored His commands.


It was not dirt that would contaminate the Ark. It could have fallen in a great trash heap and not be defiled. It was human touch that contaminated the Ark.

David became angry at God and left it in the field of Obed-Edom. "How can the Ark of God ever come to me?" he asked. It stayed there for 3 months with Obed-Edom and "the LORD blessed him and his entire household."

Then in I Chronicles 15 we read how David figured it all out. He prepared a place for God's Ark in Jerusalem and arranged for the Levites to carry it up from Obed-Edom's land, "with poles on their shoulders as Moses had commanded with the word of the LORD." And "David told the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals."

Kenaniah, the head of the Levites, was in charge of the singing, "because he was skillful at it." And there were trumpets and ram's horns blowing and everyone shouting and cheering!

Wow...what a festival! What a parade!

And David, dressed in fine linen, as were the Levites and the choirs, danced and shouted with joy as he, too, joined in the procession.

C. S. Lewis talks about this wonderful scene:

David danced before the Ark. He danced with such abandon that one of his wives thought he was making a fool of himself. He didn't care whether he as making a fool of himself or not. He was rejoicing in the Lord! The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance.

In the Psalms I find an experience fully God-centered, asking of God no gift more urgently than His presence, the gift of Himself, joyous to the highest degree.

The exuberant pilgrims in Psalm 132 remind us that we have even more reason to rejoice than they did! They anticipated what Christ would accomplish. But we are the recipients!

What brings God delight?

                                       What Brings God Delight?

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.  

Micah 7:18-19

These words linger on and in my heart these days. Almost like a sticky note attached to my mind - and I am so grateful for these
"sticky notes from God our Father"!

What He is reminding me is that He doesn't extend mercy grudgingly, as a stingy miser might, out of his own meager supply. God "delights" to give us His mercy! It gives Him pleasure! And it comes from His unlimited abundance!

No wonder non-believers find it difficult to believe in and accept this God! He LOVES us, and so He LOVES to pardon and forgive.

It does seem like a crazy story - who would make up a religion like this? After years of studying evolution and anthropology, (with its teaching that all religions are man-made) this is why I came back to believing in the God of our Bible - it's such a crazy story - no one would make it up - and so it must be true!

C. S. Lewis said sort of the same thing - As an adult, he turned from atheism to theism and then to Christianity - not because of some vague belief in an "intelligent designer" but because of the God proclaimed in the Bible - "I believe, not just in any god, but in this God!" he said.

Then I notice what He does with our sins - He hurls them into the depths of the sea - He doesn't just drop them overboard in a lake or shallow pond --  He hurls them - away from His presence forever!
Someone has said: And then He puts up a 'no fishing' sign - telling us we can't go back and retrieve them - they are gone FOREVER - and we must understand that and not bring them up again! He doesn't, so why should we?