God's Will

After working amidst high school and college students for years, I have realized how deeply we all want to know the answer to one simple question:  What is God’s will for my life?

But it’s not just high school students asking for God’s will about which college to go to.  It’s also about single people of any age wondering who God wants them to marry.  It’s about graduates (and those who have been in the work force for years) pondering what job God wants them to take and where in the world God wants them to live.  It’s about older adults nearing retirement trying to figure out what God wants for them next.  Big life decisions don’t stop after you choose your college major.  In fact, they just seem to grow in number and magnitude. J

I felt like I had a pretty good answer for anyone who asked me about finding God’s will.  As had been shown to me, I directed people to some of the verses in the Bible that specifically state what God’s will is

B.A.G.S.

Believe – John 6:40

Abstain – I Thessalonians 4:3

Give thanks – I Thessalonians 5:18

Submit & do good – I Peter 2:13-15.

If we follow what God asks us to do in the simple things, our hearts will be in the right place and we won’t miss the direction He wants to lead us.

I still agree with what I would have said.  But in these past few weeks, God has been reminding me that I have much more to learn. 

You see, here’s my issue.  I believe all of that.  But if God doesn’t show me on my time table…I start to stress out and worry.  Whenever I think about any decision, I often just say, “God, I really just want to do what you want.  If you show me clearly – I’ll do it!” 

The desire to do God’s will is not wrong.  However, by asking God for neon signs in the sky (yep, I did that…a few times J) I have been skipping over the process and just asking for the product.

I want an answer without any transformation.

It has taken thoughts from Elisabeth Elliot, the story of Abraham, Kevin DeYoung, and Rex Trogdon to remind me of the truth:  God doesn’t want me to just ask questions about His will; He wants me to KNOW Him.  In knowing Him, I will become more like Him.  And then His will will not be elusive. 

So, in case you’re like me and need a reminder of the truth, please allow me the privilege of sharing a little bit of what God has taught me in the past few weeks.  (Okay, maybe a lot a bit.  I’ve never been accused of having too few words. J)

From Elisabeth Elliot & Abraham

A few weeks ago, the world remembered the 60^th anniversary of the deaths of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Ed McCulley, and Roger Youderian.  They risked everything to tell the Auca and Waodoni people of Ecuador about Jesus.

In commemoration of that event, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth re-aired a talk that Elisabeth Elliot (Jim’s wife) gave to a group of college students about endurance.  She asked three main questions: 

What do you live for?

How do you get it?

Is it worth it?

You should definitely listen to the whole talk if you have a chance, to learn about the term “Yunga” and the A.U.G. degree Jim Elliot desperately wanted to have.  It’s a convicting message.

Elisabeth used examples of men who considered knowing Christ and obedience to Christ as a higher call than anything else.  She spoke of her husband, Jim Elliot.  She remembered Eric Liddell, the Olympic gold medalist.  And she also spoke of Abraham in the Bible.  She noted that Abraham was asked by God to do a hard thing – to offer up his son, Isaac.  Elisabeth points out that the Bible never says, “Abraham struggled.”  He just rose early in the morning and did what God asked.  As she stated:

“Sometimes ‘struggling’ is a nice word for postponed obedience.”

Abraham has come up many times since then in my personal Bible study.  Here are some of the things that I’ve learned:

1.       Abraham was characterized by immediate obedience, whether or not he fully understood.

a.       Genesis 12:  God asked Abraham to “leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” 

                                                               i.      Umm…where?  I would want a little more direction. 

                                                             ii.      But verse 4 says, “So, Abram left…”

b.      Genesis 17:  God asked Abraham to circumcise the males in his household as a sign of the covenant between them.

                                                               i.      Umm…ow?  There was no mistaking this command.  I might have wanted to postpone something painful like this.

                                                             ii.      But verse 23 says, “On that very day Abraham…circumcised them, as God had told him.” 

c.       Genesis 22:  God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son.  His promised son.  The one he had waited for.

                                                               i.      Umm...seriously?  After waiting YEARS for that promise to be fulfilled?

                                                             ii.      But verse 3 says, “Early the next morning, Abraham got up and saddled his donkey…”

2.       The process of obedience purified Abraham’s faith.

a.       Abraham wasn’t perfect.  He messed up royally, like many people in the Bible.  But when God told him that He would do something, Abraham believed.  He even believed that the sacrifice of his son would not stop God from fulfilling His promises (Hebrews 11:17-19).

b.      A.W. Tozer had another take on this story in his book, The Pursuit of God, “…God let the suffering old man [Abraham] go through with it [sacrificing Isaac] up to the point where he knew there would be no retreat, and then forbade him to lay a hand on the boy.  To the wondering patriarch he now says in effect, ‘It’s alright Abraham.  I never intended that you should actually slay the lad.  I only wanted to remove him from the temple of your heart that I might reign unchallenged there.  I wanted to correct the perversion that existed in your love…’”

c.       God used tests to “sift” Abraham’s heart and show Abraham what was most important.  Those tests helped him correct what was wrong in his loves.  And after the test on the mountain, Abraham wasn’t bitter at God.  He was thankful, and called the mountain “The Lord Will Provide.”

From Kevin DeYoung

A friend of mine (thanks, Jen!) lent me a book called Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung.  It’s great.  Here are some of my favorite quotes:

• “Obsessing over the future is not how God wants us to live, because showing us the future is not God’s way.  His way is to speak to us in the Scriptures and transform us by the renewing of our minds.  His way is not a crystal ball.  His way is wisdom…We should start looking to God – His character and His promises – and thereby have confidence to take risks for His name’s sake” (p. 41).
• “Wisdom is the difference between knowing a world-class biologist who can write your papers for you and studying under a world-class biologist so that you can write the kind of papers he would write.  Too many of us want God to be the world-class scholar who will write our papers and live our lives for us, when God wants us to sit at His feet and read His word so that we can live a life in the image of His Son.  God doesn’t tell us the future for this simple, yet profound reason:  We become what we behold.  God wants us to behold Him in His glory so that we can be transformed into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).  If God figured out everything for us, we wouldn’t need to focus on Him and learn to delight in His glory.  God says, ‘I’m not giving you a crystal ball.  I’m giving you my Word.  Meditate on it; see Me in it; and become like Me” (p. 93-94).

From Rex Trogdon

And just yesterday, as I was biking at the gym, I read from Rex Trogdon’s book, He Touched Me.  It seemed to pull everything together I’d been learning the past few weeks.

“Now, wait just a minute, you say.  You mean God’s will is more about how I live than where I live?  That is right.  God’s will guarantees us the best plan for our lives:

• Eternally – Salvation (John 1:13, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9)
• Outwardly – Sanctification (1 Thess 4:3) and how to suffer – for doing good and not evil (1 Peter 3:17)
• Inwardly – Thanksgiving (1 Thess 5:16-18)

…Do you want to know God’s will for your life?  You’ll find it in God’s word” (p.34-36).

Conclusion?

As I mentioned before, I will doubtless encounter the question of “What is God’s will?” again in my life.  I will either be asked for advice on it or have to process through it myself in a decision.

But as I knew before, God has some very specific things in His Word, the Bible, in which He asks me to be obedient. 

And then, there are things He doesn’t address in His Word.  Like…what college to go to, who to marry, what job to have, and where to live. 

For those “non-moral” decisions, God has reminded me that the best thing I can do is spend time with Him.  Read His Word.  Pray. 

And as I become more like Him because I have spent so much time “beholding Him”, I can step out and do something without second guessing my every move.  (and not end up like the fictional Walter Houston. J)

Isn’t it refreshing to know that God’s will is not as complicated as we make it? 

Let’s just spend time with Him.

Jesus is the Lamb (Christmas post #5)

Lamb (noun):  the young of a sheep; a person, especially a child, who is innocent, meek, good

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Okay.  That lamb is super cute, right?  It just makes you say, "Awwww!" 

So how can something that looks like that be a picture of Jesus, the all-powerful God?

Let’s just go through a couple of verses, spanning from Genesis (the first book in the Bible) to Revelation (the last book).   I think the beauty of this picture will be evident.

Genesis 22:8  “God himself will provide the lamb…”

God told Abraham to give up His only son (Isaac) as a sacrifice in Genesis 22.  We are told that God was using this to test Abraham, to see if he was willing to give up what he loved most in this world.  Abraham willingly took Isaac to a mountain…and on the way, Isaac asked where the lamb for the burnt offering was.  Abraham replied, “God Himself will provide the lamb.”  And when they got to the top of the mountain, God stopped Abraham, saying “Do not lay a hand on the boy.  Do not do anything to him.  Now I know that you fear God, for you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”  God then provided a ram for a burnt offering, and Abraham named that mountain:  The LORD Will Provide.  And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.’ (Gen 22:14). 

But we are still left waiting for the Lamb.

Exodus 12:21  “…and slaughter the Passover lamb..”

Many years after Abraham, the people of Israel live in the land of Egypt, where they are slaves.  God performs miraculous signs and wonders to demonstrate that He is the God they should follow, and then asks them to celebrate the Passover.  The Passover is a special meal of remembrance, sacrifice, and prophecy all in one.  Jewish families had to slaughter a one-year old lamb without defect (a perfect lamb), and wipe the blood on the top and sides of the doorpost of their house.  If they did so, then the angel of death would “pass over” them.  “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.  No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Ex 12:13).

The blood of a perfect, innocent lamb saved the lives of the Jews and provided a means of rescue from slavery.

Isaiah 53:7  “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.”

The prophet Isaiah penned his 53^rd chapter many years after the Passover, and many years before the birth of Jesus Christ.  Some estimate he wrote this around 700 BC.  In it, God inspired Isaiah to write a description of the Messiah, the suffering servant.  It was told that the Messiah would be a lamb, one “cut off from the land of the living”, stricken “for the transgression of my people” (Isa 53:8).  We are told that it was the Lord’s will to “crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong His days” (53:10).  The Messiah was said to be coming to “bear the sin of many and make intercession for the transgressors” (53:12). 

The blood of a perfect, innocent man will save the lives of many and provide a means of rescue from punishment.

John 1:29  “The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”

At the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus was immediately referred to as “the Lamb of God.”

Luke 22:7  “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.”

Jesus came to Jerusalem during the Passover feast, knowing that that was the time He would be crucified on a cross.  He celebrated the feast of Passover with His disciples, and throughout the meal, He switches the focus from the Passover meal to Himself, breaking bread and saying, “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me” and passing the cup, saying “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Jesus said some pretty crazy things to the disciples throughout His time with them.  He claimed to be God in many ways – and on this day, he identified with the Passover lamb…the innocent one whose body and blood would provide a means of rescue.  His death on the cross was His sacrifice for us. 

***interestingly, some say that the same mountain on which Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb” was the place which Jesus was crucified…and we finally see the Lamb we were waiting for.

I Corinthians 5:7 “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

Throughout the rest of the Bible, the recognition that Jesus acted to fulfill that picture from so long ago is clear.  We even saw this verse in the previous post:

I Peter 1:19 ““For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 

Beautiful picture, right?  Jesus’s purpose on Earth was somewhat unmistakable.  He even told Pilate in John 18, “You are right in saying I am a king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of the truth listens to me.”

Jesus came to make God understandable (the Word).

Jesus came to bring hope in this dark world (the Light).

Jesus came to be crushed for the healing of many (the Worm).

Jesus came to be the Passover Lamb, to be the substitute for the punishment we deserve (the Lamb).

God’s word tells us that we all have done wrong (sinned) and fallen short of God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:23).  He tells us that what we deserve for our sinful rebellion against God, what our wages for that work are, is death (Romans 6:23).  We do not deserve to live in the presence of a Holy God for eternity.  We deserve to be separated from Him forever…and some people want that separation.  But God doesn’t want it.  He, because of His great love for us, demonstrated His love by sending Christ to die on the cross while we were sinners (Romans 5:8).  Christ took that punishment on our behalf…and it doesn’t need to be paid for twice.  If we confess with our mouths Jesus is Lord (that we want Him to be in control and over our lives) and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (because He not only paid for our sins…he conquered our sins!), then we will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Rescue plan complete.

All that’s waiting is for us to choose to receive the precious gift that Jesus offers us.

Because you see, Jesus is a gentleman.  He will not force Himself on us.  He loves us enough to let us choose whether or not we want to be with Him…whether or not we want to accept His mind-bogglingly free gift.

But even if we don’t accept it, someday with the rest of the world, we will be forced to recognize just who Jesus really is.

The book of Revelation is the last book of the Bible, filled with imagery of what will happen in the future.  It was written down by John, and in Revelation 5:1-6, he writes this about the throne room of heaven:

“Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’

But no one under heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.

Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep!  See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.  He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’”

And John looks, expecting to see a fierce conqueror, one like a Lion.  But he writes,

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain…”

He saw the Lamb. 

An unlikely conqueror (in our eyes).

Yet powerful and worthy of worship because He shed His blood.  As those who sang to Him said,

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)

Someday, all will join in bowing the knee to the Lamb who is worthy. 

It is my prayer that those I know and love take advantage of accepting this gift that’s offered – the best Christmas gift ever – the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

I want this so that not only will they be saved from the judgement they deserve, but that they will be able to be with Jesus forever!  He is SO Wonderful.

And, we will be able to worship and sing to the One who is worthy – and even join in this chorus at the end (and beginning) of all things:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!

…To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

Be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!”

Amen.

Jesus truly is the Reason for this Season. 

Merry Christmas :)

Jesus is...a Worm? (Christmas post #4)

It just feels wrong to write that statement.  Comparing Jesus to a worm.  Yuck.

Yet, if I really think about it…comparing God to a human might be just as bad.

Psalm 22 is what’s known as a Messianic psalm.  Jesus came as the Messiah, and on the cross actually quoted the first verse of Psalm 22, thereby claiming that whole Psalm for himself.  It’s full of prophecies that came true as Christ died on the cross.  But there is one part of it that is intriguing for me today:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?   

Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?   

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.   

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One, you are the praise of Israel.  

In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.   

They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.   

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.   

All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:   

‘He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him, since he delights in him.’” 

The word “worm” is the Hebrew word תּוֹלָע (towla’at), which is translated worm or crimson/scarlet in the 11 times it occurs in the Bible. (Exodus 28:5-6; 35:25, 39:3; Leviticus 14:4, 49; Numbers 4:8; 19:6; Psalm 22:6; Isaiah 44:14; Jonah 4:7)

Interestingly, this word is specific to a worm-like creature known as the crimson-grub, or Coccus ilicis (now called Kermes ilicis).  I’ve tried to find solid research on it (the internet can be full of non-information sometimes :))…but here’s what I’ve gathered.

1. The crimson-worm is found on oak trees (Quercus coccifera) near the Mediterranean.
2. Although the males are capable of flight, the females are not.  They lay their eggs on the oak tree, attach to it and form a small, red, round structure (about the size of a pea) to protect and surround the eggs.  
   
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3. When the eggs hatch, the worms feed on the living body of the mother.
4. People used to scrape the bodies of these female worms from the tree and grind it into powder to use for  red dye or medicine.
5. The value of this crushed insect was high.  It was sometimes part of a tribute paid to conquering Romans…and was even used at times to pay rent in the Middle Ages. This dye also traces back to the early Egyptians.

Whew.  Interesting!  There’s so much more information and many more connections that I found in the links below.  Again, I’m only posting the connections that I am certain of…I am sure there are more, but I need to find more legitimate sources. 

We can take away a few things, though:

Jesus, the Son of God, the one who is the Divine Expression (Word) of God the Father and the epitome of hope (Light) in this dark world, likens Himself to a worm whose greatest value is in being crushed.  When crushed, this worm emits a red dye which is used for healing.  It is valuable and precious, like I Peter 1:18-19 tells us Christ’s blood is:

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ…”

Jesus didn’t just come to be seen (Light) and heard (Word).  

He came to be crushed (Worm), so that through His blood we might be made right with God.

I Peter 1:19 ends with this:  “…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 

Ah.

The Lamb.

Tomorrow, on Christmas, let’s behold the Lamb – one of my absolute favorite pictures of who Christ is in the Bible.   

The baby whose birth we celebrate on Christmas morning came to give his life as a ransom for many…and the picture of a lamb is one of the fullest in its comparison.

Resources: Encyclopedia Britannica, Crimson or Scarlet Worm (Alpha Omega Institute), Gospel in a Bug, Project Noah, Online Dictionary, The Crimson Worm & the Cross, and Henry Morris talk.