Tag: spiritual life

Selective Memory (Psalm 25:1-10)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
    do not let me be put to shame;
    do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
    let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right
    and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. (New Revised Standard Version)

I admit there are things from my past I am neither proud of nor happy about. Yet, I give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord God Almighty because of divine selective memory. 

“I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”

God (Jeremiah 31:34, NRSV)

God remembers according to the divine nature and God’s character of merciful grace and steadfast love. I’m glad the Lord doesn’t act based upon the stupid sins of my younger yesteryear. God freely chooses to forgive and has made the means available for us to experience daily cleansing and victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Memory is a major theme in the Old Testament. The importance of remembering pops up again and again throughout Holy Scripture. The way in which our minds and hearts remember past events is of great spiritual significance. 

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:15, NRSV)

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus (Matthew 28:20b, NRSV)

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. (2 Timothy 2:8-9, NRSV)

We are not to keep dwelling upon and remembering the former indiscretions of ourselves or others. To continue ruminating on a foolish decision or a poor choice only erodes our ability for resilience and perseverance.

The fact of the matter is that God does not hold those past regrets over our heads, and so, neither are we to do it. Forgiveness isn’t only for others; it’s meant to be directed to ourselves, as well. The ability to forgive enables us to leave the past in the past, without belching it up every day and chewing on it, like a cow with her cud.

Sometimes we are prone to remember the things we ought to forget, and forget those things we really should remember. Before us and in our minds continually is to remember the great works of God, especially in redemption. 

Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14, NRSV)

What we have done or failed to do, and what has happened to us in the past, is not the real problem; the most prescient issue right now is how you and I interpret those past events.

Today we can choose to remember the way God remembers. The health of all our relationships is dependent on this ability. Everyone on planet earth encounters difficult people, challenging relationships, obnoxious neighbors, and hurtful family members. Paying attention to our memory and how we choose to remember can be a significant part of interacting with others. 

I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him. (Ephesians 1:16-17, NRSV)

If we like it that God has shown grace to us, then the least we can do is let that same grace flow from us to others – and to ourselves – we who neither deserve it, nor expect it. 

Let’s give thanks to the Lord, for God is good in forgiving sin and showing infinite mercy. And let’s express our gratitude through selfless words and acts of grace which reflect the nature of God.

Gracious God, you do not hold grudges; you always act according to your own loving character. Even though you could have condemned me, you saved me. Despite the fact that I have fallen short of your glory, you delivered me. I today remember your mighty redemptive deeds accomplished in your Son, my Lord, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. To you, blessed Holy Trinity, I give my abiding praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

What Do You Value? (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Sermon on the Mount, by Beryl Lewis (1939-2021)

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you….

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (New International Version)

Spiritual Disciplines

In Christ’s day, there were three spiritual disciplines that were especially important: giving, prayer, and fasting. For the Jewish faithful, these three practices were meant to work together in helping them to know God and serve others. 

Yet, over time, although the disciplines were maintained, they were observed for all the wrong reasons. Jesus was concerned to communicate that not only are people to do the right thing, but that they do the right things for the right reasons.

To do any less, is to be a hypocrite who maintains an outward form of religion, but is inwardly motivated by the praise and recognition of others. Such a person is, in reality, far from God. 

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent on the Christian Calendar. This season is a time devoted to spiritual disciplines, especially fasting.

Fasting

Those who truly hunger and thirst for righteousness take the time eat spiritual food in order to pursue God and seek right relationships in this world. It’s not a matter if we fast, but when.

The Bible has a great deal to say about fasting:

  • Fasting is a sign of humility and brokenness before God in recognizing both personal and corporate guilt. (1 Samuel 7:2-6)
  • Fasting is a means of preparation for ministry. Jesus used fasting in the desert as preparation for his ministry, and to face down the devil (Matthew 4:1-2). And the apostles fasted when seeking God’s direction about a new ministry. (Acts 13:2-3)
  • Fasting is meant to connect with God and serve others; and not to simply go through the motions. (Isaiah 58:3-7)

Therefore, fasting is a time to get in touch with God, to know the divine will, and then to do it. 

God doesn’t operate on a point system. If we only go through the motions of a spiritual discipline, or do it so that others will notice that I am doing my duty, then we have come under the condemnation of Jesus and are proved as hypocrites.

True fasting in an outward practice reflecting an inner attitude of heart; it’s an expression of devotion in order to connect with God and do good works of service to others.

Framing the topic another way: Why don’t we fast? Because it’s culturally okay not to? Because nobody cares whether I do, or don’t?

The spiritual disciplines of giving, praying, fasting, and other Christian practices have changed my life because they are a vital means of connecting with God and engaging the world.

A farmer disciplines himself to plow, plant, and cultivate – not because he wants to impress others (“Y’all see my big ol’ tractor and my implements!?”) but so that he will receive the reward of reaping a harvest at the proper time. 

So, we also, can engage in spiritual disciplines, like fasting, in order to see a harvest of righteousness.

Earthly vs. Heavenly Treasure

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. What are earthly treasures? It’s stuff, money, possessions, as well as control, power, position, and recognition from others.

You may rightly ask, “Is this really, in and of itself, wrong?” No, it’s not. The real question is not whether we possess earthly treasure (because we all do) but rather:

Do I use my earthly treasure to build heavenly treasure? Do I hoard earthly treasure for my own purposes apart from Christ’s kingdom values?

Jesus once illustrated the difference:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’  “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”(Luke 12:13-21, NIV)

Again, earthly possessions are tools to be used; and not for accumulating personal wealth, esteem, and success for the sake of security in money. Rather, everything the Christian has is for the advancement of God’s kingdom values. 

Why do this? Because earthly treasure is temporary, and heavenly treasure is permanent. 

Is what you are pursuing today really going to matter in 50 billion millennia?

Heavenly treasure is righteousness as defined by Jesus: right relationships with both God and other humans.  Humility, peace, grace, mercy, purity, forgiveness are all relational values. The only thing that we will take with us when we die is relationships.

If I am genuinely committed to God’s kingdom, my most cherished values will be established by God. 

Our real values consume our thoughts and our efforts; what is in our hearts directs our work. And our ultimate values derive from how we perceive our identity. 

For a great many Americans, the primary noun that characterizes and defines us is not American Christians, not American citizens, not American workers; we are known primarily as American Consumers. 

Jesus is not necessarily advocating that we take vows of poverty, or that we ought not to enjoy the good things we have; what he is asking of us is to make a decision where your loyalty is placed.

Spiritual disciplines such as fasting help us to maintain our most cherished values, to see them clearly, and to choose wisely based upon those values.

May it be so, to the glory of God. Amen.

Make Good Choices (1 Kings 14:1-8)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.” So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh.

Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”

So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.

“‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

“As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.

“The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen. And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles. And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah. (New International Version)

The prophet Ahijah and the wife of Jeroboam, 1853

It’s a sad reality that whenever we make choices to live against the grain of who are meant to be as humans, we not only harm ourselves, but other people also end up as collateral damage. Our own individual decisions may be independent, but the ramifications of those choices are always interdependent in scope and complexity.

The very same prophet who prophesied the rise of Jeroboam and his reign also prophesied his calamitous ending. Along with the establishment of a monarchy in Israel, there was also an ascension of divine prophets to the royal kings whenever things were going awry.

The prophet Ahijah had let King Jeroboam know, at the outset of his reign, that his longevity would depend upon his own faithfulness and attentiveness to God’s law (1 Kings 11:38). But Jeroboam failed to do this, and it doomed him and his family. The immediate death of Jeroboam’s young son was the confirmation of the divine judgment that would eventually come.

It behooves us all to consider the Apostle Paul’s words concerning fidelity toward God and our decisions as persons:

Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant. Those who plant only for their own benefit will harvest devastation from their selfishness, but those who plant for the benefit of the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up. So then, let’s work for the good of all whenever we have an opportunity, and especially for those in the household of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10, CEB)

Jeroboam turned his back on God, in favor of going with his own ingenuity and pragmatic actions to secure his rule and reign in Israel. No matter who we are – whether king or commoner, rich or poor – it is our personal and collective responsibility to ensure that sound, wise, and good decisions are being made with an eye toward the benefit of all persons.

This then, begs the question: What are our priorities and practices?

Prophetic utterances in Holy Scripture typically center in human arrogance and mistreatment of other people. And this is why following the commands of God are to be supremely important to the believer – because the instructions given to humanity from the Lord are meant for humility and justice toward others.

I believe that if we seek to live into the spirit of God’s law, we will continually labor to make good choices for the common good of everyone. Important social, economic, and political policies and practices won’t just spring up from nowhere to benefit humanity; they must be intentionally cultivated by people who make it a priority to pay attention to such matters and follow through with the right, the just, and the good.

Let’s persevere in doing good; and not succumb to the pragmatic, just to get something done that we want.

Almighty God our heavenly Father, you declare your glory and show forth your handiwork in the heavens and in the earth: Deliver us in our various occupations from the service of self alone, that we may do the work you give us to do in truth and beauty and for the common good; for the sake of him who came among us as one who serves, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

From Good to Bad (1 Kings 11:26-40)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.

Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the terraces and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph.

About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:

“‘See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes. But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.

“‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes. I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. 

“However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’”

Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death. (New International Version)

The prophet Ahijah speaking to the future king, Jeroboam, by Gerard Hoet, 1728

The Good and the Bad

People were originally created by a good God for the purpose of goodness. After forming the first people, Adam and Eve, God looked at humanity and said that it was “very good.” (Genesis 1:26-28, 31)

Yet, even though we all have been created good, that which is bad entered the world by means of the devil. And ever since that time, people in every era have struggled between their inherent design and their innate desires for something different. (Genesis 3:1-20)

Even King Solomon, with all of his great and God-given wisdom, eventually drifted into the bad. He succumbed to allowing other gods to come alongside the worship of the One true God. And there were consequences to those choices.

Recovering the Word “Sin”

“Sin” is a word that isn’t much used anymore. On the one hand, this is okay since the term has been much abused by many a misguided preacher. Yet, on the other hand, it’s a word which needs to be recovered, so that we will learn to avoid the bad and live into our good as image-bearers of God.

As the head of all Israel and Judah, Solomon had a grand kingdom. His father, David, was a man after God’s own heart. So, God established a covenant with David that there would always be one of his descendants on the throne. Solomon followed in his father’s footsteps and expanded the borders of Israel, bringing a level of prosperity and wealth never seen before or since.

And yet, either despite or because of Solomon’s wild success, bits of disobedience began to occur. Perhaps Solomon simply rested on his own laurels; or maybe he could not envision anything other than ongoing abundance. But for whatever reason, King Solomon started gravitating toward having more than he needed and ignored the instructions given to the people by God:

The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. (Deuteronomy 17:16-17, NIV)

And that is precisely what happened. Solomon had 700 wives (women of royal birth) and 300 concubines (women of common origin). And all those women served a variety of gods in a cornucopia of religious practices – some of which were downright inhumane and unjust. (1 Kings 11:1-13)

None of us are immune from falling into the guilt and shame of disobedient sin. For Solomon, this had the consequence of having the kingship almost completely ripped from his descendants to another man’s, Jeroboam.

Individuals, institutions, and nations have the potential for both great good, as well as heinous evil. When anyone begins to be concerned only for themselves and rests on their success, instead of the Lord, they have set up themselves for a collapse through the displeasure of God.

Stories of people who topple into sin are all close to the same – having some power, they use it to assert control over another person or group to obtain whatever they want. King Solomon violated God’s law. Not only that, but when he saw his control threatened, he sought to kill Jeroboam. Perhaps Solomon thought he was above all this, and believed he could do whatever he wanted. But he couldn’t.

Sin causes us to sell-out our principles 

Sin only begets more sin until we deal with it. Sin will always distort the truth so that we minimize the impact of our words, choices, and actions. Truth celebrates openness and honesty; sin seeks the shadows and prizes secrecy. 

The first step to dealing with sin is not to minimize it, ignore it, or pretend it isn’t a big deal. If we do not go down this path of truth, then we will be forever encrusting our lives with ways of ensuring that no one ever knows the sinful secrets. 

In fact, much of religious legalism is nothing more than a person piling on the rules in order for others to not see the sin that hides deep within. In Christianity, turning from the sin and receiving the grace of forgiveness in Jesus Christ is the true and real path to spiritual wholeness, happiness, and success in life.

Results that satisfy us do not necessarily satisfy God

Solomon accomplished what he wanted – some of it very good, and some of it very bad. The good was celebrated, and the bad was covered up. Yet, God sees all of it, celebrating with us the good, but not going with us down the path of self-indulgent sin.

We cannot simply assume that because we do something, and there was no immediate lightning strike, that it was okay. It does not matter if it happened yesterday, last month, or twenty years ago. If we did not deal with the sin, God is not satisfied because he wants to dispense grace; love and a flourishing soul cannot happen if we keep putting things out-of-sight out-of-mind. To only satisfy ourselves is being a spiritual cannibal who eats other people alive.

Outward success and abundance means little to God if the inward state leadership is a vacuous soul, bereft of authentic spiritual connection, with no determination toward God’s intentions for a particular course of action. 

Sin is not something to simply be managed; it is to be put to death through the cross of Christ, and applied to life through intentional spiritual practices meant to genuinely connect with God. 

For the Christian, to do less is to wander into a morass of consequences that damage others, not to mention harming ourselves. So, let us do the work of soul care so that the common good of all will thrive in the grace of God in Christ.

God, you have given all peoples one common origin.
It is your will that they be gathered together
as one family in yourself.
Fill the hearts of mankind with the fire of your love
and with the desire to ensure justice for all.
By sharing the good things you give us,
may we secure an equality for all
our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
May there be an end to division, strife and war.
May there be a dawning of a truly human society
built on love and peace.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.