Tag: trouble

Matthew 10:5-23 – Jesus the Troublemaker

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Jesus, 12th century Romanesque
A 12th century Romanesque depiction of Jesus

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town, and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (NIV)

How do you view Jesus? I trust it includes plenty of compassion. I hope your view of Jesus also encompasses taking on the establishment and causing trouble. “I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves,” said Jesus to his disciples. Well, my goodness, that sounds unsafe! Sometimes we might lose sight that Jesus is much less concerned about our sense of safety and security than we are. That doesn’t make Jesus uncaring; it just means he sometimes has a different hierarchy of values than we do. Those who follow Jesus will need to take his concerns and ideals into consideration.

Frankly, the Lord Jesus was often a troublemaker who continually agitated for change. And, what is more, he warned us about trouble in the world. It is not that Jesus was intentionally pressing everyone’s buttons; he was just being himself, and that sent a whole lot of people gnashing their teeth at him. Our Lord Christ got all up into people’s grill and confronted them with bold assertions about justice and righteousness taken at God’s terms, not ours.

Therefore, as Christ’s followers, we can expect opposition and trouble. We need to anticipate we are going to sometimes disrupt and upset relatives, co-workers, neighbors, and those around us. Please understand this is not about being intentionally obnoxious or callously abusive. In fact, what personally drives me batty are Christians who take stupidly stubborn stands on the wrong hills of life, thus hurting others and damaging the cause of Christ. We really must be vigilant if someone’s hackles are raised that it is not because of our own foolish words and actions based in notions which Jesus never espoused.

The model of our Lord Jesus is that he was simply himself – advocating for the lost, the least, and the lonely – challenging systems which kept people burdened, oppressed, and lacking justice. This is the kind of stuff God has always done throughout history. Those with power and privilege discern quickly that advocacy and agitation for systemic change is a threat to them. Thus, we find ourselves like little lambs in a den of wolves. By simply loving Jesus and seeking to follow him we are, at times, going to upset people – and that is okay. Facing trouble is not the worst thing to be experienced – to be separated from God is.

It is okay to rock the boat, shake the tree, upset the fruit basket, stir the pot, and make waves if you are doing it because you value the ethics and methods of Jesus. So, count the cost. Give your life away. In doing so, you will find it.

Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it: a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor; a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them; a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect; a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love. Give us the inspiration and courage to build it.

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the people of this land] that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Exodus 13:17-22 – The Presence of God

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

Pillar of Cloud and Fire

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” So, God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle. And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, “God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.” They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (NRSV)

From a human perspective, God makes a lot of nonsensical decisions in the Bible. Telling Noah to build a big boat in a place with no water; Abraham to leave everything, and later, to sacrifice his son; Moses to stroll into Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let the people go; and, the people to walk through a body of water without getting wet. Indeed, its as if God has an odd predilection for making weird requests of people.

Although today’s Old Testament story gives us a glimpse into God’s thinking, the people were not privy to that information. Yes, God’s people were experiencing an unbelievable exodus out of Egypt. Their wildest dreams could not have imagined such a reality as strolling out of slavery having seen not one but a string of miraculous wonders. Yet, God was not done with the miracle thing.

Although many people would really like to see a miracle happen in their lives, rarely do we think about the circumstances we might need face for that miracle to occur. God typically asks folks to do some outrageous-sounding things to set up the miracle.

An entire nation left Egypt with celebration only to be told to go in a misdirection toward the Promised Land, as if God were somehow geographically challenged. I can imagine that decision had Moses raising a Spock-like eyebrow and the Israelites wondering if God was off his celestial rocker. There is, however, a reason why folks like Noah, Abraham, and Moses obeyed instructions that didn’t make sense to them at the time: The Presence of God.

It is the personal Presence and power of God which makes all the difference.

For God has not promised to create an existence with a zero factor of hardship. God, instead, has created a world that is full, vibrant, and alive with Presence – and a zero tolerance for bullies like Egypt. The uncertainty, doubt, and mystery of the future is thoroughly mitigated with the effusive Presence.

When sitting with patients in the hospital who struggle with the unknown of why they are there and what will become of them (and their families) the last thing I do is try to fabricate reasons so that it makes sense. It doesn’t, and I’m not going pretend that it does. Rather, I remind them of what I do know: The Presence of God is here. God does not go out of his way to give us an easy life. God does, however, go far out his way to communicate his glorious Presence with us.

Pillar of Cloud and Fire 2

God kept constant vigil over the ancient Israelites, powerfully seen with the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Nothing was going to happen to the Jewish people without first passing through the mighty hands of God. Not only do I know God is with us, I also know he neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121). When God keeps vigil, God keeps vigil! No smoke or bathroom breaks with God. God’s vigilance is relentless and wondrous, giving assurance to the godly and terrifying the ungodly.

Once we are out in the wilderness of uncertainty, there is no turning back.

That’s okay. The Presence of God patrols the area and divinely guards our every move. For the Christian, the Presence has found its fulfillment in the person of Jesus. Although Christians everywhere serve a risen and ascended Christ, the Divine Presence remains with glorious constancy through the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the One who is consistently alongside us, empowering us and advocating on our behalf. The beautiful theological truth here is that God is both transcendent (far above us) and immanent (intimately close to us) at the same time, all the time.

Armed with such a robust theological understanding, trust and confidence come to us without having to resort to ginning up positive thoughts. Instructions and commands which seem like nonsense? No problem. The Transcendent and Immanent One has the Presence all over it. In between a rock-and-hard-place (or an Egyptian army and a Red Sea)? Not an issue. I willingly place myself there knowing that with the Presence, the miraculous is about to happen. We need not buck the difficult circumstances. The Presence has got this.

So, then, let us pray for the Church and for the world, and let us thank God for the great Presence: In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, we pray to you, Almighty God, and Father. From the rising of the sun to its setting, we pray to you, ever-vigilant Lord, on behalf of those in despair and darkness, that they may find the hope and light of Christ; those in fear of death, that they may find faith through the resurrection of Jesus; prisoners and captives, widows and orphans, and all those who today need a blessed assurance of the Presence; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.

Click God With Us written and sung by Terrian Woods as we contemplate The Presence among us.

Hebrews 13:20-21 – Conflict and Peace

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Pretty Place Chapel Blue Ridge Mountains
Pretty Place Chapel in the Blue Ridge Mountains

May the God of peace,
who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep,
our Lord Jesus,
from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant,

        equip you with every good thing to do his will,
by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory forever and always. Amen. (CEB)

These verses are the benediction, that is, the blessing given at the end of a long letter to a group of struggling Jewish Christians. In fact, things were so difficult for these believers that they were giving serious consideration to reneging on their commitment to Christ. So, the author of Hebrews sent them an exhortation and an encouragement to remain true and steadfast to the faith.

What is needed is not a shrinking back from faith but instead an enduring faith which is sustainable for the long haul of a person’s life.

The believers had both inner and outer conflict. They were experiencing hardship and persecution in the form of confiscation of their property and public insults. The Christians had started out well, facing such trouble with confidence through standing side-by-side with others who were suffering as well as holding on to their vibrant faith.

Yet, over time, their resolve began to break down. A slow drift occurred. Eventually, they started to retreat from the helping of others. They emotionally and spiritually inched their way to becoming despondent to the point of questioning whether all this Christianity stuff was worth it. The outer conflict worked its way inside their souls and damaged their spirits. By the time the writer of Hebrews comes along, a group of Christians are stuck in discouragement.

It’s one thing to deal with trouble and hardship on one day, even two. It’s quite another thing when that difficulty does not let up – when days turn into weeks, weeks into months, even months into years.

There are times when peace seems to have about as much chance of being realized as winning the lottery.

Yet, God is the God of peace, real lasting harmonious spiritually restful peace. It was achieved through the life and death of Jesus. The peace Jesus has brought is so much more than the absence of conflict. God’s peace is freedom from fear and anxiety. It is a settled confidence deep down inside that God will ultimately make good on all his promises and that things will not always be this way.

Until that day comes, God is not sitting in some divine Lazy-Boy recliner watching old reruns of the Angels playing baseball. Rather, God is active through carefully, deliberately, and, to our occasional consternation, slowly equipping us and developing us into spiritually fortified people who do the will of God and please Jesus in everything they do and say. Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep who will not lead us astray but will settle us in green pastures.

The word translated “equip” is a rich word (Greek καταρτίσαι, pronounced “cot-ar-tids-ay”) which means to set something straight. Picture a bone which has been broken and needs to be reset and have time to heal. That is what God is doing in his people – repairing broken spirits. This divine healing is equipping believers for a lifetime of handling adversity with faith, confidence, and endurance. The process, frankly, hurts and requires patience before healing and health come.

If God can raise the dead, he can most certainly handle any earthly trouble we are going through.

God is in the transformation business. Extreme makeovers are his specialty. He uses hard circumstances, troubles, and torments of our lives and bends them into divine tools to form and shape his people to both survive and thrive in the world.

Complaining spirits, blaming and shaming others, and impatience borne of unrealistic expectations are the evidence of damaged emotions, wounded souls, and weak faith. This is the antithesis of God. He’s not overlooking humanity with a divine *sigh* in exasperation. That’s because he is the God of peace who is bringing all things to a conclusion in Christ. Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. The Holy Spirit is now and very presently active to heal damaged emotions, repair wounded souls, and strengthen faith.

In those times when God seems absent and prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling are the times that God is establishing peace and expanding our capacity for faith and patience.

Benediction, blessing, and doxology come through the dark night of the soul and not by avoiding it.

Soli Deo Gloria. To God be the Glory.

Almighty God,
all thoughts of truth and peace
proceed from you.
Kindle in the hearts of all people
the true love of peace.
Guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel
for the nations of the earth;
that in tranquility your kingdom
may go forward,
till the earth is filled
with the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–From the Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, St. Andrew Press.

Click It Is Well with My Soul by TenTwoSix Music and arranged by David Wise.

I Have Everything I Need

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

“The Lord is my shepherd.  I have all that I need.” –Psalm 23:1 (NLT)

back view photo of shepherd walking his flock of sheep in grass field
Photo by Ekrulila on Pexels.com

I once had a neighbor named Art.  Art was a shepherd.  He spent a good chunk of his day, every day, leading his sheep around his five acres of property across the road from me.  On occasion, Art would politely ask if some of his sheep could come to my backyard and feed on some of the wild plants that were in abundance.  I was amazed how “artfully” he cared for his sheep.

It seems to me that sheep get a bad rap.  I typically hear them referred to as stupid.  Having grown up in rural Iowa, I realize there are animals that are not so bright.  Sheep aren’t one of them.  Cows, however, are.  I think when God created cows the raccoons came along and stole some of their brains.  There’s a reason sheep possess the reputation of lacking smarts – sheep are prone to being afraid.  They get spooked easily.  And, when they get skittish and scared, they tend to panic.  More than once I’ve seen a flock of sheep run full-steam head-first into a stone wall.  If you don’t know much about sheep and come along and see this, they most certainly appear to be downright stupid.  Yet, sheep are really, quite intelligent.  It’s just when fear overcomes them, they can do some nonsensical things.

The presence of a faithful shepherd makes all the difference.  Sheep become familiar with their shepherd and learn to depend on them.  There were times that Art had to leave the sheep alone and I would do a sort of babysit with them.  Around me the sheep were cautious and had their guard up.  The presence of anxiety was clear.  When Art showed up, he didn’t have to say a word.  I could feel and observe the flock collectively relaxing.

God is the ultimate shepherd of the sheep.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  When we sense the presence of God’s Spirit, there is faith, trust, and confidence which brings to us a settled conviction of calm and comfort.  When that sense is not there, we do things like buy two pallets of toilet paper and try to bring it home in a compact car.  It’s non-sense.

Psalm 23 is a beloved portion of Scripture for a reason; it helps us as sheep to settle down and trust, even in the middle of uncertainty and anxiety.  God’s presence + God’s provision + God’s protection = God’s providential care.

God’s presence is constant, not sporadic; his provision is enough, not stingy; and, his protection is total, not partial. 

Experiencing that God is present, that he watches over us and gives generously to us is the balm we need.  It melts our fear in the face of pandemics and poverty; helps us relax in a deteriorating economic climate; and, inoculates us from believing the sky is falling.  Our courage and confidence cannot be ginned-up through sheer willpower; it comes as we get to know the great shepherd of the sheep standing there watching over us.

God Provides

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  God is personal, not generic.  God is the great “I AM,” the God who is.  The Lord is my shepherd, not was, or will be – is.  God is not just somebody else’s God and shepherd, but my shepherd.  Shepherd is an apt term because a shepherd cares for the sheep – watches over them, is present with them, protects them, and provides whatever they need to both survive and thrive.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”  God benevolently leads us; and, does not act outside of his character and attributes.  If we believe this about the great “I AM,” then worry and anxiety begins to diminish.  Too many of us suffer from the heebie-jeebies because we don’t see the shepherd standing in the field watching over us.  The answer to our worry is not to keep telling ourselves to stop being anxious.  With God on the job as shepherd I shall not be in want: period.  We are presently in troubled times.  Fear can grab hold and prevent us from living with settled and reasonable intention with a plan toward the future.  Every day we see folks running headlong into a stone wall.  It’s okay to be afraid; it is not okay to let fear rule our lives.  The solution is to speak, despite your fear; to act, despite your worry; to live, knowing God has your back.

This present situation of many people spending time at home and away from others is a kind of forced monastic life.  It is an opportunity to let our souls be restored.  In this season of Lent, people in the Christian tradition focus on the spiritual disciplines of solitude, silence, fasting, prayer, and spiritual reading.  The world is getting the chance to discover the spirituality that has always been within them.  Perhaps, by the grace of a good God, there will be a great personal and systemic spiritual healing within the lives of millions – as our normal routines are upended and changed.

God Is Present

Within much of Hebrew poetry, the focus of the writing is found smack in the middle.  Everything before it builds toward it; everything after it point back.  And what is in the middle of Psalm 23 is that God is with us.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even though it may seem that everything is bleak and that all things are against me – God is with me, which is why I do not succumb to fear.  We walk through the valley, not around it.  That is, God is with us right smack in the middle of our trouble.  God does not cause us to avoid unpleasant circumstances.  Instead, God promises to be with us through them.  The way to deliverance is to confront our fears and walk with God, rather than expecting God to take away everything unpleasant that we don’t like.

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  My neighbor Art had a shepherd’s crook.  He mostly used it as a walking stick.  Yet, I did see times when he fended-off predators seeking to get to the sheep.  More often, Art used his shepherd’s crook as a way of guiding the sheep where they could feed and be protected.  The discovery of God’s guidance comes from movement and creativity.  We experience the leading we want through embracing the uncomfortable in the confidence that God provides and protects through the trouble, and not apart from it.

God Protects

“You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.”  Even with the enemy of disease, death, and disorder surrounding us, God’s presence is such that his protection and provision are providentially working to create blessing in the middle of trouble.  Whereas fear and panic believe in a culture of scarcity, a culture of abundance discerns that there is plenty for all and will thus work toward equitable distribution and fostering an egalitarian spirit.

“You anoint my head with oil.”  This is an act of refreshment, and of encouragement.  It is necessary for me to be at least somewhat out and about these days because of what I do.  I have witnessed many instances of basic human kindness and thoughtfulness – deeds done with the other in mind.

“My cup overflows.”  This is the reality that the blessings are abundant – even within troubled times.  God’s provision is right here, amidst the worst of circumstances.  We don’t have to pick a fight with someone in the Costco parking lot who has what I want to get the things we need.

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.”  It is easy to believe that God’s goodness and love will follow me when my health is good, my income is solid, and I have plenty of friends around me.  It is another thing to have an awareness of that goodness in dark days.  Yet, God’s love and goodness hasn’t sequestered itself.  God providentially uses each life situation and bends it to redemptive purposes.

Experiencing God’s presence, provision, and protection brings contentment and confidence.  The radical nature of Psalm 23 is that peace is realized while chaos and uncertainty is all around us. Establishing spiritual practices that reinforce our sense of security can aid us through difficulty and hardship.  With the settled conviction that God indeed has our backs and stands as the divine sentinel watching over the beloved sheep, we find the ability to relax and trust that all is well with my soul.

Lord, help me to relax.

Take from me the tension
that makes peace impossible.
Take from me the fears
that do not allow me to venture.
Take from me the worries
that blind my sight.
Take from me the distress
that hides your joy.

Help me to know
that I am with you,
that I am in your care,
that I am in your love,
that you and I are one,

Through the mighty name of Jesus,

In the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.