Finding Wisdom in a Complex World

How can a culture like ours define anything of value until we discover our purpose in life?

Ravi Zacharias

Last Wednesday night, I was blessed with an opportunity to hear Ravi Zacharias speak at our General Assembly. His message was drawn from 2 Kings 21-22. He painted a stark contrast between King Manasseh and King Josiah. According to the Scripture, Manasseh followed “the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites”. Josiah, on the other hand, “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”. In the restoration of worship, King Josiah illustrates that it is our worship that brings us together before God. Worship unites us. Worship is a privilege. Worship helps us discover the true purpose of existence. When we worship, we foster a contagious recognition of our Lord. Our worship renews our passion to invite others to know God and serve Him. Our identity is authenticated by God’s presence in us – the Holy Spirit. In fact, worship clarifies our identity and God’s identity. In his message, Zacharias called the “deification of the individual” the greatest sin of our age. The temptation to elevate our status and reduce God to something less is manifested in so many ways today. I am thankful for the sobering message as I turn my attention toward Proverbs in my study of the Old Testament. Where do we find wisdom for life? Where to we find understanding in the midst of our complex world? How do we resist temptation?  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Family

I am attending the General Assembly for the Church of God this week. It's easy to get caught up in the meetings and moving through the agenda. Taking care of the "business" of the church is an essential part of being a faithful steward. But, one aspect of the meetings stands out. Thus far, each of the business sessions has opened with prayer. That's not at all unusual. But, it is special when each prayer is led by a brother from a different country. When I listen to a brother from Haiti pray in his native creole it touches my heart. His prayer is seasoned with the grace of God that has been refined through immense tragedy and suffering. When I join my prayer with a brother from Indonesia, my heart is moved and my mind races to imagine how he has witnessed the power of God alongside threats and persecution. This morning I pray the Psalm "I will praise You O Lord among the nations; I will sing of You among the peoples" (Psalm 108:3).
And yes, I will pray alongside of my brothers who look to our Father each day.

Storytellers

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story

Psalm 107:2

Who is the best storyteller you have ever met? What makes a good storyteller? Well, I have to admit that I have met some extraordinary communicators. Several years ago, Lynn and I travelled with Nick to the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. It was a “field trip” with his school. I didn’t exactly know what to expect. I was amazed. The festival featured several award-winning tellers of all ages. As I listened, I quickly picked up on some of the qualities that set these tellers apart. I understand why storytelling is described as an “art form”. Time after time I experienced the same phenomenon. A story became a masterpiece. My mind, my imagination became a canvas and the words painted a brilliant picture that was alive and powerful. I did not merely listen to words. I entered the story.

Now you understand why I love Psalm 107. Psalm 107 is much more than a corporate celebration among post-exilic Hebrews. It is a story of God’s love. It is a redemptive story. It’s good to hear the words. It’s better to enter the story. I have experienced darkness. I have known spiritual hunger and thirst. I have been at my wits end. I have tasted fear and faced peril. In my desperation, I have cried out the Lord. And I have experienced redemption. Not only does that qualify me to enter the story, it compels me to share it. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Psalm 46:1 is a verse to remember. For me it is one of those “go to” places where I reassure myself of God’s love, power and presence. God loves us enough to provide a shelter in the midst of the storms of life. God’s strength is never diminished by our situation. Over and over, the Psalms assure us that God is with us. He is abundantly present. When the storms of life threaten us, we can react in many different ways. At first, we struggle to restore equilibrium. But, in the most unsettling moments of life, we have an opportunity to look to God and see the beauty that Psalm 46 describes. It’s a time to “be still and know that He is God”. Then we find stability.

“Stability does not depend on our ability to shore up crumbling foundations in the midst of change and confusion. Rather, it rests on the character of the One who promises to love us where we are. Faith is a response to that love, rooting us in the reality of a God who is faithful.” (Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture)

If only

If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay a hand on us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.

Job 9:33-34

If only. I love those two words. They reveal a distant hope. Distant yes, but where there is hope, distance does not matter. Job was suffering. His family was dead. His health was failing and his friends continued to tell him that he needed to do something about the sin in his life that had caused the punishment he was enduring. In his anguish, Job strained for a solution to the terror of sin, the fear of punishment. In his pain, Job cried out for a mediator. His words are a perfect description of our need. If only there was someone who could do the impossible and stretch His arms wide enough to touch a holy God and an unholy man at the same time. It is a solution that only God could provide. It is a solution that only God would provide. God did stretch his arms out on a cross in the ultimate act of arbitration. What is powerful enough to eradicate fear? God’s love is. His gift of love removes the terror that keeps us from facing a holy God in fear. The words of John Bunyan tell the story.

“Here is love, that God sent His Son, His Son who never offended, His Son who was always His delight. Herein is love, that He sent Him to save sinners; to save them by bearing their sins, by bearing their curse, by dying their death, and by carrying their sorrows. Here is love, in that while we were yet enemies, Christ died for us; yes here is love, in that while we were yet without strength, Christ died for the ungodly.”

John Bunyan

Crisis of Worship

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Job 1:21

There have been many times that I have walked through difficult situations with friends and family members. Certainly, I have experienced challenges in my own life. The phrase “crisis of faith” seems to be an appropriate tagline to those situations. After reading through the first few chapters of Job, I have a slightly different perspective. I think I will change the phrase just a bit. In light of Job, I see those times as a “crisis of worship”. It’s amazing to read about how Job responded to personal tragedy. Job’s response to catastrophic loss was worship. After losing family, servants and livestock, Job fell down and worshiped God. In chapter one, Satan had implied that Job’s worship was contingent on the “things” in life around him. Satan posed the question, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” What if I substitute my name for Job’s name?

Does Paul fear God for nothing? I challenge you to put your name in the question.

Is my worship of God contingent on anything? It’s not likely that any of us will face the level of crisis that Job faced. However, we are tempted to allow our worship of Almighty God to be contingent upon any number of things. It could be the way we feel, the type of day we are having, the way someone has treated us, whether or not we believe life is fair, an unanswered prayer, the right song or the right church atmosphere. I’m sure you could add to the list. Job’s response helps me reconsider the definition of true worship.