Category Archives: God

The Lord’s Prayer

Posted on by under God, Prayer, Scripture

Journal 2021

How many times have I glibly recited The Lord’s Prayer without understanding this phrase: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”? I have found no satisfactory explanation or commentary on this part of the prayer. I reject the notion that God is the source of temptation (which is what it sounds like). Wouldn’t it be better to say, “Lead us OUT OF temptation”?

Perhaps “testing” is the better translation for “temptation,” in which case does it mean: Don’t bring us into testing. Or keep us away from testing. But that’s not sound theology either, for He does indeed test us.

“Deliver us from evil” could mean: Deliver us from the evil that’s in our hearts. Or: deliver us from the Evil One (Satan and his minions).

If I ask Him to remove the stuff in my heart that draws me to sin, God won’t need to test me in this area. Perhaps the prayer is: Lord, help me to pass the test when I encounter evil.

Is anyone else confused by this phrase?

Taste and Smell

Posted on by under Choices, Emotions, God, Peace, Scripture

Journal 2021.

If I had to lose one of my five senses, I always said I’d rather not lose my eyesight. It never occurred to me that losing taste and smell could also be so debilitating. Since I had Covid, everything smells the same, and it’s not pleasant.

“An odor pleasing to the Lord” is stated five times in Numbers 15. Of course this phrase catches my eye. I may not be able to smell, but God can. And I want my attitude, thoughts, and deeds to be a pleasing odor in His nostrils.

But I need some help with this. I’m still trying to quit complaining about my loss. I have an appointment with food three times a day, and three times a day I have to face the loss of sensory pleasure. Does giving up hope jinx it? If I give up hope, am I doomed because my mind will no longer have positive energy? We teach clients they may need to give up, or let go of, the hope that their dad will ever love them. What does letting go look like for me?

VISUAL: I’m tied to one end of a rope, and the taste of food is on the other end. As long as I hold onto my end, I’m not free to explore other things. Letting go doesn’t mean I don’t ever eat again. It means I let go of the pleasure, the drug.

And so, I let the rope drop, and it retracts into the food. The flavors are still there, in the food; they’re just not tied to me anymore. They don’t belong to me and therefore have no power over me. Thank You, Lord. Now I can pick up the food and examine it—see it, feel its texture, and experience it as I am able to sense it. It is what it is.

Diversity in the Body

Posted on by under Emotions, God

Journal 2021.

When I Googled “sects within Gentile Christianity,” 24 showed up. Another search listed 6 branches: Catholic, Protestant, E. Orthodox, Anglican, Oriental Orthodox, and Assyrian.

We are certainly diverse on this planet, and we all think we are right. Most of us struggle to either maintain what we’ve been taught or struggle to break free and think for ourselves.

I am a far cry from the legalism of my parents’ day, but I have not rejected their God. Other adult children of missionaries have rejected everything associated with their upbringing.

Our girls may believe a little differently than we do, but they have not rejected the God of their parents. And our grandchildren will make their own decisions. I think God can handle that. He loves diversity and creativity. But most of all, He wants our hearts. In all our diversities of worship, we must learn to love and embrace those who are different. It’s the rare person who can do that while maintaining their integrity.

Jesus and the Law

Posted on by under Choices, God, Scripture

Journal 2021.

The Law said to stone anyone with a “ghost” or “familiar spirit.” (Leviticus 20:27)*

The Law said to stone those who commit adultery. (Numbers 15:32-36)

The Law said to keep the Sabbath holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

Jesus’ teachings were radical and seemed to contradict these laws. He expelled the demon rather than stoning the person. He dismissed the accusers rather than stoning the woman. He healed on the Sabbath and let His disciples pick grain.

The Pharisees were strict observers of the Law, trying to do what was right. After all, God Himself made these laws, and they didn’t want to suffer the consequences of disobedience. No wonder they were incensed with Jesus.

So how do you reconcile the law about stoning a demon-possessed person with Jesus ignoring or disobeying or changing the Law? He compared murder and hate, adultery and lust, the letter of the law vs. the intent of the law.

Even rules of the road have exceptions. The posted speed limit on the highway may be 40-70 mph, but in bad weather, the rules change. The intent is safety.

Just like the Pharisees, we carry on traditions handed down to us, and our children pass them on to theirs. Take Christmas, for example. Exchanging gifts (a fun and good thing) can become mercenary and greedy and all about me—unless my heart is right. God is not pleased or displeased about my choices but about my heart. It is not sinful or wrong to give or receive a gift. I just need to check in with my heart—gratitude or grudging? Stingy or generous? A cover for pain or an overflow of abundance?

The Pharisees kept the letter of the Law without a heart of love and generosity. It became less about honoring God and more about self (e.g. long prayers in public places).

Mercy and grace trump rules I think.

*Note: Other versions say “medium” or “spiritist” or “wizard” or “necromancer.” This seems to imply someone who has deliberately aligned themselves with Satan, rather than someone who was tormented by evil spirits.

A Clash of Agendas

Posted on by under Emotions, God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

Baruch (Jeremiah’s scribe) said,

Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest. (Jeremiah 45:3 NASB 1995)

God said,

“Are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh,” declares the Lord, “but I will give your life to you as booty in all the places where you may go.” (v. 4)

Sounds like Baruch was struggling to accept God’s plan for Israel because it messed with his personal goals and life. Sound familiar?

“Each man’s eternal rewards are proportional according to his faithfulness and not to his earthly recognition or the lack of it.” (Commentary on Jeremiah)

God’s Word

Posted on by under God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

Jeremiah 32. God’s Word can be trusted.

Jeremiah predicted doom and gloom to all of Israel, and it made the king mad, and he shut Jeremiah up in the court. Jeremiah must have been having some doubts, so the Lord told him ahead of time his cousin would come to him and sell him a field. When it happened, just as God said, God then told Jeremiah to have the deed buried in a safe place. And just as God accurately predicted the scenario with his cousin, He would assuredly fulfill His promise to bring Israel back to the land and prosperity.

When Jeremiah still struggled with the prophecy, God said this famous quote: I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?

A rhetorical question: No!

Jeremiah 33. God’s Word gives hope.

God sees the big picture; He knows the end from the beginning. Our sight is limited and finite, and the amount we know is miniscule, according to the will and desire of the Creator.

I fear I think like an American—individualist instead of tribal. What good did it do Jeremiah to learn that God would restore Israel and he’d never live to see it? Who cares how many descendants David’s throne would have when he was hurting, mocked, and imprisoned? The future won’t affect him personally!

But there’s that thing called “hope.” This earth, this life, isn’t all there is. There’s a bigger picture. I’m just one speck in the Grand Plan. My part is miniscule, but important, in God’s eyes. It’s not all about me and only me. God was showing Jeremiah that his life was not in vain. That His calling on his life was important for the greater good.

We have a future and a hope. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 36-38. God’s Word is to be obeyed.

I am in awe of Jeremiah’s dogged persistence and obedience to the Lord. He was asked to do some pretty bizarre things, and he was given the very unpleasant task of telling bad news and warning people and no one listened—at least not the kings. His life was threatened. He was persecuted. But he continued to trust.

“Obey the Lord and it will go well with you” (38:20) was a promise to the king, but it has application for today. We cannot conclude, however, that God will always spare our lives if we obey Him. But we do know disobedience reaps consequences.

There are certain commands in Scripture we know we are to obey (love your neighbor, don’t lie or steal) and when we’re given a direct nudge from the Holy Spirit. There are consequences to our disobedience and blessings when we obey.

How to Recognize a False Prophet

Posted on by under God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

Poor Jeremiah. He prophesied for 23 years, right up to the Babylonian captivity. That’s a lot of doom and gloom. That’s a lot of ridicule and abuse and no positive response from the people. Was He a true prophet then?

There are several Scriptural guidelines for telling a true prophet from a false one, including if all his predictions come true.

But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true. (Jeremiah 28:9 NIV)

Jeremiah predicted 70 years of captivity, and it happened.

Hannaniah predicted 2 years and it didn’t happen.

Jeremiah predicted Hannaniah’s death, and it happened. So who was the true prophet?

God says false prophets do not stand in His council and do not hear and perceive and mark His words, but they SAY they hear. False prophets claim they have dreams and visions and even use God’s name. But it comes out of the deceit of their own hearts.

God did not say He doesn’t give dreams and visions. He does. But His words are like fire and like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces (Jeremiah 23:28). So how would the people know which prophet was God’s mouthpiece? A God of peace sounded more appealing than a God of war. I may have been duped as well had I lived in Jeremiah’s day.

Finally, Jeremiah said a true prophet profits the people (23:30).

I think it takes discernment, spiritual maturity, and sometimes time to recognize and identify a false prophet. Deception is so . . . well . . . deceptive.

Lessons from Jeremiah 14-18

Posted on by under God

Journal 2009.

  • God is so creative! He knew the Israelites needed visuals to get His point across. I counted 83 of them by chapter 14 of Jeremiah. I process best with symbolic representations of my emotions, so I get it with Jeremiah. Why didn’t the Israelites? Because of the blindness, hardness, and stubbornness of their hearts.
  • In 14:11, God told Jeremiah NOT to pray for Israel—not for their good anyway! Astonishing! Even if they fasted, He said, He wouldn’t hear them. He wouldn’t accept their offerings either. That’s pretty bad!
  • Jeremiah said the prophets were predicting peace (14:13-14). God said, “I didn’t send them, command them or speak to them. Their words come from the deceit of their own minds.” Ouch!
  • In 15:1, Jeremiah pleaded with God to reconsider His judgment, and God said no, He’d made up His mind. Remember when both Moses and Samuel interceded for the people, and God refused to change His mind? He came to the end of His patience, tolerance, and kindness. This time, the rebellious son went too far, and God had to let him go. Lesson: Don’t rebel! There’s a time limit on God’s patience.
  • Jeremiah struggled with the call of God on his life (sometimes I do too), but he kept remembering God’s words, and God kept comforting and reassuring him (Chap. 15).
  • God named Manasseh as the reason for His wrath (15:4). One man, one ruler, can ruin it for an entire nation. Obviously, the people could have rebelled and refused to follow Manasseh in his wickedness (and maybe some did), but often it’s the case that as the leader goes, so goes the nation. (Be careful who I vote for . . .)
  • “You [Israel] keep going in reverse” (15:6). What a strong visual—quite a contrast to the Disney movie I recently watched (Meet the Robinsons) with the motto: Keep going forward. I don’t like it when I slide backward. God promises that He won’t let my foot slip, but if I deliberately turn around and head back down the mountain, He may let me go my own stubborn way—but, because I am His, He will put obstacles in my way (think Jonah’s whale and Balaam’s donkey) to urge me to start climbing again.
  • We often try to apply Jeremiah’s potter wheel metaphor (chapter 18) to our individual lives—and that’s okay if we’re sharing a devotional. But in this context, God was using it as a visual for what He intended to do to Israel (crush her and start over, using the same lump of clay) and to show Jeremiah that He had a right to do so because He is the Master Potter. (Yes, I sometimes struggle with God’s sovereignty.)

What Makes Me Spiritual?

Posted on by under God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

As a literalist teen, trying to obey the Bible, I felt unspiritual because I wasn’t visiting orphans and widows like James instructed.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”  James 1:27 (KJV)

I knew no orphans and had contact with only one widow (who seemed more well off than I was). And I conveniently ignored the rest of the verse: “and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

I think James may have been quoting the prophet Jeremiah who said bad people don’t “judge and plead with justice in the cause of the fatherless and defend the rights of the needy” (Jeremiah 5:28). But his instructions are broader than that. Jeremiah adds:

IF you:

  • Practice justice between neighbors
  • Don’t oppress the alien, orphan, or widow
  • Don’t shed innocent blood
  • Don’t walk after other gods to your own ruin

THEN you can dwell in the land. (7:5 NASB)

This list of instructions for piety included more than looking after widows and orphans. Different things were required for God’s blessing. And in verse 9 he added keeping the 10 commandments.

A 2023 Update. I understand, now, that spirituality is far more than completing a specific list. It’s a matter of the heart and motives. And I won’t even go there with the promised consequence of keeping this list means I’m going to “dwell in the [promised] land” when I happen to live in America. I need not feel guilty if I don’t specifically visit widows and orphans, but I can minister to any who are needy in my community or overseas. Here are some organizations I recommend.

Widows: Widowconnection.com

Orphans: Hopegivers International

Needy: Compassion International

Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com

God’s Instructions

Posted on by under Choices, God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

When I give someone instructions (a recipe, directions to my house, how to send a file in an email) [yes, this was written a few years ago!] I give clear, precise information. If I don’t, the food may be tasteless; the person will end up at the wrong destination; I won’t be able to open the file.

When God gives instructions, He is the expert. He knows the intended outcome as well as the steps to achieve that goal. His instructions are clear and precise. When God speaks, we better listen . . . and obey to the letter.

God said to Jeremiah (26:2):

  1. Stand in the court of the Lord’s house (where and with what posture).
  2. Speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship there (what to do and to whom).
  3. Speak all the words that I command you to speak; diminish not a word (what to say—precisely, fully, accurately).

So . . . Jeremiah obeyed. But AFTER he finished speaking, the people, priests, and prophets seized him and threatened death. Obedience does not guarantee comfortable results!

Jeremiah’s response, however, is most interesting and gratifying. He had already grappled with the fear of the results of his actions.

Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” Jeremiah 26:15 (NIV)

I have learned the hard way that disobedience to God’s clear instructions brings only heartache. I would have saved myself a boatload of angst had I obeyed the first time!

There is on-going debate in our family over whether this is a salad or a dessert.