365 Reflections

The Bible is relatable because it is filled with the ups and downs, the hopes and miseries of life. Jeremiah is a case in point. The faithful young prophet who resisted God's calling at first and became a stalwart of truth for his generation rode the waves of trouble and triumph through Israel's last years as an independent monarchy. Ultimately, he was in Babylon in captivity, lamenting the pain of his life's work.  Lamentations 3:1–3 (ESV) I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; 2 he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; 3 surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long. An unnamed man describes his misery for the next 20 verses in Lamentations 3. He speaks of his physical maladies, his bitterness, and the sense that God is no longer interested in hearing his prayers. He talks of God's attack on his life and feels no endurance for the struggle. Is this Jeremiah? Or is Jeremiah personifying the men of ...

I bet there have been som good seasons and some bad seasons in your life. I bet there were some really good and really bad seasons in your life. Are you still here? Guess what that is: God's faithfulness.  In the long chapters of the 1 Chronicles' Geneology section, we come to the royal line of David's sons through Solomon who had the privilege of sitting on the throne of Judah as the nation slowly ebbed into pagan idolatry.  I know it is not exactly stirring literature but it holds a wonderful truth. 1 Chronicles 3:10–17 (ESV) The son of Solomon was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, Josiah his son. 15 The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. 16 The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son; 17...

The title of this post comes from the most famous Psalm of the Bible. In it, David delights in God's provision when all around him are scoundrels and opponents. In 2 Kings 8 we literally see what that looks like for someone who was not with the "in" crowd of ancient Israel. The scene in 2 Kings 8 is a look back before the famine of the previous chapter. 2 Kings 8:1–2 (ESV) Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. We remember this woman from 2 Kings 4. She is the woman who cared for Elisha's needs, received the blessing of a son, and then lost him. She then came to beseech Elisha for intervention and he raised him back to life....

Genesis 40:23   Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Genesis 40:1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed..., Genesis 41:16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” The white space between Genesis 40:23 and Genesis 41:1 is where a lot of Christians are living. Joseph must have agonized these two years in ways we can only imagine. Some of us have waited longer than two years for God's promises to come to pass. Some of us are still waiting. Having successfully interpreted the dreams of the cup bearer and chief baker of Pharaoh, and having implored the cup bearer for kindness on his behalf Joseph is left forgotten to languish for two more years in prison for something he didn't do. And this after he compassionately attended to this man while he was in prison.  It teaches us a few things about Christian hope.  #1. To do God's will and serve others is not to expect immediate quid pro qu...