365 Reflections

Ecclesiastes 12:1 (ESV) Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them” Solomon ends his old age treatise with an important lesson to the young. Let God be the center of your life when you are young. If not, you'll grow old, discontent, angry at the world, regretful, and perhaps bitter. Why? Because as you get older, life gets harder. Not so much in that you are challenged with new problems but that your body and mind are challenged to do old things.  Solomon's last admonition is a simple yet profound truth. You will be the result of your life when you get older. And when you're young you're far too uninformed to know what decisions you should make. So look to God when you're young and your life will be pleasurable when you're old.  He then uses a series of metaphors to describe the process of getting older: Ecclesiastes 12:2 (ESV)  before the sun and the ...

Live long enough and you'll eventually find yourself stuck. You cant change the conditions of your life. You can't change the people around you. You can't find your way out of a season that seems to last forever. What do you do? Solomon explores this in Ecclesiastes 8. He starts by giving practical advice when you find yourself working for a difficult person. Perhaps a king.  Ecclesiastes 8:2 (ESV) I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. God's oath here refers to the sovereign choice of God to elect certain people to high office and remove others. Daniel backs this up well: Daniel 2:21 (ESV) He (God) changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; It was God who gave the people their kings - Saul, David, and now Solomon. It was God who used Pharaoh to show His glory in delivering His people from Egypt's grip and God who used Nebuchadnezzar to punish them ...

I know we will spend most of our lives obsessing or dreaming or at least thinking of the things we want in life. But between getting them there will be long and diverse seasons where we get the opposite of what we want.  For me, I like birth, gathering, embracing, laughing, keeping, love and peace. But those events are not guaranteed for us as constants in the universe. Solomon saw both the good and bad times of life and realized that everything has a season. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV) For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: Then he writes: Ecclesiastes 3:2–8 (ESV) a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time ...

Numbers 5:1-4 (ESV) The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. 3 You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.”  4 And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord said to Moses, so the people of Israel did. God is constantly teaching His people in the book of Numbers about their condition and His holiness. He is also teaching us about the truest nature of ourselves in light of who He is and how much we need Him to intervene in our condition. These verses seem cold and unloving on the part of God. But they are meant to instruct and point us to Jesus. The Bible is about Jesus. The purpose of the Old Testament was to reveal our need for Him, what we need from Him and what He will do to supply our needs in Himse...

Christianity is about life. That's one thing the scriptures make patently clear. God brings life, God raise to life, Christ defeats death, Christ is the light of life. Christ has come that we may have abundant life. "Let the dead bury their dead" Jesus says. Our mission is a mission of life. It is in this perspective that we turn to Leviticus 21. This can be a confusing chapter. God gives words of instructions through Moses to His priests. Here's what He says: Leviticus 21:1–4 (ESV) And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, 2 except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, 3 or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean). 4 He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself. There will be no going to funerals ...

The third piece of furniture mentioned in the Tabernacle Israel was to manufacture was the Golden Lampstand. Exodus 25:31–33 (ESV) “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. The place where Israel was to meet with God was to be filled with light. Light brings information. Light illuminates. Both the scriptures and science agree that the Universe began with light. Light leads and guides.  The Israelites were to know that not only does God's pr...

Exodus 13:11–13 (ESV)   “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord ’s. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. The most powerful theme of our salvation is redemption. God has purchased us with the blood of the spotless Lamb, Jesus. Here in Exodus 13 we see the foreshadowing of that truth in a practice of Israel established immediately after their release from slavery.  It is interesting that this matter should be addressed immediately following the deliverance of the Israelites. God's first order of business is to institute the practice of redemption so that they will not forget what is most important. Instead of telling them ...

Genesis 50:24–26 (ESV) And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. I think the best part about a Christian's life is how they die. If they die believing God for greater things, if they die believing God is able, if they die still trusting the sovereign nature of our God and His promises - to me, that is a great testimony for the world. A Christian is not one who throws their hands in the air in frustration at the future. No! Our God is able! A Christian is able to face death not seeking to escape the cataclysm of the world but a Christian is able to face death know God's Spirit and power will work mightily through those comi...

Psalm 127:1–5 (ESV)   Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.           3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord , the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. When I first read this Psalm I thought it was two different Psalms that have been forced into one. The first part is about building something - industry, work, labor. The second about family, children and rest (which often don't go together). But I was wrong. I learned that Jewish people see this Psalm as a unit because in their mind all areas of life flow togethe...

A common literary technique is the use of extremes right next to each other: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." "The more things change the more they stay the same" Here's the shortest and most profound in history: "Jesus wept." The joy of the whole Earth cried in sadness. The resurrection and the life looked on death and let the tears flow. That's powerful contrast. Here's another: Psalm 126:5–6 (NLT) Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. I love this line. It's a contrasting reminder of heaven. Because while we are here on Earth - our lives are filled with tears and weeping. Frustrations in relationships, in work, in hopes and dreams and family and friends abound. We are met with our own frailties more and more the older we get. Every time we pass one test, another harder test is coming fo...

Psalm 119:96 (NLT) Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit. This is a profound verse. The Psalmist picks up the Theme of Ecclesiastes here to plainly state: no matter how far in life you get, without God's Truth, you're empty. Even perfection has it's limits. Wow. How many celebrities do we have to see kill themselves before we realize the truth of this statement? How many more suicides of those who seem to have made it? We have a celebrity in the Bible who tried everything. His name was Solomon. He tried to appease every appetite of his heart and concluded it was all vanity. The system of this world sells us on what will "make us happier, better, more secure." And we chase like everyone else. And no matter how far we get, we are trained by a constant barrage of commercialization that something else will make our lives better.  Paul said,  1 Timothy 6:6 (NLT)  true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. To be ...

We grow up thinking we are going to live forever. We are fools. Eventually life starts coming to a clearer and clearer realization that no one gets out of this life alive. We are winding down. This is the Psalmist's realization in Psalm 102. Psalm 102:23–24 (ESV) He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. 24 “O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!” I have to confess, I feel like this Psalm is speaking straight to me. I'm experiencing more physical ailments than I ever have. My body is showing signs of wear and tear. I haven't exercised cardio in a long time as my knee heals from something I cannot explain. My strength is broken. It starts to hit you - life is short. Your body reminds you that eventually you have to slow down and eventually you will stop.  Though this Psalmist realizes his life will end, he has great perspective" Psalm 102:12 (ESV)...

It's September 1st. My 38th birthday. Day #13,879 for my life. Appropriately, I'm looking at Psalm 90... Psalm 90:9–12 (ESV) For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Our biggest obstacle to wisdom is one simple word - TOMORROW.  Tomorrow hovers in our thoughts like a get-out-of-jail-free card. But assuming we have tomorrow just may be the dumbest thing we can believe. Who really knows? We are like grass. We are like vapors. I could have sworn I live longer than 13,879 days! I mean, what is that? It's a blip! But that's  the point of Psalm 90. We are more finite than we think! Only one Being is absolutel...

Psalm 73 is something you have to read every now and then especially in this celebrity obsessed culture of constant instant entertainment. Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. (Psalms 73:1-3 NLT) Who doesn't feel like this at times? Who doesn't wonder why people with no fear of God seem to get ahead? Who doesn't look at the world and its trajectory and wonder if Christianity is true and the guy the Bible is real why does it seem that his enemies are winning? Answer: things aren't always as they seem. This is a Psalm about whether we're going to go by what we see about who we know? On the outside anyone's life and look better than yours. On the outside anyone can seem to have it together. That's what he says in verse 4: They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so...

John 6:28–30 (ESV)   Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Here was a crowd that Jesus had just miraculously fed the day before. And it seems it wasn't enough. They wanted more, and they dangled belief in Him over His head as if it could be a carrot. "You want us to believe in you Jesus? Show us the bread." I find this chapter very interesting. It begins with Jesus showing compassion. It ends with people who sought only His gifts walk away from Him. Peter rightly declared, " Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:68-69 It also shows us that the main purpose of Jesus was to bring us to faith in HIM ...

Acts 3:25–26 (ESV) You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” This is now the second sermon in the Book of Acts. It's an amazing study to look at what the Apostles and disciples talked about in their sermons throughout this book. For all our "smart ideas" and "clever wisdom" of how to get people to our churches and get them to love Jesus, there is no beating the sermons of Peter and others in these pages. The Bible is clear from the very first page, God makes it all things happen by His spoken Word. God's actions are tied up in God's speaking. That is why proclaiming Christ and Him Crucified is the power to change a heart, a family, a community, a town and ultimately a nation and the wor...

I appreciate how the Bible gives us a very down to "Earth" picture of marriage. Marriage is of this age and ends with this age. Jesus said it and Paul backed the sentiment up in 1 Corinthians 7. 1 Corinthians 7:32–35 (ESV) I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. Paul makes clear the best and freest way to serve the Lord is apart from the responsibilities and duties of marriage. Now, I'm married and it is very easy for me to say this but m...