What Kind of Rest?
Wilderness Wanderings
For day after day, they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God (Isaiah 58:2). This is a difficult chapter to read. God is angry with is covenant people. Very angry. They show up for the appointed worship services and other religious festivals. They ask God for direction. They appear eager to come near to him. They love the Sabbath day. They do all the right things. There is just one problem. A rather large one. When they return to non-Sabbath activities, its as if the Sabbath never happened....
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Staying on the Altar
Wilderness Wanderings
Don’t pay back evil with evil…My dear friends, don’t try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger…Scripture says, “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads.” Don’t let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good (17-21). The Heidelberg Catechism teaches us that we have a natural tendency to hate God and our neighbor (A 5). That seems about right. To repay evil with good seems overly optimistic. Getting even is our natural bent. Have you...
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Finding Rest
Wilderness Wanderings
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will not be shaken (Psalm 62:5-6). Well, Advent and Christmas are behind us again. Our wall calendars have been exchanged for fresh ones (if we still use those). This means that Wilderness Wanderings returns to its Avodah series. A refresher is likely needed. What is this series about? Why return to it? Here is why: the rhythm of work and rest was established by God in the beginning. It was part of his declaration: “It is very good”. Since the fall, it has been especially...
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Growing Small
Wilderness Wanderings
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Peter 5:1-11. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it . Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: Why the title “Growing Small”? What are the three “Ts” mentioned in the sermon? What two things does the word “mighty” refer too? What is the difference between worry and humility? What should we know about God that helps us trust him? How do we...
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The Mountains
Wilderness Wanderings
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved and will endure forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, now and forevermore. Evil people will not always rule the land the Lord gave to those who do right. If they did, those who do right might do what is evil (Psalm 125:1-3). Jerusalem was a walled city on the top of a mountain surrounded by other mountains. Standing on top of those walls, looking out at those mountains, an Israelite could feel secure. From those walls the psalmist declares: like the mountains surrounding this...
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Lost
Wilderness Wanderings
After three days [Jesus’ parents] found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46-47). Of all the stories about Jesus’ childhood, why would Luke choose to tell this story? Certainly, there were more interesting ones; stories that would give us a flavour of what his youth was like. This story fills in the portrait of Jesus being painted. In Philippians 3, Paul details how he had been the perfect Jew. Luke is picturing Jesus with similar colours. He...
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Doegishness
Wilderness Wanderings
“Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever (Psalm 52:1,5,8). David is hiding from King Saul and his murderous paranoia. When the priest Ahimelech gives David refuge, Doeg tattles on him. Having volunteered to kill the priest, Doeg kills Ahimelech and 83 of...
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What Do You Want?
Wilderness Wanderings
"How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:1-2). Let’s begin with a simple question, “What do you want?” Some of you may be looking in the refrigerator to get some breakfast. I’m not interested in your breakfast. This is one of those annoyingly profound questions like what you want your legacy to be. What do you want for your life? or from your life? I get irritated with stories in which a character immediately knows the answer to such a question. I find...
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Flickering Lights
Wilderness Wanderings
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25). There is a scene in the sixth Harry Potter movie that offers an image of the church. Harry’s guardian, mentor, friend, and father/grandfather type figure, Albus Dumbledore, has just been murdered by a trusted friend. Dumbledore was the leader of those fighting against the rise of evil. Now he lies dead, at the foot of the Hogwart’s walls. Thus far in the story,...
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What Can We Say?
Wilderness Wanderings
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:1-3). Human words muddy the beauty of this profound text. How can we convey the intensity with which God desires to communicate with his people? ...
info_outlineLove must be sincere…Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Romans 12:16).
A student, having tea with her teacher, said, "I've learned all you have to teach me, except one thing. Please teach me about the ways of God."
Taking the pot, the teacher poured tea into the student's cup. The cup filled and the tea spilled onto the saucer. The master poured until the tea spilled over the saucer and onto the floor.
The student finally said, "Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can't take any more." The teacher then looked at the student and said, "You are so full of yourself that there is no room in your life for God. It is not possible for you to learn the ways of God until you learn to empty yourself."
In laying out the groundwork for Christinas to get along with outsiders and each other, Paul indicates two essentials for living in harmony, illustrated by the story of the teacup.
Being conceited—full of oneself--is the first. Conceit can come from opposing directions. We may think so highly of our own ideas and abilities that we don’t have time for anyone else. Or conceit may come from a place of insecurity. We dominate conversations to boost our self esteem. Either way, we have little room for other people and their ideas and abilities. Filled with conceit, we don’t listen to others and get angry when we our desires are impeded.
The way forward is to close our mouths and open our ears. We are to come with open minds, eagerly listening to others and weighing their insights. Humility seeks to understand before being understood. It prefers to communicate rather than do battle with words.
The second matter Paul raises here is similar, “do not be proud.” But here he speaks about our associates. We tend to connect with people like ourselves. But Christians are called to associate with all, especially with those who may be less important, as measured by our cultural standards.
To attain harmony, we must reject the temptation to think high thoughts about ourselves, as though we are a superior breed of Christian. There must be no perches of isolation but rather mingling with people of lower position.
Jesus climbed down from His heavenly place to suffer the humiliating death of a criminal…for us (Philippians 2:1-11). We are to do like wise; but there is a caveat. Its easy for us to help others from an attitude of superiority. True harmony happens when we all see each other as equal, equally valuable and equally gifted. The renewed mind of the Christian that has learned to love, truly sees no distinctions between people. This love distinguished the church from the world.
As you journey on, go with these words:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.