Grains of Sand

Pixabay (Public Domain) It’s all about the shepherd. Matthew 9:35-38 says: “ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’ ” I was struck by the phrase, “ …harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd .” It wasn’t that the people of Israel didn’t have leaders—there was an overabundance of those, military, political and spiritual. What they didn’t have were shepherds. As a result the people were “ …harassed and helpless, ” left to the wolves. Dare I say that the same thing is true today? We have many leaders but few shepherds. Jesus called for prayer. We often pray for young people ...

Google Images There is a story in the book of Judges that describes the choosing of a spiritual leader. These were dark days for the Israelites. Everyone did whatever they chose to do. Judges 17 recounts the story of a man by the name of Micah apparently stole or “borrowed” money from his mother. When he confessed that he had stolen it, she gave it back to him and told him to make an idol with it. Micah set up a worship centre in his house, made a few more idols and appointed one of his sons as priest. Apparently that wasn’t sufficient because a wandering Levite came to his home, and when Micah realized that he was a Levite, one of tribe chosen by God to look after the things consecrated to the service of the Lord, Micah figured there was not much better than “the real deal.” The Levite was looking for someplace to live and Micah offered him a job. “ Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food…Then Micah insta...

Google Images I had occasion to do a little research recently on a well-known evangelical figure. I knew the name, having come across it in several of our denomination’s old publications. But someone had passed on some disturbing news about this man and I thought I’d check it out. The picture was not pretty. He ended badly. Last night in prayer meeting, the group leader shared some thoughts from the lives of several Old Testament kings. The same scenario—begin well, end badly. The opposite can be true as well, but often our attention is only drawn to those who end badly. The disturbing thing about these examples is that these men were leaders. A leader has followers and as is expected of followers, they follow. If the example is bad; well, you don’t have to strain your brain to figure out what the results are. In Matthew 23, the Lord has some choice words for the religious leaders of His day. Jesus warned people to be careful how they responded to their leaders. The Pharisees and t...

Google Images We often picture Paul as a “grumpy old man.”  He’s no-nonsense, blunt, and sometimes downright offensive. So it surprises us to read these words in his letter to the church in Thessalonica: “ Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well...you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory ” (1 Thessalonians 2:7, 8, 11, 12) Paul? A nursing mother? Paul? A caring father? This is the Paul who never married and who never had children of his own. Although he had never had personal experience with either of those roles, he had observed them, and had been gifted with the instinct if not the experience, to understand how a mother and a father would treat their children. But beyond the name and expe...

Kids Sunday School Place — Google Images The writer of Chronicles takes three chapters to describe the reign of Rehoboam, who succeeded Solomon as king. He starts out badly. We might think it was a rookie mistake, something a young man without experience might do. But Rehoboam was forty-one when he became king (12:13) so he was no kid when he chose to listen to his buddies instead of the wiseer, older heads who had advised him to be nice to his people if he expected them to serve him. Rehoboam also ended badly, leading his people into idolatry. Though he humbled himself before the Lord and avoided total destruction, his reign was described this way: " He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord " (12:14, NIV). In the middle of the story there is a bright spot, no doubt a part to which the writer refers when he says: " Indeed, there was some good in Judah " in 2 Chronicles 12:12 (NIV). It seems that things in the northern kingdom of Israel we...

One of our former "faithful priests" Last night, our congregation took an historic vote that will change the process the church has traditionally followed in looking for a pastor. A new chapter has begun and new chapters bring challenges with them. Which was why I decided this morning to stay in 1 Samuel 2 instead of moving on to the next chapter. As I opened my Bible this morning, my eye caught a verse I had underlined at the end of the chapter. It SO spoke to me. The boy Samuel is now in residence in the Tabernacle. God is unhappy with Israel's spiritual leadership. Eli is an old man who can't control his sons. Those two men are abusing their mandate as priests and God has warned Eli that He will not tolerate His name and reputation being trampled underfoot. He makes this announcement: " I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anoin...

Last night I had a meeting with our ladies’ committee. We were planning a couple of upcoming events for the women of our church and the community. It’s a lot of work and if I had to do it myself…well, I probably wouldn’t. Our combined gifts and personalities make the improbable possible. Put them to work! In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law confronts Moses about trying to do everything by himself. The issue wasn’t so much the workload that Moses was carrying but the responsibility that he had assumed that wasn’t his. People came to Moses to “ seek God’s will ” and to have Moses settle their disputes (18:15, 16, NIV). Jethro then gave his son-in-law some good advice: “ You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform ” (18:19, 20, NIV). The primary task of a spiritual leader is not to make decisions FOR people, but to teach them how to make good ...