Grains of Sand

Google Images I think it was V. Raymond Edman who coined the phrase, “Never doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light.” As I read Psalm 13 this morning I could hear David echoing that message. He begins with a lament: “ How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? ” (13:1, 2, NIV). It’s a sentiment that many of us are familiar with. Sometimes we go through spiritual dry spells. We aren’t told what David was going through at this moment that made him feel as though God had turned His back on him. His thoughts plagued him, he was sad and felt defeated. Perhaps he was going through one of those states of depression that from time to time dog all our steps. Whatever it was, David felt that he was in danger of giving in to whatever was troubling his thoughts, to whoever was threatening his life. He writes: “ Look ...

If it wasn't so sad it would be funny. Israel camps too close to Moab, and Balak and the Moabites are scared skinny that Israel will do to them what she has done to other nations in her path (22:2, 3). In desperation Balak sends for Balaam to put a curse on Israel to deaden the effect of her presence in his territory. Balaam refuses on the grounds that God will not allow him to curse what He, God, has chosen to bless. (22:12, 13, 18, 38; 23:12, 26; 24:12, 13). Balaam delivers several oracles ending with one that plainly warns the Moabites that God will bring on them what they want brought on Israel. On the heels of this episode we discover that what the armies of Moab couldn't do, what a prophet was held back from doing, the women of Moab succeeded in doing. " While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So Israel ...

What might have happened if…? “ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset ” (Exodus 17:11-13, NIV). What might have happened if Moses, as leader, hadn’t bothered to go up on that hill to intercede for Joshua and the troops who were facing the army of the Amalekites? What might have happened if Aaron and Hur had not been with Moses to help him continue to intercede through a long, tiring day? It’s not such a leap, in fact no leap at all, to equate this story to the church today. As we lose the battle for holiness, for victory over the world that has invaded the church, we can ask ourselves who’s interceding on behalf of that church? Leaders? Laymen? Moses talked to the Lord privately a lot. He is d...

At last, the light that has flickered for so long finally burns brightly. For Jacob, Genesis 32 describes a pivotal moment, an “aha” in his history. He’s on his way back to Canaan, the land that God promised to return him to when he had run from his brother’s anger and his family’s shame (Genesis 27:41ff). God has kept the promise He made Jacob at Bethel (28:15). Perhaps it’s the thought of facing his brother, Esau, after all these years. Perhaps it’s because Jacob is a family man now and he has more to think about than himself. Perhaps it’s because he has learned a few lessons along the way. Whatever the catalyst was, Jacob seems to have finally developed a pretty strong God-consciousness. As we read through this chapter we hear Jacob refer to his brother as “master” and “lord;” a deference that he certainly didn’t show Esau when he cheated him out of his rights as the first-born. But it is Jacob’s prayer that clues us into the heart change that is taking place: “ I am unworth...

“ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, Go throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer ” –Matthew 21:21, NIV. I looked at these verses with slightly different eyes this morning. I suppose that’s because a passage from Mark Buchanan’s book Hidden in Plain Sight , is still stuck in my head. He was writing about Samson and remarked that Samson used the power of the Spirit of God to defeat the Philistines who had invaded God’s Promised Land, but he ignored that same Spirit when it came to defeating the “Philistines” in his heart. His pride and lust killed him long before the Philistines captured him and put him in chains. When we look at the verses from Matthew we often think of physical “mountains” that we’d like to have faith enough to remove. But if you are like me it is not often we th...

“ A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall ” —1 Samuel 17:4 Late yesterday afternoon I walked down to a nearby medical clinic to get a prescription renewed. Ahead of me in the line was a big man who was well over six feet tall. I remember thinking he’d make a good basketball player. The thought also passed through my mind that I wouldn’t want to have to fight him off if I happened to meet him a dark alley. He’d crush me like a grape. That experience gave me a whole lot of sympathy for the armies of Israel as they took a look at this Philistine champion. The deal was that Israel would send out its best warrior to meet Goliath and whoever was still standing at the end of the fight would determine the winner of the battle between the two nations. No one needed a crystal ball to figure out how this was going to end! The result was a standoff—no one did anything because no one in Israel was willing to get crushed like a...