Showing posts with label promises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label promises. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
No Rest For The Wicked (Or Anyone Else)
Today's readings: Psalms 12; 146; Isaiah 52:1-12; Galatians 4:12-20; Mark 8:1-10
Like it or not, the wicked exist. No matter how much our Savior calls us to love our enemies, no matter how hard we try to see Christ in everyone we meet, no matter how desperately we cling to the belief that people are basically decent, the wicked remain among us. From mass murderers to character assassins, from people who steal life savings of the elderly to those who steal innocence from children, our headlines, our communities and even our families suffer from their presence. As the faithful we glorify God for the beauty and love woven through creation, yet only willful blindness or ignorance could keep us from seeing the wickedness that exists alongside it.
The authors of the Psalms wrestle honestly with this wickedness. The author of Psalm 12 wails that there are no godly people left (v 1), and begs God to cut off flattering lips and lying tongues (v 3). He asks for protection against the wicked who prowl on every side and stand exalted in the world (v 8). He feels as we sometimes feel: attacked and overwhelmed by the evil in the world. He also clings to God's pure promises (vv 5-7).
As we struggle with the presence of evil in God's creation, let's remember the psalmists, the prophets, the evangelists and Jesus himself faced the same struggles. In the midst of their despair, even while they asked how God could abandon them, to the point of death itself, they kept insisting on the promises God had made. Those who dismiss the possibility of a loving God because of the presence of evil, or those who dismiss evil by saying everything is God's will, miss the message of scripture from today's psalm through the crucifixion: the world can be a terrible place, and God is our refuge in that terror.
When we need to, we should wail along with the psalmists. And like the psalmists, let's praise the glory, beauty and love that exist simultaneously. One of the mysteries of faith is that as we let go of our need to define and explain, the more we know and understand. Wickedness threatens from without. God strengthens from within. And our lives are the miracles crafted in that tension.
Evening readings: Psalms 36; 7
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
But where did you get the bootstraps?
Today's readings: Ps 98, 146; Jer 32:16-25; Rom. 12:1-21; Luke 8:1-15
Have you ever made a promise to God? Many of us have, often in the context of a negotiation: “Dear God, if you only grant [fill in the blank]… I promise to never/always [fill in the second blank].” Are we able to keep such promises? Sometimes, but not always. In retrospect, we may realize we were foolish to make them in the first place. God knows we can be weak when it comes to keeping promises or holding up our end of a deal.
In today’s reading, Jeremiah tells the story of how the Israelites lost the land given to them by God when they forgot God and lived sinfully – in other words, when they didn’t hold up their end of the deal. The nature of this story is so timeless as to be clichéd. How often do we hear about “self-made” athletes, entertainers or politicians who achieve success, only to forget their humble beginnings? And how often do these stories end with a fall from grace when the successful lose perspective? How frequently have we pleaded with God to deliver us – only to insist on our own way once things improve? When times are good do we, like the Israelites, forget the God who provides for us and return to the old ways that caused us trouble in the first place? When it’s no longer convenient, do we neglect our responsibilities to follow our own desires?
In Romans, Paul warns us not to overestimate our own wisdom (12:16). He is speaking about comparing ourselves to others, but it is good advice in many situations. When times are good, let’s not be so foolish as to think we have earned something others have not, and when times are bad let’s not rely solely on our own resources to get out of trouble. We learn from the Israelites that such attitudes can turn good situations to bad, and bad to worse. Our efforts count, but not for everything.
Promises do not help us convince God to act one way or another, and failing to meet promises – even with the best intentions – damages our character. Relying on promises is a way of telling God what to do – of relying on our own wisdom. Instead let’s seek God’s will in all circumstances, and live as if we’ve promised to make our lives a holy and living sacrifice (Rom 12:1).
Comfort: We have greater resources than our own thoughts.
Challenge: Meditate on promises you have kept… and broken.
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for being constant when I am not.
Evening readings: Ps 66, 116
Discussion question: When have you succeeded or failed in doing your part? How did it affect your sense of self? (please comment)
Have you ever made a promise to God? Many of us have, often in the context of a negotiation: “Dear God, if you only grant [fill in the blank]… I promise to never/always [fill in the second blank].” Are we able to keep such promises? Sometimes, but not always. In retrospect, we may realize we were foolish to make them in the first place. God knows we can be weak when it comes to keeping promises or holding up our end of a deal.
In today’s reading, Jeremiah tells the story of how the Israelites lost the land given to them by God when they forgot God and lived sinfully – in other words, when they didn’t hold up their end of the deal. The nature of this story is so timeless as to be clichéd. How often do we hear about “self-made” athletes, entertainers or politicians who achieve success, only to forget their humble beginnings? And how often do these stories end with a fall from grace when the successful lose perspective? How frequently have we pleaded with God to deliver us – only to insist on our own way once things improve? When times are good do we, like the Israelites, forget the God who provides for us and return to the old ways that caused us trouble in the first place? When it’s no longer convenient, do we neglect our responsibilities to follow our own desires?
In Romans, Paul warns us not to overestimate our own wisdom (12:16). He is speaking about comparing ourselves to others, but it is good advice in many situations. When times are good, let’s not be so foolish as to think we have earned something others have not, and when times are bad let’s not rely solely on our own resources to get out of trouble. We learn from the Israelites that such attitudes can turn good situations to bad, and bad to worse. Our efforts count, but not for everything.
Promises do not help us convince God to act one way or another, and failing to meet promises – even with the best intentions – damages our character. Relying on promises is a way of telling God what to do – of relying on our own wisdom. Instead let’s seek God’s will in all circumstances, and live as if we’ve promised to make our lives a holy and living sacrifice (Rom 12:1).
Comfort: We have greater resources than our own thoughts.
Challenge: Meditate on promises you have kept… and broken.
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for being constant when I am not.
Evening readings: Ps 66, 116
Discussion question: When have you succeeded or failed in doing your part? How did it affect your sense of self? (please comment)
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