"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened unto you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it will be opened."
Most English Bibles have the concept of "ask, seek, and knock" embedded here (Matthew 7:7-8) and elsewhere. I'm not sure if it was a deliberate move by the translators, but the acronym for "ask, seek, knock" is ASK! Pretty crazy... but whether on purpose or not, it makes it all the more memorable.
Shaun Alexander (one of the greats of Seattle Seahawk history) wore #37 as his jersey. My understanding is that this number was chosen as a reminder of one of Shaun's favorite Bible verses, Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Two questions arise when I read this. First off, what does it mean to "delight yourself" in God? Second, what are my heart's desires?
Simply put, to "delight" in someone or something means to derive enjoyment from them. The entry from dictionary.com offers the definition as "a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture..." But can I really "enjoy" God? What would that look like? I think of the mystics who spoke of God's love as an intoxicant more powerful than wine. Ever been drunk with love? (This is a different picture than that of the Zeus-like cosmic-thunderbolt-throwing disciplinarian!)
Next, do I even know the "desires of my heart"? This is where the ASKing bit above comes into play. The Hebrew word for "desires" in the Psalm comes from the root meaning "to ask." A more carefully nuanced translation would read, "And He will give you the askings of your heart."
Does this mean I can ask for a new red convertible Ferrari and some omnipotent genie will give it?
No. The Almighty is not a big fan of the freeze-dried drive-through quick-fix consumer culture we are swimming in. In this Psalm, the "askings" He gives come after the "delighting in." My personal evaluations of what I need and desire are shaped in response to my delight in the Lord, not before. What I ASK for is a function of my joyful relationship with God, not the other way around.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
"Be the blessing, Danny."
OK, I reap what I sow. Simple enough, at least in theory.
Paul condensed another of Jesus' sayings. "Bless those who persecute you; Bless, and curse not." (Rom. 12)
We can go way back to Abraham and find the same instruction, though we have to coax it out a bit.
"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 12)
Notice how many times the word "bless" appears! Abram (later, Abraham) was to "be" a blessing. (I can't avoid thinking of Chevy Chase saying "Be the ball, Danny... be the ball." in Caddyshack!) God's saying, "Be the blessing, Abe... be the blessing."
Also notice that God never tells Abraham to curse anybody! Rather, God affirms that He will handle the dissenters. Abraham was to simply "be a blessing" and leave the rest to God.
But what does the word even mean? The definition of the verb "to bless" means basically, 'to pronounce good upon, to ask God's favor for.' It doesn't matter whether its spoken aloud, in the whisper of a prayer, or simply an internal assertion. "To curse" would then be the opposite.
Can you bless everyone you encounter without hesitancy? (I mean silently, with your energy and actions.) Do you withhold it at times? Have you ever cursed anyone?
Quickly scan through your mental "address book" of family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc... whether past or present. Is there anyone that you have consciously (or unconsciously, for that matter) withheld your blessing from? Why? Have they wronged you?
Can you give yourself a "spiritual chiropractic adjustment" and transform those curses or withholdings into blessings? What does it cost to have an attitude of blessing, even toward those who bring you strife, trusting that God will take care of the rest?
It's never too late to "be the blessing."
Paul condensed another of Jesus' sayings. "Bless those who persecute you; Bless, and curse not." (Rom. 12)
We can go way back to Abraham and find the same instruction, though we have to coax it out a bit.
"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 12)
Notice how many times the word "bless" appears! Abram (later, Abraham) was to "be" a blessing. (I can't avoid thinking of Chevy Chase saying "Be the ball, Danny... be the ball." in Caddyshack!) God's saying, "Be the blessing, Abe... be the blessing."
Also notice that God never tells Abraham to curse anybody! Rather, God affirms that He will handle the dissenters. Abraham was to simply "be a blessing" and leave the rest to God.
But what does the word even mean? The definition of the verb "to bless" means basically, 'to pronounce good upon, to ask God's favor for.' It doesn't matter whether its spoken aloud, in the whisper of a prayer, or simply an internal assertion. "To curse" would then be the opposite.
Can you bless everyone you encounter without hesitancy? (I mean silently, with your energy and actions.) Do you withhold it at times? Have you ever cursed anyone?
Quickly scan through your mental "address book" of family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc... whether past or present. Is there anyone that you have consciously (or unconsciously, for that matter) withheld your blessing from? Why? Have they wronged you?
Can you give yourself a "spiritual chiropractic adjustment" and transform those curses or withholdings into blessings? What does it cost to have an attitude of blessing, even toward those who bring you strife, trusting that God will take care of the rest?
It's never too late to "be the blessing."
Thursday, August 20, 2009
My Karma Ran Over My Dogma
An ancient textual variant in Acts 15 reads, “That which is evil to you, do not do another.” This is another angle on the more famous passage from Matthew 7, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Together, these two rules of behavior constitute a comprehensive program for assessing our values. In order to follow them, I need to know both what I consider to be “evil” and how I would like to be treated (presumably, “good”). I’ve heard many people say, “Well, what about perverted people who want others to inflict pain on them? Is Jesus saying it’s OK for them to act violently?”
The context of Jesus’ statement provides the focus. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matt. 5) "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." (Mat 7)
The principle is most concisely captured in a phrase by the Apostle Paul, who wrote, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
Jesus is challenging us to evaluate our conceptions of “good” and “evil,” and to pay attention to how we behave toward those we encounter. Do we value mercy and honesty? Do we value condemnation and deceit? “God is not mocked,” Paul wrote. I.e., this is an immutable law.
Together, these two rules of behavior constitute a comprehensive program for assessing our values. In order to follow them, I need to know both what I consider to be “evil” and how I would like to be treated (presumably, “good”). I’ve heard many people say, “Well, what about perverted people who want others to inflict pain on them? Is Jesus saying it’s OK for them to act violently?”
The context of Jesus’ statement provides the focus. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matt. 5) "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." (Mat 7)
The principle is most concisely captured in a phrase by the Apostle Paul, who wrote, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
Jesus is challenging us to evaluate our conceptions of “good” and “evil,” and to pay attention to how we behave toward those we encounter. Do we value mercy and honesty? Do we value condemnation and deceit? “God is not mocked,” Paul wrote. I.e., this is an immutable law.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Already-but-not-yet Name of God
When Moses asked God what His name was, the reply was, “I am that I am.”
If you have a Bible with some decent footnotes, you’ll see that there are a few other ways of understanding the original Hebrew phrase. Other renderings include “I am who I am,” “I will be what I will be,” and “I am what I am.” (And you almost can’t help but to think of Popeye’s famous, “I yam what I yam!”)
Grammatically, the root of this phrase is the Hebrew verb, “to be.” In most translations, the word is read as “I am.” In English, we call this “present tense,” in that it indicates an action happening right now.
However, notice the alternates given in many Bibles have “I will be.” This, in English, is called the future tense, and has the sense of something that has not completely happened yet. Though He is present now, God is not finished with the world. He both is, and will be.
There is an ancient Hebrew phrase describing God as the One “who was, who is, and who is to come,” inspired by this ambiguity.
The “was” reminds us of the stories of God’s great acts from creation through all the stories of the Bible, through the countless ways He has touched people of all generations.
The “is” affirms His presence with us right now, in this moment. The question here is, “Are you conscious of this fact?” Would it even be possible to believe that God “was” but no longer “is”?
Finally, the “will be” gives us hope in the future that He has in store for us. It most often does not turn out exactly as we had expected - but if we enter the story, we will be part of a great adventure that He is orchestrating. We become part of His future just as much as He becomes part of ours.
Not only is it comforting to know that God is with me right now, but when I reflect on the awesome things He has done in the past (through stories handed down or even in my own life) as well as the assurance that He will be with me in the future, I find strength to cling to hope. He is not finished with me yet!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Moses’ Identity Crisis, III
What can we learn from this story of the burning bush? After all, that was Moses long ago. What does it have to say to me today? Sure, “God” is out there somewhere - if He really even exists at all – and I’ve got my own life to tend to. I’ve got things relatively under control and more or less have everything I really need. Sure, it’s nice to reflect on my different identities and understand that they’re all pretty much temporal…
I want to suggest that we look one more time at the story, this time seeing it as a kind of “template” for understanding how God is calling people today.
The burning bush is the cross. From bookstores to bumperstickers, movies to music, most “Westerners” bump into the “cross” on a daily basis. Many have grown to ignore it, even mocking “those crazy Christians who love Jeeezus…”
But every now and then a person will stop to seriously investigate. As they look closely they’ll be warned of the holiness of the situation. “Take off your shoes…”
If they persist, they will hear what God is speaking through that cross. “I am God. I see your affliction, I hear your cries, I know your sorrow. I have come to deliver you from slavery and to give you freedom. You have an important part to play.” This message is the Gospel.
Almost immediately, by some deeply ingrained human habit, that person starts to look at themselves. “Who am I? I can’t imagine myself being part of such a thing…”
But if they’re not fooling around, and keep listening in spite of their uncertainty, they’ll hear a bit more.
“I am with you. When you complete your mission, people will worship me here.” As you walk with Me, more people will come to this cross.
So the question is, "Do you want God to be with you? Do you want to be part of His story?"
I want to suggest that we look one more time at the story, this time seeing it as a kind of “template” for understanding how God is calling people today.
The burning bush is the cross. From bookstores to bumperstickers, movies to music, most “Westerners” bump into the “cross” on a daily basis. Many have grown to ignore it, even mocking “those crazy Christians who love Jeeezus…”
But every now and then a person will stop to seriously investigate. As they look closely they’ll be warned of the holiness of the situation. “Take off your shoes…”
If they persist, they will hear what God is speaking through that cross. “I am God. I see your affliction, I hear your cries, I know your sorrow. I have come to deliver you from slavery and to give you freedom. You have an important part to play.” This message is the Gospel.
Almost immediately, by some deeply ingrained human habit, that person starts to look at themselves. “Who am I? I can’t imagine myself being part of such a thing…”
But if they’re not fooling around, and keep listening in spite of their uncertainty, they’ll hear a bit more.
“I am with you. When you complete your mission, people will worship me here.” As you walk with Me, more people will come to this cross.
So the question is, "Do you want God to be with you? Do you want to be part of His story?"
Monday, August 3, 2009
Moses' Identity Crisis, II
We saw before how Moses asked "Who am I?" in response to God's unsolicited appearance.
If we read a little deeper, we'll also see how Moses becomes an active part of God’s story. First, he took interest in the bush that burned without being consumed. Second, he listened to the story of Israel's plight from God’s point of view. (He heard what God had to say about the situation – primarily that He was the God of Moses’ ancestors, He was aware of what was going on, and through Moses He was doing something about it.)
After hearing everything that God had to say, Moses asked, “Who am I…”
God doesn’t answer this question. Rather, he tells Moses, “I am with you…” and continues with the story. “…when you bring the people out from Egypt they will worship me on this mountain.”
Though Moses gets neither “ego boost” nor “off the hook” with his question of personal identity, he does gain picture of a God who both cares and acts. Moses has a unique role to play.
He made himself available. First, God got his attention with something out of the ordinary (a burning bush). After seeing it, Moses then turned to investigate this strange happening further.
God begins to tell the story of His identification with Moses’ ancestors, with the plight of His people, with Moses as His “man.” After hearing this, Moses asked, “Who am I? How can I do these things?”
God says, “I am with you… when you bring the people out from Egypt they will worship me on this mountain.”
Moses became part of God’s story. Come to think of it, how would we have ever even heard of Moses otherwise?
Moses becomes defined by his mission - by God's plan. So, God eventually does answer Moses' question "who am I?" by providing a bigger picture (telling the larger story) and the role that Moses is to play in it. It is here that Moses learns who he is.
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