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Chaplain Daily Touchpoint #377: On Wisdom (again)

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Types: One can divide the world into at least two categories of people: 1) those characterized by wisdom and 2) those characterized by folly.

When I was a boy, I was very close to my grandparents. I have always gravitated to people of depth. And they were certainly that–people of depth. They may not have had lots of letters after their names but, believe me, they were wise. The aphorisms that issued from their lips were among the most shaping influences upon my life. Now that I’m a grandpa, I aim to pass that wisdom on to my own grandchildren. Our kids are grown now, so they are making their own ways in life, but my bride and I hope and trust that the Lord will grip them in His sovereignty and that they, too, will lead lives of inculcated wisdom.

Connection: In the wisdom literature of Scripture, Solomon penned these four masterpiece lines:

A faithful witness does not lie,
    but a false witness breathes out lies.
A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
    but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
Leave the presence of a fool,
    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
    but the folly of fools is deceiving. (Pr 14:5-8)

Teaching: I know that some folks struggle with poetry. So here is the prosaic expression of Solomon’s wisdom:

  • Faithfulness is wed inextricably to honesty
  • Mockers do not want wisdom; they ‘scoff’ at it
  • The wise person will flee that folly
  • Discernment is a characteristic of the wise man/woman

Encouragement: If I could have any people who have died returned to my life for thier wisdom and love, it would be my grandparents and my father-in-law. Why? Because they were wise, discerning people. They did not suffer fools. May we be blessed by surrounding ourselves with wise, discerning, godly influences.

Chaplain Daily Touchpoint #376: Studies in Job (Part 2)

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Question: What does true friendship look like?

Text:

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. (Job 2:11-13)

Context, Context, Context: Always keep the big picture in mind. The big picture in Job is the question of the sovereignty of God, the so-called problem of evil, and what true faith looks like.

Job’s wife, bitter and shortsighted, told Job, “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9b). How’s that for wifely counsel? Um, no thanks, ma’am. Impetuousness is unwise. Cursing God is foolish. Better to learn from God.

Sinners can deny God, curse God, and rebel against God, and more, but you cannot outrun God. Just ask Jonah. Job’s wife was a fool.

Friendship: But for a little while, Job’s three buddies were wise. Here’s what they did: they came alongside their friend. They didn’t sermonize (not yet, anyway). They didn’t lecture. They didn’t pretend to have it all figured out. They just were present with Job.

Encouragement: Have you ever been through a period in your life when what you needed most was just to know you weren’t alone, that you had a network of friends that came alongside you, and said (or just demonstrated without words) that they were there with you? I certainly have. And the value of those people is beyond words. Why? Because they just came alongside you.

As a little illustration just from my lane as a soldier, I do quite a bit of hiking and walking and jogging. I don’t like to run, but I have to do it. There are times when my lungs and knees scream at me: “Stop!” But you know what? It’s a lot easier to keep going when a buddy beside you says, “Come on; we’ve got this. Just one more mile.” And you know what? That mile is doable. You make it to the end and think, “Yep, we did it. Together.”

Chaplain Daily Touchpoint #375: Studies in Job (Part 1)

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Introduction: It is among the oldest of narratives. It is the narrative of Job in Scripture. It deals with some of the toughest and most existential questions we ask as people: 1) Why such evil?; 2) How do I trust in the goodness of God amidst such formidable suffering?; and 3) What does wise faith in the true and living God look like?

Because I love the wisdom in the Book of Job, I am having to battle for brevity here. This is, after all, just a blog. But here’s the bottom line up front regarding how the Book of Job begins. Job was truly a good man. He was “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (1:1). Right there in the very first verse, so much theology and wisdom is packed.

Why do I say that? Because God is showing you the themes of the book from the very beginning. The problem of being ‘good’ in a world that is plagued by sin and suffering, but also–and this is crucial–that Job “feared God.” Why’s that so important? Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Pr 9:10). Most people fear other people, but Job was wise. His fear was of the Lord. That is a point not to be minimized.

Fear of man leads to people-pleasing and manipulation and other sins. But Job’s fear was of God. He had an accurate theology. Therefore, his anthropology was solid.

And in the very first chapter of Job, God summons Satan and asks him, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (1:8).

Many folks have a misreading of Job. They think Satan was the one who initiated Job’s trials. Not true; God did. God set it all in motion. He not only allowed it, but He ordained it. God is the sovereign, not Satan. (Don’t miss that.)

And in verses 13-19 of Job 1, Job’s life was obliterated. His sons, daughters, sheep, servants, and more were killed. And his property was destroyed.

We think we have bad days? Just read the narrative of Job!

Job’s Response:

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22)

Encouragement/takeaway: The next 41 chapters of Job are going to explore the themes nested in chapter one. It’s all there–goodness, suffering, theodicy, the righteousness of God, the craftiness of Satan, heartbreak, tragedy, loss, redemption, restoration, agony, ecstasy, and more. For now, just think on this: “Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (1:22). Job trusted the Lord to be the Lord; Job was going to learn that God was not and is not afraid of honest questions. And God is good. Job ends on a high note–with benediction and praise. For now, though, just follow Job’s unfolding tests, and connect them to yours, and lean into–not away from–the God who rules all of history. Every square inch of it. God knows. God sees. And God is good.

The Beauty of the Cup

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Introduction: Surely many know the poem from the Old Testament:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. (Psalm 23)

Today’s Focus: It is one of the most cherished of poems from sacred Scripture. And for good reason. But today’s focus is upon the phrase my cup overflows.

That imagery . . . wow! A cup filled beyond what it can hold. Why’s that so moving? Because it’s not about the cup. It’s about the One who fills it.

I say again: it’s not about the cup. It’s about the One who fills it.

Teaching: I do not presume to speak for others when I write. I speak my thoughts, and I try to align my thoughts under the Author of all that’s true and beautiful and good.

Have you ever doubted? Have you ever doubted God’s providence? Have you ever thought (even if you didn’t say it to others), that God didn’t see your suffering?

Rest assured, dear saints: God sees. God knows. And truth will prevail.

Encouragement: Trust the Lord. His faithfulness is unbeaten. He is undefeated. You can think you murder the truth; you can dupe sheeple into thinking you’ve got them fooled, but God’s truth will out; it will prevail.

May we be a ransomed people of transparency, light, and truth. Why? Because God will fill our meager cups to overflowing.

Friday Evening Reflections

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For me, this evening is a quiet one indoors. Outside our home the rain is falling softly and steadily. Small shallow pools of water are on either side of the front steps. Our Cavalier King Charles does not want to go pee outside for fear of getting her paws wet. [She is truly a ‘Lady’ (that’s her name)]. And I just completed the reading of a slim volume of theology by Jim Boice entitled Standing On the Rock.

Like Boice’s other volumes, this one was winsome and wise. In this volume, Boice tackled common objections secularists and liberals have historically raised about the sufficiency, authority, and inspiration of the Scriptures. And just as in his other volumes, he more than withstood all inquiries via vetted scholarship. He answered honest (and often dishonest) questions and assertions raised against the authority of Scripture, and gently called naysayers and skeptics to the truth via evidence.

As one steeped in this sort of polemics, his answers were not new to me. The same questions have been around since the Patristic Era and before. And honest answers are not hard to come by if one will do a bit of study.

But what I was so moved by this quiet evening were all the stories he shared in this slim volume–of skeptics who came to faith in Christ in the most interesting ways. One was of a man shouting ad hominem attacks, who challenged Boice to a debate. Boice willingly accepted the challenge, but the man refused.

Another was of how W.A. Criswell told First Baptist Dallas that he was going to preach through the entire Bible as their pastor–from Genesis to Revelation–knowing that many folks could not even locate books like Habakkuk and Zephaniah in their Bibles. Critics laughed and scoffed at Criswell. But the result? The hearers could not fit inside the church, there were so many. His exposition was so accurate and the Word of God was so powerful, people were regenerated by God.

The stories go on and on. And all of them testify to the power of the Scriptures–the very breath of God.

When I see my own writing on my laptop, I sometimes chuckle now. Why? Because when I was a young man, full of intellectual pride and a sharp tongue, and I studied philosophy and literature, and went on to earn several graduate degrees, I get what the Apostle Paul meant when he said he had learned to count all those things as so much rubbish. He didn’t mean that he devalued the life of the mind. Just the opposite, in fact.

What he meant is that zeal without true knowledge/wisdom is vanity and pride. True knowledge comes when we fall under the recognition that this is God’s world and therefore God’s Word is the authority. It’s not man’s world or the words of men that carry ultimate authority. We are always the creatures; God alone is the Creator. We are borrowers of the creation only.

God is bigger than our trials, dear ones. His Word proves true. You can kick against it, besmirch it, shun it, and pervert it, but it survives and remains authoritative. As a friend of mine wrote earlier this week when she quoted Isaiah, I will do the same:

Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)

Chaplain Daily Touchpoint #373: Studies in the Life of Joseph (Part 3)

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The Issue: Trust Man or Trust God?

Text from Genesis 39:11b-23:

But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

Teaching: One of the many things I admire about Joseph is his consistency. You could predict his behavior because he was a “Steady Eddie” personality, an even keel, a “box” in the Shapes curriculum. He was a rule-follower. The leaders in Egypt elevated Joseph to positions of authority because he was trustworthy. Folks could count on him. He was not an excuse-maker, or someone who claimed, “But you don’t understand!” or “You’re misrepresenting me.” No; folks knew Joseph’s track record and they trusted him because he’d earned that trust.

Encouragement: Again and again in Scripture, we read this refrain about Joseph: “the LORD was with him” and/or “The LORD was with Joseph” (Gen 39:2, 3, 23). Folks, this is essential doctrine. We’re to keep short accounts with God, because God sees all.

Joseph endured immense sufferings due to the jealousy and sins of others, whether that be his kith and kin, the rulers in Egypt, a harlotrous wife, prisoners, et al. But “the LORD was with Joseph.” If you’re in Christ, dear ones, the Lord is with you. Be encouraged. God sees and God’s truth prevails.

Chaplain Daily Touchpoint #371: Studies in the Life of Joseph (Part 1)

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Bottom line up front: The Hatred of Joseph

Introduction: It is one of the most important stories in history and certainly one of the most important in Scripture. It is the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob/Israel and Rachel. Why is this such an important story? Because it is a foreshadowing of Christ.

Joseph was initially hated by those God sent him to save. Jesus was hated, too, viscerally. He was in fact murdered. But Jesus came for sinners. That’s us, folks. And it’s the good news that Christ came to save His people from their sins.

Following the Story: Jacob the patriarch had been renamed Israel by God:

And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel (Gen 35:10)

Joseph as Typology:

 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. (Gen 37:5-8)

Questions:

  1. Do you see how, when Joseph announced his news from God, the people resented him, even hated him?
  2. Do you see how God used symbolism to show how God was going to raise up this man Joseph for His (God’s) own purposes?
  3. Do you see how Joseph was predicted to become as one who has authority to reign?
  4. Do you see how this connects inextricably to the New Testament and to Christ?

Takeaway: Scripture is revealing one coherent story, guys. It’s all connected. It all redounds to God’s glory in Christ Jesus, but you have to be able to connect the dots and see how all of the historical events point to Christ.

*This is Part 1 of several I’ll do as we look into the life of Joseph, and how God used him as a type of the One who was to come later, God the Son incarnte, Jesus of Nazareth. For now, just notice how Joseph was hated, and how that hatred is echoed in the hatred Jesus experienced.

Chaplain Daily Touchpoint #369: Integrity vs. the Secret Life

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The Issue: Integrity vs. the Secret Life

The Story: The narrative is found in Genesis 27. It is the story of secret plots, scheming, lies, deception, and theft. It’s the story of Rebekah plotting to have Jacob, rather than Esau, receive the blessing of Isaac, the father of both boys.

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau. ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.” (Gen 27:5-13)

Teaching: Jacob went along with his mother’s scheme. He lied to his father, received his blessing, and Esau was driven out. In Isaac’s words,

“Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,

and away from the dew of heaven on high.

By your sword you shall live,

and you shall serve your brother;

but when you grow restless

you shall break his yoke from your neck.” (Gen 27:39b-40)

Jacob lived up to–or we might say–down to, his name. (“Jacob” means He takes by the heel, or He cheats.)

Takeaway: The fallout from secrecy, deception, lies, scheming, and theft would lead to devastation, family strife, more lies, and bitterness for years because of this act of treachery. But God was going to show Himself sovereign and good through it all, however. Why? Because God is God and we are not. He sees. He is just. He does what is right. And the duty of all those who are God’s regenerate people must be to learn to lean into truth, to pursue truth, to live lives of transparency rather than darkness. Why? To quote Jesus, “the people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (Jn 3:19). Believers are to be better than that. We’re to be men and women of the light. Transparency is essential.

Chaplain Daily Touchpoint #368: “Shields Up and Soldier On!”

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Bottom Line Up Front: “Shields Up and Soldier On!”

Context: I received an early morning text from a dear friend. It was, true to this person’s form, full of encouragement. Before I share some of what it said, here’s the context. Maybe you can relate. Have you ever had a period in your life when you felt like the harder you worked, the progress just wouldn’t come? Maybe you were laboring for a promotion. Maybe you were hitting the gym harder. Maybe you were putting more miles on the track or treadmill. To be cliché, have you experienced, “One step forward, two steps back”? If we are honest, I think most folks would say, “Yes, of course.”

Segue: I’m currently in studies surrounding the biblical patriarch, Abraham. God used Abraham mightily. Abraham truly was God’s man, a man of faith in the truth-telling God, the God who is truth Himself. Multiple times, God came to Abraham and essentially said, “Trust me. Just trust me. And I’ll bless you.” In Genesis 12, for example, Scripture reads this way:

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:1-3)

What’s Required: But do we understand in our bones what was required from Abraham? It wasn’t his work ethic; it wasn’t his talent; it wasn’t his charisma; it wasn’t his wealth. It was not anything for which Abraham could look within himself and boast about. It was believing God. It was trusting God at His word. Why? Because there are things that we sinners can do that God cannot: we can lie. God cannot lie. That would betray God’s nature, and God’s nature is holy and unchanging. Abraham believed God. He took God at His word. And God blessed Abraham, and the Seed of Abraham who is Christ.

Encouragement: And now, back to the opening illustration. I received a text. It said, among other things, “Please don’t let the slings and arrows of the enemy overwhelm you. As long as we labor for the gospel and the Bride, you know the artillery of the enemy is coming against us. Shields up and soldier on!” I cannot say it any better. “Shields up and soldier on!”

Chaplain Daily Touchpoint #367

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Zinger: “Every man is in tension until until he finds a satisfactory answer to the problem of who he himself is” (Francis Schaeffer).

Schaeffer remains a hero to me. He connected dots masterfully. He saw where ideas led. He was a master of pattern recognition. In that, I track with him profoundly.

Segue: I know it’s dangerous to say what we all know viscerally, namely, that we’re fallen creatures. Not some of us. All of us. “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10) because ” . . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Each morning when I shave and have to look myself in the mirror, I’m keenly aware that I’m looking at a man in need of work. Just as I have to train in order to meet certain physical fitness levels required in my line of work, I likewise must train my nature, my character.

Why? Because there’s lots of room for improvement. But the only way that sinner staring me back in the face each morning when I shave will ever meet God’s standard is to be holy. And I most definitely fall short there. I am embarrassed at times when I’ve spoken when I should have remained silent, and embarrassed when I let myself go when I should have said no, and refrained. Maybe you, too, can relate.

In sum, I need grace. I need mercy. Otherwise, I’m a failure. That’s what the cross of Christ is all about, dear ones. It’s God’s righteousness imputed to His people. But the way that transaction works is when we are broken by our sin and look to Christ alone for atonement. That’s the Christian’s hope.

God’s righteousness is imputed to all who repent and believe. We’re to look away from ourselves and to Christ.

Encouragement: If you’re perhaps like I am (a sinner broken by the lingering sin he sees in his life, and by the graciousness of the cross of Christ, that he would come for such as I), that’s the greatest possible brokenness. You’re broken but beautiful because an alien righteousness, that righteousness of God in Christ, clothes you in His robes, because our filthy rags were worn by Him in His substitutionary atonement. Let us look to Him in repentance and faith, knowing that He will not lose any who are His.