Shiny Objects

S

(Daniel 1:1,2) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim King of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came to Jerusalem and beseiged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim King of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed them in the treasury of his god.

O

Clearly missing from this historical account, this inventory of plunder, is the description of the royal family (literally, "seed of the kingdom") that was captured and transported to Babylon. They were clearly part of Nebuchadnezzar's plunder (2 Kings 23:28-24:17), but Daniel did mention the temple's vessels and implements of worship. The point seems very clear: if the very stones of the temple represent the costly, living building blocks of God's kingdom (the precious, living people as cited in 1 Peter 2:1-12), how much more do the gold vessels, the incense altar, the bread table, and the lamps represent the greater splendor of God's glory. In the relocation of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah (and others), we see the actual rather than the symbolic treasures of God's house.

A (Personal)

Although their evil father's name was changed from "God Establishes" to "Jehovah Establishes," both names were incongruent with his character and role in the kingdom. As well, he sported the name of king and father, but failed to truly be either the king or father. In contrast, the best of the Hebrew youth had their godly names changed to pagan names, but their temple and kingdom names and roles remained unchanged, pure, undefiled. How? Very likely because they heard Jeremiah's words and they listed seriously to Ezekiel, their fellow-captive. However they heard God's Word, they chose to have a living relationship with God. So do I.

A (Psychological)

When describing family as our means of greatest influence on each other, McGoldrick, Gerson, and Shellenberger wrote (Genograms: Assessment and Intervention, 2nd ed. pp. 6-7): "A family systems perspective views families as inextricably interconnected. Neither people nor their problems or solutions exist in a vacuum. All are inextricably interwoven into broader interactional systems, the most fundamental of which is the family. The family is the primary and, except in rare instances, most powerful system to which we humans ever belong. In this framework, 'family' consists of the entire kinship network of at least three generations as it currenly exists and as it has evolved through time. . . . The physical, social, and emotional functioning of family members is profoundly interdependent, with changes in one part of the system reverberating in other parts. . . . Thus, a systemic perspective involves assessing the problem on the basis of these multiple contextual levels. . . . Families repeat themselves." This perspective helps me see that my influence, for good or for bad, has significant impact far beyond the immediacy of my current relationships or experiences.

P

Lord, You establish us not for our own, private glory, but for Your glory to be displayed through our humble lives within the context of Your multigenerational, multiethnic mission. You want Your glory displayed through people, throughout all the earth (Psalm 72:19; Isaiah 6:3; Malachi 1:1-14). I understand Your Words but I don't fully grasp what You want to do through me, so I offer myself to You, believing that You see me as a treasured vessel for Your glory. May I display Your majesty today as a living stone and as an implement that promotes Your worship to those fellow-treasures around me?

Of Peace Officers and Bosses

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(Isaiah 60:17c) I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness.

O

Here, the Holy Spirit is speaking to the church--His redeemed people. They had been suffering in an unjust, unrighteous community, but despite that decided to obey God's call to remain good and to live in His light. The word overseer is a Hebrew word that means officer, one who visits to inspect and review, and through superior power and authority, creates appropriate changes. The word taskmaster is a Hebrew word that means one who drives animals, debtors, and armies ... it's someone who tyrannizes.

A (Psychological)

Jung, Erickson, Friesen, and many others have suggested the importance of mastering specific developmental tasks for the various ages and stages of life. These are undoubtedly important. They are undoubtedly important parts of how God created us. It's exciting to know that God has customized tasks for us, too. After all, "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in" (Ephesians 2:10).

A (Personal)

Life as we've experienced it, with all its sinful selfishness, gives us an all-too-familiar understanding of cruel overseers and taskmasters. Even worse, we sometimes discover that we can become like that ourselves. However, by loving God in spirit and in truth, we discover God's eternal oversight. He's a very different kind of taskmaster--His attributes are absolute opposites of oppression. The product of heeding this Taskmaster is righteousness is peace and pure goodness.

P

Loving Lord, help! You are my "Peace Officer," the one who knows me well, the one who tests me so my heart learns to be focused on You (Jeremiah 12:3). Neglecting You is like walking with rocks in my shoes. It's like trying to sleep with sharp sticks spiking me through my sleeping bag. There's no peace apart from Your presence. So, Good Taskmaster, teach me to master the righteous tasks You designed for me. Teach me to be good, like You. I cannot imagine a better Lord than You.

O Give Thanks to the Lord, For He Is Good

S (Scripture)
Whoever is wise, let him consider [i.e., distinguish] these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord (107:43).

O (Observation)
This psalm blossoms hope amidst four broad categories of human anguish: Being lost and lonely (107:4,5), being imprisoned by hard labor (107:10-16), being sickened by sinful appetites (107:17-22), and being storm-strewn by external, destructive forces (107:23-32). Each description concludes with good news that when such sufferers cry out to God, He hears and heals. Additionally, their appropriate response is to discern God's good and merciful role in their lives and to thank Him for it.

A (Application--Personal)
I want to skip the affliction and move permanently into blessing and happiness. But that's impossible. Without discerning God's goodness in the midst of the affliction, I'm incapable of being thankful to Him. Without being thankful to Him, it's impossible for me to be truly healed of my affliction or to be truly happy. Without that such thankfulness, I remain trapped in my own doubts, which keeps me locked in those stations of human anguish.

A (Application--Psychological)
J. Eric Gentry describes how, when one's brain perceives threat, the sympathetic nervous system escalates, which activates the fight-or-flight response, creates chronic muscle tension, increases hypervigilance, diminishes brain functioning, decreases language and speech (intentional thought), increases reactivity, and increases intimacy intolerance. This isn't good. To avoid that, when the person discerns a higher and benevolent meaning that transcends the threat or the pain, the parasympathetic nervous system becomes dominant instead. This can reverse (or avoid) the the symptoms described in the sympathetic nervous system.

P (Prayer)
Lord, as much as I don't like pain, as much as I try to avoid threats, You'd probably think that I'd trust You more. My imagination and doubts all-too-quickly lure me into back-alleys of panic. I'm so glad that Your Word provides me with reasonable hope, so I can trust that fear--despite the current calamity--doesn't have to be the final word on the circumstance. You always have provisions for hope, and I can rest in that . . . literally.

Defensiveness

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(Ezekiel 13:3,5) Thus says the Lord God, "Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing . . . You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the House of Israel that it might stand in battle in the Day of the Lord."

O

The various walls in Israel were to have been repaired and fortified so they could withstand God's judgment on them . . . a seemingly impossible feat by definition. Nonetheless, Israel's false prophets erected facades that fooled only themselves and their followers--not the enemies God provided. Unless the Lord builds the "walls," they labor in vain who build them (see Psalm 127:1).

A (Psychological)

Studies of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) have made it glaringly obvious--beyond denial--that child abuse significantly increases the risk for mental and emotional disorders (Wylie, Psychotherapy Networker, March/April 2010, p. 25). This underscores for me the important tasks that true prophets, biblically speaking, must devote themselves to. People who speak into other people's lives must create spiritual walls of protection first. Isaiah said (Isaiah 60:18): "Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, your gates Praise." Only after these walls are repaired can there be physical, social, emotional, inter- or intra-personal safety be maintained.

A (Personal)

What am I doing to help people build up the breaches in people's defenses? When people become defensive with me, do I use that opportunity to attack their defenses? Although I might not say anything, I still might get stuck with my observation or judgment. Instead, I could go the next step and wonder, "What risk is that person sensing that would cause that reaction?" Before I judge anyone's defense, I should be sure my motive and method are Spirit led. Whether I'm a teacher, a parent, a neighbor, or a counselor, any time I try to raze someone's defense, I'm being cruel unless (before, during, and after) I help that person build a better safety than what that person had put there. This is work that only God's Spirit can supervise.

P

Lord, You told us that "not many of you should become teachers, for we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1). And I'm aware of my own stumbling, my own rickety defenses. I'm also aware of the wonderful safety I have behind the walls of Your grace. Sometimes I feel as though I were still in a playground, experimenting with games, imaginations, rules, fairness, and fun. Help me to play well with others today. Help me communicate Your Good News.

Unlocking Spring

S (Scripture)

(Psalm 72:1) Give the king Your justice, O God, and Your righteousness to the royal son.

O (Observation)

This prayer concluded David's second book of psalms. In it, he asked God to bestow His divine nature upon Solomon, and history records that this specific prayer of David's was answered specifically. Solomon's acquisition of God's righteousness was preceded by--it was unlocked by--David's prayer.

A (Appication, Personal)

Paul, by the Holy Spirit, followed this same example. Writing to his spiritual son Timothy he said (1 Timothy 2:1-15), "First of all, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." [Second], Paul urged people to pray for their own righteous integrity before God ("lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling"). [Third], he urged people to pray for their righteous integrity before each other ("adorned ... with good works ... in faith and love and holiness, with self-control"). It's amazing we (I) don't pray more after seeing what it accomplishes!

A (Application, Psychological)

How much of our lives are spent on our own ambitions and resourced by our own inbred thinking instead of asking God for His views and values? As wonderful as it is to study God's creation (whether it's psychology or economics or medicine or politics or education or botany or physics or anything else), how much more wonderful would our studies be if we asked the Creator for His insights? David, as king, understood how necessary it was for his royal son to understand true righteousness, so he prayed for that. Oh, that we were all as smart as David!

P (Prayer)

Lord, I seek Your justice and Your righteousness. I want to know Your verdict on all things that matter in my life ... and I pray that for my immediate and extended family as well. May we abide in the comforting spring sun of Your light, goodness, and love. May our lives similarly radiate Your splendor.

Healthy Family Trees

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(1 Chronicles 17:11,13) When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers [i.e., die], I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ... I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son, and I will not take My steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you.

O

God gave Nathan this vision as a prophetic encouragement to deliver to David. God used extended family to deliver this important message, which was God's response to David's spoken desire to lead the nation in greater worship of God. Specifically, David's desire was to establish a permanent residence--presence--for God among His people. This desire was birthed out of David's gratitude for God, who, in His grace and mercy, called David and made his life meaningful and valuable to others. And God let us see this "gift exchange" between Himself and David. Even though it was ridiculously lopsided (God's gifts were unspeakably precious and costly), the exchange brought mutual delight to both God and David.

A (Personal)

Saul was the king immediately before David, and Nathan reminded David of how Saul foolishly trashed God's gifts and love (verse 11). Unfortunately, just as Saul walked away from this amazing relationship with God, so did Solomon after David. That's crazy! So I ask myself, Am I mindful of how profoundly my life is affected by my trust in God, which is established by my love for God? And even more importantly, am I mindful of how it affects my children's willingness to trust and love God, too?

A (Psychological)

Our awareness of our role within generations is vital to our personal health and the health of our extended families. Edwin Friedman (Generation to Generation, pp. 31-34) describes it this way: "When family members are able to see beyond the horizons of their own nuclear family area of trouble and observe the transmission of such issues from generation to generation, they often can obtain more distance from their immediate problems, and as a result, become freer to make changes.... The more we understand [our intergenerational position], the more we can learn to occupy it with grace and savvy, rather than fleeing from it or unwittingly allowing it to program our destiny [and] the more effectively we can function in any other area of our life."

P

Lord, I know that violent people (that is, people who don't promote loving or trusting you) want to destroy our lives and steal the gift that You have ready for us (verse 9). I see now, that anything or anyone who cools my love for You is doing violence against Your goodness. Help me to not lose sight of Your goodness and Your healing commandments. Help me love so well that my kids can enjoy the fullness of worshiping You ... so Your kingdom is permanently established--day by day--in their hearts, too.