Wonderful Counselor

We seem awfully sophisticated anymore.  Sometimes we’re too sophisticated.  We don’t really stop to appreciate the magnificence of the things around us.  The sun and moon both rise and we don’t think a thing of it.  The stars dot the night skies and we are unfazed.  Yet, the ancient Hebrews had a word for all of those things.  It was the word pele’.  It spoke of all the things that God did that were beyond human ability.  In English, that word is wonderful.

 About seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the people of Israel were having tough times.  Things were not good.  Difficulties were coming upon them, yet the prophet Isaiah proclaims to the people of Israel that a new heir to the throne will change everything.  He tells of a coming messiah who will assume the leadership of His people.  And, he tells exactly what kind of person that messiah will be.  Isaiah says he will be different than the kings of the past.  His character will be different.  So will His counsel.  He will be extraordinary.  His words will convey a message greater than human capabilities.  He will be pele’.  He will be wonderful.  The prophet writes, “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, HCSB).

 Kings would come and go.  Years would pass.  Then one night, the cries of a newborn pierce the night calm of a tiny hamlet named Bethlehem.  A child is born.  A son is given.  It is an extraordinary night.  He is an extraordinary child.  He is pele’.  He is wonderful.  He is wonderful in character and in counsel.  He is like no one else.  His person is exceptional.  His works are beyond compare.  His words are wonderful.  The crowds marvel at His teachings because He teaches as one having authority (Matthew 7:29).  Jesus is definitely a wonderful counselor.

 Jesus is still speaking today.  He is still reminding us of who He is and what He has done.  He is still demonstrating His extraordinary power and majesty.  His words still have meaning and power.  They make a difference.  His is not a voice that gets lost in the crowd.  His words do not fade away like so many others.  They mattered then.  They matter now.  His life and His counsel still change lives today.  He still gives hope and purpose.  He is pele’.  He is wonderful.

Ready for the End

A couple of generations ago, Orson Welles did a radio production of H.G. Wells The War of the Worlds that caused quite a bit of panic in certain parts of the country.  Well, fast-forward about seventy years and you have 2012. You have probably seen promotions for the movie.  It is a fictional thriller rooted in Mayan prophecies about the end of the world.  For whatever reasons (I’m sure partly due to the economic uncertainties of the times), people are genuinely concerned about the world ending.  Apparently, the concern is so great and widespread that NASA has repeated issued denials of the events portrayed in the film.  The thing that strikes me is this.  If we are so concerned about the world coming to an end, wouldn’t we want to be prepared for it?

Jesus clearly stated that He is coming again.  Furthermore, He makes it plainly clear how we might join Him.  He says, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  And you know the way to where I am going…I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 13:3-6, ESV).  If you’re really worried about this stuff, it would be worthwhile to consider embracing the One who holds all of time, the begining and the end in His hands (Hebrews 1:10-12).

Peace and Sacrifice

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  On this day, at this hour, the hostilities on the Western Front would cease.  Although the Treaty of Versailles would not be signed until the following summer, November 11, 1918 signaled that the Great War (what we know as World War I) was coming to a close.  Hostilities were ending and peace was coming.  Subsequently, the day became known as Armistice Day.  Throughout the western world, nations not only celebrated peace, but also remembered the sacrifice it took to secure it.  In 1954, Dwight Eisenhower changed the name to Veteran’s Day.  Since then, we have said thanks to all the men and women who keep us free.  And, I add my sincere thanks to the chorus of countless others today.

It’s worth remembering that in every area of life, it takes sacrifice to secure peace.  What is true in the geo-political world is also true in the spiritual.  The Apostle Paul says, “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1, HCSB).  He goes on to add, “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, HCSB)!  In other words, in our natural state, you and I live in hostility towards God.  Our lives openly demonstrate our warfare.  Our defiance may be subtle.  It may be extreme.  It may fall somewhere in between, but it is there nonetheless.  Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself so we could have peace with God.  He made it possible for the hostility to end and for hope to prevail.  His sacrifice makes peace possible.  It’s almost eleven.  Will you share in the peace that Jesus offers?

Jesus makes it possible for us to have peace. 

Today and Tomorrow

God, in His grace, always gives us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.  As I was reading 1 Kings this morning, I was reminded again of just how awesome God truly is.  The prophet Elijah has just finished winning a showdown with the prophets of Baal.  He has called fire down from the sky, and he has seen God do mighty things.  Nonetheless, by chapter nineteen, he is hiding because Queen Jezebel has declared she will kill him. 

God comes to Elijah in the midst of his emotional despair and ministers to him.  What’s interesting to me is what the angel communicates to the prophet.  The Bible says, “Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you”” (1 Kings 19:7, NLT).  God not only gives the prophet what he needed at that moment, but he also gave him what he would need in the future.  While we may not always see God’s hand at work in that way, we can always rest assured that God is concerned not only with our needs today, but also with our needs tomorrow.  And, His grace is sufficient to meet them all.

We Matter

Here’s just a quick thought worth pondering the next time you feel like you don’t matter.  God thought enough of us to create us in His image (Genesis 1:26), and to send His only begotten son to die in our place to redeem us.  The Bible says, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10, ESV).  We may have times when we don’t feel like we matter, but we mean everything to the One who created us and redeemed us.

Strength and Courage

Strength and courage are almost always admirable traits.  We cheer those whose strength of character enables them to prevail, and celebrate those whose courage overcomes immense challenges.  Their achievements encourage and motivate us.  In the Bible, God gives Joshua instructions to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land.  In their introductory conversation, God tells Joshua to “be strong and courageous.”  As a matter of fact, He doesn’t tell him once or twice.  The Lord gives Joshua that command three different times (Joshua 1:6, 7, and 9).

The challenge in front of Joshua was huge.  He was a new leader trying to take a people with a stubborn streak into a land filled with strong defenders.  Yet he was called to be strong and courageous.  It’s interesting to me that as Joshua shares God’s commands with some of the people of Israel, they respond with enthusiasm.  They are eager to do what God had commanded them.  As a matter of fact, they echo God’s words to Joshua.  They too tell Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:18, NLT)!  Joshua was encouraged by both the Lord and by others in his camp.  All of these voices reminded him to move forward in strength and in courage. 

Like Joshua, You and I are also called to exhibit strength and courage in the challenges we face.  Our obstacles may be different than Joshua’s, but they are daunting nonetheless.  There will be moments in our lives when we want to turn and run away.  There will be days when the trials seem too great and the obstacles too imposing to overcome.  There will be weeks when the storms continue their relentless assault on us.  In those times, we need to be strong and courageous.

Where do we find such strength and courage?  We find it in the Lord.  In Him, we have the strength to prevail (Philippians 4:13) and the courage to move forward in life.  In our obedience, we know that God goes where we go (or more accurately, He gives us courage as we go where He leads us).  That’s exactly the promise God makes to Joshua.  He says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, NLT).  May we be strong and courageous for God today.  May our steps be in accordance with His will.  May we go where He leads and do as He commands.  And, may we do it all in the strength and courage He provides.

Refreshing Rain

I’ve complained about the weather all summer.  Not because it’s been too hot, but because it’s been to cool.  I live in northern Ohio, and for most of the summer it’s been unseasonably cool.  Normally, I would be thrilled at the cool temperatures.  This summer, however, I thought it would be nice to warm up a little.  This past week, summer hit.  And, with the temperature and humidity climbing, my desire for the warm weather waned.  Yeah, I know.  Make up my mind.  Despite my fickleness, it’s too hot.  The heat just sort of saps your strength.  It robs your desire to do anything.  The sun and the air bake everything they touch.  Fortunately, relief is on the way.  Rain is coming, or so the weatherman says.

Sometimes in our lives, it just gets too hot.  We can’t function.  We can’t move.  We can’t breathe.  The sun scorches us.  We become dry and parched.  We need a break.  We need relief.  We need the refreshing that comes from the rain.  Not the rain that refreshes our bodies, but the rain that refreshes our spirit.  God offers that kind of refreshing.  The Bible says, “Let us strive to know the Lord.  His appearance is as sure as the dawn.  He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land” (Hosea 6:3, HCSB).

Harry Truman once said, “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”  With all do respect to Mr. Truman, we can’t always get out of the kitchen.  We can’t always escape the heat.  When we find ourselves burned and battered by the heat of life, remember that God is there.  He can deliver us from the dry, barren times of our lives.  He can restore us when are parched by the heat and scorched by the sun.  When we come to Him, He refreshes us like the cool, spring rains.  May we turn to Him and allow Him to refresh our lives today. 

The Greatest Winner

Shortly before this post, I posted an article listing the five people I thought were the greatest winners from the world of sports (you can read it here).  I couldn’t help but feel like I left the greatest winner of all time off that list.  When we look at all of the adversaries one could face, none are greater than sin and death.  Yet, Jesus overcame both of these.  He lived a perfect, sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21), and died a horrific death so He could redeem us from our sin (Romans 4:24-25).  The grave, however, was not His final resting place.  Three days after being buried, He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).  I know that many scoff at such a notion.  Yet, even the most hardened skeptic has no real answer as to the whereabouts of His body, and no solid explanation for the change in His disciples.  Jesus indeed rose again.  He triumphed over sin and death.  And, He offers that victory to us (Romans 3:21-16, 8:1-4).  He indeed is the greatest winner of all time. 

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58, ESV).

Life to the Lifeless

Over the last week or so, it seems like I have been reminded time after time how God is able to restore life to the lifeless.  On three different occasions this week (during a Bible lesson, a funeral, and a time of personal devotion), God has reminded me of one simple truth.  He gives life to the lifeless and hope to the hopeless.

In Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel sees a vision of a valley filled with bones bleached dry from being in the sun (Ezekiel 37:1-2).  As the prophet looks over the dry and barren landscape, God asks, “Son of man, can these bones live” (Ezekiel 37:3, ESV)?  The prophet affirms that only God knows, and then he obediently does what God commands him.  As he does, the Scriptures tell us that “there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.  And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them…and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:7-10, ESV).  The Lord goes on to explain that the bones represent Israel, and He is going to restore her fortunes.  He can give hope to a nation cut off from it.  God can breath new life into old, dead, dried up bones.  That’s true of Israel.  It’s true of our lives too.  God gives hope to the hopeless. 

That principle of hope and restoration is found in throughout the Scripture.  In the eleventh chapter of John, Jesus arrives in the village of Bethany.  His friend Lazarus has died.  As the grieving family interacts with Jesus, He reminds them, “I am the resurrection and the life.  The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.  Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die-ever” (John 11:25-26, HCSB).  After these marvelous words of comfort, we see one of the more intriguing pictures in Scripture.  Jesus stands beside the grave of His departed friend Lazarus and weeps (John 11:35).  One can almost imagine the scene.  As Jesus wipes away the last tear from His eye, He calls Lazarus forth from the grave (John 11:43-44).  Lazarus emerges triumphantly from the grave.  Once again, we are reminded that God brings life to the lifeless.

Finally, let’s return to the book of Ezekiel.  In Ezekiel’s great vision of the Temple still to come (Ezekiel 40-48), we see one more incredible picture of God’s miraculous power.  As Ezekiel recounts this awe-inspiring vision of God’s Temple, he sees a river flowing out of it.  It starts shallow and grows ever deeper as it heads towards the Dead Sea.  The Scripture says,

“I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river.  Then he said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea.  The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure.  There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows.  Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh.  Life will flourish wherever this water flows” (Ezekiel 37:7-9, NLT).

Once again we see the picture of God giving life to the lifeless.  It’s a little more subtle than the others, but it’s there nonetheless.  He says that “fish will abound in the Dead Sea.”  Why is that significant?  Because the Dead Sea earns its name.  It’s salt concentration is so high that nothing can live in it.  Yet, we read of a coming day when God will bring life to its lifeless waters.  The Dead Sea will one day teem with fish.  Fisherman will stand on her shores and fish her waters.  We serve a God who gives life and hope to those that desperately need it.

Throughout Scripture, we see time and time again the miraculous power of God to change the most hopeless situation.  He can restore life to a dried up nation.  He can restore life to a corpse dead and buried.  He can bring life to waters that have never tasted them.  If God can do all of this, what can he do in the hopeless situations of our lives?

Delivered

FedEx.  UPS.  The Post Office.  The pizza guy.  All of these deliver.  Theoretically, they all deliver promptly and consistently (this is especially important for the pizza guy).  When something has to get from point A to point B, we put it in the hands of a delivery person we trust.  We want to be confident that what we have entrusted to them gets where it needs to be, by when it needs to be there.  While packages and pizzas are important, they are not the main thing in this world that needs to be delivered.  We are.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that Christ delivers us.  When we place our faith in Him, we can be confident that He can get us where we need to go.  The Scripture says, “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.  We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him” (Colossians 1:13-14, HCSB).  The word “rescued” is the Greek word “rhoumai.”  The word speaks to our need to be freed from captivity.  It reminds us that we are unable to move out on our own.  We need someone to rescue us.  We need to be delivered.  As a matter of fact, a few versions of the Bible actually use that word in their translations (ESV, KJV, NKJV).

Apart from Christ, we are in the dominion of darkness.  We are trapped in a place of hopelessness and despair.  There is no way for us to get out.  We cannot escape.  We are trapped.  Despite our best efforts, we cannot break out on our own.  We cannot earn our way out.  We need to be rescued.  And Jesus is our rescuer.  Paul tells us that Christ liberates us by purchasing our freedom.  He redeems us.  The Bible says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (Galatians 3:13, HCSB).  Jesus paid for us with His death.  The sinless paid for the sinful (1 Peter 3:18).

Through His redemption, our sins our forgiven.  All that we have ever done (or ever will do) has been paid for by the death of Christ.  Sin no longer has dominion over us (Romans 6:14).  We are set free.  When we place our faith in Christ, we are moved from one kingdom to another (2 Peter 1:11).  We are transferred from darkness to light.  Captivity gives way to freedom.  Hopelessness yields to hope.  Christ rescues us.  In Him, we are delivered.