February 18 - Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a high priest

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

but we have one who in every respect

has been tested as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

 

In my Bible, chapter 9 in Leviticus is entitled: The Priests Begin Their Work.

 

It says, "7 Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering ... to purify yourself and the people. ... 12 Next Aaron [offered a] burnt offering. ... 18 Then [a] peace offering.

 

"After that," continues the story, "Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them."

 

Though the term "high priest" isn't used until a book or two later, look at what Aaron did for the people. Now ask yourself: Wouldn't you like a high priest who's job it was to purify you?

 

Israel waited for generations for that high priest, their Messiah. You have him with you already and always! Not only did Jesus raise his hands to purify you -- stop, look at the cross, and see his hands raised ... Yes, not only did he raise his hands to purify you, but he understands your weaknesses and loves you anyway.

 

In the name of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven, your heart is purified, your hope is secure, and joy is real ... and possible.

 

In Christ's Love,

a priest who raises his hands in blessing

and hopes you see ... not me ... but Jesus

February 17 - Leviticus 5:15

When any of you commit a trespass

and sin unintentionally ...

Leviticus 5:15

 

We all sin. As Paul tells us in Romans 3:23, we all have sinned and we all fall short of the glory of God.

 

We sin intentionally and unintentionally.

 

We sin in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

 

We sin by what we've done and by what we've left undone.

 

We sin.

 

Aren't you glad that God forgives what you do intentionally, unintentionally, through our actions, and though our failures? Aren't you glad that God justifies us by his amazing grace?

 

Today's devotion is simple: While a little confession right now wouldn't be a bad idea, mostly give thanks for God's unlimited generosity.

 

In Christ's Love,

an unintentional mess

who is intentionally grateful

February 16 - Leviticus 2:2

After taking from it a handful of the choice flour and oil,

with all its frankincense, the priest shall turn

this token portion into smoke on the altar,

an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord.

Leviticus 2:2

 

I am glad that God asked me to be a young(ish) Christian pastor rather than an old Jewish priest. (This is especially true after reading Leviticus 1!)

 

In the first chapter of Leviticus, whenever there was a burnt offering, bulls would be slaughtered, "5and Aaron's sons, the priests, [would] offer the blood, dashing the blood against all sides of the altar ..." Now, I may have enjoyed splashing in the water when I was four, but I'm glad that I'm not called to slaughter bulls and splash blood as an adult.

 

Leviticus 2, however, makes these rituals sound a little more appealing. A little olive oil and fresh bread smell pretty good. So does frankincense. So does a barbeque for that matter. Leviticus 1, 2, and 3 call all of these offerings "pleasing odor[s] to the Lord." 

 

Now, you and I can be a pleasing odor to the Lord too! In fact, in 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul tells us that we are the aroma of Christ to God ... among those who are perishing."

 

Our world is filled with people who don't know God or peace or hope. When we live our lives in a wonderful and fragrant way, those who are perishing may just want what we have. Therefore, the best evangelism often isn't preaching at the unsaved, but living our lives in a joyful, honest, righteous, gentle, sweet-smelling way.

 

How do you think that smells to God? Paul says it is "the aroma of Christ to God"!!!

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who'd rather smell good

than smell something good 

February 15 - Exodus 39:24-26

On the lower hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue,

purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen.

They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells

between the pomegranates on the lower hem of the robe

all around, between the pomegranates;

a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate

all around on the lower hem of the robe for ministering;

as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Exodus 39:24-26

 

With a trip to Israel, I've tried to stay well ahead in my Bible in a Year readings. And while I've surely read the Book of Exodus many times before, I don't ever remember bells and pomegranates on the priestly robes!!!

 

Nevertheless, on the very day I read about God's command to deck the priests in noise-makers and Middle Eastern fruit, Pastor Fran started talking about pomegranates and bells!!! (God is delightful in how he helps us make connections.)

 

Pastor Fran said that we tend to experience the Holy Spirit in two primary ways: the Gifts of the Spirit and the Fruits of the Spirit. And the fruits are often symbolized by a pomegranate and the gifts by a bell.

 

When the Holy Spirit is with us, the Fruits of the Spirit are what are going in us! In Galatian 5, we are told that what the Spirit plants in us is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Abiding in the spirit, these traits (fruits) can begin to define our lives.

 

The gifts are different. First Corinthians 12 and other passages tell us that we are each given gifts and that we are each called to utilize our gifts for the benefit of the rest of the body, the church. We are to ring out! Call out! Speak out! Serve outwardly! Sing joyfully! Teach wisely! And/or preach effectively! (Note: The "and/or" is important there because we are each given different gifts for the benefit of the body, the church.

 

Which of the pomegranates (fruits) do you find in your life today?

 

And what are the bells (the gifts) that God has given you to use for his kingdom? Indeed, are you using them.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy whose robe

is not nearly

ornate enough

February 14 - Revelation 2:5

Jesus said to the church at Ephesus

Remember then from what you have fallen;

repent, and do the works you did at first.

If not, I will come to you and

remove your lampstand from its place,

unless you repent.

Revelation 2:5

 

If you're following along with our Bible in a Year reading, today is pure construction. The people -- headed by Bezalel and Oholiab -- are paying strict attention to detail as they construct the ark, the table, the altars, the tabernacle, and the lampstands.

 

It was Israel's building of the lampstands that reminded me of Revelation 2:5. In letters meant to inspire faith and forestall judgment, it is clear that the people at Ephesus were not paying careful attention to detail. Therefore, the Lord was reminding them (and us) to draw back to the best days of our faith.

 

Individuals need to do this. So do churches. And that's really what Jesus is addressing. Since our Lord and Savior is the light of the world, the harshest judgment upon a church is to have its lampstand removed!

 

Remembering God's call and clinging to the purity of doctrine are the first prerequisites for a healthy church.   

 

Repentance is the second. Congregational repentance involves two things: 1) individuals repenting of their own sin, and 2) the whole church returning to its roots in God's truth.

 

Pray for the lampstand and Christ's light to fill all churches ... more ... and more ... and more.

 

In Christ's Love,

a pastor (and person) 

who tries to focus on

doctrine, repentance,

and most of all, light! 

February 13 - Exodus 33:3

The Lord said to Moses,

Go up to a land flowing

with milk and honey; but

I will not go up among you ...

Exodus 33:3

 

One of the holiest moments in history occured when God invited Moses up upon his holy hill! On Mt. Sinai, the Lord gave to Moses detailed instructions on how his people would meet him: First, we get to meet God by living righteousness lives and following all his commandments. Second, he detailed the tent of meeting and let us know where he would sit.

 

One of the unholiest moments in history occured when Moses appeared to tarry too long. The people demanded for new gods, so Aaron built a golden calf, saying, "32:4 These are [now] your gods who brought you out of ... Egypt."

 

One of the saddest moments in history occured when God said essentially, "People of Israel, I will keep my promises. I'll still let you go into the Holy Land. BUT I will NOT go with you." That's our lesson for today. God was essentially saying, "You can have this world. I want no part of you."

 

One of the most victorious moments in history occured when Moses said essentially -- see 33:15 -- "O Lord, if your presence is not moving from here, then neither are we." In other words, "it's better to be in the wilderness with God, than in a bountiful place without him."

 

One of your most victorious moments can occur when you agree with Moses! "Lord, I want to be wherever you are" ... or "I want to go wherever you are going" ... or "Lead me, Lord, I'll follow" ... or "My circumstances may feel like a wilderness and I don't understand them, but all I need is you here with me and I will be okay."

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs to remember

the final, wonderful words of the Gospel,

"and lo, I will be with you

... always" Mt 28:20  

February 12 - Exodus 30:11-16

The Lord spoke to Moses:

When you take a census ... all of them

shall give a ransom for their lives to the Lord,

so that no plague may come upon them

This is what each one who is registered shall give:

half a shekel ... from twenty years old and upward ...

The rich shall not give more ... the poor shall not give less

... bring this offering to the Lord to make atonement for your lives.

[as] a reminder to the Israelites of the ransom given for your lives.

Exodus 30:11-16

 

Just before sitting down to write this lesson, I followed a news link, that told me that the world’s richest divorcee — $1.6 million dollars a week — has apparently blown it all. We are told that the former nude model (should have been a red flag before the marriage), spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to create in Virginia the greatest vineyard in the world ... overnight. Greed. Impatience. False visions of grandeur.

 

Maybe that’s why today's verses struck me. "Each person ... shall give ... half a shekel ... The rich shall not give more ... The poor shall not give less."

 

We are accustomed to fairness. (And surely, the rich must always pay more, right?) But apparently, God has a different accounting system. He sees all of us equally. And on the day of judgment comes -- when we don’t get to bring money, vineyards, or job titles with us -- we all will stand equal ... including, equally guilty.

 

Fortunately, this passage also tells us that a ransom has been made for us -- including offerings, incense, and lots and lots of blood had to be shed.

 

Doesn't all that bloodshed sound a little barbaric? But if it hadn’t have been for all the bloodshed through all those Hebrew centuries, maybe we wouldn’t have understood why the son of God had to shed his blood for "the ransom of your lives."

 

And it's only when we realize that our sin cost Jesus a whole lot, that maybe we'll acknowledge that it ought to cost each one of us too. And rich or poor, no one needs it more. And no one needs it less.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who needs a calculator

(I owe Jesus a lot. And so do you.

And I'll bet it's the same amount ...

Everything!)

February 11 - Exodus 28:30

In the breastpiece of judgment

you shall put the Urim and the Thummim,

and they shall be on Aaron’s heart

when he goes in before the Lord;

thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the Israelites

on his heart before the Lord continually.

Exodus 28:30

 

Let’s get the details out of the way first ... Urim and Thummin literally mean something like light and innocence — thus, lights and perfections. More commonly and allegorically, urim and thummin are referred as revelation and truth — or doctrine and truth as it appears in the Latin Old Testament (the Vulgate) and in the writings of St. Jerome. Thus, next to Aaron’s heart he shall wear truth and revelation!

 

But part of that revealed truth is the word "judgment." Let’s get a little context.

 

Here in the Old Testament, we are told about a "breastpiece of judgment." In the New Testament, however, we are more familiar with a "breastplate of righteousness."

 

I don’t know about you, but everyday I’d prefer to wear righteousness — rather than judgment — next to my heart! And that’s the New Testament difference!!!

 

As a people, we deserve judgment. And so that everyone of them didn’t have to carry around that heavy burden everyday, God asked Aaron to wear it for them. He carried all the sins of Israel on his chest.

 

In the New Testament, we are assured that Jesus has permanently taken all our sins upon his wounded hands, his wounded side, and his wounded breast. Therefore, we can wear a breastplate of righteousness!

 

Wait ... that breastplate is worn not because we are already righteous! It is worn as a piece of armor when we choose to be righteous. It is optional ... but highly recommended.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to play dress-up

(I want to dress like a knight today)

February 10 - Exodus 31:1-7

The Lord spoke to Moses:

I have called by name Bezalel ... and I have filled him

with divine spirit, with ability, intelligence, and knowledge

in every kind of craft, to devise artistic designs,

to work in gold, silver, and bronze,

in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood ...

and I have given skill to all the skillful, so that

they may make all that I have commanded you:

Exodus 31:1-7

 

If you’re following along with the Bible in a Year, it may seem like I’m jumping ahead. Today’s readings are supposed to be about the specifications for constructing arks and altars, tabernacles and lampstands, chapters 25-27.

 

In a sense, I am jumping ahead.

 

But in another sense, I want to point out an important spiritual principle ...

 

With intricate detail, God laid out his plans from the wings on the cherubim on the ark and to rings on the curtains in the tabernacle. In coming chapters, God describes what’s to be inscribed on every little stone in every little fold of the priestly vestments.

 

Now, if I were Moses on top of that mountain, I would have been constantly thinking: "How? ... how? ... how? ... how am I ever going to do that?"

 

Have you ever been there? Have you ever quit listening because you’re so bogged down in details? God has missions, purposes, and adventures for you and me, but before he can ever lay out his plans, we’ve already quit listening. He can’t paint the picture of the finish line, because we’re concerned with immediate concerns — like what am I going to wear and what am I going to look like when I race.

 

Seven chapters after God starts painting this picture, he gives Moses the answer: "I have already planned, created, equipped, and placed beside you master craftsmen."

 

Hear this: If God is calling you, take the time to listen to his magnificent plan. And trust that if He is calling, he is already creating, equipping, paving the road, and placing beside you fellow-workers for the journey.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s putting on his Indiana Jones hat

because I want to hear about a

God-sized adventure today

February 9 - Exodus 24:3

Moses came and told the people

all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances;

and all the people answered with one voice, and said,

"All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do."

Exodus 24:3

 

The ten commandments is a pretty comprehensive guide for directing individuals and society.

 

Then God added a few more chapters to enhance the functioning of Hebrew society. There were guidelines concerning religion, property, justice, and restitution. Famously, concerning violence, the people were told "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" (21:23-25). For us this sounds a little barbaric. For the ancients, it set helpful limits. If you (merely) insulted me, it kept me from butchering your whole family. It stopped the escalation.

 

Today, however, it’s not the laws that grabbed me. It was the response of the Israelites: "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do."

 

Two questions:

1) How much better of a world would this be, if we all actually followed "all the words that the Lord has spoken"?!!!

2) What "words that the Lord has spoken" do you have most trouble keeping?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s very glad he’s reading, this year,

"all the words that the Lord has spoken"

February 8 - Exodus 19:19

As the blast of the trumpet

grew louder and louder,

Moses would speak and

God would answer him in thunder.

Exodus 19:19

 

I once talked with a parent who almost refused to have his child baptized because the liturgy talks about "the fear of the Lord." I tried to explain to him that "fear," here, is an Olde English (and Olde Hebrew) way of saying, "profound respect."

 

I suppose for the Hebrews, however, Exodus 19:16-19 meant more than just profound respect. When "the whole mountain shook violently" and "God descended upon it in fire," I suspect there was fear. TERROR!!! (Can you say, "Our God is an awesome God!"?)

 

That's the context of the ten commandments. We ought to do two things whenever we encounter the ten commandments:

1) fall on our face in -- at least -- profound respect, and

2) admit that we sin and fall short of their ideal every single day.

 

I like to tell people that I may not have taken out my gun and killed anybody lately, but I kill people with my words all the time. Almost every hour of every day, I have different priorities than God (which is breaking commandment one). How often do we lust with our eyes? And how often do we ignore the Sabbath command? And how often do we lie or cheat or fudge (which is more common for most of us than out right stealing)? And how many of us don't always give 100% to our employer -- which is theft?

 

And then ... how often do we judge others for their sins while we feel so proud about ourselves?

 

Exodus 19 and 20 ought to remind us that we ought to "work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling" -- a New Testament admonishment from Philippians 2:12.  

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs to do a face-plant

(a little more humble worship

from on my knees or face)

February 7 - John 6:32

Then Jesus said to them,

"Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses

who gave you the bread from heaven,

but it is my Father who gives you

the true bread from heaven.

John 6:32

 

When was the last time you were hungry? I mean, really hungry! I mean, walking-miles-and-miles-through-the-desert-for-days-with-nothing-to-eat-hungry.

 

In the wilderness, the people were HUNGRY. And not Moses, but God gave them bread from heaven.

 

Thus, our first point today is that God is our ultimate provider. Therefore, Jesus encourages us -- Matthew 6 -- to pray, "give us this day our daily bread."

 

Nevertheless, we are told here -- in John 6 -- that physical bread, while needed, is not our greatest need.

 

What are you hungry for besides the physical? I've often heard it said that "we are all created with a God-shaped-hole in our heart and we are always and ultimately empty until that need is fulfilled." Jesus is the true bread, the bread of life, and he wants to fill and fulfill all of the greatest needs ... and hopes ... and desires in our lives. He wants to fill-up and therefore get rid of the gaping holes caused by pain and grief and hurts.

 

Where are you hurting? What are you, deep down, hungry for? Jesus is the bread, the filler.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who knows God and faith and righteousness is what will fill me!

(nevertheless, like the Israelites who collected more than they needed,

I am always tempted to do more one day and slack off the next.

It's like a crummy diet plan -- binge and fast, binge and fast.

I need to strive for the recommended daily allowance of God.)

February 6 - Exodus 13:17-18

When Pharaoh let the people go,

God did not lead them by way

of the land of the Philistines,

although that was nearer;

for God thought, "If the people face war,

they may change their minds

and return to Egypt."

So God led the people

by the roundabout way of the

wilderness toward the Red Sea.

Exodus 13:17-18

 

Mary Louise and I tease each other. I'm the artist. She's the scientist. She's the straight-line thinker. I'm all over the place!

 

Whenever we discuss issues, I'm likely to drive her crazy. She wants 1-2-3-4 and I can tend to go 1-17-32-6-5-4. I get there, but I sometimes drive her nuts.

 

Most of us -- especially when times are tense and our spirits are anxious -- are scientists. We want straight-line answers. We want to see clear stepping stones, and we aren't inclined to step into the river until we see the next step along the path.

 

How many of you have ever figuratively or literally yelled at God because you didn't see the next stepping stone? How many of us have thought the clear path was 1-2-3-4 but there roadblocks and stones missing? We think we know the straight-line and yet sometimes it seems like God is leading us on a "roundabout way."

 

This passage reminds us that God sees a few steps farther ahead that we do, and the journey of faith is really a matter of trust.

 

Here's a favorite old prayer that you might find helpful when you can't quite see the logic of 1-17-32-6-5-4 ...

 

Lord God,

 

You have called your servants
to ventures
of which we cannot see the ending,
by paths as yet untrodden,
through perils unknown.

 

Give us faith to go out with good courage,
not knowing where we go,
but only that your hand is leading us
and your love supporting us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

 

In Christ's Love,

a creative wanderer

whose next lottery numbers are

1-17-32-6-5-4

February 5 - Luke 22:15, 19-20

[Jesus] said to [his disciples],

"I have eagerly desired to eat this

Passover with you before I suffer ...

Then he took a loaf of bread ...

"This is my body, which is given for you. ... 

He did the same with the cup after supper,

"This ... is the new covenant in my blood.

Luke 22:15,19-20

 

Once a week, God gives Christians a meal of thanksgiving. (That's what "the Eucharist" literally means.)

 

Once a year, God gave his people, Israel, a meal of thanksgiving. (That's what "the Passover is.)

 

See if God's institution of the Passover in Exodus 12:24-28 has anything in common with our Lord's institution of Holy Communion: "You shall observe this rite as a perpetual ordinance for you and your children. And when your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this observance?' you shall say, 'It is [a] sacrifice to the Lord ...' And the people bowed down and worshiped."

 

It is no accident that Jesus chose the passover for the institution of Holy Communion.

Yes, it was a meal of thanksgiving.

It was also a meal of freedom -- from their slavery in Egypt and from our slavery to sin.

Both involved the covering of the blood of the lamb -- the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the Passover door posts and the blood of The Lamb, Jesus Christ, sacrificially covering our sin.

Both of these meals involve bread -- in the New Testament, Jesus is the Bread of Life and his feeding means eternal life; in the Exodus there was not only the unleavened bread and it's festivals but the manna that meant feeding and life in the desert. 

 

With God, there are no consequences. His rescue from Egypt -- out of slavery, through the waters (of the Red Sea), and into the Promised Land -- prefigured everything he planned for you and me. The Christian life is out of slavery (to sin), through the waters (of baptism), and into the Promised Land (heaven).

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's booking his flight

to the Promised Land

February 4 - Exodus 8:18-19

The magicians tried to produce gnats

by their secret arts, but they could not. ... 

And the magicians said to Pharaoh,

"This is the finger of God!"

But Pharaoh's heart was hardened ...

Exodus 8:18-19

 

Three times in a row -- with a staff that turned into a snake, with a bloody river, and through an onslaught of frogs -- Pharaoh's magicians matched Moses miracle for miracle. (Or should I say, "miracle vs. trick.")

 

When their best humanly immitations could not match-up, they realized that this was "the finger of God!"

 

It's easy to understand why Pharaoh did not agree.

 

First, he'd seen some pretty good human immitations and wanted to stick with worldly explanations.

• Do you know anyone who looks down, rather than up, for answers to life's biggest questions?)

Second, he had an agenda, and he didn't want Moses -- or God -- to ruin it.

• Do you know anyone with their own plans and they're not excited about God's call or God's rules "ruining" it?

Pharaoh's third objection is a little troubling to some people: Did God really harden Pharaoh's heart? It does say that in places. But the explanation that makes the most sense to me is that God set up the circumstances in which Pharaoh's heart could choose either a supple faith or a hardness of heart.

• Do you know people in circumstances where they forced to choose between godliness or wickedness? This tempting circumstance alone can sometimes cause their hearts to be hardened. 

Some blame this hardening on God because he didn't deliver them from the situation. Others blame it on the circumstance because they wouldn't have fallen if they hadn't been in a place of temptations. Others blame it -- more rightly -- on themselves, the tempted pawn.

We will all face trying times. And we can all blame our actions on anything we want -- from God ... to our parents ... to the schools ... to the government ... to bad luck and unfortunate circumstances -- but it ultimately comes down to this: Will we finally recognize the finger of God or keep looking for a worldly way out?

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's sometimes content

with chicken fingers for lunch

but ought to be more diligent

in searching for God's fingers at work

February 3 - Exodus 5:6-8

That same day

Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters ...

"You shall no longer give the people

straw to make bricks, as before;

let them go and gather straw for themselves. 

But you shall require of them the same

quantity of bricks as they

have made previously

Exodus 5:6-8

 

Sometimes things get worse before they get better.

 

I've read that engineers made planes that could break the sound barrier long before the sound barrier was broken. Why wasn't it broken? Because as the pilots neared the speed of sound, the plane would shake so violently that they'd be terrified that the aircraft would crack apart. Therefore, they always backed off the throttle.

 

Test pilot Chuck Yeager was the first to say, "Maybe it will be calmer on the other side." And he pressed through.

 

We expect change to be easy. Israel, thought for example, that freedom sounded great. But they weren't prepared for the violent shaking that would occur before the break-through. Many times they simply wanted to go back to the way things used to be.

 

What's a break-through you're praying for? Expect a little shaking. And don't turn back until you've broken through.

 

Indeed, if God is in your plans for a break-through, just stick with him and rely on his power. The Red Sea will be parted, the shaking will stop, and the trials will be overcome.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's ready for a little

shake, rattle, and roll!

February 2 - Exodus 1:17

But the midwives feared God

Exodus 1:17

 

Probably the most important phrase at the beginning of Exodus is 2:23-24 -- "Out of their slavery [the Israelites'] cry rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered their covenant."

 

Probably the most critical story is how God called Moses -- and calls you and me. God comes and waits until we turn aside to reveal both the responsibility and the blessings.

 

But I chose another verse to write on instead.

 

How many of us say, "Well, I'm not a Moses." And then secretly whisper under our breath, "Thank goodness." As a result, we don't feel like we're the ones who are expected to do something big.

 

That's why I chose the story of the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. They were two ordinary people in ordinary jobs whose faith and bravery made a huge impact on the kingdom.

 

God's call to you might not be as dramatic as a burning bush. Nevertheless, he asks you to act with faith and bravery in the midst of your ordinary life. If enough of us start doing that, it will have a huge impact on the kingdom.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to be

as brave as a midwife

February 1 - Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20

all things work together for good

for those who love God 

Romans 8:28

 

You plotted evil against me,

but God turned it into good,

in order to preserve the lives of many

Genesis 50:20

 

To me, Genesis 50:20 is one of the most important verses in the Bible.

 

Our world is filled with too many evil intentions. And it is filled with too many unfortunate results. Bad things happen to good people. And the questions are always, "Where is God in all this?"

 

Where is God? The simplest, truest answer I know is that God is always "turn[ing evil] into good." Evil is a human, sinful, demonic invention. Therefore, God must be continually turning darkness into light, sadness into joy, despair into hope, bondage into freedom, and brokeness into grace.

 

I picture it like snow in the spring.

 

Where is God? Not in the frozen blanket of ice, but in the flowers that are poking through. Sin and evil assualt this world. God is in the signs of life that keep poking through anyway. God is "work[ing] ... all things ... together for good for those who love [Him]."

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's ready

for the first traces

of Spring's flowers