Daily Reflections on Ex. 23:20-33 (My Personal Angel)

Wouldn't it be great if you had an angel go before you clearing the way? You're on your way to work and all the lights would turn green right before you got there. All the other cars would just move over giving you a clear path. You pull up to the mall and a space would be waiting for you on the front row. Instead of standing in line at Wal-Mart or the grocery store, a path would open allowing you to go directly to a register without waiting.

Wouldn't it be great if all the angry people in your life would disappear forever? Your angel would rid you of all troublemakers and annoying people. Your enemies and your competition could be eliminated without you having to do a thing. Where can I get one of those angels?

In today's reading, God promises to send an angel like this ahead of the Israelites. He was a representative of God. The only catch was that they had to listen to him and do what he said. They also couldn't start worshiping the gods of the people that were already in the land. They were to destroy their idols and sacred places. They also weren't to make a peace covenant with the people living in the land.

God said if they did those things, then He would bless their food and water, take away any sickness from them, young women would have healthy children and they would live a long happy life. Sounds like a great promise to me. Where do I sign up?

I also noted one more promise that God gave them. He said He would drive out all the inhabitants of the land which He had promised to Abraham and his offspring. But He said He wouldn't do that all at once. He'd do it gradually so that the land wouldn't become desolate and dangerous. As the people grew in number, He would drive out the negative element as needed, until the Children of Israel could possess the entire land.

Wow. Seems like lots of lessons here. We're looking at the birth of a nation. God knew it would take a while to make the transition so He carefully planned their development. They weren't suddenly a nation. God knew the chaos that would ensue if He didn't take one step at a time. Nation building takes time, training, careful planning.

So does the birth of a Christian. God doesn't take out all the supports and leave us floundering. He allows us to grow slowly. His caution, however, is to listen only to Him in the developmental process. The negative influence of our lives have to be slowly and methodically removed. Trying to invite old habits and worldly influence into our lives leads only to disaster and ultimately destruction. The best of God's blessings and a healthy life requires listening to Him and obeying Him. We don't have an angel to prepare our way, but we do have the Holy Spirit living in us to direct us, protect us and empower us.

God, thanks for preparing my way each day through your Holy Spirit.

Daily Reflections on Mt. 24:3-25 (Is the End in Sight?)

From my teens I've always wondered what the end of the world as we know would be like. I was intrigued by Hal Lindsey's book, "The Late Great Planet Earth." We talked about the end times in our Sunday School class. I didn't so much like reading the book, but the movie was really interesting. I went with some friends to see it at a drive-in theater.

I'm not so sure I agree with Hal Lindsey about what the end times will be like, but at least it caused me to think about it. I've never been cracked about experiencing death personally. I'm not afraid of being dead. I'm afraid of getting dead. So I've always wanted to hang around to see the end times, no matter how turbulent they may be. I just figured I'd rather go on to heaven like Elijah, riding a flaming chariot, than the normal way, dying. The Bible does say that the dead in Christ will ride first and then those who are alive in Christ will be caught up with Him in air. I just decided that I didn't have to be first. I'd just as soon do the caught up thing in the air. That would be sooooo cool. Look Mom, I'm flying.

I honestly don't know how close we are to the last days, when the trumpet sounds and that's all she wrote. I do know that we are closer today than yesterday. As I look around it seems that there certainly are a lot of earthquakes and famines in various parts of the world. It seems nations are rising against nations. Many nations in Africa fit the description in today's passage.

I've also noted one thing that is of great concern to me. Jesus stated that as the end draws near many will turn away from the faith. He said to expect false prophets and false teachers. He said to expect an increased of love for wickedness and/or wicked things. He said that people's love for truth and righteousness will grow cold. I don't if anyone else has noticed, but it sure seems like that's happening. I read a stat not too long ago that stated that porn shops out number McDonald's three to one in the US. It also went to state that the porn industry is the number one industry on the internet.

In the middle of His discourse Jesus makes one incredible promise, "He who stands firm to the end will be saved." Wow! That's a victory statement. Standing firm on God's truth, standing firm on the hope of Jesus, sounds like the right and spiritual thing to do. But Jesus also warns that many will cave under the pressure and abandon their faith. Before you quickly announce, "Not Me!", I remind you of a guy in the upper room by the name of Peter. That "never deny you, Lord" statement became 3 denials within 24 hours.

Standing firm isn't easy. We cave in small ways all the time. We embrace much of the world's ways on a daily basis. We accept immorality in it's various forms as if it's nothing to be concerned about. People go without food. Woman and children abused. Widows sit alone behind drawn curtains. Sexual promiscuity doesn't even get a raised eyebrow. In fact, it's a major theme in most of our favorite TV shows.

As we lower our standards, our love and passion for God and His righteousness slowly dissipates. Our heart, our love is growing cooler. The hope, the light within us is fading. The saddest thing is that we don't even know it.

Jesus says run to the hills when you see it coming. He's not suggest we all wall ourselves off in a monastery. He's say to run from the world's ways. Perhaps that's why even though Jesus was divine, He still headed for the mountains to be alone with God on a regular basis. He needed to renew Himself with the Father. He needed to get away from the corruption for a while and find Himself enriched and enraptured by the holiness of God.

Father, I'm sick. The world is corrupting me. It's hard to live in the world and not to be a part of the world. My soul is bombarded daily with the germs of ungodliness. Refresh my spirit as I draw close to you. Purge the worldly elements from my being. Detox my soul. I want to stand firm in Christ, so empower me with your spirit.

Daily Reflections on Mt. 5:13-16 (Hide and Seek)

My girls, like most kids, used to like to play Hide and Seek when they were little. I'd close my eyes while they went and hid some place in the house. I would holler, "Are you ready?" From under a bed or behind a door I would hear their little voices, "We're ready." Although I knew exactly where they were, I would pretend to look for them behind the couch or under a table announcing where I was looking. Of course I would hear them giggling as if they we're fooling me. But, if I stalled too long in finding them, they would run out from where they were hiding and proclaim, "Here I am."

Seems like a lot of followers of Christ play Hide and Seek. I don't mean by not showing up for church services or Bible studies. (Although some play that game too.) I'm talking about demonstrating their faith, actively living their faith. Many Christians hide by getting lost in the crowd. They hide their "faith" by going along with the crowd, fitting in, participating in various activities with their peers and coworkers and classmates that are not appropriate for true believers.

When we embraced the world and the world's standards, instead of finding the acceptance we are looking for, we end up getting trampled by the world. When we hide our faith by living just as the world lives, we get overrun by the world. True, living by God's standards sets you apart. You don't get invited to all the parties. Some people will reject you. However, if you're living as a light, demonstrating God's love, acceptance and grace, people will be drawn to you in their times of darkness like a June bug to a porch lamp.

If we hide ourselves in the world, we will fall victim to the pain and pitfalls of the world. The trampling. But if we live as salt and light, we bring refreshment and hope and guidance to those around us. People will seek us out.

God, help me to be the salt that drives people to drink from your living water. Help me be the light that causes others to be drawn to you.

Daily Reflections on Ezek. 10:18-19 (When God Walks Out)

If God is everywhere all the time, how come I don't always know it or sense it? Why does God seem so far away sometimes? I come to Him and I can't find Him? I call out and God doesn't answer? It's like He just disappeared from my life.

Could be. But if He has disappeared, we're the ones who squeezed Him out. That's what the Israelites did according to Ezekiel. Solomon had built this great temple to the Lord. Chronicles tells us how that once the temple was completed and dedicated to the Lord, God filled it with His "shekinah" glory. It was so overwhelming that the priest had to leave the temple. Everyone was in awe of the presence of God that filled their temple.

But in Ezekiel's day, the Israelites decided to bring other forms of worship into the temple. They erected idols to Asherah and Tamnuz (fertility gods of the non-Israelis living in the land). They apparently also had their own form of Mother Earth worship going on in the temple too. The magnificent temple, built and dedicated to God, had become a center for pagan worship. The people had brought all sorts of false gods and worldly practices into God's house.

So God, in response to the people's actions, left His own house. He withdrew His presence. Why wouldn't God stay and fight? Because He doesn't have to. He won't stay where He's not wanted. But when God leaves so does His protection and provision. God doesn't have to punish us when we reject Him or hook up with other "gods." All He has to do is withdraw His hand and leave us to our own devices. We have to face the consequences of our own choices.

The Bible says God is a jealous God. There is no room for bringing other gods, idols or items of worship into our lives. When job, kids, sports, career, cleaning house, partying, sex, marriage take His place as priority in our life, we force God into the back seat. God won't sit in the back seat. In fact, He wants to drive.

Has God's glory departed from your life? Has His presence evaporated? Then maybe it's time for a temple cleansing and rededication. That starts with a heart examine. What or who has become the central object of your worship?

God, my prayer, like King David's, is that you not remove your spirit from me. Search me and create in me a clean heart. Forgive me for defiling my temple, my body, my life. I want your presence. I want to experience your shekinah glory in my life.