A Sobering Reminder...

There are many things I wish I could magically prevent in your lives my dear grandchildren.  I'd love for you to never learn difficult life lessons the hard way, or endure terrible pain or heartache as a result of impulsive whims or youthful ignorance. But since wishful thinking is just that, my prayer is that you will read and heed the lessons and warnings of scripture, for they tell of the consequences and penalties that will inevitably occur in the lives of those who choose to go the way of this world.

Today's chapters are Isaiah 28 through 30, verses that tell of a stubborn and rebellious bunch who are prone to drunkenness and folly. And while one might think that for the sake of simplicity (and probably a more civil and safe society) it would've been better if God had straight up prohibited the use of alcohol in the Bible, He didn't.  What He did however, is tell us that drunkenness is wrong--always.

But you--you're growing up in a world that celebrates and elevates and glorifies alcohol's use not simply as a rite of passage, but as a necessity for life's enjoyment. And while illicit drug use isn't mentioned in these chapters I think we can safely lump it into the category as well.  So what does the Bible say? 

It's interesting that the Hebrew word halam which literally means "to strike down" is used to describe what Isaiah refers to as drunkenness.  The same word is translated "pounded" in Judges 5:26 where it describes Jael's pounding of a tent peg through the head of Sisera. Wow, how is that for some sobering imagery?

Being drunk means that our senses, judgment, thinking and reflexes are impaired, and while that may sometimes sound like a great way to escape troubles, heartbreaks or reality, the truth is, getting drunk or drugged never solves a problem.  Drunkenness multiplies difficulties and compounds despair-- especially when it leads to addiction.

The good news of these verses is that as strong as alcohol (or any of its substitutes may be) God is stronger.  There is nothing that has power over us that is greater than God's ability to break the power--but the battle will be tough and the faith must be fervent.

Finally, never forget this: there is nothing good that God withholds from us--NOTHING!  But this world will tell you that more is always better, that evil is good and that wrong is right.  And unless you are armed with the knowledge of the truth of God's world, I'm afraid you will listen and believe--as so many have before you.

Hear instead these Words from Isaiah 29:

15 What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their evil deeds in the dark! “The Lord can’t see us,” they say. “He doesn’t know what’s going on!” 16 How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”?

We are all just lumps of clay fashioned uniquely and individually by a Master Potter--who not only loves us, He gave his life for us.  In Him alone can "us jars" be filled up enough that we aren't chasing after things that never satisfy--like the artificial highs of drugs and alcohol.  Being drunk instead of being Spirit-filled is like bandaging a bleeding artery rather than surgically repairing it.  You eventually die needlessly when there was a ready remedy.

Lord, fill us with Your Spirit so that we may live in the awareness that we are jars of clay.  Keep us, lead us, help us, deliver us. Thank you and amen. 

UnFAITHful

I cannot imagine going through life married to an unfaithful husband.  I know there are women who do just that, but it is beyond me how they cope with the feelings of betrayal, which brings me to today's subject--unfaithfulness.  It's taken me a while to actually put my thoughts in writing about the book of Hosea, but the emotions evoked by its reading have been wildly varied and personally significant.

To provide a little background, Hosea, a prophet whose ministry spanned the years from 760 to 720 B.C., was instructed by God to marry a prostitute during the reign of Jeroboam II.  He took for himself an unfaithful wife named Gomer in obedience to this very difficult command from The Lord. These events happened during an era of political and economic prosperity in Israel that coincided with a season of abysmal moral decay.

As our own nation has enjoyed years of bounty and blessing, insidious moral decline (evidenced by frequently militant rejection of what was once considered good and/or sacred) has begun to define much of western society, in some ways mirroring the days of Hosea.

A brief scan of the day's news offers disturbing evidence that we are sliding down into a nasty, stinky societal cesspool.  For me, it's easy to point fingers and get all righteous as I shake my head in disgust at comparatively blatant offenders, at least upon first reading of this troubling book of the Bible.  But rather than focusing on the obvious parallels that can be drawn between Israel and current day American sinners, God has reminded me that this is about me--not them.  I am the unfaithful one. I  have far too easily dismissed my personal unfaithfulness to Him and I am busted.

No, I cannot imagine being married to a cheater--but in the account of Hosea's marriage to Gomer, The Lord has provided a crystal clear reminder that He longs for a faithful bride.  And in the hurt and heartbreak that must have defined Hosea's life, I am confronted by the reminder that whenever I wander from wholehearted commitment to Jesus Christ, I am Gomer.

Yes, I have been unfaithful, ungrateful, undeserving and unfit to be called Christ's bride, and yet the good news of His grace is that He loves me still.  He is not like me--I would tell the cheater to take a hike, that I wanted nothing more of him and seek a divorce.  But my Heavenly Bridegroom loves me unconditionally and welcomes my cheating heart back home--and that's a grace that is greater than anything my mind can conceive. 

Oh Father, forgive me for my unfaithfulness.  I thank you for grace and I praise you for mercy. Amen.