Year: 2010

Categories
Bible

Worshiping Work

In the post, “Is Self-sufficiency Your Strength?” it was suggested that some people effectively turn their own strength into their god.  A related consideration is a work.

Do you worship your work?  Of course, you would say “no.”  But consider that what you make sacrifices for is that which is important to you.  Do you make sacrifices for work?  Do you sacrifice family time to complete work projects? 

Do you sacrifice personal health and well-being to climb the corporate ladder?  Do you sacrifice relationships or needed rest to earn a promotion or get a raise?  If so, then perhaps you worship your work; perhaps you have elevated your vocation to the status of god.

Consider what Habakkuk had to say on the subject:

“Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.”

Worshiping work sounds quite ridiculous when viewed this way, but is it any different from the types of sacrifices people make for their jobs today?

[See Habakkuk 1:16.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Is Self-sufficiency Your Strength?

To be self-sufficient is to not require outside aid, support, or interaction for survival.  It is a primary intent of much of today’s Western culture.  A Google search for “self-sufficient” produced 13.7 million matches. 

Self-sufficiency is truly a big deal — and unfortunately, a prideful goal that produces a false sense of security.

Consider what the prophet Habakkuk said in referencing the Babylonians.  He said that their “own strength is their god.”

Although we are far removed from the Babylonians in both time and culture, I suspect that our desire to be self-sufficient is not much different from this ancient empire’s self-reliance.

As we become more self-sufficient, we rely more and more on ourselves and less and less on others — including God.  We begin to take pride in our own skills, abilities, and independence.  These become our strengths…and effectively, our god.

As for the Babylonians, their “god” of strength was insufficient to save them.  Habakkuk later prophesizes Babylonia’s destruction, which history confirms.

Should we expect a different outcome, that our self-sufficiency will save us?

[See Habakkuk 1:11 and Habakkuk 2:2-19.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

My Favorite Verse

Just as we may have a favorite color, make of car, movie, or vacation destination, some people also have a favorite Bible verse.  My favorite verse is not a common one and comes from an obscure passage in the Old Testament.

It is about an honorable man who prayed — and then “God granted his request.”

This is a simple phrase and seemingly not profound, but it is most encouraging to me.

There is often a mystery to praying: when God answers, how he answers, and if he answers the way we expect him to.  During dry times, it may seem like he never answers, but there are also times when the answers are quick and obvious.

This verse is a powerful reminder to me that God does indeed answer prayers.

[For the full story — all two verses — see 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Be Careful What You Pray

When you pray, be careful what you pray — I’m serious, be very careful.

In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples (also called “The Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father”), one part says:

“Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors.”

Some translations use the word “sins” or “transgressions” in place of debts, but the intent is the same.

The request is that God will forgive us…to the degree we forgive others.

That is, if we forgive fully, we are asking God to forgive us fully.  However, if we only forgive partially — keeping grudges, holding onto ill-feelings, or harboring hate — then we are asking God to only forgive us partially. 

Our lack of forgiveness towards others could limit the amount of forgiveness we receive.  Ouch!

So when I pray that prayer, I do so carefully and with some trepidation; some days, I even want to skip that part!

However, skipping it is not the answer.  A better solution is to be steadfast and diligent in forgiving others — then we can likewise expect the same from God.

[See Matthew 6:12.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Wait For It

A reoccurring gag in sitcoms is what I call the “wait for it” bit.

It goes like this: Something that is expected to occur doesn’t.  With a knowing look, one character confidently states, “Wait for it.”  There is a suitable pause, and then it occurs just as predicted — the audience expresses their relief and delight with a predictable laugh.

Modern television, however, is not the first time the “wait for it” tactic was employed.  God said it to the prophet Habakkuk a few millennia ago.  Yep, God may have been the first one to say, “Wait for it.”

After Habakkuk whines to God about God’s seemingly inaction and lack of response, God tells Habakkuk what he will do, but not when he will do it.  God merely says to “wait for it,” as in:

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; will certainly come and will not delay.”

God doesn’t reckon time the way we do.  Even though he’s got things figured out and his plans will come to pass, sometimes, we just need to “wait for it.”

[See Habakkuk 2:3.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

The Feet that Bring the Good News of Peace

As I read the prophetic book of Nahum, I see a familiar sounding passage:

“Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!” (See Nahum 1:15a.)

I find a similar text in Isaiah:

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace…” (See Isaiah 52:7.)

The book of Romans even quotes Isaiah:

“As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (See Romans 10:15.)

But these are not what I am thinking of.  Knowing that “good news” means “gospel,” I do some searching and find:

“Your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (See Ephesians 6:15.)

I get excited when I see themes repeated throughout the Bible; it adds emphasis and reinforces the timelessness of the message.

May we all be people who bring peace.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Nineveh, Part II

The prophetic book of Nahum is essentially a sequel to the book of Jonah.  Both focus on the people of Nineveh.  Jonas proclaims doom and destruction on them; they have a change of heart (repent); and God relents.

A century or so later, they have forgotten all about that.  This time Nahum proclaims doom and destruction; this time there is no change of heart; and history records that they are soon destroyed.

What did they do?  Nahum simply pronounces that they are guilty (Nahum 1:3) and later shares some details:

The city of Nineveh is given a second chance, but they miss it — and they pay a heavy price.

God is patient (Nahum 1:3), but not patient forever.  If he gives us a second change, we’d better take it.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Micah’s Personal Prescription

As the prophet Micah gives a series of stinging rebukes against the nations of Israel and Judah, he takes pause for some personal reflection.

As if keeping a journal, he wonders how he should approach God.  With reverence, with offerings, with sacrifices?  No.  That is not what God wants.  God requires something much different, for him to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.

Then Micah returns to his God-promoted discourse of doom.  After a bit more invective, he becomes filled with remorse, saying, “What misery is mine?”

Micah then reflects some more, delving into a depressing bit of introspection, before confidently affirming that his hope is in God; Micah will wait and God will hear him.

So Micah’s personal prescription then becomes to:

Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly, and hope in and wait on God.

Works for me.

[See Micah 6:6-8, Micah 7:1, and Micah 7:7.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Stop it, Micah!

The prophet Micah gives some strong words from God to the people.  Although his proclamation (prophecy) should convict them, they instead take offense.

At one point they even tell Micah to stop talking — as if his silence would keep God’s plans from happening.

Micah’s sarcastic retort is that if a prophet proclaimed plenty of wine and beer for everyone, the people would flock to him.  Apparently, rather than face the truth, the people prefer to anesthetize themselves from it.

Telling the people what they want to hear — as opposed to the truth — is making a false prophecy.  Regarding these false prophets, Micah further notes that when the prophets are fed, they pronounce that peace will occur, but if they don’t say what the people want, the people turn against them.

Our reaction to things we don’t want to hear is much the same today.  We respond as consumers, leaving the teacher of an unpalatable message and seeking someone who will tell us what we want to hear.

That’s approaching faith with a consumerism mindset: looking for what is pleasant and nice — even if it’s wrong.  It happened to Micah and it’s still happening today.

[See Micah 2:6, Micah 2:11, and Micah 3:5.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

God’s Sovereignty At Work

In the story of Jonah, we see God’s sovereignty at work, with God exercising control over nature.  Here’s what God does:

Furthermore, God’s sovereignty allows him to show mercy towards the people of Nineveh and not destroy them as he had originally planned.

However, God does not exercise control over Jonah, allowing him to do what he wants, when he chooses,and how pleases.  Jonah has free will — and God does not interfere with that even though Jonah’s choices cause him a lot of grief.

God gives Jonah the freedom to mess up — or to do what is right.  That’s how God rolls.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.