Understanding of the Holy

"The commander of the LORD's army replied,

'Take off your sandals,

for the place where you are standing is holy.'

And Joshua did as he was told."

Joshua 5:15 NLT

He was ready to lead his people into conquering the land God had promised to them. The entire nation had miraculously crossed through the swollen Jordan River on dry ground.  The next generation of men had been circumcised according to the Lord's command.  Passover had been celebrated and the provision of manna had stopped.  God was providing for His people by the fruit of this land of Canaan.  All the signs indicated that the time was now to receive the promise.

At least that's how it probably felt to Joshua.  God, however, knows the heart of a man and He had one more lesson for Joshua to learn before the time was right.  Before Joshua could receive his orders for defeating Jericho from the commander of the Lord's army, he had to acknowledge the holiness of God.

It is the same for me.  I may feel ready to run ahead into the plan God has for me, anxious to get started on what God has in store.  First, however, there are a few things I must get straight.

God's Ways are Higher

In military maneuvers, intelligence and operational details are only dispensed on a "need to know" basis.  This means that information is only passed on according to what is needed in order to complete the mission.  Most soldiers, then, only receive orders pertaining to their own unit's assignment but they probably don't know the entire scope of the operation.

As a soldier of Christ, I am to live by this same principle.  God is the One who holds my marching orders in His hands, but He only enlightens me to the information He wants me to know.  Since my mind does not think the way His does, it is futile for me to try to understand the reasoning behind His specific plan for me(Isaiah 55:8-9).  If I don't have a "need to know," then I just have to trust that God knows what He's doing.

The thing is, I think that I have a "need to know."  What I really have is a "want to know," but I've convinced myself that a basic understanding of my situation and how the future will play out is necessary in order for me to fall in line behind God.  In other words, I think my obedience is contingent upon my understanding of the plan.  If I don't get it, how can I climb on board? I reason to myself.

Faith, however, in it's very nature is based on a belief in what I can't see(Hebrews 11:1). There is no way to rationalize my way to faith.  I can't make a list of pros and cons and utilize my common sense to reason my way to a place where I'll trust God.  Faith is about me taking a chance to put my full weight on the God I cannot see to fulfill a plan I've never had the pleasure of approving.  When I believe God is who He says He is without any concrete evidence to support His claims, I am exercising my faith.  Conditional faith, then, is no faith at all.

In order for me to trust God, I must grasp His holy nature and let go of my desire to understand what He's doing.

God's Ways are Perfect

I have no idea what perfect looks like.  I have adapted to living in a fallen world surrounded by imperfections.  Nature is filled with inconsistencies, flaws and blemishes that I find beautiful.  Perfect would be boring.

While I have no concept of perfection, I must realize that God's ways are perfect.  There is nothing false about His line of thinking.  He doesn't forget what He's doing and then have to cover up His mistakes.  God doesn't ever get it wrong:  He is perfectly holy, perfectly righteous and perfectly just.  (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Since God is unable to think, act or speak wrongly, I must never put Him in the same category as man. Unfortunately, while I may not consciously think I do this, I hold this false belief in my heart when I take a low view of sin.  I welcome sinful thoughts, actions and words as if they are my bosom buddies.  I tell myself that God will understand if I give into temptation because He knows I'm not perfect.   

Grasping His perfect nature, however, means I must maintain a godly view of sin.  Instead of making excuses for what I allow into my life, I must be always aware of how my sin offends His holy nature.  If He went through the trouble of offering His own precious Son as a sacrifice to atone for my sin, there must be something very offensive to God regarding my sin.  Why, then, am I so quick to explain it away, turning a blind eye and accepting it as part of my nature?

My sin nature has been crucified with Christ so that I can live a new life through the power of His Spirit. (Galatians 2:20) Not that I will never sin again, but that I am so sensitive to the sin in my life that it makes me uncomfortable.  To live by the Spirit is to desire His path more than my own. (Galatians 5:16) To live by the Spirit is to deny myself and all my sinful tendencies and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24).

In order for me to trust God, I must gain an understanding of His perfect nature and how my sin offends Him.

My True Identity

Most people identify themselves by what they do:  I'm a doctor.  I'm an accountant.  I'm a homemaker.  It's easy, then, to take on this same mindset when it comes to who I am to God.  I may think I'm a Sunday School teacher or a choir member or a part of the cleaning crew.  

My true identity, however, is as a sinner who is saved by the grace of God.  I am His adopted child by faith in Jesus Christ.  I am a hopeless loser who has been made righteous by the blood of the Lamb.  Everything I am is thanks to Jesus;  He is my only hope (Romans 7:24-25).

The Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 12:3, that I am to measure myself accurately based on God's standard, not my own.  When I use my own ruler I either look better than I really am or worse.  Either way, I'm not seeing a clear picture.  

I would be wise, then, to see myself as God sees me.  There is no good within me (Romans 7:18). I can't accomplish anything of eternal worth in my own effort.  My sin nature condemns me, earning me nothing but death and destruction (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23a).  In the midst of such bad news, however, there is some good.  While my sin condemns me, Jesus came to save me(John 3:16-17)!

When Jesus died on the cross, He took my sins on Himself, taking my punishment so that I could have a chance to live.  Trusting in Him as my Savior, then, exchanges the wages of death my sin has earned for God's free gift of life that will last for all of eternity (Romans 6:23).

If I come to God with a sense of my own merit, trying to impress Him with what I bring to the table, I have forgotten my true identity.  If I am afraid to even approach the Lord, feeling inadequate and guilty for all the ways I've failed, I have forgotten my true identity.  If I boldly approach the throne of grace to receive all the grace and mercy I desperately need in my own weakness to get through each moment, I know my true identity (Hebrews 4:16).    

In order for me to trust God, I must gain an understanding of my true identity.

I am often ready to run headlong through the door God is cracking open, foolishly thinking the time is now to plunge ahead.  If I pay attention to His leading, however, I may find that He has a lesson for me to grasp before I can go any further.  Like Joshua, I may need to let go of my desire to understand His plan, to realize the perfect nature of God, and to accept my true identity in Christ.  It is then that I will have a better understanding of the Holy.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can maintain a holy reverence for God.

When do I relate to God as if He were my servant, telling Him what I want to happen?

In what ways do I forget who I am in relation to God?


Originally published on February 21, 2014

No Formula

"There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job,

and that man was blameless and upright,

one who feared God and turned away from evil."

Job 1:1 ESV

I like to think that if I live right, am faithful to God and seek to please Him, He will bless me with a trouble-free life and protection from evil.  Examining Job's life, I see this can't be true.  Why not?  Why can't I expect a smooth ride in return for my godly choices?  There are several reasons.

Mysterious Purpose.  In the midst of the heartache, Job lamented his birth and wanted his life to end.  So great was his grief that he yearned for peace and release from such a heavy burden (Job 3).  Behind the scenes, however, God was busy working out His mysterious purposes.

Since I am not God, I have no clue as to the reasoning behind His actions (Isaiah 55:8-9).  I can't answer, "Why?"  I don't know what He's up to.  The only thing I do know for sure is that He is up to something.  And that something is good (1 John 1:5, James 1:17).  

God has His own purposes of which I cannot fathom.  Even though He doesn't reveal why He allows suffering into my life, He has clued me into the what.  What outcome can I expect for me as I love Him and am called according to His purpose?  It will be His best for me (Romans 8:28-29).  It will be a part of the cleansing, lifelong process that sets me apart for His use.  It will help to conform me into the image of Jesus.

Since God is the keeper of the "Why?", I am to concern myself with the "Who?"  Ultimately, God is in control.  Since He's a good God, I can trust Him to be the gatekeeper of my life, filtering out those things that will bring harm and somehow, mysteriously, weaving the hurtful and difficult into a breathtaking masterpiece that could come about no other way.  

When I go through hard times I can remember that God is guided by His good yet mysterious purpose.

Different Economy.  It's upside-down, backward, and opposite of this world.  I live in a culture that rewards hard work with material success, that is generous to those who give and stingy toward those who are powerless and have nothing to contribute.  Value is placed on what can be spent, consumed or enjoyed.  Popularity is achieved by the beautiful, funny and entertaining.

In contrast, God's kingdom is a place where rewards are heavenly and unconditional generosity is the rule not the exception (Matthew 5:12, Hebrews 11:13-16).  The things that are deemed as valuable are intangible and eternal while each life is equally important and precious (Matthew 6:19-21, Psalm 139:14).

Since God's kingdom is so different from the world in which I temporarily dwell, I must remember that my reward for living in relationship with God will come later.  I can't expect Him to give me what He has in store for me now, but in eternity where things will be as He created them to be.  Until then, I can realize that my desire to please God with a heart that is dedicated to Him will not go unnoticed by my Father whose eye is always on me (Matthew 10:29-31).

When I go through hard times I can remember that God is saving up a reward for my choice to stay true to Him (Galatians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 15:58).

Character-Focused.  The conditions were ideal.  Temperature, humidity, and soil pH levels were closely monitored.  Harmful substances were strictly prohibited and the plants were shielded from the extremes of the elements.  Vegetation will grow well in such a perfect environment.  In order to truly test their hardiness, however, they must be transferred outside into the real world.

Similarly, it would be easy to stay true to Christ in such a protected environment as a greenhouse plant enjoys.  There would be no pressure to stray, no temptation to lure me away from Him, no harsh environment to plant seeds of doubt into my heart.  But would my faith be real?  Would my intention to follow Jesus really mean anything in such ideal surroundings (Job 1:8-10)?

The only way to find out if I mean it when I say I love Jesus more than anything, is to place me into the fray.  As the temptations come, the losses hit, and the trials enter, I'll learn if what I profess so confidently to be true has penetrated my heart.  If I keep looking around me, fretting at the harshness of the temperatures, the strength of the wind, or the life-threatening power of the storm, I'll see that I don't really trust God as much as I thought I did.  Worry and anxiety then rules my heart.  

If, however, I look up, keeping my eyes trained on Jesus who gave me my faith and is always at work refining and bolstering it, I will begin to see that my faith is real (Hebrews 12:2).  It is only through the difficulties that my faith is purified and tested (1 Peter 1:6-7).

When I go through hard times I can remember that God is testing and purifying my faith.

I desire a carefree, comfortable and enjoyable life.  If I am to follow Jesus in a world that is dedicated to everything that goes against Him, however, I must expect difficulty.  As a child of a Heavenly Father who loves me, I might expect that He will shield me from all harm if my heart is devoted to Him.  If so, I'll be disappointed because the truth is that God has His own purposes that are a mystery to me, operates under a different economy, and is more focused on my character than on my comfort.  Therefore, I must realize that there is no formula to live my best life now.  Instead, I can strive for His best, a far, far different thing.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stay focused on Jesus, especially when the going gets rough.

How am I more dedicated to my comfort than to letting God have His way?

When do I despair when hard times hit, forgetting that God has a purpose through it all?

  

Holiness of God

"The LORD gave these instructions to Moses:

'Command the people of Israel to remove from the camp

anyone who has a skin disease or a discharge,

or who has become ceremonially unclean by 

touching a dead person.

This command applies to men and women alike.

Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which

I live among them.'"

Numbers 5:1-3

Completely conquer the inhabiting peoples.

Make no treaties with these nations.

Show no mercy to these people groups.

Don't intermarry with these foreigners.

Destroy religious artifacts and altars of these nations.

God gave this list of instructions to His people before they entered into the land He had promised them but which was inhabited by seven powerful and mighty nations.  When God gave these commands, it was with the intention that His chosen people were to remain pure and true to Him, not because they were special in and of themselves.  Instead, they were only considered to be exceptional because the Lord had chosen them.  (Deuteronomy 7:1-6)

I'm sure the Israelites were not so different from me, sometimes thinking there was something special in themselves that stood out, grabbing God's attention and motivating Him to choose them as His own.  To make it perfectly clear, though, God reminded His people that He had chosen them simply because He loved them and that He had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would. (Deuteronomy 7:7-11)

Getting back to God's insistence on purity, I have to ask, Why was it so important that God's people be pure?  He didn't want them to be contaminated by disease, foreign gods or anything unclean.  Adherence to such rules could easily make them think they were better than all other peoples.  This, however, was not the intention.  Instead, God wanted His people to practice purity because He as their God, and now as mine, is holy.

Higher

They thought they had God all figured out.  They told Job all about the One who created them from nothing.  Job's friends put the suffering man on trial, treating him like a criminal and trying to force a confession out of him.  Instead of comforting him, they found themselves defending God and lecturing Job on the reasons for what they saw as punishment.

It wasn't long before God responded.  When He did, there was no doubt as to Who was supreme and sovereign.  He asked such questions as, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38:4) and "Have you visited the storehouses of snow or seen the storehouses of hail?" (v 22)  The Lord drilled Job with queries like, "Is it your wisdom that makes the hawks soar or spread its wings toward the South?" (Job 39:26)  Job and his friends were definitely put in their rightful place and they came away humbled.

God's ways are much higher than mine.  (Isaiah 55:8-9)  I cannot expect to understand or even fathom His purposes.  Therefore, I must trust Him with my life, knowing that His plan is best yet realizing that I may not comprehend why He is leading me down a certain path.  Instead, it is my job to follow, leaving the "why" and the "how" up to Him.  

So when I am stricken by illness after illness, leaving me feeling like a useless shell of what I used to be, I can look to the One who directs my footsteps and know that He has a plan for the pain.  Or when I go through times of want, struggling to make ends meet, I can look for the lessons He is teaching me in the middle of the desert.  Or when I feel like I am all alone, ceasing to sense His presence despite my searching, I can remember that I stand in the shadow of His Almighty.

The holiness of God reminds me that His ways are much higher than mine and can never be fully understood.

Worthy

"I just want you to know that you deserve the best.  You are beautiful." Lil Wayne

"Timidity keeps people from their good.  They are afraid to say, 'Yes, I deserve it.'" Maya Angelou

"You deserve to be happy.  You deserve delight."  Hannah Arendt

Is it any wonder that we live in an age of entitlement?  We are constantly bombarded by such self-absorbed messages which appeal to our sinful natures.  After all, who doesn't want to be the center of attention and receive the best out of life?

The problem is, however, that God did not create me to get all the things I think I deserve.  Instead, He created me for His own purposes, and He is the only one who deserves anything at all.  In fact, since this is His creation, I would even go so far as to say that I should learn to be thankful that He even gives me my next breath.

Instead, I often adopt the attitude that I've worked hard and I deserve a break.  Other times, I justify my sinful ways by listing all the things that I think I do right.  Sometimes, I even find myself thinking I have earned some kind of benefit or reward due to my effort or attitude.

These are the times when I must remember that only God is worthy to be praised and exalted. (Revelation 4:11)  Even though I want recognition for a job well done, the Lord is the one who deserves all the credit.  Without Him, I would not even have the tools or even the life to accomplish anything.

Even though I think my sin is not a big deal in the scheme of things, God is the only One who can judge my heart.  Even though I've decided that my endeavors have earned me something good, only God is righteous enough to offer blessing or curse.

Instead of focusing on my own value, then, I would be wise to consider the worthiness of God to be praised and exalted above all things.  It is easy to either lift myself up too high, or not see any merit in myself at all.  In the place of putting myself on the scale in the first place, I can keep my attention on the One who created me in His image, knowing that He is the only One who is worthy to be praised. (Psalm 145:3)

The holiness of God reminds me that He is the only One who is worthy to receive praise and honor, keeping my attention fully on Him.

Majestic

The mighty mountain peak towered above the surrounding land, reigning over the plains and valleys.  Everyone who visited the Puget Sound area marveled at the beauty and majesty of Mount Rainier.  

Like a snow-covered mountain peak that can take my breath away, God is similarly majestic in power and authority.  There is nothing God cannot do and no place where He cannot visit.  As Moses and Miriam sang after God delivered them on dry land through the Red Sea, rescuing them from the persistent and powerful Egyptians, "Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power.  Your right hand, O LORD, smashes the enemy.  In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow those who rise against you.  You unleash your blazing fury; it consumes them like straw."  (Exodus 15:6-7)

Since God is for me through faith in Jesus Christ, who can be against me? (Romans 8:31)  Who can thwart the plans of the Almighty?  Who can trip up His purposes for my life?  Therefore, I can trust Him to do what is right, to lead me on the path that is best for me, and to protect me from those who want to harm me.  

The holiness of God reminds me that He has power and authority over all things making Him the only One who can be trusted to lead me into the unknown of tomorrow.

God wants me to live a life of purity because of His holiness.  This means that He is a God whose ways are higher than mine, who is the only One who is worthy to be praised, and who is majestic in power and authority.  When I dedicate myself to living a life set aside for Him, I end up glorifying these attributes of my holy God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can worship the holy God in the way I live my life.

When do I take His holiness lightly?

How do I lower God's status in order for Him to meet my own standards?