Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Ps 37:1-4 (NIV)
30 April, 2005
Options for desire
"Contentment is not freedom from desire, but freedom of desire. To be content is not pretending that everything is the way you wish it would be, nor is it acting as though you have no wishes. Rather, it is no longer being ruled by your desires.
We are on a journey of desire. But we are not yet home.
The fact is, at this point in our journey, we have only three options:
Most of the world lives in addiction; most of the church has chosen deadness. But the Christian is called to the life of holy longing."
John Eldredge, Dare to Desire: An Invitation to Fulfill Your Deepest Dreams (Nashville: J. Countryman, 2002), 78-79.
We are on a journey of desire. But we are not yet home.
The fact is, at this point in our journey, we have only three options:
to be alive and thirsty,There are no other choices.
to be dead in our soul,
to be addicted.
Most of the world lives in addiction; most of the church has chosen deadness. But the Christian is called to the life of holy longing."
John Eldredge, Dare to Desire: An Invitation to Fulfill Your Deepest Dreams (Nashville: J. Countryman, 2002), 78-79.
Quote for the day . . .
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
29 April, 2005
More Eldredge on desire
"God has rigged the world so that it only works when we embrace risk as the theme of our lives, when we live by faith. All attempts to find a safe life, to live by the expectations of others, just kill the soul in the end. That's now how we find life.
. . .
So, let me now ask you the question: If you had permission to do what you really want to do, what would do?
Don't ask how--that will cut your desire off at the knees. How is never the right question. How is a faithless question. It means 'unless I can se my way clearly I won't venture forth.' When the angel told Zacharias that his ancient wife would bear him a son named John, Zacharias asked how and was struck dumb for it.
How is God's department: He is asking you what. What is written in your heart? What makes you come alive? If you could do what you've always wanted to do, what would it be?"
John Eldredge, Dare to Desire: An Invitation to Fulfill Your Deepest Dreams (Nashville: J. Countryman, 2002), 40-41.
. . .
So, let me now ask you the question: If you had permission to do what you really want to do, what would do?
Don't ask how--that will cut your desire off at the knees. How is never the right question. How is a faithless question. It means 'unless I can se my way clearly I won't venture forth.' When the angel told Zacharias that his ancient wife would bear him a son named John, Zacharias asked how and was struck dumb for it.
How is God's department: He is asking you what. What is written in your heart? What makes you come alive? If you could do what you've always wanted to do, what would it be?"
John Eldredge, Dare to Desire: An Invitation to Fulfill Your Deepest Dreams (Nashville: J. Countryman, 2002), 40-41.
Quote for the day . . .
"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through, no matter what." - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
28 April, 2005
A funeral
I went to a funeral today. Jerrol Harmon has achieved the deepest desire of his heart, and has gone home with God. Ron Stough did one of the most passionate funeral services I have ever seen him perform (and that's probably close to 100).
In the midst of the lesson, Ron said something that struck a chord with the quote from Eldredge (see Eldredge on Desire). He said that many people are born, go through life, and die; it is hard to think of anything good that has come from their lives. But in Jerrol's case, the difficulty was not in thinking of the good, but selecting which good things there was enough time to talk about. I think that this was because Jerrol lived life, not as an automaton, but as a person passionately seeking God. The desire of his heart was to get to heaven and take all of his family with him. At the same time, he knew that heaven could be had here, too, and sought, with God's good help, to create that for his family.
Each family member had written a note that Ron read out loud after the obituary. Those notes were so touching, so passionate, about the life of this godly man that the normally stoic Stough struggled fiercely to contain his emotion so as to be able to finish. This is a life that mattered, and still does. That is the difference that following the desires of your heart makes.
In the midst of the lesson, Ron said something that struck a chord with the quote from Eldredge (see Eldredge on Desire). He said that many people are born, go through life, and die; it is hard to think of anything good that has come from their lives. But in Jerrol's case, the difficulty was not in thinking of the good, but selecting which good things there was enough time to talk about. I think that this was because Jerrol lived life, not as an automaton, but as a person passionately seeking God. The desire of his heart was to get to heaven and take all of his family with him. At the same time, he knew that heaven could be had here, too, and sought, with God's good help, to create that for his family.
Each family member had written a note that Ron read out loud after the obituary. Those notes were so touching, so passionate, about the life of this godly man that the normally stoic Stough struggled fiercely to contain his emotion so as to be able to finish. This is a life that mattered, and still does. That is the difference that following the desires of your heart makes.
Eldredge on desire
"It's not that we have desire--we are desire.
Desire is the essence of the human soul, the secret of our existence. Absolutely nothing of human greatness was every accomplished without it. Not a symphony has ever been written, a mountain climbed, an injustice fought, or a love sustained apart from desire. Desire fuels our search for the life we prize.
We cannot solve the riddle of our existence, nor can be find the answer to our deepest questions without these deepest desires of out heart.
That's why the greatest human tragedy of all is to abandon the desires of your heart, to give up searching for life. For in those hidden desires, you will discover the person you were meant to be and the life you were meant to live."
John Eldredge, Dare to Desire: An Invitation to Fulfill Your Deepest Dreams (Nashville: J. Countryman, 2002), 20-21.
Desire is the essence of the human soul, the secret of our existence. Absolutely nothing of human greatness was every accomplished without it. Not a symphony has ever been written, a mountain climbed, an injustice fought, or a love sustained apart from desire. Desire fuels our search for the life we prize.
We cannot solve the riddle of our existence, nor can be find the answer to our deepest questions without these deepest desires of out heart.
That's why the greatest human tragedy of all is to abandon the desires of your heart, to give up searching for life. For in those hidden desires, you will discover the person you were meant to be and the life you were meant to live."
John Eldredge, Dare to Desire: An Invitation to Fulfill Your Deepest Dreams (Nashville: J. Countryman, 2002), 20-21.
Quote for the day . . .
"It's the soul's duty to be loyal to its own desires. It must abandon itself to its master passion." - Rebecca West
27 April, 2005
Horseless head man (bonus points)
The instructions God gives to Joshua for the prosecution of war in Canaan make sense for the most part, even if some instructions seem harsh. But then, in the midst of a series of battles, a new order comes from the Lord:
"Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots." Josh 11.6
The significance of this might elude us. This rule appears to produce one more heap of destruction in the wake of the Israelite army. But see what might have been! Look at the opportunity! Horse-drawn chariots, the high-tech weapon delivery system of choice in the Bronze Age. A line of these was equal to your Cobra copter, your Aegis destroyer, your Virginia-class submarine. It would be roughly another 1000 years before Alexander the Great developed a strategy that obsolesced the chariot. So why not teach your army how to use them and turn them on the enemy so as to expedite this war and get down to eating huge clusters of grapes?
This rule is more about God than war. God did not want his people dependent on human or worldly power, but his. He is the mighty warrior. "Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel" (Josh 10.42). To rely upon horses or chariots shows a lack of faith in the power of the Mighty One of Israel.
This also could be a warning about alliances with other nations. For centuries to come, the primary source of good horseflesh would be Egypt. It doesn't take a very in-depth examination of scripture to see what God thinks about alliances with Egypt. Such alliances would be one more failure to rely upon God's strength.
But there is more to it than this. This rule has to do with justice. God did not want his leaders to oppress his people in order to maintain their leadership or their armies. When horses are not engaged in battle, they do three things (but in this case Coach Royal, none of them are necessarily good). They eat, they dispose of that which they have eaten, and they make baby horses. This is a problem, because: (1) somebody has to feed them (which means that someone is probably doing without food in order to have food to feed the horses), (2) somebody has to clean up after them (see Hercules, the Labor of the Aegean stables), and (3) more horses mean more of problems (1) and (2).
So, when God anticipates that Israel will eventually want kings, he establishes rules for them (Deut 17.14ff) which specifically prohibit keeping many horses. And it is one of the reasons that Samuel rebukes Israel for wanting a king because maintenance of a standing army to protect a king and his court requires resources which will become oppressive to a people (1 Sam 8). A modern example of this is Saddam Hussein. (Has anybody noticed what has happened to every king named in the book of Joshua?)
It takes a bold and faithful courage to fight spiritual battles on God's terms. We will be tempted to use means and resources he has prohibited, but we must trust in God's wisdom. And we must teach our children to become leaders who are not oppressive with their leadership, but who lead with a light but faithful hand.
God grant that we can be like Joshua, who was unafraid to be the leader, the head man, and courageous enough to do it without horses.
Class, we will give extra points to the student who can guess the name of the author of a story called "Horseless head man". Post your answers here.
"Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots." Josh 11.6
The significance of this might elude us. This rule appears to produce one more heap of destruction in the wake of the Israelite army. But see what might have been! Look at the opportunity! Horse-drawn chariots, the high-tech weapon delivery system of choice in the Bronze Age. A line of these was equal to your Cobra copter, your Aegis destroyer, your Virginia-class submarine. It would be roughly another 1000 years before Alexander the Great developed a strategy that obsolesced the chariot. So why not teach your army how to use them and turn them on the enemy so as to expedite this war and get down to eating huge clusters of grapes?
This rule is more about God than war. God did not want his people dependent on human or worldly power, but his. He is the mighty warrior. "Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel" (Josh 10.42). To rely upon horses or chariots shows a lack of faith in the power of the Mighty One of Israel.
This also could be a warning about alliances with other nations. For centuries to come, the primary source of good horseflesh would be Egypt. It doesn't take a very in-depth examination of scripture to see what God thinks about alliances with Egypt. Such alliances would be one more failure to rely upon God's strength.
But there is more to it than this. This rule has to do with justice. God did not want his leaders to oppress his people in order to maintain their leadership or their armies. When horses are not engaged in battle, they do three things (but in this case Coach Royal, none of them are necessarily good). They eat, they dispose of that which they have eaten, and they make baby horses. This is a problem, because: (1) somebody has to feed them (which means that someone is probably doing without food in order to have food to feed the horses), (2) somebody has to clean up after them (see Hercules, the Labor of the Aegean stables), and (3) more horses mean more of problems (1) and (2).
So, when God anticipates that Israel will eventually want kings, he establishes rules for them (Deut 17.14ff) which specifically prohibit keeping many horses. And it is one of the reasons that Samuel rebukes Israel for wanting a king because maintenance of a standing army to protect a king and his court requires resources which will become oppressive to a people (1 Sam 8). A modern example of this is Saddam Hussein. (Has anybody noticed what has happened to every king named in the book of Joshua?)
It takes a bold and faithful courage to fight spiritual battles on God's terms. We will be tempted to use means and resources he has prohibited, but we must trust in God's wisdom. And we must teach our children to become leaders who are not oppressive with their leadership, but who lead with a light but faithful hand.
God grant that we can be like Joshua, who was unafraid to be the leader, the head man, and courageous enough to do it without horses.
Class, we will give extra points to the student who can guess the name of the author of a story called "Horseless head man". Post your answers here.
Echoes of Joshua
"Gentlemen may cry peace, peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resoundng arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"
Patrick Henry
Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775
Patrick Henry
Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775
Quote for the day . . .
"To love someone more deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao-Tzu
26 April, 2005
A leader's pledge
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."
John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
Would that we, as God's people, might pledge the same for the spiritual liberty of the world.
John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
Would that we, as God's people, might pledge the same for the spiritual liberty of the world.
The strenuous life
"I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life. The life of toil and effort, of labor gold strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph. A life of slothful ease, a life of that peace which springs merely from lack either of desire or of power to strive after great things, is as little worthy of a nation as of an individual . . . . We do not admire the man of timid peace. We admire the man who embodies victorious effort; who never wrongs his neighbor, who is prompt to help a friend, but who has those virile qualities necessary to win in the stern strife of actual life. It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."
Theodore Roosevelt
quoted by Caroline Kennedy, A Patriot's Handbook (New York: Hyperion, 2003), 49-50.
Theodore Roosevelt
quoted by Caroline Kennedy, A Patriot's Handbook (New York: Hyperion, 2003), 49-50.
Particular passions
There is one other pile of rocks that I did not discuss in a previous post (Rock Piles). Near the end of Joshua's story (Josh 22), the land had been taken and the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh prepared to cross back over to the east side of the Jordan to take their allotment of land. There they built an "imposing" altar. Concerned that religion in the promised land had already become deviant, the rest of Israel came swooping in, fully prepared to wipe the non-conformists off the map, just as they had the population of Jericho.
But that which the 2 1/2 tribes had so purposefully and passionately constructed was not an altar which would divide God's children, but a memorial intended to bond the tribes of Israel together. How ironic.
Just because someone's heritage, or geography, or passion drives them to serve God or his people in a way different than that which we would choose, it does not make them wrong. Their passion might even scare us because of its unfamiliarity or its intensity, but that does not mean that they deserve our condemnation, rejection, or punishment.
Because they (here comes the key word) listened (that was the key word), a disaster (whether of disfellowship or death) was avoided. With passions in the church as high as they are now, is there not a lesson in this for God's people today?
But that which the 2 1/2 tribes had so purposefully and passionately constructed was not an altar which would divide God's children, but a memorial intended to bond the tribes of Israel together. How ironic.
Just because someone's heritage, or geography, or passion drives them to serve God or his people in a way different than that which we would choose, it does not make them wrong. Their passion might even scare us because of its unfamiliarity or its intensity, but that does not mean that they deserve our condemnation, rejection, or punishment.
Because they (here comes the key word) listened (that was the key word), a disaster (whether of disfellowship or death) was avoided. With passions in the church as high as they are now, is there not a lesson in this for God's people today?
Quote for the day . . .
"It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare." - Mark Twain
25 April, 2005
A challenge to all blog members!
I would like to challenge every blog member, whether you've responded yet or not, to respond to this blog by sharing with us the answer to the following question:
Ron
What is the one concept that I feel is most important for me to passionately share with the kids at Peak Week this summer?You can either create a separate post, or just add a comment to this one. Thanks for your input.
Ron
Quote for the day . . .
"Passion, though a bad regulator, is a powerful spring." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
24 April, 2005
A piece of history
Just months before the beginning of World War II, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met on the decks of a battleship off the shores of Newfoundland. After several days of meetings, they were scheduled to depart on a Sunday. Churchill carefully planned the worship for that morning. Two of the songs sung on the deck of the Prince of Wales were: "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" [looking to the past], and "Onward, Christian Soldiers [hopefully gazing into the future]. The biblical text? Joshua.
For years, soldiers have steeled themselves with the words of this book, both using and abusing it. When we go to Lu-Jo, our kids have a week-long cease-fire from their daily spritual war. Let's wisely use this text to prepare them to passionately carry out God's plans for his people, wisely avoiding battles God has not chosen, and courageously engaging in the battles he has.
For years, soldiers have steeled themselves with the words of this book, both using and abusing it. When we go to Lu-Jo, our kids have a week-long cease-fire from their daily spritual war. Let's wisely use this text to prepare them to passionately carry out God's plans for his people, wisely avoiding battles God has not chosen, and courageously engaging in the battles he has.
An obedient passion
Sometimes we tend to believe that passion does not respect boundaries, that those who passionately promote a cause disregard plans, policies, or rules.
But such was not the case with Joshua. Joshua listened to the commandments of God, not just those he had heard personally, but those instructions of God delivered through Moses. Read the requirements for worship outlined by Moses in Deut 27.1-12, and then see how Joshua honors them in Josh 8.30-35. The war was carried out according to the instructions of Moses to Israel; Deut 20 is echoed in the actions of Joshua reported in Josh 11.10-14. Ultimately, the historian records in verse 15:
"As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses."
So we ought to conform our passion to God's will by showing obedience to one of the commands of Moses applying still to us today:
"In the future, when your child asks you, 'What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees, and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?' tell him, 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.'" Deut 6.20-21
When our children ask us questions about our faith, let's tell them the story of God's people, and glorify God's mighty and saving hand.
But such was not the case with Joshua. Joshua listened to the commandments of God, not just those he had heard personally, but those instructions of God delivered through Moses. Read the requirements for worship outlined by Moses in Deut 27.1-12, and then see how Joshua honors them in Josh 8.30-35. The war was carried out according to the instructions of Moses to Israel; Deut 20 is echoed in the actions of Joshua reported in Josh 11.10-14. Ultimately, the historian records in verse 15:
"As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses."
So we ought to conform our passion to God's will by showing obedience to one of the commands of Moses applying still to us today:
"In the future, when your child asks you, 'What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees, and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?' tell him, 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.'" Deut 6.20-21
When our children ask us questions about our faith, let's tell them the story of God's people, and glorify God's mighty and saving hand.
Quote for the day . . .
"Without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men . . . have lived. The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A man does what he must--in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures--and that is the basis of all human morality . . . . In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience--the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men--each man must decide for himself the course he will follow. The stories of past courage can define that ingredient--they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul."
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
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