Day 65: Strong AF

February 20, 2019 — 1 Comment

Joshua 1-4; Psalm 65

Be strong and courageous. Only be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous.

  • When you’re given a role that feels too big for you.
  • In the eyes of fear.
  • When you need to lead.
  • When you don’t know what lies ahead.
  • When you have big shoes to fill.
  • When the promises given seem too good to be true.
  • When you feel alone.
    When you feel uncertain.
    When you are in a new land.
    When you don’t know how and need constant reminders to be brave.

Because God says he will never leave you nor forsake you. That is the source of our courage — Emmanuel God with us! It is nothing you need to do. You just have to remember who’s by your side. Let that give you the courage you need.

Day 62: Teetering between good & bad

February 16, 2019 — Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 28-29; Psalm 62

It’s not so black and white between obedience and disobedience is it. There are two Deuteronomy verses here to tell you the fruit and consequences of obedience and disobedience respectively. But if life is a constant teetering between the two, are our results also a mixture of both? I also don’t want to go about like trying to be obedient in order to get blessings. I know that’s not the purpose of these passages, but sometimes when you read these over and over, they kind of put God and human behavior in a box. God is kinda fluid and pretty darn compassionate. Humans are 100% a mixture of trying to do good, the occasional good, and lots of messing up. I think the obedience and disobedience more speak to a heart posture. Who are you serving? Who do live your life for? And even in that, your actions might stray but your heart can be still. You might turn a bit, but your feet are rooted.

So I’m grateful most for Jesus and how he’s a constant reminder that we can’t go too far. Because of him, we know God loves us, even in our messiest and most disobedient states. We’re always teetering between the two sons — the self-righteous son and the prodigal son. Neither are great most of the time; it’s about the loving father who knows how to communicate to both when needed. Praise God for his love for us. I need to really feel some today.

Day 61: Refuge

February 15, 2019 — Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 24-27; Psalm 61

Refuge. May we clothe ourselves in the worthiness and wholeness of God so that we don’t have to go out to seek it. May we hide in all the right ways and expose ourselves with faith. Refuge. May we find shelter in God’s purpose and plans. May we shout and exclaim prayers like we really believe they can be fulfilled. Refuge. May we give our best and not our leftovers. May we destroy the boundaries between garbage and non-garbage. Refuge.

Day 59: how I don’t long for thee

February 15, 2019 — Leave a comment

When does reading the Bible become a necessity? Like you long for it? I’m not there. Yet. I can go a whole day and not think about the Bible. Am I a bad Christian? Ha. This is a pathetic post. I’m stressed. I have a show coming up in less than two weeks. I’m swamped in work for my day job. I need a hair cut. I haven’t seen my friends. I feel like a shitty friend. I just want to read plays and books. I’m sick of driving in my car. I’m tired.

Day 58: Put ‘em rules in context bro

February 12, 2019 — Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 15-16; Psalm 58

The laws in this book cover forgiveness, justice, hospitality to those forgotten, taking care of the least of them. Besides the slave part, I’m kind of into these laws. They’re hard to follow — generosity that forgives debts; taking care of foreigners like your own; and so forth. How is it from one book to the next the laws from the same God can seem so different? Context.

If we trust the thesis that God is for us and is good, we have to trust that he is reliable, consistent and knows better than us. In the wilderness, God created boundaries for the people so they could make it out and into the promise land. In the promise land, God creates boundaries for societal and relational healing and health. Out of context boundaries and laws would do harm. I love that about God. Depending on the season we’re in, God guides and leads so we can either get to the promise land or get to slow down.

Day 57: Tired

February 11, 2019 — Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 13-14; Psalm 57

God tests us…to see whether we will be tempted by other Gods…to see if we really love him…Now if God were human I would say he was a jealous mofo, kind of sneaky and manipulative and has some trust issues. Nobody’s trying to holler at this kind of God. Alright if God is not all these negative emotion, what is he like?

I love God dwelling within us.

Day 56: Circumcise Me

February 10, 2019 — Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 10-12; Psalm 56

God commands his people to circumcise themselves because they are a stubborn people. Circumcision I imagine is quite painful. It’s a physical cutting of a real intimate spot. It’s an identity marking. It’s a tradition. In the New Testament it’s expanded or reimagined as a circumcision of the heart rather than just of the body. So it’s a removal of something dear (maybe our egos, our own agendas, me, me, me!) It’s an identity marking — can people see from your heart that you’re set apart? It’s a tradition — it adds you to a big narrative, family and lineage. Circumcision is both private and individual, and communal and outward. That’s the constant tug of being a Christian — both knowing how God knows and loves and calls us specifically, while part of a much bigger story and community.

Circumcision is an act of surrender. It’s uncomfortable. It’s overt. Even saying the word makes my body shake a bit. But circumcision is the way to address our stubborn hearts. This act of surrender negates stubbornness, a refusal to change or see outside of ourselves. Friends, may we become more aware of areas we are resistant and grow a bit more open to our big callings and the bigger story we are part of. Circumcision is scary AF; but it’s a step towards faith; it is faith.

Day 55: The heart of it

February 9, 2019 — Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 7-9; Psalm 55

How can you read this passage and not be confident that we can’t take the Bible literally? It’s so insane what God asks the Israelites to do — Kill all the people in their path? God hates the evil? What’s the heart of this? What’s the heart of this? What can be some take aways…

That we are not to overtake others to take their things and use them to get rich ourselves. That we should not get proud if we win because it’s not from anything we do but because God destroys evil. That we should not covet. That we should be humbled if we receive any blessings. Again, not our doing. It is all by grace. We are not that far from the people we oppose. Discipline from God is good… you discipline those you care about.

Reading the Bible this way is pretty taxing. It’s like a pummeling to a one day hopeful redemption on the cross. I’m exhausted. I’m tired. I’m starting to hate people and rules and commandments. Huh? A mirror for who we are? A stubborn people.