Contrasts provide clarity

Tunnel vision is a real thing, especially when we get wrapped up in the stress of our present circumstances.  Often times, we need a contrast to help us see clearly.  Noticing the difference between two places, two things, or two people helps us better understand both sides of the issue at hand. 

As we’ve walked through Psalm 62, we read about the attacks that David was under – threats, lies, and curses from two-faced people.  Instead of being consumed with thoughts about his attackers, David turned his attention toward God:

Psalm 62:5-8
Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken.
My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.
My refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our refuge.
                                           Selah

After looking to God and recognizing everything that He means to him…when David looks back at his attackers, he has a different perspective:

Psalm 62:9
Common people are only a vapor; important people, an illusion.
Together on a scale, they weigh less than a vapor.

David’s first contrast is a strong one: Compared to the rock-solid refuge he finds in God, David sees common people as a simple vapor.

The Hebrew word for vapor is also the word translated in Ecclesiastes as “meaningless”.  The word hebel indicates something with no substance, something that is either empty or futile.  A physical example to demonstrate this term is a vapor or a soap bubble – hebel things are without value and unstable.

David’s contrast points out that the common, regular people we meet (and allow to have influence in our lives) are hebel – and clearly not as reliable as the “rock” or the “refuge” that God has been described as.  Hebel people are only around for a short time, and they are neither powerful nor reliable.  Within this illustration, we recognize that a vapor is also subject to the circumstances around it.  A puff of air is enough to disrupt a vapor and change its shape.  Similarly, people are too easily disrupted by circumstances and selfishness for David to expect them to provide shelter or rescue.

David’s second contrast continues the theme: Important people = an illusion

How do we recognize an “important” person?  Those that have power or money or fame or lots of followers?  However, when life gets tough, we often find that what we considered to be “important” was not actually what we should have valued the most.  As David looks at the important people around him, he realizes something about their importance: It’s not real.  “Important” is a misnomer at best because no one can claim to be important when we are comparing any of us to God himself.

Since a vapor has no meaningful stability and an illusion has no physical substance, together they don’t amount to much.  If they were weighed on a scale or balance, they would have no value…what we find is that the current social-status of a person has no true eternal worth.

This line of thinking brings to light some very real questions that we all must deal with:

What/Who are you relying on? 
What/Who defines you? 

If it is God, then your foundation is strong and secure.  David’s contrast shows us that if it is something/someone else, you cannot find the rest, peace, or security we all seek. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The wrong refuge

Financial advisor Dave Ramsey recommends taking a two-step approach to building an “Emergency Fund.”  First, save up $1,000.  Then, after you pay off all debt (except your house), your next Emergency Fund target is 3x-6x your monthly expenses.  When my wife and I first learned about this approach, it didn’t take much effort to reach the first step – we paused eating out, rearranged some spending habits, and probably sold a thing or two we weren’t using.  Paying off all consumer debt took a while, but when we finally made it, we stumbled hard on the saving up for 3x-6x our monthly expenses.

Admittedly, we lost momentum…and it was our fault.  We had freed up a lot of space in the monthly budget by getting out of debt, which gave us the flexibility to do more things than we had previously.  Haphazard saving would bring us up a little bit – then life would happen, the Emergency Fund would take a hit, and we’d start building again.  Eventually, years later, we finally hit 100% of the 3x goal.  And let me tell you – it felt great!  It was so nice to know we were very prepared for potentially sizeable emergencies. 

And then…as it always does…life happened.  Our 3x goal wasn’t 100% funded anymore.  We were sitting maybe 50-60%.  While I was grateful that we could handle the situation without going into debt, I began to notice that I was feeling “less ok” about our financial situation.  My thoughts went along these lines: I’m glad we were prepared to take a 50% hit, but it’s going to take some time to build that back up.  Another 50% size hit (or bigger) would be devastating.  And I began to feel anxious about what to do next, and my mind swirled for days around how quickly we could recover.

I hadn’t realized that while we were building up the Emergency Fund, I was slowly becoming dependent upon the amount in the Emergency Fund as validation of our (my) ability to take care of our (my) family.  It wasn’t until after the Emergency Fund took a sizable hit that I discovered how much I viewed it as our rescue in tough times.  As I thought through these feelings, I also remembered the times when I was doing the budget, I’d look at the Emergency Fund with a small amount of pride: Yeah, that amount looks good.  Look how much we (I) have prepared us for any unforeseen issues.  While I wouldn’t brag about it to others, I certainly gave myself a mental pat on the back for the on-going achievement status.

But let’s be honest and think about this realistically…God got us through plenty of other times when our Emergency Fund was much less than the 50% it was at that moment.  That’s not a reason to avoid setting aside 3x-6x of our monthly expenses for emergencies, but there’s always the possibility that an emergency will come along that has a greater price tag than any amount we could save.  My faulty thinking was that the Emergency Fund was our (my) salvation and our (my) glory.  Our rescue and proof of success shouldn’t have been tied up in how much money we had in the bank.  The whole situation really wasn’t a money issue…instead, the money revealed a heart issue that needed to be dealt with.

As we’ve progressed through Psalm 62, David and Jeduthun have pointed out the evil that others can do against us.  In these next verses, they continue to point us toward the right response:

Psalm 62:7-8
My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.
My refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our refuge.
                                           Selah

God is the only one who is stable and secure.  When I trust Him with my present and future circumstances, then my soul finds rest and refuge from whatever difficult circumstances or trying people come my way.  No other person, place, or thing will satisfy my need for refuge – because there’s always the possibility that the situation could be larger than I can prepare for.  But with God as my focus and my trusted rescue, I know I am secure.

Let’s not forget that the Israelites used the psalms during the temple worship service – for singing, praying, and meditating.  That’s something for us to consider doing as well:

Has what we’ve been singing lately sounded anything like these verses?
Have our recent prayers recognized our dependency on God?

If we answered “no” to one or both of these questions…perhaps we should consider meditating on how much we need to depend on God.

While you’re meditating, pour out your heart to God.  All of it.  He can handle it. 

We find rest and refuge in Him when we do.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Feeling stuck

We never purposely navigate into a bad situation.  We start new things with the expectation that they will bring opportunities or beneficial relationships – new job, new house, new love interest, new school.  But when the newness wears off, and the situation isn’t what you expected, what is your response?

Are you tempted to bail out?  But what if you can’t – you moved to a new state for this new job, or you signed a 30 year mortgage, or you want to follow through on your wedding vows, or you’ve already paid for your tuition.  Even if it’s hard to stay…oftentimes, it can become harder (in different ways) if you leave.  So, how do you feel? 

Stuck. 

Nobody likes the feeling of being trapped in a bad job, bad situation, or bad relationship.  How do you handle feeling “stuck”?

We’ve been looking at a psalm co-authored by Jeduthun and David.  As we progressed through the song, we see they are definitely stuck with opponents who are trying to take them down.  Let’s review what we’ve read so far:

Psalm 62:1-4
For the choir director: according to Jeduthun.  A psalm of David.

I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

How long will you threaten a man?
Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering fence?
They only plan to bring him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in lying;
they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.
                                           Selah

And now for the next part of the psalm:

Psalm 62:5-6
Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken.

This is the main point of the psalm, so it certainly bears repeating…especially after looking at how the world often treats those who choose to follow God.

The only difference between this chorus in verses 5-6 and what we read in verses 1-2 is the replacement of the word salvation (seeing God as our deliverance from earthly enemies) with the word hope (seeing God as the source of our confident expectation).  With both words – salvation and hope – David is looking to God for what only God can do.

As we read these words, we realize that David is articulating the deepness of his relationship with God.  David knows God well enough that he can depend on Him, even when faced with malicious liars who want to see him fail.  It is because of the deepness of this relationship with God that David can make the strong statements like my soul finds rest in God alone and he alone is my rock, my salvation, my stronghold and I will not be shaken.

Do we have that same level of confidence in God to take care of our situation…or when other people are causing us trouble? 

Is God the first one we turn to when we feel stuck?

The kind of relationship David writes about didn’t happen overnight.  David’s confidence in God didn’t miraculously appear in the middle of his difficult situation.  There’s only one reason David can fully rely on God in this situation – because prior to this difficulty, he has purposely invested time to know God.

And therein lies the questions for our own application:

If I’m facing trouble now, have I told God that I trust Him with it?
or
If I’m not facing trouble right now, am I taking steps to stay close to Him so I’m ready when the difficulties come?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

When feeling threatened

When was the last time you felt threatened?

That’s a provocative question, for sure.  But how quickly does a situation like one of these come to mind?

Did you feel threatened during a not-so-friendly competition at work?
Did you feel threatened when someone you thought of as a friend started attacking you?
Did you feel threatened when a relationship with your spouse, your child, or your parent went sideways?

What was your reaction to this feeling of being threatened, and what was your response to those circumstances?

However you handled it (for better or worse), know that you’re not alone in the experience.  Feeling threatened and figuring out how to deal with it is something we all must face.  It’s not new to the human condition, either.  Power struggles, at a personal level, have occurred throughout history.  So, it’s no surprise to find characters in the Bible dealing with threats to their safety, well-being, status, or position. 

After beginning Psalm 62 by recognizing God as the source of salvation, i.e. – rescue from life’s current circumstances – David and Jeduthun take a look at the world around them…and it doesn’t look like a safe place.  They have several questions as they confront those who are threatening them:

Psalm 62:3-4
How long will you threaten a man?
Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering fence?
They only plan to bring him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in lying;
they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.
                                           Selah

David and Jeduthun now introduce the main conflict, their earthly struggle with those who choose to do evil against them.  The assault is a constant barrage…those in support of evil are attacking the man of God, and their only plan is to bring him down, as if he were a leaning wall that only needed an extra push before falling over.

At the moment, their enemies aren’t physically attacking them.  Instead, notice what their main weapon of attack is –  their mouths.  Deceitful words pour out from the cursing within their own hearts.  The enemies’ lies are premeditated and aim to take David and Jeduthun down a notch.

If you’ve ever had someone bad-mouth you behind your back, I’m sure you can recognize David’s frustration here.  When dealing with two-faced people, it can be tough to figure out what their motive is and why they are spreading lies.  David’s question of How long will you threaten…? is dripping with aggravation.  How long will he have to put up with this?  How long will they try to get away with their slander?  How long until God steps in?

But then verse 4 ends with an obscure Hebrew term – Selah.  Although scholars aren’t 100% sure what this term means…many have suggested that it is a musical term to indicate a pause in the song, giving the ones singing a chance to stop and think about the song-writers’ point. 

And that’s a good idea…up until this point in the psalm, David has recognized that God is the source of his earthly rescue from trouble and that his enemies are continuously spreading lies about him.  Since we experience the same situations, here are some things to stop and think about:

Have you experienced malicious liars? 
Take a moment and think about how you have dealt with them in the past.
Take a moment and think about how God can rescue you the next time someone lies about you.
Take a moment and ask God to help you best respond when that situation happens.

Keep Pressing
Ken

Not the definition you would expect

Did you know that God has several different names throughout Scripture?

Each one has a specific meaning and representation of a character trait for who God truly is.  Modern translations represent the Hebrew names for God with a consistent naming rendition.  I study/teach from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) translation; here is how God’s names are handled:

Hebrew – English
Elohim – God
YHWH (Yahweh) – Lord
Adonai – Lord
Adonai Yahweh – Lord God
Yahweh Sabaoth – Lord of Armies
El Shaddai – God Almighty

The Old Testament authors were intentional about how they approached God and how they wrote about Him.  We’ll need to keep this in mind as we begin to look at this psalm that David and Jeduthun wrote together:

Psalm 62:1-2
For the choir director: according to Jeduthun.  A psalm of David.

I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

Looking through the entire psalm, we find that God is referred to as God six times, and Lord only once.

The Hebrew word for God is Elohim, which is a plural word in form, indicating majesty, but it is singular in meaning.  This name for God is typically used when the focus is on God’s great power – and it is that strength and power that David and Jeduthun are writing about.

The next thing to notice are the words they use to describe God.  Within these first two verses the descriptors of God include

our source of rest
our salvation
our rock
our stronghold

All of these descriptors sound great.  HOWEVER, we must not read our own church-age understanding of the word salvation into this text, even if at first glance it “seems to fit” because our justification-salvation is found in Jesus’ death on the cross.  Since we know that David and Jeduthun are the authors, this psalm would have been written approximately 1000 years before Christ was born.  Our reconciliation with God through Jesus’ death on the cross was not revealed at this time.  When reading passages from the Old Testament, we must be careful not to read New Testament uses of words back into the Old Testament writings.

So what do the authors mean here when they say salvation?

The term salvation in the Old Testament always refers to God’s ability to rescue – most often it refers to God rescuing the Israelite nation or an individual from their present circumstances.  When an OT individual was petitioning God for salvation, he wasn’t asking for his sins to be removed, he was asking for rescue from a dangerous or difficult circumstance by a Divine act.  It is with that understanding of salvation that the Israelites would have sung this psalm to God.

Let’s re-read the psalm – when you see God, think of His majesty and great power; and when you see salvation, imagine needing rescue from life’s circumstances:

Psalm 62:1-2
For the choir director: according to Jeduthun.  A psalm of David.

I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

In these first two verses, David and Jeduthun are bursting with confidence in God.  We see how their word choices work together, vividly describing God as a place of strength and refuge in this life.

Is that how we view Him?

When life’s circumstances aren’t what we want them to be, do we have confidence in God’s ability to come through for us? 
Do we turn to Him for rest, or do we panic?
Do we recognize His strength to rescue us, or do we try to save ourselves?
Are we confident in Him, or are we shaken?

If you answered any of these in the negative (like I did), then let’s turn to Him now and recognize Him for the stronghold that He is.  If life is difficult right now, this psalm is a great reminder and perspective-shifter.  Even if life’s circumstances aren’t problematic right now, recognizing God for who He is in the good times prepares us for when the tough times come.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

An unexpected introduction

We’ve all had the experience where we’re just minding our own business, going about our day, when all of a sudden…we’re introduced to someone new.  A friend, co-worker, or family member brings this new-to-you person into your life saying, Hey, I’d like you to meet so-and-so.

Sometimes, reading through Scripture can be like that.  Sure, we’ve met all the big names – Jesus, Paul, Abraham, David – but there are scores of “minor” characters in the Bible worth meeting.   

Psalm 62
For the choir director: according to Jeduthun.  A psalm of David

Did you know that the directions at the top of a psalm are part of the scripture record?  Although usually skipped over, they can contain vital clues as to what the author’s intent was for the song.  Looking here, we see that David is the author.  In fact, he wrote the majority of the 150 psalms recorded in the Bible.

While many psalms have for the choir director in their header, this particular one has a certain person named as well.  From this we see that David is not going to do this psalm, this song to God, all on his own.  Even though David is fully capable of writing/performing by himself…this time, he wants to partner with someone, and he wants to do so with a specific person.

I think that’s a lesson we can all use…even if I am fully capable of using my talents to worship God and do it well (in anything – my time, my career, my talents, etc.), there is something special when we work with others toward the same goal of pursuing God.

So, who was Jeduthun?  Who was it that David wanted to partner with in this psalm? 

Here’s what Scripture records of him:

When David set up the tent to house the ark of God, he identified Jeduthun as one of two men to lead worship and lead their family members in other worship-focused duties:

1 Chronicles 16:42
Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play, and musical instruments of God.  Jeduthun’s sons were at the city gate.

Later on we see Jeduthun again, while David was transferring his throne and kingdom to Solomon, and in preparation for the construction of the LORD’s temple in Jerusalem:

1 Chronicles 25:1,3,6-7
David and the officers of the army also set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were to prophesy accompanied by Lyres, harps, and cymbals…Jeduthun’s sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah – six – under the authority of their father Jeduthun, prophesying to the accompaniment of lyres, giving thanks and praise to the Lord…all these men were under their own fathers’ authority for the music in the Lord’s temple, with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of God’s temple.  Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the king’s authority.

During the dedication of the temple, we find this:

2 Chronicles 5:12-14
The Levitical singers dressed in fine linen and carrying cymbals, harps, and lyres were standing east of the altar; and with them were 120 priests blowing trumpets.  The Levitical singers were descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun and their sons and relatives.  The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice.  They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, in praise to the Lord:

“For He is good: His faithful love endures forever.”

The temple, the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud.  And because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled God’s temple.

Jeduthun was an eye-witness to the Shekinah-glory of God filling the temple.  In a later reference, Jeduthun is identified as the king’s seer (2 Chronicles 35:15), which means that he was one who was given special revelations by God and had access to share those revelations with the king.

These are some of the highlights for the man David wanted to partner with for Psalm 62.  From what we can see, Jeduthun was clearly accomplished and capable.  Jeduthun was gifted by God in music, prophesy, and leadership.  His use of these abilities gave him the opportunity to participate in and witness some of the most exciting moments in Israel’s history.  In addition to Psalm 62, he is specifically named in the header of two other Psalms (Psalm 39 and 77).

Even if we are not talented in the same manner as Jeduthun or have the same level of public ministry, we do need to make sure that we are using our specific gifts and talents for the LORD.  For certain, Jeduthun did not start out witnessing the glory of the LORD or serving as the king’s seer – those came later, after years of service to God. 

Likewise, we will never know what we will be able to participate in with God later unless we are faithful with our current opportunities.  So let’s use our talents and partner together now, and then see where God takes us.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I have my doubts

Have you ever listened to a vision-casting speech given by a CEO or political candidate?  They lay out their plans and expect us to jump on board and give support via our resources – our time, our effort, and, especially in politics, our money.  How often have you heard a speech like that and thought, “Yeah, I don’t think that’s possible.  I’m not so sure you can actually pull off what you are saying you can do.”?

We have our doubts, and that’s understandable.  We’re hesitant to hitch our time, efforts, or money to anyone who promises great things, but…if they fail…would bring us down with them.  We don’t want to look foolish for wasting our resources because we got caught up in someone else’s failed ideas.

Jesus’ disciples felt the same way, but at a time we might not have expected.  After Jesus rose from the dead, He instructed the disciples to meet Him in Galilee.

Matthew 28:16-17
The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted.

Even in this moment, doubts lingered.  Jesus was back from the dead, but some of the disciples still had their concerns.  It would be easy for us to be hard on them, questioning how they could be so hard-headed.  I mean, they followed this guy for three years and then watched Him die horrifically on a cross…now He has come back to life, standing before them and He’s talking with them!  What other “proof” could they need to erase any doubts about Jesus’ authority and ability?  But let’s look at the scene – the eleven remaining disciples are on a mountain in rural Galilee with the risen Messiah…but no one else is there.  Wouldn’t this be the time to take over?  Wouldn’t you expect bigger crowds and bigger fanfare?

What I find very interesting is that the Greek word Matthew used for doubted is the same one that Jesus used previously with Peter in front of the other disciples.  At that time, they were in the middle of a nasty storm on the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus came to them by walking on top of the crashing waves.  You can read more about this moment in a previous blog series (Part 1 and Part 2).  Jesus had called Peter to join Him, to walk out to Him on the water.  Peter did walk out on top of the still-churning waters, but at one point, he had to be rescued by Jesus as he began to sink.  When Peter called out to Jesus, here’s what happened:

Matthew 14:31
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

As we learned in the previous blog posts, Peter wasn’t doubting Jesus – Peter was doubting himself.  He doubted that he could do what Jesus called him to do.  The strength of the wind and crashing of the waves made him question why he was even out there.  But Jesus didn’t abandon His disciples then, and He wasn’t going to do so now on this mountain in Galilee.  I love the next sentence Matthew writes, immediately after admitting that among the disciples, they worshiped, but some doubted:

Matthew 28:18
Jesus came near and said to them…

Doubt creates distance, but Jesus makes the move to close that gap.  When the disciples’ minds started to drift and their hearts began to pull away, Jesus came near and spoke directly to them.  But what did He say?  How could He reassure them that He had them on the best path, the right way for them to go? 

Jesus spoke to their fears by reminding them of who He is:

Matthew 28:18
…“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

They had watched Him walk on the stormy waters, calm the raging winds, and perform many miraculous wonders here on earth…but now, He tells them, all authority is His.  He is greater than their worries, bigger than their doubts, and in charge of everything.  Next, he does not use His authority to cut them out, instead He invites them to partner with Him:

Matthew 28:19-20
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Jesus is inviting them on the greatest mission they have ever known, to imitate their teacher and make disciples like He did with them.  There are no boundaries for where they could go and no limitations on whom they could talk to.  It would be understandable, too, if their feelings moved from doubt to overwhelmed.  But Jesus’ answer for being overwhelmed is the same that He had for their doubts and fears – He gave them Himself:

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

This mission is for us, as well.  Circumstances and people’s response to Jesus’ message may cause feelings of doubt in us.  We may feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the mission.  But as we learn our part and participate in the mission, the antidote to our concerns is that we have Jesus’ word – I am with you always.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The yokes on you (part 2)

As the Jewish people were drowning under the rules enforced by the religious leaders of the day, Jesus made this offer:

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take up my yoke and learn from Me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Jesus uses an analogy here that would have made total sense to his audience, but could easily be lost on us modern readers.  As we saw last time, a Rabbi’s teaching was referred to as his “yoke” that was passed down to his disciples.  It consisted of his interpretation and application of the Jewish law, which was also combined with the traditions and teachings of previous rabbis.  However, there was another common use of the term “yoke”, and it’s one that has lasted much longer through the centuries.

From the Tony Evans Bible Commentary:
A yoke is a wooden bar harnessed to the necks of a pair of oxen to bring them under submission and enable them to do the work that the farmer has for them.  To train younger oxen, farmers would yoke them to older, experienced oxen.  It provided maturation and development.

Hooking to Jesus’ “yoke” enables you to learn how to live.  Therein you will find rest.  When you come to Jesus, he gives you rest in terms of your salvation.  When you accept the yoke of discipleship you find rest and experience it in your daily life.

Rest for your souls…that sounds really nice.  Physical rest is helpful.  Mental rest often escapes us.  But rest for our soul?  To be finally at that place where our deepest weariness is satisfied, that sounds almost too good to be true!

To find that soul-deep level of rest, Jesus says we need to take up His yoke and learn from Him.  This passage is often taught where Jesus is the strong, veteran ox and we are to assume the position of the younger ox.  In this example, we learn the rhythms of life and grace from Jesus by letting Him do the heavy lifting – and as we mature, develop, and grow stronger, we are able to take on a heavier load.  In this, we are told, we find the rest for our souls because we’ve grown into the person God designed us to be. 

But recently I’ve been wondering if the typical oxen-training example takes the analogy a bit too far.  Jesus doesn’t call Himself the strong ox, instead He simply claims that it is “His yoke”.  The oxen do not own the yoke…but the farmer does.  The farmer is the one whom the oxen have submitted to.  The farmer is the one who plots the course of work.  The farmer is the one steering and guiding the oxen.

So, if Jesus is the yoke-owner, who then is the stronger ox?  This is where mentorship within the church family comes in.  When we first come to Jesus, when we believe in Him for eternal life, we’re adopted into His forever family.  When we submit to His yoke, to learn from Him, we could read our Bibles and pray all by ourselves.  But how much better would it be if we submitted to being yoked together with a veteran Christian?  How much easier would it be to understand God’s guidance and training if a more mature believer was walking beside us?

In my mid-20s, Joe was willing to yoke up with me.  He lent his strength as God plowed the ground of my life and my character.  Joe helped me understand the guidance and direction God was giving me.  Joe walked with me and worked with me through muddy patches, hard ground, and growth-ready pastures.

In today’s church we desperately need veteran believers to be willing to yoke up with new believers.  You don’t have to be perfect to do this.  If you’ve had a spiritual mentor – imitate them.  If you never had a spiritual mentor – just be the mentor you wish you had.

If you are a new believer, have the humility to ask for help.  Seek guidance from someone who has lived for Christ and knows how to listen to Him better than you do.

Take up [Jesus’] yoke and learn from Him.  The rest you will find is the confidence in His guidance and that He knows the direction you need to go.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light – especially when we plow together.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The yokes on you (part 1)

I hate the “bait-and-switch”.  You are promised one thing, and then when the time comes, what you get turns out to be nothing like what you were expecting.  Our family has seen this recently on college brochures.  A campus looks great – it’s open, well designed, looks appealing…and then you get there and realize that all their pictures were taken from the same location, just at different angles to make the campus look bigger than it is in real life.  Another example would be when the “small project” that was assigned to you at work turns into a massive undertaking because no one thought through the consequences of making that supposedly simple change. 

Where the “bait-and-switch” really bugs me is in the church.  You attend a worship service on Sunday morning, and eventually you feel pressured to be there on Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening, and for all special events.  You volunteer for one event, and suddenly you get invites from multiple church ministries to “join our team”, each with a different target audience and a special cry for help.  But the one that really gets to me is a phrase that is tossed out to non-Christians like it’s a fishing lure:

“God has a wonderful plan for your life.”

I’m not irritated by the statement itself, because it is true – God does have a wonderful plan for our lives.  But the issue I have is that the statement is usually presented with the impression that the Christian life is one of sunshine and roses.  Instead, once a person believes in Jesus for eternal life, what is often found in the church are a long list of “Thou shall’s” and “Thou shall not’s” – else your level of faith, or even salvation status, will be questioned.  That level of pressure and constantly wondering if God accepts you…that doesn’t strike me as a “wonderful plan for your life”.

Back in Jesus’ day, the Rabbi would pass along his teaching and understanding of the Jewish law to his students – this was referred to as the Rabbi’s yoke.  Their yoke consisted of the accumulated teaching he had received from his rabbi, and his rabbi’s rabbi, and on and on back in time to (supposedly) Moses himself.  Rabbinical teachings did not replace a previous rabbi’s instruction, instead it was cumulative, building upon the previous generations’ interpretations.  You can imagine how deep the traditions went back and how difficult it would be to keep track of everything that everyone had previously said.

The Pharisees then acted as the “religious police” enforcing their expectations for adherence to the Jewish law.  For your average, every-day person, the yoke imposed on them by the Pharisees was an extremely heavy burden.  Trying to keep track of their cultural responsibilities, managing their day-to-day tasks, and avoiding issues with their Roman rulers – all while wondering if God accepts them – wore them down.  In the midst of all this religious and guilted weight, Jesus offered the following:

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take up my yoke and learn from Me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

From the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary:
Jesus’ easy yoke is in stark contrast to the burden of Pharisaic Judaism.  The Pharisees spoke of 613 commandments, and their halakot (binding interpretations) produced an overwhelmingly complicated approach to life.  In our quest to know God’s Word it is good to remember that we can turn Jesus’ yoke into an equally unbearable burden unless we consciously recognize that discipleship to Jesus is not essentially a religious obligation.  Rather, ours is an intimate relationship with the One who calls, “Come to Me” and “Learn from Me”.  As complicated as life may become, discipleship at heart simply means walking with Jesus in the real world and having Him teach us moment by moment how to live life His way.

God does have a wonderful plan for your life – but it’s not to make your life perfectly comfortable or to pile on rules and obligations.  God’s wonderful plan is to make you like Jesus, to build you into the woman or man you were created to be.  The only way we get there is by coming to Jesus, accepting His rest, and learning from Him.  Jesus says it’s easier than you might think.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite - Blindsided

This week, I received one of those calls…and now I am weary with grief. This post from 7 years ago is helping me keep both perspective and focus.

Blindsided
Originally posted on May 22, 2015

Blindsided.
Knocked down.
Run over.
Left for dead.

Life does that sometimes.  Just completely out of the blue, you get that phone call.  A relative in good health suddenly dies.  A friend’s child is in an accident.  Layoffs.  Divorce.  Cancer.  Any number of things can take us out at the knees without any warning.

And we’re quickly reminded of how fragile and small we really are.

In Psalm 119:25-32, the author use two descriptive phrases to relate how he feels after life has knocked him down.  First he says, my life is down in the dust.  Other translations render his words as my soul clings to the dust or I collapse in the dirt.  He feels so low that he can only relate to the trampled dirt on the ground.  Secondly he says, I am weary from grief.  Other translations relay the author’s meaning by stating my soul melts from heaviness and my soul weeps because of grief.  We can relate to the psalmist because we’ve all had times when our hearts are so heavy that even our souls are shedding tears.

Our typical reactions to getting knocked down by life is to ask God “Why me?” or, if we’re feeling mature, we’ll ask “God, what are You trying to teach me in this?”  However, the psalmist has neither of those responses.

As you read this section of Psalm 119, look for where the psalmist turns to when life has brought him down low:

Psalm 119:25-32
My life is down in the dust; give me life through Your word.
I told You about my life, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes.
Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders.
I am weary from grief; strengthen me through Your word.
Keep me from the way of deceit, and graciously give me Your instruction.
I have chosen the way of truth; I have set Your ordinances before me.
I cling to Your decrees; Lord, do not put me to shame.
I pursue the way of Your commands, for You broaden my understanding.

When life has him down in the dust to the point where he is weary from grief, the psalmist looks for life and strength though Your word.  He’s not looking for an explanation or a life-lesson, rather he is looking for God himself, as revealed in Scripture.

It is noteworthy that when he asks God to help me understand, he’s not looking for the meaning of what knocked him down to the ground…instead he’s asking God to explain the meaning of Your precepts.  Again, he’s not focused on how he got there or why he got there…he’s focusing on meeting God in the midst of it all.

When life has knocked him down, the psalmist implicitly trusts God with all aspects of the situation.  And he seeks God through the Scriptures to reinforce his faith.

So should we.

Keep Pressing,
Ken