Road Open

Reading Through the Bible in 2010 (Jeremiah 25-27)

"'Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,' says the Lord; 'and I will make it a perpetual desolation.'" Jer. 25:12

Charlie was signaling to me. He looked excited as he gestured toward the street. I glanced up, from talking to a friend on my cell phone, and peered ahead. At first I was like, what? Then comprehension dawned. The detour sign was gone! The road was open. We could drive straight on through to the lake. No more detour through Seymour. Thirty minutes off our driving time!

"Look at that," he exclaimed as we sped along the smooth new pavement, "Passing lanes! Good bye poky drivers. This was definitely worth the wait!"

"I'm surprised they got it done before winter." I said.

"Oh," he replied, "I thought they'd have it open for gun deer hunting when half the state heads to the north woods."

We got to the lake so fast. I'd forgotten how much quicker it is without the detour.

Are you ever amazed when God opens a door in your life? It seems like you are on a perpetual detour and then - suddenly - something that has been blocked happens. The "Road Closed" sign is gone and there you go.... down a beautiful new path in life's joyful journey. A road has been under construction in your life and voila! It's open before you.

When Jeremiah wrote down God's words about His impending judgment upon Babylon, it must have seemed to the weeping prophet that he was stuck on a big time detour. God had told him over and over that Judah was about to be heavily disciplined and carried off to Babylon. Israel's Babylonian Captivity loomed omniously ahead.

But God never leaves His people comfortless and He gave Jeremiah chapter 27. Inspirationally penning God's word, he must have received hope as God told him that after seventy years, Babylon, too, would be punished. The Exile would not last forever.

Did he have any idea that seventy years later, a famous prophet named Daniel would be sitting in Babylon reading these very words? Could he know that Daniel would be inspired by what he, Jeremiah, had written and start praying for an end to the captivity and a return to Israel? Probably not. But as a result of Jeremiah's faithfulness to write God's words during a bleak time, a marvelous road of return would open seventy years later for his people.

We encounter lots of roadblocks in our lives. But if we will be faithful to what God tells us to do, the "Road Open" sign will come up. We don't know when but God does. He finishes

what He starts. His timing is perfect. Charlie was sure the Department of Transportation would have the road open before gun deer hunting started in Wisconsin. We can perfectly trust the detours of our lives to One much greater than the DOT.

Are you feeling blocked at every turn? Wait, knowing that the new door will open, because our God is an awesome trustworthy God, and He has promised that it will. Detours can lead to shining new roads with passing lanes!

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" Phil.1:6

Set Aside

Reading Through the Bible in 2010 (Num. 26-27)

“Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying; ‘Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.’

And the Lord said to Moses; ‘Take Joshua, the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.’ “ Num. 27:15-18)

I am now on a first name basis with the athletes of Olympic Games: Vancouver.

Apolo – Congratulations on being America’s most medal-decorated Winter Olympian.

Kim – You are the queen of figure skating!

Joannie – What mental strength you showed. Winning the bronze medal four days after the sudden death of your mom. Wow!

I’ve loved them all but do you know what has struck me most about the Games? The families! Nodar’s grieving parents and Axsel’s reflective father. Apolo speaking about his relationship with his dad, “We are a small family, just the two of us." Lindsey Vonn, stepping atop the podium to receive her downhill skiing gold medal, smiling down at her mother and siblings, including the brother who had her initials shaved into his hair, the “L” on one side, “V” on the other.

The families – the love, the support, and the encouragement that they gave each competitor - will be the image that sticks with me after the Games are over.

Today’s Scripture is all about family – the family of God. Once again we see why Moses is such a great leader.

The Lord instructs Moses to go up to Mt. Nebo and take a look at the Promised Land. But then He says that after he has seen it, he will die. “For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (Num. 27:14)

What had happened that kept Moses from entering the land of his forty-year destination?

The people needed water – always the greatest need of the Israelites in their wanderings. God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come out. Instead, Moses chided the people as rebels and struck the rock twice with his rod. Water came gushing out but God wasn’t happy with Moses.

The great man of God had sinned. In his anger, he had joined with the rebels. Instead of trusting God by speaking and making his request; he hit the rock, not once but twice.

I find myself agreeing with the commentators who say that the rock symbolized Jesus Christ. Jesus was struck for our sins on the cross where He bore the wrath of God for all of our spiritual rebellion – past, present, and future. When he said, “It is finished, “ the debt was paid forever. He rose from His grave to sit in heaven at the right hand of the throne of God. He is our Lord and High Priest and will never ever be struck again. We, who know Him as our Savior, only have to ask to receive the Living Water that we crave from day to day.

Moses and the Pentateuch represent the law and the Ten Commandments. No one can be saved through the law because all have sinned. No human can ever keep the law perfectly and enter heaven. Only one recorded sin kept Moses from entering the Promised Land. Moses represented the Law that cannot allow for one exception. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

Once again we see Moses model great leadership. There is no griping or displeasure only acceptance for God’s discipline in his own life. His reply to God shows his love and concern for the Israelites. He pleads with God and says, “Give them a good leader then. One who will be there for them, “who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” (Num.27: 17)

God answers the great prayer of Moses. He names Joshua as the new leader and instructs Moses to have Eleazar the priest anoint him. Moses does just as he is commanded and continues to keep on keeping on serving the Lord.

What an amazing “family man!” Moses is set aside as Israel’s leader, but his heartbeat is for the future of the Israelites. “Don’t let them be like sheep without a shepherd, “ he pleads. The athletes have the backing of their families win or lose. Because of his great love for the family of God, the Israelites have the support of Moses in the midst of his own heartbreak.

What do we do when we lose our competitions and suffer great disappointments? How do we react when we are seemingly “set aside” on our sometimes “not so joyful journeys” through life? Do we quit or do we keep on serving the Lord wherever He has placed us, remembering, like Moses, it's all about God and His great plan for His family?

Higher Education

Reading Through the Bible (Gen.22-24)

"Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham," Gen.22:1

"Complete and unwavering faith in God is only accomplished through many trials and over many years. It was "after these things" that God gave Abraham his biggest test. After Abraham had left his homeland and all that was dear to him, after he experienced the results of going to Egypt for food, after Lot had taken the good well-watered land, after twenty-five years of waiting for the promised son, after Ishmael had been sent away, after God had said, "through Isaac your descendants shall be reckoned, after Isaac had nearly grown, "after these things," God tested Abraham's faith." (AB Simpson)

"Lauren," I said, "I heard you are studying for your big tests that are coming up. How are you doing that?"

"Grandma," she answered, "They give you some things that you can use to study for ACT's and SAT's. But, I think it's mostly testing you on what you've learned over the years."

"Testing you on what you've learned over the years." True words. Wise words!

When I started high school physics, I already knew that I didn't know anything about physics. I didn't really want to know anything about physics! But, to get into nursing, I needed the course. It was only after I had studied my book and listened to the lectures and done the experiments, that I could take the final exam. The results of the test showed me that now I knew a little about physics. "After these things" I took the exam. There wouldn't have been much point in testing me when I started taking the course. I already knew what I didn't know about physics.

The life of a believer is a series of tests. The Bible says we go from glory to glory as we're transformed into the image of Christ. God does His work in us as we study His Word, listen to His promptings, and go through His labs. Then He gives us the test. When we've finished does He look at the results of our obedience and say, "Wow! You got an A on that one? I'm shocked!"

I don't think so. He knows our hearts. He knows everything. But we don't. We think we know a lot about life but we don't. Not until we go through His courses taught in His way. Then we get to take our tests. The results show us what we have learned on our latest pilgrimage experience. They don't show God, they show us.

Deut.8:2; "And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."

Lauren did really well on her two big tests. "After these things..." She's been a good student and she has studied hard in school for many years. I wasn't surprised at how well she did, but I wondered if she was? Her good results will give her encouragement for the next steps in her "joyful journey" through life. She will have stronger faith in her ability to learn new things in college.

What if she hadn't done well? What if she'd been sick, or had a bad hair day, or had a flat tire on the way, or couldn't find the place where SAT's and ACT's were being administered? I asked her about that.

She replied, "You get other chances. You can reschedule and take them again. If you feel like you didn't do well, you can retake the tests. But, I'm so glad to be done!"

"You can reschedule!" I laughed because God has rescheduled me on tests quite a few times. I feel like there are some tests that I have taken over and over again. I'm still not sure how well I've learned some of the things He's been trying to teach me.

Lauren's done, temporarily. She can rest from SAT's and she deserves to. She can rest from ACT's but she still has reams of homework every night. She has to finish high school. College will mean more tests. Lots more. In lots of ways. That's the thing about higher education.

I wish I could encourage my granddaughter and say, "Don't worry, when you finish college - no more tests!" The truth is, there is no graduation from tests for the believer, not in this life. God is taking all of us through His "Higher Education"courses. But, one day we will be finished with all of our testing. We'll have gone through the sanctification process. When we reach Heaven and enter our glorification, we will get more than a graduation cap, we'll receive a crown of life!

Tests will keep coming, we can be sure of that. The good news is that they come "after these things." After we have gone through the course. After we're ready to see what we have learned and what has been added to our hearts. What joy we will experience when God shows us our "permanent record" in heaven and says, "Well done. You have been a faithful and good servant. Your tests are over!"

Turning Life's Corners

Reading Through the Bible in 2010 ( Gen.19-21)

"Then he (Lot) made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate." Gen.19:3

"Did Lot even begin to suspect it would be his last dinner in Sodom? So simply, so without observation, do we turn the corner of the road of life but as yet we do not know that we have turned the corner." Amy Carmichael

When I was six years old, my father was in a terrible auto accident. I can vividly remember being in my parents' bedroom, playing on the floor with my 18 month old brother, when the phone rang. My mother answered it and as I looked at her, I watched the blood drain out of her face. I knew that something awful had happened.

When she hung up the phone I questioned, "Mom, what is it?"

She took a deep breath and said carefully, "Your father's car has been hit by a milk truck in the snowstorm. He probably has a broken leg or something."

That night my grandmother tucked us into bed and told us not to worry. I wasn't that concerned because who worries about a broken leg when your grandmother is giving you love and a cookie? But as I munched away and cuddled up in my grandmother's arms, I didn't know that our lives had turned a corner after that phone call. I didn't have a clue. Just like Lot!

It was much more than a broken leg. My father's life hung fragilely, as if it were dangling from a string, for the next month. After it was determined that he would live, he spent five more months in St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du lac. My mother took the train to be with him every morning and she came back on the train to be with us late every evening. My two grandmothers came and took care of Robert and me. Two nights before the accident - we all came to refer to it as "the accident," my father had told me one of his fine stories. Now there were no stories, no father and, most of the time, no mother. Just us and two grandmothers who had very different views on child raising.

But there was joy even in that journey. We got to know our grandparents really well. One day Dad was improved enough that WE could take the train and visit him in the hospital. Staying up late and waiting to see my mom became the norm.

When Dad came home, we were a family again. I can clearly recall sitting on the couch and looking out the window. It was summer now and my father had put a harness around my two year old brother to take him for a walk. He looked like the Tin Woodman jerking slowly along the sidewalk as his child pulled him along. I was incredulous! Is that my Dad? Will he ever look normal again?

He did. It took time-years-but he recovered. He had pins in his leg and a jagged scar on his face. But he pushed through the pain and went on to be a big influence in his grandchildren's lives - living to the age of 84.

Turning that corner taught me a lot about healing and patience and the value of an intact family - something we take for granted until it's not there anymore. It helped me understand what people go through when their families are under huge strains. It was a big lesson on life's journey.

We turn corners unexpectedly. We don't ask to. Usually we don't want to. But they are often just a phone call away and our lives are forever changed. Corners are, and will always be, a part of "The Joyful Journey."