Why God?

A series on the book of Hebrews:
God disciplines His children
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Hebrews 12:1-29 

[When you first start to follow Christ, often it’s done with great excitement. It’s like falling in love when all you can think about is the other person, and you want to tell everyone you know. But then the day-to-day pressures of living can push out those feelings and dull your enthusiasm. In this series, we will look at how the author of Hebrews tried to counteract falling out of love with Jesus.]

  

Have you ever cried out to God asking, “Why God?” One of the most painful times in my life occurred a few years after getting married. My wife was pregnant for our first child. We did everything we could to prepare for the new arrival.

 

We painted and wallpapered the nursery; bought a rocking chair for holding our baby while feeding; refinished the highchair I had used as a baby; assembled the crib; and had a baby shower. But then the unthinkable happened!

 

My wife went in for her regular prenatal checkup with our family doctor. When he wasn’t able to find a heartbeat, he immediately sent her to the hospital. They did an ultrasound, also not detecting a heartbeat. An OBGYN told us that our baby was still born! Why God! It wasn’t so much a question as it was a cry for help.

 

The Hebrews knew that feeling. They had given everything they had to follow Jesus. Made every sacrifice with the hope and expectation that he would return. They had suffered through persecution – but still nothing. It had gotten to the point where they were ready to reject Christ. “Why God”!

 

That’s when the anonymous writer of Hebrews stepped in. He wrote how Jesus was superior to their Jewish heritage, beliefs and traditions. In fact, he was the fulfillment of them. He reasoned with the Hebrews; he quoted Old Testament scripture; he warned them of consequences; he listed faithful followers.

 

Finally, in this chapter, he reminded them that God is like their earthly father who guided them through loving discipline. But, as their Heavenly Father, God’s goal was for them to draw closer to him and to grow in their faith.

 

¹⁰ For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.      NLT

 

However, not only was the Lord’s discipline for them to become holy and righteous, but also it was proof of his love.

 

⁵ “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.
⁶ For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”            NLT

 

God is not only a disciplining parent who loves us, but also a demanding coach who pushes us. He pushes us to go beyond what we think we’re capable of; to go beyond our self-imposed boundaries; to go beyond our own self-centered interests. Ultimately, he wants us to go beyond ourselves to help others.

 

The writer instructed the Hebrews to live lives that would share the ‘joy of redemption’ and ‘hope for restoration’ with those around them; to be an example for others to follow; to help others work through their own pain and suffering.

 

¹⁴ Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it.       GNT

 

Sometimes there are no easy answers when we cry out to God. But no matter what, we can know for sure that he loves us, is always with us and understands our pain. After all, his own son whom he loved cried out with the same question. “Why God”!

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

The Big Picture

A series on Pauls’ prayers
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Ephesians 3:14-21 

[Paul was a controversial figure in the first century church. But it could also be argued that he was the most dynamic and influential apostle. In this series we’ll be looking at Paul’s prayers and what he has to say to us today.]

  

“You can’t see the forest for the trees”

 

This well-known saying is used when someone is so focused on the details of life that they’re unable to see the big picture. We’re particularly vulnerable to this when life is difficult and we’re facing struggles. We get so focused on our problems, that we can’t see the possibilities.

 

In the Ephesian church, there was a large number of Gentile believers. Because of this, Paul wanted to make sure that they understood that they had an equal standing in the church. In doing so, he didn’t get so involved in the details that he wasn’t able to see the big picture.

 

⁶ And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. ⁷ By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.                                                    NLT            Ephesians 3

 

These thoughts prompted Paul to “fall to my knees and pray to the Father”.

 

¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ^17a so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

17b And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…    NIV

Through his prayer, the ultimate outcome that Paul was looking for was this.

 

¹⁹ So that you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.                NLT

 

But, there’s this thing called life that keeps getting in the way of experiencing the love and fullness of Christ. When we’re in the thick of things, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. The trees keep getting in the way of God’s love.

 

However, in his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

 

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.                NIV        Romans 8

 

In the context of Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians, the saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees” is a metaphor. The forest is God’s love. It’s also the big picture.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Protecting Your Home

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling unprotected
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 90 

[Life is full of emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for hope. In this series, we will be looking in the mirror of the Psalms, to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

 

Home is supposed to be a safe place. Everything that’s important to you is kept there: family pictures, documents and worldly possessions. It’s where you live with the people that you love... your family. If someone breaks into your home, you feel unprotected and vulnerable.

 

A few years after moving to Columbus, our home was broken into during the daytime. My wife and I were working. As a result, our nine-year-old daughter discovered the burglary when she came home from school. The back door was broken, and the burglar had placed a kitchen knife on the counter.

 

In Psalm 90, Moses felt unprotected. Part of his reason was due to God’s anger.

 

⁷ We wither beneath your anger;
    we are overwhelmed by your fury.
⁸ You spread out our sins before you—
    our secret sins—and you see them all.           NLT

 

Even life itself left Moses feeling vulnerable.

 

¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.          NIV

 

As Moses prayed about this, he was reminded about who God is and His love.

 

¹ Lord, through all the generations
    you have been our home!
² Before the mountains were born,
    before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
    from beginning to end, you are God.               NLT

¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.              NIV

We do a lot of things to protect our home, ourselves and our loved ones. We put locks on our doors and fences around our yards. We have a security system installed. We put our money in the bank. We tell our children to not get in a car with a stranger.

 

All of these are good things to do. But the best thing is to pray. By doing this, we not only remind ourselves about who God is and His love for us, but also call upon Him as our refuge and home... a very safe place to be.

 

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.  NIV    Psalm 91

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Self-Disclosure

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling lost or misunderstood
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 139 

[Life is full of emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for hope. In this series, we will be looking in the mirror of the Psalms, to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

At age sixty, for the first time in almost forty years, I found myself taking an exam. Only this exam wasn’t just to get a grade, it was to keep my job as an insurance agent. My anxiety level was out of sight as my stress increased with each question.

 

After finishing, I went over to the proctor and gave her my answers. She graded it immediately. When she casually told me that I had passed, I wanted to reach across her desk and hug her. But I resisted.

 

Self-disclosure can be a scary experience. And believe me, taking a test is a form of self-disclosure. It shows either how much you know, or don’t know. Truthfully, most people don’t like any form of self-disclosure. But in Psalm 139, David embraced it.

 

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.               NIV

 

Not only did David ask the Lord to search his heart, but he recognized that the Lord had created him and knew him from the inside out. Talk about self-disclosure.

 

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb. NIV

¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.            NLT

 

David also understood that the Lord was with him everywhere he went... more self-disclosure.

 

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.         NIV

 

Self-disclosure can be frightening. Especially if you have skeletons in your closet. I don’t know if David wrote this psalm before or after he slept with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. But either way, David most certainly had skeletons to hide.

 

And yet, he embraced self-disclosure because he took comfort in God’s character: that He is all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful and holy. But also, because even though the Lord knew all of David’s sins – past, present and future - the Lord still loved him.

 

The same is true for you and me.

 

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.        Romans 8 NIV

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Storyworth

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling thankful
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 103 

[Life is full of emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for hope. In this series, we will be looking in the mirror of the Psalms, to learn about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

For Christmas this year, my wife gave me a gift from a company called Storyworth. Each week for a year, Storyworth sends you an email question about yourself. When you answer the question, they save it for you. Then at the end of the year, they send you your very own memoir in a hard bound book.

 

But truthfully, who will read my book besides my daughter and maybe my grandchildren? This reminds me of Psalm 103.

 

¹⁵ Our days on earth are like grass;
    like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
¹⁶ The wind blows, and we are gone—
    as though we had never been here.    NLT

 

Commercial jets cruise at an altitude of up to 42,000 feet, or 7.9 miles. Think about that for a minute. The tallest building in the western hemisphere is the One World Trade Center in NYC. Although 1776 feet and 104 floors high, it pales in comparison to the cruising height of jets.

 

A few years ago, my wife took a vacation to Australia with her sister-in-law. It’s a long flight. But in order to save some money, they flew through Qatar which made it an even longer flight. She was traveling for 24 hours!

 

Now, think about these examples in terms of what David wrote about God’s love and forgiveness.

 

¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  NIV

 

God loves us so much… it’s incomprehensible. He has taken away our sins, including the worst things that we’ve ever done; the ones we can’t even forgive ourselves for... it’s unfathomable.

 

Storyworth is a great gift that I’m looking forward to in 2024. But God’s unconditional love and forgiveness are the greatest gifts possible.

 

There is one verse in Psalm 103 that is repeated three times. That makes me think it must be important.

 

^1a Let all that I am praise the Lord;       NLT

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Do Over

A series on the book of Hosea
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Hosea 11-14 

[The story about Hosea is a story about the relentless love of God. Hosea was a prophet who spoke out against the idolatry of the Israelites as they pursued the pagan gods of Baal and Asherah. His life became an allegory about the unfaithfulness of Israel and the relentless love of God.]

 

Have you ever wished that you could have a Do Over?

 

About four years ago I was late for work, so it’s possible that I was speeding. But, it was a Friday, and there were very few cars on the highway. Under those conditions, there was no way that I was going to cause an accident.

 

However, that didn’t seem to matter to the highway patrolman that stopped me. Without any hesitation, he wrote me a ticket which resulted in a $150 fine and… increased my car insurance by $300 annually for three years. I really wanted a Do Over.

 

Israel probably wanted a Do Over too. Even though the Lord faithfully reached out to His people in love, they rebelled against Him.

 

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    and I called my son out of Egypt.
² But the more I called to him,
    the farther he moved from me
offering sacrifices to the images of Baal
    and burning incense to idols.               Hosea 11       NLT

 

The result of their sin was God’s swift judgement.

 

³ Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears,
    like chaff swirling from a threshing floor,
    like smoke escaping through a window.        Hosea 13       NIV

 

¹⁶ The people of Samaria must bear their guilt,
    because they have rebelled against their God.
They will fall by the sword;
    their little ones will be dashed to the ground,
    their pregnant women ripped open.                Hosea 13       NIV

 

How would it feel to be alive, but nobody notices that you’re living (verse 3)? How would it feel to have everything that you hold dear, that you love and that brings meaning to your life… to be violently taken from you (verse 16)?

 

Thankfully for Israel, the story didn’t end there. They got a Do Over.

 

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
    for your sins have brought you down.
² Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord.
    Say to him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us,
    so that we may offer you our praises.      Hosea 14       NLT

 

⁴ The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;
    my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever.           

                                                                                    Hosea 14       NLT

 

Thankfully, the story doesn’t end with our judgement either. The Lord’s faithful love has given you and me a Do Over. Paul explained it like this in Romans 7.

 

²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ^25a Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!       NIV

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Steps 4 and 5

A series on the book of Hosea
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Hosea 4:1-6:3 

[The story about Hosea is a story about the relentless love of God. Hosea was a prophet who spoke out against the idolatry of the Israelites as they pursued the pagan gods of Baal and Asherah. His life became an allegory about the unfaithfulness of Israel and the relentless love of God.]

 

“Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

 

This is Step 4 for every twelve-step support program. It involves being totally honest with yourself about your addiction, what you have done because of it and how you have hurt others as a result. It’s a huge step towards taking responsibility for your actions.

 

“Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being

the exact nature of our wrongs.”

 

Step 5 follows the completion of Step 4. It’s important that you are completely open and honest with your sponsor. There’s a saying in twelve step programs that, “You’re only as sick as your secrets”.

 

In a way, chapters four and five of Hosea are the exact opposite of Steps 4 and 5. Instead of confessing their wrongs - the priests, leaders and all the people of Israel - received a severe public dressing down from the Lord through Hosea.

 

4 ¹ Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel!
    The Lord has brought charges against you, saying
“There is no faithfulness, no kindness,
    no knowledge of God in your land.      NLT

 

¹² They ask a piece of wood for advice!
    They think a stick can tell them the future!
Longing after idols
    has made them foolish.
They have played the prostitute,
    serving other gods and deserting their God. NLT

The consequences of their idol worship was judgement that would result in them becoming a “heap of ruble”.

 

5 ^1b “Hear this, you priests.
    Pay attention, you leaders of Israel.
Listen, you members of the royal family.
    Judgment has been handed down against you.       NLT

 

Thankfully, the loving Lord is full of grace and mercy. He provided a way for Israel to receive redemption.

 

6 ¹ “Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
    but he will heal us;
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.          NIV

 

Israel did not work on Steps 4 and 5. They took no “fearless moral inventory”. They didn’t confess to anyone “the exact nature of their wrongs”. They continued to live their lives of worshipping the idols of the day instead of the Living God.

 

We still have idols today. They may not be as obvious as a “piece of wood or stick or a temple prostitute”. But we have them nonetheless. Thankfully, the Lord is still full of grace and mercy. His relentless love is constantly pursuing us to accept the redemption that He provided through His son Jesus Christ.

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com