Too Good to be True

A Series on Living in the Wilderness: Part 2
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:5-25; 67-80

[This is Part 2 in a series of looking at people who lived in the wilderness. Not necessarily the wilderness of nature, but the wilderness of life. In fact, there are times when we all feel like we are living in the wilderness. During those times, it’s important to remember that the Lord is faithful. That He loves you and is always with you.]

My Dad used to say that if something sounded too good to be true, it probably was. On several occasions, my wife and I have attended travel presentations that promised “too good to be true” benefits. Every time resulted in unmet expectations.

 

The angel Gabriel promised Zechariah something that sounded too good to be true.

 

Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth was unable to have children. And, even though they are described as “righteous in the sight of God”, to be childless in their culture was a disgrace. You were thought to be out of God’s favor, possibly even due to sin. No doubt they felt disappointment at best; anger and shame at worse.

 

Zechariah was a member of the priestly order of Abijah. When it was his order’s turn to provide services at the temple, he was chosen by lot to burn incense in the Holy Place. It was here that Gabriel appeared to him and made these promises.

 

¹³ But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John... ¹⁵ for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. ¹⁶ And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.                 NLT

 

Wow! It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? That’s what Zechariah thought too. After all, they were not only childless, but very old. He doubted and questioned the angel’s authority and ability to make good on such amazing promises.

 

Keep in mind that Zechariah had been a priest his whole life. He knew all the rules and rituals inside and out. In fact, he was really good at obeying the Lord’s rules, but not so good at a personal relationship.

 

You’d think that being in the Holy Place, in the very presence of the Lord; that he would be receptive, if not expectant, to hear from the Lord. But he wasn’t.

 

Consequently, Gabriel made Zechariah mute until his son was born. As a result, he lived in a wilderness of silence for the next nine months. But even before that, Zechariah had been living in a wilderness of religious rules and rituals. He was spiritually dried up and lifeless from the daily routine and life’s unmet expectations.

 

Like Zechariah, there are times when I feel like I’m in a wilderness of religious routine; like the Lord doesn’t speak to me or isn’t working. Zechariah spoke these prophetic words in response to the birth of his son John. Words that are still true today.

 

⁶⁸ “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.
⁶⁹ He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,
⁷⁰ just as he promised
    through his holy prophets long ago.   NLT

It turns out that the Lord’s promises to Zechariah weren’t “too good to be true”. In fact, his promise to you and me of a personal Savior in Jesus who loves, forgives and is always with us… isn’t “too good to be true” either.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

Too Good to be True

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)

Genesis 12:1-9; Hebrews 11:8-10 

[Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

My Dad used to say, “If something sounds too good to be true… it probably is”. Turns out, he was a pretty smart man. My wife and I enjoy traveling, and in the past we’ve been a sucker for a sales pitch involving travel.

 

During a vacation to Mexico, we were promised a $200 voucher for a day trip of our choice. All we had to do was sit through a “brief presentation” at a new resort. We were told the whole thing would take only two hours; no pressure. Four hours later, with a knot in my stomach, they finally relented to our repeated answer of “NO”!

 

We’re not the only ones who are a sucker for a promise. It turns out that Abram was susceptible to a promise of something that sounded too good to be true. All he had to do was move to Canaan.

 

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a land that I am going to show you. ² I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing.        NLT

 

Funny how the Lord didn’t mention the people who already lived there; who would need to be displaced in order to inherit the land. Nor did the Lord mention the impending famine; Abram’s conflict with Lot; having a child with his servant and the resulting family strife; and, when Abram finally did have a son of his own, the request to sacrifice him. Yes, it sounded too good to be true.

 

When I think back on my own life to when I made my decision to follow the Lord… there were promises. However, with them, the Lord didn’t tell me that living by faith would include struggles and sacrifice; pain and suffering. He didn’t tell me about our still born baby, or the multiple miscarriages; or pulling us out by the roots from a lifetime in Michigan to move to Ohio.

 

As believers in the Living God, we live by faith in His promises, and based on who He is; His character. You don’t need to know everything that lies ahead. You don’t need to know about the pain and suffering that the future holds. You don’t need to know about the temptations and trials that are around the corner.

 

 Let us live like Abraham did. Let us live by faith in what we do not see.

 

⁸ It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. ⁹ And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. ¹⁰ Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. NLT

 

Sibling Rivalry

 A Series on Living by Faith
Genesis 4:1-8; Hebrews 11:1-4
(Use the link below to read the verses.)

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… to throw off sin; to run with perseverance; to fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, to live “by faith”.]

  

Did you have a sibling rivalry growing up? I did. It was with my sister who is six years older than me. At the time, I had a very short, explosive temper, and apparently she knew how to trigger it. 

On one occasion, I remember throwing a table knife at her as she ran down the hall. Just as she slammed the bathroom door behind her, the knife stuck in the door. Not one of my better moments.

 

Sibling rivalries can lead you to do terrible things. Take Cain and Abel for instance. They were one generation removed from the Garden of Eden; from living in harmony with God; but also, from original sin. The result was the first recorded murder in the Bible. Here’s what led up to it.

 

³ After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. ⁴ Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, ⁵ but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger.          GNT

 

 That anger led to Cain’s murder of Abel!

 

What else do we know about the two brothers? Cain was older, and was a farmer. Abel was a shepherd. They both brought offerings to the Lord, so they both believed in Him. Then why did the Lord accept Abel’s offering but not Cain’s?

 

It appears that Cain’s offering was more of an afterthought; something that he did out of religious obligation, or possibly out of competition with his brother. But for Abel, his offering came from the heart. He gave the Lord the best that he had. Hebrews describes the difference like this.

 

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.  NIV

 

Abel’s faith was in what he had never seen. You can imagine that his parents, Adam and Eve, may have talked about life in the Garden of Eden, and what it was like to live in union with the Lord. They may have instilled faith in the promises of a redemptive God so that Abel gave his offering by faith.

 

Therefore, whatever we do, let us do it for the Lord; let us do it from a pure heart; let us do it by faith that the Lord has provided redemption through Jesus. And in living by faith, the Lord will be pleased with us.

 

 

 

 

Moses – the Reluctant Follower

A Series on God’s Call to Ministry

Exodus 3:1-15; 4:1-17

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%203%3A1-15%2CExodus%204%3A1-17&version=NIV;NLT

[Preface: How do you know what your calling in life is? Will you know from a big bang experience? Or will it come quietly, almost imperceptible? Will you be inspired by the stories of a visiting missionary; or a book that opens your eyes to the needs of a specific people group; or from your own life experience? This series is about God’s call to ministry for your life; what it means or doesn’t mean.]

Growing up, my family attended church every Sunday, including Sunday school followed by the worship service. However, I have this vivid memory that sticks in my mind of one particular Sunday, when for some unknown reason, I decided that I wasn’t going to church.

When the time came, I ran out of the garage with my Dad in hot pursuit. Apparently though, he eventually caught me, because I have this second memory of sitting in the car through both Sunday school and worship. I guess you could say that I was a reluctant follower of God.

Moses, although he was a Hebrew, grew up as an Egyptian. Not just your run of the mill Egyptian, but as royalty, in the house of Pharaoh. He knew what it meant to wield power; to have servants; to get what he wanted. In a way, he was the perfect man to lead the Hebrews.

However, there are two stories that give us some insight into the kind of man that Moses was. On one occasion, while going out among his people, he saw an Egyptian beating a fellow Hebrew. Moses made sure nobody was watching him, and then killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. Moses took justice into his own hands, without the leading of the LORD.

The second story is when the LORD called Moses from the burning bush to lead his people out of slavery; out of Egypt to the Promised Land. But Moses didn’t want any part of it. He pushed back with every excuse that he could think of and finally said, “LORD please! Send anyone else”. Moses was a reluctant follower of the LORD.

Can you relate to both sides of Moses’ nature? I know I can. Acting impulsively outside of God’s will, as well as being reluctant to follow Him, can be too easy.

The good news is that the same promises that the LORD made to Moses, He makes to us today. The LORD will always be with you; he is faithful; he has a plan for you; and he will provide for you.

Your calling may not include a burning bush. But however, and whenever the LORD calls you to action, be sure to be ready, and not reluctant.

The stained glass piece below of Moses' burning bush, was made by a friend of mine. Thanks Bruce for sharing it.

Cycle of Life

Philippians 2:12-18

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A12-18&version=NIV;NLT

  

When I went away to college, my Dad told me he expected a letter a week from me. I’m not sure if he said this because he was going to miss me, or if this was his way to try to control me… or maybe both.

 

Paul had a very close relationship with the Philippian believers. Like a parent, he had invested himself deeply into their lives. Now he was separated from them so that all he could do was pray for them and write this letter.

 

¹² Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.      NLT

 

Paul had invested himself in the Philippians, and now they were to do the same with others. In a very real way, God’s plan is for you to be involved in this same spiritual cycle. A cycle where God is as much involved as you are.

 

⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.    Philippians 1 NLT

 

¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.             Philippians 2 NLT

 

The “cycle of life” includes preparing your children for the day when they will leave your home with the intent that they will become an independent, mature adult. Then, possibly someday, they will raise a family of their own.

 

God has called us to be involved in the spiritual “cycle of life”. The first person He called to this was Abram.

 

 

 

This cycle of life promise is still valid today for you and me. Whose life are you involved in? Who is God using you to bless?

 

 

 

 

What Does Your Desk Look Like?

2 Chronicles 20:1-30

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+20%3A1-30&version=NIV;NLT

  

You can tell a lot about a person by their desk or work space or living area. For instance, my desk is almost always uncluttered and neat. Everything is in its place. You won’t find papers scattered all over my desk or a half-eaten sandwich stuffed in a drawer. Do you know why? Because it’s an attempt to control a small part of my world.

 

The story in 2 Chronicles 20 that surrounds verse 17 is about the struggle between trust and control. Early in the chapter, King Jehoshaphat learns that there is a “vast army from Edom” that is marching against them. His immediate reaction is to be terrified, but this leads him to “beg the Lord for guidance”.

 

The men of Judah begin praying. They plead for the Lord to rescue them based on the history of God’s work with Israel and on who God is – His promises, faithfulness, love and power. While praying, Jahaziel receives a word from the Lord. That word is “do not be afraid... for the Lord is with you”. Just trust Him.

 

It sounds easy, but it isn’t. Keep in mind, while the men of Judah are praying instead of preparing for battle, the mighty army from Edom is steadily marching towards them. Talk about trust and giving up control.

 

What the Lord said through Jahaziel was counterintuitive. There were no instructions to prepare for battle; no strategizing; no sharpening of swords. In fact, the only action to be taken was, “take your position; then stand still and watch. Watch the Lord’s victory”. Impossible for us as humans who need control.

 

We don’t like to trust others because it involves risk. And risk can result in failure, losing valuable resources, rejection or just plain looking bad. We prefer to keep control ourselves in an attempt to avoid the painful consequences of risk, and to gain power over our circumstances and people.

 

Our lives are like my desk. I try to control my life as much as I can so that everything has its place; everything is orderly. That way I know what to expect. Risk is minimized. But what about trusting the Lord? Where does that fit in with my orderly life? I frequently need to remind myself of Jahaziel’s word: “the Lord is with you” Joe.

 

What does your desk look like? Is it neat and orderly because you have control, or does God have control?

 

 

¹⁷ But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”     NLT