pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: wilderness


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Will We Choose to Listen?

Reading: Psalm 95:8-11

Verse 8: “If only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Photo credit: Einar Storsul

Turning to the second section of Psalm 95 we are connected back to Exodus 17. The psalmist is reflecting back to a time when the Israelites tested and tried God, when they grumbled against God and Moses. We recall this ugly moment came right after experiencing miracle after miracle after miracle from God. This seems so impossible. Yet the reality is that we too can go from a high moment of faith to questioning or doubting the next moment as life unexpectedly crashes down around us.

The psalmist declares that God was “angry with that generation.” They are identified as a people “whose hearts go astray” and as ones who “have not known my ways.” This generation has proven itself to be stubborn and rebellious. Again and again. At the end we read, “They will never enter my rest.” This generation will die in the desert. Even Moses, because of a moment of anger and exasperation with these people, will not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.

So how does this story from thousands of years ago apply to our lives and faith today? I believe one could make a strong case that our generation is stubborn and rebellious. One could easily argue that our hearts go astray and that we follow our own desires more often than not. The advice that begins our passage very much applies to us as we seek to follow Jesus in the wilderness of today’s world: “If only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

God continues to speak today. God speaks through the Bible and through modern day prophets. God speaks through the Holy Spirit – in whispers and nudges, in convictions, in revelations. God speaks through ordinary people like you and me. The question is whether or not we will choose to listen to God’s voice when we hear it. Or will we wander in the wilderness, ultimately ending up outside of God’s love and grace?

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to default to grumbling and testing and trying your love. It’s tempting to succumb to the pleasures and lures of this world. These voices can be so loud, the lies so compelling. Or they can be whispered so seductively. Lord, strengthen my resolve to walk as a disciple, deepen my trust in you alone, gird me up with your Spirit. I desire to be fully yours. Be with me moment by moment. Guide me through the battle ahead. Amen.


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Patience, Love, Mercy

Reading: Exodus 17:3-7

Verse 6: “I will stand there before you… Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.”

Continuing in Exodus 17 today, the people are thirsty – parched. They grumble at Moses who grumbles to God. At this point, God demonstrates patience, love, and mercy. I imagine God first drawing a deep breath and then counting to 10. As God exhales slowly, I imagine God looking down in love upon this quarrelsome, doubting lot. As God looks upon these children panicking in the desert, God’s heart is once again moved to mercy. We don’t have to imagine this part. In verses 6 God tells Moses, “I will stand there before you… Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” God goes before Moses, leading the way to water, to life, to joy.

First, a lesson from Moses: lead using the example you want others to follow. After receiving the peoples’ complaint, Moses should’ve gone to God in prayer. Moses should’ve first sought God’s direction, strength, guidance – and patience, love, and mercy. This is how God led. That’s our second lesson, this one from God. When seeking to help or care for someone in distress, practice patience, love, and mercy. See the person as they are, try to understand where they are, feel what it is like to be in their shoes. Then allow first love and then mercy to guide your efforts and your response.

We are now in our own season in the wilderness. We are journeying towards the cross during Lent. This season of introspection invites us to look within, to honestly see ourselves as we are. Maybe we’ll find some grumbling and a bit of quarreling. Maybe we’ll find anger or lust or pride or doubt or something else that needs to go. As we seek to root out these sinful behaviors as we prepare ourselves to stand at the foot of the cross in the presence of the one who surrendered all for us, may we too practice patience, love, and mercy with ourselves. The roots of our sin are deep and the journey is long and difficult. May God be with us.

Prayer: Lord God, today I ask that you pour out your patience, love, and mercy. Fill me with these so that I too can be generous with them – both with myself and with others. Lead me to look deeply within this day; guide me to that which I need to surrender to your will and way. Amen.


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God Will Not Give Up

Reading: Jeremiah 2:10-13

Verse 11: “My people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.”

As God outlines the case against Israel, they are invited to go to other tribes, to see how nomadic people live as they worship their idols. It is an image of what Israel could become. It is also a reminder that God chose Israel, leading them out of the wilderness and into a place of abundance and security. I too have had times of wandering in the wilderness. It is good to remember that God was faithful and led them and me to something far better.

God then poses a rhetorical question: “Has a nation ever changed its gods?” The implication is that even wild nomadic tribes keep their same gods. Continuing on we hear God’s response to the question: “My people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.” Israel has turned from the glory of God and of living in right relationship with God. They exchanged that for idols. This is the first step towards living in the wilderness. It was chasing after popularity that began my journey into the wilderness.

Calling on heaven to be the witnesses, God names the people’s 2 primary sins. First, they have forsaken the living God, the spring of living water. Second, they have dug holes in the ground, trusting in cisterns that can’t even hold ordinary water. What a sad choice the people have made. Yet God will not give up. Jeremiah will be sent over and over, seeking to draw the people back to God. The same is true for you and me. God will not give up. God sends the Holy Spirit and other voices to keep calling us back to faithful living. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you are so faithful. Even when I wander, you are steadfast. Even if I wander off to spend time in the wilderness, you are still right there, whispering my name, reaching out to me. Thank you for your abundant, endless love. Amen.


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Rejoice and Give Thanks

Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Verse 11: “Rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.”

Today’s passage from Deuteronomy is the story of where the Israelites came from and of their response. Through the giving of the first fruits God is reminding them that all they have is a gift from God. Being freed from slavery, being led through the wilderness, being given this bountiful and productive land – all gifts from God. Physically saying and hearing the words of this ritual is a tangible reminder of the gifts and if the relationship. It is a reminder that they would not be where they are without God. We too could say the same thing.

If we were not born into the family we were born into or if that person or these people hadn’t invited us to know Jesus, we would not be who we are today. Will Willimon wrote, “No one is born Christian.” This is absolutely true. For most of us our journey of faith parallels that of the Israelites. We’ve lived a life captive to sin. We’ve been in the wilderness, wandering and lost. We’ve been blessed, whether materially or educationally or physically or all these and more. All of this too is a gift from God. Yet, without God this is all just stuff – stuff that will change or fade or be left to this earth one day.

The ritual and giving prescribed in Deuteronomy is not because God needs the physical gifts. It is designed to draw the Israelites into deeper connection and into a stronger relationship with God. It reminds them that it was God who chose them, who pursued them, who reached out to them, who guided them, who provided for them. As we near the season of Lent we too are called to rejoice in the blessings and to express our thanksgiving. As a place to begin, may we take time now to thank God for the blessings in our lives and for those who have walked in faith with us, connecting us to the Lord our God.

Prayer: God, the blessings are many and are great. Over and over you have poured into me – whether in Spirit or by those who have raised and guided me. May my grateful response be to share the blessings and to walk with others on their journeys of faith. Amen.


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Courageous Enough

Reading: Luke 4:14-15

Verse 14: “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside.”

Photo credit: Jonathan Borba

Fresh off his experience in the wilderness, Jesus begins his public ministry. This wilderness time was a difficult period of fasting and temptation. In Luke 4:2 we read, “for forty days he was tempted by Satan.” What an ordeal to go through. In the end, though, Jesus’ trust in God carried him through. If you or I were to go through such a thing, I bet we too would come out of it “in the power of the Spirit.” Out of each experience where we know God was present and carried us through, we come out “on fire”, wanting to share the good news with others.

As Jesus returns to Galilee with Spirit power resting upon him, he begins to minister to others. We do not know exactly what this early ministry entailed. Was it just teaching? Were there miracles and healings too? Whatever it was, we do know that the word got out about Jesus: “news about him spread throughout the whole countryside.” Whenever Jesus taught in the synagogues, his teaching drew lots of praise. Part of me wonders how much of his preaching was influenced by or even contained examples from his time in the wilderness. It would be a natural way to connect to his audience. After all, we each face trials and temptations.

We too can use our “wilderness” experiences in this same way. While we may emerge from these times “on fire”, we don’t always try to light a flame to others’ faith through our story. Sometimes we don’t see the opportunity. Sometimes we are afraid to be vulnerable – to admit our humanity and weaknesses. Sometimes we think less of our witness than we should. And sometimes we are afraid to surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit. Where will the Spirit lead? Will the Spirit just use and use and use me?

Jesus came out of the wilderness filled with the Spirit. He allowed that power to work in and through him to minister to others. His ministry impacted and changed lives. May we become courageous enough to walk in these footsteps of Jesus. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, I know I have stories of faith to share with others. We all do. Encourage me to be bold enough for my faith. Empower me to follow Jesus’ example, using my walk with you to help others along on their journeys of faith. Amen.


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Courageous Enough

Reading: Luke 4:14-15

Verse 14: “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside.”

Photo credit: Jonathan Borba

Fresh off his experience in the wilderness, Jesus begins his public ministry. This wilderness time was a difficult period of fasting and temptation. In Luke 4:2 we read, “for forty days he was tempted by Satan.” What an ordeal to go through. In the end, though, Jesus’ trust in God carried him through. If you or I were to go through such a thing, I bet we too would come out of it “in the power of the Spirit.” Out of each experience where we know God was present and carried us through, we come out “on fire”, wanting to share the good news with others.

As Jesus returns to Galilee with Spirit power resting upon him, he begins to minister to others. We do not know exactly what this early ministry entailed. Was it just teaching? Were there miracles and healings too? Whatever it was, we do know that the word got out about Jesus: “news about him spread throughout the whole countryside.” Whenever Jesus taught in the synagogues, his teaching drew lots of praise. Part of me wonders how much of his preaching was influenced by or even contained examples from his time in the wilderness. It would be a natural way to connect to his audience. After all, we each face trials and temptations.

We too can use our “wilderness” experiences in this same way. While we may emerge from these times “on fire”, we don’t always try to light a flame to others’ faith through our story. Sometimes we don’t see the opportunity. Sometimes we are afraid to be vulnerable – to admit our humanity and weaknesses. Sometimes we think less of our witness than we should. And sometimes we are afraid to surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit. Where will the Spirit lead? Will the Spirit just use and use and use me?

Jesus came out of the wilderness filled with the Spirit. He allowed that power to work in and through him to minister to others. His ministry impacted and changed lives. May we become courageous enough to walk in these footsteps of Jesus. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, I know I have stories of faith to share with others. We all do. Encourage me to be bold enough for my faith. Empower me to follow Jesus’ example, using my walk with you to help others along on their journeys of faith. Amen.


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In God’s Presence

Reading: Psalm 24: 1-6

Verse 3: “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place”?

Photo credit: Steve Horner

As I read the first two verses of the Psalm my mind was drawn to the past three days that I spent in the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. As I saw tranquil lakes, majestic mountains, stunning wildflowers, marmot and moose, I was reminded over and over that “the earth is the Lord’s”. I often voiced praise to the creator for the works of his hands. The picture is our camping spot – a small sample of the beauty of God’s creation.

That small spot of creation was almost seven miles up the trail. Steve, Jeff, and I carried everything we needed to survive three days in the wilderness on our backs. As I read verses three and four today I connected the psalmist’s spiritual quest with my physical quest. As we topped crest after crest as we worked our way up to Lake Marion, on many occasions I questioned my ability to make it to our planned destination. I often thought, ‘What am I doing here’? I think that was what the psalmist was asking when he wrote, “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place”? At times we all feel unworthy or unable to enter into the presence of the Lord our God.

The psalmist answers his own questions in the next verse: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart”. To stand in God’s presence we must be made clean. We must have a pure heart. On our own, we are powerless to make ourselves clean and pure. But we do not walk alone. Just as Jeff or Steve walking along ahead of or behind me gave me the power to continue hiking, so too do we have one who walks with us, one who cleanses us from all sin. The grace and mercy and forgiveness that we receive through Jesus Christ is the “blessing and vindication” that we are given in and through our Lord and Savior. Thanks be to God that we do not walk alone.

Prayer: Lord God, creator of all things, the beauty and splendor of the works of your hand are amazing and wonderful. Yet they pale in comparison to your love and grace. Thank you Lord for these blessings and your constant presence in my life. Amen.


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Forever and Ever

Reading: Psalm 48

Verse 1: “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of our praise”.

Photo credit: Giuseppe Famiani

Psalm 48 speaks of God’s presence in Jerusalem, in the city of David. For the psalmist the city of God is beautiful and will stand forever atop Mount Zion. God is present in the city itself – in the citadels that protect her from foreign kings and in her temple, the place the people “meditate on your unfailing love”. For the Israelites, Jerusalem will be God’s home forever and ever. Zion will always stand as the fortress of God.

It was another time and place when the Psalm was written. It was a time when people from all around would move inside the city walls in times of danger. It was a place of constant threats from the outside. A great fortified city was of importance to the many kingdoms of the world. For Israel, though, God was at the center of their power. God defended them, kept their walls secure. Within those towers and ramparts the psalmist felt safe and secure, trusting in God’s presence.

In your world today, where do you feel safe and secure? For many of us, our home is one place of refuge and rest. It is a place we feel protected, a place we can trust. For many, God’s presence is felt in the sacred spaces – sanctuaries, chapels, cathedrals. There we feel safe, secure, loved. Yet God is not limited to these structures either. So, in your world, where else do you sense God’s presence? For me, I sense God’s presence out in the wilderness, where his glory is often on full display. There I sense God’s greatness and am drawn into praise. Wherever we encounter God, may we join the psalmist in declaring, “This God is our God forever and ever”. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Living God, you are present in so many ways. Your strength and care and protection surround me. In you I am loved. Be with me always, O Lord. Amen.


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A New Covenant

Reading: Jeremiah 31: 31-34

Verse 33: “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people”.

Photo credit: Kelly Sikkema

In Jeremiah 31 we see that God is a covenant God. Our passage opens with God promising a new covenant. In verse 31 we read, “The time is coming…” The Lord then references the last covenant – the one given as God led them out of slavery in Egypt. Here the covenant relationship takes on the husband-wife analogy. God led the Israelites to freedom as a husband would lead his wife, gently taking her by the hand and walking with her. During the time in the wilderness God was a constant companion to the Israelites. God guided and protected and provided for Israel. Despite this intimate and personal relationship, Israel wandered soon thereafter. They worshiped other gods, forgetting all that God had done for them.

Instead of breaking the relationship and moving on from Israel, God declares that he will make a new covenant, a better covenant. Instead of writing the covenant on stone tablets, God declares, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people”. The covenant will shift from external to internal. God’s ways will be in our mind and on our heart. The new covenant will be mediated through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will internalize God’s ways in heart and mind and soul.

Even with such an extraordinary gift, we too can become like the Israelites at times. We forget our true love and chase after the gods and idols of this world. We allow other things to supplant our primary relationship with God. Yet our covenant God remains, continuing to say ‘I love you’ over and over. Instead of allowing the distance that we create to define the relationship, God pursues us, draws us back into relationship. No matter our response, God still says, ‘I love you’. God remains our God. We are his people. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Covenant God, you love me far beyond what I can even begin to comprehend. Your love goes on and on and on. My love for you is fragile, tenuous, limited. Yet you love me without reserve, without condition. What a wonderful example you give me to follow. Lead me in your love, O God. Amen.


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The Wilderness

Reading: Psalm 107: 1-3

Verse 1: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”.

Psalm 107 is a Psalm that reminds us of God’s faithful love. It is a song of thanksgiving to the God that never abandons or leaves his people. The Israelites and individuals within the faith community have experienced this faithful love. The nation has experienced exile, slavery, and times of oppression and conflict with those living around them. Individuals like Joseph, David, Samuel, and Job have had their own wilderness experiences. Each time that the community has found themselves in the wilderness, whatever that may be, God has remained present and connected to his people. At times the connection was to a small remnant, but God was always faithful. Experiencing this over and over has led them to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”.

As we experience life we also find ourselves in the wilderness from time to time. We find ourselves there in many ways. Loss and grief can lead us into the wilderness. Moving, job loss, and other forms of unwanted change can lead us to this place. Sudden bouts of physical or mental illness can take us to the place of isolation and fear. Yes, there are many ways that we can find ourselves in the wilderness. If we choose to remain connected to God, then we experience what the psalmist and the Israelites experienced. God remains present. God sustains us. God’s faithful love endures the trials with us. From these experiences we too can proclaim: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, your love is grander than the mountains and deeper than the ocean’s depths. Your faithfulness stretches past the furthest star. I am but a tiny speck in the cosmos, but you love me as if I were the only speck. Thank you, God. Amen.