Knowledge isnat everything. Love matters, too! So smart people who donat love have a lot to learn. Theyare not as smart as they thought!
April 29
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 9:1-14
Rights and Wrongs
Just as farm workers who plow fields and thresh the grain expect a share of the harvest, Christian workers should be paid by those they serve. . . . Yet we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than put an obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ.
1 Corinthians 9:10, 12
The more civilized a country becomes, the more civil its people tend to be. The more a culture acknowledges the significance of the individual, the more its people recognize the need to treat other people well. But because human beings have a great capacity for behaving badly, they do not always treat each other civilly. So the government steps in and begins to legislate behavior, predicated on real or perceived human and civil rights. Then individuals and businesses take great care not to transgress the law, because failure to observe such legislation can lead to severe penalties.
In the first century, there apparently was no legislation protecting the civil rights of preachers! Not that they did not have rights. They did, as much as anyone else. It was just that no one had gone to the trouble of protecting them from potential abuse. This meant that preachers could be wrongeda"the question was, aHow should they respond?a Paul spoke quite bluntly to the Corinthians on this subject of preachersa rights. What he had to say should be required reading for all church leaders! While some of the congregation were questioning his credentials and capabilities, there was no real questioning that he was a bona fide apostle. Even those who were not inclined to acknowledge this could not deny that the only reason they had come to faith was that Paul had exercised an apostolic ministry in their midst. aThis is my answer to those who question my authority as an apostle,a he said (1 Cor. 9:3).
Paul then asked the Corinthian church if he and the other apostles did not have certain basic rights, such as proper support, encouragement, and remuneration for their work. He cited the facts that soldiers donat pay their own way, that farmers get to eat some of their crops, and that shepherds drink milk from their flocks. So was it not obvious that a preacher should be cared for adequately by the congregations who benefited from his ministry? Should there be any doubt in the congregationas mind on the subject, Paul reminded them, aDoesnat G.o.das law say the same thing?a (9:8-9). His conclusion was, aChristian workers should be paid by those they servea (9:10). Christian workers have their rights!
But significantly, Paul then added, aWe have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than put an obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christa (9:12). Paul believed it was wrong to deny rights, but that it was right to carry on when wronged. Right on, Paul!
April 30
TO READ: Psalm 25
All Day Long
Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the G.o.d who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.
Psalm 25:5
Some people are morning people. They awake refreshed, renewed, and ready to meet the day, but by evening, the enthusiasm and energy begin to wear down. Others take a little longer to get going, but when the rest of their family and friends are ready to call it a day, they are hitting their stride, eager for more. But both kinds of people have to make it through the daya"and do it well. The middle of the day can be the hardest time for both.
Among the early risers are those who have developed the discipline of a quiet time of devotional reading, meditation, and prayer before they face the challenges of the day. There is much to commend this approacha"but not if you already have difficulty getting out of bed in time for work! The evening people can just as easily reserve time during the lunch hour or before they retire for the night to engage in specific spiritual exercises.
George Herbert, the sixteenth-century Anglican pastor and poet, gave some of the best advice. He wrote, Sum up at night what thou hast done by day.
And in the morning what thou hast to do, Dress and undress thy soul.21 The idea of dressing and undressing the soul, just as we dress and undress the body, has special appeal because it points to the fact that the whole day needs to be lived in the light and power of our relationship with the Lord. This requires both preparation and evaluation. The day will present many and varied challenges and opportunities for which we need to be prepared and about which we need to be concerned.
Perhaps David said it besta"aAll day long I put my hope in youa (Ps. 25:5). He stated no preference for morning devotion or evening reflection, but his commitment to daily communion with the Lord and concentration on him probably required both.
Spiritual preparation and evaluation should make spiritual concentration easier during the day. Spiritual concentration is a matter of putting our trust in the Lord aall day long.a Should it be objected that the busy surgeon canat be thinking of the Lord when he is taking out a tumor or that a truck driver canat be praying when heas driving a huge eighteen-wheeler down the freeway at sixty-five miles per hour, the objection would, of course, stand. However, it is possible to have an awareness of the Lord, and an inner sense of reliance on him, while doing these tasks.
If all men, including truck drivers and surgeons, start their day with a conscious waiting on the Lord, and they bear in mind that they will talk with the Lord about it at dayas end, they will be aware of living before the Lord aall day long.a Should crisis. .h.i.t, their instincts will turn them promptly to the Lord. And at the end of the day, when the patient is sewn up or the truck is parked, theyall hear the Lord saying, aWell done.a
May 1
TO READ: Genesis 37:1-36
Emotions
Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gifta"a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because of their fatheras partiality. They couldnat say a kind word to him.
Genesis 37:3-4
Of all the emotions, love is the greatest; but there is a dark side to love. Misdirected or misapplied, love can lead to the ugliness of jealousy, the heat of rage, or the cold relentlessness of hatred.
Jacob is a case in point. He aloved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old agea (Gen. 37:3). As an expression of his love, Jacob gave Joseph aa special gifta"a beautiful robe.a The reaction of the other brothers was as predictable as it was despicable. They ahated Joseph because of their fatheras partiality. They couldnat say a kind word to hima (37:4).
If his brothers had simply ostracized him, Joseph could probably have borne the brotherly hostility, and no further harm would have been done, but unrestrained emotions do not remain static. So when the brothers saw their chance to get rid of Joseph, they decided to take it. They said, aCome on, letas kill him and throw him into a deep pita (37:19-20). What they didnat realize was how deep the pit they were digging for themselves was.
Reubenas secret plan to rescue his brother required the brothers to buy into his fatuous argument: aWhy should we shed his blood? Letas just throw him alive into this pit here. That way he will die without our having to touch hima (37:22). In essence, the argument, which they warmly embraced, was, aLetas not kill him, letas leave him to die! That way we wonat be guilty of killing himaa"even though they would be guilty of callously, intentionally letting him die. When hatred takes over, clear thinking checks out. Callousness was clearly part of their hatred, because after depositing Joseph in his intended agrave,a they went on with their lives unperturbed, even asitting down to eata (37:25).
Judah, meanwhile, was being slightly troubled by his conscience. aWhat can we gain by killing our brother? That would just give us a guilty conscience. Letas sell Josepha (37:27). So now, instead of avoiding killing him by allowing him to die, they would banish him to oblivion, to die out of sight and out of mind. And they would be guilty of nothing. Hardly! Because now they trumped up a story of Josephas death by wild animal attack. Then they told their father, who amourned deeply for his son,a while the afamily tried to comfort him, but it was no usea (37:34-35). Comfort born of hypocrisy doesnat comfort.
Hatred masquerading as anything but hatred only digs pits for the hated and the haters. Hatred is the pits.
May 2
TO READ: Genesis 40:1-23
G.o.das Business
They replied, aWe both had dreams last night, but there is no one here to tell us what they mean.a aInterpreting dreams is G.o.das business,a Joseph replied. aTell me what you saw.a Genesis 40:8
As Sigmund Freud, the Viennese doctor, listened to his patients, he became increasingly interested in the phenomena of dreams. Eventually, he wrote his book The Interpretation of Dreams. Freudas findings were both fascinating and controversial. To this day, he has both admirers and detractors.
Joseph, too, was involved with people who recounted their dreams to him. While he never wrote a book about it (so far as we know), he did make a strong statement about the interpretation of dreams. aInterpreting dreams is G.o.das business,a he told two of his fellow prisoners. aTell me what you sawa (Gen 40:8). Freud would certainly have said, aTell me what you saw,a but he would have scoffed at any suggestion that G.o.d should be involved in the inner workings of a manas life.
The difference of outlook between a Freud and a Joseph could not be more basic or far-reaching. It highlights the age-old question about whether or not G.o.d is actively involved in peopleas lives, about whether or not G.o.d is in business in the world today. Freud was an atheist, so he did not bother his mind with the question of G.o.das involvement in the world. He had already decided that, since G.o.d does not exist, there could be no thought of his involvement. But many men who are not at all atheistic in their outlook doubt whether G.o.d communicates with men today. They do not question his existence, but they are dubious about his involvementa"and, accordingly, about his relevance.
When Potipharas wife tried to seduce Joseph, his response was aIt would be a great sin against G.o.da (39:9). When he was confronted with interpreting Pharaohas dreams, he said, aIt is beyond my power to do this . . . but G.o.d will tell youa (41:16). Later, looking back over his life, Joseph said, aG.o.d has made me forget all my troubles,a and, aG.o.d has made me fruitful in this land of my sufferinga (41:51-52). And when he finally confronted his brothers and talked about their treatment of him, he told them, aIt was G.o.d who sent me here, not you!a (45:8). Joseph knew that his life was G.o.das business.
The loving, faithful G.o.d is actively involved in a manas daily affairs. But the man who lives his life without consciously knowing this must endeavor to find alternative ways of making peace with lifeas eventualities. Blind fate and dumb luck come to mind as possible salves for the mind. But it is better by far to trust the Lord of the universe, who sets up shop in menas lives on a daily basis. And there he works his wonders.
May 3
TO READ: Genesis 41:1-40
But G.o.d . . .
aI had a dream last night,a Pharaoh told him, aand none of these men can tell me what it means. But I have heard that you can interpret dreams, and that is why I have called for you.a aIt is beyond my power to do this,a Joseph replied. aBut G.o.d will tell you what it means and will set you at ease.a Genesis 41:15-16
Some of the longest words in the English language mean very little to modern men, while some of the shortest are packed with significance. For instance, there was a time when adisestablishmentarianisma was a word of greatest importance in church affairs, but it has since faded into obscurity. But the word but is still very much in vogue! Technically, but is an adversative. It introduces something different, it poses a different point of view, it offers a contrast. But can introduce right as opposed to wrong, good as opposed to evil, truth in opposition to error. That is why but is such a significant worda"life is full of contrasts, differences, and differing points of view. Contrastsa"between truth and error, good and evil, right and wronga"highlight the differences.
Joseph was confronted with the task of interpreting Pharaohas dreams. On being told of Pharaohas expectations of him, he was quick to point out that he was unable to do what was expected of him since he was not an expert in the interpretation of dreams. aBut G.o.d will tell you . . . and will set you at ease,a he added (Gen. 41:16).
If but is a big word, aBut G.o.da is an immense statement. In this instance it pointed out the difference between human and divine capabilities. Where human effort and skill fell short, G.o.das abilities shone through. Where the inadequacy of men was apparent, the superlative adequacy of G.o.d came into the fore.
Joseph was supremely confident of this. Many men come to the end of their resources and give up. They see no hope of a solution to their problems and no alternatives to their despair and discouragement. But G.o.d makes all the difference. The believing man knows better than to give up when he reaches the end of himself. He is aware not only of his own inadequacies, but also of G.o.das presence, wisdom, power, and grace. He knows that he cannot, but G.o.d can!
It is perfectly possible to believe in G.o.das presence in daily life without crossing over the but G.o.d bridge from despair to confidence. There is a difference between believing that G.o.d is able to act and trusting that G.o.d will be active.
What set Joseph apart was the blend of a total lack of self-confidence but a complete G.o.d-confidence. He had a sure and certain trust in G.o.d, but not in himself. The Egyptian Pharaoh knew an extraordinary man when he saw one. And thereas nothing more extraordinary than a man who knows his limits and the limitless G.o.d and blends the two together. That man, like Joseph, uses the small-immense term, aBut G.o.d.a Man cannot, but G.o.d cana"and will!
May 4
TO READ: Genesis 41:25-40
Forewarned, Forearmed
aThis will happen just as I have described it, for G.o.d has shown you what he is about to do.a Genesis 41:28
When the annual hurricane season comes to the United States, the National Weather Service forecasters watch the developing systems carefully so that the coastal inhabitants of the southeastern states know what to expect. Over the years, more and more people have begun taking these forecasts seriously. This was not always the case. There have always been those who ignore warnings to evacuate areas p.r.o.ne to serious flooding or other natural disasters. In some instances they have paid for their folly with their lives. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, but the forearming is not automatic. Responsible action is required. Beforehand!
Josephas interpretation of Pharaohas dreams points out this truth very clearly. He told the ruler, aG.o.d has shown you what he is about to doa (Gen. 41:28). Then, after giving graphic details of the enormity of the impending problem, Joseph added, aMy suggestion is that you find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of a nationwide programa (41:33). First, there was the declarative statement concerning G.o.das intentions. Then came the suggestion about appropriate action. Joseph also told Pharaoh what would happen if he followed through on the suggestions: aThere will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come. Otherwise disaster will surely strike the land, and all the people will diea (41:36). The options were abundantly clear; the choices were unmistakably spelled out.
Pharaoh was forewarned, but would he forearm himself? The record shows that he did, and that he chose Joseph, athe wisest man in Egypt,a to head up the program!
One of the greatest mysteries of the relationship between G.o.d and humans is the matter of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Scripture is full of references to G.o.d ruling supremely in the affairs of men, demonstrating unambiguously that he is truly the sovereign Lord. Yet at the same time, G.o.d instructs men how to respond to what he says, and he expects them to do so with glad obedience and joyful trust. And their actions are important and significant. Attempts to harmonize these aspects of G.o.das revealed truth often prove notoriously difficult.
G.o.d is going to do what he says he is going to do. As G.o.d, he is perfectly free to do it. And he lets people know, hoping they will take the necessary action to be prepared.
Even when the intricacies of philosophical and theological debate lead to unanswerable questions, simple faith that G.o.d is as good as his word is possible. And wise, responsible, prompt responses are eminently practical! This does not mean that we should ignore the perplexing questions, but it does mean we should not spend time debating when the time for action is at handa"any more than an approaching hurricane heralds the occasion for a thorough debate on the accuracy of weather forecastersa predictions!
May 5
TO READ: Genesis 42:1-38
G.o.d and Guilt
Speaking among themselves, they said, aThis has all happened because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his terror and anguish and heard his pleadings, but we wouldnat listen. Thatas why this trouble has come upon us.a Genesis 42:21