Gene-ahhhhh-logies...

Most people would agree that reading biblical genealogies is about as much fun as watching paint dry… So and so begot such and such, and such and such begot so and so, and on and on. With this being said, I recently accepted the invitation to write notes on 1 Chronicles for our church devotionals. The prospect of writing on this book excited me. My initial thoughts of studying 1 Chronicles could be compared to the feelings another might get from reading Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia. Here is a book about Israel; a Hobbitish nation surrounded by many other great nations who sought to destroy her. It is a book about kings and wars, battles for the throne, good verses evil. Why wouldn’t I want to dedicate the next few months of my life to the study of this book? There was only one catch to this challenge and that was the mountain of genealogies I would have to sort through in order to get to the action. The past five chapters have continued mercilessly with no end in sight. At times, I have found myself wondering what I got myself into. Yesterday, I actually found it exciting to read that Bithiah a daughter of Pharaoh was listed in the families of Israel. This was the most interesting thing I had read in days!

Today as I sat down and read through chapter 5, I was more unmotivated then ever before. I tried to convince myself that I was almost through with all this genealogy business; then I foolishly made the mistake of peaking ahead. I was shocked to find that these lists continued on until the end of chapter 10! This caused me to wonder when I last prayed for patience. Then I came across an interesting verse embedded in all of the “begots.” The author records that the sons of Reuben (who was one of the 12 sons of Israel), the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh made war with the Hagrites. It was then recorded that the Hagrites where delivered into the hands of these Israelites because the Israelites cried out to God in the battle and that, “He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him” (verse 20). This hit the spot like a cup of hot cider on a cold day. Even in the Old Testament, deep within a long genealogy, is the only thing we really need to know and understand about God’s will for our life. My thoughts were flooded with the message of the book of Hebrews, that “by faith” we are to live and walk out our Christian life. Faith is the key to a victorious life. It is the banner of the Church. I think this verse hit the spot because I have the tendency to get lost in the depths of Christianity. There is so much mystery and romance to our belief that it is easy to get distracted from a simple faith and trust in God. It is easy to say we believe in Him and then go on to worry about all of our needs and wants in life. This verse has reminded me that the battle belongs to the Lord. That if I am going to fight, it needs to be on my knees in prayer. It is amazing how the whole Bible directs us in this way, even an oft ignored genealogy in Chronicles, and yet we fail to see it. Hopefully it’s a truth that will be seen clearly in my life too.

Broken for a Purpose

This past summer, my wife and I drove to a remote ghost town in Idaho called Silver City. The town’s newest building was over a hundred years old and it showed. We went to this city to go horseback riding in the mountains where history was literally scattered along the trails. As we rode through the rugged terrain we could see old mineshafts, mining carts, and the field where the miners of Silver City played baseball with those of another city that has since burned down.

I was riding “Hollywood” an old, slow horse that had to stop and rest every fifteen minutes or so. On the other hand, my wife’s horse was groomed to be a leader and every time I rode up beside her our horses would quickly work out the pecking order and I would soon be following from close behind. Still, I was amazed by how well these horses handled the trails while carrying us humans on their back.

I can think of no animal God has used more to demonstrate his will for my life then these great creatures. It is powerful to think of how one of these wild beasts can be broken and molded into a strong and useful servant. How Hollywood would quietly and confidently go wherever I asked him to go. Sometimes I think we hesitate to view our relationship with God in the same manor a horse comes to view its trainer. We would prefer to have no one telling us what to do and where to go. Still, I have become convinced that if we understood what God is trying to accomplish in our life, we would resist Him less then we usually do. But then I wonder how a horse views the breaking process when it is not told why it is being broken. It only finds its purpose and praise when it learns to be obedient to its master. I can’t help but wonder if this is what God has been trying to get through to us. If so, how great will the result be if the people of God let go of all their selfish ambitions and truly offer up their lives to the Lord? I don’t know if secular society would be prepared to handle such a powerful display.

There is not doubt that all of these thoughts start with me. I have an obstinate heart much of the time. I don’t listen or talk to God as much as I ought to and I sometimes think I can earn His approval by my good works. Rather then submit to His guidance, I try to spearhead my own redemption and do things on my own. Even as I sit here and ponder these thoughts, I feel a compelling to drop to my knees. May God have His way in me and in us all. Amen.

Fragility of Life

If I were to tell you that this year my wife and I were hit head-on by a drunk driver while driving down a road, that I had mono for several months and couldn’t get out of bed, and that after all this, my wife and I were run off the freeway by a Semi causing us to roll several times, you would probably think this was an unlucky year. I was told by the Life Flight crew as they flew me to the hospital that I shouldn’t be alive. I knew God had chosen to spare me. The one thing I took away from all this chaos is that life is so very fragile. We are not promised this day, but only this very moment in which we are currently living and breathing, and even this can be demanded from us in the next moment. As a Christian, this reality doesn’t freak me out. I have greater hopes then earthly success. Still, this morning as I sat down at my desk and began sipping my coffee and looking at the snow covered pasture out of my window, I realized something amazing. You see, this year my wife also got pregnant and is carrying our baby. We are nearly 15-weeks along. I was just thinking that after all we have been through, and after realizing how fragile life really is, God chose to give us a life rather then take one away. We will be welcoming a new member into our family, and that child is literally our own flesh and blood. I don’t totally understand the miracle of life, but I bow in reverence at the Giver of life.