“You are not to do as we are doing here today; everyone is doing whatever seems right in his own sight.” – Deuteronomy 12:8

It seems we’ve come full circle! What was true of the ancient Israelites then is true for so many of us today. We like to be the judge and arbiter of our own actions, choices, rationalizations, and preferences. We deny that there is a God who sovereignly set the design and standard for human life and flourishing. Therefore we find ourselves in mess after mess, descending into ever greater ugliness, doing whatever seems right in our own opinion, and celebrating it!

That doesn’t work. It’s never worked. It might seem fun for awhile, but there’s always a reckoning. God is the author of creation and He sets the standard. We’ve all rebelled against that standard and that rebellion is called sin. Sin separates us from our Creator, for in His holiness, goodness, and justice, He does not permit sin into His presence.

However, in His love, mercy, and grace, God provided a way for us to be restored to Him despite our love for doing whatever seems right in our own sight. God sent His Son Jesus into this world to live the perfect life of obedience we can’t. In the final week of His earthly ministry, Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, was betrayed and arrested on Maundy Thursday, was tortured and killed for our sins on Good Friday, and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Jesus rose victorious over sin and death and all who believe in Him will likewise be victorious over these ancient enemies.

That’s what we celebrate this week – the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross that reconciles rebellious and sinful mankind to our loving Father by grace through faith alone:

– For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)

– For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)

– But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)

– Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.”
– Psalm 42:11

It’s understandable to feel turmoil, discouragement, and despair during this season we’re experiencing as a world. But there is hope, and it isn’t in the form of a cure or a vaccine! The solution for these feelings that threaten to overwhelm us isn’t to wait for better news. Rather, it’s to anchor our hope in God. When we’re downcast, deeply unsettled, and overwhelmed we must draw near to God, rather than looking within ourselves or out to the world for the answer. Only God provides ultimate and lasting soothing and healing for our troubled spirits. Everything else, both inside and out, is but an illusion or short-term fix (often with long-term consequences).

Draw near to God when you’re troubled: drop everything and read His Word, reflect on it, pray through it, speak to the Lord honestly and often, give voice to everything good and bad racing through your mind. Praise Him for what He’s done in the past in your life, in the world, through His Son Jesus. Trust that He is working in the present even if you can’t see it. Lean on Him for He is very present with you through Christ even if you can’t feel it. Love Him, serve Him, share Him. Take heart in His love and care for you. Embrace His purpose for your life. Seek friendship and regular encouragement from others who love Him. Trade your anxieties for supernatural peace that transcends human understanding (Philippians 4:6-7[PP1] ).

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 [PP1]

“When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in, and your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold multiply, and everything else you have increases, be careful that your heart doesn’t become proud and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” – Deuteronomy 8:12-14

Prosperity and comfort have always been the greatest threats to our faith. When life is good and money is flowing we fool ourselves into thinking it’s because of our brilliance and hard work. We quickly forget the true source of our blessings. When we’re comfortable and the news is always good (at least for us), we forget the difficult times of the past and God’s faithfulness in those times. We’re easily blinded to how precarious our situation in this world is, how brief and small earthly life is in the scheme of eternity, and how necessary it is to walk with God every day.

This warning to the Israelites 3400 years ago might as well have been written to us today! We are a people who in our extreme prosperity and comfort forgot the difficulties of the past and we blind to the suffering of others, thinking it all to be some fascinating relic of a different generation or a far-off land. In the process, we forgot God Who has long been faithful. Now we’re experiencing a very stark reminder of just how precarious and unpredictable life can be and how fleeting is our comfort and control.

During this difficult season, may we all remember the Lord and humble ourselves before Him. May we recognize that He was always the source of our blessings and prosperity, that He called us to use them well for His glory, and that all too often we failed and fell short of that expectation. May we humbly seek His forgiveness in Christ and be faithful in sharing the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, for it is Christ who brings us out of slavery to death, the very enemy that so many are suddenly quite afraid of!

“Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;”
– Psalm 41:1

God has a great heart and love for the poor. He has always called His people to be generous and caring for those in financial need. We are the means He has given to care for the financially vulnerable.

This is particularly true during this current season of suffering. In the past two weeks alone, 10 million people have filed initial claims for unemployment in the U.S. Yes, there are government benefits and stimulus coming. No doubt they will be helpful. Ultimately they will be insufficient to deal with the short-to-medium term financial pain that is likely to be experienced by millions. It simply isn’t sufficient for followers of Christ to point to the government and say, “They’ve got it covered.” We’re called to be sacrificially generous to those in need.

If you’re financial situation is comparatively secure: your job continues and your income remains relatively steady then be generous to a much greater degree than ever before! Give to organizations in your community operating food pantries and providing services and care to the financially vulnerable. Check in with your typical service providers who are no longer able to work and pay them for services they can’t currently provide anyway. Support local restaurants you care about to the extent that you can. And tip your food and product deliveries generously!

Be intentional, thoughtful, and creative in loving your neighbor if God has blessed you with the means to do so!

“As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’” – Luke 9:34-35

As the cloud presence of God, so familiar from the Old Testament, envelops Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John, God the Father speaks. As He did as His baptism, God affirms Jesus as His Son, the Messiah, chosen to bring redemption to the world. He tells the confused and overwhelmed disciples simply to listen to Jesus.

It would be easy to just read that as a generic affirmation of listening to anything Jesus said, and there is truth to that. But we must also read carefully in context. At that time, Jesus was specifically emphasizing two crucial topics they (and we) need to listen to:

1. The necessity of His own death and resurrection. We must listen, understand, and never lose sight of the centrality of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Every aspect of our faith is built on this. His sacrifice was necessary to pay the penalty for our sins. It was necessary to crush the power of sin and death, so that all who put their faith in Him, turning from their sinful ways, will likewise rise from the dead. It was necessary to reconcile sinful man to our holy God. This is the central pivot point of all history, as the Kingdom of God was inaugurated in the power of Christ’s resurrection.

2. The significant cost of following Jesus. Followers of Jesus, both then and now, consistently misunderstand the cost of following Jesus. As incredible as the benefits of the Gospel are for us, following Jesus is not a matter of convenience and comfort. It is a call to ongoing, daily sacrifice to serve and obey Him. It is glorious and delightful, filled with rich significance as we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. However, it is also a call to reject the natural self-centeredness of life we love and replace every aspect of it with a Christ-centeredness that calls us out of the comfortable and the familiar and into devoted and delighted sacrifice, suffering, and persecution.

This is Jesus, the Son of God. Listen to Him!!!