The day Job lost his 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels and 500 oxen and 500 donkeys and all but three of his servants and all seven of his children, he “tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’”¹ Hmm. I think the only reason Job was able to say this was that he had the proper perspective of the good things in his life: 1) he knew the good things/people in his life were not really his, and therefore 2) he held on to them loosely, and most importantly 3) he had settled this in his heart long before that catastrophic day.

What a great way—and the proper way—to live. Let’s take a look at Job’s philosophy.

• “The Lord gave.” This is where we must begin. The good things in our lives are gifts—we have not earned them; we do not necessarily deserve them; we do not own them but are managers of them. James tells us that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”² Why is it so important to view the goodness in our lives as gifts? Because a “good gift,” “every perfect gift” is one that is thoughtful. It has been given to us with us in mind. We not only love those kinds of gifts, we cherish them. And they give us great pleasure and they have a specific purpose designed for us specifically, which is why they are the “perfect gift.” Job loved his life. He loved his work and was very good at it for he “was the greatest of all the people of the east.”³ And he loved his children and “would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all”⁴ in case they had “sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did continually.”⁴ But he knew all these things were gifts from God and not his own.
• “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return.’” This is where we must settle. The gifts in our lives are temporary. They come and they go. Which is why we must hold on loosely to them, but don’t let go. If we cling too tightly we’re gonna’ lose control (as the song by 38 Special warns)! Why would that happen? It seems the tighter we cling the more likely we would be in control. But this is not true. For the writer of Hebrews tells us that we are to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely.”⁵ Because when we cling too tightly, the good thing we have been given becomes a “weight,” which will slow us down as we try to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”⁵  We must loosen the grip from our good gifts and be willing to let them go when it is time, understanding they were never ours to begin with but only gifts that we were to manage properly while they were under our charge.
• “And the Lord takes away.” This is where we rest. We must let God be God. When we question his actions, we question his omniscience—his power to know what is best. And this understanding must be resolute in our hearts before the storms in our lives come. For if these things are not settled, then we will be tossed around by those storms “for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”⁶ The storm is not the time to question God’s omniscience or omnipotence because we cannot think clearly but are simply trying to survive. Instead, we must settle these things in our hearts before the storms and then when they come, we can rest in the knowledge that “the Lord himself goes before us and will be with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.”⁷ And since we are firmly planted in that knowledge, we can heed his advice: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”⁷

And that, my friends, is how to not only live our daily lives but weather the storms when they come. And what a relief—to truly know that whatever happens, God is in charge and he loves us with an unending love. When we look upon our good things as gifts from our God who knows what we need and hold on to them loosely, then we can join Job in saying, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

¹Job 1:20-21   ²James 1:17   ³Job 1:3   ⁴Job 1:5   ⁵Hebrews 12:1   ⁶James 1:6   ⁷Deuteronomy 31:8   

According to the Pew Research Center, only one in ten Americans say they don’t believe in God or a higher power of any kind. That means that 90% of Americans believe in some sort of God. So, my question for all these believers is what exactly do they believe about God? Perhaps they believe in a TV god. Like the Blue Bloods god.

For seven seasons the family on the TV series Blue Bloods recited this prayer before they had their Sunday dinner: Bless us, O Lord, and these our gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen. It’s a common Catholic prayer.

It’s a good prayer. The Catholics have a lot of good prayers written out for people to recite at certain times. There’s nothing wrong with that. My grandfather used to pray the same prayer at every dinner I ever attended. It was a beautiful short prayer. But there’s something wrong with the Reagan’s prayer, and that’s this: The prayer is nothing more than a ritual, a family tradition. And the rule is that they cannot eat the meal until grace is said and they cannot say grace until everyone is present. And they all stubbornly agree that this is the way it should be and feel really good about saying that prayer. And to watch it on TV, we feel good, too. It’s a nice moment. But then they go about their lives as if there is no god. There is nothing spiritual or even the least bit “religious” about the life of the Reagans.

There were a couple of episodes where Danny, (Donnie Wahlberg) the detective son of Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) encountered people who had conversations with God, and Danny’s response was that they must be crazy if they were conversing with God. And most “religious” characters on the show are the fanatical ones who hurt people because God told them to do so. Or they are the swindlers who are leading people in the name of God but who are actually just power hungry con men.

So, Danny says grace before his Sunday meal but doesn’t ever speak to God himself or believe God speaks to people. And Frank Reagan has a friendship with his priest who occasionally has a part in the series. The writers of the show make us feel really good about Frank who has a religious friend and sometimes they have conversations about religious things but Frank’s life reflects no god at all.

My grandfather, who said the same prayer before every Sunday dinner, on the other hand, was a godly man. As a kid I was intrigued by his Bible that was well-worn with notes and pen marks and pages that were falling apart. He studied his Bible and served as a deacon in his little country church for 60 years. He had daily conversations with God.

Interestingly enough, the act of saying grace at the Reagan Sunday lunch disappeared at the beginning of season 8.  Why? Well, Danny’s wife is killed. According to the writers of the show it made no sense to thank God for his “bounty” anymore. Obviously, the Reagans, educated and good people that they were, should not include or acknowledge the kind of God who would allow Linda to be senselessly killed.  So, God was written out of the series.

Now I know that Blue Bloods is just a show. And it’s a good show.  But I think the scene of saying grace at the Reagan table depicts the “faith life” of many Americans.

Which reminds me of those haunting words that Jesus shared with the people who had gathered to hear the great sermon on the mount. Jesus told them: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’”²

Ironically, the Reagan family, who are all hard workers and good people who pride themselves in doing good and mighty works, who honor the law, who have dedicated their lives to observing the law and enforcing the law will hear these harsh words:  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”³

And so these law-abiding folks (the Reagans and the Pharisees)  are referred to as “workers of lawlessness!” Therefore, the question we need to be asking is not Do we obey the law? but Do we obey God? However, the most important question to be asking is Do we know God? 

¹Matthew 7:24   ²Matthew 7:21-22   ³Matthew 7:23

Though we should try to protect ourselves from storms, nothing prevents them from coming, does it? They reach us regardless of whether we prepared for them or not.

Jesus talked about the storms in one of his sermons. He said, “Everyone then who listens to these words and does them will be like a wise man who builds his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”¹  Of course, Jesus is speaking metaphorically here. Truth is, sometimes houses fall during bad storms—even well-built houses. And trees—oh, my goodness, the trees—they are uprooted and thrown around during storms, especially category 4 storms, which we have learned are so powerful!

Therefore, as we pick up the pieces from Hurricane Helene and try to return to “normal life,” let’s ask ourselves a few questions about Jesus’ analogy. The “house” is our lives and the “rock” is Jesus. And the rain and the floods and the winds represent the injurious and destructive struggles of life—as well as real hurricanes! This storm that Jesus describes is not a gentle shower but the kind that knocks us over from the force of it. How, then, do we protect ourselves?

We must first assume that those do not listen to Jesus’ words are not protected from the storm at all, leaving themselves quite vulnerable to its annihilating power. But take heed—merely listening to Jesus’ words does not protect us either! Nope. For Jesus was very clear here. He did not say that everyone who listens to his words would not fall. Which means that those who listen to sermons (those who go to church, for example) are not protected from the storms, and it is likely that their houses (their lives) will fall apart during the force of it. And those who religiously read their Bibles are not protected from their houses (their lives) falling apart due to the storm either. Therefore, hearing about Jesus and reading about Jesus—although good things to do—do not protect us during the storms.

So what does? “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and does them . . .” That’s the secret. Everyone who practices what they hear, who are not just believers in Jesus but who actually are followers of Jesus. Okay. But there’s one more thing we need to ask: what are “these words” of Jesus that we need to practice? They begin in Matthew 5 and end in Matthew 7 with those challenging words about the storm.

“These words” are too complex to summarize but to give you a hint, Jesus begins by saying that if we practice his way of living, we will be “blessed” (happy and content) when we are needy and sad and gentle and humble. We will be “blessed” (happy and content) as we yearn for justice in the world and give mercy to others (even when they don’t deserve it—which is the definition of mercy!). We will be “blessed” (happy and content) when we strive to be pure and look for ways to bring peace in our communities. And he concludes his opening remarks by saying we will be “blessed” (happy and content) when people persecute and insult us.

And that’s just the first eleven verses. (There are 109 verses in this sermon!)

Therefore, we must conclude that following Jesus is not easy. But pay attention here! What Jesus is sharing with us is how to be content and even happy no matter how stormy it gets!  This is life-changing news! How is this possible? He laid it all out for us from the beginnings of his ministry. He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”²  And then he said, “Follow me.”³ And as people began to follow, Jesus constantly reminded them to have faith in God and not be afraid.

The conclusion of the matter? Storms will cause damage regardless of how protected we are. But listening to Jesus and practicing his words will give us his strength to remain happy and content (“blessed”) even as we lament over our losses. How? Because our lives have “been founded on the rock.” Our foundation is secure.

We need not be surprised about the storms that come. Jesus warned us, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”² How does that help us? If we trust in Jesus, he gives us his strength to “overcome (to conquer, to defeat, and to stand up against) the world.” But how strong can we be, really? It all depends on how much we practice what Jesus preaches. And if we do that, we “will be like a wise man” and survive the storms! 

¹Matthew 7:24-27   ²Matthew 4:17   ³Matthew 4:19   ⁴John 16:33

Here is a most popular verse that we love to quote: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”¹ So, the question for us is do we know that? Do we believe that all the things in our lives are purposeful? Because if we know that about God and believe that about all things, it will change how we think, how we behave, and how we hope for our future. To put it succinctly: Do we believe that 1) God planned things out and 2) things are going according to his plan? And if that is true, then how does our behavior and our plans play into his plan?

Most of the world believes they are not only free to do whatever they want, they should do whatever they want, and if they are good people, then good things will happen and their dreams will come true. It’s the Disney way. At the end of the great movie Back to the Future III, Doc Brown tells Marty McFly, “Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.” If this is true, then either God does not have a plan or we have the ability to override God’s plan. And our future is completely determined by our own choices!  Which is a bit scary when you think about it because we make bad choices a lot.

So we have two views: the one view says, the future has been written already because God has already planned it out and it does not matter what we do. And the other view is that nothing has been written and we write our own plan and have the freedom to do whatever we wish.

So, which is it? The Bible says both of those views are wrong, and both of those views are right! And the answer to the questions Are we free or Is there a plan is YES! How can this be? Really, how can this not be?  “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”² But let’s study it some more anyway.

We read that “We were predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,”³ and also, “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”⁴

Then in Ephesians chapters 2 and 3, Paul keeps reenforcing that idea of being chosen and of God’s will and his purpose. But in chapters 4-6, Paul talks about us working hard to walk in a manner worthy, to use our gifts, to equip the saints, to grow up in every way in him, to mature, to obey and be strong and put on the armor of God and stand firm and on and on and on. And in all of those things we have choices: do it or not. Grow or don’t. Obey or disobey. Be strong or be weak. But if I am destined to be like Christ, then my choices don’t really matter, right?

But Paul says, yes, we are destined and, yes, what we do matters. We are free and responsible for our actions and there are consequences. But God uses all our free choices, works on them, so that everything that we choose—good or bad—is worked into his plan, his perfect plan. We are free and there is a plan. Paul writes, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”⁵

Only the Christian faith understands that God “works all things according to the counsel of his will.”  And we also know Christ said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”⁶   Therefore, as believers in Christ, we have true freedom but everything that happens to us, as well as the choices we make, are worked out to become part of God’s good purpose and will. We are free to be part of the plan.

¹Romans 8:28   ²Jeremiah 32:17   ³Romans 8:29   ⁴Ephesians 1:4   ⁵Ephesians 1:11   ⁶John 8:36

“There was a man who had two sons.”¹ We know about the younger son—the one who received his inheritance early and left home to spend it all. Let’s call him Simon. The older one—let’s call him Jonah—he knew better. He was willing to wait for his inheritance. Jonah lived at home and worked dutifully for his father. He was working in the field when Simon came home broke and remorseful. Jonah headed for the house and “heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’”²

Jonah stomped away, incensed at his father for throwing a party in honor of his wayward and irresponsible little brother. For months he had watched his father agonize over Simon’s decision. Although the father graciously gave his younger son the money, he suspected Simon would probably not handle the newly acquired wealth with wisdom. The father waited daily for any news from him. But when he did not hear anything, he thought the worst and concluded that Simon might be dead and mourned the loss in his heart. As Jonah watched his father suffer, his anger grew.

When Simon finally showed up, Jonah was furious with him and expected his father to pour out wrath on the boy for his harmful and hurtful actions. But he did not. Instead, he was filled with joy and planned a big celebration for him. Jonah was outraged! The father should have rebuked Simon! This was no occasion to throw a party! Jonah was indignant and could not pretend to be happy over it. “His father came out and entreated him” to join the celebration “but he was angry and refused to go in.”³  And his fury caused him to yell at his father: “Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.”⁴

When Jonah’s father saw Simon and how he had turned from his wayward life, “he had compassion”⁵ on him. “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.”⁶ And Jonah’s father left the party room and asked him, “Have you any right to be angry?”⁷  So instead of celebrating, “Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would”⁸ happen.

Wait a minute! I am mixing two stories together—the Old Testament prophet Jonah and the older brother, whom I have dubbed “Jonah,” in this prodigal son story. But they seem to be strangely similar. The two men had the same problem: they were both incensed at the mercy of their father. They did not believe that good things should happen to bad people—even if the bad people repented! The Jonahs believed in right living and following the rules, and they lived their lives accordingly. And although they had never thought about or even wanted a party thrown for them, they were suddenly very jealous of the party that their father was throwing for sinners—even if they had repented! They despised their father’s mercy and forgiveness. They were outraged at the outpouring of love towards sinners.

And that’s how the story ends for both Jonahs. How sad is that? There was a party going on right next to these guys, with music and dancing and good food and drink, and everyone “began to celebrate.”⁹ Everyone but the Jonahs—even though they were invited!  They held on to their bitter spirit. And chose not to have fun. Chose not to be happy. Chose not to sing. And dug their heals in the ground with their bitterness. And that is why we are told to “see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”¹⁰

Because a bitter spirit will refuse to celebrate good things. A bitter spirit will reject grace. It actually rebukes mercy. And kills joy. Our two Jonahs were two good men who became jealous of sinners’ luck. And they would also probably predict a falling away that would occur with said sinners. Because a bitter spirit “causes trouble.” Which is why we really need to not be bitter. Ever.

So, what is the big lesson here? God loves the Jonahs and the Simons of the world. His compassion and mercy is the same for everyone. When Simon “was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”¹¹ And the father lovingly reminded Jonah, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”¹²  So whether we are “a long way off” from God or working “in the field” for God, the invitation is the same for all his children: Come to the party!

¹Luke 15:11    ²Luke 15:25-27     ³Luke 15:28    ⁴Luke 15:29    ⁵Jonah 3:10    ⁶Jonah 4:1     ⁷Jonah 4:4    ⁸Jonah 4:5     ⁹Luke 15:24    ¹⁰Hebrews 12:15    ¹¹Luke 15:20    ¹²Luke 15:31

James told us that we should “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”¹ So, when we meet a trial along the way, we might consider it a test from God. Why would God test us? The same reason teachers give their students tests—to find out what they know. Not that God needs to find this out (he already knows!), but we do. We will never know what we know until we go through a test.

But heed this: many people think they are ready for the testing of their faith when they are not! Jesus told a parable about it. He said that some people, “when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.”² Why did this happen? Because their foundation was rocky.

What should we do, then, to prepare for the testing of our faith? Make sure our foundation is secure and deeply rooted. And how do we do that? Paul has a good answer: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”³  So, we should give ourselves a test before God does! Not a bad idea! Okay. How? We should check our endurance levels. How long can we last in a difficult situation? Because if “faith produces steadfastness,” then if our faith is strong, so is our endurance.

How long does it take before we begin to waver, to falter, to question, to doubt? But how long should it take? Forever. James tells us “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”⁴ So, we are not to buckle under the strain of the test, but “be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”⁵ Okay. How do we become strong men (and women) who can “stand firm in the faith”?

Unfortunately, there is only one way to become strong, and that is to suffer, for “suffering produces endurance.”⁶  But this is good news! That means that there is a reason for the suffering! There is purpose in the pain! Which is why James said to “count it all joy!” You see, those who do not believe there is a God, do not have the same promise. They must conclude that suffering is meaningless because there is no purpose to anything! It’s all random. Others who believe that there is a God but do not subscribe to his laws, believe that suffering is punishment from God. But we who know God, understand that “all things work together for good for those who love God.”⁷

Therefore. Some day we might actually pray with David this prayer: “Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.”⁸ Some day we might tell God to Bring it on! But until then, we need to remember what Peter says about the test: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”⁹ We are to count on it! And one day, perhaps, “count it all joy!”

¹James 1:2-3   ²Luke 8:13   ³2 Corinthians 13:5   ⁴James 1:12   ⁵1 Corinthians 16:3   ⁶Romans 5:3   ⁷Romans 8:28   ⁸Psalm 26:2   ⁹1 Peter 4:12

Jesus told many parables to the Pharisees and the grumbling scribes. A favorite of mine starts this way: “There was a man who had two sons.”¹  My ESV Bible has the heading The Parable of the Prodigal Son for this story. But Jesus didn’t label the younger son that way. And, by the way, the word prodigal not only means wasteful but also philanthropic and generous. So, we must be careful about our labels. Of course, the young son “squandered his property in reckless living”² so wasteful does seem apropos—though not necessarily in an evil way, as we shall see!  

            The young son simply wanted what was rightfully his. He said, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.”³  And his father did not flinch, did not try to talk him out of it, did not rebuke him at all. The father gave the younger son his share. And then, “not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country.”²  He left home. It was an adventure! His life was suddenly his own, to live any way he wanted. He could reinvent himself! And he began to spend his money recklessly, as many do who come into a large sum of money. But we are not given any details of what this “reckless living” entailed. The phrase is also translated as “foolish,” “riotous,” “loose,” “wild,” and “extravagant” living. We imagine all kinds of awful things but many people become very generous after they win the lottery! The young son might actually have enjoyed giving a lot of his money away to new friends. He probably threw lavish parties and took great pleasure in helping people out. His “reckless living” could have been deemed “reckless” only in the fact that it was not wisely managed, not that it was spent on evil and wicked things. Some of the son’s new friends might have described him as unselfish!

            So “reckless living” occurs when we try to manage our lives without our Father’s guidance. “Reckless living” could be happening as we try to be good and generous people. Hmm.

            And so, this young son’s story is quite applicable for us. We believers also have “obtained an inheritance”⁴  as the son did.  And sometimes, knowing our place in heaven is secure, we try to manage our own lives, live life our own way, and neglect our father’s guidance—as the young son did. He actually “spent everything.”⁵  How does that happen? Didn’t the son, at some point, realize he was running out of money? Of course, he did! But people were counting on him. And so, he gave all his money away or invested his money in bad deals. Until he was broke.

            He was not a bad son. He was a bad manager of his inheritance. And here’s what happened next. “But when he came to himself . . .”⁶  When the young son realized that he had made a huge mistake, he came crawling back, “and came to his father.”⁷ He was expecting a rebuke. He believed his inheritance and standing in the family was gone.

            He was wrong. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”⁷ And even more than being thrilled that his lost son was found, “the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.’”⁸  

            So what does this great parable teach? So many things but most importantly three things: 1) We are God’s children, and nothing we do will change that status. And 2) our inheritance is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [us].”⁹

            At times we may try to manage our lives without our Father’s good guidance and live recklessly—which may appear to others as quite unselfish! But when we come to ourselves and realize we are truly lost without God’s guidance, he will show us his unending love. Which leads us to the last thing on the list of important things this parable teaches: 3) “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”⁷

             This picture illustrates that our Father is quite reckless—foolish, riotous, loose, wild, and extravagant—in his love toward us. So, to borrow Timothy Keller’s idea*, who is the prodigal now?

¹Luke 15:11   ²Luke 15:13   ³Luke 15:12   ⁴Ephesians 1:11   ⁵Luke 15:14   ⁶Luke 15:17   ⁷Luke 15:20 ⁸Luke 15:22   ⁹1 Peter 1:4   *Keller, Timothy. The Prodigal God. Zondervan, 2009.

It seems we have incessant questions for God about what to do and where to go. Our common mistake is that we are mostly concerned with instructions and directions. But God rarely gives us a map, not even a good list. Jesus tried to explain this concept to his disciples but it was a hard one to grasp. He told them that he was going away for a little while but would return, and he said, “You know the way to where I am going.”¹  But this distressed Thomas, who said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”²  To which Jesus answered, “I am the way.”³

Hmm. Although this sounds quite poetic, it is a bit vague. And I think the disciples probably nodded their heads, but in their minds, they were thinking, What does that mean? Thomas wanted to know where Jesus was going and how to get there. He wanted directions, and Philip probably nudged him and whispered, Ask Jesus for a map! 

We are a stubborn bunch. We like lists, enjoy charts, love a good spread sheet, and need some kind of mission statement or three-year plan—any kind of plan, please! We continue to ask God for the details—where to go, what to do. I think it is because we like to record our progress.  And so, because Philip needed further clarification, he asked, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”⁴  And with that statement, I think Jesus sighed because he replied, “Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip?”⁵  It truly makes so much sense to say that if we do not know Jesus, we are lost. We will never learn what to do with our lives until we know him. The way to go is always found through knowing Jesus. And while we request road maps, Jesus requires relationship.

But most of us love directions. Just tell us what to do, Jesus! Tell us where to go, Jesus!  David also asked for directions. He records that “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.”⁶  And after seeing “the boundary lines,” he states “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.”⁷  So, “the path of life” which is a place of “fullness of joy” is found “in [God’s] presence,”! Therefore, God’s presence is our destination. It’s not a place; it’s a person.

How do we get to know the person of God? Jesus explained, “No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”⁸  The emphasis is on knowing Jesus. Not knowing how to get somewhere or even knowing how to do things, but knowing who is leading us and trusting him to get us wherever we need to be.

It was much later that Peter discovered what Jesus meant. He begins his second letter with this incredible insight: “His divine power has given us everything we need through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”⁹  It’s worth repeating—we have “everything thing we need through our knowledge of him.” Our knowledge of Jesus is the key. But Peter does give a great list of things to work on, so for those of you who like a good chart, read 2 Peter 1:3-11.

Jesus, however, always focused on the relationship. He told the disciples, “But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”¹⁰  God lives inside us! And, “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.”¹¹ Finally! A curriculum! The Holy Spirit (who is our advocate, our supporter, our encourager, our counselor and friend) will “teach you all things.” What this means is that we really need to be in tune with the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God himself, who lives in our hearts. And as we listen for God to speak to us, he will! And he will show us the way to go!

¹John 14:4   ²John 14:5   ³John 14:6   ⁴John 14:8   ⁵John 14:9   ⁶Psalm 16:5   ⁷Psalm 16:1    ⁸John 14:7   ⁹2 Peter 1:3  ¹⁰John 14:17   ¹¹John 14:26

“And a ruler asked him, ‘Good Teacher,’ what must I do to inherit eternal life.’”¹

It’s a good question. But I imagine that if this ruler had discussed these theological and philosophical matters with all his good friends—which he probably did—they would have reassured him by saying, Brother, you have nothing to worry about there. You’re a good person. Of course, you will inherit eternal life! And he would have believed them. And perhaps he was expecting Jesus to tell him the same thing! Or at the very least, he thought Jesus would give him a task to do that he was certainly willing and capable of doing—and doing well!

I tend to think much of the world believes the same way. After all, good people should go to heaven, right? And they do! But not all of them. And, probably, not most of them! As a matter of fact, good people who are counting on going to heaven because they are good, will not! How can this be? What is the point of being good if we get no credit for it? That’s another really good question. And this question needs to be asked by everyone—nonbelievers, good people, bad people, and especially believers who have already secured their home in heaven! Because I think we believers hold on to this idea thinking perhaps God will love us more for being good. But he does not. God cannot love us any more than he already does!

Then what is the point of doing good things or being a good person? Do we really need to be good? Yes, we do! But not because that is the way to get into heaven. It is because we were created to do good deeds! It is where we find great fulfillment and God finds great pleasure in seeing us discover our good purpose. The good deeds are for us to do—for others! And God has magnanimously and omnipotently already planned them out for us. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”²

Oh. And by the way. Guess what Jesus’ answer was to that rich ruler? He gave him one task to do. And the ruler couldn’t do it! He came to Jesus thinking he could do anything Jesus asked him to do. But Jesus knew the one thing he couldn’t do and gave him that task. That seems a bit cruel of Jesus! But the point Jesus was making was that there was nothing he could do to earn eternal life. That, in fact, his words of wanting to “inherit eternal life” were spot on! It’s an inheritance thing—handed down to family members. Not earned by them or bought by them.

So. We do not have to do good deeds. Ever. God only requires that we acknowledge our need for him and trust him and make him the God of our lives. That’s it. And for doing that, because we are in the family, we “inherit eternal life”! However. If we do decide we want to be a good deed doer, we need to get to know Jesus. His godly traits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,”³ will begin to fill our hearts and then through the power of his Spirit our behavior will change!  As we grow in Christ, we will naturally want to serve God in some way! And how could we serve him? By doing good deeds!  

Our pleasure. And God’s.

Indeed.

¹Luke 18:18   ²Ephesians 2:10   ³Galatians 5:22  

God called on Moses to do a mighty task: “Bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”¹ But Moses had been gone from Egypt 40 years. And when God spoke this to him, Moses was a lowly sheep herder. And so, his response was, “Who am I?”² Which seems like a very reasonable question. For Moses was concerned that not only was he not a politician who would know how to handle the mighty Pharaoh, but he didn’t really consider himself to be a good leader, and he knew that he wasn’t a very good public speaker and neither Pharaoh nor the Israelites would listen to him because . . . well, why would they? Who was he?

But God did not answer Moses’ question! Why? Because it was irrelevant! It did not matter who Moses was, who Moses thought he was, or who anyone else thought he was. What mattered was who God was. God’s answer to Moses’ question, “Who am I?” was, “But I will be with you.”³ Which was probably a bit confusing to Moses. He might have thought, “Yeah, but how does that solve all these problems?”

But it does! Moses was focused on himself and all his shortcomings. He felt incompetent to accomplish such a great task. And he was right to feel that way! But it was not about Moses. It was about God. God’s presence would give Moses the competence and the confidence to implement and complete the task. What he needed to understand was that God would not only be with him every step of the way, he would equip him for the job.

The same is true for us. When God calls us to do something, he will supply everything we need to get the job done. It is not about us! Our confidence and our competence, then, is not in ourselves, but in Christ. “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant.”⁴

When Paul was struggling with his weaknesses and praying that God would remove them, God answered, “For my grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness.”⁵ It is our weakness that God uses to work his mighty power! Moses was absolutely right about his weaknesses. That’s what God was looking for.  Moses was not confident in himself, nor should he have been! Our confidence, which we must have to do mighty things, “is ours through Christ.” And because of Christ, “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.”⁶  “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.”⁷

Paul tells us, “I can do all things though him who strengthens me . . . And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”⁸ This is an amazing concept to grasp! There is nothing that God calls us to do that we cannot do—and do well! Amazingly well! For Christ “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”⁹ It is “his power that is at work within us” that makes all things possible through our insufficiencies!

So, when God asks us to do something and we immediately think of several reasons we cannot do it, we are actually in the perfect position to complete the task.  All we need to do at this point is realize that it is not about us. God’s answer to all our objections is simply this: “But I will be with you.” And that is all we need.

¹Exodus 3:10   ²Exodus 3:11   ³Exodus 3:12   ⁴2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NIV   ⁵2 Corinthians 9:12   ⁶Hebrews 10:19   ⁷Hebrews 10:35   ⁸Philippians 4:13, 19   ⁹Ephesians 2:20