Posts By Dteb
“Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?”
“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!”
Kidner, in his excellent commentary on the Psalms in the Tyndale series, writes,
“The opening verses are unclouded: an idyllic picture of piety and prosperity which calls to mind the beginning of the book of Job. The fact that this person is a man of character, not merely of property, will emerge chiefly in the later verses, but already his godliness shows itself as an enthusiasm rather than a burden. . . . To this man God’s word is as fascinating as are his works to the naturalist; and the term used for it, his commandments, implies that his interest is practical. What grips him is God’s will and call.” (pages 433-434).
Yet, I don’t know of anyone who likes being told what to do. And to speak of delighting in being told what to do? This is just plain absurd. I am deeply skeptical about anyone who says that they are telling me that I have to do something, even if they say it is for my own good. In large part, that is because of my own selfish willfulness. But also, I more than suspect that most of the time, commandments are for the commandment-giver’s sake, rather than mine.
And let’s call it a spade and not a shovel. Most of the time we are right to question commandments. Many are arbitrary and unnecessary. Some of them are downright evil. To do what we’re told to do, to follow orders, is not always the best thing to do. I’m inclined to say that is not even often the best thing to do.
But what if there were someone giving commandments who completely understood everything and loved us perfectly? I suppose that, if there were such a person, all his/her commands would truly be for our ultimate good.
Of course, many people do believe in such a Person. Some of us call that Person “God”. We believe in that Person—sort of. But the truth is, we don’t believe in such a Person very consistently. When this Person who is pure love and perfect wisdom gives us a command, we demonstrate how little we really believe in such a Person. We hesitate, we grouse, we rationalize, we procrastinate.
How can we get over such practical atheism? Let me propose an experiment. Just for today, how would it be if we prayed a simple prayer that would go something like this: “God, just for today, give a command or two or a few. I will obey and see how delighted I am by the end of the day.” Of course, you can customize this prayer as you see fit.
There is only one way to find out if God’s commandments are truly delightful. That is the way of trust and obedience. How would it be if we got all scientific about this and experimented with it? There’s only one way to find out!
“Character is the Real Lesson”
I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning.
For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet kicked me off after I had finished it, but before I had been given credit for it. I did it again. This time, my internet stayed up long enough to give me credit for it. Then I finished a second lesson, only to be kicked off the net before Duolingo had acknowledged my accomplishment.
Uncharacteristically, I did not get too frustrated. I don’t know how much frustration is the right amount, but I suspect that I got it about right. For me, this is a miracle on the order of the parting of the Red Sea. I am an incredibly easily intimidated and frustrated individual.
What helped me to cross my own personal Red Sea and escape slavery? (And yes, my captivity to frustration and fear really is a form of slavery.) I think that what helped was that I realized what my real lesson was. Actually, there were two real lessons.
The first was that my goal is to learn Spanish, not to get points or get back to the Diamond level, which I briefly inhabited. This is a very important lesson that I am having to relearn every day. Spanish is not about points or rankings. Neither is life.
The second—and even more important—lesson is this: God is not simply interested in my learning of another language. God is interested in me learning to let my character be transformed. I am not a patient person. My piddling internet issues are helping me to learn patience.
In a sense, patience is the opposite of frustration. In a deeper sense, every frustration is an invitation to training for patience. Ultimately, character and its development comprise the real lesson.
“The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”
Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”.
What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked!
Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5, New International Version)
I have spent my life trying to help others get the speck out of their eyes. My heart may have been in the right place, but my focus was not. I should have been trying to get the planks out of my own eyes. Then, I would have been much more helpful to others who really do need help. After all, even a speck in the eye is a seriously painful problem.
But first, the planks in my own eye! And how do I know what they are? My own planks are my blind spots. How can I even figure out what they are?
Psychologists might talk about projection as a means of determining my plankish blind spots. Projection is the tendency for me to identify and critique the bad qualities of others which I think I see in them, but which are definitely in me. So, whenever I see (or think I see) a speck in someone else’s eye, I need to hit the plank alarm and consider myself.
Another way to identify planks is to ask other people. I don’t always have the courage to do that, but when I do, the rewards can be astonishing. I need to ask my wife and good friends about my planks. Then, I need to shut up and listen.
And then, there is God. Prayer is not just asking God for what I want. It is also asking God about the planks in my eyes.
Sounds like a pretty dreary 2024 doesn’t it? But then again, perhaps the really dreary thing is to have planks in the eyes and not know it. If a speck in the eye is seriously painful, how much more a plank!
“That Don’t Impress God Much”
DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much”
“That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain)
“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.”
I rarely think that I hear from God directly. Most likely, that is because I don’t want to hear what God might want to say. I don’t think that God wastes a lot of words on people who don’t want to listen and obey.
However, occasionally, God does get a word end edgewise. I was thinking last night about my tendency to play way too much online chess. I was not particularly praying about it. I’m not that spiritual. However, sometimes God answers even our non-prayers.
“My child,” said God in a gentle voice, “on judgment day, you will not be asked about your rating on chess.com.”
Ouch!
I’m not sure that any questions will be asked on judgment day, but there are some that will definitely not be asked. Judgment day will be a day for God to sum up my life, not ask questions.
But if God were to ask questions, I suspect they might be quite simple.
“Did you trust and love and follow my Son, Jesus?”
“Did you follow the directions I gave to all humankind through my servant, Micah? Were you fair and just to your neighbor? Were you compassionate and loyal in your love? Did you refuse to take yourself too seriously? Did you take me seriously?”
Of course, God will already know the answers.
“Unwrapping the Present”
A friend of mine sent me an email report on his day yesterday and commented on the one-day-at-a-time slogan of twelve-step programs.
I replied, “Just for today—yes! Imagine someone who gave you a whole bunch of beautifully wrapped gifts and then said, ‘There is a catch: you have to open them all at the same time.’
Suddenly, gifts would become a problem. Indeed, they would become an impossible chore.
Have fun unwrapping today and making good use of it for yourself and for others!”
There was a Family Circle cartoon decades ago that I thought summed it up very nicely. A little girl named Dolly was explaining time to her littler brother, Jeffy. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”
But for my A.D.D. mind, a day is way too much for me to unwrap. There is a Christian song entitled “The Next Five Minutes.” It’s a good song and I like it. However, there are days when even the next five minutes is way too much for me to process. I need to concentrate on the next thirty seconds.
Admittedly, not every day or every moment in the day seems to be a good gift. As I was writing this post, regrets for how I lived in the past attacked in the present moment. The people I’ve hurt were all horribly present before my heart’s eye at the same time. Sometimes, the present is a waking nightmare and hell in the here and the now. As someone has said, “Every day is judgment day.”
But even when the present is profoundly painful, it is still a gift to be opened. There is a saying, “Good things come in small packages.” That is true. What is also true is that things that are ultimately good often come in very ugly packages that we don’t want to unwrap.
Still, there are many beautiful gifts in every day—sunrises and sunsets, full moons, and stubborn wildflowers that insist on blooming even in the winter. There is my little dog’s wagging of her stubby tail and my wife’s morning hair that she calls “bed head” but which I call wildly beautiful.
And so, I say to myself and to you, “Have fun unwrapping today and making good use of it for yourself and for others!”
“Lust Versus What God Has Placed in Front of Us”
“Get Serious
4 1-2 Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.
2-3 You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.
4-6 You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”
7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” (James 4:1-10, The Message)
“Lust is wanting anything that God hasn’t put right in front of me.” (A comment by a twelve-step friend)
Among other things, lust is a refusal to trust God. When I desire something (or someone) that I don’t currently have, I am saying to God, “You’re holding out on me!” And that is not the sort of thing that someone who trusts God would say.
And why would God not give me something or someone? There are several possible answers to this question. I don’t like any of them, but I need to keep them all in mind.
- I don’t really need what I am wanting. This is more common that is generally acknowledged.
- I want different things that are mutually exclusive. (Eating lots of sweets and snacks and being in good shape comes to mind.)
- What I’m wanting would not be good for me.
- I am not asking God for it. (God gives many good things to me without my asking, but there are other good things for which God expects me to ask.)
- I am asking God for something for the wrong reasons.
So, just for today, I am going to be appreciative of whatever God puts in front of me.
“Everything Makes Me Think of _________”
: 12 1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12:1-3, The Message)
Idries Shah, in his book The Way of the Sufi, records a story entitled, “That Makes Me Think of . . . .”
Suhrawardi said:
I went to see a man, and we sat talking.
There was a camel plodding past, and I said to him:
‘What does that make you think of?’
He said:
‘Food.’
‘But you are not an Arab, since when was camel meat for food?’
‘No, it is not like that,’ said the man. ‘You see, everything makes me think of food.’”
This story made me think about Jesus Christ. Or rather, the story made me think about thinking about Jesus Christ. Indeed, it made me think about how much I don’t think of thinking about Jesus Christ.
What do I think about most of the time. Well, food is indeed way up there. When I was about sixteen, I lived with my brother and his wife for a couple of months during the summer, working as a plumber’s flunky. (I wasn’t good enough to be dignified with the title “plumber’s helper”.) One Saturday morning, we were getting ready to go to a state park in Ohio. While I was buttering my sixth piece of toast after eating half-a-dozen eggs, I asked, “How long will it take us to get there?”
My brother responded, “Oh, about four hours.”
“Good grief!” I exclaimed. “It’ll be time to eat by the time we get there!”
The room erupted into laughter, but I thought it was a valid comment on my part. I thought a lot about food back in those days. Even as an old guy, I think way too much about food. Come to think of it (and I am thinking about it), it is 11:39. It is almost time for lunch!
I call myself a Christ-follower, and yet, how often do I think about Jesus? If I see a camel go by (or a squirrel), do I think of Jesus Christ? Alas, I am not that spiritual. I need to start paying more attention to what—and who—I’m paying attention to. I need to fill in the blank in the title of this post with the name of Jesus.
You?
“Well Doing!”
“Gal. 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Gal. 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Gal. 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Gal. 6:10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (English Standard Version, italics mine.)
A friend of mine has been growing by leaps and bounds this year. That is because he has been putting one daily foot in front of the other for many days during 2023. He has been a good, kind, caring man ever since I’ve known him. He hasn’t always given himself much credit for that, though. I wrote an encouraging reply to my friend, and I thought it might be helpful to you as well. So, here goes!
“Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll keep growing.
You’ve been a good man since I’ve known you, but you’ve often not paid sufficient attention to that goodness. You are paying much better attention now, and you are growing into an even better man.
I would say, ‘Well done!’ but that might imply that you are done growing. You are not. So, I say to you, ‘Well doing!’”
So much for what I wrote to my friend. Upon further reflection, I thought about Paul’s words to the Galatians. Paul encouraged them to keep on doing good things for others (Galatians 6:9-10). The Greek verbs here are in the present tense. This suggests an ongoing, continual, lifestyle approach to doing good for others. Paul challenges them—and us—to do good things for everybody.
I can’t prove it, but I suspect that he speaks of doing this “especially for the household of faith” (i.e., believers), not because believers are more important than all the others. Rather, I would suggest that Paul’s “especially” is because believers are often more difficult to love than unbelievers. (Of course, you and I, dear reader, are exceptions to this general rule.) In fact, I am reminded of an old piece of doggerel that goes something like this:
“To dwell above with saints we love
will certainly be glory.
To dwell below with saints we know—
well that’s another story.”
But, whether it is a generic everybody or fellow-Christians, our doing of good needs to be a continuing goal. Only so, can we continually grow and experience the continual presence of God in our lives.
“Perfectly Imperfect”
Here is a somewhat revised report I sent to my sponsors and accountability team this morning:
“No violations and no secrets.
Today, with God’s help, I am doing at least 5 things I need to do and 5 things I enjoy doing. Some of them will be the same. The challenge goal is to do 10 things in each category. I’ve already done several in both categories.
I did not do as well yesterday, I suspect. However, today is another day to try to get this thing called “life” right. Perhaps I will never get it entirely right, but if I did, I might become more puffed up than I am and be a real jerk. Maybe my imperfections really are an essential part of my perfection. “Perfectly imperfect,” we say. Yes. And “Imperfectly perfect” will work too. Any way you slice it, I am going to keep on striving for perfection. I am also going to keep on missing that mark.
I don’t know, guys. Maybe, for me, this boils down to Genesis 1-3. The story goes that God made humankind in God’s image (Genesis 1). I don’t know what that even means, but I feel as if I’m always trying to live that out. And it is a good goal.
Then, in Genesis 3, we’re told that the humans decided that being created in God’s image wasn’t enough. We wanted more. We wanted to know, wanted to experience, good and evil. We wanted to be like God by being God. And the rest, as they say, is history. That choice wasn’t a good fit for Adam and Eve. It is not a good fit for me, either.
God tried to show us that he loved us just the way we are, but as a species, humans are really slow learners. Finally, God sent his Son into the world to deal with our imperfects perfectly.
So, for today, here is my affirmation: Today, with God’s help, I am content and at peace with my quest to live out God’s image in my own perfectly imperfect way.
I am posting this near the end of my day. Sure enough, I was perfectly imperfect. It is quite likely that you were, too. And that is good enough.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Witnessing Versus Being Witnesses” September 19, 2024“Acts 1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, Acts 1:2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after […]
- “A Bathroom Prayer for Hurting Hands” September 11, 2024A week ago Sunday, my hands were hurting so badly at church that I went to the bathroom to run hot water over my hands. Arthritis perhaps, or carpal tunnel, or general orneriness—I don’t know why my hands hurt, but they do. They have for years. So, while I was running hot water over my […]
- “Waiting and Seeking” September 10, 2024“Lam. 3:19 ¶ Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! Lam. 3:20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. Lam. 3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Lam. 3:22 ¶ The steadfast love of the LORD […]
- “A Pastor or a Teacher?” September 8, 2024I went to the Asbury University President’s Brunch yesterday morning with Sharon. It was billed as a non-fundraiser. I have learned to be skeptical of such claims. However, it really wasn’t a fundraiser! It was a wonderful time. The university paid for everything, including valet parking. It was good to meet new people, all of […]
- “Even When We Mess Up” September 8, 2024One of my students in the Luke-Acts course I’m teaching right now online made a very perceptive comment in a post to another student’s work. She and the other student, Mackenzie, agreed on an excellent point: God can even use our mess-ups for his purposes and glory. Here is Victoria’s comment: “Mackenzie, your perspective on […]
- “On Playing Chimes and Being Jesus” September 6, 2024“John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (English Standard Version) One of my students did […]
- “A Confrontation in a Kroger Parking Lot” September 4, 2024My wife was waiting for a lady to pull out from a parking spot in a Kroger parking lot. She had waited for quite a while, but when the lady finally pulled out, another “lady” who had just come around the corner from the other direction whipped into the parking space. My wife is not […]
- “The Crushing Debt I Owe to God” September 3, 2024“A Sinful Woman Forgiven Luke 7:36 ¶ One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Luke 7:37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought […]
- “Only Two Kinds of People?” September 1, 2024“Psa. 5:1 ¶ Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Psa. 5:2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. Psa. 5:3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning […]
- “On Being a Good Ad” September 1, 2024I was buying candy corn for a friend at Ollie’s the other day when I eavesdropped on an interesting conversation. The lady behind me said to the cashier, “This is a really good store with good prices, but I didn’t even know it was here. You should advertise more!” The young cashier replied, “If we […]
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