This is what God says is good

But God’s Spirit fills us with justice, strength, and boldness

Micah 2:7, 3:8 Should you talk that way, O family of Israel? Will the Lord’s Spirit have patience with such behavior? If you would do what is right, you would find my words comforting. … But as for me, I am filled with power— with the Spirit of the Lord. I am filled with justice and strength to boldly declare Israel’s sin and rebellion.

Micah 6:8 The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right [act justly NIV], to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

At our May annual event, Sisters Celebrating Diversity focused on God’s requirements of us in Micah 6:8. Participants were each given a bracelet that says, “Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly.” I wear mine often. It reminds me to walk into any situation I may encounter with those three principles in mind. It reminds me to ask the questions, from God’s perspective, what does justice look like here? Am I conscious of his merciful heart? Is my chief aim that he and his ways be honored, including the lives of anyone I interact with, each one beloved by God?

Can I do this on my own? No way at all. Only through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and grace.

Sometimes acting justly requires naming wrongdoing, that which hurts God’s heart and other people, so that it can be dealt with and injuries healed. Through the Holy Spirit, Micah found the courage, wisdom, and boldness to do this. A difficult task indeed, and no easier now than it was then. The false prophets were the ones saying, “Hey, everything is OK, nothing to worry about—God’s on our side” (Micah 3) while they made decisions based on bribes and twisted justice for their own profit and idolized their own comfort and power and success.

Yet the Spirit kept reminding beleaguered Micah—and through him, us—that God longed to heal his people and restore their land. That was the goal, like an oncologist who must locate and name a cancer to treat it appropriately.

And he reminds us today that no matter what anyone says, these three matter to God: justice, mercy, and humility.

God said to Micah, “My people’s wound is too deep to heal,” (1:9) and devastation was coming. But later, he said, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah … a ruler will come from you. … And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God … and he will be the source of peace” (Micah 5:2-5; Matthew 2:6).

Just out! The Gladness Book: Fun for Kids who Love to Write

I think I know better

But God patiently loves me

Isaiah 40:13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?

Patience.

I’m impressed this morning that this beautiful virtue, one of the fruits the Spirit produces in us, is one of his defining characteristics.

How often I’ve thought, even if I haven’t said out loud to the Lord, “I know better. If I had your power, I wouldn’t allow what’s going on in the life of my beloved one.”

Once while attending a conference in the U.S. after we had lived in Brazil for many years, I greeted the woman ahead of me in line. She asked where I was from, and I told her São Paulo. She said, “Oh, your Spanish must be pretty good.” The rest of the time we were in line, she told me how my husband and I should minister in Brazil.

Had she ever been there? No. She ended as we reached the serving line, with a bright smile, “I’m so glad God put us together this morning, so I could be of help to you.”

As I ate my breakfast, after I finished internally rolling my eyes, I reflected on how God could use her “help” to me: to teach me patience. And humility. And to understand better the disconnect between my world and that of people whose reality I don’t experience.

Thinking a little more deeply, the Spirit nudged me. I’m like her. I think I know, when what I understand is but a tiny slice of what’s going on beyond myself. And some of that tiny slice isn’t even accurate. In Brazil, we speak Portuguese. In the Kingdom of God, the Spirit speaks Love, and my comprehension of that language is dismally inadequate.

Yet I try to tell God how Love should be spoken in the life of a person I care about.

Your will be done, Lord. Your Kingdom come on earth as in heaven.

In covenant love

But God’s Spirit warns us

Nehemiah 9:29-30 [A prayer rehearsing the history of Israel] You warned your people to return to your Law, but they became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations, by which people will find life if only they obey. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen. In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn’t listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them.

1 Timothy 4:1 Warnings against False TeachersNow the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.

Hebrews 3:6-7, 12-13 We are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ [some manuscripts add, “faithful to the end”]. That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.” … Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.

I’m posting this in Maryland, at a wonderful place called Caboose Farm (Caboosefarm.net) where the extended Elliott family is having a once-every-three-years reunion. I probably won’t post this Thursday.

In the remarkable prayer of praise recorded in Nehemiah 9, the word “but” appears six times in reference to the people of Israel. God was faithful in myriad ways, but his covenant people turned away from him again and again and again.

The author of Hebrews draws a straight line from his time back to the people of Israel in the desert, 1500 years before. If he (or she) could see our hard hearts, two thousand years later, would he (or she) draw a line to us as well? Don’t we need the Spirit’s warning as much as the Hebrews did?

Reflecting on this, I recall that in the last few days I’ve heard or read the following:

“I don’t think God exists, because if he does, he would have healed my beloved sister. I can’t trust him anymore.”
“I was too badly hurt by the church to ever go back. I still believe in God in my heart, but I can’t stand the people who claim to know him yet behave in unkind and cruel ways in his name and say such demeaning things about people different from them.”
“I’m an ex. Ex-Catholic, ex-protestant, ex-atheist, ex-everything. Bottom line: I believe in myself.”
“God is too busy holding this fractured world together to care about me, and people have been cruel. My life has been one disappointment after another. So, I’m considering ending it.”

The good news from the prayer in Nehemiah 9? An entirely different “but.”

“But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon your people” (v. 17).

“And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you” (v. 32).

Forgiveness. Grace. Mercy. Patience. Unfailing love. God, who keeps his promises, offers them all. Take what you need.

Kindle kindness

But God reveals his kindness through Jesus

Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Luke 6:35-36 [Jesus said] Love your enemies! Do good to them. … Then you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

An act or word of kindness, especially when undeserved or unexpected, can instantly move me to tears.

It can be as thoughtful as my husband washing and putting away the dishes to ease my way when I came home exhausted from an intense day.

It can be as generous as a friend paying me for work I would have been delighted simply to do for her, meeting a need I had expressed to no one.

It can be as compassionate as a friend saying, “Of course you feel this way today,” instead of judging me for a wave of grief for my daughter triggered by a certain date on the calendar.

It can be as merciful as the judge in traffic court reducing my penalty for speeding.

It can be as gentle as my five-year-old granddaughter placing her hand on my shoulder as I lay on the couch on her home with a migraine, saying “I hope you feel better soon, Grammy.”

It can be as gracious as a friend speaking well of me to a new acquaintance.

All of these expressions fit within chrestotes, the characteristic of love in Galatians 5:22 most often translated kindness or gentleness.

When have you most recently experienced or practiced chrestotes?

Critical, unkind judgments and words seem to appear frequently in our political and social discourse. What if we Christ-followers intentionally turn this around? Might our Spirit-kindled kindness spark more gentleness in each one of our spheres of influence?

An old song comes to mind. Perhaps you remember this! Here’s more info about this 1912 song.

Happy birthday, Karis!

But God’s mercy never fails

Isaiah 43:2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;

the flames will not consume you.

Lamentations 3:22-23 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness. His mercies begin afresh each morning.

By Earth time, Karis would have turned 42 today. I woke up with the song Goodness of God in my head:

I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up, Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father; I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

‘Cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me [and you, too]

Loving shame more than honor

But God grieves over us

Hosea 4:1, 3, 6, 7, 12, 18 The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land … That is why your land is in mourning. … My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. … They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols. … Longing after idols has made them foolish. … They love shame more than honor.

Nearly three thousand years ago, long before writers like John Bradshaw and Brené Brown helped us understand shame, the prophet Hosea linked it with not knowing God, not understanding his compassion and love, his yearning for a close relationship with his beloved people.

Instead, in Hosea’s day, both leaders and ordinary people turned to idols [anything that takes God’s place in our hearts], pleasures, addictions, violence, unfaithfulness in relationships, sexual depravity, cheating, and other forms of robbery.

Has anything changed in the last three thousand years?

The Hebrew word Hosea uses is gâlôwn, translated shame in most English versions. Associated words are disgrace, confusion, dishonor, ignominy [public disgrace], reproach. This shame is vile, base, and despicable.

“My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me,” laments the Lord (Hosea 4:6, 2:20). “Oh, that we might know the Lord,” cries Hosea (6:3).

The kind of shame Hosea describes is extremely painful. Why would we choose shame rather than honor? Perhaps we fear God’s judgment? Fear the loss of things we’ve come to love? Fear rejection by others if anyone detects our true struggles? As Brené Brown often points out, shame thrives in secrecy, in darkness, in isolation. Shame flees when brought into the light. Yet we fear exposing our shame to God, to others, and even to ourselves, even though that’s the best way to be free from it.

A friend recently described to me her cycle of shame. She feels lonely, or disappointed, or betrayed. To ease those feelings, she escapes into her addiction, soothing herself with a temporary pleasure. When she comes out of that, she’s embarrassed and frustrated with herself that she gave in to a temptation that she knows is harmful to her health. When she’s alone, those feelings are so uncomfortable that she again buries them with her addiction. And on and on her cycle of shame spirals. When she’s with other people, her shame prevents her from indulging, and prevents her from finding help, because she doesn’t want to expose her struggle and become an object of pity or of disdain or of judgment.

Every one of us can relate. Each of us has our own way of trying to escape painful feelings. If we realize it’s not just us, maybe we can become more willing to let an understanding friend listen to our struggle. And go with us into the presence of God, who longs to heal us and show us his compassion—as my friend courageously did with me. And I with her.

This high priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Our “helping” can harm

But God’s love is unfailing March 11, 2024

Psalm 103:11 The Lord’s unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

Other English translations render checed or hesed, “unfailing love,” as mercy, kindness, lovingkindness, steadfast love, faithful love, gracious love, and loyal love (also in verses 8 and 17). How does God make his love visible in the world? Through us, his Body, his hands and feet, animated by the Spirit within us, not motivated by any agenda other than love. But is this possible? Can we in fact, messy, broken, proud, self-centered and self-deceiving as we are, come even close to imaging God’s hesed love?

Litany of Penitence 7

For our blindness to human need and suffering,

And our indifference to injustice and cruelty,

Lord, have mercy upon us:

For we have sinned against you.

I like the fact that today’s confession comes after we’ve acknowledged our pride, vanity, hypocrisy, dishonesty, exploitation of others, self-indulgence, and all the rest of the sins named so far. Because it’s so easy

1) to reach out to others to be noticed for how good and generous we are and

2) to blindly believe we know best what other people need, without taking the time to listen and understand their stories or their deeper wounds and struggles and to respect what they say they need, and

3) to unconsciously feel and project that we are somehow “better” than others because we think we have to be better to earn God’s favor or approval and to feel OK about ourselves. Too often we re-write history to favor ourselves, when in fact the reality is appalling.

Such “helping” may not help at all. It may cause more harm that good. I’ve been there. I struggle with these three vulnerabilities all the time. All the time. They push me back to the mercy of God and his love for me as his child, with nothing to prove, everything to learn, and only gratitude to express.

Jesus walked, sat, listened, ate, played, laughed, grieved, danced, wept, and shared himself with people. He didn’t worry about what was PC or would win him likes. He dared to speak truth to power, with integrity, from his heart. He freed people from all kinds of oppression and lies, in many unorthodox ways, including from the unbearable rules of performative religion.

And his unfailing, compassionate, faithful, gracious love took him to the cross, where in the midst of his agony he said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

Sometimes the flow of the Spirit in our hearts is a pounding torrent, not a peaceful stream. *Shutterstock: Maridav*

Don’t believe everything you think

But God loves fairness

Psalm 103:6 The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

Litany of Penitence 3:

For our unrighteous anger, bitterness, and resentment

For all lies, gossip, and slander against our neighbors.

Lord, have mercy upon us:

For we have sinned against you.

There are two sides to this confession: our response to those who have hurt us, and our own unjust thoughts, feelings, words, and actions against others.

We need God’s mercy and healing in both. He longs to restore us rather than punish us.

For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering … The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring with plants springing up everywhere (Isaiah 61:8, 11).

Be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. … Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it (1 Peter 1:6, 3:9).

One of Karis’s favorite songs:

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail), Hillsong

Ideas for Lent 2024

But God is holy Feb 16, 2024

Psalm 103:1-2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

I didn’t manage to write a post yesterday, so I’m a day late with my ideas for this year’s Lenten season. Here they are:

Key off Psalm 103, one or two verses at a time, so we keep in mind God’s character.
Use the Litany of Penitence, one strophe at a time so we can think carefully about each one and make whatever confession we need to make, based on the Spirit’s conviction. The Litany has twelve stanzas, so using two per week will bring us to Holy Week.
Keep track of our progress using a Lenten calendar. The one I’ve chosen (thanks, Suzanne Werder) is a journey with Jesus to the cross. I suggest you download and print this and use color and symbols of your choice to represent your experience day by day. Of course, you can use other Scriptures to enrich this plan.

It would be great for us to use half an hour each day for prayer during Lent, but anything we manage to do is better than nothing, right? Decide for yourself how much you want to invest in this spiritual heartcleaning.

Today, and the next couple of days, as we think with King David about God’s holiness in the context of how praiseworthy he is, let’s start with a general confession. “We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength” fits with the first two verses of Psalm 103. Try to write down at least a paragraph of response to the psalm and the confession (below). What does God’s holiness mean to you?

Most holy and merciful Father: We confess to you and to one another and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength.

We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us.

We have not been true to the mind of Christ.

We have grieved your Holy Spirit.

Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have sinned against you.

Holy Forever, Chris Tomlin

Advent ABC: Our God

Isaiah 25:9 (Isaiah 46:3-4, Malachi 4:2, Romans 5:10-11, Hebrews 4:15, 16, 2 Peter 1:1) In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings.”

Trust isn’t easy, especially when we’ve been betrayed. When someone we have trusted has not just disappointed us, but has deliberately hurt us for their own ends. Because the Three-in-One God understands this, Jesus came, to experience in a body what betrayal is. That’s why we can go to him to find mercy and grace in our time of need. This is our God, not a being far off, but one who draws near, in compassion and full understanding. With healing in his wings.

This is Our God, Phil Wickham