One Week Rush

1 Kings 16:15

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.

Trying to find a good anecdote about waiting, I found a site of a wardrobe psychologist (!) sharing her interesting movie time with her grandmother. What was playing that Satuday was an old time movie which brings back memories of when her grammy was younger. As the movie progressed, she noticed,  the plot did not. This cosmo writer became restless with all the long pauses, the slowmo pace, and the cinematic journey. "Let's get to the point already!" And to this, her relaxed grammy replied, "Be patient, Jennifer and watch the movie!"

Our featured Israel king today is Mr.Rush Guy, Zimri. Everything seems to move fast around him. He ascended to the throne via his swift murder of King Elah, Baasha’s heir, while the lad was drunk in the home of the palace in charge. As soon as he began to reign, he killed off Baasha’s whole family, even the distant relatives and friends. Timeframe? Less than a week! Considering his ex-assignment as  commander of half of the king’s chariots, that’s believable. On day seven, he rushed to the citadel of the royal palace when he saw Omri, the army commander, take over the city. He fears the strength of this man and his army, and so he decided to lock himself up and set fire around him. He saw no hope, no way out. His other option was to beg for mercy or a miracle from heaven, but he couldn’t control that. He’d rather take his own life than wait and let others (including God) decide for his fate. He couldn’t even wait for tomorrow. For Zimri, it’s all about here and now. He grabbed his first flight towards top, and he left the first train towards death. All in one week.

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the time when people keep their word and show up on time instead of sending a text message minutes before that they’d be late or ‘something came up’. I miss those times when I call up a friend for some expert inputs followed by ‘how are yous’ and a lot of sure gigglings, which I don’t experience in googling. People now spend most of their time in the workplace, in the hope that it could provide them an early retirement - - which they might not enjoy much because of their already wasted health and without their loved ones now turned strangers.  Tech-y is cool. It did give us all sorts of comfort and convenience. But please, not at the expense of our values and relationships. And please, not in exchange for our faith in God.  His wisdom saw it best that we have a Sabbath-rest once-a-week, keep it. He installed that we have days to work and nights to rest, think about it. He created seasons for the ground to receive seeds, be watered, give harvest, and yes, have a rest too. He gives us time to be happy and to mourn, to be torn down and be built up, to toil and to enjoy. Be all there for that time. Don’t be afraid to take time to weep. Don’t rush moving on. God has set everything beautiful in His time. Zimri tried to make it big in a week. He failed. Only God can do that. We’re not.  

A Few Good Men

1 Kings 16:2

I lifted you up from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins.

I can’t believe I did not watch ‘A Few Good Men’ nineteen years ago! It is one of the better courtroom dramas with a great cast too. The story revolves around the trial of two U.S. Marines charged with the murder of a fellow marine, which turned out to be an extrajudicial punishment ordered by the colonel on top. Cruise’s character here as defense lawyer tried to highlight the fact that his clients were just following orders. Marines believe that ‘You follow orders or people die’, especially crucial in wartime. But given the victim’s physically unfit condition, it would have been morally right to neglect the code. Thus the verdict ‘guilty of conduct unbecoming of a U.S. Marine’. But with Jack Nicholson’s difficult and  intimidating character, who’d dare say No? And with the high risk of punishment and staking their military careers for it, it’d be a dare to say No.

The closing of chapter 15 tells us of Baasha destroying all that breathed in the line of Jeroboam. That’s how he got the throne. It was an intimidating first impression. I picture him like a barbaric villain in periodic movies: proud, foul, and loud.  And if the royal house wasn’t able to protect itself from this man, who’d be safe then? When he talks, who’d dare speak up? When he walks, who’d dare not step aside, if not bow? It follows then that when he worshipped false gods, he expected all his subjects to join him. No exceptions. Now if you’re a common, family man, you wouldn’t want to get his attention by doing otherwise. But of course, you have a choice. Jehu took that risk. He was bold like his father Hanani who dared rebuke Asa for his alliance with Syria and was imprisoned for it. The word of the Lord came to them and they went to speak truth to these kings, not fearing for their lives. Their faith is on the One who rules all men, kings and commoners alike. They dared break the chain of command because they saw the highest command violated. They feared God rather than man.

Trending  worldwide on Twitter yesterday was PNoy’s second State of the Nation address.  First minutes of his speech were focused on his trademark fight against ‘Wangwang’ mentality. Tagged from the anti-siren policy for higher officials, he extends it to corruption in general, down to the private sectors. In light of our reading today, agree with me that corruption happens because those under them (that’s us) chose to step aside and be silent while they pass by?  Our secretary in Windsong is one rare jewel. She’d take time to confront a traffic officer or report a tricycle driver to their TODA when her judgments tell her they crossed a line. I mean why bother? Why can’t she be like everybody else who’d just raise an eyebrow, blurt a disgust on the system, and go on with their lives? Or, how about this: why can’t we be like her? Colonels and kings, government officials and company bosses, parents and teachers - - these highly esteemed people on position will demand our allegiance and compliance, and they have the right to do so. But when God’s moral standards are being compromised, we have a higher order from God to choose otherwise. Prerequisite for this is to know His will and be guided by His word. His ways are not always for us to face those giants with a sling. Sometimes, it’s just to stand our ground, refuse to bow down, and to keep the faith even if God may choose not to rescue us from the fiery furnace. Our one NO vote may not be enough to win a fight today, but God’s justice will sure come in time.  There may be a few good men to date, but do still sign in. In the end, God will sure win this case.  

Two Years Tick

1 Kings 15:15,16

Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

What happened in your life in the last two years? That’s 730 days or around 180 weeks. Scanning through the archives of my memory bank now, the big list says our family transfer here in Cebu, the kids homeschooling, the GCoMM conference I attended in Singapore, coordinating the Musaic worship conference after that, the vacation treats to Boracay and Plantation Bay, my work experience as Assistant Prod Manager for Hillsong Concert last year, the cantata I conducted the other Easter, the workshops I taught, and yes, this devotional blog. Of course the bad list, quite a lot of bullets there, is not for public consumption, hehe. Now, the next question is, if my life stops here, with both lists in God’s hands, will he categorize me under David’s line, or Jeroboam’s? Praise God for grace, in faith I’m with the royalties. But rewards? That's the deliberation part, hehe :>

Nadab’s was filed under Jeroboam. That’s logically predictable, for parents are every child’s foremost models. Asa, the king down south, represented those other kids who disapproves their dad’s wrongdoings and vowed to be differently better. In the 8 verses allotted Nadab, only two things were said about his two year reign: his ways caused Israel to sin and he was backstabbed by a fellow Israelite while besieging a Philistine town. And as prophesied by Ahijah, there was no decent burial for him nor his royal brothers, who were also murdered by Baasha, the one succeeding him as king. There was nothing refreshing or good or inspiring in his life. His’ was written more as a warning, a what-not-to-do flashing signal for us watching his life.     

How was your last two years? How do you plan your next two? What's in our bucket list - - to explore the world, pursue life’s pleasures and give in to our cravings? My funny, diabetic lola, whenever caught eating sweet treats had this script: ‘I’ll die anyway. At least I’d die full and happy’. And yes she did. She died. My tita said she last saw her taking an afternoon merienda (soda and pastries!) and went to sleep. Of course that’s a miniature example to our point here. Ecclesiastes encourages us to ‘Remember our Creator.. before the dust returns to the ground and the spirit returns to God who gave it. He will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.’ He will soon separate the lambs from the goats: those that believed His Son from those who disregarded His saving grace, those who pleased Him all their ways from those who lived life for themselves all their days. Which side are you filed in? What if we really have two years left in the hourglass to have that ticket and rewards for eternity, will you take it? Will you be willing to live each day for Him? Clock is ticking!

U Turn

1 Kings 15:18

Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the LORD's temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.

A change of mind is to have a different opinion or intention than you had before. Why would we do that? Is it because we failed to see the big picture before? Did we just become a different person all of a sudden?  Did the outcome betray our expectations? Or we’re really not committed in the first place? I have a friend who backed-out from her wedding a few days before the set date and even after flying across continents. Worse, she totally cut herself out of their relationship. The guy’s family was understandably furious and demanded for her to pay back all their expense to the last cent. Some of the cousins who were once her buddies became indifferent as well. Both sides had a change of mind. I wonder, where did all the love go?

King Asa had a good, righteous start. He reformed all the evil practices his family brought to Judah. He expelled all the male prostitutes and got rid of all the idols his father Abijah had made, and with a strong will, deposed his grandmother the position, power, and prestige of being queen mother. Then war broke between him and Israel’s king Baasha. Next thing we read is him taking out all the silver and gold in the Temple and used it to bribe the King of Syria to break alliance with his northern brothers. In Chronicles, when Hanani the seer rebuked him for this, he was so enraged that he put him in prison. So where did all the ‘he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord’ go? He risked his family relationship for God but here he’s clinging to heathens for a fight with his brothers. Those dedicated articles he himself brought to the temple, he’s here taking it all back as grease offering to Ben-Hadad.  We hope this is the best time for another change of mind. Sadly though, to his deathbed, even in severe illness, he never again sought help from the Lord. His good beginning was no guarantee for a happy ending :<

Backsliders are those who once knew the truth then completely turn their backs from it. It’s harder to undo their change of minds for they’ll brag to have been there. Did they leave because God was insufficient, or because His will is different from theirs? Pride is to see yourself, and your plans, better than God’s.  You shift gears, like Asa,  because you want answers now, deliverance now, perfect life now. When storms come, sickness strikes, pain remains, you become disoriented and you can’t connect it with a good God. So who left who? If God is unchangeable, whose mind faltered here?  If His Word is true, whose promises were left unkept? Let’s not carry our pride ‘til our deathbed. We can have that change of mind now. The Father is always on the wait for the prodigal. It’s Ur-Turn to take that U-Turn back home.

Dark Past

1 Kings 15:3

Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life--except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

Wikipedia defined prequel as a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting. In movies, it usually points back to how dark characters arrived to being Godfathers, Darth Vader or Hannibal Lecter. It presents them young as orphaned, deceived, and traumatized, which explains their inclination to the dark side. That without those incidents, they might have taken the good path. But there are prequels too that were created to expose our heroes’ dim past. We saw Wolverine murder his father and violently fought alongside his villain half-brother Sabretooth;  we hope to watch soon that it was really a son of Adam (the Pevensies’ uncle himself) who woke up the White Witch in Narnia;  and next year, we’ll witness how Bilbo steals the ring, and the dragon’s cup, and Thorin’s dynasty heirloom. Not so admirable for our well-loved hobbits :<

We’re almost two generations past David and still we find him here acknowledged for his devotion to God. More or less a thousand years more, that is, twenty eight more generations, his name will be most favored as people will call Jesus ‘the Son of David’.  Read ‘til the last book, and we’ll still find him mentioned. Why so much credit for someone with an adulterous and murderous background? Surely parents would not recommend such a role model for their children. Was it his devotion? Will our service outweigh our offense? How about this word: GRACE. There was nothing in David to deserve nor earn such favor. It all God’s choosing. Grace called him from tending sheep to ruling a nation; grace empowered his sling to kill a goliath; grace forgave his scandalous sins and with that same woman the wisest king that ever lived became his son; and, grace kept his royal line a thousand years more, despite his sons’ unfaithfulness.

The Bible saw it fit not to hide David’s flaws. It did mar his image. It even outlived him. But not so we would feast around his disgrace. It was meant to encourage us with the truth that ‘where sin increased, God’s grace abounds all the more’.  Our past may be dark and dim and degrading, but in light of His salvation, all has been forgiven and we are made new. Yes, new. Remember we don’t have a God who just reinvents junks, He is the Creator who starts from scratch.  The enemy will surely try to deceive us with guilt-tripping, but we have His Word to confirm that in Jesus, we are His new creation. So if anyone tries to resurrect your old life again, we can have this script: ‘Dark past? Oh, you mean God’s grace?’. Now, that’s a prequel worth sharing :>  

Perfectionist?

1 Kings 15:3

He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been.

For the longest time, I consider myself a good teacher. I was vibrant, creative, resourceful, and loving to the kids. WAS.  Homeschooling challenged that esteem. With my own kids, I get so drained, I feel irrelevant, and yes, I am losing my temper.  Every parent wishes to see their kids do their best. But my frustration springs from the unreasonable expectation for perfection. Sometimes I forget they’re just five and three. That those wiggly letters are already their improved scribbles and that blue apples are two separate words they can now identify. If only I’d just take Meriam-Webster’s definition of perfect as ‘corresponding to ideal standard’ instead of the idea of being ‘flawless’, then given my kids’ age, effort and enthusiasm, I think they’re just perfect :>

Our featured king today is Abijah, Rehoboam’s son. He only reigned three years and with only eight verses allotted to him in this book, we read this description: his heart was not ‘fully’ devoted to God, as David had been. Fast forward to the reign of his son Asa, in verse 14 of the same chapter, we’ll find this: ‘although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.’ The original word used was ‘shalem’ meaning complete or perfect. Wait. Perfect? Asa wasn’t flawless. David was not sinless either. But their hearts was perfect before God? It took me awhile to grasp this. Then I noticed shalem sounds like shalom, meaning peace. When I checked it again, yup, ‘shalem’ means at peace with God. Then I came across another perfect word, mature. One verse written was in the context of perseverance. Then I think I understand. A heart fully devoted to God is committing yourself to run His event, pushing all limits, with an eye to finish the race. We may fall like David or have backlogs like Asa, but unlike Abijah, they did not change course. They were committed to the one and only God.

I’m sure we all have frustrating seasons of imperfections. We share Elijah’s depression and hopelessness especially coming from that mountaintop experience. All the passion and promises to faithfully go and serve last week in a snap turned to so hating ourselves today because of that one covetous glance, one selfish lie, one thoughtless act. There were many times I wished the ground would just swallow me alive. Sin disrupts us momentarily. But should it stop us entirely? Flawlessness will say we’re disqualified, unworthy. Because we are. We can never be perfect. Our sins will block that peace. Praise God for grace. In Jesus, God sees us guiltless, blameless, sinless. He qualifies us and so we can keep on running and in the process achieve maturity, completeness, and be like Christ. So are we perfect? Yes, at peace with God. Perfect? Yes, getting there. Perfect? We’re justified :>

Comparing X and Y

1 Kings 14:22

Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done.

In our Ladies lifegroup last Wednesday, I was asked to read a portion from Bill Hybel’s ‘Essential Christianity’ BS material. It was about the author’s conversation with a beautiful woman on a plane. Leaning she was dating an NBA player and another one back home, he asked if she feels a little bit guilty about that. (She also bragged about her party lifestyle, doing grass and all). Let me copy-paste her reply. ‘I am not an Edi Amin, Adolph Hitler type. I am a decent woman. I am well-educated, well-adjusted.. I consider myself as medium as anybody else out there’. To this, Hybels replied, ‘I am interested why you compared yourself to Edi Amin and Hitler. Why not Mother Teresa, St.Francis of Assisi, or Jesus of Nazareth?’ That ended their talk.

We last saw Rehoboam, Solomon’s heir, being stopped by God in his pursuit of uniting the twelve tribes. Now we read him sinning more than his fathers had done. Having the devoted David as your grandfather and the wisest Solomon as father is a big shoe to fill. But if we remember them as David the adulterer-slash-murderer and Solomon the womanizer-slash-idolater, and exceeding that, no wonder we next read of God’s stirred jealous anger. He was no different from the ruler up north. (I wouldn’t push comparing them for one might appear ‘better’). Same Asherah poles, same shrine prostitution. What is worse though is that God chose His Name to reside in Jerusalem. They have the advantage of having His golden temple and His appointed priests there. Unbelievable that they would exchange their beautiful worship set up to stones and poles on hills and under every spreading tree. It’s like preferring to dine in scums when you have a mansion in Forbes. They exchanged a living God for lifeless, man-made idols. It is a child preferring his toy rather than his parents multiplied a million times over.  How insulting it is to equate the highest Being with not even His creation, but His creation’s crafted work! That’s two levels down. A wife may be reasonably jealous of the other woman prettier than her, but how nerve-wracking it is to be disregarded for an aged whore?  God as a holy God means He was set apart from the rest. Peerless! And they represent Him with calves? And we depict Him as man? Oh we should not! The second commandment forbids it – not just the bowing, but the making. He considers them God-haters.

We may not directly and consciously dethrone God in our lives, but by elevating another to our highest gaze is but the same idolatrous, insulting act. God will not share His occupied space - - that’s the heart of this matter.  Anything that robs Him of centrality and our foremost attention is an idol that provokes His jealous anger.  Let’s check our schedules, our finances, our goals, our relationships. Who’s on rank one? Who got the bulk pie percentage? Christ or You? Who or what are those items compared to God? Anyone on the list all-powerful, ever-present, and who knows all things? Anything sure and able to help us out in times of want and troubles, sickness and death? And yet we make them gods? A foolish exchange. A million times fall far short. Definitely not worth comparing.

Spare Your Children

1 Kings 14:1

At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill.

My dad was a drunkard before he became a pastor. Nope, not before he heard the truth, but even after he knew God’s grace and salvation. He was already serving as a deacon in church when a member caught him in one of the intersections of Ortigas Avenue extension, mimicking a traffic enforcer, heavily drunk. It was his most embarrassing moment. But it did not stop him from sneaking some more beers. Not even discipline from his leaders. Guess who did? God sent the little me to the hospital -  with bronchopneumonia - to shake my father’s core. Many said I was then a cute, chubby, cheerful girl to everyone’s delight. It was seeing me helpless and heavily breathing that pushed my dad to come to terms with God. He vowed to give up everything, and give his life to Him, in exchange for my healing. God did! And there was no turning back for my father since then.

Jeroboam was at the peak of his sin when we closed chapter 13. He continued leading Israel to idol worship and consecrated a-n-y-o-n-e who wanted to become priests. If in Eli’s time, we see the desecration of the temple by the sins of the supposedly pure ones, here we read the unpure ones leading. Imagine the implication :< It was so detestable that God sent a message of the coming destruction of that altar and all who attends to it. But that did not stop Jeroboam. Neither did the death of that man of God for o-n-e disobedience. Now we read of his son’s illness. That caught his attention. He sent his wife to Ahijah the prophet, with some gifts, but in disguise. Funny that Jeroboam thought a makeover would be relevant to an already blind prophet. Foolish too, for thinking that God could not make Ahijah recognize the queen. What is sad, aside from his should-be personal appearance, is that the visit was not in any way to come to terms with God. Jeroboam would just want to know what God has to say regarding his son, period. It’s like calling God to aid in our financial burdens, but blocking His hand in our career issues.  What is more sad is that even after hearing death for his son and destruction for his line, he neither repented nor pleaded at least. He was far worse than Pharaoh’s hard heart for in the death of his son, he yielded to God’s will to let His people go. Jeroboam continued to sin and took all Israel with him. He was said to be the prototype of an evil king. I say, he was the worst father too :<

Our children are our soft spots. They are the ultimate test of life’s contentment, hopes and priorities. No ransom is too high as payment for their safety. No name or influence matters in defending their cause. If only possible, we’d trade places in their sickness and pains. But how come all of us still live sinful lives? God did make it clear that He will punish the children for the sin of their fathers to the third and fourth generations. We are directly accountable for our individual sins, but guess who first gets affected when debts, immorality or addiction haunts us? You want some consolation? Jeroboam’s sick son was an upright one. God’s grace saw it fit to take him first and be honored with a state burial before every male was cut off in Jeroboam’s line. No loving parents would find that comforting - - and so would change their ways. I wonder if Eve would reconsider taking that bite if Abel was alive that time? Moreso if she knew how sin would take hold of Cain too.  It was a choice of raising her kids inside the garden or out in the wastelands. Oh please think a hundred times before that bite! Do spare the children from reaping those bad seeds :<

Sustain That Note

1 Kings 13:18

The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.'" (But he was lying to him.)

Controlled breathing is so important to singers. In sustaining a good tone, they need to achieve the perfect balance of holding back while letting go. Sounds crazy. But so difficult too. I wish singing would just be blurt outs and staccatos.  Maybe, I'd pass with that, haha :> But  my muscles are so lazy to hang on. You wouldn’t believe I signed up for Voice as my minor in the College of Music. In the middle of the semester, my teacher advised me to consider switching to flute. I didn’t. That needs a lot of air too, haha. I managed to finish the semester, and the next, and then I pulled myself out of that school. For a different reason though.

Here’s the second part of the story about that man of God. We now find him under an oak tree, possibly worn and famished. The encounter with the king was more than stressful and the idea of a long walk back home – without food and water - was unimaginable. Then an old prophet arrived with an invitation to dine at his home. God’s order was still clear to him at this time and so he refused. But the old man was persistent. Suggesting food to a hungry man makes him hungrier, right? Mentioning it again, that will make him drool. The man of God is now very vulnerable. Flesh is now taking over his spirit. The old prophet completed his goal when he tapped his mind, his will. He lied that an angel sent him. Coming from an old prophet, that’s quite believable. With no further inquiries and confirmations, he dropped his defenses and took the offer. He was halfway the finish line. He may have accomplished the bulk of the assignment in Bethel, but it was not yet over ‘til he’s home. The old prophet bothers me too. How could he, at his final lap of ministry, deceive his co-worker and cause his destruction?

When God calls us to a faithful and steadfast commitment, it means He expects us to be unwavering, persevering, and fixed ‘til the end. It’s sad that even after being used by God mightily in Egypt and in crossing the Red sea, plus enduring the company of thousand of complainers, Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promise Land because he once angrily struck the rock and dishonored God. Yes, just one unguarded moment. Just one meal for Esau and this man of God. Just one lie for the old prophet. We sure have vulnerable times. Thorns in the flesh. But we also have a God who promised grace sufficient and strength perfect in weakness. Hide His Word in your heart. He never contradicts His own assignment. Sustain that note. Don’t ever let go.

A Soldier’s Call

1 Kings 13:1

By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering.

My husband recently browsed through Discovery Channel’s World Ward 2 series in full color. He said it was amusing to watch war documentaries like it happened just a few years past. I sat down with him one night, and although I prefer war dramas than the narrative clips, I’d say they did a good job in making this part of our history come alive. What caught my thoughts was the sight of so many soldiers, lined up, marching, and ready to receive orders - - difficult orders. Whether forcibly recruited or at will,  the call was towards all dangers and even death. They were soldiers of their nation. ‘Twas their identity, not their names nor their faces. And once dropped in the field, there was no turning back.

A man of God was called from out of Judah to deliver a hard message to Israel’s king up north. It was a difficult, dangerous call. Possibly on foot, he traveled towards the high place in Bethel. Add to the perilous journey was the order to not eat or drink anything while he’s there.  As if on cue, he arrives while Jeroboam, not a priest, was burning incense at the altar. If it was me, I think this part was the most difficult. Shall I do a bit of coughing at least, or look around for an easy face for some rapport? This is the king and this is his homecourt! But the man was direct. And God merciful. The message of destruction was for the altar. The sin. God was opening a door for Israel to repent of this idolatry. Next  scenes were action-packed: Jeroboam stretched out his hand with orders to seize the man; instantly his hand became paralyzed in that position; he asked the man to intercede for his healing; the man prayed; the hand was restored; the king invited the man to eat with him; the man refused and left.  Just in case you missed two difficult struggles there, let me zoom in again: (1) praying for someone who seconds ago threatened to harm him, and (2) saying No to dining with the king when his tummy was shouting a big YES. That forgiveness was not mentioned in his sign up sheet. Food looks trivial compared to the big message already delivered. But the man of God faithfully kept his call, even exceeded his JD. At least up to verse 10. We don’t know his name, but we know who he works for. He was a good soldier.

It’s a delight reading verses about love, blessings, joy, promise, hope, rewards. It makes life sun shiny-ish and warm and singable. I have a good friend who recently asked for prayers in deciding whether or not to accept a humongous job. God gave her Isaiah 51:3 ‘The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD..’ Comfort, compassion, Eden and garden all looks appealing. But note that achieving those means working alongside words like ruins, deserts, wastelands. Quite a call for second thoughts right? Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Peter, Paul - - big names with big achievements for God. But we’re they called for comfortable tasks? Was the end goal for their comforts either? Life is hard because we’re against the world’s high walls of sin. Doing right means going against that flow. That’s our call. To stand up for what is God’s, even if it means standing up alone. Our identity now is in Christ, not our names nor you faces. We’re His soldiers now.