“You shall love your neighbor as yourself…” Lev 19:18

The Amish are my neighbors now. We hear the clip-clop of the horse-drawn buggies pass by our house. We see them at the farmer’s markets and their roadside stands. We buy their fresh eggs. We eat their whoopie pies. From beards to suspenders, straw hats to aprons, there is not a more “conservative” bloc of voters than this cloistered yet principled, simple folk. 

The believer’s response to “love thy neighbor” is visceral and spontaneous. Perhaps no phrase is more distinctly Christian. Few imperatives elicit more soul-searching. There are, after all, only two commandments which we are told to keep. We must unreservedly love God. Of course. And then we must love our neighbors. Jesus then framed this command with the timeless parable of the Good Samaritan to punctuate His point. It was an instant classic.

That His words would be turned into a slogan or political wedge to trigger people—as a guilt bomb, to play the shame game and push an agenda—is quite offensive to me. Quoting scripture may be used to give one’s position an authoritative cloak and an air of moral superiority. Abusing scripture, on the other hand, is a serious transgression and invites God’s wrath upon those who do it intentionally and to manipulate. God have mercy!

It turns out it’s not only Christians who have figured out the power of this now popularized catch phrase used to red pill believers about everything from climate change to the covid vaccine. Even Gavin Newsom got a “revelation”, putting up billboards in Texas advertising his state’s up-to-birth abortion laws under the banner: “California is Ready to Help. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”.*

It has also been used ad nauseam to justify support for open borders. This PC campaign esteems “Compassion” as the highest of all virtues. Even if it means breaking our laws, compromising our sovereignty and security, and simultaneously accepting minor inconveniences such as: tens of thousands of deaths due to fentanyl, unfettered rape of female migrants, mind-numbing human trafficking statistics, and unscalable gang violence in our cities. Aren’t all the traumatized and victimized American citizens also, or even more so, our neighbors? Wasn’t Laken Riley our neighbor?! Or are we supposed to believe “compassion” for her Venezuelan illegal immigrant killer is the moral high ground? 

I have lived overseas for most of my life. Perhaps this explains why I did not get the memo that Christian leaders should not talk about politics. While we are rightly cautioned to beware of the “leaven of Herod” (Mk 8:15); to ignore politics or culture that affects our freedoms, values, justice, and prosperity is akin to inviting disciples into our rowboat and forget the oars. It is the “leaven” that is the problem: allowing unseen and insidious forces to proliferate unchecked in our spirits, clouding our minds, dividing our allegiance. 

To dismiss or ignore politics—to disengage or to be willy-nilly of its potential for good and for evil—is foolish and harmful. We may find ourselves floating in the sea of irrelevance, or worse yet, paddling in the current of the Third Reich, just like the passive and voiceless church of Germany had done. Their verdict? Complicity may be too kind. Accessory, defined as one who assists, but does not actually participate, in the commission of a crime, is probably a more accurate indictment. 

And yet 41 million Christians are predicted NOT to vote in the upcoming election. Though we have the opportunity to stem the tide of illegals pouring across our borders, or stop needless wars, or become energy independent again, or protect the sanctity of life—even life in the womb, to sit there and do nothing is not just ambivalent, it is callous. Your neighbor’s daughter may be “transitioning” to become a boy right now, groomed by a radicalized teacher at the public school down the street, then given puberty blockers, and counseled to have a mastectomy. How do we love our neighbors exactly?

In 1972 a landmark Supreme Court ruling was made in favor of Amish fathers who refused to send their children to public school on religious grounds. Despite their stereotypical turtle-shelled and apolitical persona, they rose up to fight for their freedoms. 52 years later, the Smaug in them is stirring again. Fed up by all the insane regulations and heavy taxes the government has burdened them with these last few years, the Amish will be going to the polls in record numbers. They want to make a stand for the rights of the unborn. They are incensed that their religion and speech liberties are threatened. They don’t want their taxes paid by the sweat of their own brows spent on sex change surgeries for convicted felons. So while millions of evangelical Christians wallow in their apathy and indifference, the Amish buggies will be rockin’ on November 6th.

I am volunteering to drive them to the polls. Seems like the neighborly thing to do. 

• If you are interested in a detailed research into the “Love Your Neighbor” ploy, including the NIH’s push to get “skeptical” Christians on board with their mandate by employing an advertising campaign entitled “Love Your Neighbor, Get the Shot”, check out Megan Basham’s Shepherds for Sale. You won’t want to put it down.

“Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.”  Ps 37:1

David was vigilant to protect his heart against the vile and bitter effects of envy. David had witnessed an “evil spirit” come upon Saul when the king saw and heard the women of Jerusalem dancing in the streets and singing that David had slain his ten thousands whereas Saul had only killed a thousand of Israel’s enemies. His first-hand experience confirms James’ teaching (3:15). Envy is demonic—causing Saul, who was being calmed by David’s psaltry, to suddenly become enraged to the point of being crazed, even homicidal. 

Jos 14 relates the story of two men who had done mighty exploits together. When 12 leaders were chosen to represent their tribes to “spy out” the Promised Land, only Joshua and Caleb found faith and courage to “go up and take possession” of this mountainous region where giants lived. Yet only Caleb was personally singled out and commended by God with these powerful words:

“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land…and his descendants shall inherit it.” Num 14:24

So when Moses chose Joshua to be his successor instead of Caleb, do you think he felt slighted? Was Caleb upset at Moses for passing him by, despite God showering praise upon him? Would he harbor jealousy at Joshua, or entertain the lie that God was not being fair? Would he open the door to that hungry beast of envy that licked its chops, ready to pounce on us?

The answer to these questions is found in Jos 14. It seems Caleb’s “different spirit” enabled him to rise above the fray and resist the temptation to envy Joshua. When Joshua was promoted to be Israel’s new leader, Caleb found grace to accept Joshua’s leadership, and submit to him. Since God had personally promised him and his descendants the region of Hebron, why did he find it even necessary to involve Joshua? It seems he had every right to just forge on ahead, to run with the Word God had spoken to him.

But Caleb chose to humble himself. His actions showed that he trusted God; if God had exalted Joshua, then to align himself with Joshua was to align himself with Yahweh. And finally, perhaps most importantly, he honored Joshua as his leader. In doing so, he left us all a vivid example. You see, honor and envy are opposites. Rather than be jealous of another’s achievements, I should recognize and celebrate them. Rather than fretting over what someone else has, I’m called to honor God for His generosity to them. Rather than comparing my gifts with others, I embrace them (and their gift), knowing that only those who receive a prophet qualifies to receive a prophet’s reward. 

Imagine if Cain had come to Abel in humility and said, “I want my offering to be acceptable to God too. Can you show me how I can be pleasing to God?” Imagine if Saul had bowed before the Father in thanksgiving for blessing him with a warrior and general, the likes of which only comes along every millennia! Imagine how many church splits would be avoided if the “Calebs” of our day trusted God to work through our Joshuas, and honored them from their hearts. 

When David was tempted to be envious, he continues in Psalm 37 to give us practical ways to overcome its attraction. They include (vs. 3-4):

• “Trust in the Lord, and do good”. God knows what He is doing. He knows when, where, and how to bless, reward, and promote us. We just need to keep doing the right thing. In due season, He will exalt us too, if we faint not. 
• “Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness”. We must learn to be content with where we’re at and what we’ve been given. Rather than “eating” a constant diet of what disappoints or frustrates us, feed on the things God has done and is doing. Praising Him for His faithfulness at breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and during coffee breaks, and yes, even midnight snacks!), prevents us from descending the slippery slope of comparing, jealousy, strife, and resentment. Envy’s power is forced to stop in its tracks. 
• “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” When you focus on, cherish and constantly thank God, you will be so full of His love and peace that what someone else has pales in comparison to the riches you have in Him. In your flesh, you may think “if I only have what that person has”; but the one who loves the Lord and follows Him fully will be blessed with those things that satisfy the deepest longings of his heart. 

Beloved, envy is a cruel master. It is stalking you. It wants to subdue you. It is subtle, and crafty. So let’s stay vigilant, and excel in exhorting one another to chain our gates…until this crouching adversary gives up, realizing we will never, ever, under any circumstances, let him in. 

“For you have said in your heart…I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will be like the Most High.”  IS 14:13-14

I had always heard it argued that pride is the original sin. While it is true that Lucifer became enamored with his own anointing, beauty (“every precious stone covered you”), and ability (“gold work of tambourines and of pipes were in you”, Eze 28:13), what actually provoked him to act upon his swollen heart is revealed in his declaration that he would take possession of things that belonged to God alone. So the true culprit of Satan’s insurrection was envy, a dark relentless drive to displace and dethrone God in order to “preside on the mountain of the gods” (Is 14:13, NLT).

Is it any wonder, then, that the way the Devil tempted Eve was to stir up the idea that God was being unfair if not unjust in withholding the power to decide what was right and wrong from her. What specifically was the temptation? “In the day you eat of it…you will be like God” (Gen 3:5). Sound familiar? 

A deeper look at the Ten Commandments is also quite revealing. Once you draw back the curtains, you can see the spirit of envy at work in coveting what belongs to your neighbor. That one is obvious. How about stealing from them? How about adultery, literally taking away that which is another man’s (or woman’s) most precious and sacred relationship. Bearing false witness is a conniving way to ruin something a man works his entire life to establish, his reputation. The envious know when he maligns another man, he degrades him, creating a void which he can then fill. Part 1 already established the symbiosis between envy and murder. Envy is like a rip current overpowering even the strongest swimmers away from the shores of righteousness. It seems half of the Big Ten are connected in some way to envy.

Beloved, virtually every “sin list” in the New Testament contains envy*. Paul, James, Peter, and Jesus Himself warn us.  Like its father, the Serpent, envy slithers in the fields of our lives ready to sink its venomous teeth into us. Now that I see it, I wonder how I could have been so unsuspecting. And yet, it’s seldom talked about. When is the last time you heard a sermon about envy?

Remember, envy states I must have what someone else has. Stronger than jealousy, a line is crossed. Resentment brews. Reason is clouded. Sarah is compelled to send Hagar and Ishmael into exile and certain death. Joseph’s brothers plot to kill him, and end up selling him into slavery. Saul impulsively tries to skewer David three times with his spear. 

David was not only a victim of envy, he struggled with it too. Thankfully, he saw this lion of sins crouching at his door and did not let it in to devour him. In Ps 73 he confesses: “I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper” (v.2,3). In Part 3 I will share insights of how we can take every precaution to make sure this powerful enemy, a CIA-type commander in the army of Satan, can be disarmed and its fangs removed. 

For David, it began with a confession. God, envy has been pulling me farther and farther from the shore of your love and grace. Envious thoughts have been sapping my devotion, trying to lure me to make rivals of those who are my friends, creating confusion, suspicions, and stealing my peace. Wisely, David ran to the altar of God and received a download and impartation that quenched this cruel fiery dart. In verse 17 he writes:

“I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood…” 

I strongly suggest we do the same. 

• Mk 7:22; Rom 1:29; 13:13; Gal 5:20-21; 1 Tim 6:4-5; Tit 3:3; Jam 3:14-16; 1 Pet 2:1

“A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.”  PR 14:30

“South of the Border” signs were everywhere. I was nine the first time our family traveled the East Coast corridor down to Florida from Vermont. Hundreds of miles before crossing from North to South Carolina, distinct and colorful billboards dotted I-95 of this faux-Mexican tourist trap. The sheer volume of these comical posts stirred my curiosity and etched on my memory. Who was “Pedro”? This place is crazy, it must be fun! Oh how I wished we could have checked it out! What a brilliant idea.

Holy Spirit loves to strew our paths with “signs” to get our attention. Although there are times when I get instant perspective, downloads or neon blasts of understanding on subjects, He most often woos me, line upon line, step by step, into grasping something once beyond me. For the past several weeks the Heavenly Highlighter has marked up the pages of my pilgrimage on the subject of envy. Wow. How could something so consequential have remained in the shadows for so long? 

Bob Sorge has written a wonderful yet frightening book on Envy, which he calls “the most underrated weapon in Satan’s arsenal”. You see, envy is a bone-level sin. It’s deep, embedded, and when left unchecked it’s a universal contaminator. Consider James 3:16: 

“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil (vile) thing are there.” 

Wherever envy takes roots in a life, the fruits are bitter, contentious, and rank. Sorge defines envy as “the painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to posses the same advantage.” Whereas its cousin jealousy says “I want what you have”, envy spouts “I must have it”, then adds “and I’m going to make sure you don’t!” This resolve can become obsessive, aggressive, even violent.

That’s why envy’s partners in scripture are not your garden variety types. It’s aligned with “self-seeking”, “strife”, “hatred”, even “murder”. Yes, murder. Consider envy’s inaugural appearance in the Bible: the story of the first siblings in history. A rivalry had been seething between Cain and Abel. Scripture vividly portrays sin as “crouching” like a predator at the door—lurking, seeking just the right opportunity to spring into the room and devour. Although God said to Cain, you must subdue, master, and rule over it, he failed. The result: the fire of envy in his belly erupted as untethered rage. He struck and killed Abel. 

Solomon the Wise “observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy” (Ecc 4:4 MSG), identifying it as a subterranean and pernicious force against normal, healthy interactions. When unbridled, envy becomes aligned with dark, beastly spirits that stir up and energize some of our basest human emotions. These are the spirits that infected the Jewish leaders to hand Jesus over to be crucified. Why? “Because of envy” (Mk 15:10). James doesn’t mince words about what he calls “bitter envy” either, branding it as “earthly, sensual, demonic” (Jam 3:14,15). The King James Version says “devilish”. Touché!

Paul, too, vigilantly resisted envy’s entry into his life, stating in 2 Cor 10:12 “we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves” with others. He recognized comparing his gifts, achievements, or progress with others can be the first stage on the slippery slope to becoming competitive, to intensifying rivalry, to antagonism, before plummeting into all-out discord and enmity. He was determined to subdue and master this crouching foe, before it was too late. We’d be wise to do the same.

Beloved, as we set our hearts and hopes upon revival, one of the clearest antecedents is unity. Until we uncover and deal with envy’s subterfuge, the very thing we seek may remain…buried beneath Pedro’s sombrero, somewhere South of the Border. 

“Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.” Job 16:19 NIV

My best friend’s a lawyer.

From Perry Mason to O.J. Simpson, from Judge Judy to the Trump trials, Americans have a love affair with courtroom drama. The same passion that stirs us to jump and scream for a Brady-like, last second touchdown boils our blood when justice is meted out, when “our guy” or “our team” comes out on the winning side as the last gavel echos in the halls of judgment. 

I recently read that President Trump has forked out around $100 million in legal fees to defend himself against the tsunami of “crimes” he is being accused of. The truth is, anyone facing trial and the prospects of being stripped of freedom knows no expense can be spared to hire the best attorney possible. Bank accounts are emptied. Debts are accrued. Properties mortgaged. None of these things can be enjoyed when you are in prison anyway! A good lawyer becomes your only hope.

Job realized this. It was the only thing that propped him up when his entire world came crashing down, when all his “friends” and even his wife added to his misery with their slings and arrows. Despite the mountain of evidence that swelled against him, the revelation that he had one Witness who would testify on his behalf, and that He was also the most powerful Advocate in the universe, emboldened and imbued him with confidence. Seeing Him, Job did not surrender to despair, or lower himself to attacking those who harmed him. Knowing His position, His track record, His tenacity, Job was convinced there could only be one outcome to his trial: justice would prevail. 

Sometimes I wonder how the drama of my own trial will play out. Given the preponderance of evidence stacked against me, the fact that I am guilty to the bone, how will my case be decided? 

On thing is for sure: I dare not represent myself in these proceedings! Neither dare I skimp to hire a budget defender. I need a good lawyer…no, the best lawyer, the only one who guarantees victory for all who trust Him. And to think I don’t have to go into debt to retain Him. He’s offered to take my case pro bono! 

Jesus literally is our Defense Attorney. Whenever I mess up, He goes to bat for me, making appeals, filing motions, paying fines, bail, and bonds, even bearing the punishment which was supposed to be mine. The evidence of his scars and empty tomb are the assurance of my acquittal and yours. 

Like Job, we need a revelation of our Advocate in our day. We need to recover the kind of ferocious appreciation for our Intercessor that Charles Wesley expressed so poignantly in his hymn, Arise My Soul Arise, written in 1742: 

Five bleeding wounds He bears received on Calvary

They pour effectual prayers they strongly plead for me

“Forgive him, O forgive, ” they cry

“Forgive him, O forgive, ” they cry

“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

John the Beloved had known Jesus as his best friend, teacher, prophet, and ultimately his Savior. But after Jesus died, was buried, and ascended into heaven, his message to his followers “so that you may not sin” was that Jesus has become the Defense Attorney for all peoples, for all time. As you consider the prospects of going to trial, of dealing with accusations or wracked by guilt, of appearing before the Judge of all the earth, may this truth grip and anchor you as it did Job:

“But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.” 1 John 2:1b NLT

“His eyes were like a flame of fire…I fell at His feet as dead.”  Rev 1:14,17

A part of me longs to see Jesus face to face more than anything else; a part of me shutters at the thought. Although I know it will be awesome and totally transformational, I am also keenly aware that “it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31 NASB). 

This is not typically the way we portray Jesus these days. We default to the gentle Shepherd image, of One who offers mercy, solace, unconditional acceptance, and embrace. I memorized Psalm 23 in Sunday school before my fifth birthday, and these words have pillowed me through life’s valleys for nearly sixty years. I am so, so grateful for this heritage, knowing I have unfettered access to God—just as I am, no matter what, no matter when. And yet…

I’m struck that Biblical encounters with God are not always a kumbaya affair. Sometimes, vulnerable and ashamed, we search high and low for fig leafs or we duck behind the nearest tree. Sometimes it ends up being a wrestling match that lasts all night long. When God showed up on Sinai, the children of Israel decided it was safer to stay in the camp rather than risk approaching the quaking mountain where loud thunder, lightening and thick clouds made them cower and cringe. 

When Joshua saw the Lord as he approached Jericho, he immediately “fell on his face to the earth” (Jos 5:14). So did Ezekiel (Eze 2:1) when the heaven’s opened and he beheld his Maker. Isaiah’s instinctive reaction to seeing the Lord high and lifted up was to cry out, I’m doomed, ruined, undone! (Is 6:5). In the presence of such holiness, he was suddenly, intensely aware of his own unworthiness and impurity. 

John had been one of Jesus’ closest friends. He is often called the Beloved, referring to himself in his Gospel as “the one whom Jesus loved”. John mentions leaning upon Jesus’ bosom as they sat together during the Last Supper. And yet, when John sees the Resurrected Christ while in exile on the island of Patmos, he begins the Book of Revelation by describing Jesus not in concert with our meek and mild stereotypes. He holds stars in His hand and there is a sharp sword coming out of His mouth. His countenance is “like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev 1:16). His eyes are on fire.

The same eyes that the prophet Hanani had described as “run[ning] to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong” (2 Chr 16:9) fell squarely on John and nearly scared him to death…literally. They searched him to his core in what had to have been one of the most sobering moments of any human in history. 

These same eyes then began to inspect the churches in seven prominent cities in what is now Turkey. The first words he speaks are repeated to each church: “I know your works…” (Rev 2:2). His eyes perform visual surgery. Nothing escapes their scrutiny. They were able to penetrate and with perfect clarity scan the breadth and depths of each congregation, and to diagnose without prejudice the true condition of every man and woman. He deftly discerns every thought and intention of our hearts, as the author of Hebrews says, adding “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but in all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12,13).  

Despite the spine-chilling prospect of being overwhelmed and floored by a face to face encounter with the Ruler of the Universe, deep down I know there is nothing we need more than to have a revelation of who Jesus truly is, to feel the burn and weight of those blazing eyes, then receive grace “by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb 12:28).

“If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.” Est 4:14

Silence may be passive, but that does not mean it is neutral or impotent. Christianity as it has evolved in the West (and then exported around the world) reasons that it is safer and less contentious not to talk about controversial topics, to be “sensitive”, “tolerant”, and careful not to offend. We point to Jesus who did not respond when Pilate questioned him, making it a virtue to be like the Lamb who maintained His silence when being led to the slaughter. Funny how we conveniently forget that He also offended people everywhere He went.

While there are certainly times when it is virtuous and proper to remain quiet (Ecc 3:7), it is often just a cop out, a way to justify inaction, a ruse. Many equate meekness with weakness, or spiritualize their timidity by claiming what we are really interested in is souls. The truth is, we just need to grow a spine! 

Esther faced a choice. She was queen. She considered herself secure dressed in her royal regalia behind the mighty palace walls. The king had chosen her over all the gorgeous maidens in the whole kingdom. When the decree was issued and sent by couriers throughout the land “to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day” (Est 4:13, sounds eerily prescient, doesn’t it?!), she thought she and her family would be immune. She was wrong—nearly dead wrong. Sometimes inaction invites aggression; and silence leads to violence. 

Jeremiah had a choice too. While other “prophets” glossed over impending doom and painted a rosy picture “for encouragement”, Jeremiah was compelled to prophesy inconvenient truths for which he was beaten, placed in stocks, sent to prison, and lowered into a cesspool. The Word of the Lord “burned like a fire shut up in [his] bones” (Jer 20:9), so despite paying a dear price, Jeremiah shed the lamb cloak and roared like a lion. 

Bonhoeffer made his choice. In an age when pulpits all over Germany became the soapboxes of the Nazis, as the poison of hatred, bigotry, and deception spread like ivy into streets, homes, and hearts of the nation, he was a voice crying in a wilderness of eerie compliance and compromise. At a time when oblivious choir anthems drowned out the clickety-clack of Auschwitz-bound boxcars outside the gates of her sanctuaries, Bonhoeffer bellowed with unfettered conviction: “silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” 

Mordecai’s message to Esther then is God’s message to us today, beloved. These too are foreboding times. We close our ears to the jackboots marching through our streets and schools and institutions of power to our peril. I want to be more than just inspired by the Bonhoeffer’s of history. I want the same fire to burn in my bones that burned in Jeremiah’s. And I want to speak up like Esther who could not be silent understanding she had “come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Est 4:14). 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Mat 5:4

Honor is the way of the Kingdom. God Himself dwells in an atmosphere of “honor and glory” (eg, 1 Tim 1:17; 2 Pet 1:17; Rev 5:13). Another way of expressing this is to say God is drawn to, attracted by, and manifests Himself in the place where honor is practiced. Whenever the Kingdom of God is present, a culture of honor and respect is reflected in relationships and institutions. 

This by itself should stir us to intentionally promote honor in all our interactions; for when we do, we are inviting the power and influence of Heaven to invade our broken and fallen world. Of course the opposite is also true. The enemy’s kingdom is irreverent, unscrupulous, contemptible. Harboring these attitudes is tantamount to opening the door for dark forces to have dominion and create a fully “crooked and perverted” culture (Phil 2:15 CSB). That is such an accurate description of what we are watching unfold around us!

In the Christian worldview, the standard of honor is hoisted over every manner of relationship. Husbands and wives honor each other. Children honor their parents. We show honor to the elderly, and towards leadership whether in the church, in the work place, or towards civil authorities. We honor acts of heroism and sacrifice, we dignify the rights of the unborn, and we honor those who have passed on before us (Eph 5:21,33; 6:1-3; Lev 19:32; 1 Tim 5:17; Eph 6:5-9; Rom 13:1-7; Act 8:2; Ps 139:13-16; Deu 34:8).

Jesus spoke of a day when people’s hearts would grow cold and unresponsive to lamenting and mourning their dead (Mat 11:17). He likely saw a generation arising that would tear down the statues of its heroes and fathers. Whether due to being completely self-absorbed, emotionally paralyzed, or ideologically distracted, Jesus does not specify the reason for this perplexing shift. But two things are clear: this is a dangerous place to be in, and we are now living through such a time. 

Joseph stands out as a man who well understood the principle of honor. Though Prime Minister of Egypt, when he heard his father Jacob was dying, he took time off from his heavy responsibilities and brought his two sons to their frail grandpa’s bedside. He immediately perked up! This literally resulted in what I call a 3D blessing: Direct, Double, and Distinct. The boys received a direct blessing of the laying on of hands from Jacob, Joseph’s portion in the land was two tribes and not one, and the prophecy of Joseph’s legacy released by Jacob was the longest and by far the most positive among all his brothers. As he alone was moved to honor his father in this way, although Jacob released words over all of his sons, only Joseph’s prophesy contained the word “bless”— repeated six times! 

This is a tangible testimony of the truth of Jesus’ injunction. Mourning as the penultimate act of showing honor unlocks blessings. But Jesus does not stop there. He goes on to say it also is brings comfort to those who are moved to mourn. People who do not take the time to reflect upon the example or consider the sacrifices and contributions of those who have passed on before them are forfeiting a deep-seated cry in the heart of us all: the need to have our tears wiped away, and have assuaging words that implant abiding peace spoken over us in times of loss, grief, and affliction. 

While being “blessed” is a sustained state of contentment, the addition of comfort points to healing as well. In fact, our English translation here is weak, for the Greek word parakaleo is one of the names of the Holy Spirit, also called the “Comforter”, meaning an advocate, companion, guide, and personal instructor—literally meaning one called alongside.  

God wants His precious sons and daughters to be positioned squarely beneath the spout that pours forth blessing and comfort from the base of His throne. One sure way to open Heaven’s spigot is to do as Romans 12:10 commands us: “outdo one another in showing honor” (ESV).

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no fruit…Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Hab 3:17-18 NIV

Habakkuk lived in stressful, tenuous times. He opens the book with this bleak description: “destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds…the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.” (1:3,4). Sounds a lot like 2024! Such is the timelessness of the Word of God. 

The Hebrew word for prophet is nabi which means one who sees, or a seer. They were given insight, an ability to interpret and have an enlightened perspective about the culture and spiritual condition of the people of God. Sometimes this also included foresight, to know what God was going to do in the near future or distant events such as details of the Messianic era, or even the end of the world. 

What Habakkuk saw was a nation on the brink. God’s children had become hardened and perverse, to the point that God was about to punish them through the Babylonians, a “bitter and nasty nation…terrible and dreadful” (1:6,7). Their land would be pillaged, and the people exiled and oppressed for seventy years. Against this backdrop, it would be easy to fall prey to hopelessness or become cynical. But that is not what happened. 

Habakkuk does not comes across as a fire and brimstone preacher. He does not convey a sense of anger, judgment, or despair. On the contrary, his message is buoyant, even hopeful. He assures Israel that at the appointed time, the Babylonians too would face their comeuppance, being plundered even as they had gone about plundering (2:8). He affirms them that God’s vision for Israel may be delayed, but “it will surely come” (2:3), even to the point that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (2:14). Rather than become fixated upon and frustrated by the negative, Habakkuk accentuated and declared the positive. What a great idea!

What was his secret? How was he able to maintain a cheery disposition in the face of such ominous and painful circumstances? Simply put, true Nabis are approved to be spokesmen not because their eyes see and address the evils and threats that are around them; but because their eyes are glued to the Lover of their souls. A Nabi is anchored by his true focus and passion, and that means God first and foremost. It is only in this way that he can qualify to speak for God because his words must not convey just the facts, but the feelings of the Father as well. Otherwise, punishment can appear harsh, even brutal, when in truth it is measured and corrective, and always done in love and for our benefit. 

Habakkuk closes his prophecy with an unforgettable hymn (3:17-19). With Babylon breathing down the neck of the nation, facing the prospect of being stripped, plundered, and taken captive, Habakkuk showed them it is still possible to choose to be joyful. He points us to a Source in God to which we have complete and unfettered access. He emphatically states, “The Lord God is my strength” and “He will make me walk on my high hills” (3:19), i.e. God will see to it that we do not suffer under the yoke of our circumstances, but are above them and therefore not subject to their powers. 

In an hour when destruction, violence, injustice, and conflict abound once again, aren’t you glad Habakkuk demonstrated that it is possible to lean on God as our Source of strength and rise above the fray and frenzy of every battle, challenge, and trial. 

“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy.” Is 54:16

I have a confession: We spanked our kids. Not every day. Not willy-nilly. Not with excessive force. Not in anger. I know, “enlightened” psychologists wouldn’t condone our methods. I know, some sixty “progressive” nations have outlawed corporal punishment. I know, there are many for whom spanking combines with other parenting practices and behaviors to be truly abusive. But when God’s Word clearly states we must not “spare the rod”, it trumps everything and everyone else. And God forbid we judge any action by its abuses. 

No serious student of the Bible can deny that God spanks his kids too. Not with spatulas and wooden spoons, mind you. How about a judicious use of “time outs”, or sending them to their rooms? I guess you might consider seventy years of exile in Babylon a kind of divine equivalent! 

If you are like me, you quickly gloss over Is 54:16 so you can get to the thrilling and familiar promise of v.17. Who doesn’t like to hear “No weapon formed against you will prosper”? Did I hear an Amen! But it is good to be reminded that context matters. What weapon is Isaiah referring to? Some verbal attack by an offended friend or family member? Or maybe a colleague being critical of our decisions, or leadership style, or wardrobe? An insensitive IG post? Certainly something unjust, or even malicious, right? 

You may be surprised to discover the “weapon” was actually formed in The Lamb’s Blacksmith Shop. God says, “I have created” the instruments used to punish you, Israel. He is the one who authorized the “spoiler to destroy”, also translated a ravager, a waster, and a destroyer to wreak havoc. Although we much prefer to see God as our Good Shepherd who makes us lie down in verdant pastures (which, of course, He does!), the truth is there are also times when He is forging tools to whack or restrain us. Ouch!

If we fail to rightly discern the Source of our present predicament, we are in danger of rebuking the Lord for sending us a gift meant to cause us to grow more mature and strong. We may resist a rod sent to discipline us, intended “for our profit” and to produce in us “the peaceable fruits of righteousness” (see Heb 12:7-11), thinking that it is an attack against us from our adversary. 

This is not to deny there are times when Satan comes after us to kill, steal, and destroy. But beloved, be warned lest you fail to see God’s Hand at work bringing afflictions upon you to prove, sharpen, and awaken something in you (see Is 54:11-13). God is even big enough to use the Devil to promote His purposes when He wants! As much as I have benefitted from engaging in spiritual warfare, I have also learned through the years that there are many times when the Lord is spanking me, and in those moments I am not meant to fight, but submit and humbly ask the Father to help me learn my lessons well. 

Lest we forget, the second half of the verse that says our enemy comes to destroy concludes with Jesus saying He comes that we may have “more and better life than you ever dreamed of” (Jn 10:10 MSG).