April 5 - God is Not “Ruth”less

Read today’s texts first: Ruth 1,2; Psalms 53,61; 2 Corinthians 5

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
If God can create our bodies with a brain connecting
to our trillions of cells, then He can relate personally
to each of the 7+ billion people on this planet!

I love these refreshing vignettes in Scripture. Within the dark and depressing era of the judges is this beautiful, uplifting story of Ruth. Sometimes, when we read of God’s judgments over entire nations, we may not realize His tender love for each individual. I recently had a conversation with a successful developer considering a major life-altering decision to pursue ministry. In illustrating how aware I believe God is in those personal moments, I talked to him about the trillions of cells in his body right now controlled by and dependent on his brain. Is it a stretch to imagine the God who created our bodies is capable of personally directing our lives, even though we are each only one of seven billion people on this planet? The story of Ruth proves that thought is true!

Our reading in the Psalms shows how personal God is: God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God (53:2); Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings, for You have heard my vows, oh God (61:4b,5a). God did just that for Naomi and Ruth - two poor, widowed women who had no real home, no source of income, no food and few prospects. But they knew there was one true God and they both chose to follow Him. God heard their vows and gave them refuge (2:12).

Naomi you could understand. She was too old to do anything else. Her options were limited and her only hope for survival was her family and her God. But Ruth was young and beautiful. She could no doubt find another husband if she stayed where she was. Yet she turned away from Moab, and the foreign gods her family served, to follow Naomi. Her speech, repeated so often at weddings, is a covenant of conversion: ...your people will be my people and your God my God (1:16b).

“Lord, You noticed Naomi and Ruth, and You cared personally for their needs. Ruth, a once-pagan Moabite, was accepted into the family of God and included in the very lineage of Jesus (Matt. 1:5). Thank You Lord, that You see me too, You’ve heard my vows, and I can find refuge today in Your arms!”

April 4 - Seeing the Unseen

 Read today’s texts first: Judges 19-21; 2 Corinthians 4

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Learn to pray like Elijah:
Open my eyes to see the unseen world.

The depths of human depravity was so bad in Noah’s day that God had to purge the world. But the flood could not wash away man’s sin (“nothing but the blood”). During this era of the judges, the sin of the heathen nations had completely corrupted God’s people. Our reading today includes homosexuality, rape, violence against women, murder, vengeance, civil war - all between Israelites! Can it get much worse?

Unfortunately the answer is yes. Turn on the news tonight and you will see some of the deepest, darkest sins of human history. The words of Jesus are coming true before our eyes: as it was in the days of Noah so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37). It’s hard to watch!

But our NT reading gives us hope - something else to look at! When we feel overwhelming despair by what we see around us …do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (4:16-18). We need the eyes of Elijah who saw past the surrounding army of Aram, who had come to kill him, to the much bigger army of God, riding on chariots of fire, surrounding Aram’s army (2 Kings 6:15-17).

“Lord, I pray Elijah’s prayer for me - open my eyes to see the unseen world. Today, I want to see what You see - how You are at work above and beyond the circumstances that surround me!”

April 3 - From Glory to Glory

 Read today’s texts first: Judges 17,18; Psalms 89; 2 Corinthians 3

MAXIMize YOUR DAY 
There is no “my truth” and “your truth,” just “The Truth!”

When you wade through the history of the judges, reading weird stories like Micah with his own personal priest and household gods (17,18), you can’t help but wonder how the people of Israel could drift so far from God’s commands. The theme verse shows up again and helps explain what was going on: there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (17:6; 18:1).

God was supposed to be their king, but the Israelites, as usual, wanted to keep their distance from God. They preferred to interpret what God said to suit themselves, making up their own personal religion to follow. Does that sound familiar in our day of relative truth? There is no “my truth” and “your truth,” just “The Truth!”

But the arrival of Jesus should have bridged that distance between us and God and forever changed our misunderstanding about His commands. Our NT reading today shows us how that happened. Before Jesus came, God’s presence was fleeting, like the fading glory radiating from the face of Moses (3:12-15). God could not live in us until the debt of our sin was paid. But after Calvary, God’s glory no longer has to shine on us from a distance, like the sun in our solar system. The Son of God can now live within us, shining through us from the inside out, with “ever increasing glory” (3:16-18)!

“Lord, while so many people today have rejected You as their king, choosing instead to live by their own rules, I choose You as my King, today and every day. Let the glory of Your coronation shine through my life for all to see!” 

April 2 - Fallen Arches

Read today’s texts first: Judges 13-16; 2 Corinthians 2

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Despite chronic failure, we can still be a leader

who finishes well.

Time for some more Bible jokes. “Who was the greatest actor in the Bible?” The answer is: “Samson - he brought the house down after his final performance.” He’s also the answer to the question, “who died from fallen arches?” All joking aside, Samson’s only real weakness was a chronic case of stupidity when it came to women.

From his first wife who cried and pried the riddle answer out of him and then married one of his groomsmen, to “Gaza-gate” where a prostitute almost cost him his life, to Delilah who had him tied up in knots, quite literally - you can’t help but wonder how he could soar so high and yet fall so hard?

It is a remarkable story, from his extraordinary birth, starting with a visit from Jesus Himself (another obvious Christophany), leading to a special upbringing as a Nazirite, until he became a mature leader with almost superhuman strength. He was a real life combination of Superman and Rambo rolled into a one-man army!  So much potential, but so many flaws. Aside from the big muscles, he was a lot like you and me.

God chose Samson and used him to deliver His people and rule them well for 20 years. God even redeemed his failures, to the point that Samson will be remembered as a leader who finished well. Those fallen arches left a legacy of selflessness, sacrifice, and heroism that have inspired all of us who’ve studied his life.

“Lord, if You can redeem Samson’s mistakes You can do the same for me. I pray for the same opportunity to be a leader who finishes well!”

April 1 - The Uncomfortable Pew

 Read today’s texts first: Judges 11,12; Psalms 50; 2 Corinthians 1

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Either we step outside our comfort zones willingly
or God will push us out.

While Pierre Berton may have observed church goers who were far too comfortable in their pews, following Jesus should have the opposite effect. We can see from the history of Israel, especially during the time of the judges, how quickly God’s people forgot about Him when things were going well. Invariably, when that happened, things got uncomfortable in a hurry!

It seems we have a choice: either we step outside our comfort zones willingly or God will push us out. It’s the only way we can remember to depend on Him all the time. Paul got so uncomfortable that he was afraid for his life, but he realized this happened so he would not rely on himself but on God (1:9).

It is also during times of discomfort that we learn how to be comforted by the Holy Spirit, supernaturally, despite our circumstances. And through that process, we also learn how to become a source of comfort to others: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (1:3,4).

“Lord, I am so grateful for the comforting presence of Your Holy Spirit. That comfort, Your presence, is a deposit, a guarantee of much more comfort in the life to come (1:22)!”

April Devo - Adversity Reveals Character

Six years ago, our April Buzz devotional focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems so long ago now but the fear back then was very real and very memorable. We saw some errant responses to adversity (e.g. political missteps, cover-ups, hoarders, looters, scammers), but we also saw brave people step forward to help the most vulnerable. Buchanan Lodge was fortunate to have folks like that here.

We were able to continue visits through garden gates, windows, and using technology like WhatsApp and Zoom. Our care staff were so diligent and thorough that we escaped the worst of the pandemic with no outbreaks. It was a joy to see the selflessness, the sacrifice, and the genuine love that was on full display throughout that tumultuous time. James Lane Allen was right: “adversity does not build character; it reveals it!”

Einstein added this insight: “adversity introduces a man to himself.” Sometimes, adversity can introduce us to some folks who are downright inspirational. You just have to look deeper to find them. They are often hidden in the middle pages of our newspapers or squeezed into the final minutes of the nightly newscasts, but they are worth the wait. Here are some examples I noticed during those defining years:

• Front line health care workers risking their own health, working double shifts, and distancing themselves from their own families to protect others
• Retired doctors & nurses returning to work, putting themselves in harm’s way
• People honouring their sacrifice with signs in windows, chalked messages on their driveways, and the “joyful noise” of pots and pans at 7 pm every night
• Folks in hospital parking lots singing, cheering & honking their horns in support
• Neighbours, churches, community groups shopping and making meals for seniors and others who couldn’t get out of their homes
• Gas station diners offering free self-serve dinners for truckers hauling needed supplies across our country
• Politicians crossing party lines to come up with solutions
• Resourceful manufacturers modifying their equipment to make medical supplies and equipment
• Ordinary people giving generously of their money, time and talents to help others

Jesus led by example in how to walk sacrificially through extreme hardship and then emerge victorious. We can do the same if we follow Him. He once said to His disciples and to us: I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world! (John 16:33). Concluding this season of self-sacrifice (known as Lent) by celebrating Good Friday and Easter is a reminder to all of us where good character comes from. Have a blessed Easter everyone!

March 31 - The Problem of Prodigals

 Read today’s texts first: Judges 9,10; Psalms 49; 1 Corinthians 16

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

We should spend quality and quantity time with our
children, but ultimately they must choose to
follow Jesus for themselves.

There’s a disturbing trend among great leaders in the Bible. Despite their successes in leading God’s people, they didn’t always have success in raising their own families. Today’s OT reading features Abimilech, who didn’t exactly make his father Gideon proud by killing all his brothers so he could be next in line for the throne. Other leaders coming up soon in our readings had similar problems: Samuel’s sons were too corrupt to follow him (1 Samuel 8:1-5), David’s sons tried to usurp his throne from him (1 Kings 1; 2 Samuel 15-18), Hezekiah’s son Manasseh undid every good thing his father had done (2 Kings 21), and so on and so on.

These illustrations of OT prodigals help me understand two things. First, as leaders, our highest priority is to lead our families in the faith. Paul said that one of the main qualifications to look for in choosing an elder is proven success in managing his own household. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church? (1 Tim. 3:4,5). I remember one particular pastor’s conference when a pastor stood up and addressed his colleagues with this statement: “my church comes before my wife and my children.” Tragically, his wife had left him before next year’s conference, and a year later he was no longer a pastor. Misplaced priorities are costly. Our Abimilechs and Manassehs can undermine much of the good we spend our whole lives to accomplish.

But I have another observation that may help those of us who are trying to lead our families well and yet still have prodigals at home. Have you noticed that God, our Father, also has a lot of prodigals. Jesus picked Judas. Paul, who likely had no children of his own, struggled with his spiritual children, as we can see throughout his letter to the Corinthians. Pet theologies aside, free will is something we cannot control. We can and should spend quality and quantity time with our kids, model integrity, preach without words, fast, and pray for them, but ultimately our children must choose to follow Jesus for themselves. We cannot make that choice for them.

“Lord, the problem of prodigals will always be with us because You want us to love You of our own free will. I choose to do that today and I pray for my children and grandchildren that they would make that choice too!”