"I Am Too Ashamed": A SOAP Journal Based on Ezra 9

S = Ezra 9:5-9 

“Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self–abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God and prayed:

“O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today. “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage.”

O = This book is set mainly in Jerusalem after the Jews had returned from their exile in Babylon and Persia. It takes up the history of Israel where 2 Chronicles leaves off. The Jews had originally been sent into exile for their stubborn idolatry and the resulting social injustices. After 70 years had passed, Cyrus issued an edict for the Jews to return to Israel and rebuild the temple. There were three major waves of returning exiles. Ezra led the 2^nd group to return. However, the returnees soon began to fall into the same idolatrous affections and behaviors that caused their previous removal. Ezra is appalled (v.3), and verses 6-15 are his prayer of confession to God…and of correction of the people. This issue of intermarriage was not primarily a racial issue but a religious one. What did the Israelites love more—the abominations of the neighboring nations or the Lord?

A = The same issue is in play today. There are so many things competing for my affections, so many voices urging compromise with the coercive forces of our culture and our economy. Certainly, marriage, intended as our most intimate relationship on earth, if not based on a shared love for the Lord Jesus, will certainly move us away from a wholehearted devotion to God. Our jobs can also step up into being the primary source of value and identity in our lives instead of finding them in Christ. The questions I must ask myself this week include: “Are my affections leading me to the full freedom found in Christ or subtly shackling me in sin? And, “As I engage the world around me, do I love God more or less?”

P = O Lord, help us to see that sin is not just tied to our individual actions and attitudes, but it is collective as well. We have become a society that has a divided heart at best. May we renounce the false loves that over-promise and under-deliver so that we might be free to pursue the greatest Love of all. May your love change us from being takers and users to being selfless givers and “blessers”, fully living for the glory of the name of Jesus Christ! May we be set free from fear, even the enslaving fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15) that we might not make an idol of even our own lives (Rev. 12:10-11). Lord, you conquered the accuser by your own blood. Please shape us into overcomers through your Spirit and your Word. We want to give you free rein in our lives! Amen.

From Death to Life: A SOAP Journal based on Ezekiel 36-37

S = Ezekiel 36: 26-28 

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

And, 

      Ezekiel 37:1-6, 11-14 

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

… Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

O = Israel’s issue, as recorded in the Old Testament, was a stiff neck and a heart of stone. It repeatedly required God to bring covenant discipline upon them…ultimately, it led to their exile from the land. They were taken as captives to Babylon and scattered among the nations as well. After their hope of being God’s people had died in idolatry and dried in the blazing heat of their captivity, God sent this message of new, prophetic, Spirit-filled life. But could they believe it? The imagery of this valley of dried bones is a picture of the hopelessness of man’s efforts and the power of the life-giving Holy Spirit of God. Once God has changed our hearts, we too can become people who prophetically speak God’s life to others.

A = So many promises seem to go unfulfilled in the world today. We have pushed God away in our pride, and our passion for lesser goods made them into gods. Separation from our Creator has left many like branches pruned from the vine, drying in the sun, and awaiting the fire (John 15:6). Is it hopeless for us? Did we believe something better for our marriages, our children, our friends, our careers, our lives? Do our dreams of living and serving the Lord together seem like so many dried and scattered bones where even our memories are now dishonored? Just as God prophetically began to resurrect the nations of Israel and Judah in the years of the exile and then suddenly restored them to life and land, we can trust him to restore our hope, to give us a new heart, to bring life out of death. It is not what we deserve…it is simply what he does. He is a loving, miracle-working, Redeemer! So, to whom will the Lord have us speak “Life” this week?

P = O Lord, you know the personal and collective dreams and hopes that have died in our lives. Yet, just as you remained faithful to your people in the past, I ask that you would show yourself powerful to save and restore your people today. May your Spirit breathe life into the dry bones of our efforts, and muscle and connecting sinews to relationships long severed by our individualism, and cover us in your garments of righteousness and bring glory to your name in our lives and in the world today. As you rose from the grave to give us eternal life, give us eyes of faith to see you at work today! You are the Lord who has spoken and will do it. Lord, increase our faith! Amen.

The Statue & The Stone: A SOAP Journal based on Daniel 2

S = Daniel 2:20-22, 31-35, 44-45 Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

to whom belong wisdom and might.

He changes times and seasons;

he removes kings and sets up kings;

he gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding;

he reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him…

v. 31-35 

“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth."

v. 44-45 

"And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

O = In these passages, we see that God was still answering the prayers of his people in exile. So much attention over the years has been put on the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and what it refers to in the past and what it might refer to in the future. Some scholars see a picture of four world empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome), while others see references to four kings within the Babylonian empire. Some spend inordinate time talking about the significance of the toes of the statue. But the most important point is that God is sovereign over any kingdom, empire, or human government (v. 21). God is also the revealer of hidden things (v. 22). It is God’s kingdom that brings all human kingdoms to naught. In a remarkably short time, the followers of Christ turned the powers of the world upside down…not through violence but through love. God’s kingdom is not so much a place as it is a people who will live forever in the presence of their God. His kingdom is not brought about by a violent revolution (e.g., by human hands [v. 34 & 45]) but by the mysterious work of God Himself. This happened through the incarnation, culminating at the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

A = Do I see worldly politics, economics, and military power as ends in themselves, or as something “too big to fail”? Am I able to see what is going on “behind the curtain” in the spiritual realm? Like Daniel, in times of plenty and in times of turmoil and crisis, I need to be a person of earnest prayer, uncompromising convictions, and a desperate trust in God as the One who is in control not just of my life but is the Lord of history. Do I really believe that God removes kings and sets up others? I need to be seeking direction, revelation, and deliverance for myself and others from the Eternal LORD, not some temporary human government. Political instability will not cause me to fear, for I know the One who brings the kingdoms of the world to nothing. May this kingdom of God take root in my heart and guide my words and direct my hands this week. This means I need to continually fall in surrender upon the stone that has been rejected (Luke 20:17-18; James 4:6-10). It also means that God’s kingdom is not established by anger and violence (James 1:20). Am I comfortable with my role in God’s humble kingdom that works from the bottom up, or am I going to try to give myself an upgrade?

P = O Lord, you are the Ancient of Days, the Sovereign Lord of all. May I never fear man more than I reverence you. May you make me faithful like Daniel, gifted to humbly speak your truth to those who ask. May I never seek to promote myself or advance my own kingdom but only to be a part of what it is that you are doing in the world. May you be glorified through me today! Amen.

Living and Thriving in Exile: A SOAP Journal based on Daniel 1

S = Daniel 1:3-7, 17-21 

Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego…

As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

O = These young men were taken as captives, part hostage and partially intended to be reeducated—fully accommodated to the culture and to serve as leaders within the Babylonian kingdom. They were renamed, by those in power, with names tied to the pagan deities of Babylon. Would they react with anger and bitterness towards their oppressors? No. With humble respect and tactful diplomacy they remained faithful to God and refused to become addicted to the food of the king. One way that ancient kings guaranteed loyalty was to get their court officials used to the lifestyle of living with access to the king’s table. They likely took the warning of Proverbs 23:1-3 to heart,

When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
    observe carefully what is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to appetite.
Do not desire his delicacies,
    for they are deceptive food.

While they learned all that the Babylonian culture required, their hearts remained devoted to YHWH, the One True God, and he blessed them with wisdom and influence better than all their peers.

A = First, I recognize my own tendency to try to shape others to fit into my world and to conform to my beliefs. I don’t want to be like the Babylonians in this regard. Second, I recognize my temptation to be so like those around me that I lose my “saltiness” (Matthew 5:13). I need to remain faithful to the Lord’s commands, always finding my identity in Christ (he names me in himself), rather than seeking the approval of popularity and power. Third, I need to make sure that I approach others, even my oppressors, with hard work, humility, and respect. Who knows what influence for Christ I might have as a result?

P = O Lord, may I long for you seek to serve in your kingdom more than I desire my earthly appetites to be filled. May the forgiveness I have received from you, flow forth to those that have offended me. May the hope I have in your presence and your return enable me to work with both integrity and with joy even in dark times and places. May others see your light in me and be drawn to it. Amen.

“Show Us…”: A SOAP Journal based on John 14

S = 14:1-11

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

O = Jesus had just been speaking to Peter about death and betrayal, now in this section, he expanded his conversation to include all the disciples and spoke to their need, “Don’t let your heart be troubled.” This is an interesting use of the plural “your” and the singular “heart”. Belief in this sense was a collective command for them, as a group, with one “heart” to believe in Jesus and the Father, specifically regarding his coming departure and promised return.
The phrase “many rooms/dwelling places/mansions” speaks into their cultural understanding that many generations of a family share the same house, with each new generation building on another extension to the house. Jesus was going to prepare a place, by his death on the cross, for all who would be entering his family through placing their trust in him. In response, there are two immediate requests:

1. Show us the way (Thomas)! To which Jesus responds, “I am the way…to know me is to know the Father.”
2. Show us the Father (Philip). To which Jesus responds, “…if you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”

This whole section simply oozes the relationality within the Trinity as well as towards his people. That is a God I can believe in!

A = Do I implicitly trust Jesus to do what he has said he will do? There is no “bad cop” kind of divine unity behind the loving words of Jesus. I need to see more clearly than ever that when I wonder what the Father is like, I am to look at Jesus. It is in Christ that we can see the Father and live…eternally. This week, I am choosing to not allow troubling circumstances to shake my trust in Jesus’ faithfulness. He doesn’t promise me a smooth ride, just good company and a sweet destination. I also realize that I need to be in a relationship with other believers as we wait, and work together until Jesus returns…or we die and go to him. He has prepared a place for me; now he is preparing me for that place.

P = O Lord Jesus, I do believe in you, your Father, your promises, and your works. I ask that you strengthen our hearts together to love and trust you more every day. I ask for our families, friends, and acquaintances to put their trust in you as well, so that they might know you and be a part of your eternal family. May we minister your encouragement to troubled hearts, as your Spirit leads us, this week. Amen.

Fan Into Flame: A SOAP Journal Based on 2 Timothy 1

S = 2 Timothy 1:1, 6-7, 8-9, 11
•    v.1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…”

·         v. 6-7 “fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

·         v. 8-9 “be not be ashamed…but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace.”

·         v. 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher which is why I suffer as I do.

O= When faced with suffering I need to be reminded how I got here, why I am here, and what resources I have available to me.

·         Paul was an apostle by God’s will…not his own power.

·         Timothy had been gifted by God…not by his own talents.

I wonder when I am tempted to give in to fear that what I do makes no difference in the kingdom, when I am tempted to become cynical about people and their motives and ability to change, when I am tempted to give in to my laundry list of subtle appetites that I can so easily forget the nature of the Spirit that God has given me (v.7).

It is by that Spirit…the Holy Spirit that enables me to trust, to love, and to obey—that I am to guard what good deposit has been entrusted to me. And not only to guard it, but to overcome any fear of discovery or ridicule to fan into flame that gifts he has placed in me that I might give others the benefit of light and heat in what might be dark and cold times. The church is not complete without every person stepping up to be whom God has called us to be…together (Ephesians 4:16; 1 Cor. 12:8-11)!

A= I am here because God put me here. I am called because of his purpose and grace, not my abilities. I am His not my own and it is for His glory not my own! So I am to embrace the suffering that may come—he is in it! I need to stop being afraid to be used of God. Just because others might have made fun of me for my love for Christ and my efforts at obedience is no reason for me to stop functioning as a part of the church body. What is the vision God has put on my heart? Am I walking in light of it or settling to sit in the corner and hope no one calls on me?

P= O Lord, thank you for your plan. Help me to follow you boldly, faithfully, in love and purity—empowered by your Spirit today!

Looking in the Mirror—Applying the Word: A SOAP journal based on James 1

S = James 1:19-27

¹⁹ Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

O = This instruction (v. 22-25), regarding the importance of doing the Word (application), and not merely hearing and forgetting it, is sandwiched between two short paragraphs of easy to understand instruction. The God uses the mirror of his Word (the Bible) to reveal areas that still need to change in our lives. Verse 19, is great relational advice for us, but its context is that of how we should receive and respond to God’s Word—be quick to hear it (listen attentively), slow to teach it (let it change you first), and don’t get angry (confess readily) when it shows you what needs to be done. Further, our anger doesn’t fix things the way God wants to fix them. Verses 26-27 connect the obedient application of God’s Word to the actual words that we speak to others. Do our words conform to his? Or do they reveal that we are not allowing God to transform us from the inside out? Does my faith in Jesus change how I interact with the world? Doing the Word requires us to participate in the Mission of God to the voiceless and powerless…but his way, not mine (See my blog post “Leaf Blower”).

A = So what am I to do with this passage? I will be quick to hear the Word, even the embarrassingly revealing word that for all my faith and study, it is worthless if I speak unlovingly to my wife, kids and coworkers. If all that God gives me in time, talents, and treasure (unavoidable alliteration?) is invested for myself and what is mine, then my faith is false and I am only worshipping myself, or God for what I can get. What am I good at? What brings me joy without regret? How can I use it in showing love for the Lord by loving his people? Am I being trained by the Word of God to deny myself for the sake of others, or am I merely being stained by the world’s selfish attitudes and aspirations. These are the hard questions I must ask myself this week.

P = O Lord, let me not shut my ears to your instruction today. Let me not play games with you, but walk out my surrender to your love on a daily basis. Change me from the inside out so that those around me can no longer deny your presence in my life. Like the first apostles, I may be “uneducated and a common man”, but let people be able to see that I have been with you. You love me—that very thought is enough to transform my whole outlook on life as I learn how to respond to you. O Lord, align my life to your heart day by day. Amen.