We Need to Answer the Call

I often say that “need is such a strong word.”  It’s a way of reminding myself, and others around me, to choose to use that word carefully.  On the most consumer-oriented day of the year, it’s good to remember what we really “need.”

The Israelites needed Godly leaders.  We know that by watching their patterns from generation to generation.  When they had a Godly leader showing them the way, they walked together with God.

But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. (Judges 2:19 NIV)

People who do not see God, trust God, or walk together with God simply don’t understand where their path is leading them.  They don’t know that they are standing in the tracks with an oncoming train racing toward them.  They need someone to talk them off the tracks and, if necessary, to knock them out of the way.  If nobody serves them in this way, they will get hit it.

Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. (Judges 2:20-21 NIV)

In the days of the Judges, God left the “enemies” in place because the Israelites were not faithful.  These enemies would challenge the Israelites and their walk together with God.  God didn’t abandon the Israelites, though.  God stayed with them to help…if they wanted.

I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their ancestors did." The LORD had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua. (Judges 2:22-23 NIV)

Today, like back then, God will test us.  God never tempts us.  Testing teaches you first and then asks you to remember later.  Tempting tries to trick you and get you to doubt what you have learned.  Testing wants to build your confidence in the truth.  Tempting wants you to doubt, worry, and fear.  Testing sets you up for success.  Tempting sets you up for failure.

We are in a world, even today, that we face tests and temptations.  Godly leaders show us how to fight temptation and pass tests.  Those of us who know how to pass the tests and successfully fend off temptations need to pass on these skills from generation to generation.  God calls us to pass these things on.  The question, though, is this:  Will we answer the call?

Thankful for The Call

Last night we had “pie night” at Life Bridge Christian Church of Valparaiso, IN.  This long-honored tradition (14 years) has seen a lot of different ways of eating pie.  (It’s probably better if you don’t ask.)  Every year, though, we have put the LORD at the center of the evening and we have given thanks to God for every good and perfect gift.  Last night, we did it again.  We ate pie and we gave thanks to God.

After pie night, Traci and I have another tradition.  Having spent time with our church family in Valpo, we then drive all night to Cincinnati to enjoy time with our other family  where we were raised.  Last year, it didn’t work out too well as we encountered two different car accidents.  (You can read about last year’s activities here.)  This year (thank you, LORD) we made it into Cinci with no problems at all.  It was smooth sailing all the way.

This year’s travels, though, were different from any of the prior years.  We didn’t have any of our kids or the dog with us.  Their work schedules through the holidays will keep us from coming together as a family this holiday season.  The car ride, as a result, was much more quiet than usual.  It gave me time to reflect on the calling that God has put our our hearts and how God continues to work in and through us this year.  The more I thought about it, the more grateful I became for our life, family, church-family, and ministry.  I thought about all the people I would have never met had I fought God off and ignored the call.  Now, looking back over these years, I find myself thankful for the call.

God is good all the time.  This is why I trust God and strive to walk with God all the time.  This is why I care so much about helping others do the same.  There is no better life than walking together with God.  There is no greater sense of fulfillment than helping another do the same. 

I don’t know what you are thankful for this year.  Perhaps it is for the good food you will enjoy through the holiday season.  Maybe you are thankful for special people who are a part of your life.  If you are, I join you in thanking God for these, too.  But this year, for whatever reason, I am also particularly thankful for the call.

Happy Thanksgiving.  May God pour out His blessings upon you during this season of Thanksgiving.

God Empowers Us to Lead

When the Israelites went astray, they needed Godly Leaders to bring them back to God.  God understood this and provided what they needed.

Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the LORD's commands. (Judges 2:16-17 NIV)

Whenever the LORD raised up a judge, God empowered them to lead.  In the Old Testament days, God did not pour out His Spirit on anyone or everyone.  Instead, God empowered certain individuals to fulfill certain tasks like prophesy or leadership.  God poured out HIs Spirit on the Judges so they could lead Israel back to God after they had been far away.

Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. (Judges 2:18 NIV)

Judges were empowered by God in the same way that we are empowered today.  Back then, the Holy Spirit was only given to certain individuals.  Today, God pours out His Spirit on all nations.  All of us who come home to the Father through the Son receive the Holy Spirt.  This empowers us to walk together with God.  Not only that, The Spirit empowers us to lead others back to God who are far away.  We are empowered to empower one more.

How about you?  Have you returned to the Father through the Son?  Have you received the Holy Spirit?  Are you empowered by God to walk together with God?  Are you empowered to empower one more?  Are you empowered to lead?

Without Them, We Can Get Lost

Joshua was a Godly leader when the Israelites first crossed the Jordan and took possession of the land that God had given them.  Once Joshua passed away, though, things changed.

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10 NIV)

We need leaders who will remind us to walk together with God.  We need their example.  We need their inspiration.  We need to know we are not alone as we battle with the enemy and bring God into our homes, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces.  Without those Godly leaders, we can easily get lost.

Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them.  (Judges 2:11-12a NIV)

In a world filled with GPS-enabled cellphones, the term “lost” has lost (see what I did there) some of its meaning.  When we think of getting lost now, we think of our phones giving us an immediate solution.

They aroused the LORD's anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his anger against Israel the LORD gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. (Judges 2:12b-14 NIV)

Israel experienced what it meant to be truly “lost,” though.  They stopped listening to the LORD.  They stopped following the LORD.  They ended up in full-fledged rebellion against the LORD.  They experienced the consequences of their actions.

Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. (Judges 2:15 NIV)

Godly leaders are a blessing because they help us remember true North.  They remind us to pick up the compass of life to point us back to God, regardless where we have travelled.  Without them, we can forget.  Without them, we can get lost.  Without them, we can find ourselves wandering in the wilderness completely ignoring the LORD.

How about you?  Have you gotten “lost” before?  Was there a lack of Godly leadership in your life at that time?  Were they not there, or did you just not listen to them?  Did you get back on track? Did a Godly leader help you “pick up the compass” again?  Are you walking together with God?

Godly Leaders are a Blessing

I’ve been watching over the past days, weeks, and months as our country moved into political turmoil.  This election cycle has certainly been the most emotionally charged one in my lifetime.  In all the political rhetoric, lobbing of insults, and game-playing we found ourselves struggling with a fundamental question: “What is a leader?”  We’ve all come to our own conclusions on what is most important in the political arena.  In God’s Church, though, the definition simply does not match up with the world…at least not today. 

God’s picture of leadership is found throughout the pages of Scripture.  In the Biblical times, God defined leaders as people who walked with God and led others to do the same.  Joshua was this kind of leader.  He trusted God.  He followed God.  Even when he failed, he repented of his sin, got back up, and got back into the game with God.  Joshua truly walked together with God and helped others do the same.

After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. (Judges 2:6-9 NIV)

Godly leaders important in our lives.  They show us that we can walk with God by walking with God themselves.  They remind us that walking with God is far better than any other choices we can make.  Their lives inspire us to walk with God, too. Godly leaders are a blessing.

How about you?  Do you know any Godly leaders?  Do they help you walk together with God?