David Bahn – Reflections

Light from the Word and through the lens

recent posts

about

In 1968 Jerry Snell opened a door in the hallway outside our first hour chemistry class. He invited me into what I discovered was a darkroom. Soon I was on the school newspaper and annual staff as a photographer. Later I learned that Jerry was a Lutheran who was planning to become a pastor. A few years later I was not only a Lutheran, but I was heading off to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, too. Jerry followed a year later and served as a pastor in Missouri until his untimely heart attack and death. I thank God for Jerry and enjoy photography still today – not to mention rejoicing in having served as a Lutheran pastor in congregations in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas. I’ve retired now and serve part time as a Congregational Support Specialist for the Texas District of the LCMS. I also provide coaching and leadership training through various PLI cohorts and with individual congregations and organizations. David Bahn is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Diane, father and grandfather. He is an avid amateur photographer. His photo website is “Flowers by God Photos by David” He also publishes a devotional blog DavidBahn-Reflections.com. He and Diane live in Cypress Texas and enjoy visiting their grandchildren who live in the United States and Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1979, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1991. Diane, his wife, is now retired from PLI (PLIleadership.org). They have offered presentations on Marriage and Ministry Partnership, Leadership, Changing Your Congregation’s Culture, and Missional Living. They look are working with PLI International training pastors and wives of the ELVD Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. David’s personal mission statement is “Leading people to realize Jesus’ calling and plans for their lives.”

  • When Bad Things Happen

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dbr-podcast-link-graphic-e1650918496934.jpg

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.


    Acts 7:1, 17-29

    And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

    17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. 19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.

    23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

    Devil’s Walking Stick | BIg Bend National Park | May 2023

    A Jewish rabbi by the name of Harold Kushner wrote a book in 1981 titled, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. It became a #1 national best seller. Here’s a summary I found of the book:

    Rabbi Kushner’s main idea is that God cannot, or will not, intervene to protect people from tragedies, nor will He punish or reward them for their actions, preferring that humans use their free will without interference. Thus, bad things can happen to good people by accident or from malicious people, and in remedy God offers only His support and love. People must find meaning and purpose from their own strength and resolve in overcoming adversity.

    That paints a picture of God that is more deistic than the picture we see in the grand sweep of history. Deism teaches that God created all that exists but then sits back, having wound the clock and letting it run without interference. Here, a Pharaoh comes to power who did not know of Joseph. Bad things are about to happen to the Jewish people. But this is only part of the story. God is at work, not aloof, and actually does intervene in the affairs of man.

    The greatest intervention – to which Stephen will point, and which we hold dear – is in sending his Son into the world to seek and save the lost. Jesus is the great intervener, the disrupter of all of history, the evidence that God is not aloof, disconnected, watching the world wind down.

    For the Jews of Stephen’s day, the great intervention was through Moses, the Exodus from Egypt and entry into the Promised Land. Moses was their hero. He was, in their estimation, the ultimate authority. He proscribed their religious practice. He laid out the requirements of the laws of sacrifices, rituals, and justice. To think of anyone supplanting him was unthinkable.

    But Moses has been supplanted. Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s redemption and salvation. Not Moses. Not even Abraham. Stephen is laying this out for the people. Part of Moses’ story includes the hardships of the Hebrew people, Moses’ travails, and even the moments of terror at the Red Sea prior to their dry-land crossing.

    Maybe there are some bad things happening in your life now. Difficulties will challenge us to carry on day to day. Not all things that happen are good. But God is at work through all of these things. And the bad things are not the end of the story. They are the opportunities for God to intervene and show his power and glory. They may still be bad. But God is good and at work for his glory and our good.

  • All Truth is God’s Truth

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dbr-podcast-link-graphic-e1650918496934.jpg

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.


    Acts 7:1, 17-29

    And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

    17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house,21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.

    23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.26 And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

    Big Bend Panorama | Big Bend National Park | May 2023

    I had never thought of it, but it was and is true. All truth is God’s truth, he said. So whether it is spoken by a friend or an enemy, if it’s true, it’s true. Whether I learned it at a state university, or in my post-graduate work at Concordia Theological Seminary, if it’s true, it’s true. If I discover some new insight about our planet through a telescope, or am reminded of God’s creative majesty through the book of Job, if it’s true, it’s true.

    Moses learned the wisdom of the Egyptians while growing up in the household of Pharaoh’s daughter. He became wise and powerful. When he spoke, wisdom poured forth. When he acted, he got the job done. All this will stand him in good stead when he leads his people out of Egypt. But for now, we learn that he is gaining skills, knowledge and wisdom in his Egyptian home.

    God shapes us for significant impact in a variety of ways. Your spiritual gifting, heart for a certain people, abilities, personality, and experiences work together and allow you to serve the cause of God’s kingdom. We don’t get these from studying the Bible. We gain them by life and personal introspection.

    Sometimes God uses experiences foreign to the church and faith to shape and prepare us for the great work he has in store for us to do. Many times we don’t even realize how we are being shaped. We may even wonder why we’re learning or experiencing the things we do. (Think junior high boys having to learn algebra or English.) But God uses all truth, learnings, experiences, and even our unique personalities for his purposes.

    We cannot know the ultimate truth about our eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, however,  apart from God’s special revelation. That comes to us through Scripture – either through reading the Bible, biblical writings, witnesses of the gospel, biblical preaching and teaching. All truth is God’s truth. But the greatest and truest truth of all is revealed by God in Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection. That truth is exclusive to God and precious to those who believe in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

  • But…Until…When

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dbr-podcast-link-graphic-e1650918496934.jpg

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.


    Acts 7:1, 17-29

    And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

    17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house,21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.

    23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.26 And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

    Walkers on a Big Bend Trail | Big Bend National Park | May 2023

    Once upon a time… What happens when you hear those words. Sweet memories of childhood bedtime stories? A sigh because someone is going to bore you to death with a fairy tale or fable? A perked-up ear and a keener interest in what character you are about to meet and the story to be told? Everyone loves a story. Well most people do at least. Give me a story over a list of facts any day. Or at least put the facts into the context of some story, some drama to be played out.

    Stephen is giving answer to the high priest in the form of a story. It is interesting to me that he is allowed to tell his story. We are an impatient lot. We don’t often want to hear the story. We just want to get to the facts of the case so we can draw our own conclusions. Don’t tell me about your best cow Bessie. Tell me if you said you were OK at the time of the accident! [Recall this joke/post].

    It seems that everyone is willing to listen to Stephen’s full story, a recounting of the saga of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the 12 sons of Israel. And Stephen is telling it. The story of God is not a single chapter. It’s not a simple, Once upon a time…and they lived happily ever after.  It is a complex drama with many plot-twists, reversals, challenges, starts and stops.

    That becomes clear in this second chunk of Stephen’s testimony: But as the time approached…until there arose…when he was exposed. All this is about Moses. Joseph is forgotten. The Israelites are growing in numbers and deemed to be a threat to the Egyptians. Time to clip their wings. Time to keep them from becoming too powerful. Put the Hebrew boys to death at their birth. Except Moses. He is beautiful in the eyes of God and will be protected from this genocide.

    Moses will be threatened to be exposed for his vigilante action in defense of a fellow Hebrew, when he visited his fellow sons of Israel in Egypt. Word had gotten out about his actions and he had to flee to Midian. There he will become a father to two sons.

    There is more to this story and as Stephen is telling it, the people must have wondered, What’s the guy getting at? Where is all this going? Is he just stalling for time? No. No. He is getting at how God works and how people can totally miss and reject God’s actions in favor of their own sense of the way things ought to be.

    The final arbiter of what will be, and what ought to be, is not the sensibility of man, but the purposes of God. God’s purposes reach far beyond the momentary comfort or sensible actions of convenience we devise. Stephen’s defense will challenge them to the point of irate judgment and vigilante action of their own. They will stone Stephen. What will we do when God disturbs our sensibilities and twists the plot of our lives?

    Better we be open to God’s ways and interruptions, and refuse to jump to conclusions about whether a moment in time is good or bad. The larger story of God’s ways ends in a grand celebration of his grace, goodness, justice, and love. These things we do not always see in the middle of the story. But until then, we can wait until the story comes to complete fulfillment.

  • Today’s Psalms for September 3, 2023

    Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

    Psalm 3

    O Lord, how many are my foes!
        Many are rising against me;
    2 many are saying of my soul,
        “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah

    3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
        my glory, and the lifter of my head.
    4 I cried aloud to the Lord,
        and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

    5 I lay down and slept;
        I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
    6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
        who have set themselves against me all around.

    7 Arise, O Lord!
        Save me, O my God!
    For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
        you break the teeth of the wicked.

    8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;
        your blessing be on your people! Selah

    Psalm 33:1-5, 20-22

    Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
        Praise befits the upright.
    2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
        make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
    3 Sing to him a new song;
        play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

    4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
        and all his work is done in faithfulness.
    5 He loves righteousness and justice;
        the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
    20     Our soul waits for the Lord;
        he is our help and our shield.
    21 For our heart is glad in him,
        because we trust in his holy name.
    22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
        even as we hope in you.

    Psalm 63:1-4

    O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
        my soul thirsts for you;
    my flesh faints for you,
        as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
    2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
        beholding your power and glory.
    3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
        my lips will praise you.
    4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
        in your name I will lift up my hands.

    Psalm 93

    The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
        the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
    2 Your throne is established from of old;
        you are from everlasting.

    3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
        the floods have lifted up their voice;
        the floods lift up their roaring.
    4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
        mightier than the waves of the sea,
        the Lord on high is mighty!

    5 Your decrees are very trustworthy;
        holiness befits your house,
        O Lord, forevermore.

    Psalm 123

    To you I lift up my eyes,
        O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
    2 Behold, as the eyes of servants
        look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a maidservant
        to the hand of her mistress,
    so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
        till he has mercy upon us.

    3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
        for we have had more than enough of contempt.
    4 Our soul has had more than enough
        of the scorn of those who are at ease,
        of the contempt of the proud.

    English Standard Version (ESV)
    The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
    Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

  • “…and they will worship me,” said God.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dbr-podcast-link-graphic-e1650918496934.jpg

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.


    Acts 7:1-16

    And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

    “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

    9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

    View Toward Mexico-II | Big Bend National Park | May 2023

    I love Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. It’s a gem of simple, succinct, and Jesus-centered truth. I had not grown up in the Lutheran church, so I never had to memorize it-or I should say, “got to memorize it.” When I was on vicarage, I was assigned to teach 7th grade confirmation. That meant I was teaching the Small Catechism. And I made a deal with the students: Whatever I make you memorize, I will memorize too. It was one of the greatest deals I’ve ever made. I still recall 90% of it today.

    One part I have down cold is Luther’s explanation to the Second Article of the Apostle’s Creed:

    I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord,

    who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death,

    that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness,

    just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

    [Full disclosure, I copied and pasted this from the catechism so that I would get the correct punctuation and avoid the necessity of correcting my typos as I typed from memory. Honest!]

    I really appreciate Luther’s “so that…” in this explanation. Jesus is true God and true man. He did shed his blood to redeem me. I’ve been purchased and won. All this so that I would belong to him and live under King Jesus, serving him in eternal blessed joy.

    I’m reminded of this when I read this account of Stephen’s defence. God would redeem his people, rescuing them from slavery in Egypt. And his people did worship him in the desert. It was a remarkable moment of exuberant praise.

    “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
    the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
    2 The Lord is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation;
    this is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him. – Exodus 15:1-2

    Worship is an essential way in which we respond to God’s goodness and grace. Because he has redeemed us, and we are his, we honor him by gathering with others and singing his praises. By this we also encourage one another, and build up the body of Christ. Worship the first response to God’s blessings. Praise comes spontaneously when we receive great gifts. We don’t have to think about standing and cheering when our team wins or our child gets an award. We just stand up and cheer, give our neighbor a high five, whistle and clap our hands.

    God has brought us all out of slavery through Jesus’ death on the cross. That reality is sealed by Jesus’ resurrection. Our faith holds this dear. We live and move and have our being in him. His Holy Spirit comforts us and gives us courage along life’s way. God’s pours out his goodness on us each day. Jesus gives us abundant, eternal life, and it begins now.

    But the best is yet to come, and all of eternity will lie before us in the life of the world to come. We will be caught up in wonder, love and praise. For we will see more fully the breadth of God’s grace and his praise will ring on our lips forever and ever. Worship – true worship – is not a forced compliance. It is the unstoppable expression of glory, honor, praise, and adoration from the redeemed of God to the God of our salvation. Let the praises ring!

  • Here comes that dreamer!

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dbr-podcast-link-graphic-e1650918496934.jpg

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.


    Acts 7:1-16

    And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

    “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

    9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

    A View Toward Mexico | Big Bend National Park | May 2023

    My father died at the age of 64. Once a successful businessman. Man of integrity. Too young. Cancer. Cigarette smoker. Such a loss. Couldn’t kick the habit. At his funeral, the pastor of his church called my dad a dreamer. He used the reference in Genesis 37:19 when Joseph’s brothers saw him coming to bring food and to check up on them for their father, “Here comes that dreamer.” The whole chapter is worth reading.

    My dad had one dream after another. In some ways he was ahead of his time. He came up advertising ideas, innovations in marketing, and built a motel from 5 rooms to 42 rooms over the course of 30 years.  He would also share ideas with me about making the church I was serving grow. He was constantly dreaming up new things to do. He and my mom came up with a child’s seat belt that would allow the child to be restrained even if standing up in the car’s bench seat(!).

    Joseph was quite a different kind of dreamer. He dreamed about haystacks (symbolizing his brothers and father) all bowing down to his haystack. He dreamed that the sun, moon, and stars also bowed down to him. Add that to the favoritism his father showed toward him and you have the makings of resentment, scheming, and dreams turned to nightmares.

    But God was in the dreams of Joseph. And as the country song says, “it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” Joseph’s brothers and father would one day bow down to him. So would the rest of the world when he had become THE one in charge of all the grain in Egypt during the famine that struck the whole land. Joseph also interpreted the dreams of two prison mates and Pharaoh himself.

    There are other examples of dreams and dreamers in the Bible. Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2) when none of the king’s regular astrologers and seers could. God directed Joseph to take Mary as his wife, and to take Mary and Jesus into Egypt by means of dreams.

    Sometimes God puts dreams into our hearts in the manner of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:12). It might be of a better financial future. It could be the mending of a broken relationship. It may be of a dream vacation or dream home. But sometimes we dream of things not of God. Those dreams turn to nightmares if we follow them. May God help us to know the difference, and to follow his dreams rather than our schemes!

  • Can Jealousy Serve God’s Purposes?

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dbr-podcast-link-graphic-e1650918496934.jpg

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.


    Acts 7:1-16

    And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

    “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

    9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

    Nearly-Spent Prairie Coneflower | Mercer Arboretum | May 2023

    And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Diane and I had a motto based on this verse as we were dating and considering our future lives – together or on different paths. “We can’t lose,” we would say. We carried on our relationship through the mail; letters sometimes crossing in the mail over the course of several months. More accurately I would write to her, “We can’t loose[sic!].” Oh well, she got the idea and we didn’t lose. God’s goodness and grace, faithfulness and love, together with much mutual understanding and long conversations when we were in person brought us this far, having been married some 48 years this year.

    I don’t know that jealousy ever really played a role in the success and strength of our relationship. But I do know that God sometimes had to work overtime to overcome my stubbornness, blindness, and impatience. We both brought junk into our marriage. God, thankfully, has helped us clean it out over the years. Some of those cleaning-out experiences were painful and difficult. But in all things God worked for our good. We love him and each other. We are thankful for his forgiveness and love.

    All that to say that God can work through all kinds of missteps and misguidances for his purposes. In the case of Joseph God used jealousy to write a story of redemption. Jealousy led Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery. While there Joseph was unjustly accused of trying to seduce Potiphar’s wife – when it was actually the other way around. Thrown into prison, Joseph was forgotten by his prison-mate and would have languished there had there not been a need for someone to interpret dreams.

    Ultimately Joseph was not only released from prison, but made second in command in Egypt only to Pharoah. He saved the Egyptians from the terrible effects of famine and even supplied grain for his estranged brothers and his family. At the end of the Joseph saga – once he was reunited with his brothers and father, and after his father had died – Joseph declared: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

    No, God did not use jealousy to save his people. But he did work through the twists and turns of fallen, arrogant, proud, deceitful, and hateful people. Don’t take this as an excuse to act out on your own worst inclinations. But use this example to remember that no matter how bad things get, God can work them for good. He has a grand plan for the redemption of the world and to the praise of his glorious grace. You’re a part of it. Never forget it.

  • Not even a foot’s length

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dbr-podcast-link-graphic-e1650918496934.jpg

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.


    Acts 7:1-16

    And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

    “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

    9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

    Budding Crinum Lily | Mercer Arboretum | May 2023

    Is it true that 1000 years is like a moment for you, God?

    Yes. I exist outside of time.

    That would mean that $1,000,000.00 would be like $1.00 to you. Right?

    Yes…

    So could I have $1,000,000.00?

    Sure. Wait a moment.

    Sorry, guess I’m on a bit of a joke kick here. But this does illustrate something that Stephen mentions in his defense before his accusers. He speaks about how Abraham was promised the land but did not receive even one foot of it during his lifetime. It would be 430 years before Abraham’s descendents, under the leadership of Joshua would actually step foot on the Promised Land. The promise was made during Abraham’s time, but not fulfilled until long after he had died.

    It is interesting to note, furthermore, that Moses, the one who led God’s people out of Egypt those nearly 400 years later, didn’t end up taking them into the land. That was ostensibly because Moses sinned and struck the rock for water rather than speaking to it as God had commanded. I say ostensibly because I suspect that in the timelessness of God other time-bound realities had to be worked out before Israel could enter the promised land. There is a grander sweep to the arc of history than our time-bound minds easily grasp or in which our impatient hearts find peace.

    There has been a seismic change in two things over the past millennia. The first is that life expectancy has greatly increased. Although people did live to old age in the past. Many did not. Whether by war or disease, famine, or drought, people were much more susceptible to the tumult of everyday life then than now. During these same millennia the rate of change has greatly increased. So while generations would live with little change (life unfolded slower back then), today we see multiple changes within generations.

    I suspect that in Abraham’s day many were plodding along making the best of things, and finding joy and meaning however they could. I suspect that many in our day are trying constantly to keep up with changes in technology, politics, medicine, and morality. We may be more prone today than ever before to want quick fixes and fast answers. Yet we must wait.

    I love the insight offered in Daniel 10 about this. Daniel receives a troubling vision of war and great conflict that was to come. He immediately began to pray. But no answer was quick to come. No lions’ mouths were closed or fiery furnaces were escaped. But 21 days later an angel delivers this message:

    “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. 14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”

    We may grow impatient when we hear a promise of God, believe it, and seek to receive it. We may even despair when we see no movement toward relief. But that doesn’t mean that God is uncaring, disengaged, or not at work. There is a bigger story of which we are all a part. Some have major roles. Others are supporting actors. But we are all important to God, and his great desire is that we be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

    When we see not even a foot’s length of movement toward the fulfillment of God’s promises we can remember Abraham, the father of faith, and believe in the Lord. God will reckon that to us as righteousness. And that’s a very good thing.

  • The Whole Story

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dbr-podcast-link-graphic-e1650918496934.jpg

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.


    Acts 7:1-16

    And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

    “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

    9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

    Waiting to be Fully Seen | Mercer Arboretum | May 2023

    “Well, I was driving down the road in my pickup truck…” So goes the story which the farmer wanted to tell while on the witness stand. It was a long story in response to a simple yes or no question. Every time the attorney asked the simple question Farmer Joe would answer, “Well, I was driving down the road in my pickup truck with my…” This was no time for a simple yes or no answer. There was a story to be told. (See below for the joke.)

    Stephen is asked a simple question, “Are these things so?” It’s a fairly simple question. He may have put a little context around his answer. He could have offered a few words of context or explanation before answering, “Yes,” or “No.” In stead, however, he begins a long accounting of the history of Israel from the time of the Call of Abram all the way through the time of Solomon who built the first temple. It’s a 50 verse summary of the story of God which culminates in a startling and combative accusation: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” (Acts 7:51)

    We who believe in and follow Jesus walk a path made hard by the feet of many who have gone before us. This is no untried way. We are not an island of isolation in a sea of meaninglessness. We are a part of the grand sweep of God’s faithfulness, redemption, grace, and love.

    Very few questions may easily be answered yes or no. Seldom are we able to give the fullest expression of our faith in a few words. Our faith is not a collection of isolated theological truths. We are a part of God’s story. It all starts with God when he calls us like he did Abram, and sends us to places we do not know. And we go in faith, believing that God is leading to a perfect and glorious future. We go, knowing that others are with us on the path. We go, realizing that what we may not understand today we will be something with which we are at perfect peace in the future. We go, thanking God for the great examples of faith and seeking to learn from the not-so-good examples of disobedience by others.

    The Joke:

    Farmer Joe decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe. “Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, ‘I’m fine,’” asked the lawyer.

    Farmer Joe responded, “Well. I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my best cow Bessie into the…”

    “I didn’t ask for any details,” the lawyer interrupted, “just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, ‘I’m fine, I’m just fine!’”.

    Farmer Joe said, “Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road…”

    The lawyer interrupted again and said, “Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Police officer on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.”

    By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe’s answer and said to the lawyer, “I’d like to hear what he has to say.” Joe thanked the Judge and proceeded, “Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie into the trailer and was driving her down the motorway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ol’ Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Policeman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her and said, “Ohhhh…you don’t look so good.” And then he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the officer came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me.”

    He said, “Your cow was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?”

  • Today’s Psalms for August 27, 2023

    Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

    Psalm 27:1-6

    The Lord is my light and my salvation;
        whom shall I fear?
    The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
        of whom shall I be afraid?

    2 When evildoers assail me
        to eat up my flesh,
    my adversaries and foes,
        it is they who stumble and fall.

    3 Though an army encamp against me,
        my heart shall not fear;
    though war arise against me,
        yet I will be confident.

    4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
        that will I seek after:
    that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
        all the days of my life,
    to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
        and to inquire in his temple.

    5 For he will hide me in his shelter
        in the day of trouble;
    he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
        he will lift me high upon a rock.

    6 And now my head shall be lifted up
        above my enemies all around me,
    and I will offer in his tent
        sacrifices with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

    Psalm 57:1-3

    Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
        for in you my soul takes refuge;
    in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
        till the storms of destruction pass by.
    2 I cry out to God Most High,
        to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
    3 He will send from heaven and save me;
        he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
    God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

    Psalm 87:1-6

    On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
    2     the Lord loves the gates of Zion
        more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
    3 Glorious things of you are spoken,
        O city of God. Selah

    4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
        behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—
        “This one was born there,” they say.
    5 And of Zion it shall be said,
        “This one and that one were born in her”;
        for the Most High himself will establish her.
    6 The Lord records as he registers the peoples,
        “This one was born there.” Selah

    Psalm 117

    Praise the Lord, all nations!
        Extol him, all peoples!
    2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
        and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
    Praise the Lord!

    Psalm 147:1-6

    Praise the Lord!
    For it is good to sing praises to our God;
        for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
    2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
        he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
    3 He heals the brokenhearted
        and binds up their wounds.
    4 He determines the number of the stars;
        he gives to all of them their names.
    5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
        his understanding is beyond measure.
    6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
        he casts the wicked to the ground.

    English Standard Version (ESV)
    The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
    Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.