God's standard

I like to watch a show on the History channel, called "American Pickers".  These two guys own an antique store in Iowa, but they travel all over the central and southern United States in their cargo van, looking for old junk in people's barns, yards and out-buildings.  They especially like old motorcycles, bicycles, and old signs.  Apparently the signs sell well, as many of their customers will pay top dollar for old signs that display the historic names of companies.

One of those historic signs that is apparently in high demand is the sign for Standard Oil.  As you may know, Standard Oil was the largest oil company in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century.  In 1911, the US Supreme Court ruled that they were a monopoly, and ordered the Company to be split into 33 smaller regional companies.  In this process, founder John Rockefeller became the richest man in the world.  The New Jersey regional affiliate shortened their name from Standard Oil to S.O., and their franchises had the signs that said "Esso", short for Standard Oil.

Sixty years later, in 1972 Esso had grown large again, and had bought back many of the 33 regional companies, including Humble Oil in Houston.  There was some litigation surrounding the brand, so they re-branded themselves into what is now known as Exxon.  Recently they merged with Mobil Oil, making them again the largest corporation in the United States.  I wonder what the justices of the 1911 Supreme Court would have thought of that?

"Standard" was a name that John Rockefeller chose, as he wanted his company to be the one by which all other oil companies were measured.  The word "standard" has since taken on other meanings, that may include the top of the heap (as in, "This manufactured part does not meet the extraordinarily high standards of Mercedes Motor Cars"), middle-of-the-road (as in, "Your boyfriend is drunk again; you need to raise your standards a bit when it comes to men."), and lowly or basic (as in, "You can choose between our standard service, our preferred service, and our ultimate service plan.").

I was thinking about this word, and its varied definitions, when I was at the home Bible study group last week.  So I looked up the definition online.  According to Mirriam-Webster:

Full Definition of STANDARD1: a conspicuous object (as a banner) formerly carried at THE TOP OF a pole and used to mark a rallying point especially in battle or to serve as an emblem. 2a : a long narrow tapering flag that is personal to an individual or corporation and bears heraldic DEVICES b : the personal flag of the head of a state or of a member of a royal family. c : an organization flag carried by a mounted or motorized military unit. d : banner 3: something established by authority, custom, or general consent as A MODEL or example : criterion <quite slow by today's standards>4: something set up and established by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or QUALITY 5a : the fineness and legally fixed weight of the metal used in coins. b : the basis of value in a monetary system <the gold standard>6: a structure built for or serving as a base or support. 7a : a shrub or herb grown with an erect main stem so that it forms or resembles a tree. b : a fruit tree grafted on a stock that does not induce dwarfing

There are other definitions, but these first seven have a Spiritual meaning that I'd like to explore here.

The emblem of identity, or the means by which that identity is held high
First, there is the emblem of identity, displayed high on a pole.  I have written before about the arrangement of the tribes of Israel when they were spending forty years in the wilderness.  They were commanded in Numbers chapter two about where each tribe was to camp in relation to the Tabernacle.  "The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his own standard with the banners of his family." (Numbers 2:2).  When they were following God, they all had a standard to follow.  But when they sinned (in a sense, they went the way of the Serpent--see Genesis 3), God sent serpents to bite them (Numbers 21).  When they cried out to Moses, God said, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." (Number 21:8).

Many refused to look at it, and they died.  But to every one who raised his eyes to the standard God had set before them, God showed mercy.  This was a picture of Christ.  In all of God's dealings with us, He exhorted us to choose life over death.  Yet Jesus was raised up to die on a cross, the very symbol of death. Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Paul was quoting from Deuteronomy 21:23 to show that Jesus laid down his life to take the curse of sin for us. Everyone who looks to him and believes shall be saved.  In this way, the cross is our standard, and Jesus is the one with whom we identify.

A banner, flag or pennant used as an emblem of identity or brand
The prophet Isaiah used a lot of military analogies to describe the victory that God gives His people. "Lift a standard (or banner) on the bare hill, raise your voice to them, wave your hand to them so that they may enter the doors of the nobles." (Isaiah 13:2).  "All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, as soon as a standard (or flag) is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and as soon as the trumpet is blown you will hear it." (Isaiah 18:3).  Paul used this same analogy in one of my favorite verses, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere." (2 Corinthians 2:14).  We receive victory through Christ, and the parade that forms behind His standard has the privilege of shouting His name, telling all of the battles He has won, as we follow Him to the marriage supper of the Lamb.  Song of Solomon 2:4 looks forward to this triumphal procession when it says "He leads me to his banqueting table, his banner over me is love."

A model or criterion
Leviticus 24:22 says, "There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God."  God gave the Law to Moses to show us how to live, and he instituted animal sacrifices to atone for us when we fail to meet His standard.  Yet each letter of the Law looked forward to a Better Way.  Jesus came to fulfill the law, and all who believe in him will be saved.  When the Apostle Paul was giving his testimony in Acts chapter 22, he spoke of a devout man who was looking forward to the fulfillment of the Law.  "But since I could not see," said Paul, "because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.  A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing near said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that very time I looked up at him." (Acts 22:11-13.)

King David was very humbled when he was chosen to be king of Israel.  He prayed to God, "This was a small thing in your eyes, O God; but you have spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and  have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O Lord God."  Indeed, the promise of God was that a descendant of David would rule over the house of Israel forever.  The fulfillment of that promise was Jesus, who was descended of David and who rules forever.

A rule of measure
We have all heard the aphorism, "Judge not, that you be not judged."  Indeed, God does judge the wicked.  Like the hand writing on the wall in Daniel 5, many of us will be "weighed in the balance, and found lacking" at the final judgement of God.  But the warning against us pronouncing judgment on another in Matthew 7 comes with this rationale: "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:2).  Most of us read that in a negative sense--we would rightly ridicule a municipal judge that hands out punishments for drunk driving if he himself were arrested for DUI.  But the parallel passages look at it in a more positive light.  In Mark 4:24, Jesus told them, "Take care what you listen to.  By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides."  And in Luke 6:38, Jesus said, "Give and it will be given to you.  They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together and running over.  For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."  In other words, the more you give, the more you will receive.  The more you bless others, the more you yourself will be blessed.

The basis of value in a monetary system
The Bible speaks to this, as well.  When Abraham's wife Sarah died, he agreed upon a price to be paid for her burial ground.  "Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver which had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard."  (Genesis 23:16).  Another purchase of land was found in 2 Samuel 24, when David had just returned from a successful battle.  He wanted to buy a piece of land to offer a burnt offering sacrifice to God.  The land owner offered to give it to David for free, but David said no.  "I will not offer to the Lord that which cost me nothing."  When we give to God, it is a symbol of his sacrifice.  Of course, when we get to heaven, we will be walking on streets of gold, meaning that those things we counted as very valuable here on Earth will have no value in heaven.  There will be no reason to buy anything in heaven.  That is why Isaiah 55 says, "Come, buy bread and wine without cost."  We will have new standards of measurement there.

A structural basis of support
In Scripture, Jesus is described as the cornerstone, the foundation of our faith.  Paul encouraged his protoge Timothy to build upon the foundation that had been laid. "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:13).  And Paul wrote this to the church in Philippi:  "Let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained." (Pilippians 3:16).

A grafting onto a tree
Jesus said, "I am the vine, and you are the branches".  We have been grafted into Him by His grace.  Honestly, I had no idea that this was one of the several definitions of "Standard", but I'm glad it is.  He is our hope, our salvation; our source of strength and our Redeemer.  He should also be the standard, the trunk and root of the vine planted by God, intended to be the host of all of us branches that are grafted in.  Praise the Lord!

I can't emphasize enough about how excited I am about this part of the definition.  Romans chapter 4 talks about the Jews having access to God first, but later on the Gentiles were grafted in to God's family.  And the very definition itself talks about the root, the trunk or vine--if it is a true "Standard", then the fruit of the tree that is grafted in will not dwarf--it will be good fruit.  How many times did Jesus talk about bearing good fruit?  And we know that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control, against which there is no law.  To bear good fruit, we must be grafted in to the true vine.  Jesus is the true vine.  If we choose the correct standard onto which we graft ourselves, then our fruit will no be dwarfed, it will not be small or limited or stunted.  It will be good fruit, evidence of a good God, who gives abundantly and without limits.

Never forsaken

...because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  Whatcan man do to me? --Hebrews 13:5-6

God is faithful.  The great I AM said that He will always be with us (Matthew 28:20).  One of my favorite verses in all of scripture is Lamentations 3:22-23: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

So why did Jesus cry out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Had God really turned His back on His only begotten son?  And if He did that, would there ever be a time in this life where God might turn his back on us?

If you believe the Bible, then you cannot think that God would ever turn His back on you.  And the moment of the crucifixion was not the exception that proves the rule--God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  I have heard sermons, and even read commentaries, by men who are much more scholarly that I, that say God the Father turned his back on Jesus because Jesus bore the sins of the world for us.  But I don't think that was why Jesus made this statement when he did.  Maybe, just maybe, he said it to give us hope.  That phrase, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me," is the first line of the first verse of Psalm 22.

When Jesus was alive, the Bible was not in book form like it is today.  There were scrolls of Old Testament books, but they were not together in one volume like we know it.  It wasn't until the year 1227, about twelve hundred years after Christ died, that the Bible was divided up into chapters.  Verse marking were added more than 300 years later, in the year 1551, after the New Testament had been added.

So Jesus was hanging there on the cross, and the Pharisees and religious leaders were mocking him.  "He saved others," they said, "but he cannot save himself."  Other people said things like, "He trusts in God; let God save Him, if he is truly God's son."  (Matthew 27:41-43).  Jesus had a perfect reply, but he couldn't shout out, "Hey, you dummies: read Psalm 22!"  Instead, he quoted the first verse or phrase in the Psalm, but he said it in Aramaic, the common language of the day.  The Romans who were there may have thought that he was giving up hope, even denouncing his religion.  The Hebrews, hearing the Aramaic word for "my God" (which is Eloi) thought that he was calling on the prophet Elijah to save him (Matthew 27:47).

I think they were all wrong.  Let's look at the 22nd Psalm, and see if there is any correlation there; if there is a correlation, we will see whether Jesus was feeling hopeless and helpless (like we do sometimes), or whether he was offering us hope and help from the Scriptures.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?  O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. --Psalm 22:1-2

Isaiah 53:3 says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hid their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not."  Have you ever felt like that?  Most of us can recall times in our lives when God seemed to be a million miles away.  The loneliness and desperation we feel in those moments can be devastating to us.  Jesus knew this about us.  He walked in our shoes.  He was one of us.  So he wanted us to know there was hope for us.

Where is the hope, you say?  Read on!

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.  In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted you and you delivered them.  They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were no disappointed. --Psalm 22:3-5

Okay, so God has a history of coming through in the clutch.  The ancient Hebrews had a song they sang, a song of encouragement.  It was called, "The horse and rider thrown into the sea."  Miriam, the sister of Moses, sang it first in Exodus 15:21.  It was repeated many times whenever the people found themselves in a situation that was beyond their ability to get out.

But in the age of supersonic jets and instantaneous communication via the internet, that was so fifteen minutes ago!  Most of us get caught up in the culture of "What have you done for me lately?"  We have to step back, take a deep breath, and remember that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.  All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:  "He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him.  Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." --Psalm 22:7-8

Jesus was obviously not a worm, but they were certainly treating him like something less than human.  If they could, they would have stepped on him, and ground him into the dirt with their heels.  And what did we read in Matthew 27:43, but almost a direct quote from Psalm 22:8!  "He trusts in God.  Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God'."  Let's keep reading, and see what David foresaw about the death of the Messiah.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.  My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.  Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. --Psalm 22:14-16

2 Samuel 14:14 says, "Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.  But God doe not take away life; instead, he devises a way so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him."  I like that.  We all must die.  If we die in our sin, we will be eternally separated from God.  But because Jesus, God's son, died a sacrificial death, we now have a way where we can be with God forever.

Jesus voluntarily gave himself, poured himself out for you and me.  And in doing so, he was in agony.  Matthew 27 says he was offered wine and gall to drink, because he had said he was thirsty.  Gall was a kind of narcotic or crude anesthesia, meant to take away his pain while he hung dying.  Jesus refused to drink it.  He suffered the nails in his feet and hands, just as David had prophetically written in Psalm 22:16.

I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.  They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.  --Psalm 22:17-18

Matthew 27:35 says, "When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots."  How did David know to write this, centuries before it happened?  Because God had it all planned, right down to the smallest detail.  God inspired David to write this prophetic utterance, and then He saw to it that every detail came to pass, just as he had predicted.

But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.  Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the  power of the dogs.  Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.  --Psalm 22:19-21

When we are in trouble, even if we fear for our lives, we know God is near.  What must the Christians in the Yazidi region of Iraq be feeling during the worst persecution that the modern world has ever seen?  God's grace extends even to them.  Like the early martyr Stephen, when he was being stoned by the Jews in Acts, the Yazidis can have hope even as they are being beheaded and impaled for their Christian beliefs.  Acts 7:55-56 says, "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God'."

A wise person once said all fear is rooted in the fear of dying--we are not afraid of heights, we are afraid of falling to our deaths; we are not afraid of flying, we are afraid of crashing and dying; we are not afraid of the dark, we are afraid of things in the dark that we can't see that will kill us.  But when we follow Jesus, and have the hope of heaven, then we do not fear death.  Hosea 13:14 says, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death.  Where, O grave, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"  When we know that our soul and spirit will outlast our mortal bodies, we know that we will never truly die.  We can rest easy in the hope that we will live forever with the one who died for us.

I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.  You who fear the Lord, praise Him!  All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!  For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.  From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.  The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the Lord will praise him--may your hearts live forever! --Psalm 22:22-26

God is worthy of praise, now and forever.  He watched as Jesus died for us, then was able to raise Jesus from the dead.  Because of that, death has no power over us. Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"  If we suffer, God will be merciful; if we are oppressed, God will bring justice; if we are poor, God will provide.

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.  They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn--for he has done it.  --Psalm 22:30-31

David was talking about us right there.  You and me.  We would know about the works of God many millenia after David's prophetic writings, many generations after Christ's death, burial, and resurrection we would hear of him, and speak his Name to our children, so that they will know.  God did not forsake his own Son; he will not forsake us, even if we feel abandoned and alone.

1. When struggle meets you face to face,
when troubles seem to find their place,
you’re looking for that great escape:
God is there.
With heavy heart so filled with grief
that you can’t seem to find relief,
in silence hear his mercy speak:
God is there.
Though direction seems elusive,
and you’re looking for solutions,
and you’ve come to the conclusion
that you’re on your own:

Refrain
Don’t give up;
trust the plan that’s been so carefully designed
not for tears but for the joy I know you’ll find.
You’re on God’s mind in darkest times. (2nd time: to Bridge)
You are not forsasken.
Don’t give up,
though the burden might just seem to great to bear.
Lay your troubles down
and place them in the Father’s care
and know love’s there beyond compare;
and you are not forsaken: you are loved.

2. When confusion reigns and fills with doubt,
you’ve forgotten what you’re all about,
and you’re feeling that there’s no way out:
God is there.
When comfort seems so far away,
and solace is an empty face,
you’re looking for that warm embrace:
God is there.
Though direction seems elusive,
and you’re looking for solutions,
and you’ve come to the conclusion
that you’re on your own:

Bridge You are not alone,
no, I am always with you til the end of time.
I will go before,
prepare the place the Father saved for you;
he will see you through.
So don’t give up,
’cause the Father’s love will never, never fail you:
he won’t give up.

 

 

 

Our Daily Bread

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray (Luke 11:1), He gave us the template that most call The Lord's Prayer, or The Model Prayer.  The first half is about God, and our relationship with Him:

• He is our Father--we must honor Him
• We should look forward to the Day of His appearing
• His perfect will is greater than our deepest desires and dreams; and
• His will in heaven is the standard to which we all should hold ourselves here on earth.

The second half is about us.  We should not forget the order--Praise before Petition, Reverence before Reward.

Now, look how Jesus begins the second half of the prayer, the one where we petition God for grace and favor.  Before we can intercede for others, we must make sure our own needs are met.  So the focus here today is on the next seven words--the words that hold so much meaning.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Have you ever stopped and meditated on those words?  More and more in my Christian walk, I have begun to ruminate on this phrase, and it is so satisfying.  Come with me and share my passion for His provision.

First, let's break the sentence down into component parts--Subject, Verb, Indirect Object, Object.  We don't teach English this way any more, but when I was in school, we had to diagram sentences.  We would take out adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases, and pare it down to the basic message.  In this case, we would identify the component parts of the sentence:

• Subject:                  (You)
• Verb:                      Give
• Indirect Object:       Us 
• descriptor           this day
• Direct Object          Bread
• descriptor           our
• descriptor           daily

Stay with me here, this gets better!

Subject

To whom is our prayer addressed?  Our Father.  He is the One to whom we pray.  He is the one Source of our sustenance.  James 1:17 says, "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."  He doesn't flicker or fade.  He is the I AM, and His hand never fails.

Last week I referenced a passage in Numbers chapter 11 where God took some of the Spirit that He had given Moses and He put it on fifty elders of Israel, and they began to prophesy.  The back-story to that event was that the people of Israel had gotten tired of Manna.  They begged Moses for meat.  Moses went to God, and God reacted rather strongly--he said, if they want meat, I'll give them so much meat they will be sick of it.  "You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month--until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it--because you have rejected the Lord." (Numbers 11:19-20).  Stay with me here, this is the point I am making.  Moses said, "Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!  Would they have enough if (all the) flocks and herds were slaughtered for them?  Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?" (Numbers 11:21-22) God's answer was telling.  "Is the Lord's arm too short?"

This is the reason Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."  How it must break His heart when we look to others to meet our needs!  Singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin wrote a song called "Give us Clean Hands", and the chorus goes:

So give us clean hands and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh give us clean hands and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another

Let us not look to government, or to society, or to another person, or even to ourselves to meet our needs.  Let us go to God, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift.

Verb
What are we asking God to do? To give.  What does he ask in return? That we give--give Him glory, give of what we have to help others, give up our lives so that he can be poured out in us and through us.  John 15:7 says, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you."  But Luke 6:38 says, "Give and it shall be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

This concept is counter-intuitive.  The more we give, the more God will give to us.  Our needs will be met as we meet the needs of others.  In the book of Acts, when the early church was growing by leaps and bounds, they were so attuned to each others' needs that they didn't claim anything as their own, but shared everything they had.  "There were no needy persons among them.  For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."(Acts 4:33-34).  This was the basis of the idea of Socialism, but the concept breaks down if 1) the giving is forced (called taxation), and 2) the receiver is the government (that breeds corruption).  It worked in the church in Acts because God blessed those who gave with abundance, and they all met the needs of one another gladly.

Isaiah 55:-31 is full of promise.  Here it is in the New Living Translation:

Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money!  Come, take your choice of wine or milk--it's all free!  Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?  Why pay for food that does you no good?  Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.  You will enjoy the finest food.  Come to me with your ears wide open.  Listen and you will find life.  I will make an everlasting covenant with you.  I will give you all the unfailing love I promised David.

Now, you may think that the prophet was speaking in the spiritual sense--much the same way that Jesus meant when he had spoken to the Woman at the Well.  When the disciples came back to him with food to eat, he said, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." (John 4:32).  And in a sense, you are right.  But the Bible also says, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." (Psalm 37:25).

God is glad to meet our needs, as well.  (See "Subject" above)

Direct Object
Skipping ahead a bit, what is it that we are asking God to give? Bread is written, but it could apply to every need we could possibly have:

A. Physical
     1.  Food
     2.  Clothing
     3.  Housing
     4.  Clean air/water
B.  Spiritual
     1.  Salvation
     2.  Grace/Mercy
     3.  Peace
C.  Mental/Emotional
     1.  Clarity of thought
     2.  Wisdom
     3.  Joy
     4.  Peace
     5.  Love
D.  Financial
E.  Social
F.  Sexual

What does the Bible say?  "And my God will supply every need of yours, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."  Period.  End of sentence.  And do we need to go to any other to meet that need? See "Subject" above.

Descriptor(s)
"This day" and "Our Daily" speak of the immediacy of our request.  We need to receive God's blessing in His time, but for the basic necessities of life, there is a sense of urgency.  God, give us what we need, and we need it now!

But I also think that it means we are to come to him frequently.  When God sent the Manna to the children of Israel, he told them not to take more than they needed, because there would be more there tomorrow.  This was a test of their faith.  When some people took more than they needed, it spoiled--it did them no good, and they had to throw it out.

God's provision is like a Costco or a Sam's Club store.  There is plenty there.  God wants us to take our pick of whatever we need.  "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19).  But instead of encouraging us to stock up for the winter, God tells us to only take enough for today.  That way, we will come to him to refill our cup more often.  It's like Walmart at Christmas:  Walmart is the world's biggest retailer.  They have everything you need all in one place.  But at Christmas they limit the amount of sales items you can buy.  Now we know that they do it so that more people can enjoy the items at the sale prices, but we know God will never run out.  There is plenty for all.  But when we stand in line with other believers, we are encouraged; when we take only what we need for the day, we know we can come back to Him tomorrow.

Indirect Object
To whom is the bread directed? We know it is from God, given graciously to all who ask.  But the recipient is us.  Everything God does, he does for us.  If you were the only person on earth who needed salvation, Jesus Christ would still have come to die for your sins.  He loves you that much.

When I worked as a camp counselor many years ago, I would give a devotional to different groups that would ask me to speak.  I would show them the American Sign Language signs for "I love Jesus".  If you don't know, "I" is formed by holding your small finger up with the rest of the fingers down or clenched in a fist, and held in front of your heart.  "Love" is formed by crossing both arms over your heart.  The word "Jesus" is formed by holding your hands apart, palms facing each other, then touching each palm with the middle finger of the other hand.  I explained how this portrayed the nails that held him to the cross for us.  Then I'd turn it around--I would sign as I went: Jesus, the person who is known by the nail scars in his hands, Loves (holds close, hugs, draws to his heart), Me (little and insignificant as the pinky finger).

That is who gets the bread given by God when we pray.  Us.  We get it.  It is ours to take.  It is ours to share.  Jesus may have had this in mind when he instituted Communion, or the Lord's Supper.  We share the elements, reminding us of his body that was broken for us, and his blood that was shed for us.  But we take it unto ourselves.  We personalize it.  It was for us that He died.

Think about this next time you pray for your daily bread.

Be prepared, in season and out of season, to share the hope that is in you

An Evangelical Christian, a Unitarian Minister, and a Gay Atheist walk into a bar.  If you think this is the start of a sick joke, you are mistaken.  If you are waiting for a punch line, you will be disappointed.  But if you'll listen to my modern-day parable, you might end up with a different perspective on things.

John boarded the plane along with everyone else.  He saw people of all walks of life, and wondered where they had all come from, and where they were all going.  At this present time, they had all converged on American Airlines flight 316 from Dallas to Washington, DC.  In a little over 3 hours, with any luck, these people would all be scattered to the winds in the nation's capitol.  But for now, God had brought them all here together.

He settled into a middle seat, between a very masculine looking woman and a slightly feminine looking man.  "God, forgive me for judging," he thought.  There was no telling what they thought of him as a first impression.  As the plane began to taxi toward the runway, the flight attendant began the pre-flight instructions.  Most politely ignored her, but John listened to her Texas drawl and watched her genuine smile.  When her speech was done, she disappeared behind the curtain separating first class from the rest of the passengers.  

John took out his Bible and opened it to a favorite passage.  He hoped to get some reading in before going over his notes for a business meeting that afternoon.  A voice close to him broke his concentration.  The woman to his left was speaking to him.  He looked at her quizzically. "I'm sorry," he said to her.  "What did you say?"

"I said God is good."

"All the time," John answered.

The woman pressed on.  "I couldn't help but notice you were reading your Bible.  I love the New Testament.  All about God's love for all living things.  I'm Diana, by the way."  She held out her hand, and John shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Diana.  I'm John.  Where are you from?"

"Oh, I'm the pastor of First Unitarian Church in Saginaw, northwest of Ft. Worth.  I'm going up to a Universalist Conference in DC."

"Well, that's just great," came an exasperated remark from the man on John's right.  "Sharing a three hour flight with a couple of Jesus freaks."  The man stared out the window, muttering under his breath.  "Got a Bible thumper and a lady preacher.  It don't get no better'n this," he said, sarcastically.

Diana addressed the man directly, bending forward to talk around John.  "Well, Jesus certainly is one of the ways to God," she said. "But I think you'll find that in our church, we accept a right of Conscience, and a free and responsible search for truth."

"Well, I think there is no god, and you church people can all go to hell."  The man glared at Diana, then at John, before turning to stare out the window some more.

Diana smirked, and winked at John.  "I guess we know where he stands.  What about you, John?  Do you think you might visit one of our congregations one day?"

John closed his Bible and breathed a quick prayer for grace and truth.  "I don't think I'd fit into your congregation very well."

"Why not?"

"Well, I believe the Bible is true, the infallible, inerrant Word of God.  I don't believe that all roads lead to heaven.  Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except by me'.  That doesn't leave much room for argument, does it?"

Diana pressed on, undeterred.  "Jesus was certainly a great man.  So was Mohammad.  There is truth to be found in all religious faiths.  And in the end, whatever we find the Higher Power to be, I think you'll be surprised at the beauty and faith we all share."

"That sounds lovely," John said.  "But it is not at all logical. First, if Jesus is not the only way to God, then He was a liar.  Who in their right mind would say that a liar was a great religious leader?  Second, for there to be Truth, there must be untruth.  Two and two do not equal five.  The one who knows that the sky is blue cannot live in total agreement with one who thinks it is green or purple or polka-dotted.  Just look at the way religions have always been at odds, all throughout history.  Every major religion has some form of exclusivity at its core.  Muslims are taught to kill Jews and Christians, whom they identify as 'infidels'.  Jewish parents will disown their children if the children convert to Christianity.  You can't take doctrines from each religion and make some kind of mash-up, like a 'best of'' album."

Diana looked at her shoes.  "I find that people who are so dogmatic about their beliefs rarely find the grace that God offers."

"Christianity is all about grace.  All of the other religions are performance based.  In Buddhist teaching, one only reaches Nirvanha after going through various levels of purity, and if you mess up you could come back as a toad or a cow in the next life.  Muslims hope to win the favor of Allah by attending to prayers three or four times a day, and by making a pilgrimage to Mecca at some point in their lives.  With the Jew, it's all about keeping the Law.  Christianity is the only religion that offers access to God freely, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.  Jesus paid the price, so I don't have to.  All I have to do is accept on faith that Jesus died for my sin, and confess Him as Lord openly."

"Our church is a bit less traditional.  We find that our message resonates with a broader spectrum of people."

John opened his Bible to Matthew 7:13. "Jesus said, 'Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it'."

"Well, I don't think a loving God would send any of his creation to hell.  I believe we will all make it to heaven, one way or another."  Diana said this without malice, like she was repeating what she had heard all of her life.

Just then the plane hit some turbulence, and the lights flickered off and on.  "We may all come face to face with God sooner than we think," John joked.  "But seriously, if someone spends their whole life in this world rejecting God, then I don't think God would force them to spend eternity with Him.  He doesn't send anyone to hell.  People choose to go of their own free will.  I pray that some day, Diana, you will find the truth that you are so desperately seeking."

More turbulence, and the plane felt like it lost altitude quickly before it recovered.  The lights shorted out again, but this time they did not come back on.  Not many on the plane noticed because it was daytime; but they certainly noticed that the fans circulating air throughout the cabin were not working.

"Oh, my God, it's hot!" said the man next to the window.

There was a lot of activity among the flight attendants, as they went row by row asking the passengers to fasten their seat belts.  When the attendant reached their row, she smiled reassuringly and in her Texas drawl said, "As you can tell, there is a slight electrical problem in the passenger area.  The captain has asked that y'all remain in your seats with your seat belts buckled.  We are being diverted to Nashville, both as a precaution and for the comfort of our passengers.  Thank you."

"Wait," said the young man to John's right, nervously.  "We have no lights out here, and the intercom system must be down, or the pilot would be telling us all this himself.  Is there electricity in the cockpit? I mean, we're not going to crash land, are we?"

"I can assure you that the aircraft is in no danger at all," the attendant said.  "The captain has the plane in control, and has established contact with the air traffic controllers."

"With his cell phone, no doubt."  The man turned his head toward the window and sighed.  It was quiet for a moment.  Tense.  They could feel the plane begin its unscheduled descent.  "Jesus.  How do we know they're telling us the truth?" he asked, to no one in particular.

"What's your name?" John asked quietly.

"Paris," he replied, absently.

"Well, Paris, we won't know for certain until we get there, but for now, we will just have to have faith."

After landing in Nashville, the passengers were asked to de-plane.  They were given passes to the AA Lounge, and vouchers for complimentary beverages.  John got a Coke Zero and found a table near the window.  He was surprised when both Diana and Paris sat down next to him.

"Well, that was....interesting," Diana said.

"God, yes," Paris agreed.

"Can I ask you something, Paris?"  John looked at the young man intently.  "Early in the flight, you said you didn't believe in God.  But three times I've heard you call out His name.  Why is that?"

"Jeez, you Christians all seem to get offended easily," Paris sneered.  "Did I offend you, too, preacher lady?"

"That's not what I meant at all," John said.  "See, I think that every person has a desire, deep down inside them, to know God."

"I agree with you there," Diana interjected.

"But unlike you," John nodded toward Diana before fixing his gaze on Paris, "I believe God has given us a road-map to find Him.  Our whole lives are spent looking for purpose, when His purpose is to draw us to himself."

"If you knew me better, you wouldn't say that to me.  See, I think your church has rejected people like me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you must know, I'm gay.  In fact, I'm on my way to DC to attend a gay rights rally at the Supreme Court, before they hear arguments for gay marriage in one of the states--I forget which one.  I just know it's not Texas.  Not yet."

Diana would not let this opportunity go to waste.  "Our church accepts all people, regardless of nationality, creed, color, or sexual orientation."

Paris still directed his attention to John.  "But your church doesn't, I'll bet," he said.  "You think God has standards, and gay people just don't measure up.  Am I right?"

"None of us is perfect," John replied.  "All of us have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.  That includes me."

"Oh, so we're all sinners, but some of our sins are better, and some are worse.  Am I right?  God can overlook your sins, but not mine.  That's the message I hear from people like you."

John shook his head.  "We are all born with a sin nature.  And sin separates us from God.  But God sent His Son Jesus to take away our sins, and restore a right relationship with us."

"Well, I agree with you on one point," Paris said, bitterly.  "I was born this way."

"God made you who you are," Diana said.  She was trying to be helpful.

Ignoring Diana's remark, John cleared his throat.  "Look, I can't speak to your situation.  I've never been attracted to men.  But I do know one thing.  Left to my own longings and desires, I'd be a serial adulterer.  As often as I travel on business away from my wife, I do get tempted by women wherever I go.  Some of them might agree to sleep with me if I wanted.  And the culture accepts and even encourages that behavior.  A lot of the songs you hear on the radio are about sexual infidelity.  Most of the movies that come out have that theme.  But that doesn't make it right."

"Do you mean that God rejects straight men, too?" Paris grinned.

"I'm saying that whenever I choose to follow my baser instinct, I cannot assume that God approves.  So I have to decide which is more important to me--a cheap thrill on a one night stand, or a growing, honest relationship with my God and with my wife."

"Well, it's not against the law to have an affair."

"It is against God's law."

"But my partner and I are in a monogamous relationship," Paris said.  "That should count for something."

"Suppose you were a drug addict.  But you were very careful to only use clean needles, and you never shared your needle with any other drug user.  In that situation, you'd be a responsible drug user--you wouldn't be exposing yourself or others to hepatitis or HIV.  But you'd still be an addict.  Is that what God made you for?"

"I'm not sure whether God made me or not, much less whether I was born for any particular purpose.  So I guess I'm more like Diana.  I'll find what works for me, and enjoy it while it lasts.  After that, who knows?"

"Let me ask you one thing.  When the flight attendant told us the plane was being diverted, but we were in no imminent danger, what was the first thing you thought?"

"I don't know.  What?"

"You wondered whether she was telling you the truth.  You assumed that she could be hiding something.  Maybe she wasn't telling us everything, because she didn't want to spread panic.  Maybe she was spouting the Company line about safety.  Whatever she said, you questioned her motives, didn't you."

"I guess I did.  So what?"

"What if she had come and informed us that the plane was going to crash?  What would you have done then?  Would you have gotten another drink to enjoy from the beverage cart?  I don't think so.  Most people in that situation don't say, 'drink up, boys, we're all gonna die!'  No.  Most people in that situation, when they feel helpless, turn to God for help.  They wish they had done more good, and left fewer regrets."

"Okay.  So what's your point?"

"None of us knows how many days we will live.  We could all die tomorrow.  That puts more importance on the decisions we make today, doesn't it.  If you have been told that you are living in sin, whatever that sin might be, you have to decide whether you want to continue in that behavior for your own personal pleasure in the moment, or if you want to give that up for something better.  Jesus is that something better.  You can lay your sin, whatever it is, at the foot of the cross and decide in your heart that you want to follow Christ, to pursue God whatever the cost.  Or you can hold onto it, and take your chances with it.  When Jesus was teaching on this earth, a rich young man, with great wealth and power, approached Him.  The Bible called him a 'ruler', meaning he had power and position in politics or society.  He asked Jesus what it would take for him to gain eternal life.  Jesus told him to get rid of his wealth, to divest himself from his riches.  Because Jesus knew that in this young man's heart, money was his god.  He wasn't saying that wealthy people could not be saved.  He was saying that in this one young man's case, it was either money or God--he couldn't serve both.  Unfortunately, that young man was not ready to pay the price of his salvation.  He walked away with his money in his pocket, but without Jesus in his heart.  Unless he came back to Jesus later, that man died in his sin, separated from God.  And what good did his money do him then?"

"So you're saying that if I want to be right with God I have to sacrifice my relationships, and deny myself?"

"I didn't say it.  Jesus said it."

The announcement came over the PA system that another plane had been found and fueled, and that all of their luggage had been transferred to the new plane.  They could now begin boarding for the second leg of their journey.

When John reached his seat, he noticed two different passengers were seated next to him.  Diana and Paris had apparently asked for different seats, or a different flight altogether.  John prayed for them, that God would direct their paths and draw them to Himself.  Then he settled in, and opened his Bible.

"Hey, what'cha readin' there?" the man in the cowboy hat asked.