Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The Battle Cry of the Weakling (a paraphrase of Isaiah 50, Nehemiah 4, II Timothy 1)
The quarry from which I was dug has no sandstone. I’m hewn of flint, partnered with steel, sparks fly. I fan the flame, the spirit of power, of love, of self-control. Blazing arrow-taunts fly at me, “What does she think she is doing? She is a weakling, the job is colossal. She doesn’t have the resources or qualifications ...” I’m not shamed. Rescue is near. I set my face like flint and shout back, “Who’s next? You want a piece of me?” When my Evil opponent steps up I will wear him out like a rag, a gnawing little moth‘ll finish him off. They shake their heads. “Lord help her.” They say. But see, he does. The Lord does help me.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tales of the Restoration: Some Things are Worth Doing Badly
Just as ancient walls around a city protected its inhabitants, people have "walls", or boundaries, we use for protection. When skin is opened through a wound, infections can enter the body. When we are wounded relationally our protection is likewise damaged, and the enemy has easy access to our lives. He uses our wounds to infect us, to rule us, to keep us in trudging along as his good little slaves. He hates it when we rebuild, because if we succeed, he will not longer be able to breach our boundaries, and rule us. We will no longer be slaves, we will be free.
When we begin to rebuild, the enemy often attacks with words first. He attacks our strength. (See "Tales of the Restoration: Weakness") He also attacks our capability and spirituality.
When the Jews of Jerusalem began to rebuild their wall, their enemies, local leaders who enjoyed their de facto rule over Jerusalem, began taunting. "Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, 'What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will the finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?' Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, 'Yes what they are building--if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!' Nehemiah 4:1-3 ESV
When Nehemiah's enemies shouted their criticism of the capabilities of his building force, they were most likely telling the truth! The workers were a hodgepodge collection of people from every strata of society, goldsmiths, perfumers, merchants, rulers, temple servants, priests, and entire families including daughters. Not a single person was specifically identified as a stone mason! "Archaeological evidence confirms that the walls were indeed of inferior construction...By and large the work of God in the world is not done by experts." (Michael Riley, The Spiritual Formation Bible commentary on Nehemiah)
Nehemiah and his crew of non-professional builders threw up the city wall in record time. The fact that they were not qualified to do the work, did not keep Nehemiah from doing what God was calling him to do. What if Nehemiah had taken Sanballat's words to heart? What if he had said, "You know, he's right. Have you seen that section by the sheep gate? The stones aren't even straight. It won't be anything like Solomon's wall. We'd better back off and wait for real builders to do this." Fortunately Nehemiah did not allow the true, but malicious, criticism that he and his people were neither professionally nor spiritually qualified, to slow him down. He pressed on anyway.
I enjoy dabbling and have extensive experience doing a wide variety of things badly, so this idea doesn't bother me too much. On the other hand, "if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right" people will likely hate this thought. I stand by it. A good insistence on quality can be twisted into discouragement and an excuse to quit. Sometimes, in a season of restoration, God calls us to do things that are outside our training and skills, things we are not capable of doing as well as we would like. In the entire list of laborers in Nehemiah 3 only one group is criticized, the Tekoite nobles who "would not stoop to serve their Lord." (Nehemiah 3:5. ESV)
Blessings,
Beth
For background information about Nehemiah's story, see earlier blogs entitled Tales of the Restoration.
When we begin to rebuild, the enemy often attacks with words first. He attacks our strength. (See "Tales of the Restoration: Weakness") He also attacks our capability and spirituality.
When the Jews of Jerusalem began to rebuild their wall, their enemies, local leaders who enjoyed their de facto rule over Jerusalem, began taunting. "Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, 'What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will the finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?' Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, 'Yes what they are building--if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!' Nehemiah 4:1-3 ESV
When Nehemiah's enemies shouted their criticism of the capabilities of his building force, they were most likely telling the truth! The workers were a hodgepodge collection of people from every strata of society, goldsmiths, perfumers, merchants, rulers, temple servants, priests, and entire families including daughters. Not a single person was specifically identified as a stone mason! "Archaeological evidence confirms that the walls were indeed of inferior construction...By and large the work of God in the world is not done by experts." (Michael Riley, The Spiritual Formation Bible commentary on Nehemiah)
Nehemiah and his crew of non-professional builders threw up the city wall in record time. The fact that they were not qualified to do the work, did not keep Nehemiah from doing what God was calling him to do. What if Nehemiah had taken Sanballat's words to heart? What if he had said, "You know, he's right. Have you seen that section by the sheep gate? The stones aren't even straight. It won't be anything like Solomon's wall. We'd better back off and wait for real builders to do this." Fortunately Nehemiah did not allow the true, but malicious, criticism that he and his people were neither professionally nor spiritually qualified, to slow him down. He pressed on anyway.
I enjoy dabbling and have extensive experience doing a wide variety of things badly, so this idea doesn't bother me too much. On the other hand, "if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right" people will likely hate this thought. I stand by it. A good insistence on quality can be twisted into discouragement and an excuse to quit. Sometimes, in a season of restoration, God calls us to do things that are outside our training and skills, things we are not capable of doing as well as we would like. In the entire list of laborers in Nehemiah 3 only one group is criticized, the Tekoite nobles who "would not stoop to serve their Lord." (Nehemiah 3:5. ESV)
Blessings,
Beth
For background information about Nehemiah's story, see earlier blogs entitled Tales of the Restoration.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tales of the Restoration: Weakness
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:27, ESVI have been riveted by pictures of mountains of rubble caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I am saddened by their devastating loss. How will they ever rebuild? How will they even clear so much rubble? Sometimes life feels like that. The destruction is massive and we are not up to the task.
Our enemy, ever an opportunist, uses this discouragement. When Nehemiah began leading a massive rebuilding effort with inadequate resources and inexperienced builders, his enemies attacked with words instead of with weapons. "What are those feeble Jews doing?"
God is creative. Satan isn't. He is still using the same tactics thousands of years later. As soon as we begin rebuilding after a loss he begins attacking confidence. "What dd you think you're doing? You aren't strong enough, physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally...to rebuild this huge mess."
If the enemy successfully shifts our focus to our own feebleness, he wins, because he is right. We are not strong enough to rebuild desolated lives.
The good news is, we are not the foremen of our own restoration and we are not building alone. I love Nehemiah's phrase "The good hand of my God was upon me". That changes everything. If the restoration project is our own, it is doomed to failure. If it is God's, the end product may look different than our blueprint, but it won't fail.
When the enemy paused to take a breath in the midst of hurling insults, Nehemiah resisted the urge to hurl insults back. Instead, like a bullied younger brother he turned to someone much stronger. He hid behind him begging, "Beat them up for me, God". It was true Nehemiah and his Jews were feeble. But God was not.
We are feeble. God is not.
If the enemy is whispering discouragement to you, saying you are too weak, turn to the good hand of your God. He has his hand on you. Truly.
Until next time,
Blessings,
Beth
For background information about Nehemiah's story, see earlier blogs entitled Tales of the Restoration.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Pitfall of Success
This entry was also posted on my other blog, http://thosewhosee.blogspot.com
In an earlier blog I talked about the great sacrifices German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer made to try to stop the great evil of the Nazis. I wondered whether Bonhoeffer was discouraged when every effort failed. His participation in a plot to assassinate Hitler was rewarded with prison and eventual execution.
Evil continued to run free.
I am reading an excellent new biography of Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. Indirectly, he answers my question. He says that Bonhoeffer was fascinated by the way people worship success. The book quotes Bonhoeffer in his book Ethics,
If you want to read more, here are the links to those earlier blogs:
http://doorinthewilderness.blogspot.com/2011/02/accepting-hardship-as-pathway-to-peace.html
http://doorinthewilderness.blogspot.com/2011/02/accepting-hardship-as-pathway-to-peace_10.html
Blessings,
Beth
In an earlier blog I talked about the great sacrifices German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer made to try to stop the great evil of the Nazis. I wondered whether Bonhoeffer was discouraged when every effort failed. His participation in a plot to assassinate Hitler was rewarded with prison and eventual execution.
Evil continued to run free.
I am reading an excellent new biography of Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. Indirectly, he answers my question. He says that Bonhoeffer was fascinated by the way people worship success. The book quotes Bonhoeffer in his book Ethics,
In a world where success is the measure and justification of all things the figure of Him who was sentenced and crucified remains a stranger and is at best the object of pity. The world will allow itself to be subdued only by success. It is not ideas or opinions which decide, but deeds. Success alone justifies wrongs done...I find those words convicting and oddly comforting at the same time. I forget that I serve a savior who was crucified before he was resurrected, and calls me to be crucified with him. I am not sure that God cares as much as I do whether I succeed or fail. I think He cares only that through success or failure I love him with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.
If you want to read more, here are the links to those earlier blogs:
http://doorinthewilderness.blogspot.com/2011/02/accepting-hardship-as-pathway-to-peace.html
http://doorinthewilderness.blogspot.com/2011/02/accepting-hardship-as-pathway-to-peace_10.html
Blessings,
Beth
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tales of the Restoration: Verbal Smart Bombs
Remember the old nursery rhyme "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me"? Lies, all lies. Words are deadly weapons. When destructive words become lodged in our thoughts, they do great damage. Words can end a reconstruction project before it has really begun.
Rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem was just getting underway when Nehemiah's enemies began lobbing smart bombs at it. The bombs were insidious weapons constructed almost entirely of truth. Truth has explosive power. There was untruth too, subtle and silent, almost undetectable, just enough to penetrate, poison, and kill. Each verbal bomb was carefully aimed, and there was an entire arsenal of them.
Insults were aimed at the builder's strength, capability, and spirituality. He tried to discourage them by pointing out the enormity of the task and that their resources were limited and inferior. He finished by sarcastically poking fun at the poor quality of the work they had already done.
"What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?...Yes, what they are building--if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!" (Nehemiah 4:1-3)
Millenia later, the Enemy is still using the same weaponry. When Christians begin to restore and rebuild he tries to rob us of courage so that we will quit. Ironically, it is only because the project has every possibility of success that he attacks, attempting to convince us it is doomed to fail.
More next time. Until then keep building!
Blessings,
Beth
Rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem was just getting underway when Nehemiah's enemies began lobbing smart bombs at it. The bombs were insidious weapons constructed almost entirely of truth. Truth has explosive power. There was untruth too, subtle and silent, almost undetectable, just enough to penetrate, poison, and kill. Each verbal bomb was carefully aimed, and there was an entire arsenal of them.
Insults were aimed at the builder's strength, capability, and spirituality. He tried to discourage them by pointing out the enormity of the task and that their resources were limited and inferior. He finished by sarcastically poking fun at the poor quality of the work they had already done.
"What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?...Yes, what they are building--if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!" (Nehemiah 4:1-3)
Millenia later, the Enemy is still using the same weaponry. When Christians begin to restore and rebuild he tries to rob us of courage so that we will quit. Ironically, it is only because the project has every possibility of success that he attacks, attempting to convince us it is doomed to fail.
More next time. Until then keep building!
Blessings,
Beth
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tales of the Restoration: Enemy Attacks
When enemies heard that Nehemiah and the Jews were rebuilding the wall they were livid.
That is what happens when you try to rebuild something. The enemy who tore it down in the first place, or the enemy who wants to invade won't like it.
It is no different if you are rebuilding a relationship or a family than it was rebuilding a wall. You have an enemy who enjoys the destruction. He wants to continue to have easy access in to your life to wreak more destruction. If you are rebuilding I think you can safely assume that someone won't like it.
It is important to know who your real enemy is. You may experience opposition from flesh and blood people, but they are not your real enemies. They have been taken captive by your true enemy. They may be tools in the hand of your enemy, but no human is your true enemy. Your true battle is against "the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. " (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)
More next time...
That is what happens when you try to rebuild something. The enemy who tore it down in the first place, or the enemy who wants to invade won't like it.
It is no different if you are rebuilding a relationship or a family than it was rebuilding a wall. You have an enemy who enjoys the destruction. He wants to continue to have easy access in to your life to wreak more destruction. If you are rebuilding I think you can safely assume that someone won't like it.
It is important to know who your real enemy is. You may experience opposition from flesh and blood people, but they are not your real enemies. They have been taken captive by your true enemy. They may be tools in the hand of your enemy, but no human is your true enemy. Your true battle is against "the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. " (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)
More next time...
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