For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord , that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen. – Jeremiah 13:11

Check out this passage in its entirety and you will know God not only has a sense of humor, but that He is incredibly practical and creative. He says, “I made my people like underwear, they cling around me and find their purpose. Without clinging to me, they are just soiled rags.” What kind of God would say that? I’ll tell you that it’s not one that lacks in confidence.

It is one who will tell you exactly your worth. This interchange is brilliant because it is so true. When we stop clinging to God, which we occasionally do because that is human nature, we become like soiled loincloths.

Just think about the last time you didn’t pray for a day; or the last time you skipped church; or the last time you decided you were going to go partying for a night; or the last time you did something that in hindsight was stupid (don’t make me name all the stupid things we do).

I’m not talking about regret. I’m talking about you doing things because you wanted to be a master of your own life because you never thought…. (I’ll let you write the rest of that sentence)– yeah, the consequences. You and I are underwear. The foul odor you smell when you wake up is you. You are the thing that smells, you are the soiled loincloth. There is a clear dichotomy here.

You can cling to God and be what you were always intended to be, an unsoiled worshiper of God. Or you can stop clinging to God and live under a rock (figurative or literally) and be soiled and worthless. The choice is yours and you make it when you cling or you don’t.

If you want to live the way God created, you have to cling to Him hard and fast and don’t let go.

Don’t cling like you are an elastic waist band. Cling like you’re tied to God and anything can cause the knots to be undone. This is praise and glory.

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25) If you ever thought that the grass is greener on the other side of your job, home, family, kids, and friends, I want you to think again. The reason you want to think again is because the writer of the Ecclesiastes, King Solomon, says that there is nothing better than the “toil” that he or she is granted in life, which he recounts, is from the “hand of God” (or gift of God). Let me delve into those ideas as you start flashing through your mind’s eye about the things you complained about (your parents, your spouse, your boss, your pastor, etc), the things you’ve abhorred (the co-worker, other people’s habits, the smell of waking up to the dump truck, etc), the things you wish were better in your life (finances, job, education, relationships, etc). The reason, you want to flash through those things in your life is because those are the results of what Solomon calls “toil.” I want to call “toil” the summation of one’s life, that is to say that “toil” is the embodiment of all that you are in life up to this point. If you think about it, then you would realize that you spend so much time complaining about your life, that you come to realize that you really hate being yourself and would, if you could, be somebody else in a different circumstance. Obviously everybody, including myself, has some aspect of life that they would change if given the opportunity, but that’s not the point. The point is that there is so much that we would change than to enjoy the liberty of being in the life we had “toiled” to obtain. If you don’t know what I mean, just ask your immigrant parents or grandparents why they worked drudgingly horrible jobs their entire lives and they will tell you that their enjoyment was the opportunity that may have resulted from the “toil” would be bestowed upon their progeny. Whatever your toil, I want you to think further and understand that you are exactly where you are because God has given you the gift of your life to place you exactly where you need to be. The point of God’s hand being on you for this reason is simple: to enjoy the glory of God in the toil of life. What does that mean? It means that there is nothing better than where you are now as long as you understand that the purpose of it all is to live into the weight of God in this world at this moment where you affect everything and everyone around you. This is what is most enjoyable in life– that which is from God. I want you to take it all, the sorrows, the sadness, the madness, the hardships, the unfairness and embrace it because there is nothing better for you and me than to enjoy it as a gift from God to live in to what does not seem glorious to God but really epitomizes God’s glory in the living through it. Jesus’ toil on Earth ended in being crucified, an inhumane method of capital punishment; but he enjoyed it for the glory of God that is us– co-heirs with Christ in God’s kingdom. The grass is more green than you think, just don’t forget you’re stepping on it.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans 3:27-28) What a line! I love this part of the Letter to the Romans. Paul asks the philosopher– reason out the methodology by which we so excitedly share what we (Christians) believe and practice. If you think about what Paul is saying, he is saying to the outsider that Christians celebrate a crucified and risen savior because the law of belief and hope compels them to celebrate the raising of a dead man. It is mind boggling to those who hold strictly to a rational sense of existence. People cannot believe that the Christians are doing so absurd– following the teachings of somebody everybody knew was crucified with no proof or evidence that he actually rose again. Paul says to them that this is exactly the beauty and rationale by which they do church, quite literally because the “law of faith” which is the action produced by belief, does not allow for any other way to live. Let me bring this back to our so-called Christian life now. Is our celebration of Christ’s powerful act of love for us highlighted by our absurd faith and incredibly zealous celebration of His life? Or do we hold ourselves to a lifestyle that still emphasizes a self embodied righteousness that tries to obtain a semblance of goodness through some forced behavioral modification? Rather, are we in a place where we know in our minds but haven’t allowed that belief to sink into our hearts to push us into an exhilarating act of celebration in our belief– which may, consequently, look like boasting to the eyes of those who don’t share our beliefs? Going into the weekend, I want you to ask yourself whether or not you are acting faithfully in belief or is your belief shallow and empty? If it is a real belief, allow the law of faith take you over and into a life that boasts in Jesus’ love for you and me.

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. (Romans 2:13) Paul makes a distinction between hearing and doing. This distinction is different than the distinction he makes between faith by hearing and doing good work for the sake of salvation. The distinction in this passage make it clear that a person who says he or she believes in God only really believes when he or she is doing what he or she says they believe. Likewise, knowing something about God and about what should be done is not the same as doing it. We call it hypocrisy. Paul simply called it a failure of faith. Paul is not saying that your works justify you and your salvation in Jesus Christ, because there is nothing that we do to save ourselves; but he is saying that we need to live like we say we want to live. Are we taking pulse to see how we are living? Have we been just sitting at church nodding our heads about things we agree but never do or are we actually living those things? Let’s meditate and pray about what we’re doing with our faith.

When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. (Romans 1:12) One of my most favorite things is being encouraged by the faith of other people. I’m not talking about painfully annoying encouragements of faith like, “keep your eye on the sparrow and God will deliver you from the test you didn’t study for.” I’m talking about encouragements of faith like, “I had nothing and I messed up and found my life slip away and succumb with my decisions, but God still welcomed me.” You all know the encouragement of faith that I’m talking about. It is the conversations you have that share the pain and experiences with God’s grace over a lifetime. Paul was writing about the same such encouragement. He knew the things that the Romans were going through for their faith. They were being persecuted for turning away from the national religion in the capitol. Paul was also being persecuted food his beliefs. He knew first hand the persecution because he used to inflict on believers. Now he shares their pain and shares in their stores to give him how for the future. When you get together with other believers, I want you to share in the encouragement that God is giving to you through them. If they are not encouraging you, then I want you to encourage them with your faith stories. You will surely encourage each other.

Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place. (2 Chronicles 6:40) Solomon asks God to remember the people and the place that He chose, and there to receive graciously all who turn to Him. Let me tell you the story behind this prayer: Solomon finally constructed the Temple of God and He is thanking God and praising God and worshiping God and beseeching God. Solomon built a magnificent Temple for God. Just look at all the intricate designs in the picture below.

  The point Solomon was making to God was simple: listen to us when we pray here at your house, whether or not we are worthy of being heard. Isn’t that how we feel sometimes? We pray and hear nothing back from God. We feel ignored by God. We want God to hear us when we actually make it to church to pray. However, the great sense of doubt that creeps up on us when we pray and nothing seems to happen, that’s a real feeling that often bites at us when we are feeling unworthy. In fact, we attribute the fact that God doesn’t seem to be listening to how “sinful” we are. When we read the entirety of this passage, we notice something about the people whom Solomon calls out to God for: they are no better than us and most of the time described as having a fate and a plight far worse than our own. The type of people that Solomon wants God to hear are of the following types: people who wrong their neighbors; people who are defeated; those afflicted by drought and pestilence; the foreigner; the enemies of God; and the sinner. Solomon asks God to hear these people specifically when they go to the Temple to pray to God. If Solomon can make a prayer request like that, can’t we also make a similar request upon God? To hear us sinners from heaven because we are in the good graces of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings? If you feel llike you’re being ignored because God is keeping His eyes and ears closed to your prayers, I want you to just shout louder toward God in prayer because God has chosen you to be the temple where He dwells. He is listening.

Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours? (1 Kings 3:9)

Most people believe that they are not leaders because there was never any authority given to them to lead. So they use that as an excuse not to lead. However, what if I told you that we fail to lead because our hearts are in the wrong place. Would that change how you lead the people around you? Solomon was a young man when he inherited a kingdom. Unlike other young leaders that inherit a kingdom, he did not ruin the kingdom. Rather, he made what he inherited better. He did not protect his inheritance, like most second generation leaders, rather he applied his passion, heart and understanding to grow it. A few verses before this we see Solomon fervently worshipping God. It is this passion that leads God to ask Solomon what his request is. The formula we see in this story is simple: passion+earnesty+godly intentions = God’s blessing to lead. When we passionately seek God, and earnestly seek Him for the sake of doing what God would do, then God will bless those things. He will give you a heart to lead and wisdom to discern that heart. The opportunity to lead is driven by your capacity to understand with your heart (I’m not talking about having a wide reaching flailing of emotions). God loves to give His people a heart to lead. However, if you don’t look for it and if you don’t ask God for it, you may be squandering the opportunity to lead the people God gave you. Find your passion. Seek God’s intentions. Ask God for an understanding heart today.

Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:4) The disciples asked Jesus, “who will be the greatest in heaven?” However that question stemmed from pride and hubris. You and I would have asked the same question with the same pride and hubris, so don’t think you are above the question. In fact, I think it is a legitimate question. How else, in this age of comparisons, could you determine your worth and value? Jesus turns around and says to be like a child and you will be great. There are two implications I can think of that Jesus’ statement has immediately. The first implication is that children can’t be anybody or anything else other than themselves, and will therefore be the “greatest” that they can be of themselves. I’m going to explain that in a little bit. The second implication is that children wouldn’t compare themselves with others about who is the greatest; rather, a child would feel like the greatest because they receive love like they they are the greatest from the greatest. The first implication of being the greatest version of yourself that you can possibly be comes with a lot of heavy weight. It is something most people struggle with, even to the point of depression. If you don’t believe me that it is such a big problem, just walk into a bookstore, or log into Amazon.com and check out how big the self-help section is in comparison to other sections. Or just look on the Times bestseller list and see how many are self-help– like you need help being yourself!!! This is the implication of Jesus’ statement though: you must be humble enough to be you. We’re so prideful and full of shame that we are all longing to be somebody we’re not– this is definitely not childlike. We cannot be somebody else, we weren’t created to be somebody else. If you want to be the greatest, then you have to be who God created you to be and humble yourself to know how you are built and made and live into it. When you live into who God created to be, you become the greatest in the eyes of God. The second implication about comparisons is related to knowing who you are in God. If you keep comparing yourself to who God created you not to be like,then you will never be great because you’re not never going to be greater than the person you’re trying to become. Stop comparing who the greatest person you are pretending to be. Rather, what you need to do is know how the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven– the king loves you the greatest when you are you and for you. If you think about these two implications today, you may recognize within yourself, areas where you have been dishonest and/or hiding. Ask yourself: is that childlike? is that humble? Better yet, you may want to ask yourself about those areas you have been dishonest and/or hiding: how is God going to use those areas, what’s in store for me through Christ in those areas? You may be surprised by what you learn.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world… (Philippians 2:14-15) I just wish some people would stop complaining about the things they agree to do. Let’s be honest, you are just as annoyed by the valiant complainers that just whine and moan about the things they do and the responsibilities they hold, as I expressed them. Except maybe you express your distaste for them in four letter, expletive ridden rants. Regardless of how much you hate hearing it from others, I’m also very sure I’ve heard your whining about doing something that took you out of your way. I know, its true. You’ve probably heard me complain profusely about things that I’ve agreed to do and are saying to yourself, “what a hypocrite.” But there’s a reason why I’m exploring this topic– it’s because we’re all guilty of grumbling and most of the time, we’re not aware of the blatant repercussions of that grumbling. The Apostle Paul says to the Church of Philippi, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” because all those things you’re doing are works of God that is working your salvation within you. Let me expound on that. When we do and when we don’t complain while doing, we are setting up ourselves above everybody else. You see, the point I made earlier about hearing you complain and hearing me complain make us no better than anybody or people who do not have a grasp of the grace of God and salvation. So, here’s the lesson for today: when we are tempted to complain, then we should stop and give some thought to why we’re doing what we’re doing. When we reflect on the why, we find ourselves that there is no reason to complain. In fact, there is a joy that we don’t find at first glance. So, with all of that said, we must do without grumbling because in doing so, we are working out our salvation through our actions– that is to say that we are finding ourselves sanctified by our work in faith through Jesus Christ. Let us be without grumbles.

I heard a song on the radio recently by Matt Maher titled, “All the People Said Amen.” The went like this:

If you’re rich or poor, well it don’t matter Weak or strong, we know love is what we’re after We’re all broken but we’re all in this together God knows we stumble and fall And He so loved the world He sent His son to save us all And all the people said Amen, whoa oh And all the people said Amen Give thanks to the Lord for His love never ends And all the people said Amen

I love the lyrics because they lend perspective to everyone who thinks about their situation and finds nothing to be thankful for or agree with God on. If you don’t know the meaning of the word, “Amen”, it just simply means “I agree very affirmatively.” So just think about the lyrics in light of being in agreement with God. Now here’s the reason why we agree with God verbally and wholeheartedly in faith despite what our lives look like contrary to our agreeing with God about our circumstances: For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinithans 1:20) Paul was writing to the church about his change in circumstances. He was planning to come visit them, and the very fact that he couldn’t ruined his plans. Yet, he proclaimed that despite his current disappointment and sadness in regards to his highly anticipated visit with the people of Corinth, he knew that God was going to do something better than his expectation and his disappointment. If we find ourselves in disappointment or failing to receive the potential we had in expectations, remember we agree with God with loud “Amens” because all things come through Him. To witness God’s glory is reason enough for all of us to say “Amen.” Say loudly, say it proudly, say it often. Amen.