Why did God create us?

We'll never know the complete answer to that question, at least not during this lifetime. After all, God says (Isaiah 55:9, KJV),

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

But even though we can't completely grasp God's motivation, Paul provides a hint about why we were created. Actually, it's more than a hint; it's a direction on how to live! Paul states (Ephesians 2:10 KJV),

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

That is, God predestined, even before our birth, that we should pursue "good works" and "walk in them."

So if that's our main reason for existing, then it's especially distressful -- first to God, but also eventually to ourselves -- when we don't "walk in them," but rather follow our own earthly pursuits. Let us recommit our ways to God, and ask for forgiveness for the times we've failed to walk in his ways

Doubting God's power

2 Kings 6 tells of a great famine in Samaria, with verse 25 (KJV) indicating how bad things got in terms of prices,

An ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

Although those units don't make sense to us today, the subsequent verses illustrate that the economic suffering had become so severe that people began resorting to cannibalism!

But then, in 2 Kings 7:1 (KJV), Elisha delivers a message from God that relief was on the way,

Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel.

Again, the units don't make sense to modern ears, but those decreases in prices must have been substantial, even hard to believe. In response, one of the Kings helpers responds with doubt (verse 2, KJV),

Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?

The remainder of the chapter indicates that, not only did God bring relief from the great famine, but the King's helper died as a result of his skepticism.

The King's helper's sin was three-fold:
1) He doubted the power of God.
2) He doubted God's creativity, in that God can solve problems in ways we don't expect.
3) He doubted Elisha, who already had a demonstrated record of reliability in speaking for God.

Of course, we commit those same sins every day. Let us not doubt God's power, God's creativity, or God's messages delivered in a variety of ways.

Proverbs 3:6

Verse 6 of chapter 3 might be one of the most recognizable of Solomon's Proverbs. It reads (KJV),

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

(The verse directly before this one makes clear that "him" and "he" refer to God.) This proverb, in many ways, sums up all the other proverbs. It's simple and easy to memorize. Whatever happens throughout our day -- whether we encounters joy, sadness, stress, pain -- let us try to "acknowledge him." The proverb promises that he will direct our paths!

Simple advice from Samuel

In 1 Samuel 12:24-25 (KJV), Samuel warns the Israelites of the dangers of a king. But his words offer a general path of advice for all of us, in all settings. He says,

Fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed.

So much of the bible boils down to this: Serve God with all your heart, ponder his blessings, and avoid sin.

How to respond to God's gifts

In the final chapter of Joshua (chapter 24), God, speaking through Joshua, recounts all the wonderful things he has done for the Israelites (verses 1-13). Then beginning in verse 14, God instructs the Israelites regarding how they are to respond (verse 14, KJV),

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served ... and serve ye the Lord.

The people, recalling God's works, agree to serve him, to which Joshua responds (verses 22-23, KJV), 

Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him ... Now therefore put away ... the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.

And this is exactly how we are to respond to God. Let us reflect upon the gifts -- including life -- that he has given us. And then let us remove evil influences from our lives and "incline our heart unto God."

Counsel at the mouth of the LORD

Joshua 9 finds the Israelites having recently demolished Jericho and Ai. The Gibeonites, fearing they'll be next, devise a scheme to trick the Israelites into entering a peace treaty. The scheme works, and, as a result, the Gibeonites live amongst the Israelites, creating a constant source of moral corruption.

But a really fascinating aspect of the story appears in verse 14, when the narrator describes why the Israelites fall for the Gibeonites' deception (Joshua 9:14, KJV),

The [Israelites] ... asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

How often do we fall into trouble -- perhaps even moral corruption -- by failing to consult God? The message is clear and simple, and it give us a roadmap for avoiding such trouble. Pray without ceasing!

Strive to enter in at the strait gate

In Luke 13:24 (KJV), Jesus says,

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

This does (and should) sound scary. Is he saying that many will seek salvation, but still won't be able to achieve it? And if so, how do we go about achieving salvation?

Rewinding back a few verses in the same chapter, we see that the path to salvation really isn't a mystery. In verses 1-5, Jesus recounts two recent catastrophes that resulted in the deaths of many people. Jesus stresses that their deaths were not punishment for their sins. But Jesus does caution that (verse 5, KJV)

Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

And that's it! God's commands to us are not meant to be mysterious or hard to understand. Simply put, we must repent our sins, and accept that Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of those sins.

I see men as trees

Mark 8 tells of Jesus restoring sight to a blind man. Fascinating as that is, the story contains a curious element. Specifically, at first the man's sight is only partially restored.

After putting his hands on the man's eyes, Jesus asks what he sees. The man responds (Mark 8:24, KJV),

I see men as trees, walking.

Jesus then touches his eyes again, after which we're told (Mark 8:25, KJV),

He was restored, and saw every man clearly.

This story seems to highlight an important aspect of spiritual growth. Rather than a one-time bolt of lightning, after which we're fully imbued with the wisdom of Solomon, spiritual growth is more often a process consisting of small, imperfect steps forward, and, unfortunately, occasional backslides.

Perhaps that start-and-stop process owes to our sinful nature, or perhaps it's a deliberate design by God. Or perhaps it's a combination of the two. Either way, we must avoid becoming frustrated and losing zeal when we "see men as trees." Because with continued faith and prayer, one day we'll eventually "see clearly."

Spiritual progression, as described in Proverbs

The first five verses of chapter 2 of Proverbs (KJV) read:

1  My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2  So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3  Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4  If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 
5  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

In reading those verses, pay close attention to the verbs, which emphasize the increasing intensity of spiritual progression.

Verse 1 states that we should "receive" God's words, and "hide" them within ourselves. Then verse 2 takes it a step further, stating that we should "incline" our ear and "apply" our heart. The verbs in verse 3 crank up the intensity: "criest" and "liftest." Verse 4 outlines further spiritual progression: "seekest" and "searchest," with particular emphasis on the superiority of God's word over all earthly devices. Finally, verse 5 reveals the rewards for this spiritual development: we "understand" and "find" knowledge of God.

Those five verses, particular the verbs, highlight the path all of us should strive to follow. Whenever we encounter spiritual stagnation, let us try to restart back at verse 1, and follow this outline.

A good verse for prayerful meditation

Sometimes praying doesn't need to consist of a logically stream of deep thoughts. Rather, sometimes our prayers can be quiet reflections upon spiritual matters. For those types of prayers, it can help to repeat an easy-to-memorize verse over and over in our head. One good candidate appears in Proverbs 30:5 (KJV),

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

The verse highlights the importance of scripture, and it emphasizes God's protection and love for us. Try taking a few moments to repeat this verse, say, 5-10 times in your head. See if it helps establish a connection with God!

Bad influences

In Haggai 2:12 (KJV), God asks,

If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?

And to this question, the priests answer "no." But then in verse 13 (KJV), God asks,

If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?

And to this, the priests answer "yes."

Dealing with ancient Jewish law, these verses can seem cryptic, but the message is actually fairly simple. Verse 12 is saying that one person's righteousness will not "rub off" on someone else. Verse 13, on the other hand, is saying that sinful behavior will, in fact, tend to rub off on other people.

Thus, these two verses offer a call to personal responsibility, along with a note of warning. We, and we alone, are responsible for our standing toward God. We can't count on someone else having a good standing that somehow becomes credited to us. But at the same time, wickedness does tend to become contagious.

In our prayers, let's focus on strengthening our standing with God, while also praying for protection against worldly sins. 

God's forgiveness

Hosea 5:15 (KJV) highlights the process involved in God's forgiveness.

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

This short verse packs a load of information. First, when we sin, God leaves us to our own devices by "going and returning" to his place. His pulling away eventually brings us "affliction." (Those points are made many places in the bible.) Second, he patiently awaits our repentance. 2 Peter 3:15 makes this same point. Finally, there is an indication that our turning toward God is inevitable, when he says, "they will seek me."

So in sum, we are going to sin, which pushes God away and invites negative consequences. He waits for us to turn back toward him. And this entire process is inevitable, a realization that should humble us before him.

Daniel thanks God

In chapter 2 of Daniel, God reveals the meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream to Daniel, which Daniel then is to relay to the King. Daniel then proceeds to offer a prayer of thanks to God. This prayer, which I copy and paste below (verses 20-23, KJV), offers a nice, general purpose prayer of thanksgiving that any of us can use in any circumstance.

Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might.

Living for now as a form of spiritual humility

"Living in the moment" is a common self-help type of pep talk, but one that, unfortunately, often comes with a connotation of rowdy behavior. However, a certain version of that philosophy has spiritual roots.

James 4:13-15 (KJV) states,

Ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow ... For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

This form of "living in the moment" has an element of Godly subjection. It offers a great way to view the singular spiritual importance of every moment, and it provides a great starting point for prayer.

"Fearing" God

The bible speaks a lot of "fearing" God, which, at first blush, can seem to contrast with the image of an all-loving God. In fact, I imagine the thought of a God who should be "feared" might seem off-putting to those first approaching the bible.

First, an entity that created time and space, and who also controls the destinies of all parts of existence, should be feared, because that entity is under no obligation to follow our earthly-created rules of fairness and respect. But, more importantly, "fearing" God, in the way the bible describes it, can be liberating, and entirely consistent with an all-loving God.

In Ezekiel 12:18 (KJV), God says,

Eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness.

God has provided the Israelites (and us) with bread and water, and they (and we) must realize that those items may be taken away in an instant. With that realization, they (and we) should proceed with humble thanksgiving.

Psalm 2:11 (KJV) famously hits upon this theme, when the psalmist commands,

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

The point is, this "fear" of God is the ultimate way to humble ourselves before him. Having "fear" means that we depend on him, and only him. Viewed in that way, this "fear," rather than being restrictive or unpleasant, is actually liberating and peaceful.

Lot chooses the well watered land

The Genesis account demonstrates that Lot, Abraham's nephew, was a deeply flawed character, with a heart that always seemed drawn to earthly rewards.

One such example occurs in Genesis 13, where Abraham graciously gives Lot first choice of available land. In making his choice (verses 10 and 11, KJV),

Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah ... Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan.

Lot makes his choice based on the land's capacity to enrich himself, thus his selection of the "well watered" plain. But that fertile area also contained the seeds of wickedness, and would eventually be destroyed.

Unfortunately, we behave much like Lot when faced with similar decisions. That is, we tend to pursue paths that lead to earthly rewards and comforts, while neglecting spiritual treasures. Let us pray without ceasing that God show us a better path.

Taking stock of time

One of the most difficult spiritual concepts -- at least for me! -- is that, if God created time and space, then he must operate outside the bounds of how we perceive time and space. This sobering thought, in turn, requires us to approach God with extreme humility.

Focusing specifically on our inability to process "spiritual time," Psalm 90:4 (KJV) states,

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Verse 12 of the same Psalm states,

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Together, these verses imply that, not only is our time limited, but our time is impossible for us to completely understand! The only thing to do is following the advice of verse 12 and pray for spiritual wisdom.

Turn again to the Lord

With all of world's distractions, it seems so easy to drift away from prayer and spirituality. But that is not a new problem unique to our time. Indeed, the bible is full of notes of caution, and also words of advice, on this exact topic.

For example, Lamentations 3:40 (KJV) reads,

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.

And Paul commands (1 Corinthians 11:28, KJV),

Let a man examine himself.

And Psalm 119:176 (KJV) reads,

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

Again, these are not new problems unique to us. These times of drift are, unfortunately, part of our spiritual journey. Our task is to self-diagnose those times of drift, search our ways, and "turn again to the Lord."

A prayer of praise from Isaiah

The book of Isaiah is long and dense, teeming with prophecies, prayers, visions, and judgments, often packed within just a few verses.

The 12th chapter contains a brief, powerful prayer of praise. I reproduce the first two verses of that chapter from the KJV translation here:

O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

The prayer thanks God for his mercy, his salvation, and his protection, exactly the sorts of topics upon which to base a prayer of praise. Those verses are short and easy to memorize. Let us try them in prayer!

Daily Light devotional

Daily devotionals, publications that provide spiritual readings each day, offer a great way to remain active in prayer, and there are many from which to choose, across a wide variety of formats.

In this post, I'd like to draw attention to the "Daily Light on the Daily Path" option, often shorted to "Daily Light." Originally published in 1875, the Daily Light devotional provides twice-a-day (morning and evening) collections of short bible verses connected through a common theme. The devotional offer no other commentary -- just bible verses, which makes it unique among devotionals.

Due to its age, the devotional is widely available on the internet. I prefer the website https://dailylightdevotional.org/, but there are many other sources.

Try it out for a few days. Read the verses, morning and evening, and reflect on the common theme. See if it enhances your prayer life!

The bible makes it clear

Proverbs 22:20-21 (KJV) states,

Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

As with so many parts of the bible, those words appear to hold dual meanings. On one hand, those are the words of Solomon to all who seek spiritual wisdom.

But on the other hand, those are the words of God, spoken direct to us. He's making clear that the words of the bible are there for our "counsels and knowledge," that we might know the "certainty of the words of truth," and that we might "answer the words of truth" to others.

So as we read, study, and pray the bible, never lose sight of the fact that the bible makes God's will clear through the plainness of clarity of written form.

The importance of blood

Leviticus 17, in dealing with where and how to conduct animal sacrifices, contains (at least) two important spiritual lessons.

First, verses 3-4 (KJV) stress that sacrifices must be conducted at the tabernacle.

What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation ... that man shall be cut off from among his people.

This requirement was meant to counter the widespread practice of offering spiritual sacrifices anywhere and everywhere, a practice that tended to foster attendant pagan activities.

Now, recognizing that the tabernacle (later Temple) was a precursor to Jesus, and also recognizing that Jesus replaced the system of animal sacrifices with deeper sacrifices of prayer, the implication of this passage for us is that our focus must be directed toward Jesus, and not toward the materialistic concerns of this world.

Second, verse 10 forbids eating blood.

Whatsoever man there be ... that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

This rule about not eating blood also appeared at the Council of Jerusalem in the New Testament, indicating that even those early church fathers struggled to understand the meaning of this rule. Yet we clearly don't adhere to this in modern times. After all, people eat rare steaks, without concern for the spiritual implications. Is that a sin? Of course not; the bible makes clear that God is not concerned about dietary trivialities.

The prohibition on eating blood was meant to highlight that, in the system of animal sacrifices, the only way to remove sin was to shed blood. Something had to lose its life, and the dietary rule was a way to emphasize that point. Jesus, by shedding the ultimate blood, did away with animal sacrifices and removed sin forever. So once again, blood had to be shed. The "dietary" rule, as it applies to us, is that we must recognize the importance and meaning of Jesus' sacrifice, but that recognition does not, in turn, imply any sort of rule about food. For our sake, the Old Testament dietary rule was yet another precursor of Jesus.

So try re-reading Leviticus 17 with these points in mind. The chapter becomes something much more than a list of rules about animal sacrifice!