Wilderness Wanderings

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning (Psalm 130:5, 6). When is the last time you waited? Just waited. Waited without doing something to distract yourself. No cellphone, no magazine, nothing. You just sat and waited…patiently. Waiting is a waste of time! That is the motto of our age. But is it a good one? Anyone remember when the Internet was slow? Today, 2 seconds or less is required for a website to load. If it takes 2.5 seconds, we've already moved on to one faster. Google engineers say that web surfers lose patience in the time it takes to blink an eye. This is true, even though history notes that Rene Descartes, Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla made important discoveries when they were doing nothing, daydreaming. We also know that unstructured, unmediated time is especially important for the development of creativity in children. Social science studies find that patient people are more cooperative. How did they develop patience? They learned to wait. Yet we consider waiting a waste of time. Technological advances have raised expectations for quick satisfaction. This is not good for our spirits. Waiting reminds us that we are creatures, not the Creator. We do not command time, circumstances, or outcomes. Abraham waited years for the promised child. Joseph endured imprisonment before God raised him up. David was anointed king long before he ever sat on the throne. In each case, the delay shaped their character. Waiting sanded down the rough edges of self-reliance. Psalm 130 calls us to wait; to wait on the Lord; living before him in expectation, to anticipate his coming. Like watchmen waiting for the morning. In the darkest hours, it seems like the sun will never rise. It can seem so during the dark hours of grieving. It can seem so when we are living with the consequences of our sin. But morning will come. There is a myth in American folk religion that God helps those who help themselves. But the Biblical truth is that he helps those who can't help themselves. The problem is that it often takes a long time for us to realize this. So, God makes us wait before he redeems. However long the night seems, the morning will surely come! The darkness will not last one moment longer than the Father knows best. Then—morning! And it will be even more glorious because we needed to wait. So next time you are waiting and tempted to pull out that cell phone, stow it away. Learn to wait. Learn patience. Embrace the anticipation of our Father's redemption. The Holy Spirit has always done his best work in the nothingness. As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Praise the Lord! And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 148:1,14). In this psalm, all creation sings the praise of God. We, the children of God, are the last, singing the "Amen!" But why are we so slow to do it? Why does it take so much effort for us to praise God? The psalter ends with five entire psalms calling us to 'Praise the Lord.' Five! Why does it not come naturally to us? The answer is that all of creation is now subject to bondage and decay (Romans 8:20-21). Along with the rest of God's created order, we are subject to the power of sin. Thus, we say, "I don't want to! I want to do my own thing. I don't want to worship God." We've all been in a room of people, haven't we, when someone new walks in and immediately draws everyone's attention. In some small way, we'd all like to be that person, that centre of attention. Praising God gives him attention. It puts him at the centre. It's difficult to do. So, what do we do? Is there a way forward? The psalm's ending gives us a clue: "And he has raised up for his people a horn" (14). This line is quoted by Zachariah who was temporarily mute because he didn't believe the angel Gabriel. After his son's birth, he sings, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us" (Luke 1:68-69). 'Horn' is an image for strength. Now listen to this, from Luke 11, Jesus said, "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder" (20-22). Jesus' implication was clear. "I am the stronger one," he says, "I have come to bind Satan." Paul builds on this when he writes, "At one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin… But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…He has taken it away and nailed it to the cross. He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross" (Col. 2:13-15). There we have it. The way out of sin is not within us. It is not to try harder. Rather, it is to look to Jesus. We move towards praising God by believing that Jesus has bound the powers that keep our eyes focussed on this earth and our misery. Because Jesus has released us, we can look up again. Romans 8 also tells us that the creation waits in hope for liberation. The one through whom the creation was formed has gone through death to liberate all things. Christ frees us from the bondage of all hostile powers. Jesus reconciles us and all creation to our Creator God. Followers of Jesus sing Psalm 148 in anticipation of all creation being free to sing the praise of God again. So, let's sing this psalm. Let's sing the last songs of the psalter in anticipation of Christ's final and full victory. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

The Lord said to Moses, 'Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give…Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them" (Exodus 25:1,2,8). Generations of slavery did more than destroy and demean the honour of Israel's work. It also inhibited Israel's worship of her God. Oppressed workers find it very difficult to offer their work as worship. The fruit of Israel's labor was directed to the glory of Pharaoh. How could they direct the fruit of their labour to the glory of the Lord? Free and holy work can be offered as worship. Not by their own choice, slaves participate in an idolatrous system. God liberated Israelite workers in part so that they could offer their work as worship to him. God begins to shape this new economy in the hearts of his people by inviting them to give a free will offering. Then, they were to take these gifts to construct a sanctuary for God to dwell among them. Take a moment to ponder the scene: liberated slaves are invited to freely offer their unique gifts, skills, craftsmanship, and artistic wisdom to adorn God's house. Those blistered hands that once built houses for dead Pharaoh, hands that stacked stones to serve his imperial and violent glory—build or die—these hands are now invited to freely offer their skill, insight, and creative touch to the construction of God's house. Imagine, their first free work is a house of worship—a place for God to dwell with them. It is decorated with color, made with hands that are rested and free. In Egypt, Israel did 'hard labour'. To counter the demeaning work of Egypt, God invites them into this project to create a space for communion—"I will dwell among them." The oppressive and predatory patterns of Pharaoh's economy would stick to Israel for centuries. She would constantly be tempted to slide back into economic patterns of hoarding and scarcity. With it came the impulse to treat people like Pharaoh had handled them. Her liturgies were resources to resist this. Sabbath worship was a reminder for workers to reject economic patterns of grasping and an invitation to walk deeper into God's economy of grace. The regular observance of rest, the yearly celebration of harvests, and the public confessions of marketplace greed were designed to bring these freed slaves into a new economy through worship. The offerings God invited Israel to bring were the treasures the Egyptians had given them as they marched out of town (12:36). The tabernacle reminded Israel that she had not left Egypt emptyhanded, that God had ways of providing beyond human imagination. As you live out this week, consider how you can direct the fruit of your labour to the glory of the Lord? How will you resist the temptation to hoard resources because it's too difficult to believe that God will provide? How can you promote conditions were workers and work are valued? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 6:1-5. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive Deeper! What does it mean that the church is a family? How do we develop close relationships? What does "caught in a sin" mean? Give some examples. What does restore mean? Who should do the restoring? Paul spends most of his time on "the how" of restoration? What are the things he mentions? Why do you think he places the emphasis here? What is the law of Christ?  

"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Deuteronomy 5:21). Last week, I indicated that the Sabbath command introduces the last six. Rest is not just between us and God but also provides space to love our neighbour. Today, let's consider a story in which a lack of Sabbath led to deadly consequences. It is the story of Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kings 21. This one is included among the stories concerning Elijah whose task was to call the royal family to account. The top family in Israel has abandoned the Lord God to pursue Baal and Asherah. Covet is not used in the narrative, yet the story illustrates the nature of coveting and the ruin it brings to human society. Naboth is a small-time farmer whose land is his 'ancestral inheritance'. This is property which God gave to his forefather when Israel entered the land of milk and honey. For generations, Naboth's ancestors have enjoyed the fruit of the land. They had lived contently on the Lord's gift to them. However, in our story, king Ahab has seen this vineyard. He set his eyes on it long enough for his heart to desire it. When he approaches Naboth to purchase it, the king is rebuffed. Ahab sees all property as tradable commodity; everything is up for acquisition. There is always a price. But Naboth counters, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors (3)." The king is reminded that God is involved in economic exchanges and has imposed limits. These limits ensure that that those with power and money cannot keep acquiring at the expense of those with less influence and means. Further, in Deuteronomy 17, Israelite kings are instructed not to acquire lots of stuff nor to consider themselves above the law. Ahab cares a little about all of this, but Queen Jezebel not at all. She implements a scheme that ends in Naboth's death after which Ahab acquires what his heart desires. The story makes clear that coveting is not only a desire for someone's possessions. It is also the active capacity to seize what one desires. The enormity of this abuse of power is evident in Elijah's judgement on the royal couple. Everything they have will be striped from them and they themselves will meet an ominous end. A society cannot survive if coveting rules the day. This passage invites us to explore our own hearts. We must regulate inner desires, ensuring that thoughts, as well as actions, are obedient to God. Excising the slightest feeling of covetousness that arise in the mind must be our first and only response to greed and envy. God calls us to secure a neighbor's property and rights from both active harm and inner, selfish longing. That is good Sabbath work. This story allows us to stray into the political. When we elect our politicians, it is important that we consider their character as much as their platform. Greed at the top filters down. This story is a warning. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands (Psalm 149:6). This is a psalm of praise to God, bookended by the phrase, "Praise the Lord." The opening half is delightful, a wondrous call to God's people to get up and bodily worship him. But in our verse, there is a dramatic shift that endures to the end of the psalm. What are we to make of this turn to violent warfare imagery? This is where The Lord's Prayer is helpful. It's about the battle between God's kingdom and all the dominions that seek to thwart his purposes. Psalm 149 addresses this cosmic struggle between good and evil, between God and Satan. Christians understand ourselves as living within that struggle. If we are followers of Christ, then we are soldiers in His army. The psalm is often paired with Ephesians 6:10-20 in which Paul reminds us of our part in the battle. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (12). The sword that we carry does not cut flesh, for it is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). It penetrates to the spiritual heart bringing either judgement or life. The two phrases of our text describe each other. Thus, "May the praise of God be in their mouths like a double-edged sword in their hands." Praising God is like wielding a sword. Our faithfulness to God and the proclamation of his sovereignty furthers His reign in this world. This psalm invites us to look beyond the troubles that fill our news feeds. Not ignoring the pressing issues of the day but remembering that we are involved in a spiritual struggle. It calls us to live and pray with confidence, remembering that we are on the winning side. There is no fear that we will lose. We pray in the assurance that through His resurrection Christ has won the war. And therefore, we use divine strategies, not human ones. In a hymn, we sing that the battle for God's kingdom and justice is fought "not with swords' loud clashing or roll of stirring drums. With deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes." In Our World Belongs to God, we read, "Our hope for a new creation is not tied to what humans can do, for we believe that one day every challenge to God's rule will be crushed. His kingdom will fully come, and the Lord will rule…We live confidently, anticipating his coming, offering him our daily lives-our acts of kindness, our loyalty, and our love-knowing that he will weave even our sins and sorrows into his sovereign purpose. Come, Lord Jesus, come (55, 57). That's the confidence inspired by Psalm 149. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:15). Many of us have heard the 10 Commandments often but have rarely paused to consider the impact these commands were meant to have on God's newly freed people. This command regarding Sabbath, which we have already considered several times, was much more than a command to stop working. It was God's way of shaping the economy that Israel would initiate once they took possession of the promised land. One way to understand the impact of this commandment is to consider Israel's new allegiance. We don't know how long the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Let us say that it was half the time they spent in that land: 200 years. Further, if the normal childbearing age was at 20 years, then we have roughly 10 generations of slaves. The memory of freedom was long gone. The only master these Israelites knew was Pharaoh, who had one law: work or die. This was an economy of scarcity. Egypt's hunger was never satisfied. And complaining was counter productive. If they had energy to complain the Israelites were accused of being lazy causing their workload to increase. Pharaoh was not known for providing sufficiently for his slaves. Now Israel has a new master who has set her free from this brutal economy. Yet it was the only economy they knew. They may have been free from it physically, but it was an economy in their hearts and bones and habits. Sabbath was God's way of rewriting their neuropathways. Keeping Sabbath offered habits helping them to walk in God's economy of abundance. Their new master, the Lord God, would provide for his people, no longer slaves, but freed. They were invited to choose either to keep killing themselves in the brutal economy of Egypt or to walk into the abundance of their God. Pharaoh had his taskmasters to keep the Israelites working without rest. When the Israelites became landowners in their new home and acquired servants and slaves to work their fields, they were not to treat them as Pharaoh had treated them. They were to value the humanity of their workers and offer them a dignified way of life. There is ample evidence that our economy is more like Egypt than like that of Sabbath keeping Israel. God calls us to resist the Egyptian tendrils that have burrowed their way into our society. We need to know him as the God of abundance who provides. That is why the apostles regularly include such questions as, "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (1 John 3:17). As we live out this week, let us pay attention to our own hearts. Let us pay attention to the tendrils of Egyptian economy that have made themselves at home in us. What habits can we practice that help us embrace the economy of God? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 5:24-26. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In What was the sermon exploring? How does belonging to Jesus encourage us on the Christian Road? What does it mean to crucify the flesh? How long does it take for the flesh to die? Is it just about the things we do? What does it mean to walk in step with the Spirit? What's the difference between "being led by the Spirit" and "walking in step with the Spirit"? Where is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is making progress with us? How does the gospel change are self-perception?

"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Deuteronomy 5:21). It is commonly understood that the fourth commandment, the one about resting on the Sabbath, is the glue that binds the ten together. It reaches back, gathering our relationship with God into full expression on this day of joyous rest. "Joyous?" you ask. It was meant to be. As God delighted in his creation in Genesis, so his covenant people were invited, once a week, to delight in God's sustaining of his creation. However, this commandment also reaches forward and sets the stage for the last six. The second half of the ten explore what it means to love our neighbour, culminating in the prohibition against coveting our neighbour's possessions. It anticipates a peaceable household and neighbourhood and sets out a discipline of mind and a limit on accumulation of possessions that will serve that peace. Without this discipline and limit, neighbourhoods get destroyed as coveting generates mistrust and sets neighbours against each other. Some have suggested that this tenth commandment is different from the others because it involves only intent. But that is limiting the scope of the Biblical language. In the biblical tradition, coveting includes both an attitude of craving and a forceful action to secure what is craved. Surely the commandment includes both the discipline, not allowing our minds to desire something that is not ours, and the limit, not taking something that belongs to our neighbour. House and wife are included in this commandment according to ancient understanding, not our estimation of them. House refers to all that belonged to a village household which could include various buildings, animals, land, servants and several generations of descendants. Wife should not be considered as property but as belonging with the male head of the household. The poem regarding 'A Noble Wife' in Proverbs 31 presents a severe conundrum for Biblical interpreters, but it does give a sense of the value a wife might have in Israel, giving insight into why she is mentioned here. The entire list of items mentioned in this commandment refer to a household's economic viability—the means of production. In view is probably an agrarian village with many vulnerable peasants who lived with little margin for loss. Three times the term neighbour is dropped into this command. It is all about respecting the neighbour and by extension preserving, honouring and enhancing the neighbourhood. As we enjoy God's sustaining graces on the Sabbath, we are invited to ponder what it means for us to help sustain our neighbours. Some questions we might ponder: how is my accumulation of possessions hindering the welfare of my neighbours? What thing(s) am I craving? What am I doing to promote the welfare of my neighbourhood? Jesus reminds us that loving our neighbour is the second greatest commandment. This is not primarily a feeling of goodwill, but an active contribution to my neighbour's life on this planet. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

     Praise the Lord (Psalm 150:1). Once, I took a two-week class with the late Dallas Willard. He began with two instructions. Each of us was to sleep 10 hours a night and we were to find a lonely place and shout Psalms 145-150 to the Lord. He explained that fatigue was one of the greatest problems in the North American church today, especially among church leaders. Fatigue hinders our ability to pay proper attention to things, especially to our own hearts and to the quiet movements of God's Spirit. Willard also explained that praising God is difficult. We resist. It helps if our bodies lead the way. Further, the ending of the book of Psalms is raucous. It demands energy. Sitting quietly at the kitchen table whispering these psalms just won't do. At the end of the Psalter, we are given a glimpse of what is happening everywhere, all the time: the worship of God. Psalm 150 is probably the most challenging of all the psalms: it's not about you, it's not about me, it's about God; all about God! Why do Christians gather for worship services? Not primarily for our own sake, but because God is worthy of our worship. This psalm gives us the basics of worship. First, where is God to be praised? In his sanctuary, in his mighty heavens, of course. This is God's throne room from where he rules the universe. Remembering where he is causes us to look up to him and away from ourselves. Second, why should we worship him? "Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness." This is a summation of his powerful rule and provision. We are allowed to fill in some details from our own lives. Third, the 'how of worship' gets a bit chaotic. "Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals." As I said, its raucous. All the stops are pulled out. Finally, the psalm asks 'Who? Who should praise the Lord?" And the answer is: everything. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." A lot has been said about God in all these psalms; we know the reasons to praise God. Just do it. Our praise of God is more than music, more than worship services. We believe that everything Christians do ought to be worship. 'We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices" (Romans 12:2). Everything is to be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Such living is normally fuelled by communal worship services. What keeps you from 'just doing it.' Find ways to pay more attention to God and to yourself. And praise the Lord! Just do it! As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15). In her book, Letters to a Diminished Church, Dorothy Sayers has a few paragraphs about work. She argues that our financial system has subordinated people to economics. Workers are merely part of the machine in which they can earn a paycheque sufficient for living and some leisure time. The worker does not recognize the work as valuable. She quotes a very able surgeon to show the results of this system: "What is happening is that nobody works for the sake of getting the thing done. The result of the work is a by-product; the aim of the work is to make money to do something else. Doctors practice medicine not primarily to relieve suffering, but to make a living—the cure of the patient is something that happens on the way. Lawyers accept briefs not because they have a passion for justice, but because the law is the profession that enables them to live." The modern tendency is to identify work with employment. In this view, work is not the expression of our creative energy in the service of society, but only something we do to obtain money and leisure. Sayers also argues that Christians have been implicit. It might be that we have spent too much time with Genesis 3 in which work is named a hardship and a judgment on sin. We need to recover the Christian understanding of work related to the "doctrines of the creative energy of God and the divine image in humanity". These Monday Avodah meditations are an effort in reclaiming a Christian view of work, which can be summed up simply as: work is sacred. In our society, work and money are woven tightly together. Christians ought to raise the alarm and make efforts to untie the knots. In the Biblical view, work is a good in itself. Many things beyond making money should be considered work. It is not primarily to make a living, but a result of being made in God's image. Thus, to do something well is sufficient, it gives glory to God. Fighting against the economic machine of our society feels futile. But let me make a few suggestions to swim against the stream. First, let us develop and maintain a robust view of humanity and of work. Our value is not in what we earn, but as image bearers of God. Everything that contributes to the flourishing of society ought to be labeled work. Second, wherever we have influence, we should advocate both for proper conditions of employment and for work that we can put our whole heart into. Both the worker and the work need to be valued. Third, treat all people with dignity all the time. These things may appear small and insignificant. But let us remember that we live for a king who uses small things to great ends. Jessus spoke about small seeds. They have great potential. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 5:16-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In! How have you viewed the battle within? have you fought with hopefulness? How do you tend to drift away? What desires do you tend to follow? What does the Spirit desire? When and how have you experienced this desire becoming your desire? How has your conscience developed as you matured in as a Christian? How do you practice 'relying on the Holy Spirit'?

When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"—skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat (Amos 8:5-6). Amos' oracles regarding Israel are eerily descriptive of our own economy. He describes those who are numbed by their obsession with making money. They have such tunnel focus that they do not notice that their extravagant lifestyle is based on cheap labour. The economy operates to trample, ruin the poor and needy (4). He warns that sooner or later this will evoke social crisis. A society that refuses Sabbath restfulness for everyone is bound to fail (8-12). Earlier he charged Israel with this offense, "You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph" (6:6). There is at least one major difference between then and now. At least I hope there is. The exploiters did not notice—they were at worship, keeping Sabbath! But they want it done with so they can rush back to resume commerce. While keeping Sabbath, their imaginations were scheming how to get richer. Amos accuses Israel of multitasking. They are fulfilling Sabbath laws while at the same time plotting to make a bundle. It makes one wonder if Jesus had this sermon in mind when he said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life…" (Matthew 6:24-25). The appearance is one of rest, but the reality is profound social restlessness. Its not just trade, but distorted, dishonest trade that they are longing for. The poor are made into a tradable commodity. They are reduced to an equivalency for a pair of shoes or a silver coin. Everything has become a commodity and there are no more neighbours. What can we do to stand apart from the tide of our own economy? Let me suggest two things. First, that we make good use of Sabbath time, taking Jesus words to heart, "We cannot serve God and money". We need to ask ourselves how important money has become for us. Money is not evil, but the love of money is the root of many evils. Has our love for God softened? Is greed creeping up the ladder to bump God off the throne? Sabbath keeping is meant to dispel worry as we learn again to trust in God. A second suggestion is that we consider carefully how we view people. We encounter so many people in the span of week, that we no longer notice them. They become commodities to be used. To love our neighbour, we must notice their humanity. When life is all about hurry, hurry, hurry, people get in the way. We deal with them as interruptions rather than as neighbours God has placed on our path. When God is our first priority, seeing our neighbour becomes natural. So, as you end this week, plan to take time for Sabbath. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

My heart is filled with longing for your laws at all times…LORD, I call out to you with all my heart (Psalm 119:20, 145). One more reflection on Psalm 119. Via this Psalm we have explored what it might mean that David was 'a man after God's own heart' (Acts 13:22). We have looked at four things that may have caused God to describe him this way: obedience, humility, integrity and worship. Today, something that brings these different things together. Not something at the top of the list, but something, pardon the pun, that lies at the heart of the matter. Years ago, I read a book called, When Did We Start Forgetting God? It argues that Christians talk a lot about God and do lots of things for God, but we have, in large part, forgotten him. It suggested that a church that has not forgotten God exhibits one principal characteristic: a desire for God—a desire so intense it sometimes looks like drunkenness or even madness. That is what is missing in much of Christendom today. We have lost our desire for God. It is easier for us to be doing things for God and to be talking and yes, preaching and preparing devotions about God, than to fan into flame a desire for him. If you doubt me, listen to David, "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1). "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (Psalm 27:4). We see this in the New Testament where, Paul writes, "Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him" (Philippians 3:8-9). I could go on. There are many other examples of this in the Bible. They are rooted in the summary of the law as Jesus gives it, "You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength" (Mark 12:30). I hinted at this in my previous devotions. But I think that any reflections on what it means to be a person after God's own heart that does not ponder this, a deep desire for God, falls short. It is this longing for him, that causes God to describe David this way. If someone were to ask you, 'What do you want more than anything?" Would you answer simply, "God!"? I'm not sure many of us Christians would answer that way. Our desires wander so easily. Thus, I invite you to pray for yourself, pray for your church leaders, pray for the church, that the Holy Spirit would fill us with the desire that filled David. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters…You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isaiah 55:1, 12). On Friday, we considered the opening verses of Isaiah 55. Today, we focus on verse 12. This is not merely a poetic flourish. It is the picture of what happens when God restores his people. Those who once walked in exile now walk in freedom. The journey with God is not a forced march but a joyful procession. Joy becomes the atmosphere; peace becomes the guide. Notice that creation itself joins the celebration. Mountains sing. Trees clap. The world is portrayed as a grand sanctuary echoing with praise because God is making all things right. When the Lord redeems his people, the effects ripple outward. Salvation is never small or private. It touches hearts, communities, and ultimately the whole creation which already longs for renewal. It's important to pay attention to what lies between the invitation that opens the chapter and the sending that draws it to a close. Three things are considered. First, God renews his covenant with his people. In the covenant, he both calls them to himself and sends them out as his witnesses. Second, God calls his people to leave behind their wicked ways; to repent of their unrighteous thoughts. This call is companioned with the promise of forgiveness. His mercy will cover our sin. We may feel burdened by regret, worry, or weariness. Yet God promises a future shaped not by fear but by joy, not by chaos but by peace. He leads his people forward, not alone but surrounded by the testimony of his faithfulness. Third, God reminds us of his powerful Word. That Word we know as both his creating and redeeming Word. It is beyond our comprehension in power, potential and mercy. Here is an invitation not to understand but to trust that Word. A Word that not only redeems us but transforms all of creation. Hopefully, you had opportunity to join God's people in worship this past weekend. And hopefully, you caught glimpses of these things. In worship, God's covenant with us is renewed, we hear his call to holiness, and we enter a new week with hopefulness and courage. God goes before us with his redeeming and transforming Word. Walk with this vision before you: a path lined with singing hills and applauding trees. Even when the road feels ordinary or uncertain, God is still leading. His redemption turns journeys of struggle into pilgrimages of praise. And as we follow him, our lives begin to echo the song of creation itself, proclaiming that the Lord is faithful and his restoration is sure. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live" (Isaiah 55:1-3). God's invitation in our text is worth repeated reflection and meditation. It needs savouring. It requires deep breathing so that we discern its various aromas. It must seep down into our hearts to expose all the ways in which we labour for things that do not satisfy. We must sit with it long enough to experience its fullness. As it fills us, the empty food we've eaten is revealed for its deception. Year's ago, someone paraphrased it like this, "The Sabbath day is God's market day for the week's provision wherein God will have us come to him and buy of him, without silver or money, the bread of angels, and water of life, the wine of the sacrament, and milk of the Word to feed our souls; tried gold to enrich our faith; precious eye-salve to heal our spiritual blindness; and the white clothing of Christ's righteousness to cover our filthy nakedness." More recently, Eugene Peterson offered this paraphrase, "Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat! Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money—everything's free! Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words." On God's market day, we need to cease our serving so we can be served. We need to cease our grasping so we can reflect on what we've been given. We need to stop talking, so we can  hear Jesus say, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." There's no need to fight for our clothing in the sanctuary; here we are clothed in Christ. In the sanctuary we are immersed in God's strange and upside-down economy in which the currency of the world has no value. On Sunday, we must cease in our calling to do our work, that the Lord may do his work in us. If all of life is worship, the sanctuary is the place where we learn how. In other words, gathered worship equips us for our scattered worship in the world. The sanctuary practices us into the gracious work of God. I've used the words Sunday and sanctuary intentionally, yet recognizing that some must work on Sundays, and some are not physically able to come to public worship. For various reasons, the perceived need for public worship has been diminishing. But there is good reason to refresh the discipline. The church has long recognized that God does not form individual Christians, but he forms a people, his people. We need each other and we are formed together. Public worship functions like a training ground, a spiritual gymnasium for our souls. We come for eye surgery. We cannot return to the world until our priesthood has been repaired. We come to be ministered to so that we can minister outside the sanctuary. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

"Your covenant laws are your gift to me forever. They fill my heart with joy" (Psalm 119:111). The past few Wednesday's, we have wondered what God meant when he called David, "a man after my own heart." I say, 'wondered', because the Bible does not define this phrase. We are, of course, not talking about things we need for salvation. Rather, these are things God saw in David that delighted him. We should want God to delight in us, as well. Three delights have been mentioned: obedience, humility, and integrity. Today, we conclude with this: David worshipped God. Some of you may think of David and his harp, during the various stages of his life, shepherd, outlaw, king, composing psalms that are dear to God's people still today. Psalm 8, "Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth". Psalm 139, "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me". Psalm 32, "Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing." Psalm 24, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it…" And so many more. We may also think about the joy filled worship of God's gathered church. For us, worship is hearts and hands lifted to God in praise, knees bowed in prayer and confession, ears listening attentively to his Word read and expounded, hands offering service and gifts of money and mouths building up the people with words of encouragement and with prayer. However, we must consider that participating in corporate worship services do not make us worshippers of God. Plenty of times in the Bible, God chastises his people for engaging in the formal acts of worship but not worshipping him at all. Take some time to read through Amos 5, Isaiah 58 and Matthew 6. David was a worshipper of God not because he composed songs that became part of the Bible. Rather, he was a worshipper because he loved God and his love led him to obey God. I encourage you to be part of a community gathered in Christ's name in which your love for God is fanned into the flame of obedience. A community where the grace of God in Christ is proclaimed, received and lived. In such communities, Jesus' words come to fulfillment, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me…streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:37,38). We cannot worship God and not go forth to bless those around us. Are you seeking to delight God? Here are four qualities that God delights in and the Spirit grows in us: obedience, humility, integrity, worship. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart… (Psalm 15:1-2). It's difficult to know where and when it started. Maybe it was the monastic movements in which people retreated to the wilderness to focus on personal holiness. Maybe it was the division between clergy and laity that intensified during the Middle Ages. What ever its origins, the problem persists. I'm thinking about the continued divide between the sacred and the secular in which we separate corporate worship from life between worship occasions. That is not the way Old Testament writers understood life. A holy life was integrated, walking in the ways of the Lord consistently—in the temple, the home and the marketplace. Every aspect of life was to be marked by holiness, spiritual and material, private and public, liturgical and economic. All of life was holy, faithfully lived out before the face of God. When the Israelites gathered for worship, it was not an escape from the marketplace, the fields, or the political arena. Rather, worship engaged and challenged the economic, cultural, and political behaviours of God's people. While at worship, his people declared that he alone was sovereign of their lives. He was Lord of family and agriculture, money and markets, armies and kings, and, oh yes, the weather. Israelite worship was considered an act of enthroning God (Psalm 29). He was declared king over private and public life. Singing together, worshipers were engaged in the liturgical act of submitting more areas of life to his sovereignty. Holiness flowed from the sanctuary into the network of relationships and activities. Both work and worship are named 'avodah', acts of service to God. So, as you enter a new week, how will you live? Will you commit to live before God in all you do? Will you pursue holiness at home and at work, in buying and in selling, with soul and with body? How will you prepare for the next corporate worship time? As you live out this week, pay attention to the temptations you face. Which ones do you give in to? Bring them into worship for confession. May only those without sin enter God's holy place? That was never the case. The Israelites came to worship confessing their sins and receiving God's liberating grace. We come the same way, covered by the blood of the Lamb. But those who have no desire to live integrated holy lives should not presume to worship a holy God. Let the days between corporate worship be days of preparation. Let your worship season your work and your work your worship. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 5:13-15. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In! Before today's sermon, how would you describe Christianity? What is its goal? What element of freedom has been the focus in the past few weeks? What element of freedom was highlighted today? In what situations do you find it hard to love others? How will today's sermon help increase your love?  In the illustration of 'the gift', what have you done with God's gift of freedom? Where and how can you learn to practice love as described in 1 Cor 13?

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:5-7). Isaiah at it again—many things lie between this text and the first chapter—yet, in both, he takes a strip off God's people. Strictly speaking our text refers to fasting, not sabbath keeping. Yet rest is at the heart of God's problem with his people. In particular, the lack of rest for their neighbours. Once again, they are doing all the right religious stuff. I'm reminded of a senior demon's advice to his mentee, "As long as they retain externally the habits of a Christian, they can still be made to think of themselves as such." It appears that the Israelites do want to get close to God, to be in covenant relationship with him. But there is something in the way, their attitudes towards their neighbours. Other folks are tools; tools for making a profit. And if these other folks do not have time for rest, who cares, 'not my problem'. But, according to God, it is their problem. Ever since Cain asked the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" the answer is in plain sight. "Yes, I am." We cannot worship God while ignoring our neighbour in need. In Galatians 5, Paul writes, "the only thing that matters is faith working itself out in love" (6). James wrote, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (1:27). John adds, "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen" (1 John 4:20). The word 'love' used here is much stronger than how we usually use it. It includes the probability of suffering. Christ set the example for us: his patient work of healing the sick, even when tired. And we must not neglect his last days of suffering through torture and execution. This is the nature of the love we are to have for our neighbours. The two great commandments are to love God above all and neighbour as yourself. We cannot have one without the other. With so many neighbours in need, this is difficult stuff to deal with. It starts with the heart. A heart that knows it is deeply loved is a heart that seeks to love the neighbour. Start by worshipping the covenant God, see his concern for you. Those who love God through worship become filled with compassion for their neighbours. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).