King Saul's Vengeance on the Borg

Suggested Reading: 1 Samuel 14:13-30 or 1 Samuel 14 (the whole story)

In Star Trek: First Contact, Captain Picard comes face to face with the Borg, the enemy who had enslaved him, taken control of his body and subjugated his mind, bending it to their control. At one point, the rest of his command crew recommend abandoning the Enterprise and setting the self-destruct, both because the ship has been infested by the Borg and because destroying the ship will eliminate the current Borg threat to Earth. Picard gives a fiery speech about drawing a line and refusing to allow the Borg to go any further. Picard advocates taking the fight to the Borg and refusing to allow the ship to be destroyed.  Only after a relative stranger intervenes does Picard realize that he isn't focused on defeating the Borg or keeping them from harming Earth but on hurting them, on taking revenge for the hurt they caused him. Upon making this realization, Picard grudgingly  abandons his quest for revenge and finally decides to do what is best for his crew.

There is a similar revenge-motivated story in 1 Samuel where the main character doesn't learn his lesson. Saul has led the Israelites into battle against the Philistines. Saul is so intent on destroying the Philistines that he 'bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food' (1 Samuel 14:24, NIV). Saul's son, Jonathan, unaware of the oath his father has placed on the people takes a small taste of honey after going on his own covert mission in which he routed the Philistines in their own camp. Saul finds out about Jonathan's taste of honey when God refuses to answer whether or not they should pursue the Philistines and finish the slaughter. Even upon discovering that the offender is his own son, Saul insists on carrying out the curse and killing Jonathan. Only the intervention of the people saves Jonathan from his father's oath.

As you read the story, you discover that Jonathan (even though he agreed to let his father kill him) thought that Saul's oath was reckless and that it prevented the soldiers from being at their best, and Jonathan was right. Saul didn't place the people under that oath because it would help them defeat their enemies but because he hoped it would motivate them to slaughter the Philistines faster. Why? Read Saul's words again, “Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!”  Saul was only concerned about having revenge on his enemies, not the oppressors of his people, not the people who had enslaved his fellow Israelites, not even the people who had mocked God. Saul put the people into a harmful situation because he thought it served his own selfish purposes. Saul was focused only on himself and revenge against his enemies and cared nothing for his people.

How often do we do the same thing? As leaders, teachers, supervisors, employers, parents? How often do we put the people for whom we are responsible in impossible situations to fit our own selfish desires? How often are we so focused on what we want that we destroy any chance at healthy relationships because the people around us can tell that we are making rash, selfish decisions?

The irony is, as in both cases above, if the leaders had focused as much on what was good for their people as their own desires, they would have gotten what they wanted. Picard would have defeated the Borg faster. Saul's people would have had enough strength to pursue the Philistines, and they wouldn't have been held up, trying to figure out who had violated the vow.

Ultimately, focusing on ourselves and what we want to the detriment of everything else leaves us in a position where the people who depend on us get hurt, and we rarely get what we want.  If you are responsible for someone, or even if you only exert a small amount of influence, take care of your people and do what is right for them. It will go better for you as well.

Going to an Interview for a Job You'll Never Get

Suggested Reading: Ezekiel 2:1-3:3

Several years ago, my family was in a time of transition and weren't sure where God was going to lead us. I had been putting out resumes and got a call from a church in central Texas to come down for an interview. It was odd because, from the very first, I felt very certain that God was not going to move me to that church, but I also felt a very distinct leading that I just had to go to that interview and do the best I was capable of. So I went. The interview went well and I enjoyed a time of fellowship with other people seeking God's will. I wasn't surprised, though, when I was notified that the search committee was going in a different direction. Like I said, I already felt fairly certain that God wasn't going to move me to that church. Only several months later, when I unexpectedly crossed paths with an old friend, did I find out how God used my obedience in going to an interview for a job I knew I wouldn't get. 

Similarly, God commonly calls us to undertake tasks for which success - like getting the job - is never the point. When God calls us, God does not call us to a result. God calls us to obedience. In Ezekiel chapter 2, God called Ezekiel to be a messenger to the Israelites. But the point, as far as God was concerned, was not that Ezekiel's message be accepted. When God called Ezekiel in this passage, God did not want Ezekiel to be concerned with whether or not the people liked him, or even "whether they listen or fail to listen" but so that "they will know that a prophet has been among them" (Ezekiel 2:5, HCSB). Success, if you define it by people listening and changing their ways, was not what Ezekiel was called to. 

When God calls us to a particular life of service, all God wants us to be concerned with is obedience. Whether people respond to the message God gives us or to the love we demonstrate is beyond our control. All we can control is whether or not we are obedient and whether or not we hold back out of fear.  At times, God calls us to very scary places, but even there, we are expected to obey "though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions…" (Ezekiel 2:5, HCSB).

Whatever life God has called you to, stop worrying about whether or not you will be "successful." Stop worrying about whether people will listen to you, much less respond to you. Stop worrying about whether or not you will even survive. None of those things are ultimately our concern. Our concern should be obeying God and trusting God enough to do so.

Whatever God has called you to, are you willing to live that life in obedience, or are you paralyzed by questions and fears? God has promised to never leave us and never forsake us. The only question is, do you trust Him? If you can, there will come a time when the task God has assigned will taste "as sweet as honey" in your mouth.

How Bold Is Bold Enough?

Suggested Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20

Paul, in my opinion is one of the most dynamic characters in Scripture. From requesting letters to arrest Christians to becoming one of Jesus' greatest advocates, Paul was never known for being shy and reserved. Paul stood before rioting mobs and defended both himself and the Gospel. He publicly called Peter on the carpet when he was in the wrong. He endured beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and prison, and he never seemed to waver from his calling to preach the Gospel. He seemed unstoppable. Which is why Ephesians 6:19-20 stands out for me.

Paul writes, "Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should" (HSCB).

I don't know all of the reasons why Paul felt the need to pray for boldness. Maybe he didn't feel bold. Maybe Paul was anticipating some of the trials he was about to face and was worried about losing his nerve. Maybe he was worried that he would succumb to the temptation to water down the message for his own safety (Paul had been shipped out of town on, at least, four different occasions by other believers trying to keep him alive).   Maybe Paul didn't take his boldness for granted. Maybe Paul was constantly aware of all of the places he could have been bolder.  Or maybe Paul knew that his boldness for Christ came from the Holy Spirit in response to prayer.

What I do know is that, if Paul could request prayers for boldness to preach the message effectively, that we should as well. Maybe if we prayed to be effective and bold we actually would be. Maybe if we prayed with Paul for boldness and a clear message we could stand with him, pressing on toward the prize, rather than just wishing we were like him. 

So, I ask you to pray with me that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel, that I may live as an ambassador for Christ, being bold enough in Him to speak as I should. And if you want, I'll pray the same with you. 

Short-Sighted at the Edge of the Universe

Suggested Reading: Proverbs 11:1-7

The most recent series in the Stargate franchise was the show Stargate: Universe. The premise of the show was that an ancient race of beings created a ship designed to travel to the edge of the universe. The ship's mission was to uncover a mysterious signal that seemed to predate the existence of the universe itself. Even though this ship traveled amazingly fast, the trip was still supposed to take millions of years. When humans discovered how to reach this ship through the Stargate, the ship was already millennia into its journey. Though the race that had created both the Stargates and this ship were long dead and gone, their mission of discovery continued, now carried on by others who had discovered the ship and its mission.

In some ways, the premise of the show is mind-blowing. Being on board a space-ship that is millions of years old, continuing a journey of discovery started by an ancient alien race that has long since died out? The premise pushes the boundaries of the imagination in its size and scope, especially considering how short-sighted we can be.  As I thought about how far-reaching the vision of these fictional aliens would have to be, I began thinking about how many plans we make for the future and how many of our visions are grand enough to continue past our own lifetimes. Then I found this verse: Proverbs 11:7 states,  "When the wicked die, their hopes perish with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength" (NLT).

One of the signs of a wicked person is their short-sightedness, the fact that their visions and hopes do not live beyond themselves or what they can accomplish on their own. This short-sightedness is exactly the opposite of the way in which our Heavenly Father operates. Our Father operates on such a grand scale that, knowing we would sin and find ourselves separated from God, "he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:4-5, NIV).  Our Father set in motion a plan that would take millennia to unfold in order to give us a chance to be with him.  He made Abraham a promise that all the peoples of the world would be blessed through him. He gave Jesus' disciples a command to go preach the Gospel throughout the entire world. None of these plans were events that would take place overnight or even in the lifetimes of the individuals involved. God's plans are so big and so grand that they far out-live our individual life-spans.

What about us? What are our hopes? Are they short-sighted? Are they centered around our own desires and limited by our own strength? Or do we take after our Father in our hopes? Are our hopes so big and grand that they can never be accomplished in a single lifetime? Are our hopes so audacious that they will require more than the strength which we alone possess? If our hopes are bigger than ourselves, they can endure long after we are gone. But if we are wicked, our hopes will be confined to our own lifetimes and limited by our own strength.

What do our hopes say about us? Are we daring enough to hope for something bigger than ourselves? Are we willing to devote our strength to a cause that might not be accomplished in our own lifetimes?  If not, maybe we need a new hope.

King David and the Last Crusade

Suggested Reading: 1 Samuel 19:18-24 or 1 Samuel 19:1-24 (the whole story)

One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Aside from the awesomeness of having Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in the same movie, the Last Crusade does a good job reminding people that Jesus was a carpenter and not some rich guy who lived in a palace surrounded by luxury. Sean Connery's character, Dr. Jones the elder, is an academic who is appalled when his son uses violence to free him from his prison and shocked when Indy has to engage in impromptu acts of "daring do" in order to save them. A turning point for Dr. Jones the elder comes when he and Indy, on the run from the Nazis, are exposed on a beach with a jet bearing down on their position. Indy is out of ideas. Suddenly, the elder Dr. Jones pulls out his umbrella and begins stirring up a flock of gulls on the beach. The birds take to the sky, blocking the jet pilot's vision and ultimately causing the jet to crash into the side of a mountain.  Indy looks at his dad in shock while the older gentleman quotes Charlemagne: "Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky."

The Bible is full of very interesting escape situations like that scene on the beach, scenes where rescue comes in some very unexpected forms.  In 1 Samuel 19, King Saul begins his quest to kill David before the young man can ascend to his throne. David's wife, Saul's daughter Michal, helps David escape in the middle of the night, and David flees to Ramah where Samuel is living. When Saul finds out about it, Saul sends men to capture David. "But when they arrived and saw Samuel and the other prophets prophesying the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also began to prophesy" (1 Samuel 19: 20, NLT).  When Saul heard what had happened, Saul sent another set of troops who were also stopped by a fit of prophesying. Finally, Saul himself went to get David and Saul, too, was overcome by the Spirit of God and began prophesying, allowing David to escape.

This particular story isn't as well known as the time when David spared Saul's life in the cave or the time when David snuck into Saul's camp and took Saul's spear to demonstrate that, while he had the opportunity to kill Saul, David had no desire to kill Saul and was no threat to him. This particular story isn't as suspenseful as either of those two. David isn't the hero of the story. In fact, David appears almost helpless. Whereas the other two accounts are tense and exciting, this account is almost comical. David is saved because the Spirit of God causes Saul and his men to have an uncontrollable fit of prophesying. I mean, that's not the most exciting story I've ever heard.

But, in spite of its comedy and its less dramatic elements, I like this story more than the other two. You see, in this story, there is no moral choice for David to make. There is no false resolution where Saul pretends to change his mind in order to save his reputation. God stops Saul from killing David. Period. And he does it by causing Saul and his men to prophesy?

Sometimes, when we find ourselves in really tough situations, when we are scared more than we have ever been, when we are out of options and see no way of escape, God can use the most unexpected and extraordinary things to rescue us. God doesn't need an act of bravery or heroics.  God doesn't have to use powerful weapons or great feats of skill. God can use anything or nothing at all and still accomplish God's purposes.  God can provide a means of escape out of the weakest, most insignificant events or circumstances.

When we find ourselves in impossible situations, when it feels like there is no way out and nothing left that we can do, just remember that God can save us with absolutely nothing. Sometimes, God does exactly that just to remind us that He is God. God can rescue us whether we have any strength or not, whether we can help ourselves or not. Impossible situations are never impossible with God. 

Kindergartners and Falling Giants

Suggested Reading: 1 Samuel 17:20-49 or 1 Samuel 17:1-58 (the whole story)

In 1990, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a movie called Kindergarten Cop. A hardened, tough guy cop with no room for family and no sense of humor who, through a series of twists, ends up undercover, teaching a class full of kindergartners. If you've seen the movie, you can probably hear Arnold right now saying, "Eet's not a toomah!" At first, Arnold's character gets run over by the kids, he doesn't know how to handle their energy, their questions, or their unique outlook. At the end of the first day he falls onto his bed, face down, lamenting, "They're terrible!" It is only after the cop decides to handle the situation like a cop that he manages to get things under control. He turns the kindergarten class into a police academy, and structures things in a way that works for him. Soon, the kids love Arnold's tough guy character and Arnold ends up loving kindergarten, but only when he finally decides to use his own gifts and strengths and not try to teach kindergarten like everybody else.

In 1 Samuel 17, we find the story of David and Goliath, with which many of us are familiar. After David began asking around about what would happen for the person who fought Goliath (assuming that person survived), King Saul heard about David and had David brought before him. Once David convinced Saul to let him fight the Giant, Saul put David into his own battle suit (maybe he was hoping people would mistake David for himself) and gave David his own sword.  When David tried to move, he realized that going into battle dressed in Saul's armor would only get him killed and he told Saul, "I cannot go in these because I am not used to them"  (1 Samuel 17:39, NIV). David took off Saul's armor and then armed himself with the tools he knew he could use, his shepherd's staff, a sling, and five smooth stones.  Most of us know the story from there, how David went out to face Goliath, proclaiming that God would win the fight for him and then slung a stone into Goliath's forehead, knocking him out and allowing David to chop off Goliath's head with the giant's own sword.

What David and Arnold's cop/teacher have in common is that they both accomplished the task that was given to them, and they did so by using their own unique gifts and talents. We could learn a thing or two from that.

Far too often, we fall into the mindset that tasks can only be accomplished a particular way. We allow other people to tell us how to do what God has called us to do or, worse yet, we try to tell other people how to do what God has called them to do. The problem is, when God calls a person, he calls that person, with all of their strengths and weaknesses,  flaws and gifts. If God has called you to something, God has called you. God wants you to use the gifts and abilities that have been given to you.

When you feel like you're being pushed into a corner because people are putting their own armor on you, have the guts to say, "I can't go in these because I am not used to them." God may have called you because your own unique way of doing things is exactly what the situation requires. A normal soldier with a sword and shield would never have gotten close enough to Goliath to take him down. David wasn't a normal soldier, but he knew what he was good at.

Are you trying to wear someone else's armor? Try accomplishing the task you've been given as if it was designed specifically for you. It probably was. 

Naps for Credit

Suggested Reading: Matthew 6:1-18

When I was a kid I used to pull this trick on my mom, though I wouldn't be surprised if she knew I was doing it. She would send me in for a nap and I would go in and lay down. I didn't want to take a nap and I didn't really want to lay down for very long. So I would lay in bed for about half an hour, maybe read a book when no one was walking past the bedroom door or do something else to keep myself occupied (and awake). When I felt enough time had passed, I would force myself to yawn several times so my eyes would get watery, and then I would rub one side of my face really hard so that it was all red and looked like I had been laying on it. Then I would get out of bed and go into the living room. Without saying a word about having gone to sleep or taking a nap, I would walk in really slowly like I was still waking up and then sit down on the couch and yawn really big. If my mom ever caught on she never said anything about it. I thought I was being really clever at the time and even then I enjoyed acting. You see, at that age, I wasn't really all that concerned about taking a nap like I was supposed to. I was only concerned with looking like I had taken a nap and with getting credit for it.

Fortunately, I grew out of that phase and I now understand that, most of the time, doing or not doing something is more important than the mere appearance of doing something (politicians could learn a thing or two there!).  But every now and then I still catch myself more concerned with looking like I'm doing something than I am concerned with really doing it. We've all been there. To avoid having to talk with someone we pretend that we're busy and hope they leave us alone, or we do just enough on a project so that it looks like we're making progress while we're really wasting time on other things. Or, we make a big show of struggling with our wallet or purse so people see us putting our tithe in the offering plate. In all of those instances, we're not really concerned about doing something, we concerned about getting credit for it.

In Matthew 6, Jesus discussed that phenomenon when it comes to our spiritual life.  He warned his listeners about being more concerned with credit for doing a thing than with the thing itself.  In 6:1, Jesus said, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven" (NIV).  He then went on to give examples of people who give to the needy or pray, all the while drawing attention to themselves so that they look good.  In each of the examples Jesus gave, the people in question actually did the good deeds but only so they would get credit from people for doing them. These people gave to the needy but had no more concern for the needy than a carpenter for a nail; both the nail and the needy were simply tools to be used for other purposes. The person praying wasn't actually  concerned with talking to God, only with other people thinking that he was talking to God.  In each case, Jesus warned that the rewards for those good deeds had already been received in full.

How did Jesus suggest we remedy being more concerned about the appearance than with the good deed? Do the thing in secret. After all, if no one ever knows that you are doing good, it's hard to be tempted to do it for the sake of appearances. But, notice, Jesus did not say to stop doing good deeds or to stop praying. Never do that! But make sure it happens when no one can see but God.  Credit is not a bad thing and it is a good feeling to get patted on the back from time to time.  But credit, when it comes, should only be a perk that comes with getting caught doing the right thing. Credit should never be the point of doing the right thing.

Are you concerned you aren't getting all the credit you deserve? Have you been tempted to improve your image by being seen doing some good things? If you do things for credit, credit is all you will ever get. But if you do things secretly, for the sake of doing the right thing, for the sake of pleasing your Father in heaven, credit will be the least of your rewards.