Author: Dave Dishman (Page 279 of 459)

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

In his last great speech, Joshua laid a choice before each individual in the nation of Israel—choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Either the gods of Egypt, the gods of their new land, or the Lord who led them to where they stood. The people responded enthusiastically for the Lord and placed a large stone as a witness of their commitment.

Joshua committed to serving the Lord regardless of what came next. He committed to a dogged faith, committed to clinging to the Lord despite tragedy and hard times. His promise also extended to times of prosperity and peace, when it’s easy to forget the Lord and turn to self-congratulation.

Joshua’s line in the sand served his family and his generation well. They stayed close to the Lord and followed his ways. The following generation not so much. They eased into the faith on their fathers and mothers, missed the firm personal commitment to serve the Lord and stumbled badly.

Our faith stands only one generation deep. We each decide for ourselves if we will serve the Lord with all the grit and determination required, or allow ourselves and our families to drift into chaotic streams of our world’s desires and priorities.

Will I serve the Lord and follow his Word, or will I give in to the latest prevailing notions of the culture we swim in?

Will I serve the Lord or will I serve the gods all around me?

Will I serve the Lord or will I compromise?

Joshua’s challenge rings in my ears today—choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. My answer? As best I can, I will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Jon Tyson

Years ago when I worked with students at Missouri State University, a pair of creative guys made a video illustrating Jesus’s parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus told the parable to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.

They filmed their interpretation of the Pharisee’s prayer in the middle of a busy sidewalk on campus. With students steaming in all directions, one of the guys stood on a platform, raised his hands in a “look at how great I am” pose and appealed to heaven. I thought he was hilarious, but only a few stopped to watch—a guy acting weird and another guy filming it raises few eyebrows on campus.

For the tax collector, they filmed in a quiet, out-of-the-way place. The amateur video (shot with a camcorder) turned out better than expected, and I still remember it as I consider the parable. They caught the essence of the teaching.

The humble man, the tax collector, went home justified before God. Not the prideful Pharisee, despite his strict adherence to all the religious rules. Jesus emphasized this point to his audience: For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

I relate to the Pharisee more than the tax collector, so these words prick at my ego. But you and I also live in an unprecedented era of self-promotion launched and sustained by the endless assault of social media. Everyone tweets confident of their own righteousness, or takes to social media in the same mindset.

Jesus pushes us to stop looking at our screens and start looking at our hearts. How rarely I beat my breast with downcast eyes and cry, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. But this is the path to humility, and only those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Luke 18 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Timon Studler

Sometimes Jesus did things in bunches. In one instance he walked up on a group of 10 lepers who respectfully kept their distance while yelling, Jesus, Master, have pity on us!

Jesus sent them off to the priests, and the lepers were cleansed. I wonder if part of this miracle involved the priests watching lepers heal before their eyes, knowing Jesus aimed them their direction? Was Jesus giving these priests another opportunity to realize who he was?

Regardless, one of the now healthy lepers returned to Jesus. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. But only one. Jesus asked, Where are the other nine? (Some say this is the first mention of baseball in the Bible, but I’m not so sure).

Only the Samaritan returned, a man from a race scorned up by the Jews. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, this man recognized Jesus as Messiah and returned to give praise.

The incident reminds me again that Jesus heals everyone, people from every tribe, tongue and nation, and every race, color and creed. None of us stand too dirty or too far off or too sick to cry—Jesus, Master, have pity!

To such a cry from the heart Jesus responds, no matter where you’re from or what disease you carry.

Luke 17 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Rosie Kerr

I don’t love money—but I do love stuff!

So commented my friend when we sat with a group and discussed these challenging words of Jesus:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

I don’t love money in and of itself, like Scrooge McDuck literally swimming in his wealth, but I do keep warm places in my heart. Like my friend, I love stuff, and money buys stuff. I enjoy experiences, and money allows for more of those and further afield.

I fancy the security money brings, even as I tell myself that only the Lord ultimately brings security. I watch money purchase pleasures and houses and even friends for a time. For sure I need to buy stuff only money can buy, and so I need to use money, just not enter into a loving relationship with what’s in my wallet.

Insightful into this conversation is the response of the Pharisees to Jesus. The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.

With hearts fully given over to the pursuit, the accumulation, and the trappings of wealth, the Pharisees rejected any idea of divided loyalties. These men remained blind to their treatment of others as they increased revenue for themselves.

A good check on my heart involves my response to these words of Jesus. When I see them do I pause and wonder, how am I doing with my affections toward money? Or do I skip past? If I ignore Jesus, or pass over without a hitch in my spirit, then I have a problem. Perhaps I’m choosing the wrong master.

And that choice fails as a long-term investment strategy.

Luke 16 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022