“For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me[.]...This God—his way is perfect[.]

2 Samuel 22

“For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me[.]...This God—his way is perfect[.] 2 Samuel 22:5, 31

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, and John Piper moves on from Advent and Christmas to examines how calamity demonstrates that God's ways are both mysterious yet perfect, and that God's providence extends over all including destruction and death.  Piper pulls from scripture the following responses to calamity:

1. Satan is not ultimate; God is.  Looking at Job, Piper writes: "Satan had a hand in Job’s misery, but not the decisive hand....Satan brings misery. But Satan is not ultimate or decisive. He is on a leash. He goes no farther than God decisively permits."
2. [Satan] is not the decisive cause of [death]; God is. Looking at the world's greatest natural disaster in December 2004 (earthquake that caused tsunami in Indian Ocean that killed 230,000), Piper shares how even though Satan may have created the earthquake, God could have stopped the waves - He did not. See also Psalm 89:8–9 and Luke 8:24 where God has power over the sea and wind.
3. Destructive calamities in this world mingle judgment and mercy.  Using a number of Biblical examples, including Jesus's death on the cross, Piper describes how both judgement and mercy are found in calamity.  Often we don't understand how judgement may be in play - this is the mystery of God. Using Job as an example, Piper writes "God’s purposes are not simple. Job was a godly man and his miseries were not God’s punishment."
4. The heart that Christ gives to his people feels compassion for those who suffer, no matter what their faith is.  Using Romans 12:15, Piper urges us to "weep with those who weep."
5. Finally, Christ calls us to show mercy to those who suffer, even if they do not deserve it. Piper shares how this is the definition of mercy - it is undeserved.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You reign over all, including Satan and calamity.  Thank You for how You demonstrate mercy in my life - I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

 Isaiah 36-39

Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. Isaiah 38:17

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I continue with Lesson 14, looking at Day 4, which looks specifically at Isaiah 38. Here, we see Hezekiah sick and dying, with Isaiah delivering a message from the Lord to him that he should prepare for death. Hezekiah prays to God and God answers his prayer and gives him fifteen more years. In response, Hezekiah pens a poem as he reflects on his journey with God (v9-20).  Broadly, my commentary indicates the main idea from this chapter to be that "God heals Hezekiah from illness and teaches him humility and obedience by what he suffered." My Precept Upon Precept study indicates that a more complete view of this chapter should be viewed with 2 Kings 20:1-11 and 2 Chronicles 32:24-26.  It is in 2 Chronicles 32 where we glean more detail about Hezekiah and his pride.  With all that God does for him Hezekiah remains proud and in response Hezekiah did humble himself, but not without consequences - "the wrath of the Lord did not come upon [Jerusalem] in the days of Hezekiah." My commentary notes we should apply the word as follows:

1. the forgiveness of our sins is our top priority, not the temporary healing of the body this side of death.
2. live every day aware of our mortality, and we should flee to Christ for salvation and power to make the most of the limited time we have.
3. embrace affliction...as working vast spiritual benefits in us: it humbles us and causes us to walk softly in God’s laws.
4. use our own experiences in suffering to make us genuinely compassionate to others who are suffering.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord, You are indeed great - You are full of grace and compassion, even during trials we can see Your love for us.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your love and compassion.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner.

Lamentations 1-2

Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner. Lamentations 2:19

Day 239 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues as I start with a study of the Lamentations.  Both my commentary* and the MacArthur Bible Study Commentary (for purchase) attribute authorship to Jeremiah and my commentary describes "Jeremiah['s] grie[f] at the loss of Jerusalem and the scattering of God’s people. He is both angry and sad. He is angry at the priests and prophets whose sins made the destruction necessary. He is angry at the nations which have either directly overthrown Judah or failed to come to her rescue. But mostly Jeremiah is sad. This weeping prophet, who so many times lamented his own sufferings, now laments the suffering of his fellow countrymen."

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

God wants a relationship with us - He wants us to depend on Him.  He wants us to bring our every care and concern to Him.  

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 

Jeremiah weeps and grieves over the suffering of Judah - we should also weep and grieve to God over the suffering of others.  Tony Merida, author of Ordinary, wants us to go even further.  He seeks to have believers feel compelled act in love for others as a response to the overflowing love God has for us.  Merida describes in his book how God will work in extraordinary ways through us if we simply have courage to act in ordinary ways through kindness, hospitality, etc.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and who hears my cries and is always with me.  Thank You Jesus - I am not deserving of Your love.  My sin continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa an myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.