redemption

i have been thinking a lot about Joshua 2 this week...

which has led me to think a lot about the incredible God we serve.
why is He so great? well, i'll tell you:

if you don't remember Joshua 2, the story is this:
God chose to do an amazing work through a woman named Rahab.
why is that a big deal?
well, she was a prostitute.
He chose to work through her and she, no doubt,
experienced the Lord's grace and mercy in a profound way.

fast-forward a few years.

Rahab has a son named Boaz. if any of you have read the book
of Ruth, Boaz plays a pretty huge role. some have said that he is
the greatest example of grace and mercy in the old testament and
is the biggest precursor of the grace and mercy that would come in
the form of Jesus, all those years later.

so, where did Boaz learn to be this merciful?
probably from his mom.
you know, the prostitute.

not only that...but, remember David? the shepherd boy who killed
the giant and became a great king after God's own heart? well, he
is a descendent of Rahab and Boaz.

oh, and guess who else descended from Rahab?
yup. Jesus Christ, Himself.
pretty incredible lineage.

so, why is my God so amazing?
my God is amazing because He would rather change the world through a humble prostitute or a shepherd boy than through haughty religious people.

that is a God who i would follow to the ends of the earth and back...
that is a God who i am overwhelmed to be loved by...
and that is extremely humbling.

i would rather be a prostitute than a pharisee,
if it means that i will experience more of my Jesus.

exile

"and life is worth the living,

just because He lives."

for some reason that song popped into my head today and i keep singing it over and over. maybe i'm trying to convince myself of the truth and simplicity of the statement.

an applicable passage:

Jeremiah 29:1-14 - A Letter to the Exiles

¹Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. ²This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah, and all the craftsmen had been deported from Jerusalem. ³He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah's ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah's letter said:

⁴The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, sends this message to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: ⁵"Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food you produce. ⁶Marry, and have children. Then find spouses for them, and have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! ⁷And work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon. Pray to the LORD for that city where you are held captive, for if Babylon has peace, so will you."

⁸The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says, "Do not let the prophets and mediums who are there in Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams ⁹because they prophesy lies in my name. I have not sent them," says the LORD. ¹⁰"The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹²In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. ¹⁴I will be found by you," says the LORD. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land."

this has been the hardest year of my life. in so many ways, i feel like i am in exile...living in a fog. whether i like it or not, this fog could last 7 days, 70 years, or longer. i know that, despite the situation, my Father gives me assurance of His faithfulness and tells me to "plant gardens" and make life here...despite the circumstances...rather than wait for deliverance before living the abundant life He has promised.

Psalm 126 - A song for the ascent to Jerusalem.

¹ When the LORD restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!

² We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said, "What amazing things the LORD has done for them."

³ Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!

⁴ Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert.

⁵ Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.

⁶ They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

i'm not sure when that day is going to come, but for now, i need to plant, even in the midst of tears, so that i might one day see a harvest of joy. it's a hard desire to have when i feel so frustrated with God...and i'm not sure what it will look like...but i know that's what i need to pray for.

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid."
- John 14:27