Jesus Wants to Hang Out with You in Heaven - He Said So Himself

One of the many passages of Scripture that floors me when I read it is John 17:20-24. The verses are chalked full of more theological principles then I could possibly hope to address with my limited knowledge, but I would love to share how and why it speaks to me – chiefly that I can point to it as a historical moment in time that Jesus prayed for me. I find that most places throughout the Gospels, we absorb the words of Jesus through a sort of transplantation, taking what Jesus is speaking to His disciples and supplanting its applicability to ourselves – and rightly so. What I find neat in John 17, however, is the specificity with which Jesus calls out his future believers (of which I am one):

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message." (John 17:20 NLT)

Alright, Jesus, you’ve got my attention.

So what is he praying for? That’s where it gets really interesting:

“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you…” (John 17:21 NLT)

He wants us all to be one. Sounds like a nice Hallmark card, but is it feasible? How, for instance, could LSU fans and Alabama fans possibly bridge the impassable ravine of football rivalry? This is accomplished not through our own power, but through the glory of Christ working within us:

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me." (John 17:22 NLT)

So, Jesus...what do you want this to look like?

"May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” (John 17:23 NLT)

Wow. Let that sink in. Jesus is calling us to experience harmonious perfection to the point that God’s infinite love will be self-evident to those that see it. Talk about a gut check.

Why does Jesus want this? Why does Jesus want us to make known to the world that he was sent so "that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life?"[1]  That’s what even more amazing about his next declaration:

"Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!” (John 17:24 NLT)

He wants this…because he wants to spend eternity sharing his glory with us in heaven.

Boom. Jesus wants to hang out with you in Heaven. It’s right there in writing. He said so himself!

- Nicolas C. Day

[1] John 3:16

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Hurrication

With another tropical disturbance barreling towards the Gulf of Mexico this past weekend, we packed up and headed out… to the beach. That probably seems like a strange choice, but we had the vacation planned and to be fair, at the time of the decision all the projections for the storm were aimed at the heart of New Orleans. So Thursday night we all crammed into the minivan, handed out the kids’ amazon fires (our DVD player has been rendered useless due to the countless coins shoved into the slot), and took off towards the panhandle of sunny Florida. Destination: condo in Navarre. Friday was fun. Though the ocean was too rough to enter, we still managed to squeeze in a relaxing day of playing in the sand and swimming in the pool. Anxiety levels grew that evening, however, as the projected path of Hurricane Nate crept eastward towards Mobile Bay and Pensacola.

Saturday morning we faced an uncomfortable decision. Though it looked like we would be okay in Navarre, any drastic last minute shift in the storm could put us in a bind. Rather than take the risk of losing power with three toddlers, we decided to buy cheap insurance in the form of a hotel room a little further east in Panama City – just in case. Thus commenced a weird day of watching the kids swim in freezing pool in the rain (while dealing with a pesky virus) that ultimately culminated in the five of us crammed into one bed with my son waking up and puking on my wife in the middle of the night while wind and rain pelted the window. It was a strange vacation.

FullSizeR1

Sunday morning we headed back to Navarre – a pit stop on the way back towards New Orleans. Nate was travelling so fast that the eye of the storm was already far to our north, though remnants of high gusts and heavy rain remained on the backside (the storm’s hiney we deliriously told Sawyer, giggling in sleep deprivation). We arrived just before noon.

The sight on the beach was breathtaking – ferocious waves pounding the pier, ocean rabidly foaming at the mouth. It was picturesque scene of the unbridled power of nature. It probably wasn’t too far off from a stormy situation that Jesus’s disciples faced crossing the Sea of Galilee:

Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27 NLT)

rembrandt.png

By Rembrandt - www.gardnermuseum.org : Home : Info : Pic, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6812612

“Anglican clergyman John Clowes commented that by asking the question ‘Why are you so afraid?’, Jesus was asking his disciples to explore in their own minds the cause and origin of fear, so they would realize that all fear has its roots in natural affection and thought, separate from spiritual affection and thought.”[1]

Fear is not of God:

youversion

Let’s break that down a little further.

Power

As if the power a storm wields isn’t hard enough to comprehend, imagine the power required to STOP one in its tracks. Oh, and that raging ocean? God can fit it in the palm of his hand:

“Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?” (Isaiah 40:12 NLT)

Love.

No love is greater than that which is purely unconditional.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 NLT)

Enough said.

Self discipline.

In relation to the wonderful mystery of the incarnation in which he is both fully God and fully man, Jesus faced very real temptations – and emerged the vanquishing victor.

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15 NLT)

God is powerful. God is love. God is without blemish. And if we abide in Christ, God will work those qualities through us.

- Nicolas C. Day

On a side note - I cannot wait for this hurricane season to come to an end.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calming_the_storm#cite_note-8

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Note: we are an affiliate of Christian Book Distributors and may earn a small commission for any purchases made through the above link

Refrigerator Art

“Dad, wook come see what I made!” My son’s face lit up with enthusiasm as his little hand pulled me towards the refrigerator. “Show me!” I replied, his excitement transferring instantaneously in a bold denial of the laws of physics.

“Wook!” He turned to me, grinning from ear-to-ear, tiny finger outstretched towards the scribbled mess suspended by a magnet.

“Wow! It’s amazing!” I said, turning towards him as he beamed with pride. I looked back at the piece of paper. It looked as though a game of connect the dots had gone horribly, horribly wrong. “…What is it?”

“It’s a (fill in the blank)!”

Now, I consider myself a pretty abstract thinker. Whenever my toddlers decide to show off their art to me, however, I’m usually hard-pressed to identify even a slight resemblance to whatever they confidently claim to have drawn. Nevertheless, their masterpiece commands an undeniable, rightful place on the fridge that I wouldn’t trade for a Picasso.

…why?

It’s not for the quality of their drawings – although I fail to see the distinction between their work and some of the stuff hung up in museums:

square

 By Kazimir Malevich - (Transferred from en.wikipedia - was: en:Image:Black Square.jpg), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=507949

It’s a square... a square. What am I missing???

Anyway, my point here is that the picture itself is irrelevant. It’s my children’s’ inner intentions in which my heart delights.

I wonder, how much is this adoration a replicated quality of the Father in whose image we are created?

Perhaps we need look no further than “the man after God’s own heart” – King David.

At face value, David does not fit the image of piety. His dirty laundry list is abhorrent. Adulterer, murderer, family in shambles, host of concubines…all things we would not or should not want to replicate. Yet, despite his shortcomings, David possessed a deep longing to be in God’s presence; to be apart from it was tantamount to torment.

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight…

…Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” (Psalm 51:1-4;10-12 NLT)

David fell hard. He repented harder.

Now I’m not saying what we do with our lives is irrelevant. David paid deeply for his sins. David’s son born to Bathsheba died. His son, Absalom, rebelled against him and slept with his concubines.[1]Nevertheless, it was his heart – not his sins – that defined him.

In the words of Thomas Merton, "the fact that I think I am following your will, does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you, does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing."[2]

I am well pleased just to see that desire in my children, regardless of what they bring me. In the same way, I’m convinced that God would rather we draw a stick figure and bring the scribbled mess to Him, then paint the Sistine Chapel by ourselves.

And you know what? I'm actually impressed by the scattered streaks generated by my children's toddler minds. Who knows? Maybe one of my kids will be the next Picasso after all!

- Nicolas C. Day

[1] 2 Samuel 12

[2]http://reflections.yale.edu/article/seize-day-vocation-calling-work/merton-prayer

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"Tweeting" About Marriage

We’ve got cardinals all over our backyard (the little red birds, not Catholic senior ecclesiastical leaders). While watching one of these little birds fly back and forth to the same spot in our yard, we discovered a nest wedged in between the branches of one of our hedges. Grabbing a step ladder (a short man’s favorite tool), I clambered up the steps to peer inside. Within the layers of pine straw were three quivering, little baby birds with (comparatively) large mouths hanging open. They might as well have had FRAGILE stamped across their tiny bird heads.

I lifted up each of my excited children to show them the baby birds. This soon degenerated into a screaming match of “My turn! My turn!” until we imposed a break for the mother cardinal – who was hovering around nearby, looking a little distressed.

The distractions of life sank in and we did not return to check on the baby birds until a few days later… only to find that they were gone.

As I looked up from my perch on the step ladder, my wife instantly recognized the look on my face: “I don’t want to know.” She said, turning her head. Immediately changing her mind, she looked back up at me and asked “Are they gone?”

I shook my head yes. Despite us both immediately jumping to the conclusion that they were devoured by a cat, I decided to look up when cardinals leave their nest upon a sliver of hope. The answer astonished me – just 10 days! I couldn’t believe those frail little birds could turn into something even remotely close to leaving the nest in that timeframe. In my research I also stumbled across another neat fact: cardinals mate for life.

“Pairs mate for life, and stay together year-round. Mated pairs sometimes sing together before nesting. During courtship they may also participate in a bonding behavior where the male collects food and brings it to the female, feeding her beak-to-beak. If the mating is successful, this mate-feeding may continue throughout the period of incubation.”[1]

Guys – when’s the last time you sang with your wife and fed her mouth to mouth? Clearly I’m slacking.

The little cardinal fellas help out their ladies in a couple of other areas too:

“Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most of the building” and while “female generally incubates the eggs, though, rarely, the male will incubate for brief periods of time.”

Reading about the cardinals working to help each other out in this way brought Scripture to my mind – specifically God’s declaration over Adam in the Garden of Eden.

In Genesis 2:18, God looks at his creation and declares (in the KJV), “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Eh? Come again? A help meet? Must be that weird old English language.

In Hebrew the words are:  ‘ê·zer kə·neḡ·dōw [עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ׃ [2

Ezer – meaning “help.”[3]

Kenegdow – stemming from root neged (נֶ֫גֶד), meaning “in front of, in sight of, opposite to.”[4]

When I look at this combination of “opposite” and “help,” it helps me understand the NLT position: “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.’”(emphasis added).

My wife is a divinely given compliment to my incompleteness. Wow. I’d like to say that I always hold that reverence for marriage but some days it just seems like my wife and I are speaking two completely different languages.

For instance, she told me the other day, "Go to the store and buy a loaf of bread. If they have eggs, buy a dozen." I couldn’t understand why she was so mad when I came home with 12 loaves of bread.

Okay, so that was just a joke I found on the internet, but it definitely has a ring of truth about it. The question is, why? Why did God design us to be "half-finished" with such inherent differences?

I think Gary Thomas hits the nail on the head when he posed the question, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”[5] Not that marriage isn't a terrific source of happiness - it is! But there is something much more significant that comprises the driving force.

I have found that by seeking to bridge communication boundaries and striving to meet one another’s needs, we have grown in ways we simply could not have done without the incredible gift of marriage. There is also no denying that my wife has been uniquely positioned in my life to bring out the most in me, Her strengths fill in the gaps created by weaknesses, and I like to think my strengths do likewise for her.

Corny joke alert: Thank you, cardinals, for “tweeting” that reminder of the treasures stored within a biblical marriage!

- Nicolas C. Day

Note: Out of curiosity, I thought I’d look up the worst example of a biblical marriage in the animal kingdom. It would be hard to top the praying mantis, considering the female bites off the male’s head during reproduction.[6]

[1] Northern cardinal. (2017, July 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:36, August 14, 2017

[2]http://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/2-18.htm

[3]http://biblehub.com/hebrew/5828.htm

[4]http://biblehub.com/hebrew/5048.htm

[5]https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/31970.Gary_L_Thomas

[6]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis

If you would like to take a closer look at the Gary Thomas book referenced in this article, you can do so by clicking on the affiliate link in the picture below. Should you choose to make a purchase, a small commission will go towards supporting the efforts of this blog. There are several other products and resources that I have found helpful in navigating the waters as a Christian and a parent. You can check these out on the Fervent Recommendations page. 

The Tone of a Shepherd's Voice

Following the miracle feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14, Jesus sends his disciples across the Sea of Galilee while he remains behind to pray. Along the way, a substantial storm develops, buffeting the boat with wind and waves. In the night, the terrified disciples spot a figure walking towards them. After Jesus announces himself, Peter challenges his Lord to confirm his identity by asking Peter to walk towards him. Jesus does so and Peter climbs out of the boat, miraculously walking on top of the waves – until he averts his gaze to the terrors of the storm and plunges into the sea. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31).

Now stop and ask yourself – what did Jesus sound like in your head when you read that?

Did you hear, “How darest thou doubt my sovereign divinity as you traversed over the waves in a physically impossible feat that I mercifully orchestrated!”

Or do you hear something more along the lines of, “Bro… come on…you know that I got you. I’ve always got you.”

…What is the right way to read it?

You know what? I’m not sure if I can answer that question. As someone who has been diligently spending time attempting to enhance their theological knowledge, that it is a rather difficult thing for me to admit.

Think about it though. What was it like to have a conversation with God in His incarnate flesh?

After simply having Jesus over for dinner, Zacchaeus – the notorious tax collector in Jericho – vowed to sell off half his wealth to the poor and spend his life making restitutions for all his wrong doings.[1] I think that’s a pretty clear testimony for the radical power Jesus commanded as a conversationalist.

And why not? Every time a particle of speech leaves his lips, the intentional word of God is spoken. That fact makes it vitally important to hear the correct emotion in his written voice – the joy, the sadness, the seriousness, the humor[2]. Take, for instance, his employment of exaggerations and puns:

 “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:24).

Translating the phrase into Aramaic – the common language that Jesus spoke – reveals an apparent word play between gnat (qamla) and camel (gamla).[3] Taking this interpretation, one finds Jesus deliberately including a pun as he grills the Pharisees and scribes for being hypocrites.

When I read the rest of his speech, it is easy for me to visualize passionate condemnation as Jesus spits out labels such as “snakes” and “brood of vipers”. The scene takes on quite a different appearance, however, if I picture the crowd doubling over in laughter when Jesus delivers his one liners with a drum beat and cymbal crash. So… which is it? Perhaps it’s some of both.

Have you ever misread the intention behind a text or an email? That door swings wide open when the subtleties of conversation via tone of voice and facial expressions are removed from the picture. I have found, however, the better that I know a person, the easier it is for me to read a message as they intended it to be read. Otherwise, I am simply reading into it what it would mean if I had written it – and that is a byproduct of my own unique personality and life experiences.

In the same way, I feel it important to analyze what I am using as the basis while constructing the tone of Jesus’s voice in my head. Is it based off actual knowledge of him, or is it a reflection of myself and past authority figures in my life?

The question beckons me to shift my focus from the knowledge of God’s works towards an understanding of His character. This does not necessitate an abandonment of the analytical mind that God gave me. It means to apply it appropriately – never letting thirst for knowledge supersede my pursuit of a more intimate relationship with God.

My prayer is for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to reveal the ring of His divine attributes - love, mercy, grace, patience, holiness, justice, righteousness, jealousy, wrath - in all of the appropriate places in the written words of His voice. The same voice that declared blessings over children, taught his disciples day in and day out, declared prophecy, and spoke miracles into existence.  The voice that spoke at parties, delved out forgiveness, scolded hypocritical religious thinking, and cried out from the cross. The voice of the “Good Shepherd” that calls his sheep by name - for whom he laid down his life.

- Nicolas C. Day

[1] Luke 19

[2]http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/does-god-have-sense-of-humor.html

[3] Pett, Peter. "Commentary on Matthew 23:24". "Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible ". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/matthew-23.html. 2013.

An excellent book for further elaboration around the character of Jesus is "Beautiful Outlaw: Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus " by John Eldredge. You can buy it from The Christian Book Distributors through the following affiliate link:

Note that we will make a small commission that goes towards the efforts of maintaining the blog. There will be no additional charge to you. There are several other products and resources that I have found helpful in navigating the waters as a Christian and a parent on the Fervent Recommendations page.  

Outnumbered and Under-equipped

Can you think of a time where you have ever felt completely and utterly inept? When I stop to think about the responsibilities of my commitments, I begin to crater under the weight: husband, father, work, writing, bible studies, nonprofits… though I am incredibly thankful for each of these opportunities and the deep satisfaction buried within their tasks, each single one has the capacity to be overwhelming in isolation, let alone combined (i.e. parenting three toddlers simultaneously).  As I let these thoughts simmer, four words quickly come to mind: I can’t do this. Recognition of our own incapability is a good place to start – it helps us identify our need for God. This is the reason why Crawford Loritts characterizes “brokenness” as a fundamental trait for biblical leadership in his phenomenal book Leadership as an Identity.

The trick after we recognize our own shortcomings is to not sell God short on His ability to carry us above the waves.

So how do we simultaneously grasp the knowledge that though I am incapable in my power, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”?[1]

No seriously, I’m asking. Any practical tips would be great.

In 1 Samuel 13-14, Saul and his son Jonathan face insurmountable opposition. Both recognize their own inadequacy, yet the two have wildly different responses.

After setting out on a campaign with a select contingent of Israelite troops, King Saul splits his forces and sends his son Jonathan to destroy a Philistine garrison in Geba. The furious Philistines accumulate a massive force to respond:

“The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven.” (1 Samuel 13:5 NLT)

As the Israelites set out to reunite their own forces, news of the sheer size of this Philistine army spread, rousing fear in the Israelite ranks and inciting deserters.

Panicking, Saul displayed a prime example of what NOT to do when facing adversity – disobeying God’s word (in this case, spoken through the prophet Samuel). Determined to keep anyone else from scattering, Saul offers up a burnt sacrifice instead of waiting for Samuel to arrive as he was told. Samuel shows up, displays his disgust, and leaves – after he informs Saul that God will rip away the kingdom from his lineage.

On the surface, Saul’s fear wasn’t unfounded. A quick headcount revealed he had only 600 men remaining with him…with no swords.

“There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears…whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith…so on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan” (1 Samuel 13:19-22 NLT)

Several hundred Israelites armed with pitchforks and shovels facing a massive Philistine force, armed to the teeth with the latest and greatest instruments of warfare. Wonder what was running through their heads? Not surprising that many of them jetted out of there.

I certainly wouldn’t have been thinking what Saul’s son Jonathan was thinking. Looking at the overwhelming odds, Jonathan turned to his armor bearer with the bright idea that they should attack an outpost that the Philistine army had just established. And when I say “they” I mean Jonathan and the armor bearer – just the two of them.

“‘Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!’” (1 Samuel 14:6 NLT)

Amazing. Jonathan reckoned that perhaps God might help them – and that was enough for him. So the two of them climbed across a pass and begin attacking the outpost alone – until God stepped in.

“Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified” (1 Samuel 14:15 NLT)

Spotting this strange occurrence, Saul’s lookouts alerted the king. Taking roll call, Saul realized Jonathan and his armor bearer were missing. He quickly joins in on the fight:

“Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.” (1 Samuel 14:20-23 NLT)

I sometimes hear people say that “God won’t allow you to go through more than you can bear.” This is a misquote of 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “…He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear...”[2] The truth is God’s glory thrives when we are faced with the impossible. He’s more than happy to carry you through a situation that you couldn’t bear alone in order to accomplish way more than you ever dreamed possible.

“The fact is that leaders are always in over their heads.  That’s because God assignments are supernatural in nature and He gives those assignments to vessels of clay.” (Loritts, Leadership as an Identity)

After all, as T. S. Eliot once said: “If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”[3]

- Nicolas. C. Day

[1] Philippians 4:13 NKJV

[2] Added italics for emphasis

[3]https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/32085-if-you-aren-t-in-over-your-head-how-do-you

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Who Are Your Mighty Warriors?

I can have a tenacious tendency to brush help aside and attempt to do things alone. Not sure why I do this, though I'd venture to guess that it's probably a product of pride. I'll struggle along, praying in solidarity, waiting for God to step in and help. The irony of my approach is that as I stand staring upwards with arms open wide, I sometimes miss His help standing right next to me – the people which He strategically placed in my life. The whole thing reminds me of the joke where a man is stuck on his rooftop during a flood, praying for God's help. Rescuers show up in a rowboat, a motorboat, and a helicopter - but the man turns them all away saying that God will save him. Eventually, he drowns and goes to Heaven where he asks God, "Why didn't you save me?" To this God replied, "I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"

The truth is, very seldom are the giants of the bible walking alone. A quick scan through Scripture demonstrates pretty clearly how God puts people together to accomplish His purpose. Moses with Aaron. Daniel with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Paul with Barnabas and Timothy. David with…many!

When David succeeded the throne of Saul, (who had all but gone insane by the time of his death, thrusting himself upon his own sword as his army was overrun by the Philistines)[1] – the burden must have felt crushingly enormous. The Philistines had just decimated the Israelite army, the king was dead, and the nation was in utter disarray. God didn’t just throw him in the deep end and say “go for it” though. He surrounded David with a core of fervent warriors.

1 Chronicles and 2 Samuel tell us of David’s thirty mighty warriors – three of them standing out above the rest: Jashobeam[2], Eleazar, and Shammah.

“Here is the record of David’s mightiest warriors: The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three—the mightiest warriors among David’s men. He once used his spear to kill 300 [3]enemy warriors in a single battle.”(1 Chronicles 11:11 NLT)

“Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. He was with David when the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammim and attacked the Israelites in a field full of barley. The Israelite army fled, but Eleazar and David held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines...” (1 Chronicles 11:12-14 NLT)

“Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines...” (2 Samuel 23:11-12 NLT)

Sounds like these guys would go pretty early when picking kickball teams.

Together these three fiercely loyal companions would stop at nothing to help David accomplish the Lord’s task – even breaking into an enemy camp to draw water from a well when their commander mentioned that he was thirsty!

David – unable to accept a drink which risked the lives of his men – instead poured it on the ground before God. [4] I don’t know how Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah felt about that, but it seems to me that David was well aware that his men were a provision from God – and thus deemed it appropriate to give Him the glory in that moment.

David realized that the key here isn’t people – it’s God. One God-centered, trustworthy relationship is worth infinitely more than a thousand surface level acquaintances. Where I have been slacking lately, is taking the time to pursue and invest in such biblical friendships on a deeper level. Not only does that mean that I am missing out on warrior firepower – it means that I am not lending full warrior support for someone else.

A mentor recently suggested to me an effective model of discipleship that I am determined to maintain:

1. Someone who has walked a lot longer than you pouring into your life.

2. Someone beside you to walk and grow together.

3. Someone early in their journey that you are pouring into.

Look around you. Who are your mighty warriors? Has God placed people in your life to help you accomplish your mission? Do you overlook their help? What about your spouse? Would love to hear a story or two!

 “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT

- Nicolas C. Day

[1] 1 Samuel 31:4

[2] Josheb-basshebeth in 2 Samuel.  Also note that some Septuagint manuscripts have the name “Ishbaal.” For further reading, consult the ISBE at: http://biblehub.com/topical/j/jashobeam.htm

[3] 800 in 2 Samuel 23:8. This could either be a copyist error as the number 3 (שְׁלֹשׁ־) and 8 (שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה) look similar in Hebrew, or this could in fact, be referring to two separate instances. For further reading check out: http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=749

[4] 1 Chronicles 11:17-19

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Searching for "Ant"swers

Army ants are fascinating and formidable creatures. With upwards of 15 million worker ants banding together in 20m x 100m trails to form devastating foraging raids, a colony may decimate up to half a million unfortunate victims a day.[1]Being mostly blind, they rely entirely on pheromones to coordinate this murderous march – and do so quite adeptly. Should a section of the foraging party get separated, however, the result is a bizarre phenomenon known as an “ant mill." 

Hang in there. There is a point here, I promise.

“Army ants are not only good at following trails but also have a propensity to form circular mills when moderate numbers are separated from a colony and restricted to a confined area, either in the laboratory (figure 2a) or naturally in the field during exceptionally severe rainstorms (Schneirla 1971; Franks et al. 1991; Gotwald 1995). After a period of disorder, the ants all begin moving in the same direction… As more ants move in one direction, it becomes increasingly hard for individuals to move the opposite way, and this causes the ants collectively to select a (randomly determined) direction.”[2]

Once a direction is established, the ants will continue marching in an indefinite circle until they collapse and die in exhaustion.[3]

Crazy huh?

The whole ordeal is rather reminiscent of the human condition. As the ultimate “ant mill”, we – cut off from God’s intended trail by our sinful choices – are caught up in a spiral of death, in need of a miraculous intervention. Like the ants, we are not even aware of it – we are simply the “blind lead[ing] the blind.” (Matthew 15:14).

Thankfully, by God’s divine grace and the good news of the gospel – we have been given the means to be plucked out of our deadly circle through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

“For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57 NLT)

Even as a Christian, however, the army ants make me wonder. Am I holding myself back from pursuing all God calls me to be because I find comfort in following the crowd? If so, it’s time for me to cut loose from the circle, placing my trust in God over security in numbers.  

In the words of Andy Andrews: “Everybody wants to make a difference, but nobody wants to be different. And you simply cannot have one without the other.”[4]

- Nicolas C. Day

P.S. check out a video of an ant mill in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rup3EdA0kw

Crazy!

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_ant#cite_note-Franks_Fletcher-15

[2] Couzin ID & NR Franks (2003). "Self-organized lane formation and optimized traffic flow in army ants". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 270 (1511): 139–146.

[3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant_mill

[4]http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/4111120-everybody-wants-to-make-a-difference-but-nobody-wants-to

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