CamDevo

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭26‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’m sick today. I have acute bronchitis, also known as a chest cold. It’s pretty awful.

So when I read today’s verse my first thought was, “Yes, please God! Replace my heart. And don’t stop there. Give me new lungs and sinuses while you’re at it!” One can always hope.

God is talking to His people in today’s verse — the people called by His name. They have been terribly sick. Sick with sin. He punished them for it with exile from their homes and homeland.

But now He’s planning on restoring them and their land to health. His reason has nothing to do with their improved behavior though. They didn’t earn their way to this blessing. They still have stone hearts after all.

So why? Why did God decide to restore His people?

The verses before today’s verse explain that He is tired of these cold-hearted people using His name. They are giving Him a bad reputation!

God is a good God. A loving God. A patient God, but a perfectly holy God. But the other nations would never know that by observing the people who call themselves by His name. He’s decided it’s time to give His people another chance. (Thirtieth? Fortieth? We’re way beyond second.)

I call myself a follower of Jesus. I use His name. Anyone who calls themselves a Christian uses His name. Are Christians giving God a bad reputation? The answer is a resounding yes.

So does God plan a period of exile for us until one day He decides it’s time to heal our stony hearts?

Dear God,

Oh God, I’m sorry for my stony heart. My hard heart. Please accept my humble repentance and teach me how to love with your healthy heart. I’m grateful to be allowed to use your name. I’m sorry for misrepresenting you to the people I encounter. Please forgive me. Heal my heart (and lungs and sinuses) now. Thank you!

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Everything in the heavens and on earth — everything that exists — belongs to God.

That reminds me of a joke I heard once that I quite like. I’m terrible at telling jokes, but I’ll do my best to get the basics across.

“Some scientists were feeling very proud of their accomplishments and were bragging about their ability to create life, just like God did. Well, God decided to challenge them to a ‘life-creating contest’ where they would each create a new life form. The scientists confidently accepted the challenge. So, God grabbed a handful of dirt to begin. Then the scientists likewise grabbed a handful of dirt. At this point God stopped the proceedings and said, ‘Oh no you don’t. You go get your own dirt.’”

I like that joke because it’s amusing but also makes me think. It reminds me how amazing God really is. He made everything.

He could destroy it all and build it all again, either exactly the same or completely different. He created all the raw materials from nothing. With a word. There is nothing that exists that He can’t take credit for.

I can claim to be a genius or the world’s foremost expert on any subject, but my knowledge and expertise will always pale in comparison to what God knows. I can paint a scene or write a story or devise a poem or compose a song that awes the world, but compared to the magnificence found throughout of the universe, God’s works far surpass my own. Besides, God created me so anything I created is really because of Him.

He created me to be creative and curious and full of wonder. He created me in His image. God is also creative and curious and full of wonder. I think He created our world out of the sheer joy of creating. And what a wonder it is.

Dear God,

Thank you for the world you created. Thank you for creating your people to also be creative like you. Forgive me for forgetting that everything I have came from you and belongs to you. Everything I see and hear and know, everything I will ever see or hear or know, is also yours and came from you. You are great indeed!

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit  — which is the word of God.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

After Paul describes several pieces that constitute the “full armor of God” such as a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, and a shield of faith, in today’s verse he finally includes a weapon.

Unlike all the other defensive tools I am to use in my fight against evil, only the word of God should be used to attack.

I shouldn’t use my Gatling gun of generosity or my cannon of comments or my maul of mockery or my shotgun of self-help books.

Let me explain what I mean. My fight against evil is almost entirely a defensive one because God is taking care of the offense for me. My job is to love my neighbor. While I am loving my neighbor, I should be wearing the defensive armor God provided to thwart direct attacks on me.

On the rare occasion that I need to take an offensive stance against the devil, only the Bible, God’s word, is a suitable and effective weapon.

I cannot use my “generosity” to outspend my enemy on things I think will help my cause. Money is a dangerous weapon, prone to backfiring.

I cannot win by sending more social media comments than my enemy. Anonymous opinions made in the dark are lousy weapons.

I cannot win by raising hateful and mocking signs at protest rallies in front of my supposed enemy’s home or job. Intimidation is a weapon of my enemy, not one of God’s.

And I can’t win by searching for answers from other humans who suffer from the same sin and brokenness that I do. Self-help is a weak and treacherous weapon.

Only God’s word, the sword of the Spirit, is an effective weapon against darkness and evil in all its forms. And I need to carry it with me at all times, preferably close at hand and memorized.

Dear God,

Thank you for providing me with the only weapon I will ever need to defeat the forces of darkness that come against me. Thank you for reminding me of the Bible’s importance and value. Help me to read it, understand it, bury it in my heart, and bring it to mind when I need to wield it.

“In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬

The verses surrounding today’s verse mention a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, sandals of peace, and a helmet of salvation. All of these are things I put on once and wear around during a battle.

Today’s verse is different. A shield is something I can decide to pick up and wield or put down.

I have righteousness, salvation, truth, and peace through Jesus’s sacrifice. I put them on when I chose to accept that gift of salvation and eternal life.

Faith is a little more interactive. I choose faith every day. I choose to trust God with my daily life.

I can choose to pick up my shield of faith everyday, with the strength provided by God’s Spirit. Or I can choose to lay it down and walk away.

Today’s verse says if I lay down my faith and walk away, I am vulnerable to flaming arrows shot at me by the evil one. I will be wounded, and mortally so.

If I choose to pick up my shield of faith, I can not just block those arrows, but extinguish them. They will fizzle out before causing any real damage.

And unlike a belt or breastplate, a shield is mobile. I can swing it around to protect each area of my life: my finances, my job, my family, my marriage, my health…

Don’t get me wrong, the flaming arrows will still be shot at me. And they will look scary. I may struggle with finances in this life, lose a job, contract a disease, and lose a loved one whether I have faith or not. The evil one is persistent.

But by taking up my shield of faith, I can stand up to these onslaughts unscathed, knowing God’s will for me is unchanged, His love for me is unconditional, and His victory over the evil one is complete.

Dear God,

Thank you for providing me with everything I need to withstand the attacks of evil in this world. Remind me every day to pick up my shield of faith and trust you when the flaming arrows begin to fly at me. I know you love me, and your love is all I need.

“Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I don’t feel secure or capable for many tasks with sandals on. I wear them all the time around the house, but if I do anything important or at all challenging, I change into shoes. When I volunteer at the foodbank, they require close-toed shoes. When I go for a hike, I opt for hiking shoes over sandals — even the ones made for hiking and even on a hot day. When I simply need to climb a ladder, off come the sandals and on go the sneakers. I’ve slipped too many times with my flip-flops thinking, “It’s just a ladder. What could happen?” Well, I could fall and crack a bone, that’s what.

So when reading today’s verse, it surprises me that sandals are part of the battle gear I should wear to be ready to combat the powers of darkness. Shouldn’t I be putting on the steel-toed boots of justice or the crampons of integrity?

No, God wants me in sandals. Why? Well, it seems I don’t need to be protected by my shoes so much as nimble and ready at a moment’s notice. Sandals are nimble and simple. I can move faster and be ready more quickly than if I must pull on clunky lace-up boots.

So what am I to be ready for? Peace.

What a strange thing to be ready for when preparing for battle. God wants me always to be ready to run toward peace. His peace. The Gospel of Peace. When attacks come my way, my first step should be directly toward God and His peace.

Dear God,

Teach me how to always be dressed and ready for peace. Thank you for protecting me and fighting for me. Thank you also for your word which tells me how to defend myself against attacks from dark enemies: with truth, righteousness, and a readiness for peace. Thank you for these powerful weapons you provide me. Show me how to use them wisely.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

The Bible refers to angels and demons, messengers from God who appear and disappear suddenly, and evil spirits that possess people. They aren’t mentioned often or in much detail, but these beings definitely exist, according to God. In fact, they are often referred to quite casually, as if the author expects the reader to know what he’s talking about, and no explanation is needed.

I’ve always been quite curious about, and sometimes unsettled by, this “behind the scenes” realm of creatures. But I don’t recall there ever being a sermon or a Sunday School class on that subject.

Then, in high school, I read a novel called “This Present Darkness” by Frank Peretti. It was one man’s idea of what that shadow realm might be like, and how its denizens might affect us humans — and how our prayers, activities, and attitudes might affect them.

The book’s title comes from today’s verse. And to date, I haven’t really heard anyone else come up with a better idea of what is going on with demons and angels.

One reassuring idea I did get from that novel, and from the Bible, is that my prayers are very powerful in my battle against evil — the evil I can see and the evil I can’t see. Only by staying in close contact with God — through prayer and studying His word — will I have the tools necessary to defeat evil in every form.

Dear God,

I know I don’t really have a clue about what goes on in the spirit world that you created. I can’t see or sense any of it. But I trust that you have given me everything I need to know to defeat the evil I am confronted with every day. Thank you for the reminder that there is much I don’t understand, and that’s OK because you have already conquered evil. If I trust in you and rely on you and talk to you, I am able to repel any attack from all enemies of good, both seen and unseen.

“For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I was maybe ten or eleven when I was baptized. At least I think so. I don’t really remember how old I was for anything in my childhood, but ten or eleven would’ve been typical for my church. Basically, the main requirements were a desire to be baptized and an understanding of what it meant.

I did want to be baptized. And I sort of understood what it meant. Although, I guess it’s still a bit of a mystery.

Today’s verse is referring to baptism as being united with Jesus in the “likeness” of His death and resurrection.

In the Bible, baptism is not something that is a requirement for being saved by Jesus. In fact, baptism was happening before Jesus died or was resurrected. Before Jesus, it was a symbol of change, a new start, a decisive alteration in lifestyle or habits or beliefs.

Jesus’s followers used it similarly — as a symbol of dying to one’s old self and being reborn as a new person, one made new by Jesus’s sacrifice.

It’s all very symbolic and mysterious and maybe perplexing. Like most rituals. And like most rituals it can be tempting to treat it as more important than what it is meant to represent.

Baptism is just an outward, public expression of an inward decision. That’s all. I didn’t see any doves descending from heaven when I came up from the baptismal waters. I didn’t hear any voices or see tongues of flame over my head.

But I did feel a sense of satisfaction. I felt like God was pleased with my public declaration to follow Him.

It’s like walking across the stage at graduation to get my diploma. I actually already had my diploma. But when I went through the ritual of wearing the cap and gown, hearing my name called out, and walking across a stage for a handshake and a signed piece of cardboard, I felt satisfied. I had closure. I knew I was done with school and could look forward to what was next.

When I was baptized, I had already been saved. But now I also had closure. I knew I was done with the finality of the ravages of sin. I am so looking forward to what comes next.

Dear God,

Thank you for saving me from my sin and the death I deserve. I am so grateful. Thank you also for the symbol of baptism to remind me of this gift, this turning point in my life. I’m sorry that I still sin. Thank you for your salvation saving me then, now, and in the future. Your salvation has happened, just like my baptism. Once and for all time, I am saved.

“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’m trying to think if there’s anything in today’s society comparable to the foot washing custom of Jesus’s time. It seems particularly demeaning.

For one thing, feet are gross, generally. They sweat and smell bad and are weird looking. Toe jam should not be a thing.

Also, touching someone’s feet seems somewhat intimate which makes things awkward and uncomfortable.

Finally, I must be below someone to wash their feet. Literally. They will be looking down on me, again, literally, but probably figuratively too.

So I’m coming up empty with anything in my culture as demeaning as what Jesus modeled for His disciples.

In today’s verse, He explains that His followers are to do exactly that — follow. Jesus didn’t wait for anyone to ask Him for a foot-washing, He jumped in willingly to meet the need. And I should look for ways to serve as well, following His example.

As a follower of Jesus, I need to have the kind of attitude about myself that will allow me to volunteer to do humiliating things in service of others.

Humiliating things. Humbling things. Demeaning things. Like Jesus did.

A major hallmark of Christianity should be humility. Number one is love. Jesus said they’ll know we are Christians by our love. I think the second distinguishing characteristic of Christians must be humbleness. Love and humility are wrapped up together and cannot be separated.

Oh wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians were known for love and humility. For being willing to serve anyone in any way at any time. Even cleaning out the toe jam.

Dear God,

Thank you for the beautiful example of humility Jesus set with washing His disciples feet at the last supper. Please forgive me for failing to have that kind of humility. Forgive me for thinking some ways of serving others are beneath me. Teach me how to be the kind of representative you want. Help me to put pride and arrogance behind me.

“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

My parents owned the record album Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock opera from 1970. As a kid I listened to it over and over, singing and dancing along. I still love that music.

At some point my parents hid the album. They said it was because they decided they didn’t like the way it told Jesus’s story, but I think they were really just tired of hearing it.

Jesus Christ Superstar tells the story of the days leading up to Jesus’s crucifixion. But it tells it from an imagined perspective of Judas and is only very loosely based on the Bible.

For one thing, Judas is the star of that show. He gets all the best musical numbers. He gets to appear as a hero and martyr. He is portrayed as the voice of reason while Jesus is at times too distracted by frivolous things and other times too self-aggrandizing.

None of this is Biblical, but it made for some cool music and a good tale.

In the Bible story, Judas Iscariot is just a bit character. He is only mentioned about 20 times, and three of those times is in a list of all the disciples. Each of those mentions includes the fact that he will betray Jesus. He is described as a thief, embezzling from the apostles’ meager purse. He’s not at all interested in helping the poor, although he’s devious enough to lie about that so he can blend in.

So why did Jesus choose Judas to be among the twelve disciples? I’ve often wondered about that, especially when listening to the heart-wrenching song on Jesus Christ Superstar called “Judas’ Death.” The song has Judas accusing Jesus of choosing him for the job of betrayer, and Judas agonizes over why before he kills himself singing, “You have murdered me…”

But Judas was not an innocent whom Jesus selected and turned into a betrayer. It’s true that someone was needed to betray Jesus. But it was Judas’s attitude, hard heart, and selfish choices that made him an ideal candidate.

Even though Judas spent three years following Jesus, witnessing His miracles up close, benefiting from His selfless love, hearing His lessons first hand, and experiencing His devotion, Judas’s heart was never softened. He was never invested in God’s kingdom, never interested in love or humility, only personal gain. Jesus gave him three years worth of chances to change. But he didn’t. And so, woe is him.

Dear God,

Thank you for the example of the patience you displayed with your disciple Judas. And thank you for the patience you continue to show me. I understand there will come a day of judgment like there eventually did for Judas. I want to be your good and faithful servant, not your betrayer. Show me what this means for me today.

“Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for  —  believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

As a kid, I really wanted to believe that I could communicate telepathically with animals. It sounds pretty strange when I type it here, but I think most kids engage in some kind of magical or superpower fantasies.

I remember one day in particular when I tried especially hard. I was walking through the town park which included a small zoo which was a mix of domestic animals, like chickens and goats, and rescued native wildlife, like owls and a bear.

I was by myself and was in no rush. (In those days, children were allowed to wander around without adult supervision). I stopped by a pen containing ducks and peacocks. I decided to make a concerted effort to get one of the peacocks to open and display his feathers.

I selected one of the peacocks to communicate with and stared at it intently. I gazed into its eyes and thought the word “open” over and over. I concentrated as hard as my little brain allowed. I visualized the bird spreading its beautiful feathers.

This went on for a long time. And briefly I even thought I was having some success when the peacock walked my way and looked at me for a moment. But then it strutted away again, certainly oblivious to the weird little girl and her notions of avian mind control.

Today’s verse made me think of that because it also seems like magical thinking. Jesus had cursed a fig tree for not having any fruit, and His disciples noticed it was dead the following day. Jesus said they shouldn’t be surprised, that they too have this kind of power over the natural world. He said if they have total faith, they can ask a mountain to jump into the sea, and it will.

And then He says today’s verse. I’ve always wondered about this promise. Everything I ask and pray for? I’ve prayed and asked for a lot of things that I did not receive.

Why?

Well, there is that one little qualification: I have to believe that I have received it.

No matter how much I tried to get that peacock to obey me, I never really believed it would. I would have been shocked, and maybe even a little frightened, if it had, in fact.

When I pray to God for things, do I have doubts? Yes. Doubts don’t stop God from answering my prayers. He can still bless me as He sees fit, but without complete faith, those answers are not guaranteed.

Dear God,

I know you are not a genie in the business of granting wishes. But thank you for this promise to give me what I ask for when I trust you completely and fully believe in your ability and willingness to answer my prayers. Teach me how to have the kind of faith Jesus is talking about, the kind that can move mountains. And guide my prayers to be full of your wisdom and in line with your will.