Daily Bible Devotionals

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.  He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.  For before the boy knows enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.” Isaiah 7:14-16 (NASB)

Ahaz, the king of Judah, was in a desperate situation.  The apostate Northern Kingdom of Israel had partnered with their pagan neighbors, Syria.  Furthermore, the two were advancing toward Jerusalem, intent on sacking it.  While he was searching for a military or political solution, God sent Ahaz a spiritual solution in the person of Isaiah.  God was willing to deliver Judah by His grace, but only if Ahaz would believe His message (through His messenger) by faith.  Ahaz had a choice to make, and there would be harsh consequences if he chose wrongly.

“If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.” Isaiah 7:9b (NKJV)

As a sign that Isaiah’s prophecy was from God, the Lord promised to give confirming markers of progress along the path to Judah’s deliverance.  Since Judah’s greatest enemy was not Israel or Syria (rather, it was their own sinfulness), the Lord began with a prediction of the distant future, a virgin birth.  Then, the prophet works his way toward Judah’s more immediate threat: Israel and Syria.

Focusing for a moment on Judah’s (and the world’s) ultimate need for personal salvation and victory over sin, God gives, as a sign, the miracle of Messiah’s virgin birth.  The title “Immanuel,” translated as “God with us,” does not merely mean “God is on our side, so He sent us a leader.”  “Immanuel” speaks of the deity of Messiah.  Consider the prophet Micah’s announcement concerning the coming Messiah, the place of His birth, and Who He is:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

Eternal in origin, yet born as a human child, Messiah Jesus had to grow up and learn as any boy.  The Living Word of God (John 1) had to learn the Word of God to “refuse evil and choose good.”  But, by the time He reached the age of accountability, He was fully trained, and no sin was found in Him.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Messiah’s humble upbringing, referenced as “eating curds and honey,” is in stark contrast to how the haughty leaders of Israel and Syria would be forced into humility.  “It shall be in that day that a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; so it shall be, from the abundance of the milk they give, that he will eat curds; for curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.” (Isaiah 7:21-22)  It serves as a lesson to us: Be humble before the Lord through Jesus, or be humbled by the Lord!

“So I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am undone!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’  Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal, which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.  And he touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is purged.’  Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’  Then I said, ‘Here am I!  Send me.’” Isaiah 6:5-8 (NKJV)

Excuses, excuses.  Everybody has one.  Moses had one:

“But Moses replied to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent--either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant--because I am slow and hesitant in speech."  Exodus 4:10 (HCSB)

Jeremiah had one:

“But I protested, ‘Oh no, Lord, God! Look, I don't know how to speak since I am only a youth.’”  Jeremiah 1:6 (HCSB)

10 of the 12 spies who scouted the land of Canaan after the exodus had one:

“But the men who had gone up with him (Caleb) said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.’” Numbers 13:31 (NKJV)

And the list goes on.  So, what is YOUR excuse?  What excuse do you give for not living faithfully, as God calls us?  Do you not realize that where God GUIDES, God PROVIDES?  He does not call you because He needs your giftedness and in order to accomplish His purposes.  God has gifted you because you need His provision in order to be successful in the things He calls you to accomplish.

So, like Isaiah, we must first realize we are unworthy in His presence and confess that sin to Him.  Then He cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) when we place our faith in Him, and He fills us with His Holy Spirit.  (Romans 15:13)  Then He calls us specifically equipped for the work He has called us to.  (Hebrews 13:20-21)  And when we obey and heed His call, He literally works through us (even as He is working on us through sanctification) to accomplish the goal to which we are called.  

“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ [Messiah] Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)

So, what is your excuse for not stepping up and shouting, “Here am I!  Send me!?”

“Now let me sing to my Well-beloved a song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.  He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine.  He built a tower in the midst, and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.  And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.”  Isaiah 5:1-3 (NKJV)

Isaiah’s prophetic words were echoed by Jesus many generations later:

"Listen to another parable: There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. He leased it to tenant farmers and went away.” Matthew 21:33 (HCSB)

What are Isaiah and Jesus talking about, and why was God so disappointed with His vineyard?

“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.  He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.” Isaiah 5:7 (NKJV)

“When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first.  And they did the same to them.  Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’  And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?  They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.’”  Matthew 21:34-41 (ESV)

In the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Israel’s religious leaders held to a belief that Messiah would soon deliver them.  They believed that Messiah would levy justice upon Israel’s oppressors (Rome) and reward Israel’s faithfulness.  So, when Jesus quoted Isaiah in such a direct way, He knew that the religious leaders would recognize the parallel stories.  He was making the statement that Israel’s religious leaders were not to expect Messiah to reward their perceived good deeds.  Rather, they should expect justice and harsh rebuke against themselves for having turned from His Word and oppressing the people.  The “cry for help” the Lord answered was not to deliver His people from Roman oppression but from Jewish religious oppression.  This was not Judaism as He prescribed.  It was what Judaism had become by following the vain interpretations and traditions of men, traditions that held a form of Godliness but ultimately blocked the path of true worship.

“In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped.”  Isaiah 4:2 (NKJV)

Isaiah’s message was clear: judgment is coming upon Judah and Jerusalem.  Why?  While they had continued in certain religious practices commanded by the Lord, they had largely abandoned His Word.  Their worship consisted of rote religious actions, but it was void of a personal daily pursuit of God in His Word as led by His Spirit.  If we understand Isaiah’s exhortation, we can make the connection to Messiah Jesus’ Words to his disciples:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, and you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:1-8 (NKJV)

While we can focus on the negative aspects of Isaiah’s preaching, namely the judgment of the Lord against apostasy-laden Hebrew worship, we are amiss if we do not also recognize the great grace offered in the midst of Isaiah’s pronouncement.

“And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy – everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.  When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night.  For over all the glory there will be a covering.” Isaiah 4:3-5 (NKJV)

Yes, judgment will come.  And Jeremiah will be the “on the scene reporter” (many years later) telling the people of Jerusalem that the Word prophesied by Isaiah is coming true in their day.  But the message of encouragement (even giving a 70-year time limit for exile) in Jeremiah 29 echoes the hope of Isaiah 4.  For the remnant, those bent on repenting and returning to the Word of the Lord will again inhabit Jerusalem, experiencing the same signs of the Lord’s presence that accompanied Moses and the exiles from Egypt.  And for believers of Jesus, we expect the same signs of His presence in the New Jerusalem.  (Revelation 21:1-4)

“For Jerusalem stumbled, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory. The look on their countenance witnesses against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.”  Isaiah 3:8-9 (NKJV)

Just because I have written songs for a living, which involve melodically rhyming words and ideas, does not mean that I like poetry.  I have never purchased a book of poetry, nor do I have any plans to.  So, I identify with the frustration of many folks who had to endure the past six months of the “Poetic Books” of the Bible.  The cry is typically, “When can we get back to something with a concrete narrative?”  Abstract thinking is not easy for most people; they like stories.  The problem is the story we pick up on in Isaiah is not a continuation of the positive deliverance stories we left with Nehemiah and Esther.  After a sizable measure of wisdom and poetry, we are dumped smack into a serious prediction of destruction.  It was this exact destruction that led to the cries for deliverance in Nehemiah's and Esther’s day. We are going way back in Israel’s history, so we know God doesn’t bluff.

God knows His people need a poetic reminder of His graceful wisdom and melodious majesty before they are bombarded with the hard, sin-revealing truths of the rest of the Old Testament.  The prophetic “party pooper” is Isaiah.  And that is what prophet preaching is: sobriety in the midst of a drunken stupor.  Who welcomes the voice of wisdom and righteousness, saying, “Someone has to pay this tab you guys are running up at the bar!?”  The wine the people drank was worldliness, and Isaiah was one of several men whom the Lord called to collect on the people’s sin debt.

Today’s message from Isaiah is simple: because the Church (Jerusalem) has stumbled, the nation (Judah) is fallen.  And that is about as relevant a message as you can hear in our generation!  Yet, in the midst of judgment, God’s people are still offered a word of encouragement; encouragement for true believers, not false ones.

“Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.” Isaiah 3:10-12 (NKJV)

The Word of God through Isaiah is often misunderstood as preaching on behalf of a God Who cannot be pleased.  That is simply untrue.  Isaiah’s words must not be misconstrued as anything other than God’s grace.  God’s first choice for His people is ALWAYS to plead for their repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)

“The Lord stands up to plead, and stands to judge the people.”  Isaiah 3:13 (NKJV)

God’s grace is worthless unless it offers shelter from a certain impending judgment.

“Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?”  Isaiah 2:22 (ESV)

It is hard to imagine a greater contrast than that between the two pictures portrayed in today’s chapter.  One is of unprecedented blessing, and the other of fearful judgment.  Little wonder that the chapter ends with a plea to give up on man.  It literally means, “Stop trusting in man.”

The verse is worthy of closer examination because it summarizes the burden of the prophet: “Put no more trust in man, WHO HAS ONLY the breath in his nostrils.  Of what account is he?”  

The words "trust" and "of what account" correspond exactly to the words “rejected” and “esteemed” in Isaiah 53.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”  Isaiah 53:3 (ESV)

Israel (not all Jews, but the vast majority) gave up on the very One they should have relied upon: Messiah.  Throughout history, the sinner’s epitaph (Jew or Gentile) is that they trusted in everything (and everyone) except God’s Way.  

Isaiah has depicted the glories and woes that are coming for Israel.  Could the same be predicted for the Church-at-Large today?  That really is the big question, isn’t it?  There are those who will make their way to a celebration in “Zion;” they are the redeemed of the Lord.  But there are others who have rejected Jesus, God’s Messiah (anointed One), to their doom.  Salvation is offered to Jews and Gentiles alike through Messiah Jesus, just as damnation awaits all who reject Him, Jew or Gentile.  The determining factor in salvation (or damnation) has nothing to do with genetics: Who's your daddy?  Rather, salvation is by God’s grace when we faithfully believe on Messiah: Who's your Father?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

The wise will sit up and learn the lesson:

“O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Isaiah 2:5 (ESV)

Are you walking in His Light?  Have you chosen to trust Him Who was rejected by men yet accepted by God?  He Who was of no account to men, yet is esteemed by God, graciously imputes His righteousness into the bankrupt spiritual accounts of all who will receive Him.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Isaiah 1. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“(Shulamite: To the Daughters of Jerusalem) His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases. (A Relative Speaks) Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; there she who bore you brought you forth.” Song of Solomon 8:3-5 (NKJV)

We all have that awkward “relative” who shows up, seemingly out of nowhere, and makes an uninvited statement.  Clark Griswold had cousin Eddie in Christmas Vacation.  Napoleon Dynamite had Uncle Rico.  Today’s chapter ends the Song of Solomon with a powerful statement about the importance of legacy.  And that statement comes out of the blue from a person described simply as “Relative.”  

As the Shulamite is exhorting the daughters of Jerusalem (for the third time) concerning the utmost importance of not stirring-up or awakening love until it pleases, her relative speaks up, “Hey!  I remember the day you were born!  Look at how godly you have grown up and how joyful you are because your relationship with the Lord has remained intact!”  No, the relative does not say it that plainly.  We must recall that the Song of Solomon is poetry, so it compels us to think more abstractly with Scripture, as did the parables Jesus told.  But a major theme of the last chapter underscores the importance of the Shulamite being “sealed” on her heart and arm, a direct Scriptural reference to being governed by God’s Word.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NKJV)

Furthermore, the talk of beautifully adorned walls and towers, matched with the Shulamite’s exhortation/warning to the daughters of Jerusalem (including her own sister), are further indicators that the “love of loves” is not a chance thing; rather, it is the product of discipleship, passed down through the generations.  The Shulamite is acting as a “watchman” for future generations of Israelite girls.

“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 33:7-9 (NKJV)

The ”Love of Loves” is obtainable to ANYONE who will seek the Bible and live it out!

“(The Beloved Speaking)…The fragrance of your breath like apples.  And the roof of your mouth like the best wine.”  (The Shulamite Speaking) “The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently past the lips of sleepers. I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.” Song of Solomon 7:8b-10 (NKJV)

As we are approaching third base, here in chapter 7 of Solomon’s song, before our minds drift toward the next batter (a huge slugger named Isaiah), perhaps, we should pause and recall how this relationship between the Shulamite and her Beloved has grown from dating to marriage.  Because we are almost at the end of this book, and I am over halfway thru yet another decade of marriage, I cannot help but identify (in this passage) with the hope of a strong marriage that lasts a lifetime.  Who, when they stand before the preacher and respond, “For better or worse, richer-or-poorer,” doesn’t assume (or at least hope for) their marriage would be passionately devoted for a lifetime?  Yet so few stand the test of even seven years time. Could it be that these two lovebirds have found the secret?  That their love song could be atop God’s “best of all time” playlist, on eternal repeat as “Song of Songs”?  Well, God does and separated it from the Psalms.

While Song of Solomon is poetic, it is written from the perspective of historical-literal (observation of two actual people).  That is of utmost importance because it tells us that the relationship we read about here is not just theoretical, only replicated in a laboratory under strictly controlled conditions.  No, it is OBTAINABLE for any marriage!  Imagine overhearing an older couple talking to each other in this manner; the "wine" of their love getting better with age.  I want that.  Who doesn’t?  Well, then, go for it!  Marital love is supposed to be a forever thing.  It is only distorted when the world entices us with hollow advertisements promising the thrill of a perverted and unfaithful alternative.  Consider this: What do your kids think about marriage by watching yours?  Obtainable faithful love is available for anyone who wants to receive it and reciprocate.  Of course, it is displayed best by Jesus, our “Bridegroom.”

“This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:32-33 (NKJV)

“(The Daughters of Jerusalem Speaking) Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with you? (The Shulamite Speaking) My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies.” Song of Solomon 6:1-3 (NKJV)

Perhaps, you have heard that love is not jealous.  In fact, the Bible speaks against jealousy and positions it as opposing true love.

“Love is patient, love is kind. love does not envy, is not boastful. Is not conceited, does not act improperly,…” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5a (HCSB)

So, it was confusing to me, as a new believer, young in the faith, when I read how God, Who is love (1 John 4:8), describes Himself as “jealous.”

“You are never to bow down to another god because Yahweh, being jealous by nature, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14 (HCSB)

Obviously, we are talking about two kinds of jealousy.  1 Corinthians 13 speaks of an irrational, unjustifiable jealousy.  There are some men who become enraged if they see their wives talking to other men in a casual social setting.  Such jealousy is crazy because, in life, we interface with people of the opposite sex several times a day and have interactions that have nothing to do with intimacy.  Yet there are some spouses who become anxious and fearful of losing their husband or wife through such arbitrary encounters. This type of jealousy signals deeper emotional problems.

On the other hand, there is a righteous jealousy.  For instance, show me a man who sees his wife in the arms of another man yet is not jealous, and I will show you a man who does not love his wife!  God is justifiably jealous when He sees His “bride” (the Church) cuddling with the idols of this world.

In today’s passage, we get a glimpse of justified jealousy.  The daughters of Jerusalem ask the Shulamite where her beloved has gone.  Note that these are the same “daughters of Jerusalem” whom the Shulamite directs to look upon Solomon as she searches for her beloved (3:10a-11).  Because her love is exclusive, her answer is kind yet firmly direct.  Essentially, “My man is where he needs to be, doing what he needs to be doing.  Oh, and by the way, he is MINE, and I am HIS.”  

I love that sense of ownership.  I have that with my wife, and she has that with me.  That does not make either of us one another’s slave driver.  It simply reinforces the reality that when I am away, I can trust she is true to her marriage vows.  And she knows the same of me.  I also know how the idea that one’s spouse “owns” them is offensive to some Christians.  Perhaps, we should revisit the “bought with a price” ownership/marriage between Jesus and His “bride,” aka us! (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

“I sleep, but my heart is awake; it is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, 'Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is covered with dew, my locks with the drops of the night. I have taken off my robe; how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; how can I defile them?'” Song of Solomon 5:2-3 (NKJV)

Early into chapter 5, we enter another of the Shulamite girl’s dream sequences.  Unlike her dream in chapter 3, this one is anxious and troublesome.  We must remember that Song of Solomon is poetry, yet it is historical-literal, written about two actual people, whom Solomon observed and declared that they had obtained the love of loves, the “Song of Songs.”  This was something he had never experienced even though he had 1000 wives and concubines.  

“But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites - from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” 1 Kings 11:1-6 (NKJV)

It is easy to understand Solomon’s appreciation for a love so pure and undefiled and why he wanted everyone to know about and imitate it. Because of Solomon’s moral downturn, some suggest this book is simply Solomon’s dirty poetry.  Its description of eros love (passionate, physically demonstrative) makes some people uneasy.  In fact, I have purposely not included its graphic elements because I want to remain sensitive to people’s feelings.  But the graphic nature of certain passages in Song of Solomon brings to mind how our culture has distorted eros love.  James MacDonald identifies these distortions as:  1) Eros Prudish: The idea that eros is bad or dirty. Hey, if you’re married and you don’t have the ability to have fun and smile in the bedroom, that’s Victorian.  Somehow eros, as God designed it, has been stolen from you.  2) Eros Prominent: Some folks ONLY think about eros.  Adult bookstores outnumber Mcdonald's restaurants 4/1. Only ¾ of high school students graduate non-virgins. Our culture has become obsessed with sex.  3) Eros Promiscuous: The idea that the thrill of eros can only come from multiple partners 4) Eros Perversion:  What received capital punishment 100 years ago was locked in prison 50 years ago and hidden because it made people sick 25 years ago is paraded, celebrated and government-funded today.

Song of Solomon is in the Bible for a reason, and it is not simply an example of dirty poetry from a perverse mind.  God does not need to reinforce how depraved Solomon was.  But He does want to show us the example of undefiled Biblical eros.

“Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, going down from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep which have come up from the washing, every one of which bears twins, and none is barren among them. Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like a piece of pomegranate. Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an armory, on which hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.” Song of Solomon 4:1-4 (NKJV)

Really? Your hair is like a flock of goats? Your teeth are like shorn sheep after the washing and each one is present with its twin? (Something not everyone in Arkansas can brag about!) Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an armory?  I suppose these were the best pick-up lines of ancient Israel. But did they work? They absolutely worked because chapter 4 is when the talk moves to EROS love: passionate physical expression.

In chapters 1-3, we witness the verbal exchanges of two youngsters in love. But at the beginning of chapter 3, we are confronted with a fairly steamy dream sequence, the middle of which contains this famous exhortation:

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.” Song of Solomon 3:5 (NKJV)

I can’t recall how many times I’ve quoted this passage to my teenage kids! Dream all you want, but God has ordained certain acts for marriage.

So, we have the dream of the Shulamite girl (in chapter 3) searching the city at night.  

It ends with her depiction of Solomon riding atop the shoulders of his throne bearers. His bodyguards are experts at war and armed with their swords because it is night.  In this statement, we cannot ignore the bravery of a girl whose dreams take her in search of her boyfriend in the midst of the most dangerous conditions. By her description of Solomon, his perfumed couch, valiant entourage, and crown, we may be inclined to think her beloved is Solomon himself. But notice the Shulamite summons all the daughters of Jerusalem to go out and see Solomon while she searches for her beloved alone.  She is saying, in essence, “Ladies, King Solomon is gorgeous, rich and powerful…but I am my beloved’s.” (2:16; 6:3)  Her love is EXCLUSIVE with a sense of mutual ownership.  And so is her beloved’s love for her.    

They may have been dating for the first three chapters, but the dream sequence turns physical in chapter 4. A marriage has taken place. The exhortation to not “awaken love before its time” now echoes as, “I am so glad we did not awaken love before its time because this is awesome, to act on our passion without guilt or shame!” Their love is not only awakened, but (as is the case with healthy newlyweds) love has insomnia! Eros takes over. As one pastor put it, “Where in all of literature does one find a text so filled with eros, yet remain so moral?”

“By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. ‘I will rise now,’ I said, ‘and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love.’ I sought him, but I did not find him. The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, ‘Have you seen the one I love?’ Scarcely had I passed by them, when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go, until I had brought him to the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her who conceived me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.” Song of Solomon 3:1-5 (NKJV)

Just to review, Song of Solomon is one of the Bible’s Poetic books, and its purpose is to use creative imagery, picturesque language, subtlety, and repetition to teach wisdom with respect to marriage.  The perspective is historic-literal.  Even though the style is poetry, there is no indicator that Solomon is not writing about two actual people whom Solomon observed and exclaimed, in essence, “That’s it!  Even though I have had 1000 wives and concubines, I have never experienced the kind of love these two have!”

Since the style is poetic and there is no structured timeline, per se, we must glean the micro lessons and put them together to get a vivid picture of what God is trying to communicate in the Song of Songs.  Under the banner that marital love is EXCLUSIVE, we learn that exclusivity involves time (1:4) and that quality time demands not just our presence but also our attention (2:14).  For love to be exclusive, there must be a sense of ownership (2:16), and that is exactly what the apostle Paul exhorts us to grasp with respect to our relationship with Jesus; after all, we are the “Bride of Messiah,” and we are exclusively His. (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

Today, in a dream sequence narrative, we focus on a series of pursuits.  It confirms the legitimacy of female pursuit, at least in an established relationship.  This is quite different from the image we warn our daughters against.  The girl who chases after every cute boy she sees is a sure sign of a poor self-image and signals deeper issues with an unhealthy need for male affirmation.  Again, this is the “Song of Songs” (the love of loves), so this is a proper and real example of the necessity of both the man and woman to affirm that their spouse is worth pursuing.

Let’s be honest.  Those of us who have been married for more than a couple of years have looked at our spouse and wondered what happened to those days of hard pursuit after one another.  Was it just a phase where we wanted each other, obtained one another, and now wonder, “What else…?”  Joyful marriage is not simply a goal or object to be obtained, then brushed aside for the next conquest.  No, it is a choice to wake up every day and communicate to our spouses that we still desire them and that they are still worth pursuing!

We must not awaken love before its time, but we must also never let it fall asleep!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Song of Solomon 2. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.”  Song of Solomon 1:1 (NKJV)

Today, we embark on a journey through the most misunderstood book in the Bible, second only, perhaps, to the Book of Revelation.  Having recently read the Psalms, it is important to note that the Hebrew title of this book is “Song of Songs.”  While there are some amazing psalms in Scripture, the sum of this book constitutes the best of the best.  Consider that title compared to lordship.  While there are many lords (authorities) who deserve our respect, God is the Lord of Lords. There are many kingdoms in the world, but only Jesus is the King of Kings.  Ecclesiastes recognizes the Vanity of Vanities.  Likewise, many places are considered holy in this world, but only the presence of God defines the Holy of Holies. In short, this is the greatest love song ever.  As such, it deserves our close attention.  

Song of Solomon is one of the Bible’s Poetic books (along with Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations) whose collective purpose is to use creative imagery, picturesque language, subtlety, and repetition to teach aspects of wisdom.  Song of Solomon communicates wisdom that, when heeded, ensures joy in marriage.

Contrary to the opinions of a myriad of well-intended authors and theologians, Song of Solomon is not allegory (a story like Pilgrim’s Progress) or typology (speaking of Messiah Jesus and the Church or God and the nation of Israel).  It is not a dramatic instructive reenactment of an ancient process of betrothal or a marriage ceremony.  The Song of Solomon is historical-literal.  It is simply a series of poems expressing the pinnacle of human affection, the pure love of an actual man and woman who are committed for life, as observed by King Solomon.  Solomon was a man who sought hard after true marital love, yet he never personally experienced it.

“But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites - from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.” 1 Kings 11:1-8 (NKJV)

If you want to understand God’s plan for Biblical marriage, don’t follow Solomon’s example; take heed to his observation of these two innocent young lovers.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.  For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NKJV)

When my children were little, my wife and I noticed that we tended to be negative in how we instructed our kids.  That is, when they were being good, we seldom praised them.  But they sure heard when we observed them doing something they should not be doing!  It seemed that “No!” was heard way more often than “Yes!” in our home.  

So, we decided to institute a practice called “caught being good.”  The idea is the opposite of being caught while doing bad things.  Periodically, when we noticed a child sharing, obeying the first time we asked, or talking kindly to a sibling, we would say, “Caught being good!”  And we would reward them, somehow.  We discovered this to be a very positive motivational practice.  It not only rewarded the behavior of one child, but it also encouraged ALL my children.  The hope was that a positive competition for pleasing Mom and Dad would ensue.  Sometimes it did.

There are many people (believers and non-believers) whose opinion of God is very negative.  They do not understand that when the Bible says, “fear God,” it does not mean “be afraid of God.”  Fearing God means to honor and respect Him as He deserves.  Still, people’s negative opinion of Him remains.  

Yes, God is the Law Giver and Judge of all mankind, but He is also more gracious and loving than people give Him credit for.  He holds us accountable yet offers us liberty.  He commands us to discipline ourselves and follow Him, yet He wants a personal relationship with us, to the point where He considers us “sons and daughters,” co-inheritors with Messiah.

Reading the last words of the book of Ecclesiastes, where the Lord brings into judgment every secret thing we have done, the idea of our sin being exposed and announced to all creation causes anxiety for even the most pious believer.  But what about our good works being exposed, those secret God-honoring moments where we have humbly served people without seeking recognition?  Should we not be motivated to be caught being good more than we are ashamed of being caught being bad?  Let’s strive from this point on to live our lives in such a way that God is glorified and Messiah is magnified through our faith, which leads to good works and humbly leads others to follow Him, as well!  Let’s pursue lives worthy of being exposed!

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16 (HCSB)

"Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.  Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity." Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 (NKJV)

I once saw a bumper sticker that read, “Hire a college student while they still know everything.”  As a parent of teenagers and young adults, I resonate with that bumper sticker!  On the one hand, there is something to be admired when young people are filled with optimism and talent and work hard to achieve their goals.  But when youth are endowed with talent, intelligence, opportunity, and grit yet refuse to seek the Lord’s guidance, that is a recipe for a major downfall.  And that is exactly Solomon’s observation.

Notice how he says nothing about youth seeking the Lord.  Rather, he describes youth who walk in the ways of their heart.  That sounds so positive.  But consider what the Lord says about the unredeemed heart:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?  I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NKJV)

Or what about those youth who walk in the sight of their own eyes, as opposed to being led by the Spirit.  Sounds romantic, right?  But we are commanded to walk by the Spirit’s leading as we place our faith in God’s Word, not by formulating our own life’s plan based on the world as we observe it.  Walking by faith and not sight is especially compelling because there is a judgment forthcoming.  We will all be held accountable for how we spent our time on earth and to what extent we invested the spiritual gifts He has entrusted to us.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:7-10 (NKJV)

Solomon’s message is very clear: It is time to grow up, time to put away childishness, which is evil and vain for adults to pursue.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child;  but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (NKJV)

“Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor: so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.”  Ecclesiastes 10:1 (NKJV)

Over the course of my music career, my band Big Tent Revival was nominated for 5 GRAMMY awards.   Of course, each time we were nominated, we dressed up and took our wives to the awards show.  One particular year, the host was comedian Rosie O’Donnell.  These days, Rosie’s name has become synonymous with bitterness and left-wing political views.  But in the mid 90’s, she was well-loved and respected by almost everyone.  She was the voice of one of the characters in the children’s movie “The Lion King” and hosted the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards.  

So, there we were at the Grammys, laughing at Rosie’s good-natured banter and ribbing of the stars when it came time for the first commercial break.  The moment we went to commercial, Rosie let loose (to the audience which contained many children) one of the foulest jokes I have ever heard.  It was so foul that it got only nervous laughter from the mostly secular music crowd.  Then she told another foul joke, and so it went for the rest of the night.  The cameras came on, and she was the clean funny Rosie the world expected, but when the cameras were off, she was a completely different person.  It was years before the rest of the nation would learn of her duplicity, but it was apparent to all who were in attendance that the woman was not consistent with her image.  It was sad because she was so well-loved for her public persona, yet her lack of character eventually shipwrecked her career.

Solomon was talking about a similar phenomenon as the one I experienced with Rosie, a woman whose “perfume” of honor and wisdom was fouled by the “fly” of her lack of scruples.  Perhaps, Solomon was even referencing his own father, King David, who (at the pinnacle of his God-ordained rule, an anointed “man after God’s own heart”) killed a close friend (Uriah) in order to sleep with his wife.  Of course, that woman was Solomon’s own mother.

But what of us?  It takes a lifetime to build a reputation of wisdom and honor.  In order to gain people’s trust, we must display character over long periods of time.  But in a Twitter rant, a viral YouTube video, a forwarded email, or a Facebook post, that good reputation can come crashing down.  Fools let their emotions and feelings override their better judgment.  Bad decisions during a momentary override of the Spirit’s prompting can have devastating results.  Let us heed Solomon’s exhortation and be anxious for nothing, but in all things, through prayer and supplication, we should make our petitions known, seeking to be led by the Spirit and maintaining a reputation of character, as opposed to building a reputation for being a character.  In this manner, we will protect ourselves against forfeiting the respect and honor due the Lord by those who bear His Name.

“Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: the righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands.  People don’t know whether to expect love or hate.  Everything lies ahead of them.  Everything is the same for everyone: there is one fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice.  As it is for the good, so it is for sinner; as for the one who takes an oath, so for the one who fears an oath.  This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone.  In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live – after that, they go to the dead.” Ecclesiastes 9:1-3 (HCSB)

On a fly-over, today’s passage may seem depressing.  Solomon tells us that all people can expect the same end: death.  Whether you live righteously or wickedly, everyone will die.  Job professed it poetically and with blunt acceptance:

“And He said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there.  The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’” Job 1:21 (NKJV)

But where both Job and Solomon stopped short was that they omitted the obvious follow-up question: And then what?  Sure, we all die, but what happens after we die?  The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews gives the answer.

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…” Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)

So, there is life after life.  Death is not the end; it's just the end of our lives on Earth.  And, while our righteousness in this life (even righteousness through Jesus) does not necessarily save us from experiencing physical death, it does ensure the believer can stand before the Lord, justified, on the Day He passes judgment.  In simple terms, Heaven awaits those who can pass that judgment.  And what happens to those whom the judgment of God finds guilty?  The essence of “judgment” is that those who do not meet a legal standard must suffer the penalty of falling short of the law.

The point Solomon is making in today’s passage is that all the stuff we may acquire in this world is meaningless, given that nobody can take it with them to the grave.  You may have been successful in business or education in this world, but how will that help you escape the judgment of God?  For the unbeliever, this world is as close to Heaven as they will ever come, so I understand why they would try and get all they can now.  But for the believer, this world is as close to Hell as they ever have to get. And that reality allows us to live joyfully, which may contradict our circumstances.

“Listen, my beloved brethren: has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” James 2:5 (NKJV)

“Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.” Ecclesiastes 8:10-13 (NKJV)

Late Winter/early Spring of 2011, I had just arrived in Israel when news broke that the citizens of Egypt were rioting in Cairo.  By the time I left Israel, Egypt’s leader Hosni Mubarak had been deposed, and a defacto government run by the Muslim Brotherhood was forming.  But it did not stop there.  In what would later be called “Arab Spring” (the period of time between late 2011-2014), the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen were ousted.  Syria and Bahrain went into civil turmoil, the governments of Kuwait, Lebanon, and Oman changed, and Morocco and Jordan implemented constitutional reforms.  Judgment day had come for Middle Eastern dictators! One of the things that puzzled Western political analysts for decades was how the people tolerated totalitarian authority for so long!  Was there truly a God who judges sin?  And if so, why did He wait so long?

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

Yes, God is gracious and merciful, but there is a time appointed when His Justice must eclipse Grace and Mercy, or else He is not holy.

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV)

Will men and women heed the warnings of the Bible?  Only time will tell. But, sadly, many will be wooed into believing they have more time to repent, only to be caught off guard by events that have been predicted for thousands of years.  Not just non-believers but church attenders as well.  Surrender to Jesus while there is still time!  

“As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. And when this comes to pass - surely it will come - then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 33:30-33 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Ecclesiastes 7. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it.  This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.” Ecclesiastes 6:1-2 (NKJV)

When I was a boy, my friend's father owned a restaurant across town.  They happened to also be our next-door neighbors.  I had always wanted to eat at their restaurant, but my folks would never take me.  Well, one summer, when I was eight years old (4th of July weekend, to be exact), my friend’s family invited me to eat with them at their establishment.  When I asked my mom and dad, they said, “No.”  I was so mad!  So, I walked next door, told my friend’s father that my folks said, “Yes,” got into their car, sunk down in my seat, out of view, and drove away with them.  Furthermore, I took my birthday money ($20) with the intent of spending it all at the “buy one, get one free” fireworks stand my friend’s dad said they were going to visit.

Let’s just say the whole trip took longer than I had hoped. It was way past dinnertime when I arrived back home, full of good food and holding a grocery sack full of fireworks.  That is when I found out that my parents had called the police, and the whole neighborhood was searching for “the lost Wiggins boy.”  It was also when I found out that the Shreveport Louisiana Sheriff’s Department recommends that parents whip their children with leather belts in such circumstances. At least they did back then.  But the worst part was when my parents made me watch as my brother and sister were allowed to shoot off all my fireworks.  Very slowly and sadistically.

So, believe me when I tell you that I internalize today’s passage deeply.  I did not feel my parents were being fair by letting my siblings enjoy the instruments of my wealth.  Sometimes, we feel the same about God.  We work hard, only to see someone else enjoy the fruits of our labor.  We cry out, “God is not fair!”  But the reality is that God is not “fair.”  He is “just.”  Fairness implies that everyone should get the same amount, the same income, the same house, the same health, etc.  Justice promises that everyone will ultimately be weighed according to the same standard: God’s Word.

Personally, I am glad that God is not fair because that would mean that everyone would have to stand under the full force of His judgment, which brings up another attribute of God’s character: His gracious and merciful Love.

In terms of what we deserve for our labors, the Bible tells us that the “wages of sin is death.”  But because God is loving and not willing that anyone would perish, He poured out His judgment upon Jesus on the Roman cross.  Jesus paid a debt He did not owe in order to pay a debt we could not afford so that we could stand before God, justified.

Another concept that is misunderstood in our culture is that of wealth and peace.  Our culture says that if a man works hard and obtains wealth, wealth will bring him peace.  But what profits a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? (Mark 8:36)

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.  Better to draw near in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they ignorantly do wrong.  Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God.  God is in Heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.  For dreams result from much work and a fool’s voice from many words.”  Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 (HCSB)

Years ago, when I was in college, I used to work summers at the Whirlpool refrigerator plant.  It was a great experience, paid well, and made me glad to return to school in the fall!  One phenomenon that occurs to assembly line workers is that when they go to sleep at night, they dream of working on the assembly line…and their dreams are usually focused on a scenario where they can’t keep up with the pace of the conveyor belt.  It’s kind of depressing to work all day and dream about work all night.  But as I said, it's a shared dream.  So common that the Bible mentions it in today’s passage: Dreams result from much work.

Today’s passage also tells us that a fool’s voice results from many words.  I am a professional singer, so I am always happy to hear when a young singer has spent time practicing and finally finds their voice.  Nobody is happy when a fool finds his voice.  Have you ever been around a person who never stops talking?  Anyone can be chatty on any particular day, but there are some people who never stop!  Personally, I try and avoid such people, not because I don’t want to carry on a conversation with them, but because I CAN’T carry on a conversation with them.  I can’t get in a word edgewise.  The Bible calls such endless speech “foolish.”

It is even more foolish when we approach the Lord with such speech.  I am not saying we should not petition the Lord; we should do so often.  I’m simply relaying God’s Word to you.  A recent UCLA Study focusing on the rise of spirituality on college campuses discovered that only 13% of college students sought “spirituality” to learn what God required of them.  The vast majority only sought “spirituality” for what God could do for them.  Going before the Lord with a list of demands and accusations is equivalent to being “hasty to speak” and “impulsive to make a speech before God.”

Yes, the Lord wants us to petition and beseech Him, but we must always keep in mind the reality of our relationship with Him.  He is God in Heaven, and we are His creatures on earth.  From this perspective, we are more likely to guard our steps and draw near to Him in reverent obedience.   Obedience to what?  To His revealed Word, the Bible.  

It is through God’s Word that we know Who He is and where we fit into the whole equation.  It is through God’s Word that we learn what He requires of us and how to approach Him.  And it is knowledge of God’s Word that quiets the heart and stills the tongue, for we babble, mostly, out of ignorance and anxiety.  It is God’s Word that transforms fools into followers.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls.  For he has no one to lift him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;  But how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NKJV)

I used to work on the staff of a fairly large church in Southern California.  The church was located in an area of So-Cal called "The Inland Empire” (aka The IE).   Forty minutes inland from Newport Beach and forty minutes from Palm Springs, the Inland Empire is a "settling" place.  If you’re tired of the high premium lifestyle of Orange County, but you’re not ready to retire in the desert, you’re probably looking for a more affordable way of life in-between.   That’s the IE.

For some reason, the IE is also a haven for homeless people.  Almost every major street intersection hosts someone holding a sign, begging.  Along many sidewalks, it is common to see a person pushing a shopping cart chocked full of their life’s possessions.  

One afternoon, I was on my way to lunch with one of our church’s pastors when he remarked that he used to be homeless.  I’d never had a conversation with a former homeless person.  So, I asked him two questions: 1) How did you become homeless? And 2) How did you get free from what seems to be an irreversible downturn?

His answer to the first question was simple.  “I became homeless because I burned all my relationships.”  He said that it all began by living selfishly and unaccountably.  Once he burned through all his close personal relationships, he was only left with convenient “party” relationships.  Eventually, his unaccountable lifestyle led to the loss of his job.  No money meant the loss of his party friends.  Then he turned to desperate means of hustling for money in parking lots and theft to survive.  He lived in his car.  Then, the car broke down.  One day, he returned from begging to find his “home” (car) had been towed.  Homeless.

So, how did he journey back to the point where he was a pastor on a major church staff?  Someone shared the gospel with him.  And from rock bottom, he entered into a personal relationship with Messiah Jesus.  He began reading the Bible and praying.  He became accountable to the Lord for his thoughts and actions.  That led to new personal relationships with other believers, a roommate, and eventually a job, car, wife, and kids.

We don’t have to be without a house to be homeless.  Many people are spiritually and emotionally “homeless.”  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Followers of Jesus always have a family to love them and a home awaiting them. (John 14:2-3)