The Sawtooth Range

Here's the Sawtooth Range, a Sub-Range of the Rockies, as photographed from the town of Stanley, Idaho:

Journey: Revelation

Journey's back!!! Steve Perry is still out, but they have this crazy fillipino lead singer that sounds almost identical to Perry. Sometimes i think i should have been born in the 70's so i could have fully enjoyed the classic 80's music. Journey's new cd "Revelation" is definitely worth owning...and they are also on tour...so maybe even see them live. Journey rocks...i'm a 80's retro nerd...i know...

A Foretaste of Labor Day 2008: Eagle Cap Wilderness

Jim, Joelle, Kim and I will be travelling, Lord willing, to the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Northeast Oregon for a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip through the lake basin area at the base of Eagle Cap Peak. It should prove to be gorgeous and filled with wonderful fellowship as we seek to lift one another up and express our exclamations of God's beauty. Here's a couple of images for the idea for the Labor Day trip.

The Lord's Graciousness

The Lord has been very gracious to Kim and I. He has called us to himself through his precious son's blood and reached out to us in relationship. He has let us in to His intimate friendship. He has also provided Kim and I both with wonderful jobs here in Boise where He has led us. If you had told me even a year ago that i would be living in Boise, i wouldn't have believed you. But God, in his divine wisdom, has called and placed Kim and i here in the treasure valley. So far we love the town, we love the sun, and we are growing to love new friends. We miss our friends that we left, but know that we will reunite again.

Kim's studies have come to fruition with her vocation now at Hummel Architecture in the north end of Boise. She began yesterday and i can see the light of her calling ignite her inside and out. I'm so blessed that God has chosen to gift my wife with a love for architecture and a firm to work out the gift. She makes me so proud and i'm excited that God has found it fitting that she might be an architect. She impresses me with her architectural ability. Throughout the application process, Kim and i were tried while seeking a position for her. God stretched us and again taught us patience. There are certain moments in life when we are most palpable and soft-hearted for our Lord. Seeking a calling and job is one of those moments. God taught us yet again to trust in Him, to find our strength in Him and to know that his divine plan is greater than any of our fleeting desires. May we remember this and may it root in the center of our being!

The Lord has also led me to a position as a youth pastor here at Trinity Presbyterian Church. My high school dream and aspiration to be a "youth pastor" has come true! I wonder how many times i might have prayed in senior high that God might lead me to a path that he could shape and wield me as a pastor for his students. Kim and i love the church and we love the congregation. Over the past week we have really begun to cultivate the youth program with our summer events. We will be floating the Boise river this afternoon and building relationships in fellowship with one another. God has put a calling on my life as a leader. May i remember that i can never be the leader he has called me to be without placing all my trust, my faith, my being in Christ's work on the cross. May my imperfection be perfected by Christ's blood.

Prayer would be appreciated for both Kim and i as we cultivate our life and grow our roots deep here in Boise. In the prayer of John Calvin:

"Grant, Almighty God, that as our sins cry continually to heaven, each of us may turn to repentance, and by condemning ourselves of our own accord may anticipate thy judgment, and thus stir up ourselves to repentance, that being received into favour, we may find thee, whom we have provoked to take vengeance, to be indeed our Father: and may we be so preserved by thee in this world, that having at length put off all our vices, we may attain to that perfection of purity, to which thou invitest us: and thus lead us more and more to thyself by thy Spirit, and separate us from the corruptions of this world, that we may glorify thee before men, and be at last made partakers of that celestial glory which has been purchased for us by the blood of thy only begotten Son. Amen."

Family Camp-The Sawtooths to the White Cloud Mountains

Kim and i spent this last weekend in one of the most beautiful portions of the world, the heart of Idaho, the Sawtooth Mountain Range and the Southern portion of the White Cloud Mountains. We left friday morning on one of the bluest days i have ever seen, and traveled the two and half hours to the Sawtooth Wilderness area. The drive was harrowing at portions with hairpin turns over 7,000' where going any faster than 25mph would have most certainly landed us in the ravine below. Every mile of the drive i could feel the strings of memory from my last trip to the Sawtooths with Jim Czirr come rushing back. From one hill to the other the Sawtooths became more and more visible, tearing up even at one point from the glory of God displayed in his rugged mountains. Mountains were no doubt created to lift our eyes from our earthly estate, to that greater life upwards. Kim agreed that my love for the Sawtooths was not overplayed, but that she was equally impressed with the splendor and beauty of the mountain range.

Before lunch we arrived at the trailhead for Elk Meadow. The wildflowers were in bloom and the air was crisp. It was a perfect weekend, with temperature in the 70s, and blue skies for as far as the eyes could see. Our hike traveled along Elk Creek and through meadows until we reached Elk Meadow, the largest meadow in the Sawtooth range measuring in at about 2.5 miles from one end to the other. It was quite a spectacle to behold framed by the mountains all around. It was early so much of the meadow was completely covered in water. Nonetheless our 5.5 mile hike into the Sawtooths proved to be the beauty and enjoyment we were looking for. As we were having lunch we saw an elk emerge to snack on wildflowers, as well as a few cranes and blue herrons.

We then traveled through south, stopping at every lake in the Sawtooth range that you could reach by car to take in the majesty of God's creation. We spent the next two days at Camp Sawtooth, just north of Sun Valley, at our church's family camp. It was a wonderful time getting to know other families in the church and spending some wonderful time learning about "life together," the theme for the weekend which has it's roots in Bonhoeffer's novel.

On Saturday we went for a hike up a river with two others from the church. It was a different kind of beauty, set in the southern portion of the White Cloud range. River hikes seem to always be so soothing. They continually draw your eyes forward along the river upwards.

We spent Sunday walking around Sun Valley and eventually mosied our way home to Boise where we fell asleep exhausted. Thank you Lord!

Habakkuk's Perception of God's Sovereignty

We have walked through chapter 2 verse 1, regarding the ‘watchpost’ and ‘tower’ in which Habakkuk metaphorically describes himself ascending to heights of wisdom and recess found only in the Lord and his word, ascending far from earthly reason and wisdom. Habakkuk then, from his watchtower, said he was to ‘look out to see what [God] will say to me…concerning [his] complaint.’ It is thus no coincidence that the Lord answers Habakkuk with truth and power since he had recessed himself into faithfulness and constant aversion of his eyes to be fixed upwards, looking out from his tower. God answers us when we are listening, when we are watching, not when we are plowing through our daily tasks standing on our own wisdom and reason. If we are the Lord’s, then our ways are to be like the Lord’s.

“And the Lord answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.’” 2:2-3

God answers Habakkuk. He asks him to write the vision with which we find in chapter 1 on tablets, making it plain to see, with large letters if you will so that he who ‘runs’ by, or he who is engaged in conversation walking by, or he who is weak of sight might be able to discern the words on the tablet. For these words are a proclamation to all the people, not simply Habakkuk.

God then states the most profound part of his answer, ‘for still the vision awaits its appointed time.’ Did not God answer Habakkuk in chapter one with the same answer? “Look among the nations and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” Where Habakkuk wants God’s vision to be fulfilled, we are reminded that God’s ways are not our ways. For God has a preordained time with which his vision will come to fulfillment. He says that the coming of the vision “will not lie” or in Calvin’s words, “will not fail.” We can be assured that God has a plan and he will bring it about in his time. We must however draw far from any doubt that he will fulfill his promises to us…for his promises ‘will not fail’ but will be brought to fulfillment in the Lord’s time. God then speaks to the hearts of men, ‘if it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.’ How often are we downcast and downtrodden when we pray to our Lord and savior and find no answer. How often do we beat our fists and say, ‘why don’t you answer our prayer now when it’s most important to me?’ But God, speaking to men, tells us to be patient and wait for it to come, for it surely will. Calvin says it well:

“Though the Lord protracts time, and though day after day we seem to live on vain promises, yet let God speak, that is, let him have this honour from you, and be ye persuaded that he is true, that he cannot disappoint you; and in the meantime wait for his power; wait, so that ye may yet remain quiet, resting on his word, and let all your thoughts be confined within this stronghold—that it is enough that god has spoken.” (Commentary on Habakkuk, 2:2-3)

God teaches us patience on His own terms. God’s ways are not our ways and His ordainment of history and when things come to fulfillment do not happen the way we want them to. How glorious that our ways and plans are not God’s! This world would be ten times more terrifying if men, full of weakness and selfish ambition, were in charge of their own history and destiny! God is sovereign, he is just, he is our creator and therefore knows what is best for each of us. So when the Lord seems far away, when his answers for our unanswered prayers are far away, remember that He alone is God and He alone knows the true course of action for our lives. May we wait patiently, expectantly looking from our tower on high with our eyes fixed forever upward on our Lord’s truth and scripture, knowing that ‘it will not fail’ but will be brought to fulfillment in the Lord’s due time. God is sovereign, he is in charge. Thank God we are not. May we stand firm in faith, holding on in prayer, trusting our Lord as our savior and our redeemer.

Habakkuk's Patience

We can find wisdom through Habakkuk’s posture and words to his Lord most high:

“I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint” (Habakuk 2:1)

We came to the conclusion that Habakkuk was referring to stepping out of worldly wisdom and worldly reason when he refers to the watch tower. For God calls us to look at our life with truth and wisdom, not with our reason as the primary director of our life. Even though God has justified us in his son, all of us including our reason, we are still fallen and have to make the daily decision to follow our Lord and Savior. Our nature doesn’t innately do what is right. Through Christ however we can see truth and see the right in our decisions, but it doesn’t mean we will always make the right one. In fact as Christians any decision made apart from seeking the truth in our Lord first is sin, for whatever does not proceed from faith and a firm trust in our Lord is sin. So we must seek truth and direction as the Lord would have it, by knowing Him deeply and having his Word always on our tongue.

In light of finding our direction and guidance for everything rooted in our relationship with our Lord, Habakkuk, after retreating from his own wisdom and reason to the tower, then calls us to “look out to see what he will say to me.” How weird? Do our eyes have anything to do with our ears? For Habakkuk uses the word ‘look’ to refer to hearing what the Lord will ‘say’ to him! Our eyes would not hear what the Lord would say to us. But our eyes are metaphorically used for that which we have fixed our gaze upon. Habakkuk has his gaze firmly set upon a fervent expectation of hearing the Lord answer him. He I sitting upon his tower, forsaking his own wisdom, and fixating his whole being upon the Lord’s answer. Habakkuk teaches us that patience and trust that God will answer is a must for anyone seeking a firm relationship with God. He shows us that we must be watching, eyes firmly gazing upon him, for what he might tell us, by whatever medium that might be.

Habakkuk has a true relationship with God. He watches to see what the lord will reveal to him in order that he might also ‘answer’ concerning his complaint. When we meet with someone for coffee we both talk and listen. Habakkuk teaches us that it is good to communicate with God! We must be listening for his direction by means of fixating our entire being upon him, for where our eyes are fixated our body follows. For we walk where our eyes gaze. But we also seek our part in his answer. We must communicate with our Lord. What a man of prayer Habakkuk must have been. Let us take the call to wait expectantly for a word from the Lord, and the wisdom to respond to our God with a grateful heart, whatever he might be telling us. Watch and Listen for our God communicates to us every day!

Habakkuk's Trust

We see most clearly that Habakkuk complains to the God most high in two different sections in chapter 1. His first complaint centers around the evil he sees in the world. All iniquity, pain and sorrow. He asks why? And how long? His Lord answers him that He is a just God, raising forth the Chaldeans to bring justice to the slothful of Israel. Habakkuk then responds in a different tone, accepting the Lord’s ordained judgment, but still wonders how long God must “mercilessly kill [the] nations forever?”

Habakkuk then speaks these words in midst of his complaints:

“I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint” (2:1)

In the midst of all of Habakkuk’s groans and complaints toward his God, he finds the strength to pull back and wait attentively for the Lord’s answer. At the end of the complaint Habakkuk in turn responds not my will be done, but “thy will be done.” This tower and watch post are not literal, but a metaphor that separates Habakkuk from his own worldly wisdom, his innate reason if you will. The tower is in fact the place where Habakkuk pulls back from his own reason, and relies solely on the Lord’s guidance. Is not a watch post or tower a place above all else? A place where one can look out from a profoundly different angle and see things in a new light? When one hikes from the lowest of valley’s to the highest of mountains, does not his view of the landscape and world change? He goes from thick forests that block his vision to a peak where limitless view encompasses him on all sides and the forest in which he was once in becomes but a green blanket on the footstool of the mountain.

Habakkuk acknowledges by “station[ing] himself on the tower” he is acknowledging that his ways are not God’s ways, that God is doing a work in his days that he “would not believe if told.” So he removes himself from the wisdom of the world, from his reason that is so utterly fallen and captive to satan’s fleeting enticements, and sets himself on high, seeking truth from his Lord and God, seeing that his reason may not be his own, but that it may be that of the “everlasting…[his] Holy One.” Where is this reason of God’s found? Why in his scripture, his written Word that Habakkuk would have possessed.

For it is when we seek God’s truth and God’s reason that we see clearly and the veil of fog from our miry nature is lifted. Is not Christ the Word of God from which this blanket of iniquity is raised from us and torn asunder? Indeed the cloth in the Holy of Holies was torn in two with what Christ accomplished upon the cross. Christ is our Word, our truth bringer. The Lord’s scripture is testament to the work of His hands, both to the bringing of His son in glory and to the life we are called to live in the wake of his death and resurrection. Our wisdom is not our own, nor should it be. If we are son’s and daughters of the Lord most high, we must fixate ourselves upon his holy writ with which all confidence and wisdom derive. Set your eyes upon the words our Lord has uttered and ordained for us to hear! We must recess to our tower and seek the Lord’s wisdom over our own fallen minds. For we can will only evil and sloth apart from our Lord. Let us take our stand at our watch post and see this world from the eyes that God has commanded us to look upon it with, eyes of truth.

Habakkuk's Cry

Habakkuk:
“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted”

I can’t help but realize this verse is as relevant today as it was in Habakkuk’s day, if not more relevant. He speaks of pain, sorrow and strife befalling himself and those around him. He speaks of the righteous being surrounded by the wicked. He sees violence and destruction take hold of the earth and cries to the Lord, seeking help and justice, but hears nothing. Have not our own brethren today experienced the same pain and sorrow? A man puts his trust in a brother only to be betrayed and turned upon. A righteous man is slandered by the masses for calling people to a true faith. Husbands and wives of the victims of 9/11 cry “why” and beat their fists in the ground. The country gasps as hurricane Katrina moves swiftly through New Orleans. For the evil we experience today is no less than the evil Habakkuk experienced.

Is this not the Problem of Evil at it’s core? From our lowly view we see injustice, iniquity, pain, wrongdoing and violence and ask God why He is not there, why He isn’t doing anything. If God is all powerful, all knowing and Just, why is their so much pain in the world. Why is evil permitted and even ordained?

The Lord:
“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told”

The Lord gives Habakkuk three commands: Look, wonder and be astounded. These don’t seem like the adjectives that would come naturally for all the evil and hurt we experience in this world. God’s command seems so against our nature. But what if the Lord really is doing a work that we “would not believe if told?” He must, for our God is a righteous God, full of justice and mercy and would not allow or even permit evil without a purpose. Do we know what that purpose is? Some might argue an answer but I believe the Lord’s response to Habakkuk is a call for us to realize that God’s ways are not our own. God see’s time eternal. The way we reason the Problem of Evil in our lives is not the way our Lord sees evil. How can we call foul on God? How can we say to God that we cry out “and He will not hear?” We can’t. For we do not know that God is near. That he hears our every word. That he is a compassionate God full of love and mercy. How often do we cry to God and limit his response by simply thinking He will only respond in one way. We harden our hearts when we limit God’s freedom of expression in His response! May our hearts be soft and palpable, open to any direction of the Lord!

God calls us to look. To have our eyes wide open. Not to shield ourselves from the evil of this world, but to truly see it as it is, an indescribable evil that is against the very nature of God Himself. He calls us to wonder. To marvel at who He is and at what He is doing. He calls us to be astounded. To step back staggering from his goodness and to know that His ways are so completely incomprehensible to us that we will never understand in this life. The Lord wants our reaction to Him to be full of passion and to know that He is just, that evil doesn’t slip by Him, He sees all. So may we have our eyes open and may we marvel at our God, trusting that He knows best for us and this world. For our God is good, just and righteous and loves us dearly.