Ethiopia Update 3

Thank you, all, for your prayer and financial support, both initially and while I'm gone March 12-23. 

Last night, our team met with our missions mobilizers at church to brief them on our activities in-country and for prayer. We're also viewing and writing on the Chalmers "When Helping Hurts" videos over the next few days. *If you haven't seen these, I highly recommend them — have your kids join you — to learn more about helping in positive ways. Go to https://chalmers.org/resources/the-small-group-experience/

to view these short 15-minute videos.

Our main mission in Ethiopia is to provide theological education to pastors and church leaders in Ethiopia through intensive study of the Bible together. We'll be teaching how to read the Bible for all it's worth so that, when the class is over, pastors and church leaders can return to their communities with new appreciation for God's word.

More to come — stay tuned!

Live adventurously & stay salty.

Doxology in Romans 11

Romans 11:33-36  (ESV)

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁴ “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵ “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

These last four verses of Romans 11 are a doxology that wraps up Romans 9–11, an entire section where Paul writes about the mercy and grace of God and his deep (if not aching) desire for those of Jewish heritage to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

There is a lot to consider in these chapters, but in these last few verses we can catch a glimpse of the wonder Paul has for God’s grace.

First, Paul starts with “Oh!” He proclaims his awe, his wonder of God. His deep regard for God is palpable as he considers what God’s riches are— his kindness in the blessing he brings on undeserving sinners, both Jew and Gentile alike. Oh! The DEPTH!

Then he exclaims, “How” as in “O! Oh! How…!” HOW unsearchable his judgment and incomprehensible his ways!

Next Paul throws in some Deuteronomy 29 and Isaiah 40 just to add DEPTH: Who has known the mind of the Lord or been his counselor? It is the Lord who is the counselor (Think Handel’s Messiah: Wonderful! Counselor!). Who is man to counsel God? WHAT IS THE ANSWER? NO ONE! The Lord’s mind is his and what he shares of it with us is up to him.

He asks another rhetorical question: Who has given to HIM? All that we have we have received from God’s goodness, from our consciousness to our heartbeat to our breathing to our sight, hearing, ability to think, etc. Again the answer is no one!

Paul finishes, FROM, THROUGH, and TO HIM are all things. God is the SOURCE (from), the sustainer (through), and GOAL (to) of all things.

Finally, WHY is Paul saying these things? He’s drawing attention to the purpose: To HIM (God) be the glory — God gets it all — TO THE AGES for all eternity.

Now, why is this all important? I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to get distracted with busyness. Deadlines, work, dealing with customer service, flat tires, interruptions, and the like. But it’s absolutely VITAL that we slow down and worship and appreciate who God is. He is incomparable. He is wise and rich beyond our comprehension. He is worthy of our “OH’s!” and “HOW’s!” He is the only one worthy of our worship. We can’t give him anything he hasn’t given to us first and it is impossible to repay him. We cannot tell him what he needs to know, but we can go to him in prayer. AND we must absolutely rely on His grace and mercy to be saved. All things are for his glory— absolutely everything.

During our devotional time, let’s pause and think about the depths of who God is and stand in awe and amazement!

Ethiopia Update 1

I've had time now to reflect on the fact that NEXT MONTH I'll be half-way around the world, serving and caring for others. HUGE thanks to those of you who have covered the cost of the trip — and then some! — and for those who have agreed to pray for me and our team. You are all going along and I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders to do well. At the same time, we know that we don't bear this alone; that we have a Helper.

Would you consider praying the prayers of Paul for me while you fast? 

Prayer and fasting are useful means of grace to prepare spiritually. This should be a regular part of our Christian lives -- how much more when we go overseas as Christian missionaries called to build up Christ's church!  


In Jesus' sermon in Matthew, he assumes we are regularly praying (Matt. 6:5; 7) and fasting (6:16) for God to supply our needs and to give us fatherly rewards. 

"..pray for us that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ ... that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak" (Col. 4:3-4). 

"... [pray] for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak" (Eph. 6:19-20). 

Until next time, live adventurously and stay salty!
JH