In Spite Of ...

 

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

—Habakkuk 3:17-18 (emphasis added)

Faith is belief in spite of—the contradiction of sight and reason. In the Gallery of the Faithful, recorded in Hebrews 11, we read of many courageous, Spirit-filled saints, who lived out faith in spite of. A hymn reflects this sentiment: ¹

Faith of our fathers, living still,
in spite of dungeon, fire and sword.

Faith like this does not come to those who “dabble” in Christian belief. That is, those who call themselves “Christian,” or “Christ’s-ones,” but rarely work it out in powerful prayer, or by courageous action. Instead, God calls to trust Him those who will devote themselves to faithful discipleship and who will acknowledge His all-powerful hand, which He can use in response to His people’s faith. Puritan writer, Thomas Manton, states: ²

We give up the visible for invisible rewards. We do not look at the things that are seen, but unseen … Faith provides invisible supplies to endure visible dangers … Sense judges only the outside of God’s dispensations, but faith looks within the veil.

Even if everything for which we pray does not come to pass in exactly the way we hope, the truly faithful look for God’s hand and trust His ultimate wisdom in every situation. Psalm 23:4 reminds us:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

God still works miracles. We may see His power in miraculous reversals of circumstances and health. But, when we trust Him in those in spite of times, He gives miraculous grace to sustain us, to give us peace, to give us courage, to give us joy, and to give us a grateful spirit. His grace allows us to see His hand above all the circumstances. Hymn writer William Cowper wrote the following: ³

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
and rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
but trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
and scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
and He will make it plain.

God reserves His awesome power and grace for those who place their faith in Him, who pray, and then, who leave the working out of all things to Him. As we walk our walks of faith, let us determine to rely on God’s power, in spite of.

______________________

1 Faber, Frederick. “Faith of Our Fathers!” Public Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of anyone claiming Copyright protection of this material, citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

2 Manton, Thomas. In Richard Rushing (Ed.) Puritan Sermons in Voices from the Past. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 59.

3 Cowper, William. “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” Public Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of anyone claiming Copyright protection of this material, citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

Please note: In all cases, any citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder, if any.

 

 

Flying Debris

 

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

—Mark 4:41

Many of us watched the movie Twister that came out in 1996. Remember the flying cow? The story made for good entertainment. But, it also showed the deadly nature of the damage that flying debris from such a storm can cause. People in this movie became fascinated with tornadoes and that fascination continues in real life today. I even found a website devoted to facts about such storms. Did you know that every tornado has its own color, sound, and shape?

In 1931, a tornado in Mississippi lifted an 83 ton train and tossed it 80 feet from the track. And, speaking of flying debris, a tornado destroyed a motel in Oklahoma and people later found the motel’s sign in Arkansas!

Sometimes life can feel like a tornado. We can feel that we are caught in the path of “flying objects” that threaten to kill or maim us, and threaten to change forever the way of life we’ve known. Often, in such a “storm,” we don’t know where to run or hide. Nothing makes sense. And, even the familiar landmarks we had always used to guide our way seem to have disappeared.

The story of Jesus calming the storm, found in Matthew 8:23-27, tells us that the storm came “without warning.” Meteorologists struggle to predict tornadoes and other such deadly storms. These storms appear suddenly with little time to warn people in their path.

So, what does Scripture tell us about surviving storms, whether we get hit with flying debris or not? Jesus rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith. He wants us to trust Him and remain at peace—hardly an easy task when we see the terrifying objects swirling around us.

In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus told His disciples:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Notice Jesus insists that in order to stay standing when “the winds blow and beat against the house,” we need to build a strong foundation of hearing God’s written Word and obeying it.

I like the story of Elijah who had fled to Horeb. He was fleeing a “storm” in his own life. But, the Lord had an even bigger lesson for this prophet. In 1 Kings 19:11-12 we read:

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [that is: a still, small voice].

Sometimes it seems that storms come one on top of the other. And, we cannot get our bearings, even enough to hear what God says to us. But, we can be assured that He will stay with us in the boat. He does cover us in the wind and in the earthquake and in the fire. Eventually, we will hear His voice speaking peace to us: “Everything is under my control. Don’t fear the flying debris. My love surrounds you!”

 

 

Stitch by Stitch

 

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior and my hope is in you all day long.”

—Psalm 25:4

Having spent fifty-plus years of my life in a school setting, I tend to think like both a teacher and a learner. My natural bent toward learning forces me to think in a sequential way about understanding, processing, and retaining knowledge. And, on top of that, my experience as a musician reinforces the notion that learning is longitudinal—that is, over a period of years.

No one has ever received the maximum benefit from learning a musical instrument if they take a lesson every six months and rarely practice. Nor, can a person enjoy success by taking lessons from one teacher for a brief time and then jumping to another teacher. The budding music student must carefully and deliberately follow a long, slow process, in order for learning to properly progress from foundational, to detailed, and onward to become specifically more complicated, as time goes by.

How should we study the Scriptures? In the same very careful and deliberate way: in a long, slow, sequential manner over many years. In Psalm 1:2, the Psalmist says that the blessed man …

… delights in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Creative teaching, with a carefully crafted and enjoyable methodology, will tend to produce eager learners, who don’t mind the perseverance they need to complete the process. And, the deliberate process will increase the effectiveness of the learning.

I note that during Colonial times in America, out of necessity, women taught their daughters to sew. The women would have their daughters practice by doing counted cross-stitch patterns with thread and cloth. These patterns taught not only useful stitching, but also taught letters, numbers, and Scripture verses. Each such lengthy project would allow these young girls to concentrate on God’s written Word, while they slowly improved their sewing skills.

I’m not proposing that we all learn to cross-stitch in order to learn God’s written Word. But, I am suggesting that each of us should make an effort to discover a pleasant way that will help us learn more effectively. Then, we should use that method to “meditate day and night” on God’s written Word.

Most people learn best using one of three ways: visually, aurally, or physically. Something learned in the style best suited to the individual will help him or her retain what he or she intends to learn. Some learn best by journaling, or in some other way that uses their hands to learn. Others like to listen to God’s written Word as they work or exercise. Others learn best by reading aloud, or by quoting passages of Scripture as they drive. I’ve known still others who like to paraphrase portions of the Bible to hide the written Word deep inside themselves.

The Apostle Paul, writing in Philippians 1:6 and speaking about God, tells us that:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

God, our ever present heavenly Tutor, wants to partner with us as we learn His written Word and put it into practice. “Stitch-by-stitch,” day by day, God opens His truths to us. Just as, over time, many children enjoy the learning process, may we each make time to find the exquisite delights of learning God’s written Word all the days of our lives.

 

 

It Takes All Kinds

 

God does not judge by external appearance.

—Galatians 2:6

I remember Cordelia as a woman from my childhood who attended my little country church. Cordelia stood out among the farm women in the congregation. As she sat in the pew, Sunday after Sunday, her trim figure displayed showy, colorful clothing, topped off with large stylish hats. Cordelia’s husband wasn’t a farmer like most of the men of the congregation either. They lived in a tidy little ranch house at the edge of the small nearby town. Cordelia painted in oils, and she had quite a reputation for her artistry. Yet, here she sat with her red fingernails, in her mink stoles that intrigued me with the mink’s beady eyes, and her “just-so” demeanor.

I wonder if the Early Church, described in the Book of Acts, had characters like Cordelia—just a little out of place style-wise, but perfectly at home in God’s house. I think I’ve found such a woman in Acts 16. Her name was Lydia. She was a Gentile from Thyatira in Asia. She was known as a “seller of purple.” She apparently had means, influence, and a large enough house to serve as the church meeting place in Philippi.

This woman, if not the very first, must have been one of the first converts to Christianity in the continent of Europe. As soon as the Lord opened her heart, she and her household were baptized, and immediately she offered hospitality to the evangelistic team who had come to their region. Her life had been changed by her coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ, through the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Sometimes Christians pre-judge others by their outward appearance, by how they “fit in and look the part.” Writing in Galatians 2:6, the Apostle Paul makes it clear:

God does not judge by external appearance.

Also, in 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord said to Samuel:

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Wouldn’t it be fun to find a “Lydia” right smack-dab in the middle of our church who doesn’t “look” like we might expect her to look? Be alert! There probably is a one-of-a-kind, genuine, disciple there, who doesn’t look the part—at least as we would see it. God may have some wonderful surprises ahead. We must remember that God doesn’t see things the same way we do.