By No Means Least

 

“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.”

—Micah  5:2 and Matthew 2:6

People in the days of Jesus would not have named Bethlehem a “destination city.” It lay small and insignificant, a few miles from Jerusalem, which served as the towering, celebrated city among all of Israel. Yet, God chose this little town for the greatest miracle in history.

You might also say, “Mary, you are by no means least among the young women of Israel,” although, at the time, everyone would have considered her pretty commonplace and poor. Yet, God chose this humble virgin as the mother for His Son, Jesus, and honored her above all women.

And, to the shepherds, we could say, “Herdsmen, you are by no means least among the men of Israel,” even though everyone at that time would have looked at them: smelly, uneducated, poor, and hardly capable of the call to spread abroad the news of the Savior’s birth. Yet the angels announced the greatest news in history to them and urged them to spread the news.

So many times in Scripture, God rebukes those who would overlook those considered “least.” Sometimes, we see ourselves in this light, and God rebukes our faulty thinking. He has chosen us to carry His Holy Spirit within us, elevating us far beyond the station to which our corrupt culture might elevate us. And, more often, we pick and choose among the people we meet, or merely see, and purposely overlook those who seem plain, common, or poor.

We should take time during this busy season, to see those around us in a different light. We should wonder if God has chosen them for something special. We should invite them into conversations and we should urge them to occupy honored places. Remember what Jesus said, recorded in Luke 9:48:

“For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.”

Let us allow the lowly shepherds, the humble Mary, and the little town of Bethlehem to remind us that God often chooses those people, places, and things we tend to overlook. We must allow God to show us His power to elevate and use whomever and whatever He wishes to use for His glory. Amen!

 

 

Magnify

 

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

—Luke 1:46-47

Mary spoke the above statement upon learning that God had chosen her to bear the Son of God. This stirring tribute to God, called “The Magnificat,” comes from the Latin root word from which our word “magnify” derives. This same verb appears in the first sentence of Mary’s declaration.

One way we use the word “magnify,” is to think of making something appear bigger, so that we can see it better. At a ballgame, we might watch the game from the stands on a jumbo screen that magnifies the players, so that we can see facial expressions and the intricate details of each play. In the laboratory, we magnify tiny creatures through a microscope, so that we can see them better with the human eye. In neither case do we actually make the objects bigger. We just make them appear bigger, so that our eyes can see them.

What did Mary mean when she said that she “magnified” the Lord? As God had chosen to reveal Himself to her through the Holy Spirit, she looked at His character, His might, His blessing, His holiness, His mercy, and His multitude of gifts. Then, she spoke of each attribute of God in such poetic ways and desired to make them bigger, so that she and others could see Him more clearly. It was as though she had practiced this art throughout her short life. God had obviously carefully prepared her for this moment.

Psalm 34:3 records King David’s desire to give the same kind of glory to God that Mary gave. He wrote:

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

When we gather together with other Christians and relate what we know of our God, we also magnify Him. We do not actually make Him any bigger or greater than He’s always been. But instead, through our expressions of worship, we show others the bigness of our God. We allow them to see and understand Him in ways they may have never seen Him or understood Him before.

During this Season of Advent, like Mary did, we need to consider our great God, and we need to magnify His character in such a way that others can better see Him, better heed Him, and better know Him for themselves. He is certainly worthy of this exaltation!

 

 

Lo, He Comes!

 

“Look, he is coming with the clouds; everyone shall see him, including those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the world will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.”

—Revelation 1:7

“Jesus comes! Prepare!’

These words came early in the biblical story. God promised a Messiah—“God with us”—to the Jews through the Old Testament prophets and then through John the Baptist. We look at these prophecies as texts for the Season of Advent. And, we rejoice that God has a plan through His Son, who came as a helpless babe. Jesus grew into a man, lived, suffered, died in our place on the cross of Calvary, and ascended back to His Father in heaven.

If we only observe the first coming of our Lord at Christmas, we lose the complete story of the Season of Advent. Just as we can read the text of many Advent hymns in two ways—heralding the first coming of Jesus and watching for His second coming—we can sing about the second coming as the next Advent of our Lord.

The hymn, “Lo! He Comes, With Clouds Descending,” expresses the Christian’s hope for Christ’s return to earth. Here’s the first verse. ¹

Lo! He comes, with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train;
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign,
God appears on earth to reign.

You may hear a beautiful rendition of this hymn by clicking on the video button below:

 

 

The hymn appears to have been a collaboration between five individuals: a land surveyor from England turned Moravian preacher, hymn-writer Charles Wesley, two of his followers—one a cobbler—and finally a man who loved to add Hallelujahs to Wesley texts. One author explains the origin of the hymn this way: ²

As we await the coming of our Lord, about which this hymn is written, God’s Kingdom continues to grow just as this hymn once grew. Preachers, cobblers, land surveyors and those who embellish with hallelujahs build on one another’s efforts for the glory of God. They are just a few of the “thousand, thousand saints attending.”

______________________

1 Wesley, Charles; Cennick, John; Madan, Martin. “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending.” Hymn in the Public Domain.

2 Peterson, William J. and Peterson, Randy. The One Year Book of Hymns. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1995. Entry for August 8th.

 

 

Half-Spent was the Night

 

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

—Isaiah 9:2

From as far back as the fourteenth century, images of the tender stem and fragrance of a rose and the half-spent night remind us of the largely unnoticed way in which Jesus, the Messiah, came into our world. The first and second stanzas of the Christmas carol “Lo! How a Rose E’er Blooming” use this phrase: “When half-spent was the night.”

When we think about that phrase, it suggests that the “night” still flows onward. Our world continues to have a shroud of darkness covering it. Yet, in the last stanza of that Christmas carol, we see that this “Flower”—with glorious splendor—dispels the darkness everywhere. This tender rose depicts our Savior, the Lord Jesus, who has come to us as a beautiful baby and at a time in history that God chose, while things were void of His light.

Depending on our circumstances, we may face a time of darkness and seeming absence of light this Season of Advent. But, we must remember that we do indeed have a Savior. And, we must also keep in mind that He does come to us in the darkness of our lives. When we know Him—when we look for Him and seek Him—He has promised to come to us in His glorious presence.

Note the words of this beloved Christmas carol: ¹

Lo, how a rose e’er blooming
   from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming
   as men of old have sung.
It came, a Flower bright,
   amid the cold of winter,
When half-spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
   the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it,
   the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright
   she bore to men a Savior,
When half-spent was the night.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender
   with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
   the darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God,
   from sin and death he saves us
And lightens every load.

The Baylor University Chamber Singers share this lovely Christmas carol:

 

 

______________________

1 Lo! How a Rose E’er Blooming. German Carol, Public Domain.

 

 

Bravo!

 

“Hallelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. King of kings and Lord of lords, and He shall reign forever and ever.”

—Revelation 19:6; 11:15

Most people will recognize the words in the Scripture verse above as the text of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. It has become a custom for those in the audience or congregation to rise to their feet and remain standing during the singing of this chorus from the oratorio. King George II, attending the first performance of this work in 1741, was so moved by the glorious music that he stood. The audience in the concert hall followed his example. Since that time, kings and commoners have stood in honor of the Lord God Omnipotent, who reigns over heaven and earth.

Whether we stand in honor of the King of Kings, or kneel before Him, echoing the words of the Prophet Isaiah, God spoke these words through the Apostle Paul, found in Philippians 2:9-11:

Therefore God exalted him [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above very name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Especially in the culture of the United States, humans find bowing to anyone difficult. But to Americans, bowing before foreign kings and world leaders seems especially troubling because of their exalted place among men and, more often than not, their seeming lack of the kind of humility God will some day require from all of His creation. For an amazing story of a king whom God turned around, please study the story of King Nebuchadnezzar in these three chapters from Daniel 2 - 4.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the very large Kingdom of Babylon, thought so much of his own power that he had a 90‑foot‑tall statue of himself erected for all to worship. He boasted of his greatness and flew into a murderous rage at anyone refusing to bow before this representation of himself. But, God took Nebuchadnezzar through some phenomenal experiences and brought him to a place of genuine humility. Note this testimony of the king from Daniel 4:37:

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

We should humbly pray for world leaders that they, too, may recognize Jesus Christ as the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And, like King George II in 1741, honor Christ by standing, or kneeling before Him.

When you listen carefully to the famous “Hallelujah Chorus,” please hear within this piece a sense of the greatness of Christ’s power, the awesomeness of His loving reign, and the honor truly due Him from us all!

 

 

 

 

Gratitude Excites Humility

 

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

—Daniel 4:37

Pride seems to erase gratitude. Have you ever thought about that? And the reverse seems true as well: gratitude seems to erase pride. How does that happen?

Scripture gives us a multitude of examples of people and nations filled with pride that God had to humble. For example in Ezekiel 28:17, God said to the city of Tyre:

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.

Even Satan himself, filled with pride, heard these words from God recorded in Isaiah 14:13:

You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

We all have those things in our lives for which we are tempted to invest our pride. Whether it’s:

• “my body of work”
  
  
• “my family”
  
  
• “my home”
  
  
• “my beauty”
  
  
• “my talent”
  
  
• “my charming personality”
  
  
• “my something else.”
  
  

When we take personal credit, gloat over others, or try to impress others, we have taken those things that God has given us and turned them into objects of our own personal pride. We have forgotten that God is the source of every good and perfect gift in our lives.

Even countries, cities, and churches can become prideful about the wonderful things that have come their way through God’s grace. When I hear people talk about “American Exceptionalism,” I agree in part. But, I wish those who speak so pridefully of this characteristic of our nation would also recognize that God has “shed His grace on us.” As a nation, we have been extraordinarily blessed by Him. We simply cannot take sole credit for anything our nation has.

Can we feel pleasure in the things God has uniquely given us? Certainly. But, when that pleasure erupts into praise of self and a sense of willful pride, we have crossed a line. When sinful pride creeps into our thinking, we should step back, realize all God has done for us in creating us with gifts and abilities that He has chosen to give to us, and gratefully bow in worship before our great God. He gives us gifts of all sorts. And, He wants us to joyfully use them to glorify Him.

In our example of Nebuchadnezzar at the beginning of this blog post, we see a pagan king, who experienced the humbling of God, pausing to reflect on this powerful, righteous One. How much more should we daily acknowledge God’s work in us. We should take no credit. Instead, we should bow in grateful praise. Everything we have should be on display for God’s glory—not ours!

 

 

Gratitude Erases Fear

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

—Philippians 4:6-7

There it is! The key statement! It’s right there in the middle of the verse at the beginning of this blog post!

“… with thanksgiving …”

Who has time to be thankful in the middle of an anxiety producing crisis? Apparently God expects it of us regardless of the circumstances.

“But, what have I to thank Him for when I am in trouble?”

We can always begin by thanking God for Who He is. Elsewhere in Scripture we read that God has almighty power. Even the devil and his demons shudder at that! (see James 2:19) That means that God is bigger than any trouble we may have. We can also look to His omniscience—His “all-knowing wisdom”—concerning us. God knows us in more detail than we know ourselves. And, God knows about every situation in which we may find ourselves.

Add to that, God’s omnipresence—His “everywhere presence”—which He has promised will never leave us or forsake us. We can also thank God that nothing comes our way unless He allows it. It’s true that God has a perfect plan for us, and He wants to use everything, even our troubles, to accomplish His perfect will in us and for us. Therefore, we must wholeheartedly thank Him for it!

In the middle of any prayer-producing crisis in our lives, for what else can we give thanks to God? We can remember how God has treated us in the past. We can focus on how God has answered our prayers. We can remember how God has spared us from worse harm than we experienced. We can recall how God has revealed His love to us during each situation we had to face in our lives.

Has God answered our prayers and healed us before? Then, we must thank Him, and allow that remembrance to take away our fears. Has God provided for us when we have needed help? In response, we must praise God for His faithfuleness. Don’t fear. Indeed, God will provide for us this time, too.

What does the verse at the beginning of this blog post, from the Book of Philippians, promise us when we come with gratitude to God with our requests? It promises that we will have:

“… the peace of God, which transcends all understanding …”

Does all this seem too much to get our minds around? Perhaps, but that’s the kind of powerful result we will see from praying through our fears with thanksgiving.

During all fearful and impossible situations, I challenge each of us, including myself, to live in the place of thanksgiving. Let’s see what God will produce in us to replace all our fears!

 

 

Godly Ophthalmology

 

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.”

—2 Corinthians 4:4

I once had cataracts. The cataract clouds the vision of the lens of the eye and can be blamed for the majority of human blindness across the world. I am grateful that here in the United States, we have routine cataract surgery, easily done and usually without serious consequences.

What a contrast between blindness and the brilliant glory of Christ. Eugene Peterson defines glory as:

… the open display of God’s good will, his loving salvation, his redeeming purpose.  ¹

The brilliance of God’s glory as referred to in Exodus 34:29-35 caused Moses’ face to shine so intensely that he had to wear a veil when he spoke to the Israelite people. God’s glory, brilliant and dazzling, lies in contrast to the blindness of the human race, struck sightless by the sin we bear.

Just as a cataract fogs the lens completely if not removed, so sin takes away the sight of all of us until God gives us the ability to see again. All of us know the phrase, “I once was blind, but now I see” from the hymn Amazing Grace. ²

A graphic picture of this comes to us in the story of St. Paul on the road to Damascus, found in Acts 9:1-18. Religious and obedient to his faith in every way, Saul thought persecuting this new sect of “Christians” fell on him, and he went about the country making “murderous threats” and imprisoning them. The day that glory of Christ Himself shone on Saul, knocking him from his donkey and blinding him, Saul heard God speak to him from this “glory” and Saul turned to God in repentance and new faith. God then changed Saul’s name to Paul.

Acts 9:18 tells us that after Paul met Ananias, who laid his hands on Paul:

…immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again.

Like the removal of cataracts to restore our physical sight, God miraculously removes the spiritual blindness of our hearts caused by the clouding of sin. He comes to us with that unique life-changing encounter with Him. We then begin to see in a new spiritual way things we never could see before.

We can now observe the brilliant colors of God’s truth that once was a drab absurdity. We understand in a new way God’s wonderful love and His amazing provision for us. Christ Jesus, who once dwelt so far away that we could not see Him, now is seen up close, with clarity and definition.

Let us rejoice today, if God has removed our spiritual cataracts so that we can see Him and know Him. We must pray for those we know who still stumble in the darkness, and ask God for opportunities to allow us to share with them the transforming vision we have received from Him. He has made this operation available to them, as well, through His birth life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. The Great Physician waits to heal spiritual eyes and restore sight!

______________________

1 Peterson, Eugene. A Year with Jesus. San Francisco: Harper Collins Publisher, 1989. p. 321.

2 Newton, John. Amazing Grace. Public Domain.

 

 

A Unique, Beautiful Frame

 

“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

—Psalm 16:5-6

When looking at a picture, do you notice the frame? The frame can either enhance or detract from the picture it holds. Sometimes, it can reflect as much beauty as the picture. I am convinced that our lives compare to frames. They get more ornate as the years add up and reflect the imagination of God, the Creative Artist who fashions each life.

As time works on us, our struggles bring out a rich patina to the metal. The trials and deadly effects of life add swirls and cut deep into the wood, adding carved designs to the frame. In the end, we realize that Romans 8:28 has become true for us:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Recently, in preparing to teach from 1 Samuel about Samuel’s mother, Hannah, I came across this quote about her: ¹

When Hannah took a very young Samuel to Shiloh and knelt with him in worship before leaving him behind to serve the Lord all the days of his life, the frame around her words was her long history of infertility and persecution for her faith in God. Hannah knelt in prayer that day within the context of a relationship with God that had withstood the tests of time and adversity.

When we feel the effects of wear and tear on our bodies, or the scraping and carving of the knife on our emotions and heart, we must realize that God considers the unique, beautiful frame with which He has surrounded us.

Our prayers and our words of encouragement to others have been framed by those circumstances that God the Artist has allowed us to experience. The picture may not be completed yet. Nevertheless, along with the finished frame, that picture will sometime reveal a more beautiful piece of art than we have ever realized.

______________________

1 James, Carolyn Custis. Lost Women of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2005. p. 132.

 

 

Taste Test

 

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

—Psalm 34:8

I am always heartened to see the professional cooks on television taste their food to see if they like it. As a rather insecure cook, I must frequently use the taste test myself.

Psalm 34, quoted above, was written by David when he was in trouble. He had no one to trust but God Himself. Here David urges those who have difficulties like his to test the Lord and to find out that that the “taste” proves God’s goodness.

So, how are we to implement this particular kind of “taste test”? We perform that test by putting our trust in God when we need protection or provision. David tells us we won’t be disappointed. The test of our faith will reveal so much more nourishment and enjoyment from God than we could even imagine or expect.

We can also “taste” the goodness of our God by the reminders of His power, mercy, grace, and love through His written Word. Like a savory meal or a rich, satisfying dessert, we can dine on God’s revealed truth to us in His precious written Word. Another Psalmist tells us, in Psalm 119:103:

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”

When I have guests coming for a meal, I am especially nervous about the right balance of the food. When we share our favorite dishes, we want those whom we’ve invited to enjoy them as much as we do.

But, what about those who have never “tasted” our God through the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son? How should we prepare and season the food of God’s written Word for those we hope to invite to the meal?

We want our feast filled with the zest of Christ. We desire those who have never tasted Him, to smell the aroma, to be drawn to the table prepared by the Holy Spirit. As Christians, even Jesus told us that we have the effect of presenting the world with His savory goodness. In Matthew 5:13, Jesus said:

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?”

Let us pray that God will allow us new bites of His goodness. Then pray that He will make our lives and the “food” we present to those who need it, tasty indeed, full of flavor, and sparkling with fresh goodness.

 

 

Sibling Rivalry

 

“If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.”

—Galatians 6:3-4

Where does sibling rivalry come from? It seems to me that largely it comes from jealousy, selfishness, or a combination of both. Even the Bible has stories of such family disputes. These stories caution us about the common, but contentious, occasions between brothers and sisters, both at home and perhaps especially within our churches.

One such story occurs in Luke 10:38-42. You know how this story goes. Martha is cooking, while pots and pans pile up in the kitchen. But, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to Him teach. Martha complains to Jesus and He sides with Mary because she chose to do “the most important thing.” Mature Martha loves Jesus. So, she undoubtedly responds in humility and love for her sister, as well.

Jesus tells another well-known story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. In this story, the younger brother rebelliously demands that his father given him what will become his inheritance money, recklessly spends it on foolishness, but later returns home to ask forgiveness from his father. The older brother, who has remained faithful, stayed at home, and continued to work for his father, doesn’t appreciate the celebration and the banquet given to this ne’er-do-well sibling. The rift may have separated these brothers permanently. But, we aren’t told whether or not this is true.

My last illustration from Scripture can be found in Mark 10:35-45. This story shows what can happen within a faith community infected with rivalry. Brothers James and John come to Jesus and ask if they can sit in the two most prominent seats in heaven—one on Jesus’ right and the other on His left. The remaining ten disciples became so indignant that Jesus has to sit them all down and tell them:

“… whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”

These stories illustrate the way that small rifts between brothers and sisters can cause disunity in our homes, at our workplaces, and, sadly, in our churches. Each such rift provides an entrance for the devastating work of the evil one. This kind of disharmony adversely affects the witness of the body of Christ and tends to turn Christians from allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to work freely in that body. Scripture admonishes us often to work at maintaining peace with our brothers and sisters, particularly within the church.

As Paul tells Christ’s followers in Ephesians 4:3:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

We may expect, even tolerate, sibling rivalry between little children. But, among mature believers, we must ask God to protect us from the sins of jealousy and selfishness that create an atmosphere ripe for disunity. In our homes, in our places of work, and particularly in our churches, may God’s peace grow and abound to Christ’s glory!

 

 

Not Seen As Yet

 

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of righteousness which is by faith.”

—Hebrews 11:7 KJV

Noah found favor with God. And, according to Scripture found in Genesis 6 and 7:

God found him (Noah) righteous, blameless, among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

Noah was chosen by God for a very unique and historical appointment. In great detail, God laid out for Noah plans and promises for building an ark because God intended to send a great flood of judgment on the world.

Scripture tells us in Genesis 6-8 just how Noah dedicated his time, effort, and faith in doing exactly what God had said. This act of extraordinary faith landed Noah in the “Faith Hall of Fame” found in Hebrews 11:7.

Noah no doubt suffered cruel mocking by the godless people who lived around him. Yet, he followed every element of God’s plan. Noah may not have understood these life-changing commands of God, but Noah was rewarded with the saving of himself, his family, and all the living creatures when the world was indeed destroyed by a great deluge and flood.

Consider the extraordinary matter of this story. The key to the strength of Noah’s faith is contained in that phrase: “…of things not seen as yet.” Despite what Noah could not see, he believed God and obeyed.

Puritan Thomas Manton comments on Noah’s faith:¹

Though Noah only had the naked word of God, he believed. Also, the means of an ark was an improbable and incredible way of safety. The ark was made like a coffin where Noah was buried with all kinds of living creatures for many days. Certainly so great a work was done at great expense and labor… He had a thousand discouragements, yet being moved with fear, he prepared the ark. These things being so remote from sense, and only certain in God’s word, show the great force and virtue of his faith… It is the property of faith to be moved by such things that are not open to sense.

Could this account of Noah speak to us in 21st century America? Does God see things in our lives that we “have not seen as yet”? In His good season, does God intend to ask us to step out in faith? Are there new relationships He wants us to form? Does God have a new ministry that He wants us to create or join? Does God intend to give us new talents that He wants us to develop for His use?

While God may not ask us to build an ark to save those we love from the judgment He intends to bring against our generation, certainly He calls us—and all Christians in this day—to step out in faith for the saving of His people and for the performance of the work of His church.

______________________

1 Manton, Thomas (author). Richard Rushing (editor). Voices From the Past. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2016. Vol. 2, p. 255.

 

 

Yet

 

“Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

—Psalms 42:5

Don’t you just love procrastinators? They say they will send you something, or come to visit you, or do something for you or others, or take care of an issue, but you can’t depend on when, or if, they will actually do what they have promised. You watch and hope they will come through. You wait, and you wait, and you wait.

Many accounts in the Scriptures make God look like a giant procrastinator. We wait and wait and pray and pray and nothing seems to happen like we think it should. We have many examples in the Bible:

• Joseph, son of Jacob, stayed in prison for a crime he didn’t commit for two full years. (Genesis 41:1).
  
  
• Hannah wanted a baby, but the years went by and she remained childless. (1 Samuel 1:7).
  
  
• David was anointed king. But, before he was crowned king, he still spent years being chased by the murderous King Saul. (Books of 1 and 2 Samuel).
  
  

Yet, in the study of all these stories, and many more, we see that God actually had a long-range plan and, which was His right as God, He waited for the right time to bring that plan to pass. A pastor I once knew called it: “the eventuality of God’s working.”

In the Book of Habakkuk, we read the prophet’s cry in Habakkuk 1:2:

“How long, O Lord, must I call for help?”

Then, God answers the prophet in Habakkuk 2:3:

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

Finally, in Habakkuk 3:17-18, we read that the prophet himself has taken up the word “Yet”:

“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.”

When we seem to “hope” our procrastinator friend will come through, we actually “wish” more than having a godly hope. But, when we wait patiently on God to act, the Bible encourages us to depend upon real God-given hope.

The Psalmist speaks of such a hope in the verse found at the beginning of this blog post. As we read in Lamentations 3, the Prophet Jeremiah, whose “splendor, and all he hoped for from the Lord was gone,” used the word “yet” and spoke of the “hope” he had.

What a God-given hope it takes for us to believe that, after months or years of praying, and believing, and waiting, God will eventually act according to His plan and His love for us. We must always wait, and pray, and believe. We must trust God to strengthen us for the waiting days ahead. And, to encourage us in our waiting, let’s read biblical accounts of faithful servants who hoped, and waited, and finally received that for which they prayed to God.

 

 

We Had Heard

 

“As we have heard, so have we seen.”

—Psalm 48:8

I had heard about and seen pictures of Pikes Peak in Colorado for many years. In fact, I showed pictures to classes as I taught “America the Beautiful” written by Katherine Lee Bates from the top of that mountain. But, I had never seen it for myself. Then one summer my husband and I traveled to Colorado Springs and drove up the mountains to the Peak. I experienced something much broader and bigger than I imagined. The winding, treacherous road, the clear air above the timber-line, the steep climbs, the breathtaking views from the summit, all gave me a much more vivid view of this great mountain.

In Scripture, we find several examples of persons experiencing the wonders of God for themselves that they may have only heard about before. In Psalm 48, the people recount the deliverances of the Lord in their past history. They exclaimed together:

“We had heard about God’s mighty acts. We heard the stories from childhood, but now, in our own time, we have actually seen them for ourselves.”

In the book of Job, we read the story of God’s servant whose life God allowed Satan to devastate. Job suffered great torture and never knew the reason. Yet, he didn’t give up on God. At the very end of his story in Job 42:5, Job confessed to God:

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”

Job’s experience far outweighed the stories about God. In 1 John 1:1, the Apostle describes what he and others had experienced of God:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

Here again, the early church gave great significance to the experience of seeing and knowing Christ. The Apostle Paul also recognized the importance of a personal knowledge of God. In Philippians 3:10, he yearned:

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Do we want to know Christ in this way, by experience? God invites us to come near, to know Him, to experience the way of life He offers, and to no longer live only on the encounters of others.

 

 

By Hap

 

“She gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.”

—Ruth 2:3 KJV

Sometimes the language of the King James Version of the Bible catches my attention in a way that the modern translations don’t. When Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote his devotional book, Morning and Evening, he used the word “hap”—a word that was quite familiar at the time of his writing in the mid-1800s. It means “by happenstance,” or “taking place by coincidence, or chance.”

The unknown author of the Old Testament Book of Ruth tells the story about how Ruth, seemingly by chance, gleaned in the field of her mother-in-law’s relative Boaz. Here’s what Spurgeon wrote about the story: ¹

Ruth had gone forth with her mother’s blessing, under the care of her mother’s God, to humble but honourable toil, and the providence of God was guiding her every step. Little did she know that amid the sheaves she would find a husband, that he should make her the joint owner of all those broad acres, and that she a poor foreigner should become one of the progenitors of the great Messiah. God is very good to those who trust in Him, and often surprises them with unlooked for blessings.

If we stop to consider carefully the days of our own lives, most of us would see times when things that seemed “by hap” actually turned out to have occurred by the design of our Sovereign God. Along this vein, I read an account of the day Christian artist and author, Joni Eareckson Tada, had the diving accident that left her a quadriplegic for life.

Joni’s sister, Kathy, was at the beach with Joni. She stayed near the shore and suddenly felt a sharp pinch by a crab and screamed to Joni to watch for crabs. Because Joni didn’t respond, Kathy immediately went looking for her and ended up saving her from drowning. Kathy writes, speaking of God: ²

From the big events in life down to the tiniest of details, He is great, He is sovereign, and He is in control.

When we are tempted to think that we have experienced a coincidence, we must remember that, as God’s dearly loved children, our Heavenly Father sovereignly looks out for us, directs our ways, uses us in the lives of others, and yearns to have us honor Him with our thanksgiving for all that He so graciously does for us. In the lives of those of us who belong to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, there simply is no such thing as “by hap”!

______________________

1 Spurgeon, Charles Haddon. Morning and Evening. McLean VA: MacDonald Publishing Company, Public Domain. p. 599.

2 Tada, Joni Eareckson. Pearls of Great Price. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2006. Devotional for July 19th.

 

 

Beyond

 

“No one is like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power … Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.”

—Jeremiah 10:6-7

Sometimes I hear people questioning to what the “Beyond” in the chain store Bed, Bath and Beyond^® refers. But, it got me thinking about that English word, and two Scripture passages containing it.

Perhaps the first passage came to me in an especially difficult time. From 2 Corinthians 1:8, I recalled:

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Many will say that God never gives us any burdens we can’t bear alone. I’m not so sure. He wants to grow us to the point in which we have no strength left in ourselves, so that He can show us His mighty power at work in and for us. When we run out of our ability to endure, we can count on His power to take over.

I know this because I read about this power in another of the Apostle Paul’s words found in Ephesians 3:20-21 (NASB):

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Our God gives us trials beyond our abilities to endure so that He can do what goes abundantly beyond all that we could even imagine!

In response, I repeat to you from a contemporary hymn:¹

O God beyond all praising,
    we worship you today
And sing the love amazing
    that songs cannot repay;
For we can only wonder
    at every gift you send,
At blessings without number
    and mercies without end;
We lift our hearts before you
    and wait upon your word,
We honor and adore you,
    our great and mighty Lord.

The only thing we can do when God shows His “beyondness” over our weakness is to offer Him our thanks and praise in such a way that honors His wonderful name. Amen and Hallelujah!

______________________

1 Perry, Michael. O God Beyond All Praising. Carol Stream, Illinois: Hope Publishing Co., 1982.

 

 

The Cows are Out!

 

“You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.”

—Psalm 139:5

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

—Psalm 16:6

Usually the call came from my dad, frantically yelling into the house, “The cows are out!” That meant everyone had to jump into action and move out into the backyard, or road, or wherever the family herd had meandered.

Cows do not seem to have the intelligence that you would expect from animals that produce so much of our food. So, they quite frequently get themselves into serious trouble.

The cows, when out of the barn, or a fenced in area, have to be corralled and driven back where they belong. If the barn door gets accidently left open, or the gate gets broken down by weather or struck by a piece of farm equipment, the animals take that as an invitation to explore a world they have only observed from afar.

On the several farms my family members own, stray cows have been known to peer into house windows—even licking them repeatedly. They will stand ankle deep in freshly seeded lawns or flower gardens. And yes, they have even ended up in the family swimming pool.

Cows are curious creatures, and sometimes they just want to try new adventures. And, it seems that they believe the grass might truly be greener and taste sweeter outside the fenced-in meadow.

Truthfully, in all too many cases, we’re not unlike those cows. Sometimes we just wander off. For no apparent reason we take advantage of an “open gate” and launch off into someplace we really shouldn’t go. We just drift away from the safety of God’s best place for us. We, like the cows, don’t see the warning signs—like “speeding traffic” or “a pool of water eight feet deep.”

How many times do we get dissatisfied with certain aspects of our own lives and take it upon ourselves to explore new vistas, even sinful ones we know will lead us down the wrong path. Discontent can provoke us to move into dangerous territory. How do we avoid getting “outside” the boundary lines that God has assigned to us?

First of all, we need to stay close to our Heavenly Guardian. If we ask, He will remind us that we are getting too near unhealthy and ungodly associations, temptations, or influences.

Secondly, we need to very insistently and very carefully watch out for ourselves. Proverbs 4 instructs us to guard instruction, guard our hearts, and pay close attention to our paths. We do this by staying close to God’s written Word, and by remaining vigilant against the evil suggestions of our culture and of our enemy, Satan, who 1 Peter 5:8 tells us:

“…prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

We should gratefully submit to the instructions of God’s written Word and to His known will for us. In addition, when we seem penned-in to some place where we would rather not live, we should consistently trust God’s grace.

If we belong to Christ, when we do stray from the center of His will for us, we can be assured that He diligently calls out His heavenly crew of angels to get us back inside the fence of His divine and perfect will. But, how much better for us and for our witness to the watching world, if we stay out of the places where we don’t belong—places of ruin that we can certainly avoid!

 

 

Fill 'er Up

 

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

—Ephesians 5:18

Patrons at gas stations didn’t used to pump their own gas. Instead, they stayed in their cars and let the attendant on duty “fill ’er up.” Every service station provided full service. Full service meant checking the oil level, cleaning the windshield, checking the air pressure in the tires, and filling the tires with additional air if necessary. Once you drove away, you felt that you could travel safely until your fuel level once again hovered near empty.

As Christians, God gives us the seal of His Holy Spirit when we turn to Him for forgiveness from our sins (Ephesians 1:13-14). And, as we live out the Christian life, the Holy Spirit continues to fill our spiritual “fuel tank.” Like empty vehicle gas tanks, we need that “filling” in order to travel through this life living for Christ. None of us has the ability to faithfully serve Him without the intervention and help from His Holy Spirit.

Have you ever noticed one of those yard inflatables that has lost air and droops over and looks half dead? Sometimes, after a particularly difficult time of spiritual warfare, I feel like one of those lost air inflatables when I come to God asking for a “fill-up.” On our own, none of us has the strength, the grace, the power, the energy, or the wisdom we need. In fact, God purposefully gives us tasks and circumstances for which we need His help. Without His divine aid, we are rendered useless.

How does God fill us? If we allow His written Word to soak into us, He gives us direction and faith in His ability to live through us. If we ask Him, He will govern and empower our way with the filling He wants to provide. One of my favorite hymns puts it like this:¹

Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts,
Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men,
From the best bliss that earth imparts,
We turn unfilled to Thee again.

______________________

1 Bernard of Clairvaux. Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts. Public Domain.

 

 

Not an Easy Game of Telephone

 

“Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”

—Joel 1:3

Nearly everyone has played the “Game of Telephone.” A simple phrase gets secretly passed from one person to another until the last person proclaims it aloud. To the enjoyment of everyone, the secret phrase has often drastically changed from the original whisperer. The game seems more fun, the more outrageous the change.

When the Gospel of our Lord passes from one generation to another, we should aim at accuracy above all else. We all know people who come from a long line of faithful Christians, but who may have heard a twist to the story that changed them into doubters or cynics of the faith, or even deserters from the faith. Other voices get into the “Game.” In fact, one who sows lies joins the circle and, before long, what the the last “hearer” receives completely disavows the truth of the original message.

How do we keep the children of this generation from those who would try to influence them away from the Truth of the written Word of God? Parents can’t always prevent their children from hearing wrong voices. However, if they have carefully orchestrated whom their children hear the most, and find ways to introduce them to winsome Christian friends, this generation can carry on the faithful truths of our great Christ-centered heritage.

When I taught elementary music, folk songs became the “fodder” of my curriculum. Not only did they supply the musical elements I taught, they also provided students with the “mother tongue” of their heritage as Americans. Scripture is the “mother tongue” of our Christian heritage. Our children need to hear faithful preaching and faithful teaching. They need to know faithful Christians in the church and observe their lives of service and devotion to Christ and His Kingdom.

Children need to see and hear people who have made the Christian life a firm foundation for their personal lives and whose devotion they can emulate. They need to learn the songs and hymns of their Christian heritage.

At the end of Moses’ life, recorded in Deuteronomy 31, he wrote a song and instructed the Israelites to teach it and sing it as a testimony of God’s work. Similarly, Psalm 78:1-6 speaks of writing parables to teach the next generation. Excerpts of those verses say:

I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old … We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord … he commanded our forefathers to teach their children so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

Not only has God given us the means to teach the next generation, He can give us the courage, wisdom, grace, and all that we need in order to do so. Let us pray for this generation of children and for those who not only begin with the message of Christ, but carry it on throughout their lifetimes.

 

 

Joy

 

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”

—Malachi 4:2

I could hear the squeals of delight as Jamie came down the hallway. In these first few days since he had learned to walk, he had the time of his life. Jamie had come to kindergarten in a wheelchair. Eventually, he learned to move beyond his ability to crawl, and through much therapy, began to use a walker.

Another year had Jamie walking with braces and crutches. And, then came the time, somewhere in the middle of his second grade year, when Jamie could walk on his own. He acted much like an ecstatic baby who had just learned to walk. Everywhere he went, the same joy and laughter accompanied him.

I remember thinking that when God makes us new creatures in Christ, our first days of “walking in the Spirit” seem like that of an ecstatic toddler. We walk in joy, for we have been healed from the bondage of sin. But, like Jamie, after we have walked perhaps somewhat unsteadily in this new life for awhile, the novelty of it wears off, and we start to behave like all the others around us.

Human nature causes us to forget our early joys. In Revelation 2:1-7, the risen Jesus gave the Apostle John words to send to the Church in Ephesus. After telling them the good things about their church, Jesus says this:

Yet, I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

I don’t think our Lord intended for us to ever lose the joy of first love. He wants us to walk with Him every day in delight and gratitude, just as we did that very first day of our walk with Him.

Take time today to reflect on your new life in Christ. Remember your first excitement in following Him, and the freedom that kind of joy brings. Others will notice the difference Christ has made in your life. As you traverse the hallways of your life, may laughter and gladness accompany you!

 

 

Faded

 

“I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. ”

—Jeremiah 2:2

As a teacher, I always looked forward to the first day of a new school year. Summer came to school on the children’s faces and gradually faded into fall. I remember those pink cheekbones and glowing tanned arms and legs. Yet, without any advanced notice in another month, the sun’s influence on their complexions faded, just as their first intentions to behave and please the adults around them faded, as well.

God notices the glorious joy of new Christians. Luke 15:7 speaks of the rejoicing in heaven whenever a sinner repents. The parables of Jesus in Luke 15 speak of the “Lost Sheep,” the “Lost Coin,” and the “Lost Son.” In each case, the “finding” of these lost ones brings great celebration.

God also notices when the attitude of that one who once took great joy in the early relationship with Him drops off to a routine, or to the place of a forgotten “experience” at summer camp, or to a no-longer-remembered particularly blessed time of the Holy Spirit’s movement in a congregation.

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus speaks through the exiled Apostle John—imprisoned on the island of Patmos—to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. This is the land now occupied by Turkey. In each instance, Jesus commends those in each Church for various aspects of their faith. Then, Jesus continues by speaking bluntly about those things in each Church that distress Him.

In Revelation 2:2, 4-5, Jesus speaks to the Church in Ephesus with these words:

“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance … Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”

I often wonder what the Apostle John would write, if today he wrote to report Christ’s pronouncements to our current churches. Perhaps Jesus would say:

“You share your love with the less fortunate, and I like that. But, some of you work out of obligation, rather than from your hearts.”

Or, perhaps Jesus would declare:

“I enjoy the fellowship among your people and the strong sense of worship in your church. But, I don’t see you sharing the Gospel of Christ with others in the way that I intend you to share it.”

Or, might Jesus even state:

“You have obviously endured great suffering. But, You don’t pray corporately or personally like I’d wish you to pray.”

Now, let us please translate this example from a corporate church setting to our own personal relationships with the Savior. Has the personal bond we once had with Christ faded? Has this bond that once produced overwhelming joy become dull and lifeless? If so, what does Jesus, through the Apostle John, offer as a remedy for this lost first love? Jesus says in Revelation 2:5:

“Remember the height from which you have fallen and repent. Do the things you first did.”

Remember … Repent … Do …

Has our love for Christ and His church faded from the glowing beginning that we once experienced when we first came to a saving knowledge of Him? I urge each one of us to prayerfully remember when we first experienced the glorious awareness of His deep love for us. Let us humbly repent of our “backsliding” and begin again to do those things that pleased our Savior so much and, in turn, gave us so much joy. Said another way: “Don’t let the “Son”-shine fade!”

 

 

The Obi

 

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

—Ephesians 4:3

Usually, when we think of Japanese traditional attire for women, we think of the kimono. As early as the 5th century, these “robes” were worn by unmarried women. Traditionally, the T-shaped garment is tied together around the waist using a sash known as an obi. Obis can be formal or informal, wide or narrow, and of many various materials, depending on the usage.

Wikipedia.com describes the following:

There were two reasons for the obi: firstly, to maintain the aesthetic balance of the outfit, the longer sleeves needed a wider sash to accompany them; secondly, unlike today (where they are customary only for unmarried women) married ladies also wore long-sleeved kimono in the 1770s. The use of long sleeves without leaving the underarm open would have hindered movements greatly.

A woman's obi is worn in a fancy musubi knot. There are ten ways to tie an obi, and different knots are suited to different occasions and different kimono.

There are many different types of women's obi, and the usage of them is regulated by many unwritten rules not unlike those that concern the kimono itself. Certain types of obi are used with certain types of kimono; the obi of married and unmarried women are tied in different ways. Often the obi adjusts the formality and fanciness of the whole kimono outfit: the same kimono can be worn in very different situations depending on what kind of obi is worn with it.

So from this description, we can see that the obi ties everything together with consideration for balance, beauty, and the movement of the person wearing the kimono. What an elegant picture of the kind of unity we find within the body of Christ. Though we see many different manifestations of Christ’s Body—the Church—God blesses His people with the “sash of His peace” that holds everything together in balance and beauty.

In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ has called those of us in His body to peace. The Ephesians passage quoted at the beginning of this blog post goes on to state in Ephesians 4:4:

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.

Are we married to Christ? Indeed we are. Then our “garments of His righteousness” should be evident to all. Just as the obi of a Japanese woman speaks of her marital status, so should the peace that binds Christians together speak of the relationship we have with Jesus, our Savior, Lord, and King.

In this world of constant noise and strife, the unity that comes from the bond of peace must mark us as Christians. As Psalm 133:1 states:

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.

May this unity of God’s peace bind and beautify every member of the Body of Christ!

 

 

The Legacy

 

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

—Psalm 78:4b-7

If we could just see backwards into history and observe the way in which God prepared to have us learn of Him and the gospel message, we would be astonished. Did a great-great-grandmother teach her children well? And, did one of them—the one who became your grandfather—so fall in love with Christ that children many generations later would proclaim God’s amazing grace? Yes! That’s exactly what happened in my family!

Or, did a long ago professor plant a seed of Truth that would resonate for many decades in the life of someone who later took steps to influence you? We just won’t know the beautiful strand of embroidery that God has used to bring us to Himself until some glorious day when we stand before Him.

On the other hand, do we give ourselves to God, so that He can plant the seed of the gospel in those in the next generations that will follow our generation? We may never see the full impact that our lives have had on the younger people whom we have only met for a brief period. Likewise, we may not yet clearly see the impact our lives have had on those we have raised in our own homes, children who will grow to adulthood and carry the message of God’s grace onward through generation after generation to come.

Television writer and author David C. McCasland tells about meeting a member of the Mexico City Philharmonic, Luis Antonio Rojas, who told him that:

“… the finest instruments are made of wood that has been allowed to age naturally to remove the moisture. You must age the wood for 80 years, then play the instrument for 80 years before it reaches its best sound … a craftsman must use wood cut and aged by someone else, and he will never see any instrument reach its peak during his own lifetime.” ¹

Perhaps we have poured ourselves into our children or other young people, but see little evidence to indicate that we have made any impact. We should remember this story about the violin. We must understand that God takes time to work His will into the lives of His children.

Be faithful! Continue to take every opportunity to live for Christ and share His story with those in the next generation, and the next. We will all be amazed when we meet in Heaven to see those who came before us who had been faithful, and those who will come after us who are there because of our faithful witness.

______________________

1 Quoted in Our Daily Bread: Devotional Journal, ©2010, RBC Ministries.

 

 

The Huddle

 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

—Hebrews 10:23

I’ve never played on a sports team, but I’ve watched enough basketball games on television to ponder what players do in a time-out huddle during those few minutes of “down” time. Sometimes, just the five players on the floor gather to share strategy. Other times, I see them reconnect on the sidelines with all the other members of the team whether or not they participate in the game.

Sometimes I see the coach scribbling directions for the next play on a hand-held white board. Sometimes he or she gets in the face of a player who seems to have disappointed the coach by the way the particular player is handling the game. Sometimes I watch as assistant coaches offer their “two cents” by chewing out a player or patting a player on the back.

Most often, at the end of the time-out, I see the players offer encouragement by putting their arms around each other and cheering each other on for the next round of difficult play. They connect on a deep level and remind each other that they are all in this together.

In my opinion, the local church should consider operating with a mindset similar to the mindset of sports team. As they meet for worship, members “huddle” every week. Some come to church needing exhortation or warning. Others need encouragement through the felt love of the Body of Christ. As a key part of Christ’s Body, they recognize that they all wear the garments of salvation and belong to the same family. Though each one may have different gifts, it is the same Spirit by which they live out their Christian faith.

The “coach” and other leaders must try to study the needs of the individuals within this local Body and provide for ways to exhort, encourage, and inspire a sense of belonging. In this way, all the “players” go away prepared to “play the game”—as Ambassadors for Christ and His Kingdom—with new vigor and with a clear understanding of their roles.

The harder the game, the more intense and important the huddle seems to be. As the days of our lives become more difficult, and as the time draws closer to Christ’s return, we should heed the words of the author of Hebrews, as recorded in Hebrews 10:23-25:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

 

The God Who Acts "Suddenly"

 

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”

—Acts 2:1-2

For most of us, waiting on God to answer whatever we ask in our prayers, or waiting on God to show us the direction He wants us to go in any matter, far too often seems like a never-ending period of time. When we first started to wait on God’s response, we often wait far longer than we had ever anticipated waiting.

The first Disciples must have felt that way, too. They had seen Jesus ascend back to Heaven and had already stayed together in an upper room for most of the 40 days between His death and His ascension. Now they had continued to wait for His promise—the Holy Spirit—for ten more days.

I wonder what they expected would happen when the Holy Spirit came. This sudden wind and the tongues of fire that landed on each of them must have shocked even these devoted followers of Jesus. I imagine that once they realized what was happening, they experienced a flood of incredible joy! After a time of waiting, God suddenly responded in an overwhelming way.

When we think of “sudden happenings” in Scripture, we must remember the words recorded in Luke 2:13:

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

Certainly these shepherds shook in their homespun clothing to see such a sight: the coming of this new-born Messiah—the One for whom watchers had prayed and had anticipated for so long a time.

The apostle Paul took a routine “business trip” to Damascus and we read this account in Acts 9:3:

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Later, after Paul had begun working for his new “Boss,” Paul shared a missionary adventure with his friend Silas. We read of these two adventurers in Acts 16:25-26. They had been imprisoned for speaking about Jesus. The Scripture tells us:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

We should allow these accounts of the sudden action of God to give us confidence and renewed faith that God will always answer our prayers, even though we may have waited for a very long time. When God decides to act, nothing will stop Him from suddenly fulfilling His will. When His sovereign plan comes together, circumstances that ordinarily just wouldn’t work out can suddenly fall into place.

As we think back over our lifetimes of knowing God through Jesus, we must have at least one account when we have seen this character trait of God acting suddenly. Let this personal memory and the recorded accounts in the Scriptures encourage us today. When God wills it, it will happen! And often, it will happen suddenly.

 

 

They Called Her: Much-Afraid

 

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.”

—Psalm 56:3-4

In Hannah Hurnard’s classic allegory, Hinds’ Feet On High Places, the main character, little Much-Afraid, lives among her relatives, the Fearings, in the Valley of Humiliation. Even so, she knows the Good Shepherd and desires His fellowship. She learns that He wants her to leave this awful place and follow Him, rather than live forever with those who would have her marry Craven Fear, the fiercest of the Fearings.

Much-Afraid learns from the Shepherd how to climb to the High Places, the Kingdom of Love. This is the place where His love casts out all her fears, including all those fears of the kin who have plagued her throughout all of her life. Through the struggles of a very long and circuitous journey, she becomes a new person—Acceptance-With-Joy—in the Kingdom of Love.

This journey from fear to acceptance, love, and peace does not happen quickly. In our own lives, we seem to have to learn this lesson over and over. Some of us have a greater struggle than others because we, too, live among Fearing relatives who constantly whisper in our ears their evil plans for us.

I am intrigued that throughout Scripture, God speaks the words “Be not afraid” more often than just about any other admonition. He knows our weaknesses and He knows the trials we come up against in this fallen world. After all, Jesus Himself lived with the terrors of sickness, storms, plots of hatred, sleepless nights, suffering, and even death. He most certainly understands our fears.

Unfortunately, this life does not afford us a quick fix to take away our fears. But, I believe that God wants us who know Him, to learn to trust Him, to look in His face, to arm ourselves with His promises through His written Word, and to seek His hope and encouragement. The path away from fear takes us through obstacles, sharp precipices, loneliness, and often dangers on every side.

If we are dogged by this constant companion Fear, we must hear our Savior say to us in the words of Isaiah 41:9-10:

“You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

 

 

Obstinate

 

“I gave them this command: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.’ But they did not listen or pay attention; instead they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.”

—Jeremiah 7:23-24.

Blame it on a poor regular classroom teacher, poor class makeup, or even on my inability to teach them in my music class, this group of fourth graders made it impossible for me to deal with them! Even though I happened to love this age group the best, this particular class seemingly refused to allow me to teach them.

I had so many fun teaching games and songs to use with them. I knew that if they had only given me a chance, they would have loved my class and learned a lot about music at the same time. Every singing game that involved holding hands in a circle ended in some kind of tug of war, or in a refusal to participate. Games with a ball ended with someone trying to “get” another classmate.

These children preferred to goof around, waste class time watching each other play foolishly, while generally refusing to enjoy the lessons I had so carefully planned and developed for their best interest. I modified my lessons to do everything I could to turn these students around. And then, they had the audacity to complain that they were bored!

Do we treat our Lord the same way? Do we refuse to accept His plans for us and generally do everything we can to make it impossible for Him to deal with us? Do we miss the good things He wants for us because we think we have better ideas?

Sometimes, we stubbornly hold on to things that do nothing to help us, or give us joy. We fight against those individuals whom God has brought alongside us and given to us for the sake of His good purposes. Then, we wonder why our lives disappoint us, and the Lord seems so far away from us.

If this attitude describes us, we must turn from our selfish, sinful ways, confess our sins, and return to the Lord and His mercy. We need to promptly acknowledge His righteous and loving purposes for us. And, we need to take to heart the message of these verses from Micah 7:18-19:

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

 

 

The Most Exotic Flower

 

“We love because he first loved us.”

—1 John 4:19

An exotic plant takes extra care: avoidance of drafts, careful watering, the right soil, lots of sunlight, and an appropriate climate. No one can just water and forget this kind of flower.

Comparing “love” to an exotic flower, Charles Haddon Spurgeon writes: ¹

Love is an exotic; it is not a plant which will flourish naturally in human soil, it must be watered from above. Love to Jesus is a flower of a delicate nature, and if it received no nourishment but that which could be drawn from the rock of our hearts it would soon wither … Love must feed on love. The very soul and life of our love to God is His love to us.

We know that love to God and love to each other appears in the greatest commandment, recorded in Matthew 22:37-38:

Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

In the great “Love Chapter”—1 Corinthians 13—we read in verse 13 that:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The list of the “Fruit of the Spirit” stated in Galatians 5:22-23 begins with the most exotic plant—“Love.”

In and of ourselves, we do not have the proper soil, or the ability to nurture the growth of the flower of love. According to Romans 5:5, we must lean on the Holy Spirit, who sheds abroad His love in our hearts.

Pastor James Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle recalls an Easter Sunday in which he sat down on the edge of the platform after the evening meeting. He sat there exhausted, as people continued to pray around him. Shortly, a man with shabby clothing and matted hair came toward him. Tired as he was, Pastor Cymbala had no desire to speak with another person that night.

However, he nodded the man forward and spoke to him. This is how he describes the encounter: ²

When he came close, I saw that his two front teeth were missing. But more striking was his odor—the mixture of alcohol, sweat, urine, and garbage took my breath away. I have been around many street people, but this was the strongest stench I have ever encountered. I instinctively had to turn my head sideways to inhale, then look back in his direction while breathing out.

After briefly speaking with the man, David, the pastor prayed, “God, forgive me.” He swallowed hard as God’s love flooded his soul. ³

David sensed the change in me. He moved toward me and fell on my chest, burying his grimy head against my white shirt and tie. Holding him close, I talked to him about Jesus’ love. These weren’t just words; I felt them. I felt love for this pitiful young man. And that smell … I don’t know how to explain it. It had almost made me sick, but now it became the most beautiful fragrance to me.

This man from the stret, David, surrendered his life to Christ that night and got the help he needed. His life changed forever through that encounter. Pastor Cymbala sums this up by writing: ⁴

Carol and I have found that unless God baptizes us with fresh outpourings of love, we would leave New York City yesterday!

Those of us who desire to obey our Savior’s admonitions to love Him and to love others must realize that, like growing an exotic plant, the necessary conditions must come from the true Source of Nourishment: the love of God for us. We cannot hope to accomplish anything unless His loving Spirit in-dwells us and makes God-breathed love possible.

______________________

1 Spurgeon, Charles H., Morning and Evening. McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Company, Public Domain. p. 326.

2 Cymbala, Jim. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997. pp. 141-144.

3 Ibid

4 Ibid

 

 

Tethered

 

…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

—2 Corinthians 12:7-9

As a toddler, my younger sister liked to put stones from our driveway in her mouth. To avoid this danger, my mother used a tether on my sister and tied her to the laundry pole in the backyard, while Mom hung the wash on the line to dry. Unpleasant for a time, this method of guarding my sister’s behavior proved extremely helpful in preventing the “stone eating.”

Have you ever felt tethered to something that kept you from the freedom you would like? Certainly, God can use the tethering cord for a short time. But, what about those times when He tethers us for a very long term?

Perhaps you feel tethered to a financial problem, a debt that won’t go away, or a life of poverty. Maybe you have a chronic physical problem that severely limits your activities, even those you would like to accomplish for the Kingdom of God. Or, maybe you feel tethered to a boss who, regardless of your prayers and hard work, fails to commend you for your faithful performance, or to pay you what you are worth.

The Apostle Paul, in the passage at the beginning of this blog post, recounted a physical problem with which God had tethered him. He had begged God to take it away. But instead, God, in His overarching love and wisdom, denied Paul’s request. When we ponder this kind of experience in our own lives, we all ask: “Why?”

Yet, Paul knew why God had given him this weakness. Prior to this, Paul had experienced the privilege of a divine revelation. In order to keep him from conceit, God made him humble through this “thorn” of physical limitation—perhaps something that disfigured his appearance, or hampered his clear vision.

As I considered Paul’s situation, I realized that my mother had tied my sister to the laundry pole for the sake of my sister’s protection—nothing else. We must consider that perhaps our long-term trial has come from God for just such a purpose. What sin might He have kept us from through the trial we continue to experience? What accident or wrong choice from which has He shielded us because of the “thorn” we bear?

Then again, perhaps God saw how self-reliant we had become, how easily we go about our own agenda, how much we had come to lean on our own feeble ability and power, rather than solely depending on His enormous ability and overwhelming power.

Perhaps, God wants us all to realize that, like Paul, we need His strength instead of our own. Paul reports this declaration from God, as recorded in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Another reason for God to tether us comes from the reality that He has other people whom He wants to bless through us. Sometimes, to reveal His grace, people need to see the way in which He does the impossible for us. Even Lazarus’ death, recorded in John 11, came about because Jesus wanted to glorify God the Father through Lazarus’ resurrection.

We may never know the reason for the bothersome, painful, joy-sucking “tether” we wear. But, we can get ever-closer to trusting our wise and loving God with the decision He has made to tether us. Let us pray to have the grace, strength, and dedication to Him and to His Kingdom that will result in giving Him the glory that He is most certainly due! Amen.