Strength of Soul

"In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, [and] strengthenedst me [with] strength in my soul.” (Ps 138:3 AV)

Our bodies and minds will fail us.  From cancer to dementia, they will age and weaken.  However, the soul is never aged.  The soul is the essence that is self.  It is the only part of us that can mature and strengthen no matter how physically old we get.  Our psalmist has the perfect prayer here.  He understands this truth.  He does not ask for strength of body and mind.  Rather, he understands the limits of both and asks for the one thing that can be strengthened regardless of circumstances.  He is seeking strength of soul.

Over the years, this minister has had ample opportunity to serve or seasoned saints.  There were luncheons, concerts, and visits in nursing homes and hospitals.  That which has always amazed me was the inner strength these dear saints possessed despite the challenges they faced.  There were life-altering diseases, financial constraints, and loneliness among many other problems.  Yet they seemed to weather the challenges very well.  There was Wanda, who had a very challenging marriage and home situation.  Prentice, who was married to a wife who suffered dementia for 18 years.  There was Lawerence, whose wife passed away with cancer.  There was Terrel, who had been a widower for a very long time and suffered from dementia.  Doris was a special lady whose husband had passed away.  She was a faithful wife from the north who acclimated well to living elsewhere.  We had a missionary wife whose husband passed away.  They served the LORD faithfully for decades, and she carried on the work when her husband passed.  Then there were Dorothy and Helen.  Two sweet ladies widowed for several years.  They lived alone.  And who can forget Patsy, our church piano player?  Her husband passed from disease, yet she continued to serve in the church for several years after. Each had challenges in addition to the loss of a spouse.  Yet they were a joy to be around.  Why?  Because in spite of body and mind failing, they had strength of soul.

Strength of soul is something that is hard to describe.  The soul and spirit often work together.  The attitude of the heart and the condition of the soul are inseparably tied.  Strength of soul can endure hardship that the body and mind cannot.  Strength of soul doesn’t give up no matter how hard the path might be.  Strength of soul can be an impetus that pushes us through the trouble when nothing else will.  We can take a pill or treatment that might strengthen the body.  We can do mental exercises that might give us a bit more cognition.  But when it comes to strength of soul, there is only one place.  That place is in the presence of Almighty God.  Strength of soul is from the omnipotent hand of God.  Pray for it.  Seek it.  Gain it, and all the weakness of body and mind will be a bit easier to handle. 

Greatness Through Gentleness

“Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.” (2Sa 22:36-37 AV)

Chapter 22 of 2nd Samuel is David’s psalm of praise for God’s deliverance from all his enemies.  It is a great song filled with high praise for the God who saved and used David his entire life.  The word ‘gentleness’ seems out of place.  David is speaking of physical deliverance from enemies like Saul and Absalom.  The word ‘gentleness’ means humility or meekness.  As the LORD delivers David, He is neither.  This gentleness is from the LORD to David and enables David to remain humble and meek throughout victories delivered.  When one thinks of the natural heart’s response to vindication, it is not humility or meekness.  David was the God-ordained king.  Not Saul.  Not Absalom.  They attempted to kill David and retain the throne for their descendants.  David would be natural if his heart responded in pride, having been vindicated from his enemies.  Rather, David was given humility and meekness, labeled as gentleness above, and because he responded correctly, the LORD could increase his kingdom.

One wonders how we would fare if placed under the same set of circumstances as Jesus. Peter speaks of Christ’s response to His passion as, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:” (1Pe 2:23 AV) Think of that!  The Son of God, who keeps all of creation in the power of His will, does not respond in kind toward those who are abusing Him!  I don’t think I could have done that.  If I were an all-powerful god,  the first time someone spat on me I might have given him a disease of the mouth.  The one who reached forth to pluck out my beard would be paralyzed.  Standing before Pontius Pilot, I may have stricken him with the palsy so he would naturally fall down before me.  The list goes on and on.  But love won the day.  That love born in humility and meekness made the Lamb silent to the death of the Cross.  This didn’t make Jesus a weakling.  This only served to strengthen Him and encourage His disciples. 

Humility and meekness are prized qualities to the child of God.  They are not seen as weaknesses.  Humility and meekness are qualities of self-control and an honest view of oneself.  Humility and meekness seem as though they have disadvantages.  However, if your heart is already humbled, then no one can have that power over you.  Humility and meekness are not captivating.  They are liberating.  Having been the brunt of many attacks from school bullies, I learned a long time ago that to fight is not always wise.  Especially when outnumbered.  All that does is to encourage more attacks.  The best defense against a bully is indifference.  I never acknowledge their bullying.  I never gave it any attention.  Soon enough it died away.  Once they saw humility and meekness, it was no longer fun.  David learned a valuable lesson here.  He was to serve God by serving his people.  His life and ministry were never about himself.  It was about the LORD and those whom He loved.  His standing was important only in how it affected his leadership.  He did not care about accolades.  He did not care about recognition.  He cared about God and the people of Israel.  This gentleness is what made him great.  Sure, he killed a lion, a bear, and a giant.  He killed ten thousands of Philistines.  But in the end, it was humility and meekness that made this humble shepherd boy a great man.

A Gift From Out Of Nowhere

“Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, [and be buried] by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.” (2Sa 19:37 AV)

The only fact we know of Chimham is that he took the place of another who earned the blessings of a king.  An elderly man, Barzillai, took care of David when David fled from Absalom.  He fed David and his men.  He hid them from obvious discovery by enemy forces.  He gave them shelter in the wilderness.  Barzillai risked his own life, the life of his family, and all his net worth to assist the rightful king of Israel.  Now that Absalom is dead and David was returning, he wished to take Barzillai back to Jerusalem with him.  Barzillai was to be an honored guest of the king from that day until his death.  Yet, Barzillai asked that his servant, Chimham, be honored in his place.  Barzillai, being over eighty years old, was too frail to make the trip.  He was too old to fully enjoy the blessings of being an honored guest.  So, the blessing passed from master to servant.  Knowing as little as we do of Chimham, it is hard to surmise his personality or character.  However, because a man of great character and faith recommended Chimham for regal blessings, one can assume this was not random.  One can assume humility, faith, and integrity were part of his character.  Otherwise, Barzillai would not have offered such a prized existence.

The best gift is the one you didn’t expect, exceeds all your expectations, and doesn’t change you into a worse version of yourself.  Today is Christmas.  Gift giving and receiving are the ideas of today.  We show our love for those whom we appreciate and love, and the Father showed His love by giving us eternal life through Jesus Christ.  No doubt if we have any detective skills, we can predict what lies under the tree.  Perhaps not the exact gift, but we can assume the value of what lies under the tree.  We would expect to be affirmed by those whom we love as we affirm them.  But the greatest gift is the gift that comes out of left field.  It is not for one’s birthday, anniversary, or Christmas.  This gift is not earned like a gift given for accomplishing some great feat.  This gift is unexpected and beyond measure.  I often imagine what it would take for someone to arrange a Jumbotron event.  I have been to a few ballgames and have seen birthday wishes splashed across the screen.  But the one that gets me is when a veteran is honored.  Sometimes, this comes as a complete surprise.  The veteran was there simply to enjoy his home team as they played.  But on the Jumbotron is his picture with all his accomplishments from serving his country.  The entire stadium stands and applauds.  He is embarrassed.  He is grateful.  But he remains humble.

This, I imagine this was what Chimham experienced.  He never saw it coming.  He could not have predicted that one day, if he worked hard enough, he would sit at the table of the king.  Not because of what he did, but because of what his master did.  This is a great picture of our inheritance in Christ.  David being the Father, Barzillai being Christ, and we being Chimham; we will one day sit in the presence of the Father.  We will enjoy the blessing reserved for us in heaven.  Not because we have earned them.  Rather, because of what Christ has done for us.  Praise be to God!

None Greater

“For I know that the LORD [is] great, and [that] our Lord [is] above all gods. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, [that] did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” (Ps 135:5-6 AV)

As a reminder, the word ‘gods’ does not suggest there are lesser deities.  That is a common misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the use of the word.  It is popular among contemporary Christianity and apostate fundamentalism.  When using the word ‘god’ or ‘gods’ with a small ‘g’, the word of God is referring to either idols or those with greater stature than common man.  The small ‘g’ ‘god’ could mean rulers of men like politicians, kings, etc.  The word could refer to created angelic beings.  Because the use of the word above suggests the ‘gods’ are real individuals and not an idol of wood or metal, we can assume the psalmist is referring to human rulers or people of great stature.  The ‘gods’ of this world believe themselves to be mightier than God.  It doesn’t matter how much man flexes his muscles; God will do what God will do.  There is no individual, nation, or world that can do to stop Him.

There is a program I like to watch.  The program is a bit of history with a bit of tinkering.  Old world craftsmen and women repair and restore family treasures.  One craftsman is a clockmaker.  His name is Steve.  Steve can fix just about anything.  His specialty besides clocks is any mechanical device.  Recently, he was tasked with repairing and finishing a handmade clock started, but not quite finished, by a man’s grandfather decades earlier.  It was a gravitational clock, which derived its power from a marble that would roll down a tilt table.  It took exactly thirty seconds for the marble to descend.  Then the tilt table would flip and the marble would go back to the other end.  The thing that fascinates me about non-electrical clocks is the precision involved in making a timepiece that keeps perfect time.  The mind that it would take to build such a device must be a brilliant one.  The littlest thing can throw the timing off.  One bent or worn tong among thousands and the clock would be off.  Any wear and tear can and does affect the precision of the timepiece.  All things must be perfectly aligned and assembled or the clock does not work.  So too are the universe and the events of mankind.  They are all perfectly aligned and assembled so that the will of the Creator is accomplished.

It appears the statement above is from experience and from theology.  To say that he knows means more than a head-knowledge.  To know above means to know it with the heart but also see it with the eyes.  This means the writer’s worldview was in the context of a sovereign God who controls all things.  He knows that God controls all things because that is how he observed the events of life.  Creation is so vastly complicated that no matter how well someone might know how things work, he or she can never comprehend it all.  Never.  God is infinite.  He is infinite in scope.  His creation, although it has mass and size, involves infinite principles.  For mankind to think it can match or exceed an infinite God is preposterous on its face.  The writer above knows God is in control because that is how he sees the world.  There is no such thing as chance.  There is purpose, design, and control.

refreshing

“And the king, and all the people that [were] with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.” (2Sa 16:14 AV)

The circumstances for the refreshing are known, but the place is not.  David was in flight from his son Absalom.  Absalom hated his father because David did not exercise justice promptly enough for Absalom.  Absalom’s sister was raped by their half-brother Amnon.  Absalom killed Amnon for it.  The bible tells us that David was comforted over the death of Amnon.  Absalom resented his father for his delay or refusal to do what had to be done.  So, when Absalom returned from banishment, he used that resentment as a way to take the kingdom from his father.  While in flight, a man from the household of Saul cursed David and his men along the way.  He cursed, threw stones, and tossed dust in the air.  For miles this went on.  A constant barrage of insults, accusations, and ill will.  To say that David was discouraged would be an understatement.  Rejected by a nation to whom he dedicated his life, rejected by a son who wanted him dead, and insulted by the godless family whom he replaced; David needed a time out.  The context suggests that David purposefully refreshed himself and his men even while Shimei was cursing. 

There is a difference between refreshing and resting.  Resting means all present activity is ceased.  I lay down.  I fall asleep.  I am at rest because activity has ceased.  Refreshing does not require that activity cease.  Activity can be interrupted or lessened.  But activity continues.  I had a brother who was an amateur athlete.  He started as a marathon runner.  Then he graduated to cycling.  He entered contests in our home state and would travel a bit to compete.  When he traveled, he would often check into a hotel for a night or two.  The night before the race, he would rest.  The night after the race, he would rest again.  However, while participating in the race, there was no resting.  There was refreshing.  Every few miles, there would be tables of water for the contestants.  As they ran or cycled by, they could grab a cup of water and drink a refreshing drink.  The race continued.  Maybe they slowed a bit to grab the water, but stride was maintained.  They were refreshed along the way, while their challenge still lay before them.  Resting will come eventually.  But while in the race, refreshing was necessary.

David was in flight.  He had to save his skin.  God gave him a promise, and Absalom’s insurrection wasn’t about to end it.  He had the battle of his life before him.  He had harassment from all sides.  He could not rest.  To do so meant death.  What he could do was to find a place of refreshing.  As the cursing and pursuing continued, he stopped long enough to grab fresh water and a meal by a river’s bank.  One can imagine how that fresh cold water would drown out the calls of evil all around him.  This refreshing was so overpowering that the surrounding troubles seemed to shrink.  We need this refreshing.  Every day we need to spend time with the LORD.  The battle against the flesh, devil, and the world will rage on until our graduation.  The battle for the lost souls of mankind will rage on.  These things will not stop until our eternal rest.  Refreshing is necessary lest we come to an untimely and unproductive end.  That cool, clear water of the word of God and the sweet taste of intimate prayer are what we need every day.  The swirling trouble will continue.  The stones will still fly.  But ignore them for a brief moment and refresh your weary soul in the presence of Almighty God!

Equal Value

“The rich and poor meet together: the LORD [is] the maker of them all.” (Pr 22:2 AV)

Every human soul has equal worth with God.  Assigning worth to a person based on external criteria is a trait of fallen man.  To the LORD, the rich have no more worth than the poor.  To the LORD who has made us all, the value of a person in found in his existence, not in his condition.  We are all equally fallen.  We are all equally wicked.  An education or lack thereof does not impress God.  A net worth or humble poverty is not more valuable to the LORD.  The eternal soul, which we all possess, is what Christ died for.  He didn’t die for our pocketbooks.  He owns it all.  He didn’t die for our simplicity.  Whatever we do, or fail to do, in this life will not determine the value of our souls.  All will die, and all will appear before their Maker.  One cannot buy himself past the judge.  One cannot plead hardship to avoid examination.  We will all appear before the LORD Jesus Christ to give an account of a life graciously given.  God loves all equally.  God died for all, equally.  There is no distinction.  There is nothing to earn.  There is nothing to accomplish.

Carrying golf bags for the rich and famous comes with an allusion of inflated worth.  I have carried the bags of very wealthy and famous people.  It was interesting how those with wealth and influence treated their caddies.  Personalities and habits ran the gamut.  There were clients who treated their caddies as peons.  They treated them with less respect than they would a hired hand.  Then there were others who treated their caddies with great respect.  It was easy to be impressed with clients who owned companies, lived in palaces, and drove expensive cars.  Being silent, a caddy hears much impressive talk.  Millions of dollars could trade hands by the ninth hole.  Entire companies could be bought or sold.  Agreements between millionaires were shared over a putt.  How these people talked of things larger than life as if they were talking about a hamburger recipe was beyond impressive.  World changers who were normal people.  But the ones that were really impressive were the humble millionaires.  You wouldn’t know how much they were worth.  When someone told you, it knocked you off your feet.  People are people.  It doesn’t matter what their bank accounts say or not say.  Standing before the LORD, we will all stand the same way.

Solomon, the smartest and wealthiest man of his time, puts life into perspective.  What he accomplished, he did so for the LORD.  This didn’t earn him a place with God any more than the simple shepherd who tended only one sheep.  Solomon shows great wisdom here.  His point is simple.  There is one event that happens to us all.  We will all die.  We will all stand before our Maker.  What we have done or failed to do in life will not change that.  What we do with Christ will determine our eternal state.  Knowing this, envy should never be a temptation.  It doesn’t matter what we are when compared to others.  We are all a mess.  It doesn’t matter if we carry someone’s golf clubs and he tips us a mere pittance.  It doesn’t matter if God uses us for much or for little.  It doesn’t matter if we have ten talents or one.  It really doesn’t matter.  We will all stand before God.  We will all give account.  Not with what we have done, but rather, how faithful we were with what we were given.  No room for envy.  None!  God is good to all who call upon His name.  No matter what!

Flawed but not Forsaken

“And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.” (2Sa 12:24 AV)

David and Bathsheba had an affair.  When it was told to David that Bathsheba was with child, David arranged for Bathsheba’s husband to die in battle.  Uriah was sent to the front lines and told to assault a city wall.  An enemy arrow pierced his heart.  That was God’s way of bringing Uriah home.  Uriah never found out his wife had been unfaithful.  With the birth of this child, God struck the child with sickness that would take his life seven days later.  It was only right that God would not allow David and Bathsheba to enjoy the fruits of their sin.  In those seven days, David prayed for God’s grace.  In particular, David sought health for his newborn.  God did not grant David’s wish, but He did show infinite grace.  Most of us would see the event as one that could never be blessed.  David committed adultery and murder.  One would think that God would never give them a child.  But He did.  He gave them Solomon.  Solomon would be that certain king of Israel who grew the nation into a world power.  God loved Solomon.  God showed grace to two repentant and humble parents in the giving of a child He used for His glory.

God is far more gracious than we might think.  His tender mercies do not fail.  Because of who and what we are, we deserve an eternal hellfire.  Yet, the LORD is slow to wrath and quick to forgive.  When we take stock of the blessings of God, there is not one honest saint who can say they deserve all they have.  Even if the saint is highly disciplined and righteous, he or she still deserves the pits of hell.  When compared to the glory of God, falling short of it is infinitely short no matter how righteous we might be.  Let us never forget that!  When remembering all the LORD has done over almost 50 years of salvation, this saint stands humbly amazed at what God has done.  This writer deserves the hottest place in the devil’s domain.  The account, although settled along ago, still grows.  Even after I know better.  The old man seems to be more of a pest every day I live.  Sin is at the door.  The heart is stained with sin.  Sin that has to be battled every day.  Some battles are won.  Some are lost.  Seeking God’s forgiveness is a daily thing.  The day of glorification cannot come too soon.  Yesterday, while door knocking, I spoke to a man in his nineties who knew the LORD.  We both agreed that the LORD cannot come soon enough.

Solomon was God’s way of telling two flawed people that they were forgiven.  Solomon was God’s extended hand of love and mercy toward two people who made very bad choices.  Solomon was God’s way of telling two people that in spite of what they had done, God loved them and was going to use them for His glory.  The existence of Solomon went a long way in healing the scars left by sin.  David would have to pay his fourfold cost for stealing another man’s wife.  He lost his newborn, but would lose three more sons before he passed.  The consequences were not totally avoidable.  But Solomon was the grace to endure what was coming.  Solomon, by his mere existence, was an amazing young man.  Every time he called out for Momma or Daddy, it was God’s way of saying, “I forgive you and I still love you”!  Praise God for His wonderful grace to the children of men.