Tending to the Lighthouse

“The righteous [is] more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.” (Pr 12:26 AV)

This proverb reveals how difficult it is to live right when surrounded by the wicked.  This is exactly what Solomon is teaching.  The righteous are more righteous than those among whom he dwells.  Yet the way of those who surround him can tempt him to evil.  The righteous are a light to the world.  They live and stand as a beacon to God’s righteousness.  There is a constant assault on their resolve to live according to God’s law.  The point is that being righteous among the wicked isn’t enough.  There must be a defense against the wicked and a striving for righteousness.  Standing alone doesn’t cut it.  According to Soloman, merely being righteous will not withstand the temptations from the wicked.  One must do more.

We were watching a video on unique houses for sale.  One was a lighthouse that was two-and-a half miles off the coast of North Carolina.  It was completely renovated.  I think it was somewhere around 1500 square feet of living space.  The only way to get to it would be by boat.  Once moored to the house, the occupant has to climb a ladder to get to the deck of the living space.  It sure would be a fun place to live.  However, the thought that came to my mind is the effort required to maintain a lighthouse that far off from shore.  Everything has to be brought by boat.  Every brick, every sack of concrete, every tube of sealant; everything.  If one had to make an emergency repair, there would have to be a stock of spare parts, or there would be a problem.  If there weren’t constant inspection and repair, the house would succumb to the constant battering of the sea.  There has to be attention, hard work, and a constant eye for what could cause harm for this lighthouse to remain standing.

The same is true for the believer.  We are an extreme minority.  Although none of us can claim complete holiness, we are more like Christ than the day He saved us.  We are walking in the righteousness of Christ the best we can.  What we cannot do is rely solely on our standing before God to guarantee practical holiness.  We have the righteousness of Christ.  Yet we are surrounded by the wicked every day.  There must be examination through the word of God.  There must be prayer for the conviction and instruction of the Holy Spirit.  There must be study, memorization, and application.  Staying in the righteousness of Christ while on our pilgrimage of this life is not a given.  We cannot simply state that since we are a child of God, then sin has no more dominion over us.  That is certainly not what Paul teaches in Romans chapter seven.  The storm surge of evil hits us every day.  How well we prepared against it will tell the story of whether we stand or fall.

Turning Down the Bed

“The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” (Ps 41:3 AV)

Many commentators mention that this psalm is most likely written by David during a time of physical illness.  There is none mentioned in scripture.  There is no mention of a battle wound either.  The only time we see David on a sickbed is when he is very old and in need of a nurse.  I have to admit, it kind of reads that way.  However, if we remain in context, the languishing is caused by the presence of overwhelming enemies.  In verse four, David seeks a healing of the soul.  Not the body.  He confesses his own sin and then seeks health for his soul.  Regardless of physical, spiritual, or emotional illness, it is God that will make the bed of sickness.  But what does that mean?

To ‘make’ all his bed means to overturn.  We have a phrase.  When fixing a bed for someone, we would call it turning down the bed or turning down the sheets.  The one preparing the bed for another would often make the bed perfectly and whole and then turn down the sheets from one corner to the center.  In doing a bit of research, turning down the bed is an unnecessary task done today.  In days gone by, the servants of a wealthy household would turn down the sheets for their employers.  The custom still exists today.  In some exclusive hotels, the service is offered.  But the turning down of a bed had a more practical application.  In days before central heating, it was not uncommon to supplement heat in a bed by the use of an bed pan or coal pan.  They would take an all-metal pan with a metal lid, place embers from the fireplace within, and slide the pan under the mattress.  Turning down the bed meant a source of heat was placed under the bed.  That way, the owner of the bed would know that a source of heat was placed under the bed if the sheets were turned down so a pan could be slid underneath.  Thus, turning down the bed, or making the bed, meant placing a source of comfort for the one who would sleep there.

What David is showing is that in times of deep distress, God adds comfort so that we might recover.  In particular, when nighttime becomes a time of languishing, God will make up the bed and add comfort for our rest.  Nighttime is not an easy time.  The mind races.  The heart is anxious.  Activity for the day is all done.  There is nothing more that can occupy our thoughts.  So the nighttime is a perfect time to languish.  When someone is in the hospital recovering from illness or surgery, it is the nighttime in which they most frequently struggle.  It is nighttime when moaning and crying out are loudest.  In the daytime, when the light comes through the windows, the mind can be occupied by the sights and sounds of the room.  But once the lights go out, all the patient has to occupy himself with is the pain or discomfort he feels.  This is why God must make up the bed.  He must be our comfort in the stillness of the twilight hours.  When the crickets are louder than conversation, or the shadows distort reality, it is the warmth of God’s presence, manifested by a turned-down bed that medicates the heart.

Remade

“Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it].” (Jer 18:3-4 AV)

I know this passage refers to the reconciliation of Israel to Jehovah God at the start of the millennial reign of Christ.  But it is a good picture of what happens to the believer upon receiving Christ as Savior.  We do have to be careful here in that we don’t over-apply the details.  God made everything and called it good.  It was because of man’s sin that the clay is marred.  From Cain and Abel to every person created, we were made in the image of God and in the image of Adam.  We have a nature to sin which we inherited from Adam.  This does not suggest God is accountable for our wickedness.  Or, putting it another way, that we are marred.  We are sinners by nature and by choice.  The LORD may have made us with the capacity to choose sin, but we are the ones who choose it.  Because of our human nature, we are flawed.  We are a lump of clay on the Potter’s wheel that is flawed by default.  Yet the Potter who created a flawed lump of clay can reform it unto perfection.  In short, what we once were we no longer are.  The Potter makes what is bad into something that is good.

Watching a potter is fascinating.  Many years ago, I would watch pottery classes from afar.  During the summer, our city had day camps for children.  I attended one as a student, but then as a worker.  It was held at a large recreation center.  The center had an ice rink, tennis courts, and extensive fields.  At the top of the property was a repurposed playhouse.  That was what we called a building that was used as a small theater for live plays.  On the bottom floor, there were several studios.  There was one for painting.  Another for yarn work.  Then there was the pottery studio.  It was on the backside of the building and on the first floor.  So, a few summer afternoons would find me sitting under a locust tree and watching the potters work their clay projects.  I was fascinated by how they manually turned their table.  It was more than interesting how they spun the clay and shaped it with their fingers and added water to keep the clay pliable.  Every once is a while the potter didn’t like the results so he or she would reduce the project to a lump and begin anew.  It was intriguing how the potter could take a clay project that had succumbed to kinetic energy and became disfigured and reshape it into a masterpiece.  The potter may have had to restart a few times, but in the end it was a piece worthy of display.

God doesn’t have to restart us more than once.  When Jesus is our Savior and the Holy Spirit resides within, the project is well on its way to perfection.  The old lump is transformed.  The old project no longer exists.  The touch of the Master Potter reshapes the clay into something beyond comprehension.  The Bible promises us that we will be like Christ.  We will be transformed into His holy image.  We may not possess the physical attributes of our Savior, but we will possess His moral attributes.  We will be a mirror image of our Savior, perfect and without sin!  When the lump is thrown back on the table and spun once again, what comes forth will not resemble what once was.  Praise the LORD that you and I are not the same lump, nor will we be ever again!

Rejoice Evermore

“Rejoice evermore.” (1Th 5:16 AV)

I was reminded of this verse this morning as the trials are mounting up.  There is a joy that some are able to carry regardless of their circumstances.  This is the joy we should all be working toward.  The words above were written to a church that was suffering rather profoundly.  They were a people of deep poverty.  When Paul arrived to start a church in Thessalonica, he worked a secular job because the people were far too poor to meet his needs.  It was only one of two places where Paul supplemented his income.  The other was at Corinth because there had yet to be a church planted there.  The Thessalonians suffered from severe earthquakes.  Even today, according to a web search, “Seismically, the region remains active; data indicates there are roughly 692 quakes per year in or near the city.  While most are minor, Thessaloniki has experienced at least 9 earthquakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, suggesting that large-magnitude events occur on average every 10 to 15 years.  Recent activity includes a magnitude 2.0 quake in the nearby Aegean Sea as of June 12, 2026.”  Thessalonica was conquered by the Romans and eventually made the capital city of the Macedonian region.  Christians did not fare well because of the political persecution against them.  Of all the churches Paul started, Thessalonica probably had the greatest temptation to misery.  Yet, he told them to rejoice evermore.

I know I have used this example before, but it was so profound to me it bears repeating.  At my last church, one of the most fulfilling ministries I had was a monthly luncheon with the widows and widowers.  Being the youngest person at the table, I simply sat and listened.  I listened to their stories of years gone by.  I listened of the hog killings in the front yard as neighbors drove by waving and smiling.  There was the story of one fella who used to ride his horse to school.  Still another of the ice deliveries that came once a week.  I heard of storms that paralyzed the area for weeks, but they hunkered down and survived just fine.  Every once is a while, a story would include their departed spouse.  Rather than tears, there was laughter.  They would remember the good times.  The bad times were long forgotten.  Someone would recall a funny event that made the entire group chuckle.  Someone else might mention a particular trait or quirk of the departed and smiles would break out all around the tables.  There were no tears.  There were smiles and laughter.  Then they would regale one another with battle stories of their health struggles.  Rather than complain, they found the humor in it.  We heard of one cancer patient who couldn’t stand people staring at her, so she pretended to sneeze so hard that her wig flew off.  Still another who had a continence issue who would blame the food for smelling badly to see who would buy the story.  And there were the stories of going to get a colonoscopy, noticing the waiting room was full, and mentioning to the staff that perhaps having a room full of patients who had been guzzling prep all night might not be such a good idea.  There was bound to be a mess somewhere.

Joy is something we choose.  Happiness is something that happens.  We can choose to see God’s mercy, grace, benevolence, and provision.  Or, we can complain and be miserable.  We can either choose to laugh at the human condition, or we can amplify every inconvenience, hardship, etc. to a point of pure misery.  Paul tells a church that has endured several earthquakes, political persecution, and deep poverty to rejoice evermore.  Is Paul callous?  Can he not empathize with their situation?  Cannot the Apostle understand their horrible circumstances? Does he not offer a shoulder, a prayer, or a pat on the back?  Absolutely.  But none of those things are going to change their circumstances.  Therefore, after the consolation has been offered, it is time to rejoice.  It is time to set our affections on things above.  It is time to be more grateful for what we do have than resentful over that which we do not have.  Rejoice evermore.  That is a command.  Not a suggestion.

Blessings From Righteousness

"Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed [are they that] keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed [is] the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.” (Pr 8:32-35 AV)

Living right and doing right has its own pleasures.  No doubt, pleasure is part of our experience from sin.  There is no disputing that fact.  The Bible warns us of the pleasures of sin for a season.  The pleasures of sin are immediate.  They can be very profound.  They can entice to greater experiences of pleasure.  Pleasure from doing right isn’t always immediate.  It takes time to experience pleasures from doing right.  Often, they are not easily recognizable.  Unlike the pleasures from sin, which are intense and fleeting, the pleasures from righteousness are deeper and longer lasting.  I know this by experience.

Following a birthday party, I had much weight to lose.  My church family and friends learned that I liked ice cream cake.  I had four of them in a matter of two weeks.  I had gotten to my heaviest ever.  Something had to be done.  If I didn’t get my weight and AC1s under control, I was looking at diabetes.  So, I went on a Keto style diet.  I severely limited my carbs, but I especially cut out refined sugar.  I love creamer in my coffee.  But that was over half my carb intake in one day.  So, I switched to half-and-half for the first cup and black for every cup that followed.  I immediately lost 20 pounds.  It was amazing.  The longer I was on that diet, the better I felt.  I lost 40 lbs over about seven months.  Things slowed down a bit, and I lost 20 more over the next year and a half.  I didn’t exercise more.  I didn’t count calories.  All I did was back off bad carbs and eat more protein.  At first, I missed the bad carbs and sweets.  Dark chocolate is one of my weaknesses.  Savory bad carbs are another.  Yet after a while, my tastes changed.  I savory piece of jerky with no carbs was preferred over a dark chocolate with raspberry.  A bowl of fruit for breakfast sounded better than a bowl of cereal.  The last few months have been a challenge.  More and more bad foods have crept into my life.  Once the nicer weather came, so did the baked goods, the cookies and candy, and all sorts of temptations.  Birthdays in our house tend to fall in the spring.  All but one are in the span of two months.  That means birthday cake for eight weeks.  The sugar high was pleasurable.  That is for sure.  But I would much rather have a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak with a sweet potato and asparagus.  The pleasures of eating right are extended over time.  The pleasure of eating cake only lasts a few hours.

God knows what He is doing.  His ways are always the best ways.  His ways are for His glory and our benefit.  God is our Father.  Why would He create principles that were designed to make us as miserable as possible?  Would you do that to your children?  No!  Everything you do for your kids is done by love and for their profit.  God would do no less.  Doing right and living right has blessing that come with it.  They are designed as part of God’s creation.  We live right and do right, and the blessings of God will follow.  This doesn’t mean trouble will be absent.  Trouble is part of life.  Rather, by living right and doing right, we increase the blessings of life that follow.  If only we would trust that!

Rest From Something Onto Something Else

"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” (Ps 37:7 AV)

The encouragement has persecutors in view.  Yet the first nine verses could apply to any situation of duress.  ‘Resting’ is what has me intrigued today.  Resting is ceasing from activity.  Resting is stopping that which is the cause of our business.  Resting has to be placed in an object.  When the day is complete and rest is warranted, one rests in bed.  When I come in from yard work, it is time to rest in my recliner.  When study was our work, we rest our minds and eyes by taking a nap is a certain place.  Rest must occur in or on an object.  Therefore, to rest in the LORD is to cease from that which is causing us to fret and exist solely in the presence of God. 

There’s not much to do in a hospital bed.  Even less if you are visiting someone who is recovering.  But some of the sweetest times I have had were sitting next to someone who was not doing well and simply being there. I have spent hours sitting.  Hours listening.  Hours napping.  Being in the presence of someone else while they are in pain or weary is all they need.  There are other times when simply sitting on a porch with someone with whom you share a life is more profitable than going on a date.  As we sit there, sipping ice cold water or a hot cup of coffee with conversation of things not pertinent to our troubles, is a sweet time to be treasured.  There are car rides that take the better part of a day.  Or an overnight flight to a distant destination.  There is simply laying in bed as the night falls watching something of little value because the presence of someone who loves us occupies the other space.  Resting in the presence of someone means security and affirmation.  Resting in the presence of someone who unconditionally loves us is a very special place to be.

David knows what living in trouble looks like.  Thirteen years on the run from a father-in-law who wanted him dead followed by serving as king with constant battles and administration would demand rest in the presence of God.  He knows of what he speaks.  Getting away from all that would trouble him, even for a brief moment, and spending the time in prayer of praise and affirmation is what he needed.  Rest.  Rest is from something.  But rest is also in something.  Rest means to come away from that which causes activity and existing in a state of being that requires nothing of you.  Resting in the LORD is shutting the door of fretting, fear, anxiety, doubts, persecutions, etc. and existing only in the presence of the LORD.  Resting.  What a wonderful word.  Resting in God is the only true rest that will make our journey through life a victorious one.  Rest.  What a great word!  Rest.

Mountains and Hills

“Truly in vain [is salvation hoped for] from the hills, [and from] the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God [is] the salvation of Israel.” (Jer 3:23 AV)

Judah was told to submit to Babylon as they were carried away into captivity.  The king and the princes we specifically told not to flee the city in hope of protection.  They were not to flee into the mountains.  They were not to flee into Egypt for protection and help.  If they did, the Babylonian army would overtake them and destroy them.  They ignored the words of the prophet and fled, anyway.  The prophecy came true.  Most were killed in battle.  The king was captured, his eyes put out, and sat at the table of servants of the sovereign.  The last thing he saw before he was blinded was the death of his sons.  Rather than obey the LORD and endure through hard circumstances, they trusted in the mountains and hills.  They failed miserably.

The center of God’s will is always the best place to be.  We may not like it.  It may not be easy, but fleeing is never a good idea.  This is our first instinct when the hand of God is active.  Adam and Eve fled from the presence of the LORD.  Jonah fled to Tarsus.  Peter fled from the presence of the LORD when he denied the LORD three times.  The book of Revelation tells is the rebellious will flee to the mountains, wishing for the mountains to bury them alive rather than to repent from their sin.  The word ‘vain’ is a good word here.  The word means pointless.  Note also that there are a multitude of hills and mountains.  Many escape routes in place to escape the will of God.  We have our mountain of pleasure.  We have our mountain of self-sufficiency.  We have our mountain of critical thinking.  We have our mountain of supportive relationships.  We have our mountain of financial security.  We have our mountain of mobility.  We have all sorts of mountains.  We have all sorts of hills.  If God’s way gets too hard, we have an out.  But salvation is only from one place.  Salvation is only from God!

God’s way is the best way.  It is not always the easiest way.  God’s plan is the best plan.  Our plans have hidden hazards.  God’s way is always the holiest way.  Our way is a way of self-interest.  The hills and mountains may look secure.  I am familiar with both.  Having lived among hills and mountains, they can be foreboding, but they are always safe.  Short of a landslide, mountains and hills are good places to live.  That which we see as protection is also a hindrance against impending threats.  These hills and mountains can be a fortress.  The thing we forget is that God is infinitely greater than any mountain of hill upon which we trust.  It is far better to trust in the LORD than in anything else.