Even Satan's Seat Can Be Won!

“And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.” (Isa 23:17-18 AV)

Tyre was a no-good city.  Ezekiel chapter twenty-eight depicts the king of Tyre as Satan himself.  This city did more damage to the nation of Israel through industry and trade than any other city.  Set on the Mediterranean, this city was very wealthy.  It was protected by city walls on the mainland, and its seat of government was actually on a small island just off the cost.  Completely defensible.  Yet, when Babylon came calling, they lost their independence and off to the pagan land they went.  Now, the bible states, after their 70-year exile, the would return and eventually make faith in the LORD their main export!

According to first century historians, Tyre became a very Christianized city.  The vast majority of its wealth gained by trade was invested in the building of churches and ministry work.  The prophecy of Isaiah came true!  This city was visited by Christ and by Paul.  It was the seat of many missionary works.  This city, which was once a serious enemy of God’s people through temptation and whoredoms would become converted by the grace of God.  It just goes to show that no matter how hard the case, anyone can come to Christ if they so desire.

It reminds me of a soul whom the LORD allowed me the privilege to share the gospel, resulting in a decision for Christ.  At first glance, this individual did not look winnable.  A disposition that at first glance said “go away.”   Even as we spoke, one go the initial impression that debate and argument was the only interest in the heart of this precious soul.  Yet, the Spirit softened a stiff heart, giving this preacher hope and courage to continue the discussion.  Soon afterwards, another soul was permanently added to the Lamb’s book of life!  Glory!  Never give up.  We never know who will and will not convert!

The God of Peace is the God of the Impossible

“In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, [even] a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed [be] Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.” (Isa 19:24-25 AV)

If there are any doubts that God is the God of the impossible, this should dispel them all!  Imagine a time when Egypt, Iraq/Iran, and Israel are all at peace with one another and all worship the LORD Jesus Christ.  The biggest reason they are at odds with one another is none worship the Messiah!  Not even Israel.  They are fighting because they are not at peace with God.  When enemies are at peace with God, they will be at peace with one another.

We know this is future tense.  This has never happened in the history of mankind.  If Israel were at peace with Egypt, Assyria (Iran/Iraq) would be the aggressor.  If Israel was at peace with Assyria, then Egypt would be the aggressor.  If Egypt and Assyria were at peace, then Israel was the aggressor.  Never in the history of mankind has all three nations been at peace one with another, least of all, all worshiping the LORD Jesus Christ!

If we ever doubt the LORD’s ability to answer our situation, all we need to remember is the God would can part the Red Sea, make mountains quake, and  cause the rise and fall of kingdoms is the same God who watches over us.  Our problems, no matter how significant they may be to us, are nothing in the sight and ability of God!  If He can cause three kingdoms who have warred for thousands of years to come to peace and worship His Son, surely this same God can work His wonderful will in the midst of our trying times.

We May Steer, But God Built the Road

“This [is] the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this [is] the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul [it]? and his hand [is] stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” (Isa 14:26-27 AV)

Theologically, we all understand the sovereignty of God.  Yet practically, we ignore it.  The context of this passage is the certain and sudden judgment that would come upon Babylon for being the hand of God’s chastisement upon Israel.  It was sudden and unexpected.  They believed they were in a state of security unparalleled by any other kingdom.  So certain were they that they completely ignored the precise prophecy of who it would be and how it would happen resulting in their downfall.  Roughly 150 years prior, Isaiah predicted the Medes would come upon Babylon by drying up the river, invading their city and completely overthrowing the mighty Babylonians.  They had the prophecy.  Yet did nothing to prevent the prediction.  The height of arrogance!  Yet, we do the same thing many times each day.

The word of God is absolute.  It does not change.  The LORD has put in His word all the revelation needed for mankind to serve Him and love Him.  There are blessings promised and curse warned.  Consequences for actions both good and bad.  Yet, we live our lives on a day to day basis in the belief we are the determiners of our own destiny.  We believe that in some way, maybe even a small way, we have control of the steering wheel.  Which, by the way, is a good analogy.  Someone going down the road may have control over the steering wheel.  But how much liberty does he really have in determining the direction of the vehicle?  The road is narrow.  There is only one single lane.  He has liberty so long as he stays within the confines of the road.  If he decides to veer off, in a ditch or worse is the consequence.  This is the sovereignty of God.  We may have some liberty, but it is very limited and is governed by the universal and applicable laws of God!

Endure The Chastening

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.” (Isa 10:24-25 AV)

It is rarely preached or spoken of, but the chastening hand of God is a reality.  It is a necessity!  We are saved and the Bible states we sons of God. If sons, then chastening is part of that relationship.  Oft times, the LORD uses His enemies as the means of the rod that chastens and corrects His children.  In our text, it was the kingdom of Assyria who chastened the ten northern tribes, and it would be Babylon that chastens Judah and Benjamin.  However, as our text encourages us, this chastening will not last forever.  A spanking does have its limits.

For instance, our “out of the box” thinking brethren who are utilizing free market principles to attract new “customers” to salvation are finding out the hard way the LORD does not approve of such methods.  They open coffee shops, bowling allies, ball parks, or other amenities, charging a fee or price for goods offered, and wonder why the state or federal government wants to treat them as a ‘for profit’ company.  There is a movement afoot in one state that will charge property taxes if the simple majority of activities are more emotional or physical rather than spiritual.  In other words, if a church owns a gym or ball field, and the majority of activities offered on said properties are sports, especially if there is a fee associated with it or concessions are available, the state sees this as a ‘for profit’ venture and taxes said ministry.  We cry foul.  No pun intended.  But the fact of the matter is, the church is in the business of teaching and preaching God’s word!  First!  When we are disobedient, we should not be surprised God uses the world to correct us.

For the individual, it might be a lost family member, an unsaved employer, or a police officer pulling us over.  Know this:  God loves you and I so much, that He will not permit us to live in such a way as to fritter away blessings of obedience.  Even if the chastening is long and hard, it has time limits.  Israel submitted to Assyria and Babylon.  Because they did, the chastening lasted only one generation.  God restored them.  When we submit to the chastening hand of God, it too will be much shorter.  Don’t be discouraged.  It is for our own good!

Holiness Is Predetermined

“And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.” (Isa 1:25-27 AV)

Although this passage refers to the future reclamation of Israel, it needs be applied to our own nation and world!  There will come a time when Jesus returns to set up the kingdom promised to Israel’s forefathers.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, etc all looked for an eternal kingdom with the Messiah as king were righteousness would rule the kingdom.  This will come to pass.  Eventually.  The thing which Israel got wrong, and continues to get wrong is the nature of this kingdom.  It is righteousness.  They looked for a political kingdom.  They still do.  The other day, I read of hundreds of thousands of homosexuals marching in Jerusalem.  Who would have ever thought the holy city of God would sponsor or allow sodomites in their streets?  When Christ comes, there will be none of that!

The church is not that far behind.  Increasing so, there are professing Christians who accept all sorts of wicked behavior and try to justify it by distorting the scriptures.  From recreational use of alcohol and drugs, to fornication, to same-gender marriage, professing believers are at best, turning a blind eye to it.  At worst, accepting and even promoting it!

We need revival badly!  Like Israel, the church needs a purging.  It needs to get back to the clear and holy teachings of the word of God!  It needs to follow the laws and principles of the word of God while being a lighthouse to the lost world!  It needs to cleanse itself of the wickedness of the world.  God is not pleased.  This too is an eventuality.  When the church is raptured from the world, she will be cleansed!  Period.  No drunkenness.  No substance abuses.  No sodomy.  No filthiness of the world.  It will all be purged away.  Glory!  But she needs to strive in that direction every day and not wait for the LORD’s return!

Truly Blessed

“How fair is thy love, my sister, [my] spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!” (So 4:10 AV)

This morning, I lay on my pillow and meditated upon how blessed of a man God has made me.  Nathan was married last weekend to a wonderful and godly young lady.  That makes three for three.  The first thought was to my sons and how blessed the LORD has been to me in those three men.  They are godly men who love the LORD.  They have servant’s hearts which desire to serve the LORD with their lives.  Then my thoughts went to the three ladies who I am truly privileged to call daughters-in-law.  These three ladies are truly the cream of the crop.  They are the best.  They are perfect in every way!  Humble and loving, yet leaders among their peers.  They love their husbands, families, but most of all, the Savior who bled and died for them!

My thoughts went to these three ladies as the greatest blessings of ladies in my life; but then the most important thought came to mind.  I don’t have three wonderful ladies in my life.  I have four.  And the fourth is the greatest blessing of all!  She is my best friend. She is the love of my life.  She is the sunshine in my soul.  Thoughts of her bring joy so deep that it is hard to explain.  After Thirty years of marriage, my love for her is grown to depths that cannot be explained.

We are now officially empty-nesters!  Glory!  I feel like I’m twenty-three all over again.  Time to date again!  Awesome!  Time to get to know my love in ways that I we haven’t had time for.  Time to enjoy the simple things of life again.  A stroll along the Ohio.  Sitting at a park bench overlooking the Cumberland.  Taking an overnight trip to Nashville or up to Florence to see the Creation museum.  But most of all, just sitting in our quiet living room staring at one another and realizing the LORD has blessed us so much. Specially with one another.  Lisa Kay is the greatest blessing to all whom she meets.  Particularly me!  She is my love!  She always will be.  The only regret I have is that our time on earth is limited.  I am truly the most blessed man on earth!

Run, No Matter How Far Short You Fall

“All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me. That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness:” (Ec 7:23-25 AV)

There comes a time when one has to be realistic regarding personal holiness.  We should always strive to do much better than we are.  However, Solomon came to the conclusion it is impossible for those who seek wisdom to find it all.  Just when we attain wisdom in one area, it is evident there is another which needs attention.  Solomon, with all his wisdom, had his problems.  He showed great wisdom is ruling his kingdom, but struggled to rule his own heart.

There is a temptation that if we constantly focus on failure and the practical impossibility to attain perfection, then we react the other way.  If there is no realistic goal of perfection outside of glory, then why try?  Or, those who try hard to attain personal holiness go down the road of depression because they are in a state of constant failure.

Years ago, as a hospital chaplain, we had access to a heart rehab unit with weight machines, treadmills, rowing machines, etc.  We also had access to a therapist who would develop a regimen to increase our heart health.  I remember my guy.  He has the appearance of Richard Simons but the personality of Hulk Hogan. We charted my beginning numbers, then tracked them as I progressed.  I would never attain complete and perfect health.  But the next time I went hunting, I was able to drag a dead deer three miles without stopping!  This is how we have to look at spiritual progression.  As long as we are moving in the right direction, how far short we fall may not be so burdensome.  As long as we strive as hard as we can, knowing that grace will bestow all this wisdom, then we can be content is what the LORD has enabled us to do!

The Student is More Valuable than the Teacher

“Better [is] a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.” (Ec 4:13 AV)

The implication of the child is his poverty may be caused by lack of wisdom, yet he is willing to listen that he might cease to be poor.  This young man compared to an older king who, by virtue of wisdom has become king, yet has ceased to listen to the advice and admonishment of others.  As far as the LORD is concerned, a mistake making and unsuccessful person who listens to advice is better than a man who has proven himself successful by wisdom yet has ceased to learn.  Not that the LORD would care, but I agree!

As a pastor, I would rather lead mistake prone people who will learn and change than a group of people who have ceased to grow.  No matter how successful and mistake free they may be, if they have ceased to listen, they have ceased to grow.  The first has potential.  The latter has reached their potential.  The first can pursue goals and aspirations.  The later have attained pretty much what they will accomplish and are on cruise control until death or the rapture comes calling.

What us middle aged people need to guard against is the temptation of self-reliance.  We have made our share of youthful errors and have learned the hard way.  However, if we are not careful, we will begin to think all of life’s wisdom means there isn’t much more to learn.  Another consideration is the temptation of thinking that younger people who are making mistakes are somehow less of an asset or value to the LORD than we are because we are making less mistakes.  This is not God’s economy.  He values humility and teachability.  Not the size of our house, career moves, business success, or any other temporal standard by which we measure success.  The real question is not how much we have learned, but rather, how much are we still learning!

Deaf Ears All Around

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [shall be] abomination.” (Pr 28:9 AV)

I have three grandchildren.  One is two and a half, another is one and a half, and the third is getting ready to turn one year old.  Each knows their own name.  Each knows exactly what is said to them even though the oldest is the only one who can talk.  When a name is called out, the child hears it.  He or she hears the sounds and comprehends what the bidder desires.  However, if their attention is fixed upon something else, or their mind is busy with other thoughts or temptations, even though the sound of their name enters the ear canal, they may not hear it.  Even worse is when the sound of their name enters the ear canal, is ignored, and they carry on with what they were doing.  This is the understanding of the word ‘…hearing…’ in the above verse.

This turning of the ear is deliberate.  It is knowing the law has requirements for that ear, but the ear doesn’t want to hear them.  Like a small child avoiding a parent because he or she knows when the parent is near, and instruction is eminent.  This isn’t mere unfortunate ignorance.  This is on purpose.  This is when we refuse to read our Bibles, or portions of our Bibles because of the rules or laws we do not like.  This is when we avoid Sunday School or church services because we know the preacher will instruct in the principles of the Word.  This hearing is a conscience choice to avoid the demands of God’s holy law because we choose to do our own thing.

The result is stone silence from God’s throne of grace.  It amazes me how many of us expect the LORD to answer any and all dire needs of our lives, but when He asks us to learn of His word for the purpose of obedience, we ignore it.  This is awfully presumptuous.  Solomon learned this the hard way.  He failed to obey the mandate of one man and one woman for life.  He married many pagan wives.  Those wives stole his heart away from the LORD and it cost his decedents the kingdom.  When one really meditates on this truth, we realize just how wrong it is.  To ignore the LORD and His word, but then to expect His mercy in times of prayer, is just plain wrong!

Feast or Famine, It's Up To You

“All the days of the afflicted [are] evil: but he that is of a merry heart [hath] a continual feast.” (Pr 15:15 AV)

We all go through hard times.  There are two types of people mentioned above. There are the afflicted.  Then there are the merry.  It is not that one has an easier life than the other.  Both have hardships or challenges they face.  Illness strikes all.  Death strikes all.  Even the well-off have problems which must be overcome.  The poor may look at the rich and think their problems worse than they, but the fact of the matter is, even the rich stress over staying rich.

What is specially of note is the first word, ‘…all…’.  Not just the days in which the afflicted are afflicted.  All his days are evil.  All his days are no good.  All his days are full of tragedy whether they are truly full of tragedy or no.  The merry, I am sure have times of destitution or hardship.  The merry still suffer.  Yet, they can make a feast out of the direst of situations.

Here is the point.  We can have one of two dispositions.  We can either look at life as one continual hardship and look at life through dark colored glasses, or we can make the best of any situation no matter how hard it is.  The attitude of the heart and not the circumstances is what makes a situation an affliction or a feat.

Cruelty of Adultery

“For by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.” (Pr 6:26 AV)

This phrase bothers me.  In the sense that I cannot imagine someone who is a habitual adulterer or adulteress seeking to destroy his or her victim.  This type of person remains married to their spouse.  The implication is the adulteress brings her lover to poverty but also desires for the jealousy of her husband to end her lover’s life.  Or, at the very least, destroy what life he has left.  This bothers me because I cannot understand it.

A harlot needs her lovers to live and make a living.  This is the only way she gets paid.  She does not see her lovers has victims.  She sees them as clients.  But the adulteress sees her lovers as victims.  I guess to put it in a way that I can understand, it would be like a popular girl in High School who is dating the star quarterback.  She flirts with, or allows herself to be flirted by, another.  Her motive is to make her boyfriend jealous enough to do something about it.  She wants the attention.  In whatever manner she can get it.  If it means committing adultery to have a second suitor, or her boyfriend taking it out on her amorous acquaintance, she just wants the attention.

When I read this, I was thinking of all the temptations that attack a man; from the images he is faced with in any given day.  They women who flaunt their figures for the husbands of other ladies are tempting us to commit spiritual adultery against our wives.  They wear form fitting cloths, revealing cloths, or none at all.  They do this not to impress other women.  Their target audience is not other ladies.  They are, either on purpose or without thinking about it, attempting to attract the attention of men.  This was the thought that came to mind.  They have no intention of leaving their husbands.  They are just seeking the admiration of more than their husbands.  Men need to be aware and not be tempted with the beauty of another.  God has given us our portion in this life.  That is where our attention must be!

The Only Name That Matters

“Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory [is] above the earth and heaven.” (Ps 148:13 AV)

His name is not one name among many that are excellent.  His name is the only excellent name.  I don’t think we truly realize just how holy God is.  We find a disturbing trend among professing Christians today. God is something we fit into a schedule.  He is a religion.  He is a thing we do.  He is part of our lives equal to some other parts.  We have lost the true meaning of the holiness of God.

It used to be families would order their week around God.  Not the other way around.  Years ago, I served in a small country church whose members were avid baseball players.  Their children were heavily involved in spring and summer baseball.  Sometimes, these games were on Sunday evenings.  I remember the men of the church asking the pastor to move the Sunday evening service to accommodate baseball games.  Then there are those municipalities whose professional football teams often play in the Superbowl.  Sunday evening services are moved or cancelled.  There are the college basketball teams whose fans are more avid game watchers than God worshipers.  There are family events, shopping events, or simply taking the day of rest to mean rest from God.  Whatever the case, worship seems to be something we participate in as part of a schedule, but not a relationship.

There was also a time when we treated the house of God as a special place.  A place treated like no other.  Our behavior, demeanor, and even appearance all reflected the specialness of the place.  There were no entertainment venues offered in the sanctuary.  The preaching was more expository than anecdotal.  People came to hear the word of God expounded with truth and passion.  Not some emotional story of years gone past to stir the heart to reminiscence.  In short, the name of the LORD is no longer the lone excellent name.  It has become common and ordinary!

The Prayer of Every Saint

“Teach me to do thy will; for thou [art] my God: thy spirit [is] good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I [am] thy servant.” (Ps 143:10-12 AV)

This should be the prayer of the saint every morning!  This is what we are.  We are not co-equals with the LORD.  We are not a child who will eventually grow up beyond our parent’s need to parent us.  We will not mature to a place where we are charged with taking care of God.  No matter how old and experienced we get, in comparison to the LORD, we are still small children.  Children whose responsibility is to obey the will of the Father.  We are still the servants of the most High.  We are the namesake of a holy and righteous God and our responsibility is to live up to that namesake.

In all my years as a child of a father, I cannot remember once asking my father to teach me to walk in obedience.  I may have asked him exactly what he expected in a specific set of circumstances.  Not for the sake of pleasing him.  But rather, I knew that if I didn’t do as expected, there were consequences and that I would have to do it his way anyway.  In all my years as a parent, I cannot remember a single time when one of my children asked me to teach him how to always please me by obeying my word.  There may have been a time.  But I cannot think of one.

It is not in our nature to think this way.  It goes contrary to the old man.  We strive for independence and maturity.  We want to be our own person.  This is a good thing – when it comes to other people.  We should desire to outgrow those who were our mentors so that we can be mentors ourselves.  But when it comes to God, we will never outgrow Him!  This prayer should always be on our lips!  Always!

The Unceasing Mind of God

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” (Ps 139:17-18 AV)

Don’t ever doubt God’s concern for His children.  A God with an infinite mind can have infinite thoughts.  When we begin to think that God may not be concerned with what we are facing, or what the future might hold, or the potential threats that lay before us, we need to remember His thoughts and concern towards us are so vast, it would be impossible to count or comprehend.

I think about my sons, their wives, and my grandchildren all the time.  I wonder how they are doing.  How the LORD is using them for His glory. I think of my little granddaughter and two grandsons.  They are awesome!  I miss them terribly.  However, I am limited in how much I can think at any one time.  I cannot dwell on more than one person at a time.  At least deeply I cannot.  My thought might go from the ministry of one to the trials of a mother taking care of my grandkids.  Then the thoughts might go to what each grandchild has learned recently to recent health issues of another.  We cannot think more than one specific thought at any one time.  But God is not like that. He can think all thoughts simultaneously.

Not only the number of thoughts is important here.  The quality of thoughts is as well.  The writer calls them precious!  They are special.  They are emotional.  They are shrouded in love and concern.  When I worked at the Boy Scout camp, we would be away from our comes for about seven to eight weeks.  Even though we tried to get home on the weekends, it was almost nigh to impossible.  Mail call was the most precious time of the day.  As camp clerk one year, it was my responsibility to get the mail and distribute it to our staff.  When they got a letter from someone they loved, it was a precious time.  God is always sending us mail.  Through His word, the still small voice of the Spirit, and His hand on our lives.  These things are more precious than all the riches of the world!  Take comfort that God will never, ever forget you!  No matter how far off you feel!

Reflection Deception

“They that make them are like unto them: [so is] every one that trusteth in them.” (Ps 135:18 AV)

I lived in an area of the country where folk art was rather prevalent.  There are little shops scattered throughout the countryside selling the wares of a particular artist.  Generally, these are part-time artist.  Maybe a housewife who quilts, a husband who welds, a woman who creates wonders with yarn, or a man who turns wood like a professional.  These pieces are as unique as the people who create them.  One of my favorite craftsman is called the Wizard of Clay.  He has unique pieces that are world renown.  I have a couple of his Bristol coffee mugs and I wish I could have a cupboard full of them.  Even his shop is unique.  Octagon huts like something out of the Hobbit.  This passage has to do with false gods and idols.  Not to say these artist, whom I admire, are creating idols.  They are not.  They are truly pieces of art.  But what the writer of the psalm is trying to point out is that we reflect that which we trust the most.  It is usually something within ourselves which is our strength, joy, and trust.  What we produce or reflect the most is often that which is the dearest to us.

An athlete may display his trophies, a musician his platinum albums, the educated his degrees, or the successful homemaker the photos of the family. There is nothing wrong with that.  According to Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes, we have every right to be pleased with what we have accomplished, especially for the LORD’s sake.  These things are a pleasure to us and a comfort that our life meant something.  The spiritual reality comes is that which we trust.

The athlete will lose his strength; the musician his ear; the educated his memory; and the homemaker’s family will grow up and move away.  These things change.  But the dearest which should be our dearest, never changes.  That is the LORD!  He is always there!  He should be our glory!  He should be the one whom we reflect the most.  Not what we have done for Him, but rather, what He has done with us!  We either trust the work of our own hands, or we trust the work of Someone else’s hands!

Fill the Seed Bag - You're Going To Need It

“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him].” (Ps 126:6 AV)

Most sermons I have heard from this passage are usually soul-winning passages.  It certainly can be seen that way.  Weeping for the lost who desperately need the LORD.  Bearing the precious seed of the Word of God that one spreads abroad.  The hope of a harvest of souls as a result.  It all fits nicely.  However, the context is actually the captivity of Israel into Babylon.  The going forth is going forth into captivity.  It is into captivity which they bear the precious seed.  They will come again out of captivity with the fruit which the precious seed has produced.  There is great hope in this verse.

There are dark and hard times with the saint.  Whether it be a trial of faith or an experience of chastisement, these times are hard.  What makes the times of hardness productive is the precious seeds of hope we bring with us.  When Israel brought that seed from Canaan, they brought it for obvious reasons.  They still had to eat.  They had to make some sort of living while under the servitude of a hard taskmaster.  When Israel went into captivity to the Egyptians, hundreds of years earlier, they brought with them the flocks that would become herds.  All the scripture verses we have laid in our heart, all the memories of God’s past faithfulness, all the fellowship we can share even though we are having a hard time; they are all the precious seed which we bear.  There is, and often must be, weeping.  But that doesn’t mean we are absent of all hope.  There is precious seed to be carried.  Stored in a bag to be sown in the hard times of life.

To bear something also means to carry a burden.  This weight is not a bad weight.  It is a good weight.  It is the source of all sustaining comfort and the foundation of all future fruit.  Many are not bearing the burden.  They avoid reading and memorizing the scriptures.  They avoid the lessons of life that teach us of God’s faithfulness.  They refuse to cultivate relationships among God’s people.  When the hard times come, their seed bag is small or under filled.  There is weeping.  Yes.  But the fruit one can have will be very small!

Pressuring Peers

“I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.” (Ps 119:46 AV)

Why is it the most difficult people we have a time with sharing our faith are our peers?  David is a king.  David is a powerful king.  No doubt, he would have interaction with neighboring kings.  He makes a vow here that he will testify of the LORD to his peers and not be ashamed when he does so.  Our peers are the most difficult of all to speak to.

As adults, we don’t have a problem dealing with children.  They are commanded to respect age and wisdom. Therefore, we have an audience who will consider respectfully our witness.  There are older, more educated, or more prominent who we will speak to.  The humility is all ours and they respect that.  I remember witnessing to a Jewish lawyer.  I was a janitor at the time.  One of the greatest privileges of all my experiences.  He was dumbfounded that a simple janitor would have a grasp on the scriptures as the LORD gave me.  As long as I respected his education and standing in the community and served him as his janitor, he was more than willing to ask questions and listen.  The ones we have a hard time with are those in our own circles. Our own familiar friends, so to speak.  Those of our own education level, career level, and experience.  Our neighbors and friends are the hardest ones to approach.  And there is no good reason why. 

I think the reason might be that among our peers, we have the most to lose.  When dealing with someone above our station in life, humility cannot be lost.  Only gained.  When speaking to those below our station in life, respect is expected and continued.  But among our peers, we have to work for that position among others and risk losing it if they reject.  To reject the gospel is to reject us.  However, we are to preach the gospel to every creature.  Even those most like us!

Simple Pleasures of Obedience

“I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as [much as] in all riches.” (Ps 119:14 AV)

Have a few questions.  What would be more pleasurable; working voluntary overtime on Sunday or going to church?  Would it be more joy to give to a missionary or buying something one desires but really doesn’t need?  Would it be more joy to buy four or five really nice Bibles to give to new converts or to buy the newest tool for our shop?  Would it be more joyful to sell an item for its actual worth or try to take someone for as much as you can?  Would it be more pleasurable to spend non-working hours in service to the LORD or a hobby or other leisure activity?

David felt obedience to the word was more of a personal pleasure than all the riches the world could give him.  To always tell the truth and not bear false witness was far more fulfilling than a brand-new car.  Honoring one’s wife was for better than getting a new one.  Walking in integrity allows one to sleep at night whereas personal gain may not.

David uses the phrase “…in all riches” for a reason.  He never will have all riches.  Therefore, obedience to the Word of God is the greatest joy he could ever have.  It may take a life-time to realize this truth, but it is absolute.  The older I get and the more stuff I accrue, the more I agree with David.  My wife and I are down-sizing.  We are soon to be true empty nesters and we came to realize just how much stuff we have which we really do not need (or even want).  We are not rich by any means.  Compared to most, we are on the low end of middle class.  Almost everything we have was giving to us.  Most, second hand.  But we have filled up the dumpster three times over throwing away what we no longer want or need.  What we cannot throw away are all the mistakes we have made because of disobedience.  Even though God has forgiven them all, they still happened.  And there have been consequences.  Life teaches you what is precious and what will eventually become landfill.  Too bad we cannot learn this sooner than later.