When Mercy is Not Enough

“Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days…And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” (Ps 90:13-14, 17 AV)

This cause for this psalm is Israel’s rejection of God’s leadership to take the land of Canaan.  Twelve spies returned.  Ten gave the report the land could not be conquered.  Even with God’s help.  Two, Caleb and Joshua, rightly reported the people of the land were careless, having no defense, and the LORD could and would give the victory.  The people murmured against God and Moses, so the LORD threatened to destroy the nation, restarting with Moses and his descendants.  Moses, knowing the Egyptians would hear of it, begged the LORD to change His mind.  He interceded with God on behalf of an unbelieving and rebellious nation.  He knew if the LORD destroyed Israel, then the world would have the triumph.  God granted the mercy for which Moses pled.  But that wasn’t the end of it.  Moses requests for more than mercy.  He asks for more than mere forgiveness.  Verse seventeen seeks the restoration of God’s purpose for Israel.  Forgiveness and mercy were not enough.  A renewed purpose and sense of direction we also sought.  It is one thing to gain forgiveness for sin.  But forgiveness of sin with no purpose to follow is only half a victory.

This is where our present generation has left the rails.  We preach salvation from sin and then go no further with it. Salvation becomes and experience.  It does not continue into Christlikeness.  We gain forgiveness, but without a sense of purpose, sin repeats itself.  We are motivated to escape sin because we wish to avoid the consequences of it.  If that is our only motive, we involve ourselves in sin whose consequences we can tolerate.  No, there has to be a purpose.  This is the point of discipleship.  Discipleship seeks to ground the believer in sound doctrine.  But it is also designed to find he or she a place in the plan of God.  There are general purposes, or wills, to which we are all called.  We are all called to sanctification.  We are all called to be a witness.  We are all called to meet the needs of those for whom we are responsible.  We are all called to assemble for the purpose of worship and mutual encouragement.  We are all called to labor.  Etc.  All of these callings are our purpose.  If we do not see these purposes as the natural result of and purpose for forgiveness and mercy, then we will continue in sin that sin may abound.

Moses explicitly asks God not to forsake the work of His hands.  He asks the LORD to establish the work of His hands.  This word has the meaning of cement that is setting.  Moses is asking the result of forgiveness and mercy to be the solidifying and maturing of a nation.  He is seeking the LORD’s mercy far beyond mere forgiveness.  He is seeking the manifestation of forgiveness to be a permanent change in Israel which will result in the nation carrying out their unique calling.  The same should be true of us.  If we are asking the LORD to forgive us for the sake of a guilty conscience, we miss the point.  If we are asking the LORD to forgive us so the consequences of our sin might be eased, we are missing the point.  We should be seeking the forgiveness of God so that our purpose of life might be established.  We should seek His mercy, not for our own personal peace, but His hand might continue to mold us into what He wants of our lives.  This was Moses’ prayer.  This should be ours as well.

Fruitful Faith vs Profitless Pride

“He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.” (Pr 28:25 AV)

This proverb struck me as odd and worth further investigation.  What puzzled me was the tie between a lack of faith and pride which causes strife.  What is the connection between the two?  Does this mean that everyone who struggles with pride is short of faith in some area of life?  If we are not surrendered by faith, does that mean we will automatically struggle with pride?  If this is the understanding, then we are all in trouble.  We all lack faith is some area or areas of our lives.  If lack of faith translates into pride, then we are all constantly struggling with pride.

The commentators were of great help here.  They reminded the student that the context here is riches versus poverty.  Twice in this chapter Solomon warns about seeking riches by haste.  Several times Solomon extols the virtue of poverty with a pure heart as better than riches with an unclean heart.  In our text, this idea continues.  They that put their trust in the LORD are made fat.  This means they are prosperous both materially and emotionally.  The proud, on the other hand, rely solely on themselves for their needs.  They employ worldly methods of self-gain.  This often causes strife.  Competition, entrepreneurial endeavors, and profit can cause strife.  Not that these things are necessarily wrong.  But as was recently expressed on a well-known sit-com, capitalism works best when coupled with Christian values and compassion.

The general point of this proverb is simple.  If we trust the LORD in all areas of our lives, He will make the soul fat.  We will be content, resting in the provision and strength which only God can bring.  On the other hand, if we do not trust the LORD, relying on our own strength and wisdom, our life will be filled with fighting.  In my pilgrim journey, I have met many businessmen.  Several are millionaires or multimillionaires.  There is a vast difference between the self-made man and the God-made-man.  Both have the same material wealth, but one is clearly more at peace in life than the other.  They view their wealth differently.  They view their purpose in life differently.  One is at peace with the world while the other sees the world as both a source of profit and a threat to that profit.  Better is faith with the little God gives than all the wealth in the world filled with the strife that comes with it.

The Value of Friendships

“Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.” (Pr 27:10 AV)

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” (Pr 27:17 AV)

One cannot stress enough the importance of friendship.  In a generation that conducts relationships by electronic media, we have lost the ability to make and maintain deep friendships.  At the click of a button, we can unfriend someone.  They say something we find offensive or do not make us feel as we think we should, off they go.  In a world that is so busy trying to enjoy the material things of life, we have cast off human relationships as non-essential.  We sit in our private worlds assuming life is all it can be in the quietness of one’s own heart and mind.  We seldom make the effort to establish deep and lasting relationships wherein we and the other can grow.  Because our families, by and large, are made up of victims of failed homes, human relationships are seen as something that hurts instead of help.  We found this true of military families.  Because their families were rotated out every three years, the children did not establish deep connections with their own peers.  Friendships are shallow.  Friendships are not a necessity.  However, the word of God says something completely different.

By nature, I am an introvert.  Growing up, I didn’t have a whole lot of friends.  The friendships I did have were deep and lasting.  They were few in number, but they outlasted many of my peers.  There was Scott.  He was my closest friend from the earliest times of grade school until high school.  Because of my father’s work, I went to three different high schools and never developed friendships to that level for many years.  Too busy working and going to school, there were not many opportunities to develop deep friendships.  Getting married to my best friend sure helped a lot.  However, surrendering to the ministry meant for me a transient life.  Going from one church to the next, we never settled down long enough to develop a close friendship.  That is, until about twenty years ago.  The LORD provided a close friend who has been my counselor and confidant ever since.  And I, his.

There are two benefits to friendship as listed above.  Friends tend to be there when family cannot, or will not, be there.  They are accessible in the day of adversity.  They are there when we are anxious, confused, or simply not ourselves.  They accept us and love us.  Faults and all.  There is a built-in bias that a family possesses towards one of its own.  A prophet is not without honor save in his own country and among his own kindred.  A friend is not so.  A friend knows all those faults but chooses to minimize them.  Secondly, a good friend is the instrument God uses for our own maturity.  As a friend, we are also the refiner.  Iron sharpens iron.  Both are made the finer for it.

Friendships are not only valuable.  They are necessary.  Like David and Jonathan, we need to be a friend.  We need a friend.  To say we can survive this life without someone who is our equal is to say we wish not to grow.  We don’t have a problem being a subordinate or a mentor.  These relationships are not all that deep.  But to have a friend in whom we invest deep emotional capital and he in us is the greater relationship.  It is one that should be pursued, prayed for, welcomed, and maintained.  When I moved from my home city and lost Scott, I prayed the LORD would send another.  There were some awfully lonely years in between.  There were nights I wept myself to sleep because of the loneliness I felt.  Jesus is indeed a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.  But I needed that close friendship.  I hope you realize how lonely you are and how much you need a friendship that can complement your weaknesses and needs and he yours.

Identical Admittance

“And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.” (Nu 7:11 AV)

There are portions of the word of God that may seem tedious to read, but they hold a great truth.  There are the descriptions of the temple in Ezekiel.  There are those few chapters of genealogy in Chronicles.  There are boundary descriptions in Joshua.  The above passage begins a lengthy chapter describing the offering each head of each tribe brought to the dedication of the altar.  Each offering was exactly the same.  There was absolutely no deviation.  One might ask why the LORD made a point of describing these offerings person by person.  Why not categorize the whole offering as one offering brought by twelve princes?  Other than being recognized for someone's good they have done, even if others have done the same, there is a greater truth here.  Entry into the presence of God was the same, regardless of size, condition, or position.  It didn’t make a difference.  Larger tribes like Judah brought the same as a smaller one like Benjamin.  The same is true of heaven.  It doesn’t matter who we are, what are our gifts or abilities might be, or the resources we possess.  Salvation is the same no matter the soul.  It is exactly the same.

In my own salvation experience, this truth was foundational.  I was raised in a religion that stressed works over faith.  Different rites were required.  Whether is was extra prayers, faithfulness to services, doing good deeds, etc.  It was not a terribly difficult and complicated belief system.  But compared to salvation only in Christ, it wasn’t all that simple either.  I remember struggling with this.  I remember heading down the road towards work and wondering why salvation was so simple.  Why weren’t there more rules?  After all, I was intelligent enough to follow the rules.  Why was salvation nothing more than responding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit by trusting solely in Christ, calling upon Him for salvation?  After all, I was taught the greater the sinner, the greater the cost.  The more sin I did, the more penance was required.  The more wicked, the greater his or her obligations were to gain glory.

Just like the dedication of the altar, the cost is the same.  A silver charger filled with flour, a silver bowl filled with flour, a golden spoon filled with incense, a bullock, two oxen, six rams, six he-goats, and six lambs.  No matter the circumstances, that was the offering.  There was no bartering.  There were no negotiations.  Each brought for his tribe the exact same thing.  There is only one Christ!  He is sufficient for all.  There is no additional offering required.  No extra penance.  No extra sacraments.  No extra prayers.  No extra good deeds.  He is the end of all sacrifice for sin.  One Christ for all!

Shop For Jewelry

“As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.” (Pr 25:12 AV)

The previous verse is a difficult one to expound.  No one seems to agree on what golden apples in pictures of silver is supposed to be.  This verse is a bit easier.  Especially if you have a wife or daughter who takes pride in their jewelry.  Effective reproof is compared to fine jewelry.  The implication is reproof done correctly will be appreciated and welcomed upon the ear.  This takes skill, humility, and benevolence.  There is actually a balance here.  If the hearer is disobedient, then it doesn’t matter how skilled, humble, or compassionate the reprover is, the advice will not be welcomed.  If we share truth with those who are unwilling to hear, then we waste words.  Therefore, the first step should be to discern the nature of the ear.  If it is hardened, then words should not be spoken.  If it is teachable and leadable, then it should be shared in a skillful and humble way with compassion as the sugar that helps the medicine go down.  What we want to consider is how we approach someone who may need correction.  The result of how the hearer treats what we have shared will determine if we did so in the right way.

When my wife and I dated, and in our early married life, she was a great fan of 1828 jewelry.  It was really easy to shop for her because I knew exactly what she would appreciate.  Then it sort of went out of style.  It was hard to find.  Switching gears was not easy.  It was a practice of hit and miss.  Sometimes, I scored a home run.  Other times we would find ourselves in the returns line.  This makes it a bit more difficult in that I enjoy a certain type of jewelry while she enjoys other things.  I enjoy getting her necklaces.  She would rather have rings.  Boring!  My tastes didn’t matter.  If I wanted to please her, her desires mattered.  Even if I thought she would look much prettier in a necklace if it wasn’t what she wanted it would be returned.  When it comes to earrings, the simpler the better.  She has a few studs and other less ornamental pieces, but nothing extravagant or gaudy.  That which she does have, she is very proud to wear.  The set her father gave her is her favorite.  The point is if she received jewelry which she found to purpose for, or she didn’t want it, then it would be rejected.  If, on the other hand, she saw the practical purpose for it, or it held some beauty she appreciated, then she would treasure it.  Such is the case of reproof.

If the ear is not looking for reproof, the earring may as well be something out of a bubble gum machine.  Again, we can learn really fast how effective our technique is by how our reproof is received.  If a heart of gratitude is the response, then we have done something right.  If our reproof is applied with a heart that takes satisfaction with being corrected, then we have done something right.  Conversely, if our reproof is rejected off-hand, then we didn’t share our advice correctly.  Sometimes we blame the ear for what the mouth has done.  We blame the one corrected because we see what needs to be changed.  Perhaps it is more about the mouth that shared it than the ear that heard it.  This is Solomon’s point.  If reproof is not received and appreciated, then what good have we done.  We might have made ourselves feel better.  But have we really advanced the other individual?  Shop for words and attitude like I shopped for 1828 jewelry.  What would please the individual to be satisfied enough that they take the advice given?

Appreciate the Strength of the Hurting

“And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.” (Nu 3:2-3 AV)

While reading this, I couldn’t help but empathize with Aaron.  The LORD was gracious in giving four sons who would follow him in his life’s calling.  They would share in the ministry of the tabernacle.  He had the great privilege of going to work with his sons.  They would share in the responsibilities of the day.  Sometimes, they would be on different schedules, but they would all share in the family business.  That is, until the two oldest offered strange fire.  While during their service, God struck them dead.  It was right around Passover.  Aaron was deeply distraught but was required to keep Sabbath anyway.  Moses rebuked him for his sorrow, but in the end, gave Aaron leave to express his mourning even though it was not allowed under the circumstances.  It would be hard enough to bury two sons regardless of the circumstances.  But to bury two sons who died because they failed in what the LORD called them to do has to be even more difficult.  It cannot be easy experiencing the deep loss which Aaron experienced. 

I guess what really struck me was Aaron had to go on.  Even though, deep down inside he was hurting, Aaron had to go to tabernacle.  He had to go by the spot where his sons lost their lives.  He had to deal with that disappointment every day of his life.  He had to wrestle with what might have been instead of what was.  He did all this while still ministering to the people of Israel with the right spirit.  He could not allow his personal loss, regret, and sorrow show itself to those to whom he ministered.  He had to keep all that inside and deal with it in private.  He could not allow himself to be anything less than what the people needed even though he was falling apart inside.  He had to endure that others might overcome that which he himself was experiencing.  They might receive quicker healing while he had to go to God alone for his comfort and guidance.  Aaron would never be able to be as proud a papa as he could have been.  He had two sons who made that impossible.

I imagine meeting Aaron.  What would I say to him?  How would I approach him?  Even more so, how much would I appreciate his sacrifice for me in the sense that he selves all his own emotional injury that he might help me along in my own battles of life?  Aaron had many faults.  He could not control his own spirit and he did not have enough internal strength to stand up to the people.  He folded like a cheap napkin when the people wanted a golden calf or his sister challenged the authority of Moses.  Aaron was not as strong as Moses.  Some might callously throw stones at Aaron; blaming his poor parenting; making a statement such as, “what did he expect seeing he didn’t parent them right”.  Unless you have walking in someone’s shoes, you will never understand all that goes into the circumstances which we so casually observe.  I don’t know what other applications to make other than we need to appreciate what others go through and admire their strength to be a blessing to others.  Perhaps we can strive to be a little bit like Aaron and put our own hurts aside, no matter how deep they might be, and realize others need to encouragement almost as badly as we do.  The LORD has given me a newfound respect for this man.  Yes, he made some serious mistakes in his life.  But he also showed great resilience in ministering to the needs of others while he gave his hurts over to the LORD.

My Heart Rejoices

“My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.” (Pr 23:15 AV)

This morning, I want to give praise to the LORD for the best sons God could ever give to a man.  To say my heart is rejoicing is an understatement.  In many ways, they are my rock and strength.  More than they will ever know.  Our journey started thirty-one years ago.  After a few months of marriage, we found out the LORD was about to bless us with our firstborn.  Nathan was born in December and life has never been the same.  Then came Zackary about a year and a half later.  Joshua brought of the rear about a year and a half after Zack.  Watching them grow up together was a delight.  Sibling rivalries, being as they are, strained their brotherly love from time to time.  But not unnaturally so.  They were actually closer than they realized.  Often going on adventures together, whether into the woods at their grandparent’s house, or exploring their own backyard at home, the three amigos have a lot of experiences from which tales are told.  Some their mother and I are recently discovering.  Some of these tales bring the hairs of the neck to attention!  If I had to rejoice about a single thing is that these three men have succeeded in life far beyond what their father has attained.  What a joy that brings to my heart.

When I observe their lives, I see three men who are far more disciplined at their age than I ever was.  I see the LORD moving in their hearts to mature and focus them as they seek more and important ways in which to serve their Savior.  I see them conducting the practical things of the home in ways I wished I had done for them.  The disciplines of mature men that will take them far and beyond what their old man has accomplished.  The LORD has shown me how serious they are to be Biblically correct.  We may not always agree on every little nuance of scriptures, but to have a debate over Whatsapp is a joy they will not realize until their sons to the same.  To see them struggle as they try to figure out God’s will for their lives and trudge through the hard times, a bit more mature because of it, is a joy that is deeper than all the gold or silver in the world.  Knowing they will face all the trials which the LORD has destined for them without faltering or folding is a testimony which spurs their own father on.  If you’d indulge me, I would like to share one ‘for instance’ that will show you the kind of character these three have.

When we moved from New York to Illinois, it was a severe and dramatic change.  We moved from wide open spaces to inner city culture with no adjustment period in between.  They went from a home with a yard and a safe neighborhood with friends to a small three-bedroom apartment and a fences in and gated yard.  They went from a school with country friends to a city school where threats were assessed.  Yet, they never complained.  Not once.  In fact, they made an adventure out of it.  It was one of the hardest ministry experiences my wife and I would have to endure.  God provided three young men who were the brightest lights of hope which got us through the hardest of times.  The three men are miracles.  They are astounding.  They have more rewards in heaven then they will ever realize.  For one simple trait which they share, the LORD has used them, and will use them, beyond their own imaginations.  That one trait is total surrender.  They have given in and given up to the LORD who gave them life and salvation.  It hasn’t always been easy.  Each has their own deep trials which they must endure.  Health issues, mission field fires, and trials of ministry; each must navigate their pilgrim path.  But they will never quit.  They will never surrender to the difficulties which come their way.  Above that, they will flourish.  Watch these three.  God’s hand is one them and they will do more than merely endure.  They will prevail by the power of the Holy Spirit and I don’t deserve one bit of the joy which will come of it.  This writer is truly humbled by the grace of God which came by the way of three amazing servants of God.  My only hope is that other parents can have the same joy which the LORD felt gracious enough to bestow upon me!

A Debt of Gratitude is Still a Debt

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation.” (Le 27:2 AV)

What follows this verse is a payment schedule for those in a man’s household for whom he made a vow.  If a head of a household was to entreat the LORD for a favor for someone in his household, and the LORD answered that prayer, the vow was to be paid according to male or female, age, servant, or animal.  In other words, if a man’s child was deathly ill and he went to the tabernacle to pray for his sick child if in that prayer he vowed to honor God if God were to intervene for that sick child, a vow was to be paid according to the schedule that follows. 

What parent hasn’t been in this situation?  We have been many times over.  It began with our firstborn.  Born with the cord wrapped around his neck, if it wasn’t for an emergency caesarian section, he would not have survived.  From there it went to a near diagnosis of Spina Bifida.  Then there was the low white blood cell count that sent us to the children’s cancer ward.  All before he was six months old.  This is the same young man who went off to Venezuela with strep throat.  Then there was the middle child.  We almost lost him to altitude sickness and strep.  The youngest is known as Crash for a very good reason.  There was the stress of waiting out their courting age.  Would the LORD provide a godly wife and would they listen to the will of God when He provided?  As we age, my wife and I are facing more and more physical challenges.  Some of them potentially scary.  In all of this, we entreated the LORD on their behalf.  We have entreated the LORD on one another’s behalf.  There were recent hospital stays.  Significant tests to determine underlying symptoms.  In all this, there were prayers offered up.  The question is, what have we done in return of all this answered prayer?

In the Old Testament, if the LORD answered prayers of crisis, there were vows attached to this.  There was an expression of gratitude towards the LORD for what He had done.  There was an estimation as to the value of the provision of God.  In a very real sense, if the LORD restored to the household head his child, servant, or animal, this restoration had a monetary value.  A son could provide for his aging parents.  However, if he passed away, there would be no monetary benefit.  If a daughter escaped the grave, she could work in the household providing labor that had value.  The servant and animal, as well, would provide a fiscal benefit to the household.  This vow was a way in which the household head would acknowledge God’s provision for him in a way that meant something.  Although this may seem like an unemotional ‘reckoning’ of God’s provision, it does go to a point.  God provides for us in many ways.  We benefit from His grace.  The question is, how grateful are we and how do we express that gratitude for what He has done?  How much do we value the miracles or plan and predictable provision granted by a loving God?  Do we show some amount of gratitude by sacrificing in return?  Actions speak louder than words. 

The Joy of Obedience

“It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.” (Pr 21:15 AV)

We want to meditate upon the first part of this proverb.  The joy of obedience is not something that is readily accepted.  Since the garden of Eden, mankind has been convinced there is more joy in disobedience than there is in obedience.  This has been our constant struggle.  The flesh wants us to believe life is better when we fulfill our desires.  Our flesh entices us to pursue a desire.  In the immediate aftermath of that desire, it is a pleasure.  However, guilt is the next emotion that comes.  There is a sense of condemnation from the work of the Spirit.  We feel estranged from the LORD.  The lost, even though they think life is wonderful apart from God have nothing to which to compare it.  They have never walked with God so how are they to correct in assuming a life of self-determination and pleasure is better than a life surrendered to the LORD? 

Years ago, I went into this funhouse.  It was not a horror house.  It was one of those old-fashioned fun houses with different parts of it made up in the theme of optician illusion.  A room of mirrors, perhaps.  Or a room of bumper pillars.  One room I remember very distinctly.  The walls, openings, and stationary objects were all fashioned to make the room look as though it was impassible.  The object was to enter one door and try to make it out the other.  The floor was on an incline.  It sure was fun trying to keep one’s balance and get to the other end of the room.  After a while, the bumps and falling was not so much fun anymore.  Then I noticed something.  The floor was the only constant.  Even though it was uphill, it was not on a tilt.  The walls, windows, framed in openings, and obstructions were all contrary to one another and built on a tilt.  If I kept my eyes on the floor, it was easy getting through the remainder of the obstacle.  It was more fun and brought greater joy to comply with the only absolute in the room than to bounce around by everything else that went contrary to nature itself.  There was more joy in submitting to that which was true than to become a victim of all that which was not.

Adam and Eve learned the hard way there is more joy in obedience than there is in disobedience.  There is more joy in solving a problem and getting the right solution than getting it marked wrong.  The world is trying to convince mankind they are miserable as they comply with God’s design.  Children are victims of rebellious adult’s twisted evil.  Children are being convinced God did not know what He was doing when He created them and they could be much happier if they do what they want.  This struggle is right down where we live.  No matter our spiritual standing with God, we struggle over the pleasures of sin for a season.  We forget that walking as God would have us to walk will bring us the greatest amount of joy possible.  This joy, according to Jesus, no man can take from us.  We simply must trust it.

Obstacle Course of Life

“Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?” (Pr 20:24 AV)

This is something we know as a child.  Before the age of adolescence, it is natural for us to assume adults know more about our own lives than we do.  If we disobey, it is more an issue of fleshly impulse than it is our own judgment.  Reason and logic do not go into the head of an eight-year-old before he makes a wrong decision.  Discretion is not a highly developed skill.  When puberty hits, so does the ability to reason.  Our ability to think abstractly begins to develop.  We can see a bigger picture.  We can begin to see the principles.  As we mature, this function grows and becomes more a part of who and what we are.  There is nothing wrong with this and it is how the LORD has made us.  However, the trap becomes obvious.  We begin to believe if we can reason, then we can reason all things.  If we can figure out some things, then we can figure out all things.  This is simply not so.  The LORD knows from eternity past what course our lives should take.  This plan is in the mind of God and revealed over time.  He is the one who know the course we should take.  He is the one who knows the details of our pilgrimage.  He is the one who has designed it so.  That being said, only God knows what He expects and of what He has planned.  We are foolish to think we can figure this out all by ourselves.

There was an event in my life which I have shared before, but it is so profound, it bares repeating.  One of the skills which we were required to master was reading a compass and following a map.  To prove this point, there was an obstacle course set up in which the participant used a compass and written instructions that would guide him to the desired spot.  We were given written instructions like, “head fifteen degrees and walk six paces.”  There were four posts at the end of the course.  Each of a different color.  It would have been useless to get our bearings and head for a post because it may not be the post designed to match the instructions we had been given.  There were objects in the field which would hinder our progress.  To make this challenge even more difficult, a paper grocery bag was placed over our heads.  We could see the instructions.  We could see a foot or so around us.  We could see the compass.  This was not a timed challenge.  There would be point deducted for how far off the mark we were or if we bumped into any obstacles.  The contest simply ended when we had followed all the instructions.  The object was to see how close we could get to the right stake in the ground.  One wrong step or one wrong count would cause us to be way off our mark.  Improper equipment, lack of a standard as to paces per foot, or improper technique could all land us way off our mark.  We did not know exactly where we were to end up, nor how to get there.

This challenge taught me a great principle of life.  God created me for a specific purpose.  God also created me for general purposes of which we are all designed.  Christlikeness, service, God’s glory, human relationships, and most importantly, fellowship with God are all examples of the general plan of God for every human soul.  There are specific callings in life.  How we serve the LORD is a specific calling.  Whom we are to marry is another.  Career choice can be a specific calling of time, place, and opportunity.  The point is, we do not always know the stake we are to be aiming for.  We certainly do not know all the potential obstacles that may lay in our path.  Just because we have developed the ability to reason does not mean we can navigate the course of life without God’s input.  Just because we can extrapolate some outcomes, does not mean we can do the same with all outcomes.  It would be foolish to navigate our pilgrimage thinking we are sufficient in ourselves to get us through successfully.  God knows what He has planned.  Only He does.  We should follow the written instructions which He has provided and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, go where we should instead of going where we think we should.

When All Else Fails, Consider God's Way

“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” (Pr 19:21 AV)

This proverb can be understood in several ways.  As is the case of many of the proverbs.  The devices could be a negative term.  Oft times, the word is meant as a plan for sin.  But the term is actually a neutral one.  It means a plan or purpose.  This could be as simple as a multiple-choice situation.  Like a crossroads in which one can go equally left, right, or straight ahead.  We come to an intersection and determine the best was to get to our objective.  In the end, there is probably a better way than the other options.  The preacher here is sharing the truth that we may see a whole host of options, each being relatively equal to the other, but the only way that will work is God’s way.

I am still learning my way around the city in which I now live.  We have been here for almost two years.  The streets are laid out in a very simple manner.  Almost all streets run north/south and east/west.  However, as simple as this seems to make it, there are situations when getting from point A to point B is not so simple.  Just yesterday, my wife and I were on 75^th street.  We had to get to 68^th street and head north.  Seams pretty simple.  Take a right and head east until you hit 68^th.  Then left and you are heading north.  The problem is, 68^th street is interrupted by a large industrial complex and a television networks’ office and studios.  I should have turned left and gone north on 70^th.  But I decided to go right and thought I only had a few blocks to navigate.  I was wrong.  All the way down to 60^th.  We found this out the hard way.  Stop sing after stop sign.  Left and right.  Right and left.  Finally, we navigated back to 68^th only to miss our destination by a few dozen blocks.  There were many devices for me to choose from.  They all would have worked.  But there was one way that was far better than all the others.  The problem is, we think that if it works out in the end, then the way we got there really doesn’t matter.  Two thoughts here.  First, in the above situation, we would have gotten there eventually.  But this is not always the case.  Sometimes, if we choose a certain path, we may not arrive where the LORD would have us arrive.  Second, assuming the end goal is the only thing that matters is the wrong assumption.

We use the wisdom God gives us to the best of our ability.  In doing so, we need to remember there is still only one way.  And that is God’s way.  When faced with a situation that has no good solution, there is only God’s way.  The goal is only part of the answer.  The journey to the goal is also part of God’s plan.  We need to abandon the belief there is more than one way to skin a cat.  We are speaking generally here.  There may be more than one way to stir a pot.  Clockwise or counterclockwise.  We are not disputing the simpler things of life in which the LORD has given liberty.  What the Bible speaks of here are the principles revealed in the word of God.  There is God’s way.  Which, by the way,  is only one way.  And there is our way.  Which may be variable and complex.  The prudent saint looks at all the options and seeks God’s wisdom in either choosing or asking for another option, that would be the will of God.  There is only one way.  This is God’s way.

Headlong Into A Boulder

“A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.” (Pr 18:2 AV)

The fool does not want to know anything that might spoil his fun.  If someone is caring enough to warn him of the dangers of the fool’s fun, he is labeled a killjoy.  Safety first is not the motto of the fool.  He believes fun without risk is not fun at all.  Suffering consequences of unwise fun are seen as fun in and of itself.  Like a fool who would try something dangerous and suffer injury enough for a visit to the ER, the fool will glory in his bruises or broken bones. 

When I was a kid, I used to watch this sports show that was on Saturday afternoons.  This is before college sports and football got as big as they are today.  This was before ESPN.  This sports show featured a lot of different venues.  There as bowling, figure skating, track and field, and Olympic trials.  One of the events that fascinated me was cliff diving.  These divers would dive off cliffs almost one hundred feet above the water.  They had to time their dive so the hit the water as ebb came in.  Otherwise, the water would be too shallow.  It was fascinating to me why anyone would want to jump off a cliff.  It would be very foolish, and even deadly if they did not investigate the depth of the water and what lies underneath.  If they went headlong into the water and boulders met them a few feet below the waterline, serious injury or even death may occur.  There was some thinking that went into that event.  I read of another sport which was taken to the extreme and cost several their lives.  Wing jumping, as opposed to parachute jumping, is done with a winged suit.  There were some of these jumpers who decided it might be a thrill to fly through openings in rocks.  This is illegal.  But they wanted the ultimate thrill.  Adrenalin junkies, all of them.  What strikes me is if tragedy befalls them, society is supposed to feel sorry for them.  Understanding will tell you certain thrills come at great risk and it is better they be not pursued.

The LORD has created us, in part, to be blessed in this life.  He desires to grant us a life that is enjoyed.  He has come that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.  Part of that enjoyment is disciplined enjoyment.  Trust me, planning for and packing for, a camping trip makes the camping trip far more enjoyable than running out into the wilderness with nothing by way of preparations.  There were two shows that featured wilderness survival.  What these men had to go through simply to get rescued does not look like something I would enjoy doing.  We go through life on a dare.  We do not have enough sense to know when something is unwise, nor care to know.  It is like we are all lined up at the ghost pepper booth and are willing to cause severe harm to ourselves for the mere pleasure of our heart discovering a thrill.  God calls that foolish! And so too, should we.

A Heart Operation Only God Can Do

“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.” (Pr 17:3 AV)

The little word ‘…but…’ gives all that we need to understand the truth of this proverb.  There is a fining pot and furnace for the refining of precious metals.  However, no such thing is available for the trying of the heart.  We can prove or purify all that we have.  We have the means to do so.  We have the physical tools necessary.  We can boil implements to kill germs.  We can through silver in a pot so the sludge floats to the top.  We can place gold in a furnace so the sludge forms at the top.  There are means to cleanse what we hold in our hands.  But to purify the heart, only the LORD has the means.  To some degree, we can examine and try to discern the heart; whether ours our another’s.  But to try the heart is an operation which only God can do.

This truth has several applications.  We need to remember that observation of another does not imply the ability to perfectly discern their heart.  There may be times we are right.  However, there are an equal amount of times we are not right.  The most pointed of applications is the trying of our own hearts.  It his been proven to me over and again that God often sends harsh experiences into our lives for the purpose of revealing just what kind of a person we are.  He either allows or sends difficult times to show us we are not what we thought we were.  Job is a perfect example.  A man that feared God and eschewed evil, he lived in according to the word of God and made sacrifice for his own family who did not follow his example.  The LORD allowed Satan to try Job in the form of the loss of his family, wealth, and health.  Everything of value was taken from him.  Although Job never sinned with his lips, what he did discover is his expectations of guaranteed blessings if he walked with the LORD.  He wanted his life to end.  He wished that he had never been born.

The fact is, we are not what we think we are.  Even the spiritual discipline of devotions cannot adequately try the heart.  Circumstances that challenge the heart is what is needed and only God can do that.  It is not easy.  Sometimes, it is down right unpleasant.  But necessary it is.  The LORD tries the heart because we cannot try our own.  He calls us on the carpet and challenges what we believe about ourselves.  It is a hard exercise.  But a good one.  It is a dose of reality.  A bath of cold water on a fridged day.  A harsh truth that causes us to look ourselves in the mirror, take stock, and admit we are not what we thought we were.  No furnace or pot can do this.  No self-diagnoses is possible.  This trying of the heart is a divine operation that only He can accomplish.  Bow to it.  Internalize it.  Thank God for it who will not allow us to remain as we are.  Praise the LORD for His faithfulness in the trying of our deepest recesses of the heart.

Two Sides to Victory

“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” (Pr 16:6 AV)

If there is to be victory over iniquity, there has to be a balance.  There must be truth.  Otherwise, we would not know what iniquity is.  Paul states, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Ro 3:20 AV) It is the truth that reveals where we have failed, why it was a failure, and how to correct it.  Truth is the bases of rebuke and correction.  With it, we would continue in iniquity without any hope of correction.  Mercy is the hope upon which truth passes through.  If we have no hope of mercy, then we suffer consequences for error without any hope of restoration or victory.  Our lives are nothing but punishment.  As far as the LORD is concerned, all we see Him as is an overbearing authority figure who cares more for right and wrong than the individual whom He has created.  He becomes a disengaged and aloof deity whose sole function is to administer and enforce the law without any desire to know and fellowship with the very beings whom He has created.  Mercy is the hug that comes after the spanking.  Mercy is the ice cream cone that follows a good tongue lashing.  Mercy and truth must be in balance.  Otherwise, iniquity reigns.

There are two incorrect types of parents.  There is the first that sits on his throne and manages his family.  He chastens when the children disobey.  As far as his relationships, they are limited to his friends and coworkers.  He is often by himself, engrossed in his hobby or with his buddies.  As far as his children, they are there to do his bidding and obey his commands.  If they need anything, they are to go to mother.  He cannot be bothered to sit with a child on his lap, reading a story or simply talking about what matters to the child.  There are no ball games.  There are not mutual interests.  When spanking does come, it is because the child deserved it and this parent feels too vulnerable to console the child afterward, thinking consolation shows weakness.  Then there is the other parent.  He or she wants to be his or her child’s best friend.  They fear to enforce any kind of law or standard because the child will not love them.  The ignore bad behavior because they fear they will lose the love of their little boy or girl.  Laws or standards fluctuate based on how little Timmy or Sally feels about it.  What once was not allowed for one sibling, is clearly tolerated of another for no other reason than fear.  Fear of losing that child.  In the end, a child raised with mercy and not truth quickly loses all respect for his or her parent what that parent feared all along becomes a reality.  That child is lost.

The LORD shows both.  Again, Paul states, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Ro 2:4 AV)  God’s mercy, coupled with the truth, produces repentance.  God forgives.  God instructs.  God rebukes.  But God forgives.  Without that hope, who would really care about changing anything.  Like the parent above, if God is going to be angry and correct without any hope of forgiveness and kindness, what would be the motive for doing right?  If He is going to be angry anyway, we might as well enjoy life in our sin.  A word of warning though.  The contemporary Christian culture stresses just the opposite.  Mercy at the cost of truth.  The heresy that “God loves you just the way you are” has led many to make harmful decisions along the way.  Many of which affect those who follow more than the decision-makers.  Truth and mercy must be in balance.  If not, iniquity will reign without any hope of victory.

Truth Without Breaking

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Pr 15:13 AV)

The meaning here is simple.  He who has a merry heart encourages himself or others, or both, resulting in a cheerful countenance.  He who has sorrow of heart, breaks his own spirit and perhaps the spirit of others.  There are times when both a merry heart and a heart of sorrow are appropriate.  Who would think of attending a birthday celebration with a sorrowful heart?  Not the place for it.  Who would think of bringing a merry heart to a funeral?  Some may appreciate it.  Others would not understand it.  As an example, years back I co-officiated a relative’s funeral.  It is customary for the preacher(s) to stay with the body after the funeral service until it is interned at the gravesite.  After the family were dismissed, the other preacher and I were having a bit of a fellowship.  There was a family member having a particularly hard time apart from the parlor and it completely escaped our notice.  Not the most stellar of moments in my history of ministerial duties.  It was not the place for a merry heart.  But let me share a bit on the aspect of the heart of sorrow.  Without hope, the spirit becomes broken.  Without some joy, the spirit can become broken.

Years ago, I worked at a plant that made foam dinner plates as well as other food storage or dinnerware products.  It started out as a Mobil plastics plant.  By the time I left there to go full-time in the ministry, it has changes hands three times.  Those were not fun times.  At each juncture, assumptions on the part of the workforce as well as true news coming from the management worked to discourage the workforce.  When a company is sold, rarely do things get better for the worker.  There are lay-offs, adjusted benefits (always downwards), or modified policy that favors ownership.  To begin with, the reason a company is sold is that it isn’t making enough profit to satisfy the shareholders.  I remember when it was announced we were being sold.  All the hourly employees gathered in the main cafeteria to discuss who it was that bought us and what it meant.  The closer we got to the sale and the more information swirled (true or untrue), our motivation to do the best job possible shrunk.  All we heard was the bad news.  Stricter attendance policy.  Less time off.  Fewer health benefits, etc.  What they didn’t tell us was the new company was going to build a 100,000 square foot warehouse and distribution facility.  More growth and advancement opportunities.  We would have taken the news of less much better if we also knew that more was coming.

We live in a pessimistic world.  At least in the last few decades.  We are the generation that has grown up with the possibility of total annihilation.  We are the generation that ducked under desks to protect ourselves from nuclear destruction.  Think about that for a moment.  We had these drills in grade school.  No grade school child should have to think about impending death by a nuclear bomb.  We had been conditioned to think there is no hope.  We are the generation that is brainwashed into thinking global warming will end all human existence within our lifetime.  We are conditioned to think life is too short so we might as well enjoy ourselves no matter the consequences.  As we fill our pulpits with biblically-based messages, our near-past generation of pulpiteers stressed doom and gloom above all else.  I do believe the dispensation of grace will end like all others.  The vast majority of the world is, and will, reject the free gift of salvation in Christ and as a result, come under severe judgement of God.  We preach on the consequences of sin.  Which we should.  We preach rebuking messages.  Which we should.  But too much of one side and not enough of the other will break the spirit of those whom we are trying to encourage to build the work.