The Strength One Already Possesses

“And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” (Jud 6:14 AV)

Or, the might which God has naturally given you.  Gideon is like many of us.  We shortchange the abilities which the LORD has naturally given us.  We are not speaking of the supernatural abilities which the LORD grants according to the task at hand.  We know we can do nothing outside of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and of Christ.  What that does not mean is we are nothing more than a deflated balloon, waiting for the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us so that we can live, or move, or have our being.  It is more like a balloon that is inflated.  But not to its potential.  If the job of the balloon is to merely rise into the air, it has sufficient helium given to it by the balloon master.  It rises under its own might.  The ‘might’ initially given by the master.  However, if it is to rise to the stratosphere, the master will have to increase the volume precipitously.  This is the balance between our own ‘might’ and the extraordinary might given on a case by case basis.  In other words, there is much we can do for the glory of God with what God has given already.  We need not ask for an extra measure of grace.  Yet, like Gideon, we often cower thinking what the LORD has already given is insufficient.

Sometimes we over-spiritualize doctrines.  One of those is the filling of the Holy Spirit and our sufficiency in Christ.  Paul said, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” (2Co 3:5 KJV)  He is absolutely right.  Paul also said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Ro 7:18 KJV)  We can do nothing outside of the power of the Holy Spirit and there is nothing inherently good about us whatsoever.  We did not come into this world under our own power and we do not live under our own power.  Paul also testified, “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Col 1:17 KJV)  From me you will get no dispute.  However, Paul also teaches us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:10 AV)  In other words, God is shaping us, molding us, and maturing us that we might shew for the praises of Him with whom we have to do.  He has made us with might.  We are nothing outside of Christ.  In Christ, we have the ability to praise and serve Him.

What puzzles the over-thinking mind is the personal possessive pronoun of our verse.  The overthinking theologian will dispute that Gideon has no might of his own.  The only might which he has is the might God gave him at the moment of conception.  The only might Gideon has is the might which enables Gideon to do anything.  Therefore, the overthinking theologian will erroneously believe Gideon doesn’t have ‘might’ of his own.  He would be wrong in the same sense that the meal my wife prepares for me may have come from her, assembled by her, and presented by her.  Once given to me, it is mine to do with as I please.  Gideon does have ‘might’ of his own.  This ‘might’ was given by God as a means to serve the one who has it.  It is there.  It is sufficient (for the most part).  Otherwise, the individual can simply blame God for any failure he suffers.  The LORD simply did not provide the power to overcome and I don’t have ‘might’ of my own.  Therefore, I am not accountable.  Go, in this thy might!  Stop the excuses.  Don’t go down the road of Gideon’s false humility.  Stop undervaluing that which the LORD has already given and go, in this thy might!

Lame Limitations

“The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;” (Pr 30:26 AV)

This is one of four examples the writer gives of creatures that overcome limitations in order to thrive.  The other three are ants, locusts, and spiders.  Each is limited.  Like each of God’s creatures.  Including man.  But these four were created with the means to overcome their limitations.  The coney, also known as the rock hyrax, is a rodent-like animal that inhabits rocky areas of hills and mountains.  These little guys are favorite prey for the leopard, cobra, adder, python, caracal, hawk and owls.  The Verreaux eagle specializes in hunting these little critters.  Like the mongoose, these cute little animals have a system of sentries and signals that protect the group.  What is extremely interesting is the coney of Israel is rarely a prey animal because it has developed a system of sophisticated calls, sentry posts, and refuges which keep the colony safe. They feed in groups and when an alarm is sounded, they scatter for their refuge.  The Hebrew word for a coney, Shaphan, indeed means sentry.   The verse above speaks of the coney’s wisdom revealed in making their homes and places of refuge in the rocks.  The coney can make their home in any type of soil or rock.  Along with their system of security, the fact they can adapt and find shelter no matter where they keep them thriving.

We are all created with limitations.  Some may not have the blessings of impeccable health.  Others may be challenged in the area of social skills.  We all didn’t ace every test we ever took.  Some may have speech issues.  Others may not be able to read as fast.  We are all called to different places in God’s plan and equipped to fulfill God’s will in those areas of service.  What we cannot do is allow our limitations to become our masters.  The writer above is making an example of a little critter who could very well become extinct if it had not developed the sophistication of colony security.  Rather than allow itself to become some bird or snake’s dinner, the colony exercised a group effort to protect the whole.  It recognized its limitations and devised a plan to overcome a threat.  The coney did not stick with only one den.  They dug many holes of refuge in their foraging area.  When the threat comes, they have several options for retreat and protection.  They are not willing to surrender to their limitations.  They overcome them.

The LORD is our strength.  The LORD has given us wisdom.  He is not going to create all men to be an everyman.  We must rely on others.  We must devise the means, by His word and wisdom, to overcome our limitations.  This is a positive application of wisdom.  I didn’t fall asleep in science class!  I learned the lesson of the lever.  One fine day I was changing a tire.  The lug nuts were on so tight I couldn’t budge them.  Retrieving an eight-foot brass tubing that was three inches in diameter, I placed in on the end of the tire iron.  What would no budge less than a foot from the nut turned easily from the end of that pipe.  My strength was mu limitation.  The wise seek ways to overcome those limitations.  We complain way too soon.  “I can’t do it.  It’s too hard.”  How many times have we said that?  The writer is telling us the above excuse is no excuse at all!  If the little coney can overcome his limitations to thrive in a harsh environment, why cannot we?  God has given us His word.  He has given us the ministry of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  If we are controlled by our limitations, we are saying our God is not big enough to lead us in overcoming them.

Secure the Victory

“Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.” (Jud 1:8 AV)

We understand this city was not fully conquered and inhabited by Judah until David went up against it in the first part of his reign.  This city would be burned and the king conquered about three hundred years before David conquered it again.  The city would lose its name until David arrived.  Called Jerusalem here, when David invades, it would carry the name Jebus after the Jebusites who inhabited it.  We don’t know why Judah never inhabited the city three hundred years earlier.  All we know is they had a victory that went to waste until David claimed it for his capital city.  After David conquered it the second time, the city was renamed Jerusalem, the City of David.  There is a lesson here.  A lesson we can learn and LORD willing, apply.  God gives victories all the time.  It might be prudent to take the time to secure the victories He gives before we go on and try to gain more ground.

The success of Germany’s war effort during World War II was also its downfall.  Hitler and his generals practiced a war doctrine called Blitzkrieg.  The idea of the blitzkrieg was to throw everything at the enemy as fast as you can and take territory before the enemy could adjust and take up defensive positions.  For the first few years of the war, it worked amazingly well.  Western Europe was conquered and occupied in a matter of a few years.  There was little resistance from what would become the western bloc of the Soviet Union.  Poland collapsed quickly.  Belgium and France didn’t stand a chance.  The Netherlands barely gave a fight.  At first glance, it looked as though Germany was unstoppable.  However, there was a major downfall of moving that fast.  In one such instance, the artillery was advancing so fast, their support could not keep up and they lay waiting, vulnerable to enemy attack because they did not pace themselves.  The weakness of this doctrine is eventually, they spread themselves too thin they could not successfully occupy the territory they had gained.  They didn’t take the time to shore up their conquests before they went on to another.  This was their ultimate downfall.  Germany lost the war because of logistics.  Rather than wage a methodical and well-planned war, Hitler made the mistake of over-committing.  Praise the LORD for the rest of the world!

We fail in areas of our lives because we have too many fronts open.  Rather than concentrate on a particular area of weakness until the victory is secure, we open multiple fronts so they all fail.  We overcome a stronghold, then ignore it because we think overcoming it the first time will keep it defeated.  This is no true.  Had Judah established Jerusalem three hundred years earlier, David would have never had to retake it.  The Jebusites would have been a distant memory.  What ended up happening was a mockery on the part of the Jebusites as David approached the city.  We cannot win every battle all at once.  We have to pick and choose our battles.  We have to wage warfare over the long haul.  We have to plod through and establish the ground we have been given before me move on to the next enemy.  Dieting is a great example.  Ninety-one percent of diets fail.  They fail because once the target weight is reached, the dieter thinks the victory is forever won not realizing the object of dieting is a healthy lifestyle and not the loss of weight.  It is a lifetime commitment.  A permanent lifestyle change.  This is how we need to view our Jerusalem.  It is not a victory until it is occupied.  Anything less results in a reoccupation of the enemy.

Audacious Grace

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

If we have been saved for any length of time, we are familiar with this principle.  If we ignore the law, then the LORD considers any prayer other than a prayer of repentance as an abomination.  One would think with all that is facing us right now, we would keep short accounts with God.  Note also this is a purposeful choice.  The turning of the ear is the conscious choice to turn from what God says to do one’s own thing.  This is why prayer from such a person is an abomination.  This is no light thing.  To say something is an abomination is to say that it makes God sick.  That is what the meaning of that word is.  It means something that comes up to the nostrils which cause nausea.  This is a bit different than regarding iniquity in our hearts.  The LORD will not hear us if that is our case.  The condition above is one more step away from answered prayer.  Not only is our prayer not answered.  It makes God sick if we even attempt to ask.

There is a word that comes to mind.  Audacious.  Imagine a child who completely ignores his parents' commandments.  A very young child, we may excuse.  Imagine this child is a teenager.  Imagine he not only lives in rebellion but when the requests of the parents come, he walks away while they are trying to instruct him.  Further, he goes into his bedroom, locks the door, and plays his music really loud.  This is not a one-time occurrence.  This is a pattern.  Then something happens.  After treating his parents this way, perhaps for several years, he gets himself into a fix.  He gets into a financial bind because he has gotten one too many tickets.  He faces jail time.  He is sitting in his room with the door closed and his music playing.  The mail comes.  There is a letter to him from the state’s Attorney’s office.  Dad slips it under the door.  A few minutes later, junior comes out with the chip of rebellion still on his shoulders and asks his father for several thousand dollars.  If he doesn’t come up with all the fines and court costs, he will be arrested.  He throws the letter on his father’s lap.  What do you think that father is feeling?  The audacity of this young man to presume upon his grace all the while completely ignoring and disrespecting his father.  How would you feel?

This is what we do to the LORD when we turn a deaf ear to the commandments and principles of the word of God then demand God show grace in our time of need.  How do you think God feels?  God asks us to pursue perfection, but He doesn’t expect it from us.  He does ask is respect for, and a pursuit of the commandments and principles of His word.  His word is a reflection of Himself.  When we ignore it or disdain it, we are doing the same to Him.  He expects us to repent.  He expects us to chase after the law and live it by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He seeks those who love Him and His law.  If we do not, we are being worse than presumptuous.  We are being downright audacious if we expect the LORD to show grace when we have no respect.

Open and Honest Better than Closed and Misleading

“Open rebuke is better than secret love.” (Pr 27:5 AV)

One would rather not have either.  😊  But, if we had to have one or the other, according to Solomon, it is better to suffer correction than to think things are super-duper.  It is better to hear the honest opinion of someone who says they care for us than for them to stay quiet to protect our feelings.  This is not to say we should be rudely blunt all day long.  We wouldn’t have anyone who loved us in return.  What Solomon is driving at is having our relationships openly honest and appreciating an individual who will risk that relationship to help the very person they say they care about.  Let us say again.  If push came to shove, we would rather have neither.  Open rebuke is embarrassing and encroaching.  We get defensive when someone dares to point out the obvious.  Open rebuke here does not mean in front of others.  It means open and honest.  This is often the hardest rebuke to take.  When someone nails our faults right on the head, it’s like getting struck with blunt force.  It hurts.  Hiding the truth hurts far worse. 

I love doctors!  I really do.  I have had many doctors throughout my half-century life.  Some who care about their patients more than others.  My childhood doctor, Dr. Miscotto, was blunt as the day is long.  He didn’t care how much you cried or carried on.  I can remember him rebuking my mother for the fits we would pitch as we agonized over a tongue depressor.  He was the doctor who had to re-break my wrist and set it a second time.  He warned me that if I did not care for my wrist correctly while it set in a half-cast, he would have to re-break it and set it in a full cast.  I didn’t heed his direction and smarted for it.  My current doctor had to take a bit of getting used to.  He is a thorough clinician.  He loves labs, tests, and numbers.  A scientist extraordinaire.  This puts him in the category of personality deprived.  More of a scientist than a comforter, my doctor is blunt!  At first, I didn’t care for it.  I thought he was rude.  However, after being under his care for the last two years and wading through some underlying health issues, I began to appreciate his comments more and more.  He will point to and poke my belly and tell me I have a problem.  How rude!  I would rather him be blunt than protect my feelings and see me suffer for my poor decisions.

This verse is written to both parties.  The one rebuking or pursuing secret love, and the ears of the hearer.  The advice here is both ways.  For those who observe someone whom we say we care for, we are told to help them correct serious errors rather than to protect their feelings.  For the hearer, stop getting so defensive.  I could find a doctor who would dance around my health issues because he wants my business.  I could find a doctor who would ignore the truth for the sake of seeing me again.  I have had several doctors like that.  Or, I could appreciate a friend who will tell me things I don’t want to hear but need to hear.  In the age of the snowflake, we pass on constructive and helpful criticism.  We do this to our detriment.

Unclaimed Property

“And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?” (Jos 18:3 AV)

By the end of Joshua’s life, there was still a good portion of Canaan yet to be conquered.  It wasn’t for lack of opportunity or ability.  Ephraim didn’t conquer their land because it was too hard.  Manasseh didn’t conquer their territory because they became complacent.  Israel had been given a promise.  They had been given direction.  They had been given their borders.  They had received their marching orders.  They had received training.  They had the resources.  What they lacked was initiative.  If God’s people would only realize what the LORD has given them!  If we would take a few moments and realize how much territory, so to speak, is ours for the taking.  Many victories of life await our effort.  Many souls are in the field waiting to be harvested.  We have what we need.  What we lack is the initiative.

I have had several friends that owned different types of businesses.  Contrasting two will help us understand the point here.  The first was a man whose son and I were together in Boy Scouts.  They owned a lumber yard.  His father came from Italy.  They started a lumber yard and heavy equipment rental business.  Almost seventy-five years later, he had grown his business into four locations spanning three counties.  Friend number two was a retailer specializing in a specific area.  He, too, had the means and opportunity to expand.  But never did.  He was content to limit his vision to one and only one location with only a few skews to offer.  The second fella was not at any risk of competition.  He was so specialized it wouldn’t be worth the risk to compete.  So, he had a safe exclusivity.  There was no incentive to expand.  The first, knowing there would be competition took risks and expanded.  In order to survive, he had to expand.  The first saw an opportunity and had means to take a risk.  The second had the same but lacked courage and initiative.  Playing it safe and comfortable kept the second from realizing the highest potential of his investment.  The matter wasn’t a matter of laziness.  Both men worked very hard to accomplish that which they accomplished.  Both are worthy of admiration for what they did.  The difference was initiative.  A willingness to take a risk.

God is not going to do everything for us.  He requires from us service and faith.  God gave the Garden of Eden as a means for Adam and Eve to serve.  What happens when the LORD does everything for us?  Just look at Israel.  God fed them and clothed them during their forty years of wandering.  God sustained them.   Yet, they became ungrateful and complained of what they didn’t have.  When it comes to the spiritual life, the LORD will give us the means and opportunity to wage the battle against sin and for souls.  But He will not do everything for us.  The Holy Spirit will empower us.  But we are not puppets on a string.  We have wills of our own.  We must exercise our faith and our wills that the will of God might become our goal in life.  There is much opportunity that lies before us.  It could be the world is being primed for one last and great revival.  But the job of serving the LORD and evangelizing the lost is ours.  What are we going to do with the land that lays before us?

A Reminder of Our Inheritance

“But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.” (Jos 13:33 AV)

This phrase appears five times in the old testament.  Once in the book of Deuteronomy.  Twice in the book of Numbers.  Once in the book of Joshua.  And once in the book of Ezekiel.  Why so often?  Why must the Levite be reminded five times that he and his family will receive no inheritance among God’s people because of their assigned profession?  As he looks upon the fields and estates of the people whom he serves, he is told the calling of life to which he was born is of higher value.  He is told he will never have the things that others have.

One can only imagine how the Levite must have felt as he saw others enjoy a lifestyle he would never enjoy.  I know exactly how he feels.  It is a hard thing to watch the people of God enjoy a level of living knowing that serving the LORD with one’s life might very well prohibit the same in the life of the man of God.  Especially in his early ministry, he may be eking out a living while others seem to be comfortable.  Don’t get me wrong.  They have earned every penny and are entitled to enjoy the fruit of their labor.  We are just being honest here.  The man of God must fight envy.  The Devil wants him to be discontented with the lack of the things of this world so that he will surrender his calling or surrender to the lust of the eyes.  No doubt, as the Levite left the city to which he was assigned and traveled to Jerusalem for his rotation of service, he passed by many nice estates.  No doubt he saw many large flocks.  He passed by affluent neighborhoods of the people whom he would serve.  He would have to fight the temptation of envy as he went on his way to work.

But a funny thing happens along the way.  He is reminded (five times) his inheritance is not of this world.  He has the privilege and responsibility to walk with God for the sake of others.  Over time, he learns his lot in life is far better than those who value the things of this world.  He understands he gets to approach God in a way that others cannot.  At least on this side glory.  There are also riches that only he can experience.  Putting lives back together is a treasure incomparable to anything the world has to offer.  Leading a soul to Christ and discipling him into Christlikeness is a privilege beyond words.  When he stands behind the pulpit and feeds the sheep, he is reminded of how awesome a responsibility and privilege it is to be the venue by which the Holy Spirit works to change lives.  When he counsels with those who desperately need help and a course change to spiritual health is achieved, he remembers just what it was to which God has called him.  The older I get, the more I appreciate what God has called me to.  What a great privilege to serve God and His sheep.  There is no earthly treasure that comes close to comparison.

God Hears Man

“And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.” (Jos 10:14 AV)

What a tremendous verse this is.  Have you ever heard the phrase, “I’d move heaven and earth for you?”  This is literally what happened.  There were five kings of the Amorites who were concerned with Joshua and Israel.  And rightly so.  They had heard what God did for them in Egypt and at Jericho and Ai.  They were concerned Israel would conquer them as well.  These five men banded together and formed an alliance that went against Joshua and Israel.  As these five kings with their respective nations fled from the face of Israel, Joshua prayed the sun and moon stand in their place.  Joshua wanted more time.  He wanted more sunlight.  He wanted to strike while the iron was hot.  Joshua wanted to run the enemies of God out of town and avenge upon them the justice due them for the persecution Israel suffered at their hands.  When the word of God says there was no day like it or ever will be like it, it is referring to the fact the sun and moon stood still for an entire day.  What the Bible is not saying is there were only one say and one man to whom God hearkened to the voice of a man.  The question is, what world-changing prayer request are we asking for?  And, is God hearkening to us?

If we only realized just how much possibility we have in prayer, it would change many lives and ministry.  If we would only realize how much power there is in prayer.  The LORD tells us over and again the world in which we find ourselves would change greatly if we simply prayed.  I could take the time to tell you story after story of how God answers prayer, but I will leave you with a particular one that is simple, yet dear to my heart.  It was a snowy Friday morning and my youngest son was getting married.  A future daughter-in-law was headed up from a southern state.  She was driving through rough weather and she was by herself.  She hit a patch of black ice and lost control of the car.  She hit the cement barrier dividing the highway.  Her car caught fire.  I had her on the phone and had to talk her through what she needed to do to stay safe and get help.  We had her hang up and call 911.  Then she called back.  She was in a very rural part of her journey and highly unlikely she would see another car.  After getting her safely off the road and on the shoulder, we prayed with her.  There were no cars on the road and she could see down the road for quite a bit.  We specifically prayed the LORD would send her a car with a driver who would be willing to stay with her until help arrived.  Immediately after uttering the word Amen, a car approached.  God hearkened unto the voice of a man.

Much goes undone because we do not pray.  Much goes undone because we do not pray in faith, nothing wavering.  We may not be able to make the sun and moon stand still, but that doesn’t mean God is out of the miracle-working business.  Just because time doesn’t stand still doesn’t mean God is deaf to our prayers.  There are just as many life-changing miracles God is waiting to grant if we simply humble ourselves and ask.  God listens.  But God cannot hear silence.  He cannot hearken to the voice of a man that says nothing.  There are things God wishes to do or grant which remain undone or given.  We have not because we ask not.  We have little results because we pray little.  What a statement to consider that God would hearken to the voice of a man.  Next time you doubt God would answer prayer, ask yourself if the request is according to the will of God.  If so, then ask in faith nothing wavering.  He will hearken unto you.  Then figuratively speaking, watch the sun and moon standstill.

Our Expectations Will Not Cease

“For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” (Pr 23:18 AV)

Although the context of this advice is envy against the wicked, it is obvious how we will apply it today.  Surely there is a point to comfort when sinners seem to profit at the hands of the righteous.  This is Solomon’s point here.  Do not fret.  There will be an end to injustice and unfairness.  Then that which we have placed our hope in will come to pass.  This is a principle that applies no matter the promise.  We may have to endure but for a moment.  But there is a far greater eternity that awaits us.  There are promises of God’s provision, protection, presence, and peace.  Nothing which we will endure will separate us from these promises.  There will be an end.  Then comes our expectation.

No matter the trial of life, the longest it can last is a lifetime.  That may seem like a harsh reality.  But in the light of eternity, this should be a comfort.  There have been times when I didn’t think I was going to make it.  I remember the pain medications which the surgeon prescribed for me following surgery.  At the time of my discharge, the nurse told my wife and I to immediately go and get that script filled so that I could start taking them before my current treatment wore off.  This we did.  I started a regimen of pain meds that took care of the pain.  The problem was, it made me more than loopy.  I started imagining things.  It also affected bladder function.  This was a big red flag.  So, instead of weaning myself off, I simply stopped taking them.  I have never experienced such a horrible experience as those eight hours.  I thought I was dying.  My wife and son were terrified.  They called a paramedic friend of mine.  I thought I was checking out.  One cannot even describe the many feelings that course through the body when coming of serious pain medications.  However, it passed.   Before surgery, the doctor told me that with diligent therapy, I should regain complete mobility and strength.  This is what he and I expected.  After two years of recovery, I can say that he was right.

We have much expectation.  I expect to have a nature that does nothing but please God.  I expect peace.  I expect the divine presence as I have never experienced it before.  I expect perfection.  These things are promised.  Perhaps we can taste a glimpse of what it will be like, but we will not have the fullness of these promises until eternity.  But they will come.  They will be ours to enjoy forever and ever.  Seeing these things shall be, the question is, why do we fret so much?  Why do we lose patience?  Why do we lose hope?  God has not gone back on His word!  He is our faithful Creator.  He will bring it to pass.  We may have to deal with tribulation during our short seventy years of life, but this too shall pass.  Then our expectations will be our reality forever and ever.  All those trials of our temporal life will be forgotten.  Nothing but the pure promises of God to enjoy.

The Way We All Must Learn

“Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.” (Jos 3:4 AV)

The space between the ark and the people was roughly one-quarter mile.  Given they were crossing on a desert river bed, that is more than enough distance for a mirage.  In other words, they may not have seen the ark at all.  Rather, they would have seen evidence of the ark passing before them.  But not the ark.  Now, notice the underlined portion of our verse above.  I don’t know about you, but if I didn’t know the way and there was a possibility I could not see the leader in front of me, I would follow as closely as I could.  Wouldn’t you?  What if it was pitch black outside?  Wouldn’t you remain at the foot of the one who knows the way?  What way are we talking about here?

There was an exercise we ran while learning leadership in the Boy Scouts.  There would be one person who had written instructions on how to navigate an obstacle course.  The rest would be on a length of rope spaced fifteen feet or so behind.  There would be a paper grocery bag placed over our heads so that we couldn’t see the person in front of us.  All we had to lead us was this rope.  As long as we held on to the rope, we knew which direction we were supposed to go.  There were obstacles in our way.  Chairs or blocks places in our way.  If someone got off course or knocked an obstacle, they were taken from the team and the rest advanced.  The object of the exercise was to see how many team members the leader could get safely to the goal.  It taught the leader a principle.  He was responsible to lead his team to the objective.  Not as individuals.  But as a team.  It taught the team to trust its leader.

There are lessons in life that only faith can teach.  This was the way they didn’t know.  Israel, as yet, had not learned to completely trust the LORD and His leader.  When they left Egypt, it was a no brainer.  Stay there and die, or trust the LORD and Moses.  When they were compassed in at the Red Sea, another no brainer.  When there was no food or water, it didn’t take much faith to believe water and manna were the answer.  The one step of faith in which they recoiled cost them forty years of wilderness wandering.  Now they were asked to follow a leader they couldn’t fully see.  One might think all they had to do was walk between the walls of water as they did at the Red Sea.  But this was different.  The water was stopped upstream.  A wall of water was on one side only.  And that, a great distance off.  They had only one choice.  Follow the footsteps of the ones who were led of the LORD and trust the LORD to get you safely on the other side.  We are called to live by faith.  It is what separates us from the angels.  It is what pleases God.  There is only one way to walk by faith and it has to be learned.  This is the way they did not know.  This is the way they had to learn.  This is the way every child of God must learn.  Trust the LORD!  He will guide You all the way.

Sheltering in God's Presence

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Ps 91:1 AV)

Psalm ninety-one was written by Moses upon reflection of the first Passover.  The Psalm makes several references to the noisome pestilence and Israel’s protection from it.  We must be careful here not to take as a promise something that belonged to another.  For Israel, as long as the blood was upon the lintel and side posts, the death angel would spare the firstborn.  This Psalm shares this experience several times.  We are not Israel.  This is not the first Passover.  We do not have blood on our doorposts or lintel.  Therefore, we cannot take this passage as a promise we will be safe from pestilence.  What we can do, though, is read of that night and the faith which Israel had.  We can see how they quarantined within their homes, worshiped God, and sang the Psalms.  We can witness that dwelling in the secret place of the most High gave them security and mutual comfort.

I lived in tornado ally for almost a decade.  Having never lived there before, it was quite an experience.  My NOAA radio was my best friend.  This radio was amazing.  It told you exactly where a funnel cloud was spotted, the direction it was headed, and the speed in which it was traveling.  You knew if you were in the path of danger or if you were safe.  Several times we opened the doors of our church for our neighbors.  There was a trailer park right behind the church.  And, as we know, tornadoes seem to love trailer parks.  It was not out of the ordinary to have several people whom you never met come into the church building and hunker down with you in the basement.  I remember one such incident.  It was pouring so hard, fifty feet was as far as the eye could see.  Up drives a car and stops under our carport.  NOAA said it was headed our way.  So, I invited the lady and her daughter into the building and down to the basement.  Where she joined me and a few family members.  Now, just because we were huddled and praying didn’t mean the LORD would decide to steer that tornado clear.  We still might have been hit.  It was all up to the LORD.  What was important was the mutual support we all had for one another at a time of hypothetical crisis.

The difference between my NOAA radio and what we are hearing regarding our current trouble is that NOAA is only facts whereas what we are hearing is mostly speculation.  Our leadership wants us to overreact and take extreme measures that this virus may be short-lived.  There may be some wisdom in that.  But the damage caused by overreaction may be worse than the virus itself.  Only time will tell.  And besides, this is not the point of our verse.  We need to shut off the voices of extreme alarmism and be encouraged by the presence of our closest family and friends.  Even though we are shut-in, that does not preclude us from worshiping and fellowshiping.  So, sing some hymns.  Open the windows and let the neighbors hear of your joy!  Participate in online services.  Don’t let the anxiety of the world rob you of the peace Jesus promised His saints.  Use this as a time to draw closer to one another and not further apart.  Pray as a family.  Worship as a family.  Grow as a family.  And let the world see the faith in which you profess.

Praise God for Counsel

“Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.” (Pr 20:18 AV)

Being a leader can be a lonesome job.  Often, we are tasked to make decisions which many may not agree.  There are other times, such as the challenge which lies before our nation and churches, in which many are inexperienced.  The last time our nation went through something similar was the Spanish flu of 1918-19.  I know of many pastors who scrambled to come up with a biblical solution to a global problem.  Relying solely on one’s self for guidance and wisdom may not be wise.  Having men with whom to share the burden is wise.  We just finished reading the book of Deuteronomy.  We learned Moses shared the responsibility to govern with seventy elders from among the people.  Moses also had Aaron and Joshua.  The early church Apostles also understood this principle.  Thus, the office of deacon was born.  It is by this support staff that leadership often gathers to discuss and make decisions.  It is this support staff that is invaluable to the office of the pastor.  Especially when he must wade through strange waters and make a decision that glorifies God all the while protecting the church.  To have such men who will serve alongside the pastor is a gift more than words can express.

In my thirty-six plus years of ministry, I have served at both ends.  For the most part, I served as a support.  As pulpit supply and associate pastor, the LORD often asked of me to be a support for my pastor.  When he asked me my opinion, he genuinely wanted to know.  When he was faced with a decision, he honestly valued my thoughts and considered them.   Having served in the Senior Pastorate for the last thirteen years, I cannot begin to put into words how much I appreciate the men which the LORD provided.  I can honestly say the LORD surrounded me with godly men of high quality and deep wisdom that made my job a whole lot easier.  We have had to wade through some very challenging times together.  From the dissolution of a work to a mass shooting at our local high school, there were times I could not survive without the support of those whom God provided.  But more than that, it is good to have many voices that will share their observations knowing the decision ultimately lies with the pastor.  It is this working relationship that creates an environment of unity and growth.  The Pastor, listening to the people as well as God, and the people, trusting God to lead their pastor, is the New Testament way of governing a church.

This system requires listening.  This system requires respect.  This system requires we value counsel even if we disagree with it.  This system is meant as a collaborative effort in moving the church forward.  A pastor would be foolish to take the reigns of the ship all by himself without a helmsman, a lookout, or a first officer.  By delegating specialties, the ship can go further and faster.  Listening to the lookout of a pending landmass or iceberg, even if he cannot see it, is wise.  Hearing what the first officer has to say when he brings word of the concerns of the men can only help the captain's effectiveness as a leader.  I will testify again, as a pastor, there is no way I would be able to navigate any waters without the input and prayers of the leadership which God has graciously provided.  I am truly thankful for the men of the past.  I am deeply grateful for Christ, Jon, and Ted who have wisdom which both challenges and compliments my own.  As we weather this storm, let us pray for our pastors.  But let us also pray for the men which God has given.  Pray for unity among God’s people.  Pray the LORD would guide us to effective ministry both among ourselves and the world which is taken by deep anxiety.  Together, by God’s grace, we will come out of this much stronger than we entered.

The Highest Motive for Holiness

“The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.” (De 28:9 AV)

This verse is right in the middle of the blessings and curses associated with the law.  The LORD promises blessings for obedience.  He also warns of curses if the people of God walk not in His law.  Then He explains why.  The LORD desires a people so different from the carnal world in which we live, that He gives a law which will work to that end.  Being a holy people has an impact.  Being so impacts the world around us.  As they see a people who live differently than them, there is a definite response.  If Christ be lifted up, He will draw all men unto Himself.  However, there is a specific application here that we need to consider.  Two little words that should change how we view holiness.  Or the motivation for it anyway.  “…unto himself…”  That is the phrase we wish to consider.  Yes, being a holy people would benefit us as well as all who desire what God desires.  Yet, we are first and foremost a holy people unto the LORD.

We wonder what should motivate us to surrender to the principles of the word of God.  Consequences are a valid motive.  If not, they would not have been listed before and after the verse above.  But let me ask you a question.  Are consequences the best motive?  What if there was a higher motive.  What if, instead of consequences, we were motivated by love.  In other words, what if there were no consequences and promises of blessings did not exist?  Would we still live according to the law?  What if our actions affected the heart of God? What if we realized that God has made us for Himself.  For His pleasure (rev.4:11).  Would we be motivated to live as the LORD lives for the simple reason that it pleases Him?  This is one way in which the above verse can be applied.

There is a natural desire of which every child is endowed.  They desire to please their authority figure.  Whether it is a father at home or a teacher at school.  They wish to succeed to gain their approval.  That child wishes his self-worth to be affirmed.  The trouble is, there is a sin nature that competes against this desire to please.  Eventually, unless they are saved, that sin nature will win out.  The same us true of the child of God.  There should be a part of us that desires to please God.  It should grow stronger as the ministry of the Holy Spirit has His way with us.  As we yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our spirit’s desire changes from selfishness to pleasing our heavenly Father.  This is the highest motive for holy living.  That we might be a holy people unto God.  That we might please Him in all that we do.  That we might submit to His will because we have accepted by faith that His way is the best way.  I cannot get past that phrase.  Unto himself.  Not unto the world.  Not unto one another.  Unto himself.  May this be our strongest motive for godly living above all other motivations.  That we are His and He is ours.

Quarantine Without Quantifying

“Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.” (De 24:8 AV)

There is biblical precedent for quarantine.  The laws of leprosy are very descriptive.  Those with the disease were isolated from the general public.  Those whose clothing or houses were infested with it lost both.  They were burned and buried.  Leprosy is a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease.  Those infected had to be isolated rather than risk the health of the general public.  Many emotions and opinions are circulating regarding our challenge with COVID-19.  The feelings run the gambit.  Considering some biblical principles might assist in the proper response of our concerned public.  One of the most important is listed above.  Containment.  It is essential for those who test positive or those who are ill to be isolated as much as possible from the general populous.  This is what the regulation above required.  Even if there were symptoms without an affirmative diagnosis, the patient was still quarantined.  This shows sound judgment.  There really should be no dispute about this and so I will move on to another observation.

Isolation with compassion.  I used to listen to a lot of talk radio.  I don’t listen all that much anymore.  Especially to those news channels that also broadcast their shows, real-time, over the radio.  However, I was parking the car the other night and heard a brief discussion about who is to blame for all this.  One lady stated it was the fault of all unhealthy people.  Those who don’t go to the gym, eat anything their heart's desire, fail to administer the latest detox plan, or don’t make a habit of buying only organic.  She was making a judgment about anyone who does not fit her definition of what a healthy lifestyle is.  Mind you, none of the above would cause this virus to have appeared.  This is exactly what happened with the lepers.  Because they were cast out, they became the outcast.  Those who failed to fit into a predetermined definition of perfect health were seen as morally and socially inferior.  I feel the same is going to begin to happen as a by-product of our current challenge.

Out of fear of illness, even when this passes, people will look at other people in a totally different way.  Rather than seeing people as equals to ourselves sharing in the misery of the human condition, individuals in society will begin to quantify other individuals as clean or unclean.  The back death that swept through Europe in the mid-1300s was blamed, in part, on the Jews.  Their hygienic practices prevented them from becoming as sick as the rest of Europe.  The reaction was to blame a people not at fault for something the victims did not understand.  The same was true of the leper.  Yes, we must isolate.  Physically.  But it will be a greater shame if after this challenge is over (and it will be over) that the world does not practice social isolationism because of an opinion not based in fact.  What a shame it would be if after all is said and done, people didn’t get back to mingling because we have decided everyone else but us is unclean.