God Has Got This

“O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.” (Ps 66:8-9 AV)

 

What follows these two verses are afflictions that God asks Israel to endure.  The context is not a life free of trouble.  Rather, the context is a life of trouble that we might grow thereby.  The underlined portion of our verse is so important to commit to memory and rehearse when the afflictions of life seem too hard to bear.  The instruction of praise God is given precisely because God holds us in the palm of His hand.  He does not promise a life free of anxiety.  He does not promise a bed of roses without the thorns.  There are trials of faith.  There are persecutions from without.  There are corrections which He deems necessary.  Life is full of hard times.  Not that God never blesses.  He does so continually.  In fact, as a child of God, the blessings far outnumber the trouble that happens to come our way.  It is nice to know that no matter what the LORD may ask us to endure, He is always there and we are constantly in His watchcare.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.  He abides faithful.  He is always there.

My oldest brother, Paul, went on a high adventure scout camp while he was in high school.  I believe the camp was called Philmont.  While there, he learned how to repel.  He took advanced training as learned how to tie a Swiss seat, learned how the entire system of ropes works, and learned to be a brakeman.  He learned it so well that he was able to instruct other scouts in the basics of repelling.  One particular Saturday, our troop went hiking in the Niagara Falls gorge.  This was below the falls.  We descended at a place called Devil’s hole, or something like that, and hiked towards the falls where we ascended to the Geological Museum on the American side.  There is one particular place that is a bit risky.  The gorge is filled with shale stone which moves rather easily.  This was also one of the best places to find Indian arrowheads if one was so inclined.  After the shale slope, the hiker came to a more rugged cliff face.  It was here my brother set up the ropes and taught his fellow scouts how to repel down the gorge.  The one repelling does have control over his descent. There is a system of carabiners and rope that if threaded correctly, gives the climber control over his speed of descent.  However, one should not descend without a brakeman.  That was my brother.  He had all the scouts watch what he would do if the descent seemed as though it was getting out of control.  Although the climber had complete control of his own descent, if he lost control, the brakeman would control the remainder of the descent.   At no time was the climber in any danger.  We were safe in the hands of the one with the taught rope even though our rope and as much slack as we wished.

What a picture of what our God does for us.  It may seem like our descent is out of control, but it really isn’t.  It may feel like our feet are slipping, but they are not.  It may feel like our life is beyond reclamation, but it is not.  It may feel like what we are facing is too much for even God to handle, but it is not.  The thing about Paul as the brakeman was it didn’t matter how much weight was at the end of the rope.  He could have a three hundred pound adult at the end of that rope and he, barely weighing in over 125, could still stop the free fall weight of someone twice his size.  God is infinite in power.  He has no limited existence.  No matter what life brings, He is always greater.  We may descend.  But if we trust the LORD, it doesn’t have to be a free fall.  We may have to go through hardships or large steps of growth, but it doesn’t have to be an out-of-control experience.  God has this.  It may seem like He doesn’t from time to time.  But He does.  When Paul was serving as the brakeman, he didn’t look over the edge to see how we were doing.  He was out of sight of the climber.  He had to be in order to get the leverage he needed to keep us safe.  We may not be able to discern God’s hand on the rope, but it is there.  We are safe in His hand whether we can detect it or not.  Our souls are safe in this life and our feet will never slip.

Hope In Present And Future Grace

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” (1Pe 1:13 AV)

We use the phrase “hope to the end” to mean we are holding out hope that something might or probably will happen.  More times than not, we use the phrase to describe faithfulness amid a hopeless outcome.  This is not how Peter used this phrase.  The cause for the hope is the grace of God which is to be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Or, the grace that appears when we see Jesus face to face.  Some commentators believe Peter is speaking to lost Jewish worshippers who had started down the road of salvation and were contemplating exiting the process before saving faith was made complete.  One understanding is the encouragement to continue to journey of faith that began in Genesis and runs through the gospels that the lost soul might hope perfectly until Christ be revealed in the heart.  Other writers speak of yielding to faith and allowing faith to have her perfect work.  As it does, grace is revealed from faith to faith.  It continues to grow as we trust the LORD for the trials at hand.  Still, another sees the grace of God and the object upon which hope is based.  Some grace is seen now.  Other grace will be seen in glory.  No matter how a writer expounds upon this verse, one thing is for certain.  Faith, faithfulness, or hope are closely related to grace.  Either present grace or grace yet to be realized.  Rather than contemplate one or the other, let us consider both together.

Living in the snow belt of New York, it was not uncommon for one’s employer to ask the current shift to hold over to the next one as more and more employees called in unable to brave the weather.  There were a few times while working the second or third shift this happened.  Our employer could not force us to stay and work.  Rather, he asked us to keep the lines going and he would make it worth our while.  New Your state law does seem to favor the employee more so than the employer when it comes to continuous hours worked.  Breaks increase as well as the time allotted for those breaks.  However, in one factory I worked at, the managers went above and beyond simply extended breaks.  No matter how many hours we were scheduled to work that week, that extra shift was automatic double time.  In one such storm, we were allowed to earn a sick day plus the double-time.  A call-in was erased from our past.  Still another incident earned us free product from the factory store plus the extra money in our pocket.  Each time a shift was asked to stay over, the terms of our labor changed to make it work our while.  The grace that was shown in the present got us to commit.  However, it was also the grace that was coming at the end.  The grace of a promised end time.  Law only allowed us to work 16 hours at a time.  If we stayed over, we knew it was only for one shift and they had to let us go.  We had the grace of plowed roads and safe travel.  We had the grace of hot meals prepared for us in the cafeteria.  We had the grace of calling in the next day for a half-day so that eight hours in between wasn’t torturing.  There was present grace.  But there was also grace promised at the end of our shift.  This present and future grace was the foundation that made faithfulness, or hope, perfect.  Without the experience and promise of grace, there was no hope and faithfulness disappears.

The grace we have now is wrapped up in the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  He is largely ignored.  We seldom stop and think that a person of the Trinity is actively working in our minds and hearts to get us through this life.  He is actively working that we might be transformed into the likeness of Christ.  This grace of God by the ministry of the Holy Spirit is provided in several ways.  The word of God is that influence that primarily changes us, leads us, encourages us, and gives us ministry towards others.  We have the fellowship of Spirit-led saints.  Most of all, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.  This present grace is sustaining grace.  This present grace is the strength behind the hope of which Peter speaks.  This present grace is why we get through the hard times of the present.  But it is the future grace that finishes the race.  It is seeing what awaits us that keeps us in the battle.  As the time clock at the end of our lines, it was a constant reminder that eventually our shift will end and we will go home.  That time clock was a symbol of grace yet to come.  Every time we walked past that clock and noticed the movement of its hands, we were reminded that no matter how hard the last 14 hours were, we only had two more to go.  Our home is in heaven.  We read of it in Revelation.  The presence of Jesus Christ awaits us at our finishing line.  Therefore, run the race with patience and hope for the grace which you experience now cannot even be compared to the grace that awaits.

The Hindering Hand of God

“And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:” (Nu 22:32 AV)

 Balaam is a prophet who had it in his mind to cozy up to the world because the world promised him something.  Balaam is a very slick individual.  He is a master manipulator.  Balak, king of Moab, wised him to come and curse Israel.  God forbade Balaam from doing so.  God even forbade Balaam from going to Balak to tell him so.  He was to remain completely separate and not have anything to do with those who wished Israel destroyed.  However, what Balaam did do was organize the conversation between the two in such a way as to create an open door through which he could come to the Balak.  Even though he knew he could not curse Israel, he was still hoping to gain something from this relationship.  We learn that later, Balaam let slip the means to bring destruction to Israel by means of intermarriage.  On the way to see Balak, an angel of the LORD stood in the way.  Three times the donkey upon which Balaam rode turned out of the way.  For no apparent reason to Balaam’s observation, the donkey chose a different path.  Balaam never connected the dots.  What the donkey was doing was responding to God’s hand of hindrance.  Circumstances that should have meant something to Balaam escaped his perception.  He labeled his ass’ behavior as nothing more than unpredictable animal behavior.  This got me thinking.  I wonder how many times the LORD tried to hinder me from a course of action and I never saw it.  How many times did I start down a road I wasn’t supposed to be on and the LORD turned me out of the way only for me to find another way to the objective?

I have seen many a young person begin a romantic relationship that was not God’s will for them and the LORD tried to frustrate their purposes.  I have seen them go behind their parent’s backs.  I have seen them communicate by false profiles, by secret texts, or in other clandestine ways.  I have seen young people sneak off to be alone when their authority figures expressly forbade it.  One young person I knew wanted to be intimate with anyone available.  This person wanted more than anything else to lose their purity as soon as a warm body could be found.  An attempt was made while dating someone.  It did not happen.  A second attempt was made with a friend.  This too failed.  Then this individual went on a school trip.  A best friend warned the student advisor to the intentions of their BFF.  When this student was caught trying to hook up, both were immediately confined to their respective hotel rooms for the duration of the trip with an ever-present chaperone in tow.  This young person professed to know Christ, but actions speak louder than words.  God took this person at their word and held this student accountable.  Each step this student took was countered by a God-thing that made it impossible to fulfill abiding lust.  Without knowing it, the LORD was looking out for this student.  He made it very hard for this person to make a choice that would have been a regret for the remainder of their very long life.

If we are bound and determined to a certain course of action, even the obvious escapes us.  These obvious warning signs are consequences before the decision rather than afterward.  These speed bumps are God’s way of warning us the road we are on is not going to end at a happy place.  These are steps meant to frustrate our purpose so that we do not end up making a decision that would cost us in the long run.  These things are not meant to make us angry.  They are not meant to frustrate us beyond the ability to enjoy life.  They are meant as roadblocks to keep us from a dangerous path that can only end one way.  A child who is faced with these roadblocks will throw temper tantrums.  He will kick and scream thinking their fit will change the course of action.  A mature and astute person will acknowledge that perhaps they are not on the right path and change course lest a worse thing come upon them.  God’s hand of hindrance is actually a compassionate extension of His grace.  He can see the end from the beginning and knows what harm will come if He allows us to continue.  This hand of hindrance is often obvious to others, but it is not to us.  Balaam’s ass saw it plainly while the prophet was blind to it.  Perhaps watching the reaction of others will indicate just what God doesn’t want us to do as well as what He wants us to do.

Stay Tender

“Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (Jas 4:9-10 AV)

In James chapter four, the three enemies of the saint are listed and expounded upon.  The devil, the world, and the flesh are all there.  James is encouraging the sinner to trust Christ to overcome them, and encouraging the saint that by prayer and faith they can be overcome.  If you are saved, the new man that you have become yearns for a sin-free life.  A new attitude regarding sin is in our hearts and souls.  We may not be successful in overcoming it, but our feelings about it have changed.  We may enjoy the immediate pleasure which comes from sin, but if we are saved, there is tremendous guilt that follows.  Paul teaches us in the book of Ephesians that we are made alive in Christ.  What that means is that prior to salvation, we had a seared conscious.  Although we could feel guilt, it was not always what we felt.  When the Holy Spirit enlivens the conscience, then we are bothered by our sin far more than before salvation.  James now takes this truth a step further.  He promises that if we allow the Holy Spirit to have His perfect work in our minds and hearts, then the LORD will lift us up.  He will comfort our hearts in forgiveness and affirmation.  James gives instructions to the saint seeking godliness.  He tells us to be afflicted, mourn, and weep.  He instructs us to allow the Holy Spirit to change our joy and laughter into mourning and heaviness.  Only when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts in this manner can be lifted up out of our habits of sin.

One of my sons is more sensitive than to other two.  In his sort of way.  The other two are also sensitive, but they are motivated a bit differently.  One is motivated by being the best one can be.  Failure is a great embarrassment.  So, when he fails, he takes it hard and sometimes, he finds it hard to recover.  Another is sensitive to the needs or pain of others.  He is sacrificial to a fault.  He easily internalizes what others are going through and will react to help them in any way he can.  Then there is the one of whom I speak.  He is sensitive to the perception of acceptance by an authority figure.  He needs to know he is pleasing the one who is over him.  As his father, all I had to do was to express displeasure or disappointment and he would confess to everything – even that which he didn’t do.  He would melt with a simple look.  All three of my sons were exceptional children.  Other than very minor things, I didn’t have to correct them for behavioral problems.  They never rebelled.  They never got into serious trouble.  They never gave me any serious challenges.  It was that look that kept them pretty much under control.  The thing is, especially with the one of whom I am making an example, they remained tender to what their dad felt and thought.  We may have had our disagreements, and they eventually grew up with thoughts and ideas of their own, they always and still do, remain sensitive to what I think and how I feel.  It is that sensitivity that continues to keep them from trouble.  Not my opinion, but God’s opinion is the one of greatest concern.  They have never lost that tenderness they had as children.

If we are to overcome persistent sin, there needs to be a pondering heart.  To gain victory over stubborn wickedness, there needs to be a soft heart that the Spirit can break.  In the above verse, it is up to the saint.  The Spirit can affect these things.  He can bring sorrow, mourning, and affliction.  But He will not force it.  This operation of the Holy Spirit can only become effective as we yield to Him.  Affliction, mourning, and weeping are not something we can conjure up.  It comes by way of meditation and humility.  It comes by the Holy Spirit bringing to our memory the word of God and comparing that which we have done against it.  It comes when we realize what we have lost and what there is to gain.  When we come to the place we miss the sweet fellowship of the Father by obedience and faith, then the mourning and weeping can start.  This is an operation of the Holy Spirit.  We cannot fake it.  We cannot manipulate it.  It only comes as we yield control and allow Him to have His way in our hearts and minds.

Is Anyone Approaching?

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” (Jas 3:17 AV)

 James makes this statement in the context of the tongue.  Chapter three of James is the go-to chapter on proper speech.  He rightly observes that of all our members, the tongue is the hardest to tame.  We both bless and curse out of the same orifice.  Our tongue can say some very helpful things and some very hurtful things.  James teaches us how the tongue should appear to the one listening to our words.  He or she should perceive our words as pure words.  They should discern our words as peaceable words.  Our words should be gentle and not abrasive.  It is the next phrase upon which we wish to dwell.  The speaker should be someone easily intreated.  In other words, he or she should be someone with whom others feel comfortable when seeking advice, correction, or encouragement.  The tongue should never get in the way of ministry.  If our speech bewrayeth us, then there is a heart issue that needs to be addressed.  It is out of the heart that our words come forth.  Our words, or lack thereof, tell much to those who are observing.  If we are unapproachable, then little ministry can ensue.

These verses are traditionally limited to those who are in positions of authority and offer counsel as their calling in life.  But James does not limit the above qualities to profitable speech to just the ordained minister.  These verses apply to all who can speak words.  The body of Christ is to edify itself in love.  The body of Christ should be a place where strangers feel like they can fit in easily and quickly.  The body of Christ should be an assembly where no one feels left out.  The visitor should be approached and welcomed.  Connection is important.  No one should feel alone.  There should be a swarm of saints who want to get to know someone who is new.  This is not for the greeters only.  This responsibility does not lay only at the minister’s feet.  The body of Christ is to edify itself.  The stranger should feel as if he or she can easily entreat anyone in the sanctuary.  The tongue is to be used for just that purpose.

Four decades ago, the LORD brought me to a large church where I received Christ as my Savior.  What caught me off guard was upon entering the church, there was a line of greeters who introduced themselves, and the last escorted me into the auditorium and introduced me to several church members.  By the time I took my seat, I had met well over three dozen people by name and when I sat down, I knew the names of those who sat by me.  When the greeting time ensued, people from all over the auditorium made it a point to seek me out and shake my hand.  They knew I was a visitor and wanted to meet me.  Being new, I was rather timid.  I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.  People actually cared and shared their joy with one another.  After several weeks of this, I felt rather at home and I was the one taking the initiative to meet new people and learn new names.  This was all possible because the people were easy to be entreated.  They cared to show affection and interest to a shy young man who was all alone.

The point is very simple.  We can use our tongues to attract or repel.  But no one remains neutral.  When they encounter us, we will either be a welcomed sight, or we will be one of those people who others try to avoid.  We will either gather some around us, or they will seek others out.  Are we easily entreated?  Do others, particularly those who may not know us well, seek out our company because they feel at ease with us?  The company we attract tells us much about ourselves.  If we find it hard to hold a conversation, we may be one of those who are not easily intreated.

Life Is In The Absence of it, Not in the Pursuit of it

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (Jas 1:12 AV)

 

The temptation of which James speaks is anything that would try the faith or purity of the saint’s life.  This temptation could be persecution, a trial of faith, or an inducement to sin.  The nature of the temptation matters not.  What matters here is that which is promised if the saints endure.  The timing of the reward is not stated.  One of the remaining crowns, the crown of righteousness, is clearly given at the judgment seat of Christ.  But of this crown, we do not know.  This got me thinking a bit.  I wonder if this crown, at least in part, could be enjoyed on this side of glory.  I began to think about how life would be different if we endured all our temptations.  Especially those of a sinful nature.  How would life be different?  Could we say that we were living?  Really living?  I wonder if the promise of the crown of life is the same as the abundant life which Christ promises?  I wonder if we were to truly surrender to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and live and the LORD would want us to, if our lives would be blessed beyond measure  I wonder if the substance of the crown of life could be enjoyed today.

The crown of life is also known as the martyr’s crown.  In Revelation chapter two the crown of life is promised to those who remain faithful unto death.  It is suggested they remain faithful amid persecution and martyrdom.  This crown of life is promised to those who have learned to die to self.  Jesus said something interesting in regards to these thoughts.   “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Mt 16:25 AV)  This same phrase occurs three more times in the gospels.  However, this occurrence, being the first, is different.  In the other three entries, Jesus states the one who loses his life will save it.  Above, He states the one to lose his life will find it.  To some, this may be too minor of a distinction, but I think there is a great principle in the distinction.  Our Savior is telling us if we die to self, then we begin to discover what life truly is.  This attitude of self-abasement and discipline is contrary to our natural instincts.  We want to please the flesh.  Yet when we do, the pleasure is short-lived and life becomes more difficult.  However, if we learn to yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, depending on Him to bring the body under subjection, then we learn what true blessings await the soul.

As to exactly when we receive this crown of life, I cannot tell.  If we compare it to the crown of righteousness, then we must conclude it is at the judgment seat of Christ.  If we believe circumstances are identical to the crown of life in Revelation chapter two, then we can also conclude we will see it in glory.  However, what we might be able to conclude is the principle of the reward can be enjoyed now.  That is what the LORD said.  We will have life and have it more abundantly if we learn to endure the temptations of life.  If we can say no to sin, then our lives will be richer for it.  If we can endure the persecutions that the world will no doubt throw our way, our lives will be richer for it.  If we go through hard tests of faith, God appreciates it and adds blessings to us.  In other words, even if the crown of life is future tense, we can still enjoy its benefits of it in real-time.

Bearing Our Reproach

“Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Heb 13:13 AV)

The writer is referring to a sin offering required in the Old Testament wherein the animal is killed outside the camp.  He is making the correlation to what the sinner must do with Christ.  The writer is speaking to a Jewish community who would understand the need for separation.  They were to go out from that which influences towards sin to be rid of it.  Jesus will have it no other way.  We cannot confess if we do not first forsake.  The two go hand in hand.  Confessing without forsaking is merely making a statement of fact.  We are guilty.  What confession without forsaking fails to do is work towards reconciliation and restitution.  To be right with God, there must be a forsaking that accompanies confession.  This is where Jesus is.  He is without the camp.  However, it is the last three words of this verse that caught my eye this morning.  The question arose, who is doing the reproaching?  Why would we carry the reproach with us?  Why not forsake and leave the sin, with its reproach, in the camp and meet Jesus without the camp?  Why not come to him completely clean?  Because forsaking and confession is not enough.  In order to make things right, there must be forgiveness.  Jesus grants it.  We must accept it.  Yet, there is one more question we can ask which will be the subject of this entry.  Why is it we do not want to bear our reproach?

My father bought a parcel of land in the wilderness of New York State.  Yes, there truly is such a thing.  The state is not one entire city.  He bought sixty-six acres of a defunct potato farm and turned it back into a forest.  He planted several species of fir trees and simply allowed the rest of the land to return to its natural state.  He had several projects going at one time.  He cleared two camp sights.  The upper camp sight was only accessible in dry times.  The other was the upper camp sight behind a pond.  This was a bit harder to get to and was our summer camp sight.  He also cleared land for a volleyball court.  Behind the court was his pet project.  He was building a log cabin-style latrine with the timber he had planted a couple of decades earlier.  He had this dream of cutting down red pine and assembling this facility like a lincoln log set.  It only got so high as to be able to see over it so that a sibling would not disturb you while you uncovered your feet.  The thing is, when someone had to go, it was no mystery.  The toilet paper was kept at the campsite, so when one of us had to go, we took a roll in hand for all to see.  We knew where they were going and what they were going to do when they got there.  The TP was a clear indication of the intentions and needs of the one carrying it.  When one first took the roll and paraded towards the latrine, it was embarrassing.  Everyone knew our business.  However, as we all had to do so from time to time, the reproach dissipated.  We did not like to broadcast an unpleasant subject because we were too proud to admit something that everyone had to do.

Not that Jesus Christ is a latrine.  Absolutely not.  But the similarity of removing oneself and bearing our reproach is similar.  We are not restored until we leave at the feet of Jesus all that we have done wrong.  We are not restored until there is forsaking by leaving the came, confession by meeting Him without the camp, and forgiveness by bearing our reproach because we have been the one who did wrong.  Depending on our nature, we fail in exercising all three.  We may forsake because we realize the consequences are too hard to bear, yet fail to confess to God that we have sinned and allow Him to correct us in our reproach.  More times than not, we confess our faults because our guilt needs assuaging.  But we truly do not forsake the fault and return to it shortly.  If we are successful in the first two, we might fail in seeking God’s forgiveness for our sin.  We are still not restored.  This is also where many live their lives before God.  This will not do.  We may not like bearing our reproach.  It is uncomfortable and many may see it.  They may see the tears.  They may see the altar calls.  They may see the confession.  They may see it all and our pride simply keeps us from making restoration complete.  Bearing our reproach is something that needs to occur no matter the outcome.  Until we take upon ourselves the reality of our sin, there is no restoration.

Listen To The Crowd And Look Upon Our Example

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:1-2 AV)

 There are two supportive entities that are constantly motivating the saint to run well.  The first is the group of saints listed in the previous chapter.  That is the great cloud of witnesses.  These range from Abel to Jonah.  Many are named.  Many more are not.  These Old Testament saints have served the LORD in great faith.  Some failed here and there. Some of those failures were rather severe.  Others, like Daniel or Isaiah, served God with nary a mention of failure.  The number of mistakes is irrelevant.  At least as it concerns being a motivation for others.  What matters more than the mistakes are the successes.  One might argue that Samson was a walking disaster.  And you might be partially right.  But the Bible tells us he slew more of the enemy in his death than he ever did in his life.  These saints are recorded for us to take solace that we are not alone and whatever race He has set before us can be run.  The second witness is the LORD Jesus Christ Himself.  He is the author and finisher of our faith.  He endured the cross and now is set down at the right hand of the Father.  He is our example of faithfulness in the discharge of one’s calling.  Jesus suffered far more than we ever will and now sits victorious over sin and death.  He sits at the finish line to cheer us on.  These two combine to motivate and encourage the saint in his struggle to finish well.  Or, finish at all.

I ran track in grade school.  For a few years, anyway.  I was a sprinter and not a marathoner.  The heats that I ran in were the dashes and the relays.  I noticed something rather discouraging.  When it came to sports, track was not well attended.  Football, basketball, baseball, softball, and even soccer were much more popular.  It was not out of the ordinary to have to bring one’s own lawn chair because there was no room in the bleachers.  The crowd was sparse.  The cheering somewhat dulled.  There were no large crowds.  There were no cheerleaders.  If there was an announcer, he usually butchered your last name.  Most of the time, family didn’t even come.  The only spectators were largely other teammates.  Needless to say, this made doing our best more difficult than it had to be.  2020 was a weird year for professional sports.  Because of COVID, stadiums were empty.  Ballparks and no attendance.  Competitors and their coaches were the only ones present.  When the crowds did return, the players remarked how much different it was.  They never know how important the crowd of witnesses was until they didn’t have them anymore.  Encouragement means a lot. It can change the trajectory of a life.  If others believe we can do it, then by God’s grace, we will believe it, too.  When it comes to running the relay, being the last runner has its advantages.  One of them being teammates at the end of the finishing line.  They have already run their leg and are standing at the line, cheering the anchor to victory.  Many races have been won because there are three or four teammates at the end of the race yelling at the top of their lungs for the final runner to finish well.

Our race is a difficult one.  There isn’t any such thing as an easy race.  You could call an easy one a walk rather than a run.  If we are not careful, we can forget the voices that carry to the soul as a means of encouragement to finish well.  We can drown out the yells of confidence that permeate the race because we are too focused on the sore muscles, the sweat, or the need for water.  If we are not careful, our eyes can be on our feet more than on the LORD Jesus Christ as He beckons from the finish line.  We can forget very easily we are not alone.  We can be so overwhelmed by the sheer pain of the race that we cannot see the end from the beginning.  But there it is!  There is yellow tape across the finish line.  There are no more runners competing against us.  It is our race.  It is ours alone.  Others have run similar races.  But that tape us ours to break.  All we need to do is cross it.  If we fall among the cinders, get up and continue on.  If we get in the wrong lane, make an adjustment and get back on.  No matter the cost, finish.  There is a multitude of voices shouting words of affirmation.  But, above all, there is a Savior who loves us and appreciates that we are in the race.  He is egging us on to cross that line with the tape around our chest and not at our feet.  Finish well!

Silence Does Not Suggest Ambivalence

“These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” (Ps 50:21 AV)

 David is meditating upon the condition of Israel which precipitated his choice to have an affair with Bathsheba.  As king, he was concentrating on battles as the LORD directed and allowed the moral condition of the nation to slide a bit.  Consequently, thievery and adultery were becoming problems.  At least to the degree the nation as a whole did not severely deal with it.  David and Israel were busy ridding the land of the heathen that they neglected to care for the day-to-day morality of the nation.  This played a part in the evil choice of David to have an affair.  The LORD states He did not immediately deal with these issues.  Perhaps it was His grace.  Or, it might have been the priority of ridding the nation of enemies was higher than the current lapse in morality.  Whatever the cause, David and the nation assumed God’s silence on these matters meant He was tolerating this immorality as the people were and therefore, they should not be overly concerned about it.  However, the verse above shows us just what the LORD was thinking.  Even though He was silent at the moment, He would not remain that way.  God will correct and He will fix it.

As it was true with Israel, so too is it with us.  We came from a very wicked life and God does not fix us in one fell swoop.  The changes us incrementally.  A few areas at a time.  Even though every area is a serious one and needs to be changed, the LORD does not demand that we make every right decision all the time all at once.  Recently, I took a tour of some buildings that were set aside for a unique ministry.  Having worked in maintenance and some renovation, I knew what I was looking at.  These buildings were over one hundred years old.  They may have been closer to a couple of hundred years.  To say they needed serious renovation and repair is an understatement.  The more I saw, the more overwhelmed I became.  These buildings had not been touched all that much from their original condition.  Lathe and plaster walls, very few electrical outlets, vinyl on top of wood floors, no closet space, and a single bulb lighting the room.  The utilities were massively undersized.  Basements had dirt floors and foundational issues.  The grounds needed just as much attention.  The more I looked the more I was overwhelmed by all the work these properties needed.  To someone with a lot of patience, these were doable projects.  However, to this writer, I was so overwhelmed by all that needed to be done that my brain was short-circuiting.  The thing is, a project like this can only be tackled as the hunter eats an elephant.  One bite at a time.  Everything needed attention.  But there can be only so much done at one time.  Prioritizing is the key.  Just because something is not prioritized above another does not mean it is unimportant.  There are simply more important things at the moment.  Inactivity does not suggest a lack of interest.  It is simply that other things are more pressing.

When it comes to our walk with God, we cannot assume God’s silence on a fault or sin means that He does not think it to be serious enough to address.  God does care about every detail.  Every single trait, flaw, or shortcoming that does not conform to Christlikeness, the LORD is concerned with.  However, He knows how frail we are.  He knows that He cannot push us beyond certain limits.  So, He addresses the more needful, first.  The LORD did not require Israel to go directly into enemy territory upon fleeing Egypt.  He knew they would be “discouraged in the way” and therefore, had them go the long way around.  As they did, they learned of God’s ability to meet their need.  If we know something to be wrong, it is best we seek the Holy Spirit to empower us to overcome it before the Father must deal with it.  He may delay allowing us to seek His power rather than suffer correction.  Perhaps He is giving us an opportunity to trust Him before He has to deal with our shortcomings.  Whatever the motive, God’s silence is not to be mistaken for apathy.  He does care.  And He will deal with it if we do not.

Mutual Provocation

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” (Heb 10:24 AV)

 No real context is needed here other than to say our writer is concerned for the Hebrews that they come to Christ and learn to live for Him.  There is no mystery as to how to apply the truth above, either.  The application is straightforward.  The means unto love and good works is the ministry of the encouraging fellowship and words of one another.  The previous verse tells us when and where this ministry primarily occurs.  It is when we assemble together.  What struck this writer as he read this passage is the realization that fundamentalists have the rebuking and the reproving down.  It is the exhortation that we struggle with. Criticism comes easy.  Encouragement does not.   Telling someone where he or she is wrong is second nature to us. However, humbly encouraging those who are falling to dust themselves off and get back on the horse is not so natural.  We can point out faults and errors.  And they should be, by the way.  I am not asserting we ignore faults.  What I am trying to express is that encouragement and faith in a person is a strong motivation for them to try again.  It is easy and lazy to rely strictly on correction.  It takes a heart of compassion, humility, and faith to see the potential in someone.

Sometimes, we as saints don’t have enough faith that God can do miracles in another person’s life.  In particular, the work of sanctification is subject to doubt because we tend to see faults rather than successes.  Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of encouragement.  There was plenty of condemnation.  There was much correction.  However, when it came to someone believing in me and what I could accomplish, there wasn’t a whole lot of that.  Maybe it was our generation.  I don’t know.   What I do know is when the LORD blessed me with three sons, I decided to raise them with the belief that if they surrendered themselves to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, they could accomplish anything the LORD would ask them to do.  I spent much time encouraging them to try again.  Rather than chasten them for their failures, I encouraged them to overcome them by relying on the LORD.  “By God’s grace, you can do this!”  was the attitude of our hearts.  Something my father taught us was to place expectations higher than the norm and then treat your child as if it was a foregone conclusion that he would meet them.  This belief that what I was I was not destined to be helped me avoid very hazardous decisions.  Encouragement goes a long way in the success of another.  If he believes you believe, then there is a chance it might happen.

When we hear of another’s failures, how do we react?  This reveals a lot of our opinion of ourselves.  If we are quick to condemn others, generally speaking, we fail to see our own faults.  If, on the other hand, in the spirit of meekness we determine to restore one from their faults, this shows the proper attribute of humility.  When we see someone else fall, how do we react?  Do we show compassion?  Do we offer to pray with them?  Do we make a phone call or text every once in a while, to see how they are doing and if they need help?  Do we testify we also had the same issue, but God is good to those who wish to overcome and will enable us to do so as the Holy Spirit works in us?  Do we offer some bible verses as encouragement rather than verses that will further condemn the saint who is doing a good job of condemning himself?  One of the purposes of our assembly is to provoke one another to love and good works.  We assemble to motivate one another to live for God.  We assemble that we might share our struggles with one another and seek support as we attempt to overcome that which does not please God.  I guess what I am trying to say is there is a place for reproof and rebuke.  But there is also a place for exhortation.  There needs to be a positive balance to the negative of correction.  If someone already feels guilty for his faults, no need to further heap on him more truth that will continue to condemn him.  Provoke him to good works.  Tell him you believe with all your heart that he will succeed by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit!

Yes He Can! But Should He?

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” (Nu 11:23 AV)

 The question the LORD posed to Moses seems like a really good statement of encouragement.  However, we must remember of what the LORD speaks.  The people of Israel are murmuring against their diet.  More specifically, they are complaining about the lack of divinely provided flesh.  They have had manna every day for a while.  They are getting bored.  They want variety.  We must remember they had flocks in the wilderness.  All the flesh they were in need of, they had.  It may not have been a superabundance, but it was sufficient.  To them, this was not good enough.  In Egypt, their captors kept them fed with a diet that varied and apparently contained flavors to which they became accustomed.  Now that they were in the wilderness, they expected the LORD to provide for them as the Egyptians did.  So, the LORD promised thirty days of quail.  This quail would fly in and die at their feet.  There was no need to hunt or raise them.  Moses observes there wasn’t enough cattle to sustain such a large group of people, so how was the LORD going to bring that much wild game?  Moses’ observation was not one of reality, but rather, one of potentiality.  He knew what it took to feed a large nation as his and saw this as impossible.  This is what prompted the LORD’s remarks.  The LORD’s remark was not one of blessing.  At least from God’s perspective.  He was going to do this because the Israeli people needed to learn a lesson.  The Bible tells us while the flesh was in their teeth, they got sick.  Some of them died.  It appears they wanted quail so badly, that they did not take the time to cook it properly and died as a result.  So, when the LORD says His hand is not waxen short, He is not referring to doing the impossible for our blessing.

I have been around the medical profession for many years.  As a pastor, I have seen many treatments for diverse illnesses or injuries.  As a patient, I have been subject to the more common tests and treatments.  What I have noticed is on rare occasions, a less than ethical health care professional will order tests or treatments because they might work, but leave the patient worse off than when he was prior to it.  These cases are very rare.  Almost all health care professionals will refuse treatment that does more harm than good, even if the treatment is the newest and greatest of technologies.  If there is a complete cure for the issue at hand, yet causes worse distress in another area, almost all healthcare professionals will refuse to administer it.  Even if the patient advocates for him or herself, almost all healthcare professionals will refuse to treat him in such a manner.  The impossible may be worse than the probable.  The Hippocratic oath demands the healthcare provider does not harm.  The ethical thing to do is to seek treatment that cures the issue without causing harm somewhere else.  The patient may want the impossible.  But the impossible may cause another problem for which there is no cure.

We had better be careful in the prayers we seek from God.  God is the God of the impossible.  He can do anything as long as it is not contrary to His divine nature and plan.  Sometimes we ask the LORD to perform the impossible because we know He can.  But the impossible may not be His best for us.  In the above scenario, it was wiser for the children of Israel to trust the LORD for their meat by the natural processes of the flocks which they had.  But they did not.  They should have trusted the LORD in the provision of the manna.  But they did not.  They should have been content in their lot in life because it was the lot they chose.  They chose not to trust the LORD and take the land of Canaan.  This is why they wandered in the wilderness.  Asking God for the impossible when the impossible was not needed, resulted in a worse situation than the one they thought they had.  Asking God for the impossible when the possible was sufficient only adds to the problems.  They should have seen what they had and what they had gained before they complained to the LORD for something better.  The impossible may not be the best thing.  Sure, God’s hand can do it.  But should He?  Should He give you the desires of your heart just because He can?  Or, should we refrain from asking the LORD to do the impossible because the impossible is not in our best interests?  Sure, His hand is not waxen strong.  Sure, He can do miracles that stupefy the saint.  We love and serve a God who can do beyond what we ask or think.  However, asking God to do what only He can do just because He can do it may not be the best idea.