Our Quest

“And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.” (1Sa 15:18 AV)

 What is a journey, anyway?  A journey is more than a trip.  A journey is a quest.  A journey is just as much about the destination as it is about what happens along the way.  A quest includes things one might learn.  He or she might learn general information, or more importantly, he or she might learn hard truths about themselves.  This was certainly true of Saul.  He was told to destroy the Amalekites.  Everything!  Every person, every dwelling, every object.  When the battle was over, Agag, king of the Amalekites was a captive and still alive.  The people had taken the best of the material wealth of the Amalekites to later offer to the LORD.  Saul’s journey ended in learning that if he thought his judgment was better than the LORD’s, then he would follow his own judgment.  Saul’s journey would have ended successfully if he readily admitted that he was responsible for the sheep and the king.  But he did not.  His inclination was to blame the people.  A journey teaches us hard truth about ourselves.  Some are good; some not so much.  The successes and failures are as important as how we react to them.  For a journey to be successful, change is the goal.

Preparing for a wedding day is a definite journey.  There is plenty of testing along the way.  When Lisa and I decided it was the LORD’s will to marry, a barrage of events hit us like a whirlwind on prairie.  Our relationship was tested over and again.  It seemed like a non-stop attack on our determined will to unite in marriage.  The planning of the wedding itself was more than a chore. Guest lists, themes, cake, reception, venue, etc all became a big deal.  Working with relatives wasn’t all that bad.  There was a hiccup or two.  Not the nightmare that others have experienced.  Along with the planning was marriage counseling.  Our counseling was as good as one can get.  Our singles pastor did a great job and to this day, I credit his guidance and counsel as the main reason our marriage has been so richly blessed.  During this counseling, we learned a great deal about ourselves and one another.  Things we thought we knew but didn’t really know.  We had to examine who and what we were and realize that a marriage is only as successful as the willingness to allow the other to change us for the good.  We learned how to communicate.  We learned about priorities and values.  We learned about convictions and beliefs.  We learned a lot about ourselves.  All that we learned had to result in change that made us better people for the glory of God and one another.  A few months after we were married, a situation arose that truly showed us who and what we were.  The LORD challenged us with a decision that caused us both to take a step back and look at ourselves.  Since then, our marriage continues to be a journey.  As each trial passes, we learn more and more about ourselves and one another.  The key is change.  Can we learn and adapt? Can we learn and obey? Can we learn and trust?

Each of us has a journey.  It is called life.  This journey has come from the mind of God.  He is the one who sent un on it.  It is our quest.  The quest ends the same for all.  We are to end with a personal relationship with the Father and conversion into Christlikeness.  Although this journey ends the same for all, the means and path of getting there vary.  They vary according to who and what we are.  My journey will not be the same as yours.  Yours will not be exactly the same as anyone else’s.  Our journeys are as unique as the people who travel them.  Our journeys cross paths.  Our journeys may parallel one another.  But no two journeys are exactly the same.  The question is, how are we doing?  Are we learning?  Are we changing?  Do we welcome the journey as God intended?  A personal challenge to trust Him with a heart of gratitude for the challenge?  Do we undertake our quest with the seriousness and commitment it deserves?  Do we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit every step of the way?  Do we pray and seek encouragement when the journey gets too hard to bare?  Do we seek the help of others while we battle monsters too big for one person?  It is our quest.  It belongs to us.  What matters is not the failures that happen along the way.  There have to be some failures for us to learn from.  What matters is how we respond.  Do we get right back on the horse and continue?  Do we admit our failures and take full responsibility for them?  Do we seek God’s forgiveness and live to fight another day?  All good questions.  This is your journey.  How we you reach the end of it?

Our Duty to Peace

“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Ro 12:18 AV)

If we are not diligent in studying this verse out, it might appear as though this verse permits us to do just the opposite.  It might appear to give us an out.  If it is not possible and we simply don’t have it within us, then let them have it.  However, this is not what Paul is saying.  In fact, if that were so, he would be undermining the purpose of the letter to the Romans.  He wrote the letter to Romans for a church that was struggling with multiculturalism.  They were trying to figure out the relationships between Jews and Gentiles and how it all worked out.  The Jews struggled with anti-Gentile biases ingrained in two millennia of culture.  The Gentiles struggled with pride knowing Israel was now placed on a shelf and Paul had turned to them to further the gospel.  Paul’s effort was to conclude all men are under the condemnation of God and to all men the gospel had come.  Both Jews and Gentile alike.  So, if the verse above permits someone with a short fuse to act in strife toward all men, it would undermine all that he is trying to accomplish by the entire letter to them both.

First, it is not always possible to live peaceably.  Some things justify strife.  Self-protection or the duty to protect those for whom one is responsible is paramount.  If the lives of those for whom I am responsible are threatened, then it would necessitate that I do not live peaceably with all men.  Ecclesiastically, the same is true for a pastor of a church.  If false doctrine threatens the sheep, I am bound to take action to protect them.  Some circumstances require we respond in kind.  Paul knows this.  He lived this.  The first part of the verse instructs that if peace is not possible, then our actions must be founded on the principles of the word of God.  Peace must come first.  We should find any way possible to live in peace with all men.  The second phrase is what gives us a bit of a quandary.  As most commentators suggest, this phrase is the moral obligation of the people of God to pursue peace and not to initiate strife.  They see that second phrase as the command to take the high road and pursue peace, avoiding strife when strife is not absolutely necessary.  This makes total sense.

There are too many attacks on the body of Christ from the devil and the world to occupy ourselves with shooting our own.  Yes, there needs to be robust discussion over doctrine and philosophy of ministry.  Paul had his differences with Peter.  He had a problem with Barnabas and John Mark.  The church at Galatia had to hash out basic doctrines of salvation.  These things must happen.  But when the discussion was over, they separated friends.  They understood that disagreements happen.  But these disagreements cannot be allowed to severe the commitment we should have one to another.  This is Paul’s point.  In addressing both sides of this strife, he puts it on both of them.  Both Jew and Gentile should live peaceably with one another without either one initiating strife with the other.  Yes, there were doctrines of the first century that had to be resolved.  No doubt, there were very heated discussions.  But when all was said and done, the work continued and Christ was glorified.  This principle is not reserved for the saints.  Paul says, “all men”.  That would include the Lost as well.  We are not permitted to initiate strife no matter the cause.  We are told to make bridges where we can and not to be the force that begins the problem.  This is good and sound advice.  Something which we would be wise to consider.

My Least Favorite Verse

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Pr 29:1 KJB)

This is one of those verses I would prefer was not in the word of God.  It is quite bleak.  The understanding is not complicated at all.  Consequences for choices are designed to either affirm good ones or change bad ones.  It is the latter that is addressed above.  Our faults have consequences.  They are built into God’s creation.  They are part of it.  There is no discrimination.  What is wrong for one is wrong for another and they will suffer similar consequences.  These inevitabilities start small.  The more they are ignored, the more severe they become.  If completely ignored, the consequences of poor choices become our undoing.  This is the law of God’s creation.  The LORD states in another passage,  “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:” (Pr 6:23 KJB)  This continues all our lives.  No one is immune.  In another passage, the psalmist calls these sins presumptuous.  Paul calls them the sin which doth so easily beset us.  These stubborn temptations that seem to get the better of us dole out some harsh penalties.  Those who are wise will abandon the sin before the penalty becomes unbearable.  Those who are not will suffer more and more until the sin beats them completely.

How many of us have seen crows in the middle of the road, eating something left behind?  Maybe some trash, or more than likely, roadkill.  The road kill is there for a reason.  It failed to learn a lesson that the crows are not ignoring.  I have seen crows disperse in plenty of time.  They escape being hit by a passing car.  Then there are the greedy birds who get clipped but survive.  These do not learn.  They are right back at it.  Some will disperse in plenty of time.  The stubborn usually do not.  What was once a single roadkill is now piling up.  Maybe it was a squirrel.  Now it is a squirrel and a crow.  Like the crow who tempts fate and does not learn, we do the same.  Only we do not tempt fate.  We tempt to laws of blessing and cursing.  We continue in harmful life choices thinking we can either escape harmful consequences or tolerate them and adjust.  Neither happens.

When we see this in others, we are moved by all sorts of emotions.  We may have compassion.  We may have disrespect.  We may have biases or preconceived ideas of how someone got to that place.  We may be stirred to do something about it.  We may run a gamut of responses towards someone in the depths of sin who is not learning from the hard knocks that come from it.  What we rarely do is arrive at the realization there may be strongholds in our own lives that we are ignoring.  These strongholds, if not conquered, will become that enemy that destroys us.  Somehow, we think our stronghold is not nearly as serious as someone else’s.  We gaze upon their stronghold as more immoral.  Because their stronghold seems to be far more obvious along with the consequences from which they suffer, we are blind to our own.  This is not wise.  The admonition above is for all of us.  Maybe our stronghold will not harm us physically.  There are spiritual and emotional consequences that can be equally harmful.  The point is if we do not seek the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the strongholds that cause harm, the harm which they cause may be our undoing.  The wise saint will pray and seek the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome that which has become our worst challenge.

Examination with Kind Eyes

“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.” (Ps 26:2-3 AV)

Without God’s lovingkindness, the first request would be insane!  David is not perfect.  None of us are.  In his request, he knows if God examines him, there will be faults found.  The only way this makes sense to ask for the LORD to examine oneself is if we can also rely upon His lovingkindness.  Without mercy, God would examine and correct all faults found without any regard for forgiveness, patience, tenderness, compassion, etc.  The request above is one of deep faith.  David is asking God to look him over thoroughly even though his general habit of life is truth and righteousness.  He is asking the LORD to try his reins, or motives for his actions.  He is asking the LORD to look at everything in his life and who or what he is so that He can fix what is wrong while recognizing that which is right.  This will only work if we have faith in His lovingkindness for the bible teaches us that no one could stand the righteous judgment of God if but for the companion attribute of mercy.

My wife and I like watching cooking shows.  Some of the competition shows are both entertaining and informative.  We were watching Masterchef.  Then we started Junior Masterchef.  We enjoy the latter much more.  All the adult drama is gone.  The kids are competing against each other, but they are competing against themselves even more.  When we started watching, I wondered how brutally honest the judges were going to be.  Especially Joe.  Joe was not kind to the adult chefs.  He was famous for throwing fits and being overly dramatic when tasting food.  I thought these poor kids would not be able to take the judging that was coming their way, or the judges would be way too kind to them.  Neither was true.  Gordon Ramsey was always matter-of-fact.  He was never overly concerned with a chef’s emotional reaction to his opinion.  I thought he might take it easy on the kids.  But he was the same judge with the kids as he was with the adults.  What really surprised me was the humility in those children.  Some would weep but most did not.  They took the criticism as an opportunity to improve.  They never took it personally.  It was accepted as it was offered.  Constructive criticism was meant to help them meet their goals.  This is what David is doing above.  He has walked in truth.  Not all the time.  Most of the time.  Yet he still wants God’s constructive criticism in every area of life.

It takes quite a mature believer to ask for that which David asked.  To ask the LORD to examine him and make the claim that he walked in truth is a feat in itself.  To make that claim while being humble enough to ask for correction where he is not is a step higher.  What makes this possible is faith in the lovingkindness of God.  Our earthly fathers, authority figures, or friends may not be so kind.  If we ask them to share what they believe might be our blind spot, they may give it to us with both barrels and with no compassion whatsoever.  Not the LORD.  If we sincerely wish to grow into Christlikeness, we must trust the lovingkindness of God.  He knows our frame better than we do.  He knows what we can handle and how much we can handle.  He will not drop the whole load all at once.  He will incrementally work on our faults as we can handle them.  That is the lovingkindness of God.  So, if we are too afraid to ask the LORD to reveal where we are failing, the answer may sting a little.  But it will never be more than we can endure.  Trust Him and His lovingkindness.  We will walk more and more like His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Kindness of Instruction

“Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.” (Ps 25:8-9 AV)

It is precisely because of God’s love us that we experience that which we need in order to be more like Him.  One thing to note.  The degree of instruction above is gentile and patient.  Notice there is teaching, guiding, and teaching again.  David is not talking about correction for disobedience to the degree it is considered chastisement.  This is a compassionate and gentile correction to guide the sinner in the ways of righteousness so that he might enjoy a life of blessing by conformity to the holiness of God.  Something else to note is David’s reference to himself as a sinner.  That is always a good place to start if we are going to grow unto Christlikeness.  Those hard lessons we must learn from God are a reflection of His goodness and kindness.  Not because He desires to inflict uncomfortable situations on His children.  The Bible tells us that God uses many levels of teaching.  There is reproof, rebuke, and exhortation.  There is an instruction in righteousness.  There is chastening and scourging in Hebrews and John chapter 14 teaches us the LORD prunes and takes out of the way.  Although these actions may seem absent of love and compassion, just the opposite is true. God is a kind and compassionate God who patiently works with us so that we might conform to His image and realize the blessings that come with that conformity.

Remember those cursive writing worksheets you had in first grade?  I do.  I remembered them afresh when my own children had to complete those sheets.  Remember tracing each and every letter of the alphabet billions of times and then combining letters and tracing them a billion more times?  Somewhere, there is a forest with a sign that reads, “Cursive writing forest.  The trees in this million-acre forest are reserved for cursive writing worksheets.  Not permissible for construction or manufacturing.  Violators will be fined or imprisoned up to a life sentence.”  I remember one of two of my children fighting me on such homework.  It was boring.  Many times, they raced through it and didn’t try their best.  I had to make them do it again and again.  I wish I could say they have perfect penmanship, but it might be they need more practice.  Day after day, hour after hour, they traced those letters.  A correction here.  An instruction there.  They had to learn cursive if they were going to succeed in life.  It wasn’t easy.  As their father and teacher, patience was the key.  I could not get on them and rebuke them soundly.  Only if they rushed through it to get it done and didn’t care one iota.  Then I had to rebuke them.  But it was every day for an hour or so for an entire school year.  One sheet after another.  I think we filled a landfill somewhere.  Why?  There was a standard they had to meet.  Not for a grade per se, but that they might be proficient in a life skill they would need.  If they didn’t do well, it wasn’t that they didn’t want to.  Cursive writing is not natural.  There is an art to it.  Printing is far more natural.  Writing takes effort and attention.  Thus, patience is the key to teaching this skill.

God does the same for us.  We are sinners.  It is not in our nature to do the right thing.  When given a choice, we usually do the opposite.  Therefore, the LORD must correct us and instruct us in the way we must go.  This instruction and correction is an extension of His love.  And, we should be eternally grateful for it.  He doesn’t want us to stay what we are.  There are consequences for living contrary to established natural law.  His law does not bend.  We must bend to it.  If we do, then there are blessings untold!  This is what the Creator desires for all souls.  He created a creation that conforms to His holy nature because that is the best that can be.  He gives us the ability to choose to conform to the best or rebel against it.  There are consequences for both.  It is this instruction and guidance that He desires to share with everyone.  It makes no sense to fight against it.  It would be like a fish fighting against the water in which he lives because he does not have the ability to live on land.  How silly!  He is better off in the environment in which he was created to inhabit.  The same is true for us.  God did not create us to live in sin.  We have chosen to do so.  In His kindness, he teaches, guides, and teaches.

Of Impatience and Faith

“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Ro 8:25 AV)

 Impatience is a good indicator of how deep our faith runs. The less patient we are for that which we know we will receive, the less faith we have that we will receive it.  Preceding this verse was an explanation from Paul that once we see that for which we hope, hope is no longer needed.  Our faith ends in sight.  We know there is a home in heaven awaiting our arrival. We know there is a place that is being prepared for us.  We know there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.  We know we shall see Him face to face.  We know the future will always be brighter than the past.  We know all these things. Yet, it is how we hold them that matters.  Do we patiently wait for them to come to fruition?  Do we look forward to the coming blessings with measured anticipation?  Do we continue faithfully in what God has called us to do and be in the present as we await what we know is coming in the future?  In short, how we wait for that which we know is coming shows how deeply we believe they will come, and in God’s perfect timing.

My Mom did Santa Claus. Please, no judging.  This was quite an undertaking.  She raised eleven children which means hiding those gifts for several weeks until Christmas Eve was a challenge, to say the least.  Not only was the cache of gifts rather large, but she also had several private investigators under the age of 18 in a sworn pact to discover this treasure long before December 25^th.  We knew one of her hiding places was the attic.  Our attic was unique.  The old house’s attic and the addition’s attic ran perpendicular.  The old roof blocked access to the new addition. And vice versa.  So, she hid all the gifts in the old attic and placed a padlock on the stairs leading to it.  Do you think that stopped eleven little evil elves from gaining access? Not at all!  We felt like Hogan’s Heroes as we disassembled the roof from the new attic to the old attic.  BINGO!  Then she tried hiding the gifts in the camper.  Thanks to my brother Greg, that didn’t last long.  It wasn’t until she began to wrap them as soon as she came home from shopping and then store them in her bedroom closet that we finally gave up trying to be the next Inspector Cousteau.  The thing was if we found our gifts before Christmas day, the surprise was ruined.  We no longer waited for them because we knew what they would be.  Not knowing what they were forced us to patiently wait.  If we doubted our parent's generosity, we lost patience and looked for the loot.  If we thought there might be a chance we would never get what we asked for, we looked.  It was worry that drove the investigation.  Not faith.

As believers, we should be the most patient of all people.  We should not be irritated.  We should not explode because things do not go our way.  We should be filled with joy over that which the LORD will do.  We should look forward to tomorrow rather than regret it before it comes.  If we truly believe what we say we believe, then we, of all people, should be the most content.  What happens in the world is only temporary.  Seeing the direction of our world should encourage the saint that Jesus could come back at any moment.  We can look up rather than look out. We can listen for the trumpet rather than harken to the news.  We can know that all these things will pass.  There is coming a day when all unrighteousness will cease.  There is coming a kingdom whose maker and King is Jesus.  He will come back.  He will return.  And when He does, all this will cease.  Until then, have patience.  Wait for it!

Grace Is Not A Free Ticket

“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” (Ro 6:15 AV)

This seems like a simple enough concept to which we would all agree.  In essence, Paul is asking if we would continue in sin because we know God’s grace will forgive it all.   The context is salvation itself.  If we know we are forgiven in Christ for all that we do or fail to do, will we continue that way because we know God’s grace covers it all?  Putting it another way, if we are saved and secure, what would stop us from living a life of sin?  What is the deterrent?  I get asked every once in a while if someone is saved and guaranteed a home in heaven, what would stop that person from committing murder?  Would he still go to heaven?  Hypothetically, the answer is  ‘yes’.  However, when we are saved our nature changes.  We are not likely to commit a serious crime such as first-degree murder while we are walking in faith and obedience to God.  But I want to look at this from a similar, but slightly different angle.

Many years ago, there was a small child who attended our Sunday school class, VBS, and Junior Church. His mother brought him.  His father was into eastern religions of meditation and the like.  This young man was a terror.  No one wanted him in their class.  The poor mother could do very little because she had no support at home.  He was constantly running afoul of whatever authority figure he might be under.  One Saturday morning, I went over to meet his father.  I intended to witness of the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ to him in hope that he would accept Christ.  We spent about an hour talking about the word of God and absolutes. During this time, their son was out of control.  Dad never stepped in.  In fact, Dad made one excuse after another.   It reminds me of an episode of Everyone Loves Raymond.  Ray and Deb entertained a friend of their twins. This kid was a complete monster.  This kid’s parents didn't want to face reality. In the second to last scene, these two parents made excuses for this young man and the scene ends with their son kicking his own father in the shins. 

Delayed chastisement can give us the false idea that God does not care.  Or, that His grace is something to which we can flee without any consequences for our choices.  What I wondered is how much of what we do to displease God is founded on the idea that God’s mercy is unfailing and that no matter what we do, He will forgive.  We know He will.  He has promised to.  Forgiveness is only a confession away.  We know this.  Hopefully, we strive against sin because this pleases God.  Rather than fall back on the guarantee of grace and forgiveness, the mature thing to do is to see the standard of Christlikeness and run that race until we drop in exhaustion.  An immature child falls back on his parent’s kindness.  A mature child is sensitive to his parent’s feelings and does what he or she can to please them.  This should be our goal.

Grace Is Still Available

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Ro 5:1-2 AV)

Grace did not stop at Calvary. The grace that saved us from our sin is the same grace that is present in each of our troubles. This is why Paul could say that he glories in tribulation.  He can only do that if grace abounds.  This grace is limitless.  This grace is available through faith. All we need to do is believe the LORD will carry us through and He will!  This same grace that made salvation a miracle is the grace that will empower us to endure anything the LORD has for us.  Paul went through much.  He suffered unspeakable troubles.  He suffered for his service to the LORD and he suffered for his choices is not following the LORD. But through it all, the grace of God sustained him.  He was able to serve the LORD effectively even in deep trials of faith and persecution.  It was the grace of God that made it possible.  The same grace we have today.

Imagine a patient who was injured and could not walk.  This individual goes to therapy and works with a healthcare professional to regain strength in his legs.  The first thing they do is have this patient work his legs with weights.  A bit of resistance to build strength. The day comes when he has to put weight on them.  Two therapists are there to help him stand and rest his weight on the parallel bars.  He cannot stand on his own.  He needs help and guidance.  On the first day, all they have him do is stand.  He stands for a few minutes and then sits back in his wheelchair.  They do this for about a week.  Each time, he stands with the assistance of his staff.  Then comes the time to take some steps. With each step, there is a therapist on each side. He has parallel bars to support his weight and help him stay balanced.  If there is any trouble, his therapists are there to rescue him.  Once he can walk to the end of the parallel bars and back, he graduates to walk inside the parallel bars without resting his weight on them.  Again, his two therapists are always by his side just in case.  They now move him to the hallway where is walks with a walker or cane.  There is always something there to help him stand.  Weeks later, he is on a treadmill.  With handlebars to each side and an emergency stop button, there is never a time when he is completely on his own.  Step by step, day by day, week by week, he walks.  There is always someone or something there to be a support if he would so need it.  This support may take different forms.  Where once he needed parallel bars, all he needs now is a railing or wall.  But the help is always there.  Just as it was in the beginning, it will be there all the way.

This is the grace of God! It never went away.  It never diminished.  It takes different forms.  And even multiple forms all at the same time.  The word of God here.  A dear saint there.  Some prayer.  Some mediation.  Assistance from a caring professional.  A pastor’s touch.  They are all a manifestation of God’s grace.  The greatest of these is the presence of God in the person of the Holy Spirit.   He indwells us and comforts us in our darkest hour.  We may not even notice the provision of the grace of God as He supplies it.  It may completely escape our notice. We will look back on our trial and wonder how we ever survived.  It was the grace of God.  The grace that saved you is the same grace that will keep you.  Faith is the key.  Believe that God will provide and He will.  The alternative is to weather our storms by our own strength and in this, we will fail.  Trust in the grace of God.  It is always there.

Stagger Not

“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Ro 4:20-21 AV)

That word ‘staggered’ has captivated my attention.  The Greek word means, “to separate one’s self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with, dispute, contend; to be at variance with one’s self, hesitate, doubt .”  It has the understanding of separating two opposing sides for the sake of having an opposing side.  This is illustrated well by Elijah and the people concerning Baal.  “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” (1Ki 18:21 AV)  When one staggers, he is not convinced of either argument and becomes non-committal to any position.  He waivers between two opposing positions because he sees either one as a risk.  Unbelief is the cause.  Unbelief and being fully persuaded are polar opposites.  The context above is faith for righteousness.  Abraham is the subject.  He believed in God to provide seed by which a great nation would come.  That faith was tested on the mount as Abraham laid Isaac upon an altar of sacrifice.  When God saw that Abraham believed, He looked upon Abraham as righteous.  This challenge is not limited to salvation.  It is true of every promise given to the saints of God.  Whatever it is that God has promised, staggering is not an option.  We must be fully persuaded or the promise cannot come to pass.

There comes a time when we must fully commit.  We cannot stay put.  To stay put is more hazardous than committing because one way or another, the decision will make itself.  When I think of staggering, I think of wintertime and walking on the ice.  Imagine you were stuck on an iceberg floating in the ocean.  You are heading south, so the iceberg is slowly melting and getting a bit smaller with each passing hour.  Because of the many icebergs surrounding you, a boat passing by cannot get directly to you.  The pilot of the boat tells you to jump and swim.  You have a choice.  You can either trust the berg to stay in one piece until it reaches land, or you can trust the captain of the boat to rescue you.  Either choice isn’t perfect.  Then comes along a coastguard helicopter.  They lower a rope.  No one can ascend to help you attach the rope so you will have to trust the rope will work and that it is attached securely to the chopper.  There is no winch which means you will be flying through the air until you reach land.  Again, not a perfect solution.  But an answer nonetheless.  There are three options.  Each has its risk.  The first may mean recovery from hypothermia.  The third might mean you fall out of the harness and into the ocean.  But staying on the berg is definitely the greatest risk of all.  It is like someone walking on the ice that pits one foot against the other rather than coordinating their feet to work together.  Scooting is the best way to traverse ice.  If not, one foot can go one way and the other in an opposite direction.  You would stagger.

God is able and capable of all our trials and challenges of life.  They will not be easy.  There is ice in the way and He is not going to take the ice away.  We have to learn to trust Him and be fully persuaded.  Not just for our souls; which is the easier thing to do; but for our lives in the here and now.  We must be fully persuaded that He knows what He is doing and that He has our best interests at heart.  If we are going through deep waters, we need to go through deep waters.  If we are suffering for our choices, we need to suffer for our choices.  If we are suffering persecution, we need to suffer persecution.  It is all part of His perfect plan.  We must be fully pursued.  There is very little as painful as when one leg goes one way and the other heads in the opposite direction.  Having suffered an injury when I fell down cement stairs, a cane was my best friend for several months.  Staggering always results in some type of injury.  This injury is part of the learning process.  It is part of learning to trust and the next time something comes about, we will be fully persuaded.  This is what Abraham did and set the example of faith that all the saints of God followed.  We must do the same.

Stability On A Rough Path

“Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” (Ps 17:5 AV)

The writer is assumed to be walking in the paths of God.  Otherwise, he would have used the word ‘order’ rather than the phrase ‘hold up’.  Which begs a question.  Does this mean the path of the LORD can be slippery?  Does this mean that following the path of God does have inherent risks which would require Him to hold us up?  If so, why?  What would be the purpose of putting us on a path that could be hazardous if not for His divine hand to hold us from falling?  It appears David believed he was in the will of God and asked Him for an examination of his heart and actions.  He petitioned the LORD for a clear conscience and relief from his enemies.  He further sought intercession that the truth of the situation might be made known.  It might be this psalm was written regarding Saul’s actions against him.  David was in the path of the LORD.  He was living in obedience to his word.  He believed in God regarding His promise of a throne.  Yet, on that path, there was potential for personal failure.  David is asking the LORD to sustain him while he walks in obedience and faith.

I have spent my share of time in the snow-covered woods.  In certain terrain, choices matter immensely.  One might have to ascend or descend.  Not the easiest of tasks.  Or, there may be a frozen body of water one might have to traverse.  There may be rock faces, loose shall, or really thick thorn biers.  There are many hazards one encounters while trekking through the woods and some of them may be life-threatening.  Assistance is needed in many of these instances.  The walking stick has more purposes than what meets the eye.  It is used for balance.  It is used to clear a path or uncover obscured dangers.  It can even be used as a deterrent to those wild animals that would do the hiker harm.  There are natural helps left there if one knows how to look.  When getting from point A to point B, there is generally only one direction one can take.  There is no smooth and trouble-free way to get to where one wants to go.  There will always be hazards.  That is life.  I was watching a wilderness show and a husband and wife were trying to climb a very steep ravine with snow on the ground.  Their feet were slipping and they could get a grip to climb.  If they lost their footing, they could very easily tumble to the bottom and break a few bones in the process.  Maybe even their necks.  What they failed to do was to use what was around them.  There were saplings within arm's reach.  There was only one way to their homestead and they had to cross this ravine.

God’s paths have risks.  That is why faith is required.  Faith that His way is the best way and faith that He will strengthen us to journey through the paths which He has carved out.  The Psalmist is correct here.  He is not asking the LORD to order his steps in the paths of God.  That is actually seen in other places.  He is asking the LORD to bear him up as he walks this path of persecution, doubt, fear, battles, marital problems, health issues, etc.  I equate those saplings to verses in the word of God.  They are within arm’s reach, pliable to our current situation, and the root system is so strong it can bear our weight as we climb.  The staff is the rod of God.  His presence goes with me no matter where I go.  It does not change.  The staff always remains the same.  It, too, can bear my weight, reveal threats, and chase away danger.  The Holy Spirit is the compass I hold in my hand.  No matter what my instincts may tell me, that compass will always point the direction home.  It comforts me as my guide to safety.  I know it can never mislead.  It is, and always will be, true.  So, we cannot avoid treacherous obstacles in the path of life.  What we can do is pray the LORD would uphold us by His free grace and enable us to journey through without fear or failure.

Living By Faith

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Ro 1:17 AV)

 Some verses are so familiar, that over time, they often lose the full potential of their application.  Such is the verse above.  We know that the context is salvation.  We understand Paul is making a distinction between salvation by faith and salvation by any other means.  We also understand the living above is spiritual life; or eternal life.  However, when compared with verses like Hebrews 11:6, we can also see another application.  That being, our spiritual life in the here and now is also supposed to be by faith.  In fact, living by faith is the only way to truly live.  In the above verse, righteousness comes by faith.  We must believe the righteousness of Christ is imputed to our sin account.  If we trust Him to be our payment for sin and believe with all our heart that God the Father sees us in the righteousness of His Son, then we are saved.  We live.  Faith, however, does not stop with accepting God’s gracious gift of righteousness through Christ.  Faith starts there but continues throughout the saint’s life.  We are supposed to grow in faith.  We are supposed to live by faith.  It is by faith that we please God.  Faith is the only answer to things that are out of our control.  Whether we realize it or not, we live by faith all the time.  We trust our employer is going to pay us on time.  We believe our car is going to get us from point A to point B.  We believe all our electronics will work, our doctor has our best interests at heart, and our children will grow up to love us.  We live by faith every day.

Some thrive on living by faith.  Some cannot deal with risk.  Regardless of our predisposition to live, or not live, by faith, we are encouraged and required to live accordingly.  In some areas, I happen to be the former.  In other areas, the latter.  It all depends on the nature of the risk.  Usually, our reluctance to take risks corresponds with deeply held fears.  I do not like heights.  So, if the LORD were to ask me to trust Him and take flying lessons, there would be a struggle.  If He asked me to trust Him and learn to parachute, I think we would have a problem.  I also have a fear of being crushed.  Caves are not my favorite place in the world.  If I don’t think about it, I am fine.  However, the moment I understand there is a mountain above and with a mere shaking of the earth I could be trapped or crushed, out I go.  However, other fears bother me not.  I know one bearly fella who could bend a pipe but is terrified of needles.  Me?  Take all the blood you want and shoot me up with every safe inoculation mankind has ever invented.  Some are terrified of the dark.  I have a grandchild who is like that.  Me?  Take a flashlight and be done with it.  Others fear water.  I have a friend who will not go near Niagara Falls.  I learned to swim and skate.  No matter the form, water is ok with me.  We all have fears.  They are different.  No one is immune.  And, there is no silly fear as opposed to a justified fear.  They are all alike.  Faith is the key to overcoming fear.  We must believe in something greater than the fear itself.  I have to trust the laws of aerodynamics to fly.  I have to trust in the principles of structural integrity to enter a cave.  Fear is overcome by trusting in something greater than that which we fear.  If we do not, we cease to live and cower in fear, never exploring and always trapped in that fear.

I think this is another application of the verse above.  We will never truly learn to live until we learn to trust.  Whether it is a relationship beginning at an altar, a career move, a financial transaction, or any other host of choices that involve risk, faith is that which enables us to take that leap, accept our circumstances, or conquer our fears.  This faith is placed on the person of God.  I love what Peter has to say.  “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” (1Pe 4:19 AV)  God is a faithful and able Creator.  He controls all things.  He knows what will happen and has decreed it to be so.  He is the master planner and all things work to His glory.  He has this.  Really!  We need to learn that God is far greater than anything we will ever face and surrender to the circumstances.  He has us.  Like a parachute jumper who is jumping in tandem with his instructor, we need to be tethered close to our God and let Him be our strength and our guide.