Abba, Father

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Ga 4:6 AV)

 

When reading this verse, we tend to focus on the term Abba.  That term is less of an official title of God our Father and more of an endearing one.  When we speak of God as Abba Father, we are involving our child-like hearts and emotions and not restricting the title to an authority figure or mentor.  One commentator equates the term to calling our heavenly Father, Daddy.  It is a term of deep love and admiration founded on appreciation and dependence.  We don’t use this term nearly enough.  In our own minds, we see it as less that an Almighty God would deserve.  In doing so, we diminish the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and spirits.  The underlined phrase is my focus this morning.  The Spirit of His Son is indeed the Holy Spirit.  But the prepositional phrase following the identification of the third person of the Trinity gives depth to the term Abba, Father.  As the Son relates to the Father, the Spirit encourages us to do the same.  The term, Abba, Father, is one of substance and devotion.  It is one of mutual love.  It is one that makes God less austere and more familiar.  It is one of complete security, contentment, and affirmation.  This title is one that makes approaching God far easier.  In essence, Abba, Father is the result of the bridge between the saint and God that the ministry of the Holy Spirit provides.

Rarely do we witness a relationship between father and son or father and daughter where friendship, rather than mentorship becomes the stronger foundation.  When our children are younger, they need an authority figure and mentor.  However, as they age, they become more independent and not in need of those things.  That is when a beautiful thing happens.  There is a transition from father to friend.  You are still their father.  You still have wisdom that you can share.  But the relationship changes.  This is where I am with my sons.  Each is exceeding more than I ever did.  They are learning skills I never had the privilege of learning.  Now, I can visit with them on the phone or go to their home and not feel as though they need me or my wisdom.  They ask often enough.  But they don’t need me in that role nearly as much as they did.  In many ways, even though we are separated by distance and time, our relationships are more intimate and less regimented.  We can share what the LORD is doing in each of our lives and ministries knowing iron sharpens iron.  We can reminisce of some of the experiences we have had on the ballfield, the golf course, or the woods and praise the LORD for all the wonderful times.  Now, when my sons call me ‘Dad’ there is a difference from thirty years ago.  There is something behind that name that wasn’t there when they were under my roof.  It is more familiar.  It is more intimate.  It is absent of all the demands that this title may impose.  They do not call me ‘dad’ because they need something.  They call me this because they love me, appreciate me, and hold me in high regard.

The LORD will never cease to be our mentor.  He will never cease to be God.  He will never stop being our authority figure.  He will never cease to chasten us when we go astray.  These things will not change.  But that doesn’t mean we cannot appreciate God and Abbe, Father.  This is the difference between our heavenly Father and the relationships we have with our own dads or children.  Human relationships may transition.  But our relationship with our heavenly Father does not.  It does not transition.  It matures.  As we learn to walk in obedience and faith, the authoritarian nature of our relationship with God becomes less a part of it and the affirming nature of our relationship becomes stronger.  The less we need God to correct us, the more intimate we can become with Him.  The less we need Him to guide us into all righteousness because we are already living that way, the more we can relate to God in the manner spoken above.  This is what we are missing.  We are simply too childish and walk after our own desires resulting in God as mentor and corrector rather than the Father as Friend.  If we are to get to the point of relating to the Father as the Son does, it starts there.  More obedience.  More faith.  Then we can cry onto the LORD as the Son did and call Him, Abba, Father.

No Fear of Wrath

“But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.” (Ps 78:38 AV)

 

Isn’t that the truth?!  We understand this verse regards the relationship between God and Israel.  But the same applies to all the saints.  The mercy and longsuffering of God are astounding things.  It surpasses our understanding.  How can a God who knows all things and sees all things put up with all that we do to disappoint Him?  My own account is larger than I could ever even begin to understand.  God forgives all that we do and there is nothing that can change our status with Him.  Because we have trusted Christ for our salvation, we have eternal sonship with God that can never be lost.  This relationship is founded on the mercy and benevolence of God.  He has forgiven all that we have done or will be doing.  There is no threat of eternal judgment for anything we have done or have failed to do.  This does not mean that God lets things go.  Hebrews teaches us that God chastens who He loves.  But He does not destroy.  What mercy!

There is a danger in presuming upon the mercy of God.  This is what Israel did.  They suffered much because they did not walk with God in obedience and faith.  They suffered losses that need not happen if they simply believed in God and obeyed Him.  From the time they went into Egypt until the time Jesus returns, Israel has consistently walked contrary to the path the LORD gave them.  They went so far as to crucify their Messiah.  God had to deal with it.  He had to send them circumstances that would humble them.  He will require they go through the Tribulation.  But He will not destroy them.  They will not be consumed by the events of history so their nation disappears into the pages of history.  God’s mercy is set in stone.  He made a promise to them thousands of years ago.  He made them a promise because their founder, Abraham, chose to trust God in the severest of circumstances and was consistently ordering his house after faith in the LORD.  Because of Abraham’s faith, the Jewish people are still a people even today.  There were promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and David.  These covenants are still in force; albeit a bit suspended.  They will not be destroyed.  Ever!

The same is true of the New Testament saint.  We are preserved in Christ.  The Spirit is our earnest.  He is our seal.  There is nothing that we have done or will ever do that can separate us from the love of God.  We are His children.  We have a guaranteed home in heaven.  We cannot lose it nor give it back.  He may be disappointed in us from time to time.  He may have to correct us from time to time.  But He cannot, nor will not destroy us.  His wrath was fulfilled at Calvary’s cross.  This is the cup from which Christ was required to drink.  Having suffered the Father’s eternal wrath for the sins of His children, we have no fear His wrath will abide on us.  We are free from destruction.  Praise the LORD for His wonderful grace towards the saints of God.  The application is found in a letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian church.  The goodness of God should lead us to repentance.  Thank God we do not have to fear the wrath of almighty God.

He Cannot Let You Starve

“So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.” (Ps 78:72 AV)

 

The entire psalm is about how the LORD guided them from Egypt to Canaan.  In this psalm were learn Israel ate angel food and were not even aware of how good they had it.  The word that struck me this morning is the word ‘integrity’.  When the LORD provided water from the rock, it was His integrity that motivated Him.  When they complained about bitter water, the integrity of the LORD would not allow them to suffer from thirst.  When they complained about the lack of choice in their fare, God sent them manna from heaven by the integrity of His heart.  When their shoes began to wear, He stopped the second law of thermodynamics that they would need not manufacture more.  He did this by the integrity of His heart.  When they left the place of bitter water, God led them to a place with a large well and twelve palm trees.  He did so by the integrity of the heart.  Sending quail when they complained about the mutton in their own backyard, God’s integrity was the reason.  In short, God’s benevolence is God’s motive for our provision.  However, when we are less than grateful or far from His heart, His integrity will not allow us to suffer horrible want.

A farmer had a small flock of sheep.  There were two rams with the rest being ewes.  Upon their first fold, one little lamb found his way out of the pasture.  His curiosity got the better of him quite frequently.  He would wander off to pasture with much less grass and an abundance of rock and trees.  The shepherd, knowing this was not a good thing, would seek, find, and return his lost sheep.  It did not take long before this little lamb would wander off again.  After chastening him with a rod several times, the lamb simply would not change his wayward behavior.  Off he went, on his own, to explore the world around him.  It was a wonder a wolf or bear never consumed him.  The shepherd never lost his patience.  He knew if left to himself, the little lamb would perish from lack of experience.  At wit's end, the shepherd decided to try a new tack.  Rather than find in the lamb and either carry him back or drive him back, he used carrot bits to entice the little guy back to the fold.  Patiently he placed the little treats on the ground and that little guy followed this benefactor home to the fold.  The good shepherd, no matter how stubborn his little lamb, could not surrender him to himself.  His character would not allow him to abandon his little lamb no matter how difficult he might have been.

There are times when we think God has abandoned us.  He never has, nor will He ever in the future.  This is what is so important about that word.  Integrity.  God’s character will not allow us to suffer more than we need for our glorification.  We may suffer a bit.  But it is always for the purpose of correction or faith.  But God will never abandon the saint.  If we have a need, He will provide that need.  If we have a purpose, He will facilitate that purpose.  If we call out to Him, He is always near.  A responsible God can't act irresponsibly.  Our God cannot turn His back on His children.  No matter who we are or what we have done, His all-consuming love will make sure we make out just fine.  Never doubt that!  To do so is to accuse God of having little or no integrity.  He will take care of you.  He can do no other.

Never is Never

“All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” (Eze 28:19 AV)

 

Ezekiel chapter 28 is one of the two main chapters dealing with the nature and attributes of Satan.  The immediate context here is the king of Tyrus.  Tyrus was a maritime city jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea.  It was almost impenetrable.  The advancing armies of Rome eventually took the city by building a causeway to this island fortress.  For several generations, Tyrus was the city of cities that traded with all other nation-states that traded by sea.  This is the cause for the first statement in our passage.  Tyrus was a wonder of mankind.  However, when Rome conquered Tyrus, the world ceased to wonder.  It is that last phrase for which we can rejoice.  The city of Tyrus does not exist anymore.  The island is still there.  The causeway is still visible.  But it is relegated to the annuls of history.  The same will be true of Satan.  He may be a wonderment to the sea of humanity, but there is coming a day when he will not even be a distant thought.  Simply put, he shall not be anymore.

I have very interesting dreams.  It is partly due to the Melatonin supplements I take to sleep better.  They tell you vivid dreams are a side-effect of this supplement and I can tell you this is very true.  At first, they disturbed me.  But then I realized dreams were God’s way of helping us deal with life’s issues we are burying rather than confronting.  There are anxieties we bury that we are not even aware of.  Our dreams bring them to the surface so we can seek help from the Holy Spirit and confront them.  What I find astounding are dreams regarding people or events that are decades in the past.  An intolerable boss or horrific experience from decades ago seems to surface in a different storyline.  But they appear nonetheless.  Perhaps it was a serious health issue, a horrific experience in grade school, or a turbulent time we had in our childhood.  The events run the gamut.  One dream I used to have all the time was returning to High School because I never completed my graduation requirements.  Mostly, it was English or Gym.  I used to have a dream that no matter how hard I tried, there was always one more class I had to take.  This comes from two events in my life.  I never went to my High School graduation.  No closure.  The Bible Institute I went to constantly changed the curriculum so it took me thirteen years to complete a three-year degree.  The point is, we have monsters that come in the night.  They may always be a part of this life.  But there is coming a day when these anxieties will cease.  No more monsters in the night.  Not ever.

I like the little word ‘never’.  I like it better than ‘ever’.  Never is final.  Never means there is no more possibility Satan will be loosed for all of eternity.  Once he is cast into the bottomless pit, there is no escape.  Not ever!  Never!  It is fascinating to launch Google Earth and look at the satellite image of Tyrus.  It is one big mound of rocks.  The causeway now resides underwater.  The only use for Tyrus today is for fishermen to dry their nets.  There is no city.  There never will be again.  Not ever.  Never!  When we look from space and see a pile of rocks, let us remember the same future awaits our adversary.  Never will he again be!  He will not exist in any part of God’s creation outside of hell itself.  Never!

Pleasure In Trials

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2Co 12:10 AV)

 

This is a very mature and special place to be, but common to those who are dramatically used of God.  One is reminded of Peter’s comments in the book of Acts when he shared he was not worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.  Note Paul takes pleasure in what most would not.  Infirmities are illnesses or weaknesses.  Paul had a thorn in the flesh that was, more than likely, vision loss.  Reproaches are severe criticisms from both the lost and saved.  Necessities are the times he was poor and in need of common things.  Yet, unable to attain them.  Persecutions were severe.  Among them, he was stoned to death at Lystra.  Distress is anxiety and worries over circumstances beyond any hope of seeing a resolution.  Paul lived a hard life.  God used him to plant churches all over the near east and eastern Europe.  When he says that he takes pleasure in these things, most people would think him odd.  But I can tell you by life’s experience that even though I would rather not suffer from them, I am grateful the LORD trusts me enough to go through them and it is often the only way we can truly experience the power of God as we never have prior. 

Forgive me for using my recent experience as an example and I hope I am not boring you, but when our doctors finally diagnosed Lisa with intestinal cancer, our lives were turned upside down.  Our cancer treatment team sprung into action.  They treated us like we were the only patients they had even though they were treating thousands.  In my experience, I know the second day after surgery is always the hardest.  When I visit church members who have had surgery, I tend to go the next day, or day four.  So, I should have been prepared for what I experienced on my wife’s third day of hospitalization.  As much as I have seen as a pastor and hospital chaplain, what I experienced should not have affected me so.  But when I saw my wife, I was struck by her complete emotional detachment from me.  She didn’t want me or my son in the room.  She asked us to go back home.  I could understand that and accept that if it was merely a reaction to pain.  But it wasn’t.  She was so uncomfortable that she had detached herself from me.  I thought something had gone on from the surgery that I lost her.  I thought she was permanently changed from the extensive surgery she had that she would never be the same and we would never share another connection.  I went home and wept as though I was at her funeral.  I wish no one would have to go through this.  As I lost it, I prayed that someone, anyone, would walk through my door to comfort my deep agony.  No one came.  And it was a good thing.  I needed some alone time with the LORD so that He could show me just how strong He is.

I won’t say that I took pleasure in it, but I am humbled that the LORD would trust me enough to go through it.  In my weakness, He was made strong.  There was no other way to learn these things.  There is no other event that we can experience that will reveal the depth of God’s attributes.  The severity of life’s experience is what brings God closer and more real to us.  This, I think, is to what Paul is referring.  He takes pleasure in them not because it felt good.  Rather, he takes pleasure because of what he learned.  And to this, I can agree.  God is so good to me and I do not deserve any of it.  Paul takes pleasure in that even though the times of which he speaks were near impossible, God revealed Himself in ways he would never have known otherwise.  The blessings that came from the trials far outshined the depths of the agony experienced.  To this end, we can agree.  We can take pleasure in that even though circumstances are not survivable in our own strength, it is in those times that we know just who and what God is. 

Out Of Focus

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2Co 11:3 AV)

 

The word ‘simplicity’ does not mean what we think it means.  Jesus Christ and His doctrines are anything but simple.  The word means singleness.  The comparison is to Eve who complicated the law of God by adding to it.  In adding words to it, she opened the idea that God’s command was nefarious.  Satan accused God of manipulation.  He accused God of keeping from Eve good things that might come from partaking in the forbidden fruit.  The issue at hand was Paul’s methods and personality brought into question his credentials as an effective Apostle.  The Corinthian church was always superficial.   They were always carnal.  They had a hard time adhering to doctrine and Jesus above all other influences.  When Paul came with rude speech and a forthright demeanor, they questioned his office.  This complicated the ministry which He already had with them.  They could not stay focused on what they knew to be true without getting distracted by superficial concerns.

The phrase that sticks out to me is ‘by any means’.  This would suggest there are many means by which the Evil One can carry us away from a focused and single-minded life in Christ.  My sons were quick to get on the YouTube trend by watching Christian-appropriate vlogs.  I fought it for the longest time.  I thought there were better ways of getting information.  Like reading, for one.  Over time, I found myself watching a couple of channels around a particular hobby of mine.  I was watching one this morning.  There was paid content as part of the post.  The host advertised an app for your phone.  It was a first-person RPG with warfare ad its genre.  He went through all the features of this game with included tournaments and team playing.  As I learned of all this app does, or better, would require of you, I couldn’t help but think, “Who in the world would have that kind of time on their hands?”  But then I remember my occasional trips out into the public.  Whether a restaurant or mall, almost all people over the age of twelve have their eyes glued to their cellphones.  It reminds me of that episode of Startrek: Next Generation where a game was uploaded to the main computer and it hypnotized the entire crew.  Only Data was impervious.  Rather than stay focused on the task at hand, or life itself, their lives were split between what was supposed to be the most important function of their lives and a form of entertainment.

Eve had only one avenue and she failed. How are we doing?  We have a hard time keeping people faithful in the most basic of Christian graces and duties.  Our devotional life is in tatters because we are going here and there.  We don’t spend time in the word of God or in prayer because we are too busy saving the universe.  We have no passion for God because our passion is wasted on our favorite sports team.  We cannot rest our faith on simple truths because we read so many alternate theories on the premise that information means maturity and that we question everything and believe nothing.  The Corinthian church was a carnal church that got sidetracked way too easily and made life far more complicated than it needed to be.  Their faith was complicated by superficial considerations like the value of spirit gifts compared to others.  They complicated their faith by personality conflicts.  They complicated their faith with shallow arguments.  They complicated their faith with reason contrary to revealed truth.  This church had issues.  Too many ingredients in the recipe.  Too many considerations that the most important of all were lost.  Time to refocus on that which is known truth, our walk with Christ, and evangelization of the world.

Drastic Measures For A Cure

“In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.” (Eze 24:13 AV)

 

This is quite a sad verse.  Israel got to the point that no matter what the LORD tried, it didn’t work.  For hundreds of years, the LORD tried judges, kings, and prophets.  He used their neighbors to persecute them.  He sent natural disasters.  He sent times of distress.  There may have been a temporary revival, but after some time, they went right back to their idolatry.  No matter how passionately the LORD pled with them, they would make no permanent effort to walk in holiness and faith.  A few verses later, the LORD tells Israel He will solve their sin issue in a stroke.  Or, a brief and intense act on His part to take away any and all ability to fall into sin.  This is the nature of His creation.  If His work is bent towards divinely appointed design, He blesses.  If contrary to His design, it becomes self-destructive.  The unfortunate thought here is sin can be so powerful that even God cannot conquer it for us.  Not that He lacks the ability.  Rather, because our wills will not conform to His expectation.  The end result will be the ability to fall is taken away by the removal of the ability to partake, to begin with.

I knew a young person once who never seemed to learn his lesson when it came to safe driving.  He got his license at sixteen and it didn’t take him long before he got his first speeding ticket.  Being the first, the judge let him off with a promise to behave himself.  That wasn’t the case.  He soon got another.  This time, the judge fined him and put points on his license.  A few months later, he was ticketed for more serious infractions.  Standing before the court, he paid another fine, and points were added.  He lost the ability to drive for a short period of time.  Now in the high-risk pool, his insurance was ten times more expensive.  Once he got his license, off he was to the races.  Only this time, he caused an accident wherein the driver of the other vehicle was killed.  He was brought before the courts and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.  Five years later, after his jail sentence was served, he was out on the road again.  This time, he drove a heavy delivery truck.  Going way too fast for the weather, he struck and killed a small group of children playing in the snow.  Having been a repeat offender, he is now spending the rest of his life in jail.  He never learned and the liberty to drive irresponsibly was permanently taken away.

We learn our lessons the hard way.  God sends so many warnings that He will eventually tire of them.  Grace may be without limit, but that does not require Him to exercise it so.  God wants us free from sin.  It is the best way to live.  He had a passion for this.  The LORD tried to correct Israel for generations.  He finally had to remove them to Babylon and scatter them throughout the world so they would not have the opportunity to fall into idolatry.  The LORD placed them in places and circumstances where survival was the greatest objective.  During the tribulation, Israel will be reduced to a small remnant who will accept Christ as their Messiah.  This will come by way of great persecution.  They will survive in the wilderness with the miraculous hand of God sustaining them.  Hardships that are guaranteed to keep them from the idleness which encouraged sin.  These times may be tough.  But if we do not learn to yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and cleanse ourselves from presumptuous sins, then He just may take away the ability to fall in the first place.  That which enables will be removed.  It will become the only option for our God who loves righteousness.

Abiding Strength

“I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.” (Ps 71:16 AV)

 

Written in David’s old age, this is his declaration of faithfulness until the LORD would call him home.  Contained in the entire psalm are David’s concerns about growing older.  He seeks God’s faithful guidance and strength as he ages lest the enemies of him and his kingdom get the advantage.  He seeks God’s ever-abiding presence, wisdom, and strength as his life-long enemies assemble outside the gate, waiting for a moment of weakness to do him in.  When HE makes the statement above, he has assured the LORD will strengthen him to face everything that life will bring.  This fear of weakness is something that becomes more real and large the older you get.  What is ironic about his statement is that we are always going in the strength of the LORD whether we realize it or not.  The Bible says,  “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Col 1:17 AV)  We live and move and have our being by the power of the Most High.  We cannot sustain ourselves.  We are always living under the strength of the LORD.  It simply becomes more apparent the older and more dependent we become.  David makes this statement to alleviate his fears of waning strength.  He will make it to the finish line by the same means he has made it thus far.  In the strength of the LORD.

Coffee is a wonderful thing!  I think the angels in heaven drink triple shots because they sing day and night forever and ever before the throne of God!  Coffee has to be the beverage of glory.  LOL.  My wife just had intestinal surgery and I have a few medical issues that make caffeine a measured luxury.  Normally, I dilute full-strength coffee with decaf by two-thirds.  Because of her surgery and ban from all caffeine, I diluted it even more.  Now, we are drinking almost straight-up decaf.  The thing is, when you are dependent on caffeine to get you going in the morning, you get so used to it, that it is hard to notice it until it is taken away.  This morning was a classic example.  Last night, I went to bed with a massive headache.  So, I took something for the headache and something to help me sleep.  I had the best night of sleep in a very long time.  Almost twelve hours with only one middle-of-the-night waking.  Twelve glorious hours of deep sleep!  I think a gained a few years back.  However, I felt groggy.  After two cups of almost decaf coffee, I felt like taking a nap.  Then I remembered my wife had K-cups of Highlander Grog – fully caffeinated.  Twelve ounches later, I am awake!  The strength which I presumed was always there.  I just had to be reminded from where it came, and rely upon it when needed.

David’s fears are common ones.  As we age, what was once of no concern at all becomes larger and larger.  When our temples age and the ability to do what we once did becomes more and more of a challenge, we become a little anxious.  Especially when we see the challenges ahead.  Our lawns do not grow any slower.  It still snows as much as it always has.  And life becomes far more complicated with health concerns and the complications of life.  But there is another application here.  David was concerned with the threats he had been able to handle his whole life becoming more able to cause him harm the older he got.  We have enemies that will always try to destroy what God has made us.  We have the devil, the flesh, and the world.  In our youth, we could take them on.  As we become battle weary, the strength of our enemies does not ebb.  It remains as strong as they were the day we accepted Christ.  The aging saint will see his adversaries and realize without the strength of the LORD, he has no hope.  He realizes this because it dawns on him he has been living in the strength of the LORD all along.  More or less.  In our youth, we do not realize how much the LORD sustains us.  We do things in our own strength first.  We don’t have that option the older we get.  Hence, David’s statement.  What a glorious statement that is.  I can give first-hand testimony of the strength of the LORD in times of deep distress.  With all that we have gone through the last three months, I can tell you the strength of the LORD is what got us through.  As we got through the last three months, we will get through the remainder of our future.  This is the conclusion David made in this Psalm.  We will go forth in the strength of the LORD until his last breath.

Thank God For His Showers

“Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.” (Ps 68:9 AV)

 

This will be unusual.  I usually explain the context and what possible application there might be.  This morning, I will start by relaying a memory.  I grew up very near Niagara Falls, NY.  There are many unique things about living so close to one of the seven wonders of the natural world.  One of which was the weather.  We frequently had cotton ball clouds as opposed to larger or wider clouds.  Our temperatures did not have wide extreme fluctuations in a short period of time.  When the weather transitioned, it was usually more moderate than extreme.  We did, however, have much snow.  The humidity that came off the falls would usually rest on our city in the form of snow.  The Falls also affected our rainy and hot days as well.  Usually, in late July or early August, there was be a very hot day.  Not humid.  Just hot.  Then in the afternoon, we would have a downpour and light showers that followed.  This wouldn’t last long.  About a total of an hour or so.  It was at those times my Mom had us go out in the rain and run around.  We could cool off by running around as long as we didn’t get all muddy.  It was like taking a shower outside.  The temperature dropped slightly but it was still comfortable.  No shivering.  No cold front.  Just a warm shower from above.

The verse above goes beyond simple refreshing.  To confirm means to affirm and solidify.  Like my lawn outside.  We have not had meaningful rain in the last two weeks.  A passing storm here and there, but no sustained rainfall.  So, my yard was getting a bid brown.  It had rained a bit in the last few days and it was recovering.  The rain confirmed the dying grass and it is coming back.  That is the meaning above.  God sends rains of refreshing like the one described above.  But God also sends rain that soaks into the very soul.  A source of strength that goes far beyond mere temporary relief.  This rain fills the drained soul with truths of encouragement that go beyond simple sustenance.  This rain provides a surplus.  This rain is the kind words, actions, and prayers of others.  This rain is the ever-abiding presence of the Holy Spirit that lifts us and strengthens us to face the day head-on.  This rain is watching the LORD bless others, knowing that He loves you just as much as those whom He is blessing.  This rain is the rain that one shares with others going through their own hard times.

The reason I mentioned the rains of my childhood is their unique nature of them.  In most other parts of the world, humidity would follow these rains.  If the temperature was hot, then it would be muggy.  Not in my childhood town.  The rain would cool off the pavement.  The surplus rain would evaporate in a temperate way.  Not too fast to lose all relief.  But not too slow to torture us with humidity.  The rain stuck around long enough to be a great relief from the heat.  Humidity remained low.  Our clothes did not stick to us.  We ran around like soaked kittens having so much fun that we couldn’t stand it!  It was like playing in a sprinkler.  But it was much larger!  The heat of the day would make us weary.  I can remember my Mom coming out in the rain with a lawn chair.  She would sit out there in the middle of a downpour getting drenched.  But then the sun came out quickly and it would evaporate slowly.  These are the refreshing rains that we need to seek from the LORD!  The rains which come in a bucketful and are meant to stick around for a while.  I am grateful for these rains.  Without these rains, I wouldn’t make it.  Praise the LORD for His mercy and grace in time of need.

The Wilderness of Pleas

“And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:” (Eze 20:35-37 AV)

 

This morning, when I read this, I could not help by feeling so blessed that God would plead with me.  To what the prophet is speaking is God’s practice of reasoning with His people over steps of faith or correction.  There is also a wilderness into which the child of God must enter.  This wilderness is a time, place, or circumstance that reduces the saint to the event itself.  It defines him.  These times are times of major adjustment.  Israel had to learn to trust the LORD as they never had trusted Him before.  These times of major change are not easy.  But the LORD brings us to them so that we can pass under the rod of His correction or guidance.  The rod of a shepherd that prods and pokes the sheep along the path of His design. A rod is also a symbol of an unchanging standard.  When Jesus comes back, He will rule with a rod of iron.  In short, the LORD removes us to a time, place, or set of circumstances and pleads with us to conform to a perfect standard that will glorify Him and bless us.  What I appreciate is the LORD’s love for me that motivates His plea towards me.

Over the years, I have had several pastors who invested themselves in me.  But I only had one who would take me into the wilderness.  There was plenty of advice from them all, but most were encouraging statements rather than the advice I needed to hear but didn’t want to hear.  There were two times that I can remember that a pastor said something I needed to hear, but I didn’t want to hear.  The first had little merit.  He thought I let my children run the house.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  What he saw as complacency on my part was actually patience.  There are times when you do not hop right on your kid because the lesson he is about to learn will be a harder one that you can teach him.  However, the second time was with a pastor as we sat with a cup of coffee in a state restore overlooking lake Michigan.  As we sat and talked, he made an observation about my leadership.  It was really hard to hear.  The painful thing about it was, that he was right.  And there was little I could do about it.  He pointed out a tendency I had that if gone unchecked, would lead to serious issues in the future.  These issues, if not addressed, would limit my opportunities in the ministry.  This pastor, although he would have preferred not to, brought me out to the wilderness and brought me under the rod.  It was easy to see that his motive was love.  He cared about me enough to tell me the hard things.

This is what a loving God does.  He brings us out to the wilderness and brings us under the rod.  He separates us from all the distractions of life and focuses on a specific area of life that needs some major adjustment.  He loves us too much to leave us to ourselves.  When Israel was in Egypt, they allowed their captives to change who and what they were.  They allowed the gods of a strange country to reimage them after the pattern of unbelievers.  They became accustomed to the bondage to the point that as long as their captors provided their basic needs, they surrendered all that God wanted them to be.  In the wilderness, it was a matter of faith.  The LORD wanted them to trust Him and take risks of faith to the end they would grow into a mighty nation.  They had to learn God was able and capable of meeting their every need and whatever it was He asked them to do, it would turn out ok.  He removed them to the wilderness and brought them under the rod.  I am so glad.  These times are not comfortable.  But these times are golden.  Thank You Jesus for loving me enough to remove me to the wilderness and bring me under the rod.

Saying No to God's Grace

“Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” (Lu 19:42 AV)

 

One of the biggest errors we can make is not giving God a chance.  These words were spoken by Jesus regarding Jerusalem’s rejection of Him as their Savior and Messiah.  They were under Roman rule and under constant harassment from all who despised them.  In a few short years, Titus would come with his Roman army and destroy the Jewish capital.  The peace that Christ promised was freely given.  All they needed to do is trust Him.  He would have been crucified for their sin, but upon His resurrection, would have assumed His rightful place as the King of kings and LORD of lords.  They were only one weekend away from living in liberty from all their enemies with Jesus as their King.  I couldn’t help but see a more pointed application to those of us who are not Jewish nor looking for a coming Messiah, per se.  I was wondering how many times we never gave God the chance to solve a problem or overcome sin.  I am reminded of our presumptuous sins which the LORD seeks to vanquish, yet when push comes to shove, at the moment of intense temptation, we do not give God the chance to show Himself strong on our behalf.  If it was a little sin of which we have general success, there is no need for God to show Himself strong.  It is those tough ones.  And the LORD may wait until the breaking point and then give us victory.   But we can never seem to get that far before we yield to it.

Parents have different techniques for teaching their children to withstand that which they cannot have.  With us, it was a cookie jar.  Or, should I say, a cookie can.  I grew up back in the day when potato chips came in a tin can.  My Mom saved those cans for different things.  One of them was to empty cookies into them.  We were not allowed to help ourselves to any food or drink without permission.  Not a bite.  It had to be this way because Mom had eleven children. Eight of them boys. If we have free access to food and drink, my parents would have been in the poor house.  There isn’t a job in existence that can pay enough to feed eight boys if they could eat any time of the day or night.  So, keeping that cookie can full was a particular chore.  Especially if the cookies were homemade.  My father was not in the habit of removing temptation just to make it easier.  There would not have been a place in the house to keep those cookies that an industrious boy with a few hand tools couldn’t get to.  So, why try to hide them?  They were always on the counter.  In the corner of the kitchen.  Right in plain sight.  Us boys were constantly on the prowl for those cookies.  However, Mom and Dad had an ingenious system to ensure an accurate inventory of all cookies.  They had the mutual snitching association well oiled and in operation at all times.  It is virtually impossible to get away with anything when ten siblings and two parents were always around.  So, the temptation was not a problem because there was always someone who might catch you.  The temptation was not removed, but the strength to overcome was always there.  We just had to give the patrol the chance to watch us and help us to say no.

One wonders how much sin we suffer because we yield before we get to that point when resisting is absolutely impossible.  The LORD lets it get that far because we have to learn He can overcome.  The more intense the temptation, the greater the victory in overcoming.  If He can rescue us when we cannot seem to escape no matter what, it wouldn’t matter how much more the temptation occurred.  By God’s grace, we overcame the extreme.  Therefore, future victory is assured.  The challenge is to let God do what God can do.  When tempted above that which we are able, prayer and the word of God are essential.  It is amazing the power of God that descends on the mind, body, and spirit as we pray by the words of the scriptures.  As the Spirit brings to remembrance all those verses we have memorized or used, there is an amazing operation of the Spirit that conquers the temptations before us.  It is a matter of choosing to let God have a chance to be our victory!  It is a matter of yielding to the Champion who can overcome every foe we will ever face!  Let God fight the battle.  It will come to the brink of what you think you can withstand.  It is there where God does His greatest work!

Moved, But Not Greatly

“« To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. » Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.” (Ps 62:1-2 AV)

 

Maybe not greatly moved, but moved nonetheless.  The Bible does not promise we can get to a point that no matter what happens, there will be absolutely no disturbances in our inner souls.  There will always be anxiety, fear, regret, etc.  But these emotions need not be overwhelming.  Just because we may be concerned does not mean we have to be paralyzed.  Our great Psalmist shares that when he is moved by the circumstances of life, he is not greatly moved.  In other words, because God is his salvation and his rock, he may have emotions, but they are under control and founded upon his faith in God.

I had a pastor who had a pilot’s license and was part owner of a Mooney single prop.  He was considering trading in his share to upgrade to a newer airplane.  He took me along for a test flight with the saleswoman.  I had never flown in a small aircraft before.  I had ridden in larger passenger jets, but never something so small.  I had even flown in a duel prop commercial plane.  Never a three-seater.  After our checks, the senior pilot took us up into the air.  Not a problem.  It was pretty uneventful.  However, when one considers buying a plane, one must put it through some rather rigorous tests.  Having never flown in a small three-seater before, even a smooth ride was a bit trying.  Then they had to do some rolls, a sixty-degree turn and were contemplating a mid-flight stall.  All with a novice in the back seat with no puke bag available.  As we flew around, my pastor tried to extol the virtues of a Mooney above other small crafts.  To say I didn’t care at all would be an understatement.  All I wanted was wheels on the ground!  I was indeed greatly moved.  Then came my opportunity for a discovery flight.  That is when an instructor takes you up and lets you fly around a bit.  I cannot remember the type of aircraft, but it was a three-seater with a joystick rather than a yoke.  Our entire flight was pleasant.  No rolls.  No stalls.  And no sixty-degree turns.  During the first experience, I was greatly moved.  The second, not at all.  Was there anxiety?  Yup.  But not nearly as much as the first.  The difference?  At the first, I had a pilot who didn’t really care how much I was being moved.  The second put my experience as the highest priority.  The point is, that one cannot fly without a little bit of concern.  But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

The Bible promises us perfect peace if our minds have stayed on God.  This is certainly true.  Just because there is perfect peace does not mean we won’t feel a disturbance or two.  Like ridding the rapids on Niagara River below the falls, you have perfect peace you will end the ride safely on the shore as millions have done before you.  You have no worries about your physical health or life.  However, that doesn’t mean as you take the ride that you won’t feel a bit of concern with each jostle and pitch.  It is natural to feel that way even if your mind is comforting the soul with a sure outcome.  The same is true in our journey of faith.  God will ask us to go through things we must go through in order to learn to trust him more.  By default, this means we will be moved.  The promise above is not to cease all movement.  Rather, in our moving, we will not be greatly moved.  This is what we can hope and look for.

You Ain't Kiddin'!

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” (2Co 3:5 AV)

 

How true this is!  The older I get the more I realize just how true Paul’s statement is.  He was referring directly to performing ministry.  But the principle applies in all areas of life.  This truth does not become real until we are pushed beyond our limits.  We do not realize how dependent on God we really are until all our strength or abilities are sapped from how souls and bodies.  When we come to the end of our rope and we do not think we can go any further, the grace of God becomes very real.  When our spirits or emotions are on the precipice of total malfunction, and somehow we can hold it together, we finally come to the conclusion that God is sufficient for our needs no matter the situation.  The peace of God, which does pass all understanding, is experienced and known by living through it.  As I wrote, the older I get, the more real the above truth becomes.

My wife has had some interesting OR experiences.  One such occurrence was at the birth of our second son.  The first was an emergency Caesarian Section so the time it took for them to start the procedure and the birth of our firstborn was mere minutes.  The second, however, was planned.  This meant all that went on during the first would also be part of the second.  But in a much more methodical way and over a longer period of time.  The second birth did not start out the best.  They had a time of it trying to put the epidural in.  They finally inserted it a bit higher in her spine than was usual.  No pain from her chest down.  What that also meant was there was no feeling at all from her chest down.  This included her lungs.  She could not feel herself breathe.  In and out she naturally breathed, but she couldn’t feel herself breathe.  Slowly she worked herself into a panic.  She thought she was suffocating.  We tried to give her common sense truths that would dispute how she felt.  If she was suffocating, she would have passed out.  There is condensation on her oxygen mask.  There are flutters of things around her mask.  She can feel her breath pass over her tongue and lips.  Still, she thought she wasn’t breathing.  It wasn’t until I pointed her to the monitors and made her watch the white line that measure respiratory function that she finally began to calm down a bit.  She felt powerless.  She felt helpless.  She felt as though her life was totally and completely out of her control.  It wasn’t until she yielded to the care of the OR team and her doctor that she relaxed.  When she realized she was indeed powerless to help herself, she was able to yield to others who would get her through.

I, for one, am so glad I trusted Christ as my Savior and I can go to the Father at any time and seek His help to get me through whatever I may face in life.  I am also humbled by the peace and strength of the Father that sustains me and causes me to profit in the deepest waters of life.  I can agree with Paul that I cannot navigate life without the LORD.  I can agree with Paul that if anything positive comes from a trial of faith it was completely and wholly the LORD’s doing.  I can agree with Paul that if He asks me to go through deeper waters still, the presence and strength of God are all-sufficient.  I am reminded of the third verse from Amazing Grace; “Through many dangers, toils and snare, I have already come, 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.”

Divine Agitation

“Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.” (Eze 16:43 AV)

 

That word ‘fretted’ is a really cool word.  As a guitar player, it makes a whole lot of sense.  The long slim board of which the strings run the length is called a fretboard.  The little brass bars are called fret bars.  The board does nothing other than act as an anchor point for your fingers to construct chords or adjust the frequency of the note played.  The board or bars do not cause the sound of the strings.  All they do is adjust that sound.  The string is struck or plucked which causes agitation in the string.  This agitation is where the sound comes from.  The board and bars are associated with fretting not because they cause it.  Rather, because that is what is happening to the string or strings along the length of it.  In short, fretting means to agitate.  When reading the above verse, I cannot be but struck with the reality that God can fret.  In many passages of the Bible, fretting is a sign of weakness.  Anxiety, mainly, is the cause of such a fret.  There is also envy or lust that causes fretting.  But when I read that God can fret, this jumped out at me.  It is possible to cause God agitation because of our actions, or lack thereof.

When I think of God fretting, I am reminded of parenting a difficult child.  Such a one can drive you almost insane.  I cannot think of any of my children to which you could refer as difficult.  That doesn’t mean there was not a time or two when I was agitated.  Each one had their ‘thing’.  There were parts of their temperament that stretched my patience.  There were times when irritation was the automatic response.  At that time, patience was in short supply.  Usually, agitation came at the end of repeated correction or instruction that simply was not settling in.  Perhaps it was a school lesson.  Maybe it was correction for an error in behavior.  Maybe it was the simple task of trying to communicate.  No matter the cause, agitation does come.  Sometimes that agitation lays squarely on the shoulders of the parents.  Sometimes, on the child.  What is common with agitation is the absence of patience.  This is not always a bad thing.  Sometimes agitation is the motive that finally crosses the abyss of correction.  When our child sees that we are clearly agitated, then he or she tends to take the issue a bit more seriously.  What they do not want is for agitation to turn to frustration and then to exasperation.  Anger is usually the result.  My children knew when they were pushing the envelope.  They knew when Dad was a bit agitated.  They were also aware of that agitation was out of balance with their faults or was exacerbated by them.  If I was having a bad day and their minor fault caused irritation, they could pick up on that and didn’t take it personally.  However, if they could tell my agitation was primarily caused by their behavior, then they did reflect.

I found it interesting that God can be irritated with us.  He can become agitated.  He can lose patience with us if we do not listen and obey.  In one sense, this is a comforting thought.  To know the LORD loves me enough to be agitated or irritated when I behave like a child means that He cares enough to want to see me change.  When He runs out of patience with me, He is saying He has so much more for me, but I frustrate His plans.  On the other hand, I need to take it personally when the LORD has run out of patience.  When I was a child, I would rather take a spanking than see that look on my mother’s face that said, “I have had it with you and don’t want you near me right now.”  Chastening is much easier to take.  Having someone you love reject you, even if it is temporary, hurts deeply.  To know that I can frustrate, aggravate, or irritate my LORD is troubling.  The rebel does not care.  He sees it as a challenge.  But for those dear saints who desire an intimate relationship with God in obedience and faith see those times when they disappoint their God as times of deep hurt.  Not towards God necessarily, but in their own hearts.  To think of Jesus looking on us as He did on Peter when Peter denied Him is to see Jesus with a look of agitation, frustration, or irritation.  To know that God can and does fret over us should change who and what we are.  Bless the LORD for His patience and His wonderful mercy towards the children of men.