Courage Is For The Weak, Not The Strong

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” (Ps 31:24 AV)

One would think courage comes only to the strong in heart.  We think those who are brave and can face down adversity are able to possess and exercise courage.  But our beloved songwriter reminds us those weak of heart can and must exercise courage, which begs a question.  What exactly is courage?  If courage is not necessarily the exercise of bravery in the face of adversity, then what is it?  If courage is not taking risks when one feels strong enough to do so, what is it?  If courage can be exercised by a weak as well as a strong heart, what does the word mean?  Secondly, what are the steps needed to exercise courage despite a weak heart?  These questions are important because the promise of a strengthened heart depends on it.  If the fear and anxious heart can exercise courage, then fear and anxiety are abated.  If the weary and faint of heart can exercise courage amid deep trouble and trial, then strength is the result.  So, find the answers we must.

One dictionary defines courage as, “to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute”.  Of courage, Webster’s 1828 dictionary says, “Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution. It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.  Courage that grows from constitution, often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it; courage which arises from a sense of duty, acts in a uniform manner”. Noah Webster, unbeknownst to him, points out the paradox which we are investigating.  He defines courage as being exercised with a strong heart rather than despite a strong heart.  On the other hand, his definition does illuminate the solution to our paradox.  The phrase, “…but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering…” gives us a glimmer of the balance we seek.  In the first definition, note the phrases “…become strong…” and “…grow firm…”.  In order to become or grow, one must not be those things.  In other words, courage is a resolute attitude and action of the will to act or rest upon the promises of God despite how we might feel at the moment.

We face a lot of adversity our whole lives.  From the day we are born and the spanking that comes a motivation to take our first breath, to the day we lay on our death bed breathing out our last, our lives are filled with hard times.  No matter how much we know the word of God, fear is still a part of life.  I cannot think of anyone in the scriptures, including the LORD Jesus Christ, who did not at least once, feel the emotion of fear.  The Bible tells us that the Son of God felt anxiety in the garden of prayer prior to His crucifixion.  In His human nature, Jesus saw what was coming and it disturbed Him.  If the Son of God, with unlimited faith, can feel a bit anxious, what are we to do?  The promise above is that if we rest and or act in courage, taking God at His word, then our anxious hearts will be calmed, our weary hearts will become stronger, and our doubting hearts will fill with faith.  There is no sense in waiting for a strong heart before we act courageously.  Courage may not be needed then.  It is when we are at our weakest that we need to double down on the promises of God, go to Him in prayer, and accept what He has revealed in His word, trusting in His Spirit to empower us with perseverance.

It Will Be Worth It All

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” (Ps 30:11-12 AV)

Some use these words for times of great loss.  One can see how they would apply at the death of a loved one.  But the context of this psalm is the first time David set the tabernacle on the temple mount and brought the ark of the covenant to rest within it.  This is the first time in centuries the ark of the covenant rested in the tabernacle and it is the first time it rested in its semi-permanent place.  His son, Solomon, would erect the first Temple and the ark would rest within it for centuries.  In short, the mourning David experienced was not due to the loss of a loved one, but rather, all the trials of life that led to this one culmination of his deepest desire and calling.  He loved the LORD.  He worshipped faithfully.  Most of his life, however, was spent on the run or fighting the enemies of Israel.  He faithfully did as the LORD asked.  He faced down every foe.  He made God real to a nation who needed to see God again.  But the one desire he wished for the most was to erect a temple for the glory of God.  He planned.  He prepared.  He compiled the materials for the building of the temple.  God came to him and told him it would be Solomon who would put it all together.  But it was David who gathered the materials, milled them, and stored them for Solomon.  When the Ark finally came to the Tabernacle for the first time upon the holy mount, David knew all the struggles of life were worth it.  Finally, he realized his calling.  Finally, his life meant what he dreamed of.  This is why mourning was turned to dancing.  God used all his troubles for His glory.  That was all David wanted.

It is interesting how the LORD puts on our heart a life goal that oft times, we do not realize until we get there.  David wanted one thing.  The LORD told him it was good that he wanted it.  The LORD never corrected David for wanting something that would not be his.  The passion and desire were passed down.  So, in a way, David did affect his dream.  It was realized by Solomon.  Had David never dreamed that dream, someone more capable would not have accomplished it.  So, dreaming a dream that is not ours to fulfill may not be a bad thing.  Having said that, rejoicing in what God does do with you is just as important.  David may not have erected the temple.  He may not have put it all together and had that great day of dedication.  It may not have been David who was revered before his people for the great monument to God’s glory that was Solomon’s to build.  But what did bring adoration and honor from his people was David’s love for God and willingness to fulfill God’s will for his life.  It may not have included what he dreamed of, but it was all of what God asked.  This was the joy that he experienced.  Knowing he had done what God asked of him was his joy.

It is important not to sell ourselves short.  What I mean by that is we may have expectations which God never placed on us.  Perhaps it is someone else’s job to do what we once dreamed of.  What we must do is rejoice when the culmination of all our efforts comes to maturity.  Compared to the temple, bringing the Ark to the Temple Mount and placing it in a centuries-old tent may not have seemed as special.  But David treated it as such.  There was a tremendous celebration at the coming of the ark to Jerusalem and the Mount.  In fact, Psalm thirty may refer to the dancing David did before the LORD which Michal took offense at.  David did not allow his unrealized dreams to diminish what God did through him.  As far as he was concerned, all the blood, sweat, and tears he shed for the last forty years or so paid off.  He paid a heavy price to get there.  But get there he did.  Never underestimate what God did with you.  It may not have been your ultimate dream, but it was what God wanted.  Praise be to God!

Don't You Forget It

“The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.” (Ps 29:10 AV)

Sometimes we doubt this.  Or, at the very least, do not accept it by faith in the strongest terms possible.  God reigns supreme.  He is the King of kings and LORD of lords.  He is sovereign and nothing is too hard for Him.  He created all things and interacts with all things.  By Him, all things consist.  When our life seems out of control, we wonder how much our King is in charge.  When we are at the end of our rope, we wonder if God still reigns.  If it seems like our enemies have the upper hand, we wonder if God still cares.  When we receive that bad news, we begin to think perhaps the LORD isn’t as active as the word of God would lead us to believe.  He is!  He is the King of kings forever.  This understanding is not from the point of the writing of this psalm forward.  Rather, from eternity past to eternity future, God is King forever!  That is the understanding. 

Last week I watched a new YouTube channel.  Expedition Bible is a channel that explores archeological evidence in support of the Biblical record.  One of the last videos I watched concerned the city of Nineveh.  That would be the Nineveh of Jonah's fame.  The host used an aerial view of the ruins of the city walls.  As ancient cities went, these walls were massive.  The account of Jonah states it took Jonah three days to traverse the entire city.  Yet, if one looks at the current ruins, one could go from one end to the other in a fraction of the time.  However, the host made a few observations.  First, if Jonah made a direct line without diverting to cover every residential street, then yes, it would take only a fraction of the time stated in the book of Jonah.  However, the host overlaid a depiction of what the city might have looked like including residences located at the time.  Then he made the statement the current ruins were only of the inner city.  Nineveh included an outer city and suburbs that would have gone for miles.  That being the case, if Jonah were to preach to the entire city including all the side streets, outer city, and suburbs, it would have taken at least three days.  Then a thought occurred to me.  Since Nineveh did not have modern methods of interaction, one would wonder just how aware someone living in the outer city or suburb would be of the king’s influence over them.  It would not be equivalent to those living closest to the palace.  They might have been aware of the king’s reign, but perhaps not as much as they could have been had circumstances been different.

We see God by faith.  We see His work through the eyes of the word of God and believe that God does work.  Our car needed new tires badly.  We made the appointment and then made arrangements to pay for them in a less-than-ideal way.  However, the Sunday before the LORD provided the means to pay for it without my knowledge.  I had made the appointment by faith, but God met the need without me knowing this.  God does these things.  It is of the LORD that we have what we need.  It is of the LORD things work out the way they do.  Just like those living on the outskirts of Nineveh, we can forget God still sits on His throne.  We have words that describe the presence of God.  We must see Him with the mind of faith.  One day, very soon, we will see Him face to face and all doubt will be erased.  He sits, still on the throne of heaven, reigning over all He has created even though we cannot always see Him.  He is there.  King forever!

Reasoned Prayer Realizes Results

“And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.” (Ex 32:11-13 AV)

This prayer is uttered by Moses before he descends the mountain to find Israel worshipping Baal.  While on the mountain receiving the law at the mouth and finger of God, Moses is told by God what is happening beneath him.  He prays this prayer of mercy for the people of God.  When I read this prayer, I find a well-reasoned prayer.  This prayer is not all emotional and spontaneous in nature.  Not that God doesn’t hear such prayers or that such prayers are ineffective.  In fact, when Moses descends the mountain to find Israel in the condition which God spoke of, he ascends the mountain and passionately pleads again for the people of God.  The second time his prayer involves a great deal of emotion and even suggests an impossibility to rectify Israel’s transgression.  Moses offered to surrender his place in glory if it meant the people of God could go there.  His second prayer, although very passionate and reactionary, was not as well-reasoned as the first.  Both prayers were appropriate given the circumstances.  But this prayer is my focus this morning.

In this prayer, Moses states some foundational truths that should appeal to the mercy of God.  He points out God’s vengeance would be a motive for the enemies of God to discredit God.  It sounds kind of backward, but this is how the world works.  One would think if God chastened His own people, the enemies of God have far more to fear.  The world simply doesn’t think that way.  They believe God deals with His people but leaves the rest of humanity alone.  Not so.  Moses is pleading on the basis of God’s reputation as a merciful God.  The second argument Moses makes is the covenants God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  If God destroys His people, then He will be known as the God who does not keep covenant.  If God does not keep covenant, then upon what or whom can humanity come to trust?  The arguments which Moses is making are not difficult to understand.  They are very effective.  His prayer was effective because it was based on reason and on truth.

Emotion is important.  Relaying to the LORD how we feel about our pressing needs is therapeutic.  It helps us process that part of our being.  We need to work out our emotions.  We need to talk them out.  We need to get them to the surface and process them.  Otherwise, our emotions have a way of eating us up from the inside outward.  But emotion is no solid basis for a prayer request.  Emotion may be a motivator, but it is not a defense.  Finding promises and truths that support our request is the way in which we can make prayer to God.  Reading this early this morning, I was struck at how Moses was able to seek God’s mercy, and gain it, not be a reactionary and emotionally charged prayer.  Rather, he was able to perfectly articulate the basis upon which he was able to trust in the mercy of God.  For a man who does not speak well, he sure knew the words to speak to God.  Moses got the answer for which he sought God, not because he was overly emotional about it.  Rather, he received from God that for which he petitioned Him because there were solid reasons why God could do nothing less than say yes.

Tend The Flock

“Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.” (Pr 27:23 AV)

Solomon is encouraging his son to be a good husbandman.  In the next verse, Solomon states the flocks may not be as productive in the future as they are in the present, so to prudent thing to do is to take care of what God has given you today, because you may need it tomorrow.  This can apply to all sorts of things that the LORD has entrusted to His saints.  This could be our health.  The flocks could be our families.  The house over our heads, the career or calling assigned to us, or those whom the LORD has entrusted to train in the things of His word.  The flocks could be anything that we are responsible for and can contribute in some way to our own existence.  The key is diligence.  Working hard to maintain what the LORD has bestowed is necessary for future success.

Like most young men, I had a garden.  I had the idea from my best friend.  He had a garden to the side of his house and I thought I could do the same.  So, in the spring, I went out to our backyard with my father’s pickax and dug up a little patch.  It wasn’t all that big. Maybe five feet by five feet.  In this garden, I planted corn, cherry tomatoes, and green beans.  I think I tried some lettuce as well.  The first year was OK.  We had some fresh beans and tomatoes.  The corn never really grew large enough to eat.  It was not all that hard work.  Watering it was the biggest chore associated with it.  Then came the second year.  Having had some success the first year, I expanded to squash.  I ditched the corn because it simply didn’t grow large enough.  I tried some pumpkin, but that didn’t do so well, either.  That second year was a it more work.  I had to weed.  I hate weeding!  I needed to water the garden a bit more, too.  By the third year, not seeing the yields I had hoped, I gave up.  Besides, I really don’t like waxed beans.  No motivation.  To this day, I refuse to weed.  We have a lovely flower bed in front of our home and the church.  I don’t weed!  If I can’t kill it with spray, it can grow right alongside the flowers!  The thing is, if you don’t keep up on it, you will surrender the garden to the wild.

Solomon’s advice is sound.  The LORD has graciously given us what we need to thrive.  It just takes much diligent oversight and responsibility to see that it has returns.  Like Jacob, there is work needed so the flock increases.  It will not increase on its own.  The flock He has given is sufficient for the day, but it will not be for tomorrow.  If we ignore the needs of the flock, the flock will not remain.  This is true of all areas of life.  As a minister, we can apply this to our congregation.  But this application goes far beyond this.  Our health, our finances, our families, our homes, our careers, etc.  It all needs tending to.  If not, they will not be there when we need them most.

Eyes Up

“And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.” (Ex 25:20 AV)

Coming from a portion of the word of God that describes the pattern of the Tabernacle which Moses was instructed to build, the two cherubims faced each other but their gaze was on the mercy seat.  This has struck me odd in the sense the glory of God rested on the mercy seat and no one is said to survive directly gazing upon the glory of God.  This, of course, is not always true.  Many have.  Secondly, the cherubims did need mercy for sin as the Jewish people needed mercy for sin.  Once a year, the high priest would come and apply the blood of the atonement on the mercy seat to atone for the sins of Israel.  The gaze of the cherubims was for the satisfaction of and reverence toward, the Creator of the universe.  Their Creator.  As I thought on this the Spirit mused within me that we, as God’s people should do the same.  Our gaze should be fixed on the mercy seat.  Not just for mercy which we desperately need, but more so for the glory and pleasure it brings our Almighty God and Savior.  His mercy is infinite.  His grace, incomprehensible.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to keep our eyes fixed on the most important when there is so much more going on in our immediate environment.  This brings me back to my wedding day.  There is a tradition that is losing its significance.  It used to be the groom did not see the bride for at least 24 hours prior to their wedding.  They would part ways, usually at the insistence of a bride’s maid, or more than likely, the bride’s mother.  They would scurry away to prepare for the next day.  The next time the groom would see his bride is when the doors of the sanctuary opened and she stood with her father at the end of the room, waiting for the music to announce her appearance.  The officiant would ask all to rise.  All the honored guests would stand to their feet and every eye would be on her as she walked down the aisle to meet her beloved.  At first, her gaze would be in the pews, looking at all those who loved her so much to share her day.  But then, about halfway to the altar, her eyes would catch her beloved.  From that point forward, their eyes were locked onto one another.  It didn’t matter what the hundreds of people were doing or saying in their seats.  It didn’t matter that the ring bearer or flower girl was playing with their shoes or crying for Mommy.  What the guys were doing behind the groom or how attentive the bridesmaids were.  Nothing mattered.  Their gaze is fixed upon one another because of the deep love they feel at that moment.  The gaze is fixed on the most treasured object at that moment.

This is the scene in the sanctuary of the Tabernacle.  The gaze of the cherubims is locked on the mercy seat.  They set an example which we should follow.  There are a lot of distractions in life.  There are many trials.  We enjoy a multitude of relationships.  There are worries.  There are duties.  Much competes for our attention.  Much demands we look upon only temporary things.  Our gaze should be set on things above.  Our attention should be fixed on the One who loved us and died for us.  Our attention, although may have to be diverted from time to time, should automatically return to our God and Creator.  This is where our hearts must reside.  This is where our eyesight should be fixed.  The mercy seat upon which our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ,  sits should be that one object that attracts and keeps our attention the most.  We must look upon Him and keep looking upon Him for He alone deserves our heart.

Balance in Fellowship

“Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.” (Ex 24:9-11 AV)

At first glance, the underlined portion seems odd.  Why would it be necessary to include this small detail?  What significance is it that we know the elders, Moses, and the priests sat down to eat and drink?  The writers are all over the place on this.  It seems as though their guess is as good as anyone’s.  What we do know is God does not waste words.  If these words are in His word, then they do have significance.  We must consider these words are in the context of God’s and not being on or against those who ate and drank.  Why does this matter, or what are we missing?  Moses was told to forbid Israel from ascending the mountain for curiosity’s sake.  They were to remain at the foot of the mountain as Moses and those mentioned ascended.  The restriction was even more stringent as they ascended toward the top.  Only Moses was allowed to go to the very top where the law was given.  The threat of death was very real.  One commentator mentioned the custom of sharing a meal during a time of covenant-making.  But I think the more practical way of looking at this is communing with God should be seen as a normal and rudimentary activity for man.  Worship does not always have to entail a production.  Fellowship with God should be the normal course of life and not restricted to a scheduled event with much activity.

No one is suggesting we forego reverence and fear when communing with God.  He deserves our deepest and most humble respect.  He is the Almighty!  He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.  By Him, and only Him, we exist.  God is perfectly holy and demands all those whom He has created to be so as well.  We cannot even think of approaching His presence on any merit of our own.  We deserve His unrestrained wrath for all of eternity.  If it wasn’t for the blood of Christ, we would have no privilege to meet with God at all.  For any reason!  The smoke, thunder, lightning, and earthquake that occurred when God descended upon the mountain were real and dramatic.  It scared everyone.  If I was one of the 70, I don’t know how motivated I would be to ascend that mountain.  I would have been terrified and like the rest of Israel sent someone else in my place.  I would have seen the top of that mountain, felt the earth shake, and gone straight to my tent; staying there until I had to come out.  But this is the point.  Despite all the glory of God to which the 70 were exposed, they ate and drank in the presence of Almighty God.

If we are erring too much today in one direction, I think God has become to familiar to us.  What I mean is that God has been made common.  We have lost our awe and fear of Him.  The N.T. church has overemphasized His love and mercy that there is no fear of God in our eyes.  We do not have a problem with eating and drinking before the LORD’s presence as if it is no big deal; because to us, it has ceased to be.  There should be a balance.  If you look closely, you will notice the men who ascended were well aware of the glory of God.  They saw it.  They trembled.  They were affrighted.  That is a good thing.  If the glory of God does not shake us to the core, then we are more than likely dead inside.  Despite the glory of God being a troubling thing, they were still able to eat and drink in His presence.  This is Moses’ point.  The hand of God did not slay them.  They were still there and life went on.  They were able to survive because they experienced the balance between God’s glory and His mercy.  This is the balance we need to find.  A healthy fear that makes us tremble, but a peace of mind and heart that God loves us.  Few have that balance.  May we strive to attain it.

A Reasonable Command

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Ex 20:1-3 AV)

That sounds like a reasonable command to me.  In the context of bringing them out of bondage and giving them liberty, having Jehovah as their one and only God seems to be the fair thing to do.  Of course, I say that without the reverence it deserves.  Regardless of what God may or may not do, He alone deserves to be everyone’s God.  In particular, because there is none other.  It is just that God put this first command in the context of His grace and benevolence which serves to add to the command more force than it otherwise would.  If God brought them out of hard bondage, the least they could do in return is love and worship Him.  This is all He asks of anyone He delivers.  It is particularly true of the N.T. believer.  We are saved from the bondage of sin.  The least we could do is love and worship the God who did that for us.

There was an incident in my life I will never forget.  I was about eight or nine years old.  We were at our father’s property.  We were camping there for about a week.  My older sister and I got the bright idea to go off on our own.  The property was 66 acres of pine trees and thickets.  Had we stayed in the pine trees, we would have been fine.  Following rows of pine trees always led back to the mud road that ended at our camp.  Rather, we went off into the thorn apple and thicket part.  We had fun for a little bit of time, then realized we were completely lost.  For an eight and nine-year-old, that was terrifying.  We panicked.  We started screaming.  We thought a wild animal was going to find us and eat us.  All sorts of scenarios were going through our heads.  If we were not found immediately, we would die on the spot.  More screaming.  Then we heard a familiar voice.  He said to keep yelling and he would find us.  No problem!  We are kids!  Our voices don’t quit.  Yelling and yelling.  We scared away every evidence of wildlife within a mail of our location.  There were deer that relocated to a different state because of us.  There are foxes, skunks, squirrels, and rabbits still on the run fifty years later!  As we yelled and yelled, we began to see a familiar figure emerge through the thickets.  It was my father.  He had found us and now we would live!  That event in my life forever changed my attitude toward him.  From that time forward, I honored my father before others.  About eight years later, as a freshman in High School, I sat on the bus as fellow students trashed my dad.  They were enticing me to join in with them.  I never did.  As far as I was concerned, faults and all, he saved my life and the least I could do was to honor him.

God has done infinitely more for us than our earthly parents ever did.  Through Jesus Christ, He saved us from the bondage of sin.  We are no longer subject to sin, the world, the devil, and the flesh.  If we are entangled, it is only because we choose to be.  What He has made free is free indeed.  No longer do the enemies of God have a foothold in the lives of the saints.  We are no longer under the bondage of the law.  We are free from the law of sin and death.  If we are free, the least we can do is to honor the one who delivered us by loving Him in return.  The least we could do is recognize Him for all that He has and will do.  The least we could do is to dedicate our lives to His service.  The least we could do is to glorify Him in all that we do.  If He made us number one, the least we could do in return is the make Him number one!

Devise Means For Obedience

“And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.” (Ex 16:22 AV)

 This verse goes back to verses four and five of the same chapter.  The LORD told them to collect twice as much on the sixth day.  However, in those two verses, God does not reference the sabbath and the reason.  It may have been inferred.  But it was not directly referenced.  This means they had an understanding of the Sabbath before the law regarding it was given.  The LORD gave them instruction without giving them the full reason for it.  The obedient did so because they desired to be obedient.  What is interesting is the elders could not connect the dots.  They thought they were catching people in disobedience when in reality, they were catching people preparing for obedience.  Those who wish to walk with God in obedience will obey regardless of how much information they have.  Motives or consequences for obedience do not matter.  Those are perks.  Obedience is the desire.  Those who wish to walk in obedience will devise biblical means by which they may walk that way.

In our nature, we tend to look for reasons not to be obedient.  If there are obstacles in the way or if obedience is inconvenient, we tend to avoid it, blaming circumstances rather than blaming Self.  If the LORD tells us to do something and it seems impossible to do, we give up too easily.  We know it is the LORD’s day, but one of our children is sick.  The whole family stays home.  It is too far from church so we will stay at home and watch on YouTube.  We are told to tithe, but the car needs attention.  We are instructed to share the gospel with others, but we assume it will not be taken well and the effort is not worth the risk.  We are told to read our bibles and pray every day, but the things of life get in the way.  The children need breakfast, the dog needs to go out, or there are things to tend to or our household cannot function.  The list goes on and on.  We are told to watch what we watch, but we cannot avoid the immodest commercials amid the game.  After all, we are not there for the commercials.  There are instructions implied in the word of God.  They may not be direct commands, but they are implied.  God does this to see if we will work it out and follow His implied instructions before He must tell us directly what His command might be.

Recently, some in my congregation made a choice that I suggested wasn’t the wisest of choices.  They chose to do something that would be very hard to undo.  I didn’t tell them they couldn’t do it.  What I did say is their ambition may get the better of them and to complete the project may take more than they were willing to do.  Sure enough, after they had made that choice, they didn’t want to undo it.  It was far too great a task.  However, as their pastor, I required it of them.  The point was simple.  Sometimes we simply need to trust the guidance of those who lead us without them having to demand it of them.  This is what God was doing with Israel.  God gave them manna to prove them.  Not to provide for them.  He put in place circumstances that would test their resolve to obey.  Most did.  Some did not.  The obedient will find a way.  They will trust the LORD and obey without being directly told so.  This should be the heart of every child of God.

You're Not Trapped

“Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.” (Ex 14:2-3 AV)

What may seem like a trap could be God’s way of dealing with your immediate enemy.  Pharaoh had released Israel to leave Egypt.  When they did, Pharaoh had an obvious change of heart.  He lost his firstborn, and when the mourning was over, after Israel he went.  The LORD could have instructed Israel to encamp anywhere.  But the LORD chose a place where even the enemy knew they would be sitting ducks.  It was because God had hemmed them in that motivated Pharaoh to attempt and destroy Israel.  There they sat.  The next verse tells us Israel cried out!  They were a bit anxious.  Moses, whom they bucked every inch of the way, now seemed to make a very unwise tactical move.  He led them to a place of no escape.  Being hemmed in actually worked in the favor of Israel.  First, it enticed the enemy to attempt something and fail in the process.  Being hemmed in would eventually lead to their miraculous deliverance.  But what being hemmed in also accomplished is it changed the marginally committed into the fully committed.  There was nowhere to go.  They could not escape.  They had no choice but to stay where God had put them and watch what God could do.  What may feel like a trap may actually be a precursor to God’s great deliverance.

When the LORD does something like this, it can be very frightening.  Knowing there is nothing we can do to actuate our own deliverance is a pretty helpless state in which to live.  This is another part of my life that has too many examples from which to draw.  It seemed as though the LORD put me in circumstances my whole life when I could do nothing but trust God in the process.  What may have seemed like a hopeless situation became a way for the LORD to prove Himself to me.  Not that I deserved that, but He did because He loved me.  And He still does.  And, He always will.  One of those times was as an adolescent.  My brothers and I were playing at the neighborhood park and one of my younger brothers said something he should not have said.  A gang of other kids began to encircle us.  We were on a merry-go-round and it looked as though there was no escape.  A fight was soon to break out.  That was, until my brothers began to spin it and I stuck out my broken arm with a rather large cast on it.  It soon became evident to the gang encircling us that anyone who got too close might receive a broken jaw for their efforts.  We learned that day that quick thinking and tenacity often prevail.  But we would not have learned that had we not been thrust into a situation that seemed as though it may not turn out well.

We have stubborn enemies who do not give up easily.  The devil, the world, and the flesh will do anything to destroy us.  They will not quit.  The heart is wicked and desires all that God hates.  Things like envy, pride, or malice do not dissipate very easily.  The old man wants to stick around as long as he can and he will make his presence known every chance he gets.  These stubborn enemies must be dealt with in dramatic and absolute ways.  It is like the diet I am on.  I chose not to do a gimmicky diet.  Rather, I chose to make permanent lifestyle changes.  Gone is extra sugar and high-carb diets.  It is not that I have sworn them off completely.  I haven’t.  I have simply chosen to cut way back and consume them only on a rare occasion.  This is not easy at first.  The flesh had to be told, ‘no’.  The same is true of all three of our enemies.  It is not easy.  The LORD lays a trap for them and we might be the bait.  Don’t panic.  God had deliverance already planned.  He is right around the corner.  Let patience have her perfect work.  What seems like a corner is actually a wide hallway hidden by a door.

A Mockery

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Ga 6:7-8 AV)

When we preach these verses, we usually hone in on the phrase, “for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall his also reap”.  But did you ever stop to think when we habitually live in the flesh, we are mocking God?  Yes, this passage speaks of God’s consistent justice.  The warning is if we continue in sin, God must judge. Otherwise, He is mocked.  But did you ever stop and consider a life of flesh-pleasing is a mockery to God?  This morning, that one word really hit me.  I don’t know why it has never hit me like this before.  I wish it had.  I may not have made many of the wrong choices which were part of my life.  To habitually please the flesh, when it is not part of God’s will to do so, mocks God.  That is a sobering thought.

As someone in a position of authority, I know how this feels.  Mockery is part of the job description.  Whether a parent, teacher, pastor, or pol, mockery is something you expect.  When it happens to your face, it is a tough thing to experience.  What hurts the most is not the brief sting it inflicts on your ego.  Rather, wanting to earn the respect of those who are subject to you, you realize you never really will.  That hurts.  That is when you take the mockery personally.  When the whole class is against you, it is particularly hurtful.  However, I think the one experience I have had that hurt the most was when I was dating for the first time.  I was misled by this young lady.  She was lost and wanted to date me.  I told her the Bible forbids me to date someone who was lost.  So, she went to church and ‘got saved’.  So, we started to date.  I was young and naïve.  She led me along for a few months and when she realized she would never get what she wanted, she broke it off.  It was bad enough that my first experience in courting ended as such.  But what was even worse was how she treated me following the breakup.  We worked at the same place.  After we closed, she would sit in the parking lot, drinking with co-workers.  And, when I came out, they would shout insults and such at me.  It was pure mockery.  That hurt more than words can say.

So, when I saw this word again, it hit me that when I succumb to the flesh, I am mocking God.  I know He is not me.  I cannot attribute human reactions to God because He is holy and we are not.  However, what I can safely assume is my mockery does affect a God who loves me more than I can understand.  The thought of mocking someone who loves me as much as He does is an extremely uncomfortable thought.  Why would anyone do that?  I love my wife more than life itself.  I would never think of mocking her.  Ever.  I am sure I may have done so on a rare occasion, but never in front of others.  That would hurt her way too much.  If I would never mock my wife, why would I consider capitulating to the flesh and mocking God who loves me more than my wife ever could?  That thought is one that should haunt us.  This idea that sin is a mocker to God should never leave our minds or hearts.  Maybe then we would live more for Jesus than we ever have before.

Never Stay In Defeat

“They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.” (Ps 20:8 AV)

How encouraging is that?  Compared with those who hate God, those who love Him will be victorious.  David is comparing the behavior of the lost toward him and his response to the situation.  What I wish to consider is the second half of this verse on its own.  Not that we want to ignore context.  Heaven forbid.  But truths found in the word of God do have general principles that apply across different contexts.  This is one of them.  This precious truth is those who are called by the name of the LORD Jesus Christ will always be victorious.  We may get knocked down from time to time.  We may suffer a setback or two.  We may wish for a better tomorrow.  But, unlike those who hate God, we will not remain defeated.  We will rise!  We will stand upright!  There isn’t much that can knock us down and when it does, we do not stay down!  That is the promise!

Getting the wind knocked out of you is scary, but in reality, it is a harmless event.  When it happens, you think you are going to die.  You cannot breathe.  Panic might even ensue.  It has happened so many times, that I struggle to find any single incident I can remember apart from others.  I do remember one time getting the wind knocked out of me involved a banister somewhere.  I remember that only because I also remember the pain associated with bruised ribs.  I cannot remember who was with me at the time.  Where I was.  Or even how long ago that was.  Perhaps the only reason I remember that it happened sometime in my life is the aches that sometimes occur in the bottom of my rib cage.  I am sure that I went down.  I am sure that I writhed in panic and pain.  I am sure if there was someone with me, they told me to calm down and take deep breaths.  I am sure I survived because I am here today, writing this blog.  Getting the wind knocked out of me didn’t last long.  As most of these events don’t last long.  They are temporary.  They are scary.  It doesn’t take long before we are breathing normal again.

That is the life of the saint.  We get the wind knocked out of us.  We lose the wind in our sails.  We may even become anxious and panic a bit.  But if the LORD is with us, it doesn’t take long to catch our breath.  Whatever caused us to lose our strength may have inflicted some long-lasting scars.  But it could not steal our breath without recovery.  This is the promise above.  The saints of God may take hits.  Sometimes, those hits are frequent and hard.  Yet the child of God has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He does not stay down.  The power of the Spirit encourages and empowers.  He reminds us of promises that answer to the trial before us.  He comforts our hearts with His presence so when we are sucking air, His touch of calm brings us back from worry or panic.  This promise the lost do not have.  There is no promise of overcoming.  There is no hope of surviving.  All that awaits the enemies of God is a permanent state of torment.  Not us!  Glory!  We have a divine Father who loves us more than we could ever comprehend and for that, we have assurance that no matter how many times we get knocked down, we will arise!  And, we shall stand upright.

A Mature Prayer

“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” (Ps 19:13 AV)

This is quite a request.  A presumptuous sin or sins are those things we do in arrogant rebellion.  They are things we know are wrong.  They are things that we have been convicted of.  They are things that the Holy Spirit is heavily trying to influence us away from doing.  Yet, we do them anyway.  These are the things we feel most guilty about.  Our sweet Psalmist, David, is asking the LORD to forcibly intervene so this does not happen.  He wants the LORD to interrupt his planned rebellion.  David seeks God’s hand of protection.  He wants God to pull him back.  He wants God to make his life uncomfortable so rebellion would hurt.  This is a very mature request.

To make this prayer answerable, the first thing one must do is be honest with oneself.  We have to realize that even with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, rebellion is still possible.  We are no different from our children.  We can give them the best upbringing and instruction, yet in the end, they do something deliberately wrong just to express their individuality and independence.  Second, we must see this reality as one to which we are hopeless and powerless to fight on our own.  The flesh is something else.  It will take us down a road we know is wrong and make us suffer as a consequence.  Trying to fight rebellion in our own strength is doomed to fail.  Third, we have to be willing to accept whatever actions God wants to take to help us avoid these rebellious choices.  This is what separated David from all the rest.  He wanted, and accepted, all that God could do to keep him from making choices he would later regret.

There are also some motives listed above.  Note how David refers to himself.  He refers to himself as a servant.  This is the polar opposite of rebellion.  Perhaps we have a hard time with rebellion because we do not see ourselves as a complete slave to the will of our Creator God.  If we are not first a servant and a willing one at that, we will never accept what God must do to keep us from the choices we are capable of making.  Second, there is a goal here.  David does not seek this simply because he knows it is wrong.  He seeks it because being under condemnation of the great transgression is something he cannot live with.  He would rather be submissive and right than free and frolicking.  David aspired to be free from the consequences of the great transgression so that he might continue to serve God without the baggage that rebellion heaps on the life and conscience of those who fall.

Sign At The End of the Road

“And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.” (Ex 3:12 AV)

This is very interesting.  Moses is known for doubting his ability to do as God called him to do.  We will read in the next few chapters how Moses wanted to pick God’s man because he thought he could do a better job.  Moses had a confidence issue.  He didn’t think he was necessarily a good speaker.  He did not have a command presence.  He eschewed doubt and insecurity in his ability to lead.  In our passage, the previous verse was Moses' question of what type of indication God might give that God has sent him to Pharaoh.  God’s answer was to give him a token or sign after the fact and not beforehand.  This doesn’t necessarily make sense, at least from our point of view.  We would think Moses needed a confidence booster before he returned to Egypt.  One would think if Moses had much self-doubt, the LORD would have given him a token before he left for Egypt.  No so.  The right thing to do is delay the token until after the job is down.  Otherwise, Moses would need constant affirmation along the way.  This way, he would have to complete what he started and in the process, get over his self-doubt, self-loathing, and general feeling of inadequacy.

Moses was God’s man.  Of that, there is no doubt.  Feeding a self-abasing personality with more affirmation than they need only makes it worse.  Someone who needs constant affirmation will never be convinced of their worth to their LORD.  What God did here was brilliant.  He did not feed Moses’ insecurity.  Instead, He told him affirmation will come after the job is done.  If Moses wanted to know if God was with him and if God could use him, the only way that was going to happen was to dive right in and make it happen.  This is absolutely perfect!  God is far wiser than we realize.  He knows exactly what we need and it is often different than what we think we need.  Someone who struggles with self-confidence, or better yet, faith in God for Him to use them, does not need to be coddled.  They need to be thrown in the deep and and made to swim.  This reminds me of my youth!

My father required that we learn to swim.  As soon as we were three feet tall (that was the requirement) we enrolled in Red Cross swimming lessons at the local school, YMCA, or public pool.  I know I often regale this story but bear with me.  The first thing they do is have you stand up against the wall and verify your height. Then they have you go to the edge of the shallow end and read the depth painted on the edge.  Using your small little brain, one can deduce all one had to do is stand on the bottom and your head would be above water.  However, there was a day when the deep end would be your challenge.  The deep end was anywhere from nine feet to twelve feet deep.  Even a third-grader could do that math.  The instructor had a reach pool.  The first thing he had us do was to slip into the water and reach for the pole.  He would pull us to the side where we could climb out.  A couple of times doing that, and we knew we were safe.  Then came the big challenge.  We were made to jump off the low diving board and swim to the nearest side.  What that instructor did was rather cruel!  He led us with the pole, but would never allow us to grab it.  It was always out of reach.  He was trying to show us we had abilities of which we were as yet aware.  We could do this.  We just didn’t know we could.

This was Moses’ situation.  Gideon’s as well.  If God calls us, He will also enable us.  We don’t need affirmation as much as we need faith.  This is what Moses had to exercise.  This is what Moses had to learn.  The delayed token was meant to strengthen him and not weaken him.  So, when we seek affirmation from God before we attempt anything, maybe what we should do is seek faith instead.

Dependent on the Wrong Thing

“And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.” (Ge 50:14 AV)

It has always bothered me why the eleven brothers of Joseph didn’t simply stay in Canaan when they returned to bury their father, Jacob.  Outside of the prophesies to Abraham and Joseph, nothing was compelling them to stay in Egypt.  The prophecy given to Abraham stated that Israel would be enslaved and then delivered to become a great nation.  A prophecy does not determine choices.  It includes choices.  Joseph's brethren were not forced to choose to stay in Egypt just because Abraham was told they would.  They had a choice.  The prophecy just revealed what God knew they would choose.  Then there were the two dreams of Joseph.  He was told his family would bow down to him and honor him as one in authority over them.  The thing is, the visions said nothing of duration.  The visions did not require Joseph’s brethren to stay in subjection to Joseph.  The vision simply said they would be put in a position of subjugation.  The famine had long passed.  Israel was now residing in the best lands of Egypt.  They were experiencing prosperity and security under Joseph.  There were no wants nor needs which their Prince of a brother did not supply.  Joseph was committed to Egypt.  He was second in command in Egypt.  His wife was Egyptian.  His children were born in Egypt.  Even if Joseph wanted to return to Canaan, he more than likely, could not.  What is even more puzzling is when the whole clan returned to Egypt, the sons of Jacob were concerned Joseph would exact revenge now that Jacob was dead.  If they were concerned, why return?  Why take the risk?

There are two reasons which come to mind.  First, with the death of Jacob, the family was without a leader.  Joseph was the leader they needed.  This didn’t mean Judah or Reuben couldn’t step up and fill Jacob’s place.  They simply did not.  Nothing hindered them from returning to Canaan and setting up a nation with another patriarch as the leader.  Judah was told he would eventually be that tribe from which their leader came.  Joseph could have sent his two sons along after his death.  In short, there was nothing legally or ethically that should have kept them in Egypt.  Second, and more realistically, the fact that someone else took care of them without them having to worry about any major problem kept them coming back.  Joseph devised means that changed Egypt into a purely socialistic economy.  Joseph worried about feeding the masses and in return, they sold him everything.  By the end of seven years of famine, Egypt was solely owned by the government.  The government, in turn, took care of their most pressing needs.  In short, they became dependent on an entity bigger than themselves.  For Jacob’s sons, that meant becoming more dependent on human agents than on God.  This is a dangerous place to live.

This becomes even more evident when they wander in the wilderness.  They constantly murmured against Moses when they should have prayed to the LORD.  They constantly complained to Moses to solve all their problems without taking any initiative on their own.  When the nation became so dependent on the ability of others, faith became impossible.  They had trained themselves out of faith and risk because they placed their trust in human resources more than in God.  When Joseph returned to Egypt, that upon which the other eleven came to depend, returned as well.  This is a hard trap from which to escape.  We trust our employer to supply work and pay us our wages.  We trust our healthcare provider to run tests and provide treatments.  We trust our insurance company to pay out for our needs or tragedies of life.  We trust the grocery store to carry what we need at any given moment of the day.  We trust our car to start in the morning.  We trust our government to provide garbage removal, snow removal, public transportation, fire protection, police protection, and a host of other services we feel we cannot live without.  We trust the power company to provide power so that nothing is ever disrupted.  All this dependency on human resources and made us soft.  We have a hard time trusting God when human agencies fail because we haven’t had to trust the LORD all that much.  Jacob’s family was enslaved for over 400 years. Not even Joseph’s descendants were immune.  Why?  Because they never learned to trust God first.  If we are to be free, it comes as a result of faith.  Faith in God first.  That is where liberty and joy can be found.

Honest Lips

“Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.” (Ps 17:1 AV)

It appears as though the LORD is continuing His instruction on honesty. Yesterday, we saw David reference honesty to and with one’s heart.  It is important to reflect on Self, especially the desires and feelings of the heart.  Now, David turns his attention to honesty from the lips.  What he says must be the truth.  It must be sincere.  This is kind of hard when we have a limited understanding of our circumstances.  How can we be sure we are seeing the situation as it really is?  How can we pray for a health need if we do not know what God intends to do by it?  Or, perhaps the outcome isn’t what secular medical care thinks it will be?  How do we pray for things as they appear to us if how they appear to us isn’t what truly are?  I don’t think David is speaking of accuracy here.  What he is shooting for is honesty of heart manifested by sincerity in prayer.  Even if he feels things that he shouldn’t because he cannot see everything as it is, to bottle it all up because he might be wrong about it isn’t using unfeigned lips.  It is better to be wrong and apologize later than to fake prayer that you think God wants to hear.  In short, to pray with feigned lips is to patronize the God of all Creation.

As a father, to hear things that one does not wish to hear is not fun.  Regardless of whether they are warranted or not, they are not fun.  One time, one of my children and his spouse sat in my office giving me their opinions of something or other.  It was critical of me in a way that was uncomfortable.  Although their observations and conclusions were way off base, I listened anyway.  Why didn’t I shut it all down and tell them when they were my age they could come and offer criticism?  Because they were being honest with how they felt.  They were being real.  And that was more important to me than lip service which they thought I might have wanted to hear.  I listened.  We talked it out.  It was so long ago that I cannot remember the specifics but I do remember I didn’t get defensive and I loved that they felt comfortable enough to bear their hearts even if, at the time, they were misguided. Honesty is what is precious.  Regardless of the words, the honesty of the words means transparency and vulnerability were on the table.  In that instant, I knew my child and his spouse deeply desired to know and love me deeper.  What a treasure!

God is not looking for us to be perfectly correct in all that we bring to Him.  That would be impossible.  What He does not want is children who say what He thinks He wants to hear without the heart that goes along with it.  Real and raw emotion is fine.  It has to be processed.  What we cannot do is ignore who we are and how we feel because we don’t think God would react well to our words.  Sometimes we have to eat our words.  Sometimes we have to beg His forgiveness.  But as a father, teacher, and pastor, I would rather have raw honesty than someone who is only trying to impress me with being something or feeling something that is not real.  When we go to Him, how real are we?  How real are our words of praise and thanksgiving?  How real are we with how we feel or what we desire?  These things matter to God.

Honesty of Heart

“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” (Ps 15:1-2 AV)

That last phrase is key to the success of the two previous goals.  If we are to walk uprightly and work righteousness, we have to be honest with our hearts.  God does not require absolute perfection here.  He simply asks that we work towards it.  No one can be perfect.  No one can live holy.  Not in their own strength, anyway.  This requires a work of grace and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Our flesh is weak.  Our flesh cannot please God.  God does the work in us if we will yield to His hand and power.  All that being said, the underlined phrase is what I wish to consider.  Honesty of heart.  Jeremiah tells us, “The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9 AV).  The heart misleads, the heart misdirects, the heart warps, the heart overwhelms.  Meditation in the word of God is the key to overcoming a heart that desires what it should not have or believes what it knows is not true.  Honesty of heart means we come to terms with truth and accept that truth no matter where it might lead.

Note David does not limit interaction with the heart by what the heart does or feels.  Rather, he looks at it from the perspective of how he deals with the heart.  He tells us the one who will abide with the LORD in His tabernacle is the one who will speak the truth in his heart.  The heart becomes disciplined to trust and not subject to its environment.  The heart is not permitted to feel what it perceives to be the truth.  Rather, David is saying the heart must be disciplined to accept the truth and then reflect that truth.  This is required for us to keep audience with God.  The heart cannot rule what the mind thinks.  It must be the other way around.  The other point to be made here is sincerity.  What we do or say should be based on truth and that truth should be sincere.  The heart has a good way of making things seem right when deep down inside, they are not.

David is a man after God’s own heart.  He earns that title for a very good reason.  David was not perfect.  David made some seriously sinful choices in his life.  But when he did, he was honest with his heart.  He confessed and forsook all that God had shown him.  David was a passionate man.  He wrote many psalms that reflected that passion.  David was an emotional man.  He was moved by his heart on many occasions.  David earned the recognition of being a man after God’s own heart because he was honest with his heart.  What he said, he meant.  He did not try to be someone he was not.  You took David as he was.  Like him or not.  He was transparent with himself.  When he failed, he admitted his failure.  When he was wrong, he listened and fixed it.  Remember the ox cart that shook with the Ark riding within?  David was not happy that God took such drastic measures, but he realigned the policy so the ark came to the tabernacle biblically.  He was honest in his heart.  That is what God wants.  He knows outside of glory, the saint will struggle.  What God wants is honesty of heart that precipitates change.  That is all.  One good long look in the mirror and prayer that will advance Christlikeness in the life of the saint.