Finish Well

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” (1Pe 4:7 AV)

Peter wrote this almost two thousand years ago.  How can the end of all things be at hand?  Because it always is.  Or, we should live as though it is.  Whether it is the end of our life or the end of the dispensation of grace, it matters not.  We do not know the years of our pilgrimage.  We do not know if we will pass in our early years, or live to be very old.  We never know.  Death is always right around the corner.  The rapture could be at any time.  It could be tonight or a thousand years from now.  We simply do not know.  The advice of our loving and wise apostle is the live each day as though it is our last.  To that end, we must be sober, or serious-minded, and pray constantly.  For those who have fought hard and long, this verse is encouraging.  It is also a challenge.  This life is limited.  We have only so much we can do.  Because this life is limited, there is only so much the LORD will require of us.  He knows what we can and cannot handle.  The end is at hand.  The key is to finish as well as we started.

This brings me back to our Klondike Derby days.  This was a weekend in February when the Boy Scouts thought it was a great idea to tent camp in the middle of the coldest month of the year.  Most troops arrived on Saturday morning and competed during the day, then went home to a nice warm bed.  Not us!  No siree!  We arrived Friday night, pitched tents, and waited out the fridged weather in sleeping bags designed for the summer.  The next day our competition began bright and early.  We built a dog sled from old skies and wooden pallets.  Our competition was a timed competition where each patrol went through a course laid out in the woods, pushing or pulling that sled.  We stopped at several skills-testing stations like knot tying and first aid.  Overall time was a factor.  Did you ever try running through feet of snow pushing a sled with one of your fellow scouts riding along?  You may start out well, but running through the woods with thirty pounds of clothes and equipment on your frame has a way of wearing you out rather quickly.  Finishing at all was a feat in itself.  Not many patrols could finish.  Many quit before the finish line.  Not us!  It didn’t matter how we placed.  Often it was dead last.  But we were going to cross that finish line even if we had to crawl.  Once you broke through the woods and saw the finish line in the distance, you got your second wind.  The best we did was third place.  But that was out of thirty to forty teams.  And, we were the only ones to spend the night before in the woods.

Time is running out.  Our lives inch closer and closer to the conclusion.  It is not time to relax and coast to the end.  It is time to watch and pray.  For what?  What is it that should catch our eye?  What is it that we should be looking for?  Is it the end?  Or, is it a purpose of life considering the end is inevitable?  What is it we are supposed to be praying for?  Are we supposed to pray that God would hasten the end?  Or, is it that we might be faithful unto the end whenever that might be?  What we do see is Peter never suggests we are to wait out the clock.  We are not to run up the score and then coast to the end.  No.  Rather, because the end is always at hand, the watching and praying is in the context of time remaining and not the absence of time.  Eternity is not in focus here to the exclusion of the present.  Peter encourages us to watch and pray because time is fleeting.  There are fewer and fewer opportunities to serve the LORD in our human tabernacle.  The open doors to serve Him are becoming fewer and fewer.  Watch and pray because the end is at hand.  We must pray that as we had started our race, so we must finish it.  It does matter not how tired and worn out we are.  The race is still on and the tape has yet to be broken.  So, watch and pray because the finish line may be right around the next bend.

When We See Him

“And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.” (Joh 19:37 AV)

John is referring to the appearance of Jesus to Israel at the commencement of the Millennial reign.  When Jesus appears with the evidence of His crucifixion still on His person, they will realize that for two thousand years, they had rejected their Messiah.  There will be mourning and weeping for the rebellion of their nation.  But this verse brings to mind a conversation I had recently.  A good friend of mine is going through some very dark days right now.  My situation is similar in nature, but not in scope.  His water is much deeper.  We began to speak of heaven, and what it will be like when our eyes rest on our beloved Savior for the very first time.  Many questions reside in our hearts.  Questions whose answers may never come or may (in the light of eternity) not really matter.  There is only speculation at this time.  We can read what Jesus Christ looks like in the first part of the book of Revelation.  We can imagine what John might have meant by what he wrote.  We can only go so far in trying to picture the appearance of Christ as we shall see Him for the first time.  What is clear to me, anyway, is we will see Him for the first time and in an instant, understand divine love as we have never known it in this life.

My primary thought when musing with my friend was after we had bowed prone for an eternity, and finally looked up into the face of Jesus, we would see infinite love behind those eyes which we could never fully understand until we see Him.  We would see every event in life from the reference of that love.  What we might have thought to be too difficult in this life would be seen in the context of divine and infinite love.  When we see those scars we would finally understand the depth of love that drove Him to Calvary’s cross.  We speak of God’s love.  We teach and preach God’s love.  But there is no human equivalent to which we can make a comparison.  One can only imagine the compassion residing behind those eyes.  At first, we may be moved by the pure holiness of Jesus and shirk in humility and embarrassment over what we are.  To be in the presence of perfect holiness has got to be intimidating to an infinite degree.  Yet, in His great mercy and grace, He extends a hand and leads us to our knees;  then our feet.  He looks deep into our eyes and we into His, then we are overwhelmed by the perfect infinite love which is Christ our Savior.

When considering devotions this morning, I asked the LORD to bring me to a passage that does nothing more than glorify Him.  After all the entries on practical things of my Christian walk, I simply wanted to magnify and praise the LORD for being Him.  Salvation is very dear to me.  But if you are like me, we need to be reminded that salvation isn’t all about us.  In reality, it is all about Him!  He is the center of our mercy and forgiveness.  He deserves our praise.  He should be that which we most frequently exalt and not the benefits that we receive because of that grace.  His love is limitless.  His might is matchless.  He is the King of kings and LORD of lords.  Yet, loving the unlovely is not beneath Him.  Praise be to God for His wonderful works toward the children of men.

Fought For And With Us

“For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (De 20:4 AV)

Israel is a picture of the journey of the N.T. saint.  As Israel went, so too may the N.T. saint experience his or her walk with God.  Israel’s deliverance from bondage is oft seen as a picture of salvation for the N.T. saint.  We are delivered from the bondage of sin.  We are made free in Christ.  Yet, the old man of sin hangs on and we must go through the process of practical sanctification as the old man of sin dies off.  The wilderness wanderings of Israel beautifully picture this.  During our earthly pilgrimage, we go through a growth process wherein the new man grows in faith and obedience and the old man is starved of his desire toward wickedness.  It is a long journey.  At times, it is almost unbearable.  The verse above is a promise given to Israel before and during their wilderness wanderings.  This promise not only covers all the enemies they faced while wandering but extends to their journey into, and throughout, Canaan.  God promised before and during their pilgrimage to fight the battles they would face for them.  God required their participation.  It was not like they could sit back and wait for God to do everything.  They participated in the process.  It was God who would give the victory.

Note here the ‘with’ and ‘for’.  This is a cooperative effort.  Not that God needs our help.  He doesn’t.  He requires our participation.  As much as we would like to lay down our arms and leave it all in the capable hands of our God, that isn’t His desire.  When we stop and think about it, we don’t do for others as we sometimes ask God to do for us.  If there is any effort at all possible, we require it.  It doesn’t matter how much effort.  It could be somewhat impressive, or it could be minimal at best.  But if we help someone, we generally want to see how much they are willing to participate in their own deliverance.  When I pastored in the South, having people who needed help stop by was rather common.  The state welfare system was not the first place those in need would turn to.  It was the churches.  As a rule, the first time someone sought help, we would try to help them with a voucher for food or gas. However, if they repeatedly came, we required they do something for the charity received.  It could have been as simple as coming to services.  Sometimes, albeit rarely, there were those who did things around the church grounds like pick up litter at the roadside or stones and rocks from the lawn.  We were glad to help.  But we were more glad to help if the individual who needed it did their best to meet their own need.

This is a hard thing to hear for some.  We are trained to rely on others, especially agencies or the government as a first resort rather than a last resort.  The verse above is one of great encouragement.  What is the harm in doing all we can and then waiting upon God?  God will not leave us flapping in the wind.  He will not leave the battle totally in our hands.  He will not require of us anything we cannot do without His help.  He will not leave us nor forsake us.  The promise above has an element of challenge, but it is not meant to be the main heart of the verse.  We know that no matter the load we are asked to bear, we can only do so much.  After the limit is met, as the load gets harder and bigger, the LORD is there to keep the load from getting bigger than we can handle.  Yes, we need to see our responsibility in the verse above.  More so, we can take comfort in God’s promise.  He will not leave us alone to be maxed out on our strength.  He will not leave us to handle life on our own.  He is there every time we need Him no matter how much we are overwhelmed by the events of life.  He is there!  Take it by faith!

The Storm Will End

“Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.” (Ps 57:1 AV)

The calamities to which David is referring are the years he fled from Saul.  There are in the plural because fleeing brought with it a host of other problems.  He was estranged from his first wife and she eventually left him for another.  Each place he stopped was only for a short while, and trouble usually ensured.  David lost friends and family.  Those several years were difficult, to say the least.  Regardless of how long the trial was or what the specific situation was, David never lost hope that the calamities would end.  There was only one time in which he reached his limit.  That didn’t last long.  He encouraged himself in the LORD.  That one little word is a word of great hope.  Overpast. 

That word is an interesting one.  It means to pass over.  But it also means to transition.  The closest I can come to understanding this idea is a severe storm in the heat of the summer.  It is hot.  It is humid.  I grew up twenty miles to the east of Niagara Falls.  This meant most of our weather was affected by the Falls.  The summers could be rather dramatic.  Because our humidity was amplified from the evaporation coming off the Falls, when we had a summer downpour, it was rather dramatic.  They were often very heavy and very quick.  This meant things changed in very obvious ways.  It could be sweltering one minute, then cool down significantly the next.  Seeing roads steam after a storm was rather common.  It would be sunny and hot one minute, then we would have a downpour that lasted less than ten minutes.  Then the temperature would cool at least ten degrees.  Most times, even more.  There was a very obvious transition.  We went from very hot and humid to cooler and drier within a matter of minutes.

This is the understanding of overpast.  David knew the times that he suffered would come to an end.  When they did, life would transition.  They would not stay as they were.  It was this hope in the grace of God that got him through the downpours of life.  While he stood under the flood of adversity, the LORD was his refuge.  It was God who protected him and enabled him to weather the storm.  It was the promises of God that kept him focused.  He was able to do this because he knew the storm would be overpast.  It would be over and life would transition.  The circumstances would not stay the same forever.  They will change.  When they do, we will experience relief.  We can rest in that relief until the next storm comes.  In my childhood, we would have these downpours intermittently.  A steady rain was not the norm.   Bursts of downpours were more frequent.  This is what life can be like.  We can go from one violent storm to the next.  Knowing they will not last forever and that God is our refuge helps us to thrive in the most difficult times of life.

Of Justice and Mercy

“In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.” (Ps 56:10 AV)

We don’t normally talk like this, so the phrasing above is a bit cloudy.  When David says, “In God” and “in the LORD”, what he is saying is respect towards, and for, God or the LORD, he praises His word.  At least that is what our wise teachers tell us.  I have no reason to dispute their understanding so we will go with it.  What is more interesting is the balance David chooses to strike where.  By distinguishing both God and LORD, as John Gill points out, he is pointing out God’s justice and mercy.  The title God would speak to His justice while LORD would speak to His mercy.  Again, not nearly as educated as Bro Gill, but I will not take issue here.  Rather, I will use His insights as the victuals for my soul this morning.

The justice of God and the mercy of God co-exist in infinite measure.  The attributes of God are infinite in measure and scope.  When God chooses to use one over the other, it is not because one is more in quantity or ability than the other.  Rather, when God uses two opposing attributes that He possesses infinitely, He shows the balance of the Godhead.  This is of great comfort to the saint!  He or she can remember when in need of one or the other, God has not run out.  The saint can also take comfort that because God holds both infinitely when He exercises one rather than the other, He does so with purpose and measure.  David speaks of this balance in the midst of several psalms that ask for God’s intervention over his enemies.  What is striking is David’s praise of both justice and mercy.  As if to say he is not wise enough to determine which is best, yet God is.  Therefore, he will trust in the balance of God to mete out or refrain from exercising justice.  He leaves the situation in the hands of our very capable God and goes on serving Him without delay.

The fact that David praises God goes one step further.  This means David not only accepts God’s judgment as far as his enemies go but also meditates on what God did and what He did.  Or, chose not to do what could have been done.  This suggests David gives God the benefit of the doubt seeking the wisdom in God’s actions, or inactions.  He does not second-guess God’s judgment.  He accepts it as all-wise and part of a greater plan.  What David sees in God’s hand on others, we also must consider as God works with us.  As the LORD continues to work toward our practical sanctification, there are times He will show mercy when we think He should correct, and there are other times when He corrects when we think He should show mercy.  We cannot think that every bad thing that happens is because we did wrong, nor can we think that the absence of adversity means we are automatically right with God.  There is a balance.  Seeing that balance and asking for wisdom is the point here.  God is merciful.  He is also just.  His actions are found upon His holy word.  Being a student of that word will help us see the true balance between the two.

All We Need To Rejoice

“And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.” (De 12:7 AV)

By the ministry of the Holy Spirit, a thought occurred to me.  When reading this passage, we may focus on the first part of it.  We may notice the LORD encouraging us to enjoy those things which He has blessed us with.  There is nothing wrong with that.  In fact, it seems as though this might be a command.  Given that idea, what occurred to me is that what we need to live a joy-filled life is provided by the LORD.  All we need to have a life of joy is given by God’s grace.  This implies if we are discontent with our station in life, it is not because of lack.  God has given us all we need.  His blessings abound.  The things He gives are not all material.  He gives relationships.  He gives experiences.  He gives ideas, thoughts, and truths.  The blessings of God abound in so many types and in various amounts.  Again, if we are discontented, it is not God’s fault.

This provision includes all God provides.  Even those things we would rather not have.  No one wants to be ill.  No one wants to have bare cupboards.  No one wants a wayward child.  No one wants to be laid off, wondering how the bills are going to get paid.  No one wants persecution.  No one wants demonic oppression.  Yet, these things can turn into a blessing.  I am sure as Daniel was lowered into the lion’s den, he wasn’t celebrating by asking for more lions.  I am sure he felt a wee bit of anxiety.  As the three children were cast into the fiery furnace, they may have felt a bit of apprehension.  As Peter stepped out of the boat in the midst of a storm, he obviously battled fear.  As Jesus agonized in the garden, joy was hard to come by.  Yet, the Bible calls the crucifixion a joy that was set before Him.  Life is full of times we would rather not endure.  If we could trade them in or pass them off to someone who hates the LORD, perhaps we would take that option.  All these things, like Job’s trials, are for our joy.  Perhaps not at the precise moment in which we experience them, but they are.

We can fill our lives with all sorts of things, people, or experiences we think will offer joy.  But the fact is, the LORD provides this for us.  We can make one of two choices.  We can either accept all things as caused or allowed by God and worthy of immediate or delayed joy, or we can circumvent the provisions of God for joy and try to find it ourselves.  The latter only ends in more discontentment.  We can be content with what God has given, knowing He knows us better than we know ourselves, or we can doubt the wisdom and ability of the LORD by trying to find happiness on our own terms.  I was recently asked if I liked where I lived.  Did I wish I lived somewhere else?  I have lived long enough to know the best place to live is where God wants you.  The best thing in life to be doing is what God would have you do.  Find that, and you will find the joy that only faith and obedience can bring.  Heaven is my home.  Where I dwell on this planet matters not.  What matters is rejoicing in the grace and provision of the LORD no matter what that might look like.

A Simple Reminder

“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:” (De 8:11 AV)

Sometimes we need a reminder of the simple things of the word of God.  No profound point here.  No elaborate explanation of the context is needed.  Israel is challenged in the book of Deuteronomy to walk according to the commandments of God because the former generation refused to do so.  Above is a warning for a new generation not to do the same as the previous, or they will suffer similar consequences.  I don’t feel led to take this down the path of a rebuke.  Rather, a simple reminder.  God only asks of us that which is reasonable.  He is the Creator and we are created for His pleasure.  The LORD has every right to demand of us anything He desires.  Praise the LORD He is loving and benevolent.  Not only does He require of us what is reasonable, but His motive is mercy and love.  He requires of us only that which brings Him honor and works to our benefit.  It may not seem so at the moment.  But it always is.  God desires His best for us.  This means we must trust His judgment and live according to His divine plan.  That plan includes obedience to His law.  Again, His law is not intended to make our lives worse.  Rather, better.  The great Psalmist puts it this way.   “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.” (Ps 119:45 AV)  Obedience and faith are the foundations of our walk with God.  They are the key to eternal life.  They are the secret to finding the Creator’s plan for us.

Self-determination can be a curse. More times than not, it is.  Adam and Eve were given the freedom of self-determination.  God created mankind with the ability to choose.  Right or wrong, we have the ability to choose which direction we are to go.  Consequences are out of our control.  But the ability to choose is not.  Thus, Adam and Eve made a choice that set us all on a trajectory of disobedience and doubt.  We fight this battle every day.  It is the curse of having the ability to choose.  Conversely, we have the ability to choose right, as well.  Contrary to some theological systems, the Bible challenges all mankind to obey God.  If we did not have that ability, the challenge would be mute.  This ability to choose too often gets in the way of having a truly blessed life.  Israel had a hard time learning this.  It cost them greatly.  We are no different.  Obedience is not easy.  It is not natural.  It has to be learned.  The quicker we learn it, the more blessed we can be.

Note here an important point Moses is making.  Obedience and relationships go hand-in-hand.  If we do not obey God, we will soon forget Him.  To walk in faith and obedience is to walk in intimacy.  Jesus teaches us that to love Him is to obey Him.  This truth is soon lost on our current generation in Christendom.  All emotion and no submission.  What a shame.  The challenge is to know God’s word and follow it.  Maturity does not try to find a way around it.  Maturity complies.  Maturity wants to know exactly what the word of God says so obedience can be pursued.  The verse above is not complicated.  There is no secret truth hidden deep within the words.  It is simple.  Obey the LORD so that you do not forget Him.  It really is that simple.

Stay In The City

“Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.” (Nu 35:28 AV)

If you are not a fan of allegory, this entry is not for you.  The cities of refuge were six cities scattered throughout the nation of Israel where someone who committed negligent homicide could flee.  The penalty for killing another was death.  But there were times when causing the death of another was purely accidental.  The example of an errant swing of a sharp implement or a falling rock is given.  There was no hatred, premeditation, or motive for self-gain.  This event happened purely by chance.  The guilty party could not have predicted the outcome in any way.  So, his or her life was protected by fleeing to a city of refuge and remaining within its borders until the death of the high priest.  Once the high priest passed away, then the offender was free to return to his home.  The revenger had no recourse.  The High priest was the protection granted to the erring one.  The only stipulation was that he had to remain under the protection of the High Priest.  If, for any reason, he left the city of refuge, he was fair game.  The revenger of blood, when coming upon the offender outside of the city, had the legal right to take the life of the offender.  The key was staying in the city of refuge.

Jesus Christ is our High Priest.  Our city of refuge is the presence of God.  As long as we remain in the presence of God, the accuser of the brethren and our Adversary cannot inflict a fatal blow.  He may harass.  Like the example above, the avenger of blood could enter the city of refuge as he pleased.  He could harass the offender.  He could make the offender’s life miserable.  But he could not inflict a fatal blow.  So, too, is it with the believer.  As long as we are in the presence of God’s grace, we are protected from the fatal blows of the adversary.  We are free to live for the glory of God while suffering persecution here and there.  But the old Devil cannot ruin what God loves.  God will protect us.  Yes, He may allow a bit of discomfort.  But only so to make us stronger.  The LORD may allow the avenger of blood to be seen and heard, but he has no power over us while we wait in the city of our refuge.  Staying in that city is the key!

This example is also a great picture of the Old Testament saint who had to wait until the death of the high priest.  Our High Priest.  The Old Testament saint was protected as long as he put his faith in the future death of the High Priest.  Just like the Old Testament saint who looked forward to the death of humanity’s High Priest, they looked forward to the death of Christ.  When the High Priest died, they were free.  GLORY!  The cities of refuge remained.  When the current high priest died, he was replaced and the cities continued.  Our High Priest rose on high.  He sits at the right hand of the Father.  He ever liveth to make intercession for us.  In doing so, He is the High Priest who died for us once yet still lives.  He is our everlasting High Priest.  He can never die again.  So, when the devil makes our life miserable by accusing us of things we have done, then remind him that we live in the city of refuge.  We are as guilty as they come.  We are wicked and evil.  We deserve none of God’s grace.  Yet, we abide in the presence of our High Priest who has died for us and is risen again.  His death covers all our sin.  So, saint, stay in the city of refuge.  Stay in the presence of God’s grace.  Learn to live in the reality of His mercy and grace.  Confess and forsake!  Yes!  But don’t let the adversary have one inch of ground that is not his to take.  Stand firm in the city of refuge.  He is our Rock and High Tower.  He is our eternal High Priest.  Nothing the adversary says or does can change that!

He Is Coming

“Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.” (Ps 50:3 AV)

It occurred to me, by the leading of the Spirit, that the first part of the verse suggests to those who hate God that God appears to be uninvolved in the affairs of humanity.  They perceive God as silent.  Later in the same psalm, we find out why.  They perceive what appears to be the silence of God as His approval.  They believe God’s values are similar to their own and therefore, believe God is not judging them for their ungodliness.  We see this play out more than we would think as we read or watch the news.  We see celebrity after celebrity condoning and even promoting wickedness and suggesting their values are the true values of Christians.  They condemn those who tell the truth.  They judge us as unloving for sharing God’s holiness and pending judgment for wickedness.  They see, what appears to be, a lack of judgment, comparing this to our trials of faith, concluding they are in the right and God’s people are not.  But the ungodly better be careful.  What appears to be the silence of God will not last that much longer.  The history of humanity bears this out.  God judges wickedness.  This judgment is delayed because He is a gracious God who calls humanity to repent.  He gives more than enough time for the earth to repent.  But this time is limited.  He will judge evil.

Believers should not feel guilty that God must judge sin.  After all, He judges ours, right?  At some point, we have to decide who we love more.  Do we love God or people more?  If push came to shove, and we had to make a choice, who would we choose?  If we must choose between hurting feelings, who do we consider more?  God has definite feelings regarding sin and holiness.  This is not personal or fluid.  God’s holiness is absolute.  He created all things to exist in holiness.  He did so not to push His authority or prove His sovereignty.  He did so because He is benevolent.  His holiness is motivated by love, not by pride.  So, when mankind rejects His holiness, mankind rejects the love and benevolence of God.  God must judge this.  Even the silence of God is a manifestation of His benevolence.  He has every right to judge immediately.  Yet He often does not.  The lost world cannot see the motives of God.  All we do is see the holiness of God and His expectations as nothing more than a dictator who wants to steal fun from our lives.  This is not true.  A loving and benevolent God wants what is best for us.  If we reject His best, He has no other choice but to judge us for that choice.

I truly fear what humanity will endure when Jesus returns.  Reading the book of Revelation should make mankind tremble.  The word of God describes what will happen when God has had enough of the rebellion of man.  If we stopped and meditated on the details of what these judgments imply, I don’t think there would be anyone looking forward to the judgments of God.  A thorough study of the tribulation period will reveal that almost the entire human race will suffer horrible death as a result of rejecting what God intended to be a blessing.  For the believer, we can be encouraged in that no matter how bad the world gets, Jesus is coming back.  We will be rid of the evil by life or by death.  Either we will die before the rapture or be raptured out of here before the judgments begin.  Those who are saved during the tribulation, will either die a martyr’s death or last seven years and enter the millennial reign.  For those who are weary of the evil all around us, remember, that God will fix it all.  This is certain.  This is a matter of God’s reputation and honor.  This is a matter of God’s justice in balance with His benevolence.  Take heart, dear child of God.  No matter how evil the world gets, God will have the last word.

Study To Share

“Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.” (Ps 48:12-13 AV)

It is important to know the things of God and relate them to the next generation so they do not lose the importance of them.  To tell the towers means to count them and relate the origin of them.  To tell the towers means to relate the importance of them.  Bulwarks are entrenchments one might find along the wall protecting the city of Zion.  The palaces are David’s, Solomon’s, and other palaces that existed.  They speak of government and splendor.  They speak of God’s blessing, direction, and glory.  David is sharing the importance of relating all that God had and is doing to the next generation.  He is letting us know it is important to rehearse not only the origins but also the purpose for them and the maintenance of them.  The thing is, David built them with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.  The present generation is enjoying the fruits of the previous generation’s efforts.  Note here David does not tell us to walk about Zion with the next generation.  However, that would be a great idea. Rather, he is speaking to the present generation as the one who must know details to share with the future Israelites.  We cannot pass on what we do not know!

My father used to take us on vacations that sometimes included a historical site of one sort or another.  At the time, we resented it.  What teenager really wants to see where some event of historical significance occurred?  The one I remember the most is the sight of the Johnstown flood.  He took us to the place where the damn broke.  There is a plaque or two recounting the event, but by and large, it is one large valley with the remains of an earthen damn.  Not much to see.  No buildings.  No monuments.  No playground equipment for bored kids to play on.  We didn’t appreciate it at the time.  But it was important to my father.  In time, we may not have understood a flood that rocked the world.  But we did understand the significance of knowing about it.  A flood that wiped out a town may not be a life-changing experience.  But it did play a part in appreciating things of our past.  I also remember a trip to Harper’s Ferry.  That really stuck in my mind because I began to appreciate the facts of history as they might have played out in real-time. 

I see here as well the responsibility the coming generation has to maintain and build on what the previous generation had done.  This is not a mere exchange of information.  This exchange has a purpose behind it.  The coming generation has the responsibility to carry and go further than their predecessors did.  They have the responsibility to take the nation or church from where it is to where it needs to be.  They have the responsibility to further the glory of God and His kingdom.  The only way to do that is with an understanding of where they came from and how they got there.  Where they came from defines the future.  How they got there should increase an appreciation for what there is and instill a sense of ethical responsibility to continue on.  One of the reasons we are losing our present generation is a lack of respect for history and manifest destiny.  That being, a concrete belief in why we are here and where we are going.  Today, it seems as though people merely exist without any sense of direction and purpose.  That lies at the feet of past generations who did not leave behind an understanding of legacy and purpose.  I don’t see the older generation regaling the wonders of God with an attitude.  What I see is a love and appreciation for God, manifested by the work it takes to study what God did, and a passion to tell the generation coming up with appreciation and excitement.

He Is Not Like Us

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Nu 23:19 AV)

It occurred to me this morning, by the voice of the Holy Spirit, just how common it is for man to treat God as one of mankind.  Balak, the king of Moab, hired a Gentile Prophet called Balaam.  Balaam was asked to curse Israel as Israel lay in the valley preparing to enter Canaan.  Balak felt intimidated by Israel even though Israel never threatened them.  Perhaps Balak, in the back of his mind, knew God would eventually deal with Moab and not in their favor.  Balak thought he could hire Balaam to curse Israel with the promise of wealth and comfort.  The problems with this are many.  What Balak could not understand is God is not for hire.  This, in essence, is what Balak was trying to do.  Through God’s man, Balak is trying to manipulate, coerce, or control the LORD.  He has this wrong idea that God can be persuaded by the same means we use to persuade men.  The more I thought about this and the more the Holy Spirit worked with my heart, the more I realized times don’t change.

It is difficult to interact with God as He is.  We cannot see Him.  We cannot hear His voice directly.  We cannot interact with Him in the same way we do people.  There are personal skills we learn while living among mankind.  We learn how to work with others to accomplish that which is important to us.  We also relate to others strictly for their benefit.  We sacrifice.  We love.  We minister.  In our relationships, there is a noticeable give and take.  Every action has an equal reaction.  We learn how to work with others and the skills we need to make relationships work.  But God is not a man.  He cannot be related to like any other.  This is a struggle.  This requires reasoned and studied faith.  We read of who and what God is.  The word of God reveals the truth of God.  What we struggle with is comparing God with other experiences to understand Him.  But this is not adequate.  Nor can it be.  That is Balaam’s point.

What concerns me is the same error Balak made.  Balak knew better.  He even said so.  He acknowledges God as the LORD God of Israel.  He knew who it was he was trying to manipulate.  What concerns me is the deliberate devaluing of God.  Forcing Him to be more human than divine is common.  Most religions do so.  But there are some who do this to a fault.  The greatest of errors come from Christendom itself.  God is not someone you can conjure up to come down and serve you.  He is not a divine entity like a Genie in a bottle whom we require favor.  He is almighty God!  He does as He wishes.  He can be approached.  We can plead our cause with Him.  But, as Job learned, He is not obligated to act as we think He should.  He is God and we are His creation.  We are subject to Him and the very fact we can approach the throne of God by the blood of Christ is more grace than we can ever understand.  God is not common.  He is not like us.  In any way!  He is holy.  He is transcendent.  He is above all.  If God does anything for us, it is by mere grace alone.  He can be petitioned, but He cannot be manipulated.  He can be pleaded with.  But He cannot be coerced.  If we treat the LORD like a man, we are being disrespectful at least.  Blasphemous at most.  Yes, sometimes this is by ignorance.  Ignorance can be solved.  It is a matter of wanting to truly worship the LORD as opposed to doing so superficially.

Roadblocks Are Not Smart

“And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.” (Nu 21:24 AV)

You better be careful when you give God’s people problems.  Especially when you prohibit them from going on the king’s highway.  Israel, on their way to the Canaan, desired to travel the king’s highway.  The king’s highway was a public use way by which all could traverse from one place to another.  The King’s Highway was built by some victors like Egypt’s Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, and Rome.  They were built as a way to bring invading armies here and there.  They remained public lest one nation could use it to their advantage to the detriment of others.  So, for Israel to request passage on the King’s Highway was not out of the ordinary.  Sihon, king of the Amorites refused passage.  There was no reason for their request to be denied.  Israel was not a threat.  Israel would have benefited the Amorites.  Out of spite, they refused Israel's passage.  Then we read the passage above.  If the enemies of God restrict the liberty of the people of God to pursue God, then there is a price to pay.  You cannot shut down the king’s highway without paying a stiff price.

I read this and I chuckled.  I know the church cannot expect the protection of God as Israel did.  At least the way in which the LORD works that out.  We are called to persecution.  Israel was not.  The reason Israel was persecuted was they did not follow the LORD.  We are persecuted when we do.  So, I know I cannot expect the same as Israel experienced.  But what the N.T. saint can expect is the very active hand of God as we seek to serve Him.  Sometimes, this does work out in immediate intervention.  As a preacher, I have seen them many times.  When I have someone who does not grant me the liberty to serve God as He has called me to do, I often see the hand of God do some very dramatic things.  I have seen unfortunate circumstances come in the lives of those who wish it do harm to the work of God.  It isn’t me whom God is protecting.  God is concerned about His plan.  Israel getting to Canaan was His plan.  When the church has a plan, and some are frustrating that plan, God takes it very seriously.  I am not speaking of an occasional difference of opinion.  Rather, when those who would be contrary to the work of God no matter the plan, the LORD has a very real opinion of it.

We may have to wait until eternity before we see justice on some, but God will not neglect His hand of justice.  It is coming.  We may become frustrated that we cannot traverse the King's Highway, but that isn’t going to stop God.  If that is the way the LORD would have us to go, He will open it and provide the way.  Man gets a really big head sometimes.  Mankind thinks they can manipulate and control the plan of God.  They see minor and inconsequential victories as an indication they are winning.  They force a Christian baker out of business or shut down a Christian school and they think they have won a victory of epoch proportions.  They can fine a Christian school millions of dollars or jail a preacher for preaching the truth and somehow they think they control the universe.   Keep it up!  Jesus is coming back.  What God wants is what God will get.  The world is so full of itself.  It is so arrogant.  They thumb their nose at God and believe with a few votes, a summary judgment, or a fist full of arms they control to plan of God.  How utterly foolish.  In the sight of God, they are nothing more than an annoying gnat.  The really sad thing is the God-haters have no idea our precipitous their situation is.  It is the grace of God alone that keeps air in their lungs.  There isn’t anything requiring God to show mercy.  He extends to them the free gift of salvation.  Despite their hatred for Him, He still loves them and wishes for their salvation.  But block the king’s highway – NOT. 

Blessed Forever

“Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.” (Ps 45:2 AV)

I know this psalm is a prophetic one.  This psalm’s theme is the LORD Jesus Christ.  When the psalmist writes that God has blessed the subject forever, he speaking of the Son of God.  Forever is eternally forever.  Since we had a beginning, we could not have been blessed forever.  The eternal blessings above are founded upon the character of the subject.  We cannot say the same.  There is no human being who is fairest of all.  There is no human being who can always speak words of grace.  However, we are blessed forever in the sense God blesses us continually.  Not because of who or what we are.  Rather, because of who and what Jesus is.  We are eternally blessed in the sense the blessings of God will continue from henceforth and for all of eternity because the blood of Christ has made us a child of God.  God loves us and eternally blesses us because of what Jesus did for us.  In Christ, we are blessed for ever.

I have to admit, I am not always aware of the blessings of God.  I don’t always see them.  Especially when life gets a little challenging.  I grew up in western New York.  I didn’t move from there until my mid-thirties.  So, I grew up with snow.  And, a lot of it.  I worked at a factory that had no easy way to drive to.  There were hills and valleys from home to work.  Work was about a half hour away.  During the winter time, this was an adventure, to say the least.  Most people think that going downhill on an icy road is more dangerous than going uphill.  But that is not the case.  I would rather go down a hill than try to get up one.  Going downhill, put your car in the lowest gear you have and let the engine work as your brake.  Going uphill, however, is an entirely different matter.  If you begin to slip and slide, there is little you can do.  There was this one hill I had to climb on the way home from work.  I worked the third shift which meant the roads had not warmed up and dried out.  This one hill had a slight turn to it as well.  Which meant I could lose control of the car really easily.  It was nerve-racking.  It was terrifying.  Especially when you are poor and drive a broken-down car with bald tires.  I was skinny back then because I drove in terrifying conditions and sweated all the fat out!  At that moment, it is hard to think on how blessed you are.  Once the climb was over and I felt safe, I felt blessed.  But in the moment of faith and fear, not so much.

Remembering we are eternally blessed means seeing the big picture and not the details of today.  Rehearsing the fact God brought me through seven winters working at the factory without one accident is key to feeling blessed.  When we look back at life, and are honestly doing so, we can say without a doubt, life could have been a whole lot worse.  We are blessed.  We are eternally blessed.  The understanding of just how blessed we are goes a long way in getting through present circumstances.  As I wrote earlier, God is not out to get us.  He is not out to destroy us.  If anything, the LORD wished to reconcile, restore, and regenerate us.  God is all about life.  He is all about blessing.  He is all about bringing His children the best we can enjoy.  We are blessed!  Eternally blessed.  Today.  Right now.  In the past.  And in the future.  Faith is the key.  Believing we are blessed opens our eyes to just how blessed we are.  I trust you will have a great day today no matter what happens.  I hope you see God’s blessings as greater than your trials.  Doing so will bring joy to the heart and hope to the soul.

A Joy Above All Others

“Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.” (Ps 43:4 AV)

This phrase jumped out at me because of the simple word, exceeding.  I looked up this word in Hebrew and it was no help to me.  The word exceeding means joy.  The word joy means a circle ( a complete revolution) or an age; as in an era.  I am no scholar, so I will not attempt to understand this is the original language.  What I do know is the English definition for these two words.  Webster’s 1828 dictionary says of ‘exceeding’, “Great in extent, quantity or duration; very extensive; In a very great degree; unusually; as exceeding rich.”  Of joy, the same dictionary states, “Joy is a delight of the mind, from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good.”  Again, it is the word ‘exceedingly’ that caught my attention.  In the definition above, ‘unusually’ also brings to the heart an impelling interest.  Unusual means it is not common.  It is above or apart of what would be considered normal.  This suggests a very deep truth.  That which brings joy naturally in life would not bring as much joy as God Himself.  The psalmist is sharing that of all the things that could bring joy, God exceeds them all.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege to marry a young couple in our church.  What a blessing.  It brought back to my mind my own young married life.  My mind went back to a stroll my wife and I took from the Toronto Science Museum and the subway stop.  It was at that moment I appreciated the full meaning of being married.  Life had become stable and purposeful.  Marriage brought a sense of definition.  I also remember the birth of my sons.  There was something about all three.  Each of my sons did not come into this world in a routine fashion.  What a joy to have children.  I remember some of the milestones and special moments we shared.  I remember the debates around the dinner table about some difficult doctrines of the Bible.  I remember their weddings which I was blessed to officiate.  I remember the birth of my grandchildren.  Now, we are building new memories as each of them is accepting Christ as their savior.  I remember baptizing my children.  I remember their high school graduations.  I remember the many times my wife and I went on dates.  We still do.  I remember the highs and the lows.  The highs brought great joy.  The world cannot take those away no matter how difficult life will get.

But of all the joys we could have, the LORD should be exceeding them all.  This is David’s point.  He had much to celebrate at the defeat of his enemies.  He had much to rejoice over when ascending to the throne and serving the LORD in the manner to which he was called.  David could rejoice greatly at the fall of Goliath or the death of Saul.  There was much to rejoice in.  But the one object of joy which exceeded them all was God.  David’s walk with God was his heart and joy.  Life happens.  Life is unpredictable and often difficult.  It has its highs and lows.  It has its time of rejoicing but it also has its time of sorrow.  The one object of joy that stays the same is the LORD.  He is the object of David’s joy that exceeds them all.  His joy in the LORD is unusual.  His joy in the LORD is not natural.  It exceeds anything life can bring.  If the joy of the LORD is not exceeding, we have our eyes and hearts on the wrong things.  We look to temporary things to be our exceeding joy.  There is nothing wrong with rejoicing over temporary things.  But they cannot be our exceeding joy.  Only God can fill that bill.  Only God can claim that title.  Only God can meet the heart's needs where everything else eventually falls short.  He is, or should be, our exceeding joy above all else and all others.  God is our exceeding joy!

The God of Today

“On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered:” (Nu 7:66 AV)

This verse just goes to show you there are deep truths in every single verse of the Bible.  Chapter seven of the Book of Numbers records the first-time offerings of the tribes of Israel for the construction and dedication of the Tabernacle.  Each tribe gives exactly the same thing in the same manner.  The chapter is over eighty verses long.  One would think it would take up much less space to simply list all the tribes and their representatives, and then list what they gave.  But the LORD felt we needed a list of all twelve tribes, their representatives, and what they gave individually; even though it was the exact same thing.  I am so glad He did because in doing so, we learn a great truth here.  We learn that God does not hold our future against us.  In His foreknowledge, the LORD knows how much we will or will not succeed in walking with Him in faith and obedience.  Whether we succeed or fail in the future, God relates to us as we are in the present!  Let me explain.

There is a controversy over the absence of Dan in the list of the twelve tribes of Israel found in the Book of Revelation.  There are several explanations for this.  However, there is one that persists.  It is assumed since Dan was the Trible that introduced Idol worship to the nation, God judged them by eliminating the tribe from the covenants given to Israel.  If that is true, it gives us a basis for the point made above.  We find Dan in the throws of idol worship in the Book of Judges.  Although Rachel brought the idols of her father with her, Jacob found them and buried them in Shechem.  Even though Israel entertained the idea of idol worship in the wilderness while Moses was atop the mount, Moses quickly judged this idol worship.  He ground the golden calf into powder and made the people drink it.  That had to be unpleasant.  In judges, we see idol worship become a point of contention.  Not to eliminate it, but rather, to incorporate it.  Idol worship almost brought war.  It is the first time Israel welcomed idol worship as a planned thing.  Prior, it was impulsive.  Now, it was deliberate.  Dan was the tribe to push this.

Which brings me to my point.  God knows what we will do or fail to do with the years we have remaining.  He knows if we will go out with a flame or a flicker.  He knows all things, good or bad.  Yet, the LORD chooses to see us as we are today and not what we will be tomorrow.  That gate swings both ways.  Future obedience does not excuse present failures.  God deals with us as we are at this moment.  This is an encouragement.  In fact, it gives great hope.  If the LORD knows I will fail Him tomorrow, yet sees me as obedient and trusting today, then He blesses me today.  This gives me hope that God may know what tomorrow holds, but I do not.  Therefore, from my perspective, I can do the right thing tomorrow.  I am not destined to fail.  If the LORD held me accountable for tomorrow’s failures today, what incentive would I have to obey and trust tomorrow? None!  If the LORD were to bless me today for the good things I might do tomorrow, why do them?  I have already received the blessings.  What a great God we serve.  What a just and fair God we love and obey!  I am so grateful the LORD shows mercy today for what He knows is coming tomorrow.  The more I meditate on this, the more I am so thankful Jesus saved me and the LORD is my heavenly Father!  Praise be to His name.

Favor Measured in Victory

“By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.” (Ps 41:11 AV)

There is something here that is important.  Note the past tense and not the future tense.  The enemy does not triumph and not ‘will not’ triumph.  The condition of victory is in the perfect present tense.  If God is for us, even in the midst of adversity, if we are not defeated, then God is with us.  He favors us.  Endurance is evidence of God’s presence and work.  This is important to remember when it seems as though we are losing ground.  David had a life of trouble.  He was constantly harassed by enemies. He spent a quarter of his time running from those who wanted him dead.  The promise above does not mean the absence of adversity.  Rather, if God favors us, then amid adversity, we will eventually be the victor.  What an encouragement!

We’ve won the battle.  We simply are not fully aware of it yet.  The promise of eternal life and the blessings which naturally result from it are irreversible.  Nothing or no one can separate us from the love of God.  Listen to the words of Paul.  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro 8:35-39 AV)  We simply forget how much God loves us and is always near.

Recently, we have been going through another trial of faith.  It is hard to not expect another shoe to drop.  Having a life-altering diagnosis has a way of making one gun shy when a new symptom appears.  But, the LORD gave me sense enough to call friends and ask for prayer.  With these phone calls came helpful advice.  It was fascinating to me the words spoken were miraculously familiar and without knowing of the others, each counselor affirmed the counsel and encouragement of the others.  Psalm 40 kept coming back.  In fact, as you can see from my entry, yesterday I read that very psalm.  One observation shared was that God is our high tower.  I had never thought of this in the way my blessed friend shared, but it really made sense.  I had always seen the high tower as something to which one could run for protection and absence from the battle.  But that is not it at all.  The tower was built as an observation point by which the battle can be seen and arranged.  In other words, God sees it all when we can only see a small portion.  Because He can see it all, He has a plan for us to defeat the enemy.

We cannot control our futures.  Our choices may play a part, but God is ultimately in control.  He can see all the years of our lives.  He has decreed a plan for it that we might come forth as gold, tried in the refiner’s fire.  We may suffer a bit in this life.  Partly because of the choices we made, the choices others have made, or a deep trial of faith.  But no matter the battlefield, the LORD has it all in view and knows the way that I must take.  He has a plan and that plan is for my good.  That plan is for His glory.  We all have no choice but to trust the LORD no matter what.  Our enemies are strong.  They are not to be taken lightly.  But our God is infinitely stronger and He will show himself strong on behalf of those who trust in Him.  “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him...” (2Ch 16:9 AV)

More Than We Can Count

“Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” (Ps 40:5 AV)

This entire verse is an incredible and completely true statement.  God shows more grace, mercy, and benevolence to His creation than we could possibly fathom.  It is that second half that really blows my mind.  If we tried to tally all that God has done for us, there is no possible way we could come close to listing it all.  David states that even if we tried to tally them, it is virtually impossible to come close to the times God has done wonderful works toward us.  And infinite God is infinitely benevolent.  This naturally and necessarily suggests God does things we are totally unaware of and the majority of what He does we do not notice.  Or, could never notice.  This is true even more so for the child of God.  God works wonders on our behalf that we will never know of, or cannot know, especially on this side of glory.  This is particularly important to remember when things are not going as wonderfully as we had hoped.

When I think of this truth, I think of the comparison between Jonah and Paul.  Both were on a boat in the middle of a storm which threatened the lives of everyone on board.  Yet, the two of them reacted completely differently.  Jonah was determined to be self-destructive.  Paul, on the other hand, chose to trust the LORD.  Why?  Because Jonah saw only the dark side of trusting the LORD and Paul only saw the upside.  Again, why?  Jonah could not see his situation and calling in life as a blessing from God.  As far as he was concerned, the LORD had called him away from a prosperous and relatively peaceful ministry in the midst of an ungodly and unrepentant people to a place that hated God but would repent.  He saw the call of God as a loss.  He saw God’s hand as a step-down.  He could not see God’s will is always better than one’s own.  Paul, on the other hand, saw suffering as a means to show the strength of God to those who have none.  Paul’s eyes were not on his circumstances nor on what he may or may not lose.  Paul’s eyes were on those whom he could help and on the glory of the LORD Jesus Christ.  Throw Peter in there and now you have a third person in the same circumstances.  Peter chose to trust what Jesus could do because he had seen mighty things from the Son of God.

When the storm is swirling around you, it is very easy to forget how good God has been to you.  Trust me, I know.  When we are consumed with our own failures and doubts, it is easy to forget how good God has been to us.  I know.  Trust me.  When you do the unwise thing of thinking back on the past with regret over decisions you made or wonder how the trajectory of your life might have gone if certain events never happened, it is easy to forget how good God has been.  Trust me, I know.  The thing is, we can to a certain degree, recollect the blessings of God.  What David says above must be accepted by faith.  If we cannot number them, it does not make it untrue.  We must believe that God is a reward of those who believe Him and diligently seek Him.  Hebrews chapter twelve, in part, deals with the chastening hand of God.  The writer makes a comparison between the chastening of our earthly fathers to our heavenly Father.  He makes the point that even in times of correction, God shows far more compassion and love than is humanly possible.  Even in hard times, the benevolence, mercy, and love of God are more than we can comprehend.  The point is to trust in it even if we cannot see it or comprehend it.  Trust in the hand of God is the strength of each and every trial we will ever face.

When We Are At The End of Our Rope

“For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God…Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.” (Ps 38:15, 21-22 AV)

Every once in a while, one is pushed to pray a prayer like this.  I am preaching through Daniel on Wednesday nights.  We are bogged down in chapter two.  Daniel exercises desperate faith.  He is put into a position, not of his own making.  He has nothing to lose.  Trusting God or not trusting God has the same potential outcome.  Unless, that is, the LORD does answer.  Then his faith was well worth it.  This is where we find ourselves.  From time to time we are at the mercy of life’s events.  We did not cause them.  We are not responsible for them.  There is nothing we can do about it.  We have no other option but to trust the LORD.  We know only the LORD can do something about our situation.  It is too big for us.  We cannot control any aspect of what we are going through.  We are at our wit’s end and there is nothing left to do but to trust the LORD.

This is not an easy place to find oneself.  To say times like this are uncomfortable is an understatement.  These times are as close to impossible as one can get.  It is often in the midst of these times we think the end is near.  Often, we recede into our shells and do not want to come out.  We see every day as a dark day.  The sun never shines and we think it never will.  It is the words of the psalmist above that ring hope in the desperate heart.  The downtrodden soul must look up and not down.  He or she must believe there is a God who cares.  He or she must believe there is a God who will answer the prayer of the desperate.  Perhaps not as we would wish, but He will.  David’s words are not without credibility.  He faced some dark days during his earthly pilgrimage.  He faced down giants.  He ran from his family.  For the majority of his life, his enemies wanted him destroyed.  He buried four children.  When David laid his head down and breathed his last breath, he had just watched one of his sons execute another.  David knew the way of sorrow.  He knew what it was like to live a life of desperation.

So, what did he do?  He declared emphatically his hope in God.  His faith may have waivered, but it never failed.  To that end, we can be encouraged.  Just because our faith is challenged and it seems like it will not hold up, does not mean we are failures.  In fact, it means just the opposite.  It means we yielded to the extreme pressures of life without completely giving up on God.  In doing so, we yielded to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in strengthening our faith when we thought it would completely fail.  David here gives us the way out.  Declare your faith in God then assault the throne of grace that You might be able to obtain grace to help in time of need.

He Is In Your Corner

“The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.” (Ps 37:32-33 AV)

There are those among us who have so low an opinion of themselves that they think any and all adversity is the hand of God’s judgment.  They confess sins of which they are not even guilty.  Or, they muse how much they have failed God and therefore are suffering the judgment of God upon them.  They can never live in victory because the Devil has them convinced they are continuously and perpetually displeasing God.  They do not know the way of mercy.  They cannot comprehend it.  Some live this way as their comfort zone.  As long as trouble is part of their life, they feel God is, at the very least, active in their lives.  They do not know how to exist outside of self-condemnation and self-loathing.  They live there because that is the only way they have known.  Therefore, when the wicked treat them harshly, all they can see is guilt and shame whether they deserve it or not.  What they cannot comprehend is trouble as persecution.  Persecution rarely exists in their mind.  It all must be the hand of God which is against them.  And His hand will always be against them.

David, who made some really bad choices from time to time, and also suffered at the hands of those who wanted him dead, had to differentiate between the chastening of God and the persecution of the wicked.  If he did not, he would not be able to effectively lead his people.  He would have been under a cloud all the time.  This is the point of the passage above.  The whole psalm speaks of the treatment he receives at the hand of the wicked.  Perhaps he has Saul on his mind.  Or perhaps it was the Philistines, Absalom, or a hose of others who gave him problems.  What David is saying is that despite the judgment of the wicked that fell upon him from time to time, the LORD would not condemn or judge him.  The LORD would not add insult to injury.  The LORD will not condemn David for sin, whether he was guilty or not if what David is experiencing is persecution from those who hated him.  David knew there would be times of adversity that had nothing to do with God’s justice upon him.  He knew the wicked looked for any opportunity to make his life miserable.  They sought his failure and destruction.  This was part and parcel of being king.  The anointed was a target.

It is important to believe God is not after you!  He is not active in your life only when times of disobedience or doubt are the point.  The LORD is our biggest cheerleader!  He wants to see us succeed.  He wants to see us trust Him for everything.  He wants to see us change into Christlikeness.  He is not out to get us!  His mercy is everlasting.  His love is unchanged.  Yes, there are times when the LORD uses the actions of the wicked to correct us.  He did that with Israel.  Just because God does this occasionally, does not mean every time we suffer at the hands of the wicked that God is displeased.  Give yourself a break!  Maybe what the LORD is trying to do is to show you how much He is in your court every time trouble comes, so that you can accept His love and affirmation.   God will not condemn you nor judge you in every moment of adversity.  Praise be to the God who loves us more than we could ever know!

Different At All Costs

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.” (Le 18:1-4 AV)

This is going to become more important to remember the closer we get to the LORD’s return.  It is already difficult enough to live holy and separated from the unbiblical laws and warped values of our lost world.  Israel had come out of bondage to a sin-sick and pagan nation.  Egypt was known for utter wickedness and godlessness.  From there, Israel went to a land infested with all sorts of twisted morality and horrendous sin.  They went from the frying pan to the fire so to speak.  God commands His people to follow His holy law and not to take the example of those with whom they would dwell.  They were to separate themselves from the customs and practices of the godless and walk in obedience to the law God would give.  How similar to today, huh?  We live in an ever-increasingly wicked world.  There is simply nowhere to go once you step out of your home or church where the filth of the world isn’t thrown in your face.  It is all around us.  This doesn’t excuse our capitulation to it.  We are to stand strong in the perfect law of liberty.  We are to live in the holiness of Christ.  Regardless of what surrounds us, we are to be different.

It is interesting what follows in Leviticus chapter 18 are the laws of marriage and intimacy.  Forbidden is the taking of near kin as a spouse.  Forbidden is homosexual relationships.  Forbidden is interspecies immorality.  Forbidden is immorality with a corpse.  What follows in chapter 18 is morality is intimacy.  And this is exactly where our world is headed.  Not towards godliness, but as far away from it as they can get.  On the one hand, it should not surprise us.  What the world is capable of should not come as a shock.  When a senatorial aide filmed himself and another male aide in the practice of a same-gender immoral act, the world was not shocked at the actual act, but where it took place.  How sad.  The day we are no longer shocked and appalled at the behavior of mankind is the day we have lost our spiritual separation unto what God calls holy.  Sin is so pervasive, we are simply calloused to its presence.  It is not that we approve of it.  We don’t because God does not.  The question is, where are the voices that speak against it?  The fact our children are being groomed to accept what God calls twisted and sick and we do little or say little against it, is an indication the body of Christ is sick as well.

Israel fell because it tolerated and then accepted the customs and wickedness of its God-hating neighbors.  We know there is little we can do about it.  The law is what the people say it is and what they are willing to tolerate.  Without revival, I fear our world is only going to get worse.  A conservative revival is fruitless without a spiritual one.  Good people may reject the insanity, but if they do not turn to Christ and accept Him as both LORD and Savior, what little revival comes will flame out as fast as it came.  Our world needs Jesus Christ very badly!  He is the only answer to what ails us.  He is the only one who can clean up this world and make it livable again.  Until that time, the people of God cannot; must not; capitulate to the sickness that envelops us.  We must fight back.  We must build barriers in our homes that keep it out.  We have to say no to those sources of evil that wish to mar us with their lack of values.  We cannot become like the world.  We cannot accept in our hearts what we see as something God tolerates.  We must resist in our souls the filth that surrounds us.  We must!

Four Words Only God Can Speak

“Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” (Ps 35:3 AV)

These are words we need to hear more than we would like to admit.  The sweet psalmist asks the LORD to remind him just where his salvation comes from.  And, not a simple statement of fact is sought.  No.  The Psalmist desires the voice of God to speak deep in his soul this timeless truth.  God is his salvation.  Not a passing verse.  Not a silent affirmation.  Rather, David, amid deep troubles and trials, is seeking the LORD to speak deep within him and assure him that God alone is his salvation.  He knows this in his head.  But he needs to hear it deeper than his heart.  He needs to hear the voice of God affirm his desire and power to save so deeply that his entire person can be at peace.  He is not looking for an explanation.  He is not asking for a complicated dissertation on how God is his salvation.  Four simple words are all he seeks.  And he seeks those words from the mouth of God.

When I sat in the waiting room waiting for the surgeon to appear, there were only four words I wanted to hear.  And she did not have them.  When I sat with my son in the courtyard as my wife was in surgery, we talked quite a bit.  He said a lot.  We affirmed one another.  We encouraged one another.  But the four words I needed to hear were not his to utter.  As we sat in the anteroom waiting for the surgeon to update us on the surgery, the four words I needed the most did not come over the intercom.  When We sat in her room and she was so out of it she wasn’t with us, the four words I needed to hear could not come from the staff.  After each treatment and visit our oncologists and GI doctors explained the technical facts of her diagnosis.  They explained the progression of the disease.  They told us what treatments she would eventually face.  No one said the four words I needed to hear.  We went to a support group where Zebras and caregivers alike shared common experiences, suggestions, and mutual support.  What a tremendous help they were.  But none was qualified to speak the four words I needed to hear.

Only God Himself could speak those words.  Only God Himself could reach as deep as those words needed to go.  “I am thy salvation” are the four words I needed to hear the most.  No human could speak those words truthfully.  No matter how smart or successful they were in life, none of them were qualified.  Even if they could utter those words, they could never go where God can go.  Only He can go to the soul.  That is what I needed and that is what the LORD gave me!  He is our salvation!  There are times when we need to hear those words and feel those words deeper than any human being can place them.  Only that which divides asunder soul and spirit can go there.  That is why I don’t understand why we wander from the only One who can meet our deepest hurts, worries, anxieties, and fears.  He alone can say, “I am thy salvation” and in the process, bring the soul to contentment and peace.  Next time your world is turned upside down, try praying the prayer David did above.  You’ll be amazed at the depth to which God can meet your needs.

Fearfully Content

“O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” (Ps 34:9 AV)

The word want is often used in the word of God to mean need.  The implication here is those who fear God will not suffer need because God will care for them.  He will care for them as they obey His word.  The principles of blessing associated with obedience are universal.  If we follow the book of Proverbs, our needs will be met.  But more so than that, as we saw yesterday, those who trust in the mercy of the LORD shall see it.  This statement of David is an incredible one.  Respect and honor towards God guarantees His watchful eye over our journey of life.  I can testify to this in many ways, but recent events come to mind.

My mechanic was after me because the tires on our car were not the best.  I was having to inflate one of them every three days.  It would not hold air.  We made the appointment and then tried to figure out how we were going to pay for it.  We arrange to do so in a less-than-optimal way.  But that Sunday, the LORD provided the funds through the generosity of the saints.  The generous gift covered almost the entire amount.  What a blessing!  Then, we planned a trip back east.  Lisa has stage four intestinal cancer.  This means she cannot stray too far from a bathroom.  A one-day trip turns into a two-and-a-half-day trip.  We booked tickets on the train but someone generously provided flights.  These were genuine needs we had and the LORD provided them.  We did not expect these things to happen the way they did, but we did pray about them.  God honored those prayers, in part, because we relied on Him and trusted Him to do for us what we needed even if it was what we had already planned.  God is good to those who love Him and seek to honor Him.

We may not always succeed.  In fact, we fail far more than we are comfortable with.  We fall into wickedness.  We fail to trust Him as we should.  Even though the LORD demands perfection, He is gracious to understand we are failable.  He may desire perfect holiness, but He knows as long as we live in this flesh, we will struggle with it.  Despite our nature and resultant choices, He loves us and cares for us far more than we realize.  If we are satisfied with His presence, our wants and needs drastically reduce.  If we are content in the compassionate and wise presence of our Creator, there isn’t much we need.  God sees to this.  All we need to do is trust Him and honor Him.  That’s all.  Just trust and obey.  There is no other way; to be happy in Jesus; than to trust and obey.

According To Our Faith

“Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.” (Ps 33:22 AV)

Those last six words can be concerning.  They can also be encouraging.  If we have little faith, the LORD intervenes in measured ways.  If we have great faith in the mercy of God, He will do marvelous things.  The ministry of our LORD Jesus Christ bears this out.  He could do nothing among His earthly kin.  They simply could not see Him as the Messiah.  They would not recognize His divinity.  On the other hand, it was the Gentiles who showed the greatest faith.  Repeatedly, He would say the words, “thy faith hath made thee whole”.  It was the faith of the one seeking mercy that measured what God was willing to do for them.  We could look at this both ways.  We could look at this as a challenge to grow our faith.  We could see it as a rebuke and the lack of God’s hand as the evidence.  Or, as I wish to do this morning, encourage one another that your faith in God is not wasted.  God sees your faith and is moved by compassion because of it.  The more dependent on God you become, the more He is pleased to bless that dependence.

We undercut who or what we are all too often.  We do not see what God has done for us and instead, only see where we have failed.  We do not give God credit for the work He has done and seem to think we are little to no different than many years ago when Jesus saved us.  Whether we realize it or not, we have grown.  And, we continue to do so. We also assume we grew by leaps and bounds and the older we get in the LORD, the less we tend to spiritually mature. This, again, is a fallacy.  I can say with certainty the LORD is changing me at a consistent pace from the day Jesus became my beloved until now.  Which, by the way, is over forty years of walking with God.  We simply cannot see it.  Think about it.  Look at what the LORD requires of you today and ask yourself if you would even think about attempting that twenty years ago.  Probably not.  We get to the age when we realize that what the LORD requires is not as big of a deal as we thought it would be.  God is able to do above what we ask or think.  Sometimes, it is not a matter of faith, but rather, a matter of zeal.

This is David’s thoughts here.  I don’t think he is looking at these words in the critical vein.  I think he is asking as one who has great faith.  He has run from his father-in-law, faced down giants, went into battle vastly outnumbered, and faced down a lion and a bear.  David does not strike me as one who struggled too much with faith.  So, when he makes the request above, he is doing so as one who fully trusts the LORD.  He did have his times of weakness, though.  He compromised with a pagan king because he was worn out and thought Saul was near to killing him.  David did allow his flesh to get the better of him.  He did fear what Absalom could do.  David had his moments.  But his overall character of living was founded on the faith he had in God.  So, when we read the promise above, let us look at it from the perspective of faith we do have, rather than the faith which we do not have.  We love and serve a great God.  He can do all things.  We trust Him and that trust grows with each and every time He shows Himself strong on our behalf!  Mercy is on the way because you trust Him!

Bird's Eye View

“Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.” (Pr 1:17 AV)

 This proverb is written to the wicked.  It is a statement reflecting the futility of fraud.  Or, putting it another way, if crime is your profession, you will have to work really hard at it because most are not fooled.  All one has to look at is the fraudulent emails we get and the vast majority know they are fraud.  Solomon is extolling honest work over labor of deception for profit and sustainability.  What I heard from the Spirit this morning is this proverb from the perspective of the bird.  Most birds are not fooled by traps.  Their eyesight is far too great not to notice something is off.  That is, if they are looking for it.  If we are to avoid falling into sin we have to be looking for the trap.  If we are constantly aware of the dangers around us, then it would be vain for the world, the devil, and the flesh to lay a trap.  It all depends on how we are looking.

I have done enough spring turkey hunting and have seen enough fall geese sets to know this statement above is absolutely true.  To harvest a turkey takes a lot of effort and hard work.  To start with, the hunter has to get up, get dressed and loaded up, locate a bird, and get set up at least an hour before sunrise.  This means, depending on how far you have to go to get to your woods, getting up sometime between two and three in the morning.  Sunrise is around five-thirty, so that gives you about two hours to get dressed, drive to your woods, walk around and locate a bird with an owl call, set up your decoys, and settle in for about an hour before you start calling.  The older the bird, the more it can tell the difference between a real hen and a hunter.  So long before the season starts, the hunter is listening to tapes of real hens and learning how to call.  He practices with all sorts of calls because one call may not work on a certain day or time while another will.  He becomes a master caller on all types of calls.  At the first gobble, the game begins.  Your job is to reverse what comes naturally to the male turkey.  He is used to strutting in an open area and gobbling the hens in.  You have to entice him to break that instinct and come looking for you.  Not an easy task.  The success rate for turkey hunters is rather low.  Even more so than deer.  Why?  Because of the above proverb.  Above all else, that bird wants to live.  That is his highest priority.  His watchful eye is intently scanning the situation for anything that seems off.  An eyeblink from a hunter can spook him.  Trust me.  I have seen it happen.

If we are the potential victim, then it is up to us to intently scan and examine everything around us.  We are either a sucker or a survivor.  One or the other.  If we are looking for traps, we will find them.  If we know the enemy wants nothing more than to put a shot across the bow or take us out entirely, then we will be looking for it.  Too many of us go through life without a care in the world.  We wait until the enemy strikes and then try to overcome the circumstances.  It would be much wiser not to suffer the consequences to begin with.  This is what a bird does.  It assumes life is full of hazards and looks for them.  We must do the same.  Jesus said, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Lu 21:36 AV)  Sound advice!