Finding the Right Promise

“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day;” (Ps 91:5 AV)

This psalm is a mixed bag.  Some attribute the psalm to Moses.  One can understand.  The overwhelming threat seems to be a pestilence that comes in the night.  The psalm speaks of the enemies of God falling by the pestilence, but the addressees being free from the evil.   However, some attribute the psalm to David, and the pestilence was the one sent on the occasion of David numbering the people.  Perhaps David did write it.  But he could have written it upon reflection of the first Passover.  The challenge with Psalm 91, as many passages, is application.  The psalm concludes with a promise of divine protection based on the love the addressees have toward the LORD.  The promise of protection for Israel, at least concerning Passover, was specific to that event.  There would be other pestilences that did exact a loss.  When God promises to perfectly protect and deliver those mentioned in the psalm, we can take the promise as a principle rather than direct application.  What I mean is that persecution and adversity are the domain of the saint.  God does not promise us the same as others in different dispensations.  Our promises are more in the light of eternity.  So, how can we apply the above promise?

First, let us note that arrows do fly by day.  Let us also note that terrors do come at night.  God does not promise to remove the threat.  And He certainly did not.   The angel of death came on that first Passover night.  Egypt pursued them to the Red Sea.  They compassed them in and were preparing to extinguish them by arrow and sword.  The threats were not removed.  What God promises is deliverance from fear.  “Thou shalt not be afraid” is the promise.  It is not deliverance from adversity so that adversity never comes.  In fact, one can read the entire bible from cover to cover, and outside of eternity, no one is free from adversity.  Adversity is part of the human condition.  It is how we live.

There is a scene in the movie Ten Commandments was the people are preparing to leave.  They sing portions of this psalm.  Joshua, as he is preparing his household is heard reciting this psalm.  Reciting this psalm did not take away the plague of the death of the firstborn.  The blood over the door frame did.  Singing the psalm did not keep Egypt from pursuing Israel.  But it did give them the courage to cross the Red Sea.  Trouble will come.  Adversity is assured.  But fear does not have to be a part of it.  “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1Jo 4:18 AV)

A Spark of Hope

“Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.” (Job 10:12 AV)

This is one of the first statements Job makes that seems to point to hope.  He is in the process of processing his emotions regarding the loss of his children, his entire livelihood, and his health.  The only thing he has left is a wife who encourages him to curse God and three friends who think sin is the cause.  There is no hope on the horizon other than what he already knows.  He has no answers.  He has no promise of restoration.  He is living in the here and now.  Each day is the only reality he knows.  He cannot plan ahead.  He cannot see a way out.  He is in the middle of a trial for which he has no answers, and it seems every day is as dark as the last.  But then he makes this statement.  He makes the statement that God granted him life and favour.  By the presence of God, Job was and is able to continue.  That is the message for this morning.  Job’s experience from the past is that by the presence of God, God has preserved his spirit.  What that means is the emotional and spiritual health he knew.  I am sure there were hard times in the past.  But through each and every one of them, God was faithful.  This time will be no different.

A personal walk with God is far more important than we realize.  We often hit the wall and then suffer because our relationship with the LORD hasn’t been as intimate as it could have been.  There is work to do.  There is time to spend in His word and in prayer.  There are hours that need to be reclaimed.  Days that need to be invested.  Job wasn’t able to make the statement above because he took a class on theology proper.  He didn’t study the omnipotence and omniscience of God and leave it at that.  Job had a working relationship with the LORD, and that is why he could make the statement above.  The statement above is one small stone in the wall to recovering.  It will take far more than one statement to make Job well.  But this is a beginning.

Another detail to note is the tense of the verb ‘…hath…’.  This verb is in the perfect tense and is usually represented as the present tense when translated into the English.  In other words, the perfect tense in the Hebrew means it is a completed state regardless of when it was completed or will be completed.  As far as Job was concerned, the presence of God kept his spirit.  His will to live was there because God was there.  His emotional health would improve because God was there.  Without totally realizing what he was saying, Job assented to the truth that God was with him and he was surviving.  Without hearing from God and receiving an answer he so desperately wanted, he assented to the truth that God’s presence was with him.  This is why his spirit was preserved.  God was there, He always was there, and He will always be there.

A Picture of Salvation in Two Verses

“And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;” (2Sa 3:3 AV)

Not much is known of Chileab, nor much more of Abigail after the lineage of David is given here.  In 1Chr 3:1, Chileab is named Daniel.  The former name means ‘like as his father’ whereas the latter name means “God is my judge”.  There is speculation that Chileab was actually the son of Nabal and Abigail, but born to Abigail after Nabal’s death.  Thus, Chileab was born to David as a stepson rather than a physical descendent of David.  This would explain why he was never considered a legitimate heir to the throne.  Being the second son of David, once Absalom was killed, Chileab would have been the next logical choice.  Yet nothing is mentioned of him.  This is a common explanation of the difference of names between 2Sam and 1Chr.  This would also explain why the LORD thought it was important to mention these details.  Solomon, who was not chronologically next in line to the throne, was God’s choice.  Adonijah was next in line, and he led a rebellion to overthrow Solomon.  Again, no mention of Chileab or Daniel.  There might be a nugget of truth here.  The death of Nabal benefitted Abigail. But it also was a blessing to her child.

Adversity may seem troublesome, but the results are better than what could have been.  If Chileab was the son of Nabal, he was spared a horrible childhood.  He was raised by a godly father who loved the LORD.  Chileab is a great picture of salvation.  Jesus tells the Pharisees that they are of their father, the devil.  The works of their father, the devil, are what they did.  This is true of all who are not born again.  If we are not born again, we remain a child of the devil.  The works of the devil have to be destroyed.  This Jesus accomplished on Calvary’s cross.  When we are born again, the bible says we also receive a new name.  That name is known in heaven and when we graduate there, we will know it.  Just like Chileab, the influence of our wicked father, the devil, is destroyed by his own pride.  Nabal died because he was scared to death.  Literally.  David came to show hospitality to Nabal, and Nabal responded in harshness.  When David prepared himself and his men for war against Nabal, Nabal heard of it and collapsed from a drunken heart attack.  He died several days later.  If Chileab is the son of Nabal, God spared him the experience of being raised by a drunk.  Rather, Chileab, or Daniel, was raised by the king of Israel who loved his God.

When I look at only two verses where the person of Chileab or Daniel is mentioned, I cannot help by see the grace of God.  No doubt Daniel mourned his earthly father.  But the alternative was far better.  Just like our experience in salvation, the old life was cruel and uncaring.  It exacted more from us that we could pay.  There may be portions we miss, but to be honest, walking with God is far better.  Recently, a friend of mine sent me a picture of my boyhood home.  There were good times there.  Fond memories, especially of winters and Christmas.  There were neighborhood friends, adventures we shared, and family events that will live on in my memory.  However, since Jesus saved me and gave me the new birth, He has given me much more.  A perfect wife and three awesome sons.  Six grandchildren who all attend church and love their LORD.  All this because my David rescued me from my Nabal, gave me a new name, and become my Father who loves me unconditionally.

No Need to Hide if God is on Our Side

“When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.” (Pr 28:28 AV)

This statement can be taken several ways.  It can be a criticism toward mankind in general.  After all, when the wicked rise, then the righteous should do something about it.  Or, what I think Solomon is driving at is that as a general rule, when the wicked rise into power, society generally goes into survival mode.  In particular, when the wicked rise, people are too afraid to be righteous for fear of being persecuted for being as such.  This is generally true.  When the wicked rise, revival is hard to come by.  Too many are intimidated into a state of unbelief.  Too many are afraid of the consequences of faith.  Too many are too afraid to stand on what is right regardless of the blowback.  The Devil knows this.  The world knows this.  The only way to overcome it is to suffer for the cause of Christ.  Some of the greatest revivals came after the right won.  The end of the Civil War and WWII saw a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Many souls came to Christ, and many churches were erected.  But now, we are in a pattern where the wicked rule again.  Only by the courage and prayers of those who know God can revival come again.

If the student did a study on the revivals recorded in the Bible, most came as a result of deep adversity.  What led them out was a leader who had a vision for doing right.  The temple was cleansed.  The pagan systems of worship were cast out.  Israel or groups of people got right with God because of the courage of leadership to set the vision.  There has to be a start somewhere.  Someone has to say that sin is wrong and God will judge unless humanity takes seriously the opinion of the Creator.  But there is a promise above.  The wicked will perish.  Solomon could be referring to the coming of Christ.  In one quick battle, all those who hate God will be removed from the earth.

At the start of the reign of Christ, the earth will be filled with those who know Him and love Him.  The promise above will be made sure.  The wicked will perish.  The righteous will multiply.  Gone will be the threat of evil.  The Devil will be imprisoned for 1,000 years.  Justice will be swift and holy.  Sin will be in control.  The wicked will rise no more.  Then the righteous will flourish.  Then the saints of God will be at rest.  Then the Jewish nation will rise above all others.  But not until Messiah comes.  Until then, we must deal with the reality that the wicked will influence the world.  What can we do in the meantime?  We can pray.  We can pray that the righteous ascend to places of authority.  We can pray that the wicked are put down by the letter of the law.  We can share Christ’s love with all who will hear.  We can covet that we will not hide.  It may be the general reaction of society, but it doesn’t have to be for the saint.  We have nothing to lose.  Heaven is our home, and the enemies of God cannot take it away.  Our lives await in the future, not in the present.  Hiding may help us to survive.  But hiding will not improve the conditions that caused it.  It is time be involved.  It is time to let God’s voice be heard.  It is time that the righteous rise to challenge the wicked for the hearts of those who are still considering their relationship with their Creator.

Only One Choice Isn't Necessarily Bad

“Then David and his men, [which were] about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.” (1Sa 23:13 AV)

Sometimes you just have to go whatever way you can go.  David was holding up in a cave of a forest.  Saul had found him and surrounded him.  The armies of his father-in-law were closing in and there was little to know escape.  Then word came that the Philistines had invaded a portion of Israel.  Saul’s armies left.  But as one can imagine, it wasn’t in a straight line.  These troops had to move off in different directions for a short space and then unite at some further field.  This meant that David’s escape could not be in a straight or broad way.  He had to leave by whatever trail opened up at the time.  The circumstances dictated his best choice.  Short-term choices were guided by his circumstances and not long-term planning.  Reaction to circumstances is sometimes all that you can do.

Not to overuse an example, but those who have spent a good deal in the woods know this principle.  When the forest surrounds you, options are limited.  When blow-downs, boulders, or thickets are in your way, there are few directions you can go.  Sometimes it doesn’t end as you’d expect.  You wonder if another choice would have been better.  There is no way to know that, so you live with your choice and go on.  Many years ago, I took my pastor hunting at our family’s property.  It was a place of thick woods and overgrowth.  It sat on top of a hill.  A fact I somehow forget.  We enjoyed our time in the woods, and it was time to get back to the vehicle.  For twenty-plus years of being there, the common choice was to head downhill.  The problem with that tack was the property sat atop a hill where any direction was downhill.  I believed I was going in the right direction all the time.  Then what should have been a short walk became a long walk.  We came out of the woods ninety-degrees and two miles further than we should have.  As the woods closed in, the choices became less.  But here is the thing.  We were just fine.  No, it wasn’t the direction I intended to go, but it all turned out in the end.

David’s hand was forced.  Just because there were few options did not mean he was trapped.  I am sure it felt that way.  As he went further and further and the choices became less and less, perhaps he questioned his own judgment.  Maybe he second-guessed his decision to go left when he might have gone right.  He did the best that he could have, given the circumstances at hand.  They went wherever they could.  David was a good leader because he made choices.  Sometimes those choices were not the best.  But he made them and lived with them.  The thing is, when life is overwhelming and it seems that decisions kind of make themselves, thank God who is the One who controls it all.  When all we can see are the next few steps, then praise the LORD that our minds are not overwhelmed by the possibilities.  It is God’s way of directing our path without much mental occupation.  We can take solace in the circumstances because it makes walking that path a bit easier.  They went wherever they could.  Because it was the only way to go.  Praise the LORD that He sometimes restricts our choices and simply points the only way.  Praise the LORD.

Clean-up In Aisle Seven

“LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned [thyself] from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?” (Ps 85:1-5 AV)

At first glance, it seems as though the writer is confused.  Has God taken away His wrath or not?  In verses 1-3, the writer thanks the LORD for His grace and mercy.  He thanks the LORD that His divine wrath has been removed.  Yet, in verses 4,5 he asks that the wrath of God be removed.  So, which is it?  Context is everything.  If we note that the captivity of Jacob has been removed, that gives us a clue.  It is obvious that the writer is speaking of the return of Israel to Palestine following the Babylonian captivity.  The return of Jacob to the land is our evidence.  It is also evident that the forgiveness and covering of all their sins is reflecting in this return.  However, the consequences of their former disobedience remain.  The wall around Jerusalem is in ruins.  The temple is burned with fire.  And the land returned to a fallow state with no one to tend it for over seventy years.  Upon returning, Israel fell into some old habits.  They began to intermarry with non-Jewish women.  They were losing their culture and language because of it.  In short, God may forgive all our trespasses, but the effect of them may last while we learn a lesson.

Rather than thinking this to be a negative thing, let us consider exactly what it is that the writer is seeking.  Forgiveness; check.  Reconciliation; check.  Re-establishment; check.  Restoration; not so much.  There is repair work to be done here.  There is damage control.  There is a mess to clean up.  There is strength to resist further temptation to seek.  In short, the writer is seeking God’s intervention to undo as much damage as can be undone by the mess created from centuries of rebellion.  The wrath of God spoken above is not ongoing anger.  Rather, it is the ashes from which God brought them that not need to be removed.  When studying the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, one is impressed by how much Israel needed the LORD.  Cleaning up their own mess in their own strength would have been just for God to require.  Yet, they knew, and He knew this task to be impossible without divine intervention.  There were still enemies in the land.  There was temptation all around.  God provided the leadership, but the people must respond.  They, too, needed the LORD.  If the wall is to be rebuilt, the temple repaired and used, and the fields sown, God would have to do it through them.

This is encouraging.  We can make a mess of things.  We can make so much of a mess that it is impossible for us to repair.  We are like that three- or four-year-old who plays with his toys.  Each and every one of them.  He does not put one away before he chooses another.  When it is time for bed or time to go away, he is told to pick up his room.  The mess he has created so overwhelms him that he sits down in a blank stare.  It is only when mom or dad come into the room, devises a plan, and begin to assist that the child is focused and motivated.  That is what the writer is seeking.  He is seeking the LORD’s help to clean up the evidence of His wrath on His people.  The writer is seeking the removal of the evidence of God’s wrath that is making life impossible to live.  By God’s grace, they repaired the temple, rebuilt the wall, and reaped crops from their fields.  Their homes were repaired, their families were established, and they went on to sustain the nation until Messiah came.  God answered their prayers.  And by His grace, He will answer yours.

Faith is Oft Misunderstood

“And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.” (1Sa 17:28 AV)

Courage and faith are often misinterpreted by those who have none.  As a Shepard boy, David defended his flock.  In supporting his offer to confront Goliath, David relays an experience wherein he kills a lion and bear who attempted to make off with a lamb.  This event had to be known by his brothers.  That is not something that one keeps quiet.  David’s courage and faith were a matter of record.  So, when David arrives to bestow gifts and food to his brothers, he naturally sees Goliath as a threat to be dealt with.  His brothers react by charging David with arrogance and lack of forethought.  They see the courage and faith of David and misinterpret that courage and faith as baser human instincts.  The thing is, if his brothers do not possess faith, it would be hard to define it as such.  Those with little to no faith will often misunderstand the faith that others possess.

The important thing to remember is that others need not understand.  David approached Goliath with zeal and faith.  He didn’t walk to him with fear and trepidation.  The Bible says that he ran to meet him.  David didn’t offer up a silent prayer and fling the stone.  He verbally insulted his enemy as one who knew the victory was his.  David did not slither up to the fallen body of Goliath as though he might still be alive.  He ran to him, jumped on top of him, drew the enemy's sword, and cut off his head.  The courage and faith of David were infectious.  Those who at first saw him as arrogance the impulsive followed him into battle.  Once the enemy fell and David pursued the enemy, the people followed.  This would include his brothers who charged him with pride and immaturity.  David did not wait around until he could convince enough people to believe in the LORD as he did.  He knew what God called him to do and did it.  Their misinterpretation of his faith did not stop him.

We need more Davids.  David did not apologize for his faith.  But neither did he flaunt it.  In fact, when his father-in-law intended to do away with David by throwing him to battles, David humbly served his God and his king by defeating the enemies of Israel.  He did not usurp the throne.  He did not criticize his crazy father-in-law.  He relied upon his faith, courage, and humility to affect a nation.  And the Bible tells us that many loved David because of it.  Many followed David because of it.  His courage and faith were not easily understood by those who had none.  But his faith and courage ministered to them so that they, too, could grow in faith.

A Brave but Necessary Prayer

“Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD…That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.” (Ps 83:16, 18 AV)

That’s a pretty brave thing to pray.  But if the saint of God was brought to humility prior to salvation, then it is a moral obligation to pray the same for others.  The writer laments the effect of the wicked on God’s creation and His people.  He is speaking as someone who leads a nation.  This is not a prayer for the spiritual salvation of his enemies.  Rather, it is a prayer for a nation tormented by God-haters.  The Psalmist is praying for the coming of the Messiah.  He is praying that the LORD would conclude that God is God, and He is in the person of the LORD Jesus Christ – the Messiah of the Jewish people.  Yet, there is an application for the New Testament Church.  Our motive and goals may be different.  But the process is still the same.  We want the wicked world to turn from their wickedness and trust in Jesus Christ as both LORD and Savior.  But the only way that is going to happen is if the wicked come under condemnation for their sins.  This is the shame of which our Psalmist speaks.  So, this is a pretty brave for the church to pray.  We are asking that the LORD send conviction and shame of face to the lost so that they might know there is salvation in Christ.

We don’t feel qualified because we think such a prayer is self-righteous.  Not so.  If we also came from where they are, then it becomes a prayer of mercy.  Knowing the damage sin does to the life of the sinner and all whom he or she touches gives us cause for such a prayer.  Note the psalmist asks for more than mere shame. He asks for shame that drives the wicked to seek the name of God.  He is asking that the wicked be so filled with the guilt of their works that God becomes their only source of peace.  The same is true for our prayers.  We don’t ask so that our sense of justice might be satisfied.  We do not ask so that revenge might come.  There are times and places for such a prayer.  But not here.  Here, we pray for shame on the lives of those who hate God that they might repent of their sin and call upon His name.

Recently, I have been reminded of the sinful condition of mankind more so that I have ever been before.  Our Creator brought forth every soul to redeem him or her, and that He might be known by them.  He loves each and every soul regardless if they love in return.  He loves us so much that He sent His Son to give His life that we might become a child of His.  By adoption we have been added to His family.  Yet, the vast majority of people will reject the free gift of salvation.  Why?  Because there is no shame.  There is no shame over sin.  Right and wrong have become a definition from the heart of the sinner.  He or she does not feel shame because God is not considered.  It is perilous at best.  A tragedy of infinite proportions.  That the vast majority of mankind will burn in eternal hellfire is a truth that can drive to madness the saint who cares.  What is our answer?  Pray for shame.  Pray for conviction.  Pray that the work of the Holy Spirit be not abated so that glorious message of divine forgiveness can shine forth from the pages of God’s word.  Please, fellow believer, pray for shame.  Not that we are any better than those upon whom we pray it, but rather, because we cannot bear the thought of one day in hell that they might suffer.

His Strength and Not Ours

“Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” (Ps 105:4 AV)

I was reminded of this verse upon waking in the middle of the night.  The LORD and I had a sweet time of prayer.  At issue is that which always comes to mind.  The end of the battle.  In particular, the end of the battle with sin.  Of all the enemies the child of God wrestles with, it is sin.  Paul, at the end of his ministry and life, wrote the famous internal struggle of Romans chapter seven.  A man who was the foundation of the church in the west, the writer of more than half the New Testament, and a missionary like no other struggled with the flesh until the day he died.  That is our battle.  Wishing and praying for its end is not wrong.  It is normal and right.  Wanting to be what God always designed us to be, yet frustrated by the flesh, is every saint’s battle.  In the meantime, we have a truth as expressed above.  God has not left us alone.  There is a remedy.  There is an answer.  Although only through our glorification shall we be made sinless, there is a source to which we can turn before then.  It is the power of God.

God wants us to overcome sin far more than we do.  But if we do not learn to do so as a freewill choice of our own, we will never learn what it means to be Christlike.  At least not be experience.  Like Israel who was left the enemies of Canaan as God’s means of proving them, there are enemies which the LORD allows us to face because there is no other way by which we may learn some of the greatest lessons we will ever learn.  Affliction and adversity are not comfortable.  God never promises a life of comfort.  The verse above is a great one.

When we are faced with giants in our own heart and flesh, it is the Spirit that enables us to overcome.  We cannot do it in our own strength.  It is the Spirit that empowers.  We fail when we try to scale the mountain all by ourselves.  The flesh is too strong.  It goes wherever we go.  It fights against the spirit, and the spirit fights against it.  It is the strength of the LORD that tips the scales in favor of righteousness and holiness.  The psalmist tells us to do the obvious.  Seek the strength of the LORD.  Not after we have failed, but while we are being challenged.  Seek the LORD while He may be found.  Seek His strength, and the flesh will yield to His power.

Nothing Wasted

“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” (1Sa 3:19 AV)

“Fall to the ground” means to be cast aside and wasted.  It means to regard something so insignificant that if it were lost, it would never be missed.  Samuel was new to the things of the LORD.  When the LORD spoke to him, he thought He was Eli.  It took three times before Eli could discern that the LORD’s voice was speaking to Samuel.  Samuel was young and tender-hearted.  Everything he heard from the LORD was remembered, learned, and studied.  Every detail was important.  Every truth was held as invaluable.  Every alliteration, historical fact, or prophetical statement was important to him.  Samuel was like a new convert who soaked everything up.  Maybe he was like many of us and made something more than it seemed simply because it was new.  Regardless, this man of God knew the value of God’s word and treated it as such.

I enjoy watching a BBC program called The Repair Shop.  Craftsmen from all sorts of fields work to restore family heirlooms.  They are as expensive as a 17th century original painting of a king to something as simple as a pair of ballet slippers.  There are all sorts of items that come through the shop. Most have more of a history and sentimental value than a monetary one.  About twenty-five percent of the items have a military history.  Mostly from WWI and WWII.  There are regular cast members.  There is a furniture restorer, a clock-maker, a leatherworker, and a porcelain worker.  There are two ladies who work on stuffed animals, there is a metal worker who repairs industrial or larger items, and an art conservator.  Then the show invites other tradesmen to guest appear.  There is a luthier, and cobbler, a blacksmith, and a goldsmith who repairs jewelry.  Each has their own special workspace with tools unique to their skill.  The jeweler has a special workbench.  The host of the show made a big deal over it.  He couldn’t understand why he needed this particular bench.  It had a unique shape.  The bench was rectangular, but it had a large semicircle cut from it on one side.  Underneath the cutout hung a thick-gauge rubber mat.  The mat had slack in it, so it could droop.  The tradesman remarked that as he worked on precious metals, the dust would fall to the mat.  He could then collect it, melt it, and reuse it.  Not one speck of dust would fall to the ground.  It would all be collected, fused together under extreme heat, and reused for one more repair.

The older we get and the more familiar we become with the word of God, the more apt we are to let some of it fall to the ground.  Samuel was no exception.  He had firsthand experience with the poor parenting skills of Eli.  Eli’s sons were immoral and greedy.  The condition of his sons is what led the LORD to anoint Samuel.  Yet what happened with Samuel’s sons?  History repeated itself.  Samuel’s sons turned out the way Eli’s sons turned out.  Samuel started out well.  He let none of God’s word fall to the ground.  He soaked it all up.  Yet, as he aged, more and more of the truth of the word of God went unheeded.  The same could be true for many of us.  We start out well.  We receive Christ and are enraptured with the truth of God’s word.  We cannot get enough.  We read everything.  We study every detail.  Then life happens.  Soon, the word of God has lost its preeminent place in our minds and hearts.  We go to church and are mentally checked in for a brief amount of time.  Most of what the preacher says goes in one ear and out the other.  When we sit down and read our devotions, too many other things occupy our thoughts, so when we are done, there is little we take away from it.  It is time to have the eyes of a newbie!  It is time for us to once again value every single word of the Bible.  It is time to make the Bible our greatest priority, and prayer follows closely.

The Only One Who Can

“The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” (Ru 2:12 AV)

Boaz said this to Ruth as one who intended to make a full reward.  This wasn’t a cursory remark acknowledging Ruth’s sacrifice and faithfulness.  It was a vow by Boaz to guarantee that Ruth’s choice did not go unrewarded.  Boaz states that the entire village knew what Ruth had done and how she was taking care of Naomi.  The reputation of Ruth was not hidden.  Everyone knew it.  No one but Boaz was in a position to reward her dedication.  There was a nearer kinsman than Boaz, but he could not redeem Ruth lest he mar his own inheritance.  Some suggest this nearer kinsman was married already, yet with no children.  That would make all the children born of Ruth of higher rank than any his previous wife would bear.  So, Boaz was the only one.  The book of Ruth is full of alliterations.  The book of Ruth is a picture of the redemption of the sinner by the hand of a Savior.  Boaz, therefore, represents the Son who redeemed the sinner from a destitute life of sin.  Jesus, who is the only one who could redeem us, is also to only one who can adequately recompense us for the life of service we render towards Him.  Our life of sacrifice and service does not escape the notice of God and others.

Ruth is a remarkable person.  She was offered a way out and she didn’t take it.  There were no guarantees.  Naomi could not promise her a thing.  Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law and her faith in Jehovah is what motivated her.  From Ruth’s perspective, she could safely assume she was going back to care for Naomi and that would be the extent of her life.  It would be no more.  She did not know of Boaz.  She was unaware of any other relatives Naomi may have had.  She was returning out of the integrity of her heart without and anticipation of recompense or reward.  This is what everyone noticed.  They noticed the heart of Ruth that produced her actions.  Even Boaz testifies that the entire village acknowledged Ruth as a virtuous woman.  This is what God blessed her.  It wasn’t merely what she had done, but why she had done it, that was praiseworthy.  Doing the right thing with the right heart is what Boaz saw.

The LORD is no different.  He knows what we do and why we do it.  He will not allow our dedication to go unrewarded.  One other thing.  Note the faith of Ruth and where it was placed.  She came to Israel because she trusted the LORD.  In spite of a father-in-law who did not.  Despite a husband whose faith wasn’t particularly exemplary, Ruth had faith.  Maybe it was Naomi who was her example.  Perhaps it was Naomi whose faith Ruth followed.  No matter.  Ruth trusted the LORD in difficult times because her integrity would not allow her to do anything different.  This is why the LORD, through Boaz, blessed the faithful.  And the LORD will do the same for all His children.  We cannot be presumptuous in thinking all our reward comes in this life.  I hope it does not.  Rather, I’d prefer it in eternity where joy can be had forever.  God does see.  God does reward.  All we need to do is trust Him and serve Him with integrity of heart.

Your Hair Always Grows Back

“Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.” (Jud 16:22 AV)

Isn’t that amazing?  His hair grew back.  What is amazing about his hair growing back is the provision of grace in the Nazarite vow.  Let me explain.  There were three parts to Samson’s vow.  First, he must refrain from grape products.  No grapes.  No wine.  No Vinegar.  Second, he could not touch any dead thing.  That would include any relatives or animals.  Third, he could not cut his hair.  He failed the first part of the vow in walking through a vineyard.  The implication was that he ate grapes as he went.  The second was violated when he touched the carcass of a dead lion.  So, the only part of the vow left was his long hair.  As long as his hair remained uncut, God would still bless his life.  Delilah took care of that.  She enticed Samson to divulge his secret.  The Philistines came and shaved his head while he lay asleep in Delilah’s lap.  As a result, the Spirit had left Samson.  His eyes were put out, and he became a grinding mule in the house of Dagon their god.  Now, here is the amazing thing.  One would think that when his vow was completely broken, there was no renewing it.  Samson cannot undo eating the grapes.  He cannot undo the fact that he touched a dead carcass.  The only thing that could be undone was his hair.  The LORD built into the Nazarite vow the ability for reconciliation and restitution.  There was one part in three that could be undone.  Samson could be used.  He would not enjoy a life of usefulness for God’s glory had he broken none of the vows.  But at least his purpose was not totally removed.

A friend of mine sent me a short devotional this morning.  It has the same basic thought as above.  It is out of Ps 37 and is a reminder that even when David made a few missteps, God still used him.  There are work-release programs for the once-incarcerated.  Some have an aversion to that idea, but it is a biblical one.  Those who have satisfied their obligations to society are given a second, third, or fourth chance.  I understand the reluctance of some to support this idea.  But the fault is not in the idea.  Rather, the insufficient standards of justice that precede it.  There is accountability.  There are standards placed upon the released individual imposed by the court.  Just because a person may have served the term of his or her incarceration does not mean that all things can go back to the way they were before the crime was committed.  They are given a second chance, but not a second life.  There is a difference.

All things being equal, giving someone another chance after they have messed up is something God does with us all the time.  There is built into salvation the idea of restoration and reconciliation.  If we fall away, God does not cast us off.  Paul’s fear was that he might be a castaway.  Not from God’s point of view.  Rather, he was afraid that people would cast him away and he could no longer reach them with the gospel of Christ.  At least not as he had done.  God is not in the refuge business.  He is in the recycling business.  God is not interested in letting us get to a useless condition.  Grace has built into our relationship the understanding that our hair will grow back.  We might lose our eyesight, but our hair will grow back.  We may not walk throughout Israel as a Judge, but we can take it on the child in defeat of God’s enemies.  Samson’s life changed once he gave up that last vow of the Nazarite.  But God was not done with him.  His hair grew back.  There was one last chance to glorify God, and God was gracious enough in His foreknowledge to provide a way for Samson to do just that!

Arguing Against Only Proves the Point

"The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue [is] from the LORD.” (Pr 16:1 AV)

Solomon is not saying that everything we verbalize is perfectly guided by the LORD.  We know this is not true.  That would make God the Father of lies.  Rather, what Solomon is sharing is that the ability to reason, form an argument, and debate one’s point of view only comes by the Creator who gives life and the ability to reason.  This is ironic since the philosopher who prides himself on deep thoughts designed to disprove a Creator is, by the skill to form an argument, proving His existence.  Information comes from an outward source.  A computer is a simply block of metal unable to do much unless a programmer installs information and instructions.  The same is true with the human mind.  It was created with basic instructions and knowledge.  The child in vitro does not install humanity by himself.  It comes from a source outside of itself and also greater than Self.  Whether Solomon meant to imply the metaphysical argument into this verse or not, it cannot be avoided.  By trying to disprove God, absolute truth, etc., one is actually proving it.

Reason was never given by the Creator to replace faith.  Reason will eventually end with the fatal necessity to exercise faith.  Why?  Because of the nature of information.  Information is infinite.  Information must start with a self-evident fact.  Think of mathematics.  The absolute fact of ‘one’ is self-evident.  It does not exist as a result of something else.  One is one.  When one is added to one, then there are two.  When one is subtracted from one, there is zero.  If you play with the numbers by adding or subtracting, then the possibilities become infinite.  Pi is a great example.  Mathematicians will tell you that Pi is an infinite number.  How that there be such a thing?  Information is not information unless it has a repository.  There must be a way to express, store, and work with information or information does not exist.  If there must be a repository for information, and information is infinite, then the repository for infinite information must also be infinite.  Can we produce this infinite repository?  Can we quantify the infinite?  We accept it by faith.  Reason ends with the acceptance of something we cannot prove with normal and physical methods.  Thus, God exists, and we accept Him by faith.

The philosopher will struggle to produce evidence that God does not exist.  He uses the inability to understand as proof of God’s non-existence.  For example, if God exists then why all the evil?  The intelligence of fallen man tries to corner God into his definition of what God must be or how He must act.  When this fails, he declares God does not exist.  Why?  Because he cannot understand why a God of love would allow all the evil.  It is ironic.  He will use the inability to know as evidence of God’s non-existence, but refuses to acknowledge the existence of God by the same standard.  And infinite cannot be proven by a finite being.  He must be accepted by faith.  The ability to reason, form an argument, and debate is not proof of God’s non-existence.  Rather, it proves that He lives!

God Is Grieved Despite Our Failures

“And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.” (Jud 10:16 AV)

I was moved with the fact that God could be grieved with the condition of Israel even after they turned their back on Him.  Their situation was self-inflicted.  They had gone after the gods of Ammon.  They served Baal.  They wanted nothing to do with Jehovah until their enemies enslaved them.  They repented of their sins and put away all their strange gods.  They prayed to the LORD for deliverance with the condition that God could do anything He wanted.  All they asked for was deliverance.  This is where we pick it up.  I think after the third or fourth time, I would have run out of patience.  Pity would not be my emotion.  Resentment would be more like it.  I would feel as though I were being taken advantage of.  Grieving would not be high on my list.  Not with Jehovah who has infinite love and mercy.  His grace moved Him to take pity on His habitually disobedient people.  He was moved with grief that they had to suffer so much.  Even though it was all their fault.  Their enslavement was not something God sent.  It was a result of their compromise.  Yet God was grieved.

This reminds me of the wonderful people who care for the sick and dying.  Some of those who come in for care are sick because of poor life choices.  They do not take care of themselves and therefore they are in need of medical attention.  In particular, there are those who habitually make bad choices and find themselves in need of care.  We spent a good portion of time in the ER a few weeks ago.  The initial visit was pretty quick.  There wasn’t anyone there.  But we had to return a second time.  This time it was packed.  Most of those who were there were frequent flyers.  They were patients who use the ER as their primary healthcare provider.  Most had ailments that could have been prevented with better choices and a more disciplined lifestyle.  Yet, there was no discrimination among the staff.  They cared for each patient with compassion and timely care.  It takes a special kind of person to do that for a living.

God is infinitely more gracious than we ever could be.  When I read the verse above, I couldn’t help but praise the LORD for His wonderful mercy.  There is still hope for me!  If Jehovah could have infinite mercy on a nation which constantly insulted Him, then He can have mercy on me when I fall to the flesh, the world, or the devil.  Perhaps the LORD will be grieved at the sinner’s situation even though he or she got themselves into it.  Perhaps the LORD can be grieved despite the saints' proclivity toward self-pleasure.  Perhaps the LORD will be grieved when the life of the saint is in a total mess and He is the only one who can untangle the knot.  If He did with Israel, He can and will certainly do so for His children.

Pray for our Nation

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin [is] a reproach to any people.” (Pr 14:34 AV)

It is becoming abundantly clear that electing someone we agree with does not automatically turn the tide of God’s judgment.  Believers are waking up to this, and the attitude shift is apparent.  Those who have biblical faith in God and some sort of biblical worldview were elated at the prospect of our nation turning a corner.  We thought that our troubles would be in the rearview mirror.  We thought that God would once again shine His light of favor on a Judeo-Christian nation.  Perhaps there is revival yet to be realized.  But as long as our nation supports filth, murder of the unborn, and the mutilation of our defenseless, there is no turning the hand of God’s judgment.  Our sins are not limited to liberty and financial responsibility.  If the student of God’s word will notice a pattern of God’s judgment.  The prevalence of immorality is the straw that breaks the back.  Noah’s flood came because mankind destroyed the institution of marriage.  Sodom and Gomorrah happened because of sexual deviancy.  Israel was destroyed and scattered because they offered their children as sacrifices to pagan gods.  Immorality and the abuse of children is what brings God’s hand.

In the heart of God, there is a special place for women and children.  Some of the harshest judgements are promised upon those who do harm to these two groups.  God takes seriously the treatment of ladies and children.  The defenseless are special to the Creator.  Society is expected to protect and honor them.  Nations are required to defend themselves.  If they are widowed and orphaned, the Bible requires us to care for them.  Rather, our nation has done just the opposite.  We have tolerated the objectification of our most precious people.  We have treated them not as the special people they are, but rather, objects for our own pleasure.  Our children are seen as inconveniences.  They are treated as things to be discarded if not wanted, or worse, manipulated to our own rebellious ends.  When will the nation that is supposed to be one nation under God come to the defense of our most precious members?

The somberness of God’s people is telling.  We have quickly realized that a nation that elects a leader who may agree with some or even most of our values cannot stay the hand of God unless immorality and abuse become the highest priority.  We are putting Band-Aids on a broken dyke hoping if we fix the cracks then the dam will hold.  Not so.  The only thing that will save our nation is true revival.  This true revival in not the pseudo revival we have seen and are seeing.  True revival results in the masses turning to the word of God in all things.  Not just those things that are convenient.  True revival results in sin being rooted out and forsaken.  True revival means the hearts of people are turned toward obedience and faith.  What we have today is emotional, not spiritual.  How do we know this?  Because what we see today is having little to no impact on our nation.  True revival changes a nation.  It isn’t a large crowd expressing emotion because they simply do not know much more than that.  I fear that in the next national election, God will finally put the last nail in the coffin.  Unless we see immorality close down, abortions cease, and child mutilation outlawed, there is no turning back.  May God bring revival!

Grab the Handrail

“Righteousness keepeth [him that is] upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.” (Pr 13:6 AV)

Righteousness puts us ‘in the way’, but it also keeps us there.  As I sit and write, we are under a severe wind advisory.  An enormous tree across the street had blown over.  That tells you just how blustery it is.  Where I walk the dog, we are sheltered out of the wind.  However, I just took him out in a wind-whipped area and a plastic bag attacked him.  Needless to say, my little dog is a bit jittery.  The wisest course of action is to take him in the corner of the backyard that is sheltered on three sides.  There is little to no wind there, and any wind swirls at a very low speed.  Wickedness is like that wind.  If we are not careful, it will knock us right off our feet. 

The way of looking at righteousness helping the upright is like guardrails along a treacherous path.  The older I get, the more I appreciate handrails!  Especially when the walker wears bifocals or trifocals, handrails are great!  One cannot depend solely on depth of field when the eyesight isn’t the best.  Those guardrails keep us from falling.  They tell us of the edge or width of the stairs as well as the grade of incline or decline.  Those guardrails are not solely for stability.  They are an invaluable source of information.  They instruct when level ground is approaching.  They tell us of the length of journey one is required to take.  Turns are announced not just be sight, but also by touch.  Handrails can tell us how treacherously a path might be by the permanence and design of the handrails.  If they are decorative, then we know the stairs or path is short and not all that difficult to navigate.  However, if the guardrails are sturdy and bolted to a stone wall, we know the journey might be a bit of a chore.  We are already on the path which we need to be walking, but the guardrails keep us on the path without falling or getting lost.

God’s word is like this.  The guardrails are there to keep us safe and get us from one point to the next.  They are there regardless of who we are or how much we think we need them.  They are the same for everyone.  One size fits all.  The handrails are indiscriminate.  They are absolute.  They do not adapt to the walker.  The walker must adapt to them.  The word of God is the same.  It is the constant we need to navigate a difficult pilgrimage.  The key is to have the humility to use the handrails.  Too many are too proud.  They don’t need the assistance.  My wife has a handicap permit for parking.  She has complications from cancer.  Yet, when we try to use it while riding as passengers in someone else’s car, the driver feels like he or she is taking advantage.  Not so.  The permit is there for a reason.  The handrails are there, whether we think we need them or not.  There is no harm in using assistance if it is there to us.  Pride is the enemy here.  If we are to stay on the upright way, the guardrails of the word of God are the way we are going to do it.

Praise God for What We Will Never Know

“My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness [and] thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers [thereof].” (Ps 71:15 AV)

For I know not the numbers thereof!  Absolutely.  The psalmist could mean the days he has left, or he could be referring to righteousness and salvation.  Either works.  The vast majority of our beloved sages understand the reference to be for the latter.  This begs a question.  Just how many things has God done for us of which we are never aware?  I imagine the righteousness of which David refers is righteous judgements on his behalf.  For the N.T. saint, we can extend this even further to include the righteousness of Christ that grows in us day by day.  The salvation of which David speaks is not limited to eternal salvation.  Rather, David is speaking of salvation from all sorts of threats.  As a king of the most powerful mid-eastern nation, no doubt he had enemies of whom he had no knowledge.  Only the LORD knows how many plots of assassination were foiled by His intervention.

We don’t know what we don’t know, but we can assume based on the character of God.  As a father, there was much from which I kept my sons.  Most of which they never had a clue.  When they were young, we lived in a neighborhood that was plagued by gangs.  To my sons, the graffiti was comical artwork.  But to those of us who were in the know, it was much more than that.  The sneakers hanging from the power lines were not an old ornament or a prank.  It meant something.  A red laser dot from an undisclosed location meant far more than a bored child who wanted to scare someone.  The worldly wise knew how to keep their eyes open for pending trouble.  Many times, I diverted my sons from a dangerous situation, and all they thought was that dad was being fun again and taking them for ice cream.  It wasn’t until they grew and became more aware that they realized what I had done all those years.  At the time, it never dawned on them that dad was saving them from harm.  To them, it was normal life.

If God is our Father and He has parental responsibilities, it stands to reason He would do no less.  Our heavenly Father in omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent.  He foreknows all things.  Therefore, He can see all threats that could harm us even to the smallest of detail.  It may seem as though the work of God is idle.  After all, harm comes to the saint.  We are not protected from all.  But if we assume all that we see is all that God sees, then He is not a benevolent and interceding God.  If we believe David, and by extension God, then we must assume there are far more threats in life that could cause harm than those which actual do.  Those that do cause harm are allowed by a sovereign God for our growth and benefit.  Which then naturally suggests that there are far more ills that could have come our way but never did.  Praise be to God!

Cleaving is a State and Much as a Practice

“But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.” (Jos 23:8 AV)

Good advice, regardless of the context.  Yet there is context to consider here.  These are the last words of Joshua to Israel. He is old and well stricken in years.  He knows he is about to go the way of all flesh.  He has led Israel through thick and thin.  They have fought many battles together.  The two and a half tribes have just made a covenant with the remaining tribes that neither was to forget nor deny the other.  They had, for the most part, conquered all their inheritance.  Those nations left were a means for God to test the resolve of Israel’s faithfulness.  Now, they stand the moment when leadership will once again change.  Sometimes for the better.  Sometimes for the worse.  Israel, it its best day, stood on victory’s ground.  They had promised to love the LORD with their whole hearts.  They promised to follow the law.  They promised to worship only the one true God.  It wouldn’t be long before they broke their promises.  The thing is, this challenge should be a daily one.  In other words, if we make it a daily goal to cleave unto the LORD, it will soon become a lifestyle.

Being married for almost 40 years, I know a bit about cleaving.  Cleaving is a feeling of unity between two people that is painfully inseparable.  Two people walk together through shared experiences and shared dreams.  They know each other almost better than they do themselves.  When two people are cloven together, they know what the other is thinking and can often finish the other’s thoughts.  Outside of our walk with God, there is no other relationship like it.  None.  Not with our parents.  Not with our children.  A marriage relationship is unique and is a shadow of what our relationship with the LORD should and can be.  When two people cleave together, they complete one another.  Without the other, the one not what he or she was meant to be.  Loneliness doesn’t even come close to explaining the feeling when one is absent from the other.  They change each other.  When done right, they change one another for the better.  Marriage is a blessing from God that, if done in the will of God, is a slice of heaven on earth.

This cleaving is even more meaningful when the saint cleaves to the LORD.  There is a bond that surpasses the love of people.  This cleaving is so permanent that Paul tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God.  One thing that makes marriage special is the growth that comes thereby.  Joshua told Israel to cleave to the LORD from this day forward, as they were in the present.  In other words, cleaving has with it the idea of continuance, permanence, and change.  If one were to ask a newly married couple if it were possible to love their new spouse any more than they do at that moment, inexperience would answer, probably not.  They cannot imagine how they could love this person and more than they do at that moment.  The thing is, as two people live a life together, love matures, changes, and deepens.  This is Joshua’s plea.  Continue in the love you have for your God, but in the process, love Him even more.  I think this is the key to walking by faith and obedience.  It isn’t enough to accept Christ and then stay as we are.  We are establishing a relationship with almighty God.  Our Creator is not the most important personal relationship we have.  Cleaving means adhering.  It means becoming inseparable.  It means yielding the heart in vulnerability to someone whom you can trust.  As we started out the day we accepted Christ, we must continue.  We must remain cloven to the God who created us and saved us.  As we started, we must finish even better.

Death Is In His Hands - And Praise God for It!

“[He that is] our God [is] the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord [belong] the issues from death.” (Ps 68:20 AV)

Yes, sir!  Praise the LORD that all things concerning death are in His hands!  Amen and Amen!  David makes this obvious statement in the context of salvation, not damnation.  There is nothing to fear.  Eternity is one heartbeat away.  What a glorious day that will be!  Who knows, with the whole Iran thing, we just might be closer than we think.  Regardless, if the soul has trusted solely in the LORD Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and atonement from sin, then eternity is our final and perfect abode.  Anxiety melts away when we realize just how good God is and will be.  Heaven awaits the thirsty soul that wants nothing more than the perfect presence of God.

Every once in a while, I watch train videos.  I know, really interesting, huh?  These are usually through mountainous regions and picturesque countryside.  At the beginning of the video, the creator often shows a map of the trip with any interesting landmarks or places of interest marked on the map.  Sometimes, tunnels with their lengths are delineated.  These tunnels can be extremely short.  Or they can be the opposite.  Extremely long.  Some of these tunnels can be thirty to sixty minutes of travel time.  When studying for sermons, and these videos are on, one can be distracted by how long those tunnels actually are.  But I can imagine what it would be like riding on a train like that.  The only thing one can see is darkness.  Unless you are riding in the engine and have the luxury of a lamp, darkness is all you see.  Until the light at the end of the tunnel marks the end of a dark journey, the demeanor of the passenger might suffer.  When the light at the end of the tunnel shines, no matter how small it may be at first, there is hope that the journey will soon be over.

Now, our lives have never been one long tunnel.  There have been good times as well as not so good times.  It is the nature of our human experience.  However, one can honestly say that living would be immensely better if there were no bad times.  The issues of death belong to the God of our salvation.  An issue is something that comes forth from something else.  Usually used to describe that which issues from the body, like infection, defecation, or cleansing; an issue is that which comes forth in order to make or keep the body healthy.  Therefore, when David speaks of the issues of death he is speaking of that which comes forth from death that makes the person much better off.  HEAVEN!  The presence of God is there, and although death will be the worst of all human experiences, from it comes an eternal bliss that cannot be compared.  Praise God that our GOD of salvation is in control of that which comes from the most unpleasant of all human experiences.

He's Boss

“He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.” (Ps 66:7 AV)

How appropriate for our day today.  With wars and rumors of wars, it seems the nations think themselves greater than their Creator.  No doubt our weapons of war are terrible.  All told, if all were used, no doubt almost all of humanity could become extinct.  Yet, not for all the weapons of war of all the nations of the earth can even scratch the glory of God.  Not any.  Not all!  It is sad, really.  Our rebellious third rock from the sun thinks it can collectively conquer God.  It thinks that if the majority of mankind rejects the sovereign Creator, then He is obligated to leave them alone.  Oh, not so!  God created it all.  And therefore owns it all.  How foolish we are to think we are anything.  We think that if we do not believe in Him, then He does not see us.  Out of sight, out of mind.  If God does not exist, then there is no one to observe our wickedness.  But belief that God does not exist does not mean He does not exist.  Our Creator, the First Cause, exists whether we believe in Him or not.

How much more are we that know Him accountable for our rebellion?  What, you say?  How can a child of God be in rebellion against the God who saved Him?  But we can.  And we are.  When we deliberately ignore what the word of God requires, or worse yet, change it to appease our own hearts, we are in rebellion.  When the revealed word of God is as plain as the nose on the face, and we refuse to follow, we are in rebellion.  When the word of God commands certain things like holiness, faithfulness, and sacrifice, and we think it is an option, we are in rebellion.  If the truth be told, the body of Christ is far more rebellious than we may care to think.

God isn’t going to change.  Nor for us.  Nor for anyone.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  God requires what He requires and will not bend to rules simply to please those whom He created.  We were created for Him and not He, us.  He sees everything and will express His pleasure or displeasure.  He rules forever.  There are no elections.  There is no force, real or imagined that can dethrone Him.  He is God, and we are not!  Mic drop!

The Awesome Privilege of Prayer

“O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” (Ps 65:2 AV)

What a verse!  But what of the wicked?  They don’t pray.  Will they come and speak to God?  Listen to Paul.  “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Php 2:9-11 AV) The simplest definition of prayer is speaking with God when God hears our speaking.  It matters not what a soul’s standing with God might be.  If the wicked speak to God and God hears their speaking, they have just prayed.  The answer will not be as they wish, but God did hear and God will answer.  Have you ever heard the line, “Well, I’m just not a prayin’ man”?  Perhaps it was a line in an old spaghetti western.  As the enemy encircles and the minister encourages prayer, the toughest guy says this line.  As if God admires his courage!  Prayer is seen as a weakness.  Sure, we go to prayer because we are weak.  But that is not the only reason.  We go because we are strong, too.  The guarantee of being heard, as stated above, it the reason we go to God in prayer!

Prayer is both a privilege and a gift.  Imagine!  We can talk directly with our Creator.  If we are saved, we have the wonderful and gracious gift of speaking with our eternal Father.  Of all the years I spent in a false religion that spoke of God as an angry and displeased Creator, when Jesus saved my soul the privilege of prayer was a blessing beyond words.  It has taken a lifetime of walking with God for me to realize and accept His true nature.  Prayer was and is a big part of that.  If God were like the Wizard of Oz; unapproachable and intimidating; then there would be little point in salvation.  Prayer is the Christian privilege that sets us apart from all other religions.  We do not approach a distant Creator or Controller for the mere purpose of appeasement.  Jesus Christ paid for our sins.  There is no appeasement necessary.  We are the accepted in Him!  When we go to prayer, our conversation is not limited to gaining God’s favors.  Yes, we are to pray for our needs because it is the polite and respectful thing to do.  But prayer is far more than listing a bunch of stuff we think we need.  Rather, it is a conversation with our sovereign God, King, and Father that we might know Him!

When David states the obvious in the verse above, I think it is far deeper than it at first appears.  David was a man after God’s own heart.  All one needs to do is study the book of Psalms to realize the depth of David’s prayers.  There were requests.  But there was also praise.  There were complaints, but there was also worship.  There were concerns, but there was much adoration.  When he states that God hears, and therefore all will seek His ear, shows us that there is a deep desire to know our Creator.  The wicked simply do not like the terms.  Heaven will be heaven because the saints have the privilege of learning and knowing the eternal and limitless Creator who calls us beloved.  Praise be to God!

Working Hard at Sin

“They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward [thought] of every one [of them], and the heart, [is] deep.” (Ps 64:6 AV)

I was struck by the phrase ‘diligent search’.  My mind immediately went to how hard we work at sin.  This wickedness is not merely yielding to in impulsive temptation.  This degree of sin is planned and executed.  At what point does working for pleasure become a pleasure in itself?  To accomplish something means to make an end of it.  Therefore, those who sin as a conscious choice of life exhaust all avenues to experience that sin.  It ends one of two ways.  Those bent on sin will work very hard at finding it.  They will look at every conceivable place.  If sin is not found, a new search ensues.  I guess what strikes me as odd is that sinful mankind will work extra hard at self-pleasure that only ends in emptiness and destruction, but will not work equally hard at righteousness.

This reminds me of a situation many years ago.  A couple traveled a significant distance to visit my wife and me.  We had known this couple for a long time.  Their marriage was strained, and they thought a vacation would help.  One problem they faced was that the husband was a substance abuser.  He had been for years.  He was in and out of rehab.  This fella even traveled thousands of miles to enter a program.  He was clean for a while, but eventually fell back into old habits.  At the time of our visit, we lived in a very high-crime city and neighborhood.  It was the second day of their week-long visit that the husband said he needed to go to a bank and deposit a check.  I thought that was odd since the likelihood of finding a national bank similar to the one they used at home would be a feat.  Off he went, and he left his wife behind.  Which I thought was also odd.  He was gone for several hours.  That was also odd.  An errand that should have take no more than thirty minutes took most of the morning.  I later found out he had hit the streets and was looking to score some drugs.  The thing is, our neighborhood was extremely dangerous.  Especially for someone like my friend.  He worked awfully hard to find his drug of choice even to the point of risking his life to do so.

Our phones and computers come with search engines.  Based on the settings one has, the results can be rather wicked.  Filters have to be put in place to avoid seeing things the browser need not see.  The same is true with sin.  We can work awfully hard as self-pleasure.  We can go to the extent of our search to feel, see, or think something that God calls wicked.  The best practice is the install filters.  We have the filter of God’s word.  We have the filter of fellow believers.  Most of all, we have the filter of the presence of God in the person of the Holy Spirit.  If only we would work just as hard at holiness as we do sin, we would be more like Christ than we are.

Humility Required

“Behold, [when] we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.” (Jos 2:18 AV)

I wonder how Rahab’s family felt about their immoral relative being the source of their salvation.  What was going through their minds?  Did they fear the activity that might occur if they spent a few nights in her house?  Did all the uncomfortable conversations or statements of disappointment come up while sitting around a dinner table?  I wonder if they felt insulted that God had chosen a converted prostitute to be their sanctuary instead of someone far more moral.  Rahab is a great example of how the LORD will and can use the worst of us to reach the best of them.  One thing is for certain: Rahab’s family had to eat some crow in order to live.  Humility was demanded, or they would not survive.  The same is true with salvation.  It cannot and will come to the proud of heart.

It is kind of funny how this works.  Many years ago, I worked as a glorified janitor for a real estate company.  They owned several office buildings.  It was my job to travel to these building and clean the restrooms, empty the trash, etc.  At the main office, the company had two lawyers on staff.  One was a seasoned Jewish man who knew a bit of the bible.  We had many discussions.  Yet, I was his janitor.  He had decades of education and experience.  Yet, he engaged me in biblical debates.  Then there was my wife’s employer.  He was a county judge.  Yet my wife, a lowly secretary, often witnessed to him as well.  There were many times that I worked as a caddy for some very wealthy people and every once in a while, was asked of my testimony.  These types of successful people could have sought out ministers in ivory towers.  They could have asked the deceivers of the faith because of the false appearance of success.  But they did not.  They asked the lowly janitor, caddy, and secretary of the good news of the gospel.

It is often the least among us who do the greatest work.  Those who have baggage and a background often are the ones God uses to win the most.  Rahab’s family had to lower their standards if they were to live through the destruction of their city.  They had to dwell in a house of ill repute in order to survive.  Rahab, no doubt, left her life of sin once she saw the power of Jehovah.  The bible tells us as much.  Once she stepped out on faith and protected the spies of Israel, she made her choice to leave her profession.  The den of sin became the domicile of salvation.  But in order to realize the same salvation as Rahab, her family had to humble themselves, see their need, and accept any means by which God provided their salvation.

Wisdom Is Wealth

“Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” (Pr 3:13-14 AV)

Sometimes this takes a lifetime to learn.  But it is true nonetheless.  Wisdom is far more valuable than all the things we might be able to attain.  The word ‘merchandise’ is interesting here.  It means to use in business in order to make a profit.  The old saying that money cannot buy happiness is certainly true.  Material goods, no matter how much, cannot buy certain things.  Wisdom, however, makes certain things attainable that money cannot buy.  With wealth comes stress.  There is anxiety over the things we have.  We must maintain them.  We must protect them.  We must store them.  With wisdom, there are no residual costs.  With material gain comes discontentment.  There is always more to have.  There is always more to gain.  With wisdom, contentment is the end of it all.  There are those who lack for nothing and yet are rarely at peace with life.  There are those who have very little and seem to enjoy life as it comes.  Furthermore, things have their limits.  Throwing money at something does not always fix it.  There are investments with great returns that don’t cost a dime.  Wisdom, and not material things, has the greatest return.

I was reminded of this recently.  While sitting at a table over a simple cup of coffee, there was more ministry accomplished than an entire program tailored solely for an individual.  We notice this while we do our work for the LORD in many ways.  Every summer we have a large VBS in a public park.  It takes many hands and a good chunk of resources.  Yet without follow-up, there seems to be no return.  What matters to people?  It is not the large programs we put on.  It is not the many different venues a soul might explore.  It is the single individual who spends just a small amount of time caring for the hurting soul.  It is the listening ear and feeling heart that sees return on their investment.  Knowing what to say and how to say it pays dividends far beyond patronization with much goods.

The older I get, the more I realize just how true this proverb is.  Over the last decade or so, the LORD has been teaching me skills in listening.  It is hard for a preacher to listen and not speak.  That is our calling.  We are supposed to offer a bit of knowledge that will help in a situation.  However, there are times when nothing needs to be said.  There are times when the hurting soul already knows what he or she needs to know.  They simply need someone to listen.  There is greater pleasure in silence than there is in speaking words that may not be needed.  Wisdom can accomplish many things that a bank account cannot.  Life is not about how much one can gain.  When we pass, it all stays here.  Life is about what we can accomplish for the LORD.  Wisdom is the currency.

Inevitability of Failure

“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call [them] to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,” (De 30:1 AV)

I’ve always thought the transparency above was a bit odd.  It is true.  But odd.  Israel will have times of obedience and faith.  They will also have many more times of disobedience and doubt.  Today’s overly positive world would criticize God for being so honest.  They would see the phrase above as setting Israel up for failure.  The world wants us to build each other up as though failure isn’t part of life.  All we want is good news.  All we want is to hear that we are supernatural and will never do anything wrong.  To inform someone that they cannot be perfect and that they will fail is believed to be a detriment to their improvement.  Yet, the LORD has no problem telling Israel that there will be times of blessing and cursing.  There will be good times and bad times.  They will struggle with temptation and fall into it.  This is not a foregone conclusion or self-fulfilling prophecy.  Just a statement on the nature of people.  How refreshing to hear the truth, even if it isn’t the encouragement we think we need.

No matter what skill I tried to learn, there was always a learning curve associated with it.  How many of us have scars to prove the lessons learned along the road of life?  I remember when I was promoted to the pizza making side of the restaurant.  I started out cutting the pizzas and sending them out to the front cashier.  My job was to mark the boxes according to the order.  The name went on the left and the type of pizza when on the right.  Then, as they came out, I sliced them, closed the box, and sent the box with the receipt to the front.  From there, I graduated to pulling.  That was the person who pulled the pizzas out of the oven and put them in the box.  When the head chef instructed us in the procedure, he warned us that we would suffer burns along the way.  Sure enough, I suffered a bit of pain.  From there, I moved along to a pizza maker.  More burns.  Most of the serious burns came from making pizzas and not pulling them.  Again, I was warned of the inevitability of burns and why they occur.  I was glad they told me.  Even though I relaxed my focus and suffered the consequences, at least I knew burns were coming and why they happened.

I would rather have an instructor or coach who would tell me that I probably won’t get it right the first few times I tried and show me why I failed than someone who told me I will be an immediate success and never fail.  Failure means improvement.  Failure means learning and growing.  Failure is a reality check on just who and what we are.  Failure is uncomfortable but necessary.  Failure produces results that can be fixed.  Failure reveals the why and not just the how.  Failure means there is greater insight into the nature of things.  Honesty, as it regards failure is refreshing.  When the LORD tells me that I will fall into temptation, it is not perceived as an insult.  The saint shouldn’t take it as a parent who doesn’t believe in their child.  Rather, knowing our propensity to fail, we are more aware of it and may even avoid it.  No, I would rather have a heavenly Father who knows the wisdom of full transparency than a God who wants to protect me from the truth.  Praise the LORD for the bad news!  The bad news helps us to overcome and enjoy more blessings than cursings.

Beauty of Holiness

“And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister: And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.” (De 27:2-3 AV)

Joshua’s altar had to be something to behold!  It was recently discovered.  Built like the letter ‘E’ laying on the ground, the priest would ascend the middle ramp while the penitent would climb the first ramp.  The animal would be killed, and the blood would run over the face of the altar.  The animal was sacrificed at the center, and being reconciled to God, the penitent would leave from the opposite direction from which he came.  This entire altar was plaistered with a substance made from bleached animal bone and pitch.  It dried like hardened cement, and when it did, it was as white as anything one could imagine.  The law was chiseled into the face of the altar so the people of Isael saw the record of the law written on a bone-white altar when entering the land of Canaan.  What a picture of perfection that must have been.

I have gone to our nation’s capital a couple of times.  There are many sights to see there.  There are a few monuments that strike at the heart of the visitor.  The war memorial is perhaps the most moving of all.  There are the Washington and Lincoln monuments.  The Capital build looms large.  And of course, there is the White House.  Upon these monuments, there are words etched for all time.  There are scripture verses.  There are patriotic quotes.  What is not on the monuments is a copy of the entire law of our land.  I don’t think it would fit.  These buildings are impressive.  They attempt to give praise to God, but in reality, they are erected to recognize great men of our past.  There is nothing inherently wrong with that.  It is just that compared to the law written on alabaster white walls of an altar doesn’t even come close.

I have a message regarding this altar.  It is a perfect picture of salvation in Christ.  But that is not what strikes the heart this morning.  It is the picture of perfection that someone entering the promised land witnessed as they passed by.  It is not just the altar which could be seen from Jerusalem, laying 17 miles away.  That bone-white altar could be seen from miles.  It wasn’t the absence of flaws or the fact that it was built with materials God had supplied beforehand that fit together like a puzzle without one chisel or hammer used.  No.  What impresses the mind this morning is the beauty that is the law.  Perfection on a road sign, so to speak.  What made this altar one of a kind was not the shape or color.  It was not the activity that occurred there.  Rather, it was the law written on its face.  I could not help but think of heaven.  Heaven is a place of absolute perfection and holiness.  There will be no need for law as we understand it because all the inhabitants will have no desire to break it.  The beauty of holiness is what the Hebrew saw when he entered God’s land, and it will be the beauty of holiness which the saint will see as well.