Prepared Before Compliance

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do [it], and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” (Ezr 7:10 AV)

This isn’t the first person mentioned who had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD.  Several of Judah’s kings did the exact same thing.  Ezra was a priest.  He was charged with repairing the temple and starting afresh the Jewish sacrificial system.  He was focused on the furniture of the temple and the feasts that were to follow.  Therefore, because of his calling, he would naturally prepare his heart to seek the law of the LORD because his calling depended on it.  Preparing one’s heart to seek the law of the LORD is not the same as responding to it with compliance once the law is revealed.  We tend to do more of the latter than the former.  If we are honest, we wait for instructions to be brought to us before we are motivated to obey.  Seldom to we study the word of God that we might specifically find laws or principles to which to conform.  Seeking the law is not the same as mere compliance.  The latter is important.  It must be done.  But the former is a higher standard to which we are called.

Ezra had the calling and responsibility of the priesthood.  His objective demanded that he prepare his heart to search out and discover the law of God.  He could not accomplish what God sent him to do without a prepared heart toward the law of God.  Paul the Apostle states, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” (Eph 4:1 AV) We have a calling as well.  Our calling is to be a sanctified child of God.  We are to conform to the image of Jesus Christ.  We fail miserably.  We still have that old man to contend with.  He is constantly tempting us to sin.  We may not have the exact same calling as Ezra.  Ours is a lifelong one.  Once the temple was rebuilt and the law established anew, Ezra became a manager.  Our calling is a construction project of change that will not cease until our glorification.  There are always areas of correction.  There are always laws and principles that need discovering.  There are always standards that need our compliance.  Preparing our hearts means that instead of being reactive to the word of God, we become more proactive.

We often preach daily devotions and journaling.  I think both are important.  Daily devotions are going to the LORD for that which that which the saint will need for the day.  Or longer.  It can be encouragement.  Often it is instruction and correction.  Our search should not end with a few minutes a day.  When we go to church or sit in a bible study, we should come with a prepared heart, looking for principles or statutes from God which we can apply to our lives.  This idea of a heart that is prepared to seek the LORD is the mind of the saint that is bent toward seeking opportunities to change and comply.  Having a heart that is prepared is starting at the point of need.  The prepared heart knows that it is not in perfect compliance with the law of the LORD even if it doesn’t yet know the specifics of failure.  The prepared heart is looking with a critical mind for all flaws and the law of God that addresses them.  Looking for, rather than responding to, is a mark of maturity.

God's Bad Memory

“I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” (Isa 43:25 AV)

It is common for the saints to dredge up sins of the past when adversity seems to overwhelm.  Our minds and spirits are tormented by choices we wish never occurred.  We confess and forsake all over again is if the first time did not count.  We recant any and all failures regardless of past forgiveness.  We are tormented by the thought that the LORD hangs our sins over our heads as a way to manipulate or remind us of just how wicked we are.  This is a lie from Satan!  If God has forgiven, He has forgotten.  This doesn’t mean consequences are not forthcoming.  There are consequences for our choices that God built into His creation.  There are natural things that will occur unless the LORD supernaturally intervenes.  Just because God must send circumstances does not mean He is still ruminating over our sin.  It is our desire to punish ourselves or a Satanic influence that keeps us in a constant state of defeat.  God doesn’t remember it.  Why should we?

I cannot begin to tell you of all the patients I have visited who lived with regret.  There was the lady who was dying of emphysema who was estranged from her daughter.  They had a falling out, and at the time of her passing, there was no reconciliation.  There was the man who was told his heart was failing, and he had only a few months.  He cheated on his wife decades ago and was still tormented by it.  There was the man who was awaiting a quadruple amputation because he never took care of himself.  There were several service members who lived with survival’s guilt.  One in particular was a captain of bomber during WWII, and the two times he was out for medical reasons, his plane went down.  He was the sole survivor of two different crews.  There was the man whom I worked with who was an veteran.  He was forward-stationed, performing advanced scouting for his unit.  He had to take the life of a non-combatant so that he and his unit were not discovered.  We all live with regrets.  It is part of our nature.  We cannot seem to let go of those things we have done or failed to do.  Passing away in peace is a struggle.  But it all hinges on our faith of God’s permanent forgiveness.

We must separate consequences for choices from the remembrance of sin.  God did not intend our consequences to torment us by guilt over what we have done or failed to do.  When the memory of wickedness comes upon us, we need to resist the Devil so he will flee from us.  If the LORD refuses to remember the deeds that precipitated our circumstances, then we should learn to forget it, too.  We can remember what we have done.  The ‘why’ for our circumstances makes that necessary.  But what we are not required to do is ruminate on the nature of our choices, the guilt and regret that comes from it, nor the fear that somehow God will never let us off the hook.  If God does not remember our sin, then once forgiven and forsaken, neither should we.

Is Your Name Written Down?

“These sought their register [among] those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.” (Ezr 2:62 AV)

A great picture of the Lamb’s Book of Life!  Upon returning to Jerusalem, one of the first things Ezra did was to repair the genealogical record.  This was particularly important concerning the Levites.  The other eleven tribes would need to know to whom they belonged that land and inheritance might be rightfully assigned.  With the Levites, their genealogy pertained to their station in the nation of Israel.  Only those who were a decedent of Levi could claim the right of temple service.  Only those from the lineage of Aaron could claim the right of the priesthood.  When Israel and Judah unfortunately lost their liberty, diligence failed in the keeping of genealogical records.  Israel was in Assyria and Babylon for almost three-hundred years.  Judah and Benjamin were in captivity for seventy years.  For Israel, that was almost eight generations.  For Judah and Benjamin, it was two generations.  The Levites would be affected the most.  There was no temple in Babylon.  There was no ministry to speak of.  For the foreseeable future, there was no need to keep records.  But there was!  When they returned, their word did not automatically afford them the privilege of the priesthood.  When they returned, an oral tradition would not suffice.  When they returned, familiarity with the things of God did not mean they were Levitical.  They needed a written record of their lineage, or there was no place for them in the service of God.

The Lamb’s book of life is much the same way.  It is the written record of our trust in the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of all sins.  Our names were written in the book of life upon conception in our mother’s belly.  It was transferred to the Lamb's Book of Life upon our second birth.  I imagine the excuses to circumvent the written record will be much the same.  “My parents told me I got saved” might be one refrain. “I grew up in church and I know a lot of Bible truth” might still be another.  “Brother So-and-so baptized me” was one I often heard.  “I’m a good person” is very common.  “I’ve always believed in Jesus since the day of my birth” is another that we hear.  None of these defenses will gain access to heaven.  Only a written record of the day we repented of our sins and trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior will matter.  “I sure hope so” or “no one can know for sure” are also statements made by those who expect heaven, but have no real assurance.

The story is told of a young man who tried to gain access to a gala in celebration of a great event.  He did his homework.  He read the requirements to gain access.  A tuxedo was ordered, fitted, and paid for.  He rented a limousine.  He secured a date for the evening who was well known.  Somehow, this man got a copy of the invitation.  The night came.  He picked up his date and arrived at the gate.  With invitation in hand, he met security at the front door.  Handing him his engraved invitation, the official looked at the guest list.  Asking for ID to double-check his list, the security officer announced that his name was not on the list.  Insisting that he was invited, hence the engraved invitation, the officer consulted with the host, and the host verified that the list was completely accurate.  There were no late additions to the list.  This young man was denied admittance because he was not on the guest list.  This is how the Lamb’s Book of Life works.  If we are not written in the book, there is no place in heaven for us.  The best thing to do is assure one’s name is written there by repenting of sin and trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ.

A Prayer God Does Not Ignore

“«A Song of degrees» Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” (Ps 130:1-2 AV)

A very appropriate opening to a song of degrees.  A song of degrees was a psalm sung as the penitent climbed or ascended the temple mount.  It is more than likely the child of God would sing this while ascending the mountain.  What follows these two verses is a confession of sin and desire for mercy.  This would be the normal course of action.  Upon reaching the tabernacle or temple, the Hebrew worshipper would offer a sacrifice for his sin.  He cries out for God’s mercy in reflection of his failure to live perfectly in the law.  We do not need to limit this cry to forgiveness only.  Any time we approach the throne of God, these words are appropriate.  It is the desperation in the voice that moves the heart of God.  Desperation founded in truth and sincerity is a prayer that God cannot, nor will not, ignore.

I have spent much time in the hospital.  As a chaplain, I have visited many.  To a different degree, they are all suffering.  But one can tell the moans or cries of someone who is hurting to the core compared with someone who is dealing with less pain or discomfort than they realize.  Don’t get me wrong.  Pain is not comfortable.  It is annoying at best.  It is debilitating at the highest level.  I have prayed with those who were in for a minor infection.  I have also ministered to those who were in such discomfort that they could not speak.  They looked at me with deep pain in their bodies without the strength to cry out for relief.  Those were always the hardest patients to see.  Maxed out on pain medication, there was nothing more that could be done.  Unless the body expired or healed itself, there simply was no relief.  This is the depth of which our psalmist speaks.  It is anguish so deep that divine relief is the only treatment.  Divine relief and only divine relief.

Those who have experienced this depth of anguish know exactly of what I speak.  It is an anguish so deep that all but God becomes non-existent.  Perhaps we are laying in bed and mourning the unfortunate events of life.  Maybe we are lonely.  Maybe we are suffering from untold depth of pain.  Perhaps there is no sunshine.  Every day seems like a dark day.  There is no incentive to get out of bed.  We are in the anguish of our souls to the degree that we cannot function.  Take a lesson for the writer above.  One task.  That is all that needs to be done.  Ascend the mountain of God and pour out your soul to Him.  Just one task.  Don’t worry about everything else until you have done that one thing.  The writer got relief because he was humble, desperate, and sincere.  He wanted to be right with God, and nothing else matters.  Maybe it is not sin that has you so low.  But whatever it is, rest assured, God does not ignore the cries of the desperate.  When the writer reached the top and offered his sacrifice, God answered.  He cried in the depth o his soul, obeyed the LORD, and trusted Him for the mercy he sought.

Yielding To God's Care

“With him [is] an arm of flesh; but with us [is] the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” (2Ch 32:8 AV)

The ‘him’ is the general of the Assyrian army who came against Judah and Jerusalem.  The one speaking is Hezekiah, king of Judah.  Assyria had successfully invaded and conquered Israel to the north of Judah.  The assertion is that since Israel, who was known to the Gentile world as followers of Jehovah, failed to defend their nation, that Jehovah would not rescue Judah.  I can appreciate the fear gripping Judah.  Israel, which was far larger than Judah, could not defend against the Assyrians.  Now little Judah and Benjamin face the same foe.  If their much bigger brother could not resist, what are they to do?  Hezekiah shows great faith here.  He is able to do so because he does not limit himself to what is seen.  Rather, he places far more weight on what cannot be seen.  Hezekiah wisely makes a distinction between limited temporal might that does not exist very long with the eternal power of God.  In particular, the LORD is there to fight our battles.  That is what we wish to grasp this morning.

The faith that Hezekiah shows here is incredible.  He sees a human force that dwarfs him.  He is the one responsible for encouraging the people.  He is the one responsible for ordering a battle plan.  If the nation is lost, there will be much suffering.  When you look at what he said, you have to be impressed.  However, what else can he say?  He knows that Judah does not posses the ability to deliver itself.  He knows his nation exists at the mercy of stronger forces.  He knows that if he resists, they will burn his nation to the ground.  But they were going to do that, anyway.  The only choice he had was to trust the LORD.  What he said was a wonderful statement of faith in the person of God.  On the other hand, it was the only thing that could be said.  If the battle was to be won, it would be the LORD who would do it.  There was no other option.  In this lies the foundation of faith.  Faith may be the natural conclusion to our frailty.  We cannot do what we need to do.  We cannot deliver ourselves.  Therefore, faith is the only answer.  It is yielding to the no-brainer of faith in God that is the hardest part of this process.

The battles we face are, at times, insurmountable.  They are way beyond our natural ability to manage or overcome.  It is the yielding that we have the most trouble with.  It reminds me of times when I had to let go and stop trying to solve or overcome situations in my strength or wisdom.  One winter evening, my father and I were traveling during a storm.  He had a job interview, and my mother wanted one of us boys to go with him in case something happened.  And something did.  As we were traveling on snow-covered roads, my father lost control of the truck.  We were going a bit slower than normal, but not slow enough.  We left the road and started sliding sideways.  We were headed right for an enormous oak tree and I was closest to it.  If we hit that tree, there were severe injuries or death in my future.  What could I do?  What could my dad do?  The situation was almost completely out of our control.  All we could do was hang on and trust the LORD.  At the last second, by the hand of God, the truck lurched forward, and we missed the tree by inches.  These things have happened more than once.  Three times I have had a loaded gun pointed at me.  I’ve been in a car accident that could have been fatal, but no one was hurt.

Yielding is the beginning of trusting.  Yielding to the only choice available makes complete sense.  Yet we fight it.  Hezekiah really didn’t have any other option.  He trusted the LORD because the LORD was his only choice.  But he trusted nonetheless.

Joy From Common Definition

“So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel [there was] not the like in Jerusalem.” (2Ch 30:26 AV)

A little background first.  Since the time of David and Solomon, Judah has had ups and downs concerning the kings who led them.  Some did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD.  Some did not.  Those who did never completely undid the sins of their predecessors.  There may have been compliance for most things, but not all things.  As a result, the ministry of the Temple went neglected.  The Passover, Israel’s most sacred of all feast days, went unobserved.  When Hezekiah took the throne, he managed the most thorough revival to ever hit Judah.  He cleaned everything out, repaired the temple, sanctified the priests, and reestablished the Passover.  The above verse was the reaction of the people of Israel upon their first Passover celebration in many decades.  All the people rejoiced.  It was a unified and nation celebration marked by great joy and appreciation.  The question might arise as to the possibility for our nation.  Is it possible?  The key factor that Israel possessed was a unified cultural definition.  They may not have agreed on every point, but they agreed that Israel was a nation called out by God to live according to His laws and that any culture that would harm their national definition would not be accepted.  Cultural unity made this national celebration possible.

What we are seeing is a struggle for definition.  We are approaching our 250th anniversary.  Our nation, much to the chagrin of the secularists, did begin as a concept honoring Judeo-Christian ideals.  We did not begin as a theocrasy, as Israel did.  Rather, the common principles of the right to life, liberty, and property (it was changed to ‘happiness’) found in Jewish and Christian doctrines were the foundation of our national definition.  Our founding fathers understood that to ensure all three, moral laws had to be the structure upon which our nation was to be built.  In no fashion did they ever have in mind the modern-day idea of freedom.  Today’s definition of freedom is hedonism.  This will not work.  One person's pursuit of unfettered or unprincipled freedom is an infringement on another’s right to liberty.  Our nation is tearing itself apart because we cannot agree upon a common culture.  There is the Judeo-Christian culture that is still prevalent.  But equally strong is the anti-Judeo-Christian culture that opposes everything.  What they do not realize is that once they perceive the Judeo-Christian culture is no longer relevant, or that it is destroyed, they will turn on each other.  The unity they now share in trying to defeat God will become dis-unified in the end.

I appreciate all that our nation is doing to try to get back to our nation’s founding, but it cannot be legislated from the halls of an assembly or from the edicts of people in robes.  Laws and court decisions are a good place to start.  But they are not the answer.  Israel rejoiced because they had a law which was the definition of who they were and needed to be.  Their definition was unified because of a strong faith in their divinely appointed purpose.  The United States has much in common with God’s people.  We had a common calling that reached around the globe.  That common calling was based on Biblical principles and was generally beneficial to all of mankind.  Those who wished to exist in opposition to it did not feel particularly advantaged.  But all who chose to live in accord with God’s perfect law had a generally improved nation.  Israel rejoiced because they had a common culture.  As we celebrate 250 years as a nation, let us seek to solve this disunity.  Let us agree we are a divinely established nation for the benefit of individual liberty and the right of conscience.  Until we agree on a common culture, rejoice as one nation will be a challenge at best.

Strength Through Obedience

“So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.” (2Ch 27:6 AV)

There is a direct correlation between obedience and strength.  There is a direct relationship between faith and strength.  Perhaps not physical, but there is strength.  Jotham, king of Judah, was not perfect.  He did the right thing, but not with a right heart.  He prepared his ways before the LORD but never prepared his heart to seek the LORD.  He knew his Bible and followed it to the letter.  Yet, Jotham never had a vibrant relationship with the LORD.  This is important to understand.  We must see the relationship of obedience and faith to strength.  Not that we can be as strong as we need to be if we obey and trust the LORD.  One can only imagine if Jotham added to his character the desire to walk with God in intimacy and with a humble heart.  Regardless, what we do see is that strength comes by obedience and faith.  Partially, yes.  It can be suggested that without faith and obedience, the saint is not mighty.  He is weak.  He lives in fear and in the consequences of disobedience.

Disobedience and fear take a great toll.  We can all testify to the truth of that statement.  There are things in our past that still come back to bite us now and again.  There are fears of consequences yet to mature.  They probably never will.  But the fear is still there.  There are consequences for choices made in the past that still cost today.  Some excess baggage we carry with us.  Others are more durable in nature.  Perhaps a financial impact still haunts us.  Or maybe we have physical scars from poor choices in the past.  Whatever the consequences are, we deal with them for the rest of our lives.  There is the fear of the unknown.  We are not afraid of eternity.  We know all pain will cease there.  It is the journey along the way that concerns us.  We live in an uncertain world.  At any moment, the bottom could drop out.  Survival becomes the only motive each day.  We live in fear, anxiety, regret, etc. because we did not prepare ourselves to follow the LORD.  We are weak because the LORD is not our Rock.  We are frail because God is not our strength.  This is our human experience.

The only way to regain strength is to recommit to obedience and trust.  In these two comes the might of the LORD!  Jotham was mighty because he decided the law of God was worthy to be followed and the call of God on him and Judah was worthy to be pursued.  He may not have been intimately involved with the person of God, but the ways of God got him through much.  Again, this is not to give a shortcut to the might of God.  Being intimate with God can only increase the might one can have through obedience and faith.  But we have to start somewhere.  Obedience and intimacy are to be pursued equally.  We cannot have one without the other.  Our modern idea of worship is intimacy without obedience.  Legalism is the opposite.  Obedience without intimacy.  This is why our churches are not effective.  There must be both.  The same is true with the individual.  We will face troubles and trials too hard for any human to endure.  Just like it would have been foolish for Jotham to wage war against the Ammonites while living in disobedience with the LORD, it is equally foolish for us to do the same.  Do we want strength and might to face our troubles?  Then it starts with obedience and faith.

Motivation

“And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened [it] not…And at the king’s commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.” (2Ch 24:5, 8 AV)

This young man was remarkable.  His mother killed all his siblings, and he alone was left.  At seven years old, he ascended to the throne.  He executed his own mother.  He cleansed Judah of all idol worship.  Now, he has set in motion the repairing of the temple after his mother had destroyed it.  He read the law and discovered an offering once called for by Moses for the construction of the tabernacle.  This young man calls for the same to repair the temple.  He instructs the Levites to oversee and collect this mandatory offering, and they dragged their feet.  They hastened not.  Why, we don’t know.  But the job was not done.  So, the king rebukes them and comes up with the solution to collect the offerings.  He bores a hole in a box laid outside the temple and the money comes it.  Sometimes, a leader has to light a fire under the feet of those who are supposed to be doing the work.  This is annoying, but necessary.

We need motivation.  That is our nature.  All one has to do is pay a bit of attention to all the ads for weight-loss products.  There are drugs.  There are gym memberships.  There are weight-loss groups.  And there are services available.  Then there are the motivators for better fitness.  Smartwatches measure your heart rate, oxygen levels, and steps.  They act as a fitness tracker to motivate the user to better habits.  Of course, who can forget the original fitness tracker, the Fitbit?  We have alarms and reminders for all sorts of things.  When I was on more medication than I am now, I had a pill reminder.  When I had my shoulder surgery, the PT gave me homework.  She gave me a schedule of exercises with reps and a checklist.  Just this morning, I thought the machines were taking over.  The coffee pot was chiming, and the microwave beeped at the same time.  If the door of the refrigerator were open, it would have sounded off, too.  My car has all sorts of assistants just waiting to tell me what to do.  I have collision warnings, turn signal warnings, proximity sensors, and a backup camera.  It is now yelling at me to have the oil changed in exactly three days, or it will get very angry!  We need motivation!

The fault of failing to quickly take an offering by the command of the king was something to confess and get right.  I wonder if they felt bad that the king had to do something they were tasked to do.  I wonder if a seven-year-old boy doing the work of grown men was lost on them.  It should have been an embarrassment.  There is no shame in admitting that we need motivation.  Our human nature is lazy and forgetful.  There is no shame is asking the LORD to give us something that will keep us focused and going.  In fact, it is very prudent.  We may think that relying on outward motivators is admitting we are weak.  But we are.  Our minds, bodies, and souls can only accomplish so much on their own.  They must be motivated to go beyond what is naturally possible.  The Levites needed a lad to light a fire under their feet.  Maybe we need a reminder.  Maybe we need a good friend to read us the riot act.  Maybe we need the Holy Spirit to convict and give guidance.  We need something or someone because we are frail, weak, and forgetful.

Being Clueless Could Be A Good Thing

“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes [are] upon thee.” (2Ch 20:12 AV)

Jehoshaphat is an eternal optimist.  He thinks only positive thoughts.  He tried to assist Ahab on several occasions even though the LORD was against it.  This above passage regards the second time Jehoshaphat attempted to assist Ahab and Jezebel.  Through His prophet, God rebuked Jehoshaphat.  The king was not to assist the God-haters anymore.  To ensure that didn’t happen, God sent Gentile enemies against Judah to keep this good-hearted king occupied with his own problems.  The extent of the challenge was so overwhelming that the Bible tells us the king didn’t know what to do.  He speaks this prayer in the presence of his nation.  He lays at the feet of the LORD the situation and asks for guidance from Him.  This is where Jehoshaphat should have been regarding helping Ahab.  It took an overwhelming situation to drive the king to his knees. Being helpless and clueless can be a good thing.  God becomes very real in times like these.

Having been raised in Scouting, there are certain skills one learns.  Some of those skills concern wilderness survival.  In fact, there is a merit badge one could earn with that name: Wilderness Survival.  Earning this badge required that we learn of different edible and naturally occurring vegetation.  We learned how to make a dandelion salad and sumac tea.  The badge required that we learn how to make shelters and build fires in both good and inclement weather.  We had to learn how to triage and treat emergency medical situations.  Reading a compass was an absolute must.  But one area that was most important was being lost without the immediate means to find one’s way.  The first thing the instructors teach the students is to stop.  Rather than rush off in a panic where injury or further confusion can ensue, the stranded soul is to stop.  He or she is to sit and relax.  Assessment is to be made.  Can I realistically get out before nightfall?  If not, at what time am I going to stop trying and prepare for a night in the woods?  What naturally occurring resources are there to help me find my way out?  Where is the sun?  How is it moving?  Do I need to erect a stationary sundial to discern time of day and direction of movement?  Not knowing what to do causes us to stop and evaluate.  It causes us to inventory only that which can help.  It does not prioritize cause, but rather, focuses on solutions.

Jehoshaphat didn’t know what to do.  This was new for him.  When he sided with Ahab, he had a plan.  When he assisted those whom he was supposed to avoid, there were not too many questions.  Now, the LORD sent him circumstances where he would not survive if he ignored the LORD.  Not knowing what to do is scary.  No doubt!  Not knowing which direction to go home is not comfortable.  I’ve been there once or twice.  Having to ponder the possibilities is frightful.  Will I make it through ok?  Will I make it out alive?  What pain or danger lies ahead?  Will I make it worse or better?  The questions posed while ignorant of solutions can border on the paranoid.  But not knowing what to do is exactly where we need to be sometimes.  When we do not know what to do, we are forced into doing something.  That ‘something’ which we should do first is confess our sin of self-reliance to a God who can do all things.  It was rude not to consult Him in the first place.  Next, we are to relax and involve God in our situation.  It is astounding the change of demeanor that follows this prayer.  Before the victory is even given, Judah is going onto the battlefield with an air of celebration.  They are singing and praising God before God delivers.  The funny thing about being lost.  Once the hiker realizes the plan is working and will eventually deliver him, his spirit revives as he works it out.  Jehoshaphat didn’t have the complete answer.  But he did have the God who had the complete answer.

Character Beats Might

“And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that [were] round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.” (2Ch 17:10 AV)

One would think that Jehoshaphat was a man of war.  If all they had to go on was the above verse, they would assume Jehoshaphat was a mighty man who commanded a great and fierce army.  Even if he did, that was not the cause of fear.  There is no record of Jehoshaphat waging any war.  To this point, there is no indication he had gained a great victory of any temporal nature.  Rather, what Jehoshaphat did was to revive Judah and Benjamin back to their one true God.  His father had begun the process.  Jehoshaphat finished it.  A man of character will be feared more than an man of mere might.  A man of mere might with no character can be defeated.  His wickedness will do half the work.  But a man of consistent and resolute character is not easily broken.  This is what the nations around Judah understood.  They knew that Jehovah fought for the people of God.  Especially when they walked with Him.  There was no messing with a king who walked with his God.

There are no guarantees that a world at odds with God would respect and fear a saint who is completely right with God.  In fact, Peter tells us that if we live godly, then persecution is to be expected.  Persecution is the payment for holy living.  Few are willing to pay that price.  The observation above must be understood in the context of national governments and not individual applications.  In other words, we cannot expect the world to leave us alone if we live holy and separated.  Jehoshaphat was a king of a godly nation.  They feared him because he has an army to back him up.  He has God who would defend them to all extents.  So, we cannot expect the same results.  However, there is one area in which this perfectly applies.  “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (Jas 4:7 AV) The devil has only as much power over us as we allow him to have.  No more.  No less.  Peter does not say that God will cause him to flee.  The power resides with us.  Resist is an instruction to us.  Not to the LORD.

As of late, I have been reminded how true this can be.  The devil is out to discourage and to destroy.  He, or his minions, are extremely active in the lives of the saints.  They want us defeated.  They want us to give up.  They want us to tarnish the good name of our great God in the presence of those who do not know Jehovah as yet.  They want God’s influence neutralized so that none can testify to His greatness.  Whether they are successful or not depends on the saints.  If the saints will walk with God in character and faith, the forces of hell have no option but the flee.  There is no foothold the forces of evil have in the heart that loves God.  None.  It is time we resist!  It is time we show the evil forces of Lucifer that we may not be perfect as yet, but we are forgiven.  We may have made our mistakes and fallen from time to time, but none of that can separate us from the love of God.  We are victors through the blood of Christ, and because we are, we can live for His glory.  We won’t make every righteous decision we should make.  Until we die, sin will always be a battle.  But because we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and are sealed unto the day of redemption, Satan has no claim!  None!  No power!  He is to fear the testimony of God that resides within us.  Resist!

A special kind of rejection

“And, behold, God himself [is] with us for [our] captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.” (2Ch 13:12 AV)

These words are spoken by Abijah, king of Judah upon the siege laid against Jerusalem by the ten northern tribes of Israel.  Abijah, although severely outnumbered, reminds Israel that God is with those who are with Him.  Jeroboam, the king of Israel, led his nation down the path of idolatry.  They turned their backs on God.  The priests of Jehovah fled the north and came to Judah.  Jeroboam rejected the temple Solomon built for all Hebrew people and built two temples to golden calves.  The last severe reaction of rebellion against Jehovah God was to invade Jerusalem and destroy the temple.  As long as the temple stood, it would be a draw from those in the north who wished to follow Jehovah.  As stated before, Israel severely outnumbered Judah.  They had completely surrounded the city, and there was no expectation of a positive outcome for Judah.  Unless God fought for them, that is.  And that He did.  The Bible isn’t specific because the initial attack is not declared.  What we do know is that after the first attack, Judah could kill 500,000 northern Israelis and Abijah could capture several border cities.  What strikes me is how far from God the people of God can become.

It is one thing to leave off one’s relationship with the LORD.  It is quite another to fight against those who have a relationship with the LORD.  I haven’t seen this much over the years.  But it does happen.  Nothing can explain this.  Someone who has grown up with the LORD as central to his or her identity has seen much.  He or she has seen God do some spectacular things.  Unfortunately, the people of God become a disappointment.  They fall from the pedestal upon which the rebel has placed them.  They make mistakes, sometimes serious ones, that are unforgivable.  Those who taught them absolutes are suddenly abandoning them for pragmatic reasons.  There is truth without adequate defense.  Pastors, teachers, and parents do not know their Bibles well enough to give a reason for what they say is true.  Disillusionment sets in.  Then comes scoffing.  What might be a minor flaw becomes a major one.  Questions without complete answers give cause to throw out all revealed truth.  Abandonment is understandable.  Destruction is something on a whole different level.

In the book of Revelation, Satan is given two names.  Both of which means destroyer.  It is the endgame of his existence.  He cannot win.  He does not have the illusion of beating God.  That was defeated when the LORD kicked him out of heaven.  He knows he cannot cause the saint to lose his or her salvation.  He knows the bible well enough to know that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.  He cannot destroy the church.  So, what is his endgame?  What is his objective?  It is to do as much destruction against that which God loves as he can.  This includes mankind, the church, and the individual saints.  Jeroboam had no chance.  Judah loved Jehovah, and God would defend them.  His rebellion, jealousy, and anger against the LORD drove him to his satanic destructive impulse.  There is no other explanation.  To desire the collapse and destruction of all that God loves is not a neutral or natural impulse.  It is satanic at its core.

Coming Out to Stay In

“And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.” (2Ch 11:16 AV)

After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam assumed the throne.  Because of his idolatry, the LORD informed Solomon that the twelve tribes of Israel would be divided into two nations.  Ten tribes coalesced around a man named Jeroboam, a servant of Solomon.  As more of a statement of being different, and the fear the ten northern tribes would reunite because of shared worship in Jerusalem, Jeroboam went all in with idol worship and the worship of devils.  As Israel (the ten northern tribes) committed to devil worship, the priests of Jehovah found no use.  Their ministry was lost among wicked worship, so they left and came to Jerusalem.  It was a pragmatic decision.  If Israel were going to abandon Jehovah, they were not going to support His priests.  They had to leave in order to live.  What might be interesting here is that the bible stipulates who it was that left.  “Such as set their hearts to seek the LORD” suggests some did not.  There may have been priests who had such a situation that returning the Jerusalem was not necessary or desirable.  Perhaps their situation was settled and ministry did not matter.  How sad.  What we do know is that those who desired to follow the LORD and serve Him went to where the LORD would be worshiped!

Someone might think this as a reverse missions devotion.  Are not the people of God supposed to go out into a lost world as share the gospel to the lost?  Yes.  But this is different.  Israel had the word of God.  They had a relationship with Jehovah.  God would send many prophets into Israel.  Isaiah, Jonah, Elijah, and Elisha to name a few.  When the priests left, this did not create a silent vacuum from God’s truth.  God still sent messengers.  Rather, when the priests left, they left because there was no ministry for them.  The people of God did not want the hear the word of God taught.  It was too bad for them that they didn’t want to hear it at all.  The prophets of God made sure that they did.  The priests of God had to leave.  They lost their purpose.  They lost any hope of a purpose.  They could always return.  If Israel would have gotten right and desired the LORD Jehovah, the priests could have returned.  What is worth noting is that those from Israel who desired to remain faithful to Jehovah either made the trip to Jerusalem or relocated there.  The congregation to whom the northern priests were sent came to them.  In relocating, they condensed their ministry and continued.

We don’t want to consider logistics as much as we want to note the character of these priests.  They had a heart for God.  They wanted to live for God and serve God.  They wanted to be among people who desired the same.  I imagine it took a lot for them to uproot and relocate.  They left their homes.  They left their friends.  I also imagine the hardest thing to do was to leave people with whom they had ministry, knowing they would never respond to God.  In a way, this was a mercy.  It is difficult to see a group of people turn their backs on God and want nothing to do with Him or His word.  Especially after they had invested their whole lives with them.  It took character to walk away from a failing ministry because God was more important than anything else in life.  They had the courage to come apart.  They had the faith to trust the LORD in spite of what it might cost them.  They loved God, and of that there was no doubt.

Shade For Refreshing

“The LORD [is] thy keeper: the LORD [is] thy shade upon thy right hand.” (Ps 121:5 AV)

It is interesting that the writer equates God’s keeping to shade.  This is illuminating.  Shade does not protect against all discomfort.  Shade protects from that which is immediately hazardous.  If the sun, heat, or adverse weather was the problem, then a building would address more of it.  Rather, shade will keep us from exposure to direct threats without completely removing the threat.  God can and does deliver completely from that which can cause harm.  But not always.  There are lessons to learn that can only be learned through adversity.  Shade means brings strength to endure.  It does not bring complete absence of adverse conditions.

For whatever reason, I do not like direct sunlight.  I prefer rainy days over bright skies.  I like cooler weather more than hot summers.  Whenever I am outside, I look for shade.  We grew up with neighborhood parks as a common thing.  Each neighborhood had its own little park.  They usually offered a softball field or two, a tennis court, a wading pool, and on occasion, an outdoor ice rink.  Of course, there was playground equipment like swings, slides, and a merry-go-round.  Our park did not have picnic offerings to speak of.  A couple of grills and picnic tables were about it.  The park was more for the children’s benefit than it was for socializing.  I remember our park because the trees were few and far between.  The most common tree was a locust tree.  There were three very large ones near the slide.  They were between the slide and the basketball court.  I remember them because they were huge and offered plenty of shade.  As we played, we sought out this shade as a respite from our activities.  That is where we sat and drank water.  That is where we sat when we were too hot or tired to continue our play.  The shade did not make the sun go down.  The temperature never decreased.  But as the breeze blew across the open ball fields onto our faces, being in the shade felt refreshing.

It is important to remember that God does not promise a trouble-free life.  He cannot.  It wouldn’t be good for us.  Just as we do with our parents, we allow our children to be placed in difficult situations so they might learn and mature.  God is no different.  He would be a horrible God if He removed all adversity from us, as we remained immature, faithless, and accomplishing little for His glory.  It is said of Jesus that he “grew in favour both with God and man”.  The Son of God went through difficult times to experience what it was like to be human.  He learned those things that could only be learned by living through them.  Did that make Him more divine?  No.  He is, was, and always will be infinitely God.  What Jesus did learn was that human experience comes with certain things that can only be known be going through them.  Jesus Christ suffered the worst of all.  God did not remove the cup from which Jesus preferred not to drink.  Jesus drank of the cup of the wrath of God to satisfy the requirement for sin under the law.  God asked His only begotten Son to go through the heat, but the shade would be there.  God will not always deliver completely from adversity.  What He does promise to do is to make it survivable.

To Know And To Hear

“[Then] what prayer [or] what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house: Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)” (2Ch 6:29-30 AV)

Solomon is not so naïve as to think a building is a magical place wherein God dwells and the only place from which the voice of God can come.  Solomon is speaking to the nation of Israel upon dedicating the temple to the service of the LORD.  The entry above is part of a prayer Solomon made to God, seeking His blessing on the building.  But again, he is not so naïve as to think that God answered only from the temple.  In fact, this prayer is offered at a high place and not at the finished temple.  What struck me this morning is that every person will know his or her own sore and grief.  This is part of our human existence.  God has graciously provided prayer, and answers to prayer, as the means to navigate through it.  Don’t let the end of the passage above mislead.  The heart that God knows and the ways which He observes are the heart and ways of repentance.  There are consequences for choices.  That cannot be avoided.  But God is not going to answer prayers for mercy and forgiveness with vindictiveness.  There is mercy to be had.  There is grace to experience.  Our God knows our sores and our griefs, and He is not going to answer by kicking us when we are down!

It is surprising just how weak we can become.  We don’t know our limits until we are pressed to the end of them.  Every now and again, this happens.  I remember one of the first times this happened to me.  I remember getting to a point that I could no longer continue.  I remember sitting down and not caring what the future held.  The earliest memory was while working a paper route.  Wintertime is impossible.  For a ten-year-old boy, hauling newspapers in the snow is near to impossible.  Especially the Sunday paper.  Each weighed about three to four pounds.  We had thirty to fifty of them to carry.  Most of the time it was by wagon or sled.  The blizzard of ’77 was a particularly bad one for the entire northern half of our country.  Where I lived, snowdrifts were fifteen to twenty feet high.  In the height of that storm, I was delivering newspapers.  I had gotten about two-thirds of the way through and could not go another step.  I sat down on my sled and didn’t care if I froze there.  I figured someone would do something.  Then my mom rolled up in our station wagon.  We loaded up the papers, finished, and went home.  Another time was a hunting trip.  I had to drag two deer five miles through dense woods and snow.

There are also times when sin is so pervasive that it controls us and our circumstances and we no longer control it.  It takes everything from us.  There is nothing left.  We have yielded time and again to the flesh, the world, and Satan.  Like the children of Israel in the book of Judges, we do not seem to learn our lesson.  We hope that one day we will.  We are sick of the outcome.  We are overwhelmed with sores and grief.  The saint does not expect God to fix everything.  We need to suffer for our choices.  If we did not, we would never learn.  What we can do is ask for relief of soul.  Whether we are suffering from trial or transgression, God is there to pick us up, clean us off, strengthen us once again, and put our feet on solid ground.  This was the promise of Solomon’s prayer.  God knows our works and our hearts.  He knows whether we are sincere.  He knows if we are honest with Him and with ourselves.  If we are, He will answer!

He's Not Going Anywhere

“Thou [art] near, O LORD; and all thy commandments [are] truth.” (Ps 119:151 AV)

It is easy to forget that God is near.  For whatever reason, we forget that God is omnipresent and active.  Whether we forget for nefarious reasons or simple human limitation, we forget.  God has made promises to His children.  “[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb 13:5 AV)  “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” (Ps 37:28 AV)  “Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isa 41:10 AV) There is ample encouragement in the word of God that we should never doubt God’s presence.  But we do.

Satan has a way of convincing us that God is just like any other relationship.  Temporary.  He would love to convince us that just as in temporal life, relationships change and end.  He would love for us to believe that as the LORD was with the children of Israel in the Old Testament, so too is He to the saint in the New Testament.  He would like us to give up hope on the presence of God because our senses are dulled by trial, trouble, tiresome activity, or transgression.  Our adversary wants us to feel as far from God as we think we can get.  When adversity comes, the Devil would want us to assume God sent it to drive us away.  When sin occurs, he wants us to believe it to be too egregious that God refuses to keep company with the likes of us any longer.  Our enemy wants us as discouraged and despondent as we can get.  Convincing us that God refuses to be near goes a long way to that goal.

Faith requires that we accept things which we cannot understand nor sense as real.  This does not mean we abandon all reason or observation.  If we do not feel God is real, perhaps there is a reason.  Perhaps there is sin at the door.  Maybe we have not drawn to Him as we should.  But if all the boxes are checked, then whether we can sense His presence or not, He is near.  We must accept that as true.  Remember when you dropped your newborn off at the nursery for the very first time?  You retired to a place unseen by your toddler, but you were only a few steps away.  He screamed for you.  He pitched a fit.  Why?  Was it because you abandoned him?  Or was it his perception that failed him?  That is what we must understand regarding the presence of God.  It is not a reality problem.  It is a perception problem.  If the word of God promises the everlasting presence of God, then we need to learn to trust it regardless of our perceptions!  He is near.  You couldn’t chase Him away.  He loves you more than you can ever comprehend.  He isn’t going anywhere.

Strength to All

“Both riches and honour [come] of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand [is] power and might; and in thine hand [it is] to make great, and to give strength unto all.” (1Ch 29:12 AV)

This is David’s prayer at the coronation of Solomon as his successor.  The general genealogies of David’s sons are also given.  Strength to all can be seen in one of two ways.  The first being a confident declaration of Solomon’s favor from God regardless of his position and origins.  David’s statement could be seen as Solomon, initially believed to be unable to lead, would be strengthened by God regardless of the baggage he possessed.  However, it can also be thought of as an encouraging word to his other sons.  In other words, regardless of one’s calling or responsibilities; even if it isn’t as extensive as being a king, God will still strengthen.  This is how we want to consider this truth this morning.

If one were to read thick theology books, the student would discover a general application of the imparted strength of God.  One writer might mention that God’s strength refers to life and the ability to live.  God would give that strength to varying degrees to all created beings.  It is by him we move and have our being.  Another might observe that strength is given to all that they might choose to know Him.  The purest among us would note that this statement only applies to Solomon.  Still others would point out that it would seem God has the ability to give strength to all, yet He may not.  They would point to the statement as being one of possibility.  Not one of reality.  This is discouraging and foolish.  Yes, God blessed based on need and situation.  God will not strengthen those in unrepentant sin so that they might continue it in.  God will not strengthen someone who is serving outside of God’s will and give him abilities he would not necessarily posses to work contrary to God’s will.  But we can take as a promise the statement above as it was stated by David.  We can consider his heart and motive.  We can consider what lies ahead.  We can be encouraged that the promise of God’s strength can and does apply to us.

There is a saying that is common in pulpits.  God never sends where He does not equip.  In other words, if our God asks us to live and serve, He will provide the means by which we can do this.  All we need to bring is a willing heart.  I can tell you by personal experience this is absolutely true.  This preacher has been is several tight spots where human ability was completely insufficient.  If it weren’t for the strength and grace of God, this preacher would not have survived.  This promise is particularly important to remember when strength is in small supply.  This promise above is a guarantee.  God will strengthen as He calls.

Mercy By Statute

“I intreated thy favour with [my] whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.” (Ps 119:58 AV)

The writer is not seeking mercy without context.  Mercy cannot violate the holiness of God.  There are certain things that would frustrate God’s mercy.  Unrepentance would probably top that list.  Presumption might be another.  Or mercy without asking for it may not happen either.  This is a great misunderstanding among modern Christendom.  Professing believers are misled into believing that God is all grace and mercy to the extent that He takes no care over the condition or motive of anyone.  The greatest harm to blessed life is the mantra, “God loves us just the way we are”.  That is so wrong!  God loves us in spite of the way we are.  He wants to change who and what we are into the likeness of His Son.  The condition above is to seek the LORD with the whole heart.  That suggests a heart that is right with God, or at the very least, sincerely desires to be right with God.  The indication that our writer is in this frame of mind is seeking only that mercy which is according to His word.

There are certain things God does not allow when it comes to granting His mercy.  David and Bathsheba are great examples.  They had an affair, and as a result, a son was born.  The LORD struck the child with illness as soon as he made his appearance.  David responded as any father would.  He fasted and prayed.  He sought mercy for his son and his wife.  He asked the LORD for his son’s life.  This went on for seven days.  David never arose from his spot.  Every waking moment was filled with prayer.  He never ate.  He seldom slept.  He neither changed clothes nor bathed.  He remained on his knees, begging God for his son’s life.  After seven days, the baby died.  From David’s perspective, mercy never came.  He lost his son.  Why didn’t God answer David?  Even after he had repented, God still required the life of the child.  Some suppose that the LORD would not allow two people the blessings that came from adultery.  The fruits of sin are meant to be a curse.  Not a blessing.  This isn’t always the case.  Some enjoy the blessings of a birth consummated under less than righteous circumstances.  For whatever reason, the LORD does not require the lives of those children.  We may never know why.  What we do know is that David sought mercy, and God did not grant it.  Mercy was contingent on something.

The writer is not asking for mercy separate and apart from his condition or situation.  He may very well be asking for mercy and grace found in forgiveness.  What we do know is that the writer is not presumptuous.  He is not asking for the grace of God as if he is entitled.  No one is entitled to the mercy and grace of God.  What we need is the wisdom of expectations.  What is it that we want God to do, and does it violate His nature?  Exactly what is it that we are seeking, and will His character allow for it?  Mercy is the unspeakable gift from God.  But it does have principles by which it is applied.  This does not suggest mercy is earned.  If it were, then it wouldn’t be mercy.  Mercy is granted because we cannot obtain it.  That is why it is mercy.  Yet, mercy must be according to the word of God.

The Fear of Reproach

“Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments [are] good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.” (Ps 119:39-40 AV)

It is a good thing to fear reproach.  It is often one foundation for victory over sin.  Longing after the laws of the word of God is a good start.  But there has to be a turning away.  Our writer is not implying that he is currently suffering reproach for the choices he has made.  Although he probably is.  Everyone does.  Rather, he has been down this road a few times and knows what reproach is.  He knows that if he messes up, there will be a lot of opinions coming his way.  Some from with.  Some from without.  Some justified.  Some unwarranted.  Reproach is a thing of life.  It is a curse we bear for disobedience toward God.  It is not comfortable.  It is not meant to be comfortable.  The solution is to be quickened in righteousness.  That means to be made spiritually alive.  The saint who overcomes sin must desire the quickening from righteousness more than he hates reproach for sin.  This is where our writer is coming from.

There is a natural fear of getting caught.  This is a good thing.  We fear getting caught because we do not like the consequences.  One show I watch from time to time is live cop shows.  The criminal who is caught rarely makes light of it.  Every now and again, it happens.  Usually, those who make light of it are those who have yet to suffer any consequences for their actions.  For the most part, those who are caught do two things.  They either try to deny any wrong-doing hoping the police will forgive them, or they know they are caught and begin to plead for mercy.  It is not out of the ordinary for someone who is caught to know what the consequences will be long before they go to trial.  One young man was evading.  He ran into a tree.  When he was placed under arrest, he shared that he had a baby on the way and that jail was not an option.  He had outstanding warrants, and he was caught with drugs and driving under the influence.  I think the police did this man and his coming child a huge favor.  No one loves the reproach of doing wrong things.  Rare is the person who celebrates the hatred of humanity against him.

I will say it again.  We ought to disdain the reproach of sin.  It is a good thing.  A red face never hurts.  Eating crow may not be enjoyable, but it can be nutritious.  Remembering that sin comes at a cost is a thing we often forget.  Remembering that when we sin, we do not do so in a vacuum.  What matters most is God’s forgiveness and mercy.  No matter how forgiven we may be, man can often hold our sin in reproach.  It is often and defense mechanism against their own sin.  But one thing with God is that when God forgives, it never comes up again.  Praise be the LORD!  So, let us remember that sin brings reproach.  One cannot avoid it.  It is a divinely appointed consequence for doing wrong.  Longing for the righteousness of God is the escape from reproach.

When The King Get's Involved

"And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set [the battle] in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand [men which fought in] chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.” (1Ch 19:17-18 AV)

The Ammonites hired the Syrians and others to come against Israel.  Hannun, the king of the Ammonites insulted David and thought that David would invade as a result.  He took preemptive action to go against Israel before David had a chance to respond.  They surrounded Jerusalem.  David sent Joab and his brother to deal with it.  Joab split his forces in two.  One to go against the Syrians.  The other against the Ammonites.  As the battle ensued, the Syrians believe themselves to be winning.  The plan was for the stronger side to assist the weaker side, depending on the progression of the battle.  Yet, we see David come against the Syrians to assist Joab.  The enemy may think they are winning, but when the king shows up, the war is over!  David arrives and makes quick work of defeating his foes.  It isn’t even close.  David is a picture of the second coming of Christ.  The enemies of God may think they are winning, but our King will show and it will be all over but the digging of a mass grave!

Those who hate God are under the illusion that God can be defeated.  They think they can defeat God be martyring all His children, destroying all His institutions, writing all His laws out of existence, and sinking human culture into the deepest depravity possible.  As churches close and fewer people profess faith in Christ, they believe the battle is turning in their favor.  When the laws of the world change to honor a depraved value system, they think God has been successfully kicked out of His creation.  They erroneously assume that liberty to be wicked means permanent victory over their Creator.  Celebration over the freedom to kill the innocent, mutilate the weak, and inclusion of all evil is seen as the preeminence of mankind and the fall of an omnipotent Creator.  What foolishness.  As the ranks of Satan’s forces manipulate mankind to destroy itself and the people of God in the process, one unavoidable fact remains.  God has not yet had the last word.  The King has not yet arrived.

What is really encouraging is to note the success that David had, which Joab could not match.  Joab was losing the battle.  His brother could not help because he, too, was overwhelmed.  When David shows up, it appears as though his presence immediately and swiftly changed the course of the battle.  It does not seem as though David struggled at all.  He arrived, and the battle was won.  What a picture of the second coming of Christ.  His victory will be immediate and swift.  Within a mere matter of moments, the enemies of God will be conquered and dispensed with.  It will be so swift and decisive that it will be like pressing a button of flipping a switch.  One moment the entire world we gather and rise against Jesus.  The next moment, they won’t exist.  It will be that quick.  Like the calming of the seas wherein Christ spoke and immediately the sea was calm, the same will be true at His coming.  I cannot wait!

Seeking Divine Strength is Continual

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.  Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;” (1 Chron.16:11-12 KJB)

These words are important to me.  Especially today.  Life can become overwhelming and the troubles too heavy to bear.  It is not supposed to be that way.  Particularly for a pastor.  We are supposed to be able to handle everything that comes along.  We are supposed to handle stuff in our own immediate world plus everyone else’s stuff.  We are to have broad shoulders and plow through it all with unfailing faith.  The truth of the matter is that all of us have limits.  We can have the gift of faith, and Paul did, yet still reach the end of our limits.  We can have a love for God like David did, yet his psalms are filled with distress.  We can have the faith of John, as he sees the end of all things, yet still plead for the coming of Christ.  We can have the unbending faith of Daniel, yet still have weak moments of desperation to which only God can rescue.

God does not expect us to have the attribute of omnipotence.  He does not expect us to know and see all things.  If we could, then there would be no limits to what we could face.  The fault lies not in an inherent weakness, but what we do in the condition of that weakness.  The words above are words of David at the return of the ark to Jerusalem.  These are words of praise.  But they are also words of encouragement.  The word that jumps out at me is ‘continually’.  Thinking on the implications of that one word, it would seem the mighty warrior was mighty because there never was a time he attempted a battle in his own strength.  It would seem to me that David was David because of that one word above.  Perhaps his psalms were a manifestation of that idea.  Maybe David, through the psalms and pouring out his complaints before God, was doing just what he encourages all to do.

Seeking the strength and the face of God is not an ‘as-needed’ practice.  It is to be never-ending.  Moment by moment; trial by trial; hurdle by hurdle; deep water and shallow; we are to seek the face of God and His strength without stopping for a respite.  It may seem silly to seek the LORD’s face and strength first thing in the day.  But we don’t know what we will face.  It may seem a bit immature to always depend on God when we have some strength of our own.  David wasn’t too proud to say that he had limits.  He wasn’t too big that he couldn’t see how small he really was.  David knew that what God had called him to do was too big to handle by his own strength.  He knew that the impossible life he was to lead could only be lived by the hand, face, and strength of almighty God.  We would be wise to believe the same thing.

Always Blessed

“Ye [are] blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.” (Ps 115:15 AV)

A simple truth that we often forget.  It does not matter what our life might be like, we are still blessed.  I know it is a temptation to look at the lives of others and believe they are more blessed than we.  And they may be more blessed.  Why God chooses to bless the wicked and send the righteous through adversity is a matter of perspective.  We are blessed by the simple fact that God chose to create us and then offer us the free gift of salvation.  If nothing else, we have an intimate relationship with our Creator and a home in heaven that can never be taken away.  We are blessed.  More than we might realize!

It is easy to be so overwhelmed by the troubles of life that we forget this truth.  Things come in that occupy everything we are and have.  We come to the end of ourselves, and we see life as one big dark blot.  We have forgotten how blessed we are.  We struggle with our careers, our finances, and our never-ending task list.  We forget how blessed we are.  We struggle with children who seem to be more that we bargained for.  We have to tend to the dog, the roof, and the car.  We forget how blessed we are.  We go to church, and from the moment we enter the doors to the minute we leave, there is something to do, someone who needs something, and a pointed message which seemed tailor made for our situation.  We go to the altar, but when we return to our seats, there seems to be no significant change.  We forget how blessed we are.  We age, and things that used to take little to no effort seem like scaling a mountain peak.  Spring is here, but winter is right around the corner.  We forget how blessed we are.  We get home from work and not we have three to four hours of meal preparation, cleaning up, and other household chores, and bedtime is some distant wish.  But we forget how blessed we are.  TV is not help.  We try to escape the reality of a world on fire, hoping that someone will fix it all.  In doing so, we forget how blessed we are.  Then the day comes when we have to say goodbye to those who are closest to us.  For them or for us, it is a very sad day.  Yet, we can remember how blessed we are.

The tense of the word ‘…blessed…’ is the perfect present tense.  It was true in the past.  It will be true in the future.  It is true in the present.  The psalmist is careful to frame the blessed state of the child of God as a never-ending one.  No matter what life may bring, it cannot take away what God has promised.  No matter what happens in the future, it cannot undo the blessings of the past.  If COVID taught us anything, it was to be grateful.  Prior to that disaster, we had what we needed or wanted at the moment it was desired.  There was no shortage of anything.  When a bit of adversity happened, we realized how blessed we were.  Perhaps that is why God allows adversity.  At least one reason He allows it.  Maybe we have forgotten just how forgiven and blessed we are, and only realize it when what we had is replaced by what we don’t have.  God is good.  All the time!  We have a home in heaven because our sins are all forgiven.  For that mere fact alone, we of all people are most blessed forever!

God's Cure For Righteous Indignation

“So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.” (Eze 3:14-15 AV)

Ezekiel was given an impossible task.  The LORD sent him to a nation that had no desire to listen.  They were impudent and hard-hearted.  Knowing why Ezekiel was in a bitter and heated spirit, and God’s answer for it, is enlightening.  Prior to his demeanor, the LORD instructed Ezekiel to eat a roll upon which the scriptures, or parts of it, were written.  The Bible tells us it was sweet to the taste but bitter when ingested.  The illustration was not lost on our prophet.  He understood the lesson here.  The truth of the word of God may be palatable and pleasurable to listen to, but once applied, it can be a bit difficult to live with.  Ezekiel needed to know this truth before God sent him to his own people.  To the core, they were rebels.  They would listen to the preaching, but would not change.  What was God’s answer to Ezekiel?  He was to live among them for seven days without saying a word.  He needed to see the truly miserable condition in which they were so that when he preached, he did not take their rejection too personal.

Holy indignation must be tempered by compassion and empathy.  Ezekiel was stirred in his spirit and angry of heart when he compared his nation against the holiness of God’s word.  There are a few observations here.  First, Ezekiel is not perfect.  He has to remember this.  David shares the same circumstances in Psalm 39.  But secondly, even if he was head and shoulders above his congregation in his walk with God, the people are still in need of someone who can empathize with their situation.  It may sound odd to say this, but I have personal experience.  Many years ago, I served in a church where a majority of the leadership would not follow the LORD.  The constitution of the church lent no relief.  All the people could do was to leave.  The whole church was held hostage by three men.  One of them was particularly obstinate.  I remember how I felt when he sat down with his briefcase and calculator, his date book, and his ledgers.  It was on a Sunday morning.  He sat there making business plans for the week.  He sat there in the middle of a worship service and worked a secular job.  I remember feeling sick to my stomach.  I wasn’t angry.  I wasn’t upset.  I watched him as I was preaching, realizing how rebellious and wicked he was.

This is what Ezekiel needed to see.  He needed to see the alarming condition of the people to whom he was sent.  It is said of Jesus that when He looked upon Jerusalem, knowing what they would shortly do, he wept over the city.  Ezekiel was angry and bitter.  He was angry and bitter at the condition of his nation.  It moved him to rage.  It was his response to internalizing the word of God and comparing it to the condition of the people to whom he was sent.  But he couldn’t preach that way.  It would have been of no effect.  What he needed to do was to spend a week in total silence.  He needed to observe.  He needed his emotional response to the condition of the people to change from anger and bitterness to confident compassion.  He needed to learn how to plead.  He needed to learn how to make his case without his emotions doing most of the work.  Only sitting and observing can accomplish this.

Having a Set Heart

“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart [is] established, he shall not be afraid, until he see [his desire] upon his enemies.” (Ps 112:7-8 AV)

Evil tidings are a part of life.  There is nothing you can do to keep them from coming.  All one has to do is visit a local hospital to see this truth.  There is coming a day when I will sit down with a doctor and he will tell me that I have a limited expectation of the time I have left.  There will come a time when I will have to move from a house to a small apartment.  The car will break down.  The bills will mount.  The children and grandchildren will come to adversity along the way.  My parents have passed, and soon I will get phone calls one after another, as I hear of siblings and all those whom I love doing the same.  A mark of maturing is one begins to attend more funerals than weddings, graduations, school plays, etc.  As the book of Job teaches us, man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.  The writer’s solution was to establish his heart in trust.  He did not run to a cave and hide from the world.  He did not give up and choose to escape by more drastic means.  Rather, he chose to establish his heart in trust.  Trust in the LORD.

I was a rather nervous child.  My father was an angry and unpredictable man.  At any time, he could arrive in a fit of rage and take it out on the nearest child.  At school, I was the object of bullying.  A lot of bullying.  I had no safe place in which to dwell.  The only escape I had was my paper route and a friend’s house.  But those were only temporary.  Less than an hour a day, and I found myself in a whirlwind of turmoil.  The LORD gave me an epiphany.  I cannot say it permanently fixed my skittishness, but I can say that it went a long way in starting me down the right path.  One afternoon, while in gym class (I hated gym class), as the teams were being picked, I was the last chosen.  That was usually the case.  A gym full of 50-60 boys and I was always the last one picked.  This particular time was disturbing because both captains and a number of boys gave me a look.  That corporate look said, “we are going to go after you with all the violence we can muster.  Both sides will make sure you are eliminated with zeal and callousness”.  I was nauseous.  I ran to the bathroom and vomited.  Then the LORD spoke to me.  He asked, “What is the worst thing they could do to you?”  We, it was hitting me so hard that I would die.  To which he replied, “And what is so bad with that?”  It happened.  God gave me the correct perspective in which to look at all adversity.  What is the worst thing that could happen?

I won’t say that I always have a handle on adversity.  There have been some very dark times since then.  There have been times when my entire world came crashing down, and I wished for the day of my home-going.  It was in those times that I had to establish my heart in trust.  The word ‘established’ is very important.  It means to permanently lay to rest so that it does not move.  This is not a reactive result of yielding.  Rather, this is a conscious choice by the writer to place his heart at rest because faith is always stronger than adversity.  Some love to live in the state of an undisciplined heart.  Some love the adrenaline rush of unabated emotion and thought.  They love to live there.  But that is not what the Bible instructs.  The Bible teaches us that the whole person; body, mind, and emotions; must be brought under subjection.  Today’s answer is medical.  Although there may be a component to this, the answer must start with a choice.  This choice places the fear, confusion, frustration, etc at the feet of faith.  It chooses to shut down the heart and force it to rest in the hope of the promises of God’s word.  What we think or how we feel is brought under the dominion of the word of God.  “Yeah, but” has no place.  What saith the LORD is the right answer!  Establish the heart.  Do so in trusting the LORD and His word.  It is the first and last thing that will bring the peace we look for.

The Shame of Assimilation

“And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that [were] by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.” (2Ki 23:7 AV)

There was a time that governments set building zones to keep apart establishments that cannot co-exist.  There was a time when no bar or other institution of ill-repute could operated within a certain distance from a school.  There was a time when churches influenced their neighborhoods.  There were no bars, cigarette shops, drugstores, etc within hundreds of yards of a church or school.  The idea was to keep bad behavior away from those who wanted nothing to do with it.  There was something called the ‘blue light district’.  It has its origin in the Revolutionary war.  A faction of the Federalist Party would signal the British with blue lights.  Since that time, ‘blue light district’ or ‘red-light district’ are terms describing certain areas of the city or town where wicked behavior was bought or sold.  The point is, cities used to separate depending on values and purpose.  Church buildings were respected.  I pastored in a gang-infested area.  Buildings, fences, and homes were tagged all the time.  Yet the church was never touched.  We suffered no break-ins.  There was no vandalism.  Today’s world is completely different.  There is no longer respect of, and separation from, the things of God.

Which brings me to our passage.  The people of God were so depraved that they allowed houses of prostitution and Sodom to exist next door to, and around from, the house of God.  Let us remember that the people of God in the form of the nation of Israel were not regenerated.  They were as lost as those who are lost today.  They may have been religious.  They may have had a relationship with God as their Creator and God.  What they did not have was a regenerated soul.  They were not born-again.  They followed the law as best they could, but there was no indwelling of the Holy Spirit to aid them in holiness.  Having said that, there is no excuse for sin.  Even more so, there is definitely no excuse for flaunting your sin in the sight of God’s house.  Yet that is how wicked they had become.  What is alarming is that the faithful of God did little to nothing to correct it.  They had no leadership to assist them.  They needed a king who could see the pure evil of vices on church grounds or businesses that exist for the carnal pleasures of man so close to the house of worship.  They needed a leader who would take a stand and clean the nation from the evil that had become so common.

Competition with the house of God will always exist.  The NFL will always play on Sundays.  Restaurants and stores that used to be closed on Sundays no longer are.  But what alarms me is the proximity that these places tend to be.  The cell phone has seen to that.  Separation from the world makes a distinction between the holy and the profane.  There has to be some distance between the godly and the godly.  What the world needs are leaders who are willing to stand for the right thing and make changes that keep wickedness and righteousness separate.  We need leaders who will draw a line and keep the attacks on the sacred distant or non-existent.  It is alarming when a house of ill-repute opens right next to a church.  It is alarming when a deviant theater opened right across from our church.  This shouldn’t happen.  Our nation needs much prayer.  Our nation needs revival.  Our nation needs leaders who will do the right thing.  Otherwise, we will suffer the fate of Israel.  We will be carried away to captivity, and our nation will be lost.

Blessedness of Observation

“The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.” (Pr 20:12 AV)

Hearing and eyesight are the primary senses by which we observe and learn.  How we choose to use them matters.  Solomon prefaces the above proverb by stating that a child is known by what he leaves in his wake.  In other words, maturity cannot be hid.  It is known by what maturity produces, or fails to produce.  If we are known by what we manifest, what we are is determined by what we take in.  What is shown on the outside is a reflection of what is on the inside.  What is on the inside is produced and influenced by what is allowed from the outside.  What we take in must be filtered through the truth that God has made the means by which we consume, and it is to Him whom we are accountable.

It is interesting what happens when one begins to lose their eyesight or hearing.  For me, it is both.  I have worn glasses for the vast majority of my life.  Having suffered several childhood head injuries, eyeglasses were a part of my life from age seven or eight until this present day.  At one point, I was so dependent on eyeglasses that it was considered legal blindness.  Over the years, it has greatly improved.  But I will never know what it is like to see with normal eyesight.  Now, my hearing is beginning to fail.  The LORD has been very good to me and provided hearing aids.  They are a decent pair, and it is astounding how much I was missing.  I bought a hearing aid dryer and now I can deep clean them every other day.  What a difference!  The interesting thing is, when you begin to lose these faculties, you begin to be a lot more discerning on how you use them.  Knowing that you might lose them for good, picking what one consumes becomes a much more thoughtful practice.  I would rather listen to the birds sing or the rustle of leaves than music played from a loudspeaker.  I would much rather read a good book than watch a movie.  Losing one's abilities makes me appreciate what is left.

God has given the ability to consume our world and learn from it.  Sometimes it is used for enjoyment.  There is nothing wrong with biblically acceptable pleasures.  I, for one, am grateful God gave hearing and eyesight by which we can interact with His creation.  This is not intended as a rebuke on how we used our ears and eyes, but rather, to appreciate the ability to do so.  To enjoy a sunset or the faces of my grandchildren is a wonder to behold.  To hear a saintly chorus with perfect pitch voices as they glorify the Creator is a blessing.  To see the heart of a child of God break for the perfect will of God is more than one deserves.  To be part of God’s creation rather than merely in it is something for which we should be eternally grateful.  There is much beauty from the hand of God that surrounds us, and He has given the means by which we can take it all in.