In Principle

“When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee. And if the man [be] poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge: In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.” (De 24:10-13 AV)

Reading this passage, one might be curious as to exactly what the pledge was.  The pledge spoken above is a garment used for protection against the cold while one slept.  That is pretty detailed.  If we didn’t understand the principle of the law, we might pass right over it.  The law is specific here, but it teaches a broader principle.  If a temporary loan of a necessary possession is needed to be returned, the creditor is not to keep that which the debtor needs.  It is to be returned on a temporary status and then retrieved until the loan is paid.  The Bible may use specifics, but it uses specifics to teach broader principles.  Some believe the bible is antiquated and outdated and does not answer today’s issues.  Yet Peter says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” (2Pe 1:3 AV)  The Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.  No matter the culture, time, or place, the Bible has the last word.

My wife is a master game player.  If there is a loophole to exploit, she will find it.  A case in point concerns a game called Worst Case Scenario.  Gameplay involves one player to rank in order from least appalling to most appalling five different scenarios.  The rest of the players try to guess the rank of possibilities.  The spirit of the rules is to judge each possibility as an equal scenario.  Hence the name of the game.  However, when my wife plays, she ranks them according to the likelihood of occurrence.  Thus, she ranks losing all her photos on her phone as far more fearful than being mauled by a bear.  The directions do not specifically state that the player is to treat all scenarios as equally possible.  So, she stretched the spirit of the game because the letter of the law does not state the obvious.

The Bible isn’t a detailed rule book that covers all scenarios.  If it was, then there would be no end to it.  Rather, the Bible speaks of principles illustrated by examples but not necessarily constrained by them.  The Bible is filled with principles that guide our choices in every possible scenario.  It is a guide manual.  What follows chapter 24 of Deuteronomy are laws of separation.  The law speaks of keeping separate crops, types of linen, etc.  The principle is separation and distinction.  Not every possible distinction is mentioned.  But the principle remains.  God created things distinct and with particular purpose.  We are not to confuse them.  The point is this.  If we treat the word of God as a mere rule book with all relevant detailed laws enumerated within, we will fail to live a godly life.  It is, and always has been, the principles.

God Is Bigger

“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” (De 20:1 AV)

We are not Israel.  Our battles are not physical in the sense that we are building a physical kingdom.  There are no cities to conquer.  There are no governments to topple.  Our warfare is a spiritual one.  Our enemies are the Devil, the world’s system of unbelief and sin, and the flesh.  The picture above is one of contrast.  Israel is contrasted against the ability of a formidable enemy.  This might be a reference to Israel’s first response when confronted with an adversary.  As twelve spies returned, ten of them reported the enemy ahead was too large for even God to conquer.  Two; Joshua and Caleb; spoke with faith and declared that no matter the size of the enemy, God was greater.  The assumption above is that Israel will be faced with many different adversaries that on paper are larger, stronger, and better equipped than they are.  This has been their history throughout human history.  Yet, the LORD seems to carry them through, and they survive the impossible.  This is the point here.  No battle is too big for God.  Yes, it is way too big for us.  But never too big for God.

In the heat of the moment, we often forget the battles of the past.  The LORD makes reference to the Exodus many times.  He does so above.  His point is this.  If He miraculously brought Israel out of Egypt with plagues and wonders, how much more difficult is the present threat?  Jehovah does this frequently because Israel forgot too many times the wonders that God wrought.  Jehovah references something they can relate to so that the present becomes doable.  The only difference here is Israel’s participation.  When leaving Egypt, all they had to do was leave.  There was no battle to fight.  There was no active participation on their part.  All they needed to do was to trust the LORD and leave.  There were no swords, bows, or arrows.  No shields.  No battlefield.  It was the LORD and only the LORD.  There were no boats to assemble.  No guards were on duty.  There were no watchmen necessary.  All was in the hands of God.  Now that they were free, the LORD required Israel to participate in their own deliverance.  The first time it was all God.  Now it was them and God.  This is what troubled Israel so.

How soon do we forget the miracle of salvation?  We walk with the LORD for so long that we forget the miracle that deliverance from sin and hell truly was.  We forget what it was like to live in wickedness and bondage.  We forget how hopeless our souls truly were.  So, when faced with an ongoing battle over sin or doubt, we think God is not able.  Or, if He is, that we are not able.  Both are incorrect.  God will not deliver us from our old natures without our participation in the process.  At least as long as we are on this side of glory.  God expects His children to wield the sword of truth, bend the knee of prayer, and face the foe in the strength of the Spirit.  He has given the tools and the strength.  If we cower at the threat of our enemies, then we have forgotten what God has done in the past.  Victory is only as far as effort and faith will take us.  God is not going to do it all for us.  He takes over where we cannot continue.  Israel forgot the great things God had done.  Now, the LORD is commanding them to remember and believe.

Pass Right On By

“He that passeth by, [and] meddleth with strife [belonging] not to him, [is like] one that taketh a dog by the ears.” (Pr 26:17 AV)

There is wisdom in staying out of things.  There is also a balance between being a peacemaker and a meddler.  Perhaps Solomon is referring to a battle in which the peacemaker has no standing, credibility, ability, or is simply not welcomed.  Two sides at odds must come to a place where a peacemaker is welcomed before a peacemaker can become involved.  The picture above is a good one.  If you have ever witnessed two dogs that in the throes of a fight, breaking it up often results in a bite or two.  Passing by here is the key to understanding the situation.  The strife existed prior to the meddler’s observation.  It was ongoing.  It was fierce.  It was escalated.  The meddler was not planning on a fight.  He doesn’t look for one to settle.  He simply passes by and notices two who are at great odds.  His pride causes him to think that he can be the bigger person in the room and invites himself into something that is none of his business.  He thinks he alone has the solution to the problem.  He believes that if the two would simply pause and listen to his wonderful wisdom, it can all be worked out.  The reaction is like a dog who has his ears pinched.  He we turn on the pincher and forget the fight he was just in.  The better part of wisdom says that if we are not invited into a problem, maybe it is best to pass on by.

I am a hockey fan.  I love watching a sport where the final score is not the motivation for watching.  Hockey can be a violent sport.  The hits and checks are rather robust.  An open ice check is one of the greatest sports events of all time.  When one player sends another flying through the air because the second was not paying attention is wonderful.  Then there is the on-ice justice.  The game moves so fast that the officials cannot see all that goes on.  There are cheap shots that need a response.  Perhaps someone was boarded after a play was over.  Or perhaps a player was pushed headfirst into the boards.  Maybe the goalie was slashed, or a player was sandwiched.  These plays cannot go unanswered.  If they do, the offending team believes they can intimidate their opponent into a loss.  So, from time to time, a fight breaks out.  Usually, two face off and no one else gets involved.  But if a third person does get involved, he usually does so at the earliest onset of the altercation.  Being the third person in, he draws a lot of attention.  Often, he gets the bigger penalty or even worse, hurt by the response of the other team that intervention, although noble, was not the wisest move.

Knowing when and how to get involved is the point here.  If passing by one notices strife between two, it is probably wise not to insert oneself unless asked to.  This doesn’t mean the authorities should be ignored.  By all means, call or notify an agent of authority who can step in and stop the strife.  But if we have no standing and are not asked to resolve a problem, it is not our to solve.  Trying to do so will cause more harm to us than it may cause the two combatants.  Being a peacemaker does not mean we have to be pro-active.  Meddling will get us bit.  Letting those who have authority and standing resolve the conflict is the wisest of choices. 

Praise His Word

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

The phraseology of this verse is intriguing.  One would think the order would be reversed.  Because of God’s word, we will praise Him.  This makes complete sense.  Yet, David makes an important theological argument that God and His word are to be seen as one and the same.  As another Psalmist states, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Ps 138:2 AV)  When one thinks of how God brought the material world into existence, He spake it and it was done.  All that God created was done by speaking.  Why?  The preeminence of the word of God is a universal doctrine upon which the veracity of the written word stands.  I don’t think David is praising the word of God as separate and apart from the person of God and is worthy of praise because of it.  Rather, he is acknowledging that the written word of God and the person of God should be held in the same regard.

The word of God is a miracle.  By its very existence, it testifies to the might and power of God.  Existing eternally, yet inspired by God through man over a period of four thousand years it has remained perfect to every joy and tittle.  Only since the modern age of reason has doubt been cast on the reliability and perfection of God’s word.  Man, who is never as smart as he thinks he is, chooses to believe his senses rather than the supernatural acts of God.  It does not dawn on the philosopher that if God created all things from nothing, then surely He can inspire and preserve His word, perfect, throughout the existence of man.  In disputing the eternal and sovereign might of God, the philosopher has shown himself to be of shallow intellect and vacant of all reasonable truth.  The intellectual theologian will dispute God’s ability to provide His word perfect, even in the translation process when translation occurs in the narrative of the word of God itself.  Joseph speaks Egyptian to his brothers and is translated into Hebrew for his brothers.  Paul speaks Hebrew to his audience in Acts 22, yet it is inspired in Greek.  A good portion of the dialogue of both the old and new testaments was not spoken in the languages of the inspired word of God.  In assuming perfection is lost in the translation process, the intelligent become simpletons.   It really boils down to faith.  If God exists; if God created; if God created to know; if God created to know He also created to be known; if God created to been known, the way by which He is known must be as perfect as He is.  Thus, providing His word perfect and without error so that we can know a God who is perfect and without error is the only reasonable conclusion to be made.

I think David is praising the word of God because it is the extension of God to man by which man may know Him!  In praising the word of God, David is grateful for the word of God that is perfect and without error.  It is the means by which the sinner can know his or her creator.  It is the means by which we can learn why God created us and how we are to live according to the Creator’s design.  Those who would argue for no perfect word of God are shorting themselves.  The life of those who do not believe the word of God is praiseworthy can only live to the degree they disbelieve in the perfection of the word of God.  I am with David!  I praise the word of God because it exists.  It exists perfectly and without error.  In a world that is constantly changing and nothing can be taken for granted, the word of God is an anchor for the soul.  No wonder the troubles of man only mount.  We stray further and further from God and His word.  Rather than praise the word of God, we critique it.  Rather than trust every single word without requiring it to subject itself to our intelligence, we stammer along in our own value system and crash because of it.  I praise God’s word.  I praise God for His word!

The gods Are Future

“Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;” (De 11:16 AV)

Other gods were future.  When the LORD warned Israel, He was making the obvious statement that temptation is future.  The false gods they knew were destroyed by ten plagues.  They knew no other God but Jehovah.  That wouldn’t last very long.  Once the land of promise was invaded and settled, there would be a fresh batch of false gods with which to contend.  Just because God had given victory against the greatest of all false gods of the ancient world did not mean He preemptively gave victory over all.  If one is a bit pragmatic, why give victory over gods they may never know of?  There is no victory needed where a threat does not exist.  What struck me is the reality that temptations come no matter what.  Often, we know nothing of them until they arrive.  The LORD if giving Israel a heads up.  There will be temptation.  The specifics may not be known.  But it is coming.  Beware of it.  Be not deceived by it.  Turn away from it.

Grocery stores of the same franchise tend to be laid out the same way.  If you enter a Walmart that you’ve never been in before, generally speaking, it is laid out the same as your regular store.  We shop at Pick N Save, Aldi's, and Meijer's.  They are similar in many ways.  This means if there are certain foods the shopper is supposed to avoid, he or she knows ahead of time which way to go.  I avoid the baked goods section, the highly processed sections, and the liquor section.  Not a hard thing to do.  Yet, there is a tradition here in Milwaukee.  Because there is a high concentration of Polish, there is a baked good that is common during the Easter season.  These are laid out on a specialty aisle that is usually in one spot every year.  However, sometimes it moves.  Sometimes it is in a space that one would not normally find such a thing.  Not fair at all!  Stores know this.  End-caps and checkout lines are filled with impulse items.  One store we shop at has chocolate or other candies at one end of the check-out area.  It is that dark chocolate that gets me every time.  Temptation can be predicted.  But sometimes it cannot.  It is the discipline to turn aside that determines our holiness or depravity.

I hate the battle.  There isn’t a day that goes by that I ask the LORD for deliverance.  I hate having to live as though there could be a stumbling block around every corner.  But how else can I be motivated to retain God in my knowledge at all times?  It is temptation that drives me to God.  It is the fear of falling that stretches out my arms of prayer to a Father who will hold me up.  It is the gods that I don’t know about that cause me to seek the face of my God because I just don’t know if I can fight them all.  The LORD kept some enemies of Israel in the land.  Why?  Why not give them complete and total victory all at once so that they could enjoy the land free from paganism?  Because if He did, they would have forgotten God a lot quicker.  Perhaps we dislike the spiritual battle required of us.  We wish it would end.  And for good reason.  But if God took it all away, unless we resided in glory, we would forget about Him.  Remember, temptation is future.  It is coming.  The gods are hastening our way.  It is best to turn aside.  Lest we forget God, we need to flee every appearance of evil.

Suffering Need Provides a Need

“And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (De 8:3 AV)

Sometimes, the necessities of life are not as necessary as we might think.  Israel was never as desperate as they thought they were.  Egypt, in a manner of speaking, spoiled them.  In exchange for hard labor, Egypt provided Israel with their basic needs.  They had food and shelter.  No matter what, they had a roof over their heads and food to eat.  According to their complaints, it wasn’t scraps, either.  They yearned for the garlic and leeks of Egypt.  They were not fed pig slop.  Egypt provided the average diet anyone would enjoy.  Now that they were free, the finer things of life were not provided.  In some cases, it appeared as though the necessities of life were not apparent.  Twice they lacked water.  The reference above is to Israel’s immediate needs for bread.  They had animals they could slaughter, but they had no crops or fields in which they could plant crops.  They were not dying of hunger, but they did suffer need.  God deliberately allowed them to suffer these needs so they could learn a very valuable principle.  The most needful of all needs is spiritual; not physical. 

Note in particular that God does not say it is one or the other.  He does not.  By using the word ‘only’, the LORD is establishing priority of the spiritual over the physical.  We are very physically minded.  Our temporal needs and goals seem to be the most important.  The flesh screams for attention.  If we miss a meal, we feel it.  If we are thirsty, we know it.  If we have pain, we will do what it takes to be rid of it.  The body is that part of our being which demands the most attention.  But the body is temporary.  The body will perish and rot away.  Our souls and spirits are eternal.  The body is in a constant state of decline.  The soul and spirit are in a constant state of growth.  Our bodies scream the most.  Our souls and spirits often take a back seat.  One thing I have noticed is the serious consequences of ignoring the soul and spirit because the body is the most demanding.  Emotional collapse is around the corner.  The will to live diminishes.  There is little concern for that which lasts.  Ignoring the soul and spirit often ends with the destruction of the flesh.  Therefore, one of the greatest lessons we can learn is to deny the flesh so we can experience growth of the soul and spirit.

This is not new.  Paul states, “But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1Co 9:27 AV).  He also states, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Ro 8:13 AV).  This does not come naturally.  So, the LORD introduces circumstances of life wherein we learn that the flesh can be denied so the spirit and soul can grow.  This is what the LORD was trying to teach the Jewish people.  By denying some of life’s basic needs, they learned the soul and spirit are also important.  By temporarily withholding what the body needed, the word of God became far more important.  We may not like suffering needs.  But I have noticed that those who plan life well and suffer no needs are often the least spiritual of all.  Not all the time, but it is a pattern.  Only when the body is denied what it thinks it needs can the soul and spirit walk after the God who Created all things.

Service of Remembrance

“[Then] beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” (De 6:12-13 AV)

God has given us the means by which we can remember Him.  Above, there are three provisions.  These are fear, service, and ordering our character.  To fear God is to respect Him and His word.  It means to yield to His law and accept the consequences when we fail to obey.  To swear by His name means to be identified with Him to the degree that our character and lives are defined by His existence.  But it that second one that I care to contemplate this morning.  Service is as old as the garden of Eden.  God gave Adam a task.  One that He could have done Himself.  God could have created a garden that needed no tending.  The LORD created plant life that takes care of itself.  Just take a walk in an meadow and you will quickly realize that the LORD could have, if He so wished, to create a self-managed world.  Rather, He gave Adam responsibility to  tend to the garden as a means to worship and remember Him.  Service to our God is a great way to have Him in the forefront of our minds.

Around our home, Saturday was chore day.  We had paper routes to finish.  We had our bedroom to clean.  Our beds were stripped and remade.  Then there was preparing Sunday’s papers to deliver.  There was recycling to tend to.  There was yard work, there was straightening to do.  We were busy from sunup until dinnertime.  My dad had us doing something.  It was impossible to forget why we were busy.  We were busy because my father asked us to do these things.  It was impossible to separate our business from the one that assigned us the task.  As children, we resented the business.  All we wanted to do is play.  Yet the wisdom of my father kept us close to him where we could be protected, mentored, and affirmed by him.  Working for him meant we could not escape his presence.  He may not have been in the vicinity, but the task was from him and he was as good as there with us.  Serving my father meant we could never forget who it was that gave us life, provided our needs, and took measures to assure we were raised right.  Serving my dad kept him alive.  It kept him close.

This is why serving God is a good way to keep Him in memory.  When our lives are all about Self, forgetting God becomes easy.  Those believers who are filled with joy and seem to love God more than others are usually those who are also serving God.  Show me someone who is doing nothing for God, and I will show you someone who does not read their Bibles, pray, or talk of Him.  Those who do not serve the LORD soon forget the One who died for their sins.  David served the LORD with all his might.  No wonder he was a man after God’s own heart.  David defined his existence by the purpose for which God created him.  Sure, the LORD could do everything Himself.  He is God.  He created man to know Him.  He provides service as a means to do just that.  Adam kept the garden because God asked him to.  In keeping the garden, he remembered his Creator.  If we are forgetting God more and more, perhaps we need to find something He wishes us to do and do it with all our might.  After all, if my dad wrote me a note with detailed instructions of something he needed done, it would be impossible to forget him as I was working through the project.  Find that which God wants from you and do it.  You will never forget God while doing the things of God.

Treasures Are Acceptable

“[There is] treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.” (Pr 21:20 AV)

That word ‘treasure’ has me intrigued.  The simplest understanding of the word is anything stored up for future use or pleasure.  When we tend to think of treasure, we tend to think of a pirate’s treasure of plundered goods stored for mere ego’s sake.  When we think of treasure, we often think of materialism.  We think treasure is the amassing of things we don’t need nor will ever use.  When we think of amassing treasure, we think of it as sinful.  Yet the understanding above is actually a virtue.  The simplest application of the verse above is that the wise save up while the wicked spend everything they have.  And more!  Yet, it is the word ‘treasure’ that has me intrigued.

As I have mentioned before, I watch a program of an archaeologist who travels the world trying to solve the mysteries of history.  About half of his adventures are looking for lost treasure.  In the last episode I watched, they were looking for a horde of wealth left behind by a early lady leader of the English.  She is not well known.  This feminine warrior defeated the Roman legion more than once.  Yet one day she fell ill and died.  It is said that before she died, she buried a large sum of treasure somewhere in the English hillside.  As the archeologist was searching, they stumbled across a field that contained two dozen Roman coins cast of silver from the third century.  Apparently, the pagans would offer precious metals to their deities by scattering and burying their wealth in a field of significance.  As this archeologist scours the world looking for different treasures, the pursuit of wealth is what drives him.  And many others as well.  This is not the meaning of the verse above.

We are not to amass wealth as a testament to our own accomplishments.  Our egos are not the motive for storing up treasure.  But at the same time, it is not necessarily wrong to have some things of value.  There is nothing wrong with having some nice things that we can enjoy as the fruit of our labors allows.  Pride is issue here.  I have seen millionaires who eat like the poor just because they are trying to amass wealth.  But I have also seen wealthy individuals who understand that treasures are to be used.  Hording gathers dust and rust.  Just like Jesus told us they would.  Using the wealth God gives is the balance between spending it up and storing it up.  I guess what the LORD has for us this morning is to ease our overly guilty conscience regarding the possession of treasures.  It is ok.  We don’t have to live like church mice if that is not God’s will for us.  If His will is that we live comfortably while using what He has given for His glory, there is nothing to confess.  We are right with God.  Treasure is ok.  It is not wrong to have.  What it produces will determine the ethics of our possession.

A Picture of Abiding in Grace

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

The law of the avenger is a great picture of our practical security in Christ.  If someone accidentally occasioned the untimely death of another, they had protection under the law.  For instance, if they were working the field and loose stone unpredictably fell on another, then they negligently occasioned the death of another, but not with malice.  If someone had an animal that spooked and accidentally killed someone, it was not by intent.  It was an accident.  If the slayer fled to the city of the high priest, he could remain there alive until the death of the high priest.  Once the high priest died, he was free to return home without any fear of repercussions.  As long as he stayed within the walls of the city, he was safe.  The victim's family was justified in killing the slayer if he wandered from the protection of the high priest.  It was the grace and authority of the high priest that protected the slayer from malicious revenge.  This reminds me of our protection in the presence of Jesus Christ.

The world hates on two fronts.  It hates us for the wicked things we have done.  That is understandable.  But it also hates us for our relationship with Jesus Christ.  The world and the Devil hate us on two fronts.  It is often the incidental things that were wrong, but don’t seem to garner consequences, for which they hate us the most.  Those things we did without forethought or malice are the things they despise the most.  Perhaps in our immaturity we made choices of questionable character.  God did not punish us because they were impulsive but without rebellion.  Foolish choices of the flesh come to mind.  We didn’t have the knowledge or discipline to reject the temptation.  I can think of a few of those choices in my own life.  It was those choices which the world seems to forgive the least.  Choices that do harm, but that we were too naïve to avoid.  The world holds saints to higher standards than they do themselves.  What is ok for them is not ok for us.  They will crucify the saint for an indiscretion where their best friend who is lost is gold.  Being in the presence of Jesus Christ and His grace is our refuge.

We will never be fully accepted by those who don’t have the love of Christ in their hearts.  They cannot.  They don’t have the capacity to love as Christ loves.  The great news is that our High Priest will never die.  The presence of Christ is permanent.  We would be foolish to leave the intimacy found in Christ and go back to those who hate us.  In our passage, if the slayer left the grace of the Priest’s protection, it was a guaranteed death sentence.  No doubt the victim’s family set up camp right outside the city just in case the slayer was foolish enough to venture out.  Anyone who would leave the gracious protection of the Priest is not thinking right.  Yes, liberty is restricted.  But life can still be enjoyable.  There was no restriction for the slayer’s family to join him.  He can have a full life in the presence of the High Priest.  We would be foolish to resent what we cannot have and not enjoy what we can have.  Within the city, the slayer had liberty to enjoy life.  He was free to make a life for himself.  The same is true with us.  As long as we stay within the grace and mercy provided by an intimate walk with God, we are secure.  Who cares what the world thinks? 

Always In Control

“The mighty God, [even] the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.” (Ps 50:1 AV)

The calling of the earth refers to the universal judgement of all mankind.  From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof means for twenty-four hours.  The sun is rising and setting somewhere.  God is not idle.  It may seem that way, but He is not.  The Mighty God is always in control, and whether we can recognize it or not, He holds us all accountable.  Our God is sovereign.  He is active.  His plan often escapes our perception.  Yet He still works.  He still calls all people at all times to account for the choices they make.  We can look at this truth several ways.  We can meditate on the holiness and consistency of God.  We can look at it as a rebuke knowing that we will be held accountable.  Or, we could look at it as a comfort that God is just and will hold our enemies accountable for the injustice we have suffered at their hands.  There are many other ways in which to dwell upon this truth, but it all boils down to one glorious understanding.  God knows all things, nothing escapes His observation, He is sovereign, and there isn’t anything that can frustrate His will.  He is on control.  All the time.

Sometimes, I marvel at the things man can make.  For instance, I marvel that an automobile can run for years as long as it has fuel.  I marvel that a plane can fly without dropping out of the sky.  I marvel at machinery that seems to run forever.  Then this writer considers creation.  It is a marvel that our bodies function for as long as they do.  Especially when considering the abuse we take it through.  Broken bones, avoidable illnesses, bad life style choice, etc.  Our hearts continue to beat.  Our lungs continue to breathe.  Year after year.  Month after month.  Week after week.  Day after day.  Hour after hour.  Minute after minute.  And second, after second.  This wonderful biological machine functions with little interruption for decades.  There are other creatures that live far longer.  Certain trees can live for thousands of years.  There are some that have been here since the flood of Noah.  Why?  Because the Creator sustains it all.  He calls the earth from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun.  There isn’t a place on this earth where God’s hand is not.

This is a wonder to consider.  Our God is not merely omnipresent.  He is actively omnipresent.  God is not selectively omnipotent.  He is omnipotent everywhere and at all times.  When David states that God calls the entire earth from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun, he is making an astounding theological statement regarding the person and work of the Creator.  When we worry or frustrated, we can rest assured that God has not slacked His hand.  We can know that no matter where we are or what we may be going through, God is there, and He is working.  He has called the entire earth from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun.  He is there, and He is not going anywhere.  Nor will He stop His work among the children of men.

Courage For The Little Dogs

“Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, [when] the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?” (Ps 49:5 AV)

Some think that David is referring to the annoying enemies who are nipping at him like little troublesome dogs.  They think he might be referring to those little things that challenge a king.  Alone, they are insignificant.  Put them all together, and it quickly becomes stressful.  We have rats in our city.  I hate rats.  However, one rat I can deal with.  A bunch of them are beyond distasteful.  This could be the idea David is trying to convey.  There might be another understanding here.  Perhaps David is speaking of his own iniquity.  Perhaps what David fears the most is not the iniquity of others.  Perhaps that which David fears the most is the prevalence of temptation and his tendency to yield to that temptation.  I certainly can relate.  Every child of God who desires an intimate walk with God will hate sin.  He or she will do all they can not to fall.  It is our greatest fear.  We pray for the day when the trumpet blows.  We will be given a new body and mind that cannot be tempted to sin.  True liberty from the old man is coming.  Until that day, the day of evil will be our fear.

An old country church had a heart for a man who was stricken with drunkenness.  His wife and children prayed with their church family that God would save him.  Every morning, this man got up for work and crossed the only bridge into town.  On his way to work, he would pass by several bars located on the city side of the bridge.  There was no other way to work.  He had to cross that bridge.  The stresses of the job found him visiting the bars as he journeyed home.  That was how it all started.  So, the family and church prayed for him.  The fasted for him.  They loved on him.  Finally, one glorious Sunday morning, he repented of his life of sin and trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior.  The following day, he went off to work.  This time, when he passed by the bars, he had no desire to stop by for a drink.  Rather than relent, he rejoiced.  He praised the LORD for the deliverance.  This went on day after day.  But say after day the bars were always there.  Over time, rejoicing because a struggle.  Each trip on the way home became more and more of a challenge.  One particular day, when his boss was particularly relentless, the stress of work seemed too hard to bear.  On the way home he stopped and stood outside the bar.  He stood there for the longest time.  But God gave him victory, and he headed home.

That is what the life of the believer seems to be.  There is a constant battle for holiness.  Temptation stands in front of us from the moment we awake until we drift off to sleep.  Temptation is our way of life.  It scares us.  We hate it.  We cannot wait until the day it will never nip at our heals again.  Gone is the devil.  Gone is the world.  Gone is the flesh.  The battle is over.  Until then, we can pray the same prayer David prayed.  We can pray for continual deliverance from the dogs of sin that nip at our soul from moment to moment.  The prayer above is framed as a question.  It is a rhetorical question.  The answer is obvious.  The answer is that with the ministry of the Holy Spirit there should not be fear of temptation.  There should be concern.  This pushes us to prayer.  But never should we feel that sin is so big that even God cannot deliver.  Temptation is an annoying little dog whose bark is worse than its bite. 

Temple and Thought

“We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.” (Ps 48:9 AV)

Psalm 48 is all about Jerusalem and what it means to the Hebrews.  The writer, David, speaks fondly of his seat of government not because he built it.  Rather, he sees Jerusalem as a testimony to the greatness of his God.  The palaces and temple are known as the place from which God converses with man.  He speaks fondly of Zion because God is there.  Much like heaven and the things we will see there, David sees the city of Jehovah and a place unlike any other. To the same idea, the saint has a place to which he is going.  When we go to God in prayer, we are there.  The beloved Apostle Paul tells us our citizenship is in heaven.  There is a part of us there.  The closer we get to heaven, the more real it becomes.  The more we enter the throne of God as commanded in Hebrews; we are in the temple of God where He dwells.  It is there that we can experience the lovingkindness of God.

It is a challenge to live by faith when we cannot see the person of God.  We experience Him.  He speaks with us.  Our relationship is genuine.  It is not visible or audible, but it is no less real.  What I notice about the writer’s words is the purposeful musing on the lovingkindness of God while in the midst of the temple.  This exercise was not one of simple remembrance.  The tense of the grammar suggests this was more than a fleeting thought.  He was musing.  A continual meditation on the lovingkindness of God.  Why?  Because that was his nature.  Sure, life stinks sometimes.  But what we think upon is a choice.  We can either get wrapped up in the troubles of life, or we can think on the lovingkindness of God.  What we choose to think on is not fatally caused.  It is not like our minds are not under our control.  We can choose that which entertains the mind.  David chooses the lovingkindness of God.

God is good.  He is all the time.  God loves His people with an everlasting love.  God loves His people beyond their capacity to understand it.  Some thoughts we have are silly, or even offensive, when held against the lovingkindness of God.  It is silly to think of our Father in how we do.  The temple is where we need to be.  The lovingkindness of God is what we need to consider.  He is our ever-loving Father who will never leave us nor forsake us.  If trouble has come, God has not left.  He is still there.  For whatever reason the LORD has allowed or caused our adversity, His character never changes.  He is our Father.  He is loving.  He is kind.  He is all these things infinitely and completely.  Time to go to the temple and meditate upon His grace and mercy.  That is what He is.

Sinful Discouragement

“And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.” (Nu 21:4 AV)

We often think of discouragement and a pitiful condition.  We feel compassion for those who are discouraged.  We often seek their welfare by uplifting words or words of remembrance when things were better.  Hope is often offered to those in discouragement.  We know that someone who is discouraged can often go from bad to worse.  However, all discouragement is not a pitiful condition.  Sometimes discouragement is a self-inflicted condition.  Sometimes the LORD considers discouragement as sinful.  In our passage, the people were discouraged in the way because there was no water and they had grown weary of the manna.  Manna was God’s provision for them, and He had provided water before when there was no water.  In the case above, they were discouraged because they lacked faith and contentment.  Not all discouragement should be pitied.  In the case above, God sent poisonous snakes among the people to thin out the complainers.

Much has changes in the last ten years.  Things are not as they used to be.  A few weeks ago, my wife and I went to a fast-food place and got their hamburgers.  I’ve never seen hamburger patties do thin.  I have had thinly shaved ham thicker than the burgers we got.  I was discouraged.  Traveling down the road the other day, it seemed slow drivers were everywhere.  I was discouraged.  My wife and I eat out a lot.  It is just the two of us, so it is often cheaper.  There are certain places we go because we can share a plate.  There is one place we like to go because of their variety and prices.  There are other places that we have had an outstanding meal only to be disappointed when ordering the same thing a second time.  Needless to say, that was discouraging.  Having food in the cupboard yet not attracted to anything is discouraging.  The thing is, my body doesn’t really care what food I eat.  As long as it is relatively good for me, it couldn’t care what it tastes like.  My tastebuds are picky.  Discouragement is my fault.  God has given what I need.  Maybe not what I want, but always what I need.

The word of God is filled with promises.  There is enough written in the Bible to keep the saint encouraged.  Life is hard.  But life is temporary.  Eternity is what matters.  I like what Paul says.  “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Ro 8:18 AV)  We either believe this or we don’t.  The people above did not believe God would provide water.  He did it before.  He can do it again.  The people above forgot how good the manna tasted.  They had gotten used to the blessing of God as something normal and plain.  They forgot how hard it was in Egypt.  They forgot the miracles they had seen.  They were discouraged because they refused to be grateful, forgot what God had done, and feared that God could not meet their needs.  In this respect, discouragement was their fault, and it was wrong.  Not all discouragement is worthy of compassion.  If discouragement is sinful and self-inflicted, maybe a course correction is needed.

Hearing Should Be Enough

“I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice [and] my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon [him] as long as I live.” (Ps 116:1-2 AV)

It is telling that the psalmist never tells us exactly what it was that God did or did not do.  It seems the fact that God heard him was sufficient to render love in return.  How many of us love only if we are given the desires of our hearts?  Not the writer.  It didn’t matter how God chose to answer.  He was going to love the LORD no matter what.  If God would listen and choose to do nothing, his love would not abate.  If the LORD listened and chose to answer unsavorily, it mattered not.  He would love the LORD any way.  All he cared about was that God listened.  How He chose to answer was a plus.  This is the depth of true love.  What we get in return is not the condition upon which we place our love.  It is the mere presence of the individual who gives their undivided attention that matters the most.

The older we get, the more like this our marriages become.  When we were young, love was a bit conditional.  As we grew accustomed to one another, shared experiences, and enjoyed the blessings of life, our love became less and less conditional.  As we age and our health begins to fail, this love is at a whole new level.  Gone are any expectations of reciprocal love.  We are there for one another regardless of what we may enjoy in return.  We are there through sickness and in health.  We are there for better or for worse.  A romantic night out ending in alone time used to be the definition of love.  Now, just sitting together in our living room enjoying one another’s company is a thrill.  Today is Valentine's day.  No doubt couples will be spending time and money to make it is special day.  As well, they should if they can.  However, when you get to a certain age, having a sandwich while watching your favorite episode of a program and laying in bed with a video or two is as romantic as it gets.  Love is not absent.  It is deeper than it ever has been.  Why?  Because we can talk and the other listens.  It is the exchange of ideas, feelings, hopes, and even shared prayer that means more than anything else life could offer.

This morning was a time of sweet prayer with God.  I asked, as I always do, for the rapture.  I know that my prayers alone will not affect it, but they can’t hurt.  The more I pray for eternity; the sweeter God becomes.  I imagine a time of absolute rest.  The flesh is destroyed.  The mind is perfect.  There is no sin nor temptation to sin.  All anxiety, fear, pressure, etc. are all gone.  Nothing but the sweet fellowship with the LORD and the saints.  How I covet it!  Lying there in bed and having a conversation with the LORD was as special a time as any I have ever had.  Knowing that He was listening, and that He cared about every word was good enough for this weary soul.  The psalmist is correct.  I love the LORD because He listens, and that He hears.  I don’t know what answer will come, but it is secondary to a infinitely large shoulder to rest upon.  I love God because He loved me first.

Immortalized

“These [are] the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.” (Nu 13:16 AV)

A horrible thought crossed my mind as I read through all the names of those who spied out the land.  Twelve spies were sent into Canaan.  Their responsibility was to get a lay of the land in preparation of an invasion.  Their job was not to bring a report to determine the invasion.  God has already commanded them to invade.  It was their job as to advise a plan.  It was the job of the twelve to bring back news of the blessings that awaited them once God gave the land.  It was their job to encourage the nation.  Ten of the twelve spies brought back an evil report.  They told the nation how it was too large.  Not even God could deliver it into their hands.  What struck me was that ten of the twelve spies are not eternally immortalized in the pages of the word of God as men who had no faith in God.  For six millennia, the human race has been reading their names and associating cowardice to them.  For all of eternity, these ten names will be known as those who lacked faith in an all-powerful God.  It made me think if we face the same possibility.  At least in principle.

The N.T. saint will be given a white robe of righteousness.  This is our wedding robe.  When we are wed to our Savior, Jesus Christ, it is that white robe of righteousness, provided by the groom, that we will present ourselves to our Savior.  There is also gold, silver, and precious stones awarded for service and dedication to our earthly service for Jesus.  Some speculate these are used to adorn the white robe of righteousness.  This was an old-world oriental custom.  The groom would provide for his bride a white dress for the wedding.  She would have saved up treasures to adorn the dress given to her.  Her goal was to show her love and lifelong dedication to her groom by the gown she wore.  The gown would reflect her faith that someday, God would provide a husband.  This may picture the events of heaven.

I am grateful that I live in a time when my name will never be mentioned in the pages of the word of God.  It doesn’t matter who is listed.  No one is mentioned without some type of flaw included.  Even Paul had his issues.  But being one of the ten who God rejected and who died in the wilderness because they were chicken would be a hard thing to live with for all of eternity.  But then there is the wedding gown.  One wonders what could have been but never was.  Perhaps our gown will be plain and white with no gold, silver, or precious stones.  I don’t image we will have to live with shame for all of eternity.  But I cannot help but think that at the judgment seat of Christ, there might be a few tears shed when we realize what we could have had but failed to earn.  Glory is for rest and peace.  We will not be tormented with the failures of this life.  All will be forgiven.  All will be forgotten.  Praise the LORD.  It is that initial judgment that might sting a bit.  This passage brought thoughts of potential gains that I have lost.  If we could do it all again, there would be different choices.  That is for sure.  The future does not have to be as the past.  There is still opportunity.  There are still lands to spy out.  There are still battles to be fought and gains to be had.  All for Jesus, all for Jesus!

Truth Telling is a Foundation for Character

“[He that] speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.” (Pr 12:17 AV)

Pretty easy to understand.  Lying is deceit.  Truth is righteousness.  No confusion there.  I think Solomon meant something a bit deeper.  It is obvious that those who tell the truth are righteous in their words.  But what Solomon may be eluding to is a righteousness not limited to the words at hand.  Perhaps he means that those prone to tell the truth are also prone to generally live right.  Telling the truth is a good barometer into a person’s character.  If his habit is to tell the truth, he may have other righteous habits as well.  Those who are prone to tell lies usually live a lie.  Telling the truth is a foundation upon which a person’s character can be built. 

Many years ago, I ran a restaurant.  To advance, an employee had to show up a bit early and be ready to clock in when they were scheduled.  They could not clock in and then go to the restroom, get their uniform on, and prep themselves to work.  They had to be ready when the time to work arrived.  I also gave responsibilities to see if they could work unsupervised.  It might be prep work or cleaning duties.  Checking on them meant I could trust them with more responsibilities.  At the end of the night, if work was not done even though the employee said it was, the employee was on notice.  Often, we would get a call in and the employee was not sick at all.  I remember having to make those phone calls.  Thy employee would call in sick and I would wait a few hours.  I would call the employee’s home and ask for the person.  A parent or sibling would tell me they were at a concert or over at a friend's house.  What we found was that if they lied once, they lied more than once.  If they were unreliable in small things, they could not be trusted in larger things.  Lying about the obscure means they could not be trusted in private.

We teach our children to always tell the truth.  We do this because telling the truth is a foundation for character in other areas of life.  We teach our children to tell the truth because a liar cannot be trusted with anything.  We teach our children to tell the truth because the consequences of lying far outweigh the short-term benefit that lies may produce.  I think Solomon is teaching his children a good habit for life.  Telling the truth is more important to character development than we may think.  A person who is honest with his words will be honest with his behavior.  They go hand in hand.

That Special Place

“O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.” (Ps 42:6 AV)

With a bit of research, we might understand from where David gains encouragement.  Most writers place the context of this psalm during David’s flight from Absalom.  David and those with him fled over Jordan to the east.  The problem with this idea is that David never went that far north.  At least the Bible doesn’t say he did.  Rather, David crossed Jordan and then crossed the brook Jabbok.  That places him halfway down the Jordan river valley.  Hermon and Mizar are much further north.  They are north of the sea of Galilee in modern-day Lebanon.  The land of Jordan is easily understood as the Jordan river valley.  The Hermonites are the mountains that make up mount Hermon.  The hill Mizar is very obscure and most assume it to be a smaller peak associated with the Hermonite Mountain Range.  The Hermonites are a year-round snow-peaked mountain range.  This range is a source for the sea of Galilee and the Jordan River.  From the peaks of the Hermonites, one might take in a pastoral sight of the entire Jordan River valley.  Among the snow-peaked mountains, the saint could escape into a peaceful and picturesque place where God would feel far closer than any other place.

Doing a cursory search of images seen from Mount Hermon, especially the Jordan river valley, is difficult.  The Sea of Galilee can be seen as well as northern parts of Israel.  If David was looking to the north while crossing the Jordan, he was over 75 miles away from Mount Hermon.  Therefore, we know he is not referring to the revolt of Absalom.  This means only one thing.  The place of which David speaks is a special place for him.  Looking at images of and from Mount Hermon, I can certainly understand.  The peak is just under 10,000 feet.  Which explains why he mentions the little hill of Mizar.  At 10,000 feet the air is pretty thin.  David is speaking of a hiding place where he meets God.  A place of immeasurable beauty.  A place of gentle breezes of cool mountain air.  A place of cold mountain streams that fall below as they fill the sea of Galilee.  A place that sheep might be heard, but the bustle of life is not.  A place not suited for warfare, but a pastoral place suited for reflection and quiet.  One can imagine the thoughts of life pouring from his mind and the stresses of running a kingdom are left to flow with the waters under his feet.

I am reminded of late that managing stress is very important.  Stress is not always a bad thing.  Sometimes stress forces us the make decisions that need to be made by we are reticent to do so.  However, there are stresses caused unnecessarily.  Worries and anxieties whose answers are in the scriptures.  We have stress because we lack faith.  We have stress because we harbor sin.  There has to be a special place where God is nearer to our consciousness.  He is always near.  He never leaves.  But we can become so overwhelmed by other things of life that we forget how close God is.  Necedah wildlife refuge was one of those places for me.  A vast marshland covered in coulees provided a place of quiet reflection.  Even with hunters crawling all over the place, there was more alone time than connection with people.  It was there that I could pour out my mind and heart onto a vast marsh and leave it there.  David had his place.  He had several places.  We need our place as well.

Strength In The Way

“The way of the LORD [is] strength to the upright: but destruction [shall be] to the workers of iniquity.” (Pr 10:29 AV)

Our wise commentators are applying this several ways.  Yet they agree there is credence in other views.  One suggestion is that as the upright are in the way, they grow stronger.  The other is before the journey.  The way of the LORD is strength, therefore the upright are in it.  Either way, there is strength in the way of the LORD.  Some suggest the way is the way of the law.  Or the way of wide choices.  Others include the entire providence of God. As long as we are in the perfect will of God, strength will accompany us.  I think both suggestions have merit.  For the sake of our meditation, we will consider that those who are upright, yet weak in some way, receive strength has the walk in the wisdom and providence of God.   This writer noticed the absence of the word ‘in’ prior to the phrase ‘the way’.  This leans me to believe our observation is correct.  While the upright remains in the way, the result is strength.  To insert the word ‘in’ prior to the phrase ‘the way’ would suggest the upright, needing strength, should find and continue in the way.

Still hunting through the foothills of western NY is no small matter.  There are hills and valleys.  There is undergrowth and wild vines.  There are blowdowns and thick vegetation.  There are many obstacles along the way.  However, if the hunter takes a moment to study the woods, he will find an interesting pattern.  The wildlife that lives there knows the best way to navigate through the woods with the least work possible.  Ease of travel and safety from predators are their biggest concerns.  The woodsman will notice a game trail on a ridgeline.  Or a game trail along snow-covered marshland.  He knows that the animals that travel through those woods have done so for generations.  They know better than he does the best way to get from one place to another.  If the hunter uses the path already laid down by those who have gone there before, he can go further and longer.  If, on the other hand, he decides to blaze his own trail, he will soon run out of strength and time.  Staying in the wisest way conserves energy, reduces injury, and keeps the traveler safe.

But I think Solomon meant more than simply choosing the right path.  I think Solomon is sharing that faith and obedience, while traveling the hard path of life, is the way to preserve and renew strength.  As long as we strive in the perfect will of God, we will find strength to continue.  If we are weak in the way of life, leaving it is not the best choice.  Just like the woods, if we find ourselves in need of strength, the worst thing we could do is to leave the path.  Remaining in the path is the best way to grow stronger.  I have found myself in this very situation many times.  Usually at the end of a long day’s hunt, I am tired, sweaty, and exhausted.  Trying to take a shortcut to my car or cabin always results in more work.  Not less.  Staying on the path while looking at the finish line is the easiest way to find the strength to finish.  So, stay on the line.  Stay on the path.  Don’t deviate simply because we cannot go another step.  The trail has already been blazed.  There is no need to reinvent the wheel.  Just stay the course and the LORD will renew your strength.

Trust or Mistrust. Only Two Options

“Blessed [is] that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” (Ps 40:4 AV)

There is a choice here.  There are only two options.  We either trust the LORD or listen to those who do not.  There is no middle ground.  I am reminded of late the difficulty that faith truly is.  Faith is difficult.  Trust does not come as a whim.  As a child, we have a heart full of trust.  We trust our parents.  We trust our teachers.  We trust those who know better.  But over time, they disappoint.  We placed upon them the expectation of perfection.  Because they are human, they failed.  When they did, the natural inclination of trust waned.  Vulnerability and humility are part of a child’s nature.  As we grow into adulthood and learn to be self-sufficient, determining our life’s direction, humility and vulnerability do not come easy.  We have the failures of those whom we trusted coupled with the ability to determine our own direction and faith is a hard step to take.  Our perception is that self-reliance is safer than trust.  But as we see above, there are only two directions a soul can take.  He will either make God his trust, or he will show deference to those who do not.  Those who do not trust the LORD live lives built on lies.  There is no other choice.

Pinocchio is a well knows story written by Carlo Collodi of Florence, Italy in 1833.  It tells of a puppet whose name is Pinocchio.  He was carved and created by Geppetto, a puppeteer.  One night, Pinocchio comes to life but materially remains a puppet of wood and cloth.  His deepest desire is to become a real boy.  He begins to question his father’s judgment.  He begins to reject the rules laid down for him by a loving father.  One adventure after another leads him further from his creator.  The story escalates until Pinocchio is taken to an island that promises the freedom to indulge in all things a little boy could want.  This indulgence eventually turns the boys into donkeys from which they can never recover.  Seeing the eventual end of his decision, Pinocchio escapes into the sea.  He was swallowed by a whale.  Jumping in the water ends the curse of becoming a donkey, but he is far from home.  The whale, which seemed like a negative consequence turned out the be the means by which Pinocchio was returned to his village.  When reunited with Geppetto, Pinocchio confesses his faults and promises to trust and obey his father.  Immediately the magic happens, and he becomes a real boy.  He got his wish because he learned by experience that trust was worth the risk.

Faith is what separates mankind from all other beings.  It separates us from the animals because they do not possess the ability to reason and trust.  They are instinctive.  This instinct serves them well.  Until it doesn’t.  Angels see God by sight.  They do not need to act in faith because, as Paul writes, when sight is there, faith is no longer needed.  With faith or trust, risk is involved.  So too is humility.  These two do not come easy.  I do not make light of it.  We often use the phrase ‘a crisis of faith’.  That is a good way to put it.  We are pushed to our limits.  Then we have a choice.  Either we will trust our all-knowing and all-powerful creator, or we will trust the opinions and thinking of those who do not.  It is an almost impossible decision.  To trust when we have had a pattern of unfortunate experiences is life that would scream against it, is difficult.  But there is no other way.  There is no other source of peace and purpose.  It is either trust God, or trust those who do not trust God.  Just remember, the latter is built on lies and the former on truth.

Foreknowledge of God's Mercy

“And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I [am] the LORD their God.” (Le 26:44 AV)

So much for covenant theology.  But I digress.  The promise to Israel here is comforting.  Not just for them, but for anyone who has a relationship with the Father.  God may have to correct, but He will not utterly cast off.  God may have to chasten, but He will not destroy.  Why would He?  To what end?  If we are adopted into the family of God, what would motivate a loving God to cease His filial relationship with His children?  Nothing!  As Paul said, “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro 8:39 AV) The verse above is a comfort that no matter how much we mess up, the love of God remains constant.  He will never leave nor forsake.  He will not destroy what cost Him His Son to attain.  We are secure because God is a God of mercy.

I know I have mentioned this before, but in my life, these events are very profound.  As a pastor, I have helped many families with wayward children.  Some cases were very extreme.  There was teen pregnancy, drug use, crime, and worse.  What amazed me was watching parents as they loved their children in spite of what they had done.  Substance abuse is perhaps the hardest of sins to deal with.  Substance abuse involves far more than using.  It involves deception, victimization of those closest to you, and breaking serious laws.  It becomes a pattern.  Mom and Dad bail them out, clean them up, and put them on the right path only to see them fall right back into it.  This happens over years.  Soon, those closest to the user become resentful.  It is my experience that at least one parent never loses hope and will always love.  Sometimes both.  But always at least one.  It is a beautiful sight to see.

God is no less loving.  What a comfort it was for the LORD to tell Israel prior to their failure that He would always love them!  They didn’t have to wonder in the midst of their troubles.  They knew beforehand that God would be merciful.  This had to make their captivity a bit easier to endure.  Praise the LORD that we know of His lovingkindness and mercy before He has to exercise His judgment.  Praise the LORD, our Father, who is kind and understanding.  Praise the LORD that we know that before our lives are thrown into chaos.  Praise the LORD that we can see the end from the beginning!  Praise God for who and what He is.

Details are Helpful

“For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” (Ps 38:18 AV)

A great attitude to have.  David may have had his faults, but one thing you could never accuse him of was a lack of conscience for his sins.  David was quick to confess and forsake.  To say that David felt bad would be an understatement.  When David asked for mercy, typically it was for the sake of those who were affected by his sin.  He prayed and fasted for the child born to Bathsheba.  He prayed for the nation when he numbered them against God’s will.  David sought mercy for the priests at Nob.  David’s habit was to intercede for those affected by wrong choices on his part.  I cannot say for certain, but the times when David sought mercy for himself before any others seem rare or non-existent.  As a rule of life, the verse above was typical for David.  He genuinely felt badly that his sin had adverse effects on those around him.  He felt bad that he had offended the only God he loved.  He felt shame at failure and strove to improve as a man.  David is a great example of an imperfect man working hard to be the man God wanted him to be.

Declaring our iniquity is the hardest part.  We are not talking about a cursory confession.  No.  When David declared his sin, he didn’t couch it in ambiguous terms.  David got down to the nitty-gritty.  When he declared his sin, he stated the full fault and even the nature of that sin toward God.  There is a legal concept we have in American courts call allocution.  An allocution is a sworn statement by the defendant offered to the court describing the crime committed, the means by which it was committed, and the cause for committing the crime.  Allocution is usually part of a plea deal to ensure the defended is indeed guilty of the crime and that a complete understanding of his actions is in evidence.  Included in the allocution is a statement of remorse intended to help the victims with closure but also intended to plea for mercy from the court.  This allocution must be detailed.  A simple statement of guilt is insufficient.  The court is looking for a fully informed confession and a state of mind able to confess to the crime in question.  If the allocution is not satisfactory, the court has the right to reject it and force the case to trial.  The important thing here is the detail required for an allocution to be accepted.

Often, we go to prayer confessing sin in a general and ambiguous way.  What we do not do is take the time to allocate to the sin at hand.  We don’t spend time sharing with God what He already knows.  Just because He is all-knowing doesn’t mean we have come to terms with what we have done.  Allocution is more for our benefit than it is His.  When David confessed his sin, it wasn’t a general statement.  He didn’t admit to adultery without the details of the affair.  He described what he had done, and that it was wicked.  David didn’t simply state that a poor decision resulted in the death of the priests and Nob.  He stated that he occasioned the death of the innocent.  David did not merely state that a census was taken against the will of God.  He confessed that he was the one who ordered it even against godly counsel not to.  In other words, when David confesses his sin, he does so in detail.  Right down to why God has the right to inflict whatever punishment He deems appropriate.  This is the difference between David and most saints.  David isn’t afraid to confront the ugly side of his life.  He is not timid when attacking his own character.  He gets it all out in the open.  Then he falls upon the grace of God for forgiveness and restoration.

Rebuke As Love

“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.” (Le 19:17 AV)

This is a fascinating verse.  The mark of hatred is remaining silent toward another who is in sin.  Some commentators assume the sin was or is directed toward the silent one of the beginning of the verse.  In other words, if we have been offended by another person’s sin and we do not speak up, we in essence hate our brother.  Not because we have been wronged.  Rather, because we don’t say anything.  However, there is a more general possibility.  If they do not rebuke a person living in obvious sin, then God considers us in hatred against to offender.  If we do not say something when we see something, we do not genuinely love.  I believe the latter understanding to be more accurate.  If we see someone living and acting wickedly and ignore it when we can intervene, then we cannot say we have love for others.

Confrontation is not comfortable.  At least for most of us, it is not comfortable.  For the most part, we avoid it.  We don’t want to tell someone they are in the wrong.  That is why witnessing for Jesus is so difficult.  It is difficult telling someone they are utterly wicked and deserve the torments of hell forever.  These truths rarely go over well.  Most people do not like to confront, nor do they like to be confronted.  But saying nothing causes harm to a situation that might have changed.  I love doctors.  But doctors are often not blunt enough.  If there is something we are doing that is causing our poor health, I would hope they would respect their profession enough to say something.  Our childhood pediatrician was like that.  He shot from the hip.  He was blunt.  If he thought my mother was making mistakes, he would not hold back.  He would give her a dressing down right there in the exam room with her child(ren) present.  In fact, he preferred it that way.  He could read our mother the riot act, and by our presence, we got it, too.  Believe it or not, we children did not take exception to the tongue lashing my Mom received.  Deep down in our hearts, we knew the doctor was right, and it was more our fault than our Mom’s fault.  Praise the LORD, he was professional enough and cared enough for his patients that he did not hold back the truth.

Solomon says that if we see someone engaged in harmful sin, it us our obligation to rebuke.  If someone is engaged in destructive behavior, to say nothing is to hate the person.  To say something when we see something means we love the individual and are saving them from a multitude of sins.  Most of the time, rebuke is rejected.  Most of the time it is mocked.  But ‘most of the time’ should not exclude ‘some of the time’.  Even if we are mocked or ignored, there still may be that one who will be honest enough to repent.  If we are always silent, we will never know.

The Goat Is Supposed to be Lost

“But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.”  Leviticus 16:10

As someone who has spent a fair amount of time in the wilderness, I wondered what would ever become of that scapegoat.  Where did it travel?  Did it survive?  Did it find other wild goats?  Was the scapegoat eaten by wild animals?  The instruction was to take the scapegoat to a remote area where no person lived.  He was not merely let loose close to the camp.  The priest would deliberately take this animal to a place where it would be highly unlikely to be found by anyone but God.  Then my mind went to the natural reaction of some.  I imagine some adventurous young men might head out to find the scapegoat.  Not that they could do anything with it once found.  It would be the adventure of finding it that would satisfy.  Any sane person would say that such an adventure was a waste of time.  First, they wouldn’t know where to start looking.  Second, they didn’t know if the goat existed.  Perhaps it was destroyed.  Third, if the goat was still alive, it was not stationary.  As they moved to find it, it would move to evade.  The likelihood of finding the animal was remote at best.  This reminds me of those who cannot let go of the past.  Their past sins, that is.

Have you ever lost something and concluded that it will never be found?  What is fascinating to me is that as I sit here and type, I cannot think of a single valuable thing I have lost and never found.  I can think of several that were lost for a while and then later found.  I lost a pair of glasses in the snow, and when it melted a month later, I found them.  There was my wife’s engagement ring that we found in the cuff of my pants.  Then she lost her wedding ring and engagement ring, and it was found six weeks later.  The latter was replaced before the original was found.  The LORD allowed me to make good on a promise of almost forty years ago and get her a bigger diamond.  The original was very inexpensive and was all we could afford.  It is amazing that bigger and better makes what was lost seem smaller.  What I fail to do is remember anything that was permanently lost, which made my life worse and not better.  I have lost plenty of fishing lures.  I know I have.  But I cannot remember any specific one.  I know I have lost articles of clothing.  Dryers have a way of eating them.  Once lost, it would be futile to try to find them.

So, why would we want to dig up our past when the LORD has covered it in His blood?  We are like those silly and adventurous boys looking for a goat where it should not be found simply for the exercise of looking.  Our motive might be different.  Perhaps we want to experience the sins of the past all over again.  Or, we cannot seem to forgive ourselves.  Therefore, we thrive on arrogant self-abasement.  Maybe fear has us looking where we ought not to look.  Whatever the cause, the foolishness of looking for something that is supposed to be forgotten is harmful at best.  If the goat is gone, let it remain gone.  If the goat was left to wander in the wilderness, we have to trust the LORD that He will keep it away.  It is where no one but God would know.  And He won’t take us there.  If we are digging up the past, we are not confident in the mercy of God. 

Joy In Tomorrow

“And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.” (Ps 35:9 AV)

I love the future tense of this verse.  I love the certainty of David’s outlook.  He is currently in distress.  He is persecuted by those to whom he shows the utmost kindness.  Even when mistreated, he treats his enemies very well.  Yet they don’t get it.  They continue on.  The more he loves, as Paul says, the less he is loved.  In the midst of his complaint, he makes this statement.  He can because he knows the nature of God.  He knows that regardless of his present situation, his future will always be bright.  He knows no matter what life is presently like, the future looks outstanding!  That is the way to go through life!

The present may stink, but the future does not.  The older I get, the less I can tolerate cold winters.  Yuk!  I was watching a docuseries on a lost expedition to Siberia.  A group of younger college students embarked on a winter trip over a pass in Siberia.  The entire expedition was lost.  All fourteen of the college students perished.  The mystery is how and why.  This expedition exited their tent as though they were in an emergency.  Not one was dressed.  They all had bare feet.  It appeared as though they left in a hurry and something kept them from returning.  The tent was destroyed.  The stove was never assembled and used.  A real mystery.  This docuseries retraced the steps of the expedition in the same time of year.  Albeit, almost 75 years later.  What struck me as I was watching this is the extreme cold and remoteness of this trip.  The weather got down to thirty below zero without a wind chill factor.  They were camping in tents.  The closest village of any sort was a two-hour snowmobile ride away.  There isn’t enough money in the world to get me to do that.  One shot had the host and two guides talking about the possibilities of demise.  They stood in open tundra with the wind gusting around them.  All I could think of was how to get out of there.  What did they have to look forward to?  Two hours away there was heat and more permanent structures.  It was the fact this docuseries was coming to an end and as soon as they got all their shots, they were headed home.

Our lives are not perfect.  Along the way we will have troubles and trials.  There will be times when we think survival is impossible.  There are days when it seems the sun never shines.  There are days we wonder if God even cares.  Those days, although common, are not permanent.  Like the docuseries crew, we have a limited time in a state of trial.  The time we have in glory is eternity.  The seventy years or so of our earthly journey is not even comparable to forever!  This is why David could rejoice in a reality did not have, but eventually will have.  This is why life was more than tolerable.  It was survivable.  This is why David could thrive and not merely survive.  Our eyes are in the wrong place.  As little orphan Annie sang, “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya, Tomorrow; you’re only a day away”.  There is a home in heaven with my name written on it.  There is one for you, too.  Most of all, the unfiltered presence of God resides there.  The joys of glory cannot be compared.  There is nothing like it.  Joy abounds and troubles cease.  That is why our hope is always in the future.  Not in the present.

God Heals the Broken Heart

“[The righteous] cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Ps 34:17-18 AV)

What words of hope are these?  Tremendous!  Beyond tremendous!  We have to be careful to remember that relief may not always be immediate.  Most of the time, it is not.  Most of the time God’s deliverance is future tense.  Most of the time He delivers by bringing us through the trial before the trial ends.  What is interesting to consider is the reality of a broken heart compared to God’s response to it.  One would ask of the LORD’s judgment in allowing a heart to be broken in the first place.  Our beloved Psalmist does not consider this.  It won’t change the reality of it.  His heart is broken regardless, and wondering why God did not prevent it doesn’t change the fact that it is broken.  In the context of our psalm, the heart needed to be broken.  Because the word ‘contrite’ is used, this suggests repentance.  That is what ‘contriteness’ means.  To be contrite means to come the reality that we have sinned and are broken for it.  Therefore, God is near.  But sin isn’t the only cause of a broken heart.  We may not initially understand the necessity for it.  It still comes.  The comfort comes from the truth that God is near and that God will deliver.

Mayoclinic.org states, “Broken heart syndrome is a heart condition that's often brought on by stressful situations and extreme emotions. The condition also can be triggered by a serious physical illness or surgery. Broken heart syndrome is usually temporary. But some people may continue to feel unwell after the heart is healed.  People with broken heart syndrome may have sudden chest pain or think they're having a heart attack. Broken heart syndrome affects just part of the heart. It briefly interrupts the way the heart pumps blood. The rest of the heart continues to work as usual. Sometimes the heart contracts more forcefully.”  I noticed a few things here.  First, broken heart syndrome is temporary.  I also noticed that after the trauma, a feeling of being unwell might continue.  It is also interesting that the broken heart can continue to function normally because most of the muscle is uninterrupted or damaged.  What a perfect picture of the trials of life.  Even Job has something that worked.  He may have lost his family, his purpose, and his health, but he still had his mind, his friends, and his wife.  God did not allow complete loss. 

A broken heart may be broken.  But a broken heart is never destroyed.  With the LORD there is always strength.  It is never as bad as it seems.  It is funny how a broken heart is laser-focused on the broken part.  It fails to see how everything else is healthy.  The break is the largest factor.  That is what we feel.  That is what hurts.  The broken heart screams for relief.  The broken heart simply does not want to feel the break anymore.  But as we read above, it is temporary.  Once David went to the LORD and gained reconciliation, the occupational therapy begins.  No doubt David picked his harp up, plucked a few familiar songs, and perhaps wrote some new ones.  No doubt he went home to be with his family.  Thoughts would still enter that hindered the healing process.  But as I learned after my shoulder surgery, therapy is slow but effective.  God is there.  He is there to heal and deliver.  It takes time. There is no quick fix.  The great Physician has clocked in.  He is there.  He will be there.  All the way through the healing process, God is there.  And you will be ok.