God is...We Trust

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” (Isa 12:2 AV)

There is a seeming contradiction here.  The act of trusting is future tense.  “I WLL trust…”  Yet, the act of saving is present tense.  “…God is…JEHOVAH is…he also is…” How we feel about our circumstances does not change the present condition of them.  The writer will trust and not be afraid because at the present, God is!

It can only work this way.  It cannot work the opposite.  It cannot work in the manner that we trust, then if we trust, God becomes our salvation.  Then it becomes our trust that establishes the attributes of God.  Rather, God is what He is and we trust because of that.  A picture comes to mind.  I hate heights.  Scared to death of them.  The fear of falling is the greatest reason I repented and ask Christ to save me.  Hell is a bottomless pit.  I couldn’t even imagine the sensation of falling for all of eternity.  Imagine one of those rope bridges spanning a deep canyon below.   You have to cross it. (I couldn’t do it.  Shoot me now!) That rope bridge is either going to hold your weight, or it isn’t.  As you watch others cross safely, you are finally convinced that it is safe.  You cross that bridge.  That bridge was just as strong before you crossed it as it was when you crossed.  Crossing the bridge didn’t make it any stronger.  The strength existed before the choice. 

So too is the salvation of God.  It waits for us to trust.  Christ died for our sins 2000 years ago.  The conditions of our salvation already existed.  He did not die afresh when we trusted.  Life’s challenges and trials are the same.  God knows the future.  We are in His hand.  Our problem has always been one of trust and faith.  God has not changed.  His power is infinite.  Faith and trust are hard.  No one has a right to make light of it.  We are terrified because we need to learn to trust.  Yet, God is there.  His arms are open to catch us if we simply take a leap of faith.  He has never changed.  So, we trust in the past and present, realizing the future in the process.

God Tries it All

“What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?” (Isa 5:4 AV)

God tries everything He can to change the errant direction of His people.  He tries everything He can do to reach the lost with the gospel of Christ.  Where we need encouragement is to realize and embrace the reality that even if we cannot see what the LORD is doing, He is doing.  God loves His creation too much to allow it to be wasted.  He loves the souls of mankind too much to see them drop off into eternity without a fight.  He loves His people too much to see them backslide away from His love without fighting for them. He will do everything He can do to encourage the souls of men to repentance and faith.  Everything.

There are times when we give up hope on others and ourselves.  Will things every change?  Can God do something with me or another?  Is that person, or me, beyond reclamation?  How many times does the LORD have to correct a soul before he or she will learn.  The unspoken prayer requests given at church prayer meeting are often errant loved ones who seem to be exhibiting no interest in the things of God.  Either they are lost, or they are backslidden and in serious sin.  We pray for these knowing that God can do anything.  But what we realize is the LORD will not force a choice on the souls of men.  The only hope we have is that God will try everything possible to encourage a right direction.  When it comes to our own walk, we struggle over stubborn sins.  We struggle over our own shortcomings.  We wonder if the LORD can do anything to change who and what we are.  We fail to remember the LORD has been changing us all along.  We also must realize one of my favorite promises in all of scripture.  “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” (Ps 138:8 AV)

God never quits.  We do.  God never abandons us.  We leave Him.  If there is little or no change, it is because we have chosen to reject the encouragement He has sent.  If there is no change, it was not because of a failure on God’s part.  When we are down on ourselves thinking that we might be beyond God’s ability to change us, remember, He can and will change us!  He will never stop trying.  For that soul whom we weep for, remember, God will do everything He can do to encourage that soul to seek Him.  He will not stop!  He loves that soul more than you or I ever could.  Even though we may not see it, His hand is trying everything!

God's Safe Space

“And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.” (Isa 4:6 AV)

There’s much ado about ‘safe spaces’ today.  People want a place to go where they can be accepted for who and what they are without fear of judgment or opinion.  A place where only those of like mind can assemble.  A place where there is no dissenting opinion.  A place where they are the most important person and all must conform to make them feel comfortable.  The only true safe space is in the presence of God.  Yet, it is not quite the same.

Life has problems.  Life has challenges.  Life brings with it contrariness that makes us uncomfortable, but at the same time, it matures us.  These dissenting opinion, and even yes, persecution is needful in the sense that it makes us stronger.  The safe space provided by God is His tabernacle.  It is any place wherein the Spirit of God meets with the souls of men.  In the Old Testament, it was the tabernacle and then the temple.  But in the New Testament, the tabernacle is the human heart, for that is where the Holy Spirit dwells with those who have repented and believed on Christ.  The tabernacle is the house of God wherein the LORD meets with His people.  What the tabernacle is not is a place of no change.  The tabernacle is not a safe space that is free from confrontation.  God’s safe space is not a place where we feel that no challenge will come our way and we can remain exactly like we are.  That is the contemporary idea of the house of God.  God’s safe space is where we meet with God.  He comforts as well as challenges.  He asks us to come apart from the world and the devil so that we can feel safe in the arms of God.  What God does not do is give us a place where no change takes place.  His safe space is not a perpetual state of immaturity.  His safe space is safe from the devil and world.  But the flesh needs tending to.  These safe spaces are a treasure.  A place where God is real and we are fed.  A place where the Holy Spirit of God speaks clearly and distinctly.  A place where the devil is not welcomed and the world is warned.  A place which only the people of God can enjoy.

At a time when the people of God are confronted more than ever by those who wish to destroy them, it amazes me how much we don’t flee to our safe space.  It amazes me how comfortable we have become in the devil’s world and seek not the protective and ever-growing place of the tabernacle of God.

Work That Vineyard

“My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.” (So 8:12 AV)

The opinions on this verse are all over the place.  It is common to read the one speaking is Christ and the vineyard is the church.  However, Solomon is the type of Christ in this book.  It is clear that Solomon is not the one speaking here because the speaker addresses him.  So, the speaker must be the king’s newlywed wife.  The vineyard is a gift to his new wife.  The other vineyards are hired out to keepers for a return on his property.  But the Shunamite has her vineyard.  Exactly what that vineyard is to us can vary.  One thing is for sure, that vineyard was hers to work and hers to enjoy the fruits thereof.

There are many things God gives us as a token of His love which are ours and ours alone.  Our families.  Our life.  Our ministry.  These belong to us as a matter of stewardship and blessing.  God does not give a vineyard that needs tending and work without also giving the fruits that come with that labor.  This is important to remember.  A gift from God often comes with responsibility.  We think of gifts like a Christmas gift.  A toy given to the child by which he can be entertained.  The gifts of God are more like the gifts spouses give to one another.  A new mixer for a wife.  A new power tool for a husband.  These gifts are by grace through love.  To enjoy them, they have to be used.  Being used, it takes work.

The church, which is more akin to the vineyard, is a gift from God.  It is a place of delight and edification.  It is a place where God speaks to us, where we enjoy the company of those of like heart and mind, and a place of escape from the wickedness of the world.  But, to enjoy the fruits of a church, it takes time, resources, and labor.  It takes foresight, planning, and execution.  One cannot simply come to a field and expect delicious grapes to appear all on their own.  One must plant, tend to, and reap in order to enjoy.  Remember, however, it is your vineyard!  Yours. It is the vineyard God gave to You and no one else!  No, work it!

He May Be Gone

“By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.” (So 3:1 AV)

The Song of Solomon is a metaphor depicting the saint’s relationship with he or her Savior. The king is a type of Christ and the Shunamite woman a type of the church.  In this particular verse, it appears as though the king and his future wife were relaxing and she fell asleep.  Not feeling as though his company was particularly desired at the time, the king arose.  Upon waking, the Shunamite discovered her love was missing and not to be found in the usual places.  She goes about the places looking for him.

It is quite common to take our spouses for granted. Specially when we are young and busy.  As one gets older, we appreciate and draw upon the presence of our spouse.  So too is it with the LORD.  We expect Him to be there every day.  We expect Him to be a shoulder we can cry upon and a comfort in our fears.  He is our guide, protector, and provider.  However, life can get so busy or we so tired, that we forget who it is that is most important.  The last two weeks have been so busy. And, it is about to get busier.  If I am not careful, after arising from a particularly exhausting day or week, the LORD will be nowhere to be found.

It is so important to keep up with daily quite time with the LORD.  It is so important to have conversations with Him throughout the day.  Not that He would necessarily be hurt if we do not.  But participating in a relationship keeps the other near.  It is to our benefit that we are able to approach the LORD of creation.  It is to our blessing we are privileged to approach His throne.  Why don’t we do it more often then we do?  If we are not careful, when we do desire His company, it will be difficult to find Him!

just go around

“If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” (Ec 11:3 AV)

There are unplanned obstacles that should not deter opportunity.  It is just a matter of accepting the situation and going on with it.  Dealing with the problem and continuing on is how we get things accomplished.  There is no such thing as a perfect situation.  There will always be unplanned changes to the details of the plan.

Traipsing through the woods, one learns to adjust.  When the plan is to get across the valley or over the river, you just learn to deal with it.  It is what it is and it will always be what it is.  The years I spent in Boy Scouts taught me to live with spontaneity.  Find a solution and carry on.  It is no fun dealing with rain.  Trying to start a fire for cooking while the rain is coming down is not fun.  We learned how to make fire sticks.  We learned to come prepared with homemade fire starter.  We learned to keep firewood dry.  We learned to keep the rain running away from, instead of towards, one’s tent.   We trenched around our tent so the water didn’t run back underneath and soak everything.  Those who are hardy will find a way.  Those who are not will want everything settled for them.  Life just isn’t that way.

These things happen.  No one is out to get you.  It isn’t all about how much your life is more difficult than another’s.  Bring an umbrella and walk around the fallen tree.  You’ll get there!

Laugh Again!

“Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.” (Ec 8:15 AV)

We don’t laugh enough anymore.  The world is filled with bad news.  But what were we expecting?  Sure, the reality that sin destroys and the vast majority of souls will suffer hell is a serious matter.  A grave matter.  One the church and her saints should take very seriously.  These things burden the soul. As they should.  Yet, the Bible that tells us to walk soberly is the same Bible that tells us to rejoice.  There is a balance!  Too much of either will cause harm to the soul.  And perhaps more.

As I get older and things change, if there is no sense of humor, this soul will be miserable.  As one get older, things work a little slower.  A potty break is measured in half hours when it used to be minutes.  There is a game of hide-and-seek with car keys or other items of interest several times in the day.  The old ‘blank brain’ event as one enters a room and then promptly forgets for what one enters the room is a hourly occurrence.  A trick knee that goes out as one is trying to be distinguished, walking down and aisle to your seat is something that becomes old hat.  The pocking and prodding that our physicians are accustomed to is something one has to get used to.  Those embarrassing tests that we over fifty must now succumb to become a source of vulnerability unless there is a sense of humor.  On one such occasion, after being on laxative for twelve hours, I checked in for the test and the waiting room began to fill up.  I remarked rather loudly (to get a laugh) that it might no be wise to book all these patients who have been on laxative all at the same time because there is bound to be a mess somewhere.  No one laughed.

It seems to be either feast or famine.  Either you go to a church where people are constantly in party mode and rocking to worldly music, all the while destroying lives because they do not take sin seriously.  Or, there is the church were there is nothing to laugh at or joy over, and their children rebel against such staunch ambiance they gravitate towards the less intense contemporary worldly church culture.  There needs to be balance.  We need to laugh again!