An Opportunity For God

“And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” (2Ki 5:8 AV)

So, what is going on here?  Naaman was the chief of staff to the king of Syria.  Naaman was also a leper.  Through a Jewish servant girl, they had learned there was a prophet in the nation of Israel who could heal lepers.  The king of Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel seeking the healing of his chief of staff.  It was very brief.  It was a brief letter to a fault.  The king of Israel felt the letter was a means to find occasion against Israel, justifying armed conflict.  Because the letter was so brief, we cannot discern what the true motive of the king of Syria was.  The king of Israel may have been correct in his assessment.  Or not.  We simply do not know.  What we do know is how the king reacted and the answer to that reaction, as stated by the prophet.  We tend to see adverse situations as more dire than they are.  We tend to see adversity as nothing more than something that is against us for no other reason than to cause issues.  What we need to contemplate is that perhaps adversity is just one more way in which the LORD can show Himself strong on our behalf.  Perhaps the reason we have trouble is so that others can see the reality of a God whom they do not know.  Maybe, just maybe, what we face is more about God than it is about us.

The death and resurrection of Lazarus as well as the man born blind in John chapter nine have a common thread.  Although all things Jesus did were for the glory of the Father, the two aforementioned events specifically mentioned miracles performed strictly for the glory of God and for no other reason.  These two miracles were evidence of the deity of Christ so that others may come to trust in Him.  One thinks of the parents of the man born blind or Martha, sister to Lazarus, who needed additional evidence in order to trust in the Messiah.  We know of Martha and Mary.  They become believers.  We never hear of the blind man’s parents again.  What we do know is that hardship came to these people so that God could do something unexpected.  Blindness came because God wanted to show He could heal it.  Lazarus died so that Jesus could prove He was the resurrection and the life.  No doubt they would often ask of the reason why these things had come upon them.  In fact, Mary stated that had Jesus come when bidden, Lazarus may not have died.  But he did.  Adversity came because God wanted to show Himself in a greater way than they had ever known Him before.

The same was true of the letter sent to the king of Israel.  It may or may not have been a means to an end.  Perhaps the king of Syria knew it was a long shot and was looking to pick a fight.  Or maybe he simply wanted Naaman healed and believed if there was a cure, it would only come from Elisha.  Again, it matters not.  What matters is there is a prophet of God in Israel and all hope is not lost.  The fact of the matter is, God is always on His thrown.  He has never, and will never, abdicate it.  God allows or causes all things.  Directly or indirectly, our sovereign God has it all in His hand.  All things He does is for His glory first.  We humans need God to manifest Himself in ways that faith can become a reality.  For Naaman, it was the healing of his leprosy.  If God can do that, He must be the one and only true God.  This is exactly what happened.  Naaman became a proselyte of the Jewish faith.  All because instead of seeing adversity in the light of how it affects self, the king of Israel and Elisha decided to see it as an opportunity to show who God is and what He is capable of.  If we see our trials in this way, it will radically change how we react.  Our faith and strength will increase.  And who knows?  Perhaps there might be a soul saved along the way.

A Vow For All Times

“I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.” (Ps 104:33-34 AV)

For all of you pessimists out there, this is for you!  This vow is a good one.  It is a necessary one.  This vow should transcend our circumstances.  Our troubles and trials should not dictate our praise.  In fact, it might be a good idea to praise God, especially when we are suffering.  The author promises to praise the LORD as long as he is among the living.  Not only that, but verse 34 states all the meditation he will exercise will be sweet.  Remember, this is a vow.  Which also means it is a choice.  These verses are not a result of a natural response to good things that are happening.  Rather, these verses are a vow that despite his circumstances, his thoughts of the LORD will be sweet and he will praise the LORD for the remainder of his days on earth no matter what.  Praise, gratitude, and sweet thoughts go a long way toward living a life that pleases God.  The principle of these two verses also dictates how we will handle adversity.

Sometimes, our demeanor is a matter of choice.  Many years ago, while in the Boy Scouts, our scoutmaster planned an outing that did not go exactly as planned.  He wanted the troop to earn their canoeing merit badge.  This required we learn several skills, include portaging the canoes overland from one point to another.  We were also required to paddle an extended trip of five miles or more.  So, living on the Erie Barge Canal, this wasn’t too difficult.  He borrowed the districts' canoes, had us all meet at a place called Widewaters, and canoe five miles east.  The problem was, it was rainy, and we got tired really quick.  Those in my canoe devised a plan to make this trip a lot easier.  We lashed two canoes together, used tent stakes and ponchos, and built a catamaran.  We sailed most of the way.  It was great!  When we got near the place that carrying our boats was necessary, we were soaked.  Rather than be in misery, my buddies and I made a game of it.  We jumped into every puddle we could find.  Why not?  We were already drenched, and this experience was not getting any better, so may as well make lemonade out of lemons, as the saying goes.  My father, the scoutmaster, never understood how we completed the five-mile run so quickly, and we never told him!  Hilarious.

I am not saying it is possible to laugh and have a good time, regardless of our circumstances.  But the LORD doesn’t have to suffer just because we are.  In fact, if we choose to praise God no matter what, it just might go a little easier.  If our meditation is on the LORD and it is sweet, our eyes we change direction from inward to outward.  Our experience will not consume our thoughts.  Rather, our thoughts we recall all the good God has done to and for us.  Remembering His grace will open our eyes to present mercies.  The psalmist makes a vow here.  In spite of what he is or may face, he will sing praises to the LORD.  No matter how tormented his heart of mind is, he chooses to think good thoughts of the LORD and meditate on Him rather than himself.  This is good advice.  This is a great vow to make.  This vow will help us navigate life, no matter the outcome.  This vow will turn a difficult time into a tolerable one.  It is our choice.

Take it Like a Man

“And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.” (1Ki 20:43 AV)

The reference is to Ahab, king of the northern ten tribes, who was soundly rebuked for disobedience toward the LORD.  Five kings went up against twice.  Once in the hills and the second time, in the valley.  When the LORD defeated the Syrians the second time, it was with the understanding Ahab was to destroy all five kings including Benhadad, king of Syria.  Because Syria and Israel shared a very distant past, and because his wife, Jezebel was closely related to the Syrians, Ahab spared his life.  This is when the prophet of the LORD arrived and informed Ahab because of his disobedience, his life would be forfeited in the stead of Benhadad.  Not only that, but his wife would die a violent death and the dogs of the wilderness would consume her remains.  His children would also be slaughtered.  The house of Ahab would no longer exist.  Then we read the verse above.  Don’t you hate when that happens?  Don’t you hate it when the LORD calls you out for knowingly disobeying Him?  But praise the LORD we do feel that way.  Feeling that way is an indication the LORD is still working on us and the Holy Spirit still has ministry.  As much as we might hate the feeling, it is a good one.  The key is what we choose to do afterward.  Ahab doubled down on his rebellion.  Following this, he murders a near relative over a vineyard.  Instead of repenting, he fell further.

The difference between a child that always disappoints their parents and one that works at pleasing them is his or her reaction to the correction they receive.  The rebel will use the correction as motive to do worse while the wise and humble child will learn and improve.  It matters not whether anger, shame, or envy are the motivating emotions that cause an erring child to err even more.  Deep down, it is still rebellion.  We may feel horrible about ourselves, but that is no reason to continue and get worse.  I have seen this many times over the years.  Families with multiple children may have one who seems not to care of the things of the LORD.  Worse, it seems as though they deliberately do what they know his or her parents would be ashamed of.  Yes, there is a generation or age group whose character tends to do this.  But at some point, the child grows out of it and he or she gets back on the right path.  But not all.  After the hard lessons of life are learned, and adulthood arrives, the child has learned there are consequences for choices.  He or she will turn around and start the down the path of right living.  It may take a bit, but it happens.

Not Ahab!  Nope.  Ahab reacted by throwing a temper tantrum regarding a vineyard.  He was so taken by what he could not have that it made him physically ill.  His wife, seeing her husband the king, acting like a child decided to solve his issue for him.  She drew up false charges, had the relative charged and executed, and then handed the deed to her husband.  How pitiful!  Rather than repent of his cowardice in releasing Benhadad, he allowed his child-like emotional being dictate more sin.  We may not enjoy the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  But it is necessary and it is good.  When He calls us out for our actions, let us not whimper.  As my dad used to say when he gave us a spanking, “take it like a man”.  How true!  If we messed up, we deserve what the LORD dishes out.  If we have disobeyed, we deserve correction.  If we have rebelled, we deserve a spanking.  Rather than feel sorry for ourselves, we should accept it, repent, and move on; promising never to do it again, and meaning it!  Ahab is a great example of a person we should never become.  He is an adult who never grew up.  He is a spoiled little brat whose wife did all the rebellion for him.  What a sorry excuse for a man.  So, let us man up.  Let us take our lumps.  Let us acknowledge we deserve it.  Then, let us repent and move on!  There are more battles to fight.  More Benhadads to conquer.  More service to a God who loves us more than we will ever know!

Praise the LORD He Knows!

“Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.” (1Ki 18:37 AV)

This statement by Elijah is rather interesting.  Let me give a bit of background here.  Ahab, king of the northern ten tribes of Israel, had married a pagan wife who was a daughter of a very wicked neighbor of Israel.  Consequently, they introduced worship of the false god Baal.  There were prophets of Baal.  There were altars built to him.  The LORD judged Israel by inflicting them with a  drought that was running three years to the day of this event.  Elijah calls all of Israel to Mt Carmel.  He challenges them to build an altar to Baal, dress a bovine as an offering, and call on their god to send fire from heaven.  They do so to no avail.  It was not Elijah’s turn!  He repaired the altar of God.  He dressed his cow and placed in on the altar.  He then dug a trench around it and filled the altar and trench with water.  When he was ready, he asked the question of Israel of whom they would serve.  Would they finally follow Jehovah, or follow a god who did not exist.  They said not a word. They never committed one way or another.  This is why Elijah’s statement above is so remarkable.  Before the people were willing to commit, the LORD knew they eventually would.  What an encouraging truth!  Even when we do not know what is in our heart and how deeply we will follow the LORD, the LORD knows!

Another remarkable thing regarding this passage is the faith Elijah shows in the prayer he just prayed.  He is convinced that what the LORD is about to do would indeed turn the hearts of Israel back to the LORD.  He knows this as sure as the sun will rise.  He knows what the LORD is about to do.  He doesn’t know how spectacular it will be.  When the LORD answers from heaven, the offering is consumed.  The stone altar is burned to ash.  Even the water is completely dried up.  In a word, there is nothing left of that offering.  Elijah knew what the LORD was capable of.  He knew Israel would repent and turn again to God.  Like the wilderness, it didn’t last long.  But at least they repented.  Elijah was an amazing prophet.  He was harder on himself than he needed to be.  The LORD used him for some pretty amazing things.  One thing about Elijah was that he never gave up on his people.  He worked so hard that he would eventually burn out.  But he never gave up that God could do something with a particularly wicked people.  There was always hope.  This man of God saw that no one was beyond God’s ability to reach them.  Otherwise, he would not have prayed the prayer that he prayed.  I cannot help but see tremendous hope.  Not just for myself, but for all who are called children of God.

From time to time, I am tasked with helping some who seem beyond change.  Their life pattern has been one of repeatedly rejecting God and His law.  But if we are honest, it could probably have been said of us as well at some point in our lives.  In fact, there are times when it could still be said that we are slow learners.  Sometimes, those who are ahead of us spiritually could assume the same of us.  They could simply assume we will never get it.  Whether it is simple obedience or trusting the LORD for trials of life.  Those who have gone one before might assume we are beyond change.  Praise be to the LORD that there are spiritual men and women who do not share that same opinion.  Praise be to the LORD that He does not share the same opinion.  It doesn’t matter how hard-headed we are, there is always hope.  As long as there is a God who can send down fire from heaven, there is hope for the hardest and slowest of us all!  Praise be to His name.  So, either we are the ones praying in faith for the walks of others, or we are the one standing in need of prayer.  God is the answer!  May we pray that the LORD would send the fire that transforms the life!  And dramatically so!

Coat With Soap

“I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” (Ps 101:2-3 AV)

I am sure this has come across in the past.  But another reminder doesn’t hurt.  The king is the writer here.  More than likely, it is a psalm of David.  As the king, there were things appearing in his house that would border on the absurd.  He would be required to keep company with all sorts of things.  As the judge of the land, the palace would have regular traffic of an offensive nature.  Being a head of state, he would entertain those from different cultures who may not make the effort to adjust their appearance or behavior toward the sensitivities of God’s servant.  Keeping his palace pure would have been a challenge.  But not an impossibility.  David has a major failure in this area.  He may have kept his palace clean, but he went out onto the porch and looked into another’s home who did not.  Note, the use of the word ‘cleave’.  David may have, of necessity, kept company with the unclean, but he didn’t have to allow it to cleave to him.

When I was a kid, we went camping quite a bit.  When we camped, it was truly roughing it.  No cabins or showers for us.  A tent and a pond are what we got.  Water was drawn from the pond and sterilized in a 55gal drum over an open fire.  Our bathrooms were a hole in the ground with a tarp surrounding the hole.  We had a cooler with ice for perishables, but non-perishables were stored in the open.  All cooking was over an open flame.  If you have ever done that, you know your cookware gets coated with carbon from the fire.  This is almost impossible to get off.  If one is not careful, over time, that carbon can build up and flake off in your food.  One way to prevent this is to coat the outside of your cookware with soap.  We used bar soap for a while.  Then switched to liquid soap.  A thick coating of soap is what the carbon adheres to.  Then all one has to do is submerge in water and the soap with carbon comes right off!  Amazing.  You cannot keep the cookware from getting exposed to the carbon.  If you want to live, unfortunately, the cookware has to be exposed to a hostile environment.  But if there is a layer of protection between the cookware and the environment, then the environment doesn’t cleave to the pot or pan.

It is common to think of this passage only in the context of keeping a morally pure home.  That is certainly the case.  We should do this.  For David, his home was far more than a place to live.  It was his job site as well.  It is where he lived and worked.  For David, his home took up most of his time.  His point is simple.  There may be times when being near the wicked cannot be avoided.  The key is that the wicked do not cleave to him.  He may have to sit and preside over a trial of unsavory detail, but that doesn’t mean he must allow the details of this event to occupy his mind.  He may have to accept the audience of an immodestly dressed head of state from another country, but that doesn’t mean he has to dwell on what he saw.  Sometimes, evil cannot be avoided.  It is what we do with what we, unfortunately, experienced that matters just as much as trying to expel it all before it happens.  My wife and I were at an airport a while back.  There was all sorts of inappropriate language, behavior, and dress.  It could not be avoided.  Being there was necessary.  What we choose to do with what we were cast into is the safety net that keeps sin from clinging to our souls.

Absence of Servant/Leaders

“And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.” (1Ki 12:7 AV)

This counsel was given to a new king by those much older and wiser than he.  There was an insurrection brewing.  Jeroboam I represented the ten northern kingdoms against Judah and Benjamin led by Rehoboam, son of Solomon.  The LORD had judged the house of Solomon and promised to split the kingdom, giving the ten northern tribes to Jeroboam. Regardless of the advice given to Rehoboam, the ten northern tribes would have found cause to rebel anyway.  But that is not the point. What is the point is the sound wisdom offered by those much older and wiser than the king.  Advice that is not heeded too much anymore.  Leadership is only as effective as the leader’s willingness to be a servant.  We have way too much dictatorial leadership as examples today.  Not enough servant/leaders.  Being a servant/leader does not mean the leader is required to do all that those whom he leads would require of him.  That would flip leadership on its head.  At first glance, it would appear these two words are opposite.  How can a servant also lead those whom he serves?  Doesn’t one lead and the other serve?  Not so.  The word of God is very descriptive of what a servant/leader should look like.  The word ‘oversight’ is used to describe his duties.

When leading, one must consider the will and resources of those whom he leads.  What I mean by that is you cannot lead where people are not willing to go.  We can have a vision, but if people are not willing to go there, the vision will never come to be.  Again, this doesn’t mean we allow those whom we lead to be the leaders and we the followers.  It simply means the situation must change so they are willing to go where they once were not.  If the LORD places in the heart of the leader to undergo a building project, those whom he leads may not see it.  They may not see the need.  He then has work to do.  He needs to convince them they have a need that they didn’t realize they had.  I see too many in leadership who do not have the patience to lead the sheep.  They have a dream and come what may, they are going to make that dream happen no matter the fallout.  Ambition is good.  But having ambition that does not consider the effect of that ambition on all who are involved, is not servant/leadership.  The servant/leader will curtail his own desires for the sake of the health and growth of those whom he leads.  As a father who considers all the goals he has in life in the light of how those goals affect his wife and children, the man of God who leads needs to do the same.  He is not called to build the church.  That is Jesus’ responsibility.  He declared in the book of Matthew that He would build His church.  We are called to Shepherd the sheep.

Rehoboam was young.  He was inexperienced.  Yes, the LORD would have found another way to give the ten northern tribes to Jeroboam had Rehoboam heeded the advice of his senior advisors.  The word of God tells us the pride of Rehoboam was of the LORD.  Rehoboam’s pride and stubbornness are what split the kingdom.  Whether we are the head of our households, teach Sunday School, or parent a home.  What is in the best interests of those whom we lead should be our number two consideration; the glory of God being the first.  What we get out of it or what we want to accomplish is not even part of the equation.  What does God want and what do the people need are the only two questions that need to be asked of the servant/leader.  They are not contradictory terms.  They are complimentary.  At least in the way God does things.

Obedience Regardless of Circumstances

“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” (1Ki 8:61 AV)

These words are the words of Solomon at the dedication of the temple.  The nation was on a spiritual high.  They had just completed the building of the most expensive and elaborate house of worship the world had ever known.  There was none greater.  Nor should there be.  The temple was the House of God.  This building was a house erected in honor of the one true God, the Creator of all, Jehovah God!  If anyone deserved the greatest building ever, it would be our God.  So, to say Israel was on a high was an understatement.  Obedience would come easy at such a time as this.  With their minds and hearts focused on pleasing God, temptation would have been kept at a minimum.  Regardless of the atmosphere at the time, the instruction of Solomon is a good one.  Regardless of spiritual highs or lows, being perfect with God is always a good idea.

As I sit here and type, I cannot but be thankful for the God whom we love and serve.  It astounds me just how much He puts up with.  He puts up with a lot.  We disappoint Him more than we care to dwell on.  Our prayers are not nearly as reverent as He is entitled to.  We do not retain Him in our thoughts every moment of every day.  Yet, in His grace, He loves us, forgives us, and deeply desires to walk with us.  What a loving God we serve.  All He asks is that we trust Him enough to obey Him.  All He asks is that because He is the Creator and has designed the world in which we live, we should trust His design and plan for the best possible life we can have.  It really is that simple.  Not much.  Mere faith.  In that faith, we acknowledge His ways are the best ways and it would serve us well if we would live by them.  What parent doesn’t design his or her home and the rules by which children must comply to provide the best that can be provided?  Rules and commandments do not exist just because they can.  They exist because children must be kept safe, happy, and growing.  The same is true with God.  His law is not designed to be a terror unto us simply because He has the ability to do so.  No.  His laws are laws of goodwill, benevolence, safety, and prosperity.

Solomon is charging his nation with obeying the LORD when it is easy and when it is hard.  There are consequences for disobedience.  But that should not be our highest motive.  Solomon is trying to make that point.  As spiritually encouraged as they were that day, their obedience needs to continue even when they are discouraged.  When the emotion abates, obedience needs to continue.  When the party is over, faith cannot fail.  Walking with God cannot be circumstantially driven.  Obedience and faith must be constant no matter the circumstances.  This is Solomon’s instruction.