Inconvenient Obedience a Hard Lesson to Learn

“And [so] it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and [that] the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether [it was] by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.” (Nu 9:21 AV)

Israel was told to follow the LORD 24/7.  God sent a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  It rested on the tabernacle unless it was leading them through the wilderness.  Whatever the cloud did or wherever it went, they were told to follow.  It mattered not what time of day or night.  It didn’t matter what they were doing at the time.  They would instructed to follow the LORD no matter how spontaneous it might be.  That had to be a hard thing to learn.  We like structure.  We like a plan.  We like predictability and permanence.  How could anyone plan a life if at any moment, the LORD could move you?  How could one plan on a solid night’s sleep when, in the middle of deep slumber, the trumpet to assemble and move blow you awake?  Learning the immediately follow the LORD regardless of circumstance is a difficult step of maturity to learn.

Immediate obedience is a skill that is learned through adversity.  It does not come naturally.  The obvious comparison would be the military.  Stories abound of drill sergeants demanding of their recruits all sorts of tests at the most inconvenient of times.  However, there were times our home was similar.  My dad would require things that would not make sense at the time.  Almost like the Karate Kid.  Wax on, wax off.  There was a point to these skills.  A purpose that would reveal itself much further in life.  While raising our children, we did the best we could to teach them the same principle.  Immediate obedience builds trust.  My children may not have seen the wisdom is the rule at the time.  It may have seemed superfluous, a waste of time, or nonsensical.  Yet, because of dangers or opportunities they could not see, we insisted they follow.  There was a commencement speech given at the University of Texas at Austin on May 17, 2014 by Admiral William H McRaven called, “Make Your Bed”.   It was ten lessons Admiral McRaven learned as a Navy Seal.  It went viral!  The anchor point he made was that everything useful in life that he learned started with making his bed first thing in the morning.  He was able to tie the other nine life principles with the discipline of immediately following orders to make his bed first thing in the day. It may have been a simple order to obey in the whole scope of being a Seal.  But, in obedience to the little things, it made it much easier to obey in the greater things.

When I read the passage above, I could not help but put myself in the place of the Hebrew, fast asleep after a hard day of work in the fields, only to be awakened at three in the morning by the trumpet to assemble.  Knowing there was no warfare, I might be a bit annoyed.  Now the Hebrew has to awaken his wife and kids.  They have to pack everything up, throw it on the carts, and assemble their flocks.  This will take the better part of a morning.  For what?  Could not this wait until the break of day?  Yet, they were told to follow the LORD, day or night.  When the trumpet blows, there is no choice.  Action is required.  No time to fuss.  No time to complain.  No time to second guess God.  God knows what He is doing.  God knows the reasons why and He is not obligated to let us in on them.  Learning immediate obedience is a hard thing to do.  But it is necessary for our maturity.

Goodness All Around

“[Oh] how great [is] thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; [which] thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” (Ps 31:19 AV)

I was reminded last night how good the LORD has been.  And will be.  As is my custom, I try to fall off to sleep while in prayer.  This is not always possible.  Keeping the mind concentrated on a conversation while slumber arrives is not always possible.  Last night, the LORD brought to mind just how blessed we are. In my life, I have much to be thankful for.  Anything to the contrary has been self-inflicted.  Even so, those times were still filled with the mercy and goodness of God.  God can do all things.  He didn’t have to create us.  Knowing just how short I would fall, He could have rethought the whole idea of my existence.  Yet, the goodness of the LORD declared, let him come forth.  Before the creation of the world, He knew all the choices we would make.  He would know all that we failed to do that would please Him.  All this He knew, yet He still created.

Lately, the Spirit has reminded this soul of the greatest of all blessings.  I look forward to perfection.  I look forward to the old man being completely destroyed.  I look forward to never having to battle with temptation.  I look forward to perfect Christlikeness in thought, action, and demeanor.  But these things are not the greatest of all manifestations of God’s goodness.  I look forward to eternal fellowship with the saints in glory.  I can only imagine what heaven will be like with countless voices united in perfect voice to praise the God of all things.  The golden streets, the mansions, the river of life are all things to appreciate and anticipate.  But the greatest of all extension of God’s goodness is His presence.  To be in the presence of our Savior with the need of the eyes of faith is the greatest of all blessings.  God is good because He created us to know Him.

When we go soul-winning, it is often with the idea of rescuing those headed for certain destruction.  Hell is mentioned hundreds of times.  The Savior tells of the suffering of the rich man therein.  We share how forgiveness is freely available in the person of Jesus Christ, so no one will have to eternally suffer for their sin.  It has to be that way because the sinner wants nothing to do with God.  The worst-case scenario is our starting point because in our depravity, we want nothing of the goodness of God.  If only they understand how much different life could be knowing and walking with God.  Blessings abound.  Especially for those who fear God.  As I fell asleep, the Spirit brought to mind just how good God has been.  Another thought also occurred.  The Spirit asked of how much of God’s blessings and goodness have been sent my way without any knowledge on my part.  That is telling.  He was absolutely right.  There is far more that God has done for me than that which I have noticed.  The goodness of God abounds.  We have no right to complain.  God is good all the time.  Especially towards those who love Him and fear Him.

Wonderful Peace

“But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (Ps 37:11 AV)

Peace is all I ever wanted.  Peace with God.  Peace in mind, heart, and soul.  Peace with the world.  Peace with everything around me.  That is all I ever wanted.  Peace is the absence of conflict.  Deep down, that is what most of us want.  We want to live and exist in calm and contented surroundings.  We just want to get up in the morning and have nothing hit us head on.  We want to sit by a fire or on a seashore with not one care in the world.  We want to live and breathe knowing there is absolutely nothing to worry about.  Peace.  What a wonderful word.  David reminds us that this life may not end in such a peace.  Those who desire peace know there is only once source for it.  “Now the God of peace [be] with you all. Amen.” (Ro 15:33 AV)  The peace of which David speaks is promised to those who are meek.  To those who fall upon their faces in humility and dependence upon God can take by faith that our relationship with Him is full of peace.  Yes, we will not know absolute peace until our graduation to glory, but we do have the promise that gets us through our troubled lives.

My idea of peace is found in a cabin I recently bunked at.  A few years back, we rented a cabin in Pigeon Forge.  For part of the week, we had overcast skies and periodic showers.  Mostly in the morning.  I went out on the back porch with a cup of coffee and my Bible.  We were there at a slow time of the year, so it was pretty quiet.  There was very little human noise other than my family.  But they were inside, playing or visiting.  A spent hours on that porch.  Watching the squirrels and birds was my hobby.  I could sit there for the rest of my life.  Peaceful doesn’t describe it.  Then I came across a YouTube video of somewhat the same experience.  It was a porch of a cabin that overlooked a valley.  The video was hours long of showers and clouds working themselves through the valley, and it eventually ended with the clouds breaking into a nice blue sky.  Much like the many times I spent in our tent-trailer.  As a kid, I would rather spend time in that trailer during a rain event, reading a book or taking a nap.  To me, that is peaceful.  The absence of all that could trouble the heart and mind.  When I think of peace, I think of quiet.

David’s promise is a precious one.  It applies to Israel more directly than the church, but it still applies.  We will not inherit the earth.  Our peace is found in a personal walk with Almighty God.  Our peace is now.  Our peace is not reserved for the Messianic kingdom.  Our peace is from the world, the devil, and the flesh.  Our peace is found not in the physical might of a reigning Sovereign, but in the faith that He has everything in the palm of His hand.  Bringing the mind into the captivity of Christ is what brings that peace that passes all understanding.  This peace, although made complete upon our graduation to glory, can be, and is growing in our soul as we walk with Him.  That peace, like rocking in a chair on a porch of a log cabin during a spring sprinkle, is the peace that can come if we let it.  Peace.  What a wonderful word.  What a beautiful word.  What a word to behold.  What a promise!  What a hope!  What a pursuit!  May peace reign in our hearts!

The Pondering Hand of God

“For the ways of man [are] before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.” (Pr 5:21 AV)

When we think of pondering, we think of musing and reasoning in order to understand and apply.  Yet that is not the understanding of the Hebrew word here.  The word has the meaning of examination for leveling or making even.  What is ironic is the man involved fails to ponder his goings in verse six.  He is so taken with the strange woman that he fails to consider his potential actions.  He fails to make other plans.  He is tempted beyond the ability to make adjustments that will produce better results.  This does not affect the LORD.  He weighs our actions in a balance.  He ponders all our goings.  He sees what we are and what we are doing.  He makes adjustments so our lives will transform into that which He intended.  If we fight Him on it, the means for adjustment become more severe.  Perhaps the nature of the man will not allow for adjustment unto perfection.  In that case, the LORD has no choice but to discard the man to his own devices, resulting in complete self-destruction.

I like to watch wood-turning videos.  I am fascinated by the artistry of the workman.  David’s Woodworking is my favorite.  He is based out of England.  He does a lot of different things.  There are several things that amaze me when I watch these videos.  Each chunk of wood is unique.  He tends to treat them that way.  Each piece is unique.  He is not a cookie cutter carver.  He sees something in a chunk of wood that no one else sees.  The detailed method of carving also captivates me.  The wood worker doesn’t try to make the finished shape in one sweep of the blade.  It is here a little and there a little.  I had this wood turning app that I played and that was how you carved.  You chose a blade and went in one direction.  Then you were done.  Not so in real life.  The carve changes blades.  He works one area, then another, then goes back to the first area.  He slowly removes what he doesn’t want.  I often wonder how or what he sees that compels him to take a little bit more.  When he is done, the piece is stunning.  The carver removes what he knows will rob the piece of in inherent beauty of the wood.  He ponders and removes.  He ponders and sands.  He ponders and polishes.  A constant sea of change until a masterpiece is produced.

This is the understanding of the verse above.  Again, what is ironic is the foolish and adulterous man does not ponder his goings.  The temptation of the strange woman is too great for him.  If he would ponder his own goings, then the LORD wouldn’t have to do it for him.  Note also that the LORD ponders all.  Not some.  Not most.  All.  That means that even if we do not see God’s hand, it is nonetheless, active.  Like the lathe turner, a simple tiny blade can add the finest scroll.  When he polishes and seals the work, it is with several grits of sandpaper and compounds.  The littlest of touches makes the biggest difference.  God, the master builder, is working on us all the time.  Most of which goes unnoticed.  When the LORD ponders all our ways, this suggests every choice, thought, demeanor, and desire.  This brings up an even more spectacular thought.  I wonder how much failure the LORD kept us from of which we are completely unaware!  Imagine that!  Imagine how much of a disaster our lives would be if the LORD did not ponder all our ways!  Praise the LORD for His non-stop interference in our lives.  Heaven will tell what could have been if it wasn’t for the grace of almighty God.

The Many Names of God

“The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower.” (Ps 18:2 AV)

As of late, I have been reminded of the infinite ways in which we know our God.  His is infinite in attributes and ability.  This does not mean He holds all possible attributes.  That would necessitate a God with faults.  Rather, He possesses all His attributes, which a perfect and holy God does, infinitely so.  I have been reminded of all the names by which He was addressed, particularly in the Old Testament.  This poor saint has been trying to memorize and use them, but find myself of limited ability.  We are too linier.  Our brains can only grasp so many concepts at any one time.  Because our human relationships are limited, we often define them as such.  When it comes to the LORD, this is not the case.  There are eight titles listed above.  They do have a common theme in the sense they speak of relief.  Relief either from known threats or potential ones.  As the Spirit led meditation upon this verse, He reminded me that God is so much more to me than I can completely comprehend.

My father wore many hats.  He was a highschool math and computer teacher.  He was a music teacher who taught guitar.  He was a professional musician.  He was a volunteer at our church and trained his children to serve right alongside of him.  My father was a recycler before it was a law.  He would collect metal, glass, and paper, then sell it back to the recyclers.  My father was both a Boy Scout Master and a Girl Scout Troop leader.  He was a stamp collector, a model train enthusiast, and a plastic model builder.  He had a darkroom and was a prolific photographer.  Not a very good one, mind you, but took a lot of snapshots.  My father was a tree farmer and librarian.  He took up coin collecting, bird watching, and computer hobbies.  My father was a complex man with many talents and interests.  Depending on what we were interested in, he attempted to show the same.  But what my father could not do was manage more than a few things at a time.  He could not be in the darkroom with me while also working with my brother to put plastic models together.  He could not lead both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts at the same time.  My father was a Renaissance man, but he was still a man.  There were times when I needed him to be one thing, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t.  The same is true with my sons.  I failed them more than I care to recall.

God is truly all things to all men.  He is all these things all at once.  When I awoke last night in the middle of the night, I needed Him to be one thing to me.  Then another.  As the Spirit brought the names of God to my mind, He led me to concentrate and pray to the Father in the context of that one attribute.  He was my deliverer.  Then He was my Rock.  He was my strong tower, then He was my shield.  Most of all, I needed Him to be my Abba Father.  God is more complex than we could ever understand.  Relating to Him thusly is a key to a more intimate walk with Him.  I am so grateful the LORD has many names.  I just with I could remember them all.  So, next time you have a time with the LORD, try focusing on what He is.  Try forming your prayer in the context of His nature as well as His personhood.  Remember, God is many things all at once.  He truly is a God beyond our understanding.

PJ's and an Espresso Don't Work

“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” (Ps 34:3 AV)

There is something about congregational praise and worship that cannot be duplicated in any other form.  I know ‘praise and worship’ is overused and misunderstood in today’s environment of contemporary worship, but the concept is still a biblical one.  The rock bands, worldly entertainments style, and un-surrendered lives do not praise and worship make.  There is much noise going on today, but little in the way of holiness, morality, and purity.  Surrender and separation are dirty words in today’s contemporary churches.  Studying the word of God for the goal of living by its standards and laws is not a popular topic.  Only when a congregation is surrendered to the will of God, regardless of what it might be, can true praise and worship occur.  There is a difference in atmosphere between those feigning a genuine relationship with God and those who actually have one.  But I digress.  Rather, a different thought arises.

When COVID was a thing, many churches were forced to live stream and the sole method of ministry.  At the time, it seemed like a necessary evil.  Now that the crisis is over, many of us have remained on streaming platforms because that is the only way to reach a certain segment of our congregation.  We have shut-ins that cannot come out to services.  For this, I am grateful for the technology to live stream.  However, there is another segment that uses live streaming for convenience’s sake.  We have toyed with the idea of password protecting access and limiting it only to those who are genuine shut-ins.  But that won’t change much.  Those who wish to stay home and attend in their pajamas will only switch to a different channel.  Rather, I think the way out of this is to encourage those who stay home that they are missing something that cannot be duplicated in one’s living room.  David writes the above challenge because he knows that corporate worship is a great encouragement to those who participate.  There is nothing like it.

Many years ago, I lived in a state like no other when it comes to church cooperation and unity.  There was no competition between churches.  They understood the principle of the local church.  They understood identity to a congregation was based on where you lived and not on other factors.  These churches worked with one another and not against one another.  Consequently, when we had pastor’s fellowships, they were something to behold.  Usually, on a Friday night, pastors would travel many hours to attend a service.  Because many traveled a distance, they were not content with an hour long service.  If they were going to come all that way, they wanted a service that spent some time in worship and preaching.  There would be several hundred preachers at any one service.  I remember one particular service my pastor and I attended.  It was a church that was a remodeled barn.  As we approached the building, the singing was so loud is shook the building.  With only about 150 people inside, glorifying the LORD together was something I will never forget.  No drums, guitars, or worship team needed.  These were 150 men and their families who had given their lives for the cause of Christ.  They had taken many blows at the and of the adversary.  Yet, they were eternally grateful for the God whom they served.  So, those who stay home and participate with a latte and soft pillows, I feel sorry or you.  You are missing something that cannot be duplicated.  There is nothing like it.  Corporate worship is something that only attending in person can be experienced.

Individual Attention

“From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.” (Ps 33:14 AV)

One little word is the center of my thoughts.  That one little word, ‘all’.  That includes all individuals that exist.  God looks upon us all.  Looking upon has the understanding of a deep interest than a mere glance or impersonal observation.  When the LORD looks upon the individuals of His creation, He is considering their condition and situation.  His interest is not merely academic.  We are not a simple curiosity or form of entertainment.  When the LORD looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth is deeply interested in them as individuals.  He is moved by their condition.  He cares for them and loves them more than they will ever know.  How many?  All!

It is easy to forget God’s personal interest in us.  I grew up in a fairly large family.  There were eleven kids.  Spreading attention around to eleven is almost impossible.  We all felt left out at one time or another.  I had three sons and they still give me a hard time about who my favorite might be.  As human beings, we do not have an infinite capacity for love and attention.  It is humanly impossible to affirm all your children equally, all the time.  I made the statement in church the other day that there is no comparable person or object to God.  When we try to explain Him, we bump up against His holiness.  There is no other infinite being of a pure and perfect nature to whom we can compare Him.  When we try, we end up contradicting the nature and person of God.  It is quite impossible.  So, when we imagine a God who can look upon us individually, there is no other comparison.  To do so would be like looking into a microscope and observing all the individual cells all that the same time with equal and infinite interest.  But that is exactly what God is capable of and does.

The closest comparison I can come up with is our Wednesday evening prayer time.  We pair off and pray.  An observer would note may voices in the auditorium.  We are praying all at once.  And doing so out loud.  Yet, none of us would consider that God is incapable of listening to each individual as though they are the only one praying.  It doesn’t cross my mind that the LORD is incapable of hearing my prayer as if it is the only one while many others are thinking and believing the same thing.  God care about all.  He looks upon all.  Not as a whole.  But as individuals.  His relationship with each of His children is as if he and the LORD are the only two in existence.  This is the wonder of God’s infinite personhood.  WOW.