A Simple Touch

This morning I read the passage where Daniel had been fasting for 3 weeks and saw a vision of a glorious man by the Tigris river.  The men who were with him did not see the man but quaked with fear and fled, whilst Daniel beheld the man and fell on his face in a deep sleep.  Suddenly a hand touched Daniel, and he rose to his hands and knees, for he still lacked strength to stand.  The angelic messenger spoke in Daniel 10:11, "And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling."  Having been without bread and wine for weeks, coupled with the glorious vision, Daniel's weakness was apparent.

After the delivered the message, Daniel looked to the ground and was unable to speak.  Daniel 10:16-19 reads, "And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, "My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷ For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me." ¹⁸ Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. ¹⁹ And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."  Daniel was touched on the lips by an angel and was able to speak, though he was rendered weak from the experience.  Again, he was touched and strengthened by the angel who told Daniel not to be afraid, reminded him he was loved, spoke peace and exhorted him to be strong.

There were a couple of occasions when Jesus was ministered to by angels who are spirits sent by God to do His will.  After Jesus endured a fast that spanned 40 days and temptation from the devil, Matthew 4:11 says:  "Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."  When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest and crucifixion--while His disciples slumbered--Luke 22:43 says, "Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him."  When Daniel and Jesus were alone and physically weak, angels were sent to minister to and strengthen them.  With Jesus Christ as our Saviour, Christians know we can be without fear because we are beloved and Jesus is our peace; in our weakness His strength is made perfect.  Our ability to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might is graciously provided by the Holy Spirit.

While Jesus can use angels to strengthen us, He is also able to use words from the Bible, brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ the church, or anything He wills to remind and encourage us to press on in faith and obedience to Jesus.  We are called to be like Daniel, admitting our weakness before the LORD and our brethren, delighting in God's love expressed to us by any instrument He chooses.  I remember fondly years ago I was greatly encouraged by a brief lunchtime visit where friendly fellowship with a brother in Christ, a toasty and a lap dog was used greatly by the LORD to lift my spirits by that personal touch.  By faith and reliance upon Jesus who chooses to employ a personal touch from God's people, God strengthens us to speak and stand.  Isn't it more miraculous God can use a born again believer to convey His love with a personal touch than an angelic messenger?

Giving to Honour God

I have met Christians who seem to have a complicated relationship with having nice things or owning a house.  There are some who come across as feeling guilty there are many people in the world whose standard of living that is less comfortable or lacks amenities we are accustomed to.  That same person is faced with the problem that even if they gave away everything to the point of becoming completely destitute, it would not make a notable, lasting impact in the lives of others or in the world.  It also would be sobering to give someone money or a house and find them in a worse state than before.  The sad testimony of lottery winners paints a depressing picture of loss and regret.

It is God who gives people the ability to acquire wealth for His good purposes (Deut. 8:17-18), and we are wise to heed Proverbs 3:9-10 that says, "Honour the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; ¹⁰ so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."  The Scripture makes the connection those who honour God will be honoured by Him, and those who are faithful stewards over what He has given shall be given more.  This isn't a formula to make millions or billions and retire, but God has promised to faithfully provide for all our needs.  In light of His generosity, love and provision for His people, we ought to be cheerful givers of ourselves to Him.  One cure for feeling guilty about having is the joy God provides by giving as led by His Spirit.

I read a passage which shares a wise perspective in regards to God's faithfulness and the fruitfulness of our labours in Leviticus 23:22:  "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God."  God did not begrudge His people for having land (He gave them as an inheritance) or enjoying a bumper crop because there were people who lacked food.  They weren't to feel guilty they had grain while others were destitute.  God commanded those He blessed with a crop to keep the poor and stranger in mind while they reaped and be intentional to leave some behind so the hungry could gather it up and eat.  They weren't to be thinking of themselves and how much more they could keep in reserve.  The fields of wealthy landowners as well as the small households had good grain, grapes and olives God commanded to be left for those who lacked.

God blessed the poor and strangers through the hard labour of landowners who obeyed Him, giving to God what was God's and also leaving some for others.  This economy of grace is very different than "seizing means of production" and wealth distribution that supposedly will put poverty and hunger in the wastebin of history.  That is a pipe dream on this planet, for Jesus said in Matthew 26:11:  "For you have the poor with you always...".  The biblical principles of working for our bread, honouring God with our firstfruits, and considering the needs of the poor and stranger are all steps of faith we should take in obedient to our awesome God, the giver of all good things.  Having food to eat was not an entitlement but a gift received by God for those who laboured for it.  Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:26:  "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Partakers of Christ's Sufferings

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

1 Peter 4:12-13

Peter wrote to beloved children of God they should not be surprised when they experience intense and life-threatening trials.  We might have the idea that because God loves us He prevents us from going through trials when the opposite is true:  He allows us to go through trials to prompt us to rejoice in our Saviour today and for all eternity.  Jesus Christ willingly suffered for us, and when we are made to suffer for His sake because we have obeyed Him, we have a deeper and more personal connection with Him.  After disciples of Jesus were beaten and threatened by religious authorities who despised Jesus, Acts 5:41-42:  "So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. ⁴² And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."  Not everyone is counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus, and the disciples rejoiced to be associated with their Saviour.

I reminisced this morning of several occasions in scripture where God's people faced trials and difficulties God delivered them out of.  The experience we wish to avoid is the thing through which God proves Himself faithful as our deliverer.  I think of when the Hebrews suffered under the bondage of slavery in Egypt.  We would want to avoid being slaves at all as a horrid thing, but God strengthened them to endure and brought them out with a mighty hand to establish them in their own land.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were thrown into a fiery furnace because they would not worship the idol Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and God delivered them from the flames because they trusted in God without being burned.  Daniel was thrown into a den of lions because he prayed to God in violation of the edict of King Darius and was not harmed at all, for God sent His angel to shut the lion's mouths so they could not harm him.  Paul the apostle was caught in a great storm that threatened the lives of all those on board after being arrested and imprisoned for the sake of Jesus, and God saved everyone who remained on the ship.

A principle of purifying spoils of war is held forth in the Law of Moses in Numbers 31:21-23:  "Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, "This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses: ²² Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, ²³ everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water."  All spoils of war that could endure fire were to be put through fire and then the water of purification (or separation in the KJV).  This was water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer; an animal needed to die to supply this water of purification.  Perhaps if the articles of gold or silver could talk, they would think it strange treatment to be put through the fire and then washed with water.  As people saved by grace through faith in Jesus, we have been cleansed with the blood of Jesus and filled with the Living Water of the Holy Spirit.  We ought not to think it strange to experience a fiery trial, for it is God's sovereign way of purifying us and having increased fellowship with us.  We can rejoice knowing God is with us and will be faithful to deliver us.

Going through a fiery trial reminds us that we are God's, and He is our sovereign and Saviour.  We can be happy to suffer for Christ's sake knowing the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon us.  While others speak evil concerning Christ, we are provided opportunity to glorify Him with rejoicing.  Peter concluded the section in 1 Peter 4:19:  "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator."  If we think it strange suffering would be according to God's will, we need look no further than Jesus who suffered countless trials due to sinners He lay down His life to redeem.  Praise God we are His beloved spoils of war, His precious purchased possessions, ones through whom He will be glorified in the earth.  Oppressive regimes cannot destroy, neither flames or lions can consume, and there is no violent storm able to separate us from the love of God extended to us as partakers in Christ's sufferings.

Establishing Boundaries

"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."

Colossians 3:20

God's commands for children to obey they parents in all things implies parents first are responsible to give clear guidance for their children to heed.  If parents are negligent to establish boundaries and take action when children delay or disobey, this blurs the line which should remain clear.  Delayed obedience is disobedience, and parents ought to correct such transgression immediately with disciplinary action.  Solomon wisely observed the knock-on effect of delayed discipline in Ecclesiastes 8:11:  "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."  Parents ought to set a boundary, explain the consequence for crossing that boundary, and then are responsible before God to take appropriate action to discipline their children when they cross the set boundary, and praise them when they do well.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  Setting clear boundaries and keeping your word to enforce the standard parents have set is important in training your children to listen to you.  Parents are wise to learn they primarily train their children by example, and a lot of training happens by the patterns parents allow to develop over time.  Today I was in the shops and a boy around 5 years of age was wailing to have his way:  "I want to buuuy it!"  I don't believe the boy had money, and I don't think he was actually going to buy anything:  he wanted Dad to buy something for him.  Though they initially left the area, they later returned to the aisle and the attitude of the boy was very different--bubbly and excited.  By simply influencing his father to return to the aisle, he had notched a critical victory and set a precedent for future trips to the shops.  As I walked by I heard the father trying to reason with his child, that he already had many such things.  This reasoning, of course, did not sway the insistent lad, for he had been already trained at an expert level that what Dad said did not matter because there they were, looking at the toys again.

Parents ought to set boundaries, and children will always push to see where the line begins and ends.  A line might figuratively be a mile wide, so it is good to keep it as thin as possible by taking action when the front of the line is crossed.  The lines drawn by parents can be crossed in seemingly innocuous ways--but when it is a matter of the will, that slight transgression is a big deal.  For instance, a parent should never need to repeat a directive to their children.  There are instances when a child does not physically hear, but it is more likely they heard and decided to ignore what they did not want to hear or agree with.  Then parents begin to repeat themselves.  But because there was no consequence for disobedience the first time, the child is trained (by their parents!) they do not have to listen; they are free to do as they please.  It then becomes anger expressed by a parent or shouting that becomes the new boundary to observe, and as kids grow older they will become less sensitive to this--and they will even reply in kind!  Parents can save themselves great exasperation and train their children to obey when they make clear boundaries, say it once, and uphold their own word with swift discipline.

Many behavioural problems in children can be improved when their parents take seriously their God-given role to train their children.  Growing in maturity takes time and effort, and God has given us the love we need by the Holy Spirit and the wisdom in His word to guide us as parents and children.  When kids grow up in a family, they are like the children of Israel after the exodus from Egypt who were called to submit to and heed the leadership of Moses.  A time would come when Moses would pass away and they would enter the promised land, and there is a time when our children will leave and establish their own families.  While the Hebrews were in the wilderness however, God was their sovereign and Moses was their leader who made judgments concerning their conduct and consequences as he sought God's wisdom.  Parents and children have a similar relationship even in our age of grace.  By the Law of Moses was the knowledge of sin, and boundaries set by parents provide freedom and safety for children to grow in character when boundaries are established and upheld.