Marching Forth!

Naomi was a woman in the Bible who suffered the loss of her husband and two sons in Moab, having left Bethlehem due to a famine.  She returned home bitter and empty years later with daughter-in-law Ruth.  The people of Bethlehem hardly recognised the grief-stricken woman whose only companion was a foreigner.  Though Naomi had forgotten happier days, God had not forgotten Naomi.  He would provide for her abundantly in unexpected ways, and her mourning would be turned to joy. Ruth went out to glean in a field and was kindly greeted by the owner named Boaz.  He was kind to Ruth, having been appraised of her loyalty towards her mother-in-law and the God of Israel, and invited her to remain in his field throughout the harvest.  When Ruth returned home carrying a large amount of grain, Naomi was pleasantly surprised with her success.  After Ruth divulged she had gathered in a field belonging to Boaz, consider Naomi's response  Ruth 2:20 :  " The...

A wholesome diet and regular exercise are fundamental to good health.  Being discerning about what and how much we eat has a far greater impact than mere outer appearance.  Quality nutrition helps our bodies grow, repair, boosts our immune system, aids digestion, and has many other benefits.  Exercise strengthens muscles, burns fat, increases flexibility, and is good for the heart and brain.  Our attention to diet and exercise is voluntary.  For the most part we make the decision to go for a walk, eat vegetables, limit our intake of processed sugar, drink more water, or avoid alcohol. Knowing food is more or less healthy - or honestly not healthy at all - does not mean making these personal decisions are easy.  It is hard to restrict ourselves when it comes to diet, and it can be difficult to maintain motivation to exercise.  Sometimes we are determined and dedicated to meet our goals, and other times we have no goal except to eat what we want at ...

When people request prayer, it is usually to seek help in time of need.  So many problems we face in life are bigger than our ability to solve or fix, and God has graciously invited all who believe Him to make our requests known to God.  We can make requests with thanksgiving and through Jesus enter into His rest, knowing God hears us and is able to accomplish all that concerns us today and always. Have you noticed the frequency, duration, and fervency of our prayers typically rise in times of trouble?  It struck me recently how God uses trials and difficulties to prompt us - even drive us to pray for people normally who are not in our thoughts.  When we hear of tragedies and atrocities across the world we are moved to pray for people we do not know and will likely never meet.  Prayer has the capacity to invite God's aid into every corner of the globe and beg Him to minister on behalf of people who do not even know Him.  How glorious and generous God is,...

In God is great consolation.  We need not despair even in trying times of suffering, for God is gracious and full of mercy.  Our trials do not test God in any way, as if anything is difficult for Him, but we are tested by trouble God allows.  God has a miraculous ability to use great pains to accomplish His redemptive purposes. Paul wrote in  2 Corinthians 1:3-6 , " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation ."  God allows difficult...

It is good for every child of God to acknowledge we cannot safely be neutral towards sin in our lives.  Imagine if the children of Israel had remained "neutral" towards the existence of Jericho and tried to enter the land of promise!  This would not have made the inhabitants of the land supportive, helpful, or friendly.  Even a small city like Ai would have grown into a fortified stronghold where the enemy gained strength to subvert the efforts of God's people.  To win even a simple game strategy is employed, and the enemy of our souls does not play:  he fights for keeps. Carelessness is a killer.  I have a friend whose brother is a hunter and after decades of handling firearms he blew his finger off.  My dad, who has been a skilled woodworker for most of his life, pushed the tips of two fingers into a tablesaw.  Both of these preventable accidents had life-long physical consequences.  I had mowed lawns for decades before my foot slipped u...

Yesterday I heard a song refrain which repeated, " Lord of glory, make us worthy to possess your name ."  I read that artists and painters can be poor expositors, and on occasion Christian lyrics can fall into this category.  The most melodic music and uplifting harmony, from a biblical view, is only as good as its adherence to sound doctrine.  Whilst there is freedom in Christ and creativity in expression, it is good for all followers of Jesus to examine the words we hear and sing. My ears perked up at the phrase, " make us worthy ."  Is this something God ever promises to do, to make us worthy of Him?  In my study of scripture man is deemed worthy of many things - like punishment, discipline, and death.  The fact God greatly values man does not mean there is intrinsic worthiness in us.  If we in any way are worthy of God or to be a partaker of His glory by ourselves or efforts then our salvation is not of grace.  We are saved by grace throug...

It is always exciting for me to discover new connections in the Bible.  The God who designed this universe has also crafted the remarkable tapestry of history, revealing His handiwork throughout.  History is not filled with what some might mistakenly call coincidences, but signposts directing us to what God later did and even causes us to look expectantly to God for the future. The city of Jerusalem in Israel, situated on ancient Mt. Moriah, is an amazing biblical site.  Probably one of the most famous instances regarding the site is it is the location Abraham took his beloved son Isaac at the command of the LORD to present him as a burnt offering.  Abraham believed the promises of God to make of him a great nation yet did not hesitate to do what God commanded him.  He laid the wood in order, bound his son, and took the knife to slay Isaac.   Genesis 22:11-12 says, " But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham...

When God called the children of Israel to drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land, they did so with varying degrees of success.  They were told not to make leagues (alliances) with the people of the land but to destroy all who opposed them.  The Gibeonites, hearing of the Israelite advance, out of fear of their great God disguised themselves as distant foreigners.  Joshua and the elders were flattered and pleased by the proposal and made an alliance with them - without seeking guidance from God.  Their neglect of seeking God caused them to ignorantly sin by doing exactly what God forbade them to do. Whilst the failure with the Gibeonites is commonly known, I came across an interesting passage which had a similar outcome.  The house of Joseph went up against Bethel (formerly called Luz) and the spies struggled to find the hidden entrance to the city.   Judges 1:24-25 reads, " And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to ...

The news of a mass school shooting in Florida reached our fair shores in Australia on news broadcasts and the familiar inundation on social media of caustic and defensive posts.  A recurring theme was the disdain of people offering "thoughts and prayers" for the victims of the shooting without taking drastic practical action to eliminate these terrible tragedies.  There is palpable frustration for some people when others respond with "thoughts and prayers" after a tragedy because in their minds if tragedies happen what has thinking and praying accomplished?  On the other hand, cursing and making memes does not bring comfort to anyone, alter what has happened, or prevent future tragedies. This recent shooting occurred on Valentine's Day, a day when cards, letters, and messages are sent with the recurring theme "Thinking of you."  It is not an offensive thing to be remembered and thought well of.  Based upon this, it is likely not the thoughts which r...

Friends are a blessing from God, and cultivating friendship requires individual effort as well.  As it is written in  Proverbs 18:24 , " A man who has friends must himself be friendly, b ut there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother ."  We are not "close" to brothers and sisters by virtue of having the same parents, sharing a room, or having grown up together.  We can be distant or detached from people who live in the same house as we do!  But if we want friends, it falls to us to be the kind of friend we would appreciate ourselves.  Friendship is not restricted to a handful, for even Jesus called His disciples friends.  If Jesus was not above cultivating friendship with sinners, let us not be so proud to scorn friendship with others - especially of the household of faith. This morning I read through a list of notable people during his reign in Jerusalem.  Here is portion of the list in  1 Chronicles 27:32-34 :  " Also Jehon...

Faithful to His promise, God gave His people victory over Jericho.  God commanded the spoils of the fallen city to be brought into the treasury of the LORD.  Anyone who took of the gold, silver, or articles of brass or iron would bring upon themselves a curse.  All the Israelites who stormed the city were obedient to God's command - all except one.  The Bible tells us Achan the son of Carmi took of the treasures for himself and stashed them in his tent. All seemed well as the congregation set their eyes on overthrowing Ai, a small city in comparison to Jericho.  When the men of Israel went up to battle against Ai, however, the Israelites fled before their enemies.  36 men died in the assault, and the men retreated back to camp and Joshua their commander.  Joshua and the elders tore their clothes in grief and put dust on their heads for the remainder of the day.  How could this be?  Why had God brought them this far to allow them to be defe...

I was impacted recently by words David spoke to his son Solomon.  The passage of God's Word exposed my own sin, bringing to light a connection I was previously blind to.  This revelation also illustrates the power of words, how we can use them to justify ourselves.  An Australian politician recently said, "I'm not a saint" yet this is hardly a revelation.  This statement really says nothing because most everyone would also say it of themselves.  Had he said, "I am a liar and an adulterer" that is saying something! Christians know they shouldn't worry, so some will avoid saying they are worrying.  They will use a different word, like they are "concerned."  Christians also know they should not be afraid because God commands us to " Fear not !" and trust Him.  Joshua, Solomon, and many others in scripture were told to "Fear not" because it was their natural tendency.  Guess what?  It is our tendency too - and that includes m...

When I assisted the coach on my eldest son's soccer team, we had a fun-loving bunch of kids with heaps of energy.  Often they were so hyped up during training they were incapable of focusing on simple drills.  During coach orientation we were told it was potentially "abusive" to single out a single player for discipline, so if one player was made to run a lap around the ground for messing around the entire team was also required to run.  The team did a lot of extra running that year, but I'm not sure they learned the discipline running was intended to teach.  Because their energy was often misdirected they didn't play up to their potential. I have heard Christians (jokingly and seriously) say they have been told to "take another lap" by God because they have not yet learned a necessary lesson.  Personally I have never used the analogy, and I find the implications of this perspective concerning.  It runs the risk of placing the emphasis on our measurin...

Jesus Christ was a man who routinely did the impossible.  He healed people lame and blind from birth, cleansed lepers, and raised the dead.  Once he cursed a leafy fig tree and caused it to wither up from the roots completely in a night.  The disciples were amazed and Peter pointed out the sight to Jesus the next day.   Mark 11:22-23 reads, " So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says ." Causing a healthy tree to wither completely from the roots overnight or casting a mountain into the sea by merely speaking are both in the realm of the miraculous.  In one sense no miracle is greater than another, for every miracle transcends human ability and knowledge.  Jesus taught His disciples faith in God is of primary importan...

Today I had a new thought as I read 1 Chronicles 18 which provides insight into man's relationship with God.  Having a "relationship" with someone in no way ensures it is a healthy one.  There are strained relationships, dysfunctional ones, business relationships or relationships for convenience, and distant or failed relationships.  Based upon all the kinds of interpersonal relationships humans are capable of having a healthy, close relationship is exceptionally rare.  All people have a relationship with God as those created by Him, but it does not ensure our hearts are inclined or right before Him. After God established David as king, He gave him victory over his enemies.   1 Chronicles 18:13 says, " He also put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David wherever he went ."  The Edomites were defeated by David's army and were subjugated to Israel.  The people of Edom became David's servant...

" The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law ." Deuteronomy 29:29 This verse follows a long and extensive list of commands in the Law of God given through Moses.  There were many promises of blessings for the obedient and even more curses for the disobedient.  Though Christians are not under the condemnation of the Law's covenant because a new covenant has been established through Jesus and the Gospel, this truth and principle of this verse is incredibly relevant today. The first thing this verse asserts is there are secret things only God knows, and they all belong to Him.  They are His to conceal or reveal as He sees fit.  No amount of searching on our part can unlock them.  God has freely chosen to reveal many mysteries to us not previously known, but other things He has not revealed nor will He.  The secrets we do not know...

" Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled... " Hebrews 12:14-15 The writer of Hebrews strongly asserts personal holiness is essential in the lives of Christians.  This is an exhortation to be Christlike and a warning against the negligence of examining ourselves according to God's Word.  Holiness is an established and constant quality of God's character, righteousness revealed in the Bible.  No man can be holy by the efforts of the flesh, but spiritual regeneration through faith in Jesus will lead to a life marked by holiness.  Ours is a faith that works. To be holy is to be pure, and there is much in this world and in our own flesh which defiles.  It is always fashionable to the flesh to ignore sins as defined in scripture in ourselves and others.  We ...