The Risen Healer

Good Friday and Easter is a great reminder of the death of Jesus on the cross and His subsequent resurrection.  The body of Jesus, marred beyond recognition, would be raised victorious in divine glory.

I have heard it said "Time heals all wounds," but even cursory thought reveals this to be a myth.  Not only is time incapable of healing anyone in itself, it offers no hope of genuine comfort.  How did this cliche hold up as stones crushed the skull of Stephen?  What would it profit to wax poetical over the body of Paul as the executioners blade decapitated him?  Say, "Time heals all wounds" to the mother whose infant son was stolen or to the husband whose wife has left him.  Employ this view to the boy or girl who has been raped by a supposed friend.  Go ahead and say it, but it doesn't mean it is true.

During His life Jesus Christ healed many people, many of them suffering from incurable conditions and illnesses.  He opened the eyes of men born blind, healed the flow of blood from a poor woman, healed the lame, cleansed lepers, cast out demons, and even raised people from the dead.  I wonder what people thought when the Healer bled out on a cross and was buried in a tomb.  "He healed others but could not heal Himself," they may have sneered.  Yet all the scorn and mockery was revealed to be unfounded when Jesus Christ rose from the dead after three days.  He accomplished more than the healing of His physical body but was resurrected in a glorified, immortal form.  How glorious is the empty tomb and our risen LORD!

Time heals no wounds, but Jesus who is the same yesterday, today, and forever remains a Healer.  He is able to administer a cure no medicine can boast, the forgiveness of sins and granting of eternal life.  The dead are still raised to life as the love and power of Jesus Christ is perpetuated through the Gospel.  In Jesus is redemption, reconciliation, and everlasting hope.  Christ does not offer sentiment but salvation, and He lives forevermore!

Jesus and Heart Transplants

I was recently made aware of a young woman who needs a heart transplant.  While considering her life-threatening condition, it struck me that for her need for a new heart to be supplied someone else would first need to die.  As we approach Good Friday and Easter, the words of Jesus Christ come to mind in John 12:24-25:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ²⁵ He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."  The woman waiting for a heart transplant undoubtedly hopes for a "new lease on life," but only Jesus provides abundant and eternal life without disease, pain, or medication.

Jesus did not demand His followers die to prove their loyalty to Him:  He willingly chose to die for those who despised and rejected Him.  Jesus Christ was willing for His blood to be poured out like water and His skin to be ripped into ribbons in obedience to the Father for the joy which was before Him.  If I was to offer my heart as a transplant for someone else, I could at best help one person.  Often a heart transplant isn't successful because the rejection of the transplanted organ is a common complication.  But Jesus, when He laid down His life by being lifted up on Calvary's cross, provided new life for all people who will repent and believe in Him.  This is the Gospel truth for all people we celebrate this day and every day, that by faith in Jesus who was broken His followers are made whole.

The life Jesus Christ gives is not just better but a new life lived with the benefit of a new heart.  The promise of God was spoken by the prophet to the nation Israel under Law has been expanded to all people by the New Covenant in Christ's blood in Ezekiel 36:26-27:  "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."  A recipient of a heart transplant needs to take medications for the remainder of her life to prevent the body from rejecting the heart, and God gives us a new heart and the Holy Spirit.  Our unregenerate heart spiritually resembled stone:  hard, stubborn, without feeling, and incapable of supporting life.  When we are born again through the Gospel, Jesus gives us a heart of flesh that is soft, tender, and full of life.  The life is in the blood, and it is the blood of Jesus which washes us from all sin.

Loving your unregenerate life leads to loss of it, but those who are willing to deny self and follow Jesus discover new, abundant, and eternal life through faith in Him.  Have you been brought to a place where you can say, "I hate my life in this world?"  Do not despair if this describes well your feelings and thoughts concerning your life, for there is hope in Jesus.  The curse of sin is dragging you to eternal damnation and torment in hell, but Jesus came to set the captives free!  After dying on the cross, He rose from the dead victorious over sin and death - and that is the victory He provides for all who repent and trust in Him.  Do you need a new heart?  Only Jesus can give you the new heart you need.  A heart transplant only prolongs life on earth, but Jesus gives eternal life which is for today and always.

The Value of Disagreement

Agreeing to disagree is harder said than done.  Tolerance "puts up" with differences without accepting or valuing others as we ought.  Instead of breeding arrogance or indifference, the genuine love of God draws near to those who are misunderstood to convey kindness, compassion, and care.  When I have substituted tolerance for love it is a terrible weight to carry which burdens beyond strength.  When I consider the love of Jesus Christ which was not offered to receive anything good from me but is all of grace, it realigns my perspective with His.

I just finished reading Jesus Among Secular Gods by Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale.  I would highly recommend it for Christians and all seekers of truth.  I found the book useful, encouraging, and thought provoking.  I believe it would be a compelling read for willing Christians, skeptics, and atheists alike.  It illustrates well how and why the claims and qualities of Jesus Christ are unique and concrete truth in a world of relativism and other "isms" which resemble sliding sand unsuitable for life and logically unsustainable.  One of the most impacting sections on the book for me personally was a fresh perspective on disagreement.  We have all disagreed with others, and typically holding contrary views does little to draw people together except to argue, become defensive, grow angry, and either raise our voices in frustration or retreat into silence.  Vince Vitale wrote in the chapter titled "Love the Truth:"

"Academic philosophy has its vices, but, at its best, one of its virtues is that it places a very high value on truth.  And one result of this is that disagreeing with someone about their core beliefs is seen as a compliment and an act of service.  It's a way of saying that the other person's ideas are promising enough to take seriously, so much so that you are willing to invest time and effort into them yourself...If a scholar takes the time to critique my research in print, that is a great gift.  And the more extensively she critiques my work, the greater the gift.  Something similar is true in sports.  Extensive critique by a good coach means that the coach sees potential in you,, and therefore believes that putting extra time into you is a good investment....Sadly, because truth so often has been abused as power play, experience has taught us that disagreement goes hand in hand with devaluing.  We have learned that the trajectory of disagreement is from disagreement to devaluing to intolerance to violence.  In fact, the opposite should be true...Because truth has so often been used as a weapon to manipulate, abuse, and control, many have stopped valuing truth altogether.  We have lost the ability to disagree in love.  Even more, we have lost the ability for disagreement to be itself an act of love." (“Love The Truth.” Jesus among Secular Gods: the Countercultural Claims of Christ, by Ravi K Zacharias and Vince Vitale, FaithWords, 2018, pp. 211–212.)

How might your interactions with people change if you viewed disagreement with them as an intentional act of love?  Perhaps even more relevant for a Christian living in a secular world, are you willing to view others who disagree with you as a gracious gift?  We do not need to be professional philosophers to glean and apply this profound truth.  Others may not see your disagreement as a gift, but we do well to view it in this fashion.  May our friendly demeanour and kind tone edify so the sensible will not assume it is a personal attack.  When we feel opposed or attacked for our stance, let us decide it is good for us to put our postulates through their paces.  It is not only our views which are being better distilled and purified, but God will do a mighty work in and through us as we humble ourselves.

Wax and Hearts

After my car blew a head gasket, I recently purchased a replacement which is much newer.  I would occasionally give the old car a wash and vacuum, but there was little reason to spend much effort or time on detailing.  The paint at some point had been dusted with overspray, and I wasn't willing to invest the time or expense to have the old car professionally detailed.  What happened under the bonnet was more important to me to maintain with regular servicing, and this was done without fail.

To preserve the finish of the newer car, a investment of time and money to buy necessary supplies was required.  Maintenance is an expense, but to neglect a vehicle is far more costly in the end.  My experience with owning vehicles over the last twenty plus years is the older the vehicle or the longer I have owned it, the less attention I give to maintain the exterior.  Once the shine starts to wear off, I'm just not as interested to invest the elbow grease required to restore the lustre.  A well-maintained engine is the most critical part of a vehicle to invest in, as the purpose in owning a car is to transport me from here to there - not to look shiny.

As I buffed a thin layer of wax from the car today, I started thinking about how maintaining the exterior of my cars tends to start strong but can wane over time.  Then I considered how it is possible to do the same thing in our relationships with people and even with God.  Knowing I have clean, quality oil in the crankcase to move me from here to there is a good feeling, and it is also wonderful to know because of the Gospel I am heading for heaven.  But is it possible I can become lax with my relationship with God, that over time I can become less likely to invest time or energy to seek intimacy with God?  Could my spiritual health resemble a rusted out jalopy because all I care about is under the bonnet?  Sure it can.  All healthy relationships require work and personal investment, and this is also true concerning our relationship with God..

So what is the takeaway of these musings?  In a short amount of time a great deal of dust, bug guts, and grime collects on the finish of a car and these must be washed.  As we navigate through this life, there are all sorts of things which pollute our hearts and minds, sins which only God can cleanse when our hearts are exposed to Him in repentance.  Our impure thoughts and motives are hidden from men, but they are exposed before the Almighty, Living God.  We must be willing to approach God humbly and seek forgiveness, walking in obedience to God's Word.  The Pharisees looked like cherry red Ferraris but lacked an engine (all show no go); we should not be confident in our well-maintained motor but habitually park under trees where the flying foxes roost.  Sin sticks and must be confessed and forsaken.  An engine has no power to wash and wax a car, and our salvation does not guarantee advancement in our sanctification.  If we will be saved, God then holds us responsible to keep our lives free of sin.

Even when our lives are bogged in the mud or we've ignored the bugs and grime, God remains gracious to us.  At the same time God's goodness and mercy are no excuse for neglect.  Our lives are gifts from God and He is worthy to be served and praised with our whole hearts, holding back nothing He requires of us.  As long as Christ tarries may we be about His business, investing in the regular maintenance of our hearts and lives.  Forgiveness is free for us, but Jesus paid for it with His own blood.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Wax properly applied guards paint, and may we be vigilant in the power of the Holy Spirit to guard our hearts.

In Trying Times

I heard a memorable sermon during which the preacher said concerning faith in God, "You better get rid of your Plan B!  Your 'Plan B' is an offence to God."  What He said is true:  if we will not take a step of faith until we have layers of "safety nets" in place, are we really stepping out in faith?  It may take a certain amount of courage to take a leap of faith, but it isn't much of a leap when we are harnessed.  Instead of faith in God we place our confidence in the harness to hold us.

There is a example in scripture of a time when God chose not to answer the prayer of one who sought him.  No man is worthy in himself of an audience with the Almighty, and this even goes for kings.  1 Samuel 28:5-6 reads, "When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets."  I am not God and it does not say explicitly in scripture why God did not answer (other scriptures support other reasons as well), but his backup plan may be a reason.  Met with silence from God, King Saul resorted to the unthinkable in 1 Samuel 28:7, "Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor."

Saul had been tasked by God to drive out the mediums and spiritists in the land.  Since God would not speak to allay his fears, Saul sought the assistance of demons!  It is no wonder God would not speak to Saul, seeing His words were brought down to the wicked level of devils.  Oh that there was in Saul the heart after God found in his successor David who wrote in Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"  May there also be found in us such a heart not to rely on our understanding but in all our ways acknowledge the LORD so He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).  King Saul wanted little to do with God when he was prosperous and at ease, and therefore did not rely on God in trials.  If we will have God's counsel in trying times, we ought to seek and rely on Him when all seems well.

Moved By The Word

Is there anything you find emotionally moving?  The beauty of a song or a scene in film can bring tears to our eyes.  Watching a sports match can bring us to our feet with a joyous shout, and a strange sound in the dark can make our hair stand on end.  Injustice fills us with indignation as our pulse and breathing quicken.  Frustration moves us to raise our voice or withdraw to brood in silence.  Emotions are poor rudders to guide our decisions but good indicators of what is happening in our hearts and heads.

Can you recall a time when words from the Bible moved you emotionally?  Today I read of such a moment in the life of king Josiah.  At a young age he began to seek the LORD.  He personally oversaw the destruction of idols and altars throughout the land, and he also repaired the house of the LORD.  During renovations the book of the Law was found in the Temple and was brought to Josiah.  After the Word was read to the king 2 Chronicles 34:19 says, "Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes."  This may seem a strange response to us, but to Josiah and the people in Israel it was a sign of grief and mourning.  King Josiah sent messengers to inquire of God because the book spoke of great wrath being poured out on all who did not keep the words of the Law.

I suspect most people look to scripture for comfort and promises of peace over rebuke and warnings of great wrath.  Consider this:  if we will rejoice over a promise to the faithful, we should also tremble over passages which condemn sinners.  Who among us is without sin?  We own and claim scriptures which bring peace to our souls, yet the wise will acknowledge when we or people around us have brought ourselves under a curse because of our sin.  Righteous Daniel wept in sackcloth over the sins of Israel 70 years into captivity in Babylon (Daniel 9), and Jesus lamented over Jerusalem and the lost sheep of Israel who refused to draw near to Him.

God's response through a prophetess to Josiah's emotional response is revealing in 2 Chronicles 34:26-28:  "But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Concerning the words which you have heard-- ²⁷ because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD. ²⁸ Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants." So they brought back word to the king."  Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.  God saw the tearing of Josiah's clothes but also that heart was humble and contrite before Him.  The tears Josiah shed were before the LORD and His ears were open to his cries.  Yes, wrath and judgment for sin was coming, but it would not come near Josiah.

No man can have peace with God without humility and repentance.  Brothers and sisters, may we not be guilty of dry eyes when we sin in a world of iniquity!  Praise the LORD He hears the prayers of the penitent who seek Him, but as Josiah let us take His warnings to heart.  We are no better than our fathers, sinners though they be.  If God's Word is not able to touch our emotions, I wonder if it has yet to pierce our hearts or impact our minds.  Let us prepare our hearts as it is written in Hosea 10:12, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  Having been moved to repentance by the Word of God, let us keep it.

The Personal God

No one enjoys painful trials and difficulties.  If we could do something to avoid them, we most certainly would - and in doing so would cut ourselves off from communion and fellowship with God only obtained in times of suffering.  The reality of God, His guidance, and comfort is personally and profoundly realised when we trust Him in trouble.

The first three verses of Psalm 23 reads, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. ³ He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  David begins the psalm from a third person perspective.  In a few sentences he paints a peaceful scene with a shepherd and sheep who find all their needs bountifully met.  It is easy to imagine sheep contentedly grazing in green pastures and drinking from clear, still water.

It is usually poor writing form to switch perspectives, but David masterfully switched to second person in His view of God in Psalm 23:4-5:  "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over."  Writing in second person creates a more personal feel.  David went from referring to the LORD as "He" and "His" to "You" and "Your," and no wonder:  it is in the valley of the shadow of death and the presence of evil those who trust God draw closer to Him, and He draws closer to us.  In green pastures God was spoken of, but in tribulation God was addressed personally.

Praise the LORD He is a great God who spends time with every sheep of His fold personally!  In this world we will experience tribulation, and when death seems closest our living God (who is our Life) draws closer still.  How awesome is our God, who knows us and reveals Himself to us.

No "Ifs" About It

The lyrics of the Chris Tomlin song "Our God" say, "And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?"  Like Roman 8:31, the phrase begins with an "if" which denotes a conditional statement.  The protection, provision, and power of God is not automatically granted to people who have verbally agreed to follow Jesus on the basis of their new birth alone.  When God's people walked wickedly many times He plainly said to them, "I am against you."  In Ezekiel 34 God said He was against the shepherds because they were selfish and neglected their calling.

If our theology is no deeper than worship songs, this might be a shocking revelation:  when we sin against God and refuse to repent, He will begin move against us.  We can shout scriptures and songs, claiming them for our benefit, but God will see we reap what we sow.  God is for us, as long as we are for Him.  Praise the LORD He is compassionate, merciful, and reveals Himself to us even as He did to Joshua.  We think about others being for or against us and assume God is "on our side," but we need to be sure we are on God's side.  On the eve of battle Joshua saw a man with an unsheathed sword in Joshua 5:13.  He boldly approached the figure and asked, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?"  Basically he asked, "Whose side are you on?"

Joshua 5:14 records the answer:  "So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"  Joshua's direct question was answered with a "No" because it was the wrong question to ask of God.  The Commander of the LORD's army did not ask a question but made a statement of fact:  it was Joshua who needed to decide if he would be on the LORD's side.  Notice the capitalisation of "He" in the NKJV and the fact the commander of the LORD's army received worship.  He then commanded Joshua to take his shoes off his feet because Joshua was in the presence of the One who spoke to Moses from the burning bush.

Our God is for us when we are on His side, and there are no "ifs" about it.  The walls of Jericho falling flat when the Hebrews obeyed God are proof of this.  Taking God's side is more than having knowledge of the truth but walking humbly before our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.  The principle rings true spoken by the prophet in 2 Chronicles 15:1-2, "Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. ² And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you."  It is good to know God is for us, but we will never experience the fullness of this blessing until we we choose God's side.  We are on His side when our hearts do the equivalent of falling on our faces before the Holy One of Israel and say determined to obey, "What does my LORD say to His servant?" 

Who Is Your Father?

Today I noticed an interesting example of the grace of God in the Old Testament.  It is exciting and to discover connections previously unknown by me, and these revelations confirm our deepest studies only scratch the surface of God's Word.

Uzziah was king in Jerusalem and was greatly helped by God.  Yet when he was strong his heart was lifted up with pride and he decided to burn incense - a God-given duty only for sanctified priests, not the king.  After he was angry when confronted by a host of godly priests, Uzziah was struck with leprosy.  This event did not go unnoticed by his son Jotham who became king after him.

The following chapter makes a key observation concerning king Jotham in 2 Chronicles 27:2:  "And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the LORD). But still the people acted corruptly."  It seems Jotham did not distinguish the sin of his father from the place where God's judgment fell and consequently would not even enter the temple.  Better safe than sorry, right?  Not at all, for the people followed his example and acted corruptly.  If the king did not go to the temple for sacrifice or prayer, why should they?

After the passing of Jotham, Ahaz his son became king and did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD.  Not only did he openly worship idols, but 2 Chronicles 28:24 tells us, "So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem."  Ahaz scorned the worship of God and forbid anyone else to worship God either.  The temple was plundered, polluted, and the doors sealed.  Uzziah sinned in the temple without repentance, Jotham would not enter the temple, and Ahaz plundered and shut it so no one could!  The spiritual downward spiral seemed without end.  Only the grace of God could redeem this hopeless state.

At twenty-five years Hezekiah became king and did what was right in the sight of the LORD.  He did what was right as his father David had done, not as Ahaz had done for he was faithful to the God of Israel.  God led him in the first year of his reign to open the doors of the temple and repair them (2 Chron. 29:3).  At his command the priests and Levites were sanctified, the temple was cleansed of rubbish, and the worship of God began once again in earnest.  Praise and prayers were lifted up to God and sacrifices were made morning and night.  2 Chronicles 29:36 says, "Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly."  God prepared Hezekiah, the priests, Levites, and people to worship the LORD, and it was His doing.

How awesome is our God, who redeems people from iniquity!  We are not destined for destruction without hope, even as a son is not doomed to repeat the mistakes of his wicked father.  Everyone who has a Father in heaven has access to the grace of God in which we stand.  We must not blame our earthly fathers for our spiritual lameness, but take to heart what Hezekiah urged the people in 2 Chronicles 30:7-8, "And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see. ⁸ Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you."  Those who yield to God and enter His presence with worship on the basis of Christ's sacrifice can serve Him faithfully.  We turn from God, but when we return to Him He will not turn His face from us (2 Chron. 30:9).

Victory in the Wilderness

In many ways the temptation of Jesus Christ was a parallel experience to the children of Israel after the nation was birthed out of Egypt.  They were baptised through the Red Sea, and Jesus was baptised in the Jordan.  They were led by the Spirit of God in the wilderness for 40 years, and Jesus was led by the Spirit into and through the wilderness for 40 days.  Though there were similarities, the contrasts are pronounced because the endurance and righteousness of Christ far exceeded the Israelites.  The children of Israel were fed by manna from heaven, water from the rock, and quail carried on the breeze – yet Jesus did not eat any food.  Days into the wilderness the Hebrews murmured against God and Moses, murmured and complained, doubted God could or would save them, and quickly rebelled against God.  Jesus remained faithful without fail and finished the season in the wilderness victorious.

Do you remember the three temptations Jesus was tempted with after being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness?  “Turn these stones into bread,” Satan said.  Jesus responded in Luke 4:4:  "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."  The Israelites failed because  they didn’t obey God who told them to gather so much every day and to not gather on Sabbath.  God was teaching them more than how to gather food but to heed His Word.  Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and said, “Bow down before me, and all will be yours.”  Jesus answered in Luke 4:8, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve."  Moses left the camp for a few days to meet with God on Sinai and the people had taken a collection, crafted a golden idol, and worshipped the works of their hands.  Finally Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple and told Him to throw himself down because as it is written in Psalm 91, angels would keep him from harm.  Jesus replied in Luke 4:12, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God."  Jesus believed the Word of God and did not need to prove it to Satan by tempting God.  How many times did the Hebrews tempt God through their unbelief in the wilderness?  Having seen God’s miracles and presence they said, “Is God with us or not?" (also see Exodus 17:7, Numbers 14:22-23; Psalm 78:40-43).

Praise the LORD when God lead us through wilderness He does so with a good destination and end in mind.  What happened when the time of temptation was over for Jesus?  Angels came and ministered to Him.  What happened when the 40 years in the wilderness was over for the children of Israel?  They entered the Promised Land, saw God’s wonders, entered into His victory, and obtained an inheritance.  The trip through the wilderness was for more than reaching the end but so they would learn:  God's people do not live by bread alone, but by every word spoken by God.  God wanted His people to refuse to bow before idols and only worship the LORD their God.  God wanted them to believe His Word and cease tempting Him in their unbelief.

Do you see?  You might feel you are in a wilderness of sorts today and temptation is all around.  Spending 40 years or 40 days in the wilderness is a long time!  But know God not only wants to bring you to an awesome destination but the lessons you are learning now will help you (and others as well) to enter into and be fruitful in the place He has prepared for you.  You don’t need to leave the wilderness to discover the way of escape for temptation God has made, for His Spirit fills us wherever we are as we abide in Him by faith and walk with Him in obedience.

Dealing With Sin

Imagine if God punished us for our sins with the immediate wrath and judgment we deserve!  If God did so there would be no opportunity for repentance, redemption, or salvation.  In all these things God delights.  It is well observed in Psalm 103:8-12, "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹ He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

After being severely chastened by the LORD for seven years, a notable king's understanding returned to him.  He had this to say of God and His ways in Daniel 4:37:  "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down."  Forgiveness of sin does not mean the consequences for sin are also removed.  Aaron and Miriam murmured against Moses, and God struck Miriam with leprosy for her sin.  Moses begged God to heal her, and after seven days outside the camp she returned whole.  Uzziah's case is another story.

King Uzziah was a good king who was greatly helped by God.  Yet when he became strong his heart was lifted up with pride and transgressed by offering incense God commanded only the priests to offer.  As he offered incense, Azariah the high priest confronted him with 80 other priests.  Instead of recognising his error and repenting, Uzziah was furious.  Being lifted up with pride he would not humble himself before men, so God struck him with leprosy on his forehead.  I imagine his fierce countenance instantly changed when he saw the looks of horror on the faces of the priests coupled with the numb sensation he felt on his face.  2 Chronicles 26:20 reads, "And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him."  Uzziah slowly died of the disease, living in isolation.  His pride led him to going beyond the bounds set for him, and then ironically was unable to fulfil the calling God had upon his life.

How many times have we transgressed?  How many times have we become angry when confronted by others for our sins?  How many times have we deserved to be struck with leprosy or thrust immediately into hell for our pride and subsequent transgression!  Praise the LORD He is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger, abounding in mercy.  These qualities ought not to embolden us to sin because there are many examples of God's fearsome judgment in scripture.  Uzziah was angry at the messengers and God returned his sin - quite literally - upon his own head.  Having been purged from sin, let us not proudly walk therein.  LORD, cause me to humble myself in repentance when my sin is exposed, and especially when you use people to do it.

Responsible Teachers

"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. ² But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

2 Corinthians 4:1-2

The ministry of the Word is a sobering, challenging, and rewarding task for those called to it.  Bible teaching and preaching is a responsibility before God and men, for indeed we are handling the words of life.  Nehemiah 8:8 is a good example of what pastors and teachers are to do:  "So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading."  They read from the book of the Law, explained what it meant, and helped the people to see how it applied personally to their lives.

The purpose of studying the Bible is more than gathering information, but is a revelation of the Almighty God who has established all wisdom and truth.  What are some hallmarks of teachers who handle God's Word responsibly?  This is not a complete list, but responsible teachers:

• pray.  They seek the LORD during study, wait on Him for guidance, trust Him to supply wisdom and application, pray for help to deliver the message, and for people to respond.
• are led by the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit will always magnify Jesus Christ and reveal what He has said (John 16:13-15).  
• use scripture to interpret scripture in context.  People are well aware how stats can be distorted to say anything, and the same is true when the Bible is mishandled.
• apply the scripture personally.  Learning new things should never be an end in itself.  People can be "ever learning" but never grasp the truth.
• stick to the good old paths.  New "truth" often makes way for old deceptions.  God has much to reveal to those who walk in the good old way (Jeremiah 6:16) now fulfilled through Jesus who is the Way.
• do not place major emphasis on personal opinions, doubtful doctrine, or speculations.  What people do not or cannot know is hardly as important as acknowledging and practising what they do know.
• would rather be clear than clever.  God made truth simple enough for children to grasp.  Never muddle what God makes plain.
• keep the main point the main point.  The message is infinitely more important than the messenger.
• are focused on edifying the Body of Christ, not entertaining.
• draw conclusions from the text rather than using scattered passages to validate a hypothesis.
• do not take aim at people.  Responsible teacher repent themselves when convicted and trust the Holy Spirit will also transform others in His time and way.
• do not avoid controversial teaching the Bible clearly speaks on because people could potentially be offended.  Preachers do not need to be controversial to be relevant, and without controversy is the revelation of Jesus Christ throughout the Word.
• remind mature believers of what they already know.  Being reminded of things we have neglected can be just as critical to our growth and maturity as a new revelation from God.
• value God's Word as absolutely true and superior to man's ideas in every way - including their own.
• use illustrations wisely.  Spurgeon said even as a tailor puts a knot in his thread, so there should be illustrations and examples in the thread of our discourses so they will stick.  Windows bring light into a house and illustrations illuminate an important point, but never let the window be bigger than the structure.
• do not substitute emotional manipulation for the move of the Holy Spirit.  Emotions are fleeting, but God's Word will endure forever.
• live a life that agrees with their words.  Hypocrisy sours the source.

Paul wrote to a young pastor in 2 Timothy 4:1-4 an exhortation we ought to take to heart:  "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."  People like a good story, but those who handle the word of God have much more than stories to tell.  We hold in our hands words breathed by the Spirit of the Living God, and let us ensure we study to rightly divide them and are committed to proclaiming the whole counsel of God.  May those under the sound of our voices hear sound doctrine.  This will not be enough for some, yet if the foundations of truth are forsaken who can know God and be saved?

Called By Name

I remember at 12 years old walking up to a list posted on the snack bar at Western Little League field in El Cajon.  I was elated to see my name included upon the list of "All-Stars" which would represent the league at upcoming tournaments and (should we prevail) even the Little League World Series!  It was a great honour to be an All-Star because only a select few were chosen out of the whole league.  To see my name among other players renowned for their skills which exceeded my own was humbling and a proud moment at the same time.  In retrospect I'm not exactly sure why donning that All-Star uniform and being part of a great team was so special, but it was.

Being chosen by God is a far greater honour than being selected for an All-Star team.  Should our adoption into the family of God and inclusion in His eternal plans stir up even an inkling of pride, something is dreadfully wrong.  We are often wrong and praise the LORD He reveals the truth to us through His Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  Pride is so natural and ever-present in our flesh it can be hard - no, impossible on our own - to recognise and repent.  Players were selected for the All-Star team because of their quality play, yet every Christian is a sinner chosen by the grace of God.  We worked hard to earn a starting position on a baseball team, but it is God's goodness which has drawn us to Him.

The call of Jesus has gone out to all the world, yet this inclusive call does not lessen how special each of us are in the eyes of God.  We who have been brought near by the shed blood of Jesus through faith find ourselves in exclusive company as children of God.  A wedding invitation sent out to an entire nation of people likely would not make anyone feel special for being invited.  But if the wedding invitation was sent by a notable king signed in his own blood, attending would be a priority.  Being called and accepted by God by grace is special because there is no one as great as our God.  His goodness is infinite, and His wisdom is without limit.  We who are worthy of death have been invited into the presence of the Almighty for eternity!

Little League baseball is only a memory for me now 30 years on, but the "glory days" of abiding in the presence of God will be experienced by a child of God now and forever.  I feel special to be included in that rare company not because it is an exclusive group but because of the greatness of the Saviour who has called my name.

Christ's Leading for Life

According to his website, Tony Robbins is described as a "World Authority on Leadership Psychology" and the "#1 Life and Business Strategist."  An article on his site says, "Whether you lead a Fortune 500 company or simply lead yourself as you strive to attain your goals, leadership qualities are absolutely essential to your success. It helps you surmount obstacles, take risks, and find ways to live joyfully and thrive even during the most challenging times."  The article lists six qualities to cultivate in the lives of leaders:  confidence, focus, honesty, being positive, decisive, and inspirational.  Whilst the qualities of good leaders are subjective and this is hardly an exhaustive list, they illustrate well the point:  man's concepts of leadership differ greatly from God's ways.

Allow me to illustrate from a passage of scripture when King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were threatened by a great army.  Based upon the aforementioned list which has no mention of God, King Jehoshaphat was an obvious failure.  He did not bother to put a brave face on the threat, nor did he rally the troops with an inspirational message.  He directed the people to fast and they gathered for a prayer meeting.  This is a king with fortifications, strategists, valiant fighters, and weapons of war.  See what Jehoshaphat prayed when the nation gathered before the LORD in 2 Chronicles 20:12-13:  "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." ¹³ Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD."

Jehoshaphat did not tell his advisers in a private meeting behind closed doors, "Gentlemen, I don't believe we have a chance."  He said "We have no power" nice and loud for everyone to hear, in front of the army, the women and children!  He said, "We have no power against this threat, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."  This is a remarkable admission!  Parents feel they must put on a bold front for their children so they will not be alarmed.  They will lie if it will make their children feel safe.  Jehoshaphat refused to do so.  As king he publicly admitted he did not have any power or resources able to save, he was totally overwhelmed, and could only look to God.  And that, I believe, is a reason why God took charge the way He did, miraculously routing the enemy the following day and brought about a momentous victory.  A hopeless and helpless leader looked to God - rather than attempting in vain to comfort the people or rally his men - and every enemy warrior was destroyed without losing a single man, woman, or child.

The best leaders are those who are led by God.  Their confidence is not in themselves or past victories but in the God who delivered their souls from death.  The godly leader's focus is not the advancing enemy or the formulation of a strategy but on the Living God who is able to save to the uttermost who cry out to Him.  Honesty before God and men is paramount, and bowing our hearts before God is the most positive step we can take in seeking His will.  We must decisively seek the LORD's directives without fear of man, for the way that seems good to a man ends in death.  Finally, Jesus Christ is to be our inspiration.  The only thing more inspiring than a person who commits themselves to God when their life is on the line is the one who faithfully lives for His glory when his life isn't at immediate risk.  That can be you and me as we follow Christ's leading for our lives.

Wrath Upon Us

The Bible often makes me think.  Whilst thinking was allegedly "a dangerous pastime" for Gaston in Disney's "Beauty in the Beast," careful thought is most necessary to read the Bible with understanding.  The Christian life often today is tragically whittled down to catch-phrases and cliches which are totally inadequate to convey God's truth contained throughout scripture.  The strides taken in producing translations for modern readers cannot reduce the complexity and necessity of sound theology.  The Bible is comprised of 66 books, and we need every single one of them for the full revelation God has provided.

I have heard people say many times "Christians are not under God's wrath," and this is true - but this hackneyed cliche doesn't tell the whole story.  It is true we are no longer under wrath because Jesus took our punishment on Calvary.  As followers of Jesus Christ through faith, we have been saved by eternal wrath by Him.  We all deserve hell, but Jesus has atoned for our sins.  The wrath of God is reserved for the wicked who will drink this cup to the dregs.  Plenty of verses back up this position.  So what is the problem?

There's no problem, but a verse I read this morning provides a condition everyone who claims absolute immunity from God's wrath ought to know.  Jehoshaphat was a godly king of Judah who was invited to a feast by the Ahab, the wicked king of Israel.  The reason for the special feast?  Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat's help to fight his enemies - enemies God likely had stirred up against Ahab to chasten him to repentance.  Because they were both children of Abraham and Israel, Jehoshaphat agreed to an alliance with Ahab to help him.  After Jehoshaphat returned safe from battle because God helped him 2 Chronicles 19:2 says, "And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore the wrath of the LORD is upon you."  This verse teaches us though God has spared His faithful followers from eternal wrath, should we support evil we can unwittingly place ourselves under God's wrath.  Hopefully these words from God caused Jehoshaphat to think about supporting those who showed contempt towards God through their actions and to repent himself.

How good it is to be circumspect in our reading of God's Word and our lives!  We know we ought to love one another as God has loved us, but in helping his wicked brother Jehoshaphat was heading for judgment and a world of pain and loss.  His soul was secure but he should not have been surprised after making an alliance with wicked Ahaziah his ships sank (1 Kings 22:44-48, 2 Chron. 20:37).  I am grateful God did not give us the "Reader's Digest" version of his Word, modernised and abridged to make it easier for us to read faster.  He has held nothing back we need to know to live righteously and godly in this world, and there is no fine print or hidden charges.  The King James Version can be made plain to us by the Holy Spirit who teaches and guides us into all truth.  When we read with thought, intending to obey, God will reveal new things to broaden our understanding for the purpose of application to our lives.  Praise the LORD we are no longer children of wrath, and God-forbid through our ignorance of His Word we enter into alliances we ought to refuse and bring wrath from God upon us.

The Ride of Your Life

Following Jesus is a personal choice, and those who make the decision discover it can be a wild ride.  I remember very well as a teen my first visit to Magic Mountain, a theme-park filled with roller coasters in Valencia California.  The wildest rides I had ever ridden to that point were in Disneyland, but the Matterhorn had nothing on Revolution or Viper!  When I balked and told my friend I would rather sit a ride out, he said something to me like this:  "You're going on every single ride.  You don't have a choice.  It's going to be awesome."  I did have a choice, but his encouragement was what I needed to discover I loved roller coasters.  I had the greatest time and when new rides were built I was all in.

Roller coasters are specially engineered to safely utilise the force of gravity to thrill.  As you are secured in your seat anticipation builds as the ride slowly clinks up to the highest point.  Some find this slow ascent terrifying and audibly pray before the death-defying drop.  Are you a person who white-knuckles their way through the ride or raises your hands over your head screaming for joy?  I remember a little boy shouting with his eyes tightly shut as we rode "California Screaming" in Anaheim, "I don't like it!  I don't like it!"  After the ride is over, there are basically two responses in people new to roller coasters:  it is either, "Let's do that again!" or "I am never doing that again!"

In my life I can say following Jesus has been a lot like a roller coaster at times.  God has led me to do things I never imagined doing or wanted to do, and He has been faithful all the time.  I used to endure rides before I learned to enjoy them.  Grabbing the seat hard and gritting my teeth didn't stop the ride or make it more safe.  Letting go, raising my arms over my head, and committing myself to the experience with an aim to enjoy it was key to me running back to the front of the line to have another go.  When you choose to follow Jesus, it will be the ride of your life.  There will be waiting which seems to take forever, slow ascents and rapid descents, rushes of feelings good and painful, corkscrews and moments when everything is upside down.  But as someone who has followed Jesus for a while I say by the end, regardless of the trepidation I had when I faced new challenges and seasons, "Let's do that again."  Seeing the happy faces of people disembarking the ride gives potential anxious new riders encouragement.  I want to be one of those happy people! :)

How are you enjoying the ride Jesus has you on?  Know He has designed it especially for you and always has your safety and eternal future in mind.  You can grit your teeth all you want, but how much better it is to turn our eyes towards Him, lift our hands in praise, and commit ourselves to Him completely.  There is joy, peace, and comfort in this posture - without queasiness or a sore neck!

Approaching the Unapproachable

The apostle Paul spoke of God's glorious nature in 1 Timothy 6:15-16:  "...He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honour and everlasting power. Amen."  God is from everlasting and His power is infinite.  We cannot stare into the brightness of the sun for long without damaging our eyes, and if we attempted to draw near to this great star the heat would consume our bodies long before our feet ever touched upon the surface.  God is even more inapproachable, and though we cannot see Him the power of what He has made by the words of His mouth causes our hearts to fail.

To be summoned to appear in the court of a king would be a fearful proposition.  I was never comfortable to be called into the office by my boss when potentially my job hung in the balance:  how much more disconcerting to be called before a king who possessed power over life and death!  All he needed to do was say the word and the life of the mightiest subject was forfeit.  When evil Haman plotted the destruction of the Jews, Esther the queen was compelled by her cousin Mordecai to approach her husband Ahasuerus the king of the Medes and Persians to intercede on behalf of the Jews to expose grave injustice and bring about deliverance.  You might think, "Big deal!  She's the queen and married to the king.  She can do anything she wants!"  You would be quite wrong in that assessment, for the law said otherwise.

Esther knew the law of the Medes and Persians, and the law only condemned all in her position should she enter the court without being summoned.  She explained this in Esther 4:11:  "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden sceptre, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."  Going before the king unannounced was an automatic death sentence.  The only exception was if the king held out the golden sceptre.  By this benevolent act the king could go above the law to save who came to him.  After three days of praying and fasting, Esther approached the king, he held out the sceptre, and the rest is history.

It is with such trepidation and soberness we approach the LORD God who has revealed Himself to us by His grace.  Under the Law we are condemned and have no hope of deliverance.  There is nothing we can bring in our hands which would cause God to accept us on our merits.  When we approach the unapproachable God humbly in faith, He has extended grace and deliverance to us through Jesus Christ.  God forbid we would see Jesus only as a friend and not first as God and King of whose presence we are most unworthy.  Esther and all the people knew the law of the Medes and Persians which could not be changed, and many people do not know the Almighty God who does not change.  He is without beginning or ending, immortal, unapproachable, to whom is honour and everlasting power.  When you pray to Him, do not barge into His presence.  Do not be presumptuous to do all the speaking.  We are only able to approach Him boldly because He has already summoned us to appear before His throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Our God is a consuming fire, and at the prospect of His might our natural inclination is to run and hide.  Trying to hide from God is futile, for His light shines in all darkness and His understanding is infinite.  Let us draw near to Him in faith even as Esther did before her king.  She did not appear because she was assured of favour from the king but the urgency of her need.  God has assured all those who repent and trust in Him favour, deliverance, and salvation.  The Law which condemned us has been blotted out and nailed to the cross for good measure with our Saviour Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:13-15), and our King lives to make intercession on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25).  How glorious is it is to be known and accepted by the most high God!  Let us fall on our faces in worship, for He is worthy!

Ponder Your Path

"Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. ²⁷ Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil."

Proverbs 4:26-27

In this crooked generation God's people ought to be brave pioneers of righteousness and purity, and our path is the one Jesus Christ has already established us to walk in.  In every circumstance we are directed by God to go the righteous way, for even in temptation God provides a way of escape.

We wander into trouble when we are aimless and are not circumspect concerning 1) where we have been, 2) the direction our lives are heading, and 3) our intended destination.  For this reason the wise Solomon urges those who fear the LORD and have ears to hear to ponder the path of their feet.  Mountain climbers do not reach majestic summits without a clear plan and specialised equipment.  If we do not do the equivalent of climbers who prepare their bodies for altitude and ready gear to traverse known risks which lie ahead, we will fail to reach our potential.  If we do not consider or analyse the path we take beforehand, we will likely make poor choices under pressure.

"Ponder the path of your feet," Solomon said, and we do well to consider the immediate path which lays before us.  In "Empire Strikes Back" Luke Skywalker was criticised by Yoda for being so focused on the distant and murky future he did not consider where he was or what he was doing.  Worrying about his friends and trying to save them was more important than finishing the training which would prepare him for what lay ahead and enable him to save them.  He believed he was ready when he was not ready.  At the end of the film Luke flew away to save others but needed to be saved himself in the end.  Having aligned ourselves with the will of God revealed in His Word, we find our path illuminated.  The wicked do not realise what makes them stumble in the dark.

Continuing along the highway of holiness we are to remove our foot from evil.  Jesus will never lead us into temptation, and we are held responsible to take drastic measures to remove evil influences from our lives.  Ridding ourselves of sinful temptations we know about is a key step in pondering our path and walking uprightly.  Levi Lusko wrote in his book Swipe Right, "Close the computer...walk out of the movie...delete the contact from your phone, break up with that person, change schools, or quit your job if you have to.  Pluck out the eye, cut off the hand.  Do something drastic to your sin, or sin will do something drastic to you.  I know this all sounds way intense - and maybe it is - but know that you can't have a healthy soul and mainline toxic substances." (“Swipe Right: the Life-and-Death Power of Sex and Romance.” by Levi Lusko, W Publishing, an Imprint of Thomas Nelson, 2017, p. 105.)

Having pondered our path, let us continue to progress in faith, hope, and love.  When we are tempted by other routes along the way let us ask ourselves:  where does this darkened, winding passage lead?  Know there are no shortcuts to the celestial city.  May our ways be as established as the Way God has provided for us.

The Wisest Teacher

"The Karate Kid" (1984) movie was an instant classic.  I remember my brother and cousin rehearsing the final "crane kick" over and over, trying to make it look as real as possible without making contact.  The film had a bit of everything people like in movies:  classic lines, funny moments, and the underdog winning.

My favourite character in the film was Mr. Miyagi, the gruff custodian who had an amazing house, sprawling deck, car collection, and taught karate like a boss.  By looking at him you just knew Mr. Miyagi was a stud and was not to be messed with.  Who sits around trying to catch flies with chopsticks?  When whingy Daniel complained about all the chores Miyagi told him to do after agreeing to teach him karate, he was as surprised of the plot twist as I was - he had unwittingly been doing karate drills all day and into the night when he was waxing cars, sanding floors, and painting the fence.  Miyagi was wise, though Daniel didn't think so as he worked.  The one Daniel likely cursed under his breath of being a lazy, lying, selfish Sensei was the one who was forging him into a champion.

Mr. Miyagi didn't write a book on wisdom, but the methods he employed to train Daniel are similar to the ways God trains His people to serve Him.  In his sweat and toil Daniel grew bitter because he wasn't doing what he wanted to do, and we can act the same towards God.  We have these arbitrary expectations of what God has called us to not realising He desires to do a work in us too.  Many people are impatient to enter into missionary or pastoral work thinking it all begins with arriving in the field or being ordained by men.  Do you find it interesting Jesus did not go to the synagogue or utilise Pharisee Labour Ready to fill His full-time ministry staff vacancies?  He went to fishermen as they mended their nets; He called a tax collector when he was on the job.  In my case, He sought me out after a career spanning a decade in mechanical insulation I genuinely loved and was content.  He had ordained me to be a pastor and directed me and my family to leave my home in SoCal for Australia.  Even Mr. Miyagi couldn't have predicted that.

So you want to serve God in ministry?  Don't be surprised if He has you doing the equivalent of sanding floors and painting fences - things which seem totally unrelated to what your ideas of ministry preparation are.  One thing about Daniel LaRusso we should take to heart is he stuck around.  He had an awful attitude, sour as can be, but he gritted his teeth and did every task he was directed morning to night - even when unsupervised.  And when he couldn't take it anymore, Mr. Miyagi graciously let him in on what he was doing by throwing punches at him.  Suddenly Daniel realised:  there was a reason behind all those chores.  What seemed completely unrelated and a waste of his time was a critical investment in his development.  God requires His servants to be found faithful (1 Cor. 4:2).  Daniel's labours did not earn him the right to learn karate, though that is what it seemed at the time.  Not one of us is worthy to be acknowledged, taught, or trained by God to accomplish His purposes, but the servants worth their salt are those who gladly do the hard yards in obedience to Jesus.  God is much more than a divine "sensei" for the word means, "one who came before."  Jesus existed before the beginning of all things and will endure forever as the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last who graciously gives eternal life to all who trust in Him.

I believe there are many people called by God to be His special ministers who miss their chance because they weren't willing to faithfully do the little things God has placed before them.  They are called to preach and teach, not clean carpets and give rides.  They are called to lead worship, not move chairs or update a website.  They are not content to do chores but want the equivalent of a black belt based upon their sense of God's calling alone.  This sort will always fall short of God's potential for them.  If we labour and are useful for the glory of God, it is all of His grace.  No task is too low for a child of God to embrace, for Jesus humbled Himself to put on human flesh, be the servant of all, and willingly died on the cross.  If God has you sanding floors, do that monotonous and back-breaking task with all your might unto Him.  Someday the season of sanding will finish and you will be blown away how God used it to smooth your rough edges.  If Jesus is your Good Teacher, you will discover His ways and methods are higher than yours!  For those who humble themselves to take the lowest place, ultimately God will say to them:  "Friend, come up higher!"