Strengthened by Remembering

Psalm 77 portrays a troubled man during a sleepless night.  Penned by Asaph, this song is relatable to those who feel overwhelmed, filled with complaints, and without comfort.  After examining his heart the author mused in Psalm 77:7-10:  "Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? ⁸ Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? ⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah ¹⁰ And I said, "This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."  In thinking things over Asaph realised God was not the problem or the cause of his anguish.  His troubled feelings and sleeplessness moved him to seek God and remember the great things God had done.

What a wise principle this teaches us:  considering the goodness and faithfulness of God in the past strengthens our faith in Him today for the future.  Psalm 77:11-12 continues:  "I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. ¹² I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds."  Asaph's mind went back to God's deliverance from bondage in Egypt--long before he had been born--and the mighty works He did to save His beloved people.  He considered the parting of the Red Sea with lightning that split the sky and thunder roared overhead and shook the earth.  God made a path through the sea which was unseen and unknown by men, but He led them step by step to safety.  Psalm 77:20 concludes Asaph's song:  "You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron."

Dear troubled heart weighed down with complaints, cares, and without comfort, allow the word of God to minister to your need.  You may not see the path forward and do not know how to progress, but turn your eyes to Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd who leads us to lie down in green pastures, leads us beside still waters, and restores our souls.  Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we need not fear because God is with us and will never leave or forsake us.  Consider the miraculous wonders God has done for His people in the scripture.  Meditate upon the love demonstrated by God to send His only Son Jesus Christ to die as a sacrifice for sinners and be raised from the dead in eternal glory.  Recall to mind the grace and mercy God has shown you as well, how He has delivered you from destruction, and provided you eternal life by His Gospel.  The God who redeemed your soul has provided for the needs of your body and your household in years gone by will continue to be faithful forever.  

Created Unique

It's amazing how different God makes people in appearance, personality, and preferences.  He has given us all a unique perspective on how we see the world and aspects of life which are important to us.  God has given my wife and I two sons who are quite different from one another yet not as different as Esau and Jacob were.  They were twins but as far from identical as could be:  one was born covered in red hair and the other was smooth skinned.  Esau enjoyed hunting and the great outdoors while Jacob preferred cooking stew and staying home.

When God heard the prayer of Isaac He caused Rebekah to conceive.  Undoubtedly she had expectations of what a "normal" pregnancy would be like, having spoken with many mothers with experience, yet these romantic notions were dashed with pain and discomfort.  Genesis 25:22-23 gives us insight into what was happening out of sight before sonograms:  "But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. ²³ And the LORD said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger."  God caused Rebekah to conceive twins that did not play well with each other!  The struggle in utero would continue throughout their lives and their descendants would comprise two separate nations.

Isn't it remarkable God would create two twin brothers who were different in appearance and attitude and even when in the womb did not get along?  I find it amazing how God can do a similar thing in the Body of Christ, the church.  We, like Rebekah, can have a romantic notion of what unity looks like and how other Christians would be best served to share the same beliefs and views we hold.  We imagine this new life in Christ should be without conflicts, struggles, and pain.  It does not take much engagement in church fellowship to realise how unique people are from one another.  Through the Gospel Jesus unites people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds as members of His church of which He is the Head.  Even as twins with the same genetic input are totally different people, pastors and parishioners alike have unique convictions, areas of emphasis, personal needs, experiences, maturity, and social engagement.

Believer, do you know pastors or fellow believers you see as a bit weird or different because of what interests them, their political leaning, or the stance they take (or don't take) on social issues?  How easy it is to fall into the snare of thinking everyone would be better off being more like us when God has intentionally made people different from one another.  God designed the bone structure, tendons, ligaments, and skin of hands and feet to be different because they serve different purposes--though part of the same body.  Even all feet and hands are not the same size or shape!  One hand can swing a hammer with precision and another is gnarled with arthritis.  Some people cannot buy shoes at a department store because their feet are large, not the same size, or need a custom sole fitted because their legs are different lengths.  The God who created countless stars and calls them by name, the God who created the trillions of cells in our bodies, He saw fit to create people unique in His own image.  Instead of being annoyed or threatened by differences of others, let us celebrate God's wisdom, praise Him for our brothers and sisters, and thank Him for such rich diversity of gifts, calling, and leading.

By faith in Jesus Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit we are united as one for His glory.  The miracle of conception and human life is amazing, and being spiritually born again into the family of God is even more so.  The differences of Easu and Jacob are nothing compared to our vast separation of sinners from God because He is holy and righteousness.  God said to naturally wicked mankind in Psalm 50:19-23, "You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. ²⁰ You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. ²¹ These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes. ²² "Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: ²³ whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God."  How different man naturally is from God though created in His image, and praise the LORD He redeems, forgives, and accepts all who trust in Him as His own.  God has demonstrated His love towards us while we were His enemies, and may we demonstrate grace and love in showing kindness towards others.

The Secret Place of the Most High

I remember working as a contractor at San Diego State University and seeing radiation symbols on random buildings.  I discovered these office buildings doubled as bomb shelters underground and were stocked with old barrels of supplies should the need arise.  It looked like many of those green military stores had been sitting in dust for decades.  The subterranean bunkers I walked through were dimly lit and cold, but they would be a welcome refuge in a nuclear disaster.  The problem with bomb shelters is making sure you are in them before the bombs start dropping, or otherwise all the careful preparation was in vain.

Blessed is the one who makes God His refuge and finds certain shelter in all seasons.  Psalm 91:1-3 reads, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust." ³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence."  God will be a shelter for His people when the stars fall like rain and every mountain is moved from its place.  He protects us from the schemes of the devil, the fear of man, and the curse of sin.  In God is a fortress which cannot be overthrown or undermined, a relationship with the almighty God that will endure forever.  God is a Saviour and Deliverer in whom we can trust.

A bird that is caught in a snare cannot free itself to fly to the safety of the nest.  God, however, delivers from the "snare of the fowler."  No bunker can deliver like the God who is our refuge who comes to us in times of trouble, who provides salvation and help through faith in Him.  When Psalm 91 was written airplanes that deliver explosive ordinance were obviously not invented yet, but pestilence was just as perilous.  An illness could strike man and beast suddenly without cure.  Consider the plagues which God brought upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians which caused sores to break out on their bodies, decimated their cattle, and crops were consumed by locusts.  God protected His people in Goshen during times when death and famine seemed inescapable.

The psalmist concludes with God's response to the one who makes God his refuge in Psalm 91:14-16:  "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. ¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."  How blessed God's people are!  God promises to deliver and set on high, to hear and answer our prayers, and experience the comfort of His presence.  God provides deliverance, honour, satisfaction and salvation.  These promises do not exclude us from suffering and trials, yet God will sustain us through them.  He offers long life--eternal life--to all who rely upon and love Him.  Let us publicly proclaim the secret place of the Most High available to all by God's grace.

Why Sacrifice?

Animal sacrifice to deities is a foreign practice and concept to many in the west and the world.  My observation of the purpose behind sacrifice outside Judaism is one of appeasement, to ensure rains will come, the sun would rise, fertility, or for good fortune.  Sacrifices were made to obtain something desirable and beneficial like a man offering a bribe to a corrupt official for favours.  While no one can know for certain the motivations of the hearts of men, it is likely among the Jewish nation this was true to a degree:  sacrifices were at times offered to receive atonement from God and prevent falling out of God's favour.

There are many times recorded in the Bible sacrifice followed deliverance and victory as a show of acknowledgement of God's help with thanksgiving and gratitude.  An example of this is after God delivered Noah, his family, and many animals from the great flood and he offered a sacrifice.  Another time was after Joshua and the children of Israel, mightily helped by God, defeated the inhabitants of Ai.  In obedience to the Law of Moses Joshua 8:30-31 states, "Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal, ³¹ as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: "an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings."  To offer burnt and peace offerings to God was a solemn and joyful duty in response to God's goodness and glorious deliverance.

The nature of sacrifice is it always costs the giver.  I wonder:  as children of God are our sacrifices unto the LORD given out of a desire to gain something from God or a response to His goodness?  Is it possible I make "sacrifices" with the hope of future benefits rather than rejoicing for all God has already done for me?  I can say undoubtedly I have and I desire this selfish, short-sighted practice is struck from my life.  To have a relationship with the almighty God who loves us and offered Himself as a sacrifice once for all is the greatest treasure, that He is our inheritance!  As the old hymn goes, "Jesus paid it all!  All to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow."  In light of who He is and all He has done we offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him, our lives a testimony of His love, grace, and forgiveness.

The Final Offering

A child born into royalty could take much for granted.  This child would not know hunger or cold like the starving daughter of a farmer whose parents cannot afford wood to heat their dwelling.  It must be a severe famine indeed to impact the palace kitchen of the king and queen.  The prince or princess would never know the feeling of a parent imprisoned or the need to help raise little brothers or sisters with servants at the ready.  The fact their father is the king would influence their perspective and attitude.  It would take losing everything to begin to realise how much of their lives was foreign to the rest of the subjects of the realm.

After coming to Jesus Christ as poor beggars, our heavenly Father has adopted us as His own children by faith in our Saviour and LORD.  Our humble background as street urchins creates a very different problem to the one raised in the luxury royalty affords:  we do not realise what is ours as children of God.  God has fitted us with a robe of righteousness and we use it for a dog's mattress.  Instead of drinking from the goblet of heavenly joy and peace we try to satisfy our thirst lapping from puddles fouled by the hooves of horses and donkeys.  We have the best teacher in Jesus and the Holy Spirit who has provided the word of God but we are not familiar with the material or God's patient methods of teaching.  We are more taken watching boys wallow in a street fight than comprehending spiritual truths that transform our lives from within.  A man who learned to navigate the sewers in darkness as a boy suddenly finds himself through the Gospel accepted, embraced, washed, and thrust into a life he never imagined as a child of God.

Before stepping foot into the palace a common person would have heard many things about the king, and a lot of them would be untrue.  There are many things he would continue to believe until he was corrected or learned by experience.  So it is for us who are children of God by faith in Jesus.  Religions and "spiritual" people are riddled with error when not grounded in Bible truth, and we are naturally hostile towards God and His ways.  The scriptures explain to the unregenerate the wisdom of God appears foolishness (I Cor. 2:14).  When we are born again our disjointed souls are snapped into the proper orientation--like when a dislocated knee is set.  Our eyes are opened to see lavish blessings we could not have dreamed were possible given our past.

One of these is found in the book of Hebrews.  The writer sets the stage by saying Jesus came according to the will of God to establish a new covenant which supersedes the Law of Moses.  Hebrews 10:10-18 says, "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. ¹⁴ For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. ¹⁵ But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ¹⁶ "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," ¹⁷ then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." ¹⁸ Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin."

Isn't it amazing followers of Jesus have been sanctified through Him once for all?  Through Jesus we are perfected forever as those being sanctified.  God no longer deals with us according to our sin but the grace of God and just forgiveness through the Gospel.  Because He does not remember our sins and lawless deeds any more, having provided remission of these, "there is no longer an offering for sin."  There is literally nothing we can do to add to the sacrifice Jesus has made for us, no penance or lessons to be learned:  when Jesus said "It is finished!" it is true concerning the payment for our sins and acceptance into His fold by faith in Him.  After His resurrection Jesus taught His amazed disciples that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations (Luke 24:27).  The foundational precept of nearly all religions in this world emphasise what man must do to be accepted by God:  Christianity is unique in declaring what God has done so sinful men by faith in Jesus alone are declared righteous and sanctified.

Praise be to God for His marvelous love towards men!  We were lost and without hope in the world, had no power to save ourselves, blind and headed for hell, and the Light of the World shines upon us by the grace of God.  As citizens of heaven whose eyes have been opened let us open our hearts to receive the timeless truth of the Bible and the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.  We are blessed for coming to Christ in faith at the first, but let us also go on with Him--growing in love towards God and more fully understanding the implications of our inheritance as children of God.  In light of what Jesus has done it is our reasonable service to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto God, rejoicing to serve and glorify Him now and forever.

Heeding Wise Counsel

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise."

Proverbs 12:15

The definition of a fool in the Proverbs is a person whose words and actions deny the existence of God.  Instead of looking to God for the right way he follows the impulses of his own heart.  The eyes of a fool are blind to the wisdom of God found in His word and sees no need for a so called "god" in his life.  The fool is unwittingly in a harrowing predicament and what is worse is he cannot see the danger of going his own way which leads to ruin.  When a boxer sees the glove coming he steels himself to absorb the shot, yet the fool does not notice the telegraphed punch his own folly brings like a hammer upon him.

There is a folly found in youth, a self-confident assumption of knowing all the important facts.  There is a folly found in older people too, a cynical attitude built on distrust and shattered expectations.  They risked following the counsel of others and found themselves taken advantage of.  The danger of heeding counsel is when the counselor is deceitful, corrupt, or just plain wrong.  In contrast to fools the wise are determined by their faith in God and reliance upon Him.  Solomon wrote in Proverbs 19:20-21, "Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. ²¹ There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the LORD'S counsel--that will stand."  Blessed is the man who speaks with God, and more blessed is the one who hears Him.  It is the one who hears who is led by God in what to say and do.

God's word and counsel will stand forever.  To heed God's counsel is to walk wisely, and the idea of heeding is to hear, take to heart, and walk accordingly.  The implication of heeding God's counsel is it was not our natural impulse or desire.  This means humbling ourselves by laying aside our own ideas and plans with the intent to listen and do what God has said.  There is no shortage of advice concerning health, wealth, happiness, and fulfillment inside and outside the church, and even well-meaning people can lead us astray from God's will with their convincing arguments.  That is why it is critical for us to know God's word and not to deviate from His timeless truth in belief and practice.  Familiarity with the genuine helps us recognise cheap imitations.

Jesus said in John 10:27-30, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. ³⁰ I and My Father are one."  Amid the confused multitudes of voices shouting for our attention, the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ speaks.  Do you recognise the voice of the One who has opened your eyes, the One who has become for us wisdom from God (1 Cor. 1:30-31)?  Let Jesus Christ be the One we seek, heed, and follow along with others who fear God.

Our Strong Confidence

"In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. ²⁷ The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death."

Proverbs 14:26-27

Self-confidence is often viewed as beneficial but the Bible teaches preoccupation with self is a snare.  To put confidence in self is to put confidence in man, and Psalm 118:8 says plainly "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."  Better than self-consciousness is for God's people to be cognisant of God's presence and promises.

Many of the things which provide self-confidence for people are transient and dare I say--vain.  I grew up watching sport with ads on television aimed at balding men and how re-growing your own hair bolstered confidence in the workplace or with women.  Other ads targeted men who still had hair and in the space of time it takes to shower an ageing fellow could be "back in the game" with hair, eyebrows, and beard devoid of unsightly grey.  Samson was a young man with flowing hair who had self-confidence and women in ample supply yet this misplaced confidence led him to ruin.

It is a good thing when our self-confidence is shaken because it shows we have been relying on ourselves, abilities, or listening to the praises of people rather than seeking and relying on the LORD.  In Christian ministry self-confidence is a snare because we can only serve the LORD and walk uprightly through faith in Him.  Woe to the man or woman who brims with self-confidence to do the LORD's work!  When the criticism is relentless, people leave the church because of you (and tell you this to your face), and you feel an absolute failure, what good with self-confidence do you then?  In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and in Him we have a place of refuge.

How liberating and wonderful it is to be free of the snare of self-confidence which leads to the fear of man and vain effort to please men.  Degrees of success, however, allow self-confidence to secretly wrap its coils around our hearts again.  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life which gives us confidence our feet shall not be moved regardless of what happens to us because we stand by the grace of God on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  Having been called, chosen, and loved by God we submit humbly to His sovereign rule, bowing our grey and bald heads in praise and worship of One who alone is worthy.  He is our strong confidence Who endures forever.

The Freshness of the Old

While at Camp Kedron I had an amusing interaction with a camper.  Kids who did not bring Bibles were loaned a Bible for the duration of camp.  A older primary-aged girl came up to me and asked for a different Bible.  "Could I have a different Bible?  This one is old."  I glanced to see what version of Bible it was and found it was a contemporary English version.  Then I guessed what prompted her request:  that she noticed there was an Old Testament and she nodded.  I told her, "This Bible is perfectly fine for you.  In fact, you need to have the Old Testament to better understand the New Testament."  We live in a world where "old" is synonymous with "outdated" and "irrelevant," yet the the Old Testament contains fresh truth for those who glean among those ancient passages.

Today I read when God changed Abram's name to Abraham and made a covenant with him.  The first covenant God made with Abram required the sacrifice of animals the Spirit of God passed through.  God established an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants by commanding he and all his household be circumcised.  It was a covenant sealed with his own blood as he cut away flesh in an area required for human procreation.  God promised in the space of a year Sarai (whose name God changed to Sarah) would conceive and give birth to a son to be named Isaac in their old age.  Genesis 17:23 reads, "So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him."  Abraham's faith in God, obedience, and submission to God's ordinance is a timeless and powerful example to all.

Circumcision of males eight days old was later incorporated into the Law of Moses and has been followed religiously by Orthodox Jews and others until this day.  God spoke of a new covenant which would supercede the old in Jeremiah 31:31-33:  "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- ³² not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. ³³ But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."  This new covenant would not be limited to the Jewish nation only.  God offers this agreement freely by grace through faith to all people who trust in Jesus Christ and are born again by the Holy Spirit.  Instead of pride in our flesh followers of Jesus are humbled to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them as a down-payment of their salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Abraham's willingness to circumcise himself, his sons, and all the males of his household has much to teach us today.  The Law alluded to physical circumcision as pointing to an inner work now made possible through the Holy Spirit.  Deuteronomy 10:14-18 says, "Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it. ¹⁵ The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. ¹⁶ Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. ¹⁷ For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. ¹⁸ He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing."  In John 10:16 Jesus spoke of sheep from another fold He called to follow, Gentiles He called to follow Him so there might be one fold and one Shepherd.  Paul goes into great detail on this point in Ephesians 2-3.

Abraham did not earn God's favour by his obedience but willingly entered into it by doing as God said.  James 4:6-7 says, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." ⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  Even as our love of God is practically shown towards our brothers, so our submission to God is evidenced in honouring governing authorities as it is written in 1 Peter 2:13-17:  "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--¹⁶  as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honour all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king."  If David would not utter a harsh word against the murderous King Saul, should we speak ill of or despise those God has put in authority over us?

The lesson impressed upon me from Abraham's response to God is one of humility, submission to God, and obedience--three themes often repeated in the New Testament.  There is hardly a word more grating to a proud and independent soul than the word "submit."  Abraham was required to submit to a delicate surgery by his own hand, and the believer who submits to follow Jesus Christ in faith is also required to trust God when obedience to Him stings.  Consider the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross, pierced hands and feet, heart skewered through with false accusations and scornful words.  Abraham circumcised himself and Jesus humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, and embraced the cross in obedience to the Father's will.  Those who believe will obey and those who humble themselves before God He will exalt.  Praise the LORD there is healing in our God evidenced by our risen Saviour Jesus, and beyond this life of endless testing eternal glory awaits.

Giving God His Due

Words and events that impact us provoke prolonged consideration later.  This can happen sometimes when we read the Bible.  Like a person not content to look at an item behind glass and asks to hold it in their hands for closer examination, we can turn Bible passages over in our minds.  We consider the context and wonder why people said what they did.  I've been thinking over a case concerning what Abram did after God enabled him and his household servants to defeat kings and deliver Lot from their hands.

Genesis 14:18-20 reads, "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; ²⁰ and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all."  Abram and his 318 servants pursued 5 victorious kings during the night and defeated them completely.  Suddenly Melchizedek king of Salem and priest of God Most High appears to celebrate the victory of God through Abram.  Abram previously called on the name of the LORD, the Possessor of heaven and earth Who revealed Himself to him.  This was not Abram's victory but God's.  Abram immediately responded by giving Mechizedek a tithe of all plundered--10 percent of all that he recovered and possessed.  Abram refused to lay a hand on the spoil lest the king of Sodom claim he had made Abram rich.  By tithing of all and refusing a reward Abram credited God for his wealth and was content in Him.

Consider the purity of praise and thanksgiving in this act of Abram to give to God and keep none of the spoil to enrich himself.  The God who revealed Himself to Abram gave him all the land on which he tread and a notable victory over many kings.  Faith trusts God in the present and for the future, knowing we are safe and abundantly provided for.  There is something truly liberating when we honour God with our firstfruits and giving to Him what the world views as increase rightfully earned.  Let us not think giving is only about money or goods as Psalm 96:7-9 says, "Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, give to the LORD glory and strength. ⁸ Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. ⁹ Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth."

Recognising the greatness of God and all we have received by grace through faith quickens generosity in His people.  Because we value Him over things we honour Him with our things and the life He has provided as a continuous act of worship for His glory.  Giving time and money as unto the LORD acknowledges His goodness, grace, and power to supply our future needs.  How great is the LORD who has given us all things to richly enjoy, celebrates His power through us, and receives from our hands rejoicing.  Through Jesus Christ God has supplied far greater victory than Abram enjoyed because He established a covenant with His own blood to give all who trust Him eternal life.  Since Jesus has given us His all to purchase us, we ought to give our all rejoicing in our Redeemer.

Choosing Good

A camper last week described his intentional effort to show self-control with his tongue.  His statement reminded me of myself when I was that age, measuring success primarily off what I avoided doing:  "I have only sworn twice all year!"  I commend the lad's efforts to stop cursing.  Jesus taught the words we use reveals the truth of the condition of our hearts, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45).  Trying to cease cursing with our mouths is futile without a change of mind and heart by God's grace.

When I heard the young man's comment I recalled the responsibility of believers not only to avoid sin but to do good, to speak the truth in love.  Better than avoiding gossip our words ought to encourage; rather than harsh censure we can edify others with gracious words.  Realising the Christian walk is more about doing good than avoiding evil was a revelation from God.  The call to self-control goes far beyond speaking and is shown by listening patiently and choosing to remain silent instead of speaking our mind.  We can demonstrate love by refusing to negatively judge or condemn people who do not seem to be making the concerted effort in areas we are.

How about you, believer?  Have you begun to embrace your sanctification beyond surface level and dealt with matters of the heart?  King Solomon gave instruction concerning folly to avoid and also directives to follow in Proverbs 4:20-27:  "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. ²¹ Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; ²² for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. ²³ Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. ²⁴ Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. ²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. ²⁶ 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."

It is easy to trip when we are moving forward and our eyes are not on the path right before us.  Following the car in front of us can lead us to drift from the centre of the lane.  If we will walk uprightly, we must keep godly instruction from God's word in our hearts, be on our guard to avoid hypocrisy, ponder the paths of our feet, and walk in the way God has established.  It is Jesus Christ--the Way, the Truth, and the Life--who alone has the words of life.  His sheep hear His voice and we are to incline our ears to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  When we are convicted for sin it is good we remove our feet from evil:  let us take the next bold step of repentance to do what is right and pleases God.

God's Sovereign Goodness

After the earth began to be repopulated by people after the flood, the people banded together in Shinar.  They decided to make bricks, build a great city with a tower that reached to heaven, and make a name for themselves so they would not be scattered across the earth.  God knew their plans and decided to miraculously disrupt them and bring about exactly what they worked to prevent.  Genesis 11:7-8 reads, "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." ⁸ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city."  The name of the unfinished tower was called "Babel" because it was the place God confounded the languages of the people.

The inability to understand one another ended the singleness of mind and purpose the people once shared.  Without anyone to translate what they said and meant their efforts turned into a ruin.  This incident, more than merely showing how the multitudes of languages in the world came to be, reveals the importance of communication.  This can be seen in marriages, families, the workplace, and church.  God was observant of the reason behind the building project in Shinar, and He also is keenly aware of what His ultimate plans are for His glorious kingdom.  The people wanted to unite all in one place, yet God was determined to send them forth.

The situation at Babel is a good reminder of God's sovereignty and plans that are infinitely better than our own short-sighted goals to make a name for ourselves.  I recently read a biography of David Wilkerson and he once attended a church filled with notable preachers and worship leaders.  The church did not last long and one of the senior members put it like this:  "Too much salt."  Jesus told His followers they were the salt of the earth and they were pleased after His ascension to remain in Jerusalem.  It was not long after the Holy Spirit came upon them in power great persecution arose against Christians who scattered and brought the Gospel with them to Jews and Gentiles alike.  I do not suggest this to justify church "splits" or irreconcilable differences among believers which hinder fellowship but to say God's ways are higher than ours.

We can be content to make a name for ourselves and settle down when God has other plans.  I was very settled and content in the east county of San Diego before God moved me and my family to Australia.  Instead of finding rest in a marriage, job, house, or familiar surroundings God intervened to teach us to discover rest in Him wherever He places us.  When we first came to Australia I was connected to pastors who also had ministry in Australia on their heart and sought to plant a church in the Sydney CBD.  It was like the A-team huddled up and was on mission to minister for the glory of God.  But for whatever reason, it did not come to pass as imagined.  Those pastors are now scattered across four nations (at least!) in fruitful pastoral ministry.  I am convinced their efforts were not a failure because their uniting led to seeking the LORD and He moved them according to His will.

How awesome are the works of God who does glorious things!  The confounding of languages led to friends moving apart but new friendships and horizons were discovered.  Trying circumstances and upheaval led to exploration and visions of grandeur far greater than a tower made with bricks and slime.  In the breakdown of the building project many other leaders were forged.  Without the comforts of city walls people looked to the LORD for guidance and protection in ways they never needed to in the past.  Blessed be our God whose mighty, redemptive works are beyond our desire.  When we look back with eyes of faith, our great regrets of unfinished works can miraculously melt in His sovereign goodness.

Replaced With Praise

God is better to us than we know.  Even when we credit Him for all good things we have received by His grace He is infinitely more worthy of praise and honour than the thoughts in our heads or the words on our lips.  Every day provides countless opportunities to praise and honour the God who does everything.

I was impacted by the song of David in Psalm 144:9-15:  "I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. ¹⁰ It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword. ¹¹ Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: ¹² that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: ¹³ that our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: ¹⁴ that our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. ¹⁵ Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD."

David sang of salvation and deliverance given him by God.  He prayed to be rid from those who spoke vainly, for prosperity, and that there would "be no complaining in our streets."  The mouth that compliments can also complain, and it is a shame we would use our mouths given us by the grace of God to complain rather than speak praise from a glad heart.  Lying and gossip says something about the sinful condition of our hearts and complaining is the same.  Complaints show a lack of appreciation and thanks for what God has given us; it reveals discontent and ultimately reveals a lack of faith in God's provision, power, and wisdom.  The very nature of complaining puts self in primary focus and how our expectations or perceived needs have remained unmet.  David prayed for deliverance from vain talkers (because they were around) and would not join them in their disgruntled murmurings.

Happy is the people whose God is the LORD:  the LORD who saves and delivers from vain talking and from our own habitual complaining.  God desires we would grow to maturity and be spiritually fruitful, that we would be pure on the inside as well as polished on the outside.  David sang in Psalm 35:27-28, "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. ²⁸ And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long."  God has pleasure in our prosperity, yet we ought not define prosperity in the narrow sense of health and wealth.  God has prospered us in body, soul, and spirit enough to praise Him all the day long.  Complaints fade in hearts touched by the grace of God and are replaced with praise.  Believer, through our Saviour Jesus Christ we are most blessed!  May we live to magnify our LORD with praise.

Worship in Vain

"Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ⁸ 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honour Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. ⁹ And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

Matthew 15:7-9

Jesus minced no words when He addressed self-righteous Pharisees and scribes who sought to destroy Him.  They put great emphasis on having a clean exterior according to the Law of Moses but neglected the condition of their hearts.  Jesus perceived the greed in their hearts which moved them to seek the praise of men over the glory of God.  The religious rulers drew near to worship God with their mouths but their hearts were far from Him.

The worship of the self-righteous rulers Jesus said was in vain:  empty, worthless, fruitless, and ineffective.  Their worship of God was vain because they taught as doctrines the commandment of men.  God has provided the Bible to reveal sound doctrine (teaching) concerning God and His righteous ways.  When Jesus applied the words of Isaiah to the Pharisees it must have been deeply shocking and confronting.  Jesus exposed their words as empty because their hearts did not match.

No matter how much we know or how long we have followed Jesus, there remains the potential our worship of God is in vain because of hypocrisy which blinds us to the truth.  I am grateful Jesus does not pander to those ensnared to hypocrisy so they might recognise their need for repentance.  Jesus has given us new hearts through faith in Him and He enables us to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, owning sin we never saw as sin before.  How good is our LORD and gracious to speak to the Pharisee in each one of us so our worship will not be in vain.

Shut In by God

Noah was a righteous man who walked with God.  Enoch walked with God and was not (translated into heaven) and God saw fit to allow Noah to remain by His grace.  According to God's revelation and instruction Noah built an ark so people and animals would be preserved from coming judgment.

While the exact amount of time Noah spent building the ark is unknown, it spanned many decades.  He was a builder and also a "preacher of righteousness" according to 2 Peter 2:5.  He publicly proclaimed the word of the LORD a great flood was coming and his faith was demonstrated by building a massive ship on dry ground.  After the ship was completed, seven days before the flood, God told Noah and his family to enter the ark along with other animals God drew there.  Genesis 7:8-10 reads, "Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, ⁹ two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. ¹⁰ And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth."

One significant aspect of Noah and all the animals entering the ark was the door remained open for boarding for seven days.  I imagine Noah's construction project provoked great curiosity of all who saw it, and the diverse kinds of animals streaming into it was a unique event.  Noah, being a preacher of righteousness, was willing to explain the reason behind this strange phenomenon to confirm judgment from God was coming.  Because no one but Noah's immediate family was willing to enter the door of the ark, it seems his words fell on unbelieving ears.  After many decades plus seven days of invitation to board Genesis 7:16 says, "So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in."

After 120 years from the first proclamation of judgment (Genesis 6:3), God shut Noah in.  The focus is not on all the animals or unbelieving people who were shut out.  When God shut the door of the ark it meant peace, safety, and deliverance for Noah and all who demonstrated faith by obedience.  It was not at Noah's discretion but God who determined the time for judgment and brought salvation.  I am reminded how Jesus Christ said in John 10:9-10, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  Jesus has the keys and opens doors no man can shut, and shuts doors no man can open (Rev. 3:7).  To all living today the Door to salvation is open wide, an invitation to be saved from wrath to come and be saved for all eternity by grace through faith in Jesus.

How tragic it was for people who viewed that open door for years to find Noah shut in and to be shut out themselves when the skies opened and the waters rose.  When God shut Noah in his future was set for good.  Everyone has the opportunity today to walk through the door of salvation through Jesus Christ, the One who died for the sins of the world so those who trust in Him will live.  Only God knows when our lives will end or when judgment will come, and all those who repent and rest in Jesus by faith will be preserved safe and have fellowship with God now and forever.  Praise God He shuts us in!

The Way to Life

The LORD has blessed me to observe and glean truth from the Bible I have read before but never noticed.  At each reading of the Bible we, our circumstances, and our receptivity are different.  Because God's word is living and active our eyes are opened to seeing new things and a fresh perspective.  At a distance a fish may appear grey and colourless, but when we examine it closer we notice individual scales that reflect the full spectrum of light with rainbow colours.

Genesis 3:24 says God drove Adam from Eden for his sin to till the ground under the curse brought on by sin:  "So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life."  God guarded the entrance to the garden of Eden with cherubim, angels who serve God continually.  There is also described a sword which turned every way "...to guard the way to the tree of life."  I suspect Adam did return to the garden God planted where he was placed by God and once called home.  The fierce angels and the flaming sword which flashed continually deterred him from attempting to eat from the tree of life so he could live forever.

The phrase which impacted me was how the flaming sword guarded "the way" to the tree of life.  It was not just the tree which was inaccessible, but the way to the tree was made deadly.  Eternal life was permanently barred to man because man disobeyed by eating the fruit forbidden by God.  Fruit pleasant to the eyes and delicious for the body resulted in bitter regret and wages of sin which are death.  Adam once lived in the presence of God and tended the garden planted by the LORD, yet was faced with the difficult task of tilling ground which resisted his efforts and bore thorns and thistles which brought pain and choked out the good seed planted.  Adam would die and his body return to dust because of the consequences of sin also passed to all men.

Praise the LORD Jesus Christ is revealed to the be Way, the Truth, and the Life in John 14:6.  He has come to us and proclaimed the Gospel so we can be forgiven from sin, saved from death, and receive righteousness and eternal life through faith in Him.  It is most fitting therefore that in His first address to the seven churches in Revelation Jesus says in Revelation 2:7:  "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."  No weapons existed to overcome the cherubim who guarded the entrance to Eden, and no one could sneak or run past the flaming sword which turned every way to block all from the tree of life which and was wiped off the earth by Noah's flood.  When all hope was lost for eternal life, Jesus Christ is the Way and will supply eternal life to all who trust in Him.  Isn't God good to provide for all our needs now and forever?

Freedom to Choose Life

I have been reading through the creation account recorded in the Bible.  By the power of His word alone God created the heavens and earth and spoke all thing into existence.  From the earth He brought forth plants, trees, birds, reptiles, and fish in abundance.  Finally on the sixth day God formed man from the dust of the ground in His own image and breathed into Adam a living soul.

Before today I never considered how God created countless living things to reproduce after their own kinds yet created a single human being.  When God created the human body He thought of everything and placed him in the Garden of Eden God planted.  Genesis 2:8 says, "The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed."  God gave man responsibility to tend the garden God planted and a command to eat from every tree save one in Genesis 2:15-17:  "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."  God spoke to Adam having provided him the capacity to reason, a conscience, and to communicate using words and language--again, different to plants, beasts, and birds.

Genesis 2:18-20 continued:  "And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." ¹⁹ Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him."  Having given Adam dominion over the garden and the animals God created, God brought animals to Adam "...to see what he would call them" and the names stuck.  I find the freedom God allowed Adam to name the animals compelling.  How gracious is God who allows man to make decisions which have enduring consequences.

In all creation there was not a being comparable to him, so God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and from one of his ribs made woman because she was taken out of man.  From Adam and Eve God joined in marriage have all humankind descended.  How privileged we are as human beings to know God, to have been placed by Him in profitable labour, to hear His voice and receive His commands.  Even now He has graciously given all men and women the opportunity to make decisions that stick in regards to placing our faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour.  The first Adam sinned and died, and through the death of Jesus--the second Adam, the Word who became flesh--all who were once dead in sins who trust in Him shall live forever.  Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and earth, far more than Adam ever dreamed of.

Paul expertly explained in 1 Corinthians 15:42-49:  "So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man."

God's Word is Pure

"Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it."

Psalm 119:140

Psalm 119 is famous for being the longest chapter in the Bible, yet it has at least one other outstanding feature:  nearly every single verse therein praises God's word, commandments, and statutes.  The psalmist had a healthy obsession with the word of God and sought to heed it continually.  As this verse plainly states, the purity of God's word is a reason why servants of God love it.  Compared to good seed that is fruitful in prepared hearts by Jesus, it is living and active to instruct, guide, and help us to know God and follow Him.

The heavens and earth will pass away but all of God's words will endure forever in full force.  The Bible has remained unsullied and pure until now and will continue to provide life-sustaining wisdom forever to all who read and walk according to it.  Proverbs 30:5 says, "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him."  The absolute, eternal truth of God has been miraculously distilled into words that have been translated into many languages and has remained pure to this day.  All impurities of the world and opinions of men have been prevented from tarnishing this unique revelation of God.  In an unclean world the Bible remains pure and worthy of being called God's word.

Don't fall for the lie Satan has used to dupe many that asserts the exact opposite--that over years it has been corrupted and is no longer of relevance.  Those who agree the Bible is the word of God ought not to explain away doctrines and teaching which contradicts what we think or what the world values.  If we will know God and the faith once delivered to the saints the Bible is the means God has used to reveal the mystery of the Gospel and the hope all can have in Jesus Christ the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  David wrote in Psalm 138:2, "I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name."  What a marvelous statement this is, that God would magnify His word "above all His name" and submits Himself to all He has said.

Photograph of "A Man in Christ" by J. Sidlow Baxter

Yesterday I started reading His Deeper Work in Us by J. Sidlow Baxter and am enjoying it thoroughly.  Now here is a man who knows and breathes the inspired truth of scripture.  No fluff or quaint cliches here:  just meaty, thought provoking words worthy of being meditated upon because they are from God's Word.  Directly after reading these words I found it necessary to read them again because there is too much to digest in a single pass:

Holiness, as taught in the New Testament, is no mere negative concept--a being freed merely from the disfigurements of sin.  Besides the negative aspect of being rescued from the tyranny of hereditary depravity, there are all those wonderful positive traits which accompany the Holy Spirit's deeper renewal of the mind into the image of Christ.  According to the New Testament picture of holiness, the garden is not only cleared of ugly weeds, it is filled with fragrant flowers and rich fruits...

In other words, the New Testament emphasis is not so much on our being ridded of something (though that is necessarily included) but rather on our being filled with a spiritual vitality and health which leave the sin-disease no environment in which to thrive.  That life of victorious fulness is the shining challenge of the written Word to every Christian believer.  It is a fulness of new spiritual life which is positive holiness--brought about through an invasion of our being by the Holy Spirit Himself (wonderful mystery!).  One has only to glance through the New Testament to know whether many or few Christians today are living according to the divine standard.

Look again at the New Testament photograph of "a man in Christ".  He has within him "the peace of God which passeth all understanding (Phil. 4:7).  He "rejoices with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Pet. 1:8).  He has "the wisdom that is from above" (Jas. 3:17).  He "walks in the light as God is in the light", having continuous "fellowship with the Father and with His Son (1 John 1:3, 7).  He is "renewed in knowledge after the image of God" (Col. 3:10), and is renewed into "true holiness" (Eph. 4:24).  He "beholds with unveiled face the glory of the Lord, and is changed into the same image" (2 Cor. 3:18).  In him "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).  He "dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16).  He is "filled unto all the fulness of God" (Eph. 3:19).  He lives the "more abundant life" (John 10:10).

In his prayer-life he "asks and receives", till his "joy is full" (John 16:24).  He finds God "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all he asks or thinks, according to the power that worketh in him" (Eph. 3:20).  To his praying heart the risen Lord "manifests Himself" (John 14:21).  In him, "the Spirit beareth witness that he is a child of God" (Rom. 8.16).  The "Spirit of life" has "set him free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).  He knows by experience that he is "sealed" with the Holy Spirit, and that he has the inward "earnest" of the Spirit as a foretaste of the heavenly "inheritance" (Eph. 1:13, 14).  He is "endued" by the Spirit with "the power from on high".  His character is beautiful with "the fruit of the Spirit:  love joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness..."

When "troubled on every side" he is not "cast down" but the life of Jesus is "manifested" through him (2 Cor. 4:8, 10).  In "tribulations" he is "more than conqueror through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37).  In "infirmities" and "reproaches" he sings, "when I am weak then am I strong" (2 Cor. 12:10).  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phi. 4:13).  He has "full assurance of hope" (Heb. 6:11) and "full assurance of faith" (10:22).  In a word, he is "filled continually with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18).  (Baxter, J. Sidlow. His Deeper Work In Us. London, Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1967, pp. 16–18.)

This photograph of those who are in Christ is not theoretical or a fantasy only to be enjoyed in the distant future.  Here are qualities of followers of Jesus Christ because the Holy Spirit has indwelt and empowered us by the grace of God.  A young aspiring bodybuilder hangs posters of muscled, ripped bodies in his makeshift gym because he hopes to work towards the body he idolises as an ideal:  God provides the true picture of the reality for believers in Christ we never dared to dream.  Faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him is the path to glory.  It is not the glory of the muscle-man who feeds and flaunts the flesh but humility and submission to God and by His using these weak, broken vessels the glory of Jesus Christ will shine through, and people will catch a glimpse of Him.