God Looks at the Heart

Being a prophet doesn't make someone perfect.  God corrected the prophet Samuel's assumptions concerning Eliab, the oldest son of Jesse who had a "royal bearing."  He looked at Eliab and thought, "This must be the LORD's anointed!"  1 Samuel 16:7 says, "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  Physical height was no qualification to be king when the heart of a man disqualifies him.  It is good for us to realise that we, like Samuel, can be led astray by first impressions and what can be seen.

What is true for individuals rings true for the Body of Christ, the church.  As long as I have been a part of the church there have always been people who come and go.  It is interesting to hear their perspective and how it impacts their decision to return or look elsewhere.  Some see a young pastor as one lacking necessary wisdom, and an older one as out of touch.  A large congregation is overwhelming to some, while a small congregation can be met with curious suspicion:  if it was a good church, why is it still small?  I am convinced any church you decide to regularly attend will have it faults and flaws because it if filled with people, and we all make our contributions.  But praise the LORD His grace, love and mercy is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in weakness. :)

Trees provide a fitting illustration of how we cannot base our judgments primarily on what we see with our eyes.  Growing up we had a massive evergreen pine tree in the back yard which became infested with borers.  We were shocked to see grubs carving out paths under the bark which killed the tree in a season:  height provided no protection.  Fruitfulness is not always a sign of health either, for we had a peach tree heavily loaded with fruit which fell during the night.  The weight of the ripening peaches revealed the trunk had been eaten by termites.  Years ago I had a lemon tree that produced many green leaves but no lemons because the wild root stock had been allowed to flourish from under the graft.  Height, fruit and green leaves does not mean a tree is healthy, and I was surprised on all three occasions I based my judgment on sight alone.

Jeremiah 17:7-10 states, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. ⁸ For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. ⁹ "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? ¹⁰ I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."  Only God can know the hearts of men, so let us not be presumptuous to think we can know the hearts of others.  Based upon God's promise the spiritual health of God's people is not dependent upon the age of their pastor or the size of a congregation, but is assured for those who trust in the LORD.  Those who look to Jesus Christ are made spiritually healthy because they are connected to the vitality of Jesus Christ.  Such will remain fruitful in heat and drought because of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit who empowers us.  Times of pruning comes for the fruitful which temporarily ceases production, but in time will flourish again.

Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD and hopes in Him!  This is the one whose heart is pure before the Father by grace through faith in Jesus.  Our eyes and heart can deceive us, but the LORD will give us the insight, strength and vitality to be fruitful wherever He plants us.  We use our eyes to observe others, and the LORD searches our hearts and tests our minds:  will the good fruit of the Spirit be found in us?  Great reward is ours, not primarily due to the church we attend, but when we are personally fruitful for His glory by His grace.

Going for a Walk

It is wise for us to work towards obtainable goals.  A goal can be a motivation as well as a guide to focus our efforts and remember why our labours will be worth it in the end.  Whether your goal is to fit into last year's pants again or to make the perfect pavlova, there can be great satisfaction in accomplishing what we set out to do.  It is also wise to consider our motivations in setting goals:  one could want to slim down for health reasons and another out of vanity and pride.

This need to examine our motives can ring true with goals like planting a church or increasing church membership.  People can be enthusiastic to obtain their ends like a dog that chokes himself on the lead his master uses to restrain him.  I have walked dogs that pulled so violently on the lead during a walk it almost resulted in their own strangulation!  Outside the confines of the yard some dogs are so excited to walk and explore they frankly lose their minds.  Why?  Because they have never been been trained to heed verbal commands.  Such dogs cannot be trusted to have the lead removed because they would never "come when called" or pay their master any heed but to run when their begging owner drew near.

It is interesting a dog can be so forceful to pull in a direction and not even know where he is heading.  Perhaps without the fence in the way the instinctive goal is escape!  When my brother took our dog through obedience training, it made walks much more enjoyable for dog and owner because our dog realised who was in charge.  How we need this reminder as sheep of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ, as fellow labourers under His yoke!  The shepherd has plans the sheep cannot comprehend and daily provides for all the needs of the sheep under his care.  A sheep that trusts the guidance of the shepherd does not need to set goals for itself, and in following the Master we are led into new pastures and to still waters, to explore vast horizons we never imagined existed.

Going for a walk is basically taking a series of steps, one after another.  Walking the dog is good for exercise and training yet in itself never really accomplishes anything because the starting and finishing point is the same.  The walk of faith in Jesus is very different because we are fundamentally changed and transformed from within as we walk by Christ's side.  He takes us to places we never imagined and helps us navigate all manner of obstacles and difficulties through His wisdom.  He has goals for us we perhaps shrink from and has plans that are greater than our grandest dreams.  Every day is an adventure in His grace as we learn obedience by what He allows us to suffer.  Jesus' sheep hear His voice, He knows them, and we follow Him.

If pursuit and obedience to Jesus Christ by faith is our goal, we do well to labour to accomplish this.  All other goals we set for ourselves may be nothing more than resemble a dog straining at the lead to sniff a plant on the other side of a street busy with traffic.

The Valiant Man

"Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. ¹³ Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days."

1 Samuel 31:10-13

After the death of King Saul and his sons, the Philistines hung their desecrated bodies on the walls of Beth Shan as trophies of their victory.  When the men of Jabesh Gilead heard of the death of their king, all the valiant men arose and traveled all night to retrieve the bodies and give them a proper burial.  Early in the reign of Saul the people of Jabesh Gilead were delivered from Nahash the Ammonite when Saul mustered all Israel to battle at the report of their trouble.  He had saved them from the reproach of having to gouge out their right eyes, and they saved him from reproach and derision after his demise.

I am impressed with the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead who traveled a great distance to honour the memory of their deceased king.  They did so at the risk of their own lives with no motive to receive titles, lands, vineyards, flocks, servants or monetary reward.  These men demonstrated bravery and courage they had personally benefited from when they were in trouble and there was no one to help and gave as they had received.  If these men saw fit to take such a risk and make this sacrifice for their king who had perished, it follows we should be at least this valiant to honour and rejoice in our risen King Jesus Christ.

When we were without help or hope in the world, Jesus came to the earth to save sinners.  We were dead in trespasses and sins when God had compassion on us and sent His only begotten Son Jesus to redeem us.  Jesus did not come to risk His life but with full knowledge He would lay down His life and die on Calvary for sinners who did not know or love Him.  Having received salvation, forgiveness and atonement by His blood, our hearts should be full of gratitude and thankfulness.  Knowing God has saved us from certain death by His sacrifice, we should be glad to lay down our lives for Him.  We are His prized trophies of grace.

The awesome truth is we serve a risen King who reigns in eternal glory who is also our great High Priest who sits at the right hand of the Father and ministers for our sakes.  We are able to have communion with the Most High by grace through faith and our aim is not to help Him "save face" but to worship Him in spirit and truth, to glorify His name, to honour and extol the KING OF KINGS by our conduct and speech.  The bones of Jesus are not secreted under a tree or in a tomb but Jesus lives, and the miraculous reality is He lives through us.  The valiant men of Jabesh Gilead are an example for us we see believers follow in the New Testament and to this day.  Because Jesus has overcome death we can walk in the exhortation of 1 Corinthians 15:58:  "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

What the men of Jabesh Gilead did was not a waste or an unnecessary risk:  in their act for their deceased king we see a shadow of courageous and valiant deeds we ought to do for our risen King.  Isn't Jesus more valiant still, choosing to lay down His life for all who are dead in sin?  May we consider how we ought to live in light of His brave example.

Everyone Listen!

There is no reasonable justification to compare God to a cruel, ruthless murderer.  The good reputation of men and women are often smeared by their enemies, and it seems the almighty God is no exception.  Those who believe God created the heavens and the earth in His wisdom celebrate the brilliance of God for fine-tuning the earth and celestial bodies to sustain life on this planet.  No one complains about the natural law of gravity that is perfectly suited for our survival, but plenty of people oppose the spiritual law that sin ultimately brings death.  God is gracious to reveal this reality before the penalty is imposed, and when it comes to fruition He has been much maligned.

God has done everything to take the sting out of death for people created in His own image by experiencing death Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.  The God who is the same yesterday, today and forever desires none would perish and that all would come to repentance.  This desire to preserve life is seen in the Old Testament as well.  Jeremiah 26:1-3 reads, "In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD, saying, ² "Thus says the LORD: 'Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word. ³ Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.'"  Because of their sin God's people in Jerusalem courted destruction which only faith in God demonstrated by repentance could turn away.

God knew the wayward and stubborn hearts of His people, yet He sent Jeremiah to them with severe warnings about what would occur should they continue in their current course of wickedness.  Jeremiah was one of many prophets God sent to notify His people of their guilt so they might heed and turn from their sins.  Even though God knew they would not listen, He sent Jeremiah anyway.  In no way did He infringe upon their right of choice to heed or deny Him, and He would make their decision to stand.  Their refusal to hear and obey the word of the LORD would condemn them when His intent was to relent concerning the calamity He would bring upon them as a just Judge.

In a court of law it is possible to have a judge who goes beyond legal precedent to punish citizens, who receives bribes, gives preferential treatment or turns a blind eye to corruption.  This cannot be said of God who is righteous, just, merciful, loving and gracious.  He has sent Jesus Christ to shine in the darkness so we might repent of sin and turn to Him in faith so we can be spared from destruction, forgiven and receive eternal life.  God has not withheld this opportunity from the worst of the worst because He says, "Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way."  For all who believe in Christ and repent, God will relent from bringing eternal disaster upon us and will draw us to Himself forever as His own.  God says in Isaiah 45:22, "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."  When we turn our eyes to Jesus lifted up on the cross as a sacrifice for sin, we see God drawing all people unto Himself for salvation.

The Divine Curveball

When I played baseball as a kid, I enjoyed batting practice.  That was the most fun part of training that never lasted as long as I wanted.  Sometimes we went to batting cages where the ball was spit out from a machine at a preset speed.  While batting in the cages was good to improve hand-eye coordination, balance and bat control, there were several drawbacks.  It wasn't long before a batter began to suffer fatigue and potentially develop bad habits (as well as blisters!).  The worst drawback is the repetition of the same pitch, pace and location caused batters to anticipate it.  Unlike a machine, a pitcher who knows you are looking fastball will throw a curveball or changeup, some off-speed pitch to throw off the timing of the batter.  Unless the batter is able to quickly recognise the pitch and adjust accordingly, he is an easy out.

I believe the Bible is full of "curveballs," unexpected spiritual truths and applications the natural or carnal man will always miss.  If we carefully observe the flow of a passage and consider what we might do, say or conclude in a given circumstance, the Bible is full of surprises.  God's intention in doing this is not to mislead or confuse us but to show us how totally different His ways and thoughts are from ours.  Isaiah 55:6-9 says, "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. ⁸ "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. ⁹ "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."  God doesn't want us just to obligatory nod our heads in agreement but to personally apply His truth to our lives so our ways will be patterned after His.

A recent study of the book of Jude was a perfect illustration of this for me.  In this brief epistle, Jude wrote to believers to earnestly contend for the faith because many had crept into the church unnoticed who used God's grace as an excuse to sin and denied Jesus Christ.  The body of the letter is filled with warnings about the dangers of apostasy, the coming judgment against them, and he used murderous Cain, greedy Balaam and power-hungry Korah as examples to avoid.  Then Jude switched his focus to address sin that was not ancient history or "out there somewhere" but was present in their love feasts and fellowship.  He reminded his readers that apostles had warned in the last days there would be murmurers, complainers, and flatterers who walked according to their own lusts and did not even have the Holy Spirit in them.

Now after hearing this, what would be a natural conclusion?  Perhaps to become suspicious of others in our fellowship or the church in general; to bring this ugly truth into the open to confront others for their guilt; to ferret these ungodly people out of the shadows and excommunicate them to rid ourselves of the evil.  And this is exactly when Jude twirls up that curveball in Jude 1:20-23:  "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh."  The implication of what Jude says is, "That wicked person can be you."  Jude was not asking people to go on a "witch hunt" to purge a fellowship of dubious members but to build themselves up on their faith, praying in the Spirit, keeping themselves in the love of God, look for the mercy of Jesus, show compassion and do what they can to save others from destruction.  The application is a personal one, not the censure or judgment of others.

The purity and uprightness of the church  does not rest on the vigilance of the members, though we are called to righteousness, holiness, faith and love.  The strength of the Body is increased, not by the removal of sinners, but when Christians build themselves up in faith and keep themselves in the love of God.  For those who are concerned of the lamentable condition of the church, look to yourselves and to the LORD and repent of your sin so you do not become a Cain, Balaam or Korah under judgment.  Jude 1:24-25 is a perfect conclusion that extols the omniscient supremacy of God:  "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."  That's a curveball we should rejoice in and smash out of the park by faith in Jesus.

A New Creation

There is a memorable scene in Disney's Finding Nemo when the strapping great white Bruce compelled Marlin a clownfish and his companion Dory (of course a dory!) to accompany him as "friends" to a support group with fellow sharks.  Patterned from a cliche "AA" style gathering, the meeting was called to order by Bruce who lead them in the recitation of their motto in unison:  "Fish are friends, not food."  During the meeting Dory was bopped in the nose and a faint trail of blood wafted up to friendly Bruce's nostril.  Suddenly his pupils dilated as instinct to feed kicked in.  "Just a bite!" Bruce shouted as his shark friends attempted in vain to restrain him and made excuses for his ravenous behaviour.

This is a fitting demonstration of how good intentions, willpower, knowledge and even a support group are inadequate in themselves to keep sinners from sin.  Bruce was triggered to attack by a drop of blood in the water because he was a shark.  It is impossible to curb our appetites of the flesh by feeding them, and we cannot dodge the triggers forever.  Our flesh is so hungry to be satiated new triggers will appear everywhere:  reminders that lure and opportunity to indulge beckons.  Unlike Odysseus who packed his ears with wax and was physically restrained to the mast to prevent him from chasing the call of the Sirens, no mortal man can restrain body or soul from the call to chase transgressions which will corrupt, drown and destroy him.

Religion is not the antidote of sin's poison, for our best attempts to do what is right are as vain as our efforts to avoid what God deems sin.  God looked upon sinful flesh and did for us by the Gospel what no man could do through the Law or prophets:  by faith in Jesus we are born again and made new creations.  After Paul said through Christ the world had been crucified unto him and he unto the world, Galatians 6:15-16 explains:  "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."  Being circumcised does not save a soul nor does uncircumcision doom to destruction:  those who will be acceptable before God must be born again by faith in Jesus.  He is the only Way for salvation and genuine transformation from within.

A wise man knows his areas of weakness and avoids temptation, and even better is the one who is born again and realises the world has been crucified to him and he unto the world.  What power does a crucified world have upon a crucified man through whom risen Jesus lives?  We who have been made new creations and righteous by God's grace through the Gospel have peace and mercy upon us to endure and overcome.  Many believers have been duped to think they need fellowship with no one but God when Jesus has joined all believers with Himself as one Body, the church.  We are new creations united with Jesus Christ and one another to love, support, encourage and serve.  Only God knows the hearts of men and why precisely we are overtaken by trespasses, yet I know this without a doubt:  we must first be born again.  Trying to overcome sin by the flesh is a most foolish endeavor.  Jesus is the only way to obtain victory over sin, death and experience the abundant life Jesus has promised to all who follow Him.

The Better Hope

"For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹ for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God."

Hebrews 7:18-19

The Law God gave Israel was good, a divine revelation of God and the standard of righteousness required to draw near to Him.  The writer of Hebrews, however, pointed out the demonstrated weakness and unprofitableness of it to perfect those who were under it.  It had no power to make a man sinless, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.  It is like a doctor who skillfully diagnoses a fatal disease but is powerless to provide a cure.  The Law was of no profit to save a man or render him rightoues, for it could only condemn.

The weakness of the Law was also displayed in the fallibility of human administration.  One does not need to delve far into the priesthood to see those who anointed and sanctified to appear before the LORD were flawed men.  Hophni and Phinehas fornicated with women at the tabernacle, and their father Eli took no action to remove them from their roles.  Abiathar the priest undermined the rule of David toward the end of his life, and Caiaphas condemned Jesus Christ the LORD to death!  There were long seasons when the temple was polluted, the doors locked, and priests were unable to serve.  Even the best priests among the sons of Aaron ultimately passed away and could not continue in their office.

God who established the Law is able to annul it as a means of drawing near to Him and provide a better hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Abraham was declared righteous by God for faith in Him before the Law existed, so it is clear the keeping of Law was not required to find grace in God's sight.  Jesus Christ is the living hope which has forever changed the way men are to approach God because He has an everlasting, unchanging priesthood of the order of Melchizedek.  The letter of the Law kills, but the Holy Spirit spiritually regenerates those who trust Christ unto eternal life.

The Law held forth blessings for the obedient and curses for the disobedient.  Every sensible person desires a blessing, and God has already blessed us with life, His love, and offer of forgiveness and salvation.  All mankind labours under the curse of sin the Law could never overcome, and praise God He has overcome sin and death.  Why should man revert back to what is weak and unprofitable in a desire to please God when we have a better hope provided by faith in Christ?  Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount referring to Law, "It has been written...but I say unto you!"  It is Jesus we are called to trust and obey who lives and gives eternal life, not the Law which can only condemn.

Respond to God's Messages

Have you ever sent an email or text to someone and never received a reply?  Sometimes a message may go to spam or we never see it, and other times the message is read and not responded to.  Not all messages require a response, but many times they do.  There are times in scripture when people cried out to God and felt forgotten by Him because they did not see an immediate response.  Without question God sees and knows all and has His good reasons for what we see as delays.  The reality is God has sent us many messages through His word communicated by the Holy Spirit we have yet to respond to.  The "ball is in our court" so to speak, and responding to God's messages is our responsibility regardless if He seems to be silent.

I was reminded yesterday how Mary and Martha sent a messenger to Jesus to tell Him their brother Lazarus was sick.  The implication is they believed Jesus cared and had the ability to heal him, as He had demonstrated this power over sickness countless times in the past.  Contrary to their expectation, Jesus did not come to them quickly.  Jesus and His disciples did not arrive in Bethany until Lazarus had been dead from his illness four days.  The sisters of Lazarus mourned their brother's passing and also their belief it was a preventable tragedy.  This is shown by Martha's statement after Jesus arrived in John 11:21:  "Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  She felt great sorrow and regret over Jesus not being there for them when they needed Him.  Is it possible we assign blame to God for not doing what we think He should when He could?

Jesus, however, was working on another level.  He had responded to the message by intentionally waiting, and it was the loving thing to do.  He truly loved Lazarus without a doubt, yet He also cared for everyone else in Bethany and those who would later believe and testify of His glory.  Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, wept and then asked for the stone to be rolled from the opening.  John 11:41-45 reads, "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." ⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him."

Jesus proved He is the Resurrection and the Life by raising Lazarus from the tomb who was dead four days.  The tragedy of the death of Lazarus worked to provide eternal life for all who trusted in Jesus Christ, having believed He was indeed the Son of God.  The power of Jesus to give life to the dead would not have been seen except Lazarus died, and Jesus knew what He would accomplish.  He also knew what He would accomplish through His death on Calvary and resurrection, proving He has power over sin and gives everlasting life for all who believe in Him.  God hears your cries, believer; He has received the message.  Have you responded to His message, this proclamation of divine power, goodness and glory?  In our troubles and trials we can look to Jesus with eyes of faith, knowing He hears, answers and draws near to all who draw near to Him.

Remember, God Doesn't Forget!

Forgetting is possible for all who can remember, and God is the only exception to this rule.  People are pretty good about remembering important things, yet it is ironic we can forget who is most important:  God!  Jeremiah 2:32 says, "Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number."  It would be unheard of for a bride to forget to wear the dress she prepared to wear on her wedding day.  An aspiring employee would not forget to change out of his pajamas before a crucial interview.  God's people forgot about Him and the injustice of this error is frankly unbelievable.

God said of Zion and her people in Isaiah 49:15, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you."  It is possible for a loving mother to forget her child for a moment or lack compassion at times, but God will not forget His people.  Great consolation and comfort is found in God's remembrance of us, and He needs no reminders because we are always in His sight and in His thoughts.  God never suffers a lapse of concentration or dozes off and loses consciousness of our needs or circumstances.  God knows and He cares even if we forget about Him.

God had not forgotten His people, and He promised not to forget them in the future in Isaiah 44:21-23:  "Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! ²² I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." ²³ Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel."  God bid His people remember they would not be forgotten by Him.  God sent a Saviour Jesus Christ not only to redeem Israel but to seek and save all who come to Him in faith.  God remembers His redeemed, yet according to His justice and grace will remember our sins no more.

Let us not be negligent to thank and praise the LORD for His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.  We ought to celebrate what Jesus has done and also rejoice in all Jesus is currently doing as He intercedes to the Father on our behalf.  Man is forgetful, but God is not unrighteous to forget our labour of love towards Him and others (Hebrews 6:10).  May your face shine with delight as you rejoice in the remembrance of our God and His faithful love towards you today.

The Overwhelming Signal

Life is overwhelming, and God uses this for our advantage.  When we are relaxing on the lounge or reading a book with a hot drink we are not conscious of our need to breathe because it occurs without thinking.  When we are being pulled underwater by a rip and our mouth fills with sea water, all our wandering thoughts and dreams instantly evaporate in frantic desperation for one quick gulp of oxygen to remain conscious.  The life we receive by faith in Christ is abundant and our eyes are open and our hearts attuned to far more than previously.  Selfishness is swallowed by selflessness, and our labours and concerns for others can spread ourselves thin.

David sang in Psalm 61:1-4:  "Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. ² From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.³ For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. ⁴ I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah"  David went from being a shepherd watching over his father's flock to leading a rowdy group of men as he fled for his life from his murderous father in law, king Saul.  See how 1 Samuel 22:2 describes them:  "And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him."  David was cut off from fellowship with his best friend Jonathan, his family was moved to safety in a foreign land and David for about a decade had no place to call home.

When David was overwhelmed with his life and circumstances it was a signal that prompted him to seek the LORD, the Rock of Salvation Who is a place of safety, provision and rest.  God had been a shelter for David when he guarded the flock, when he faced Goliath the Philistine and when he received tragic news which prompted others to despair.  He learned to cast his cares upon the LORD who cared for Him and by faith chose to abide in God wherever his travels led.  God for a season took away any temptation to trust in walls of stone or gates of iron so his only hope and help was in God.

A day came when David was crowned king.  Do you think life became easier for him, less overwhelming?  Not a chance!  He was first king over Judah and later became king over all Israel.  He had all the tribes to manage, a great army to command, and enemies on all sides!  What he learned in the fields of Bethlehem he continued to practice in his palace at Jerusalem, choosing to voluntarily leave when his own son Absalom rose up against him.  David willingly left the stronghold of Zion and sought refuge in the almighty, living God who had always been a refuge and strong tower for him from all enemies.

Experience is a great teacher, and take it from David:  God will hear our cries and attend to our prayers.  Only He can lead us to Himself and give us the strength and desire to abide in Him, to seek Him and hold on when we are overwhelmed.  In Him is strong consolation and we find rest for our souls.  When we hear the words of Jesus and do them, we are like one who builds a house on the rock.  No matter how great the storm or desperate our need, God will help and deliver us.  He is our refuge by faith and the Holy Spirit dwells within us.  No matter where we go we remain in Christ, God is in us and keeps us by His grace.  Being overwhelmed ought to lead to renewed trust in the LORD.

An Anchor of the Soul

"Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, ¹⁸ that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. ¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, ²⁰ where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

Hebrews 6:17-20

The hope of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is assured based upon the double-strong promise of God, and those who abide in Him have strong consolation which cannot be moved.  The illustration of an anchor is fitting, for it does not stop the ship from rocking on the waves.  I once worked on the U.S.S. Nimitz as a contractor and the two anchors of that immense vessel weigh 30 tonnes each!  While the ship was moored in the Coronado harbour I do not remember seeing the anchors, for they were likely submerged under the water.  What could not been seen with our eyes held the 100,000 tonne ship secure on the dock.  If you are interested to see what an anchor of the Nimitz looks like, follow this link.

The currents of the oceans are always moving, and at times great storms develop and sailors must ride them out.  Despite wind, waves and contrary current the child of God can be at rest because of the hope we have as an anchor of the soul.  Sailors drop anchor out of sight that rests on the seabed, yet through faith in Jesus who has gone into heaven He anchors our hearts there with an expectation of joining Him someday.  The massive anchors are able to hold fast an aircraft carrier, yet they are nothing compared to the God who created the heavens, earth and us.  Iron will rust and perish in sea water; the brake can fail and the anchor and chain can be lost.  In a total contrast to this God holds us fast without fail and is able to redeem us forever without the loss of a single soul who trusts in Him.

Deuteronomy 33:26-27 says, "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds. ²⁷ The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, 'Destroy!'"  The children of Israel celebrated the living God, the eternal God who helped them and was their refuge.  Even if it feels like we are at the mercy of a satanic tide it is a mirage, for "underneath are the everlasting arms."  Having sought refuge in the LORD, He will surely help us and bear us up.  The hope in our Saviour is both sure and steadfast, established by the eternal and true word of God.  Jesus has ascended into heaven so He is able to anchor our hopes there in Him.  How blessed we are to have a God who rides the heavens to help us and will ensure we are gathered to Himself in heavenly glory. 

Inheriting God's Promises

"And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

Hebrews 6:11-12

Abraham and many others in scripture are examples of those who by faith and patience inherited the sure promises of God.  God promised He would make of Abraham a great nation, yet he and his wife continued to be childless for decades.  They did what they could, but their efforts were without success.  The promise was real yet God's timing was long, and thus patient endurance with faith was the means of seeing God's word amazingly, miraculously fulfilled.  Through Abraham and his seed all nations of the earth have been blessed.

God has not given the blessing of children to all, yet all of God's immutable promises are good blessings and glorious.  Jesus gives rest for weary souls, forgiveness to those who repent, joy and perfect peace to those who trust in Christ and fruitfulness for all who abide in Him.  At the end of our lives on earth all Christians will experience eternity with God in heaven, an everlasting glorious union where the troubles and toil of this life will fade without memory.  It is required of stewards they be faithful, and while our Master tarries there is much He would have us do.  It is foolish to imagine our efforts are pointless when God promises to bring the increase.  We remain on this planet not only to do God's work, but so He can do a marvelous work to refine us.  Consider this quote from Charles Jefferson concerning pastoral ministry which can relate to all believers who know Christ as LORD:

"The shepherd grows in patience.  As long as he lives, his work makes heavy demands on his powers of endurance, but they respond to the call.  The work of a shepherd is full of interruptions, vexations, and disappointments, but these try his soul and refine it.  The precipitate hastiness of the earlier years gives way to calm deliberativeness, and the feverish irritability of youth is replaced by the cool strength of forbearance.  In working with human nature a man gets something of the patience of a mother.  He is not daunted by a score of failures.  He does not surrender to apparent defeat.  If doing a thing nineteen times is not sufficient, he is willing to do it the twentieth time.

The grace of humility is watered and unfolded by the shepherd's toil...The shepherd, working with individuals, faces failure, again and again.  As a guide he is rejected; his counsel is despised.  As a physician he is baffled; the diseases of the soul will not yield.  As a saviour he is defeated; he cannot bring back a sheep that is lost.   There is always a joy in his heart over what he achieves, but there is also always a heaviness because of what he fails to do.  'Sorrowing, yet always rejoicing'--this is a fit description of a shepherd's life.  He always is being thrown back on God.  While some men dream of speedy ending of evils, and other men trust jauntily to experiments in legislation, he knows the power of sin and realities that there is no help for the world this side of God.  His experience in fighting evil face to face brings him into the dust.  Moreover, his work is never done...After he has done a thousand things, he can think of a thousand other things still to do.  After he has done his best, he feels like confessing himself an unprofitable servant.  The shepherd's work is never done." (Jefferson, Charles Edward. The Minister as Shepherd: the Privileges and Responsibilities of Pastoral Leadership. CLC Publications, 2006. pages 136-137)

The confidence of Paul was not in the faithfulness in the people of the church of Philippi but in the faithfulness of God to work in and through them as partakers of the Gospel.  He wrote in Philippians 1:3-6, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..."  Paul continued to pray for his brothers and sisters in Christ because all his confidence was in God who would bring them to completion.  Trusting people to be faithful will always expose our confidence as misplaced.  What assurance of hope we have in God, and through faith and patience in Him we will inherit the promises.

The Ministry of One

The desire to reach the masses with the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ has a downside:  the neglect of pastoral ministry to the individual.  The ability to broadcast the word of God through periodicals, books, airwaves, television and internet has resulted in a deluge of information on demand.  Knowledge alone, however, is no substitute for the personal need for all believers to be shepherded by Jesus and one another.  This interpersonal connection one with another is a critical necessity which allows the body of Christ to function in a healthy and fruitful manner.

In The Minister as Shepherd by Charles Jefferson, this point is well-illustrated by medical practice in his day:

"The modern physician is nothing if not individualistic.  Physicians never deal with men in crowds.  'One patient at a time'--that is the rule in all hospitals throughout the world.  Each patient has his own chart at the head of his bed.  The temperature of his body, the beat of his pulse, and the number of his respirations are carefully noted.  Each patient has his own diet, his special remedies, and his particular kind of nursing.  It is this sleepless vigilance, this jealous guardianship, this minuteness of observation and delicate accuracy of treatment of the individual man which has filled the modern world with miracles and given the physicians of the body their unparalleled prestige.  It is not by spectacular and scenic methods that the death rate of great cities is reduced by the faithful nursing of one patient, the loving care of the one baby, who without this care and nursing would have died.

The same policy adopted in our churches would bring equally astonishing results.  Under our present system vast volumes of energy go to waste.  Christian men and women are filled with energy, but in many cases the energy turns no wheels.  This is in every church a Niagra of force which creates neither heat nor light.  There is in every church desert land which would blossom as a rose if it were irrigated by an engineer's skill.  There are swamps which could be drained if only the necessary knowledge and genius were at hand...When we see that the work of the Christian church is work on the individual, it is then that no parish, however limited in territory, seems really small.  There is an unimaginable amount of work to be done in every church.  Young men ought not to feel that their life is thrown away because they cannot preach great sermons before a crowd.  Get rid of the oratorical conception of the ministry and put in its place the pastoral idea.  You ought not to turn your back upon a church because it seems dull and dead...Never believe that there is a church on the earth, however desolate or demon-possessed, that cannot be made to blossom with the flowers of paradise under the summer warmth created by a shepherd's care." (Jefferson, Charles Edward. The Minister as Shepherd: the Privileges and Responsibilities of Pastoral Leadership. CLC Publications, 2006. pages 80-83)

Christians should not be deterred from this pastoral approach to ministry and service because others see it it as unnecessary or outdated because of their wealth of knowledge.  Does not the Good Shepherd of the sheep, Jesus Christ, know far better what the needs of His sheep are and how to meet them?  He has chosen to connect us to one another in the Body of Christ where each member and joint supplies strength and is governed by His love one for another.  Let us be those who intercede on behalf of individuals at God's throne room of grace rather than the general masses.  We are to invest our efforts to minister to the one person God has set before us rather than lamenting over the masses who remain unreached.  The unreached will be reached as we are faithful to minister to the one, and an example is how Jesus reached all Asia through Paul.  We will not succeed by looking for a potential Paul but by looking to Jesus who turns a Saul into Paul.  If we are willing and content to be shepherded by Jesus Christ, we will be led to do God's will wherever he guides us.

Christians Have a KING

Allow me to set the scene early in Saul's reign:  the children of Israel demanded Samuel give them a king like the other nations, and God chose Saul to be anointed.  This humble man of Benjamin was literally head and shoulders taller than any man in Israel, and the people shouted for joy at his coronation:  "God save the king!"  Though a king had been chosen and crowned in Israel, life went back to normal.  Everyone returned to their houses including Saul, and men whose hearts God touched accompanied him.  What happened next was shocking.

1 Samuel 11:1-4 reads, "Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you." ² And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel." ³ Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, "Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you." ⁴ So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept."  The aggression, threat and insult of Nahash the Ammonite is no surprise, but the people of Jabesh Gilead who (along with all Israel) asked for a king for the express purpose of fighting their battles immediately forgot they had one!

The men of Jabesh Gilead offered to serve Nahash the Ammonite if he would make a covenant with them--even though it was a terrible covenant which involved gouging out their right eyes.  Then they asked for time to send messengers "to all the territory of Israel."  They were not even confident there was anyone who would fight for them or save them when they had a king.  Finally, at the hearing of the message the people in Saul's village wept in hopelessness and despair.  When the word from the messengers reached Saul, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and took immediate action to muster the nation to battle to fight for Jabesh Gilead.  By the end of the following day, the Ammonites were slain and scattered so not even two men remained together.

If the children of Israel could forget they had a king they could see with their eyes, it is evident Christians can forget they have a king Jesus Christ the anointed Messiah who remains unseen.  The Holy Spirit who came upon Saul to gather the people to war rested upon Jesus Christ the KING OF KINGS who defeated sin, Satan and death.  Jesus is not in a distant land where messengers must travel, for Hebrews 4:16 exhorts all those who are subject to Christ:  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Beloved believer, do you feel hopeless like the men of Jabesh Gilead?  Are you willing to serve sin that reproaches us and our LORD?  Do you feel there is no one who can save you or redeem the difficulty you face?  Do your eyes pour with tears in despair and hoplessness for others as if there is no hope for them?

Jesus Christ is our king and the KING OF KINGS!  Perhaps the conflict you face now will be an opportunity to renew the lordship and sovereignty of Jesus over your life.  That is what happened when Saul gathered the people and defeated the Ammonites.  Samuel and the people returned with Saul to Mizpeh and "renewed" the kingdom there.  For about a year the people had lived life like they did not have a king, and I daresay there are Christians who have gone even longer without the full realisation of Christ's saving power, grace, love, forgiveness and deliverance.  What a Saviour we have in our LORD Jesus!  What a KING!  Let us praise and thank Him for His goodness to us, and worship Him in the beauty of holiness.

The Gift of God for You

When I was a kid there was a strange disconnect from the known risk of smoking and common practices.  For instance, in Southern California at our local diner upon entry a cigarette vending machine was a fixture.  A waitress would ask for our preference of "Smoking or non-smoking?"  We always chose the non-smoking section, but the view of smoke rising from tables and ashtrays was not far away.  It was ironic to me we eat to sustain the health of our bodies, whilst at the same time the clearly visible Surgeon General's Warning stated, "Smoking may be hazardous to your health."  This warning later took aim at smokers personally:  "Quitting smoking now greatly reduces serious risks to your health."

I saw a sign today in the shops in Australia that reminded me of how much things have changed.  The sign simply said, "Smoking kills."  It struck me that a sign intended to warn all of the serious health risks of smoking is no guarantee.  Smokers can always dodge the implications of the potential hazards of smoking by citing examples of people who lived healthy and died young, or people who smoked packs a day who lived a long life.  I am not a smoker myself, but I can see how easy it is to deflect the more serious warnings because they are not personal.  Even if the sign read, "Smoking will kill you" there would be those who doubted this claim, deny belief by their continued smoking or be indifferent.

One aspect I love about God's word is there is no wiggle room concerning warnings of sin.  There is no wavering maybes like, "Sin may destroy relationships" or "Sin might increase your sorrow in life" or "Sin might punch your ticket to hell."  God is absolutely clear concerning the destructive, deadly consequences of sin for people created in His image.  Ezekiel 18:20 states, "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."  There is no question concerning the righteous standard held forth in the 10 Commandments and the testimony of scripture, for the sovereign God speaks in absolutes.  God tells every person what are the clear consequences of sin individually:  the death of the body and ultimate eternal death of our souls.

Until now our future looks bleak because we are all born addicted to sin:  pride, rebellion, selfishness, folly and much more.  The glorious truth is the God who knows and reveals our sin also has provided a way for us to be instantly cleansed, forgiven and born again.  The lungs of a heavy smoker can recover over time after quitting, but being justified by grace through faith in Jesus is done in an instant.  When we repent of our sin and believe on Jesus as LORD and Saviour the righteousness of God is credited to us.  Paul contrasted our lives governed by sin and self and the life we have through faith in Jesus in Romans 6:21-23:  "What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

See the assurance God gives those who trust in Him!  All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death.  Faith in Jesus does not provide a possibility of salvation or redemption but it is a guarantee based upon what God has already said and done.  God offers all sinners the gift of salvation, having clearly communicated our need.  He has set before us a way of life and death all must choose, and the wise will hear God, believe what God says is true for them personally and obey.

The God Who Sends

I love how man plans his way, and at the same time God directs his steps.  A great passage that illustrates this is when the donkeys owned by Kish went missing.  Kish asked his son Saul to take a servant and find the donkeys which were lost.  They went from city to city looking for the donkeys and as days passed their food was spent.  After a discussion Saul and his servant decided to go to the seer Samuel and ask for guidance.  Their visit was without appointment and were appearing unannounced, but God had already orchestrated the whole affair.

1 Samuel 9:15-17 reads, "Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, ¹⁶ "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me." ¹⁷ And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, "There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people."  Isn't God awesome?  God spoke to Samuel about the man from Benjamin He would send Him.  Saul had no idea he had been sent, for as far as he could tell he was on an aimless search for lost donkeys!  At the request of his father Saul obediently searched and at the same time was sent by God to Samuel to save God's people from the Philistines in response to their cries.  Samuel extended an offer of hospitality to Saul and his servant and they enjoyed a banquet prepared for them and others.

Like Saul, we can simply be going about our business--and it seem futile and pointless at that--yet God has a totally different purpose and end He will be faithful to accomplish.  We not may be one God intends to anoint as king or to be a deliverer of His people, but we can extend hospitality to those who are hungry or need a place to stay.  We can encourage one another with wisdom from God's word or be willing to accept a friendly offer of fellowship.  I imagine Saul had many things he would rather have done than look for lost donkeys, and yet it was part of God's unfolding plan on a path to becoming king.

Consider for a moment the way God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost:  He experienced suffering, endured temptation, and overcame death on Calvary to atone for the souls of sinners.  Unlike Saul, Jesus knew the purpose of His earthly pilgrimage and how He would lay down His life to redeem the lost and rise from the dead in glory.  What appeared a grave injustice on every level satisfied the justice of God, and the disciples never saw it coming.  Praise God His ways are higher than ours and He knows what He is doing, even when we feel like we are spinning our wheels and going nowhere.  We can rest confidently in His goodness and grace when we are like Saul who had no idea where the donkeys had run off to or why.  In his situation and ours God is at work, and let us labour to trust and obey God wherever He sends us.

Grace and Peace Multiplied

One of the benefits of having money in a bank account is to have a percentage added for interest.  It is a basic way to have money "working" for you while at the same time is secure and insured.  While adding to wealth is desirable, multiplying wealth is even more appealing.  Why add when you can multiply and earn faster?

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus mentioned how people tend to worry about their lives, what they will eat, drink or wear.  Because born again Christians have God as our Father in heaven, we ought not to worry like others do about an uncertain future because God will supply all our needs.  Matthew 6:33 said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  All the things we need are found in God who has created us, given us eternal life and all things which pertain to life and godliness.  It is in knowing God and the promises of His word that build and strengthen our faith.

In seeking God we discover all our needs are abundantly met and added to us:  did you know it is possible to have grace and peace multiplied to us?  This is revealed in the introduction of 2 Peter 1:1-4:  "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: ² grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."  As our knowledge of God in whom we trust expands, grace and peace are multiplied to us in the knowledge of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Our faith is not an airy-fairy longing but rests in the reality of God's existence, the facts of who He is and all His exceedingly great and precious promises.

As our knowledge of God as revealed in scripture and by our relationship with Him, God's grace and peace abounds.  God's divine power has given us everything we need for this life and all eternity, for we are made partakers of the divine nature:  the Holy Spirit who regenerates and indwells us.  The people of this world have plenty to eat, drink and wear and are not satisfied, yet we have "escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."  Lust leaves us dissatisfied with what we have and always thirsts for more, better and new.  Our precious faith which believes Gods great and precious promises sustains us, for our hope is in our God who multiplies grace and peace unto us.  We have multiplied to us what the world cannot earn or obtain by any effort of the flesh.  How privileged and blessed we are to know God and to be known by Him!

Glory in Knowing God

"Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; ²⁴ but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD."

Jeremiah 9:23-24

This passage has a two-fold emphasis for me today:  God can be known, and it is possible to glory in many things rather than knowing Him.  Even in the days of Law and the Old Testament, God revealed Himself to all in the earth by the great things He had done.  Though unapproachable in glory, God provided evidence for man to seek and know Him.  He created mankind with the ability to reason and ponder, with curiosity and an unquenchable thirst to learn, explore and discover.

The prophet Jeremiah addressed this discourse to the children of Israel who had turned from the living God to idols, bringing down the majesty of their Creator to an image fashioned by man's devising of wood, stone or precious metal.  It is natural for men to glory (to praise, boast) in his abilities and accomplishments, like the athlete who raises his arms on the podium after winning an event.  The crowd cheers their champions, and the arms raised in triumph and saluting of the multitude is an acknowledgement of himself.  The mighty man naturally glories in his might, and the rich are pleased to be so.  God spoke through the prophet, "He who glories glory in this, that you understand and know Me, that I am the LORD."  The strength of the mighty man and riches we acquire are a gift from God, but strength and riches have their limits; in time strength turns to weakness and riches pass to another.

Our glorying should not be in our abilities or achievements but in God who has revealed Himself to us, who exercises "lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth" because He delights in them.  God's character and ways can be known by those who trust Him, whose eyes have been opened by His grace to believe on Him.  God's ways are unsearchable and His thoughts higher than ours, but we can know Him!  What a joy it is to know He who is most glorious, and will ever be in the height of His power and majesty forever!  God has spoken and He also puts into practice what He delights in without respect of persons.  God's love is active and loyal and governs justly.  He upholds the righteous standard He has set and keeps it Himself without fail.

God knows us and desires we would be intimately acquainted with Him and His ways.  The lack of the knowledge of God led to the destruction of His people, and God remained faithful.  James 1:16-17 reads, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  The things we believe we have earned are actually gifts from God, and we are deceived to think by our own power or wisdom we can accomplish anything.  We will be tempted to imagine our good deeds or hard work is the reason for the blessings we enjoy, but every good gift is from the LORD who does not change.  Our situations and circumstances change yet God remains good who exercises lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth.  By His grace we live, and by grace we are saved.  Let us praise and glorify Him!

Fear the Holy LORD

How important it is for God's people to fear Him and walk in His ways!  In our age of grace under the New Covenant it is possible our familiarity could lead to lack of reverence.  There were occasions in scripture when people acted presumptuously and paid a heavy price for it.  The situations recounted to us in the Bible remind us of God's holiness and man's tendency to forget our unworthiness to approach Him.

After the ark of God was brought into battle by Hophni and Phinehas, it was taken by the Philistines and set in the house of their god, Dagon.  Twice the image of Dagon fell prostrate before the ark of God, and a great plague broke out among the people.  For 7 months the ark was moved through the major cities of the Philistines, and death and destruction followed it.  The ark was returned to Israel on an unmanned cart drawn by two cows who made their way straight to Beth Shemesh.  The people rejoiced to see the ark, the cart was chopped up for wood and Levites offered the cows as a sacrifice to God.

But though Levites were involved in the process, the people transgressed by looking into the ark of God.  1 Samuel 6:19-20 says, "Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter. ²⁰ And the men of Beth Shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? And to whom shall it go up from us?"  The people wondered who is able to stand before their holy LORD God, and the answer was clear:  no one who sins can stand before God.  The wages of sin is death, and the punishment of death was righteous and just when unsanctified people transgressed His commands and treated His presence as a common thing.

Another incident occurred when King David sought to bring the ark into the Tabernacle erected in Jerusalem.  The ark had been housed with Abinadab and his sons Uzzah and Ahio brought the ark on a cart.   2 Samuel 6:6-7 reads, "And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷ Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God."  The ark of God had no business being set on a cart when it was to be carried by the Levites, and Uzzah was struck dead for steadying the ark when the ox stumbled.  The happy procession was quickly sobered by the shock death, and after David looked into the matter he realised they had not followed the proper order.

Moments in scripture like these serve to remind Christians of the awesome God we serve and not to treat His presence or His word like a common thing.  God is unapproachable in glory, yet He has graciously taken human form in the person of Jesus and brought the hope of forgiveness and salvation to us.  As many as believe and receive Him have the right to become children of God.  Having been justified and sanctified by His grace, we should retain the fear of the LORD which is the beginning of wisdom.  God remains God, and we remain mere men.  His ways are higher than ours, and our thoughts are not God's thoughts.  Instead of being filled with pride and speaking presumptuously, we ought to be further humbled God knows us and still loves us with an everlasting love.  We have been delivered from punishment and power of sin, and thus we should repent and walk righteously.

God is not just one of many "gods" or idols worshipped by men, and Christianity is not another religion.  The Bible is not like other books, and Jesus is not like other men.  1 Peter 2:17 shows us the fear of God is central to righteous relationships with others:  "Honour all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king."  We are to value all people and fear God, and we can reverse this:  we can be afraid of men and their power or opinions and this reveals we are not fearing God as our Sovereign like we ought.  When we truly fear God the honour of others is kept in the proper degree.  Solomon wrapped up his musings in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:  "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. ¹⁴ For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."

Instead of fear of death or punishment, Jesus emphasised the importance of our obedience to God being prompted by love of God in John 14:15:  "If you love Me, keep My commandments."  We have been given eternal life and our sins have been atoned for by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Jesus loved us first, and so we love Him in return.  God's love is not a common thing, for it is eternal and borne of God's goodness, compassion, mercy and grace.  Fear the LORD, you His saints, for He offers life and rest for all who trust in Him.  Fear of God smiting us should be replaced with the knowledge that we deserve to be, and yet He loves and accepts us as sons and daughters.

God Alone Is Worthy

A book I read recently related a concept I have heard many times before:  "Your worth is so great that if you had been the only person created upon the earth, God still would have sent His Son to die for you.  You count that much to Him."  The authors went on to say, "In your relationship with the Son of God, you are assured of worthiness." (Wright, H. Norman, and Wes Roberts. Before You Say "I Do". Harvest House Publishers, 2019. page 43.)  I cannot discern the intent of the authors, but to go from saying we have worth (value) to God to saying we have worthiness is a common error which undermines our need for God's grace.

To claim one has "worth" is different from claiming "worthiness."  Worth designates the value of something, while "worthy" means "deserving; such as merits; having worth or excellence."  A fine line we must not cross is the suggestion because God values us we are in the slightest worthy of being deemed righteous ourselves.  I have heard people espouse the worthiness of others to bolster their self-esteem, yet it is God we ought to esteem and magnify His grace toward us.  Because of our sin we are fit for damnation in the flames of hell and God still values us--not because of our worthiness but out of His goodness, grace, mercy and love.  It is being loved, pursued and accepted by God's grace that moves us to esteem Him and others as we ought.  Self-esteem is a foundation of eroding sand which only pride can hold fast.  Righteous standing with God is received by faith in God alone.

Man has been created in the image of God and because of sin we are irreparably cut off from God and doomed to destruction.  We are unworthy of forgiveness, acceptance or notice because of our rebellion, pride and self-righteousness.  We are helpless; we are hopeless.  God out of His grace and compassion took action to redeem and reconcile us to Himself.  It says in Romans 5:6-8, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Paul did not say this to pump up the self-esteem of the Romans, but so they would instead esteem God as worthy of all honour, glory and praise.

I have heard people push back against the implications man is worthy by explaining when God looks at us as born again believers, He sees Jesus and therefore we are accepted.  This deflects the fact God loves us individually and personally with full knowledge of our unworthiness.  For God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son, and this shows there is no divine nepotism at play from which we benefit.  How often has humanity, well-meaning though we are, resisted and opposed the gracious love and acceptance of God freely offered to all!  We easily fall into the trap of ascribing a degree of worthiness to ourselves, work to obtain favour by God only received by faith, or claim we could not possibly be loved because of the unrighteous wretches we truly are.  We are wretched sinners AND loved; we are unworthy yet God values us so much He sent His only Son to die in our place so we might be saved.  Let us extol God who alone is worthy and rejoice in Him who has lavished such mercy, grace and goodness upon us.