Righteous Destruction

When the sin of God's people in Israel multiplied before the LORD, judgment by the hand of their enemies was the LORD's righteous remedy.  They sold themselves to rebellion, sin and idolatry, so God sold them as slaves into the hands Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.  It is ironic that Israel had been given the Law of Moses, had built the temple as God's dwelling place and had priests and Levites who conducted worship and corrupted themselves, yet it was Nebuchadnezzar who did God's will in destroying Jerusalem.  God had a good purpose and plan even in displacing the people and making the city a ruin, for He would refine them and cause them to return to Him (and the land He gave them as an inheritance) at His appointed time.

Consider what is written in Isaiah 10:20-23:  "And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. ²¹ The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God. ²² For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return; the destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. ²³ For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a determined end in the midst of all the land."  For a season the children of Israel were made to depend on those who defeated them because they would depend on the LORD God in truth.  God preserved a remnant who would place their trust and reliance upon God who chastened them even as a father does his son in whom he delights.  Though it seemed no good could come from the destruction and death, God had a determined end in mind for the good of His people.

God had decreed destruction that would "overflow with righteousness."  This opposes our assumption that building is good and tearing down is bad.  Tearing down is often necessary to build something better, like when a house is condemned and uninhabitable.  God was like a builder who tore down a building who possessed the skill, resources and plans to rebuild and spare no expense.  God directed Nebuchadnezzar to raze the ornate temple Solomon built to the foundation with the intent to make His people the humble temples of the Holy Spirit He would inhabit.  The physical destruction of a building dedicated to keeping the covenant of law preceded the establishment of a new covenant by grace through faith in Jesus.  The people prided themselves in the temple and gave their lives to defend it, yet God in due time would send His son Jesus to die for the sins of the world so all can be made new creations by the power of the Gospel.

Out of the wreckage of Jerusalem and a long period of captivity God would preserve a faithful remnant, and this is good for us to remember in the midst of trials and difficult seasons.  This observation should not cause us to minimise the struggle or pain people experience, that we ought to dismiss grief and troubles we or others face, but to realise God has plans to miraculously redeem them for good.  Romans 8:28-29 holds forth this assurance that is more sure and predictable than the force of gravity on earth:  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."  Rather than seeing predestination as God choosing some and excluding others, it is better to view it as the guarantee that all who choose to trust Jesus were first called and chosen by Him.  From the death of His only begotten Son God has brought the promise of new life He has freely extended to all.  The question is, will we receive Jesus by faith and be faithful?

Your Fear and Dread

Regardless how many times we have read the Bible or done in-depth study of it, one can never predict what God will say to us through His word.  Yesterday I received instruction concerning a defining factor in relation to conspiracies or conspiracy theories.  I differentiate the two by the first being one as a matter of fact (like when Absalom declared himself king over Israel whilst king David reigned) and the other as a fanciful, far-fetched report gained second-hand through individuals who claim to have inside information (with regular updates!), have an online presence and often are selling something.

Last night I read Isaiah 8:11-13 (NIV) that says:  "The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: ¹² "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. ¹³ The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread."  Coupled with conspiracy--whether real or imagined--are feelings of fear and dread.  When David heard his son declared himself king, there was an opportunity to justify fear of the future or what action he was to take.  Rather than being afraid of what was out of his control, David was to fear and dread the LORD Almighty whose perfect love casts out all fear.  Knowing God is sovereign and mighty over all, our Good Shepherd, provider and deliverer, we do not need to fear what man or armies can do to us.

One of the common threads in what I would call conspiracy theories is the leveraging of our own fears to spread a message, take action, doubting anything considered established or "mainstream," and to have loyalty and allegiance to those who drip feed incredible claims.  I have observed fear and dread take hold in the church and cause divisions when Y2K was a thing.  Some of those who peddled hysterical claims online or in books that were ultimately proved false (because they did not take place) have continued to profit off sowing doubt and fear in the minds of impressionable people.  The subject matter changes, but the fearmongering continues like a pyramid scheme built of fear and dread.  Dear Christian, let us be discerning about our motives in seeking out and spreading messages that are designed to put people in fear.  It is possible to foolishly wield scriptures to put people in fear of the government, possible loss of freedoms or future suffering when our aim ought to point to the holy God, the one we are to fear and dread.

The Hebrew words translated fear and dread are basically the same, and this is an example of parallelism frequently employed in Hebrew poetry.  It means "fear, terror, awe."  God is worthy to be our central focus and awesome in our eyes, able to do everything without fail.  Those who trust in God knowing He is for us have a sure refuge in time of trouble, the promise of provision and protection, and eternal and abundant life by His grace.  Due to trust in Jesus conspiracies, whether real or imagined, ought not to trouble us at all because Jesus has overcome the world, provided perfect peace and gives us all that pertains to life and godliness.  Your fear and dread is a hallowed space that only the LORD Almighty is worthy of.  When tempted to fear what man can do, praise the LORD for what He has done and has promised to do.

Taking a Stand

This morning at church I did something out of the ordinary for me by inviting people to stand in repentance for sin and to pray together.  I explained to the congregation that until now God has given us all opportunity to repent of our sin, yet repentance is something we can neglect.  We can feel shame or guilt over sin, be disappointed in ourselves for continuing to sin, or be troubled by the consequences for our sin but never actually repent of it with contrition before the LORD.  As a shepherd leads sheep to the water and it is up to them to drink, so it is for those who preach and teach the word of God and seek to lead people to walk in God's ways.  Those who drink deeply of the living water of the Holy Spirit only do so because God has first drawn them.

One reason why it is not my first inclination to ask people to respond to a sermon in church publicly is because it is the easy thing to do.  Please don't misunderstand me:  there can be quite a battle that rages within a person that makes going forward, standing or even raising a hand very difficult to do.  I faced this battle many times during my Christian walk.  But the situation is contrived in an environment where much of the pressure we feel to respond is because of those around us and what they may be doing or thinking.  Having received an exhortation to repent of our sin, we can feel pressure to comply and demonstrate we are listening and doing what is right.  There can be countless reasons people stand or go forward at an invitation that have nothing to do with obedience or submission to God.

At a youth camp I spoke at last week, a youth pastor gave an invitation to people to raise their hands, to repeat a prayer and to go forward.  These are all good things to do when prompted by faith in God and submission to Him.  Just because some will go because their friends are going does not mean taking a stand for Jesus in response to an invitation is without merit.  However, the real stand of repentance is not taken when every eye is closed and head is bowed in the sanctuary but is when no one else is around and you are sitting at your computer and tempted to look at porn, when you want to have another glass of wine, when no one knows you are eyeing a pretty woman or a handsome man.  The stand of repentance of sin is taken when the pressure is on at work to lie and you choose to tell the truth even when it comes at a price; it is in confessing selfish attitudes and cursing in your heart to God who knows full well the corruption of our flesh.

I was blessed beyond measure at camp when a sea of young people were jumping and singing up front to worship music and a young man remained sitting in his seat, scowling with his arms crossed.  It may have been the Holy Spirit was speaking louder and more clearly to that lad who seemed to dig in his heels when all his friends were up front having fun.  While at one stage I may have rejoiced over all those kids who went forward to worship--imagining I had something to do with it--I rejoiced over the one with arms crossed who refused to sing.  Had he made a mockery of the invitation, he would have gone up with all his friends.  But I suspect he was stewing because God was speaking.  I know that young man is deeply loved by God and it is God's will he be saved, and God has done and will do everything to redeem his soul from destruction for eternal glory.  It may be the one who looks least likely to follow Jesus can be transformed to be the one who lives for Jesus faithfully for all his days, so great is the power of our God to save.

Those who will repent of their sin and take a stand for Christ is not during a church service but in all hours of the day when there are continual temptations and opportunities to sin.  We take our stand for Christ, not in the presence of others who observe us standing in church, but before the LORD who sees the thoughts and motives of our hearts.  Going forward in a sermon after wrestling with our conscience does not provide forgiveness, salvation or sanctification but by yielding to Jesus through faith every day as His disciples, loving and trusting Him.

Counting the Cost

Today I had a chat with Christians about our need to count the cost in following Jesus.  Our saviour Jesus is not an useful addition or convenient accessory that improves our life but He is our life.  Jesus spoke about considering the cost of following Him and drew upon practical examples to teach His disciples.

Jesus said in Luke 14:25-33, "Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
²⁶  "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."

The required cost of discipleship is to love and be loyal to Jesus above anything and all others (including ourselves), even those who are related to us.  It means dying to self, choosing to daily lay our lives down in obedience to Jesus as He lay down His own life for the sake of sinners.  A servant is not above his master, and since our Master Jesus freely sacrificed Himself for the glory of God in obedience to His will, so ought we to do in living a life that pleases Him.  Jesus spoke about how a person building a tower considers the cost of the project before starting construction.  A tower could not fulfil its purpose if only a foundation was built.  Everyone would recognise the folly and how laughable it would be to start a project that could not be finished.  All the effort and financial investment would be wasted on a "tower" that never stood.

The second illustration Jesus used was a king on the cusp of battle who was severely undermanned.  The king needed to decide if victory was assured or at least probable with his current fighting force.  If it turned out the king faced a battle he could not win, it would be wise would send a delegation to ask for conditions of peace so him, his army and kingdom would be preserved.  This common sense is also true concerning Christians.  If we are unwilling to bear our cross and come after Jesus, if we do not want to go where He is going and build our lives upon His wisdom, choosing to hear His voice and obey Him, it makes a mockery of Jesus and discipleship.  Those who lose their lives for Christ sake will find them, and those who refuse to forsake their lives--their ways, plans, ambitions, fleshly desires, assumptions, thoughts and sins--cannot be His disciples.  You might as well try to fight a battle you cannot possibly win.  Following Jesus means we follow Him exclusively and continually His way.

Paul, a faithful disciple of Jesus, wrote in Philippians 3:7-11 about how loss for Christ's sake resulted only in gain:  "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."  When Paul shed the skin of everything he once prided himself in, he found himself enriched beyond measure through righteousness by faith in Jesus, the knowledge of Jesus, the power of resurrection to new and eternal life, and the fellowship of His sufferings.  Paul was richer in the end, and it all came at the cost of Christ's shed blood and by the power of the Gospel.  We lose nothing in giving everything God requires because God gives us freely everything that pertains to life and godliness.

We decide to follow Jesus knowing it is not a one-time decision but a choice we are content and glad to make every day as we hear and obey His voice.  If we will be new creations by faith in Jesus, we also ought to walk in newness of life.  Otherwise we are like a silly builder who starts building a tower without a foundation, materials or money to finish the task and assumes the project will be soon finished.  It is like a foolish king who sends his troops into a battle where no victory is possible.  Trusting, obeying and following Jesus is not merely a priority for us but the only option for His disciples.  If we are unwilling to agree to Christ's conditions or trust in Him, then we cannot be His disciples--simple as that.

Brought Into God's World

We have been studying through the book of Ruth at Teen Camp this year and I have been blessed to consider Christ as our Redeemer through the book.  During this study I have better observed the choices Ruth made beyond deciding to accompany Naomi to Bethlehem.  After clinging to Naomi at the crossroads between Moab and Israel, Ruth continued to listen to and follow her guidance.

When Boaz saw Ruth gleaning in his field, he told her not to go in anyone else's field and to stay with his servant girls.  Naomi said the same thing after she brought back a large haul of grain.  Then Ruth was bold and courageous to obey her mother-in-law when instructed to go to Boaz as he slept on the threshing floor and to uncover his feet.  "I'll do everything you say," Ruth responded and followed through on all she said.  Her inclination may have been to bustle around and distract herself with activity as she awaited word from Boaz, but she hearkened to the wise advice:  "Sit still, my daughter."

The act of Boaz spreading his garment over Ruth meant that she was coming under the protection of Boaz, to be brought into his world--even as she had come to trust under the shadow of the wings of the almighty God.  Boaz was not to be likened to God in her eyes, but Boaz desired to fulfill his role under law as a kinsman redeemer and raise up seed for the house of Elimelech by taking Ruth as wife.  I read from a Jewish perspective that a person's world ends where his coat ends, and thus a married person is one whose garment extends over other people as well.  It is a beautiful picture of how we, as foreigners of the kingdom of God, come to Jesus Christ by faith to enter His world and enjoy an eternal relationship with Him.

Jesus far exceeds Boaz in His kindness toward us, for Boaz agreed to Ruth's request because she was known to be a virtuous woman.  She had washed, anointed herself and wore clean clothes.  Not one of us is virtuous in coming to Christ for salvation; none of us can cleanse ourselves from the stench of death and stain of sin.  Yet while we were yet sinners, Christ demonstrated His love by dying for us!  By the power of the Gospel we have been given the right to become children of God, to have Him as our Father, and to enter His world--His kingdom where righteousness dwells.  Out of the wreckage of our lives tainted with self and sin, God makes us new creations and fruitful by His grace.

The question is:  will we draw near to Jesus in faith and obedience, or will we continue to go our own way alone?  Will we seek satisfaction in less than God or discover contentment by being brought into His world by a relationship with Jesus Christ?  With all Jesus has done, the choice is ours.

LORD of Hosts With Us

"The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. ⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah"

Psalm 46:6-7

The contrast presented here between the kingdoms of the earth and the power of God is striking.  While the nations rage like the sea, troubled and powerful, the LORD rules on high over all.  Kingdoms and nations are agitated in rage; people are moved even as the earth rotates around the sun.  Yet God does not need to move to utter His voice and melt the earth in majesty.  People react in response to what they see or feel, but God acts to further His divine plans and purposes.  He is always ahead of the most perceptive person or spirit, for the intent of hearts are laid bare before Him.

The sons of Korah acknowledged "The LORD of hosts is with us," and this remains true when nations rage.  When the rhetoric starts flying, the sabres are rattling or missiles are firing, the LORD of hosts is with us and the God of Jacob is our refuge.  Knowing what God has already said and promised in His word is a firm foundation for our feet in all seasons of life.  The LORD of hosts remains in command of every spirit and world power, and the nations are a drop in the bucket compared to Him.  At His word kings are raised up and deposed, and we can rest assured of His mercy even in judgment.

The "God of Jacob is our refuge," sang the psalmists, and a glance at the life of Jacob reveals a man whose wits and physical strength were no match for his many enemies that were of his own household.  His brother Esau who at one stage plotted to kill him was a mighty hunter when Jacob was a man of the tents.  Jacob's father-in-law Laban exceeded him with his conniving ways, tricking him into years of labour and changing his wages.  Unreasonable expectations were placed upon Jacob to protect the flock, yet God was his refuge.  In the midst of family drama, scandals in the community or famine in the land, God protected Jacob all His days and caused him to prevail and grow in faith.

Have you grown to appreciate who God is for you, that He is with you and a refuge?  The LORD is not like a bomb shelter or tower that is far away or difficult to access, for God is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus.  He is acutely aware of our needs even before we ask Him for help,  Sometimes we resemble those troubled and raging nations when faith in Christ provides sure rest and refuge in our LORD.  Our refuge has come to us in the person of Jesus, and He will never leave or forsake us.  May we learn as Ruth to come to trust in the shelter of His wings, knowing He is with us wherever we go.  The God of nations is a shelter for the one who is humble before Him.

Humble in God's Sight

"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation."

Galatians 6:14-15

Being born again by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is the one way to be righteous in God's sight.  Though the Gentile believers in the church in Galatia once knew this, they caved to the influence of pressure exerted from Jewish legalists to keep the Law of Moses as a means of righteousness.  What appeared to be submission and humility before God and His Law was in reality the strivings of the flesh to accomplish what only the Spirit of God could do.  People began to pride themselves in their sacrifices and looked down on others who did not follow their legalistic convictions.  Circumcision did not make anyone closer to God, and ironically taking pride in subjection to the rite did the opposite.

My son came home from leading a Christian camp this week with the hairstyle of a monk, and as a family we were intrigued by the significance of an odd haircut of monastic orders.  Apparently hair was cut in a singular fashion as an act of humility and identification with Christ because the ring of hair around the head loosely resembled the circular crown of thorns Jesus wore on the cross.  It is possible a haircut could be a means of showing humility, yet because it is an outward act it can easily be motivated by a desire to be seen by others and gain favour in their eyes.  It is important to examine our own hearts that our motivation of our hearts is pure before the LORD, for a good act is quickly corrupted when it is not by faith in God.  It is what we do in secret where true humility shines.

Jesus taught His disciples concerning this in Matthew 6:1-6:  "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ³ But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. ⁵ "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

There is nothing wrong with doing charitable deeds or praying and being seen by others doing so:  what is wrong is when we do charitable deeds and pray in public to be seen by others.  Jesus said it is hypocrisy to do anything charitable or good because of the glory you may gain from others.  Jesus emphasised again and again God sees what we do in secret, and He will reward us openly for it in His time and way.  It is faith in God that is satisfied by this arrangement, and it exercises humility God enables us to do by virtue of our new birth.  When we humble ourselves in the sight of the LORD, He will exalt us.  Those who humble ourselves to be exalted continue to operate according to fleshly and worldly principles.  A haircut can be humbling, yet those who wear it to appear humble are anything but.

The Mouse Problem

When we first moved into our current house, it wasn't long before we had an uninvited visitor:  a mouse that easily slipped under the garage door to explore what had previously been his domain.  I suppose during the build phase of the house the mouse had become accustomed to scouring the place for snacks left by workers, and with no garage door or interior doors this was easily done under the cover of night.  I immediately took steps to set out traps in the garage and constructed an aluminium "mouse guard" mounted underneath the door to prevent any further incursions.  Thankfully, it wasn't long before the mouse problem was no more.

One thing I discovered after baiting mousetraps with a little peanut butter (I recommend American style) is it can attract crickets that chirp all night.  Crickets and roaches love peanut butter and easily clean those traps in a night without setting them off.  Since I didn't want to trade one pest for another, I decided to keep the empty traps in place--just in case another mouse happened to wander in and look around.  Over time, the traps snapped closed for one reason or another due to wind from a leaf blower or a nudge from a box or broom, and I didn't bother setting them again.  There was no evidence of mice, and over time only one of the clean traps remained loaded by the internal garage door.  This week as I was coming in from gathering the recycle, I noticed the bare trap had caught a mouse!  Upon closer inspection, the mouse was at the early stages of decomposition with a bit of a smell.  Unless the trap had been set, a new mouse problem was set to start all over again.

The situation illustrated well the persistence of vermin and my need for vigilance when there is no evidence of a "mouse problem."  Due to a series of factors--especially the lack of mice--I had become complacent in my policing of the traps and ensuring they were ready for action.  With the exception of the sole trap that was set, the other traps served no purpose whatsoever.  Without thinking about it, I had adopted a reactionary approach to pest control rather than active prevention.  Had I seen chewed plastic or cardboard, if I noticed animal waste, I would have sprung into action to do everything in my power to eradicate destructive and potential disease-carrying pests.  The reality is there are mice outside, and experience has taught me I cannot keep them out of the garage.  Since I am aware of this, it is up to me to be observant and persistent to prevent the pests from making my garage their abode.

Being watchful of the state of a garage is important, and how much more do we need to be vigilant to be on guard of the state of our minds and hearts!  Mice and the devil share at least one thing in common, that they are opportunistic and prefer to operate under the cover of darkness.  1 Peter 5:8-9 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."  I have never lived in a place where lions roar and prowl around looking for prey, and I imagine it could take a close call to impress upon a person the seriousness of the life-threatening risk lions present.  Christians are called to be vigilant to resist the devil by steadfastness through our faith in Christ, knowing we are not alone in the conflict.  Not one of us can match the devil's persistence, and thank God we have a Good Shepherd Jesus who is always aware of Satan's schemes.  The apostle continued in 1 Peter 5:10:  "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."

It takes a surprising amount of effort to keep a garage tidy and free of vermin, and it is far more difficult to resist an unseen enemy who is as sneaky and powerful as Satan.  We might not be able to get on top of a pest problem without professional help, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  God has called us to glory, and we are called to walk by faith in Jesus and live righteously.  When we recognise sinful thoughts, attitudes and desires, we are to take them captive even as a snap-trap catches a mouse.  Unlike traps that can be set that allow us to be passive and check on them occasionally (maybe only after we smell something), we are called to be sober and vigilant when the roaring is faint or afar off.  We must be aware that the problems we must be mindful of are primarily not "out there" in the world or in others, it is in the confines of our own flesh, hearts and minds where this battle is fought and won.  Even as springtime brings an influx of mice and insects, so a season with personal spiritual growth supplies opportunity for sin to sneak in and find a comfortable place to visit, hang out and finally settle in.

Giving Up the Boot

Decades ago my wife and I had season tickets to watch professional baseball, and I have many fond memories of things we experienced.  We saw some historical baseball feats, like John Olerud hitting for the cycle, Ben Davis breaking up Curt Shilling's perfect game bid in the 8th inning with a bunt single, and Ricky Henderson tallying hit number 3,000.  I was impressed to witness a blind man easily navigate to his seat in the club level where we sat--without any assistance from an usher.  I was not very impressed when our car was keyed in the carpark, a deep scratch that adorned our Jeep Grand Cherokee from that night forward.  I also found it interesting how possessive people can be of their particular seat when there were more vacant seats than ones filled with fans.  Our area was pretty tame, but on the weekends things were a bit more lively.

I was reminded of a funny moment when in the middle of the game a leather work boot flew from behind and plunked a woman sitting near us.  The fact she was hit by the boot wasn't funny at all, but her response was.  She whipped around looking for the culprit and wrapped both her arms around it as if her life depended on it and shouted, "And you're not getting it back!"  The ushers were quickly able to spot the fellow who threw the boot, sheepishly holding a beer and walking around in one shoe.  People booed the guy as he was escorted from the game and sheepishly ambled away.  True to her word, the woman never relinquished the boot.

It was evident by her reaction and following discussion about the incident the woman had not been injured by the ordeal.  But the way she claimed the boot that hit her and refused to give it back always stuck with me.  It occurred to me that we can do the same thing with insults, names and hurtful words people may hurl at as.  We can gather them up and cling to them, refusing to part with what wounded us.  When King Saul threw a spear at David, he needed to decide if he would return it pointy-side first with speed.  We can do this with our words as well, responding to sharp or critical comments in kind.  The lady could have thrown the boot back at the man with the aim to teach him a lesson, but she wanted to render his remaining boot worthless for the trouble he caused.

How do you respond when you are offended or hurt by the words people say to you?  Do you return fire or do you hold on to them as infamous trophies?  Rather than laying such words to heart, we ought to consider the good things our LORD has said to us.  We are to cast our cares upon the LORD and choose to relinquish all the hurtful things said or done to us as a freewill offering to the LORD we will gladly never reclaim.  As sure as we have been impacted or hurt by words people have said to us, we are wise to acknowledge we can be guilty of doing the same.  May Psalm 141:3-4 be our prayer:  "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. ⁴ Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies."  There may be an assortment of single boots that found their mark on us we've kept for some reason:  wouldn't it be good to finally be rid of them?