God's Unexpected Ways

During a morning walk before dawn I prayed the LORD would speak to me, and He did in a most unexpected way.  It wasn't long after I saw a woman jogging towards me, and I moved to the edge of the footpath to make as much room as possible.  What happened next was in slow motion:  my toe clipped the edge of the slab of concrete (which had heaved from a mature tree) and after a couple of stumbling steps I sprawled onto the footpath in a heap.  I can't remember the last time diving onto concrete, but it was a good reminder to keep stumbles and falls to a minimum.

The jogger stopped and asked if I was ok, and I said I was fine as I popped up on my feet, relieved no bones were broken.  Apart from grazes on my hand and leg, I jogged away relatively unscathed.  What struck me is that even though I was able to stand up unassisted, it was kind of the woman to pause and ask if I was ok after seeing me fall.  I imagine me falling looked hilarious, but her instinctive inquiry about my wellbeing was a gesture I appreciated.  Then I considered how automatic my response was, that if it was at all possible to stand up without assistance, that was my preference.  My instinct would be to stand on a broken foot or leg if it was at all possible and "walk it off," not even calling for a ride.

What happened on the footpath today was insightful concerning when someone falls spiritually into sin or stumbles into depression.  As an observer we may not want to ask if others are ok lest we embarrass them or draw unwanted attention to the fact we noticed.  The one who falls may be incapable of rising and still wave the observer on, not willing for others to slow down or stop on their account.  The good Samaritan in the parable drew near to the man who was beaten and left for dead, and given the background between Jews and Samaritans perhaps the wounded man only received help because he was physically unable to refuse it.  Speaking for myself, have room to grow both expressing care for those who are down and also willingness to receive help after I have fallen down.

Another thought that came from today's incident was how God can use our embarrassing and painful experiences to teach us and others.  There are always good lessons to be learned from our fails, and the fact I am around to speak about it tells me it could have been much worse.  I can praise God for guarding my bones, and the fall prompts me to be seeking God earnestly who can keep me from stumbling--physically and spiritually.  What we learn from a fall can be more valuable for our character and spiritual growth than walking without ever stumbling.  See how God can redeem a painful, awkward situation for good?

Heart Like Sand

One detractors of going to the beach is no matter what we do, we seem to bring back much of the beach home with us!  Even after a thorough rinse and shaking off sand, sand ultimately will show up in the car, between toes, in wetsuits and on the tiles at home.  The fine and clinging nature of sand enables it to stick to skin and embed in fabrics, and thus it is difficult to shake off.  Some don't mind this at all, as it is a small trade-off for the sun, waves and fun of the beach.

As I considered the properties of sand at the beach, I remembered what God did for Solomon at his request in 1 Kings 4:29:  "And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore."  God gave Solomon divine wisdom, vast understanding and "largeness of heart" compared to sand on the seashore.  Solomon was given wisdom that was carried away by all who came in contact with him, for the Queen of Sheba in a distant land heard of the wisdom of Solomon.  She was so intrigued by the report she travels a long way to visit Solomon in person.

The heart today is often connected with love, affection and care.  Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing for the hearts of Christians to be massive like sand on the seashore, that whenever people came in contact with us they couldn't help but have the wisdom and love of Jesus stick to them?  Sand is gritty and abrasive, and wisdom can have this impact on the minds of others--like a rock in the shoe that gets the attention of the conscience.  To have a heart filled with love that generously offers it to everyone is even more pleasant  and impactful than the greatest beach holiday.  People may not agree with our convictions, outlook or beliefs, but may God's love through us be embedded in every conversation and interaction.

The beach has an endless supply of sand, and by God's grace Christians have an endless supply of love and grace.  As the beach is generous with sand to all who visit, so we ought to be with God's love towards strangers, friends and family.  It is a blessed thing to realise we truly love people who came to church for a season or even for one service, to genuinely care about a stranger on a bus or someone we conversed with on a pier.  No Christian is the source of this great love, as if we are naturally kind and gracious people:  it is not of us, for it is Christ in us.  May the LORD grant us wisdom and largeness of heart like sand on the beach so all will know Christ's glorious fame.

Washed By the Word

While on staff at a church years ago, I remember observing the way people vacuumed the carpet.  Most of the time people employed what I will call the "search and destroy" method, targeting bits of obvious rubbish that littered the floor--bits of paper or thread, food crumbs, or soils that dropped from shoes.  Since I was the one who emptied the vacuum bags, I knew the majority of the bag's contents were nothing that could be easily seen.  The full bags were predominantly filled with fine dust, sand and hair.  The purpose of the vacuum was not to make carpet appear clean, but to agitate the carpet fibers and remove soils one could not see beneath the surface.

Knowing this principle of vacuum operation, I believed (and still believe) it is best to vacuum all the carpet and not merely target obvious debris.  I also observed people using an upright vacuum with an internal roll brush like one would use a lawn mower, walking behind it using a continuous forward pass rather than back and forth with overlapping strokes.  It may be easier to quickly walk behind a heavy, upright vacuum as one would a lawn mower because the moving roll helps pull it forward.  By virtue of the design, upright vacuums can agitate fibers and clean more effectively with a slower pull.  If all one cares about is brush marks in the carpet, pushing it forward quickly achieves this result.  But if your purpose and intent is to rid the carpet of hidden soils, it will require more time and overlapping passes.

It occurred to me today that we can approach God's word like we are vacuuming, searching for quick wisdom we can easily gather on the surface.  We breeze through a chapter or pages like a person pushing a vacuum, focussed on speedily covering the carpet with brush marks to move on to the next task or activity--when God has given His word for other purposes altogether.  God's word is living and powerful, intended to reveal the thoughts and intents of our hearts.  In light of God's law we see the inner filth of our hearts revealed and our need for God's cleansing and renewal; we are shocked by the unbelief, pride and selfishness that lies hidden within.  The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness and judgment, and God's word guides us to judge ourselves lest we be condemned.

God intends His word to have a cleansing effect upon our minds, hearts and conduct as Paul wrote in 

Ephesians 5:25-27:  "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."  We are called to embrace our sanctification Jesus Christ does through the "washing of water by the word" so the whole church might be presented to him "holy and without blemish."  Getting wet is not the same as washing.  Effective washing often involves clean water with pressure, detergent, friction, agitation and rinsing.  Whatever requires cleansing once will need washing again--like cars, clothes or bodies after exercise, working in the yard, or international travel.

There are likely people who wash their clothes, bodies and faces more often than being "washed in the water of the word" because it deals with spiritual matters of the heart that are not so easily seen--though the conditions of our hearts can be evidenced by what we think, say and do.  Let us not be as little children that cannot see the point of bathing because we recently washed, without comprehension of our need for cleansing.  Be in the word, Christian, knowing the way we approach the scripture makes a difference.  Let us read believing with a heart to obey, and submit ourselves to the cleansing flow of God's word in our inmost being.  Only the LORD can create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit in us, and His word is an indispensable part of the process.

Triggers Aren't the Problem

A word that has increased in popularity and use lately is "triggered."  It suggests something heard, seen or experienced has stirred a strong response within a person, an arousal of memories or feelings from past trauma.  In keeping with mankind's tendencies that go back to the Garden of Eden, it places blame on what others do rather than taking personal responsibility for our responses.  It puts on the onus on others to avoid a minefield of our potential "triggers" because of the volatile reactions that will certainly result--and justify by blaming anyone but ourselves.  The idea is others are guilty of "triggering us," and we ought not be responsible for our reaction.

Those who embrace the term "triggered" to justify violent outbursts do well to consider how triggers in firearms work.  When a live round is chambered, the safety is taken off and the trigger of a gun is pulled, an incredibly fast chain reaction begins:  the hammer strikes the primer in the casing which ignites powder that propels the projectile from the muzzle of the firearm at great speed.  In a semi-automatic firearm, the spent casing is ejected and another round automatically loaded.  Another pull of the trigger is required to fire the next shot, and this process can be completed until the magazine is empty.  Pulls of the trigger at that stage results in no further rounds being fired.

When people find themselves "triggered," rather than trying to eliminate potential triggers a person is better served to ensure they are not like a loaded gun with the safety off.  When there are no bullets in a gun, it cannot fire and poses no risk to the shooter or others:  only a quiet "click" results when the trigger is pulled.  Nothing happens.  Should we find ourselves triggered, it says something about the condition of our hearts.  Keeping the ammunition separate from the gun, installing a trigger lock, ensuring the safety is on and the firearm placed in a gun safe prevents accidental shootings, injuries and deaths.  The trouble is, there is no safety on human hearts, minds and mouths.  We can be like loaded firearms with a hair-trigger, almost wanting to go off on everything that bothers and annoys us.

The wonderful thing is those who are born again by faith in Jesus Christ are no longer at the mercy of how we feel, past trauma or experiences.  Jesus is our Saviour who makes us new creations in Him and gives rest, healing and perfect peace to those who trust Him.  His love, protection and mercy has a disarming effect upon the violence, hate and murder that festers in our hearts.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, our new inclination is to humble ourselves before God than to lash out at others.  1 Peter 5:6-7 says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."  A firearm without live ammunition can shoot no bullets, and God is able to put a safety on all triggers.  As recipients of His mercy, we are no longer at the mercy of what is out of our control.

From a biblical viewpoint, avoiding triggers does nothing to solve our problems:  we ought to keep live ammunition out of the chamber by casting our cares on God in faith.  As we ought to keep firearms in a locked safe or holstered with the safety on, we ought to refuse to take shots at others when we must address the proud, violent and hateful tendencies that reside in our own hearts.  Being reminded is not the same as being triggered, and being mindful of God's love for us we are comforted and find rest--not agitation and trouble without end.

Stint on the Sideline

When my dad lived in Michigan as a teen, he suffered a broken femur during a game of "king of the hill" in the snow.  The object of the game was to stand on a heap of snow and fend off everyone else who wrestled their way to the top.  People teamed up to overthrow the present "king," and when my dad fell in a tumble of bodies his leg snapped near his hip.  Because of the location of the break, he was hospitalised and in traction for nearly two months as his bone mended.

Though an injury sidelined my dad, he came out of hospital much stronger than he went in.  There wasn't much to do with his whole leg in a plaster cast suspended in the air, but he discovered he could do pull-ups on the traction equipment.  He missed out on playing and working for months because of the leg break, yet his focus was not on what happened or that he wasn't able to be where he wanted to be:  he put in hard work through exercise because of where he was heading.  When he walked back into class the following year, he looked like a different person and ready to take on anyone.

This is a good illustration for those who feel like they have been sidelined from what was enjoyable, and it wasn't your choice.  It could be through an injury, condition, having a baby, moving house, being let go from a job, or breakdown of a close personal relationship.  It is easy when things happen that were never our choice to lose heart, to focus on who broke our leg or ruined our lives, to fixate on what has happened rather than where we are and where we are heading.  For Christians, we realise God is with is and He is able to even redeem for good what others intended for evil.  So you have been sidelined from where you want to be:  how about exerting yourself to gain strength, endurance and joy as you seek the LORD and do what you can to be ready for the next season?  When God opens the door, He will be faithful to help us walk through it--and walking means work.

Christians can learn from the diligence and dedication of athletes who suffer a serious injury, miss an entire season and work their way back to the field; we can glean wisdom from those who toil for years in lower levels of professional sport who never make it to the big leagues.  Some of these go on to coach, manage, to work in scouting and the front office.  They were waiting for their "big break" that never came the way they expected, but the LORD used their time in dusty dugouts to be part of a team in another way.  Joseph did not go to Egypt to seek fame, wealth and power:  he was sold as a slave and taken there.  He was made to serve in a rich man's house, and after he was thrown into prison he took the lead in looking after other prisoners.  In suffering his relationship with God deepened, and the LORD orchestrated an opportunity for Joseph to exercise God-given wisdom to interpret dreams.  In time he was brought before Pharaoh, was promoted to second in command, saved nations from starvation and was reunited with his family where there was food to spare.

How different Joseph's story would be if he brooded over the wrongs done him, shirked his responsibilities as a slave and rebelled against God!  Joseph did not set his sights on where he was or even where he wanted to be but looked to the LORD.  He never aspired to govern or rule in Egypt.  The one thing he wanted was to be released from prison, and in time by God's grace he was.  As a slave and in the prison Joseph continued to develop godly character, and he was useful wherever God opened a door.  So you're in traction or on the sidelines; you've been sacked and feel like your feet have been taken out from under you.  I encourage you to look to the LORD and exert yourself to seek, serve and praise Him right where you are.  Maybe pull-ups are the only thing you can do in your hospital bed, or perhaps all you can do is spiritually exercise in prayer.  But know that there is a season God has for you beyond that hospital bed, and God often provides opportunity in that bed to prepare for it.

Sin and Spiritual Growth

The Pharisees were very concerned about maintaining their religious image, and they viewed themselves as learned experts and teachers.  They were very wary when Jesus appeared on the scene and seemed to undermine their legalistic norms they followed and imposed upon others.  Yet Jesus was not like other men, for He taught with authority and did miraculous signs that led even some Pharisees to conclude Jesus was sent from God.  When Nicodemus met with Jesus by night, he divulged this to Jesus personally.

What impresses me about Nicodemus is his willingness to be vulnerable and ask Jesus genuine questions to His face while others in his circle gathered behind closed doors to plot His murder.  They were weary of Jesus showing them up and dodging their accusations with wise answers, exposing their hypocrisy, calling them a brood of vipers, and comparing them to whitewashed tombs that appeared clean on the outside but were full of uncleanness within.  As the Light of the World, Jesus Christ directed the light of God's word they knew upon their own hearts and motives, and conviction gnawed at them.  They would not admit defeat or that they were even sinners:  they saw Jesus as the real problem to be eliminated, and their wicked hearts were hardened without repentance.

We had a pine tree removed from our backyard a couple months back, and it was not long after it was cut down before little pine shoots began sprouting throughout the turf.  At first I assumed these shoots were sprouting from seeds, but investigation revealed the pine tree had sent thick roots throughout the topsoil.  When this came to light, there were two options:  I could run the lawn mower over the grass and pine sprouts at once and preserve the lawn, or I needed to use a mattock to remove the roots which would pose an ongoing problem.  This would damage the lawn in places, but removing these roots was the key to a healthier lawn moving forward.  The envy, hatred and murder of the Pharisees was evidence of sin in their proud hearts, and they were like one who would rather mow the pine shoots in an attempt to preserve the appearance of a healthy lawn rather than remove the roots by repentance.

When evidence of our stubborn sinfulness reveals itself, we ought to be like Nicodemus who was vulnerable before the LORD Jesus concerning his ignorance by admitting and repenting of our sin.  Rather than merely apologising over the appearance of sin, we ought to dig down and examine our hearts so we might deal with the root problems that hide under an image of religious piety and maturity.  Leaders, teachers and people who have taken a clear stand for the truth can be uncomfortable to admit having ongoing sins and problems the LORD brings to light, but it would be better to rip up sin by the roots than to keep cutting the grass and pine shoots as if we are beyond the reach of sin.  Attempts to keep up appearances undermines maturity, and genuine repentance causes us to grow spiritually to be more like Jesus.

New Man Strong

I used to watch boxing in my younger days, and I always enjoyed predicting who would win.  Both fighters talked a big pre-match game, but one of them would end up being the loser--sometimes in mere seconds.  What I observed is the fighter who appeared more heavily muscled often tired more quickly than the other.  This led me to conclude there can be a fighter who works out in the gym to look cut and fit, while others grow lean and strong by training and boxing.  More often than not, the fighter with better endurance was able to focus their strength with sound technique after the more ripped fighter was winded with fatigue.

Today as I chipped away at an old stump, it dawned on me that working is the best exercise because it produces multiple benefits.  There are many people who "work out" today for personal health, yet there is not necessarily any "work" accomplished.  People sweat by running on a treadmill or climbing a stair-stepper but do not go anywhere; they lift weights yet do not move anything from here to there.  The weights are set back on the rack, and the benefit of this kind of workout is a temporary strain of the body that builds muscle or burns fat--but the benefits are limited to a body that is perishing.  It is fine to exercise our bodies to improve and maintain physical health, yet how much better to remove a stump, dig a trench or build a wall at the same time!

When I worked in a trade, there were older fellows I called "old man strong."  While young men spent hours a week in the gym working towards shredded abs or bigger biceps, men in the trade worked on the tools for their living and survival.  These old men could wrangle wooden 12-foot ladders like a stepstool because they learned to control the weight and had mastery of balance and leverage by long experience.  Many a strapping young man was humbled by an inability to work with the endurance, speed, dexterity and strength of old timers who were strong by building physical strength through doing real work--not with the aid of a pool, treadmill, bike or a gym membership.  I believe there is are spiritual parallels in these observations.

Even as some people work out to improve their physique for themselves and others can see, spiritual disciplines like reading the Bible or going to church can be for show.  Paul said he did not run the race God set before him aimlessly, nor was he like a boxer who only punched the air.  He compared his discipline in labouring to do God's will as a runner sprints towards the finish line and a boxer who spent hours on the speed bag, heavy bag, and absorbed blows to strengthen his body to win (1 Cor. 9:24-27).  If we will be fruitful for Christ's sake, we must abide in the Vine (who is Jesus) and seek to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  Better than being spiritual body-builders who flex to impress judges or fellow contestants, we ought to plough up the fallow ground of our hearts, remove the stumps of unbelief and clear the ground of sin that springs up like thornbushes with repentance.

Having been born again by Jesus, we are to become "new man strong" by working out our own salvation as new creations by reliance on our LORD as Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12-16:  "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. ¹⁴ Do all things without complaining and disputing, ¹⁵ that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."  Knowing we are God's workmanship, we are to do all things without complaining and disputing and hold fast the word of life.  As we discipline ourselves to practice such things as we follow Christ's example, our labour in doing God's will shall not be in vain.

Where the Carrot Leads

Most are familiar with the concept of dangling a carrot from a string in front of a person or animal to motivate them to walk forward.  Their hunger, coupled with the hope of satisfaction that hangs tantalisingly out of reach, will move them to action.  The problem for the one pursuing the carrot is he may never obtain it, and who knows where the efforts to gain that carrot will take them.  Their focus is so much on the carrot people can stray far from where they want to be or end up.  People do not want to end up in the gutter, but many have found themselves there.

The wise will not focus on the carrot but where the pursuit of the carrot will lead them.  The businessman may be pursuing elusive riches and early retirement, but it may lead to the breakdown of his physical health, marriage and family.  A young woman might desire to be a famous actress, but the pursuit may require her to cast aside her values and chastity.  To feel accepted or part of the "in" group ,dabbling in drugs may lead to crippling addiction and poverty.  In the movie Maleficent, an ambitious man who wanted the throne for himself stole the wings and broke the heart of the fairy who loved him.  Knowing the price in the end (which cost him his sanity and life), he may have chosen a different course entirely if he could start over.

The wisdom of thinking where temptation is leading us is true concerning addictions and sin.  People chase the carrot of fun by drinking to excess, but it can potentially lead to violence, sexual assault and a bad hangover.  Some pursue the carrot of lust and fornication that produces shame, emptiness and regret.  No one wants to feel ashamed, and if people would consider where their lusts would lead them they might have have had the resolve to reject temptation.  No one wants to explain to their spouse how they have been unfaithful or be told their partner is leaving them, but that is where straying leads.

Like a clever fisherman, the devil is very good at hiding the hook in attractive bait.  Having been snared by his lies and our own folly at times, one would think we would learn.  But forgetfulness of the sorrow, emptiness, guilt and shame for sin is part of the human condition when a fresh temptation is placed before us.  Having fallen for the ruse before and knowing where it will certainly lead us, by faith in God and by His wisdom we look beyond the temptation--where it is leading us--rather than thinking satisfaction could be found presently in sin or in worldly pursuits.  Our flesh longs for the carrot, but the wise ought to look beyond it to Jesus for guidance and inspiration.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Rather than looking to what the flesh desires and cries out for, we are to look to Jesus so we can lay aside weights and sins and run the race God has set before us.  In the middle of a race is not time to veer off course or to head to local shops for a snack.  Jesus does not dangle eternal rewards and blessings before us to tempt us to follow Him, but He gives us Himself and countless blessings for seeking Him today.  Why chase the carrot when He has us and we have him?  In Christ we are satisfied and find rest for our souls.

Chipping Away

We recently had a few problem trees felled on our property that were pushing over retaining walls.  Because one stump was very close to a fencepost encased in concrete and the retaining wall, the stump grinder was unable to remove a large portion of the stump.  So over the past week I have chipping away on the stump, removing bits at a time, as the stump under the surface of the ground must be removed before the retaining wall can be prepared.  And it isn't easy.

While pine wood is considered a softwood, a pine stump is a powerful force to be reckoned with.  The grain of the wood is twisted in every direction, and only repeated blows with a heavy digging bar makes any headway to chip and split the wood apart.  The impact of the 10 kilo bar on the stump transfers vibrations into the hands and fingers that cause blisters and tears skin.  As I toiled yesterday in the heat for awhile, I had to be content with slow progress and quit before I had my fill to conserve skin on my hands with the future sessions in mind.  It is amazing that in about 5 years the tree grew out of control and damaged the property, and how resistant even in death the tree roots were to being removed.

As I dropped the digging bar repeatedly upon the stump, it occurred to me it was a hard but necessary task.  If anything was every going to be planted there instead--grass, groundcover or shrubs--the stump needed to be removed.  The stump that impeded a plumb retaining wall also prevented anything new from growing in that spot.  This provided insight into the impact sin can have in our hearts.  Weeds can be insidious and tough to eradicate, but stumps require much more effort to remove.  It struck me that God has freed Christians from the curse of sin and the power it wielded over us, yet old habits can be engrained in us like a stubborn stump in the ground.  Sure, the tree isn't dropping pine needles in the gutters anymore, but our lives can still be impacted by stumps allowed to remain unmoved under the surface.

By the power of the Gospel Jesus cleanses Christians from the presence and power of sin, and we need God's strength and help to deal with the consequences of being a sinner, to be further sanctified in a corruptible body.  If we desire to have the fruit of the Spirit produced in our lives, we must take intentional action to put off the old ways of living and thinking and be renewed in the spirit of our minds.  Rather than doubling-down by the works of the flesh, we are to submit ourselves to the leading, guidance and help of the Holy Spirit.  We are justified in a moment by faith in Jesus, but sanctification takes time and hard work.  Paul used the example of an athlete who exhibits self-control in all things because winning the race or boxing match is paramount to a champion, and Paul brought his own body under subjection to avoid disqualification in ministry (1 Cor. 9:21-24).

Those who see the folly of sowing among thorns ought to recognise the silliness of sowing among stumps.  We Christians can feel we are fighting a losing battle with all the shoots that spring from the stumps of trees, of old sinful habits and ways God has cut down in our lives.  Rather than the half measure of dutifully pruning the green shoots of sin that seems to resurrect themselves in our words and deeds, let us do all we can to chip away at stumps as well--to deal with the heart of the matter, what lies under the surface where only God can see how deep it goes.  We can only see what is plainly visible, but the LORD looks at the heart and what is inside us.  Praise the LORD He is able to give us new hearts and minds, to do work impossible for us according to the riches of His grace.

My aching hands show me how it hurts us to remove sinful ways from our hearts that have been there a long time (our entire lives), things we actually at a stage valued and viewed as an important part of us.  The flesh resists and hates the sanctification process, and it whines and cries like a pampered child when it does not have its way.  Ground can lay fallow and unploughed due to neglect or because it is littered with stumps that need to go.  Faithfully chipping away at the stump reminds me of the exhortation in Hosea 10:12 all God's people ought to take to heart:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  Breaking up our fallow ground feels like it is breaking us, yet there is always healing, redemption and hope in our awesome Saviour who is righteousness for us.

Drink Clear Waters

With Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd, we will always be looked after continuously with love and care.  Unlike a hireling who would flee at the hint of danger or who avoided the hard, dirty work of providing for the needs of a flock,  Jesus laid down His life for all who would become the sheep of His pasture by faith in Him.  God had strong criticisms for pastors or shepherds of his flock in Israel who sought personal profit rather than the good of God's people entrusted to them--strong words Christians ought to lay to heart today.

In Ezekiel 34, God chastised priests and rulers in Israel who were feeding off the flock rather than feeding the flock.  Those who were meant to serve God's people felt entitled to be served by others and failed to do all the things good shepherds do for sheep.  Shepherding does not mean leaders ought to be controlling, intrusive or demanding of others, for we ought to follow the example of Jesus who loves, gives, serves, forgives and helps others without taking thought for His own life.  Rather than seeking those who were lost, strengthening the diseased, tending the sick or binding the broken, the shepherds in Israel ruled with force and cruelty (Eze. 34:4).  Their heavy-handed treatment caused God's people to scatter, and the LORD would hold His shepherds to account.

Seeing the priests and leaders in Israel were not fulfilling their calling before Him, God promised to step in and do all that had been neglected.  This ought to be a great encouragement to God's people who have experienced hurts and cruelty from people especially in churches.  God would seek out and deliver His people from everywhere they had been scattered and return them to Himself.  He asked a searching question to those in the flock that is appropriate and relevant for all God's people in the church to consider today in Ezekiel 34:18-19:  "Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture--and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? ¹⁹ And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet."  Again, in context this rebuke concerns the whole flock of God--not just the shepherds or leaders.

While the word of God preached from the pulpit is important and powerful, this passage shows us all the people in God's congregation have the capacity to trample and "muddy the waters" so to speak.  God used an analogy of sheep that eagerly tromped into the water and polluted it by stirring up mud, sediment and refuse with filthy hooves.  When other sheep followed them to quench their thirst, they were left with muddy, impure water because of the sheep that preceded them.  How can Christians muddy the waters?  By stirring up doubts or contradictions, confusion and bias, by putting yourself and your opinions before others.  People can be contentious for all to agree with them over secondary issues or regarding personal convictions, and they foster divisions rather than edifying one another in love because they do not focus on what God has clearly said.  God forbid pastors or Sunday School teachers would muddy the waters with their own agenda and cause people to depart church spiritually hungry and thirsty because we neglected to provide the pure water of the word.  Ezekiel 34 teaches us those who hear also have a responsibility before God not to pollute the clear waters by their meddlesome agitations, to ensure others have access to the pure, life-giving spring that comes from Jesus Christ.

Those who have been subjected to muddy waters can look to the LORD with joyful expectancy.  In contrast to those who foul clear water with their feet, see what God has promised to do in Ezekiel 34:23-26:  "I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them--My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴ And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. ²⁵ "I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. ²⁶ I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing."  God has fulfilled His promise through Jesus Christ who is the Good Shepherd and has established the new covenant in His own blood.  No longer do we need to fear beasts or demons in the darkness, for Jesus will protect us wherever we are.  By faith in Him we are safe, secure and all our needs abundantly provided for.  We are not subject to drinking the muddy waters because God has showed His grace upon us and made us a fountain of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  How awesome and wonderful is our Good Shepherd Jesus who loves, protects and provides for our needs always!

Insidiousness of Idolatry

As a kid in church, I struggled at times to comprehend what idolatry was because I did not bow down to idols in a shrine or burn incense to images.  Whenever idol worship was mentioned by our pastor at church, it was often connected to things I didn't have, like houses or cars.  I faintly recall the prime description of an idolator being a man who on a weekly basis was constantly washing, polishing and buffing his shiny car on the driveway.  This did not make sense to me because waxing cars was foreign to my life.  I did not own a car, and washing a car of dirt and grime seemed to be good stewardship of a gift from God.  I never connected the dots that the brand of car or its pristine condition could be an outlet of pride that delighted in promoting an image of self which is idolatry.

Reflecting on my youth, even the definition provided for idolatry was not a definite thing, for it was deemed anything we put in God's rightful place.  If God had yet to be given His "rightful place" in my life, how was I to determine what idolatry was?  Idolatry is very insidious because it goes right to the core of our beings, affections and desires, always rooted in self but does not always concern the same outward things.  An image can be worshipped as an idol, yet the idolatry goes beyond bowing before the gilded figure--dig deeper and idolatry is connected to why we worship an idol, because we have chosen to seek benefits for ourselves and by our efforts from anything other than God.  It is easy not to make a graven image, but idolatry is a sin all people naturally have a serious problem with because we love self and shrink from walking by faith in God.

Paul explained how subtle idolatry is to believers in Colossians 3:5-7 says, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them."  Commands against idolatry are not just at the beginning of the 10 commandments but also at the end.  "Coveting is idolatry," Paul asserted.  The heart of idolatry is covetousness and self-seeking, living as if we are God or serving someone, an agenda, ideology, or our own image rather than trusting and obeying God.  Idolatry, like pride, lust and envy, are matters of the heart the Holy Spirit is able to identify and expose within us so we might repent and submit to God moving forward.

Colossians 3 as well as 1 Corinthians 10 connect sexual sin with idolatry, and seeking to look at sexually provocative images provide a better concrete example of idolatry than polishing a car.  Images in the Bible at times are described as obscene, not only because they were images worshipped rather than God but because of anatomic features people lusted over.  We can look at crude wooden or ceramic images and not lust over them, but people did as Ezekiel 20:30 says in the NIV, "Therefore say to the house of Israel: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images?"  Idolatry is directly connected to satisfying the desires of self, whether it be through money, power or sex.  Those crudely carved images people lusted over was a foreshadowing of pornography.  Society has largely moved on from glossy centerfolds of models posing nude by themselves, for now pornography is mass produced that depicts sex, people being degraded and pretending they are enjoying themselves.  Idolatry is at the heart of this abomination that results in lust, covetousness, adultery, fornication and all manner of vice.

My hope is to shed some light on the insidious nature of idolatry that fuels the fires of lust, greed and covetousness.  If we only deal with the symptoms--selling a car or deleting pornography from our devices--we have not dealt with our idolatrous hearts that refuse to trust God, are embittered because our selfish desires and expectations are unmet, the fact we are dissatisfied with God and the life He has given us.  From the very beginning mankind looked upon the chance of being like God as so attractive that Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.  That seed of idolatry was planted in the spiritual DNA of mankind and has plagued us ever since.  Thanks be to God, for He frees us from the curse of sin when we are born again by faith in Jesus Christ.  It is then we must rally to war against the sin in our members, against idolatry that beckons us with wanton glances and sexual advances.  Praise the LORD 1 Corinthians 10:13 is true for Christians:  "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

THE Baby

While putting away Christmas decorations, I made a somewhat amusing and ridiculous observation on the box of a Nativity Set.  As far as I am aware, the term "Nativity" is commonly a reference to a very specific historical event:  the birth of Jesus Christ to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem.  The word according to Webster means, "birth, the coming into life or the world. The feast of Christmas is observed in memory of Christs nativity."  See if you can find the glaring omission in the packaging of the Nativity I placed on a shelf in the shed.

The package identified Joseph as 71.1cm tall, Mary as 68.6cm, and baby--not THE Baby or Baby Jesus or Jesus, but "baby" at an adorable 35.6cm long.  How bizarre and ironic it is for the figures to be measured to the millimetre yet for the identity of Jesus (the central Person and purpose of Christmas for Christians who would be the ones placing this Nativity Set in their yard to commemorate Christ's birth) to be omitted entirely.  Jesus was rejected by His own people (the Jews) after He grew to be a man, and it seems the manufacturer of this Nativity Set was ready to cash in on decorations for $49 of a Messiah they have no desire to honour by clear mention of His name.

It is good we believers refuse to stoop to this level, to be satisfied with forgiveness, salvation and the promise of eternal life from Jesus but live in such a manner His name rarely graces our lips in public or at family gatherings.  Our perspective and outlook ought to be shaped by the fact Jesus was not just a baby or a good man but the Redeemer and Saviour of the world:  Immanuel, God with us.  The prophet said truly in Isaiah 7:14:  "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."  Jesus coming to the world should not only be celebrated once a year, at church or among Christians, but when life is hard and even the thought of festivities feels depressing.  Into the darkness of the world and our hearts the Light of the World has shone bright, and may the LORD Jesus Christ shepherd us into perfect peace and fullness of joy continually.

Ready Labour

One thing I admire about Nehemiah is his willingness to lead from the front, to lead by example in service to the LORD even though he had no personal experience in building a wall or managing a construction site.  God put it in his heart to visit Jerusalem after hearing of the distressed and dilapidated state, and his connections to the king as cupbearer provided means and authority to oversee the construction of the wall by faith in God.  Nehemiah (as the book goes to show) would prove to be a skilled delegator, yet he did not ask others to do what God called him to do.  He entered into the same labours and suffered the same lack of comforts as labourers, loaders and builders endured though he was accustomed to the comforts of life in a palace.

Due to the real possibility of enemy attack, as people worked they either carried a weapon in one hand or had a sword girded on their thigh.  This readiness was undoubtedly a deterrent to potential enemies, for the workers did not present themselves as a disorganised, easy target:  they were determined, prepared and were willing to put their lives on the line, their resolve steeled to see the walls successfully built.  Nehemiah 4:17-18 reads, "Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. ¹⁸ Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me."

Notice Nehemiah did not watch at a distance alone in the shade of a tent with attendants waiting upon him, for he placed himself among the workers with an assistant who was tasked to sound the alarm with a trumpet.  He was in the thick of the action, conversing with workers and was on the pulse of how everything was going.  The construction site covered a large area, and the sound of the trumpet marked the mustering location to Nehemiah who would lead the people in their defence against their enemies.  I have no doubt this was Nehemiah's chosen arrangement, not because he was skilled in battle or military tactics, but due to faith in God who would be their defence and refuge, the living God who fights His people's battles.

There is a brand of Christian who embrace a soldier-mentality to a fault, neglecting other aspects of spiritual life that resemble faithful, obedient labour like gathering and stacking stones.  Loading carts and lifting rocks is not glamorous like defeating Goliath with sling and stone or being credited with slaying thousands of enemies like David.  It was dirty, heavy, taxing work with no triumph at the end; it was mundane labour without notoriety at a personal cost of time, sweat and blood.  The citizens of the kingdom of God are called to profitable labour for Christ's kingdom and to be ready to give a defence for the hope that is in us.  Our call is not to pick fights or lash out with the sword but to keep the Sword of the Spirit girded on our thigh as we labour in doing the LORD's will.  It does not appear the enemies of Nehemiah attacked once during the 52 days they faithfully worked outside during the day, but the workers were ready to defend at all times.  As children of the light and day, this illustration provides a good perspective how Christians are called to live.

Going to the Heart

When it comes to treating illness, we know the importance of identifying the root cause rather than seeking to only alleviate symptoms.  Taking an Aspirin may relieve a headache, but it will do nothing to treat a tumour that is causing intercranial pressure.  Negative symptoms are usually major components that prompt us to seek medical help, and in this way a bad symptom can be a positive thing.

I have spoken of my ongoing battle with ongoing scale problems in previous posts, and yesterday I had a breakthrough.  I discovered the reason I am losing the scale battle is because I had been focused on the symptoms rather than the root cause:  ants that place, farm and protect scale to feed on honeydew scale produces!  I had noticed ants on the tree, but I had no idea they were the culprits who persistently placed scale at strategic locations where there was fresh growth.  This knowledge has shifted my tactics dramatically because the scale was only a pawn in this battle.  Eliminating the ants is the first and most important step of ridding the tree of scale.  Unless I deal with the root cause, the symptom will persist.

In a recent study in Revelation 18, I had a similar enlightening moment concerning the Greek word "pharmakeia" that is translated "sorcery" in the KJV and NKJV.  During my youth a lot of teaching I was exposed to about this word happened to be in the 80's and 90's, a time marked in America with a "war on drugs" that aimed to better educate and rid the nation of the scourge of illicit narcotics.  Because "pharmakeia" bears a resemblance to "pharmacy," the application was often along the same popular lines of the day, to connect street drug use with witchcraft as abominable in God's sight.  While this is a fair point, to reduce the meaning of sorcery or "pharmakeia" to drug use runs the risk of doing exactly what I did with the scale--looking at it as the problem in itself when it was merely a symptom of ant activity--it more resembled a shoot than the root.  Unless the root cause of idolatry and self is dealt with drugs, sorcery, pride and sin will persist in a person.

One thing I observed of sorcerers in the Bible is their intention to draw people away from the worship of the true God.  Pharaoh's magicians sought to duplicate God's wonders to show their idols and powers were superior to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8 amazed the people in Samaria with his magic arts and claimed to have the power of God.  He desired to draw attention to himself.  The Jew Bar-Jesus in Acts 13 sought to draw the proconsul away from faith in Jesus Christ.  In Acts 19 Christians in Ephesus gathered their books of magic and burned them because they were completely opposed to faith and obedience to Jesus.  This goes to the root of what "pharmakeia" is:  a seductive, deceptive lie that man can be god.  To reduce it to "doing drugs" misses the heart of rebellion that can manifest itself in countless ways.

How important it is for us to go to the heart of the matter, and Paul did this with his exhortation to believers in the church in 2 Corinthians 7:1:  "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."   God has promised to dwell in us, have fellowship with us and receive us as a father does his children.  Having been forgiven and cleansed of sin, in the fear of God we are to perfect holiness by cleansing ourselves--by repenting of sin in our minds, hearts and actions.  Our efforts to "say no to sin" will be just as ineffective as saying "no to drugs" when our hearts are inclined to please ourselves rather than God.  Being born again transforms us, and God's desire is for us to continue changing by further yielding to Him inside and out.

Good that Never Ends

While driving yesterday, I read a sign that faced a busy intersection that announced the sale of property was almost over.  It read, "All good things must come to an end."  That was not the first time I heard that quote, and it dawned on me from a worldly perspective it was true.  One could debate if that particular sale of property was a good thing, but the world and all the things in it and of it are passing away.  Where the statement falls down completely is in relation to God and what is of God, for He is good without beginning or end.  Jesus identified Himself as the first and the last, the beginning and the end--not to suggest He has an end, for no timeline can contain or restrict His eternal, immortal attributes.

What Jesus said in Luke 21:33 is repeated several times in the Gospels:  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  The word of God is timeless, good and will never come to an end.  God's word, even when fulfilled, remains a relevant, true and powerful declaration of God who is, was and will ever be.  Those who trust in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life will never die, even when their earthly bodies breathe their last (John 11:25).  It is written in 1 John 2:17, "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."  The good and abundant life Jesus gives us will never come to an end.

One thing I love about God's word is it is not a relic, fading words hidden away in dusty tomes.  Everything God said and says is in full force and powerful to instruct, convict, encourage and save.  Recently in Australia there was discussion around a possible "disinformation" or "misinformation" bill, that a government agency would be employed to determine what is true and false and to hold people accountable for intentionally misleading others.  Fraught with grave danger of overreach with opponents warning of potential Orwellian impacts and highly unpopular, the bill was scrapped.  But this desire to "control the narrative" extends beyond the government.  We who believe the word of God is true are on guard against theological heresies as well as humanistic distortions of the Gospel that fundamentally change it to no longer be the Gospel.

In Jeremiah 23, God spoke of dreamers and prophets who did not speak for Him but from their own hearts.  They passed off their own ideas as divinely inspired, yet God was not at all threatened by their folly.  God said in Jeremiah 23:28-29:  "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"  Though they grow together, the stalk of wheat is nothing like the grain that contains nutrition and potential for life.  Plant chaff or straw and it will not grow; plant grain and it will produce life.  God compared His word to fire that immediately consumes chaff, like a hammer that fulfills its designed purpose to break rocks in pieces.  God's word will always accomplish His will in giving it (Isaiah 55:11).  It will always, eternally accomplish what God pleases and will prosper for His purposes.

In this world all good things do come to an end, but we can know God, His word and His good purposes will endure forever without fail.  People come and go, they say this and that.  The best among men are only here for a short season, and the good they do will be forgotten, unappreciated or undone.  But God's word will by no means pass away, and he who does the will of God abides forever.  God is eternal, and His word is living and powerful to continue doing His work and perfect will.  Praise God He is good and will never come to an end!

Be At Peace

The Bible is filled with life situations that provide encouraging illustrations for God's people who trust in Him.  In this way God's word is living and powerful to provide guidance that shifts our focus from troubles to the LORD, from what is unknown to God who knows us, and from what is totally out of our control to submit to the sovereign God who does everything.  During our lives we regularly arrive at the crossroads of needing to choose if we will lean on our own understanding or rely upon the LORD for all things.

I was recently struck by an important decision of King Jehoshaphat after he became king.  Prior to him, his fathers made building cities and fortifying them a high priority.  Rehoboam, Abijah, and Asa were involved in extensive efforts to capture cities and they constructed walls, towers and secure gates.  These building projects were wise and circumspect, good stewardship of resources to provide security for the people.  Jehoshaphat did not neglect the security of the land, for he added garrisons of armed soldiers in all the cities.  Yet Jehoshaphat took steps to address the spiritual insecurity and waywardness of the people--something walls, towers, gates and armed soldiers could not address.

In the third year of Jehoshaphat's reign, he sent leaders and priests throughout the region to teach his subjects the Law of God.  2 Chronicles 17:9-11 says, "So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the LORD with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people."  See what happened after the people were taught of their God in 2 Chronicles 17:10-11:  "And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver as tribute; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats."  When Jehoshaphat made teaching of God's word a priority with an aim to obey it, God was an infinitely greater defence and refuge for His people than walls and gates.  The fear of God on neighbouring countries was so great they did not dare attack, and some even brought gifts!  Walls, gates and armies did not deter or prevent attacks like God did.

God's people are wise to look to Him rather than relying on themselves or resources for strength and security.  We must decide if we are going to invest our efforts in fortifying earthly security that can be bypassed, ignored or prove inadequate or if we will build our lives on the rock-solid foundation of Jesus Christ and His word.  The words of Solomon in Proverbs 3:5-6 are timeless truth for all God's people to heed:  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."  When we are walking in step with God like Jehoshaphat, we will see the principle held forth in Proverbs 16:7 fulfilled:  "When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."  Even when troubles arise, we need not be troubled because our God is with us--the Prince of Peace.

Drawn By Love

An illustration many Christians are familiar with concerns a common way how shepherds dealt with wayward lambs or sheep.  The story goes a shepherd would carefully break the leg of the sheep, immobilise the limb, and carry the animal around.  By needing to rely upon the shepherd for everything, a strong bond was forged between the sheep and shepherd and the wandering issue was over.  A problem I have with this story (one I have likely perpetuated over the years) is there is no biblical evidence of this practice.  There is scant or any evidence outside the Bible this was ever a common way to correct sheep that wander.  I place this among the often parroted illustrations because we heard it from someone we respect and it made sense at the time.  The more I think about it, however, the less sense it makes.

Let me preface this by saying, I have never cared for a flock of sheep or even one little lamb.  My only interactions with sheep was at a petting zoo.  In a stinging rebuke to the religious rulers in Israel, God used the responsibilities of a shepherd to expose their failure to serve His people in Ezekiel 34:4:  "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them."  Among the things good shepherds did was to bind up the broken, but there is no suggestion it was their responsibility to break bones of the sheep.  Shepherds cared for the flock by lovingly nurturing them, protecting them from harm, calling out to them, counting them regularly so the lost might be sought and found, and bringing them back to the safety of the fold.  Breaking bones sounds forceful and cruel--characteristics that marked these wicked rulers but not God.

I was reminded of something that happened long ago that illustrates how love, patience and care makes a better, lasting bond than breaking a bone.  I was house-sitting for a workmate who had a dog named Buddy who was anything but my buddy.  I had dogs growing up and always enjoyed them, but for whatever reason Buddy was timid and did not care to be around me at all.  One morning I awoke to find the back room where Buddy slept in a crate looking like a crime scene:  the poor dog had lost control of his bowels and the mess was everywhere.  After calling the owner and being assured this was not out of the ordinary, Buddy seemed to know I was there to help.  He let me pick him up (and I don't think I had even pet him by that stage), place him in the deep sink, and wash him of his filth.  As the warm water poured over him, I remember him simply staring into my eyes as I talked to him.  Showing love to Buddy when he was willing to receive it marked the beginning of Buddy trusting me, and the ice melted.

It has been a long time since I read A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, but there was a passage that always stuck with me.  Phillip Keller spoke of a quality ewe that was the epitome of a wayward sheep he named "Mrs. Gad-about."  The problem with this ewe is she was a skilled escape artist that was never content to remain in the fold and taught other sheep how to follow suit.  It seems Keller did not consider the broken-leg technique on the ewe, for she had to go.  He said, "...I took the killing knife in hand and butchered her. It was the only solution to the dilemma."  This was not a cruel thing to do because he was moved by love for all his sheep and the good of the flock.  This may not make for a homey sermon illustration, but it rings true with reality how shepherds dealt with problem sheep in their flocks.  Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd and He laid down His life for the sheep so we can have eternal life.  Our call as sheep of His pasture is to love one another as He loves us.

Shepherds pursued sheep that wandered and were lost; they helped the ones that fell into a pit and broke bones on rugged terrain.  Jesus described the shepherd who left the 99 sheep to find one sheep rejoicing when he found it.  He would carry the sheep on his shoulders, call his friends and neighbours together, and ask them to rejoice with him because he found his lost sheep intact.  There were times this didn't happen, as Amos 3:12 says, that only piece of an ear or a couple legs would be found by the shepherd. The gladness of the shepherd and kindness towards his sheep was more likely to build bonds of love and loyalty in a sheep towards the shepherd than a shattered leg.  This agrees with God's word in Jeremiah 31:3:  "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."  When David or Jeremiah spoke of their bones or skeleton being broken by God, it is figurative indication of inner agony--not an allusion to the practice of eastern shepherds.

David sang in Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God, You will not despise."  God's desire is His people would humble themselves and be broken and contrite due to our sins.  God desires one person to be broken in spirit and heart like David was for his sin before a holy God more than a million burnt offerings.  Breaking a leg does not change a heart. God does not need heavy-handed tactics to convict us of sin nor will He force us to be with Him.  He wants us to love and want to be with Him even as He has demonstrated His love for us as our Good Shepherd by dying in our place.  We can humbly offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (with all limbs intact!) as a spiritually acceptable offering, made whole by Jesus and transformed by His love.  Even if our physical body is broken we are accepted in the beloved by God's grace because of Jesus.

Scraping Off Scale

The LORD gave me a good object lesson today with the lime tree at our house that has been beset by scale insects.  No matter what treatments or care I have provided, the saga always continues!  When I stand at the kitchen window I always am on the lookout for scale, and there are times I can see them easily.  What I have learned is whether I see them or not from the kitchen, if I walk up close and look patiently and hard, gently lifting branches and leaves by hand, I will most certainly find scale all over.  Even though the tree is diminutive and the leaves fairly sparse (likely a combination of highly alkaline soil, Neem spray and those troublesome pests!), once I start searching for scale to remove by hand it can be a time-consuming process.

It struck me how finding scale under one branch or leaf leads to me finding more scale elsewhere.  This is an apt illustration how every person in the church of Jesus Christ has their problems and sin that easily latches onto us.  If all the people in the church are represented by leaves on my tree, it is apparent that all of us have our problems whether it be sin or flaws in our character.  One only need linger and look more carefully and undoubtedly our inconsistencies, hypocrisies, unbelief and pride would be apparent to the keen eyes of others--having vast personal experience and thus awareness of these chronic problems ourselves.

Sometimes problems in the lives of people or in relationships are brought to our attention through interactions at church.  For all the problems we know about in a church, know there are countless more troubles, issues and sins than can be counted.  Even if we were to try to tackle every one of them, like scale on leaves many problems would evade our notice and more will become apparent in time.  We can feel like people are picking on us when our problems are brought to light and pointed out, but I assure you I have no ill will against any leaf on the tree--whether it is fresh growth, is wrinkled, dusty with mould, or has holes eaten through it.  It is not fun and enjoyable in itself to stand in the sun and scrape off scale that will be back in a day (literally!), but it is good for the tree to have someone looking after it.

I observe and scrape away the scale for the good of each leaf and the whole tree, and sometimes it stings.  Citrus trees have sharp little spines, and these easily penetrate the skin of fingers and leave them sore.  In a similar way, it can be hard and hurt to address the speck in the eye of a brother even after we have removed the plank from our own eye.  Feeling rejected, dismissed or judged unfairly when we take action for the good of others and the health of the body of Christ can be painful, but if we love Christ and one another sometimes it must be done.  There is healing for our hearts in the LORD who loves us and gave His life for our sakes.  We can rejoice the LORD examines our hearts and minds continually as He dwells within us, and He works faithfully to convict us of sin so we can repent and be cleansed of all iniquity and be restored to fellowship with Him and one another.

Galatians 6:1 reads, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."  Our tendency to ignore  dealing with sin in ourselves or others is almost as chronic as our persistence to sin in the first place.  It is easy to see how this is a vicious cycle that hinders repentance, humility and unity in God's love, grace and mercy.  As Christians we are not called to ferret out and condemn others for their sin but to confess our sins to the LORD and repent.  When it comes to our attention someone else is overtaken in any trespass, we are called to seek their restoration to fellowship with God and one another with gentleness.  It might be easier to rip leaves infested with scale off the tree, and that is how you kill a tree.  Let us take heed we do not cut off whom Jesus has grafted in.

When we are in a position where we have become aware of someone's struggles, troubles or sins, we can become impatient and judgmental.  This is evidence of spiritual immaturity--regardless of how much we know or how upright we see ourselves by comparison.  Praise the LORD He has made us members of the body of Christ where we can help one another be restored rather than being cast off for our mistakes.  God provides all members of the body of Christ opportunity for salvation by the Gospel, and He also generously offers opportunities for forgiveness, restoration and personal transformation.  As God identifies our sin and unbelief, He wisely connects our lives with other Christians who help us scrape away the scale and cleanse one another so we can be be healthy contributors to the whole church by His grace.

Exception or Rule of Life?

"O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water."

Psalm 63:1

David made it a daily practice to seek the LORD early and often.  He had the perspective that seeking and  communing with God was necessary for his life, even as those who exert themselves need to drink more water to stay hydrated.  In a dry and thirsty land where there was no water, God proved Himself able and powerful to reveal Himself to David--the God who gives living water for our souls.

It is important to realise seeking God for David was his rule of life and not just an exception in dire times of need.  We do well to examine ourselves and see what our established rules of life are, especially concerning seeking the LORD.  Considering this in light of diet and exercise is a good illustration to see why we can languish physically and apply it to our spiritual walk with Jesus as Christians.  I have discovered when I am disciplined to exercise daily as a rule, my physical health improves more than when exercise is an exception to my typical daily routine of being sedentary.  If I am watching my portions and being intentional to eat healthier foods as a rule, I can make an exception for occasional sweet treats without ill effect.  But if my rule of life slides into eating more than I need to and having dessert after every meal, I will not see any physical benefit from denying myself one dessert.

The spiritual impact of seeking God as an exception rather than our rule of life is seen in king Saul.  Saul was the sort of fellow who sought the LORD when he faced calamitous trouble but not something he cared to do every day.  Early in his reign when Philistines mustered to attack, he offered a sacrifice to God out of the fear of man.  We do not read of Saul building an altar to God like Abraham or offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving like Solomon of his free will at any time.  Because seeking God was not his rule of life, when he tried to seek God he found it impossible--like people whose rule of life is binge eating junk food who hope skipping a meal will help them drop 20 kilos.  Towards the end of Saul's reign 1 Samuel 28:5-6 says, "When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets."  Saul's pride and self-confident rule of life exposed his poverty of heart before God, and when God did not answer when Saul hoped, he sought a medium in violation of God's word.  Doing his own thing and going his own way was Saul's rule of life, and thus his attempts to seek God were in vain.

David made seeking God his daily and continual practice, even as Daniel knelt three times a day and prayed facing Jerusalem.  When the command from Darius was signed into law that he alone could be the one to whom prayers were directed for a month, Daniel did not make an exception to his rule of life governed by God:  he turned towards Jerusalem with open windows and prayed to the God of Israel.  Now there is a man who obtained favour from God!  When he prayed for the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, God answered with a vision in the night.  After being thrown into a den of hungry lions, God sent His angel to shut the lion's mouth all night and Daniel was unharmed.  God was with Daniel and gave him wisdom beyond his peers because he made seeking and praying to God his rule of life without exception.  It would have been easy for Daniel to become slack with devotion, reading God's word and worship of God when there was no temple, synagogue or priests in Babylon.  He sought the LORD as a man greatly loved of God, and he was told this personally by an angelic messenger because seeking God was Daniel's rule of life.

How about you?  Is seeking God early and meditating on Him night and day your rule of life or is it more of an exception to your normal routine?  Do not be surprised when you do not grow much spiritually or benefit much from times in prayer and Bible reading when you have reserved these activities only for trying times.  Reading the Bible for a few minutes will not offset all the nonsense we can meditate on as a rule throughout the day.  Worship God and make seeking the LORD your rule of life, and you will find yourself satisfied in Him regardless of your circumstances.  If you go to church, pray or wait on the LORD as an exception to your practice and rule of life governed by faith in God, don't be surprised when nothing seems to make a difference for you practically and spiritually.

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.