Tonight our family read the account in 2 Kings 3, a testimony of God's grace in providing victory for His people. The chapter begins by explaining how Jehoram was a wicked king over Israel, and after the death of Ahab the nation of Moab rebelled against Israel's rule. Jehoram sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, a righteous man who feared God. Jehoshaphat agreed to help reign in the rebellious Moabites, and they traveled together for seven days through the land of Edom. The text says the king of Edom came along in support. Despite their planning and collaboration, they faced defeat before even meeting Moab in battle because of a severe water shortage.
Jehoram blamed the lack of water as a sinister plan of God to destroy them. Refusing to accept such a suggestion, the faithful king of Judah said in 2 Kings 3:11, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah." Jehoram remained unconvinced, but in the end they decided to seek the assistance of Elisha. 2 Kings 3:13-14 says, "Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."
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And Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you." Isn't that amazing? Jehoram and the king of Edom served idols, but Jehoshaphat feared the true God. God regarded the presence of Jehoshaphat because he feared Him. Not only that, but God provided water abundantly and allowed all three kings to be victorious over Moab for the sake of Jehoshaphat.
God does not regard the presence of those who hate him, but to those who trust Him God will look. He seeks to show Himself strong on behalf of those who fear Him. Laban realised God had blessed him as a direct result of Jacob working for him. Pharaoh promoted the incarcerated foreign slave Joseph to second in command because the Spirit of God was with him and gave great wisdom. Daniel and his companions were tested and found ten times wiser than the other wise men in Babylon because God was with them. God dwells in unapproachable holiness, yet He sent Jesus Christ His Son to be the Saviour of the world. Isaiah 66:1-2 says, "Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?
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For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist," says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." Those who highly regard the presence of God will be regarded by Him. Through the Gospel Christians are made the temple of the Holy Spirit, and He dwells within us. At all times we can commune with the Father through the prompting of the Spirit, and Jesus stands at the Father's right hand interceding on our behalf.
This world for millennia has reaped the rewards of God's answers to the prayerful intercessions of Christians. A day will come when the church will be taken, and the kings of the world will suffer. In Jesus we find rest for our souls, and in our hearts His Spirit finds rest too. Do we meet God's conditions so we might be recognised when we come before Him in prayer? Are we contrite, broken, and tremble at His Word? Our God is the God who sees, indwells, empowers, and glorifies. He is worthy to be sought and praised.
10 November 2014
Go Through Open Doors
When your church plans trips, activities, or courses, how do you view them? For a lot of my life I used to see all church-related activities or service as optional. Unless I felt specifically prompted to go or be involved, I would usually pass. But as I have continued to mature in the LORD, my views have changed. I see opportunities to preach or go on mission trips as open doors that I should aim to go through unless God closes the door. Do you see the difference? Many people have a consumer approach to offered church activities rather than seeing it as an opportunity to serve.
How would your perspective change if you saw an upcoming mission trip as an open door, swung wide by Jesus Christ Himself for you to enter? Jesus said in Revelation 3:7, "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens..." It is of great importance to realise what your call is as a Christian, and specifically what Jesus has called you to in the Body of Christ. We are exhorted to be diligent to make our calling sure (2 Peter 1:10) - not only concerning justification, but sanctification. Once you are convinced of God's call upon your life, it is an indispensable tool of the Holy Spirit to guide us through open doors we may have never noticed before.
In my own life, it was revealed to me in prayer, the Bible, and confirmed without solicitation by a praying friend that God had called me to be a pastor. It was not my plan, but God convinced me that I would preach, and I would be sent. Believing this indeed to be a call upon my life, whenever an opportunity to preach or teach was offered, I viewed it as an open door. I figured if God had opened a door which lined up with my calling, it was not for me to decide if I liked the look of the door or what potentials laid behind it. My role was to go through every door He opened, and not to concern myself with doors He shut. Do you realise that God does not open doors before you unless He intended you to enter them? Should it be evident to you He has closed a door, there is no need to strain at the handle or wonder if God knows what He is doing. It is wise to see every opportunity as an open door for you to walk through. When we seek Christ and examine our motives, we will know the way because Jesus IS the Way.
I encourage you to open your heart and consider the many open doors God has opened to you. Instead of asking, "Why should I go?" or "Do I feel like going?" or "Can I afford it?" ask, "Has God specifically told me not to walk through this open door?" Money is never an issue for God, and neither is time. It very well may be there have been thousands of open doors God has set before us which were veiled because our vision was clouded by self. We often already have plans, and the open door Jesus bids us enter was not part of that plan. Are you willing to walk through doors Jesus opens? Be open to open doors, and boldly walk through them in obedience!
How would your perspective change if you saw an upcoming mission trip as an open door, swung wide by Jesus Christ Himself for you to enter? Jesus said in Revelation 3:7, "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens..." It is of great importance to realise what your call is as a Christian, and specifically what Jesus has called you to in the Body of Christ. We are exhorted to be diligent to make our calling sure (2 Peter 1:10) - not only concerning justification, but sanctification. Once you are convinced of God's call upon your life, it is an indispensable tool of the Holy Spirit to guide us through open doors we may have never noticed before.
In my own life, it was revealed to me in prayer, the Bible, and confirmed without solicitation by a praying friend that God had called me to be a pastor. It was not my plan, but God convinced me that I would preach, and I would be sent. Believing this indeed to be a call upon my life, whenever an opportunity to preach or teach was offered, I viewed it as an open door. I figured if God had opened a door which lined up with my calling, it was not for me to decide if I liked the look of the door or what potentials laid behind it. My role was to go through every door He opened, and not to concern myself with doors He shut. Do you realise that God does not open doors before you unless He intended you to enter them? Should it be evident to you He has closed a door, there is no need to strain at the handle or wonder if God knows what He is doing. It is wise to see every opportunity as an open door for you to walk through. When we seek Christ and examine our motives, we will know the way because Jesus IS the Way.
I encourage you to open your heart and consider the many open doors God has opened to you. Instead of asking, "Why should I go?" or "Do I feel like going?" or "Can I afford it?" ask, "Has God specifically told me not to walk through this open door?" Money is never an issue for God, and neither is time. It very well may be there have been thousands of open doors God has set before us which were veiled because our vision was clouded by self. We often already have plans, and the open door Jesus bids us enter was not part of that plan. Are you willing to walk through doors Jesus opens? Be open to open doors, and boldly walk through them in obedience!
07 November 2014
The Path of Restoration
Three months have passed since I underwent ACL replacement surgery on my knee. When I first talked to my specialist concerning the procedure, it was not without warning. "The surgery has a high success rate," the doctor said. "But the highest probability of re-rupture occurs at the three month mark. You're getting stronger, you're feeling good, and you overdo it. You need to do the things I tell you to do, and not do anything I tell you not to do." No problem, I said. With a clear conscience, I can say for the most part I have kept my word. I may be out of the woods, but a long road to full recovery stretches before me.
Recovery from knee surgery is similar to what happens when God heals broken parts of our lives. Maybe we think that because we have been forgiven, reconciled, and restored, we can pretty much do whatever we want! But that is far from reality. Suppose I hadn't been warned to take precautions concerning activities to do or to avoid, and all my specialist did was give me a new ligament? I certainly wouldn't want or even think to do painful exercises. Restoration can hurt! If I avoided important exercises, flexibility and strength would be poor, and no doubt I would engage in potentially dangerous activities for the healing ligament. My ligament was fixed in a matter of minutes, but I still need to daily take intentional, practical steps to benefit the healing process which can take a year!
God forgives sin and says, "Go and sin no more!" After Jesus healed a lame man John 5:14 tells us, "Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." Healing of the body matters little if the heart has not been transformed. When God has delivered our souls from sin and death, it matters how we choose to live. Are we avoiding sin and living righteously? If I use my leg however I want or feel at the moment, I run the risk of severely damaging the ligament. But if I use it in accordance with the recommendations of my specialist, strength will be restored and healing promoted. The Holy Spirit guides those who are born again and reconciled to God. God's Word is not a series of recommendations, but the words of life we do well to heed! As we live out our days, may we take the steps necessary for restoration!
Recovery from knee surgery is similar to what happens when God heals broken parts of our lives. Maybe we think that because we have been forgiven, reconciled, and restored, we can pretty much do whatever we want! But that is far from reality. Suppose I hadn't been warned to take precautions concerning activities to do or to avoid, and all my specialist did was give me a new ligament? I certainly wouldn't want or even think to do painful exercises. Restoration can hurt! If I avoided important exercises, flexibility and strength would be poor, and no doubt I would engage in potentially dangerous activities for the healing ligament. My ligament was fixed in a matter of minutes, but I still need to daily take intentional, practical steps to benefit the healing process which can take a year!
God forgives sin and says, "Go and sin no more!" After Jesus healed a lame man John 5:14 tells us, "Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." Healing of the body matters little if the heart has not been transformed. When God has delivered our souls from sin and death, it matters how we choose to live. Are we avoiding sin and living righteously? If I use my leg however I want or feel at the moment, I run the risk of severely damaging the ligament. But if I use it in accordance with the recommendations of my specialist, strength will be restored and healing promoted. The Holy Spirit guides those who are born again and reconciled to God. God's Word is not a series of recommendations, but the words of life we do well to heed! As we live out our days, may we take the steps necessary for restoration!
06 November 2014
In the Cool of the Day
On Thursday I volunteer for the Pyjama Foundation, a organisation that seeks to provide friendly mentoring and boost literacy for kids in foster care. Today was a bit strange, in that we did not read at all! It was a learning and growing time for me as a living parable played out before my eyes.
As I turned right at the roundabout, I saw two kids playing down by a creek. I suspected one of them was Nate (name changed), and upon entry to the home my thoughts were confirmed. We enjoy spending some of our time outdoors and I was early anyway, and after greeting everyone I headed outside. Yesterday it had rained heavily and the creek was higher than usual. The boys had noticed! Nate was skipping stones with a friend and for a while we threw rocks into the water. That didn't last for long. All that water and mud was simply too interesting, so the boys headed down for a closer look.
Nate and his mate hopped down into the waterway, only to bury their school shoes to their ankles in mud. This was very exciting, I mean, who could have expected that? Since they were muddy already, what was the harm in trying to wash off their shoes? For these boys, "cleaning" those shoes and socks was more of a novelty than a necessity. Besides, their shoes cleaned up so well (as long as you don't mind brown socks which once were white!), there was little motivation to stay out of the mud.
As they waded through the murky stream they were engrossed with their new environment. Pieces of broken glass were like discovered treasure, and discarded bits of wood became bridges. Then there was a vain attempt to build a dam to stop the flow of water. It was amusing seeing those two muddle around, trying to hold back the flow of water with a couple rocks and handfuls of sand. As time passed their clothes grew increasingly wet and muddy. "Do you think I should wear this shirt to school tomorrow? I can wear a jumper over it!" It wasn't long before they were trying to find the softest mud to sink into, and Nate sunk almost halfway to his knees. He slurped out of the mud with a laugh, amazed at the qualities of mud. My, who could have thought this could be so fun?
After about a half hour I told Nate it was time to head to the house and clean up so we could read and do some activities together. Nate started moving in my direction when suddenly his friend found a lizard, and they were on the hunt. It was a particularly aggressive lizard, the kind that runs away and hides in rocks when you walk closer to it. I was having a good time watching Nate have fun, and I wasn't going to make him do anything he didn't want to do. "Ben, Ben!" he would shout, and I walked closer to appreciate his latest discovery. Once it was a large drain pipe; another time it was a deep pool with slippery mud around the edges. Further upstream they travelled, finding more treasures and lizards among the sandstone rocks. It was lovely to hear the boys laughing and feel the cool afternoon breeze as it rustled through the gum trees.
I was suddenly reminded of when Adam walked with God in the cool of the day. There I was, pacing slowly back and forth, waiting for Nate. I was not in the least bit impatient. If Nate would rather play in the creek, I was fine with that. My time with him is a gift I rejoice to give because I am his friend. I was struck with an idea: how many times has God come to visit me with His presence and I was busy doing other things? To think that I could be like that little boy, running around trying to stop a flowing river with a rock and handfuls of sand! It was a sacred moment as I stood by a gum tree, watching those kids. There I was, and God was walking with me. He was talking with me. In the stillness of my heart I was blessed with the knowledge God visits His children who are precious in His eyes, even when they don't expect or call Him. He wants to spend time with us in mornings and evenings, and even if you happen to stand for an hour watching kids play in mud. Men's best efforts are about as useful as those distracted boy's attempts at building a dam out of sand, and they were beyond hopeless! I confessed sin and asked Him to cleanse me. The LORD knows I am no more clean or pure than those muddy, water-logged children in my flesh. This filth of this world sticks easily to us. I quietly sang a few songs of praise as I watched from a distance, drinking in my Saviour's love.
We never made it inside the house to read today, but it was a sweet time of fellowship with the LORD and good time spent with a couple of delightful boys. After I told Nate my time was up and I was heading off he said, "Boy am I going to be in trouble for this. I already have an early bedtime as it is!" He was a frightful sight. His face was streaked with mud, his once white shirt was half brown, his socks permanently stained, and his shoes were a disaster. "Well, what did you think would happen when you jumped in the mud?" "That's just the problem," he said with intensity, running over to jump in a dirty puddle. "I never think about what's going to happen later because I just think about having fun now!" Well said, Nate. Those are words even adults who try to stay out of the mud can learn from if taken to heart!
As I turned right at the roundabout, I saw two kids playing down by a creek. I suspected one of them was Nate (name changed), and upon entry to the home my thoughts were confirmed. We enjoy spending some of our time outdoors and I was early anyway, and after greeting everyone I headed outside. Yesterday it had rained heavily and the creek was higher than usual. The boys had noticed! Nate was skipping stones with a friend and for a while we threw rocks into the water. That didn't last for long. All that water and mud was simply too interesting, so the boys headed down for a closer look.
Nate and his mate hopped down into the waterway, only to bury their school shoes to their ankles in mud. This was very exciting, I mean, who could have expected that? Since they were muddy already, what was the harm in trying to wash off their shoes? For these boys, "cleaning" those shoes and socks was more of a novelty than a necessity. Besides, their shoes cleaned up so well (as long as you don't mind brown socks which once were white!), there was little motivation to stay out of the mud.
As they waded through the murky stream they were engrossed with their new environment. Pieces of broken glass were like discovered treasure, and discarded bits of wood became bridges. Then there was a vain attempt to build a dam to stop the flow of water. It was amusing seeing those two muddle around, trying to hold back the flow of water with a couple rocks and handfuls of sand. As time passed their clothes grew increasingly wet and muddy. "Do you think I should wear this shirt to school tomorrow? I can wear a jumper over it!" It wasn't long before they were trying to find the softest mud to sink into, and Nate sunk almost halfway to his knees. He slurped out of the mud with a laugh, amazed at the qualities of mud. My, who could have thought this could be so fun?
After about a half hour I told Nate it was time to head to the house and clean up so we could read and do some activities together. Nate started moving in my direction when suddenly his friend found a lizard, and they were on the hunt. It was a particularly aggressive lizard, the kind that runs away and hides in rocks when you walk closer to it. I was having a good time watching Nate have fun, and I wasn't going to make him do anything he didn't want to do. "Ben, Ben!" he would shout, and I walked closer to appreciate his latest discovery. Once it was a large drain pipe; another time it was a deep pool with slippery mud around the edges. Further upstream they travelled, finding more treasures and lizards among the sandstone rocks. It was lovely to hear the boys laughing and feel the cool afternoon breeze as it rustled through the gum trees.
I was suddenly reminded of when Adam walked with God in the cool of the day. There I was, pacing slowly back and forth, waiting for Nate. I was not in the least bit impatient. If Nate would rather play in the creek, I was fine with that. My time with him is a gift I rejoice to give because I am his friend. I was struck with an idea: how many times has God come to visit me with His presence and I was busy doing other things? To think that I could be like that little boy, running around trying to stop a flowing river with a rock and handfuls of sand! It was a sacred moment as I stood by a gum tree, watching those kids. There I was, and God was walking with me. He was talking with me. In the stillness of my heart I was blessed with the knowledge God visits His children who are precious in His eyes, even when they don't expect or call Him. He wants to spend time with us in mornings and evenings, and even if you happen to stand for an hour watching kids play in mud. Men's best efforts are about as useful as those distracted boy's attempts at building a dam out of sand, and they were beyond hopeless! I confessed sin and asked Him to cleanse me. The LORD knows I am no more clean or pure than those muddy, water-logged children in my flesh. This filth of this world sticks easily to us. I quietly sang a few songs of praise as I watched from a distance, drinking in my Saviour's love.
We never made it inside the house to read today, but it was a sweet time of fellowship with the LORD and good time spent with a couple of delightful boys. After I told Nate my time was up and I was heading off he said, "Boy am I going to be in trouble for this. I already have an early bedtime as it is!" He was a frightful sight. His face was streaked with mud, his once white shirt was half brown, his socks permanently stained, and his shoes were a disaster. "Well, what did you think would happen when you jumped in the mud?" "That's just the problem," he said with intensity, running over to jump in a dirty puddle. "I never think about what's going to happen later because I just think about having fun now!" Well said, Nate. Those are words even adults who try to stay out of the mud can learn from if taken to heart!
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