Stand in Awe

"Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. ⁹  For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."

Psalm 33:8-9

How good it is to stand in awe of God!  When God says something, it is done.  We are talking about the God who spoke the earth and universe into existence, who imagined life and created it in all its varied forms.  He spoke, and it was done.

There was a centurion who came to Jesus in Capernaum to ask Him to heal his beloved servant.  Jesus agreed immediately, and said He would be glad to go heal him.  The centurion then said something which caused Jesus to marvel in Matthew 8:8:  "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed."  This man perceived the incredible authority Jesus possessed, and with the power of His words alone - like when God said "Let there be light!" and there was light - Jesus could heal his servant.  According to the faith of the man it was done, and that very hour the servant was healed by Jesus.

Do you believe Jesus can just "say the word" and it will be done?  Our trouble comes when we think Jesus ought to speak what we desire this very hour and doubt His authority and power if He does not.  We must remember that our lives are in God's hands, and He will do with us as He sees fit.  God is utterly trustworthy, and we should stand in awe of Him.  As our King He has all authority over us, and as our Father He loves us with an everlasting love.  Let us be obedient to His voice, even as the water separated from the dry land at His word alone.  There was no debate, no discussion, no explanation:  only words coming forth from God.

We want God to speak a word on our behalf, but will we stand to obedience at His word?  Do we regard His word because He is worthy who speaks?

Goodness That Leads to Repentance

Today we sung a song in church which reminded me it is God's goodness which leads to repentance.  Paul held forth this truth in Romans 2:4:  "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"  God's lovingkindnesses are many, and it is due to His mercy which has stayed His hand from justly destroying men for their sin instantly.  Whilst it could be truly sin we should "Repent or else!" with knowledge of God's judgment, God does not threaten us with pain or torment should we refuse His righteous demands.  It is not the fear of God's wrath but the kindness and goodness of God which moves us to repent.

For many Christians, it may have been fear of death and hell which caused us to trust in Jesus - more than the goodness and kindness of God toward us.  Like Bob Sjogren and Gerald Robison conveyed in the book Cat & Dog Theology, our posture towards God is important.  There are people who came to God because they were backing wide-eyed away from the abyss of hell, and those who have turned towards God because He is a glorious God and a worthy Saviour.  It is a awesome day when we learn to fix our eyes primarily upon Jesus rather than turn to Him as a last resort.  If we are in the habit of backing away from troubles and not looking where we are going, we will ultimately trip over and have no sense of direction.  It is the love and trust of Jesus - not the fear of hell - which should move us to repentance and do what is right.

Even faithful dogs can have curious moments, like when they wander out of the back yard.  Concerned for the safety of the animal, a caring owner will pursue their pet.  Many times I have witnessed dogs who know full well their owners who are trying to coax them to return to the yard, but the dog is more interested in sniffing everything in sight, happy to stay just out of reach.  God is like a loving Shepherd who pursues His sheep, not threatening us with hell to make us return.  It is His kindness and patient pursuit which leads to our repentance, and He is kind and gracious even when we have been stubborn and foolish.  If we are more moved by the fear of punishment than the love of God for us, it seems we need a change of perspective which aligns with Romans 2:4!

We have been greatly enriched by God's goodness, forbearance, and patience which suffers long.  Let us be patient with others as He has been patient with us.  May we also do good in God's sight, realising and walking in kindness and mercy God has freely bestowed upon us.  God, forgive me when I have repented to save my own skin and thought little of your goodness and grace!

Think On These Things

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Psalm 46:1

The Bible provides great insight and objective truth to all who believe.  Memorisation of scripture is good, but to understand and personally apply scripture is better still.  When I was a kid I went to Awana, a youth group which placed a high priority on scripture memorisation.  Admittedly I learned to repeat verbatim many scriptures I did not understand and could not explain.  If we will emphasise the importance and value of memorisation, let us not miss the crucial steps of understanding and obedience to the scripture.  At the end of Lesson 2 in the Self-Confrontation Manual developed by John C. Broger, after suggesting several plans to memorise scripture and to recite them to others it reads, "When you recite your verses to this person, also explain what the verse(s) mean and how they are to be applied to your life."  To this I say, amen!

The meaning of a verse of scripture has the depth and breadth of an ocean of God's wisdom, and most of the time we are content to splash around in the shallows.  We may understand what the verse says and means, even in context, yet there is more.  How good it is when we stop and think about each word or phrase carefully.  God has much for us to glean in the 12 words of Psalm 46:1.  Just for fun (because it truly is for a hungry soul!) let's break this verse down into parts to consider fully the truth presented here.

• "God is..." Here is objective, unchanging truth.  God not only is, but has always been and will always be.  His gracious love, infinite strength, wisdom, provision, protection and salvation are available to all who repent and seek Him in faith.
• "our..."  God has united all who fear Him, having accepted us in the beloved through faith in Jesus Christ.  We have continual access to our heavenly Father who has chosen and called us to trust Him.  He will never leave or forsake those redeemed with the blood of Christ.  We are never alone!
• "refuge and strength..." Just like we run to the shelter of our homes in a massive storm, Christians find refuge in God who protects and keeps us.  Unlike a house which can be flooded, burnt down, or rendered unsuitable for living because of a destroyed foundation, our God has all strength.  The foundation we have in Christ will endure forever.
• "a very present help..." Emergency services have standard response times, but the help God can provide is immediate.  God is more than nearby or "on-call" but He is very present - in fact, the Holy Spirit lives inside of born-again Christians and can help us and others simultaneously according to every need.  God knows what help we need and how to provide it for our good and His glory.
• "in trouble." If we have car trouble we go to a mechanic; when our bodies are ill we go to a doctor.  Whilst we require specialists for our troubles, God is able to be a very present help in any kind of trouble.  Our troubles do not trouble God.  He invites us to be casting our cares upon Him at all times because He cares for us.

Now wasn't that fun?  What verses have you memorised?  Have you applied the eternal truth of them to your situation?  Take time to think them over and how you might apply them to your own life.  Expect God to expand your understanding of what you think you know when you obey what He has said.  We haven't hardly scratched the surface of fully appreciating the wisdom of Psalm 46:1, and God delights to teach and reveal Himself to all who humbly seek Him in faith.  God has much to say to us when we will listen and obey!

The God Who Reveals

"Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹  And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!"

Genesis 48:10-11

As Israel's days drew to a close, Joseph brought his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh to be blessed by their grandfather.  Israel's eyes had grown dim, yet God allowed him to see something beyond his wildest dreams.  Many years earlier Israel was deceived by his elder sons to believe Joseph had been torn by wild beasts when he had actually been sold by them to slave traders.  Israel was shocked when it was revealed Joseph still lived and was a ruler in Egypt.  In the twilight years of his pilgrimage, Israel rejoiced to spend time with his beloved Joseph again.

Whilst in Egypt, Israel's long-lost Joseph had two sons.  Genesis 48 conveys the touching scene when Israel kissed, embraced, and blessed Joseph's sons, adopting and blessing them as his very own.  Blind though his eyes were, I cannot imagine Israel speaking without a twinkle in his eyes when he said, "I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!"  This is how our amazing, awesome God works.  Israel was resigned to never seeing Joseph again with his eyes, yet God allowed him to see Joseph and his sons!

Our eyes are naturally dim like Israel's, for we see as in a mirror dimly.  Even when we have "perfect vision" according to optometrists our range of vision is limited in scope, and our ability to see images and colours is dependant on light.  The things God reveals to us are greater than we could ever ask or think, more astounding than our wildest dreams.  The things we cannot fathom God simply does, and He opens our dim eyes to see it.  The light God shines drives the darkness away.  God brings hope to the hopeless.  For decades Israel mourned the loss of his son Joseph, but he later received his two sons and treated them as his own.

Things which are improbable, even impossible, God does. The miraculous is common for our God, the great Revealer of secrets, the One who brings the dead back to life.  God is able to melt hearts of stone and restore souls.  He opens blind eyes and brings reason to corrupt minds devoid of understanding.  God has done amazing things for us, but He is not finished.  He has more in store for you in this earthly pilgrimage, things you would not dare verbalise for the sheer impossibility of the thing.  As we continue trusting the LORD, He will bring to pass things beyond our imagination.  Israel's heart longed for his son, but God gave him two grandsons which never came into his mind.

The truth of 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 seems an appropriate conclusion:  "But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." ¹⁰  But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God."  What an impossibility, that finite man could know an infinite God!  Yet God has revealed Himself, and has opened our hearts and minds to know Him and appreciate all He has freely given us.  Hallelujah!