Responding to Giving with Giving

One passage of scripture which always brings a smile to my face is the interaction between Abraham and Ephron the son of Zohar.  Sarah the wife of Abraham had died, and as a stranger in the land he did not have a place he owned to provide a proper burial.  Abraham gathered the children of Heth together and because he was highly regarded the people invited him to make his request.  Genesis 23:7-9 states, "Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. ⁸  And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, ⁹ that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you."  And so began an extended discussion concerning the land and their final agreement.

The way Abraham spoke about buying the field is interesting because he never uses the wording we typically would.  We might say, "I'd like to buy that," or "I'll take that off your hands."  But Abraham asked Ephron to give him the land, and he would give the full price for it.  In our culture when we buy something or pay for a service, we give to receive.  After Ephron agreed to give him the land and cave, Abraham responded to giving with giving. Genesis 23:12-13 reads, "Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; ¹³ and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there."  The price was agreed upon, the money weighed before witnesses, and the title transferred.  Ephron gave him the land, and Abraham gave full price for it.

This transaction between Ephron and Abraham is similar to the Gospel.  Jesus gave His life for us, and we should not be content with His giving alone:  having been born again by grace through faith we ought to give ourselves to Him.  What a privilege it is God would give all things to us, and that He would delight to receive anything from our hands.  We do not give motivated by guilt of all we have received but of thankfulness for all God has given.  Jesus was willing to pay the full price for our sins on the cross, and having been purchased with His blood we too can give.  We are not entitled to receive any gifts, and what a privilege it is we can give to God and others.

Choose Life, Not Death

Suicide is a blight upon the world, and the awful impact has touched virtually everyone.  Today I read an article on the 9 News website about a young man of 24 who committed suicide because "He felt there was no way out."  The article went on to highlight the connection between tradesman and higher than average rates of suicide - and increased alcohol and drug use.  For those who are battling depression, alcohol and drugs make the downward spiral much worse.  The article said the stress the young man faced "was just too much," and suicide was his solution.

What do you do when life is too much?  From a biblical viewpoint, suicide is never a good option.  But the world has romanticised suicide to a degree, and this perspective is held for in the classic cowbell rock tune by the Blue Oyster Cult, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper."  This is a song millions have heard and sing along, but beyond the cowbell and catchy riffs the lyrics could have a sinister interpretation.  Whilst the songwriter says the song is about eternal love rather than encouraging suicide pacts, he admitted his surprise when people took it that way.  After saying the reaper should not be feared the lyrics continued:  "Came the last night of sadness and it was clear she couldn't go on..."  As Romeo was separated from Juliette, she ran to the reaper without fear to be reunited with her love in eternity - where exactly the song does not say.

The song says "it was clear she couldn't go on," and this sounds similar to the news article which said life "was just too much."  Suicide is an ultimate conclusion of a soul which is not regarding God.  Suicide has been the end for unbelievers and Christians alike, and killing self is not the escape it purports to be.  If life feels like a "living hell," it is nothing compared to the eternal hell all souls go who die in their sins.  To live on earth is better than to be bound by eternal chains in darkness.  If a person feels like there is "no way out" of their problems on earth, know there is no way out of the hell people choose for themselves which was prepared by God for Satan and his angels.  Suicide is not an "unpardonable sin" of course, but it is condemned by God as murder.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  If we want to be free indeed, it only comes through faith in Him.

Christians are no strangers to depression and difficult times.  I was reading in Spurgeon's proverbs, "Lightness of spirit may bring darkness of soul.  Too often has it been so!  Tender consciences soon discover that something is wrong between God and their souls, and then their sinful levity is followed by heaviness of heart.  Thus Berridge complained of himself:

"Brisk and dull in half an hour,

Hot and cold, and sweet and sour;

Sometimes grave at Jesus' school,

Sometimes light, and play the fool!

What a motley wretch am I,

Full of inconsistency!

Sure the plague is in my heart,

Else I could not act this part."

(Spurgeon, C. H. Spurgeon's Proverbs and Sayings with Notes. Vol. 1, Baker Book House, 1975. pg. 333)

Suicide is a wretched deception because it is a fatal, permanent decision for temporary issues.  Debts can be paid; love can be found again.  In Jesus Christ there is hope, peace, joy, and rest which does not depend upon circumstances.  Suicide offers no hope:  only death and increased pain and suffering.  The deceased body feels nothing, but what of the soul?  What of those who are left to pick up the pieces of their own broken hearts?  This horrendous act creates more questions than provides answers.  If you are someone who is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, talk to someone who cares for and loves you.  Even if there is not one person in your life you are convinced loves you, remember God loves you with an everlasting love.  He created you, cares for you, and Jesus demonstrated His love for you by dying on the cross for your sins.  We all deserve death but we are granted eternal life through faith in Him.  Why choose death when there is life in Christ?

Great Is God's Faithfulness

My wife Laura shared an observation with me yesterday I thought was profound.  She related how common it is when we hear someone is going through a hard time to instinctively pray for the trial to be over immediately and miraculously, for healing, for an easy escape from the difficulty - not considering the circumstances could be divinely ordained to accomplish God's purpose we do not comprehend.  I have found this to be true in my own experience.  It is easy for compassion to regress to mere human pity and we pray for a swift and preferably painless conclusion.  We can pray according to the direction of men rather than seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Should God employ hard times to work wonders in the lives of people, should we pray against that?

After turning these thoughts over in my mind, my evening Bible reading echoed what Laura had said.  Written by Asaph, Psalm 83 addressed God concerning those who opposed Him and His people as enemies.  See what he prayed in Psalm 83:13-16:  "O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! ¹⁴ As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, ¹⁵ so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm. ¹⁶  Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O LORD."  For those who stubbornly hate God and refuse to hear His Word, God uses the fire of affliction, the tempest of trials, fearful uncertainty, and deep feelings of shame to cause people to seek Him.  If they will not pursue God, He can use even the fiercest storms to draw them to Himself that they might be saved.  It is one thing to ask God blow His enemies away and consume them with fire, but Asaph rightly sought this ultimately for God's glory - that people would seek God and find Him.  It is similar to Paul delivering false brethren to Satan that they learn not to blaspheme, the destruction of their body working for the salvation of their souls (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:20).

Wait a minute, you might say.  The context of this passage speaks of the unbeliever!  A good God wouldn't allow His beloved children to suffer such things!  We only need look at the righteous Son of God Jesus Christ who suffered on the cross for the sins of the world to see such protests are misguided.  God disciplines His children for sin, and He also allows them to be tested and tried as in the case of Job.  As God's children we can know a couple things for certain:  1) in this life we will suffer according to the will of God (1 Peter 4:19) and 2) we will never be permitted to suffer needlessly (James 5:11).  God will bring us to His good intended end as we persevere in faith, and our risen and living Saviour is proof of this.  Even in our light affliction (which may seem burdensome beyond measure) God is gracious, merciful, and compassionate.

Knowing God is good and remains in control despite our pains is most comforting.  His mercies are new every morning and He never leaves us at the mercy of our enemies - even when it feels like it.  The enemy of our souls prowls around seeking to devour, but what is that power to our Good Shepherd who crushed his head on Calvary?  Can the strongest lion overpower a forest fire or lightning from a storm?  The lion will flee, and so he should.  If God can bring eternal life from death on the cross, can't He bring good out of our suffering - we of little faith?  Great is God's faithfulness to us!

Being Strong in the LORD

Being born again through faith in Jesus Christ brings about a new perspective and identity.  We discover the reality of who Jesus is and many blessings afforded us by revelation in the Bible.  God's Word says it like it is, whether we feel like it or not.  We learn how God created us, loves us, and made a way for salvation through Jesus.  The Bible speaks of God's faithfulness and all He has accomplished, and in addition provides commands and directives which by His grace we can obey.

A familiar example is presented in Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus.  Ephesians 6:10-13 reads, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour  of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."  As children of God through faith in Jesus Christ we are recipients of the Holy Spirit.  It is through Him we weak vessels are made strong.  It is in our weakness God's strength is perfected, wielded through humility, surrender, and obedience to Him.  Believers are told to put on the whole armour of God because we face a spiritual adversary.  It is God who enables us to stand fast.

Using the analogy of the armour of Roman soldiers, Paul described the spiritual armour God has provided through the Holy Spirit.  He spoke of the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the preparation of the Gospel, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God).  I have heard people say in teaching this passage that if we do not know each part of the armour, how can we put them on?  Answer:  the same way love is the fulfilment of the Law.  I do not need to know all the 10 Commandments by heart to observe them, for if I love God and others as I ought I will keep them.  I believe it is good to know each piece of armour God has provided by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  We make a mistake, however, to think that by the virtue of our efforts we can put them on.  If we are filled with the Spirit and walking in obedience to God's Word, we will be strong in the LORD and stand fast.

In no way do I want to trample the discipline many employ to "pray on" each part of the armour of God at the start of the day.  It is a good reminder of the reality of spiritual opposition we will face and the protection God has provided for us as His enlisted soldiers.  At the same time I believe when we are filled with and yielded to the Holy Spirit of God we have our "armour on."  There is nowhere in scripture we are ever told to remove our armour, and therefore no daily necessity to put it on (when you have kept it on).  Inspection of armour and weapons is important in every conflict, though.  We can know for certain when we are not walking in the Spirit (or in other words - facing a spiritual battle without spiritual armour) because we will be given over to fear, lies, deceit, worries, and cares.  The fiery darts will hit their mark and we find we are over-sensitive, quick-tempered, easily tempted, and resentful.  We can know our armour is in place when we have real reasons to be vengeful but are gracious and kind.  We once would have justified being angry but instead discover comfort in prayer, and we could easily be preoccupied but experience the joy and peace of God.

The multi-faceted armour of God and soldier picture is only one of the many ways a Christian relates to God.  We are not just soldiers but sheep of His pasture, ambassadors of His kingdom, fellow oxen sharing the yoke of Christ, and God's dear children.  Believers are compared to individual parts of a body whose head is Christ, and the church is compared to a chaste bride being prepared for the Bridegroom.  When we are filled with the Spirit and rely upon Jesus, walking in obedience to the scripture, we will be equipped for every good work.  This includes being strong in the LORD and in the power of His might.  Praise the LORD for His goodness and strength provided for us all!