Settling for the Ideal

Before crossing the Jordan river and entering the Promised Land, the Israelites obeyed the command of the LORD to war against the Midianites.  Numbers 32:1-5 reads, "Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, ² the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, ³ "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, ⁴ the country which the LORD defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." ⁵ Therefore they said, "If we have found favour in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan."

The situation played out like this:  the Israelite tribes of Reuben and Gad had much cattle, and the region was ideal for cattle.  They therefore requested to inherit the land east of Jordan instead of the land westward of Jordan God had promised - sight unseen.  The men who made the request proved honourable in that they fought alongside their fellow tribes until all came into their inheritance of land, and they desired to keep the covenant of Law before God in unity with all Israel.  Yet because they could not imagine better land for their herds and flocks, they settled for what seemed ideal.  It makes me wonder how often God's people (myself included) have settled for what seemed best at the time rather than trusting God who knows best!  The tribes of Ruben and Gad were pleased to continue raising livestock as they had in the past rather than embarking on a new adventure with God at the controls.

I find it interesting the land east of Jordan is no longer part of modern-day Israel.  The pens and paddocks built by the children of Reuben and Gad and the cities they dwelt in are now part of Jordan.  The land they chose for themselves passed to others, but the land received by inheritance by those tribes willing to cross Jordan trusting God have been restored.  The decision of the tribes of Reuben and Gad to choose their own inheritance rather than trusting God's plan for their future is important to take to heart.  Perhaps in their situation I would have done the exact same thing, but the long-term results remain for all who live today to consider.  I am convinced God's eternal plans for me are far superior to my dreams, for God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20-21).  The prophet Amos is a perfect example.  He explains God's plans trumped his experience in Amos 7:14-15:  "Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: "I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. ¹⁵ Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.'"

I love this!  While Amos was faithful to the LORD and was responsible and content in his current job, God tapped him on the shoulder to do something radically different: to be a prophet!  The tribes of Reuben and Gad may have owned great herds of livestock, but God's plans for them was not limited by their past experience or possessions.  Because of our skills or current job we might limit God to using us in that arena, but God is not confined.  We are the ones guilty of limiting Him, imagining there could be nothing superior for our needs and crossing the Jordan in faith is really unnecessary.  Thank the LORD He is patient with us, even allowing people who settle to be blessed.  Is it worth the risk of missing out on God's plans for settling for our ideal situation?  Not a chance!

Need for Fellowship

As a person who tends to remain at one church for extended periods, I often wonder about the metrics people use to determine which church is ideal for them.  At the onset I am unsure if an ideal church actually exists since all individual members (including the seeker) are in various stages of maturity and growth.  And if we ask the question, "What is the best or ideal church for me?" if "me" is the central or primary point of emphasis clearly my ideals are skewed.  There are both practical and spiritual aspects to consider.  Is the meeting place reasonably close to my home?  Are the doctrines taught biblically sound?  What I find most concerning is though there are many Christians denominations and groups of all kinds, some can't seem to feel comfortable or fit anywhere and thus are not engaged in regular fellowship with other believers.  Maybe comfort isn't the best metric to use.

Over the years I've heard things I didn't expect, like:  "I could never go to a church where the pastor is younger than me" and "I'm only here for the air conditioning."  Upon hearing these things I probably just stood there like a stunned mullet, not exactly knowing what to say.  It's sad when we approach church as consumers, as customers who enter into an arrangement of goods and services rather than a gracious contributor.  It's also a tragedy when we use worldly gauges to determine the quality of a church, like how many people attend, how "dynamic" the worship team or preacher is, the comfort of the seats, or how active the church is in mission work.  Church is more than a building, amenities, or programs, but a group of people who love God and one another.  Hebrews 10:23-25 is an exhortation fit for the family of God:  "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

The Christian walk is much more than showing up to meetings with other believers, but it is impossible for us to be in fellowship with one another unless we are with one another.  It's impossible on your own to obey the "one another" commands Jesus gave!  We are to consider others as more important than ourselves, knowing and believing through us God intends to reveal His love to regulars and visitors alike - and God has things He will use others to reveal to us.  A lot of people who are not signed up for a particular role during a service might feel obliged to miss church gatherings, yet I am convinced when this is a chronic practice it is to the detriment of all.  This mindset seems focused on self rather than considering the needs of others, since God has chosen us for one another.  Our exhortations to stir up love and good works are without force if we are rarely present and model these virtues ourselves.

Since each of us are part of the church, the Body of Christ, we are to walk in the love of God through obedience to Him.  Jesus won't leave or forsake us because His is faithful, and our faithfulness in fellowship is the outflow of faith in Him demonstrated through obedience.  In the end, meeting up for church gatherings to celebrate and worship God is not about you or your comfort:  it is about God!  It is misguided to use church attendance as a gauge of the spiritual health of others or ourselves, but that we love one another as Jesus loves us.  To obey is better than sacrifice, and fellowship will cost us.  The cost of drifting without regular fellowship with believers, however, is far more costly.  We need fellowship, and others need us - whether we preach from a pulpit, greet people at the door, or pray.

Heart Problems

Everyone seems to have different opinions about what is "wrong with the world."  I have heard some claim religion is to blame for wars and conflicts, but such would be hard-pressed to argue with the biblical definition in James 1:27:  "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."  There is a lot in this world which defiles heart and soul, and many things done in the name of religion are sinful in God's sight.  Therefore it is not religion itself that is the problem, but sin in the hearts of people where the issue lies.  All religions are not equal or valid in God's sight, even as the end cannot justify the means.  There is only one way to salvation and eternal life, and it is not gained through observance of a "religion" but through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus often said things which amazed those who followed Him.  After a rich man walked away from Jesus sad because he was unwilling to give away His possessions at Christ's command Mark 10:23 says, "Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  Riches and abundance were often seen as favour from God, so this was a surprising revelation to His disciples.  He doubled down with a clarification in Mark 10:24:  "And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  It is not riches themselves where the problem lies, but in our hearts.  When we have wealth we will tend to trust it and find our security in dollars rather than God and faith in His Word.  We foolishly tend to value riches of earth more than desiring treasure in heaven.

Jesus absolutely blew their minds in Mark 10:25-27:  "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." ²⁶ And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" ²⁷ But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  It is impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a sewing needle, and the suggestion it was easier to do the impossible than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God was incredible indeed.  They wondered how anyone could be saved!  Jesus told them with men it is impossible, and this is true.  No man can purchase with money the right to enter heaven or leverage his wealth to wash himself of sin.  All men, rich and poor, need forgiveness and atonement of sin through faith in Jesus Christ.  The poor man recognises his need perhaps more than the rich man who has a comfortable life.  Yet God is able to save the rich and poor, the orphan and the widow:  with God all things are possible.

I have heard this statement of Jesus applied to many situations, but the context concerns the eternal salvation of souls.  The rich young ruler who walked away sad was not without hope because with God all things are possible.  I am certain the Holy Spirit brought conviction of sin, of righteousness, and judgment, bringing the words of Jesus to remembrance.  But God would not save a man who refused to be saved.  The way of salvation through Jesus was open to the man, but it was his decision to embrace his riches or pass through the Door in faith marked with obedience.  When disaster strikes an aircraft and it lands in water, the safety brief says to leave everything behind - even your identification, wallet, and handbag.  I wonder how many people have traded their lives for their stuff they were rushing to grab instead of obeying the commands.  Jesus can save to the utmost all who come to Him, and we must submit to His terms.  Religion, money, or this world are not to be blamed for man's sin and unbelief:  we each bear this alone.

Jesus Rings True

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24

The friend you desire is the friend you ought to be to others.  C.S. Lewis wrote something profound in his book The Four Loves:  "The very condition of having Friends is that we should want something else besides Friends." (Martindale, Wayne, and Jerry Root. The Quotable Lewis. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2005. page 236)  If all you want is a friend - like a child who is glad to have a neighbour for an hour and then for them to go home - then it should be no surprise you find friendship rare.  Friends are not a commodity to possess but a fellow to walk alongside and encourage through life.  Yet if a person offers intimacy and accepts others with the same love reserved for family, this is a friend worth having.  Friendship is a gift of God we can cultivate which knits hearts together with a connection truer than that of blood relation alone.  C.S. Lewis went on to write this:

"The common quest or vision which unites Friends does not absorb them in such a way that they remain ignorant or oblivious of one another.  On the contrary it is the very medium in which their mutual love and knowledge exist.  One knows nobody so well as one's "fellow."  Every step of the common journey tests his metal; and the tests are tests we fully understand because we are undergoing them ourselves.  hence, as he rings true time after time, our reliance, our respect and our admiration blossom into an Appreciative Love of a singularly robust and well-informed kind.  If, at the outset, we had attended more to him and less to the thing our Friendship is "about," we should not have come to know or love him so well.  You will not find the warrior, the poet, the philosopher or the Christian by staring in his eyes as if he were your mistress:  better fight beside him, read with him, argue with him, pray with him." (Martindale, Wayne, and Jerry Root. The Quotable Lewis. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2005. pages 237-238)

I am blown away by the fact Jesus called His followers friends as He revealed Himself to them by "ringing true" again and again.  He was consistent in His unswerving love and acceptance of them, even when one was a devil.  When Jesus Christ was first made known to me I was told He loved me and died on the cross to save me, and these facts were gladly accepted.  But as I have gone on with Jesus the more I appreciate other aspects of His life and ministry as well.  I have actually grown to know Him through His Word and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It is not I who have stuck by Him but He has never left, forsaken, or forgotten Me.  He has kept me a friend according to His grace whilst I am a horrid friend!  He is the ultimate Friend and more than a friend:  He is my Saviour, Redeemer, Deliverer, Healer, Teacher, Shepherd, Master, and KING.  That God would be a Friend to sinners is awesome:  we shall be His treasured friends forever!