When You Cannot See

When we go through hard times, we can feel swept off our feet and cast down without hope.  It's also tough when things are going well and depression unexpectedly hits.  Christians with genuine faith are no exception.  Sometimes we are not alright and we can feel something is very wrong, though we can't put a finger on it.  I can compare my experience after delivering a sermon to someone suffering from postnatal depression yet on a spiritual level.  I want to "hit it out of the park" at every opportunity God provides me to preach, yet I often kick myself for falling short.  Then I need to dust myself off and throw myself into the process of preparation again - despite feeling down and worthless.  There are fleeting times of encouragement and the euphoria of apparent usefulness or progress, but these glad feelings can instantly evaporate as I sink to great depths and wonder if it is time to hang up the boots.

Apparently I am not alone in the struggle with feeling low as I labour in the Word and seek to follow Jesus.  The LORD prompted me to read a chapter called "The Minister's Fainting Fits" in Spurgeon's Lectures To My Students, a book which has been very useful to me over the years.  It is absolutely crammed with scriptural content and wisdom which has challenged and encouraged me.  The quote is long, but allow me to share the last paragraph from the aforementioned chapter as it was what I needed to hear today - and hopefully will be a blessing to you as well:

"The lesson of wisdom is, be not dismayed by soul-trouble.  Count it no strange thing, but a part of ordinary ministerial experience.  Should the power of depression be more than ordinary, think not that all is over with your usefulness.  Cast not away your confidence, for it hath great recompense of reward.  Even if the enemy's foot be on your neck, expect to rise and overthrow him.  Cast the burden of the present, along with the sin of the past and the fear of the future, upon the Lord, who forsaketh not His saints.  Live by the day - ay, by the hour.  Put no trust in frames and feelings.  Care more for a grain of faith than a ton of excitement.  Trust in God alone, and lean not on the needs of human help.  Be not surprised when friends fail you:  it is a failing world.  Never count upon immutability in man:  inconstancy you may reckon upon without fear of disappointment.  The disciples of Jesus forsook Him; be not amazed if your adherents wander away to other teachers:  as they were not your all when with you, all is not gone from you with their departure.  Serve God with all your might while the candle is burning, and then when it goes out for a season, you will have the less to regret.  Be content to be nothing, for that is what you are.  When your own emptiness is painfully forced upon your conscientiousness, chide yourself that you ever dreamed of being full except in the Lord.  Set small store by present rewards; be grateful for earnests by the way, but look for the recompensing joy hereafter.  Continue with double earnestness to serve your Lord when no visible result is before you.  Any simpleton can follow the narrow path in the light:  faith's rare wisdom enables us to march on in the dark with infallible accuracy, since she places her hand in that of her Great guide.  Between this and heaven there may be rougher weather yet, but it is all provided for by our covenant Head.  In nothing let us be turned aside from the path which the divine call has urged us to pursue.  Come fair or come foul, the pulpit is our watch-tower, and the ministry our warfare; be it ours, when we cannot see the face of our God, to trust under THE SHADOW OF HIS WINGS." (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to My Students: Complete & Unabridged. Ministry Resources Library, Zondervan Publishing House, 1989. pages 154-165)

Suffering for Speaking

Australian rugby union superstar Israel Folau made waves by a social media post which urged sinners of all kinds to repent with a list of verses from the Bible.  The Rugby Union Player's Association quickly denounced and distanced itself from the comments, and reports say Folau will be sacked for his repeated transgressions.  According to reports it was his lumping in of homosexuality in a list of sins where the Player's Association has lost patience, as he has been warned about this in the past.

Tracey Homes wrote an article on the ABC website and brought up points to consider should Folau be fired as a consequence of his social media posts:  "Are his posts inciting violence? Do they qualify as "hate speech"? If the answer is yes, then what does it say about the future of others in the game who hold the same views or religious beliefs? For too long those who identify as LGBTQI felt they had to be silent if they wanted to be accepted in sport — that is changing, and sports like rugby in Australia are helping create environments that are far more welcoming. The danger is that rather than ending the silence, another group now faces the prospect of being silenced."  Because Folau was seen to "vilify" particular sinners, he is now viewed by many as a hateful and homophobic villain.  My opinion on whether Folau should have posted what he did or the response of the union counts for nothing so I will not weigh in on it.  It seems the opinions of people are often only noticed when they offend someone.  What I can say with certainty is severe consequences like these towards people who believe and proclaim the scripture is to be expected and predictable.

It didn't take long for the news outlets who reported the firing of Israel Folau to dredge up an old video of him preaching and disparaging Christmas and Easter.  Again, the points he makes are his own and I see no reason to bat him or them around.  The point I take from this it is a graceless world in which we live where everything we say and do can and will be used against us.  Instead of cowering in fear or silence, however, we ought to continue to speak the truth in love:  our words should not be uttered to stir the pot, accuse, or condemn but humbly as we are led by the Holy Spirit.  Men who feared God in both the Old and New Testaments (and Jesus Himself!) were persecuted and punished for speaking the truth revealed by God.  Paul said as a matter-of-fact in 2 Timothy 3:12-13:  "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ¹³ But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."  When a person makes a stand for Jesus and the Bible as the Word of God, persecution and vilification is part of the deal.

In this perfect storm of social media, political correctness, and the fierce collision of worldviews, those who hold fast to God's Word can expect to cop a beating.  Praise the LORD there is abundant consolation in Jesus Christ for all the pains we endure, regardless of whether we deserve punishment or are censured unfairly.  The faithful followers of Jesus who were upbraided, threatened, and beaten for teaching in the name of Jesus, Acts 5:41-42 reveals how we too ought to respond:  "So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. ⁴² And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."  To all who agree with God's Word and admit they are sinners and need saving, Jesus is the only Saviour.

Sword Drills

As a kid going to Sunday School, one of the activities we would occasionally do (and I found it fun, by the way) was called a "sword drill."  The Bible is referred to as the Sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6, and the drill consisted of a race:  who can find the scripture reference first?  Since I had the books of the Bible memorised I never needed tabs or to look in the Table of Contents.  This certainly provided an edge over my peers.

Whilst it is of value to know the order of the books of the Bible for ease of reference, it is best to seek to order our lives according to what is written in them.  We are to go beyond racing to find a chapter and verse to learning to rightly divide the Word of truth.  The exhortation Paul gave to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 we ought to take to heart and make our regular practice:  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  Knowing how to safely and effectively handle the sword in combat takes training and practice, and it is true concerning the wielding of the scriptures.

For warriors having a sword in hand was the difference between life and death, and heeding the scripture ourselves is paramount to withstand the attacks of Satan.  Jesus was tempted and struck down every temptation with the truth of God's Word - the same words He believed and obeyed.  And this may be the point Christians must labour constantly, for unless we actually believe the Word and put it into intentional practice our memorised scriptures may as well be made of cardboard or rubber.  If Satan wasn't intimidated to take Jesus Christ on, he certainly will pull no punches with us.  Psalm 119:11 says, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!"  Those who have truly hidden the word in their hearts shall have it revealed by lives marked with purity and righteousness.

I wonder:  instead of focusing a great deal on rote memorisation of the books of the Bible (as useful and practical as this is), would it be better to be able to explain what a single verse says, what the verse means, and how it can be applied to our own lives?  Sword drills have their place, but drills are of little value unless we take what we learn into actual battle.

Beggars and Receivers

"And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." ⁵ So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them."

Acts 3:4-5

As John and Peter walked by the gate leading to the temple, a man lame from birth asked them for alms or charity.  Instead of walking past the man without a word, Peter bid the man to look at them.  Those who beg often make themselves look as pitiable as possible, wearing pained expressions or are clothed in rags.  Beggars I have seen in Israel near the Temple Mount do not always speak or make eye contact with passers by but shake a cup which contains a few shekels.  I have also seen a savvy beggar retreat away from the crowds to empty his mostly filled cup into a hidden purse to reappear with a couple of jangling coins to attract additional donations - but that is another story.

What I find compelling about these verses is how the man gave John and Peter his full attention.  His motive is plainly stated:  he was "expecting to receive something from them."  He did not know what would be given, but he looked to them expecting to receive.  What is implied is whatever they were going to give him - food, clothing, money, whatever - he was gladly going to receive and utilise it.  I have heard it said "Beggars can't be choosers" but I have seen this turned on its head many times.  I have run into some very choosy and demanding beggars who are intent on getting exactly what they want rather than receiving what is offered.  It seems to me the desperation of those in need impacts whether they are hopefully expectant in receiving or entitled to demand.

This man is a good illustration of the condition of all people before God:  lame outcasts, needy beggars, at the mercy of God, and without strength or power to sustain our lives.  It is good when we are willing to listen to God and those who speak forth His Word and walk in the Holy Spirit.  I have been reading the book of Jeremiah for morning devotions and there were very few who listened to him, though he spoke the truth which was confirmed.  It made me think about the many times I listened to a sermon or study and I did not share the expectancy to receive of this man.  I was already full of knowledge; I had no spiritual hunger or thirst, no apparent need.  I was critical of the way things were explained so I dismissed the truth.  I have given people my attention with no expectation of receiving anything because I was not open.  And yet God many times quickened me despite my dullness to receive and utilise wisdom of great value from unexpected sources.  There are millionaires who drive old cars and wear faded denim, and no one would suspect they own great wealth.  In a similar way I have also observed people who were not learned or polished speakers share the rich truths of the kingdom of God which are beyond price.

The beggar could have paid John and Peter no mind, by trade being fishermen from Galilee.  They were not dressed like the pope or bishops with rich robes or princely headgear but looked like ordinary men with calloused hands, worn clothes, and dirty feet.  Yet the beggar expected to receive something from them because they stopped and personally addressed him, and it was not long before he received physical healing in the name of Jesus Christ with joy and gladness.  The lame man expected to receive something, and what he received was not what he could have expected.  So it is with us before God:  let us humbly come to Him and read His Word, expecting to receive something - not on the lookout to confirm our bias or meet our demands - because we know God knows our needs and will supply all according to the riches of His grace.  Are you willing to receive what God supplies when it isn't what you asked for, even from an unexpected source?