Rank With Fear

We have been reading through the book of Ezra as a family and I was struck by the remarkable scenes of the children of Israel returning to Jerusalem at the command of King Cyrus to rebuild the temple.  People were not commanded to go up by heritage alone or lot but according to their willingness.  The LORD stirred the hearts of people to leave the land of their captivity and return to the ruins of Jerusalem to re-establish the worship of God who was their Inheritance.  They were greatly blessed and provided for by God.  It was God and faith in Him which enabled them to overcome their fears.

See what Ezra 3:1-3 says:  "And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. ² Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. ³ Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening burnt offerings."  The first order of business was to build an altar unto the LORD according to the Law of Moses, even before the foundations of the new house were laid.  Take note the people were in fear "because of the people of those countries" but they did it anyway.  Their attitude was not careless or cavalier but boldly united in the faith of God.

I appreciated the transparent insight into the feelings of the people and how faith in God enabled them to overcome and prevail.  The scene from the Lord of the Rings movie Return of the King with Gothmog comes to mind as they approached Minas Tirith.  It was a city ruled by a cowering steward unfit to reign and the warriors and people trembled alike at the sight of the evil horde which came to besiege them.  Gothmog sniffed and exclaimed:  "Fear!  The city is rank with it!"  Jesus told His followers to not fear or worry but to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things--all our needs for this life and for eternity--will be added to us.  We know we shouldn't be afraid, but fear is subtle and insidious.  Before long it becomes a plague which infests our motives, decisions, and actions.  The fear of man is a snare, yet the fear of God frees us from all sinful worries and cares.

With a global pandemic, a sharp economic downturn, and with a bleak outlook of swift recovery as drastic steps are taken by government and individuals for damage control and self-preservation, it is easy for us to give fear a place to bed down.  The future has always been uncertain and our lives perilous--and humans have always been susceptible to fear.  There is no possible way to alleviate our fears by giving into them or vainly attempting they exist.  It is a change of heart and mind we require to take our eyes off the howling storm and look beyond it to our loving Saviour.  God forbid our hearts should be rank with fear of anything when Jesus is our KING, for the love of God drives out all fear.  Though the people were afraid of the nations around them who opposed what they were doing, they arose and offered sacrifices to God.  May we praise the name of God in all seasons of life!  There is a purity in worship where faith in the God we know (Who knows and loves us) trumps fear of all unknowns.

God's Merciful Reign

I am convinced unless God was entirely good, loving, gracious, and merciful there would be no possibility for humanity to survive.  If there was a shred of greed, selfishness, pride, or arrogance in God it would only be a matter of time (and God is eternal!) before He wiped us off this planet like we sanitise surfaces of unwanted germs.  Even in times of difficulty and trials He remains good.  Our natural tendency is to turn away from or against the God who is our only source of hope, healing, and salvation to worries and fears.

In correspondence with my mum today she referenced Psalm 103 and what consolation is found there for all!  When I read through God's Word I mused to myself, who can say it better than God Himself, the One whose mercy is from everlasting to everlasting?  Now matter where or when we live, we exist in the peak season of God's mercy.  What an exhortation it is for people hungry for God's blessings to place their focus on blessing Him instead.  For your reading and living pleasure, here is Psalm 103 in its entirety.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! ² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: ³ Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, ⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ⁶ The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. ⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious,slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹ He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. ¹⁴ For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. ¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. ¹⁷ But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, ¹⁸ to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them. ¹⁹ The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. ²⁰ Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. ²¹ Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure. ²² Bless the LORD, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!"      Psalm 103

Make Love Flourish

The Bible is filled with exhortations to trust God, and our faith is made evident through our actions.  What may seem a very inconvenient time might provide a great opportunity to make good on our "good" intentions.  God never promises believers a life of ease and convenience but that He will supply all our needs according to His grace.

I was reminded of this as I continue to read through 2 Corinthians.  In chapter 8 Paul told the Corinthian church about the churches in Macedonia, how they were afflicted and in poverty but gave generously to help meet the needs of others in the church who were struggling.  The previous year the Corinthians expressed their desire to give, and though they had far greater resources to draw upon than the Macedonians they never fulfilled their intentions.  After using the Macedonian church as an example, Paul wrote to the members of the church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 8:7-8:  "But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also. ⁸ I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others."

The church in Corinth had abundant faith in Jesus, boldness to speak, great knowledge of the truth, were diligent in ministry, and demonstrated love for the saints, yet their giving to those in need lagged behind.  Paul, in a gentle and courteous way, encouraged them to focus on this area of weakness in their walk.  What I appreciate is how Paul did not start comparing the Macedonians with the Corinthians, using guilt or shame to manipulate them to financial giving, but he reminded them about what Jesus had done for them in 2 Corinthians 8:9:  "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."  Giving would be an expression of their love of God, acknowledged their Saviour Jesus Christ who gave all for them, and followed His example.  Through giving to meet practical needs their love flourished--not that they would be burdened and others eased--but so their abundance could supply what others lacked.

How fitting is this exhortation to the church today, and when I say church I mean the individual members of the Body of Christ.  May the love of God flourish through us as we give to meet the needs of others in what seems to be the season to stockpile; to supply generous provision instead of hoarding for ourselves.  I exhort you, believer, to seek the LORD's guidance and follow His directives to reach out today to at least one person you know:  a friend, family member, neighbour, or fellow Christian.  Ask them how they are faring, if they have any pressing needs, and consider how the LORD would lead you to contribute.  The LORD can use countless means to accomplish His good purposes and reveal His love and grace to others, yet it is amazing and awesome He chooses to use us to practically demonstrate His love.  It may not seem the most convenient time to give, but today is always the ideal day to cause the love of God to flourish through giving by faith in God.

Feeling Sorry?

"Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Everyone knows what it feels like to feel sorry, to experience regret over mistakes we were personally responsible for.  We have also felt sorry for people because they were going through a difficult trial or season we had nothing to do with--or felt sorry because we realised we were powerless to change the situation.  The Strong's Concordance connects the Greek word translated sorry with distress and sadness.  Paul distinguished between a godly sorrow and the sorrow of the world.  While sorrow could be generally called a transient grief or a "bad feeling for everyone, the following results help identify what sort of sorrow we have experienced.

One of the definitions of "sorry" in Webster's 1828 dictionary is most appropriate for the human condition:  "poor; mean; vile; worthless; as a sorry slave; a sorry excuse."  We can feel sorrow but in comparison to God we are sorry indeed because we commonly make mistakes, are forgetful, unfaithful, and foolish.  Feeling sorry about these things is an appropriate response!  As children we are taught to apologise, to say sorry to those we have offended or hurt.  Conversely, we feel it is the duty of offenders to not merely say they are sorry but to really mean it--a very subjective aspect of conflict resolution for children and adults alike.  We mistakenly make how badly the other person feels as their dutiful penance to earn our forgiveness.

In the first letter Paul wrote to church in Corinth he took them to task for sinful behaviour rife in their church.  Upon receiving that correspondence they were cut to the heart and expressed great sorrow for their errors.  Paul rejoiced not that they were sorry or felt bad, but their response revealed they sorrowed in a godly manner because it led to repentance.  Their repentance went beyond feeling bad about themselves and what they had done, and this is the hopeless tomb where worldly sorrow dumps and holds everyone hostage.  Godly sorrow about our sorry selves leads to acknowledging our sin, our need to change for the better, and looks to God for forgiveness, cleansing, and seeks reconciliation with those we have wronged.  Paul shared the life-changing results of godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians 7:11:  "For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: what diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter."

Sinners deserve to feel sorry but do not deserve forgiveness.  Praise the LORD through faith in Jesus feelings of sorrow for our sins move us to repent and receive the gift of forgiveness God's grace.  Repentance, having received forgiveness according to God's promise, is intentional to make necessary changes to ensure the sin is not repeated, restitution was made as necessary, appropriate boundaries are set for the future, and steps are taken to live above reproach.  A godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation not to be regretted.  The most regrettable things can thus be redeemed in a believer's life for God's glorious purposes and great rejoicing.  Jesus compared repentance to a lost sheep being found by his rejoicing shepherd in Luke 15:7:  "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."  Only God is able to turn tears of sorrow into joy.