God Regards the Lowly

"Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar."

Psalm 138:6

God is exalted and on high, greater than all others.  The affluent, famous, and powerful among men fraternise with others like them, but the Creator of all things condescends to hear the lowly.  No amount of riches can compensate for or afford His blessings, but Jesus gladly acknowledged the widow who freely gave two copper coins which amounted to a penny because she gave all (Mark 12:41).  The Most High draws near to the humble soul He regards, but keeps the proud at a distance.

It is entirely possible to have great wealth with humility as Jesus Himself showed:  all things are created by Him and for Him, yet He gave all to put on human flesh with humility.  Since He has all authority in heaven and earth Jesus could have come as a king in glory attended by the host of heaven shouting His praise.  Jesus was instead born of a virgin, wrapped with strips of cloth, and laid in a feeding trough because there was no room for him in the inn.  He was viewed with disdain and suspicion as a child conceived out of wedlock, and when Jesus was grown even His own brothers did not believe He was the Son of God.  Even when He was crucified Jesus prayed concerning His enemies, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do."  What grace!

Jesus told an insightful parable in Luke 18:9-14:  "Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' ¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

In the Jewish culture the Pharisee would have been regarded by men for his praying, his clothing and tefillin, tassels, tithing and fasting, yet he only prayed "with himself."  A tax collector, despised and maligned by his fellows, went home justified with a short, unorthodox prayer because he humbly begged for mercy.  He humbled himself before God and would be regarded and exalted by God, yet the proud Pharisee who trusted in his own righteousness by the Law despised the man who actually found favour with God.  Thanking God did not eliminate the Pharisee's pride but put it on display as he foolishly imagined himself worthy of God's notice and favour.  The question is, are we willing to humble ourselves?  The rich and poor alike can do this if we will acknowledge God's greatness and our unworthiness.

Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.  The proud man does not see his need for God while the humble realises all he has is a gift from God.  Genuine humility is like God's wisdom:  God is the only source of both.  Without God we could never humble ourselves and see self in truth as constantly and completely corrupted by pride.  Pride is endemic to the human race:  a rich man may feel superior because of possessions or station in life, and person in poverty is too proud to admit they need help.  The day we imagine we have pride quashed it pops up again like a mechanical "Whack-a-mole" game--and trying to win by brute strength or speed is impossible.  The amazing truth is the proudest, most hardened sinners can humble themselves by the grace of God and He is faithful to draw near.  He has not dealt with us according to our sins but with the grace and humility demonstrated by Jesus Christ as He walked among us.

The Good Fight of Faith

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

1 Timothy 6:12

Paul strongly urged Timothy not to be swept up by fables, the pursuit of riches, or the works of the flesh, but to fight the good fight of faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul realised a door opened by Jesus did not mean there would be no adversaries or conflict.  All who walk through doors Jesus opens will face opposition, starting with themselves.  Answering the call of Jesus will always require a personal cost of dying to self, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus.

Being "called" by God does not mean the path of following Jesus will be easy:  there are many people Jesus called out to who refused to follow or heed Him at all!  Timothy had been called to eternal life through faith in Jesus, called as a pastor, and gifted by the Holy Spirit.  But calling was no guarantee Timothy would fulfill his calling, much less labour to lay hold on eternal life.  Eternal salvation through the Gospel is absolutely secure, and at the same time Timothy had a personal responsibility to humble himself, to submit to God and others in love, and to hear the Word of God and do it.

Paul's confidence in Timothy's calling was not on the basis of Timothy's calling, gifts, or public profession of faith, but in Jesus Christ whose blood provided atonement for the sins of the world.  Following Jesus is good but it is not easy with the opposition which withstands children of God in subtle and overt ways.  Having realised the pitfalls of pride, perverse disputes, the love of money and pursuit of wealth, Paul exhorted the young pastor in 1 Timothy 6:11, "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness."  Fleeing other things preceded the pursuit of Christ and His sanctified life.

Faith in Christ is a battle mostly waged and won within our hearts and minds, for if Jesus refused to lay down His will in Gethsemane there may not have been a Calvary.  It is glorious to be called by Jesus and to have the sure promise of eternal life provided for disciples of Christ by grace through faith.  At the same time if we have genuine faith we will hear the Word of God and do it.  Our weapons of warfare are not carnal but mighty in God to pull down strongholds--spiritual strongholds in our own minds and hearts which impact our conduct and choices (2 Cor. 10:3-6).

Praise God He has called us to lay hold on eternal life, and though our days are filled with conflict may we press on in following Christ without retreating from the front lines.  Let us press the advantage of our Saviour who has claimed the victory over sin, Satan, the flesh, and death.  We overcome not by positive thinking or self-help but because Jesus is our Saviour and we follow Him.  Going our own way leads to ruin, but Paul affirms in 2 Corinthians 2:14:  "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."  Thank God for His glorious presence and promise.

God's Pop-Quiz Moments

I don't know about you, but in school I never preferred a pop-quiz.  I always appreciated the opportunity to review and brush up on information to perform at my best.  Being unexpectedly put on the spot with the possibility of failure was never a enjoyable feeling.  The one major upside of a pop-quiz is all the students were in the same position, and if all did poorly it indicated ignorance of the students and the need of additional lessons.

Life is full of pop-quiz moments God allows for His good purposes, and when we realise we have failed it compels us to labour to be better prepared in the future.  Though God knows everything He also tests us so the condition of our hearts will be revealed to all.  These tests are not undertaken in a classroom with pencil and paper at a desk but in our responses to God in words, deeds, and attitudes.  Moses told the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 8:2, "And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."  There is the test of having little and trusting Him with obedience, and another unexpected test of having abundance and humbling ourselves before God and others too.  This is the test God gave King Hezekiah after his life was miraculously prolonged, and it was a test he failed.

King Hezekiah is numbered among the good kings of Judah, a man who feared the LORD and laboured to please Him.  When strong enemies besieged the city, lobbing threats and mockery over the walls, Hezekiah's faith did not falter.  He looked to God and relied upon Him alone, and God did great wonders to save His people and Jerusalem.  Hezekiah also cried out to God during a grave illness, and God saw his tears, heard his cries, and extended his life for 15 more years. 2 Chronicles 32:25-26 reads, "But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶ Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah."  Hezekiah failed the pop-quiz of having great abundance he showed off to the ambassadors of Babylon, but repentance for his pride reveals the test fulfilled the divine purpose because a valuable lesson was taken to heart.

When we think of being tested or tried it is likely we picture a painful betrayal, an illness, a tragic loss, or conflict.  But the test God provided Hezekiah came when the stores were well-stocked, the treasury was enriched, and his health was fine:  the pop-quiz came with the smiling, friendly ambassadors who brought gifts to celebrate his recovery from sickness.  In this entirely prosperous season of life this incident is contrasted in 2 Chronicles 32:31:  "However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart."  This is heavy, that God who had been leading and helping kind Hezekiah all the time "withdrew from him" so the real Hezekiah would show himself, Hezekiah who needed God to walk wisely and humbly.  The inevitable result?  Hezekiah failed the test being lifted up with pride, but he passed the test of humbling himself in repentance because God helped him.

Whether you find yourself in a trying season or things couldn't be better, know the only way we can pass the test is when we humble ourselves before God and are led by the Holy Spirit.  In poverty we can despair and lose hope, and when all is prosperous we are easily lifted up with pride and forget to rely upon God.  We never know what form the pop-quiz from God will take or when it will come, and the only way we can be prepared to pass is when we humble ourselves before God in faith and obedience.  And when we fail, for there is no man who does not sin, may David's words in Psalm 51:10-13 be on our lips:  "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You."

Christ our Hope

Every time we speak, text, or write, God's people have the opportunity to edify one another in the faith of Jesus Christ who is our Hope.  I started reading 1 Timothy this morning and was reminded of Paul's exhortations to Timothy to faithfully teach the doctrines of Jesus Christ our LORD, "...nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith." (1 Timothy 1:4)  As long as people have been around there has never been a shortage of political intrigue, controversies, and conspiracies which cause disputes, often preying upon fear and ignorance.  Fueled by doubt and speculation, the fear and praise of God can be overshadowed with endless disputes which profit nothing.

The praise, worship, and glory of God however is timeless in beauty, truth, and relevance.  The youngest son of Jesse named David who God brought from the sheepfold to be a ruler over all the tribes of Israel had plenty to occupy his mind:  the death of his best friend Jonathan, enemies without, intrigue within, rape and murderous plots within his own family, the aggressive and violent sons of Zeruiah, and constant adversity.  Prone to being downcast and overwhelmed, David remembered the LORD and looked to Him with songs of praise.  He acknowledged the greatness of God and considered His mighty works and thus was brought through dark seasons with steadfast joy and peace.  Because God was his hope--not his rights, ability to win a debate, or political clout--he was enabled to rest with the Good Shepherd in pastures of green beside still waters as a rule rather than an exception.

What does it profit to protest against government when we know and are known by the KING OF KINGS?  How are believers edified by promoting controversies which cause disputes instead of directing our perspective towards the Most High in worship and praise?  I exhort all God's people to fix their eyes no matter what happens today in faith in God and His Word.  Life is not hopeless when Christ is our Hope.  Consider the song of David recorded in Psalm 145, a glorious proclamation of our great God and Saviour!

Psalm 145

1 I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. 

2 Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. 

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. 

4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. 

5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. 

6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. 

7 They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness. 

8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. 

9 The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. 

10 All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, and Your saints shall bless You. 

11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power, 

12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 

14 The LORD upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down. 

15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. 

16 You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. 

17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. 

18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. 

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 

20 The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. 

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever.