Seeing Things Clearly

As a kid the only glasses I wore were sunglasses.  At a point it became clear to me my eyesight had degraded when I could not effortlessly read street signs, number plates, or small print on a page.  After I was fitted with corrective lenses reading became easier, but I didn't always wear them.  Now when my glasses are away from the table or chair I will stand up to retrieve them rather than muddle through reading because they make a noticeable difference.

People who already have glasses occasionally have their eyes checked because as the ability of eyes to focus continues to degrade the prescription changes.  There is a two-fold lesson for the child of God here, for we too need correction from God's word concerning our beliefs and the way we live our lives.  Whether we are taking steps of faith or beginning to backslide, lessons from scripture will target areas of our lives where improvement and change is needed.  The second lesson is we need to appropriate God's truth by putting it into practice, just like I need to wear glasses for them to be practically useful.

The realisation I was not seeing clearly prompted me to visit the optometrist to have my eyes checked, and the Holy Spirit uses our conscience to prompt us to personally take to heart the wisdom in God's word that corrects and instructs us.  One thing I often need to do is clean my glasses because I inadvertently smudge them throughout the day.  The glasses which help me see clearly at a point can became a hindrance rather than a help, and the same can be true concerning our conscience.  The Holy Spirit is always perfect and good but our conscience can become weak, defiled and seared.  The scripture rightly wielded by the Spirit is like a clean mircofibre cloth which polishes up the easily smeared lens of our conscience.

Psalm 119:103-105 reads, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! ¹⁰⁴ Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Honey is sweet to our taste, and God's word is sweet to His children.  Corrective lenses benefit greatly those who wear them yet are worthless in the dark!  Jesus is the Light of the World who enlightens us from within, and the Bible is a lamp to our feet and light to our path.  Knowing we need God's guidance, correction and wisdom is a necessary first step, and the second is to put into practice what God has said.  I would not know honey was sweet except I tasted it, and we will not realise the sweetness of God's word until we believe and follow it.

Joy Is Holy

Yesterday I had the privilege of giving the sermon at a wedding.  I expected to be called up to present the sermon but instead was provided a seat on the platform.  It was the first time I have witnessed a wedding from a perspective where the groom, bride and witnesses could be viewed at once.  Words cannot described adequately the overwhelming scene of joyful love.

As the wedding party walked down the aisle and assumed their places, there is only one way to describe the feeling of excitement in the chapel:  joy.  A simple truth dawned on me like never before:  joy is holy.  Of course it is, right?  Joy is listed among the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.  The joy everyone experience in that moment was made possible only by the gracious gift of God.  It was a small and sublime brush with the divine for all people present as God made two people one flesh by the covenant of marriage.

The holy joy that could be felt in that moment was possible because of God alone.  It was a joy foreign to this world that no ritual, legal contract or great conquest could compare.  The non-believer may have chalked up the happy smiles to a festive family occasion, but the reality is God was there liberally providing joy and love.  People imagine it is marriage that will bring happiness to their lives, yet God supplies joy to the married and unmarried alike out of His goodness.

Jesus said to His disciples in John 15:9-11, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."  The only way Jesus can give His people fullness of joy by faith in Him is because He has more joy to give than we can possibly receive.  Like when He miraculously fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, there is more than enough joy to go around.  How good it is when we realise Jesus is the source of joy that is pure, holy and glorious, and having received the Holy Spirit we rejoice in the Giver.

The Power of Suggestion

In our suburb the council picks up the rubbish bins weekly and the recycle bins biweekly.  Because we do not write a schedule in the diary, it can be easy to forget if this week is recycle week or not.  Typically the amount of recycle stuffed in the bin is a good indication as well as looking outside to see what the neighbours are doing.  When in doubt, put the bin out is what I do.

This week was one of those recycling wondering weeks:  we had a full bin but no one had placed their recycle bins out.  As our bin was wheeled to the kerb I found it amusing that bright yellow bin was a suggestion to others it was recycle week--even if it wasn't.  Because of our prominent house position on a corner, I mused over how many people would put out their bins just in case if it turned out to be at the wrong time.  By evening pretty much everyone on our street had their recycle bins out and it was thought provoking how one person doing something could lead others to follow suit.

The power of suggestion is at work all around us more than we realise.  How many times have you read a book, watched a movie, visited a church or hired a contractor at the suggestion of others?  How often has exposure to an idea encouraged further thought or research of the subject?  Seeing others do something as simple as rolling a yellow bin to the kerb has prompted us to think about and even do it ourselves.  Consider how many things we have thought about, said or done because we saw someone else do it first and planted the idea in our heads.  When it comes to things both good and evil it is likely we have gone beyond where we began.

The aim to influence people by suggestion reeks of manipulation and is a common technique Satan employs.  God does not suggest; He speaks plainly and directly with commands to obey, warnings to consider and promises to believe.  Believers need not remain in doubt of His will regarding sin, for He has given us the scriptures, our conscience and the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.  Satan was glad to suggest to Eve God was wrong, she would not die, and the fruit would make her wise.  Eve took the bait, yet we are not without help in the face of alluring suggestions because the LORD is with us.  By the grace of God we can repent of our sin, foresee evil before we participate in it and do what we know pleases God.

Paul did not make "suggestions" to believers he addressed in his letters but exhorted them to glorify God.  To "exhort" means "to encourage, to embolden, to cheer, to advise."  The faith of a believer is according to knowledge of divine wisdom and realities, not suggestions we can take or leave.  1 Thessalonians 5:14-24 says, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. ¹⁵ See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil."

A suggestion is a hint, whereas an exhortation incites a commendable action.  If we Christians heed these exhortation how my neighbours responded to seeing a yellow bin at the kerb, by God's grace we will do well.

Help in the Battle

A passage I read this morning was a good reminder some battles are too big for us to handle alone.  We often fail to walk in victory because the battle we are fighting is not one He has called us to fight, we lack to exercise faith in God, imagine we can win by our efforts, or we are unwilling to ask others for assistance.  There are countless ways we can fail, and the only surefire way of victory is faith and obedience to Jesus Christ.

After the ambassadors King David sent to Ammon were shamed, the Ammonites hired Syrians as mercenaries for protection because their disgraceful conduct was basically a declaration of war.  In response to the large force assembled against them, David sent general Joab to quash the threat.  Joab found himself in a difficult position to fight on two fronts, with the Ammonites before and the Syrians behind.  It is challenging enough to fight the enemy in front of you, but how can you contend with enemies one cannot see?

2 Samuel 10:9-12 reads, "When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel's best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. ¹⁰ And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array against the people of Ammon. ¹¹ Then he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ¹² Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight."  By the grace and power of God Israel won the battle that day, and God used Joab and Abishai to lead his people to victory over their enemies.  The Syrians were beaten so soundly they were afraid to ever help Ammon fight Israel again.

Joab experienced victory because he took courage in God in whom he trusted.  In obedience to his king Joab went to war with his brethren.  He involved his brother Abishai to take the lead to "have his back" because there were enemies on both sides.  Joab did not see himself as a pillar of strength but realised during the battle he or Abishai would need help to prevail.  His plan of attack and dividing the army for mutual benefit was under girded by faith in God and His sovereign goodness.  Joab had an advantage we might not, for we do not always realise we are in a battle or conflict.  There are internal, external and spiritual forces at work that evade our notice.  Regardless of the nature of the battle, realisation of our weakness and need for God and others are keys to experiencing victory God provides by grace.

Our strength comes from abiding in Christ by faith with recognition of our inability to do anything for Him on our own.  Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10-12, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor 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."  We are called to be prepared to fight the LORD's battles, and many of these battles take place in our own minds.  2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us our weapons are not carnal but mighty in pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments that oppose the knowledge of God, and bring every though into captivity to the obedience of Jesus.  Jesus has overcome, and as we follow Him we are led into victory.