Strength for Life

There is beauty in simplicity.  When we read and share the word of God we must avoid the trap of oversimplification.  Attempts to simplify can remove critical information to aid our understanding of God, ourselves and our situation.  For instance, I have heard many people criticise the prophet Elijah for despairing of life after he was threatened by Jezebel.  "After seeing the miraculous power of God provide fire from heaven and the great victory over the prophets of Baal, why did Elijah flee because of Jezebel?"  Oh, I think we could look at our own lives and find contradictions concerning faith in God and fear of man.  The trouble is, this hardly touches on what was really going on in Elijah's heart, and we can know this without a doubt because Elijah himself said so.

Whilst it is true the murderous threat of Jezebel prompted Elijah to go into the wilderness, this wasn't the half of it.  Remember what Elijah had endured to this point:  he had been pursued by king Ahab, had survived a drought with a woman and her son, and witnessed a nation in severe spiritual decline over many years.  Elijah showed symptoms of depression as he left his servant behind and 1 Kings 19:4 says, "But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"  Elijah and others had fought tenaciously against idolatry, resisted wicked rulers who led God's people astray and yet there was no visible change.  The fickle people would go back to Baals, and new prophets of Baal would be ordained by Ahab and ruthless Jezebel.  Elijah finally reached an end of his strength and resolve.

The passage in 1 Kings 19 then follows an intriguing pattern:  and angel touched Elijah and told him to eat and drink because the journey would be too much for him.  This happened twice.  Then after Elijah traveled 40 days to Horeb God asked, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" and Elijah repeated the same answer twice.  Elijah responded in 1 Kings 19:14:  "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."  Jezebel's threat upon Elijah was a culmination of many things which preoccupied the mind and heart of Elijah for some time.  His zeal, righteous example and godly exhortations had been ignored.  He was deeply grieved because God's people were guilty of forsaking God's covenant, destroying His altars and killing His prophets.  Notice Elijah does not say "she" (Jezebel) but "they," the children of Israel being a main subject of his complaint.  The corrupt, wicked government had many spies among the people and Elijah was exhausted, depressed and felt all alone:  "I alone am left."  I am sure many of God's faithful people can identify with feeling like Elijah did.

1 Kings 19:15-18 says, "Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. ¹⁶ Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. ¹⁸ Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."  While Elijah focused on the problems of the nation, his own inability to do anything about it, he felt alone and like giving up, God had all in hand with a plan that included Elijah.  God would have him anoint two kings:  Hazael over Syria and Jehu over Israel.  They would be God's instruments of justice upon the wicked rulers of the nations.  Elijah was to anoint Elisha a prophet in his place, and little did he know Elisha would have a double portion of the Holy Spirit!  Elijah felt all alone, yet God reserved a great remnant of 7,000 people who were faithful to God with whom Elijah shared this common ground.  By faith in God Elijah continued on, despite the threats of Jezebel and the idolatrous condition of the people.  God knew all about everything, and in God Elijah found sufficient grace to press on in obedience.

When the angel touched Elijah and told him to rise and eat "because the journey is too great for thee," Elijah found baked flatbread and a jug of water to drink.  This fits well with the picture of Jesus being the Bread of Life who gives the Living Water of the Holy Spirit who refreshes us during our pilgrimage on earth.  Without death threats we can easily be overwhelmed by the same things which troubled Elijah, the least of which was feeling alone in doing his best to honour God.  The depressed prophet prayed to die rather than live, yet God provided Himself as the reason for choosing life in obedience to Him.  You are not alone, believer, and God has great plans.  We are safe, and the future is bright in His hands.  Though wickedness and darkness at times seem to prevail, when we look to the LORD we find strength and endurance for the road ahead wherever God leads.

The Gift of Mum

Today we observed Mother's Day in Australia.  It can be a day of remembrance and reflection, a reminder to reach out in gratitude and thankfulness, and an official opportunity to give credit where it is due.  None of us would be here today without a mother who carried and bore us, and those who have nurtured and cared for faithfully by a mother have much to be thankful for.

The love of a mother is a special one, and I was reminded today how God knows all about it.  God is our Father, yet all dads and mums are a gift to children from Him.  Jesus said in Luke 13:34, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!"  Jesus used an analogy from nature, but who created chickens with the brooding instinct, to gather and guard her little ones?  It follows then the good care, affections and bonds we observe and admire in the animal kingdom springs from the goodness of our Creator.

The scripture is filled with examples of godly mothers:  Eve was the mother of all living, Sarah spoke up to protect her son Isaac's birthright, and Rebekah worked to ensured Jacob received the blessing of his father according to God's promise.  Hannah was faithful to her word according to God's faithfulness to her when she dedicated her son Samuel to the LORD.  During his formative years she was separated from him and made a little coat for him to wear when she visited him annually in the tabernacle.  Rizpah, Saul's concubine, guarded the executed corpses of her two sons and 5 other family members from birds and beasts night and day for months.  When Mary heard she would conceive the Messiah by the Holy Spirit she said by faith in God, "Behold the handmaid of the LORD!  Let it be to me according to your word."  After the shepherds came to find Jesus at his birth Mary heard their testimony of the angels and "kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

In these examples we see faint outlines of gracious love and kindness God has for His children.  The treasure of a godly mother is of greater worth than gold, and her persistent and enduring care is most admirable.  All blessings we experience in life come from God alone, and in honouring our mothers we honour the LORD who graciously provided one for us.  Love you mum, and I thank God for you. :)

Stirred by Living Water

In John 5, Jesus went to the pool of Bethesda and spoke to a man who had suffered a debilitating illness for 38 years.  For a long time he had lounged by the pool and waited for the moving of the water.  John explains that occasionally an angel stirred the water and the first who entered the water was cured of any illness they had.  After Jesus asked the man directly if he wanted to be well, he did not answer the question as John 5:7 relates:  "The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."

This focus of the sick man was fixed on the moving of the water when the Son of God came to him with miraculous power to heal and save.  He was desperate for healing and was overwhelmed by his inability to do anything to help himself.  In his mind deliverance from his illness could come by only one way, and confined the manner God could work to his own limited way of thinking.  Thankfully God cannot be squeezed into a box of our expectations, and despite this man's lack of faith God's miraculous power was in no way confined.  The man complained he had no man to help him because he had no idea who Jesus was.

John 5:8-9 reads, "Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." ⁹ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath."  The man was divinely enabled to do what he could not do, and healing did not come in the way he previously imagined.  This provides wisdom and insight for us when we are so focused on what we want and the way God must move to accomplish it.  The God who provides Living Water has come to us, and we ought to fix our eyes on Him rather than hoping for a miracle we imagine is the one way God could operate for our benefit.  We who have been redeemed and made to stand by God's grace should not be sedentary and languishing, doing the equivalent of waiting "for the moving of the water," when the Holy Spirit moves continually.

The sick man walked away well without the moving of the water because of the grace, compassion and power of Jesus Christ to do what men cannot.  The sick man looked to men, and the wise look to Jesus in expectant faith, knowing He is almighty and good.  Jesus said in Revelation 1:8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."  Let us rejoice and praise our Saviour who took our sicknesses upon Himself on Calvary, is able to keep us from stumbling and will present us faultless before the the Father with exceeding joy.  May we be stirred by the Holy Spirit to believe, honour and obey Him faithfully.

God Left Out

No one likes the feeling of being left out when we want to be included.  There are times when a person deserves to be included in something, like the groom or bride at their wedding.  The name of father, mother and child ought to appear on a legal birth certificate.  If a person wants to offer to buy a car, the owner of the desired car for purchase ought to be involved in the process.  All would agree it would be wrong to exclude those who ought to be included, even if they aren't well liked by others.

I read a news article on President Biden's proclamation on the United States "National Day of Prayer" that the word "God" had been omitted.  Ironically when I went back to refer to the article an hour later the title of it had been changed from "'God' left out of Biden's National Day of Prayer Proclamation" to "Biden leaves out important word in National Day of Prayer Proclamation."  I imagine editors did this as clickbait, to arouse curiosity so people would want to know what important word had been left out that warrants an entire article.  Whether the differences between President Biden and other presidents is newsworthy, I cannot say.  I am not surprised when God is omitted from our thoughts, speech and decisions because this has been prevalent since the beginning.  It is not right:  the truth is men apart from God cannot always do right.

While some take issue with the word "God," my concern is more on the sentiments quoted by the press.  Quoting the article the President said, "Throughout our history, Americans of many religions and belief systems have turned to prayer for strength, hope and guidance," Biden's proclamation reads. "Prayer has nourished countless souls and powered moral movements – including essential fights against racial injustice, child labor and infringement on the rights of disabled Americans. Prayer is also a daily practice for many, whether it is to ask for help or strength, or to give thanks over blessings bestowed."  I have heard many Christians speak of the "power of prayer," yet any power connected to prayer comes by God's personal involvement.  From a biblical view there is no spiritual power in prayer in itself or as a discipline.  It is not prayer that nourishes, but God who causes the sun to shine on the just and unjust.  It is true that many pray, and it is the ability of the object of faith to receive and respond to the prayer that makes it effectual.  A stone image, deceased relatives, the sun, moon or stars have no power to answer prayers.  That is God's sovereign domain.

If we are going to ask for help or strength, it is important to realise who we are addressing.  If we are giving thanks, it is imperative we know who we are thanking.  Otherwise, prayer is an empty exercise and is a waste of time.  Prayer is not good because it is useful for us or has "worked" for others, but because it is primary way for believers to exercise faith in drawing near to God in obedience out of a recognised personal need for Him.  Whether people complain or cheer over the presidential proclamation is of little importance to me personally:  what is important is that Christians include God in their prayers, conversations and lives.  To think we could pray or read the Bible or serve one another--and God be left out!  Do I pray just to assert my will, desiring a heavenly stamp of approval, or bow in submission and reverence before my Creator?

Being left out when we deserve to be included is a travesty, and leaving out God who created and redeemed us is even more absurd.  By His grace God chooses to include sinners in His eternal plans for good, so it is most fitting and right we include Him in the present.