Worship Before the Win

A song I have been thinking of since Sunday is "God My Rock" penned by Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche.  The lyrics are as follows:

When my heart is overwhelmed

I will look to You alone

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

You will stand when others fall

You are faithful through it all

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

In the blessing, in the pain

through it all You've never failed me

You are the strength of my heart

You are the strength of my heart

I can rely on You, I can rely on You

You are the joy of my life

You are my song in the night

There is no one as true

Jesus I trust in You

When I've struggled to believe

You have not let go of me

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

Carried through the darkest storms

You have held me in Your arms

God my rock God my rock God my rock

It is good when the child of God understands that "in the blessing, in the pain" are not contradictory but complimentary.  We do not often think of pain as a blessing, yet consider the blessing beyond reckoning we have received through the loving sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.  With full knowledge of the physical pain which awaited Him, Jesus for the joy that was before Him endured the cross (Hebrews 12:1-3).  When the pain is overwhelming and chronic, even then God remains good.  A child of God by faith can endure and remain steadfast and strong when resting in the promises of God.  David wrote in Psalm 27:13-14, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"

When we are overwhelmed by pain, trials and feelings of impending doom, we forget the blessing we have in God at all times.  We imagine we are alone and no one can understand or appreciate our suffering.  A good example of what to do when overwhelmed is provided by King Jehoshaphat when mighty nations united against Judah to attack.  Jehoshaphat admitted before God and all the people, "We don't know what to do God, but our eyes are on you."  At that moment the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah who reminded the people the battle is the LORD's and they would not have to fight at all in this battle.  Before the battle had been fought it was already won by the victory of faith because people knew God was with them.  A multitude of enemies prepared to attack them, and the people fell on their faces before God in worship and praised Him.

2 Chronicles 20:20-22 reads, "So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." ²¹ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever." ²² Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated."  The people demonstrated faith in God by obedience to His word to go up against an army they could not defeat, and they praised God and worshiped God as victors before they won.  Isn't this an example we can talk to heart, that we exhibit and demonstrate faith in God by worshiping the God our Rock who we trust, who fights our battles, who carries us through the darkest storms, the One who never lets us go?

Light in the LORD

"O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the LORD."

Isaiah 2:5

In the beginning God said, "Let there be light!" and there was light.  Before the sun, moon and stars were created, God spoke light into existence.  In God is light and no darkness at all.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World and the darkness could not comprehend it.  The apostle John wrote of Jesus in John 1:9, "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world."  Even as the sun shines over all the earth, Jesus Christ supplies salvation and eternal life to all who will believe.

The exhortation to walk in the light of the LORD from the Old Testament is seen in the new as well.  The illuminating light of the Law of Moses was a shadow compared to the light Jesus has provided through the Gospel of grace.  Like the moon is only able to reflect the glory of the sun's brightness upon the earth, the Law reflects the righteousness and wisdom of the glorious God who put on human flesh and walked among us.  God's word is compared as a light to our feet and a light for our paths that leads us to Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  To walk in God's light is to walk in His ways, to abide in His presence and to do His will.

In another epistle John wrote in 1 John 1:5-7:  "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."  It is amazing through faith in Jesus we can have fellowship with God, and the Greek word (koinania) for fellowship is described in the Strong's Concordance as, "partnership, participation, communicate, communion and distribution."  Having fellowship with God and walking in the light go together, and this is the one who practices the truth:  the one who hears what Jesus says and does it.

Having been born again by faith in Jesus, the source of light indwells us in the person of the Holy Spirit.  Paul declared to believers in Ephesians 5:8-10, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰ finding out what is acceptable to the Lord."  In our unregenerate state dead in sins we were not only walking in darkness, but were once darkness.  See the transformation Jesus has wrought by grace:  "now you are light in the Lord."  We have come into the light and our sins have been exposed, repented of and forgiven.  Because of our position granted us by our loving Father in heaven, we are called to walk as children of light as we find out and do what is acceptable to the LORD.

Praise the LORD for the riches of God's goodness, forgiveness and that fellowship with God is not only possible but assured by the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.  Since now we are light in the LORD, let us walk as children of light in all goodness, righteousness and truth.  The Old Testament saints could only walk in the light of the LORD, and we are light in the LORD having been made one with Christ!  Let the light of Jesus Christ shine through you, believer, for you are now light in the LORD.

A Future of Peace

It is awesome how God is a Saviour for those who trust in Him.  God does for us what no man can do in cleansing us from sin, imputing righteousness to us by faith and delivering us according to His grace and mercies.  Unlike idols that must be removed from burning buildings to preserve them or salvaged after a disaster, God saves His people.  Like the old song says, "Heartaches, broken people, ruined lives are why you died on Calvary."  There is no medicine which are able to cure heartaches and ailments of the soul.

Psalm 37:34-40 states, "Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. ³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. ³⁶ Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. ³⁷ Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace. ³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. ³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. ⁴⁰ And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him."  People go to fortune tellers to have guidance concerning what is to come, but God has already assured those who trust in Him of salvation, deliverance and peace.  This is an absolute guarantee no one can snatch from believers who are held safely in the hands of the Almighty.

Knowing how a sports match or movie ends relieves all suspense and anxiety.  The follower of Jesus Christ can rest peacefully in the knowledge that our salvation is from the LORD and He is our strength in time of trouble.  The one who frets and worries should not appeal to circumstances to justify themselves, for the One who justifies believers upholds us in His wisdom and strength.  Great trees that spread themselves ultimately will fall, and the wicked and their schemes will come to nothing.  Wait on the LORD believer, keep His way, and those who humble themselves before Him He will exalt in due time.  All who trust in Jesus Christ are assured of a peaceful future, for our salvation is from the LORD who helps and delivers us.  Knowing our future is peace gives us rest in the present.

Re-Commitment or Revival

Flagging discipline can hinder us from forming or maintaining healthy routines, and even the most committed can find themselves in a rut.  We can do all the right things when our hearts are not in it, and it is easy to make excuses and be slack when there seems to be little immediate benefit for toiling or negative consequences for going back on our plans.  This is often true with physical and spiritual fitness.  An exercise regime is started with good intentions but we quickly lose interest.  Regular devotions and church gathering used to be impacted by work and holidays may now be flagging due to Covid restrictions and cold weather.

Growing up I would hear people in the church speak as though they were two categories of Christians:  those walking with the LORD and those who were backsliding.  It seemed those who identified with being a "backslider" might have been better served to call themselves "in sin" and in need of repentance and to return to the LORD in obedience.  These people were particularly vulnerable to what I call the re-commitment trap.  I observed the same cycle among adults and youth of various durations:  longer cycles went from one church retreat to the next, and others had a weekly cycle of "backsliding" when away from fellowship.  Since born-again status was guaranteed by their assent to biblical doctrine, on Sunday mornings an opportunity for re-commitment was offered for the backslider along with a promised of salvation for the unsaved.  It seemed like people re-committed themselves to God again because they hoped one of those times it would "stick" and actually make a difference.  What I have learned since then is our commitment or "re-commitment" has basically nothing to do with salvation or sanctification at all, for receiving the Gospel and walking with Jesus by faith is all by God's grace.

Good works will always accompany a heart born again by faith in Jesus.  Such a soul will learn from God's word to humble themselves, repent, put off the works of the flesh and be led by the Holy Spirit.  People make "commitments" every day that are mere words and sign legally binding documents they do not always uphold.  The truth is, all those who are genuinely born again will be faced with the need of personal reforms if they will continue to walk in obedience to God.  This is illustrated several times in scripture.  For instance, after Saul was anointed king over Israel for years many of the people lived as though he was not king at all, did not give him presents and resented his rule.  After the LORD used him to coordinate a great victory over the Philistines 1 Samuel 11:14-15 says, "Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there." ¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly."  On that day there was a notable change in the hearts of some people toward God and king, for when the kingdom was renewed in Gilgal they all rejoiced greatly.

When idolatrous Ahab and Jezebel ruled in Samaria, the worship of Ba'al was promoted and the prophets of God were persecuted and killed.  The prophet Elijah spoke to Ahab and told him there would be no rain except at his word, and for about three years the land languished in drought.  In Deuteronomy 11:16-17 God previously warned His people this was one judgment He would bring upon them for idolatry.  Elijah organised a contest on Mt. Carmel between the prophets of Ba'al and himself, a prophet of the one true God:  the God who answered with fire from heaven would be revealed to be God and the only God people were to fear and worship.  The prophets of Ba'al went first and for many hours shouted and danced to no avail.  1 Kings 18:30 says, "Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down."  Elijah needed to repair the altar of the LORD because sacrifice, praise and thanksgiving to God had been neglected.  After Elijah repaired the altar, laid the wood and sacrifice in order which he drowned in water, at the time of the evening sacrifice God answered with fire from heaven.

After a victory only made possible by God over an immense army from Ethiopia, King Asa was met by a prophet of God in 2 Chronicles 15 who exhorted him to seek the LORD and personal reforms led to revival.  2 Chronicles 15:8 reads, "And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the LORD that was before the vestibule of the LORD."  Asa had been following God faithfully, yet there were idols all around which required taking courage in God to take the huge step of removing them.  Asa then gathered all the people together on a set day to offer sacrifices to God of the spoils they received after their recent victory.  He even removed his own mother from being queen because she had set up an idol in a grove.  Asa and all the people entered into a covenant before the LORD of their fathers they would seek Him with all their hearts and souls.  Items his father had dedicated to the LORD Asa brought into the temple, and God was with him.

God puts no demand in His word for people to make a commitment or "re-commit" to Him for salvation or for sanctification.  Recommitting is all about returning to a previous level of commitment when God would have us go far beyond that in faith and obedience to Him like Asa did.  Our previous manner of life was not sufficient in itself to maintain our devotion or sacrifice:  what does it profit to return to the life that resulted in chronic backsliding?  Like these biblical examples, there are times we must choose to take action to renew our focus, to repair what we have neglected, to restore godly practices when we have been slack, to remove idols which have cluttered up our hearts, to rally one another to draw near to God.  The one thing Samuel, Elijah and Asa had in common was their desire to seek the LORD and give all praise and honour to Him.  Their focus was not on themselves and their need for re-commitment, but to seek the LORD because they knew, feared and loved Him.  The re-commitment trap is one driven by guilt for sin with no repentance required, whereas revival is a work God does by the power of the Holy Spirit in those who seek Him and humbly heed His word.

Commitment is all about what we have decided and what we will do, and the life of faith in God is all about what He has done and promised.  No man can revive himself, but God promises to revive His people by His grace in Isaiah 57:15:  "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."  The ones who simply cry out, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" have the promise of revival offered to them by the living God, while the ones who re-commit can remain in the same old rut.