From Weeping To Rejoicing

"Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"

Jeremiah 9:1

Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet" because he spoke the true words of God and people did not heed or take them to heart.  He warned self-righteous people entrenched in idolatry of the sure judgment that was on the horizon, yet they did not listen.  They would not weep for themselves, so Jeremiah wept for them.  How great was his longing for people to receive the word of the LORD and return to God so He might be glorified and their judgment turned aside.  They had the truth and would not receive it, and thus they remained in their sin and would face God's judgment.  God is so good and glorious, and the thought anyone would give up on Him or be resigned to a hopeless existence is among life's great tragedies.

When Jesus was being led to be crucified, He was met by a group of women Jesus addressed despite His pains.  Luke 23:27-31 reads, "And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. ²⁸ But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' ³⁰ Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" ' ³¹ For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"  Having rejected Jesus when He was present, the Jewish nation would reject His message of salvation which would result in greater destruction.  Jesus was going to the grave and would rise after three days, but those who refused the Gospel were heading to eternal ruin.

How appropriate is Psalm 126:5-6 in the context of these passages:  "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. ⁶ He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."  The people who heard Jeremiah and Jesus in person may not have listened to them, and it may be the words of preachers or caring Christians are heeded today.  But there is a promise that when good seed is sown in tears, the one who sowed it shall doubtless come again with rejoicing with a harvest.  The women wept over what God intended for their salvation, and if their tears were merely out of pity for Christ's pains they missed the point.  In the Parable of the Sower the seed was sown on all kinds of ground, even on a hardened footpath where seed could not grow.  God who created seeds and speaks forth His word causes it to be fruitful in due time, and in Him I rejoice now and forever.

Free by Faith

I read a quote attributed to Howard Hendricks today: “You are free to make choices. You are not free to escape the consequences.”  Having been born and raised in the United States, the "land of the free and home of the brave," I enjoyed the benefits of many freedoms afforded by God's grace.  The Bill of Rights is a document which outlines the freedoms and rights of Americans, and it is interesting how these words can be interchanged.  The existence of the Bill of Rights suggests the freedoms of Americans are upheld by their submission to the Constitution and governance of the land under God.  Remove God from the equation and all provisions and rights can be easily corrupted and destructive to self and others.

In Webster's 1828 Dictionary, the author defines "freedom" as:  "a state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement."  Webster goes into far greater detail with the word liberty which he breaks down into various sections, and the definition of civil liberty was interesting in the view of the need for restraint:  "Civil liberty is the liberty of men in a state of society, or natural liberty so far only abridged and restrained, as is necessary and expedient for the safety and interest of the society, state or nation. A restraint of natural liberty not necessary or expedient for the public, is tyranny or oppression. civil liberty is an exemption from the arbitrary will of others, which exemption is secured by established laws, which restrain every man from injuring or controlling another. Hence the restraints of law are essential to civil liberty.  The liberty of one depends not so much on the removal of all restraint from him, as on the due restraint upon the liberty of others."

There is no one so free as the one who recognises God's authority and willingly submits to Him in faith and obedience.  The person who says what they want without restraint and justifies their words because they have "freedom of speech" can be bound by bitterness, resentment and pride.  The self-confident man who is free to do as he pleases without faith in Christ remains in spiritual bondage.  Jesus shocked His hearers when He spoke of freedom in John 8:31-36:  "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ³³ They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" ³⁴ Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

Under Roman rule, there was a division between slave and free.  The Jews to whom Jesus spoke were free men and did not identify as slaves or being in bondage to anyone.  Jesus, who knows the hearts and minds of men, perceived the sins which enslaved each one.  In coming to earth and revealing Himself to be the Son of God and the Truth, Jesus gives those who believe in Him the confidence of being free from bondage to sin.  A slave under the Law of Moses served in bondage for a set season, and after serving their term it was possible they might accrue debts and be enslaved again.  Jesus provided atonement for sins once and for all on Calvary, and those made free by the Son would be free indeed.  The freedom from sin promised by God can be joyfully experienced even by prisoners with irons on their wrists and their feet in the stocks.

The one made free by faith in Jesus is forever free having submitted self to His rule as KING and High Priest.  Jesus said in Revelation 1:18, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."  All men are born in bondage to sin and are heading for eternal death, and Jesus is the One who can set us free and provide the abundant life marked by freedom found in surrender to God.  It is in choosing to be a bondservant of Jesus Christ  believers are granted freedom to enter the kingdom of God and serve Him.  Faith in Christ means freedom from fear, worry and youthful lusts; it is freedom to know and do what pleases God.  By grace we are given the right to be children of God, a privilege we cannot deserve or earn.  Let us rejoice in our Saviour and the freedom to experience the abundant and eternal life He provides free from sin.

Redemption Draws Near

It is ironic the scribes and Pharisees who were educated and knowledgeable concerning the scriptures, having their eyes opened to the wonder of God in His word, were blinded with unbelief concerning Jesus the Son of God.  When wise men came to Jerusalem from the east at the appearance of the star of the King of the Jews, Herod called the chief priests and demanded where the Christ should be born.  They correctly answered He would be born in Bethlehem in the land of Judah, yet did not care to accompany the Gentile wise men to worship the babe who turned out to be Jesus Christ our LORD.  The wise men rejoiced with exceedingly great joy while the Herod, the chief priests and all Jerusalem were troubled.

Ironic responses are not limited to the Jewish rulers of ancient times, of course.  I have seen this play out in my own life and in the lives of other believers.  Having gained knowledge of God, His will and future events outlined in scripture, the most discerning believers can lose sight of our Saviour who redeems us, provides perfect peace and rest for our souls.  I don't know if it was the era, my church in particular or the teaching I was exposed to as a youth or just me, but for an extended season I was quite preoccupied with end-times events:  the rapture, the rise of the anti-christ, the mark of the beast, the advance of a one-world government and global currency.  It seemed if there was any news regarding world leaders gathering together at conferences it confirmed we were truly in the last days.  When earthquakes, wars and rumours of wars began to swirl, it again fed into a paranoia that led Christians to speculate about prophetic passages and worry about what was next as we hunkered down defensively.  Knowledge of prophesy grew to be an unhealthy obsession as, from a biblical perspective, the attention of many was turned from Jesus who we follow and instead focused on the wind and waves.  "As bad as things are, it's going to get worse," we would assure one another--as if knowing this made things better.

In response to questions from His disciples, Jesus spoke of future events yet to come.  Jesus warned them about falling prey to false messiahs who would claim the time of the end was near when it was not.  Nations would rise against nation and there would be famine, earthquakes and pestilence.  Believers would be persecuted, killed and brought before rulers and would be given opportunity to testify of Christ.  Jesus continued in Luke 21:25-28:  "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  Wise is the one who discerns the signs of the times, but we can be foolish to have hearts that fail us when we ought to look up and lift up our heads because our redemption draws nigh.  Ironic, isn't it, that the redeemed of the LORD can faint when we know our Redeemer lives and we will one day see Him in glory?  We are not to fear the shaking of the earth and the powers of heaven when our eyes are on the Son of Man Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour who will redeem us.

When faced with the departure of Jesus before His crucifixion the disciples were sorrowful, and Jesus assured them in John 16:22, "Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."  Jesus followed up in John 16:32-33:  "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. ³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  In a world full of conflict that longs for peace, Jesus provides peace even in tribulation.  He would be soon abandoned by frightened disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, yet He was not alone because God the Father was with Him.  Jesus told of future conflicts, separation and tribulation not so they would steel their minds and bodies to fight against it, but to be joyful because He has overcome the world.  The powerful forces of spiritual wickedness and humanity were not neutralised but already conquered by His glorious power and strength.

Instead of worrying how our little world or the whole world is spinning out of control, we are to lift our eyes and heads because we know our redemption draws near.  We have been given joy by faith in Jesus nothing can rob from us because our Saviour Jesus has overcome.  God forbid we should rejoice in the news of devastating wars, earthquakes, pestilence or persecution of believers, yet these are not harbingers of doom to be dreaded:  they are signs and reminders our redemption draws closer with every passing day.  Lift up your head, believer, and turn your eyes to Jesus with joy today, our Redeemer who has purchased us as His own with His own blood on Calvary.  The Man of sorrows who suffered for us has spoken to us and provided peace and joy in the knowledge of Him we can rest in today and always.

God's Wondrous Blessings

Today I went to the nearby drive-in testing centre because my place of work is more than 5km from my home, and this has become routine of late.  ABC radio teased an upcoming program that encouraged people to "get back to nature" and experience the "spiritual" benefits of connecting with the land.  There is much the secular calls spiritual I have no desire to connect with, but if what is meant is the appreciation and awe of God for His awesome creation, I agree.  The glory of God is seen in the heavens and on the earth, and knowing what we see and experience is a revelation of His creative genius fills us with adoration for the greatness of our God whose ways are past finding out.

As I sat in my car with the window open, waiting for my turn to be swabbed, a leaf from a gumtree dropped inside the cabin.  I picked up the slender leaf of a deep purple colour with a light green vein that ran down the centre.  The leaf was cool, dry and flexible as I twisted it gently in my hands.  To think this leaf was not only beautiful but functional to help a tree utilise the light of the sun for the process of photosynthesis is remarkable.  For some reason this leaf fluttered down from a towering height into my car and I held a little bit of nature in my hands as I stared and wondered over the amazing and awesome Creator who devised such living things.

When I was a kid I would souvenir leaves, cover them with a piece of white paper, and gently run a pencil over the entire surface of the leaf to make a copy.  I could not draw a leaf on my own, much less conceive to design a living, functional leaf or tree!  This is what God does, and much more besides.  He says of people created in the image of God who fear Him and meditate in His law day and night in Psalm 1:3:  "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."  Evergreen trees naturally shed their leaves, yet the believer in God has the promise of fruitfulness and prosperity in doing what God created us to do:  to know, trust and grow in His grace and bring Him glory.

Getting back to nature may have great benefits, but nothing compares with turning our hearts to the LORD in worship and thanksgiving.  The heavens declare the glory of God, and a small leaf was a reminder to prompt me to worship God and share His goodness with you.  Isn't our God marvelous who does all things well, the Almighty who causes blessings to drop down upon us by His grace?