"No" Isn't Negotiable

Whenever I venture into an Australian Post Office, I have always been curious of the odd assortment of goods sold there.  There are office related goods like notepads and envelopes, but the volume is mostly comprised of colourful cheap toys, a variety of "As Seen on TV" products, CD music compilations and gifts.  I have wondered often who would go to the Post Office to buy such things, and today I had this question answered.

A mum and two young daughters were queued in front of me, and the little one aged about six or seven asked her mother to buy her a notepad.  The request was immediately declined.  The little girl went on.  "Pleeeease...it has lines on it...I can practice my writing.  Pleeeease."  Within seconds of observing the behaviour of this little girl I knew beyond doubt she was wise to something her mother may not have realised:  "No" did not mean "No" and was negotiable.  "No" could be expertly overturned with persistence, a word that previous experience enforced countless times.  I was not surprised when she chose not to replace the book as asked, and slowly moved to the next spots on the carpet.

At the next stations there were plenty of new toys and reasons to buy them, the notebook now deposited among the Barbie products.  One offering was met with reasons why the purchase was unnecessary ("You already have four of these") and other with disdain:  "I'm not buying that."  As each toy was tossed aside to make way for the next, it was evident this was not a matter of need or expense:  it was a pitched battle of the will.  The little girl really didn't care about the items, but she wanted her way.  When it came time for the trio to approach the counter, all three had something in their hand and everything was purchased without question.  By this stage the older sister had ditched begging and simply handed her mother an item in silence, her actions revealing her unspoken expectation. 

The situation was as predictable as a children's story I had read a million times because "No" was negotiable.  Have you seen a child "read" a book before they can actually read, reciting the story verbatim without being able to read a single word?  The intelligence of children is not only seen with their recall but their ability to read people and use a situation for their advantage.  Jesus said to all His disciples in Matthew 5:37, "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' 'No.'"  The things we say we ought to do, and if your "No" is negotiable can your "Yes" be relied upon?  Praise the LORD we can rely upon Him to speak the truth without error, and what He has said we can count on Him to follow through.

Dear parents, you potentially do yourself and children harm when you do not do as you say.  Rewarding disobedience to a clear directive is a sure way to undermine your authority given to you by God as a parent.  Perhaps dropping $10 on a cheap toy seems a small price to pay to quiet a whining child and possibly avoid public embarrassment, but the long term cost will be far greater.  Better to say it once and ensure it is done than to repeat yourself emphatically 10 times and cave when it is time to parent-up.  A parent who holds fast to their integrity in private and public to do as they say will not need to beg, cajole, reason or repeat themselves--because kids can also learn "No" isn't negotiable.

Shining in the Dark

During early morning walks this week I have noticed the moon slowly move day by day in a northeast direction through the sky as a waxing crescent.  Today it peeked out from the clouds like a child playing hide and seek who delights to be found.  In His wisdom God established this nocturnal luminary and reminds me to consider and praise God, the Creator of heaven and earth.  As the celestial bodies move through space with precision according to God's design, so His love and grace continually shine forth to all those whose eyes are opened by faith in Him.  How could we question or stand in judgment of our God who is most awesome?

Revelation 1:7-8 reads, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 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."  The Bible teaches Jesus will one day return to earth in judgment, and it will be at the right time, with appropriate severity and with precision that exceeds any laser.  Until today I never considered what a disgraceful thing it is to suggest that the judgment of God and ultimate suffering in hell shall be "too good for" someone we believe to be among the worst.  This statement strikes at the sovereignty and ability of God to be a capable Judge of all heaven and earth.  He knows all, and His longsuffering ought not be deemed ignorance or incompetence:  this is man's lot.  On earth the statutes of law are limited by lengths of time and geography, yet God's judgments are absolute, upright and forever according to His infinite power and strength.  The proudest and strongest men and angels are cowardly in His presence.

How much of our wranglings, worries and fears dissolve and flee away when we begin to realise God is exactly who He claims to be:  the eternal, all powerful, all knowing and gracious God who delights to show mercy but will not pardon the guilty.  Jesus said when Israel finds itself in the midst of the great tribulation 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."  When things will seem at their worst and all hope is lost, they were to lift their heads to look to the LORD Jesus Christ who would deliver and redeem them.  Who can do this but God?  The hearts of men will fail, but the love of God is without fail.  Those who place their faith in Jesus are positioned to receive and rejoice in God, satisfied in His love and mercy.

After the six seals are opened and all heaven and earth is shaken Revelation 6:15-17 says, "And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶ and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"  Answer:  none and all.  No one can stand before the wrath of God, for He is greatest and above all.  Yet all those who He makes to stand by faith in Jesus Christ, the Rock of Salvation, the chief Cornerstone, are enabled to stand by His grace.  God answered the prayer of the sons of Korah by Jesus Christ in Psalm 85:2-7:  "You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah ³ You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. ⁴ Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. ⁵ Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? ⁶ Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? ⁷ Show us Your mercy, LORD, and grant us Your salvation."

God has done all this through the Gospel and much more still.  Through Jesus our sins have been forgiven and the righteousness of God imputed to us.  He has taken away His wrath, Jesus having satisfied the justice of the Law for sin.  He has restored us to a privileged place of being one with God in the Body of Christ, and given us the right to be called children of God when we were once foreigners and outsiders.  He revives us body and soul and makes us to rejoice in His salvation.  Having received such abundant life and promises through Jesus, He makes us His divine luminaries to shine day and night with His glory and grace.  2 Corinthians 4:6-7 reads, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."  God said "Let there be light!" and there was light before the sun ever shone in the heavens, and by His grace we will shine for His glory long after the sun and moon flee away and the stars have fallen like figs.  May your glory, LORD Jesus, shine through your servants with rejoicing.

Bless the LORD!

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

Psalm 103:1

Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD, and all who know Him ought to bless Him.  What does this mean, to bless the LORD?  The word "bless" means to kneel, to bless God in adoration, to salute, praise and thank.  The U.S. military has many regulations around saluting and an article reads,  "All military enlisted personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize a commissioned or warrant officer."  It is important therefore enlisted personnel in uniform learn and recognise the different ranks and when, how and who to extend a hand salute to show due respect.  Not being a member of the military I am largely ignorant of the traditions and decorum around saluting, but children of God ought not to be ignorant on how to bless the LORD who created, saves and reigns supreme over all.

We bless God by recognising who He is, the living God whom we serve.  Another aspect of blessing God is recalling and saying out loud the wondrous things He has done for others and ourselves.  When a dignitary is introduced in a public assembly, their name, title and accomplishments are rehearsed before all the attendees so they will bestow the honour of listening attentively with respect:  how much more ought we to speak of the goodness and greatness of God in public and private?  The speaker or honoured guest being introduced does not need reminding of their position or accomplishments, but the introduction is necessary because many of the listeners remain in the dark.  We bless the LORD, not to remind God of why He is worthy or to make Him proud (for He is without pride), because it is we who need reminding and the re-alignment of our perspective by faith in who He is, what He has promised and all He has done.

Psalm 103 gives us an example of what blessing the LORD looks like.  David continued in Psalm 103:2-12, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: ³ Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, ⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ⁶ The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. ⁸  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹ He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

We are quick to ask God for blessing, whether it be a meal or the works of our hands:  are we quick to bless the LORD?  Reading Nehemiah 9:5-6 this morning prompted me to consider this question myself:  "And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: "Stand up and bless the LORD your God forever and ever! "Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! ⁶ You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You."  Though God has put us at ease by His grace, love and mercy, let us never neglect His worthiness to be worshiped, praised and blessed.  He has been good to mankind as the Bible testifies, and He has been good to us as well.  Let us bless the LORD so today we will remember His goodness and benefits.

The Spiritual Priority

There are many things parents want for their children because they care about their development and future.  Whilst all people are different and parenting styles are unique, children are raised according to what the parents believe is most important.  For instance, some parents require children to sit at the table during set mealtimes to eat food together.  Parents who are fine to eat dinner separately, with one child on the lounge watching TV and another a device in their bedroom, can be strict about going to bed at a particular hour.  Some parents carefully monitor the diets of their children or their internet browsing, and others make a strong emphasis on education and preparation for life away from the family home.  And in many cases, the cliche rings true that there is more "caught than taught," as kids quickly pick up on structure their parents will adhere to without fail and is not open for debate.

For me growing up, going to school was not optional:  it was something I was required to do and held responsible by my parents to take seriously.  Going to church was also something we did as a family that was non-negotiable, for my parents believed hearing God's word and being in Christian fellowship was as important as eating nutritious food for our growing bodies.  Today I read a passage in the book of Nehemiah that shows the emphasis my parents had on our relationship with God was embraced long before Jesus came to the earth in Nehemiah 8:2-3:  "So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. ³ Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law."  The reading of the Law of Moses was for men, women and "all who could hear with understanding."  This does not mean to hear the Law one needed to be a university student or lawyer, but included children who knew the difference between "Yes" and "No."  Those who returned to Jerusalem after the captivity and rebuilt the wall of the city knew the importance of everyone hearing God's word, for He would hold them all accountable to do it:  according to their level of understanding, God holds man responsible.  Willful ignorance of God's law is no defense, just like ignorance of the law does not make a guilty man innocent.

This is a good example for parents who love the LORD, to lead by example in drawing near to hear the word of God for the purpose of walking in light of it.  Is not godliness profitable in this life and that which is to come for eternity?  If we will emphasise the importance of eating vegetables and avoiding too many sugary treats, if we will make our children go to bed at a set hour, to engage in education, to say "Please and "Thank You," how much more important is the spiritual guidance and wisdom from God who has given us life?  Since we do care about our children, the health of their bodies, the development of their minds and their future, why not model for them lives lived in submission to God?  Every parent has the God-given responsibility to prioritise what is most important, and for those who have tasted and seen that God is good our call is to direct them to hear Him.

Parents play an influential role in a child deciding to follow Jesus into adulthood.  Let us not imagine that without the reading and hearing of scripture Nehemiah 8:6 would have happened by itself without the knowledge of God from His word:  "And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground."  If our aim is to bless the LORD and have our children do likewise, we ought to do what we can to introduce them to God when they can first understand.  If a child understands how to use an electronic device and be occupied with it, I believe they can be taught to hear and treasure God and His word.  We expect our children to pay attention in class, and they ought to listen to God too.  It is for parents to prioritise the spiritual well-being of their children as well as their physical health and development.  May it be our children will say, "Amen, Amen!" in response to hearing the word of God rather than seeing "Amen" as a rote conclusion to prayer so we can be done waiting and finally eat.