Hearts and Minds at Peace

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  Having been provided access to God through prayer by His grace, it is both a privilege and duty of believers to pray.  What ought to be a first impulse can be relegated to a last resort when God is not in all our thoughts.  It is God's will we would pray without ceasing, and those who are wise discipline themselves to often align our hearts and minds with His.

The prophet Samuel provides a good example of a person who often sought the LORD in prayer in 1 Samuel 8:4-6:  "Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, ⁵ and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." ⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD."  When I am displeased, there are many things I can do instead of praying to God.  I can mull it over in my mind and become bitter, and I can complain or vent my feelings to others.  Samuel took his displeasure to the LORD who guided him in wisdom, discernment and humility.

Nehemiah was another man for whom prayer to God was instinctive.  When the king questioned him about his despondency, Nehemiah said his grief was fitting because of the sad, wasted state of the city of Jerusalem.  Nehemiah 2:4 reads, "Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven."  It would have been easy for Nehemiah to trot out his wish-list before a king who had great power and means, yet he sought the God of heaven to know how to answer.  He turned aside the blank check offered him by a king and bowed his heart before his LORD and God because the Jews were His people; He was their God.  Instead of thinking he knew what needed or should happen, Nehemiah looked to the LORD and waited on him to give an answer.

Daniel is an example of a man who prayed at regular intervals of the day with thanksgiving, and this shows us the manner of our prayer to God.  Even when praying was outlawed by the decree of king Darius for 30 days Daniel 6:10 tells us, "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days."  Daniel was a man who had been taken captive into Babylon and knew Jerusalem was burned with fire.  Yet from his early days he had a custom of giving thanks to God in prayer on his knees three times a day.  Regardless what was going on in his life or what laws came into effect, Daniel knew God always remained worthy of thanks.

Paul exhorted followers of Jesus to rejoice in prayer in Philippians 4:4-7:  "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  As an unregenerate man self-righteous Saul breathed out threats and murder against Christians, and later as a born-again Christian Paul rejoiced with thanksgiving to make his requests known to God.  By faith in Christ he experience the peace of God that guarded his heart and mind through Jesus.  Prayer for Paul and and us ought to become intentional, instant, regular with thanksgiving and rejoicing, knowing we have been heard and are protected by our LORD and Saviour Jesus.  How blessed we are to enter the throne room of grace where we find mercy and grace to help in time of need by the Prince of Peace, Jesus.

Different People, Same God

It is amazing how God created every human being with a unique personality, perspective and eternal soul.  Soldiers who march together in step wearing matching uniforms have different strengths, weaknesses, preferences and desires:  there is nothing uniform about the individuality of people created in God's image.  The twins Jacob and Esau spent nine months in the womb of Rebekah together, yet when they emerged their appearance was completely different.  As they grew older their differences were more marked, for Esau was a cunning hunter who preferred living in the fields whilst Jacob was a plain man who preferred dwelling in a tent.  Esau was hairy, and Jacob was smooth skinned.  Their physical differences were small compared to their spiritual relationship with God, for Esau did not regard Him whilst Jacob was a man who had faith in God, wrestled with Him and was given a new name.

Martha and Mary of Bethany were sisters who had contrasting personalities.  Martha was active and energetic, and she was the one who invited Jesus into her home in Luke 10.  That was a very wise decision!  But as she bustled around and made preparations her sister, Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus and heard His word.  Martha was perturbed Mary did not pitch in to help her and was not "doing" anything, questioned if Jesus cared and even asked Him to tell her to help.  Instead of acquiescing to Martha's demand, Jesus revealed Martha was anxious and distracted by many things while Mary had chosen the needful and good part which would not be taken away from her.  I had not considered this had anything to do with personality until I recently read the John 11 passage when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

Martha and Mary had sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, was very sick.  When Jesus arrived in Bethany Lazarus had been dead and buried four days!  John 11:20 reads, "Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house."  Here the industry and energy of Martha shines, for "as soon as she heard" Jesus was coming went and met Him.  In contrast, Mary remained sitting in the house with those who with her mourned the death of her brother.  Perhaps sitting was in line with Mary's personality, even as Jacob preferred to sit in the shade of a tent.  After Martha conversed with Jesus John 11:28-29 says, "And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." ²⁹ As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him."  The personal invitation from Jesus moved Mary to immediately respond to go to Jesus, even as Martha did without one.

Isn't it wonderful how Jesus accommodates our differences and provides opportunity and an invitation to seek Him?  Energetic Martha and sedentary Mary were both loved and valued by Jesus who ministered to them with grace, mercy and compassion.  The man of the field who loves to hunt and the one who prefers the shade and cooking stew of lentils both have the opportunity to know, fear God and live by faith in Him.  It does us little good to criticise Martha for being distracted by much serving any more than Mary continuing to sit when Jesus came to visit.  Are we without faults?  Do we always make good choices?  It is far better we follow their good examples of serving, sitting at the feet of Jesus to receive His word, seeking Jesus, inviting others to go to the Saviour and rising when He calls us in faith because He loves us.  Each of our personalities has positives and pitfalls, and God chooses to bless us with His presence anyway because He is good.

Eyes Opened by Grace

The grace of God is revealed by the divine inspiration of Balaam, a man whose eyes were open as he viewed the encampment of Israel according to their tribes.  Though Balaam was greedy and selfish, he had been given revelation from God concerning the nation of Israel and the Messiah who would rise out of Jacob and rule.  Afar off Balaam saw a Star come out of Jacob, and when Jesus was born wise men followed a star to worship the Child whose birth of a virgin had been foretold.  Balaam may have loved the wages of unrighteousness (2 Peter 2:15), yet God graciously for a season opened his eyes to see and proclaim what only God knew.

Blessed is the one whose eyes are opened by God to behold wondrous things in His word!  Blessed are those whose eyes are opened by faith in Jesus Christ to behold Him as their God and KING of KINGS!  It is like the one Jesus makes to see is given the key required to open up the vast wealth of God's wisdom and understanding found throughout scripture we now can see and hear ourselves.  A curator of a museum has access to works of art not yet made available to the public, and by faith in Jesus Christ Jew and Gentile alike are give access to truths hidden from the foundation of the world.  These immaculate, polished gems of truth hide in plain sight in the pages of God's word followers of Jesus have the benefit of admiring and holding close to our hearts, while the most distinguished scholars among men remain ignorant of their beauty and value.

One such gem that caught my attention recently is Zechariah 12:8-10 in relation to God's deliverance of Jerusalem from their enemies:  "In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. ⁹ It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. ¹⁰ "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."  For those whose eyes have been opened to behold Jesus as LORD, the only begotten Son of God, the glory of the returning Messiah shines forth brighter than the noonday sun.

When Jesus came and ministered in Judea, He was rejected by the sheep of Israel He came to shepherd and save.  His claims of being God in the flesh prompted accusations of blasphemy, and the Son of David was crucified and pierced on Calvary.  As Jesus hung on the cross the chief priests hurled the accusations prophesied in His face prophetically penned in Psalm 22.  They mocked and scorned the Messiah who suffered and died, but Jesus as He said rose from the dead alive and glorified three days later.  Before Jesus ascended to the Father in the view of many witnesses He promised to return, and He will do so to deliver Jerusalem and judge the earth.  God promised, "They will look on Me whom they pierced."  The Jews who survive the Great Tribulation will look upon Jesus and recognise Him as the Son of God they once rejected.  Their grief will be ultimately swallowed up with joy and peace that passes understanding by the grace of God through faith.

We are blessed beyond measure to have Bible translated in a language we can read, yet understanding of the text and proper application comes by interpreting scripture with scripture by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus opens the eyes of those who trust in Him to see His glory in these thin, gilded pages.  He also opens our mouths to taste and see He is good and to proclaim the everlasting truth of the Gospel of grace to all.  There is more to see, believer; there is more in God's word to explore.  There is more of our lives to properly align with God's wisdom.  There is more truth to lay hold of, and we can look forward to seeing all fulfilled by God's grace in due time.

Heard Of God

The richness of God's word is beyond compare.  It is a light to our feet, a lamp unto our path and more still:  they are the words of life revealed.  In pages filled with history, narrative, dialogue, poetry, praise and prophecy, we discover situations we can identify with and apply personally to our situations.  Though it was penned thousands of years ago and translated in English centuries ago, it remains relevant spiritual truth that transforms and sustains countless people through faith in God.

Last night I read the passage when Hannah wept before the LORD at the tabernacle in Shiloh, deeply hurting from the provocations of her rival concerning her barrenness.  She cried out to God who had closed her womb to answer her request for a son she promised to give to the LORD and His service.  Eli the high priest, who watched her with a degree of disgust as her lips moved without audible sound, rebuked her for being drunk!  Hannah explained she was not inebriated but in her affliction of soul she cried out to God.  1 Samuel 1:17 reads, "Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him."  Without knowing what she requested, Eli by faith assured Hannah the God of Israel would grant her petition.

God was faithful to do according to Hannah's request and gave her a son she named Samuel whose name means, "heard of God."  Every time she said his name she was reminded of her former anguish, how God heard her prayer and was faithful to answer.  Hannah kept her word to the LORD and when Samuel was weaned she brought him to the tabernacle in Shiloh with a princely offering of three bulls, flour and wine.  Years had passed and many people had visited the tabernacle since the last time Hannah was there, and she identified herself as that woman whose prayer had been answered 1 Samuel 1:26-28:  "And she said, "O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD. ²⁷ For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. ²⁸ Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD." So they worshiped the LORD there."

Eli did not know what Hannah prayed for at the time, but he rejoiced to see her prayer answered and her promise fulfilled.  The last part of verse 28 says in the KJV, "So he worshiped the LORD there."  The "he" and "they" is Eli and Hannah, not Samuel who did not yet know the LORD himself.  Worship is intrinsically tied to knowledge as Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in John 4, "We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews."  Without knowledge of God and what He is done a person cannot truly worship God, and when we know what God has done how can we not worship Him?  When Hannah declared how God answered her prayer she and Eli worshiped God, and the beginning of 1 Samuel 2 is a lovely prayer as she rejoiced over the greatness of God.

I can identify with the joyful worship of Eli and Hannah's prayer because I too have been heard by the LORD.  Today marks 25 years since God was faithful to answer my prayer for a wife.  God has given us two sons, guided us to serve Him in Australia, allowed us to be permanent residents, then dual citizens and even provided us a house!  My soul swells with gladness in the worship of God as Hannah prayed in 1 Samuel 2:1-2:  "My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. ² "No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God."  Who is like the LORD who does marvelous things without number?  His ways are past finding out, but all He has made known shows Himself to be good, gracious and glorious.

Has the LORD answered your prayer, believer?  Worship Him in prayer with thanksgiving, beloved of the LORD.  He has been faithful to us, and may we like Hannah be faithful to Him.  He has heard our prayers, and God delights to hear our praise as well as our hearts rejoice in Him.