All Fair by Grace

We can be our harshest critic at times.  Though it is unwise to compare ourselves with others, we can do this without even thinking.  I have heard people talk about the impossible standards set by the airbrushed pictures in glossy magazines and filters on social media that present a fanciful portrayal of beauty that leads to people feeling self-conscious and even hating their appearance.  The thirst for attention and praise is strong and feelings of inadequacy even stronger.  Every year people die from complications of cosmetic surgery, chasing the dream of improved appearance.

How would you react if the words spoken by the Shulamite's beloved from Song of Songs 4:7 were spoken directed at you:  “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.”  One could say the Shulamite suffered from a negative body image, for she was self-conscious about her dark tan from working as a shepherdess.  In the song she was introduced to her beloved, a prince who was absolutely and surprisingly smitten by her.  She was the only woman he wanted, and after they wed the Shulamite was in a class all by herself:  all fair, his love and without spot.  He said this to her and I wonder if she received this as the truth--or mere words to discount or shrug off.  Did she justify her feelings?  "I know he thinks I'm all fair, but I still feel ugly as ever."

What is lovely about the Song of Songs are the layers of meaning when considering the relationship God has with the children of Israel.  Jacob was a shepherd and was not afraid to say so even though shepherds were abominable to the Egyptians.  God compared Israel to His bride, His special people through an everlasting covenant of Law.  Though Israel was unfaithful to God, God remained faithful to love and cherish them as perfect in Numbers 23:21:  "He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them."  Another layer of significance is how under the new covenant of the Gospel the church is viewed as a bride, as the Body of Christ with whom God has joined Himself as one.  Because the church is comprised of individual members, the words of the beloved take on a personal meaning due to Christ's atonement and adoption as children of God:  "You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you."

This is not flattery, Christian, but the reality of how God sees us according to the riches of His grace.  We have been cleansed of our sin and born again into the family of God, members of His own body.  Since this is His assessment of us, this is also His view of all those who are born again by faith in Jesus.  Instead of comparing ourselves with one another and feeling proud or inadequate, rather than comparing your local church fellowship with others or the airbrushed, filtered concepts of the perfect church, let us rejoice in the love of Christ demonstrated for us and be content in His embrace.  There is no spot in our Saviour, our love, and He is all fair.  His fairness is not shown in His complexion or the colour of His skin but through His grace and goodness.

Full of Goodness

There was concern among the staff at a camp when it was realised one of the girls had not been eating much.  Whenever she was encouraged to eat there were always excuses given:  she wasn't feeling well (possibly from not eating), had a headache, she didn't like the food on offer or claimed to have eaten already.  Eating disorders can pose a dangerous and even a deadly risk to the health and well-being of those who suffer from them, and thus the duty of care of leaders at camp was to ensure all had access to wholesome food.  At the same time we could not force anyone to eat anything or everything.  But we could call parents of campers, and praise the LORD loving parents have the well-being of their children in mind.

A similar thing is true concerning pastoral teaching ministry.  Pastors and teachers are called and equipped by God to hold forth the word of God as the spiritual and practical nutrition it is for our souls.  People are also enabled by God to feed on the word they hear in sermons or read themselves.  While all God's word is wholesome and vital to promote our spiritual health, we can be finicky and aloof eaters.  We can eat so much fruit or bread that we have no room for the mains.  There can be subjects or passages we find unpalatable and refuse to receive, choosing to hide it in a serviette to throw away or to feed it to the dog under the table--as if God doesn't realise.  Like a person I heard about who basically survives on chicken nuggets, we can develop a taste for one doctrine or flavour that we willfully deny our bodies and minds the benefit of a wide range of nutritious options.

It is good for us to realise that all God serves up in His word is good and for our maturation.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."  It would be a shame to only read the New Testament when all scripture is given by inspiration of God.  There is profitable doctrine and instruction throughout the entire Bible when God opens our eyes to see it.  When we open our mouths wide He will fill them, and this means we must trust Him.  It is good when God has such a reputation in our minds of being perfect and good that we will joyfully receive whatever He supplies in His word for us.

This is why reading through the Bible in its entirety is a good spiritual discipline to embrace.  Learning to read and study the Bible in context is very useful to help us receive the most benefit from God's word as we observe, interpret and personally apply the ageless wisdom and divine truths.  As God reveals Himself through His words coupled with our experience our tastes begin to be refined.  Instead of pitting two rigid views against each other as right or wrong, we begin to realise aspects of Christianity complement each other beautifully like sweet and sour.  In the world there are an abundance of flavours we have yet to experience that are good, and we grow in the grace and knowledge of God through His word may He bring delight to our souls.

Little Details and God

The old cliche goes, "The devil's in the detail."  This statement is not typically to espouse a belief in Satan or God, but I am convinced humans give the devil too much credit and God not enough.  I've also heard the large print gives and the small print takes away.  Again, God is intimately acquainted with all the most minute detail that escapes our notice, and all we have is a gift from Him.  Just because business owners and world leaders do not have much time for fellow citizens, it doesn't follow God is anything like that.  He is God, and thus has knowledge and interest in every person and details beyond our notice.

I was struck by the details God considers when I read through a promise of coming judgment God would bring upon his people through Isaiah.  Isaiah 5:27-28 says, "No one will be weary or stumble among them, no one will slumber or sleep; nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, nor the strap of their sandals be broken; ²⁸ whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent; their horses' hooves will seem like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind."  God was determined to bring judgment upon the nation of Israel and would see their vigorous enemies would have success--right down to providing good footing for each soldier and their belts well-fastened.  Even as God ensured the shoes of the children of Israel were sustained in the wilderness after the Exodus, God would make their the sandal straps of the invaders strong.  Their knots, leather and weapons would be miraculously improved.  God would see to it their arrows stayed sharp, not blunted even if they fell to the ground.  Any hope their bows would snap when drawn or misfire were misguided, for God would see it done.

Isn't this amazing?  While generals and officers were busy counting men and considering strategies of defense, God was considering belts and sandal straps.  While the watchman in Israel was drowsy, every one of the invaders was wide awake and vigilant.  God did not do this because He is cruel or jilted but in accordance with all He has revealed in the Law of Moses which held forth blessing to those who obeyed and curses upon all those who forsook the LORD.  Deuteronomy 28 and other places in the Pentateuch explains in expansive detail the consequences of departing from God and His ways.  All aspects of life would be negatively affected by their sin, yet their returning to the LORD brought with it countless blessing.

Immense heavenly bodies far beyond our sight even high-powered telescopes cannot perceive God sees clearly, and He comprehends the tiniest particles we cannot identify clearly with a microscope.  He is able to discern what the wisest counselors cannot, and His wisdom and knowledge is infinite.  God has made Himself known to us through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit by the Gospel and thus a broken sandal strap does not mean God is against us.  These little details provide us the opportunity to trust, thank and praise the God who rules on high and among men, who knows every little thing and how we feel.  That good night's sleep?  Thank the LORD and put your trust in Him--not your chamomile tea.  Did you have a poor night's sleep?  It may have been the best opportunity for prayer and fellowship with God than you have had in a month.  Praise Him who gives us strength, keeps us upright and is the lifter of our heads.

Strength in Weakness

God gave us feelings, and this is a good thing.  A problem arises, however, when we allow our feelings to dictate what we do or how we respond to a situation.  Knowledge of the truth helps keep our feelings in check, and faith in God enables feelings to serve us well rather than being mastered by them.

Generally, parents have healthy and positive desires for their babies.  They want to nurture them to grow, learn to roll over, crawl, walk and talk.  A little child comfortable with crawling is not always keen to learn to walk because their legs are wobbly and uncoordinated.  Imagine a child who is barely able to stand with the aid of an object is made to stand in the middle of a room at a distance from a smiling parent who coaxes them to take a step.  The little one fusses or drops to the ground, not feeling happy about this torturous situation.  What is wrong with crawling?  Why is mum or dad just out of reach?  And why do we have to keep playing this awful game over and over?

A parent has a purpose and plan in mind for the child the child does not realise.  A parent knows the act of trying to stand will build strength and muscle coordination the baby does not yet possess.  Adults realise crawling on all fours provides limited mobility for developing infants, but we have feet and legs God created for us to be able to stand, walk, run, leap and dance!  Like babies, we are troubled when God does the equivalent of putting us at arms reach where we feel vulnerable so we will grow in strength and use it to walk towards Him in faith.  Sometimes we want to feel strong to run a marathon before we are willing to learn to take a stand by faith in God.

Though at times we may feel like God is not supporting or helping us, let us not lose heart.  It is faith in the goodness of God in the land of the living that prompts us to seek the LORD and trust He will supply the strength and ability to please Him.  He is good to remove things we used to balance ourselves and to lift us onto our feet where we feel alone and unsteady so we might learn to exercise ourselves in godliness.  Feelings of loneliness or being overwhelmed is a good signal for us to cry out to God as Psalm 61:1-2 says, "Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. ² From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."  We would rather feel strong and able to take on the world, but God wants us to look to Him and rejoice in our weakness so He can be our strength.