A Purposeful Reminder

We don't have to be the most intelligent human beings to tell the difference between something done on accident or on purpose.  When I was a boy, a friend of mine at school pushed down hard on a see-saw (teeter-totter or whatever those illegal schoolyard apparatuses are called nowadays) and smacked me right in the mouth.  I found myself lying on my back in a daze, blood pouring from a gash in my lip, glad I still had all my teeth.  He was mortified and very apologetic, and I thought or felt no ill towards him whatsoever:  it was an accident, and accidents happen.  There were plenty of times growing up the words and actions of others incensed me because they were mean and hurtful on purpose--even though they didn't involve stitches or result in a scar on the face.

This understanding of the difference between accidents and things done on purpose illustrates an important role reason plays in everyday life.  Because things exist that have intended purpose, by observation I am convinced life itself is filled with purpose.  Meaning and significance does not arise by accident.  What some would call coincidence or blind luck, those who believe God created the heavens and earth see His hand and wisdom at work in countless things.  I do not have the faith to say nothing created the universe, that the metamorphosis of a butterfly is a happy coincidence, or that reason and human understanding has arisen without a reason from random chemicals or cells.  Life cannot arise from non-life, otherwise I might suspect a rug or my couch could swallow me whole.

While I may be in the minority, I believe the only way anyone can experience anything good is because God is good.  Since I have a relationship with the living God who knows, sees, hears, speaks and can do everything, my eyes are at times open to His influence in my world--when I just know something was not done by accident but was on purpose.  As a child you could not have convinced me my friend intended to split my lip open, and there still remains no doubt in my mind since we talked about it later as middle-aged adults.  With childlike faith in a friend I knew truth I could not prove in a test-tube or laboratory.  

The title of this blog is "Marching Forth!" and the background is March 4th was my wife's favourite date because it was an action.  I was intentional to propose marriage to her on March 3rd so March 4th would be the first full day of our engagement.  There was a reason and purpose behind the title to this blog because it connected with the date I became acutely aware God was calling me to go to Australia after years of wondering:  yep, it was March 4th and can read about it on my post "Speaking in Symphony."  More recently God provided much needed encouragement for me in an unexpected way.  I had sent my U.S. passport in for replacement in January and I was wondering if there was a problem with my application because it was taking a long time.  Yesterday I received my passport, and guess what date it was issued?  March 4th!  It was a lovely way of God reminding of His faithfulness, His calling and His goodness.  He has continued being wonderful, awe-inspiring and glorious without fail.

To some people that would be a random coincidence or accident, but I'll take it as on purpose--a sweet reminder from the LORD He never has forgotten or forsaken me and remains faithful.  By God's grace may I remain faithful to Him, the God who creates life full of purpose and joy for those who trust Him.

Undivided Loyalty

I was impressed by the description of the men of Zebulun who came to David at Hebron because they were determined to make him king of over Israel.  1 Chronicles 12:33 in the NIV described them in this way:  "...men of Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty--50,000."  These are the sort of men a new king would want.  While their experience and preparedness for battle using every type of weapon was a plus, it was their undivided loyalty that was their greatest asset.  Divided loyalties lead to all sorts of conflict and trouble that can weaken and destroy a kingdom from within.

The NKJV puts the passage in a different light:  "...of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks."  Rather than undivided loyalty, this version refers to the character of the men as "stouthearted."  The word is also translated, "undivided heart," "one or singleness of purpose," and "completely loyal."  The fact they could keep ranks shows how they all worked together to achieve one goal, for even in their marching they were ordered in where they were going as they kept in step with one another.  They were united in heart, resolve and intention, unique people who joined together in a grand venture of faith to serve and support the LORD's anointed king.

As long as Christians have an undivided loyalty to Jesus, we can unite together joyfully in service to our Saviour and KING.  God has given every believer in the church different spiritual gifts, experiences and abilities to be used for His honour and glory.  It is a shame when we assert uniformity in style, practice or perspective are requirements for unity.  The men of Zebulun had undivided loyalty coupled with preparation for battle with every type of weapon.  Among them were men skilled with swords and shield, others with bows, spears, slings--all kinds of weapons.  It was to their advantage to have masters of every discipline among them as they prepared for battle, and their singleness of purpose showed in ability to keep ranks.  The coordinated ranks of the men of Zebulun are a good example of the stouthearted unity believers can have in the church, the body of Christ.  As a body is one but has many members, we are to unite in God's work as one under Jesus our Head.

What does undivided loyalty to Jesus look like?  It is shown in our obedience to the commands of Christ, to put into practice the many "one another" commands, like loving one another as Jesus loves us.  Our loyal love to Christ is demonstrated when we confess our sins to one another, pray for one another, and forgive one another.  Galatians 6:1-2 says, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ² Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."  It means to support one another like when Joab found himself surrounded in battle and said to Abishai in 1 Chronicles 19:12, "...If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you."  Undivided loyalty to Jesus is to give grace to all, and the early church showed this by providing for the needs of the Jewish and Hellenist widows alike.  We may not be experts in war, but we can be willing to keep ranks together with undivided loyalty to Jesus.

Sanctified to Sympathize

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

Hebrews 4:14-15

Long before the existence of the nebulous word empathy, "sympathize" was defined by Webster in his 1828 Dictionary as:  "To have a common feeling, as of bodily pleasure or pain; to feel in consequence of what another feels; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected."  When Jesus put on human flesh and came to earth, our Creator personally entered into the complete human experience.  Through experience, He knew what it was to feel hungry, thirsty, sleepy and sore.  He endured without sin all the physical influences that often overpower our resolve and cheerful attitudes.  Unlike us, Jesus never became short-tempered and snapped in frustration when He felt tired, nor did He become crabby or angry when He was starving.  But He can sympathize with our weaknesses.

As Jesus continued to walk righteously and stand strong in the face of temptation to sin, we ought to hold fast our confession of faith.  Since Jesus can sympathize with us in our weakness by His grace, this is an example we are to follow in our relationships with others.  We may naturally look upon weakness with disdain, but Jesus looks upon all with compassion.  Genuine sympathy does not come as naturally for some as others, and thank God He is able to make us new creations and fill us with the Holy Spirit.  Our temptation may be to be callous or uncaring when others experience difficulties, pains and trials, but by the grace of God He supplies wisdom and strength to walk according to His will:  to love one another as He loves us.  Having been set apart by God to do His will, it is our responsibility to embrace our sanctification to intentionally follow Jesus in all aspects of life.

Since Jesus experienced human weakness yet did not sin, it follows we should seek the LORD Jesus who overcame the power of sin in the world by His death and resurrection.  He successfully navigated human frailty and fleshly tendency to sin and was righteous.  Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  For me, switching gears between thinking and feeling can be slow and clunky--and sometimes in my weakness I can go past feeling.  Our weakness and sin, evidenced by what we say, do and even feel--by things naturally out of our control--ought to lead us to desperately seek our Saviour in repentance who provides mercy and grace to help in time of need.  Because we are new creations by the power of the Gospel that raised Jesus from the dead, even an old dog can learn a new way of living by renewing our minds by the word of God.

The Haman Distortion

The Bible provides many examples we should emulate and also ones we ought to avoid.  Thus the worst characters and most repugnant personalities provide instruction we do well to observe and take to heart.  Haman, the villain of the Jews, is one such person.  He was an influential, rich and powerful man, a close friend of King Ahasuerus who ruled over the Persian and Mede empire.  One would think with the great wealth, favour and royal access Haman would have been content, but he was far from it.

After accepting an invitation to a banquet and enjoying the hospitality provided by Queen Esther for the King and Haman, he was pleased.  But on the way home there was the Jew Mordecai who did not stand or move at all as he walked by--and this lack of a show of respect filled Haman with rage.  Esther 5:10-13 says, "Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh. ¹¹ Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king. ¹² Moreover Haman said, "Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. ¹³ Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."  Haman had much to be glad about, yet the lack of respect from one man on the street made all the good things--even the favour of the king and queen--Haman possessed as nothing.  His envy over the loss of honour stripped him of thankfulness for all his blessings.

I wonder:  can we Christians give a place in our lives to the Haman distortion?  Has not the almighty God given us better things than Haman possessed?  He had great riches, but it was not long before Haman was parted from them.  In Christ we have eternal riches, a home in the heavens with the LORD forever that no one can steal from us.  Haman bragged about his children:  how much better it is to be a child of God by faith in Jesus?  The king promoted Haman in the kingdom of the Persians and Medes, yet we have been made co-heirs of the everlasting kingdom of God with Christ by His grace!  The blessings and benefits of being a child of God infinitely exceed what Haman possessed, yet we can experience his affliction:  to allow a small slight to render our blessings as nothing.  When Jacob's faith was tested to send Benjamin to Egypt, he felt all was against him rather than finding rest and comfort in God who was for him.

It is good for us to realise when we observe the worst of people in Scripture--or see instances of people of faith in God at their worst--we are looking at a mirror of our own natural condition.  Through them, God is giving us a look into our own fleshly hearts and minds, and He helps us see pitfalls to avoid and our own tendencies to pride and unbelief.  Without the transforming power of the Holy Spirit at work in us, we would never realise our spiritual blindness and dullness.  The pride of Haman led to his discouragement and downfall, and let us avoid this snare by humility, thankfulness and gratitude before God and man.  Seeing ourselves as unworthy of God's smallest benefits fills us with joy at the grand scope of His goodness towards us continually.  Philippians 4:6-7 exhorts us, "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."