United We Stand

"Unless the LORD builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

Psalm 127:1

I love the unflinching, unapologetic objectivity of God's word.  The almighty God who created all things and stands eternal supreme over all simply says how it is.  People can reject it, scorn or deride it; they can oppose it and rail against what they claim is unfair or incorrect, yet it stands unmoved and in full force.  This verse from Psalm 127 shows how dependant God's people ought to be on Him to help us do things we see as our right and responsibility.  Having purchased land and obtaining permits to build, we view it as our legal right to do.  Because there are thieves and enemies who would do us harm we set a guard over our cities and households.  But unless the LORD does the work and is with us, all our efforts will be in vain.  We won't be capable of perceiving or averting impending disaster even if we remain sleepless and vigilant.

Before Jerusalem was taken by king David, it was a city of the Jebusites who boasted that it was impregnable.  They taunted David by saying he could not take the city, and even the blind and lame would prevent him and his men.  With God's help the city fell almost without a fight, for Joab and his men crawled up a water shaft or gutter and opened the gate from the inside.  Fast-forward to the days of Jeremiah and the children of Israel did not look to God to save them, for they looked to an arm of flesh--the army of Egypt--to deter the Babylonian army.  God addressed His people in Jeremiah 37:9-10: "Thus says the LORD: 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely depart from us," for they will not depart. ¹⁰ For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.'"

The Israelites looked to their allies for help and the temple of the LORD like one who takes comfort in a "good luck" charm, but God told them not to be deceived:  even if the whole army had been destroyed and all that remained were wounded men, they would rise up and destroy Jerusalem.  In time God's word came to pass, for the Babylonian army returned, laid siege to the city, starved out the people and made it a ruin.  Without God's help and protection, Jerusalem could not stand.  Sounding the alarm and monitoring enemy movements did nothing to prevent the destruction that came upon those who departed from God and trusted in themselves and their allies.  What was fleshed out concerning the Jebusites and Israelites is true regarding our need for God in our marriages, families, churches, cities and nations.  Paul's warning in 1 Corinthians 10:12 is appropriate for God's people to consider:  "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."

As I observe troubles in this world and polarisation of people in my homeland that is quite beyond comprehension, the words of Patrick Henry in his final public address echo to this day:  "Let us trust God and our better judgment to set us right hereafter.  United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs."  What is to be done when people depart from God?  Draw closer to Him yourself:  seek His face, obey His voice, and as much as depends upon you live peaceably as you intercede in prayer on behalf of those who are spiritually blind rather than castigating them.  Unless the LORD builds the house we labour in vain who build, and no ideology, government, allies or humanist philosophy is capable of saving us from ourselves.  Union with God is paramount for God's people, and praise the LORD nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

No Bad Days!

Growing up and living in San Diego, there was a graphic I saw occasionally on a t-shirt or stickers on the back of a car or van window.  With palm trees in the background, it said:  "No Bad Days."  The vibe reminds me a little of another bumper sticker that basically said, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work."  The implication of both these statements is the difference between a good and bad day is  based on geography and activity.  A day at the beach is a good day, while a day in the office is not a good one.  This view on the goodness of days can also be applied to what happens on a given day.  Many times people say they have had a bad day or year because of what transpired during it.

Scripture provides a different lens to view days and years--as gifts from God which in themselves are good because He is.  Psalm 118:24 has been made into a song we used to sing in Sunday School:  "This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  A company can have a "bad year" from a financial standpoint and bad things can even happen at the beach, yet the day itself and the time God has given us to see it and survive it are good things.  Even when our lives be required of us on a particular date or time and we breathe our last, the day not need be marred in our memory.  By faith in God who is the giver of all good gifts we can distinguish between the tragedy and the day God has given we ought to rejoice in.

As Christians, we can adhere to the view of "no bad day" when there are no palm trees in the background because the goodness of the day does not depend on what we have planned, where we are going, or what we are doing.  I have gone fishing on days that from a fisherman's standpoint were "bad" days for fishing, when the conditions were extreme and no fish were biting.  I remember once our family made the long drive to Lake Cuyamaca and we froze as the wind whipped and the rain drizzled down.  Though my dad had paid for our permits to fish, after about an hour we packed up and he drove us to town where we had a delicious breakfast in a warm cafe.  How grateful we were for the food and warmth!  We went to the Cuyamaca mountains unprepared for the cold and wet, and this made the unexpected pleasure of warming up and eating pancakes a special treat.

If only our gratitude for God would be stirred up to such a degree for the goodness God shows us every day!  Seeing every day as a gift from God helps us never take a day from granted.  Every day is divinely ordained opportunity to see God's goodness as David sang in Psalm 27:13:  "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."  Master Oogway in Kung Fu Panda had some wacky ideas, but he was right to say:  "Today is a gift--that's why it is called the present."  Gifts are given by someone, and every good gift--today included--is given by God (James 1:17).

Abiding Forever

 "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

1 John 2:17

John's statement brings an eternal perspective to our lives that can be lacking.  Those who long to establish utopia on earth may set their aims incredibly high, but they are not high enough.  The wise look beyond this world to God who created the heavens, earth, people and all living things.  People will always fail to create a perfect world because we are all sinners in a world cursed by sin that, like us, will pass away.  No government, ideology, or democracy can overthrow the sovereign God who created all things.  While monuments people make for themselves crumble and rot, those who do God's will shall abide forever.

Life is full of illustrations how new things grow old, damaged and wear out.  Sometimes it is damage to a new thing that compels our perspective to change and take loss less personally.  When that new car receives a noticeable scratch or dent we are reminded it is superficial damage that heralds its ultimate demise.  Our vehicles often grow in "character" as it fulfills its designed purpose of transportation.  People can be protective of their vehicles and possessions because they reflect an image they wish to present to others.  Once that mirage of perfection is shattered by a fender-bender, we can more easily accept imperfections because of this shift of perspective from working to maintain perfection to reality in a broken world.

I remember years ago Laura and I spent a good deal of time and money ordering custom benchtops for our kitchen.  The cost was more than the cabinets (thanks to my dad building them) and appliances combined!  The benchtop had not been installed long before a stray beach ball collided with a chisel that dropped onto the surface and gouged out a chunk near the sink.  I weighed whether I should hire a contractor to fill the large chip but decided against it.  That missing piece from the countertop was a good reminder that it was perishable and would one day perish, and we were blessed to have its usefulness in the meantime.  It was like a wink and nod from God who has given us all things:  rather than becoming furious over an accident, we could give grace to others as God has extended to us.

Cars and kitchens will pass away along with envy of newer appliances and better storage.  Every day we prepare food and coffee in our kitchens that supplies the needs of our bodies that are never permanently satisfied, but he who does the will of God abides forever.  Today we can rest and abide in Christ by faith in Him, obediently doing His will.  There is a rest we enjoy in God that satisfies us more than possessions we accumulate and labour to protect and maintain.  All the objects, tools and spaces we have carefully crafted will pass away, but God graciously enables us flawed folks to enjoy eternal life through the Gospel.  Isn't it amazing of all the wonders of this world God has chosen to save and glorify us?

Wait For God

"Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait for You, since You have made all these."

Jeremiah 14:22

The prophet Jeremiah interceded in prayer on behalf of the children of Israel in the midst of drought.  Unlike those who offered sacrifices and incense to idols in the hope of bringing rain, Jeremiah looked to the God who created the heavens and earth.  There was no power in idols or the heavens itself to bring rain, for the heavens were shut up overhead as the water evaporated, grass withered and beasts perished.  There was no sense in looking anywhere else for the water God created and could provide, and thus Jeremiah determined to wait for Him.

Waiting is something we do not naturally enjoy--especially if we have been conditioned to believe we are entitled to speedy service, convenience and ease without effort.  Since patience is a fruit of the Spirit, the implication is our flesh tends to rush, hurry, worry and fret when our needs are not met.  If we discover our regular shop is out of a product we want, we go to another shop.  If our efforts are still frustrated, we check our online ordering options; we message friends, make calls or chat with bots.  We are persistent with our impatience over things we want:  how much more desperate we would be to supply our needs if we lacked water for drinking, cooking or washing, when our lives depended on it?

As I considered waiting for God's provision, guidance and answer to prayer, I was reminded of how we used to call people on a "landline" years ago with a rotary or push-button phone.  After the phone number was dialed, the caller could hear a click of a connection being made and subsequent ringing.  Some phones would ring and ring while others were connected to an answering machine that would record a message.  Because phones were not portable in those days, it would take several rings for someone to hear the phone and answer.  An impatient caller would let the phone ring, and as soon as the answering machine began a recorded greeting would hang up, wait for a few seconds, and call back again.  Some people preferred to "screen" their calls and waited for the caller to start talking--and if they knew the caller and felt like talking would pick up.  If the caller was unwilling to leave a message, however, communication would not happen.

It struck me today when it comes to waiting for God, we can be like that impatient phone caller with God.  When we don't receive an immediate answer we do the equivalent of hanging up and vent our complaints to anyone who will listen.  Verses like Isaiah 65:24 demonstrate God's omniscience and does not need to "screen" calls or requires caller ID to know intimately the needs of everyone who cries out  to Him:  "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear."  God would have us demonstrate our faith in seeking God and waiting for Him, trusting He will provide for our needs.  Jesus taught in Matthew 6:30, "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"  Only God who created us is able to meet our needs, and let us be those willing to patiently wait for God's answer.