Marching Forth!

" The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; i t wearies him to bring it back to his mouth ." Proverbs 26:15 When I think of this passage a story comes to mind.  Years ago a co-worker told me about a small dog (Chihuahua mix) he owned that had a voracious appetite.  Having bought a new bag of dog food, on a whim he decided to see how much the dog would actually eat.  He cut the top off the bag and laid it down for the hungry and frantic pup's special "all you can eat" meal.  After leaving for awhile, he returned to see how the dog was doing.  The dog was completely exhausted and full, laying on his side with his head in the bag, seemingly unable to move but humorously drew an occasional morsel into his mouth with his tongue. The lazy man in Solomon's parable is like a fellow who has a bowl of food in front of him--in his own hand even--but it seems too much work to move his hand from the bowl to his mouth.  The irony is someone had gathered...

Last night before bed I read the passage in Revelation when the sixth seal is opened, one of many judgments which are coming upon the earth.  God's wrath with be released upon people who have rejected Jesus Christ as it is written in  Revelation 6:15-17 :  " 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 ?" When I think of lambs, I picture a soft woolly creature feeding on grass or bouncing around a green meadow--not anything capable of wrath and destruction.  Jesus Christ is the Lamb without blemish referred to here, for He is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  The first time Jesus walked...

It struck me the other day how remarkable it was of the thief crucified with Jesus to say to Him, " LORD, remember me when you come into your kingdom ."  In doing so he demonstrated great faith which perceived more than what he could naturally see.  Over the head of Jesus was a sign inscribed by the hand of Pontius Pilate with the accusation brought against Him:  "J ESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS ." (Matthew 27:37; John 19:19) Never had a king been so ill-treated by His own people, being accused as an evildoer by envious men with His subjects shouting to the Roman ruler as one man, "Crucify Him!"  He hung battered from blows and brutal scourging, covered in gore, barely recognisable as a man.  The thief who lived his life in violation of God's law and initially reviled Jesus had his eyes suddenly opened to the reality Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of God and Son of David who would have an everlasting kingdom. In desperation the dyin...

God is truly all powerful.  The creation of the universe, global catastrophes, and miraculous might are just the edges of His ways.  It is remarkable to me how God has all authority and power, yet men can move Him through humble requests.  Many times God stated His intention to do something, and when those who feared Him spoke with God He relented.  God remained righteous and good, yet mountains were moved and inevitable judgment delayed by a simple request. This morning I thought back to the time after Jacob left Laban's house as a wealthy man with many children.  He heard Esau was coming to meet him with hundreds of men and he was concerned for the safety of his family and himself.  That night the biblical account says he wrestled with a man until the breaking of day.  This man and how they began to engage in the tussle is not explained in scripture.  But reading on shows this "man" was much more than an ordinary man, for he simply touched Ja...

" You have plowed wickedness; y ou have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies,  b ecause you trusted in your own way,  i n the multitude of your mighty men ." Hosea 10:13 I forget things or misspeak, but God does not.  He knows all things, having created the world and all the processes therein.  Reading this verse holds forth an important principle by what God through the prophet did not mention.  A farmer typically ploughs furrows, sows seed, and reaps the harvest.  This passage references ploughing and reaping but does not mention sowing at all!  The fact is unless we plant good seed we cannot expect good things to grow. We see evidence of this all the time:  we turn over the soil to plant flowers or a vegetable garden and all manner of weeds and grass sprout up.  These weeds ought to be pulled because all these do is propagate after their own kind and rob the good plants of nutrition, sunlight, and space. ...

It is tragic when people do not have basic necessities for survival like clean water, wholesome food, or adequate shelter.  Billions of dollars of financial aid and countless volunteer efforts go towards helping those in need near and far.  As real the risk is for those who lack, there is also a risk for those who have .  It is ironic those who have great abundance also run the greatest risk of forgetting who they need most:  God.  In the Law of Moses God provided warnings for the wealthy.  Having our needs met by God can cause us to be filled with pride and forget God who provides life and all we possess. Through Moses God warned His people in Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 17-18 :  " When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12  lest-...

When it comes to temptation to sin, we can feel very alone.  In the moment we can feel powerless to find the way of escape God has provided for us.  But this pitiful self-focus is a chief source of our chronic problems, that we imagine ourselves to be the central figure in the struggle and forget about the power of God.  We think it falls to us to do the impossible rather than seeking the LORD.  Failure can lead to our resignation to sin instead of fleeing as we ought. Last night I was struck by what Peter wrote in  2 Peter 2:7-9 .  Those who sinned without repentance God destroyed " ...and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked  8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--  9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment... "...