Marching Forth!

" Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; s o he who waits on his master will be honoured ." Proverbs 27:18 We understand the concept of one who plants, waters, and tends a tree having the privilege of eating the fruit it produces.  Harvesting and eating figs is likely the main reason a fig tree was planted in the first place!  The owner of the land fertilises and prunes his trees in the right season so he will benefit the most from fruitfulness.  In an odd way, serving a fig tree leads to being served delicious figs. The second stanza of this proverb is intriguing, for I would have assumed the master would be the one having an expectation of benefit from his servant.  Solomon turns it the other way round, that a faithful servant who waits on his master can expect to be honoured.  We catch a glimpse of this with Mordecai the Jew who was promoted by king Ahasuerus after he foiled a murder plot by eunuchs.  Mordecai was clothed in the king's clothes, w...

In the Judges passage we read today at church, the elders of the tribes of Israel placed a curse upon any of the tribes of Israel who gave their daughters to the remaining men of Benjamin.  Though God put a curse upon those who failed to keep His law, the Israelites made great effort to avoid the curse they had spoken.  This made me consider the impact of curses on Christians today, and I have observed a fair amount of  concern and what seems to be misguided fear on the subject. It is not uncommon for me to speak with Christians who wonder if they are the unwitting victims of a curse.  A mix of feelings, circumstances and teachings on the subject convince people there is something they must do to rid themselves of a curse to receive blessing from God.  This is not scriptural or possible, for it is Jesus Christ alone who frees us from the curse of sin and death.  God promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 , “... I will bless them that bless you and curse those...

When I first came to Australia, one movie widely recommended for me to watch and be thrown into the deep end of Australian culture and humour was The Castle .  It was hailed as a fine representation of the relatable Aussie battler who was willing to take a stand for his principles and a house that had become his happy home beyond price.  Rather than submitting to a compulsory acquisition of his property to extend the airport, Darryl Kerrigan was able to prevail in pleading his case in the high court--with the expert aid of an unexpected ally. An interesting aspect of the film was the misplaced faith Darryl had in a local lawyer named Dennis Denuto who struggled to make copies in his office!  Dennis was more knowledgeable in matters of Australian law and the Constitution than Darryl, but his incompetence and ignorance was laid bare by his abject failure in court.  Darryl's case would never had been heard by the High Court without the aid of a retired Queen's Counsel a...

The last two days I read chapters of Proverbs that mentioned "landmarks" which had been established previously, and how it was wise not to remove them.   Proverbs 22:28 bluntly says, " Do not remove the ancient landmark w hich your fathers have set ."  There are people who may be almost offended at this prohibition because they have little respect for their fathers.  There are some who are inclined to question and challenge or dismiss the position of ancient landmarks because they seem outdated and irrelevant to modern life.  Even when we do not understand why a fence or boundary stands where it does, the existence of it ought to convey the simple truth to rational minds there was a reason behind such labour. To the children of Israel, the ancient landmarks were established by the God of Israel who gave to each tribe and family an inheritance of land by lot.  Thus the primary reason to leave the ancient landmark in the original location was to honour ...

" There is no wisdom or understanding o r counsel against the LORD ." Proverbs 21:30 What confidence and comfort God's people can have in His sovereign rule over all!  Paul was convinced he and all believers who love God can know He makes all things work together for good.  Thus situations that we would say are bad or are intended by others for evil will not undermine or prevent God's good purposes from ultimately being accomplished.  Sometimes, like Joseph in Egypt, God can provide insight into His redemptive operation in our circumstances and ourselves.  He explained to his brethren in  Genesis 50:20 :  " But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive ."  It was evil when Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave and fabricated evidence to deceive his father into believing he was dead, yet God meant it for good--that in time nations, Joseph, his father and e...

It is possible to know scripture by heart that has yet to impact our hearts.  While people are always on the lookout for something new, it is the same old passages of Scripture that provide fresh, relevant guidance to walk in newness of life made possible by the Gospel.  For the spiritually hungry child of God, this never grows old. Today I considered the passage when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.  Though Jesus was LORD of all, He voluntarily assumed a position typically filled by a slave and washed feet.  John 13:12-15 says, " So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  13   You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  14   If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  15   For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you ."  Jesus pro...

 " The foolishness of a man twists his way, a nd his heart frets against the LORD ." Proverbs 19:3 The picture of the foolish heart of man fretting against the LORD is an apt one.  I have several shirts that show evidence of fretting from scraping across rough surfaces, and it is unsightly when fibers of fabric pull unevenly.  Webster describes the word "fret" as meaning, " corroding, wearing away; agitating; vexing; making rough on the surface. "  Should a fabric continue to rub upon a stone or block surface, the threads will wear away completely and create a hole.  God is the immoveable, eternal God who is resolute and unchanging.  Man's folly prompts him to dash against the righteous God like a bug impulsively flies repeatedly into a light and stuns itself.  It is the bug that comes off worse for wear. God is not worn down by the folly, crookedness or perversion of man He has created.  It is man who wears down under the weight of God's j...