The Faithful Messenger

Last night in Tribe we discussed Proverbs 10:26 which reads, "As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him."  King Solomon employed a couple of interesting similes to describe a lazy messenger from the perspective of the one who sent the message.  If you have ever taken a swig of vinegar, you know it is difficult to do so without wincing.  The high acidity in time also weakens tooth enamel and can lead to decay.  Most have had the unpleasant experience of sitting around a warm fire only to have the smoke follow you around.  Smoke irritates eyes and makes them water and burn, and this makes it difficult to see clearly.  A lazy messenger is unsuited for the task, a tooth-grinding irritant to those who sent him.

Whilst reading the Bible before bed I came across a striking contrast in Proverbs 25:13:  "Like the cold of snow in time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters."  Harvesting crops is taxing work, and a cool breeze or icy drink provided welcome relief in the heat of the day.  To have the cold of snow in a time of harvest might have been wishful thinking for perspiring labourers bearing burdens, but a faithful messenger is compared with the great refreshment a frosty drink would provide.  Those who send a faithful messenger find their souls refreshed with a well-communicated, timely report.

Perhaps we know the annoyance of laziness or the refreshment of faithfulness well.  For personal application this is a fair question:  what sort of messenger would we be classified by our Master Jesus Christ who has sent us out into all the world as His ministers and ambassadors?  Are we the equivalent of smoke in the eyes of our King or are we faithful messengers who refresh His soul?  It is reasonable the faithful messenger will be provided additional responsibility and more important messages to deliver.  How precious the Gospel ought to be in our eyes!  Proverbs 25:25 says, "As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country."  Our LORD never grows tired or faint as we do, but how it must please Him to have the Good News proclaimed faithfully by the lives and lips of His faithful servants.

Power Belongs to God

"Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. ¹¹ God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God."

Psalm 62:10-11

It is easy for Christians who trust God to begin to place their faith in other things.  Though our hearts are to be fixed on the LORD and our confidence in His Word, a subtle shift can occur.  That is a reason David exhorts the reader to not place our hope in uncertain riches.  Money brings with it the power to obtain but dollars can also exert power over any who discover comfort in them.

David wrote, "Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery..." and the English definitions of the original Hebrew words provide clarity.  I imagine very few of us would admit we "trust in oppression, " and oppression is translated from a word which is defined in the Strong's concordance as, "injury, fraud, distress, unjust gain."  There are people who rort government systems designed to help people by claiming injuries they do not have.  Some profit financially by deceptively tweaking the numbers on their income tax returns.  Through treachery such assert themselves for monetary gain, and they place their trust in cheating schemes rather than God.

"Robbery" is straightforward, and the Hebrew word is defined in the Strong's as "plunder, to take by force."  In David's day victorious armies had the rights to plunder their foes of homes, possessions, people, and livestock.  There were bandits and mercenaries always on the lookout for the next soft target and easy score, to profit at the expense of others because "might meant right."  The mentality of these raiders may be similar to those who hope in winning the lotto or by gambling -  even by through legitimate means.  These set their hearts on a massive windfall and fantasise how their lives would be better with stacks of cash.  Instead of placing their affections and hope in God, trusting Him to provide for all their needs, they set their hearts on uncertain riches.  Such rob God of His rightful place and make money a powerless idol which cannot love or save them.

The power to live, obtain, and provide all comes from God because all power is His.  It is a good place when we do not lust after riches in our poverty, nor do we set our heart on them should God provide money bountifully.  In all seasons may we place our hope and trust in God, being grateful and thankful for His goodness towards us and the power of the Holy Spirit who works in us.  Money does not make a man powerful:  who is powerful compared to God?  Riches may open doors for men, but Jesus Christ opens doors none can shut and doors He shuts none can open - and when He walked the earth He did not even have a house or bed to call His own.

Power belongs to God, and may our hearts remain fixed on Him!  Those who place their hope in the LORD are wealthier than the richest men and women on earth.

Walk in the Spirit

It occurred to me recently that the health of the church is not best measured by church attendance or financial giving but in personal holiness.  The sanctification for Christ of each individual member does a great deal to provide strength and fruitfulness in the church.  The whole church is comprised of many individual members, and our connection to Christ as our head (individually and corporately) places us in a humble posture to be led by the Spirit.  At some point we must take personal responsibility to do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God according to His Word (Micah 6:8).  When our hearts are hardened in sin, however, solid biblical teaching or Spirit-led worship will not force godly transformation upon us.

It is a remarkable thing that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the hearts of God's people who repent of their sin and trust Him.  The thing which I find beyond comprehension is God gives us choices all along, never forcing us to do His will.  This is seen in the life of Joseph and Samson, two men in whom the Holy Spirit dwelt.  Joseph was given great wisdom by God to interpret dreams, and Samson was given superhuman physical strength.  Both men said and did things which their parents weren't happy with - like when Joseph shared his dream about people bowing before him or when Samson sought a wife among the Philistines.  God used both of these men mightily, but how they dealt with persistent temptation was an indication of their current spiritual health and walk with God.

After Joseph was sold by his brothers to slave traders, he was bought by a man named Potiphar and made steward over all his house.  He was a handsome young man who soon caught the longing eyes of Potiphar's wife.  She shamelessly began to make sexual advances upon him.  Genesis 39:8-10 records his response:  "But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. ⁹ There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" ¹⁰ So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her."  Joseph addressed Potiphar's wife directly that to sleep with her would be a sin against God and his master.  He made an effort to avoid being alone with her because she made her evil intentions clear.

Samson, in sharp contrast to Joseph, sought the company of a harlot.  He loved her and slept with her (though unmarried) despite she plainly stated her desire to know how to bind and afflict him.  What he didn't know is five Philistine lords had bribed her to find the secret of his great strength.  Though he had the Spirit of God within him, Samson's response to Delilah's pestering was opposite of Joseph.  Judges 16:16-17 reads, "And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, ¹⁷ that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."  Joseph had been cut off from his family and culture but retained his integrity, while the life of sin Samson chose left him incapable of resisting Delilah's pestering.  After he was shorn the Spirit of God left Him, and Samson was taken, blinded, bound, and enslaved by his enemies - a picture of his tragic spiritual state.

Joseph and Samson were both imprisoned and used by God later in life.  Joseph was promoted to second in Egypt after interpreting Pharaoh's dream, and Samson was strengthened anew by God to push the supporting pillars of a temple to deal a savage blow to the Philistines.  In both of their lives God was their sole source of hope and help in dark, lonely times.  It is a fitting question for us who have been born again:  are we facing temptation to sin with head-on refusals like Joseph, doing all in our power to honour God with our decisions?  Or are we as Samson, pressed and pestered to death until we finally give in?  The state of our current relationship with God has a bearing on how we handle temptation.  Instead of simply trying to avoid sin, it is best to obey the scripture in Galatians 5:16:  "I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."  Having the Spirit of God within us doesn't necessarily mean we are walking in the Spirit.  Samson had the Spirit but fulfilled the lust of the flesh.  His life was cut short by sin, but may the Spirit quicken us to obey Him.  Let us consider our ways in light of the examples of Joseph and Samson and walk in the Spirit.

Crime and Punishment

I am amazed by the way God opens doors unexpectedly.  Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with three senior chaplains in the NSW police force.  For some time (off and on) I had been praying about how churches or myself could support and encourage our local police, and perhaps this meeting was a first step in God's answer to that question.  As we concluded the meeting with prayer, exchanging details and shaking hands, I was given a Bible printed by the Bible Society Australia tailored for police.  Within the pages (in addition to scripture) are topical articles and prayers.

When I looked closely at the cover, I noticed in the NSW Police Seal a motto written in Latin:  "CULPAM POENA PREMIT COMES."  Since I do not understand Latin I turned to Google for the translation which basically means, "Punishment swiftly follows crime."  I had never considered what a good motto would be for a police force, but I suppose it is a good one because the ideal is biblical.  The wheels of the justice system typically turn slower than victims or cops would like, but the importance of swiftly carrying out punishment on the wicked was not lost on King Solomon.  He wrote of the dangers of ignoring or slowly dealing with wrongdoers in Ecclesiastes 8:11, "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."  Should wickedness go unpunished there is nothing to deter the wicked.  The cliche goes, "If you do the crime you do the time" - but it seems the passage of time does little to change hearts.  We need the transformation and cleansing only God can provide.

Solomon continued in Ecclesiastes 8:12-13, "Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. ¹³ But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God."  People do evade the arm of the police and even "get away with murder," but this avoidance of detection, judgment, and punishment does not apply to God.  He sees the countless times we have sinned and even committed crimes and He is longsuffering, not willing any should perish but desires all to come to repentance.  The wicked man will not live out half his days, and many scriptures plainly say the way we live matters.  The one who slinks in the shadows to cover his crimes will become as a shadow, one who will be exposed before God and lost forever.  Hebrews 9:27 reads, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." and the soul which sins will surely die.  Good and bad cops are bundled in with the rest of humanity before a Holy and Just God before whom we have to do, and not one of us is without sin.

Praise the LORD for His love and patience toward us, and that He has opened a door to forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 9:27-28 says, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."  Every mortal man will someday die, and as sure as this is observed and true Jesus Christ was offered to bear the sins of men.  All who repent and trust in Jesus Christ will receive the atonement of His blood and the gift of salvation by His grace.  Death can strike men most unexpectedly:  at a party, driving to work, on the beat, while playing a game, or in our beds.  The only way we can stand justified before a holy God is by trusting in Jesus because He is the One who took our punishment upon Himself.  After death there is no escaping the swift and intense punishment of hell which will last forever should we die in our sins.  How great is our God, that He would wash our sins away at His own expense and provide salvation for guilty sinners! 

Receiving Benefits in Full

How good God is to those who fear Him!  God is good to all men beyond measure, but those who trust and seek the LORD can receive the full benefits as His dear children.  All the gifts God graciously provides for men and beast on earth will end, for this world is passing away.  But blessings from God are retained by those who receive the Gospel and inherit eternal life for Christ is our inheritance who abides with us and we with Him.  All men are freely offered the blessings of God's kingdom, but only those who repent and trust in Him can receive and retain them all.

See what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 103:1-5:  "Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! ² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: ³ Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, ⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."  When I worked in a union 10 years were required to be "vested," and this amount of time was required to receive a pension.  We do not receive full benefits for "time served" as a child of God, but by virtue of God's grace received through the Gospel.  God forgives those who repent, provides healing, redeems us from destruction, places His love and mercy upon us like a crown, satisfies us, and renews our strength.  God is worthy of all praise and honour, and we ought to bless Him for the great benefits He has provided us.

Though we receive God's blessings because of His grace, there is a connection between our obedience and the fullness of blessing.  Psalm 103:17-18 says this:  "But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, ¹⁸ to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them."  Do you see the conditions held forth here?  God is merciful to all, but the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting "on those who fear Him," on those "who remember His commandments to do them." We do not earn God's favour or blessings by our labours or sacrifices, but our obedience demonstrates faith which God richly rewards.  It is those who remain faithful to His covenant of grace through faith in Christ which receive His daily mercies.  If we love God we will heed His Word in obedience.  His mercies are new every morning for great is His faithfulness, and we are covered by them when we walk uprightly.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!  Let us remember how He has blessed us and be grateful and thankful always for the goodness He has bountifully lavished upon us all.  How privileged are we to be receivers of the good things God has reserved for those who fear Him, keep His covenant, and obey Him!

Better than Money Bags

"Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Luke 12:33-34

Jesus often emphasised the wisdom of investing in the kingdom of God rather than living for self.  Everything a person acquires will be passed to someone else or be lost, stolen, broken, ruined, or forgotten.  There is no life found in the accumulation of money or stuff:  real abundant life can only be discovered through faith and obedience to Jesus who is our life.  Christians store up treasure in heaven when we choose to obey God and walk according to His Word and will.  Even a cup of cold water given in His name is cause for God to set aside an eternal reward for the cheerful giver.  The part of the passage which especially spoke to me this time was the exhortation to "provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail."

In ancient times people carried their money in bags made for this purpose, whether made of leather or fabric.  What is implied from the statement of Jesus is those bags (like wallets or purses commonly used today) eventually wore out.  The money people carried was not light-weight paper or plastic, but was typically in the form of coins or crudely fashioned pieces of gold or silver which had weight to them.  Can you imagine carefully stowing a money bag which represented all your monetary wealth in the world on a beast of burden, only to discover days later the contents of the bag had dropped out along the way because the bag had grown old and tore?  What a dreadful discovery that would be!  It would be a terrible, sinking feeling to know all you had worked for could not be recovered.

Jesus taught money and things of this earth decay and can be lost and stolen, but the eternal inheritance and wealth provided by the grace of God for His faithful servants endures forever.  No mothballs are needed to prevent damage in heaven, no elaborate security system is required:  our future is safe in God's hands.  Verse 34 provides insight so we might know when our hearts are set on temporal things.  If it is dreadfully painful for us to lose money, to see a deep scratch in our new car, or are bitter when we are overlooked for a work promotion, it may very well be we are setting our affections on things of this earth and not in heaven.  When we treasure something, that is where our affections lie.

IF we truly place our affections on things above and not on things of the earth, we will treasure the presence of God and His Word.  We will delight to come into His presence with singing and prayer and rejoice to heed the voice of our Saviour, offering ourselves and all we possess as a living sacrifice.  We will not even count our own lives precious to ourselves, for we have been purchased with the precious blood of our LORD and King.  We have been forgiven so we forgive; we have been graced with an everlasting love so we love God and others.  In this world one often needs to have money to make money, but Jesus gives us something money cannot buy:  eternal life and a glorious future in heaven.  Knowing we are therefore rich, let us love freely, give generously, and obey wholeheartedly.  Money bags on earth grow old and fail, but the love of God never fails.

Remember God's Leading

When you have faced difficult trials have you ever wondered, "Why is this happening to me?"  Life is hard, and like the old Morton salt catchphrase says "When it rains it pours."  The difficulties we face are easily compounded.  The salt slogan originated because moisture in the air has a way of making salt clump together, but Morton salt had magnesium carbonate added so it would still pour freely in damp conditions.  Alas, there is no additive we can bring into our lives to neutralise the pain of a fiery trial.  But we have far more in Jesus Christ who will never leave us or forsake us.  He allows us to go through the fire so He might bring us through further refined for His glory.

An example of this is seen after God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt.  Being slaves for hundreds of years was tough to be sure, but the decades spent in the desert before entering Canaan were difficult too.  God had a purpose He was accomplishing in unexpected ways, and I suggest the trials God allows into our lives intending to bring us through have good divine purposes as well.  See what God said in Deuteronomy 8:2-3:  "And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. ³ So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD."

At the time of the trial (which may be of long duration) we may not know why God has allowed it or what He intends to accomplish, but in His words to the children of Israel He spelled it out to them.  This is for our benefit, for God nor His good purposes ever change.  He led them for years through the wilderness to:  1) humble them, 2) test them, 3) to reveal what was in their hearts, and 4) to see if they would keep His commands or not.  God already knew what was in the hearts of the stiff-necked people who came from Egypt, but their response to His testing revealed it to all.  He knew they would push back against His commands, but gave them an opportunity to honour Him or go their own way.  God chose to allow His people to:  5) suffer hunger, and 6) fed them with manna from heaven.  The reason God did these things was so they might "...know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD."  God uses difficult circumstances to teach us lessons and truth we don't realise we need to learn.  These trying times are blessings in disguise, for through them God works marvellously in us.

Believer, remember how God has led you - even long before you believed in Him or regarded Him as LORD.  Hasn't He been gracious to provide for us, protect us, and lead us gently?  Hasn't He been gracious to us when we have been stiff-necked and would have preferred to go our own way?  Hasn't He remained faithful though our hearts and minds have been often estranged from Him?  Every day He supplies our daily bread through His Word and sustains us with His presence.  We may not be able to explain why God allows painful trials and seasons in our lives, but remember Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!  Our Good Shepherd leads us gently and will ultimately bring us to His desired end.

Our LORD Forever

How blessed are those who fear God, for He will protect us without fail.  He provides everlasting assurance (without any fine print or disclaimers) that He will continue to protect and provide for us without fail.  When I travel I typically purchase travel insurance, but all insurance policies have limited coverage conditions.  Not so with our God!  Before we even make a claim He knows of our needs and is able to help in real time.  He is not limited by distance or regular business hours and remains faithful and true forever.

Lifetime warranties are great, but God does not restrict His goodness towards His people to our lives on earth:  His promises and power endure forever!  He does not only care about our mortal frame but preserves us body and soul.  There is no limit to His goodness and everlasting love.  See what is written in Psalm 121:5-8:  "The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. ⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. ⁷ The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. ⁸ The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."  God is near to those who love Him, and protects us day and night regardless of the season.  From this time forth He will guard and protect us forever.

Have you laid these promises close to your heart?  Though evil surrounds us on all sides and help seems far away, those who trust in the LORD share the reality of God's presence and protection.  God will preserve you, follower of Jesus Christ, and He will one day present us faultless before the presence of the Father with exceeding joy (Jude 1:24-25).  In the past God has been faithful, and from this day onward we need not fear evil or the schemes of Satan or deceitful men.  God told His people in Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD."  This is a promise we can hold to forever because God is eternal and faithful to perform all He has said without fail.  God has imputed the righteousness of Christ to all Christians through the Gospel, and He will save us forever.

God has saved us, is saving us, and will always save us according to His grace, mercy, and truth.  Salvation is not a moment in time but lasts forever.  Are you anxious and worried, dear Christian?  Believe God's Word over your own present cares and the uncertainties of this life.  The LORD will preserve you, and He is sufficient to handle all troubles.  The LORD - the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator and Master of All - will preserve you from this second moving forward and forever.  Praise the LORD for His power and faithfulness to accomplish His perfect will.

No Longer in the Dark

As believers in the LORD Jesus, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight.  To say this is counter intuitive is really an understatement, for from our earliest days we learn to rely upon our vision.  Seeing with our eyes makes navigating the world something we take for granted.  It is good for us to remember the God who created man's eyes can certainly see, and He can see far beyond what we could perceive or imagine.

Man looks on the outer appearance, but God looks upon the heart.  Jacob was able to fool his father Isaac by a crude disguise fashioned of goat skins on his arms and neck, yet God sees through the most sophisticated schemes and motives of men.  Samuel looks upon the oldest son of Jesse and envisioned him being a stately and worthy king, but God had rejected him because his heart bore no resemblance to His own.  Whether we have 20/20 vision or suffer from cataracts, it is imperative we acknowledge God's vision is infinitely clearer than ours, and without His insight we are running blind in the dark.

A man in fellowship with God is granted spiritual sight the most eagle-eyed creature of all God's creation cannot possess.  An example of this is seen in the prophet Ahijah whose eyes were glazed over due to age.  King Jeroboam told his wife to disguise herself and go to the prophet with gifts and inquire about his son who was ill.  1 Kings 14:5-6 reads, "Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, "Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman." ⁶ And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news."  Isn't this amazing?  If Ahijah was able to see and relied upon his ability to see he could have been fooled by the woman's disguise, but though blind God gave him insight and made him His messenger.

Losing the ability to see clearly with your eyes is a terrible loss, but broken fellowship with the Almighty is a far greater loss spiritually and physically.  If he lived today Ahijah would have qualified as a person with a disability due to his blindness, but he was an able servant of the Most High God chosen and sent with serious tidings though he remained at home.  God brought opportunities to him!  How wonderful is the insight God gives, and that He would choose to employ us in His service despite our frailty.  In our weakness we discover great strength in our God and purpose even failing health cannot rob us of.  Because of the lamp of God's Word and the Light of the World Jesus Christ, we need never languish in the dark.