Seeing and Eating

Embracing doubt robs people of experiencing God's blessings.  Many people have heard about or read concerning the peace, joy, forgiveness, and love of God, but unbelief keeps them from receiving.  A perfect illustration of this is seen in 2 Kings 7.  The army of Syria had besieged the city of Samaria, and the inhabitants were suffering from a grievous famine.  The situation had become so dire, people were boiling and eating their own children to survive.  After seeing the desperation of the people, the king of Israel stormed over to the man of God, Elisha.  The king sought to kill Elisha, blaming him and God for the terrible state of the city.  2 Kings 7:1-2 reads, "Then Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.' " ² So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" And he said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it."

Elisha proclaimed the word of the LORD:  in 24 hours, the famine would be completely over.  Grain in abundance would be available at the open gate of Samaria.  The king's assistant voiced his doubt aloud:  "Even if God made windows in heaven, how is that possible?"  For a long time the people had languished away in the famine, and therefore Elisha's words seemed like idle fantasy.  The officer's belief in the power and salvation of God had eroded away.  Elisha said, "You shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it."  Such is the effect of unbelief.  We read in the Bible of the promises and provision of God.  But if we are focused on our weakness, inability, and the seeming impossibility of fulfillment, we will never taste and see that the LORD is good.  We see changed lives all around us by the power of the Gospel, but unbelief insulates us from God's touch.  Case after case of God's provision and deliverance may parade before us, but doubts prevent us from experiencing it personally.

How tragic it would be to be starving at a dinner table piled with tantalising foods!  This is the condition of many people who come to church and hear God's Word faithfully preached.  A gourmet meal is spread before people when they open the pages of God's Word by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  The napkin is laid across the lap, the food is presented beautifully, and refreshing water and wine are poured into glasses.  All around people begin to partake of the delicious meal.  But unbelief keeps a person from eating.  It is a lash which ties hands to the back of the chair and sews shut the mouth.  You may have sat down hungry, but now you are famished!  Frustration grips the heart.  It would be better to have stayed home and slept until noon than to sit through another sermon without belief.  Maybe you can relate.  Like the king of Israel, you might blame God for your hunger pangs.  But the reality is, God is the only one who has the words of life.  Jesus is the Bread of Life who supplies Living Water which satisfies our souls.  Whoever by faith receives of Christ's body and atoning blood will live forever.  God is not to be blamed for offering gifts you refuse to receive through unbelief.  Many see with unbelieving eyes, but few hearts trust and eat.

The word of the LORD through Elisha was fulfilled.  That night, the Assyrian army fled at the sound of a great army advancing towards them in the darkness.  Thinking the Samaritans had hired mercenaries to defeat them, the entire army fled and left all their tents, weapons, animals, food, and supplies behind them.  2 Kings 7:16-20 tells us, "Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. ¹⁷ Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. ¹⁸ So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria." ¹⁹ Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, "Now look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he had said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it." ²⁰ And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died."  Even as God had fulfilled his word to end the famine, the life of the unbelieving officer was ended as well.  The officer saw God's salvation but he never ate of the abundance He graciously provided.  His unbelief led to his demise - not in a time of famine - but in a season of great plenty.

Perhaps you have experienced a spiritual famine for a long time.  You have read much but received little.  Even as the children of Israel could not enter into the Promised Land because of their unbelief, you have been unable to follow Christ as a disciple because of the same.  The promises of God remain a unsettling illusion, like cackling spectres in the shadows, instead of the life-supporting and mind-transforming gifts as God intended them.  Confess your unbelief and joyfully await the breaking of the dawn, for a feast waits for you!  It is a feast that will last for eternity, for God's Word will endure forever.  May the words written of Abraham be applicable to every Christian today in Romans 4:20-21:  "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."  If you have not yet repented and trusted in Christ as Saviour, He has promised eternal life to all who believe in Him.  Open the windows of heaven, Father!  May we both see and eat!

Don't Trade Your Birthright!

The Bible is full of flawed people.  They are displayed in scripture, not so we can criticise and shake our heads at their foolish decisions, but so we might learn from their example.  In every flaw we see a mirror image of ourselves in holy writ, the divine light driving the mist from our eyes to see ourselves in truth.  In my house we have a framed print on the wall that contains a hidden picture within.  At first I didn't see the hidden shapes carefully concealed by the artist.  But once my eyes were opened to them, the silhouette cannot be hidden from my eyes!  This is similar to when the Holy Spirit pulls back the veil from our eyes in reading scripture.  When we read of the stubborn Israelites grumbling in the wilderness, we should see ourselves.  When I see Peter taking his eyes off of Jesus and becoming overwhelmed by the tempest, I see myself.  Even as Esau traded his inheritance for a bowl of lentil stew, yep, that's me.

In the days of Isaac, the first-born son was granted a birthright.  Esau and Jacob were twins born to Isaac.  as the oldest, Esau was automatically given inheritance rights over Jacob.  The leadership and genealogy of the family would pass from the father to the son with the birthright.  Esau was famished after hunting one day and traded the birthright for a bowl of soup.  He viewed the temporary filling of his stomach of greater value than the responsibility and privilege of his lasting inheritance.  Hebrews 12:14-17 exhorts, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; ¹⁶ lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. ¹⁷ For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears."  Because Esau traded his birthright, the family line would pass from Isaac to Jacob instead of from Isaac to Esau.  Esau later regretted his decision, but scripture says he had no place for repentance in his heart.  He wanted the blessing, but he shirked his responsibility.  He ended up without the birthright and blessing, both which were rightfully his by birth!

It is natural for us to look at Esau's poor decision and shake our heads.  What a fool to give up his inheritance for what could not endure!  How ridiculous it seems, that Esau would be so shortsighted to trade his birthright for something to be chewed up, swallowed, and eliminated.  But before we stand in judgment of Esau, let me be so bold as to say that Esau represents every person who has walked the earth.  Every human being has been created in the image of the Almighty God.  Adam enjoyed unbroken fellowship with God as his birthright.  But he embraced sin in the eating of the forbidden fruit and thus forfeited his birthright.  Instead of enjoying and inheriting eternal life and communion with God, Adam received eternal death and separation from God.  Death and sin passed to all men.  Every single person on earth today is a sinner, for the Bible reveals all have sinned.  Yet if we choose to repent and place our trust in Jesus Christ, we can be redeemed through the Gospel of grace.  We are then reconciled with God, are born again by the Holy Spirit, and are restored to fellowship with God.  The promises of God are now our birthright.  God gives joy, peace, wisdom, forgiveness, and all that pertains to life and godliness without measure or partiality.

But the devil is a cunning enemy who never rests from craftily robbing us of our inheritance.  He labours to trick us to justify remaining bitter towards those who may have hurt us.  In harbouring a grudge, we exchange the peace that passes understanding for hatred in our hearts.  A bowl of stew would be a better trade!  The world tempts us to feed the flesh through fornicating with our eyes, minds, and bodies.  Again, we trade the joy of the LORD and unbroken fellowship with God for a moment of physical excitement and pleasure.  We wonder why our Christian witness is weak and unfruitful.  When the birthright passed to Jacob, the family line no longer passed through Esau.  When we trade our spiritual inheritance for the passing pleasures of sin, we should not be surprised when the divine family line no longer passes through us.  Our spiritual impotence is caused by our own stubbornness and rebellion.  It is only when we repent, putting off the old man, being renewed in the spirit of our minds through scripture, and putting on the new man by God's grace that we are again restored to fellowship with God.

Never trade your spiritual birthright for the sin which so easily besets us.  When King Ahab offered money to buy the vineyard of Naboth, the righteous man answered in 1 Kings 21:3, "The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!"  Many Christians have given the surety of their inheritance into the hands of the devil by dabbling or walking in sin.  May we repent so our inheritance and blessing might be restored!  God forbid that we would give up our inheritance for money, a career, the opinions of others, or deceitful sin.  Christ is our inheritance, and may we cling to Him and no other.  Let us pursue peace and holiness with all people, taking care not to fall short of the grace of God.  Praise God for His grace and goodness, for our God is a God of new beginnings!

Delicious, Nutricious, or Both?

It's a fact that what tastes delicious is not always nutritious!  Junk food may taste great, but it does not adequately provide for the wide range of dietary needs of the human body.  Suppressing the appetite with sugary drinks and foods decreases the intake of water, fruit, and vegetables which contain necessary vitamins and minerals for growth, repair, good digestion, energy, and concentration.  When the body is sluggish from inactivity or experiencing pain, the desire to exercise is reduced.

For people like myself who have done physical work or have been active on the sports fields, nagging injuries are part of life.  I have learned to manage my injuries over the years.  I have learned that stretching, taking anti-inflammatory medication, maintaining a decent level of fitness, and staying well-hydrated are keys to staying on the field.  Over six months ago I pulled my upper hamstring.  I was still able to play baseball, but the injury kept me from regularly working out.  It seemed like nothing I did made a difference.  Rest, massage, medication, and stretching weren't making the problem go away.  My prayer list for physical healing was mounting up:  the left knee and hamstring; the right elbow, shoulder, and wrist; and right ankle.  Praise the LORD that He hears, answers, and heals.

One thing which had slipped my mind was I had not been taking any vitamins or supplements to provide nutrition which promotes healing.  I was trying all these external therapies which had always helped before, but neglected to think about what I was putting into my body to help recovery.  I began taking various vitamins and supplements to help the body recover.  In the past few weeks, I have seen marked improvement.  Yesterday I was able to work out with heavier weights and the hamstring was pain free!  Thank God for His healing touch!  The point is this:  I had neglected the importance of diet in recovery from injury.  It occurred to me we can do the same thing in spiritual matters.  When we are hurt by someone, we can focus on external means to bring healing.  We can go to that person according to scripture and seek reconciliation.  Jesus says in Matthew 5:23-24 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."  Obedience to your doctor is important, but the things you are eating and drinking also affect the progress of your treatment.  I might go through the motions of meeting with those with whom I must be reconciled, but unless I am feeding faithfully on the Word of God, spending time in prayer and godly fellowship, the hurt will linger.

I read an article the other day about a woman who was addicted to drinking Coca-Cola.  She would drink 8 liters of soda on a daily basis.  Few people would claim drinking 8 liters of soda a day is a healthy lifestyle choice.  It is possible to indulge in too much of a good thing - and when that thing is not healthy to begin with, only trouble will follow!  Even as people prefer one drink or food excessively, we can do the same thing with biblical doctrine.  We can have a preoccupation with particular themes or truths which have the potential to make us spiritually gaunt or bloated.  As it is important to have a balanced diet of healthy foods, we need a balanced diet of the whole Word of God.  Books outside of scripture can have some good nutritional content, but fiction novels could be compared to junk food.  There's nothing in them to feed or satisfy your soul.  Now there is nothing wrong with having a candy bar or a soda, but that should not be your primary dietary intake.  Fiction is temporarily satisfying, but will leave you empty and looking for more.  I almost think it unnecessary to say, but reading and viewing porn is like poison.  It is a spiritual opiate which numbs and disconnects a soul from fellowship with God.  Those who desire health do not inject poisons into their bodies and brains.

Psalm 34:8-9 reads, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! ⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him."  Jesus is the Living Bread come down from heaven who gives Living Water, the Holy Spirit.  It is Christ who has the words of life.  It is in Christ all of our hunger and desires are satisfied.  Feed on His faithfulness!

Junior Seau and Eternity

I received the word today that longtime San Diego Charger great Junior Seau, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest today at the age of 43.  Though I never personally met Junior, I feel like I knew him.  I had watched him play linebacker at USC and remember him being drafted to the Chargers.  I remember his exuberance on the field, how he was ejected from his first game as a professional because of his enthusiasm.  I always loved Junior Seau, and there can never be another 55.  His number 55 jersey still hangs in my closet to this day.  Junior Seau owned a restaurant in Mission Valley and I still remember the commercials and food.  My sincere condolences and heart goes out to his family and all those who are grieving his passing.  It stings a little more knowing that Junior may have hurried along his own death.  It is a sad ending for an otherwise exemplary life in the public eye. 

When I heard of Junior's passing, I thought of San Diego Padre great Ken Caminiti who died of a drug overdose at the age of 41.  These are two men from my two favourite sports teams who perished through a series of decisions they made.  I don't know that I ever idolised these men, but I always respected and held them in high regard.  I loved to cheer them and rejoiced in their mastery.  Watching Junior perfectly time the snap count for a quick sack and seeing Caminiti launch switch-hit home runs in a single game were legendary.  But there is more to life than gridiron and baseball.  There is a life outside the lines that counts for more than what happens between them.  Many people are idolised for their conduct between the lines based upon how good, fast, strong, and skilled they are.  No man is worthy of being idolised because he is not God.

In the big picture, a football or baseball career is over soon after it begins.  Wise athletes make preparations for a career after their sporting career.  Investments are made; money is carefully set aside.  They recognise there is more to life than hitting a ball or sacking a quarterback.  Most people will never play professional sports.  Those who are wise will seek the provision of security - not only for the remainder of a life lived upon the earth - but a home in the heavens eternally basking in presence of God.  This is obtained in only one way:  through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  When I was born again by grace through faith, it was then I obtained and entered into a life worth living no matter what trials I faced.  Because Jesus has given all for us, we should be joyous in giving all back to Him.

Perhaps the temptation is to judge Junior for his alleged regrettable decision.  Instead of judging, please pray for comfort, mercy, and peace for all who are grieving.  The reality is, Junior Seau, nor any other man, will ultimately be judged by men.  All people will stand before the Living God and be judged according to their works in light of God's law.  Those who have had their sins atoned by the blood of Jesus will be rewarded or suffer loss for the stewardship of their time on earth.  All who are in Christ will receive a joyful entrance into the heavenly presence of God forever.  However, those who die in their sins without the atonement and reconciliation afforded through the blood of Jesus, will be separated from God for eternity in hell.  How Junior's life ended is tragic, yet God is able to make good even come from this.  The Bible teaches that it is appointed for men once to die, and then comes judgment.  Eternity for Junior has been decided.  It is the most important choice a person can make, for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

Rest in peace, Junior.  Philippians 4:6-8 reads, "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. ⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things."  Junior Seau did many praiseworthy things, and that's the way I'll always remember him.