God Knows: Trudge On!

This morning I read in Deuteronomy 2:7, "For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing."  The passage resonated in me, reminding me of my own calling and slow unfolding of God's plan for our family to immigrate and serve Him in Australia.

From a human perspective, God's seems to employ painstakingly slow, inefficient means to accomplish His purposes.  In farming, the cultivation and preparation of the soul takes much longer than the actual planting.  The breaking up of sun-scorched clods and amending the soil is far greater work than the scattering of seed!  When the call to Australia came to me, my whole outlook was affected with excitement and expectation.  I did not know when, how, or where God would establish us.  I did not know the shape of the ministry He intended me to do.  All I knew was, "You will preach, and you will be sent."  I knew God had called me to be a pastor, but how it would come about was completely unknown.

The great challenge after the call was to maintain focus upon the LORD and where He had me at that current time.  The temptation was to focus on the unknowns which loomed like iron gates.  Expending time and effort trying to figure out how and when God would fulfill His Word to me proved to be a useless waste of time.  God reminded me of Yoda's rebuke of Luke Skywalker in "Empire Strikes Back."  Having no experience, never having trained, Luke was ready to take on the whole Empire himself.  Yoda shot back:  "Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing."

As a missionary in a foreign field, you must learn first at home to faithfully "suit up and show up."  How you handle the little things is an indication of how you handle bigger things.  We can foolishly think, "Well, if I was in the field I would spend more time in prayer" or "I will be more faithful when my responsibilities increase."  Stop kidding yourself.  Jesus says in Luke 16:10-12:  "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?¹² And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?"  If you cannot be faithful to take care of something as simple as brushing your teeth daily, showing up on time every day at work, or reading the books you borrowed, how do you expect to progress spiritually?  Does God reward sloppy servants with greater responsibility?  In the grand scope of things, being prompt or brushing your teeth are very little things - but our faithfulness with the little things is a sight-glass with a view into our heart, character, and priorities.  Those who are faithful in least are faithful also in much.

The children of Israel expected to be ushered into the Promised Land without a struggle.  Had they known they would have entered the land of Canaan after 40 years of trudging through the desert, many of them would have refused to leave Egypt!  But God is looking for faithful servants who stare at 40 years in the face like nothing, set their face like a flint, and stay faithful like Caleb and Joshua - without grumbling, arrogance, or pride.  These are the men who will enter in, overcome, and be established in the land God prepared them for.  In those 40 years, God purged and refined His people.  He conditioned them to become completely dependent upon Him.  During the years of waiting and trudging, God is preparing you and the field where He is sending you.  Trudging on is not drudgery when God is with you, leading you to His expected end!

Though we are often in a hurry, God is not.  He will be true to His Word, for He is faithful.  Even when you face obstacles, detours, and apparent setbacks, God's plans are pushing forward with unstoppable force.  You will be ready when God says you are.  Set the alarm, pray, read, seek, and brush those teeth!  Be faithful in little, and God will entrust more to you according to His grace.

Keep the Unity of the Spirit

Unity in Christ is critically important.  Sometimes conformity or uniformity can pass for "unity" because we look at externals and cannot see the heart.  A smile can hide great offense, and outward compliance can mask deep wounds.  I have been enjoying a book written by Francis Frangipane called, House United:  How Christ-Centered Unity Can End Church Division.  I have appreciated his many insights, but none more than the portion I read yesterday concerning unity in the early church:

One may argue, "If we had their power, we would be united as well."  Let me emphasize:  they were of one mind before Pentecost (see Acts 1:14).  If there had not been unity among the disciples prior to Pentecost, there would not have been an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  The outpouring did not create unity; unity made the way for the outpouring.  The order was first, then came the power of the Spirit.  Frangipane, Kindle highlight Loc. 991-94

We all desire the empowerment of Pentecost, but are we willing to make the sacrifices necessary for true unity, the most basic of which are faith, humility, repentance, and submission before God?  We are very often like the animals in the fable of the Little Red Hen:  desiring to eat the bread but not willing to do the work required to harvest the ingredients, prepare, and bake them according to the recipe.  If we want to eat cake, we will need to do the work first.  God is all about doing this work in desperate souls who see their sin and need as great and their ability and strength as small.  In us no good thing dwells, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Unity starts with me.  It does not start through outer conformity but through inner transformation by the Holy Spirit.  God has created the Body of Christ with many different members with unique functions and perspectives.  Yet He has also given us all the same Head, Jesus Christ, who is to direct and govern all our functions through divine love.  How versatile and useful is a body where all the parts work together in harmony for the good of all!  This unity can only be fostered by faith in Christ.  It takes trust.  We need God's Word and the power of the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus is the head of my life, I can walk in step with Him and lead others to do the same despite any differences we may have.  May Paul's exhortation ring in our ears in Ephesians 4:1-3:  "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Fools Walking Wisely

"He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered."

Proverbs 28:26

In this "politically correct" world in which we live, a verse of scripture like this is a cold bucket of water to a drowsy soul.  Long has Satan whispered the diabolical lie:  "Follow your heart."  The devil knows in man's natural condition, the heart is a wicked and deceitful guide which only leads to destruction.  It is only through the mirror of God's Law that we can perceive the ever-expanding stark outlines of how rotten we truly are.  There is none good in this world, no not one.

Man is deluded to think he is wise apart from God.  The claims of scripture are absolute, unwavering divine truth:  "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool."  This opposes the satanic propaganda of the world's wisdom.  Man prides himself in his skepticism, his denial of God's wisdom exposing his nakedness like the Emperor's new clothes.  Strutting around in unbelief with doubt his only refuge, he is left helpless to wallow according to his own devices.  His steps on the sinking sand of humanism blindly lead to enslavement, bondage, blindness, and death.

The proverb contains an indictment but also a promise:  "...whoever walks wisely will be delivered."  The God who created all things in wisdom founded our earth.  Proverbs 9:10 reads, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  God, desiring to be known, has revealed His beauty and wisdom in the workings of nature, the Bible, His holy Laws, and in the person of Jesus Christ.  To believers it is written in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."  Man believes through knowledge he can save himself, but alone he remains in darkness adrift on a treacherous sea.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, mankind's only chance for redemption, forgiveness, and salvation.  Those who are born again through repentance and faith in Christ are the truly wise.  From the intellectual elite to the man on the street, those who make Christ their Rock are lightly esteemed by the world's standard, branded as fools, bigots, haters, and ridiculous.

The wisdom of God is past finding out, yet He has made it plain in the person of Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:20-29 reads, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. ²⁶ For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence."

This world and the wisdom of it will pass away, but God's Word will by no means pass away.  Jesus gives to all who will repent and believe deliverance, for that is why He has come.  Galatians 1:3-5 says, "Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."  He who walks wisely will be delivered.  Do you need deliverance?  Come to the Light and walk in wisdom!

The DMV Test

After my two week trip to the States, it is good to be back home in Australia.  My ultimate home is in heaven, but Australia works perfectly for the present!  It was a whirlwind of activity:  visiting family, friends, speaking at churches, attend the Calvary Chapel senior pastor's conference, was the best man in a wedding, and everything seemed to involve food.  Fine with me!

Living overseas certainly complicates things.  Thankfully we have the help and support of people in the States to assist.  During this trip, God was so faithful to provide for my needs:  food, housing, transportation, and even some cash to handle incidentals.  A prime example of God's awesome provision took place at the dreaded DMV.

My driver's license was set to expire in a year's time.  Since I could not say for certain when I will be back in the States, it seemed like a wise option to renew my driver's license.  I had to renew in person because my address had changed.  I also was not able to make an appointment in the amount of days I had left.  So 15 minutes before the Department of Motor Vehicles in El Cajon opened last Wednesday, I claimed a spot in line - which was already 60 people deep!  In about half an hour I arrived at the "Start" desk and filled out my application for license renewal.  I took a number and sat down only to hear the announcement:  "Our system is down.  Payment can only be made with cash or check."

Oh no, I thought to myself.  I didn't even think to bring my checkbook (it's been forever since I've written a check!).  I prayed, LORD, help me to have enough money!  When my number was called, thankfully I had enough money to pay the fee - with eight dollars left over!  I was very grateful to those people who had given me cash without even knowing my ATM card was expired and useless.  Then it was off to another line to check my eyesight.  And then to my surprise, I had to take a refresher test of 18 random questions.  If I missed 6, I would have to reschedule on another date in a week's time.  Trouble was, I had a flight booked the next day!  The pressure was on.

Now I had not expected to have to take a test.  It had been over 20 years since I have taken a written test in the DMV, and for over two and a half years I have been driving in Australia!  But how hard could it be, right?  My test must have been comprised of the most obscure, strange questions ever!  There were questions about freezing bridges, time frames concerning notifying the DMV, and parking uphill without a kerb!  As I was taking the test, I saw a woman go up to the counter and was told she needed to reschedule.  I was feeling the stress, I can tell you.  But I continued casting my cares upon Christ as I read and re-read the awkwardly phrased sentences.  The LORD gave me a peace about it, and I turned it in.

Would you believe that I aced the test?  I was ecstatic.  I can affirm with David in 2 Samuel 22:31-33:  "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. ³² "For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? ³³ God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect." God has not promised that all things will go according to our plans, but He has plans which will certainly come to pass.  He knows when a single sparrow falls, and He will provide for us even when our faith is small.  Even when I was sitting there waiting for my results at the DMV, God's Spirit was there to comfort and strengthen.

No matter where you are, God is there for you.  Try Him!  Whether we pass or fail, we find He bears us up in His everlasting arms of love and grace.  When we walk in faith, we pass the true test.