Comfort for Souls

I have had the privilege of witnessing the last days of many loved ones depart this world.  From those experiences memories are tucked away, carefully chronicled without effort.  It is strange the things I remember vividly, the small details which likely go unnoticed.  I remember how my granddad looked as he lay in his bed in a coma.  I remember an uncle in his living room in hospital bed, being given a sip of beer.  I can still see the tears in the eyes of my grandma when my dad and I visited her and I told her I loved and appreciated her.  People approach the end of their lives differently.  I have realised everyone must face death all by themselves, even when surrounded by those who love them.

In times of grief and sadness, superficial things fade away.  In an instant we are given clarity about what really matters.  I remember going into my aunt's home to visit her before she passed.  Her health had been poor for some time and it was a treasure to spend some quiet moments with her.  As she began to drift out of consciousness, her favourite show was switched on.  She paid it no mind.  A priest came to give her holy communion, yet she was already at rest.  As her life ebbed away our family sang songs and rejoiced in her Saviour, Jesus Christ.  It was a bittersweet moment to see our loved one finally head home to the One who loved her first and always and would never leave or forsake her.

When I reflect on that day it is a strange verse which comes to mind.  I can only think of 1 Kings 19:11-12 when Elijah met with the LORD:  "Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; ¹²  and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice."  Because God is mighty and powerful one might expect Him tear rocks with wind or shake the earth with an earthquake, but He was not found in either.  Perhaps He would reveal Himself as He did on Sinai, with fire.  No, God was not in the fire.  Elijah recognised God by "a still, small voice."

Only God brings the comfort people long for.  They may seek it in painkillers or beer, in entertainment or religious rites.  We may desire to spend our final moments in a familiar place among people we love.  But comfort for the soul is not found in any of these things.  Nothing in this world can provide forgiveness for our sin or wash away our guilt.  It is only through faith in Christ we find rest for our souls.  God continues to speak in a still, small voice which comforts our hearts whether our lives are towards the beginning or at the very end.  I am grateful to know and trust the God who brings comfort in the midst of fiery trials, earthquakes, terminal illness, and even death.  Even when we feel all alone we who trust Christ are not alone, for the LORD speaks to us.  We never need face death by ourselves, for Christ has already faced it and overcome.

Context, Context, Context!

Whether a person is buying or renting a house, the old adage rings true:  "Location, location, location!"  In Sydney the closer a house is to the city the more valuable it is.  Small studios command millions of dollars because of their proximity to the Sydney CBD (Central Business District).  The location dictates the value of a property more than the quality of construction, the square footage, or how new the development is.  Location is the primary commodity.  A postage-stamp lot in the city translates to more dollars than acres in the bush.

There is a similar principle concerning "location" in the Bible.  People quote scripture to verify their claims, but the immediate context will show how valuable and trustworthy an interpretation is.  Respecting the context of a passage helps us to know more than what was said but to whom and why it was said.  This has enormous implications in understanding and applying the text to our lives personally.  When Paul exhorted Timothy as a student of scripture to "rightly" divide the Word of truth he implied it can be handled wrongly by ignorance or even deceit.  Even as safeguards are taken when handling necessary and useful but potentially hazardous substances, Christians must be cautious to ensure we consider the context of a Bible passage before we utilise it to validate claims.

I recently saw a presentation which emphasised the importance of understanding the true facts of history some allegedly have tried to cover up.  The narrator quoted from Orwell's 1984:  "Those who control the past control the future."  It was then followed up with a snippet of scripture where God said through the prophet Hosea, "My people perish for a lack of knowledge."  All this was to conclude the value and necessity of all the evidence which had been presented and how important this revelation was for people to know.  Now I have heard this passage quoted many times for various reasons.  The burning question is, what knowledge were the people lacking when the prophet spoke these words?  Was it historical or secret information?  It is the immediate context in scripture which will prove to the discerning mind if it was quoted appropriately in the presentation.  To answer this question, I opened my Bible.  If someone quotes from the Bible to make a point, we ought to see what the context is to verify it.

Let us read Hosea 4:1-6 (bold emphasis mine):  "Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. ² By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed. ³ Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away. ⁴ "Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; for your people are like those who contend with the priest. ⁵ Therefore you shall stumble in the day; the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother. ⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."

From the text there are two specific references to the lack of knowledge which lead to the destruction of God's people:  a lack of the knowledge of God (verse 1) and the rejection/forgetfulness of the knowledge of God's law (verse 6).  It is true God's people perished for a lack of knowledge, but it was not just any kind of knowledge.  God revealed Himself to His people and gave them His laws so they could live.  Because the people did not know God or walk in His ways they were perishing.  The passage does tell us the knowledge the people lacked and therefore reveals the Hosea quote in the presentation was used out of context.  For a Christian who searches the scriptures the partially quoted verse weakens the argument instead of strengthening it.  Looking at the verse in context shows the Orwell quote was much more suitable than the biblical reference.

When it comes to reading and quoting scripture, "Context, context, context!"  Reading passages in context helps us understand what God has said, what He means, and how to apply it personally in my life.  Knowledge of history is one thing, but knowing God is indispensable for life.  Blessed is the man who knows God and His law, the one who walks in His truth, mercy, and wisdom.  Jeremiah 9:23-24 supplies a relevant conclusion:  "Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; ²⁴ but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD."

It's Blooming Time

On my way home yesterday from church I dropped by the shops to pick up ingredients needed for dinner.  After making purchases I briskly walked by the flower shop on the corner where the florists were already at work.  A phrase written in chalk on a sandwich board caught my eye which read, "Bloom where you are planted."  This was wise advice from an unexpected source.  The LORD used this phrase to encourage me to keep serving and living for God right where I am.

Countless people endure each day with dissatisfaction and even bitterness because of disillusionment.  The seasons of waiting can drag on.  Unfulfilled longings and desires of their hearts hold them back from complete surrender and joy in Jesus today.  For some it is the longing to be married, to be recognised or respected by family, to have children, or to be a pastor or missionary.  In my Christian walk there have been times I felt it hard to commit fully to the present because of a potential future I imagined loomed somewhere in the distance.  It was when I decided to "bloom where I was planted" - to use a God-given gift and to remain at my church without seeking my ideal situation - when God caused me to be more fruitful for His glory.

We often think a change of scenery would do us good and infuse within us satisfaction we currently find unobtainable.  If things were different, we also would be different for the better.  I have found when we discover we are completely satisfied in Christ because He is meeting our needs and will continue to do so, that is when we really bloom.  Transplanting flowers does not promote blooms because the plant needs to be re-established.  Over the years I have had many roses, and it is time, pruning, feeding, and the control of disease and pests which stimulates the best blooms.  You don't need a new role in ministry, job, suburb, country, or relationship to bloom, but trust God He knows what He is doing and is in control today.  Our blooms are according to His design and timing.

I believe God plants people, and I encourage you to bloom where you are planted.  Paul learned in whatever state he was to be content, and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  It is only after a flower blooms that the reproductive parts of the flower are exposed and the sweet fragrance is enjoyed by others.  Blooming is the precursor to pollenisation, propagation, and fruit which sustains body and soul.  You can bloom right where you are because in Christ we have the best Husbandman.  He provides all we need to grow and develop into the fruitful and fulfilled people He has designed us to be - wherever He plants us.

God's Labourers

"Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon."

Nehemiah 4:17

The workers who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem were armed and prepared to fend off the attacks of their enemies.  It is from this passage C.H. Spurgeon titled his magazine, "The Sword and the Trowel."  He used this verse as an allegorical picture of the role of a Christian in the first issue:  "We would ply the Trowel with untiring hand for the building up of Jerusalem's dilapidated walls, and wield the Sword with vigour and valour against the enemies of the truth." (Spurgeon, C. H. The Sword and the Trowel. Vol. 1. Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1975. Print. pg. 2)  The Bible is called the "Sword of the Spirit," and we ought to always have it at hand in our labours and during conflicts.

The clear priorities of the workmen in this passage are useful for us to consider.  These were primarily builders who were prepared and willing to fight if required - not fighters who were willing to build.  The aim of the enemies of Israel was to cause work on the wall to cease, and if fighting became their primary aim their threats would have been effective.  The workers on the walls of Jerusalem had it right.  They were not looking for a fight, but were firm in their resolve to do God's work even if enemies surrounded or assaulted them.  It is true we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, rulers of wickedness in heavenly places.  Yet if we do not faithfully labour for the LORD in obedience, practically encouraging and exhorting our brethren as we lead by example, what have we accomplished?

Jesus said a wise man who hears His words and does them will be likened to a man who built his house upon a rock, and this house was capable of standing firm in the fiercest storm.  If we are doing the LORD's work, it will endure and profit many.  Those who expend their effort fighting their own battles will not realise the peace and security God grants those who trust Him.  Let us fight the LORD's battles, and in the meantime be about our Father's business as was our Saviour.  He is a Refuge and Shield for all who abide in Him.