Grief and Love

The life, experiences, and example of Jesus are a constant source of comfort to Christians.  He was in all points tempted, yet without sin.  This demonstrates how He walked in obedience to the Father and He will always lead us according to the Father's will.  The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah being a "man of sorrows" and "acquainted with grief."  We have all experienced sorrow and grief, but never to the level of a holy God who completely knows the thoughts and hearts of men.  There is much which grieves God that escapes our notice, yet Jesus retained fullness of joy. Though He grieved Jesus did not despair, and this is a trap we can avoid by His grace.

Today in prayer I was speaking with God about things which grieve me.  The Webster's 1828 dictionary defines "grieve" in these ways:  "1. To give pain of mind to; to afflict; to wound the feelings; 2. To afflict; to inflict pain on; 3. To make sorrowful; to excite regret in; 4. To offend; to displease; to provoke."  I was reminded how Esau's choice of wives brought about great grief of mind to his mother, Rebekah.  Then in dawned on me:  Esau's poor decisions were a grief of mind to Rebekah because she loved her son.  She cared about him and wanted only the best.  This instance shows grief can be a result of love for others.  Love, when provoked by pains or harm of those dear to us, can respond with grief.

This is a surprising development, that increased love for others brings about additional grief for us - and in addition great happiness and satisfaction.  I am most pleased to be married to my wife and to be blessed by God with two sons.  Their friendship and companionship is a treasure to me, and it is a pleasure to know and spend time with them.  At the same time, because I do love them, their struggles or decisions can be a source of grief.  Their decisions do not grieve someone down the street or across the globe because they do not know or love them.  But because I love them I care, and I become more acquainted with grief because of God's love in me.

When we grow in love of God and others, we will experience grief.  God never does anything to be grieved over, but I can be grieved how I have often grieved Him by sinful choices, selfish behaviour, and hurtful words.  I have grieved him by my unbelief and folly.  I dislike the feelings of grief very much and try to avoid them, and my life has given cause for Jesus to be grieved.  But praise the LORD, I do not need to drown in grief perpetually because my Saviour does not.  He knows me, has saved and washed me, and made me righteous by His grace.  I do not need to grieve continually for others either, having committed them into the hands of God who loves them far more than I ever could.  We should keep on loving, but we don't need to grieve forever as those without hope.  Grief will someday be a thing of the past, and we can always rejoice in the our Saviour's love.

To God We Belong

"And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³ For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, ²⁴ saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'"

Acts 27:22-24

During a voyage, the ship bearing Paul to Rome was caught in a severe storm in the Mediterranean sea.  When all hope had been given up of being saved, Paul addressed the men.  He shared with them a fantastic revelation spoken by an angel sent from God that every one of their lives would be preserved.  God had answered Paul's prayer and there would be no loss of life among them.  It was not uncommon for people to worship and serve many gods in a polytheistic culture - including the emperor.  People had household idols for protection, prosperity, good fortune, and countless more.  What was unique about Paul's statement was that he did not have gods or charms in his possession which belonged to him, but he belonged to God.  I imagine in the violent tempest many pagan gods literally overturned, were lost, or thrown overboard in a desperate attempt to lighten the ship and save their lives.  Paul could not lose his God, nor could he be lost by the God to whom he belonged.  What comfort this brings all who fear the God of Israel!

Idolatry has been a common error throughout history.  Micah was a man in the book of Judges who was a religious man.  He was religious, but was not at all righteous.  He was a thief who made a shrine full of idols in his home, made carved and moulded images, fashioned a copy of the ephod used by the priests in the tabernacle, and consecrated one of his sons and later a travelling Levite to be his priest.  He believed God would do him good because of his religious efforts and expense.  A day came when scouts from the tribe of Dan saw the shrine with the valuable images and spoke with the Levite.  They offered him the opportunity to be a priest not only of a household but a whole tribe!  The Levite was glad for a status upgrade, and so the shrine was robbed of both idols and priest.  As you might imagine, Micah was not pleased to be so robbed!  He and his household pursued, overtook the company from Dan, and boldly confronted them.

Judges 18:23-26 says, "And they called out to the children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, "What ails you, that you have gathered such a company?" ²⁴ So he said, "You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? How can you say to me, 'What ails you?' " ²⁵ And the children of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men fall upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household!" ²⁶ Then the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house."  The gods which belonged to Micah were stolen, and he did not have the power or ability to take them back from the men of Dan.  Some gods those were which needed protection and security provided by Micah!  Micah felt he had lost everything because gods which belonged to him were taken, but the reality was he lost nothing.  Though fashioned with precious metals by a skilled craftsman artistically, those gods had no power to hear, speak, or save.

What a difference it is to belong to God who has chosen all who fear Him, rather than serving a god of your own devising and choosing.  Paul said to the intellectuals of Athens in Acts 17:29-31, "Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. ³⁰ Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  We have not chosen the one true God but He has chosen us, and proved Himself to be Saviour and Judge of all the earth by raising Jesus Christ from the dead.  What a glorious relationship God has invited us to enter, that we could have the right through faith to be children of God!  We may not feel like we belong anywhere in this world, but as Christians we belong to God.  Our belonging and endurance does not depend upon our grip because He holds us close and speaks even in storms.

Jesus Has All Authority

People who speak the same language can have distinct accents.  As a person born in America now living in Australia, my status as a dual-citizen nor the years I have lived here have softened my foreign accent.  I can use and understand Aussie slang in conversation, but my accent still stands out.  I have discovered a similar phenomenon to this in Christian circles, how particular words they employ reveal their beliefs and background.  There is a Christian culture which places large emphasis on the "authority" of believers as children of God.  Whilst God has equipped His children to do His will and contend for the faith, I believe it is much better to focus on the authority and sovereignty of God.  Can you imagine a little child shouting at an advancing army, "Go away!  I have authority!" because he is the son of a king?  As an enemy that's not a kid I take very seriously.

I was reading A.W. Tozer and he had some excellent insights on how believers should conduct themselves in conflict - especially those of a spiritual nature.  There are no shortage of books on how to conduct "spiritual warfare," various praying techniques, and approaches to "deliverance ministry."  Our culture believes if it works for me it must be true or good, but God's Word remains the perfect standard.  This excerpt from The Crucified Life lays out great observations better than I could say myself.

One solution offered these days is to engage the enemy.  When we feel the enemy attacking us, we need to dig in our heels and have a face-off with him.  This is a display of spiritual machismo.  We want to show the troublemaker, and anybody else who might be watching us, that we're nobody to be fooled with.

The only problem is that the devil will never face you directly.  And I might as well say it:  the devil does not fight fair.  The devil uses rules that he makes up as he goes along...The devil loves us to engage him in battle.  This is what he lives for.  He knows that he cannot win, but he also knows that he can do some damage in the process.  The entire agenda of the enemy can be boiled down to one objective:  embarrass God through some of His children.  The devil thought he could do that with Job in the Old Testament.  But what the devil did not know was that God was in absolute control every step of the way.

Another solution that some Christians try is using Scripture to defy the enemy.  But what these Christians do not realise is that the devil knows Scripture better than some theologians.  The devil's heart is not filled with doubt but with hatred and jealousy.  His hatred of God and jealousy of God blind him to the reality of God's leadership.

For any Christian to use Scripture without the Spirit is like engaging in a battle with a paper sword.  It is not the Word only that will turn back the devil; rather, it is the Word and the power.  The devil can quote Scripture better than any seminary professor, but when the Word is under the direction of the Holy Spirit, it will always find its deadly mark.

When Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, he did nothing to defend himself.  He did not try to engage the enemy.  He did not try to defy his enemies by quoting Scripture.  He simply left his situation in God's hands.  This brings me to David's solution to his problems...In Psalm 57:1, David says, "In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpass."  Instead of going out to fight his own battles, David took refuge in God.  How tempting it might have been for him to show the enemy his strength and might.  To show his enemy that he was not somebody to be messed with must have been a great temptation for a man like David.  Instead of engaging the enemy, however, David took refuge in the shadow of God's wings. 

 What a blessed truth to understand that, in the middle of all of our difficulties and calamities, we have a refuge.  Certainly, there is a time to go forth into battle and engage the enemy.  But this should only be under the direct orders of the Captain of our salvation. (Tozer, A. W., and James L. Snyder. The Essential Tozer Collection: the Crucified Life. Bethany House, 2017. pages 184-185)

Better than asserting my authority in Christ how much better it is to look to Jesus Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18-20).  God is able to protect all His children, and we can trust Him completely.  I am unable to remain vigilant at all times against human or spiritual assailants and have no strength to defend myself, but God is a refuge in every calamity.  We rest in His power and strength.  Praise the LORD He has claimed the battle and the victory as His.

A Time To Surrender

There are many comparisons made in the Bible to help us understand the roles God has called us to.  Each genuine Christian in the church is an important member of the Body of Christ.  The church (and Israel too) are compared to being God's bride.  At the same time we are children of God, and we should relate to Him as a trusting and obedient child would in relation to his father.  We are to be living sacrifices, ambassadors of Christ.  His is the Vine and we are the branches, and we are the sheep of in the fold of the Good Shepherd, Jesus.  All together this imagery creates a pictorial symphony, harmonising beautifully our relationship and roles before God.  It is important to maintain a biblical view, well-rounded by the many pictures provided in scripture.

One aspect of the Christian life alluded to in scripture is that of warfare.  This imagery is employed in 2 Timothy 2:1-4:  "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."  Ephesians 6 goes into detail of the armour God has provided by the Holy Spirit, and our fight is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, and spiritual rulers of wickedness.  Some people use these passages as a lens through which they view many conflicts, perceive they are "under attack," and take the battle to the LORD in prayer.  It is a good thing to remember it is God who fights for us, who protects and shelters us.  But people like doing things.  They like taking the fight to the enemy best they know how, being vigilant and watchful in prayer.

It occurred to me how it does take courage to trust God and fight.  Sometimes this "fight" may not look like anything which would pass for a "battle."  God directed the Israelites to walk through the parted Red Sea when the Egyptian army pursued them.  He also commanded they walk around Jericho day after day until the seventh day when God cause the walls to collapse.  After hearing the giant from Gath defy the army of the living God young David volunteered and defeated Goliath with a sling and stone.  Jonathan and his armour bearer stormed a Philistine garrison and slaughtered their foes.  On and on stretch the brave exploits and victories of God's people, even to this day.  We are easily stirred by gallant and noble deeds done by people of faith, and aspire to the privilege to see God work in our lives in like manner.

There is a time for victory, and a time to...surrender in defeat?  This is unexpected for a child of God, right?  Well, that's what the prophet Jeremiah spoke to king Zedekiah.  The Babylonians were drawing near to sack Jerusalem, and the king wondered what the correct course of action was.  He inquired of Jeremiah what he should do.  Jeremiah 38:17-18 reads, "Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon's princes, then your soul shall live; this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. ¹⁸ But if you do not surrender to the king of Babylon's princes, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans; they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.'"  If Zedekiah wanted to survive and preserve the city (not to mention the people and the temple), he was directed to surrender to king Nebuchadnezzar.  God had determined the city would fall, but if Zedekiah would humble himself and surrender, he would be delivered.  This was not a popular course of action amongst the rulers who stood to lose land and power, and Zedekiah knew it.  It turned out he was not willing to obey the word of the LORD, and paid for it dearly:  his sons were slain before his eyes, his eyes were gouged out, he was bound in chains, and taken to Babylon for judgment.

When the hour of Jesus finally came, He was betrayed, arrested, and crucified.  Unlike Zedekiah (whose defences had fallen and army was weak), Jesus could have commanded legions of valiant, powerful angels to defend Him.  One of these angels could have defeated thousands of powerful fighters in an instant.  But because Jesus was obedient to the Father He willingly laid down His life on Calvary.  Jesus did not even need to fight to win, but He surrendered unto the will of the Father - by allowing wicked men to do all they wanted to Him.  This is a very hard saying, and it will not be popular for those who idealise "victory" and what it looks like.  Yet it is a biblical truth, and the Holy Spirit will lead us in following the example of Jesus in the power of His resurrection.  Zedekiah would not humble himself before Nebuchadnezzar because he refused to humble himself before God.  If we will adopt a humble posture before God and obey Him, we win even if to the world it appears we lose.  That is a glorious truth we glean from the Gospel.  He who tries to save his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for Christ's sake will gain everlasting life.

So how do we know when to fight and when to surrender?  Once we are surrendered to God in obedience He will reveal to us the next step as we abide in His love.  There is a time to cast stones and a time to gather them; a time for war and a time for peace.  Peace which passes understanding is ours when during conflict we look to Jesus in faith and honour Him with our choices.  Having surrendered before God we are provided enduring victory.