God's Word Tries Us

God's ways are higher than ours, and His ways are far better too.  God has plans and purposes He is faithful to fulfil, redeeming things meant for evil for good.  What we perceive as setbacks and obstacles God makes most fruitful as He brings us to His desired end.

The life of Joseph provides a great example of this.  In his youth God gave him two dreams recorded in scripture whose interpretations were understood:  God would elevate Joseph to a position above that of his father, mother, and brothers though the eleventh of twelve sons.  His brothers hated him and cast him into a pit, he was sold as a slave in Egypt, falsely accused of sexual assault, and then thrown into prison where he remained for years.  All his life seemed caught in a downward trajectory.  Yet in his trials Joseph continued to look beyond his circumstances in fear of the God who ordained them.  Far removed from family and the familiar, Joseph trusted God.

Psalm 105:16-19 gives insight into God's providential plan:  "Moreover He called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread. ¹⁷ He sent a man before them-- Joseph--who was sold as a slave. ¹⁸ They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. ¹⁹ Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him."  Verse 17 says God sent a man before Israel and his children.  His brothers desired to murder Joseph, but God prevented this and had him sold as a slave.  He was purchased by slave traders, made a slave in Potiphar's house, then laid in irons.  From the age of 17 until he was 30 years old, Joseph was deprived of all freedoms he once enjoyed.  All the while the dreams he had as a teen were in the back of his mind, reminding him of what God had said.  Until God fulfilled His word, the seeming disconnect between God's promise to him and his situation tested him:  would Joseph give room to despair, or would his faith remain in God alone?

There are many ways God uses to test and refine our character, and a couple of means often employed are painful trials and the passage of time.  Will we trust God in the midst of pain and uncertainty?  As the days and decades fly by will we continue to cling to the promise of God which seems impossible?  God brought Joseph from the pit to the palace in His time.  The lessons Joseph learned as a slave served him well as a ruler, and God granted him wisdom and discernment to prosper in seasons of abundance and famine.  No matter the circumstances, God remained sovereign and worthy of reliance.  Joseph needed refinement before God's plans would be fulfilled, and it is true for us as well.

What seemingly impossible promise has God made to you?  There will be temptations to doubt and to speed along the process by leaning on our own understanding, by doing what seems best to us.  Refuse this temptation, to take matters into your own hands.  The truth of God's word which seems to contradict reality works to refine us in preparation for the fulfilment.  Trust the word of the LORD, that the doors Jesus opens none can shut, and the doors Jesus shuts none can open.  It is only in His strength we can walk through the door, and He will accomplish His plans concerning us today and always.

Love's Lasting Impact

A couple years ago I was sitting on a lounge reading a book by Isobel Kuhn, a missionary whose story has always touched my heart.  It was in the midst of a tough season, and it was refreshing to read of God's faithfulness to His people and the power of the Gospel.  As I sat reading, a little girl walked up smiling and offered me a yellow piece of paper.  "What's this?" I asked.  "It's a love-heart," she replied.  I thanked her and tucked it into my Bible where it has remained to this day.

It was a touching gesture, a wonderful reminder of the love of God through His little ones.  It illustrates to me how simple yet profound love is and the great impact it has upon our hearts and minds.  God's love is pure and enduring, gracious and full of compassion.  I had not said or done anything worthy of the attention of the little girl, but she freely gave me a symbol of love which to me ministered God's love I will not forget.

Perhaps you wonder how you can possibly share God's love with others.  This gift illustrates the simplicity of doing just that.  The love-heart I received is made from a simple folded slip of paper.  This is what it looks like unfolded:

There's nothing special about this slip of yellow paper in itself, but after being intentionally folded and trimmed it conveyed a message of love.  If a scrap of paper without words can express love, how much more can our words, use of time, and genuine interest share God's love with others.  Love is costly, but it does not require expensive gifts to convey it.  What a treasure God's love is, and may we be used by God to remind others of it often in simple ways.

Divine Sifting

"And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  ³² But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

Luke 22:31-32

Last night at the Refresh Conference at Calvary Chapel Secret Harbour a message was preached on this passage by pastor John Spencer.  I enjoyed and appreciated the insights he provided, and since hearing it have continued to meditate on implications of the passage in relation to what is commonly called "spiritual warfare."

The context of the passage is the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest among them.  Peter was an assertive and vocal guy, and it would not surprise me at all if he had just trotted out his opinions about why it could (or should be) him.  The ironic thing is it does not seem Jesus Christ was in the running!  Anyway, Jesus singled Simon Peter out and revealed Satan had asked for him to "sift" him as wheat.  Instead of rebuking Satan for such a bold request, Jesus had already prayed that Peter's faith should not fail.

When something bad happens to people or their plans are foiled, it is not uncommon for people to wonder if they are facing a spiritual attack of Satan.  Pastor John made a great point in his message that Satan's aim was very specific:  to cause Peter's faith in God to falter and fail.  Scripture affirms this is a tactic of the enemy, to attempt to undermine our faith.  He cannot destroy God and hinder him at all, but he can effectively hinder and destroy people who do not trust in God.

It is good for us to recognise God is very active in spiritual warfare.  It is a war God fights and has won.  Today the term "spiritual warfare" is a loaded one, and when it is mentioned the context is most commonly in light of 1) Satan attacking us and 2) what we can do to resist him.  Little or nothing is often said concerning God's role in this warfare.  I believe He is by far the greatest player in this conflict.  There is nothing Satan can do (or we can do for that matter!) without the permission and power of God.  Think about how many times God was directly involved in what we would call a "spiritual attack."  He sent a wicked spirit to trouble King Saul, sent a lying spirit to speak through Ahab's false prophets, and gave Satan permission to vex Job.  The Father allowed Jesus to be tempted by the devil, and a messenger of Satan was permitted to buffet Paul often.  There are many other examples of God in scripture employing good and malevolent spiritual beings to accomplish His glorious purposes.

Satan was permitted to sift Simon because God knew that is exactly what Simon Peter needed.  God incredibly utilised Peter's sifting to purify him, even as threshing separates grain from the worthless husk.  Today people would have rebuked Satan, assuming his "attack" must be outside the will of God or beyond redemption.  But Jesus did not rebuke Satan:  He prayed for Simon.  Guess what?  God heard the prayer of Jesus and answered in the affirmative.  Peter was absolutely shattered by his own denial of Jesus:  his pride, arrogance, and unbelief was broken in pieces and swept away in repentance.  He was able to draw near to Jesus in humility once again and be useful for the LORD's glory.

Peter was self-absorbed and self-confident, believing he was great in God's kingdom.  It was not until he was sifted he was in a posture to return to Jesus and be used by Him to strengthen the brethren.  I bet Peter in his future ministry often dealt with people who denied they even knew Jesus when persecution was intense and prolonged - just like he denied Jesus.  His own failure provided compassion and grace for others Peter at one point didn't believe he needed.  Instead of rebuking real or imagine satanic attacks, how good it is for us to know Jesus has prayed for us even before an attack comes, drawing near to Jesus Christ in divinely ordained seasons of sifting with humility, relying upon Him for strength, trusting nothing can separate us from the love of God.  Warfare isn't about our power to fight or resist, but Jesus Christ in us.  If He says sifting is what we need, He will enable us to endure by His grace.

Our Need to Know

Since I was young, it was a practice in my household to pray together as a family before bed.  Many of our prayers, though extempore, tended to be very similar day to day.  After a while I could almost predict what others would pray!  So I made it a point to try to switch up the words I would say, even if the subject matter remained the same.

I have been impacted during my recent study of Ephesians by the things Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers.  Most of my prayers in my youth and in adulthood tended to deal with temporary subjects:  giving thanks, asking for help for a problem, or interceding on behalf of others.  The focus of Paul's prayer revealed a priority on spiritual blessings which are enduring and essential.  When Paul prayed for the Ephesians he did not pray the way I would if I knew people were being persecuted, under threat of violence, and in need of support.

This is a portion of what Paul prayed in  Ephesians 1:15-19:  "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power..."

See the things Paul prayed for!  After giving thanks for the Ephesians, he asked God they would be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, having their understanding enlightened, that they would know what is the hope of his calling, the riches of His inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of His power towards believers.  When you pray for others, does this resemble your prayers for them at all?  For me not so much.  But God-willing my prayers shall continue to develop to reflect absolute faith in God's power and sovereignty, increased knowledge of God, and great value of enduring spiritual blessings given us through Christ.  There are things that are important we know, even as it is important for God to do.  Once we better know the things Paul prayed for, I believe it will change how and what we pray.