"And it will be said in that day: 'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord, we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.' "
Every now and then in Isaiah's flow of fearful prophecy, he peels back the corner of the present and gives us a glimpse of the reality that will become fully visible "in that day." Chapter 25 begins with praise to the Lord God for what He has done. The prophet is looking back from the end times, rather than forward toward them.
The passage contrasts two groups of people. There are the strong and terrible nations, and there are those who are poor and needy (see verses 3-4). In that day, it says, "The strong people will glorify You, and the city of the terrible nations will fear You." But the reason they now honor and respect God is specifically because He has turned their fortified city into a ruin, never to be rebuilt.
On the other hand, the poor and needy have found God to be their strength in times of distress, and a refuge from the storms. Note that (prior to the end of time) God does not remove the distresses or the storms. Instead, He provides a place of safety (Himself) in the middle of these difficulties. He is also described as "a shade from the heat," and a wall against which the "terrible ones" could only storm and blast.
If we truly know God, we should expect to find ourselves among the poor and needy. Jesus spoke of those who were poor in spirit, mournful, meek, and spiritually hungering and thirsting (see Matthew 5:3-6). It was these, He told us, who would inherit the kingdom of heaven. What especially divides this group from those who do not inherit the kingdom? I would suggest it is that they were willing to wait for God.
We get another glimpse of the strong and terrible crowd in verse 11 of Isaiah 25. It says that God "will bring down their pride, together with the trickery of their hands." Here we see these people as independent, self-directed, and grasping for what they desired--even if it involved dishonesty. God will trample them "as straw is trampled down for the refuse heap." By contrast, those who trustingly wait for the Lord will eventually come to the day when they are able to fully rejoice in His salvation. For them, God will prepare a great feast.
One other verse in this chapter especially astonishes me. Many years ago we were driving in Alabama along a remote but lovely stretch of Highway 65. Suddenly I had what I would call an inner vision. About a hundred yards above the surface of the ground, I "saw" a strange invisible membrane stretched out over us. I somehow knew that this shroud was preventing me from seeing something very real, just on the other side. It struck me then that we think we know so much, when there is so very much we have been given no awareness of.
It was much later that I came across verse 7 of this chapter. "And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations." Verse 8 goes on to say, "He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken."
If these things are true, and I believe they are, then we are foolish if we make our decisions and choices based on what we now see, instead of waiting, in hope and peace, for the God whose word WILL come to pass.
April 16, 2009
March 17, 2009
Protection Removed – Isaiah 22:1-14
I am always amazed by how confidently the Old Testament prophets spoke of God's sovereign work in the nations. They saw (and thus we should see as well) that all circumstances come by the hand of God. The only way to understand the distresses of our own generation, and the only way to find comfort during them, is to affirm that they are fully ordained by God. The other option, to see our situation as something beyond even His control, is truly terrifying.
Isaiah describes the pending overthrow of Jerusalem (which he calls the Valley of Vision) as "a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity by the Lord God of Hosts." He goes on to be even more specific: "[The Lord God] removed the protection of Judah." The Hebrew word for protection literally means "covering." It is the same word that is used for the thick veil that covered the doorway of the tabernacle, that kept the people separated from the holiness of God. Now His holiness, and the wrath that accompanies it, are about to be poured out.
We are then told that the people in Jerusalem responded to this "day of trouble" by doing all they could to protect themselves. They saw that the walls of their city were damaged, so they went to work to guard their water supply. Next they tore down some of their own houses to provide materials to repair the broken walls.
God is not opposed to wise preparations or self defense...when He directs such activities. But there is no indication that the people had been instructed by Him to do these things. On the contrary, Isaiah writes this: "But you did not look to [Jerusalem's] Maker, nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago."
God's plan for the defense of the city was very specific. "And in that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth." If only they could have realized...if only WE could realize...that the pending destruction was ordained by God, and would therefore only be stopped by God in response to sorrow and humble repentance.
But God was not in their calculations in any way. After the people did what they could to shore up their city walls, they did not turn to Him. "But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!'"
If there was no God, this would make sense. Life is all there is, let's go for what’s left of it with gusto. But how wrong it is when we who truly know God allow ourselves to be caught in a mindset that excludes Him.
It is probable that in our day the covering is also being removed. It is also probable that God’s wrath will be released into our society, that we too will experience "trouble and treading down and perplexity." But I believe Isaiah, and all of scripture, has been incredibly preserved over all these millennia specifically because God wanted us to see that His hand is on His creation and on all of history to accomplish His will.
What is that will? God desires that we should know Him, that we should fear Him, that we should depend on Him, and that He would become our comfort and our joy (see, for example, Isaiah chapters 11 and 12). In other words, we were created specifically for His honor and for His glory. He will not allow us to change that plan...and we are fools if we try.
Isaiah describes the pending overthrow of Jerusalem (which he calls the Valley of Vision) as "a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity by the Lord God of Hosts." He goes on to be even more specific: "[The Lord God] removed the protection of Judah." The Hebrew word for protection literally means "covering." It is the same word that is used for the thick veil that covered the doorway of the tabernacle, that kept the people separated from the holiness of God. Now His holiness, and the wrath that accompanies it, are about to be poured out.
We are then told that the people in Jerusalem responded to this "day of trouble" by doing all they could to protect themselves. They saw that the walls of their city were damaged, so they went to work to guard their water supply. Next they tore down some of their own houses to provide materials to repair the broken walls.
God is not opposed to wise preparations or self defense...when He directs such activities. But there is no indication that the people had been instructed by Him to do these things. On the contrary, Isaiah writes this: "But you did not look to [Jerusalem's] Maker, nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago."
God's plan for the defense of the city was very specific. "And in that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth." If only they could have realized...if only WE could realize...that the pending destruction was ordained by God, and would therefore only be stopped by God in response to sorrow and humble repentance.
But God was not in their calculations in any way. After the people did what they could to shore up their city walls, they did not turn to Him. "But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!'"
If there was no God, this would make sense. Life is all there is, let's go for what’s left of it with gusto. But how wrong it is when we who truly know God allow ourselves to be caught in a mindset that excludes Him.
It is probable that in our day the covering is also being removed. It is also probable that God’s wrath will be released into our society, that we too will experience "trouble and treading down and perplexity." But I believe Isaiah, and all of scripture, has been incredibly preserved over all these millennia specifically because God wanted us to see that His hand is on His creation and on all of history to accomplish His will.
What is that will? God desires that we should know Him, that we should fear Him, that we should depend on Him, and that He would become our comfort and our joy (see, for example, Isaiah chapters 11 and 12). In other words, we were created specifically for His honor and for His glory. He will not allow us to change that plan...and we are fools if we try.
March 4, 2009
All-Sufficient Grace – 2 Corinthians 9:8
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
It's hard to imagine any Christian these days who has not sung the song "Amazing Grace." The lyrics speak of the astonishing work of grace in salvation, when we are taught to fear God's righteous wrath, and then miraculously He lifts that fear from our hearts. This death-to-life transition is indeed the greatest miracle we can experience, of which natural birth itself is only a picture.
When asked to give a definition of grace, many people respond with the phrase "God's unmerited favor." It is true that none of us deserves salvation, yet out of His infinite love and at great cost to Himself, God has purchased our redemption. But we are sometimes led to believe this is the only work of God's grace. Paul understood that redemption was just the opening act in an eternal drama of outpoured power in our lives.
I love the "all" verses in scripture. God is able to make ALL grace abound, so we will have ALL sufficiency in ALL things. But notice, this speaks of His ability: "God is able." It does not mean He will give us everything just because He can. Our role is important as well.
Paul tells us that God's abundance is specifically available "for every good work." I therefore personally define grace in this manner: "Grace is whatever it takes to do whatever He calls us to do." Grace contains all the resources we need to be obedient and fruitful in God's kingdom.
So what resources are included? Well, it could be money or other supplies. It could be information, or the wisdom to make the right choice. It could be the help of a friend. It could be a series of "coincidental" circumstances. It could be something very supernatural, like a miracle of protection or a miracle of healing. Or it could simply be the strength to persevere.
One key to receiving God's grace is that the choice of what it looks like and how it comes must be left up to Him. So often when we run into complexities in our lives we immediately begin to lay out our wonderful plan for how God should solve them. But that makes us the master and Him the servant. We should rather be like Mary at the wedding in John chapter 2. "Here is the problem. The solution is up to You. We'll do whatever You tell us to do."
You see, a primary purpose of grace is the furthering of God's relationship with us. God is not troubled by our troubles. Not in the least. What concerns Him is our ignorance of His power, His goodness, and His glory. We really have little knowledge of what He can do, despite the astonishing stories in scripture and even despite His working in our own lives.
We are so often prone to disregard the divine authority and the limitless creativity of God. So we bring our problems to Him, and if He doesn't respond in a way that suits us, we take them back and begin to work on them again ourselves. Very few of us have reached a place where we understand God the way Job did: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).
I have also come to realize that God's grace is not something I can draw on only in the big crisis moments. It is just as available for the small details of my life. If I have a scheduling or transportation conflict, I turn it over to Him. If I am missing an ingredient for my dinner preparations, I ask Him what to do about it. If a friend unburdens her problems on me, I wait until He gives me something to say to her...or else I say nothing. In each situation, the weight goes on His shoulders, not on mine.
I especially have learned to pray for God's grace when I am facing an unpleasant situation or task. The interesting thing is that sometimes He removes the problem altogether. Sometimes, He takes away the sting. And sometimes the sting is very much there, but I find within me strength and peace even as I walk through it.
What this produces in me is a deeply tangible awareness of the presence of God in my life. In the many demonstrations of His grace, I learn of His love for me and His personal interest in every detail of my existence. In a sense, grace is the glue that binds me to God.
And day by day, as my trust in Him grows, the testimony of His reality is able to spill out of my life into the lives of those around me. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
When I am peaceful in a crisis, this allows those around me to grow more calm and God gets glory. When I can give my last dollar knowing He will supply my needs, another person is blessed and God gets glory. When I am able to love in the face of someone's anger and that anger is thereby dispelled, God gets glory. This is the essence of grace, that God is in me "to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13) so His kingdom can move forward another small step in the life of the person next to me.
When this process takes place, life stops being overwhelming and instead becomes an adventure. As I discover God's infinite creativity in the face of complexity, it becomes easier and easier to relax in His care. Even the pains I suffer, and those I see around me, become important brush strokes in the master painting He is crafting, which one day will reveal the fullness of His glory and wisdom and love.
So I encourage you too, my friend, to draw freely on God's amazing, abounding, all-sufficient grace.
It's hard to imagine any Christian these days who has not sung the song "Amazing Grace." The lyrics speak of the astonishing work of grace in salvation, when we are taught to fear God's righteous wrath, and then miraculously He lifts that fear from our hearts. This death-to-life transition is indeed the greatest miracle we can experience, of which natural birth itself is only a picture.
When asked to give a definition of grace, many people respond with the phrase "God's unmerited favor." It is true that none of us deserves salvation, yet out of His infinite love and at great cost to Himself, God has purchased our redemption. But we are sometimes led to believe this is the only work of God's grace. Paul understood that redemption was just the opening act in an eternal drama of outpoured power in our lives.
I love the "all" verses in scripture. God is able to make ALL grace abound, so we will have ALL sufficiency in ALL things. But notice, this speaks of His ability: "God is able." It does not mean He will give us everything just because He can. Our role is important as well.
Paul tells us that God's abundance is specifically available "for every good work." I therefore personally define grace in this manner: "Grace is whatever it takes to do whatever He calls us to do." Grace contains all the resources we need to be obedient and fruitful in God's kingdom.
So what resources are included? Well, it could be money or other supplies. It could be information, or the wisdom to make the right choice. It could be the help of a friend. It could be a series of "coincidental" circumstances. It could be something very supernatural, like a miracle of protection or a miracle of healing. Or it could simply be the strength to persevere.
One key to receiving God's grace is that the choice of what it looks like and how it comes must be left up to Him. So often when we run into complexities in our lives we immediately begin to lay out our wonderful plan for how God should solve them. But that makes us the master and Him the servant. We should rather be like Mary at the wedding in John chapter 2. "Here is the problem. The solution is up to You. We'll do whatever You tell us to do."
You see, a primary purpose of grace is the furthering of God's relationship with us. God is not troubled by our troubles. Not in the least. What concerns Him is our ignorance of His power, His goodness, and His glory. We really have little knowledge of what He can do, despite the astonishing stories in scripture and even despite His working in our own lives.
We are so often prone to disregard the divine authority and the limitless creativity of God. So we bring our problems to Him, and if He doesn't respond in a way that suits us, we take them back and begin to work on them again ourselves. Very few of us have reached a place where we understand God the way Job did: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).
I have also come to realize that God's grace is not something I can draw on only in the big crisis moments. It is just as available for the small details of my life. If I have a scheduling or transportation conflict, I turn it over to Him. If I am missing an ingredient for my dinner preparations, I ask Him what to do about it. If a friend unburdens her problems on me, I wait until He gives me something to say to her...or else I say nothing. In each situation, the weight goes on His shoulders, not on mine.
I especially have learned to pray for God's grace when I am facing an unpleasant situation or task. The interesting thing is that sometimes He removes the problem altogether. Sometimes, He takes away the sting. And sometimes the sting is very much there, but I find within me strength and peace even as I walk through it.
What this produces in me is a deeply tangible awareness of the presence of God in my life. In the many demonstrations of His grace, I learn of His love for me and His personal interest in every detail of my existence. In a sense, grace is the glue that binds me to God.
And day by day, as my trust in Him grows, the testimony of His reality is able to spill out of my life into the lives of those around me. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
When I am peaceful in a crisis, this allows those around me to grow more calm and God gets glory. When I can give my last dollar knowing He will supply my needs, another person is blessed and God gets glory. When I am able to love in the face of someone's anger and that anger is thereby dispelled, God gets glory. This is the essence of grace, that God is in me "to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13) so His kingdom can move forward another small step in the life of the person next to me.
When this process takes place, life stops being overwhelming and instead becomes an adventure. As I discover God's infinite creativity in the face of complexity, it becomes easier and easier to relax in His care. Even the pains I suffer, and those I see around me, become important brush strokes in the master painting He is crafting, which one day will reveal the fullness of His glory and wisdom and love.
So I encourage you too, my friend, to draw freely on God's amazing, abounding, all-sufficient grace.
February 14, 2009
If We Hold Fast – Hebrews 3:6
"Christ [is] a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end."
The question of eternal security (that is, whether we will make it all the way to heaven once we start out with Jesus) has been wrestled with since theological wrestling first began. Like several things in scripture, there are verses that sound like we can never lose our salvation, and other verses that sound like we most certainly can.
It has always been my thought, in matters such as this, to operate under the more risky scenario. In other words, I would rather be overly concerned to do what is needed to insure my place in the kingdom, than to take it for granted and somehow miss out. The question, of course, is -- what is needed?
Hebrews 3:6 tells us we are part of Christ's house if we "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing." Notice that it does not mention living a perfect life or doing certain religious practices or praying a certain prayer. Confidence and rejoicing are matters of the heart. Only when the heart is right does the life of Christ overflow in our own lives.
But also notice that it speaks of the confidence and the rejoicing. Believers are to hold on to the very unique experience they have when they are first born again. This becomes an important thing to consider. At that specific time you understand to be your entry point into the family of God, did you also experience a supernatural confidence and rejoicing? For those of us who started very young, and thus responded to the call of God several times as we grew older, can we recall at least one of those events to have included an astonishing, God-given faith and joy?
You see, salvation is the most supernatural and holy event that can happen to a person. Even divine miracles such as healing are not as significant, for we will still eventually die. But at the moment of salvation God takes our deadened spirit and breathes eternal life into it. What is more, the Spirit of God Himself somehow enters our beings, becoming our counselor and comforter.
If this doesn't produce an overwhelming assurance and gladness, I don't know what could. However, the emotions of those first hours or days do eventually fade. What follows is a lifetime of determined "holding fast" to what we know once happened. Difficult questions will arise, and our enemy will tempt us to doubt God. Painful circumstances will severely test our joy.
I find it helpful to make a distinction between understanding and faith, and between happiness and joy. You see, unlike understanding, faith doesn’t exactly reside in the mind. It affects the mind, and in some ways we have contact with it through our minds. But faith lives in our spirits. Thus the man in Mark 9:24 could say, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." In his inner being he somehow knew that Jesus could heal his son. In his mind, it made no sense.
In the same way, even in the darkest hours of fear or suffering or grief, when our hearts are melted or broken, there can still be a deep and abiding joy and hope down in our spirit. And it is there that we must "hold fast," knowing that God's strength and healing will eventually come to our emotions as well.
There is, however, another process described in Hebrews 3. Verses 7 through 11 quote Psalms 95:7-11, which speaks of the children of Israel "hardening their hearts" or "going astray in their hearts" when the trials came. The writer of Hebrews then clearly warns us in verse 12, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God."
I think what happens here is that instead of our minds and emotions being fed and nourished by our spirits, the flow gets turned around. We decide to let our thoughts and feelings take the lead, and in that they are never strong enough to withstand the testings and temptings of life, our hearts become hard and rebellious. Therefore we are instructed to "exhort one another daily...lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (verse 13).
The children of Israel who had rebelled in this manner all died in the wilderness and did not enter the promised land. It is not as clear that all who rebel today are equally without hope. But to the extent that rebellion still resides in us, we should be very, very concerned. Verse 14 says, "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end." It seems that if our confidence is not steadfast, we may not be truly "partakers" of Christ.
The Greek word for "partake" is a combination of having and being with. It means a very close sharing of nature and purpose. We speak of partaking of the bread and cup in communion. The bread and wine literally become part of our physical selves. This is a picture of how Christ's nature becomes an actual part of our spiritual natures.
What is His nature? It is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23). We who partake of His nature will by definition have these qualities as part of our natures. If we don't, He isn't part of us and we aren't part of Him.
I believe these scriptures are challenging us to test our confidence and joy. First, we must decide if these are truly there, deep within us. This requires a quieting of all the noises and distractions until we can "hear" the voice in our spirit. If we don't find God's nature in ours, we must humble ourselves, confess our sins, and plead for His grace until the assurance of His acceptance comes. That's how salvation actually takes place.
But even after we are able to "know in our knowers" that God is alive in us, we must continually and willfully keep the flow going from our spirits to our mind and to our emotions...and not allow the stream to be reversed. Those of us who are truly born again will want to do this. That is our eternal security. If the "want" is not there, neither is the life.
"Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." Isaiah 12:3
The question of eternal security (that is, whether we will make it all the way to heaven once we start out with Jesus) has been wrestled with since theological wrestling first began. Like several things in scripture, there are verses that sound like we can never lose our salvation, and other verses that sound like we most certainly can.
It has always been my thought, in matters such as this, to operate under the more risky scenario. In other words, I would rather be overly concerned to do what is needed to insure my place in the kingdom, than to take it for granted and somehow miss out. The question, of course, is -- what is needed?
Hebrews 3:6 tells us we are part of Christ's house if we "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing." Notice that it does not mention living a perfect life or doing certain religious practices or praying a certain prayer. Confidence and rejoicing are matters of the heart. Only when the heart is right does the life of Christ overflow in our own lives.
But also notice that it speaks of the confidence and the rejoicing. Believers are to hold on to the very unique experience they have when they are first born again. This becomes an important thing to consider. At that specific time you understand to be your entry point into the family of God, did you also experience a supernatural confidence and rejoicing? For those of us who started very young, and thus responded to the call of God several times as we grew older, can we recall at least one of those events to have included an astonishing, God-given faith and joy?
You see, salvation is the most supernatural and holy event that can happen to a person. Even divine miracles such as healing are not as significant, for we will still eventually die. But at the moment of salvation God takes our deadened spirit and breathes eternal life into it. What is more, the Spirit of God Himself somehow enters our beings, becoming our counselor and comforter.
If this doesn't produce an overwhelming assurance and gladness, I don't know what could. However, the emotions of those first hours or days do eventually fade. What follows is a lifetime of determined "holding fast" to what we know once happened. Difficult questions will arise, and our enemy will tempt us to doubt God. Painful circumstances will severely test our joy.
I find it helpful to make a distinction between understanding and faith, and between happiness and joy. You see, unlike understanding, faith doesn’t exactly reside in the mind. It affects the mind, and in some ways we have contact with it through our minds. But faith lives in our spirits. Thus the man in Mark 9:24 could say, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." In his inner being he somehow knew that Jesus could heal his son. In his mind, it made no sense.
In the same way, even in the darkest hours of fear or suffering or grief, when our hearts are melted or broken, there can still be a deep and abiding joy and hope down in our spirit. And it is there that we must "hold fast," knowing that God's strength and healing will eventually come to our emotions as well.
There is, however, another process described in Hebrews 3. Verses 7 through 11 quote Psalms 95:7-11, which speaks of the children of Israel "hardening their hearts" or "going astray in their hearts" when the trials came. The writer of Hebrews then clearly warns us in verse 12, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God."
I think what happens here is that instead of our minds and emotions being fed and nourished by our spirits, the flow gets turned around. We decide to let our thoughts and feelings take the lead, and in that they are never strong enough to withstand the testings and temptings of life, our hearts become hard and rebellious. Therefore we are instructed to "exhort one another daily...lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (verse 13).
The children of Israel who had rebelled in this manner all died in the wilderness and did not enter the promised land. It is not as clear that all who rebel today are equally without hope. But to the extent that rebellion still resides in us, we should be very, very concerned. Verse 14 says, "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end." It seems that if our confidence is not steadfast, we may not be truly "partakers" of Christ.
The Greek word for "partake" is a combination of having and being with. It means a very close sharing of nature and purpose. We speak of partaking of the bread and cup in communion. The bread and wine literally become part of our physical selves. This is a picture of how Christ's nature becomes an actual part of our spiritual natures.
What is His nature? It is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23). We who partake of His nature will by definition have these qualities as part of our natures. If we don't, He isn't part of us and we aren't part of Him.
I believe these scriptures are challenging us to test our confidence and joy. First, we must decide if these are truly there, deep within us. This requires a quieting of all the noises and distractions until we can "hear" the voice in our spirit. If we don't find God's nature in ours, we must humble ourselves, confess our sins, and plead for His grace until the assurance of His acceptance comes. That's how salvation actually takes place.
But even after we are able to "know in our knowers" that God is alive in us, we must continually and willfully keep the flow going from our spirits to our mind and to our emotions...and not allow the stream to be reversed. Those of us who are truly born again will want to do this. That is our eternal security. If the "want" is not there, neither is the life.
"Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." Isaiah 12:3
February 10, 2009
The Pursuit of Happiness – Titus 2
Most of us who follow Christ believe (or at least, we believe we believe) that riches do not bring happiness. Many of us also have figured out that fame can be a truly difficult blessing. But the one place where we often assume the end of the happiness rainbow can be found is in our relationships.
The problem with this is not that there are not great joys to be experienced in healthy relationships. The issue is that when we are unhappy, we have an almost universal impulse to put pressure on those around us to remedy our discontent. In other words, we pursue our happiness by subconsciously demanding it from others.
But as I read the Bible, I do not find support for this plan. To be sure, there is much written about how we are to treat others with godly love and kindness. Yet surprisingly, even this is not to be done primarily with their happiness in mind. How much less are we encouraged to expect them to be responsible for our emotional well-being.
Titus 2 is a little chapter that is packed with relationship instructions. Older men are to be "sound in faith, in love, in patience." Older women are not to slander and are to teach "good things" to the younger women, including how to love their husbands and children. Young man are be a pattern of godliness so others can find nothing bad to say about them. Servants are told to please their masters in all things.
But if we look closely, all of these qualities are to be pursued for one very specific purpose: the glory of God. In verse one they are called "the things which are proper for sound doctrine." In other words, the holiness of our lives is intended to bring credibility to the truth of God’s principles.
Therefore, young women are to be "discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their husbands" ... why? "That the word of God may not be blasphemed." Bondservants are to be "obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back" ... why? "That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things."
I have learned that the best motivation for me to authentically and permanently change my behaviors is my desire to please God. While I realize that His acceptance of me is based on His own love, not on what I do, nonetheless I have no greater joy than to know my words and actions are pleasing to Him.
But if you think about it, this recipe for honoring God is what also makes our human relationships healthy and fulfilling. A husband who is "sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience" for God’s glory is going to be a joy to his wife as well. A servant who is honest, loyal and respectful because God is pleased by this will certainly be a pleasure to his master too.
The world around us, and sometimes even the church itself, can so often become obsessed with finding formulas for a happy marriage, well-adjusted children, and prosperous business relationships. We sometimes even ask God to help us with these goals.
But suppose we were to make a healthy relationship with God Himself our primary goal? Suppose our minds were so focused on seeing His kingdom come, His will being done, in our lives for His sake, that everything else became secondary?
It is my belief that as we deliberately turn our hearts and thoughts toward Jesus, the things of earth will begin to take their proper place in our lives. That's because He always directs us back to the needs of those around us. "If you love Me, feed My sheep," He told Peter (John 21:17). But we will love them best if we minister to them for Him...not because of their loud, hungry bleatings.
For you see, they are in fact His sheep...just as we ourselves are. He is providing for their happiness, and He will provide for ours. And so truly, when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all good things will also be added to us (Matthew 6:33).
The problem with this is not that there are not great joys to be experienced in healthy relationships. The issue is that when we are unhappy, we have an almost universal impulse to put pressure on those around us to remedy our discontent. In other words, we pursue our happiness by subconsciously demanding it from others.
But as I read the Bible, I do not find support for this plan. To be sure, there is much written about how we are to treat others with godly love and kindness. Yet surprisingly, even this is not to be done primarily with their happiness in mind. How much less are we encouraged to expect them to be responsible for our emotional well-being.
Titus 2 is a little chapter that is packed with relationship instructions. Older men are to be "sound in faith, in love, in patience." Older women are not to slander and are to teach "good things" to the younger women, including how to love their husbands and children. Young man are be a pattern of godliness so others can find nothing bad to say about them. Servants are told to please their masters in all things.
But if we look closely, all of these qualities are to be pursued for one very specific purpose: the glory of God. In verse one they are called "the things which are proper for sound doctrine." In other words, the holiness of our lives is intended to bring credibility to the truth of God’s principles.
Therefore, young women are to be "discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their husbands" ... why? "That the word of God may not be blasphemed." Bondservants are to be "obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back" ... why? "That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things."
I have learned that the best motivation for me to authentically and permanently change my behaviors is my desire to please God. While I realize that His acceptance of me is based on His own love, not on what I do, nonetheless I have no greater joy than to know my words and actions are pleasing to Him.
But if you think about it, this recipe for honoring God is what also makes our human relationships healthy and fulfilling. A husband who is "sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience" for God’s glory is going to be a joy to his wife as well. A servant who is honest, loyal and respectful because God is pleased by this will certainly be a pleasure to his master too.
The world around us, and sometimes even the church itself, can so often become obsessed with finding formulas for a happy marriage, well-adjusted children, and prosperous business relationships. We sometimes even ask God to help us with these goals.
But suppose we were to make a healthy relationship with God Himself our primary goal? Suppose our minds were so focused on seeing His kingdom come, His will being done, in our lives for His sake, that everything else became secondary?
It is my belief that as we deliberately turn our hearts and thoughts toward Jesus, the things of earth will begin to take their proper place in our lives. That's because He always directs us back to the needs of those around us. "If you love Me, feed My sheep," He told Peter (John 21:17). But we will love them best if we minister to them for Him...not because of their loud, hungry bleatings.
For you see, they are in fact His sheep...just as we ourselves are. He is providing for their happiness, and He will provide for ours. And so truly, when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all good things will also be added to us (Matthew 6:33).
February 8, 2009
Barriers - Psalms 107
Four very specific barriers separate man from God. Each of these barriers is part of our fallen nature, and each requires supernatural grace to overcome. In Psalms 107 we find four pictures that vividly depict these four aspects of our fallenness.
"They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."
Like these men, all of us are lost...and we don't even realize it. We have no true food, no drink, no shelter for our souls. We may wander in this lostness for years, until somehow we discover there is a God to whom we can cry out. He responds to our cries by leading us to a safe city, where He feeds our souls with His own goodness. In this way, the first barrier, ignorance, is overcome.
"Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons--because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two."
Even after we taste of the goodness of God, our nature soon rebels against His word and His counsel. God then "brings down our hearts" with affliction, irons, and the shadow of death. Once again we must reach that place of desperation where we cry out to God. Once again, He mercifully breaks our chains and destroys our prisons, thereby overcoming the barrier of rebellion.
"Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing."
In addition to the problem of our resistance to God's word, we also are separated from Him by our foolish indulgences and iniquities. God responds by sending afflictions that torment our bodies and again bring us near death. The means of our salvation is yet the same: we must confess our transgressions and cry out to God to rescue and heal us. Only then can the third barrier, sin, be torn down.
"Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders."
This final picture is interesting. These men are not lost, they are not rebelling, nor are they sinning. They are simply going about their business, and in fact are very aware of the works and wonders of the Lord. Yet once again God sends a deadly storm that brings them to the point of terror and desperation. Only when they cry out does He calm the storm and still the waves.
What is this fourth barrier? I think it is hidden in the little phrase, "at their wits’ end." These men were separated from God by their own self-sufficiency. They were competent sailors who understood the sea. They appreciated what God had made. But they needed to know Him more fully, and we can only know God fully when we come to the end of ourselves.
As we look over these four stories, we see a clear pattern. The barriers that separate us from God rise out of our own nature. Yet only He can tear them down. He will not destroy them, however, until we become profoundly aware of our helplessness, and are humbled enough to cry out to Him.
Once these authentically desperate cries reach His ears, God responds quickly and dramatically. He feeds our hungry souls. He tears down our prisons. He heals our broken bodies. And He guides us to our "desired haven."
As the psalmist says so well, "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!"
"They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."
Like these men, all of us are lost...and we don't even realize it. We have no true food, no drink, no shelter for our souls. We may wander in this lostness for years, until somehow we discover there is a God to whom we can cry out. He responds to our cries by leading us to a safe city, where He feeds our souls with His own goodness. In this way, the first barrier, ignorance, is overcome.
"Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons--because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two."
Even after we taste of the goodness of God, our nature soon rebels against His word and His counsel. God then "brings down our hearts" with affliction, irons, and the shadow of death. Once again we must reach that place of desperation where we cry out to God. Once again, He mercifully breaks our chains and destroys our prisons, thereby overcoming the barrier of rebellion.
"Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing."
In addition to the problem of our resistance to God's word, we also are separated from Him by our foolish indulgences and iniquities. God responds by sending afflictions that torment our bodies and again bring us near death. The means of our salvation is yet the same: we must confess our transgressions and cry out to God to rescue and heal us. Only then can the third barrier, sin, be torn down.
"Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders."
This final picture is interesting. These men are not lost, they are not rebelling, nor are they sinning. They are simply going about their business, and in fact are very aware of the works and wonders of the Lord. Yet once again God sends a deadly storm that brings them to the point of terror and desperation. Only when they cry out does He calm the storm and still the waves.
What is this fourth barrier? I think it is hidden in the little phrase, "at their wits’ end." These men were separated from God by their own self-sufficiency. They were competent sailors who understood the sea. They appreciated what God had made. But they needed to know Him more fully, and we can only know God fully when we come to the end of ourselves.
As we look over these four stories, we see a clear pattern. The barriers that separate us from God rise out of our own nature. Yet only He can tear them down. He will not destroy them, however, until we become profoundly aware of our helplessness, and are humbled enough to cry out to Him.
Once these authentically desperate cries reach His ears, God responds quickly and dramatically. He feeds our hungry souls. He tears down our prisons. He heals our broken bodies. And He guides us to our "desired haven."
As the psalmist says so well, "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!"
February 6, 2009
Depending on the Lord – Isaiah 10:20
"And it shall come to pass in that day that [they] ... will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth."
Let's face it. When things get really tough, we depend on whatever seems to us most solid and most real. Usually, that's ourselves. Sometimes it's an authority figure such as a parent, or an authority structure such as the government. But Isaiah is prophesying about a time when people will depend on God "in truth."
Here is the whole verse.
"And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth."
You may know the story. For generations, the Israelites had drifted away from God's laws and God's worship, trusting instead in the idols they made with their own hands. Isaiah was warning them that God would soon turn them over to their enemies, the Assyrians. As captives in a foreign land, they would be completely dependent upon their captors for every aspect of their survival. But the day would eventually come when God would bring a small group, a "remnant," back to the land of their birth, where they would then depend on Him only.
Later in Isaiah we find the same process summed up in two verses.
"Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with sparks: walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled –- this you shall have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment." (Isaiah 50:10,11)
I call it arranging our own blessings. When we have no light, we "encircle" ourselves with the sparks of whatever seems best to us. It's much harder to trust in something we can't see, much less control.
But God does not let this plan work. By His own hand, the scripture says, we will lie down in torment. He will even give us over to our enemies. Depending on how hard-headed we are, He will allow us to suffer as long as it takes to discover the uselessness of every support structure except Himself.
Nevertheless, the day will come when at least some of us (a remnant) will figure out that God alone is to be depended on in truth. The Hebrew word for truth, "emet," means something that is reliable and permanent. The word is made up of three letters from the Hebrew alphabet: the first letter, the middle letter, and the last letter. God created everything, God sustains everything, and God will complete everything.
Thus it is wise, when the storms of life come upon us or the darkness surrounds us, to choose to trust in God alone. We should not think of painful trials as the work of our enemy, but as the work of God to bring us to a total dependence on Him. Even if the enemy does have a part to play, he will be most upset, and most defeated, if in our distress we turn quickly to God with our radical, and restful, trust.
Let's face it. When things get really tough, we depend on whatever seems to us most solid and most real. Usually, that's ourselves. Sometimes it's an authority figure such as a parent, or an authority structure such as the government. But Isaiah is prophesying about a time when people will depend on God "in truth."
Here is the whole verse.
"And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth."
You may know the story. For generations, the Israelites had drifted away from God's laws and God's worship, trusting instead in the idols they made with their own hands. Isaiah was warning them that God would soon turn them over to their enemies, the Assyrians. As captives in a foreign land, they would be completely dependent upon their captors for every aspect of their survival. But the day would eventually come when God would bring a small group, a "remnant," back to the land of their birth, where they would then depend on Him only.
Later in Isaiah we find the same process summed up in two verses.
"Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with sparks: walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled –- this you shall have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment." (Isaiah 50:10,11)
I call it arranging our own blessings. When we have no light, we "encircle" ourselves with the sparks of whatever seems best to us. It's much harder to trust in something we can't see, much less control.
But God does not let this plan work. By His own hand, the scripture says, we will lie down in torment. He will even give us over to our enemies. Depending on how hard-headed we are, He will allow us to suffer as long as it takes to discover the uselessness of every support structure except Himself.
Nevertheless, the day will come when at least some of us (a remnant) will figure out that God alone is to be depended on in truth. The Hebrew word for truth, "emet," means something that is reliable and permanent. The word is made up of three letters from the Hebrew alphabet: the first letter, the middle letter, and the last letter. God created everything, God sustains everything, and God will complete everything.
Thus it is wise, when the storms of life come upon us or the darkness surrounds us, to choose to trust in God alone. We should not think of painful trials as the work of our enemy, but as the work of God to bring us to a total dependence on Him. Even if the enemy does have a part to play, he will be most upset, and most defeated, if in our distress we turn quickly to God with our radical, and restful, trust.
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