Malachi 1:14: "`Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and my name is to be feared among the nations.'"
It is so very important for us today to understand our relationship with God. Whereas so many people in our culture today want to view God as a passive, tolerant deity who tends to overlook any wrongdoings of His people, the reality is that God is the Sovereign King of the universe and expects that His creation submit to His Lordship.
The book of Malachi was written during a period (around 433 BC) when the people had become complacent and forsook their commitment to God as their Master. One of the ways that they demonstrated their contempt for the One True Lord was in their giving. Oh to be sure, they were quick to make promises that they would give their very best to God; however, they wouldn't follow through with what they had promised. When the time came for the people to demonstrate by their actions that they were submitted to the Lord and trusted that He would protect and provide for them, the people instead determined to keep the best of their livestock for themselves and give to God the leftovers . . . the animals that were injured, crippled, or diseased and likely would not live anyway. There wasn't much of a sacrifice to the Lord here, instead, they were just going through the motions of their religion.
Surprisingly, we find that the people had begun to believe the lie that they were not defiling the altar of the Lord with their contemptible sacrifices. They questioned God's accusation of their sacrilege by saying, "How have we defiled you?" This type of questioning response revealed a people who wanted to justify their wanton behavior. They were determined to live life their own way and did not wish to be held accountable to One greater than they were. In effect, they desired to be a god unto themselves.
One of the telling evidences that shows the thoughts of the people that led them down this path of sin is found in their views of God as recorded in 3:14. The people had believed that God had not been there for them, and they concluded that it was useless to serve the Lord. They believed that God had not blessed them for their prior faithfulness, and now they didn't want to waste their time anymore. This negative thinking began a downward spiral that would lead to their shallow form of religion that was all ceremony and no substance!
Of course, their abject denial of God did not change the reality that God was still Supreme over them. After all, He created them and commanded their respect and surrender. It was not that God was a tyrannical despot who just wanted to force them into submission. In fact, God shared at the beginning of the book of Malachi that He loved them [1:2]. Sadly, the people just would not accept the fact that God loved them and desired to pour out His blessings upon them if they would return to Him (3:7).
This is such a good word for us. We need to remember that God is the Lord and is due our best. Even in those times when we are in despair and wonder where God is, we need to continue our faithful obedience to the Lord, trusting that He is working out His purposes for His glory. We need not follow the negative thinking that God does not care or is not interested in us. He has promised that if we return to Him in a spirit of reverence and repentance, He will honor us with His presence. And we will be blessed by His communing with us.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Purpose and Perfection Through Suffering
Hebrews 5:7: "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."
Suffering is never a desired experience. None of us wants to traverse the paths of difficulty; instead, we find deep within ourselves a hope that our life experience will be one filled with lots of blessings and happiness. Still, we recognize that a life immune from headaches and heartaches is just not reality. Though it will be packaged a bit differently for each of us, we all will encounter painful ordeals that truly test our faith.
For those of us who already have been to the brink of despair, we likely have asked the proverbial "Why" questions: "Why? . . . Why God would you allow this to happen? . . . Why am I the one that has to go through this pain? Why does it seem that others have a much easier life?"
From the above scripture, we see that God the Father took Jesus His Son down some very difficult roads, but it was not without purpose. We find that Jesus learned obedience through His suffering. As Jesus "grew in wisdom" (see Luke 2:52), He was instructed by the Father that His suffering was helping to better understand that God the Father was using the experience of rejection, alienation, persecution, and ultimately crucifixion to accomplish His Divine calling as the perfect, atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. And as Jesus "reverently submitted" to the will of the Father, He became the solely sufficient remedy for our justification . . . He alone paid our sin debt, thus turning away God's just wrath towards us!
Still, this did not mean that Jesus did not anguish in the midst of His ordeal, for the scriptures tell us that He "offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears." Jesus did not gloss over the experience, trying to be happy about his plot in life; rather, He was very real and transparent with the Father, knowing that if there were another way . . . He would seek the Father's deliverance. Matthew 26:39 tells us that Jesus "fell on his face to the ground and he prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'" We know that God the Father heard Jesus' pleas; still, the cup of suffering would be poured out upon Him. It is not that God the Father didn't care; rather, He affirmed to Jesus His Divine work of love in offering the world hope through His death and resurrection. A greater and more glorious purpose was to be accomplished through suffering!
This is a good word for each of us. When life takes us through very dark valleys, it is most appropriate to cry out to the Lord for His presence with us and His deliverance of us. Still, we must submit to His divine will and purpose, even if such purposes result in our suffering. What we can be assured of is the fact that God will hear our pleas as we reverently submit to Him in the midst of our difficulty. We too can recognize that God is perfecting us as we endure our tribulation, for we know that our sufferings produce perseverance, character, and a longing for Heaven, when Jesus will make all things new (see Romans 5:3-4, Revelation 21:5). Suffering makes us aware of God, and it fosters a dependency upon Him. Suffering too heightens our intimacy with Him, as it orients our purpose to His glorious will. Ultimately, suffering makes us long for our eternal life with Him. To have such a disposition is EXACTLY where God wants us to be!
Suffering is never a desired experience. None of us wants to traverse the paths of difficulty; instead, we find deep within ourselves a hope that our life experience will be one filled with lots of blessings and happiness. Still, we recognize that a life immune from headaches and heartaches is just not reality. Though it will be packaged a bit differently for each of us, we all will encounter painful ordeals that truly test our faith.
For those of us who already have been to the brink of despair, we likely have asked the proverbial "Why" questions: "Why? . . . Why God would you allow this to happen? . . . Why am I the one that has to go through this pain? Why does it seem that others have a much easier life?"
From the above scripture, we see that God the Father took Jesus His Son down some very difficult roads, but it was not without purpose. We find that Jesus learned obedience through His suffering. As Jesus "grew in wisdom" (see Luke 2:52), He was instructed by the Father that His suffering was helping to better understand that God the Father was using the experience of rejection, alienation, persecution, and ultimately crucifixion to accomplish His Divine calling as the perfect, atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. And as Jesus "reverently submitted" to the will of the Father, He became the solely sufficient remedy for our justification . . . He alone paid our sin debt, thus turning away God's just wrath towards us!
Still, this did not mean that Jesus did not anguish in the midst of His ordeal, for the scriptures tell us that He "offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears." Jesus did not gloss over the experience, trying to be happy about his plot in life; rather, He was very real and transparent with the Father, knowing that if there were another way . . . He would seek the Father's deliverance. Matthew 26:39 tells us that Jesus "fell on his face to the ground and he prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'" We know that God the Father heard Jesus' pleas; still, the cup of suffering would be poured out upon Him. It is not that God the Father didn't care; rather, He affirmed to Jesus His Divine work of love in offering the world hope through His death and resurrection. A greater and more glorious purpose was to be accomplished through suffering!
This is a good word for each of us. When life takes us through very dark valleys, it is most appropriate to cry out to the Lord for His presence with us and His deliverance of us. Still, we must submit to His divine will and purpose, even if such purposes result in our suffering. What we can be assured of is the fact that God will hear our pleas as we reverently submit to Him in the midst of our difficulty. We too can recognize that God is perfecting us as we endure our tribulation, for we know that our sufferings produce perseverance, character, and a longing for Heaven, when Jesus will make all things new (see Romans 5:3-4, Revelation 21:5). Suffering makes us aware of God, and it fosters a dependency upon Him. Suffering too heightens our intimacy with Him, as it orients our purpose to His glorious will. Ultimately, suffering makes us long for our eternal life with Him. To have such a disposition is EXACTLY where God wants us to be!
Monday, October 11, 2010
It's a Spiritual Stimulus that We Need
Hosea 4:1b-3: "The LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: 'There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.'"
There is no doubt that the global economy has been struggling over the past decade. Sustained market declines, failed corporations, increased unemployment, and mortgage foreclosures are mere symptoms of a deeper crisis that prevails in our nation. Whereas the government pumps money into the economy through its stimulus packages, these measures will never remedy our crisis; rather, it only sustains the system a little longer. Much like life support . . . it is not the cure!
From the above cited Biblical passage, we find that the LORD had removed His hand of blessing upon the Israelites for their perpetual rebellion against His Sovereign reign. Whereas God had promised that Israel would thrive as a nation if they only would follow Him as their Lord (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14), the Israelites of Hosea's day stubbornly refused to submit to God and His decrees. They had determined to live their own lives the way that they saw fit. They would not refuse to indulge in anything that their heart desired; and they shunned the Lord, daring Him to do anything about it. Rather than loving God, they loved themselves first. They cursed God and His decrees. They found that lying was expedient if it promoted their agendas. They were willing to take from others what they coveted . . . whether property, spouses, or even life itself. In effect, these people had made themselves into their own gods and sought to assert their own lordship over the One True God.
Of course, we see from this historical account the inevitable outcome. Due to their cosmic treason against the Lord, He in turn removed His hand of blessing from them. Everything in creation suffered because of the obstinacy of these wicked people. Their only hope would be repentance and surrender to the Lord.
Oh how we see similar tendencies within our own nation. People today are living very similar to the lifestyles of the Israelites 2800 years earlier. Since we know that God does not change (see James 1:17), we would do well to learn from these Israelites as to what we should not be doing if we desire God's blessings upon our nation. Rather than waiting for the debt-laden stimulus money from the government to rescue our abysmal economic circumstances, we should be on our knees asking God's forgiveness.
Sadly, if history repeats itself, then we will find our future to be rather bleak. Israel would not respond to the warnings of God through His prophets; therefore, the Lord brought a conquering nation (the Assyrians) to devastate the land of Israel in 722 B.C. It would take this level of punitive judgment from the Lord to get the Israelites' attention, and given our nation's similar ways of debauchery and rebellion, we should not expect anything less. God's extension of favor is with us now, so let us as a nation respond with repentance and obedience. This is the spiritual stimulus what will bring God's favor upon the land.
There is no doubt that the global economy has been struggling over the past decade. Sustained market declines, failed corporations, increased unemployment, and mortgage foreclosures are mere symptoms of a deeper crisis that prevails in our nation. Whereas the government pumps money into the economy through its stimulus packages, these measures will never remedy our crisis; rather, it only sustains the system a little longer. Much like life support . . . it is not the cure!
From the above cited Biblical passage, we find that the LORD had removed His hand of blessing upon the Israelites for their perpetual rebellion against His Sovereign reign. Whereas God had promised that Israel would thrive as a nation if they only would follow Him as their Lord (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14), the Israelites of Hosea's day stubbornly refused to submit to God and His decrees. They had determined to live their own lives the way that they saw fit. They would not refuse to indulge in anything that their heart desired; and they shunned the Lord, daring Him to do anything about it. Rather than loving God, they loved themselves first. They cursed God and His decrees. They found that lying was expedient if it promoted their agendas. They were willing to take from others what they coveted . . . whether property, spouses, or even life itself. In effect, these people had made themselves into their own gods and sought to assert their own lordship over the One True God.
Of course, we see from this historical account the inevitable outcome. Due to their cosmic treason against the Lord, He in turn removed His hand of blessing from them. Everything in creation suffered because of the obstinacy of these wicked people. Their only hope would be repentance and surrender to the Lord.
Oh how we see similar tendencies within our own nation. People today are living very similar to the lifestyles of the Israelites 2800 years earlier. Since we know that God does not change (see James 1:17), we would do well to learn from these Israelites as to what we should not be doing if we desire God's blessings upon our nation. Rather than waiting for the debt-laden stimulus money from the government to rescue our abysmal economic circumstances, we should be on our knees asking God's forgiveness.
Sadly, if history repeats itself, then we will find our future to be rather bleak. Israel would not respond to the warnings of God through His prophets; therefore, the Lord brought a conquering nation (the Assyrians) to devastate the land of Israel in 722 B.C. It would take this level of punitive judgment from the Lord to get the Israelites' attention, and given our nation's similar ways of debauchery and rebellion, we should not expect anything less. God's extension of favor is with us now, so let us as a nation respond with repentance and obedience. This is the spiritual stimulus what will bring God's favor upon the land.
Monday, October 4, 2010
You Can't Claim Ignorance When Sinning
Galatians 5:19-21: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
It seems that in our culture today, there are many who want to claim ignorance in matters of sinful behavior, or they will say that they could not help themselves while engaging in actions contrary to the will of God. One thing that we find in the above mentioned Scripture is that acts of the sinful nature are obvious. For the one who would challenge this Biblical truth, I would ask, "Why is it then that people attempt to hide their sinful actions? . . . Why are they subversive when perpetrating these sins? Why do they often engage in this activity in the dark? [See Jesus' response to this issue in John 3:20]. The answer can be found in the simple fact that God has created all men with a conscience that can recognize evil; the Holy Spirit also actively brings conviction to those walking in darkness so that they might respond with repentance (i.e. a turning from wickedness to obedience to the Lord). Thus, people cannot claim ignorance as an excuse to indulge their debased passions. They are guilty before the Lord and they know it.
Sadly, there are those who will perpetuate such wickedness to the point that their consciences are seared from the Lord's convicting Word of Truth. These are the people who brazenly celebrate their debauchery, though they never forget that such behavior is wrong and contrary to the expressed will of God. These are the people described in Job 15:25-26 who "shake their fist at God and vaunt themselves against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him . . ." Later in this chapter God decrees that such a person will not "escape the darkness . . . the breath of God's mouth will carry him away." God will not hold such a man guiltless for his treasonous behavior against His Lordship!
So, how should we respond to the Scripture cited above? We need to ever be conscious of any thoughts or behaviors that are contrary to God's decrees as expressed in His Holy Word. We need to be surrendered to the Lord and receptive to His word of admonishment when we engage in sin, and we must truly repent from such behavior. God will respond with forgiveness, and we will be blessed by finding His favior.
Let us not fall prey to the fallacious worldly notions that sin is beyond our awareness or ability to control. Let us respond to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit with contrition, confession, and repentance. By this, we bring glory to the One True Lord, which is our purpose in life!
It seems that in our culture today, there are many who want to claim ignorance in matters of sinful behavior, or they will say that they could not help themselves while engaging in actions contrary to the will of God. One thing that we find in the above mentioned Scripture is that acts of the sinful nature are obvious. For the one who would challenge this Biblical truth, I would ask, "Why is it then that people attempt to hide their sinful actions? . . . Why are they subversive when perpetrating these sins? Why do they often engage in this activity in the dark? [See Jesus' response to this issue in John 3:20]. The answer can be found in the simple fact that God has created all men with a conscience that can recognize evil; the Holy Spirit also actively brings conviction to those walking in darkness so that they might respond with repentance (i.e. a turning from wickedness to obedience to the Lord). Thus, people cannot claim ignorance as an excuse to indulge their debased passions. They are guilty before the Lord and they know it.
Sadly, there are those who will perpetuate such wickedness to the point that their consciences are seared from the Lord's convicting Word of Truth. These are the people who brazenly celebrate their debauchery, though they never forget that such behavior is wrong and contrary to the expressed will of God. These are the people described in Job 15:25-26 who "shake their fist at God and vaunt themselves against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him . . ." Later in this chapter God decrees that such a person will not "escape the darkness . . . the breath of God's mouth will carry him away." God will not hold such a man guiltless for his treasonous behavior against His Lordship!
So, how should we respond to the Scripture cited above? We need to ever be conscious of any thoughts or behaviors that are contrary to God's decrees as expressed in His Holy Word. We need to be surrendered to the Lord and receptive to His word of admonishment when we engage in sin, and we must truly repent from such behavior. God will respond with forgiveness, and we will be blessed by finding His favior.
Let us not fall prey to the fallacious worldly notions that sin is beyond our awareness or ability to control. Let us respond to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit with contrition, confession, and repentance. By this, we bring glory to the One True Lord, which is our purpose in life!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Belief in God Is Not Enough
I Corinthians 15:2: "By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain."
Salvation is more than mere assent to the reality of God, or the awareness of Jesus' death for our sins, or even a genuine feeling of remorse for our sins. To receive the gift of God's forgiveness and adoption into His eternal kingdom necessitates a response of surrender from us.
In effect, our response to Christ is to yield ourselves fully to Him as our Master, Savior, and Lord. This is seeing ourselves as a humble servant of the Living Lord, and desiring to follow Him in obedience by abiding by His commands as recorded in Scripture. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we hold firmly to the truth of the gospel and we consider our Lord so worthy of our allegiance, that we have an "I'm all in" mentality for the will of God. There is no room for duplicity here. We surrender to the yoke of Christ, which is not laborious . . . rather it is a delight (Matthew 11:30).
Therefore, this offering by Christ of redemption requires a response from us. Are we willing to relinquish our presumed right for our own glory and happiness? Will we renounce the exaltation of our wills to the will of God? Can we see ourselves as servants of the One True Lord? Truly, we were created for such purposes of surrender.
Jesus declares that the man who does not fall away in view of His Lordship will be blessed. Today, each of us is faced with a decision. Either we can capitulate ourselves to His rightful reign in our lives, or we can continue to perpetuate our selfish quest for lordship. Only the one who will profess and live a life yielded to the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9). God's offering has been afforded to us through the death and resurrection of His Son. He now extends His grace to each of us who would receive it.
Salvation is more than mere assent to the reality of God, or the awareness of Jesus' death for our sins, or even a genuine feeling of remorse for our sins. To receive the gift of God's forgiveness and adoption into His eternal kingdom necessitates a response of surrender from us.
In effect, our response to Christ is to yield ourselves fully to Him as our Master, Savior, and Lord. This is seeing ourselves as a humble servant of the Living Lord, and desiring to follow Him in obedience by abiding by His commands as recorded in Scripture. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we hold firmly to the truth of the gospel and we consider our Lord so worthy of our allegiance, that we have an "I'm all in" mentality for the will of God. There is no room for duplicity here. We surrender to the yoke of Christ, which is not laborious . . . rather it is a delight (Matthew 11:30).
Therefore, this offering by Christ of redemption requires a response from us. Are we willing to relinquish our presumed right for our own glory and happiness? Will we renounce the exaltation of our wills to the will of God? Can we see ourselves as servants of the One True Lord? Truly, we were created for such purposes of surrender.
Jesus declares that the man who does not fall away in view of His Lordship will be blessed. Today, each of us is faced with a decision. Either we can capitulate ourselves to His rightful reign in our lives, or we can continue to perpetuate our selfish quest for lordship. Only the one who will profess and live a life yielded to the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9). God's offering has been afforded to us through the death and resurrection of His Son. He now extends His grace to each of us who would receive it.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Being a Slave to All
I Corinthians 9:19: "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible."
The book of I Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul in part to defend his calling by the Lord to be an apostle, whose responsibility was to herald the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Mediterranean world. Paul had served with the church at Corinth for more than a year, but he had been apart from them for more than three years. These Corinthians began to despise Paul's simplistic message in favor of their newly acquired spiritual wisdom and their impressive display of spiritual gifts that they liked to showcase in public. They too were forming cliques and quarrelling with one another as to who was more spiritually refined.
In chapter nine, Paul reminds the church that he had been called by the Lord to be an apostle; in fact, he shares that he had actually seen the risen Lord . . . something that none of them could use as evidence for boasting. Paul was not using this argument to regain recognition for himself; it was not as if he were feeling insecure at the church's rejection of him and wanted to blast them for not venerating him in his position. Instead, Paul was reminding his hearers that he had been called as a messenger of the Lord and that their rejection of his word was a rejection of the Lord's commands to them.
What is so telling in this chapter is Paul's understanding of himself as a slave to everyone for their salvation and edification (9:20-23). Paul didn't want to use his position to vaunt himself above others and demand their praise and adulation; rather, Paul was willing to humble himself and assume the role of a slave so that they might be drawn closer to Jesus Christ. Though Paul could have asserted certain rights in being an apostle (see 9:14), he refrained from doing so in order to bless others. This is Christianity at its finest! This is the role that all of us in Christ should assume, no matter what position we find ourselves in the church.
Sadly, we find in our churches those who use their positions of power, status, and influence to draw attention to themselves. They work to secure the praise and respect of others, and they push their personal agendas for their own veneration. This is not the role that Christ expects of His true followers.
Let us re-examine ourselves in view of this example given to us by Paul. Let us strive to be slaves to each other, striving to minister to others before ourselves. Let us take on a spirit of humility and bless others without expectation of praise or reward, for we know that God above is well pleased with such a disposition.
The book of I Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul in part to defend his calling by the Lord to be an apostle, whose responsibility was to herald the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Mediterranean world. Paul had served with the church at Corinth for more than a year, but he had been apart from them for more than three years. These Corinthians began to despise Paul's simplistic message in favor of their newly acquired spiritual wisdom and their impressive display of spiritual gifts that they liked to showcase in public. They too were forming cliques and quarrelling with one another as to who was more spiritually refined.
In chapter nine, Paul reminds the church that he had been called by the Lord to be an apostle; in fact, he shares that he had actually seen the risen Lord . . . something that none of them could use as evidence for boasting. Paul was not using this argument to regain recognition for himself; it was not as if he were feeling insecure at the church's rejection of him and wanted to blast them for not venerating him in his position. Instead, Paul was reminding his hearers that he had been called as a messenger of the Lord and that their rejection of his word was a rejection of the Lord's commands to them.
What is so telling in this chapter is Paul's understanding of himself as a slave to everyone for their salvation and edification (9:20-23). Paul didn't want to use his position to vaunt himself above others and demand their praise and adulation; rather, Paul was willing to humble himself and assume the role of a slave so that they might be drawn closer to Jesus Christ. Though Paul could have asserted certain rights in being an apostle (see 9:14), he refrained from doing so in order to bless others. This is Christianity at its finest! This is the role that all of us in Christ should assume, no matter what position we find ourselves in the church.
Sadly, we find in our churches those who use their positions of power, status, and influence to draw attention to themselves. They work to secure the praise and respect of others, and they push their personal agendas for their own veneration. This is not the role that Christ expects of His true followers.
Let us re-examine ourselves in view of this example given to us by Paul. Let us strive to be slaves to each other, striving to minister to others before ourselves. Let us take on a spirit of humility and bless others without expectation of praise or reward, for we know that God above is well pleased with such a disposition.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
How Can We Experience the Blessing of God in Such a Turbulent World?
Psalm 1:2-3: "Blessed is the man . . . . whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."
How can a person experience the blessed contentment in life when life is filled with such uncertainty, upheaval, and disappointment? How can a person have a focused, positive perspective when he loses a loved one to death or is himself diagnosed with a irrecoverable malady or is betrayed by his spouse, etc.?
I believe that the answer is found within these verses above; specifically, we find that the blessed man "delights" in the law of the LORD. The word used in the original language for "delight" means "chief desire." This is a person who is consumed with the choice morsels of God's WORD; he wants to feast frequently on the edifying, encouraging Words of God, from which the Holy Spirit enlivens the spirit of the reader as he stops to ponder its truths. This soul is strengthened in knowing that God is Sovereign and is in control. This man is reassured that God is working His purposes for His glory, which is always best . . . even though he may be going through a great tribulation and can't seem to make sense of his ordeal.
This man is like the tree that produces wonderful fruit, no matter the circumstances around him, for he is connected to the nourishing water of the adjacent stream. To be sure, this tree can have a dry, despondent desert around him, and yet he seems to radiate a beauty of produce because he does not permit his circumstances to dictate who he becomes. His perseverance and contentment is quite distinct from all other "trees" that seem to capitulate to the difficulties around them. This too is the man who because he is able to shine for the LORD in the midst of tribulation, is able to be an inspiration to those dying around him . . . possibly being catalytic in leading others to the "Living Water" (i.e. Jesus Christ).
So too his fruit is produced "in season." This is a man who through the power of the Holy Spirit is able to demonstrate constancy and dependability, both in good and bad times. When the time comes, his fruit bursts forth in a glorious display of beauty. He does not start to wither on the vine when the perilous times come his way. He does not become angry at life, or God, and renounce his allegiance to the Lord because things aren't going his way or because he doesn't seem to get the breaks/blessings that he sees others getting.
This is such a good Word for us to hear. In the uncertainty of this life, which is filled with pitfalls and heartaches and struggles, we need to tap into the nourishing strength of Christ. We need to move ourselves close to His life-giving water and rely on Him, even though we travail under the most abysmal circumstances. This is the only way that we will endure and press on with our lives. To fail to tap into Christ is to shrivel up and die, for we will lose heart and give in to our difficulties.
Let us press on, being dependable fruit bearers through the power of Christ working within us. Let us soak up the Water of Life within our veins and be transformed from within so that we can stand firm to that which is found around us.
How can a person experience the blessed contentment in life when life is filled with such uncertainty, upheaval, and disappointment? How can a person have a focused, positive perspective when he loses a loved one to death or is himself diagnosed with a irrecoverable malady or is betrayed by his spouse, etc.?
I believe that the answer is found within these verses above; specifically, we find that the blessed man "delights" in the law of the LORD. The word used in the original language for "delight" means "chief desire." This is a person who is consumed with the choice morsels of God's WORD; he wants to feast frequently on the edifying, encouraging Words of God, from which the Holy Spirit enlivens the spirit of the reader as he stops to ponder its truths. This soul is strengthened in knowing that God is Sovereign and is in control. This man is reassured that God is working His purposes for His glory, which is always best . . . even though he may be going through a great tribulation and can't seem to make sense of his ordeal.
This man is like the tree that produces wonderful fruit, no matter the circumstances around him, for he is connected to the nourishing water of the adjacent stream. To be sure, this tree can have a dry, despondent desert around him, and yet he seems to radiate a beauty of produce because he does not permit his circumstances to dictate who he becomes. His perseverance and contentment is quite distinct from all other "trees" that seem to capitulate to the difficulties around them. This too is the man who because he is able to shine for the LORD in the midst of tribulation, is able to be an inspiration to those dying around him . . . possibly being catalytic in leading others to the "Living Water" (i.e. Jesus Christ).
So too his fruit is produced "in season." This is a man who through the power of the Holy Spirit is able to demonstrate constancy and dependability, both in good and bad times. When the time comes, his fruit bursts forth in a glorious display of beauty. He does not start to wither on the vine when the perilous times come his way. He does not become angry at life, or God, and renounce his allegiance to the Lord because things aren't going his way or because he doesn't seem to get the breaks/blessings that he sees others getting.
This is such a good Word for us to hear. In the uncertainty of this life, which is filled with pitfalls and heartaches and struggles, we need to tap into the nourishing strength of Christ. We need to move ourselves close to His life-giving water and rely on Him, even though we travail under the most abysmal circumstances. This is the only way that we will endure and press on with our lives. To fail to tap into Christ is to shrivel up and die, for we will lose heart and give in to our difficulties.
Let us press on, being dependable fruit bearers through the power of Christ working within us. Let us soak up the Water of Life within our veins and be transformed from within so that we can stand firm to that which is found around us.
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