When Limitations are Glorifying

John 9:1: "As he (Jesus) went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'"

The prevailing understanding of illness in antiquity was that it was the result of sin in the life of either the person suffering the affliction or some close companion with whom the person associated. In this story, the disciples prematurely had concluded that the blindness of the man was necessarily the result of his own sin or the sin of his parents. Jesus countered this false assumption with the bold declaration that the man's blindness was serving the purpose of displaying the work of God. Specifically, Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem to be crucified for the sins of the world. While on this trek, He desired to demonstrate that it was He who would bring sight to the spiritually blind. For the people of Israel, there was an understanding that only God (the Messiah) could provide physical and spiritual sight for blindness (Exodus 4:11; Psalm 146:8; Isaiah 35:5); thus, Jesus was asserting that He (God) was the appropriate, perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus, in being the sinless Divine One, could only provide the sufficient payment for the transgressions of a fallen humanity.

Therefore, the blind man, who had endured blindness for many years through his childhood and adulthood was serving the purpose of bringing glory to God through God's demonstrative act of power, bringing deliverance. The result was not only physical healing of sight for the man but spiritual healing through the man's yielding to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (John 9:38).

A similar story of tragedy turned to triumph for the Lord occurred in the life of John Milton. The 17th-century English writer was noted for his profound writing and oratory skills. Early in life, Milton was quite accomplished in the classical languages and earned two degrees from Cambridge University. At the age of 40 he was invited by Oliver Cromwell to serve in the government. This aspiring young man was passionate for learning, and he found himself quickly gaining notoriety in England. Yet within three years, Milton found himself completely blind. What is noteworthy is not so much Milton's accomplishments prior to his physical handicap, but his attainments thereafter; for Milton's works, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained were penned during this later era of his life. What I have found so inspirational is the poem that he penned near the age of 80:

On His Blindness

When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide,
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labor, light denied,"
I fondly ask; But patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts, who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best, his state
Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait."

In this poem, Milton proclaims that his physical handicap served to incline his soul to serve his Maker all the more. He came to appreciate that God was (and forever is) not in need of man's gifts or work; what God desires is for man to submit to the yoke of His Lordship in his life. Glory to God is not necessarily found in a man's accomplishments, but in His willingness to surrender to the King of kings and permit Him to work out His purposes through the life he has . . . no matter what limitations are present.

God Works Even In Apparent Hopelessness

Acts 27:23: "Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul . . . God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'"

There were 276 people on board the Alexandrian ship that sailed from Crete for Italy. The apostle Paul was on board the ship as a prisoner being sent to Caesar in Rome. Previously he had been charged by the Jewish religious leadership in Judea as being a "troublemaker and rioter . . . who desired to desecrate the temple" (Acts 24:20). Having been taken to Caesarea to stand trial before the Roman Procurators, Felix and later Festus, Paul discredited all the charges made against him except one. Paul admitted that he "worshipped the God of (the Jewish) fathers as a follower of the Way . . . having the hope in God that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked" (Acts 24:14-15).

From Fair Havens, they set out for Phoenix on the northwest side of Crete, but a nor'easter caught them and carried them westward 14 days until the ship reached the shores of Malta, hundreds of miles away from their intended destination. The people on board had given up hope of being saved (Acts 27:20); however, God triumphed over the storm because He had a purpose for Paul: to stand before Caesar and present His precious gospel (27:24).

As a gift to Paul, God determined that He would spare the lives of everyone on board . . . God worked the miraculous in an otherwise hopeless predicament, so that His Divine purposes would be accomplished.

As Psalm 24:1 aptly states, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." God is in complete control of every situation that we may encounter, and He works all things in accordance to His will, to the praise of His glorious grace. When we begin to fathom God at this level of majestic Holiness, we will find ourselves responding not unlike the prophet, Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 1:28b: "When I saw the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD, I fell face down." Our consequent response to God's glory should be awe and obedience. Paul understood this quite well, for in the Acts passage cited above, he boldly proclaimed that he was the LORD's possession and therefore he served His LORD faithfully.

Life Doesn't Always Make Sense

I Samuel 20:1,3b: "Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, 'What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life? . . . . As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.'"

Life doesn't always make sense. Certainly for David, the loyal subject of King Saul, the fact that the king would desire to take David's life made no sense. David had just brought victory to the Israelites through his defeat of the Philistine, Goliath. I Samuel 18:5 tells us that in everything that Saul sent David to do, David was very successful. Because the hand of the Lord was upon David, he was more successful than all of the other officers of the King, and David became a highly recognized figure in Palestine.

King Saul noticed that David was extremely successful in all he did for the king; Saul became jealous that the praise of his subjects was being diverted from him, and he was fearful that David's success might result in the king's overthrow. From that time forward, Saul sought ways to take the life of David in order that he could thwart any future attempt upon his throne. Saul's jealousy was unwarranted, for David was completely loyal to his king; there should have been no question in the king's mind that his subject was committed to him.

Despite his faithfulness to the king, David was dumbfounded that the king would attempt to take his servant's life. I'm sure that David had many restless nights wondering what he had done to deserve such a response from Saul.

Sometimes life presents us with questions that are not answered easily. At times, we may find ourselves questioning why we are traversing such a painful path, when it seems that we've been faithful. Although David did not have all the answers, he still committed himself to the Lord. David did not waiver in his obedience to God despite the perplexity of his circumstances. In the end, God worked all things in accordance with His will . . . to bring judgment upon Saul and to establish David's throne for eternity (2 Samuel 7:16).

Years later when David was the king, God communicated to David that He had never left David during those perilous times (2 Samuel 7:9). Despite the pain and uncertainty of that time when David was fleeing for his life, God used that time to teach David the need to depend completely upon the Lord. David seems to have learned an invaluable lesson through this ordeal, for later he would pen the words of Psalm 40 that seem to reflect his increasing faith in the Lord: "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:1-3).

May we have the same resolve to put our complete trust in the LORD when life's experiences make no sense to us.

Respect Everyone

Matthew 18:10: "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."

Just prior to this statement, Jesus had experienced the Transfiguration in which He appeared in glorious splendor before his disciples, Peter, James, and John. Yet even with this magnificent display of God's greatness, the disciples were not overly impressed; for, following this majestic presentation of God, the disciples argued among themselves as to who was the greatest. Jesus previously had given the disciples the power to cure diseases, to cast out demons, and to preach the gospel. With their ministry "successes," the disciples developed the "I'm the greatest!" syndrome and took their eyes off of worshipping the true Lord. Instantly, their Divinely-provided power was gone, and they were unable to achieve anything that they previously accomplished. Still, this loss of Divine power did not seem deter their consumption with personal greatness.

Knowing the disciples' thoughts, Jesus responded by calling a small child into their presence. This child would have had little respect among his people due to his lack of years, experience, and contribution to society; yet, this child would have been humble and responsive enough to be obedient to the proper authority figures in his life. Jesus used this illustration to teach the disciples that they needed to have this same level of humility and pliable spirit in their adulthood if they wanted to be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. God had no use for haughtiness and self-centeredness; He desired His people to be submissive to His Sovereign Right as Lord.

Arrogance had (and has) no place in God's plans and purposes. When we begin to think too highly of ourselves to the detriment of others, not only do we lose our effectiveness for the kingdom, but we have to deal with God's response to such a prideful spirit. Most sobering is the passage mentioned above, namely that the angels proclaim before God's throne when one of His humble servants are denigrated by the arrogant and the self-centered. God is not willing to be mocked (Galatians 6:7); nor will He tolerate the contempt of His loyal subjects who one day will be the greatest in His eternal kingdom.

What's The Purpose of the Sabbath?

Ezekiel 20:12: "Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy."

In Ezekiel 20, the elders of Israel had come to inquire of the LORD, but the LORD would not respond to them due to their rebellion in following false gods. Their licentious behavior was worthy of God's wrath; still, God had chosen these people from all the nations of the earth to inhabit His Promised Land. Although each generation of Israelites from the past seemed to defile themselves by following after their selfish desires, God still wanted them to know that if they were submissive and obedient to Him as Lord, He would bless them with the land "flowing with milk and honey."

The LORD mentioned that the purpose of the Sabbath was for His people to see that they were set apart for the purpose of God's pouring out His blessing upon them uniquely, if they would simply surrender themselves to His Lordship. As the Sabbath was one day set apart from the others as a time of rest and meditation upon the LORD, so too it was a teaching tool of the LORD to let the Israelites know that they were called out and set apart by God as His chosen people. Tragically, the chapter continues by stating that the Israelites desecrated the LORD's Sabbath through their rebellion, idolatry, and immorality. They did not take the time to reflect upon the unmerited goodness of the LORD by His choosing them to receive His divine blessings.

For Christians today, we would do well to reflect upon this passage as a reminder that we should take time to meditate upon the goodness of our God in calling us out to receive His divine blessings. When we succumb to the demands of this ephemeral life, we can lose sight of the gift of grace that God has bestowed to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. We MUST consecrate time from our hectic schedules to meditate upon the LORD and His choosing us to be part of His royal family. To fail to reflect regularly upon our God and His gift of holiness to us is to fall into the temptation of self-centeredness. And when we lose focus on our Lord, we will most assuredly become the rebellious, self-indulged people not unlike the Israelites mentioned in Ezekiel 20.

Obedience over Ritual

I Samuel 15:22b-23: “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.”

This familiar passage comes from the somewhat unfamiliar background of Israel’s first king. King Saul previously had been anointed king by God over all of Israel; however, Saul’s arrogance would lead to the loss of Divine blessing for his royal rule. In I Samuel 15, the prophet Samuel had instructed Saul to destroy the neighboring enemies, the Amalekites, who since the time of Moses had sought to destroy the Israelites and thus prohibit their entrance into the Promised Land. God had been specific; everything was to be destroyed so that no remnant would remain of these pagan people.

Despite this explicit command from the Lord, Saul decided that he would handle his victory over the Amalekites according to his own choosing. Saul decided to keep the choicest livestock and harvest for himself and encouraged his army to do likewise; Saul also decided to preserve the captured Amalekite king, Agag, as his tribute for victory.

God responded with grief at the recalcitrance of the Israelite king. He sent Samuel to find Saul; however, Saul was busy at Mt.Carmel setting up a monument in his own honor. When Samuel confronted Saul for his disobedience, Saul attempted to deflect the blame to his army, saying, “the soldiers brought the best from the Amalekites” (15:15). King Saul then attempted to challenge Samuel’s rebuke by saying that he had been obedient to the Lord’s command. Saul conveniently reworded the command of the Lord to be consistent with his defiant behavior. The Israelite King thought if he could re-phrase what the command was originally, then he may be exonerated for his rebellious spirit.

Samuel would have nothing to do with such lying and excuse making. He told King Saul that God had rejected him as the king, for Saul in effect worshipped himself over God through such acts of rebellion. Even after this divine edict, Saul confessed to Samuel that he had sinned, but this “act of repentance” was merely an attempt to avoid punishment, for again the king blamed the people for being so demanding of him to commit such sin.

As Samuel turned to leave the presence of the king, Saul caught the prophet’s robe to halt his exit. In his attempted restraint of Samuel, the prophet’s robe was torn; in response, Samuel decreed that Saul’s kingdom would be torn away from him and given to “one better.”

As the verse quoted above mentions, Saul’s rebellion was not unlike the practice of divination. From this word, “divination” one can see the word “divine.” In effect, Saul attempted to assert his own pursuit of divinity by renouncing the command of the Lord in favor of his own appetites. His attitude of arrogance clearly was demonstrated by his pursuit of his own victory monument; and his subsequent attempts to blame others and to distort the truth of God’s command was nothing more than a subversive move to justify his behavior.

We would do well to learn from the patterns of this once famous first king of Israel. Although King Saul went through the motions of religious ceremony; he was more interested in worshipping himself than the true God. This idolatry led to his untimely death as well as his loss of the kingdom for his descendants. The king was stellar in external action, but his heart revealed a sinister corruption and defiance that would be reckoned with by the Lord. We must remember that obedience to the Lord is of utmost importance; merely going through the motions of “religiosity” will never suffice.

The Holy Spirit Transforms Lives

1 Samuel 10:6: "The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you."

This chapter is the account of Saul, a Benjamite, being anointed king by the prophet Samuel, under the direction of God. The Israelites had cried out to the LORD to have a king so that they could be like the other nations; and God granted them their request, although He knew that these obstinate people were rejecting Him as their Sovereign Ruler (1 Samuel 8:7-8). When Samuel first approached Saul, Saul questioned Samuel's declaration that the Benjamite was to be made king. He said, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" (9:21).

But because God had ordained Saul to be the first king of the Israelites, the Holy Spirit came upon Saul in power; and as a result of that divine encounter, Saul was transformed into a different person. First Saul's heart was changed (10:9). Saul realized that this calling was from the LORD, who would give him the strength to fulfill that calling. Secondly, Saul was anointed with unique gifts. In I Samuel 10:10, one reads that Saul received the ability to prophesy with the prophets before the people. Such a transformation was quite noticeable to the people and they said, "What has happened to the son of Kish?" They were amazed at the transformation that had taken place through the power of God.

God then changed the hearts of the valiant men of Israel, who received confirmation in their spirits that God had appointed Saul to be king. When God calls one to a task, He will raise up His followers to affirm such a calling in one's life.

Saul quickly faced a serious issue when his people were faced with an invasion by their Ammonite enemies. The once timid personality who previously questioned God's decision to anoint him as king, would now under the power of God make a demonstrative statement to his people that they would fight to protect their brothers in Jabesh Gilead. Saul took two of his own oxen and cut them into pieces and had the pieces distributed throughout Israel. Packaged with the pieces of flesh was a dictate that anyone who would chose not to support Saul and Samuel would see the same fate for their livestock. If there were any who questioned Saul's leadership, they were silenced now by this declaration. Scripture says that the "terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man" (1 Samuel 11:7). God had changed the hearts of the people to respect their new leader, and the people were unified under this new king.

After their military victory, some of the early supporters of Saul wanted to put to death those who once questioned Saul's calling as king; however, Saul demonstrated mercy to his subjects in his kingdom. Saul declared that no one would be put to death, for the LORD had brought victory to the Israelites. Saul knew that it was not his own innate abilities that had brought the deliverance of the Israelites at Jabesh Gilead, but it was the power of God working through the king and his people. Thus having received mercy from God through the military victory, Saul now wanted to continue that mercy to his people.

This entire story brings to mind the passage in the New Testament found in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new had come!" Just as king Saul was transformed in his heart, in his giftedness, and in his bestowal of mercy to others, so too the follower of Jesus Christ experiences these same blessings through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts are changed to be receptive to the direction and leadership of the Lord in our lives. God then blesses us with demonstrative gifts to be used to transform lives and further His kingdom. Lastly, God gives us the ability to project mercy to others, since we have received God's grace through Jesus Christ.

God initiates these blessings in our lives, and to Him is all praise due for His abundant grace and love.

Death is Swallowed in Victory

1 Corinthians 15:26,54-55: "The last enemy to be destroyed is death. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'"

When man chose to rebel against the holiness of God by partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he knew that God had declared previously that death was the consequence for this rebellion. Still Adam and Eve, the first humans to be created by God, chose to commit cosmic treason against the Sovereign Lord by trying to usurp His Rightful Throne. God then pronounced His Divine judgment upon humanity, and banned our fore-parents from the Garden of Eden and placed guardian cherubs with flaming swords at its entrance to protect the tree of life from being consumed. At first glance, it seems that God's prohibition of our consumption of such a tree that would bring life is rather calloused and hardhearted; however, when one begins to reflect upon this protective response to our sin, one can see that God really loves us and desires to save us from the terrible effects of our sin. For if humanity would have consumed the tree of life after having sinned against the LORD, then our eternal state would have been one of witnessing the ever wasting away of our bodies without the deliverance from the consequences of sin. Many of you may have visited people whose declining health had led them to a point of incapacitation. What a tragedy it would be for us to experience this process of continuous, eternal, physical and spiritual decline without the hope of deliverance through death. In God's act of judgment of proscribing death for man's sin; He in fact was merciful in providing a way of escape. Death separates us from the physical effects of sin, whereupon we are ushered into the presence of God Himself.

This reality makes Jesus Christ's resurrection even more significant. His victory over death through His bodily resurrection assures the believer in Christ the hope of being resurrected imperishable and immortal. And when the follower of Jesus Christ experiences this wonderful reunion of body and spirit in the state of sinless perfection, free from decay (as God originally intended), then he can truly say, "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

When God Hides His Word

I Samuel 3:1: “In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.”

The early chapters of I Samuel reveal a people whose spiritual leaders were corrupt . . . completely devoid of submission and obedience to the LORD. The sons of the chief priest, Eli, were particularly despicable in their handling of their office as priests. These two men, Hophi and Phinehas, gorged themselves on the sacrificial food offerings brought by the people. They were supposed to commit the sacrifices first to the Lord by placing them into a boiling kettle, then they were to pick out with a pronged fork a portion that they would consume themselves. The first fruits were the LORD’s; they were to honor the LORD first before their own physical needs. In contrast, however, these priests would threaten the people who brought food sacrifices to the LORD by demanding these offerings for themselves immediately. They warned that if they did not receive the uncooked meat, they would take it by force. God referred to their actions as “treating the LORD’s offering with contempt” (2:17).

These same religious leaders were also known for engaging in sexual acts with women who served the priests at the Tent of Meeting. They were men who in effect considered themselves their own gods; they used their position of influence to satisfy their own lustful desires over serving the LORD.

Eli, their father, attempted to rebuke his sons for such detestable practices, but he did not strive to remove his sons from their positions. As 2:29 & 4:18 suggests, Eli may himself have been benefiting from his son’s flagrant disregard for the sacrifices of the LORD. Nonetheless, Eli was not proactive in his calling as priest to remove evil from the sight of the LORD. He continued to allow his sons to use their offices to exploit the people and desecrate the worship of the LORD by seeking their own selfish desires over God Himself.

The Lord declared that He would “disdain those who despised Him.” He proclaimed that Eli’s sons would be killed, leading to the severing of the priestly line through his offspring.

What is ironic was the way in which Eli’s sons handled themselves when danger was presented to the Israelites by their enemies, the Philistines. When a war ensued, the Philistines gained a quick battle victory, which resulted in the death of 4000 Israelites. Hophni and Phinehas thought that if they took the Ark of the Covenant with them into battle, God would have to provide the Israelites with victory. Even though their hearts were estranged from a true relationship with the LORD, they believed that the mere association with a tangible object associated with the LORD would compel God to provide victory. Never do we find that these sons showed remorse for their sins; in their brazen arrogance, they expected God to come to their rescue.

Sadly, the Israelites were soundly defeated by the Philistines. 30,000 foot soldiers were killed in a second battle, and Eli’s two sons also perished in the battle. When word returned to Eli that his sons were killed and the Ark of the Covenant was captured, the elderly priest fell out of his chair and broke his neck. Eli’s death was the final act of judgment upon his family by the LORD for the egregious acts of rebellion perpetrated by his family. God would be vindicated in His holiness; all who attempted to challenge this sovereignty were destroyed.

The focal passage of which I have mentioned at the beginning of this devotion deals with the lack of God’s Word being given to a wayward people. We would do well to hear from history; when we are wrapped up in our own selfish desires instead of being submitted to the LORD, we should not expect that the LORD will open the portals of heaven to reveal the blessing of Himself to us. When our intimate walk with the LORD is compromised by sin in our lives, we will find that God will seem to be noticeably absent in our lives. What we need to remember is that the LORD can be found when we repent of our sin and seek Him above ourselves. This truth is wonderfully declared in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.” God will be found when we passionately pursue Him and are obedient to Him above all other persons and things.

Making Yourself More Attractive

Ruth 2:11-12,19-20: “Boaz replied, ‘I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband-how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD’ . . . . Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. ‘The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,’ she said. ‘The LORD bless him!’ Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. ‘He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.’”

Being a single adult pastor, I’m often asked questions by single adults about dating relationships. Specifically, singles like to ask me the “why” questions: “Why hasn’t God brought Mr./Miss Right into my life?”; “Why doesn’t God hear my prayers to be married?”; or “Why doesn’t God understand that I don’t like to be single?”

Whereas I am sensitive to the longings of some singles in the area of companionship, I do take time to remind singles that they have a wonderful opportunity to make themselves even more attractive by the way that they conduct their lives now, even though no prospect for dating is evident on the horizon. Godly, mature singles are attracted to other singles who demonstrate the same qualities of Godliness and integrity. These mature singles are looking for characteristics in a prospective dating partner that reveal a person committed in his/her faith to Christ, that have goals to accomplish that commitment, and that look to bless others through the pursuit of those goals.

The story of Ruth mentioned in the Bible is a wonderful example of two single people who became more attractive and attracted to each other the more that they demonstrated integrity and self-sacrificing love toward others, without any expectation of return. The story begins with Ruth, a Moabite who had married into the Jewish family of Elimelech, her father-in-law. Elimelech’s wife was named Naomi and Ruth was married to their son. Elimelech had moved his family from Bethlehem to the land of Moab because there was a severe famine in Palestine, and Elimelech’s family had moved to find food for the family. Within 10 years of living in the land of Moab, Elimelech and his two sons had died, leaving both Naomi, Ruth, and another daughter-in-law as widows. Naomi encouraged her daughters-in-law to return to their birth families so that they might be able to remarry, and one daughter-in-law did in fact return home. But Ruth vowed to stay with Naomi in order that she might be able to minister to her aging mother-in-law. When the two returned to Bethlehem, Ruth took on the responsibility of gathering food for the two, knowing that Naomi was not physically able to handle such tasks. Ruth would go to the fields and gather grain that had been left behind by the harvesters. She would look for the fields of those who would be gracious and permit her to gather the leftover grain, and she would work tirelessly for a large part of the day in order that she might be a provider for her mother-in-law. One will notice that Ruth was not embittered by her circumstances. She was not angered at God for the loss of her husband, her lost financial security, or her lost dream as a future mother. She also was not looking for an opportunity to “ditch” her mother-in-law so that she could pursue her own life and find a husband. Ruth put the needs of Naomi before herself.

The irony with the story is found in the response of Boaz, the owner of the land of which Ruth worked. He noticed Ruth in the fields and was made aware of all that Ruth had done for Naomi. Ruth’s integrity was attractive to Boaz, who was a Godly man, and he began to take notice. Whereas Ruth was not necessarily looking for a husband, God was orchestrating something rather beautiful in her life by intersecting her life with Boaz, and Ruth was making herself more attractive through her life of godliness and integrity.
Boaz in return was making himself more attractive to Ruth by the way he treated her. When Boaz learned that Ruth was working his fields and when he had heard of the way she selflessly ministered to her mother-in-law, Boaz was determined to be a blessing to Ruth. He encouraged Ruth to continue to harvest from his field, and he instructed his workers not to prohibit her from working the fields but to leave some of the choicest sheaves for her to pick up. Boaz also made certain that Ruth had ample water to refresh herself during the day as she worked the fields. Ruth took notice of the graciousness of Boaz and shared with Naomi all that Boaz had done. Just as Boaz was attracted to the selfless devotion that Ruth had demonstrated, so too Ruth was attracted to the generosity of Boaz.

Later in the book, one finds that the relationship eventually led to the marriage of Ruth to Boaz. It’s one of those blessed stories that ends wonderfully with the two of them sensing God’s leading to commit to each other their love through covenant. This covenant of marriage would lead to children being born and a lineage furthered, ultimately culminating in the birth of a Messiah, Jesus Christ, years later.

Hatred for God and His People

John 15:18f: (Jesus said) "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also . . . . They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me . . . . In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God . . . . In his world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Here is the evidence why the world is hostile to Biblical Christianity. Those of the world, who are controlled by the adversary, Satan, are hostile to Christ and to His true disciples. We should not think that our life experience will be immune from persecution. The world will attempt to rise up and label followers of Jesus Christ as extremists, worthy of vituperative assaults. In reality, they hate the message of truth, for it challenges their ultimate desire to be their own god on the throne of their lives. The irony of these debased brigands is their belief that such vehement attacks against followers of Christ will in some way be an act of worship to God. They will certainly be surprised and will mourn bitterly the judgment that befalls them when the True Messiah, Jesus Christ, returns.

The blessedness for those that are obedient and submissive to the Lordship of Christ is the assurance that God has overcome the world and stands victorious. If we stand with Him, we are victorious today and will be victorious with Him for all eternity.

Self Adulation at the Expense of Others

November 27, 2007

Judges 12: "The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, 'Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head.' Jephthah answered, 'I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands. When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?' . . . The Ephraimites said, 'You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.'"

The Ephraimites of the early chapters of Judges are representative of a people who would not help their Jewish brothers when they needed support against their enemies; yet these same Ephraimites would rush in like vultures after the battle to attempt to claim recognition and territory for themselves. We find the same disposition of the Ephraimites several decades earlier under the leadership of Gideon. Gideon had fought against the Midianites; and only after he secured victory, did the Ephraimites come forward and criticize Gideon sharply for their not being invited to the battle (presumably to collect the spoils and adulation of war).

In Jephthah's story, the Ephraimites were enraged that they were not a part of Jephthah's battle with the Ammonites, and they were determined enough that they were going to invade Jephthah and his Gileadites and burn down their houses. In reality, Jephthah had called out to the people of Ephraim to help him in his time of need, but they refused. Now they were willing to lie in the face of Jephthah, denying that they had even been approached by the judge to aid in the battle. They weren't willing to own up to their sin of omission, and instead they lied about the facts to exonerate themselves and justify their battling against Jephthah. In reality, the Ephraimites were looking for an excuse to take from Jephthah the spoils that he had gained through his victory. They wanted the choice possessions and territory for themselves.

When Jephthah responded to their lies, the Ephraimites gravitated toward a common response of people who have no factual support for their fallacious claims and yet still want to be vindicated . . . . They resorted to calling Jephthah and his fellow Gileadites degrading names like "renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh." The Ephraimites attempted to denigrate the Gileadites by referring to them as rebellious deserters of the true clan of Ephraim and Manasseh. They saw the Gileadites as people less worthy than their own clan. The Ephraimites had debased themselves to the point of resorting to name calling and maligning the people of Gilead.

Because the Ephraimites were so determined to destroy the Gileadites and take their possessions, Jephthah, with the help of God, responded with his own invasion of these recalcitrant brothers and killed 42,000. God's judgment was meted upon these dissident people for their pursuit of selfish gain at the expense of the lives of their brothers.

Victory Through God's Leading

Judges 5:1-5,31: "On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: 'When the princes in Israel take the lead, and when the people willingly offer themselves-praise the LORD! Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers. I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. O LORD . . . . You marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel . . . . So may your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.' "

The Song of Deborah is a triumphal story of God's victory for his chosen people over those enemies who desired to use and eventually destroy them. In chapter 4 of Judges, Deborah and Barak engaged Sisera, the commander of the pagan Canaanite army, in battle. Sisera and his king, Jabin, had defeated the Jewish people 20 years earlier, and had subjected them to harsh, oppressive slavery. This enslavement was the result of God's judgment upon the Israelites for their prior wicked rebellion against the LORD, after Ehud's reign as judge (Judges 4:1). This judgment brought the Jews to the realization that they had sinned against the Lord; and as a result, they cried to the Lord for help. God raised up Deborah and Barak for the purpose of leading His people in deliverance from their enemies.

Sisera had an impressive 900 iron chariot army with him; by all observations, this army should have been impenetrable. Still, the leaders of the Israelite army knew that God was on their side, and He would bring victory despite the circumstances at hand. Thus, they stepped out onto the battlefield with the ultimate assurance that Divine victory was imminent.

When God brought a landslide victory for the Jewish people, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Canaanite warriors, Deborah sang a song of praise to the LORD. In this tribute, Deborah acknowledged that God had gone before them, marching into the Promised Land before the Israelites to assure victory for His people; she praised the LORD for His Providential guidance. She also acknowledged that the leaders had to be willing to lead the people and the people had to surrender themselves to this Divine calling. God expected His people to respond with faith; otherwise, the opportunity for deliverance could have passed.

When God's people are ready and willing to respond to His leading, they will rise up in His strength to attain victory over their enemies. No one has chosen to be obedient to the calling of the LORD only to regret it later.

The Apostle Paul appropriately shared this concept of ultimate victory through Christ in Romans 8:31,38, "if God be for us, who can be against us . . . . Neither death nor life, angels nor demons, the present nor the future, height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus or Lord."

Choose this day to be obedient to the LORD. Follow His leading through the battlefields of life. Engage your enemies with the assurance that God is going before you to give you victory. And praise the LORD for your deliverance from those people and things that would desire to enslave you and use you.

Confrontation

Joshua 22:15-18: "When they (Phinehas the priest and chief men from each tribe) went to Gilead-to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh-they said to them: 'The whole assembly of the LORD says: 'How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against Him now? Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? . . . . Are you now turning away from the LORD? . . . . If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow He will be angry with the whole community of Israel.' "

In this chapter, one finds a very interesting occurrence. The people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had finished their calling to assist their fellow Israelites in settling in the Promised Land; now, they returned to the land east of the Jordan River to set up their homes.

Soon thereafter, word got to the priest and other leaders that these people who had settled east of the Promised Land had built an "imposing altar by the Jordan . . . . on the border of Canaan on the Israelite side." The concern of the Israelites in the Promised Land was for the Reubenites and others who apparently were building a "worship substitute" for the tabernacle of the Lord. The priest and the other leaders decided that these Israelites needed to be confronted about their sin of rebellion against God's established place of worship.

Phinehas the priest and the other Israelite leaders met with their brothers and asked them why they would "break faith with the God of Israel . . . (by) turning away from the LORD and building an altar in rebellion." They then cited the rebellion of the Israelites at Peor (Numbers 25) when the Israelites commingled with the Moabites, resulting in their worshipping Baal. They further shared God's manifestation of wrath upon the Israelites at Peor, which resulted in the death of 24,000. These leaders warned that God's anger would be roused against them for their rebellion just like their forefathers at Peor, if they did not repent and turn from such acts of defiance.

To Phinehas and the other's delight, the Reubenites, Gadites, and people from Manasseh shared that their purpose in building an altar was not to rebel against the Lord, but to establish a permanent monument for descendants to come, so that all would know that these tribes who settled east of the Jordan would serve the True God at His proscribed sanctuary. The altar was to let the tribes of the Promised Land know that their settling outside the borders of the Promised Land did not mean that they were no longer God's chosen people. These people were resolved to serve the Lord faithfully. No one in the Promised Land would have the right to say that those brothers who settled outside the land should have no right to "share in the Lord" (22:27).

Phinehas and the other leaders were pleased to hear such a report of allegiance to God. They celebrated that their brothers had not acted unfaithfully, but were setting up a witness for all the Israelites to see that they were as committed to the Lord. The Reubenites and their fellow eastern brothers gave the altar the following name as a testament to their faithfulness: "A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God."

This story has a wonderful outcome, in that all the Israelites affirmed their commitment to God; still, the leaders of the tribes in the Promised Land were willing to take the initiatory step of confrontation to inquire as to the motivation of the Reubenites and others in building the altar at the Jordan River. They went with the determination of identifying the apparent sin in these brothers' lives, and they were willing to share the history of their forefathers' rebellion as evidence of God's judgment for rebellion.

As I read this passage, I am reminded of Galatians 6:1. Galatians 6 tells us that we are called to confront one who is caught in sin, with the hope of restoration. The proper response for us when we perceive other believers in sin is to confront in a spirit of love and gentleness, but also to confront with the determination that we will address the sin at hand.

God has called us to be a community of faith (Hebrews 10:25), and to sharpen one another (Proverbs 27:17). May we all be motivated to address the sin in each other's lives with gentleness but firmness. And may we all be receptive to our brothers approaching us when we have sin in our lives. This expression of mutual edification will aid us in avoiding the alluring attacks by the Devil and will help us in reaching our potential for the LORD.

Being Holy

Genesis 23:12: "Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, 'Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.' "

This is an interesting passage about the account of Sarah's death. From the story it seems that Abraham was staying in Beersheba whereas Sarah his wife was in Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in Canaan. When Abraham learned of his wife's death, he went to mourn her loss. The Hittites were the people of the land, and they repeatedly insisted that they give Abraham land there to bury Sarah. Abraham responded on several occasions that he would rather purchase the land outright and not receive the land as a gift. At first glance, it seems that Abraham was treating these people's generosity with contempt; however, we find in Scripture that the Hittites were an evil people who did not serve the Lord. Abraham knew that his taking of this land would only give these pagans license to expect favors in return. He also knew that close associations with these people only increased his chances of turning away from the Lord.

Abraham was called by God to be holy. The word for "holy" implies being "set apart" and it suggests that Abraham was not to let the rebellious people of the land entice him away from fellowship with God. Abraham knew that he needed to avoid close associations with pagans, for they would lead him to rebel against the Lord and follow false gods. This is a good word for us today. We should be wise in our interactions with others. Whereas we are called to be a part of this world, we are not called to make close associations with those who would lead us into rebellion against the Lord. Scripture tells us in I Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be misled, bad company corrupts good character." Avoid unholy alliances, for they will pull you away from intimate fellowship with God.

Unholy Alliances

Genesis 23:12: "Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there."

This is an interesting passage about the account of Sarah's death. From the story it seems that Abraham was staying in Beersheba whereas Sarah his wife was in Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in Canaan. When Abraham learned of his wife's death, he went to mourn her loss. The Hittites were the people of the land and they insisted that they give Abraham land there to bury Sarah. Abraham responded on several occasions that he purchase the land outright and not receive the land as a gift. At first glance, it seems that Abraham was treating these people's generosity with contempt; however, we know that the Hittites were an evil people who did not serve the Lord. Abraham knew that his taking of this land would only give these pagans license to expect favors in return. He also knew that with these close associations with these peoples, he only increased his chances of turning away from the Lord (I Cor. 15:33).

So how can we apply this passage of Scripture to our lives? First, we must understand that we are not to set ourselves up for rebellion against the LORD through intimate associations with pagans who do not follow the LORD. We are certainly called by God to live in the world; still, we have been instructed by the LORD that we have been "chosen out of the world (and thus) do not belong to the world" (John 15:18-19). Unholy alliances with people who do not have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will lead the believer down a slippery slope to rebellion as well. Make wise decisions when it comes to those with whom you associate. Be the reflective light of Christ to a darkened world, but do not let your light lose its intensity of illumination through inappropriate associations.

Successful Leadership

Joshua 1:2f: "(The LORD said) Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you (Joshua) and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give . . . . Be strong and courageous . . . . Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the laws my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it . . . that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

These words of the LORD to Joshua and the Israelites are great words of direction for leaders. God first tells Joshua, the new chosen leader of the Israelites (after Moses) to move into the Promised Land because He (God) had prepared the way. God had taken the initiative to begin a good work in the lives of the people; what He expected of Joshua was responsive faith to the leading that God was already orchestrating. Obedience was what was expected by the Lord.

God then called Joshua three (3) times to "be strong and courageous." When we have our faith anchored in God, we are able to press forward, even though the path ahead is uncertain and potentially perilous. Great leadership always involves responsiveness to God's calling.

God then knew that Joshua would need to be connected to His Word day and night, so that He would always follow the Lord's commands and not be enticed into believing that his success was coming from his own accomplishments. Twice in this passage God told Joshua that following His Word was the ingredient for success as a leader.

God also called his leaders not to be discouraged. Discouragement is a common response that leaders have when difficult experiences and obstinate people impede our progress. Moses had this experience in Numbers 11. He wanted the Lord to take his life, rather than experience the pain of failed leadership.

Because Joshua responded with faith to the calling of the LORD, God "exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life" (Joshua 4:14). His "fame spread throughout the land" (Joshua 6:27). God responded to Joshua's obedience with the blessing of successful leadership. The people respected their called leader, and Joshua was able to lead the Israelites in the direction that God willed for them. This is successful leadership wonderfully demonstrated for us today.

Offering for Infectious Disease

Leviticus 13:45; 14:4-6

"The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!" As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp . . . . If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields."

In this rather difficult passage, it appears that a person who is physically and ceremonially unclean because of an infectious disease must be put outside the camp until the point of his cleanness can be determined by the priest. When the diseased one is healed from his infirmity, the priest then offers a sacrifice of one bird for the man or woman, along with scarlet yarn, cedar wood, and hyssop. The imagery of the cross of Christ is evident here. Although we do not know the type of wood used for the cross, it makes sense that the Romans would have used a wood that would not easily rot from exposure to the elements. It would not be surprising if the wood used were cedar. The scarlet color of the yarn reminds us of the blood of the sacrifice of the Messiah. Then too hyssop points us to the cross, for this shrub was used for cleansing (Psalm 51:7); and we find that the hyssop was found at the scene of the crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:29).

Just as these elements were instruments used to declare the cleanness of the once unclean individual, so too the Cross of Christ is introduced to bring spiritual righteousness to those who would receive the Cross as the sacrifice for sins. One can even see the substitutionary imagery of one bird being sacrificed and the other being released once receiving the blood of the sacrificed bird. With the shedding of blood comes deliverance.

Some would attempt to justify the alienation of the infectious individual for the preservation of the people of Israel from an outbreak leading to complete annihilation. Still, with the dictates of "uncleanness" for non-contagious physical illnesses in Leviticus 15 (e.g. a woman's monthly period), there is something more to the story here. True, the non-contagious issues did not result in separation of the person from the people, but it did result in the declaration of uncleanness and thus the prohibition of approaching the Tent of Meeting for sacrifice. Only until the person with the "infirmity" was declared clean were they to go to present a sin offering and burnt offering for their cleanness.

It was not unusual for people to go regularly to the tabernacle to offer sacrifices for sin; still, the imagery of one being cleansed then coming before the presence of the Lord affirms the Holiness of the Lord, and how sin and imperfection are not allowed into His Holy presence. In fact, we find in Leviticus 15:31 that uncleanness is not allowed in the presence of the Lord because such uncleanness would defile His dwelling place. God's holiness demands that we be spiritually clean. Because we have all sinned and have thus been declared unclean, we are in need of the One who can declare us clean in order that we might approach the presence of God. It is through the Cross of Jesus Christ coupled with His resurrection that we are afforded cleansing. The payment has been made for our sins; what we must do is surrender ourselves to the Lordship of Christ to receive His declaration of righteousness.

Each Generation's Responsibility

Psalm 145:4-7: "One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.



In this passage, King David cites the calling of parents and other mature believers to tell new generations of the greatness of God in His glorious splendor as well as His goodness to His creation. David proceeds this word of instruction by describing his worship encounter with God. He says, "I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever . . . . Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom." One does not see a man who has to be coerced to worship the LORD; David is overflowing with passion and praise for the Lord of Hosts!


After the instruction given to the older generations to proclaim God's greatness, David praises God for His goodness: "The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."



Later in the chapter, David continues with a reflection of God's greatness and goodness: "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all He has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing."


This is a great chapter for parents and other mature believers to fulfill their calling to new generations of proclaiming the greatness and the goodness of our Holy God. This should not be a drudgery, but a delight. Older generations should be so overwhelmed by the majesty and goodness of the Lord, that they cannot help but shout praises to God. Our children should be able to see that our lives are bursting with joy and celebration for Our Lord. If we're unchanged by the presence of Christ in our lives, our children will see the duplicity of lifeless spirituality and will be turned away from such irreverence.

Be transformed. Be overcome. Be joyous. Be awestruck. Let the next generation see the power of a life radically impacted by our Glorious and Good God!

Learn Something From the Small Creatures

Proverbs 30:24-28: "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces."

(I am most indebted to Dr. Haddon Robinson, Harold John Ockenga Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, for his 1999 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary- Charlotte commencement address on this passage. Many of my reflective comments below have been influenced by his thoughtful insights on this text).

People today think that to learn invaluable words of wisdom, they must look toward those people and things that are greater than themselves; however when Agur, the author of Proverbs 30, gives us direction for gaining wisdom, he encourages us to look to the smaller creatures.

First, he identifies the ant. The ant is one of the smallest of the earthly creatures; in fact, it is so small that we may find ourselves stepping on one without even knowing it. And although the ant is very small in physical stature, it nonetheless knows the importance of preparedness. The ant knows that winter is just ahead; so it takes necessary steps to store up its food in the summer. The ant knows that if it were to wait until winter, it would not have enough food to sustain itself or its colony through the harsh, cold months.

We would do well to know the discipline and the diligence of the ant. We know that we all will face winters in our lives. They're packaged differently, but they still come our way. Whether our "winter" is a bad medical diagnosis or a financial catastrophe or the betrayal of a loved one, we know that we must ready ourselves now in the "summer" of life so that we are prepared for the winters ahead. Our preparedness comes through intimacy with God through His Word and through prayer. The more we are connected to Our Lord, the God of all Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), the more we are able to endure the bitter days of the future. Dr. Haddon Robinson, Professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has once said, "What you carry into a crisis is what you have in a crisis." When we are experiencing a crisis, our eyes often are too wet with tears and our minds too distracted by the burdens of the situation for us to be able to glean much wisdom. This is why we need to be prepared today with God's Wisdom for the future.

The coney is a small, furry creature comparable to a rabbit. It is a rather powerless creature in terms of defending itself from predators; however, it is wise enough to know that its protection can be found by burrowing itself in the crags of large rocks. Were a coney to think that it is strong enough to protect itself from predators without any need of the safety of the crags, it would end up dead meat. The coney is otherwise defenseless without its safe haven of the rocks.

So too can we learn an invaluable lesson from this example. Our protection ultimately comes from our Rock, namely Jesus Christ (Psalm 18:2). When the Evil One would attempt to destroy us, we know that Christ is our Protector, our Deliverer, our Safety. We would never be able to defend ourselves were it not for our Savior. We would do well to remember that He is our ultimate Source of safety and protection. From Him only can come the blessing of peace and safety.

The locust is a rather small creature . . . a grasshopper that seems not to be a threat to anyone or any thing. Most of us have held grasshoppers in our hands and have been amused at their harmless demeanor. But one thing that a locust knows instinctively is that it can join with other locusts to increase its effectiveness. One locust will not harm much, but a swarm of locusts can bring kingdoms to their knees. When part of a collective purpose, the swarm can have a significant impact upon its environment.

Christians would do well to learn the patterns of the locusts. When Christians are unified in purpose of glorifying God and furthering His kingdom, they are able to accomplish much more than working separately. The Evil One would have us pitted against each other, for he knows that the sterility of the Church is in its disunity. When we are separated from each other by disagreements, our energy is consumed struggling against each other. Factions are created, and any potential, constructive kingdom work is wasted. We need to be like the locusts and join together to maximize our effectiveness for Our Lord (Ephesians 4:3).

The lizard is a rather small reptilian creature that is small enough to be held in the hand; yet despite its size, it is persistent enough that it can be found in king's palaces. I wonder if Agur had seen an occasional lizard make its way into the presence of a king? Maybe Agur was given permission to be before the king; and as he looked around at the magnificent regalia that adorned the king's chamber, maybe he noticed a lizard on a wall or floor. For a human to be given permission to approach a king was a high honor, and this privilege was not granted to everyone. Agur may have seen the lowly lizard in the king's presence and thought to himself, "what determination this creature has to be in such an esteemed place."

We would do well to remember that diligence and persistence will take us to places that we never would have imagined that we could go. Sometimes, God wants us to step out in faith and follow His lead, so that He can use us beyond our ability to fathom. We may think that we are limited in our potential for the Lord. We may think that God cannot use such a "lowly" insignificant person like us. But we must counter those thoughts with thoughts of obedience to Christ, no matter to what level that path may stretch us. The more diligent and persistent we are like the lizard, the more we may find ourselves, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in places that we would never have imagined, for the glory of God.

As Dr. Robinson so eloquently said in his commencement speech to us over 8 years ago, "the next time you see an ant, a coney, a locust, or a lizard, remember that despite their smallness they have a lot to teach us . . . and we have a lot to learn."

Be Open To Correction

Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 29:1: “Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it . . . . A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy.”

We all struggle with the notion of self-sufficiency. Many times we think that we have all the answers to our daily lives, and we think that we are not in need of advice (and certainly not correction) from others. And although we easily can fall prey to the notion that we don’t need a word of rebuke or admonishment, we absolutely need to have mature believers in Christ confronting us about sin in our lives with the hope of correction and restoration (Galatians 6:1-2). No one is above the need of a loving rebuke from a fellow believer, for we are all tempted to sin and sometimes fall to its enticements.

The church has been created by God for the purpose of being a place where believers can corporately worship the Lord and a place where mutual edification of believers can occur. We are able to minister to one another in the faith by carrying one another’s burdens and by giving objective insight to each other about situations in our lives. This is why we need to be connected to a body of true believers who uphold the truths of God’s Word and are committed to being obedient to Christ (Hebrews 10:23-25). Proverbs 27:17 suggests that we are to sharpen each other as “iron sharpens iron.” Sharpening of blades does not occur without tension and friction, but in the end each blade is more resourceful in its sharpened condition. So too it is with a true believer’s confrontation. Our Christian friends may see the need to approach us with the concern that we are moving in a direction that is disobedient to our Lord. We must remember that the words shared by a friend, though painful at the time, may be the instrument that the Holy Spirit uses to convict our hearts of sin. We in turn must be humble enough to receive such words of direction. Even if the words shared are of a concern that is not warranted, we have the responsibility to love our friends and express appreciation to them for their willingness to love us by confronting us.

It is the obstinate, “stiff-necked” person who will suffer in the end. In his prideful condition, he is insistent that he is beyond any need of correction by others. He takes serious offense to one who would approach him about an area that is perceived as being disobedient to Christ. He turns a deaf ear to any words of rebuke and makes it a point to scold anyone who would dare question his character. God’s Word states that this person is stupid (Proverbs 12:1); that is, he is not sensible to the valuable words of re-direction that can lead him down the road of righteousness. In his sinister rebellion against correction, he commits his greatest energies toward discrediting those who would dare confront him. Such animosity is evidence of a heart that may be completely void of a relationship with Christ; “Why?” You may ask? The answer, as Galatians 5 suggests, is "obvious." These acts of the sinful nature (hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and the like) are those that are the evidential fruit of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). Persistent production of such fruit reveals a heart that is unresponsive to the Holy Spirit.

Remember, true friendship is found in one being straightforward and honest; merely exchanging pleasant platitudes with others reveals a heart that is more concerned with selfish returns from that person (i.e. the need for acceptance, affirmation, etc.) than with having the other person’s best interest at heart.

Proverbs 27:5,6,9 share keen insight to this thought: “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses . . . . Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.”

Transparency

Proverbs 28:13: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy . . .

Psalm 139:1-3, 23-24: “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from a far. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. . . . Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my misgivings. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

When we try to hide our sins from God, inevitably we find ourselves suffering the consequences of our disobedience to the LORD. We can't fool God; nor can we hide our sins from Him. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows where we are, what we're doing, and what we're thinking (Psalm 139:4,7-10).

The Psalmist in chapter 139 states this fact well. In the first verses of the chapter he states, "You've searched me and You know me . . . You know where I go and You know my thoughts. You know ALL my ways." David knows that he is completely transparent before the Lord; nothing in David’s life is getting past God. So instead of trying to hide his sins, David asks the LORD to search Him and find any misgivings that may be in his heart. In his quest for intimacy with the LORD, David wants to be completely clean.

A person desiring true intimacy with God will be transparent, vulnerable, and subject to the Lord’s illumination of his sin. He will submit to that word of conviction from the Lord and repent.

Let’s not try to hide from God. Let’s be open to His leading us into “the Way everlasting.”

Idolatry

Psalm 135:15-18: "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them."


Idolatry has been a persistent problem with humanity since the beginning of time. In history past, cultures would craft idols, many times out of ornate elements like gold or bronze; and they would worship the things that they had created. Many believed that their gods would inhabit such inanimate objects once they were crafted; thus, the people would pay homage to these supposed deities and petition these deities for their needs.

Conveniently, these inanimate objects were never able to communicate their divine will to the people worshipping them; thus, people were given license to interpret what their lifeless gods wanted them to do. I use the term "conveniently" because the people ended up serving their own selfish interests in the process. There was no deity to express consternation at the people's licentious behavior; for this reason, they were able to indulge in all kinds of immoral behaviors without apparent consequence. In fact, they would proclaim that their god(s) encouraged such libertine behavior.

Whereas in the modern world we may look with skepticism at societies that would craft inanimate objects into things worshipped, we nonetheless are apt to follow similar pursuits. Anything that displaces the worship of the true God of Heaven is idolatry, be it money, careers, relationships, substances, education, etc. And just like these people who would rationalize their antinomian behavior, we too can fall prey to the entrapment that our behavior is justified or even expected because of the benefits that we experience.

The foundation of all sin in the world is the quest of humanity to be divine itself! This first occurred with Adam and Eve desiring to be gods (Genesis 3:5); they wanted to be the center of the universe and not have to pay homage to the True Lord. So too with idol worship, we find that those who respond to such practices are attempting to secure license to do whatever they desire to do and be the center of their own universe. Irrespective of how we practice our idolatry, we nonetheless reveal that we are attempting to serve ourselves in order that we might assert our feigned claim to divinity.

Since our first priority in life is to glorify God, we fail to accomplish our purpose in life when we follow such paths of rebellion. We must repent of the "idols" that are in our lives that are mere smoke screens to our own quest for lordship. Our purpose in life is not to satisfy our own desires; the universe does not revolve around us. We would do well to submit ourselves to the True Lord. It is only through submission to the King of Kings that we will find His blessing. We can start by searching for Him through His Word, the Bible. Our God is not a lifeless deity who cannot communicate with us. His Word tells us exactly what we should do to acknowledge Him as the Lord.

What Makes God Hearing Impaired?

Ezekiel 8:16-18: "He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. He said to me, "Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them."

This passage in the book of Ezekiel has the Spirit of God taking the prophet Ezekiel to the temple to see the detestable things that the religious leaders were doing. Whereas these leaders were to be honoring the LORD through the required sacrifices, they were instead turning their backs upon the presence of the LORD and were worshipping the sun. Of course, this was just one episode in a plurality of scenarios in which the entire Jewish people were adulterating themselves against their covenantal commitment to the LORD alone (Ezekiel 6:9). Each man had an idol in his house . . . an idol in which he worshipped instead of the true God (Ezekiel 8:9-12). And although the idols varied from home to home, in reality these rebellious people were worshipping inanimate objects that would not reprimand them for their immoral, detestable practices. These idols displaced the One True God in the people's lives because the feigned substitutes would not hold them accountable for their debased, immoral lifestyles.

The point had been reached when the people had become rather flagrant in their detestable immorality and idol worship, for what they once did behind closed doors was now being practiced on mountaintops (Ezekiel 6:13). They had become obstinate and rebellious people who demanded that they have right to do whatever their sinful hearts desired to do (Ezekiel 2:4); thus, they were asserting their own quest for lordship over the true God. The worshipping of inanimate idols was merely a subtle way of attempting to displace the obvious fact that they worshipped themselves.

God would soon bring judgment against the Israelites through the invasion by the Babylonians (605-586 BC). First, God removed His Glory from the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 10). And as He exited the temple and ascended from the Mount of Olives (Ezekiel 11:23), God removed His protective hand from His chosen people. Soon thereafter, the Babylonians would invade the land, taking some captive and destroying most of the others. Some believe that as many as 90% of the population in the land were displaced or killed as a result of the invasion. The people would cry out to God for deliverance; however, God would not hear them. The point of no return had been reached; God's patience had been replaced with His judgment.

Over 1000 years prior, God had told Moses that these events would occur. In Deuteronomy 31:16-18, God said that the people would "prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they were entering" (Deuteronomy 31:16). God told Moses when He brought judgment, He would turn a deaf ear to them due to their chronic wickedness.

Today, we would do well to hear these words of the Lord. Because the Lord is not fickle and does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17), we should examine ourselves as to our ultimate allegiance. Are we submitted to God alone or are we following after our own selfish desires? As Deuteronomy 33:3 tells us, those who bow to the Lord and are obedient to His instruction should expect to find His protection and love. They are the ones who will be set apart for His purposes and glory. Those who want to worship themselves can expect God's wrath to be poured out upon them in this life and in the life to come. They will cry out, but God will not listen

No Excuses

Deuteronomy 29:19-21; 30:11-19: "When such a person hears the words of this oath (God's Covenant [29:12-13]), he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, 'I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.' This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law . . . . Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, 'Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, 'Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?' No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed . . . . This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses."



Here is the crux of salvation. God has given his covenantal oath that He will be our God (29:13). Still, the covenantal stipulations dictate that we must be yielded to God alone as our Lord and Savior. The one who would conclude that he can go his own way, to satisfy his own desires and seek his own adulation, is in effect saying that he is his own god. By his actions, this man proclaims that he has himself on the throne of his life, not the Lord. God in turn pronounces that a curse will befall that man. The Lord's wrath and zeal will burn against him, and God will enact curses upon such rebellion. Such a person has no hope for heaven, for God will "blot out his name from under heaven."

No one will have the excuse that God's Word was not readily available to all, for God has made His Word of truth readily available. That truth proclaims that we are not God; rather, we are the mere creation of a Holy, Sovereign Lord. We have all rebelled against God by seeking our own desires above Him, and this quest for personal satisfaction and aggrandizement above God (made manifest in many different forms) is called sin.

Sin (rebellion) against God brings God's wrath. Because we are not able to satisfy the penalty for our sins, God had to come to pay the penalty for us. This is why Jesus, who is the Second Person of the Triune God, came to the Earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again from the grave. His death paid the penalty for our sins; his resurrection proclaimed His victory over sin and death. His precious gift of salvation necessitates a response from us; to refuse to submit to Jesus as Lord and to renounce His gift of his death and resurrection for the payment for our sins is to commit treason against God. Such treason will result in utter destruction (30:18).

Even for those who do not have access to the Bible, God has revealed his "eternal power and divine nature . . . from what has been made [i.e. creation], so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). All men have within them the conscious understanding of right and wrong; thus the understanding of God's expectation of righteousness is not "too difficult or beyond our reach" (Deuteronomy 30:11). Heaven and earth stand as witnesses against those who do not submit to the Lord. Eternal life and eternal death weigh in the balance. What will you decide today? You have no excuse!

Watch Those "Opened Doors"

2 Corinthians 2:12-14: "Now I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."

In this passage, Paul was on one of his missionary journeys, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to those with whom he came in contact. When he came upon Troas (modern day Turkey), Paul believed that a door had been opened for him to share the gospel; however, his spirit did not find peace with the opportunity. Instead of acting upon the philosophy that all opened doors are God's way of beckoning us to proceed, Paul relied more upon his spirit, which was in tune with the Holy Spirit. As a result, Paul left the opened door of Troas for Macedonia.

Sometimes, opened doors are not the direction that God wants us to go. So how are we to know in which direction we should go? Well, the same Holy Spirit that is in tune with our spirits, letting us know that we are in fact God's children (Romans 8:16) also is the Spirit that will impart to us the guidance we need to do what He wills for us (John 16:13). The key for us is to be receptive to His leading by being intimately connected with Him through His Word and continual Prayer. This level of intimacy will help us avoid the pitfalls that certain opened doors might bring our way. Specifically, the Holy Spirit will impress upon our spirits that there is no peace associated with such a path, and we will be redirected toward the right course even though we are diverting our path away from the door.

Notice in verse 14 that Paul knew that God was still leading him on a path that ultimately brought glory to the Lord and furthered the sharing of the gospel message to the world. Paul's purpose in life was being fulfilled by avoiding certain doors that seemed to be opened.

We should evaluate each door that seems to open to see if God in fact wants us to enter. If our spirits, which should be in tune with the Holy Spirit, have no peace about the decision, then we should take a step back and re-examine if God would have us move in another direction. Opened doors do not necessarily mean that God's will for us is found therein.

A New Perspective On Angels

Matthew 13:41-42: "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

In our culture today, we have a rather narrow view concerning the role and purpose of angels. Many in society see angels as feminine, starry, fairylike figures that surreptitiously follow us around, tapping us on the shoulder now and then with a magical wand of blessing. Never do we hear the argument that angels are ministers of God's righteous wrath upon the recalcitrant, wicked world.

Whereas we do find in Scripture that angels did attend to the needs of Jesus (Matthew 4:11), Elijah (I Kings 19:5); and Peter (Acts 12:8-10) and whereas there is implicit and explicit reference to angels being personally involved in the lives of followers of Jesus Christ (Matthew 18:10; Luke 16:22; Hebrews 1:14), Jesus' words mentioned above should remind us that angelic beings are not fairylike agents of blessing. In the above passage, Jesus Himself identifies that His angels will be the ones that will carry those who have not submitted to His Lordship into the depths of hell. If we know that "every knee will bow before God" (Romans 14:11), including the reprobate at the Day of Judgment, then we can picture the horror of the unregenerate being carried away against his will by the angels into everlasting torment. Although he will hope for God's eternal blessedness in Heaven, he will be thrown by the angels into the "fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Obviously, this is not a very pleasant picture on which to reflect; nonetheless, it is the future reality of so many who have disavowed allegiance to Jesus Christ. For this reason, we must first be committed to examining ourselves as to our submission to Christ; then, we as believers must be intentional at sharing the Gospel message to those who otherwise have no hope. Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow may be too late. The angels are prepared to carry out the Lord's bidding.

The Now and the Not Yet

Deuteronomy 29:5-6: "During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God."



In the Old Testament, we find wonderful imagery of our eternal progression toward Heaven, our Promised Land. The Israelites wandered for forty years through a barren wilderness. Although God provided for them as He led them through that wilderness, He did not give them the blessing of bread and wine (products of a fertile land that yields the blessing of abundant harvest). God withheld these luxuries so that the Israelites would not become complacent with their wilderness wandering, but they would look forward to their arrival in His blessed Promised Land.



So too we as Christians find ourselves on a similar trek. We find that God provides for us in this life in order that we might move forward toward our blessed eternal hope. Still, God does not shower upon us the abundant harvest of Heaven now; rather, He is grooming us for the day of our redemption. By withholding the eternal blessings, He assures that we will not become complacent with this life, but we will look forward to our arrival into His eternal presence, a place where "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared" (I Corinthians 2:9).

Who's On the Throne?

Colossians 3:1-6: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."

With submission to the Lordship of Christ, we have been reckoned with the blessedness of eternal salvation. And with our allegiance, we are now the property of God. Thus, we are called to set our hearts upon Christ, not upon earthly things that indulge the flesh, our former idol. Our flesh desires for its appetites to be satisfied, whether those appetites be sexual immorality or impurity or lust or evil desires or greed. Persistent allegiance to these things reveals a heart that has renounced the lordship of Christ and has bowed again to the lordship of self. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. Thus, we must be strengthened in our resolve to forsake any of the alluring attacks that would have us change allegiances back to ourselves. God alone is to be worshipped and praised.

Losing Effectiveness in Ministry

Luke 9:

1 "He (Jesus) gave them (the disciples) power and authority to drive out demons . . . to cure . . . to preach . . . and to heal . . . .

10 "When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done . . . . Then he took them and withdrew by themselves.

40 (the father of a demon-possessed boy said to Jesus) "I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.

43 "(after Jesus healed the boy) they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

46 "an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.

49 "'Master,' said John, 'we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.'

54 "(concerning the Samaritan village) when the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, 'Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them.'"

Luke 10:

1 "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him.

17 "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, 'Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.'

18 "He (Jesus) replied, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . . do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'"

When Jesus called, equipped, and empowered his disciples, they were able to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. Nevertheless, the disciples quickly lost sight of the true Power Source from which they were able to perform such great miracles. They reported to Jesus what great things THEY had done. Knowing their hearts, Jesus immediately took His disciples away to a remote place in order that He might teach them not to lose focus that they had been called by God to serve God.

Apparently, the disciples were too engrossed in their own accomplishments that they did not heed the warning by the Lord; and because they lost sight of their calling to serve the Lord for His glory, they lost the power of God to accomplish miraculous things for His kingdom. In 9:40, they were asked to cast out a demon, but they were unable. Jesus responded with the miraculous healing of the demon-possessed boy, and the witnesses were amazed at the "greatness of God." Notice that Jesus made certain that God the Father was glorified through the miracle; He did not use the opportunity to exalt Himself before the people.

Still, the disciples did not grasp their egregious, prideful condition; for immediately following Jesus' healing of the boy, a dispute arose among the disciples as to whom was the greatest. This struggle for prominence manifested itself in the disciples trying to stop others who were performing miracles for the glory of God. They seemed not to want others to infringe on their "miraculous healing" turf, because that would result in their losing the prestige that they believed was rightfully due them.

As the disciples walked through a Samaritan village (a people who were already treated with contempt by the Jews), two of Jesus' disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy them, since the Samaritans did not welcome Jesus and the disciples.

Jesus knew that the pride of His disciples resulted in the sterility of their ministry. They now were not performing miracles, nor were they bringing glory to God through their witness. To teach the twelve an important lesson, Jesus then called 72 more disciples and gave them power to perform miracles for the kingdom of God. I wonder what the 12 were thinking when they realized that the Divine power that had been given to them was not for them alone? I can see the 12 coming to a realization that the Kingdom of God and its power was not for their self-adulation; rather it was for the glory of God.

Interestingly, the 72 went out and performed great miracles for God; however, they too quickly returned telling Jesus that the demons submitted to them. Jesus quickly countered by saying that it was He who had seen Satan fall from heaven . . . not them. Jesus then told them not to rejoice that the demons submit to them, but to rejoice that their names were written in heaven. In other words, they were to rejoice that they had received mercy and grace from God, something that was undue them but had been granted them through Jesus Christ.

When we think about our own lives and our calling to ministry, we would do well to reflect upon the disciples in these passages. Whenever we lose the focus of ministry and start to think that the gifts we have received from God are to be used for our own self-aggrandizement, we will never be able to tap into the power that God has in store for us to use for His Kingdom. We will become ineffective, for God will never grant us His blessing if He knows we will turn it into the sin of personal pride. We must remember that we are mere conduits of His power for His purposes and ultimately His glory. When we look upon ourselves, we clog the flow of God's power through us to the world. Spiritual sterility sets in, inhibiting God's ability to use us mightily for His kingdom.