The Dark Precedes the Bright

The life of the Christian is framed by triumph and overcoming. That is because it is not so much about our daily experience, but by the triumph of Christ over sin and death; by His overcoming that is shared with His followers. But that does not tell the whole story of our daily experience, does it?

Psalm 102 admits to this truth, that though we are overcomers, we are still beset by many problems and trials. It is one of the reasons that we are compelled to cry out to God. The pains are real pains. The fears are real fears. The sorrows are real sorrows.

Psalm 102, in its “dark” portion, uses several similes to describe our condition: “my days pass away like smoke”; “my bones burn like a furnace”; My heart is stricken and withered like grass” (vv. 3,4). These are not “just” poetic descriptions. The psalmist struggles to find word-pictures to express the distress of his soul at this particular point of his life. And you may be able to relate.

The psalmist is not done yet: “I am like a lonely bird on a housetop” (v.6); “I eat ashes like bread” (v.9); “My days are like an evening shadow” (v.11).  No one makes plans for a “lonely bird” experience, feeding on “ashes” and passing like “an evening shadow.” And yet, these are real, and common, experiences for many, many people at unsuspecting times in their lives. 

The turning point comes mid-psalm, reflecting the reality that we find in these familiar words from Romans 8:18 -  “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” 

And so we move from the “dark” side of the psalm to the “bright” side - to the side where God is on the throne, and He has everything in hand. He is not unaware of the distresses of His children, and He hears their prayers, though it may seem at times as though He does not. He is of such a heart to help the downcast and oppressed, and He will do so, at just the right time, in just the right way.

Here are words to a verse of an old hymn:

Come, every soul by sin oppressed 

There's mercy with the Lord

And He will surely give you rest 

By trusting in His Word

Thinking in 3’s - Joshua 14:8,9,14 - Wholehearted

Caleb is a good name; a really good name. Not everyone named Caleb was named after the Biblical character found in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua and Judges. Not every person named Caleb is like the Bible character. But one characteristic of this Caleb is that “he wholeheartedly followed the Lord.” That’s what we want for our sons and daughters. It’s what we aspire to ourselves.

“Wholehearted” is the Revised Standard translation. New American Standard has “followed .. fully.” It is an easy understand, though it is not easy to live that way. Sometimes we best understand a term by thinking about its opposite. We might think of “half-hearted” as a possibility. In the New Testament, we find the term “double-minded.” “Wholehearted” is amplified in the Great Commandment: Deut. 6:5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” It makes clear that there must be no distraction from devotion to God; no diversion in our first love. It is rare. Caleb had it. Most don’t.

We find this description of Caleb 3 times in Joshua 14. We will find in these three instances three applications. 

First, in Joshua 14:8, we find that Caleb’s wholeheartedness was in contrast to the majority of the other spies who were sent in to spy out the land, and thus, he had to stand alone, except for Joshua, against all the rest of the people. Wholeheartedness comes from one’s own commitment to God, and does not find its strength by going along with the crowd. If we cannot stand for God alone, then we most likely will not stand for God at all. We need more Caleb’s.

But my companions who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. Joshua 14:8

Second, in Joshua 14:9, wholeheartedness is rewarded. God will bless in an unusual way those who are wholehearted. And yet, this blessing, a gift, is earned. That’s a little confusing, because we don’t “earn” gifts. But God fills the wholehearted person with a delight in exercising his faith in laying hold of the promise. Caleb was not a passive man. Nor was he self-sufficient. He was excited to go forward in the strength of the Lord to secure his inheritance. Our inheritance today is not physical, but spiritual. But one who would be a Caleb needs to exercise this same faith-initiative.

And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’ Joshua 14:9

And third, in Joshuas 14:14, Caleb the wholehearted was able to rest in his inheritance. He was able to secure it, order it according to his design and plans, and fill it with his family. He was able to share it. He was able to enjoy its fruit. It was his home. Again, we experience these things in spiritual ways, and they may be reserved for the future, but they are even more real, and more valuable than what the Bible’s Caleb experienced. 

So Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. Joshua 14:14

May God give us more “Caleb’s.” May he surround us with more who are wholehearted. May God develop in each of us this wonderful and rare quality - those who can say along with Caleb, “I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.”

A Tunafish Thanksgiving

I’m a little worried about Thanksgiving. There was a special on tunafish at the grocery store (10 for whatever$), and my wife, who loves tunafish, bought all ten. She knows that you get the same deal even if you buy two. It made me wonder, “Why do we need so much?"

I suppose it was a good price, though, since I really don’t like tunafish, I think the grocery store should have to pay the customer to walk out with it. I’m rightly skeptical about this product. We all know there is a fish called “tuna,” and I have no trouble eating it in that form - a nice slab of grilled tuna. But in the can, they don’t call it tuna. They call it tunafish. It’s as though they are trying to convince you of something that is not true. When you have turkey for Thanksgiving, you never see the word, Turkeybird. It’s either turkey or it’s not. And, the can strongly resembles cat food.

And so, I fear my wife is secretly planning a tunafish Thanksgiving. Yeah, tunafish with all the fixin’s. I have to ask the question, if she does so, is it even Thanksgiving? And then I have to ask myself, “Will I even be thankful?”

It’s been a tough year. We’ve “cancelled” Easter, Mother’s Day, 4th of July parades, family vacations, and now, even Thanksgiving? And who knows about Christmas. None of us want to think about “a cold, dark winter.” If we let this be the whole story, we make a serious mistake. Covid didn’t cancel the resurrection of Jesus. Covid can’t dampen our appreciation for our mothers. Our love of country persists whether we gather in crowds or not, and we can be thankful whether the church basement is packed with people, or if we gather with so few people we don’t even have to bring up extra chairs from the basement. Thankfulness is not on the calendar. It is in our hearts.

And so, if we in fact have a tunafish Thanksgiving, I’m going to be thankful anyway. I’m going to be thankful for the care and provision of our heavenly Father, who has more than met our deepest and spiritual needs. I’m thankful for the loving sacrifice of Christ, and the presence of the Spirit. I’m thankful for the fellowship of believers, and for this place and time in which we live, locally and nationally. And maybe I’ll even be thankful for the cat I’m thinking about buying, that can sit on my lap during the meal and eat the main dish that I slide its direction.

Thinking in 3’s - Joshua 1:6,7,9 - Be strong and Courageous

In the first chapter of Joshua, in the first paragraph, The Lord speaks to Joshua directly, giving him instructions as He assumes Moses’ role of leadership among the Israelite people as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Three times the Lord says, “Be strong and courageous.”

In the first case, God repeats the broad scope of the promise that He had given to His people, through Moses, and now repeats to Joshua. This is a tremendous gift, if the people will obey and pursue their enemies to the full extent, which they proved later not to do. But the promise is real, though conditional. Further, God assures Joshua, “As I was with Moses so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” He then follows up the admonition to “Be strong and courageous” with one more assurance: “you shall put this people in possession of the land.”

In the second instance (v. 7), we understand that the call to “only be strong and courageous” is tied to other acts of devotion:

• Be careful to act in accordance with all the law
• Do not turn for it to the right hand or to the left
• Meditate on (the book of the law) day and night

We understand then, that mere human boldness, - perhaps we could call it audacity - is not what is called for. It is rather a determination to walk with God according to His Word, dependent upon His fulfillment of the promises, but keeping in step with His call and commandment all along the way.

Once again, the Lord gives a concluding command: “Be strong and courageous” (v. 9). It is here coupled with a negative command: “do not be frightened or dismayed;” and then with a word of great assurance: “for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

We also ought to “be strong and courageous.” Yet we must understand that we must not resort to audacity or presumption. Our biblical boldness must be based on the promises of God, and our actions must be in accordance with the commands of God. Certainly Joshua was called upon to exercise wisdom and strategy. But the ingenuity was not Joshua’s; the successes would belong to the Lord. We are always to recognize our dependence, and to act in obedience. And we can do so in this way: “Be strong and courageous.”

Thinking in 3’s - John 14:21,23 Those Who Love Jesus

As Jesus engages with His disciples in this last, long conversation before His death, He emphasizes several themes, such as His own union with the Father, and the gift of the Spirit. But the other theme, which is emphasized right at the beginning of this section (Jn 13:1 - “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end”), - that other theme is Jesus’ love for us, and our need to be those who love Jesus.

Three times in John 14:21,23 we find this description of the true Christian: “those who love me.” We cannot imagine a real Christian who does not love Jesus, even though we often confess that our love grows cold or our hearts are distracted by other things. This set of 3, then, is designed to help us to reaffirm and put into practice our love of Jesus.

The first reference to “those who love me,” in v. 21, is linked to those “who have my commandments and keep them.” Now this will be clear to anyone who thinks about it, but let’s be clear: we do not love Jesus because we keep His commandments. Rather, we keep His commandments because we love Jesus. That is, our devotion to Jesus produces the fruit in our lives of wanting to do things His way; of seeing things from His perspective; of following in His steps. This order of things, loving Jesus and thus keeping His commandments means, then, that His commandments are not heavy and burdensome. Rather, they are a delight. Our hearts are re-fashioned to be Christ-like. How important it is for us to love Jesus!

The second reference to “those who love me” is also in v. 21, back to back with the previous reference. When we are born again and thus fall in love with Jesus, we are drawn into what I will call “a circle of love.” We know that there is an unbreakable bond of infinite love between the Father and the Son, in both directions. Now, when we, by God’s grace, believe and love Jesus, that love of the Father which Jesus enjoys is also bestowed upon us. Jesus loves the Father; He also loves us. The Father loves the Son; He also loves us. And we love Jesus, and our love for Jesus also allows us to truly love the Father, whom we could not know without knowing and loving Jesus. 

The third reference to “those who love me” (v.23) follows Judas’ (not Iscariot) question about how the Father and the Son is able to distinguish between the “loving community” and the world. Jesus, reaffirming the Father’s love to us, says that it is like being adopted into a new family. The Father certainly “knows those who are His.” And this family will be united, now, in the present, through the Spirit, but also in a much higher, deeper way, when Jesus comes to bring us to the place prepared for us (cf. 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there may be also.”). Our verse says, “we will come to them (those who love Jesus) and will make our home with them.” 

At home with the Jesus whom we love. At home with the Father, in His presence forevermore. Let’s affirm and practice our love for Jesus.

My Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou art mine

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign

My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou

If ever I loved Thee my Jesus 'tis now

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me

And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow

If ever I loved Thee my Jesus 'tis now

If you click the link above, it should take you to a rendition of this song

Thinking in 3’s - Deuteronomy 8:2,3,16 - Humbled

The rock and roll of life in this world apart from God is one of “doing well for oneself” or “climbing to the top.” Certainly there are many others who are “just trying to get by.” But much of the pursuit of success and comfort is based on one’s best efforts, which depends on self-esteem, and often results in pride.

The path for the Christian is much different, as illustrated in the experience of the children of Israel in “the great and terrible wilderness.” One would think that their self-esteem would need to have been pumped up in order to face the daily and approaching enemies. But no, God’s design was to humble them, that they might rely upon God, and God alone. He often does the same with us.

In the first of three instances of “humble” in Deuteronomy 8, the long experience of the wilderness is the setting. The text in v. 2 says this: “that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart.” Now, to be sure, God already knows what is in our hearts. This humbling carries with it the benefit allowing us to know our own hearts, to know how dependent upon God that we actually are. We don’t seem to learn that lesson easily. And the learning takes a lifetime (or, in this illustration, a 40-year lesson).

Right away, we come to the second instance of “humble” in v. 3: “He humbled you by letting you hunger.” God actually brought the children of Israel to the point of their need. He did not supply before they were aware of their predicament. He brought them to the edge, even just beyond the edge, to show that He could provide, and perhaps so that He would do so in the midst of their calling out to Him (or, as it turned out often, in the midst of their grumbling and complaining). Part of being humbled is being driven to our knees.

The third instance of “humble” follows after the admonition, “do not exalt yourself,” found in v. 14. Then “humble” follows in v. 16: “to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good.” Throughout this time, we had discovered our neediness; God had proven His faithfulness; we had come to learn the folly of self-sufficiency; God established a clear record of provision and deliverance. And beyond all this, we could now, by faith, in the hope of the promise, look forward to a “good” that we could never have constructed ourselves. “It is the gift of God, lest any man should boast.”

 

Praise God, He is not just like us!

We human beings are rather strange creatures. Sure there are many other non-human creatures that are pretty strange. But we have special kinds of strange-ness.

One strange-ness is this: We have this adversarial relationship with God where we think we can play a game, and win. One side of the game is for us to pretend that we are God; pretending that the world actually revolves around us, and supposing that our words should have the force of divine fiat. We are surprised and often angry when these things do not happen. At times, God might actually put us in our place. He might humble us.

The other side of the game is that we bring God down to our level. We ascribe to Him our kind of anger; our kind of vengeance; even our kind of love. Now to be sure, God possesses an anger and vengeance and, of course, love. But none of these are patterned after how these things tend to function in our human world. We have to share these words at both our level, and God’s. But we should know that, at each level, they are quite different. And the problem is not new! Psalm 50:21 says, “You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.”

Men lie. All men lie. Psychologists say that we start lying as infants. We lie on purpose, and we lie accidentally. We lie when we don’t know all the facts, and we never know all the facts. But God does. I’ve underlined Titus 1:2 in my Bible: “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, ..”

God’s purposes do not change, and thus He does not change His mind (repent). In His interactions with humans, He works with us, or through us, certainly for us, sometimes against us - and so God can certainly change directions, but not His purposes. But, we do. Few people there are who are single-minded, perhaps even more so in this frenetic age. But God is constant; never late; never in a hurry, always on course.

Someone says, “Will you pray for me?’ And you say, “Sure, count on it.” But sometimes, maybe only once in a great while, you forget. God keeps all His words, even the ones we don’t know about.

So let’s not play games with God. But let’s instead, worship the One who is, thankfully, not just like us.

Thinking in 3’s - Numbers 16:9 - The Privileges of Pastoring

It is a privilege to be involved in pastoral ministry. It is different from many other professions, in that it’s not just a job; not really a profession; it’s more of a calling. It is a step away from how most people live their lives.

In the Book of Numbers, in the account of Korah’s rebellion, Moses recounts some of the benefits of Levitical ministry. In the Old Testament, to be a Levite, you had to be from the tribe of Levi (I’m guessing you had already figured that out). The Israelite priesthood was from the tribe of Levi, but not all Levites were priests. Priests were specifically descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses. There are many who are descendants of Levi who are not descendants of Aaron.

Levites, the whole tribe, was separated from Israel. They were dedicated to the care of the tabernacle. They did not receive a land inheritance. 

In the New Testament, all believers are priests. Pastors are not more priestly than any other believer. I think a more likely parallel would be the more general Levite, separate in some ways from the rest of the people. It is not a direct parallel, but similar in some respects.

Korah, who was rebelling against Moses’ (Aaron’s) authority, is a Levite, not a priest. He rallies the people against Moses, and Moses says this to them:

“Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi, is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;” (Numbers 16:8–9 NAS95)

1. “To bring you near to Himself.” We are brought near to God in Christ, and that would apply to every single believer, pastor or not. We cannot get closer to God than that. The way I would phrase this is that pastors are called to be heavily involved in “the things of God,” including in prayer, in God’s Word, and with God’s people. Our time is to be devoted to those things, while the time of many other believers involves responsibilities that carry you many other directions. It is a privilege to be devoted to “the things of God.”

2. “To do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord.” The Old Testament tabernacle was wood and cloth - material objects. And certainly many pastors spend some time caring for aspects of the church building (lots and lots of folding chairs). But more importantly is caring for the spiritual concerns of people, and interacting with church family who are involved in various areas of church ministry, whether inside the church, or outside.

3. “To stand before the congregation to minister to them.” This is a privilege. Others from the congregation “stand before” the congregation, but I am thinking here of the preaching of the Word, ordinarily done by the pastor. It is a great responsibility, and a high privilege, to seek to dip deeply in God’s Word each week, and then to share and challenge from that Word of God.

The final point is that the pastor is to never usurp the authority, or the honor, that belongs to the High Priest, Jesus Christ. Our job is to take care of details so that the functioning of Jesus Christ among His people is unhindered. And that would be true of all of us, pastor or not.

The Body: What are you worth?

In this series of posts, I am taking material from children's Sunday School, talking about a few of the wonders of the human body. Much of the material comes from Bill Bryson's book, The Body, along with a little research from other sources.

But this is not a book report. It is an attempt to use some of these "wonders" to illustrate spiritual truths.

And so, this first lesson, "What are you worth?"

In Jr. High (yes, way back when they called it Jr. High rather than Middle School) one of my teachers said that the materials of the human body were worth a few dollars and cents, something less than five dollars. Well, the Royal Academy of Science in England did their own study, and determined that it would cost more like $150,000 to purchase the elements in their proper forms to build the human body.

There would be lots of oxygen and hydrogen, about 61% of the human body. You would need to purchase 30 pounds of carbon (for an adult male). And then there are a whole bunch of other elements in tiny quantities. Some of them are very expensive, but since you would need so little, it would not count all that much.

But, spread all these ingredients out on a work bench, you still do not have a human being. You do not have anything like human life. You have "the dust of the ground" containing various elements or minerals.

So, what are you worth? The answer, clearly, is neither $5 nor $150,000. Because the pile of "stuff" on the table is not you; it is not a person. And further, your worth is not found in your parts; it's found if whatever "you" is.

What is a human "you"? It is a creature made in the image of God, called man and woman. It is the creature who is created alongside other animals, living souls who are the crown of creation, built to walk in fellowship with God and to steward His creation. 

Our value, then, is found in the One who made us; and the One who loves us. He loves us, not because we have good hair or good skin, but because He loves us. It is not what we, His creation, have available to us any good thing to offer Him, our Creator, since He stands in need of nothing. It is not in the performance of duties, since every single ability we have comes from Him in the first place. He loves us because He loves us. We are valued by the King of the Universe.

But what if we are ugly? What if we are deformed, or damaged? First, God looks not on the outward appearance, but on the heart. And I would venture that many of those with external difficulties are more perfectly formed with an internal beauty. But again, He loves us, not because we are especially pleasing, but because He loves us.

And what about those days when we are so disappointing to ourselves, and we sure that we must be disappointing to God as well. Our own estimation about our worth drops so low, we wonder whether it is worth it to keep going. He loves us, not just when we feel love-able, but all the time, and perhaps especially when we feel most un-love-able. 

What about others, upon whom we look down? Doesn't God also look down on them? Not for a second. And since He doesn't, we had better knock it off as well. Just because you are attracted to someone doesn't make them more valuable to God; and just because you are turned off by someone else doesn't mean that they are less valuable to Him.

Our value is established, not by the Royal Academy of Chemistry, but by the God who created us and redeemed us. We are so valuable, He was willing to sacrifice His Son, Jesus, to have a relationship with us. He loves us. He loves you. His love establishes your worth.

Thinking in 3’s - Exodus 32: 8,12 - Two Quick Turns: Disastrous, and Gracious

Thinking in 3’s - Exodus 32: 8,12 - Two Quick Turns: Disastrous, and Gracious

Exodus 32 records the account of the stunning fall into idolatry by the people of God so soon after they had experienced the Exodus from Egypt, and in the midst of receiving the Law at the mountain of God.

We are accustomed to these departures into idolatry in the Old Testament. In the New Testament church, Gentile people are saved out of idolatry into faith in Christ. And yet John, at the end of his first epistle, says “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21 NAS95). Evidently, it is still a problem, even for New Testament believers - for people like us.

The graphic details of their sin is played out in 3 acts: 1) "They have made for themselves a molten calf;” 2) “and have worshiped it;” 3) “and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 1) They engaged in creative activity that, instead of building on the creative activity of God, perverted it; 2) they submitted themselves in worship to the work of their hands rather than to the living God; and 3) they invested themselves in this new worship with devotion and abandon. God’s description is that they “corrupted themselves;” “they have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them.”

Not only had they turned their back on God, their Redeemer. They also turned their back on any hope of safety in the present and inheritance in the future. They were willing to give up all the promises of God for one grand/gross party in the wilderness, after which they would die.

God seems immediately ready to write them off - no, wipe them out - and start over with Moses. Moses resists, and appeals to the reputation of God before the world. Moses offers a 3-fold entreaty to God that parallels somewhat (but different) the actions of the sinful people above. Moses says: 1) “Turn from Your burning anger;” 2) “and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people;” 3) “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants…’.” Moses pleads with God, that 1) He turn from the divine activity of justice to another divine activity, that of mercy; 2) that rather than reject His people, He instead build into this redeemed people, giving Himself ever more fully over to them for their good, though they have acted very badly; and 3) that He fulfill His promises of old, and be true to His word, though the people are not true to theirs. And God says, “Yes.” 

Which collection of 3 is more stunning? The quick departure of the people away from God into idolatry? Or the rapid willingness of God to move from wrath to mercy? Perhaps we are no longer so shocked at the sinfulness of man. But may we be ever amazed at the mercies of God.

We must be more wary in our own day about ways in which we “make” lives for ourselves that are not the lives outlined for us by God, to be lived in worship and witness. We should be fearful of ways in which we submit in worldly devotion to practices, even forces, that draw us away from God. We  can easily “follow the money,” or chart our time, or examine our thoughts, to see that in which we are most heavily invested, and whether or not it be in things which are in keeping with walking with God and following Jesus.

And as the Spirit of God reveals these things to us - as we repent and “turn from our wicked ways,” we can be assured that God is there, ready to turn to us once again, not to harm, but to do good, and to continue His good work in us and with us, and to fulfill His promises. 

What If it Gets Worse instead of Better?

I know, pastors are expected by some to be happy, to promote happy thoughts. But I learn from pastors of the past to try to be as balanced as is the Bible. God’s Word is realistic about the judgments of God upon the nations, and it is honest about God’s discipline/correction of His people. 

We have an optimistic expectation that what is unpleasant now will get better - that we will return to “normal,” whatever that is. And that is the problem. We tend to take the blessings of God for granted, and to regard them as “normal.” 

I finished a book recently that suggests we have an irrational nostalgia for “the good old days.” For the left, that might be the rebellion and societal alterations that came about in the ’60’s. For the right, it might be somewhat later, perhaps associated with the Reagan revolution and the theme of limited government and lower taxes. Both sides are currently represented by aged representatives who are trying to take us back to “the good old days,” however defined. But we cannot go back. The clock only works in one direction. We can outline a preferred future, but we cannot return to a preferred past.

And so if our children no longer live as prosperously as their parents, what then? What if the pandemic gets worse instead of better? What if the economy falls apart? What if the strength of our nation continues to erode? What if those with whom we most vehemently disagree rise to power? What if the chastisement of God weighs heavily upon our nation, and upon the church? What then?

We must admit that we have a secularized view of “progress.” In America, “progress” means bigger and better. “Progress” means growth and success. In our minds, “progress” involves more, more, more - whether it be money, happiness pleasure, health, freedom autonomy. But what if there is not more, but less?

Perhaps, for the believer, a way forward is to remember what “progress” means from God’s perspective, for His people. What would it take for you and me to fear God more truly; to seek Him more earnestly; to love Him more freely; to obey Him more readily? Would it take something better, or worse? Would it take a little bit more, or some measure of less? We do not know. But God does. And He will do what is right. 

 “… Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18 NAS95)

Not to the Right or the Left

Ephesians 2:8 tells us: “For by grace you have been saved through faith;”. If salvation is important to us, then also should grace and faith be of importance. But the path of grace and faith is narrow. There are dangers, on the right, and on the left. 

Several years ago, Vince Hinzmann and I hiked Angels’ Landing at Zion National Park. As you can guess, the end of the hike (or, if you want to go home again, the halfway point) is a perch high up more suited, it seems, for angels than for men. But the part of the hike that was most difficult for me was a narrow section with a steep drop on either side - a quarter mile down to the parking lot on the right; a sharp drop to jagged rocks on the left. As I walked on this narrow path, it was as though there were a magnetic pull, one way or the other, as though staying dead center was most difficult. It may be that way with grace and faith.

Grace is sidled on the right by legalism, and on the left by license. The first danger involves adding duties alongside of grace as a means of gaining God’s favor, or perhaps, keeping God’s favor. But grace is the gift of God’s undeserved favor, all the favor that you will ever get or need - all of grace. Stepping off to the right is a departure from grace.

On the left is license (the old KJV used the word “licentiousness;" theologians use the word “antinomianism”). It is the idea that sin is no big problem in that forgiveness is free, and therefore sin is inconsequential. Once we understand that Christ actually died for our sin(s), then we can see the lie in that idea.

Grace should be celebrated, and its purity protected. We need clear understanding, and we must stay in the center of the path, going neither to the right or the left.

Faith, also, has a “right” and “left” danger. On the one side, we can doubt God’s goodness and care, and retreat into fear. Now fear is a difficult subject, in that we are clearly told to live in “the fear of the Lord,” though many of us have trouble explaining that concept without explaining it away. We should also remember Paul telling Timothy that God has not given us a Spirit of fear. Fear can eat away at our confidence, and erode our joy.

But on the left of faith is another danger: foolishness. The fool may well profess faith, but then live according to his own fallen senses, or simply follow the crowd that he follows. To wander off into fear or foolishness is to rob ourselves of the privilege of  walking by faith, not by sight, and of actually living, in the present moment, as believers - that is, people who live through faith.

So let’s help one another stay on the path, that most basic of Christian paths characterized by grace and faith. Let’s stay right on the center, and help others to do the same.

Thinking in 3’s - Genesis 22:2 - Offering and Receiving

The story of the testing of Abraham is a difficult one. It is difficult in that we can instantly feel the pain, the dilemma, of being asked to so something that is so clearly self-denying and son-forsaking in order to obey the call of God. Here are God’s words to Abraham: 

“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” (Genesis 22:2 NAS95)

The words sound immoral, even criminal. And yet, and yet - Abraham has received the promises of God, recounted over and over in the previous chapters, and will be recounted in this chapter as well. Further, He has seen the provision of Good - miraculous provision. The birth of Isaac itself was a miraculous gift of God. Abraham and Sarah could never have conceived him on their own, in their old age. It was an act of God. Isaac was a gift of God. And even further, Isaac was the vehicle by whom all those promises of God - a family and a nation - would come. Without Isaac, there would be none of those things. 

But this story is not about logic. It is about Abraham’s heart, and your heart. It is about what you love more than anything else, and whom you will honor above anyone else. And so, the three-fold description of Isaac is telling: 1) Your son; 2) Your only son; 3) whom you love.

Father and mothers will protect their kids with their lives. They would instinctively sacrifice themselves for the sake of their children. They would never actually sacrifice their children. But that’s what God says.

It’s not like there were ten more kids in line behind Isaac. He was the only child born to Abraham and Sarah. Oh, I’m not suggesting the pain is any less in the losing of a child if there is a bunch rather than just one. But the “only” is heart-wrenching. 

Whom you love? Do you love your kids, your child? Of course. How much? As much as anything. More than God? Oh, that’s a hard one. And that was Abraham’s test. And he decided that He loved God more, for the good of his soul, and for the good of his son, his only son, whom he loved. It’s always best for our kids if they know we love God most. Abraham was compelled to demonstrate to Isaac that obedience to God is always the best way.

The point of the story is not just the faith of Abraham. It’s a huge point, but there is something more. The other point is this: God didn’t ask Abraham to do anything that He wouldn’t do Himself. And that’s exactly what God did. He took His Son, His only Son, whom He loved, and He offered Him as a sacrifice for our sins - because He loved us so much. And just as Abraham received back his son just before the sacrifice, God received back His Son just after the resurrection.

Please, Lord, please never subject me to such a test. But also, please let me grasp some measure of the depth of Your love for Your “other” children, that You would offer up You Son for us.

The Heavens and the Earth

God created the heavens and the earth. That is what the very first verse of the Bible tells us: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That is, He created all that we know, and beyond - the heavens, the skies, the stars and planets and atmosphere; the structure of the earth, in all its geology and variety; the seas and all that is in the depth of the seas; the land with its fruitfulness, and then swarms and varieties of creatures.

The theme shows up again and again throughout Scripture. Here we have Hezekiah’s prayer. 

Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 2Kings 19:15

Hezekiah was a king of the southern kingdom of Israel, Judah, toward the end of their independent existence before the Babylonian captivity. This was years, centuries after creation - but it is still a key feature of Hezekiah’s prayer.

If God created the heavens and the earth, it is a necessary fact that He is before all, above all, and under all. He is God of all, whether He is acknowledged as such or not. “You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.” While we strive to honor religious pluralism in our nation as a feature of religious liberty, we must admit that there will be no pluralism in the kingdom of God.

But Hezekiah also describes God as the One “who are enthroned above the cherubim.” The image is of God reigning in the heavens, and “the earth is My footstool.” He is present, but above us. The location of this footstool is in the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of the Tabernacle, where the offering was presented for the sins of the people once a year (this year, Sat evening through Sun evening, Sept 27-28). At the time of the text, it was housed in Solomon’s Temple, which would soon be destroyed.

It is merciful of God to extend His feet in our direction. But as the story of the Bible unfolds, we find that He comes much closer. He does not merely extend His feet, but He stoops to come close, so much so that He actually sends His Son, Jesus, to take on human flesh and dwell among us, right at our level. The earth is no longer just His footstool; it is His home.

But one more step. As Jesus shares with His disciples just before His temple, His body, is destroyed, He stoops even further. He washes the disciples feet. He makes His disciples to be, not His footstool, but He becomes theirs. “Mercy seat” indeed! And acknowledging that, Hezekiah, and you, can continue your prayer.

Thinking in 3’s - Matthew 3:17; 12:18; 17:5 - Well-Pleased

 It is easier for me to spot 3’s in a space of a few verses. This collection, however, ranges over a good portion of Matthew’s Gospel. I found it while working on a Sunday message from … Proverbs 8. Wisdom, in that passage, is daily the Lord’s delight. Here, in Matthew, it is the Son, Jesus, who, 3 times, is the Father’s delight, or, is well-pleasing to the Father.

The first of these occurs at the baptism of Jesus, at the start of His earthly  ministry. 

Matt. 3:17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Jesus is identifying with His people, with His sinful people who need a Savior. Jesus is not joining an elite group. He is not “upping His game.” He is coming down to our level, to our need. And, it is well-pleasing to the Father.

The next occurrence comes after the death of John the Baptist, while opposition to Jesus from religious authorities is hardening against Him.

Matt. 12:18 “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; 

MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; 

I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, 

AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.

Jesus has, and will be extending His ministry beyond the existing borders of Israel, and beyond the Jewish population. He will go up to Sidon, and then across the Jordan River to Gentile territory. Matthew here quotes from Isaiah 42, where there are numerous prophecies about the mission of God extending beyond Israel. But this is by no means popular with the religious leaders who are inspecting Jesus’ ministry. Holiness, in their eyes, requires separation from the Gentiles, not ministry to them. But it is clear, both in Matthew and in Isaiah: God is well-pleased as His Son serves in this way.

And then we find God well-pleased in a setting where we would expect it: on the Mount of Transfiguration. 

Matt. 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

But what we should note is that the voice from heaven does not speak primarily for Jesus’ benefit or reassurance, but rather for Peter’s correction. He had placed Jesus on a level alongside Moses and Elijah, probably thinking that he was elevating Jesus. But God makes clear that he is in fact demoting Jesus to the level of two who were mere men, though they be Old Testament giants of the faith and on a special mission from heaven above. But this text makes clear, then, that with Jesus, and with Jesus alone, is God well-pleased in this particular sense.

Applications abound. Are you and I well-pleased with Jesus? Is He most excellent in our sight, and in our hearts, above all other things? Are we well-pleased when the ministry of Jesus extends to people not just like us, and are we ourselves, as followers of Jesus, willing to personally involved in that kind of ministry. Are we more-pleased when ministry is restricted to our own clan? Are we well-pleased that Jesus was willing to associate with sinners? Have we truly understand that we ourselves fall into that category, that we ourselves are stained sinners in need of a stain-cleansing Savior? 

It is as we embrace Jesus and the uncomfortable contours of His ministry that we can understand that God being well-pleased with Jesus stands in relation to Jesus fulfilling the very mission of God, to which we are also called.

Thinking in 3’s - Urgent Prayer

“Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry for help come to You. … In the day when I call answer me quickly.” (Psalm 102:1–2 NAS95)

In the beginning of Psalm 102 - a psalm that bears the heading “A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord” - we have three words that describe the psalmist’s appeal to God. I would like to suggest that these three words should shape how we address the Lord for help as well.

“Hear my prayer, O LORD!” The first of our three words is what one would expect - generic prayer. And while this word is commonly used for prayer throughout the Old Testament, it is hardly generic. It is based on the verb for adjudication or arbitration. The pray-er is appealing to an authority to take up his/her case - to intercede for their benefit.

This idea contains an implication that we should not miss - we cannot remedy our situation by ourselves. We can’t change our condition, or the opposition. Only someone outside of ourselves can do that. Jesus mentions the woman who appeals to the judge in Luke 18. But let’s face it. For most of our concerns, we need someone much more powerful than a judge; one much more accessible than one hidden by judicial, bureaucratic processes. And it is the LORD, our covenant God, to whom we make our appeal. 

“Let my cry for help come to You.” This plea is urgent. This prayer is not the mere fulfilling of a duty. It is evocation promoted by provocation. It leaps from one’s lips instinctively, involuntarily. 

Here we need to pause and ask ourselves a question: Have we grown so self-sufficient, surrounded by such a range of helps and supports, that we have lost the instinct to “cry for help” to the Lord? There seems to be more “saying of prayers” than actual praying; more mumbling than crying out; more words with low expectation than cries of desperation. It makes us wonder if we still believe in a potent, powerful God, and if our contemporary prayers resemble much of the atmosphere of the Bible.

“In the day when I call, answer me quickly.” The third word is “call.” We are actually aroused by our helplessness and recognition of something terribly wrong to express a thought, form a word, and give voice to a call. We move from the interiority of feeling sorry for ourselves to the exteriority of calling out - even screaming? - to the Lord. No, I don’t think that our prayers should all be screaming. But then, if we find nothing wrong in us or around us worth screaming about, maybe we have no reason to pray a Biblical prayer.