Tag: faith

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John John 4

Taking Jesus at his word

John

In this passage, we see Jesus’ first miraculous healing, although one can guess that he had done other healings before this.  (John 2:23)

But the thing that strikes me here is this royal official’s response to Jesus.

This royal official was in great need.  His son was dying.  He had probably taken his son to all the doctors and there was nothing they could do for him.  Jesus was his last hope.

Yet when this official asked for help, Jesus answered,

Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders…you will never believe.  (John 4:48)

It seems an odd thing to say.  But perhaps Jesus was asking, “Are you coming to me because you actually believe in me?  Or will you only believe in me if I perform this miracle for you?”

It’s a very relevant question even to this day.  When we come to Jesus in prayer with our needs, do we pray because we really believe in him?  Or will we only believe if Jesus answers as we ask?

I wonder what the royal official was thinking.  How much did he truly believe at this point?

Whatever he felt, he cried out in desperation,

Sir, come down before my child dies.  (49)

At that point, Jesus gave him a test of faith.  He said,

You may go.  Your son will live.  (50)

Think about this for a minute.  This official was undoubtedly expecting for Jesus to come with him.  But Jesus tells him, “Just go home.  I don’t need to go.  Your son will live.  Trust me.”

Now the official had to make a choice.  “Do I trust Jesus?  If I do and he doesn’t come through, my son is dead.”

How long this official wavered, I don’t know.  Maybe it was an instantaneous choice.  Maybe it took a few seconds of looking into the eyes of Jesus.

But in the end, John tells us that,

The man took Jesus at his word and departed.  (50)

And while he was still on his way back, his servants told him his son had been healed right at the moment that Jesus had told him that his son would live.

Do we take Jesus at his word?  So often we pray for things, but then he speaks to us, and we don’t take him at his word.  Instead, we doubt.  We wonder if Jesus will really come through.

We pray for a job, and one is offered but requires us to miss church regularly, and we know God is telling us to let it go.  But we wonder, “Can I trust God?  If I let this opportunity go by, will he provide another?”

Or we pray for emotional healing in our lives, and we hear God tell us of a bitterness we need to release.  Of a person we need to forgive.  That if we just let go, we will find that healing.

But we question God, “Why should I let this go?  I have a right to feel hurt.”

How do we respond?  Are we willing to take Jesus at his word and obey him.

You will never find healing in your life, you will never find peace and joy until you settle this one question in your heart:  “Do I trust Jesus?  Will I take him at his word?”

How about you?  Do you take Jesus at his word?

Categories
Proverbs

Building our house

What kind of house are you building?  No, I’m not talking about your literal house.   I’m talking about your life.  What kind of life are you building?

That’s what Solomon addresses here in chapter 24.

He says,

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.  (Proverbs 24:3-4)

Whether we’re talking about our family specifically (as I think Solomon is talking about here), or our life in general, we can only establish a house that’s able to stand the test of time through the wisdom that comes from God.

Solomon goes on to say,

A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength  (5).

What kind of wisdom does God give that we can build our families and lives on?

Many are things Solomon has mentioned before.

  • Don’t envy the wicked nor make them your companions.  That will only lead you down the path towards destruction.  (1-2, 19)
  • Take the advice of others who are wise.  (6, 26)
  • Embrace wisdom in your life.  (13-14)
  • Don’t live a life of idleness.  (30-34)

But there are a few other things as well.

Solomon writes,

If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! (10)

All of us go through hard times.  Sometimes, even when we’re doing God’s will, we find hardship. 

The apostle Paul certainly did.  So did Jeremiah and the other prophets.  Even Jesus himself did. 

But during those times, we need to continue putting our trust in God.

Two people who I greatly admire showed just this kind of strength. 

One of the pastors at my church lost his wife to cancer about a year ago.  It was a painful and hard time for both of them.  But neither of them faltered in their faith. 

To the end, my pastor’s wife was still thinking of others and desired to reach out to them, even when her body no longer allowed her to even get out of bed.

Solomon notes of such people,

For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again  (16).

And when my friend’s wife rose again for the final time, she opened her eyes to her Savior.

If we want to build a life that truly works, we need to build our lives on faith in God.

Solomon then talks of other ways to build our house.

He admonishes us to fear both God and the king.  (21)

In other words, we are to honor God, and all those who are in authority over us, whether in government, in our jobs, or in our church.  For as Paul writes, ultimately, God is the one who put the authorities in place (Romans 13:1). 

To rebel against him and the authorities he has put in place is to put our house on shaky ground.

Finally, Solomon writes,

Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.  (27)

In other words, don’t start something before you’re ready to take it on.  Count the cost of what you do.  If you don’t, Jesus warns you’ll be like the man who starts building a tower only to have to abandon the project later.  (Luke 14:28-30)

Too many people get married without thinking of the financial ramifications and get into trouble because of it. 

Too many people have children without adequately planning for it. 

Other people start a ministry without thinking about all that it involves and all that they’ll need to make it work.

If we don’t count the cost, all we do will be in danger of falling apart.

What kind of life are you building?

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Psalms

God’s silence

Psalms

Psalm 88 could almost have been written by Job.  This is yet another psalm that deals with God’s silence in our suffering.  And as in real life, we don’t always see a happy ending.

The psalmist starts by basically crying out, “Hear me O God.  Are you there?  I’m overwhelmed with my troubles.  I’m sick and dying.  I have no strength left.”  (Psalm 88:1-5)

He then complains that God would let this happen to him.

Again and again, he says, “You did this.”  “You did that.”

“You put me down in the pits.  You cover me with your wrath.  You’ve taken away all those who are close to me and they now reject me.”  (6-8)

He then concludes by saying, “I’m calling to you Lord.  Why do you hide from me?  Why do you reject me?  I’ve been suffering all my life.  I’ve been left alone, and darkness is my closest friend.”  (13-18)

There the psalm ends.  There are no words of hope.  No words of comfort.

But isn’t that how we feel sometimes?  If that’s how you’re feeling, know that you’re not alone.  The psalmist felt that way.  Most, if not every Christian, have gone through those feelings some time in their lives.

Some have given up and never found their way out of that pit.  But don’t be like those who give up.

The thing to remember above all is this:  Never base your faith on your feelings.  Base it upon God’s character and his Word.

Your feelings waver.  They are never stable.  And because of that, they are not a trustworthy foundation to build your foundation upon.

Satan knows this, and he will try all he can during the times of God’s silence to bring you to despair.  To rob you of your faith.

But while our feelings are constantly changing, God and his Word never do.  His promises are words you can stand upon.

So when you’re feeling down, when you’re feeling discouraged, put your faith not in your feelings, but in God and his promises.

If you do, no matter how dark the tunnel you’re going through, you will see the other side.

Categories
Psalms

Placing ourselves in God’s hands

Psalms

When David wrote Psalm 31 is a matter of speculation, as are most of his psalms.

At a guess, it was written during his flight from Saul, and based on verse 21, perhaps after his flight from Keilah.  (1 Samuel 23)

This is purely speculative, however.

The things that strike me from this psalm is that in the midst of his pleas for help, David time and again affirms his complete trust in God.

He says,

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. (Psalm 31:5)

And again,

I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”  My times are in your hands.  (Psalm 31:14-15)

All of ourselves go through struggles in our lives.  And it’s so easy to place ourselves in our own hands.  To take the driver’s seat of our lives and try to control our situation ourselves.

But in life and in death, David fully committed himself to God.

He said, “My life is in your hands, Lord.  People are trying to kill me, but I know that as long as you want me here, they will not succeed.  I refuse to take control of my own life, even if it costs me my life.”

And you see on two occasions in I Samuel where David had the chance to take control of the situation, to kill Saul and put an end to his vendetta against David.  But David refused.

Jesus showed this same submission to his Father when he went to the cross.  Though not strictly a Messianic psalm, nevertheless, you see some glimpses of Christ in David’s experience.

Like David, he was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. (Psalm 31:10)

Like David, he was despised.  (Psalm 31:11)

Like David, he was abandoned by those he called friends.  (Psalm 31:11-12)

Like David, people slandered him and plotted to kill him.  (13)

Like David, he cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me!”  (22)

But like David, Jesus refused to take things into his own hands.  He placed himself in his Father’s hands, and with his dying breath, quoted verse 5, saying, “Into your hands, I commit my spirit.”

And because of his submission, we have hope.

Hope that we will ultimately not be put to shame for trusting in him (17).

Hope in his goodness toward us (19).

And hope in our salvation (22-23).

So let us cry out as David did,

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.  (Psalm 31:24)

And let us put our full trust in him.

Categories
Psalms

Remembering where victory and blessing come from

Psalms

When things are going badly, our thoughts often quickly turn towards God.  But what about during times of victory and blessing?

Do our thoughts turn quickly in praise towards God?  Or do our thoughts turn towards ourselves, and how great we are?

Even David fell into that trap (see 2 Samuel chapters 11-12, and 24), but here in Psalm 21, he kept in mind just where his victory and blessing came from.  He sang,

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.  How great is his joy in the victories you give!

You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.

You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever.

Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.  (Psalm 21:1-6)

Not only did David remember where these things came from, he remembered why God blessed him.

For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.  (7)

Where do your thoughts turn when you find victory in your life?

Do you find yourself boasting in yourself and your wisdom and strength?  Or do you find yourself praising God for what he’s done?

Do you find yourself putting more faith in yourself and what you can do?  Or do you find yourself putting more faith in God and what he can do?

Categories
Psalms

The key to victory

Psalms

It seems that David wrote Psalm 20 on the eve of a battle.  And here, the people pray for God’s blessing on him as he and his army go out.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.

May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.

May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.

May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.  (Psalm 20:1-5)

It’s a beautiful prayer, but after it, David reminds them of what the key to victory is.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.  (7-8)

So many times we make our plans without God’s counsel, and just say, “Okay God, bless our plans.  Make them successful.”

Then when our plans fall apart, we wonder why God didn’t answer our prayers.

But here, David reminds them that the key to success is in putting their trust not in their own power and strength (nor in their own wisdom for that matter), but in putting their faith in God.

And that while those who trust in themselves will fall, those who put their faith in God will rise up and stand firm.

How about you?  Are you putting your faith in your own wisdom and strength, and simply asking God to bless you?  Or are you putting all your faith in God?

Are you seeking his face, not only in the battles you face, but in the planning as well?

Let us make God and his Word the foundation for all we do, not our own strength and wisdom.

Categories
Psalms

Petitioning the King

Psalms

Psalm 5 is probably one of my favorite psalms.  I still love to sing the old chorus that goes to the King James Version.

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.  Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.  (Psalm 5:1-3)

As I look at this Psalm, I get the picture of a person coming into the king’s courtroom, asking for justice and help.

Bowing before him, they cry out, “My King and My God, have mercy on me.  I need your help.  Listen to my plea.”

There is an air of utter humility there, but also of loving trust.

“Lord, in the morning when I get up, my first thought turns to you.  I lay down my requests before you and wait in expectation knowing that you do love me, that you do care, and will answer my cry.”

What problem David was going through at  this time, we don’t know.  But as usual, when he faced troubles, fears, and anxieties, he turned to his King.  And so should we.

We can come before him not because we are more righteous than the people that hurt us, but because of his great mercy towards us.

And though people may hurt us, and lie to us, we can know that God will never do so.  He is a good King, and will grant us justice when we cry to him.  And he will spread his wings over us.

David prayed,

Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.  (11-12)

As I read this, I think of the parable of Jesus where he talked about a woman who sought justice from an unjust judge.  And it was only after harassing him day after day that the judge granted her the justice she sought.

Jesus contrasts that judge with our loving Father, saying,

Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?  Will he keep putting them off?

I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.

However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”  (Luke 18:7-8)

There were times when David had to wait day after day, year after year for God to deliver him from his troubles.  But he never lost his faith in God.

Morning after morning, he kept coming before God with his petitions.  God in his love heard him.  And ultimately he delivered him.

When we face troubles in this life, may we too have the faith of David, knowing that God hears, that he cares, and that he will answer.

Categories
Job

The frustration of dealing with an invisible God

Job

After being severely blasted by Eliphaz, in which Eliphaz for the first time levels specific (if completely baseless) accusations against Job, Job cries out once again for a hearing before God.  He said,

If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!  I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.  I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say to me.

Would he vigorously oppose me? No, he would not press charges against me.  There the upright can establish their innocence before him, and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.  (Job 23:3-7)

Here we see Job once again defending his innocence and his strong belief that God was fair.  That if he could only present his case to God, God would affirm his innocence.

But Job goes on to say,

But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him.  When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.  (23:8-9)

In other words, “Where are you God?  In the midst of all my suffering, where are you?  Why do you seem so much against me?”

And that is the frustration of dealing with an invisible God.

There are times in our trials that we nevertheless sense his presence and are comforted.

But there are other times for reasons we can’t understand and that God never explains when he seems distant from us.  We pray, and our prayers bounce off of the ceilings.  We read the Bible and it seems dry.

And we start to wonder like Job, “Why are you so against me?  If I did something wrong, just tell me already!”

How do we deal with that?  There are no easy answers.

The thing that impresses me about Job, however, is that throughout his questioning of God, throughout his feelings of abandonment, throughout his feelings of even being persecuted by God, he never once even contemplated walking away from God.

And in the midst of all his questions, complaints, and even bitterness, he would still come out with statements of faith such as,

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.  (23:10)

And so despite all that happened, he continued to say things like,

My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.

I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.  (23:11-12)

I think that’s the attitude we need to take as well.  When God seems distant, when God even seems against us, we need to nevertheless cling to him.

We need to keep believing in his ultimate goodness.  To keep believing that he is just.  And to keep believing that though we may be suffering now, in the end, he will bring us forth as gold.

So let us not turn aside from him when trials come.  Let us not walk away when he seems nowhere to be found.  Let us not depart from the words he has spoken.

Rather, let us continue to treasure his words and seek him.  And the day will come, as it did with Job, that we will find Him once again.

Categories
Jeremiah

Because you trust in me

Jeremiah

One of the nice things of trying to do things chronologically in this blog is that it gives me a better perspective of Biblical events and where everyone fits in history.  It also causes me to speculate a bit more than I have in the past.

For example, it’s very interesting to me that Nebuchadnezzar ordered that Jeremiah be treated well. 

From chapter 40, it’s made clear that he did so because he knew of Jeremiah’s prophesies that God was handing Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar because of Judah’s sins.  The question that pops up then is, “How did Nebuchadnezzar know?”

The easy answer is that with all the exiles that had been taken to Babylon earlier when Jehoiachin was dethroned, Nebuchadnezzar had gained access to these prophesies. 

But the question still remains, “Who told Nebuchadnezzar, and why did he believe the prophesies?”

This is pure speculation, but I have to wonder if it wasn’t Daniel. 

He certainly had the respect of Nebuchadnezzar.  He was considered the chief of the magicians and served in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. (Daniel 4:9)

And from Daniel chapter 9, we know that Daniel knew about the prophesies of Jeremiah.

I wonder if Daniel, when hearing that Jerusalem was about to fall, didn’t tell Nebuchadnezzar, “Hey there’s a guy named Jeremiah living there.  He’s a prophet of the God I serve.  He has even predicted Jerusalem’s fall to you because of their sin.  Please make sure no harm comes to him.”

Like I said, this is pure speculation, but thinking about it now, it’s also purely possible.

At any rate, however Nebuchadnezzar heard about Jeremiah, he ordered his men to look after Jeremiah.  And so they did.

Jeremiah had suffered through a lot through the reigns of the kings following Josiah.  But because he had trusted in God, when Judah fell and all of its leaders were killed or exiled, his life was spared.

The same can be said of a man named Ebed-Melech. 

When Jeremiah had been thrust into a cistern to die, Ebed-Melech was the man who had had the courage to approach Zedekiah to plead on Jeremiah’s behalf.  As a result, Jeremiah was set free. 

And so God told Ebed-Melech,

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:  I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity.  At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 

But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be handed over to those you fear.  I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.’  (Jeremiah 39:16-18)

God was as good as his word and spared Ebed-Melech when the walls were broken through and Jerusalem was captured.

“Because you trust in me.”  

Those words resonate with me.  God promises that if we will trust in him, while others will suffer his judgment, we will escape with our lives.  We will receive his mercy and grace.

This is not to say that we won’t ever suffer for trusting and following God.  Jeremiah certainly didn’t escape it for much of his life.  Many others throughout history have not only suffered, but died for their faith.

But in death, they found rest and reward. 

That’s what faith is about.  We don’t always see deliverance in our lifetime.  We may go through many struggles because we follow Jesus. 

But ultimately, faith says, “Even though I can’t see it now, I believe that in the end, all will be made right.” 

That’s the faith Jeremiah had.  That’s the faith that Ebed-Melech had. 

That’s the kind of faith we need too.

As the writer of Hebrews said,

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  (Hebrews 11:6)

Categories
Habakkuk

Trusting God in the midst of an evil world

Habakkuk

We hit yet another minor prophet here.

Habakkuk probably prophesied during the time of Jeremiah, and this book was probably written sometime during the reign of King Jehoiakim the son of Josiah.

Jehoiakim came to power (so to speak) when his brother Jehoahaz was dethroned by Egypt after a mere three months on the throne, and Egypt made Jehoiakim their puppet king.

And during his reign, Habakkuk was appalled at all the evil he saw going on in Judah.

Once again, the people of Judah had fallen into idolatry, and evil and injustice were rampant.

And so Habakkuk cried out to God saying,

How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice?

Why do you tolerate wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.

The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. (Habakkuk 1:2–4)

Does this at all sound familiar to you?

The things Habakkuk saw in his day, we see in ours. Violence. Injustice. A legal system that at times seems paralyzed. Justice that is perverted.

And like so many people today, Habakkuk cried out to God, “Why? Why do you allow this? Why don’t you do something?”

How did God answer? He told Habakkuk that judgment was coming to Judah through the Babylonians.

Up until that time, Egypt and Assyria had been the main powers in the world.

But now Babylon was going to take their place of power, and through them, God would punish not only Judah, but the other nations for their sins. (Habakkuk 1:5–11)

At that point, Habakkuk said, “Wait a minute. The Babylonians are even worse than we are. And you’re going to use them to punish us? How can you allow them to swallow up those who are more righteous than they are?” (Habakkuk 1:12–13)

God basically answered Habakkuk, “Yes, even though they are more evil than Judah, I will use them to punish Judah as well as the other nations.

“But don’t worry about it, they will get theirs. Their day of judgment is coming too, and they will eventually be overthrown.” (Habakkuk 2)

But in the midst of all this, he tells Habakkuk and us something very important.

He says, “These Babylonians are all puffed up. They think they’re so great because of their power and might. As a result, they put their faith solely in themselves. But Habakkuk, the righteous person will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

It is the one verse that the apostle Paul quoted time and again. It was the verse that Martin Luther made as the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation.

And it was one of the main messages God was telling Habakkuk in the midst of a world of evil.

“Trust me. I am good. I am just. And I will make all things right.”

God told Habakkuk,

Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:2–3)

And after proclaiming judgment on Babylon, he told Habakkuk,

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. (Habakkuk 2:20)

In other words, “Habakkuk, I am in control. It may not seem that way now. But I am. And all the earth will bow to me and my will. So Habakkuk, trust me.”

How does Habakkuk respond? He responds with praise and prayer.

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. (Habakkuk 3:2)

That’s how we should respond as we look at all the evil in this world.

Praise him. Remember his goodness. Remember what he’s done.

And then pray for revival in this fallen world, that God’s mercy might fall on us once again.

And as you do so, continue to walk in faith, trusting him. Habakkuk closes by saying,

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17–19)

Lord, this world is full of evil. I see it every day.

But Lord, help me to trust in you despite all the evil that is there. To believe that you are in control. To believe that one day justice will come.

Lord remember mercy on those who have fallen. Let me be your agent of mercy. And may I walk each day trusting you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
2 Chronicles 2 Kings Jeremiah

To know God

Kings,Chronicles, and Jeremiah

The last four kings after Josiah can all be basically painted bad. 

Jehoahaz (known as Shallum in Jeremiah 22), Jehoakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah all were miserable failures as kings. 

We’ll take a closer look at the latter three later, but God makes his comment on the first three kings in Jeremiah 22. 

Basically, they were all more interested in themselves than in serving God or the people.  They used their positions of power merely to enrich themselves while ignoring God and the needs of the people.  And so God passes judgment on all three kings. 

In doing so, he compares them to Josiah, saying,

“Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?  Did not your father have food and drink?  He did what was right and just, so all went well with him.  He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.  Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord. 

“But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.”  (Jeremiah 22:15-17)

All of these men knew of God.  They knew what he had done in the past.  But they didn’t truly know him.  And God makes crystal clear that knowing him doesn’t simply mean knowing about him. 

To know God means to acknowledge him with our lives and with our actions.  To do what is just and right, things that these kings simply did not do.

James put it this way,

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.  (James 2:18-19)

How about you?  Do you simply know about God?  Do you simply believe that he exists?  Or do your actions and your life show it?

Categories
Isaiah

Clinging to what is hopeless

Isaiah

A friend recently asked me, “Why does Satan keep on fighting?  He knows he’s lost.  Why doesn’t he give up?” 

Other people have put the question another way, “Why doesn’t Satan repent?  Can he repent?”

They are interesting questions, but ones for which I have no real answers.

It would seem logical that Satan could repent if he wanted to.  I’m no theologian, but my guess is that while he could, he won’t.  His heart is too hardened against God and has been for eons.

We see this kind of attitude not only in Satan, however, but in humans as well. 

We certainly see it in this passage. 

The Israelites had turned their backs on God, and as a result, they were in exile. (Isaiah speaks of this event as if it had already happened). 

But despite seeing the fruitlessness of worshiping false idols, the people refused to repent.

Isaiah says of them,

You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say,  ‘It is hopeless.’ 

You found renewal of strength, and so you did not faint. 

Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered me nor pondered this in your heart?  (Isaiah 57:10-11)

Verse 10 is almost a twisted version of Isaiah 40:29-31 where God says that he will renew the strength of those who wait on him, that they should not grow weary or faint. 

But in this case, though the people were wearied by their own sins, and saw the hopelessness of their situation, still they would not give up on their rebellion against God. 

Instead, they “found renewal of strength” in themselves, clinging to their sins.  But in the end, their sin would destroy them.

How about you? Are you clinging to your own ways even though you see it’s hopeless to do so.  

Don’t be hard hearted as the Israelites were.  Give up on doing things your way, and start doing things his. 

Your way will lead to destruction.  But God’s way will lead to life.

Which will you choose?

Categories
Isaiah

The legacy we’ve inherited

Isaiah

Some Christians don’t like going through the Old Testament.  Sometimes, they wonder why it’s even worth reading. 

I have to admit, this is the longest period of time I’ve spent in the Old Testament for my quiet times. 

I believe it’s been about a year and a half that I’ve spent here, and it could be another year and a half before I get to the New Testament.  If I’m lucky.

But here, God tells the Israelites to look upon the legacy they inherited from their forefathers, to Abraham and Sarah who started the Israelite nation. 

And he says,

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord (Isaiah 51:1)

I don’t believe God is just talking to the Israelites here.  He’s talking to all of us who are seeking the Lord.  What does he tell us?

Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. 

When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many.  (1-2)

While Abraham and Sarah were the literal father and mother of the nation of Israel, we have our own spiritual connection to them as Christians. 

They were the first to illustrate a life of walking by faith.  Of a righteousness that comes by faith. 

This is not to say that no one before them ever walked by faith.  But when the New Testament talks about those who were made by righteous by their faith, it always starts with Abraham. 

Paul wrote of Abraham, quoting the Genesis account,

Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.  (Romans 4:3)

Why do we read the Old Testament?  We’re looking at the rock from which we were cut.  Where our legacy of the righteousness that come by faith comes from. 

Not only that, we see the God they put their trust in and his faithfulness to them.

Isaiah writes of Him, recalling his redemption of Israel from Egpyt,

Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?  (10)

He also recalls how God was the one who brought all things into being, saying,

For I am the Lord your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar– the Lord Almighty is his name…

I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’   (15-16)

And so as we look back on who God is and this legacy of faith by people such as Abraham and Sarah, God charges us,

Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts:  Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. 

For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. 

But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations…

I, even I, am he who comforts you. 

Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction?  (Isaiah 51:7-8, 12-13).

If there is anything that can undermine faith, it’s fear.  Fear of the future.  Fear of others and what they think of us or what they might do to us if we follow God. 

But the same God who watched over Abraham, Sarah, and the others who followed in their legacy of faith, watches over us. 

The same God who created us and saved us from our sin, is strong enough to deliver us from those who would destroy us, even the Enemy of our souls.

So let us remember the legacy of faith we’ve inherited.  Let us remember the God who has given us this legacy.  And let us put our trust in Him. 

Categories
2 Kings Isaiah

Where our strength and salvation come from

Kings & Isaiah

It’s hard to match up the events of history to the prophesies, but I’m guessing these two passages roughly go together.

The king of Assyria (Sennacharib) was on the move again and came against Judah, mainly because Hezekiah had rebelled and stopped paying tribute to him. 

Sennacharib attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them, and as a result, Hezekiah panicked. 

He apologized for his actions and then paid a huge amount of tribute to make Sennacharib back off. He even stripped gold from the temple and gave the Assyrians silver from the temple treasuries as well as from his own treasuries.

Why did he have to go so far?

God had warned Hezekiah in Isaiah 30-31 not to make alliances with Egypt. That it would do no good.

Yet despite the warnings, Hezekiah and his people ignored Isaiah. 

Not only that, they told him to stop confronting them with God’s word.  That they only wanted to hear things that would make them feel good. (Such as, “Egypt will wipe out Assyria.”)  (Isaiah 30:10-11)

And so God said that judgment would come as a result of their rebellion.

But God also told them,

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it…

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. 

For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for him!  (30:15, 18)

In other words, “Stop striving.  Stop trying to save yourself.  Stop relying on your own wisdom and strength to save you.  Repent.  Turn from your sins.  Rest in me.  Trust me.  And I will save you.”

God told them that he himself would cause Assyria to fall, that they didn’t need to trust in Egypt.  That he was God and Egypt was not.  (Isaiah 30:31-32, 31:3-5)

But as I said, Hezekiah didn’t listen. He made his alliance with Egypt, paying them a lot of money in order to do so.

But as God warned them, Egypt fell at the hands of Assyria and was unable to help Judah.

So when Hezekiah was force to pay tribute to Assyria, he didn’t have enough because of the money he had paid Egypt. That’s why he was forced to strip the temple of its gold and silver in order to pay the tribute.

And even after he paid the tribute, Assyria came to attack.

Only then did Hezekiah finally repent. And when he did, God as he promised delivered Judah.

What can we take from this?  All of us go through hard times in our lives.  And it’s so easy to rely on ourselves. 

But God longs to help us.  To work in our lives that all may go well with us.  And as he told Hezekiah and the Israelites, so he tells us:

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.  How gracious he will be when you cry for help!  As soon as he hears, he will answer you.  

Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.  

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:19-21)

God whispers his words of wisdom and comfort to us.  The only question is, will we listen?  And will we rely on him, rather than ourselves?

Categories
Isaiah

Blind and ignorant

Isaiah

Why doesn’t God just show himself?  If he truly exists, why doesn’t he just make it crystal clear so that I can know, not just guess or hope?

Sometimes people, both believers and unbelievers ask this question.  There are a number of answers I suppose we could give to this.

But there’s one question that the person who asks this should ask themselves:  If God did really reveal himself in that way, would you really follow him?  Or are you just making a convenient excuse for not doing so?

The truth is that God has revealed himself in more visible ways in the past, and for a number of people, it didn’t make the slightest difference in whether they followed him or not.

God, for instance, delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt using incredible signs and wonders.  Time and again, he miraculously provided for them in the desert. 

If that wasn’t enough, there was always a pillar of cloud and fire in the midst of their camp to remind the Israelites of God’s presence among them. 

Yet time and again, they failed to believe in him, and time and time again, they outright rebelled against him.

Then in the New Testament, God himself showed up among the Israelites.  The one they had been praying for appeared. 

He performed miracles among them, and spoke such words of wisdom that even the wisest and most knowledgeable among them were reduced to silence whenever they tried to argue with him. 

Did that make them want to follow him?  No.  Instead they crucified him.

That kind of attitude is also seen here in this passage where Isaiah condemns Ariel, which was another name for Jerusalem. 

“Ariel” literally means, “Lion of God,” although Isaiah seems to use this name sarcastically in the passage.

Because although they claimed to be the Lion of God, they were living their own way.  Isaiah put it this way,

The Lord says:  “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”  (Isaiah 29:13)

And so God warned them of the judgment that was coming, first on Jerusalem, and then after Jerusalem had been humbled, upon their enemies.

But despite all of Isaiah’s warnings, Israel was blind to the danger that was there.  Why?  Isaiah said,

The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers).  (10)

“Wait a minute!” you might say. 

“That’s not fair.  God blinded them and then punished them for not seeing?  How is that fair?”

But the truth is that the Israelites did not want to see.  They did not want to know.  Isaiah said,

Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless (9)

In other words, God was saying, “Do you wish not to see?  Do you wish to close your eyes to the truth?  Fine.  You won’t see it.”

Isaiah goes further, saying that for these Israelites, his words would be like a sealed scroll.  And for some people, they wouldn’t read, making the excuse that it was sealed. 

Perhaps this has the idea that the meaning of the prophesy was too difficult for them. 

Others would say, “Sorry, I can’t read, so I can’t tell you what it says.”

But in each case, there is the underlying idea that they really didn’t want to understand.  If they had, they would sought for someone with understanding to explain the scroll. 

If they really wanted to understand, they would have sought to learn how to read it themselves. 

But instead, they said, “Sorry, I don’t understand.” 

Or  “Sorry I can’t read.”

And they simply walked away.

Many Israelites were like that in Jesus’ time.  Jesus told them a parable, and while they liked the stories, many didn’t understand it.  But instead of seeking understanding, they just walked away. 

Jesus’ disciples on the other hand, sought understanding, and so they asked questions.  When they did, Jesus answered them, and they gained the understanding they had lacked.

Many people today look at the Bible and say, “It’s too difficult.  I can’t understand it.”  But instead of seeking understanding and asking for help, they simply walk away. 

That’s blinding yourself.  That’s making yourself willfully ignorant.  And God says, “If that’s the way you want to be fine.  But judgment is still coming.  And you will be judged.”

How about you?  Do you blind yourself to God’s will?  Are you willfully ignorant of God’s word?  If so, God won’t force himself upon you.  He’ll let you stay blind and ignorant.

But if you’ll only look, and if you’ll truly seek, God will reveal himself to you as he will with the Jews someday.  Isaiah wrote,

In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.  (Isaiah 29:18)

And again,

Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.  (24)

Let us not be blind and ignorant.  Let us instead seek God that we may live.

Categories
2 Kings

God’s perfect timing

2 Kings

The story here is an interesting on a couple of levels. 

First, the issue of Gehazi.  The last we saw of him, he had been struck with leprosy for his deception of Naaman in chapter 5. 

Now he’s seen here talking to King Joram about Elisha.

There are several possibilities. 

One is that the story is not in chronological order, so that this incident happened before Gehazi’s leprosy.

Another possibility is that God relented and healed him. 

One interesting rabbinic theory is that the four lepers in chapter 7 were Gehazi and his sons, and that because of their actions, God healed them. 

There are other possibilities as well, but I would say these are the two most likely.

The second thing that’s interesting about this story is God’s timing.

Here is this Shunnamite woman, who had been warned by Elisha to leave the country because of the famine to come. 

When she comes back, apparently her husband had died in Philistia, and she and her son had come to the king to beg for their house and land back.

At the exact moment they walk in, there is Gehazi talking to the king about how Elisha had raised this woman’s son from the dead.

Imagine the shock on Gehazi’s face when he recognized her. 

“This is the woman, my lord the king!  And this is her son whom Elisha restored to life!”  (2 Kings 8:5)

The king questioned her about the incident and apparently was so impressed, that he immediately took care of this woman’s case, restoring her land and everything that belonged to her.

God’s timing is always impeccable. 

I can think of so many times in my life, when things fell into place at just the right time. 

When I think, for example, of how God brought my wife and I together, it particularly amazes me. (But that’s a story for another time).

But I have to admit, in the midst of trial, it can be difficult to wait.  Sometimes, it’s tempting to try to move ahead of God’s timing, and to force things to happen. 

I was talking with a guy who really wants to get married, but right now things don’t seem to be moving in that area. 

Many single Christians in Japan get tired of waiting and force the issue, getting married to a non-Christian. 

Only they find that when they do so, they’ve just replaced one problem with another, bigger problem.

Let us always remember that God’s timing is perfect. 

As David wrote,

I am still confident of this: 
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.  (Psalm 27:13-14)

Categories
2 Kings

Out of patience, low on faith

2 Kings

The respite that the Israelites gained from the kindness they showed to the Arameans didn’t last long. 

Once again, the king of Aram led another assault on Samaria, the capital of Israel, laying siege to it.  As a result, no food was coming into the city, leaving the people starving.

Things got so bad, that one woman complained to the king about a horrid agreement she had made with another woman:  She cooked her own baby and they ate it, agreeing to cook and eat the other woman’s baby the next day. 

But the second woman hid her child, and so the first woman brought the case before the king, asking for justice.

What did King Joram do?  He placed blame on God and the prophet Elisha, saying,

May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today. (2 Kings 6:31)

He then went in search of Elisha to kill him.  When he found him, he told Elisha,

This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer? (2 Kings 6:33)

In other words, “Elisha, I’m out of patience, and low on faith.  Why should I follow God any longer when things are going so badly?”

Yet one wonders what Joram was doing long before this? 

Had he sought Elisha’s advice before?  Had he sought the word of the Lord before this? 

In all probability, he hadn’t.  Instead, he had tried to handle his problems his own way, and in his own wisdom. 

Now that he realized that he couldn’t handle things, he still didn’t seek God.  Rather, he tried to place blame on God once again for his bad decisions. 

(You remember he did this before when he led an attack with Jehoshaphat on Moab in chapter 3 of 2 Kings).

When Elisha told Joram God would take care of the situation, Joram apparently took his word for it, but one of his officers had also apparently run out of faith and muttered to the king his doubts concerning Elisha’s words.

So Elisha basically told him, “You will see God’s deliverance, but you will not get to enjoy the benefits of it.”  (2 Kings 7:2)

God did deliver the people, and while Joram’s officer stood at the gate watching the people rush out of the city, he got trampled and died.

What can we learn from this? 

How much faith do we have when things aren’t going well?  Do we just give up?  Not only on the situation, but on God? 

Or do we keep trusting him, even though we can’t see how he could possibly deliver us?

It’s easy to believe in God when things are going well. 

Do we continue to believe in him when things are not?

Categories
2 Kings

Eyes that see beyond

Elisha and chariots of fire

I can’t say I read this story very often, nor do I think I’ve ever heard it preached on in Japan in the 17 years I’ve been here.  But I’ve got to say it’s probably one of my favorite stories in the Bible. 

It’s one of my favorites because it’s one of the few times we catch a glimpse of the spiritual world that surrounds us.

Here are Elisha and his servant surrounded by the enemy, and it seems that they’re in deep trouble. 

But while Elisha’s servant is panicking, Elisha never blinks an eye.  Why? 

Because he saw beyond what his servant saw. 

His servant could only see the enemy around them.  Elisha saw an even greater army surrounding them, an army on his side. 

He prayed, “Lord, open my servant’s eyes.” 

And when he did, his servant saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)

I have to admit, I worry and fret about a lot of things.  At work and at home, it’s easy to see the problems that I have and have them consume my thoughts. 

How I long to have the eyes of Elisha.  Eyes that see beyond my circumstances, to the God who is greater than any problem that I could possibly have.

Categories
2 Kings

The God who preserves, the God who provides

2 Kings

In these two short stories, we see the loving care of God.

In the first, in the midst of a famine, Elisha has his servant prepare a stew for a company of prophets that were meeting with him.

But unbeknownst to the servant, he put in a some kind of herb or gourd that was poisonous.

The men realized this while eating and cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” (2 Kings 4:40)

But God in his love preserved their lives, and not only that, turned what was poisonous into something that sustained them.

In the second story, we see a situation very similar to what Jesus did twice in the New Testament.

Someone brought bread to Elisha, but he didn’t feel right about keeping it all to himself.

So he told his servant to divide it among the 100 men that were there, saying, “This is what the Lord says, ‘They will eat and have some left over.'”  (43)

And that’s exactly what happened.

Right now, my wife and I are somewhat concerned about our finances, and so my wife is looking for a job right now to help supplement our income.

And there are specific things that we need in terms of her working hours and conditions in order for it to all come together.

But we believe that God is the one who will provide.

We are grateful that he has provided all these years up until now, and based on that, we will trust in him.

It’s not always easy.  But if he could provide for Elisha, and watch over his life and the life of his men, I believe he can do the same for us.

Categories
1 Kings

Leaving all behind to follow

Elisha

I’ve always thought about this story whenever I read the story of the man Jesus called to follow him. 

The man said,

“I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” 

Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:61-62)

The parallel cannot be escaped.  Here Elijah calls Elisha to succeed him as prophet, and Elisha answers,

Let me kiss my father and mother good-by, and then I will come with you. (1 Kings 19:20)

And Elijah allowed it.

What was the difference? 

I suppose one difference was who was doing the calling.  Jesus certainly commands higher respect than Elijah does. 

But I think it was more a matter of the heart. 

I think the man who spoke to Jesus was reluctant to go because he would miss his family.  And Jesus didn’t want someone who would always be looking back to where he came from. 

He wanted someone who would instead be focusing on what Jesus was calling him to do.

And if you look at Elisha, that’s exactly the type of person he was. 

Here was this man for whom farming was his life.  But what did he do when Elijah called him?  He slaughtered the oxen that he had owned and burned up the plow, using the fire to cook the oxen.  And after that, he left all to follow Elijah.

For Elisha, there was no looking back once he started to follow Elijah.  Once he burned everything, there was nothing to look back to.

And that’s how God wants us to be. 

Not looking back longingly at our past life.  But looking at the one who loved us and redeemed us. 

Not holding on to what we once had. But leaving all behind to follow him.

I remember hearing a message once about being a missionary in Japan.  My pastor said something I’ve never forgotten. 

He said, if you’re going to be a missionary in Japan, don’t have a plan B (that is, going back home).  Only have a plan A (that is, staying in Japan permanently). 

If God gives you plan B later, that’s fine.  But don’t come thinking that if things get tough, you’ll go to plan B. 

This is especially important in Japan where relationships take time to develop and are very important to the Japanese people.

From that point on, I determined to stick with plan A, and God has blessed.

How about you?  Have you left all to follow Jesus?  Or are you always looking back?

Remember the words of Paul who wrote,

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3:13-14)

Categories
1 Kings

The one who is truly God

1 Kings

And so we come to one of the great confrontations in the Bible, Elijah and the prophets of Baal (and Asherah — funny how that often got lost every time I heard the story as a child).

Elijah, starts, however, not by confronting the prophets, but the people of Israel. 

Apparently, they had continued the practices started under Jeroboam, not totally abandoning the worship of Yahweh, but mixing it in with the worship of other “gods.” 

And so Elijah challenges them saying,

How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.  (1 Kings 18:21)

I kind of wonder if the people had started to doubt God’s existence. 

Perhaps the reason that they worshiped both Yahweh and Baal (and Asherah) is because they wondered if either really existed. 

At any rate, when Elijah challenged them, they said…nothing.

Then the contest began.  The prophets of Baal started to dance around, praying, cutting themselves, desperately trying to get their god’s attention. 

Elijah started mocking them, asking them if perhaps Baal was asleep or using the bathroom.  And so they got even more frantic in their prayers. 

But as the Bible says,

There was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.  (29)

Finally, Elijah had enough.  He rebuilt the altar of God, put on the bull, had the people even pour buckets of water over the sacrifice, and then he prayed. 

The moment he finished praying, fire came down from heaven and completely consumed the sacrifice. 

As a result, the people cried out,

The Lord–he is God! The Lord–he is God! (39)

And so he is.  He is not a god formed out of wood or stone.  He is not the figment of our imagination.  He is a God who sees, who hears, and who acts.

If there was any doubt in Ahab’s mind left, God dispelled it by sending rain in torrents as Ahab was going home.  It was the first time in three years that rain had fallen.

And yet, he refused to follow God even then.  Instead, he continued to live on in his wicked ways.

How about you?  There is only one God.  But do you follow him?  Or are you like the people of Israel, doubting his existence?  Are you like Ahab, who despite all the evidence refused to follow after him?

Let us not live in doubt.  Let us not live in rebellion.  Rather let us live in faith, trusting and following hard after God.

Categories
Genesis

Aliens and Strangers

Genesis

In Japan, I’m considered to have come from another planet. I can prove it. I have my own “alien registration card.”

I heard that not long ago, when people came into a Japanese airport, when passing through immigration, there was a line for Japanese and one for “aliens.”

They’ve since changed that to “foreigners,” but according to my card I’m still an “alien.”

Anyway, that’s what Abraham was in the land of Canaan. He was in the place God had led him to, and God had promised to give that land to his descendants as an inheritance.

But that time had not come yet. And so when Abraham’s wife Sarah died, he had no place to bury her, and he had to buy land in which to bury her.

When he went to the Hittites, he said, “I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.” (verse 4). And they kindly allowed him to buy some property.

Abraham died and was buried there too, never actually having received the promise, but waiting in hope for that day to come. In Hebrews 11, it says,

By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God…

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.

And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.

If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:9–16)

Shortly after I moved to Japan, my brother moved to the Big Island of Hawaii. My sister and her family followed, and then my parents eventually moved there as well. Now when I go back to Oahu, I have no home. It’s kind of sad.

When I visit my old neighborhood and pass by my old house, someone else lives there, and the place looks different now. It’s not my home anymore.

But then again, it never was. This world is just a place we’re visiting for a short time. We’re aliens and strangers in a land where we don’t truly belong. Instead, our true home awaits for us in heaven.

So the question is where is your heart? Is it here on this earth? Are your thoughts consumed only with life here? Or is your true home where your heart is?

Sometimes people think that if you’re too heavenly-minded, you’re no earthly good. But as C.S. Lewis put it,

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.

The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven.

It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. (Mere Christianity — Essay on Hope)

Lewis is right. When our hearts are set on heaven, all our priorities fall into place. When our hearts are set on earth, that’s when our priorities and our lives become a mess.

Where is your heart? Are your priorities in this life right?

As the old Petra song says,

We are envoys, we must tarry
With this message we must carry

There’s so much to do before we leave
With so many more who may believe

Our mission here can never fail
And the gates of hell will not prevail

We are strangers; we are aliens
We are not of this world.

Categories
Genesis

Believing God

Genesis

Sometimes, believing God can be pretty difficult. We know God’s promises. We know what he has said. And yet, our circumstances can sometimes make it difficult to hold on to these things.

In Japan, for instance, the population of Christians is very small, less than one percent. And the ratio of female to male Christians in Japan is highly disproportionate in favor of the women.

This is great for the men, I suppose, but a big problem for women who are looking for someone to marry.

They know God’s admonition not to marry a non-Christian, but with the choices so limited, it’s sometimes difficult to believe God will provide someone, especially if they’ve been waiting a long time.

And so I know a number of Japanese women who just gave up and married a non-Christian.

Unfortunately, many of them find that while they’ve solved one problem, they’ve invited a number of other problems into their lives as they deal with living with a man who is not following Christ, and all the pressures and struggles that come with it.

Abram faced a similar choice. To believe God or not. God had promised him that if he would leave his land and go where God told him, that he would become a great nation. But at this point, he was in his seventies, and he still didn’t have a son.

Now God comes again and says to him, “I am your great reward” (NIV) or “Your reward will be very great.” (NASB)

I tend to think the latter translation is better, considering Abram’s response.

Abram basically answered, “How can you say that? I don’t have any kids. I’m getting up there in age. Everything I have is going to be inherited by my servant? How can you say my reward is going to be great? Where is the blessing that you promised me.”

God answered, “This man won’t be your heir. Look at the sky. Count all the stars in the sky if you can. That’s what your descendants will be like.”

That must have been tough to swallow. “I have no kids. My wife is getting older. And my descendants are going to be like the stars in the sky?”

But Abram made a decision. What was it?

“I’m going to choose to believe God.”

Abraham was not perfect. He failed many times in his life. There were many times he didn’t trust in God.

His failures with Pharaoh and Abimelech were just two of them. But at this place, and at this time, he said, “I’m going to choose to believe God.”

And that pleased God.

More than anything else, God wants us to trust him. It was what he asked of Adam and Eve.

“You can eat from any tree in the garden, but don’t eat from that tree. Trust me. I’m only looking out for your best.”

And it was broken trust that led to their broken relationship with him.

In Hebrews 11:6, it says,

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Most of us believe that God exists. But do we really believe that he is looking out for our best? Do we really believe that he will reward us if we trust him? That’s the key question.

For many of the Japanese women that married non-Christians, the answer was no.

It’s hard to condemn them because loneliness is a difficult thing. And when you’ve been waiting a long time with no end in sight, it gets very hard to believe anymore.

Even Abraham had trouble believing under those circumstances as chapter 16 bears out.

But if we want a close relationship with God, we need to settle this one question in our heart. “Do I believe him?”

Maybe you have failed in the past. You didn’t trust him, and you made bad decisions as a result.

Take heart from the life of Abraham. He also made bad decisions because he didn’t trust God. But God didn’t give up on him. And he won’t give up on you.

If you want to get right with God, all you have to do is come to him and say, “God, I’ve failed. I’m sorry. But I come to you today, and I just want to say, ‘I believe in you.'”

And just as God credited Abraham with righteousness for his faith despite his failures, he will do the same with you.

Categories
Genesis

By faith

Genesis

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20)

It’s nice to see in this passage that there was reconciliation between Adam and Eve after the fall.

I kind of wonder, however, when Adam actually gave her the name Eve? Did he just call her “woman” all this time?

Still, I love the name he gave her. Eve literally means “Living.”

I get the impression from the passage that Adam gave her that name when God promised to bring a Savior through her seed. And when Adam heard that, he named his wife Eve, saying “Through you comes life.”

Is there a more beautiful name he could’ve given her?

Anyway, I digress. As I read the story of Cain and Abel, the obvious question pops up. Why did God accept Abel’s offering and not Cain’s?

Some people think it’s because it was a sin offering and therefore had to be a blood offering. Others think it’s because Cain didn’t offer his firstfruits.

What we do know for certain is what the author of Hebrews wrote:

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.

And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:4 (NIV)

Whatever the exact reason was, it’s clear that Abel offered his sacrifice in faith. Cain did not.

Maybe for Cain, it became just a habit. Maybe he couldn’t see the point of giving his best to God. Maybe he just couldn’t see why the sacrifices had to be a blood offering.

But whatever his reasons, his attitude did not please God.

I have to wonder sometimes how often I make unacceptable offerings to God.

I must admit that sometimes I’ve seen tithes as a kind of a tax. One of those unpleasant things that is very painful to do, but I kind of have to do.

Yet that’s not really giving by faith, is it?

The apostle Paul writes in II Corinthians 9:7,

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Too often I’m not giving cheerfully, but reluctantly. I still struggle with that sometimes…actually to be honest, I struggle with it often.

At a time when it’s hard to save any money, it’s easy to look back and count all the money I’ve given to the church.

So the question is, “Why am I giving? Is it because I have to? Or because I want to?”

I sometimes also wonder how often I offer prayers unacceptable to God. Sometimes when I’m praying over the food, I find myself just saying words.

Or when we’re praying in church, I find my mind starting to wander. I can’t say that I’m praying by faith in those situations either.

God forgive me. Help me to never have the attitude of Cain which takes you lightly. Which despises you. Which makes prayer a dead ritual. Which makes giving tithes a tax that’s painful to give.

Instead let me have the heart of Abel, who gave every offering out of a heart of faith and who did everything out of his love for you.