Years ago I served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy.  My first duty station was at a Naval hospital on a Marine Corps base.  One day I was talking to a second lieutenant about athletes and I mentioned the leaping ability of a certain male ballet dancer.  The marine officer became very agitated and blurted out, “That’s impossible!  If he could leap that high he would be a basketball player or an Olympic high-jumper!”  So much for a high view of artistic expression…

We may smile and shake our heads when we hear such silliness; but, truth be told, from time to time each of us is guilty of this kind of categorical rejection of anything beyond the realm of our experience.  And, of course, we often speak in absolute terms to emphasize whatever point we are trying to make.  Recently my wife reminded me of a time when I had to write a very difficult research paper.  I came to her and said, “This is impossible!  I can’t do it.”  Then I went back to the computer and did it.  It wasn’t that I accomplished the impossible—I just chipped away at the difficult until the possible overtook the impossible.

But there are things in life that truly are impossible.  A few examples come quickly to mind.  A virgin cannot conceive a child while remaining a virgin.  The dead cannot come back to life.  And no man or woman can save themselves from sin, death, and eternal punishment.  These are impossibilities for us.  They are not impossible for God—nothing is impossible for God.  When God arrives on the scene the possible overtakes the impossible!

God Incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ, was born of a virgin (see Luke 1:26-45).  Jesus not only raised the dead to life (see Luke 8:49-55; Luke 7:11-17), but He Himself was raised from the dead (see Matthew 28; Mark 6; Luke 24; John 10:17-18; John 20; Acts 4:8-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Revelation 1:12-18).  And through believing in Jesus Christ, by trusting in His Name and His substitutionary death, God saves men and women from sin, from death, and from eternal punishment:

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12 ESV)

Saving souls from sin and death is something only God can do.  I cannot save myself.  You cannot save yourself.  The law of Moses could not save sinners.  No man or institution can save you from sin and death.  But when Jesus Christ came into the world and fulfilled all the law of Moses, He was deemed worthy to be the Lamb without spot or blemish.  Only Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), could make the perfect sacrifice for sin. When God poured out His wrath for the sins of the world upon His Son, and then raised Christ to life, the possible overtook the impossible!

            ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. (Jeremiah 32:17 ESV)

Are you faced with an impossibility in your life just now?  With God all things are possible.  Do you find yourself overwhelmed by circumstances bearing down upon you?  Nothing is too hard for God.  Are you confronted by the limits of your own abilities?  God has made the heavens and the earth by His great power and outstretched arm.  God has overcome sin and death.

When we find ourselves in difficult situations, when impossibilities seem to cascade down upon our heads, there is a strong and immediate temptation to engineer our own deliverance.  Yet, these are the very times when we need to transcend our immediate circumstances, to rise above the fray so that we can see and think clearly.  But how to do that?         

            Who among you fears the LORD

                        and obeys the voice of his servant?

            Let him who walks in darkness

                        and has no light

            trust in the name of the LORD

                        and rely on his God.

(Isaiah 50:10 ESV)

What does it mean that we trust in the name of the Lord and rely on our God?  To trust in the name of the Lord actually means that we are trusting in all that God is—His name represents His character—all that God is in all His attributes.  To rely on God means to depend on Him with full confidence that God is who He says He is and that God will do what He says He will do.  What does this trust and reliance look like?  Here are a few practical aspects of trusting in the name of the Lord God and relying upon our God:

1. We must train ourselves to ask for God’s help as the first resort, the only resort—not the last resort.  When we are in crisis mode our training kicks in.  If we have not invested in spiritual training for our souls ahead of time, we will resort to our own thoughts and schemes.  Our spiritual survival depends upon our souls being trained to seek after hard wisdom instead of easy answers.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

            and why are you in turmoil within me?

     Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

                 my salvation and my God.

     (Psalm 42:5 ESV)

2. We remind ourselves that we trust in God to save us in two ways:  He is the only one who can or has rescued us from sin and death through the substitutionary death of His Son, Jesus Christ; and, God is the only one who can save or rescue us out of the circumstances of life that seem to conspire against our survival.  It also means that we rely upon God, not upon our own cleverness or the schemes of other fallen creatures.

           The LORD is my light and my salvation;

                      whom shall I fear?

          The LORD is the stronghold of my life;

                      of whom shall I be afraid?

                            (Psalm 27:1 ESV)

3. When we bring our concerns to God, the burden for resolving our situation is lifted from our shoulders, allowing peace to quiet the chaos of our hearts and minds.  This, in turn, positions us to hear God’s thoughts on our situation.  Jesus invites His disciples to come.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)

4. By trusting in the name of the Lord and relying on our God, we humble ourselves before God and testify to family, friends, and foes alike that we are able to transcend our immediate circumstances only by the grace of our gracious God.  Furthermore, any victory we experience in our situation is a gift freely bestowed upon us from above.

 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

5. By relying upon the Lord to work out the solution to our circumstances, we are assured of the best possible outcome.

           For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

                      neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

          For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

                      so are my ways higher than your ways

                      and my thoughts than your thoughts.

                                   (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)

The list could go on indefinitely, but the point is this: when we trust in the name of the Lord and rely on our God, light begins to dawn upon our circumstances.  We are preparing for the possible to overtake the impossible.

A final point I want to make has to do with this idea of the possible overtaking the impossible.  What this often means in the humdrum of daily living is that by inclining our hearts to God in earnest and humble supplication, God graciously gives us a completely unexpected viewpoint on our situation.  Maybe we have to make a momentous decision affecting our family’s future and there appear to be only two choices: bad and worse.  As we seek the mind of the Lord, perhaps a previously unexplored option comes to mind or some crucial factor that was overlooked in our discussions. Or, more humbling still, one of the kids says, “What about thus and such…?”  A solution so simple only a child could think of it!

God is God of the possible and the impossible, but it seems to me that He must see Himself only as God of the possible, since nothing is impossible for Him.  But please don’t misconstrue what I am saying.  This is not a message about the spectacular overtaking the mundane!  In fact, most of the time when the possible overtakes the impossible, our circumstances do not show any outward signs of change.  We may still appear to be in an impossible situation, but our minds and hearts are suddenly infused with the assurance that God has made a way where there did not appear to be a way.  It is now possible for us to go on.  This is what Paul wrote to encourage the Corinthian believers:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

When you are walking in the darkness of temptation and have no light and you trust in the name of the Lord and rely on your God, He will provide a way out.  In this passage, Paul does not say that God will rescue your out of your situation, but that the possible will overtake the impossible.  When you are hard pressed to see a way out of the temptation, God will provide the necessary light in the darkness (a way out) to enable you to get your spiritual breath and mental bearings again (so that you can stand up under it).  Yes, there are times when God will lift you out of the situation, but the usual path for the disciple is to learn to draw upon the strength and wisdom of God in order to stand up under it.  This path provides us with truly God-glorifying testimonies that impart life to our spiritual family.

There is nothing of the spectacular hinted at here, just the possible.  But when the possible overtakes the impossible even in the tiniest details of life, that is the truly spectacular.  That is the grace of God in the life of His people.

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria!

(1 Peter 5:7 ESV)

One of the many effects of the Fall is that we actually believe the illusion that we govern our own lives.  As Charles Spurgeon once remarked, “The armor-bearer of Sin is Self-confidence.”  In the pride and arrogance of our sinful hearts, we are convinced that we have sufficient power and inner resources to alleviate our current woes and prevent future unpleasant situations.  Yet, how often does the illusion translate into worry and anxiety in our daily experience!  God allowed David to peer through the fog of illusion in his own life, resulting in his emotional confession:

 When I am afraid,

I put my trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

(Psalm 56:3-4 ESV) 

David, the warrior king of Israel, came to the realization that neither his courage nor his skill as a warrior could overcome the fears in his own heart.  Now, lest anyone think David was merely waxing poetic during a lazy afternoon interlude, let me provide the context for this confession.  At the time David wrote this Psalm, he had already been anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel at God’s direction.  But there was a problem with this: Saul was still the reigning king.  The effects of sin had caused Saul’s mind to deteriorate; his heart was hardened and he directed a jealous rage against David (whom he saw as a threat to his position as king).  Saul pursued David through the Judean hill country with the express purpose of killing David, thus securing his throne and his power.

Saul had a network of spies who reported on David’s whereabouts, so that David was not safe anywhere in Israel for long.  In an effort to preserve his life (without threatening the life of Saul—the Lord’s anointed), David fled from the frying pan into the fire.  He went to Gath and to Achish the king, avowed enemies of Israel.  David’s reception by Achish so terrified him that he pretended to be insane—scratching at the doors of the city gate, drooling, and doing whatever it took to convince Achish that he had lost his mind.

And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

            ‘Saul has struck down his thousands,

                        and David his ten thousands’?”

And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” (1 Samuel 21:10-15 ESV)

Thinking that David had lost his mind, Achish allowed David to leave Gath, unharmed.  This is one of many episodes in David’s life that reinforce the truth that God cares for His own.

It is only God’s favor (grace) that allows us to stand today and to have hope for tomorrow.  David was no match for Goliath—it was God’s power working through David that gave him the victory over a much more powerful opponent.  David was no match for the wrath of Saul and the army of Israel.  David was no match for Achish, king of Gath, and his army—sworn enemies of Israel.  More to the point, David’s inner resources were no match for the even greater opponent—sin.  Neither was he a match for the consequences of his sin (consider just a few examples from David’s life: his adultery with Bathsheba, the murder of her husband, Uriah, the machinations of his rebellious sons).  Through it all, God enabled David to see that God Himself was his strength and the stronghold of his life.

God is also the one who enables us to see that He cares for us and that our trust in Him is not misplaced.  Such knowledge is wonderfully liberating.  If God cares for us, how will a life of care and worry on our part accomplish anything worthy of Him?  And, if God cares for us, that lifts a burden from our hearts and minds, which allows us to pursue the good works that God has created beforehand for us to walk in (see Ephesians 2:10).  We cannot be wholeheartedly devoted to God’s purposes for us if our hearts are divided. 

            Teach me your way, O LORD,

                        that I may walk in your truth;

                        unite my heart to fear your name.

(Psalm 86:11 ESV)

The need for God’s grace is never more apparent in our lives than when we think our own strength has sustained us, or that we can make it on our own.  Every follower of Jesus Christ has need of this truth—God cares for His own. Worry, anxiety, and “the cares of this world” cannot compare to the grace of God.  Jesus Christ allows no room for misunderstanding on this point:  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:27 ESV).

Even more important than consideration of our physical and emotional quality of life, however, is the ultimate consideration of our spiritual quality of life.  When examined in the light of Scripture, worry and anxiety are expressions of a sinful mindset… For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23b ESV).  And to be clear, biblical faith is not some formula or adherence to certain words that have the power to create reality—that is misdirected naiveté, at best—it is certainly not the Gospel.

Biblical faith is a rock-solid trust in God and in His ability to care for His own.  So when Paul tells us that “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” he is getting at the heart of the matter.  Worry and anxiety are not so much rooted in fear and insecurity as in a pride in our own ability to take care of ourselves, our tendency to trust not in God but in the arm of the flesh.

We all are confronted every day with temptations to worry about a multitude of issues in our lives—money, health, our spouse, children, grandchildren, problems at work or concerns about  the economy.  These are real concerns that are a constant source of temptation to worry, to be anxious, to be overcome with fear.  But God knows our needs—even our need for assurance and re-assurances.  He has graciously provided a way in which to handle these concerns: prayer.  One of the most difficult lessons for Christians to master is turning to God when we are tempted to “go it on our own”.  This independent spirit is the antithesis of a maturing faith.

God cares for His own and when we develop the habit of humbly trusting Him in the complex issues of life, we begin to see an amazing strengthening of heart and mind.  What we find is that God has not changed, our situation may not have changed, but our perspective has changed.  We begin to see the timeless truth that God cares for His own as expressed in the wonderful hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.” 

“Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,

Shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!

Hast thou not seen

How thy desires e’er have been

Granted in what he ordaineth?”

By trusting God unconditionally, we position ourselves to receive clarity and understanding—God’s perspective, if you will.  Somehow, God changes our view of our situation so that we perceive beyond our situation that these very circumstances are ordained by God and that our desires have been granted in what God has ordained.  We must learn to make the connections between what we ask and what God gives. This kind of wisdom is foolishness to the world, but a cherished anchor for the soul who trusts in God.

God’s word is clear on this point: our anxiety and worry do effect a change in our situation, but only in negative directions.  Only God has the power and ability to bring about positive change both within us and in our external environment.  David learned this crucial lesson while on the run from Saul and through many other episodes in his life.  This is the same young man who had been the subject of songs of heroism in Israel:

            And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,

            “Saul has struck down his thousands,

                        and David his ten thousands.”

(1 Samuel 18:7 ESV)

This is the same David who, as a youth, had fearlessly fought bears and lions when they attacked his father’s sheep.  It is this same David who later confessed, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”  We are so accustomed to hearing Old Testament narratives presented as Sunday School stories for children that it is easy to forget these are true accounts of real people.  David had the same kinds of dreams, the same kinds of hopes, and even the same kinds of fears that we experience.  But somewhere along the line, David had learned this comforting truth: God cares for His own.

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  But those who place their trust in Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation experience the grace of God without measure.  Yes, we still sin, but we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous Son of God.  And our daily struggle against worry and anxiety are constant reminders of our need for forgiveness and for the wonderful provision of the grace of God that is more than sufficient for our every need.

The reality is that while we live in this fallen world we all have opportunities to fear, to  worry, and to be anxious.  Yet in Jesus Christ we find a peace that transcends our fears and cares.  Jesus’ own words to us cut through the illusions of our paltry resources: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)

God cares for His own!

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33 ESV)

 Soli Deo Gloria!

The title for this message comes from a talk given by Oswald Chambers at the YMCA hut in Zeitoun,Egypt in 1917 during WWI.  The men who heard this message were disciplined men, fighting men, men who lived with death as a daily reality.  And they were men, for the most part, with no illusions about their own invincibility.  Many of theses soldiers craved spiritual reality—truth that would sustain them to the grave and beyond.  And so they would descend upon the YMCA hut daily to hear the truth of God’s Word spoken plainly by Oswald Chambers.

To be disinclined to do something means that we are not inclined or don’t want to do a thing.  The phrase “going over the neck of our disinclination” conveys a battle image that is just as relevant to daily life in our 21^st Century world as it was to a world engulfed in a global war in 1917.   In ancient times, kings would step on the necks of their defeated enemies—a sign of triumph for the victor and an act of humiliation for the vanquished.  Such an act of power and authority served as a very public reminder to friend and foe alike that the king ruled with an iron will and the armed might to carry out that will.

This is the kind of radical resoluteness that should characterize the life of every Christian.  While we are not to impose our will in such a manner upon others, we are to be resolute in our fight against sin.  We must be prepared to go over the neck of our disinclination wherever and whenever we find ourselves refusing to follow God.  Truth be told, we all have little tribal territories in our hearts—personal fiefdoms over which we believe we have the right to rule; and which we are disinclined to abandon to our greater King.  It is just here, in our feudal territories of pride, that we must go over the neck of our disinclination.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other ….(Matthew 6:24 ESV)

Jesus was speaking about serving God or money—but the principle holds true for self as well.  You cannot love God and be self-serving.  Beware of the stiff neck of disinclination that says, “That’s just the way I am!”  If that is the banner you march under, then defeat is just a matter of time.

Here is a New Year’s Resolution worthy of God’s children:

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12 ESV)

God has given us spiritual weapons to fight the good fight of the faith because He wants us to overcome the forces of evil (see Ephesians 6:10-20).  You can ask God for light and the discernment to see where your battle lines are weak.  Ask God to show you how and where you are not inclined to fight the good fight of the faith.  Resolve to ask God to help you this year to go over the neck of your disinclination!

Soli Deo Gloria!

A  man was framing in a new wall in his basement and was pleased that his DIY project would not only be much cheaper than paying a contractor to do it, but it would be faster, too.  And he was in a hurry.  He had calculated how many 2x4s he needed to do the job and was putting the last one in place…but it didn’t fit.  Shaking his head in disbelief he told his wife, “I can’t understand it—I cut it twice and it’s still too short!”

The man’s problem was that he didn’t measure correctly.  He was in such a hurry to get the job done that he misread the tape measure.  As you might expect, the 2×4 did not fit—mistake number one.  But what made matters worse (and, in this case, more humorous) is that the man made an impulsive judgment and cut a too-short piece of wood even shorter—mistake number two.

Many of us can identify with this kind of humorous anecdote because we’ve done something similar at least once in our past.  Of course, it is to be hoped that we have also learned from our mistakes in this regard and remember that it is important to measure correctly.  Thus the wisdom of the time honored adage, “Measure twice, cut once.”  Which is to say, use the correct measure and use the measure correctly.

In Luke 6:37-38, Jesus elaborates briefly on The Golden Rule (which we could just as easily call The Golden Measure)—“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12 ESV).  Jesus, in the passage from Luke, is describing a much more serious kind of measuring being measured out daily to each of us and from each of us—spiritual measures, emotional measures, sometimes even physical measures.  Daily activities may vary from person to person,  but we all are confronted on a fairly regular basis with situations that demand a measure from us.  Jesus makes it clear that whatever measure we use toward God and others will be measured back to us.

We all have ample opportunities every day to measure out judgment or mercy, condemnation or forgiveness, joy or bitterness.  We are also confronted with choices such as measuring out encouragement or discouragement, empathy or indifference, peace or contentiousness, and so on.

Often we are called upon to measure out restraint in ways we might not normally think important—such as taking the spotlight off ourselves long enough to allow someone else to share a story or a prayer need.  What about the small child having a hard day in a public setting, and the young parents who are attempting to address what they know to be a complex of issues that have produced the child’s behavior?  What are you measuring to the person struggling to express an area of need?  What are you measuring out to this child?  To these parents?

In striving to obey Jesus in the area of measure for measure, the guiding question for each of us is not, “How much can I get away with? or even, “What kind of measure do I want to receive?”   Both questions are self-serving—it’s all about me and what I want.  If we are going to obey Jesus’ teaching in this regard we need to get the spotlight off ‘self’ and on to God.  The guiding question we should be asking is, “What is God asking me to measure out to this person, at this time, in this particular situation?  And this introduces an entirely new aspect to relationships—redemptively extending grace and mercy with no thought for what I get out of the encounter.  Now we are using the correct rule and standard of measure.  And a lasting fruit of this practice is that we demonstrate to ourselves and to others the truth that we cannot out-give God.

It may be helpful at this point to acknowledge that, while this may seem like an easy question to pose, it is one of the more difficult questions to apply to life situations.  I do understand that!  For example, I know people who think nothing of commenting on one or another aspect of my life—not hesitating to make comments to me that they would never tolerate for a moment someone saying to them.  (Do I like it?  No! But I am learning—situation by situation—to see these measures in the light of God’s standard of measure.)  You probably can think of similar situations in your own life and relationships—situations which provide a convenient platform for a wide variety of self-serving comments.

At such times, it is easy to justify our reactions.  Yet these are the very times Jesus is referring to in the passages from Luke 6 and Matthew 7 quoted above.  It is easy to forgive when we don’t feel offended.  It is easy not to judge when we have no personal stake in a given situation.  It is easy to be generous when there is no personal cost to us.

But the life of a disciple has never been an easy calling—it requires denial of self: self-interests; self-preservation; self-promotion; and, self-justification.  It is hard to be a cheerful giver (freely giving a good measure) when we have been unfairly treated, when we have received a hurtful measure.  But these are the very experiences that provide opportunities to give a good measure.

One of life’s more difficult lessons comes when we are under this type of emotional pressure.  When we have been hurt or insulted or feel put upon in some way, it is natural to react.  But Jesus calls us to a higher standard—that of responding.  Reacting is natural and requires no learning period—it is almost an involuntary action—while learning to respond is super-natural (in the sense that it is the grace of God being poured out to us that allows us to rise above the heat of the moment and graciously give a good measure).  Responding takes self-control, a fruit of the Spirit which best matures under the pressure of daily living in a world where things go wrong, people disappoint us, grief assaults us, thoughtless words are spoken…and where needs are seen as opportunities to measure out kindness, understanding, comfort, and encouraging words (Proverbs 25:11).

God’s mercies toward us are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).  We have countless opportunities every day to measure back grace for a grace-less act or kindness for hurtful comments.  When we receive a measure, we have a great opening for changing the standard of measure for the other person, teaching mercy and forgiveness not by rebuking or lecturing, but by being merciful and forgiving.  It is important for us to learn to respond with a good measure in less-than-favorable circumstances.  Yet it is even more desirable to go beyond responding to taking the offensive in relationships by sowing good measures in the fields where you labor ahead of time.  This has the positive effect of developing spiritual awareness in us while demonstrating God’s love and concern to others around us.

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV)

When we understand the things freely given us by God, our understanding must be demonstrated through the way we live our lives.  We are to understand that we forgive because we have been forgiven, not because we deserved God’s forgiveness.  We are to understand that we extend mercy because we have received mercy, not because we deserved God’s mercy.  We are to understand that we must not condemn others, because we who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ have passed from death to life—our own condemnation has been set aside because the Son of God took our place as our sin-bearer (Romans 8:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Finally, we are to understand that God is graciously involved in our daily measures.  We cannot consistently measure out love, forgiveness, or mercy in our words and actions apart from the grace of God.  But God has given us His Spirit that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

Are we measuring out to others what we want measured back to us?  With God’s help we can answer in the affirmative.

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.    (Galatians 6:7-10 ESV)

 Soli Deo Gloria!

            the floods have lifted up their voice;

            the floods lift up their roaring.

            Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

            mightier than the waves of the sea,

                        the LORD on high is mighty!

(Psalm 93:3-4 ESV)

I still have vivid recollections of the only time I watched “Saving Private Ryan.”  Being a history enthusiast and having read many books on military history, I was eagerly anticipating this movie, which had great reviews when it was released.  But I was not prepared for the reality being portrayed.  When I watched the D-Day beach landings I had an immediate physical reaction, which I still experience when I recall the sights and the sounds.  The machine gun fire came so fast and furious from the German soldiers that the GIs in the landing crafts had no time to react.  The scene was one of unleashed chaos and destruction that was only overcome by the discipline of previous, intense training of the allied forces.

The Psalms often use the imagery of floods and seas, of waves and waters, and roaring to depict such uncontrollable chaos and destructive forces.  In Psalm 93 the writer uses the metaphor of thundering water and roaring floods to describe conditions in his world—either military, political, or personal—that have the power to terrorize and to rule over individuals.  The personification found in verse three adds a malevolent aspect to the power of the chaos; its only purpose is to destroy utterly whatever is in its path.

If the psalmist were writing today using images from our situation, he might use the roar of political rhetoric, or the national debt, or the threat of economic collapse, or escalating unemployment, and so forth.  Perhaps your floods come in the guise of health issues or problems at home or with a co-worker.  We all have pressures and problems in our lives.  These all come at us at times like floods and waves and thunders, with the very real potential to reduce us to fear and trembling, to make us ineffective, to cause spiritual and emotional paralysis.

But our hope and our only deliverance is not found in ourselves, in our ability to swim underwater or to hold our breath until the flood subsides.  Neither is our deliverance to be found in political actions or in the right investment portfolios.  Our hope and our deliverance is found only in the absolute ruling power of the Lord God—the only roar that matters.  Only God can speak peace to the roar of flood waters, to the power of chaos in our lives.  Only God is mightier than the thundering waters of destruction that surround us in this fallen world.

If we back up in Psalm 93 to the first verse, we read of the reason for the psalmist’s confidence in the face of chaos:

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.  (Psalm 93:1 ESV)

God the Lord, the eternally self-existent Creator, has established the world and reigns over it, ever-vigilant to preserve a core of order that cannot be shaken or displaced by the roar of many waters, or dislodged by the pounding of mighty waves.  In the book of Jude we are told in no uncertain terms that God has committed Himself to our preservation:

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 ESV) 

In another psalm we read similar words of comfort in the midst of chaos:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling…. (Psalm 46:1-3 ESV)

The imagery here is reminiscent of the historical flood, the great Flood, in which only Noah and his family were preserved.  The Ark was an actual vessel that stands as a symbol of our refuge and our rescue in God, for those of us who…have died, and your life is hidden with Christ  in God. (Colossians 3:3 ESV)

That is the only basis for our hope and one day Christ will roar and shout and usher in the new heavens and the new earth.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first.  

Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord!   

Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words. (1Thessalonians 4:16-18 Amplified Bible)

For those of us who die in Christ, we will become the roar of many waters—a creative, redemptive roar, a roar of praise and worship and thanksgiving, a roar of reversal from death to life, the roar of God, the only roar that matters!

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

            “Hallelujah!

            For the Lord our God

            the Almighty reigns.

            Let us rejoice and exult

            and give him the glory,

            for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

            and his Bride has made herself ready;

            it was granted her to clothe herself

                        with fine linen, bright and pure”—

            for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

(Revelation 19:6-8 ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria!

lest you be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes.

(Proverbs 26:4-5 ESV)

One of my favorite movie lines comes from the 1963 western comedy McClintock!, in which G.W. McClintock (John Wayne) is caught in a compromising position by his wife, Katherine (Maureen O’Hara).  Things look bad for G.W. and, of course, those in the audience know that what Katherine sees is not actually the truth of the situation.  G.W. looks at his wife and says, “Now Katherine, are you going to believe what you see or what I tell you?”  Katherine believed (incorrectly) what she saw, and not what G.W. told her.  When she was confronted with a paradox she interpreted it as a contradiction.

We are constantly being confronted with paradoxes—apparent contradictions—in our walk with God—both in our reading of the Bible and in the circumstances of daily living.  There are times in my life, for example, when the surface “evidence” available to my understanding all points to a certain conclusion.  Yet, when I search out God’s Word for wisdom and discernment, I find that my “evidence” has led me to a false conclusion.  Am I going to believe what I see or what God tells me?

Here is an example of a paradox from the Old Testament, an apparent contradiction that is not at all contradictory:

Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes.

(Proverbs 26:4-5 ESV)

An initial reading of this passage may leave you asking, “How am I to do this and not do this at the same time?  I don’t understand.”  If you accept the paradox as an actual contradiction,  you are no further ahead than before you read it.  But before you even read this passage there is a clue to processing the paradox—the book of Proverbs belongs to a genre in the Bible known as Wisdom Literature.  Here is a place where it is essential to make the connection.  If a paradoxical passage is located within the Wisdom Books, then God must be presenting us with an opportunity to gain wisdom.  Make the connection!

Let’s look at the first verse:

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.

If you respond to a fool in kind you are going to develop foolish habits.  If you answer a fool by imitating the fool, you are apt to become a fool.  (A foolish person in Scripture being one who lacks wisdom and spiritual understanding.)

Now, the second verse:

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

If you do not address the fool’s folly by bringing God’s Word and His wisdom to bear, his folly will be reinforced and he will be wise in his own eyes, which boils down to this: the fool will become more conceited and his folly will multiply.  In other words, you do not answer a fool by employing his kind of wisdom (that is, folly), but you are to answer a fool according to his folly (that is, you must correct him in this specific area in such a way that he will be brought up short).

A further danger of not addressing a fool according to his folly is that other people may be enticed by his folly and be drawn in by the fool, coming under his influence, being led astray.  So, a quick paraphrase would be, “Don’t respond to a fool in kind, but respond to his folly with godly wisdom and authority.”  This passage may be a bit complex but it is not at all contradictory.

Here is a more detailed paradox from the New Testament in which apparently contradictory statements are made by two different writers, along with a statement made by Jesus:

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 ESV)

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11 NIV)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30 ESV) [my emphasis]

First, is there a way to identify Jesus’ sheep?  In Matthew’s Gospel we read of Jesus saying, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21 ESV)  [my emphasis]  So, there is a requirement placed upon those of us who claim to be Christ’s sheep—we must do the will of God the Father.  For this is the will of God, your sanctification…(1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV, see also Hebrews 12:14)

Paul began his argument in Romans 8 with a question in verse 35, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  In the remainder of the chapter we read Paul’s assurance to believers that nothing can separate us from Christ.  But then we read in 2 Peter that one needs to be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure, and that, if you do these things, you will never fall….  So which is it?  Nothing can separate us from Christ?  Or, we might fall if we don’t do these things?  And, what about Jesus’ words recorded in John’s Gospel?

First, let’s establish what these things are that Peter refers to in verse 10.  We find them listed in 2 Peter 1:5-8.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter is referring to character traits, attributes or qualities displayed by disciples of Jesus Christ, and he is saying that it is not enough to possess these qualities—we need to attend to our souls and be certain that these qualities are increasingly influential in our lives.  In this way, we will make our calling and election sure and we will never fall.  But Paul says that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.  Which is it?  Is Paul saying nothing can separate us from the love of Christ except a lack of godly virtues?  Is Peter saying that Paul was wrong?  How are we to read these seemingly contradictory passages?  Process the paradox, don’t run from it.

Paul is not saying now that we are saved we are free to do whatever we like.  His discussion in chapter six makes this abundantly clear.  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2 ESV)  Paul’s argument assumes a humble heart that seeks to know God’s will and to do it—the very thing Peter is laying out in 2 Peter 1:5-8.

Peter is, in fact, agreeing with Paul, but he is coming at the issue of our secure position in Christ from a different direction, with a different audience in mind.  In essence, Peter is saying that he knows that his readers have a sure calling and election.  But, I believe the point of this passage for them and for us is this: Do not presume upon the grace of God.  We are saved and our concern for the increase of these qualities in our lives is a sign that we are saved!  These are not works that earn our salvation, but they are indications that we are, indeed, saved.

The truth of God’s Word provides clarity and direction for our lives.  But there are times when we are confronted with things in the Bible that are not clear, that appear to be contradictory statements.  We know that we are supposed to walk by faith and not by sight, but sometimes the Bible seems to present two or more opposing views on the same topic.  Instead of helping us see clearly it seems that our vision is more blurred after we consult God’s Word than before.  What are we to do?  What are we to believe?

When you read God’s Word and get confused, ask God to help you to understand the unclear portions and those passages that appear to be contradictory.  And use the clear teachings of Scripture to help you understand the less clear portions.  Process the paradox.  When you do, the apparent contradictions melt away, to be replaced by wisdom and understanding.

When you find yourself between a spiritual rock and a hard place, at least three options come to mind.  The first option is to avoid God’s Word altogether and evaluate your situation based on your perception, your wisdom, or your feelings at the moment.  In other words, simply act upon your initial impression of your situation.  If you happen to find a verse of Scripture that seems to establish your view, all the better.  One obvious problem with this option, however, is that it exalts the individual, making God and His Word subservient to finite, sinful men and women.  Another difficulty with employing this option is that it reinforces a false view of discipleship.  And your problem has been compounded: you still are confronted with the paradox, but you have distanced yourself from God, the only One who can help you unravel it!

A second option involves searching God’s Word for insights while dismissing difficult or apparently contradictory passages.  This option will look for easier passages, ones which don’t trouble your mind or disturb your prejudices and presuppositions.  While this may give the pretense of spiritual progress, like the first option it, too, retards spiritual growth and does not lead to deeper fellowship with God or provide insights into His Word.

So while these first two options may provide a degree of relief initially, they will not lead to peace or understanding ultimately, and they certainly will not contribute to deeper fellowship with God and with fellow believers.

The only valid option, in my view, is to process the paradox.  By that I mean that you must be willing to go deeper into the Word of God, to commit yourself to the time and effort it takes to unravel any apparent contradictions in Scripture.  This kind of commitment will require a disciplined approach to studying the Bible so that we learn to rightly divide the Word of Truth.  Beware of a disposition of heart and mind that refuses to process the paradox, that pounces upon a paradox in Scripture and pronounces it a contradiction.  This is a spiritually perilous position to take because ultimately this is a judgment against God and His character, saying that God is not consistent, His Word is not true, and that His will is not immutable.

You may be reading this and thinking, “It sounds as though life is one long line of paradoxes that I have to process!”  Although we are not constantly being bombarded with paradoxes and don’t necessarily need to process every paradox we encounter in Scripture, I believe that learning how to work through a paradox is an essential aspect of mature Christian discipleship.  Often the Spirit of God will lead us to pass over an apparent contradiction with a confident trust in the wisdom of God to bring understanding at the proper time.  And there are some paradoxes in Scripture that we may never fully unravel in our lifetime.

The point is that of all the paradoxes found in God’s Word, there is not even one that is internally inconsistent or that is self-contradictory.  In fact, when we trace back our misunderstanding of paradoxes to the root cause, we most often find that the contradiction is within our own hearts and minds.  We believe certain things (about the world, sin, salvation, and so forth) must be true and when we find that they are not, or that God doesn’t see those issues as we think He should, it is offensive to us and it contradicts our desire for independence and control.  We are suddenly confronted with a crisis of faith and the only way to process the paradox is submit to God’s wisdom and truth.  At this point, we may not fully understand, but it is essential to our spiritual health that we yield our position to God.  Not only will He help us to unravel the paradox, but He will also bring us through our crisis of belief into an enlarged understanding.

Unless we learn to unravel the apparent contradictions we encounter in God’s Word, we will never learn to unravel the apparent contradictions in our lives in a godly way.  And the way that we learn to process a paradox in life is no different than learning to process a paradox when we find it in God’s Word: we seek God’s wisdom, we ask Him for His perspective (see Isaiah 55:8-9), we train our souls to hope in God (see Psalm 42: 5-6, 11) as we resist the urge to draw conclusions prematurely until we get God’s mind about our situation.  When circumstances seem to force us to draw negative conclusions that are not based upon God’s Word and do not proceed from faith, we must process the paradox, working through it until we come to an understanding of God’s perspective of our situation.

And here is the good news for paradox processors—God wants to help us in our quest to understand His Word and to understand how He views the details of our lives.  God cares for us.

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! (Isaiah 30:17-19 NIV)

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4 ESV) [my emphasis]

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV)

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. (2 Chronicles 16:9 ESV)

Finally, don’t be in a hurry when trying to process the paradox.  When confronted with a paradox in our daily lives or in God’s Word, we are often tempted to act in haste, without thinking through the consequences of our actions.  This is a natural reaction to unpleasant circumstances, to painful situations, and even to uncomfortable questions about God’s Word.  Don’t be quick to jump to a conclusion based upon what your eyes see or your mind tells you.

Remember, God’s grace is sufficient and it is at this very point of tension—the time between encountering a paradox and arriving at a resolution through gaining God’s wisdom and perspective—that we mature as disciples of Jesus Christ.  What has helped me most in learning to embrace the tension has been the realization that God’s paradoxes are vibrant with life and wisdom and energy and purpose.  After all, God has not only allowed but ordained that many of the truths found in His Word be presented through paradox.  I believe that one reason for this is to stimulate spiritual growth in His children.

There is a sort of pruning effect that occurs as we process the paradox.  In the words of a brother who is wise in the ways of the Lord, “God offends the mind to reveal the heart.”  But it is here, at the juncture of offending and revealing, that we must develop the habit of heart and mind that presses into the paradox, that embraces the tension, that rejoices in the privilege of mining the rich treasures found in God’s Word.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

(1 Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV) 

Soli Deo Gloria!

I will celebrate my sixtieth birthday on Father’s Day 2011.  Surprisingly, this has been on my mind quite a bit for the past ten days or so.  (And before my sons can ask: Yes, I can still remember what has been on my mind!  Why just the other day I…uh…uh…where was I?)  Having put that rumor to rest, I return to my theme!  Here are some thoughts, in no particular order, from a certifiably older man.  My prayer is that the truths of God’s Word will lodge in your mind and take root in your heart, to give you strength for the journey.

I have been called—and I am kept—by God’s grace.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The road before me is shorter than the road behind me.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

God has equipped me to complete my appointed tasks.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.  (2 John 1:3)

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. (Psalm 71:17-18)

Future glory trumps present sufferings every time.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  (Romans 8:18)

For those who know the Lord, the best is yet to come.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.  (1 Corinthians 13:12)

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.  (Proverbs 4:18)

I am having the time of my life!

For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. (Psalm 92:4)

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. (Proverbs 17:6)

I have many more thoughts about turning sixty, but I’ll stop here…almost!  There is a song that has been on my mind and I have found myself singing it at odd moments throughout the day for the past several days.  Many of you will remember “Joy in the Journey” by Michael Card.  I’ll leave you with the lyrics to ponder and a video if you would like to hear it.

Joy in the Journey

There is a joy in the journey
There’s a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey

And all those who seek it shall find it
A pardon for all who believe
Hope for the hopeless and sight for the blind

To all who’ve been born of the Spirit
And who share incarnation with Him
Who belong to eternity stranded in time
And weary of struggling with sin

And freedom for those who obey…

Soli Deo Gloria!

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the LORD!

(Psalm 27:14)

Years ago I read an article entitled, “Absent Parents, Troubled Children.”  The title alone was worth my time and attention.  My purpose here is not to review that study, but to present one of the author’s findings: When fathers are absent from the home, their children suffer immediate and long-term consequences.  Boys, in particular, demonstrate stunted character development.  Topping the list is the inability to reject immediate gratification in favor of a reward at some future date.

In other words, children (especially boys) who do not have fathers to guide and shape their moral development never truly grow up.  This is all too evident in our culture as single-parent families have become the rule, rather than the exception.  But in my experience, it is not just fathers who are absent physically that leave a void.  What may be even more common are the dads who come home every night, but are emotionally absent from the lives of their children.

Is it any wonder, then, that we have difficulty relating to God as our Father?  Or that Christians so often make spiritual judgments based upon their feelings, rather than the Truth of God’s Word?  Am I painting on your canvas here?  Does this describe your past or current relationship to God?  If so, know that you are not alone!  And, know that your current reality does not have to dictate your future.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)

Here is an aspect of the hope of our calling (see Ephesians 1:16-23) that is truly cause for rejoicing—God takes us as we are, but He doesn’t leave us as we are!  We do not have an absent Father and even though we may be troubled children, He cares enough to train us up according to His righteousness.  God does not give up on His children and He is never, ever emotionally distant from us.  To the contrary, God’s silences are crowded with expressions of His love and care.  But we cannot receive these expressions unless we develop a listening ear (see Psalm 40:6).

This is where the courage to wait comes into play.  The ability to wait is an acquired discipline that implies a continuing state of rest and trust.  If I say that I am waiting for something that I am believing God for—something that He alone can do—and all the while I am worrying and pacing restlessly to and fro, then I am not waiting.  If anything I demonstrating my inability to wait.

Waiting takes strength of character.  Waiting takes courage.  Waiting is hard!!! That is why David exhorts his readers to wait, to be strong, to take courage.  Waiting is not a game and it certainly is not for the timid.  It takes spiritual maturity and a single-minded commitment to pursue God’s purposes that allows the saints to persevere when the answers to our prayers have not arrived within our projected time frame.  Waiting requires that we be fully engaged spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

“To wait is not merely to remain impassive.  It is to expect—to look for with patience, and also with submission.  It is to long for, but not impatiently; to look for, but not to fret at the delay; to watch for, but not restlessly; to feel that if he does not come, we will acquiesce, and yet to refuse to let the mind acquiesce in the feeling that he will not come” (Dr. A. B. Davidson, quoted in David McIntyre, The Hidden Life of Prayer, p. 31).

David was not merely waxing poetic when he penned this psalm; he was speaking out of his vast experience of knowing God, of waiting upon God, of hearing God through His silences.  He knew where his courage originated.  I pray that you, too, will know the source of your courage, and that as you wait for the Lord you will be encouraged to …be strong, and let your heart take courage….

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

(Psalm 27:1 ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria!

and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

Yet they sinned still more against him,

rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

(Psalm 78:16-17)

Back in the early days of polyester fabrics, when wearing polyester clothing felt like being outfitted in plastic wrap, there were advertisements proclaiming the wonders of “memory yarn,” material that supposedly always returned to its original shape after being stretched beyond normal limits.  It was as if this material had little brains scattered throughout that “remembered” what life was like in the good old days before an extra-large person tried to squeeze into its petite boundaries…right!

Psalm 78  presents a portrait of God’s people not all that different from memory yarn.  No matter what God did for the Israelites, it seems they always reverted to their original shape—they were truculent and self-serving.  They were complainers who regularly saw the giants instead of the fruit.  How could they witness miracle after miracle that God performed to rescue and preserve them and still not change?

Whenever we find ourselves asking this question when reading about God’s people under the Old Covenant, it should be a warning to us that we are on thin ice spiritually.  As that sage philosopher Pogo stated 40 years ago, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”  Often the very things we judge about God’s people in former times are things we allow to go unchecked in ourselves.

Praise springs quickly to our lips when life seems to be going our way.  It is easy for us to speak of God in glowing terms when we can see no clouds on the horizon.  But what happens when lightning flashes and thunder rolls and the sky grows dark with storm clouds?  “I know God has preserved me in this kind of situation in the past, but where is He when I need Him now?”  We all have the tendency to revert to “wilderness whining” when the pressure is on.  And when we do this we are putting God on trial—testing Him as to the veracity of His Word and the faithfulness of His character.

They spoke against God, saying,

“Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

He struck the rock so that water gushed out

and streams overflowed.

Can he also give bread

or provide meat for his people?”

(Psalm 78:19-20)

What they said (and what we often echo in our own hearts) is this: “We know that God did the impossible…but can He do the impossible?”

That was then—this is now!  Yes, I know that God provided for me in the past, but can He do it now?  I want it NOW!  In other words, “What have You done for me lately, God?”  And I will tell you from my own experience that there is no air freshener on earth that can get rid of that stench!  Only sincere repentance can remove it.

Paul wrote these words to the church at Corinth, words that should always be on our minds as we read the accounts of God’s dealings with His people:

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil

as they did. (1 Corinthians 10:6, see also 11-13)

Is there an obstacle in your path that you can see no way around?  Turn to God, don’t turn away.  Ask Him for His perspective so that you can see your situation clearly.  Wait confidently for God to show you His solution—the way past the obstacle.  Remember what God has done and what He continues to do.  Often the very thing that wounds is the thing that heals.  Ask God to help you to stir up your courage and rejoice!

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

(Colossians 1:9-14)

Soli Deo Gloria!

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

(Psalm 22:1-2 ESV)

Does this sound familiar?  I know that most of us have read these verses many times and probably have heard sermons preached on this psalm.  If fact, it is so familiar that most of us cannot read Psalm 22 without thinking of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  This psalm captures many of the elements of Christ’s sufferings at the hands of His tormentors, elements to which Matthew refers in his account of the Crucifixion (see Matthew 27).

Yet Christ’s physical sufferings upon the Cross, as horrible as they were, paled in comparison to His spiritual and emotional suffering when Christ became sin for us and God the Father poured out His just wrath upon the sin-bearer (e.g., see 2 Corinthians 5:21).  This is why Jesus cried out to God in the words of David:

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 ESV) (see also Mark 15:34)

We find this truth, then, throughout God’s Word—that men at various times and locations and situations wrote under the direction (inspiration) of the Holy Spirit to address current concerns and needs.  At the same time, however, God implanted within these words seeds, if you will, of future events and realities.  This does not mean that we have license to attribute meanings to passages of Scripture as the mood strikes us.  Rather, we find revelations in the New Testament concerning these Old Testament types and shadows.  So, for example, we read in Colossians:

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17 ESV)

Likewise, we can read in Psalm 22 the crucifixion of Christ because the accounts given by Matthew and Mark under the direction of the Holy Spirit, interpret the shadow found in Psalm 22 and apply it to the substance: Christ.

Having said all that, when David wrote this psalm, he wrote in the midst of deep, personal suffering.  He was desperately seeking God, seeking relief, seeking a way out of the pain of his current situation.

Does this sound familiar?  We can become so focused on types and shadows in the Old Testament that we overlook the original intent and plain meaning of a passage.  And when we miss the plain meaning of a passage, we also miss an opportunity to draw comfort and insight and encouragement from the real-life experiences of God’s servants who have gone before us.

Psalm 22 was composed by David when he was suffering extreme emotional distress.  He was being mocked and cruelly treated by friends and foes alike.  To make matters worse, it seemed as though God, too, had turned a deaf ear to David’s cries.  Sound familiar?  Have you been there?  Are you there now?

Our faith is tested when we are confronted with reversals and disappointments in life, when it seems we have no way out of our circumstances.  And if this weren’t bad enough, we have an audience—people who are watching us in our misery to see what we will do and how we will act! David describes this very situation in verses 6-8,

But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

“He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;

let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

The test of true discipleship confronts us when we come to a crossroads in our faith and have to decide, Where will I turn?  To whom will I entrust my life?  Even David’s fellow Israelites were mocking him, mocking his trust in God.  Does this sound familiar?

What do you do when you cry out to God and get no answer?  Where do you turn when you find no rest day or night?  When you are in constant turmoil?  What did David do?  What have fellow believers done through the ages?

There are times in life when there is nothing more to be done…but to entrust our lives to the care of the One who works “all things together for good” for the ones who love Him and are “called according to his purpose” (see Romans 8:28).  To entrust means to deliver something into the care of someone else, with confidence that it will be protected.  When we entrust our lives to God’s care, the act of entrusting assumes the confidence that He will protect our lives.  Paul was able to face death because he had already entrusted his life to God.

That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. (2 Timothy 1:12 NIV)

Hudson Taylor (founder of China Inland Mission) was a 73-year-old man recuperating from ill-health in Switzerland in 1900.  During his convalescence, he began receiving  terrible news from China. “And there it was the blow fell, and telegram after telegram came telling of riots, massacres, and the hunting down of refugees in station after station of the Mission—until the heart that so long had upheld these beloved fellow-workers before the Lord could endure no more and almost ceased to beat….As it was, he lived through it, holding on to God” (Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, p. 162).

His situation in many ways mirrored that which David describes in Psalm 22.  In the midst of his suffering, Hudson Taylor was able to write the following:

“I cannot read,” he said when things were at their worst; “I cannot pray, I can scarcely even think—but I can trust.” (my emphasis)

Does this sound familiar?  Have you ever been in such a state that the only thing you can do is trust?  There are times when God is the author of our affliction, which means that if we are to trust, we must kiss the hand that hurts us!  I can remember a conversation I had one evening with my son.  We were discussing his daughter’s cancer treatment following brain surgery.  Two-year-old Erin was about to start seven months of chemotherapy and my son said, in essence, “It’s hard because the very thing that is going to help her in the long run will hurt her now.”  This is the Father’s love being expressed in practical terms by a father for his child.  Love is not always easy and love doesn’t always feel good.  Sometimes all we can do is…trust.

But is there something practical to do when you are in this kind of situation that David describes in Psalm 22?  Yes, I am glad I asked that question!  We can learn to do what David did as a spiritual discipline:

With my voice I cry out to the LORD;

with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.

I pour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.

When my spirit faints within me,

you know my way! (Psalm 142:1-3a)

A few points here about using Scripture generally and the Psalms in particular as prayers or prayer guides (these are practical things we each can learn to do).

• Turn to God in times of trouble. Don’t turn away from Him.  I recently watched a video about a summer camp for kids who have survived hurricanes.  The man being interviewed said that they stress this point to the kids: God did not hurt you!  (This is not the same thing I refer to above: the kind of hurting this man refers to is an irreparable kind of damage: a destructive force.) When we are in pain or in emotional distress the temptation to blame God must be rejected.

• Do not be silent! Be vocal when you plead for mercy to God.  You are voicing your trust in God when you plead for mercy and you are taking a stand against the temptation to despair. The New American Standard Bible says, I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I  make supplication with my voice to the LORD. In his commentary on this psalm, Derek Kidner points out that to make supplication is to appeal to the kindness of God. (my emphasis)

• Be honest with God. He already knows what you are going to tell him, but the discipline of telling develops and reinforces the lifelong habit of turning to God in times of trouble. 

• Be reverent in your honesty! Quoting Derek Kidner, “…my complaint is not as petulant a word as in English, but might be rendered ‘my troubled thoughts’; and we should not miss the note of frankness in the words pour out and tell, or the sense of access in the reiteration of before him (my emphasis). (Derek Kidner, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Psalms 73-150, IVP Academic, 1975/2008, p. 510). 

• Trust God to do you good! When you are tempted to despair of any solution to your problems, when you can see no way out of your situation, when you are too weak to go on, God knows your way.  He knows what lies before you on the path and He will guide your steps, He will preserve your life.  As John Newton wrote many years ago in his hymn, “Amazing Grace,”  

‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home.

Soli Deo Gloria!