Tag Archives: Enemies

Worshipers Remember God’s Work

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Worship Includes Memories

Have you ever considered that a proper worship of God includes your memories? It’s not proper worship to be disengaged with our minds! King David tells Israel to worship God by remembering all that’s He’s done for them: “Remember the wonderful works He has done, His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced” (1 Chronicles 16:12).  In other words, give testimony to the work that God is doing; and, has done in your life! “Let the redeemed of the LORD proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe” (Psalm 107:2). We worship God when we stand, before our church faith community, and testify to the way God is working in our lives!

Let The Redeemed Tell Their Story

The NIV actually translates Psalm 107:2 like this:  “Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story…” If you’re truly seeking after God in your life, He will show you how busy He is in your life! Your life will be intentional and purposeful. You’ll have stories to tell of the wonderful ways that God is at work. Notice that David follows that up by telling Israel to worship God by remembering His covenants. I’m thinking we don’t do this enough— at least not in my church! We don’t remember and rehearse enough that God is a covenant-keeping God: “Remember His covenant forever—the promise He ordained for a thousand generations, the covenant He made with Abraham, swore to Isaac, and confirmed to Jacob as a decree, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (1 Chronicles 16:14-22).

The New Covenant

At the Last Supper— on the night that He was betrayed— Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” REMEMBER the New Covenant, He says! Here’s why we can be secure in our salvation— because God has made a covenant to save us when we put our faith in Christ’s work on the cross, and He keeps us saved and seals us through that covenant confirmed by Jesus’ shed blood! Then David turns his attention to the nations: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Proclaim His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful works among all peoples” (1 Chronicles 16:23). Making disciples of Christ is worship!

We Worship By Making Disciples

The making of disciples is NOT just a New Testament thing! It was never God’s plan for Israel to keep His salvation to themselves! David continues, “…all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens…”; “Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength” (1 Chronicles 16:26,28). Israel, like the Church, was to be a peculiar people and a priesthood of believers to the world! It is the destiny of future history that one day, “…every tribe, every nation, and every people group will be gathered around the throne of God to worship Him…” (Revelation 7:9). Have you ever considered that it’s an act of worship when we make disciples? It honors Jesus’ commission! REMEMBER THAT!

Daniel & The Invisible God

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(Note: This concludes our series of posts on the life of the Prophet Daniel)

An Urgent Plea Not To Give Up

As I bring this series of posts— on Daniel’s life— to an end, I conclude with an urgent plea not to give up because you don’t get an answer to your prayers according to your timeline! Instead of quitting, follow Daniel’s example and devote more time to more prayer & fasting! Daniel shows us that because we pray in the spirit, we can’t see with our physical eyes, the spiritual responses our prayers stir up!  If we could see into the spiritual realm, our prayer effort would reveal invisible forces of good & evil opposing one another. Unseen spiritual forces are behind every movement!

The Battle In The Spirit World

Daniel couldn’t tell, just by observing the Persian Gov’t, that there was a war going on between an “angel of God” & a demonic “prince of Persia” (see Daniel chapter 10). But, if he could have pulled back the curtain that divides our realm from the spiritual realm, he would have observed the battle going on in the spirit world. We can only assume, from this text of Scripture, that Satan has “territorial” demons in places of influence, among government leaders, in every nation. That’s why the Apostle Paul later wrote Timothy in the New Testament; and told him to pray for kings & all those in places of authority.

Not With Flesh & Blood

The REAL ENEMY is not the people we may oppose politically! Our battle, according to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians,  is not with flesh & blood. We need God’s help to see the truth about this! We need to pray for our leaders to be saved! Knowing that our warfare is spiritual in nature, it is our prayers, humility, knowledge of God & perseverance that serve as our best weapons against the spiritual forces of evil in this world; and the unseen spiritual world behind the curtain that separates us. So, be inspired & encouraged! Daniel prayed! He humbled himself before God; and, he purposed to know God & to understand His ways!

He Prayed & Fasted & Waited

And, he persevered! For 21 days, the text says, he prayed & fasted & waited on God to fulfill His Sovereign purpose in His Sovereign time frame! Will you wait on God also? Will you trust His eternal wisdom over every life situation? Will you trust His timing; that God is never early, nor is He ever late! He who “knows the end from the beginning” has perfect timing in the way He answers every one of our prayers! Will you trust Him if His answer to your prayer is “no”? Will you trust the Word of God that tells us that His ways are higher than ours? If He answers “no” it’s for the best!

Focus On The Unseen

A Biblical response, to the war going on in the spiritual realm & to life’s problems that result, is to focus NOT on the seen; but, on the unseen! What you see going on in this world will mess with you! It will frustrate you! It will, at times, cause you to question God! It’ll even depress you because it will APPEAR that we’re losing! So, focus on the UNSEEN, not the SEEN! Focus on the invisible God, who is Sovereign, who is Omnipotent; and, who is All-Knowing! He has an unbeatable plan; and, He will get it done! Don’t focus on the political climate of our country; or, the rest of the world! That’s the SEEN! Focus on the UNSEEN God! Pray to Him! He’s the only One who can bring revival & clean up the mess humanity has made of this world! Are you struggling in this area of your life? Make it a matter of prayer! Turn it over to God!

Responding To Spiritual Warfare

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(Note: This Continues A Series Of Posts On The Life Of The Prophet Daniel)

How Prayer Works

On rare occasions, God pulls back the curtain that divides the realm of the “seen” from the “unseen” realm! This post is about spiritual warfare; and, specifically how the prophet Daniel responded to it! If you’re unaware of how prayer works, you might become discouraged by the “turnaround time.” You might talk to God about something; and, because you don’t get an answer immediately, you might conclude that He’s not listening to you! That would be a mistake on your part!

Unseen Forces At Work

In the 10th chapter of Daniel’s book, in the Bible, we’re introduced to the concept that there are forces at work that we’re unable to see because they are “spiritual”! Here’s what the Apostle Paul wrote the Church of Ephesus about these “spiritual” forces:  “Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12). There are spiritual forces of evil at work in the “heavens”; but, we can’t see them because they are spiritual, not flesh! So, if we’re aware that there is a battle going on behind that “curtain” that divides our world from the spiritual world, we’ll adjust our focus!

Adjust Your Focus

Again, the Apostle Paul said, “So we do not focus on what is seen; but, on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).  So, a Biblical response to life’s struggles is to focus not on the seen; but, the unseen! Whatever life situation we may be enduring, it is temporary. In God’s Sovereignty and eternal wisdom, the circumstances of life may change in a moment; or they may drag on for a while.  But God tells us to focus on the unseen rather than the unseen; by faith to trust God’s work that we cannot see. By faith, to believe His ways of doing things in our life is higher and better than anything we could plan. That’s how Daniel responded!

What’s Behind Life’s Struggles

Our challenge is to let God’s Spirit pull back that curtain & give you a glimpse— through the Scriptures— into the reality of the spirit world! And, the reality that the spirit world impacts our world! That there is a spiritual warfare behind all of life’s struggles! And, Daniel shows us some things about this spirit world; and, how we ought to respond! Just pick up your Bible & read the 10th chapter of Daniel. Pay close attention to the words the angel speaks to Daniel in v.12.  He tells him that God heard his prayers from the very beginning!   

Your Prayers Were Heard

“’ Don’t be afraid, Daniel,’ he said to me, ‘for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.’” (v.12)  Though time had passed— perhaps 3 full weeks (v.12)— God actually HEARD Daniel’s prayer from the FIRST DAY he had begun to pray! In v.11, the angel told Daniel, “…I have been sent to you…”; and, v.12 “…I have come BECAUSE of YOUR PRAYERS…” I hope that encourages you! It does me! It might seem as though your prayers are going unheard! That’s what the enemy wants you to believe! Don’t listen to his lies! God hears your prayers the moment they’re formed in your heart! But, as we’ll see, there are reasons the “answers” to your prayers may be delayed! And you don’t need to know why! That’s not how God grows your faith! He grows you spiritually as you submit to Him, even when you don’t know what He’s doing!

Taking Ownership Of Our Wrongs

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(Note: This is the 23rd post in a series on Daniel’s life)

I Was Wrong

It’s been said that the 3 most difficult words in the English language are:  “I was wrong!” Husbands, how hard is it to say, “I was wrong” to your wife? But, let’s be fair, ladies, it’s just as difficult for you to say those 3 words too, isn’t it? We’ll do almost anything to avoid saying, “I was wrong”— we’ll say, “Man! I messed up” or “I fumbled that one” or “I goofed” or “I blew it”. We’ll say, “My bad” or “Oops! I made a boo-boo!” All of those are easier to say than, “I was wrong!” They minimize our wrong! I mean, how bad can a “boo-boo” be, right?  

Being Transparent About Sin

This post is about taking ownership of our sins. It’s about being transparent with God, and, with each other about our sins. If there is any hope for revival across our nation— and, God only knows how badly we need it— we need to learn how to say those 3 words: “I was wrong!”  “I was wrong, God! Here is my sin! I confess it! I agree with you about it!” For the world to experience a revival, it has to begin with God’s people! The Apostle Peter wrote: “…the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household…” It has to start with those who claim to be Jesus’ followers! We can’t pray for national revival & ignore our personal need for repentance! We dare not call out the sin of the lost & wink at our own failure to confess our sin!

Failure To Confess & Repent Of Sin

As we turn to chapter 9 in Daniel’s prophetic book, it begins:  “In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans: In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70.” Let’s stop there, for a moment, and include some really important background! You might recall that Daniel’s story, in chapter 1, begins with Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar laying siege against Jerusalem & taking Daniel & many of the Israelites into exile! Do you remember why? They were being punished! They failed to confess & repent of their sin! They failed to tell God, “I was wrong!” And, God fulfilled a promise He had made to Israel 850 years earlier in Deuteronomy 28— Blessings, to Israel, for obedience! Curses for disobedience!

Don’t Test God’s Patience

Just as God had dispossessed the Canaanites & other people groups from the land because of their evil ways, God dispossessed Israel from the land because they became evil! One more thing to consider: Israel’s sinful disobedience was a gradual thing! Sin always is! As the nation, of Israel, became more and more evil, God sent prophets to warn them! He would extend grace & mercy if they would just repent & turn from their sin! But, there is always an end to God’s long-suffering; and, through the Prophet Jeremiah, God confirmed that judgment was coming! It was inevitable, irreversible & non-negotiable! He even told Israel to quit praying for revival; and, to pray for their captors instead! By way of application, it’s time Christ’s Church in America wake up! It’s time we confess our sin of idolatry! We’ve strayed so far from Jesus’ Commission to His Church; and, we’ve given great occasion for the enemies of God to blaspheme. Wake up, Church! Let us repent & return to the work of the Lord in faithfulness!

Daniel: Praying Through Obstacles

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(Note: This is the 20th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Not Everything Goes As Planned

The so-called “Health, Wealth & Prosperity Gospel” would have us believe that doing the right things & praying the right way & saying the right words will ensure that everything, in life, will go right! That health will follow us! That wealth will follow us; and, prosperity too! But, the Biblical story, of the prophet Daniel, shows us quite the opposite! In fact, the Bible is replete with similar examples that show that doing the right thing does NOT always ensure that everything in life will go right! That everything will go the way we’ve planned for it to go!

Loyalty To God Over King

Despite of Daniel’s faithfulness, to God’s Word & His commandments, he still had enemies who meant to do him harm (read Daniel chapter 6).  When “…they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy…” (v.4) they conspired to use his faith against him by deceiving King Darius into signing a decree that exposed Daniel for his ultimate loyalty to God rather than the king! But, Daniel’s story teaches us to trust God to deal with our enemies! We don’t need to work so hard to defend ourselves! Let God defend us!

Life Isn’t Always Comfortable

Daniel’s story also proves that a believer can thrive in an environment that’s hostile to their faith; but, it’s not always going to be comfortable! In our “politically correct” world, we’re tempted every day to compromise our faith! To fudge a little here! To keep our mouth shut there! Like Daniel, if you don’t compromise, you’re going to run into trouble with this unbelieving world sooner or later! So, trust God with your enemies! Daniel has seen this before. He’s a very old man at this point; perhaps, more than 80 years old! He had been exiled to Babylon as a teenager; and, Darius is now the 4th king under whom he’s served. So, the “names” may have changed; but, Daniel’s challenge, to remain faithful to God in a hostile world, remains the same! 

Prayer A Regular Rhythm Of Life

So, how does he respond when he is informed of his enemy’s deception? The text says, “…he went into his house…and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (v.10).  See that? Daniel didn’t just turn to prayer when he had exhausted all human attempts to fix his predicament! Prayer was part of the regular rhythm of his life!  We can’t expect to treat God like a genie, ignoring Him until you face a problem you can’t fix by yourself; and expecting Him to eagerly make good on your request! That kind of treatment is repulsive and disrespectful to the God of the universe! Daniel had a regular pattern of consistent, daily prayer.

Planned Neglect

Like clockwork, the text of Daniel 6 informs us that Daniel prayed regularly, 3 times a day every day! A noted concert violinist was once asked about the secret of her mastery of the instrument; and, she answered with 2 words— “Planned Neglect!” she said, “Many things used to demand my time. When I went to my room after breakfast, I made my bed, straightened the room, dusted, and did whatever seemed necessary. When I finished my work, I turned to my violin practice. That system prevented me from accomplishing what I should do on the violin. So, I reversed things. I deliberately planned to neglect everything else until my practice period was complete. And that program of planned neglect is the secret of my success.” Nothing got in the way of Daniel’s prayer time! He scheduled it… to the planned neglect of everything else!

When Will God’s Glory Return?

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The Ark Of The Covenant

If all you know about the “Ark Of The Covenant” is what you learned from an Indiana Jones movie, then you need to be brought up to speed! One of the most depressing O.T. Bible stories revolves around Israel’s “Ark Of The Covenant”; and, it’s found in 1 Samuel 4. Israel finds herself at war with the Philistines & they’re defeated! This disturbed them greatly; and, in their debriefing, someone came up with a great idea— “Let’s bring the Ark of the Lord’s covenant into battle with us next time! The Ark will save us!”

The Shekinah Glory’s Presence

Now, the Ark was a rectangular box made of acacia wood; and, overlaid with gold.  The top of the Ark contained the mercy seat where the “Shekinah Glory”; or, the manifest presence of God, rested.  For its illustrative value, it’s worth noting at this point that when our children were growing up, we’d remind them that “the way of the transgressor is hard” whenever their sin got them into trouble. Well, it was because of Israel’s sin that God, in His Sovereignty, had allowed Israel to suffer defeat at the hands of the Philistines; and, when they responded by putting their faith in the Ark, rather than God, they would suffer another embarrassing defeat.

The Glory Is Departed

This time, the Ark was also taken by the Philistines; and, Israel left to mourn its loss:  “The Glory is departed! The Glory is departed!” The Ark; and, God’s “Shekinah Glory” had been taken! The Ark couldn’t deliver! God had never intended for the Ark to be used as a “weapon”; or to be propped up as something to be depended on like some kind of rabbit’s foot! Only God, in all His Glory, can deliver & save! It’s a reminder of how subtle the enemy, of our souls, can be—  “Worship the God of the Ark”; or, “Worship the Ark of God”? It’s just moving around two nouns; but, the results were devastating!

The Idols Of Human Strategy

I find the parallels, to the Church, to be haunting! Are we not guilty of worshipping the idols of human strategy & technique for doing church? Like Israel, have we not become focused on the “horizontal”—adopting human wisdom & logic—rather than the “vertical”—seeking the power & glory of God! The Church has become weak and anemic because we’ve “settled”—we’ve “settled” for the glory of what we can do instead of the glory of what an awesome, limitless God can do.  And, what He can do is above & beyond anything we could ask or think! It’s impossible for us to even imagine the power & wisdom of God! What He does is always perfect & right because He listens only to His own perfect counsel! He works all things according to the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11).

The Rest Of The Story

As I read the rest of the story, my attention was arrested by what happened “after” the Ark was taken— what happened was a national “revival.” Israel repents & returns to the Lord; and, the Ark is recovered; and, the place of God’s glory comes home! And, that’s where I find hope—in GOD! There is hope for the Church in America— NOT at the polls: NOT by electing certain individuals to public office; NOT by passing laws in an attempt to legislate righteousness! Our hope must begin at the altars of our churches! Let judgment begin at the House of God! Nothing is happening in America that a “glory to God” revival couldn’t fix! Let us repent of our idolatrous fascination that politicians can save us!  And let us fall on our knees and ask God to bring revival to our churches! Our only hope is in the Lord! Can I get an “Amen”?

How God Makes Us Useful!

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-Looking For The Blessed Life!

Jesus has commissioned us to make disciples! All of us!  When we refuse to be obedient to that calling we find ourselves in the unhappy position that Jonah found himself in when he refused to warn the Ninevites of God’s judgment if they failed to repent! We’re all looking for the blessed life! But it’s not nearly as elusive as we think it is! The blessed life, that we’re all looking for, is realized, in part, in the obedient investing of our lives in God’s work in other people! God would make Jonah useful in His big kingdom plans; and, there’s some real application here for us. He will do what He needs to do to make us useful.

-God Makes Us Uncomfortable!

There are several examples in Jonah’s life story. First, to make us useful, God makes us uncomfortable. If you take a look at a Bible map from around that time, you’ll see Assyria to the north of Israel. And, there’s a city on the Tigris River named Ninevah. It’s the very city that God told Jonah to go preach to. Ninevah was the nation’s capital of Assyria; and, the thought of going to Ninevah made Jonah very uncomfortable. These were dangerous times! Assyria hated Israel; and, they had slowly been occupying their land to the north. In fact, in less than 70 years, from Jonah’s time, Assyria will become such a power in the region that it will overrun the northern kingdom of Israel; and, take most of the people still alive into captivity. And, it’s into that environment that God says to Jonah:  “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their wickedness has confronted Me” (Jonah 1:2).

-An Uncomfortable Comparison!

Let me try & paint a picture for you of how that would look for us. Let’s say it was September 2001; and, some bad guys from Iraq or Iran just took down the twin towers in New York City. Our nation was preparing to go to war! Everyone’s gotten all patriotic, in America; because, another people dared to attack us. And, let’s say that out of nowhere, it seems, God delivers YOU a message:  “Get up! Go to the lands of Iraq & Iran and preach against it.” How would you feel about that? You would feel a lot like Jonah did when God told him to go preach God’s word to Ninevah.

-It’s Easy To Cast Judgment!

God totally rocked Jonah’s world! He had a successful ministry going on at home; and, he was comfortable with that! He was ministering to his people; and, now God was telling him to get up & go to an unfamiliar land occupied by his enemies! It’s easy for the average Christian, in America, to read about Jonah & cast judgment, isn’t it? But, if we take into consideration all that background information, let’s be honest—doing what God told us to do would make us pretty uncomfortable! God makes us useful, first, by putting us in uncomfortable situations. But, He also intends to expose our idols! Until we denounce our idols we’re not useful to Him!

-Denounce All Idols!

Most of us aren’t even aware that we have idols, in our life. And, it appears that Jonah was unaware of his own idols until God shook him up & made him uncomfortable! He was faithful! He poured his heart into his ministry; and, into his family! But, when God’s word pointed him in a different direction; and, he was unwilling to go, God exposed his idols! What were his idols? His home, his family; and, his ministry! All great things! All blessings from God! But, when they became more important to him than obedience to God’s will, they became idols! Whenever you section off any part of your life; and, tell God He can’t touch that; or, He can’t have that, your idol has just been exposed! Are your job, your home, your kids, or your grandkids “off-limits” to God? Are you willing to let God take you; or, them, to a foreign field to serve Him & a foreign people? If you’re unwilling, then, God’s gifts, to you, have become your idols! Confess it & repent!

Called To Be A Watchman!

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-Accountable For Their Blood!

What comes to mind as you read these words that God spoke to the Prophet Ezekiel:  “Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows his trumpet to warn the people. Then, if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but ignored the warning, his blood is on his own hands. If he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. However, if the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the trumpet, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives, then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood” (Ezekiel 33:2-6).  Like me, I’m guessing that many of you picked up on the “spiritual overtones” as you read that.

-Watchmen To The World!

As followers, of Jesus, we are watchmen to the world! We’re called to warn the world that their sin has separated them from God; and, they’re in grave danger unless they repent & turn to Jesus! The parallels between being a watchman; and, being a disciple-maker, are unmistakable! God gave Old Testament Israel’s watchmen a specific responsibility, a precise message; and, a notice of accountability. As His disciple-makers, Jesus has also given us a specific responsibility, a precise message; and, a notice of accountability. And, God’s oracle, to Ezekiel, is that God had a part, the watchman had a part; and, the people had a part! Again, the parallels for making disciples are obvious!

-The Making Of A Disciple!

In the making of a disciple, there is the disciple’s part, there is God’s part; and, there is our part! And, like the watchman, we are only responsible for our part! I think the concept is pretty easy to follow, isn’t it? God gave the watchman a specific responsibility. He had only 1 responsibility! He was responsible for warning the people of danger. It was typical for each city to have a group of watchmen, posted on the city walls, looking for any army that might be advancing against them; and, to warn the people with a trumpet blast, should an enemy be spotted approaching! His job was vital to the well-being of the people; and, he was only responsible for his part. If he blew the trumpet and the people failed to respond then he was absolved of any guilt should their lives be lost. Their blood was on their own hands! But, if the watchman fell asleep on the job; and, an army slipped in then the blood of those who lost their lives, because of his negligence, would be on his hands! The analogy between watchmen and believers today is self-evident!

-Jesus’ Commission To Us!

Remember what Jesus said to His disciples when He commissioned them:  “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age”  Matthew 28:18-20. As Jesus’ disciples, we’ve been given a specific responsibility, church! “Make disciples!” That’s the imperative; or, the command! “Go” is not the command! “Make disciples” is the command! That’s our part! As our Creator, Savior; and, King, Jesus has the authority to send us! The making of disciples is done in the powerful name of the Triune Godhead—Father, Son; and, Spirit! Jesus paid for sin on the cross so that anyone could become His disciple! That’s God’s part! Our part is to share the Gospel! The unbeliever is responsible to believe!

Hope In Suffering!

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-We’re Permitted To Grieve!

We opened our Bible to the O.T. book of Lamentations, in our last post; and, discovered that the Prophet Jeremiah & the nation of Israel were in a world of hurt! Jeremiah feels it personally; and, for his people! And, God’s word tells us that there is a place for that. The N.T. book of Romans tells us to, “weep with those who weep.” We’re permitted to grieve! But, we’re also told not to grieve in the same way that unbelievers do; like, those with no hope! Lamenting is appropriate in times of pain & struggle. But, we’re also instructed that the pain & struggle should give way to repentance & hope!

-God’s Faithful Love Offers Hope!

Because of God’s faithful love, there is hope in suffering! “I call this to mind,” Jeremiah writes, “and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him” (Lamentations 3:21-24). And, let me remind you that “hope” in Scripture is completely different than the cross-your-fingers kind of “hope” that the word means in today’s culture. The “hope” in God’s Word is a “confident expectation.”

-A Confident Expectation!

Jeremiah— inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to write this— has “hope”; or, a confident expectation despite his suffering and pain; because, of God’s faithful love. He chooses to focus on God’s character rather than the circumstances of his pain & suffering. “I call this to mind,” he says; that, “God’s love is faithful.” He refuses to live under the circumstances! To neither dwell on the past or the current suffering; but, to be forward in his thinking; that, God’s love is faithful! Whatever our current state of life, God’s love is not negated! The ESV translation says, “…the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases…” The MESSAGE paraphrases it, “God’s loyal love.” God is loyal to us!

-Don’t Doubt God’s Loyalty!

Don’t let the undesirable events in your life give you any cause to doubt God’s loyalty! If you’ve believed in Jesus you’ve been adopted into God’s family. And, while the enemy hopes to crush you under the struggles of life, God is acting like a loving Father & He’s acting on the junk in your life, intending to grow your faith & give you “HOPE”—a “confident expectation” that He will continue to come through for you! The Apostle Paul wrote the Church of Rome that “hope” is produced through our suffering:  “…we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit…” Romans 5:2-5.

-Rejoice In Afflictions!

God is showing us His faithful love toward us by choreographing the painful struggles into our lives, Paul says; because they are for our good! He uses them to help us grow spiritually; so, rejoice in the “affliction” because it produces “endurance” which produces “character” which produces “hope”—that “confident expectation” in God’s ability to use the struggles to strengthen our faith! So, don’t fight Him! Enduring the struggles will always eventually produce hope if we’re submitted to God’s Spirit because that’s what the Spirit produces in us; and, He uses the painful stuff in life to generate it. But, then, Jeremiah says that there is hope; or, a confident expectation, even in suffering, because God’s mercy never ends (v.22). Some translations say, “…through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not…” This is what Jeremiah called to mind! We need God’s help to call these same truths to mind.

Learning To Be Wise!

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-The Wise Live Proactively!

The wise live their lives proactively! They read from the Scriptures, what God— the Creator & Master Designer— has written, as laws, into His Creation; and, they make course corrections BEFORE they step on life’s landmines & blow up their domain! The Old Testament book of Proverbs offers that kind of wisdom!  For example, wisdom, according to Proverbs, teaches us to be open to loving rebuke. When you choose the right kind of friends— those walking with God— they may offer you some loving rebuke at times. Especially, if they see you moving in the wrong direction! That what good friends do according to the book of Proverbs. “The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive” (ch. 27:6)

-Who Can You Trust?

You can trust a friend. They will gently tell you the truth; even, when they know it may cause you pain to hear it. But, it’s for your good! But, if you’re the friend offering a rebuke, don’t be the kind of “friend” who approached her pastor after he preached a message on the spiritual gifts & announced that she had the gift of criticism. The wise pastor asked her if she remembered, from Jesus’ parable, what the man, with the one talent, had done with his talent. “Why, yes,” she said, “he went out and buried it.” And, with a smile, the pastor said, “Go and do likewise.”

-The 2 Sides Of A Rebuke!

There are always 2 sides to the rebuke— the one receiving it & the one offering it. If you’re the friend offering it, be careful! Ask yourself what motivates you to counsel or rebuke this person? Are you motivated by a desire to help the other person? Do you plan to face them honestly, but with gentleness? Are you doing this out of concern for God’s kingdom; or, because you enjoy being critical? If you’re on the receiving end of a gentle rebuke, how do you receive it? If you don’t listen to the wisdom, of a wise friend, you’re just being stupid! I’m not saying that! Scripture says that! “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid” (Proverbs 12:1). Don’t be that guy! Don’t be that gal!

-Don’t Be Stupid!

Oh, and don’t be that kid that hates correction from their parents! Don’t be stupid! “A fool despises his father’s discipline, but a person who accepts correction is sensible” (Proverbs 15:5). That’s because wisdom teaches us to be respectful and a blessing to our parents. If you have friends that counter the counsel of your parents you’ve not chosen your friends wisely! Don’t be stupid! Don’t be a fool! Again, I’m not calling you stupid! I’m not calling you a fool! God is calling you out! If you choose to disregard the wisdom of your parents & choose the foolishness of a bad friend’s counsel, you’re going to mess up your life! “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son, heartache to his mother” (Proverbs 10:1). Don’t be that son! Don’t be that daughter!

-Be A Peacemaker!

There’s another theme that repeats itself throughout Proverbs— wisdom teaches us to be a peacemaker! Let me just make a general observation! If your life is full of drama, you’re probably not a peacemaker! You’re a pot-stirrer! Does drama surround you at home? Does drama follow you to work? Is there drama between you & the members of your family? Or, you and your neighbors? If you’re the constant component, in all the drama, you need the biblical wisdom of a peacemaker! “It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel” (20:3). “Don’t say, ‘I will avenge this evil!’ Wait on the Lord, and He will rescue you” (20:22 ). The fool is always in a fight! The fool is always out to make the wrongs (that they perceive) right! Wisdom waits on God to right all wrongs! More wisdom next week!