Unfailing Faithfulness

Back in 1923 when Thomas Obadiah Chisolm put pen to paper and started to write, he had no idea that almost 90 years later, his poem, put to music by William M. Runyan, would continue to be sung by christians all over the world. As one of Chisolm's more than 1200 poems, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" stands as the standard on the theme of God's goodness and faithfulness. Kenneth W. Osbeck observes, "While many hymns are born out of a particular dramatic experience, this hymn was simply the result of the author's 'morning by morning realization of God's personal faithfulness.'"

According to Osbeck, in a letter dated 1941 Chisolm writes, "My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness." What a great attitude! Amidst the challenging circumstances, he did not lose sight of what God, a covenant-keeping God, was doing in his life. We sometimes forget that our relationship with our God is a covenant and not a contract. When we fulfill our side of this ‘two-way promise,’ He is able to apply His infinite power and wisdom to our problems and trials. However, in our imperfection and no matter how many times we fail Him, His mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness remains unfailing (Lamentations 3:22-23).

How great is this faithfulness? Chisolm writes, "Summer and winter and spring time and harvest / Sun, moon and stars in thier courses above / Join with all nature in manifold witness / To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love." Everything speaks of this faithfulness. Why is this important? Because we can rely on it! As God has been in the Scriptures, He forever will be. Remember, He is a covenant-keeping God; with Him, there is "no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17, KJV).

Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, God's faithfulness is the only constant. If you take the time to count your blessings, you will find many wonderful displays of it right where you are. Are you simply lucky or is it that God has been faithful?

Doing Whatever It Takes

The house in which Jesus was teaching was packed with people who had come from all over Capernaum to hear Him speak. It was then that the four men came. Even if they were by themselves there was no room for them because not only was the house packed, but its entrance was so jammed that "no one could get in or out" (Mark 2:2, The Message). But they were not alone; they had brought with them a man, perhaps a family member or friend, who was sick with the palsy and whom only Jesus could heal. The problem was they were not likely to receive any sympathy from those present; no one was going to let them in.

In an act of creative desperation, the friends decided there was only one way to get Jesus' attention. The narrative continues, "When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher" (v.4). Back in the day, houses in the east were generally flat-roofed and people engaged in social activities on them (remember David strolling on the roof of the palace when he saw Bathsheba - 2 Samuel 11:2). A trap door led from the roof into the house and it was this door that the men removed. If they could not get him in through the door, they were going to use the next best available option. They would do whatever it took to ensure Jesus was aware of the man with the palsy. After all, the fact that he had to be carried said a lot about his condition.

We are not told that the man or his friends professed faith in Jesus' ability to heal him. In fact, up to this point no words were exchanged between them and Jesus. However, in this instance words were not necessary because their actions spoke volumes about their faith. It could not have been easy to get the man on his stretcher, which was "probably a mattress, or perhaps a mere blanket spread to lie on, so as to be easily borne" to the roof but they did it. The text tells us, "When Jesus saw their faith" and after responding to the religious leaders on some points of objection they raised, He said to the man, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion" (vv. 11-12, KJV).

The situation was desperate and it demanded desperate action. These men could have been easily discouraged by the crowd present but to have done so they would have missed Jesus's miracle. Nowhere in the text are we told that anybody else was healed while He was in the house. These men knew where He was and were not prepared to allow obstacles to stop them from reaching Him. Do you have that desperate kind of faith? Is there something pressing you need that only God can provide? No, we do not have to take off roofs to reach Him but what was true then is still true today; faith moves the hand of God and without it, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Are you prepared to do whatever it takes to get your miracle? If so, what is stopping you from doing it?

Learning What Not To Do

According to the narrative, on Jesus' instructions the disciples had taken a boat and were to meet Him on the other side of the lake. Sometime during the night, a storm rose up and the disciples were afraid. It continues, "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me" (Matthew 14:25-30, KJV).

For years I thought Peter had failed and some may share that same thought. However, did he really fail? As a fisherman, he was probably used to storms on the lake but for sure he had never tried walking on water! Stepping out of that boat into the dark embrace of howling winds and raging waters, simply because he heard the voice of his friend and Lord say "Come," was quite the step of faith. Who could blame him for taking his eyes off his destination, the place from where he heard the voice, when faced with the reality of what was happening around him? In some respects, isn't Peter really us? We hear and have the Word of God and even after stepping out in faith, we are still overwhelmed by our different circumstances? Like Peter, some of us have not only started to sink but we have sunk! Yes, we heard the voice of Jesus say “Come” but … but … but ….

Interestingly, Jesus did not rebuke Peter for looking everywhere else except upon Him; He rebuked him for his lack of faith (v.31). No matter how the storm was raging, he should have kept his faith instead of being afraid. The presence of fear signals uncertainty; a weakness in faith. Despite our best intentions, our fear often gets the better of us. In one respect, Peter failed. However, in another aspect he had learnt what not to do. Faith in God allows us to look at our challenges without being afraid. When overwhelmed we turn to the rock that is higher than ourselves (Psalm 61:2).

The application for us? Whenever you have a "Peter moment", whether in your relationship with the Lord or with others, use failure as a stepping stone for success. How so? At least, now you know what not to do. Learning what not to do is just as important as learning what to do, and sometimes we do so through failing. Ralph Marston writes, "Failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is an important component of success." Just ask Peter.

TGIF!

Thank God, It's Friday! Four magic words greeted with exhilaration and which signal the end of the workweek for millions of working people. For some of us, tired from weekends that seem far too short, we start looking forward to Friday from the time we get up on Monday! No matter how bad a week we are having, there is something about the "magical" Friday that puts a pep in our step and seem to flood our bodies with feel good hormones. It is as if for the next two days we can leave behind the hustle and bustle of life and its challenges.

However, what if we were to wake up every day and declare TGIF? No, not as in "Thank God It's Friday" but rather, "Today God Is First"? Ezra Taft Benson puts it this way, "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives." There is a lot of truth in that statement. Invariably, whatever we put first becomes our priority. There are times when it is our material needs that sit at the forefront of our minds and which consume our thinking. Jesus affirmed the importance of putting God first when He states, "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).

It would be pointing out the obvious to note that if Jesus said so then it must be true; above all else, seek first the kingdom of God. Centuries earlier the proverb writer declared, "In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success” (Proverbs 3:5-6, TLB). There is no other priority that we can establish that is able to transcend that of putting God first. It is no wonder that Abraham Lincoln, while president of the United States, lamented, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day." By putting God first, we can rest comfortably in the knowledge that He knows what He is doing. More importantly, He knows what is best.

So, how about it? TGIF - Today God Is First! You do not have to wait until Friday to reorder your priorities; you can start doing so any day of the week. Whatever you do, put Him first. Make it a habit to do so daily. No one or nothing else matters as much.

“He Gives His Beloved Sleep”

I love to sleep. For me, that is not as hard to admit as some people would think. This does not mean I advocate sleeping when one should be up and about being productive or engaged in “healthy” leisure, but there is a time for sleep; restful and restorative sleep. Even Jesus slept, so there is nothing particularly sinful about sleeping. In fact, one time He slept so soundly that not even a windstorm could arouse Him from His slumber (Luke 8:22-25). Some of us could definitely relate to that!

A good night's sleep is a gift from God. The anxious workaholic who strives to do everything in his or her own effort may disagree, but there is nothing virtuous about working long hours, regardless of vocation, that leaves one with little time for proper sleep. Psalm 127:2 reminds us, "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep." When feeling troubled and unable to sleep, we should remind ourselves that as long as we are right with God and other people, the Lord "replenishes every sorrowful soul." (Jeremiah 31:25). Jeremiah slept sweetly when he dreamt of the redemption of Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 31:26).

For those who have difficulty sleeping, for whatever reasons, it is important to examine if the inability to sleep in any way reflects a lack of trust in God in our circumstances that provoke such restlessness. Maybe there are areas in our lives in which we are experiencing conviction and like David, that is something we have to address (see Psalm 32:3-5). However, once we are secure in who He is, what He is able to do, and trust Him with the things pertaining to us, we can realize the truth of Proverbs 3:24, "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet."

Our mental outlook not only affects our ability to sleep but also our spiritual well-being. D.A. Carson puts it this way: "We are whole complicated beings: our physical existence is tied to our spiritual well-being, to our mental outlook, to our relationships with others, including our relationship with God. Sometimes the godliest thing you can do in the universe is get a good night’s sleep – not pray all night, but sleep. I’m certainly not denying that there may be a place for praying all night: I’m merely insisting that in the normal course of things, spiritual discipline obligates you to get the sleep your body needs." I wholeheartedly agree.

So, how is your sleep? Remember, God promises His beloved sleep. Do what you have to do in order to walk in that promise. Trust me, it is an enjoyable experience and the benefits are many.