"It is Well"

Her son was dead. The miracle baby born to her and her much older husband at a time when she no longer expected fruit from her womb. As a matter of fact, when Elijah had told her nine months earlier that she would embrace a son, she had replied, "O my master, O Holy Man, don't play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies!" (2 Kings 4:16, The Message). She didn't believe him. But in the very next verse we read, "The woman conceived. A year later, just as Elisha had said, she had a son." However, some years later, in what seemed like a cruel twist of fate, the child lay dead at home, in the same bed Elijah slept in when he was in that part of town.

She asked for an ass and with her servant, went hastily to Mount Carmel to meet Elijah, who, when he saw her in the distance, sent his servant to her with questions of concern - "Is something wrong? Are you all right? Your husband? Your child?" to which she answered, "Everything's fine," or as the KJV renders it, "It is well" (v.26). Didn't she hear the last question clearly? Nowhere do we read of a public mourning over the death of her only child.  Her husband did not know the child had died; she had simply told him, "Don't ask questions; I need to go right now. Trust me" (v.23b). She had not told the neighbors, no expression of anger at God, but even as she laid the boy in the room, and despite her soul being in distress (v.27), deep within her was a quiet resolve that if she could get to the man of God, all would be well.

In verses 28-37, we see how after a series of events, the boy was miraculously brought back to life. But as this story ends with a mother and son reunion, we are individually challenged by a lingering question: How would you and I respond if God, in His Sovereignty, took someone or something from us that was very near and dear to our hearts? 

When Horatio Gates Spafford received news from his wife that their four daughters were lost at sea, he made his way to his grieving wife. Later when the two met Dwight Moody, Spafford told him quietly, "It is well. The will of God be done." Spafford would later write the words: "When peace like a river, attendeth my way / When sorrows like sea billows roll / Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say / It is well, it is well with my soul."

What would you do? Could you say and believe those words?

Down But Not Out

In the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, the main character Forrest, played by actor Tom Hanks, quotes his mother as saying, "Life is like a box of chocolate . . . you never know what you gonna get" and boy, isn't that the truth! It is not without significance that life is said to be a journey; a very eventful one in which we experience highs and lows, surprises and disappointments, sadness and happiness. That journey is broken down into days and each day is given to us, wrapped like a present, and we have no idea what that package contains. Days of immense happiness can be followed by devastating tragedies, and somewhere in the mix of experiences is the realization that this life is not quite fair. 

The tragedies and disappointments we sometimes experience can often leave us feeling like we have been in a heavyweight fight with boxer Mike Tyson in his prime. We get broadsided by the unexpected at times when we least expect them, or have no reason to expect them. Our individual experiences often overwhelm us, provoking some of us to feelings of anger, betrayal, disbelief, tears, frustration, helplessness, and if we are not careful, to shake our fists in the face of God at what we consider to be His and life's unfairness. I know; I have been there.

The psalmist David realized this condition when he wrote: "When my heart is overwhelmed and weak; lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help].  For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the enemy" (Psalm 61:2-3, AMP).  By ourselves we cannot survive life's storms and the things that threaten to destroy us. However, as long as we allow Christ to lead us to the rock that is higher than ourselves, we can find refuge and strength in the strong tower who is our Saviour.  It is refreshing to know that regardless of what we find in our "box of chocolate," we do not have to become victims of those circumstances; we do not have to be knocked out.  Like Bozo the clown, though we may stagger at what life throws at us, we will be back on our feet every time the enemy thinks he has knocked us down.   

The apostle Paul puts it this way, "We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).  We may go down, but by God's grace we will not stay down.  Thank God!  Though we may not know what life will throw at us, we know we have a place of refuge for the times when we feel overwhelmed and need to be somewhere safe. Jesus being there makes all the difference.  I know; I have been there. 

Born to Win

The day's motivational quote was from motivational speaker Zig Ziglar and I thought it was profound: "You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win."  What stood out for me was the lack of passivity despite being born to win.  In other words, though we may be born to win, winning could not be taken for granted.  It was not going to happen without planning, preparation, and expectancy on our part.  We are active participants in the process to realized our expected end; we must do something.

 

These thoughts came to mind as I reflected on God's promise to the  Israelites as they made their way across the wilderness: "Look, I have set the land [of the Caananites] before you; go in and take possession of the land which the Lord swore (solemnly promised) to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them’" (Deut. 1:8, AMP).  Notice that though the land was given to them, they could not just sit by the river Euphrates holding hands and expect the promise to come to pass.  The instructions were clear, "go in and take possession."  That would involve planning, preparation, and expectations of winning because God was on their side.  As we know, there were a number of wars along the way to claiming the promise, but God kept His word.  Just because we have a promise from God doesn't mean the road to the promise will be easy, nor does it mean we do not have a part to play.

 

As Christians it is not uncommon for us to use and fall back on religious cliches - "I am a conqueror!" "I am a warrior!" "If I hold my peace, God will fight my battles!" and such the like.  Well, how does one conquer? What do warriors do?   Christian warriors know that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare, one that requires us to have our spiritual weapon in our right hand even as we go about our daily lives.  Yes, we are promised the victory but we were never promised there would  be no war.  For there to be a victor there must be a vanquished and often times that require our  planning to win, preparing to win, and expecting to win.  Believe me, the enemy of our souls is doing the same thing as it pertains to you and I.   He continually plans and prepares strategies to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).  It is no wonder Peter exhorts believers everywhere, "Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable] " (1 Peter 5:8-9a).      

To resist is to oppose or offer resistance through actions or words and so to "resist . . . his attack" is never a passive exercise.   Battles are not won sitting on our hands and waiting for God to move the enemy out of our way.  More times than not we must engage the enemy, not in our own strength and resources, but like David said to Goliath, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.  This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head.  And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel" (1 Samuel 17:45-46).  Despite his confidence in God, David also had a slingshot and five stones!   Goliath was not killed by a lightening bolt from heaven, but by a stone from David's sling.  David planned to win, prepared to win, and expected to win.  What is your mindset as you get ready to claim what God has promised you?    

Holding On To God's Word

When Jesus got to Bethany on the occasion of Lazarus' death, as He stood at the graveside amidst grieving family and friends, He said to those nearby, "Take ye away the stone." John tells us, "Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, 'Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days'" (11:39, KJV). Judging from that response, one would think that Jesus was oblivious to the facts as they were. In v.17 we were already told of Lazarus that "when Jesus came, He found that he had lain in the grave four days already," yet in Martha we see the human tendency to call our respective situations as we see them.  Usually, that is far removed from how God sees them.

I am intrigued by Jesus' response: "Said I not unto thee, that, 'if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?'" (v.40). The words "said I not unto thee" springs forth from the pages because they tell us that while standing there in front of her brother's grave, looking at the reality of what was, Martha forgot whatever it was that Jesus had told her previously. The facts had overwhelmed any promise He had given her, yet even as we look at her, we can see ourselves so clearly. We read the Word, the Holy Spirit quickens that Word in our hearts, yet in the face of our adversities how quickly we forget the promises of God.  When Jesus comes on the scene, the facts give way to truth. For example, fact - I am broke, truth - My God shall supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19); fact - I'm worried, truth - as long as I trust in Him, His peace will stand watch over my heart and mind (Phil. 4:6,7). In other words, for every situation that confronts us, we have a Word from God for that situation.

Our challenge as believers is to understand and hold on to the word that God has given to us, especially words that speak to our specific situations. Jesus taught, "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart" (Matt. 13:19).  It is when we lose that Word, often through lack of understanding of it, that we find ourselves in distress, doubt, and defeat. Without the promises of God, we have no reason to see beyond the present state. But thank God, because we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), with the Word appropriated in our hearts, we can say like the Apostle Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12). Equally important, we know that He keeps His promises.  We are reminded that "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19).

What "dead" situation in your life are you looking at? What has He said to you concerning it?  What are you going to believe?

A Place Called Heaven

According to the news report, the one bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom apartment located in New York city was on the market for a cool US$2.075 million and carried monthly maintenance fees of almost $1,500. It was only a year earlier that the seller bought the unit for $1.695 million, an appreciation of $380,000 during that time.  For a 850 square feet one-bedroom apartment.

 

As I read the story, it occurred to me that interested buyers would be individuals for whom money was not a problem. Individuals like you and I could only dream of living in a place "on a casually plummy, townhouse-lined and tree-shaded block on the the Upper West Side of New York City" that "occupies the entire top floor of a handsome, turn-of-the-century, mid-block brownstone that's just half a block west of the Museum of Natural History." Must be nice! I tried to picture the "casually plummy" block of luxury townhouses in my mind, but had no idea if the image in my mind was anywhere close to the reality.  It was then that it occurred to me that this apartment, no matter how luxurious, was nothing compared to what God has prepared for those who are His.

 

The apostle Paul echoed the words of Isaiah when he reminded the believers in Corinth: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9, KJV).  Bible Scholar Matthew Henry puts it this way: "There are things which God hath prepared for those that love Him, and wait for Him. There are such things prepared in a future life for them, things which sense cannot discover, no present information can convey to our ears, nor can yet enter our hearts."  While most of us could never afford the home being advertised, we are all presented with a picture of a city called heaven that defies comparison with any place on earth.  In the book of Revelation we are told of a river, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus] down the middle of the city. On each side of the river there will be a tree of life, yielding twelve kinds of fruit every month. The streets will be pure gold, like transparent glass. The walls of the city will be adorned with every kind of jewel, emerald, onyx, amethyst, topaz, etc. There will be no need for a sun or moon, and no need for a temple or church. The presence of the Lord will be its light" (Revelation 21, 22).  We cannot begin to imagine what this city and its environment look like.

 

One remarkable thing about this city is that all the money in world could not buy one of its mansions. These have been prepared by God "for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, who obey Him, and who gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed]” (1 Cor. 2:9b, AMP).  If you are one of those persons, a mansion, paid for in full, awaits you!  If you are not, then securing your place in this city is fairly easy for "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9, KVJ).  It starts there and it really is that simple. What are you waiting for? We just might end up being neighbours!  

When God Says "Stop"

I stared at the phrase for a few minutes, allowing its truth to percolate in my mind. Profound in its simplicity yet deep in its theology it simply said, "Do not put a comma where God puts a period." As we saw previously, the 'period' indicates the end of a sentence while the 'comma' indicates a pause, and from our phrase we see the speaker's intent: in the sentence of life, do not put a comma, a pause, where God puts a period, a stop.

It is important that we understand that not every obstacle or negative experience we face is from the devil (Lamentations 3:8-11). Sometimes we are reaping the consequences of our actions and at other times it could very well be God at work in our lives. The Psalmist captured the truth of God's sovereignty over our lives with the words, "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases" (115:3, ESV), and that includes His willingness to stop us in our tracks if we are going in the wrong direction. In Psalm 37:23 we read, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD" and I agree with Bible Scholar Matthew Henry who, on this portion of text, writes, "By His grace and Holy Spirit He directs the thoughts, affections, and designs of good men. He has all hearts in His hand, but theirs by their own consent. By His providence He overrules the events that concern them, so as to make their way plain before them, both what they should do and what they may expect. Observe, God orders the steps of a good man; not only His way in general, by His written word, but His particular steps, by the whispers of conscience, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.' He does not always show him his way at a distance, but leads him step by step, as children are led, and so keeps him in a continual dependence upon His guidance."

As believers, if we are not tuned in to God's frequency it is very easy to miss the periods, the times He says stop. Spiritual insensitivity, pride, among other things, can cause us to push past the 'periods' and pretend they're 'pauses.'  Whether in the areas of our relationships, careers, choice of friends, or a mate, when God puts up the stop sign it is foolish to persist. Our finite minds may be tempted to hold on to what may seem like a good thing, but we have to trust the wisdom of our God whose ways and thoughts far exceed anything we could ever imagine (Isaiah 55:8,9). Our good is no match for God's best.

Are doors closing on what seemed like sure opportunities? Does it seem like one disappointment after another? If we have sincerely placed ourselves in God's care and as we allow Him to direct our paths, it is important that we lean not to our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5,6). When God says "STOP!" He knows what He is doing. May He grant us the courage to see the futility of our way, the grace to yield to His, and the wisdom to know the difference. 

A Comma, Not a Period

Every now and again I receive a forwarded e-mail that contains something useful. This one, a PowerPoint slideshow titled "25 Beautiful Short Phrases," was really good. One of the phrases that 'jumped' out at me was "In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma, but never let him be a period." That, I thought, was one powerful phrase.

As I understand it, a 'comma' is a punctuation mark primarily used as a mark of separation within a sentence, while a 'period,' also a punctuation mark, represents the end of a sentence. The 'comma' invites a pause, a short delay, and in applying this understanding to the phrase, it reinforced in my mind that in the life of the believer, the devil can cause all kind of delays, but being neither the Alpha nor the Omega, our lives do not begin and end with him. He uses the delays we experience to provoke frustration and despair. Unanswered prayers, illnesses, family/relational conflicts, and job insecurity - these are just some of the weapons in his arsenal and if we are not careful, we could become so weighed down by these things that we forget that it is not the devil who has the last word, but God. Delays  in life are inevitable, but we have the reassurance of the Psalmist, "Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, but the Lord rescues him from them all." (34:19, AMP). 

Just as a comma cannot end a sentence, so the delays should not end our faith in the God of our Salvation. The challenges we encounter on our journey should not sway us from our goal of reaching our final destination.  The statement in the slide puts the responsibility on us as individuals to never let the devil be a period.  How do we do that? It's all in our attitude during those delays.  When we understand that God is at work in our lives perfecting [accomplishing] those things that pertain to us (Psalm 138:8), we can say like Job, "He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried [tested] me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10, KJV). Our challenge is trusting Him that He knows what He is doing. To that He reminds us, "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out--plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for" (Jeremiah 29:11, MSG). That sometimes include periods of delay as well. 

No matter the situation, nothing is over until God says it is over. He alone has the last word. He is the only one qualified to put a period on any event in our lives; everything else is just a comma.  Do you feel like given up during those times? Don't! While the devil is at work in the delays, so is God.  Guess who wins in the end?

Living In The Moment

To live in the moment is not very easy to do. Things are constantly changing and with so many things demanding our time and attention, it seems there is always something immediate to think or worry about.  Sometimes it is like trying to fill twelve holes with ten fingers. Most people who have tried it would agree that doing so can be very stressful and it doesn't work. Medical science tells us that stress is harmful to our overall well-being. Among its symptoms are headaches, backaches, neck pain, depletion of energy, aggravation of peptic ulcers, and memory disturbances, to name a few. Definitely, not good!

The reality is that we do have to live in the moment and while we cannot always control what happens in the moment, the degree to which we allow things to impact us is what we can control. One way to do this when we're challenged by the events of the moment is to look at the big picture. This was the principle Jesus applied when He told the disciples, "Therefore I tell you, 'stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?'" (Matthew 6:25-26, AMP).  In other words, as Bible scholar Adam Clarke observes, "Can He who gave us our body, and breathed into it the breath of life, before we could ask them from Him, refuse us that which is necessary to preserve both, and when we ask it in humble confidence?" I would suggest that such an approach can be applied to any area of our lives. No matter what we are faced with, it fades into insignificance in the light of God's inexhaustible provision.

Despite knowing that fact, most of us are like the apostle Peter. When Jesus challenged him, in the middle of a storm on the Sea of Galilee, to step out of the boat, Matthew tells us, "But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" (14:30). He was overwhelmed by the moment, but in the midst of his anxiety and despair "immediately Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'" (v.31).  It is important to note that Jesus did not reprimand him for the anxiety he felt; He reprimanded him for his lack of faith in the moment and in allowing the anxiety he felt to overwhelm him.

It takes faith in God to live in the moment because to survive the moments we have to keep our eyes on the big picture. Just because we are confused doesn't mean God is confused, or that He doesn't know what to do.  When faced with confusing situations and their feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear, it helps to remember that God is still in control; that if His eyes are on the sparrows we can rest assured that He also watches over us.  Not only that but He has a vested interest in us and gets no glory out of our failing.  Since He created the universe out of nothing, He is more than capable of helping us handle our moments.  Faith, in your challenging moments, how much of it do you use? How much of the big picture do you see?

"Give Us a King..."

The faithfulness of God towards the children of Israel is recorded all over the Old Testament. While the relationship between God and the people were often conflicted, it was this unique relationship that differentiated the Israelites from the other nations around them. When God instructed Moses to go to Pharaoh with the message to free the then slaves, He told him, "Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, 'I am the LORD . . . I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians'" (Exodus 6:7-8, KJV).  Later when God threatened to abandon them because of their persistent rebellion and disobedience, we see Moses reminding God of this relationship, "And he [Moses] said unto Him, 'If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth'" (Exodus 33:15-16).  

The basic terms of the relationship were that the LORD would be their God and King, and they would obey Him and those He put in place to govern them. They were also to make Him known to the nations around them.  However, there came a time when the people wanted a change in rulers. According to the narrative, "Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, 'Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.' But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us.' And Samuel prayed unto the LORD" (1 Samuel 8:5-6).  However, what they were asking was not that simple. This was not about replacing Samuel and his sons for "the LORD said unto Samuel, 'Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee'" (​vv​. 7, 8). In other words, since their deliverance out of Egypt they had shown nothing but ingratitude and rebellion against God and against His servant, and what they asked for was a continuation of their downward spiral.

The LORD told Samuel the kind of king they would get and Samuel told the people (vv. 10-17) before concluding, "And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day" (v. 18).  However, the narrative tells us, "Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, 'Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles'" (vv. 19-20). They did not care about the consequences as long as they were like everybody else.  

Christians today face a similar temptation.  The uniqueness of our relationship with Christ means we are not and cannot be like everybody else.  The moment we decide that is what we want is to lose sight of what we are called to be - light of the world and salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16).  Jesus told His disciples, "If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you" (John 15:19, MSG). Paul reminds us that "the culture around you [is] always dragging you down to its level of immaturity" and to that end, "Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out" (Romans 12:2, MSG). Let us resolve to be who God has called us to be even though it means we look​, ​act​, and speak​ differently than everybody else.  To desire otherwise is very dangerous.  Just ask the people of Israel.

Be Not Weary in Well Doing

If someone had provided you with a detailed list of what it meant to be a Christian, would you have "signed" up? Sure the benefits are outstanding, but what is required of us is often very challenging.  Biblical injunctions to love others as we love ourselves, turn the other cheek, not render evil for evil but repay evil with good, forgive as Christ forgave us, be patient with others, "bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you," to name a few, are not always easy to apply.  Yet it is our Christian duty to persist in cultivating these behaviours even when our experiences are the opposite.

These thoughts came to mind as I reflected on Paul's words as recorded in Galatians 6:9-10, Amplified: "Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.  So then, while we [as individual believers] have the opportunity, let us do good to all people [not only being helpful, but also doing that which promotes their spiritual well-being], and especially [be a blessing] to those of the household of faith (born-again believers)."  Here Paul, writing under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, readily acknowledges that as we carry out our Christian duty we can become discouraged in doing good, especially to others.  To keep on loving when that love is not returned or is abused, to keep respecting when one is being disrespected, to respond with patience and kindness when confronted with impatience and rudeness, to continue to show regard and care when treated with disregard and indifference, to be relevant to others who make us feel irrelevant; all of these behaviours and more can become wearisome.  The lack of positive and affirming responses to our efforts from others can take a toll on our psyche and thus affect us physically, psychologically, and ultimately spiritually.

It is relatively easy for some of us to get to that place where consistently living out the practical side of the Christian life feels like a burden.  Not that we want to be there, but the human side of us that is wired for reciprocity, the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, desires that exchange.  We are tired of things being one-sided. This often unmet desire for reciprocity and how we respond to it is one of the applications of Paul's admonition -  "Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good." In other words, keep on doing good even when that good goes unacknowledged, unappreciated, and you are the only one doing it.  Easier said than done, I know, but when we avail ourselves of His strength and grace it can be done.

Why should we even bother? First, Jesus tells us, “that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:44-45).  Second, the apostle tells us, "for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in."  For the latter to happen it means God has to be taking notice and that He is keeping good records.  It means that the things we persist in doing despite the responses and attitudes of others do count for something.  What we regard as unfair will be reconciled in our favour at some point. At the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.  Do you trust God and His promise enough to keep going?

The Teachings of Jesus

The more I study the life and ministry of Jesus, the more I appreciate how revolutionary and provocative His teachings were.  If He physically walked among us today, chances are good He would make us very uncomfortable with teachings that pulled away the "figs" with which we covered our spiritual selves while exposing us for who and what we really are.  Every time the religious crowd in His day thought they had it all together, His teachings would strip them of the self-righteousness and pious ways they boasted about and held up for all to see.  As one author puts it, "In their close scrutiny of the Law and in their best human efforts to keep the minutest details of the Law, they became blind even to the clearest revelation of the living Word of God." In other words, their outward and diligent observance of the Law could not mask their inner spiritual barrenness.

It is no wonder then that in addressing them, as recorded in Matthew 23, Jesus did not mince words.  He called them self-righteous and hypocrites on multiple occasions (e.g. vv. 13, 15), spiritually blind (v. 16, 19, 24), fools and blind men (v. 17). He referred to them as whitewashed tombs (v. 27), serpents and spawn of vipers (v. 33).  All in an effort to provoke them to repentance and reconciliation with God: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling" (v. 37, AMP).

The last four words of the preceding verse provoke our attention.  In the verse we see God desiring to gather His children around Him and the people's response, "and you were unwilling."  As Matthew Henry observes, "How emphatically is their obstinacy opposed to Christ’s mercy! I would, and ye would not. He was willing to save them, but they were not willing to be saved by Him. Note, It is wholly owing to the wicked wills of sinners, that they are not gathered under the wings of the Lord Jesus. They did not like the terms upon which Christ proposed to gather them; they loved their sins, and yet trusted to their righteousness; they would not submit either to the grace of Christ or to His government, and so the bargain broke off."

Jesus does not physically walk among us today, but His words live on in the pages of Holy Scripture.  These words, which are "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, KJV), continue to challenge and provoke some of us.  There is no area of our lives that Jesus' words do not speak to.  In them we find what He wants to do in and through us - to transform us spiritually and shape our lives so we become just like Him.  Our part is to recognize that on our best day our self-righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and do not count for anything; that the best we can do is to empty ourselves of ourselves as we "exchange" our self-righteousness for His own while submitting to His grace and His government in and over our lives.  The religious leaders were not willing to do that. Are you? 

Reconciliation and Worship - Part 2

When Jesus affirmed the link between reconciliation and worship (Matthew 5:23-24), it is important to note the order in which reconciliation is to take place.  He did not say "If you have something against your brother," but rather  "if your brother has something against you."  That places the responsibility squarely on each of us as individuals.  We cannot wait for the person to come to us nor can we stand in self-righteousness that we did not do anything wrong. Once there is a breach in the relationship, we are instructed to take the initiative and go to them.  Yes, it is not quite fair but we don't get a vote.
  
Matthew Henry observes, "The case supposed is, 'That thy brother have somewhat against thee,' that thou has injured and offended him, either really or in his apprehension; if thou are the party offended, there needs not this delay; if thou have aught [anything] against thy brother, make short work of it; no more is to be done but to forgive him (Mark 11:25), and forgive the injury; but if the quarrel began on thy side, and the fault was either at first or afterwards thine, so that thy brother has a controversy with thee, go and be reconciled to him before thou offer thy gift at the altar, before thou approach solemnly to God in the gospel-services of prayer and praise, hearing the word or the sacraments."

The direct link between reconciliation and worship also affirms that our relationship with God is partly contingent on how we treat others.  According to the IPV New Testament Commentary Series in its commentary on the text,  "Jesus indicates that when we damage our relationships with others, we damage our relationship with God, leading to eternal punishment.  A man who beats his wife, a woman who continually ridicules her husband, and a thousand other concrete examples could illustrate the principle. We must profess our faith with our lives as well as with our lips."  In other words, our being reconciled to God is not complete and cannot be complete without our reconciling with those we have offended or who may have offended us.

Pope Paul VI was right when he said, "Reconciliation is not weakness or cowardice. It demands courage, mobility, generosity, sometimes heroism, an overcoming of oneself rather than of one's adversary." It is not always an easy thing to humble oneself to take that first step, but we are left with no choice if we desire a right relationship with God and for our worship to be acceptable to Him. "So if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and while there you remember that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you, leave your offering there at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come and present your offering" (AMP).  Your move.

Reconciliation and Worship - Part 1

"I am sorry. Please forgive me."  Six words in any language that are very difficult for some people to say.  Some would rather drink poison; a slight exaggeration but you get the idea.  Some Christians struggle with saying these words too.  For all our religiosity, many of us struggle with the more practical side of our calling.  Have you ever noticed people, Christians included, would rather stop speaking to you instead of apologizing when they are wrong? 

These thoughts came to mind as I reflected on the words of Jesus in His sermon on the mount: "If you bring your gift [offering, sacrifice] to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" Matthew 5:23-24, NKJV). In these two verses, Jesus affirmed the link between reconciliation and worship.  As Matthew Henry observes, "Religious exercises are not acceptable to God, if they are performed when we are in wrath; envy, malice, and uncharitableness, are sins so displeasing to God, that nothing pleases Him which comes from a heart wherein they are predominant." In other words, to attempt to worship in an unreconciled state is to offer up worship that is unacceptable.  Read that sentence again, slowly.  Paul reaffirmed this in his call to prayer when he instructed believers "in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputing or quarreling or doubt [in their mind]" (1 Timothy 2:8, AMP). In Romans 12:1 he encourages believers to ensure our sacrifice of worship was "acceptable unto God."  The implication here is that it is possible to be offering something to God that He will not accept.

On the link between reconciliation and worship, Henry stressed a very important point when he said, "Love or charity is so much better than all burnt-offerings and sacrifice, that God will have reconciliation made with an offended brother before the gift be offered; He is content to stay for the gift, rather than have it offered while we are under guilt and engaged in a quarrel." That's powerful stuff!  Jesus' instructions were quite clear and because we cannot deceive the Holy Spirit, He knows when we are trying to offer up our sacrifice without meeting the pre-requirement.  Though we may try to pull "a fast one" on God, He cannot be fooled.  We cannot rationalize our way out of saying those difficult words, "I am sorry. Please forgive me." Not if we desire for God to find our worship acceptable.

As we make our way through the first month of 2017, maybe one resolution for some of us was to have a closer walk / better relationship with God. It is important to realize that such a walk / relationship demands something of us. It is God who sets the standards for worship and He has determined that true worship involves reconciliation. Those of us who choose to take that walk with Him must do so on those terms. "If you bring your gift [offering, sacrifice] to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."  How are you doing in that regard?