A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Orlando for the Gospel Coalition Women's Conference, a weekend of great teaching, some good rest, and the chance to hang out with some really old friends (time, not age!) and some brand-new friends. The final conference message was by Don Carson on Nehemiah 13*, addressing common pitfalls of reformation and revival, certainly helpful things to think through as we work and pray toward the growth of God's church here in Toronto. But of all the things he mentioned from this passage, it was an observation from his first point that I've really been thinking through in the last several weeks. Nehemiah 13:1-3 tells us that as the people listened to the law of God being read, they discovered that "no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the Assembly of God, for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them", and that as the people heard this, "they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent". Carson pointed out the danger of going beyond the law, of not only removing those God had specifically asked them to bar, but also anyone at all who was not of Israelite descent. The original law is from Deuteronomy 23, where it says that "no Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of The Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever... You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever." But then it goes on to say that "You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor and Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the LORD." So clearly, God is not barring all foreigners from the assembly of his people. Carson's point was that in our eagerness to be law-abiders, we can be tempted to go beyond God's requirements, setting up standards that are "higher" and more stringent than even what a holy and righteous God requires. Very true, and something to be guarded against.
But what has really struck me as I've reread the passages from Nehemiah and Deuteronomy over the past several weeks is not so much what WE do with God's standards, but what HE does. As I read Deuteronomy 23 and see the blunt statement that no Moabite is to be permitted in God's assembly, I cannot help but immediately think of the Bible's most well-known Moabite. "No Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD forever". And yet... Turn over a couple books and find Ruth, a Moabite who, by God's own sovereign appointment, was not only brought into the people of God, but who was great-grandmother to the man after God's own heart, King David. Not even close to ten generations passed before God took the descendant of a Moabite and put him on the throne of Israel. And it doesn't even end there! Generations go by, hundreds of years pass, and who is David's descendant? Jesus himself, God's own son and Saviour of God's people. In his genealogy, Matthew reminds us in no uncertain terms that Ruth (along with a few other "unsavoury" characters) is in the very family line of Jesus.
How is it that God can forbid the inclusion of any Moabite or his descendant in his assembly and then turn around and bring his own son into the world as the descendant of a Moabite? Only in the same way that we, who were once children of wrath like the rest of mankind, have been made alive together with Christ and seated with him in God's heavenly assembly. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses... While we were still his enemies, pronouncing curses against God and his people, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, the son of a Moabite. His great-great-great grandmother was an object of wrath, brought into God's family by grace alone, and through his perfect life, death and resurrection, he now intercedes for all us Moabites who trust in him for our identity, so that we can stand in God's assembly without fear of rejection.
Our God is holy and righteous and his requirements are perfect and good, yes. And our God is unfathomably full of mercy and grace toward those who will come to him confessing that in and of themselves, they have nothing to offer and, in fact, no reason to even hope for his acceptance, apart from Jesus' perfect fulfillment of the entire law of God and his death on the cross for the curse we deserve.
"God so loved the objects of his judicial wrath that He made a sovereign, unconditional Promise to save them, not by setting aside the requirements of His holy Law, but by fulfilling them Himself, in the Person of His beloved Son! 'Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other!' To God be the glory, forever and ever!" (Charles Leiter, The Law of Christ)
Do you know this mercy? And do you extend this mercy to those around you, to the outcasts, to the broken, to the rebellious, to those who don't meet your standards?
Let's rejoice today in such mercy extended to us, and may it flow through us to the world around us to the praise of God's glorious grace!
__________________________________________________________________
*the full audio and video are available here
Showing posts with label Good Quotes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good Quotes. Show all posts
Monday, September 08, 2014
Friday, December 13, 2013
Generosity: the Antidote to Consumerism
Anti-consumerism. It's the new(ish) theme of Christmas. Black Friday kicks off the fabulous sales AND the annual ranting against materialism and greed. I've said it; you've probably said it: We've all got so much STUFF. That's all Christmas is about anymore: more STUFF. All these trappings... Can't we just go back to being simple? I mean, how many more Legos do the kids possibly need? And all I'm going to get at the gift exchange is another something I don't want--another re-gift for next year. Plus, this pressure to think of something for all 20 people on my list is going to cause me a panic attack!
It's true: there's a lot of time and money spent in December on buying STUFF. And there are plenty of things bought that are of little use. There's a lot of waste out there. And a lot of greed.
But sometimes we use anti-consumerism as an excuse to be stingy. We fight selfishness by being selfish. No one needs extravagant gifts this year because Christmas isn't about gifts... Or really because I don't want to invest the time and money in giving generously. Or because I'm too disillusioned with stuff to be really thankful for God's unfathomable generosity toward me, and therefore have no good reason to let that overflow to others.
It's true: there's a lot of time and money spent in December on buying STUFF. And there are plenty of things bought that are of little use. There's a lot of waste out there. And a lot of greed.
But sometimes we use anti-consumerism as an excuse to be stingy. We fight selfishness by being selfish. No one needs extravagant gifts this year because Christmas isn't about gifts... Or really because I don't want to invest the time and money in giving generously. Or because I'm too disillusioned with stuff to be really thankful for God's unfathomable generosity toward me, and therefore have no good reason to let that overflow to others.Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Tears of the Oppressed (Meditations on Ecclesiastes)
"Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 4: 1-3)
Really? Is anyone allowed to say such a thing?! No wonder some of us feel uncomfortable with Ecclesiastes! Here is a book, inspired by God, that appears to claim it better to be dead, and indeed, to never have even been alive, than to have seen and experienced the evil that goes on under the sun. Where is the hope here?
In fact, the author of Ecclesiastes doesn't really offer any right now. There is terrible oppression done on this earth, injustices that in this life go continually unpunished (Eccl. 3:16-17). But we want to find the hope NOW. As Christians, we want Ecclesiastes to jump to the gospel, to hold up the coming judgement and offer salvation. Better off dead? Seriously?
In thinking through this troubling passage, I was really struck by Derek Kidner's question in his commentary:
Do we care about the unspeakable horrors going on at this very moment around the world? Do we care that young girls are forced into prostitution at any age, let alone at ages when our own daughters are still playing with dolls? Does it grieve us that infants the world over are slaughtered just because their parents and or their governments don't want to deal with them? Does it matter to us that children are conscripted into violent armies, that slumlords, orphanage owners and relief workers grab for themselves many of the donations given for the poorest of the poor under their "care"? And what about our own Christian brothers and sisters in other nations who are tortured, enslaved, imprisoned and killed because their persecutors hate what they believe? What about the spiritual oppression and darkness in our own comfortable land?
"But what can I do?" we often ask. Ecclesiastes itself acknowledges that oppression and evil are out of our control. We can deal with it in one form, in one place, at one time, and it's just starting somewhere else. Until the day that Jesus returns, there will always be poor, oppressed people in this sinful world. But I may not use this as an excuse to cease caring, to ignore. There ARE practical things that can be done for some of these issues. And even if there really is no practical way that I can help, there is ALWAYS one practical way that I can help. I can PRAY. I can join with Ecclesiastes and with the psalmist and with the martyred saints before the throne of God and groan on behalf of the oppressed. I can weep and mourn and plead on their behalf before the throne of the only One who has the power to end the pain, to comfort the victims, and to judge their oppressors.
Yes, ultimately we do not mourn as those who have no hope. In the end, God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Eccl. 12:14). We do know that there is a Jesus who sets the captives free. But we may not use this hope as an excuse to ignore the darkness of this present age. If we want to follow the whole counsel of God, as revealed in the entirety of the Bible, we must also have a place for deep grief over the ravages of sin, over the terrible evils that plague masses of people made in the image of God. We must be willing to go with Solomon to the depths of human suffering and mourn it. We have a God who didn't just sit back, looking from a distance at our misery, saying, "Don't want to go there." We have a God who entered right in to a world burdened by sin and oppression, lived in the midst of it, wept under the weight of it, and then died a horrible death to deal with it once and for all.
We must not merely be a people of hope, but also a hopeful people who care, who act, who pray to the God of all mercy and comfort on behalf of those who have no earthly hope. May we be a people who weep with the tears of the oppressed.
Really? Is anyone allowed to say such a thing?! No wonder some of us feel uncomfortable with Ecclesiastes! Here is a book, inspired by God, that appears to claim it better to be dead, and indeed, to never have even been alive, than to have seen and experienced the evil that goes on under the sun. Where is the hope here?
In fact, the author of Ecclesiastes doesn't really offer any right now. There is terrible oppression done on this earth, injustices that in this life go continually unpunished (Eccl. 3:16-17). But we want to find the hope NOW. As Christians, we want Ecclesiastes to jump to the gospel, to hold up the coming judgement and offer salvation. Better off dead? Seriously?
In thinking through this troubling passage, I was really struck by Derek Kidner's question in his commentary:
If [the author]'s gloom strikes us as excessive at this point, we may need to ask whether our more cheerful outlook springs from hope and not complacency. While we, as Christians, see further ahead than he allowed himself to look, it is no reason to spare ourselves the realities of the present.Are we shocked by the darkness of Ecclesiastes because we truly understand the hope of resurrection and future justice offered in the gospel, or, if we are honest, is it because we are not willing to go to the dark places in this world? Is it because we aren't ready to really look at the evils and oppressions that go on under the sun, and really care, really mourn, really weep with those who weep. To my shame, I have to admit that far too often, my lack of groaning is not because I'm so full of hope, but because I'm too lazy or comfortable to care. I'm apathetic. I don't look at the sufferings in this world with the grief of the God who created a beautiful world that was "very good" and then, in looking at the wickedness of man, "was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart" (Genesis 6:6).
Do we care about the unspeakable horrors going on at this very moment around the world? Do we care that young girls are forced into prostitution at any age, let alone at ages when our own daughters are still playing with dolls? Does it grieve us that infants the world over are slaughtered just because their parents and or their governments don't want to deal with them? Does it matter to us that children are conscripted into violent armies, that slumlords, orphanage owners and relief workers grab for themselves many of the donations given for the poorest of the poor under their "care"? And what about our own Christian brothers and sisters in other nations who are tortured, enslaved, imprisoned and killed because their persecutors hate what they believe? What about the spiritual oppression and darkness in our own comfortable land?
"But what can I do?" we often ask. Ecclesiastes itself acknowledges that oppression and evil are out of our control. We can deal with it in one form, in one place, at one time, and it's just starting somewhere else. Until the day that Jesus returns, there will always be poor, oppressed people in this sinful world. But I may not use this as an excuse to cease caring, to ignore. There ARE practical things that can be done for some of these issues. And even if there really is no practical way that I can help, there is ALWAYS one practical way that I can help. I can PRAY. I can join with Ecclesiastes and with the psalmist and with the martyred saints before the throne of God and groan on behalf of the oppressed. I can weep and mourn and plead on their behalf before the throne of the only One who has the power to end the pain, to comfort the victims, and to judge their oppressors.
Yes, ultimately we do not mourn as those who have no hope. In the end, God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Eccl. 12:14). We do know that there is a Jesus who sets the captives free. But we may not use this hope as an excuse to ignore the darkness of this present age. If we want to follow the whole counsel of God, as revealed in the entirety of the Bible, we must also have a place for deep grief over the ravages of sin, over the terrible evils that plague masses of people made in the image of God. We must be willing to go with Solomon to the depths of human suffering and mourn it. We have a God who didn't just sit back, looking from a distance at our misery, saying, "Don't want to go there." We have a God who entered right in to a world burdened by sin and oppression, lived in the midst of it, wept under the weight of it, and then died a horrible death to deal with it once and for all.
We must not merely be a people of hope, but also a hopeful people who care, who act, who pray to the God of all mercy and comfort on behalf of those who have no earthly hope. May we be a people who weep with the tears of the oppressed.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Limited: It's What We Are
Have you ever had plans to accomplish something, fully convinced it was a manageable workload, set yourself to work... and unexpectedly come straight up against the sheer wall of human limitations? If you've been human for long, it's probably happened to you at least once! Maybe it was a new job that you felt well-qualified for until you really got into it and realized exactly what it was going to require. Maybe it was a reasonable deadline that you were somehow still rushing, and perhaps failing, to meet at the final wire. Perhaps a party you were excited to plan until a week of the flu took you down. Or maybe it is just the 5-minute job of sweeping the kitchen floor that succumbs to your body's desperate cry for sleep.
Last week was one of those weeks when I found myself against that frustrating wall--more than once (and hence, no blog post). Lots to do but limited time. Lots of people to be around, but limited social energy. And even early in the week when I did feel like I had both time and energy for the things I wanted to do, I was limited by flooding and power outages. More than once, I fell into bed exhausted, still thinking about the 2 or 3 other things I really "should have been able to fit in."
My frustration brought to mind a line from a song by Trip Lee:
Last week was one of those weeks when I found myself against that frustrating wall--more than once (and hence, no blog post). Lots to do but limited time. Lots of people to be around, but limited social energy. And even early in the week when I did feel like I had both time and energy for the things I wanted to do, I was limited by flooding and power outages. More than once, I fell into bed exhausted, still thinking about the 2 or 3 other things I really "should have been able to fit in."
My frustration brought to mind a line from a song by Trip Lee:
You may be thinking you're a beast, but believe me,Yes, I like a little hip hop from time to time. And I frequently need to re-listen to that particular song (Limitations--if you have rdio, you can hear it here), because when it comes to filling my to-do list plate, my eyes are often bigger than my stomach. Sometimes it is pride: "Sure I can pull that off! Who couldn't?" Too often, my self-image is warped; I see myself as a beast, able to haul all kinds of loads and bear all kinds of burdens without breaking a sweat, and far too often, I'm actually surprised to discover that I don't hold up. Sometimes, especially lately, it's ignorance, being unaware of what's really realistic in the face of new circumstances. Since Nathan had his surgery 2 months ago, I've had to take on some tasks that used to be his, and I'm still adjusting to the new requirements. For example, I used to run errands once or at most twice a week, and he would run all the little ones in between on his way home from work. Now I run almost all of them, and for a homebody like me, that's a real energy sapper, and affects what else I'm good for on a given day. But I'm still learning to take that into account. And of course, sometimes it's a mixture of pride and ignorance that's very difficult to pull apart...
You still gotta sleep in the evening,
Gotta eat, need heat when it's freezing.
So many things we wanna get our hands on,The point of the song and, I suppose, of this post, is that we are created as limited, finite beings, and we need to humbly accept this. But we are also created by the limitless, infinite God of wonders:
So many heights we wanna reach that we planned on,
And we was thinking that we just missed our chance, homes,
But ain't reaching long enough no matter what we stand on.
He has no hunger; never does he sleep or he slumber.I need to remember that I'm a human being with limitations; I can't do it all! But I also need to remember that I'm under the care of the all-powerful, never-failing God who always brings his purposes to completion, even on those days when I hit that wall.
He's never limited; no enemies can ever come up with a victory;
He's got the 1-UP; he runs us.
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:28-31)
I've got a couple more thoughts, but due to the limits of time and space, they'll wait for another day.
Friday, May 03, 2013
Wise Foolishness
Tomorrow is moving day, and it has finally begun to really sink in that this is really happening. So has that feeling of being totally overwhelmed, insufficient and out of our league! The child who has been most excited and supportive of this whole moving process had a meltdown last night, pleading with me to please unsign everything and stay here! This is the point when I become acutely aware of the "foolishness" of what we're about to do. Move our country kids down to Condo Central? Squeeze our 6-member family (plus the dog) into a smaller place (when we've often thought about moving elsewhere for a little extra room)? Sign a lease on an apartment with a rent that, despite being a "deal" for the neighbourhood, is shocking to just about everyone who knows what we're about to pay? And do all this so that we can get to know a bunch of strangers with the hope of seeing the gospel impact their lives? We must be crazy!
That's when I take comfort from 1 Corinthians 1: "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.' Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
We preach a gospel that is foolishness to the world, so why should we not expect many of the actions that accompany that gospel to appear foolish as well? Our hope is not in worldly affluence and success, in having a big yard and fresh air for the kids to play in, enjoying all the comforts of life in our dream home (or at least the closest we can come to it). Our hope is not in having neighbours who are all like us, with 4 kids and a dog (we may end up being the only ones in the neighbourhood!). It's not in having our best life now. So we'll do what is foolish, with all the wisdom that God provides, and rest in His strength and the hope of many saved to eternal life!
The kids and I have been reading a book by a mid-20th century missionary to Iran, and just finished it this Wednesday, shortly after I had my own mini-meltdown in the midst of all this stress. I was so encouraged by the closing words of this book, written by someone who gave up many things to see the gospel spread in a difficult land. They are simple words, ones we've heard many times, but they are worth reminding ourselves of again:
"When Jesus Christ is really living in our hearts, we want him to enter and live also in the hearts of our friends and in the hearts of all the people of the world. And we will do everything we can to make the good news of Christ known to everybody everywhere. It was for this that I went to Iran, and I am most grateful to God for calling me to serve him in that land as a missionary.
If God should tell you to go to some place where people to do not know Christ and to spend your life in making him known and showing his love to them, you should obey with joy. For I know of nothing that you could do with your life that would be better than that. 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish by have eternal life.'"
That's when I take comfort from 1 Corinthians 1: "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.' Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
We preach a gospel that is foolishness to the world, so why should we not expect many of the actions that accompany that gospel to appear foolish as well? Our hope is not in worldly affluence and success, in having a big yard and fresh air for the kids to play in, enjoying all the comforts of life in our dream home (or at least the closest we can come to it). Our hope is not in having neighbours who are all like us, with 4 kids and a dog (we may end up being the only ones in the neighbourhood!). It's not in having our best life now. So we'll do what is foolish, with all the wisdom that God provides, and rest in His strength and the hope of many saved to eternal life!
The kids and I have been reading a book by a mid-20th century missionary to Iran, and just finished it this Wednesday, shortly after I had my own mini-meltdown in the midst of all this stress. I was so encouraged by the closing words of this book, written by someone who gave up many things to see the gospel spread in a difficult land. They are simple words, ones we've heard many times, but they are worth reminding ourselves of again:
"When Jesus Christ is really living in our hearts, we want him to enter and live also in the hearts of our friends and in the hearts of all the people of the world. And we will do everything we can to make the good news of Christ known to everybody everywhere. It was for this that I went to Iran, and I am most grateful to God for calling me to serve him in that land as a missionary.
If God should tell you to go to some place where people to do not know Christ and to spend your life in making him known and showing his love to them, you should obey with joy. For I know of nothing that you could do with your life that would be better than that. 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish by have eternal life.'"
-William McElwee Miller (Tales of Persia: Missionary Stories from Islamic Iran
)
)Friday, February 08, 2013
Importunity
"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, 'In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, "Give me justice against my adversary." For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, "Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming."' And the Lord said, 'Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?'" (Luke 18:1-8)
Persevering in prayer is hard.
As we've had several needs and concerns around us lately--some urgent, others not so much--I've become very aware of my own tendency to pray persistently about a particular issue for several days, maybe even a few weeks, and then to slowly drop off until before I know it, I'm seldom bringing it before God at all.
Sometimes it's because I start to doubt God's goodness and think maybe he doesn't care anymore, as if the One who sent his own Son into our world to die in my place and grant me his righteousness won't also graciously give me all other things that I need.
Sometimes it's because I start to doubt God's power, as if the One who created worlds with a word and breathes new life into bodies so dead they're decomposing can't possibly do anything about this difficult situation.
Other times, it's because I assume that today's "not yet" is tomorrow's "no", so I'd best just not bother God with this request anymore. After all, when my kids ask me for somthing over and over again till the cows come home, it makes me want to scream. Of course, sometimes that also makes me like the unrighteous judge who wants to give them what they want just to get them off my back. And if God is so much more merciful than that, why should I think he'll hold me off forever? In fact, if Jesus himself commands persistence in prayer, then any doubts I might have about whether God would rather I just shut it must be stilled.
And yes, sometimes it's just because I get bored. I get tired of asking again and again and again. And if I've already believed any of those other lies, even in the slightest, my resolve to press on gets very weak.
Jesus didn't tell his disciples to keep knocking and knocking and knocking on his Father's door because it was the natural and easy response. He told them never to give up because our tendency is so often precisely the opposite. But persistence comes with a promise. God does hear, he does care, he has all power, and he will give justice speedily.
"You have many other weapons to use with God in prayer, but our Saviour bids you not neglect this master, all-conquering instrument of importunity [that's bold persistence for modern English speakers]! God will be more easily moved than this unjust judge if only you are as importunate as this widow was. If you are sure it is a right thing for which you are asking, plead now! Plead at noon! Plead at night! Plead on--with cries and tears spread out your case! Put your arguments in order! Back up your pleas with reasons! Urge the precious blood of Jesus! Set the wounds of Christ before the Father's eyes! Bring out the atoning sacrifice--point to Calvary--enlist the crowned Prince, the Priest who stands at the right hand of God! And resolve in your very soul that if Zion does not flourish, if souls are not saved, if your family is not blessed, if your own zeal is not revived, you will die with the plea upon your lips and with the importunate wish upon your spirits!" -C.H. Spurgeon
Persevering in prayer is hard.
As we've had several needs and concerns around us lately--some urgent, others not so much--I've become very aware of my own tendency to pray persistently about a particular issue for several days, maybe even a few weeks, and then to slowly drop off until before I know it, I'm seldom bringing it before God at all.
Sometimes it's because I start to doubt God's goodness and think maybe he doesn't care anymore, as if the One who sent his own Son into our world to die in my place and grant me his righteousness won't also graciously give me all other things that I need.
Sometimes it's because I start to doubt God's power, as if the One who created worlds with a word and breathes new life into bodies so dead they're decomposing can't possibly do anything about this difficult situation.
Other times, it's because I assume that today's "not yet" is tomorrow's "no", so I'd best just not bother God with this request anymore. After all, when my kids ask me for somthing over and over again till the cows come home, it makes me want to scream. Of course, sometimes that also makes me like the unrighteous judge who wants to give them what they want just to get them off my back. And if God is so much more merciful than that, why should I think he'll hold me off forever? In fact, if Jesus himself commands persistence in prayer, then any doubts I might have about whether God would rather I just shut it must be stilled.
And yes, sometimes it's just because I get bored. I get tired of asking again and again and again. And if I've already believed any of those other lies, even in the slightest, my resolve to press on gets very weak.
Jesus didn't tell his disciples to keep knocking and knocking and knocking on his Father's door because it was the natural and easy response. He told them never to give up because our tendency is so often precisely the opposite. But persistence comes with a promise. God does hear, he does care, he has all power, and he will give justice speedily.
"You have many other weapons to use with God in prayer, but our Saviour bids you not neglect this master, all-conquering instrument of importunity [that's bold persistence for modern English speakers]! God will be more easily moved than this unjust judge if only you are as importunate as this widow was. If you are sure it is a right thing for which you are asking, plead now! Plead at noon! Plead at night! Plead on--with cries and tears spread out your case! Put your arguments in order! Back up your pleas with reasons! Urge the precious blood of Jesus! Set the wounds of Christ before the Father's eyes! Bring out the atoning sacrifice--point to Calvary--enlist the crowned Prince, the Priest who stands at the right hand of God! And resolve in your very soul that if Zion does not flourish, if souls are not saved, if your family is not blessed, if your own zeal is not revived, you will die with the plea upon your lips and with the importunate wish upon your spirits!" -C.H. Spurgeon
Monday, October 08, 2012
The God Who is Adequate
"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?' He said, 'But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.'" (Exodus 3:11-12)
Alec Motyer, in The Message Of Exodus
, comments on this passage:
, comments on this passage:Moses' first problem was his sense of personal inadequacy, the 'What? Me?' syndrome. Moses said, 'Who am I?' and the Lord replied, 'But I...'. Notice the Lord's graciousness here in not trying to deny Moses' inadequacy. How differently we react to each other. Somebody comes to us and says, 'I'm not really up to it,' and we immediately and thoughtlessly reply, 'Of course you are!' That is not the way the Lord dealt with Moses--or the way he deals with us. He does not sweep the difficulties we feel aside. Moses said, 'Lord, I'm not adequate', and the Lord said, 'No, but I am!' He accepted Moses' self-estimate and graciously promised his presence as adequate for the inadequate man. He neither said to him, 'Of course you're adequate,' denying Moses' feelings, or did he say to him, 'It doesn't matter.' He accepted Moses' sense of inadequacy as one of the facts of the situation, but then countered it by the adequacy of his own presence...
Furthermore, the Lord's reaction was not to promise to make Moses adequate, somehow to transform him into someone who was up to the task. (Although this is what he did as time went on.) What he did promise was the sufficiency of his own presence. In other words, he called Moses to a position of faith--to go into this work not expecting to be a different man but expecting a sufficient God. He met Moses' inadequacy with the pledge of his own sufficiency, and called Moses to believe the promises and to demonstrate the obedience of faith.
Are you up to the task today? Are you adequate? I'm not! But the God who has called us to today's work IS adequate, and will be sufficient for us as we carry out that work in the obedience of faith--be it mothering our children, loving that unlovable neighbour or sharing the gospel with a friend or family member over Thanksgiving dinner.
Friday, October 05, 2012
Grace For the Heart of Anger
I promised one more book revisit, but I'm actually going to tackle two books at once today, since they both deal with parenting, and I think the one needs the other.
Priolo's answer to the question is pretty short (the chapter is only 3 pages long): If a counselee makes the claim that he "tried it God's way and it didn't work", "one of two things is wrong: either the counselee did not really do it God's way or he did not do it God's way long enough." He then goes on to briefly expand the idea that if the methods in his book don't "work", you're either not doing it all, or you haven't done it long enough to see change. He never defines what it means for these methods to "work", but one assumes that he means your children will gain control over their anger and your home will be peaceful. Now, it is true that if you only use part of a method it may well be less effective, and I fully agree that good parenting is the process of applying consistent principles over the long term, but scripturally, I don't think you can claim that doing things "God's way" will always "work" in the earthly, happy-ending, easy sense of the word. This answer seems overly simplistic to me and leans too heavily on the idea that if we can only parent well, our children will turn out the way we want them to.
Good parenting doesn't guarantee successful (or godly) kids. If the ability of our children to control their anger and live a quiet and godly life depends solely (or even mostly) on our ability to always do everything thoroughly and consistently for 18 (or more) years, then our kids are all doomed. What parent has ever, in the history of the universe, parented their children without multiple errors, sinful reactions, and at least some inconsistency? Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the great patriarchs, honoured for their faith in Scripture, and yet they all played favourites with their kids. David was a man after God's own heart, but his kids are no paragon of virtue. Even Jesus' parents made mistakes, and he had to (respectfully) rebuke them. Although I should take my responsibility as a parent very seriously, I don't want my kids' eternal or even earthly destiny to rest on my ability to be a good, consistent parent who uses the "right" method.
When Priolo discusses the importance of consistency earlier in the book, he says, "[The children] should know that each offense will be treated justly and equitably regardless of their parents' emotional, spiritual, or physical condition at the time of discipline." I agree. That is the ideal. But can I be realistic for a minute? Have you ever had a discipline situation while your head is over the toilet in the middle of first trimester pregnancy? Have you ever been so emotionally and physically drained at the end of a LONG day, that even though you try hard to listen, you still have to ask 5 times what happened, and even then, you have no clue how to apply Scripture to the situation? I'm not saying we shouldn't pray for strength and wisdom and seek to do our best in even the worst of circumstances. I'm just saying that I don't know any parent who handles things exactly the same in each and every emotional, spiritual and physical condition at all times, and who always does everything right. We need room for grace.
I love the chapter in Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson's Give Them Grace
where they deal with the same subject: What about when things don't work? The whole book offers great hope for the imperfect parent, because the main theme is that God doesn't deal with our children's souls exactly in keeping with our parental ability and faithfulness. Just because you're a "good" parent doesn't mean God owes you fantastic, godly children. He's never promised that. And just because you make mistakes doesn't mean your children are going to be criminal basket-cases who hate God and you, too. We are called to be faithful, yes, but all good in our children is only by God's grace; any good in our parenting that positively affects them is by His grace, too. And His grace is sufficient for parental sins, from the smallest, most mundane to huge, life-changing errors. As Fitzpatrick and Thompson discuss God's glory in our sin and our children's sin in the chapter Weak Parents and Their Strong Savior, they rightly qualify things by saying,
and Teach Them Diligently
, another book from Priolo (which, incidentally, ends on a much more gracious note), that give practical, detailed wisdom to the confused and struggling parent (and really, which of us aren't?). But if I recommend any "methods", however biblically-based, these days I am also quick to recommend Give Them Graceas a biblically gracious lens through which to view that method. I recommend The Heart of Anger for its practical help, but don't leave its efficacy to your own ability to carry out the methods in it. Lean hard on the glorious grace of our heavenly Father, and trust Him to carry out His good, pleasing and perfect will, whether it involves self-controlled, compliant children and energy for the day's parenting, or whether you're weeping over a defiant child or your own lack of mercy while you lean over that porcelain bowl.
When I last mentioned The Heart of Angerby Lou Priolo, I was only a few chapters in. Having now finished it, I would still recommend it, but with a caveat. This book on dealing with angry children has very helpful, concise sections on common mistakes parents make (I identified with several of them) that provoke kids to anger, how to talk your child through their angry response to something, how to respond when your child attempts to manipulate you, and how to give your child a framework for respectfully appealing your decisions when they feel them unfair. Although I don't know if we'll ever actually use the paper worksheets recommended in the book after "anger episodes", (as a verbal exchange in discipline situations, I think they're very useful), I was tracking with Priolo until the very last chapter, which attempts to answer the question "But what if this doesn't work?" That's where he lost me.
by Lou Priolo, I was only a few chapters in. Having now finished it, I would still recommend it, but with a caveat. This book on dealing with angry children has very helpful, concise sections on common mistakes parents make (I identified with several of them) that provoke kids to anger, how to talk your child through their angry response to something, how to respond when your child attempts to manipulate you, and how to give your child a framework for respectfully appealing your decisions when they feel them unfair. Although I don't know if we'll ever actually use the paper worksheets recommended in the book after "anger episodes", (as a verbal exchange in discipline situations, I think they're very useful), I was tracking with Priolo until the very last chapter, which attempts to answer the question "But what if this doesn't work?" That's where he lost me.Priolo's answer to the question is pretty short (the chapter is only 3 pages long): If a counselee makes the claim that he "tried it God's way and it didn't work", "one of two things is wrong: either the counselee did not really do it God's way or he did not do it God's way long enough." He then goes on to briefly expand the idea that if the methods in his book don't "work", you're either not doing it all, or you haven't done it long enough to see change. He never defines what it means for these methods to "work", but one assumes that he means your children will gain control over their anger and your home will be peaceful. Now, it is true that if you only use part of a method it may well be less effective, and I fully agree that good parenting is the process of applying consistent principles over the long term, but scripturally, I don't think you can claim that doing things "God's way" will always "work" in the earthly, happy-ending, easy sense of the word. This answer seems overly simplistic to me and leans too heavily on the idea that if we can only parent well, our children will turn out the way we want them to.
Good parenting doesn't guarantee successful (or godly) kids. If the ability of our children to control their anger and live a quiet and godly life depends solely (or even mostly) on our ability to always do everything thoroughly and consistently for 18 (or more) years, then our kids are all doomed. What parent has ever, in the history of the universe, parented their children without multiple errors, sinful reactions, and at least some inconsistency? Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the great patriarchs, honoured for their faith in Scripture, and yet they all played favourites with their kids. David was a man after God's own heart, but his kids are no paragon of virtue. Even Jesus' parents made mistakes, and he had to (respectfully) rebuke them. Although I should take my responsibility as a parent very seriously, I don't want my kids' eternal or even earthly destiny to rest on my ability to be a good, consistent parent who uses the "right" method.
When Priolo discusses the importance of consistency earlier in the book, he says, "[The children] should know that each offense will be treated justly and equitably regardless of their parents' emotional, spiritual, or physical condition at the time of discipline." I agree. That is the ideal. But can I be realistic for a minute? Have you ever had a discipline situation while your head is over the toilet in the middle of first trimester pregnancy? Have you ever been so emotionally and physically drained at the end of a LONG day, that even though you try hard to listen, you still have to ask 5 times what happened, and even then, you have no clue how to apply Scripture to the situation? I'm not saying we shouldn't pray for strength and wisdom and seek to do our best in even the worst of circumstances. I'm just saying that I don't know any parent who handles things exactly the same in each and every emotional, spiritual and physical condition at all times, and who always does everything right. We need room for grace.
I love the chapter in Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson's Give Them Grace
where they deal with the same subject: What about when things don't work? The whole book offers great hope for the imperfect parent, because the main theme is that God doesn't deal with our children's souls exactly in keeping with our parental ability and faithfulness. Just because you're a "good" parent doesn't mean God owes you fantastic, godly children. He's never promised that. And just because you make mistakes doesn't mean your children are going to be criminal basket-cases who hate God and you, too. We are called to be faithful, yes, but all good in our children is only by God's grace; any good in our parenting that positively affects them is by His grace, too. And His grace is sufficient for parental sins, from the smallest, most mundane to huge, life-changing errors. As Fitzpatrick and Thompson discuss God's glory in our sin and our children's sin in the chapter Weak Parents and Their Strong Savior, they rightly qualify things by saying,We're not encouraging anyone to sin. God hates sin. We should hate it, too. And because we never know what God's will is before it is accomplished, we must always assume that it is his will to be glorified by our obedience rather than by our disobedience. We must continually strive with all our might for the 'holiness without which no one will see the Lord' (Heb. 12:14)But for all those times that parents do sin, or all those times that parents do (most) everything right and the child still rebels, they write,
The weaknesses, failures, and sins of our family are the places where we learn that we need grace too. It is there, in those dark mercies, that God teaches us to be humbly dependent. It is there that he draws near to us and sweetly reveals his grace. Paul's suffering [in 1 Corinthians 12] teaches us to reinterpret our thorn. Instead of seeing it as a curse, we are to see it as the very thing that keeps us 'pinned close to the Lord'.God is glorified even through the darkest, most sinful aspects of our family life when these things turn us to him and his abundant grace in our weakness and failure. This is sometimes the only way that things work out in our parenting. While we don't always understand this, there are times when the only real happy ending is that we are driven closer to our Lord. I love this paragraph:
We think that compliant children will best teach us about his grace and the gospel, and they can. Compliant, believing children are frequently reflections of his great kindness. But the Lord also teaches us of his grace and the gospel through difficult children. We learn what it is like to love like he loved. We learn how to walk in his footsteps, and it is there, in our personal 'upper room', where we learn how to wash the feet of those who are betraying us. It is there, kneeling before our rebellious children, that the real power of God is demonstrated. The compliant child's life lies to us, assuring us that she is good because we're such good parents. Difficult children tell us the truth: God loves his enemies, and he can infuse us with grace that will make us lay down our lives for them too. Their rebellion is a verification of the gospel: we produce sinful children because we are sinners, but God loves sinners. God's power is displayed through our failures when we tether ourselves to the gospel message of sin and forgiveness [not to our thoroughness or consistency], no matter how desperate the situation becomes.I am thankful for the variety of parenting books out there, including The Heart of Anger
and Teach Them Diligently, another book from Priolo (which, incidentally, ends on a much more gracious note), that give practical, detailed wisdom to the confused and struggling parent (and really, which of us aren't?). But if I recommend any "methods", however biblically-based, these days I am also quick to recommend Give Them Graceas a biblically gracious lens through which to view that method. I recommend The Heart of Anger for its practical help, but don't leave its efficacy to your own ability to carry out the methods in it. Lean hard on the glorious grace of our heavenly Father, and trust Him to carry out His good, pleasing and perfect will, whether it involves self-controlled, compliant children and energy for the day's parenting, or whether you're weeping over a defiant child or your own lack of mercy while you lean over that porcelain bowl.Friday, August 24, 2012
Don't Test the Speaker!
Have you ever prayed for energy to deal patiently with the kids... and then stayed up way too late browsing the internet? Or watched a movie you felt uncomfortable about while praying for God's protection over your mind? I have.
Last week, I wrote about the fact that what ultimately causes us to go on existing is not our own efforts or our circumstances (be they good or bad), but rather God's powerful, effective, creative, sustaining word that accomplishes His will for us. As I pointed out in that post, Jesus' first response to the temptations of the devil in Matthew 4 expresses his confidence in the Father's ability to uphold his life by His word even when he has no physical sustenance. What is interesting and instructive is the devil's response to Jesus. The very next thing he tempts Jesus to do is to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple, because angels are sure to catch him. As William Hendriksen points out, in his commentary on Matthew, it is as if the devil is saying to him, "You trust that your Father will keep you alive by the power of His effective word as long as it is His will, whether you've got food or not? Well, then prove that you can't thwart His will! Throw yourself down, and show me that He'll sustain you!" But how does Jesus respond? "Again, it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Hendriksen says, "The false trust in the Father, which the devil demanded of Jesus in this second temptation was not any better than the distrust he had proposed in the first."
We are not to be anxious about our lives or the lives of our loved ones. We are carried by God's word even through very difficult or impossible situations. And even when life is easy and pleasant, it is still God's word that allows us to continue to live. But it is also quite possible to have a false confidence in God's ability and desire to sustain us that makes us reckless, foolish and irresponsible. God is sovereign over our lives, but He has also gifted us with working brains and the Spirit's guidance. He commands us to ask Him for wisdom when we lack it (James 1:5). The Bible is full of God's revelation of true wisdom to us, and if we ignore or deny God's wisdom for our lives, all the while expecting that God will protect us anyway, we are putting our Father to the test.
Hendriksen gives some examples:
Maybe you're a student who "forgets" to study and then pleads with God to help you pass your exam. Maybe you're a mother who prays daily for the safety of her children, but is too busy surfing the web (or writing her blog) to effectively supervise them. Maybe you're a driver who can't imagine that God would ever allow you to be the one involved in a fatal crash, but you don't maintain your vehicle and you drive too fast. Maybe you're praying for God's provision for a big financial need you have, but you aren't careful with your budget, and when you get an extra little bit of unexpected money, you spend it on your passions instead (James 4:3)."'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test' is the answer to all of this."
None of us lives in perfect wisdom. Only Jesus has ever done that! And his righteous response to Satan's temptation is counted to us who believe the gospel, even when we give in to that very same temptation. And God is often merciful to speak His sustaining words even when we have been incredibly stupid, or just plain naive. It is also true that we may be a very godly, wise person and yet God in His good wisdom ends our life in an early or tragic way. But we must not put Him to the test, ignoring His means of sustenance and presupposing on His desire to give us life. Rather, in thankfulness for His continued care and revealed wisdom, let us press on to grow in the grace of wisdom, trusting fully that it is not ultimately our efforts but God's powerful and merciful word that sustains us, and using the mental faculties that He has provided, and relying on His written word and the guidance of His Spirit to make us wise, responsible, careful children of our Father in heaven.
Last week, I wrote about the fact that what ultimately causes us to go on existing is not our own efforts or our circumstances (be they good or bad), but rather God's powerful, effective, creative, sustaining word that accomplishes His will for us. As I pointed out in that post, Jesus' first response to the temptations of the devil in Matthew 4 expresses his confidence in the Father's ability to uphold his life by His word even when he has no physical sustenance. What is interesting and instructive is the devil's response to Jesus. The very next thing he tempts Jesus to do is to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple, because angels are sure to catch him. As William Hendriksen points out, in his commentary on Matthew, it is as if the devil is saying to him, "You trust that your Father will keep you alive by the power of His effective word as long as it is His will, whether you've got food or not? Well, then prove that you can't thwart His will! Throw yourself down, and show me that He'll sustain you!" But how does Jesus respond? "Again, it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Hendriksen says, "The false trust in the Father, which the devil demanded of Jesus in this second temptation was not any better than the distrust he had proposed in the first."
We are not to be anxious about our lives or the lives of our loved ones. We are carried by God's word even through very difficult or impossible situations. And even when life is easy and pleasant, it is still God's word that allows us to continue to live. But it is also quite possible to have a false confidence in God's ability and desire to sustain us that makes us reckless, foolish and irresponsible. God is sovereign over our lives, but He has also gifted us with working brains and the Spirit's guidance. He commands us to ask Him for wisdom when we lack it (James 1:5). The Bible is full of God's revelation of true wisdom to us, and if we ignore or deny God's wisdom for our lives, all the while expecting that God will protect us anyway, we are putting our Father to the test.
Hendriksen gives some examples:
"A person will earnestly beseech the Lord to bestow upon him the blessing of health; however, he neglects to observe the rules of health. Or, he will ask God to save his soul; however, he neglects to use the means of grace, such as the study of Scripture, church attendance, the sacraments, living a life for the benefit of others to the glory of God. Again, someone will plead with the Lord for the spiritual as well as physical welfare of his children, but he himself neglects to bring them up in the way of the Lord... 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test' is the answer to all of this."
Maybe you're a student who "forgets" to study and then pleads with God to help you pass your exam. Maybe you're a mother who prays daily for the safety of her children, but is too busy surfing the web (or writing her blog) to effectively supervise them. Maybe you're a driver who can't imagine that God would ever allow you to be the one involved in a fatal crash, but you don't maintain your vehicle and you drive too fast. Maybe you're praying for God's provision for a big financial need you have, but you aren't careful with your budget, and when you get an extra little bit of unexpected money, you spend it on your passions instead (James 4:3)."'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test' is the answer to all of this."
None of us lives in perfect wisdom. Only Jesus has ever done that! And his righteous response to Satan's temptation is counted to us who believe the gospel, even when we give in to that very same temptation. And God is often merciful to speak His sustaining words even when we have been incredibly stupid, or just plain naive. It is also true that we may be a very godly, wise person and yet God in His good wisdom ends our life in an early or tragic way. But we must not put Him to the test, ignoring His means of sustenance and presupposing on His desire to give us life. Rather, in thankfulness for His continued care and revealed wisdom, let us press on to grow in the grace of wisdom, trusting fully that it is not ultimately our efforts but God's powerful and merciful word that sustains us, and using the mental faculties that He has provided, and relying on His written word and the guidance of His Spirit to make us wise, responsible, careful children of our Father in heaven.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Sustained By Words
"As creatures of God we are totally dependent upon him for everything. We are dependent not only on the continual rule or providence of God in nature for the production of food and other goods, but also for every moment of our existence. We draw the next breath, our hearts beat the next beat, we are conscious of the next moment of our existence only because God goes on sustaining the very substance of creation. There are no laws of nature that are self-sustaining. If God were to withdraw for a split second his powerful word, the universe would cease to exist in that same split second. That is why man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deut 8:3; see also Ps 104:24-30). So Christ, as the creative Word of God, sustains 'all things by his powerful word' (Heb 1:3), and 'in him all things hold together' (Col 1:17)."
-Graeme Goldworthy, According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible
These thoughts gave me a new insight into Jesus' quoting of Deuteronomy 8:3 when the Devil tempts him to turn stones into bread after 40 days of fasting (and serious hunger!). I've always thought of this response as meaning that man can't just survive on physical sustenance, but also needs the spiritual food of meditation on God's written word to grant him life. That is certainly a true biblical idea, but what Jesus is saying here is, in the words of William Hendriksen, "Tempter, you are proceeding upon the false assumption that for a man, in order to appease hunger and keep alive, bread is absolutely necessary. Over against this erroneous idea, I now declare that not bread but the creative, energizing, and sustaining power of my Father is the only indispensable source of my, and of man's, life and well-being." (Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew
)
Hendriksen goes on:
"The expression 'every word that comes out through the mouth of God' refers to the word of his power. It is God's omnipotence exercised in creation and preservation. It is his word of effective command; for example, 'And God said, Let there be light, and there was light' (Gen. 1:3); 'By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made' (Ps. 33:6)."
The point is this: Man can eat as much bread as he can get a hold of and yet, if God withdraws His sustaining word, such a person will die that very instant. Conversely, man can be without any bread due to circumstances beyond his control--and by God's mercy, even circumstances WITHIN his control-- and yet, by God's sustaining word that man will go on living.
This doesn't negate human responsibility (more on that in another post), but places our responsibility squarely UNDER God's sovereign dominion and care. We live and move and have our being only because God continues to speak His sustaining word that commands us to go on living. And what a relief this is to the anxieties of daily life!
As I drive back and forth from VBS this week, logging 500 kms just in multiple short trips, I am aware that the reason I have yet to drive off the road or hit another car is not merely the good condition of our van or my ability to stay alert and focus on the road (anyone who's ever had 4 kids in the back of their van knows it couldn't possibly be that!), though these are agents of God's care. I have yet to die on the road because God continues to speak His powerful words of existence for me.
If you are fighting illness, or you worry every time your child acts out crazy kid-antics on the jungle gym, or things are so tight that you literally don't know where tomorrow's meal is going to come from, trust that God's word will speak sustenance until the very moment HE has appointed for the end. It is not bread, or health or helicopter parenting that keeps us all going. And "which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" (Matt. 6:27) Man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God, and His powerful word will never cease to command and carry out His good, pleasing and perfect will.
-Graeme Goldworthy, According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible
These thoughts gave me a new insight into Jesus' quoting of Deuteronomy 8:3 when the Devil tempts him to turn stones into bread after 40 days of fasting (and serious hunger!). I've always thought of this response as meaning that man can't just survive on physical sustenance, but also needs the spiritual food of meditation on God's written word to grant him life. That is certainly a true biblical idea, but what Jesus is saying here is, in the words of William Hendriksen, "Tempter, you are proceeding upon the false assumption that for a man, in order to appease hunger and keep alive, bread is absolutely necessary. Over against this erroneous idea, I now declare that not bread but the creative, energizing, and sustaining power of my Father is the only indispensable source of my, and of man's, life and well-being." (Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew
)Hendriksen goes on:
"The expression 'every word that comes out through the mouth of God' refers to the word of his power. It is God's omnipotence exercised in creation and preservation. It is his word of effective command; for example, 'And God said, Let there be light, and there was light' (Gen. 1:3); 'By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made' (Ps. 33:6)."
The point is this: Man can eat as much bread as he can get a hold of and yet, if God withdraws His sustaining word, such a person will die that very instant. Conversely, man can be without any bread due to circumstances beyond his control--and by God's mercy, even circumstances WITHIN his control-- and yet, by God's sustaining word that man will go on living.
This doesn't negate human responsibility (more on that in another post), but places our responsibility squarely UNDER God's sovereign dominion and care. We live and move and have our being only because God continues to speak His sustaining word that commands us to go on living. And what a relief this is to the anxieties of daily life!
As I drive back and forth from VBS this week, logging 500 kms just in multiple short trips, I am aware that the reason I have yet to drive off the road or hit another car is not merely the good condition of our van or my ability to stay alert and focus on the road (anyone who's ever had 4 kids in the back of their van knows it couldn't possibly be that!), though these are agents of God's care. I have yet to die on the road because God continues to speak His powerful words of existence for me.
If you are fighting illness, or you worry every time your child acts out crazy kid-antics on the jungle gym, or things are so tight that you literally don't know where tomorrow's meal is going to come from, trust that God's word will speak sustenance until the very moment HE has appointed for the end. It is not bread, or health or helicopter parenting that keeps us all going. And "which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" (Matt. 6:27) Man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God, and His powerful word will never cease to command and carry out His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Cellar Rats and Other Ugly Creatures
I believe in the sovereignty of God. I mean, I've heard it all my life. I've read about it in Scripture countless times. I even wrote a blog post about it the other week. I've got that one down pat, right? "Just remember, when chaos comes, look to the throne sitting over that calm, calm sea!"
Um... well, in the interest of full disclosure, that's not always the way it goes. I'm a sinner just like the rest of you, and I struggle to believe just like every other pilgrim on this journey. I can write a confident blog post one day about the God who controls our chaos, and only a few days later, I can completely forget to believe those very words and react wrongly when things don't go according to plan. Case in point:
Last Saturday (all of 3 days after said blog post), we took a much anticipated trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake to watch a couple of 1812 battle reenactments and enjoy the day together as a family. We got away a little later than planned, and then hit heavy traffic which turned the 1.5 hour drive into almost 3 hours, so we arrived just as the first battle was beginning. Selfless creature that I am (ha! read on to see how true that one is), I volunteered to drop everyone off and find a parking spot, figuring that I'd rejoin the family quickly. Unfortunately, by the time I'd found a spot and had run most of the way back to the event, it was just wrapping up. I'd missed it. I was quite disappointed, but tried to console myself with the thought that there was another battle coming later in the day. We spent about a hour lounging peacefully by the sea, but the inner turmoil was quietly brewing. Then began a series of unexpected and/or irritating little events that churned that inner turmoil up into a full-blown emotional thunder storm, just waiting to burst. I'm pretty sure that Nathan had noticed that I was NOT okay, but I thought to myself that I could keep things under control. That is, until we were not able to get close enough to the second battle to see things very well, and at precisely the same time as I realized this, my 4-year-old dropped a "very important" paper toy he'd made into a hole where it was irretrievable. He started into a fit, and that was the last straw. There were no thrones or calm seas or any thoughts really related to God at all in my head or heart... Just anger and selfishness, and a grown woman kept from an all-out childish temper tantrum only by the very public surroundings I was in. I'm pretty sure that if it would not have resulted in hundreds of eyes staring at me as I was carried out by a security guard, I would have thrown myself down on the grass and kicked and screamed through angry tears. As it was, I managed to hold back the flood gates (mostly), but my thoughts were just as sinful as the actions would have been.
Thankfully, God did not leave me there. He gave me a husband who patiently called me back to reality. He gave me eyes to see what ugly creatures were residing in that heart of mine. He gave me eyes to see how much I am still very much in need of a Saviour. And He has given me eyes to see that the penalty for my heart's temper tantrum is already paid. I'm forgiven.
But the point remains that my initial response to the chaos was not faith, but unbelief. And as Dane Ortlund says, in his excellent book Defiant Grace:
"Isn't what first pops out of us when a trial washes over us the truest indicator of the actual state of our hearts--the way we react before we have time to catch ourselves and pass our response through the filter of how we want others to perceive us? As C.S. Lewis put it, 'If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding.'"
Perhaps it's ironic that I had just read that paragraph Saturday morning before the trial. And yet still, the cellar rats came out to play. Oh, that my heart might truly believe what is true, and respond with faith at the get-go!
Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!
Um... well, in the interest of full disclosure, that's not always the way it goes. I'm a sinner just like the rest of you, and I struggle to believe just like every other pilgrim on this journey. I can write a confident blog post one day about the God who controls our chaos, and only a few days later, I can completely forget to believe those very words and react wrongly when things don't go according to plan. Case in point:
Last Saturday (all of 3 days after said blog post), we took a much anticipated trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake to watch a couple of 1812 battle reenactments and enjoy the day together as a family. We got away a little later than planned, and then hit heavy traffic which turned the 1.5 hour drive into almost 3 hours, so we arrived just as the first battle was beginning. Selfless creature that I am (ha! read on to see how true that one is), I volunteered to drop everyone off and find a parking spot, figuring that I'd rejoin the family quickly. Unfortunately, by the time I'd found a spot and had run most of the way back to the event, it was just wrapping up. I'd missed it. I was quite disappointed, but tried to console myself with the thought that there was another battle coming later in the day. We spent about a hour lounging peacefully by the sea, but the inner turmoil was quietly brewing. Then began a series of unexpected and/or irritating little events that churned that inner turmoil up into a full-blown emotional thunder storm, just waiting to burst. I'm pretty sure that Nathan had noticed that I was NOT okay, but I thought to myself that I could keep things under control. That is, until we were not able to get close enough to the second battle to see things very well, and at precisely the same time as I realized this, my 4-year-old dropped a "very important" paper toy he'd made into a hole where it was irretrievable. He started into a fit, and that was the last straw. There were no thrones or calm seas or any thoughts really related to God at all in my head or heart... Just anger and selfishness, and a grown woman kept from an all-out childish temper tantrum only by the very public surroundings I was in. I'm pretty sure that if it would not have resulted in hundreds of eyes staring at me as I was carried out by a security guard, I would have thrown myself down on the grass and kicked and screamed through angry tears. As it was, I managed to hold back the flood gates (mostly), but my thoughts were just as sinful as the actions would have been.
Thankfully, God did not leave me there. He gave me a husband who patiently called me back to reality. He gave me eyes to see what ugly creatures were residing in that heart of mine. He gave me eyes to see how much I am still very much in need of a Saviour. And He has given me eyes to see that the penalty for my heart's temper tantrum is already paid. I'm forgiven.
But the point remains that my initial response to the chaos was not faith, but unbelief. And as Dane Ortlund says, in his excellent book Defiant Grace:
"Isn't what first pops out of us when a trial washes over us the truest indicator of the actual state of our hearts--the way we react before we have time to catch ourselves and pass our response through the filter of how we want others to perceive us? As C.S. Lewis put it, 'If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding.'"
Perhaps it's ironic that I had just read that paragraph Saturday morning before the trial. And yet still, the cellar rats came out to play. Oh, that my heart might truly believe what is true, and respond with faith at the get-go!
Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Self-Quake
Since Anne was a young girl, pride has been her constant companion. She was a straight-A student from a godly, middle-class home with a pastor and PhD for a dad, and a mother who was a model homemaker. Anne never did anything shockingly bad. She graduated from a very well-respected college with the highest GPA in the arts program. And through it all, with all the accolades and applause, her pride subtly grew in the background. Enter marriage and motherhood: She got a smart, passionate husband who loves her far more than she deserves; her kids are smarter than both of them, and cute, to boot. She bakes her own bread, she sews dresses for her daughters, she homeschools, she writes a blog. And she is thankful for all of these things, but they are circumstances that have brought many, many temptations to pride. In all of these things, her temptation has been to think highly of herself, of what she's achieved, even in areas that she has no control over. And no matter how hard she fights it, every time there is a new achievement to add to the list, that temptation to pride creeps back in.
Anne knows she needs to humble herself, to be willing to admit where she's failed, to admit her pride, to serve in ways where she doesn't necessarily shine. But if all the while she is thinking, "Look at how humble I'm being, admitting this weakness, serving this way," she knows she hasn't gained any ground. What is she to do?
The apostle Paul knew about temptations to pride, too. He writes in Philippians 3: "I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless." In his day, these were all "good" reasons for pride.
So what is it that frees him from boasting in his status and accomplishments? "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
Paul had seen Christ's glory, revealed to him first on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), and then through the pages of Scripture, the witness of the first disciples and various visions given to him by the Spirit (for example, 2 Cor. 12:2-4). And in the face of such glory, all those earthly achievements and distinctions looked not just a little lackluster, but as actual losses, garbage, refuse. As he was aware of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, pride in temporal, self-glorifying things showed itself to be what it really is: worse than useless, vain, rubbish. In the reality of Christ's righteousness, trying to get righteousness by earthly achievements was not only impossible, but actually hindered him from having righteousness from Christ by faith.
Tim Keller refers to our seeing God's glory and holiness as producing a sort of "self-quake". When we behold His glory, our confidence in ourselves and in our own glory is shaken to the ground. We don't humble ourselves by thinking of all the ways we can make ourselves humble. We humble ourselves by seeing ourselves in the light of His unfathomable glory, glory so blinding that He has to partially veil Himself for us to even be able to stand in His presence. In the light of that glory, our self becomes completely insignificant, and instead of boasting in our righteousness or great deeds, we are forced to run to Christ and His glory in the cross for cover. As C.S. Lewis said, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less." And the only way to think of ourselves less is to think of Him more.
The world prizes success, status and skills. And yes, skillful accomplishments can be helpful to the human race. But they cannot be the source of our identity, pride or righteousness. If we are beholding Christ in His glory and grace toward us, and holding out hope for the day when we our sight of Him will be unhindered, we can honestly call these attainments rubbish, and if they are rubbish, what is there left to be proud of? If we are beholding the beauty of Christ in His suffering for our sake, then the thorns and sufferings God sends us to keep us from conceit will be seen as gain, and our boasting in Christ's power in them will become genuine, not merely another means of pride. We are looking, not to our glory in this life, but to the resurrection of the dead that will fully and finally reveal Christ's glory to all eyes.
So what is Anne to do? Behold Christ! Search the pages of Scripture for glimpses of His glory. Meditate on the glory of the One whose greatest "achievement" was laying down His life to pay the price for all her pride and mine. Read about the holiness and mighty hand of God that is able to lift up and also to crush to the ground. In the light of such glory, straight-As, clever children and "enviable" homemaking skills will begin to look like awfully small things to hold up with pride.
(And yes, I'm Anne.)
Anne knows she needs to humble herself, to be willing to admit where she's failed, to admit her pride, to serve in ways where she doesn't necessarily shine. But if all the while she is thinking, "Look at how humble I'm being, admitting this weakness, serving this way," she knows she hasn't gained any ground. What is she to do?
The apostle Paul knew about temptations to pride, too. He writes in Philippians 3: "I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless." In his day, these were all "good" reasons for pride.
So what is it that frees him from boasting in his status and accomplishments? "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
Paul had seen Christ's glory, revealed to him first on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), and then through the pages of Scripture, the witness of the first disciples and various visions given to him by the Spirit (for example, 2 Cor. 12:2-4). And in the face of such glory, all those earthly achievements and distinctions looked not just a little lackluster, but as actual losses, garbage, refuse. As he was aware of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, pride in temporal, self-glorifying things showed itself to be what it really is: worse than useless, vain, rubbish. In the reality of Christ's righteousness, trying to get righteousness by earthly achievements was not only impossible, but actually hindered him from having righteousness from Christ by faith.
Tim Keller refers to our seeing God's glory and holiness as producing a sort of "self-quake". When we behold His glory, our confidence in ourselves and in our own glory is shaken to the ground. We don't humble ourselves by thinking of all the ways we can make ourselves humble. We humble ourselves by seeing ourselves in the light of His unfathomable glory, glory so blinding that He has to partially veil Himself for us to even be able to stand in His presence. In the light of that glory, our self becomes completely insignificant, and instead of boasting in our righteousness or great deeds, we are forced to run to Christ and His glory in the cross for cover. As C.S. Lewis said, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less." And the only way to think of ourselves less is to think of Him more.
The world prizes success, status and skills. And yes, skillful accomplishments can be helpful to the human race. But they cannot be the source of our identity, pride or righteousness. If we are beholding Christ in His glory and grace toward us, and holding out hope for the day when we our sight of Him will be unhindered, we can honestly call these attainments rubbish, and if they are rubbish, what is there left to be proud of? If we are beholding the beauty of Christ in His suffering for our sake, then the thorns and sufferings God sends us to keep us from conceit will be seen as gain, and our boasting in Christ's power in them will become genuine, not merely another means of pride. We are looking, not to our glory in this life, but to the resurrection of the dead that will fully and finally reveal Christ's glory to all eyes.
So what is Anne to do? Behold Christ! Search the pages of Scripture for glimpses of His glory. Meditate on the glory of the One whose greatest "achievement" was laying down His life to pay the price for all her pride and mine. Read about the holiness and mighty hand of God that is able to lift up and also to crush to the ground. In the light of such glory, straight-As, clever children and "enviable" homemaking skills will begin to look like awfully small things to hold up with pride.
(And yes, I'm Anne.)
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Lessons From the Check-Out
I was THAT mother today. You've seen her before--the one who's desperately trying to decide whether she actually needs those discounted bowls (she didn't), while also attempting to keep 3 children from biting each other's heads off with their words, and all the while, a 4th child is in the grocery cart, wailing at the top of her lungs. She makes a good effort to avoid the annoyed, or occasionally sympathetic, gazes of the others in the check-out line, slams the groceries onto the belt as fast as humanly possible, then makes a beeline for the parking lot the second the card is authorized. I've seen her, too. I've been the onlooker thinking, "Can't that poor woman keep those kids in line?!" Well, today I WAS her.
But I need those kind of shopping days to help keep my pride in check. I need to remember that we all fail as parents at times, that we're all weak, that we all need a Saviour, that there is nothing in myself or my kids that I can rely on--I must depend solely on the grace of God.
These words from Elyse Fitzpatrick are so encouraging to me:
"The weaknesses, failures, and sins of our family are the places where we learn that we need grace too. It is there, in those dark mercies, that God teaches us to be humbly dependent. It is there that he draws near to us and sweetly reveals his grace... It is a kindness when he strips us of self-reliance, because it is there, in our emptiness and brokenness, that we experience the privilege of his sustaining grace. It is only when we arrive at that dreaded place of weakness that we discover the surpassing power of Christ. It is only when we are finally freed from those oh-so-constricting straightjackets of self-righteousness that we are able to experience the true comfort and warmth of the robes of his righteousness." (Give Them Grace)
So the next time I'm behind that mother in the grocery store, I want to be patient and remember that I fail, too. I want to give her an encouraging word, rather than an irritated glare. And the next time I AM her, I want to rejoice that I've been counted righteous in Christ, despite my inability to keep the kids in check. He alone is strong, He alone never fails, He alone is always faithful, and His grace is with me in my weakness.
But I need those kind of shopping days to help keep my pride in check. I need to remember that we all fail as parents at times, that we're all weak, that we all need a Saviour, that there is nothing in myself or my kids that I can rely on--I must depend solely on the grace of God.
 |
| This was SO not today! |
These words from Elyse Fitzpatrick are so encouraging to me:
"The weaknesses, failures, and sins of our family are the places where we learn that we need grace too. It is there, in those dark mercies, that God teaches us to be humbly dependent. It is there that he draws near to us and sweetly reveals his grace... It is a kindness when he strips us of self-reliance, because it is there, in our emptiness and brokenness, that we experience the privilege of his sustaining grace. It is only when we arrive at that dreaded place of weakness that we discover the surpassing power of Christ. It is only when we are finally freed from those oh-so-constricting straightjackets of self-righteousness that we are able to experience the true comfort and warmth of the robes of his righteousness." (Give Them Grace)
So the next time I'm behind that mother in the grocery store, I want to be patient and remember that I fail, too. I want to give her an encouraging word, rather than an irritated glare. And the next time I AM her, I want to rejoice that I've been counted righteous in Christ, despite my inability to keep the kids in check. He alone is strong, He alone never fails, He alone is always faithful, and His grace is with me in my weakness.
Friday, June 01, 2012
The Gift of Weakness
Well, I'm still here. May is normally a busy month in our house, but this year's May takes the cake! There was little time for pondering, and even less time for writing. But God was kind to sustain us through the busyness, and now we're in to June, with the 2011-12 school year behind us and a calendar that is (currently) relatively clear, so I hope to be able to spend a lot more time reading and writing (and cleaning and organizing and planning activities to help keep the kids occupied).
Due to various issues related to busy schedules, health problems and parenting troubles, I've been thinking quite a bit this past year about weakness and how to count it all joy. This morning, I was rereading a bit of Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick. (If you are a parent and haven't read it, I highly encourage you to put it on your summer reading list - I've found it very helpful, not only for relating to my kids, but also for my own understanding of how the Gospel relates to my practical daily life.) Here is her challenge from 2 Corinthians 12:
"Paul understood that personal success and strength were barriers to his experience of God's grace. God's sustaining power is seen and developed in our weakness and failure. It is never developed anywhere else. The power of Christ flows through parents who boast in and embrace their personal weakness, not on those who think they don't need it. Of course, every one of us will quickly confess that we know we need the power of Christ. Yes, yes, of course we do. But the veracity of our confident confession will be tested in our response to our weakness and failure and to the weakness, failure and sin of our children. Do we see these trials as God's gift to us? Do we see our children's struggles as our Saviour approaching us in love to make his grace strong in our lives? Do we believe that we must have this kind of humiliation so that Christ's grace will flow through us to our family? Do we really want his grace that much? Do we really want to glorify him?"
Due to various issues related to busy schedules, health problems and parenting troubles, I've been thinking quite a bit this past year about weakness and how to count it all joy. This morning, I was rereading a bit of Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick. (If you are a parent and haven't read it, I highly encourage you to put it on your summer reading list - I've found it very helpful, not only for relating to my kids, but also for my own understanding of how the Gospel relates to my practical daily life.) Here is her challenge from 2 Corinthians 12:
"Paul understood that personal success and strength were barriers to his experience of God's grace. God's sustaining power is seen and developed in our weakness and failure. It is never developed anywhere else. The power of Christ flows through parents who boast in and embrace their personal weakness, not on those who think they don't need it. Of course, every one of us will quickly confess that we know we need the power of Christ. Yes, yes, of course we do. But the veracity of our confident confession will be tested in our response to our weakness and failure and to the weakness, failure and sin of our children. Do we see these trials as God's gift to us? Do we see our children's struggles as our Saviour approaching us in love to make his grace strong in our lives? Do we believe that we must have this kind of humiliation so that Christ's grace will flow through us to our family? Do we really want his grace that much? Do we really want to glorify him?"
Friday, March 30, 2012
Two Last Quotes on Contentment
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is, of course, that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life – the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one’s ‘real life’ is a phantom of one’s own imagination. This is at least what I see at moments of insight: but it’s hard to remember it all the time."
-C.S. Lewis (via Joanne Kerr's blog)
"This is the soul's worship, to subject itself thus to God. You who often will worship God by hearing, and praying, and receiving sacraments, and yet afterwards will be froward [contrary or in a bad mood] and discontented -- know that God does not regard such worship, he will have the soul's worship, in this subjecting of the soul unto God. Note this, I beseech you: in active obedience we worship God by doing what pleases God, but by passive obedience we do as well worship God by being pleased with what God does."
-Jeremiah Burroughs
-C.S. Lewis (via Joanne Kerr's blog)
"This is the soul's worship, to subject itself thus to God. You who often will worship God by hearing, and praying, and receiving sacraments, and yet afterwards will be froward [contrary or in a bad mood] and discontented -- know that God does not regard such worship, he will have the soul's worship, in this subjecting of the soul unto God. Note this, I beseech you: in active obedience we worship God by doing what pleases God, but by passive obedience we do as well worship God by being pleased with what God does."
-Jeremiah Burroughs
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Preparing for Contentment
It's been a hard morning (and it's only half over)! When I wrote my original post on contentment, I was having a good day. It was easy (well, easier) to remember what is true. Isn't that always the way things go? But what's helped me this morning to fight for contentment is that a few days ago when I wasn't needing to fight so hard, I wrote down what was true, and what to do about it. So today I reread my own post, and now I'm seeking to implement what I knew to be true just the other day, but today am tempted to doubt.
Do you prepare for temptations to discontentment (or any other sin) when you're not currently facing them? Jeremiah Burroughs has helpful counsel for fighting sin before you fight it:
"Did God give you more prosperity before? It was to prepare you for afflictions. We should look at all our outward prosperity as a preparation for afflictions. If you had done so, then it would not have been so difficult for you to endure afflictions now. If when you had great wealth, you made use of this mercy of God to prepare you for your afflicted estate, then the change of your estate would not be so grievous. Every Christian should say: 'Have I wealth now? I should prepare for poverty. Have I health now? I should prepare for sickness. Have I liberty? Let me prepare myself for imprisonment. How do I know what God may call me to? Have I comfort and peace now in my conscience, does God shine upon me? While I have this let me prepare for God's withdrawing from me. Am I delivered from temptations? Let me prepare now for the time of temptations.' If you would do so, the change of your condition would not be so grievous to you. Sailors who are in a calm prepare for storms; would they say, 'If we never had calms we could bear storms, but we have had calms so many years or weeks together, that this is grievous'? In your calm you are to prepare for storms, and the storm will be less."
"Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer..." (Proverbs 30:24-25)
Do you prepare for temptations to discontentment (or any other sin) when you're not currently facing them? Jeremiah Burroughs has helpful counsel for fighting sin before you fight it:
"Did God give you more prosperity before? It was to prepare you for afflictions. We should look at all our outward prosperity as a preparation for afflictions. If you had done so, then it would not have been so difficult for you to endure afflictions now. If when you had great wealth, you made use of this mercy of God to prepare you for your afflicted estate, then the change of your estate would not be so grievous. Every Christian should say: 'Have I wealth now? I should prepare for poverty. Have I health now? I should prepare for sickness. Have I liberty? Let me prepare myself for imprisonment. How do I know what God may call me to? Have I comfort and peace now in my conscience, does God shine upon me? While I have this let me prepare for God's withdrawing from me. Am I delivered from temptations? Let me prepare now for the time of temptations.' If you would do so, the change of your condition would not be so grievous to you. Sailors who are in a calm prepare for storms; would they say, 'If we never had calms we could bear storms, but we have had calms so many years or weeks together, that this is grievous'? In your calm you are to prepare for storms, and the storm will be less.""Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer..." (Proverbs 30:24-25)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
On Contentment
"You know what he said to Martha: 'O Martha, thou cumberest thyself about many things, but there is one thing necessary.' Before, the soul sought after this and that, but now it says, I see that it is not necessary for me to be rich, but it is necessary for me to make my peace with God; it is not necessary that I should have honour and preferment, but it is necessary that I should have God as my portion, and have my part in Jesus Christ, it is necessary that my soul should be saved in the day of Jesus Christ. The other things are pretty fine indeed, and I should be glad if God would give me them, a fine house, and income, and clothes, and advancement for my wife and children: these are comfortable things, but they are not the necessary things; I may have these and yet perish for ever, but the other is absolutely necessary. No matter how poor I am, I may have what is absolutely necessary...When the heart of a man has nothing to do, but to be busy about creature-comforts, every little thing troubles him; but when the heart is taken up with the weighty things of eternity, with the great things of eternal life, the things of here below that disquieted it before are things now of no consequence to him in comparison with the other - how things fall out here is not much regarded by him, if the one thing that is necessary is provided for."
- Jeremiah Burroughs (The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment)
- Jeremiah Burroughs (The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment)
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