Faith not Fear

“In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say

to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’?

For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make

ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot

secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations

are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is

in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons

of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked

and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon

the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone

and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.

“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness;

His countenance beholds the upright.”

     Psalm 11 (NKJV)

This is a psalm of David, set during a time of great trouble, perhaps when Saul was persecuting him or his son Absalom was challenging his rule.  The situation is extreme, David’s life is in danger, and his friends urge him to flee. But their advice is based on fear not faith—fear for David’s life, perhaps fear for their own safety, fear that the very foundations were being destroyed.

However, the righteous need not fear, for God is sovereign and He is on His throne. Although the foundations of this world may crumble and be removed, God is our firm foundation that cannot be destroyed. Nevertheless, God tests our faith in situations that can make us fearful. Will we trust in God?

When we’re anxious and even tempted to flee from whatever difficulty is facing us, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus.  We can only respond in faith by spending time with the Lord and in His word. When we dwell too much on our problems, we often start to fret and fear may take hold. When we instead bring our problems to God in prayer, He strengthens our hearts.  When we take refuge in God, He upholds us with His righteousness.

Thursday Devotional - Proved Correct

Last week we saw Paul’s words of advice ignored. He warned that if they sailed, it would be disastrous, but they decided to sail anyway. They quickly found out he was correct!

Acts 27:14-15, 18-26  ¹⁴ Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. ¹⁵ The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along… ¹⁸ We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. ¹⁹ On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

²¹ After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. ²² But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. ²³ Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴ and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ ²⁵ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. ²⁶ Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

Because Paul’s warning had proved correct, I would guess they were more likely to believe his promise and heed his encouragement from God!

God’s warnings and promises have proved correct time and time again. The more I’m reminded of this, the easier it is for me to heed His warnings, believe his promises and take His encouragement.

Like Paul, just because our Biblical and wise advice has been ignored in the past doesn’t mean we aren’t to prayerfully speak up in the future. Credibility often takes time.

Where might God be leading you and me to humbly speak up again with truths from God’s Word? Maybe it’s with an adult child, a fellow church leader, a friend or a relative. As our credibility builds, let’s pray for God’s words and timing to boldly speak truth for the benefit of others.     

Alice

Confidence Like 'Mr. Q.'

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.  In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.  And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.  2 Corinthians 1:8-10 

 

Some days you have it, and other days you do not.  I can recall going into a biology lab final in college where I just didn’t have it.  I missed the first couple of items, and that feeling of not knowing started to overwhelm me.  I would begin to miss some of the easy ones that my instructor knew I had the answer to.  I was able to barely get past it with a little help from the instructor, who must have clearly seen I was flustered.  Looking back, I wondered what had went wrong, but determined the issue was a lack of preparedness.  It had taken a studious and focused student and turned me into a panicked and underachieving young adult.  To cope, I created an inner superhero.  It would change my feeling from one of uncertainty to a man filled with confidence.  A pep in my step became noticeable.  In fact, an old girlfriend used to call it my alter-ego much like when Clark Kent changes to Superman, and Mr. Q was his name (short for my initials KEW).  When Kent was not quite feeling it, Mr. Q stepped in, and beaming with confidence, he was able to overcome fears, apprehension, and doubt to get through a difficult situation.  As I got older, the two separate personalities became parts of the devotion writer you know today.  Yet, it amuses me as situations where Mr. Q still pops up.  It is not when you would think. Usually it is when God’s truth hits me, and His spirit flows freely within where my heart, His word, and He are one.  He then uses me to share something to a friend either who needs uplifting or when they begin to doubt Him. 

We should always have a high level of confidence in God’s provisions.  Paul’s opening in 2nd Corinthians speaks of the danger and trouble they faced in their travels.  All they had left was their faith in God, and somehow, they made it through their trials and tribulations.  This gave them utter confidence that God was all they needed when things were down, and why shouldn’t they feel that way?  To face near death and survive is the ultimate test of faith.  Nothing would ever deter them from the knowledge that God would always be there to carry them through.  Think of Peter when Jesus was out of the boat and he wanted to walk to Him.  “Come,” (Jesus) said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29)  How did he pull that off?  It was the confidence in Jesus that gave him power where he too could walk on water.  This confidence is instilled in each of us waiting to be unleashed as long as we simply believe.  But we must also remember faith does not come overnight.  It is built each day.  We must trust in God, and like having gone through that poor biology final, prepare to receive His blessings such that it is almost not a surprise.  You know God will carry you through. 

God will never leave you hanging out to dry.  We know there will be times things do not look good and we are left with a feeling of uncertainty as to how something will work out.  But we serve an amazing God who is always looking out for us and awaits our call.  So do not hesitate when God is calling you to do His will or you have a God-inspired dream that feels too big or daunting. Walk with the confidence that one should have knowing He will neither leave nor forsake you.  What part of your faith needs strengthening?  How can you be more audacious in your belief of God’s provisions?  My prayer is we trust God is with us with the confidence of … Mr. Q.  Amen. 

Generational

“My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees.  They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever.  And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever.  Ezekiel 37:24-26 

Generational.  My love for jazz music goes back to when I was a child. I was surrounded by parents who both worked and sat back and unwind during the weekends listening to it.  Then when we went on long trips, that is almost all I heard.  So, when I got older I naturally gravitated to it.  I did not realize how that influenced me until one of my grandchildren was playing jazz in the room she was staying.  Keep in mind she is only seven years old.  She had been on trips with me just as I had been with my parents.  But my connection with my grandchildren did not end there.

The other day, one of my other grandchildren came downstairs, and wanted to talk with me.  This is the one simply known as ‘my BFF’ because that is what she called me at the bright young age of two.  She says, “Do you know God is everywhere?”  I said, “Yes, I do.  He’s all knowing, all present, and all powerful.”  She says yes.  And we go on to discuss about going to Heaven and Santa Claus.  It was then it hit me.  God was blessing me with the impact of my decision over fifteen years ago.  I had a choice to follow Him or not back then.  It was one choice, but its impact was exponential. 

Each decision we make to follow God closer has a similar exponential impact.  I was reading through the Book of Ezekiel where God showed His power to Ezekiel where he could bring people to life through God’s commands.  Then He spoke of merging Judah and Israel into one nation and making “a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant.” But note the completeness of God’s promise.  It was everlasting providing not only for them but generations afterward.  Ezekiel’s later prophecies much like today’s verses were ones of hope to the exiled people of Israel.  What can we gather from this?  One is that God’s promises are true as Israel would eventually be restored.  Second, we only need be faithful to Him to keep our end of the bargain.  Note that I said faithful.  Not perfect.  It’s like the fundamental truth of excellence by a legendary football coach (Vince Lombardi), who said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”  We need not be perfect in our pursuit of God, but if we excel in the process building on His wisdom and displaying a heart for Him, we will find Him.  As such, we will make better choices in our journey of faith.  This is where God’s impact becomes exponential.  It will continually grow in ways that affect not only us but also those around us. 

God’s love for us is never-ending.  He pursues us relentlessly, and it takes a great deal to ignore Him.  If we simply surrender to Him, the rewards go well beyond our current situation or circumstance.  This is what makes our spiritual journey truly impactful.  Let us be determined to see through a Godly lens and make choices that honor Him.  How can you focus on God when making decisions?  Do you consider God’s Kingdom as a factor in your choices?  My prayer is we are weighing all factors to know that our decision to follow Jesus Christ is in fact generational.  Amen. 

Hope Transformed

Have you ever witnessed someone being punished for something, properly, for something they did? How about when it was something you had done as well, only you didn't get caught? If you have, as an adult or even as a child, remember that feeling. Were you afraid? Did you look around to see if anyone knew you were guilty as well? Did you get a feeling in the pit of your stomach that told you that you had been spared, but not why?

I remember learning something, an internal process at work, was wrong by witnessing someone else being punished for it. I remember thinking, "Oops, better not do that again!" And I changed, either what I did, or how I did it. I tried not to follow the path that led to being punished. At least, I usually did, but I confess, not always.

Judah, the favored tribe, did not learn from their brothers to the north. The nation of Israel, living right alongside Judah, was taken by the Assyrians, but Jerusalem was spared. As the major empires of the world formed, and convulsed against each other, Judah sort of was left like an island between two major world powers. They witnessed the destruction of their brothers, the Ten Tribes, being carried off into captivity for their sins of rebellion against God.

And yet, for Jerusalem, for Judah, it was different. They had the favor of God, the promise to David of always having a king, of Jerusalem being where God placed His name. They could not be compared with the North, who never again worshiped in Jerusalem, at the great Temple of Solomon. What happened in the north would never happen to them, God wouldn't let it...

The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot.

And the fading flower of its glorious beauty,

Which is at the head of the fertile valley,

Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer,

Which one sees,

And as soon as it is in his hand,

He swallows it.

In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown

And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people;

A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment,

A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate. 

(Isaiah 28:3-6 NASB)

When this passage was translated into Greek, about 200 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the translators used "hope" instead of "glorious beauty". It wasn't actual beauty, but beauty expectantly counted on. Only this beauty was not to be. The crown of Ephraim was cast down and trodden under foot by the Assyrians, and the people of Judah saw it. They nearly succumbed themselves, but narrowly dodged the disaster because of the faithfulness of Hezekiah.

Of Israel's prophets, God says this:

For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place.

“To whom would He teach knowledge,

And to whom would He interpret the message?

Those just weaned from milk?

Those just taken from the breast?

“For He says,

‘ Order on order, order on order,

Line on line, line on line,

A little here, a little there.’”

Indeed, He will speak to this people

Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue,

He who said to them, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary,”

And, “Here is repose,” but they would not listen.

So the word of the LORD to them will be,

“Order on order, order on order,

Line on line, line on line,

A little here, a little there,”

That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.

(Isaiah 28:8-13 NASB)

Here, again, hope is used, but now for the babbling of the prophet, "order on order, line on line". For the scholars translating the Hebrew, it was "trouble on trouble, hope on hope". The drunken babbling of the prophets in the north were as the gibberish of a baby. But their God turns it back on them, and they are taken away from the Land of Promise.

Judah witnessed, but did not learn. They saw what happened, but trusted in Jerusalem, believed that God would preserve His beautiful temple. So, they filled this temple with the worship of false gods, but still thought Yahweh would protect it...

Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers,

Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,

And with Sheol we have made a pact.

The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by,

For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.”

(Isaiah 28:14-15 NASB)

And where is the hope in this passage? Their "refuge" is their "hope". Think about that for a second. Their hope is falsehood. They think it's David's Covenant, they claim it's Jerusalem and the Temple, but it's not. They think they will escape God's judgement because of those things, yet despise the One having given them. God will not see, He will not act, He will not hold us accountable. The deception is ridiculous, like grown man hiding behind a single leaf.

And so, the tables turn, God arrives for judgement, and it's like no one expects, even the prophet, Isaiah:

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,

A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.

He who believes in it will not be disturbed.

“I will make justice the measuring line

And righteousness the level;

Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies

And the waters will overflow the secret place.

“Your covenant with death will be canceled,

And your pact with Sheol will not stand;

When the overwhelming scourge passes through,

Then you become its trampling place.

(Isaiah 28:16-18 NASB)

Does this begin by sounding familiar? A "cornerstone"? That's Jesus! (Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:6) And He is the Cornerstone established by the measuring line of justice and the level of righteousness. And the very next line is where the Greek has "hope": "And I will set judgement as hope and the charity of Me as a standard." The Cornerstone is placed with judgement as our "hope", and love as the standard.

We are constantly tempted to trust in things instead of the One having made all things. We are constantly distracted by things below away from the face of Him above. The Savior of the world, the Creator of the universe, has, indeed, given us promises. We, as disciples of Jesus, have unimaginable blessings, both now, and for the future. But those blessings and promises are never to distract us from the One making the promise and providing the blessing.

Let's be so weird about our focus and our challenge that we will be called to give an account of the obvious, but confusing, hope we have within us. 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation