Who's Your Side?

 

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.  So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.  Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.  Jonah 4:1-6

 I am an election junkie.  With a lot that has been going on, I feel fully vested into this election.  As I was watching the results come in and going up and down with each positive and negative result, it began to feel like I had lost sight of what really matters.  Yes, I know God is ultimately in control, but yet, I still wanted my guy to win.  So, I began to challenge myself with something I read years ago.  Do I believe God is truly in control or are those just words that I say to myself when in reality I know that I truly want to be the one in control?  If it worked out my way, I would happily celebrate, but if it did not go my way, I would sulk and go into a state of depression.  How could this possibly happen?

It’s ok to acknowledge to God that you are struggling with control.  The story of Jonah is a prime example of God love and mercy for us.  God had Himself to Jonah and gave him a message to give to the city of Nineveh that they would be destroyed.  Jonah seemed all about it, but when God changed His mind after the city changed their ways, Jonah was annoyed and upset.  I was amused by his response to God saying, “Just kill me now Lord.  I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:3) The key here is to note Jonah’s commitment to his prediction and not the mercy God showed a group of people.  How often do we get caught up in what we want above what either God wants or what He feels is right?  This lesson is particularly helpful to those who may not have had the desired result they want.  Furthermore, it is important that we are honest with God and ourselves.  God, I do not understand.  How can you allow this to happen?  Then, pray for discernment.  It may not soothe the disappointment right away, but alas, our goal is not necessarily for us to have our way.  Remember when Jesus on the eve of His crucifixion said to God, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39b) Even Christ understood that God’s will was more important than His own.

God is there for us in our disappointments as well as our triumphs.  We should all aspire to view our disappointments as moments to take stock to understand exactly what God's will is for your life.  It does not matter who you are rooting for.  Take time to determine what God wants you to learn from it all and move forward with confidence.  When is the last time God disappointed you?  Were you honest in your prayers when things did not go your way?  My prayer is that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty to be thankful for His love and grace no matter who your side is.  Amen.

What we don't do

 

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

     James 4:17 (NKJV)

It can be hard enough to realize that we sin by doing and saying that which is wrong. But we’re also told that we sin when we fail to do or say that which we know we should.  We may think that what we do is more important than what we don't do, but that's not how God sees it. He cares about both.

 Sins of omission are often prevalent in our Christian lives.  We rationalize that we’re too busy, but that doesn’t excuse us in God’s eyes.  The reality is that we make time for whatever is a priority for us.  We may think that covid-19 gives us a pass, but that would be a mistake. The restrictions simply call us to be creative and determined in finding new and different ways. We may intend to speak or act but put it off because it would be inconvenient, uncomfortable or difficult.  Yet good intentions aren't the same as obedience.

 

This was convicting to me and I invite you to do your own assessment. Be honest in searching your heart to see where your sins of omission are.  Then will you resolve to set aside excuses, be obedient and act?

Walking With Our Creator

 Sometimes, the best lesson is clothed in very strange dressing. In a list of rules for good writing, down the list a ways was this rule: Eschew Obfuscation. I had to look those words up. It was a perfect way to get the point across because it broke the rule in the making it, helping the reader realize how important it actually was. In fact, now it's the only rule I can remember from that list.

Scripture can sometimes be like that rule. There are times when, what we read, requires us looking something up along the way to understanding it. And then we discover that it's actually quite simple. Commentators on the verses below rarely fail to point out the clear picture the verses below paint of life before the fall of man.

They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9 NASB

The verb for what Yahweh was doing is "to walk". It seems that part of the life of Adam and Eve they enjoyed in the Garden included these "walks" with Yahweh. So, part of what they opted against were these walks as well. Consider again what the temptation included:

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 NASB

"For God knows..." with the implication that He's been keeping this "secret" from them, afraid of them being "like Him". The seeds of distrust of Yahweh were dropped, and the two gobbled them up like candy. This distrust was why sacrificing the walk was valid in their eyes. Why walk with someone you can't trust? It's not safe.

Really, there it is, lying on the surface. The walk with our Creator is what was lost in Adam's choice. Yes, they also gained shame. Certainly, they died, and therefore we died. No question, we were cursed. But we lost this walk with our Creator that we have been consistently called to come back to. For instance:

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5:21-24 NASB (emphasis mine)

It seems that Enoch figured this out, and received a stellar-passing grade (see what I did there?). Even back before Abraham, before Noah, this "walk" with our Creator was possible to get back. Isn't that weird? You're not convinced? Fair enough, look at the New Testament interpretation of Enoch:

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:5-6 NASB

It seems that this one, in particular, figured something out in his walk with Yahweh that indicated acceptance. It wasn't that he was "perfect", but that he walked with his Creator. It wasn't some sort of sacrificial system, a pattern of mystical incantations, or prescribed practices. He walked with his Creator.

Permit me to eschew obfuscation at this point: Jesus came that we might, again and finally, walk with our Creator. Sure, Enoch figured it out before Jesus, but the effect required Jesus (see Hebrews 11:39-40). We want something, but what our Savior offers is a walk with Him. If that's what we want, bingo. But very often, we want something that, instead, is more like Him walking with us. 

So, when we ask, what do we do? How do we "please God", how do we "live out this Christian life?", and so on, the answer is "to walk with your Savior, daily". Micah 6:8, "walk humbly with your God". Ephesians uses the verb 7 times, including Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 NASB emphasis mine)

The simple answer, the clearest description of "what now", is, "to walk with your Savior". Suddenly "pray without ceasing" makes more sense. If you are already walking with Him all the time, talking with Him all the time is assumed. There are other benefits, like not carrying out the deeds of the flesh (sinful nature), and so on. 

So, let's get walking.