When godliness ceases

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;

with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

“May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and

the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said,

‘With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own;

who is lord over us?’

“’For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of

the needy. Now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will

set him in the safety for which he yearns.’

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver

tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve

them from this generation forever.

“The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness

is exalted among the sons of men.’”

     Psalm 12 (NKJV)

This psalm starts out with a simple cry, “Help, Lord"! That has been my prayer many times when a situation seems overwhelming and I hardly know where to begin or what to say.  Here, the psalmist decries the corrupt times he was living in and the godless people all around him.  This may seem to describe our day as well and indeed, Jesus even asks whether He will find faith on the earth when He comes again (Luke 18:8).  

The problem is not only lack of faith but serious matters of the heart. We can be self-centered, focusing on our own interests. We like to think we’re self-sufficient and independent, going our own way without consideration of God and others.  Our words often reveal that we are prideful, flatterers, deceitful and double-minded. By contrast, God’s words are true, pure and holy. The Bible has been thoroughly tested and purified as silver in a furnace. The Bible has been preserved throughout the ages, despite persecution, hostile criticism and attempts to manipulate and change it. God's word is eternal and it will stand forever.

The degeneracy of souls is tragically seen at the end of this psalm.   Wickedness abounds and vileness is exalted, just as the Bible predicts (e.g., Matthew 24:11-12, 2 Timothy 3:13). Yet God still saves all who trust in Jesus Christ and sets them in the safety for which they yearn (v. 5).  Put your faith and trust in Him today.  Seek counsel in God’s word and cry out for His righteousness in the midst of this lost and decaying world.

Hope from the Hebrew Scriptures

In previous entries, I have examined examples of the translators of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek used the Greek word for hope. Those Greek translations were what the early churches across Europe and Asia used as their "Scriptures" as Paul and the other writers are writing what becomes the Christian Scriptures. So, how the translators used the Greek word for hope and how modern English translators use the English word are somewhat different.

For instance, where you find the word "hope" in an English translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Greek translation often has the word for "substance" (hupostasis). This creates a strange situation in translating Hebrews 11:1, where faith is typically understood as the "substance of things hoped for". Because of the difference in understanding hope between our culture and the Greek culture, it would sound somewhat like it was saying "faith is hope of what is hoped for".

Frankly, who cares about the difference between the way the Greek translators understood hope and how we see it through the lens of English translations today? Well, think about "love". I can say that I "love" pizza, my dogs, and my Jeep. But I also use the word for my love for my daughter, which is distinctly different than my love for my wife, which is distinct from my love for my Savior. Yet, in English, it's the same word. In Greek, they are much more precise about love, and that's what I'm getting at. They are also more precise when it comes to hope.

A glaring exception to this is Job. Ironically, one of the most depressing books of the Bible led the translators of the Hebrew into Greek to use the Greek word for hope in many of the same places later English translators used it. A good example is in Job 4 where Job's friend Eliphaz argues that if Job is suffering, then it must be because he sinned. He makes this statement:

"Your words have helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.

"But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; It touches you, and you are dismayed.

"Is not your fear of God your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?

"Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed?

(Job 4:4-7 NASB)

The Hebrew word is "tiqvah", which is commonly translated into English as "hope". In the Greek text, though, it is either the word referenced above (hupostasis) or another word, "hupomone". Yet, the translators consistently translated it as the typical Greek word for hope used later in the Christian Scriptures, "elpis". In other words, this place, and most of the book of Job, is an agreement between the Greek culture and our own about hope. 

Again, so what? Well, look at what Eliphaz claims. He claims that Job's hope is his own integrity. In this, both the Greek and English agree with the translation. But when we look at Job's reply in another place we find this:

“Be silent before me so that I may speak; Then let come on me what may.

“Why should I take my flesh in my teeth And put my life in my hands?

“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.

“This also will be my salvation, For a godless man may not come before His presence.

(Job 13:13-16 NASB emphasis mine)

 

Here, the translators differ. In Hebrew, we "yachal" (wait) and in Greek, "hupomone" (endure). In English, we have "hope". The ground that will not crumble away, the foundation that will endure, and the only secure future we can look to is with our Creator and Savior. Call it hope, call it assurance, confidence, or expectation, whatever. All else may fail, all else may fall away and crumble around us (and eventually, it all will), we may lose every other relationship on earth, but we will never be lost from our Savior. 

This isn't an argument about whether salvation can be lost once gained. This is about the confidence we can have in the One having created us, who also made it possible for us to relate to Him. This is about confidence, not in ourselves or our own ability (which is pitiful), but confidence in He who is powerful, powerful to call stars into existence with a mere word. He who forms galaxies and quarks also secures our relationship with Him, and draws us into His presence, before His throne, and into His lap. The book of Job isn't about the disaster that Job experiences, but about the secure hope we can have in our Powerful Savior.

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

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.