Wisdom

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First, a bath . . .

“God sometimes takes us into troubled waters not to drown us but to cleanse us.” – Andrew Murray

God hears our prayers and sometimes chooses to intervene directly in our lives to answer them. There are times, though, when he thinks it’s important to do something inside us before he responds to our cries for help.

The Bible tells us about a proud Syrian general named Namaan who had leprosy. He came across the border into Israel because he heard the prophet Elisha had power to heal. But when he was told that he had to bathe in the muddy waters of the Jordan River to be made well, he was angry. Him? A military general? Bathe in the Jordan? No! It took some convincing, but finally he humbled himself, dipped in the waters, and came out cured from his disease.

We ask God to intervene in our lives, to make us well, or to meet some other overwhelming need. He hears and answers, but, as we see with this leper, he sometimes has a bigger plan in mind: A plan to draw us closer to him, a plan for our spiritual good and not just for our physical good.

And, for many (most?) of us, what God addresses first, as he did with Namaan, is the problem of pride. It sneaks up on us, and it gets in the way of our ability to know and respond to God. It’s a barrier to relationship with him and with others.

Let’s not let pride, or any sin, keep us from dipping in the waters of his grace and being restored to a place of humility and spiritual wholeness. Then we can confidently bring our prayers to him. It’s worth the bath!

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. – Psalm 51:10

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What matters really?

“Right now counts forever.” – R. C. Sproul

When scribes of old copied a biblical text, they saw it as a sacrificial work done out of their love for God. They wrote, often in dim candlelight, on parchment usually, with nibs dipped in ink – letter-by-letter. It was hard work with physical side effects such as poor eyesight and deformed bodies from bending over the text, but they persevered.

At the end of the manuscript, they usually signed their names and often added a comment, the most common of which was this: “Reader take note: While the hand that copied this text rots in the grave, the word of God lives forever.” Hundreds of years later, we’re reading the Bible in part because this monk, whose body is long gone, valued the text enough to commit his life to copying it for future generations.

What are we doing that will outlast us? The eternal things are generally seen in people we influence – our family members, co-workers, neighbors, and even our enemies. And those eternal influences flow out of the Bible and its message to humans.

We may not copy God’s word as the monks did, but maybe we are today’s scribes by living the message of the Bible every day – adding our notes and pointing to God as we do.

God’s word is his revelation of who he is and his desire to relate to humans in forgiveness and love. It’s a message to be cherished and shared. In the busy-ness of everyday, what we do matters – to someone’s eternal salvation, to someone’s deeper walk with God, and then, to all the people they will touch because of their understanding. May something we do today matter 100 years from now!

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. – Isaiah 40:8

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How can I help?

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” – Augustine

There are needs all around us. In some cases, it’s clear what we should do to help. At other times, we’re not sure what to do. Paul, in his letter to the church in Thessalonica, gave some specific instructions for coming alongside someone in need. He said, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Let’s think about that.

  • Admonish the idle. The idle need to be reminded of what they can and should do; our role may be to help them understand that and, if the person is open to it, to assist with a resume, idea, or connection to get started.
  • Encourage the fainthearted. Many are just tired or discouraged. They may need counseling, direction, encouragement, or a boost – helping them get to a point of being able to take care of themselves.
  • Help the weak: We need to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Some of you are in this situation with an elderly parent, disabled child, or someone with a chronic illness. It’s not easy, and maybe that’s why Paul concludes with . . .
  • Be patient with them all.

If there is a crisis, we need to act decisively as the Good Samaritan did. If we have more time, Paul advises considering the particular situation we are presented with and then acting with wisdom and compassion. It’s not just about helping, it’s about relationship.

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” – Hebrews 13:16

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Jesus loves me, this I know.

“It’s been a common thought of my life: How excited I will be to see Jesus in heaven some day. An uncommon thought I’ve never considered before this morning: How excited Jesus will be to see me. . .” – Leonard Sweet

My sister-in-law once observed, “There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who enter a room as if they are saying ‘Here I am!’, and those who enter a room and, by their manner, say ‘there you are!'” She was always the second kind of person. She made everyone she talked to feel special and loved.

It’s impossible for us to comprehend how much God loves us, how much he wants us to engage with him. When we start to pray, I think he’s excited to hear from us in the same way we’re excited to hear from someone we love. It’s as if he hears our voice and says, “There you are!” with joy in his words. He’s willing to focus on each of us as if we were the only person in the world. Our prayers get his undivided attention.

The apostle John often referred to himself as the disciple Jesus loved. John knew Jesus loved the whole world (John 3:16), but when they were together, John felt that he and Jesus had a special bond. I’m sure they did. I have a special bond with Jesus, too. And so do you!

By the way, my sister-in-law has been with Jesus in heaven for a few years now. I like to think of the moment she walked into the throne room and made eye contact with him. I can almost hear their simultateous and excited cries: “There you are!”

‘. . . keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” – Jude 21

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Risky

“By his word and Spirit he guides us, using even our mistakes to bring blessing.” – Edmund P. Clowney

Has anyone ever asked you to take on a service responsibility, and you reacted in fear? You knew you were qualified to do the job, but what if you failed? It’s safer to say “no” than to risk letting people down.

There are a lot of us who want to play it safe, but, you know what? Living the Christian life in all its fullness requires risk.

I was recently asked to take on a responsibility I wasn’t expecting. When I began to pray about it, it wasn’t long before God reminded me of the Parable of the Talents. The master was going on a journey and gave money to three servants to invest for him. When he returned, two of the servants were commended for their faithfulness because they doubled the money by wise decisions and, probably, some risk-taking. The third servant, though, was so afraid of losing the money, of making a mistake, that he buried his allocation in the back yard to keep it safe until his master returned. The master was not happy about his safety-first choice!

As I read that story, I realized two things. First, God had given me talents that could be put to good use in the task I was being asked to do. And, second, God seems to be more pleased with my willingness to try than with my fear that I’d fail.

Do you have any God-given gifts that you’ve buried? Maybe it’s time to dig them up, dust them off, and put them to work. It’s worth talking to him about.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. . .” – 1 Peter 4:10

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His Job or Mine?

“This is God’s universe, and God does things his way. You may have a better way, but you don’t have a universe.” – J. Vernon McGee

If you’re like me, you look at events in our world and wonder. Who will “win” the war in Ukraine? Or exercise control in the United Nations? Or be our next president? And how will it all affect me?

Then I read about Jeremiah who was told to give this message the kings of Judah and five neighboring nations: “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me” (Jeremiah 27:5).

They were worried about the Babylonians and were trying to figure it all out on their own. But God’s message was clear: He was in control. They were not.

That’s still true. It’s God’s universe, not ours. We spend a lot of energy focusing on the power struggles in our world. It’s right for us to care. It’s not right for us to worry. It’s our job to yield to God and his control. It’s our job to trust him.

If we can learn to relax into trusting him, we don’t have to have answers to all our questions, we don’t get distressed about news headlines, and we don’t get anxious about end times or in-between times.

Instead, we focus on God’s trustworthiness, kindness, faithfulness, and power.

If we can learn to relax into trusting him, we trade in our stresses for peace. We feel loved and secure. We then can love others. Suddenly, life is not a problem to be solved, but an adventure to be lived.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deuteronomy 31:8

Photo from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

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Maybe it’s time to act.

 “The believer at minimum can declare by his will that he wants the truth, that he wants to know and obey the truth.” – Watchman Nee

There are times in life when we have the luxury of thinking things through then making well-reasoned decisions. There are other times when we have to make an immediate choice.

Such was the case in the time of judges in Israel. The battle was on and the tribes of Israel were called by Deborah and Barak to send fighters to defend their land and their families. Many came immediately. Others refused. The tribe of Reuben simply thought about it too long, and the battle was over while they were still thinking: “Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart” (Judges 5:15b).

We can get paralyzed with overthinking when God is calling us to act. We want to do things right and to confirm God’s leading, but we don’t always have the luxury of deliberation. What then?

If we are consistently reading the Bible and taking it into our hearts and lives,

If we are people of habitual prayer, and

If we are growing accustomed to sensing God’s direction in our lives

Then we often can proceed without the prolonged “great searchings of heart” experienced by the Reubenites. Why? Because we will have been trained by God and his Word to think biblically, to understand the way he leads, and then to respond in confidence when we need to make a quick decision. After all, we don’t want to deliberate too long and then find out we have missed a God-given opportunity.

Wisdom tells us to practice biblical thinking every day so when we need it most it will be ready to use.

“Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.”

– Proverbs 3:6 NLT

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There’s no law against it.

“A true and faithful Christian does not make holy living an accidental thing. It is his great concern. As the business of the soldier is to fight, so the business of the Christian is to be like Christ.” – Jonathan Edwards

There are many in these days who worry about our rights to free speech, to practice our faith as we think appropriate, and to live our lives as we believe we should.

I read an encouraging word about this in the Bible recently and it has redirected my thoughts away from the fears and worries and toward something so positive it absolutely draws me in. Maybe it will do the same for you.

Paul was writing to the people of Galatia who were Christians at a time when the rulers were legislating all kinds of things against them. Paul himself was killed by the Roman government because of his preaching and teaching ministry. But, living in those difficult times, he focused the attention of his audience on the characteristics the Holy Spirit was growing their lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As he concluded this list of amazing traits, he commented, “. . . against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

No legislation has ever said it’s illegal to be kind or good or joyful. And this is exactly what the Holy Spirit will grow in our lives if we commit ourselves to him, direct our thoughts toward him, and obey his direction in our lives. Maybe we shouldn’t focus on what we can’t do and, instead, focus on our freedom to become all God has designed us to be.

“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” – Romans 8:5

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Send it on ahead.

“He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity; he’s moving daily toward his treasures. To him, death is gain.” – Randy Alcorn

We recently had the privilege of traveling through Greece. We saw a great deal of history including some of the tombs in which the leaders and influencers from earlier eras were buried – often surrounded by great caches of gold, jewelry, crowns, and shields. They thought this treasure would benefit them in the next life.

The problem? The tombs were robbed. The treasures the great ones thought they were protecting for eternity were stolen from them. Occasionally, an archaeologist will uncover a tomb that has not been raided, and they find the gold and jewels that were buried with the deceased. What the dying person thought he could take into the next life was, in fact, left behind.

The Bible addresses this problem, doesn’t it? “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6 20-21).

So how do we accumulate treasures in heaven? By using our money, time, and skills to advance God’s Kingdom here on earth: Giving to ministries sharing the good news of Jesus around the world; helping those who are in need – physically, mentally or spiritually; taking time to share our own understanding of God and the Bible with others; living generously. And, if God wills, earthly treasures used this way will translate into people from around the world worshiping God with us in heaven. They are the treasure that really matters.

We can’t take it with us, but we can send it on ahead.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:22

Note: Original thought for this was from a fellow traveler in Greece. My thanks to him.

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Start with one.

“Our efforts to be useful bring out our powers for usefulness. We have latent talents and dormant faculties, which are brought to light by exercise.” – Charles Spurgeon

We usually know the things we are good at and we like doing them. But what about things we aren’t so good at? Sometimes it’s not that we’ve tried and failed, it’s that we haven’t tried at all. And some of the things we should try are those commanded by God himself.

I’m thinking now about compassion. Jesus was the perfect example of compassion. We see it as he healed the sick, wept at his friend’s grave, talked with a Samaritan women, and fed hungry crowds. How can we learn to feel compassion for those in need and then act on that feeling as Jesus did?

For some people, that’s easy. They exude compassion and they act accordingly. For others of us, it’s more of an effort. But it’s an effort the Holy Spirit will empower us to make because he is making us more like Jesus.

Maybe we learn it like we learn any new skill: One step at a time. If we want to grow our compassion for others, we can begin by showing compassion to one person. That’s not too hard, right? Find someone in need and let yourself care. Then act. Maybe they need groceries, a listening ear, help writing a resume, relationship advice, spiritual counsel, or transportation to an appointment. There are many ways we can help, but first we have to care.

I’m learning that one act of compassion will stimulate more. Over time we might find ourselves caring more deeply, loving others just as Jesus commanded. It’s OK to start small. Start with one.

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” – Proverbs 11:25