Have You Ever Made a Mistake?

Tonight, I opened my Bible and found myself reading about Daniel and the lion's den in Daniel chapter 6. For the first time, it struck me from the king's perspective: One who made a terrible mistake that was about to cost the life of someone he loved and valued. Have you ever been there? Maybe it hasn't cost someone's life or maybe it has, but I'm sure you and I have both made major mistakes that we only recognized after we made them. What is our response in that situation, what is God's response, and what does that say about our Father in Heaven?

Daniel 6:13-16a - "So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions...

The king had been rashly talked into making a decree that no god could be worshiped or prayed to, but only he could be worshiped. This was a terribly prideful mistake. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov 16:18). I know this proverb all too well, not just from memorization, but from living it. Be careful of any decision or portion of a decision that allows pride inside! It will hurt you and quite possibly those you love in the end.

The gist of this portion of the passage is that the king had made a mistake, though he didn't know it yet. When it was revealed that the death of his beloved subordinate Daniel would be the consequence of his mistake, he was deeply moved and sought to reverse it and save him. How much was he troubled by this and how much did he love Daniel? It says in verse 18, "Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him." He didn't sleep all night, sought no comfort, and didn't even eat. However, as was the law in that empire, not even the king could change a law that he or any other king had written into law. This might sound a bit rigid, as it allows for no amendment policy; however, this was central to the Mede and Persian empire and their way of life.

Now for the most interesting part. The king was fully aware of his blunder and he felt powerless to do anything. What a sinking feeling in the soul when we realize our error just in time to see the consequences but have no power to avoid them! What deep sorrow when our mistakes, whether prideful or otherwise, begin to hurt deeply our loved ones. What utter hopelessness we feel when we see the train wreck that we have caused proceeding and cannot stop it! We cry out in anguish as this king did, but to what avail?

The most important part of this section is found in the second part of v. 16:

"...But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”

The cry to our Lord. As we read on, Daniel was saved by God sending an angel to "shut the lions' mouths." Even when all hope is lost, there is hope in our God. And if it so pleased our Lord, Daniel would not have been spared and would have served our sovereign God's purpose in his death. But God's purpose was contrary to the foolishness of this prideful king. God's purpose was not finished in Daniel, or in the king for that matter, and through their faith and the power of our sovereign God, Daniel was saved.

The next day the king hastened to the lion's den to see what had become of Daniel. When Daniel was found alive, he was pulled out of the den and prospered even more greatly in the kingdom for God's glory. Additionally, the king then tossed the men who had devised the entire plan, which was set specifically to trap Daniel, into the lion's den where they met their death. And finally, this prideful king was gloriously humbled, proclaiming throughout the kingdom that the God of Israel is the one true God (v. 26-27). Even the king fulfilled God's purpose through the Lord's glorious work to turn what was meant for evil into good.

Have you been tossed into the lion's den and there is no way out? Pray to the Lord to deliver you and strengthen you through the experience, just as Daniel was. The lion's den could be a great work of God after all. Have you stumbled and brought forth a terrible result on yourself or a loved one? Call on the Lord to rescue. And if in His favor and grace, He spares you, do away with all unrighteousness that served to set the trap.

The main lesson for me in the perspective of the king is that God is faithful when we are not, and even my own foolishness and pride will not stop a sovereign God. It is never too late to pray and seek His face, even as we stare down the mouth of a lion. Furthermore, let us "clean house" and remove all unrighteous thought and behavior once we recognize our folly. Finally, let us glorify God for his mercy and grace, and seek to follow Him more closely in every decision going forward. May the God of all grace pour abundantly His grace upon you and your loved ones, and may it please Him and glorify Him as we repent, call on His name, and live in His deliverance. Amen.

Do I Pray With God On My Side?

Have I really realized that God is on my side? Honestly, strangely, too often, no.

I became aware of this during my small group discussion tonight. We started in Zechariah 6, began discussing God’s sovereignty, and ended up engaging in prayer and discussion about hard things we were praying through. Someone made the astute comment that God was angry alongside my brother in Christ, angry at the same thing. Someone else astutely commented that God is interested in character, not comfort, holiness not happiness…but also that He seeks to bless us in the here and now, “in the land of the living.”

Psalm 27:13 – “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

Psalm 27:13 has been a special verse to me since I discovered it during the darkest time of my life. I was literally dying of an incurable disease, dealing with a recently broken relationship, and I was in physical and emotional pain on a daily, hourly, minutely basis. The physical pain gripped me and I could not escape it…even in periods of relief, I was gripped with dread of the next minute when it would strike again. In the middle of all this, I could see the fruit of the Holy Spirit being revived in me, for I had accepted Christ at a young age but had since not chosen Him as first in my life. I could see 2 Cor 4:16 coming to life:

2 Cor 4:16 - “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

This was me. The outward man was dying and would soon be dead. And in fact, I beckoned that day. I found myself crying to God as Job did, asking for His mercy in the form of death, so that I could come to Heaven where there is "no more crying or pain" (Rev 21:4).

Even still, as God refused to honor my short sighted, yet sincere request, knowing what was even better for me and His Kingdom, I did not yet know how to go on. And so, when God revealed Psalm 27:13 to me it was encouragement beyond description because I was faced with a life of pain and could not foresee any relief, and He would not let me die. To realize that I can have the same hope as David the psalmist that I would see the goodness of the Lord and His blessing as I live on earth. It and a new, real relationship with Jesus Christ sustained me throughout my trial, and I am excited to report that He has continued to heal and restore me from that day forward. I have no more pain and the disease is well controlled (auto-immune), as he has brought healing to my body, mind, heart, and soul. Praise God!

And so throughout the conversation with my brothers tonight, I was hit with a sound conviction: I often forget that God is actually on my side, He is for me, and “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31) I realized that when praying hard for a loved one, whether it be salvation for a friend, restoration for a family member, or healing for myself, I often feel the burden of convincing God. I almost chuckle at my immaturity, for what man can convince God of anything? God made that man and knows his thoughts before he thinks them! And if I could “convince” God of anything—meaning that He was then inclined to act in a different manner than he would otherwise—I would be doing a terrible thing…for God is perfect without me and tells us that “My ways are higher” and “My ways are not your ways” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Going further, I realize that the root of much of my attitude of combating or convincing God comes from a life of rebellion. I have spent much of my life rebelling against Him, desiring the minimal legalistic belief in God, asking for things that were against His will in my own foolishness, and in a state of confusion for what is good in God’s sight…and as a reborn soul, I have forgotten that He replaces those old desires with the Holy Spirit. That although we once prayed very much against God, He has been patient, and once restored to Him, we can ask in confidence in single mindedness with our God and fellow believers.

And even with this knowledge, I find myself praying with a burden to turn God’s ear when praying for very pure things that are obviously part of His will (any prayer for salvation is in line with His will, for starters). But what resistance am I feeling? It is not God’s resistance. My epiphany is that God is absolutely for you and me in much of our prayers, once we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. If you believe in Christ for your salvation, you have the Holy Spirit, and many of your prayers and desires are the same as God’s! (As a side note, always submit to His will and do not be so arrogant as to think that any and all of your desires are His…but realize that some of your desires as a regenerated soul, and truthfully, more and more of your desires as you are sanctified by Him will be His very will.)

What a comfort that God is looking down and saying “Yes! Yes, I am angry with injustice. Yes, I am jealous for my church. Yes, I am pursuing that lost, loved soul. Yes, I will heal you for my glory. Yes, I will never let go of you and will bring you closer every day.” At this moment, I lose the disposition of praying in a position facing God, sitting opposed to Him. Instead, I pray with Him, alongside Him, looking at the same things and desiring the same righteousness for His glory. He has his arm around you and me as we pray…He needs no convincing…He is for us, so who can be against us?

I pray in agreement with God Himself through Jesus Christ that you would feel how awesome, how powerful, how deep, how wide is the love of God for you, and that you will begin to pray with confidence, assurance, and peace alongside your Savior and Father God, for the building up of His church and for the glory of His name. Amen.

Trial by Fire

When is the last time you read through the entire story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace? If you have not read it recently, I encourage you to read Daniel chapter 3 before reading this post any further. You can read it by clicking this link: Daniel 3.

I grew up around church, so I heard paraphrases of this story many times; however, as an adult, reading directly from the Bible without any paraphrase, these events have much greater power.

To me, the power of this story is putting myself in the shoes of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Try to put yourself squarely in the shoes of these 3 men. You were once selected as the best looking and brightest of all your countrymen (Daniel 1:3-7), and while the rest were captive as lower class foreigners, you have been chosen to help govern and lead the current world’s greatest superpower. You did this with a faith in God, who established all of these things for His glory. At the recommendation of your close friend Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar has promoted you even further in his kingdom. Life is good beyond your dreams.

Then one day the king creates a gold image and demands that every single person must fall to the ground and worship it when the signal is given. The music plays and the signal is given. Everyone around you falls to their knees on the ground. Startled, you realize you are the only 3 people still standing and every guard and watchman is looking squarely at you. What do you do next?

Unfortunately, I’m afraid that my response would be one of compromise. Not wanting to make a scene, not yet sure of the situation and all of the rules and repercussions, and knowing that I will not actually be worshipping such a goofy piece of gold, I would probably drop to the ground and blend in with the other people. After all, I’m not actually worshipping the thing, right?

Well, that’s not what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did. They continued to stand and refused to worship in any way, such that it was obvious to the guards that they were disobeying the decree of the king to worship his idol. Can you imagine if even one of them had decided to compromise? Perhaps the other two would have caved at the sight of their comrade no longer standing with them. There is strength in fellowship with other believers. Realize that if you are influenced by others when they either compromise or stand firm, that there are those who are very influenced by you, as well. Are you compromising or standing firm on the principals of God, even when compromising seems justified?

Instead, they stood together. And together they were brought before the king. At this point, they had time to think the entire thing through, and I know that our human nature with the help of the Evil One would be spitting lies and temptations into our hearts. But these three rejected the lies and temptations. Nebuchadnezzar gave them one more chance to save their own lives by simply bowing and worshiping this false god. Once again, we find them doing something that doesn’t just comply with God’s standards, but they seem to take everything one step further to make it very clear that they will not even give an appearance of forsaking their God. Daniel 3:14-18:

“Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’”

First of all, Nebuchadnezzar gave a direct challenge to God and His authority by saying, “And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” This was not a charge against the three men, which would likely spur us in our egos to rebellion because of unchecked pride, and even in this case any personal pride would be put aside at the realization of our helplessness against this king in his court…this was a challenge to God Himself.

Once again, put yourself squarely in the shoes of these men. The king of the greatest world superpower stands directly before you, giving a direct command, and threatening an immediate execution that will be excruciatingly painful (burning). What do you say in response to this king? Perhaps you try to reason with him or make some sort of an offer…maybe you appeal to any compassion in him. Not these men. These three men said, “we have no need to answer you in this matter.” Wow. A king such as Nebuchadnezzar was probably accustomed to eloquent arguments, yet still likely executed even those who respected his authority enough to argue or even beg. But these men once again went the extra step, stating that they, the king’s subordinates, had no need to answer the king. They were walking to their deaths, barring a supernatural movement of God, and they knew it. Yet they did it and with such great faith as they declared that God would rescue them.

Notice lastly their resolve and absolute abandonment to God in their final statement: “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” They are stating that if God chose instead not to rescue them and to let them die, they would still never forsake Him. They would rather die than worship any other god…even pretend to worship any other god…even once. How many of us can say that we have the faith to trust God to rescue us from our fiery furnaces? How many fewer of us can say that we have the commitment and abandonment to follow God even if He doesn’t rescue us?

There are many lessons here. Firstly, if you follow the Lord, you will be given opportunity. Opportunity to stand for Him in the midst of persecution. Second, if you do stand for Him in those times, you will be tempted to second guess yourself and compromise…you will need perseverance. Third, if you stand unwavering for your Savior Jesus Christ and Father God, you will face the fiery furnace. Yours may indeed be physical death, but for most of us, if not all, it will be in emotional, physical, and spiritual trials that do not claim your life. To offer ourselves as a living sacrifice is often much harder than a sacrifice that would lead to death, and this is the challenge of Rom 12:1-2:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Most of us just find ourselves in the midst some sort of trial. We’re not quite sure how it came about, we don’t know how to get out, and we surely didn’t choose it! But do we have a relationship with God such that we stare down the Adversary and the trial that awaits us because of our faith, to declare God’s power, and to walk willingly, yet helplessly, into the fiery furnaces in our lives? That is an uncommon abandonment to our Lord.

But let’s not forget what awaits those who are thrown into the fiery furnace. My favorite part of the story is when Nebuchadnezzar himself looks into the fire astonished, as he sees a 4^th man and even declares his appearance to be like “the Son of God.” Brothers, sisters, and friends, when we walk into the fiery furnace, Jesus awaits us. He is there. He has been there for us already, bearing our sin and punishment, tempted as we are but remaining blameless, joyfully dying on the cross for our salvation. He meets us in our fiery furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar’s observation included 4 free men walking around in the fire. What must that have been like for these three men? They were privileged to have the closest contact with Jesus in that moment, a privilege only available to those in the midst of the fire. And not just any fire, one that was 7 times hotter than normal…so hot that it killed the guards who approached the fire to throw them in…yet, not a single hair on the heads of these three men loyal to God were singed.

Finally, the story ends with restoration. Much like the story of Job, after suffering beyond what most of us could imagine, Job was re-established with even more than he had before, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were promoted to even higher positions than they held previously. Please do not be swayed by the promise of physical riches as the reward for enduring trials for God’s sake. Our hearts are not after God if that is our motivation. But I can tell you with supreme confidence that what awaits you after the trial is of much greater worth than you ever had before the trial, if you walk through it with God. Life with a closer relationship with Christ is worth whatever it took to get you there, no matter how hot the trial. Do you feel like your trial is worse than anything you’ve ever experienced or the experience of anyone else you’ve ever known? Remember that this fire killed everyone who approached the flames, yet God protected his children and servants Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and He will do the same for you. If you give your soul to Him, a God who has never broken a promise and is incapable of doing so, promises to guard you and “uphold you with His righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

I am inspired by the faith and dedication of these men. I am inspired by the presence of Jesus right in the midst of the fire with them. I am inspired by the response of those who witnessed it, testifying that there is no other God. I am inspired by the restoration of these once condemned men, a restoration that is completed in the day of Jesus Christ and our eternities in Heaven. I pray that you are so inspired, that you face your fiery furnace with confidence and trust in our Savior God, and I look forward to celebrating with you in Heaven for eternity. Through God's grace, love, power, and might! Amen.

The Power of Redemption - Part 1

When is the last time that you looked at your life and were overwhelmed by the following attribute of God: Redeemer.

Redemption is the reclaiming as good, something that was bad. It is a reversal in esteem. We watch an athlete make a mistake that might cost the team the game, then later we see the same athlete make a play that wins the game for the team and we say, “He redeemed himself!” Yes he did. But what about the times when we just can’t redeem ourselves? What if the game was already over…the deal sealed…helpless to change the outcome ourselves? This is our plight as sinners, for our sinfulness, no matter how infrequent or distant past, has sealed our fates to be eternally separated from God (likely, it is more frequent and not-so distant past). That is, until God made a way through His Son Jesus Christ. Therefore, redemption is in the center of our relationship as sinners with a holy God.

Redemption is more than just forgiveness of sins. It’s more than being saved. It starts there but doesn’t finish there—what follows salvation and forgiveness of sins makes redemption doubly powerful. Think of it—the very same human, the same life, even the very consequences of sin—being made the very things that glorify God and bring joy to the one who was once downtrodden and separated from God by that sin. Not that sin is to be glorified as the cause to the observed effect: glory to God and joy in the heart of the sinner in a life-path once guided by the consequence of sin. No, if it stopped with sin as the only cause to the observed effect, then the end result would be Hell and it would feel as though the life that followed sin’s consequences was Hell creeping into the sinner’s earthly life. This is the life of the unrepentant sinner apart from God.

Upon sinning, our lives immediately change. We fall out of God’s preferred will, which was such splendid intimate relationship with Him, free from the smallest spot of sin. If upon sinning we were to fall to a lesser path and live the life of consequences without the element of redemption entering in, our lives would be an ever-increasing fall into despair and departure from God’s good plans for our lives. But when the same sinner confesses Jesus Christ as their Savior, a truly remarkable thing happens.

Christ is our Savior first, and also our Redeemer. This means that once we have sinned and departed from His path, He not only saves us from Hell, but He restores us to right relationship with Him. The paths our lives take from that moment onward suddenly have purpose that they didn’t have without Him. And remarkably, the consequences that flow from our now blotted out sins become the very things that glorify God.

Here is a personal example. I was once involved in a long-term relationship that we expected to result in marriage. Somewhere in the middle we strayed and the poison of sin in its various forms choked righteous pursuit of God out. The relationship ended with two emotionally shaken people, left in the wake of sinful, self-centered attitudes of children of God who forgot what it was to be set apart for His purpose. If you’ve ever been a part of a relationship that ended because of the mistreatment of each other, you know the feeling of guilt. And if you are a child of God, then the Holy Spirit will convict you of your sin and you will begin to see that you are suffering the consequences in your emotionally shaken state. At this point you may despair of “what could have been, if I’d only followed God!” Indeed. But here is where God’s redemption casts a new hue on the entire portrait of our lives.

(Note on relationships: if you have stopped pursuing God together as #1, there is a serious problem in your relationship. Regardless of what wonderful thing is your focus, even if it is perceived as godly--missions, leadership, family, etc--if pursuit of God falls from your #1 purpose in and of itself, a rift is forming between you and God. I encourage you to recognize it and stop it. For the sake of your earthly relationships, sure, but even more for your relationship with Christ.)

In this example, I expected to be married some years ago. The relationship ended as we lost focus on God, and I later saw the error of my ways. I thought, “now I’m on the plan B path…the aftermath…the life of consequences of sin.” I knew that Jesus was my Savior and that was a comfort. But what about the specifics of my life to come? How could I live, knowing that because of my sin, I forfeited God’s first chosen plan for my life? Well, first of all, I can’t actually make that claim—what God’s chosen plan for my life was or is specifically—but in that moment, this was my feeling (and you may have felt the same way before).

Fast forward 3 years. As a single adult, several opportunities have come my way that could have only happened in the life of singleness. I was introduced to a church small group for singles, of which I later became the leader for 1.5 years—a time of amazing relationship building with both my group members and my Savior. Through one member, I was introduced to another church and their singles ministry, where I was introduced to a mission organization that I went to India with. Through this organization, I have found a new passion and role in God’s kingdom to help rescue, protect, and empower vulnerable children exposed to human trafficking. Additionally, I was given the opportunity to continue to help this organization that brings Christ to a nation that is only 3% Christian (As Our Own, see also blog label "As Our Own"). Furthermore, I now have an amazing network of single men and women that I love, and God continues to use me right where I am…in this “plan B life”…a life that I love and wouldn’t trade for my once perceived “plan A life.” In fact, if these events hadn’t happened, this entire blog probably wouldn’t exist and you wouldn't be reading this—or at least the posts would be very much different. When I trace it all back, every cause and effect as seen by the human eye, I marvel at the power of an amazing attribute of our God—Redeemer. Only by His redeeming power could my life be this rich, this joyous. Only by His redeeming power could my relationship with Him be stronger and fuller. Only by His redeeming power do I now call this my “plan A life!” Not that sin was the right approach—it caused years of pain!—but God is both sovereign and redeeming for those who love Him. Through Christ and Christ alone do I look back with thankfulness, live in present joy, and look forward with eagerness to a life held in the power of redemption. So can you. I pray that you call on Jesus, embrace Him, and experience Him in the same way. Amen.

(continued in "The Power of Redemption - Part 2 - Rejecting Complacency")

The Best for the Journey

Imagine you have a son who is 18 years old. You have plans to buy him a reliable car that is also extremely pleasing to him in every way—aesthetically, performance, interior, reliable, easy to maintain, fuel efficient. Now you’re on your way to go get the car that you have picked out for him, and let’s say that you actually know what you’re doing and have picked out the best car possible for him in every way. On the way there, your son sees a bright red (his favorite color on a car) sporty-type car for sale and points it out in exclamation. That’s the car he wants! “Dad, can we get it please?!” You say no, but he insists that you at least take a look. Knowing better, but seeing that he won’t appreciate anything until he is appeased, you go to look at the inferior car…plus, if he’s listened to you growing up, he’ll see what you see anyway, right? It actually looks pretty good, especially from a distance. You notice some exterior inconsistencies, but you’re really concerned about what’s under the hood. This car has 99,000 miles on it. Being a car guy (and since this is hypothetical), you know that the engine on this model breaks down within the first 105,000 miles without exception, most within 100,000 miles. Incidentally, your son is about to set out across the nation and back on a road trip with trusted friends, driving the car you pick out today. That’s a 6,000 mile trip, so you’re guaranteed that this thing is going to break down, and as Murphy’s law would have it, it would probably be on the opposite end of the country. You know this, your son doesn’t. Well, he’s in love. He wants this car. But you say, “no.” He doesn’t understand, but you tell him that you have something better, so much better in mind for him. He doesn’t believe you, or maybe he does, but he’s too mad to admit it. Why couldn’t that dealership be next door?—then he’d only be mad for a couple seconds. Oh, but the drive to the next town over, 50 miles away, is grueling. You hardly talk. In fact, you find your son’s behavior and comments toward you so repulsive, you wonder if you should even buy a car at all! Perhaps cancel his trip! But then, you have patience and understanding, and you continue on your journey with your son.

At last you arrive at the dealership. There she is—bright red, sleek and smooth, excellent condition coupe with only a few miles and a wonderful interior…and under the hood, the most reliable and powerful, fuel efficient engine in its class. Your son is in heaven. “Thank you, Dad!” You both share smiles and he’s almost in tears (not that he’d admit it). He says to you, “Wow, Dad…I had no idea what you had planned for me…I couldn’t have imagined…I can’t believe I fought you over this!”

And that, my friends, is a great picture of us with our Heavenly Father. He, the all-knowing, all-loving, all-patient Father who is looking out for us, doing “infinitely more than we dare to ask or hope for.” (Eph 3:20) He “know[s] the plans [He] has for you, plans for good and not to harm you.” (Jer 29:11) Will we trust Him today? Will we patiently endure the seemingly infinitely long journey to his chosen blessings for us, realizing that they aren’t so long after all? Will we at least ask Him, when we’ve picked out for ourselves what we want in our lives? Will we yield when He says, “no,” and begin to realize that it’s not just for His good, but for ours?! Finally, will we recognize Him as our protector and provider when we have at last received the next reward? I sincerely hope so. That is my prayer for you and myself. Amen.

Are You Comfortable with the Human Predicament?

Being comfortable with a slight or a shortcoming can take a couple of forms, and it’s ironic that comfort itself can be either good or bad. Think about the following situation: you are overwhelmed with a workload or struggling to keep up with daily demands, whether it’s work or just life related. You can stay in this stressful state, or you can get comfortable with it and accept it for what it is. That comfort can go one of two ways. The unhealthy comfort takes the form of complacent familiarity and saying, “yeah, here we go again. I usually fall behind here, but it’s not possible to keep up with this and I shouldn’t be expected to…as long as I accept it, I won’t be stressed. I’m still doing better than some people.” Conversely, the healthy comfort takes the form of confidence and says, “yeah, I’ve been here before, I always feel this way and struggle, but somehow I pull through. I’ll get this right sooner or later.” Usually, our past experiences determine our “comfort” form. If we’ve repeatedly failed, we might take the first stance of getting too comfortable with failure to the point that we don’t even question it. We make excuses by comparing ourselves to others who have failed or sighting some unfairness in the situation. We accept the fate of failure as something beyond our control and try to find some sort of peace in it. That is one response to stress or setback. If our past experiences are more of successes, especially success in the midst of adversity, and even more especially if we’ve experienced success in the face of what we thought was certain failure, then we’re more likely to take the latter example of comfort and confidence. And of course, it is valuable to recognize when we need to seek additional outside help.

The above speaks to confidence or lack thereof in our own abilities and experiences. However, I would like to extend the idea of comfort to a much broader application: the problem with being human verses the holy perfection of God. The problem is that we are inherently imperfect, as sin entered human nature in the Garden of Eden.

Jesus in Mark 10:18 – “No one is good—except God alone.” Again, Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We are not gods or demigods. We have no perfection in us ourselves, and any perfect moments that we aspire to experience are not from ourselves but from outside ourselves. So we have this constant conflict—a desire to be something we’re not. And when we do occasionally experience this perfection in doing good in God’s sight, we have to embrace it as beyond ourselves as we are, or we quickly find out just how imperfect we are—and thinking that we are independently perfect is actually just another confirmation of how imperfect we truly are, for cancerous pride has entered us in that moment.

But life goes on…imperfect life, life of struggle and failure. Life with successes and “perfect” moments, yet still riddled with tiny little failures or huge, life-altering ones. How do we cope? How do we go on without stressing out and worrying a hole in our stomachs? We cannot trust ourselves—most of us have proven that, and the rest will see it proven either sooner or later. I think we have to get comfortable with being human. I mentioned the practical example above as a caution of the contrast between a healthy and unhealthy comfort in being human. Extending the example, an unhealthy comfort says “I’m only human. I make mistakes and sin and it’s ok. I can’t expect to get it right and no one else can either, so what does it matter? I’ll probably always carry on this way and I better get used to it sooner or later. I will never get past it…besides, look at all those people who are even worse than me!” Be careful there—“those people” can be changed in an instant, reborn, and meanwhile you’re still the same or deteriorating. Try to realize that God sees us in our present, but He also sees our futures and our potential. Time does not bind Him, so seeing the past, present, and future looks the same to Him. You are not removed from your past or future in this present moment. This may be an uncomfortable thought, given our sinful pasts, or instead an inspiration, given what we hope to be…but I think it shows just how marvelous God’s grace is. He knows your past sins, present struggles, and future temptations—He sees all of these at the same “time” (if time meant anything to Him, a timeless being), yet He forgives you yesterday, today, and forever. Once you’ve chosen Jesus Christ as your savior, you are forgiven.

Romans 3:21-26: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

So what do we do? Do we take comfort in our humanness and let our desires run free? Or do we take comfort in our humanness with confidence—knowing that we’ve been tried before and God has saved us. That our failures don’t prohibit us from success. As in the previous example, we can grow confident that God has proven Himself faithful and full of grace to us countless times, and to our ancestors even more countless times. We can then get comfortable with the temptations that cross our minds…not that we accept them…no, that we know we have the power to reject them through the Holy Spirit. Not that we say, “well, here’s that temptation again and I’ll probably always give in…I’m human.” Instead we say, “ah ha…I see you, Temptation…you don’t own me, God does. Satan cannot have me. God has claimed me as His holy vessel.”

1 Cor 3:16-17 – “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”

At this point we stop being so scared of our deepest temptations or inadvertent “in the moment” sins…we instead recognize that we’re only human…and Satan the tempter is sub-deity…so temptation is either “only human” or another form of sub-deity…what power can it hold over Almighty God?

Can you gain this healthy comfort in your human nature? You can, and you’ll find more strength in it. It is a fruit of knowing just who God is, a confidence in Him and therefore in yourself, a reserved temple of the Holy Spirit. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)

The Faith to Persevere

From "My Utmost for His Highest," May 8:

"Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says - "I cannot stand any more." God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. For what have you need of patience just now? Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. "Though He slay me, yet will I wait for Him."

Faith is not a pathetic sentiment, but robust vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. You cannot see Him just now, you cannot understand what He is doing, but you know Him. Shipwreck occurs where there is not that mental poise which comes from being established on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the heroic effort of your life, you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.

God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him. There are spots where that faith has not worked in us as yet, places untouched by the life of God. There were none of those spots in Jesus Christ's life, and there are to be none in ours. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee." The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we take this view, life becomes one great romance, a glorious opportunity for seeing marvellous things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power." - Oswald Chambers

I am especially drawn to the first paragraph--what a wonderful example of an archer with the bow and arrow. God as our archer and us as the arrow. Should the arrow choose where to shoot and at what angle? No, only the archer can see the target and has the skill to direct the capable arrow where it needs to be. What a great picture of part of our relationship with God.

In reaction to the thought that we might resist saying, "I cannot stand anymore," we might be inspired to hold on a little longer, to learn a deeper patience and faith in God. I hope that is your reaction! But within that, beware the part of your reaction that says, "yes, I can wait a little longer for that thing I want, the thing I've been waiting for and may give up on." That could be what God has planned, but more likely, as O.C. mentions, "the saint cannot see" what God is aiming for until He hits the target. Take this opportunity to decide to have more patience, to grow your faith, to stick it out longer...not for the things that you can see that you want to be patient for, but for the things that you cannot see. This is the true patience and faith that I believe O.C. is focusing on here. Patience for something we see and desire right now is a good thing, but patience and faith that says that we will wait on God and follow His perfect aim, knowing that we cannot see what He aims us for, abandoning all that we might aim for ourselves--that is a righteous faith and patience that leads to joy in knowing our loving God and celebrating His perfection. When we let Him, He lets fly of a strong and true arrow of Christianity with the truest aim and with the greatest impact.

Hope and Loss

In this life, I feel at times like I have lost so much. So many dreams and ambitions, so many things that were once mine and are no longer mine. So many things that I might think of as my right as a human being. But at this point, my thoughts need revision. Truthfully, I have no right to anything physical and therefore have lost nothing.

What do I have a right to? A job, a house, food, healthcare, friendship, marriage, children, a standard of living? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. None of those things, nor anything else quantified in the physical world, do I have a right to. Rather, anything which I aspire to attain or have been blessed with is a gift from God (James 1:17, Matt 7:11). These were not mine to begin with, and I have no claim, no argument, no right to any of it. The difference is in attitude. Do you have an attitude of entitlement or an attitude of thankfulness for the multitude of blessings in your life? I can tell you that the latter is the correct one, though I do not possess it often enough.

Have you experienced some recent setbacks? So have I. And I have experienced even more setbacks as I tally them up from years past. But at the same time, if I will allow myself to focus on the positive, I find countless blessings. And as I focus on the setbacks, I am struck with the realization that the things that I “lost” were what I perceived to be good for me—things that I wanted and wanted badly. Things that even society as a whole would commend me for aspiring toward and would consider them “rights.” But society as a whole is wrong here. I have no claim on what my life should be like tomorrow or in 50 years—who am I to choose who I will be, what I will do, and whom I will know? The truth is that I must rid myself of those thoughts of selfishness and let God do the choosing and choreographing.

So what is disappointment? What is false hope? I have hoped for many things that just did not come to fruition. I have worked hard for these things and have done everything within my human power to attain them, and I have even consulted God through prayer that it might be done according to His will. Romans 5:5 says that “hope does not disappoint” (also see Isaiah 49:23). I have hoped in those things and I have been disappointed. So something has to give.

I am actually convicted by the very words I just wrote: “I have hoped in those things and I have been disappointed.” “I have hoped in those things.” “…in those things.” You see, my hope is not to be “in those things,” my hope is to be in God, His divine and perfect will, and in His perfect love for me and you. This is the hope that does not disappoint which is referred to in the Bible. My focus has been on physical things and not on God’s purpose. My focus was as such: “This is my will that I think can be used for Your will, God.” Rather, it should be “I am committed to your good and perfect will, God, that I may conform mine and change my entire list of desires, abandoning all that I consider good in my own flawed judgment.” From "My Utmost for His Highest," by Oswald Chambers: “If our hopes are being disappointed just now, it means that they are being purified. There is nothing noble the human mind has ever hoped for or dreamed of that will not be fulfilled.” Noble—in the purest sense of the word.

Instead of questioning God in our disappointment, how powerful is our growth in relationship with God when we run to Him, beckoning Him to set us straight so that we might not bear the pain of our own poor judgment and separation from His holy, perfect plan. When our desires are His desires, our hope is His hope, and all things we hope for we will see.

Knowledge is not the answer. Obedience, patience, trust, and love for our Father are the answer. If we have these things, we quickly realize that knowledge is inconsequential. I caught myself praying and saying to God, “Lord, if I only knew…” If I only knew exactly what He wanted here and there…if I only just knew right now, I could go ahead and start out in the right direction. If I only had that knowledge! But as I was thinking that, I realized it was in error. First of all, we do know. We have the Bible, His Word, to guide us unto all things that please and displease Him. We can apply those things this very day, in this very moment. And beyond that, for specific events in the future, not only could we not handle knowledge of the future, whether partial or full, but that knowledge actually does not achieve the purpose. Upon receiving such knowledge, my focus undoubtedly would turn to myself and how I would be affected, instead of God's glory. And almost undoubtedly, I would attempt to change or at least tweak just one little thing. Even if my motives were altruistic, attempting to change it would defy the purpose of my asking and receiving the knowledge from God. Was my request not to have foresight in order to obey? It was, and if obedience is a key issue—oh, and it is—then let’s examine it: Obedience, through patience, trust and love for God requires absolutely no foreknowledge of any specific events. Therefore my request for knowledge in order to obey…is void. My request must instead be for patience, trust, and love shared between me and My Father.

In the end, I have lost nothing. Everything I have, everything I am, everything I have experienced…if there is any good in any of it, it is a gift from God. I have nothing that was not given to me and have lost nothing that was my own, even my very life itself (1 Cor 6:19-20, Job 10:12). I am an eternal being, yet a temporary tenant in a temporary vessel, whose purpose is serving and glorifying my God. The only true loss would be losing the opportunity to serve, praise, glorify, and mutually love our Creator…and even that is a gift, one I am thankful for, and one that I hope to have forever. This is hope that will never disappoint.