The good news of Christ
The Lord my God is worthy of trust,
In you I put my heart and soul,
This world’s possessions turn to dust,
So eternal life is all my goal.
O Father, every moment I breathe,
I hear the call of heaven’s lure,
Preserve me while the nations seethe,
In peace prepare your people pure.
The strongholds rise on every side,
The devil’s darts come flaming down;
Be now my shield and certain guide,
For I desire the living crown.
Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart’s not proud,
And I’ve no haughty face;
My goals do not sound loud,
Nor go beyond my place.
My spirit rests composed,
Quiet, content and still;
A young child enclosed
By a mother’s protective will.
O People! Let hope soar
Both now and evermore.
“In God We Trust” is printed right on our money, yet do we trust Him or the money itself? Most of us would exclaim that we trust God, but in reality trust in others, circumstances, or ourselves. We trust that the money we’ve paid into Social Security will be there to fund our retirement; we insist that we do certain jobs because “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself; and Grandma always believed this, so it’s good enough to get me into heaven.
If we truly examine our motives, we might be surprised what we truly trust in!
I. Judges 12:1-7. A gentle word is supposed to turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1), but Jephthah learned with first the Ammonites and then the Ephraimites that that doesn’t always work. He had tried to put his trust in his fellow Israelites to save him from a foreign invader, and they didn’t like him putting his trust in God when they refused his request. You may experience friends’ or relatives’ pressure for you to follow their advice or examples, but often their ways run counter to God’s Word. Adam and Eve experienced this in Genesis 3:1-6. As a Christian, we must always follow God’s way.
II. 1 Samuel 13:8-12. We can misplace our trust by putting it in others, circumstances, or ourselves. When Samuel was later than he said he would arrive and King Saul was watching his army grumble and disperse, he justified in his own mind that offering the sacrifice, a job only for the Levites, was okay for him to do. God ripped the kingdom away from him because of his disobedience. Sin is not trusting in a good God to follow His perfect plan in His perfect way in His perfect timing for you. Worry is trusting only in ourselves (Matthew 6:25-33) as is having little faith (Matthew 14:28-31).
III. Psalm 20:4-7. A Christian will firmly place his trust in God, knowing that His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8) and that God never forsakes those who put their trust in Him (Psalm 9:10). Indeed, for that which is most important–salvation–Jesus Himself tells us to put our trust in Him (John 14:1-3).
We might examine ourselves in light of Scripture and ask if we are placing our trust in God and He is just using the people and circumstances around us as tools for His plan or if we are trusting in those people, circumstances–even ourselves–to save us.
God made us in His image, but so often we try to make God in ours. We want a god we can control, and so we’ll try to bargain with God by making promises or deals that usually begin with “If You will …, then I’ll ….” But, God doesn’t operate that way; rather He works through love.
I. Judges 11:1-40. Despite a similar start to life, Jephthah nevertheless had a different spirit than the judge from previous chapter, Abimelech. Jephthah tried to reason with the Ammonite king to avoid war, but war came anyway. Rather than trusting God, however, Jephthah made a rash vow to God to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house, which sadly was his daughter, if God would give him victory.
II. Isaiah 44:9-17. In making us in His image, God put us in dominance over all the earth, but that does not include God Himself (1 Corinthians 11:3). We turn to idols even today because we can control them rather than submitting to, trusting in, and obeying God. Even Job thought he had a few points that he would like to argue with God (Job 13:3), but how can creation argue with the Creator (Romans 9:20)?
III. Romans 8:28-32. Instead of coming across as a used car salesman with God (Do I have a deal for You!), we must realize that God loves us unconditionally, will give us whatever we need in line with His will, will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), has thoughts and ways so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8), and has a perfect plan for the perfect time in the perfect way (Galatians 4:4-5). And sometimes we have something to learn from His discipline (Hebrews 12:7-11).
Therefore, love is the coin of the Kingdom. Just as we do for those we love without bargains, promises, or vows, how much more will God do for us as He’s already proved His love through the giving of His Son on the cross (Romans 5:6-8)?
In a time so much like today, God’s people in the time of Judges struggled to live out His commands without compromising with the evil world around them. Often, they failed, found themselves enslaved, and would cry out to God for deliverance. When they did, God would send a judge who would save them, but the people only remained faithful until the judge died.
Abimelech was one of those judges, and his story teaches us several lessons.
I. Judges 9:1-24. Gideon’s illegitimate son, Abimelech, was a terrible guy who went to his terrible family and gathered around him terrible people to do a terrible thing: he killed the seventy sons of Gideon, his half-brothers, all except Jotham, the youngest. As Jotham tells Abimelech and his family that they will destroy each other, he gives an extended metaphor that helps us today. The trees (the family) was trusting in brambles (Abimelech) to rule over them, but they won’t like the refuge that brambles offer. We must not put our trust in the things of this world but only God.
II. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Also, just because you’re being used by God doesn’t mean He approves of what you’re doing. Pharaoh teaches us this (Romans 9:17). So do the wicked men who put Jesus to death and probably thought they were doing the right thing (Acts 2:22-24). We must persevere in the face of discipline (Hebrews 12:11-17) and obey God’s commands so that we will not be disqualified for the prize.
III. Psalm 46:1-3. Thirdly, we must be careful in whose or what we’re taking refuge in. Our situation being so similar to God’s people’s situation in the time of Judges, we must be careful not to compromise with the world. The brambles are all around us, begging us to come rest in their shade: the economy, politicians, health, youth, friends, self-concept. These are all temporary and will melt with the elements in the heat on Judgment Day (Psalm 20:1-9). Christ and His work on the cross and at the tomb, however, are eternal. Only in Him, the King of Kings, may we take refuge and live.
In who or what are you taking refuge? Examine your life, the way you interact with others, your social media posts, how you spend your time. While calling yourself a Christian, you may find that you’re spending a lot of time in the shade of brambles.
Father in Heaven, with the new year advancing quickly, time rushing by, life speeding on, let me live in the oasis of your peace.
Help me to be before I do.
Sanctify our people. Purify our motives and actions. Redeem us each day in our straying thoughts and wandering feet.
Bring our friends and family members to the truth. Convert them to Christ, away from sin and deceit. Rescue them from their doom.
Lead us to fight against our self-love and narrow interest, against the evil within and the wicked who would drown the righteous with their wrongdoing. Continue reading “Oasis of peace”
A man went to his neighbor to borrow a shovel but was told that he couldn’t because the neighbor had to take his wife to the doctor next Tuesday. “What’s that got to do with me borrowing your shovel?” the man asked. “When you don’t want to do something,” the neighbor answered, “any excuse will do.”
We make excuses to not trust and obey God all the time: no one’s interested in the gospel! I’m too busy to read my Bible! I’m too exhausted to go to church this morning! We placate ourselves with these, but does God accept any of our excuses?
I. Judges 1:1-18. God’s people had just lost a great leader in Joshua, but God had promised to be with them in conquering the land if they would just trust and obey. As long as everything was going well, they did not struggle to do what God asked of them.
II. Judges 1:19-36. It did not take long, however, for their faith to meet resistance. As soon as the going got tough, those who thought themselves tough could not or did not do what God asked of them. They began to make excuses instead and just accept that that was how things were.
III. Luke 14:16-24. Oh, how that sounds like God’s people today! God has given us the same promise today that He will be with us (Matthew 28:18-20). He has even said He will give us the same power (Romans 8:31-32) today that He gave His people all those centuries ago. God was not pleased that they did not trust and obey Him (Judges 2:1-5).
Will we trust and obey (1 John 2:3-6) or make excuses?
Father, waiting is hard, for we cannot see ahead.
We wonder if you’ve forgotten us.
Like Sarah, we think you might need an extra hand.
We think we must have it now.
What confusion between wants and needs!
Remind us that you do not fail.
That you often save and help at the last minute.
That you use this interval for our good.
You teach us dependence upon your grace.
Father, help me wait patiently, quietly.
I watch today for your generous hand.
And I will watch tomorrow and the next day, if need be.
As long as you see fit.
This prayer was inspired by a devotional mentioned here.
Romans 12.1-2
Soul and body, the heart of me,
Belong to you, O Lord — an offering,
A sacrifice of praise — Be pleased
To receive it, bought by Jesus’ suffering.
Mind and will and deepest thought,
Are yours, my God — I hold back nothing —
All is given — your will I’ve sought —
For bread and drink in hope I’m trusting.
Head and feet, in stillest hour,
Our Father, and in busiest moment;
Be with me — worries let faith devour,
And I, on earth, your best proponent.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” Hebrews 11:1.
Faith, by very definition, means that we are trusting in God during a trial of uncertain outcome.
Abraham could see no clear way that his barren, ninety year-old wife could bear him a son, yet this same chapter says he “considered him faithful who had made the promise.” Faith, then, depends on how well we trust solely in God’s solid-rock character that does not change despite our circumstance. Talk about ‘faith under trial’–it is only under trial that we know if we have true faith.
This came home to me in 2012 when my wife, never a smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer. Now into our sixth year of various chemotherapy and radiation treatments, even a four-hour surgery last May to remove an egg-sized brain tumor, my faith as a husband and caregiver, elder and evangelist, in particular is still under trial.
If I get a cold, I am reasonably assured that if I take a regimen of medicines over a short window of time, I will be better soon. Colds come and go, often with no serious life-altering effects. It is a very low-level of faith indeed (even if at the time I feel like I might die) to believe that I will eventually get well. But cancer? We have been living with excruciating uncertainty for six years! Will she live or die? Is today a go-to-work or lie-on-the-couch day? Will she feel too queasy to eat supper tonight or is there a specific craving that I have to run to the store to find?
That kind of trust over that period of time takes incredible faith. “God’s got this–He always has,” has become our mantra that reminds us, sometimes daily, that He is the only One who has ever been in control anyway.
It was always during the difficult times that Jesus would rebuke his followers for lack of faith. It is not easy to be a Christian. When the squall comes up on our Sea of Galilee, we believe God to be asleep and so not in control. We may even accuse Him of not caring. But, our lack of faith is showing.
After Jesus’ hard teaching about His body being real food and His blood real drink in John 6, many “turned back and no longer followed him.” When Jesus asked the Twelve if they too would leave, Peter answered with words that should encourage all to find faith under trial, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
There’s no one else. Our lives depend on us having faith under trial.