Month: September 2023

From the time we can talk as a child the word “why?” is on our lips anytime someone tells us to do something. We constantly want to know the reason and/or purpose of the request asked of us. And with God, it’s no different. Anytime we’re going through some trial, tribulation, or suffering our first recourse is to ask God “Why?” But God isn’t under any obligation to explain why to us…He just desires obedience. God is sovereign and, “He does whatever He pleases.” (Job 23:13, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6) And so we must be content that the “Why” may not ever be fully explained by Him, and we may never totally understand…but one thing we can know is that the heart of God is accomplishing exactly what He desires. Charles Spurgeon put it this way, “We cannot always trace God’s hand, but we can always trust God’s heart.”

Jeremiah 48:10 reminds us that, “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness…” And the biggest culprit of becoming remiss in our service to the Lord is discouragement. Therefore, we need to persevere in the faith no matter how we “feel”. When it says “let nothing move you” it doesn’t imply inactivity. We must be fully active in the work of the Lord & we must therefore guard against feelings of discouragement when our emotions tell us that it’s all pointless & a waste of time. (Galatians 2:2, Philippians 2:16, I Thessalonians 3:5) Sure, serving others in the name of the Lord can be a thankless & wearying job…but realize this – your efforts are not in vain, and one day you will see all the fruits of your toil.

The term “simple man” here means a person unskilled in the use of critical judgment or thinking. In other words, they can’t think for themselves and make good decisions…and would rather just follow the crowd, believing everything they hear is true. This lack of common sense & wisdom never can lead to anything good…but it says that the prudent man gives thought to his ways…thinking before he acts. This type of shrewd, smart person strives with real insight & discernment to grasp and comprehend what is right & good in God’s sight & his own life.

Even before John the Baptist was born, he had recognized that Jesus was the Coming One…the Messiah. Luke 1:41 tells us that when Elizabeth heard her cousin Mary’s voice, the baby leaped in her womb. Later, when John began his Ministry he proclaimed the Coming of the Lord. (Matthew Chapter 3) And when John saw Jesus walking nearby he told his disciples, “Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) So why is John now suddenly questioning who Jesus is? He’s heard of all the miracles and has no misgivings that Jesus is indeed the Messiah…but John also sees all the suffering of God’s people…including himself, and desires assurance that Jesus is in fact the executor of divine justice for which God’s people have been longing for.

Originally, God had anointed Saul to become king…but slowly over time Saul abused his power in corrupt & improper practices. So much so that here Samuel is comparing Saul’s disobedience to soothsaying & pagan idol worship. Jesus summed this up in Mark 12:33 when He replied to the Jewish leaders that loving God and others was more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. For when we reject God and His Word in defiance & insubordination, and think we know more than Him, we move away from God in sin.

Timothy was the son of Eunice, a devout Jew, who was won to Jesus Christ when Paul preached in his home town of Lystra. Paul then invited this young, timid convert to accompany him on his many missionary journeys. As a young pastor Timothy ministered in Thessalonica, Corinth, Philippi, and Ephesus…where he received this letter from Paul. Timothy was like a son to Paul, and here Paul is warning him to protect the sound doctrine of the Gospel Message from the false teachers that had infiltrated the Church. Later, in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he again cautioned Timothy to, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” (II Timothy 2:16) In other words, stop quarrelling over “words” that are entirely separated from God and His influence…. from people that are “pretending” to know God’s Salvation… and instead commit to being a trustee of God’s invaluable treasured Word…maintaining it undamaged and unmodified for all future generations.

Jonah was at death’s door…and he knew it. But in those few frantic moments Jonah remembered Who was holding his life in His hands. He remembered God’s great acts he had witnessed in the past…he remembered that his God was faithful, and that nothing could separate him from God…even a situation like he found himself in. And so he called out to God for deliverance & mercy, and God met him there. What we can learn from this is to never stop praying for that unsaved loved one and that even a sincere prayer whispered with those last few breaths still counts for eternity. (Romans 8:33-39 & James 5:16)

There is a deeper spiritual reality to being unequally yoked…it’s called compromise. Not only here, but earlier in his first letter to the Church in Corinth, Paul addresses the idea of not being associated with someone thought to be a Christian, but whose life openly contradicts the faith. “You must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.” (I Corinthians 5:11) The reason being, that when we are paired together but incompatible ethically & morally there will come times when concessions will need to be made…situations where significant control over actions will have to be worked out…with one party yielding to the other. And the decisions made may not be anything the Believer is comfortable with…putting himself, his reputation & integrity in jeopardy and influencing his own moral & spiritual wellbeing.

In I Samuel 13:14, Samuel declared to a rebellious king Saul, “The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept His commands.” This man was king David, one of Israel’s most famous kings and considered to have been the ideal ruler and prototype of the promised Messiah. God said of David in Acts 13:22 that he was a man after My own heart, or like My own heart…and that he would do everything God wanted him to do. From the start king David was wholly committed to doing God’s Will and purposes for the good of the Jewish people. So using king David as an example of a “good” shepherd that follows God closely, Jeremiah is telling us to be careful of the leaders we follow. Are they faithful to God? Do they have good sense & discernment? Do they use prudence, wisdom, insight, and upright comprehension in all their decisions? Most of all, are they a man after God’s own heart…not full of themselves and all puffed up with pride & arrogance?

Affliction has a way of bringing us back to God when we’ve wandered. He uses distress & suffering in our lives to gently direct us back. (Psalm 31) What we can do during those scary & uncertain times is to – Ask God to show us His perspective …illuminating what He’s doing in the “big picture” of eternity. We need then to center our heart, mind, and soul on His Word, not on our emotions or errant thoughts. Finally, we must remember that God is good and He only does good…no matter what. (psalm 119:68)