Month: October 2023

If you are a Believer in Christ Jesus…you know that He lives in you. For we read in John 14:20, “I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” And so by having Christ in you…you are therefore Christ’s ambassador. (II Corinthians 5:20) So it shouldn’t be odd for the Lord to expect you to represent and serve others in His Name on a daily basis. Or as it’s been said, “Life is ministry and ministry is life.” Which if you think about it has been the Lord’s intention from the beginning…a total involvement model… of all of His people, ministering all the time, to everyone God brings across their path. What does that look like? It may be engaging the cashier at the check-out in pleasant conversation rather than burying your face in your phone….or thanking the waitress personally for her good service…or showing the love of Jesus to the harried young mom waiting in line with you. Just look around, I guarantee God is placing people around you right now that need a word of encouragement, praise, thanks, comfort & hope…and by having Christ in you, you have the words of life.

This Scripture speaks specifically of waiting for the Second Coming of Christ Jesus…the object & basis of our longing & confident hope as we wait. But it can also apply to anytime we wait on the Lord for answers. Both implement the necessity to wait with confidence and quiet trust…even if it’s difficult to understand. We wait, though God may seem unfriendly, like the man in Luke 11:5-8 who appeared not to care for his friend. God may even seem unkind as you wait…but He is not. And as you patiently wait…the cloud of confusion will lift. Or then again, you may think that God is callous or indifferent as you wait…but remember, He is not. For even though you may see only the shadow of His face, ultimately He will give you a clear understanding of the turmoil you’re facing today. Waiting is hard, and waiting with hope can be harder…but our focus as we wait must always be deliberate & concentrated…or as Paul David Tripp wrote in his book “The Broken Down House”, “Waiting will always reveal where you have placed your hope. Your heart is always exposed by the way that you wait.”

Within this Psalm is the comparison of Divine & human kingship. On one side, are those who scheme and rebel against God…refusing to submit to His authority, power, and sovereignty. But Psalm 21:11 reminds them, “Though they plot evil against You and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.” That’s because God reigns in ultimate judgment over both heaven and earth…and with that comes destruction or deliverance, punishment or purification of all peoples.

When life’s situations begin to disintegrate your rest, turn immediately to Jesus and ask Him to re-establish it. We need to fight against unrest, for it is not of God, but our own fallen nature of fear & anxiety. In Exodus 33:14 God replied to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And that goes for us also. God’s Presence is always with us in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit…offering shelter, support, peace, and a calm spirit…that we may recover our rest through Him. Thus in the middle of the turmoil, we need to remember that God is our all in all, He is Who He says He is, He does not change, and what He is now…He will be in the future. “Come to Me and I will give you rest.”

The Northern kingdom of Israel was not only in a political & social decline, but a deep state of religious decline during Hosea’s life. The Israelites had incorporated elements of the worship of Baal (a Canaanite fertility religion) into their orthodox faith…breaking their covenant with God. This religious corruption became very popular, even to perverting the religious leaders…leading to greed, corruption, and hardening of the hearts as they not only neglected to instruct the people in the true faith, but also tolerated and even condoned this wickedness. The people had walked so far away from God that their conscience wasn’t the least bit pricked when they engaged in this abomination. But here, God wanted them to know that He could recollect every sinful action and that, “Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you.”

Fast forward to today and the last sentence still holds the same urgency as it did when Jesus first proclaimed it to the crowds in Galilee. “Repent and believe the Good News!” It is the Gospel Message boiled down into one simple directive…now is the time to turn back to God & place your faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Galatians 4:4-5 puts it this way, “When the time had fully come, God sent His Son…” The coming of the Messiah, Jesus, set in motion all that would bring about God’s Kingdom… satisfying the requirements of the Law by His life here on earth. And so today, as we wait for His Second Coming, these verses still ring true and should be on our mind daily as we interact with others…”Repent and believe the Good News!”

Yes, to the meager extent of our own free will we have the choice to follow Jesus or not. But the original and saving choice has always been His. (Mark 1:17 & 2:14) So the bottom line is, if God hadn’t chosen you in the first place, you’d of never chosen Him. Therefore it’s foolish to think that you’ve “gotten” Him, when He’s really “gotten” you. And as we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit, as His ultimate plan & purpose for our life yields glory for Him. (John 15:5)

This rich young ruler had everything…but lacked one thing that neither he nor all his wealth could obtain. He also knew how to play the game in approaching Jesus… saying and doing all the right things to garner favor…kneeling and calling Jesus good Teacher… feigning respect & honor. But deep inside this young man was smug, self-assured, and proud…presumptuously answering Jesus, “I’ve keep the Law since I was a boy!” But rather than confronting the lie, Jesus looked at him lovingly, but then hit him with a demand that he wasn’t expecting, “Sell everything you have and come follow Me.” Sadly, the young man turned and walked away…unwilling to change…wanting something for nothing…having every worldly thing, but still unable to obtain eternal life.

The early-twentieth-century Scottish Evangelist & Teacher, Oswald Chambers, once wrote, “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God Whose ways you may not understand at the time.” It’s intentionally taking my eyes off the unknown to purposefully place my trust in Him, based on who He says He is…not on the situation I find myself currently in. And just what does God say about His character? He tells us that He is trustworthy, faithful, good, kind, caring & compassionate. He is our protector, our rock, and our refuge in times of trouble. And because of all this, I can therefore place my hope in Him.

Sometimes when our life is in turmoil and nothing seems to make sense, we need to stop and ask the Lord to reveal His perspective in the matter. “Lord, give me Your view of things in their true relationship and relative importance in what I can only see as a big mess in my life.” And you’ll be surprised what God will reveal to you from His point of view & stand point… things you’ve never even thought of before! That’s because God knows all things…our thoughts, (Psalm 94:11) our heart, (Psalm 44:21) from beginning to end…and we can trust in His all-knowing perspective to be perfect. So in asking for God’s perspective we can rest assured it will be exactly what He Wills for our life, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:11)