If you've even been tempted by discouragement or felt like your efforts were all for nothing, this TFTD is for you! Paul's second letter written to his 'son in the faith,' Timothy, was penned when he was older, near the end of his life, while he was a prisoner of Rome for his work in the service of Jesus Christ. The overall tone is one of deep sorrow, but not defeat. After all he had done in the service of the Lord, he was in the worst prison in Rome - these jails were underground cells of cramped, miserable conditions. In addition to his physical misery, he was abandoned by many of his friends who were even embarrassed to mention his name. It is hard to begin to imagine the kinds of temptations that the evil one hurled at the old preacher in the middle of the night. "You wasted your life!" "Nobody cares what you sacrificed. They're ashamed of you." "This is how God treats those who serve Him? You expect others to serve Him, too?" If you think I'm wide of the mark, read between the lines of his letter. He is not only talking to Timothy, he's encouraging himself in the Lord.
He writes: "You’ve been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction, faith, steadiness, love, patience, troubles, sufferings—suffering along with me in all the grief I had to put up ... Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They’re as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse. But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed...." (2 Timothy 3:10-14, The Message)
May I loosely paraphrase it? "Hey, Tim - brace yourself. Things often go from bad to worse because evil is real and in constant opposition to good and God!" That's not exactly what we like to hear, is it? We want promises of better tomorrow's and blue skies. We want guarantees that the good guys finish out front, that good triumphs over evil -- but, in this world, on this side of eternity, that's simply not always what happens. This world is sold into the slavery of disobedience to God. Lies sell much more easily than the Truth. Slick talkers who do not concern themselves with the well-being of those that they teach will almost always gain larger audiences than those who cry out for steady, faithful, God-centered living. Those willing to exercise the greatest brutality often end up in charge - for a while, anyway. It was that kind of world that Paul worked in, tirelessly proclaiming the love of God, the possibility of becoming a saint, a light in the vast darkness. And, there in the dungeon, it appeared that evil had won!
Don't get the wrong idea. Paul wasn't giving up, nor was he admitting defeat! He was just being honest, brutally so, about the high price of resisting evil with the Good News of Christ. He had always proclaimed the Resurrection and set his hope ultimately in eternity. Remember he once wrote - "If only for this life we have hope, we are of all men most miserable.... but Christ has risen from the dead." In other words, it isn't over when they put the lid on our coffin! Now, weeks before the Romans would kill him, Paul writes to his son in the Lord:
"I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple. You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages.
But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant. You take over.
I’m about to die, my life an offering on God’s altar. This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting—God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming. " (2 Timothy 4:1-8, The Message)
Wow! That's quite a finish, isn't it? Yes, Demas had run off, abandoning his faith for love of the world. Everyone he counted on had left him to stand alone before the courts. Some man named, Alexander, the metalworker, and what he had done to Paul is now lost to history. Perhaps this man had been the source of trumped up charges that landed Paul in prison. But the preacher marks as a "man who did me much harm. May the Lord repay him!" But, the old man was not ashamed, afraid, or in despair. He was confident that at the end of this race, there was a Judge whose reward would more than compensate him for all he had invested in the Kingdom of God.
I don't think I'm writing to anybody in a literal dungeon, but I'm sure some of you are tired, maybe even beat up by life. Perhaps in your life, too, the bad guys appear to be ahead and the demons are whispering - "just quit being a fool and take what's coming to you." Keep your eyes on that Heavenly finish line, Believer. And you, too, will be able to claim the assurance that Paul flung in the face of his accuser's, detractors, and even the demons of Hell - "I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting—God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming. "
______________
Lord, I whine far too often about the inconveniences of my life.
Forgive me.
I tend to think of discomfort as though it were real pain.
I look for smooth roads, quick fixes, and approval from the world around me.
Take me deeper in You! Lead to a commitment to the Truth,
to be so much in love with You, that inconvenience, discomfort, and yes -
even true suffering becomes as nothing compared with knowing You.
Let me be full of the beauty and character of Jesus -
as much in the tough times as when every thing is flowing my way.
And, Lord, steady me with the promise of Eternal Life
that awaits when the battle is over.
In Jesus' name I pray this... and for the glory of God.
Amen.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Why does our church do that, anyway?
For all of my life, I have been part of a Christian church. One of the foundational facts, the assumed goal in church and ministry, was that we should 'grow it bigger!'
I think the 11th commandment is -- Thou shalt grow bigger churches.
Got Sunday School? Then you need more kids in it, so bring on the buses every Sunday morning. (Sunday School busing was the way to grow your church in the 1980's.)
Got youth group? Then find a way to get lots of kids in the room. Lots of kids equals 'successful youth program.'
Got a church building? It must be bigger, so find ways to pack more people through the doors, then trumpet the numbers - 500 in attendance on Easter Sunday! Pay no mind that it was a circus that brought them in. Everybody will get really excited. Offering will go up. Staff will be hired, buildings will be constructed... but to what purpose? That is the troubling question that is not asked often enough.
We could reframe that question this way - 'why are we trying to be bigger?'
Supposedly, I was taught that we were 'bringing people to Christ,' or 'saving the lost,' but was that actually happening?
Few will argue with the statement that as churches grew larger; actual percentages of deeply devout followers of Jesus seemed to decline! In 2007, evangelical Christianity claims about 30-40% of Americans, but there is no apparent surfeit of spiritual fruit in our land that would be correspondent to that many devout Christ-followers in a society. Published statistics show that Evangelical Christians are just as materialistic, break up their marriages in divorce, and cheat on their taxes - at the same rates as the rest of Americans. I do not know exactly why that surprises anyone. Getting more people through the doors of our churches requires that we smooth off the rough edges, make the message less challenging, and 'become relevant!' Marketing is king. That's how McDonald's got huge. Mickey D's does not serve gourmet foods that appeals to a few culinary aficionados. It serves cheeseburgers and fries that lots of people like and can afford. Many churches try to grow by becoming religious McDonald's - serving up bland sermons, music that sounds like a pop radio station, in services that are organized to move like a TV show - offering spiritual comfort 'food,' in place of sound spiritual nourishment.
I think it's time to to be focused on relentlessly is what Jesus actually commissioned us to be doing- "go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT) Of course that means we have to take the lead in that direction - obedience, I mean. "Christianity Lite" which requires little of us, that thrives on being 'at home' in the culture, needs to be replaced with a passion to become radical followers of our Lord who study His words with the intent of becoming like Him in the world. I'll be completely honest with you. I do not even really know what that last sentence might mean for me, or for you, in terms of day to day living.
What I do know is that His words are so radically opposed to what most of us consider 'normal,' that if we got serious about knowing and doing them- it will turn our lives upside down! By way of illustration, think about a couple of Jesus' statements.
Exactly how does a 21st century American person apply words like "Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:20, NLT) "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24, NLT) Can we even begin to understand that as we leave in a consumer culture?
Or what do we do with this? "You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." (Matthew 5:27-29, NLT) I walked past Victoria's Secret in the mall recently. Seen those larger than life pictures of seductively posed models they hang in the windows? How do we implement sexual purity and wholeness in a culture that thinks about having sex with only slightly more significance than having a cup of coffee?
Churches who are trying just to be 'bigger' never ask those kinds of questions. They're too 'controversial!' They make people uncomfortable and when they get uncomfortable, they go somewhere else, taking their resources with them! So much for constructing bigger buildings, winning denominational awards, or being featured on NBC's "Dateline" as the fastest growing church in America. I'm not voting for closing our doors to anyone. Let's preach with fervor, share our whole heart with those who want to be loved, and serve everybody with the love of Jesus - and leave the 'big-ness' up to Him.
Here's what I know from the Bible.
Jesus made a lot of people who were trying to just appear respectable, very angry with His demand for transformation that went heart deep. He made a lot of people who were on the margins of society very happy for He showed them the way to recover their relationship with their Father, and thus to find life with meaning, full of joy, and with great hope. I want to be the kind of Christian who follows Him, even if it makes some people hate me. No, of course, I do not want to be a fool who just offends others in a mistaken attempt to prove my own godliness. With the help of the Spirit, I want to love radically, give totally, and wrestle with His words and how they instruct my life. If that makes me a minority in my world, so be it. I think real disciples always will be a minority, for I have it on most excellent authority. Our Master said, "You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." (Matthew 7:13-14, NLT)
I think the 11th commandment is -- Thou shalt grow bigger churches.
Got Sunday School? Then you need more kids in it, so bring on the buses every Sunday morning. (Sunday School busing was the way to grow your church in the 1980's.)
Got youth group? Then find a way to get lots of kids in the room. Lots of kids equals 'successful youth program.'
Got a church building? It must be bigger, so find ways to pack more people through the doors, then trumpet the numbers - 500 in attendance on Easter Sunday! Pay no mind that it was a circus that brought them in. Everybody will get really excited. Offering will go up. Staff will be hired, buildings will be constructed... but to what purpose? That is the troubling question that is not asked often enough.
We could reframe that question this way - 'why are we trying to be bigger?'
Supposedly, I was taught that we were 'bringing people to Christ,' or 'saving the lost,' but was that actually happening?
Few will argue with the statement that as churches grew larger; actual percentages of deeply devout followers of Jesus seemed to decline! In 2007, evangelical Christianity claims about 30-40% of Americans, but there is no apparent surfeit of spiritual fruit in our land that would be correspondent to that many devout Christ-followers in a society. Published statistics show that Evangelical Christians are just as materialistic, break up their marriages in divorce, and cheat on their taxes - at the same rates as the rest of Americans. I do not know exactly why that surprises anyone. Getting more people through the doors of our churches requires that we smooth off the rough edges, make the message less challenging, and 'become relevant!' Marketing is king. That's how McDonald's got huge. Mickey D's does not serve gourmet foods that appeals to a few culinary aficionados. It serves cheeseburgers and fries that lots of people like and can afford. Many churches try to grow by becoming religious McDonald's - serving up bland sermons, music that sounds like a pop radio station, in services that are organized to move like a TV show - offering spiritual comfort 'food,' in place of sound spiritual nourishment.
I think it's time to to be focused on relentlessly is what Jesus actually commissioned us to be doing- "go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT) Of course that means we have to take the lead in that direction - obedience, I mean. "Christianity Lite" which requires little of us, that thrives on being 'at home' in the culture, needs to be replaced with a passion to become radical followers of our Lord who study His words with the intent of becoming like Him in the world. I'll be completely honest with you. I do not even really know what that last sentence might mean for me, or for you, in terms of day to day living.
What I do know is that His words are so radically opposed to what most of us consider 'normal,' that if we got serious about knowing and doing them- it will turn our lives upside down! By way of illustration, think about a couple of Jesus' statements.
Exactly how does a 21st century American person apply words like "Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:20, NLT) "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24, NLT) Can we even begin to understand that as we leave in a consumer culture?
Or what do we do with this? "You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." (Matthew 5:27-29, NLT) I walked past Victoria's Secret in the mall recently. Seen those larger than life pictures of seductively posed models they hang in the windows? How do we implement sexual purity and wholeness in a culture that thinks about having sex with only slightly more significance than having a cup of coffee?
Churches who are trying just to be 'bigger' never ask those kinds of questions. They're too 'controversial!' They make people uncomfortable and when they get uncomfortable, they go somewhere else, taking their resources with them! So much for constructing bigger buildings, winning denominational awards, or being featured on NBC's "Dateline" as the fastest growing church in America. I'm not voting for closing our doors to anyone. Let's preach with fervor, share our whole heart with those who want to be loved, and serve everybody with the love of Jesus - and leave the 'big-ness' up to Him.
Here's what I know from the Bible.
Jesus made a lot of people who were trying to just appear respectable, very angry with His demand for transformation that went heart deep. He made a lot of people who were on the margins of society very happy for He showed them the way to recover their relationship with their Father, and thus to find life with meaning, full of joy, and with great hope. I want to be the kind of Christian who follows Him, even if it makes some people hate me. No, of course, I do not want to be a fool who just offends others in a mistaken attempt to prove my own godliness. With the help of the Spirit, I want to love radically, give totally, and wrestle with His words and how they instruct my life. If that makes me a minority in my world, so be it. I think real disciples always will be a minority, for I have it on most excellent authority. Our Master said, "You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." (Matthew 7:13-14, NLT)
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Is your heart in good shape?
I was checking my blood pressure with a little automated wrist cuff that I keep at home. My grandson asked, "What does that do Grandpa?" I explained it helped me to know if my heart was healthy. He asked if I could put the cuff on him, so I did, on his upper arm which is smaller than my wrist. As it pressurized, he said, "I hope that it shows my heart is really lovable!" He is five so his concept of heart health is about the kind of person one is, about being loving, not about blood pressure and pulse rates. I think Gavin is on to something in this! True health is deeper than physical statistics. What shape is your heart in, Believer?
Would it make any difference if we could put on a monitor that would indicate when our faith is in need of strengthening, or that our hope is lagging behind the norms, or that love is at a low state? The truth is that there is such a monitor! Jesus Christ tells us that ". . . whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart." (Matthew 12:34-35, NLT) "What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:45, NLT) Just listen to your daily conversation. A heart sick with sin will be shown by the words of lust, or greed, or hatred that spill out of us. A healthy heart will show in consistent words of faith, hope, and love.
Recently I was reading an article written by a physician who was lamenting the pill mentality that he claims has replaced good medicine in America, a mis-focus that is costing us $billions unnecessarily. So many of our ills would be better treated with holistic methods that involve our lifestyles. He claimed that the majority of our illnesses, particularly those of aging, would have much less impact if we ate more balanced diets with significantly lower amounts of fats and refined sugars that included more vegetables and less meat. He urged regular daily exercise to keep weight under control. Instead of spending $thousands on medicines, he claimed that most of us could change the quality of our lives with common sense adjustments to our way of life. But instead, we want indulge ourselves and then pop a pill to 'fix' the resulting malfunction.
Spiritual heart health is much the same. We grow strong in the ways of God and enjoy a depth of spiritual qualities (loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled- Galatians 5:22-23, CEV) not with some instant fix or a quick encounter with a miracle. We become healthy Believers by integrating the truth of Scripture into our minds, daily; by exercising our souls with obedience, in the little choices of each day; by trusting God for our daily bread, committing ourselves to Him. The Divine Heart Surgeon promises these results - "I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. . . . You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God! " (Ezekiel 36:26-28, The Message)
I want to be a disciple of Jesus is beautiful from the inside out, don't you? I don't want to just 'look good.' I want to 'be good,' - so help me God! I want His grace to go heart deep.
_________________
Friend, how would you feel
If your heart were made
With a window on each side?
So that all could see
Not just outward charm,
But detect if inward harm.
Jesus really knows you
For He sees inside.
How about your heart,
Is it right with God?
That's the thing that
Counts today, today.
How About Your Heart
© 1954 Renewed 1982 Gospel Quartet Music Company, Inc.
(Admin. by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.) CCLI License No. 810055
Would it make any difference if we could put on a monitor that would indicate when our faith is in need of strengthening, or that our hope is lagging behind the norms, or that love is at a low state? The truth is that there is such a monitor! Jesus Christ tells us that ". . . whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart." (Matthew 12:34-35, NLT) "What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:45, NLT) Just listen to your daily conversation. A heart sick with sin will be shown by the words of lust, or greed, or hatred that spill out of us. A healthy heart will show in consistent words of faith, hope, and love.
Recently I was reading an article written by a physician who was lamenting the pill mentality that he claims has replaced good medicine in America, a mis-focus that is costing us $billions unnecessarily. So many of our ills would be better treated with holistic methods that involve our lifestyles. He claimed that the majority of our illnesses, particularly those of aging, would have much less impact if we ate more balanced diets with significantly lower amounts of fats and refined sugars that included more vegetables and less meat. He urged regular daily exercise to keep weight under control. Instead of spending $thousands on medicines, he claimed that most of us could change the quality of our lives with common sense adjustments to our way of life. But instead, we want indulge ourselves and then pop a pill to 'fix' the resulting malfunction.
Spiritual heart health is much the same. We grow strong in the ways of God and enjoy a depth of spiritual qualities (loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled- Galatians 5:22-23, CEV) not with some instant fix or a quick encounter with a miracle. We become healthy Believers by integrating the truth of Scripture into our minds, daily; by exercising our souls with obedience, in the little choices of each day; by trusting God for our daily bread, committing ourselves to Him. The Divine Heart Surgeon promises these results - "I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. . . . You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God! " (Ezekiel 36:26-28, The Message)
I want to be a disciple of Jesus is beautiful from the inside out, don't you? I don't want to just 'look good.' I want to 'be good,' - so help me God! I want His grace to go heart deep.
_________________
Friend, how would you feel
If your heart were made
With a window on each side?
So that all could see
Not just outward charm,
But detect if inward harm.
Jesus really knows you
For He sees inside.
How about your heart,
Is it right with God?
That's the thing that
Counts today, today.
How About Your Heart
© 1954 Renewed 1982 Gospel Quartet Music Company, Inc.
(Admin. by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.) CCLI License No. 810055
Monday, July 09, 2007
The geographic cure
A friend, a recovering alcoholic, introduced me to the phrase - "the geographic cure." He told me it was a familiar phrase at AA meetings. When a drunk has burned everybody in town and used up all his options, he starts to believe that the solution to his problem is a new town - somewhere, anywhere, else. When I heard the phrase I realized that many of us are afflicted with this deception- convinced that a new job, another church, a start on life in another state, a new lover; will bring us happiness. But here is the flaw in that line of thought - when you get there, you are still there! Unless we deal with ourselves, until we do the work of change, allowing God to transform our mind and our actions, we will just recreate the same set of difficulties at each stop along life's road.
An ancient prophet, Jonah, decided on the geographic cure! The little book that tells his story starts with these words. "The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD." (Jonah 1:1-3, NIV) Imagine thinking that you could outrun the Spirit of God, but Jonah did and so do many people to this day! The Bible does not tell us why he did not want to obey God's will. Perhaps it was common fear. Going to preach in Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, was a terror-filled proposition. The Assyrians were a cruel and powerful people. They were conquering nations all over the region by killing anybody who stood in their way. Then, too, it might be that Jonah did not want to even create the possibility for the Assyrians to come to know God. It may well be that he wanted them to been destroyed by God's wrath!
Whatever his reasons, Jonah decided that he would go in the opposite direction, as far from Nineveh as possible. Perhaps he thought, "I can preach to the people of Tarshish just as well as the people of Nineveh. Their spiritual need is just as great." But God wanted him in Nineveh! The Lord pursued him onto the ocean, caught up with him in the belly of a great fish, and brought about a change of mind over a period of three days.
Are you tempted by the sin of Jonah?
Does the way God has led you fill you with fear or dread so that you desire to run for someplace new?
David, penned this song. "I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! ... If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me." (Psalm 139: 7, 9-10, NLT) For those who are pursuing God and His will, that is a wonderful promise. "The Lord will be with me - everywhere, all the time!" For those who are trying to run away, that is a terrible threat!
Choose obedience now. Let God minister to you. His power and presence are no more real or near anywhere in the world than right where you are, right now! Center yourself in God's will. Stop reading the travel brochures that paint all those pretty pictures of some other place, some new situation. Pray for God's grace to steady you, to develop you, right where you are. Let God's Word and Spirit transform you as you follow His lead, instead of thinking that the solution is to chase the mirage that lies on the horizon. If you're tempted to run away - just pray, "Lord, keep me from the sin of Jonah. Steady me, Lord."
Here's a word from the Word to ponder. It comes from a time soon after the Israelites had left Egypt in the Exodus. God had shown Himself mighty on their behalf and brought about their deliverance. Then as they camped in the desert, scouts saw the Egyptian army approaching on the horizon. They were afraid, tempted to scatter, but Moses gave them this counsel. Let it speak to your heart today.
"Do not be afraid.
Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today,
you shall see again no more forever.
The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
(Exodus 14:13-14, NKJV)
_________________________
Stand still and see His glory;
Watch as His mysteries unfold.
Bask in the sweetness of pure Living Waters,
Refreshing, reviving the soul.
All hail His infinite wisdom!
None is so mighty as He.
Master, Creator of all things enduring,
None else is so precious to me.
Stand Still and See His Glory, D. Rambo © 1977 John T. Benson Publishing Company (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067) / CCLI License No. 810055
An ancient prophet, Jonah, decided on the geographic cure! The little book that tells his story starts with these words. "The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD." (Jonah 1:1-3, NIV) Imagine thinking that you could outrun the Spirit of God, but Jonah did and so do many people to this day! The Bible does not tell us why he did not want to obey God's will. Perhaps it was common fear. Going to preach in Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, was a terror-filled proposition. The Assyrians were a cruel and powerful people. They were conquering nations all over the region by killing anybody who stood in their way. Then, too, it might be that Jonah did not want to even create the possibility for the Assyrians to come to know God. It may well be that he wanted them to been destroyed by God's wrath!
Whatever his reasons, Jonah decided that he would go in the opposite direction, as far from Nineveh as possible. Perhaps he thought, "I can preach to the people of Tarshish just as well as the people of Nineveh. Their spiritual need is just as great." But God wanted him in Nineveh! The Lord pursued him onto the ocean, caught up with him in the belly of a great fish, and brought about a change of mind over a period of three days.
Are you tempted by the sin of Jonah?
Does the way God has led you fill you with fear or dread so that you desire to run for someplace new?
David, penned this song. "I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! ... If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me." (Psalm 139: 7, 9-10, NLT) For those who are pursuing God and His will, that is a wonderful promise. "The Lord will be with me - everywhere, all the time!" For those who are trying to run away, that is a terrible threat!
Choose obedience now. Let God minister to you. His power and presence are no more real or near anywhere in the world than right where you are, right now! Center yourself in God's will. Stop reading the travel brochures that paint all those pretty pictures of some other place, some new situation. Pray for God's grace to steady you, to develop you, right where you are. Let God's Word and Spirit transform you as you follow His lead, instead of thinking that the solution is to chase the mirage that lies on the horizon. If you're tempted to run away - just pray, "Lord, keep me from the sin of Jonah. Steady me, Lord."
Here's a word from the Word to ponder. It comes from a time soon after the Israelites had left Egypt in the Exodus. God had shown Himself mighty on their behalf and brought about their deliverance. Then as they camped in the desert, scouts saw the Egyptian army approaching on the horizon. They were afraid, tempted to scatter, but Moses gave them this counsel. Let it speak to your heart today.
"Do not be afraid.
Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today,
you shall see again no more forever.
The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
(Exodus 14:13-14, NKJV)
_________________________
Stand still and see His glory;
Watch as His mysteries unfold.
Bask in the sweetness of pure Living Waters,
Refreshing, reviving the soul.
All hail His infinite wisdom!
None is so mighty as He.
Master, Creator of all things enduring,
None else is so precious to me.
Stand Still and See His Glory, D. Rambo © 1977 John T. Benson Publishing Company (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067) / CCLI License No. 810055
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