Out of Our Depths

“O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”  (Jeremiah 10:23)

We like to say things like, “No one else knows what is best for me,” or “I just have to do my own thing in my own way.” This may sound brave and bold, and may be true to the extent that allowing others to standardize our lives in their own mold is both insipid and cowardly. But this verse says you and I are not the best candidates to map out our own lives either. As Jeremiah puts it, we just don’t have it in us. Oh, we can pencil in some long-range plans for the future; but the real life planning should be handled by an Expert.

In the first place, we’re all wired with certain prejudices and pre-conceived ideas that may or may not be helpful. Then, we have only the capability of seeing what is before our eyes, while God has the benefit of a true birds-eye view. “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalm 32:8). What fools we would be not to take advantage of the all-seeing, all-knowing God, who knows not only the end from the beginning, but, even more importantly, the end and beginning of us.

We can’t even be certain our next step will be a sure one. “Yes, but it’s easy to backtrack one step,” you say. But not if that one step is off the side of a mountain! I’m being somewhat facetious, I know, since God’s purpose for our lives will ultimately be fulfilled; but I do believe we can make it unnecessarily circuitous and bumbling. I may not be as steady on my feet as I used to be, but when it comes to my Christian life, I want to be as sure-footed as a mountain goat!

David says in Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way”; and this is true whether the “he” in the verse refers to God or the good man. The verse following promises, “Though he fall, he shall no be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” Talk about being in good hands; forget Allstate!

It’s good (important, in fact) to set goals in life, but we will only be sure we have reached our potential, spiritually speaking, when those goals are ones that God has set for us. Listen to the apostle, James’ thoughts on our so-called Day Planners: “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain…For that we ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that” (James 4:13,15). Life is too important to entrust its planning to rank amateurs like you and me. We’re simply out of our depths.

“To walk out of His will is to walk into nowhere.” — C.S. Lewis

Good Enough to Live By

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

You’ve heard the old saying, I’m sure, “Your religion may be good enough to live by, but is it good enough to die by?” I would contend that an even more pertinent question might be this: “Your religion may be good enough to die by, but is it good enough to live by?” If not, there’s good reason to wonder if the first question is even relevant. John 10:27, and verses like it, make this a fairly reasonable assumption.

Ian Thomas has defined salvation as “reoccupation by God of a guilty sinner, in such a way that Jesus Christ has absolute control.” That sums it up nicely, I think. After the Fall, God was no longer Adam’s Companion, merely his Creator. When he declared his independence, Adam’s internal connection to God was severed. But although his disobedience insured that we all come into this world predetermined to, and preoccupied by, sin; one Man’s obedience offers the possibility of a predisposition to righteousness (Rom. 5:19). Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you and I can regain that Divine Tenant that Adam lost. (Depending on your surroundings, this would be a good time loudly praise the Lord!)

This kind of “reoccupation by God” is bound to have repercussions. Allegiance to Jesus Christ, God in flesh, is a given. Anyone who is willing to compromise His exclusivity in the matter of salvation can claim no connection to God, the Father. (1John 2:23). And when His authority is questioned, so may we question His presence. God does not require perfection, only allegiance. He knows we will sin as long as we are confined to these fleshly bodies (1John 1:8); but He does reserve the right to expect confession and repentance from us when we do (1John 1:9).

We often say, “He or she died peacefully,” suggesting a heavenly destination; but being able to say he or she lived peacefully would seem to be a better indication. Christianity is a life, not an insurance policy. Eternal life, as offered by Jesus Christ (John 10:28a), does not begin at death; it begins when we acknowledge Him as both Lord and Savior.

I can tell you from experience, it’s good enough to live by. And I can tell you by faith, on the authority God’s Word, it will be good enough to die by.

Slow Learners

“…they did worse than their fathers.” (Jeremiah 7:26b)

Why is it that children so often repeat the mistakes of their parents rather than learning from them? And what’s worse, why do their offenses seem to be even more severe? Of course, part of it may be that it is always easier to take the way of least resistance, blaming our failures on heredity and environment. A popular, easy, and cowardly option. To believe oneself predetermined for sin and failure is to accuse our parents (and, by extension, God) for choices we ourselves make.

It can also be an unconscious (or conscious) means of repaying those faults in our parents we are bound to see as we get older. But that’s rather like saying, “I’ll cut off my nose because there’s a wart on yours.” Fortunately, as they mature, many young people begin to see the fallacy of this kind of self-destructive thinking.

I realize there are some people who seem to only learn by experience; but, frankly, I don’t see them as being the brightest among us. As the little adage I am fond of quoting goes: “Experience is a poor teacher; it tests first and teaches later.” If anything, the next generation should excel the previous. Not only do they have access to the previous generation’s knowledge, they also have access to its experiences, both good and bad. Of course, what they do with these tools is a choice they make on their own. And one thing is for sure; when the time comes, they alone will be accountable for that choice.

“So then every one shall give account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:12)

Sheep in the Midst of Wolves

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves…” (Matthew 10:16)

These words are part of the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples when He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God. With this simile—a sheep in the middle of pack of wolves—He paints a picture capable of striking fear in the heart of any sheep or saint. It assumes an antagonism between two groups of people that can reach the point of animal ferocity. And indeed, the rest of the chapter tells us about just such treatment God’s people may face from government, friends, and even family. There are at least two other assumptions to be drawn here, I think.

First, God does not insist that we stay where it’s safe. Nor does He suggest that we just linger on the fringe. On the contrary, He wants us to be smack-dab in the middle of some true danger spots. Always part of the flock, but still willing to face the ever-lurking wolves, who like to think this is their world and not God’s. Wrong that professes to be right, and blasphemy that claims to be “spiritual,” should always be challenged. And know this: they will hang onto their error and their religiosity with the intensity of a hungry wolf.

Second, notice God does not instruct us to play the part of a wolf in order to blend in. Actually, according to Matthew 7:15, it’s the wolves who like to pass themselves off as sheep. When you and I are in the midst of reprobates, it would be ludicrous, as well as unbiblical, to try to find ways that we’re alike! No, God wants us to go out as real sheep, fighting real wolves.

As to methods of conflict, Jesus instructs the use of wisdom and harmlessness, in the last part of the verse. “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” For instance, a serpent doesn’t flaunt its superiority as a lion might; but instead is wise enough to be unobtrusive when necessary, in order to strike at the right time with the element of surprise. On the other hand, a dove lacks the subtlety of a serpent, but retains a demeanor of straightforward transparency that can be disarming to the most callous among us.

Of course, the real edge sheep have over wolves is a shepherd, who will fight to the death for them. And, as a matter of fact, our Shepherd did just that for us (John 10:11). So you and I, as the sheep of His pasture, need not fear the wolves. And by the way, they may be closer than you think.

“For this I know, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” (Acts 20:29)

 

Acting or Reacting

“Say not, I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.” (Proverbs 24:29)

Did you get it? This verse is the so-called “Golden Rule,” in reverse. Whereas our Lord commanded in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (in other words, treat others as you yourself would want to be treated); the wise man tells us there are those among us whose philosophy is “I’ll treat you the way you treat me.” In other words, “give as good as you get.” These kinds of people pride themselves in never being blind-sided or taken advantage of, never coming out on the short end of the stick.

The truly bad thing about this kind of perspective is that you end up allowing other people to decide your conduct for you, since you always respond in kind. This makes for a very predictable, unimaginative (not to mention, unbiblical) lifestyle. Once someone especially adept at the art of irritation finds out this weakness in our character, and can always be sure of getting a rise out of us, we become fair game.

But what if—just, what if—when goaded, mocked, or even wronged, we responded with a soft answer (Prov. 15:1), or turned the other cheek (Matt. 5:39), or didn’t answer back (Titus 2:9)? Now, wouldn’t that be original? Wouldn’t that prove that nobody but God can dictate our responses? What a thing!

Our Christianity is seen best, not in the way we act, but in the way we re-act.

A Good Name

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…” (Proverbs 22:1a)

There are many things of greater value than riches, not the least of which is a good name, says the wise man. We as Christians sometimes like to boast that our only concern is what God thinks of us; yet the apostle, Paul, said in 2 Corinthians 8:21, “Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” If the scales must tip one way from time to time, it should always be toward the favor of God; but as a general rule, God prefers balance (Prov.11:1).

Obviously, one cannot choose his or her family name. A man or woman may change his or her name legally, and a woman, if she marries, will one day take the name of her husband; but that does not change the fact that they bear the identification their birth parents, and more particularly, their father. However, one can determine what he or she does with that name. It’s not a matter of living up to someone else’s expectations, but, rather, living in the light of inherent advantage (Luke 12:48b). If you and I have been blessed with a family name unbesmirched by scandal or gross sin, we should consider ourselves rich indeed, especially in today’s society. And we should be mindful of our own responsibility to pass the same heritage down to our own children.

But what of those among us who were not born with such an advantage? Have they no standard to look to? Yes indeed. For as children of God we carry the family name of the King of Kings, a name that is “far above…every name that is named, not only in this world, but also that which is to come” (Eph. 1:21).

A good name is much better than great riches; and those of us who legitimately wear the name “Christian” have a very good name, no matter what is written on our birth certificate!

Wasting Your Breath

“…the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job 33:4)

“I’ll not turn my back on Him now;

He’s given me everything I have.

He gave me my first breath;

I’ll give Him my last.

I’ll not turn my back on Him now.”

This was what the chorus said in the simple little song I heard The Inspirations, a Southern Gospel group, sing today. I’m not sure if it’s old or new, but it was new to me. The words stirred my heart and my mind.

The word “breath” is found forty-two times in the King James Bible, eleven of them—the majority—in the book of Job. Coincidentally, that’s what the song is about. It’s a retelling of Job’s answer to his (to my mind) hysterical wife, who urged him as he lay in ashes, scraping painful sores from his body, to “curse God and die.” After calling her a fool and reminding her that he wasn’t serving God for what he could get out of it, he went back to his scraping.

The songwriter was right when she said that God gave us our first breath, as the cited verse says. Conversely, both Job 27:3 and Psalm 104:29 seem to say that when our breath is gone completely, so is our life. After all, it was the breath of God in Adam that gave him life in the first place (Gen. 2: 7). In the meantime, however, you and I have the choice of what we will do with the intervening breaths.

The last verse in the Psalms insists that as long as we’re breathing, we should be praising God. Everything we say need not be about Him, of course; but surely, everything we say should please Him. Since our redeemed souls still reside within sinful flesh, however, this isn’t always the case. But the fact remains, when the majority of our speech is about everything but God and His Son, Jesus Christ, for all practical purposes, we’re wasting our breaths.

I like the contention made by the writer that because God gave us our first breath, we owe him our last one. That’s only reasonable. And since we can’t be sure when our lungs will expand for the last time, we should be breathing in air and breathing out praise on a regular basis. I wonder; are we bringing glory to God or just wasting our breath?

“I’ll love thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now!”

— Wm. R. Featherston

A Puzzle (of Sorts)

“Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he shall shew thee; thy elders, and they shall tell thee.” (Deuteronomy 32:7) “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.” (Isaiah 43:18)

The two verses sound like a contradiction, do they not? That’s why a haphazard, cursory reading of the Word of God can sometimes bring more frustration than illumination. More often than not, it takes many readings to grasp its multi-faceted truths, and not many among us have the inclination to do it. This is unfortunate for many reasons, one being the sheer audacity of choosing to disregard the truest revelation we have of God now, and His message to us, His creation; another being that any seeming contradictions we see within its pages only come from our own inability to see all sides of a truth.

Having said that, let me point out what seems to me to be an obvious difference between the two texts which might help to account for their obviously dissimilar statements. Deuteronomy is talking about people (generations, fathers, elders); while Isaiah’s argument is against preoccupation with things of the past. One deals with living history, and the other centers of dead tradition. With knowledge of history, we are offered insight into the successes and failures of those who have gone before, so that we might add their experiences into the mix our own decisions of conduct. Tradition, on the other hand, can only tell us what time it was, never what time it is, and carries with it the danger of stagnation. It can hold us back. If we’re not careful, we may find ourselves acting by rote instead of reason.

By all means, learn history—written and oral. I am skeptical of anyone who is unwilling to look beyond his or her own experience. Familiarize yourself with God’s dealings with men and women in the past, and learn from those who have seen His glory and lived their lives accordingly. The verse in Deuteronomy instructs us to do just that. But, at the same time, when God clearly opens His will to you, forget “the former things.” Don’t even consider
“the things of old.” This is Isaiah’s message to us.

At times (perhaps most of the time), God will expect us to walk as pilgrims; but there will undoubtedly come a time when He will ask us to walk as pioneers. At least, it may seem like that to those around us. It will be up to you and I, with the authority of the Word of God and under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, to know the difference.

Know the past; live in the present; step boldly into the future.

Take a Walk With Wisdom

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise…”  (Prov.13:20)

I learned a long time ago, if I wanted to grow spiritually and intellectually, one of the best ways was to be on the look out for other women who excelled in these areas. For the most part, they were older than I, but not always. Youth is not often profound, but I have met some outstanding exceptions.

I agree with Solomon, cultivating a relationship (or, if nothing else, a lengthy conversation) with someone who has walked with God and learned from this experience, is a shortcut to wisdom that is only surpassed in efficiency and quality by your own relationship with Him. The individual need not know you are picking her brain or harvesting her experience. In fact, the more natural and unassuming you are, the more candid and helpful your times together will be. Remember, it’s a walk, which indicates to me leisurely companionship.

I am thinking now of people I know who always seem to be floundering in their Christian lives; and I’m sure one of the main reasons is that they are seldom in the company of others who could “help them on to God,” as the old hymn says.

I think Solomon is saying this: We never rise above the people with whom we willingly choose to surround ourselves.

Smooth Stones

“And he [David] took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”  (1 Samuel 17:40)

Why did young David choose smooth stones for his sling? From minimal research I found out that smooth stones sail through the air faster and straighter than rough, jagged ones, which tend to curve unpredictably. How do rough stones become smooth ones? Geologically speaking, this happens through a process called “tumbling,” which is “usually accomplished by transportation of the stone by water and contact with other rocks.” Of course, Job knew this thousands of years earlier (Job 14:19a).

If I might, I’d like to take the liberty of drawing an analogy here. If God wanted, as David did, to defeat His enemy using you and me “as lively stones” (1 Pet.2:5), would He want us to be smooth or jagged, do you think? If the former, then that will require two things: water (Eph.5:26), and “contact with other rocks.” And not necessarily the gentle tapping kind, either. In fact, I would imagine the rougher the encounter, the quicker is the smoothing process.

Maybe you’re like me. There are people, even other believers, who just “rub you the wrong way?” As someone has pointed out, only hard things can wear out hard things. Maybe we should look at these people in a whole different way. Instead of seeing them as irritating nuisances sent by Satan to sabotage our Christian life, maybe we should consider them as possible refining tools God is using to make us more proficient instruments of battle in the good fight of faith, helping us to fly farther, faster, and more accurately.

I want the Lord to make my rough edges smooth (Luke 3:5). It may be painful, but, by His grace, I want to be a “smooth stone” in the hand of God.