English: Walkway in the aviarium in the Krugersdorp Nature Reserve (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the LORD (Psalm 31:6)

David knew that God alone is worthy of our trust and loving God the way he did, he found it deplorable that people could look to and give glory to idols. Because of this, he honestly expressed what he feels about those who look to false gods for help. “I hate those who cling to worthless idols.”  

He had a strong emotional reaction towards idolatry and just like with all his emotions, he did not hide how he felt in his heart. He spoke openly to God. He calls these idols worthless and that is precisely what they are –worthless and incapable of helping us. Many may believe they are clear of such an atrocity because they don’t bow down to a statue and expect a lifeless image to hear their prayers.

In David’s time, as in some cases today, people worshiped images they cast for themselves or bought from the religious market. Today we see a different kind of idolatry. Most people agree that praying to an inanimate object for help is quite silly. How can something made with human hands be able to help? Yet, idolatry is far from being dead and buried.  Let’s look at a few modern day forms of clinging to worthless idols:

Money

Watching reality detective programs gives us an idea of how many times people would rather kill another human being than do without the money they want. How many times would they not rather ruin a relationship because of money? How many lives were not ruined because of greed? Idolatry ruins lives.

The Self

We could become so occupied with looking out for ourselves that we don’t care who and what we harm in this maddening pursuit. People focused on themselves have little regard for others or for what God says. They don’t believe God will take care and provide for them. They are in a race to get all they can get for themselves. They believe God only helps those who help themselves, when in fact God is the Helper of those who understand that all good gifts come down from the Father of the heavenly lights. Since Jesus taught living selflessly, such people find it impossible –almost laughable –to follow Him. When we are filled with self, there will be no room for God.

Religious Idolatry

I come from a religious background where people are very liberal with their praises for their leaders, but get really uncomfortable about elevating Jesus to His rightful place because they have placed their ministries in the place of Jesus. There the denomination and its leaders were placed on the same level as God. They believed and taught that if you leave this church, you are turning your back on God. Now I know that nothing and no one is equal to God. Now I know that no one compares to God and only through His grace I know these things today. I know that He is not so small that He is locked up in one denomination. He fills this entire universe. But before I knew all this, I unwittingly participated in religious idolatry. Ignorance is not bliss. Only later did I realize that we are not saved by allegiance to a religious institution. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and His perfect sacrifice on our behalf.  Idolatry can be ambushed by the love of Christ. All is not lost. I pray daily that God will do for others the same He has done for me.

Idolatry is insidious and this means we should always be alert and on the lookout for anything that insinuates its way into our hearts and sets itself up as a god in there. What occupies our thoughts? What do we speak about most? That may be an indication of who or what we worship. “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” We may be going to church every Sunday and go through all the expected religious motions while there is an idol living happily in our hearts.

It can happen innocently. It can even happen with a gift that God gives us. We become so enchanted with our gift that we forget the Giver. Our faith should always be in God  –not in a denomination, or a ministry or things or other people. Faith in God is what pleases God. Any other kind of faith is both useless and dangerous.

Related articles

• God No Longer Counts your Sin against You (thoughtsonscripture.com)

Bread from India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The incident with the Canaanite woman was one of the hardest things for me to read and grasp in the Gospel accounts. Jesus‘ response to this woman was, from my perspective, completely out of character.

I searched many commentaries to gain a better understanding. But the unrest in my heart was not pacified. I ended up on many sites, mainly by atheists who appeared very occupied with discrediting a God they claimed didn’t exist. After many days of prayers and tears, the Lord gave me a better understanding of what transpired when this desperate mother approached Jesus for the healing of her daughter.

The story starts as Jesus finds Himself in the regions of Tyre and Sidon. These were two lucrative Phoenician port cities in ancient times. Although these were not Jewish regions, Jesus went there. A woman from that region heard of Jesus’ arrival. She addressed Him as “Lord” and “Son of David,” which affirmed the fact that other nations were also aware of the anticipated Jewish Messiah. She undoubtedly must have heard about the the wonderful things Jesus had done.

She prayed that He would have mercy on her and help her demon-possessed daughter who was suffering terribly. The Lord remained silent. No answer. Yet, she did not give up. She went to His disciples asking them to help her. Perhaps she heard that they too have done miracles in His Name. But they too ignored her. However, her persistence got the better of them, and they finally asked the Lord to send her away because she is now bothering them. Obviously within hearing range, the woman heard the Lord say, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

This didn’t mean He would only help Jewish people because He had already helped the centurion whose servant was dying. Rather, this was a test of the woman’s faith. When she heard this, she came forward and knelt down before Him: “Lord, help me!” He then said that it is not right to take the children’s bread and feed it to the dogs. That is where I got stuck. How could He say that by helping her, He would be taking the food destined for the children and feed it to dogs! Talk about being politically incorrect! I was very upset in my spirit when I read that for the first time. I wanted to understand how He could say such a thing and eventually it became clear.

Firstly, The Lord did not mean she is less than the Jews. His reference to the children of Israel was a reference to the first purpose for His coming. God made a promise to Abraham that in his Seed –meaning Christ (see Galatians 3:16) –all the nations of the earth will be blessed. But the promise was for the Jews first and God keeps His promises. He was keeping His promise to His friend, Abraham. So Jesus’ main mission was to come to the Jewish people. We know that although He came to His own, His own did not receive Him and that the Gospel message was for all nations –Jewish or not because in Christ there is no difference.

Secondly, through this incident the Lord reveals this woman’s deep faith  and humility even though she wasn’t among the “chosen.”  She didn’t care how He did it. She wanted help and she believed He was the only one who could help her. “Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” She expresses a deep understanding about the presence of God among men. Everyone around Him should be benefiting as well, whether part of the inner circle or not. People around Christ should be better off simply because He is there. Her faith in Jesus was not based on getting preferential and respectable treatment from Him. As Jesus heard her response, He exclaims, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted!” The result of her humility and faith: Her daughter was healed at that moment.

Personally I think this incident is a lesson that faith should transcend our sense that we are entitled to special treatment. The Canaanite woman illustrates that true faith is not dependent on how well our egos are stroked. It is about how sure we are that the One we are praying to can and will help us. She knew that Jesus was kindhearted. She knew He had power over disease. She knew He would be willing. She didn’t give up. Because of this belief, she persisted even though He appeared momentarily unkind and distant. She persisted and was richly rewarded. In her heart she was convinced He is not unkind. Her faith was not only in the Lord’s power but also in His character.

Thirdly, the fact that the Lord initially remained silent was not because He didn’t care. He knew all along He was going to help her. His silence made her huge faith more apparent. Pride would have answered, “Oh, well. If you’re not going to help me, then keep it to yourself. I’ll find another way. No one ignores me!” Not this mother, however. She kept on coming back, even to the point where His disciples grew tired of her.

Pray and never give up. A delay is not a denial. Trust in His character as much as in His power. God is Love.

Balsamic vinegar, red and white wine vinegar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them. (Proverbs 10:26)

Applying vinegar to an abscessed tooth will produce unbearable pain and smoke in the eyes results in irritation and may impair your vision.

This essence of this proverb is this: Unless you don’t mind the excruciating pain and irritation portrayed in the above analogies, don’t send a lazy person to do something for you. Like smoke in the eyes can impair your vision, the irritation that comes from depending on lazy people may cause you to lose sight of your goal and get sidetracked.

While you trustfully think that the task is being completed, halfway through the job, the sluggard considers what you’ve asked of him too much effort and will simply stop doing it. His laziness overrides his sense of responsibility. He will also be too lazy to tell you that he didn’t complete his task.

Depending on a lazy person to do something for you will bring you nothing but disappointment and frustration. The same goes for employing a lazy person. Very little of what you ask will get done, or it will get done very, very slowly. You might as well start pulling your hair out before you employ a sluggard.

This is essentially a warning not to expect too much from a lazy person. The best option is to depend on someone who is diligent and who approaches the task at hand wholeheartedly. As Christians, we are taught to do our work with all our heart:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23

Our employers or anyone else who trusts us with a certain task, should be able to have peace of mind that we will complete their request to the best of our ability and with wholehearted devotion. Our perfect example in this is, as always, the Lord Jesus Christ. He had a commission from His Father and He remained true to that commission even to the point of death on a Cross, dying the shameful death of a criminal although He was spotless and without any blame. He stuck to the mission, not only during the good times, but also when it became incredibly hard.

Sometimes we have tasks to fulfill that are not so pleasant, although nothing that could come close to what our Lord Jesus endured. When we feel we want to quit and take the easy way out, may we think of Him. May we consider that our loyalty to those who sent us will be a testimony to the character of Christ being formed in us by the Holy Spirit.

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16)

Related articles

• Industrious v. Lazy (proverbsthirtytwowoman.wordpress.com)
• Are you a sluggard? (lgefrides.wordpress.com)

Image by Dennis’ Photography via Flickr

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 21:2

A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring an end to all the groaning she has caused.

The vision about the tremendous fall of Babylon evoked a violent agitation in the heart of Isaiah. He had many visions –some were good and life-changing (Isaiah 6), while others were unbearable due to the unthinkable suffering he saw.

Growing up in Jerusalem, Isaiah received first-class education and was intensely insightful about people and their ways. He worked to reform both social and political evils and in his writings it is clear that he had a deep awareness of God’s majesty and holiness. His images and metaphors were grand and powerful, producing forceful and brilliant figures of speech.

Isaiah begins his pronouncements against Babylon’s great fall long before it became a superpower. Although Babylon will achieve glorious heights, God will bring their pomp down to the grave. Isaiah 21 is the second oracle against Babylon and he staggers as he sees the terrific impact of Babylon’s fall. God went further than just showing Isaiah the visions. He also made the meaning clear and it is this understanding that shakes the prophet to the core. “A dire vision has been shown to me…”  The word translated as dire, is the Hebrew word, qâsheh and means hard, cruel, severe, grievous, and disturbing. The vision indicated such great calamity that the  prophet found it hard to take in.

God is going to put an end to the suffering of His people and it is going to come at a great cost to those who oppressed them. He is raising up the armies of the Medes and the Persians. The Persians are called Elam in this prophecy as the name Persia only came into use later, which confirms the credibility of the prophecy. “Elam, attack!” Elam was a province of Persia (see Genesis 10:22), situated east of the Euphrates.

Cyrus was in command of these united armies of Medes and Persia. Isaiah calls him the one anointed by God to bring deliverance to His people (see Isaiah 45:1-5). When God has a plan He will find the perfect instrument to execute His plan. Cyrus was chosen as this perfect instrument although he did not acknowledge God.

The Babylonians were about to receive some of their own medicine. They will be conquered by people equally familiar with the weapons of betrayal and looting. “The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot.” The Babylonians were known for treacherous business dealings with their neighbours. They may have been proud of their ability to deceive others but now they will themselves be deceived. These very characteristics they were so proud of will now be their downfall and ruin.

Two of the king of Babylon’s great officers, Gadatas and Gabrias have, according to historians, defected to Cyrus. They betrayed the one who was the mastermind of betrayal and could therefore give Cyrus valuable inside information and may have led the enemy directly to the palace where Belshazzar was killed (see Daniel 5:6). And so, with the help of traitors and looters, Babylon was betrayed and looted.

The destruction of Babylon is often seen as a symbol of the downfall of all that attempts to exalt itself above God. It is the symbol of pride, arrogance, and godless behaviour. The downfall of Babylon symbolizes the downfall of sin.

Those who by fraud and violence, cheating and plundering, unrighteous acts and deceit, have made their neighbours their prey, will meet their match and become prey of their own ungodly methods.

Although now it may cause great distress to those who love righteousness, it is only for a time that injustice, greed, arrogance, cruelty and pride will be able to inflict pain. Ultimately God is in control and for His people, the assurance that He will remove all that attempts to elevate itself above God, is the source of their hope and joy. They know that God is love and they know that love never fails.

Related articles

• Don’t Trust in what is Marked for Destruction (thoughtsonscripture.com)

Scripture Reference: Psalm 31:1-5

Psalm 31 inspires us to keep trusting God when we are in distress. Difficult circumstances have a way of distracting us from the true source of our help. This prayer by David brings across the importance of taking everything to God in prayer.

Prayer is an expression of our faith in God. Prayer and faith must go together and praying when things are tough is an ultimate expression of our trust in God. He that believes God will pray to God and he that prays to God will believe God. Prayer lifts up a heavy heart. Prayer is the language Christ chose in times of distress and those who believe in Him will also follow the example He set for us in prayer.

In you, LORD, I have taken refuge

As David craves God’s help, he boldly expresses his confidence in God. Although fierce storms were raging around him, he maintained a quiet confidence in God and His perfect character. With ease David mixes his cries for help with his expressions of trust in God. He went looking nowhere else for protection, except to his God. He didn’t seek refuge in the abilities of people and he didn’t trust in his own abilities. He didn’t look for a fool-proof formula to get out of trouble –he went to His God. David chose the best refuge imaginable. He brings glory to God through this prayer by repeatedly expressing his trust in God.

Let me never be put to shame

David’s bold faith in God was no secret. As he ran towards Goliath, he fearlessly proclaimed that he comes to him in the name of the LORD of hosts. Sometimes when we go through hard times, people may be tempted to believe that God had forsaken us. We may have to endure scorn for believing in God, but ultimately God will not let anyone be put to shame who trusts in Him. God will not bring dishonor to His own name. So, regardless of how things may appear to others at this moment, those who trust in Him can be assured that He will not allow them to be put to shame for trusting in His Name.

Deliver me in your righteousness

This expression is very significant and reflects David’s humility. It also makes clear that the foundation of his faith was not in his own righteousness –which was imperfect –but in the righteousness of God. He didn’t appeal to God to deliver him because he was a good person and he deserved God’s help. By appealing to God’s righteousness he rejected self-righteousness. He knew the only righteous one is God and therefore, by appealing to God’s righteous nature, he is assured of being delivered from his distress. By magnifying God’s righteousness he settles all doubt that God will do anything other than what is right. What God’s mercy moved Him to promise, His righteousness will move Him to perform. David prayed that God will stop those who unjustly caused him distress and he knew that God will do it because God is a righteous God.

Turn your ear to me

Some scholars believe that the picture David paints with these words is reminiscent of how we respond to hear the words of a dying person. The person is too weak to speak up and we then bow down our ear to his lips and meet him in his weakness to hear what he says. David was well acquainted with God’s caring nature and knew that even though he may sometimes be too weak to even whisper a prayer, God will hear his heart.

Come quickly to my rescue

God makes everything beautiful in His time and we are to trust in His perfect timing. But yet, there are times when we feel that if God doesn’t do something quickly, we won’t make it. We feel we simply won’t have the strength to carry on. David felt this way and he made no secret of it. He openly expressed his concern to God in prayer.  This reflects the both his honest nature and the great danger he found himself in.

Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me

Should God decide not to provide him immediate relief from his situation, his prayer is that God will protect him in the storm. He refers to God as being a rock –in other words, even though storms may lash around him, God remains unmovable. He knows that God is a strong fortress. His strength comes from God and he prays to stay strong in the midst of his distress. When God is our strength we can be assured that God will put His strength in us and make it available to us. As our Fortress, God protects us from the onslaughts of the enemy.

Since you are my rock and my fortress

Since God is his strength and protection, it is to God that he prays for deliverance. He has experienced God’s deliverance in the past and past deliverance gives us confidence to pray for future deliverance. God is the same –He does not change. What He did for us then, He will do again for us today. Remember He said that He will never stop doing us good. May our present troubles not cause us to doubt His good plans towards us.

For the sake of your name lead and guide me

Every single step of our salvation depends on the honor of God’s name. If God should start and not complete something, He will bring dishonor to His own name and since that will never happen, we can be assured that what God has started in us, He will bring to completion. He is with us every step of the way.When we are in distress and feel threatened it is difficult to think clearly. But all is not lost. We have a merciful God and David, knowing this, prays that God will lead him and guide him so that, in this time of distress, he doesn’t do anything that will bring the Name of God into disrepute.

Keep me free from the trap that is set for me

Faith is not naive. Faith brings wisdom. David doesn’t underestimate his enemy. He knows that his enemy is both strong and cunning. The enemy lays traps for him in secret. But David doesn’t lose sight of the fact that his God is stronger. He knows that ungodly people who lay traps in secret will be exposed in public.

Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, LORD, my faithful God

Could there be a more complete expression of our faith in God than committing our spirits into His hands? Our spirits are eternal and therefore what happens to our spirits is of eternal importance. When we commit our spirits into God’s hands we are saying we know we will be safe with Him. Even for all his troubles, David was more concerned  about his spirit than his physical safety. In Luke 23:46, Jesus used these words as He breathed His last words on the Cross. It is a perfect expression of trust in God’s character. It is also a reminder for us to commit everything about ourselves continually into the tender care of  Jesus for then we will know the peace that passes all understanding.

My prayer is that all who find themselves in distress will be inspired to continue trusting and praying to God in their distress for no one who trusts in Him will ever be disappointed.

Related articles

• When Wailing Turns to Dancing (thoughtsonscripture.com)
• Psalm 71 A Prayer for the Aged (loopyloo305.com)
• The Righteous Stand Firm Forever (thoughtsonscripture.com)

Sunset at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The image was taken at negative low tide that happens just a few times per year. One could see how far away the ocean went back exposing the bottom. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scripture Reference: Matthew 14:22-36

Few Christians can claim they never experienced doubt. Since there are so many misconceptions around doubt, the associated anxiety is often hidden in silent suffering. One of the major misconceptions of doubt is that it is the opposite of faith. It is not. Unbelief is the opposite of faith.

Doubt comes from the Latin dubitare, which is rooted in an Aryan word meaning “two.” Therefore, to doubt means to take two positions on something or to have a divided heart. On the other hand, when we believe something to be true we have one mind about it. We accept it. When we disbelieve something, we are in one mind too. We reject it. But when we doubt something, we are in two minds about it. We have not completely rejected it nor have we wholeheartedly accepted it. Unbelief is a settled choice, but doubt is not sure.

There are two sides to doubt. It has a good side and a bad side. Doubt can be bad if it goes unchecked and degenerates into unbelief. Doubt has a good side because it can help us detect error and lies. Not everything we hear is the truth and therefore it can be the catalyst that get us searching for the truth and send us on a deeper pursuit of God.

So how do we deal with doubt? Let’s look at how Jesus dealt with it.

In the Scripture verses above we read that after Jesus fed the 5000, He dismissed the crowd and asked the disciples to go on ahead of Him with the boat to the other side; He went up onto the mountainside to pray. He stayed there until evening, but His disciples had not yet reached the other side. They were struggling against a strong wind.  At around 3am, Jesus went to meet them where they were in the middle of the storm. Jesus walked on the water.

Since walking on water was not exactly a common mode of transport, the disciples were terrified when they saw a figure approaching them in the dark of the night, walking on the water. They started crying out. The moment Jesus sensed they were afraid, He put their hearts at ease and told them they don’t need to be afraid. It is Him. Not completely convinced, Peter asked that if it is really Him, to let him walk with Him on the water. Jesus said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat.

At the invitation of Jesus, Peter defied the laws of gravity. After a while, however, he started to notice the wild storm raging around him. The moment his eyes went from Jesus to his surroundings, he started sinking. Interestingly, Jesus didn’t immediately grab him, but only after he cried, “Lord, save me.” Then the Lord immediately reached out and pulled him up.

As they climbed back into the boat, Jesus rebuked him for his little faith. “Why did you doubt?” But even though the Lord rebuked him there are certain things to be learnt from this portion:

1. Peter got himself into trouble because he took his eyes off the Lord.
2. He got into trouble when, as a result of a shift in his focus, he started doubting.
3. Jesus didn’t say, “O you of no faith…” but said “O you of little faith…” Peter was not completely without faith.
4. Peter could have gone like, “Enough! I’m sinking and I’ve had enough of all this supernatural stuff. I’m swimming back to the boat.” But he went like, “O Lord save me!” Even though he doubted for a moment, he still believed the Lord could save him.

Although Peter doubted, the Lord didn’t disregard his call for help. Jesus still reached out and saved him out of his distress. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and therefore He will still help us today when we call to Him.

Jesus was also merciful to Thomas who wanted to see for himself that the Lord had risen before he believed. Some scholars believe that Thomas’ name (which means twin) may be a play on his character –that he was always in two minds. But the Lord graciously met Thomas where he was and showed him what he wanted to see so that he could believe.

Be merciful to those who doubt (Jude 1:22)

From these events we can see that the Lord was merciful to those who doubted and I believe we should follow His example and be merciful to others when they doubt. When we are plagued by doubts ourselves, we can, like Peter, take it to the Lord in prayer:  ”O Lord, save me!”

Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. (Psalm 86:11)

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 11:19)

I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good. (Jeremiah 32:39-41a)

Related articles

• God Gives without Strings Attached (jesuscarriesme.com)
• Faith Child – Let’s rest in the Lord (ptl2010.com)

Fall00001 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

Certain laws in this universe cannot be broken. For instance, if I jump off a building, I’m going down; not up. The proverb, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace…” reflects a spiritual law. As it is certain that I’m going down when I jump off my roof, so it is certain that a person filled with pride is going down into disgrace. That’s the negative side. But there is a positive side to this law: “With humility comes wisdom.“

There are many definitions for humility, some of which link humility to a low self-esteem and self-abasement. The term humility comes from the Latin word humilitas which can also be translated as “grounded”  since humilitas comes from the term humus which means earth. The concept of humility addresses our intrinsic self-worth and I believe it is a reference to having a realistic (grounded) view of yourself  as opposed to having an over-inflated view of your own importance.

The Bible also makes a distinction between true and false humility (see Colossians 2:18). I think Charles Spurgeon excellently sums up false humility when says that the worst kind of pride is boasting about your own humility. False humility is in fact pride that comes in the guise of humility for the sake of achieving a selfish motive or the praise of people. False humility came to life in Charles Dickens‘ fictional character Uriah Heep who makes frequent references to his own humility but who eventually gains control over his employer’s business by blackmailing him. True humility is reflected in submitting to God’s authority, giving credit where credit is due, recognizing one’s own limitations and not being greedy and grasping for what others have.

St Bernard said that Jesus Christ is the ultimate definition of Humility. I agree and for this reason I cannot believe humility is a reference to weakness and letting people trample all over you.  When His time came for His sacrificial death, Jesus did not retaliate with insults or curses –He knew these events are taking place so that Scripture may be fulfilled and He fully entrusted Himself to His Father.

But, during the times when He was relentlessly questioned and tested by the church leaders so that they could find fault in Him, Jesus had a different approach. He put them in their place sometimes. At other times, He ignored them. Then there were times when He pointed out their distorted beliefs. In some cases, He responded to their questions with another question, and if they couldn’t answer His question, He wouldn’t answer theirs. They wanted a sign. He said they will have none. He exposed them for the frauds they were. He didn’t allow them to walk all over Him, but He also knew when to allow things to take their course in submission to His Father’s will.

You see, Jesus had the power to crush His enemies. His power was abundantly clear in His miracles. No one doubted that He was powerful. Yet, they mocked and said that He couldn’t help Himself when He was on the Cross. Did they for one moment think that perhaps, He didn’t want to help Himself? Did they pause to reflect that perhaps He restrained His power in order to help others? That is just what humility is. It is not being powerless and weak. For me, humility is the power to restrain your power.

I mean, if I was the one being falsely accused and treated cruelly while having all that power available to me, who knows what special-effects trick I would have pulled to “show them.” But Jesus is far above all else and anyone else. He submitted to this cruel treatment although He had the power to put an end to it. Humility means holding back from insulting someone even if you could do it perfectly; to not crush those who oppose you even if you did have the power to do so –that to me is humility. That is what Jesus modeled perfectly.

When we make it our goal to walk in humility as Jesus did, we are blessed with the wisdom to live life well and to the fullest. “With humility comes wisdom…” 

Related articles

• Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble..(Maundy Thursday) (thespentpenny.com)
• PRIDE and HUMILITY (tomroyreleased.wordpress.com)
• Walking as Jesus did…Humility (jesuscarriesme.com)

alaska (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 54

Isaiah 53 speaks in detail of the future suffering and death of the Servant of the Lord. The next chapter bursts through the darkness of death with the glory of the light of life:

“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy…” (Isaiah 54:1)

I see in Isaiah 54 the picture of the Resurrection of our Lord. I see how the Resurrection of Jesus brings uncountable blessings for those who believe in Him. Isaiah 54 from verse 4 onward, encourages and reveals promises for those who commit their lives living for Him and live to advance His Kingdom on this earth. It’s by no means easy to follow the Lord. He never said it would be. He knew that we need all the encouragement we can get for this journey. This chapter is packed with encouragement to keep us going on this journey with our Lord who is the Resurrection and the Life.

May we rejoice together in our Lord’s victory over death as we read these words of encouragement:

1. Don’t be afraid, you won’t suffer shame. Don’t fear disgrace, you will not be humiliated.
2. Don’t let the shame of your past hold you back. You will forget the days when you felt alone. God looks after your past as much as He looks after your future.
3. Don’t refrain from speaking because people look at you and think God has abandoned you. Listen to this! You never were abandoned. Even when it looked that way, God Himself is your husband. The Hebrew word for husband is bâ‛al or master which refers to marrying someone and promising to tenderly care for them. It’s a reminder that you will be eternally joined to your God. He is the Bridegroom of our souls. We are the treasured possession of our Husband –the LORD Almighty is His name. He is the Holy One of Israel and He has redeemed us with the His own blood as payment. He is called the God of all the earth. Even if you feel deserted by the ones you love; even if you are distressed in spirit and rejected by others, He calls you to Him. This is what your God says.
4. Yes, you may have experienced abandonment in the past because of your many transgressions, but though the abandonment is brief, your joining to Him is eternal. With deep compassion He will bring you back. He was angry at you for your many sins against Him and others. So, He hid His face from you –but only for a moment. But now, Jesus has paid the price for your sins on the Cross. The kindness He’s showing you now is not for a moment, but forever. The compassion he’s showing you will be an everlasting kindness. This is what your Redeemer says.
5. Think of how it was in the days of Noah. He promised that never again will a flood destroy the earth and its inhabitants. He keeps His promises. Now He is promising never to be angry with you again; never to rebuke you again.
6. Look at the mountains –firm, majestic and secure. Even if these mountains are shaken and all the hills disappear, His love for you will never be shaken. His love for you is unfailing. No matter how big you think your “issues” are, nothing can affect His love for you.
7. He has made a covenant of peace with you (see Romans 5:1) and that covenant between you and your God cannot be removed. There will forever be peace between you and your God. God will never be angry with you again. This is what the Lord says –the LORD who has compassion on you. He is not saying this and making promises to you because He is obligated. He is saying this because He loves you eternally.
8. O, dear child of God, although you have been afflicted many times –lashed by the storms of this world –don’t despair. He will build you up with beautiful precious stones. He will make you beautiful. He will make you magnificent. He will make you pure. He will make you strong. He will make you secure.
9. God will take care of all your children. God Himself will be their teacher. He will give your children great peace in their hearts.
10. God will firmly establish you through the righteousness of Christ. The enemy won’t be able to tyrannize you anymore. You have nothing to fear. The terrors of the enemy will be far removed from you. It will not come near you. Whoever attacks you, remember it is not from God. Your attackers will surrender to you. You will refute all your accusers. Now, this does not mean that you will live with no troubles. Remember, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart…” Consider that God created the enemy. He is a created being. The enemy is not almighty. He is a destroyer, but he is not beyond God’s control.  Therefore, all weapons that the enemy forms against you are not stronger than your God. None of his weapons of destruction can destroy you. You belong to God. He would have to be stronger than God to destroy you.

These are God’s gifts to you, His servants –those who labour to advance of the kingdom of God. This is His inheritance for His own. He will vindicate you in all your troubles, regardless of how fierce the opposition appear to be. This is what the Lord declares. Amen!

Related articles

• Seven Life Lessons from Isaiah 18 (thoughtsonscripture.com)
• The LORD Almighty Planned it (jesuscarriesme.com)
• Understanding Blood Covenant (raymondjclements.wordpress.com)
• God’s Arm Seems Longer Somehow (adifferentstory.net)

Carpobrotus in a xeric garden, in Israel. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scripture Reference: Matthew 26:47-56

Looking at the scene of Jesus’ arrest, it quickly becomes clear that He had more to deal with than just the arrival of an armed crowd. One of His friends betrayed Him with a kiss and the other one decided He needed a violent rescue. Yet, through all this, Jesus portrayed perfection. Here’s a look at Judas and Peter‘s actions and Jesus’ perfect reactions even through His own pain and agony.

Judas

Arising from His tormenting time in prayer, Jesus speaks to His disciples, “Rise and let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” He was still saying this when along came Judas Iscariot.

He came with a crowd armed with swords and clubs. They were sent by the church leaders, who cowardly hid in their homes while sending their subordinates to do the dangerous work. This alone shows how their leadership style was the polar opposite to that of Jesus who never expected anything from His followers that He was not prepared to do Himself.

Judas had pre-arranged a signal with the crowd: “Arrest the one I kiss.” Of all the ways one could betray a friend, he chose one of the most intimate and beautiful signs of friendship –a kiss. He turned it into something ugly and despicable. In the East, a kiss is a confirmation of love between friends. Judas used it to betray his friend.

Jesus wasn’t swayed by Judas’ false display of friendship. He knew Judas came to betray Him and still He called Judas “Friend.” Jesus wasn’t being sarcastic when He said that. He was deeply affected by the betrayal. Looking ahead to this moment, David was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write:

If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
¹³ But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
¹⁴ with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God,
as we walked about
among the worshipers. (Psalm 55:12-14)

Betrayal by someone we love and trust cuts so much deeper. I have heard someone say that Jesus was just using Judas as an instrument to achieve His purpose, but here we see that although Judas certainly was an instrument in the great plan of God, Jesus loved Judas.  “If it was my enemy, I could endure it.” We are not surprised when an enemy betrays us.  Betrayal hurts because it comes from someone we love. This adds to the agony of His suffering.

Hebrews 4 states that we don’t have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses because He has been tempted just as we have, but without sinning. He knew the pain of being betrayed by someone He loved. Jesus can therefore fully relate to the pain that comes from being betrayed by a loved one. Yet, even in the act of betrayal, He called Judas “friend.”

Now, when we are hurt and angered by betrayal, we may revert to name-calling, insults and threats, but not Jesus. He tenderly addressed Judas: “Friend, why have you come?” Judas never responded to that question. The deadly machine that would put Him to death has already been put in motion.  The armed men stepped forward and arrested Him.

Peter

But alas! This was a little too much for Jesus’ other friend: the vivacious and brave Peter. He was not exactly known for sitting by idly and accepting things. He liked to get up and make something happen when things went a little slow. He certainly was not the kind of guy who resigned himself to circumstances. From Peter’s point of view, Jesus appeared to resign Himself a little too much to these events. It was clear to him that Jesus needed some help! Peter saw violence as the solution. He grabbed his sword and chopped off the ear of Malchus, servant of the high priest.

Jesus didn’t commend Peter for his bravery. God does not need us to come to His rescue –especially not with violence. Besides, Jesus preached love, not violence. He says to Peter, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” As you choose to live, so you will die.

Jesus reminds Peter who He is connected to: the God of this entire universe. A shortage of power is not the problem here. God’s arm is not too short. Violence is not only unnecessary, it is destructive, and a sign of a lack of faith in God’s power. Besides, violence breeds violence. Jesus stops the downward spiral right there and then.

If we are mindful of who are connected to, we will be less inclined to revert to destructive and wicked ways to protect ourselves. It is often a lack of trust in God and His power that lies at the root of  violent behaviour, insults and abuse. If we are disconnected from our Protector we will come up with our own selfish ways to protect ourselves.

Even in the chaos around His arrest, Jesus takes the time to put things in perspective for Peter. He is thinking in terms of the resources available in this world. But our resources go way beyond the limits of this word. With one call, Jesus could have the threat wiped out. But He was submitted to God’s will and the Scriptures will be fulfilled in these actions. It is good and wise to know the Scriptures, because through them we learn about God’s plans and how He operates. This understanding of God allows us to remain calm in adverse situations because we can clearly see God is in control.

Jesus said to Pilate, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” Understanding that deep truth will help us to rest in God and His purposes. God doesn’t  forsake His people when things get tough. He is right there with us in the valley of the shadow of death, “I will fear no evil for You are with me.” (Psalm 23:4)  This verse does not deny the presence of evil. It says that in spite of the presence of evil, we need not fear because we know God is with us.

After all this, having to deal with the betrayal of a close friend and the impulsive behavior of another, Jesus’ wounds ran deeper still when he was deserted by all His close friends at a time He needed them the most. “Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.”

As we see later, Judas regretted what he had done and took matters into his own hands and ended his life. Peter denied that he knew Jesus when he perceived that connection to be life-threatening. And yet, Jesus was merciful to Peter and later asked him to take care of His Sheep. Although he failed, he was given another chance and encouraged his brothers and sisters to persevere under trial for after they have suffered a little while (as he had), God will Himself restore them.

Related articles

• Jesus Betrayal and Arrest Matthew 26:47-56 (loopyloo305.com)
• Betrayal and faltering loyalty to Jesus (worryisuseless.wordpress.com)
• The Pain of Betrayal (bummyla.wordpress.com)

Kindness (Photo credit: -RejiK(..on hiatus...))

Scripture Reference: Psalm 30:4-5

David characteristically encourages the Lord’s children to sing to Him:

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
Praise his holy name.

The reason? His anger towards our disobedience and unbelief lasts a short while compared to the favour He shows us, which lasts for all eternity. Through reconciliation and redemption by the blood of Jesus, His anger made way for favour and He does not take it back. The weeping is never permanent and makes way for joy everlasting! God says the same thing in  Isaiah 54:

So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
never to rebuke you again. (Verse 9b)

There it is also written that God was angry with His people for a little while but now He has sworn never to rebuke us again or be angry with us again. NEVER.

For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favour lasts a lifetime!

As His children we need not fear that He will suddenly turn on us when we don’t do everything perfectly. His love and kindness is much more intense and permanent than our failures. If He could only be kind to perfect people, no one would qualify. Now is the time of salvation. This is the day of God’s favour –every day of our lives. We are never short of His favour. We don’t have to run here and there. We don’t have to follow a list of 1001 things in order to draw God’s favour on us. He gives it to us as a gift of faith in Christ Jesus.

It is clear that David had a deep understanding of God’s plan of salvation and for this reason He invites everyone who loves God to praise Him for His inexpressible kindness. Although He is holy, He became one of us and took our sin upon Himself so that we may be redeemed as His very own precious possession.

Even if all else fails in this life and even if God never extends one other act of kindness towards us, He has already given us everything –His life. For this reason, even when nothing seems to be going our way, may we never forget that the greatest kindness imaginable has already been shown to us. Let’s remember that the weeping of today is soon to be replaced in the morning with joy. His mercies are new every morning and whatever we suffer here is nothing compared to the great joy we will experience once we get to look into the eyes of the One who died for us!

Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

I am so thankful that we serve a God who never goes back on His Word. I praise God for His faithfulness and for His love which never ends! I am so thankful that Jesus chose me just as I am. Even in this life we experience His love and joy –imagine the love and joy we will experience when we see Him face to face!

Related articles

• Thankful Thursday: His Reinforcements! (ponderingbylaurie.wordpress.com)
• Weeping Endureth for the Night But Joy Cometh! (frommyheart2u.wordpress.com)