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HOPE IN GOD

(Romans 8:24&25) For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait patiently.

 (Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

(Romans 4:18) Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

If you say, “I hope it rains tomorrow.”  What are the chances that what you hope for will happen? Now, if the weather man says it’s going to rain tomorrow, and the radar map show a giant storm coming, you have a fair chance it will rain tomorrow.  You have put your hope in the weather man and what you have seen.  But, if the weather man says there is no rain possible for the next 7 days, and he shows you the radar map and there is not a cloud showing for at least a thousand miles.  Your hope is not likely to come about.  However, the weather man is not always right, and neither are we.  We need to hope in a higher power.

Hope, “to desire with expectation of fulfillment” (from Webster’s dictionary).  Our expectation of what we hope for is only as strong as our faith in the power behind our hopes.  Christians put there hope in God.  When we hope in God, we hope in he who is very patient.  As in the case of Abraham and Sarah, they waited well past their childbearing years for the son that had been promised to them. They waited in faith.  They hoped in God’s ability to do what he promised.  In faith, they believed God, and the promised son was born.

Faith provides confidence in what we hope for.  Faith is built when we seek God and find him.  That allows us to be confident in hoping for his promises. We can be confident that Jesus will return and make all things right. Two thousand years ago, he promised he would return.  In faith, we are patiently waiting. Our hope is therefore the assurance we have until we see him coming in the clouds.  Then we will no longer need hope, for what we have hoped for will have been revealed.  It is wise to hope in God. 

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PATIENCE

(Isaiah 40:31) But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.

The key word in this very familiar verse is “wait”.  When we cross a busy street, we wait.  What are we waiting for?  We are waiting for it to be safe to cross.  When we wait on the Lord, we are waiting for his timing.  We are not going to rush out into traffic, and we should not rush ahead of God’s timing.  There are signs that tell us when it’s time to cross the street, and God lets us know when it’s time to proceed with his plan for us.  Patience is required in our walk with God.

Waiting takes patience.  Here is an interesting thought, Jesus tells us to love one another.  Paul lists patience as the first word to define love.  “Love is patient,” (1Corinthians 13:4). Loving each other requires patience.  We can show our love to others by being patient with them. Patience is also part of loving God.   We show our love for God by waiting on him.

From the book of Genesis, we find Abraham and Sarah waiting twenty-five years for the son God had promised them.  Sarah was ninety years old when she delivered Isaac, and Abraham was one hundred. They waited on the Lord. Waiting for the Lord is always best in the long run.  Trying to make things happen on our schedule usually ends badly.

 Isaiah wrote the words of our scripture some twenty-five hundred years ago.  It is still wisdom to wait on the Lord.  Being patient is often a struggle, but in the end, it is worth the wait.

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LOVING GOD

(Psalm 63:1-8) You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.  I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  Because your love is better than life my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.  I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.  On my bed I will remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

There was a time, years ago, when I was first asked if I loved God.  It took me by surprise, and I didn’t have a clear answer.  Today, I could answer yes without hesitation, but when first asked, I couldn’t.  As I have walked with God, my love for him has grown.  His love for me has encouraged my love for him. 

This passage from Psalm 63 shows King David’s love and deep connection to God.  He has learned to trust and depend on God.  God loved David from the beginning.  Samuel tells us that David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).  A loving relationship with God is always initiated by him.  If we receive his love for us, our love for him will grow.

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DECEITFULNESS OF WEALTH

When Jesus was explaining the parable of the sower to his disciples (Matthew 13:18-23 NIV) he used this phrase, “the deceitfulness of wealth”.  In Matthew 13:22 Jesus said, “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word making it unfruitful.”  This phrase caught my attention as I read through the passage, and I thought it worth a more in-depth look. 

I frequently like to refer to The Message to expand my understanding of a passage.  Here’s how verse 22 reads, “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.”  The words deceitfulness and illusions both give indication of something that is not really there.  Here in America, I believe the deceitfulness and the illusions of wealth hinder us from fully participating in God’s kingdom.  Perhaps it is our greatest deception.

I remember, when my youngest daughter returned from a mission’s trip to Mexico, she was deeply impressed by how happy the people were in the village where she stayed.  She said to me, “Dad they live in shacks and have nothing, yet they are always cheerful and happy.”  It was a great experience for her.  She had the opportunity to realize that material wealth doesn’t bring happiness. 

As we head into the holiday season, let us not fall victim to the deceitfulness of wealth.  The holidays should be more about God’s love and faithfulness.  There is a mounting excitement as we gather together for Thanksgiving and then the celebration of God coming to earth.  In these moments, there is light to be found.  Don’t let the darkness of striving for wealth cause you to miss the light of God’s love.

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RECONCILIATION

When I was a young man many years ago, I learned to keep a balance in my check register, and once a month I reconciled that balance so it agreed with what the bank said was my real balance.  For those of you who remember the task of reconciling your checkbook balance with the bank, you may also remember what an arduous task it was at times.  I remember what a great feeling it was when I finally managed to get the balances to match.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans about reconciliation. He said: (Romans 5:6-11) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, while we were still God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

So you might say that our checkbook balance was way out of sync with God’s eternal bank.  We were suffering from a great deficit.  Jesus, through his death on the cross, credited to us what we needed to be reconciled.  Now our balance matches the balance God expects from us.  Isn’t that a great feeling?  Thank you Jesus!

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PLEASING GOD

(1Corinthians 5:9 MSG) But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing.  Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions.

A couple of days ago I read the devotional for March 17th from “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. For his words of that day he used the above scripture, and he pointed out that the first aim of every child of God is to please God.  It made me think again of the father child relationship, and yes, it should be the goal of every child to please their father.  But what happens when that is not the child’s goal?  What happens when the child wants to do their own thing against the father’s wishes? 

From the father’s perspective it is painful when a child goes beyond our instructions, steps out on their own, and gets them self in trouble.  You tried to warn them, but they did it anyway.  At first you’re angry with them, but as time passes your love for them causes you to forgive them, and you are always motivated to make a way for them to get through the consequences and be restored.

(Psalm 103:8-13) The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Our Heavenly Father is the perfect Father.  I imagine that he feels pain when we sin against him, but as this passage from Psalm 103 tells us, he forgives his children and removes our sins from us.  He wants to restore us to himself.  How does he get us through the consequences of our sins?  He sent his only begotten Son to pay the consequences for all of us for all of time.

(Hebrews 11:6) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

I want to please God; I’m a sinner.  I can’t always please him, but I do my best.  When I fall, he is always there to pick me up.  So, faith is the key to pleasing God.  I believe in God, I trust in God, and through faith I know he will always be my Father. 

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THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENTS

Matthew 22:37-40 (When Jesus was responding to the question which is the greatest commandment.)

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus in his response gives us the whole of what God expects from his created ones, love God and love our neighbors.  He states that if you follow these two commandments you’ve covered them all.  This sounds pretty simple doesn’t it?    Yet these two commandments highlight our greatest struggles.

I’ve always been unclear about what it means to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind, so I looked through various commentaries, and this is what I’ve surmised.  To love God with all your heart means that God is first and above all others and things in our affections.  Our soul is our very existence, our being.  With all your soul then means that we put our being completely into his hands.  The mind is our intellect, our thought processes. Loving God with all your mind is as proverbs 3:5 indicates: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”  I love adding some clarity to this commandment, and I see great freedom and comfort for us if we could conform to its instruction. But, I also see that following this commandment challenges our basic rebellious nature.

The second commandment is found in Leviticus 19:18.  It says: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”  The history of mankind clearly shows that humans have not followed God’s instructions on this commandment.  It directly confronts our self-centered nature.

Jesus has placed a great challenge before us.  God’s desire for us is represented in these two commandments.  He wants a close loving relationship with us, and he wants us to have a close loving relationship with each other. Imagine how wonderful life will be when God’s desire is fulfilled.  Keep the faith, for now what we can do is work on our part with God’s help. When Jesus returns God’s desire for us will be fulfilled.

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INSTANT LESSONS

John 14:15-17

If you love me keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it never sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Jesus left us his teachings as recorded in the Bible, but that’s not all.  He sent us his Holy Spirit to guide us.  A couple of weeks ago, I had what I call an instant lesson by the Holy Spirit. 

I was borrowing a jack stand from my son Ben, and I explained to him the reason I needed it.  Some guys who didn’t know what they were doing had pushed a grand piano sideways without lifting it, and they broke off one of the legs.  I had volunteered to fix it.

Since I’d worked for ten years with pianos, I was well aware of what would happen if you just push a grand piano sideways.  My explanation to Ben included a belittling assessment of the guys involved in detaching the piano leg. 

Ben and I carried the jack stand over to the car I was driving. He had loaned me the car, so he knew it well.  I opened the trunk to put in the jack stand.  When I went to close the trunk, I did what I usually do, I slammed it down, but it didn’t close.  So I slammed it again. It didn’t close.  Then Ben enlightened me to my error.  He explained that when you slam it down it bounces up causing the latch to miss.  He went on to say the best way is to put it down gently giving the latch time to engage.

Almost immediately, I was aware of the correlation between my unawareness of the way to handle the trunk closing, and the guys who were unaware when trying to move the piano.  My making light of the way the piano was moved was unkind and prideful. 

So, I had an instant lesson.  I should not judge or make fun of others because I know something they don’t know.  There is a lot that I don’t know as with the trunk closing.  I wouldn’t like someone making fun of me because of my lack of knowledge. 

I will try to remember this lesson.  This is not the first time that I’ve encountered this lesson, consequently I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit is patient, and that he will always be with me to help me remember.  I foresee many instant lessons in my future.

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THE LAST WILL BE FIRST, AND THE FIRST WILL BE LAST

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus gives us an interesting parable.  He tells of workers who were hired at different time during the work day.  Some worked the entire day, and the last ones hired worked only the last hour.  All the workers were paid the same amount regardless of how long they worked.  The ones who came to work last were paid first, and the ones who worked the longest were paid last.

I knew a man who was 82 years old when he came to Jesus.  He was a delightful man who then took pleasure helping out at his church. At the age of 89 the Lord took him home.  I also knew a young man who was diagnosed with aids and shortly thereafter came to the Lord.  Two years later, the Lord took him home.   These two people are now experiencing eternal life in the presence of the Lord.  On the other hand, I have known people who have spent almost their entire long-lives serving the Lord. They are now experiencing eternal life in the presence of the Lord. 

Notice that they have all received the same reward. Those who were saved for a short time and those who were saved for a long time all have eternal life.  The promise of God is eternal life for all who believe.  There was thief on the cross next to Jesus who believed shortly before he died.  He received the same promised reward. 

Jesus often taught us to look at eternal things; however our physical existence is finite, so we tend to see things with that perspective.  Our self-centered nature is another factor in how we look at events in our finite world.  So when we were in school and the teacher directed us to line up in alphabetical order, but she then allowed the last in line to go first.  Those who were used to being first felt cheated.   

In school, we all got to go regardless of who went first.  I think that gratitude comes into play here.  We should be humbly grateful for what is given to us and not envious that someone else got to go first.  In verse 16 of Matthew chapter 20, Jesus ends his parable with these words, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”  The Message translation calls this the “Great Reversal”.  Jesus wants us to be thankful for the great gift he has provided for us and to not be concerned about who gets there first.