I am reading in Jeremiah this week and it begins with God calling Jeremiah and telling him what He wants him to do regarding prophesying to the people of Judah (never a popular job). In fact, God tells him, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5). Very similar to Moses and Gideon (and others) when they were called, Jeremiah starts pointing out why he's not qualified for the job. And, just like the others, God tells him what He will do for him, and promises the most important promise of all—the one God expects to carry beyond all others and to make all the difference—when He says, "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you . . ." (Jeremiah 1:8a).
God then tells Jeremiah a little more about what's ahead, and then says these words that are so powerful—and such a statement of the choice we as Christians each face. He says to Jeremiah, regarding the people God is calling him to prophecy to, ". . . Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them" (Jeremiah 1:17b).
And therein lies the choice. The reality. We must decide: "Who will I trust, fear, and serve?" It can't be both God and man! That's it. God says, basically, "I've called you. I've addressed your fears. I've promised My provision and, even more, My presence. So now you must decide—who will you trust, fear, and serve? What will affect your attitude and your outlook—man, or My promise and presence? What will have the weight in your life?"
I've often made a sticker for my office or laptop that says, "Do it all for an audience of One." I don't always live up to that—I want to be liked, popular, fun to be around, thought well of, etc., but it is my goal. God has told us that we can't serve both Him and mammon (money), and it is also true that we can't serve (in the sense of allowing them to dictate our lives and hearts) both God and man. His call will put us in conflict with our flesh and with its desires for pleasure, acceptance, comfort, popularity. Jesus warns us, the world will hate us as it hated Him . . . and His life experience shows us that even "religious" people can come against us when we teach truth.
The Israelites at the Jordan River faced a similar decision. Ten spies spoke doom and gloom about the inhabitants of the land across the river God had promised them. Two spies spoke faith and trust in the God Who'd promised it and promised to go with them into it. In this case the people chose fear—to allow the fear of man to outweigh the promise and presence of God. And they missed the promise. It lay there, dormant, just across the river and they never watered it with faith. As such it continued to lay there, dormant, waiting for someone of faith to bring it to life, while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness until they died.
In Act 4 Peter and John are called before the religious leaders and threatened and ordered to stop teaching or speaking in the name of Jesus the two men replied, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:19–20). The early church. The prophets of the Old Testament. Christians in persecuted countries today. All of us seeking to love and follow God in a world of people we want to be liked by, and comfortable in, must decide—"Who will I trust, fear, and serve?" It can't be both God and man. And all of us Christians have the same promise given to Moses and Gideon and Jeremiah and Joshua. We have God's promise that He will be with us, that He will never leave us or forsake us, that He will be with us even unto the end of the ages. Not only "will" He be with us in the trials ahead when we must choose who we will serve, but He is IN us now, and He will be IN us then. No wonder they say our covenant with God on this side of the cross is even better than the Old Covenant!
Showing posts with label God's promises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's promises. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
A Few Good Examples
In my last post, Words Matter, I shared some thoughts on what it says/reveals depending on where we place the word "but" in our sentences. I used the following hypothetical sentences, both about the same thing, as an example:
1. "God is good and powerful and loving, but I am dealing with x, and y, and z."
2. "I am dealing with x, and y, and z, but God is good and powerful and loving."
The two are dramatically different in where we are putting our final emphasis, hope, and view. In the first, our big picture is our problems and we've kind of inserted God like a slice into it. In the second sentence, our problems are a slice, but the big picture and backdrop is God.
Over the last many months I've been trying to read (admittedly, not too successfully) one section of Psalm 119 a day. When I finish, I go back to the start. It is a powerful Psalm, easily broken down into short daily readings. There is a tremendous theme of hope in it based on God and His words to us. We can't have that hope in His words/promises to us unless we ultimately have hope in Him (a promise given from a liar or someone with no means to fulfill it means little, but one given from a person with the ability and history and character to fulfill it means a lot). Faith always, ultimately, has an object. We never simply "don't have enough faith"—we must always finish it with, "I don't have enough faith in ______."
The other day, reading through Psalm 119, I was suddenly struck with the use of "but" in exactly the way I'd shared in my last post. I thought I would share a few of the many examples in that Psalm alone with you. Notice the power in the passages as they share about problems and then say, "but . . ." Notice what comes after the "but" and how that leaves you feeling (in some cases it is an reminder statement about God, putting it all into perspective—in other cases it is an affirming of a choice they will make in spite of the problems they face). I especially like verses 150–151. In the ones that are affirming statements about God (perspective) try reversing them in your mind and see the amazing difference.
Psalms 119:51 The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.
Psalms 119:87 They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.
Psalms 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.
Psalms 119:143 Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
Psalms 119:150–151 They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law. But you are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true.
Psalms 119:161 Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words.
There are many other examples in the Psalms, and another interesting reversal of this as well. Doing a search for the word "but" in the Psalms I found many, many that talk about the love and grace and protection of God and then say, "but . . ." and talk about the fate of those separated from God. It is a powerful reminder that while God is love and as Christians we treasure the grace He shows us, He is still holy and He still hates sin and there is still judgment coming for those outside of Christ. It is a powerful reminder and prompting to urgency for us.
And here's a couple wonderful and affirming examples of the use of "but" from other Psalms to leave you with.
Psalms 3:1–3 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. — Selah. But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Psalms 4:2–3 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? — Selah. But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
God bless you, and may He and His promises and eternity always be the big picture in which you view everything else.
1. "God is good and powerful and loving, but I am dealing with x, and y, and z."
2. "I am dealing with x, and y, and z, but God is good and powerful and loving."
The two are dramatically different in where we are putting our final emphasis, hope, and view. In the first, our big picture is our problems and we've kind of inserted God like a slice into it. In the second sentence, our problems are a slice, but the big picture and backdrop is God.
Over the last many months I've been trying to read (admittedly, not too successfully) one section of Psalm 119 a day. When I finish, I go back to the start. It is a powerful Psalm, easily broken down into short daily readings. There is a tremendous theme of hope in it based on God and His words to us. We can't have that hope in His words/promises to us unless we ultimately have hope in Him (a promise given from a liar or someone with no means to fulfill it means little, but one given from a person with the ability and history and character to fulfill it means a lot). Faith always, ultimately, has an object. We never simply "don't have enough faith"—we must always finish it with, "I don't have enough faith in ______."
The other day, reading through Psalm 119, I was suddenly struck with the use of "but" in exactly the way I'd shared in my last post. I thought I would share a few of the many examples in that Psalm alone with you. Notice the power in the passages as they share about problems and then say, "but . . ." Notice what comes after the "but" and how that leaves you feeling (in some cases it is an reminder statement about God, putting it all into perspective—in other cases it is an affirming of a choice they will make in spite of the problems they face). I especially like verses 150–151. In the ones that are affirming statements about God (perspective) try reversing them in your mind and see the amazing difference.
Psalms 119:51 The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.
Psalms 119:87 They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.
Psalms 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.
Psalms 119:143 Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
Psalms 119:150–151 They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law. But you are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true.
Psalms 119:161 Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words.
There are many other examples in the Psalms, and another interesting reversal of this as well. Doing a search for the word "but" in the Psalms I found many, many that talk about the love and grace and protection of God and then say, "but . . ." and talk about the fate of those separated from God. It is a powerful reminder that while God is love and as Christians we treasure the grace He shows us, He is still holy and He still hates sin and there is still judgment coming for those outside of Christ. It is a powerful reminder and prompting to urgency for us.
And here's a couple wonderful and affirming examples of the use of "but" from other Psalms to leave you with.
Psalms 3:1–3 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. — Selah. But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Psalms 4:2–3 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? — Selah. But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
God bless you, and may He and His promises and eternity always be the big picture in which you view everything else.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Context Matters!
This last Sunday I felt God strongly impress on me to teach on the context of Jeremiah 29:11. Most Christians know the verse and have probably used it, or had it used with them, to bring comfort and assurance. The verse goes: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
I am not sure why God wanted me to spend a Sunday morning on it, but I believe that the use of that verse (so often out of context) as a blanket promise or assurance from God underscores a dangerous "fast food" mentality among us that wants quick verses, quick broadband, quick meals, and quick spiritual maturity. I believe we are heading into harder and harder times to be a true follower of Jesus, and I believe it is important going into them to know the full context and precepts of the promises from God we are so quick to lay hold of for ourselves or offer others as comfort. It is kind of like when I was in the military—we tested our vehicles and weapons systems thoroughly in peace time so that in war we knew exactly what they could and couldn't do. War is not the time to find out you had a false confidence or assurance in something!
In Jeremiah and other books God repeatedly warns against false prophets, and listening to false prophets, who declare "Peace, peace" when there will be, instead, very serious consequences if the people don't turn from their direction (see Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11, and 23:16-20 for a few examples). We as Christians must, I believe, be careful not to deliver (or accept for ourselves!) false assurance in the guise of God's Words to people that may, instead, need to be corrected and encouraged to turn and repent.
So, as I share briefly about Jeremiah 29:11, realize this need to look closely at verses we are so familiar with might apply to many other verses besides it. And, a closer examination may not necessarily mean we lose confidence in a promise—we may actually gain confidence if we come out assured we are, indeed, the intended audience and we have met the precepts laid out around it in the verses not quoted so much.
In a nutshell, after King Josiah died God's people fell very quickly away from God. God repeatedly warned them against their direction, but they continued until He drew the line and basically told them it was too late, He was going to raise up Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, and they would be taken under Babylon for 70 years (see Jeremiah 25:1-11). Then, in Jeremiah 27, God then warns other nations of the severe penalties if they don't serve Nebuchadnezzar and put themselves under Babylon's yoke ("I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand."—vs. 8) He then warns His people that they will share the same fate if they, too, don't submit to His declaration or correction and punishment, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you" (vs. 12–14).
So, when we arrive at Jeremiah 29 there are two very different groups among God's people! There are those who have submitted to His correction (like Daniel and his friends) and are in exile—exactly in a place God told them to be!—and those who are resisting His yoke and correction and remaining in the place they are. To the ones resisting and not submitting God sends very strong words. Starting with verse 16 it says, "thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten . . ." and it goes on from there.
However, to the ones, who are submitted and where He wants them to be, God has Jeremiah write to them the following: . . . to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord. "For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile (verses 4–14).
What an amazing promise and hope Jeremiah 29:4–14 would have been to those in exile, where God wants them and submitted to Him! It would be a promise they could hold to and teach their children and look to and stand on. It had precepts about how they were to live, how they were to handle teaching they were given, and how they were to seek Him, but, being right where He wanted them and obeying His precepts, His promise to bring them back after seventy years and His promise of, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." would have been an amazing comfort to them! One they could stand on, from a God who does not lie!
But, it must be said again, that promise wasn't for everyone of His people! As we saw, in the very same chapter He sends very harsh and dire words to the one who were not submitted to His yoke and correction and not in the place He wanted them! For them to stand on the Jeremiah 29:11 promise, or for someone to even offer it to them, would be a devastating lie leading to further entrenching in sin, not the repentance required. It is, I believe, a warning for us all. Given a promise from God we can stand on it with all confidence—but we MUST be assured it is for us and we have met the conditions of it, or we will be lured (or lure others) into a false comfort instead of a required adjustment, and that can be very, very dangerous!
I am not sure why God wanted me to spend a Sunday morning on it, but I believe that the use of that verse (so often out of context) as a blanket promise or assurance from God underscores a dangerous "fast food" mentality among us that wants quick verses, quick broadband, quick meals, and quick spiritual maturity. I believe we are heading into harder and harder times to be a true follower of Jesus, and I believe it is important going into them to know the full context and precepts of the promises from God we are so quick to lay hold of for ourselves or offer others as comfort. It is kind of like when I was in the military—we tested our vehicles and weapons systems thoroughly in peace time so that in war we knew exactly what they could and couldn't do. War is not the time to find out you had a false confidence or assurance in something!
In Jeremiah and other books God repeatedly warns against false prophets, and listening to false prophets, who declare "Peace, peace" when there will be, instead, very serious consequences if the people don't turn from their direction (see Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11, and 23:16-20 for a few examples). We as Christians must, I believe, be careful not to deliver (or accept for ourselves!) false assurance in the guise of God's Words to people that may, instead, need to be corrected and encouraged to turn and repent.
So, as I share briefly about Jeremiah 29:11, realize this need to look closely at verses we are so familiar with might apply to many other verses besides it. And, a closer examination may not necessarily mean we lose confidence in a promise—we may actually gain confidence if we come out assured we are, indeed, the intended audience and we have met the precepts laid out around it in the verses not quoted so much.
In a nutshell, after King Josiah died God's people fell very quickly away from God. God repeatedly warned them against their direction, but they continued until He drew the line and basically told them it was too late, He was going to raise up Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, and they would be taken under Babylon for 70 years (see Jeremiah 25:1-11). Then, in Jeremiah 27, God then warns other nations of the severe penalties if they don't serve Nebuchadnezzar and put themselves under Babylon's yoke ("I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand."—vs. 8) He then warns His people that they will share the same fate if they, too, don't submit to His declaration or correction and punishment, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you" (vs. 12–14).
So, when we arrive at Jeremiah 29 there are two very different groups among God's people! There are those who have submitted to His correction (like Daniel and his friends) and are in exile—exactly in a place God told them to be!—and those who are resisting His yoke and correction and remaining in the place they are. To the ones resisting and not submitting God sends very strong words. Starting with verse 16 it says, "thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten . . ." and it goes on from there.
However, to the ones, who are submitted and where He wants them to be, God has Jeremiah write to them the following: . . . to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord. "For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile (verses 4–14).
What an amazing promise and hope Jeremiah 29:4–14 would have been to those in exile, where God wants them and submitted to Him! It would be a promise they could hold to and teach their children and look to and stand on. It had precepts about how they were to live, how they were to handle teaching they were given, and how they were to seek Him, but, being right where He wanted them and obeying His precepts, His promise to bring them back after seventy years and His promise of, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." would have been an amazing comfort to them! One they could stand on, from a God who does not lie!
But, it must be said again, that promise wasn't for everyone of His people! As we saw, in the very same chapter He sends very harsh and dire words to the one who were not submitted to His yoke and correction and not in the place He wanted them! For them to stand on the Jeremiah 29:11 promise, or for someone to even offer it to them, would be a devastating lie leading to further entrenching in sin, not the repentance required. It is, I believe, a warning for us all. Given a promise from God we can stand on it with all confidence—but we MUST be assured it is for us and we have met the conditions of it, or we will be lured (or lure others) into a false comfort instead of a required adjustment, and that can be very, very dangerous!
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