Trust in the Goodness of God  

Sometimes our granddaughter suffers the consequences of not only having three brothers but also of being the only girl among our seven grandchildren. Such was the case last Sunday when the whole family came together for an Easter egg hunt. While searching for those hidden treasures, one of our grandsons uncovered a small frog. I won’t place the blame or give the credit to any one person for the subsequent action because it seems like all the boys were eventually co-conspirators in the plan. They decided to put the tiny creature in one of the plastic eggs that would make its way into our granddaughter’s basket. So when she opened the egg expecting to get a treat, she was understandably startled to be met by a jumpy frog instead.

 It reminds me of one of Jesus’ comments about prayer and the answers God gives to us. “What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:9-11). Here Jesus affirms the goodness of God and His love for us. He doesn’t play tricks on us as those boys did to their sister or cousin. When we come to Him with our needs and desires, He doesn’t ignore them or give us something undesirable or even hurtful. He isn’t mean nor does He take pleasure from our disappointment or pain. God is always seeking after what is good for us and wants to bless us with good things.

But what about those times when our prayers seem to go unanswered or when the situation doesn’t work out the way we had hoped? What about when I pray and my loved one ends up dying anyway? What about when I ask God for something that I believe would be good, but when I expectantly open up the brightly-colored gift, an ugly frog jumps out at me?  The plain truth is that God doesn’t always give us exactly what we ask for. And you know what? We can be thankful that is the case.

First of all, we live in a fallen world corrupted by sin and its consequences. We will face suffering, pain, sickness, and death. God can intervene to spare us from some of it, but He doesn’t always do so. For example, no matter how much we pray and ask that it be otherwise, we are all going to die one day unless Jesus returns first. Nevertheless, we can seek and experience God’s presence and help as we face those inevitable issues in our lives.

Additionally, God knows what we need and what is better for us than we do. He may not give us what we ask for because He sees the harm it could cause or because He has something even better for us in its place. Even what looks like a frog when we first encounter it could turn out to be a prince.

The bottom line is that we can trust in the goodness of God. If we know that it is not good to give someone a frog when she is expecting a piece of candy, how much more is God aware of what constitutes a good gift. If we wouldn’t give a bad or hurtful gift to our child, God certainly isn’t going to give a harmful gift to His children. No matter what comes out as your life unfolds, keep trusting that God loves you and is doing what is best.

 

Christ’s Blood Cleanses Us of Sin  

It happened suddenly as I was helping get all the elements prepared for Communion to be served in our worship service last Sunday. As I was pouring the grape juice from a larger cup into the tiny communion cups, the container I was holding slipped out of my hand. As it banged against the countertop, the juice catapulted into the air with some of it splattering on me as well as on the trays we use when we participate in this sacrament of the church. Thankfully, with the help of others, everything got cleaned up and we were back on track again. I was grateful I was wearing a shirt and tie of such a color that the stains didn’t show up. I could imagine myself walking into the sanctuary with purple dots all over me. However, my nose suggested that I still may have smelled like I had used a grape-scented cologne that day.

   While the spilling of the juice that represents Jesus’ blood was accidental, it reminded me of how Christ purposefully spilled His blood for us. What He suffered was no accident. Neither was He simply the victim of the evil intentions of others. Jesus was the good Shepherd who willingly laid down His life for His sheep (see John 10:11-18). He was our great High Priest who didn’t offer animal sacrifices but who sacrificed Himself for our sins.

I am glad I wasn’t a priest back in Old Testament times. I don’t think I would have enjoyed participating in all that was involved in the slaughtering of animals as part of their sacrificial worship. If I can make a mess with grape juice, I can imagine how much worse it could be with blood. Gratefully, Jesus came to fulfill what those sacrificial offerings all pointed toward and represented. Therefore they are no longer necessary. “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28).

As the blood of those sacrificed animals was sprinkled on various objects and individuals to indicate a ceremonially cleansing, there is a sense in which Christ’s blood is sprinkled on us to wash us of sin. “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:7, 9). Hopefully, the fragrant scent of His precious blood rests on us as we have put our trust in Him as our Savior.

However, even as significant as that event was, it is not the end of the story. This weekend we remember not only Jesus’ death but also His resurrection. These two epochal events are inseparably linked. Jesus’ resurrection validates His identity as the Son of God and the purpose of His death. He is not only the High Priest who offered His own blood, but now He is our living representative and intercessor before His heavenly Father. “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25). Part of the good news of Easter is that we aren’t simply honoring a dead hero who sacrificed His life for us. We are worshiping a living Savior who is still ministering on our behalf before His Father in heaven.

So as we especially remember Jesus’ death and resurrection this weekend, be thankful for His blood that was spilled for you. Be sure you are experiencing both the forgiveness and the cleansing which it provides. And rejoice that your Savior who died for you still lives and ministers today.  

 

Be Grateful for a Suffering Savior  

Recently I have been suffering from my allergies. It is not unusual this time of year for some of us to have to deal with sinus issues, scratchy throats, or other symptoms as we face the spring pollen. We use the word “suffering” to describe these physical irritations, but they pale in comparison to the sufferings others are enduring. I think of a ministerial colleague and friend who has suffered greatly over the past few months from cancer surgery and the effects of chemotherapy treatments. I think of individuals close to me who are suffering grief over the loss of a loved one. I think of those who are suffering the devastation from recent storms in various parts of our country, in some cases losing family members, houses, or possessions.

And then there is the suffering of Jesus. “Suffering” is one of the concepts we should be keeping in mind as we move into this Holy Week of commemorating the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. As important as Jesus’ death on the cross was for our salvation, the Bible doesn’t only focus on the fact that Jesus gave His life for us. It also emphasizes His sufferings, both in what took place prior to His crucifixion and in this horrible act of execution itself. Jesus didn’t quickly and painlessly leave this life. He suffered, and He did it for us. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (I Peter 3:18). In the Suffering Servant passages in the book of Isaiah, it foretells how Christ would be a man of sorrows, who was acquainted with grief, despised and rejected by men. It declares how He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities (see Isaiah 53:2-5). In the great historic statement of faith we have come to call The Apostles’ Creed, it not only points out that Jesus was crucified but that He “suffered under Pontius Pilate”.

You have probably heard how painful a death it was for someone to be crucified. Additionally, let’s not forget the other ways Jesus suffered. The Son of God was unjustly condemned, mocked, and ridiculed. He was beaten and had a crown formed out of large sharp thorns jammed forcefully onto his head. He was scourged – an awful beating that would rip apart a person’s flesh. In addition to the physical suffering, Jesus carried the heavy weight of our sin and guilt as He offered Himself up as the sacrifice for our sins.

I don’t know that we can fully comprehend how much Jesus suffered in both His body and His spirit. Nevertheless, it can be helpful to remember that He did it and why He did it. He suffered out of love for us. It would be heroic for someone to give up his life for another person, even in a quick and painless fashion. However, it is even more meaningful and moving when you know the person was willing to suffer agonizing pain as part of the process.

As you contemplate the events and truths in relation to Jesus’ death on the cross this week, don’t just focus on His willingness to die for you, but also remember His willingness to suffer for you. May it stir up a greater love in our hearts for Him. May it cause us to recommit ourselves to being willing to suffer for Him when called upon to do so. Our suffering will be minor compared to His, but let’s be willing to endure it for the sake of this One who suffered so greatly for us.   

 

If You Don’t Do It, Who Will?  

My wife and I recently watched a murder-mystery movie spotlighted by someone in law enforcement who bravely confronted the “bad guys” in town. Near the end of the film someone told this heroic main character something along these lines: “Now I understand why you do what you do. If you don’t do it, no one else will.”

I believe this has some degree of application to followers of Jesus as they confront the evil in this world and seek to do the good that God calls them to do. While we should be primarily motivated by our love for the Lord and our concern for others, we can also be driven by the knowledge that if we don’t carry out the work God has given us to do, it might not get done. Don’t misunderstand me. God’s ultimate purposes and work will be accomplished in this world. He will do as He has promised. His plans will come to fruition. However, the way in which He does it and the people He uses along the way hinge partly on our willingness to cooperate with Him and to be used by Him.

It is reminiscent of what was said to Queen Esther as she faced the situation in which an evil man had plotted to wipe out her people, the Jews. A close relative reminded her, “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14). Esther providentially found herself in a unique position to confront the evil and to save her people. If she didn’t do it, it might not get done, at least not at that time and in that manner. God ultimately would still protect His people somehow, but in the meantime Esther and others would be tragic casualties of her failure to act.

We can apply this principle to other biblical accounts. If Noah hadn’t built the ark, who would have? If David hadn’t confronted Goliath, it sure seemed like no one else was willing to do it. And if Jesus hadn’t gone to the cross to die for our sins, there was certainly no one else who was qualified and capable of paying that price. Only the spotless Lamb of God could do that particular work.

God has put each of us where we are for a reason. He has put us in this time in history. He has placed you in your family and may have providentially worked to put you in your specific community, workplace, and church. He has given you unique gifts and abilities. There may be people in your life that only you can reach as you show God’s love and share the good news of Christ with them. If you don’t do it, no one else will. There may be work to be done in service to the Lord that only you are in the position to accomplish. If you don’t do it, it may not get done. There is evil, injustice, and deception to confront in our day. If you don’t do it, who will?   

Let’s not miss opportunities to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. Let’s not fail to be His voice, hands, and feet in this world. God has chosen to use people like you and me to continue the work that Jesus began. We need to be courageous and do it. Because if we don’t, it may be that nobody else will.

 

Pay Attention to God’s Wake-Up Call  

One morning recently I was awakened around 4:30 a.m. with the phone ringing. When that occurs, your mind immediately assumes that there is some kind of emergency, such as a health crisis for a member of the family or that something set off the alarm at our church building. As I anxiously answered the call, I heard a recorded announcement from our county that our area was under a freeze warning. You can imagine my reaction. I jumped out of bed, cried out for my wife to follow me, and we ran into our basement where we wrapped up in several blankets in order to protect ourselves from the dangerous cold. Of course not. Neither did I immediately rush outside to cover up any vulnerable blooming plants. Instead I hung up the phone in disgust and tried to get back to sleep. I assumed this warning call was the result of a mistake, because it certainly wasn’t what I considered an emergency deserving of waking people up in the middle of the night.

However, there are situations in which we need to be awakened. I believe the Lord would like to stir up a number of people today with a warning call. It might be similar to the one recorded in the book of Romans: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry or drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:11-14).

 This warning reminds us that time is short. Not only is death drawing nearer for each of us, but the return of the Lord is getting closer all the time. We don’t know when these events will take place, but we know that our time here is limited. As it says, “the day is at hand.” Therefore we need to wake up and get busy. We need to get serious about turning away from anything in our lives that is hindering our relationship with the Lord. We need to give ourselves fully to Jesus, allowing Him to live in us and work through us. We need to pursue a life of holiness and service in completing the work Jesus has given us to do.

One of the problems is that many of us are sleeping – not just the unbelieving world but those who profess to be followers of Christ. We have grown complacent and comfortable in an ungodly atmosphere. We have allowed our senses to become dull to the awfulness of sin. We have substituted other things for a vital, growing relationship with Christ. We have become lazy in fulfilling our mission as proclaimers of the gospel, seekers of the lost, and witnesses for the Lord. We need to wake up!

Let’s consider this our wake-up call. We can either ignore it, make excuses for ourselves, and downplay the urgency of the matter, or we can let the Lord stir us up to action. Now is the time to get busy in becoming the kind of follower Jesus calls us to be. Now is the time to surrender completely to His will for our lives. Now is the time to serve Him and reach out in love to those around us. Don’t turn over and go back to sleep. It’s time to wake up and get going.

 

How Hungry Are You for Righteousness?  

On our Caribbean cruise I mentioned previously, our sixteen-year-old grandson took full advantage of the opportunity to feed his hunger. Not only did he make good use of the buffets and the ice cream machine, but when we gathered in the dining room for the evening meals, he often ordered two or three of the main entrees. That was in addition to an appetizer and a dessert, all of which he thoroughly devoured. His hunger seemed never to be satisfied as he fed it the whole time we were on the ship.

Let’s pray that we would possess that kind of constant and fierce hunger for the Lord and for the work He wants to do in our lives. Jesus said in one of those well-known beatitudes He voiced during His Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).  He was referring to a spiritual hunger – including the deep desire for more holiness and Christlikeness to be present in our lives. Are we hungering and thirsting for righteousness today?

 Maybe you heard about recent events at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. A chapel service there continued for several weeks in the form of a continuous time of worship, prayer, and testimony. I won’t try to put a label on what happened, but it appears that God used it to change some hearts and lives. It seemed to stir up a hunger in people’s hearts for drawing closer to God, evidenced by many people flocking to that location to participate in this experience. While I appreciate those who made that journey, the good news is that we don’t have to go searching for God in one particular location. If we will hunger and thirst for Him, He can meet us right where we are. He can move mightily in your life and in your church. There can be a revival and outpouring of God’s Spirit right in our midst. However, I believe one of the keys is that we truly need to be hungering for it. We need to want it more than we want anything else. How thirsty are you for a closer relationship with the Lord?

This beatitude comes with a couple of promises. First of all, Jesus says that we will be blessed if we will hunger and thirst after righteousness. I encourage you to put it to the test and see for yourself. Make it a greater priority to let God work in you to make you a more holy person. Ask Him to pour out His Spirit on you in a fresh and powerful way. Seek to become more like Jesus. Pray, fast, and ask the Lord to revive you. I believe God will bless you for it.

The other promise given is that we will be filled. God doesn’t hold righteousness out in front of us like a carrot on a stick, constantly moving it and keeping it out of our reach. If we truly seek it, God promises that we will be filled. He may not do it immediately or exactly as we imagine. Nevertheless, in some manner and at some time He will fill that hunger in our hearts.

The problem more often than not is that we are not hungering for such righteousness to the extent we should be. Many of us would probably say we would like to see revival, to draw closer to God, to be more holy, but are we so hungry and thirsty for it that we are earnestly seeking and praying for it?

Let’s pray that the Lord will instill more of a hunger in our souls for Him and for righteousness.

 

Be Adventurous in Following the Lord  

Recently we enjoyed a Caribbean cruise with one of our daughters and her family. During our trip the adults often used a phrase to encourage our grandchildren whenever they were hesitant to try a new or different experience. We reminded them to “be adventurous.” Although often preceded by some whining or outright refusals, they usually did well in eventually being willing to attempt something they weren’t sure they wanted to do. It resulted in our granddaughter gliding down the largest waterslide in North America, as well as holding a rather large live crab. They all tried some foods that were alien to their normal fare, often with mixed results as to whether or not they would eat it again. However, through one such adventurous dining experience, one of our grandsons discovered a new favorite food – asparagus.

If we would open our hearts and minds to it, I believe we would often hear the Lord encouraging us to be adventurous. It is all too easy to get comfortable in our routines and settled activities, even in our walk with Christ. We regularly feed on those favorite chapters of scripture, meditate on those familiar promises we have underlined in our Bibles, and listen only to the preachers and teachers we have sat under for decades. We rarely veer off from our normal pathway of serving the Lord or witnessing for Him. We have found good things that bless us, help us grow, suit our taste, and therefore we don’t often consider the possibility that there may be more the Lord wants us to experience.     

I am not suggesting change simply for the sake of change. Neither am I recommending that you neglect those tried-and-true means God uses to feed your soul or those areas in which He typically uses you to serve in His kingdom. Nevertheless, we need to be careful that we don’t get so settled in those activities that we aren’t willing to venture out in other areas when the Lord leads us to do so or opens a different door. Maybe we need to taste some other parts of the Bible from what we normally read. Maybe we need to expand our devotional time or add some new aspect to our prayer life. Maybe we need to tune in online to hear some additional good preaching or teaching. Maybe there are other avenues of service God wants us to explore or other ways He wants us to share our faith with others.

 Too often we are more committed to playing it safe rather than stepping out in faith to follow the Lord. If they hadn’t been willing to be adventurous, Abraham wouldn’t have left home to go to the land God promised to give him, Noah wouldn’t have built an ark, David wouldn’t have faced off with Goliath, Peter wouldn’t have walked out to Jesus on the water, and so many other opportunities would have been missed.

Let’s not miss out on what God has in store for us by refusing to consider anything that doesn’t fit in with what we are accustomed to. Jesus calls us to follow Him. Sometimes that will involve doing what we are familiar with and comfortable doing. Other times it will involve venturing out into unfamiliar territory, trying new things, stretching ourselves, and facing difficult challenges.

Be adventurous and you might find yourself experiencing even greater growth, joy, and blessing in your walk with the Lord. You might find even better ways God can use you in doing the work of His kingdom.

So don’t allow fear or the risk of discomfort hold you back when the Lord is leading you in the direction of something new and different. Hear His words of encouragement – “Be adventurous.”