Keep in Mind That God is a Loving Father  

One morning I spied what I refer to as “the neighborhood cat” strolling across our front yard. I gave it that title because I am not sure if it really belongs to anyone in particular. It doesn’t seem to allow any human beings to get too close to it or touch it. I am aware of at least one neighbor who puts out food for the cat. So it is not unusual to see this feline resident wandering around. However, this morning something unusual got my attention. The cat appeared to have something in its mouth. I had previously seen it stalking birds. Had it caught one? Or did it capture a chipmunk or some other creature in our yard?

After watching this scene from my window for a few moments, something didn’t seem to fit the circumstances I had envisioned. Whatever the cat had in its possession, it wasn’t treating it like its morning breakfast. Finally, I stepped outside to get a closer look. To my surprise I found the cat’s companion to be a cute kitten. I wasn’t witnessing the harsh reality in nature of one creature killing another for food but rather the tender phenomenon of a parent tending its offspring.

  Sometimes our view of God can get similarly skewed, especially when we have experienced difficult or tragic circumstances in our lives. There are some who imagine God being like a cat toying with its captured prey. I have witnessed such incidents where the predator releases its prey momentarily before pouncing on it again. The cat seems to be amused as long as the creature keeps stirring and making an effort to escape. In the meantime, it is slowly clawing and injuring its victim until finally death mercifully arrives. Is God such a powerful being who is simply toying with us? Does He take pleasure in our sufferings, struggles, and attempts to endure life’s hardships? Or is He just some ferocious predator who is anxious to pour out His wrath on us and destroy us?

While there are some who have developed some degree of such a harsh picture of our Creator, we need to keep in mind that above all else, God has revealed Himself to be like a parent to us. Yes, He is powerful. Yes, He is a holy God who condemns sin and can pour out His righteous wrath on the ungodly. However, His primary aim is not to amuse Himself with us or to wipe us out. He loves us. We are His creation. And as human beings made in His image, we are His special and unique creation. Out of love for us, He has provided a way for us to be even more than His prized creation, but to actually become His children. Through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins, we can be adopted into God’s family. We can come to know God in a very personal way as our Heavenly Father.

Yes, the trials of life may make it seem like God is grabbing us around the neck at times. However, He isn’t trying to strangle us. He is carrying us by the nape of our necks in order to protect us from harm or to guide us into a better situation. He may discipline us, as a parent does a child, but for our good. Our Father hasn’t forsaken us. He is still working things out for what is best for those who love Him.

Don’t let the harshness of life cause you to lose sight of the loving, tender nature of your Heavenly Father. A holy God isn’t trying to eat you alive. A loving Father is trying to draw you to Himself, help you, protect you, and guide you.       

 

Be Assured of a Heavenly Home  

Last weekend I attended the funeral of a godly woman who had been suffering with Alzheimer’s disease for quite a while. As some of us have witnessed in other people’s lives, this terrible malady had taken its toll on this lady and her family throughout its slow, long progression. Her husband shared with me that due to her failing condition he had seen nothing but pain and anxiety on the face of his dear wife over these past couple of years. However, as she neared the end of her earthly struggle and was taking her last breaths, a smile came across her face. Was she seeing her Savior ready to welcome her to her heavenly home? Was she getting a glimpse into the wonderful existence that awaits all those who have put their trust in Jesus and the salvation He has provided for us through His death and resurrection? I don’t know what she may have been witnessing in that moment, but her smile was certainly a gift of comfort and encouragement to her husband who had accompanied her through the adversity of these last miles of her earthly journey.

Her experience reminds me of Stephen’s situation as he faced being the first Christian martyr. As he was being wrongfully attacked for his faith, he was allowed to gaze into heaven and see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of His Father. As he was subsequently being stoned to death, he called on the Lord to receive His spirit, he prayed for those who were perpetrating this act to be forgiven, and then he peacefully left this life in such a way that the scripture describes it as “he fell asleep” (see Acts 7:54-60).

We don’t know how we are going to exit this life, whether during a calm night’s rest with a smile on our face or in the suddenness of a horrific accident or in the agony of a painful struggle with some disease. Not everyone’s life ends on a positive note or in a peaceful manner, not even those who have a steadfast faith in Jesus. However, whether this life draws to a close with a smile or a grimace, we can be assured of what is awaiting us as we take this inevitable turn in the road. We can know that we are about to enter the presence of our God and Savior. We can be comforted with the truth that we will be reunited with others who have gone before us who shared our faith in Christ. We can look forward to entering a glorious new world that will be free of the pain, suffering, and struggles of this life.

We don’t have to rely on the smile on the face of a dying saint as evidence of such a reality, although it does encourage us in our faith. Neither should we place too much emphasis on the near-death experiences of those who have reported what they saw as they had their close encounters with the end of life. Certainly they give credence to the truth of life after death, but they are not where our faith rests. We have God’s Word we can rely on. We have the resurrection of Christ we can point to. We have the witness of the Holy Spirit in our own hearts as to the future of those who know Christ. We walk by faith, not by sight. Nevertheless, isn’t it nice when the smile on the face of a dying believer reassures us of the truth we already know? Someone is waiting for us. Something better is ahead. If we know the Lord, that should put a smile on all our faces.    

 

Be Willing to Engage in the Battle  

The main activity at the recent birthday party of one of my grandsons involved several Nerf gun battles. You are probably familiar with this brand of soft foam toys, including these weapons that shoot out harmless, spongey ammunition. After a couple of contests of “capture the flag”, the young participants engaged in a “free for all” battle. We adult observers noticed a couple of kids who took up initial positions behind some shrubbery. However, as the other warriors ran around confronting the opposition and firing their weapons, those two simply stayed in their secluded hideaway. They weren’t hiding out waiting to launch a surprise attack. As time went by, they appeared to be content purely to survive the battle without ever getting directly involved or engaging the enemy. After about twenty minutes, their parents finally prodded them to leave their sanctuary and join the action.

It reminds me of a tendency we may have as we face opposition, challenges, and battles as followers of Jesus in this world. The Bible reminds us that there is a real sense in which believers are involved in warfare during our time on this earth. We have a spiritual enemy who desires to destroy us. There are also individuals, groups, and organizations who are hostile toward those who adhere to the truths and values revealed in God’s Word. Jesus told His disciples that they should expect to encounter mocking, betrayal, and persecution in the world. We aren’t just paranoid. There really are those around who are malevolent toward faithful followers of Christ. And some of them mean business. They don’t use Nerf ammunition. Their attacks can be painful and even deadly. In light of that reality, we may be tempted at times simply to find our place of refuge and hide out there until the storms blow over. If opposition surfaces, we merely attempt to avoid it. The concept of survival is adopted as our main goal. We hope just to “lay low” until we reach our heavenly destination.

There is certainly a time and place for the tactics of avoidance and defense in the face of such opposition. There may be occasions when we need to take refuge. There are situations in which we may simply need to seek to remain standing as the war rages around us. However, that doesn’t mean we choose to isolate ourselves and refuse to get involved in the conflict that is going on. We may need to actively defend ourselves and what we believe. We may need to stand up and fight for what is right, true, and good. And our involvement may not be confined to simply withstanding enemy attacks. There are times when we need to go on the offensive as well. We should be seeking to take ground away from the enemy and to help misguided souls on the wrong team find their way to God’s side.  

    Additionally, let’s keep in mind that the weapons we use in these contests aren’t always the same ones this world uses. There may be times when we battle by preaching truth, exposing lies, and putting forth our persuasive arguments. However, sometimes our most potent ammunition involves prayer, showing God’s love to others, helping them in a time of need, and exhibiting a spirit of forgiveness and kindness – even toward those who would consider themselves our enemies. We need to step out of our secluded sanctuaries not just to shoot sharp, pricking words and actions at our adversaries, but to overcome through love, mercy, grace, gentleness, and goodness.

There are spiritual conflicts taking place today. Don’t hide from the battle. Get involved as a good soldier of Christ.  

 

Don’t Ignore the Bulging Wall  

A family in our church recently had a tree fall on their garage. Thankfully, no one was hurt, including the goats and other animals who typically roam in that area of the yard. The residents of the home told me they weren’t completely surprised that it happened. Although the tree wasn’t dead, it had grown in such a way that it leaned toward that particular structure. They had a sense that at some point it was going to come down.

I know of others who have leaning trees on or near their property. For one reason or another they haven’t had the threat removed. Instead they wait, watch, and pray when strong winds blow or other factors occur which tend to produce fallen trees. They live with that foreboding feeling that disaster could strike at any time.

It reminds me of a picture Isaiah gives us of God’s impending judgment. He condemns the people for being rebellious against God, for not listening to His Word, and for encouraging the preachers of their day not to proclaim what is right and true but to tell them the lies they want to hear. Then he warns them, “Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant. And He shall break it like the breaking of a potter’s vessel, which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare” (Isaiah 30:12-14). God’s judgment is pictured as a bulging wall that could break at any moment. There is no question about it - at some point it is going to fall.

 I believe we are living in similar times today. Our society is guilty of many of the same sins pointed out by Isaiah concerning the people of his day. We are rebelling against God. We are refusing to listen to what He clearly says in His Word. We flock to those who tell us lies and half-truths while condemning those who dare to proclaim the true Word of God. We are promoting perversity and sin rather than goodness, purity, and godliness. False ministers call themselves Christians while embracing the sins of our society and denying the exclusive claims that salvation can come only through faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins.

In the meantime, the wall is bulging. A holy God is only going to tolerate our rebellion for so long, in spite of His great mercy and patience. His judgment is building. At some point it is going to burst forth and force us to face the consequences of our actions.

Some will deny that the wall of God’s judgment is bulging. They may see the whole concept of divine judgment as an outdated idea that doesn’t fit their skewed picture of God’s love. Others will see the bulging wall, but will choose to ignore it because they are unwilling to change their beliefs or lifestyle. Others will have a sense that disaster is on the horizon but point to other causes rather than sin and God’s judgment.

Isaiah went on to reveal the remedy for the situation of the people in his day. It was to return to the Lord. We need to do the same. I am not talking about trying to return to some past age in the history of our nation which some may tend to glorify. I am referring to a real repentance of our sins, putting aside those things in this world we tend to idolize, and truly surrendering our lives to His will.

The wall is bulging. Judgment is coming. We need to turn back to God.   

 

Don’t Keep Digging a Deeper Hole for Yourself  

One day I was trying to get rid of a reminder message that kept popping up on our video projector at the church. Somehow I managed to push a wrong button, suddenly switching the words on the main menu from English to some other language that I couldn’t read. I panicked, pushed more buttons, only to change other settings, and see the screen get modified further and further from its original position. The more I tried, the more I kept digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole.

If we are not careful, we can do something similar when it comes to spiritual matters and seeking a remedy for that sense that our hearts are not right with our Creator. We can try to do good things in an effort to make up for our wrong actions of the past. We can try to find our own way out of our sin and selfish behaviors. We may try to excuse ourselves or seek to get society to tell us that what we are doing is acceptable. However, the more we attempt to find our way out of sin and into the favor of God by our own means, the further we sink into a pit of our own making.

The Bible reminds us that “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14). Apart from the help of God, we can’t even understand enough to get on the right pathway to God. It is like the directions are in a foreign language. We may hear people talk about being saved or getting born again, but it makes no sense. We may read Bible verses, but their meaning doesn’t click with us. So how do we find our way out of such a predicament?

I finally got our projector issue resolved. I calmed down, went back to the basic menu, and methodically searched through the unreadable options until one of them resulted in the language switching. Eventually I got it back into English. From there I was able to restore all the other settings I had messed up along the way.

In our spiritual journey, we are not going to get anywhere until we are willing to listen to the Spirit of God. “Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (I Corinthians 2:9-10). We need to listen as the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and calls us to repentance. We need to pay attention to what He has said through the eternal truths He has revealed to the inspired writers of the Bible. We need to get back to the basic message God’s Spirit has witnessed to – that the only way to be saved from our sin and get our hearts right with God is through faith in the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.

Without our listening to God’s Spirit and our submitting to His working in our lives, there is no escape from our lost condition. We are stuck, spinning our wheels in a never-ending futile effort to be good enough to win God’s favor or to rid ourselves of the sins in our lives. We will just keep sinking deeper and deeper until we are willing to hear the truth and let the Holy Spirit do a work of transformation in our hearts. Let God’s Spirit guide you onto the right way.

 

We Can Still Trust the Lord  

Recently I drove past someone strolling along the sidewalk wearing a shirt with a message in big letters emblazoned on it. It read, “Trust no one.” It reminded me of an early episode of The Andy Griffith Show in which the Mayberry police force were on the lookout for an escaped prisoner. Deputy Barney Fife was given the task of conducting a roadblock as part of their operation. He didn’t let anyone pass by without making them get out of their vehicle and be searched, even if he personally knew them. He even frisked the town’s mayor. The comedic highlight of his actions was when it showed him searching a woman with her hands spread on her car. She turned around and exclaimed in a sad voice, “But Barney, I’m your mother!”

While Barney Fife’s unwillingness to trust anyone, even his own mother, was humorous, I thought the commentary on that shirt I saw was a sad but understandable sentiment in the world we find ourselves living in today. So many people have had their trust betrayed by others – whether by government leaders, religious leaders, law enforcement, others in positions of authority, the news media, family members, or close friends. Sometimes it does seem as if you just can’t trust anyone anymore. It hurts when you put your trust in someone only to find that the person has lied to you or ends up mistreating you or in some other way turns his back on you.

Jesus warned His followers of such times, especially in relation to the opposition and persecution they would face because of their faith in Him. He foretold that “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death” (Luke 21:16). Yes, even some moms won’t be able to be trusted.

I hope you have at least a few people in your life whom you know you can trust. It is difficult to be in a position where you feel you can’t trust anyone. Hopefully a mom or dad or spouse or close friend or fellow believer are still trusted confidants in our lives.

However, regardless of who else we can or can’t trust in our day, we can be assured that we can always trust the Lord. That incident with Barney Fife was so funny because you normally think if you can trust anyone, it would be your own mother. That may not always be the case, but generally speaking a mom would be considered the last person to betray her child. However, there is Someone we can trust to an even greater extent. Jesus loves us even more than our mothers do. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sake. As He expressed it, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus did that for us.

We may be living in a day when it is hard to trust anyone. Nevertheless, we can continue to trust the Lord. He has promised to be with us and never to forsake us. We can trust Him to do so no matter what challenges come our way. He is not going to run out on us. He will continue to be on the side of those who are following Him. He will fight for us. He will watch over us. He will protect us. He will faithfully guide us through all the obstacles in life to bring us to our heavenly home one day. He will do everything He has promised to do.

It is true that we may have to be careful about whom we trust these days, but never doubt the fact that you can keep trusting Jesus.  

 

Be Aware of Surrounding Dangers  

One morning I looked out the window and spotted a deer in our backyard. A few minutes later I quietly made my way outside hoping to get a better look at our visitor. By that time it had made its way into my neighbor’s yard where it was grazing on some vegetation. As I observed the deer for several minutes, one aspect of its behavior became especially evident. The animal was incessantly looking around, cautiously taking note of its surroundings, and prepared to take action at any sign of danger. While enjoying its meal, it would pause between bites to peruse the area yet again. It continued in its vigilant mode until some popping sound nearby caused it to leap over a fence and disappear into the nearby brush.

It might be helpful if some of us were a little more like that deer. No, I am not suggesting that we should be skittish and fearful about all the spiritual dangers lurking around us. However, many of us could probably benefit from being a little more vigilant than we tend to be. God’s Word points us in that direction. Jesus encouraged His disciples to “watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Peter encouraged his fellow believers to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). How mindful are we of what is taking place around us? Do we see those temptations coming and prepare ourselves to deal with them? Are we watching and ready when the enemy of our souls launches an attack? Or are we caught off guard, unprepared, and vulnerable to being deceived or to taking a spiritual tumble?

Too often we are guilty of letting our guard down. We get complacent or fall into a false sense of security. We get wrapped up in our activities, even in our service to God, and lose sight of the reality of the dangers surrounding us. We may grow over-confident in our own ability to withstand such attacks that we open ourselves up for a fall. It is one thing to have a settled peace in our hearts and assurance of God’s help and protection. It is another to get cocky and consider ourselves beyond the reach of temptation and the deceptive tactics of the devil. We need to stay vigilant.

If we will be as watchful as that deer, maybe we can avoid succumbing to the enemy’s attempts to harm us or hinder us. While we don’t have to be afraid and run away from every danger, there are times when the wise course of action is to flee temptation. When we see certain enticements coming, especially ones in which we have faltered in the past, we would do well not to toy around with it or let it gain any entrance into our lives. It may be best in some cases just to turn and run from it.

In other situations, if we are being vigilant we might see the attack coming and can hold up our shield of faith in order to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16). Or we might be ready to do as Peter suggested immediately after warning about our lion-like adversary – he said that we should “resist him” (I Peter 5:9).

We need to watch, but we don’t need to be scared. We simply need to be prepared. We need to be ready to run, to stand, to fight, to overcome, or whatever the situation calls for. Let’s just not be caught by surprise and stumble as a result. Be aware of what is going on around you. Watch out for the enemy. Dangers are lurking. Be ready.