Even in Failure There is Glory

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Pete

The promised land was the goal, but it wasn’t the end game. It was worth dedicating a life for but, ultimately, it wasn’t what life was all about. I need to remind myself of that this morning as I consider Moses coming up short of stepping foot into the land. That even in failure there is glory.

It hit me this morning as I was reading in Numbers 26 and 27. A new generation is being counted. “Not one person on this list had been among those listed in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai” (26:64 NLT). And while the desert is scattered with the graves of an entire generation who had refused to enter the land out of fear, a few particularly notable “crash-and-burns” are mentioned.

Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, are called out. They “contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the LORD and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah” (26:9-10). Then I came across the mention of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, who “died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD” (26:61). Yeah, they got what they deserved. Who were they to think they could challenge the LORD’s authority or play loose with the LORD’s commandments?

But then I read this in Numbers 27:

The LORD said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, because you rebelled against My word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold Me as holy at the waters before their eyes.”

(Numbers 27:12-14 ESV)

Dathan, Abiram, Korah, . . . Nadab, Abihau, . . . Moses. When counting those who would be entering the promised land, these are called out in particular as those who wouldn’t step foot in the land because of their failure. Doesn’t seem right to me that Moses’ name is found in that list of names. But it is a reminder of the holy nature of our God. And of the good news that even when coming up short of the goal, there is grace. And in that grace, even in failure there is glory.

Moses blew it. No question. God said, “Speak to the rock” and the servant of God, deferring to his sin nature, disobeyed, striking the rock . . . not once but twice. And, in so doing, crossed the line . . . rather, was told he would not cross the line–that he would not be permitted to bring God’s people into the land God had given them (Num. 20:2-12).

How sad. A lifetime of being prepared for a work commissioned of God. Decades spent in the wilderness leading a grumbling hoard to a place of blessing they really didn’t deserve. Having known a relationship with God unlike any other man as he had spoke to God “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33:11). And then to come up short. To not make it into the land because of a momentary transgression. To not reach the goal because of stupid frustration and anger. But even in failure there is glory.

For, how did God treat Moses? Not in the same manner He did toward the rebellious sons of Eliab who were swallowed by the earth. Nor like His reaction to the foolish and arrogant boys belonging to Aaron who were consumed by the flames. Instead, despite Moses failure of not upholding God as holy before the people and the associated consequence, God would still be glorified through Moses. It wouldn’t be in God leading Moses into the promised land, but His glory would be known in the manner in which He would bring His faithful follower home.

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land . . . , And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, and He buried him . . . no one knows the place of his burial to this day.

(Deuteronomy 34:1-6 ESV)

And while Moses didn’t hear, “Well done, good and perfect servant,” I’m pretty sure he heard His LORD and God say something like, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

God’s provision, to be tendered millennia later on a cross, was sufficient to pay the price for His servant’s failure. God’s goodness, manifest through Jesus, the Son of God, would be known even in Moses’ shortcomings, as God personally escorted Moses through the valley of the shadow of death and into the glorious light of His presence.

Moses’ failure. God’s glory. All because of the nature of a holy, and loving, and gracious, and good, and glorious King.  And all because of His finished work on the cross.

Too much to think that even in my trip ups and slip ups, He can be exalted. I don’t think it’s too much to think. Through His great provision and by His abundant grace, even in failure there is glory.

His glory. That’s the end game.  Beyond reaching the goal, that’s what life is all about . . . His glory!

Amen?

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Praise from the Cave

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Pete

I’m no poet. Never been a songwriter. But I know that sometimes lyric writers will get away to a special place in order to find inspiration for their next song. They’ll retreat and get away from it all in order to prime the pump of creativity.

David “got away” and penned the fifty-seventh song in Psalms. He “retreated” and wrote a piece for the choirmaster. His inspiration? “Do not destroy.” That’s what he did, he didn’t destroy his enemy Saul when he had the chance. “Do not destroy.” That was his plea to God as he continued to flee from Saul’s murderous intent. And his place of inspiration? The cave. And the result of his inspiration? Praise.

Praise from the cave, that’s the essence of Psalm 57. It begins as a cry for mercy from a soul “in the midst of lions” (v.4a) and ends as a song of thanksgiving and exaltation from a steadfast heart (v.7). Though the pressure and stress of the reality of his situation forces the songwriter’s soul to be “bowed down” (v.6) yet the presence and glory of His God compels his harp and lyre to wake up (v. 8).

So how do you get there? How does dire predicament lead to directed praise? How do you go from being on the ropes to singing at the top of your lungs? How does the cave inspire such praise? I think a clue, if not the key, is found in David’s opening stanza:

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.

(Psalm 57:1 ESV)

His soul was in the midst of lions. His soul was bowed down. Yet David’s soul found a place of refuge in God and the shadow of His wing. Just as David had fled to the safety of a cave for protection against his enemy, Saul, so too His soul had fled to the protection of His God from his greater enemy, fear and despair. My soul takes refuge in You . . . my soul trusts in You (NKJV).

That’s the solid ground, our faith. That’s the place from which we can plant both feet and cry out to God Most High.  Faith being the substance of things hoped for (Heb. 11:1). The safe place which bolsters our flagging soul as we’re assured that God “fulfills His purpose for me” (v.2), that “He will send from heaven and save me,” and that He “will send out His steadfast love and His faithfulness” (v.3).

In the cave our souls take refuge in our God. In who He is and in what He has promised. And as we know the shadow of His wing through faith, His presence, His person, and His promises all lead to His praise.

Praise from the cave. I’m not looking for any more “inspirational retreats” like David’s, but should they come–rather, when they come–might they result in songs and singing fit for heaven.

My heart is steadfast, O God,
   my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
   Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
   I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;
   I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
   Your faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
   Let Your glory be over all the earth!

(Psalm 57:7-11 ESV)

By His grace . . . for His glory.

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The Return of Singing

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Pete

It’s been a long haul. Forty years long. Lot of miles covered, but not much distance . . . round and round she goes. And graves? They’ve left a lot of graves in their wake. An entire generation has fallen, never having set foot in the land that was promised them when they left the bondage of Egypt. But their children and young people, now adults themselves, have filled their ranks. And they’re ready to move in.

And what struck me this morning as I was reading in Numbers 21 is the return of singing.

And from there they continued to Beer; that is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so that I may give them water.” Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well!  Sing to it!”

(Numbers 21:16-17 ESV)

There was singing when they left Egypt. Singing which also occurred by a body of water, the Red Sea. They had just walked through it on dry ground. Their enemies, not so much. There they sang to the LORD who had triumphed gloriously by casting horse and rider into the sea. Then, having seen again the mighty hand of God act on their behalf, they were moved to song and the camp was filled with joy. He was their victory. He was their salvation. And He would be their song (Ex. 15:1-2).

And there was singing at the foot of Sinai (Ex. 32:18). The mount that rumbled and was covered in cloud. The place where Moses had ascended to meet with God. But there the singing was directed toward idols. There the celebration was before an inanimate statue made from gold, fashioned by their own hands. There the singing brought judgment and wrath. And there, if I’ve done my e-concordance work correctly, the singing stopped. None recorded since then. Not until Numbers 21. Then the singing returned.

It’s not that God hadn’t shown Himself mighty since Exodus 32. Not that God hadn’t miraculously met their need after leaving Egypt. But, by and large, it never seemed enough for the sons and daughters of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What prevailed was a spirit of discontent, a disquieted and grumbling undertone, an attitude of ingratitude. As such, in addition to everything else they suffered because of their propensity to murmur, it seems there was no singing. Lament, perhaps . . . but we find little joy, little praise, very little worship.

But here is a new generation in Numbers 21. They are closing the book on forty years of wandering in the wilderness. They are heading in a straight line towards the land promised to Abraham, the circling has stopped.

They’ve seen some victory on the way as they defeat the Canaanite king of Arad (21:1-3). And, while they’ve also slipped back into to their old ways, becoming impatient and grumbling about a lack of food and water, and paying the price with fiery serpents among them . . . even through that, they’ve learned of the dynamic of faith as they believed the LORD and simply looked upon a lifted up bronze serpent in order to be saved (21:4-9).

So you sense a new day is dawning as you read Numbers 21. And when they came to the well at Beer and saw the water God had provided, . . . provided apart from them whining and complaining and demanding it, . . . provided because God is good and they were His people, and that’s what a good God does for His people, . . it’s then that singing returns to the camp.

Singing. Worshiping. Lifting voices in thanksgiving and praise. Seems like a pretty natural response to a pretty supernatural situation. Songless saints, it would seem to me, are those lacking an appreciation for God’s great provision for them. Maybe they don’t recognize it . . . or have become bored with it . . or have failed to remember it for some time.

” . . . whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”   ~ Jesus

(John 4:14 ESV)

But to stand before the Well. To know that living water has been provided by the hand of God. To be invited to drink deeply. And then to drink deeply. That, my friend, is a reason to return to singing.

Sing to Him because of His ever present provision and grace. Sing to Him for His ever due exaltation and glory.

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Dominated No More

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Pete

Call it a “Wayback Wednesday” post. This entry from 2009 reflects so many of my thoughts this morning as I hovered over the first part of Romans 6. I remember vividly the incident between the “little guy” and the “little girl.” Hard to think of him being 17 today and of her as a 16 year old. A lot changes in 7 years. But not the truth of Romans 6 or the need to take seriously the charge of Romans 6. Might be going way back with this post but I so need it’s encouragement today.

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We had a couple of “small friends” over last Friday . . . a little guy, 10, and a little girl, 9. He is a typical 10 year old boy . . . she an angelic 9 year old girl . . . Venus and Mars . . . you get the idea. Anyway, they’re playing the Wii together and, for the most part, he’s doing what us guys like to do most . . . dominate! But then they played a game which, no matter how hard he tried, he could not win. She absolutely owned him! As one who is personally very aware of the male ego, it was kind of fun to see his ego being tamed a bit. Every time she’d win she’d just smile sweetly . . . and he’d go crazy . . . and he’d demand that they play again.  And she’d quietly agree. . . and then she’d sweetly kick his keester again! Fun to watch! She had dominion over him.  He was powerless to “muscle” his way to victory.  Kind of how sin used to have dominion over me . . . but no more, as Romans 6 reminds me this morning.

Paul asks the question, “Shall we continue in sin?” His answer? . . . “NO WAY!!!!”

And as I read the first 14 verses of Romans 6 I’m reminded of some truths . . . and I’m reminded of some responsibilities.

Truths . . . through our salvation we have been interwoven with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? . . . if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.

(Romans 6:3, 5 ESV)

That’s part of the spiritual transaction that occurred when I first believed. I wasn’t aware of it . . . but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t happening. Born again . . . dead to the old man and the old way . . . resurrected in newness of life. The body of sin done away with that we should no longer be slaves of sin (6:6). That’s what happened . . . that’s the truth. Just as Christ shed death’s dominion over Him through His resurrection (6:9), so too, the believer shed’s sins dominion over him through his re-birth as a new creation in Christ. Alive with Christ . . . freed from sin . . .

It’s one thing to know that freedom positionally . . . but don’t we want to know it practically, too? That’s where the responsibility comes into play.

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. . . . Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, . . . Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

(Romans 6:11-13 ESV)

The victory is mine, but the battle must be fought.

By faith, I believe the declaration of Scripture . . . and that I need not concede the battle to sin. And what I believe drives what I determine to do . . . or, as the case might be, what I determine not to do. I determine to engage in acts of righteousness . . . to present myself to God . . . desiring His will and His way . . . seeking holiness . . . thirsting after faithfulness . . . wanting to practice righteousness. I determine not to let sin reign, but to deal with it quickly when it trips me up. I determine not to flirt with unrighteousness . . . but to stay far away from those things which can so easily entangle me.

That I have been freed from sin (6:7) is not just some nice platitude, it’s a context in which I determine to order my life. It’s a principle within which I make decisions, a reality that I determine to pursue.

And, unlike my little buddy on the Wii who was powerless in and of himself to gain the victory, I have the sure hope of “winning” at this “death to sin” game by the grace of God.

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

(Romans 6:14 ESV)

That’s the bottom line–sin will not have dominion over me. Grace is the “secret sauce” to triumph. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20). God said it. I believe it.

Father, thank You not only for saving me from the penalty of sin, but for saving me also from the power of sin. I am so aware of sin’s assault . . . too often it has gained the upper hand. But it need not reign . . . it shall not reign . . . for if I confess my sin, You are faithful and just to forgive my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).

Thank You for Your grace which breaks sin’s dominion . . . and for Your Spirit which empowers me to pursue righteousness. Enable Me to live in newness of life, I pray . . . dominated no more by sin . . . amen!

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By His grace . . . for His glory.

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How To Swallow a Camel

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Pete

His hour is drawing nearer. The cross is approaching. Jesus is in Jerusalem. He has entered the temple. A last cleansing and a last confrontation.

In this corner, Jesus the Messiah. Standing opposed to Him, the chief priests, the elders, the scribes, and the Pharisees. And this morning in Matthew 23 I’ve read the first four of seven woes Jesus declares upon these blind guides and hypocrites (23:13-24).

If not for their blindness and the hardness of their hearts, how chilling would it have been to have heard the Creator of all things look upon you and declare publicly, “Woe to you! You are guilty! Punishment will come unto you!” There is no other court of appeal. If the Son sets you free you are free indeed (John 8:36), but what if the Son says, “Woe to you?” Then you are done indeed.

And Jesus calls them out for shutting the door to the kingdom of heaven in the faces of those they entice to follow them (v. 13-14). He condemns them for replicating themselves in those they convert to their dead ways, making them “twice as much a child of hell as yourselves” (v.15). He denounces them as blind guides leading others with blind understanding as to what adds weight to oaths made before God — focusing on how to make oaths rather than to Whom the oath is made (v.16-22). But it’s Jesus fourth condemnation that grabbed my attention this morning.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”   ~ Jesus

(Matthew 23:23-24 ESV)

They majored on minors. They paid attention to the finest detail, yet ignored the weightier matters. That which they could do in their own power they elevated, while that which would require humility, wisdom, and enablement from above, they relegated to the back burner.

According to the law they would give the tenth of all their crops, even their herb gardens. But they ignored the intent of the law, the matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Because they excelled in the one, they deceived themselves and believed they could ignore the other. They ought to have done both.

And then Jesus speaks an interesting proverb. They strained out the gnat all the while swallowing a camel.

A gnat and a camel. One, the smallest of creatures, the other among the largest. But both declared unclean under Levitical law (Lev. 11:4, 20). And as a show of their piety these religious leaders would have their wine strained through a fine sieve so that there would be no chance of a small, imperceptible bug passing through their lips. But while they strained at the gnat, Jesus said they were content to swallow a camel.

They majored on the letter of the law, they ignored the spirit of the law. The checked off all the to do’s, and few more they had manufactured for good measure, but had lost sight of the why and the Who. They were to be holy, as God is holy. And God was a God of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. But they focused on gnats. And so, they ate the camel.

So how do you swallow a camel? One bite at a time without even recognizing you’re chewing on it. By being religious without wanting a relationship. By doing just enough for God to satisfy the conscience while ignoring His call to pursue Him and the way of His kingdom. By measuring spirituality on a sliding scale based on good works and relative merit rather than conceding a bankrupt nature apart from divine regeneration.

There’s a warning here. A warning against living by the letter of the law and forgetting the spirit of the law. A warning about picking, choosing, and self-manufacturing what commands to obey while ignoring the greater call to “be holy, for I am holy” (1Pet. 1:15-16). Not that we can do it on our own– but that’s the point. In Christ, and by the power of His Spirit, we can aspire to live more and more in accord with the righteousness credited to our account through a spotless Savior.

Seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). Determine to abide in the True Vine (John 15:1-5). And the gnats and camels look after themselves.

By His grace . . . for His glory.

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Rejoice!

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Pete

The “problem” with a favorite passage of Scripture might be the tendency to read again what you already know is in the passage rather than take of note of that which is perhaps over-shadowed by the familiar. Case in point, my reading in Romans 5:1-11 this morning (almost afternoon . . . have I mentioned before how much I enjoy Mondays).

I am always brought to amazement and wonder-filled appreciation as I read these verses. ” . . . while we were still weak . . . while we were still sinners . . . while we were enemies . . . Christ died for the ungodly . . . Christ died for us . . . we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (5:5-10). Doesn’t get much better than that! No merit I bring . . . solely to the cross I cling!

But interestingly enough something else jumped off the page this morning. A thrice repeated word. And as I noodled on it, a thrice enforced encouragement.

Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. . . . More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, . . . More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

(Romans 5:2, 3a, 11 ESV)

Rejoice! That’s God’s word for me this morning. Rejoice!

We rejoice in hope of the glory, that’s our future. Because of that we can rejoice in our sufferings, all too often a part of our present. And we do so because we rejoice of what has occurred in our past–we have received reconciliation in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s all covered. Our past, our present, and our future. And in whatever “season” we can rejoice . . . rejoice . . . and rejoice even more. So why don’t we?

Rejoice. To be joyful in our eternal lot. To be boastful in the work accomplished on our behalf. To be triumphant in that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. To glory in the grace we have known, that “I am His and He is mine.”

Spend just a bit of time counting your blessings and it’s enough to make you giddy . . . regardless of what’s going on in your life. For even in the storm He can be known as our Anchor . . . in the clouds He shines forth as the Light . . . and, despite being pressed hard from every side, He abides within filling us to life-sustaining endurance.

So why don’t we rejoice more? What’s the thorn in the side of the joyless saint that keeps them from tilting a smiling face toward heaven once in a while? What’s missing, that at some point, even amidst suffering, there isn’t some trickle of gladness that pours forth from knowing that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18)?

I’m not minimizing anyone’s pain. Not, in any way, saying we need to just “suck it up.” Not at all. But, for those who know Christ, how can we not rejoice? How can we not know an authentic inner joy that transcends all else?

Too easy to take our salvation for granted. Too commonplace for us to just go through the motions when it comes to our worship and walk. Too understandable that we might turn our eyes on our struggles on earth, or the treasures and pleasure of this earth, and the things of heaven grow strangely dim. I get it. But I don’t think we should settle for it.

While we were still weak, Jesus died for the ungodly. Rejoice! While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rejoice! While we were still enemies we were reconciled to the Father by the death of His Son. Rejoice!

Because of grace . . . by grace . . . and for His all deserving glory . . . Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice!

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Nothing But Manna?

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Pete

It’s pretty incredible but way too relatable. It caught my attention, caused me to give my head a shake, but then realize that I’m looking into a mirror.

They are the people of God, delivered from Egypt. And there’s no mystery as to how their deliverance came about. No secrecy as to what mighty force prevailed over the powerful Pharaoh of Egypt. They were there. They saw it. They experienced the miracles of the mighty hand of the Creator. They knew what it was to have applied the blood and had the death angel pass over them. It wasn’t just some talk of freedom, they did the walk . . . straight out of Egypt . . . with the treasures of Egypt in hand.

And that wasn’t the last they’d see of their God. It was only the beginning. They were at the base of the burning mount as Moses went up and met with the God of their victory. They received His word. They had actively contributed and had built a place for the Almighty to tabernacle among them. And they had seen that too.

By day the cloud covered the tabernacle. At night it appeared as a fire. And when the cloud lifted from the tent they set out following it. When it settled down, they did as well. Unreal. Talk about walking with God!

And under-lying it all was their daily bread. Even those under the cloud need to eat. But these where sojourners in the wilderness. Where would their food come from? Short answer: Heaven! Every day, six days a week, with enough on the sixth day for two days, they received food from heaven. What is it? Yes. That’s what they called it, “What is it.” AKA Manna.

Delivered by God. Visited by God. Led by God. Fed by God. That’s what makes the first part of Numbers 11 so incredible.

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

(Numbers 11:4-6 ESV)

Really?!? Nothing but manna? That’s the complaint? Nothing but faithfully delivered heaven-sent provision from the God who dwells in your midst? That’s your gripe with the God of heaven? Give your head a shake! Incredible! But, I confess, all too understandable. And even too relatable.

What is it about my nature that can take the divine and reduce it to the commonplace? What is it about me that, even while receiving blessings from heaven, causes me to over fixate on the happenings of earth? How can I live under the cloud, and eat the bread from heaven, and still grumble, “I need something more?” How can I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good and still want to sample other stuff?

I’m not home yet. The battle still rages between the old man and the new nature (Gal. 5:17). I know there’s the propensity to become familiar with that which should be jaw-dropping. To take for granted the price paid for my redemption . . . to walk into the holy of holies, opened for me by the blood of Jesus, and not take off my shoes . . . to receive, day in an day out, the measure of grace needed, and more, and not so much as acknowledge it much less fall on my face in wonder at it.

Nothing but manna? O that such words would not be found on my lips. That such disregard for the divine would be shunned from my heart. That by God’s grace, and through the Spirit in me, I would know and acknowledge that His mercies are new every morning . . . Great is Your faithfulness! (Lam. 3:22-23)

God’s people are a privileged people. And a privileged people should be a praising people. Let’s praise God for manna!

By His grace . . . for His glory!

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Divine Forbearance

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Pete

That David even had opportunity to write the song is, in itself, amazing. Think about it, this is a man who has been shown divine favor but responded with detestable failure. A man of extreme privilege who foolishly exercised such privilege to take that which was not his. A man of great power who wielded his scepter as a sword against an innocent man and took a life to cover up his own lust.

He had known the call of God upon his life, having received heaven sent promises. He had known the hand of God upon his life, having experienced heaven sent protection. And he had known the abundant blessing of God upon his life, having received a heaven sent place of prominence. But despite the promises, forgetting the protection, and taking advantage of his prominence, he fell. He transgressed. He sinned . . . big time!

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight”

(Psalm 51:3-4a ESV)

A night with Bathsheba. A suicide mission for her husband, Uriah. If you think about it, with everything that God had revealed to David, with everything God had given David, with all that God desired of David, wouldn’t God have been justified in responding with an immediate judgment of David? Take way the throne. Pour wrath out on the man. With how much David had been given, shouldn’t much have been expected? Would it not have been reasonable to expect that David should be done with?

Evidently not.

So what compels a holy, righteous, and just God to withhold immediate recompense for such treachery and transgression? What drives the Divine to even allow a sinner to have breath enough after his sin to write a song? I came across it in my other reading in Romans this morning.

. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show Gods righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins.

(Romans 3:23-25 ESV)

Divine forbearance. God determined patience. Grace enabled longsuffering. That’s why God did not come forth in judgment the morning David got out of bed after a night with a woman who was another man’s wife. That’s why God did not pour out wrath the moment after Uriah was struck down by the sword which, for all intents and purposes, David had thrust in him. That’s why God allowed the king to be confronted with his sin and be broken in spirit and pen a song of confession and repentance. That’s why David could appeal to God’s steadfast love and His abundant mercy and ask to be washed from his iniquity and cleansed from his sin (Ps. 51:1-2).

Divine forbearance.

Possible because of the redemption that would be found through divine sacrifice. God’s own Son having been offered for the atonement of David’s sin. The wrath of God merited for the violation of Bathsheba and the violence against Uriah poured out on the Son of God so that sinners might write their songs. So that sinners might confess their transgression and by faith receive forgiveness through the blood of Christ which cleanses from all sin.

How I thank God for divine forbearance. In my past, in my present, and though I would not presume on it, I know in my future.

All because of the finished work of the cross of Christ. All through His overflowing grace. All for His eternal glory.

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Heart Matters

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Pete

God is judge. He is the Mighty One, God the LORD, the final arbiter. He carries pure and just scales and will measure according to perfect holiness. And in Psalm 50, He comes calling (50:1-6).

The songwriter envisions God speaking and summoning the earth (v.1). The perfection of His beauty shines forth from Zion as He comes in a mighty tempest, calling to the heavens above and the earth below to “gather to Me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Gather them, says the Almighty, that I might judge My people.

And twice in this song of Asaph God reveals the measure with which He is glorified by His faithful ones. And, it would seem, heart matters.

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. . . . The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies Me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

(Psalm 50:14-15, 23 ESV)

While God acknowledges their consistency in offering bulls and goats as burnt offerings, He says, in a sense, “What are they, in and of themselves, to Me? Every beast of the forest is already Mine. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Me before you ever culled one out to bring as a sacrifice. The birds along with everything that moves in the field are mine. In fact, the entire world and its fullness are mine. So, it’s not just about offering an animal and giving to Me what I already own. It’s what’s behind it. Heart matters.”

And so sings the songwriter on behalf of the Almighty, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving!”

Going through the motions is meaningless apart from the motivation. Let the offering be accompanied with confession concerning the greatness of God. Let the smoke that rises from the sacrifice be infused with songs of praise declaring His mighty works on behalf of His people. Let the blood that is shed be fully acknowledged for the atonement it brings and let the worshiper respond by offering Himself as a living sacrifice, desiring to follow and obey–to perform their vows and order their way rightly–not as an act to gain favor, but as a loving response to the favor already received.

What’s behind the sacrifice is important to our God. What drives the worshiper is what makes the worship pleasing before the Almighty. Heart matters.

For with such hearts, turned by grace and tuned with thanksgiving, God is glorified. The blood makes way for the Holy One to dwell among His people, and for His people to draw near in assurance of faith, but it is the heart of thanksgiving and praise that honors Him in their midst. He is lifted up when His people gather and bring their offerings from souls that joyfully delight in His presence. He is exalted when faithful ones give freely and willingly to Him because they recognize how graciously and abundantly He has provided for them. A sacrifice of thanksgiving. Offerings born out of praise. Lives lived for Him compelled by hearts of overflowing gratitude. That’s what glorifies our God.

And the song finishes with a wonderful promise.

“I will show the salvation of God!”

The fullness of salvation stretches beyond the forgiveness of sins because of substitutionary atonement–though, if it didn’t, that would more than enough to fuel our praise for eternity. But the Mighty One of Zion sent His Son that we might have life and “have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). And it is to the one who offers with thanksgiving, to the one who order his way with praise, to the one whose heart is tuned toward glorifying His God, to such a one will abundant life be made known. For such a one will all that is encompassed in our wondrous salvation be revealed and experienced.

Come thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy praise!

We hear Your call O God. We delight in the grace which beckons us to Yourself as Your faithful ones. Be glorified in our offerings sourced in deep and sincere appreciation.

Heart matters.

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A Slippery Slope

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Pete

Continuing in Romans 1 this morning. Yesterday I was reminded of the good news–the gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. The good news which reveals the righteousness which is of God, a righteousness that comes by faith, a righteousness that bears the fruit of obedience. This morning I’m reminded of why we need such good news . . . ’cause there’s such bad news:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

(Romans 1:18 ESV)

The wrath of God is revealed. Not “is going to be revealed.” Not future tense. But “is revealed”, as in present tense. And you read the latter part of Romans 1 and you see that God’s wrath is revealed as He “gives them up.” Those who refuse to acknowledge and honor Him, those who determinedly choose the creation over the Creator, God gives them up to their own wisdom, to their own lusts, to their own impure hearts. He hands them over to their own “dishonorable passions.” His wrath is revealed as He allows men and women to do whatever men and women want to do as they choose a path apart from God.

And at the core of their waywardness, while it may not be the unforgivable sin, is something which, if left too long, could very well become the irreversible sin, suppressing the truth.

It would seem that suppressing the truth . . . putting a shroud over it (MSG) . . . holding it down . . . refusing it’s knock at the door of your heart and conscience . . . that suppressing the truth has the very real potential of putting someone on a slippery slope which, apart from divine intervention, can’t easily be gotten off of. If what is known by creation of the Creator is denied . . . if what is revealed through the Scriptures about salvation is refused . . . if what is evident of the kingdom through the church is mocked . . . if the truth is suppressed then all that’s left is people being left to their own wisdom to find their own way. And that way is the way to destruction.

And though I am benefactor of the gospel this morning, . . .though I have known the power of God for salvation, . . . though I rest in a righteousness not my own but of Another who loved me and gave Himself for me . . . there’s a warning here for me about suppressing the truth and venturing onto that slippery slope.

If, after having been brought into light, I refuse to seek the light, . . . if after having been purchased by the blood of Living Word, I’m careless about spending time in His written word, then am I not in danger of at least passively suppressing the truth? Or, having read God’s word, if I cover up what it reveals of His desire for my life but exchange it for my own plan for my life, is their not a risk that while being a child of God I end up looking more like a product of this world? If I persistently and consistently hold down God’s revealed will, what happens to my heart?

And it’s not a warning that causes me to fear for the security of my redemption, but rather a warning about the state of my resemblance. If I am seeking the truth, receiving the truth, and by grace obeying the truth, then I will be conformed by that truth into the image of God’s blessed Son. But if I suppress the truth, what do I look like then? And how does that reflect on the God who saved me for His glory.

At the Son’s request, the Father has given us the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17). We have, in a sense, an inside track to truth. Might God’s people be marked as seekers of truth, receivers of truth, and responders to truth.

By His grace . . . for His glory.

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