Was It Something I Said?

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Pete

He tried to get away for a bit. Needed some down time. So Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon, entered a house and hoped no one would notice. Yet, writes Mark, “He could not be hidden” (7:24). Ministry for the man Jesus was ramping up. His mighty works were being spoken of widely and many were wanting to know personal healing through His miraculous power. And though He came first to His own people, the nation of Israel, those outside “the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12), also heard of Him and some were even so bold as to reach out to this Man who claimed to be Israel’s Messiah.

Enter a Gentile woman, a Syrophoenician by birth. She walked into the house, fell down at Jesus’ feet, and pleaded with Him. Not for herself, but for her daughter who had “an unclean spirit” . . . “and she begged Him to cast the demon out of her daughter” (7:25-26).

And while the interaction between the Savior and this seeker seems a bit awkward to us, I’m thinking it was quite remarkable to those who observed their interaction. First, Jews did not acknowledge Gentiles very favorably. Second, men did not engage women who were not their wives — much less Gentile women. Third, Jesus came first “to His own” (John 1:11) — His primary mission was to the nation of Israel. But Jesus engages the woman, and in this encounter hints that the Bread of Life which He came to give, though offered to the twelve tribes initially, would be offered to all.

But the encounter comes off a bit harsh. Jesus, it seems, rebuffs her. He says that the children, Israel, should be filled first and that the food for them should not be thrown to the dogs. Ouch, that’s kind of an unexpected thing for Jesus to call a woman in such need. While it may have been a common term of contempt used by Jews for Gentiles, somehow it doesn’t feel right coming from Jesus. Some have said that Jesus uses a “softer term” . . . that by referring to her as “a little dog” (NKJV), or puppy, there is a compassion conveyed by Jesus. Regardless, that it was meant to test her is clear. And it sets up an amazing response by this desperate woman kneeling at the feet of Jesus.

But she answered Him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the childrens crumbs.”   (Mark 7:28 ESV)

“Yes Lord, I’m only a little Gentile dog,” she says, “but I know that even puppies can benefit from the crumbs dropped by children from the table. That’s all I’m asking for, just a few crumbs. Your power is so great, that just the afterglow of it will meet my need. Your grace so life giving, that just a drop will satisfy my longing. That’s all I’m asking for, just a few leftover crumbs from the food of your ministry to the Jews.”

And He said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.   (Mark 7:29-30 ESV)

It was how she responded . . . it was something she said that made the difference. Not that it was the words themselves but the humble, repentant, faith-filled heart behind the words. Just a few crumbs . . . though I don’t deserve even that, that’s all I need, Jesus. And because of that utterance, Jesus says, her petition was granted and her daughter was healed.

Faith often is known by how we respond and by what we say. What we believe is confessed with the mouth. We declare our dependence. We acknowledge His grace and power. And without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).

O to be people who continually abide in the life-giving provision of the Bread of Life because of something we said.

By His grace . . . and for His glory.

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A Sad Song

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Pete

Honestly . . . not quite sure what to make of Psalm 88. The Psalm’s title says it’s a song . . . but what a sad song. Written by Heman the Ezrahite, a son of Korah, it was given to the choirmaster. I can only imagine how much fun (not) it was to practice this dirge. I’m guessing the basses got a lot of work and that there was a lot of brushing up on minor chord harmonizing. But no matter how you carried the melody, no joy. Just a sad song.

Assuming that he’s writing out of firsthand experience, the songwriter says that his soul “is full of troubles” (v.3). That he was a man of “no strength,” like one who was nearing death (v.4-5). His companions shun him (v.8) . . . his eyes grow dim with sorrow (v. 9a). He feels the crushing hand of God’s displeasure and wrath upon himself (v.7), and feels that God has cast his soul way, hiding His eyes from looking upon His servant (v. 14).

Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer Your terrors; I am helpless. Your wrath has swept over me; Your dreadful assaults destroy me. (Psalm 88:15-16 ESV)

Heavy sigh! Whatever it is this composer was remembering or relating to, it was absolutely miserable. And you read all 18 verses and it doesn’t get better. No happy ending. So what’s the deal?

Here’s the deal, the lyrics are a prayer. A prayer to the living God. A prayer founded on the belief that this God hears and that He acts upon what He hears. This is not a lament intended to be sung into an empty room, the words echoing hopelessly off the walls, the sentiments expressed with no thought that they will go beyond the ceiling. Instead, it is written with the intent it will reach into heaven itself. Written for a choir, but directed to an Audience of One who is enthroned in Majestic glory and intimately aware of, and interested in, the affairs of His people. Sung to One who is able to deliver.

O LORD, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry!   (Psalm 88:1-2 ESV)

Repeatedly this sad song comes back to the chorus of crying out.

Every day I call upon You, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You . . .
But I, O LORD, cry to You; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
 (Psalm 88:9b, 13 ESV)

No resolution found in this sad song . . . no joy realized . . . no happy ending in sight. Just a faith driven determination to bring his situation, and his sadness, before the God in whom he trusts. And sometimes, I’m thinking, that’s all you can do with a circumstance that makes no sense and hurts so much. It brings to mind something I read years ago by Chuck Swindoll. When the landing gear won’t come down, and the plane has been readied for a crash landing, . . . when final descent begins, “If you believe in God you should commence prayer (click here to see the full article).

Prayer . . . it’s what the sad song demands . . . it’s the only response warranted by a desperate situation. Reminds us of a God who’s in control. A God who is love. A God, though His ways and thoughts are beyond our understanding, has determined to intricately weave Himself into our world through His Son. A God, who invites us to confidently draw near to His throne of grace that we might know the abundance of His mercy “and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

Sometimes you just gotta keep on believing . . . and keep on singing . . . even when it’s a sad song.

Sung by His grace . . . sung for His glory.

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When We Come Together

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Pete

Five times. Five times in eighteen verses. Three-hundred-ninety-eight words in this passage and twenty of those words are the same four word phrase repeated five times. While the subject of the passage is appropriate conduct at the Lord’s table, the context of the passage is clear. It’s all about what happens when you come together.

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse . . . when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you . . . When you come together, it is not the Lords supper that you eat. . . . So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another . . . so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. . . .    (1Corinthians 11:17, 18, 20, 33, 34 ESV)

Come together. That’s what the people of God are to do. We don’t GO TO church. We COME TOGETHER as the church. And it’s not IF we come together, but WHEN we come together. Since the birth of the church, it has been the understood normative practice. The New Testament really doesn’t know much about not coming together except to warn against it . . . “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).

And while I’m no Greek expert, my Greek lexicon indicates the original words have in mind something much more than just being in the same place with other people. But that it has the idea of a coherence, that those who are with each other are intimately connected. That’s what the church — aka the people, not the building — is . . . intimately connected people.

Connected by a common experience of cleansing . . . the blood of Christ applied to our sin . . . forgiveness received by faith in the finished work of the cross. Connected by a encounter with the living God through His Spirit . . . born again by the Holy Spirit . . . sealed by the Spirit given as a guarantee of the hope that awaits us . . . being transformed by the Spirit of Christ living in us and through us as He works to conform us into the likeness of the holy Son of God. Connected by a common calling . . . to be the body of Christ and each of us members of it.

What is more natural for a body than that it comes together. That it is joined and “held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Eph. 4:21). If we just go to church then we’re but individuals with personal agendas just attending another event. But, when we come together as the church, we are a body looking out for the interests of others before our own, aware that we have a function and purpose and role in making this body whole.

How I lament what so often seems to be an increasing attitude of convenience when it comes to “going to church.” That somehow it’s just another activity to do . . . another place to go . . . when it fits in with our already overloaded calendars. That so often it’s just about showing up and not about intentionally seeking intimate connection. That’s it’s about re-charging our batteries, or appeasing our consciences, rather than that of serving and building up one another through community.

O that the church might be the church when we come together.

By His grace . . . for His glory.

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A United Heart

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Pete

I think it began as more of a computer term. The breakthrough capability of processing machines to go beyond “single thread” computing to “multitasking.” It was a game changer when computers could not only do calculations at lightning speeds, but could also execute more than one program simultaneously. And while the thought in the beginning was that these computers would give back time to their human operators, in fact what we’ve found is that we’ve wanted to become more like the machines. And so we started talking about multitasking as an attribute of a highly effective person.

We praise those who can “keep many balls in the air.” We marvel at those who can “time slice” their lives and sustain progress on many fronts. But it’s also what causes many to pursue something called “work / life balance” . . . and can often result in someone “burning out.”

Something I read in Psalm 86 has me rethinking the value of multitasking. Maybe we need to be more like David. A guy who also had “a lot on his plate” yet desired a united heart.

For You are great and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
Teach me Your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in Your truth;
unite my heart to fear Your name.     (Psalm 86:10-11 ESV)

Psalm 86 is a prayer of David. It seems, one of those 911 types of prayer that are fired heavenward in times of trouble. But a prayer which is liberally seasoned with praise. The wonder of God not overshadowed by the worry of the situation. The grace of God not lost in the grind of the trial. The steadfast love of God not forgotten under the suppressing load of the burden. And within this prayer is a petition for a united heart.

Teach me Your ways, O LORD . . . not that I might just gain head knowledge, but that I might walk in the light of the truth. And Lord, not only teach me that I might walk, but unite my heart that I might fear. That I would honor and respect Your name . . . that I might know holy reverence as I reflect on who You are.

Unite my heart . . . cease the multitasking and let it wholly and fully become focused toward this one great purpose, that I would stand in awe of You.

Multitasking might be valuable in many areas of life, but not so much when it comes to worship. Whatever productivity we think we might gain by splitting our hearts affections, is no gain at all. Though we might think that the more we can keep going, the better life will be, it’s not true if it is to the detriment of a heart united by a single purpose — that of knowing, and responding, to the God who created us and then gave His Son that He might redeem us.

Multitasking. Great for computers. Maybe not so great for human hearts.

Unite my heart, O Lord, to fear Your name.

By Your grace . . . for Your glory.

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The Great Meeting

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Pete

Hovering over Psalm 85 this morning. A plea for revival. A cry for the God who has delivered to deliver again. Just as God had forgiven their iniquity and covered all their sin before, so the songwriter calls again for God’s indignation to be put away and His anger turned away from His frail and faltering people.

Will You not revive us again,
    that Your people may rejoice in You?
 Show us Your steadfast love, O LORD,
   and grant us Your salvation.     (Psalm 85:6-7 ESV)

Revive us again! That’s the cry of the repentant heart. Those are the words that form on the lips of a child of God who knows they have blown it . . . again! The distance caused by sin has become too great and so they set their face towards home. The desert entered because of drifting has created such a hunger and thirst for knowing again the abundant table of fellowship once enjoyed with the Lord, that the prodigal desires only the Father’s house.

That we may rejoice in You! No joy to be known like the joy of the LORD. No greater reason for the directing of our mental and emotional energy than to praising and worshiping the God of our salvation. No greater place to be found than in the land where His glory dwells.

So, on what basis does the songwriter pen such a petition? How can a people who have tripped up, slipped up, and crashed & burned repeatedly, even think to call upon their God . . . AGAIN . . . for such deliverance, restoration, and revival? Short answer: because of The Great Meeting.

Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
 Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.     (Psalm 85:10-11 ESV)

Steadfast love and faithfulness meet. His lovingkindness toward His people is reconciled with His just demand for payment for their transgression. God is love . . . and God is truth . . . and the two come together. God having made provision so that He might be faithful to His holy standard and still extend abundant mercy and grace to the people He has chosen to love for eternity. Reconciliation, Revival, and Restoration all possible because of The Great Meeting — that great meeting that is found in Jesus, the Christ.

And so the demands of God’s righteous nature are fully met and peace with God is again known. The two kiss. The blood of Christ sufficient for the forgiveness of all our sin — past, present, and future — and for the cleansing of all unrighteousness. For those who confess their need, as does the psalmist, there is revival. The ground springs forth with renewed knowledge of God’s faithfulness. The clouds of separation are dispelled as, in Christ, we know again that blessed access into the Holy of Holies and bask in the presence of His righteousness.

The promises of God being “Yes and Amen” in His Son. Knowing again that the LORD will give what is good. Feeding and drinking anew from the abundance of a land that yields it’s increase. All because steadfast love and faithfulness meet in Christ.

O praise God for The Great Meeting. The law came through Moses, but “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

To Him be all glory . . . amen.

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A Cast of Thousands

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Pete

After 20 years of cruel oppression, it was time. God had sold His people into the hands of their enemies because of His people’s unfaithfulness, and now they cried out to the LORD for deliverance (Judges 4:1-3). And God heard their cries. And God was ready to go to battle on behalf of His people and rescue them from their misery. But, as I read Judges 4 and 5 this morning, what hits me is that, while God could have turned the tables Himself, instead He determines to use a cast of thousands.

So often I read this passage and I focus on Deborah. Deborah, wife of Lappidoth. Deborah, judge of Israel. Deborah, prophetess of God. And I take note of her godly leadership. Or, I might focus on Barak the reluctant military leader. Willing only to go into battle if Deborah goes with him. And I relate to his fearful nature. And then there’s Jael, wife of a nomad whose tents just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time for Sisera, commander of the Canaanite army. Jael, the last person this mighty man of war suspected of being a threat to him. And so, he goes to bed and wakes up dead.

But as I hover over the account of the battle in chapter four and then reflect on the song of victory sung by Deborah and Barak in chapter five, I realize that the victory wasn’t the result of just one or two or three people. Instead, it was the collaborative effort of Almighty God with a cast of thousands.

Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day: “That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD!   (Judges 5:1-2 ESV)

Deborah has been raised up to be a “mother in Israel” (5:7). Barak has been prepared to lead an army into battle. Jael has picked up a thing or two on how to use tent pegs and a mallet. But when it’s time to sing of victory, it’s about leaders who are stepping up to lead and people who willingly offer themselves to the LORD.

Barak is told to take 10,000 men from Zebulun and Naphtali into battle. And so, after securing Deborah as his personal escort, he puts out the call. “And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him” (4:10). And they join with men from other tribes, as well. Men of Ephraim and Benjamin along with princes from Issachar (5:14-15a). Though others chose to stay at home rather than enter the battle (5:15b-17), there were many who “offered themselves willingly.” And that, according to Deborah the woman of God, was worth singing about. Bless the LORD!

And so, I think about a God who delivers. Willing to discipline . . . so that His people’s faces might be turned back to Him. Mighty to save . . . that the bondage of our enemies might be broken. But also a God who chooses, often, not to act unilaterally. But instead, calls into the battle a cast of thousands.

Women and men. Prophetesses and tent-dwelling wives. Reluctant commanders and volunteer armies. Though God doesn’t need them to win the war, He purposes to use them. To stir hearts, such that all, regardless of stature or position, offer themselves willingly. Perhaps, that is the greater victory won. Men and women free to choose whom they will follow and what they will worship, offering themselves in response to the call of God. Willing to lay their lives on the line in order to see their God route the enemy and win the victory. Bless the LORD!

A cast of thousands. A call to faithfulness.

All by the grace of God. All for the glory of God.

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A Costly Guest

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Pete

It’s somewhat incredible to me that they asked Him to leave. Talk about good seed being sown and then swept away.

For those who had been eyewitness to the showdown between the many demons known as Legion and Jesus, you would have thought they’d become followers of Jesus on the spot. Even for those who came afterward, you’d think that seeing the demons-possessed man — the one who lived among the tombs . . . the one who could not be bound by chains and shackles . . . the one who spent night and day crying out and cutting himself — you’d think, that once they saw him in his right mind, they’d want whatever or whoever had the power over such demonic forces to stick around for awhile. Nope! Instead they pleaded with Jesus to leave. How come?

And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. (Mark 5:15-17 ESV)

That they were afraid when they saw the former home to Legion cleaned up, dressed up, and having a rational conversation with Jesus & Co., makes some sense. Talk about a “before” and “after” picture. Raving, destructive, mighty lunatic before meeting Jesus . . . quiet, coherent, restful worshiper after meeting Jesus. That would be enough for those who knew him to be awestruck. I imagine them looking at the man with jaw-dropping wonder as they considered the magnitude of power owned by the One who had subdued and expelled Legion.

But it seems that when they heard about the pigs they decided, power or no power, this Jesus wasn’t good for the local economy.

Legion, knowing their days of residence in the man of the tombs were at an end, asked that they be allowed to go into a herd of pigs nearby. Jesus granted them permission. And as demons of destruction apparently are wont to do, they ran the pigs into the sea and drowned them. One man of the tombs miraculously delivered . . . a herd of 2,000 pigs destroyed. And it seems, the awe of demon deliverance gave way to dread of financial loss.

If Jesus hung around, what would be the cost of continued clean up?

And how many still ask Jesus to leave, even after seeing evidence of His power and willingness to save, because of fear of some perceived material or personal loss? How prone might we be, even as His people, to ask Jesus to leave because we value something more. Appreciative of the degree of deliverance we’ve known, but seeking to retain some material possession or imagined prestige, we declare ourselves “good enough” and tell Jesus we’ll take it from here?

Jesus, as someone has said, is a costly Guest.

But “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself” (Luke 9:25)?

Might His people continue to invite His sanctifying presence in their lives regardless of the perceived temporal cost. Might we see His continued cleansing and refining in our lives as a work of grace. A work of such value, that any perceived cost on our behalf pales in comparison.

Might we continue to welcome this “costly Guest” for the glory of God.

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Next Gen Believers

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Pete

Finishing up in Joshua this morning while on a bit of vacation visiting my favorite granddaughter . . . and her parents . . . in B.C. And came across a verse that has a ominous ring to it. Pretty benign, I’m thinking, for someone who might be reading Joshua for the first time, but carries a pretty ominous foreshadowing for those who know what lies ahead in Judges. And as I hover over the verse, I can’t help but reflect on the challenge it presents to every generation of those who love the Lord. That of passing the faith along. And that of being a Next Gen Believer.

Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel.  (Joshua 24:31 ESV)

Israel served the LORD. Good deal! As it should be. As they said they would when Joshua exhorted them to “choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (24:15). And choose they did, “We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God” (24:18).

And Joshua presses them, “You can’t. You’re not able to. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not tolerate the unfaithfulness of playing around with other gods which are, in fact, no gods.” To which the people affirmed, “No, but we will serve the LORD” (24:19-21). So they said, and so they did.  Israel served the LORD.

But then the ominous part . . . the foreshadowing, foreboding, toll of the bell . . . they served the LORD “all the days of Joshua.” As long as the elders lived who had been part of the conquest of the land. As long as those who had witnessed firsthand the mighty works the LORD had done for Israel. As long as they were around, Israel served the LORD. Leaving the question hanging, so what about the generation after them? What about the next generation who had things easier than their parents before them? What about those who had often been told the “old, old, story” but had not witnessed God’s mighty works for themselves? I’m not yet there in my reading plan . . . but my mind flashes ahead to the answer . . .

And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that He had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt.   (Judges 2:10b-12a ESV)

To be sure, there’s often an innate “advantage” for 1st generation believers . . . those who have been delivered from sin as adults . . . led on their own exodus from the bondage of the sin and the world . . . those brought into the promised land of newness of life, having vivid memories of the old life . . . the reality of light being so real because they had walked in darkness for so long. But what of their children. What of the Next Gen?

What of those having grown up in the truth of the gospel . . . having received the Christ of their bedtime stories and their Sunday School lessons at a young age . . . not really aware of the world . . . not familiar with the tyranny of the flesh? Certainly, God’s hand is not too short that it can not save to the uttermost, whether 1st gen Christian or 5th gen believer. But, I think we 1st gen’ers often have the advantage of seeing the mighty works of the LORD in a different way. While our kids and their kids are blessed with the potential of avoiding a lot of the world’s dirt that we got on ourselves.

But at the end of the day, it comes down to the gospel . . . the good news for all men and women . . . all boys and girls . . . all generations, whether 1st gen believers or the Next Gen of Believers. That it isn’t just about how well the story is passed along, but about the grace of God which will invade the lives of those who, by faith, know their need and know in Him the only solution for that need. Who know their thirst and that He is the only one who can satisfy their thirst. Who hunger for the things of the kingdom above the things of this world and know that only He has the keys to the kingdom.

O’ that God’s people would serve the LORD whole-heartedly. And that it would transcend this generation but characterize the Next Gen . . . and the generations beyond them until the LORD’s return.

All by His grace . . . all for His glory.

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Let Your Face Shine

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Pete

Psalm 80 sounds like a song of the captivity. Penned at a time when the songwriter was aware of God’s anger towards His people (v.4). The Almighty had broken down the walls of protection surrounding the vine He had brought out of Egypt and planted beyond the Jordan (v.12). He had fed His people “with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure” (v.5). Though He was the Shepherd who had promised to “lead Joseph like a flock” (v. 1a), for now the Shepherd had called a timeout in order to turn the hearts of the sheep back toward Him.

And so the songwriter composes what I imagine to be a dirge. Lots of minor chords . . . not much in the way of “happy music” accompanying these lyrics. But what has stirred me is the “chorus” of the song. The thrice repeated plea of this song of sorrow.

Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
Let Your face shine, that we may be saved!   (Psalm 80:19 ESV)

Verse 3, verse 7, and verse 19. The same plea to the LORD God of hosts . . . let Your face shine!

To the God enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth (v.1b). Look down from heaven and see . . . have regard for this vine (v.14). Give us Your face, Lord!

The songwriter doesn’t offer a defence to justify the vine’s determination to grow wild and undisciplined. He doesn’t make excuses for the sheep who had gone astray. He doesn’t reason as to the merits of allowing other nations to be the rod of God’s chastisement. He knows they had given God their back. Now, in order to get their face, God had given them His.

And so, the psalmist simply asks to know again the LORD’s face. Let Your face shine . . .

Be favorable to us, O God. Grant us Your gracious presence again. Let the light of Your countenance warm our souls. Give us Your front and no longer Your back. And then we will be saved . . . then we will be revived and restored.

And how would that face be known . . . how would it be seen?

But let Your hand be on the man of Your right hand,
the son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself! (Psalm 80:17 ESV)

I think this alludes to Messiah. The Son of Man, the Man of God’s right hand, would be the gracious face of God upon a rebellious people. Let them behold the Son of Man, and they would know the countenance of God.

And, as I think about today, Good Friday, and our remembrance this evening of the Son of Man having come as the Lamb of God, . . . as I reflect anew that the Holy One of Israel sent His Son as the once-for-all atoning sacrifice for all peoples, . . . I see His face shine. His grace made known . . . His favor declared for all who will believe . . . His presence offered to any who would receive the gift of His saving grace.

The song of captivity becomes a song of freedom. The dirge morphs into a great hallelujah chorus!

Let Your face shine, that we may be saved!

By Your grace . . . for Your glory!

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Just As He Promised

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Pete

The land had been allotted. The cities of refuge established. The Levites given towns throughout Israel where they could live. Mission accomplished. Operation “Possess the Land” was, for the most part, in the books. Time for celebration? To be sure. Time for a pat on the back? Not really. While God’s people had faithfully entered the land and engaged in the battle, it was the Lord who had fought the fight and won the land. Just as He promised.

Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that He swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as He had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.   (Joshua 21:43-45 ESV)

The LORD gave Israel all the land . . . the LORD gave them rest on every side . . . the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Just as He had sworn to their fathers. Not one word of the promises He had made had failed. It all came to pass. Just as He promised.

It’s not that the fight hadn’t been intense for Joshua and Co. Not a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination . . . though the walk around Jericho’s walls had been kind of cool! And it’s not like they never blew it along the way . . . remember the defeat at Ai? But there they were. In the land. Cities assigned. Deeds distributed. All through their faithful determination, but all because of God’s sure promises.

Hover over that for a couple of minutes and you can’t help but be encouraged. Remember that God has a track record of doing what He says He’s going to do, and it has a way of making you want to lean in again, though the going’s been tough. Rest in the word of God . . . and believe in the God of the word . . . and the blood, sweat, and tears are put into perspective. Know anew that all God’s promises find their “Yes” and their “Amen” in His blessed Son (2Cor. 1:20) . . . and the inner man is revived and the weary heart is restored. It’s all going to happen. The victory will be ours. Just as He promised.

He says that He will finish the work He has begun in us (Php. 1:6) . . . that He will conform us into the likeness of His Son (Rom. 8:29). It’ll happen . . . just as He promised. He says that, even now, the King of Kings has gone to prepare a place for us and will come again and take us to be with Himself (John 14:3). That’s what’s going to go down (or, go up) . . . just as He promised. He has said that death is to be swallowed up in victory . . . that “this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1Cor. 15:53-54) . . . count on it! Just as Joshua and Friends stood in the land, we too, one day, will stand before the throne . . . the work begun, finished . . . the likeness we bear, that of the Lamb’s . . . the bodies we inhabit, immortal and imperishable . . . all of it, just as He promised.

And who will get the glory? Who will receive the praise?

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.   (Jude 1:24-25 ESV)

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