The Underbelly of the Mind

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The HVAC technician walked into my house and asked to be shown to the furnace. I mistakenly thought he would only inspect the air conditioner outside. But no. He needed to go into the corners of the basement to examine the workings of the furnace. And there, to my dismay, he saw not only the furnace but also the cobwebs, dust and clutter filling the laundry room. Now mind you. I like my laundry room because it is the size of a bedroom. It is spacious, but it is not a pretty place where one would want to entertain guests. The floor is plain concrete. A couple of the exterior walls are cinder block. The other two walls need a fresh coat of paint . The rafters, wiring, plumbing and insulation are exposed. The decor of the room obviously isn’t anywhere equal to those seen in magazines or design shows. It is not a sight to behold.

So when I realized he would see all the underpinnings of the ugliest room of the house, I was not delighted. My old dog and I escorted the young man down the stairs to see the furnace. And then he asked if we could move the storage shelving so he could get closer to it. Of course. Why don’t you just ask me to confess all my sins to you, as well as let you see the dust particles that I hoped would remain hidden. But no. He saw all the ugly. And he didn’t say one word about it.

I always try to rationalize these types of situations in my mind. I tell myself that surely these technicians who enter my home have seen other homes far worse than mine. Surely mine can’t be the most cluttered or unkempt that they’ve come across in the years they’ve been doing their work. But I don’t ask. And I don’t apologize. I pretend that clutter is just a normal part of life.

I was reminded that a similar incident occurred a couple of years ago when we had a new water heater install right next to the furnace. I had the same thoughts and feelings that time as I had this time. So, obviously, my cleaning habits didn’t change at all. I still have dust bunnies and clutter in hidden places of my home.

I confess. I’m not a perfectionist. I don’t demand a spotless house, but I know I could do better. I could keep a cleaner house, because I do have time for it. But that’s not how I choose to spend my time. After all, the only people who really need to see my laundry room are the people who live in the house.

May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Psalms 104:34

And I think to myself. I could keep a cleaner mind, as well. Now mind you, I’m talking about removing the cluttered thoughts of annoyance and irritation. The internal moaning and groaning of my heart that leads me to think ill of others and myself. The pangs of worry and anxiousness over situations I can’t control and don’t need to concern myself with. Those unpleasant aspects of my thoughts should be put to rest, once and for all, but I continue to find them in the most unwanted times.

I’m thankful others can’t read my mind, because they would want to stand far from me or walk away. I’m afraid they would think ill of me and not bother with the good that is in me. It seems a good thing that most thoughts are kept out of sight.

When the curtain is pulled back from the corners of your mind, what is revealed? Who would you want to hide the view that has been exposed? Too often, I fritter away my thoughts on issues that should have no bearing on my life. They’re either history that can’t be changed or imaginings that will never happen.

I wonder how peaceful I would be if I focused my thoughts on God. What would happen if I sat in quiet worship of the God who is the Creator of the universe? What would transpire if I were to humbly consider the majesty of my Heavenly Father? Just the thought of his greatness and goodness should cause my heart to bow in reverence. When I consider all his creation that shouts for joy because of his goodness, why can’t I?

When I gaze into the far reaches of my mind, I glimpse memories and thoughts of the goodness of God. I recall answered prayers and the joy of the Lord’s presence as I walked through dark valleys. God’s promises are brought to mind as I remember the days where trouble loomed and uncertainty reigned supreme. And deep in those dark corners are the remembrance that God is an ever present help in times of trouble. He will not leave me or abandon me when I am faithful to him, no matter what evil may surround me.

I read that the God of all creation is worthy of our praise, and that is so true. We must look to him as our source of strength and comfort. He’s the only constant in a life full of ups and downs. All my joy and praise should be centered on him. Our hearts should be warmed when we praise our Maker and give him all the glory and honor that is due him. No one else can accomplish or plan as he does. He alone is sovereign and will always be. There is none like him.

Have you no fear of God, no reverence for him? Job 15:4

Send A Great Revival

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Hezekiah was only twenty five years old when he became king of Judah. He had succeeded his father, Ahaz, to the throne. King Ahaz was a wicked man who demanded that the doors of the Temple be closed to worship. And when Hezekiah inherited the throne, he reopened the doors of the Temple within the first month of his reign. Hezekiah had a heart for God, and he repented of the evil deeds of his father’s administration.

Hezekiah maintained his faith in God during his father’s idolatrous reign, and he waited until he was in power to make monumental changes in the country. No doubt, he was troubled by his father’s actions. Along with closing the doors of the church, Ahaz also set up idols to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. He was unfaithful to God, and he encouraged his people to sin. He even offered some of his sons as burnt sacrifices on the altars of Baal. Needless to say, the sweeping changes that Hezekiah ushered in caused a revival for the ages.

Due to the horrible desecration caused by Ahaz, the nation of Judah was at a very low point when Hezekiah was crowned king. Instead of mounting a great political reign, his first act was to reopen the doors of the Temple and bring back the priests and Levities to perform their sacred duties. But the truth is that the priests and Levites didn’t come running back asking to serve. Hezekiah had to call them back. Some of them had even helped Ahaz build an altar to an idol, so Hezekiah knew that not all had kept their faith in God. How low will a nation go when their own holy leaders don’t maintain their faith and commitment to serving God?

But Hezekiah had a heart for God, and that desire to follow God’s commands didn’t start as soon as the crown was placed on his head. Hezekiah had a heart for God that, out of necessity, had stayed behind the scenes as his father allowed idolatry to ruin the nation. The nation was ready for a change, and the changed started immediately when Hezekiah took the throne. Not only did he throw open the doors of the Temple and call the priests and Levites back to work, but he began a campaign to bring the people of Judah back to offering sacrifices to God.

But don’t worry. This wasn’t a forced act of religion and repentance. Not everyone in Judah was willing to partake of the act of returning to God. Only those who were willing gave of their burnt offerings in sacrifice to God. But God performed a mighty act of repentance in the heart of the people. He stirred them to follow the Word of the Lord, and his hand was upon them. The people willingly obeyed the orders of the king. And when the priests and Levites obeyed the king by cleaning out the Temple and preparing it for worship, they were not just obeying the king but they were obeying the Word of the Lord that they had neglected for far too long.

You can read the full story of Kings Ahaz and Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 28-31.

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. Proverbs 28:2

Let’s imagine that our great nation, the United States of America, elected a leader who declared that religion would come before politics. And not just any religion, but historic Christianity. Imagine the uproar that would take place. Those trying to eliminate Christianity from our country today would loudly cry foul. But just imagine if Christianity took hold today and actually became popular. Imagine the revival that would sweep our land. Imagine the wrongs that would be righted.

The leaders of our country have shown a huge neglect regarding the importance of faith. The changes that have been implemented in recent years have moved our country away from the faith of our forefathers and moved us into a time of moral rot. We must do better than this if our country is to retain any symbol of conscience and morality, not only for the sake of our country but for those countries that depend on our support and leadership. We have failed as a nation, and we are paying for it.

Unfortunately, if sweeping changes aren’t made soon, it may be too late for America. Like Israel and Judah, any nation that turns its back on God will be punished. Why can any nation expect to be shown favor by God when they don’t show favor to Him? It’s time for a revival in our land. It’s time to wake up, America, and repent of our national sins. We must open the doors of our churches and clean out the ungodly teachings that have been introduced, because some churches no longer preach biblical truth. We can no longer count on all churches that call themselves Christian to actually be Christian.

We have to know that God didn’t promise to protect and bless America if we stayed true to him as he did Israel. Israel was and always will be his favored nation, so we have no business claiming that he will honor our nation that has strayed from obeying him. God alone will decide the nations he will bless and the nations he will abandon. That doesn’t mean we can walk away from him at any time and still demand his favor. We must repent and stay true to his calling on our country to follow his commands.

He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons them. Job 12:23

We must pray that our political leaders and future leaders will lead our nation back to God, after they have repented. It only takes one to start a revival. Let’s pray that one godly leader can be found among us to lead us back to the fold of God’s favor.

When God calls a nation to repent, godly leaders will rise to lead. Those leaders may not be the ones assumed to be the top choice or best representatives, but they will be those who are faithful to God’s call. And God will mold these leaders to be strong in their faith and courageous in their convictions. Then the work must begin in earnest to turn the culture around to true religion and morality in the manner that God intended.

Why not allow the Good News of the Gospel message and clear rational thinking to become the order of the day? It is not too late.

~~Judge Phil Ginn

A Harrowing Experience

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We were settling in for the evening. Dinner was over. The kitchen was spotless. The bowl of ice cream was on its way to the couch. Time to turn on the tv and relax. It was Friday night, and the weekend had begun.

I noticed a couple of insects that appeared to be gnawing at the drywall on the edge of an outlet cover in the corner of the living room. I asked the man of the house to see if they were termites. But we had never had a termite problem, so why now? And they weren’t eating wood; they were eating drywall. So he bent to look. And then he got a flashlight for a clearer view. He reached to pick one up when all of a sudden the insects went crazy. They started flying around him, and then he felt the sting on his hand. Not once but twice. And then a couple more stings landed on his head.

I was carrying my ice cream to the couch when one of the attackers buzzed toward me. In my haste to get away, ice cream fell to the floor. As I swatted away my attacker, it went down the back of my shirt. Soon I too felt the sting of these varmints. I tore off my shirt and threw it on the floor. Later I picked it up only to see the flying insect was still in the shirt. Back down on the floor the shirt went and then was thoroughly stomped on. And let me tell you. Those stings were meant to do serious damage. The pain lasted for hours.

We quickly realized we were dealing with yellow jackets, not termites. We were attacked in our own home by a nest of small yellow jackets that had embedded themselves in between the drywall and the outside wall of our home. On the outside, we discovered their entry point. A hole for the cable wire was bigger than the wire, and the yellow jackets were small enough to squeeze in. There they made their home.

The exterminator came out to investigate and eliminated the villains. He said they were probably young, since it was early in the season for this type of invasion. He suited up and began the task of killing these vicious intruders. He advised us to sit out on the deck in a couple of weeks to see if we spot anymore of them. If we don’t, then we’re in the clear. If we see some, he’ll return for another application of the killer spray.

We never would have known the yellow jackets were living between the walls of our home, except I happened to spot them. They would have kept to themselves and not attacked us, because they’re typically only ferocious when provoked. And we unknowingly provoked them. Thankfully, we survived the attack. But even days later, I still had two large red itchy welts on my back.

It was a harrowing experience, indeed.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31

A very short story in the Bible tells us about a man named Benaiah, who was a mighty warrior in King David’s army. He did many heroic deeds and once killed two mighty warriors of one of the enemy nations. But he also followed a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it. He was a very brave warrior.

All the harrowing events that Benaiah faced made him pretty famous. I wonder if he was fearful during his times of bravery. Or was he just a fearless warrior who took all these brave acts in stride? I’m sure we’ll never know. But David named him the captain of his bodyguard. I can’t say I blame him. Who wouldn’t trust a guy like Benaiah to protect the king.

You can read the story of Benaiah in 2 Samuel 23:20-23.

Others have recently experienced harrowing events in their lives. An invasion of raccoons. A rash of shingles. A cancer diagnosis. An asthma attack. A job loss. Not all harrowing experiences are life threatening, but others are. But even when life events take a turn for the worst, we know that God is ever present in our time of need.

We may face harrowing times in our lives. Maybe they’re not life threatening events, but still they are unexpected and undesired. We won’t always know how to handle the situation, and we may need to call in reinforcements. We may need someone else to help fight our battle. That’s ok. We need to be prepared to ask for help when the time comes.

We may need to remind ourselves on occasion that God is for us and always with us. He will fight our battles for us. We need to call on him and present our requests and needs to him. He will give us the strength and courage we need to fight our battles. It is never too late to call on him. He is ready and waiting for our cry for help.

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you. Deuteronomy 3:22

On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. Psalm 138:3

Angry at God

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God called Jonah to travel to Nineveh, and Job decided he had other plans. He didn’t want to go to Nineveh and warn the people that their city would be destroyed if they did not repent and turn from their evil ways. So, instead, he went as far as he could the other way. He boarded a ship headed for Tarshish, which is approximately 2,500 miles in the opposite direction of Nineveh. If it hadn’t been obvious to God before he boarded the ship, Jonah’s attempt to get as far away from Nineveh said it all. He refused to go.

After Jonah was swallowed by a whale and laid in its belly for three days, he had a change of heart. He repented of his foolishness and told God he would do what God asked of him. So Jonah went throughout the city warning the people of God’s coming judgment on them. And lo and behold. The people repented, and the king sent out a decree that everyone must mourn and turn from their evil ways.

Jonah was angry that they had actually listened to what he told them. He wanted them to suffer. He wanted them to pay for their sins. He was mad. And he went outside the city and sat under a shelter to see if God would really destroy them. But God taught Jonah a lesson. He caused a great plant to grow up quickly to shade Jonah from the heat, and Jonah was relieved. But God also sent a worm to destroy the plant, and the next morning the plant withered. This angered Jonah even further. But God told him that just as Jonah felt sorry about losing the plant, God also felt sorry for the people of Nineveh.

You can read this story in more detail in the book of Jonah.

What if God had treated Jonah the way Jonah wanted him to treat the people of Nineveh? Was living in the belly of a whale for three days something to laugh about? God punished Jonah, but he also saved his life when Jonah repented and promised to go to Nineveh. God gave Jonah a second chance to preach God’s message to a nation that hated Israel, so why wouldn’t God also give Nineveh a chance to repent? Jonah begged for mercy and forgiveness, so why didn’t he want the Ninevites to do the same? He wanted them to suffer and pay for their sins. He wanted retaliation for being an enemy of the nation of Israel.

And just perhaps Jonah was afraid for his reputation. If he warned Nineveh to repent or be destroyed and they survived, what kind of prophet was he? He wasn’t considering that God’s mercy for the Ninevites was greater than his prophecy not being fulfilled. After all. There was a condition to the prophecy. If they repented, they would be saved. If they didn’t repent, they would be destroyed. He wanted them destroyed. And he wanted to gloat about it.

Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:20

It’s easy for someone to speculate on the reason Jonah didn’t want to do what God wanted.  But it sure is a great reminder to point the finger back at ourselves and ask why we don’t want to do the things God asks of us. Why do we fight God? Does the task he’s asking of us seem too hard? Will there not be enough fanfare and applause for us after the fact?

The question is. Do we have a legitimate reason to be angry with God when we only know a small part of his plan? What do we expect of God, anyway?

Why would Jonah not want the Ninevites to experience repentance and forgiveness? Why would he want them to suffer? It seems he didn’t love his neighbors as himself. After all, Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, and history tells us that Assyria was an enemy of Israel and Judah.

Jonah knew that if the Ninevites repented of their sins, the spotlight would then turn to the wickedness of his people. The Israelites had turned from God and were worshipping false idols. If God showed mercy to Israel and Judah’s enemies, would he be merciful to them, as well? Perhaps they wouldn’t even repent as Nineveh did.

What Jonah didn’t know was that God was storing up punishment for the Ninevites. Sure. They repented of their sins that day, but God would later punish them for their revenge on God’s chosen people. The Ninevites were an evil and extremely cruel nation. They would later be destroyed, but Jonah didn’t know that part of their future. God kept his full plans hidden from Jonah. We can’t expect to know all of God’s plans for ourselves or for anyone else. What we must remember is that nothing goes unnoticed by God. He will repay everyone for the good and bad they do.

The story of God’s punishment of Nineveh can be found in Isaiah 10 and the book of Nahum.

Perhaps we need to consider the difference in retribution and retaliation. Retribution is motivated by justice, while retaliation is driven by a desire for revenge. Jonah’s anger reflects a deep seated desire for revenge, and God acted in retribution when he later wiped out the Assyrians.

The story of Jonah and the Ninevites is an example of God’s justice and mercy. We should pay for our sins, but the death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid the ultimate price for our sins. We still have to live with the consequences of our sins, but our sinful slate is wiped clean with the forgiveness that only comes from God our Father. Let’s let God decide who to punish and how to dole it out. Let’s not take matters into our own hands, but trust that God can and will do his job very thoroughly in his own time.

You’re Not the Only One

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Obadiah was in charge of the palace of King Ahab. Ahab was a wicked king of Israel, and his wife, Jezebel, was even more wicked. But Obadiah quietly served God in the midst of the wickedness. And he thrived. Surrounded by wickedness each day, Obadiah had the strength and courage to stand strong in his faith. He didn’t allow the evil around him to influence his commitment to serving God. What can we learn from his example?

Aside from where he worked and who he worked for, we only know a couple of stories about this man. Apparently, there are at least a dozen other men named Obadiah in the Bible. Most of them are as obscure as this particular Obadiah. He may or may not be the prophet Obadiah who wrote the book named after himself.

During the years of Ahab’s reign, the prophet Elijah foretold of a coming famine and drought. He said it would last until the time he said it would end. And he was correct. It was during this famine that in an act of courage, Obadiah hid one hundred prophets in caves when Queen Jezebel wanted to have them killed. He kept them hidden and fed until Elijah confronted Ahab about who the real God was. Was it God or Baal? God proved himself in a mighty way, and all the prophets of Baal were killed. And the only reason anyone in Israel worshipped Baal was because King Ahab had married this foreign woman who worshipped an image of this manmade god. She brought her idol worship to Israel, and turned the king and country over to pagan worship. However, a remnant of faithful followers of the God of Israel still remained. Many never bowed their knee to this pagan god who couldn’t hear or answer their prayers.

You can read the story of Obadiah in 1 Kings 18.

Although Ahab adopted the practice of worshiping foreign gods, he didn’t require it of his employees. He never forced Obadiah to bow to Baal. We may wonder why. But perhaps he knew that any man who faithfully served God would faithfully serve him, as well. He didn’t ask Obadiah to be dishonest or cruel. Ahab didn’t convert Obadiah to Baal worship, and Obadiah didn’t convert Ahab to worshiping God.

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23

Some of the characteristics of Obadiah that make him an outstanding example of living and working in troubling times can be a model for us today. He retained his integrity. He feared God and was faithful to him. He courageously cared for other faithful followers when they were in need. He was trusted by a wicked employer. He did not bow his knee to a false god. He didn’t hide his faith. He didn’t quit.

Christians today may find themselves in a difficult work environment where they are asked to support activities or workforce policies that go against their beliefs. Their employer may endorse and favor people who live in direct opposition to the word of God. We don’t have to run from those situations. We must remain steadfast in our faith and always do the right biblical thing.

As the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us, there is nothing new under the sun.  Just as the faithful men in the Old Testament worked for compromised employers and retained their faith, we may find ourselves in similar situations. There will always be times of testing for the believer. We must not run from it. We must stand strong in our dependence and trust in God. We know God is always good and faithful. Instead of allowing difficulties to ruin our faith, the test of faithfulness to God will build our strength and resilience. We can be tough when tough times come. And we can do hard things with God’s help.

If we read the stories of the Bible closely, we’ll learn that many who faithfully served God were put in a position to compromise their faith in order to survive or stay safe. Some gave in to the compromise while others stood firm in their faith. Standing firm in our faith doesn’t always require us to leave the uncomfortable situation. Perhaps our faith would be more refined if we walked through the fire a bit. We aren’t assured of an easy life when we lay down our sins and follow Christ. We may walk through the fire of intense trials. Today’s trials aren’t unique to our heavenly Father. He knew this time would come where our faith is tested. But his unwavering love for us can strengthen us during those times.

The night before Jesus was crucified, he asked the Father to keep his disciples safe from the evil one as they lived in the world of ungodliness. He didn’t ask for them to be moved to a safe place. He didn’t ask for them to be sheltered from their enemies. He knew they would face troubles, even death, and he wanted them to be safe from the enemy’s grip on their souls. He knew it was one thing to fight for their life, and another to fight for their soul.

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. John 17:14-19

Foolish Doings

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Asa. He was a notable king from the line of David. He trusted God. And God brought peace to Judah during the early years of his reign. But in his old age, he failed to ask for God’s help. Instead, he sought the help of the Syrian king, Benhadad, as he looked to stop the Israelite king, Baasha, from encroaching on his land.

What looks like an innocent request for help from a neighboring king was in fact a slap in the face of God. Asa was a faithful follower of God throughout the years of his reign in Judah. But for some unknown reason, when he needed help to stop his enemy, Baasha, from building a stronghold to stop the people of Judah from entering and exiting their own country, he turned to Benhadad instead of to God.  And what he didn’t know until it was much too late was that God wanted to help him. Instead of defeating Baasha and his Israelite army, God would have helped him to also defeat the Syrian army led by Benhadad. It would have been a double win.  A victory for the ages. But no. God wasn’t involved in this war at all. He had been pushed aside.

Asa somehow forgot that he had made a covenant with God many years earlier. When he asked Benhadad for help, he went with a bribe. He not only took gold and silver to his opponent, but they were treasures that belonged in the house of God. King Asa stooped low by offering God’s treasures to bribe King Benhadad to help him fight against someone that Benhadad had a treaty with. And Benhadad took the bribe and broke his alliance with Baasha, king of Israel. Shame on all of them.

When the prophet Hanani came to confront the king for the wrongs he had done, he boldly told the truth. And King Asa fumed at him. Asa didn’t want to be told he was in the wrong. He wanted to be congratulated on his victory against Israel. Up until this time, he had treated his people with kindness. But he threw Hanani in prison and treated some of the people with contempt. Asa was going down, and he was going down hard and fast. He had rejected God and God let him suffer the consequences.

Even when dying, Asa failed to ask for God’s help. He sought only the help of physicians, which in and of itself is not bad. But he had no desire for God to take part in his final years of poor health. The problem with the physicians of his day is that their remedies were superstitions and folk remedies. Relying on God for help with his health problem would have been much more effective. Once again, Asa failed to see that God was waiting for him to ask for help. But no. He had abandoned God, so God abandoned him. The story doesn’t tell us that God would have healed him if he had asked for help. But we do know that God would have been with him every moment in his final days on earth.

You can read the story of King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14-16.

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war. 2 Chronicles 16:9

Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. When God leaves man to himself, he is a pitiful man. He becomes his own worst enemy and a tyrant to others. The Lord is looking for people who are fully committed to him so he can strengthen and help them. He knows we need his strength to win the battles the enemy is waging against us. But we must diligently seek his help. We can’t stand on our own. We can’t win spiritual battles on our own strength.

Of course. God puts people in our path to help us in our time of need and to give correction, as well. But our faith must be in God and God alone. Only he can fight our battles and heal our wounds.

It’s a long obedience in the same direction of following Christ that will ensure our entrance into heaven. We can’t think that we can be strong followers of Christ early in our life and then slough off at the end. No. As long as we have breath within us, we must fight the fight every day. We must put on the armor of God each morning so we can win victory after victory over the enemy of our souls. We must always be on guard for attacks of temptation and doubt. The enemy will not stop as long as we are breathing.

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

I Am Not Magnificent

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I am not magnificent. I am not perfect. I am only a speck of sand in the sea of life. I am but dust in the wind. I am a work in progress. I am small in a vast domain. I am insignificant in the vast universe. I am nothing on my own. I am but one of many made in the image of God.

I exist to be in fellowship with the One who created me. I exist to serve him and him alone. My identity is found in Christ alone. There is but one God. I am not God.

The God who created the earth created mankind to love and serve him. To be in fellowship with him. To know him. To honor him. To obey him. To bow to his authority.

I am loved. I am known. I am named. I am forgiven. Loved by my divine Creator. He knew me before I was born. When he created me in my mother’s womb, he planned for my existence. Without him, I would be nothing. With him, I am redeemed.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalms 139:15-16

King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that life is meaningless. He was the wisest man on earth, and he had amassed a fortune. He had everything a man desired, and he still sought happiness and fulfillment. He says the key to a happy life is to find fulfillment in hard work and the enjoyment of food and drink. He knew that in spite of all his wisdom, he would end up in the grave just the same as the world’s worst fool would. He was just a man, an insignificant speck in the history of the world. He knew he was not magnificent.

So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. Ecclesiastes 3:12

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36

Namaan was the captain of the king’s army. He was a strong and capable leader and had led his army to great success on the battlefield. He made the king of his country a proud man. But Namaan had contracted the deadly disease of leprosy. Anyone who had leprosy became an outcast in society. They were forced to live outside the city limits. And Namaan was a proud wealthy man. He had also acquired a slave girl when his army had raided Israel.

This servant girl knew the God of the Israelites, and she knew a prophet who could perform miracles. She suggested to Namaan’s wife that he visit the prophet to be healed. Namaan found his way to the home of the prophet Elisha and asked to be healed, but Elisha didn’t even meet him at the door. Instead, he sent his servant to give the message to go dip in the Jordan river seven times. Then Namaan would be healed.

Namaan was insulted. It was humiliating to the proud man who was accustomed to being honored by others. Was he not good enough to be given a private audience with the prophet? And why should he even wade his toe in the waters of Israel, let alone dip his entire body in it seven times? Wouldn’t any other river be just as healing? This was a further attempt to humiliate the proud captain of the army. In a bid to cool Namaan’s anger, his officers began to reason with him. Finally, they made their way to the river where he dipped seven times. After exiting the water on the seventh dip, his skin was clear. He had been healed of leprosy.

You can read the story of Namaan in 2 Kings 5:1-19.

Namaan had many accomplishments under his belt. He had won many wars for his king and country. He was a mighty man of valor. He had wealth and favor. He had servants in his household. Due to his successes in battle, his name was common on the streets. He was a known man by the little people. And he thought himself so important that the prophet Elisha should attend to him in person. He thought himself too important to dip in a river in a foreign country.

Namaan was not magnificent. His background and social status did not make him any more favorable to God than anyone else’s status. He was an ordinary man who had been given favor by God to win the battles his country faced. But he needed God’s help to fight the physical battle of his life. He couldn’t defeat leprosy on his own.

There is no one who has ever lived or will ever live who is too important to bow before God Almighty, the Judge of all mankind. The Bible tells us that everyone will one day bow down to Him. Regardless of our station in life, we are not magnificent. We can’t create the God we want. He created us.

When to Take a Stand

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

He’s worked for the company for years. And he loves his job. Oh sure. There are aggravations he deals with on a regular basis. But overall, he’s been very satisfied with the work that is set before him. The company was founded by a solid Bible-believing person, who has since left to join another firm. And those who are now in charge don’t have the same biblically sound principles that the former leader had. So changes have taken place over the years. And some are good changes, but others are not.

The company has a diverse range of employees. Americans. Internationals. Different languages. Different walks of faith. Young people starting their careers. Older ones heading toward retired. And many in between. Yes. It is culturally diverse.

With the change in leadership came a change in values. Subtle changes at first. But through the years, the changes are becoming more visible. Diversity is the name of the game these days, so a DEI leader was hired to keep the company in line with today’s ever changing values. Oh sure. A spiritual advisor is also on staff. The company now participates in pride events. Preferred pronouns aren’t mandatory, but some individuals have made sure to include theirs where they deem appropriate. Book clubs for the management team have offered discussions on racism, equity and inclusion. Movie nights that further the leftist agenda have been scheduled for employees. Discussions of biblical beliefs are spoken in quiet and behind closed doors by those who hold firmly to their faith but are unsure whether to make their faith more public.

Some employees who are committed to their faith in God have noticed the shift toward wokeness. Dare they say anything? If they can stay under the radar of the leftist leanings, can they stay employed? Will there come a day when they will be expected to participate? If so, what will they do? How do they know when to go against the flow when the flow goes against everything they believe?

In schools, some teachers are facing backlash against their stance on issues that have nothing to do with education. Commencement speakers are threatened with being canceled when they publicly support family values. Pro-life advocates trying to help women make life-saving choices for their unborn child are being sentenced to prison. Female athletes are being forced to share private spaces with males who change their pronouns. Males are forcing their way into female sporting events and calling it fair when they win. And so many applaud.

There’s a cultural agenda being pushed that is pushing biblical values out of the mainstream. Uncommon issues are now becoming commonplace. And everyone is expected to comply and agree. Or else there will be trouble. Christians are being asked to go along with the agenda just to get along. And many are. Many are forced into silence in order to stay employed. Or to stay on the right career path.

If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15

Has it hit you yet? Has anyone come for you because of your stance on biblical values? Or, do you keep quiet? Are you unsure of when you should speak and when you should be silent on issues that you firmly stand for or against? When your beliefs and your voice are in the minority, how can you be heard? When should you be heard? Oh. Perhaps the time hasn’t come for you, but it most likely will. And then you’ll be forced to decide how to navigate the pond of wokeness. And the decision you make could change the course of your life. Are you willing to pay the price?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were literally put in the fire for refusing to bow to the manmade idol that King Nebuchadnezzar had built. Even after being given a second chance to bow, they still refused. Oh. They had bowed to other requests and requirements the king had previously demanded. They had been taken exile to a foreign land. They had changed their names. They had learned witchcraft and sorcery. They were forced to become eunuchs. They were indoctrinated into the ways and customs of Babylon. But this time, the king had drawn a line they weren’t willing to cross. And so they said no. Not once, but twice. And they were thrown into a fiery furnace. Because of their faithful witness, God showed favor on them and spared their lives.

You can read the story of these three brave young men in Daniel 3.

We may not be thrown into a literal fire, but we may get burned. And we may not survive without being scorched and scarred. We may not be as fortunate as these three young men. But God is with us when we call on his name. He will not leave us to fight our battles alone. He fights for us, even when we don’t see it.

I recently listened to a couple of episodes of the Biblical Worldview Show podcast. The guest speaker gave some tips on knowing when to take a stand for our faith. The first step was to make sure we’re not looking for the fight. We shouldn’t be the one to throw the first punch. The second tip is to know who the enemy is. If you don’t know your true enemy, you may win the wrong battle. A third suggestion is to make sure the battle we’re facing is the one we really want to fight. Will your conscience be clear if you step away from this battle? Fourth, make sure you have counted the cost of fighting the battle. We must know what we are willing to risk before we enter the ring.

In the second episode, the speaker gave four tips on how to appeal to authorities. First, ask the authority to make a change about the situation. Ask them to concede on the issue. Two, make sure you have the right words. Know your subject well and know what you want to say. Three, make sure the time to approach the individual is appropriate. Lastly, make sure you have the right response regardless of what happens. Prepare your response before you get into the fight. You may be able to change their mind at a later time if you handle the situation correctly.

You can watch the episodes here and here.

Above all, we must be in prayer about how, when and why we are to ever stand up for our beliefs in a hostile environment. There are times when it’s best to remain silent. Other times, there is no choice but to voice our opposition to the situation. We must also seek wise counsel from godly people in our lives. Perhaps someone else has faced a similar situation and can give guidance.

We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15

Wisdom’s Folly

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Wisdom isn’t always easy. Just ask King Solomon. If you know his story, you know that God appeared to him in a dream and offered to give him whatever he wanted. So Solomon, the newly crowned king of Israel, asked God to give him the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. In other words, he asked for wisdom. God was very pleased with his request, because he could have asked for fame and fortune. But since he didn’t ask for those things, God told him they would be his as well as the wisdom he requested.

You can read the story of this dream in 1 Kings 3:1-15.

Before Solomon had the dream, he had made an unwise decision that went against God’s plan for him. But this poor decision hadn’t yet soiled him. He had married the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt. I’m sure he thought this move would earn him favors and wealth, but what it did was introduce him to the worship of foreign gods. And he didn’t stop with one foreign wife. Under the guise of political alignment, he married hundreds of other women who turned him further away from the God of his father, David. Solomon must have thought it wise to marry foreign royalty in order to avoid political conflicts, but he didn’t take into account that those many wives would lure him away from the Almighty God.

The thing was. Solomon used his knowledge and wisdom to build the Temple that his father had only dreamed of. He also impressed many with his solutions to his country’s problems. And nobles from other lands visited him to glean wisdom and answers to their own questions. He was a wealth of knowledge. And as he shared his wealth of knowledge, they shared their wealth of goods with him in exchange. It seemed to be a marriage made in heaven. But what appeared to be good to outsiders was harmful to those living in his land. He worked his people long and hard. He demanded heavy taxes from his people to pay for his projects. In his search for wisdom, Solomon became a fool. He was a taskmaster who made slaves of his people while he charmed other world leaders.

Solomon’s request for wisdom early on in his royal position was made in regards to his people. He truly wanted the best for them. But his initial priorities were sidelined once he saw how he could benefit from offering his God-given gift to others who had the means to pay for his wisdom. God did say he would give fame and fortune to Solomon because of his request for wisdom. But Solomon chose to wrongly prioritize marrying pagan women who led him away from God.

Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:15

Is it true that wise men say only fools rush in? Would a wise man dare to act foolishly? Just look at Solomon. The wisest man in the world was overcome with the desire to be successful and gain power, so he formed foolish alliances. If the wisest man on earth could act foolish, then what’s stopping the rest of us from doing so?

Not only did Solomon marry outside of the nation of Israel, he amassed great fortune by marrying these pagan wives. Over time, his extreme wealth and wives led to his downfall. Once he had every material possession his heart desired, his heart no longer desired God. And so he strayed from his promise to worship only the One True God. His pagan wives influenced him to worship their false gods who could do nothing for him. Soon the nation of Israel was spiritually corrupt. All because of a wise man’s foolish decisions.

Solomon followed God’s instructions fully when he built the Temple. But when it came to personal decisions, he followed his heart. And the heart is folly. Some say that the heart wants what the heart wants, but that doesn’t mean a godly person should follow selfish leanings. As believers, our hearts should lean only toward pleasing God and not ourselves.

Wise men can stray from wisdom if their heart isn’t totally centered on God. Foolish decisions will be made. The eye will see what it shouldn’t. The ear will hear what it shouldn’t. The mouth will speak what it shouldn’t. The heart will desire what it shouldn’t. And the slide begins.

The Bible tells us that when we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us. It’s actually a wise and humble request. Who doesn’t want to have the ability to make good decisions, good judgment and discernment. That is a gift from God that not everyone has. The enemy of our souls, Satan himself, is a master strategist. He will make deception look attractive and entice us with ungodly opportunities. We need wisdom from God to give us the strength and perseverance to stand true to faithfully obey God.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

Rebelliousness

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My refrigerator door appears to have a mind of its own. When I want it to stay open, it closes. When I want it to close, it stays open. Not wide open, but open just enough that food could spoil if it went unnoticed. And it seems that the older the refrigerator gets, the more the door wants to stay open when I try to gently close it. What’s with that? I guess I didn’t realize that refrigerator doors can think for themselves.

I close the refrigerator door thinking it’s closed shut, and then I turn around to see it standing open. It seems to taunt me to push it harder. But in the past only a gentle push was necessary. And it’s not that I’ve lost my strength. It seems that the door just needs a harder push. But why? When did it change? And why did it change? I don’t understand.

I like to think that I’ve always treated my refrigerator well. But. There is the fact that I don’t clean it out properly on a regular schedule. But I do sometimes wipe smudges from the door. And I keep the fridge full of food. It doesn’t ever stand empty. At times it’s even overflowing. So, what’s the problem? I’m sure I’ll never know.

Do the hinges on refrigerator doors need to be tightened over time? If so, who does that? How would that even work? The rest of the appliance seems to be in good working order. So why not the door?

The door doesn’t realize that as the owner, I am the one who decides if it stays open or closed. I choose to keep the door open so I can load and unload food or clean it out. Or I choose whether to close it to keep the food from spoiling. It’s my decision. The door has no say in the matter. It must do as I choose. I guess I should be thankful that it can’t open and close on its own. Or there would be trouble.

It may seem strange that I’m writing about unruly refrigerator doors. But imagine if I was writing about a rebellious teenager. Or a screaming toddler. Or an obstinate employee. Or a wayward spouse. Or a sinner who constantly turns their back on God. Or myself. How would the scene be different?

For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. Romans 8:7

It isn’t surprising that the world is full of rebellious people. We are a rebellious lot. We have a stubborn streak. A selfish streak. A know-it-all streak. A mean streak. You can call it what you want, but we’re full of trouble. We have sinful desires and impulses that cause us to make bad decisions. On our own, we live in hostility to God. We don’t honor him. We disregard his commands.

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9

If we have not allowed God to be the God of our lives, then we are hostile to him. Our sinful nature is at war with God Almighty. You may ask what the sinful nature it. It’s that inherent part of a person that sins and disobeys God’s will. We all have it. We’re born with it. We can’t cut it out of ourselves. And it will dominate us if we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to control us in every way. We will be under its control.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. Romans 8:5-8

The problem is that we can’t remove our sinful nature. But when we surrender our lives to God, we can refuse to let it dictate our lives. We can follow God’s lead as we live out each day. The power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is greater than the evil spirit can ever be. As children of God, we can live free of the pressures of our sinful nature. When we bow in submission to our Savior, Jesus Christ, we allow him to be the driving force in our lives. If you haven’t already, surrender your life to Christ and repent of your sins. Don’t let sin control you.

The Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4