“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
My wife and I went to a dinner theater last week with my aunt, uncle and a few of their friends. Shortly before the intermission, one of the ladies in our group collapsed into the lap of the woman sitting next to her. Admittedly, given her symptoms, most of us thought that she was dying. Thankfully, by the time the ambulance arrived, she had recovered enough to walk to the gurney. After spending the night in the hospital, she was released with a heart monitor. Aside from the obvious concerns for those involved, it raised a deeply rooted fear of my own. As much as I accept God’s will in my life, the thought of a public medical emergency still haunts me…and I’ve had a few. For many of us, it raises concerns about embarrassment, image, and acceptance. Ultimately, we cannot control the events of our lives, but we can control our response to them with a bit of truth.
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For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. Mark 9:41
Our family spent the weekend with my aunt and uncle at their lake house. Saturday morning our older daughter asked if I would go running with her so I agreed. I can usually run a short distance without much problem, however, this time it seemed as if everything was against me. In the end it was a couple of miles of pure frustration. It left me unsettled with a few questions: is this an anomaly, will I no longer be able to enjoy a good run, or is this something that I will recover from? Further is it may be yet another loss that I must accept and another limitation to undermine how I feel about myself? In any event, I kept moving one small step at a time…sometimes running, but mostly walking. In the end it became an object lesson about living well and led to a conversation with God about life and faith.
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To live well is to work well, to show a good activity.
O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror. Psalm 10:17-18
As I stated in the last post (Pride and Humility Part 1 – Pride Renounced), we live in a culture that promotes autonomy, independence and self-assuredness. When controlled, these characteristics are useful tools in life. However, left unchecked, they will likely lead to pride. Prideful arrogance impedes a relationship with God, inhibits relationships with others, multiplies guilt, brings dishonor and insures judgement. Alternatively, humility is often despised by our culture because it appears to be the weaker trait. However, it is desired by God because it yields rewards in both this life and the one to come. Following are a few of the benefits.
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“Humility and patience are the surest proofs of the increase of love.”
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” Proverbs 29:23
In a world that promotes autonomy, independence and self-assuredness, humility is not considered to be an asset. In the secular realm, it may be a matter of poor self-esteem. However, in the Christian domain, it is recognition of who we are before God and a willingness to sacrifice what we have been given to serve our Lord as well as our fellow man. People who are truly humble are usually readily identifiable and we are drawn to them. They are warm and care about others. It is a contrast to those who are proud and often self-absorbed.
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But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12
I’ve watched several people die…it’s not a particularly pleasant experience. The closer you are to them, the harder it is. The longer it takes, the more time you have to think. That time and that pondering offer an opportunity for personal reflection in a way that no other experience does. As someone you love is on the brink of entering eternity, what is important in life seems to be much clearer than when we are in the daily race meeting deadlines and running errands, etc. Knowing that a loved one will shortly meet their Lord and God allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us and apply God’s word to our lives in ways that drive home His message with more depth and understanding. In short, it is a wake-up call to pursue a life well lived…that is, to live intentionally rather than passively.
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Divine jealousy is thus a zeal to protect a love relationship or to avenge it when it is broken. Jealousy in God is that passionate energy by which He is provoked and stirred and moved to take action against whatever or whoever stands in the way of His enjoyment of what He loves and desires. The intensity if God’s anger at threats to this relationship is directly proportionate to the depths of His love… Jealousy in God is not a “green-eyed monster” but a “red-faced lover” who will brook no rivals in His relationship with His people.
Sam Storms
Pleasures Evermore: The Life-Changing Power of Knowing God
(NavPress – www.navpress.org, 2000), 295
“Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.” Psalm 119:143-144
Anguish is the inward response to trouble. For those with a balanced perspective, anguish is reserved for extreme circumstances. The Hebrew word used is derived from the word for a narrow place. Therefore, in this context, the connotation is a place of confinement or disability. That’s exactly what anguish does to us mentally; it makes us feel hemmed in and incapacitated. It is both suffocating and immobilizing. Even so, the writer of Psalm 119 expresses delight in God’s commands when faced with trials. While at first blush it may seem odd to experience both anguish and delight in the same circumstance, as Christians, there are several reasons to be delighted in dire situations.
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Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you.
