The darkness is closing in. My heart is pounding so hard I can hear nothing else. Yet, there is nothing else to hear. There is only total silence…silence…deafening silence.
I remember the words: “Trust in the Lord…” “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” “Fear not for I am with you…” But I do fear. I know, I know, the Lord is with me…but where?!
My mind races. It is alternately filled with terror, then the Word, then terror again. My mind screams at me, “Where is your God?” He answers, “Here!” And calm seeps in again.
Still, I find myself here, in this world with enemies on every hand. It is so hard to fight because the enemy is so hard to see. He comes dressed as some of the best people I know; my friends, even. His methods are subtle. Before long, I am back in the dark room of my mind. I am in the fight of my life. Where do I turn? I hear my enemy calling, “Where is your God?”
There is calm again. I remember the words of my Master. I hear Him answer my enemy, “Here I am!”
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. O my God, my soul is in despair within me; therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life. I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God (Psalm 42).
God loves you and so do I.
A peaceful spring on the Macedonian side of Lake Ochrid in the Balkan Mountains
Friday, October 9, 2009
The Shadow
When you and I think of a shadow, we think of the area of darkness which is the result of light being blocked by something. Consider for a moment, however, that each of us casts a spiritual shadow. That shadow is a reflection of what is really happening in the spiritual realm as a direct result of our actions.
Joey is on a business trip that is very important to his firm. Joes is a Christian. Joey is also an alcoholic. He is deeply ashamed of his condition, but many times in the last few months he has not been strong enough to resist (or just did not resist) the temptation to drink. His family has suffered as a result. His work has suffered. His career is in peril. This may be his last chance to keep his job.
Earlier in the evening, Joey arrived at his hotel. He knows no one in this city. No one is looking over his shoulder. In the hotel restaurant, the waiter has just handed Joey a menu and a wine list. The people sitting at the other tables notice nothing out of the ordinary. They see, if they even look, nothing but a man looking at a wine list, just as they had done a moment before. They cannot see the shadow.
Joey’s thoughts turn to his wife and children who love him very much and have walked with him for several “second miles.” He thinks about his boss who has given him “another chance” so many times now he cannot remember how many. He thinks about how much he would like to have a glass…no, a bottle, of wine to take back to his room. He thinks about the fact that if he does, he will never make those calls tomorrow and how his career will most likely be over. His thoughts turn to the cross where his Lord was nailed. He imagines the blood that drips slowly to the ground under the cross; blood that was shed because of his sins, and, ironically, to wash away those same sins.
The shadow that no one sees portrays an entirely different scene. Instead of a calm picture of a man lost in thought, there are two figures. One appears to be a soldier, dressed in battle armor, armed with the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith. The other resembles a dragon, but instead of breathing fire, he is firing flaming arrows as fast as he can. They are locked in deadly combat, and neither seems to be giving ground or gaining headway.
The waiter heads back to Joey’s table. “Have you made a choice, sir?”
“Yes,” replied Joey, “I think I’ll have iced tea!”
At that instant, the sword strikes home. With a roar the dragon quits the field of battle, gravely wounded. The soldier of the cross has won this battle and has gained more strength than he could have imagined, but the dragon is out there, in the darkness, licking his wounds, biding his time. He will be back.
What a different world it would be if, for one instant, all the world could see the spiritual shadow each one casts. How many times has a shield been lowered and the fiery darts of the dragon struck home and a soul lost? Let us never forget that for all its invisibility, the shadow
is no less real.
Sometimes it does not seem like we are making any headway at all in our Good Fight. We go back and forth; this time resisting temptation and the next surrendering to it. Our shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) extinguishes some fiery darts and some get through. And it is all terribly frustrating.
In our story, no one but Joey, his enemy and his Lord knew of his victory, but it was a victory nonetheless! You may not feel like you are wining, but if you hold fast and remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58) you are winning the battle and you can say, along with the apostle Paul (who felt this same frustration): Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
There is reason to rejoice, dear friends, even in the face of the most discouraging news or events. If we are His (faithful to His will), He is ours (our Defender and Champion) and we cannot be overcome. Take that truth into battle with you and overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves you (Romans 8:37). God loves you and so do I.
Joey is on a business trip that is very important to his firm. Joes is a Christian. Joey is also an alcoholic. He is deeply ashamed of his condition, but many times in the last few months he has not been strong enough to resist (or just did not resist) the temptation to drink. His family has suffered as a result. His work has suffered. His career is in peril. This may be his last chance to keep his job.
Earlier in the evening, Joey arrived at his hotel. He knows no one in this city. No one is looking over his shoulder. In the hotel restaurant, the waiter has just handed Joey a menu and a wine list. The people sitting at the other tables notice nothing out of the ordinary. They see, if they even look, nothing but a man looking at a wine list, just as they had done a moment before. They cannot see the shadow.
Joey’s thoughts turn to his wife and children who love him very much and have walked with him for several “second miles.” He thinks about his boss who has given him “another chance” so many times now he cannot remember how many. He thinks about how much he would like to have a glass…no, a bottle, of wine to take back to his room. He thinks about the fact that if he does, he will never make those calls tomorrow and how his career will most likely be over. His thoughts turn to the cross where his Lord was nailed. He imagines the blood that drips slowly to the ground under the cross; blood that was shed because of his sins, and, ironically, to wash away those same sins.
The shadow that no one sees portrays an entirely different scene. Instead of a calm picture of a man lost in thought, there are two figures. One appears to be a soldier, dressed in battle armor, armed with the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith. The other resembles a dragon, but instead of breathing fire, he is firing flaming arrows as fast as he can. They are locked in deadly combat, and neither seems to be giving ground or gaining headway.
The waiter heads back to Joey’s table. “Have you made a choice, sir?”
“Yes,” replied Joey, “I think I’ll have iced tea!”
At that instant, the sword strikes home. With a roar the dragon quits the field of battle, gravely wounded. The soldier of the cross has won this battle and has gained more strength than he could have imagined, but the dragon is out there, in the darkness, licking his wounds, biding his time. He will be back.
What a different world it would be if, for one instant, all the world could see the spiritual shadow each one casts. How many times has a shield been lowered and the fiery darts of the dragon struck home and a soul lost? Let us never forget that for all its invisibility, the shadow
is no less real.
Sometimes it does not seem like we are making any headway at all in our Good Fight. We go back and forth; this time resisting temptation and the next surrendering to it. Our shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) extinguishes some fiery darts and some get through. And it is all terribly frustrating.
In our story, no one but Joey, his enemy and his Lord knew of his victory, but it was a victory nonetheless! You may not feel like you are wining, but if you hold fast and remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58) you are winning the battle and you can say, along with the apostle Paul (who felt this same frustration): Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
There is reason to rejoice, dear friends, even in the face of the most discouraging news or events. If we are His (faithful to His will), He is ours (our Defender and Champion) and we cannot be overcome. Take that truth into battle with you and overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves you (Romans 8:37). God loves you and so do I.
A Word of Blessing
One of the most encouraging things in my ministry (and in the ministries of most of my preacher friends) is the verbal encouragement I get from the brethren with whom I serve. That encouragement comes from statements made directly to us (my preacher friends and me) by appreciative brethren and it comes from our names and families being mentioned in public prayer. I have stated on many occasions how much I appreciate the fact that my family and I are mentioned in almost every public prayer led in the congregation where we worship when we were in full time pulpit ministry. To those of you who remember us in this way, “Thank you.”
I could not possibly know each person who reads this personally. That’s alright, though. God knows you and even if I only know you indirectly through someone else, I still want to encourage you. As I write this note, I have prayed for you. I want you to know that I do not consider this just a good writing exercise, but a truly encouraging note to help you get started in your week.
I am constantly amazed at how many times someone has been encouraged by one of these notes or in something else I said that was not planned. What I mean by that is that I may have intended to encourage someone one way, and God worked it so that someone was encouraged in a way I could never have anticipated.
In an earlier note we spent time discussing Ephesians 4:29 and Paul’s command to speak encouraging words according to the need of the moment. All of us should take that command to heart. However, sometimes we do not know all the needs of the moment. I have found that if you keep trying to bless instead of curse with your speech (Romans 12:14) you can encourage and not even know it. In those times I spoke of in the previous paragraph, the only way I knew someone had been encouraged was that they told me so.
I guess what I am trying to say is Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6). I know you have relationships where even what would normally be considered a cutting remark, spoken in a joking manner, serves to strengthen a relationship rather than weaken it. Those kinds of relationships are good and healthy. However, even then we need to be sensitive to the need of the moment. There are times that even with my best friends I need to weep with them and not try and make them laugh right this minute. We will have time for that another time.
I want to encourage you to encourage others. Say a prayer for someone right now. Let them know you have prayed for them. Tell them how much you appreciate them. That may not come naturally to you. It is true that some people find this easier to do than others. I feel confident, though, that if you will try it, you will find that the initial discomfort will change to a pretty good feeling. There is very little that satisfies more than making someone smile or feel better. And it does not really take any more effort to bless than to curse.
I pray that God will bless each one of you as you read this. I know He loves you and I want you to know that I love you, too.
I could not possibly know each person who reads this personally. That’s alright, though. God knows you and even if I only know you indirectly through someone else, I still want to encourage you. As I write this note, I have prayed for you. I want you to know that I do not consider this just a good writing exercise, but a truly encouraging note to help you get started in your week.
I am constantly amazed at how many times someone has been encouraged by one of these notes or in something else I said that was not planned. What I mean by that is that I may have intended to encourage someone one way, and God worked it so that someone was encouraged in a way I could never have anticipated.
In an earlier note we spent time discussing Ephesians 4:29 and Paul’s command to speak encouraging words according to the need of the moment. All of us should take that command to heart. However, sometimes we do not know all the needs of the moment. I have found that if you keep trying to bless instead of curse with your speech (Romans 12:14) you can encourage and not even know it. In those times I spoke of in the previous paragraph, the only way I knew someone had been encouraged was that they told me so.
I guess what I am trying to say is Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6). I know you have relationships where even what would normally be considered a cutting remark, spoken in a joking manner, serves to strengthen a relationship rather than weaken it. Those kinds of relationships are good and healthy. However, even then we need to be sensitive to the need of the moment. There are times that even with my best friends I need to weep with them and not try and make them laugh right this minute. We will have time for that another time.
I want to encourage you to encourage others. Say a prayer for someone right now. Let them know you have prayed for them. Tell them how much you appreciate them. That may not come naturally to you. It is true that some people find this easier to do than others. I feel confident, though, that if you will try it, you will find that the initial discomfort will change to a pretty good feeling. There is very little that satisfies more than making someone smile or feel better. And it does not really take any more effort to bless than to curse.
I pray that God will bless each one of you as you read this. I know He loves you and I want you to know that I love you, too.
Friendly Fire
In this time of turmoil in the Lord’s church, it may be that Christians are wounded or spiritually killed by the words and actions of other Christians, rather than from the blows of the enemy. Few things are more discouraging than the injury suffered at the hands of those who are supposed to be on our side.
This really is a time when there is a lot of discord and turmoil in the church. It is important that those who are supposed to be on the Lord’s side not fight among themselves. Now, some people feel that such discord is so dangerous and upsetting that any kind of compromise should be made so that there be no such disagreement. In other words, it is more important that we are on the same side than it is to be on the right side. Others just decide that we can agree to disagree. You go to heaven by one way and I will go by another.
Before we go any further, we must point out that there are some things concerning God, the Bible, salvation and related subjects upon which we simply must agree. If, for example, you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, Who died to give you hope of eternal life, you are not a candidate for salvation. And no matter how much I like you or think of you, I cannot agree with you and be pleasing to God, nor can I agree to disagree with you and treat you as though your beliefs on the subject of Jesus Christ are acceptable to God or of any value to you in terms of your eternal destiny. Let me also add that disagreeing with someone on this subject does not equal “Friendly Fire.”
What we mean by “Friendly Fire” is the harming of brethren. Whether a Christian is defending the truth, or is defending a false doctrine he has come to believe, when he or she defends that position with an attitude that hurts and damages other Christians, he is guilty of Friendly Fire; guilty of doing harm to one who is supposed to be an ally. Some may be puzzled that we included those who are defending the truth in this scenario. It is true that even those who speak the truth can do so without love and hurt rather than heal. The sword of the Spirit (the word of God, Ephesians 6:17) is very sharp (Hebrews 4:12). That means those who handle it (see 2 Timothy 2:15) should be very careful that they do not mishandle it and do damage. James writes: Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it (James 4:11). We must be very careful not to speak evil of or against our brethren.
How, then, do we reprove and rebuke our brethren, as we are so clearly commanded to do (Titus 1:13; 2 Timothy 4:2)? Well, we have to do it with patience and humility (Galatians 6:1; 1 Peter 3:15). We cannot be afraid to wield the sword of the Spirit just because we are afraid we will cut someone. We have to learn to wield it without cutting unnecessarily. Sometimes that is not very easy, but war is never supposed to be easy. And we are at war. Let us remember that our brethren, even brethren with whom we disagree strongly, are not the enemy.
Friendly Fire is a danger anytime there is conflict. That is not said as an excuse, but as a warning. It is a danger we must try very hard to avoid. God loves each one of you and if you have suffered at the hands of your brethren, He knows your pain. And if you have inflicted any such pain, He knows that, too. Peter writes that we are to love the brotherhood (1 Peter 2:17). Earlier he had said: Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart… (1 Peter 1:22). Friends, let us be very careful not to hurt and injure with our words, but speak words of encouragement according to the need of the moment (Ephesians 4:29). God loves you and so do I.
This really is a time when there is a lot of discord and turmoil in the church. It is important that those who are supposed to be on the Lord’s side not fight among themselves. Now, some people feel that such discord is so dangerous and upsetting that any kind of compromise should be made so that there be no such disagreement. In other words, it is more important that we are on the same side than it is to be on the right side. Others just decide that we can agree to disagree. You go to heaven by one way and I will go by another.
Before we go any further, we must point out that there are some things concerning God, the Bible, salvation and related subjects upon which we simply must agree. If, for example, you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, Who died to give you hope of eternal life, you are not a candidate for salvation. And no matter how much I like you or think of you, I cannot agree with you and be pleasing to God, nor can I agree to disagree with you and treat you as though your beliefs on the subject of Jesus Christ are acceptable to God or of any value to you in terms of your eternal destiny. Let me also add that disagreeing with someone on this subject does not equal “Friendly Fire.”
What we mean by “Friendly Fire” is the harming of brethren. Whether a Christian is defending the truth, or is defending a false doctrine he has come to believe, when he or she defends that position with an attitude that hurts and damages other Christians, he is guilty of Friendly Fire; guilty of doing harm to one who is supposed to be an ally. Some may be puzzled that we included those who are defending the truth in this scenario. It is true that even those who speak the truth can do so without love and hurt rather than heal. The sword of the Spirit (the word of God, Ephesians 6:17) is very sharp (Hebrews 4:12). That means those who handle it (see 2 Timothy 2:15) should be very careful that they do not mishandle it and do damage. James writes: Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it (James 4:11). We must be very careful not to speak evil of or against our brethren.
How, then, do we reprove and rebuke our brethren, as we are so clearly commanded to do (Titus 1:13; 2 Timothy 4:2)? Well, we have to do it with patience and humility (Galatians 6:1; 1 Peter 3:15). We cannot be afraid to wield the sword of the Spirit just because we are afraid we will cut someone. We have to learn to wield it without cutting unnecessarily. Sometimes that is not very easy, but war is never supposed to be easy. And we are at war. Let us remember that our brethren, even brethren with whom we disagree strongly, are not the enemy.
Friendly Fire is a danger anytime there is conflict. That is not said as an excuse, but as a warning. It is a danger we must try very hard to avoid. God loves each one of you and if you have suffered at the hands of your brethren, He knows your pain. And if you have inflicted any such pain, He knows that, too. Peter writes that we are to love the brotherhood (1 Peter 2:17). Earlier he had said: Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart… (1 Peter 1:22). Friends, let us be very careful not to hurt and injure with our words, but speak words of encouragement according to the need of the moment (Ephesians 4:29). God loves you and so do I.
What is Your Name?
One of the most pathetic figures in all of Scripture is the Gerasene (or Gadarene) demoniac. I mean pathetic in the most sympathetic way. The story is found in Mark 5:1-20. Are you familiar with the story? It is the one where Jesus allowed the demons who had possessed this man to go into a herd of swine who promptly demonstrated their intolerance for such foolishness and ran headlong into the lake and drowned.
I called this man “pathetic.” Part of the definition of “pathetic” is “pitiable” or “evoking pity.” You cannot read about this man’s life without feeling sorry for him. How awful to live your life like this! I know he was possessed by demons (the title of this chapter comes from Jesus’ question to the demons) and we cannot be so possessed today, but I am not talking about the cause of his condition. I want you to just consider the condition itself. This man lived in the tombs away from the townspeople because he was so violent. He could not be bound even with chains. He did not wear clothes and he was in such torment that …constantly night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones (Mark 5:5). Isn’t that just horrible?
I have to tell you, my life does not seem so bad. How about yours? You may very well have been in such agony (either in physical pain or in mental anguish) that you actually cried out. I have. Many people have. But how bad does your life have to be that you spend all night and day crying out and gashing yourself with stones? Why would a person do that? I have a theory. I suspect his mental anguish was so bad that the physical pain he was inflicting upon himself would have been a relief. Now that’s pathetic! That is worthy of our pity!!
I am not completely sure whose idea it was for this man to approach Jesus. It could have been the demon’s idea or it could have been a desperate attempt by the man himself to finally be free. Whoever had the idea, he found himself bowed before Immanuel (God with us). You may be the kind of person who, at the first sign of trouble, runs to God in prayer. That is good and I commend you for it. Do not stop doing that! However, you may be the kind of person who runs blindly in any direction at the first sign of trouble. Maybe you panic in your effort to find an answer to your problems. Sometimes even people who respond this way find themselves suddenly confronted with God and His Word. Regardless of your initial reaction to the threat, you have the opportunity to be free.
I really do not mean this note to be about demon possession or specifically what to do when this problem or that assails you in life. I just wanted to offer a note of encouragement by looking at such a pitiable character as this man, whose life was worse than I can even imagine and how he ended up. After the demons left and went into the swine he was a different man. When the people from town came out they …observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind… (Mark 5:15). After meeting Jesus he was cured. He was free! His life was back to normal; well on its way to normal, anyway. I am sure he had a lot of convincing to do with some of his neighbors.
Your life and mine can seem pretty desperate sometimes, I know. Even with some preacher telling you (or writing you) that your life is not as bad as some guy who was possessed by a
whole bunch of demons, your life may still seem pretty bad; your “demons” just as real. I will not try and argue with you and tell you that you are not as bad off as you think. I WILL tell you that there is a place you can go for relief. That place is before Jesus on your knees. If you go there and humble yourself in His presence, give yourself completely to Him (obeying all His commands in faith) you will be as healed and freed of the things that afflict you in this life as this demoniac.
This story lifts me up and encourages me more than any other case of Jesus healing or feeding or working other miracles. I hope it encourages you. I want you to be free of whatever keeps you from being what God wants you to be. I want your mind to be at peace and God can give you that peace, if you will just take it on His terms. He offers peace because He loves you and I write this to you because I love you, too.
I called this man “pathetic.” Part of the definition of “pathetic” is “pitiable” or “evoking pity.” You cannot read about this man’s life without feeling sorry for him. How awful to live your life like this! I know he was possessed by demons (the title of this chapter comes from Jesus’ question to the demons) and we cannot be so possessed today, but I am not talking about the cause of his condition. I want you to just consider the condition itself. This man lived in the tombs away from the townspeople because he was so violent. He could not be bound even with chains. He did not wear clothes and he was in such torment that …constantly night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones (Mark 5:5). Isn’t that just horrible?
I have to tell you, my life does not seem so bad. How about yours? You may very well have been in such agony (either in physical pain or in mental anguish) that you actually cried out. I have. Many people have. But how bad does your life have to be that you spend all night and day crying out and gashing yourself with stones? Why would a person do that? I have a theory. I suspect his mental anguish was so bad that the physical pain he was inflicting upon himself would have been a relief. Now that’s pathetic! That is worthy of our pity!!
I am not completely sure whose idea it was for this man to approach Jesus. It could have been the demon’s idea or it could have been a desperate attempt by the man himself to finally be free. Whoever had the idea, he found himself bowed before Immanuel (God with us). You may be the kind of person who, at the first sign of trouble, runs to God in prayer. That is good and I commend you for it. Do not stop doing that! However, you may be the kind of person who runs blindly in any direction at the first sign of trouble. Maybe you panic in your effort to find an answer to your problems. Sometimes even people who respond this way find themselves suddenly confronted with God and His Word. Regardless of your initial reaction to the threat, you have the opportunity to be free.
I really do not mean this note to be about demon possession or specifically what to do when this problem or that assails you in life. I just wanted to offer a note of encouragement by looking at such a pitiable character as this man, whose life was worse than I can even imagine and how he ended up. After the demons left and went into the swine he was a different man. When the people from town came out they …observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind… (Mark 5:15). After meeting Jesus he was cured. He was free! His life was back to normal; well on its way to normal, anyway. I am sure he had a lot of convincing to do with some of his neighbors.
Your life and mine can seem pretty desperate sometimes, I know. Even with some preacher telling you (or writing you) that your life is not as bad as some guy who was possessed by a
whole bunch of demons, your life may still seem pretty bad; your “demons” just as real. I will not try and argue with you and tell you that you are not as bad off as you think. I WILL tell you that there is a place you can go for relief. That place is before Jesus on your knees. If you go there and humble yourself in His presence, give yourself completely to Him (obeying all His commands in faith) you will be as healed and freed of the things that afflict you in this life as this demoniac.
This story lifts me up and encourages me more than any other case of Jesus healing or feeding or working other miracles. I hope it encourages you. I want you to be free of whatever keeps you from being what God wants you to be. I want your mind to be at peace and God can give you that peace, if you will just take it on His terms. He offers peace because He loves you and I write this to you because I love you, too.
Courage under Fire
With many of our loved ones in the military facing the dangers of war, it seemed appropriate to write something about courage. We appreciate so much those of our number who willingly face injury and death to protect our way of life. It takes courage to do that . Our national history is full of men and women who have courageously faced enemies on every side and unselfishly laid down their lives for their comrades, countrymen and loved ones. They are heroes to us all. We always pray earnestly that war will be avoided, but know that if such proves necessary, courage will again accompany the brave into battle.
Courage is important to the Christian, too. It takes courage to be faithful. Perhaps you never thought of religion in those terms, but it’s true. Oh, we understand that it takes courage to go into a dangerous foreign land and preach the gospel. Of course it takes courage to continue to confess Jesus even when someone puts a gun in your face and dares you to. However, you may not have thought it takes much courage to live the Christian life you live. Well, it does! It takes courage to live your life faithfully, that is.
We give a ticker-tape parade to the battlefield hero and we are full of praise for brother Smith’s stand against false doctrine and sister Jones’ defense of the truth and those accolades are well deserved. I want you to think, though, of the courage it takes for you, the average, ordinary person, to live a faithful life. Maybe you are a soldier, a preacher, an elder in the church, or maybe you’re a homemaker, a teacher, or a truck driver; it really doesn’t matter. Suppose you are all alone one day and you come face to face with temptation. It doesn’t matter what the temptation is; we all face it in one form or another. This particular temptation, however, is particularly effective because it tempts you to do something that is sinful, but that no one else will know about. You can do it and no one will know. You can even do it and repent and no one will know, making it even more tempting. What do you do?
Let us let our imaginations take over for just a moment and move us into the spiritual realm. Who is that soldier standing to one side? Why, it’s you! And there [s your armor spread out all around you on the ground. What’s that sound? It sounds terrifying! That sound is the sound of your enemy, the dragon, that serpent of old, Satan himself, approaching. And he’s coming for you!
My description may be a little melodramatic, but this is exactly what is happening when you face temptation. The fight is on and you’ve got to put on your armor and fight or you are going to be devoured. Here is what I really want you to notice, though. Over to one side of the dragon you can see someone else fighting. That’s old brother Smith. You remember. He’s the one you thought so highly of for standing against false doctrine. You thought he was a REAL soldier of the cross. And there, on the other side of the dragon. It’s sister Jones, whom you admired for so ably defending the truth. The point is, they are fighting the good fight and so are you...if you’re fighting, that is. It takes no more courage for the preacher or the elder or anyone else in the congregation you admire and think of as more spiritual and spiritually able than you, to fight the good fight than it does for you. And when you fight off that temptation that no one else will ever know about, you have struck home a blow right in the heart of that old dragon.
Hear the words of the Lord: Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24. When you face those enemies (temptations or people) remember these words: Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Good friends, in these days of uncertainty, keep the faith, be of good cheer and be strong and courageous. If you do, you cannot lose because God loves you and so do I.
Courage is important to the Christian, too. It takes courage to be faithful. Perhaps you never thought of religion in those terms, but it’s true. Oh, we understand that it takes courage to go into a dangerous foreign land and preach the gospel. Of course it takes courage to continue to confess Jesus even when someone puts a gun in your face and dares you to. However, you may not have thought it takes much courage to live the Christian life you live. Well, it does! It takes courage to live your life faithfully, that is.
We give a ticker-tape parade to the battlefield hero and we are full of praise for brother Smith’s stand against false doctrine and sister Jones’ defense of the truth and those accolades are well deserved. I want you to think, though, of the courage it takes for you, the average, ordinary person, to live a faithful life. Maybe you are a soldier, a preacher, an elder in the church, or maybe you’re a homemaker, a teacher, or a truck driver; it really doesn’t matter. Suppose you are all alone one day and you come face to face with temptation. It doesn’t matter what the temptation is; we all face it in one form or another. This particular temptation, however, is particularly effective because it tempts you to do something that is sinful, but that no one else will know about. You can do it and no one will know. You can even do it and repent and no one will know, making it even more tempting. What do you do?
Let us let our imaginations take over for just a moment and move us into the spiritual realm. Who is that soldier standing to one side? Why, it’s you! And there [s your armor spread out all around you on the ground. What’s that sound? It sounds terrifying! That sound is the sound of your enemy, the dragon, that serpent of old, Satan himself, approaching. And he’s coming for you!
My description may be a little melodramatic, but this is exactly what is happening when you face temptation. The fight is on and you’ve got to put on your armor and fight or you are going to be devoured. Here is what I really want you to notice, though. Over to one side of the dragon you can see someone else fighting. That’s old brother Smith. You remember. He’s the one you thought so highly of for standing against false doctrine. You thought he was a REAL soldier of the cross. And there, on the other side of the dragon. It’s sister Jones, whom you admired for so ably defending the truth. The point is, they are fighting the good fight and so are you...if you’re fighting, that is. It takes no more courage for the preacher or the elder or anyone else in the congregation you admire and think of as more spiritual and spiritually able than you, to fight the good fight than it does for you. And when you fight off that temptation that no one else will ever know about, you have struck home a blow right in the heart of that old dragon.
Hear the words of the Lord: Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24. When you face those enemies (temptations or people) remember these words: Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Good friends, in these days of uncertainty, keep the faith, be of good cheer and be strong and courageous. If you do, you cannot lose because God loves you and so do I.
When All is Said and Done
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). I know, I know…that does not sound like a very encouraging way to start a note of encouragement. However, Solomon had some very important things to say after he wrote this rather discouraging-sounding statement. It is not hard for us to become discouraged enough that we want to cry the same cry when we look at our lives. Sometimes the pressure builds up so much that we know exactly what Solomon meant. Or, we think we do, anyway.
Actually, Solomon seems to have been speaking out of something other than frustration. First of all, Solomon wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit, so that makes this a little different from the petty frustrations I have from time to time. Solomon was not writing out of frustration, but out of experience. What Solomon had discovered is that trying to gain happiness by any other means than by giving yourself completely to the will of God is vain, futile and worthless. And Solomon had tried everything he could try.
In Ecclesiastes 2:1 he said to himself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. Boy, wouldn’t you like to give yourself that test? Solomon actually tried to find happiness and fulfillment in personal, physical pleasure. He held nothing back from himself and in the end he found that pleasure, too, was vain and futile. Pleasure just will not work when it comes to making you truly happy or fulfilled.
There are a lot of people in this world who have the same idea that Solomon had: to test themselves with pleasure. They hold nothing back; there are no holds barred. Anything goes! And yet they find themselves increasingly unhappy rather than happy. You do not have to be a genius to look around and see that unhappiness reigns supreme in the lives of many, many people. Maybe you are one of them.
You will be happy to know that Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes is not a book of complaints that life is unfair. When he says all is vanity, he means all that originates with man is vanity. There is hope. There is encouragement to be had if you will look in the right place. In the last chapter of Ecclesiastes we find some words of true wisdom. In 12:1 he says, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them’…” In other words, stop looking for fulfillment in yourself or here on earth and turn to God before it’s too late! Read Ecclesiastes 12:2-5 and apply what is written there to the running down of the human body as we grow old.
Solomon gives one more bit of advice for those who are searching for happiness and fulfillment. In 12:13 he says, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” There is nothing I could say that would be more encouraging than that. True happiness, true encouragement can only come from God. Know that anything other than total commitment to God is futility. And know that He loves you and so do I.
Actually, Solomon seems to have been speaking out of something other than frustration. First of all, Solomon wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit, so that makes this a little different from the petty frustrations I have from time to time. Solomon was not writing out of frustration, but out of experience. What Solomon had discovered is that trying to gain happiness by any other means than by giving yourself completely to the will of God is vain, futile and worthless. And Solomon had tried everything he could try.
In Ecclesiastes 2:1 he said to himself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. Boy, wouldn’t you like to give yourself that test? Solomon actually tried to find happiness and fulfillment in personal, physical pleasure. He held nothing back from himself and in the end he found that pleasure, too, was vain and futile. Pleasure just will not work when it comes to making you truly happy or fulfilled.
There are a lot of people in this world who have the same idea that Solomon had: to test themselves with pleasure. They hold nothing back; there are no holds barred. Anything goes! And yet they find themselves increasingly unhappy rather than happy. You do not have to be a genius to look around and see that unhappiness reigns supreme in the lives of many, many people. Maybe you are one of them.
You will be happy to know that Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes is not a book of complaints that life is unfair. When he says all is vanity, he means all that originates with man is vanity. There is hope. There is encouragement to be had if you will look in the right place. In the last chapter of Ecclesiastes we find some words of true wisdom. In 12:1 he says, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them’…” In other words, stop looking for fulfillment in yourself or here on earth and turn to God before it’s too late! Read Ecclesiastes 12:2-5 and apply what is written there to the running down of the human body as we grow old.
Solomon gives one more bit of advice for those who are searching for happiness and fulfillment. In 12:13 he says, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” There is nothing I could say that would be more encouraging than that. True happiness, true encouragement can only come from God. Know that anything other than total commitment to God is futility. And know that He loves you and so do I.
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