“You’ve GOT to be kidding me!” That must surely have been similar to the thoughts that passed through Goliath’s mind when he went out that day to, once again, challenge the Israelites. Scripture says: When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth (1 Samuel 17:42). “Disdained” is a nice word that means he was not impressed! In fact, verse 43 quotes Goliath: The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
This may seem a strange way to begin our word of encouragement today, but there is something in this story I want you to consider. David did not defeat Goliath because he was smaller, lighter and quicker while Goliath was just a big, clumsy target. Goliath was a seasoned warrior. He was a champion of the Philistines. David did not think he could win because he was so good with a slingshot he knew he could not miss. He never approached any of the challenges in his life that way.
David had defended his father’s sheep from bears and lions. In fact, he had killed these dangerous predators, but even then he knew that it was God Who had delivered him. And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you” (1 Samuel 17:37). David told King Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:32). I do not know how old David was, but he was apparently too young to fight as a soldier, yet he could not stand it that an enemy of God’s people could challenge them (and even Jehovah Himself) and get away with it.
Sometimes we face difficulties in life that seem every bit as threatening to us as Goliath seemed to the Israelites. The old devil plants himself right in front of our doorstep and yells his challenge. It is so terrifying that all we can do is shrink back in fear just like that Israelite army. Maybe what we need to do is look back at that young shepherd who was not about to let anybody challenge his God. I know, your troubles do not threaten God; they threaten you! Well, think of it this way. Has God not promised to take care of you? Has He not promised to make sure you never suffer more temptation than you’re able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13)? Well, when Satan attacks you and makes you think God cannot deliver on His promises, that is taunting God! That is the time to pick out your smooth stones and step up and face the enemy.
David said something to Goliath that all of us should remember. He said, “This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel (1 Samuel 17:46). David said, in effect, a lesson needed to be taught. Apparently, somebody had gotten the idea that they could challenge the armies of God and get away with it. In your life, today, this week, someone may have gotten the idea that they could challenge or threaten you or your peace of mind and get away with it (overcome you). Not so, if you belong to Jehovah!!
You know how the story ended. David killed Goliath, and he did it without a sword in his hand
(1 Samuel 17:50). There are times when we would very much like to fight back with the weapons of this life. Remember, we have weapons much more powerful than those. We have weapons powerful enough for the destruction of fortresses (1 Corinthians 10:4). God has given you those weapons because you need them to get through this life. Do not ever forget, He loves you and so do I.
A peaceful spring on the Macedonian side of Lake Ochrid in the Balkan Mountains
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Fear the Lord and Serve Him
Even though God had predicted that the Israelites would one day reject Him and ask for a king to rule over them, it was still a disappointment when it happened. God makes it very clear that He knew that they had turned their backs on Him as their King in order to be like the nations around them. And it was not just a disappointment; it was sin. “Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king” (1 Samuel 12:17).
There is encouragement to found in this text, however. 1 Samuel 12:13, 14: “Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God.” All they had to do was fear the Lord and serve Him and everything would be alright.
Well, not much has changed. We have all committed sin in our lives and we feel guilty for it; or we should. The answer is to fear God and serve Him. The particulars of how we do that are a little different now than when Samuel penned these words, but the concept is still the same.
The guilt that we feel for our sins is not pleasant, but it is not supposed to be. It should not feel good when we realize we have done something wrong. And the children of Israel did not feel good about it when Samuel showed them their sin. 1 Samuel 12:19: Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.”
When we sin, the first thing we must do is confess our sins and repent of them. We cannot continue a relationship with God without repenting. And, as it relates to encouragement, we cannot begin to feel encouraged without repentance. I know there are people who would be quick to tell you not to worry about it. God loves you, anyway. Well, I agree. He loves you, but you cannot walk with God and have confidence in His ability to get you through difficult times when you refuse to repent of your sin. When we want to fear the Lord and serve Him, we will obey His commands to repent of our sins.
Samuel had words of comfort even for a rebellious people. He said, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself” (1 Samuel 12:20-22).
God will take care of you. All you have to do is fear Him and serve Him. All you have to do is give yourself completely, in the way the Bible says to do it. But Samuel left them with a warning: “But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away” (1 Samuel 12:25).
I want to close today with more words from Samuel: Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you (1 Samuel 12:24). If each one of us will obey this command, we will be able to get through life’s hard places. God will help us get through them. He will because He loves you and so do I.
There is encouragement to found in this text, however. 1 Samuel 12:13, 14: “Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God.” All they had to do was fear the Lord and serve Him and everything would be alright.
Well, not much has changed. We have all committed sin in our lives and we feel guilty for it; or we should. The answer is to fear God and serve Him. The particulars of how we do that are a little different now than when Samuel penned these words, but the concept is still the same.
The guilt that we feel for our sins is not pleasant, but it is not supposed to be. It should not feel good when we realize we have done something wrong. And the children of Israel did not feel good about it when Samuel showed them their sin. 1 Samuel 12:19: Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.”
When we sin, the first thing we must do is confess our sins and repent of them. We cannot continue a relationship with God without repenting. And, as it relates to encouragement, we cannot begin to feel encouraged without repentance. I know there are people who would be quick to tell you not to worry about it. God loves you, anyway. Well, I agree. He loves you, but you cannot walk with God and have confidence in His ability to get you through difficult times when you refuse to repent of your sin. When we want to fear the Lord and serve Him, we will obey His commands to repent of our sins.
Samuel had words of comfort even for a rebellious people. He said, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself” (1 Samuel 12:20-22).
God will take care of you. All you have to do is fear Him and serve Him. All you have to do is give yourself completely, in the way the Bible says to do it. But Samuel left them with a warning: “But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away” (1 Samuel 12:25).
I want to close today with more words from Samuel: Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you (1 Samuel 12:24). If each one of us will obey this command, we will be able to get through life’s hard places. God will help us get through them. He will because He loves you and so do I.
Standing Beside Your Friends
Sometimes the best thing to help you get through a tough situation is to have a good friend close by. Even when you have to go through something difficult by yourself, it feels better to have someone close who can at least hold your hand, even if it is only in spirit. You may not be able to have someone with you in an operating room, for example, but it makes it easier to know they are in the waiting room, doesn’t it?
The apostle Paul was no different. In 2 Corinthians 7:5, 6 we read: For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; The coming of Titus was important for Paul to be able to endure the afflictions they encountered in Macedonia. It was in Macedonia where Paul and Silas found themselves in prison before they taught and baptized the jailer in Philippi (Acts 16). The Jewish leaders in Thessalonica ran them out of that city and chased them out of Berea, too. Both of those cities are in Macedonia. Still, Paul said the coming of Titus helped them get through a very tough time.
And it was not just that Titus came, but that he brought news of others who were concerned about and suffering with Paul. …and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more (2 Corinthians 7:7).
As we have pointed out numerous times, you are not in this fight (or these circumstances) alone. God is on your side and that should be enough. Romans 8:31 says that if God is for us no one can be (or stand) against us. However, God is not the Only One on our side. Faithful Christians have a whole family to stand beside us in difficult times.
Close, loving relationships are complicated, aren’t they? Paul’s relationship with the church in Corinth was complicated, too. He had worked with them for a long time and knew them very well and they knew him. In His previous letter to them, Paul had been direct and had criticized them fairly severely on some things. And yet, when times got tough for Paul, his spiritual family in Corinth came to his side, spiritually speaking. 2 Corinthians 7:8, 9: For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it -- for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while -- I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
It is very important for us to note that Paul did not change his mind about the things he wrote to them. Those were things that needed to be addressed and covered sins that needed repentance. Paul did not want to hurt their feelings, but he wanted them to lose there souls even less. I hope you begin to see the incredible power in God’s design for His family here on earth. When we are looking out for each other, we can lovingly point out weaknesses in each other and the result is that sin is repented of and when any one of us is under attack, the rest come to the aid of the one stricken.
I am so glad that I belong to a family that is that strong; that I do not have to worry that if I
preach a sermon that is lovingly (and truthfully) critical of the sin in someone’s life, my brothers and sisters will not love me anymore. At the same time, it is a tremendous comfort to me to know that if someone brings my own sin to my attention, I do not have to now treat them with suspicion, but can still stand by their side when they need me. It is a great system and we have it because God loves us. He loves you and so do I.
The apostle Paul was no different. In 2 Corinthians 7:5, 6 we read: For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; The coming of Titus was important for Paul to be able to endure the afflictions they encountered in Macedonia. It was in Macedonia where Paul and Silas found themselves in prison before they taught and baptized the jailer in Philippi (Acts 16). The Jewish leaders in Thessalonica ran them out of that city and chased them out of Berea, too. Both of those cities are in Macedonia. Still, Paul said the coming of Titus helped them get through a very tough time.
And it was not just that Titus came, but that he brought news of others who were concerned about and suffering with Paul. …and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more (2 Corinthians 7:7).
As we have pointed out numerous times, you are not in this fight (or these circumstances) alone. God is on your side and that should be enough. Romans 8:31 says that if God is for us no one can be (or stand) against us. However, God is not the Only One on our side. Faithful Christians have a whole family to stand beside us in difficult times.
Close, loving relationships are complicated, aren’t they? Paul’s relationship with the church in Corinth was complicated, too. He had worked with them for a long time and knew them very well and they knew him. In His previous letter to them, Paul had been direct and had criticized them fairly severely on some things. And yet, when times got tough for Paul, his spiritual family in Corinth came to his side, spiritually speaking. 2 Corinthians 7:8, 9: For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it -- for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while -- I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
It is very important for us to note that Paul did not change his mind about the things he wrote to them. Those were things that needed to be addressed and covered sins that needed repentance. Paul did not want to hurt their feelings, but he wanted them to lose there souls even less. I hope you begin to see the incredible power in God’s design for His family here on earth. When we are looking out for each other, we can lovingly point out weaknesses in each other and the result is that sin is repented of and when any one of us is under attack, the rest come to the aid of the one stricken.
I am so glad that I belong to a family that is that strong; that I do not have to worry that if I
preach a sermon that is lovingly (and truthfully) critical of the sin in someone’s life, my brothers and sisters will not love me anymore. At the same time, it is a tremendous comfort to me to know that if someone brings my own sin to my attention, I do not have to now treat them with suspicion, but can still stand by their side when they need me. It is a great system and we have it because God loves us. He loves you and so do I.
I Will Not Fail You
When the children of Israel were about to invade the land of Canaan, after spending 40 years wandering in the wilderness, God commissioned Joshua, the son of Nun to replace Moses. He told him, "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:4,5). What a way to start a new job! I know there are times when we start a new job (or just continue in the old one) when we feel as though we were invading Canaan. And sometimes that feeling is justified. Still, it is comforting to know that the same God Who spoke those words of comfort to Joshua, stands beside you and me in the most difficult of times.
One of my favorite themes of Scripture is that of warfare. There is something that stirs my heart when I consider the descriptions made in the Bible of the soldiers of the cross; the “good fight”; the glory of our victory in Jesus. The Israelites were told that “no man will be able to stand before you.” However, they were still going to have to fight. To fight is a scary concept for most of us. We do not like to fight. We do not want to fight, but we have to fight. When you go into the fight, take this bit of advice with you: “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7). Of course, we do not live under the law of Moses anymore, but we do live under a law which God expects us to obey. It is the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2); the law of faith (Romans 3:27); the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25).
I cannot make this point strongly enough: if you will face your enemies, careful to do according to the law of Christ and not turn from it to the right or to the left, you will have success wherever you go. Does this mean that faithful Christians never have to worry about being laid off from their jobs or fired for standing for what is right? No, it does not! Sometimes Christians do suffer for their faith. So, what does this promise mean to us? The “success” that Scripture promises us if we obey this command today is true, eternal success. You may lose your job, your friends, your family, even your life, but if you remain steadfast at the side of God Almighty, your real enemy will never be able to beat you.
The key is our faithfulness to God and His will. Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Again, the book of law in Joshua’s day was the Law of Moses (including the Ten Commandments) and that law has been nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13,14; Ephesians 2:14-16). Today, we need to meditate on the whole of the Bible just as much (day and night) in order to have the strength to contend with the one who would bring us down. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). This week, when you go out to work or to school, to start a new job or continue with an old one, be strong and courageous. Do not tremble, be dismayed or afraid because God is with you wherever you go. He loves you and so do I.
One of my favorite themes of Scripture is that of warfare. There is something that stirs my heart when I consider the descriptions made in the Bible of the soldiers of the cross; the “good fight”; the glory of our victory in Jesus. The Israelites were told that “no man will be able to stand before you.” However, they were still going to have to fight. To fight is a scary concept for most of us. We do not like to fight. We do not want to fight, but we have to fight. When you go into the fight, take this bit of advice with you: “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7). Of course, we do not live under the law of Moses anymore, but we do live under a law which God expects us to obey. It is the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2); the law of faith (Romans 3:27); the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25).
I cannot make this point strongly enough: if you will face your enemies, careful to do according to the law of Christ and not turn from it to the right or to the left, you will have success wherever you go. Does this mean that faithful Christians never have to worry about being laid off from their jobs or fired for standing for what is right? No, it does not! Sometimes Christians do suffer for their faith. So, what does this promise mean to us? The “success” that Scripture promises us if we obey this command today is true, eternal success. You may lose your job, your friends, your family, even your life, but if you remain steadfast at the side of God Almighty, your real enemy will never be able to beat you.
The key is our faithfulness to God and His will. Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Again, the book of law in Joshua’s day was the Law of Moses (including the Ten Commandments) and that law has been nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13,14; Ephesians 2:14-16). Today, we need to meditate on the whole of the Bible just as much (day and night) in order to have the strength to contend with the one who would bring us down. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). This week, when you go out to work or to school, to start a new job or continue with an old one, be strong and courageous. Do not tremble, be dismayed or afraid because God is with you wherever you go. He loves you and so do I.
Precious In His Sight
The things that afflict us in this life are all serious, especially if you are the one suffering. And of course, those things that afflict me seem more serious than those things that afflict someone else. Still, we all recognize that there are some afflictions that we feel more acutely.
I don’t suppose anything hurts as much as the loss of a loved one. Other installments of Barnabas Notes have addressed many passages of Scripture that offer comfort to those who have experienced such heartbreak. One such passage is even written for the express purpose of comforting Christians who have lost a family member or other loved one. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
For those who are faithful Christians there is the promise that the dead in Christ are safe, will be raised again and will be with their faithful loved ones and Jesus for eternity. This has to be the ultimate in words of comfort. In our pain and suffering through grief, it helps to know that God is there and considers the death of His saints as precious. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones (Psalm 116:15). At the same time, consider that those who are suffering affliction (whether from the death of a loved one or from some other source) are also considered precious in God’s sight. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in His sight (Psalm 72:14).
King David was someone precious in the sight of God. In 1 Samuel 13:14 we find that David was a man after God’s own heart. God loved Him very much. When David’s first baby with Bathsheba was born, the child was stricken. The baby suffered for a week and David suffered right along with it. On the seventh day, the child died and as grieved as David was, he determined to live his life in such a way that he would see that child again (2 Samuel 12:23). God comforted these grieving parents. He will comfort us today.
How great is the comfort in the realization that God is watching, that He cares, that He weeps with us, and that He promises to give us the strength to survive. If these words serve to give His comfort to you, I am happy to be a part of that comforting process, but we must understand that He is the Ultimate Source of the comfort we receive.
God takes care of His precious ones. He loves us and gives us all we need to overcome whatever the affliction, even when death comes to our families. Even through our pain and our tears, we can feel better, knowing that God weeps, too. He makes life worth living. He makes it worthwhile to continue on, even when we do not feel like we ever could. I hope you know today that He loves you and that I do, too.
I don’t suppose anything hurts as much as the loss of a loved one. Other installments of Barnabas Notes have addressed many passages of Scripture that offer comfort to those who have experienced such heartbreak. One such passage is even written for the express purpose of comforting Christians who have lost a family member or other loved one. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
For those who are faithful Christians there is the promise that the dead in Christ are safe, will be raised again and will be with their faithful loved ones and Jesus for eternity. This has to be the ultimate in words of comfort. In our pain and suffering through grief, it helps to know that God is there and considers the death of His saints as precious. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones (Psalm 116:15). At the same time, consider that those who are suffering affliction (whether from the death of a loved one or from some other source) are also considered precious in God’s sight. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in His sight (Psalm 72:14).
King David was someone precious in the sight of God. In 1 Samuel 13:14 we find that David was a man after God’s own heart. God loved Him very much. When David’s first baby with Bathsheba was born, the child was stricken. The baby suffered for a week and David suffered right along with it. On the seventh day, the child died and as grieved as David was, he determined to live his life in such a way that he would see that child again (2 Samuel 12:23). God comforted these grieving parents. He will comfort us today.
How great is the comfort in the realization that God is watching, that He cares, that He weeps with us, and that He promises to give us the strength to survive. If these words serve to give His comfort to you, I am happy to be a part of that comforting process, but we must understand that He is the Ultimate Source of the comfort we receive.
God takes care of His precious ones. He loves us and gives us all we need to overcome whatever the affliction, even when death comes to our families. Even through our pain and our tears, we can feel better, knowing that God weeps, too. He makes life worth living. He makes it worthwhile to continue on, even when we do not feel like we ever could. I hope you know today that He loves you and that I do, too.
Redeeming the Time
The stated purpose of Barnabas Notes is to encourage those who need encouragement. I pray that you have been encouraged by what you have read in these notes. Usually, the word of encouragement we offer comes from a passage of Scripture that tells us that God loves us and is ready, willing and able to comfort any of us in our afflictions. There is another side to encouragement, however.
In order to be truly lifted up, we have to realize that we have a responsibility, as well. God never promises to take away all our troubles so that we never have to suffer anything. We should not expect God’s blessings in our lives if we are determined to live contrary to His will, as though He does not mind our rebellion. God does not promise to give us strength to endure when we so callously treat Him and His word. It is true that sometimes we suffer as a result of the consequences of our own actions.
The most encouraging thought in all of Scripture is that God will save me in the end, to be with Him in heaven for eternity. However, that promise is offered only to those who, in faith, submit themselves to His will. Those who want to be comforted in this ultimate way (heaven) have a responsibility to live in a certain way.
The apostle Paul said, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15, 16). We have to be careful to walk as wise men. It does not just happen. “Walking as wise men” means living the way God wants us to live; living in a way that will result in eternal life and not eternal condemnation. “Making the most of your time” means not wasting time thinking that you will always have another day to do the right thing. The days are evil and every day you hold off giving yourself in faithful obedience to God, it gets harder to do.
I doubt any of us thinks living in fear is a very comforting way to live. How can we live, not in fear, but in hope? How can we know we have eternal life? The apostle John wrote us to tell us just how we can have such knowledge (1 John 5:13). Among other things, John says, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:3-5).
This is exactly the reason we always refer to Scripture in these notes from friend Barnabas. There is nothing I could ever say that can offer better hope than the hope of Scripture, but in the Word of God we have all the hope we need. Yes, God has required some things from us in order to have hope of eternal life (the ultimate answer to all our problems), but it is also true that if we obey Him, we do not have to worry about any petty little problems here on this earth. Remember the words of Paul: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). If you are a faithful Christian, you have this same hope. And you have it because God loves you and so do I.
In order to be truly lifted up, we have to realize that we have a responsibility, as well. God never promises to take away all our troubles so that we never have to suffer anything. We should not expect God’s blessings in our lives if we are determined to live contrary to His will, as though He does not mind our rebellion. God does not promise to give us strength to endure when we so callously treat Him and His word. It is true that sometimes we suffer as a result of the consequences of our own actions.
The most encouraging thought in all of Scripture is that God will save me in the end, to be with Him in heaven for eternity. However, that promise is offered only to those who, in faith, submit themselves to His will. Those who want to be comforted in this ultimate way (heaven) have a responsibility to live in a certain way.
The apostle Paul said, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15, 16). We have to be careful to walk as wise men. It does not just happen. “Walking as wise men” means living the way God wants us to live; living in a way that will result in eternal life and not eternal condemnation. “Making the most of your time” means not wasting time thinking that you will always have another day to do the right thing. The days are evil and every day you hold off giving yourself in faithful obedience to God, it gets harder to do.
I doubt any of us thinks living in fear is a very comforting way to live. How can we live, not in fear, but in hope? How can we know we have eternal life? The apostle John wrote us to tell us just how we can have such knowledge (1 John 5:13). Among other things, John says, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:3-5).
This is exactly the reason we always refer to Scripture in these notes from friend Barnabas. There is nothing I could ever say that can offer better hope than the hope of Scripture, but in the Word of God we have all the hope we need. Yes, God has required some things from us in order to have hope of eternal life (the ultimate answer to all our problems), but it is also true that if we obey Him, we do not have to worry about any petty little problems here on this earth. Remember the words of Paul: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). If you are a faithful Christian, you have this same hope. And you have it because God loves you and so do I.
We’re All in This Together
The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man...” In other Barnabas Notes we have spoken about the comforting aspect of the rest of this verse (i.e. that God will provide a way of escape from temptation), but for this week I want to talk about the comfort we find in fellowship; in this case, fellowship in suffering. Now, I do not want you to think that I am glad you suffer so that I do not feel all alone, or that any of us should glory in the suffering of others. What I mean is that it helps to know that what I suffer has been suffered by others who have endured.
I know that when things go wrong in my life, I am tempted to think that I am the only one ever to have gone through something like that. No one could possibly have had it as rough as I have it, I think. One very dangerous result of that kind of thinking is that I may well be tempted to think that it is alright if I succumb to the temptation to “curse God and die” when I am suffering (see Job 2:9), because if anyone else had ever suffered this they would understand. It makes us begin to excuse our sins rather than truly repent of them.
We have not all been where Isaiah was in Isaiah 6:1-5 (in the throne room of Jehovah God), but he showed us the proper attitude to have when we sin. “Woe is me, for I am undone!” is a good response to our own sin. We all have been in the position Peter found himself in when the rooster crowed that morning just after he had denied Jesus for the third time. No, we have not stood outside a house where Jesus was being held and denied him by “cussin” maybe, but we have all denied Him, just the same. When it dawned on Peter what he had done, he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75).
I have been there. Have you? I suspect that most of us have. In fact, if Romans 3:23 is true and we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, then we have all been where Peter was and we should have the same attitude with regard to our sin. It may feel like no one could possibly have suffered like I have, but that does not excuse my sin and it does not excuse my giving in to the temptation to let myself be overcome by evil rather than overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21).
No, you are not in this alone. We are all in this together. I hope that the things I have learned because of what I have suffered will help you or someone who needs it. By the same token, I continue to be helped and strengthened by the things that others have suffered before me. We are all in this together and I thank God Almighty that He went through it first and showed us that we can overcome. Have a great week and know that God loves you and so do I.
I know that when things go wrong in my life, I am tempted to think that I am the only one ever to have gone through something like that. No one could possibly have had it as rough as I have it, I think. One very dangerous result of that kind of thinking is that I may well be tempted to think that it is alright if I succumb to the temptation to “curse God and die” when I am suffering (see Job 2:9), because if anyone else had ever suffered this they would understand. It makes us begin to excuse our sins rather than truly repent of them.
We have not all been where Isaiah was in Isaiah 6:1-5 (in the throne room of Jehovah God), but he showed us the proper attitude to have when we sin. “Woe is me, for I am undone!” is a good response to our own sin. We all have been in the position Peter found himself in when the rooster crowed that morning just after he had denied Jesus for the third time. No, we have not stood outside a house where Jesus was being held and denied him by “cussin” maybe, but we have all denied Him, just the same. When it dawned on Peter what he had done, he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75).
I have been there. Have you? I suspect that most of us have. In fact, if Romans 3:23 is true and we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, then we have all been where Peter was and we should have the same attitude with regard to our sin. It may feel like no one could possibly have suffered like I have, but that does not excuse my sin and it does not excuse my giving in to the temptation to let myself be overcome by evil rather than overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21).
No, you are not in this alone. We are all in this together. I hope that the things I have learned because of what I have suffered will help you or someone who needs it. By the same token, I continue to be helped and strengthened by the things that others have suffered before me. We are all in this together and I thank God Almighty that He went through it first and showed us that we can overcome. Have a great week and know that God loves you and so do I.
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