All that I need . . .

I’ve a traditional reaction to the last day of a year. I want to consider the past for things to change, stop or revise. I also want to consider what God might want from me in the new year. At the same time, I think more about time passing and the nearness of being with Jesus in His eternal kingdom.

These are not gloomy thoughts but hopeful. The passage Tozer selected is a good summary for me . . .

“As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:15–19)

So are Tozer’s words good for me. He says, “If the world’s foundations crumble, we still have God, and in Him we have everything essential to our ransomed beings forever.”

I have Jesus. He died for me and now sits at the right hand of God making intercession for me. I’m so very aware of all that He has done and look forward to seeing Him face to face.

I have the Scriptures, the Word of God. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

I have the precious Holy Spirit to interpret the Scriptures to my heart. He guides, instructs and comforts me, giving me all that I need to walk with God both here and forever.

I have prayer and faith. Tozer says “these bring heaven to earth and turn even bitter Marah sweet” which is true. This is my communication with God and my trust in Him and because they are gifts from the Lord, they will never falter or be taken from me.

Last night we visited a family from China. They were told that I have a pacemaker and the older woman, who knows very little English, tried to reassure me that pacemakers were reliable and seldom fail. I indicated to her that even if the pacemaker failed and the worst happened, I would go up there, and pointed toward heaven. She broke out in a big smile.

This is what Tozer says too. No matter what, we who believe in Jesus Christ and walk with Him have our Father’s house and our Father’s welcome. Those who know these eternal blessings also know that death is not the end . . .

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

2018 was a difficult year for my health, but God gave me this verse to assure me that even if this crazy heartbeat got the best of me, He is taking care of me. His care is both for this life and the life to come.

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Jesus, I am thankful for all that You are and all that You do, for me and for everyone. No one knows what the new year will bring, but I do know that You never change. You are the same yesterday, today and forever. I can depend on Your promises and Your care. Should the world crumble I still have You — and in You I have everything that I need.

 

Hallelujah

Our social life right now is busier than it has been in years. My renewed energy might be part of it, but I’m more convinced of God’s hand in our lives and realizing His will is perfect, even in the smallest things.

For instance, we expected family on Friday for dinner, but one got sick. Two came but had to go home early and did not eat with us. Two more came and did eat with us but we didn’t know they were coming until an hour before the meal. The one that was ill felt better yesterday and came with a friend. The amazing part was that all our upset plans turned out just right. We had three wonderful visits and the timing was wonderful. We have been singing Hallelujah ever since.

For most people, this seems like a minor thing, even a coincidence. For us, it was about answered prayer and about being yielded to the will of God. I was not ‘bent out of shape’ because things were not working out as I’d hoped. God had a better plan in these family events and seeing them happen helps me with trusting Him for other events, such as the mess the world seems to be experiencing. Who can guess what God will do? I am only certain that trusting Him makes a huge difference in my stress level.

Tozer puts it this way: “It is amazing how little outside stimulus we need if we have that inward stimulus. It is amazing how much God will meet our needs. It will not be God and something else. It will be God in everything.”

My favorite prophet lived at a time when God’s people were disobedient and doing their own thing. He wrote the Word of God as a promise and a warning:

“But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts and went backward and not forward. From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.” (Jeremiah 7:23–26)

These words sound stern but the Lord is a gentle teacher. His patience and persistence are incredible. As I look back over what He has taught me in the past 5-6 years, I’m overwhelmed at His goodness and at the way He has guided me. I am stubborn and often prone to do my own thing, but He has taught me to listen and be soft about having my way. I’m far more determined to follow His will instead. This is not perfected, but the improvement is huge and the reward is just as He says; when I walk in His ways, everything goes well with me.

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Jesus, there is such joy in strolling through life with You. I’ve jumped off the path, resisted, thought I knew what I was doing, been foolish and disobedient, yet You persist in lovingly grabbing hold of me. You never let me fall too far. You know how to show me the errors of my way and bring me back to walk alongside You, trusting You even when the way seems twisty or dark or confusing. My physical heart has returned to a normal pulse and my spiritual heart is happier than ever because it too is learning what it means to live a normal Christian life with that inner stimulus that Tozer writes about, the inner presence of a joyful and gentle Almighty God.

Who will listen?

In Bible college I had one class where an assigned mentor gave me specific books to read and discuss. One of them was about ‘doing theology’ in the sense that every generation must form a way to say the truths of God without distorting them. That is, they must remain true but still make sense to the people of their time.

Some of this could be a challenge. For instance, a great deal of our population communicates using text shorthand. LOL is not in the Bible, but I’m sure that putting John 3:16 into the current shorthand used in texting would mean a loss in meaning to the recipient!

Tozer’s devotional points out the problems with doing theology in any age. He says two errors are current regarding old things; everything old is good and everything new is bad.

One of my relatives is in that camp. He only recently got a computer and uses it strictly for email, a new thing for him, but outdated for many others. In his mind, there is no way computers have any value and he would never be caught texting on his phone.

Yet in many cases the opposite has happened regarding the things of God. Many people consider the Bible an ‘old book’ without value and Christian living is ‘old fashioned’ and certainly those who live according to the word of God are ‘not with it’ and are ‘out of date’ to use some of the polite language.

This morning I’m looking at a passage that says this is not a recent notion. Several hundred years before Christ, people had the same difficulty. The Lord said to them:

“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.” (Jeremiah 6:16–19)

Were they hung up on the belief that old ideas thwart progress and discourage creativity? Or was their problem with the ideas themselves, not that they were ‘old’ but the people simply didn’t want to obey God?

The problem with obeying God remains, even though the forms have changed. Back then, the people wanted to look good so they offered sacrifices and attended worship services, but they were hypocrites at heart. Today, many people have no desire to appear godly. They would rather be what they are (self-centered) without naming what they are doing the way God names it (sin). They do not care about being in right relationship with Him, only about being and doing whatever they desire.

This presents a huge problem to those who know the Lord through faith. How can I present the truths of God to a generation that thinks He does not exist? To those who dismiss the Bible as a man-written old book? To those who think that Christians are fools if they live for Christ instead of doing whatever is profitable for themselves?

Tozer says he would like to see people committed to the everlasting truth as God gave it in the inspiration of Scripture and the faith of our fathers, so much so that going backward is not possible and so they can present truth in an imaginative way for our time.

He raises the question in my mind: Do people still respond to godliness? Does anyone care if someone is able to discern good from evil? Do they take notice of those who serve others without personal gain? Do they listen with interest to someone who speaks truth that challenges their ideas? Do they care if generous people take care of the needy or if someone shows compassion when others suffer loss? Do they respond If someone points to an everlasting and loving God in an effort encourage them when they are down and out?

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Jesus, I know Your truth is eternal. It isn’t about the times or the culture but it is about how we communicate. Please help me become a better communicator. Help me speak the ancient truth in words and actions that touch the hearts of those who need it — even if they do not respond. Jeremiah dared to speak up, risking his very life — even though You told him no one would listen. That kind of commitment takes courage, a courage that only You can provide. Nevertheless, I would like to see Your truth rise above time and affect a culture that is sinking lower and lower.