Nothing is too hard for God

You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. 

Jeremiah said this to God about His OT people. I could say it to at least one person I know who declared faith as a young teen, then did not go very far with obedience. The actions are supposed to come from the heart, but a heart can be soured by selfish and disobedient actions. 
This is God's reply to the prophet and it speaks to me too. Those who profess faith are in trouble when their walk and talk begin to deny what God has done.

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the Lord. This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger. . . . They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. 

One would expect God to walk away but that is not the way He works. If anyone’s initial declaration of faith is the work of God, then He is not finished yet. This is what He answered to Jeremiah’s cries and to my prayers for such severe back-sliding:

“Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. “For thus says the Lord: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. (Jeremiah 32:21–42)

He will bring them back. He will make them safe. He will rejoice in doing them good. Nothing is too hard for Him.

Jesus, You died for sinners, even those who started out okay and are in deep denial of who they really belong to. I’ve learned how easily we sinners slide away from You, You never give up on us. That reality is incredible. How can I say thanks for Your amazing grace!

 

I’m His because He is mine…

Today’s reading is a prayer of consecration. The author ends each section with, “Help me, oh my God!” Before reading it, I sang several songs with praise to God for the reality that He does help us. I do belong to Him. It was His choice, not mine.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)

Yes, I also must yield myself to Him, not that my willingness makes Him work in my life, but that my resistance slows down the process. One day I will be like Him, whether I fully cooperate or not.

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:2–3)

If I focus on my own I-wants in fleshy selfishness, He will work to change that focus. He may use the reading of His Word, or good sermons, or rebukes from friends, or trials that break my stubborn will, or it might be on that final journey’s end when I see Him face-to-face, but He choose me to be His child and to bear fruit in His name. All resistance is useless and a waste of time and effort.

Could I win a battle with Almighty God and His purposes? Maybe for a time. Maybe on certain occasions, but only to see the futility of my way vs. His eternal purposes for me. Learning this is learning to say “I give you my….” whatever I am withholding. As the reading says, it could be my thoughts, likes, dislikes, the management of my life and plans, what I see, hear, where I go and who I spend time with, what I do with my time, the words that I say, the people I love, how I treat those I know and do not know, including those whose way of life is good and those who are evil.

When Jesus said, “Not my will, but thine be done” He was yielding up His very life. He always offered all He did and said and wanted to do to His heavenly Father. That is consecration.

And because Jesus is my Savior, this is not up to me and my willingness to yield. He said He would do it — whether here in this life or with Him in eternity. I am His. It helps me to think that way and to realize the wonder of being at peace when I stop thinking or acting as if I run my own life.

PRAY: Jesus, what more can be said? I am consecrated to You because You consecrated Yourself to my full salvation. I know You are committed to help me become totally willing. Because of You, it is possible to be totally committed to Your plan for my life and my destiny. Apart from You, I’m useless and unable, like a glove without a hand. With You, this useless glove can move mountains.

Interruptions and Detours

 
The goal is good. I go that way, but then comes a detour sign and my route changes with this interruption. The signs are not large. I need to keep my eyes open to see them and turn where they indicate. Soon I am back on the route originally planned after this loop de loop that took me through unfamiliar territory. If it had not been for the signs, I would have lost my sense of direction and location.

This time, the signs are minuscule. I feel like turning around, or at least pulling over to wring my hands and wonder what next. But that still small voice urges me to do the next thing. Oddly, even in unfamiliar territory, I always know what it is.

Joseph had this experience from a youth to a mature man — a long time. He was told his destiny in dreams but not the route. Did he focus on that message from his dreams? His story does not say he did and those dreams seemed unlikely as he was sold into slavery, mistreated, lied about, put in prison, forgotten, and finally became a leader in a foreign land. Then his betraying brothers showed up and he had the authority over them that his dream foretold. He could have taken revenge, but his detour taught him something…

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:19–21)

This was the lesson learned in the detour. He listened, responded to his trials as God desired, and came to his destiny with the attitude that God wanted for him. It was worth it all to weep at the end when his entire family was rescued.

This story makes me weep. It is God telling me that that His chastening and refining work of sorrow and trouble has a higher purpose. He can and will thwart my course, detour my plans. And put me on a path where I will reach the goals He has for me with an attitude that is far better than anything I could imagine. Like Joseph, He works all things together for my good — and for His glory.

Disappointments are gateways to prosperity in the very things we have thought they were going to ruin. It seems like God is slowing me down, putting obstacles in my way, yet these things are part of His purposes. Today’s devotional says that I must not conclude that all is over and give up in despair. These obstacles and challenges are shaping my heart and life for divine opportunities and challenges that are far better than my desires and goals. He is changing the very thing I resist and what seems to ruin good plans will turn into a crown of joy, a greater result and a destination far beyond what I  thought was His goal.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

PRAY: Lord Jesus, the KJV says You are “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think” and my asking and thinking is already far more lofty than seems possible. Help me endure the present trial. I don’t want to detour from the seeming detour that You have put me on for I know that You know the way better than I do. In fact, You are the way. . . !

Kept by God’s Power

 

The Bible tells me to “take the helmet of salvation” and use the truths of the gospel to protect me from the lies of the devil. He uses many ways to cause doubts.

For instance, when I’ve disobeyed God in some way, he put these thoughts in my head: “You are not a Christian. Why would God save you anyway? You don’t deserve His mercy. You’re not good enough. How presumptuous to think God could ever use you!” As MacArthur says, these doubts are common when I focus on my performance rather than on God’s power. This is not only an error in thinking but idolatry — worshiping myself as the one who keeps me good. If that were true, I would not need Jesus.

Today’s devotional warns about the folly of being quick to acknowledge God’s power to save me but slow to rely on His power to keep me. This can result in thinking salvation can be lost, and living in fear of falling away. It can also result in self-effort to the point of losing sight of grace and falling into a works-righteousness mentality something like that of the Pharisees.

MacArthur says, and I agree, that my performance doesn’t determine my standing in Christ; my standing in Christ determines my performance. God created me to do good works, but saving and keeping me is God’s work.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10)

Nothing could be clearer. He does the saving so that I can walk in ways that please Him. And with Jude, I can say:

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24–25)

In this passage, “able” speaks of His power and “keep” about being guarded, held secure in the midst of an attack. “Stumbling” is about falling into sin and ruin. This is what God saved me from — not for. It is His work and His power that keep me. No matter how intense Satan’s attacks might be, Jesus lives to protect and cleanse me  until that day I see Him face-to-face and will be like Him. In the meantime:

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness . . . . My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 1:7–9; 2:1–6)

PRAY: Jesus, the truths of the gospel are my helmet. You gave it to protect me from the Liar’s attempts to have me believe something other than You saved me and keep me. It is in knowing You that I can obey You. You are at work in my life. You keep me in Your care. I could not save myself. Without You, I cannot keep myself, but I am never ‘without’ You for You promise to never leave me or forsake me. I am Your child and I praise You for Your saving and keeping work and for all that You do in my life.

PONDER: Jude 24–25 and continually bless and worship my only God and Savior who keeps me and will present me blameless in the presence of His glory with great joy.

 

Incredible Hope for those who ‘stop’ believing . . .

In conversations twice this week, we have discussed those who started out with an interest in spiritual truth and even made a profession of faith yet have turned away and seem no longer interested in things of the Lord. Did they lose their first love? Or did they not love Jesus in the first place? Were they Christians? Or did they just try to act like believers but without genuine faith?

Of course we do not have the answers. God knows the hearts of all people; this is not for us to know. Yet so many times I’ve wanted to know, usually because such information would help me pray. What kind of requests do I make for those who seem to have lost whatever faith they once had?

This morning, I read a long passage about the danger of falling away. The Greek term is apostate. With a bit of study, this word can mean several things. It is the context that is important. Here, the warning is to Hebrew converts who are suffering persecution and thinking they were better off in their old system of worship with its rituals and rule. They are told that Christ is better in every way and going back is not a good idea because salvation does not work like that . . .

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. (Hebrews 6:4–9)

Faith produces results, like a useful crop. Unbelief produces results too, like thorns and thistles. If I believe in Jesus Christ and that He lives in me and has changed my life, I live differently than I once did. However, if I abandon that faith, my life will be show it. I could be anything from indifferent or angry against God and His plan of salvation. This is not to say I cannot repent of my unbelief and rejection of the truth. It does say that being restored through the same way that I was saved is not possible. I cannot be born again twice. Backsliders are restored, not re-saved.

What then is apostasy? One theologian says this is totally related to daily life, not any theological ideas or abstractions. As James’ epistle says, true faith must and will be lived out. That means apostasy is unbelief that shows up in life. This may happen in various ways such as “in the fierceness of the renegade or in the quiet alienation of the outsider; it may be exhibited in moral disintegration or in persecution of the saints.” It could also show up as going to church as ritual rather than worship, praying as duty rather than in communion with God, and loving my neighbors because it feels good rather than because God loves me.

In other words, apostasy is not always total. As one pastor put it, all of us are prodigals from time to time. That is, a Christian might be filled with all sorts of doubts and be double-minded in several ways. Many Christians experience the war of flesh vs. Spirit with the flesh winning more often than not.

The sad part is that the more the flesh is given the nod, the less a person is able to hear God and be convicted or even concerned about what God is saying. Their life reflects their “I wants” rather than His will and they began to look as if they were never saved in the first place. These folks may also doubt within themselves that they belong to God.

No wonder the Bible if full of warnings against unbelief, disobedience and turning away. It puts backsliders and apostates outside the blessings of an intimate relationship with Jesus.

The assurance from this and other passages is that this way of thinking-acting has no future. It is bound to darkness which shall pass away. Its power is merely the suggestive power of deception from which all believers are called back to steadfast perseverance:

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11–12)

Lord Jesus, my commentary says considering the richness of God’s grace, those who walk with You wonder why anyone would want to walk away. However, Your Word is clear; this falling away is a real danger and “not the way of rational theodicy; it is the way of struggle, the good fight, fought with clear recognition of the enemy and effective weapons” adding that these warnings are “a call for the endurance of the saints” because eventually You will bless us as You continue to lead us through to eternity with Yourself, our Lord God and Savior. Your promise is that You will finish what You start and I’m to trust that and press on.

Today’s thankful list . . .

- joy from these thoughts!

- the blessing of personal prayer time with Jesus.

- a lovely fall day.

- a drive to a small-town quilt show that was worth the trip.

- deep sleep for an hour before supper.

- able to enjoy sports on TV with my hubby.