Loving the Giver

I became a Christian as an adult, yet am beginning to see how God used pre-faith events as lessons for the Christian life. My mom read the Bible every morning. I copied her and that carried over after Jesus changed my heart. She also trusted that whatever happened we “must need it” and that laid a foundation for trust. She also did one thing that was annoying at the time; she bought clothes for me that I didn’t like at all. They were not my style, not the colors that looked well on me, but I see now how that mirrors a biblical command. I’m told to love the Giver rather than make idols of the gifts. I loved my mom, even when she gave me that bright orange silk thing!

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)

As today’s reading says, these are commands. While I am also told to “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2) it would be idolatry to call the gladness I get from them, my love for God. I could love my mom even if I didn’t care for the gifts. He showed me the distinction before He saved me.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Because I have a heart problem from childhood, this passage speaks also. The Lord is indeed the strength of my heart. I do appreciate pacemakers and cardiac specialists, but they are not my strength — the Lord is, and He taught me that before I knew this verse existed.

The Word of God teaches me that His gifts of health, wealth, and prosperity do not satisfy. I learned that before learning that only God satisfies. While I thank Him for all He does, I cannot call those gifts or the feelings they bring with more delight than my love for Him. As David said, “In your presence is fullness of joy, in your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11), I know that nearness to God is the only totally satisfying experience in my life.

PRAY: A friend just had a heart-attack and another friend’s son just had a stroke. They need prayer. Our day is filled with family plans needing prayer. My to-do list is still too long and I yearn for a day that does not involve “settling in” to this new house, a day that is just ‘normal’ and without a host of interruptions. All are needing prayer. But You, Jesus make such a difference. I can chat with You through all of it and enjoy the strength of heart that You provide, and the joy of knowing that no matter what happens, You have reasons for it. Thank You for showing me that I can love You as Giver even when the gifts are not ideal or comfortable. You hear and answer, and You are my portion forever!

The psalms tell our story too . . .

 

READ Psalm 21–25

This reading begins with a psalm that honors the king who honors God. Queen Elizabeth II came to mind. As I read Psalm 21, her title of “Queen” could have fit. She began her reign with Scripture and worship. In 2002, she said, “For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

This psalm was written by King David. As I read quotes from the queen who died this week, she also could have said the same things:

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. (Psalm 21:1–7)

May God comfort all who mourn her passing. The world has lost one of few leaders who trust Jesus Christ and I’ve a sense of emptiness in that regard. We may not see another one like her.

Psalm 22, also by David, relates those feelings of being abandoned. It is said to be a Messianic psalm that describes Christ on the cross. It also describes the Christian experience during times when God seems far away and is not hearing our prayers, times when we must surely walk by faith.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. (Psalm 22:1–5)

Hope is there, even in despair, as this man who loved the Lord reviewed what God had done for him and praised Him, even though He seemed deaf to his words. Again, the psalms speak to our human condition.

Psalm 23 never fails to touch our hearts. It is repeated at funerals, even for those who do not know the Shepherd as David did, perhaps because everyone wants the comfort of it, the certainty that the Lord is with us in life and in death and that we will spend forever with Him. That assurance is only a breath away, a ‘yes’ to His invitation.

Psalm 24 focuses on the glory of the Lord. He is Creator and holy. He blesses those who seek Him and saves those who plead for righteousness. He is the King of glory and worthy of our worship!

Psalm 25 tells how the Lord is also teacher, leader and guide. He forgives our sin and is merciful to us, yet He also good and upright and, “therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Psalm 25:8–10) For as much as His love is great and unconditional, and that He accepts us as we are, He loves us too much to leave us in our struggles with sin and our bondage to it. For that reason, He “instructs us in the way He chooses” and gives “secret counsel to those who fear Him” — a mark of the great relationship of friendship that we have with Him. For this, and with this psalm as a guide, I can pray:

Turn to us and be gracious to us, for Your people are often lonely and afflicted. The troubles of our heart are enlarged; bring us out of our distresses. Consider our afflictions and troubles, and thank You so much that You forgive all our sins. Consider those who oppose us, some with violent hatred of all that we believe about You. Oh, guard our souls, and deliver us! Let none of Your people be put to shame, for we take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness preserve us as we wait for you. Redeem us, everyone who belongs to You, O God, out of all our troubles. We glorify Your name and worship You. Amen.

 

In the Classroom . . .

 

This week with another couple, we read about a woman who boldly confronted a cult member telling him he had no right to pursue her child and must leave her alone. Each of us doubted we could be so bold, yet had to admit that if God wants us to say something, He will give us the words.

The first verses I read this morning affirm God’s TEACHING power:

Exodus 4:12; 15; 35:34, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak” . . . . You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do” and “(God) has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.”

There are many teaching methods. God uses some of them to instruct us, but He has one that is unique: He inspires — that is, He puts truth in human hearts. These ‘lessons’ often flow from Scripture read and memorized, but can pop in without any outside reminders. The woman we read about said what she said because God put it into her heart to say it.

When Moses led God’s people out of bondage in Egypt, God told him to teach them. He said in Deuteronomy 5:31:

But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’

He spoke the words that Moses needed to learn so that this man could teach the people what they were supposed to do. From the beginning, this is the way God teaches — by His Word. It is also the way that His people are to teach others — by God’s Word.

The OT uses twelve words for teaching with both a human and divine subject. People teach other people (not God who has no need to learn). God teaches His people knowledge, instruction about His law, His will, and the ways we should live. Psalm 32:8. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” One important lesson from God is that knowing is not enough; true learning happens when we obey what He teaches by applying it to our lives:

Deuteronomy 5:1. And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.”

God said we are not to learn the ideas and practices of pagans. Instead, we are to teach them the ways of God:

Deuteronomy 18:9. “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations.”

Jeremiah 12:16. “And it shall come to pass, if (pagans) will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people.”

In the NT, Jesus is the teacher and His followers become teachers of one another. He taught constantly and everywhere: “Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching . . . .” He taught in synagogues, in the temple, from a boat, and on the side of a mountain; He devoted His entire life to sharing with others what God gave Him to teach them.

John 8:28. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”

He also taught His disciples about the Holy Spirit who would come and teach them what they were not ready to bear at that time, and even what to say when later challenged.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. The Lord’s teaching includes instruction in faith and spiritual matters, but also discipline, even punishment, because Jesus said, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline” so I will be zealous and repent of all sin, inviting Him to come in and rule my lives. His teaching goal is that I live to glorify Him:

Titus 2:11–12. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”