Antidote to fear

Numbers 21; Psalms 60–61; Isaiah 10:5–34; James 4

Yesterday two people called. The first is a woman who knows Jesus and who trusts Him completely during this pandemic. She knows where she will go if she is inflicted and dies. At the same time, she obeys all the rules and is not griping about them.

The other person knows about God, but she is terrified. The isolation is getting to her. She wants to trust the Lord but said she cannot do it, “It is too hard.” She does not know Him and is struggling with how to live under such a threat to her and her family. I tried to explain but realize only the Holy Spirit can reach her heart with saving faith and peace.

Numbers 21 tells of God’s people fluctuating from trust to frustration with God because He was not giving them what they wanted.

“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (Numbers 21:5–9)

This is another OT example of trusting Christ who was also lifted up, yet life was only given to those who turned to look at the bronze serpent. It didn’t happen by merely knowing it was there.

The psalmist exemplifies this choice too. David was in a low spot with enemies all over him. He felt defeated and alone. In faith he called out to God:

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. (Psalm 61:1–3)

My second caller needs to do that. So do I. I could take His care for granted and yet there is no guarantee of getting what I want. He bids me to seek His face. His Word continually invites communion, trust, closeness. Even the morning news pushes me toward the Lord. I feel protected in our home, but the world out there is portrayed as unsafe and dangerous. I can understand why my friend is so afraid. She does not know the Refuge, the Strong Tower of peace.

The other truth that helps me is knowing God is in this. Isaiah 10 is about God using a godless entity to deal with the disobedience of His people. That seems odd and unfair but it happened often in OT history. In this instance, after telling them only a few will remain after He deals with them, He adds:

In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. . . . For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth. Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people . . . . be not afraid . . . . For in a very little while my fury will come to an end . . . and in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck . . . “ (Isaiah 10:20–27)

God will use harsh means to correct His people, yet I share this thought only with those who believe in Him. The caller with faith in Christ wholeheartedly agrees. The other caller is not ready to hear that God has a plan and is using Covid-19.

If anyone wonders why the people of God need this trial, James 4 offers clues. Too many have become “friends with the world” and proud, speaking evil against one another and boasting about our plans as if God has no hand in our lives. James warns:

`“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:6–10)

APPLY: I have pride, been double-minded, and need to continually humble myself before Him, trusting Him and drawing near in obedience and mourning my neglect. I also need to pray for others who need to know the peace He gives to those who totally trust Him with their lives.

Unanswered prayer? One reason . . .

People do not always agree and get along. I read and watch mysteries and even though most are fiction, they are based on this reality. Someone wants something they cannot have so they harm others trying to get it. Mostly, that thing they cannot have is a selfish desire. For this, God says:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:1–4)

The root of the problem is selfishness, another word for sinfulness. The object of desire could be legitimate but in this description the reason for wanting it is all about me, me, me. As a Christian, all I have to do is ask God for those things that I need, even the things that I want, but if my motivation is to bless myself or glorify myself, or make me the star, then the prayer will not be answered. I have made my wants and my stuff more important than listening to and obeying God.

It happens. I’m too embarrassed to name some of what I’ve asked for wrongly and God said no. I’m ashamed of the emotions that rose up because I didn’t get what I wanted and the arguments I’ve been in for the same reason. Yet if it were not for those experiences, I’d not know the reality of a couple of big reasons that God does not answer prayer.

One is that I do not ask. I assume I can get it for myself, perhaps knowing in my heart that it is the wrong thing to ask for anyway.

The other is that I ask but with that selfish motivation that this thing is for me, to satisfy me, to make me the winner, to do for me what I should not want but am asking anyway.

There are lessons learned from being selfish. While God often shields my foolishness from the public eye, just knowing that others see how I’m thinking and acting is awful. Worse yet, knowing I’m putting myself above the care and wisdom of God is humbling. For this, I should be thankful. The alternative, a hard heart, would make the next few verses meaningless . . .

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:6–10)

From being so selfish and from realizing God becomes deaf to my selfish prayers makes me realize my pride and the way the devil manipulates my thinking. It also makes me realize that this passage has a logical sequence. It is summarized at the beginning: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” This is well described in the next lines.

Submit to God comes first. There is no power to resist Satan or my own selfishness while I try to hang on to it. I cannot serve Him while I am trying to serve me.

Resist the devil comes on the heels of submitting to God. Stop listening to the devil’s lies and destructive suggestions. If I am yielded to God, he must leave and he does. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what I’ve held back from God, but once that happens (and is confessed) the pressure is off. I win — by giving up!

The reset of it is easy. Mourning over sin is not fun, but in the end, God exalts me. That is always unexpected, even though I know this verse. God is utterly amazing!

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Jesus, there are times when I’ve prayed, “You are my Savior, save me” and You come to the rescue. However, there are times when I’ve prayed, “Give me . . . .” and asked for foolish and sinful things. I’m so glad that You are not like a genie in a bottle that grants every wish. You keep me from the silliness and sinfulness of myself. For that, I praise and thank You.

Today’s thankful list . . .

The Word of God that tells me how to live in victory.

The energy that comes with freedom from selfishness.

Ability to choose.

Finally being able to get my sister on the phone.

My personal trainer who refuses me the luxury of whining.

Being able to record rugby games in the middle of the night to watch the next day.

Crisp cold air with sunshine.

Salmon sandwiches on homemade bread.

Faith in Christ equals persistent obedience

An Internet quilt show ends each segment with the hosts saying, “It’s a new day — every day.” While they are not trying to be biblical, I’m thinking how it applies to the promises of God when struggles with sin get me discouraged. Each day, the Lord offers me a fresh start and overcoming power for a new day. . .

“But he gives more grace. Therefore (Scripture) says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:6–10)

My struggles vary in seriousness, at least in my mind. Perhaps I’ve been over-critical of someone else, or angry with my husband for no good reason, or disobedient to the Holy Spirit in speaking up when I’d rather not. Sometimes it is simply eating out of gluttony rather than need or staying up too late when the Lord is nudging me to get to bed. I’m not out robbing banks or cursing Him or worshiping idols, yet the ‘little’ sins put a stain on holiness too.

Tozer says God Himself is the holiness and the purity I need. I know that. This holiness is not something that comes and goes but is always with me because God is always with me. The problems come when I stop yielding to Him. Instead of allowing His Spirit to fill a surrendered and trusting heart, I slip into old habits of trusting myself and my own judgment or simply wanting what my old nature wants instead of trusting and obeying Him.

Christ is my sanctification, my holiness. He lives in my heart and works in me to cleanse and purify sin. However, I must consent and cooperate. Is it possible to become tired of the process? To let my guard down and simply slide off the path? It is not only possible but seems so easy.

Some might say that I am too hard on myself, that God’s grace is not as picky as I am. I might not say it, but my reply might be, “What about verses like those from James (above)? Or like these”:

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:14–19)

I can make lots of excuses. Who cares if I over-eat or ignore the nudges of my conscience? But I know better. God cares. He says, “Be holy in ALL your conduct” and do this out of respect for Jesus Christ who shed His blood to rescue me from the futility of life governed by my sinful self.

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Lord Jesus, You are holy and You live in me. I am Your disciple and given new life so I can reflect Your image in this dark world. Some of my bad habits may not be visible to others, but should a time come for me to shine, my ability to do so will be affected by those habits that cling like leeches and muddy the reflection. I need more grace to be the person You want me to be, not only in the larger issues but also in the tiniest hints of rebellion. Enable me to be humble and draw nearer to You.