Living in an ungodly world?

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:1–6)

This passage uses the term ‘wicked’ but some think it should be ‘ungodly’ as that fits the idea of those who are lost, not just those who do extremely immoral deeds. This is the OT definition of ungodly:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Those who turn to their own way could be morally evil and what we might call wicked, yet they could be ordinary folks who appear to be ‘nice’ people but are not even interested in God, the Bible, or in the way the Lord wants us to live.

A close relative belongs to a religious group that goes door to door with their version of the gospel. He tells me that he talks to many people who are unaware of the Bible or know anything about it. The above psalm describes these as people who will not stand when judged by God or be acceptable in the congregation of God's redeemed people.

No one aces this test. Everyone experiences self-rule at times, but those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ are not only aware of this way of life, we spend most of our walk in faith trying to overcome it. For some, that old self is totally disgusting. For others, pride, false teaching, desires for prosperity and a life of comfort lure them into a false representation of godliness. 

But God knows the way of the righteous, as well as the hearts of those who think they are ‘good enough’ to stand before Him, or who don’t really care what God thinks, or even if there is a God who cares.

We wonder about the state of the world and the daily stories on the news. They remind me of an often repeated OT verse: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6) Is it also true now that  even with the leaders we have in political and religious realms, most people do what seems right in their own eyes? Knowing the selfishness of my old nature compared to the godliness God desires, this is surely a sad state of affairs. 

Lord, has the time come where You will allow the world to learn the hard way that You are to be feared? We see odd and even terrifying human behavior, but also strange weather patterns and worrisome trends in nearly every realm of life, as if grace and mercy have faded and the judgment of consequences rules. I know that You know what You are doing, yet it is not putting joy in my heart to watch this happen. 

 

A willing heart?

 

Last night I finished reading “Born for Battle” a book bought and read years ago but then I was not ready to hear it. Now I hear God telling me what is next — a deeper surrender to His will knowing that those who do this will find themselves in a battle with the liar and enemy who thinks that his best defense is destruction.

Of course I’ve no idea what will happen. I just know that all I’ve read last night and these verses from today are vital to walking in the will of God with a willing heart.

First, I need to seek it. Walking in truth can only happen if I know the truth, the way He wants me to go, and that I am totally willing to do what He says.

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. (Psalm 86:11)

This first chapter of Psalms is well known to me, both in memory and in experience. When I’ve strayed from what it says, I’ve suffered. When God blesses me with His Spirit to obey it, I am blessed and what I do is fruitful and alive:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:1–6)

God keeps His promises. If I follow His will, no matter how strange or difficult it may seem, He uses my obedience to fulfill His purposes. He set that pattern when He became a man. That is, in Jesus I can see His choice to link His purposes to the obedience of His Son, the Son of Man. That link involved the prayer life of Jesus and His willingness to do only what the Father wanted, even when it meant His own death.

Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. (Isaiah 46:9–11)

In my own life, I’ve seen this amazing God use even my mistakes for His purposes… “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) How can I not totally trust a God who can do that?

PRAY: Jesus, You tell me to: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6) That I do not doubt. The trouble I am having with doing Your will is realizing I too will learn obedience through suffering… and I am not too keen on that. “Born for Battle” calls what You ask of me: “disciple accepted” and the consequences are scary. Remove my fears and grant me the courage needed to accept whatever You use to transform my life.

God-given aspiration . . .

A person’s life is shaped by many things; genetics, environment, training, example, events, and so on. Tozer says in today’s devotional reading that this list includes the ideals that we admire. That is, we strive for that which we deeply aspire to. When asked, the hockey star wanted that from childhood. The doctor wanted that from the time he knew about doctors. The artist was drawing as soon as she could lift a pencil. The godly Christian wanted to be like Jesus. The more the Holy Spirit revealed Him, the deeper his desire became!

Tozer says a deep longing to be like Jesus greatly aids a Christlike life. He adds, “Ask God to give you a high conception of the character of Christ and an intense desire to be like Him and you will never rest until you reach your ideal.”

Upon reflection, I agree yet must add that this deep desire also comes from not being satisfied with the status quo, of wanting to be more than a sinner, more than a saved sinner, more than whatever I have been. While I know that the transformation is God’s work, I also know the importance of yielding in obedience, of willingly cooperating with God’s plans.

As for life-shaping things, it is good to think about them too. For me, it was good parents who loved me, a childhood illness, having horses, loving art, poor choices, divorce, remarriage, books, some very special people and so on, but most of all the Book of books — God’s Word, the power of God’s grace and the influence of His people. Learning the reality of how to live God’s way because of what He has done has greatly changed my life. I’m reflecting on Scripture that I love, such as this passage from the Old Testament: 

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:1–6)

And this one from the New Testament:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:28–39)

My life has been drawn to Christ because of the joy and spiritual prosperity of walking with Him, and because of His presence with me through good and bad and His power to use both to shape me. His persistence to love me and stick with me no matter what is like a magnet. So also is His ability to slay the old ways and bring to power a new life. His grace has set this goal for me — to love Him and be like Jesus.

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, today is a day for thanksgiving, for being glad that You know the way that I take, the path that You have put me on, and that despite my stumbling, my many mistakes, and even my resistance, You will take me from this life into the next with grace, forgiveness, and a power that is totally beyond my feeble abilities and even greater than all my deepest desires.

God’s path for this New Year

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. (Psalm 86:11)

A new day, a new year begins with the reminder from the psalmist to desire God’s instruction so I can walk in truth — with a solitary motivation of reverence for His name and the desire to put His glory above everything else.

This sobers my thoughts. Normally I am like most people at the beginning of a new year. I want to set goals, do better, lose weight, be more organized, accomplish much, and purge my possessions. God does not slap down those goals; He merely shifts my mind to His perspective. He says I am to listen to Him, not going the way of the world and definitely the way of sinful people, but seeking His counsel in all things . . .

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:1–6)

Why do this? My goals, however profitable they might be or however good they might look on my resume, they are not going to fit into the eternity bin. Only that which comes from the mind and heart of God will last forever. The rest of it blows away like chaff in the wind.

Besides, my decisions and to-do list might be good for some things, but I’ve little guarantee that I’ll get them done. Yesterday was filled with plans and none of them happened. God had other ideas. If I want the work of my hands and the plans I make to last, they need to be His plans. He says:

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’ . . . . I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” (Isaiah 46:9–11)

His way, His counsel, is designed for His realm — eternity. My ‘stuff’ is about here and now, mostly the foreseeable future, not the rest of time and on into forever. This is why God bids me to be taught by Him, to walk in His truth, to have a heart united to glorify Him.

Jesus, teach me to trust in You with all my heart, and not lean on my own understanding. This year, set my heart so that in all my ways I will acknowledge You — because only then will You make straight my paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

Amen.

Ready for war?

Numbers 1:1–46

John 11:1–27 

Psalm 1:1–6

We once went to a church where the pastor reported Sunday attendance during the following week. He often added something like, “If the Smith family had been here, we would have had 84 on Sunday.” He was good-natured when we teased him about this. One day, I was at the church and he asked me about some redecorating ideas for the sanctuary. With tongue in cheek, I suggested we put a mirror all along one wall and quipped, “Then on Sundays, we would have double the attendance.” We both laughed for several minutes.

“The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ‘Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.’” (Numbers 1:1–3)

At that time, God had the leadership count the congregation. This was not so they could boast in their numbers, but so they knew who was fit for battle. I wonder what that census might look like today? How would church leaders know who was able to go to war, not to a physical battle, but to engage in spiritual warfare that is often mentioned in the New Testament? The criteria in the wilderness was age and probably physical fitness, but neither are required for spiritual battle. I’m thinking a well-worn Bible and calloused knees? Perhaps.

Certainly today’s list of what makes a good soldier would include a deep awareness of what is happening. Jesus hinted at that when a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany. This was the village of Mary and her sister Martha lived.

“It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” (John 11:1–4)

Sometimes when a group of people are praying for someone who is sick, one of them will pray that somehow God will be glorified in the sickness. This does not happen very often, but that person understands that sickness can have a deeper purpose, and so can our prayers. Spiritual warriors will pray for healing, but often perceive a need for much more.

When Jesus did go to the home of Lazarus, Martha said to Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:21–27)

This passage describes faith. Yes, Noah built an ark that took years and it had never yet rained, and Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, and others trusted God in various ways. However, Martha was one of the few that said, “Even now, I know whatever You ask for, God will give it you.” I was like saying “Whatever . . . .” to God because she knew He could be trusted to do the right thing.

Such prayers are not easy. I’ve often gone to God and told Him what to do and how to do it rather than putting the problem completely in His hands. However, faith is knowing that my will is nothing compared to the perfect will of God. If I believe this, then I can pray that He will take care of it as He sees fit. If I really trust Him, saying “whatever” is easier, and marks me as ready for spiritual warfare.

That first psalm is a favorite because it also describes faith and how to be a spiritual soldier: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:1–3)

If my church ever wants me to stand up and be counted, I hope the count is about finding who is ready for war. But more than that, I hope I will be among those so numbered.