Two ends of a spectrum with balance in the Psalms . . .

Judges 20:1–21:25, Philippians 4:21–23, Psalm 72:1–20

Today’s OT reading is summed up by the final verse: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)

Eleven of the twelve tribes of Israel had gone to war against one tribe because of the evil done to the Levite’s concubine (yesterday’s post) and in the end, many people lost their lives. This happened because they were not following the Lord, nor did they have any authority in their lives to hold them accountable. It reminded me of a line in a book about Scottish history that went something like this: “If the clans didn’t have anyone else to fight with, they fought with each other.”

It would be easy to put them down, to be critical of their lack of unity and their ways of dealing with “family” issues. Such bozos they were. However, when I think about the temptations that cross my mind and what would happen if I followed them, how can I be critical? Without the strong leading of the Holy Spirit, the results in my life would be just as horrifying. Sin is a powerful and destructive force. The headlines in the newspaper every morning prove it.

The NT reading is in stark contrast. It is at the close of the joyful book of Philippians where Paul simply conveys greetings to God’s people. He adds only a few lines, yet they show the difference that Jesus makes in the family of God. Obviously, these people cared for God and one another.

“Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” (Philippians 4:21–23)

So also did King David who came along much later than the time of the judges. He prays to God with an attitude of care and concern for God’s people, but also praises God for His goodness . . .

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!  . . . . For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight . . . . May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed! Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen! (Psalm 72:1-4, 12-14,17–19)

No wonder people read the psalms to get a balance of rebuke and comfort. The OT judges tipped the scale too far to darkness and evil. Sometimes Paul seems so godly that I cannot reach that height. But David is easy to relate to as he speaks of his fears and then overcomes them by exalting the greatness of God. 

Prayer and Sweat

My dad’s work ethic often annoyed me, even though it deeply affected my life and that of my siblings. I never thought of this before, but prayer requires a good work ethic. Suddenly I am thankful.

If my prayers were only “God bless this food . . .” and “Now I lay me down to sleep . . .” then I would not know about the work of prayer. I’d have no experience with the battles against unseen spiritual enemies, the need to uphold other Christians as they serve God, my own need for strength in all of life, or the delight of having a two-way conversation with the Creator of the universe.

The Bible talks about the work of prayer. Jesus told His disciples a parable “to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”

This parable was about an unrighteous judge who was repeatedly asked for “justice against my adversary” by a widow. “For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.”

Jesus pointed out that if an unrighteous judge can give justice, “Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.” (Luke 18:1–8)

However, Jesus immediately adds two important truths that concern prayer. He asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” which tells me that the work of prayer is fueled by faith. If I don’t believe that God hears and answers, I may not even ask and certainly will not persist in asking.

The second truth is in the next parable “for those who trust themselves.” From my experience, when I am thinking that way, I am not praying, or at least not asking God for His help . . .  

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:9–14)

Persistent prayer is an expression of need. It knows that without the power of God, I am helpless, as are others who serve Him. This is why Paul appealed, “By our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints . . .” (Romans 15:30–32) and why he “did not cease to pray for” others, “asking that they may be filled with the knowledge of (God’s) will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9).

Persistent prayer happens when I know I am needy, but it is also an expression of love for others, and of making God’s plans a priority in my life . . .

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. (Colossians 4:12)

God teaches me that through prayer my life and the lives of others are brought into line with the will of God and are equipped to do His will in His power. Short and sweet prayers have their place, but effective prayer almost always involves more than a few words and those words are fervent and mingled with sweat.

I would not need Jesus

To those who have not experienced spiritual warfare, much of the New Testament will sound like lovely platitudes. To those who have, the words of God are the anchor of the soul.

Spiritual warfare is not about in-church fighting or brother against brother. It isn’t even about us against a sinful world, or battles with causes, or righting wrongs. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Satan and his evil spiritual forces still intend to ruin the people of God. While he cannot pull me from God’s eternal grasp, he continues to attempt to separate me from God’s love. His goal is that my life is not credible as one who shows the world that Jesus is real.

The Bible says that Jesus prays for me. He also left an example so that I know how He prays. Part of His concern is that I am protected…

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

That He prayed, “Keep them in Your name” infers that there is danger of some kind. A few verses later, He explains some of that danger.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:14–21)

From these and from my own warfare experiences, the danger list includes at least the following threats:

Forgetting the gift of His Word. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, His defense was always appropriate truth from the Old Testament that countered the lies the devil used in the temptation. If I forget or neglect the Word of God, I put myself in danger of falling to temptation. God tells me to read His Word and hide it in my heart. I am to be as the psalmist says, “I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.” (Psalm 119:109)

Hatred from the world. Rejection can lead to self pity, attempts to win favor, and other sins. While God never promises that I will have the world’s approval, He does promise to be with me. The danger is that I turn from fellowship with Him and look for other ways to satisfy my needs.

Ignoring the reality that I belong to Jesus. God set me apart from the world and sanctified me for Himself. There is danger if I decide to slip out of that relationship and take matters, any matters, into my own hands. This can be blatant disobedience, but it can also be subtle. “I know better than God” can creep in and with it, my protective armor becomes pierced. Jesus set Himself apart, sanctified Himself that I might walk in truth. I’m to cooperate with Him and remember that my life is not my own.

Slipping from the assurance of my unity with Him. Being conscious of God’s arm around my shoulder is a tremendous protection from the lies of the evil one, but if I let Satan’s lies or the circumstances of life convince me otherwise, then I am in the most danger of all. My defenses are gone and so is my witness.

As I think about God’s commands like: “Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 21) and “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23) and even that I can run to Him, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10), I must admit many time of failure.

Spiritual battles expose the reality that I often do not do my part. Yet every failure to keep myself or to run to Him, this prayer of Jesus again points me to another reality: I cannot save myself. If I could, I would not need His intercession for me, nor His saving power. Failure is good for one thing; it takes me back to the Cross.

God is in the details

Very often I’ve not made the connection between a day of great blessing and having the wheels fall off the next day. If Sunday was awesome and the presence of God very obvious, Monday will bring irritations and a sense that the whole world has stopped praying.

While I’ve experienced this and learned to expect it, I’m now beginning to see why the Lord allows this to happen. Today’s devotional gives more light using a passage from Judges. Sampson had a day of victory where he destroyed one thousand enemy soldiers single-handedly. Right after that, he falls into a funk over a drink of water. 

And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the LORD and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

Lord, of course You came to his aid. “And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived.”

After that, Sampson went on to judge Israel in the days of the Philistines for twenty years. (Judges 15:18–20)

Spurgeon explains that this is God’s way of teaching us that none of our strength is ours. We tend to puff up after we “hit the ball” or “sing the song” but need to understand that we need You all the time, for the small things of life as well as the gigantic challenges.

A friend claims that he would never pray for petty things like parking places and help with little things. He reasons that You gave us a brain and You expect us to use it.

While You do want me to be strong, wise and sensible, You also want me to realize my source of strength, wisdom and common sense. Without You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). I used to think that this verse meant “nothing of a spiritual nature” but now believe that all of my life is useless without Your input. Unless I am abiding in You, whatever I do can be evaluated as a big zero.

Paul says that it is “in You that we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). By relying on You for everything, a drink of water, help with shopping, grace to teach a class, wisdom to select a gift, all things big or small, I demonstrate my understanding of who You are. I also confess who I am — a needy person without strength or wisdom to do anything.

I suppose I could do many of these ‘small’ things without calling on or acknowledging You. That would mean that after the next big thing, when I cry out and You help me, I can continue to expect to falter with the little things. Mondays will be irritating — until I admit that I need Your grace to clean my house and do the ironing just as much as I need Your grace to write a Bible study and teach a class.

Many times You have provide grace in those ‘little’ things just as water was provided for Sampson. In fact, Your provision is often given in some extraordinary way that produces awe in my heart and praise on my lips. I am revived and more convinced than ever that I need You and that You care about every detail of my life.

To Live is Christ — without Him I’m helpless

God reminded me this morning why I need to spend some time with Him before I get into the rest of my day. I turned on my computer and had two messages pop up. One was a list of solutions to problems I’ve had with some software, essentially a reminder to get all my updates. The other was a Vista update urging several downloads. This happens often and I always take time to install them, even though I’d rather get to my study (I use an online Bible and devotional guide).

I suppose there are people who ignore the updates. After a while, their programs would either stop working or become erratic. Taking time to get the latest drivers or whatever is needed becomes vital.

It is the same with reading the Word of God each day. I don’t know what demands will be made of me today. I might not see that I am developing bad habits or becoming selfish in my thinking. I need God’s continual reminders and updates to keep my life going the way it should.

Today, I read the same passage as yesterday, one that is always needed because I so easily drift to doing what I want and neglecting what others need. Part of it says . . . 

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (Philippians 2:3)

Selfish ambition is doing whatever I do for my own gain only. God does not condemn the enjoyment of work or ministry, but if that is my sole reason, then my motivations have become sinful. They need more than an update!

As for conceit, this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

I can know my strengths, yet I must acknowledge that they are gifts from God. I can know my talents and abilities, but I also must remember their source. Sober thinking is thinking soundly with a moderate estimate of who I am and what is true about me. I cannot lord it over anyone.

Last night I was at a writer’s meeting. As I listened to some of the elderly people in attendance and the simplicity of what they were writing, God reminded me of a young friend from twenty years ago. He was taking a BA degree at the time. Now he has a Masters and a doctorate and teaches in a university. He writes books that are so deep that I can scarcely understand the introductions. He reminds me that intellect and abilities are relevant. Don’t look down on others. Sober thinking knows that no matter how smart or talented I think I am, there are others who are much smarter.

To live is Christ is not a competition. Instead, God wants me to value every person. Besides, the university professor needs the Holy Spirit to influence the lives of his circle of friends just as much as I need the Holy Spirit to encourage those around me. With God, there are no hierarchies in any field or discipline. All of us are helpless to accomplish His will without His help.

Paul was a great man, yet he learned to “glory in his infirmities” because it was in humility that he depended upon God to give him what he needed. Every day, I need the same thing and the same reminders. As John 15:5 says, without Christ, I can do nothing.