The dangers of being self-sufficient

Deuteronomy 25; Psalm 116; Isaiah 52; Revelation 22

Yesterday my hubby required some tests at our city’s well-known research hospital. Most of the entrances were closed. Those open had testing stations for Covid-19. As I answered questions, we chatted about the difficulties this pandemic put on hospital staff. I mentioned that I prayed often for all of them. One of the nurses said, “We have broad shoulders and can handle this.” Most people respond with thank you or some other expression of appreciation of prayer support. I was disappointed at her response.

My feelings are grounded in the realization that God answers the prayers of the helpless, the needy, those without strength and no pretense or confidence that they can handle their problems without His help. He is a merciful God, but I’ve realized my definition of mercy has been off the mark. I always though mercy meant not giving someone the judgment or punishment they deserved, but that is not it. Mercy means “doing for others what they cannot do for themselves.”

In other words, mercy is only for those who are helpless, needy, weak, and lacking self-confidence. The psalmist knew this and he also knew that feeling that way is a good thing.

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. (Psalm 116:1–2)

Jesus said the same thing but didn’t use the word mercy to describe those who receive it, only to those who give it. After saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . . . .” He also said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:3; 7)

These two statements go together. One of my Bible tools says that verse 3 could be translated, “Happy are those who realize their need of God.” Mercy is about receiving that need.

This relates to several wonderful verses from the Old Testament that combine poverty of spirit and the blessing of God:

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)

. . . This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

When I read all this with the definition of mercy in place, God says to me that I am the most joyful when contrite and realize my inabilities. When I’m in that attitude, God gladly supplies what I am lacking so I can do for others what they cannot do for themselves. He says, “Be empty so I can fill you — so you can fill others who are empty.”

In other words, if I am to be more like Jesus, I must be helpless, laying aside whatever ‘strengths’ and self-confidence I might think I have so I can rely on Him for everything.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5–8)

The things God asks me to lay aside and not rely on are nothing compared to Jesus. He laid aside equality with God, the powers He has as deity, to become like me but without sin. In that God-man form, He was helpless as a man yet powerful because He did everything His Father wanted. He received the Father’s grace and mercy that He could be gracious and merciful to me — for I could not save myself.

APPLY: I’m proud and self-sufficient far too easily. These thoughts are humbling yet at the same time bring deeper peace to my heart, even closer to be like Paul — who said he’d learn to boast in his weaknesses for when He was weak, He was strong. So contrary to human reasoning but incredible and awesome, a truth that both hurts and heals. Praise the name of Jesus!

 

 

A mom until I die?

Deuteronomy 11; Psalms 95–96; Isaiah 39; Revelation 9

My dad often said about his hard work, “It’s only right to wear out the old stuff first.” He was smiling because he loved his work, but also poking at us for wanting to goof off instead of keeping up with him. I wonder if he got this notion from this passage from the Bible. It begins with:

“You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, his signs and his deeds that he did . . . .” (Deuteronomy 11:1–7)

The rest of it goes on to remind the people of God of their experiences. They had been saved from bondage, taken out of that place and led to the promised land. They learned, often the hard way, of the power of God and the importance of doing what He said. But He was not speaking to their children!

My devotional guide gives reasons for making this generational distinction. One, the older generation should be quick to obey, because of their many opportunities to learn. I hear Him say that I should not fret about my adult children’s limited experience with God because He says I am the one with no excuse, no reason to slack off. God has blessed me immensely and I’m responsible to give back to Him my complete devotion.

Second, this passage clearly makes the older generation responsible to systematically pass on what they have learned. I think about my dad teaching me how to do things, like using copper rivets to fix a broken rein on my horse’s bridle. I learned from him as a child, but now God expects me to teach my children what He taught me. This is a prime responsibility, but does it ever stop?

Third, in this passage God makes it clear that the blessing of His covenant includes the entire lives of His people, not family alone but their land and work. His blessings had a great deal to do with being quick to obey. Those who are mature must pass along to the next generation what God taught them. This isn’t about copper rivets.

This is a challenge because the older I get, the older my children get. They often know more than I do! Yet this does not negate my responsibility to share with them the wonder of God’s love and care. I like the words of the psalmist in today’s readings. He gives me ideas of how I can do that:

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . . .” (Psalm 95:1–8)

I felt a small warning in Isaiah’s words to one of the ancient kings, also a parent:

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.” (Isaiah 39:5–8)

The challenge is to avoid Hezekiah’s selfishness, thinking only of my own comfort without any concern for the future of my family. Hezekiah disappoints me and God. I don’t want to do that.

APPLY: I always pray for my kids and their kids and our grandkids yet must also be willing to use whatever opportunities the Lord gives me to pass on what He has taught me. I need help with this because they seem so capable without my help. Also, in my flesh can be ‘preachy’ — a big turn-off, or just too cowardly to say anything at all. Lord, as always, grant me the grace to listen and be obedient to You.

 

 

A Perfect World?

In an ideal world, there would be no conflict in marriages, no rebellious or mistreated children, no lazy employees that could not be trusted and no employers who mistreated their workers. How do I know this? Because the Bible describes it . . .

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. (Colossians 3:18–4:1)

I know, I know that that first ‘S’ word enrages some people, even men. They don’t realize it is not about a doormat demeaner. It simply means an attitude of not always insisting on my own way. Surprisingly, the meaning of submission and the meaning of love (what hubbies are supposed to do) are not that different. They both mean putting the needs and desires of others before our own.

Take that ‘harsh’ business out of marriage and we have no abuse nor women afraid of men. Put in ‘obey’ and ‘do not provoke’ and we have happy kids — not prone to sass or argument. Of course, these verse need sound exegesis to bring out the full meaning of what is said, yet even a simple reading paints peaceful pictures of family life. Compare these verses to the ‘twin’ letter of Ephesians results in more clarity to God’s plan:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22–6:4)

The same goes for the verses about master/servant relationships when applied to boss/employee. Imagine the changes in many workplaces if these instructions were the norm:

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. (Ephesians 6:5–9)

Will it happen? Can it happen? Only in the reality of Holy Spirit control and only when that fullness is constant without anyone letting their old sinful nature take charge. Realistically, the former is rare, and the latter is far too prevalent.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, all I can say about this is that I must do my part. In the Spirit, my heart is set to do Your will, not insist on my own way. I’m much easier for my husband to love when I’m not being selfish. This goes two ways. That ‘S’ word is easier when he isn’t being selfish either. For that, I must trust You because if I try to make it happen, I’ve fallen into a lack of trust in You! No, we don’t live in a perfect world — yet. One day, in eternity, it will be so. For now, I experience a taste now and then, but the fullness is yet to come. In that day, all will be what You intended — sinless and living by the power of God.

Today’s thankful list . . .

The promise of perfection with Christ in eternity.

A day of purging my PC in almost total silence!

Peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches.

Hubby had a good golf game on another lovely day.

Supper on the beach.

My new phone with its amazing GPS.

Dairy Queen Blizzards.