Interpretation is clearer when . . .

Our Monday night study group talked about the peace of God and how to have it. Yesterday’s funeral message was from the favorite verses of the ninety-six-year-old woman who had died, and one was about the peace of God and how to have it. This morning’s devotional points to the same passage. Each of these three ‘lessons’ builds on the one before it and when something like this happens, I must assume the Holy Spirit is driving home truth that I need to heed!

Tozer starts his devotional with an interesting illustration. He says when someone grasps a lump of clay, their hand is imprinted in the clay, then adds that in the same way when the human mind grasps God’s truth it remains truth, but it bears the image of the mind that grasps it. That is, we tend to run what we hear through our own grid and that can affect how we hear it.

Tozer says spiritual truth cannot enter a passive mind. That means I cannot ‘get it’ if I’m not really paying attention, yet when I am, “the act of receiving it tends to alter it to a greater or less degree.” He explains that how pure this truth is received is related to the moral standards of those who grasp it. The truth that the Holy Spirit reveals to me does not change, but my understanding of it will.

These are the verses God gave to me three days in a row:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:6–9)

On Monday, they came across to me as affirmation. When I pray with thanksgiving, God’s peace keeps my heart at peace. This happens and is an amazing reality about being a Christian who is trusting the Lord.

On Tuesday, that affirmation was illustrated in the life of a woman who loved God and trusted Him with everything. She practiced her faith in a godly life and with visible actions. She exemplified this truth.

Today, Tozer challenges me. His devotional suggests that the morality of my thought-life has a bearing on how I understand what these verses say. That is, a person with the thinking described in verse 8 will respond in a deeper and more meaningful way to verses 6 and 7.

Verse 8 offers a challenging list. My mind is to focus on truth not lies, things honorable rather than things not worthy of respect, whatever is just and conforms with law and morality, pure thoughts rather than thoughts of things ruined and defiled, things lovely rather than what is ugly or vile. My focus should be on things commendable rather than whatever has a bad reputation, things excellent or outstanding in virtue and worthy of praise rather than anything that is not commended or well-thought of.

As I read this, I can identify where I think properly at times, but also must admit the stuff that violates God’s desire for my thought life. That said, how does Tozer’s challenge apply to me?

One example comes to mind from yesterday’s post. If I am displeased with the way someone acts, then my prayer for that person usually reflects that, perhaps by asking God to ‘fix’ whatever they are doing. However, if my thoughts are focused on the good things I see in that person and I am thankful for God’s blessing on their lives, my prayers will not have that tendency toward being critical. Instead of feeling satisfied that God will ‘fix’ their problem, I ought to feel the joy of how He is blessing their lives. They could need ‘fixing’ but the greater truth is that they belong to God and He has already blessed them. How I am thinking will change the way I pray, and the way that His truth is seen and applied.

^^^^^^^

Jesus, yesterday I was looking at lack of response to Your truth by certain folks and praying You would ‘fix’ them. Now I realize my prayers need to be with thanksgiving for all You have done in their lives. I confess my attitude smacks of spiritual smugness (“I get it, but they don’t”). Forgive me and cleanse that out of my head. Fill me with gratitude for how You bless their lives as well as mine, and that You are taking care of them. I don’t need to tell You what to do.

Jesus is all I need

An old hymn recites the certainty that Jesus lives. The writer of these much loved lyrics begins with saying: “I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today.” He goes on to say that he knows Jesus lives because he sees “His hand of mercy” and “hears His voice of cheer.” He speaks also of his personal experience with Christ and knows He lives within his heart.

In the teeter-totter of faith, this song is mostly about experience and less about objective evidence. While Christians enjoy and rely on their experience of Christ, some will find that is not enough. Jesus had healed the sick, fed the multitudes, and did many other miracles, but those who saw and experienced these things were still not convinced . . .  

“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:66–69)

The group of disciples who turned back were in it for what He could do for them. When He described a commitment of faith that involved deeper intimacy, they turned away at this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." (John 6:53)

Perhaps the turn-off was due to the practices of pagans who literally did these things. Perhaps it was due to the word He used for ‘knowing’ Him, a word the Bible commonly uses for intimate relations between husbands and wives. In any case, they didn’t understand what He was talking about and were offended and grumbling.

I understand what He said. He is talking about abiding in Him, about Him living in me so that all that I do and the person I am is dramatically and deeply affected. He is talking drawing all that I need from Him, and about a change of life that comes from knowing God and walking with Him. Later, one of the disciples who stayed wrote this:

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:12–14)

This is abiding. It knows Him, is strong and overcomes Satan. It is an aware life, a life that comes only from Christ — and I know it. I have nothing in myself, only Jesus.

But sometimes I feel like going away because abiding in Christ is both wonderfully easy and helplessly difficult. I like the wonderful part, but get weary of the helpless part. Jesus meets my needs, but not always when I feel needy. He knows best, but I have lots of ‘why’ questions and I want to be strong all the time.

Faith isn’t always about the evidence of personal experience. Jesus lives because the Word of God and historical evidence declares it, not just because I see or feel it. I’d be worried if the latter never happened, but do not worry because the former did happen and cannot change. Public opinion tries by declaring ‘God is dead’ and other such nonsense, but this cannot altar reality. Nor can it change the testimony of millions who do experience the grace of God. Putting the two together is powerful motivation.

Besides, where would I go? Nothing and no one else promises eternal life, or even the assurance of eternal life. Only the Living God does that through the intimacy of saving faith.

^^^^^^^

Jesus, I know that You are always the answer to every need. I also know I cannot go away. Besides the fact that You are all that the Word of God says about You, whatever else I might rely on has already proved itself useless and unable to do anything for me. Only You can satisfy my needs and make me whole. Only You speak the words of eternal life because only You are that life, risen from the dead to prove it. Objectivity aside, nothing else works. You have it all, all that I need and then some. 

Puzzles in the Bible

Numbers 32:1–42, 1 Corinthians 14:26–15:11, Psalm 27:1–14

In studying the Word of God, I’m beginning to see it in a very broad view. It (and all of history) has four parts: creation, fall, redemption, new creation. The first two are described in just three chapters. The last one is hinted at more than described but can be found in the last part of Revelation. The redemption part fills most of the Bible. I’m also seeing how each narrative, each piece of poetry, the writings of the prophets and of course the stories of Jesus and the new church all fit into this larger plan.

But there are puzzles. In Numbers 32, God’s people are about to enter the land of promise, and while they will encounter enemies and battles, they will eventually enjoy this new land. This is both a genuine historical event and an illustration that points toward the redemption of God’s people through faith in Christ and the entrance of Christians into a new way of life.

The puzzle is in the OT illustration. A couple of tribes decided they didn’t want to go into that land God promised them. Moses was upset. He reminded them of God’s anger when the entire group refused to go in forty years prior. He warned them, “For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.”

However, they said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.” They wouldn’t live there, but they would help the others go in and fight for what God had promised them.

So Moses said to them, “If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the Lord for the war, and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven out his enemies from before him and the land is subdued before the Lord; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.” (Numbers 32:15–22)

I’ve wondered what part of God’s redemptive plan is illustrated in this historical event. I’ve one answer, but this is pure speculation on my part. In the narrative, His people entered the land He promised them, just as Christians are to enter new life in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit. Those who helped them go in, but did not live there are like some Christians who do not seem to desire that rich manner of Christian life. They are content to be God’s people, but ‘live on the east side of Jordan.” They care about those who move forward in their spiritual lives, even help them by prayer and support, but are not concerned to move on themselves. Again, my explanation is speculation. If there are better answers, I’d love to hear them.

The NT is mildly related, not to the OT story, but to my attempts to better understand it. Paul was writing to a church that was fighting over which was the best speaking gift. He said, “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:37–40)

God didn’t want them quarreling or forbidding the gifts they didn’t prefer. Instead, they were to be orderly, obeying the commands of the Lord and desiring the gifts that explain His will. He didn’t tell them to push aside the gifts they looked down on, but to recognize the Word of God as the Word of God. This is not about being the ‘best” but being godly people. I can speculate about meaning, but God does not want me to look down my nose on those who do not agree.

The reading from the Psalms expresses the hearts of those who stayed on the east side of the promised land, and it expresses how I feel when I cannot understand why God allowed them to do that or what significance it has for His people now.

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:13–14)

Sometimes saying “I don’t know for sure” comes out of my mouth with great reluctance. I like to know all the answers, and the bottom line for everything. This time, I am not sure. Maybe God allowed those tribes to stay out of the land of promise just to humble me – the person who thinks she can know everything – and show me that I must wait on the Lord for this one.