Be joyful in God's providence for us

Providence.
It's a word with a world of meanings.
It's not just about the fact that God controls and plans things, but also that He provides for our needs.

Many people are familiar with the beloved verse in Romans:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, NIV)

Don't get me wrong; I'm not espousing a prosperity gospel here . . . there are actually two conditions in that verse - loving God and having responded to the Spirit's call -- and it doesn't say that when He works for good it's going to be Easy Street, either.
That's all another story....
For today, let's concentrate on "all things." It means "all things," OK? (Grin) Bad things, and good things, lovely warm and fuzzy things, and hurtful things, too.
God is never out of control. Satan can do "his darnedest," as my grandma used to say, but even the evil that seems to be tearing the world apart is working toward a final purpose.
We can't see it yet.
But we know that God allows things for a reason and that His plans are good.
It must be frustrating for Satan. (Grin)
No matter what he does, he finds that his schemes and plans are stopped, and something good (must make him shudder) happens in the end.

We can see many examples of His providence in chapter six of Ezra . . . remember Tattenai? He sent his letter to Darius, expecting the king to respond with order to "stop the work at once!" God's providence is seen in the fact that they found the decree from eighteen years before amongst all the other laws, regulations and decrees from Cyrus' reign. And the scholars tell us that they didn't find it in Babylon - they located it in the fortress of Ecbatana, which was Cyrus' summer residence!

God's providence is also seen because Darius did not say, "shut it down! I don't care what the guy before me said..." Instead, he told Tattenai to leave them alone AND to fund the project:

Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there.7 Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, (Ezra 6:7-9)

And here's another remarkable part - he also provided motivation to make sure these things happened:

Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.

I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence. (v 11-12)

God's providential care is noted again when Ezra wrote that the Lord "had turned the heart of the king"  . . . in verse 22. He wanted to remind the people that it was God's hand that moved in the situation.
Solomon said much the same thing in Proverbs:

In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water    that he channels toward all who please him. (Proverbs 21:1)

And in Daniel we read:

All the peoples of the earth    are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases    with the powers of heaven    and the peoples of the earth.No one can hold back his hand    or say to him: “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:35)

Let's apply this to our lives today . . .
Do we see (really see) and rejoice in God's providential care for us in every small thing? Not just the major things that happen to us?
Jesus told us that even a sparrow that falls to the ground is known by the Father. He told us that God knows the number of hairs on our heads (and as I age, I'm sure He is kept busy by that changing number). No sacrilege intended, just sayin'. 
Because of that, we should not fear.
We should trust Him.

 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:31)

Let's end our study today with a favorite and familiar Psalm. This will surely remind us to rejoice in God's providence for us:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—    where does my help come from?
 My help comes from the Lord,    the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—    he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel    will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—    the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day,    nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—    he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going    both now and forevermore.  (Psalm 121)

Amen!
Thank you, Lord!

Verses that inspire

Recently, I've been camped out in Psalm 91. Some of you know this because I've corresponded with you. (Grin) There's so much to learn and to rejoice over in this little Psalm!

I wanted to share some thoughts about verse fourteen:

“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name." (v 14, NASB)

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. (v 14, NIV)

I've said before how helpful it can be to truly broaden our understanding of verses -- to compare them in different translations. That's why I placed both the NASB and the NIV translations of verse fourteen up there.

Those are awe-inspiring promises from our Father God, are they not? Deliverance, rescue, protection, security . . . why does He promise this? What must we do to receive these wonders?

Well, the first thing is that we love Him. That's the first phrase of the verse. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might . . . if we love Him, we will keep His commandments . . . all of those verses come to mind.

But I'd like to focus on the last portion of the verse. One translation says "he has known My name." And the other says "he acknowledges My name."

Hmmmmm.
This is what came to my mind.
I'm an old movie buff. I had a mental picture of a man, the main character of the movie, nattily dressed in a suit and fedora. He knows the name of the person he's passing on the city sidewalk, so he raises his hand in a casual gesture and touches the rim of his hat. No stopping to chat. No real engagement. He knows the person. Knows his name.

I also had a mental picture of a similar movie character, who couldn't be bothered even with a hand gesture. He "acknowledges" the presence of the person he knows with a quick, curt, nod of the head.

I don't think this is what the Psalmist has in mind, do you? (Grin)
I think the Psalmist must have had the latest dictionary of the day open at his side. The Merriam Webster of his day. Because when I search Merriam Webster now on my computer, I get some in-depth concepts for the word "acknowledge."

I believe that the Psalmist would have agreed with the three concepts I see on my screen. . . .
First, to acknowledge God's name means to "recognize the rights, authority, or status of" His claim on our lives as a holy God.

For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27)

On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? (Romans 9:20-21)

Second, Merriam Webster tells us that "acknowledge" means "to disclose knowledge of or agreement with." In order for us to acknowledge God, we must agree with Him about our sins.  The scholars say in I John, the word "confess" carries with it not just our speaking our sins and asking for forgiveness, but also the concept of agreeing with God about our sinfulness:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

Lastly, the dictionary tells us that "acknowledge" also means to "express gratitude or obligation for." Certainly after we have heart knowledge of God's authority, and we agree with Him about our sins, we will want to express gratitude for His saving grace!

But I will sacrifice to YouWith the voice of thanksgiving.That which I have vowed I will pay.Salvation is from the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9)

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (I Chronicles 16:34)

but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:57)

I hope that if a verse or a passage has blessed you recently, that you will leave a comment and share!

Being joyful in the Lord - Ezra 6

When we think of the Puritans in early America, what is our first (and probably longest lasting) take away?
Sourpusses.
Long faces.
Don't-you-dare-have-fun-faces.

I'm here to tell you - that's not right!
We have the impression that they put a little too much emphasis on the duty and obedience of the Christian life, and they were pretty legalistic, to boot.
And all too often, we view God as a Puritan in a picture; we see Him as a stern killjoy Who doesn't want anyone to get too carried away; He doesn't want anyone to have a good time in life.
In fact, it's actually a false caricature that Puritans were totally against joy and pleasure. It was the Puritans who said, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!"
And guess what?
Our Father God is not a killjoy, either!

I expect that most of us would say to glorify God is high on our list of priorities.
How high is the pursuit of joy?
Is it nice to pursue?
Is it necessary?
John Piper has said in his book Desiring God that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. If glorifying Him is our most important goal, then finding satisfaction and joy in God must be a purposeful strategy. If we don't possess the "fullness of joy" in God, then we are not glorifying Him as He deserves.

The joy that the Lord gives to His people is the theme of our chapter this week - Ezra 6. Remember how in chapter five, Tattenai, the governor, had confronted the Jewish people with whether or not they had the proper permissions to rebuild the temple? Because God's eye was upon them, Tattenai was moved to send a question to King Darius, but allow the work to continue.

In chapter six, we read that Darius (or his lackeys, I guess!) makes a search and finds the decree of Cyrus in the old records. He respects that decree and he sends back word that the work should continue.
He even includes a ruling that the work should be supported financially! He underwrites the entire project with a wave of his hand! So, the temple was completed in 515 BC, and our chapter this week notes that the Lord's people gathered to joyfully celebrate and dedicate the new temple.

Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. (v 16)

After that, they celebrated the Passover and after that, the Feast of Unleavened Bread "with joy."

For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, (v 22a)

Ezra explains the source of their joy:

because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. (v 22b)

Joy, happiness, gladness in the Lord - these are not unimportant! In fact, they are major themes in the Bible! Way back in the history of the Jewish people, Moses told them they should seek a place to worship the Lord and that they would rejoice:

There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:7)

Moving into the Psalms, we see many joyful verses . . .

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.     Worship the Lord with gladness;    come before him with joyful songs. (Psalm 100:1-2)

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,    that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (Psalm 5:11)

There are so many! We could list many more, but let's move into the New Testament and see what our Savior had to say about joy and rejoicing:

"rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20b)

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  (John 15:11)

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)

Paul told us in Philippians to "rejoice... always" (4:4) and then listed joy as the second fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in believers. (Galatians 5:22)
Peter said that:

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, (I Peter 1:8)

And of course, John pictures the saints rejoicing throughout eternity in Revelation. (Chapter 19)
We've only touched the surface; there are so many verses that talk about joy, rejoicing, and gladness! In fact, a famous line in a book (and a movie) goes thusly:

"If God took the trouble to tell us eight hundred times to be glad and rejoice, He must want us to do it - some." From Pollyanna, by Ellen H. Porter

All of this to say . . . joy in the Lord is not optional. It's not unimportant. God wants us to be glad. It's the very essence of our Christian faith. We're going to focus on this in the coming days. Hope you will read along!

Friday slowdown

What an inspiring verse I read today from the Psalms!

Praise be to the Lord,    for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield;    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.My heart leaps for joy,    and with my song I praise him. (Psalm 28:6-7)

I hope you will enjoy this video, too. Joy, exuberance, and worship of God!

Trust God!

This week we have seen that the "tag-team" of prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, supported the discouraged people as they began again on the work of rebuilding God's temple.
We've seen that the people were encouraged to get a fresh look at God's Word, to stop comparing themselves to others, to speak up and witness, and to get to work (hard!) for the Lord.

The last thing we need to learn from this chapter (Ezra 5) is to simply trust God to accomplish His will through us.
All the while, even in the years of delay, behind the events of the renewal of God's people and their homeland -- all the while, God was at work. God was observing and moving in the lives of His people. The re-establishment of the Jewish covenant community was the result of His providence.

Let's face it - that governor allowed the work on the temple to continue! He could have put his foot down and said, "No more work until I hear from the king! This is my territory, and I can't take the chance on being blamed for a problem! Put those tools down!"
But instead, the work went on while the inquiry was sent to Darius. This was a direct result and a proof that God's eye was on His people. It's a fact: God used and coordinated all of the words He gave to the prophets, the work of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the enthusiasm of the people, the tales of the tattlers, and even the decisions of pagan government officials . . . all in order to fulfill His purpose.

It's obvious, too, that the people's interest and pride in their heritage had been rekindled. In their ringing witness to the governor, they detailed the sovereign dealings of God in their history. They went back to the beginning and told the story with certainty and conviction. Since the stories were vivid and fresh in their minds, we can see that this enabled them to put their current situation into proper perspective. They kept these facts in their memories and their imaginations, and relied upon them as proofs of their relationship with God.

So, we, too, can apply this to our lives, because our faith is tied to the fact that God made promises and then fulfilled them -- even to the point of sending His own Son. Jesus Christ came to earth and lived, died, and rose again; all of the scriptures were fulfilled regarding the Messiah, in Jesus' life, His death, and His resurrection.
As we work to bring glory to our sovereign God, we can rest assured that the decisions we make, and the work that we do, all affects history:

for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13)

As we work for the Lord, we need to remind ourselves that we are working in harmony with the sovereign God Who is working out His purposes in history - through His people. What a privilege to be part of the plan!  What a recipe for encouragement - when we are discouraged, we can trust God to accomplish His will through us!
We will see as we continue to study that the temple was completed a little over seventy years after its destruction. There was great rejoicing as the people returned there to celebrate the Passover.
We can scoot forward just a bit to glimpse a verse:

For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. (Ezra 6:22)

Talk about having the correct perspective on things! When our discouragement is transformed into encouragement, it's because of God - He gets all the glory as we trust Him to accomplish His purposes.

Many pastors use an old story that I thought I would include here:

The devil had a garage sale . . . he marked all of his tools with their appropriate prices: hatred, envy, lust, deceit, lying, and pride. Laid apart from all of these was a rather harmless looking but well-worn tool that was marked much higher than the rest. A buyer pointed to it and asked, "What is that tool?" The devil replied, "That is discouragement." "Why is it priced so high, " the man asked. "Because it is more useful to me than the others.  I can pry open a man or a woman's heart with that when I can't make progress with the other tools. Once inside, I can make that man or woman do whatever I choose. It's so badly worn because I use it on almost everyone. But very few know that it belongs to me." The devil's price was so high that the tool of discouragement was never sold.

He still uses it on God's people, today. But by God's grace, through His Word, we can overcome discouragement.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (I Corinthians 15:58)

Speak up!

I hope by now you have read (at least once) the fifth chapter of Ezra. If you have, did you start the chapter like I did, with a sinking feeling?
Why?
I was afraid that this character, Tattenai, was going to be another problem. A troublemaker. After all, his name even makes me think of the tattletales that were in our previous chapter!
Tattenai was the governor over Israel, over the district, so to speak, and no sooner had the people begun to work again . . . . here came Tattenai and his sidekicks and challenged them!

At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 4 They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received. (Ezra 5:3-5)

It appears, though, that he was just doing his job. As the governor of the territory, he reported to King Darius. The scholars tell us that King Darius started his reign with some significant challenges, so these reports from far-flung districts were important.
The reason I say that he was just doing his job is that he asked the people what they were doing, but didn't try to stop them from doing it. He may have had in his mind that a plot for rebellion could be brewing, but he didn't force them to stop their work.

Instead, they permitted the people to continue building until word came back from the king. That may have taken several months, and a lot of work can get done in four, five, or six months of good solid effort. We see the reason in the verses above: "The eye of their God was watching over" the leaders and the people. I thought about this a lot during my study; I thought it was really interesting and inspiring, too. Not only is the eye of the devil on the believer (he's pacing about like a lion, seeking peeps to devour and cause them to sin) but the eye of our Lord is on us, as well.

The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,    keeping watch on the wicked and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)

The Lord looks down from heaven    on all mankindto see if there are any who understand,    any who seek God. (Psalm 14:2)

We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. (II Corinthians 12:19b)

Knowing that the eye of God is upon us, and He is watching protectively over us, we can keep going even when the enemy is trying to get us to stop doing God's work.
So, Tattenai sent his letter to King Darius. The rest of the chapter details what he told the king. It's really interesting because it doesn't distort the truth like the people who caused trouble in chapter four. This letter is surprisingly accurate and just states the facts. Then he asks for verification of what the Jewish people told him. Kinda refreshing, isn't it? He appears to have integrity!

His letter also shows that the Jews were not afraid to speak up. They gave a strong vocal testimony to Tattenai about God and His ways. Nowadays, they would have shown him a powerpoint presentation, and their bullet points would have looked like this:
   * They used to worship at a temple that Solomon built
   * Because of their sin, God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to conquer them
   * They'd been deported to Babylon
   * King Cyrus had decreed they should return and rebuild the temple
   * He had returned the gold and silver utensils to the leaders before they left
Maybe the Jews even showed Tattenai the utensils as a proof, we don't know. But the point is, they gave Tattenai and his colleagues a strong witness about God. They spoke up and gave a testimony about His covenant and His faithfulness.

Applying this to our lives, it's a strong antidote for discouragement to give a strong witness of our faith in Jesus. The adrenaline starts to pump. We get passionate. We're vocal. We are committed because we know someone is listening. Someone is watching.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, (I Peter 3:15)

If we will be bold for the Lord, we can rest assured that His eye is upon us; He's watching whatever response our listeners come back with.
Don't be shy! Don't be fearful! God is with us! Speak up!

Get to work!

For the last week and a half, we have been studying the delay in rebuilding the temple. We've examined the why's and the wherefore's and we've looked at strategies to combat discouragement.

Today's thought is that to overcome discouragement, we need to get back to work for the Lord.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. (Ezra 5:2)

Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. (Haggai 1:13-15)

Discouragement and fear led the people to abandon their work. The prophets called them back "on the job." There is something encouraging, even enlivening, about serving the Lord, especially if you have been on the sidelines for a while.
For one thing, it makes one pause and think, "hey, I'm not much, but God can use me!"

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  (Colossians 3:23-24)

For another, it lets us remember, "no matter how we have failed in the past, we can serve Him!"

for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, (Proverbs 24:16a)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  (II Corinthians 12:9)

It doesn't matter if it is physical labor, or if it's being used spiritually in someone's life, there is great joy in knowing that we are laboring for God's kingdom. There is rejoicing ahead for He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Sometimes we get discouraged because we become focused much more on ourselves than we should. Can anyone say "pity party"? It wasn't the first one, and it sure as the world won't be the last, but we read in I Kings about one such pity party. Elijah told the Lord, "I've worked so hard for you!" and he followed it with a list of complaints: everybody has forsaken the covenant; they've torn down the altars; Jezebel killed your prophets; I'm the only one left -- and they are hunting me down to kill me, too!
I did paraphrase just a bit, and I really do feel empathy for Elijah, since he had suffered a great deal. But that kind of self focus really blurs our vision. It prevented him from seeing that there were some left who worshiped YAHWEH.
It can prevent us from seeing the needs of others, and stop us from doing something about those needs.

I'm going to ask something here that may sound strange.
What is our ministry? Your ministry?
Think about that for a minute.
We may not be pastors or church leaders, but there are ways for each of us to minister, if we will just open our eyes. And if we are just sitting around thinking about our problems, that is a sure way to get discouraged - even depressed!
Are there folks that need a kind word and a smile? A helpful hand to an elderly neighbor struggling with yard work? A handicapped person who needs help grooming or medicating a pet? Is there someone we know who could use some help as they work at a soup kitchen? Can we sweep floors or wash dishes at the local church outreach? All of these are wonderful ways to invest time in the kingdom of God. They are not hugely time consuming. They require no special training. And they offer us chances to witness to those who we are assisting.

The generous soul will be made rich,And he who waters will also be watered himself. (Proverbs 11:25)

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:14-17)

Helping others, and working for the Lord will do wonders for our disposition!
Let's get to work!