Getting a Grip When it all hurts Part 5
1 Peter 5:6-11 ESV
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, [7] casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. [8] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. [10] And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. [11] To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Restore
Confirm
Strengthen
Establish
Do you want it - or not?
I ask that often. Am I willing to suffer (for a little while) in order for God to bless me with these four mercies? I take them as indesputable promises and so my answer is a weak but firm "yes."
I don't like the suffering part but I'm not sure we're supposed to like it anyway. I do think that we are to keep the end in view - add everything up so we may:
James 1:2 ESV
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
and let's not exclude:
James 1:3-4 ESV
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. [4] And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Is this really what we want? Or do we want to have a haven here instead of heaven there? Oh how the love of the world smothers all our sense and sensibleness. How the flesh warps and twists our hearts so that we desire the best here where it can never be available. How poor and weak are we that we (and I mean WE) seek to live here without a deep desire for heaven.
We are so infected with the;
1 John 2:16
desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-
We forget that all of this, "is not from the Father but is from the world."
We are promised food, clothing and shelter. We are not promised what kind or how much. And I am learning that I have too much and that this too much has trapped me in the world. I am being restored, confirmed, strengthened and established in ways I never suspected. And were it not for the suffering we are experiencing I'd have probably never even seen it. As we live close to poverty I see the real poverty under which we lived. As needs grow larger and more un-meetable I see what my real needs are - to which I was blind. As a sense of worldly failure overwhelms me I discover what true success is - must be. As the world in my life slowly diminishes heaven grows larger and His mercies and blessing grow more and more grand.
Brother and sisters I encourage you to live in such a way that God does not need to teach by a hard lesson. Live with little, fight the covetousness that so easily infects our feeble hearts. Begin now to loosen your grip on the world so the world's grip on you may be loosened. Fight the real fight - the fight to live in humulity and submission to Him. Question every eyarning, every desire, every choice. Examine every thought and inclination.
If you are suffering, you are not alone and probably your suffering pales in comparison to most - But suffering, no matter how bad is suffering. I pray for you that you will not suffer long and that you (and we) will soon be the joyous recipients of the mercies God promises in this verse.
Showing posts with label hard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hard. Show all posts
Monday, April 7, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Faith in Affliction Weak or Strong 032414
Faith in Affliction Weak or Strong
"If it never proves great, yet weak faith shall save; for it interests us in Christ, and makes Him and all His benefits ours. For it is not the strength of our faith that saves, but the truth of our faith, nor weakness of our faith that condemns, but the want of faith; for the least faith lays hold on Christ and so will save us. Nor are we saved by the worth or quantity of our faith but by Christ - who is laid hold on bu a weak faith as well as a strong - just as a weak hand that puts meat into the mouth shall feed and nourish the body as if it were a strong hand, but by the goodness of the meat." John Rogers, The Doctrine of Faith
In Affliction we are confronted with the strength or weakness of our faith. Indeed I think it is more often the latter than the former. But as Rogers writes even our mustard-seed faith is sufficient to lay hold of all that Christ provides and promises. The difference, perhaps, is more in our sense of faith than its sufficiency.
How often do we, in afflictions, find ourselves confronted with the laziness of our faith and consider it a sign of no or weak faith. This is not to be done. The exercise of our faith will indeed be commensurate with its strength or weakness but yet whether one or the other it is sufficient.
If our faith is weak, afflictions are great torments and trials and yet Christ is not stingy in His providence regardless. It is the object of our faith that is of the greatest import and what we often confuse with a weak faith is actually a misplaced faith.
We tend to trust God to provide according to our own reason and insight and when we do not see that happening we , in our distress, consider our faith to be too weak to have its effect. But brother and sister, by God's own Word, this cannot be. His promises are to those who believe whether small or large.
"Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief," should be a fundamental prayer we pray in affliction. For we all have areas where our faith struggles to settle upon its true object and grow upon that object.
And, we must remember that our faith is a gift and gifts are given according to the desire of the giver and the need of the gifted. That one has what they consider a "small faith" is simply an invitation to stand amazed as God grows that faith in time and space. Indeed, once we are with Him there will be no weak of strong faith for our trust in Him will be complete.
In affliction we will find that we question the strength and veracity of our faith - or at least we seem to. However I find among believers that it is rarely a question of whether or not God will provide but rather how and when. This shows that we have faith in Him even if we struggle in the details.
But some believers do struggle with whether or not God will provide. Wondrously and happily this doubt is usually based upon their view of their own worthiness to even get God's attention much less His provision. This is "works" thinking and we all do it. There is nothing like an affliction to kick us into the old, "I'm not worthy," or to bring to our remembrance every jot and tittle of our sins.
Well, we are not worthy - period. But in and through Christ we are - but only through Him. Yes, God may indeed, through some affliction, chastise us for sin. But this is a mercy for first it falls far far short of what any sin deserves and second it is meant to cleanse, to refine the dross out of our hearts and lives. Yet we often fail to see the blessedness of God's heavy hand upon us and we miss praising Him for that mercy.
Trusting God in affliction is simple but it is not easy. The world mocks, the flesh wrestles with shame and the devil accuses and taunts. That's a tough trio to contend with. But knowing the source should drive us to look to God more intensly and humbly and - sometimes - desperately.
But, isn't the bottom line our redemption? Isn't that the aim of our faith as Christ who provides it is the object? Do we want heaven of relief more? Do we want the comfort of our salvation or the comfort of things? Do we want the praise of men or the "well done" of Christ?
Faith in affliction looks to its object and the priorities held by that object. Which means that our priority should be the glory of God and our ultimate home with Him. Everything else is NOT unimportant but it is secondary if not tertiary.
Therefore let us turn to Christ in our affliction and to His Word and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in getting our priorities back in line. Let us allow the anxiety of trials to wash over us and away from us as we call out to God in supplication and thanksgiving.
"Though I am not pleased with God's chastisement, I will be pleased with its effect. Though I struggle to thank Him for this testing I praise Him for loving me enough to test me. Though I am assailed with fear let me be filled with His comfort. May I accept this affliction as a mercy and blessing from my God who is determined to transform me into the likeness of my loving Savior." ms
"If it never proves great, yet weak faith shall save; for it interests us in Christ, and makes Him and all His benefits ours. For it is not the strength of our faith that saves, but the truth of our faith, nor weakness of our faith that condemns, but the want of faith; for the least faith lays hold on Christ and so will save us. Nor are we saved by the worth or quantity of our faith but by Christ - who is laid hold on bu a weak faith as well as a strong - just as a weak hand that puts meat into the mouth shall feed and nourish the body as if it were a strong hand, but by the goodness of the meat." John Rogers, The Doctrine of Faith
In Affliction we are confronted with the strength or weakness of our faith. Indeed I think it is more often the latter than the former. But as Rogers writes even our mustard-seed faith is sufficient to lay hold of all that Christ provides and promises. The difference, perhaps, is more in our sense of faith than its sufficiency.
How often do we, in afflictions, find ourselves confronted with the laziness of our faith and consider it a sign of no or weak faith. This is not to be done. The exercise of our faith will indeed be commensurate with its strength or weakness but yet whether one or the other it is sufficient.
If our faith is weak, afflictions are great torments and trials and yet Christ is not stingy in His providence regardless. It is the object of our faith that is of the greatest import and what we often confuse with a weak faith is actually a misplaced faith.
We tend to trust God to provide according to our own reason and insight and when we do not see that happening we , in our distress, consider our faith to be too weak to have its effect. But brother and sister, by God's own Word, this cannot be. His promises are to those who believe whether small or large.
"Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief," should be a fundamental prayer we pray in affliction. For we all have areas where our faith struggles to settle upon its true object and grow upon that object.
And, we must remember that our faith is a gift and gifts are given according to the desire of the giver and the need of the gifted. That one has what they consider a "small faith" is simply an invitation to stand amazed as God grows that faith in time and space. Indeed, once we are with Him there will be no weak of strong faith for our trust in Him will be complete.
In affliction we will find that we question the strength and veracity of our faith - or at least we seem to. However I find among believers that it is rarely a question of whether or not God will provide but rather how and when. This shows that we have faith in Him even if we struggle in the details.
But some believers do struggle with whether or not God will provide. Wondrously and happily this doubt is usually based upon their view of their own worthiness to even get God's attention much less His provision. This is "works" thinking and we all do it. There is nothing like an affliction to kick us into the old, "I'm not worthy," or to bring to our remembrance every jot and tittle of our sins.
Well, we are not worthy - period. But in and through Christ we are - but only through Him. Yes, God may indeed, through some affliction, chastise us for sin. But this is a mercy for first it falls far far short of what any sin deserves and second it is meant to cleanse, to refine the dross out of our hearts and lives. Yet we often fail to see the blessedness of God's heavy hand upon us and we miss praising Him for that mercy.
Trusting God in affliction is simple but it is not easy. The world mocks, the flesh wrestles with shame and the devil accuses and taunts. That's a tough trio to contend with. But knowing the source should drive us to look to God more intensly and humbly and - sometimes - desperately.
But, isn't the bottom line our redemption? Isn't that the aim of our faith as Christ who provides it is the object? Do we want heaven of relief more? Do we want the comfort of our salvation or the comfort of things? Do we want the praise of men or the "well done" of Christ?
Faith in affliction looks to its object and the priorities held by that object. Which means that our priority should be the glory of God and our ultimate home with Him. Everything else is NOT unimportant but it is secondary if not tertiary.
Therefore let us turn to Christ in our affliction and to His Word and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in getting our priorities back in line. Let us allow the anxiety of trials to wash over us and away from us as we call out to God in supplication and thanksgiving.
"Though I am not pleased with God's chastisement, I will be pleased with its effect. Though I struggle to thank Him for this testing I praise Him for loving me enough to test me. Though I am assailed with fear let me be filled with His comfort. May I accept this affliction as a mercy and blessing from my God who is determined to transform me into the likeness of my loving Savior." ms
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Trusting God 021214
Trusting God 021214
"What are your cares, but the turmoiling of your thoughts? Richard Baxter, A Christian Directory
Baxter offers that we may and should control our thoughts when we are in distress, even despair and he wisely and kindly adds that we should,
"Cast away the thoughts, and cares are gone. You may do this if you will, though it be difficult."
Our thoughts begin in our hearts. This is the source of all good and evil that we think, feel, say or do. It is in the heart that despair begins and it begins with our lack of trust in God. Yes, we all have a lack of trust in God. We may only see it when we are under some affliction but it is always there.
Many, when things are going well may think or even boast that they are trusting God and I am sure that so some extent they do. But take away those things that give them comfort and security and the flaw is exposed. Doubt is a part of our suffereing here and we must accept that there are places where we doubt.
But we need not wait until we are under His correcting hand to begin to address this lack of trust. We may, through a sincere and diligent examination of our hearts discover this vein of distrust and appreciate the power of it to cause us to stumble.
If you are under some affliction and struggling with your trust in God the only solution is - well - to trust God for your lack of trust. As the man cried our to Jesus, "Help my unbelief!" we too must be bold about our trust struggle and go to the only source of strength we have.
Scripture abounds with admonitions, promises and prayers for trust in God. It abounds with demonstrations of His faithfulness and lovingkindness. Even your life in HIm, if you will but sit and reflect, holds testimony to His faithfulness.
But those pesky fearful thoughts persist. Not only that, but Satan and the world will encourage and heighten them until they scream so loud they almost drown out everything else. But we are able to control our thoughts and by the Holy Spirit we are able to strengthen and heal our weak hearts.
Isaiah 26:3 ESV
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Notice something very important in this verse. It is not "I" who keep me in peace but God who does it. But I must fix my mind upon Him. I must do two thing I think. First I must really pray. I use the word "really" becasue in matters of trust we can't be hedging or playing. We must come honestly and openly to Him with our distrust confessing it and crying our for a greater trust in Him. Where we do not trust Him, we sin and as with any other sin it must be confessed and repented of - wholy and truthfully.
Second - I must fill my mind and hence my heart with those Words of God that call me and encourage me to trust in Him. I must take the plain truth of His lovingkindness to heart and hold it there tightly. I know of no better way than to search out those sciptures that speak to the issue of trust and to read them (in not memorizing them) over and over until they permiate my mind and touch my heart.
Trust, even trust in our God does not come easy but it comes.
"What are your cares, but the turmoiling of your thoughts? Richard Baxter, A Christian Directory
Baxter offers that we may and should control our thoughts when we are in distress, even despair and he wisely and kindly adds that we should,
"Cast away the thoughts, and cares are gone. You may do this if you will, though it be difficult."
Our thoughts begin in our hearts. This is the source of all good and evil that we think, feel, say or do. It is in the heart that despair begins and it begins with our lack of trust in God. Yes, we all have a lack of trust in God. We may only see it when we are under some affliction but it is always there.
Many, when things are going well may think or even boast that they are trusting God and I am sure that so some extent they do. But take away those things that give them comfort and security and the flaw is exposed. Doubt is a part of our suffereing here and we must accept that there are places where we doubt.
But we need not wait until we are under His correcting hand to begin to address this lack of trust. We may, through a sincere and diligent examination of our hearts discover this vein of distrust and appreciate the power of it to cause us to stumble.
If you are under some affliction and struggling with your trust in God the only solution is - well - to trust God for your lack of trust. As the man cried our to Jesus, "Help my unbelief!" we too must be bold about our trust struggle and go to the only source of strength we have.
Scripture abounds with admonitions, promises and prayers for trust in God. It abounds with demonstrations of His faithfulness and lovingkindness. Even your life in HIm, if you will but sit and reflect, holds testimony to His faithfulness.
But those pesky fearful thoughts persist. Not only that, but Satan and the world will encourage and heighten them until they scream so loud they almost drown out everything else. But we are able to control our thoughts and by the Holy Spirit we are able to strengthen and heal our weak hearts.
Isaiah 26:3 ESV
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Notice something very important in this verse. It is not "I" who keep me in peace but God who does it. But I must fix my mind upon Him. I must do two thing I think. First I must really pray. I use the word "really" becasue in matters of trust we can't be hedging or playing. We must come honestly and openly to Him with our distrust confessing it and crying our for a greater trust in Him. Where we do not trust Him, we sin and as with any other sin it must be confessed and repented of - wholy and truthfully.
Second - I must fill my mind and hence my heart with those Words of God that call me and encourage me to trust in Him. I must take the plain truth of His lovingkindness to heart and hold it there tightly. I know of no better way than to search out those sciptures that speak to the issue of trust and to read them (in not memorizing them) over and over until they permiate my mind and touch my heart.
Trust, even trust in our God does not come easy but it comes.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Romans 8:7 "The Problem"
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Romans 8:7 ESV
John Milton wrote,
"The mind is its own place, and in it self
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. Paradise Lost
Though the very center of our "self" is the heart, the mind is no less important to the comfort and growth of the believer. We have looked at - and will continue to look at - the keeping of the heart, it is the mind my attention is drawn to today.
We do not get a lobotomy or even a de-frag when we come to Christ. Not only the content of our minds, but the very manner in which we employ it is relatively the same. We keep our memories and we think in the same old way.
This is a great source of confusion and consternation for the believer. It is in the conflict between the mind of the flesh and the mind of the spirit that the believer senses trials and temptations.
A simple thing like - well - right and wrong is a good example. Prior to our redemption, right and wrong tended to be fluid. We were much more "tolerant" in drawing a line between the two. For the sake of relationships, status, acceptance, etc., we were inclined (that is "bent") towards cutting a lot of slack for those to whom we looked for companionship, acceptance, success and comfort.
This manner of thinking does not automatically change when one comes to Christ. There is no re-installation of the operating system. The mind works in the same old way - the information we had before is unquestioned and figured into our decisions. So we find ourselves making what were once "good" decisions, sound decisions that now, because of our new loyalty, are - wrong.
But, we all found that there were very few who challenged or questioned our thought processes (much less their own). So, we brought our fleshly/worldly knowledge and thinking into the Kingdom with us and tried to make it work. Of course, we discover that it doesn't.
That's ok, however, for such is the case with many of our fellow believers. We think in worldly ways based on worldly knowledge using worldly processes. Is it any wonder that we struggle in our minds concerning our salvation?
Any simple run of the word mind via a concordance will make it very clear that our minds are just not right - neither content nor processes nor propositions "fit" any more.
Two verses highlight this point:
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Phil 2:5
and
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by d the renewal of your mind, Rom. 12:2
We see two things. We are to have the mind of Christ and our minds are to be transformed. Hence, the assumption that there is no wiping of our minds when we are redeemed and we are able and expected to change them.
The "mind of Christ" is the goal; "renewal" is the method.
This is no easy or quick task. It is a daily - if not momentary - duty in which we are to be engaged.
The means:
This renewal of the mind has at least two elements.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 2 Cor. 10:5a
To do this, we must first recognize those arguments and opinions which pit themselves against the knowledge of God. We do this by taking every thought captive.
We have all heard this verse used in reference to the world's objections and arguments against the faith - but we need to understand that this same kind of argument and opinion dwells in us - not just outside us.
Unless we accept the duty of taking every one of our thoughts captive and discerning whether it is in obedience to Christ, our "arguments" and "opinions" will continue to be stumbling blocks to our growth, security and comfort. To fail in this duty - to fail to accept this duty - will be to fall short of the comfort and effectiveness of which we are rightful possessors. We will be weak and pliable. We will be tossed and thrown.
"Duty"?? Did I say duty? Yes, it is the duty of every citizen of the Kingdom to give honor, homage and obedience to the King. We certainly don't expect it of His enemies. But to not expect it of ourselves is to put the vassal over the Lord. It is to make ourselves sovereign and Him just a servant.
These duties are not for our salvation but rather because of it. We are indeed new creatures but such naive and clumsy ones. The "duties" of prayer, study, worship, stewardship are our means of training, our means of growth. Though you may not see it, there is a great deal of work done between the acorn and the oak. There are principles and providences and processes at work in the acorn that we can say are its duties. However, though we may indeed be nuts as well, unlike the acorn, we are able to intentionally avoid our duties - and this much to our harm.
So let us accept the duties of capturing every thought and subjecting it to the scrutiny of the Word and the Spirit. Let us, through the duty of prayer, study, and attending to the Word preached and taught meticulously examine the content and operation of our minds.
Secondly, we are to direct our minds to particular things.
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. Phil. 4:8 ESV
This is not rainbows and puppies and cute little bunny rabbits. The true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable - excellence and praise worthy are those things which God describes thusly. It is His criteria we much discern by and not our own.
Here we have very clear ends to the stick. What does and what does not meet this criteria? Are we seeking the one and avoiding the other? Or, are we just wandering about stumbling upon the one and wallowing in the other? What influences your thoughts the most? Is it TV or the Word? Is it Vogue or Romans? Is it God's whatevers or just whatever?
Though it is beneficial to look, to hunt for those things about which God would have us think, it's benefit is hindered when we accompany it with what the world offers. It's like eating a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts and drinking a Diet Coke - dubious in its benefit at best.
We may not be able to think God's thoughts but we are able to think about God's Word. But how beneficial is it when we spend a couple of hours engaged in the Word and many more passively taking in the babble and confusion of the world. Again - Kripsy Kreme and Diet Coke - it's just self-deception - silliness - dumb.
No, if we are to really take up the duties of a servant of the King, there is much about which we must think and much about which we must not.
Let me stress that word "MUST." We must - not that we might be saved, not even that we might stay saved - but rather that we might actually experience the glory and comfort and security of being saved. The "imperatives" in the scriptures are imperative for living the faith. They are not optional, they are not occasional - they are immediate imperatives - right now and always now.
In light of the quote I cited from Milton - many believers long for heaven but because they do not attend to their minds, they live a hellish existence here.
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