And he [Herod] sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.~ Matthew 14:10-14
Many years ago, a back-country woman in Florida received news that her son had been killed in the war. Shortly thereafter, she was seen hoeing in her garden.
“It just isn’t fitting,” chided a neighbor who thought it was inappropriate to be gardening instead of grieving.
“Friend,” said Effie Mae, “I know you mean well, but Jim rejoiced to see green things growing because it meant that his mother and the young ones would be eating. This is his hoe, and when I’m hoeing I can almost feel his big, strong hands under mine and hear his voice saying, ‘That’s good, Mom, that’s good.’ Working is the only headstone I can give him.”
Jesus also suffered the pain of grief when He was told of the death of John the Baptist, but it didn’t deter Him from His work. After a brief period of solitude (Matthew 14:13), His great compassion led Him to heal the sick and to feed the multitude of 5,000.
Is your heart broken today? Does life seem empty? Do you feel like giving up? There is hope in the Master’s example. Take up whatever duties lie before you. Dedicate them to God. Refuse the luxury of self-pity. Do something to lift the burdens of others. Remember how Jesus handled His sorrow; He’ll strengthen you to do the same.
There is a destiny that makes us brothers:
None goes his way alone;
All that we send into the lives of others
Comes back into our own.—Markham
To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own. —Lincoln
22So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24And the people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 26And said, “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” 27And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.~ Exodus 15:22-27
Water, H2O, is the most important chemical that the human body needs to ingest for regular operation. The Hebrew children had just seen God hand them a terrific victory over the Egyptians who the Red Sea had consumed after the Hebrews had walked safely through its parted waters. However exhilarating victories might be, they are quickly forgotten in the pursuit of our basic needs, like water. The Hebrew nation had traveled for three long days and was now desperate for water and when they finally found some, it was bitter; too bitter to drink.
“…Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” (John 7:37)
The journey of the Hebrews from Egypt to Canaan (the Promised Land) is a well-known allegory for the journey of the Christian from bondage in sin to the abundant life in the Kingdom of God (here on earth). And the story of the bitter water, portrays an ongoing struggle in the life of Believers. Both the Hebrews (then) and Believers (now) must cope with the challenge of how we provide for our basic human needs.
The Bible tells us that they had been searching for water for three days. Therefore, by the time they did find water, they were desperate. They had to have this basic human need satisfied. BUT, the water they hoped would finally quench their thirst was undrinkable! Likewise, Believers have real needs that they too desperately need to be fulfilled.
There is the man who needs a job, the woman who needs a husband; there is the boy who needs some friends, the girl who needs reassurance; there is the family that needs a home, the senior citizen who needs healthcare. The world tries to provide solutions for all of these problems. BUT, the question is, “Are these solutions bitter or sweet?” Some doors open to reveal traps. How do we know which one to choose?
Sometimes the man who needed a job takes one that leaves him with little time to spend with his family; no time to father his children and husband his wife. Sometimes the woman who needed a husband marries one who destroys her life. Sometimes the family in need of a home and financial help get into a debt trap from which they can’t escape. Sometimes the solution we had hoped would restore us turned out to be bitter.
When the Hebrews faced this problem, they complained (bitterly?) to Moses and he cried out to God. The solution was to have Moses put a tree (a branch) that God had prepared into the water. And when the tree was in the water, the water became sweet (good to drink). The application for Believers is that the only good water is the water with God’s Branch, Jesus (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15, Zechariah 3:8, 6:12), in it.
Without the branch, the water was bitter in Marah; so too addressing our needs without Jesus will also lead to bitterness. As we seek to make daily life decisions the key question to ask is NOT, “Is this solution good for me?” The key question is, “Is Jesus in it?” In other words, instead of seeking a solution, we seek Jesus: for He alone has the rightsolution. Jesus puts it this way:
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ~ Matthew 6:31-33
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters… Wherefore do ye spend… your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me… Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live…” (Isaiah 55: 1-3)
After the bitter water was made sweet, God warned them that they should listen to Him and obey His instruction, so that they would not suffer the disease with which He plagued the Egyptians, because He is their Healer (Jehovah Rapha). That is, God, The Great Physician, was telling them to practice preventative medicine: telling them what to do NOT to get sick.
Likewise, when God works in our life to guide us into making the right choices because of our faith in Him, our responsibilities, as servants in the Kingdom of God, don’t end there. When God blesses you that perfect job, it’s a confirmation that we should follow Him more closely. When God provides that good husband, then it’s time for the wife to deepen her relationship with him. Blessings must draw us closer to God, not distract us from Him. We stay close to Him so that we stay away from trouble, away from bitter consequences of a life lived apart from God.
Finally, the Hebrews left Marah and journeyed to Elim, which had lots of water. Before believers get to Elim, where there is an abundant supply for our needs, we must pass through Marah, just like the Hebrews.
Before God adds “all these things” that we need, we must first learn to seek Him (Matthew 6:33). Paul could experience complete contentment in any situation, because he knew ALL his needs would be taken care of. Whether he was being beaten in a prison or debating in a palace, he was content because he knew Jesus. And as long as he was with Jesus, the water was abundant and sweet.
“She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.”~ Proverbs 31:21
Scarlet (fr. ecarlate) refers to a type of very fine (high quality) wool cloth, that was made in various colors including but not limited to bright red. Therefore, the Virtuous Woman of Proverbs 31 was not afraid of winter/snow, because her children were well dressed/prepared for the cold/snowy weather.
However, the text also has beautiful symbolism in it. Scarlet (the color) is a metaphor/symbol of the Blood of Jesus Christ. Winter is the symbol of (spiritually, economically, emotionally and socially) barren times. Therefore, the verse is also telling us that the Virtuous Woman was not afraid of hard/difficult times because her children were clothed in the Blood of Jesus Christ: her children were SAVED!!!!!!
Her children are part of God’s royal family (1 Peter 2:9). And as children of The King, she does not have to fear when they face the winters in their lives. They are cared for by God.
Likewise, all parents today, mothers AND fathers, should prepare their children for the hardships of life by leading them to the LORD; by teaching them His WORD.
Modern day society tells us that, to prepare our children to be successful in the world, they have to go to the best schools, have the best experiences, operate in the right social circles, have excellent health (be inoculated from everything) and be exposed to as much art/culture/sports as they/we want.
However, in doing so we not only run them and ourselves ragged, but we also often miss our most important responsibility to our children: tilling/cultivating the soil of their heart (getting rid of all the growth-hindering rocks and all the life-choking weeds of distraction) and planting the seed of God’s Word in it (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23).
Education, money, connections, health, social-skills are all important, but they don’t prepare us or our children for the hardships of life. A great education prepares you for a great job, but only God’s grace sustains you when you lose it. Financial security is reassuring, but money can’t buy good health or good friends. Great works of art are inspiring but they don’t give much comfort when a loved one is dying.
Wisdom for living is ONLY found in the WORD of God and only the Holy Spirit can guide us through life. So, let us “clothe” our children in the scarlet Blood of Jesus Christ so that they will be prepared for the harshest winters of life.
.
There will come a glory in your eyes,
There will come a peace within your heart;
Sitting ‘neath the quiet evening skies,
Time will dry the tear and dull the smart.
You will know that you have played your part;
Yours shall be the love that never dies:
You, with Heaven’s peace within your heart,
You, with God’s own glory in your eyes.
An Excerpt for “The Mother” by Robert William Service
“Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.”~ Jeremiah 1:17
In Jeremiah 1:8 God instructed Jeremiah not to be afraid of the people to whom God was sending him. Then, in a subtle change of emphasis, God instructed Jeremiah, in vs. 17, not to be dismayed; that is, not to lose courage because of fear. In other words, in vs. 17, God was telling Jeremiah that even if he does fear he MUST still go ahead with the mission.
God then underlined the seriousness of His command, by warning Jeremiah that he would be in danger of being confounded if he became dismayed. In this passage, the word “confound” means to cause shattering (breaking into pieces). The image is of a clay water pot that because of cracks had become unable to carry water from the well to the home. It was now useless and might as well be smashed into pieces. So, the warning to Jeremiah was that if he would not do the job (because he was “cracked” with fear), God would publicly get rid of him: end his ministry.
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. ~ Proverbs 29:25
This for many of us seems/feels harsh. Why does God take such a hard line on the issue of misplaced fear: the fear of man? To answer this question, let us examine three ways in which misplaced fear affects the work of the believer in the Kingdom of God. Fear of man (a) Dishonors God, (b) Distorts God’s Message and (c) Disables the Believer.
Fear of Man Dishonors God
To fear what man can do to us more than what God can do to us is to make the creature superior to The Creator. To fear man is to believe that God has lost control of a piece of His universe. To fear man is to assume that God is powerless to intervene to protect His messengers.
“Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name… O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:7-9)
To fear man is to imagine that men can stop God from executing His plans. To fear man is to dishonor the Almighty God by considering Him to be so impotent, so unable, so clueless as to be at the mercy of mere man. But let us not dishonor God, let us give Him ALL glory and Honor and fear Him only!
O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens… When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?… O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! ~ Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. ~ Revelation 4:11
Instead of fearing man, let us fear God. Let us acknowledge His omnipotence, His absolute righteousness and His complete authority in contrast to our abject weakness, sinfulness and inferiority. Unlike the fear of man, the fear of God draws us to Him because it shows us we can’t “live” without Him.
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. ~ Psalm 112:1
Fear of Man Distorts God’s Message
Simply put, if a messenger fears the receiver of his message then he will likely be tempted to alter/soften the message to escape the wrath of the receiver.
Galatians 2:11-21, tells us of how Paul had to confront Peter for his duplicitous behavior. Peter had lived (rightly) with the gentile Christians without observing the Jewish laws. However, when a group of Christian Jews came to visit him, he withdrew himself from the gentile Believers and begun to observe the Jewish laws, because he feared the (criticism of the) Christian Jews.
For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him… ~ Galatians 2:12-13
Peter’s fear-based actions distorted/twisted the message of the Gospel and caused much confusion among believers—especially the gentile believers, some of whom started to believe that Salvation came by the Law and not only by Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thankfully, Peter accepted God’s correction, delivered through Paul, (2 Peter 3:15; 1 Peter 1:9-10). And God continued to bless Peter’s ministry: using him mightily in the establishment of the church.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Likewise, if we fail to heed God’s warning, we will end up like Peter: not faithfully representing to our communities the character of God, the truth of His Gospel and the power of His Grace. As Peter’s story shows, God IS merciful. If we do succumb to misplaced fear, He will still use us if we correct our ways by unshackling the yoke of misplaced fear from our lives. When we recognize fearfulness in our lives, it does not have to be an end. Instead, it can be the beginning, or even a renewal, of a life of service in the Kingdom of God.
However, as long as we remain encumbered by fear, we will continue distorting God’s message to a world that desperately needs the truth. Therefore, to preserve the fidelity of His message to the lost, God must remove His endorsement (NOT His salvation) from our ministry.
To be clear, there are many who claim to serve God, claim His blessing on their work, and claim to prophesy in God’s name. However, man’s claims are not God’s stamps of approval. Anyone can claim to be serving God, while living in disobedience instead.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ~ Matthew 7:21-23
Let us not try to serve God on our own terms. Rather let us serve God on His terms allowing His truth to speak through our lives without distortion from our fears.
Fear of Man Disables the Believer
Faith can overcome fear, but fear can also overcome faith. We all have misplaced fear and God’s intent is to overcome that fear in us by growing our faith. However, faith is governed by the “use it or lose it” principle.
Metallurgists use a technique called “work hardening” to make metals stronger. After smelting/annealing, the metal is hammered, stretched and formed into the desired shape. As the metal is worked it gets stronger, able to bear greater stresses. Conversely, when a metal that has not been work-hardened is stressed it actually gets weaker (plastic deformation) as the load gets heavier.
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Romans 5:3-4)
Similarly, as we work (exercise) our faith it also gets more resilient, just like the metal. Therefore, by the grace of God, we can stand strong under the pressures of life. However, if, because of fear, we do not work our faith, then, just like the un-worked metal, our un-worked faith grows weaker when burdened by the pressures of life.
Jesus taught this principle in The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). On his return, the master blessed the servants who had exercised their faith. Indeed, bigger, heavier responsibilities (more opportunity to serve) were given to them. However, the servant who failed to exercise his faith lost everything.
Scripture goes on to tell us:
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. ~ James 1:3-4
In other words, if fear of man prevents/obstructs the trying (the working) of our faith, then we will never obtain the abundant life (John 10:10) where we are complete with everything we need to be effective, victorious servants in The Kingdom of God. When the fear of man shackles our faith, instead of being diligent Believers, we become disabled Believers.
Let us not allow misplaced fear to get in the way of exercising/working our faith. Let us overcome fear with a faith strengthened by work.
Final thoughts: God IS in Control
In Jeremiah 1: 8 & 17, God told the prophet not to be “afraid/dismayed of their faces”. In other words, the people only LOOKED frightening: there was no substance to their rantings. They could look as threatening as they wanted to, but they could do nothing without God’s permission, because He was (and still is!) in control.
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? ~ Psalm 118:6
Likewise, we must always be aware that things may seem far more frightening than they are when we “look” at them with our own human “eyes”. To gain the true perspective, to see things as they really are, we must look at them through God’s eyes, from a Heavenly perspective. When we acknowledge, by faith, that God is in control of the universe and everything in it, then we can begin to see that there is nothing for the Believer to fear at all.
When Elisha’s servant saw that they were surrounded by the Syrian Army (2 Kings 6:13-17), he became fearful. Then, Elisha prayed and asked God to open his servant’s eyes. And, when his eyes were opened, Elisha’s servant saw “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha”. From a purely human perspective, the Syrian army looked powerful, but in reality God was in CONTROL! The Syrian army was actually POWERLESS!
“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:26)
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. ~ Matthew 10:29-31
Not even a sparrow falls without God’s permission! Therefore, we can be confident that nothing can happen to us without God’s direct involvement.
Now, we know that God sometimes permits trouble to come our way, but that does not mean He is not in control. When satan complained that God had ‘unfairly’ protected Job (Job 1:10), God gave satan permission to afflict Job. Job then suffered much, losing almost everything he had, some loses coming from the actions of evil men (Job 1-2). But NOTHING happened without God’s permission, because God was in control.
Whatever the situation,
Whether pleasant or grim,
We are safe in our Lord’s strong hands,
Safe when we walk with Him
God is love (1 John 4:8) and every act of God in the life of a Believer is to bring about His perfect purpose because of His love for us.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28
Let us all start living lives without a misplaced fear of man, with a deeply reverent fear of God and a commitment to serve in His Kingdom as messengers of His truth.
“And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.”~ Jeremiah 1:13-16
The second vision Jeremiah is shown is of a seething (intensely hot, boiling) pot in the north. God makes it plain to Jeremiah that the vision meant that Judah would be defeated (decimated) by a kingdom from the north (Babylon).
Nevertheless, the focus of these four verses is God’s reason for Judah’s punishment (vs. 16): God would chastise Judah because of their rejection of Him and idol worship. To be clear, there are many reasons given in Scripture for the rebuke of Judah (e.g., Nehemiah 13:17-18; Zechariah 7:8-14). However, this is the first reason given to Jeremiah and, perhaps, the most fundamental reason for God’s judgment of His people. Interestingly, verse 16 identifies two forms of wickedness: forsaking (totally rejecting) God and worshipping idols (without formally “forsaking” God).
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuter. 30:19)
The wicked are those who reject God completely, AND the wicked are those who try to have it both ways (worshipping both idols and God). In other words, it is just as evil to embrace God and idols, as it is to reject God totally. Indeed, to embrace God and idols is not to embrace God at all.
The application for us is equally plain. Though most people who claim to be believers in God do not practice mythological rites to serve “other gods”, we are often tempted by the modern idols of prosperity (materialism), power, pleasure (hedonism) and popularity. Therefore, the challenge from vs. 16 to us today is that:
To love God and to love the “praise of men” (popularity) is not to love God at all (John 12:42-44).
Jesus, put it this way:
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. ~ Matthew 6:24
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.~ Matthew 13:44-46
True salvation is everything or it is nothing. To be a believer, a faithful follower of God, in Jeremiah’s day, in Jesus’ day and in our day means that God is at the center of our attention: that God alone is our motivation: God alone is our driving force: that He alone orders every step of our life.
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” ~Matthew 7:14
To be a believer, a faithful follower of God, means that things/material/stuff have no hold on us: that the value of any thing is determined by its usefulness to God for the accomplishment of His purpose (Matthew 22:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23); that the only power we seek is the power of the resurrected Christ working through us (Philippians 3:10).
To be a believer, a faithful follower of God, means that the pleasures we seek are the pleasures of heaven (Psalm 16:11; John 4:34); that we are sustained by the approval of God and not the approval of men (Matthew 25:21; 2 Timothy 4:6-8).
To be clear, temptation is a problem for all believers (1 Corinthians 10:13); we can all be distracted by the idols of life and sometimes, sadly, we fall. However, for believers, idols are only a distraction, at worst a stumbling block, but not a way of life. A believer doesn’t hold onto God with one hand and worldliness with the other. A believer doesn’t put one foot on the narrow way of Christ and the other foot on the broad way of the world (Matthew 7:13-14).
Some of the Hebrews had tried to serve both God and false idols and it was accounted to them as wickedness. If we likewise try to serve both God and mammon we will likewise receive the judgment of the wicked.
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.~Jeremiah 1:4-5
Jeremiah was sanctified (set apart) to perform a special task for God before he was even born! This is likewise true for ALL Christians: we too are called and ordained (i.e., sanctified), set apart, by God to minister in His Kingdom:
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. ~ Ephesians 2:10
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; ~ 1 Peter 2:9
Indeed, each and every believer has been chosen by God to do SPECIFIC work in His Kingdom, here on earth:
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ ~ Ephesians 4:11-12
Therefore, we must ask ourselves the question: “How do I know what God wants me to do in His Kingdom?” The answer to this question is found in the first part of our text (vs. 4a): “Then the word of the LORD came unto me…” Though Christians sometime wonder and even struggle to know what their “calling” is, God has given us a simple way to discover His purpose for our lives, and that is simply to listen to Him.
In all aspects of life, if we want to do something properly we have to learn how its done. Some learn by “taking the class” (i.e., by instruction); others by “trial and error” (by experimentation); and others by “reading the manual”. In His Kingdom, God has made all three approaches available to each Believer so that we can each learn how to listen to Him.
Specifically, new believers (babes; Hebrews 5:13, 1 Peter 2:2) should/must receive guidance and instruction from more mature Believers to know how to live and work in the Kingdom of God. Especially, new believers MUST be taught how to learn to listen to God themselves through their own personal relationship with Him. Without this, they will remain babes forever (Hebrews 5:12-14).
Then, as a believer matures he/she is instructed to “work out your own salvation” (Philippians 2:12), which means taking steps of faith in their effort to discover where God wants them to go and what God wants them to do. This phase of growth is crucial as a believer gradually learns how to identify God’s voice: to feel the tug of His hand as He gently guides him/her onto the paths He has chosen.
Finally, a mature Christian hears God’s voice (i.e., discovers God’s will for his/her life) directly through their own study of the Scriptures.
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. ~ Hebrews 5:13-14
The meaning of the Scripture is the same for everyone, because the interpretation of the Scripture is not personal (2 Peter 1:20), but comes through working of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). However, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes/hearts to perceive how God wants each individual to apply the Scripture to his/her life in order to accomplish God’s will by our work in His Kingdom.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. ~ Philippians 2:13
Yes, God has a special plan for each of us AND He has told us how to find it.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. ~ Jeremiah 29:13
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. ~ Jeremiah 33:3
So, now that we have established that God has a plan for each and every Believer AND that each and every Believer can and should discover that plan. The remaining question is, “Do I really want to KNOW God’s plan for my life… so that I can LIVE God’s plan for my life?” God’s blueprint for your life is there but you will only find it if you are willing to seek it out. And, you will only seek it out if you really want to serve Him.
We have no excuse: there is work for us to do now.
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4)
There is a person that needs to hear the gospel: “Will you tell him?”
There is a Sunday School that needs a teacher: “Will you teach?”
There is a choir that needs a singer: “Will you sing?”
There is a brother/sister who is discouraged: “Will you encourage him/her?”
There is a people who haven’t heard the word: “Will you go on the mission field?”
There is a child that needs a home: “Will you share yours?”
“There is a family that needs some food: “Will you share your food?”
Or will you tell God (again!) to wait… until you are ready?
Jesus saith unto them, ‘My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.‘ ~ John 4:34-36
COROLLARY: ALL Lives have Value
If God knows and chooses every one of us for a task in His kingdom before we were even born (“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee”), then abortion is not just murder, it is also clearly a part of satan’s efforts to frustrate the work of God here on earth.
Likewise, as much as we treasure the lives of the unborn, we MUST also treasure the lives of the born for they are chosen too. Every man, woman and child has a place in God’s Kingdom. It is each person’s choice to accept or reject God’s plans for him/herself. Therefore, it should be the concern of ALL Believers to increase/extend the opportunities for our fellow man to come to God, and not to cut short any person’s time to make that choice.
Let us support life for those in the womb and those out of the womb so that they can have every opportunity to fulfill their God-chosen and God-ordained purpose in life.
“To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.”~Jeremiah 1:2-3
The Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah under three kings:
Josiah is rated by Scripture as the best of ALL Israelite kings (2 Kings 23:25), he sought God early in his life (as a sixteen years old, 2 Chronicles 34:3) and when God’s word was rediscovered and read to him, he followed it with a zeal never seen before or after in any king of Israel/Judah (2 Chronicles 34:14-33). Indeed, Jeremiah’s ministry started one year after King Josiah started to exterminate idol worship/worshippers in and around Judah (2 Chronicles 34:3). Together, Josiah and Jeremiah should/could have been a powerful team for spiritual revival in Judah. However, despite King Josiah’s legal/institutional, top-down, strictly enforced reforms, the spiritual condition of the people remained the same: they were dismissive of God.
Jehoiakim was a puppet king, at first he was under the control of Egypt, and then he was under the control of Babylon. After paying the required tribute to Pharoahnechoh, Jehoiakim levied onerous taxes on his people to restore his wealth, despite the economic hardship they faced at the time (2 Kings 23:35). Finally, he rebelled against Babylon (2 Kings 24:1-2) even though fully aware of God’s instruction, through Jeremiah, to submit to King Nebuchadnezzar—for God had appointed Babylon to rule over Judah as punishment for their years of disobedience.
Zedekiah, who was also installed as a puppet king by Nebuchadnezzar, directly disobeyed Gods instructions to him through Jeremiah, the prophet (Jeremiah 37-39). Despite the clarity of Jeremiah’s words and despite the fact that Jeremiah’s prophecies had already been proven true, Zedekiah disobeyed God’s instruction because he was afraid of his advisors and ambivalent about righteousness.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
We should note, however, that although all three kings were different, the people still rejected God, regardless of the change in government/leadership. All through his ministry, under these kings, Jeremiah’s message to the people was the same: repent and turn to God. But, for the most part, they never did; they did not turn to God regardless of who was king: regardless of their social, political or economic circumstances.
When Jesus came more than 500 years later, the people wanted to make him their political king (John 6:14-15). They wanted Jesus to restore the socio-political and socio-economic standing of Israel to what it was in the time of David. However, Jesus resisted their efforts because His intent was (and is) to be king of their (and our) hearts (Matthew 22:36-40). Socio-political and/or socio-economic power is meaningless if the people of a nation reject God (Proverbs 14:34).
Therefore, the mission of The Church, like Jeremiah, is solely to spread the Gospel: to teach people about Jesus Christ. It is acceptable for Christians to vote and participate in the political discussion/process. However, we MUST NEVER allow politics to distract us from our primary mission of evangelism and discipleship (Matthew 28:18-20). Governments/Government-Leaders, even those as righteous as Josiah, do not change people’s hearts, ONLY the Word of God and the Holy Spirit can.
Likewise, on a personal level, it is easy to be seduced into thinking that external circumstances alone can bring about a change in our hearts. We convince ourselves that if things were better in our lives we would be better Christians. However, we can see from Jeremiah’s ministry that circumstances will not change our wills, neither collectively nor individually. Circumstances don’t change my will; I change my will. It’s not circumstances that make me a better Christian; it’s Obedience to God’s Word that makes me a better Christian. Whether there is a good government/boss/parent/economy, OR a weak government/boss/parent/economy OR a bad government/boss/parent/economy; I can still choose to do what is right, I am still the only one who is responsible for my actions.
Let us take courage from the example of three Hebrew boys who decided to serve THE KING and not worry about the king: they decided to do what was right, whether the circumstances were suitable or not:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. ~Daniel 3:16-18
“…the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”~1 Kings 19:10b
In the depths of our fear or despair, we too may think we’re the only one serving God. That may happen right after the height of a success, as it did for Elijah. Psalm 46:10 reminds us to be “still, and know” that He is God. The sooner we focus on Him and His power, the quicker we will see relief from our fear and self-pity.
Both the clashing cymbals of our failures and the loud trumpeting of our successes can drown out God’s still small voice. It’s time to quiet our hearts to listen for Him as we meditate on His word.
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
Selah.
“And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.” (Mark 6:46)
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah.
Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah.
Reflections in The WORD 