A Clean Walk

Psalm 119:1-16

When we go for a walk it’s always good to keep an eye on our pathway to make sure that we observe what lies on the path ahead.  No one wants to land face first in a muddy puddle!  Little children might enjoy getting all muddy, but as adults that is usually not what we like, and we do what we can to avoid the dirt along our pathway.  How about in our spiritual walk as believers and followers of the Lord Jesus?  Every one of us has slipped and fallen in our Christian walk, some into a giant mud puddle of sin, getting spiritually filthy.  How can we avoid this?  Our psalm for this week speaks of how we can cleanse our ways to avoid sin.  Let’s take a look.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm, as well as the longest chapter in the Bible.  The author is unknown.  Some believe that it was King David, while many others think that it might have been written by the scribe and priest Ezra, the writer and main character in the Old Testament book of his name.  The psalm is one of nine acrostic psalms in the Bible.  It is divided into 22 sections, each of eight verses which begin with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Each of the 176 verses speak of the author’s desire to follow and obey God’s laws and commandments.  It is here, in these opening two segments, that we find out how to keep clean while walking on the pathway of our Christian life.

All throughout this psalm the author urges his readers to keep following God’s laws and ways.  When we do, God promises to give His favor and to bless our life (vs 1-2).  Unhappiness is caused by an individual’s self-will and sinful disobedience.  When we live according to our own ideas and values, we will always run into trouble.  When we conform our lives to what Jesus wants, we will find the blessings He promises.

We might wonder how we can faithfully follow God’s commands.  As mentioned at the start, we are apt to slip and fall in our spiritual walk with the Lord.  First, we must realize that in our own strength we cannot do anything.  The only way is through the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, which we receive when we accept Jesus as Savior.  Once we have done that, we need to commit to following the Lord each and every day.  How is that accomplished?

God’s Word gives us a way to overcome sin, which we can see in the second part of our passage.  First, we need to spend time reading and meditating on Scripture, and then obeying what we read (vs. 9-10).  Then, we need to be prepared for temptation at any place or time by storing Scripture in our heart and mind (vs. 11).  God promises great joy and peace when we know His Word (vs. 14).  We need to take time to attune our heart and mind to the Word of God (vs. 15).

God takes disobedience seriously because the consequences are so grave.  Wise men and women will choose to live by His Word and obey Him (vs. 9).  When we put God’s Word in our heart, we are less likely to stray into sin, and if we do, we are more likely to get out of that sin, and get back in line with Him (vs. 11).  Strong repeated doses of God’s Word injected into our hearts will fight the disease of sin.  As this psalm repeatedly states throughout each of its many verses, we must ponder, study, and memorize God’s Word.

The world today may tell us that if we have enough money and riches, all of our problems will be solved.  That is not the message that God gives us in His Word, as stated in many places, including in our Scripture today (vs. 14).  Money is not the answer to all of our needs.  A spiritual treasure is so much more important, which God will give as we walk in obedience to His Word.

In closing, let us keep our eyes fixed on God’s commands.  They form the path that we should follow.  The better we know God, the better we can choose the right path.

Do You Want God's Promises?

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Every once in a while we run across someone who is upset because they didn’t get the reward at the end of some type of contest.  Then it’s pointed out to them that they didn’t follow the rules, or follow them correctly, and thus did not qualify for the reward.  We see this when people play games.  Someone wants to win, but they didn’t follow the rules so they are disqualified.  This even holds with something like a recipe or putting a piece of furniture together.  If we want to get the correct results we must follow the instructions properly.  If we acknowledge this to be the case, then why do people get upset when they don’t receive some of the Biblical promises we read of in the Bible, or some of His blessings?   In our Scripture today from the Book of Deuteronomy, we read of something the Lord wants us to do, and then the resultant blessings we will receive if we obey.

As the people of Israel were preparing to enter into the Promised Land after years of traveling through the wilderness, Moses gave them some final instructions, which are contained in the Book of Deuteronomy.  As the passage opens, Moses told the people that the Lord had given them commandments, statutes, and judgments, many of which were restated in Deuteronomy, and that the people were to follow them when they entered into the land the Lord gave them (vs. 1).  They were to fear the Lord (vs. 2), which means holding Him in respectful honor, love, and obedience, acknowledging that God is God, and we are His creation.  Godly fear leads to careful obedience.  We need to fear the Lord as long as we live.  The most obvious way to do so is by obeying His Word.  The fear of God is connected with worship of the one true God.

The Lord promised that if His people would keep His statutes and commandments, and teach them to their children and grandchildren, He would prolong their days in the land He was giving them, that He would multiply them, and give them a land flowing with milk and honey (vs. 2-3).  Here we plainly see, that if we follow His commands correctly, doing exactly as He says, then we will receive what He has promised.  However, if we don’t, then we cannot expect to receive what was promised.  Too many people think otherwise, feeling they can live however they choose, doing whatever they want, and feel the Lord should bless them anyway.  That’s not how things work.

Verse 4 of our Scripture is a very important one for observant and Orthodox Jewish people.  It is known by the Jewish people as the Shema.  This verse is one which is recited twice a day, in the morning and evening, and often as the last words they speak before death.  This confession of their faith was a declaration of Yahweh as one Lord and God, against the polytheism of the neighboring nations.

Moses continues with some serious and important instructions for the people of Israel, and also for us today.  He told the people to keep God’s Words in their hearts (vs. 6).  Many Orthodox Jewish men today will wear tefillin or phylacteries upon their arms and foreheads when they pray as a way to follow verse 8.  These are small leather boxes which are strapped on with leather straps, and contain small scrolls containing portions of the Torah.  Christians today do not wear these, but it is very important for us to read the Bible each day, studying, meditating upon it, and memorizing it.  This way we are able to keep God’s Word in our heart.

Our Scripture passage also tells us to instruct our children about God and His Word the Bible (vs. 7).  Today’s philosophy says that people should not teach their children about God, and then when they are older they can decide on their own what they want to believe.  That is the devil’s philosophy.  We need to teach our children about the Lord Jesus, and salvation through His Blood.  We need to talk about God’s Word with our families each and every day.  If we don’t tell our children about Jesus, and instruct them in God’s Word, we can be sure that the world will instruct them in the ways of the devil.

In closing, we need to see that God’s commandments are so important to us, that we are supposed to put them at the center of our household, discussing and meditating on them each day.  When we do that, we will receive all that the Lord has promised us in His Word.

Bartimaeus

Mark 10:46-52

Sometimes we may pray and hope for something from the Lord, something that is not sinful or wrong in any way, yet nonetheless, others just try to shut us up.  “Shut up!  Don’t pray for that!  Don’t bother God with that!  Who do you think you are?”  Those are some of the things that they might say to us when we pray our heart’s desire to the Lord.  So what do you do?  Do you keep quiet, like they so rudely told you to?  Our Gospel today relates the account of someone who had others tell him to keep quiet, as well.  Let’s see what his story is, and what he did.

As our Scripture opens, Jesus and His followers were leaving the city of Jericho where He had been ministering.  Sitting at the roadside near the main street in and out of the city was a blind man named Bartimaeus.  We don’t know how long this man had been blind.  However, in those days there were no resources for the blind.  There were no schools for blind children.  There were no jobs that a blind person could hold.  And unless they came from a wealthy family who could financially take care of them, they were forced to beg.  That is what Bartimaeus was doing when Jesus came by.

Sitting at the roadside near the entrance and exit of the city would have been a rather good spot, as there would have been a fair amount of traffic.  This day, though, Bartimaeus heard an unusual amount of ruckus, and he must have asked some people what was going on.  The people told him that Jesus of Nazareth would be passing by as He left the city (vs. 46-47).  Bartimaeus had heard of Jesus before.  He had heard that He was a healer, and had even restored the sight to a number of blind people.  That gave this blind man hope.  Bartimaeus must have hoped that if Jesus had done that for others, then perhaps He would do that for himself.

Now was his chance.  Jesus would soon be gone, so he had no time to waste.  Right away, not knowing exactly where Jesus was, Bartimaeus cried out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  He knew who Jesus was.  The Messiah was prophesied to be of the lineage of King David, and this blind beggar believed that this was who Jesus was.  He knew that Jesus had the power to heal him, so he wasted no time in calling for Him.  However, others in the crowd did not want some noisy beggar making a disturbance, and told him to be quiet (vs. 48).  Did that stop Bartimaeus?  It might have stopped some people, but it didn’t stop him.  He cried out all the more, and his persistence got the attention of Jesus.  The Savior called him over, and Bartimaeus threw aside his beggar’s cloak, as he knew he wouldn’t need that anymore (vs. 50).

Jesus asked the blind man what he wanted.  Jesus knew what he wanted, as that would be fairly obvious, but He wanted him to state it, to make the request, which he did.  Immediately his vision was healed, and Bartimaeus followed Jesus as He journeyed on towards Jerusalem and all that would happen there (vs. 51-52).

God does not mind specific prayers.  In fact, here with Bartimaeus, Jesus asked for a specific answer to His request.  “What do you want Me to do for you?”  We don’t need to beat around the bush with God.  He is not impressed by a flurry of fancy words.  He is listening to what our heart is saying.  Jesus showed compassion to Bartimaeus, and affirmed his faith.  He wants us to come to Him without questions and pain.  Don’t allow trials to cloud your thinking about God’s deep concern for you.  Bartimaeus could have given up hope, but fortunately he didn’t.  Answer His call to you, and bring your burdens to Him.

The crowds had tried to stop this poor blind beggar.  They had wanted to shut him up, to push him back into his corner, unseen and unheard.  However, he wouldn’t let them, and neither should we.  Don’t let anyone stop you from receiving what God has for you.  When Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, they told him to shut up.  Sometimes they will to us, as well.  Instead, he cried all the louder.  When doubters start knocking at your door, telling you that Jesus doesn’t do this or that anymore, proclaim Hebrews 13:8, that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  The same Jesus who answered Bartimaeus’ cry, and asked him what he wanted, calls to you today.

Even though Bartimaeus was blind, he could see by faith who Jesus was.  The crowds had physical sight, but they were blind to His teachings, especially about compassion and mercy.  Let’s have the faith of Bartimaeus, and not be one who would push someone away from the Savior through ignorance or lack of caring or concern.

From Milk To Meat

Hebrews 5:12 - 6:1, 9 - 12

When parents bring home a new baby, family and friends may have a celebratory party for the new family.  Perhaps the new uncle is cooking up some steaks on the backyard barbecue.  Everyone will sit down to enjoy the nice dinner.  The newborn baby may be in the arms of mother or father, or another relative, but the baby is not taking part in this delicious meal in their honor.  Nobody would dare give this little baby a nice piece of steak!  All they can have is milk for four to six months before soft or pureed food is added to their diet.  However, when that child is school age and older, if they are still only having milk, there is something wrong.  Our Scripture today from the Book of Hebrews gives a similar analogy for how Christians need to grow spiritually beyond the basics.

Just like with physical babies, spiritual babies, those who are newly saved, can only handle spiritual milk.  These would be the basic principles of salvation, such as Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, His resurrection on the third day, the Bible being the inerrant Word of God, etc.  As the weeks and months pass after one is saved, they should be growing spiritually, just as a newborn baby grows.  Soon the baby is rolling over, then learning to sit up, crawl, and then stand before the first year is over.  And importantly, as we read here, they learn to eat solid food.  Many of these believers the author was writing to were stunted in their spiritual growth.  Spiritually they were still drinking milk when they should have been way beyond that.  They should be teaching other new believers, but instead they were needing to be taught themselves (Hebrews 5:12).

As a baby grows, their muscles develop and gain strength to crawl, stand, and then walk.  If they never moved their muscles, they would not have the strength to do this.  If you’ve ever broken an arm or leg and had it immobilized in a cast, you might remember how weak that limb was when the cast came off.  The muscles had begun to atrophy.  In order to counteract that you need to exercise those muscles.  Our spiritual muscles can also atrophy quickly when we don’t use them.  Spiritual exercises, such as Bible reading, prayer, and obedience, are more important than physical exercise.

One sign of spiritual immaturity is failing to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).  A spiritually mature Christian, one who is eating “meat”, will show discernment.  Discernment knows that there is a line separating between good and evil.  It acts like an umpire in life.  One with discernment has skill and accuracy in reading character, and will detect and identify the real truth  Discernment reads between the lines of the visible.  It is cultivated by saturating the heart and mind with Scripture.

Another sign of spiritual maturity is that of having a degree of patience (Hebrews 6:12).  Patience is available through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It allows us to have the mindset that says we are willing to let go of immediate gratification and wait for God to supply our needs.  Patience reveals itself when we are willing to wait without frustration while suffering, or experiencing a strong desire.  Patience means accepting whatever the Lord chooses to give or not give, and willingly receiving it on His timetable.

The author felt that he could expect better things from those he was writing to, that they could handle meat, and not just milk (Hebrews 6:9).  He then closes this passage with reminding them that God is not unjust, He will remember all that they have done and suffered for Him (Hebrews 6:10).  God is faithful to take special note of those who serve Him.  He is faithful.  He is steadfast in His allegiance to His people.  God will not leave us in the lurch.  He is firm in His adherence to His promises.  God keeps His Word.  He is not fickle.  God does not have hot and cold temperamental moods.  Let us be faithful to Him.  Let us go on past the baby bottle of milk and on to the spiritual steak dinner!

How Long, Lord?

Psalm 13

“How much longer?”  Most of us who have had children can remember when they were younger they would cry out this complaint, often on a long drive.  Adults, too, can cry out that lament, as no one likes to wait.  There are situations that are much more serious than just waiting for the end of a long and boring drive, or even a long line at the store!  Many of us have gone through, or are currently going through some troubles that seem to be lasting forever.  There just doesn’t seem to be an end.  We feel so discouraged and forgotten, even by God.  That is the theme of today’s psalm.  Let’s look into this Scripture and find some encouragement.

Psalm 13 is one of the many psalms that David wrote.  It is quite evident as we read through the psalms that he wrote, and through both I and II Samuel, that David went through many, many trials and troubles.  In his youth things seemed to be going well for him.  As a youth, Samuel came and anointed him to be the future king.  That is certainly a positive!  Then he was called to come to court as a musician for King Saul.  That would have been a nice plus on anyone’s resume.  And then he was the one to bring down the giant enemy warrior Goliath with a stone and slingshot!  Then things took a turn, and King Saul became insanely jealous of David.  He spent many years trying to kill David, hunting him down, and David had to flee, living on the run, constantly in fear for his life.  We might think that things would improve when he became king, but David had to flee his capital Jerusalem when his son Absalom orchestrated an ill-fated coup.  It could have been any of these events which led David to compose this psalm.

David spent many years on the run from King Saul, and I think it is likely that the psalm was written then.  For years Saul hounded David like a hunter chases after his prey. (I Samuel 26:20).  Four times in the first two verses David cried out “How long”.  This had been going on for so long that he was beginning to wonder if the Lord had forgotten about him, if He was hiding from him.  Sometimes some problems that we have been dealing with seem to go on for so long that we might also think that God has forgotten about us, and our enemies will get the victory.  So we cry with David, “How long, Lord?”

When believers have a period of time where they feel abandoned by God, where they question if He is there, or cares about them, some have called this the “dark night of the soul”.  This was a term that was first used by St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) a Carmelite priest and monk.  Other saints of God, such as St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1891), and St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) are just some who have experienced such times in their faith.  Like they did, we can trust that God’s love for us will never waver or change.

Often prolonged afflictions vex us, as well.  We want sudden solutions.  However, some things we face will not be fixed.  They can only be borne.  God wants us to engage with Him in our struggles  He understands us as no one else can.  When we’re waiting for God to resolve a difficult situation, it’s easy to get discouraged.  Satan tells us that God has forgotten us and things will never change.  We are tempted to give in to despair.

One of the purposes of the psalms is to show us how to honestly cry out in our pain, even when we feel forgotten and helpless.  In Psalm 13, David goes from being on his face in misery (vs. 1-2), to being on his knees in prayer (vs. 3-4), to being on his feet rejoicing (vs. 5-6).  David focused on all he knew of God’s love.  He reminded himself of past blessings, and deliberately praised God, who he knew would not forget him.

Sufferings can persist, but like David, we can sing in the midst of our trials.  David knew he was God’s child.  God’s love stands when all else fails.

God's Arm Is Not Shortened

Isaiah 59:1-19

The cries of the distressed rise up, but they seem to land on deaf ears.  Is there a reason why they receive no response?  Is it because the one they cry to is not there?  Is it because that one is unable to bring them relief, or perhaps does not care?  These are some of the questions that some of the people of Judah asked both the prophet Isaiah and the Lord when it seemed their prayers were not being answered.  Many today ask the same questions.  What was the Lord’s response?  Our Scripture gives His answer.

Depending upon who the king was at the time, the Kingdom of Judah swayed back and forth in their allegiance to Yahweh.  Many of the people mixed the worship of the Lord with that of pagan gods and goddesses, with some completely abandoning Him.  Only a few were completely faithful to the Lord.  But when troubles arose, they would pray to Him for deliverance, and they wondered why God was not responding.   Some of them wondered out loud if perhaps Yahweh wasn’t strong enough, or had lost strength since the days of the past.  Maybe He just wasn’t listening, others said.

Yahweh answered through His prophet Isaiah, and told the people that it wasn’t that He wasn’t strong enough nor deaf (vs. 1).  His arms were just as long and strong as they always were.  The reason was that the people’s sins had come between them and Himself.  If there is repeated unconfessed and unrepentant sin in our life, God will not hear or answer our prayers (Psalm 66:18).  And God will never tolerate or excuse the worship of Him combined with that of false religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, or any neo-pagan religions.  This was what the people were involved in, along with unrepented sins (vs. 3-5).

The false religious leaders had led the people astray.  Isaiah compares them to people who hatch venomous snake’s eggs, which bring forth a baby snake who is ready to bite right from birth (vs. 5).  They are also compared to a spider weaving her web.  A spider’s web is a marvel of seduction.  With cunning the spider weaves the web to trap unsuspecting insects and small animals.  False religions are like a venomous snake’s egg or a spider’s web, equally seductive, but hiding potentially lethal danger.  The false leaders make their lies appear to be true, so we need to be on alert, aware, and wise.  Rather than being the truth, and being something that can clothe us with Godly wisdom and salvation, these false religions and philosophies are as worthless as trying to clothe oneself with a spider’s web, and their paths lead to evil and sin (vs. 6-8).

The Lord God tries to call the people back to Himself, and to get their attention.  He tries to get us to listen to Him.  However, all too often they are blind and deaf, or like dead men, like corpses (vs. 10).  They are seemingly trying to find the right way in life, but can’t find their way.  The justice and righteousness that they profess they want is far away (vs. 9, 11).  Why is that?  Isaiah answers that it is because they have multiplied sins which they refuse to let go of (vs. 12-13).  They have sinned against the Lord so justice, righteousness, and answered prayer will be far away.

This does not please the Lord.  He is not happy when people are lost in their sins.  Therefore, God Himself brought salvation to mankind by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, clothed with salvation and righteousness (vs. 15-19).  When we accept the Lord as our Savior, when we fear His Name, we can call upon Him, and He will hear us.  He will also protect us when the enemy comes in upon us like a flood (vs. 19).  When the presence of the Lord overshadows you, there is nothing that the enemy can do to harm you.  God will rise up and scatter him.  His presence covers and protects us on every side.  The Lord goes before us into every battle, and He is our rear-guard.  He is ever watchful.

In closing, let’s look back one more time at the opening verse of our Scripture passage.  When the people were wondering why God did not seem to hear or answer their prayers, rather than suspect that the fault would lie with themselves, they felt the fault lay with the Lord, that He was weak, His arms or hands were “too short”.  As we have seen, the Lord does hear and is attentive to the prayers and cries of His children, those who have a relationship with Him through the Blood of the Lord Jesus.  No disaster can put us beyond God’s help.  When we are frightened in the dark, trapped by poor choices, or over our heads in trouble, God’s arm is long enough to reach us.  He is not too weak, and we are never beyond His reach.  As the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:38-39, nothing can separate God’s Blood-bought children from Him!

James And John's Request

Mark 10:35-45

You have probably heard of patronage jobs.  We see this a lot in bigger cities and many county governments.  Someone does a politician a favor, helps in his campaign, or contributes money, and they or someone in their family is then given a job.  Usually these are good jobs, often with a pension, sometimes even a “no show” or “no work” job.  This sometimes happens within big corporations, where favoritism and nepotism play a lot in who gets promoted or given certain jobs rather than the hard-working fellow.  There is the old saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know” in getting certain jobs.  In our Gospel passage today we see a couple of the disciples looking for some patronage positions.  Did they get their request?  Let’s take a look.

As our Scripture opens, the two brothers James and John came up to Jesus with a request.  They had something to ask Him, and they didn’t beat around the bush or hesitate, but came right to the point.  They believed that Jesus was going to come to Glory one day, and at that time they wanted the prized positions of sitting at His right and left hand (vs. 35-37).  There was no shyness or reticence with these two!

Historically, the positions of sitting at the right and left hand of a king, a pharaoh, or an emperor, were special positions.  It was a spot of power and of trust.  These mighty rulers would not just give them to anyone.  Instead they were usually given to good friends of the monarch, hopefully someone who was wise.  They might have a lot of money to help finance the monarch, and might also have some military power.  Just like with a political or corporate patronage job, these brothers James and John felt that they could get these two enviable positions.  After all, they were part of Jesus’ inner circle of closest disciples, which also included Peter, who witnessed the Transfiguration, and a few other private miracles, such as raising the daughter of Jairus.

Jesus questioned the two brothers.  Were they capable and willing to suffer and die for their faith, for their Lord?  Could they “drink the same cup” that Jesus was about to do?  They quickly stated that they could (vs. 38-39).  Jesus promised that they indeed would, but that those positions were not for Him to give out but instead were for those who the Father had prepared it for (vs. 39-40).  The other disciples were angry with the two for thinking they should be given special spots, possibly quietly thinking that instead they should get those spots (vs. 41).

The Lord used this opportunity to teach the twelve that, contrary to what the world thinks, if one wants to be great, they need to become a servant to others (vs. 42-45).  The world thinks that being great is having a lot of money, a lot of power, a lofty position.  However in God’s sight, the greatest are the least, those who are humble and lowly in spirit, those who are willing to take the lowliest spots, and are servants to others.

A popular philosophy and teaching is to think about yourself first and foremost - do something for yourself, or with yourself, or to yourself.  That is different from the model and message that Jesus gave us.  He said to be a servant, and give yourself to others.  Paul echoed that in Philippians 2:3-4.  Don’t let selfishness and conceit control you.  Instead, have humility of mind.

Jesus modeled that, by giving of Himself, both throughout His life, and then in His death for our salvation.  Salvation has three “s’s”.  Sacrifice - salvation comes through the death of Jesus.  Substitution - Jesus died instead of us.  Satisfaction - Jesus’ death fulfilled the justice of God, as God’s justice was “satisfied”.

Did the brothers James and John live up to their claim that they could drink the same cup that the Lord Jesus would?   Were they willing and able to suffer for their Savior?  As we read in the Book of Acts, aside from the betrayer Judas, James was the first of the apostles to die.  King Herod Agrippa had him put to death by a sword (Acts 12:1-2).  His brother John, on the other hand, was the only apostle besides the betrayer who did not suffer martyrdom.  After a lifetime of ministry and serving others, as Jesus had instructed His followers to do, John was banished to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, which was used as a Roman penal colony at the time.  It is there that John is believed to have died.  Like these two brothers, are we willing and able to give our all for the Savior?