Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths.
Rather fitting description for what you watch on TV and experience in our culture. And if you fill your daily thoughts with that ... how sad the LORD must be trying to get through the mess of what is left of our minds. And if that is your actions ... be prepared for the smack down.
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
Many times the suffering of others has been to our grace. The powerful speaker at the front of the church is many times the person who has suffered greatly and came through the other side. And I can understand things without having to experience it by understanding those people that HAVE experienced it.
Yet, I can't imagine being told before hand that you are about to suffer as a lesson for others. It is one thing to be prepared that God may call you for that kind of suffering. But, to be told that you were going to lose what you love before it happens? That would be hard. Even Christ prayed that the cup would pass from him.
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Suffering is suffering. It isn't that you should actually rather feel joy. You are suffering! But, intellectually we can understand we are sharing the same pain, the same loss, the same sufferings as Christ. And in that we can rejoice.
There is nothing wrong with being sad and in pain. There is nothing wrong in trying to see the LORD's good in it. It is a hope that can get you through some of the darkest hours of your life.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
I tend to read the above in a negative way. You know ... you've been bad and are about to get a switch on your backside type of negative.
But "according to the fruit of his deeds" is also positive. And God blesses us in more ways than just getting a physical reword. Can you really put a price on the joy YOU feel when you help out your kids? When you read them a story, play catch, or help them catch a toad? Or when you give to a family that has nothing.
So ... what types of fruits are your growing in your life?
Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the Lord; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?’ I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the Lord; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.
Now back to the switch on your backside type of fruits.
I had a brand new jacket my parents had bought me. It was cold outside when my brother and I went out to play hide-n-seek. So wearing my new jacket I decided to hide under the car.
Dad told me I would get a swat for each of the grease stains on my jacket. It hurt a bit. But I also remembered to take care of all the things that are entrusted to me. Not just a jacket.
So often we flit from task to task ignoring the important people and things around us. We get lazy when we hit the 'zone' of our lives. Just remember that with a small spark all that you have found comfort in can be gone.
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
"Oh ... can't we stay home this Sunday? It was such a long week! And, I'd rather be watching football anyway."
One day of rest.
I would rather think that for the church family it is one day of focus. A focus on God. Not on the 'me stuff'. To focus purely on God for once in our week.
To give up the running and doing.
To just focus on loving God and loving each other.
I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
I ran cross country in college for one season. I thought it would kill me. I was a 400 meter sprint type of guy. Not a 5 mile type of guy.
But, it made me stronger.
When you train for a race you never just run that distance anyway. You want to train to race a mile? You do anything from half-mile sprints and 6 miles endurance runs. And you don't do it halfway. You train hard to improve.
The same can be said for taking control of your body spiritually.
To can't just go about this halfway. You train hard. You think hard on the Word. You train with others. You let the difficulties in life strengthen you. You refresh yourself with God's Word and prayer.
Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
I was thinking about the times that God has made me glad. Usually they were when I was outside and part of His creation.
When I was running on the backside of 400 meters in track. When the wind was at my back, the world went silent, and the only thing I heard was my own feet hitting the track.
When the sun just came up as I was watching the deer wake from up in my tree stand. And I never had a chance to take a shot. So I just watched and listened.
When an owl about landed on my head in the same tree stand.
Yelling "Hmm BAAA!" across the pasture as I went to get the dairy cows in for Grandpa. And having no idea what "Hmm BAAA!" means.
Finding out that when adult beavers are playing in the creek they sound like puppies squeaking.
... one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
The most merciful person I know is my wife. She has an amazing heart for helping others. And an amazing mind for getting it done right. She got that heart from her mother. And the most cheerful person in their mercy I know of is my wife's Mom.
As a proper son-in-law I do make fun of her. But, I can say that God has given her a merciful heart. Enough of one that she can take a movie with a sad ending and think up the "actual" happy ending that occurs just after the movie ends. Because God put upon her heart a heart of mercy. One that seeks to help others and give them joy.
And through all that she does it cheerfully.
For the rest of us who scratch our heads at being happy in times of pain ... where mercy is most needed ... she is happy and finds people who need it. It is confusing for us, because we need to give more mercy to others and more cheer. And God may not have given us that gift.
They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
All of us have access to the original Bible in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. And very very few people read and speak Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. The only way we understand anything is if the Word is put into the words that we know.
Translations come not only in many languages, but a single language may have word-for-word, idea, and paraphrase translations. Before you get caught up in "The [insert your favorite] translation is the BEST!" arguments understand what you are reading. Beside the listeners in Jerusalem stood Ezra, Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites. Beside you, as you read or listen, stand the men and women who are helping you understand the Word of God.
If Jozabad helps you understand better than Maaseiah. So be it. If you would rather have Shabbethai. Sounds fine to me. As long as they are honest Men of God who are devoted to the Word and to God.
And lastly, do not confuse the helper with the LORD. They are there to help you understand. Understand the difference between their words and the Word of the LORD.
And as we rejoice, do so together. Not only share our burdens. Not only share what materials we have. Share our voices. Cry out to the LORD as one voice.
They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent ...
One thing I like to do is sing. Play the mountain dulcimer and sing. I'm not that good and at times my daughter asks me not to. But, I really enjoy it.
God has given us a great gift in playing music and singing. It is a blessing to Him and to us. So if you are at home don't just listen to the music ... sing out loud. Sing with joy.
The chapters above list "mighty men" and men that were in "charge of the utensils of service". Not all of us are called to the front lines of the spiritual battle. But, we all are called.javascript:void(0)
In what God has placed before you ... you must do. If it is as the leader of many, lead well. If it is as the worker behind the scenes, work well. If it is as the man seeking out the poor, seek and help. If God has given you wealth, share with generosity.
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
Much of what God does and calls for us to do is hard. We try to understand and many times it is impossible to do so.
There have been two plane crashes close together. In one everyone lived. In the other everyone died. Many people point to the hand of God in the first. And many point that there must be no god because of the second. How can a god not save everyone? Why is there suffering?
The sad part is that they are pointing to their own idols not God. Their desire is an idol that will "save" everyone from tragedy. Life is life. God did not promise that we would stay in the womb for eternity. Constantly fed, warm, and cared for with nothing happening in our lives. He gave us life, not slavery.
He calls us to love Him. He calls us to love others.
In life there is joy, pain, hate, love, blood, and comfort. Expect that and live. If God grants us joy and love ... embrace it and be thankful. If tragedy comes ... endure and help.
