Monthly Archives: June 2014

Do You Know Where You are Going?

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Image            Growing up we were fortunate to be able to travel different places each summer on vacation.  I can remember sitting in the back seat of the family vehicle with the road map so that I could track where we were and how much further we had to go.  I also remember that each year my father would ignore my advice about where to turn to get to our destination, even though I was proven to have been correct the year before.  You see, my father had a problem admitting he was lost or asking for help.  He much preferred to drive around the same block aimlessly than to actually ask for directions or admit that he made a wrong turn.

Many of us are the same way.  We know that something is not right about the direction we are traveling in life, but we never think to consult the road map to find our way back.  Well, there is hope, because in God’s word we find that Jesus has provided us with the perfect road map for our lives.  “Jesus said . . . ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6 NKJV).  It is important for us to consult regularly with our Gospel Positioning System (GPS) so that we will be able to reach our intended destination.  God’s word will provide that all important guidance that we need in order to live our lives in a way that will lead us to salvation.

We will also find that there are times when we need to stop and ask for directions.  Think about the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:30-34, who admitted to Philip that he needed help in understanding the scriptures.  He had come to a passage in Isaiah 53 and wondered if the prophet spoke concerning himself or some other person.  He was not too embarrassed or afraid to ask this question of Philip.  He had a desire to know the truth, and so he posed this question.  We likewise should not allow fear or potential embarrassment to stop us from making sure that we have a good grasp of God’s word.  After all, we need to know where we are going and how to get there.

Choose Ye This Day

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In Joshua’s farewell address to the nation of Israel he urges them to make a choice.  In Joshua 24:15 he says, “. . . choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (NKJV).  We can boil down Joshua’s challenge into two possible choices.  Either choose to follow God, or choose to not follow God.

We today have the same choice before us, in a manner of speaking.  While it is unlikely that we would choose to follow the gods that the ancient Egyptians or Amorites worshipped, there is no shortage of false gods within our society today.  Many choose to follow after riches, whether in the form of money or the possessions that money can buy.  Many choose to follow after fame, whether in sports, movies or popular music industries.  Many choose to follow their own way, and in that sense become their own god in determining what they think is right or proper.  However, it is not up to us to determine what is right or wrong, for who are we to make that determination.  The ultimate determination of right or wrong has to come from a higher standard, which we find in God’s holy word.

Joshua is not challenging Israel to follow him because of any righteousness that he himself possesses.  He is, however, challenging them to follow his example in serving the Lord and following what He has said to do.  We then need to set our selfish desires aside and leave the desire to serve riches, fame, and ourselves in order to set our minds on that which is above and serve God.  We cannot have one foot in both worlds, because in serving God we are to give Him our all (Joshua 22:5).  We cannot give God our heart, mind, and soul while trying to still keep one foot firmly planted in worldliness.  The choice still stands before us this day.  Are we choosing God, or are we choosing something else?

 

The Apple of His Eye

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            In the book of Zechariah, God was encouraging His people, who had returned from exile and were in the process of rebuilding the temple.  As they were building, they were concerned with the lack of walls around the city for protection.  To ease their minds, God instructed them through the prophet, “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.  For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me’” (Zechariah 2:8-9 NKJV).  God was basically telling them that He would protect them from their enemies, for they are the apple of His eye.  This means that God’s people are precious in His sight.

            Over 600 years later, God would also give comfort to His people who were suffering under the persecution of the Roman Empire.  At that time John wrote the book of Revelation to the church in order to encourage them to hang in there in the face of persecution and death.  God was going to deal with the Roman Empire, because when they went after His people, the apple of His eye, they were basically going after Him.

            We as God’s people are still precious to Him today.  It is you and me as Christians, the members of His church, who are special in His sight.  We are the apple of His eye.  Thinking about this and thinking about how He has cared for His people and continues to care for His people should give us pause in how we deal with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Are we treating our Christian family as the apple of God’s eye?  In light of the fact that God is greatly displeased when any of His children are mistreated, we should all consider how we are treating one another and realize that all of His children are precious in His sight.

Facing Our Giants

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          ImageJust imagine that you had to face a giant on the field of battle in hand to hand combat until one of you was dead.  Your opponent would be a man who had been taught to fight with his hands and weapons of war since his youth.  Then add to this the pressure that the fate of your whole nation would depend upon your success or failure in this task.  How confident would you be in facing a giant warrior?

            In 1 Samuel 17 we come across the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites and just such a giant warrior named Goliath.  In the narrative Goliath is described as a giant of a man standing over 9 feet tall!  When the armies of Philistia and Israel lined up for battle, Goliath came out and challenged the Israelites to select a champion to face him one on one.  The Bible tells us that this went on for 40 days, and no one was found among all the warriors of Israel including King Saul who was willing to face Goliath.  Then the youngest son of Jesse, who was still a youth, approached the camp of the Israelites. 

When he saw what was taking place, he was astonished and he exclaimed, “who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:26b).  David, the son of Jesse, the most unlikely of candidates to face the mighty Goliath, was the only one with the faith to go out to battle with the mighty Goliath.  Of course we all know the end of the story and how David triumphed against Goliath using a sling and 5 smooth stones.  However, it was not the stones that defeated Goliath.  It was David’s great faith in God that won the day.  As David said before the battle, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37).

            No wonder David is described as a man after God’s own heart.  David’s great response and his great faith in God are also a great example for us today.  How are we doing in facing our giants on the battlefield of life?  Do we have faith that God will see us through and that we can overcome all odds by relying on Him?  The example of the shepherd boy who killed a giant has been preserved in God’s word for our admonition and learning.  Let us go forward into our battle this day confident in God’s ability to see us through.