Honesty in Prayer – 7.10.09

Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

An interesting verse to introduce the 12th chapter of Jeremiah. The prophet is basically going to the Lord and saying, "God, I know you never make a mistake, but there's something I've got to talk to you about…"

On the surface that might not seem like a right and proper way to approach the Lord, but I would contend that I believe our God would have us be totally and completely honest in our prayer life. Are we not instructed to pour out our hearts before Him (Psalm 62:8)? Is He not already aware of our thoughts and our hearts (Jeremiah 17:10)? So why is it that we hold back our worries and fears and problems and concerns when He already knows all about them?

I believe Jeremiah's example would be a good one for us to follow. If there is something going on in your life, and you don't understand why God's allowing it to happen, then tell Him about it. Don't demand that He does something different (Jeremiah 12:1) but honestly and respectfully let Him know how you feel.

Do you ever get mad at God or mad at His people? Sure you do. Well, tell God about it. If that's a shocking statement, then ask yourself who else are you going to tell and what good is it going to do you? Don't accuse the Lord of wrongdoing (Jeremiah 12:1), but openly and honestly pour out your heart before Him.

Now, I know that the Bible says we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and that men ought always to pray and not to faint (Luke 18:1) and that we should continue instant in prayer (Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2). And I know that God hears our prayers and has promised that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16) and that whatsoever things we shall ask in prayer believing we shall receive (Matthew 21:22). But I also know that God does not force His will on anybody.

So to tell the truth, I don't understand how prayer works, but I do believe God enough to be obedient to what He has told me to do, and I'm OK with leaving the results up to Him. What I do know from personal experience – and that of other Christians – is that going to God with a problem or a situation or a request or an urgent plea, regardless of whether or not it has any effect on what's going on, somehow it sure helps me to get my heart in the right place.

So going to God might not always change your situation the way you'd want it to, but there's something to be said for casting your burden upon the Lord and tapping into His sustaining grace (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7).

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep YOUR hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Pray For Us – 7.7.09

Jeremiah 37:3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.

Again, you know the setting. Judah is in trouble. By this point, 3 of the 4 deportations (to Babylon) have taken place. Zedekiah has been set up as king, and the Chaldean army is camped just outside the city walls.

On the surface, what's recorded in this verse looks like a good move by King Zedekiah, and while I'm certainly in favor of seeking the prayers of God's people, I do have some problems with his prayer request – especially when I read the preceding verse…But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.

First of all, if the king and the people of Judah had heeded the warnings of God's prophets and spent some time in prayer themselves, they never would have made it to where they were (2 Chronicles 36:15-16).

Secondly, it'd be different if Zedekiah asked for prayer in the spirit of confession and repentance. But he's not asking the prophet to help him right his wrong relationship with God. He's telling Jeremiah to ask God to take away the consequences. (See Saul in 1 Samuel 15:10-31 and Simon in Acts 8:9-24 for a couple similar examples.)

Thirdly, there really wasn't anything to pray about. Jeremiah had already told the king and the people what God said they should do in their situation. Continually Jeremiah repeated the message. "Don't fight. Don't flee to Egypt. Submit to the king of Babylon. You'll be there 70 years, and God will bring you back." No amount of prayer by Jeremiah was going to change that message.

Now, all this happened somewhere around 600BC, but it's amazing how up to date and relevant God's book continues to be. When we find ourselves in trouble, by all means let's ask God's people to pray, but let's make sure we're not just looking for an easy out – especially when the trouble is of our own doing. Let's repent of what got us in the mess we find ourselves in and go on in obedience to the instruction God has already given. Amen.

The Prosperous Wicked – 7.3.09

Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

The question Jeremiah asks is a good one, and He wasn't the only person in the Bible to ask it. The writer of Psalm 73:3 confessed, "I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." David urges us in Psalm 37:7, "fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." According to Proverbs 1:32, there are some whose destruction is chalked up to the prosperity of fools. In another place Jeremiah preached about wicked judges who seemed to prosper despite their wickedness (5:26-28).

I don't know about you, but at times I've pondered the very same question. If God is just and if you reap what you sow, why do those wicked people seem to be enjoying life? Why is it that they "prosper" despite their absolute disregard for the Lord and His word? Is their season of pleasure (Hebrews 11:25) ever going to end?

I believe there are two good Bible answers:

First of all, the Bible says, "The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works" (Psalm 145:9). God sends rain – in the context, a picture of blessing – on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). His purpose in doing so? It is His goodness that leads men to repentance (Romans 2:4). God in His mercy withholds judgment from the wicked oftentimes just as long as He can in hopes that the wicked will repent (2 Peter 3:9, 15).

Secondly, the problem is rooted in our own shortsightedness. If His word is true – and it is – then the wicked doesn't REALLY prosper. The only reason the wicked SEEMS to prosper is that we're focusing on the here and now. God is just, and eventually everyone will reap the due reward of their deeds. It's just that God's timetable is sometimes different than what we would like it to be.

Proverbs 24:19-20 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

Psalm 37:1-3 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good...

Why? – 6.30.09

Jeremiah 2:5 Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

You know the setting. Judah is backslidden and has been for hundreds of years. They're on the brink of being taken captive into Babylon. But God in his mercy calls a man to issue one final warning, to give one final urge to repent and escape the coming judgment. That man was Jeremiah, and he was faithful to his task though his message was mocked, ignored, and reviled.

In Jeremiah 2:5 he poses a very good question to the nation on behalf of the God he represents. What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

The question is as relevant today as it was back then. Because just like the nation of Judah, our churches today are full of saved people who walk after vanity – emptiness; want of substance; fruitless desire or endeavor; idle show; insubstantial enjoyment. They're going to heaven when they die, but in the meantime their focus and attention and affection and effort are directed towards all kinds of different things (sinful or not) that aren't going to matter a bit when they get there. They've got the right God (Judah had that) and the right scriptures (Judah had that), but they're careful not to get too close – they are gone far from me.

The question God asks is WHY? What iniquity have you found in me? When have I ever done you wrong? When have I ever led you astray? When have I ever had anything but your best interest at heart? When have I ever lied or broken a promise I made you? Why are you so afraid to get close to me? When have you every obeyed my words and not been blessed for it in the end?

Now, I understand that all flesh is grass, and we're all "prone to leave the God we love," but at those times when we begin to wander, let's remember to ask ourselves these questions. I don't want to get to the end of my life and have nothing to show for it in eternity. I don't want to spend the little time God has given me here in vain, empty, meaningless pursuits. The God that saved me deserves so much more!

Isaiah 34:16 II – 6.25.09

Isaiah 34:16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

OK, so maybe that last post was remotely related to the meaning of the phrase in its context, because best I can figure, it's a restatement of the prior phrase, no one of these shall fail, referring to the book of the Lord, in particularly the promises made in scripture. So when the Bible says none shall want her mate it's reminding us that no promise – whether of judgment (the context of Isaiah 34) or of blessing – will lack fulfillment.

And that's a good lesson for us to be continually reminded of. God's word is true. We know it's true. What God says will come to pass. Intellectually, we know it will. But sometimes we sure don't live like it. We ought to pray like the disciples, Lord, increase our faith (Luke 17:5) and by God's grace may our faith be increased to such an extent that we actually avoid what God says will be hurtful and get in on what He says will turn out right in the end.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Joshua 21:45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

Joshua 23:14 And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Isaiah 34:16 – 6.23.09

Isaiah 34:16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

Interesting phrase in the middle of that verse, and to tell the truth, I'm not real sure what it's doing there – none shall want her mate. What I am sure about is that in its context the phrase has nothing to do with the topic of this post, but nonetheless it provides a perfect opportunity to take a look at what the Bible says about finding Mr./Mrs. Right.

Now, thankfully, this topic is not at all applicable to me. I started praying about the girl I would marry when I was about 12 or 13, and I was blessed to meet the girl of my dreams when I was 15 years old. We immediately became friends…and quickly grew to become best friends…and figured out by the time we were 18 that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together…and praise God we became husband and wife on December 16, 2006 (21 years old). And it just keeps on getting better.

I do realize, however, that things don't work out quite that way for everybody. I'm sure there are many fine Christian young men and women who love God and want to be married, but aren't. There are also some Christian young people who aren't yet ready to be married but want to be one day and might end up waiting longer than they'd like. So I'd just like to give you a few Bible principles to consider in hopes of being a blessing and an encouragement.

1. Marriage is a good thing. Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. In my personal opinion, Paul's 1 Corinthians 7 recommendation of the single lifestyle hinges on the phrase in verse 26, for the present distress… If there's a good chance I'm going to be eaten by lions in the coliseum tomorrow, maybe I'd better rethink getting married today.

2. God wants to give you good things. Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

3. But He wants you to put Him first. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. The these things of Matthew 6:33 are the temporal needs of this life. Brother, sister, if you're striving to serve God and you're putting His will first in your life, and you need a spouse – God will give you one. (And you'd much rather God give you one than you find one yourself.) The best thing to do would be to make sure you walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11), seek the Lord (Psalm 34:10), put Him first (Matthew 6:33), and trust Him to provide what you need on His timetable, not yours.

Bro. James once preached a message from Genesis 24 on "Choosing A Spouse." It focused on the qualities and characteristics to look for in a marriage partner, but there are two lines from that message that I will never forget. The first one is, "It'd be better not to be married and wish you were than to be married and wish you weren't." And the second went something like this, "If I were looking for a husband/wife, I'd be doing all I could to make sure I was the best God had to offer…"

There's probably nothing better in this life than marriage the way God intended it, and there's probably nothing worse in this life than a marriage that's out of sorts. If you want God's blessing (and you do) then be sure you do things God's way. Amen.

God’s Favor – 6.17.09

Psalm 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

FAVOR is defined as:

• Kind regard; kindness; countenance; propitious aspect; friendly disposition
• Support; defense; vindication; or disposition to aid, befriend, support, promote or justify
• Lenity; mildness or mitigation of punishment
• Leave; good will; a yielding or concession to another; pardon
• Advantage; convenience afforded for success

I believe you'd agree it'd be worth our while to obtain the FAVOR of Almighty God, and the book of Proverbs outlines 4 ways we can do so:

1. Being merciful and truthful

Proverbs 3:3-4 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

2. Seeking after wisdom

Proverbs 8:35 For whoso findeth me [wisdom, v. 1] findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.

3. Doing justly, loving mercy, walking humbly with God

Proverbs 12:2 A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

4. Marrying a wife

Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

It is an amazing and a humbling thing to think that the Almighty God of heaven would compass me with His kind regard…His support…His defense…His good will…His advantage…What a worthwhile endeavor it would be for each of us to court HIS FAVOR!

And praise the Lord for allowing me to get in on #4. I love you, Lauren!