Miriam, Sister of Moses

“The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.” –Numbers 26:59. “Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women, to nurse the child for you?’” –Exodus 2:7. “And Miriam sang to them ‘Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.’” –Exodus 15:21-22 (ESV).

We know Miriam best as the sister of Moses, the mighty leader of the children of Israel out of bondage and to freedom. She was also the sister of Aaron, the priest. In her own right, Miriam played a vital role in the Exodus story. Born in slavery, we see her as a young lass being set to look over the bulrush cradle of her little brother Moses. He was saved by the providence of God but there thinking fast and acting was Miriam, ready to do what she could to save her little brother. Can you imagine how frightened Miriam must have been when the Egyptian princess found Moses? Her reaction under pressure was phenomenal.

With all the plagues behind them, the exodus from Egypt and the triumphal crossing of the Red Sea, Miriam is seen as a leader. She leads the women to praise and dance on the safe side of the Red Sea. The words attributed to Miriam have been called “Mariam’s Song,” and they stand in our Bible as a pivotal point of praise to Jehovah God who has the power to deliver from enemies.

But Miriam did not always stand firm with what her brother Moses did. We read in Numbers 12:1-15 that Miriam and Aaron complained of Moses’ marriage to an Ethiopian woman. To marry outside the Jewish lineage was highly frowned upon. God called all three of the siblings to go to the Tabernacle and there the Lord appeared and addressed Aaron and Miriam, reminding them that Moses had been entrusted with God’s ‘entire house,” (leading the household of Israel). “Should you not be afraid to criticize him?” the Lord asked in Numbers 12:8. Miriam was smitten with leprosy, a terrible skin malady considered by many cultures, and especially by the Jews, to be unclean. Moses prayed for Miriam, ‘Heal her, O God, I beg you!” (Num. 12:12). She had to be quarantined for a week, during which time the Israelites did not move forward. But God heard and answered Moses’ prayer for his sister. After Miriam’s health was restored, they traveled again, leaving Hazeroth and proceeding to the wilderness of Paran.

“In early spring, the people of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin, and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.” (Numbers 20:1, NLT). The prophet Micah had words of praise for the leadership of these three siblings at a time when the Israelites were complaining and had little patience. Here is his tribute to them: “For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from your slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.” (Micah 6:4, NLT). At a time in history when women and their roles were not well considered, the prophet linked Miriam’s name alongside that of her brothers Moses and Aaron with the Lord’s purpose for Israel.

Miriam is an example of how one less-in-the-limelight than the leader is vital to God’s purpose. May we make the song of Miriam our own paean of praise: “Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously!” (Exodus 15;21a).

Jochebed, “Jehovah’s glory,” Chosen for a Mission

“Amram took as his wife Jochebed, his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years.” –Exodus 6:20. “The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister” –Numbers 26:59. “Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three month. When she could hide him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And the sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.” -Exodus 2:1-4 (ESV).

Jochebed is mentioned twice in the Bible by name—in Exodus 6:20 and Numbers 26:59. In the account of her determination to save her baby’s life, her name is not given in Exodus 2. Her name means “Jehovah’s glory,” and certainly her acts in defiance of the Egyptian Pharaoh’s edict to have all the male Israelite babies killed was to prove Jehovah’s glory in the future. The baby she bore and saved from the death sentence had a very special place in God’s future plan for releasing the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.

Note how this remarkable story progresses in the Exodus account. In Exodus 1:22 is written the terrible law from Pharaoh: “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nilek, but you shall let every daughter live.” The very next verse records the birth of a child who, because of a mother’s clever plan, escapes this death sentence. Many of the Hebrew women defied the Pharaoh’s order and did not use the Egyptian midwives at the time of birth. This, of course, angered the Pharaoh. Jochebed, who loved and wanted to keep her baby from harm, devised a way to hide him in a waterproof basket afloat on the Nile, the very river into which the midwives had been commanded to cast the newborn sons of the Israelites to their death. Would the basket be a safe place? It was the hope Jochebed had of saving her son. Much rested on young Miriam, too, as she was set to watch her baby brother from a distance. And when Pharaoh’s daughter saw the comely baby, she wanted him for her very own. But how would she feed him? Again, Mariam was quick to suggest a Hebrew nurse, and Jochebed had the distinct privilege of both physically and spiritually nurturing her son Moses. We are told in Exodus 2:9 that the Egyptian princess even promised to pay wages for this service. The thought has entered my mind, “Did Pharaoh not check on his daughter more closely to see what she was doing?” But then I reason that two causes were at work: The Pharaoh probably had several wives, even a harem, and maybe many daughters. It was not likely that he personally supervised what a single daughter did. She could adopt a Hebrew child and he would hardly know about it. But the overriding cause here is God’s will. He had a future purpose for the baby whom the Egyptian princess named Moses, “drawn out of the water.” Saved from death and drowning, Moses would draw the Israelite slaves from the clutches of Egyptian bondage and lead them to freedom and into God’s purposes. Does this story of Amram’s wife, Moses’ mother, not thrill you? God selects people through whom to accomplish His will on earth. Jochebed, a member of the priestly tribe of Levi, had, woven into her name, the name of Yahweh, “Jehovah’s glory.” What is God assigning to us today to bring glory to Him? Let us pray that we will find and do His will.

Believers Called Christians first at Antioch

“So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” –Acts 11:25-26 (NEV). [Paul asked:] “’King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.’ And Agrippa said to Paul, ‘In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?’ And Paul said, ‘Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.’”-Acts 26:27-29 (ESV). “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”-I Peter 4:16 (ESV).

The three places the word Christian is used in the New Testament are in the verses cited here.

We know that Christian means an adherent of Christ, a believer in and follower of Christ, one committed to Christ. Let us briefly examine the context prior to Acts 11:25-26. Peter had gone to Joppa, preached at Cornelius’ house, and many had come to faith in the Lord Jesus. Persecution from the Jews arose following the stoning of Stephen. Believers went from Jerusalem to Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch and Cyrene preaching the Word. Many converts were made. The church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch of Syria to investigate the preaching there and no doubt to examine the faith of the new converts. Barnabas was described as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit. He had heard of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Road to Damascus. Barnabas found Paul in Tarsus, invited him to go to Antioch with him, and the two Christian leaders spent a whole year there preaching and teaching “a great many people.” Because the followers of Christ were increasing, they got the name, “Christians”—those committed to Christ. Prior to this time, followers had been called ‘the church,’ ‘the Way,’ or the ‘sect of the Nazarine.’ Bestowing the name Christians upon believers in Christ indicated that it was more than a new Jewish sect. Both Jews and Gentiles were in the group called “Christians.” Although believers were called Christians (probably by non-Christians, even Romans), the name became an acknowledgement that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the long-expected Messiah.

Later, Paul the Apostle was arrested by the Jews for preaching the gospel. On the basis of his Roman citizenship, he appealed to the Emperor of Rome, and was on his way there to be tried when he was heard before King Agrippa (Herod Agrippa II, one of the Roman rulers of Palestine) in Caesarea of Philippi. Before Agrippa, Paul gave his own defense, his personal testimony of how, in the midst of being a persecutor of the followers of Christ, he had been converted and became a spokesman for Christ, taking the message “throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:20). Following Paul’s testimony, King Agrippa said, ‘in a short time, would you persuade me to be a Christian?’ (ESV) We are more familiar with the King James Version rendering of Agrippa’s response: “Amost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). Song writer Phillip Paul Bliss heard evangelist Rev. Brundage preaching a sermon on the text in 1871. The preacher ended with this haunting thought: “He who is almost persuaded is almost saved; and to be almost saved is to be eternally lost.” With that thought clearly in his mind, the gospel song writer penned the words of “Almost Persuaded” and also wrote the music for his words. Perhaps you recall the words:

“Almost persuaded” now to believe,
“Almost persuaded” Christ to receive.
Seems now some soul will say,
“Go, Spirit, go Thy way;
Some more convenient day
On Thee I’ll call.

Paul the Apostle answered King Agrippa’s response by an invitation, saying that he wished King Agrippa and all who heard the apostle that day would be as he—a Christian.

The third use of the word Christian was by Peter in his general letter to the churches. Persecution was rampant in the period of the early church. Peter strongly urged that any who must suffer for the gospel count it as to the glory of God. In many periods of history from then until now, Christians have suffered for their faith. Whatever comes of hardship and suffering, we are to endure with the full assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We bear His name. We are Christians.

Lydia, First Recorded European Convert

"Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ And she constrained us…So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.” –Acts 16:11-15, 50 (NKJV).

It was an exciting, yet troublous time for the early church. Paul was on his second missionary journey. It was from AD 49-52. Paul and his companion, Silas, left Antioch of Syria. A good Bible map will have their itinerary clearly marked, and Acts 15:36 through 18:18 records what happened on that mission. As happens sometimes in today’s churches, Paul and Barnabas, when this second missionary trip was proposed, contended over Mark. Barnabas wanted Mark to go, but Paul did not want Mark because he had left them on their first missionary journey. Two teams went out: Barnabas and Mark to Cyprus, and Paul, with Silas as his companion, overland through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches they had established on their first journey. At Lystra, the disciple named Timothy, later to be called by Paul his “son in the gospel” (I Timothy 1:2), joined with the mission team and was circumcised on Paul’s advice, “for the Jews who were there.” What we call Paul’s “Macedonian call” occurred, a vision in which Paul clearly heard a man from Macedonia saying, “Come over to Macedonia to help us.” So they sailed to Europe, and it was at Philippi that Paul met up with Lydia and a group of women praying at the riverside, for there was no Jewish synagogue at that time in that city. There in that Sabbath gathering, where the women customarily met, Lydia listened to Paul’s message from God. On that Sabbath, Lydia was changed forever.

What do we know about Lydia? Certain abbreviated facts are given about her in Acts 16:14-15: She was a businesswoman, “a seller of purple.” She was from Thyatira, not Philippi (we can infer that she might have been on a business trip, or else she was a native of Thyatira and had moved to Philippi). She worshiped God (not idols). The Lord opened her heart (she listened and believed what Paul was teaching). She and her household were baptized. She had the spiritual gift of hospitality (she invited Paul and his team to her house).

We would like to know more about Lydia, this first recorded convert on the continent of Europe. But the Bible is silent about her following the two mentions of her in Acts 16—in the prayer meeting by the riverside at Philippi, her open heart, conversion, baptism and hospitality. But note, after the missionary team joined the women at the prayer meeting, they later met up with the slave girl, a diviner whose masters used her prophecies to earn them money. She followed them. Paul commanded the evil spirit in her to come out. Her owners did not like this because she was no longer valuable to them. They brought charges against Paul to the magistrates. The missionaries were beaten, imprisoned and put in stocks. But God’s Spirit is not bound nor is He hindered by prison walls. At midnight as Paul and Silas sang and praised God, a great earthquake shook the prison, doors were opened, chains were loosed. The jailer feared for his life, but the prisoners were still there, ready to witness to him until he cried out, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). We have the wonderful account of the Philippian jailer and his household being saved, of his ministering to the wounds of the missionaries and giving them food. The magistrates wanted the officers to release Paul and Silas secretly. Paul claimed their Roman citizenship, and the city rulers themselves came to release them. From jail they went into Lydia’s home, were received warmly and the believers encouraged. Imagine Lydia’s joy to have shown hospitality to the Apostle Paul! In Lydia’s case, we see how God the Father provides opportunities for salvation and a complete change in life. As Lydia sold “royal cloth” (purple), so she was royally received into the Kingdom.

The Word…Sweeter Than Honey

“How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore, I hate every false way.” –Psalm 119:103-104. “ ”Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”-Psalm 119:97 (NKJV).

Do you love God’s Word? Can you say with the writer of Psalm 119 that it is sweeter to your mouth than honey? Can you attest that God’s law is your meditation all the day? Do you cling to God’s testimonies? Do you delight in His commandments? Do you yearn for the Lord’s precepts? If you can honestly say yes to all of these questions, then you do have a desire to know God’s Word, to cling to it, to follow it, to keep it in your heart and mind. Such was the desire of the writer of the very longest Psalm of all, 119, which is a 176 verse acclamation of the excellence of God’s Word and how the Psalmist wanted to hide it in his heart, live by it, and gain delight and life from it.

Isaiah 40:3 reads: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” I take this verse out of context and apply it to the present dearth of the knowledge of and love for the Word of God—the spiritual wilderness or desert in which we, by our own lack of study and application of the Bible—allow ourselves to live. But there is a voice in this wilderness. God has given us His Word. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; That the man of God may be complete, perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” –II Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV). Paul’s strong words about the inspiration of Scripture, and its value for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness are emphasized. We don’t have to wander in the wilderness of apathy and spiritual dearth. We can be well-equipped with the knowledge and guidance God’s Word provides us. Systematically reading and studying the Word of God can supply a wonderful highway through the desert of our spiritual dearth. Just like the shepherds of old came upon a bee tree in Israel, and had the sweet taste of honey to assuage their hunger, so the Word of God can satisfy our spiritual hunger. It can go beyond providing for our spiritual hunger; it can fill us to overflowing with the precepts, joy and guidance of the Lord.

I must establish some necessary guidelines when I open God’s Word, the Bible. When I approach it, I am entering holy ground. I am not seeking an explanation for God; He is, and I am seeking His voice. We need to pray, “Maranatha. Our Lord, come!” (I Corinthians 16:22). Maranatha is a word we associate with the second coming of the Lord. But it can also mean, “Lord come to me now; speak to me now.” Each time we take the Word to study it, read it for inspiration, seek out its truths for our edification, we are meeting the Lord. He is speaking to us! Wonder of wonders, His “Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path!” (Psalm 119:105). We would see a difference in our churches, in our society, in families, in personal lives of Christians if only we would take seriously our love for the Word and be diligent in following its truths. As good as they are, a few devotional verses a day may help, but they are not enough. A deep-down, earnest, sincere study of the Word is what is needed. Can you answer yes to the questions posed at the beginning of this devotional? Would you like to? I hope you will say, “Maranatha, Lord come! Talk to me through Your Word.” Then we will say with the Psalmist: “Oh! How I love Thy law (Word)! It is my meditation day and night!”

Hannah’s Prayer ~ Hannah’s Song

“She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.’”-I Samuel 1:11. “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord. And he worshiped the Lord there.” –I Samuel 1:27-28. “There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides You; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly; let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.” –I Samuel 2:2-3 (ESV).

I Samuel records the establishment of Israel’s first monarchy, the beginning of which is about 1050 B. C. Samuel was Israel’s leader for many years, serving in roles of judge, prophet and priest. Israel wanted a king like the surrounding nations, and in Chapter 8 God directed Samuel to anoint Saul. But Saul turned from God, and God directed Samuel to find a son of Jesse, David, and anoint him. David bravely killed Goliath, and was then taken to the king’s court, but Saul became very jealous of the much-younger David who was to be his successor. The book of first Samuel ends with the story of Saul’s death in battle, and the anticipation of David’s reign. But in the very beginning of I Samuel, we meet Samuel’s mother, Hannah, a woman yearning deeply for a child and praying for a son.

Hannah was a wife of Elkanah, the barren wife. His other wife, Peninnah, had borne Elkanah children, but not Hannah. In her day, it was strongly held that a barren wife was out of favor with the Lord. Even though the name Hannah means “grace,” she had not been graced with children. Elkanah loved Hannah, and at the time of sacrifice annually at Shiloh, the husband would give a portion of the meat to Peninnah and his sons and daughters by her, but to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, even if she was barren. At one of the yearly pilgrimages from the hill country of Ephraim where they lived to Shiloh for worship, Hannah prayed the prayer recorded in I Samuel 1:11. She was also so distraught that she was praying without audible words and Eli thought she was drunk. When he questioned her, she was able to tell him why she was so “anxious and vexed.” The priest told her to go in peace with his blessing that the Lord would grant her petition. God answered Hannah’s prayer, and she bore a son and named him Samuel, meaning “the name is God,” “God is exalted,” or “son of God.” True to her vow to God, Hannah took Samuel to Eli and presented him, “loaned” him to the Lord. He was brought up at the Shiloh sanctuary. Hannah had three other sons and two daughters, but it is Samuel, dedicated to the Lord before conception, whom we hear about. It was written of him, “And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.” (I Samuel 2:21). In her motherly love for Samuel, Hannah made a robe for him, a linen ephod, usually considered a priest’s garment. She took it to Shiloh as they went to worship (I Samuel 2:19). Imagine the sacrificial love of this mother to give her firstborn son without reservation to the Lord’s service when he was so young, and to continue to provide for some of his needs, even though she probably saw him only once a year.

You will benefit from reading Hannah’s song of thanksgiving as recorded in I Samuel 2:1-10. It has been called the “Magnificat of the Old Testament,” similar to Mary’s Magnificat when she knew she was to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Hannah refers to God as the rock, a metaphor emphasizing the strength and steadfastness of Jehovah. Rocks were oftentimes used as refuges from storms and places to hide in battle. Although at places in the song Hannah seems to refer indirectly to her troubles with Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife, the song is mainly a song of gratitude, deliverance and confidence. “He will guard the feet of His saints” (2 Samuel 2:9a). Will you, today, write your own song of thanksgiving to God? How will you pour out your heart to God as Hannah did in her song? How will you thank Him and praise Him?

Search Me, O God

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” –Psalm 39:23-24 (KJV).

“Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps?” Job asked his accusing friends in Job 31:4. Both Job and David are implying their own integrity. David asks God to search his heart and to know his thoughts. The implication, by asking for this search-and-find from God Himself, is that David will be judged innocent of wicked ways. Job, too, in pleading his case before his friends, knows that they cannot find him guilty as imagined, even though hard times had fallen upon Job, and in the thinking of that day, adversity was sure evidence of guilt and punishment.

After David’s prayer in Psalm 139:19-22 concerning his enemies, inserted as it was in this marvelous Psalm of praise for God’s omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence and providence, it seems almost as if David is turning again to God in complete reliance and trust, knowing that their relationship is steadfast, immovable, and that David has his heart right and can approach God confidently. In prayer meeting recently, our associate minister of education and youth was talking about the value of our keeping a prayer journal. In his teaching he mentioned that when we read the psalms, we are gaining very intimate glimpses, written down, of how persons sought God and found Him. All of Psalm 139 is a very good example of how a seeking person talks to God. This is a deep-seated, sincere invitation: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” The assurance on which David ends, “Lead me in the way everlasting,” is reechoed and restated in Proverbs 12:28: “In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.” There, centuries before Christ’s resurrection from the dead and His teachings about eternal life, the writer of this Psalm and the wise man who wrote Proverbs were thinking in terms of the everlasting way which leads to life, not death.

A poet named J. Edwin Orr (b. 1912-?) was reading and meditating on Psalm 139:23-24. He took his pen and wrote “Search Me, O God,” which was set to music already written by Edward J. Hopkins (1818-1901) to a tune that we call in our hymnals, “Ellers.” I invite you to make the words of Edwin Orr your sincere prayer today. If you know the tune, you might sing it as you pray it:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from ev-‘ry sin and set me free.

“I praise You, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Your Word and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Your name.

“Lord, take my life, for I would live for You;
Fill my poor heart with Your great love so true.

An Interlude: Praying about Enemies

“Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.” –Psalm 139:19-22 (NKJV).

I must confess to wanting to skip over Psalm 139:20-22. My thoughts, as I’ve dwelt so intently on Psalm 139 for three days now, have rejoiced in the themes so far of this marvelous Psalm: God’s omnipotence, His omnipresence, His omniscience in knowing us even before our conception, and keeping us in His plan. And then come verses 19-22 which express a prayer that confesses hatred for enemies and a plea that God would slay them. If it is of any consolation to us, some scholars, in close scrutiny of these verses, hold that they may have been misplaced by those who decided on the canonization of the Scriptures, and that these four verses are more in keeping with the theme of Psalm 140 which is a prayer for deliverance from evil men.

We are very much aware that David, the likely author of Psalm 139, was beset on every hand with enemies who sought his life and wanted to dethrone him. It is possible that even in the midst of praising God for His omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience, David could have been reminded of his enemies and how they intended him harm. Another important lesson we learn from these verses is that we can talk to God about anything that bothers us; and certainly enemies fall into the area of troubles. David seems to have a viable ground for his hatred of enemies: He asks: “Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate you? Do I not loathe those who rise up against You?” An enemy of God is an enemy to David (and so they are to us as well, among them false teachers “in sheep’s clothing”).

Jesus gave us a different perspective on how we should consider and treat enemies. In the Beatitudes Jesus taught us to love our enemies: “You have heard it was said, 'you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”-Matthew 12:43-46 (NKJV). We are to treat enemies charitably: “Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” –Romans 12:20-21 (RSV).

In reconsidering the verses from Psalm 139 that deal with hatred of enemies, we also should consider that Jesus taught us to love our enemies and Paul admonished Christians to whom he wrote to treat enemies kindly. Someone has summed up how we should treat any enemies of God and ourselves: “Hate the sin but love the sinner.” President Abraham Lincoln, when asked what he would do with all the enemies the United States made during the crisis of the Civil War: “We will make them our friends.” And he had plans for reconciliation before his life was taken from him by an assassin’s bullet. We cannot join the enemy in their disobedience and hatred of God; but we certainly can replace hatred with love and destructive actions by compassionate deeds. And, like David, it is good for us to be on guard against the enemies of God and the damage they can do in the Kingdom of God. Life is a constant warfare; therefore “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8). Be on guard, therefore, and pray.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

"For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your books were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with You.” –Psalm 139:13-18 (ESV).

Lifting a phrase “fearfully and wonderfully made” out of these thought-provoking verses for our consideration today, I write with awe to think that God knew me—and each one of us—even before we were formed in our mother’s womb. He knew our days, knew our paths, knew our potential and our personalities. I heard a wise man say many years ago, “When God wants a job done in the world, He forms a baby to grow up and do that job.” With that in mind, we might ask if we have any choice in what we are, what we are like in personality and possibilities, and what we do in our time upon planet earth. The fact is that we are made in the image of God Himself with an innate ability to love and to follow goodness. But we have the power of choice, and in that characteristic—choice—lies the ability to make wrong choices, to fall into temptation and to come short of God’s intended glory for us.

I am strongly pro-life in today’s debate about abortion. Statistics on this blight in present-day society are staggering. In America alone, these statistics were recorded for the year 2011: “One baby is aborted every 26 seconds, 137 every hour, 3,304 every day, 23,196 every month, 1,206,192 ever year” (“United States Abortion Statistics, National Right to Life Committee, 2011). Multiply these staggering statistics by all the countries of the world and an astronomical number of deaths-by-abortion are committed each year—by far more than have ever been recorded for any war on record. We hold life in the balances and so many do not consider how “fearfully and wonderfully” we are made for God’s purposes.

The beautiful story of Pam Teebow’s decision not to abort has been told by her oral testimony and in writing. Bob and Pam Teebow, parents of the Denver Broncos Quarterback, Timothy Richard Teebow, were missionaries in the Philippines when Pam became pregnant. She contracted a terrible disease (amoebic dysentery from contaminated drinking water). The doctor advised Mrs. Teebow to abort the baby she carried, warning her that he would be born with serious birth defects, and that both her life and the baby’s were in danger. After much prayer, the Teebows made the decision to have the child. Tim was born August 14, 1987 in the Philippines, a “slim and long” baby who grew into the athlete we know today. On December 10, 2007, he received the Heisman Trophy, a very prestigious athletic award. We have seen him—and also heard the controversy that rages—about his saluting God at the end of football games and falling to his knees to pray. Many have criticized his action, saying it is for “show.” However, to hear Tim Teebow’s testimony, he makes it clear that his belief in the Lord Jesus Christ is his most transcendent and precious relationship—not winning, not the applause of men for his athletic prowess, but to love and serve the Lord. His contributions to the orphanage his parents now run, and other Christian charitable support are evidences of his belief that he is, indeed, “wonderfully and fearfully made.” God invites each of us to think of ourselves as He considers us. Let us read again the verses from Psalm 139, and thank God that He knew us, even before we were formed!

Our Omnipresent God

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” – Psalm 139:7-12 (NKJV).

As God’s children, we are never alone. The theological term for God being everywhere is omnipresence. One of the most beautiful and expressive passages of God’s omnipresence is written in Psalm 139:6-12. God is present in the world and with His people in a most unique manner. He is never separate from His creation. As Spirit He can be (and is) present everywhere.

Let’s review some of the people in the Bible who experienced God’s mnipresence. Moses saw God in a burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and he as with God on the mountain top (Exodus 19:18-20). In the year that ood King Uzziah died, Isaiah experienced God’s presence in the emple (Isaiah 6). He came to Elijah and manifested Himself “in a still, small voice” (I Kings 19:12). He appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road and he was converted (Acts 9). The most amazing appearances was God Emmanuel (God with us), Jesus Christ our Lord, God come to earth, Jesus the Saviour, Who walked, talked, performed miracles, taught disciples during His brief 33-year life on earth. His death was our own sacrifice for sin. His resurrection gave hope over death. His ascension back to the Father celebrated His mission on earth finished and His glory restored.

What beauty of expression is used as the Psalmist describes the omnipresence of God. If I “take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me.” This shows the intimacy with which God regards His children. On land and on sea, He is with us and His hand holds us steadfastly! What reassurance to think that God is living, He is working in His world, and He is aware of and attentive to our comings and goings. Night and day are all the same to Him, and we have no need to be afraid. God is not a remote Spirit, hiding and inaccessible. He is personal and at work in the world He created.

Robert Grant (1779-1838) expressed well the omnipresent nature of God in the third stanza of the beloved hymn, “O Worship the King”:

“Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.” Amen!

God Knows Even Me!

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up, You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” –Psalm 139:1-6 (ESV).

God knows even me! His omniscience, although hard to understand, and sometimes harder for us to accept, is very real, powerful and, yes, even protective. The characteristic of omniscience ascribed to God means “all-knowing.” Psalm 139 is attributed to David, although scholars who have studied carefully the Hebrew language in which it was originally written have noted that it contains expressions of the Aramaic language which occurred long after the time of David. Whether it was David or someone living much later than he who wrote this Psalm, it was, nevertheless, inspired by the Spirit of God to reveal the important truth of God’s all-knowing nature. Note the many aspects of our lives God knows: “When I sit down and when I rise up.” The all-knowing God has us in His vision at all times. He genuinely cares what we do and where we are.

God knows our thoughts…and that “from afar.” I’m sure you’ve experienced your mind “wandering” and having to be called back to the objects of your concentration. But just think: God “discerns my thoughts from afar.” No wandering of His attention! He knows what I think. This knowledge of His omniscience should lead us to think pure thoughts and to fill our minds with purposeful pursuits. “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether!” Have you ever been speaking or teaching and suddenly thoughts come into you mind you had not considered when you prepared? Be assured that God knew that direction you should go. This has happened to me many times in my teaching/speaking experiences. Some call this being extemporaneous, or “thinking on one’s feet.” I like to call it God’s Spirit working to have us present His truths.

God knows our path and our ways. How many of you, in starting out on a journey, perhaps driving alone as I so often do now, pray that God will go with you on the trip, to give you alertness to conditions and safety on the trip? And then when you safely arrive at your destination, do you take the time to thank Him for His protection? I was driving from Milledgeville to Epworth, as I do several times a year, and as usual, I had prayed before I set out on the trip. I was cruising along, and found a place to pass a truck I had been behind for miles. At one juncture, he gave a right-hand turn signal, and I saw opportunity to pass. But alas! He had given a wrong signal and turned left instead of right. Alertness and the ability to guide my vehicle to a safe slow-down occurred just split-seconds before what could have been a terrible collision. You can believe I thanked God with all my heart that I did not wreck. But God’s omniscience saw that possible collision in His all-knowing vision and protected the truck driver and me. He had “hemmed me in,” and put a protective wall about me. We know that wrecks and misfortunes occur. We cannot judge or assume that God’s attention shifted.

God “lays His hand upon me.” God’s remarkable providence in our lives is beyond comprehension. Considering such a truth the psalmist exclaimed: “It is too high for me! I cannot attain it!” How true; we cannot understand the Almighty’s knowing all about us and caring so much for us. But thanks be to God, He does know us, and He does know all about us. Let us thank Him for our position in His plan for each of us.

Scapegoat Needed No More!

“But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness..And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.”-Leviticus 16:10, 26. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins...then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” –Hebrews 10:4, 9-10 (references from NKJV).

In the ancient customs of Hebrew worship, it was necessary for the priest to offer sacrifices for sins. A bull sacrificed in a certain way assured the taking away of the priest’s sins. Two goats, one for a blood sacrifice, and one upon which the priest ceremoniously placed the sins of the people by the laying of his hands on the goat’s head, was to be released into the wilderness, thus taking far away the sins of the people. A full account of this custom and how it was carried out according to law is described in Leviticus 16. This was done on the Day of Atonement, once a year, when the priest led this solemn, serious duty.

Jeremiah began to realize that a new day was coming when this yearly sacrifice and the releasing of the scapegoat would not be necessary. We read in Jeremiah 31:33-34: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord, ' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them' says the Lord. 'For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'" (NKJV)

The letter to the Hebrews makes clear that the “new day” Jeremiah prophesied about has truly come. Read Hebrews 1:1-3 to be assured that Jesus Christ indeed came to purge our sins and to sit down at the right hand of the Father, victorious and exalted. There is no more need for the scapegoat of old who was ceremoniously released to take the people’s sins into the wilderness. Hebrews 10 reemphasizes that animal sacrifices are insufficient, and, moreover, are no longer needed. The writer of Hebrews quotes from Psalm 40:6-8 that states God did not desire nor take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices. “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14). Praise be to God, Jesus is our sacrifice, our offering, the One Who “bore the sin of many” (Isaiah 53:12).

The hymn written by Philip Paul Bliss in 1873, “Once for All” is hardly ever heard any more—in fact, may not be published in modern-day hymnbooks. But in the country church where I grew up, we used to sing it, thinking about the depth and truth of the theology in the words of the hymn:

“Once for all, O happy condition,

Jesus has bled and there is remission,

Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,

Grace hath redeemed us once for all.”

Chorus:

“Once for all, O sinner, receive it;

Once for all, O brother, believe it,

Cling to the cross, the burden will fall,

Christ hath redeemed us once for all.”

I had a wonderful worship experience by accessing this hymn online, hearing a beautiful piano rendition of it played the way we sang it in past years, and thanking God that the scapegoat sacrifice of old is no longer needed. Thanks be to God

Walk in Integrity

" Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’” –I Kings 9:4-5 .”Let me be weighed in a just balance, That God may know my integrity.”-Job 31:6. “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.” -Psalm 25:21. “Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip. But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.”-Psalm 26:1, 11. “The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.”-Proverbs 20:7 (all references NKJV).

The Hebrew word muna translated integrity has sixteen references in the Old Testament. The word is not given in Greek in the New Testament but when faithfulness is used that means integrity. The word means faithfulness, trustworthiness, steadfastness, uprightness and honesty. It is sometimes pictured as a straight path along which one should walk, veering not to the right or to the left. We find the term integrity used in Genesis 20:5-6 of Abimelech, King of Grerar, to whom Abraham gave Sarah, claiming she was his sister. But in a dream Abimelech learned the truth of Sarah’s relationship to Abraham and he restored her to her husband without taking her into his harem. God commended the king for his integrity. Following the dedication of the Temple built by Solomon, the Lord appeared to Solomon to make a covenant with him. If Solomon would walk in integrity and keep God’s commandments, statutes and judgments, the throne would be established in the line of David as God had promised. God commended Job’s integrity. Job’s wife asked him if he would hold on to his integrity, even after he had lost everything. In defending himself against his friends who thought Job’s dilemma had been brought on by disobedience to God, Job defended himself, affirming that he, indeed, was a man of integrity. In the Psalms and in Proverbs, the righteous is seen as walking in integrity. To walk in integrity is the right path for the Christian. There should be no question of “Should I walk uprightly?” The conclusion each Christian should reach is “I will walk in integrity.”

Corrie ten Boom led a life of immense integrity. Born in Holland on April 15. 1892 to Casper and Cor ten Boom, Corrie ten Boom was destined to save the lives of some 800 Jews during World War II. The ten Boom family members were Christians. Her father, who had inherited his father’s watchmaking shop in Haarlem provided in a secretly-built “Hiding Place” in the family’s living quarters above his watch shop a place of concealment for Jews escaping from the Germans. Corrie (who had become the first certified woman watchmaker in Holland) and her family were faithful in this dangerous mission. On February 28, 1944, her father, her sister Betsie and Corrie were arrested. Her father died soon in a hospital and was given a pauper’s burial. Betsie and Corrie were sent on to Ravensbruck Prison in Germany where they had to toil hard and live in terrible vermin-infested conditions with little food. They got a group together after roll call nearly every night and studied the Bible and prayed together. Betsie died in prison. Through a clerical error, Corrie ten Boom was released on Christmas Day, 1944, went on a train to Berlin, and miraculously got back to her home in Holland. She began a rehabilitation home for released prisoners and helped homeless children. In 1946, she came to the United States, speaking in many churches, extending her ministry through 60 countries. She wrote several books, the most famous of which was The Hiding Place. In 1978 due to poor health she gave up traveling and speaking. She lived in California where she died on her birthday in 1983. The Jews held that dying on one’s birthday showed God’s favor and a life lived in integrity. One of her favorite sayings was, “God does not have problems, only plans.” Her life constantly followed the paths of integrity and she became an inspiration for all who heard her speak and read her books.

That Which Is “Far Off and Exceedingly Deep”

“All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, ‘I will be wise’; But it was far from me. As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, Who can find out? I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things.” –Ecclesiastes 7:23-25 (NKJV). “For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything that is before them. Everything occurs alike to all.” –Ecclesiastes 9:1-2a (NKJV). Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” – John 20:29.

So much escapes our knowledge. As the writer of Ecclesiastes laments: “that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find out?” We may study the Bible sincerely, but its rich mine of knowledge and spiritual wisdom may escape our understanding. Are we to despair? In our efforts “to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things” can we gain enough knowledge to give us assurance along life’s pathway? Sometimes we, like the “assembly man”—for that is the meaning of Ecclesiastes, the one who calls a religious assembly or who is its spokesman or preacher—think: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). But, fortunately for the wisdom-seeker, Ecclesiastes, the “assembly-man,” there is an optimistic conclusion to his searching: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, Whether it is good or whether it is eveil” (-Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, NKJV).

I concluded the cited verses above with John 20:29 for a specific reason. Jesus had already appeared after His resurrection from the dead to some of the disciples. Thomas had not yet seen the resurrected Christ and had made the statement: “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Eight days later, Thomas was with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them. He invited Thomas to reach and touch His nail-scarred hands and His pierced side. But seeing Jesus was enough. Thomas did not have to touch His Lord to believe. Then Jesus made an astounding statement that includes you and me and any believers: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29, NKJV). It is possible, through the eyes of faith, to see that which is “far off and exceedingly deep.” “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV). The necessity for faith is clearly stated in Habakkuk 3:4b as the prophet forthtells the vision that would come: “the just shall live by his faith.” This statement became the central thrust of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” so boldly proclaimed in 1517 in Germany that started the Reformation.

I am amazed and grateful that the findings of archaeologists are unraveling that which is “far off and exceedingly deep.” For those who would criticize and term many of the events and people of the Bible as myths and legends, archaeology is proving them true. Beneath the Gulf of Aquaba (the Red Sea) have been found Egyptian chariot wheels and other artifacts of that event in the history of God’s people and their protection and safety as God led and provided. Much will still remain “far off and exceedingly deep” for us. Part of it is the awesome mystery and wonder of God, the omnipotent, omniscient One. We have enough of His revelation and wisdom to link us in faith to Him. As the father of the sick child may we pray: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24b).

The Apple of God’s Eye

“Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me.” – Psalm 17:8-9 (NKJV). “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.” –Psalm 34:15 (NKJV). “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’”-Genesis 16:13 (NKJV). “But the very hairs of your head are numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” –Matthew 10:30-31 (NKJV).

“The apple of God’s eye”—what a tremendous concept to grasp! The “apple of His eye”—one of God’s names for us, his children. The apple of the eye is the pupil, without which one cannot see. I’m sure you’ve visited your optometrist or ophthalmologist and had your pupils dilated. You know how difficult it is to see for a while; the ground seems to come up to meet you as you walk. The pupil of the eye is vulnerable and is protected by eyelids that close, tears that wash out damaging foreign matter. Being “the apple of God’s eye” means that He cares for and protects us. Another idea inherent in being the apple of God’s eye is that we are reflectd in His pupil. When He looks upon us and we look upon Him, we can see ourselves reflected back from His very eyes. “The eyes of hte Lord are on the righteous; His ears are open to their cry.” We are not alone. We are in God’s vision, under His watchful care. Morever, He hears us when we call upon Him, and hides us under His sheltering wings. How wonderfully comforting and caring is He to us!

The verse from Genesis 16:13 is a cry from Hagar who was with child by Abraham. She was fleeing from Sarai who had decided, even after her own childlessness at the time had caused her to tell her husband to get a child with her handmaiden, wanted Hagar out of her household. Hagar was at fault, too, for she had despised Sarai. Before Hagar fled, there wasn’t peace and harmony in Abraham’s house. Despondent and alone in the desert, Hagar had an angel from the Lord appear to her. The angel told her to return to Abraham’s household and be submissive to Sarai. He also told Hagar her son was to be named Ishmael (meaning “the Lord has heard your affliction”) and that his descendants would be a multitude in number. It was then that Hagar had a revelation: “You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees!” Even though Hagar was in the desert, abject and near hopeless, pregnant with Abraham’s child, God found her. She was, despite the circumstances, “the apple of God’s eye,” one with a purpose and a future. She returned to Abraham and Sarai’s household with a changed attitude because she had encountered the Lord.

Jesus told of each person’s importance to God with a different emphasis: "the very hairs of your head are numbered.” Is it not amazing to think that God knows the number of hairs on our head? Why should this be important to Him? Because He is concerned about every aspect of our being. Most people value their hair, its appearance, the abundance (or lack) of it; it is often referred to as one’s “crowning glory.” From this mention of a part of our anatomy, and God’s caring, even about it, we can begin to encompass just how broad His love for us really is. Jesus finishes the analogy by stating that we are much more valuable than many sparrows. These little birds common in Galilee, were often caught and sold on strings for a farthing. Sparrows were considered ceremonially clean by the Jews and often were eaten by the poor. Even though these little birds had their worth, there was no comparison between their value and how God valued human beings. We are “the apple of God’s eye,” valuable and beloved in His sight, worthy of His notice. God sees us and each is important in His eyes! Let us rejoice!

Love One Another for Love Is of God

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loves us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” –I John 4:7-11 (NKJV). Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…And now abide faith, hope love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.” –I Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13 (NKJV).

Today is Valentine’s Day. This day to express love will have telephone lines, e-mail out- and in-boxes busy, facebook messages composed and sent, cards received in the mail, floral deliveries made, gifts bestowed. All because someone loves someone else. And all of this is very good. I was hard-pressed to select Scriptures on love for this special day because there are so many references, in both Old and New Testaments, that teach of love. Checking Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Old and New Testaments for references to love (in its various forms), I found five full columns of very fine print leading to scriptures from many of the Bible books from Genesis to Revelation. Love is an important emotion, one that every person needs for spiritual and emotional nurture, and an ingrained capacity which is part of our nature because we are created in the image of God, and “love is God is of God” for “God is love.” I selected the passages cited above from I John 4 and I Corinthins 13 with prayer and thanksgiving, because I considered them to teach us much we need to know about love, its nature and purpose. I hope we reread the verses several times today and pray that our love for God and others may grow day by day. There’s much truth in the popular song, “It’s love, it’s love, it’s love that makes the world go ‘round.”

We’ve often heard of the various Greek terms used for love in the New Testament, and of these agape (noun) and agapao (verb) are used to express God’s love for His Son and for His children, and for their proper attitude toward each other in Christian love. We have a perfect expression of the love of God for us in the Lord Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). How amazing, how deep, how complete that love: “whosoever believeth.” Christian love results from His first loving us and is manifested as a fruit of His Spirit working in us. We practice agape love when we manifest love one for another as it is described in the Corinthian passage cited above.

On St. Valentine’s Day I lost one of the great loves of my life, and I think about that sad anniversary each February 14. I was a young teenager of fourteen when my beloved mother died on Valentine’s Day. Although the grace of God helped me through that difficult period of loss, I’ve wondered since how it might have been if I could have known her devoted love for a longer period in my life. I did, however, grow up often asking, “What would my mother advise me to do in this situation?” And as I thought through challenges, her love still surrounded me. Then I had a great love from my life partner, Rev. Grover Jones. We had had two dates before Valentine’s Day rolled around when we first met. We were falling in love and it seemed for sure it was to be more than “puppy” love. He gave me a single red rose from the florist shop, with fern and baby’s breath on February 14, 1948. That was my first gift from him. As long as he was able he remembered Valentine’s Day by giving me red roses. The number grew to a dozen as we had less penurious days. After his illness, my dear children, remembering how their Dad had given me our “love remembrance” of roses on Valentine’s Day, continued to send me roses. This Valentine’s Day, love God and shed his love abroad to the significant others about you. It will do your heart good.

Maintain a Good Conscience

“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.”-I Timothy 1:5-7 (NKJV). “Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience in all things desiring to live honorably” –Hebrew 13:18 (NKJV).

“Don’t do anything that will give you a guilty conscience,” thus I was admonished quite often when I was young, both by my parents, other elders in my family (especially my aunts), my Sunday School teachers and even some public school teachers. What do we mean by “a good conscience?” Defined, conscience is the moral awareness that judges an action right or wrong. In the verses cited from I Timothy, Paul is advising Timothy to keep his instruction true to the faith and not to enter into vain arguments on the fine points of the law, genealogies and fables as the heterodox (or false) teachers were doing in some of the churches. He should be on guard to keep his teachings faithful to the truth, “in a good conscience,” holding to the true faith as he had been taught.

As the writer of Hebrews was ready to close his letter, he asked Christian friends to pray that “we have a good conscience in all things” in order to live honorably. The Greek word from which conscience is derived means “to know with” and implies a standard to go by. When we hear “Let your conscience be your guide,” we have to ask if we have learned the standard by which we should be guided. This applies to so many areas of the Christian’s life: his conduct in following either good or evil; his thoughts, in pursuing purity or wickedness; his beliefs, whether orthodox in faith or following, as Paul admonished Timothy to guard against, those heterodox teachers who spread untrue doctrines.

How, then, can we maintain a good conscience? First, we have to study and know a good moral standard. Sometimes the standard is not so much “thou shalt not” as “thou shalt.” Paul gave a good summary of a good standard for Christians in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoeverthings are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” –Philippians 4:8. A standard to follow contains truth, honesty, justice, purity, loveliness, things of good report. If we follow these to cultivate our conscience, we will have a lofty standard by which to measure conduct; and if we do this, our conscience can then surely be our guide. George Washington, our first president, wrote: “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.” I like what he called a good conscience: “that little spark of celestial fire in the breast.” Seeking God’s way can give us that “celestial spark” to help us maintain a good conscience. Pray for it; latch on to it; maintain it.

Be an Example in the Faith

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” –I Timothy 4:12 (ESV). “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” –Titus 2:7-8.

How important is it to be an “example” in the faith? Moreover, how important is it to have a good “example” to follow? Paul the Apostle wrote to his “son in the gospel,” young Timothy, that he was to be an example to others. He gave Timothy five areas of his life in which he should be exemplary: speech, conduct, love, faith, purity. In a few words Paul covered a broad expanse of life goals: how he talked, how he acted and lived, how deep his love was for God and for others, how committed he was in his faith, and with what purity not only was his life but his teachings.

To Titus he wrote that he should be “a model of good works,” another way of saying “bean example in the faith.” Titus was to be a model in teaching, holding to integrity (uprightness), dignity (honor), and sound speech (good doctrine). Paul knew that such sterling examples as he was urging Timothy and Titus to be would not keep them immune from criticism, but they would be blameless when people wanted to condemn them. Paul also wrote that he himself lived as an example: “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Philippians 3:17, ESV). Paul also wrote in 2:Corinthians 3:2-3: “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation written on our hearts to be known and ready by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (ESV).

Annie Johnson Flint was born December 24, 1866 in the little town of Vineland, New Jersey to Eldon and Jean Johnson. Her mother died when Annie was only three following the birth of Annie’s baby sister. At first her father got the widow of a Civil War veteran to look after his two little girls, but she was not very gentle with them. Later, he found a home for the girls with Mr. and Mrs. Flint. Then the girls’ father got an incurable disease and soon died. The orphan girls were adopted by the Flints, who were nurturing and loving to the girls. Annie did well in high school, thanks to “Aunt Susie,” (nor a relative but a teacher who lived near the Flints). Then Annie went to Normal School, taking a teaching course. She got a job for a three year contract and enjoyed teaching, but during that time she developed crippling and very painful arthritis. She had to give up teaching. Even though it was painful to write, Annie began to further develop her talents as a writer, especially in the area of poetry. She began working with the Sunday School Times, which linked her up with a worldwide fellowship of Christians. Many of her poems were published and read widely, wielding an influence for good in many Christian circles. Even though Annie Johnson Flint’s life was not easy, she maintained an optimistic spirit and shared faithfully her deep love for and faith in Christ. She died September 8, 1932. She wrote a poem about being an example. As you read it, think how you can be an example from whom the world can learn about Christ. May the poem inspire you as it did me when I first heard it as a teenager:

The World’s Bible
By Annie Johnson Flint

Christ has no hands but our hands
To do His work today;
He has no feet but our feet
To lead men in His way;
He has no tongue but our tongue
To tell men how He died;
He has no help but our help
To bring them to His side.

We are the only Bible
The careless world will read;
We are the sinner’s gospel,
We are the scoffer’s creed;
We are the Lord’s last message,
Given in deed and word;
What if the type is crooked?
What if the print is blurred?

What if our hands are busy
With other work than His?
What if our feet are walking
Where sin’s allurement is?
What if our tongues are speaking
Of things His lips would spurn?
How can we hope to help Him
Unless from Him we learn?*

(*Note: Some current printed versions render the last line: “And hasten His return?” However, older versions and her Sunday School Times brochure of long ago has the line “Unless from Him we learn.”)

Persevere

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” –Matthew 24:9-14 (ESV). “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” –John 8:31-32 (ESV).

The verses quoted above from Matthew are from Jesus’ discourse on end times, or, to use a theological term, teachings on eschatology. In this teaching, Jesus was preparing his disciples for hard times ahead. A study of church history reveals how believers were persecuted, scattered, imprisoned for their faith, burned at the stake, killed before crowds, thrown to the lions. Those in charge of trying to quell the spread of the gospel spared no cruel means to try to bring to death those who taught and practiced the teachings of Jesus Christ. Persecution was not just for the early church. It has continued through the ages, is happening now in areas of the world, and can be expected to continue. Jesus teaches perseverance: “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Jesus warned, too, that “many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” Today there are false teachers who appear to have the truth but who lead many astray. We can hear them from “religious” television programs. We can read their false doctrines in easily-available books. By many means they seek to spread good-sounding but false teachings. Each age has had them. Jesus had a strong word about dealing with false doctrine and cunning teachers who would lead believers astray. He gave us a solution and it is up to us to follow: “If you abide inMy word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32). Studying the Bible diligently and following its teachings are the keys to truly being free. Persecution may come; in the world there will be trouble and tribulation. We learn of courage and perseverance from reading such accounts as given in Fox’s Book of Martyrs. Persons who truly hold to the Word and do not recant are stalwart in their faith even when facing death.

Paul, who wrote the letter to the Ephesians from prison, gave some excellent advice about persevering, keeping on in the faith: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, withwhich you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplicationl. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:16-18, ESV). Study, watch, pray, live right, and be faithful; these are the keys to perseverance.

Work to Honor God

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” -Ecclesiastes 9:10a (NKJV). “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: ‘If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.’’ –II Thessalonians 3:10 (NKJV).

I recently read an interesting article by T. R. McNeal on the theology of work. He stated that God is a working God who worked to create the universe and all that is in it, and He works likewise to sustain it. Mankind, created in God’s image, was placed on the earth to work. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15). Labor did not come about due to man’s fall. Man was already working to cultivate the earth and make it produce. After man became rebellious and sinned by partaking of what God told him to leave alone, Adam and Eve were expelled from the beautiful Garden of Eden, and work became complicated. Because of the fall, “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life…In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.” (Genesis 3:17b, 19a, NKJV). The commission made to Adam ages ago to work and subdue the earth still remains in force. Today agriculture is not the main mode of work. Mankind is engaged in work that is physical, social, cultural and spiritual in nature. But whatever we do to make a living, God’s people are to practice integrity in work. We are to work to honor God and help mankind.

My mother and father were strong proponents of the words from Ecclesiastes 9:10a: “Whatever your hands finds to do, do it with your might.” No shoddiness in work habits and products from labor were allowed. Another adage they practiced, which I don’t think is biblical, but it is akin to the lesson from “the preacher” in Ecclesiastes: “If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well.” On the farm, too, we saw living proof of what Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica: “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (II Thes. 3:10). And our theology of work had to do with “giving an honest day's work for a day's wage.” With these teachings early in life, both given orally and by parents who by their example were paragons of hard work, I gratefully learned not only the value and necessity for work, but that Christians should strive to be honest, conscientious and productive in their work.

Another important aspect of work—whatever we do to make a living—is to view our labor first and foremost as serving God. For a Christian, the primary aim of any type of work is ministry. Christians may work on a farm, in an office, as teachers, in an administrative position, as a common laborer in a variety of jobs, their workplace is their ministry post. Jesus taught us that we are salt and light. We become His representatives in the workplace. Because we are His workmanship through His grace, we have a new and purposeful perspective on work. We work willingly, cheerfully and diligently to make a difference in the work-a-day world. Think of the difference we can make in the world if we apply a sound theology of work to everything we do! Spend some time thinking about your work and what God expects you to do and to be through your work. Pray that whatever your hands find to do in the work-a-day world God will be honored.

Beware of Hypocrisy

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” –Matthew 6:1-2 (ESV). “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”-Matthew 6:5-6 (ESV). “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” –Matthew 7:16-18 (ESV).

A very degrading name to be called is a hypocrite. What does the term mean? Warren McWilliams writing in The Holman Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Holman Publishers, 1991, p. 682) defines hypocrisy as “Pretense to being what one really is not, especially the pretense of being a better person than one really is.” Our English word hypocrite and hypocrisy are what we call “transliterated” from the Greek word hypokrites and hypokrisis which meant one who speaks from a stage, an actor, or, as a verb, one who is pretending.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned that we should be honest (not play-acting) in our righteous living. Don’t do what you do to be seen of men. Ostentation is completely out of place in the Christian’s life.

When we pray, we should not be conscious of those hearing us voice our prayers. It is best to pray in secret, just God and the pray-er. “But what if I am asked to lead prayer in church or in a small group?” someone asks. We discussed this very question recently in prayer meeting at our church as we are trying to become more sincere and earnest in our praying. If you pray in public, try not to be conscious of people around you and of “sounding pretty.” Be honest and sincere. Don’t seek the favor of people with your words. If you do, alas, Jesus warns: that seeking adulation will be your reward for such praying. Remember in praying, you are talking to God. It is serious business; not to be taken lightly or an action to gain applause.

The third area in which to guard against pretension is when fasting. “But my church does not fast, nor does it call us to individual fasting,” you might say. If you fast, if it be in a group or singly, don’t call attention to it. You are denying yourself from food for a purpose, and that is to draw closer to God. Some tasks you face in life, Jesus said, require “prayer and fasting.” Perhaps you have had a time in your life when you fasted for a purpose and it became a deeply spiritual experience for you. Don’t make your face to look terrible to announce the fact that you’re fasting. This is how the hypocrites fast—to be seen of men. Fasting—and its accompanying spiritual examination and prayer—is a secret pact between you and God. It is not to draw attention to your “deep spirituality.” Read Matthew 23 to learn of a series of woes Jesus declares on those who practice hypocrisy. He addresses his warnings to the multitudes in 23:1-7; to the disciples in verses 8-12, and to the scribes and Pharisees in verses 13-36. Hypocrisy is a serious sin in that it is focused on the person and his/her motives rather than on God. Sincerity is a key in overcoming hypocrisy.

Beware of Covetousness

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house: you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” -Exodus 20:17 (ESV). “And He said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” –Luke 12:15. (ESV) “But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” –I Corinthians 12:31 (ESV).

Covetousness arises out of a desire to possess more than we have; it is to long for, to reach after things. To covet was so much a part of human nature that God gave the last of the Ten Commandments to deal with the inordinate desire of wanting that which is not one’s own, whether it be to lust after one who is not legally linked in marriage, to desire possessions, or anything (an all-inclusive term for every thing not one’s own that persons might want). Scholars view the tenth commandment as reaching very deep into our nature because it deals with thought. Covetousness—wanting what is not rightly ours—is inward, heart-felt. Human laws cannot take cognizance of what goes on in the heart. It is true that oftentimes murder (the “thou shalt not kill” commandment) is ruled premeditated, beginning first in the heart. But covetousness is definitely “of the heart” and can motivate persons to commit murder or adultery or stealing.

The context of Jesus’ teaching about covetousness in Luke 12:15 followed after one from the crowd said, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (Luke 12:14). How many of us have seen covetousness demonstrated following the reading of a will? So often, heirs think they do not get their rightful share, and ill-will, animosity and greediness result. Jesus followed His answer by giving the parable of the rich man whose land yielded plentifully. He built more granaries in which to store his crops and thought he could “eat, drink and be merry.” But God came to the greedy man, telling him that very night his soul would be required of hm. “And then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”” (Luke 12:20-21). Jesus was firmly teaching that one’s life does not consist of an abundance of possessions. There is a better way than always wanting more for selfish purposes. But earnestly desire the best gifts,” Paul urges, “abd I will show you a more excellent way.” (I Corinthians 12:31). Then he goes immediately into that fine discourse on love recorded in I Corinthians 13. Love is the more excellent way. When genuine love for the Lord is in our heart, there is no room for the dark secrets of covetousness and inordinate desire for that which we should not have. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said that the covetous person will not “be rich toward God.” In Ephesians 5:5 Paul says they who covet are like the idol worshipers, virtually denying faith in God and replacing the love for God on things. How serious an offense to our loving God to covet. It is indeed understandable that He would make one of the Commandments: “Thou shalt not covet."

God Desires Obedience from His Children

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” –I Samuel 5:22 (ESV). If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” –John 15: 10-11 (ESV).

The words of the hymn “Trust and Obey” written by John H. Sammis (1846-1919) have been going through my mind repeatedly for the last several hours, especially the chorus: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.” We are very familiar with obedience. As children, we were taught to obey our parents or else suffer the consequences of disobedience. In the Christian life, obedience means to study and hear God’s Word, to act upon its precepts and to live by its guiding principles. In the Old Testament, as indicated by the verse cited from I Samuel 5:22, obedience is related to listening, to hearing. We first must hear and understand what is expected before we can perform the desired behavior. The Bible gives example after example of failure to hear and do God’s Word. “But My people did not listen to My voice, Israel would not submit to me...O that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in my ways!" (Psalm 81: 11, 12 ESV). Jesus admonished, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15 ESV).

Obedience affects the spiritual life in multiple ways. In the verse above from Samuel 5, we are told that the Lord delights far more in our obedience than our sacrifices. He had much rather we obey and follow His Word, than bring offerings into His treasury. The obedience, the wanting to follow Him, should be in place first; then we will want to bring offerings. Our salvation itself is dependent upon our obedience in faith. We believe—we have faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that believing, we have abundant life while on earth and eternal life hereafter. Salvation comes through our acting in faith on our belief and accepting—which is an act of obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We listened; we obeyed. As the hymn writer so aptly expressed this obedience by faith: “Trust and obey, for there's no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Keeping the commandments of Christ—obeying Him—leads us to be filled with the love of God. Just as Jesus obeyed God in doing what He came to earth to do, so we who follow Him will want to be obedient servants of the Lord. And what great spiritual rewards are ours! The joy of Christ will dwell in us, and our joy will overflow! (John 15:10-11).

In my experience as a school teacher, I observed that those children who were obedient to the school’s general expectations and rules and those who practiced good behavior, were obedient and cooperative in class, were those who learned more readily and progressed in their studies. The same was true in rearing my own children; when obedience and cooperation were practiced, we all could function as a loving family. In our spiritual life we know that God has given us the scriptures for our benefit to guide us in the right way. Disobedience comes from a sinful heart, one that has not listened and trusted God. God yearns to bless us. Just as disobedient children in the classroom and in the home, judgment and discipline are necessary. These “asides” distract from the true purposes of school and of family. Likewise, when we depart from God’s Word and disobey Him, we are failing in His expectations for us and will miss the blessings He wants to shower upon us. In the words of hymn writer John Sammis: “But we never can prove The delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows And the joy He bestows Are for them who will trust and obey.” Prayer: Lord, we your children decide to obey or not. We pledge anew to trust and obey. Amen.

Be Pure in Heart

“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.-Psalm 24:3-4 (ESV). “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” –Matthew 5:8 (KJV). “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” –Luke 6:45. (ESV) “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” –Philippians 4:8 (KJV).

Today we are lambasted on every hand by that which defiles. We have to struggle to be pure in heart, to refrain from thoughts and actions that are unholy. The Psalmist asked a pointed question: Who can go up to the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place? Jerusalem was on a hill and to go to the temple was an upward climb. Oftentimes, the worshipers would ascend the hill together, praising God as they climbed. But the heart had to be purified first. The Jews often went through ceremonial cleansing with water or bearing a sacrifice of cleansing, or an animal for blood sacrifice to cleanse from sins. The Psalmist urged heart-cleansing for purity—not following false teachings or idols, not swearing. The New Testament teaches purity of heart and emphasizes wholeness of thoughts and desires. Rev. J. R. Dummelow in his commentary on purity of heart states: “A thing is pure when it contains no admixture of other substances.” Benevolence is pure if it is done without self-seeking or calling attention to the giver. Justice is pure when it is impartial. The pure in heart will be rewarded by seeing God (Mt. 5:8).

Paul, whose writings are filled with solid advice to Christians on how to live a life pleasing to God, gave us good teaching for becoming pure in heart. He said: “Think on these things.” And included in that list of what to think on: what is true, what is honest, what is just, what is pure, what is lovely, what is of good report. His list of good things to think on is inclusive—but hard to do. A wise teacher once told me that when an impure or evil thought enters your mind, quickly rid your mind of that thought and replace it by a good thought. I’ve heard this, told somewhat as a joke but containing sound advice: “When the devil knocks on my door, I ask Jesus to answer it.” The ancient Jews believed in blood sacrifice for sin and to cleanse the worshiper of impurities in his life. This is referred to in Hebrews 9:22: “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remissionof sin.”(KJV). The believing heart is made pure through Jesus’ blood. His blood sacrifice does not have to be repeated; “once for all, O sinner believe it” as the old hymn states. But even with our new nature, we have to work on conforming ourselves into God’s pattern. “Think on these things” as Paul said, which lead to purity of heart. Fannie Estelle Davison wrote a beautiful poetic prayer which became the hymn, “Purer in Heart.” May her words be our prayer today: “Purer in heart, O God, Help me to be; Until Thy holy face, One day I see; Keep me from secret sin, Reign Thou my soul within; Purer in heart, Help me to be.” Amen.

Doers of the Word

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” –James 1:22-25 (NKJV). “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” –Ecclesiastes 11:1 (NKJV).

Did you memorize “Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only” early in life, maybe as a young child in Sunday School? I can’t remember when I didn’t know this command from James 1:22. I grew up in a community in the mountains where farming was the major occupation. We learned early that there was work for all, and if our chores were not done well and on time, we had both individual and corporate troubles to deal with. What I came to know later as “the Puritan work ethic” was a part of our family life as well as practices throughout our community. Then at church we began to learn a new dimension to our already-ingrained work ethic. “Be doers of the Word.” We learned that we were to really take seriously the lessons we learned in Sunday School and church and in our daily Bible studies, and seek to follow the Word in thought and in deed. Perhaps this may appear now as an elementary way of learning to “do the Word,” but it seemed to have worked with me and the other children who fell under both good teaching and good examples for being “doers of the Word.” I think I’ve grown somewhat and built upon those early concepts, but they were very foundational, and I am grateful. James teaches (beginning with verse 1:21 which I did not cite above) thatthe Word is “engrafted.” That is, it is like a seed lying in theheart. If conditions are favorable, if this seed is nourished, andthe plant tended when the seed sprouts forth, it will produce itsintended fruit. The Word of God is like that in a life dedicated todoing the work of the Lord. If we hear only, and do not put what we know and hear of the Word into action by good deeds, we deceiveourselves, the “engrafted” seed does not bear fruit. Then Jamesgives another illustration. A person sees his image in a mirror; butthen he goes forth and forgets what he looks like. On January 30 Iwrote a devotional entitled “Radiant for the Lord.” Being doers of what we learn from God’s Word will make us radiant for Him. James continues by saying if we look earnestly into “the perfectlaw of liberty” (the Word, which is our sure guide), then we will not forget, and our works will reflect our having seen what God wants us to do and become. A mere hearer glances at his face and goes on his way forgetting what he looks like. On the other hand, the person who both hears and practices the Word will strive earnestly to apply it in life and will be blessed thereby. James does not say so in this cited passage, but we know from experience that others as well will be blessed by those who “do the Word.” The writer of Ecclesiastes gave a fine analogy of being a doer of the Word: “Cast thy bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” “Bread” in the verse could mean actual bread given in the name of the Lord to the hungry. It can also mean seeds cast into prepared and irrigated land so that a crop of wheat or corn will be forthcoming. Knowing that Jesus said He is “the Bread of Life” the bread we cast upon the waters—share with others—can be telling others of His saving grace. With my background of growing up on a farm, I like this interpretation of Ecclesiastes 11:1. We prepared the land, planted the seeds after danger of frost was past, cultivated the crop, and in due time reaped the results of our labors. We could see that our work was productive because God blessed our efforts. Kindnesses and good deeds, even “cast upon waters” where least expected, will result in blessings, both to the sower and to those who are nourished by the action of “casting bread upon the waters.” What is God motivating you to do today that entitles you to His high honor of allowing you to be “a doer of the Word,” of “casting bread upon the waters” in someone’s life? Pray about doing the Word. He will lead you to blessings of which you were hitherto unaware.

Practice Sobriety—in Body and Mind

“Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink arouses brawling, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” –Proverbs 20:1 (NKJV). “The glory of young men is their strength, And the glory of old men is their gray head.” -Proverbs 20:29 (NKJV). “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking with one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” –Ephesians 5:15-21 (NKJV)

“Sobriety is characterized by self-control, seriousness, and sound moral judgment…To be sober is to be in one’s right mind” (Holman Bible Dictionary, 2001, p. 1288). I looked up some statistics on alcoholism and found that in America today about 17.6 million people are addicted to the ravages of strong drink. A long time ago the writer of Proverbs recognized and wrote about the evil effects of alcohol: “Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink arouses brawling, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” In that same chapter of Proverbs, a young man was commended for his strength, and the elderly held in honor for their “gray hair.” But the ravages of strong drink negate these qualities. The road to alcoholism begins with a first drink. Maybe it is on a dare, because friends are drinking. Perhaps the first taste of alcohol (or drugs) leads at first to a feeling of euphoria, and the user wants to repeat the sensation, which leads to habitual use. Little do they recognize the hold that alcohol (and, yes, addictive drugs as well) takes on the mind. A little research on alcohol use and health reveals multiple ills that occur because of repeated alcohol use. Among the first is the addiction itself—a feeling of need that is brought on by the lack of the stimulant. Physically, continued use can lead to diseases of the body such as arthritis, heart disease, hyper- and hypoglycemia, kidney and liver diseases, malnutrition and disorders of the nervous system. Psychologically, continued alcohol use leads to depression, insomnia and anxiety. Alarmingly, alcohol destroys brain cells. Who among us does not need all the brain cells we possess? Brain lesions, in turn, affect cognition, bring on hallucinations and delusions. And, if alcohol is used by women, especially before and during pregnancy, it causes fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a condition affecting the unborn which can be a life-long plague to an innocent child. Often, unfortunately, alcoholism is in a family’s history; the tendency toward it genetically transferred. In addition to the terrible addiction, it can bring suffering because of financial difficulties—money spent on a bad habit that could well be spent on support of family and needful charitable causes. Is it any wonder then that the writer of Proverbs stated “Wine is a mocker”?

Paul in his day recognized that wine could become a problem for Christians to whom he wrote. He encouraged them to refrain from strong drink “inwhich is dissipation.” The alternative is to be “filled with the Spirit.” Where the Spirit of the Lord dwells, there is no room for the “dissipation” and evils of alcohol and drugs. I do not want to come through as a “goody-two-shoes,” but for me, the decision to abstain from strong drink was made early in my life. I had opportunity to see what strong drink could do in that some persons in our larger family group (uncles) were addicted to alcohol. Observing the misery, shame and deprivation, as well as their own dissipation, were enough to steer me away from that first drink which I feared might start me down a dark road of no-return. The fact that I became a Christian early in life also was my stronghold and bulwark against wrong choices, as to drink. I wanted sincerely to do what was pleasing to the Lord. Sobriety in body and mind is possible. First, a right choice, to say “no” to strong drink and drugs, and mean it; and then to hold to a continuing desire to follow the path of the Lord, for it is right and good. Prayer: God grant that we be sober—in body and in mind.