The Path to Greatness...

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.—Luke 6:27-31

I almost invariably pause at the passages in Scripture that tell me to love my enemies and to do good to those who hate me.  How do “I” do this?  How do “I” put off these offenses and return love and good for their hatred and evil?  I come up with the same answer you probably came up with when you read the passage The ONLY way this is possible is by the Spirit of God.  But what does this look like in my life practically? 

The path to greatness in the world is through aggression, pride and putting oneself forward, but Jesus, the greatest Man that ever lived walked the path of humility, gentleness and surrender.  This is how we, who are His followers, are to walk.  

Read the following verse from 1 Peter 2 and see the pattern Christ has left behind for us to follow.  

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

Jesus committed Himself to His Father's sovereign care in all things.  We are to do the same...we died with Him and our life is now hidden with Christ in God.  It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.  A person who has died to self has neither thought nor worry for himself.  He lives for God...He knows his life is not about him but about doing the will of His Father in Heaven.  A meek person steps aside and allows his God to work even in offenses and perhaps, especially in offenses against him.   A meek person is grateful for what his God has done and lives with a thankful servant's heart of love and compassion toward those around him. 

Beloved, we are more than conquerors through God who loves us.  There is nothing that can separate us from His love.  Like Jesus, we can set our faces like flint and follow in His steps, because He is our Rock and our Defense.... He will not allow us to be moved.  We can put off offenses against us and lean on our Beloved, depending on both His strength and protection because we know He cares for us and will guide us continually. Moses tells us in Deuteronomy 28 that when we obey God we won’t have to search for His blessings.  They will follow us and overwhelm us.  I really like the sound of that! 

I end with one of my favorite quotes about gentleness from John MacArthur...in context he is referring to the verse from Philippians 4 that tells us to let our gentleness be made known to all men.

Gentleness: This means learning to accept less than you might think you are due.  Let your gentleness ....we can replace this word with the following:  Let your contentment, forbearing spirit, sweet reasonableness, bigheartedness, good will...bending beyond what is expected to grant them good, magnanimity, charity toward the faults of others, mercy toward failures of others, not being personally offended by the faults of others..be known to all men. It is the kind of gentleness that can submit to injustice, disgrace, mistreatment, without hatred, without malice, without retaliation, without vengeance.

The best way to look at it...it is the graciousness of humility which basically says you may have mistreated me, you may have misjudged me, you may have misrepresented me, you may have not given me what I deserve or given me what I don’t deserve, you may have ruined my reputation with some, acted in hostility towards me, I may be the recipient of your inequity, injustice, and mistreatment but I humbly, graciously accept it...Christ still reaches out in love...

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.--Revelation 12:11

"Blessed are the gentle,(meek) for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).

Jesus from Isaiah 53

Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,

Because He poured out His soul unto death,

And He was numbered with the transgressors,

And He bore the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.

The Pillow of God’s Sovereignty and Immutabilty..

 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My hope is in You.—Psalm 39:7

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations.—Psalm 33:11

I am just gonna rest here today.  As Spurgeon is apt to say, I am gonna lay my head down on the pillow of my God’s sovereignty and immutability.  My thoughts are racing this morning about things that I am powerless to do anything about.  When I get this way, I am thankful for 1 Peter 1:13.   

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

John MacArthur explains this verse this way and it has always stuck with me. 

“Gird up the loins of your mind”—the ancient practice of gathering up one’s robes when needing to move in a hurry; here, it is metaphorically applied to one’s thought process. The meaning is to pull in all the loose ends of one’s thinking, by rejecting the hindrances of the world and focusing on the future grace of God.”

By His grace, this morning, I pulled up the loose ends of my thinking and re-centered them on what is important.  Christ. My heart found its rest here. His will for me comes from His heart of love. By His Spirit today, I want to rest my hope fully on the promises in His Word. I want to live in the expectation of His return.  

God’s plans stand forever!! The world, my circumstances and the people around me (me included) change so quickly that it is difficult for me to keep up! My God, thankfully, does not.  He is completely trustworthy.  Neither He, nor His plans for me, ever change. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  But You are the same and Your years will have no end. You will guide me with Your counsel and afterward receive me to glory.

But You Shall Remember...

17 “You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow’s garment as a pledge. 18 But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing. 19 “When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing—Deuteronomy 24:17-22

It is hard to miss God’s heart of compassion for the weak, vulnerable and poor in both the Old Testament and the New. In this particular chapter it is impossible. God commands those that are His to think and act differently toward the poor among them. Laws should be carried out with equity for all.  When harvesting crops, God’s people were to leave a remnant for the poor.  Verse 18 says this:

But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing.

I can remember the same...I was a slave to sin. My God set me free.  He redeemed my life from destruction.  He brought me up out of a horrible pit, set my feet upon a rock and established my steps.  Oh, that I would remember to share that love and grace with others by imitating Him...by not forgetting to do good and share because with such sacrifices He is well pleased.  Beloved...when we do as He commands, we see that God is a debtor to no man. He blesses us in return. 

Praying that as I gaze today into the mirror of His word that I do not walk away and forget what God has shown me (commanded me). May my walk...my “daily conversation”...reflect the holy and beautiful, kind and generous love of my God.  

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.—Ephesians 4:32

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.—Ephesians 5:1-2

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.—Matthew 6:33

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

3 Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

4 Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.

7 He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel.

8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

9 He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

14 For He knows our frame;He remembers that we are dust.—Psalm 103:1-14 

Lord, if You are Willing...

 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”—Luke 15:12 (emphasis mine)

Father...thank you that You are the Friend of the outcast. Thank you for this leper’s beautiful example.  His words to Jesus reflect a deep sense of humility but also great faith.  Such a beautiful combination!  He knew Jesus could heal him but would he condescend to look upon and heal one such as he was?  The answer was yes...

For thus says the High and Lofty One

Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,

With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,

To revive the spirit of the humble,

And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.—Isaiah 57:15

Give us the “gift”, Father, of seeing ourselves as we truly are...wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked...an unclean, untouchable leper. Without the quickening of Your Spirit we are hopeless and helpless...dead in our trespasses and sins.  May we place our confidence during our stay here on earth not in our flesh, but in You our God who brings the dead to life, makes the blind see, the lame walk, and the deaf hear.  Help us...help me, Father...to see my need for You in both the overwhelming and the underwhelming. And when, by Your grace  I do, may I do what you did here on earth...withdraw often to pray. 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:16

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,—Philippians 3:3

Do not forsake me, O LORD;

O my God, be not far from me!

22 Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation!—Psalm 38:21-22

Some Trust in Horses...

 

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. 2 So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. 3 And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; 4 for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’—Deuteronomy 20:1-4

As believers each of us will face battles here on earth.  Battles which cause us to feel terrified, under-prepared, overwhelmed, and outsmarted.  When we do, (and we will) God commands us not to shrink in fear. but to remember that the outcome of the battle is not determined by our preparation or our power; but rests on the faithfulness and power of the Lord our God.  It is Him who goes before us, is with us, and fights for us. 

Beloved...I am so grateful that when I go through trials, I am never alone...never left to my own devices. I stand in His grace...the light of His countenance covers me. My God is for me...none can be against me. I will look to Him. I will trust Him. He is faithful.  He will see me through. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give me all things I need to get me through this vale of tears? He died for me when I was still His enemy...how much more will He help now that I am His child?  

1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,

And rely on horses,

Who trust in chariots because they are many,

And in horsemen because they are very strong,

But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,

Nor seek the LORD!—Isaiah 31:1

With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 32:8, ESV)

Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus...

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His Word;

Just to rest upon His promise,

And to know, "Thus saith the Lord!"

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er;

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to trust His cleansing blood;

And in simple faith to plunge me

'Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just from sin and self to cease;

Just from Jesus simply taking

Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.

Thoughts on Principles Governing Kings from Deuteronomy 17...

16 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.—Deuteronomy 17:16-17

How wise is our God?  Woman, money and power...three things that can lure a king’s heart (and ours)

from following our Lord...Beloved, keep your heart with all diligence for out of it springs the issues of life.

9 How can a young man cleanse his way?

By taking heed according to Your word.

10 With my whole heart I have sought You;

Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.—Psalm 119:9-11

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18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.—Deuteronomy 17:18

His first act as king was to write a copy of God’s law in a book. The writing down of something helps us to engrave it on our hearts.  

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.—Jeremiah 31:33

And again...

9 How can a young man cleanse his way?

By taking heed according to Your word.

10 With my whole heart I have sought You;

Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.—Psalm 119:9-11

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19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes—Deuteronomy 17:19

He shall keep it with him

He shall read it daily

Why?  So he learns to fear the Lord and to be careful to observe all that is in it. Beloved, keep God’s word near to you.  The daily reading of it brings conviction to our hearts and reminds us that we need God every moment of every day.  

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."—Joshua 1:8-9

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that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.—Deuteronomy 17:20

When we are not immersing ourselves in the word, our hearts tend toward pride.  We find ourselves looking down on and criticizing the people around us.  In reading the word daily the king (and us) are more likely to be merciful and forgiving because the word would convict our hearts and remind us of our own need for mercy and forgiveness.  

I love the last promise (17:20b) the most being both a mom and a grandmother. If I read God’s word consistently and observe to do all that is commanded in it, my word and deed will match. I will walk in the ways and in the truth of my God and my children and grandchildren will follow.  For the king the promise would be not only for his children, but also for the people over which he ruled.  A perfect premise and a glorious promise.  

The Law of His God is in His Heart...

 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,

And his tongue talks of justice.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;

None of his steps shall slide.—Psalm 37:30-31

There is only one way that my mouth can speak wisdom and my tongue talk of justice...by the Spirit of my God who dwells in me. 

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.

22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!—Romans 7:18;22-25

It is my God who places His good and right desires on my heart.  

It is my God who directs my steps to walk in those works He prepared beforehand

It is my God who rules and overrules all in my life for my good and His glory. 

It is my God who goes before me and makes my way straight before my face. 

It is my God who upholds me with His righteous right hand and keeps me from falling. 

It is my God’s goodness and mercy that follow hard after me...I can’t outrun them. 

It is my God who leads me in righteousness and in the way everlasting. 

Beloved...step by step our God leads us as a father leads a child.  We may be sorely tried and tossed to and fro by Satan’s minions, but God will never leave us in the hands of our enemies.  In Him we live and move and have our being.  In Christ we are safe. 

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

"For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:31-39

Looking for the Consolation of Israel...

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,

According to Your word;

30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation

31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel.”—Luke 2:25-32

I loved reading these verses last night.  Such beautiful truth spoken by the Holy Spirit here through Simeon.  So much in the news, today, and well...really every day, that is not good.  We live in a fallen world, among fallen human beings where sin abounds.  BUT where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.  What a wonderful example Simeon is, always looking for the Consolation of Israel. 

Simeon was just and devoted...a man upon whom the Holy Spirit rested.  A man who listened to the voice of His God and believed that he would not die until he saw His Lord's Messiah.  How excited and watchful he must have been after John the Baptist came on the scene!  Thinking more on this, Simeon own personal expectation for the Messiah was probably not one of a tiny, helpless baby.  Nevertheless, he believed God's Spirit when He spoke to his heart and was able to see beyond what his own desires and expectations were, and embrace God's plan. 

The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant—Psalm 25:14

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing,

Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.—Amos 3:7

Father...Draw me by your Spirit into Your everlasting embrace.  May my soul thirst for You and my flesh long for you. Oh, that I would live my life in Your presence in a continual awareness of my never-ending need for You!  

In my fear, weakness and insufficiency, Jesus, be my help. 

In my grief and loneliness be my consolation and comfort...

in my unrest be my peace...

in my need be my provision...

in my waywardness be my path and my direction...

in my forgetfulness be my “rememberer”...

in my darkness be my light...

in every question be my answer...

in my sin be my forgiveness and way of escape...

And it will be said in that day:

“Behold, this is our God;

We have waited for Him, and He will save us.

This is the LORD;

We have waited for Him;

We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”—Isaiah 25:9

14 For this is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide

Even to death.—Psalm 48:14