“HUMBLY COACHED” – April 27

“And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.  But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his own destruction.” 2 Chronicles 26:15b-16

A swimming club of sorts has developed at my work.  There are four of us who make the trek to the pool throughout the week to get some exercise by swimming laps.  None of us are experts in the fine art of swimming.  So, we share articles and videos with advice on how to be more efficient at moving through the water.  We know we are weak swimmers but we want to get stronger.  Therefore, we try to tweak our technique when we find some good advice.

Swimming is an activity that is particularly hard to critique yourself.  You may think that you’re efficiently gliding through the water but it is hard to really know.  It is very helpful to have someone watch you swim and provide a little coaching.  One of my friends spotted a problem in my swim technique a while back.  I was able to do some drills based on that observation to correct a deficiency that I was not even aware of.  I could not see it.

Coaching is only of value if you are willing to listen and change. 

I am very willing to take coaching advice in areas where I know that I am weak or from people who I know are stronger than I am.  They are strong. I am weak.  I want to know what they think might be of help to make me stronger.

However, what happens when you become stronger?

I have to admit that I am less inclined to listen to those who I perceive to be weaker than I am.  I bristle when advice comes from someone who appears under-qualified.  I am tempted to disregard coaching when I question the person’s motivations or they make me feel inferior.

The problem with strength is that it can cause us to unknowingly slide beyond the help of coaching.  Coaching will work only if it is heard.  Relative strength is such a fiendish enemy because it plugs our ears.  If you are the strongest person you know, then what does anyone have to teach you?

This is why strength can easily lead directly into pride.  Pride is an inordinate opinion of one’s own strength.  That opinion gets displayed in how we feel other people should relate to us or the value we place in their observations.  It is easy for the proud to dismiss the coaching of others.  Pride will defend its lofty opinion when others don’t support it appropriately.

It is so easy to get caught in the trap of our own strength.  The only escape from this trap is to recognize that our perceived strength is relative.  It is relative to those who are around us.  It is easy to be the big fish in a small pond.  It is even easier to be the big fish when you’re the sole inhabitant of the fish bowl.  There is never a place for pride when we realize our pond is the universe.  No one has any strength that is greater than the great I AM.  We all stand humbled before God.  We all stand meritless before the worthiness of Christ.  Our boasts are laughable on the scale of our Redeemer’s works.

However, our pride is not amusing to God.  It is gravely offensive to our Lord.  God hates the proud because they deny His surpassing strength.  The proud are fools in thinking that they are equal to God. The practical result of comparing our strengths to the God of the Universe is a humility that opens our ears to coaching.  A humbled heart will recognize the weaknesses in their strengths.  It is by the work of the Spirit that we become stronger in our faith.

Sanctification is the result of following the coaching of God.

Praise God that he does not leave us to our devices to try to figure out our sanctification on our own.  The Father has sent the Spirit in the name of Jesus to teach us all things and to bring to our remembrance the teachings of Christ. (John 14:26)

We need to be humble and accept the teachings of the Spirit in all forms:

The Spirit directs us through the scriptures and prayer.

The Spirit teaches us through teachers and pastors.

The Spirit pushes us toward a deeper relationship with the Father through mature believers.

He also trains us through the weak.

He uses the questions of the immature to convict our own hearts.

He uses the accusations of the unsaved to reveal our hypocrisy.

He even can use the donkeys of this world to speak truth. (Numbers 22:28)

We must recognize that the rejection of a message simply due to our perceived status of the messenger is a form of pride.  Pride such as that is hated by God.  Now, we must be wise and discerning to recognize truth from the chaff of the world.  However, pride does not have a place in that process.

May we be humble, wise, and discerning to see the Spirit’s coaching in all the wonderful variations and forms that He uses.

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for my pride.  Lord, I know how quickly I tend to take my eyes off of you.  Keep me from having the blessings of sanctification transform into a hinderance.  Forgive me if my pride has been a stumbling block to others.  Father, keep my eyes fixed on you.  May all my comparisons be to your surpassing worth.  Give me a humble and contrite heart that longs for only You.  I praise You and pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ.   Amen.

“FORM AND SUBSTANCE” – April 19

“And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says the Lord, “With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.”  And all the prophets prophesied so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph.  The Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 2 Chronicles 18:10-11

I wonder if Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah was touted by the commentators of the time as, “An innovative prophet who communicates the word of God in a creative and fresh manner that resonates with our generation.”

The problem with Zedekiah’s dramatic presentation was that it did not resonate the word of God.  It appears that he was very creative in how he prophesied.  It appears that the rulers and religious of the highest levels followed his prophesy.  The innovative manner and creative way that Zedekiah prophesied did not change the validity of what he said.  He was still uttering false words.  It appears that he was a very dynamic and entertaining false prophet.  His form was more than his substance.

We would be foolish to think that there are not modern versions of Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah.

I am not against innovation and creative ways for preaching the good news of Jesus Christ.  Read this blog – that is exactly what I am trying to do.  I try to write in a way that helps me and hopefully you, to think about the truths of scripture and our wonderful God in new and deeper ways.  However, my or any person’s unique and innovative presentation should never shroud false, incorrect, or misleading teaching.

It is the communicator’s job to make sure that he is communicating a message that is fully supported by the word of God.  I am endeavoring to communicate with you.  It is not your task to have to try to figure-out what I am really saying.  It is my problem if you don’t understand what I am attempting to communicate.  If you are listening to someone and have to justify their message with, “I know that is what he said but that cannot be what he meant”, then the communicator has failed to do his job well; no matter how captivating his presentation was.   One must conclude that He is either not a good communicator or he is trying to mislead you.  Neither is a good conclusion.  Now, no teacher is perfect and they will make misstatements.  However, it is a problem if misstatements or misrepresentation of the word of God are a chronic occurrence.  That is when you need to ask yourself why you are listening to this person.

Do you care more about the form than the content?  Do you want a creatively and freshly presented message more than a message based on the Word of God?

The message is what matters.  Presentations will always change.  What was creative and fresh to my parents is mundane to me.  What is creative and fresh to me will be tired and traditional to my children.  It is the message that matters.

Let’s enjoy how an innovative presentation of the truths of God’s word can bring encouragement and conviction to our souls.  However, we must remember that it is the word of God – the message – that is bringing the edification.  Never trade truth for presentation.

PRAYER: Father, please give me discernment and a clarity of mind.  I know that I like multi-media presentations and dynamic speakers.  I am easily fired-up by a charismatic speaker.  I like to be fired-up.  Father, ground me in your word; give me eyes to see through all the smoke and light of these teachings so that I can understand the truthfulness of their
message.  May I only be fired-up and edified by your true Word coming through their presentations.  Grant me wisdom and understanding to reject all that is false.  Amen.

“SPIRITUAL BONK” – April 18

“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe.  Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians.” 2 Chronicles 16:12

I went for a run yesterday morning.  As I plugged along, I meditated upon the passage from 2 Chronicles that I had read that morning.  I have been particularly troubled by the story of King Asa.  I do not like the stories of people who start off well but don’t end well.  It messes with my Disneyland world-view.

I have grown up in a land with the myth of happy endings.  It has never been true but that is the message from most entertainment.  I like movies with happy endings.  I don’t want to pay to be depressed.  I like stories where the good guys always win, the evil plot is always foiled, the nerd gets the pretty girl, and the mean people are taught a lesson.  I wish that my Disneyland world-view was real and everyone was guaranteed a happy ending.  I wish that everyone would finish this race of life well.

Disneyland is a land of make-believe and that is where the idea of “it will all work out” belongs.

I have been reading about the kings of Israel:

King Asa started out well but did not finish well;

King Rehoboam started out rough, did well in the middle, but did not finish well;

King Solomon started out well but did not finish well;

King David started out well, stumbled along the way, but did finish well;

King Saul started out rough and did not finish well.

As I ran along I could not help but think about Paul’s analogy of life being a race in 2 Timothy.  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Running a race is an apt analogy to our long walk of faith through this life.  There are some who will finish the race well and there will be some that don’t.  Have you considered why?

I have been hesitant to even consider doing an Ironman triathlon.  My hesitance is due to a fear of not finishing well.  I don’t want to be the person, drunkenly staggering across the finish line with sedated legs that just will not do what the brain is telling them to do.  I really don’t want to be the person who starts to hallucinate and loses control of some pretty important bodily functions.  I don’t want to just finish the race, I want to finish well.

The problems in an endurance race are usually revealed at the end.  The key to finishing well is that final push past the fatigue and the pain and the voices in your tell head telling you to give up.  However, there is no pushing past a mixture of dehydration, training errors, gastric problems, and/or nutrition gaffes.

As I was heading toward home on my run, I could feel the fatigue setting in while I was thinking about bonking and finishing well.  I struggled to keep up the cadence of my stride and I could see the time rushing past at a much quicker pace than the asphalt.  I knew I was not going to come in with the time that I wanted.  I had been on pace the first two-thirds of my run but lost it in that last little bit.

Marathon (Photo credit: Stijlfoto)

My mind turned to all those elderly folks who are closer to the end of their race than I am to mine (assuming natural causes have their way).  They are in the homeward length of their race where the fatigue is setting in.  They are battling failing bodies in which most everything hurts.  They are tired and easily exhausted.  Their minds may be telling them that they have done enough and that it is fine to rest.  There are some who are spiritually bonking because they never developed the habit of seeking Christ for their spiritual hydration and nutrition.  They may be in the final push with a body and soul that was poorly trained from years of indifference.  They may lack the strength that comes from years of walking and meditating with the Lord.

I see some elderly folks who appear to be finishing very strong, almost sprinting to the end, and the love of the Lord is just overflowing and the fruit of the Spirit is abounding;

I see some who are making it to the finish line but their pace has dropped off considerably and it is hard to distinguish their love for God from their love of tradition;

I see some who appear to have bonked – sitting on the curb unable to move forward.  The fruit of their lives is now impatience, bitterness, unkindness, and a general grumpiness.

My heart is drawn to those in the final lap of their lives.  I want them to finish well.

However, I realized, as I was walking up my driveway after my run, that I cannot remember the last time I prayed for my parents to finish well.  They are in this push.  I cannot remember praying for my elderly brothers and sisters in Christ that they will persevere in their faith and finish well.  I guess I have always assumed that they are mature in their faith and that everything is going to work out well for them; that they are past the hard part of their walk of faith; that they are in that final coast to the end and the acceptance of  “well done good and faithful servant”.

That is a Disneyland world-view.

English: Rachel Booth Winning Disneyland 1/2 Marathon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I think that we all would do well to remember that the final lap of any race can be the most difficult one.   We need to be aware of the fatigue that our older brothers and sisters in Christ are pushing through.  We need to be aware that they may need support as their habits of previous decades may have deprived them of the strength that they now need.  We need to be willing to show them more grace and encouragement to sprint to the end and abound in glorious praise of their Savior.

They are at the point where they have to dig deep to finish well.  Let’s cheer them on.

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for not showing enough grace and compassion to my elders.  Forgive me for not empathizing with the struggles of this stage in life.  Help them to finish well.  Give them a vision of the finish line.  Give them a love for You that causes them to dig deep and push past their physical fatigue.  May their walk of faith turn into a sprint, as they rush into your arms to your glory and praise. Amen.

“ME DO, ME DO!” – April 17

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

The struggles of the human heart do not change with age.  The only thing that changes is the reagent that reveals a person’s tangled allegiance to self.  Every heart has an independent streak that fights being told what to do.

I remember my young children’s search for independence as they said, “Me do, Me do,” while attempting to put a square block into a round hole.  I remember my own longing to grow-up so that my parents would not get to tell me what to do.  My memories are etched with indignation toward militant foremen who barked commands and did not allow me to think for myself. I bristle at new rules or regulations that tell me what to do.  One of my greatest fears of aging is being forced to rely upon others due to a failing body.  I fear losing the independence that I have fought so hard to obtain.

I understand that physical maturity is a process of greater independence.  I want my children to mature and become independent.  I don’t want them living in my basement in their forties with their mother doing their laundry.  I want them to be responsible, independent adults.

However, I never want my children to become independent in their hearts. I never want to become independent in my heart.  Jesus told us that, “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”  We are to come to Christ and remain in Christ, wholly dependent upon him.  We do not earn our access into the kingdom of God.  We receive it.  It is a gift to us.  We receive it like a dependent child because that is what we are.

However, we all are inclined toward independence, not dependence.

King Asa was strongly supported by God when he relied upon God with his whole heart.  It is only a dependent heart that will seek the Lord wholly. Judah was blessed with many years of peace.  However, this blessing allowed time for a streak of independence to grow in King Asa.  King Asa’s false notion of independence resulted in him not seeking God when he needed Him the most.

Our dependence upon Christ is a measure of our whole-hearted allegiance to him.  An independent spirit does not feel the need to seek the Lord in time of blessing or need.  An independent spirit resists being told what to do.  An independent spirit wants to think for them self.  An independent spirit lives by the adage, “I do, I do.”

We come to Christ as children, wholly dependent.  We stay in Christ as children, wholly dependent upon Him and seeking Him with all our heart and with all our soul.  The Lord will never forsake His children who are whole heartedly seeking Him.  He will strongly support them in their declaration of utter dependence.

How supported do you feel?  Could it be that you have a streak of independence that has divided your heart with an attitude of  “Me do, Me do”?

It might be time to come back to Christ as the child that you are.

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for my foolishly independent heart.  I know that the more independent I am of you, the worse it is for me.  Father, keep me dependent upon you; don’t let me wander away in my self-confidence.  Thank you for keeping me safe from myself.  Amen.

 

“STRENGTH TRAINING” – April 5

“…O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their  hearts,…” 2 Chronicles 6:14

I am a little sore and fatigued this morning.  Yesterday, I did my own little triathlon throughout the day.  I started the day with a 3 mile run and ended it with a 1,100 yd swim, followed by a 33 mile bike ride.  This morning, I am reminded that building and conditioning muscle can be a bit uncomfortable.

However, we all know what happens to muscles that are not worked.  They become weak.  If your muscles are weak, then you cannot do all of  the things that your mind may want to do.  Therefore, I do not regret yesterday, even though it has made this morning uncomfortable.  I know that my discomfort will pass and I will be stronger for the exertion.

As I try to find a comfortable position in my chair, I wonder how similar muscles are to faith.  The Bible describes faith in ways very similar to muscles – it can be strong or weak; it can grow or stagnate; it can be small or large.

When I read Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple, I was encouraged by his faith.  It seems like he got it but then we know the rest of the story.  Solomon did not finish well.

I don’t think that Solomon’s manner of finishing is wholly unique.  I know of older believers who seemed to have had a very active faith when they were younger but are finishing in a very weak and indifferent manner.  It seemed like their faith was strong and dynamic when their kids were in their home but now that their nest is empty that strength is not as evident.  Their Sunday mornings are now spent in relaxation and recreation when they previously would have insisted that the family go to church.  Their affinities for vices appear more pronounced now that watching eyes are not as evident.  Their discussions span a vast array of interests and experiences but interest in the things of the Spirit seem lacking.

I wonder how well they are finishing.

I wonder because I see the opposite in others.  I see many with gray hair and grandchildren who speak often of their Lord.  I know of some whose bodies have failed them but they are faithful in every prayer ministry that is available.  I see bent backs supported by walkers mingling on Sunday morning being an encouragement to all who they can reach.

They seem to be finishing very well.

I think that they are finishing well because their faith is strong.  A weak faith will not result in a strong finish.  I want to finish strong. I want to grow old like those brothers and sisters I see who are finishing well.  They are the example of who I want to be when my hair is gray and my body cannot follow the commands of my mind.

Paul wrote, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)  Spiritual strength comes from continually building the muscle of faith.  Just like muscles, we build our faith by exercising it.  Faith is exercised when we:

Fasten on the belt of truth;

Put on the breastplate of righteousness;

Put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace;

Take up the shield of faith;

Take up the helmet of salvation;

Take the sword of the Spirit;

Pray at all times in the Spirit;

Keep alert with all perseverance;

Make supplication for the saints;

Proclaim the mystery of the gospel;

Strength in the Lord comes from action.

All of the activity of putting on the armor of God builds our faith.  It is when we stop putting on the armor of God when we become susceptible to the schemes of the devil and we don’t finish well.  Putting on the armor of God is going to cause some discomfort and maybe even some spiritual soreness.  That discomfort is evidence that you are exercising your faith, which should be encouraging because that means your faith is getting stronger through the power of the Spirit and that means you are finishing well.

You will never regret the effort that you expend in suiting up in the full armor of God; the discomfort will pass and your faith will be stronger due to the exertion.  It is that strength, through the Spirit, that will carry us to the end in a manner pleasing to our Father.

That is how the good and faithful servants will hear – “well done”.

PRAYER: Lord, I want to finish well.  I want to hear, “well done, good and faithful servant.”  Lord, give me a heart that desires the discomfort and fatigue of faith building.  Build my faith through your Spirit.  Make it strong in order that I may persevere well unto the end of my days.  Lord, keep my hope in You and You alone, for your glory alone.  Amen

“SOLOMON’S WISH” – April 3

“In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 2 Chronicles 1:7

If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

If a genie granted you three wishes, what would you ask for? (You can’t ask for unlimited wishes.)

I think that most of us have played this game before.  It is an insightful game to play.  It has the tendency to reveal what a person perceives as their source of contentment.  My wife’s grandfather, Grandpa Buck, was playing this game with his daughter.  His wish was to buy the largest tractor and plow and plow the world.  He loved to watch soil roll under the edge of a good plow.  He was a true farmer at heart and that was reflected in his source of contentment.

Most of us will never win the lottery or be granted a wish so it remains a game.

Solomon had a very unique experience.  Solomon had the opportunity to play this game for real.  God allowed him one wish.  The God of all creation allowed Solomon to ask what He should give to him.  That is a big request.  I think that it is a revealing request.  I think that what he chose revealed his greatest insecurity at the time.  His father, David, said of Solomon, “my son, whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God.”  David understood that the construction of the temple was going to be a significant challenge for any person and particularly for a person who was young and inexperienced.  Solomon was probably more aware of the challenge than most as he walked through the large quantities of building materials that his father had stored up and the number of craftsmen that were awaiting his command.

What would you ask for if you had such a challenge as Solomon’s?

Solomon asked for “wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?”  That request makes sense from a person who has just become king and has the task of constructing a temple for God and is probably insecure in his abilities.  We also need to remember that the transition from David to Solomon was not without a challenge from his brother Adonijah.

I wonder if Solomon wasted his wish.  I realize that God blessed his wish and his wish was much better than many other things that he could have asked for but I still wonder if there was a better wish that he could have made.  I wonder if Solomon at the end of his days looked back and wished that he had chosen better.

I don’t think David would have picked wisdom and knowledge for his son.  That is not what he had prayed for his son.  David prayed, “Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provisions.” (1 Chronicles 29:19)  David did not tell his son to seek out wisdom and understanding.  David told Solomon, “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought.  If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.”(1 Chronicles 28:9)

David knew that all men’s greatest source of contentment comes from God.  Every man’s greatest need is a whole heart and a willing mind that seeks after God.

Consider if Solomon’s request would have been the same as his father’s.  The downfall of Solomon was his wayward heart.  He retained all his wisdom and knowledge, yet his kingdom was ripped apart.  The granting of his request did not work out like he would have hoped.

Solomon’s many wives turned away his heart. (1 Kings 11:3)  He did not have a whole heart for God and he did what was evil in the sight of God and did not wholly follow the Lord (1 Kings 11:6).  God tore the kingdom apart because of Solomon’s divided heart.

David’s prayer was a better request.

If Solomon had made David’s request for a heart and mind that wholly and willingly served God, I don’t think Solomon’s reign would have ended as it did.  Solomon’s problem was not a lack of experience.  It was not a lack of wisdom and understanding of the principles of governing people.  Solomon’s primary problem, like every person’s, was a divided heart.  David knew that.

Solomon thought that contentment would be found in wisdom, knowledge, and ruling his people well.  One only needs to read Ecclesiastes to realize that Solomon did not find contentment in any of that.  He concluded that it was all vanities.

David knew that our contentment was created in such a way that there is only one thing that will satisfy it.  Contentment will only be realized when it is matched with it’s maker, God.  Man’s greatest need is for a whole heart and willing mind that seeks after God.

Where is your heart and mind?  Is your heart divided like Solomon’s?  Is your mind reluctant and resistant to serving God?  What have you been asking God for?

Jesus told us that all we have to do is ask him.  Have your requests been more like Solomon’s or David’s?

May we not make the same mistake as Solomon and choose the request that matches our immediate insecurities.  Let’s be making the better request.   Let’s ask God to grant us a whole heart – a heart totally devoted – and a willing mind that will address our greatest need.

PRAYER: Lord, you know that I have prayed for wisdom and knowledge many times.  I need wisdom and knowledge.  However, You know that is not my greatest need.  You know that my greatest problem is my divided heart and unwilling mind.  Father, grant me a heart that is wholly yours; that wholly follows You; that wholly wants You.  Grant me a mind that willingly seeks You; that willingly serves you; that willingly is set upon you.  Make me a man who is wholly yours.  Amen