Run with Horses

Jeremiah 12:5 exhorts us, "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you run with horses?"  

 Get ready.  The pot is starting to boil!  Prophetic warnings sound across the world that the time of the Lord's return is short and the intensity of the battle with the powers of darkness is increasing exponentially.  However, Jesus shifts our attention from what is happening in the world to focusing on the glory of His plan, “When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:28.

 Sudden or tragic events do not mean it is a time to panic, but rather a fresh awareness to put on the armor, stand equipped declaring the Word, and seeing the kingdom of God overcome all.  Jesus promises, "in the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  Furthermore, as 1 John 5 states, because He overcomes, all who are born of Him also overcome!

Several times in John 14 Jesus explains to His disciples that He is telling them what is coming so that when it comes they continue to believe.  Since we have His assurance that He is working all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, we can afford to rejoice, trust Him, and simply “see the salvation of God,” as He told the Israelites at the Red Sea.   The book of Revelation is the “revelation of Jesus Christ” according to verse 1:1 and the message is clearly that He is King of kings and Lord of lords who triumphs over all evil establishing the kingdoms of the world as kingdoms of our Lord.

Praise God forever!  Heaven and earth declare He is worthy of all glory and honor and praise.  Therefore, every time we hear of one more negative thing happening, it is time to praise the Lord more for being greater and conquering this area too   Let’s turn every enemy work into thanksgiving and praise for the victory of Jesus, because God is not mocked, every act and word will receive His just retribution.  Yes, rejoice and give Him glory for His faithfulness and perfect plan.

  

Hope is Eternal

Hope overcomes defeat.  When our favorite sports team has a losing season, we say wait until next year.  In hard times we console ourselves by thinking tomorrow will be better.  Natural man needs to look forward to things getting better.  There is a quote credited to Hal Lindsay, "People can live 40 days without food, 3 days without water, 8 minutes without air, but only a second without hope."  While the exact duration may vary, the point is that hope is essential for life.  

Just what is hope?  A dictionary states, "a feeling of desire for something and confidence in the possibility of its fulfilment," but a simpler definition is that we trust things will work out for good.  We expect to make it through and be okay. 

The words in Romans 14:4 give Christians a strong foundation for this vital quality, "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."  God's Word was written to give us hope, a confident expectation that God will fulfill His promises.  However, it also includes the admonition to persevere.  Since faith is the evidence or substance of things hoped for, likewise, this "patience" or "endurance" quality is required.  Faith and patience inherit the promises.  

There is a place of rest or peace that comes from setting our mind on the spirit, on the truth of God's Word (which is spirit and life), and holding fast to that promise through whatever challenges and conflicting thoughts may come.  We can choose to take our thoughts captive to obey Christ (and the promises He has given), knowing that His words have divine power to overcome all the lies of the flesh or of the enemy.  A good way to hold on is to speak the Word out loud.  Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  Just as God spoke the world into existence, our words carry life or death.  Choose life by speaking God's truth and refusing to give place to the negative.

Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to be our helper and comforter.  One of the ways He helps us is by leading us to truth and bringing into remembrance the words of Jesus.  When we hear the voice of the Spirit and settle it in our hearts, this becomes a sure anchor of hope that He will confirm His Word.  We can stop striving or worrying about the situation.  "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:13)

Psalm 62:5 instructs us to "wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him."  Take time to let the Word of God replace our human thinking and choose to trust Him to do what He says.  Then hope will be so much more than the wishful thinking that "hope springs eternal" suggests, but rather an eternal rock upon which we stand unshakeable.  As a God of hope, He is pleased, according to Hebrews 10, when we hold fast our confidence to the end.  The Spirit will empower you and strengthen your hope until you see the fulfillment of His promises in all your situations.  Hope is eternal.        

Trained by Discipline for Life

Nobody enjoys seeing a child out of control, screaming "I hate you!", and throwing a fit until he gets his own way.  

Proverbs 30 talks about a generation "that curses its father, and does not bless its mother, that is pure in its own eyes...whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives."  Likewise, 2 Timothy 3 describes a time coming when men will be "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good...." There is a reason Revelation states that the wicked will get worse.  Sin and rebellion never stand still but continue to increase unless dealt with and corrected.  Lack of discipline allows our fallen nature to manifest.

  

Proverbs states that discipline or correction is a way of life. It is necessary.  Hebrews 12 even suggests an attitude shift toward discipline, "My son, do not despise the discipline of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives."  Discipline is revealed as an act of love in order to change behavior and produce desirable character.  

Often, we associate discipline with children.   Since God instructs us to raise up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, discipline is a natural part of parenting.  Proverbs 13:24 further declares that "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly."  Perhaps the explanation in Hebrews 12:11 summarizes this procedure and goal best, "Now no discipline seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."  Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.  Something happens inside when a child is spanked because "blows that sting cleanse the soul."  Discipline sets the child free in their mind and heart so they can receive the love and acceptance to start new.    

Just as we respected our human fathers who disciplined and corrected us, "Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?  For they (our fathers) indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He (God) for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness."  God has an effective way of discipline for His children in order to produces holiness and life.

Obviously, just as the external actions of the Old Testament may parallel the internal changes of the New Testament, the physical discipline of a child is replaced by an interior pressure that produces change as we mature.  God disciplines through His Word.  As 2 Timothy 3:16 states, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."  The Word can penetrate our hearts to reprove our wrong thoughts, to correct our negative emotions, and to instruct us to make righteous choices. 

One excellent example is found in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 where Paul writes a word to the Corinthians.  "For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it.  For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.  Now I rejoice...that your sorrow led to repentance.  For you were made sorry in a godly manner.  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted."  Then notice the fruit this produced, "What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication!"  When received in a humble attitude, correction produces wonderful life. 

God does not discipline with sickness, poverty, or torment.  It states in James, God cannot tempt with evil.  We should never fight a battle that Jesus has already won for us.  These attacks of the devil were completely eradicated when Jesus declared from the cross, "It is finished."  Nevertheless, He does discipline and correct with internal conviction so we can repent and be right with Him and align with His ways.

 

Being corrected removes anxiety and allows peace to be restored.  Scripture instructs us to "strive to enter His rest."  Furthermore, in Psalm 23, there is an amazing promise, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.  Your staff and rod they comfort me."  There is comfort in His rod and staff.  We can have peace and assurance that if we get off the beaten path, He will correct us.  

God works all things for good, even when His Word reproves or corrects us.  Therefore, we encourage you to receive His correction in a right attitude, let the godly sorrow produce repentance.  As our thoughts and ways are corrected to His thoughts and ways, we will delight to do His will.  His discipline trains us for life, even the desired peaceful abundant life.

  

  

Strive

Summertime and the living is easy, according to the song.  Almost everyone dreams of relaxing on a beach, or a peaceful time in the mountains, or simply laying around on a cozy couch and enjoying a favorite hobby.  A little R and R, rest and relaxation.  In truth, only rarely do our dreams become reality as life seems to always have extenuating circumstances. This only reflects the fact that true rest and refreshing is much deeper than just having time and less demands. Let's take a look at the foundation of peace in our lives.   

What do you strive for, work for, seek to find?  Most of us want to be content, to be useful, to feel accomplished in the work that we achieve, and.especially in our relationships, have a sense of appreciation, worth, and peace.  However, in our present life this doesn't happen easily.  We have a fallen human nature which is at war with God and the spirit of life and peace.  Romans 7 describes this delemma "I do what I didn't want and I don't do what I want," Frankly, the flesh cannot please God. Therefore, as long as we are living and making decisions based on our thoughts and feelings, or relying on our own abilities, we will always be in turmoil.  With even stronger words, in John 15, Jesus says you can do nothing without Me. 

One of my seniors has been taking classes online while taking care of her 8-month-old baby sister.  So in between classes I like to sing to little Savana, "Jesus loves you, this I know for the Bible tells me so."  The line "they are weak but He is strong" always gets me, because the mistake we grown-ups make is thinking we outgrow this fact, that it is just little ones who are weak. Due to our flesh we are always weak, but it is only in Jesus we are strong.  Doesn't Jesus say to come to Him as a little child or that the greatest in the Kingdom are as a little child.  Slowly but surely, He has shown me this is absolutely true, not to condemn me, but rather to open the door for me to walk in triumph by depending on a Reality that really does accomplish what my soul hungers and longs for.  As Paul stated clearly, when I am weak then I am strong.  Knowing my inability to have or become what I desire sets me free to trust Jesus to be my strength, my song (joy), and my salvation (delivered from all the consequences of sin). When I trust Him to run my life, He is my peace.   

But we do have to strive!  Yes, we must "strive" to enter the rest that Jesus gives. Our striving is not against the pressures of the world, but rather a striving to choose life by submitting to God's provision for us.  We choose life by receiving what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross.  Romans 8:13 encourages us to put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit of God.  We have the power and authority to set our minds on the spirit, on things above and not be a slave to our own thoughts and feelings.  God's ways are higher than our ways, and there does remain a rest for the people of God who believe (Hebrews 4:1-11)  The provision is in God's word, which is spirit and life, and builds us up to receive the inheritance gained for us.  

  May I quote a little longer Scripture in Isaiah 28 to make my point? 

     “Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message?  Those just weaned from milk?  Those just drawn from the breasts?  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon presecpt, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.  For with stammering lips and another tongue, He will speak to this people to whom He said, 'This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest.  And this is the refreshing."

The Word of God sets us free and accomplishes its purpose.  After our "baby" stage of first coming into God's salvation, He teaches us knowledge, or gives us the ability to know Him, by laying a steady foundation of the Word of God upon which He will build precept upon precept and line upon line in us as we think on His truth and apply what He promises.  We can now live by the Word of God rather than our natural thoughts.  Jesus sent His Spirit to lead us into all truth. 

However, the icing on the cake is the Spirit of God, who teaches us and brings all things that Jesus taught to our remembrance.  He knows our weakness in prayer and is there to help us.  When we pray in the Spirit, with "stammering lips and another tongue," the truth and peaceful assurance of God's perfect rule restores our peace and refreshes our spirit.  There is amazing power in letting the Spirit pray through us, because according to Romans 8:27, He makes intercession for us according to the will of God.  When our heart needs and requests are answered, there is "perfect peace for those whose minds are stayed on thee."  He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. 

Take time each day to let the Holy Spirit speak the Word to your heart and pray in the spirit so your spirit is established in the life and peace He has for you.  Strive to enter that rest and refreshing He has provided for His own, by yielding to Him and rejoicing in His righteousness.