Slightly Stubborn

Slightly Stubborn

September 12, 2016

Psalm 81:12  "So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices."

If I asked the question regarding how stubborn you are, I am sure you'd say you are at least slightly stubborn.  We often pride ourselves in being slightly stubborn, for whatever reason.  We think it means we are unwavering, grounded, if we are set in our ways.  Sure, we understand being completely obstinate isn't good but a little stubbornness is healthy, right?  While this is good when it comes to stick-to-itive-ness in finishing a task, being stubborn is never a good quality as referenced in the Bible.  The Lord never lauds anyone who is stubborn.  The Lord is appreciative of those who are unwavering in their faith, but that is the extent of His desire for you to be unwavering.  True, He doesn't want you to be blown and tossed by the wind, being grounded in Biblical teaching and sound doctrine, but He never wants you to be stubborn.  Stubbornness only leads to sin.

I had a response from a woman who challenged me on some Scriptural debate.  I suggested that a prosperity gospel is hard to defend at all times when aligned with ALL of Scripture.  I suggested financial difficulties in life don't always mean an attack of Satan or her inability to reach out and take hold of the financial blessing.  She argued and said she refused to believe the Lord would want anything but to financially prosper her.  While I surly hope the Lord desires to prosper her financially, her position is mistaken.  She wanted to believe what she wanted to believe despite any possible evidence to the contrary.  She had no Biblical basis for her belief but it was what she wanted to believe.  She was being stubborn.  You've been stubborn before, too.  I felt bad for this woman, because her stance would only lead her to place blame incorrectly if she didn't receive the financial prosperity she was believing she deserved.  While her particular stubbornness wasn't and isn't grave worthy, there is nothing good that can come from being stubborn.  She was setting herself up for difficulty.

There are many instances when individuals were stubborn in the Bible.  Being stubborn, as referenced in the Bible, is akin to doing what you want regardless.  This does not impress the Lord, and in fact will only get you into trouble.  The Lord has a propensity for allowing you to be stubborn and letting you go your own determined way.  The example of others in Scripture should be a warning to us.  Too many times the Lord removed His hand and allowed His children to go down their own path on their own understanding.  In Psalm 81, He said He allowed them to follow their own devices because of their stubbornness.  This means He allowed them to think what they wanted to think and fully suffer the consequences of their thinking and their actions.  I don't know about you, but I don't think I ever want to fully suffer the consequences of my poor decisions.  I'm always hoping there is grace and mercy there to rescue me when I make a mistake.  But when the Lord said He was turning them over to their own devices He was saying He was removing all grace and mercy for them.

Whether you acknowledge it or not, you experience the Lord's grace and mercy on a daily basis and will continue to reap these benefits as long as the Lord doesn't get too frustrated with your stubbornness.  As mentioned before, being stubborn is not a good thing.  You want to be known as humble, and meek, and compassionate, and forgiving, but never stubborn.  If you are slightly stubborn, I suggest you have something to work on.  The woman who argued her stance on refusing to believe the Lord wanted ONLY to prosper her financially was setting herself up for failure.  She was sincere in her belief but she was sincerely wrong in what she believed.  I'm only using her as an example because there are some things you and I are sincerely wrong about and being stubborn in those areas are not a benefit to anyone.  This is your opportunity to ask the Lord where it is you are being stubborn, where you need to submit.  Submitting your stubbornness will feel like defeat, but it will be your greatest success.  Submitting your stubbornness will ensure you continually receive the Lord's grace and mercy in your life.  As you read this, I believe the Holy Spirit is prompting your heart in areas of your stubbornness.  It's time to submit those areas to Him.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Ps 81, Pr 14:12, Pr 16:25, Jer 7:24, Jer 11:8, Mk 3:4-6

God's Protection

God's Protection

September 5, 2016

Psalm 91:4  "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge. . ."

The Lord is mighty and powerful, able to fight off any and every enemy.  And He is more than willing to fight off those enemies for His children.  Notice I said for His children, though.  He doesn't offer His protection to just anyone; He offers it to His children.  This would suggest you must first be His child.  If you are reading this, then there is little doubt you know about the Lord's existence and there is little doubt you are aware of how big and powerful He can be in your life.  Again, you must be His child if you want His protection, though.  There is more though, than just being His child.  The Bible is very clear you have to reside and abide in His house and living your life as His child.  This does not mean you must be within the four walls of the church at all times, but abiding in His will for your life, His path, following His recommended boundaries, and not walking in the way of sin.

Scripture says He will cover you with His wings and He will be like a shield for you, protecting you from the enemy.  The imagery is of a large bird with its offspring seeking refuge under its wings.  While a bird's feathers don't seem like a formidable refuge you must understand the full imagery of the metaphor by reading the verse of Scripture right before it.  The Bible says He will protect you from the fowler's snare.  A fowler is a professional bird hunter, who sets traps, specific to each bird he wishes to capture/kill.  If a bird is away from the nest, away from the covering of the wings, the bird is at risk of falling victim to one of these traps.  The enemy of your life has set traps for you.  They are in place right now as you read this.  The traps have your name on them, intended for you alone by the fowler.  The Lord is more than willing and able to keep you from these traps, but you have to do something first.  You must seek refuge under His wings, the Lord's wings, abiding in His house.  A bird is more than capable of leaving the parent's protection and only gets the benefit of the protection if it is under those wings.  Leave the nest, subject yourself to the deadly snare of the fowler.

The verse right before the description of the the winged covering also talks about protection from pestilence.  A smaller bird is at risk of being plucked out of the nest by anything larger than itself in the food chain.  A small bird is unable to defend itself.  Left without a covering of protection, the small bird is at risk of being carried off with the intention of being dinner.  But under the protection of the wings, the small bird gets the benefit of the parent's fighting skills.  Try to pluck a small bird out of the nest while being covered and you must first get through the covering.  The protector is not willing to lose anyone under its wings and will fight to the death anything that comes against it.  The Lord is this covering for you, but again, you must seek shelter under those wings, abiding in His house.  Like a bird that is able to leave the protection, it subjects itself to the terrors of whatever is hunting it.  Specifically, it is nice to sleep well with a covering.  There are large birds of prey that hunt in the darkness of night.  If it sees a small bird without a covering it will swoop it.  You want that covering in order to find that rest.

If you read the very first verse of this entire passage of Scripture, the Bible says, "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will have rest....."  This is the verse before protecting you from the fowler, before protecting you from something wanting to pluck you away at night.  It says you MUST dwell in the shelter of the Most High in order to receive the intended benefits.  It doesn't say you should just say a simple prayer or go to church once a week, or even tithe in order to get protection.  It says you must dwell there, have a lifestyle of following the Lord every moment of the day.  He is more than willing to give you protection, but you must live, at all times, as His child, staying in His will and on His path for your life, staying away from sin.  His protection is there; all you have to do is enter into it.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Ps 9, Ps 91, Is 55:6, Ja 4:8

Straight Paths and Level Mountains

Straight Paths and Level Mountains

August 29, 2016

Isaiah 45:2  "I will go before you and make the crooked paths straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze, and cut through the iron bars."

I love the imagery of the Lord going on a head of me, like a guide in the jungle, blazing a path with a machete.  He is out front and leading, making sure the path is cleared for me, making sure it is straight.  And if there are any mountains in the way, Scripture says He'll level those too, so I won't have to climb that difficult mountain.  This even comes with the side benefit of protecting me from harm, if there are any wild animals or savages out there.  The Lord lays out all the benefits of when He goes on ahead.  He declares this through His prophet Isaiah and then again through John the Baptist.  Examine both sets of Scripture, though, to understand what it is the Lord is promising to do.

In Isaiah, the imagery of the Lord going ahead of us and leveling the mountains is in direct reference to the path that Jesus was going to take.  When the Lord said "You" in this set of Scripture, He was referring to Jesus, not necessarily you and me.  Then again when this imagery is set up by John the Baptist, He was declaring that Jesus was coming and a crooked path was made straight and any mountains were about to be leveled.  Both a straight path and a leveled mountain are needed to make a clear and direct path, for easy and efficiency of travel.  I don't think Jesus needed a straight path or level mountain necessary in the physical sense.  These had to represent spiritual obstacles, maybe even human obstacles needing to be overcome, making way for the Salvation that can only come through Jesus.  Both references in Scripture were made in preparing the way for Jesus.  You and I aren't Jesus so we must be careful if we think the Lord will just straighten our path or level our mountains for us.

Before you get frustrated and think the Lord will never straighten your path or level your mountain for efficiency's sake, please fully understand what the Lord was intending.  While the interpretations of these Scriptures were meant for Jesus, it is fully applicable to the Lord's plan for Salvation for mankind.  This wasn't just true two thousand years ago.  This is still true today.  There were obstacles that must have been overcome in order that you could be saved.  Looking back on your own life, there was a clear and direct path that physically led to your knowledge and acceptance of salvation.  You've seen others who had a clear and level path to their acceptance of Jesus as their Savior; mountains had to be leveled in order for this to happen.  Miracles that bring forth a sinner to the knowledge and acceptance of Jesus happen each and every day and this isn't limited to the work of the Lord for their salvation; this includes you.

You are part of the Lord's plan for salvation for mankind.  The message must be carried forward and a straight path and level ground are necessary for efficiency's sake.  The Lord is working in and through you for the salvation of others.  The Lord has work for you to do; you must be salt and light to this earth, bearing the good news of the gospel, and being His witness to the end of the earth.  To this end, the Lord is in the business of straightening paths and leveling mountains if that enables you to take the message of the gospel forward.  Absolutely, the Lord will straighten your path and level the mountains in front of you, but not for your personal gain, only for the gain of the gospel.  You have a ministry, even though you might not be in full time ministry like a pastor or missionary.  And that ministry is to bring the message of salvation to the lost in your own personal world of influence, to those around you.  If there is an obstacle, the Lord wants to overcome it today.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Is 45, Matt 19:26, Lk 1:3, Lk 3