As you might recall, I have a job cleaning swimming pools (see http://harrisongang.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-new-job.html). As I was working recently, I saw three ladies coming out of the house next to the one I was at. I noticed they were carrying copies of "The Watchtower," which clued me in to the fact that they were Jehovah's Witnesses. They had to walk past me to get to the next house, and I thought to myself, "This will be a great opportunity." As I was hastily sifting through my brain to recall a few verses that are opposed to their deeply flawed doctrine (see http://www.religioustolerance.org/witness3.htm), I was just standing there, smiling, waiting for them to say something to me.
And they just kept walking. I was stunned. And frankly, offended. Am I not good enough to save? Or at least try to save? They just kept walking on by with hardly a glance!
And after I got over my own sense of self, and how shocked I was that they would ignore me, I realized what an oportunity I had missed. In waiting for them to make the first move, I had failed to tell them about the most important thing they could ever hear.
I think the point of the story is clear: there are countless people we meet each day, maybe not as obviously deceived as these ladies, but nonetheless deceived. Let's not miss any more opportunities to share the love and hope of the gospel.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Keeping Perspective, Part 2
After I wrote the previous post, I wrote this devotional for another blog I manage (ww.verticaldevotion.com). I've reproduced it here not because I think it is so brilliant, but because I think it is amazing how God uses His Word to help us. I had some thoughts rolling around in my head see previous post), and then God gave me this psalm as a way to codify those thoughts and bring my focus to Him. I hope it blesses you.
One of the things I have learned in my life (the hard way) is God’s method for how we should deal with a present crisis. It works like this: You can understand God’s plans for the present time by looking at God’s promises from the past and God’s will for the future.
Psalm 72 does exactly this. It is a psalm written for a difficult time. David, the King of Israel, was dying. Solomon, just a boy, was set to take the throne. Would he be able to lead as his father had? Would God still bless the people of Israel under Solomon? There were a lot of doubts about the future.
In my own life, I’ve had many similar moments of doubt and indecision. Some were long term plans such as, “Should I take this new job or should I stay in my current job?” Others were more urgent, like, “How am I going to pay the mortgage this month?” But what I have learned is that trusting God in the present circumstances means looking beyond those circumstances. One thing God wants us to do is look at the past: What has God done before that demonstrates how He will be faithful now?
In Psalm 72, the psalmist looks to the past to interpret the present. God told Moses about the land that He would give to the Israelites (see Exodus 23:31). In Psalm 72:8, he revisits this promise from God, and his faith is reassured. In verse 17, the psalmist again looks to the past for some assurance in the present. God promised Abraham way back in Genesis 12:2-3:
“I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
The psalmist leans on these promises as He looks at the uncertainty of the present. And, as the bible records, these promises were at least partly fulfilled in Solomon’s kingdom (see 1 Kings 4:21), and totally fulfilled in Christ the Messiah.
Trusting God through our present circumstances also means looking to the future: What do we know that God will do, based on His unchanging character? For the psalmist, he knew that God was a God of justice, of righteousness, and of peace. He could have faith that the kingdom of Israel would stand firm, because He knew that God would judge His people in righteousness, and His afflicted ones with justice (Ps 72:2-4).
Most importantly, he knew that no matter how the present circumstances worked out, that God’s Messiah would rule all the nations eternally, bringing righteousness to the entire world (v. 5-11). And this is perhaps the most important lesson. God gives us promises based on His Word, the Bible. And those promises are trustworthy and true. God also gives us assurances based on His character. The values that make up who God is determine how He will be in the future—just and gracious. And no matter what our present circumstances bring, Christ will one day return and set everything right. Looking beyond our present circumstances means keeping God’s perspective in mind.
If you are facing indecision or even a crisis right now, remember God’s plan for dealing with it. Trust the eternal promises of His Word, and trust that He has a plan for the future. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1).
One of the things I have learned in my life (the hard way) is God’s method for how we should deal with a present crisis. It works like this: You can understand God’s plans for the present time by looking at God’s promises from the past and God’s will for the future.
Psalm 72 does exactly this. It is a psalm written for a difficult time. David, the King of Israel, was dying. Solomon, just a boy, was set to take the throne. Would he be able to lead as his father had? Would God still bless the people of Israel under Solomon? There were a lot of doubts about the future.
In my own life, I’ve had many similar moments of doubt and indecision. Some were long term plans such as, “Should I take this new job or should I stay in my current job?” Others were more urgent, like, “How am I going to pay the mortgage this month?” But what I have learned is that trusting God in the present circumstances means looking beyond those circumstances. One thing God wants us to do is look at the past: What has God done before that demonstrates how He will be faithful now?
In Psalm 72, the psalmist looks to the past to interpret the present. God told Moses about the land that He would give to the Israelites (see Exodus 23:31). In Psalm 72:8, he revisits this promise from God, and his faith is reassured. In verse 17, the psalmist again looks to the past for some assurance in the present. God promised Abraham way back in Genesis 12:2-3:
“I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
The psalmist leans on these promises as He looks at the uncertainty of the present. And, as the bible records, these promises were at least partly fulfilled in Solomon’s kingdom (see 1 Kings 4:21), and totally fulfilled in Christ the Messiah.
Trusting God through our present circumstances also means looking to the future: What do we know that God will do, based on His unchanging character? For the psalmist, he knew that God was a God of justice, of righteousness, and of peace. He could have faith that the kingdom of Israel would stand firm, because He knew that God would judge His people in righteousness, and His afflicted ones with justice (Ps 72:2-4).
Most importantly, he knew that no matter how the present circumstances worked out, that God’s Messiah would rule all the nations eternally, bringing righteousness to the entire world (v. 5-11). And this is perhaps the most important lesson. God gives us promises based on His Word, the Bible. And those promises are trustworthy and true. God also gives us assurances based on His character. The values that make up who God is determine how He will be in the future—just and gracious. And no matter what our present circumstances bring, Christ will one day return and set everything right. Looking beyond our present circumstances means keeping God’s perspective in mind.
If you are facing indecision or even a crisis right now, remember God’s plan for dealing with it. Trust the eternal promises of His Word, and trust that He has a plan for the future. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1).
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