Turning Away

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18 ESV).

 There are a number of reasons people will use to turn away from the poor, the unfortunate and the needy.  There are number of reasons governments or other entities will turn away from those appealing to them for support or refuge from oppression or poverty.

     Rationale, arguments and philosophies against helping others are not new.  In the Old Testament Law, God’s people were instructed to remember the sojourner, the poor, the widows and the fatherless.  To help the poor, the sojourner, the widow and the fatherless is not some kind of isolated directive from a immune spiritual leader but an  purposeful course of action that directly reflects the Living God that sees, loves and remembers all including those unseen or rejected by the world.  To not help, give and support the poor, the sojourner, the widow and the fatherless reflects selfishness, bigotry and arrogance but nothing about it reflects a loving Father God or the living image of Him in the Jesus Christ the Son.

    The guidance, admonishments and directives in the Scriptures are strong and often to never forget this aspect of true faith.  From the patriarchs, prophets, the psalmists, the apostles to the very Son of God … believers and followers of God have countless reminders to love, serve and give in grace as God have given unto them.  Inaction and failure to give reflects indifference. In the case of turning away from the poor, it is not just indifference to the poor but to God Himself. 

“Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land…” (Psalm 68:4-6 NIV).

Suggested Bible Reading 1 John 3

The things we cannot understand.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV).

  Death can come along as a surprise.  An accident can change our plans and hopes forever.   Heartaches and losses can stagger us as we long for understanding. Death often times leaves things unfinished.   In those times we must trust in the promises of the Living Word of God.  We go to our Redeemer, our Savior. 

    We see life as unfinished in our losses because that is all we can see with our human hearts. So we must  go beyond our sight and put our trust in what we cannot see.  We go to our Savior with what is unfinished because He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.  We see things as unfinished but Jesus Christ … not only creates our faith but also sustains and finishes our faith. It is in Him that we must now trust.

    As a follower of Christ, what death leaves unfinished becomes finished in the joy of the presence of the Risen Lord, the King of Kings for eternity. Life is finished as faith as it is becomes joy in eternity.  The  ultimate goal of our Christian faith is the eternal healing of having the blood of the Lamb not only covering us but flowing through us as eternal life.  So lay aside every weight and every sin and come unto Jesus with all of heart that you might be totally His. He is the living hope because He is the Living One.

    What then shall we say to these things that hurt deeply because we cannot understand them? We say what God has given to us, through the promises of His presence through all things including what may seem unfinished.

“What can we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Selected verses from Romans 8)

The stones that stand for your life.

“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug …  For the Lord will comfort Zion,  He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody” (Isaiah 51:1-3 KJV).

  Joshua was great and faithful leader of God’s people.  After the miracle of crossing the Jordan river on dry land, he called for a memorial of stones to be erected to remember God’s deliverance.  The stones were to stand reminding that generation and the coming generations of the hand of God in the miracle for those that followed His guidance.  God is mighty to provide and deliver.  The stones would stand for generations still God ... His promises and His deliverance are eternal.

    What are the stones that stand for your life?  Do they stand for the greater work of God? Rocks are solid and substantial but beyond their semi-permanence is the eternal glory of God.  Look to God, for He is faithful to all generations.  He is and will be a comfort, strength and a great joy for all generations to come.  He provides a way across the rivers before us and makes the wilderness bloom as a loved and tended garden.  There is great joy in our hearts as we remember all that He does, has done and will do.

“So that the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that they may fear the LORD your God forever” (Joshua 4:24 ESV).

Suggested Bible Reading ... Joshua 4 & Isaiah 51

The 130 Prayer

Dear Lord … I am in the bleakest of moments and my very soul is in anguish.  I am crying out to you, Almighty God. Oh Lord, you are my Lord.  From the deepness of my heart, I cry out for you.  Listen again to your aching child and cover me with your mercy.

If you would ever remember my sins, I would be hopeless to even stand in this place, to ever come before You. Yet I know of your immeasurable forgiveness and I honor You above all else, for You alone are God.

I wait for you, oh Lord. I sense You, as I wait for You.  I know of You, for I know You.  I rest all my hopes in Your promises.  I wait in Your care.  I eagerly wait as I yearn for You. Yes, I eagerly wait … because I know you will come to me as surely as the sun comes to the morning.

All who know of the Lord, can hope in Him.  We know of your love, Oh Lord. It is steadfast upon us and we cannot lose your attention.  With you, Oh Lord there is endless grace to redeem us and You alone redeem the world from all their sin.  Thank you, Oh Lord, Thank you.  Amen

 

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
     O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
 But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.

 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
    For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
 And he will redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

Psalm 130

Repentance

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” 

(Psalm 51:17).

  It is a word that suffers from little use in our language and although it is much needed, it is extremely neglected as an action of humility, change and commitment. It is an essential part of our coming to God for salvation when we call out to Him as we believe in Christ as our Lord.  A repentant humble heart continues as our connection to the grace that both saves us and sustains us beyond our failures.  Most of the time repentance is defined as a sorrow for our sins but it is much more complex word and concept.  It is not one dimensional but has multiple faceted. 

    It begins with sorrow for our error, sin or selfishness but the aspects of resolve, honesty and a steadiness to see our failure for damage and pain it has caused are also essential for change to take place.  In any dynamic relationship, it is not the repentant sorrow that is most important but the new course of action and the reinstated restored deepening relationship that follows that is most celebrated and noted.  God was and is willing to both hear and restore anyone that comes to Him in repentance.  A simple repentant apology from any brokenness will begin the path of healing that commitment seals in full restoration.   

    

     Our simple repentant prayer from a contrite heart will always bring us close to God, who will amaze us with His grace again and again.  It is how He always responds to genuine repentance and that is something to be forever thankful for.

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;  and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;  and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13)

Suggested Bible Reading ... Psalm 51 & Joel 2