Christian Living Today

Is there a way to tell if someone is a committed Christian? Are there actions and attitudes which should be obvious in our own lives if we bear the name of Christ? Yes.

A christian’s life should be completely absorbed with their Lord’s glory. Their life should be marked by love. Their heart should be loyal to the King. In other words, as a Christian I should see growing and increasing in my heart an unswerving focus on Christ’s glory, an unending love for my brothers and sisters in Christ, and an unflinching loyalty to my Lord.

Before you say, ‘That sounds a bit stiff and puritanical’, let’s agree on one thing. As Christians the Scripture has the final say, right? If you say wrong, I would suggest you need to re-evaluate your label.

Since Scripture has the final say, let us take a look at what it says. Again, our text is our Lord’s own words in John 13:31-38. Furthermore, when one considers the context, the words take on even greater import because these are the final thoughts, the final commands, the final directives our Lord gives to His disciples before He goes to the cross.

Today’s post will cover verses 31 - 33: “So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.”

First then: A Committed Christian Is Absorbed With His Lord’s Glory

As Christians, our goal, our purpose, our motive, our theme, our reason should, ultimately, be to glorify our God and Savior. In other words, the way we live our lives should bring glory and honor to God - the words we speak, the way we spend our time, the way we spend our money, the way we treat our neighbor, our spouse, our family, our friends - all should be done in an way which not only is ‘nice’ and ‘good’, but with a conscious thought to what they say about our God.

Consider Paul’s instruction to the Thesselonian believers in 1 Thess 1:11-12. He says, “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Look at it again. Paul is essentially say, we exist to bring glory and honor to God. Are we, by the way we live our lives doing this?

Furthermore lest we think it is only our great and beautiful and praiseworthy deeds which glorify God, let us consider Christ’s words and destination. He says, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him”.

When is ‘now’? The cross. The worst, most tragic, most ghastly event not only in Jesus’ life but in the whole course of history was also the one thing which was most glorifying to God. Why? Briefly because:

On the cross Christ performed the greatest work in the history of the universe by

— destroying sin

— destroying Satan’s power

— purchasing His people

Furthermore, on the cross we see:

1 - God’s power defeat all principalities, powers, sinful mankind, and all wickedness in the entire universe.

2 - God’s justice in the wrath poured out upon our Lord as the penalty due US for our sins.

3 - God’s holiness when He turned His back on Christ because He cannot look on sin.

4 - God’s faithfulness because He produced the Savior He had promised.

5 - God’s love which was manifested in the great cost He alone bore to redeem a people who hated Him and spurned His love.

May our hearts echo the words of Henry Martyn who, as he was sailing for India on July 16, 1805 to give his life to the cause of Christ said, “I could not endure existence if Jesus was not glorified, it would be hell to me. . .If anyone plucks out your eyes there is no saying why you feel pain. . .it is you. . .it is because I am one with Christ that I am so deeply wounded.”

Oh God, may I be so one with Christ that I, too, feel pain when You are not glorified.

Scripture says there will always be goats among the sheep and tares among the wheat. None the less, in the last few generations it seems the definition of a committed Christian has become more and more vague.

On the one hand, our natural tendency is to be much harder on others than we are on ourselves. On the other, we are often required to make judgment calls - especially when we are seeking to direct and guide our children.  Possibly even more important is our need for honest self-evaluation.

I can think of nothing more terrifying or tragic than to imagine reaching heaven’s gate only to have Christ say, ” ‘. . .I never knew you, depart from Me. . .’ ” (Mt 7:23) Thus it behooves us have some general, biblical guidelines to direct our thinking.

We should all ask ourselves the question: What kind of Christian am I?

As a general rule Christians, today, are not definitive disciples. We do not bear the marks of ’set-apart’ ones. In fact, the sad truth is, it is often hard for unbelievers to identify us as ‘different’ - as Christian.

Not only does this remove our witness, it forfeits our value, and steals our reward. In the next few posts, we will explore the marks which delineate a believer - based on the insights brought forward in John McArthur’s sermon on John 13:31-18.  As we delve into these identifying signs, may God grant us the ability, yea the desire, to look deep into our own hearts and divine the real condition of our own souls.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . .by it we understand that the worlds were framed by the wod of God. . .without faith it is impossible to pleae Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11:1, 3, 6).

Hebrews 11, is considered the great chapter on faith. Have you ever looked at the ‘acts of faith’ which are listed there? If not, you might be surprised what it says. The works ‘done by faith’ listed in this chapter include:

1 - Able: Offered a ‘more excellent’ sacrifice

2- Enoch: Did not see death

3 - Noah: Prepared an ark and condemned the world

4 - Abraham: Left home when called to ‘go out’, dwelt in a foreign land, offered up his son

5 - Sarah: Conceived and bore a son

6 - Joseph: Ordered his bones taken ‘home’

7 - Moses: Chose poverty and slavery over wealth and position, kept the Passover, left Egypt, cross the Red Sea

8 - Israelites: Toppled Jericho’s walls

9 - Others: Subdued kingdoms, worked righteousnes, obtained promises, stopped lions mouths, received their dead brought back to life, foresaw the future, quenched fire, escaped the sword, became strong in weakness, became brave in battle, bore under torture in many forms.

Dear God, increase our faith!

Do you know God is sovereign? Does that knowledge bring you comfort? I find it hard to imagine how the ‘rest of the world’ functions. When the news media cries “the sky is falling”, where does an unbeliever turn for comfort? Fate? Chance? Their own feeble and futile efforts to control their lives?

Thank God we can rest in His power. In His control. While we may not understand much of what we see happening around us, we know He has a plan and everything is moving forward according to His plan.

There are several ways we see God’s sovereign plan at work.

1 - In the midst of our troubles. Remember Daniel? The three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace? David? They all faced unbelievable trials. Can you imagine any one of them trying to ‘fix’ the problem in their own strength? Daniel trying to control the lions? The three Hebrew men blowing out the furnace? David facing Goliath in hand-to-hand combat? The idea is ludicrous.

In each case it was purely and simply God at work. And, in hindsight, we can see clearly. We must remember this when we are facing our trials head-on. What we cannot handle, He can and does!

Like David we must say, “. . .I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps 18:1-2)

2 - When we lack strength. How many times have you faced something you just couldn’t handle? Family troubles? Financial troubles? Health issues? And on and on. Our lives are full of ‘unhandleable’ challenges. Yet, nothing is too big for our God. Nothing surprises Him. Nothing catches Him off guard.

We must learn the lesson the Apostle Paul learned. “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor 12:9)

3 - When our sins are forgiven. Perhaps the one area where we are daily, by the hour, sometimes even by the moment reminded of our inability to deal with life in our own strength is when we really face the gravity and depth of our sin. What great comfort we gain when we realize this, too, is all taken care of by our wise and sovereign Heavenly Father. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us, “Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.” (38:17)

May we rejoice in so great a salvation!

4 - Through His word. Have you ever thought about where we would be if Christ had never come? Have you ever pondered how little we would know and understand if God had not sovereignly and graciously provided us with His word? Truly He has given us everything we need for life and godliness. As 2 Tim 3:16-17 reminds us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

What exactly does God’s word do for us?

It ‘teaches’ us. In other words, it provides us with a body of doctrine whereby we are instructed and directed in governing our thoughts and actions.

It ‘reproves’ us. God’s word graciously exposes our sinful conduct and wrong thinking that we might repent and turn from practicing sin or leading others astray.

It ‘corrects’ us. This word means literally to straighten or lift. In other words, God’s word corrects our improper spiritual posture.

It ‘trains’ us in righteousness. Not only are we told what not to do, we are directed in the way to walk. If we are faithful to God’s word, we are assured we will be gaining in spiritual maturity. What a great promise!

In His sovereignty, God does not always bring pleasant circumstances across our path. Have you recently lost a job? Someone I love very much has. Have you faced family trials which rocked your faith? I have. Have you faced physical challenges which tore your world apart? My loved ones have.

We have all faced what I call ‘custom made’ trials - trials God, in His sovereignty, brings into our lives to grow us and stretch us and conform us into the image of His Son. Yet, if we remind ourselves He is in control, we find strength to bear up and courage to face life.

As Samuel Rutherford penned this letter to a member of his flock, I am sure his heart broke for this dear lady. And yet, he was faithful to remind her of the truth which, in reality, is the ONLY real source of comfort. To a woman who had buried two husbands and all of her children in less than 14 years, he said, “God aimeth in all His dealings with His children to bring them to a high contempt of and deadly feud with the world; to set a high price on Christ, and to think Him One who cannot be brought for gold, and well worthy the fighting for. And for no other cause. . .does the Lord withdraw from you the childish toys and earthly delights that He giveth unto others but that He may have you wholly to Himself. . .we cannot see the ground of our Almighty’s sovereignty. . .we see but the broken links of the chains of His providence.”

God grant us the grace to see and believe in face of whatever the world may throw in our path!

Over the last few weeks I have often dwelt on our need to rejoice in the God of our salvation. To do so is completely biblical (Rom 5:11 - “. . .we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”)

However, in his exposition of Philippians 1:7-8, Pastor John McArthur points out our God also rejoices in us. When?

1 - When we repent - “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety–nine just persons who need no repentance.”(Luke 15:7)

2 - When we are faithful and believing - “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11:5-6)

3 - When we worship and adore Him (the meaning of ‘fear’ in the passage) - “The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.” (Ps 147:11)

4 - When the upright pray - “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.” (Prov 15:8)

 5 - When our life displays uprightness and righteousness - ” “I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You.” ” (1 Chron 29:17)

6 - When we display blameless character - “Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their ways are His delight.” (Prov 11:20)

7 - When we faithfully serve Him - “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ ” (Mt 21:23)

May it be the prayer of our hearts this day to bring joy to His!

Psalms 42 and 43 give us a perfect example of the emotional rollercoaster a depressed Christian can ride. While Christians have no call to be depressed, they certainly can be. In fact, as we will see in these passages, depression can get a good hold on a Christian. Thank God, there is an answer.

As a discussed in an earlier post it is becoming more and more ‘in vogue’ to look for relief from depression in counseling and medication. However, even the top counselors will tell you (see the post for some quotes) you MUST deal with your thought processes or no amount of diet change, medication, or counseling will help. So let’s look at the thought processes of a depressed Christian and then briefly compare them to those of a non-depressed Christian.

A Depressed Person: While we do not know who penned this Psalm (some say David during his exile when Absolem took over the throne of Israel), we do know the Psalmist was struggling with serious depression. In Psalms 42:1-4 we hear a depressed Christian:“As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.”

He feels sadness, sorrow, loneliness, and abandonment. He expresses an unsatisfied longing for God. He feels cut off from God (vs 1- 2). He wonders where God is and why He doesn’t care.

Not only does he feel abandoned by God, he feels persecuted by his enemies (vs 3). This is like rubbing salt on his wounds. Furthermore he sees no prospect for deliverance and can only long for his lost privileges (vs 4).

A Response: Not only does this Christian realize their depressed state, they long to escape it. In fact, they not only long to escape it, they know the way of escape. Look at verse five: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.”What is the Psalmist saying here? “Why are you doing this?” “Do this!” “You are out of line!” So the problem is solved, right? Wrong! As any person who has sunk this deep into depression can tell you, getting it right in your head does not mean your heart is online. So we see:

A Return: “O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.”His language becomes almost poetic as he seeks to describe the torment within. “Deep calls unto deep” implies blow following blow - an unending series of hard providences which have left him reeling and rocked.

He further reinforces the picture: “waves and billows have gone over me”. Can’t you see it in your mind’s eye? The person caught in the rolling tide. Tossed here and there. Helpless against a series of events and emotions which seem too strong to overcome.

Another Response: “The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me––A prayer to the God of my life.”Another Return: “I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”"

Another Response: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”Here, again, the Psalmist reiterates the truth. Can’t you see the struggle going on inside? The fight to regain perspective? The desire to escape the emotions which have him in their stranglehold?

Back Into Depression: “Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle.” Another Response: “Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”I can just picture someone at the bottom of a deep, dark well fighting an octopus. Spectators see nothing but churning water and a occasional limb. Then suddenly, a head pops above the water’s surface, a hand grasping for help. As quickly as it appears, it is gone again.

How like depression. And yet, we must remember, this is not reality. This is just the depressed person’s view of reality. If this were reality, there would be no real hope for escape. However, not only is there hope for escape, the answer is quite simple.

The Psalmist is wrongly focusing on circumstances. He knows his joy is in God, but his perspective is skewed. Let’s look at another Christian caught in a bad circumstance - alone, abandoned, cut off from fellowship, a prisoner of circumstances beyond his control.

These words describe Paul, when he penned the letter to the Philippians. However, as bad as his circumstances were, this is what he says, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” (1:3-6)

What is the difference? Why is one Christian rejoicing and another depressed? Perspective. It is all about perspective. The Psalmist was focusing on his circumstances. Paul is focusing on his God. While both were Christians, Paul’s focus brought with it a gift from the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22 -”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,. . .”).

The Psalmist’s condition was a result of losing contact with who he was in Christ. It was a result of confusing real reality with perceived reality. It was a result of forfeiting the joy which was his reality for the defeat which was his perception.

In other words, the only real answer to a Christian’s depression is a realignment of our perspective. We must get our eyes off our circumstances and get them back on God. We must interpret the events in our life from this biblical viewpoint. And, while we may struggle with the octopus of doubt, fear, and confusion, we must continue the fight until our hearts follow our heads to the truth!

The one aspect of my Christian walk about which I am most consistently convicted is my prayer life. It is not that I don’t pray, it is that I often feel I waste my prayer time - or I limit it. I do not find my prayers measure up to those I find in the Bible.

For example, I find my prayers falling far short when compared to Paul’s comments about his prayers for the Phillipians in chapter 1 and verses 3 and 4. Here he says, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,”

Just a few words, but they challenge me. Paul prayed for the Phillipians with all joy. That seems simple enough. It is simple. However, I find the truths packed in that one sentence often quite convicting.

The word “prayer” in this passage means ‘petition’. Specifically it is asking God for something for someone else. It is not bound up in ‘me’ but in others. It expresses the desire to see God working in someone else’s life.

In all honesty I must admit I spend far to much time praying about my own concerns. My prayers, often, do not reflect Paul’s delight in interceding on another person’s behalf.

Sometimes it is easy to excuse myself by saying, “Well, Paul was not experiencing any trials when he said that.” In other words, I try to suggest Paul just did not understand what I am facing at the moment. However, this is so very untrue.

Not only was Paul in prison when he penned this epistle, he says in chapter 3 verse 18 “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:”

He is weeping, so heavy is his heart about the work being accomplished by the enemies of the cross. In spite of this, he keeps his focus. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (2:3)

What about me? I have experienced my share of trials and, I fear, I have often fallen prey to a more selfish, self-centered frame of mind. Not only does this skew my prayer’s focus, it steals my joy.

Real prayer is intercession. It is a selfless act which spends most of its energy on the needs and concerns of others. It is not ‘me’ centered. It is not an occasional ‘thank you’ when I’m happy or a bitter tirade when I’m hurting. It promotes God’s glory and focuses on God and those around me.

John McArthur shared an interesting scheme of prayer which he had learned from someone else. I have been trying to use this simple reminder to direct my prayers in the proper direction - and to force myself to focus on others instead of myself. I share it in hopes you find it beneficial as well.

Use your hand as a scheme of prayer.

Your thumb is nearest to your body. Thus it reminds me to pray for those who are closest and dearest to my heart.

Your Second Finger is used for pointing. Teachers use this finger liberally when teaching their pupils. Thus it reminds me to pray for the teachers and preachers God has brought into my life.

Your Third Finger is the tallest finger in your hand. Thus it reminds me to pray for the leaders in every sphere of life (and, I might add, they need those prayers now more than ever).

Your Fourth Finger is your weakest finger. This reminds me to pray for those who are weak, in trouble, or in pain.

Your Fifth Finger is your littlest finger. This reminds me it is okay to pray for myself, as long as I keep myself in the proper perspective.

Today people see religion as having no relevant role in society, nature, or history. Our forefathers, however, saw things quite differently. They spoke often of God’s providence. They recognized the invisible hand of Providence which worked behind the scenes to direct even the smallest events. For us, however, the word ‘providence’ is out of vogue. Shame on us for we’ve thrown out our greatest source of comfort!

Providence comes from two Latin terms, “pro”  which means ‘in front of’ or ‘before’ and “videre” which means to see. Thus providence means ‘to see beforehand’.  As it is used in Scripture, providence refers to:

- God’s provision for His people (Mt 6:25 - 34). Another comforting passage which speaks directly to God’s provision is Ps 37:25: ” I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.”

Our God is directly involved in the workings of His creation. We have not been left to fate or chance. God is not a “do-nothing king who reigns but doesn’t rule” as Will Durant described Aristotle’s god.

- God’s sustaining His people. Not only is God actively working to provide for His people, He is actively at work sustaining them.

We find this teaching from the first. In Genesis 1:1, the word ‘create’ is from the Hebrew word “bara” which contains the notion of sustenance. So what does this mean to us?

- God is upholding all things. In Hebrews 1:1-3 we read, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

This includes everything. All His creatures. All their actions. Even the smallest details. Furthermore, God’s sustaining is without error. Many times we do not understand what we see happening around us, but we can rest assured God is in control and there is no error in His timing or decisions.  And, God is not open to coercement by the most interesting prospect or the most powerful influence. His acts are driven by His own will which is completely free from all outside influences.

- God’s upholding all to His glory. Not only does our God provide for and sustain His creatures, He has a purpose and a plan which is good.

Getting our mind around God doing things for His own glory can be hard to do sometimes. We think of someone who seeks self-glorification as haughty, proud, bad! However, this is because we are made to glorify God.

Think about it. When God does things for His own glory, He is also bringing glory to the most high, the most worthy. In this case Himself. And, most comforting of all, even though His glory is the higest end, He never brings glory to Himself at our expense. We are reminded in Rom 8:28 that “. . .all things work together for good to those who love God. . .”

In other words, in His providence He can bring about what benefits us and brings glory to Him. In these troubling times, if we can get our minds around this concept, if we can place our trust in the One who is in control, if we can rest our faith in His providence, we can ride the waves with confidence in the One who is controlling the storm. As John Calvin said in his “Institutes”:

“First, then, let the reader remember that the providence we mean is not one by which the Diety, sitting idly in heaven, looks on at what is taking place in the world, but one by which he, as it were, holds the helm, and overrules all events. Hence his providence extends not less to the hand than to the eye. That is to say, he not only see, but ordains what he wills to be done.”

Second Samuel contains a story of loss, a story of betrayal, a story of repentence. The overarching theme in this story is God’s invisible yet very real presence. His superintendence of all the events which come together to create the outcome. It is an old story very practical for modern times.

In 2nd Samuel we have the story of David, Bathsheba, and Nathan. While most know the story of David and Bathsheba, Nathan may not be as well known. However, he plays a key role in our understanding of the passage because he is God’s mouthpiece.

You probably remember the story. David was at home instead of at war with his armies. One night he couldn’t sleep. He went strolling on his rooftop. From his vantage point he saw a beautiful woman bathing.

From here the story goes downhill. Adultary. Murder. Lies. Deceit. And, to David’s knowledge no one knows for sure what he has done. He has covered his trail well. However, when Nathan comes into the story, we find out God knew EVERYTHING.

Lesson one: It is impossible to hide anything from God. He sees everything, even our thoughts and intents.

“When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. . .

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ‘I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! . . .”

Lesson Two: When confronted with our sin, we MUST admit and repent. If you think about how David might have responded, his response is somewhat surprising. Think about it.

David was king. Later kings, when confronted with their sins, tried to kill the messenger (i.e. Ahab and Elijah). Furthermore, David had gone to great lengths to cover his acts. In other words, he was embroiled in his sin. He can’t have taken exposure lightly.

“So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “

“And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. “However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” “

Lesson Three: We never know God’s secret will. David had just been told his son was going to die. What was his response? Depression? No. Defeat? No. His response: “who can tell?”

David humbled himself in fasting and prayer. So intense was his pleading with God for his son’s life, his servants feared to tell him when the child eventually died.

“Then Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, ”Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!” “

“When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” “

“And they said, “He is dead.” “

Lesson Four - Perhaps the most surprising lesson we can learn from this story is in David’s response to the loss of his son. As R.C. Sproul put it, “When God said no to the pleas of David, he immediately went to chruch - not to whine or complain, but to worship. . .he was willing to bow before the providence of God, to let God be God.”

“So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” “

“And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ “But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” “

Lesson Five: If we understand God’s providence over every event and every occurence - even the smallest things:

— we are able to worship correctly, even in the face of sorrow, pain, and suffering

— our trust grows as we understand God really is working in and through our situation

Lesson Six: David’s response was difficult for his servants to understand. They were even so puzzled they risked questioning his actions. The world will often look upon us in amazement, even horror, when we respond to hard providence with trust and confidence. That is a large part of our witness.

God’s providence working in and through all the events in our lives is one of the hardest things for us to grasp. However, as we see in David’s life, there is much for us to learn from the trials and challenges He places in our paths. May He grant us the grace to do so.

Everywhere we turn we find people who believe in evolution. Why is this ‘theory’ so prevelantly accepted? Why is evolution accepted as fact when scientific evidence has done more to disprove than prove the theory? The following statement sheds some important light on the issue.

 ”The real issue in the creation / evolution debate is not the existence of God. The real issue is the NATURE of God. To think of evolution as basically atheistic is to misunderstand the uniqueness of evolution. Evolution was not designed as a general attack against theism. It was designed as a specific attack against the God of the Bible, and the God of the Bible is clearly revealed through the doctrine of creation. Obviously, if a person is an atheist, it would be normal for him to also be an evolutionist. But evolution is as comfortable with theism as it is with atheism. An evolutionist is perfectly free to choose any god he wishes, as long as it is not the God of the Bible. The gods allowed by evolution are private, subjective, and artificial. They bother no one and make no absolute ethical demands. However, the God of the Bible is the Creator, Sustainer, Savior, and Judge. All are responsible to Him. He has an agenda that conflicts with that of sinful humans. For man to be created in the image of God is very awesome. For God to be created in the image of man is very comfortable.” ~ Judge Marvin L. Lubenow in “Bones of Contention: A Creationists Assessment of Human Fossils”