Trusting God; April 24, 2023

Posted on April 25, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 56:3-4 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

It has rightly been said that the definition of courage is not the absence of fear, but rather acting in the face of fear. David is honest enough to say that sometimes he is afraid. The particular turn of phrase is, “in the day of fear.” Here he is making the commitment to trust God even in such days, for they come to everyone. He repeats the sentiment a little differently later in the Psalm: “In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise–in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (vv. 10-11) Trust is ultimately a matter of choice, but it is a choice we can make, and it makes a huge difference. That’s why America’s enemies are so incensed that the national motto is, “In God we trust.” It’s on all American money, even though that seems laughable at times. Far too many people trust money, rather than God! Recent events, with inflation and the like, have shown just how untrustworthy money is, but as the Bible points out repeatedly, foolish and/or evil people have trusted in their wealth from time immemorial. We live in scary times, with threats ranging from China to AI to pandemics. The choice is clear: do we trust God, or not? The devil does all he can to erode our trust in God, but the choice remains ours. God is the only thing, the only One, who is absolutely trustworthy. In these scary times, He is our hope and our refuge.

I don’t think I’ve ever been a particularly fearful person, and I’m grateful. I see people all around me who seem consumed by fear. Japan has been open to the idea of “flu masks” for a very long time, but still it is sad to see people walking alone outdoors with masks on even now. I was very happy yesterday when the groom of a couple that came for counseling before their wedding didn’t wear a mask, and I happily ditched the face shield that I use to keep from offending people. I have had COVID, and it wasn’t fun, but I’m very thankful that I never cowered in fear of getting it in the over two years from the point it was “released into the wild.” With my wife’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, some people would be constantly fearful of how it might progress. I choose not to be, even though I am quite informed, medically speaking. A friend was killed last week by a driver distracted by their phone. That could happen to me, and I’ve had a few close calls when I’ve been out walking, but I choose not to walk in fear (pun intended). I have seen God rescue me from even very dangerous situations, and I have total assurance of my ultimate destination, so I have every reason to trust God and rest, relax, and rejoice, just as He has told me to do.

Father thank You for Your incredible faithfulness. New things come up with remarkable frequency to try to steal my peace. Help me consistently submit to You and resist the devil, so that his attacks on my mind and heart may blow away like dust, (James 4:7) and I walk in assured obedience to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Stress; April 23, 2023

Posted on April 24, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

This verse has been beautifully set to music, and it is essentially quoted by Peter: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) The Psalm as a whole is an interesting one, obviously written after David was king in Jerusalem, surrounded by luxury but beset by duplicitous men to the point that the life of a dove in the desert looks attractive to him (vv. 7-8) He was essentially stressed out, just as we get sometimes. The answer, for David and for us, is trusting God enough to release things to Him. Frankly, that’s often easier said than done! A particular Japanese word, used both here and in 1 Peter, is very interesting. It is most often translated as “worry,” but that would make it inappropriate when applied to God. It is literally, “distribute the heart.” The same characters, read differently, indicate kindly concern. In other words, if applied to someone else, it’s a good thing, but applied to yourself, it can be destructive. That is true indeed! David was stressed out and anxious, but he knew the solution, as he states here. His conclusion to the Psalm, in the very last line, is one we all need to declare to God: “But as for me, I trust in You.”

I’m not what psychologists would call an “anxious personality,” but that doesn’t mean I don’t stress out at times. This week is completely packed, with something big and/or out of the ordinary every day. Thinking about it ahead of time definitely tends toward stress, so I’ve got to be active in my trust. Any one of the things coming up would not be such a big deal by itself, but the aggregate is daunting. That’s why I need to take one day at a time, just as the song says. I have experienced God’s guidance and support countless times, so I know from experience that He can get me through this with no problems. I’ve just got to rest, relax, and rejoice, as He has told me to do. Other people are involved in every one of the upcoming events, and I need to be available to God as His instrument of blessing to each one. If I’m focused on me and my stress, that won’t happen. The Lord is indicating that my work will change greatly in about a year, but I don’t know how. I need to approach this week as training to prepare me for how the Lord wants to use me for His glory.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing, and for including me in some of it. Help me not try to run away from any of it. I certainly have that impulse at times, just as David did. Help me be fully present all the time, allowing You to pour Your strength through my weakness, accomplishing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evil Men; April 22, 2023

Posted on April 23, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 52:1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

The “Doeg the Edomite” about whom this was written was a genuinely nasty guy, as recorded in 1 Samuel 21 and 22. The thing is, there have been nasty people throughout history. Those who aren’t that way have great trouble understanding their motivation, but it’s all a focus and amplification of things that exist in all of us. It has become a cliché, but the saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I,” is very true indeed. Every human being is capable of great evil, whether we want to recognize it or not. Just recently someone who was thought to be “a nice guy” took a gun to the bank where he worked and killed several of his coworkers before police killed him. We will never know the exact mechanism involved in his case, but it was a matter of his swallowing the lies of the devil, who is always out to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) It is very interesting to me, and a bit of a shock when I discovered it, that in this Japanese translation the second half of the verse reads, “God’s grace is always there/available.” Once again I’m left wondering what on earth the Hebrew says, but actually there is a major connection, going back to the “cliché” I mentioned. God’s grace is available to every human being, but we have to choose to accept it. Choosing otherwise turns us to the devil, and it’s very obvious where that leads. When we encounter evil people we are not to be surprised, but neither are we to hate them. We are to hate their actions, certainly, but they themselves are to be pitied, because they will go to the destruction that was planned for the devil and his demons. When we open ourselves up to hate, we are opening ourselves up to the devil, and that is never a good idea.

This brings to mind a verse that was very liberating to me: “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:8-9) The part of that passage that really set me free was, “he has been cleansed from his past sins.” I was dealing with a “besetting sin,” and the devil was hiding from me the reality that confessed sin is forgiven, period. If it’s forgiven, then I have a clean slate, and I can move forward to serve God. Even Doeg the Edomite, had he repented, could have been saved. I’m not to yield to evil people, but I am to pity them and pray for them, that somehow God’s truth may penetrate and set them free from all the lies of the devil that have made them what they are.

Father, thank You for this reminder. My friend being killed in a traffic accident this week was a sharp reminder that we don’t have an unlimited time to repent. He had heard the Gospel from me, but to my knowledge had not acknowledged Jesus as Lord, and a driver distracted by her phone took him out. I ask for anointing and boldness, that Your words through me may indeed penetrate the wall of lies that trap so many, and set them free to repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Wealth; April 21, 2023

Posted on April 22, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 49:12-13 But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.
This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

This whole Psalm is about the futility of wealth in the face of mortality. I chose to write on these two verses on the basis of the phrase, “trust in themselves,” in the NIV, only to discover that the Japanese doesn’t say that, but rather calls such people “foolish.” It is certainly foolish to trust in yourself, but this makes me wonder what the Hebrew says. Regardless, the writer himself, knowing his Creator, trusts that death will not be the end for him. (verse 15) That was a pretty high level of faith for someone who didn’t know about the cross and resurrection of the Messiah! The writer doesn’t dwell on that, but closes the Psalm with his own summary of it: “A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” (verse 20) The writer concedes that riches are counted as a blessing and certainly bring social advantages, (verse 18) but he is warning us not to be blinded by them. Going back to my original passage, it is indeed very dangerous to approve of someone just because they are wealthy or “successful,” much less become their follower. However, we see that around us all the time. People become oddly blind when shown great material wealth! If we are financially blessed we need to be grateful, recognizing that it is God who gives us the ability to produce wealth, (Deuteronomy 8:18) but remembering that just as this Psalm says, material wealth is insignificant on the scale of eternity.

I don’t think I’ve ever been especially overawed by wealth for its own sake. Pictures of huge mansions, such as are plastered over the Internet, largely disgust me. At the same time, I recognize that poverty can be grinding indeed, so I don’t discount the material in terms of this life. Right now Cathy and I are at the most financially comfortable place we’ve been in our marriage, but we still don’t reach the level that I saw in an article just yesterday that defined “middle class” in the US. Regardless, I feel assured that I have “the riches of glory,” (Ephesians 3:16, etc.) and that is more than enough.

Father, thank You for Your provision on all levels. Thank You also for the awareness that every bit of it is grace. Help me be the steward You want me to be of all of it, whether it is material, intellectual, or spiritual. May I be a useful vessel in Your hands, for Your provision to flow as You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Tools; April 20, 2023

Posted on April 21, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 44:6-7 I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.

The Sons of Korah, to whom this Psalm is attributed, were one of the clans of the Levites. As such, part of their responsibility was to transmit the oral history of Israel to the succeeding generations, as is referenced in the first three verses of this Psalm. From verse nine on, this Psalm is essentially a complaint that God isn’t living up to His previous track record. It is also interesting that verse six is in the first person, making all of this more personal. All of that said, what is expressed here is very important for everyone of every generation to remember: our tools or weapons don’t accomplish what is needed, God does. We have such a tendency to forget that! Tools and weapons are helpful, but they are never the final answer. When we trust them ahead of trusting God, they become idols to us, and that is dangerous indeed. America has had the preeminent military in the world for the past 80 years, maintaining a balance of peace that has prevented major conflicts. However, the devil has been sadly successful in separating America from its Christian heritage, and our marvelous technology cannot save us. In military matters, as in every area of life itself, we need to keep our focus on the One who created and sustains us, because apart from His grace, we wouldn’t even exist.

I’ve had assorted lessons in this area. Having been drafted and spent two years in the Army I have more than a passing awareness of military hardware, but this of course goes far beyond military applications. I’ve always been something of a techie, a geek, and technology has always interested me. However, I’ve certainly had plenty of experience with technology failures. I’ve learned the hard way that anything physical can fail. At the same time I’ve learned that God is totally reliable, but I’m not to be presumptive. I’ve had more than enough trouble with conceit! I am to approach every situation in humility, grateful for the tools God has provided, but remembering that it is not the tools that will get the job done, but God, if I will be obedient to Him. The writer of this Psalm is sure that he has not strayed from God’s path, (vv. 17-18) but I need to be more humble than that. I need to let the Holy Spirit show me the state of my soul and be quick to repent as He indicates. He alone is my shield, my guide, my deliverer.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I can easily see how it applies on the national and international scene at the moment, but I’m not currently aware of issues to deal with personally. Keep me from being presumptive. Help me rather listen to You always, in grateful obedience, so that I may fulfill all of Your purposes for me on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Focus; April 19, 2023

Posted on April 20, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 40:5 Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

Much of the time David really got it right. We know from the last half of this Psalm that it was written at a point when he was really in a bind, with people out to kill him. However, he starts out by reminding himself of all the times God has rescued him, and here he declares that they are too many to count. That’s actually true for everyone on earth, if we have the spiritual perception to recognize it. God is indeed a God of mercy and grace, and the more we focus on that reality, the better able we are to endure the trial of the moment, whatever that might be. The hymn, Count Your Blessings, is one of my wife’s very favorites, and that’s saying something, considering how many hymns she knows. Right know she’s going through a lot, health-wise, but she is very aware of how much God has blessed her over the years. The devil tries to get her attention off of that, but he doesn’t succeed very often or very long. That makes her an example and an inspiration to all who know her. None of us is exempt from problems, just as Jesus warned us. (John 16:33) However, it we keep our focus on our almighty, loving Creator, we can get through anything, as Paul said many times in many ways, (2 Corinthians 4:17) and other writers did as well. (Hebrews 12:2)

Living with the wife I have, my conscience quickly rebukes me if I try to get into a pity party! I certainly agree with this verse, and I need to let it be reflected in every one of my interactions. This morning I get to share the Word with an interdenominational prayer meeting that meets here, and I am grateful. At the same time, I’m a bit stiff and sore from the gardening work I did yesterday. That said, I made real progress in getting things planted, and I can look forward to the harvest. I have negatives and positives all the time, and I need to choose to keep my focus on the positives, and most especially on the reality that my Creator loves me so much that He sent His Son to die for me and His Spirit to live in me. That in itself is too wonderful to express fully in human words! When I let myself be distracted by aches and pains, physical or figurative, I reduce my availability to my Lord for Him to use me in blessing others, and I don’t want that. I indeed need to “fix [my] eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that [I] will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3)

Father, thank You for this reminder. May I live this day and every day in gratitude and praise, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Righteous; April 18, 2023

Posted on April 19, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalms 37:30-31 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.
The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

Several times in the Bible, particularly in Psalms and Proverbs, there are descriptions of “the righteous.” Here, David starts by what a righteous person says, but then he gives the secret, the foundation of it all: the law of his God is in his heart. This of course agrees with that very famous verse from the longest chapter in the Bible, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11) Without God’s Word, we have no reliable standard to know what is right and just and good. Dennis Prager has put out a video about how unreliable our consciences are, saying that generally, even mass murderers sleep well at night. He’s something of an expert on that, having studied Communism for most of his life. Human reasoning and intellect will always tend toward the self-centered; only God sees and cares about the whole universe. Our very limited perspective is a major reason why we have to rely on God to have any hope of getting things right. However, the benefits of relying on God are without number. David here says, “his feet do not slip,” and that covers a wide range of our life experiences. One thing to remember is that God’s law needs to be in our heart, not just our head. In our head, we compartmentalize and think, “this applies here but not there,” but in our heart it gets to who we really are and works itself out in every area of our lives. That is when we start to become genuinely righteous, and our words and actions reflect the God we serve.

Of course this applies to me. God is the judge of whatever degree of righteousness I might have, but looking at myself I can see plenty of areas for improvement. As I am reminded frequently, James 1:22 certainly applies to me: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” I have been steeped in the Bible from childhood, but I have quite a track record of leaving it in my head and not letting it govern my heart. That’s not being righteous! Of course, legalism is simple and easy, but not very smart. That’s when we let our minds rule, instead of letting God’s heart be in charge. I’m not to let my emotions be in charge either; God is absolutely holy, and how I “feel” about something doesn’t change anything. If I want to be righteous, and I do, I’ve got to stay focused on my Lord (Hebrews 12:2) and speak and act always in full agreement with Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ll be speaking in class this morning, with a friend this afternoon, and then tomorrow morning I have the message at an interdenominational prayer meeting. And of course, I’ll be interacting with my wife and various other people throughout each day. Help me do every bit of that on the basis of Your Word, Your Spirit in me, and not just out of my own thoughts and reasoning. May I draw people to You by demonstrating You to them, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Promises; April 17, 2023

Posted on April 18, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 37:3-4 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Verse four here is quite famous, but it needs to be taken in the context of verse three. Verse three essentially describes the life of a righteous person. Where the NIV says, “enjoy safe pasture,” the Japanese says, “nourish sincerity,” in other words, be a person of your word. If we’re scheming how to bring about the results we want, we are not really trusting God and we’re probably not doing good. It is in this context that David can say boldly, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Actually, if we’re not trusting God and doing good, we aren’t delighting in Him either. It’s hard to delight in something you can’t trust. That’s a major issue in many marriages. I’ve read recently that dishonesty in relation to finances is as destructive as sexual infidelity, and I can believe it. That would certainly violate the “nourish sincerity” part of this passage! We are very good at pulling “promises” out of the Bible and completely ignoring the context, the conditions that are laid down for those promises to be fulfilled. God’s love is unconditional, but hardly anything else is. It tears Him up, but God can and will reject people He loves if they reject Him and refuse to walk in the obedience of love. David tasted both sides of this. This Psalm is a pean to the good things that accrue to those who are faithful to the Lord, but David himself experienced great heartache because of his own failures. We are very aware of the incident with Bathsheba, but he was also largely a failure at parenting. It’s very hard to relate rightly to your children if you don’t relate rightly to your spouse. David is both a good example for us in a number of ways and a very cautionary example for us in others. We need to put verse three here into practice before we try to rejoice in verse four.

Of course this applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I have been enormously blessed, but every bit of it has been grace. I have a spiritual heritage that I think is unsurpassed, but I haven’t been consistently true to it. My needs have been met, but I haven’t always been the best steward of God’s provision. I have been used by God, but at times I have held back or chosen other things. I have a broad and fairly deep knowledge of the Bible, but my track record is spotty when it comes to putting it into practice. As I have said many times, James 1:22 wasn’t written just for me, but it certainly was written for me. I need to open my heart ever more to the whole truth of God, allowing it to work both in and through me as I am obedient to what My Lord says to me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed “nourish sincerity,” being totally honest with others and with myself because I am totally honest with You. May I indeed trust You totally and do the good that You desire of me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Christ in Me; April 16, 2023

Posted on April 17, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 1:1-2 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

It’s been quite a few years now since I was first struck with one little word in this passage: began. Luke never saw Jesus with his natural eyes. He researched the facts of his Gospel and the first part of Acts while Paul was in prison in Caesarea, (Acts 24:27) and he was with Paul for the rest of Acts, from Acts 16 on. That said, he was absolutely convinced that Jesus continued to act and to teach, even though He was not physically visible. That’s an awareness we all need to have! We give lip service to “Jesus in me,” but we seldom act like we really believe it. Paul put it this way: “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) When you think about it, if Christ is in us, then we can have the hope that He will do anything at all in and through us, and that is glorious indeed. Luke was emphasizing that what he had recorded in his Gospel was just the beginning, that Jesus was alive and active in and through each of the people who had accepted His Lordship by faith.

This is extremely applicable to this morning’s message, which is on being like Jesus. Since He is in me, the way to be more like Him is to get me more out of the way! I have that “treasure” in an “earthen vessel,” (2 Corinthians 4:7) so the way to show people more of Jesus is for me to become more transparent. A common theme in fantasy fiction, as well as some mythology, is the “cloak of invisibility,” or power, or wisdom, or whatever. I don’t remember how old I was when I read a particular science fiction book that used that trope, but I did a lot of fantasizing about it, imagining myself as an “agent of justice,” or something of the sort. That’s a little silly, when I’ve got the real thing! I’ve got to remember that at this point it’s neither constant nor automatic, but it is still very real. I have experienced Christ speaking and acting through me numbers of times, and I certainly want that to continue and increase. However, I’m never to think for a moment it’s because of me, or that I am special. He is the Lord of Glory, and I am to be grateful any time I am useful to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. If I’m to include it in this morning’s message, show me where and how. May I be available and useful to You all the time, so that Your purposes may be accomplished in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Disciples; April 15, 2023

Posted on April 16, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Growing up in a missionary family, the Great Commission has been in my awareness for as long as I can remember. I have heard it quoted countless times, but I still think the majority of Christians fail to understand it. Thankfully there are some teachers who indeed stress what I think is the half of this that gets largely ignored, and that is the matter of making disciples. The average American doesn’t seem to even know what the word means! I like that the Japanese here says “the people of all nations,” because we are prone to think of nations in terms of geography, when historically the term applied more to people groups. The thing is, everything and everyone belongs to God by right of creation, but our misuse of free will has put the majority of mankind in rebellion against our Creator. It is only by becoming His disciples that we enter into right relationship with Him. That’s not just a matter of saying a few words, though words are important. My grandfather Carver had an expression for how he felt many people thought of salvation: “Into bliss and out of blister.” In other words, “Say the secret words to escape hell.” Today, people don’t even believe hell exists! The thing is, the Kingdom of God is a matter of acknowledging and obeying the King, and that is what discipleship is all about. Lots of Christians want to leave out the word, obey, in verse 20! We want to be spoiled children, never corrected for anything. However, the Bible very bluntly says that such a child is not a true child at all. (Hebrews 12:5-6, quoting Proverbs 3:11-12) These days parental discipline is attacked, precisely because the devil wants us to reject the discipline offered by our heavenly Father. In Canada, you can be jailed for spanking your child! That’s not to excuse abuse, but it is to say that the devil intentionally conflates discipline with abuse. Discipleship involves commitment both to learn and to obey. We are called to be disciples and to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

It’s been quite a few years now since I discovered that my name, Jack, means “apprentice,” or “disciple.” That’s why it appears so often in nursery rhymes, as in Jack be Nimble and the like. I was actually rather pleased with the discovery, particularly since my full name is Jackson, in other words, “the son of a disciple.” I believe my father was a very genuine disciple of Jesus Christ, not to mention my mother and all four of my grandparents, and some of their ancestors as well. I have a remarkable heritage! However, all of that can fall apart at any point. If I am not a disciple, making more disciples, my ancestry doesn’t benefit me. In recent years I’ve been involved in studying Coaching, as opposed to top-down teaching, and it has been changing my perspective on discipling. Coaching was never modeled to me, so I haven’t known how to do it. Many people have spoken into my life, for which I am grateful, but I haven’t been very effective in coming alongside others and coaching them as disciples of Jesus Christ. I’ve just finished another book on the subject, and I pray that I will continue to grow as a disciple and a discipler, coaching people into the kind of relationship with Jesus that He desires, for His glory.

Father, thank You for all You’ve brought me through, and that You aren’t through with me yet. Thank You for bringing me to announce my retirement from school teaching. Help me move into the ministry that You have planned for me so that many true disciples may be raised up in this nation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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