The Kingdom; January 1, 2019

Posted on January 2, 2019 by jgarrott

Luke 12:32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

When I felt God was directing me to use this verse as the Scripture for the Year, I really didn’t think that deeply about it. However, looking at it now in context, all sorts of things are coming to me. From verse 22 through 31, we have Luke’s version of Jesus’ famous teaching that Matthew records in Matthew 6:25-34. Whether these record different occasions or separate accounts of the same occasion is unimportant. It is entirely possible that Jesus taught the same content on multiple occasions, as most teachers do. It is also possible that Luke, not having been present at the time, was using someone else’s notes of what Jesus said, and that person hadn’t picked up on the same points as Matthew. That said, it is this verse that is strikingly unique to Luke’s version. Matthew and Luke both record Jesus as telling us to seek God’s kingdom, but only Luke tells us not to worry about it, because God’s got it all worked out. That’s entirely consistent with what Matthew records, but it puts the point on God’s kingdom being God’s business, and He’s giving it to us. We can’t earn God’s kingdom, nor even get there by our own labors. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it needs to be our first priority, our final goal. Paul famously pointed out, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) In other words, God is giving us His kingdom out of His own mercy and love, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have anything to do. That’s why Jesus told us to “seek” the kingdom. We aren’t to take God’s grace for granted, but we are to be supremely grateful for it, responding to Him with the obedience that comes from love. The devil wants us to be anxious, afraid that we’re going to lose it all, but God wants us to have none of the devil’s lies. We aren’t to focus on our weaknesses and failures, but rather on the omnipotent grace and love of God.

I’m very grateful God directed me to this verse for this year. We certainly qualify as a “little flock!” I have been hit with all sorts of anxieties, virtually all coming from human weakness, either in me or in someone else. I worry about individuals’ faithfulness to the Lord, when I can’t control that in any case. I worry about a successor, since I am already past what many people consider retirement age, but this is Jesus’ church, and not mine or a denomination’s. I worry about health, in my wife and in myself, when, as it says in verses 25 and 26 of this same chapter, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (I am to be a faithful steward of this body I’ve been given, but not be anxious about it.) I don’t know what God’s plans for us are in this new year, but I can have peace and joy in the assurance that they are good. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Father, thank You for this glorious reminder on the first day of a new year. Thank You for the two totally new people who showed up around 11:30 last night for our Watchnight service. I don’t know how You plan to bless them, or us, but I thank You for that very real encouragement. I pray that throughout this year we would indeed seek Your kingdom, with all that means, for Your plans to be fulfilled in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Context; December 31, 2018

Posted on January 2, 2019 by jgarrott

Isaiah 43:189 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.”

Context is essential when reading the Bible. God has just referenced when He divided the Red Sea, which was several hundred years in the past when He said this to Isaiah, so this isn’t a matter of forgetting history. There is a lot of truth to the modern proverb that says, “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.” That is evident today in the young people who are enamored of socialism, because they have no historical context for the damage those nice-sounding words have done over the past Century and more. That’s all the more ironic when we have a contemporary example in what is going on in Venezuela right now. What God is saying to and through Isaiah is that we aren’t to be bound by the past. We have a natural inclination to feel that we will never rise above our past experiences, our past performance. We should acknowledge our weaknesses, but we must always remember that God is greater than those weaknesses, and indeed greater than everything else put together, because He is infinite. Right after this He reminds Isaiah of His provision even in difficult circumstances, specifically water in the desert, which is an image people in the Middle East could really relate to. This year our Scripture for the Year has been Jeremiah 32:27. “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” No circumstance is too difficult for God to overcome. Calendars are arbitrary, but we have used them for thousands of years, because the passage of time does make a difference in the human experience. On this last day of the year (as we currently calculate years) it is valuable and even important to learn from the past but not let it bind us in the future. We are to be looking forward to what God has in store, knowing that His plans for us are good, (Jeremiah 29:11) whatever things look like in the short term.

I have great assurance that it was God who led me to choose this passage for today when I was making up the Scripture list. It is certainly applicable to me and my circumstances! We have been in Omura for 37 years now, and I am currently 70 years old. However, Moses was 80 when God told him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, and His power has certainly not diminished. I have tried all sorts of things over the years, and none of them have been particularly effective in getting people to accept the Gospel as applying to them. However, yesterday as I was doing some organizing I found that we have a lot of manga tracts, and the idea came to me of distributing them to school children. We have a lot of children who go by here every day, from elementary through high school, because we are close to several schools. We haven’t had a specifically children’s ministry for over 10 years, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t God’s timing. I am not to disregard God’s leading just because “I’ve tried that.” It has been said that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result, but God has seasons for everything and I am to be obedient to Him, whatever my past experience might say to me.

Father, thank You for this clear, encouraging Word. Thank You for the service yesterday, and that it was genuine worship even without a sermon. Help me indeed shift my focus to You in everything, so that I may be fully responsive to all that You want to do in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Knowing; December 30, 2018

Posted on January 1, 2019 by jgarrott

1 John 5:20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

John closes his letter with three “We know” statements. It’s important to know things, to have them settled in our hearts and minds. That’s actually not a very “politically correct” thing to say, because the devil wants us to think that everything is relative, and what is “true” for one person might not be “true” for another. He does all that he can to sabotage the very idea that there is an absolute Creator who cannot be anything less than true. Indeed, our understanding is often faulty, and it is imperative that we maintain humility, but as this verse says, that very Creator does give us understanding so that we may know Him, and in the process know some other things too. I think it was Karl Barth who, when asked what was the deepest thing he had discovered in all his years as a highly respected theologian, replied, “Jesus loves me. This I know for the Bible tells me so.” Whatever you think of Barth’s theology otherwise, that statement is profoundly true. We need to get a few things firmly settled in our hearts and minds, or otherwise we will be vulnerable to all sorts of attacks. Paul described it as “Infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14) The Bible speaks many times of God being our Rock, our foundation. Without that foundation, the first storm that comes along is going to do us in, as Jesus so famously said. (Matthew 7:24-27) We need to remember that in that parable, Jesus expressly spoke of “He who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice.” (Matthew 7:24) Strictly head knowledge isn’t much use; we’ve got to apply what we know. In other words, if I know that God loves me and wants the best for me, how is that going to affect the way I live? If I know that God is holy and calls me to be like Him, what choices will I make? Some humanists insist that we can’t really know things – but are adamant that they know that! As John says here, God gives us understanding. (The Japanese says, “The power to understand.”) It’s all grace, so there’s no room for pride, and our level of knowledge is certainly limited. As Paul pointed out, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:9, 12) That’s one of the many things to look forward to in heaven! For right now, one thing is enough: “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

This is very close to home for me because I like knowing stuff. However, I understand that accumulating facts is no more than a trivial hobby. My goal is like that of Paul: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11) (There is no uncertainly as to whether I will “attain to the resurrection,” but rather a lack of knowledge as to exactly how that is going to come about.) I have had, and continue to have, many misunderstandings and misconceptions, as well as accepting wrong information at times, so I must maintain humility, but at the same time I must not budge from the things God has engraved on my heart by His Spirit. I am to speak the truth in love at all times, so that others may know God by what they see and hear through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for reminding me again and again of the things I already know, because I am so prone to let them slide, as if I didn’t really know them. Help me be firm and faithful as Your servant, Your child, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Victory; December 29, 2018

Posted on December 31, 2018 by jgarrott

1 John 5:3-5 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

There is so much of extreme value and importance in this chapter! That’s why meditation on the Word is so valuable: we can’t take it in by just casual reading. Some people would think this particular passage is largely theoretical, but it is actually extremely practical. We tend to say we love God, but John here quotes what he heard Jesus said in the Upper Room: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) That’s where the rubber hits the road! In our human foolishness, we tend to rebel against God’s commands, but here John expresses why that is so very foolish: it is obedient faith that brings us victory in all the challenges of life. The devil wants us to think that God’s commands are just to bind us and hold us back, when nothing could be further from the truth. Where they hold us back, it is to keep us from going over the edge of the cliff! Properly understood, God’s commands should be a source of deep gratitude. That’s the position the writer of Psalm 119 had come to, which is why that Psalm is so worthy of meditation. Many people feel defeated in life, and here we have the secret to consistent victory: obedient faith. There is no end to the self-help books that promise victory in various areas. Some of them may be helpful, but here we have the key that unlocks it all. One problem that many people have is their understanding of what it means that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. If we fail to see God as infinite and absolute, we can’t grasp what and how much it means that Jesus is the Son of God. That’s why they devil works so hard to erode the belief in absolute truth of any kind. In recent years he has been sadly successful! If we want victory in life, and who doesn’t, then we have to accept that God is God, and He loves us so much that He sent His Son, and live accordingly.

This is of extreme relevance to me, not just personally but in my ministry in Japan. A major problem with the spread of the Gospel in Japan has been the lack of belief in an absolute, omnipotent Creator. Japan calls itself “The Land of 8 Million Gods,” and there are quite probably more than that even in Shinto, which is where the expression came from. When you add in Japanese Buddhism, which essentially makes anyone who dies an object of worship, you get many times that number. That makes the commitment even of many Japanese church members rather shaky. If things don’t seem to be working out as they try “this Christian thing,” they are all too prone to dump it and try something else. There’s naturally no victory in that! However, that attitude isn’t limited to Japan. I know of Americans who have seemed to be very earnest Christians who have suddenly turned their backs on the whole thing. The devil has deceived them, blinding them to the truth that is expressed here. I am to pray for all such people that the Truth may indeed set them free. (John 8:32) Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not be able to stand against His Church, made up of those who have genuinely acknowledged Him as Lord. (Matthew 16:18) I am to be sure that I am in that number, and speak the truth in love so that as many people as possible may be added to it.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I am reminded all too often of my own inability to be victorious. Help me indeed take my eyes off of myself and fix them on Jesus, (Hebrews 12:2) just as I encourage others to do, so that we may all experience the victory that is ours in Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Agape Love; December 28, 2018

Posted on December 31, 2018 by jgarrott

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

The more you read 1 John 4, the more you realize you don’t really understand agape love. God had a reason for choosing Greek for the dissemination of the Gospel! We have fears of various sorts and we struggle with loving those around us, which proves that this verse is true. The thing is, we need to have the humility to admit that we haven’t been made perfect in love, and yield ourselves to God for His love to flow through us, replacing our own, highly imperfect love. The rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, has a number of problems theologically, but one song from it has a kernel of deep truth in it: I Don’t Know How to Love Him. If we are honest, we all have to make that confession. Our concepts of love are so distorted by so many things, both within us and from outside us, that without the help of the Holy Spirit, we have little hope of getting it all straight. For example, there are those who think they are motivated by love in forcing girls to go through FGM, and there are others who think that love means spoiling children rotten. Either of those is a sad distortion. What complicates it all is that our distorted view of love colors how we see God, since He is Love, as John says in this very chapter. It should be totally obvious that God isn’t self-centered and/or erotic love! All of us have tasted agape love, both receiving it and, at least in flashes, letting it flow through us. The point is to learn more and more about it, to recognize it and not be deceived by the countless imitations. That’s why John wrote this passage. Fear is within us, so it is a reliable gauge of our level of love. There is a lot in the world to make us afraid, so this is constantly being tested. When we have a perfect appreciation of God’s love for us, fear becomes a non-issue, and we allow God’s love to flow through us, even to those who are perhaps killing us. That is a high standard indeed!

I feel like I have a better grasp of agape than many, but when I look at it this way, I see that I’m not yet “made perfect.” However, I can say that yielding to God’s love does make fear fly out the window. John’s remark about punishment rings true when I realize how many of my fears are related to my own failures. It’s not at all that I’m to be cavalier about sin of any sort, but God’s grace is indeed greater than all my sins, just as the hymn says, and His love covers over them all. (Proverbs 10:12, 1 Peter 4:8) I’ve also got to realize that applies to the sins of everyone else as well. I am to pray for those who sin against me, just as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:44) and allow His love to erase the impact of their sin in my life. That’s not easy! The longer I serve as a spiritual father to many, the better I understand how we all break our heavenly Father’s heart in many ways. I need to let His love flow through me more and more, to wash out all the junk and make me into the loving child that He desires.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do ask for Your wisdom and guidance in expressing Your love to those around me, especially to Your wandering sheep. Help me correct and admonish as necessary, but always keep Your love primary and in the forefront. I can’t do that on my own! May I be increasingly effective as a vessel, an agent of Your love, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Love; December 27, 2018

Posted on December 30, 2018 by jgarrott

1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

John wrote a good bit on this theme, but he was only echoing what he saw and heard in Jesus. In this, love is like faith: it is internal, but it is demonstrated in action. Jesus famously talked about the connection between love and obedience. (John 14:15 etc.) He was speaking expressly about our love for God, but John, the “beloved disciple,” (John 13:23, etc.) is here extending that to our love for those around us, which Jesus also commanded. (John 13:34) It may be simply a matter of standard idiom, but I like the fact that the Japanese inserts “just” into this verse: “love just in words or tongue.” Words are important, particularly in the marital relationship, but words alone are empty. Some people, and indeed some cultures, choke on verbal expressions of love. That is very sad indeed. However, verbal expressions mean nothing if actions don’t back them up.

I was greatly blessed to be raised by parents who were verbally and physically affectionate, both to each other and to us their children. “I love you,” has never been especially hard for me to say. However, I well remember the very true words of a chapel speaker while I was in college. “Girls, sometimes when a guy says, ‘I love you,’ what he really means is, ‘I love me, and I want you bad.’” I have a gift for words, and am seldom at a loss for something to say. However, if my actions don’t back up what I say, I am a hypocrite. That is closely tied to my motivational gifting, as in Romans 12:6-8. I am very strongly Teacher gifting, but a major weakness of that gifting is the tendency to feel, “If I say it, that makes it so.” That doesn’t make it so! My words are true only as they reflect God’s truth, and my expressions of love are true only as they are reflected in my actions. God was the only exception to this, as He spoke the universe into being as it records in Genesis 1. I am as much in danger as anyone else of falling into “Do as I say, not as I do.” The Bible is remarkably unified in saying that doesn’t cut it. Many of the Old Testament prophets spoke strongly against people going through the motions and saying the right things without their hearts and lives reflecting what they were saying. In my teaching, I’ve got to come alongside people and show them how to do the things I’m teaching them. My Teacher gifting wants to just say it and be done with it! I still have plenty of room to grow, as a teacher and generally as a disciple of Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate example of speaking nothing but truth, and then backing it up with His very life.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I deal with people constantly who say one thing and do another. Sometimes it’s angering, sometimes it’s disgusting, and sometimes it breaks my heart. Thank You for the lessons in what You experience constantly with us Your children. Help me remember my own weaknesses and failures and extend to others the patience and grace You have poured out on me, so that the lies of the devil may be defeated and people brought out into the liberty of Your Spirit, (2 Corinthians 3:17) for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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End Times; December 26, 2018

Posted on December 30, 2018 by jgarrott

2 Peter 3:11-12 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

You have to wonder, reading verses 10 through 13, what sort of revelation Peter had been given about the end of the world as we know it. It seems remarkably specific, and in keeping with something on the order of a major meteorite strike. It certainly brings to mind one of the prophecies that was put to music in Handel’s Messiah. “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?” (Malachi 3:2) Putting all that aside, the rhetorical question Peter asks here is a very important one. Since everything we see is temporary, what implication does that have for our daily lives? Peter’s answer to his question is entirely logical. Rather than fixating on the temporary stuff, we need to be focused on the eternal, that is, God, and how He wants us to live. If that is our focus, we can indeed “look forward” to the destruction of everything material. At this point Peter says something that is a mystery to this day, hotly debated in various theological circles. How can we “speed” the day of the Lord? The most common, and to me logical, answer goes back to something Jesus said about the Last Days. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) Since we are the ones who preach, we are an integral part in God’s plan for the End Times. We need to be earnest in communicating the Good News of the kingdom to everyone, one person at a time.

In a sense I have been involved in this my whole life, since I am a missionary and a child of missionaries. However, as I seek to share the Gospel with others, I certainly must not neglect how I live my own life. I too must live a holy and Godly life! I too am easily distracted by the material. As a geek, I delight in machines and tools of all sorts. As a photographer, I delight to record the beauties of God’s creation. Those aren’t bad in themselves, but my focus must first and foremost be on God, with gratitude for all that He provides but not valuing the gift above the Giver. And of course, my highest task is speaking God’s truth in love so that as many as will may repent and believe, for their salvation and the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that the pressures leading up to Christmas are past. Thank You that I go back to the doctor today about my vocal cords. Thank You for the reminder that every part of my body is temporary, too. Help me indeed make the use that You intend, not only of every part of my body but also of everything else You place in my hands, as a faithful steward, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Fear of the Lord; December 25, 2018

Posted on December 27, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 2:9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

As familiar as the Christmas story is, this little detail often gets overlooked. Angels are scary, and the glory of the Lord will scare the socks off of you! I think the present generation could be described as having a famine of the fear of the Lord. Amos 8:11 speaks of a famine of hearing the words of the Lord, but these days there are preachers in abundance. What is lacking is the right response. When we fail to fear the Lord we fail to respect what He says to us and take it to heart. These shepherds were scared witless, but at least they had the sense to go looking for the baby they had been told about. The
Bible says repeatedly that the fear of the Lord is essential for wisdom. The book of Job is said to be one of the oldest in the Bible, and it states clearly, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28) That is why there is so much foolishness in the world, and so little understanding. People flock to evil instead of shunning it! If the Church operated more in the presence and power of God, we would have more of the response that was given to the believers right after Pentecost: “No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” (Acts 5:13-14) Because they were manifesting the power of God, people were scared to enter their meetings, but on a personal level, believers were sharing Christ and people got saved. Platitudes do not generate that sort of response, but the presence and power of God does.

This is something I’ve understood for a long time, yet I haven’t acted on it sufficiently. I certainly can’t dictate to God how he manifests Himself, where and when, nor should I try. However, I can and must live a life that is welcoming to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to do whatever He likes in and through me. For that to happen, I’ve got to fear the Lord appropriately myself! I was raised with a strong awareness of the love of God, and sometimes the fear of Him gets lost in the shuffle. He is totally holy, and He does not delight in any sort of unholiness. I don’t think He wants me to be a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher, but His words through me should generate respect and obedience, as well as peace and love.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You did in the service last night. Thank You that our newest neighbors showed up, and seemed to have a good time. Thank You that two of my nursing students also came, and seemed quite captivated. There were those we were very disappointed not to see, but You clearly were working. I pray that we would follow up as You intend, so that Your will may be done on every level, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Government; December 24, 2018

Posted on December 27, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and for ever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

This has been a justly famous Messianic prophecy for over 2500 years, and in that period of time understanding of various terms in it has shifted considerably. When English speakers hear “government,” they think of the mess going on in Washington or London, but the Japanese translation corrects that by rendering it as “Lordship.” At least over the past 200 years, our image of government has shifted to bureaucracy, when that wasn’t what Isaiah was talking about. Angels aren’t bureaucrats, and Church leaders shouldn’t be either! This is talking about what Jesus told us to pray for: “May Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus didn’t come to earth to found a self-help club, to proclaim, “Your best life now.” He came the first time to provide a way for people to get right with God before He comes again with absolute authority, to destroy those who have thumbed their noses at God. (2 Thessalonians 2:8) The Good News is that in His first coming He provided a way for us not to be terrified and then annihilated at His second coming! Right now we have the opportunity to submit to His Lordship voluntarily, and by repentance and faith receive the rights of sonship. (John 1:12) That is grace indeed!

Just yesterday I spoke on “Lord Jesus.” I am increasingly aware that joyful submission to His Lordship is what it’s all about. The news out of Washington (and other capitals) is alternatively depressing and disgusting, and only occasionally encouraging. That’s what human government brings us. I am to be committed to the government, the Lordship, of Jesus Christ in my own life, and pray for it to be established throughout the world, just as Jesus told us to do. I am to continue to speak the truth in love in every situation, whether it is to my hurting neighbor or, as the saying goes, “speaking truth to power.” I am to fear nothing temporal, knowing that I serve the King of kings and Lord of lords, but do so with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15-16) I am never to press for my authority but be totally submitted to Christ, allowing His authority to flow through me to accomplish His will for His glory. I am to be a joyful participant in His kingdom, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for Your plans for today. I pray that I would be fully prepared for tonight, and that Your plans would be fulfilled in every detail. Thank You for all who were impacted by our caroling last night, and all who will come to the Eve service tonight. I pray that Your Spirit would have full reign, touching everyone involved – me included – so that indeed, Your name would be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come in many lives as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Part and Our Part; December 23, 2018

Posted on December 26, 2018 by jgarrott

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Christian living is always a tension between what God has already done for us in Christ and our part in laying hold of that gracious provision. This verse talks about what God has already given us, but then Peter goes on to talk about all the things we need to do in the process, specifically saying “make every effort.” (verse 5) We tend to trip up on both sides of that equation, either failing to believe that God has really provided everything we need, or else getting spiritually (or physically) lazy and failing to hold up our end of the deal. We are indeed totally dependent on God’s grace, but at the same time we aren’t to be passive. Human language becomes contradictory if we try to talk about it, with Hebrews saying things like “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.” (Hebrews 4:11) By definition, rest is the opposite of effort! One thing we discover is that whereas our effort is called for, it is never enough by itself; we will always fail if we don’t recognize our dependence on God. That is why legalism is so deadly: it tries to replace God’s grace with rules. It’s really much easier to have a set of rules and just go by them, letting routine ritual replace active commitment, but Church history is littered with the wreckage caused by people who have lived that way. We need to keep pressing in, recognizing that God wants all of us and that we aren’t fully there yet, just as Paul recognized. (Philippians 3:12-14)

This is certainly the story of my life! Verse 9 was powerfully instrumental in freeing me from a besetting sin, but I still have weakness in that area. God has poured His blessings out on me, but I haven’t been the most faithful of stewards. I know full well that God has already provided more than I could ask or think, (Ephesians 3:20) but I teeter in the balance between anxiety and presumption. God has told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice, but at the same time I recognize the dangers of presumption and laziness. I’ve got to trust Him, because I’m certainly not trustworthy! This Christmas two major items were taken off of my schedule, which has made it easier for me, but that hasn’t made much of a dent on the pressures Cathy feels. Many people have been, are being, and will be blessed by all she has done and is doing, but in the process she wears herself out. That’s something over which I have little or no control. I am to support her, as God shows me and she allows me to do, but it can be a real test of my own faith and obedience. Today we have the 4th Advent service, and then tonight we go caroling, and tomorrow we have the Christmas Eve candlelight service. God has already provided everything necessary for all of it, but I’ve got to be intentional in listening to Him and doing things as He says, and not according to either habit or anxiety.

Father, thank You for continuing to stretch, grow, and train me, even when I complain about the process. I pray that I would indeed trust Your provision totally while being fully faithful in my response, expressing love by obedience, (John 14:15) for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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