Category Archives: faithfulness

Teach Your Children Well – Psalm 78:1-7

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“O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable…We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders…He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands” (Psalm 78:1-7, NLT).

The lyrics of a 1970s folk song say to teach your children well and feed them on your dreams. That’s the message of this psalm.

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Enemy Occupied Territory – Exodus 6:5-6

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“You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them. Therefore, say to the people of Israel: I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment” (Exodus 6:5-6, NLT).

Moses was commissioned by God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. Before confronting Pharaoh, Moses and his brother Aaron met with the Israelite leaders and rallied them with the hope that God would rescue them from Egyptian slavery, as stated in these verses.

When Moses and Aaron demanded in God’s name that Pharaoh release the Israelites, Pharaoh considered their demands an affront to his own sovereignty and reacted by increasing the Israelites’ workloads to an overwhelming level.

The more Moses demanded the release of the Israelites, the tougher Pharaoh made their lives.

This defining moment in the history of Israel is a classic case of the adversity one may encounter individually and collectively when trying to live faithfully for God.

When we are trying to live for God and obey Him, we should not be surprised or dismayed when we are confronted by hardships and adversities.

Because we live in enemy-occupied territory!

There is a dark power in the universe, Satan the devil, who was created by God but rebelled against Him.

And, Satan enticed humanity to commit the same sin (rebellion) he did. When humanity joined Satan in his rebellion against God, we became natural born citizens of Satan’s domain.

Since this dark power was originally created by God, his insurrection does not even constitute a war between equal or independent powers. It is more like a civil war—an uprising of a subversive political faction trying to overthrow a legitimate government.

And the main issue in this conflict is not an individual’s personal sins, though one’s sins may be many or few.

The real issue in this cosmic conflict is where your allegiance is—you are either a part of the rebellion or a citizen of God’s Kingdom (Colossians 1:12-13).

Satan and his cohorts continuously attempt to thwart the plans and purposes of God’s Kingdom that are being carried out by God’s people. And, Satan does not give up any ground without a fight!

But remember that God works best when all seems lost, when there’s no hope, when failure is inevitable, when it seems impossible to succeed!

So, we must stand firm in our faith when Satan causes adversity to attempt to deter us from obeying God.

We know that God will eventually rescue us and secure the final victory in our behalf.

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11, NLT) 

Running the Family Business – Matthew 25:29-30

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“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:29-30, NLT).

One of the parables Jesus told in response to questions from His disciples about the end of the world and when it will occur was about a man leaving on a journey who entrusted his business to his servants while he was gone.

He gave five bags of silver to one, two to another, and one to another, each according to his ability.

The servant with five bags of silver invested it and gained five more, the servant with two gained two more, but the servant with one hid it in a hole in the ground.

When the master returned and settled accounts with them, the servants receiving the five and two reported they gained the same amount back and the master rewarded them accordingly.

The servant burying his money returned it and the master rebuked him for not making any interest on his money and gave his one bag of silver to the servant with ten.

Jesus told this story as a warning to his disciples that they should be occupied with the business of advancing His Kingdom until He returns to claim it. But, in retelling this story, we commonly highlight the achievements of the faithful servants to the neglect of the unfaithful servant, who was really the focus of the story.

The parable reminds us that we must be good stewards of the gifts and abilities God gives us to advance His Kingdom.

In other words, we must be productive citizens of God’s Kingdom!

Now, if we interpret this parable to mean that the servants represent believers or disciples of Jesus, then the fate of the servant who received one bag of silver causes me some concern, even alarm!

It means that Jesus is essentially saying that whoever does not use their God-given gifts and abilities to be productive for the Kingdom of God will not only lose what God has given them, it will be given to productive citizens, and the unproductive ones will be cast aside or separated from God!

And, everyone who is productive will be given more, even to an abundance!

Depending on your theological position, either the unfaithful servant was never “saved” in the first place or he lost his “salvation” somewhere along the way because of his unfaithfulness.

Regardless of your theological point of view, you must conclude that this parable is a stern warning that a faithful servant must remain faithful to the end by remaining occupied with the business of advancing God’s Kingdom, be being productive for God’s Kingdom.

God has left the family business in our care. He expects us to run it for Him and be productive in running it until Jesus returns!

God’s Merit Badges – Job 36:15

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“God rescues the afflicted by their affliction; He instructs them by their torment” (Job 36:15, HCSB).

In the story of Job, Elihu was the fourth and last to speak from among Job’s friends. Elihu was younger than the others and waited to speak, giving deference to the older men.

Though younger, Elihu believed he was speaking God’s truth in confronting Job, but he claimed neither human superiority nor inferiority to Job.

Elihu had listened carefully to Job’s claims of being pure and innocent and being unjustly oppressed by God.

And Elihu reminded Job that as a human being, he was not in a position to bring accusations against God, his Creator.

Elihu declared to Job that instead of being a sign of God’s unconcern as Job had supposed, affliction was a mark of God’s mercy, keeping one from the path of iniquity.

In other words, the very thing that afflicts you may also be what saves you.

God can use your affliction to rescue and restore you to Him and His will. Your affliction can spiritually develop you into a human being that is prepared for spending eternity with God!

Admittedly, affliction is not my first choice for spiritual growth. In fact, I like to avoid affliction as much as possible. So, I often recite from the Lord’s prayer the supplication that Jesus teaches us to pray for protection from affliction: “And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13, HCSB).

Indeed, our affliction may sometimes be one way that God deals with issues in our lives that could potentially cause us to be unfaithful. But this verse does not say that God afflicts us, but that He rescues and restores us through our affliction. (Remember, it was Satan that afflicted Job; it was Satan that tested Job, not God.)

Because affliction causes us to throw ourselves on God’s mercy!

That which causes my pain and suffering is also that which can restore me to intimacy with God.
     That which causes me to give up and quit is also that which empowers me to endure and persevere.

So what we perceive to be our problem is actually the solution to our problem!

In fact, our affliction may even prevent evil or temptation from overtaking or overcoming us: “Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity, for that is why you have been tested by affliction” (vs. 21).

When I was a boy, I joined the boy scouts. In scouting you earn merit badges for demonstrating a useful skill or a good behavior. By earning merit badges, a scout may advance in rank. Advancement in rank acknowledges the scout’s growing ability to serve others better.

Our afflictions are God’s merit badges. They are designed to empower us to become more obedient and productive as Jesus’s disciples.

“Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons.” (Hebrews 12:7, HCSB)

Destined for Greatness – Matthew 5:19

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“But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19, HCSB).

Greatness is a status to which all of us aspire in some form or fashion:
     a great leader,
          a great teacher,
               a great parent,
                    a great athlete,
                         or even a great human being!

We want to climb mountains, ride the river rapids, fly high in the sky, or race fast on the ground!

We aspire for greatness; we endeavor to achieve great things!

What’s more, God wants us to be great, but He wants us to be great in His Kingdom!

But greatness in God’s Kingdom is not measured by how many souls we’ve won, how many good deeds we’ve performed, how many times we’ve read the Bible, how many scripture verses we can quote, or even how many church services we’ve attended.

One’s stature in God’s Kingdom is determined by simply practicing and teaching the commands that God gave and were fulfilled in Jesus.

In other words, God’s great ones walk what they talk and practice what they preach! God’s great ones are obedient to the commands of God’s Word and the leading of His Spirit.

And what’s great about greatness in God’s Kingdom is that all God’s people can be great!

Greatness in God’s Kingdom is not reserved for just a select few with big accomplishments. Actually, greatness should be the identifying characteristic of every citizen in God’s Kingdom.

If you are a disciple of Jesus, you are destined for greatness in eternity by obedience to God’s commands in this present life!

“I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength” (Ephesians 1:18-19, HCSB).

Fragile: Handle With Care – Job 3:20

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“Why is light given to one burdened with grief, and life to those whose existence is bitter?” (Job 3:20, HCSB)

In the well-known story of Job, adversity came upon him to the extent that he lost everything including his wealth, family, and health. When his three friends came to sympathize and comfort him, Job posed the question in this verse.

In Job’s bout with depression he was unable to see any good or meaning to his past or future life.

And the grief counseling provided by his friends quickly degraded to faultfinding that seemed to drive Job to self-indulgent self-righteousness.

Like Job, for most of my life I had enjoyed the benefits of a “successful” lifestyle and had never really encountered significant personal tragedy. Until I experienced personal tragedy for myself, I never realized how fragile a person’s psyche can be in confronting adversity.

I always supposed myself to have a high level of mental and emotional toughness that made me invulnerable to the despondency caused by the misfortunes of life.

So I never dreamed I would be able to relate to Job!

When adversity came upon me, I often found myself falling into despair over some insignificant event of the day or by recalling some previously forgotten memory. Sometimes, I even imagined how things might have been had the tragedy not occurred or had God intervened according to my specifications.

So maybe I’m more psychologically fragile and not as well-adjusted as I had supposed I was! I had to throw myself on God’s mercy!

But, in searching for my own mental and emotional stability in adversity, I discovered an answer to Job’s question:

Faith grows and develops somewhere in the tension between vulnerability and invulnerability. When we are most vulnerable is when we can best receive God’s light and life.

But there is a dark side to vulnerability, because it also makes us susceptible to other voices that may include our own despair or the well-intentioned but maladroit advice of others like Job received from his friends.

That’s why it’s not a place we can stay for long.

Yet, neither should we be impervious to the overwhelming emotions that the tragic realities of life can stir up.

Faith is the spiritual interplay between these opposing psychological forces and faith is how we find resolution to our distress.

Through your vulnerability you receive God’s grace, and then God can develop your faith into an invulnerable faithfulness that helps you endure life’s difficulties.

Furthermore, God grows your faith so it can be shared with others.

Experiencing the pathos of personal tragedy elicits God’s overwhelming lovingkindness to sustain you past your anguish. And in so doing, you will then be empowered to share God’s grace with other suffering ones.

“The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:3-4, HCSB).

In Training for Eternity – Hebrews 12:1-2

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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

The Hebrews writer uses the metaphor of running a race to describe the life of faith.

Referring to the many examples of faith the writer identified in the previous chapter, he now advances the discussion to the matter of faithfulness–faith that endures.

Runners wear light clothing because any extra weight hinders them when they compete. Sin can “weigh” a person down who is running the race of life. But the Hebrews writer tells us how to shed the weight of sin from our life of faith: stay focused on Jesus.

Jesus is like a racing champion because He has already lived, died, and been resurrected. He sets the pace for the race we are running.

When we do, He sends us a personal trainer for our faith, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit trains us by perfecting our faith so that we will finish the race.

This life is a training ground for eternity. When you keep your focus on Jesus, then God can train and discipline you in a way that strengthens your endurance and makes you more like Him.

“But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (Hebrews 12:10-11, NLT).

Time for a Tune-Up? – 2 Chronicles 23-24

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“And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (vs. 2). The story of Joash, king of Judah, is an object lesson we all need to take to heart. When Joash’s father, the king, died prematurely, his father’s mother usurped the throne. She had all of the royal family killed, but Joash, the infant heir to the throne, was concealed in the temple for six years by his aunt and uncle, Jehoida, the high priest. Jehoida led a coup to restore the throne to the house of David and install the rightful heir, Joash, as king. In the first part of Joash’s reign while Jehoida was alive, Joash was devoted to the restoration of the temple and adherence to God’s law. After Jehoida, the high priest, died Joash succumbed to the evil counsel of certain leaders in Judah who identified with the evil ways of Ahab, the former king of Israel and so Joash established idolatrous practices in Judah. Joash even commanded that the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Jehoida, be put to death because he spoke against the king. In a battle with the Syrians Joash was severely wounded and brought to Jerusalem where he was killed by his own officials in revenge for Zechariah’s death. King Joash’s faith was dependent upon Jehoida and once Jehoida was gone, so was Joash’s faith. Furthermore, Joash listened to bad advice from the wrong spiritual advisors. Joash couldn’t handle dissent–everyone around him had to agree with him. The lessons we can learn from Joash are to always guard your faith; don’t let your faith be based on the faith of someone else; be careful who you listen to for spiritual advice and then be careful of the spiritual advice that others give; and don’t dissociate yourself from those who disagree with you because God may be using them to reprove and discipline you! Your faith requires continual maintenance–is it time for tune-up?

Fighting Faith – I Timothy 6:12

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“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” Faith is a fight, no a battle, no a war. You have to fight for the faith and sometimes people get hurt; sometimes people get killed (see Hebrews 11). But it is a fight we should engage in, we must engage in because it’s a fight worth having–it’s a good fight. Fight to stay faithful to God and in so doing, take hold of eternal life–grasp on to eternal life and don’t let go. Fighting for the faith is a matter of fleeing from sin and vigorously pursuing godliness. You are fighting for faith in the One Who holds eternal life, “who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality” (vs 15). Contend for the faith because its end is eternal life with God, “who gives life to all things” (vs. 13).

Who Is a True Christian? – Hebrews 3:14

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“For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” Whether you believe that Christians who are once saved are always saved or if you believe that Christians can fall away, the sober warning in this passage should be taken seriously by Christians of both views. Being a Christian means you have resolved to be faithful to God no matter what happens in your life—it is a lifetime resolution. When a Christian experiences the ups and downs of life and remains faithful to God, it builds a confidence and assurance that one does, in fact, share in the eternal life of Christ. Because being a Christian doesn’t always come easy, this verse provides a grave warning to everyone who claims to be saved to examine yourself carefully to be sure that you have the fortitude and resolve to persevere in your faith in Christ. Never mind trying to figure out who is a true believer and who is not; build up your own endurance because you belong to Christ if you hold fast your confidence to the end (vs. 5, 14).