Would your faith be made easier by having a Lord you could see?

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Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. Hebrews 11:1-3

Would your faith be made easier by having a Lord you could see?

Over the years the people of Israel had experienced a rhythm of revival and regression, domination and defeat. Finally, they had an answer for all their problems, we want a king! They had God but how much better it would have been if they had a flesh and blood king like all the neighboring nations.  Instead of listening to the prophet Samuel’s warnings about what it would be like to live under a king, “the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.” (I Samuel 8:19-20)

“Yahweh alone was King over Israel, the prophets thundered: to be feared, to be loved, above all else to be obeyed. When the people decided they wanted a king of flesh and blood like all the other nations, Samuel warned them that the consequences would be tragic (1 Samuel 8:4-18), and history proved him correct in every particular. In the long run Israel as king and kingdom vanished from history altogether.” (Frederick Buechner)

Mark Buchanan tells the story of musician Ray Charles who went blind at age seven. “He lived his childhood in rural poverty, in a one-room shack at the edge of a sharecropper’s field. In the movie about him, in a scene from his childhood, he runs into his house and trips over a chair. He starts to wail for his mother. She stands at the stove, right in front of him, and instinctively reaches out to lift him. Then she stops. Backs up. Stands still. Watches.

Ray stops crying. He quiets. He listens. He hears, behind him, the water on the woodstove whistling to a boil. He hears, outside, the wind pass like a hand through cornstalks. He hears the thud of horse hooves on the road, the creak and clatter of the wagon they pull. Then he hears, in front of him, the thin faint scratch of a grasshopper walking the worn floorboards of his mama’s cottage. He inches over and, attentive now to every sigh and twitch, gathers the tiny insect in his hand. He holds it in his open palm. “I hear you, too, Mama,” he says. She weeps with pride and sorrow and wonder.” Charles later explains to someone, “I hear like you see.”

To “hear like you see” beautifully describes the faith that allows us to see beyond our physical realm of life. You may think “flesh and blood” answers will solve all the problems but they seldom do. Living a God-focused faith allows you to hear like others see. It allows you to enter deeper into the heart of God than any physical senses can ever take you. Living a God-focused faith allows us to see what others will never see.

Israel looked for their answers in a flesh and blood king but was quickly disappointed. Today we look for answers in “flesh and blood” solutions. If only this political party could be elected, they would solve all our nation’s problems. If only our elected officials would act boldly against neighboring countries. If only…. becomes the “flesh and blood king” that never can provide a future.

Would your faith be made easier by having a Lord you could see? Without a doubt but the great thing, we have that LORD.

He is called Jesus-Immanuel; God is with us. He is called “Our Father” who provides for us, forgives us, and leads us.  He is called Jesus-the Good Shepherd. He is called Jesus-the Resurrection and the Life. He is our Advocate.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. –Psalm 121

God is great,

 

 

Your Treasure Chest

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Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

“How much money is enough?” John D. Rockefeller responded to the reporter’s question with his answer, “Just a little bit more.” Rockefeller would amass a fortune becoming the first billionaire in the United States before his death at 97. Yet I think Rockefeller fully understood the “little bit more” could not be held onto for eternity. Rockefeller who daily read his Bible, attended prayer meetings twice a week and led a Bible study along with his wife understood the temporary status of his treasure. A lot of his giving was church-related; generous to Baptist missionary causes, funding universities and social ministries.

What is the value you place on your treasures? Rockefeller used the wealth entrusted to him “where moths and rust cannot destroy.” Unfortunately, we often don’t realize the real value of something until it is gone. It could be something material or lost intimacy with a family member or a relationship with God. An antiques enthusiast in Connecticut could easily relate to Jesus’ parable in Matthew; “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (13:44)

The antiques hunter came across an interesting looking porcelain bowl at a yard sale in New Haven, Connecticut paying $35 for the bowl. The buyer did some research and found out the bowl was a 15th century Ming Dynasty-era piece. The yard sale $35 bowl ended up selling for $721,800 at a Sotheby action. Angela McAteer with Sotheby said it was a once in a lifetime discovery. McAteer said, “How the bowl ended up at a Connecticut yard sale remains a mystery. It’s possible it was passed down through generations of the same family who did not know how unique it was.”

How easy do you discard your treasure? A 64-year-old man in southeast Germany found two framed paintings in a roadside dumpster. The paintings were actually 17th century original portraits by Italian artist Pietro Bellotti and Dutch artist Samuel van Hoogstraten. The police launched an investigation on how two priceless artifacts ended up in the trash can. I am pretty certain that whoever threw out the two paintings had no idea of their real value.

Time after time Jesus confronted the religious leaders of the day because they repeatedly rejected the precious gift of God’s love replacing it with worthless rituals and requirements. “The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure.” (Matthew 12:35)

Do we discard the real treasure of a friendship over a heated argument about politics? Do we discard the real treasure of a church family because of a disagreement over an issue? Do we discard the real treasure of a relationship with God because He didn’t answer a prayer the way we though He should?

In Star Winar, a most interesting article was posted on the relationship between happiness and treasure. “The most remarkable research is one done between the world’s richest and world’s poorest.  Forbes 400 “richest” list was given a survey and their satisfaction was rated at exactly the same level as did the people of Masai of Kenya and Intuit people of northern Greenland, who have no electricity or running water.

Money is a necessity to live but apparently it can’t buy happiness and that’s for you to decide.  And as the old saying goes, “Money can buy you a house but it can’t buy you a home.”

Regardless of the size of our bank account, our 401k or the square footage of our house; the real treasure is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Paul writes in 2 Corinthians that “we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” There is nothing wrong with earthly treasures if you hold them loosely. The real treasure you need to guard and hold tightly is the treasure of heaven found in Jesus Christ. One writer asked the question, “What do others see in you—the glory of God in a clay pot, or a clay pot trying to look like a treasure chest?’

God is great,

 

Alignment with God

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2 Chronicles 32 captures the story of Hezekiah, the war time King, preparing for the onslaught of an invading army that could easily destroy his kingdom.  Hezekiah had led the nation in implementing spiritual reform and leading the nation in a revival, “he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.” Yet now he is facing another threat, instead of a spiritual crisis, a physical crisis. “After these things and these acts of faithfulness, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself.” (32:1)

Hezekiah does all the necessary and proper preparations for war; outside the wall he built another wall, reinforced the inner city, made weapons and shields in abundance and appointed commanders. As the vast army of King Sennacherib moved into place, Hezekiah rallied the nation.

Hezekiah understood the importance of making all the standard military preparations, but he knew, more importantly, that prayer was an essential and critical part of preparing for battle. Standing before the people he encouraged them saying, “Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and the horde that is with him; for there is one greater with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

Crisis leadership brings out the best and the worst in leaders. Franklin D. Roosevelt reassured a nation with his famous fireside chats throughout the years of the Great Depression and ultimately World War II. England’s opposition leader, Hugh Dalton, said of Winston Churchill that he was “the only man we have for this hour.” Churchill led his nation through the difficult years of the war with determination, focus and energy until victory was achieved. Yet in the years following, he failed as a peace-time leader.

Hezekiah did well in crisis; for he trusted fully in the LORD. Yet in prosperity and peace, Hezekiah didn’t do well as “many brought gifts to the LORD in Jerusalem and precious things to King Hezekiah of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.” In the years of peace and prosperity, Hezekiah failed to keep his eyes on God and focused more on the adoration and praise given him by others.

How easy to forget God when life is easy, when the storehouse is full. We can never stray from staying in alignment with God. Our pride will be our downfall – personally, or as a nation. “Sin is not what is wrong with our minds; it is the catastrophic disorder in which we find ourselves at odds with God.” (Eugene Peterson)

“Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” Thankfully God welcomes repentance as Hezekiah awakened to the reality of his pride and arrogance. “A soldier asked Abba Minus if God accepted repentance. After the old man had taught him many things he said, “Tell me, my dear, if your cloak is torn, do you throw it away” He replied, “No, I mend it and use it again.” The old man said to him, “If you are so careful about your cloak, will not God be equally careful about his creature?”

History is filled with leaders who did well in crisis yet failed miserably in peace. Living in the darkness of crisis leaves us with only two options: turning to God or living in hopelessness. Yet living in the light of peace also leaves us with only two options: staying focused on God or living for self. Eugene Peterson says it well “When we pray, we immerse ourselves in the living presence of God. When we pray the Psalms we pray through all the parts of our lives and our history and cover the ground of our intricate implication in sin.”

Lord, as You give us our daily bread, let us receive it with thankfulness. If You give us peace, let us live with our eyes on You. If You give us a crisis, let us never forget, “with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

God is great,