He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
"There is one kind of mercy by which [God] restores us from death to life, while as yet we are strangers to him, and another by which he sustains this restored life; for that blessing would forthwith be lost did he not confirm it in us by daily pardoning our sins. Whence also we gather how egregiously the Papists trifle in imagining that the free remission of sins is bestowed only once, and that afterwards righteousness is acquired or retained by the merit of good works, and that whatever guilt we contract is removed by satisfactions. Here David does not limit to a moment of time the mercy by which God reconciles us to himself in not imputing to us our sins, but extends it even to the close of life."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
"The Wisdom of Counsel"
Exodus 18
18:1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, �I have been a sojourner in a foreign land�), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, �The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh�). 5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, �I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,� 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 Jethro said, �Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.� 12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.
13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, �What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?� 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, �Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.� 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, �What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.�
24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.
The Lord often encourages his people to seek the counsel of others when they have a difficult decision to make. I realize that, in the chapter from Exodus above, Moses did not exactly seek Jethro's counsel, but Jethro felt comfortable coming to Moses with his thoughts, and Moses received them. It was, in fact, very wise counsel, as Moses was attempting to handle everything himself.
Proverbs 11:14 agrees that there is safety in an abundance of counselors. Keep in mind, of course, that the Bible doesn't necessarily mean that just because a large group of people agree on something, that this makes it right. It kind of assumes that we will seek wise counsel. When we seek counsel, we need to be sure we are asking experienced, godly people.
Biblical wisdom is sound, and should be our final authority. But sometimes, we need wisdom from someone who is not quite so close to the situation, especially when our emotions are running amok. (I like that word, "amok.") This is one area where we can benefit from elderly people in our churches. Once again, remembering the qualifier "wise."
"Grace and A Grateful Heart"
2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
"Living under the grace of God instead of under a sense of duty frees us from a self-serving motivation." I love this devotional book! Living under grace frees us to obey out of love and gratitude (and as "fruit"). "Consequently, a heartfelt grasp of God's grace--far from creating an indifferent or careless attitude in us--will actually provide us the only motivation that is pleasing to Him."
Example: The author cites a man he knew who, all his life, faithfully tithed exactly ten percent. Never less, and probably never more. When asked why, the man replied that he was afraid not to. So his motivation for tithing was not from a joyful and grateful heart, it was from fear. This does not, and cannot please God!
In the verse above, Paul is pointing to Christ's grace as a motivation to give. He wasn't trying to guilt the Corinthians into giving. He wanted them to give from a sense of gratitude for God's grace--"as a cheerful, loving response to what God had already given them in Christ."
God loves a cheerful giver, right?
I also thank you that I have people in my life that I can consider to be "wise counsel." It is amazing to me sometimes, the great friends that you have brought into my life in the past few years. I am so grateful. Let me never become so selfish that I refuse to seek counsel when necessary.
Finally, Lord, I thank you that you have instilled within me a good grasp on your grace. What I do, I do willingly for you, both out of gratitude, and because I love you. The works that I do are "fruit." They are not ever to try to win your favor or to make you love me more. I realize that there is nothing I can do to get you to love me more. And it is with great humility and awe that I also realize that there is nothing I could do that would make you love me less. Praises be to you, God!
Pray for our safety from domestic Islamist terrorists whose activity seems to be increasing.
An Illinois man was ordered held on Thursday on charges he tried to blow up a federal building in the state capital, a case unrelated to the New York terrorism plot. Michael Finton, also known as Talib Islam, was arrested in Springfield, Illinois, and charged with attempted murder of federal officers or employees and trying to use a weapon of mass destruction, charges that carry a life sentence. "Fortunately, a coordinated undercover law enforcement effort was able to thwart his efforts and ensure no one was harmed," David Kris, assistant Attorney General for National Security, said in a statement. Finton was arrested on Wednesday in Springfield as he used a cell phone to try to detonate the bomb he believed was inside a van he had just parked outside the federal building. Other terror-related activity included the arrest of a 19 year old suspect who tried to detonate a bomb under a 60 story office building in Dallas.
Indeed. That's a little too close to home, doncha know?
Grace and peace, friends!