That Your Trust May Be in the LORD, I Have...

As Christians, our greatest desire should be a greater trust in the LORD.

All it takes for me is to read a chapter like Hebrews 11, and I often find myself yearning and pleading and saying, "I want a faith like Abraham's. I wish I could trust in the LORD like Moses. I wish I had the courage of Daniel."

Of course I know that faith is a gift (Eph. 2:8). And yet there are ways to cultivate it. God has given His people means of grace by which His free gift is procured.

So, though it is noble to 'humbly' yearn for a greater faith, there is much more. Yes, God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). But humility is not to be equated with idleness. In fact, in Proverbs 22, Solomon links the increased trust of a disciple with the disciple's reception and application of his "wise words."

Of course, some will object that this idea seems mechanical, robotic, and perhaps even heart-less. This concern is valid, but it must be remembered that those who belong to the new covenant have not only been given new hearts that are receptive and malleable to God's instructions, the very law of God has been written upon them (Eze. 36:26; Jer. 31:33). Put simply, those who are in Christ Jesus love His commands. John, the disciple whom the Lord Jesus loved, tells us that,

Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3, NLT)

If we love God, we will love His commands. And if we love His commands, we will keep His commands. Anyone who reads Psalm 119 can clearly see a man full of God's grace. And yet it seems that the whole psalm is law, law, law. In some Holy Spirit-inspired and mysterious way, God uses His Word, and our obedience to it by faith, to work grace deep into our lives, producing an increased trust, setting in motion a glorious cycle of blessing.

In Proverbs 22:17-19, Solomon tells us,

          Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,
              and apply your heart to my knowledge,
          for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
              if all of them are ready on your lips.
          That your trust may be in the LORD,
              I have made them know to you today, even to you.

It seems almost too basic. No magical wands. No fluttering feelings in our viscera. No mystical phenomenon. Nope. Solomon simply lays forth words of wisdom and tells his son to hide his words in his heart (cf. Psa. 119:11a).

Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the message of Christ." Of course, the inevitable objection will be that Paul is talking about missions here. True. But as one reads Paul, it is clear that he doesn't place the gargantuan divide between justification and sanctification that many of us do today. For example, in Romans 1:16, the gospel is the power of God for salvation for all who believe. But this truth is just as true for unbelievers who need to be "saved" (justified) as it is for believers who needs to be "saved" (sanctified). "Salvation" is the umbrella term that includes all 3 aspects of justification, sanctification, and glorification. And "salvation" (including sanctification) comes by hearing the Word with faith (see also Galatians 3:1-6). In this context, increased trust in the LORD comes through letting the Word dwell richly in our hearts (cf. Col. 3:16).

So, let us with the Galatians, and let us with Solomon's son, incline our ears to the words of the wise and apply our hearts to his knowledge. If we do, they will be pleasant as our lips recite them to our wandering hearts. Such glorious truths will become like a solid dock providing deep moorings for our wayward souls.

As we "take up and read" (latin: tolle lege), we with Augustine will find the LORD slowly [but surely] increasing our faith and trust in Him. As the Word permeates and penetrates our hearts, everything will be changed. Our conversation with others will become marked by "psalms and hymns and Spiritual songs" and thankfulness (cf. Eph. 5:18-19). Our lives will characterized by joy. Obedience will become less of a chore and struggle. Those around us will begin to ask us about the hope that is within us.

Though I am not Solomon, my intention of this blog is the same: I have written it because I desire Christ's lambs to have an increased trust in Him. The more we hear our Good Shepherd's voice, the sweeter we will realize it is; the more we hear our Good Shepherd's voice, the uglier the voice of Lady Folly will become as our ears become more 'grace-tuned' (i.e. her belligerent beckonings will sound more and more out of tune with the melody of grace we are increasingly humming all the day long).

Reader, the glorious thing is that these "words of the wise" can be heard and applied everyday. Everyday your trust in the LORD can be increased. Let us then seek early the living Manna of Christ. He promises to bless those who incline their ear to His words and apply their hearts to His knowledge.

Let us then take Him at His word, resolved to draw near to Him (see James 4:8).

      "That your trust may be in the LORD,
           I have made this known to you today, even to you."

In Christ, and for His [increasing] glory in our lives,
Pastor Ryan

A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath

"A soft answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1)

This past Sunday we looked at James 3:1-12 in our Sunday School lesson. In this section, James reminds us just how powerful such a small instrument can really be. As a small spark can become an unstoppable and uncontainable blazing inferno; as a little dose of poison can kill; as a small leak in the roof can destroy a house, so also our small tongues have the potential and ability to cause great damage in the lives of others.

And yet, though the tongue can wreck great havoc, it also can bring great healing. The answer therefore is not merely to stop talking altogether, just like gouging our eyes out will not eliminate our propensity to lust after the things of this world.

As we study the Bible, and the book of Proverbs especially, we see the inextricable link between the state of one's heart and the words of one's mouth.

For example, in the same chapter, Solomon reminds us that,

"A gentle [literally: 'healing'] tongue is a tree of life,
    but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." (15:4)

"The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
     not so the hearts of fools." (15:7)

"The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
     but the mouth of fools feed on folly." (15:14)

"The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
     but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." (15:28)

This is perfectly congruent with our Lord's own teaching regarding this:

"What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart." (Matt. 15:18)

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth evil." (Matt. 12:33-35)

So before we seek to apply Proverbs 15:1 to our lives, we need to understand that if we are speaking harshly to others instead of speaking gently, the real issue is that our words and motives are wrong, ultimately because our hearts are wrong.

I agree 100% that a soft answer turns away wrath. I have seen this principle fulfilled in a myriad of contexts in a multitude of ways. But before my words are truly soft, my heart must first be softened; and before I can truly speak life-giving words to others, I must first be letting these life-giving words abide richly in my own heart (cf. Col. 3:16).

In Sunday school, I likened our tongues to a tattle-tale. In grade school, it seemed that there was always a tattle taler ratting me out and getting me in trouble. Our tongues likewise tattle on our hearts. Our tongues express and make visible to others the true state of our hearts. Bitter words evidence a bitter heart. Gracious words evidence a heart marinated in grace.

Living in a fallen world, it is inevitable that circumstances will require us to make a split second decision as to whether we will speak softly and harshly. Your boss makes an unfair accusation. A foe purposefully slanders your reputation. A class mate spreads a fallacious rumour that impugns your character. Your husband comes home and accuses you of doing nothing all day. Your kids comment on how lousy supper is. Your wife, not realizing you've just worked an agonizing 10 hour day, asks you to help with supper, or the dishes, or in getting the kids ready for bed, when all you want to do is rest. Your kids are fighting again, or nagging again, or complaining again. The possibilities for speaking harshly are almost infinite.

When these unforeseen situations arise, the state of our hearts will determine our decisions. If we have been immersing ourselves in anything other than the gospel, the battle is already lost, just as a man surfing the internet with his heart on "gospel empty" will inevitably choose porn if and when it is offered. Likewise, in a heated discussion, whatever is filling our hearts at that moment will consequently fill our mouths, and ultimately fill our hearers' ears.

The solution is found in one of the most important verses of all the Bible: "Above all keeping, keep your heart." (Prov. 4:23) Why? "Because out of the heart flow the issues of life", or as the NLT translates it, our hearts "determine the course of our lives." Likewise, the state of our heart "determines the course of [or "coarseness of"] our speech."

And so this day, let us gaze intently upon our glorious God of grace. Paul says this is done by immersing our minds and hearts in the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3:18; 4:6). As we contemplate the underserved mercy that we have received from His beneficent, nail-pierced hands, we - including our tongues - will be transformed from one degree of glory to another. As we regularly renew our minds in the Scripture via the Spirit (see Eph. 4:23), we are enabled to both put off the speech of our old man and put on the new man's speech, which is created in the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:22,24).

When we truly keep the great commandment (Matt. 22:37), namely loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, as well as loving our neighbour as ourself, we will ultimately speak soft words that seek healing and reconciliation. As we are built up in the gospel of truth (Eph. 4:15-16), we will inevitably seek to build others up in that same truth, out of love.

When we are presented with the choice of speaking words that edify or words that vilify, there is hope, if our hearts and hopes are, in the words of Isaiah, "stayed on Thee" (26:3, KJV).

May we all seek to be filled with the Spirit, and consequently speak Spiritual words that bring healing, and not hurt (cf. Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:16-18).

In Christ, and for His glory in His people,
Pastor Ryan

Poverty and Riches in Proverbs 10:1-6

Today is October 10th. Therefore, as is my custom, part of my devotional reading for the day is from Proverbs 10. Reading one chapter of the Proverbs every day has been a habit of mine pretty much since my conversion, and I would strongly encourage the reader to give reading a chapter of Proverbs each day a 'test drive.'

In fact, I would be so bold as to say that to do so is even more beneficial than eating an apple a day, which, at best, can only keep the doctor away. As Proverbs 1 makes abundantly clear, those who acquire and appropriate  and apply wisdom will be delivered from a multitude of follies and calamitous circumstances that are common to life "under the sun." My life bears testimony to this.

Not surprisingly, the working out of this principle - namely, being delivered from a wasted, foolish life through the application of wise counsel - is seen in chapter 10. Those who heed Solomon's wise sayings will not only be spared the consequences of folly, but will be richly rewarded for walking in wisdom.

As we read the chapter, we note that there is an intentional structure that Solomon uses, comparing and contrasting the "ways" of the wise/righteous versus the foolish/wicked. Perhaps breaking each of the verses in the immediate context will help us to better understand and interpret what the Holy Spirit, through Solomon, is trying to communicate to us in this section:

10:1 - A wise son makes a glad father
10:2 - Righteousness delivers from death
10:3 - The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry
10:4 - The hand of the diligent makes rich
10:5 - He who gathers in the summer is a prudent son
10:6 - Blessings are on the head of the righteous

It was not until one realizes this structure that a verse like 10:3 is properly understood. It is a maxim (that is, a general rule of thumb) that the LORD does not let the righteous go hungry. But when we see it aright in its original context, we also see the means of how the LORD sovereignly brings this provision of food about: those who are righteous are are also wise, diligent, and prudent. That is, as a general rule, the righteous do not go hungry because they are diligent workers who gather their food with prudence and wisdom. Having sufficient food is, at least in this context, one of the clearest and most obvious "blessings" on the heads of the righteous (v.6).

On the contrary, Solomon says that the LORD will thwart the craving of the wicked. The reasons are seen when we look at the context of the verses in the negative:

10:1 - A foolish son is a sorrow to his mother
10:2 - Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit
10:3 - [The LORD] thwarts the craving of the wicked
10:4 - A slack hand causes poverty
10:5 - He who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame
10:6 - The mouth of the wicked conceals violence

What causes poverty? In a word, folly (v.1). Instead of being wise and doing what is "right" (v.2) - as God commanded Adam in the garden before sin entered the picture - the fool tries to gain his treasures in an ungodly way. Ironically, the insatiable desires of the wicked are never satiated (v.3), since they are contravening the very creation order God instituted in the beginning. Instead of working hard as to the LORD, the fool's hand is "slack" - he is a lazy sluggard (v.4). Instead of making the best use of his time when the fields are white unto harvest, he decides a short siesta is in order (v.5). Rather than eating of the fruit of his labors, his mouth is filled with treachery and violence (v.6).

To put a spiritual spin on this concept of eating versus staving, as even Jesus was wont to do (see John 4, 6, etc.), we may say that the reason many of us languish spiritually is because we are not walking wisely and redeeming the time (cf. Ephesians 5:15-17). Those whom the LORD is letting go hungry have chosen to go hungry: we choose sleep over study, laziness over diligently harvesting the field of God's Word, entertainment over prayer.

We tell others that we truly crave to be nearer to God. But unfortunately, our intentions remain just that (read James 1:22-25). Instead of feeding our souls with the living manna, we fill it with the unsatisfying lies of the world, which in our day and age, is basically entertainment and technology (read: watching way too much T.V., playing way too much video games, spending way too much time on FaceBook, checking our emails way too much, and wasting way too much precious time watching braincell-killing YouTube clips that have absolutely no relevance to our lives).

Reader, are you a wise son or daughter that makes your Father glad by how you use the time He has allotted you on this earth? Are you making "righteous" decisions that deliver you from spiritual death? Is the LORD letting you go hungry? Is your hand diligent in spiritual matters? Are you prudently gathering the bounty of God's Word while it is yet summer time? Is the blessing of the LORD on your head?

May God, in His lovingkindness, draw us back to Himself in cords of love, enabling us (by the Holy Spirit) to look carefully how we live - not as unwise, but as wise. May we, who are the new creation in Christ, live in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called, and make the best use of the time, for the days are evil.

Let us simply take God at His Word, and make it our goal to return to the LORD afresh, for as the prophet reminds us, "in returning [i.e. repentance] and rest you shall be delivered" (Isa. 30:15). May we not be like foolish Israel, who were unwilling to yield to God's loving reproof, and said "No" (30:16).

Remember, the blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it (10:22). How different from all the 'blessings' the world offer us, which so often become like gravel in our mouth when we foolishly and blindly partake of them!

May the blessing of Christ be lavished upon each one of our heads, to the glory and honor of our loving Father, whom we simply want to make glad in all that we say and do. Amen.