Seven Sins on the Wilderness Way

Writing to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul stated that the actions of God's people in past generations "took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did" (1 Cor. 10:6). As members of the New Covenant, we are not on a physical journey from Egypt to the Promised Land as the nation of Israel once was, but we certainly find ourselves on a spiritual one. The road of life as we follow Jesus gives us various opportunities to be faithful to our King, or to be "stiff-necked" as this large band of travelers was often called.

Psalm 106 details the troubles the delivered nation faced, and it is instructive for us on our journey as well. What were they guilty of? How can we let their example, and the Scriptures that record their failures, search our hearts and bring us to repentance and renewed faith for the road ahead?

1. Forgetfulness (v.13) God had showed Himself to be powerful, acting for their continual good as they left Egypt and traveled toward His promise; but when given a new opportunity to trust in His provision, the people did not wait for Him to act or seek His counsel. Have you found this to be a pattern in your walk? Has God shown up for you in the past, but when a new obstacle arises, you forget to call on Him and wait for His provision?

2. Thanklessness (v.14) No matter how God blessed them, these men and women always found what they lacked, and griped that God wasn't giving it to them. They were more marked by complaint than praise. Are you more apt to see and speak of the blessings received from God's hand or what you don't have?

3. Jealousy (v.16) Though God had obviously raised up Moses for the purpose of leading the expedition, and the people benefited from his guidance, the eye of jealousy occasionally wandered in his direction, as rivals were envious of the position and power he had. Are there people in your life you are continually measuring yourself against? When things go well for them, do you rejoice or become bitter?

4. Idolatry (v.19) Instead of receiving God as He had shown Himself to be, the people were guilty of fashioning Him into something they were more comfortable with. I don't expect that you construct idols out of materials in your home, but it's quite possible that you do in your heart and mind. Do you embrace the God of the Scriptures as He's revealed to you- all of Him? Does your heart occasionally fashion Him into a genie, whose sole purpose is to serve your perceived needs? Our hearts are prone to wander. They need to be trained by grace to wander continually to Him.

5. Unbelief (v.24) The chosen nation did not believe God's word or His promises. He had told them they would receive a good land from Him, but when it came time to take it from those who appeared mighty, fear overtook them instead of faith. It's easy for us to say we believe what God tells us is ours in Scripture, but faith is exercised when our actions match our words. Does your living align with what you profess? Are the treasures in Christ really for you? When Christ calls you to follow Him into uncharted territory, will you pump the brakes or hold on tightly to Him?

6. Rashness (v.33) Lack of self-control was evident in the speech of the people, and it eventually was displayed by Moses. Their words were used without restraint, as if God does not hear. This may seem frivolous to some, but God is concerned about every idle word, and expects us to use our speech as an encouraging gift to others (and in praise to Him), not a curse. We will give an account to him for what we say (Matt. 12:36).

7. Disobedience (v.34) God gave clear commands to His people- how they were to settle and take the land He had promised. Yet, they failed to obey. This should be the most obvious sin to us as we travel the road of life- when God's word clearly speaks to us of how we are to follow His lordship, but we still refuse. Are you harboring any disobedience? Trying to justify in your heart or to others what you know is not pleasing to Him? Seek to please Christ, not the fleshly nature that still remains.

Thankfully the Psalm does not end on a note of judgment. God is gracious to those who call on Him (repentance), He remembers the covenant He made (with us through Jesus' blood) and overflows with love toward those who know (faith) His name.

Your Fellow Traveler...
Lonnie

The Pursuit of Knowledge

Three of my children went out the door this morning for the beginning of another school year. The excitement of new friends, books, and experiences is underway. Hopefully, that joy will be followed by the pursuit of knowledge, which will expand their minds and lead to a better understanding of the world they live in. The dedication of their teachers, combined with their own desire to learn, will lead them down streams they never knew could be navigated, bearing treasures once incapable of attainment. My hope, as their father, is that they would love to find these riches, and their lives would be spent in the increase of the storehouse of their minds. My surpassing hope for them, though, is that the pursuits of my children would lead them beyond what is gained in great institutions of learning. The most valuable wisdom that this life affords is not found in the way most would expect, nor is it merely a set of moral principles, an ideology, or a subject to be researched. It is wholly unlike the comprehension one can attain through study and experience in other pursuits, because it is not primarily based on trial and error, reason, or examination. This knowledge is of a Redeemer- a Lord, and Savior. To receive it, one must know Him, and have fellowship with Him. This is what I want my children to know. This is the knowledge I want my wife and I to be increasing in- Him- in all His glory and joy. The scientist can investigate the subject in his field, classroom, and lab, and be renowned for his expertise without ever needing to communicate or enter into fellowship with his assignment. His goal is to reach right conclusions of what can be seen in the world. The historian may read about people or places past and become the foremost scholar on the matter without ever speaking to the one who lived or to those involved. Her efforts are focused on gaining the right records and drawing proper conclusions. The mathematician need not know any individual at all in the quest for truth. His concern is quantity, space, structures, and the like.

No, the eyes will not testify of a Redeemer, even if given the strongest lens that extends the vision into the heavens or down to the molecules. The mind may be exercised with the most challenging complexities of life, and work out all its logic, without ever contemplating the One who was its Author. The senses will not lead you to the choicest shores of wisdom. By them, a man can know God exists, but never know the treasures He possesses. He could regurgitate facts about the Supreme Being, but never feel the profundity of His mercy, grace, and love. These pearls are sought by diving into the depths of God's Word, being made visible by His Spirit; and the one who believes what He sees will find his search fruitful. Ultimate wisdom in mankind is expressed when he believes in the God who loves him and saves him from his inability to think, feel, and choose rightly. Humanity may have progressed in understanding its surroundings and how to function in them, but all are separated from God by their sin. Communion with the most glorious mind and heart was achieved, not by man's pursuit of God, but God's pursuit of man, when Jesus Christ purchased our allegiance with His blood. Our senses will tell us something has gone wrong in the world, but only Word and Spirit open our eyes to the salvation, healing, and peace that has been won by our Lord. Through Jesus Christ, we have intimate knowledge of the God of all wisdom, and only through Him will every other subject find its supreme expression and man's enjoyment in them.

I'm thankful for the school my children attend, and for the teachers who have been entrusted with their minds. I hope they are challenged, and their worlds expand through the knowledge they gain, but my greatest hope, is that they will know, not merely the wisdom of what has been created, but the Creator who is also Redeemer.

Grace be with you all,
Lonnie Atwood

Worship and the Satisfaction of our Souls

A few years ago, John Piper's book, Desiring God, captivated my mind and heart with the biblical notion that our God is radically God-centered in everything He does- that His glory is central in His own mind because He is the greatest treasure that exists. Because God is supremely beautiful, delightful, and good, His creatures, who are made in His image and for Him, will find their greatest delight in the One who made them to enjoy Him. This stream of thought is found throughout Piper's works. Today, I came across a section he has written on worship, which challenged me concerning my desires every Lord's Day as I come together with God's people.

He writes:
"The essence of authentic, corporate worship is the collective experience of heartfelt satisfaction in the glory of God, or a trembling that we do not have it and a great longing for it. Worship is for the sake of magnifying God, not ourselves, and God is magnified in us when we are satisfied in him. Therefore, the unchanging essence of worship (not the outward forms which do change) is heartfelt satisfaction in the glory of God, the trembling when we do not have it and the longing for it.
         The basic movement of worship on Sunday morning is not to come with our hands full to give to God, as though he needed anything (Acts 17:25), but to come with our hands empty, to receive from God. And what we receive in worship is the fullness of God, not the feelings of entertainment. We ought to come hungry for God. We should come saying, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps. 42:1–2). God is mightily honored when a people know that they will die of hunger and thirst unless they have God.
          Nothing makes God more supreme and more central in worship than when a people are utterly persuaded that nothing—not money or prestige or leisure or family or job or health or sports or toys or friends—nothing is going to bring satisfaction to their sinful, guilty, aching hearts besides God. This conviction breeds a people who go hard after God on Sunday morning. They are not confused about why they are in a worship service. They do not view songs and prayers and sermons as mere traditions or mere duties. They see them as means of getting to God or God getting to them for more of his fullness—no matter how painful that may be for sinners in the short run.
         If the focus in corporate worship shifts onto our giving to God, one result I have seen again and again is that subtly it is not God that remains at the center but the quality of our giving. Are we singing worthily of God? Do the instrumentalists play with a quality befitting a gift to God? Is the preaching a suitable offering to God? And little by little the focus shifts off the utter indispensability of God himself onto the quality of our performances. And we even start to define excellence and power in worship in terms of the technical distinction of our artistic acts. Nothing keeps God at the center of worship like the biblical conviction that the essence of worship is deep, heartfelt satisfaction in him, and the conviction that the trembling pursuit of that satisfaction is why we are together.
         Furthermore, this vision of worship prevents the pragmatic hollowing out of this holy act. If the essence of worship is satisfaction in God, then worship can’t be a means to anything else. We simply can’t say to God, “I want to be satisfied in you so that I can have something else.” For that would mean that we are not really satisfied in God but in that something else. And that would dishonor God, not worship him.
         But, in fact, for thousands of people, and for many pastors, the event of “worship” on Sunday morning is conceived of as a means to accomplish something other than worship. We “worship” to raise money; we “worship” to attract crowds; we “worship” to heal human hurts; to recruit workers; to improve church morale; to give talented musicians an opportunity to fulfill their calling; to teach our children the way of righteousness; to help marriages stay together; to evangelize the lost; to motivate people for service projects; to give our churches a family feeling.
         In all of this we bear witness that we do not know what true worship is. Genuine affections for God are an end in themselves. I cannot say to my wife: “I feel a strong delight in you so that you will make me a nice meal.” That is not the way delight works. It terminates on her. It does not have a nice meal in view. I cannot say to my son, “I love playing ball with you—so that you will cut the grass.” If your heart really delights in playing ball with him, that delight cannot be performed as a means to getting him to do something.
        I do not deny that authentic corporate worship may have a hundred good effects on the life of the church. It will, just like true affection in marriage, make everything better. My point is that to the degree that we do “worship” for these reasons, to that degree it ceases to be authentic worship. Keeping satisfaction in God at the center guards us from that tragedy." (God's Passion for His Glory, pp. 40-42).

I hope that I, along with God's people, assemble this coming Lord's Day with hearts that long to praise and pursue Him, because we know that nothing, and no one else, can ever satisfy our souls, but the One who made us to enjoy and glorify Him. Will you join me or those in your community with this same hope?

Waiting for the King

Judges 21:25 "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

In the earliest days after Israel had taken possession of the land, the people rejected the kingship of the Lord, and followed after whatever seemed right to them. They chased after other gods, stole from their neighbors, killed one another, and defiled themselves sexually. The narrator of the book of Judges reminds the reader several times that these things were a result of there not being a king in the land. This sets the stage in 1 Samuel where one is chosen (as anticipated in Deuteronomy 18), eventually bringing the lineage of David to the throne. God's desire was that He would be the King of His chosen people, and even through Israel's rejection of Him, God providentially establishes Himself as the eternal king for His people. His plans are not foiled by their rebellion. They are established by it, as He is sovereign over all. It is through the covenant with David (2 Samuel 7) that the Lord promises a king will forever be on the throne, and we know that king to be the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one that is foreshadowed by those who come before, including David- the king of war, and his son, Solomon- the king of peace. When the great King returns, He will wage war on those in rebellion against him, much like David, and then there will be peace for the people of God, as in the days of Solomon.

When mankind refuses to accept God's authority, he will pursue whatever seems right to him. Scripture and history are replete with illustrations. If we're really honest, we know this is true of ourselves, too. This is what the unregenerate, unbelieving heart really wants, to be left to itself- to indulge all it desires, without anyone telling it what it can and can not do. It wants to serve as its own authority. If man must have a king, he clamors for one that will lead and legislate so he can legally obtain what he wants, which eases his conscience and makes his actions more acceptable. Nothing is new under the sun. Man needs God as his king just as much today as he did more than three thousand years ago in Israel, and rejects Him still. But like then, God is merciful and patient, providing a deliverer to those who call upon Him. Though they rejected His leadership time and again, God answers the repentant when they cry out, promising their deliverance and salvation from their enemies. God still answers those cries today, promising deliverance and salvation through the Savior of His people, Jesus Christ. He promises not to leave us to ourselves; that He will change our pursuits from those that seem right to us, into new desires that accord with His Kingdom and His wonderful decrees. He is already on His throne, and is bringing hearts into joyful subjection to His rule. Enemies within and those without are still being conquered, but He will be victorious. He will complete the masterpiece of history, and rule the Kingdom of Peace forever. In the book of Judges, there was not yet a king in the land- only the expectation of one. He now rules, and we know of His glory by faith, but the promised Day will come, and we will see with our eyes "the king in his beauty" (Isaiah 33:17). We once clamored for what seemed right to us; now, by grace, we await the return of our King.

To Those Who Would Plan Well

There is great comfort in knowing what our future holds. When we have all of our ducks in a row- everything packed or planned, saved for or scheduled- our minds are set at ease. We like to believe we have everything under control, or at least try to as much as possible, looking to limit potential hazards. There is a reason why you won't find many advisers selling customers on the haphazard life. Planning seems to be good wisdom, and Scripture bears that out (Luke 14:28-33, Proverbs 21:5). We should do whatever we can to plan for the future, but we should never find our greatest comfort in the belief we have it all under control. One phone call or notice in the mail could change everything and shake the world under our feet. So, it's good wisdom to plan, but far better to ask the Lord to guide what we plan- that He would be underneath our thoughts, desires, and choices. The Bible has a great deal to say about this, since it is God who orders the events in His world (Proverbs 16:9, 19:21, James 4:13-16). Whether we'll admit it or not, we forget that He is the trustworthy, merciful, and faithful One. He has no bad days, never wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, and is never slothful. Everything He does is for the good of His people. All the days we have left on our calendar (and beyond) can be marked with His promise to be with us, no matter what else happens. Life can change suddenly, but our God never does. His love for those in Christ will never be diminished, even when we fail, since His grace in the Lord Jesus is greater than our sin. We should find the greatest of comforts in Him alone. We may ask that God would make our future clear, but generally what we'll find is that He calls us to trust Him with it, to obey in what He tells us is right for today, and praise Him no matter what tomorrow brings. So yes, plan for tomorrow, but remember who's in control of it.

Spurgeon's Lectures

A recent treasure in my life has been Charles Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students. He taught the contents of this book to those who attended his pastor's college in England with Spirit-wrought wisdom and wit on the many facets of the minister's life and work. No doubt, they are beneficial for all, not just those in vocational ministry.

On Prayer:
"One bright benison which private prayer brings down upon the ministry is an indescribable and inimitable something, better understood than named; it is a dew from the Lord, a divine presence which you will recognize at once when I say it is “an unction from the holy One.” What is it? I wonder how long we might beat our brains before we could plainly put into words what is meant by preaching with unction; yet he who preaches knows its presence, and he who hears soon detects its absence."

On Pride:
"I can, it is true, easily muster a hundred reasons why I should not be proud, but pride will not mind reason, nor anything else but a good drubbing. Even at this moment I feel it tingling in my fingers’ ends, and seeking to guide my pen,” Knowing something myself of those secret Whippings which our good Father administers to’ his servants when he sees them unduly exalted, I heartily add my own Solemn warnings against your pampering the flesh by listening to the praises of the kindest friends you have. They are injudicious, and you must beware of them."

On Praise and Criticism:
"...it is always best not to know, nor to wish to know, what is being said about you, either by friends or foes. Those who praise us are probably as much mistaken as those who abuse us, and the one may be regarded as a set off to the other, if indeed it be worth while taking any account at all of man’s judgment. If we have the approbation of our God, certified by a placid conscience, we can afford to be indifferent to the opinions of our fellow men, whether they commend or condemn. If we cannot reach this point we are babes and not men."

On Gossip:
"There are also certain persons who are never so happy as when they are "grieved to the heart" to have to tell the minister that Mr. A. is a snake in the grass, that he is quite mistaken in thinking so well of Messrs. B. and C...Never listen to such people...Let the creatures buzz, and do not even hear them, unless indeed they buzz so much concerning one person that the matter threatens to be serious; then it will be well to bring them to book and talk in sober earnestness to them. Assure them that you are obliged to have facts definitely before you, that your memory is not very tenacious, that you have many things to think of, that you are always afraid of making any mistake in such matters, and that if they would be good enough to write down what they have to say the case would be more fully before you, and you could give more time to its consideration. Mrs. Grundy will not do that; she has a great objection to making clear and definite statements; she prefers talking at random."


On Sincerity:

"We must—some of us especially must—conquer our tendency to levity. A great distinction exists between holy cheerfulness, which is a virtue, and that general levity, which is a vice. There is a levity which has not enough heart to laugh, but trifles with everything; it is flippant, hollow, unreal. A hearty laugh is no more levity than a hearty cry. I speak of that religious veneering which is pretentious, but thin, superficial, insincere about the weightiest matters. Godliness is no jest, nor is it a mere form. Beware of being actors. Never give earnest men the impression that you do not mean what you say, and are mere professionals. To be burning at the lip, and freezing at the soul, is a mark of reprobation. God deliver us from being either superfine or superficial; may we never be the butterflies of the garden of God!"

God Makes Our Happiness His Own Charge

Have you ever failed to do something good for another person because you were concerned what would happen to you as a result? How will I take care of myself if I'm always concerned about the needs of others? If I give, will I have anything left? Fear often drives our inaction because we're afraid of the outcome. In turn, we focus on ourselves, becoming selfish, rather than living in loving service of others. Jonathan Edwards gives an amazing response concerning the kind of life we should strive to live and why: 

If you are selfish, and make yourself and your own private interests your idol, God will leave you to yourself, and let you promote your own interests as well as you can. But if you do not selfishly seek your own, but do seek the things that are Jesus Christ's, and the things of your fellow human beings, then God will make your interest and happiness his own charge, and he is infinitely more able to provide for and promote it than you are. The resources of the universe move at his bidding, and he can easily command them all to subserve your welfare. So that, not to seek your own, in the selfish sense, is the best way of seeking your own in a better sense. It is the directest course you can take to secure your highest happiness.

Doing good is to be the work of the Christian, and as he serves others with love for them and faith in his God, he can be assured that the Lord of the universe will care for him and give the greater happiness. Therefore, go and do good without fear.