Many of us today expect some kind of preferential treatment from GOD in this life; probably because we have been born again, or that we have attained a certain level of spirituality, or that we have prayed and fasted, or that we have given ourselves to the LORD in service, or even that we have met a particular scriptural condition. That is why we feel overly disappointed whenever we meet with difficulties in life despite our steadfastness to GOD. Let me state at this point that everything we receive from GOD is by His mercies, never by our effort. It is not of him that wills or runs, but of Him that shows mercy (Rom.9:16).
Baruch
Baruch was a man like us; a young man setting out in the world. He was well disposed to the things of GOD, and was willing to serve GOD and His prophet, Jeremiah; but, when it came to suffering, he was desirous to be excused. Being an ingenious man, and a scholar, he stood fair for preferment; and now to be driven into a corner, and in danger of a prison, or worse, was a great disappointment to him.
When he read the roll publicly he probably hoped to gain reputation by it, that it would make him to be taken notice of and employed; but when he found that, instead of that, it exposed him to contempt, and brought him into disgrace, he cried out, “I am undone; I shall fall into the pursuers' hands, and be imprisoned, and put to death, or banished: The Lord has added grief to my sorrow, has loaded me with one trouble after another. After the grief of writing and reading the prophecies of my country's ruin, I have the sorrow of being treated as a criminal; for so doing; I cannot bear it; it is a burden too heavy for me (See Jer. 45:3).”
What was the LORD’s reply to him? “Are you looking for great things for yourself? Don't look for them, because I'm going to bring disaster on all people” (Jer.45:5a GW). Ruin was coming upon the Jewish nation – an utter and universal ruin, well documented in the scroll he wrote and read even to the king (See Jer.36). GOD was saying to him in effect in Jeremiah 45:4-5, ‘That which I have built to be a house for Myself, I am breaking it down, and that which I have planted to be a vineyard for Myself, I am plucking up, even this whole land, the Jewish church and state; Do you now seek great things for yourself? Do you expect to be rich and honourable and to make a figure now? No’. You now see how absurd it is for Baruch to expect to be high when all are brought low, to be full when all about him are empty. To seek ourselves more than the public welfare, especially to seek great things to ourselves when the public is in danger, is a very selfish thing to do.
As it Pertains to Us
Let us apply it to this world, and our state in it; GOD in His providence is breaking down and pulling up. Everything of this world is uncertain and perishing; therefore we cannot expect any continuing city here (Heb.13:14; 2Pet.3:10-14). What folly is it then to seek great things for ourselves here, where everything is little and nothing certain!
Jesus, addressing this issue of expectation, said to His disciples, "Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'? Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So YOU ALSO, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" (Luke 17:7-10 NRSV)
[[ By the way, the word translated “Servant” in KJV and several other Bible versions is the Greek word: “doulos,” meaning “Slave.” A little thought will make clear to you the distinction between a servant and a slave. Unfortunately (in the context of understanding of scripture), our generation is fast losing the concept of slavery. ]]
It is clear from scriptures that we are slaves of GOD; for we were bought with a price (1Cor 6:20; 7:23; Rom.6:18-22). Let me say here that our position as slaves of GOD does not affect our position as sons of GOD; for it is our son-ship that guarantees us an inheritance with GOD (Rom. 8:17, Gal. 4:7b). Slaves have no inheritance with their masters, no matter how good they are (See Gal. 4:30). WARNING: Gal 4:7 should not be interpreted out of the context of discussion. If you read it with verse 3 in mind, you will understand it clearly. We are moved from servants (slaves) “of sin” to sons “of GOD.”
Living in obedience to GOD is our duty as servants (nay, slaves) of GOD (Eccl.12:13, Acts 5:29). Whatever we are to get from Him will simply be on His grace and mercy, never on our own merit. Even our initial and continuing access to GOD is not because we have been particularly careful to avoid sin, or that we have done some good to GOD or men; our access is – and always will be – because of the shed blood of Christ (See Eph.2:13&18; Heb.10:19). It is all because of Him, not us. Charlotte Elliot (1789–1871) presented this truth clearly in her popular hymn: “Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, AND THAT Thou bidd’st me come to Thee.”
Standing on the Promises of God
True, the promises of GOD are given to us that we might lay hold of them. They are usually conditional. However if we deal with GOD as a contract partner, it will mean that we expect GOD to do things for us based on our own merit, that is, because we have done (or, are doing) our own part of the agreement.
Let me say here again that EVERYTHING we receive from GOD is – and will always be – because of His grace and mercy. In Matthew 20:20-23, when James and John agreed to drink of the cup that Jesus would drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that He would be baptized with, Jesus still told them that even though they meet these conditions, the right to sit at His left and right hand in His kingdom was left for the Father to give.
So, in essence, we do well when we remind GOD of His promises to us as His children, taking His words back to Him; He is a faithful GOD and will do what He promised to do. However we do better when we do it with the right attitude, recognising that everything is because of His grace and mercy. Usually as we pray, the Holy Spirit impresses one or more of such recorded promises – or even a fresh word particular to our situation – on our hearts for us to hold strongly and patiently onto, until GOD brings it to pass. The Holy Spirit knows the mind of GOD. He knows what GOD wants to do for you at every point in time, and will help you to pray aright.
[[ By the way, we are being taught to claim every good thing (in our own view, of course) we see in the Bible and to reject every bad. But the truth is that all the declarations of GOD recorded in the scripture cannot apply to you at every point in time. For instance, Jesus did not say He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness nor did John the Baptist say he had been anointed to heal the brokenhearted. Or imagine this: if your enemies come to arrest you for prosecution, will you willingly submit (like Jesus) or will you disappear from their midst (like Jesus on another occasion)? When faced with an issue, depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you to the appropriate promise (or word) to hold unto, or to show you what to do. Don’t do your will and use Bible to cover up. Okay? ]]
The Great Controversy
GOD in His wisdom usually tests the heart of professing Christians to see if their commitment to Him is out of love or because of the gains they hope to get. For instance, if it is that if you pay tithe, GOD will pour down on you such blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it (as in Mal. 3:10), every sensible person business-wise, Christian or not, will gladly do so; that is good business! But suppose it were not so, suppose further that GOD withholds for a season the good things of this life from you, will you still be faithful to Him and His commands?
GOD really wants an answer to this question. For Abraham, Job and several others, He got a satisfactory answer. What will your own case be? GOD needs men like the friends of Daniel who can say boldly to every threatening Nebuchadnezzar, “The GOD we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN'T, we still won't worship your Gods and the gold statue you have set up” (Dan. 3:17-18 CEV).
GOD needs men like Habakkuk who can say with conviction that “EVEN THOUGH the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the GOD of my salvation (Habakkuk 3:17-18).”
Therefore, consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way (James 1:2-4 TM).
Comments
Post a Comment