Believe!

“I believe, I believe; I know it’s silly, but I believe.”  (Susan from “Miracle on 34^th Street”)  Macy’s had a holiday campaign based on “Believe” with the “magic of Macy’s” as it’s premise.   President Obama said in an interview with Barbara Walters: “I believe that the worst of this recession and crisis is behind us, I think better days are coming, but we’re not there yet.  I want the American people to have confidence in themselves and in the ability of Amerca to remake itself.”  

What does the word "believe" mean?  The dictionary gives some definitions: accept as true; feel sure of the truth; feel sure that someone is capable of a particular action; to have confidence in the truth, existence or reliability of something.  There are more but what confidence can we have, really, without something to back it up.  There is no real reliability without evidence.  Where is the foundation of that belief that can really give us hope and security?  I believe my mechanic can repair my car.  Reason?  He’s done it before and that’s why I continue to use him after fifteen to twenty years.  He is “capable” of that “particular action”.   If you do a search on “believe”, it has become a very popular word.  And it’s thrown out there with no substance, foundation, or truth.  People rally to it because it makes them “feel” better.  They have it tattooed in various places on their bodies, hang it as art on their walls and write it in beautiful letters to adorn their department stores.  But it is only “fluff and nonsense” without a foundation for truth.

Jesus told His disciples “not to let their hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”  People don’t want to be troubled and the word “believe” gives them some hope.  However, there’s substance to the word when Jesus says it.  He goes on to say, “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.  Truly, truly, I say to you…”  (When Jesus says “truly” two times, I’d say we need to perk up and listen.)  He says, “…he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also”.  And one more thing in this great chapter from the book of John, “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.”  Jesus said it, told us to look at the works that He did and revealed things that were to happen.  I’d call that true evidence that gives real confidence! 

John Owen: “A sense of God’s presence in love is sufficient to rebuke all anxiety and fears; and not only so but to give in the midst of them solid consolation and joy.”  John MacArthur:  “The Christian faith is neither a blind, irrational “leap in the dark” nor a vague, mystical faith in faith itself.  It rests on the solid ground of overwhelming evidence.”  Notice the word “solid” in both quotes.  That word denotes true security based on a firm foundation.

“Miracle on 34^th Street” is a fantasy, fun but fluffy.  Macy’s campaign is definitely a “leap in the dark, vague and mystical”.  And Obama has no idea what the future holds, and no foundation for saying that “Americans are to have confidence in themselves”.  But we as true believers in Jesus Christ have a Book full of evidences declared and delivered.  He says, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”  Our only confidence and peace in believing comes from trusting Him Who is the Way, the Truth and  the Life.  The evidence is overwhelming as John MacArthur says.  We have only to seek and find, listen and learn, rest and rejoice!

Men of God

While the first part of Ezekiel 14 deals with idolatrous men, the second part mentions three men God knew were righteous.  Four times God brings up these men using them as excellent examples of righteousness.  What He says though is that even though these three men were present, they would not be able to deliver Israel from the punishment He was about to bring.

The passage is more about the severity of the punishment Israel had brought on themselves but I was struck with the awesomeness of these three men being used as a good example by God Himself.  So I gave a bit of thought to their lives:  Noah, Daniel and Job!  (Of course it goes without saying that Jesus is the ultimate example of godliness.  But it's always good to be reminded of the lives of the saints who have gone before us.  Hebrews 12:1)

Noah:  A man that obeyed God by building a large boat, all the while witnessing to the very people who ridiculed his faithfulness.
Daniel: A prisoner of war so faithful to God that his peers could find no wrong doing in his life so they devised a scheme that took advantage of his daily conversations with God.
Job:  A man who was rich with the blessings of life, lost most all of them yet never became embittered toward God but worshipped Him more passionately, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord."

LORD, may I, too, be found faithful!!

Estranged from God

The word estrange means: to be no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienate.  What horror lies in the words: estranged from God.  Only those enlightened by the Holy Spirit understand the solemnity here.  And as the definition suggests "to be no longer" would imply a former relationship.  Unbelievers are in the dark as to their plight but believers cannot bear the thought of estrangement from God.

Ezekiel 14:1-11 gives one of the many writings in the Bible that expresses God's disdain for idolatry.  And the reader will not finish the passage confused!  God tells the prophet that the elders have "set up idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity."  He goes on to say in verse 4 that these men will receive an answer from God in view of the multitude of their idols.  And why does God answer these people directly?  "In order to lay hold of the hearts." (v. 5)  The people of Israel were "estranged from God through their idols."

I've been reading this passage for weeks and it has burdened me greatly as a believer!  I must be vigilant
about the ridding of idols in my life.  There is nothing on earth I desire that is worth "estrangement from God"!  A believer can never have the joy and strength of God while harboring idols of the heart.  Verse 6 tells Israel to "repent and turn away from your idols".  May we be on guard from holding anything too tightly.  Praise God for the gifts and blessings of life!  But keep those hands open and raised to a merciful Father Who alone is worthy to be adored!

Real Men

I recently returned from a trip celebrating a thirty year relationship with a "real man".  An anniversary gets more special with each passing year especially in this media frenzied world where the lives of the rich and famous are splattered across our screens or magazines for all to see how not to live.  For many years I've reflected on the answer to the question: What is a real man?  And with each passing year, having good examples before me daily, I want to shout it to the world.  So here goes my shout!

A real man is one who pursues a woman of interest, marries her with the commitment "for better or for worse", lives with her, loves her, protects her and provides for her "as long as they both shall live".  This man does not shrink from this commitment; he grows in it, developing the spiritual muscles that give him the strength to do so.  He loves her through all the multitude of emotions she can display.  When she's a hormonal wreck, he takes her and holds her not needing to say a word but that she's secure in those protective arms.

I could go on, but briefly I'll say that men who marry and stray or those that don't marry but hop from bed to bed: "You are NOT real men and that is NOT a display of strength!"  Real strength is staying committed to one even when strongly tempted by another.

I mentioned daily examples:  One is the man with whom I've had to privilege to live.  But the most important One is Jesus Christ to whom both my husband and I committed our lives at the age of twenty-three.  He is the supreme example of a Real Man and that is exactly what He came to this world to do.  He committed to one purpose.  He gave up His rights to die for the sins of the world.  He is passionately protective of His bride, the church.  He suffered more than we'll ever comprehend to display the strength of devotion that guides us and gives us hope for each day.  He has been the example for this couple's commitment of thirty years.  And in Him alone will we have the strength to continue in a world run amuck.