The Suitcase

As I prayed today, I asked God’s forgiveness of my uppity thoughts about the wonderful things I’ve learned in His Word.  I forget sometimes where I was when He called me; plus the sins I’ve repented of through my years of my walk with Him.  Instead, I’m asking Him to help me deal with annoying church members that won’t listen to reason about God’s Word, and why it seems to take them so long to get it.  Funny (not really funny but sad), when I read the Bible for the first time, I thought the Israelites were so dumb for having God so profoundly speak and do miracles in their presence and then to continue in sin.  And now here I am, years later doing the same thing again about people around me.  What hypocrisy!  So as I began, “I asked God’s forgiveness of my uppity thoughts…”

As I prayed forgiveness, I had thoughts of me carrying a suitcase, proudly walking around with my suitcase.  But I never open it and change into the new items it contains.  Wearing the beautiful new items are the only worthy reason for even carrying the suitcase.  The new items are what allows me to better present myself to a world worn and weary with their old clothes of life.  Wearing the new items are what attracts the world to what’s in the suitcase.  Yes, there’s inconvenience of stopping and opening up the case and choosing from the items.  Then there’s the discarding of the old in order to put on the new.  But the change is well worth the effort and inconvenience goes up in smoke at the appearance of the new change.

Thanking and praising God for these elementary thoughts as I prayed and bowing to Him Who is so full of patience with His “dumb” sheep… (that is where I ended up in my prayer).  Who am I to stand in judgement over the sanctification of another sheep!?  I’m in process as well and while I may be ahead of where I was, I’m am never to think myself above anyone else in the body.  God is the only One knowing the inside of each of us.  I leave it to Him, once again…  just like the dumb Israelites.  

The Puddleglum View

 As believers in Jesus Christ, we grow to know His way is truly the way of wisdom and peace.  However, it takes us our whole life to totally rest in that.  I'm reading Job for the umpteenth time.  I can say, there is not a book of the Bible that I don't totally love to study.  Sometimes I go into the study apprehensive that I'll not enjoy certain books (I have my favorites).   But within a day, I'm hooked and looking forward to it each morning.  

Matthew Poole of one of the commentaries I use and this will be my second time to do Job with him.  Already, I'm finding new things to ponder and I'm just in chapter three.  For this post I am using verse 25: "For the thing I greatly fear has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come to me."  Many times throughout my life, I've heard this quote about hypochondriacs: "Well, So in So, is still enjoying poor health."  Hadn't thought about it in a long time but as I read Poole's comments about Job in verse 25, that quote came to mind.  And I'm also old enough to have heard conspiracy theories for many, many years about this and that, from food to war, and that also fits Poole's comment.  I call it the Puddleglum view of life, and Christians should not be exhibiting this kind of outlook!  

Poole writes: Job had never enjoyed solid and secure comfort. It's as though Job says,  'Even in the time of peace and prosperity, I was full of fears considering the variety of God's providences, the course and changeableness of this vain world, the infirmities and contingencies of human nature and life, God's justice and the sinfulness of all mankind.  And these fears of mine were not in vain but are justified by my present calamities. So that I have never enjoyed any sound tranquility since I was born, and therefore it hath not been worth my while to live, since all my days have been evil and full of vexation and torment either by my fear of miseries or the suffering of them.'

This rings true to me even though I may not express it outwardly.  I see my anxiety about life exactly as Job/Poole express it.  As I said at the beginning of this post, "it takes our whole life to totally rest..."  But, oh, how thankful I am to recognize myself as I study, instead of thinking it's for someone else.  I'm amazed at how God works in us in all our moments, to change us and continue the process of our sanctification.  And I'm extremely thankful, He uses us, warts, Puddlegluming and all. 

A Fulfilling Banquet

 In Isaiah 25:6, "the LORD of hosts prepares a lavish banquet for all people on this mountain."  As we celebrate the first day of the New Year, many of us are preparing food for family and friends.  We can definitely relate to the preparations of a "lavish banquet".  But God is here preparing a banquet like no other.  In verses 7-8, Isaiah continues this inspired writing with, "and on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations.  He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces.  And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken."

In Matthew Poole's commentary, he writes, "the covering or veil is the ignorance of God and of the true religion, which was then upon the Gentiles, and now upon the Jews.  It is a veil that covers men's eyes and keeps them from discernment...  This is a manifest prophecy concerning the illumination and conversion of the the Gentiles.  

In verse eight, "He will swallow up death for all time, Mr. Poole continues with, "The Messiah, who is God and Man, will swallow up death; shall by His death destroy yet the power of death and take away the sting of the first death, and prevent the second death and give eternal life to the world, even to all that believe in Him."  God will "in due time confer upon His people the victory that Christ has already purchased.  And He will take away from His people all suffering and sorrows, and all the causes of them, which is begun here and perfected in heaven."

This was my passage of scripture on this first day of the New Year.  What hope and confidence God's word gives us daily as we all face the trials of life.  Sometimes, we think we can't go on, but God is truly our refuge and strength.  And Mr. Poole continues verse eight with the reproach we receive as believers in Jesus Christ.  "The reproach and contempt which was (and is) daily cast upon His faithful people by the ungodly world..."  And then Isaiah adds at the end of verse 8, "The Lord has spoken it."  Mr. Poole closes on this verse with, "therefore, doubt not of it, though it seem incredible to you."  

What a wonderful challenge from God's Word to start our day and the New Year of 2026!  I can add nothing.  As Job says in 40:4, "I shut my mouth."  Let the wisdom and power of God's Word usher you, too, into a year full of hope and strength from God alone!  And let verse nine of this passage not end your day but begin your time with newness of heart and mind.

Isaiah 25:9: "And it will be said in that day, 'Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.  This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."