Friday, February 22, 2013, 7:27 a.m. – The Lord Jesus woke me with this song:
I Must Tell Jesus
/ Elisha A. Hoffman
I must tell Jesus all
of my trials,
I cannot bear these
burdens alone;
In my distress He
kindly will help me,
He ever loves and
cares for His own.
I must tell Jesus all
of my troubles,
He is a kind,
compassionate Friend;
If I but ask Him He
will deliver,
Make of my troubles
quickly an end.
Tempted and tried I
need a great Savior,
One who can help my
burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I
must tell Jesus:
He all my cares and
sorrows will share.
I must tell Jesus! I
must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my
burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I
must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me,
Jesus alone.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Matthew 11 (quoting selected verses in
the NIV 1984):
After Jesus had
finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and
preach in the towns of Galilee.
When John heard in
prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the
one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind
receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the
man who does not fall away on account of me.”
As John’s disciples
were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by
the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes?
No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then what did you go out
to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one
about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare
your way before you.’
I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not
risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the
kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of
it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are
willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let
him hear.
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like
children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
“‘We played the flute for you,
and you did not
dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not
mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He
has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a
glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom
is proved right by her actions.”
My Thoughts
(This is taken from “Doubts
and Fears,” dated May 17, 2012)
I find it interesting how the Lord often has
me go through personally in my life what he is having me teach so that I get
it, and so that I apply it to my life. The last several lessons, this one
included, have spoken right to my own life situations. God is doing a work in
my heart in teaching me to trust him more and to not give way to discouragement.
He is teaching me to take my eyes off the things of this world, and to keep my
eyes fixed on Jesus. He is teaching me to focus my heart and mind on what has
eternal value, and to not sweat the small stuff. He is helping me to not be
distracted by the things of this world, but to keep an eternal perspective, to
know he is in control over all things, that he allows everything he brings into
my life for a purpose, and that I am to just trust him to work it all out for
my good, the good of others, and for the praise and honor of God.
Doubt
and Discouragement
John the Baptist was a pillar of faith. He
was chosen by God to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ, and to prepare the way
for the coming Messiah. He demonstrated much faith and perseverance, even in
the face of much opposition throughout his ministry. Yet, he was human, too. No
matter how great our faith and resolve may be, we are still clay vessels in
earthly bodies that wear out and have minds that are not always as sharp and
responsive as we would like them to be. We still bleed. We hurt, we get tired,
and sometimes discouragement, disappointment and/or doubt can begin to settle
in and to take over.
John was in prison, perhaps for a long time.
We don’t know exactly what he faced while in prison. Yet, he was not shut out
entirely from the outside world. He was able to receive news of what Jesus
Christ was doing. Yet, the reports appear to have brought some kind of
confusion to his mind, because he sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus as to whether
he truly was the promised Messiah, or if they should expect someone else.
This seems an odd question of John to ask of
Jesus. After all, he is the one who said about Jesus: “I baptize with water, but
among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the
thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” And, “Look, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A
man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did
not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be
revealed to Israel.” “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and
remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to
baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and
remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify
that this is the Son of God.” [Taken from John 1]
So, how is it that John was moved from such a
public and profound declaration of Jesus Christ; of who he was and is, to
sending his disciples to inquire of Jesus if he truly is the one? What caused
discouragement and/or doubt to settle in to one of such great faith and
determination? He was human. He was in prison. Perhaps there were aspects of
Jesus’ ministry that he felt should be different than they were, and so he
began to question whether he had completely understood who Jesus was and what
he was supposed to do.
I’ve been there. There have been times in my
life when circumstances seemed to dictate or else opposition seemed to indicate
that maybe I was not hearing God correctly, or that I did not understand his
word like I thought I did. And, so I inquired of the Lord during those times
and asked him, “Did I get it right or wrong?” I wanted to make sure before I
proceeded. Perhaps this is where John was, too.
There was much opposition to Jesus’ ministry.
Some believe John expected Jesus to also come in judgment at that time, because
scripture prophesied that he would not only come to take away the sins of the
world, but he would also come in judgment (see Isaiah 61). Whatever the reason,
John was experiencing doubt, and so he looked to Jesus for some kind of
reassurance.
I’ve been there, too. Sometimes Jesus chastised
me ever so gently for my lack of faith. Other times he came through with strong
reassurances that calmed my fears and that brought peace. Sometimes he has had
to correct my faulty thinking or to make a heart attitude adjustment in my
life. I believe Jesus did so with John the Baptist, too. He let him know, by
the things he reported, that he was indeed the fulfillment of prophesy (Is.
61), and that he was the promised Messiah. John had it right. There was not
another to come. Yet, he also gently rebuked him for doubting and fearing while
at the same time he encouraged him to persevere and to not give up hope, just
because of opposition or because Jesus had not completely fulfilled, at that
time, all prophesy concerning himself.
In
Defense of John
John’s disciples began to leave. A crowd had
gathered. Perhaps the crowd overheard what Jesus told John’s disciples to tell
him. Jesus had the advantage of knowing what people were thinking or what was
in their hearts. Perhaps the crowd was passing judgment on John because of the
question he asked Jesus. It is so easy to judge by outward appearance, and
maybe the crowd was being quick to draw wrong conclusions about John. Whatever
the reason, Jesus decided to set everyone’s minds straight on who John was, and
who Jesus was, too.
John was not easily swayed by public opinion.
He didn’t lack judgment and discernment. He was not unstable or faithless in
his devotion to God. He just had some questions in his mind, and he needed some
clarity. Then, he was good. I understand that. John also was not a wealthy man
or a man of power and great influence. He was a humble and obedient servant of
Almighty God. And, he was a prophet, i.e. he spoke the very words of God to the
people. Yet Jesus said he was more than a prophet, for he was the fulfillment
of prophesy of scripture concerning the one who would come before the Messiah
to prepare the way for him. In that statement Jesus was also declaring himself
to be the Messiah.
Jesus said that, from the days of John the
Baptist, which also included the beginning of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry,
the “kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold
of it.” The kingdom of heaven has its embodiment in Jesus Christ. John was sent
to prepare the way for Jesus. So, he was part of the “forceful men” who were
advancing the kingdom. He preached the need for repentance (turning from sin)
because the kingdom was near. Forceful means “characterized by strength and
power” (Encarta). He had the strength and power of the Spirit of God on him,
and it was in that strength and power that the kingdom was advanced (spread;
progressed; moved forward; proceeded). Jesus was dispelling any myths that John
was no longer one of those “forceful men” who lay hold of (grasp; seize) the
kingdom and who cause it to move forward. John’s character and mission had not
changed. He just needed some clarification and some answers.
Then Jesus addressed the people of his
generation (his contemporaries). Again, he knew their hearts, but he also heard
the words they said and saw their actions. This was evidently in reference to
the ministries of Jesus and John, i.e. that the people wanted Jesus and John to
be something other than who they were, and who they were called to be. The word
“dance” has the connotation here of being asked to change one’s behavior, so
when it says here, “You did not dance,” it means that you did not give in and
change who you are. John and Jesus were both being criticized and rejected
because of the way they lived. Yet, “wisdom is proved right by her actions,”
i.e. in God’s providence these men were exactly who they were supposed to be,
and doing precisely what they were predestined to do. Basically, the people did
not like the messages Jesus and John were preaching, so they wanted them to
change and become more like men, rather than obeying God the Father.
You
and Me
We are going to have times in our lives when
we question our own abilities to understand clearly the words of Jesus. John
wasn’t doubting Jesus, but his own understanding of who Jesus was. He had some
confusion in his mind because his understanding was not complete. None of us
have perfect understanding all the time. Sometimes we will need clarification.
Yet, that did not mean that John was no longer a godly man or that he was less
than who he was called to be. He just needed some reassurance from Jesus. And,
there will be times in our lives when we will need reassurance, too. Sometimes
Jesus will have to correct our faulty thinking and/or to rearrange our
priorities in order to give us that reassurance, though. Often we will need to
have our thinking brought back into the right perspective. Yet, a correct
response to Jesus’ correction in our lives will bring with it much wisdom.
Satan likes to hit us when we’re down. And,
he will use humans to do his work, whether they are willing participants or
not. Some might seize the opportunity of our obvious time of weakness to attack
or accuse falsely. Yet, Jesus will be our ready defense if we are living rightly
before him. Satan is the great accuser, and he will use these times to try to
get us to get down on ourselves and to give up working for the Lord, but we
must not give up ever! We must keep on believing, trusting and obeying, even if
we don’t understand everything. We will have people in our generation who think
we should be just like them, and that we should do all the same things they do,
and if we don’t, we are termed “not normal.” Yet, it is at these times when we
must stay focused on Jesus, and not on man or our circumstances, and we must
allow God to do his work in our hearts and lives to change us, to mold us, and
to make us into the people of God he wants us to be.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light.”
Why So Downcast?
/ An Original Work / December 21, 2012
Based off Psalm 42
Why so downcast,
O my soul,
And why so disturbed
Now within me?
Put your hope
In Jesus Christ,
For I will praise His
name.
He’s my Savior
And my God,
So therefore I’ll
Remember Him through
Storms and tempests
Sweeping o’er me.
Still I’ll praise His
name.
Put your hope in God.
By day the Lord
Sends forth His love.
In the night
His song is with me.
I pray to the
God of my life.
I will praise His
name.
I say to God my Rock,
“Why must I be called
To suffer this way?”
Foes attack me;
Satan sneering.
Still I’ll praise my
God.
Put your hope in Him.
As a deer pants
For the waters,
So my soul pants
For You, O God.
My soul thirsts for
God who’s living.
When can I meet Him?
My tears have been
My food at night,
When men say,
“So, where is your
God?”
I pour out my
Soul to my God.
I’ll still praise His
name.
Shout with joy to Him.
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