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Hope that Dispels Darkness

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. (Isaiah 9:2 ESV)

Isaiah spoke of this before it happened as if it already had. It wasn’t wishful thinking on his part. God’s promises are as sure as the air you breathe, the ground on which you stand, the earth on which you live. Paul, addressing Titus referred to the God who “never lies.” When God speaks, it will happen. We call this hope.

Hope is not wishful thinking; it is confident expectation because God is trustworthy. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:20-22 ESV)

This Christmas as you ponder the reality of Christ’s birth remember that the God who gave His Son has given us two surefire guarantees. One is mentioned above–his Spirit. Christ, through the Spirit, lives in our hearts as a guarantee of things to come. The Spirit guarantees you will never be alone. Though you do not know the future–you are never alone as you face it.

The second guarantee is Christ Himself.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32 ESV)

This is a classic greater to lesser argument. If God would give his most prized possession, will he not also give us every other lesser possession? If God will meet our greatest need, will he not also meet our lesser needs?

God the Father sent His Son.

On this Christmas day stop to thank God for sending His only Son…and giving you everything else you will ever need. Deep darkness dispelled. Light dispersed!

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Enough For Today

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. (Exodus 16:4 ESV)

The people grumbled against God. They were hangry. Have you ever had a child who got angry when he got hungry? Israel did and God replied. His answer was a shower of bread, Fatz rolls raining down from heaven–Sister Schuberts descending from the sky (okay I’m getting carried away now). What’s interesting is that the raining down of bread was a test!  How was daily bread a test?

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. (Exodus 16:13-21 ESV)

God rained bread and they had enough for today. Whoever gathered much had nothing left over. Whoever gathered little had no lack. Why? God provided enough for today. Then they doubted. They doubted God’s ability to provide what they needed for that day. God clearly instructed them not to store it. Tomorrow a fresh rain of fresh bread would fall from heaven. When they stored some, it bred worms and stank!

Enter Jesus born in Bethlehem. Micah called Bethlehem as the birthplace (5:2). How fitting. Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Jesus was the bread of life:

So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:30-35 ESV)

He is enough for today. Lean in on him this Christmas eve. He will give you all you need to get through the difficulties and joys of this day. And tomorrow morning he will be waiting when you wake up. With fresh bread of His presence in hand, he will feed you tomorrow.

He is enough for today.

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What Then Shall We Say To These Things?

What then shall we say to these things?  –Paul  Romans 8:31

Paul’s question in Romans 8:31 has been asked ever since…and especially this week.  We summarize his question into one word, “Why?”  Why did this happen?  Why do good things happen to God’s people?  Paul was asking this very question about the “sufferings of this present time” (verse 19).  What then shall we say to the sufferings of this present time?  What then shall we say to the events of Sunday, February 2, 2014?

Paul then makes use of rhetoric to persuade his readers.  He is so passionate that they “get it” that he uses three different rhetorical devices.  Listen.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Paul doesn’t explicitly say “God is for us.”  He poses it as a conditional statement.  If God is for us.  Why would he say it that way?  He wants his readers to know that, if the possibility exists that God is on our side, our enemies don’t matter.  The rest of Paul’s argument rests on his high view of God.  If you believe God is all-powerful, and if that God is in your side, then no enemy is a threat.  Paul then employs his second rhetorical device.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? 8:32

This is a greater to lesser argument.  If God would give us His Son, whom He loves more than you and I love our own children, then will He not also give us every single thing we need?  Let me illustrate.  Wendy and I are blessed to have a new addition to our family–Fadi.  He is an exchange student from Israel.  He is well-mannered, funny and a joy to have in our home.  Trent has a new big brother.  We gave Fadi a bedroom, a closet, a bathroom–we welcomed him like our own son.  His first morning at our home he asked if he could eat breakfast!  Could you imagine our saying “No!”  Of course not!  Since we gave Fadi a room, a closet, and a bedroom, we’ll give him a pop tart too!  What a ridiculous question!

That’s what Paul is saying.  Since God gave us Jesus, arms open wide on the cross, dying for our sins, will He not also give us everything else we need?  Does this not prove that God is for us?  Does God need to give us anything else, do anything else for us to prove that He is for us?  Of course not!  This is a greater to lesser argument.  Since God has met our greatest need, will he not also meet all our needs?

Then Paul uses his third rhetorical device:  he asks one rhetorical question after another.  The answers to the question are obvious.  He is driving his point home.

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn?  Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger or sword?

These are all rhetorical questions that now have obvious answers.  Once you settle the fact in your heart that God is for you because He gave His Son for you, the answers to the other questions in life become more obvious.  Then Paul quotes what appears to be a strange text.

As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. (8:36)

This is a quote from Psalm 44.  This Psalm opens with praise to God for who He is, for His greatness and goodness.  Then it turns.  “Though God is good,” the writer contends, “we’re not experiencing his goodness right now.”  As a matter of fact, the writer of Psalm 44 feels like a sheep being led to the slaughter and the shepherd is oblivious.  The sheep are crying out for the shepherd and the shepherd is nowhere to be found!  In other words, they’re asking, “where’s God?”

What the writer of Psalm 44 didn’t know, Paul knew.  Jesus said in John 10:11

I am the good shepherd.  The shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

While you and I may at times feel like sheep being slaughtered, we have a Savior who was slaughtered in our place.  While we may feel forsaken by God, Jesus was forsaken by His Father on the cross.  While you and I may at times feel unfairly treated, Jesus unfairly died on the cross for sins he never committed.

That’s why Paul can close his argument with these words:

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (8:37)

What things?  Bad things that happen to God’s people.  Paul lists them.  We’ve experienced them…just this week.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (8:38-39)

There will always be a large degree of separation between our minds and the mind of God.  His ways are higher than ours.  His thoughts are beyond our comprehension.  But there is never a degree of separation between our hearts and the heart of God.  If you are His, if you belong to Him, nothing in all of creation can separate you from his love.  Nothing.  Not even what happened Sunday.  Nothing.

He who did not spare his own Son…