Happiness and Hope

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tearfrom their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17 ESV)

Happiness and Hope

Tears, in some way, are a measure of sadness. While our sadness and our responses to our sadness are profoundly personal, tears are usually a fairly accurate indicator of sorrow.

In heaven… in other words, in that absolutely sure destination of each of God’s Adopted children, every tear will be wiped away. That might seem strange, because we can imagine reasons to be sad in heaven. Sorrow for unredeemed loved ones. Sorrow for earth’s continued groaning. Sorrow for regret, or shame, or unsatisfied obligations.

It makes more sense when I remember what Jesus did for us.

He did amazing things on our behalf. He was tempted with every temptation that we are. (Hebrews 2:18, 4:15) He was punished for our sins (Romans 3:21-31) He died for us. (Romans 5:8)

But He also lived on our behalf. (Galatians 2:20)

So much of what Jesus did and experienced during His 33 years, He did on our behalf. He hurt for us, He endured mocking for us, He suffered loneliness for us. He did those things so that already in God’s eyes, but eventually fully and completely… we do not have to.

Among the shortest and most-memorized verses in the Bible tells us something that Jesus did, so that when we arrive home in Heaven, we will never have to do again.

Jesus wept. (John 11:35 ESV) He also wept in Luke 19:41 and Luke 22:62. But it was not just regular weeping. That weeping, just like Christ’s temptations and suffering, was done on our behalf. Not “for” us. But so that we will not have to weep anymore. It was weeping that wipes our tears in heaven. Not because there is no reason… but because He already wept on our behalf.

Because He wept, we have hope in heaven to never weep again.

Take the hope He gives us, He already paid for it.

Happiness and Faith

Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. (I Samuel 1:17.18 ESV)

Happiness and Faith

Hannah wanted children with her husband, Elkanah. Apparently, she was barren. Elkanah clearly loved Hannah. He was satisfied with the situation, but Hannah was not. She could not, for some reason, have children. And that circumstance made her sad.

Hannah got help from Eli, God’s priest in Israel. Eli reminded her, with careful subtlety, of a similar situation in Israel’s history. The three most famous of Israel’s Matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel, had been barren. And God had granted their petition for a family. Those barren women, crying out to God, had become pregnant.

Those three women were heroines of Hebrew history. It had not taken much for Hannah to remember them, in the same way that people today think of heroines like Betsy Ross, Dolly Madison, or Harriet Tubman when events or words nudge our memories.

God granted Hannah faith based on her memory of those women. God gave them babies. Important babies. Blessing babies. And Eli promised that God would give Hannah a baby, too.

With the result that Hannah, finding herself in different circumstances, was no longer sad. Her knowledge of the past was leveraged into faith, which blossomed into happiness.

Faith can often overcome the sadness found in circumstances. We must have knowledge of God’s working in the past, of course. We must know the God who acted then. We must choose to believe that God cares and loves and helps today as well.

Like in Hannah, those things can combine to make just the right mixture that gives birth to Faith.

But when we are imbedded in circumstances that cause sadness, God offers faith. Faith that is rooted in God’s stories of the past. Faith that is connected to us today. And sadness can be changed into satisfaction, happiness, and joy.

The best part of this is that God is not saying, “Stop being sad you evil-doer!” He is saying, “here is something… faith… that you can use to help your face not be said.”

Take the Faith God gives us and rest happily.

Rebellion and Love

And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” (II Samuel 18:5 ESV)

Rebellion and Love

Absalom was a rebel against David, his father.

Repeatedly. Read the story (found in II Samuel chapters 13 through 19) and you will see a man was that forgiven many times, and yet continued to rebel against his father.

And yearning for his son’s repentance, David gives Absalom chances and opportunities galore. And shockingly, in the end, when Absalom’s rebellion had reached its final stages, David still loves him.

“Deal gently with him…” he begs the soldiers tasked with ending the rebellion once and for all.

Even at the end… David loves his son, Absalom. Rebel and all.

And remember. God calls David a man after His own heart. (I Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22)

We are more like Absalom than we like to think.

And God is like David.

When that knowledge drives you to repentance and renewal and revival and re-vivification of your relationship with Christ, then heaven rejoices! This is what David hoped for in Absalom.

But when your awareness of your rebellion leads you to panic, insecurity, worry, and unholy fear… then remember how God gives love as the solution to rebellion.

Your rebellion.

The solution is not simply sorrow for your sin… it is sorrow and hope in Christ. The solution is not simply aversion to your actions… it is aversion and faith in Christ. The solution is not simply hatred of the Old Man still in you (Romans 6:6)… it is loving the Son of God, and being loved by the Redeemer, Christ Jesus.

We Absaloms of the world… take comfort in what the first Absalom never did… the love of our Father.

Take the love God gives.

Rebellion and Hope

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” (Psalm 110:1 ESV)

Rebellion and Hope

He was the wizard of ALL computer geeks. No matter how badly my screen was frozen, my hard drive was wonky, or my keyboard was stuck… JACK could fix it. When I called Jack, there was only a question of WHEN the problem would be fixed.

I faced every technological problem with trust of Jack in the front of my mind, and with his number on speed dial.

But Jesus is even better than Jack.

All of His enemies will be His footstool.

Today we need a nudge to understand the symbolism. Defeated enemy kings, princes, generals, and heroes were forced to kneel before the Conqueror. And in extreme cases, the losers were forced to lean over on all fours while the winner treated the loser like a footstool.

This Psalm assures us that every one of Jesus’ enemies will be defeated by Christ. And in fact, already has been.

It does not seem like it sometimes, does it? But when it seems like Christ’s enemies are still doing well, we can act in TRUST. Sometimes we leverage our memories of God’s past victories (the cross, for example!) into peace. Sometimes we find peace by comprehending what He is up to.

And sometimes we find hope by trusting in what God has proclaimed the future will look like.

And that trust is the foundation of hope.

Christ victorious.

God grants His people the supernatural ability to believe. Today we tend to demand logic, proof, and personal understanding. And those things are all ok.

But for the hard times… for the far too common fearful times… God also gives us hope.

Take the hope God offers.

Rebellion and Faith

Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:9 ESV)

Rebellion and Faith

We walked through Firenze, Italy early New Years Day. Mobs had celebrated exuberantly the night before. The trash, knee deep, seemed evenly spread. This normally peaceful community erupts with celebratory violence every year at this time. Even its aftermath was unnerving.

When I was very young, race riots erupted a couple of miles from my home. I barely remember it. But I recall huddling in the basement. Afraid of something.

In London, my family accidentally walked through a protest. A crowd was angry at the British government for a recent judicial ruling. We were surrounded by yelling, fist-waving, angry people. Until the Bobbies showed up we were very alone.

Individual rebellion and violence can be frightening. Mass rebellion and violence is beyond terrifying. In some ways, it is the most deadly thing on earth.

God had observed, some years after the flood, that earthlings had begun to rebel, not merely as individuals, but in one large group. God noted that when they banded together, no violent act was beyond them. Their rebellion against Him would be humanly unstoppable. (Genesis 11:6 ESV) So God dealt with them.

He made it difficult for them to plot, plan, organize, and unite. That restriction continues even today. (And also gives rise to the academic department of Language Studies…)

God’s people can take comfort in God’s past Babel-making. God dealt often with crowds. Not only at Babel, but at the flood(Genesis 6:11;) in Egypt (Exodus 12:30;) in Assyria(Joel 1:4;) in Jerusalem (Mark 5:21; ) on Jesus’ way to the cross (Matthew 27:23; ) threatening Paul (Acts 21:28-31;) and in the book of John’s Revelation (Revelation 12:15; ) describes crowd after crowd.

But crowds can not stand before God. Multiplied evil is still just evil. And God dealt with evil repeatedly, and ultimately with His Son’s death.

When our community, society, and civilization seem on the verge of upheaval, remember that they are mere crowds. God has dealt with them before.

Remember the past and take comfort.

Remember the past and grasp faith.

Family and Love

And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” (Genesis 4:25 ESV)

When playing bridge, I was taught to play each hand as if my partner across the table has exactly the cards that we need to win. It seemed risky at first. But eventually I agreed that I could either play with hesitancy or doubt… or with the idea in my mind that together we have what we need.

Maybe God is like the perfect bridge-partner. Except when we need Him to play the right card, He always does. Even better, He is a good enough bridge player to play the card that we really need… not merely the card we desire.

Adam and Eve must have been devastated by the murder in their family. Disappointment, anger, guilt, and fear were just a few of their likely and reasonable reactions. They had lost both sons, really. With one son dead, and one son outcast, how could the Messiah come? Despair had moved in with them.

They needed something, but probably could not even articulate their need.

But God gave them the exact right thing. You might think I refer to Seth, but it is more than that. In giving Seth to Eve and Adam, God was giving something even more useful and appropriate. God played exactly the right card.

He thrust love into their crisis. He loved them by giving them a third son. Eve’s comment shows that she sees this. But He also loved them by giving them someone to love.

Because love is often the exact answer to our problems. Loving someone redirects our attention from selfishness. Loving someone fills the empty spots that loss leaves in its wake.

The love that Eve had towards Seth enabled her to love God. The love that Eve had towards Seth enabled her to revive her future. The love that eve had towards Seth enabled her to be human again, as humans were created to be.

Loving someone justifies faith and brings hope. For us, just as much as for Eve.

Take the love God offers.

Family and Hope

When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” (Genesis 5:28,29 ESV)

I usually roll my eyes at the opening line of one of Whitney Houston’s songs, “I believe that children are the future…” The concept is so obvious that it seems silly to sing about it.

But today, I see that Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, and Lamech would have agreed with Whitney. They were experiencing God’s curse, and they were tired.

But they knew that things were going to get better. They knew that God had promised relief. And so as they observed the extension of the family tree was a repeated promise. Down the branches of this tree lie hope.

Noah means, “rest.”

As the aging men (and they all were alive at this time) gathered around the baby, Noah, they saw hope. They knew that rest was coming. And they saw it in their family.

They were right, more than they knew.

God gives us a similar hope. The shift, though, is that we find hope in our Brother. While we hope FOR our children’s children, we hope IN our Brother.

Whether we need rest, relief, healing, strength, blessings, peace, comfort, or joy, God gives hope in THAT family. Whether we need faith or love, God gives hope in THAT family.

Take the hope God offers.

Family and Faith

Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” (Genesis 13:8-10 ESV)

Family and Faith

If I admit that worry is a sin, then a common temptation for me is worrying about my family. Whether it is family traveling, family struggling with employment, family making strange decisions, or just simply family being too far away, it is easy to slip into worry. But God gives an answer to those worries. He offers faith.

Uncle Abram could have been worried about Lot. Lot had attitude problems. Lot had business problems. Lot had family problems. I might say Lot had lots of problems.

But as Abram stood on that hill and suggested a risky idea, he spoke from faith. Lot might choose the better land. Lot might wander from Abram in heart as well as body. Lot might fall in with some suspicious people.

But Abram chose faith. Remembering God’s help as Abram had wandered, Abram had faith that God would help Lot. Remembering God’s protection as Abram encountered enemies, Abram had faith that God would protect Lot. Remembering God’s presence with Abram no matter how long the road, Abram had faith that God would be present with Lot.

The results of Abram’s faith are astonishing, although they should not be. God did help Lot… He even sent angels. God did protect Lot… He even brought Lot out of Sodom in the nick of time. God was present with Lot… even when Lot was unfaithful.

But the most astonishing result did not happen for many years. Abram’s faith that God would love Abram’s family ended up with a young Moabitess (the nation of Moab were descendants of Lot) named Ruth.

Who found faith, too.

And Ruth begat Obed… who begat Jesse… who begat David.

And David led to the Christ. The Savior.

When it comes to your family, take up faith instead of worry.

Surprises and Love

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31)

Surprises and Love

A friend in elementary school received a watch as a gift.  I do not recall the brand, but it was much more than a Timex.  It had an elegant, simple face.  It did not require winding.  And best of all it enabled him to know what time it was!  At ANY time!

I wanted one.

But John did not care for that gift.  Unlike me, he previously owned a watch, and found it boring.  John liked G.I. Joe accessories, and found the watch boring.  John’s siblings all owned watches, watches were nothing special, so watches were boring.

I informed John that the watch was a good gift.  He disagreed.

The goodness of a gift is in the heart of the receiver, usually.

But God dispels all doubt when He creates creation.  God made all things. And He declares that creation was good.  He said it five times, and when He was all done, He pronounced that it was VERY good.

Gifts are given because of love. 

God’s gift of creation, while twisted and tainted by Adam’s and our sin, is still a very good gift. 

But we do not often see it that way.  Like my friend John, we do not apprehend the goodness of God’s gifts to us.  And we therefore do not notice His love.

We complain about the rain instead of being grateful for the process of plant-growth.  We complain about the heat instead of being grateful for the wonder of season-change.  We complain about the dullness of a drive through the prairie instead of being grateful for the fantastic variety of biosphere and environment.

And best of all, God created the gift of creation for the simple reason that He loves His people.

Even though He created creation thousands of years ago, it is a gift of love to us today.

Even though He created a creation that will endure (with major re-adjustments when time ends, and all is made new!) forever. (Ecclesiastes 1:13) It is a gift of love to us today.

When we are feeling unloved, or less loved, or not loved enough, look around.  A very good gift surrounds us.

Take the love God offers.

Surprises and Hope

He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 ESV)

Surprises and Hope

Adam and Eve had a lot of surprises that day. The plans to be like God did not quite work out the way they had figured. We are surprised when that happens to us, too.

They got caught in their disobedience. We are surprised when we are caught, too.

They found out who they now were. Their rebellion was revealed. Their physical nakedness no longer symbolized their innocence. It now symbolized their shame. We are surprised when our true selves are displayed, too.

Those surprises could have combined to cause permanent shame, fear, and despair. But God does not leave Adam and Eve in their hopeless estate.

Before He even pronounces His righteous judgment, God gives Adam and Eve hope.

Hope, here, is not reasonable. Adam and Eve had broken the one rule of the garden. They could expect that God would destroy everything and start over.

The resulting effects of their rebellion (which Adam and Eve had not yet heard) show how serious the situation was. Everything is broken now. Adam’s future work would be hard. Horribly hard. The future of the human race, as we see through God’s declaration of the danger of childbirth, was not rosy.

But God gives the gift of hope to Adam and Eve. God tells them that the serpent’s head would be crushed. A time would come, after creation, civilization, and individuals would suffer, when evil would lose. Or said better, good would triumph.

How? Adam and Eve did not know. When? Adam and Eve did not know. Why? Adam and Eve did not really even know that.

But God gives them hope. Hope that was fulfilled when Adam and Eve’s descendant crushed the serpent’s head from the height of the cross.

Our rebellion, sin, and sin’s effects give us shame, fear, and despair, too.

And in Christ Jesus, God offers us that same hope. No matter how bad today is.

Take the Hope God offers.

Surprises and Faith

This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:23 ESV)

Surprises and Faith

In the woods of central Mississippi, we were pursued ten miles by a UFO. As we drove, it followed us through every speed adjustment and every turn. Where we went, the bright light went.

But neither DeAnne nor I were really surprised. I was unsurprised because I knew down deep in my toes that UFO’s exist. But DeAnne was unsurprised because she knew that they do not.

She was right. We eventually realized it was the moon.

Surprises, whether good or bad, are modified by our past experience and knowledge.

Eve was a surprise. Adam had explored the Garden of Eden and had examined and studied every living creature that God had made. He even, with God, named everything that lived.

He had seen it all. He understood it all.

But he had never seen anything like Eve.

I used to quip that when God brought Eve to Adam, Adam must have said, “Woah, man!”

But while he was probably surprised, Adam knew God. Adam had worked with God. Adam had talked with God. Adam had spent time with God. Adam’s experience and knowledge helped him weather the surprise.

But it could not have been enough. God must have helped supernaturally. Without faith given by God, Adam would still be standing in the Garden, jaw agape.

Adam’s proclamation displays Faith. God enabled Adam to realize that this amazing Eve was exactly what Adam needed (and Adam was exactly what Eve needed, too.)

He sees her… and the faith that God gives him lets Adam see that even though he is surprised, curious, insecure, and maybe a little afraid… Adam can say, “at last she is here! She is what I need.”

Our world surprises us. Events do not happen as we predict. Results are not what we expect.

But God will give you faith. You know Him. You have worked with Him. You have talked with Him. Do not be overwhelmed by surprise.

Take the faith God offers.

Time and Love

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9 ESV)

Time and Love

My first best friend watched and enjoyed Star Trek. We were two boys in elementary school who enjoyed watching Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock fly around the universe, and the rest of our school thought we were odd. Well, we were.

But having someone on my side made all the difference. When other students rolled their eyes and teased… Dave and I could still relax. We were not alone.

That is what love does. When we are loved, we are not alone.

But what is so great about love? Why does Paul tell us that, “faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love?” (I Corinthians 13:13 ESV)

Part of the answer lies in time. Faith helps us because faith gives us a secure past. Hope helps us because it gives us a secure future. But Paul calls love the best of the three, perhaps because we are loved and we love now.

While we probably remember past acts of love fondly… and we probably look forward to loving in the future… love is best experienced, understood, and performed right now.

Jesus points this out when He tells us to abide in love. We abide in the present tense. We do it now.

Further. unlike Faith and Hope, which work only as unique gifts from God in one direction, love as a gift from God works in two ways. We have faith in God. We have hope in God. But God both loves us, and we love Him.

It is hard to understand how that works, and so love is often viewed as a mystery. But it really is not. We are granted love (both in our ability to give it, and our opportunity to receive it) as a supernatural gift.

And love is the answer to most of our problems.

We will be looking (as part of a three-day cycle) at the love described, defined, and demonstrated in God’s Word. Love basks in the middle of faith and love. Love, supernaturally given to us, lets us understand who God is. Love looks around at the here and now and sees God’s unconditional love acted out, God’s choice to be with us now, and God’s permanent relationship with His people today.

Time and Hope

…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (I Peter 3:15 ESV)

Time and Hope

If Faith is founded on the past, Hope obviously is founded on the future. We do not hope for yesterday, we hope for tomorrow. Hope happens when we consider the paths ahead of us and know that the road ahead is grand.

Hope is also founded on God. Because we have relationship with the One True Living God, we lean on Him to understand what is going to happen. His amazing grace and astounding goodness assure us that our future glows.

We often are able to find a kind of hope on our own. Experience guides our expectations. Most of us reading this devotional live in a resource-rich nation, in caring communities, among loving family and friends. And so when trouble happens, we reasonably assume and expect peace, prosperity, and success. That is certainly hope.

Problems arise, and we logically analyze our situations. We often arrive intellectually and emotionally at hope rather than despair.

But not always.

For instance, in times of war, or political upheaval, or illness, or pandemic, or recession, or depression, or loss, or worry, or fear… hope is sometimes hard to come by.

Biblical hope is different than the kind of hope we usually find. Our common hope is logical but unsure. It is optimistic but not absolute. It is helpful, but not completely reliable.

God knows this. He knows that we live in the material world, locked in our time stream, without His omniscience or omnipresence.

So He grants us another supernatural gift, alongside Faith. Instead of mere hope, He gives His people HOPE.

Tethered to God through Christ, we know without any reason for doubt that heaven is the end result of Christians’ lives. We know it not merely by logic (although it is logical,) not merely by analysis (although it does make sense,) not merely by cheerful disposition (although our disposition is connected to our hope.) We know it because God offers our hearts to be filled with HOPE.

HOPE is a gift from God, given because He knows that we are unsure on our own…. Because He knows that we think more about the unknown future than anything else… Because we are prone to sinful worry, sinful fear, sinful doubt, and sinful self-focus. HOPE is the best solution to those problems.

We will be looking (as part of a three-day cycle) at the HOPE described, defined, and demonstrated in God’s Word. HOPE looks towards the future and sees God’s answered promises, God’s continued presence, and God’s permanent relationship with His people.

HOPE breeds security when we are afraid. HOPE breeds certainty when the future is seems unsure. HOPE breeds comfort when we hurt. HOPE breeds faith. Faith breeds love.

Time and Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3 ESV)

Time and Faith

All three of our words (faith, hope, and love) have been kidnapped by society and in a sort of Stockholm Syndrome reaction, taken on meanings other than how God’s Word uses them. Today, faith seems to mean irrational thinking. Today, faith seems to mean foolishness. Today, faith seems to mean naivety.

But faith is a lot better than that.

Humans have two ways to know things. We know things that we have learned through our senses, or logically deduced. We generally call that, ‘reason.’ Reason is a good thing… part of the way God created us to understand and interact with our universe.

And we know things that we have learned outside of our senses. We generally call that, ‘faith.’ Faith is a good thing… but we do not arrive at it naturally. The only way to have faith is to have God give it to us.

Perhaps what the world calls, ‘faith,’ is reasonable for them. Because they have not received the gift of faith, when Christians describe our faithful understanding, it seems like irrationality, foolishness, or naivety.

But it is not.

Faith, as a supernatural gift granted to us by God, generally refers to things in the past. The author of Hebrews connects faith with things like creation. No human saw creation. But the author of Hebrews knows that God created the heavens and the earth. He knows this through faith.

We use something LIKE faith to understand things quite a lot. We have a sort of faith that our birth-date is accurate. We were not there. But we believe that the birth certificate tells us the truth. We have a sort of faith that electricity lit our light bulbs yesterday. We can not see the electrons riding copper wires. But we believe that Edison and Tesla were correct. We have a sort of faith that the milk we purchase at Leaker’s has an accurate use-by date. We did not see it come from Bessie. We did not see it processed. We did not see it shipped. But we drink it.

But actual faith is more important than those daily faiths.

Actual faith is the God-given ability to know that God IS real, God IS present, God IS involved, God IS in charge, God IS what He says He is.

We will be looking (as part of a three-day cycle) at the faith described, defined, and demonstrated in God’s Word. Faith looks at the past and sees God’s strength, God’s presence, and God’s connections to His people.

Faith breeds security when we are afraid. Faith breeds certainty when things do not make sense. Faith breeds comfort when we hurt. Faith breeds hope. Faith breeds love.

Our Superpowers

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians 13:13 ESV)

Our Superpowers

When I was much younger, I used to go to bed after Christmas Day and ponder my presents.  I would attempt to rate them, evaluate them, and rank them.  I was not very successful.  I simply liked them all, usually.  Other than the socks.

We as God’s people have three fearsome enemies:  the flesh, the world, and Satan.  Each of these enemies are able, fierce, and effective.  But God defends us with faith, hope, and love.

We as God’s people, though forgiven and redeemed, struggle constantly against sin and sin’s effects.  Sin taints our thoughts, our words, and our deeds.  But God arms us with faith, hope, and love.

We as God’s people have wounds from the past, pains in the present, and worries about the future.  While God is timeless, we are chained to yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  But God frees us with faith, hope, and love.

Faith, hope, and love are our superpowers. 

But I fear we confuse them, lack understanding about them, and hardly use them practically. 

Our ‘superpower instruction manual,’ also known as the Bible, is filled with descriptions, directions, and encouragements concerning the Big Three.

In rotation, it is my intention to continue the “Fear Not” process by examining what Scripture has to say about Faith one day… Hope the next day… and Love the day after that.  And then rinse, repeat, and recycle.  Although I might cycle them week by week rather than day by day… please let me know how you think it is going.

Starting Monday, I hope we will enjoy and be encouraged and be challenged by God’s Word speaking about our superpowers.

Faith, Hope, and Love

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians 13:13 ESV)

Life is difficult… for now.

We have so many reasons to be afraid. We struggle against God’s enemies: the flesh, the world, and Satan. (Ephesians 2:1-3) We fight against the Old Man that still grasps our very hearts. (Colossians 3:9) The effects of sin in the created world breed tragedy and pain. (Romans 8:20-22)

But on the other side of the equation of our life, God answers our fears with His help. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit stand against all the enemies, pain, struggles, worries, sins, and sins effects of this broken life. We are not alone.

God also gives internal help. He enables us. He strengthens us. He transforms us.

Often we misunderstand Scripture’s descriptions of that help. Rather than see that God gives gifts, we think He is giving commands.

The armor of God… the fruit of the Spirit… the beatitudes… and even the ten commandments are not so much further requirements that we are unable to perfectly meet as they are God-given tools, God-granted abilities, God-given weapons, and God-given places to stand.

We can stand in the fight because God gives His people more appropriate armor than Saul tried to give David. (I Samuel 17:38) We can endure the effects of Adam’s sin (and ours) because God gives His people protections, defenses, and hopes. (Genesis 3:21) We can withstand the terrible tumultuous storms of yesterday, today, and tomorrow because God has given us what He knows we need (Genesis 7:16)

We do not like to receive gifts. We like to think we earn what we have. We like to depend on ourselves rather than something greater, or higher, or richer than ourselves. We think we can make it on our own.

How’s that working out for you?

The grace of the gospel extends beyond Justification and covers sanctification, too. God is THE active element in every single tiny and huge aspect of our lives. But He does not just wave His fingers and make things happen.

He gifts us. He enables us. He grants us. He does for us by doing through us.

But it is not us… it is Him.

Paul describes three gifts from God that we traditionally have misunderstood in this way.

When struggling and hurting and fighting and experiencing life, God gives us three gifts. He gives us Faith. He gives us Hope. He gives us Love.

These three are not simply things we are required to DO.

These three are things that He covers us with, fills us with, strengthens us with, grows us with, helps us with, and even saves us with.

Three abide. Faith, Hope, and Love.

Fear Not

Fear Not!

Christians are afraid. But we do not have to be. In fact, we should not be afraid at all. Of anything.

In God’s Word, He tells us around 35 times (depending on your choice of translation and context) to not murder. So most Christians try to avoid murdering.

In God’s Word, He tells us over 25 times (again, depending on your choice of translation and context) to tell the truth. So most Christians aim at honesty.

But somehow, when it comes God’s statements about fear, we do not seem to pay attention to what He says.

God has made it quite clear in Scripture that fear is not an option.

Yet we are afraid. We argue about what our most common fears are, without noticing that we should not be afraid at all. We fear, and explain our unique situation, claiming that WE have something to be afraid of. We confess our selfishness, our cruelty, and our social sins, but we do not seem to see that being afraid is disobedience.

The Bible does not contain 365 commands to “fear not.” I, too, wish that it did. How perfect an illustration that would be! But God does tell His people over 100 times to not be afraid, fear not, stop being afraid, avoid fear, or have courage instead of fear.

Today, many voices grab our attention and point out the reasons for fear. Social media screams, “fear.” The news lists the threats that attacked us yesterday, the dangers of the present, and the reasons to worry about tomorrow. Our conversations center around troubles and problems, and are not only spiced by fear, but fear is the main course.

And fear is understandable. Fear seems rational. Scary things ARE all around us.

When God says, “Fear not,” He is not claiming there is nothing to be afraid of.

He is saying that we know better reasons not to be afraid.

In 2020 Christians seem more afraid than pagans. We join with the world in our fears of Covid-19 and an economic crisis. And we add a fear of Government Overreach to the mix. We might fear God’s wrath. We might fear a Biblically cataclysmic end of the world.

We have so many reasons to be afraid.

And the Bible does not deny that. In fact, the Bible points out MORE reasons to be afraid. The Bible describes powerful and deadly enemies that attack, haunt, and hate God’s people. God’s enemies (the flesh, the world, and Satan) are worse than a virus, being broke, and climate change.

But if you are afraid, you can know absolutely that what you are feeling does not come from God. II Timothy 1:7 is quite clear. God does not give us a spirit of fear. Fear never comes from Him.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is somehow doing the next right thing in spite of fear. Ignoring or denying the power of a fearful thing is naïve.

God tells us to not be afraid because if we know, understand, and believe Him, we know He is bigger, more powerful, and more in control than anything we fear.

So what can we do to get rid of fear?

Listen to God. Counter the cacophony of fear-inducing noises with His calming and true voice. And His voice is most clear in the Bible.

We have just finished surveying 105 examples of God’s soothing words. He says, “fear not,” through the prophets, narrators, poets and speakers in the Bible.

Fear not!

Fear Not... the Final Verse

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. (II Corinthians 32:7,8 ESV)

Hezekiah said these words after preparing for war. He spoiled the wells along the Assyrian army’s path. He fixed broken walls and built new towers where Assyria was expected to attack. He forged weapons and shields in abundance. He re-organized the Judean army including militia and new commanders.

He did not do those things to bring courage to Judah.

He did not do those things to help the people of God not be afraid.

He prepares for war because Hezekiah already is not afraid.

Hezekiah’s confidence comes from his trust in God. He knows that the king of Assyria only flesh and blood on his side, but Judah has God. The king of Assyria has a few other armies on his side, but Judah has God’s help. The king of Assyria has his horde, but Judah has God’s angel-armies.

Because Hezekiah is not afraid, he can do his job. Somewhere on Hezekiah’s job description it reads, “prepare for war.” And so he does.

That preparation does not give him courage, it comes from his courage. Doing his job does not inspire his people, it comes from his inspiration. His work does not distract him from fear, overcome his fear, or smother his fear. His work is possible because Hezekiah is not afraid.

Physical things do not defeat fear. Pacing, craftwork, exercise, hand-wringing, and meals are all fine things… but they do not defeat fear.

Our eyes will only stop seeing fear when we look towards God. Our hearts will only stop drumming in fear when our hearts are filled with His Spirit. Our words will only stop being fearful when our words profess Christ.

Fear is solved spiritually. Then there can be physical results.

Fear not, because God will enable you by removing your fear.

Fear Not, Because We Are God's People

Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping. (I Samuel 22:23)

Maybe math in the Bible is easier than math outside the Bible. At least when it comes to politics, alliances, and teams.

Our eyes see a range of groups around us. Libertarians, neo-conservatives, old-style liberals, fiscal conservatives, isolationists, moderates, globalists, social liberals, socialists, communists, and extreme fanatics of political flavors all clamor for our attention. If we were an ice-cream shoppe, we would have more choices than Baskin-Robbins.

But in God’s eyes, there are only two groups. Perhaps different terms are used for those groups, but God’s math here is quite simple. We are either for God, or against Him.

Sometimes we might label one group Christian, God-followers, His People, the Redeemed, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Non-Denominationalists, or Citizens of the Kingdom. Sometimes we might label the other group nominal Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Pagan, New-Age, Pagan, Secular, or nothing at all.

But David had learned that all groups fit into those two divisions. We are either for God, or against Him.

Saul had added to his enemies by assassinating a family of priests. One son, Abiathar, escaped and found his way to David’s camp. David knew that Saul had killed the priests in revenge for their support of David.

And so, even though Abiathar earlier had not joined David’s team, David offered protection… God’s protection… to the fleeing young man.

David, and now Abiathar, knew that only two divisions exist. We are either for God, or against Him.

Today those same divisions are also all that matter.

Those who are not on God’s side have many true reasons to fear.

But those who are God’s side, can count on God’s protection, because He fights on the side of His people. He defends His people. He is on our side, as we are on His.

Fear not, because we are on God’s side.

Fear Not, Because of the Cross

But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” (Numbers 21:34 ESV)

There was a small country town west of where I lived (and coached) in South Dakota who always fielded an undefeatable football team.  They were repeatedly State champions.  They were the standard of what football teams aspired to be.

They were the Ranchers.  And we were not.

But I often imagined (in the first five minutes of the annual football game) what it would be like to defeat them.  Not only would THAT day be amazing, but from then on, we would remember when the Ranchers fell.

A bad tornado is coming?  Yeah, but remember when we beat the Ranchers!

Taxes are going up? Maybe so, but remember when we beat the Ranchers!

Our favorite politician lost the election? So… remember when we beat the Ranchers!

Stubbed your toe? Have a cold? Lost five dollars? Ran out of gas? Missed a deadline? Forgot a friend’s birthday?  AHHHH…. But remember when we beat the RANCHERS!

Sihon, King of the Amorites must have been like the Ranchers.  When God brought Israel to military victory over King Sihon, they never forgot it.

That victory is mentioned TWENTY-THREE times afterwards!

And usually, as a reason to not be afraid of whatever trouble God’s people were facing.

Are you afraid?  Remember Sihon!

The fall of Sihon, King of the Amorites probably does not bring that encouragement to you.  I suspect most of us would not be able to point to his kingdom on a map… describe his previous accomplishments… or recognize his face on a postage stamp.

But there is an event that is even bigger than Sihon’s defeat.

When you are afraid, or facing troubles, or starting to worry, or think something BIG is coming…

You don’t have to remember Sihon.

Remember the cross.

The defeat of sin.  The defeat of sin’s effects.  The defeat of death.  The defeat of every sorrow, every tear,  every pain, every failure, every mistake, every falsehood, every terror, every problem.

Fear not, because of the CROSS.