Repost: Abide, Then Ask

My Bible reading includes a single verse to read for a week.  This week's verse is John 15:7, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."  I wrote about this on March 10, 2010.  The story that I didn't share was that Les had lost his job on March 1, 2010.  We were in the midst of asking, but God reminded me to abide.

My devotional for March 8th was this:

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7).

Ask what we will? And it will be done unto us? What a wonder! We can write the check, and God will sign it. We cleave to the promise, for we all want our wishes granted.
Thumbing madly through life's catalog, we find a bevy of items that suit our fancy, fill in the order blank, and - But, God, where is Your signature? You said...
Did we forget something? Oh, yes - the first part of the verse. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you..." He'll provide if I'll abide.

Another translation of that verse says, "If you live in me and what I say lives in you, then ask for anything you want, and it will be yours." Oh... what He says, His words. And not just hearing, but living what He says.

We're all quick to line up for the blessings, but where are we when it's time to live what He says? God is merciful to the sinner who cries, "Lord, if you'll get me out of this jam, I'll serve you." But He certainly doesn't have to be. That's the cart before the horse.

We are the creation, the inferior one. We can't make demands, we can't even ask for anything without first being in obedience to His word. Our provision is predicated upon our abiding.

The Greek definition of abide is - to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for).

Need healing? Abide.
Need a job? Abide.
Looking for direction? Abide.
Need deliverance? Abide.
Been living without joy lately? Abide.
Guilt holding you back? Abide.
Worry keeping you up at night? Abide.

Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

Breaking the Law

Think about the last time you broke a rule (a big one, not just ripping the tags off your pillows).  Were you burned, or did things turn out for the best?

 

I have a problem with this prompt!  I don't like the assumption it implies.  It doesn't ask, "have you ever broken a big rule?"  The question assumes we all break laws.  I'll confess to driving too fast on occasion. My most recent ticket (I think about five years ago) was for being in the carpool lane on a freeway on-ramp.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize it was "carpool only" at the time - the meter came on just minutes before I got in that lane and there was no way for me to move out of it.  A costly mistake, but not one I did intentionally.

I wrote a post called "Jane Eyre and Temptation" back in 2011 that fits this topic:

 

Of course one of the most powerful scenes is when Jane and Mr. Rochester are to be married. The wedding is interrupted and we finally meet Mr. Rochester's lunatic wife. Mr. Rochester then tries to convince Jane to run away with him. Here are Jane's thoughts:

This was true: and while he spoke my very conscience and reason turned traitors against me, and charged me with crime in resisting him. They spoke almost as loud as Feeling: and that clamoured wildly. “Oh, comply!” it said. “Think of his misery; think of his danger—look at his state when left alone; remember his headlong nature; consider the recklessness following on despair—soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?”

Still indomitable was the reply—“I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad—as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth—so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane—quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot.”

Jane Eyre was published in 1847, but those words about temptation I find relevant today. How often we humans try to rationalize our breaking of the God's laws. "Think of his misery." As if choosing to comfort Mr. Rochester would have been justification for breaking God's laws. "Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this..."

 

And for the record, the tags are still on our pillows...

Let's Make a Deal

I'm continuing my reading in Judges.  Yesterday morning I read chapters 10 and 11.  Chapter 11 contains a very disturbing story:

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

I read many commentaries on this story.  They all agreed that this was a vow that Jephthah never should have made.  Since he only had one child, a daughter, the chances of it being either his wife or daughter who came out the door first were pretty high.  I don't know if he had servants, but he probably didn't have a pet dog!  Human sacrifice was never acceptable in God's eyes.

A few weeks ago I posted "Overtaken" and talked about all the promises God made about blessings.  These blessings don't come when we vow a vow.  They come because of obedience. "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth."

I Samuel 15:22 says, "And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."   God isn't a vending machine ~ "If I put this much in, God will drop what I want out."  He's not a genie in a bottle.  God is sovereign.  He reigns.  We need to have faith, but we also need to trust the outcome to Him.

We like to quote Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  But we sometimes forget about His purpose.  We must live according to His Word and trust that all things, all good things, all bad things, all hard things, all things will work together for good.  We might not see the good today, but the only deal we can make with God is to hearken diligently to His voice, observe and do His commandments.  He'll keep His end of the deal when we do our part!

Vashti ~ Woman of the Week

This study was very interesting to me.  Although Vashti is only mentioned in two chapters of the Bible, the commentaries had a lot to say about her actions.

Verses:  Esther 1:9-22, Esther 2:1

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings
The book of Esther only tells us that Vashti was the queen, to Ahasuerus the king.

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?
Vashti is known for not coming when the king called for her, but there was so much more going on than simple disobedience.  Esther 1:7-8 says, "And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king. And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure."  This went on for seven days before the king called for Vashti.  I've seen a few drunks in my day, but seven days of drinking must have caused all good sense to leave these men's brains!  "As the feast days advanced, the drinking was more freely indulged in, so that the close was usually marked by great excesses of revelry." (A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown {JFB})

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible put it very clearly:

"When the heart of the king was merry with wine; when he was intoxicated with it, and knew not well what he said or did; and the discourse at table ran upon the beauty of women, as the latter Targum; when the king asserted there were no women so beautiful as those of Babylon, and, as a proof of it, ordered his queen to be brought in: 

Even though he sent by them again, as the Targum; and so says Josephus (o); which might not purely arise from pride in her, and contempt of him, but because she might conclude he was drunk, and knew not well what he did; and therefore had she come at his command, when he was himself and sober, he might blame her for coming, nay, use her ill for it, and especially if she was to come naked, as say the Jews (p); and besides, it was contrary to the law of the Persians, as not only Josephus (q), but Plutarch (r) observes, which suffered not women to be seen in public; and particularly did not allow their wives to be with them at feasts, only their concubines and harlots, with whom they could behave with more indecency; as for their wives, they were kept out of sight, at home (s); and therefore Vashti might think it an indignity to be treated as an harlot or concubine."

I asked Les, "When is it okay for a wife to refuse her husband?"  "When it goes against God's laws."  If she had exposed herself to these drunken men, it would have gone against God's moral laws.  Even if she had come, modestly attired, she would have gone against the law of the Persians. She was put in a no win situation by her husband.

"This refusal of Vashti's, to expose herself to the view of such a group of drunken Bacchanalians, was highly praiseworthy, and became the dignity of her rank and the modesty of her sex." (Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge by Canne, Browne, Blayney, Scott, and others {TSK})

Because of her refusal, the king was "very wroth, and his anger burned in him."  Unfortunately, he asked the counsel of the same men with whom he had spent the last seven days drinking.  Esther 1:16-20 tells of the plan of Memucan, one of the king's seven princes.  He first convinced the men that all women would despise their husbands and become disobedient as well.  "It is an exaggeration of her crime, and made with a design to incense the king the more against her." (John Gill)

"This reasoning was inconsequent and false. Vashti had not generally disobeyed the king, therefore she could be no precedent for the general conduct of the Persian women. She disobeyed only in one particular; and this, to serve a purpose, Memucan draws into a general consequence, and the rest came into the conclusion, being either too intoxicated to be able to discern right from wrong, or too intent on reducing women to a state of vassalage, to neglect the present favourable opportunity." (TSK)

Vashti was removed from her place as queen and would no longer be allowed to come before the king.  The decree meant they were divorced

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?
Interestingly, it was not Vashti who wanted to reset but Ahasuerus.  Esther chapter 2 begins with a sober and regretful king, remembering Vashti.  "He remembered Vashti; her beauty, and was grieved, that she was removed from him; and so Josephus says, that he passionately loved her, and could not bear parting with her, and therefore was grieved that he had brought himself into such difficulties: the Targumists carry it further, and say that he was wroth with those that advised him to it, and ordered them to be put to death, and that they were.  What she had done; that it was a trivial thing, and not deserving of such a sentence as he had passed upon her; that it was not done from contempt of him, but from modesty, and a strict regard to the laws of the Persians. What was decreed against her; that she should come no more before him, but be divorced from him; the thought of which gave him great pain and uneasiness."  (John Gill) 

"On recovering from the violent excitement of his revelry and rage, the king was pierced with poignant regret for the unmerited treatment he had given to his beautiful and dignified queen. But, according to the law, which made the word of a Persian king irrevocable, she could not be restored." (JFB)

We don't know how Vashti spent the rest of her life, but her obedience to the law of the Persians and disobedience to the king put in place a plan that would bring a Jewess to the throne.  We'll look at Esther next week, but I believe the God used Vashti before Haman ever planned the destruction of the Jews.

"Ahasuerus's feast ended in heaviness, by his own folly. Seasons of peculiar festivity often end in vexation. Superiors should be careful not to command what may reasonably be disobeyed. But when wine is in, men's reason departs from them. He that had rule over 127 provinces, had no rule over his own spirit. But whether the passion or the policy of the king was served by this decree, God's providence made way for Esther to the crown, and defeated Haman's wicked project, even before it had entered into his heart, and he arrived at his power." (Matthew Henry)

Three Steps To Receiving the Word

Pastor de Sagun from the Big Island preached Sunday night at New Life Pentecostal.  He asked Pastor McGriffin to pray before the message.   There were three things that Pastor McGriffin prayed at the end of his prayer:

God give us:
Ears to a hear,
A heart to receive, and
Willingness to obey 

I had never heard that before, but it is exactly what we need to do when the Word of God preached.  Many have ears to hear, and some even have a heart to receive.  But a willingness to obey is the difference maker for our lives.

We're going to Bible study tonight and I'm taking my Bible, hearing ears, a receiving heart and a spirit of willing obedience!

The Whole Duty of Man

I finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes this morning.  Chapter 12 verse 13 says, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."  It's so simple.  Fear God and keep His commandments.  We can make it so difficult.  Fear God and keep His commandments.

Matthew Henry put it this way: 

The root of religion is fear of God reigning in the heart, and a reverence of his majesty, a deference to his authority, and a dread of his wrath. Fear God, that is, worship God, give him the honour due to his name, in all the instances of true devotion, inward and outward. The rule of religion is the law of God revealed in the scriptures. Our fear towards God must be taught by his commandments, and those we must keep and carefully observe. Wherever the fear of God is uppermost in the heart, there will be a respect to all his commandments and care to keep them. In vain do we pretend to fear God if we do not make conscience of our duty to him.

USA Today had a story this morning about six women who were born in the 19th century and are still living today (here.)  The oldest was born on March 5, 1898.  Each had tips for living long lives.  Gertrude Weaver is the oldest American.  Here's what she had to say:

So how has she lived so long? "Kindness," she told Time. "Treat people right and be nice to other people the way you want them to be nice to you."
And strong religious beliefs. "You have to follow God. Don't follow anyone else," she told the local Camden News. "Be obedient and follow the laws and don't worry about anything. I've followed him for many, many years and I ain't tired."

So there it is, from 116 year old Gertrude Weaver, "Follow God, be obedient and follow the laws."  Sounds a lot like "Fear God and keep His commandments"  doesn't it?

Obedience and Submission

Yesterday on Classic Mary Moments, Mary wrote about the subject of submission. I was thinking about that post later in the day. The idea of submitting to another person is not one we like to easily swallow. But the fact of the matter is, our fallen human nature doesn't want to submit to God either! It is only in dying to self on a daily basis that we will when the battle of obedience and submission.

This little story is humorous, but it illustrates the point perfectly.

Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to God's kids.  After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve.  And the first thing He said to them was: "Don't."

"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.

"Forbidden fruit?  We got forbidden fruit?"

"Hey, Eve . . .we got forbidden fruit."

"NO WAY."

"Don't eat that fruit ! said God.

"Why?"

"Because I'm your Father and I said so!" said God, wondering why He hadn't stopped after making the elephants.

A few minutes later God saw the kids having an apple break and was angry.

"Didn't I tell you not to eat that fruit?" the First Parent asked.

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?"

"I dunno," Eve answered.

"She started it!" Adam said.

"Did not."

"Did so."

"Did NOT !!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.  Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

But there is a reassurance in this story.

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give them wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself.  If God had trouble handling children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

The Power of Parental Convictions

We have been having special services this week with Pastor Steve Kelly from Kamiah, Idaho.  He preached a powerful message last night called "The Power of Parental Convictions."  I don't know if I've ever heard a better message to parents, future parents and grandparents about their responsibilities in raising children.

Genesis 18:19 says, "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."  The Lord is speaking about Abraham, before Isaac is born.  He knew that Abraham would raise godly seed.  Following God's laws was in Abraham's heart.

Bro. Kelly talked about each of his four children, decisions that were made in guiding them.  Times when he had to say "no" about who they spent time with.  He talked about one of his daughters who was still single at 28.  When he intervened in a situation, she listened and God has blessed her since.  All four of their children are living for God because the Kellys followed the laws of God when raising them.

I thought about times in my life when I was told "no."  Mom was very consistent.  When she said "no" she meant it.  I remember a Saturday night when we had a special service.  I wanted to go out with friends afterwards.  She said, "That's fine, you can go tonight or tomorrow night, but not both."  We always went out on Sunday nights after church.  I had to choose one or the other.  My friends said, "Just beg her, she'll change her mind."  My response was, "No, if I try that she may not let me go out either time."  I knew she wasn't going to change her mind.  But I was safe in that.

There was more than one time that my pastor said "no" about someone I was dating.  I remember many tears as I listened and obeyed.  It was hard, but he did it because he loved me.  He prayed for me and wanted God's best.  I'm so glad I listened!  If I had gone my own way, I would have missed out on Les and the great blessings God has brought in our life.

I know it's not easy raising children and teenagers.  Being the "bad guy" at times must be so hard and discouraging.  But I'm thankful for the many times a stop sign was held up in my life, it kept me from falling off a cliff that would have led to destruction.

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6

Jane Eyre and Temptation

Les got me a Kindle for my birthday and I am enjoying it immensely! One of the greatest features is being able to download many Classics for free. I have Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and many others.

I finished rereading Jane Eyre this week. I was in Junior High when I read this, so I didn't remember many details. It was like a new book. It is so well written. The characters are fascinating, with dialogue you don't find in books today.

Of course one of the most powerful scenes is when Jane and Mr. Rochester are to be married. The wedding is interrupted and we finally meet Mr. Rochester's lunatic wife. Mr. Rochester then tries to convince Jane to run away with him. Here are Jane's thoughts:

This was true: and while he spoke my very conscience and reason turned traitors against me, and charged me with crime in resisting him. They spoke almost as loud as Feeling: and that clamoured wildly. “Oh, comply!” it said. “Think of his misery; think of his danger—look at his state when left alone; remember his headlong nature; consider the recklessness following on despair—soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?”

Still indomitable was the reply—“I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad—as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth—so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane—quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot.”

Jane Eyre was published in 1847, but those words about temptation I find relevant today. How often we humans try to rationalize our breaking of the God's laws. "Think of his misery." As if choosing to comfort Mr. Rochester would have been justification for breaking God's laws. "Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this..."

If you've never read Jane Eyre, find it at your local library. It's not light and easy reading, but it will be worth your while.

Abide, then Ask

My devotional for March 8th was this:

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7).

Ask what we will? And it will be done unto us? What a wonder! We can write the check, and God will sign it. We cleave to the promise, for we all want our wishes granted.
Thumbing madly through life's catalog, we find a bevy of items that suit our fancy, fill in the order blank, and - But, God, where is Your signature? You said...
Did we forget something? Oh, yes - the first part of the verse. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you..." He'll provide if I'll abide.

Another translation of that verse says, "If you live in me and what I say lives in you, then ask for anything you want, and it will be yours." Oh... what He says, His words. And not just hearing, but living what He says.

We're all quick to line up for the blessings, but where are we when it's time to live what He says? God is merciful to the sinner who cries, "Lord, if you'll get me out of this jam, I'll serve you." But He certainly doesn't have to be. That's the cart before the horse.

We are the creation, the inferior one. We can't make demands, we can't even ask for anything without first being in obedience to His word. Our provision is predicated upon our abiding.

The Greek definition of abide is - to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for).

Need healing? Abide.
Need a job? Abide.
Looking for direction? Abide.
Need deliverance? Abide.
Been living without joy lately? Abide.
Guilt holding you back? Abide.
Worry keeping you up at night? Abide.

Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."