2013-07-26
Good Morning Dear Ones,
In the last few weeks, I have been led to write about Christ’s enemies and their impact on society. This week, I’m instructed to write about the treadmill upon which non-believers find themselves. We, who believe, have the strength and power to expunge evil from our lives, given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. When Christ gave His life on the cross, He took our evil deeds with Him and opened the way for repentant believers in Him to gain eternal life [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25]. He was the perfect, acceptable Sin-Sacrifice Who paid the ransom for our freedom [MT 20: 28; 1 TIM 2: 6]. As for the first gift He gave us, it was release from sin’s power over us and the ability to choose not to sin [RO 6: 4-6, 11].
Have any of us grown weary and wished that we had something in our lives that gives us far better satisfaction than the temporary satisfaction felt at amassing material wealth? Do any of us know people who can’t find satisfaction, even though they have a materially well off lifestyle and have moved forward in their careers? I know several people in my life who feel empty and dissatisfied, despite considerable success in their careers. One is a retired college professor who attained the status of department chair, and who was much sought after by many students wanting to take his classes, He published many papers on his research. Yet today, this man feels empty and unfulfilled. Another person was at the head of a city government. He has the same kind of emptiness but has no understanding of why or what to do about it. When these people and others who share their problem come to the end of themselves, the big question is will they seek God’s help? PS 121: 1-2, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—He Who watches over you will not slumber.”
What impinges on them is the need to discover they are both on empty spiritually. It is only through God’s teaching and faith in His Son, Jesus, that gives the “peace that transcends human understanding” [PHIL 4: 7]. If only it would come to them. This would involve a huge jump-shift in their ideas of what really matters in this life. We can see this problem cropping up from watching TV shows like “Biography” and observing the poor choices so many inHollywood and the sports figures make. Their huge salaries don’t bring them true happiness. So many of them and others in politics etc. don’t recognize the need to feed their spiritual selves with the truth of Christ. In fact, many of them reject that God and His word even exist! This author even remembers a now-deceased relative telling her that “religion is a crutch used to overcome emotional weakness.” This non-believer will eventually run out of strength and hope, if he persists in his approach.
The existence of these problems in others should remind us of our need to be in an active covenant relationship with God through daily study of His word and prayer. These are the things that please God and help us through the challenges of our own lives. However, there is one more step to take. It is taking up our covenant responsibility to witness to our faith to those who are non-believers willing to listen. If there is any question about God’s will in this matter, it was answered through Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians. 2 THESS 1: 11-12, “With this [that you have believed] in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. (12) We pray this so that the name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Yes, all of us need to be ready for the Lord’s coming, and that includes those who at this moment don’t yet believe but are willing to listen to the truth. It takes courage to witness to a non-believer, because none of us likes to be rejected, ostracized, or refused any way. But our God covers us with His promise of protection, even in the extreme of being martyred for our faith [PS 139: 5; REV 6: 9-11]. With us, when we live by our faith in obedience to the Lord, we carry the hope of the resurrection, which is great indeed [RO 8: 29]! Moreover, we have His direction given to us [PS 37: 24-25]. PS 32: 8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you.”
PRAYER: O Lord, we are reminded of the symbolism of exchanging belts when cutting a covenant, just as Saul’s son, Jonathan, and David did [1 SAM 18: 1-4]. While this was a covenant between two friends, God was also involved. Any genuine covenant before You, God, establishes a covenant relationship that can’t be broken [RO 8: 38-39]. We reiterate Christ’s prayer, in JN 17: 18-23, 26, here as a reminder of Your amazing love for us. “As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them [Christ’s disciples] into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one. Father, just as You are in Me, I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are One. I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me…(26) I have made You known to them and will continue to make You known in order that the love you have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.” This remarkable prayer is being answered with courage to witness given to us and those who are coming to faith in Your Son as a result of it-- one person at a time. We ask that You help us to recognize people on the non-believer’s treadmill and imbue us with the covenant strength and power to help them off of it. We recognize we can’t do this without Your intervention and guidance. So, we dedicate ourselves to witnessing with accuracy and the love of Christ. We also dedicate ourselves to nurturing our own covenant relationship with You and other believers. It is clear that this takes daily study of Your word, prayer, and useful interactions with our friends who share our belief in the Lord Jesus. Thus, it is in His holy/mighty name that we offer this prayer. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m directed by the Holy Spirit to write about what the exchange of a belt meant in David’s and Jonathan’s time. Also, we’ll look at how these principles apply to us. Hopefully, this will further illuminate the strength and power that come to us through our covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus. In the meanwhile, we need to look around us, first at our own lives and then at the lives of others around us. We need to ask the questions: Are we on a non-believer’s treadmill? Who around us is on one? Would that person be willing to hear the truth of the Lord Jesus’ peace and salvation? Do we as individuals have the courage to witness to the truth? These are tough questions, and the way we go about answering them needs to reflect wisdom, compassion, sensitivity, and forgiveness. These are often not easy to exhibit, because of difficult emotional issues, but they should nevertheless be seen in our approach. Taking time to learn what another’s beliefs are, why, and how open he is to hearing ours are all very important. Having a faithfully obedient covenant relationship with God and other believers needs to be in place. This sets the example for the person to whom we are witnessing. If we will but ask God for His help, He will give it. The enemy is unbelief. But we are not powerless to overcome it. We can pray, PS 61: 1-3, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to a Rock that is higher than I. For You have been my Refuge, a Strong Tower against the foe.” And our God will listen and answer us with the covenant strength to overcome and spread the truth of salvation and peace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must remember the instructions Christ gave when the twelve were sent out to witness, and they were not welcomed, in MK 6: 11. “And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.” Even in the most challenging of situations that we find ourselves, we don’t have worry that God will abandon us. Our assurance is found in PS 16: 8-11, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasure at Your right hand.” We offer praise and thanks forever to our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2013. All Rights Reserved.
<-- Back to Archives