When I Am Afraid

            In the 1980’s actor Michael J. Fox played a teenaged character named Marty McFly in one of the most popular movie trilogies of all time: Back to the Future. McFly is sort of a runt of a kid who doesn’t usually fit in with his peers. One of his main character flaws is his reaction to taunts that he might be too “chicken” to do something (something often dangerous). This is his weakness, because it makes him angry. He cannot abide the idea that someone might think he is too afraid to respond to the “challenge”. But whenever he does, something always goes wrong. The ironic thing about all this is that in his desperate desire to avoid being thought of as fearful, or a “wimp”, or “chicken”… his often foolish, unstoppable actions are themselves all motivated by fear. His biggest fear is that someone will perceive him as afraid… as a “baby”… as a nerd… or in some other undesirable way.

            The fear of man will lead a person to do strange things: silly things… even crazy things. If others knew that we were speaking or not speaking, or doing something a certain way because of worry about what someone else thought, they would probably laugh at us. That’s why we rarely share these kinds of things with others. On many occasions, what others think (or what we perceive others are thinking) is the primary driver of what we say or don’t say, and what we do or don’t do.

            In preparation for the Bible study on this topic that I am beginning on July 2, I have been making a list of how this works in my own life. Just how much of what we do, think, and say is motivated by the fear of man. For example, one of mine happens in the restaurant. I have been served a meal that is less than satisfactory. I complain to Joanne about it. But when the waiter/waitress comes by and asks, “How is everything?” inevitably I respond with “Fine.” Even if it’s terrible. Why do I do that? It’s because I don’t want to make waves… don’t want to get a bad reaction… don’t want to get someone in trouble… don’t want to make someone feel bad… or some such idea. Not everyone thinks the way I do. I have a brother who very easily sets the restaurant straight when something isn’t quite right. Many people have no problem doing this. But me? I just “let it go”.

            Have you ever hesitated to bow your head in observable prayer in a restaurant to ask God’s blessing on your meal? How about going along with a group doing something you knew was wrong, just so you could fit in? What about speaking about Christ to another person? Not being able to say no? Avoiding a certain person? In our study together we are going to examine what fear of man does to us, and how we may fear the Lord more and fear man less, and experience transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit. I invite you to join us if you are in the area.

            May the Lord deliver us from the fear of man and its many manifestations, so that we might fear Him and live to His glory. AMEN.

Psalm 56:3-4 (NIV) ³  When I am afraid, I will trust in you. ⁴  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

Psalm 118:4-7 (NIV) ⁴  Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever." ⁵  In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. ⁶  The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? ⁷  The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

1 Peter 3:13-16 (NIV) ¹³  Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴  But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." ¹⁵  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶  keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

PRAYER:  Father, teach me the fear of the Lord. Let me understand it fully, and let me practice it maturely, so that my respect and love for you is true. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Becoming Scam-Proof

            Do you know what word this definition fits: “a dishonest way to make money by deceiving people”?

            I checked my phone messages last night after a long day away and heard this one: “The IRS has filed a lawsuit against you. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx to assure that you are not prosecuted for failing to respond.” I googled the phone number and learned that it was connected with a scam. The invention of telephones, computers, the Internet, and just about any kind of technology is always accompanied by people (sometimes dumb and sometimes clever) who use it to try to steal from unsuspecting people who do not know any better. Sooner or later most of us become the object of someone’s attempt to scam us.

            The word “scam” is both a noun and a verb, just like the relatively new word “google”. If you ever are a victim of a scam, you feel foolish and gullible. Usually you don’t want anyone to know that you were so naïve. The problem is that scammers can be quite sophisticated and convincing (think Bernie Maddoff, who cheated 4800+ clients out of some 64 billion dollars and was sentenced six years ago to 150 years in prison). They can look good and sound good, but they are false. They do not have your well-being in mind. They only have their interests in mind, and they do not care if you lose anything or everything. Con artists like this come in many shapes and sizes, so the average person must practice vigilance and care in order to protect themselves.

            There is a spiritual lesson in this, for Christians need to practice vigilance as well. When the Apostle Paul was traveling on his second missionary journey, his team was called into Macedonia to bring the good news. After stopping in Philippi and Thessalonica, there is a brief passage in the book of Acts that describes his next stop. It was the small city of Berea. As he writes about what happened there, Luke describes the Bereans as having noble character who didn’t just “swallow” the message Paul was bringing. They examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul was saying was true. The “Scriptures” referred to here would have been what we know as the Old Testament. They had a foundation of truth in these Scriptures, and they tested anything that came their way by the truth of them. This is still an excellent practice for the Church today. In a world filled with so many spiritual messages, the foundation of God’s Word helps us to root out the spiritual scammers who are pursuing gain (ideas of the mind, power and control of others, financial, etc.) at the expense of others.

            We must be like the Bereans, with noble character pursuing the truth. Jesus told His disciples that they would minister as sheep among wolves. To survive they would need the innocence and purity of doves and the cleverness of serpents. May God’s Word always be our foundation, and may He deliver us from all that is false in our world today.

Acts 17:10-12 (NIV) ¹⁰  As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹  Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ¹²  Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

PRAYER:  Father, your Word is my guide. Fill my mind with wisdom and understanding as I read the Scriptures. Shape my life with them, to your glory. Protect me and my church from those who seek to harm us in any way. Keep us close to Jesus. In His name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Nahum is not Ho-hum

            “What do you know about Nahum?”

            “Not anything really. Who is Ho-hum?”

            “Nahum, you idiot. Not Ho-hum.”

            “Another one of your Old Testament prophets? Tell me, where do they get these names?”

            “Never mind that. I want to tell you a little about Nahum. He lived and prophesied about 600 years before Jesus. The world was a very different place then. The northern kingdom of Israel was gone – destroyed and absorbed by the Assyrian Empire and their capital city, Nineveh. The southern kingdom of Judah – where Jerusalem was – still had a king, but things weren’t going real well there either. Just read Jeremiah sometime. There’s a reason he was called the weeping prophet, you know.”

            “Well, what does Nahum have to do with that?”

            “God gave Nahum a prophetic word about Nineveh.”

            “Nineveh… That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before? Oh… I remember. That’s where Jonah went. I do remember Jonah. You know… the big fish and all that.”

            “That’s right. Jonah was a prophet of Israel who had been called by God to go and preach to Nineveh. He didn’t want to go and tried to get out of it, but he finally ended up there and preached the message of warning and repentance that God gave him. And – I think you will remember – all the people of Nineveh repented. They were sorry for their evil ways and turned to the one true God.”

            “So, is Nahum doing the same thing… all over again?”

            “No, not this time. Now, about 150-200 years later, God’s message to Nineveh is totally different. It’s a message of justice and judgment. Because they had destroyed Israel… because of their legendary and unending cruelty… because of their pride and their belief they were invincible… and because of their idolatry… God finally plans to bring destruction upon Nineveh. It is always wise to be on God’s side, rather than to set yourself up against Him. And that’s what Nineveh did.”

            “Well, I want to be God’s friend. I know I don’t want to be His enemy, that’s for sure.”

            “That’s good, because God’s vengeance and just judgment is a terrible thing to face. The Bible says He is slow to anger. God does not revenge hastily. Assyria had been prominent in the region for 600 years, with at least 300 of them in supremacy. Jonah’s time is now long past. It is good for us to learn from history, because God is the Lord of history. Unlike Jonah, Nahum preached to the people of Judah. He wanted them to know that God would always act justly in the affairs of the world. The affairs of the world can span centuries, you know, so God’s ways are not always easy to understand, but He is just as much Lord today as He was when He finally and ultimately brought justice to the Assyrians.”

            “Sounds kind of scary.”

            “Well… it is, when you think of it. The Bible says ‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ (Hebrews 10:31). But we have hope, because we are followers of Jesus, and He calls His followers ‘friends’. God is a stronghold for those who take refuge in Him. God gives freedom to those who are in bondage. The coming of Jesus is good news. Just think where we would be without Jesus!”

            “Sounds like we might be in real trouble, like the people of Nineveh.”

            “Well, I know one thing. We can always trust God to do what is right. When He judges it is right. When He is patient and forbearing, it is right. When He is forgiving and merciful, it is right. And when He calls us into friendship with Him, it is right. Whatever He does is just and right. So we will be careful never to point our fingers at Him in an accusatory way. That just shows that we think we know better than Him.”

            “I don’t think I could ever say or believe that I know better than God… about anything.”

            “Me neither!”

Psalm 103:8 (NIV)  The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

Numbers 14:18 (NIV)  'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.'

Nahum 1:2-3 (NIV) ²  The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. ³  The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished…

Nahum 1:5-9 (NIV) ⁵  The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. ⁶  Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. ⁷  The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, ⁸  but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of [Nineveh]; he will pursue his foes into darkness. ⁹  Whatever they plot against the LORD he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time.

Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)  Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

John 15:12-17 (NIV) ¹²  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴  You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ¹⁷  This is my command: Love each other.

PRAYER:  Father, thank you that in Christ I, like Abraham, may be called your friend. It is by faith, because I trust in your Son. Thank you that you are a just God, and also that you are merciful. Oh, how I need your mercy, and you are generous in your grace. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Haba...Who?

            “What do you know about Habukkuk?”

            “Haba…what?”

            “Not Haba…what. Haba…who: Habakkuk.”

            “Who is that? I don’t know anything about him. I know I’d never name a kid that. Never heard of him. Should I know him?”

            “Well, yes. But don’t feel bad. Nobody really knows much about him. All we know about him comes from a three chapter book in the Old Testament consisting of 56 verses. Beyond that, no one’s ever heard of him.

            “So, who is he… one of those prophets in the Bible?”

            “That’s right. When you read his book, you learn that he was a musician who prophesied just before the Assyrian Empire fell to the Babylonians. He was probably around when Jeremiah was around. The only members of God’s once strong people who were still about came from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south by Jerusalem. All the others had been gradually captured, enslaved, displaced, or destroyed. And the people of Judah were not loving God as they should be.”

            “I bet he couldn’t say very much in just 56 verses.”

            “Actually, just the opposite my friend! The book is really a conversation between Habakkuk and God. It starts out with old Hab complaining to God. It seems to him that God is not fair, because God was allowing Judah’s leaders, who were wicked, to oppress the poor. Habakkuk was asking a question many people – maybe all of us – have asked God at one time or another: ‘Why?’ Then when God told him He was planning to send the Babylonians to come and punish Judah, Habukkuk didn’t like that either. How could God bring judgment on His people by using other people who were even more wicked than His people were? He wanted to know how God could execute justice in such an unbalanced world that was full of wrongs everywhere you looked. But God was patient with Habakkuk. He gives His answer (chapter 2), which, in large part, was that patient faith – or trust – in Him was the key and that before all is said and done, true justice will prevail. In due time God would also deal justly with the Babylonians.  God’s answer must have persuaded him, because in the last chapter Habakkuk’s complaining stops. He has a change of heart and mind that acknowledged that God was in control.”

            “That sounds amazing. And pretty relevant to my life with some of the questions I have had. Maybe I’ll check it out and read it over.”

            “That’s a great idea. There are some amazing words in the book, like… ‘the righteous man will live by faith (2:4)’… a time is coming when the earth would ‘be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord (2:14)’… and Habakkuk’s prayer that God would renew His deeds of old and show mercy in his own time (3:2). But the most powerful passage in the book (in my opinion) is the last three verses (3:17-19). There Habakkuk makes a commitment to trust the Lord no matter how bad life might get – and it can get pretty bad. But he commits strongly to rejoice in the Lord and to trust the Lord to be his strength. What a tremendous example of faith!”

            “Wow! That sounds like something I would like to experience. If God can do that for Habakkuk, maybe He can do it for me too.”

Habakkuk 1:2 (NIV)  How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?

Habakkuk 2:4 (NIV)  "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous will live by his faith-

Habakkuk 2:14 (NIV)  For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:19-20 (NIV) ¹⁹  Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. ²⁰  But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him."

Habakkuk 3:2 (NIV)  LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV) ¹⁷  Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸  yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. ¹⁹  The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

PRAYER:  Father, I pray for joy in you when times of adversity come. Fill me with faith to trust you even that much. Without your strength I cannot do it. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

The Wonder of Rain

     June, 2015 is off to a wet start. There has been a need for rain in Maine for a while and a few days of soaking rain is a good thing. Job called it one of the great and unsearchable things of God. Most of us aren’t thinking of rain as any great wonder while we patiently wait for clearing skies and sunshine. John Piper, in the second of his two excellent devotional books called A Godward Life, reminds us that it is no joke on Job’s part to describe God giving rain on the earth as a wonder. Here is how Piper describes it:

      “Is rain a great and unsearchable wonder wrought by God? Picture yourself as a farmer in the Near East, far from any lake or stream. A few wells keep the family and animals supplied with water. But if the crops are to grow and the family is to be fed from month to month, water has to come from another source on the fields. From where?

      Well, the sky. The sky? Water will come out of the clear blue sky? Well, not exactly. Water will have to be carried in the sky from the Mediterranean Sea over several hundred miles, and then be poured out on fields from the sky. Carried? How much does it weigh? Well, if one inch of rain falls on one square mile of farmland during the night, that would be 27,878,400 cubic feet of water, which is 206,300,160 gallons, which is 1,650,501,280 pounds of water.

      That’s heavy. So how does it get up in the sky and stay there if it’s so heavy? Well, it gets up there by evaporation. Really? That’s a nice word. What’s it mean? It means that the water stops being water for a while so it can go up and not down. I see. Then how does it get down? Well, condensation happens. What’s that? The water starts becoming water again by gathering around little dust particles between .00001 and .0001 centimeters wide. That’s small.

      What about the salt? Salt? Yes, the Mediterranean Sea is salt water. That would kill the crops. What about the salt. Well, the salt has to be taken out. Oh. So the sky picks up a billion pounds of water from the sea, takes out the salt, carries the water (or whatever it is, when it is not water) for three hundred miles, and then dumps it (now turned into water again) on the farm?

      Well, it doesn’t dump it. If it dumped a billion pounds of water on the farm, the wheat would be crushed. So the sky dribbles the billion pounds of water down in little drops. And they have to be big enough to fall for one mile or so without evaporating, and small enough to keep from crushing the wheat stalks.

      How do all these microscopic specks of water that weigh a billion pounds get heavy enough to fall? Well, it’s called coalescence. What’s that? It means the specks of water start bumping into each other and join up and get bigger, and when they are big enough, they fall. Just like that? Well, not exactly, because they would just bounce off each other instead of joining up if there were no electric field present. What? Never mind. Take my word for it."

    Job’s word is a good word. Rain truly is one of God’s wonders, and when it falls it provides us another opportunity to give God thanks and declare His praises.

Job 5:8-11 (NASB) ⁸  "But as for me, I would seek God, And I would place my cause before God; ⁹  Who does great and unsearchable things, Wonders without number. ¹⁰  "He gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields, ¹¹  So that He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

Psalm 147:7-11 (NASB) ⁷  Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; Sing praises to our God on the lyre, ⁸  Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. ⁹  He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens which cry. ¹⁰  He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. ¹¹  The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness.

Zechariah 10:1 (NASB)  Ask rain from the LORD at the time of the spring rain— The LORD who makes the storm clouds; And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.

PRAYER:  God, let me praise you as freely when it rains as I do when the sun shines. Thank you for the many wonders all around. Give me eyes to see them and to appreciate your glory all the more with a heart of gratitude. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Letting God Speak

      All the hoopla around the suspension of Tom Brady has been hard to avoid. I am a New England Patriots fan and the likelihood of some level of wrongdoing – especially covering up the truth – is disappointing to say the least. Whatever happened, I think the old saying applies: “Honesty is the best policy.” I wish Tom Brady the best and hope that he will handle himself in an honorable way as the story continues to unfold.

The recent judgment of the NFL against the Patriots and against Brady raises lots of questions. Many New England fans feel it is unfair. Most football fans from the rest of the country think it falls short of what he deserves and what the team deserves. The response to his cheating has been almost vitriolic. People seem very happy to point fingers at his wrongdoing. Many feel that justice has finally been served and they want Brady and the Patriots to pay severely. Such things fill newspaper columns and make for interesting conversation on ESPN and sports radio. Everybody has an opinion and strong feelings so there is a highly dramatized element to the whole story. By way of example, Mike Sielski, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote on May 13: “Boiled down, it doesn't. The pretext for this entire exercise in pedantry and self-importance is that, by having others fiddle with footballs on his behalf, Brady gained an inappropriate competitive advantage in the Patriots' 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 18. Nevertheless, the seriousness of the transgression doesn't justify the saturation coverage of the story, the hue and cry over Brady's snickering at the accusations, and the haughtiness of the NFL's investigation. (The Wells Report was 243 pages. The Gettysburg Address was 272 words. And it certainly doesn't justify so draconian a penalty, no matter how much face commissioner Roger Goodell and the league want to save after mishandling the Ray Rice spousal-abuse incident last year.”

A mentor of mine was fond of saying, “This too will pass.” He used it frequently with my friends and I as he discipled us in a high school ministry our church sponsored. He would see us get all worked up about something – what you might call getting in a “tizzy” – and we would always hear those words: “This too will pass”. And such will happen to this story, because the media is constantly on the lookout for the next big story and the masses move on as the spotlight shifts.

Whenever I observe feelings as strong as those associated with (the ones against) Brady and the Patriots, it makes me wonder why people so often have such a hard time recognizing that God has the right to be angry with sin. Every day people make judgments about the wrong that others do. Their sense of justice can result in a righteous indignation that is quite intense. If I asked an anti-Brady fan if he had the right to be angry and judgmental of Tom Brady, the answer would come back, “Of course I do!” (actually that is the polite version of the response). But how many people who practice some form of this in life (well beyond just the realm of football) would at the same time be offended when the Word of God calls something a sin. Society considers pointing out sin or pointing to a God who judges sin as one of the greatest offenses a person could commit. “How dare you suggest…”… “What gives you the right to…”… “You hypocrite…”… “Judge not…”… etc.

When they do such things, people like this are claiming a right to do something but refusing to give God the right to do the same thing, though of course only He can judge justly. Our religious culture loves to declare, “My God is a God of love… A God of love can’t possibly call what I want or what I do… wrong! He loves me just the way I am…”  But God, who is sovereign, does indeed have the right to define and declare what is right and what is wrong. Human opinion does not and cannot change or undo God’s decrees. But human humility and submission to God can lead us to experience His grace, something we so desperately need for missing the mark of His will and ways. His standards and judgments lead us away from pride to our need for Christ, in whose righteousness we have life. May we take God’s law seriously and cast ourselves on Christ, depending wholly on grace. AMEN!

Isaiah 46:9-10 (NIV) ⁹  Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. ¹⁰  I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

Psalm 19:7-11 (NIV) ⁷  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ⁹  The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹  By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

PRAYER:  God, please let me recognize as sin what you call sin and may it lead me to my desperate need for Christ. Your decrees are right and your will is perfect. Give me grace to strive after holiness in thought, word, and deed. Cleanse me, I pray. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

God Helps Us Understand His Word

            Recently I needed to buy a new windshield wiper for our car. When my wipers go bad it always seems to be a spot in my driver’s sight line. There’s a streak where the wiper isn’t working properly and the only thing you can do to make it better is replace the wiper. Usually I’ll let it go for a while until I can’t stand it anymore. I usually just go to Walmart and buy one of the cheaper replacement wipers. Assuming I can actually get it on to the wiper arm correctly, it usually works okay. But the cheaper ones don’t typically last that long. On this occasion I decided to lay out for a top line Bosch model. They aren’t cheap, but they are supposed to work amazingly well compared to the $5 no-name brands. I was able – with relative ease - to mount it properly and, feeling very proud of myself, got in to test it. It was horrible. It was streaking worse than the broken one. I thought, “What is up with this?” and began feel a little irritated. When you spend a little more for something you expect a better result. And when you spend a lot more for something, you expect it to dazzle you.

            Joanne is very good at not laughing at me when I do foolish things. And she was good that day. I got out of the car and took a closer look at the wiper. I noticed that its entire edge was whitish in color. That didn’t seem right. Then it dawned on me that the whitish edge was a piece of plastic put on to protect the rubber edge. In other words, a bit of fancy packaging and protection for such a “fine” piece of equipment. I decided to see if it came off. Was it part of the product, or part of the packaging? I didn’t know for sure. You can tell how experienced I am at car stuff. It slid off easily. I placed the wiper back against the window, and returned to the driver’s seat and tested it again. Wow… I really was amazed. Crystal clear… no streaks… all was well in my world again, except that I felt a little foolish. It’s one of those occasions when you hoped no one was around to see you do something that was laughable. Joanne and I had a good laugh and the life of the day resumed.

            When you read the Bible – God’s Word – it is not always crystal clear. There can be passages, phrases, and words that are confusing or hard to understand. But as Christians we have been given the Holy Spirit, and one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit to us is illumination. The doctrine of illumination relates to the ministry of the Holy Spirit that helps the believer understand the truth of Scripture. The Holy Spirit “unveils” our eyes – the eyes of our understanding – to comprehend the things of God. He does this directly as we read the Bible, and also as He leads and gifts those who teach God’s Word to instruct us. He uses things like language and grammar study, as well as spiritually – what we might call miraculously – revealing God’s mind to us. As we humble ourselves… as we seek the Lord wholly and with open hearts and minds… as we ask Him to speak to us, guide and lead us, and teach us His Word, the Holy Spirit does just that. For me, prayer is like removing the plastic covering of the wiper. I confess my sin and put my trust in Him, and I ask for His help. I remove anything in me that might be getting in the way of the Holy Spirit’s work. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit’s work of illumination, because God’s Word is so very important to know and to apply. Through it I know God. I know of God’s character and nature, of His holiness and His love, along with all that He has done in His world. I know of His Son’s existence, life, death, resurrection, and eternal reign – for sinners like me.

            When you read the Bible, may the Holy Spirit give you understanding and make very clear to you the person and will of God the Father and of Jesus Christ, His Son. And may you and I seek to be doers of that word, and not hearers only.

Psalm 19:7-11 (NIV) ⁷  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ⁹  The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹  By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 119:9-12 (NIV) ⁹  How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. ¹⁰  I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. ¹¹  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ¹²  Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.

James 1:22-25 (NIV) ²²  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

PRAYER:  Lord, open my eyes that I may see, glimpses of truth Thou hast for me. Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God Thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine. In the name of Jesus, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott