The greatest motivation - Psalm 31:3

What motivates you?

When you have teenage kids you will know that this is often a real problem ... not merely what is it that motivates them, but why don't they appear to have any motivation at all! How is it possible to lie in front of a TV as long as that? Why is it impossible to have any desire to put away the food/cups/clothes/[anything at all] that they got out only a few minutes before?

Of course, the reality is that there is something that motivates us all, even the most slothful. Teenagers might be motivated by ease, or by selfishness, or by numerous other things, but there is motivation there. As we get older we like to think that we are more sophisticated in our motivations. We are motivated by 'success', ambition, desire for our family, even desire to do good to all. Some of our motivations are laudable, others are merely selfish ambition in clever disguise. But we all have our motivations, whether we acknowledge it or not.

For the believer, under the revolutionary transforming recreating power of His Spirit, what should be our motivations? Paul clearly tells us that we should have the mind of Christ (Phil 2:5), that our minds should be continually being renewed to be able to decide and live in agreement with the will of God (Rom 12:2), that our personalities should be conformed to that of Christ (2 Pet 1:5-9). And so, we could replace selfishness with brotherly kindness and love, we could replace selfish ambition with a longing for godliness, we could replace a selfish desire for the good of our family with the much wider and more gracious love He lays as our target (for God, with all our mind, soul and strength, and others as for ourselves), ... . We could choose so many motivations that would be correct, Biblical, God-honouring.

Yet, David, probably fleeing his son Absalom, pleading with God for rescue and mercy in Psalm 31, has the right motivation. It's there in v3 ... "Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me" [italics mine]. What is the great motivation of the Man or Woman of God? It is "for the sake of your name" - it's all about His honour, His glory, His praise. That is the motivation that over-arches any other motivation we might Biblically choose. That is the motivation that will last through eternity, when all His people will gather to exalt His name - the one who has been given a name high over all, that at the name of Jesus every knee might bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:9-11).

So, what do I do as I set out today? If my life is lived "for the sake of your name", then it changes everything! How I speak; how I work; how I raise the family God has given me; how I walk; the things I chose to do; even how I respond when, like David, I face huge adversity ... all will change if they are "for the sake of your name".

How am I living? What motivates me? ... Is my life 100% "for the sake of your name"?

One man ministry - Ezra 8

Isn't it amazing how, throughout the Bible, one man whose heart is all out for the Lord he loves (and who first loved him) can make such a tremendous difference. We hear a lot in the modern 'motivation speak' world about how one person can make a difference if he or she 'believes'. Of course, if this is belief in him or herself, then this is absolute drivel. However, if it is faith in God (and faith is a gift from God) applied so that we step out for Him in His will even when the situation seems impossible, then He can use that man or woman greatly for His Kingdom.

In Ezra 7 we read an amazing letter. King Artaxerxes had given Ezra a letter promising to allow any Israelite who wanted to return to Jerusalem to go with him, all the silver and gold that he could collect from Babylon to be permitted to go as well, and a supply of gold, silver, grain, oil and wine from every region should it be needed. God had opened His resources to restore the temple, exactly as prophesied. And, God had done it through a pagan King whose interests should have laid elsewhere. But how had this come to pass, humanly speaking? Well, Ezra 8v22 gives us a hint - Ezra had been in personal communication with the King. In fact, it seems from Ezra 7v25 that the communication had been sufficient for the King to get to know Ezra well, and more than that, had been sufficient for Ezra to declare the might, power and dominion of God faithfully to the King (8v22). What an opportunity! We are not sure how this came to pass, but God placed Ezra, as He had done with Daniel and Nehemiah, in a position to speak with the King, and Ezra had been faithful to God in that circumstance. How different things would have been if Ezra had held back, had been afraid, had not spoken faithfully of God.

But that was just the start. We see Ezra's faith in action time and time again. Setting out on the journey, the first thing he does is to stop and assemble the people (8v15) to ensure that the needs were provided. He finds that there are no Levites present, and so in faith he requests others to come, and he testifies in v18 that they came "because the gracious hand of the Lord was on us". He then proclaims a fast (v21) because he wanted to travel with all this wealth without escort so that the name of God who he had faithfully spoken about to the King should not be dishonoured. He believed in God's power, and understood the importance of prayer in this work. He was passionate that the people should walk aright with God. He taught them God's word and made sure they understood it (Neh 8v1-8). He saw the people weeping and rejoicing and knew that God had spoken. It is not surprising, then, that when he heard that there had been compromise (Ezra 9, Neh 13) he tore his clothes, pulled out his own hair and was devastated (9v3-4). He did not scold, he did not rebuke, but he led the people in powerful personal repentance, with weeping, confession and submission to God (9v5, 10v1). The people saw it and joined with him, and there was a heart for God, for His word and for personal purity because of a desire for God's glory.

And how did all this come to pass? Read Ezra 7v10 - "Ezra devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel". It came to pass by the work of God in the heart of one man - a vision for the knowledge of God and His way - that led to the re-establishment of the temple and the worship of God. Here was a man who was prepared to be used by God and, in God's will and perfect timing, he was the man God used to fulfill His purposes. Sadly, there were so few others who were ready or prepared to be used. The King had given free choice to all Israel to return, yet how few chose to go (see 8v1-14) - not one Levite wanted to return, the very people who should have been the first volunteers (8v15). They were all too comfortable in Babylon. They had all compromised too much. They had settled and integrated in the world, they had become content with the riches they had there.

How much we need people like Ezra, Daniel, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah who did not just start by 'weeping by the rivers of Babylon', but placed their hearts and affections on God and were ready and willing to be used by Him. God does do great work through one man or woman, if others are not prepared to stand. So, even when it looks as though 'there are no other prophets in Israel' (1 Kings 19v14), keep going in Him, seek His will and when He calls be ready to say, in the faith that He has given you, 'Here am I, send me'.

Charge! - 1 Chron 28:9-10

What a responsibility! Young Solomon, standing in front of all the people, hears his father David tell him that God himself has chosen Solomon to be David's successor, to build the temple and to lead God's people. And what a person to have to follow ... David, the man after God's own heart, the man to whom God gave such success, the man to whom God's promised land was finally all given. How could he possibly carry such a burden and responsibility?

Actually, the key is embedded in the charge given by David. How does it start? - "Acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind ... If you seek Him, He will be found by you ...". This is the key! God with us. Understanding that our God wishes to have a close, personal, and working relationship with us, providing all the power, all the strength, all the protection, and all the resources needed - this is what allows us to tackle the daunting tasks He has for us!

And what an object-lesson Solomon had in David. Yes, David had been very foolish many times. But yet, David had kept a 'short account' with God - he had turned back to his heavenly father quickly and with a repentant heart after turning from Him each time. He had acknowledged his sin, confessed that his sin had been against God, and sought His forgiveness. He had laid himself on the mercies of God, even in God's punishment, each time. And through all of David's life walking with the Lord he had seen all God's provision, protection and power.

And yet, there is a warning too: "... the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts ... if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever". Solomon knew this, and yet did not walk with God as he should have done. He saw all God had done, knew God's continued blessing because of God's mercy because of His promises to David, and yet his heart was not fully committed to God. Psalm 115 pleads with us to trust the Lord, even though the nations around might say 'Where is their God?'. Our response must alway be 'Our God is in heaven, He does whatever pleases Him'. And, in remembering and worshiping Him only, there are blessings stored up for us. How many blessings were stored up for Solomon and his descendants, promised in v8, that were never seen.

We see this same story time and again in the Bible. We fail, and as a result we also fail to know all the riches He has for us in Him. Oh to learn to walk closely with our God who indwells us, to daily dedicate our lives to Him, to be His and His only, to find all our joy in Him alone. What an inheritance Solomon had, and what a great inheritance is ours. And so, we too must "Be strong and do His work" only in His power, presence and provision.

On a snowy day - 1 Chron 11

It's a very crisp winter morning, with frost lying thick on the ground. I've just come back in from walking to the school at 7am with my daughter - unusually early because of a school coach trip. Because the school is just down the road and around a corner from the manse, I really did not expect anything unusual to happen. What would have happened, however, if I had come across a lion stuck in one of the ditches that criss-cross the wetlands in this part of Somerset? I guess I would have left well alone, and put as much distance between it and me as possible.

Benaiah was a different sort of character. One of David's mighty men, he either heard about, or came across, a lion in a pit on a snowy day. Rather than pass on by, content it could do no harm, he jumped right in with it and killed it. Why? Was he some kind of nutter or show-0ff? Was it a silly dare? We are told that Benaiah was put in charge of David's bodyguard, and so I think we can safely assume that he was not mad, and that he was not a foolish risk taker or unthinking show-off. So why did he do it?

I guess we will never know for sure, but the context of the verses do permit what is probably accurate speculation. A lion in a snow-bound pit would be unable to get out, held in by the slippery sides. If the lion had survived to get out once the snow had melted, it would be very hungry! It would have been a real danger. Rather than leave the danger, he risked his own life to save the lives of others - precisely the action you would expect of a good bodyguard!

Why is this little incident (and that of his slaying of the 2.3 meter high champion of the Egyptians) included here? Is it for us merely to admire the strength of David's mighty men? Clearly not, since "all scripture is given by inspiration ... so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped" (2 Tim 3v16). The big point is that when David was on the run, in danger of his life, God's appointment for him to be king seemingly so unlikely to happen, God was working to bring His will to pass. He brought to David men who became known as 'mighty', and not merely called 'mighty' by David but acknowledged as 'mighty' by all. They were not just mighty in their deeds but also in their hearts, as we see in Benaiah's actions on that snowy day. God was training up a 'crack squad' with David who He would use to bring His word to pass. And, God was doing this without any recruitment posters, planned training campaign, or head-hunting scheme ... David was clearly an organised man, a great planner and military strategist, but it was God who brought these men, gave them their military experience, trained them up, and prepared them so that David had this life-long support from the mighty men.

Sometimes we are called on to accomplish things which seem unusual and of no relevance to God's work. Benaiah certainly did not expect to have to deal with a lion in a pit on that snowy day, I'm sure. But, in God's great providence, He is equipping His people for His work so that His church can continue to march in His triumphal procession until the day of His return. The church may look weak from time to time, may be 'on the run', may even have to be 'in hiding', but He always provides, always cares and continues to use people committed to Him to work out His great plans.

Minor [major] hero - 1 Chron 9:20

When doling out the jobs in the tabernacle, gatekeeper was probably not one of the jobs that people would have been clamoring for ... better than some, but hardly in the 'thick of the action'. Yet any job that we are given should be done for His glory, and with an eye to making the most of every opportunity He gives us.

Here in 1 Chronicles 9 we are reminded of Phinehas, who was in charge of the gatekeepers. Why is he remembered so many hundreds of years afterwards? Well, we find out more in Numbers 25, but before we go there lets just pause and look at what 1 Chronicles 9 says about him. Here we read: "... and the Lord was with him". What a wonderful commendation. Of course, the Lord was with all of the Israelites in the desert, because His presence was physically seen above the tabernacle both in day and night. And, in a much deeper way, the Lord is also always with those who are His - by the indwelling of the Spirit in the believer. However, there was something about the way Phinehas walked with God which particularly identified that the Lord was with him.

If we look in Numbers 25, we read that: "While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods." The very presence of God was seen physically with them in the signs of the pillars of cloud and fire; the miracles of God's deliverance from evil were still within living memory; the command of God in Ex 24:12-16 not to listen to the invitations of the surrounding nations - the people had all these benefits, and yet still turned from God. But Phinehas stood out. He saw the hypocrisy of the people weeping before God on the one hand whilst still inviting people of the surrounding nations into their home, and acted decisively to deal with the sin. Because he knew his God, and the Lord was known to him, he did not turn aside to sin, but was zealous for God's name.

I love 1 Chron 9:20, because it does not bring us back to the particular act that Phinehas did, but to the motivation that led to the act: "the Lord was with Him". People who truly know God must, surely, live and act in the light of His purity, glory and for His honour. No matter how humble or great the position God has given us, if we are living our life with the knowledge of His presence, always in His sight, and always for His glory, we can be greatly used for His honour. Not only did Phinehas act for God's glory, but his actions also saved the Israelite nation, because his actions stopped a plague put upon them in judgment.

Do we desire to be greatly used for God? Then we must be those who live our lives with God.