Forgetful hearts? - Ps 106:12-13

Ps 106:12-13

Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.

But they soon forgot what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold

So struck by these verses from Ps 106. The Psalmist is remembering God’s goodness to Israel in rescuing His people at the Red Sea even though they had doubted His goodness and protection. When they saw His deliverance “Then they believed His promises and sang His praise”.

But the next verse reminds us that, even though they had seen His mighty power at work so recently, “they soon forgot what He had done”.

That alone is not only such an indictment of them, but reflects our own hearts so much. Does not the God who “so loved that He sent His only begotten son” also love us in the times of difficulty, also care for us in sadness, also walk with us in hardship? Of course He does … eternally!

But the final part was the one that really hit home to me: “and did not wait for His plan to unfold.” Like them, I see the momentary and fail to wait, often in difficulty, sadness or hurt, for all the Lord is doing. He is faithful. He is working out all His purposes which will be to His glory. He is doing far more than I can possibly imagine. And all His promises in Jesus are ‘Yes and Amen’; Not one word of all His promises to us will fail. In my impatience my heart can fail, but ‘looking into Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith’ we need not fear or waver.

Yes, I need to learn to “wait for His plan to unfold.”

Freedom to do ... what? - Gal 5:13

 

The glorious outworking of the Gospel is this: we are free! Free from condemnation - Jesus has borne our sin; Free from accusation - Jesus has paid the full penalty; Free from alienation - Jesus has brought us close, adopted into God’s family; free from slavery - we are no longer under the ‘ruler of the air’ but have been redeemed and set free from his authority; and free from the law (the context of this verse) because our righteousness is found in Christ and not our deeds (which are never good enough anyway).

But the wonderful call of the gospel is that, having been freed from all this, we have a wonderful saviour and friend under who we can willingly submit ourselves - His ‘bondslaves’, Jesus our Saviour and Lord. Love for Him constrains me both from sin and towards my Saviour; A new heart, in which He writes His law, directs me; Power from Him by His Spirit equips me with all I need. Freed from condemnation, freed to glad and joyful obedience.

In Him we are ‘free indeed’!

Knowing and experiencing all this, therefore, we don’t ‘indulge’ the freedom He gives to live according to the old desires. His way is life and peace and, knowing His deep, wide, long love for us, it should be our natural response to live in His love, delighted to follow Him, privileged to serve Him, honoured as part of His family to serve one another. It’s what our loving Father longs for us. It is our very best.

Who not to please - Gal 3:10

For a Pastor the tension between loving God’s people and becoming one who seeks to please them is difficult.

We love them and so want their best. But what God’s people want may not be what is their best. Leading them to put themselves under God’s word, as His servants, Pastors cannot do what pleases, but only what God says is best. And it is by this that we truly love them.

In doing so we will be hugely misunderstood, maligned and maybe even hated. But love leads in God’s pathway, not our own. It’s a hard calling, but so worth it when the fruit of God’s work in the lives of His people is seen.

But there is also a further tension. As a Pastor seeks to stand upon God’s word and not be a people pleaser, it is easy to become harsh, demanding and impatient. Just as parents easily lose patience with a child who refuses to walk safely on a footpath and instead walks constantly on the kerb, so we can be impatient and unwise in our desire to lead in God’s way. It is easy to use ‘I’m not being a people pleaser’ to excuse loving action taken in an unloving way.

This is why Pastors need to be prayerfully dependent on God, daily led by His Spirit and reliant upon His power. Who is able to do such a task? Only by God’s grace, wisdom and strength and the prayerful support of God’s people.

Still the same power and presence - Haggai 2:4-5

Although there are many reports of blessing during the Pandemic from churches and church leaders, I am concerned about so many reports of discouragement, stress and disheartened Pastors. At a recent youth leaders conference there were hundreds of youth leaders and yet only a few reported growth in their youth work, with the vast majority reporting smaller work and discouragement.

In this passage in Haggai the leaders faced a period of forced in activity in the rebuilding of the Temple. Sadly this was followed by a time of discouragement, a time when God’s people looked inward, built their own houses (lockdown DIY!), and forgot about God’s commands to build the Temple. God’s reproof came through Haggai, and came with encouragement (He’s the God of all encouragement after all!).

What was that encouragement? Simply this … that He is the same God with the same promises who is able to work mightily through His people. The Spirit, the same power that brought God’s people out of Egypt, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, is still at work amongst us. And the wonderful summary is “My Spirit remains among you, so do not fear”.

I wonder how many Pastors need to proclaim this truth to their own heart, how many leaders need to know His perfect love which drives out fear, how many pulpits need to have this message from God proclaimed in our day?

What are we so disheartened about? Are any of God’s promises turned aside by a pandemic? Is not God sovereign? Are His Kingdom purposes ever thwarted? Is his hand ever pushed aside?

This continues to be the harvest time for His Kingdom, as we are reminded by the next verses: “… I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord Almighty.”

‭

So, we need to hear God’s encouragement anew: “My Spirit remains among you, so do not fear”

His word, His love-letter - Psalm 119:45

When you know Jesus as Saviour everything changes. And part of His transformation is that we discover that what seemed to be a list of do’s and don’t’s before, things which we could only be failures at, is actually a love letter. His word is written because He loves. As we read it we hear Him tenderly call, wonderfully lead, tearfully warn. And, because He transforms our hearts to desire Him with all our being, we rejoice to hear His voice of love, and delight to follow His way.

In doing so we discover that what had once seemed limiting and a cause of failure is life and peace. He protects us. He guides us. He leads us in pathways that are fruitful where before they were destructive. He gives us purpose that is eternal and doesn’t disappoint. He brings the joy of eternal hope to shine on life’s troubles. There is no trap, there are no barriers in His love … ‘He leads us in paths of righteousness’ and we learn that all we need is found in Him. He enables us to put all other good things, things which bring momentary joy but don’t ultimately last, in their right place so that we do find joy in them but are not enslaved by them.

In Christ, loving joyful surrender to His word enables us to find and walk in freedom!

If you have not found this, even if you have come to know Jesus as your saviour, can I urge you to stop resisting or running from His word, hear His love song, step out into the joy of living under His word - it’s the place of freedom!