The fate of the free world depended on one man. Yes, one man. Supreme Commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower, planned ferrying over 350,000 Allied troops across the English Channel and onto the heavily armed beaches of Normandy. He needed a day. So, chief meteorologist, Captain James Stagg had one job: get the weather forecast right.
The margin for error was zero. Stormy seas would sink ships, swallow tanks, and drown thousands. Postpone the invasion and you give communist Russia a chance to control all Europe. Pass on calm weather and Nazi Germany would discover the invasion. Yet, selecting a day was difficult. In Michigan, we gage weather as it moves across the country; we see what approaches. To the west of the English Channel is nothing but open, unpredictable Atlantic Ocean; you had no records. On top of that, Eisenhower had already selected a date: June 5, 1944. Captain Stagg advised against it. So, Eisenhower faced a decision: trust your meteorologist or trust your own instincts? Who do you trust? (https://www.usatoday.com/amp/9914207) In our day of redacted Mueller reports and exposed church abuse, it feels impossible to trust anyone. So many promises lie broken— and with them lie shattered dreams, deflated hope, and painful heartache. It just seems best to rely on yourself. So, who do you trust? Easter gives us the only answer. The events of this day have changed the course of life forever. Because of Easter you find A Word that does as promised. A Word that gives life. So, Cheer Up! You have God’s Word! That is where you find cheer. Look again at our gospel reading. Verse 1 says: [O]n the first day of the week, at early dawn, the [women] went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. It is Easter, but you discover a cheerless scene. Yes, the first Easter morning is a funeral procession. How could it not be? This group of women watched Jesus die! They saw him buried here! Inside this tomb lies a dear Friend, a beloved Teacher, a trusted Preacher. That is an unwanted reality. They cannot restart the heart. They cannot force the brain to function. They cannot make lungs breathe. Jesus is gone and they cannot fix it. They stand absolutely powerless to create cheer in life. When they reach the tomb, they found the stone rolled away[,] but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus… How much worse can it get? The body is missing! Again, this unwanted reality just crushes them! They were not there to stop the robbers. They did not install security systems. They cannot investigate and hunt down the criminals. These women not only lack the power to raise the dead, but they also cannot control the one thing they could control: make final preparations! They cannot fix it! They cannot do what they want! They are powerless to find cheer in life. While they were perplexed about this, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. [T]hey were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground… Now this! Two men— two angels— who live in heaven, who stand beside the Holy God, now have a message from the Almighty. How can you not tremble? Because whatever comes out of the mouth comes from God. That message may not be good— and the women would be completely powerless to stop what God will do. That first Easter is loaded with strange emotions. Those women stand mortified, they are stressed, they are anxious for the exact same reason I so often am: Because I rely on myself! Why the self-reliance? Because I know ‘me’ better than anyone else knows ‘me.’ ‘I’ know my weaknesses. ‘I’ know my goals. ‘I’ know my needs. No one else knows my desires better than ‘I’ do. No one else thinks about them more than ‘I’ do. Yes, the police officer protects me, but he’s watching over thousands of others. He cannot be everywhere at once. Yes, the teacher cares for me, but she has other students in the classroom. Yes, I know my family is there for me, but each one cares for his own needs first. So, I take it upon myself to find cheer in this life. If I trust myself, then maybe I will be satisfied. Except, like the women, I confront many insurmountable obstacles. I want to prevent sickness, but I cannot stop cancer from entering my body— and I cannot wish it away. I want peace in my family, but I cannot stop my sibling from ruining my plans; I cannot control personalities. I want to reach my goals and dreams, but I fall into addiction again, I stumble into old habits, I foil my own plans. Trusting myself does not bring the peace I so desperately crave. Studying these women only reminds me of the purpose for Easter. This day happens because of us. Those women think self-reliance will help them. In reality, self-reliance caused their sadness. That is why Jesus came in the first place: because each one of us consider ourselves more reliable than a reliable God. In short, self-reliance calls God a liar. Now where does that self-reliance leave the women? The women stare at death and cannot fix it. I stare at death and realize I cannot stop my own grief, I cannot stop my own death, I cannot stand before the throne of God and live! Nothing I can do will erase that awful truth. What good self-reliance does! Thank God he sends angels. Yes, angels. Messengers. If God never did this, then I would still be scratching my head at the empty tomb. Do you realize where the angels point the women? To a promise God made. The angels said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” “Well, what did you see? You witnessed sinful men beat him. You saw him suffer and die. You watched him buried. Since everything happened as he said, what do you think will happen next?” Can you see the light turn on? And they remembered his words… People make promises and break them, change them, forget them. God is not another person. God intentionally made a promise and God deliberately kept his promise. Just like that, fear gives way to joy, assumptions crumble, self-reliance vanishes; trust in the promises of God swells! God did what he said he would do. He hung your (and my) self-reliance on Jesus and crushed it. He leaves him to die by wicked men. Leaves him to be crucified. Leaves him dead. Then, he raised him— body and soul, alive from the grave. Dear friends, Cheer Up! You have God’s Word! Easter proves that God’s own Word does as promised. He not only makes promises, but keeps his Word—which means, God is completely reliable. Because of that, God’s Word gives you life. Yes, life. The resurrection of Jesus is not just one single promise kept long ago. No, the resurrection carries some very long-term results. Imagine setting up a row of dominoes. Tap the first domino and it falls into another, which falls into another, and another and another, and so on. One domino causes many other dominoes to move. Here, God raises Jesus to life. Sounds simple, except that centuries earlier God had promised to raise his Son (Psalm 16:10-11). On Easter, God reached down and raise this one Person to life. Therefore, this one Person is not just another man, but God’s promised Son! (Romans 1:4). One promise kept. Remember, Jesus is God’s Son. Jesus hung on the cross— and God loaded him with my self-reliance and crushed him. He makes him pay my crime. Now, Jesus lives—again! The Bible says: Jesus died because of my sin and was raised to declare us ‘Not Guilty!” (Romans 4:25). That means God has accepted his payment on your behalf! That means Jesus removed condemnation. That means guilt no longer damns you. Another promise made and kept. If Jesus wipes your spiritual record clean, it means God sees you as innocent— which means God kept another promise: Jesus destroyed the devil’s work (1 John 3:8). If the devil cannot convince God to lock you in hell, then it means you will not go to hell. Jesus keeps another promise! Because Jesus lives, you also will live (John 14:19). If you will live, then it means Jesus is keeping another promise: You will live in heaven! (John 14:2-3). Another promise falls complete: Because Jesus lives—no one holds authority over him, no one tells him what to do or how to behave (Exodus 15:1-11). Do you see how Easter changes life? You live by the promises of God— because those promises are not empty wishes, but guarantees of what God will do next! Those promises carry you through every situation. God promises life is not the end for the Christian; life continues in heaven! That means your loved one is not forever forgotten. No, she stands in the throne-room of God. He weeps and mourns no more! (Isaiah 65:19-20). Your body may not do the things it once did. You cannot build muscle, you cannot spark energy, you cannot stop cancer from spreading. Yet, your God promises: I am with you. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Regret may relentlessly shame you. You feel so unworthy to be around friends, parents, children, God. Yet, God points to Jesus and promises: Because he suffered your penalty, your lawless acts I remember no more (Hebrews 10:17). Where do you find peace like that? Never in yourself, but in the only One who does as promised. A new day dawns Easter. A new day that reveals God is absolutely serious about saving you …about loving you …about being your strength. That removes self-reliance. That lifts you from stressful anxiety. That puts your trust in a God who never fails you. Cheer Up! You have God’s Word! A Word that gives you life. A word like Captain Staggs’. Eisenhower selected June 5, 1944 for D-Day. Captain Stagg advised against it. So, who do you trust: your meteorologist or trust your own instincts? Eisenhower could not see the future, but he trusted the word of his meteorologist. Sure enough, June 5th proved stormy. Waves chopped. Rain pelted. Winds whipped. The mission would have failed. Yet, June 6, 1944, brought the calm weather predicted. The Allies invaded, stormed Europe, and destroyed Nazi resistance. That victory brought new life throughout the world. Easter brings new life for you. In our day of redacted Mueller reports and exposed church abuse, it may feel impossible to trust anyone. So many promises lie broken— and with them lie shattered dreams, deflated hope, and painful heartache. It may feel best to rely on yourself. Yet, Easter reveals life! Life in heaven! Life lived with God on earth! Because of Easter you find A Word that does as promised. A Word that gives life. Yes, the events of Easter have changed the course of life forever. So, Cheer Up! You have God’s Word! The fuel gauge in your car is not sharing an opinion. It reports the actual amount of gas in your tank. If your car carries an adequate supply of fuel, it reads ‘Full.’ If your car does not carry an adequate amount of fuel, it reads ‘Empty.’ Your gas gauge reports actual readings.
Now, you can choose to ignore those readings. You can run errands while the gas gauge flashes ‘Empty.’ You can refuse to accept the fact that your car needs attention. You can disagree when your gauge reads: ‘Empty.’ That’s fine— but the fuel gauge in your car is not sharing an opinion. Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, when the gauge reads ‘empty,’ your car will stop. There are instances in life that do not seek your input. Rather, they convey a very real truth. When Jesus preaches and teaches, he is not seeking opinions. He preaches and teaches for the sole purpose of conveying a very real truth. Now, your heart can disregard his warnings, but Jesus makes one thing abundantly clear: Jesus Marches On in spite of rejection, to gather you under his forgiving wings. That is why you find him where you do today. Jesus stands in present-day Jordan. He has already walked down the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36) and is forging ahead one last time into Jerusalem. Only the Jordan River separates him from reaching his destination. This territory belongs to King Herod. At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” Maybe that’s true. After all, Herod did behead John the Baptist. Still, the Pharisees do hate Jesus that they may be making a veiled threat. Whatever their motives, one thing is very clear: Jesus is not wanted. God sends John the Baptist to Herod with this message: “You committed adultery by divorcing your wife and stealing your brother’s wife. This is wrong” (Matthew 14:3-4). Understand, God does not offer a suggestion; this is his Sixth Commandment. Yet, Herod does not cherish this command. He refuses to obey it. In fact, he treats God’s command as an opinion. He throws John in prison. He continues living with this brother’s wife, thinking of his rebellion as no serious matter. God sends Jesus to the Pharisees with this message: “You appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness… First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean”” (Matthew 23:26-27). This is not an opinion; Jesus makes clear: if you reject the need for a Savior, you will die. The Pharisees do not want a Savior. They want a leader who fights the Romans. A leader who rekindles the national pride of Israel. A leader who rules with power, peace, and prosperity! So, they chase their wish instead of the truth. That is the purpose for sending out the Word: to call back wandering hearts. God has been doing this for centuries. He sends steady streams of prophets armed with his Word. Jeremiah foretells destruction because of Judah’s unbelief, but Judah rejects Jeremiah. They do not want to hear the truth, let alone be confronted with it. Even the priests rage against the God they supposedly represent. If you read the rest of Jeremiah 26, you see God’s prophets slaughtered. The problem is not with God’s judgment; the problem is with their heart! You look at such treatment and Jeremiah is not to blame. John the Baptist is not to blame. Jesus is not to blame. Wicked hearts produce wicked actions! The reason for preaching is not to kill, but to save. Not to take away life, but to save life! Jesus himself even laments this: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! If people do not want him, then he will let them have their wish. Jesus Marches On in spite of rejection. That is an absolutely terrifying reality. God makes it abundantly clear that he is not accepting our opinions. He commands. Jesus does not ask if you appreciate marriage, he lays out a one-man and one-wife commitment until death. Jesus does not ask if worship can sneak into your busy schedule, he commands that you set aside time for worship. Jesus does not ask if you would enjoy respecting your authorities, he commands that you respect them. Jesus does not ask if that one sibling is worth your time, he commands that you purge all bitterness from the heart. God does not change his demand of obedience. It is God who demands you (and I) change to obey. If we do not, Jesus Marches On. I wonder, how many think that they will enter heaven simply because they demand that God accept them? Humanity might feel that they have the authority to stand before their Maker and demand that he receive them into heaven for no other reason than they say so. And that God will have no other choice but to cave in and accept this plea. When met with rejection, Jesus Marches On. Herod intimidates Jesus with death, the Pharisees threaten Jesus, and Jesus responds: Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. Jesus will do as he pleases without interference. Nothing will hinder him from preaching the good news to both believer and nonbeliever. In fact, Jesus forces people to fall in line with his plans. [N]o prophet can die outside Jerusalem. Jesus’ time had not yet come (John 7:30, 13:31-33). Herod would not kill him in Jordan. The Pharisees would not stone him. Jesus would be crucified in Jerusalem. Nothing will stop those mouths from admitting: ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ Nothing. On Palm Sunday Jesus will ride into Jerusalem. People will shout, “Hosanna! Save us, son of David!” Everyone who rejected him as king on that day will forced to acknowledge him as the King he is on the Last Day. Jesus Marches On in spite of rejection— and no one will stop him because Jesus Marches On to reach his goal of gathering you under his forgiving wings. This is the reason for Christmas Day; this is the reason Jesus is born. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life… For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:14-15,17). On that gloomy Friday Jesus would hang rejected. The Pharisees gloat that Jesus is leaving. The people shake their heads, mumbling: “What a fool.” Even God the Father pushes Jesus away like some foul filth. Understand, Jesus is rejected because we chose to reject him. This is what sin deserves: rejection. Yet, it is not you suffering God’s rejection; it is the only One who never rejected his Father. Even in suffering Jesus Marches On to his goal— the goal of gathering you under his forgiving wings. On the third day he reaches it. Jesus’ resurrection declares that God still accepts Jesus, and that God now accepts us. You can be sure that God does love you, that God does forgive you. How? Well, God used baptism to choose you. This is what God’s Word says: [B]aptism […] now saves you also— not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Marches On to the grave and into life in order to gather us under his forgiving wing. That is where you rest now. You live under God’s care, and you always do because God rules your heart with his Word. For 47-years [Faith] 137-years [St. John] God has sent you an unbroken chain of Pastors. These men stand in front of you and proclaim: ‘This is God’s Word..’ Think about that for a moment. These men are not spewing out personal opinions about life or fabricate ideas about God. A prophet of God has no right to change the Word— and if he does, then God holds him accountable (Isaiah 8:20; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 John 10-11). A prophet must point to God’s Word and speak only the Word (Jeremiah 23:28). Those Pastors are sent to you, to bring the Word to you. That may mean your Pastor addresses sin in life. He is not trying to look superior. He is not trying to ruin your day. He is not trying to control your life. Those would be ungodly reasons. Jeremiah does not preach destruction so that he might feel better about life. He preaches some very difficult words because so many strut down the wide road into hell. He speaks to turn back! That’s why your Pastor may say some very difficult words. Understand, he does it out of love. As a fellow Christian, receive those words in love. That is why we (including me!) willingly receive correction when needed. We listen because these are not manmade words, but the Word that comes from your God. When sin is exposed, do not reject correction. Instead, cherish God’s Word. We forge commitment in marriage because the love God has for us compels us to love his command for marriage. We pray for leaders because the love God has for us compels us to love respecting leaders. We set worship as priority because the love God has for us compels us to love growing in our faith. As we keep the Word in our hearts, we remain gathered under the forgiving wings of the Savior. The Word preserves life, just like a fuel gauge maintains a frustration-free life. Your gas gauge reports actual readings. If you choose to ignore those readings, then remember, you are not rejecting an opinion. You are rejecting the truth. When Jesus preaches and teaches, he is not seeking opinions. Jesus Marches On in spite of rejection. When the heart considers this harsh, just remember: The greatest love that God could ever demonstrate is revealing an unbelieving heart so that people may see Jesus and live. That is why Jesus Marches On. He pushes past rejection to deal with your very real punishment. He pushes past rejection to complete his goal of gathering you under his wings. That makes you ready to shout: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! You will not fear. You will rejoice that your Jesus is marching for you. Where do you draw the strength to get out of bed each morning? I mean, just consider the daily drama dripping in headlines. Violence erupts in shopping centers and restaurants, in airplanes and subways, in schools; even church buildings are not untouchable sanctuaries. Are you really safe anymore? A politician warned that climate change will destroy the world in 12-years unless humanity rallies to stop it. (https://nypost.com/2019/01/27/what-science-could-teach-ocastio-cortez-about-climate-change/) This doomsday dread only fuels a panicky, jumpy fear for survival. Two states recently legalized the murder of infants moments before birth (and left unanswered the possibility of killing the child after delivery). (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-abortion-bill-proposed-by-kathy-tran-third-trimester-today-2019-01-30/) If society feels hopelessly dire now, can you just imagine what life will be like for your [grand]children? Will they be forced to accept ungodly stances on sexuality? Will they be free to worship here? …to gather around the Word here? …to pass the Truth on to their children? Will they face death because of God? That’s enough to keep you tucked in bed, shades drawn, away from such horrible news, away from the heart-wrenching reminders that life is far from what God expects. So, how can you get up in the morning? How can you function in such a broken world? Where do you find rock-solid assurance that everything is truly alright?
Sifting through manmade solutions will not secure the peace so desperately craved. Curses follow misplaced trust. Only one Object of trust produces blessing. Mortal Man, Are You Listening? Yes, you! Man. Woman. God holds up this faceless person called ‘Man’ and uses a unique word to describe ‘Man.’ He calls him: ‘GEBER’ [גֶּ֫בֶר], which is different than the other two Hebrew words for man. One words is (1) ‘ADAM’ [אָדָם], which means ‘people’ in general, like a crowd of people— men, women, and children. Another word is (2) ‘ENOSH’ [אֱנוֹשׁ], which highlights vulnerable weakness; people can get sick, they can get hurt, they can die. Here, (3) ‘GEBER’ [גֶּ֫בֶר] emphasizes strength. Picture bulging muscles and chiseled bodies (like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson). Think about the powerful influence the President of the United States commands or the respect handed to a university professor. This is ‘Man’ standing at the peak of his mighty strength! No disease, no cancer. Sharp mind, intelligent. Raking in truckloads of cash. Demanding superiors to obey him. Mortal man looks invincible. This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the man (‘GEBER’ [גֶּ֫בֶר]) who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength; [whose] heart turns away from the Lord.” This is the 25-year-old who believes he still has decades left to live, decades longer to embrace God. So, he skips worship to snowmobile, fish, hunt, and travel. This is the 62-year-old grandmother who exchanges time with God for time with grandson’s peewee game. This is the 54-year-old who gloats over his degrees. He believes in science and philosophy more than he does the simple truths of Scripture. This is the 30-year-old woman who scrounges for self-worth in the success of her children. Mortal man exalts human achievements as proof of individual might! She believes nothing can hinder her from improving life. He believes nothing can stop his life. Mortal man may feel invincible, but proves himself foolish to believe that he is invincible. He steps into the curse of trusting shriveling strength and rotting mind. He will be like a bush in the wastelands… dry, parched, beaten ragged, torn and ripped. [H]e will not see prosperity when it comes… like a man I once met. He was dying. When he heard how God sent Jesus to save him, he considered it just one heart-warming story among many. Even hours from death he pushed aside God’s good Word. Mortal man will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives… Mortal man trusts himself. So, when trouble arises, he has nowhere to flee. He panics at terrorism. She fabricates meaningless comfort when someone dies. Worse of all, God only sees a dry, lifeless heart. Mortal Man, Are You Listening? Yes, you. You (and I) also fall into that category of a ‘GEBER’ [גֶּ֫בֶר]-man. You (and I) wrestle with the heart well aware of the spiritual benefits of reading our devotions, but the heart still crafts the lousy excuse: ‘I’m too busy.’ That heart is actually admitting: “I can rely on my wisdom today.” That heart hears how God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Yet, when distressing news flashes across the television, the heart jumps into despair. Why? Because it does not trust that God has control like he says he does. The heart knows God cannot be mocked (Galatians 6:7). Still, it chooses to lie and manipulate, to hold grudges and defend adultery. Then it believes that it can somehow dupe God into believing that you are more moral than you truly are! Trusting in your strength, your supposedly superior intellect throws you under a curse. Curses follow misplaced trust. Trust in your strength and you will wallow in fear because you lack the power to control global events. Trust your status and you will be crushed when time forgets your identity. Trust your health and you will be shocked when you enter eternity unprepared. And that, dear Christian, is the greatest curse of all: To stand forever separated from the loving care of God. That is what pride earns. Mortal Man, Are You Listening? God sees the pitfalls of human strength (Jeremiah 17:9). That’s why he speaks these words. He speaks so that you hear. He speaks so that you know Curses follow misplaced trust. He speaks so that you see Only one Object of trust produces blessing. Your Lord reveals that blessing. He plants into your world. Jesus delights in the Word of the Lord. He meditates on it each week in the synagogue during worship (Luke 4:16). Not only does he meditate on it, but he tucks it into his heart. His every word, every action drips what it hears and reads. You see, throughout his 33-years of life, Jesus encounters tragic headlines too. The death of a child (Luke 7:11-17). Many killed when a tower falls on them (Luke 13:3-5). The sick, diseased, and crippled led to him. Hatred because he clings to God. A proud heart like ours would detour into manmade solution, manmade comforts, manmade strength. Yet, Jesus stands rooted in God’s promises. For you God the Father plucks Jesus out of life. He tosses him into that dry desert of our pride and he leaves him to die. The One full of life is set in a tomb, a land where no one lives. God’s solution to our tragic curse of death is to make Jesus die instead. And that full, vibrant life broke our curse forever. [B]lessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. Yes, this is mortal man— this is you (and me). We have health, we have strength and we are blessed. Blessed because one day that strength will fade and we will die, and God will plant us in his kingdom of heaven. Actually, God has planted us in his kingdom now. God has given you the gift of faith. That faith is rooted, grasps, and clings to the fact that Jesus lived, died, and rose again for you. He is your Object of trust. He is only One who produces blessing in your life now. [You] will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. Picture an oasis. In the middle of this dusty dead desert dot lush, flourishing trees. In the middle of this splendid little grove bubbles a pool of water. The scorching sun will beat down on the tree and it sucks water out of that tree. Yet, [the tree] does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. Streams flow constantly; they never stop. Think about that. Water flows in fair weather and stormy weather. Water flows on hot days and on fair days. Water flows every day. It always replaces what is lost. Tragedy may burn deep into you. People seemingly die too soon and you do not understand why. The raw pain of never seeing that tender face again, of never hearing that sweet voice only saps your strength. Do not fear when death comes; Jesus’ Word streams constant refreshment. Soak up this comfort: I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (John 11:25-26). If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8). Maybe the foolish choices of a loved one saps your heart. It hurts to see your child, raised to know God, now choose to live an ungodly life. It hurts to watch your brother drift from God. You feel so powerless, unable to do anything. Do not fear the heat; stand strong because of God’s promises. The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Speak God’s truth about sin and forgiveness with respectful love (Ephesians 4:15). Let God’s truth pierce heart and conscience. Stand content knowing it is God’s truth that changes hearts. [The tree] has no worries in a year of drought… It does not worry where its water will come from or if it will have enough. A steady stream provides steady strength. You are witnessing a drought in godly living. Sexual boundaries crossed. Innocent lives aborted. Disrespect and shame openly paraded. How will you live in a world like this? Do not worry. Sink your roots into the word. Remember: The kings of the earth take their stand against the LORD and The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them (Psalm 2:2,4). God has called you to live a holy life: to respect your body, to respect life (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Then, shine like a light in this world (Matthew 5:16). Sometimes that involves clearly stating what God teaches. At other times that includes giving clear testimony to your priorities by the way you live. As for world events, Be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10). [The tree] never fails to bear fruit.” Even in trying times, it still produces. You may not realize it now, but when you stop and look back on life, you may see that you have grown spiritually. Death strengthened your grip on Jesus’ resurrection promise. Disappointment reminded you of sin’s ugly presence in this world and that heaven is your real home. Godlessness compels you to be a little more verbal on what you believe. You hold the blessing increased faith. You are mortal, but you still stand because One Object of trust produces blessing. That is how you can get up in the morning. That is how you can function in such a broken world. That is where you find the rock-solid assurance that everything is truly alright. You sink your heart and mind into the Word. In the Word God reveals his might. You get to live under that might. Sifting through manmade solutions will not secure the peace so desperately craved. Curses follow misplaced trust. Only one Object of trust produces blessing. That Object is Jesus— and all that the Bible teaches about him. So, Mortal Man, Are You Listening? |
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