THE PRIVELEGE OF PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You are my Hope and Deliverer. In spite of my folly and waywardness, You listen to my prayers and work in ways that are too marvelous for me to understand. I give thanks that You really care, and though I live in a broken world of sin, disease and death, I know that nothing can finally separate me from Your love. I give thanks for the privilege of prayer and for the truth that You are my Mediator and Advocate. In spite of the uncertainties of this life, You will never leave or abandon me. You have set me free from the bondage of sin and death, and You have graciously chosen me to accomplish something worthwhile in this life that will endure forever. May I freely lay hold of the benefits of prayer and seek Your wisdom and power amid the adversities and uncertainties of this life.
THE PROMISES OF GOD
HOW TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD Romans 1:16-17
Separated by 3,500 years and radically different circumstances, two great men of faith reached the same conclusion about how to be "right" before God. Standing midway between them was the Apostle Paul whose story about the first one became an object lesson for the second one.
First in line was the father of faith, Abraham. Around 2,000 B.C., God told Abraham that he would be the father of a nation as numerous as the sand on the seashore and the stars in the sky. God made a covenant with Abraham which guaranteed the fulfillment of this promise. Though Abraham did not even have any children when the promise was made, he took God at his word. When he "believed the Lord" (Genesis 15:6), his faith secured his righteousness before God, and he became the father of all who believe God's word (Romans 4:11). Abraham did nothing to earn his acceptance by God; he simply believed what God said.
Now fast forward to A.D. 87 when the Apostle Paul, in Romans 4, uses Abraham's story to illustrate the profound truth that he has stated in Romans 1:16-17: Revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ is a righteousness that can only come by faith-the same faith that Abraham exercised. Fast forward again to 1519 when an Augustinian monk in Germany named Martin Luther is agonizing over how to attain the righteousness before God that he reads about in Romans. He meditates on Romans 1:17 continually until he finally sees that righteousness is a gift from God that comes by faith. It is the word of God, the gospel, which reveals the gift of righteousness. "All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates," Luther wrote. The light and life of the word had dawned in his heart.
The word of God in the gospel-that Christ died as a sacrifice for sin to secure righteousness for all who believe-was the same for Abraham, for Paul, and for Martin Luther. Has that same faith, by which the righteous live, become your faith as well?
God's Promise to You: "New life requires only one thing: Faith in my promises."
THE PURSUIT OF GOD - PART 15
APPREHENDING GOD
"O taste and see." (Psalm 34:8)
Let's Do It Again, Daddy!
Mom's hands cover her mouth and nose in a prayerful pose. Uncle Dave pumps the air with a clenched fist and chants out the rhythmic big dog sound. Older brother Michael, unable to make up his mind as to whether he is going to look or not, peers tentatively through the open fingers of the hands that cover his eyes. Little sister Amy, unable to contain her excitement, is jumping up and down as if on a pogo stick, squealing at such a high pitch that the dog runs for cover. The rest of the assembled crowd of family and friends are all focused on the action at the edge of the pool. By the behavior of the audience, you'd think it was a gold medal event in the Summer Olympics. And at this moment, it might as well be.
In fact, it is little Kristin's first jump into the deep end of the big pool without her water wings. She stands at the lip of what appears to be a vast ocean to her, shivering in the 96- degree sunshine. The little pink bathing suit with the ruffles around the waist cannot hide the fear that twitches throughout her little 4½ year old body. At her age, she's certainly used to being in water, having mastered all the challenges of the kiddy pool months before.
But she draws no comfort from that history, nor from the fact that she's been in this pool several times. Being a 3-time veteran does not count today, for those voyages were made with her inflatable water wings securely attached and with her daddy's neck within easy reach. This is something very new - no safety equipment, nothing to hang on to. Her mind begins to race, fast forwarding through all the possible disasters that could occur: she might trip and hit her head on the edge of the pool, she might fall into the pool head first and get water up her nose, she might sink to the bottom, she might die and never have the chance to go to big-girl school, she might . . . .
But through her anxiety-blurred vision, she spies her daddy. He stands waist deep in the pool with arms outstretched toward her, a comforting smile on his face. Over the chaos all around, she hears him quietly and confidently say, "Jump into my arms, sweetheart. Daddy will catch you." Her fear has not diminished one bit, but his words remind her that he always keeps his promises. In the end, it is not the encouragement from the adoring fans, it is not the cookie bribe from Aunt Rita, and it is certainly not the silent scream that blares in her mind. It is the simple trust of a child in the word of her father.
So, she closes her eyes, holds her nose, and jumps. It is not a thing of beauty. It looks as if one leg decided to obey her will and the other leg chickened out at the last minute. It is more of a lunging stumble than a confident leap. Nevertheless, into the water she goes. As expected, the splash is big and it is scary. As soon as she feels the water, her little arms and legs begin flailing wildly, in a awkward attempt to mimic the way big people swim, just in case daddy isn't paying attention. But miracle of miracles, no sooner does she hit the water and feel herself going under, when she feels two strong hands catch her under her arms and lift her up. She instinctively gulps fresh air, wipes the water from her face, and turns to hear everyone going wild. At that point, the only thing bigger than her eyes is the high-pitched sound that comes from her happy lungs, shouting out for all to hear, "I did it!
Raucous cheers continue to rise from the audience. Adults, caught up in the jubilant moment, spontaneously jump into the pool, caring not that they look ridiculous with their sunglasses on and their cups of ice tea still in hand. They wade over and crowd around Kristin to celebrate her victory. After she regales them with the details of her aquatic performance, she turns around to the man proudly holding her and says, "Let's do it again, daddy!"
FOURTH QUESTION
In chapter 4 of A. W. Tozer's masterful work, The Pursuit of God, you will encounter a fourth question: "How do you actually go about laying hold of a Person who is Spirit?" Having decided to pursue God as your prime love (chapter 1), and having decided to give your life in exchange for him (chapter 2), and having given permission for him to remove anything that separates you from him (chapter 3), it is time for you to face the question of how you apprehend Someone who is not available to you through your five sensory organs. Tozer titled this chapter "Apprehending God," but our question is "How?" It is a chapter about faith and reality - a faith that works equally well in the reality of the material and immaterial worlds, and particularly a faith that brings you face to face with a God who is more real than anything you can see.
We want to explore the simple mystery by which a little child is able to block out all of the internal and external noises begging her not to jump, and obey the quiet voice of her daddy and jump into his arms. Her ultimate act of trust was not accomplished without doubt or fear. In fact, her leap of faith is clearly done in spite of them. Were her decision based on reason alone, she would most likely conclude that it is not a sane thing for a little girl to do. After all, who would take care of her dollies, instruct her younger sister in the ways of the world, and protect the dog from the cruel teasing of her older brother if she had died? Yet she jumped, tentatively to be sure, but she jumped. And after she pushed through her doubts and fears, she couldn't wait to exercise her new-forged confidence and do it again.
This chapter brings you to the edge of a decision. Your choice is clear: either stay on the firm, familiar ground that you've come to trust through your senses, or jump toward the invisible God who really is waiting for you with open arms. As you begin to exercise those muscles of faith, you will strengthen your spiritual sensory organs and increase your ability to experience God in a way more tangible than anything in this world.
INVESTING IN OTHERS
Lord God, as I look back on the stories of Your patience, guidance and many deliverances of Your people, and as I consider the similar story of Your works and ways in my life, I realize that You have put me in a position of great privilege and perspective. You have given me the opportunity to consider and learn from Your many interactions in human history, and You have also given me a personal history of Your many gracious dealings in my own journey. I pray that I would not squander these great gifts, but that I would impart what You have taught me to others so that I would invest in their lives and pass this on to the next generation. I do not want to waste the many blessings You have given me by keeping them to myself. May I pass them on so that Your gracious work in me would be a blessing to others.