The Heaton File

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.

One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! (Psalm 27; a psalm of David)

The Joy Of God’s Grace

There are many things that can bring dread or fear in life. For the righteous, it can be the persecution from those who deny God who seek the lives of those who oppose them. For David this was a very present trouble and he knew the only hope he had was to trust in the Lord for deliverance. The wicked sought to destroy him but he did not fear. His enemies camped around him to no avail for David entrusted his faith in the One who could deliver him. He learned early in life facing the lion and the bear that having a faithful heart in the Lord would bring him victory. Waiting on the Lord to carry out His work was a lesson David clung to as his adversaries swirled around him breathing out violence and false witness. The man after God’s heart left a message of hope, courage and faith when he exhorted the faithful to wait on the Lord, be of good courage and feel the strength of God’s love in their hearts as they trust in Him.

The only light that will guide man through the dark vales of life is found in the Lord. God is the true light and He is the salvation of all those who wait on Him. Fear is cast out with a perfect love for the power of God to overcome evil. Regardless of the trials that are faced in life, confidence reigns through the knowledge the Father will protect His children. Righteousness will always be victorious and unrighteousness will be defeated. There is nothing that can cast down the spirit of the child of God when they trust in the Lord. Worship is the means that brings strength to the soul of the righteous. Dwelling in the house of the Lord to behold the beauty of God is where strength comes from. In times of distress the Father will overshadow His children. He will hide them in His pavilion, upon a high rock and protect them from being destroyed. Victory comes through the lips that sing praises to the glory of the Lord.

Prayer is the powerful tool that connects the righteous with the spirit of God. Faith is built upon the foundation of knowing God’s word. The Father wants His children to seek His face. He will never forsake His children. God will not abandon those who seek Him and desire His face. David boldly said that his father and mother could forsake him but he knew the Lord never would. God will always take care of His children. What is there to fear knowing that God’s love is so great and reassuring and present in time of need? Learning about the will of the Father will fill the heart with the courage to stand against the trials of life. Believing firmly in His promises will bolster the heart with trust to overcome. Man can be so impatient. Waiting on the Lord and letting Him have His perfect work will bring courage and strengthen the heart. Learning to use the power of God in the affairs of life is the strength of life. What is there to fear when one trusts in the Lord? Wait on the Lord and be of good courage. Wait, I say, on the Lord.

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem

The Son of God cried. Robertson’s Word Pictures suggests the weeping was an audible cry and that Jesus bursts into tears. When Jesus heard of the death of His friend Lazarus He wept. God’s Son experienced the feelings and emotions of sorrow and visibly testified of His humanity. Standing before the great city Jerusalem, the Lord shed tears of grief for the calamity that would come in less than four decades. The city of God was an ancient city. Abram was blessed by Melchizedek who was king of Salem that would later being taken by David from the Jebusites. Solomon took Jerusalem to its zenith with the Temple of God and the glory of Israel encapsulated by the city. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon laid waste the city in accordance with the will of God in 586 B.C. The city would be rebuilt with the help of Ezra and Nehemiah and during the days of Jesus return to a city of significance. What Jesus saw that day on the ridge of Olivet was the sad future of a city that could not see the destruction that awaited them. He saw the real Jerusalem filled with hypocrisy, apostasy, rebellion as God’s people struggled to understand His will. Jesus knew what they were going to do to Him in a very short time. He wept because He saw the future of Jerusalem where total destruction would come by the hand of the Romans and the once beautiful city of God would be plowed under with blood. Jesus wept.

Jesus wept over the city because they could not see that He was the Son of God. The people of God dismissed the man from Nazareth as a carpenter’s son. They refused to acknowledge the power of His miracles, the breadth of His teaching and the evidence of His Messiahship. These were His people. He was one of them and His own people rejected Him. They could not find peace because they could not see Jesus as God’s Son. It saddened Jesus deeply to see the sad plight of men ignorant of what was clearly shown to them running headlong into their own destruction. He speaks of the days when their enemies will build embankments around them surrounding them and closing in to destroy them. Jerusalem would be leveled. Jesus said the city would be flattened with no stone left upon another. The sad part was the Son of God knew what was coming and Jerusalem did not. They could have if they would have listened to Him but they refused. Jesus wept because of the pain and sorrow that was coming.

Through a series of events leading up to 70 A.D. the city of Jerusalem was in deep peril. After the insurrections by the Jews killing many of the Roman army, Vespasian sent his son Titus to end the rebellion. Arriving in February it only took the Romans seven months to end the siege and the destruction of Jerusalem began. The city was destroyed and Titus caused a plow to destroy the place where the Temple stood. Untold thousands were slaughtered as the massacre of the city was full. Jesus had stood on the hill outside of Jerusalem years before weeping at what was now coming to pass. He knew the destruction would be full. The city would never again be the place of God. Rejecting Jesus was the sorrow the Lord beheld that day when this great city had the Son of God in their presence but they could not see Him.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of what sin had brought to the world. He saw deeper than the façade of buildings, streets and walls. Looking at the hearts of men the Lord could see the fragile condition of men enslaved by sin and the coming destruction. The heart of the Lord was filled with compassion at the lives that would be lost because of sin. A lesson for the children of God is to see the cost of sin in the lives of those who do not know God and refuse to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. A day of reckoning is coming and so many are unaware of the destruction. Like Jerusalem, they go about their lives with no conscious of the consequences of their rejection of Jesus as the Son of God. Every day people die outside of Christ. How terribly sad and tragic. The people of God should weep at the cost of sin and turn their hearts into action to save those who are lost. Many will reject the plea of salvation but all effort must be made to save the few. Stand with Jesus on Olivet and weep for the souls of men. Put forth the hand of courage to save the hearts of the few who will hear and obey the grace of a loving Father. Weep but act.

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (Daniel 2:17-19)

Praying In Babylon

The world of Babylon was a far cry from the life four young men expected to find themselves. Instead of growing up in the familiar surroundings of their beloved land of promise, they were thrust into a land of pagan worship, strange customs and servitude. It was not what they imagined their lives would turn out to be and yet here they were captives to a foreign ruler who desecrated the city and temple of the Most Holy God. They were more fortunate than many as they were chosen to serve in the king’s palace. Their names were changed and they had to learn the culture and language of their captive nation. The food given to the royal court was very different than the strict regulations of the Law of Moses. In a bold act of trust in the Lord God, the young men refused the king’s delicacies and were rewarded by God’s providence to excel in matters before the king. Their life in Babylon would be a constant test of faith as they confronted the trials of captivity. One such test came early in their life when the king began to kill all of the wise men.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him and calling his wise men he wanted to know the meaning of his vision. When asked what the dream was, the king commanded the wise men to tell him the dream and the interpretation which they could not do. They knew no man could tell another man’s dream without first the man revealing it to them. Angered by his wise men the king gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. The killing began and when Daniel heard of the decree he implored the king to give him time to tell the king the interpretation. Daniel went to his house and told his three friends the story of the king’s decree and consequence if the dream could not be revealed with its interpretation. Faith comes in many forms but the faith that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah displayed that day was a complete trust in the power of God to work in their lives. The Chaldean’s had told the king no man on earth could tell the king’s matter and no other can tell it but the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. They were partly correctly because they knew it was beyond the power of man to reveal a man’s dream. What they did not understand that Daniel and his three friends knew was the Lord God could reveal the dream and interpretation.

In a house somewhere in Babylon four men knelt to pray and seek petition of their heavenly Father. They were asking for a powerful revelation. Seeking the mercies of God, Daniel along with Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah all prayed fervently the vision would be revealed. Across the Babylonian landscape people were mourning the death of their loved ones killed by the king’s decree. Many others were hiding in fear of their lives as the decree for their deaths was clear. The king was angry, his wise men fearful. Four men in a quiet house prayed and found their prayers answered. The secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision and Daniel broke forth in praise to God for His kind deliverance and grace. There was nothing to fear and Daniel revealed the dream and its meaning to the king.

Prayer is a powerful means of sharing in the grace of a loving God. Faced with the uncertainty of their future, four men gathered together to combine their wills in seeking the petitions of the Lord. Their faith carried their pleas to the ear of God and He answered their prayers with deliverance. A lesson of prayer is the power of united prayer as four men sought the mercies of God together. Individual prayer is a daily need but spending time with others to lift up supplications shows the power of collective prayer. What is the power of collective prayer with there is a national crisis, great need of the church or special blessings upon a certain individual or family in Christ? This is not the prayer often worded during the worship service. The kind of prayer in Babylon was gathered in a house with hearts knit together in seeking the mercies of God for a particular purpose. Daniel and his friends came with great hope and trust in the power of God and He granted their desires. Four men – one prayer.

But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. (Psalm 4:3-4)

Thinking About God

Dee Bowman said, “It is hard to sin when you are thinking about God.” Sin always follows a familiar path. Desire draws the heart to a need that must be filled and if left unchecked with blossom into sin as a full-grown act of rebellion against God. The nature of sin will change with each temptation but the path is the same and the result is the same. Defeating sin takes great courage and the knowledge to identify the tools that will keep the soul pure. The psalmist David knew the challenge of sin and suggested when sin knocks at the door, mediate on things that will keep the door closed. Thinking about righteousness in times of peril can safeguard the heart from the destructive power of the devil. The mind thinks about one of two things: righteousness or unrighteousness; good or evil; truth or falsehood; God or Satan. Pressing the mind to consider the love of the Father will help protect the soul from falling into the trap of sin.

Building faith comes from the exercise of meditating on the word of God, His Spirit, constant devotion to prayer and right-mindedness. It will be more difficult to fall into the trap of unrighteousness when we are thinking about God. His presence will surround the heart with the protective care of His grace. The love of God is an umbrella that keeps the dark storms of temptation away shedding the light of truth in the soul. God knows the trials of His children and will hear their cries for strength to overcome. It is a wonderful thing to consider the Lord listens to His children and gives them the willpower to overcome sin. David says that anger can be controlled when thinking about God. Meditating on the grace of God is the power to defeat the lusts of the flesh. When faced with the trial to give into the wiles of the devil, turning the heart toward God will remove the desire and save the soul. He will not allow the saint to be tempted beyond what he is able to defeat and will always offer a way of escape. The reason that sin overcomes the soul is the wrong choice is made. Thinking about God during temptation will remove the desire to displease the Father giving strength to overcome.

It is hard to sin when the Lord is on the mind. As the child of God grows in faith their courage will also grow to sin less. It will never be possible to defeat sin completely but every child of God should strive to remove temptation from their lives and sin less and less. In time the strength of soul will solidify the spirit to overcome temptation more easily. What defeated the soul in the past will no longer have the sway of sin to fall after the wiles of the devil. Righteousness is the ingredient that builds faith in the heart of God’s people resisting more fervently the impact of sin. The child of God must realize it is possible to sin less. Trusting in the Lord and meditating on the Lord is the solution to sin. Thinking about right things keeps the heart away from wrong things. Keeping company with people of righteousness defends against the influence of unrighteousness. Putting God first in thought, action, deed and words will build a strong defense that will destroy the painful effects of sin. Think about God.

Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. (Romans 11:22)

The Other Side Of God

There is a side of the Lord God few people know about or understand. It is not because He has hidden His character from the mind of men. Rather the view of God is tempered by man’s need to justify himself without accepting the consequences of his actions. As long as man deludes himself into believing there is a God, He is a loving God and that this loving God would never harm or punish anyone – Satan has secured a soul for his dominion. The language seems harsh. Sadly the reality of reaping and sowing is not just a term of nature but also the nature of the spiritual man. God is love and everything about Him is filled with His grace, mercy, kindness and compassion. There can be no doubt in believing this. The other side of God that most people do not want to consider and accept is the severity of His wrath upon those who do not obey His word. There is an abrupt nature to God’s punishment upon the unbelievers and disobedient. What most people do not recognize is that Satan does not want a person to disbelieve in God but rather to view God as a loving only and compassionate only God who would never consider punishing anyone for anything. This skewed view of the Lord will serve a much better cause for the devil and his purpose than trying to convince a person God is dead.

The severity of God is very real. Reading the story of Noah and the flood should remove all doubt that the Creator of the world will not bring His wrath upon all unrighteousness. There were only eight people that walked away from the devastation of a world-wide flood. Every human being that had life died in the flood. Millions perished in one single event. This was brought about by the hand of the Lord. The Old Testament is filled with names like Korah, Nadab, Abihu, Achan, Uzzah and the unnamed thousands who died in the plagues, destruction and wrath of God upon those who disbelieved or disobeyed. In one night 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were killed by an angel of the Lord. Nations were brought low by the hand of the Lord including the people of God. Mark well the scriptures of holy writ that declare the severity of the Lord upon those who refused to honor Him as Lord God Almighty. In the New Testament the Son of God spoke of fire and the wrath of the Father upon the disobedient. Jesus is portrayed like His Father with all the serene pastel colors of grace and love and this would be accurate to a point. There was also a side of Jesus that told men that walked the broad way there was destruction and death at the end. He is the one that described the judgment scene where the ungodly will go away into everlasting punishment and fire. It was the words of Jesus that told men that Hell was a place of torment where the worm does not die. In the most quoted passage of Jesus telling all men that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believed on Him would not perish – men overlook Jesus said that men will perish. Ignoring the reality of punishment does not remove the reality of punishment.

Recognizing God for His true nature is paramount to knowing the character of His love and His wrath. One should not be emphasized above the other. It would be a mistake to think God is only a wrathful God because He is a God of love. Likewise there would be a failure to know the true God and think He is only a loving God who would never punish. There is an abundant goodness about Him. There is abundant evidence to the severity of the Lord. Man is saved by the grace of God and warned of the wrath of God. Accepting one without the other is an eternal mistake. Believing God will save everyone is not true. There will be a place of eternal torment reserved for those who do not know God and that obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth comes from the mind of God. Only by His mercy can man find salvation from the wrath of God. Salvation comes because of the victory in Jesus Christ. Thank God for His grace.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Romans 13:1-7)

Subject To A Despot

Every generation is impacted by the leaders of the nations that fill the earth. There are times of great peace and there are tyrants who fill the world with anarchy, hatred and death such as in the days of the World Wars. Nations long ago were ruled by cruel kings who destroyed vast areas of the populous to gain their glory in the killing of the innocent. Empires like the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and Greeks marched upon nations engulfing the landscape in the stench of death as they expanded the borders of the nation. The Roman Empire was unlike any nation before them. Ruled by autocratic rulers called Caesars the known world was ruled by the iron fist of a mighty nation. Men named Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius filled the time of the early New Testament story as Jesus was born, fulfilled His ministry and the church began to spread throughout the world. The apostle Paul was on his third missionary journey working in Corinth when he penned a letter to the saints at Rome. Among the many doctrines set forth by the Holy Spirit came an astonishing admonition to the people who lived in the center of Roman politics and intrigue. They saw firsthand the desperate actions of ungodliness by their leaders through assassinations, plotting, deception and corruption. Immorality was rampant in the Roman city.

Near the end of his letter to the Christians Paul instructed them to be subject to the Roman government. The authority that resided on the seat of power in Rome was appointed by God. To resist the Roman authority was to resist the will of the Lord. A few years before Paul penned the Roman letter Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus came to power. He became infamous for his personal debaucheries and extravagances. The ruler of Rome was Nero and all the people of God were commanded to be obedient to his rule. This would be tempered by the words of Peter and the other apostles some years before when they declared they must obey God rather than men but in all other matters – subjection to the rule of the Roman Empire was commanded by God. It is remarkable the Holy Spirit would use terms like rulers are not a terror to good works but evil. The Lord was not accepting of the character of Nero himself but the establishment of law and order. For much of the population of the Roman Empire, the debauchery of Nero did not impact them. They lived their lives in the simplicity of their station of life and paid their taxes dutifully. Paul directed the saints to look upon authority not with disdain but with the respect established by God in creating nations and law. Christians were to be subject to the laws of the land and not rebel. Excepting in the matters that conflict with the will of the Lord, no citizen of Rome who bore the name of Christ could act in any way to subvert authority. Whatever was due the nation it was rendered. Taxes would be paid, customs given and most importantly the child of God was to shine as a light and example of Jesus Christ in showing fearful reverence for the office of authority – including Nero.

There may be a lot of things disliked about government, officials, politics and the President of the United States (regardless of which administration). The truth mandated by the Holy Spirit is that no Christian should ever take on the role of disrespecting, dishonoring or disallowing the office of authority that is established by God. Whether we like what happens in Washington D. C., state or local government there is no place for a Christian to demean those in authority. Paul would teach that prayers be made for those in places of authority. Peter would later use the term to honor the ones in authority. These are not suggestions that can be put aside because of the red-white-and-blue of patriotic heroism. Children of God act in a manner that is in keeping with the honor given to God. Casting dispersion upon the President is sinful because God demands respect is given to those in authority. What is remarkable about Paul’s letter to Rome is the instructions of being subject to those in authority were direct commands about honoring the office of Nero. There may be a lot of things that make us unhappy today about government but let us be thankful we live in a time when Nero is not the ruler. And yet Paul strongly urged the people in Rome to be subject to the Roman government.

It is easy to confuse American democracy with the laws of Christ. They are not the same. God instilled in His people a higher plane of character to show respect to authority regardless who that authority may be. Choosing a time when a man like Nero is in authority to proclaim that all must be in subjection to government impresses upon the heart of the righteous God is not a respecter of persons. Paul’s letter to Rome is just as pertinent to the saints of God today as it was two thousand years ago. Let the people of God be seen as righteous followers of a noble character that will be in subjection to the government – whoever and whatever that is. All Christians serve FIRST the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus was subject to the Caesars Augustus and Tiberius. Can we do any less? Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

A Song. A Psalm of David. O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth; that Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me. God has spoken in His holiness: “I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver. Moab is My washpot; over Edom I will cast My shoe; over Philistia I will triumph.” Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies. (Psalm 108)

The Help Of Man Is Useless

Songs of worship in the days of King David are different than what the saints of the New Testament might sing. Israel was a sovereign nation guided by the Law given by God to His special people. They subdued nations around them exalting the glory of the Lord through armed conflict against their enemies. Moab, Edom and Philistia were always troubling for the people of God. David would write a song of the deliverance from all the enemies of Israel praising the Lord for His power in giving him victory. He wanted to sing of the promises of God showing His mercy and truth. There was honor to be given to the Lord who brought about the power to overcome those nations that stood against Israel. The right hand of God had brought swift destruction to those opposed to His will. All of the strong cities will be brought low and Edom will be punished. What David realized was the only way this could be done was by the will of God. Man could not do this by his wisdom. Any help to be given in times of trouble would come from the Lord. There was nothing man could do to effect overpowering the great powers that stood against them. The help of man was useless and David acknowledged that only through God would His people valiantly gain the victory. Treading down the enemies would be accomplished by the power of the Lord. In this assurance, the heart of David was secure.

The nation of the Lord is no longer a physical entity but a spiritual host of godly people fighting the good fight against all that stands against truth and righteousness. There has been no change in the tactics of how victory is gained as David sang so many years ago. Enemies abound that stand against the church of the Lord. Materialism is the insidious disease that destroys the hearts of godliness. Oppression will come from the quarters of society that seek to restrict, bind and hinder the work of God. Satan is behind it all as he uses his wiles to create disharmony and discord among the people of God. There are many enemies that stand against the kingdom of God but victory will come by the same hand as sung by David. Resolute hearts must trust in the Lord to gain the victory of all that opposes truth. God is to be praised for His power is mighty in defeating the forces of evil that seek to destroy the faith of His saints. The mercy of God is great above the heavens and His truth reaches to the clouds. Deliverance can only come from the right hand of the Lord and answered prayer. The help of man is useless in defeating the passions of the flesh, pride of life and lusts of the eye. Jesus brought the gospel to free man from the burden of sin. With valiant hearts men will rise that will call upon the name of the Lord to tread down the enemies that oppose truth. This is reason to rejoice and sing a song of David.

Sin is a powerful enemy. Man could not remove its stain. God sent His Son to redeem man by the blood shed on a wooden cross. Salvation came by the power of God and deliverance was through His mercy, truth and grace. All that man could do made it worse. The help of man was useless. Jesus came to bring life and lift man from the mire of darkness that veiled his soul. Satan could not be destroyed through the power of man and only by the sacrifice of the Son of God was the sting of death removed and Hades conquered. Victory came through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is something to sing about. David knew the victory of God over his enemies because he saw the mercy of God. Man was helpless. Help could only come from the One who divided Shechem, measured out the valley of Succoth and possessed Gilead, Manasseh and Ephraim. This same God rules today and can dispossess all that stands against the gospel of His Son. The temptations of the flesh will fall when the soul trusts in the Lord. Overcoming sin can be seen through the might and power of the Lord God of Hosts. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:38-39)

Learning To Pray The Garden Prayer

Prayer can be a difficult step of faith to accept. There is a need to see tangible results mixed with an acceptance of the will of God to carry out what He desires. It is easy to be selfish in prayer to almost demand things from the Lord without actually using those words. Many give up on prayer because they seldom get what they want or see positive results of their prayers. Having a prayerful heart requires courageous faith and unlimited trust. It is not for the faint of heart. There are many reasons why prayers fail and the reasons all rest upon the misunderstanding of the heart who forgets what the nature of speaking to God must be. The Lord is not a vending machine where we can put in our quarter and expect to get what we want as if the Lord must answer us. The first lesson about prayer is there is one God and man is not God. It should come as a complete shock that the Lord God Creator would take the time to consider hearing the petitions of man. What is man that He would be mindful of him? Knowing the Father is willing to listen to the petitions of His children is an amazing and humbling experience by itself. He allows His creation to come into His presence and seek His blessings. Astonishing. Incredible. Amazing. Prayer is not requirement of God to permit man to speak to Him. Only by His grace can man approach Him and His grace allows prayer.

The question that challenges prayer is whether God answers prayer. Nothing is more basic to understanding prayer because it suggests there is a desire for an answer from the Lord as supplications are offered. Jesus is the perfect example about the nature of prayer when He found Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane. He leaves His disciples and taking Peter, James and John goes a short distance to pray. Going about a stone’s throw from the three disciples, Jesus prostrates Himself and prays earnestly to His Father. He prays two things: first, He prays that if possible, the cup He is about to bear will be taken away. Second, He prays that the Father’s will be done. God answer His prayer but He answered it with two conclusions. Jesus prayed the cup be removed and the Father said no. The Son of God petitioned the Father’s will to be done and the Father said yes. God answered the prayer of Jesus but His answer contained a yes and a no. Jesus prayed the same prayer three times and the answers were always the same. The Father would not take away the cup but His will would be done.

Prayer is pleading the promises of God. How the Lord answers prayer is in His mind alone. The great leap of faith required in prayer is knowing that because God knows so much more than man, His answers are always right. There is never a time when the Lord does not answer a prayer with the best answer. Could God have allowed the Son to find another way instead of the cup or cross He was about to bear? Yes but that was not His will. The reason the Father could not take away the cup (telling Jesus no) is found in the realization the will of the Father required the Son to die on a cross (telling Jesus yes). Prayer must be approached with the courage to know that there will be times when God will say no to our petitions and supplications so that His will can be accomplished. He always answers our prayers. The answer may be no or it could be yes and it can be yes and no depending on His will. When has God ever failed to answer a prayer? He has always answered the prayers of His saints. The questions about prayer are not about prayer but how or why God answers prayer. Faith is the evidence of things we cannot see in the will of the Father.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart. (2 Chronicles 25:1-2)

The Folly Of Amaziah

It had been a little over 140 years since Solomon died and the nation of Israel was divided with ten tribes to the north and the remaining two in the south. The northern tribes of Israel would be served by wicked kings who turned their hearts away from the Lord. Judah would enjoy a few good kings who followed in the path of their father David but many kings would be like their northern counterparts. Amaziah was the ninth king of Judah following four decades of rule by a good king, Joash. The reign of Amaziah would be twenty-five years and he would do right in the sight of the Lord. While his rule is characterized as a time of the good kings, he was not fully devoted to the Lord. He was a good king but his heart was not loyal to the word of God. When he became king, his first order of business was to execute all those who conspired and killed his father Joash. However he refrained from killing the children of the conspirators as the Law of Moses forbade such action. He was a noble king to restrain from doing what so many other kings would have done. His army was quite large. Three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war were at his disposal. These men were proficient in the use of the spear and shield making a formidable army. Amaziah also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel to fight for him.

When Amaziah amassed his great army, a man of God came to him and warned him against hiring soldiers from the northern nation of Israel. He was told to rely upon the strength of the Lord and to send the mercenaries home. The men from Ephraim were discharged with their payments and told to return to their homes which they did reluctantly. Going to battle against the people of Seir, Amaziah’s army killed ten thousand in the Valley of Salt. Taking captive another ten thousand, they took them to the top of a rock and cast them down to their deaths. The army of the Lord achieved a great victory that day. By the power of God triumph was given to Amaziah and the people of Judah over the Edomites. And then the king of Judah did a remarkable thing. Returning from the battle with the Edomites Amaziah brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods and bowed down before them and burned incense to them. He had just shown the world what an army can do with the power of Jehovah God and then shows the same world what happens to a man of God who is not loyal in his heart to the Lord.

The folly of Amaziah is seen in destroying twenty thousand people by the power of the Lord and instead of returning home to worship the glory of God, Amaziah brings home the gods of the people of Seir. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord but his heart was not loyal. Doing righteousness is an important part of serving the Lord. Worship has always required doing the right things in the right way according to the right pattern. Sadly what is lost on the minds of many of God’s children is that doing what is right also requires having a heart that is faithful. Loyalty of heart is having the fidelity of spirit to devote the mind, soul and body fully to the purpose of the Lord. Paul would remind the saints at Corinth that taking the supper of the Lord required more than eating some bread and drinking some juice. If the heart is not loyal to examine deeply the meaning of the supper, sin lies at the door. Singing praises to God can sound as harmonious and grand as the ear can enjoy but if the heart is lost the praise is empty. Saying the right words and expressing in literary platitudes a prayer to the Father will fall short of its glory when the heart is cast with hypocrisy. Walking through the doors of a building to have a name checked off a list to show attendance is serving a god of denial. Amaziah did what was right but his heart was not loyal.

Bringing the gods of the people of Seir back, Amaziah exemplified the problem that challenges the hearts of the people of God. It is easy to do right but to have a loyal heart requires purpose and devotion. What a person lives outside the confines of the building defines the heart of the individual. Being loyal in heart is a daily exercise in communing with the word of God, imbibing the Spirit of God and setting forth an example of light in a community of darkness. The Lord knows the loyal hearts. He does not look on the outside to see what men see as right. Only from His eternal eye can the Lord see the heart of man whether he truly believes, accepts and challenges the soul to trust him. Amaziah trusted God to win the victory but turned his heart away from his Deliverer. That was the folly of Amaziah.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Acknowledge The Lord

Words have powerful meaning and the Holy Spirit did not mince His use of words when He inscribed the Holy book. Throughout the writings of the sixty-six books called ‘The Bible,’ the nature and character of God is lifted from page after page for man to see who the Lord God and Creator of the world is and to honor that name. Repeatedly the Holy Spirit pleads with the readers to trust in the Lord refusing to rely upon human wisdom for guidance. The calamities of men have all come from seeking the failed philosophies of the carnal man. There has always been a standard of right and wrong established by the will of the Lord. Following the law of God will always bring blessing, peace, contentment and enjoyment in this life and the life to come. Godliness is the character of seeking to mold the heart after the precepts of righteousness and truth. Trusting in the voice of the Father will always keep the heart of the child safe. Putting these truths to the test is the ability of man to acknowledge God in every part of life.

God has always required first place. From the days of the Garden of Eden to the giving of the Law of Moses and the coming of Jesus Christ, the only place the Lord wanted His people to be was in an abiding relationship of trust with Him. Belief was not a casual experience. It was a constant acknowledgment of God’s place in every part of life. The wisdom passage exhorts the spirit to recognize God alone has the power and might to bless man. Acknowledging the Lord in all the ways of life is the only place He wants to be. God created the heavens and earth and man is dependent upon every factor of creation. The sun rises according to the will of the Creator; not man. Life comes when God puts the breath in the body and forms it according to His divine pattern. Seasons come and go as it has done from the beginning of time because God created the cycle of life. Death is real because the hand of the Lord expelled man from the garden refusing him entrance again. Until man acknowledges the realities of his place in creation he is doomed.

Death is the consequence of rebellion against God. Adam and Eve disobeyed the law of God and suffered the penalties of sin. There was no hope apart from the grace of God and His plan to save all men. Sin destroyed the world in the days of Noah and continues to cast the world with a blanket of darkness from its evil allurements. Salvation cannot come from the hand of man because he is incapable of saving himself. God loved the world so much He sent His only Begotten Son to die for all men. The Light of the world shone in the hearts of men and hope reigned eternal through the sacrifice of Jesus. Man did not bring this grace about. Only by the mercy and love of God is man now able to come boldly before the throne of God and find redemption from sin. Until man acknowledges the truth of the sacrifice of Jesus he remains doomed in the mire of sin.

When man acknowledges God in all His ways, he releases the selfish desires to worship himself as a god. Nothing in this world came by the hand of man. Eternal salvation did not come from the goodness of men. The stark reality is that man has done nothing to give himself life whether physical or spiritual. God created man and God recreated man through the death of His Son. Acknowledging the power of the Father in every way admits the dependency upon the grace of God as the only means of salvation. God saved man; men did not save God. Trusting in the word of God and allowing His word to guide the heart will show man that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and by His power the world stands. Coming to know the power of sin can only be dismissed by the loving kindness of the Father who sent His Son to die on a cross and through His blood redeem all men who come to Him. Man must acknowledge the truth found in the word of God. Without conceding the heart to the will of the Father, there can be no hope. He requires all of the heart, soul, mind and body. Anything less will not be accepted to the Lord.