The Heaton File

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-30)

Get In The Harness With Me

The ministry of Jesus was an exhausting series of traveling from region to region teaching, healing and preparing for what He knew waited for Him at the cross. His physical stamina was remarkable. The daily assaults by the enemies of God lay heavy upon Him. Forming a group of men to be His apostles so the gospel could be spread to the uttermost parts of the earth was a task of constant instruction and exhortation. In all of the things that pressed upon the Son of God, His deep compassion for the plight of man was extreme. He cried over Jerusalem, as the future of God’s city would lay in ruin. The Son of God was angered that men would not repent even when He performed great miracles in their midst. There was a lot on the mind of Jesus.

God’s power was seen through the hand of Jesus in every miracle. There was nothing that Jesus could not do showing the work of the Holy Spirit in healing disease, raising the dead, subduing nature and exercising power over the demon world. He had done great miracles in the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum but the people refused to repent. In contrast, the Lord suggests the rebellious cities of Tyre, Sidon and remarkably enough – Sodom – would have repented if they had seen the power of Christ. Jesus was sorrowful at the stubbornness of man. His anger turns to heart-felt sorrow and an invitation for man to repent. There is something offered in the face of despair that could only come from the throne of God.

Jesus had come to do the Father’s will. He knew that no matter the condition of man, God would never leave him without His grace. The call of redemption was simple: come to Me and I will give you rest. There were many reasons to walk away from man and leave him to his self-destruction. Mercy would not allow the abandonment of the creature man. With all the mighty works as proof Jesus was the Son of God; in the face of the rejection of man’s denial; God still offers a plan of salvation. Through His Son He offers man to be a part of His Son. Jesus offers rest if man will come and take His yoke and learn from the Son of Man. In effect, the Lord says, “Get in the harness with Me.” “Let Me be the burden bearer in your life” is how Jesus describes the union with Him. The great invitation is the greatest gift.

No one is without burdens in life. Job reminds us we are born of trouble. There are so many things that come upon us in life that challenge our resolve, our faith and our devotion. When God first created man He knew it was not good for him to be alone. Creating the woman would satisfy most of man’s needs but not all. What man needed desperately would be the companionship of salvation as sin darkened the world. Jesus Christ is that answer. Taking a part in the yoke of Christ is the union of our hearts and souls to the will of a loving Savior. He bids us to be part of Him so that He can carry our burdens. It is not good for us to be alone and Jesus invites us to get in the harness with Him. He will lighten our load. His love will make the troubles of life easier to bear. The kindness of God will restore hope. Disease can be conquered, despair overcome and hope will fill our hearts because we walk with the Lord.

When we get in the harness with Jesus, we will find the burdens will be easier to bear. He is in control and His yoke will be a lighter experience in the troubles we face in life. Turn your heart to Jesus Christ. Allow the peace of God to fill your mind like a gentle rain. Putting your life in the ‘harness of Jesus’ will be the best thing you will ever do in your life. Accept His invitation. Now that is a great story.

Know that our Lord is called in scripture the Prince of Peace, and hence, wherever He is absolute Master, He preserves peace. (Francis of Sales; 1567-1622; Consoling Thoughts of, ed. Huguet)

Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’ But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus, great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.” (Zechariah 7:8-14)

The Attitude Of The Unrepentant

Israel had every reason to repent. They were the special people of God. He had guided them by His hand from bondage in Egypt to glory under Solomon. The Law of Moses was a guide to know the will of God. Everything was in place for blessings to be rained down on the nation if only they would change their hearts. Rebellion is a hard mistress. The people were stubborn to the core. God had pleaded through the prophets for the nation to return to Him but they refused. Zechariah defines the heart of the unrepentant. The five parts of rebellion began with a refusal to obey the Lord. Like a stubborn child, the people shrugged their shoulders as a sign they had no desire to change. Then they stopped their ears. There was nothing they would listen to again. All the prophets in the world would not change their mind. Then it became worse. Their hearts turned to flint. Hardened by sin the people adamantly refused to acknowledge the voice of the prophets. Finally, they refused to hear the truth. It was a waste of time to talk to the people. They were not going to repent and nothing would change their minds. Doom awaited. Punishment came.

The unrepentant thrive in a world of self-deceit. They believe they know more than God knows and refuse to listen to the word of the Lord of hosts. Stubborn in their hearts they allow pride to rule their decisions. Sadly, the word of God is not hard to understand but the unrepentant are not willing to open their hearts to allow a higher being to rule their lives. A stubborn child can stomp their feet, scream and holler refusing to obey; but it does not change the circumstance. Refusing to obey the word of God does not change the word. Denying the law of gravity does not mean it does not exist. It means certain death. A person can proudly proclaim all the way down “I do not believe” but the reality will destroy them. So it is with God. Refusing to bow before the Great I AM will end in bowing before the Great I AM one day.

Satan has been very persuasive convincing man he is a god. The unrepentant heart is filled with the god-likeness of mortal man worshipping himself. Refusing to regard the word of the Lord as valid, shrugging the shoulders in defiance with ears stopped from hearing anything from the Lord is nothing but childish rebellion. It always ends in disaster. There will come a day when the reality of their rebellion will be evident and it will be too late. They will cry out but the Lord will not listen because they rebelled and denied His grace. How tragically sad for the proud to learn they had nothing to be proud of.

God’s grace is so massive. His love is unbounding. The greatest sadness of man’s rebellious heart is to know such a powerful loving God is willing to forgive if only the heart of man would change. There is nothing more soothing than to know the cleansing of His forgiving hand when we humble ourselves before Him. Let go of pride. Embrace the love of God.

Repentance, of all things in the world, makes the greatest change; it changes things in heaven and earth; for it changes the whole man from sin to grace. (Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living, 1650)

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

We Have Access

Paul’s letter to the saints in Rome is a wonderful declaration of the justification of man by the blood of Jesus Christ. All have fallen short of the glory of God. Every man bears the common guilt of sin. The Jews were guilty of rebellion as well as the Gentiles. Salvation could only be found in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus in the measure of faith like Abraham. Paul writes about the joy of being united with Christ in the likeness of His death and the gift of God of no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The book of Romans explodes on the pages of holy writ with the joy of being redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. One of the blessings of salvation is the access gained by the Christian to the glory of God.

In a recent lesson on Romans 5, Dan Petty pointed out the importance of the word ‘access’ in this passage. The idea behind this word is the privilege of being able to be ushered into the presence of royalty. If someone wanted to have an audience with the Queen of England, they would not be able to walk in the front door without rigorous vetting. The likelihood would be slim for most people. To speak to the President of the United States would take a mountain of paperwork along with an incredible amount of time and energy; with the results unlikely there would be such a meeting. Imagine what it would take to enter Rome and have a conversation with Caesar. Paul’s use of the word ‘access’ in the context expresses the inexpressible joy of knowing that saints can enter the holy place of God and commune with Him. We can stand before the glory of God. What a wonderful thought.

The access of the Christian is the happiness God allows His children to come to Him. He is a compassionate Father who hears our prayers, knows our needs, cares for our worries and provides everything we need. He created the world by speaking His word. His power is so incredible. There is nothing that He cannot do. His will controls the universe. In all of this, He allows His children to come before Him and feel the comfort of His loving arms. No appointment is needed. The permission is granted by the blood of His Son. We are His children who have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine by which we believed. Anytime I need to talk to God, He is there. Anytime! Access. Is it okay to say “wow” before God?

In prayer, we open the gates of our larger self … God comes in to us and claims His own. (J. J. Weinstein, Gentle Rain, 1953)

Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You! Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me. Among the gods, there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life, and have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant. Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. (Psalm 86; A prayer of David)

The Lord Listens

David was a man of deep prayer. The psalms he wrote declare his wonderful trust and love for the God he served. He knew the grace of the Shepherds tender care in his life. One of the blessings acknowledged by David was the Lord would listen to him. He begins his psalm asking the Lord to bow down His ear to hear him. He pleads for the Lord to listen to the yearnings of his heart. David shares his longings for the protection of the Father against the enemies that come up against him. He begs God to attend to his voice as he talks with Him. The king knows that his prayer will be answered. The Lord listens and He hears the cries of His children.

It is important to know as a child of God that we have a Father who will always listen to us. Prayer is not an exercise of futility when we begin to understand the bond of a personal relationship with the Father. We are not so far removed from the Creator of the world that He does not have time for us, does not have interest in our needs or fails to hear us when we cry. Every Christian can bow his or her knees to the Father and He will listen to every word and thought we have to say to Him. His mercy is great. David declares that our Father is full of compassion. Not just a little bit of compassion. The God we serve is full of His love for us. He is gracious to my needs as He listens to our pleas. The anger of the God is not like the anger of men. Our God is full of a longsuffering spirit of kindness to our frailties. David knows the mercy and truth of his heavenly Father is abundant in its blessing.

There is a part of prayer that should be veiled with tears when we are humbled by the mighty power of God’s love allowing us to even speak to Him. The thought of such a blessing is overwhelming. There is no fear of death as the Jews experienced if they entered the Holy of Holies. We are children of the Lord God who can enter into the Holy place of the Lord God Almighty and ask Him to bow His ear to our cause and attend to the desperate supplications of our frail existence. And He will listen! He hears me! He knows my name! His love covers me! The blood of His Son cleanses me of my sins! Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me – and He does.

Prayer is a never-ending conversation with God. If we lived a thousand years, we would never exhaust the ear of the Father. Every day should begin with a spirit of prayer as we take the presence of the Lord with us through the day. Closing each day will find its worth and power in lips that exalt the name of a gracious Lord who has heard us this day. Daily prayer is easy. Talk to God and He will listen.

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. (Nicholas Hermon of Lorraine, Brother Lawrence, Practice of the Presence of God, c. 1666)

Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” (John 7:16-19)

The Power Of The Do

Since the age of twelve, Jesus astonished the teachers of the law with His clear understanding of scripture and reasoning. Often the Lord would go into the synagogues teaching from the Law and the Prophets the fulfillment of the word in His own life. The temple was another place He would frequent. What astonished the Jews was His lack of formal training yet deeper knowledge of the Law beyond the learning of the scholars. They could not see how a carpenter from Nazareth could be so versed in scripture.

Jesus affirmed His teaching was not His own. All He spoke came from His Father and the doctrine was not His own. What Jesus suggests in this reply is the value of doctrine and the need of being doers of the law. Seeking the glory of God is not just an emotional response but also a desire to do the will of the Father. Knowing the doctrine of God is paramount to serving faithfully. The religious world emphasizes the power of grace apart from works declaring that salvation comes only from grace and not by works. They deny the need of doctrine as being to formalistic and seeking salvation by works. Jesus taught the need of doing the will of the Father in accordance with the doctrine of God.

Doctrine is just as vital to salvation as grace and mercy. One does not deny the other. Saying “Lord, Lord” does not save. Doing the will of the Father is what saves a man when he follows the doctrines and precepts of the law of God. If anyone wants to do the will of God, they will be familiar with the rule of the Father.

It is easy in our soft religious world to believe salvation comes by grace alone with no effort on the part of the individual to follow doctrine. Charged with being ‘law-keepers’, true disciples are ridiculed for practicing a doctrine of works. However, religious leaders advocate a system of religion that allows man to live as he wants and serve God in a merited favor system with no regard to doctrine. Jesus condemns the grace only disciples who practice a form of Christianity without doctrine. False teachers seek their own glory giving the people false hope of salvation in a system of grace only salvation. James would later show that faith apart from works is dead. He confirms the doctrine of God taught by Jesus Christ.

Jesus never denied the importance of grace, mercy and love. He was the embodiment of all three. He never denied the need for doctrine either. As the old saying goes, we should never throw out the baby with the bath water. Doctrine has always been a vital part of the relationship between man and God. From Adam in the garden to Noah building an ark and the nation of Israel in the Old Testament; doing the will of the Lord was necessary for salvation. The power of doctrine is the first two letters of the word: DO! So it is with salvation today in Christ. Our Lord is Savior showing us His grace, His mercy and His love – and showing us the need to DO the will of the Father to be saved. If you are not DOING then you are not following the DOCTRINE of God. Without the doctrine there can be no salvation.

It is impossible to overlook the emphasis on the transmission of authoritative doctrine which is everywhere found in the New Testament. (J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds, 1950)

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled  because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. (Mark 6:1-6)

He Could Only Heal A Few Sick People

It was not uncommon in the ministry of Jesus for great multitudes to follow Him and He would heal them all: every one of them. The lame, blind, mute, maimed, demon possessed, diseased, lepers and those in need of healing all received the soothing hand of the Lord. Countless numbers of people saw the power of God through the working of the Finger of God showing the divinity of Jesus. He taught them the kingdom of Heaven. The common people gladly heard Him. His ministry was an inspiring success in so many places. Nazareth would be a very different story.

There is something special about the native son who returns home. Jesus was a teacher, healer, miracle worker and He caused a stir wherever He went. Religious leaders were upset with Him, crowds followed Him daily. Disciples gathered around Him leaning on every word He spoke. There was much to be said about this man from Nazareth. The city where Jesus grew up should have been very receptive to the ministry of the Lord. Jesus had spent many years in the synagogue of Nazareth. Returning now would be very different. The people were offended by Him. He was nothing more than a carpenter’s son and what gives him the right to teach them?

This had to be very disheartening to Jesus. He knew these people better than anyone. Growing up in their midst, the son of Joseph and Mary had thirty years of experience with their families, their joys and sadness, the good days and the bad days of living under Roman rule. A lot of things happen in three decades. These were the people of Jesus. As He returns to the city, He is cast out as a nobody. A few sick people came to Jesus and He healed them. He could do no mighty work and how He must have wanted to do something more in His hometown. Rejection. It caused the Son of God to marvel at how stubborn and rebellious men can be. Sometimes Jesus would see incredible faith in the lives of those who followed Him; now He was witnessing incredible unbelief among His own people.

The leading cause of death in the world is not cancer, heart attack, accidents or a long list of maladies or circumstances. What kills more people than anything is sin. Man is searching for the cure to every known disease but refuses to seek the healing from sin through Jesus Christ. Like the days of Nazareth, man will not see the power of God in Jesus Christ. He changes lives, heals broken hearts, mends shattered lives and gives hope on an eternal scale. Few come to the Lord to be healed. It would seem the Lord still marvels at the universal scale of unbelief in the world. The Bible contains all man needs to find happiness and few there are who seek it.

The kingdom of death so reigned over men, that the deserved penalty of sin would have hurled all headlong even into the second death, of which there is no end, had not the undeserved grace of God saved some therefrom. (Augustine, The City of God, XIV, 426)

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:16-19)

The Love God Has For Us

Children do not understanding the deeper meanings of love when they are first born. They know the dependency they have on them because of all their needs. In time, as they experience the manifestation of a parents love, their relationship grows deep. A bond is created that is inseparable. Growing into adulthood does not remove the respect for the parent as love grows even more. The relationship of the child to the parent is a perfect model of emergent love that takes time and experience to fully understand. This kind of love is not unlike the love we have with our heavenly Father.

Obedience to the gospel flows from a love for God because of what He did in sending His Son. What happens to a heart touched with the good news of redemption is nothing less than a realization of what the love of God was willing to do for man. It is an incredible experience. But even at the beginning of the bond of the Father and the child, love is not quite realized. It will take many years to bring about a deeper meaning of what the love of God means in the life of a child of God. Love is something that is always perfecting itself. What is so wonderful about the love of God is how much deeper the love grows in the years one feels the tender hand of a loving Father. And, the greatest part of this love is that a lifetime of being blessed with the joy of the Lord is never quite fully understanding what that love is. The love of God is so expansive the universe itself cannot contain the parchment needed to explain it.

The more we seek to know the love of God the less we fear. Love takes away the haunting uncertainties of life. Spending time in the word of God fills our hearts with the hope of the eternal promises of the Lord who never lies. His love is pure. It never fails. The greatest evidence of love is when we ask the Father to forgive us – and He does. We fail Him again and we ask forgiveness – and He does. His mercy is so abounding. His grace is so full. Love is found when we fall on our knees thanking our God for who He is and why He loves us. The love of God is so great He knows my name out of six billion people on this planet. He cares about me – He protects me – He blesses me – He knows me. God’s love is so wonderful.

I love God because He first loved me. He proved it by giving me – yes me – His Son. What greater love is found in this world than the love of God poured out in my heart through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the atoning of my sins on the cross? There are no words to explain it. But it is real. Thank you God for loving me.

There is nothing holier, in this life of ours, than the first consciousness of love – the first fluttering of its silken wings. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Hyperion, 1839)

Hear now what the Lord says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint, and you strong foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a complaint against His people, and He will contend with Israel. O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counseled, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord. With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:1-8)

The Cry Of The Prophets Are Unchanged

Reading the books of the prophets resonates with the heart of those seeking the favor of the Lord. Written in the long ago, the holy writ still pulses with the heartbreak of a rebellious people facing a merciful God. There is every reason under heaven for the Lord to completely annihilate the nation of Israel because of their stubborn will to follow the path of wickedness. Prophets like Amos bring a burning message of doom upon the leaders of the nation to no avail. Time and again the prophets plead and beg the people to turn to the Lord and the response they get is apathy; at times anger and oft times murder of the messengers of God.

Micah opens God’s court of law in pleading the case of the Lord versus the people. He reminds them of all the things the Lord has done for them – from the beginning. Creation is His first witness. The breath of life is held in the hand of God. When the morning breaks, it is by the will of the Creator. Everything that exists in heaven and earth is established by the command of the Lord. The people complained that God has been too hard on them. He begs to know why they feel that way. Why do they think He has wearied them and what has He done that would make them feel unloved? Which commands are burdensome? Is there anything that the Lord has not done for them that has not been for their good? The testimony of the Creator is manifest by the evidence of the world around them.

The Lord then turns to the history of the people. Have they forgotten where they were when the hand of God delivered them from bondage? History is an important part of believing in the Lord because it is there we learn the power of God and His might. The Lord God redeemed them – they did not do that themselves. They were in slavery and God brought them out by a mighty hand. He gave them leaders to guide them and protected them from enemies like Balak king of Moab. All of this was to show His righteousness! What evil can they find in the purpose of the Lord? There are many more examples in the history of Israel that show the might and supremacy of God in protecting the nation of Israel.

Worship had become a wearisome part of their life. The people were tired of putting forth the effort to do what God commanded them. They went through the motions of sacrifice and what a dreariness it had become. A burnt offering here, a calf there, and thousands of rams and rivers of oil and the heart of the people grew tired. They came, they assembled, they went through the motions and they went home. Life was not about service to God but about their own lives. What they had forgotten was what true worship was really like. He did not want the sacrifices as a token of their faith; He wanted their lives. The failure of the nation was to forget that life was about justice every day and showing mercy to his fellow man every day and walking every day before the Lord with a humble heart. Their religion had become an act. Like a prosthetic, the people put the robes of worship on to offer sacrifices and took them off until the next day of sacrifice.

The modern age of worship is little changed from the pleadings of Micah. Jesus built His church for the glory of His Father and buildings are filled with complacent, apathetic and bored children of God. Prosperity has clouded the mind with the things of the world so the heart easily forgets all that God has done. Long forgotten are those exciting days of redemption when salvation meant more than anything did. Every Sunday the masses go through the paces of worship in rote harmony of symphonic precision offering up the sacrifices of the five acts and going home as uninspired as the dead animals sacrificed on the altars of Israel.

God still wants the same as He desired in the long ago. A Christian should live each day seeking the justice of the Lord in everything he does. When he goes to work, when he seeks entertainment, as a part of a family and every part of life should be focused on the things that are just before God. Loving mercy is a daily walk and Christian’s should spend time in the word of God learning what mercy means so they can share that with their neighbors. Unfailing is the need for the people of God to be humble servants of the Lord. It is not about how many songs are sung, sermons preached or listened to or whether we take of the supper or pray in the right way; it is about the heart of man. Justice, mercy and humility are the traits of God’s people that love Him and want to serve Him in every way. The heart will lead the person to worship in the proper manner but without the heart worship becomes vain. What does the Lord require of you? Read the prophets and you will learn.

To know whom you worship, let me see you in your shop, let me hear you in your trade; let me know how you rent your houses, how you get your money, how you kept it and how you spent it. (Theodore Parker, Sermon, of Conventional and Natural Sacraments, 1849)

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. (Galatians 6:1-5)

The More Steps I Take

Moving is never an exciting experience and this is especially true when you have to do a lot of moving boxes and things from one place to another. With the exception of someone doing all the work for you, it can be an exhausting work. Friends are great to give a helping hand with the majority of the move but there are still so many little things that must be done. In a recent move, a trailer full of stuff sat in the garage awaiting a miracle to cause it to disappear. A good friend, Lindsay Clark and his wife stopped by to see how the madness was going. As we looked at the trailer full of boxes he commented, “Let me help you because the more steps I take the less you will have to take.” Burden bearing. That is what I thought of and what a beautiful way to describe how we can help one another.

There are many brethren who have helped and will help in the move and Lindsay’s words of encouragement sum up what Paul was exhorting the brethren in Galatia to do with one another. All of us face challenges and difficulties in life and often we need a little burden bearing to take a load off. Sometimes it becomes a burden of spiritual warfare where a brother or sister is overtaken in the temptation of sin. We need to step in and walk with them to lessen their journey. The more steps we take with them the fewer they will have to walk. We have concern for one another because of our love for one another. Bearing the burdens of one another is helping with the loads of life. It is telling our brother, “Let me walk with you so that you will have less affliction and troubles.” We need each other. Fulfilling the law of Christ is walking with one another.

Jesus came to earth to walk a path we did not have to walk and because of His life, we can walk easier. He left it all that we could have it all. Jesus gave His life to give us life. He took a step so that we could walk with Him. Our spirit should be the spirit of Christ where we help one another bear their burdens. It is clear we will bear our own load but let our load reflect the care for others to share in their burdens. A word fitly spoken can make a difference in someone’s life. Doing a kind deed to help a needy brother or sister will show the love of God. Checking on the home bound will let them know we are concerned for them. Walking a few steps for others will lessen the steps they have to take. Burden bearing. As we bear our own burdens, ask the Lord to give opportunity to share the load of someone else.

God hath ordered it that we may learn to bear one another’s burden; for no one is without fault, no one but hath a burden; no one is sufficient for himself. (Thomas A Kempis, Imitation of Christ, 1441)

A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left. (Ecclesiastes 10:2)

The Folly Of The Southpaw

Generally speaking, most people are right handed. Somewhere in the genetic gene of creation, the Lord fashioned man to work more diligently with his right hand. A symbol of authority describes one who sits at the right hand. Being on the right side is in contrast to being on the left side as Jesus described the scene of judgment. The sheep were blessed on the right side but the goats were condemned who stood on the left. Protection from God is symbolized by the might of the Lord’s right hand. In defense of all left-handed folk, during the period of the Judges in the tribe of Benjamin there where 700 left-handed soldiers who could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. The application of the wisdom literature is only showing a spiritual lesson of how the Lord establishes truth and righteousness as the symbol of the right hand.

The wise man is showing a parable of truth when he shows the difference between the might of the right hand and the folly of the left. Wisdom is found in the pattern the Lord has established to give man strength. God’s word is given to instruct man in the ways of righteousness and it would be folly for him not to listen to the Creator. It is foolishness for a man to fight against the created power. Spiritually speaking, most men try to go through life left-handed when the power of their strength lies in the right hand. As in creation, the right hand of truth is the only place that man will find wisdom. Like a man who is right handed trying to live with his left hand, the failure of man to find strength with God is evident. It is without sense that man will try to fashion his life without the will of God. The right hand is more wise than the left.

To be a southpaw in the work of life is to reject the word of God and this is folly. Whether a man uses his right hand or left in the real world is not the point. The wise man is showing the failure of man to follow the power found in the word of God. Wisdom is in the right hand. Strength is in the right hand. When the final day of reckoning comes, everyone will be wishing to be on the right hand of God. The right hand of God is where the right things are and without the right hand of God, a person will be left to darkness. Left-handed people (spiritually speaking) try to save themselves by the feeble efforts of their own wisdom.

Right hand – left hand. Only two choices. Wisdom is on the right. Folly is on the left. God’s word versus the wisdom of man. Salvation on the right. Hopelessness on the left. Make certain you are on the right hand of God.