The Heaton File

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)

The Lord’s Bond-Servant

Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest joys man can be a part of. It is a servants work requiring peculiar devotion to the purpose of teaching others the word of God. There is an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to be allowed to impart the mind of God to others but with a cautionary acceptance of receiving the heavier judgment because of it. Not all men are suited to preach the word of truth. Some do not receive the work as servants and without a humble spirit find themselves preaching for personal gain. The work of an evangelist is to serve as a sacrificial representation of the Lord who left the greatest example of servitude. His final lesson to the disciples at the Passover was to wash their feet. The hands of the preacher must be cleansed through the bathing of others feet.

The Lord’s bond-servant is not a quarrelsome servant. He does not strive about matters in a confrontational spirit imposing his will on others. So often men can become entangled in foolish arguments that do nothing but bring about strife. The preacher of the Book is only a spokesman of what the Book declares allowing the Spirit of God to convict the heart. When men begin to enforce their will on others in a haughty confrontational manner they fail to be bond-servants of the Lord.

Kindness is in the heart of God’s proclaimers. His heart is filled with the message of grace because he needs the Lord’s grace as much as the next person (often more so). His words are kind, his actions are kind and his demeanor is filled with the gentle character of humility. The power and conviction of salvation is in the word not the attitude of the preacher. The word convicts and is sufficient to accomplish its goal. This does not preclude the teaching of difficult and hard matters of faith. Jesus taught very hard lessons to the Pharisees with a spirit of love yet firmness to the truth. His kindness was evident to all.

The servant of the Lord remembers what his work is all about: teaching others the good news of Jesus Christ. Teaching is sharing the good words creating in the hearts of others the love and desire of godliness in their lives. Preaching the word stands against the wiles of the devil affirming the only salvation given to man. Correction is done in love as the Father chastens us with His love. When a preacher corrects a challenger with the gospel of Jesus Christ he remembers the power of conversion is in the word. Correcting an opponent with gentleness allows the gospel to convict the heart.

May God raise up men who will embrace the work of preaching as bond-servants of the King of Kings giving their lives to sharing the gospel of salvation with the lost. No greater joy can anyone share than helping another find Jesus Christ and eternal life through the Word. The preacher knows it is not about him but about He who gave all. The words we share are mere echoes of what we have learned through the grace of God. Thank you God for your love.

He is the best speaker who can turn the ear into an eye. (Arab Proverb)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.” I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:1-9)

Trusting In The Lord Dismisses Fear

The Psalms are rich with the deep faith of God’s people proclaiming their love and trust for Him. Their challenges are not unlike what we face today. Resonating from every psalm the reader is drawn to the personal relationship in how they overcame difficult circumstances by faith and dependence on the Lord God. For the Christian in modern day America the psalms are pertinent as society swirls deeper into ungodliness. Listen to what the unknown psalmist declares for man today.

HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER. The joyful message of the psalm understands that God is always present to care for His children. His love endures forever and is without wavering. We serve the same God Abraham loved and felt the love of God in his life. The Lord cared for and watched over Abraham – He will do that for us today. When I look at the moon at night I cannot help but think that Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah and the early disciples looked upon the same moon. It has remained constant since the beginning of time when Adam first beheld its beauty. So God’s love and mercy glows in the darkness of this world for me.

THE LORD IS ON MY SIDE. In whatever distress the author finds himself the Lord delivered him. The deliverance was so complete the Lord put him on a “broad place” to be secure. There is nothing to fear because God is on our side. What is there in this life to fear? Take a moment and think about what that means. There is nothing – nothing – to fear (disease, famine, peril, persecution, death, etc.) because God is on our side. We face a lot of uncertainties but with God there are no uncertainties. Like Peter walking on the water, our faith wavers when we take our eyes off the one who saves. Remember Jesus never took His eyes off of Peter. He saved the Galilean fisherman by His power.

I TRUST IN THE LORD. There is no one that has proven His trustworthiness more than the Lord God. We must trust in the Lord because His mercy is everlasting. We must trust in the Lord because no one can deliver us like the Lord God. Every time we put our trust in man failure comes. At best man is too frail to be completely trustworthy. We sin. We fail. We are unable to hold integrity in purity. Our confidence must be in the one who is ageless, all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving. One of the great blessings of trusting in the Lord is He knows my every need. He also knows the answers to all my needs. What a great God we serve who blesses us with His everlasting love and protection. Give thanks to the Lord for HE IS GOOD. His mercy endures forever; the Lord is on my side; therefore, I trust in the Lord.

Can anyone think of believing in God without trusting Him? Is it possible to trust in God for the big things like forgiveness and eternal life, and then refuse to trust Him for the little things like clothing and food? (Oswald C. J. Hoffmann, Life Crucified, 1959)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11-14)

The Stain Of Blood

A casual reading of the Law of Moses will impress upon the mind how much blood was shed in the countless sacrifices. The Peace Offerings had blood sprinkled all around the altar, the Sin Offerings had blood sprinkled in front of the veil of the sanctuary, the horns of the altar and at the base. The Priests were constantly “field dressing’ the sacrifices dipping their fingers in the blood and sprinkling it here and there. The Trespass Offering had animals offered up with blood sprinkled on the side of the altar and the rest drained out at the base of the altar. The place of the sin offering was a holy place. It was declared that when blood was sprinkled on any garment it should be washed in a holy place. When Aaron and his sons were consecrated blood was placed on the right ear, the thumb of the right hand and the big toe of their right foot (this was also done for lepers). Blood was also sprinkled on Aaron and his garments.

The Hebrew writer described the many bloody sacrifices in the Law of Moses and how that the first covenant was dedicated with blood. Moses sprinkled blood on the book and the people. The tabernacle and the vessels were clothed in blood. According to the law almost everything was dedicated with blood. Solomon’s dedication of the temple involved the sacrifices of 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. It was not possible to escape the stain of blood. The priest had garments of ministry that no doubt were stained with blood from the multiple sacrifices made each day.

Blood is not easily removed from garments. The stain can be permanent. With all the animals sacrificed daily throughout the year the stains would settle in with no hope of coming clean. Garments, books, vessels, and tents all had blood on them as a constant reminder of the sacrifice required for redemption. Sadly with the untold thousands of animals offered to the Lord through the centuries of man’s existence none of the blood could remove the permanent stain of sin. And then Christ came into the world.

The essential doctrine of redemption can never be understood until the stain of blood is considered. All the blood of the bulls and goats offered under the Law of Moses could not buy back man’s relationship with God. Before the Law of Moses the smoke of a thousand altars from Abel to Abraham could not take away the stain of sin. Man faced a horrible dilemma that he could do nothing about – how do you remove blood. This blood represented the horrible disease of sin and yet this blood was ineffective. Animal blood is not eternal. Man’s blood is eternal. The problem with man’s blood is the stain of sin. And then Christ came into the world.

John’s picture in the Revelation brings the joy of salvation full circle when we see the Lord of Lord and King of Kings riding on a white horse. His robe is dipped in blood and those who follow Him are clothed in fine linen, white and clean, following Him on white horses. What a contrast. The sacrifice of Jesus at Golgotha is when the Son of God poured forth His blood around the altar of sacrifice and sprinkled our hearts with His blood so that we can be clean. Redemption is the cleansing of our lives from the impenetrable stain of sin by the blood of Christ. We are clean. We are forgiven. When we obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ our sins were WASHED AWAY – removed.

There is power in the blood. Wonder working power. Thank you God for the blood of Your Son that makes possible the cleansing of my sins that will no longer stain but remove sin. The Law of Moses is a pattern to show the depth of blood needed and that only in the blood of Christ can I have redemption. In Jesus Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. (Mark 10:46-52)

The Faith Of A Blind Man

Jericho is a famous city in the Old Testament as a sign of God’s incredible power. When the children of Israel first came to Canaan the city became the example of how the Lord would impress upon man His wisdom and power. Centuries later the Son of God would be leaving Jericho and once again the city would be the backdrop to a most amazing display of power, grace, mercy and faith.

Being blind in the days of old was a cruel sentence of despair. There was no cure or a hope of a cure. The darkness that prevailed would never be removed and in so many cases those afflicted lived a life of abject poverty by begging. Such was the lot of a blind man called Bartimaeus son of Timaeus. The eyes of Bartimaeus may have been darkened but his heart was filled with light. Whatever background this blind man had with Jesus is unknown but all he knew of Jesus was what he heard. He never saw Jesus. He never saw any miracles of Jesus performed. Yet he had a deep faith in a man only because of what he heard of His power.

As Jesus walked by one day Bartimaeus cried out to the Lord to have mercy on him. The fickle crowd tried to dissuade the blind man to quiet his pleas but this fueled his faith more. Standing still Jesus could not resist the bountiful love of a blind man. Calling for him to come the crowd now encourages the beggar to go to Jesus. It should be noted Jesus could have gone to him but chose rather to stand still and let Bartimaeus come to the Lord. Faith requires our measure of faith to bring us to Christ. The beggar threw aside his garment and went to Jesus. How difficult that must have been for a blind man to make his way through a crowd to find a man he never saw. Helped by others he came before the Lord.

In a most remarkable discourse between a blind man and a healer Jesus asked of Bartimaeus, “What do you want Me to do for you?” At first glance it would seem shockingly obvious what the blind man would desire. Why did Jesus ask this question? Faith is our measure of seeking the Lord with an honest heart of truth. Quickly the beggar pleaded with the Lord to have sight. In an instant the darkness of Bartimaeus’ life disappeared. Light poured into his brain as the eyes soaked in the sights he had not seen. What a moment of transformation for a man who was blind but now can see.

Jesus tells Bartimaeus to go his way but the former blind man choses to follow the only true Way. The first face imprinted on the mind of the blind man was the face of Jesus. He chooses to follow Jesus. There is a sad point to which the story arrives. It is difficult to imagine how incredibly happy Bartimaeus must have been for Jesus to heal him. It was not many days after his miraculous healing the precious eyes of the beggar now beheld His Lord dying on a cross. There would be no weeks, months or years to follow Jesus and talk with Him on the way. Soon after his healing Bartimaeus watched his Savior die.

Nothing else is said of the beggar. It would warm the heart to know that he would become a powerful force in the lives of the early disciples as the church grew. Could he have become a preacher to show the light to those who had eyes to see but were still in darkness? His blindness did not prevent him from seeing Jesus for who He truly was. He was a healer. Jesus took away blindness and gave sight. He still does today. Thank you Bartimaeus. Now I can see.

Faith is obscure. By faith a man moves through darkness; but he moves securely, his hand in the hand of God. He is literally seeing through the eyes of God. (Walter Farrell, The Looking Glass, 1951)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!'” (Jeremiah 7:1-2)

Worship Is Hearing The Word

Today is a day of worship where we join together in the fellowship of hearts as the people of God. We lift our voices up to give glory to the Father. The communion of remembrance binds our hearts as one in the sacrifice of Christ. Our assembly is a time of personal encouragement to share our lives with one another in a like precious faith. Worship on the first day of the week is where we can be together to talk about the word of God.

Hearing the word of God is one of the most amazing acts of grace afforded man. Revealed through the written word we have the mind of God expressed to us from the beginning of time. The book we call the Bible is a collation of sixty-six books spanning from Moses telling the oldest story of man to John’s revelation of the future of man. This is not just an ordinary book. Holding in our hand a copy of the Bible is a message that came from the throne of God in Heaven. It is not sacred because it says “Bible” on the outside; it is revered because it is God speaking to us.

In our worship today the Bible will be read and studied. A closed Bible is a closed mind. Jeremiah the prophet was told to instruct the people to “Hear the word of the Lord.” Worship is hearing the word of the Lord and letting its truths blend deeply into every fabric of our lives. When we ‘enter the gates of the Lord’ this morning take the word of God and when the word of the Lord is read open its pages and drink deeply its eternal message of love. Our faith is dependent upon hearing the word of God. As the word goes in our life so goes our faith.

The Bible experienced is God experienced in all the length and breadth and height and depth of His revelation and communication to man. (E. I. Watkin, the Life of the Spirit, February-March, 1954)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. (Proverbs 18:2)

It’s All About Me

There are some folk you have to be careful when you talk of them; you talk of the one whom they love. Self-absorbed people are quick to discuss their superiority or importance with others. Life is filled with the “me syndrome” dotted with the “I’s” of who they are, what they are and where they have been. You have been in a crowd of people where the discussion becomes a jousting match of who can top the other with greater achievements or intellect or prowess or self-believed beauty. It’s a feast of me, me, and more me.

The angels must have a sense of humor because whenever man (made a little lower than the angels) exalts his heart in pride they must be amused. Tiny, puny little men running around a tiny rock three places from the sun think they are the greatest thing in the universe. It might be well to know the earth is not the center of our galaxy and our galaxy is not even in the center of our universe. That is why man becomes a fool when he believes he knows everything rejecting the wisdom of others.

Earlier the wise man reminded man that destruction will follow a man of pride. It is as sure as the law of gravity. When a person becomes haughty in their spirit against others he will only last for so long before crashing into his own demise. Silly isn’t it? Sadly this should never be the spirit of the Christian. It is one thing to look upon those who do not believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and see their pride. When a Christian exhibits this attitude it denies the confession made they believe Jesus is Lord, not them. Our covenant with God the Father is that we have given up all rights to His Son. Our wisdom comes from Him and Him alone. Pride has no place in my life as God’s child because nothing I will ever do can measure up to the wisdom of my Lord nor will I be able to repay the debt I owe him. Christian’s who think more of themselves than others deny the Lord.

Where do church troubles come from? Why do brethren fail to get along so often? What happens when matters become more about ME instead of JESUS CHRIST? Husbands refuse to love their wives because they are filled with themselves. Wives reject the command of God to submit to their husbands because they have no delight in honoring God. Brethren fight and squabble from a spirit of pride that destroys fellowship. Examples of Christians are blighted from those who demand everyone pay attention to them instead of God.

The Christian is a servant. The Christian is a slave. The Christian is a humble person. The Christian is not about ME but about HIM. The Christian owes everything he has and who he is to GOD. Folks, we have nothing to brag about! Because of you and because of me Jesus had to die on the cross and that is nothing to be proud of. Shame on us when we think more of ourselves than what we are. God bless us with hearts of humility of love. Thank you God for giving us something we did not deserve. We can never repay You. Let us dear Lord live not in our own understanding but bathe ourselves with the cleansing power of Your greatest gift.

Of all the marvelous works of the Deity perhaps there is nothing that the angels behold with such supreme astonishment as a proud man. (C. C. Colton, Lacon, 1820)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses–all dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. (2 Kings 19:35-37)

In The Morning Of Death

For centuries war was fought on a large scale of soldiers, machines and weapons. Sisera had 900 chariots of iron, the Philistines had 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. Solomon had 1400 chariots, 40,000 stalls of horses and 12,000 horsemen. One battle recorded in 1 Kings 20 tells the story of the children of Israel killing 100,000 foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. Sennacherib came against Jerusalem with an army more than 200,000 strong – to conquer one city.

As Jerusalem lay under seize from the Assyrians, Sennacherib sent his chief of staff Rabshakeh to sue for surrender by the people of the city. Boasting what great things the Assyrians had done to all the lands surrounding Jerusalem Rabshakeh gave assurance to all the people if they would surrender they would be treated fairly and enjoy peace. He reminded the people none of the gods had saved the other conquered people and their god could not save them from the terrible power of the great king of Assyria. The people of Jerusalem were afraid and Hezekiah the king pleaded with the Lord for deliverance. Seeking counsel from Isaiah the word came that Jehovah God would not allow the Assyrians to enter the city and the foreign army would be defeated.

The next day the army of Sennacherib prepared for another uneventful night of besieging Jerusalem. Generals enjoyed their lavish surroundings and the privileges of power. Many soldiers raucously wiled their times away with the pursuits of carnal pleasure. The fires of a thousand camps filled the air with smoke. Life in an army camp was a loud and boisterous experience to dispel the boredom of a siege. The army of Sennacherib was the super power of its day with his army spreading as far as the eye could see. Nothing could stand in its way. Cities cringed in fearful horror at the dread of the Assyrian army. This army was preparing to wipe Jerusalem off the face of the earth.

As the moon settled softly across the western horizon the night turned dark as ebon pinion. Without notice the air grew quiet. While the fires burned to embers the sounds of the camp drew silent. It went without notice. When the sun began to peek over the eastern hills life began to stir within the camp. In the beginning it was a shock as servants tried to awaken their masters but to no avail. Then terror set in. Suddenly the realization came there were a lot of dead soldiers. Had an army crept in during the night and killed these men? As morning dawned brighter the number of dead began to rise until astonished with horror it was reported to Sennacherib 185,000 of his men were dead – in one night – with no apparent reason.  The powerful army of the Assyrian king had been decimated to nothing. The king fled back to his own country where twenty years later he would be assassinated by two of his sons. Jerusalem had not been conquered.

The gods defeated by Sennacherib and boasted of by the Rabshakeh were gods of men. The God of Jerusalem sent His angel to kill 185,000 men in one night. There is no God like Jehovah God and no Lord as mighty as the Lord of Hosts. He still rules in the affairs of men. He is still powerful. He is still majestic. And He is the Lord God that gave His Son to die for you and me so that we could live with Him. We do not fear the angel that took the lives of 185,000 men because we serve the Son who came to give us life. Now that is a great story.

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (Ephesians 3:17)

Who Dwells In My Heart

When Jesus ascending unto the Father following His resurrection it was not His plan to remain there. Throughout His teaching He wanted man to come to learn about Him and live for Him in their lives. The teachings of Jesus are to become an integral part of our lives filling our spiritual hearts with His presence. As in the physical heart where the blood of life sustains us the blood of Christ must flow in our inner man to sustain our spirits. Paul’s prayer exhorts the saints to bring Christ into their lives to dwell.

Jesus sat down at the right hand of God so that He can sit down in the center of our hearts. He wants us to open our hearts for Him to dwell there. This is not a temporary arrangement for an occasional visit. The influence of Jesus must be a constant part of our everyday lives. Our decisions today as we go to work or school must be guided by the principles of Christ. He is not to be a part of our lives only on Sunday and Wednesday night. Dwelling is a constant presence with permanence.

If someone moves in with us we are constantly talking with them and seeing them. They live in our space. There is a daily communion we enjoy with them because the dwell in the same house with us. Spending time with the word of God is where our faith comes and through that faith Christ lives in us. The more we spend in the BOOK the more we feel the presence of the Lord in our hearts. One of the most basic lessons of our faith in Christ is His dwelling in our hearts through faith. The more He fills the rooms of our hearts the less room there is for Satan to find his way in. Dee Bowman said, “It is hard to sin with God on your mind.” With Christ dwelling in your heart you will be able to withstand the wiles of the devil.

Who dwells in your heart? How many rooms of your heart are filled with Jesus Christ? Invite Him in not to visit but to settle down and be a part of your life. When Jesus moves in it must be a permanent arrangement. Invite the Lord into your heart to dwell as the influence in all parts of your life. What a blessing that will be.

Christ is rich, who will maintain you; He is a king, who will provide you; He is a sumptuous entertainer, who will feast you; He is beautiful, who will give in abundance all that can make you happy. (Edmund Campion, Ten Reasons, 1581)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living. I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 116)

Prayer Answered

There are many reasons to praise the Lord and none as appealing as when death has been deferred. The circumstance of the psalm and its author is unknown but the situation is timeless. Death was eminent and by his pleading for God’s mercy he was delivered. He was worried. It would seem his condition was very serious with little hope of deliverance. The mercies of God were bestowed upon him as he was delivered from the bonds of death. His heart was filled with thanksgiving. He knew the power to pray for deliverance but he also knew the need to pray with a heart of thanksgiving. The experience had served its purpose of showing how much he loved the Lord and how much he was blessed to be in His grace. The prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Prayer can be difficult. We want immediate answers with visible results. Often prayers are motivated by selfish reasons for personal gain. This is not uncommon to man as we struggle with this thing called life. There is a strong bond to hold on to the things of the world unwilling to let go. Family relationships, desires for life drive the emotions to long for deliverance from death. In this psalm the writer has been delivered from death yet he knows that if his prayer had not been answered with life it would still be a beautiful prayer. He loves the Lord because of his deliverance. His heart is grateful for the Lord hearing his cry. The graciousness of the Lord and mercy preserved him and saved him. His prayer was answered in the bountiful blessings of his God. But then he inserts the seed of hope that if his prayer had been answered by his death it would still be reason to love the Lord. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

What a testimony of faith. There were no words to describe how happy he was to be brought back to the living. While his gratitude was immense he was also thankful that if death overtook him his prayer would have been answered. Prayer is the dual relationship of desiring life but accepting death as life also. His answered prayer was not selfish. It was praise to God because whatever happens the Lord will be glorified.

I need to learn to pray like that. It is easy to pray and expect God to do my bidding. Like our Savior expressed in the garden, the will of God must be done in our lives for His glory. The Lord answers our prayers with “yes” every time because whether the prayer is granted as we desire or not it is always the will of God. I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.

When has any man of prayer told us that prayer has failed him? (Georges Bernanos, The Diary of a Country Priest, 1937)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. (Isaiah 30:18)

The Incredible Long-suffering Of God

I do not understand it. In truth it is impossible for man to fully grasp the concept. It flies in the face of all reason. There would seem to be a belief that as righteous as God is He could not and would not endure man very long. How often will man rebel against Him and not be destroyed? Looking around the world and seeing the calamities of wickedness destroying this nation along with the implosion of the moral fiber of the world begs the question of how long will the Lord’s mercies endure. It really does not seem logical. We read of the destruction of the world in the days of Noah or the judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and believe we are not far from that moment ourselves. Yet the days remain and man continues his march of unrighteousness.

I do not understand it. I look in the mirror and see the same struggle with sin. Portions of scripture are dedicated to the Lord’s swift judgment upon those who would rebel against Him and I ponder why he allows me to continue to live. The judgment of the world is clear because of its rejection of His teachings. My life is filled with the trappings of rebellion when Satan gains a victory in my life. All men struggle with the battle of the spirit of righteousness and the conflict of sin. Paul described his innermost battles in Romans 7. “O wretched man that I am” he cries. I understand that.

Isaiah was a preacher who had a mission of incredible proportions. His task was to lead a nation back to God; a rebellious nation of God’s people. His writings are timely as they fill the pages of our newspapers today. The pleas expressed in his book express every element of our challenges with God and sin. Sprinkled throughout his sixty-six chapters are the seeds of hope and mercy. The Lord was very angry with His people. He would bring judgment upon them. The remnant would be the only thing left when the Lord was finished. It could be an overwhelming message of doom if not for the rays of sunlight that shone upon honest hearts the compassion of God. He is merciful. He is gracious. He is longsuffering. He is just.

The Lord was willing to wait. Let that sink in for a moment. He had a greater plan to show His glory. There is a positive side of sin. As dark and troubling as sin will be the nature of sin exalts the justice of God. Sin is so terrible it took the blood of God’s only begotten Son to wash it away exposing the fabric of God’s love. I doubt we can ever truly understand the mercy of God to take away our sins but He will. Just trying to wrap the mind around that shows me how great and wonderful the love of God is. He will wait, He will be exalted, He will have mercy – for me. Thank you God. You are my Lord. The Lord of my salvation.

The love that gives, that loves the unlovely and the unlovable, is given a special name in the New Testament, grace. (Oswald C. J. Hoffman, Life Crucified, 1959)

• Kent Heaton