“Finding Hope and Comfort”

Ps 119:49-56, ESV 

49 Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.

50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.

51  The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.

52 When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord.

53  Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.

54 Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning.

55 I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law.

56 This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts. 

In the beginning, God created a perfect world which included man. In fact, the relationship man had with God was perfect until such time as man decided to disobey God’s will. From that point, and because of his disobedience, man began to experience the consequences of sin. Among many, two of the consequences include the hopelessness of knowing we are eternally lost without a remedy, and the realization that life can often times be very miserable. However, God does not want His people to be without hope and to live an existence without some relief from feeling afflicted. As the writer to the Hebrews said, the hope (of living in a city that has foundations, whose maker is God) Abraham had was the thing that enabled him to leave his home without knowing where he was going and to live as a sojourner in a foreign land (see Heb 11:8-10). He was heaven-bound!

Consider this: The psalmist indicates we have to look no further than the word of God to find hope and comfort. So many times we look to our own intellect, or to advice of other men, when the solution to our hopelessness and misery is at our fingertips—in the word of God. Part of God’s very intentions for His scriptures is to provide man hope and to build him up to withstand hardships and temptations. Paul wrote, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15:4). Right there Paul says God’s words will give us a reason to hope and will uplift us to endure any hardship we may face.

We are forgetful creatures, and God knows this. The psalmist says, “Remember your word to your servant.” God has given us such reminders. After describing qualities that will keep disciples from being ineffective or unfruitful, Peter said, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12,13). Paul told Timothy he would be a “good servant of Christ Jesus” if he reminded the brethren of things taught in the word of God. If we fail to remember the word of God, the hope of salvation and a heavenly home will fade from our hearts, and all that will remain is the misery of an existence on earth.

Lance Bowman

Walking at Liberty

Ps 119:41-48, NKJV

41 Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord — Your salvation according to Your word.
42 So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances.

44 So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever.
45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.

46 I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed.
47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.

48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.

The history of our country is steeped in the idea that man possesses certain rights granted by God, among which is liberty. At a very early age, many Americans learn to recite a pledge of allegiance to our nation’s flag. That pledge says the flag stands for “one nation, under God, indivisible, and with liberty and justice for all.” The founders of our republic developed our laws around the concept of freedom from government tyranny, moral restraints and even religious doctrines. Given this type of liberty, particularly as it pertains to morals and religion, many Americans find the word of God unappealing.

Consider this: Although it may seem contradictory, Christians can have liberty while, at the same time, we are bound to obey God’s laws. James 1:25 says, “the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” In this section of Psalm 119 the psalmist approached liberty from the same perspective as did James. They both connected liberty to God’s law. We “walk at liberty” when we “seek (God’s) precepts.” As Jesus taught in the temple, claiming to be The Light of the World, many Jews believed in Him. He told them, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the Son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill Me because My word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have heard from your father” (John 8:31-38, ESV). Likewise, Peter wrote, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16).

When comparing the freedoms Christians enjoy in serving God to freedoms provided by human institutions (such as government), we see a few similarities and some glaring differences. For instance, the constitution of the United States of America frees us from the obligation to conform to religious creeds, and it protects us from requirements to engage in religious observances instituted by man. God’s laws do the same. Paul wrote, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used)— according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:16-23). Also, people who serve God are not enslaved by the morals of society. The wise man wrote, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law” (Prov 29:18). Obedience to God even frees us from the requirement of obeying man’s laws when they contradict God’s. After doing signs and wonders, and preaching in the temple, Peter and the apostles were arrested by the Jewish Sanhedrin (the Jewish high court). When the high priest (representing the Sanhedrin) charged the apostles not to teach in Jesus’ name, Peter and the apostles responded, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Furthermore, man’s laws can never provide the type of liberty God’s law does—liberty from the bondage of sin (see Rom 6:15-22).

What does it mean to walk at liberty? It means we submit entirely and only to our God. When we walk at liberty, we speak in accord with God’s will. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in Your ordinances (Ps 119:43). As a Christian, I must be ready to speak. I must be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks me the reason for my hope in Christ, and I must speak as the oracles of God guide me (1 Pet 2:15; 4:11). When we walk at liberty, we also must be determined to obey God’s laws. So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever (Ps 119:43). That means our obedience is done all day, every day. It also means we do not obey for awhile, then quit when we are tired of the demands. God expects us to be faithful unto death and we then can expect a crown of life (Rev 2:10).

Americans value their freedom immensely. Men and women have died to protect our freedoms. However, the liberty provided by the laws of our land pale in comparison to the spiritual freedom we have in Jesus Christ. The source of our salvation (liberty) is the powerful word of God (Psa 119:41; Rom 1: 16,17). Our obedience and dependence upon His word enables us to walk at liberty.

...And If a Tree Falls

“If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.  He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap”  (Eccl. 11:3,4, ESV)

Very often man takes pride in what he perceives as his ability to control what happens in life. There is nothing inherently wrong with improving ourselves and our way of life, but we also must understand many things are simply out of our control. In fact, some things happen randomly...like where the tree falls.

In the early-1960s, the U.S. government began researching weather modification through human intervention. The United States Bureau of Reclamation sponsored research at several universities, including Texas Tech University and Texas A & M University, to study the effectiveness of “cloud seeding.” Cloud seeding is a type of weather modification that aims at changing the amount of precipitation produced by clouds. The process involves disbursing substances into the air which serve as cloud condensation with the purpose of increasing the potential for precipitation or rainfall. The question of whether cloud seeding statistically and significantly increases precipitation is a matter of academic debate to this day.

The problem I see with cloud seeding is the fact that clouds must be present before they can be “enhanced” as far as their potential to produce significant precipitation. God alone creates rain-clouds. As the wise man clearly stated many hundreds of years ago, the clouds are full of rain and they empty themselves on the earth. When conditions are right, clouds will produce rain, no matter what man does or thinks about it. If it rains on one man’s field, conditions cannot be changed to cause that rain to be relocated where another man would have it. The weather is out of our control, so we simply have to deal with it. It is pointless and counterproductive to worry about the weather or wish we could change it.

This fact leads to a question: how do we deal with circumstances which are out of our control? The wise man would have us know we will accomplish nothing if we simply wait for the “perfect” set of circumstances to come along before we get to work. The farmer would never raise a crop if he waited for “perfect” weather conditions to plant the seed, water the plant or disperse the fertilizer! The farmer does his work in spite of “imperfect” weather conditions.

Consider this:   with all the uncertainty in the world right now, we cannot change where “the tree falls.” However, our obedience to God’s will affects the eternal fate of our souls. We must not allow the uncontrollable  things of this life to hinder us from pleasing God and gaining the heavenly reward He has promised to all who obey him. The writer to the Hebrews said, “...there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”  Let’s get to work!

Lance Bowman

Joy Amidst Trials...

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”  (James 1:2-8,ESV)

The book of James is sometimes called “the Proverbs of the New Testament.” In this relatively short book, James gives Christians a plethora of practical reminders concerning their everyday life. This book aids readers in living wisely and faithfully for Christ.

It is no accident James begins his book by addressing the matter of trials. No one is immune to trials. The problem arises when we succumb to feelings of failure that sometimes follow a difficult experience. Often we feel persecuted and “singled out” because we have to deal with hard times. This feeling can be caused by a number of factors. However, the root of the problem lies in our tendency to look inward for solutions to problems. We often do not have the knowhow or ability to cope without some form of help.

Consider this:  James does not suggest we simply rejoice because we face various trials. He instructs us to look beyond the present to see the outcome of the future. The blessing of facing trials lies in the fact they will produce a desired effect if handled correctly. The life of a Christian is aimed at perfection and completion; we are working toward spiritual maturity. The trials of life are intended to be used as a catalyst to produce a determined, immovable, and un-wavering faith in Jesus and His saving gospel.

One challenge to developing this desired way of thinking is having the wisdom to look beyond the present distress to see how one’s faith can benefit. Wisdom involves knowledge, insight, discernment, and judgment. When properly applied, wisdom enables one to assess the trying situation, discern the possible ways to cope, and the ability to judge the possible outcome(s) of the course of action being contemplated. James says wisdom is given to the one who asks God to supply it. However, the expectation of receiving wisdom must be based on that person’s confidence in knowing God can and will supply it freely and generously.

As you read the first words Jesus spoke when He began to preach in the land of Galilee, you will notice He did not hide the fact His disciples would experience trials. Jesus said His disciples would experience blessedness while experiencing verbal abuse and persecution for following Him and His teaching. Jesus wants His people to successfully make it through those tough times. He encourages His followers by telling them their reward for faithfully enduring trials is citizenship in His kingdom and ultimately an eternal home in heaven. Now isn’t that something to make you rejoice!