Envious of the Wicked

When things aren't going well, I often share the pessimism of the psalmist:

For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Psalm 73:3

But in that same chapter, God provides the hope that He is just and good:

But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin. (16-18)

We must be confident that the wicked will be punished for their ways, but God's people will find peace and utter contentment.

Cherishing Iniquity

The phrase that really struck me in this passage is verse 18: "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." As fallen humans, we will always have iniquity in our hearts, but the warning here is not about that, but about our attitude toward that iniquity: do we abhor it and want to change or do we embrace it and let it reign in our hearts? The consequence of not turning from iniquity is that our prayers will not be heard. Peter similarly warns husbands in 1 Peter 3:7. Can we afford to have our prayers ignored by God?

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

Be encouraged in your singleness that God wants you to find a woman who fears the Lord. No woman is perfect, but a woman who fears God will seek forgiveness for her sins, receive grace from the Lord, and will express the humility that makes her soul beautiful and a lovely wife.

10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself[e] with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.[f]
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

- Proverbs 31

Remembering the Goal

When you are feeling discouraged, remember Christ's words at the Sermon on the Mount. The world may bring you troubles, but as believers those troubles are only temporary in view of his eternal kingdom.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When You Run Out of Answers

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.

Our Position before God

Psalm 51 is a psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba. The feeling of guilt upon David is heavy and he wants to be free of it. In verses 16-17 he understands what God really wants from him and, by extension, all of us:

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

All Things Come from Him

In this Psalm, we see that the Israelites fate on the battlefield was determined completely by the Lord. It was God's right hand and arm, and the light of his face that gave them victory.

In our lives it is the same: everything is from the Lord. All things come from his hand. This Psalm reminds us to be humble about our abilities and accomplishments.

O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.

I Am Poor and Needy

But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!
- Psalm 40:16-17

Why Forgive? - Part 2

Continuing from yesterday, this second part looks further at the question of forgiveness:

When we look at the question of forgiveness, however, we also have to ask the second query, “Who says so, and under what conditions are we to keep this requirement?” If we turn our attention to another gospel, we see in Luke 17 the following (vv. 1–4):

“And he said to his disciples, ‘Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.’”

It’s important that we look closely at this directive from Jesus regarding forgiveness. It is often taught in the Christian community that Christians are called to forgive those who sin against them unilaterally and universally. We see the example of Jesus on the cross, asking God to forgive those who were executing Him, even though they offered no visible indication of repentance. From that example of Jesus, it has been inferred that Christians must always forgive all offenses against them, even when repentance is not offered. However, the most that we can legitimately infer from Jesus’ actions on that occasion is that we have the right to forgive people unilaterally. Though that may be indeed a wonderful thing, it is not commanded. If we look at the commandment that Jesus gives in Luke 17:3, He says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him.” Notice that the first response to the offense is not forgiveness but rather rebuke. The Christian has the right to rebuke those who commit wrong doing against him. That’s the basis for the whole procedure of church discipline in the New Testament. If we were commanded to give unilateral forgiveness to all, under all circumstances, then the whole action of church discipline to redress wrongs, would itself be wrong. But Jesus says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents…,” — here is where the command becomes obligatory — if the offender repents, then it is mandatory for the Christian to forgive the one who has offended him. If we refuse to give forgiveness when repentance has been manifest, then we expose ourselves to the same fate as the unforgiving servant. We open ourselves to the wrath of God. If, indeed, I offend someone and then repent and express my apology to them, but he refuses to forgive me, then the coals of fire are on his head. Likewise, if we fail to give forgiveness, when one who has offended us repents of the offense, we expose ourselves to the coals of fire, and we are in worse shape than the one who has given the offense. In other words, it is transgression against God when we refuse to forgive those who have repented for their offenses to us. This is the teaching of Jesus. It is the mandate of Jesus. As we are united in Christ, we are to show that union by extending the same grace to others that He extends to us.

Good words.

Why Forgive? - Part 1

In Matthew 18:21ff, Jesus answers Peter's question on how often to forgive. Jesus answers his question and then continues with a parable about the servant whose debt was forgiven but does not forgive the debt of another. In response to the servant's ingratitude, his master replies:

Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.

“‘So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.’”

R.C. Sproul unpacks this in an article from Ligonier Ministries.

In this parable, the point of Jesus’ teaching is clear, that the why for forgiving others is rooted in the fact that we have been the recipients of extraordinary mercy and compassion. We are all debtors who cannot pay their debts to God. Yet God has been gracious enough to grant us forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs His disciples to say, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” There is a parallel, a joint movement of compassion, that is first received from God and then we in turn exercise the same compassion to others. God makes it clear that if we lack that compassion and harbor vengeance in our heart, rather than being ready to forgive again and again, we will forfeit any forgiveness that has been given to us.

Thus, the foundation for a forgiving spirit is the experience of divine grace. It is by grace that we are saved. It is by grace that we live. It is by grace that we have been forgiven. Therefore, the why of forgiving is to manifest our own gratitude for the grace that we have received. Again, the parable of Jesus points to one who took the grace that he received for granted and refused to act in a way that mirrored and reflected the kindness of God. Why should we forgive? Simply, because God forgives us. It is not an insignificant thing to add on to the why the point that we are commanded by that God of grace to exercise grace in turn.

Tomorrow we'll look at when we are to forgive.

Being in God's Care

The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

When We Struggle to Do Well

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long. - Psalm 25:4-5

Vocational Success - Final Part

In this regard, all of our work, no matter what it may be, is an aspect of kingdom work. All of our work is able to bring honor and glory to God and to be an aspect of our Christian testimony before a watching world. For that reason, Christians should both work hard and rest well. Both are important. Though God created us to work, He did not create us exclusively for work. Adam was to have a fairly constant workweek consisting of six days of labor and one day of rest. It seems that in our culture we have drifted to extremes: we either recede into slothful practices and are not diligent in our work, or we become workaholics who never seem to stop and rest the way God designed. Neither of these approaches is biblical or healthy. To refrain from working diligently and faithfully is to virtually deny both the beauty of creation as well as the greater beauty of redemption in Christ. In His perfect wisdom, God infused our workweek with Sabbath rest. Everything about us needs rest. Our bodies do, but so also do our souls.

As part of our effort to glorify and enjoy God in all that we do, we need to rest from our labors in this world on a regular basis and focus on the blessed rest of heaven itself. Resting and worshiping on the Lord’s Day gives us a pleasant, rejuvenating foretaste of heaven. To work without resting is to act as though we are condemned slaves without hope of redemption from the curse of sin that has burdened our labors; and yet to refrain from working faithfully is a functional denial that we have been created and re-created in the image of God. Our vocations are thus not merely a means of providing for ourselves and for our families; they are opportunities to use our “talents” as faithfully and diligently as we can—all to the glory of God.

Vocational Success - Part IV

The famous Sabbath-keeping Scottish Presbyterian runner Eric Liddell is remembered for saying, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” While most of us are not ever going to run in the Olympics, what Liddell said can be said by each of God’s people. God has created us in Christ Jesus for good works—including our vocations—and when we perform those works to the best of our abilities, we should sense God’s pleasure. To extend the analogy, what matters most is not whether we win the race (get the promotion, make the most money, or have the biggest office), but that we strive with the best of our God-given abilities to please Him in all that we do. That which pleases us most should be that which pleases God most. True success cannot be easily quantified. It is not success as the world measures success. Rather, it is striving to do even the little things that we do when no one is watching in a way that honors God and demonstrates that we have a proper relationship with creation and, even more importantly, with the God of creation.

The Bible reminds us repeatedly that God alone can cause our work to prosper. It is not simply by the might of our hands or the strength of our wills that success comes. Whether our vocations are inside or outside the church, it is God alone who gives the increase. In His perfectly wise providence, there are times when we work diligently for His honor, and yet we do not see the fruit of our labors as we might desire. There are other times when we do not work as well or faithfully as we ought, and yet God causes our work to prosper in spite of us. This is why we cannot measure success simply by quantifying visible results. We have to strive to see things the way God sees them and to measure things the way God measures them, not with worldly wisdom but with the wisdom of the Spirit.

Vocational Success - Part III

It is here that we need to remind ourselves not to look at things—even success—as the world looks at them. While it is true that the effects of the fall permeate all that we do, the work of Christ redeems us and transforms our perspective on all things, including our labors. Because Christ has triumphed over sin and death, He has made us new creatures whose identity is found in Him, as is our success. The Westminster Confession tells us that insofar as our good works are done in faith and obedience toward God, they are pleasing to Him and bring Him glory and honor. But what makes our good works ultimately acceptable to God is that they are accepted “in Him” (WCF 16.6). God is pleased to look upon our good works, including the work we do in our vocations, as being in Christ, and as He does so, He is pleased with us. This does not mean that our work will ever be perfect in this life, but it does mean that in God’s eyes it is pleasing and acceptable. Thus, genuine success for us can be found as we realize that only by our being in Christ is anything that we do pleasing to God. Therefore, because we are in Christ, our work “under the sun” is redeemed and pleasing in the sight of God.

Upon this foundation of our being redeemed in Christ through the gospel, we realize the beauty and importance of striving to work in ways that are pleasing to God. God has not simply redeemed us from something; He has also redeemed us to something. According to Ephesians 2:10, we have been “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” This certainly includes our vocations. God has re-created us in the image of Christ and endowed us with the ability to work in a way that pleases Him.

Vocational Success - Part II

This parable raises a sobering question: How much do we love and respect our heavenly Master? According to the parable, the answer is found in the way in which we serve our Master with the talents and treasures He has entrusted to us. The success of the first two servants was found not in the fact that their work yielded a profitable result but in the fact that they had simply been faithful with what the master had given them. Jesus does not praise them for having the “Midas touch” of investing but simply for being faithful. His benediction to them is one we all ought to desire to hear on that day of His return: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What could be sweeter than to hear Jesus say that to us?

Vocational success ought to be seen in this light. God created us both to work and to rest. Work is natural. It is a gift from God, and it lies at the heart of what it means to be created in the image of God. God Himself worked and then He rested. Man, as a faithful child created in the image of God, is to work and rest—all for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). The reason why success is sometimes an illusory goal is that the fall of mankind into sin affected not only our souls but also our bodies and minds. We no longer love the things we were created to love in the innocence and purity that Adam knew before the fall. Just as our relationship with God was affected by sin, so also was our relationship to the created order. The fall brought about a troubled relationship—one where thorns and thistles now grow among the flowers of God’s creation. The sweat that trickles down our brows is often mixed with anxiety, as our work is peppered with numerous frustrations and disappointments. Sometimes the vexation of our labors seems so great that it is hard not to throw up our hands with the Preacher of Ecclesiastes and declare that “all is vanity and a striving after the wind” (Eccl. 2:17).

Vocational Success - Part I

The next five posts come from an article by Eric Watkins that was posted on Ligonier's website. The article is on vocational success and why our work matters:

Whether in the areas of parenting, relationships, or our vocations, we all srive for success. Vocational success lies at the heart of the American dream, which teaches that if one works hard enough and long enough, he will most likely succeed. But how do we measure success from a distinctively Christian point of view? Is it by how much money we make? How many things we own? Is it in the number of people who think of us as successful?

In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells the parable of three servants, the first two of whom were found faithful, but the last of whom was declared to be unfaithful. The first two were faithful because when their master departed for a long journey, the servants took that with which the master entrusted them and carefully invested it. Upon the master’s return, it had yielded a great profit. The master was pleased, and entrusted them with even more. But the third servant neither loved nor respected his master. In an act of self-preservation and disinterest, he hid his master’s money in the ground, and upon the master’s return, he gave the uninvested money back to his master. The speech the servant gives to his master reveals that the servant neither truly loved nor respected his master, and thus the servant squandered his time and his master’s trust. The master proceeded to chide and cast out the unfaithful servant.

Part II is coming tomorrow.

Prayer for a New Job

I found this prayer online. I thought it might comfort my son as he starts his new internship:

Dear God - praise Your name that I have been so blessed to be invited to start this new job and I thank You that You have heard my prayers. Lord I am excited about the prospect of starting at this new place of work and I ask that You would prepare me in every way for the challenges that lie ahead. Lord I know that we are called to do everything in life as, “unto the Lord,” so I pray as I take up this new position You would help me to live and work in a way that truly honours You.

Lord I don’t know what the people will be like that I will be working alongside, but I pray that You would use me to be salt and light in this new position. And Lord, I also pray that by Your grace there may be one or two work colleagues who know and trust You. Lord I know that in everything we should praise and thank You - and so I praise and thank You Lord for the provision of this new job, in Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Prayer for God's Care

Provide for us, o most merciful Father, both now and in the days to come, those things which are needful for our welfare in soul and body, and guide us by your word and spirit, in the way of a willing obedience to you. Teach us to look to you as our master and rewarder, that all our work may be done in your service; replenish us with your daily gifts, what we may not lack any good thing; and keep us ever in a humble and grateful mind, that we may live peaceably with all men, and praise you by well-doing according to the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

John Calvin on Self-Denial - Final Thoughts

Scripture comes to our rescue with the best of reasons for doing good to all people. It teaches us not to regard others according to their own merits, but to consider in them the image of God to which we owe both honor and love. But the image of God should be more diligently regarded in those who are of the household of faith, because it has been renewed and restored in them by the Spirit of Christ (Galatians 6:10).

Therefore, you have no cause to evade anyone who stands before you and needs your service. Supposed he's a stranger. The Lord, however, has stamped him with His own mark that's familiar to you, and for that reason God forbids you to despise your own flesh. Suppose he is contemptible and worthless. The Lord, however, shows him to be whom He has condescended to decorate with His own image. Suppose you owe him nothing for what he's done. But God -- to whom you know you are obligated because of His many wonderful benefits to you -- puts Himself, as it were, in that person's place. Suppose he is unworthy of even your smallest labors for his sake. But the image of God, according to which this person is commended to you, warrants you giving of yourself and your all....When He orders you to forgive that man for whatever sin he has committed against you, He calls you to do so not because that man deserves it, but because God Himself has forgiven you (Luke 17:3-4). This is the only path to achieving that which is not only difficult for, but entirely adverse to, our human nature -- that is, loving those who hate us, repaying evil with good, and blessing those who curse us (Matthew 5:44). We must be sure not to dwell on the wickedness of men, but rather to consider the image of God in them. That image, concealing and obliterating their shortcomings, entices us by its beauty and dignity to love and welcome them.

John Calvin on Self-Denial - Part V

Scripture teaches us that all the gifts we utilize are given to us by God. And they are given along with this law of our faith -- that they be put to use for the good of our neighbors. But Scripture goes even further than this when it compares us and the gifts we've been given to the members of a human body. No member of the body exists to serve itself, nor does each member exist merely for its own private use. Rather, it puts its abilities to use for the other members of the body. Nor does any member of the body alone receive any advantage from itself outside of that which belongs to the entire body. Whatever, therefore, a godly man is able to do, he should do it for his brothers. He should consider his own interests only insofar as he sets his mind on the general edification of the whole church. Let this, then, be our rule for kindness and benevolence: We are merely stewards of whatever gifts God has given to us in order to help our neighbors. We must give an account of our stewardship, and right stewardship is that which is fueled by the rule of love. Consequently, we must not merely join zeal for the good of others with concern for our own well-being, but we must submit concern for our own well-being to the good of others.