Being a Student - Part IX: Attentive and Willing

As well as a human being doesn’t eat wheat without first grinding it in order to make bread, the devil doesn’t eat anybody without first grinding him down with tribulation. In order to eat you he first needs to grind you up. Therefore, even if you are amidst affliction but remain whole, don’t worry. No harm will come to you. Does the wheat grain fear the threshing that separates it from the straw? No, as the straw is blown away, the grain is set free of all it does not need. (Commentary on the Psalms, 100, 12).

Usually human beings do not truly know themselves. They do not know of what they are able and what not. Often they presume that they can do certain things when they cannot while at the same time presume they cannot do others of which they are perfectly capable. Only when trials come to test them do they discover their own possibilities, possibilities hidden from them but known to their Creator. (Commentary on the Psalms, 55, 2).

A curious lot people are, curious to pry into the lives of others, but slow when it comes to correcting their own. (Confessions 10, 3, 3).

Being a Student - Part VIII: Sincere and Open About One's Self

There are some of you for whom the desire for human respect keeps you apart from your own conscience. If you are amongst these, take note that God sees within and that it is not possible to deceive God as witness, nor to escape from God as judge. (Letter 144, 3).

Look to that which is merely human and deprived in the man, and you will find lies and confusion. Don’t depend on yourself alone. Expose yourself to the light that comes from on high. If you stay closed in on yourself, you are seeking falsehood. The brow that bears the mark of insolent pride is undone and the brow marked with humility, like the cross of Christ, is victorious. (Sermon 32, 10).

Being a Student - Part VII: A Seeker of Harmony and Balance

Don’t be ambitious for more than is needed. Be satisfied with that. Wanting what is superfluous is a disguised form of greed. Being satisfied with what we truly need is the only true form of wealth. (Sermon 177, 10).

Being a Student - Part VI: Human and Understanding

For the more you are an enemy to your friend’s crimes, the more truly you are a friend to that person. (Letter 151, 12).

Let us love human beings, but not in the way a glutton says, “I love thrushes [birds].” Do you know why he loves them? To kill them and to eat them. He doesn’t love the thrushes, but rather he loves them for his own gain and their loss. (Treatise on the First Letter of St John, 8).

Love your fellow human beings, but fight their errors. Teach them the truth, but without pride. Love fights with them for the truth, but without resentments. (Reply to the Letters of Petilian, 1, 29, 31).

Being a Student - Part V: Able to Put Things in the Right Perspective

The human soul is like a dove. When it is enslaved by earthly loves, its plumage becomes heavy because of the mud and it cannot fly. But when the mud of earthly affections is removed from its feathers, it recovers its freedom. Using the love of God as one wing and the love of neighbour at the other it begins to fly. It ascends because it loves. (Commentary on the Psalms, 121, 1).

Not everybody who is indulgent with us is our friend, nor is everybody who punishes us our enemy. It is better to love with severity that to deceive gently. (Letter 93, 2, 4).

Do you want to know what class of person you are? Take the test of love. Do you love the things of the earth? You are earth. Do you owe your love to God? Be not afraid in saying it: you are God. (Treatise on the First Letter of John, 2, 2, 14).

Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are. Like sticks to like, unlike shuns unlike. (Sermon 15, 2, 2)

Moral failure is not the possession of evil things, but rather an act of the will that is evil; that is to say an action is evil not because the things sought are themselves evil, but rather the act itself is evil if it is contrary to the right order of things, or an abandonment of that which is good for something which is less good. For example, avarice is not a fault inherent in gold, but in the one who inordinately loves gold to the detriment of justice, which ought to be held in incomparably higher regard than gold. Neither is luxury the fault of lovely and charming objects, but of the heart that inordinately loves sensual pleasures, to the neglect of temperance . . . Nor yet is boasting the fault of human praise, but of the one who is inordinately fond of the applause of others, and that makes light of the voice of conscience. Pride, too, is not the fault of the one who delegates power, nor of power itself, but of the soul that is inordinately enamoured of its own power, and despises the more just dominion of a higher authority. Consequently he who inordinately loves the good which everything possesses, even though he obtain it, himself becomes evil in the good, and wretched and unhappy because he is deprived of a greater good. (The City of God, 12, 8).

Being a Student - Part IV: Seeks to Act Freely and Responsibly

While we are on this earth, we cannot avoid falling. But what is important, anyway, is not to ignore these falls or to minimize them as being so small they are not worthy of our notice. Of what are made the rivers that overflow to flood the fields, but small drops of water? A small leak, not repaired in time, in the long run causes the ship to sink. (Sermon 58, 9, 10).

Being faithful in minor things is a major undertaking. (Christian Teaching, 4, 18).

God Speaks

I'm taking a brief pause on our Augustine journey to share a passage from Hebrews 1:1-2. As I read this passage this morning and meditated on it, I was struck with the realization (as obvious as it should have been to me all along) that God speaks to us. He actually personally directs his communication towards his people. He does not use some kind of Spockian mind-meld or impersonal force to give us vague impressions: he speaks to us as a friend speaks to a friend, a father speaks to a son, a mom to a daughter. Intellectually, I've known this, but this morning I started to actually believe it(!) as I read and meditated on these words:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

My prayer this morning is that you will believe this amazing fact: that the God of the universe is speaking to you through his Word. I pray that you will hear his Word and that you will be drawn closer and closer to the Lord.

Being a Student - Part III: Open to Others, Rejecting Arrogance

The first step in the search for truth is humility. The second, humility. The third, humility. And the last one, humility. Naturally, that doesn’t mean that humility is the only virtue necessary for the discovery and enjoyment of truth. But if the other virtues aren’t preceded, accompanied and followed by humility, pride will find an opening and infiltrate them and, sooner or later, finish up destroying good intentions. All other vices are recognised when we are doing wrong; but pride is to be feared even when we do right. Test those things which are done in a praiseworthy manner lest they be spoiled by the desire for praise itself. (Letter 118, 3, 22).

“Learn from me, I am gentle and humble of heart”: what then does it do us good to learn? He is suggesting we have the most genuine sort of love for one’s fellows, love without mixed motives, without conceit, without arrogance, without deceit. That’s what is being suggested, by the one who says, “Learn from me, because I am gentle and humble of heart.” (Sermon 142, 12)

No one says to you, “Be less than you are,” but rather, “Recognise what you are.” Recognise yourself as weak, as a human being, as a sinner. When you accept and admit your shortcomings, you are on the way to healing. (Sermon 137, 4, 4).

Walk the path of humility, if you want to arrive at eternity. Christ, as human, is the path we are following. Christ, as God, is the destination towards which we are travelling. It’s to him we are going. It’s by him we are going. (Sermon 123, 3, 3).

Being a Student - Part II: Reflective, Able to Look Within

Curiously, the less human beings pay attention to their own shortcomings, the more they seem concerned with the shortcomings of others. They are looking to tear the other person to bits, not to put that person to rights. Unable to excuse themselves, they are only ready to accuse others. (Sermon 19, 2).

In fact anyone who in the depths of his heart is tormented by a bad conscience is like a person who has to flee his house because it is leaking or filled with smoke and thus not able to be lived in. This is why such people want to live outside themselves seeking happiness in external things that distract. They seek peace in frivolities and distractions such as shows and other amusements and by following every whim. Why do they seek happiness in this way? Because they cannot find all well within; they are not at peace with their conscience. (Commentary on the Psalms, 100, 4).

A disoriented heart is a place where false gods are manufactured. (Commentary on the Psalms, 80, 14).

Being a Student - Part I: Restless, Striving, Searching

"You have made us, Lord, for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." (Confessions, 1, 1, 1).

"We are pilgrims, people on the road, not residents. We should therefore feel unsatisfied with what we are, if we want to arrive at that to which we aspire. If we are totally happy with what we are, we will stop going forward. If we think we have gone far enough we will not take another step. Let us continue, therefore, going forward, walking towards the goal. Let us not stop half way along the route, or look backwards or stray from the path. Someone who stops, does not make progress. Someone who strays, loses hope of arriving." (Sermon 169, 18).

Augustine's Reflections on Being a Student

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I want to use the next few entries to share with you St. Augustine's thoughts on education, and more specifically, on being a student. Pedro Bardon and Michael Morahan collaborated to bring these quotes to light in their paper, Education: An Augustinian Approach.

The Being a Student section of the paper is divided into 12 parts with each offering a number of quotations reflecting Augustine's thought. My plan is to provide one post for every part, choosing one or more quotations that I would like to share with you.

To start, the authors offer an excellent overview of Augustine's perspective on "being a student":

For Augustine, being a student is a lifelong task for all, not a role restricted to those who attend classes or are enrolled in courses. The fundamental task of the student is to learn about themselves and what they are intended to become. Ultimately, being a student is about discovering those things about oneself, one’s world and the transcendent that are necessary for happiness in both this world and the next. Consequently, if we are looking for what Augustine thinks about being a student, we are also asking what Augustine thinks about being a human person. For him the two are closely allied. He sees the whole world and its peoples as a kind of classroom where we are all fellow students. God, the Truth present within each of us, is the Teacher. What follows are but some of Augustine’s reflections about being a student and thus really about being human.

Tomorrow, we'll begin with Augustine's thoughts on "Restless, Striving, Searching."

Augustine's Reflections on Education

I have been doing some research on St. Augustine and came upon this paper that offers insights into his views on education. For those who are not familiar with Augustine, also called Saint Augustine of Hippo (born November 13, 354—died August 28, 430), he served as bishop of Hippo from 396 to 430, was one of the Latin Fathers of the Church and perhaps the most significant Christian thinker after St. Paul. Augustine’s adaptation of classical thought to Christian teaching created a theological system of great power and lasting influence. His numerous written works, the most important of which are Confessions (c. 400) and The City of God (c. 413–426), shaped the practice of biblical exegesis and helped lay the foundation for much of medieval and modern Christian thought. In Roman Catholicism he is formally recognized as a doctor of the church. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

The paper offers general insights into Augustine's thoughts on education, but I would like to focus on what he thought of being a student. The authors of the paper offer an excellent introduction. I'll start with that in the next post.

I thought I would take the next several posts to share with you the thoughts of this great man of faith, especially for those who are students and could use the encouragement and inspiration.

Applying Psalm 10: The Lord Will Right Wrongs

In this final "homework" - and post - for Psalm 10, David Powlision has us remember that the Lord will right all wrongs. In the end, Psalm 10 is about hope and comfort in the power, love, and care of our God. As we bathe in the light of God, we should pass that light onto others:

David turned his suffering into words that have brought hope and guidance to countless people for three thousands years. Can you turn your experience into a ministry to others who suffer? God "comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction" (2 Cor. 1:4).

Applying Psalm 10: Cry to God

For the third section of Psalm 10, the "homework" focuses on petitioning the Lord:

Talk to God. But don't babble. Talk intelligently, based on an understanding of God's reign of power and grace that deals with evil and suffering. Many sufferers simply writhe in pain and confusion. Jesus prayed knowing exactly what he was saying, focused on obeying the will of the Father: "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will but as You will" (Matt. 26:39). He modeled the things he had taught his disciples to pray (Matt: 6:9-13). Don't grumble. Don't fall into the superstition of using fine-sounding religious phrases. Don't name and claim, thinking that your words pry goodies out of heaven. Don't think that piety can't ask for anything specific. Pray direct prayers pursuing God's will and glory.

Applying Psalm 10: Analyze Harmful People

Continuing with some "homework" on Psalm 10, David Powlison asks the reader to temporarily take their eyes off of the oppressor or problem and instead look inward. When we are sinned against, it is common to react with pride, vengeance, and other fleshly responses. Being sinned against does not give us the permission to sin. We have to be careful to guard our hearts:

How have you sinned? Have you criticized, lusted, stolen, threatened, or been prejudiced? Do you lose sight of God and sink into unbelief? How do your sins come out in reaction to being sinned against? Remember, God has transformative purposes in the sufferings of those who love him.

Applying Psalm 10: Opening Cry

David Powlison suggests a little "homework" after providing his interpretation of Psalm 10. He offers a series of questions to help sufferers think through various aspects of the psalm. I won't include all of the questions here, but will give you one from each of the four sections.

In regards to verse 1 - "Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?" - consider the following:

The psalms are intended for use by groups of people, as well as by individuals. Who can pray with you? God does not intend you to fully resolve your struggles even in private with him. Join the people of God in a setting where your needs can be presented to God by others.

The Lord Will Right Wrongs

For this final section of Psalm 10, David Powlison shows how the psalm ends with quiet confidence. There is a sense from the psalm writer that God has everything under control and is looking out for him:

God is a person with a name - Yahweh, I AM THAT I AM - who rules forever. He has proved it in history. Sufferers call on a God who has annihilated evildoers and idolaters. This King is now known as Jesus. He has redeemed the nations - and [you] - by perishing in the place of his elect. But those who reject him will cry, "Mountains, fall on us!" at their impending destruction.

Where do sufferers place their hopes? The first half of verse 16 is quoted in the New Testament: "[The Lord] will reign forever and ever" (Rev. 11:15). Christ wins; evil loses. This is the indestructible foundation for human hopes, even when our schemes for earthly joy are shattered by sufferings.

These inward trials I design,
From sin and self to set thee free,
To break thy schemes for earthly joy,
That thou may'st find thy all in Me. - John Newton

God not only gives us hope, but he gives us strength (v. 17). It is in the context of suffering that God strengthens hearts in many ways. The love of God pours out directly into the hearts of afflicted persons. We access this strength through faith. "Faith finds God in suffering, producing endurance, love, and hope. Psalm 10 is one part in the larger gospel whole, one piece of the experience of each God-centered sufferer." Remember, as God's people, we will be delivered from all sin and misery and "every tear will be wiped away when evil is no more" (Rev. 20-21).

Psalm 10:16-18

The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Cry to God: Act to Aid the Hurting

In verses 12-15, the afflicted person reaches out to God for help. The voice that said, "God, you seem distant," now cries, "God, be near." As David Powlison notes, "This God can "rise" and "lift His hand": he can remember - and do something....Believing sufferers may wonder (v.1), but they call on him to do something...The Lord misses nothing. He does not forget."

While there are many human activities that can help sufferers (e.g., mercy ministries), any person suffering ultimately needs God. Powlison writes:

God runs his universe to ensure that in an evil world, no mere human advocacy can redress the full need. Consider Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of the life of faith: "into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46) and "for the joy set before Him [He]endured the cross, despising [thinking little of] the shame" (Hebrews 12:2). Profound suffering needs one who will "wipe away every tear from their eyes; and their will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain" (Rev. 21:3).

In these situations, when we cry out to God for relief and comfort, sometimes we demand those things to be done in our way an in our time. But God works in his own ways and his own time. What we can do is trust that he is sovereign and have faith that he will make things right. We can get on with our lives knowing that he loves us. In that, we can take great comfort.

Psalm 10:12-15

Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.

Psalm 10:7

For this post, I want to focus on Psalm 10:7: "His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is trouble and wickedness." As David Powlison notes, "this sentence catalogues the ways people intimidate, mislead, and overwhelm others." This section of the psalm makes it clear that the writer is oppressed by another person. However, not only can we be oppressed by other people, but we can also feel oppressed by life's circumstances. Do you ever feel the weight of life on you? Perhaps you have money problems or relationship issues or career challenges. Sometimes the weight of life can feel oppressive, too. In these circumstances, Psalm 10 will speak to you, too. In the next section (vv. 12-15), we'll see how God comforts all of the afflicted.

Before we leave this section, I would like to note one other thing: In Psalm 10 the oppressor is a horrible person, but we always have to make sure that we don't think that the oppressed - especially when we are feeling struck down - are above sin. Powlison writes:

Psalm 10 speaks from the standpoint of the innocent victim who relies on God. But sufferers must honestly ask themselves, "Am I more like my oppressor than I want to admit? Does God find bitterness and falsehood in me? Are there ways I act as if there is no God? Does my reaction to evil reveal my own evil, or a living faith?"

We always have to keep in mind that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. It is only by God's grace that we can act good at all. When pride, resentment, and vengeance rule our hearts, then we act as the oppressor - living as if God does not exist.

To realize the full blessings of God we must recall James' admonition:

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:6-8

Psalm 10:2-11

In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

Opening Cry: Where Are You?

Why, O Lord, do you stand for away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? - Psalm 10:1

David Powlison continues his discussion of Psalm 10:1. Is the section of the psalm, the writer is searching for God in his time of trouble. How often have we've been in this situation in our lives:

Where are you? Where were you? Often this is the heart's first cry: "You have said that you love me, so why do you seem absent just when I am violated? Why don't I know your protection?"

This is a cry of faith. Jesus said almost identical words as his faith expressed its anguish: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" You are in the company of one who knows God yet has felt abandoned.

People can ask questions like these from two fundamentally different stances. For those who walk in the footsteps of this psalm, the questions express a cry of faith that looks to God. In trouble, they want God but feel overwhelmed and isolated. Other people express a cry of unbelief, hatred, and accusation. In trouble, they blame God. At first, it may not be clear which stance predominates. There may be mixed motives...."I believe, help my unbelief." But over time it always becomes clear whether we are processing our anguish through faith or through pride and unbelief. Psalm 10:1 speaks intimately and directly with trust in the Lord who is great, not with contempt for a god who seems impotent and uncaring.

Psalm 10 can be seen as reflecting a crisis of faith. Have you ever wondered where God is?

Psalm 10

The next few posts will be a series on Psalm 10. The commentary comes mostly from David Powlison in his book, Seeing with New Eyes.

Psalm 10 contains two things: honest requests and thoughtful analysis. At the beginning and end, the injured person bluntly talks to God, saying in effect, "Why are you far away? Get up and do something. You see what's going on. Sufferers trust you because you've helped the helpless in the past. Strip the power away from the hurtful now. I know you hear what I want. I know you will listen and make things right." In the middle, the sufferer vividly describes people who harm others - how they think and act and affect innocent victims. People who harm people are also rebelling against God. They will be destroyed.

Psalm 10 unfolds in four movements: a cry of desolation, a blunt assessment of predatory people, a cry of reliance on God, and a confident affirmation.

Psalm 10 is for those of us who have moments or longer periods in life of loneliness and hopelessness, and, consequently, are in need of comfort. We'll see how God will use this series to comfort you.

Thy Mercy My God

John Stocker was an 18th century hymn writer. He was born at Honiton, Devonshire, England. He is considered a friend of A. M. Toplady (who wrote “Rock of Ages”) and Stocker contributed nine hymns to “The Gospel Magazine” in 1776-1777.

The following song was covered by Indelible Grace in 2005. It is a song about God's mercy, grace, and love.

Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’'ve found.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.

Carry the Honor

Arterburn and Stoeker complete their book, Everyman's Battle, with an appeal to husbands to continue to cherish their wives. To be able to cherish your wife under all circumstances is a strong indication of maturity and victory over sexual sin. The authors remind us what a wife has given up for marriage:

Your wife gave up her freedom for you. She relinquished her rights to seek happiness elsewhere. She exchanged this freedom for something she considered more valuable: your love and your word. Her dreams are tied up in you, dreams of sharing and communication and oneness.

She's pledged to be yours sexually. Her sexuality is her most guarded possession....She trusted you would be worthy of this gift, but you have cavalierly viewed sensual garbage, polluting and littering [her marriage to you]. She deserves more, and you must honor that.

Later, they offer a final word:

If cherishing is anything, it's loving your wife for who she is this day, not some other day down the line. It's making allowances for all the surprises and inconsistencies that were hidden until life spun her in its new direction....Be content with the wife of your youth. If she isn't all you'd hoped for, remember that God graced you with [her]. Can you make a commitment to cherish her today?

I can't add much more to this. Sexual integrity matters to God and, therefore, it should matter to you. While this book focused a lot on married life, the principles hold true for single guys, too. Even the last chapter, which is about cherishing the wife you have, applies to single men. The things you do today - especially regarding sexual sin - will be brought into your future marriage if you don't address them now. Don't think that marriage will fix you. Fix your problems now. Don't bring this kind of baggage into your future marriage. It will make cherishing your wife that much more difficult and your marriage that much more painful. Allow God to change your heart. Do the hard work of repentance and change now. You will reap the rewards in your marriage to come.

Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.