23

Jump Start # 2064

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2064

Matthew 8:26 “And He said to them, ‘Why are you timid, you men of little faith?’ Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm.”

Disappointments—they are part of life. It’s hard to deal with disappointments. As the college basketball tournament narrows down, favorite teams win and lose. Those that lose go home. Their season is over. Disappointed. A favorite TV show is cancelled. Disappointed.

But there are greater and more serious disappointments in life than TV shows and basketball games. Your teen gets in trouble at school. As a parent you are upset, angry and disappointed. He knew better. The congregation you attend holds a special series of lessons. There is a lot of hype, talk and publication about this event. But few come. The place is nearly empty. Those that arranged it are really disappointed. What could be more important than a spiritual feast? Some even wonder if they should ever have something like that again. Then there is the man who is layered with ability and talent. He’s a natural leader and everyone loves him. He would be amazing in the leadership of the congregation. He’s asked. He’s not interested. Major let down and disappointment.

Our passage today is one of many found in Matthew with that expression, “little faith.” There was a storm. The storm was bad. It was intense. The waves were breaking above the boat. Jesus was asleep. I expect Matthew was about to crawl out of his skin in fear. Matthew had a desk job. The sea wasn’t his place. But for Peter, James and John, they lived on the water. Storms were something that they have seen and dealt with. But this one was really bad. They believed that they wouldn’t make it. I expect the three fishermen were shouting orders to the rest. Bail the water out. Pull the lines. Adjust the sail. Nothing was working. Finally, when it seemed all hope was lost, they turned to Jesus. They woke Jesus up, saying, “Save us. We are perishing.” And, this is where our verse follows.

Why are you timid, Jesus asks. You have little faith. You are men, but you don’t have faith like men. You have little faith. The Lord was disappointed in them. The Lord expected more from them. I have taught this passage dozens of times. I have put myself in that boat and thought what should they have done? Was it that no one was praying? The boat was filling up with water, Mark tells us. Was it their words, “we are perishing,” that seemed so faithless. If the boat sank, wouldn’t the sleeping Jesus also go down? Did they think Jesus came from Heaven only to drown in a boating accident? How was He going to establish His kingdom if all the components for that kingdom went down in the sea?

But I doubt they thought about those things. Fear causes one to panic. Fear thinks the worst. Fear drives out faith. The more fear the less faith. And, the more faith, the less fear. They had little faith, therefore they thought this was it. We are dying. We are all going to die right here in this storm.

Mark’s account adds another expression from these fearful disciples. They woke Jesus up and said, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” It wasn’t, “can you do something about this.” Or, “have you ever seen a storm like this before?” No. It was do you not CARE. The one thing Jesus did was care. Why did He leave Heaven, because He cared for us. Why was He subjecting Himself to storms, because He cared. There are no storms in Heaven. Why would He have an appointment with a cross? Because He cared. The whole reason He was there on earth was because He cared.

Disappointments. How do we deal with disappointments?

First, we know what we shouldn’t do. Let’s start with that. We shouldn’t lose our cool, get so upset that we say and do things that we later regret and must apologize for. We tend to do this with our family. We expect so much from them and when they do what they should, it really angers us. Mom and Dad go out for dinner. The kids are home. Pizza and movie and they are all set. Mom and dad come home and the house is a wreck. Someone spilled a drink and didn’t clean it up. The dog made a mess because no one let it out. There is slices of pizza on the couch, which the dog has gotten into. Lights are left on. The house looks like a college dorm. Disappointed. Angry. Upset. Be careful. Don’t explode and say things you’ll regret. It’s hard not to, but temper yourself.

Second, some people do not understand nor get it with one lesson. Some do. Some are quick to learn. Some have their minds floating elsewhere and they don’t do what you have asked them. This happens at work. This happens in the congregation. This happens at home. So, patiently, you must remind them. You must show them. You must teach them. Disappointed, you are hoping to fix this for the next time.

Third, some are just rebellious. They don’t want to do what you said. They heard. They know. They don’t care. The lazy bone in them takes over. They sit at their desk all day and do nothing. The work that they were supposed to do never gets done. The student puts off assignments to the very last second and then begs for mercy and more time. Sometimes the rebellious must learn by suffering the consequences. The worker may have to get written up. The student may get a bad grade.

But the hardest lessons are the spiritual disappointments. Someone lets us down morally. They were caught drinking. Drugs were found in their room. There is a unwed pregnancy. Those are tough. There are consequences for all of those things. Tears and saying “I’m sorry,” doesn’t always make these things go away. What’s missing in all of these moral failures is God. The lack of faith leads to wrong choices. It’s easier to go along with the crowd than to walk away or to stand up to what is right.

Jesus was disappointed with these apostles. They demonstrated little faith. A simple problem, a storm, and they wilted. What would happen when their lives where threatened by Romans? What would happen when angry mobs would chase them and imprison them? This storm was nothing compared to what was coming. Jesus knew. They didn’t. He was trying to prepare them.

But Jesus didn’t give up on them. He didn’t fire them. He didn’t bring up the B-team. He stuck with them. He continued to teach. He continued to show. He built their faith. They would later fearlessly stand before crowds and proclaim that Jesus is the Christ. That’s what we must do. Don’t give up. Don’t walk away from those that disappointed you. Continue to teach. Continue to show. Continue to grow that faith.

And, then there remains the one other side of this. There are times when you and I disappoint others and especially Jesus. We are quiet when we could invite. We hide rather than profess. We stand with the wrong crowd. We make the wrong choices. We sin. It breaks God’s heart. But, like those apostles, He doesn’t give up on us. We learn. We confess. We do better.

May we strive to please God and not disappoint Him. We ought to see ourselves in that boat and we ought to learn.

Roger

22

Jump Start # 2063

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2063

1 Timothy 6:4 “he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions”

 

Our passage today is the dark description that Paul gives of those who reject the doctrine of the N.T. Without the guidance of N.T., they roam free into areas of trouble, doubt and negativism. Relationships are ruined because the Gospel of mercy, grace and forgiveness has been abandoned. Instead of being united, these folks turn on each other. Thinking that they are pursuing a better way by rejecting the N.T., they have been fooled by Satan and their lives are miserable and messy. Anger, finger pointing, blame become a regular part of their lives.

 

Among these descriptive words we find, “evil suspicions.” The KJV uses the words, “evil surmising.” Thinking the worst. Guilty before proven innocent. It often works this way. Word gets back about someone and immediately the worst is assumed. No thought is given to their faith, history of walking with the Lord or finding out what really happened. The worst is expected. The evil thinkers hope for the worst. They love a good scandal. They rise to the occasion when there is some mud to throw and some juicy gossip to spread. Reputations are tarnished. Character is assassinated. Rumors spread. Tongues wag.

 

These thoughts came out of our study last evening about Joshua. The battles were over. The land was divided up. Cities of refuge were established. It was now time to settle down and live. Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, were to take their place on the other side, the east side of the Jordan River. The rest of the nation was on the other side of the river. These three tribes feared that down the road, generations later, they may not be considered a part of Israel. Future generations may look upon them as a neighboring nation. To prevent that, these three tribes built a replica of the altar. The altar was with the tabernacle in Shiloh. It was upon the altar that sacrifices were made. There was one altar, that is until now. Word reaches Israel what these three tribes have done. They assumed the worst. They thought they were going to have sacrifices upon them. This was a test of faithfulness. The nation was ready to go to war against these three tribes. It would have been ugly, except a delegation was sent to talk and reason with these renegade tribes. It was then found out that this was not to be used for sacrifices. It was not intended for God. It was a reminder that Israel included the three tribes on the other side of the river. Trouble was averted and all ended well. But a great lesson for us.

 

The Joshua story reminds us to get the facts before we come to our conclusions. What we have heard from others is often not the whole story. Rumors, gossip and evil suspicion still run through many congregations today. Here’s a few examples:

 

  • A teen confesses sin and the rumor mill runs overtime guessing what all happened. The worst is assumed.
  • A man’s name is submitted to be an elder and immediately, people feel compelled to find something wrong with him. When they can’t, some make up stuff and assume things without the facts. If not handled carefully and rightly, the man may withdraw his name.
  • The elders want to address the congregation and immediately folks try to read between the lines. There is more that is not being said, they believe. The evil suspicions run wild. They try to guess who the elders are really talking about.

 

Modern media thrives on thinking the worst. I was listening to an “expert” talking about the Austin, Texas bomber. The man had blown himself up as the police narrowed in on him. Little details were known. But this “expert” who lived in another part of the country was certain that the young man had studied the tactics of the famed Unabomber. Did he know that? No. He was surmising. He was assuming. Media does this. Politics does this. The world does this. But God’s people don’t.

 

Thinking the worst and assuming wrong is considered not only evil, but characteristic of not following the Gospel of Christ. Don’t be ready to go to war until you get all the facts. It’s so easy to play the role of the judge, jury and executioner in our minds. We can do this just with the statement, “You’ll go to Hell.”

 

Assigning someone to Hell should never be done with a smile on our face, but rather a tear ought to be running down our cheeks. Assigning someone to Hell is not our prerogative. We ought to be doing all we can to show someone Jesus Christ. There was a generation not too long ago that loved to tell people that they were going to Hell. I’ve run into so many through the years that those words destroyed them. They could never forget them. I was told that I’m going to Hell, someone claims. Most times, that was enough for them to stop trying to find God and to just give up all together. It ruined them on Christianity.

 

Threats may keep North Korea from launching rockets, but it doesn’t change behavior. A person must be shown with the Bible why their behavior is wrong and what they are missing from not following Christ. The very definition of the word “gospel” means good news. It’s good news for those who do not have it. It’s good news for those who are living with bad news. It’s helpful, hopeful and life changing.

 

Let God be God. Stop thinking the worst. Gather facts. Help by showing that God has a better way. Make disciples of Jesus, not church members.

 

Now, some may be thinking, ‘I wonder what made him write about this today?’ ‘Must be something going on in that church he attends.’ Thinking the worst. Suspicions. Truth be, it was our study of Joshua and what Israel did that prompted this.

 

Try thinking the best, rather than the worst.

Roger

 

21

Jump Start # 2062

Posted on March 21, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2062

Luke 19:2 “And behold, there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus, and he was a chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich.”

The story of Zaccheus is very familiar one to those who love the story of Jesus. He was the wee little man who climbed up into a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see. Cute song. Great story for VBS and kids classes. But there is a deeper lesson that is often lost here. How do we love the unlovable?

There are people that test our limits of patience. That co-worker who is obnoxious and rude. The family member who is demanding. The nosey neighbor. The church member who bugs you with the way they sing, who asks more questions than the police and who invites himself to things he is not invited to. There’s the person who not only wears cheap perfume, but they use the whole bottle at a time. Then there is the one who hasn’t bathed in a week and wears the same clothes every day. There is the person who picks his nose at his desk. Or, the one who listens in to your phone conversations and then wants to be a part of that conversation. All around us there are people who bother us, bug us, and love to spend their day telling us what we need to do better. They feel compelled to analyze the way we drive, the way we parent, and the way we spend our money. They are quick to give advice about all kinds of things, many of which they have no idea what they are talking about. In church, they love to give pointers to the song leader. They love to correct the preacher. They see mistakes and flaws everywhere but are not in any hurry to help out.

Zaccheus would have been viewed as one of the unlovables. He was a tax collector. The Jews hated that. He was taking their money and giving it to the Romans. The Romans kept the Jews from being an independent nation. Rome ruled. There were Roman laws, Roman soldiers and Roman taxes. How could one of the Jews help the Romans? And, the Romans didn’t care much for the Jews. Even tax collectors, weren’t loved by Romans. The Jews were odd. They had odd rules. They believed in only one God. On top of that, Zaccheus was a chief tax collector. He was at the top of all the tax collectors. He’s the boss. Fellow tax collectors had to report to him and go by his rules. They would be jealous of him.

Unlovable people. They were around in the first century and they are around today. Most generally ignore unlovable people with the hopes that they will just go away. They never do. Jesus, with this one brief encounter with Zaccheus, shows us how the Lord treats the unlovable.

First, the Lord stopped and spoke to Zaccheus. Remember, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. He has an appointment with the cross. Much is on His mind. He has been surrounded with people for three years. Now, it’s time to do what He came to do, die on the cross for our sins. But, here’s Zaccheus. He’s climbed up a tree to see Jesus. He must have heard that Jesus once went to the home of a tax collector. And, among the apostles, the chosen, there was a tax collector. Jesus was not treating tax collectors like most Jews did. He was different.

Second, Jesus took time for Zaccheus. He invited himself to the home of the tax collector. This was much more than what little Zaacheus ever expected. He was hoping just to see Jesus. Maybe he could shout out something as Jesus passed. Instead, Jesus stopped. Called him by name. And now, He invited Himself to the home of the tax collector. Unbelievable. Doesn’t Jesus know who this is? Doesn’t Jesus realize that Jews don’t go to the homes of tax collectors? Jesus didn’t take on the common feelings that others had toward tax collectors.

Third, Jesus offered Zaccheus forgiveness. Folks get excited about the thief on the cross not being baptized, there were many others who Jesus forgave. The crippled man, who was lowered down through the roof while Jesus was teaching. The first thing Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then the one thankful leper who returned to Jesus, he too was forgiven. Jesus did to Zaccheus what no one else would or could. Even if others could forgive Zaccheus, they would not. He’s Zaccheus, you know, the tax collector. He doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. That’s the thought most would have had. Not Jesus.

Fourth, Zaccheus changed. He offered to give back what he has defrauded. He offered to give to the poor. This man had a changed heart. Jesus hadn’t reached his home yet and already, there was a change in his thinking.

What do we learn from this?

Don’t do what everyone else does. Be kind and love all people. Many folks are hungry for attention. They want someone to listen to them. Now, you may have to put up some boundaries for your sake and theirs, but open your heart and do what you can. You may have a Zaccheus in your life. By you, that Zaccheus may come to know the Lord and even change his life. From middle school on there have been the popular kids and those who wish they were. That doesn’t change in high school. That doesn’t change in college. That seems to carry through in life. The older one gets, the less he is concerned about what others think about him. But for many people, just to be included, invited, listened to, means so much.

We don’t see ourselves this way, but it just may be that we appear unlovable to others. It might be because of our faith. It might be because we don’t laugh at their obscene jokes or go drinking with them or act worldly. We may be the very ones who seem odd. It may be that we are the ones who are not invited, included or loved. That should never happen in church. Our fellowship ought to include a place for everyone. But, even if it does, there is one who will stop before us, call us by name and accept us into His family, and that is the Lord.

We don’t need more laws about accepting and treating people nice. We simply need bigger hearts that are willing to take a chance and love the unlovable. I wonder what Jesus and Zaccheus talked about at his home? I expect it was more than taxes and the weather. I doubt Zaccheus ever forgot that conversation.

The unlovable meant the One who loves all.

Roger

20

Jump Start # 2061

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2061

Psalms 90:10 “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away.”

 

Psalm 90 is an old Psalm. It may be the oldest. It was written by Moses. There was a lot of time between Moses and David, who wrote most of the Psalms. Yet long ago Moses said that life is about seventy to eighty years. That hasn’t changed much in all this time. Some live longer, some shorter. But about 70 or 80 is pretty much the average.

 

I attended a funeral yesterday of someone who was 95 years old. She was one of our members. It’s rare for me to sit in the audience. Usually I’m the one behind the pulpit fighting nerves and trying to find the right words to comfort a grieving family. But on this occasion, it was our young preacher in training. He did a fine job. To this day, I remember the first funeral I ever did. Those things stick with you.

 

The dear sister who passed was special. She was old, but she didn’t seem old. She had such a spark and zest for life. She’d enter the church building pushing her walker and her family trying to keep up with her. She’d hug me and ask me if I was ready for a Holy kiss. She sure loved the Lord and her family. As I sat there listening to the young preacher pouring his heart out, I thought of a few thoughts that I want to share with you.

 

First, some people are just old in life. They may not have the years on them, but they just act old. I’ve seen forty year olds that seemed old. What a contrast to this dear sister who was old but didn’t seem like it. I wonder why some are like that.

 

Perhaps, they’ve gotten worn out carrying the burdens of life. Jesus invited those who were weary and heavy laden to come to Him and receive rest. What if a guy didn’t come to Jesus. He’d just keep on going. But it doesn’t take very long, carrying heavy loads, to just feel worn out. Tired of having so little peace in their hearts. Life without forgiveness. Life without direction. Trying to figure everything out on your own. Worn out before one is even old. There are people just like that.

 

It just may be that the faith and love of the dear sister that I knew, kept her young, fresh and enjoying life. Faith will just do that. Let God run the universe for a while. Don’t try to figure everyone out. Don’t try to put everyone in a category. Don’t try to assign people to Heaven or Hell. Let God do that. Love the Lord. Love your family. Love worship. That’ll put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

 

Second, some folks, if you gave them 200 years, they’d still not do anything worthwhile with it. We get that from the Scriptures. Ole’ Methuselah is known as the oldest person in the Bible. He lived 969 years. Methuselah was the grandfather of Noah. Now, Noah was blameless and found favor in the eyes of the Lord. By faith, Noah prepared the ark according to God’s instructions. Was grandpa Methuselah a believer? The Bible doesn’t say. What did he do with all those 969 years. He lived. Some folks are just like Methuselah. They live a long time and that’s all they accomplished. No examples of goodness. No footprints left that leads to the Lord. No history of walking with God. No helping God’s people. No spreading the Gospel message. Just 969 years. I tend to think it would have been tough to preach Methuselah’s funeral. The preacher back then could say, “He’s old. He’s really old.” But what else was there to say?

 

Now, all this reminds us that life isn’t measured by how long you live but by what you do with it. Some can squeeze more life in two or three decades than all the Methuselahs’ ever do. Now, I’m not talking about living for your self. Sky diving. Rock climbing. Vacationing in Europe. What good is that? I’m talking about helping others. I’m talking about taking time to teach Bible classes. I’m talking about living in such a way, as our dear sister did, that her great grandchildren, were impressed, touched and moved by her. You see, some folks, given a hundred years to live, would still be selfish, demanding and always talking about themselves.

 

I’ve only known this dear sister for a decade. But the way she was, I expect she was just like that when she was in her fifties. I expect as a young woman in her twenties, she was like this. Choices. Faith. Christ. Serving. Character. These are the things that molded and shaped her ninety plus years. Some never get it. They never quite figure out what life is all about. So, all of this reminds us, it’s not how old you are, but rather, what are you doing with your life right now. Where you are, what are you doing? Choices. Faith. Christ. Serving. Character. It doesn’t matter if you are in your twenties, or if you are in your nineties, this is about who you are.

 

Third, some day it will be our time. I thought about that as the young preacher was preaching. Some day it will be our time. It really doesn’t matter what is said then. What matters is what we have done up to that point. We are leaving examples and footprints today. People see us. People know us. They are making conclusions about our faith as they travel along side of us.

 

To love the Lord and your family, what could be more important than that. I’m getting more and more convinced that God puts before us living examples for us to not just admire, but to show us that it can be done right. Life, the way God wanted it to be. Sometimes, we don’t notice those examples. Sometimes, we want the Lord to help us, and the help is right before us. It’s in that older Christian. It’s in that teenage Christian. It’s in that young family that comes every week. It’s in the heart of that young preacher who is doing is best to teach God’s word. All around us, living examples. God is not leaving us alone. God is reminding us. God is showing us. And when we look at of this, we must ask our self, “What’s my problem?” Why can’t I do what they’re doing? Why can’t I be an example? Why are all my thoughts about me? Why am I stuck in problems and pain? These examples all around us, have buried mates. They buried children. They went through wars. They experienced national depressions. There were long nights and hard times. Yet, there they are, with a smile on their face. There they are asking about us. There they are ready to serve. They didn’t walk through life with a chip on their shoulder. They didn’t act like they were cheated out of something. They weren’t sour on life. They are the sunshine that brightens a room. They are this way because they chose to be this way. God has placed these people in our lives to show us that we too can be just like they are. We too, can make a difference in this world.

 

Some day we’ll leave this room. We’ll pass through that door called death. I wonder if we’ll walk through with a smile on our face. I expect my dear sister did. That’s just the way she was.

 

Thank you, Lord, for giving a wonderful example of Wanita. Her many years are layered with powerful reminders to all of us. May we be the same for others.

 

Roger

 

19

Jump Start # 2060

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2060

Romans 12:19 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ’Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

 

Settling the score. Getting even. Treating others as you have been treated. Those thoughts run wild today. An injustice takes place and people take to the streets to not just protest, but to loot, burn and become violent.

 

Our passage today from Romans establishes some divine principles that God wants His people to live by.

 

First, we are to never be guilty of evil ourselves. Twice in this section Paul specifically states that. He says, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.” Then, he closes this section with, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The disciple of the Lord will not threaten with evil nor use evil as a tool to repay what has been done to him.

 

Second, as our verse states, never take your own revenge. You are not the judge, jury and the executioner. A person never repays equally. Hurting another never takes away your own pain. Revenge is fuel by anger and hatred, the very characteristics that lack God.

 

Some see this as allowing people to walk over you and take advantage of you. But in saying this, they miss the context and the point Paul is making. These words are mirrors of what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount about resisting evil.

 

Third, there are two avenues of justice that the Christian must step aside and allow to take place. First, as these words flow into chapter 13, is allowing the government to do what it is supposed to do. The government serves as God’s minister. It bears the sword against evil doers. Bearing the sword, that is an act of capital punishment. You don’t spank someone with a sword. It is an instrument designed to kill. The government carries the sword. God allows a government to make laws and then to enforce them.

 

The other avenue is God. Leave room for the wrath of God. Some have not left any room. They have taken things that belong to God. It is God’s right to repay. Vengeance belongs to God and not with us. In God’s way and in God’s time, He will deal with evil. Nothing will get past God. Evil will not sneak into Heaven. God will not be fooled.

 

Fourth, behind all of these words, is the thought that some Christians were going to be hurt and injured. You don’t seek revenge upon an innocent person. Revenge, by it’s very nature means to return what was done to you. So, implied in all of this is that Christians would be hurt. Earlier in the chapter Paul said, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not.”

 

The Christian who was hurt was not to seek his own revenge. He was not to turn to evil to settle the score. He was to allow God to repay. These words are difficult for us. We want God to protect us. We want a divine umbrella over us to keep all evil away from us. But that wasn’t going to happen. The Lord talked about persecution. Peter talked about persecution. Paul talked about it. Their words are never about escaping it, nor, how to avoid it. But rather, our response to it.

 

Fifth, it will appear, at least for a while, that evil is triumphant. The Christian has been hurt. Evil gets away with it. Rather than a fight, the Christian has left room for the wrath of God. The Christian blesses those and prays for those who persecute. The Christian doesn’t raise his hand in resistance. He doesn’t turn to evil. He doesn’t seek his own revenge. For a while, evil laughs and smiles. Evil seems to be the victor. Evil seems untouched. But God notices. God sees what was done to His people. A day will come, may not even on this side of life, but it will come, and God will repay. The vengeance of God is nothing close to what we could do. God is just, fair and merciful. But the history of God’s wrath is sprinkled throughout the Bible. A world wide flood. The earth opening up and swallowing people. Banishment from Paradise. Inflicted with worms. Sudden death. The loss of sanity. And, of course, the ultimate punishment, Hell.

 

Sixth, the Christian may never witness justice in his lifetime here. Evil may mock, abuse and laugh his way throughout life thinking that he is untouchable. The Christian must not only be patient, but put these matters into the hands of God. The Lord will make it right. The Lord will do what is right. This is hard on our perspective. We want to see swift justice. When we don’t, the feeling on our part is to get involved in the revenge business. Stay out of it. It belongs to God.

 

Why these words? Why are they in our Bibles? Why these reminders today? Because we live in a dark world. More and more people are opposed to Christ. We are to be different from the world. Different in our direction. Different in our character. Different in our attitude. And, different in our response to pain, injustices, and unfairness. Evil often pushes our buttons. They want us to act “unchristian.” These words remind us where we need to stand.

 

God knows what’s going on. God is there for us. God will make things right in time, His time. Onward we must go, realizing that someday, all these things will be just a memory of the past. These problems do not transcend into Heaven.

 

Roger