Salvation

We all know the phenomenon well: We hear a message on a particular topic, and it really gets our attention. Then that same topic seems to come up again in personal Bible study, in a song on the radio, in a conversation with a friend. Well, that's where I am, so this must be God's message to me just now.

When Kelly O'Rear spoke to the upper school students for Spiritual Renewal Week, he noted that we all seek salvation in something or someone. Part of his point was that we may trust Jesus as the payment for our sins and for our entry into Heaven, but then look to something else to "save" us from day to day. In other words, I know Jesus provided my eternal salvation, but I think I can depend on my intelligence or my charm to get me through the day.

Maybe some of us count on friends or on money. We think as long as we can call someone or hire someone we don't need God. We wouldn't say as much, but that's how we behave.  In his letter to the Galatians, Paul said, "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" (3:3).

I confess I sometimes charge right ahead into my day counting on well-laid plans. We all know how that is apt to work out. Even after I've read my Bible and prayed, I can walk away with my checklist and think I've got it covered. But I need God in every moment. He is the director of my day and the planner of my steps. He alone can save me from myself.

God grant that I "walk in the Spirit" this day and every day, exhibiting in my life--by his grace--all the fruit that the Spirit produces: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5).

--Sherry Poff

Measureless

“What happened to our idea of being a 'God-fearing' woman?”  Author Jen Wilkins asks this question in the introduction to her book None Like Him. The phrase "God-fearing" has mostly gone out of style; in today’s Christian circles we’re much more likely to hear a woman being highly spoken of because she is “so close to Jesus.” Yet Proverbs 31:30 states that the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. We seem to have lost that fear, that reverential awe of who God is. Wilkins rightly points out that it is good to be close to Christ, to sense that nearness to God in the prayer of “Abba Father.” But sometimes we forget that there is another side of God. He is not just Father; He is King. He is not just near; He is also transcendent. He rules all things, governs as He pleases, and none can stop His will. This is what we must not forget if we are to grow in a healthy fear of the Lord. This is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10).

               Jen Wilkins’ book, which I highly recommend, deals with the attributes of God that He does not share with us. Many of His attributes, He wants us to have as well. He wants us to be holy as He is holy; He commands us to have the fruits of the Spirit (which He exhibits without fail). Yet, there are attributes of God that He does not share; these are his non-communicable attributes. Understanding these better leads us into fearing Him more.  I briefly want to touch on one of these attributes here.  May it challenge you as it has challenged me. (And please know that I am paraphrasing some of the ideas from Wilkins’ book, because she explains this concept in a way that has impacted me deeply).

               God is infinite. I used to think that this idea just dealt with time, the fact that He is eternal. But the word ‘infinite’ means far more than that. Look it up and you will find definitions such as limitless, without bounds, immeasurable. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145:3) “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than the heaven – what can you do? Deeper than Sheol – what can you know?” (Job 11:7-8) No one can measure God; He cannot and will not fit into any boxes we try to put Him in. He will not be bound by the limits we may want to place on Him. He cannot be controlled by anyone, and He has no rivals, for He alone is infinite. If you are anything like me, you like to know the measurements of things: How large was the baby just born? How much longer till we ‘get there’? How many pages is this book? Our desire for knowing measurements and limits extends to others. We struggle with what we don’t know or understand in others, with that which can’t be measured. I have seen recently in my own life a struggle with not being able to understand why God acts the way He does. And I’ve realized it comes back to this concept. I want to understand God, to “measure” Him, if you will. I want Him to act in a way that makes sense to me. Yet God does not place Himself under the limitation of doing only that which makes sense to me, a mere human. No, God cannot be limited or measured. A big step to fearing Him is to understand this concept.

               Yet I find it fascinating that the God who can be measured by no one knows the measure of all things. He has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and weighed the mountains in scales (Isaiah 40:12). He gave Noah the exact measurements of the Ark, and Moses the measurements for the tabernacle and its objects.  He knows the number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7), the amount of our tears (Psalm 56:8), and the number of our days (Job 14:5). Furthermore, He who cannot be limited gives us limits. Our bodies cannot keep going without sleep and nourishment. We are finite creatures who are utterly dependent on God for life and breath. Yet we try to be God. We seek to be without limits, pushing off the boundaries that God has placed on us. Starting with Adam and Eve in the garden who were forbidden to eat of the one tree, to the laws handed to the Israelites through Moses, to the commands throughout the rest of Scripture, we have bucked against the limits placed on us, wanting to be God ourselves. We forget that the limits God places on us are for our good. Praise the Lord that His immeasurability extends to His grace.  We have received grace upon grace (John 1:16) and even in the abundance of sin, grace abounded all the more (Romans 5:20).

               May our measurements and limits remind us that we are not God.  May they remind us that there is a God in heaven Who is limited by no one. May accepting these truths, in turn, help us to become “God-fearing” women worthy of being praised, bringing glory to our infinite God.

--Amy O'Rear

A Prayer for the New Year

A Prayer for the New Year

            New Year’s resolutions seem to be out of favor.  I remember sitting down each year, writing out the things I wanted to get rid of from the past year and planning what I would aim for in the coming year.  Now I read a few articles about making resolutions and see a lot of jokes and comics about how quickly those resolutions can be broken or foolish resolutions that are easy to keep.  So instead of resolutions, I would like to share the prayer for the new year I found in A One Year Book of Hymns.  This one is entitled “Another Year is Dawning” by Frances Ridley Havergal.

                                    Another year is dawning:

                                    Dear Father, let it be,

                                    In working or in waiting,

                                    Another year with Thee;

                                    Another year of progress,

                                    Another year of praise,

                                    Another year of proving

                                    Thy presence all the days.

                                    Another year of mercies,

                                    Of faithfulness and grace;

                                    Another year of gladness

                                    In the shining of Thy face;

                                    Another year of leaning

                                    Upon Thy loving breast;

                                    Another year of trusting,

                                    Of quiet, happy rest.

                                    Another year of service,

                                    Of witness for Thy love;

                                    Another year of training

                                    For holier work above.

                                    Another year is dawning:

                                    Dear Father, let it be,

                                    On earth or else in heaven,

                                    Another year for Thee.

            This is my prayer for the coming year and my prayer for you, too.  Happy New Year!

                                                            Faith Himes Lamb

Mercy. Me.

There are lots of frightening things in Scripture. One of the things that seems scary to me is the oft-repeated theme of “judge not, that ye be not judged” (Mt. 7:1), not just because it is hard to obey, but because of the penalty that is pronounced.

Look here. (That’s somewhat modern English for, “Lo, and behold!”)

“For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

“With the measure you use it will be measured to you.” That’s scary!! Do I want to be measured in the same way I measure others?

Just how literally do we need to take that? For example :  We all know people who judge dishonestly, that is, they accuse falsely, or make dishonest evaluations of the motives of others, from either malice or ignorance. Maybe we do that.

So will God make false accusations or pretend ignorance of motives when He judges those people? God forbid! If we judge others ignorantly or with false charges, God does not treat us that way (for which we thank Him fervently). So what did He mean by, “With the measure you use it will be measured to you”?

When Scripture presents us with a puzzle, we can usually find the solution to the puzzle in another Scripture or many other Scriptures.  God says, in Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” And James 5:9 adds, “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

So, all we need to do is just not think judgmental thoughts toward others, and we will not have to worry about being judged and we will automatically be forgiven. OK?  Good luck with that. Do you know anyone who never has a critical thought toward others? Are you that one who never has a critical thought toward others, never judges others' motives or actions? I’ve got a feeling this one comes under the “there is none good but God” principle.

My “Aha!” moment on this came when I read James 2:12 and 13. “Remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others, but if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when He judges you.”

Mercy. Forgiveness. The key is not that God will be a judge like us if we are dishonest, malicious, or ignorant. The key is that God will be a judge like us if we are merciful and forgiving. But, no, God will not be like us. We can only show these traits if we are like Him. We can show mercy and forgiveness only if we understand the mercy and forgiveness that He has extended to us.

Poet Robert Frost nailed our need. “Ultimately, this is what you go before God for: You’ve had bad luck and good luck and all you really want in the end is mercy.”

God nailed our need, too.

Refreshing Routine

In spite of all the fussing I do about people who put up Christmas decorations in October, I'm never really ready to take them down. My mom used to say, "People do such thoughtful things at Christmas." And they do. So why can't we just be that way all year round? The truth is, it would wear us out.

I don't mean we can't be nice, but we can't keep up the gift giving, the little parties, the special foods. It would be too much--and it would quit being special. There is something to be said for routine.

One of the routines I need to continually refresh is scripture memory. Let me tell you what learning God's word has done for me:

One spring day I was feeling completely overwhelmed with the end of school and all that goes with it. Then I got word that we might be getting out-of-town company that same week. I felt that I might lose my mind. Then, pulling out of the parking lot at Starbucks, where I had gone to grade essays, I remembered this verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Instant relief.

The other night I couldn't drop off to sleep. Who knows why? My mind was whirling with things to remember and do. I decided to recite scripture: Nahum 1:3-7, "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power. . . " I went slowly and thought about the verses. In a very little while, I calmed down and went to sleep.

These are only two of many examples of the value of committing scripture to memory. Don't say you can't do it. You remember all kinds of  songs, jingles, plots to movies, recipes. You just need a routine.  Start a list of passages that speak to you. Decide on a time you will review these. I go over the same passage for either a week or a month, depending on the length. Write the verses down; say them in the car, in the shower, before breakfast. You decide, but be regular about it. After a while, you will know lots of God's Word, and what a blessing it will be.

Maybe you already have a plan in place. Good for you. Don't quit. Encourage your friends to join you.

Happy New Year!

--Sherry Poff