Great Gain

…Godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:6

Do I believe that? Do I believe contentment is profitable when mixed with godliness?

I’m not sure. Going to church never made me rich. Avoiding the urge to want more than I’ve got has sometimes squelched my dreams.

Should I believe what God’s Word says? Well, if I’m going to make the Bible my creed (that standard to which I align my life in word and deeds), then, yes.

Let’s investigate the equation closely.

Godliness [2150] eusebeia: godliness, piety – comes from 2095 + 4576 (well, well done! + to worship, be devout, God-fearing)

Contentment [841] autarkeia – contentment, having all of one’s needs, sufficiency – comes from 846+714 (him/herself +to be content, satisfied)

Gain [4200] porismos – means of gain; from 4198 (to come, go, travel)

The order in the verse is important. Well done all the time reverent worship + being satisfied with myself (who God made me to be) = forward motion, going places.

I’ve never seen the equation worked successfully backwards (i.e. going places + being satisfied with myself = well done worship) The jury is still out on using this equation for living… algebraically.

However, working it from the beginning to the end always works. Fearing God and bowing my knees to His Superior Awesomeness consistently + recognizing who I am, how I’ve messed up, allowing Him and his mercy to bring me to 100% functionality to the satisfaction of us both = a propelling force to be reckoned with. I always end up someplace other than where I’ve been and happy about it.

So if my goal is economic growth from godliness, the padding of my wallet with “resources”, then I am setting myself up for disappointment. Paul describes this group of people as:

• conceited
• understanding nothing
• having a morbid interest in
  • controversial questions
  • disputes about words
    • Out of which arise
      • envy
      • strife
      • abusive language
      • evil suspicions
      • constant friction between men

That is so not where I want my life to be! It’s easy to get there though so I’m careful as I listen to what people say about God’s word.

In this same passage ( verse 5), certain men think that godliness is a means to financial gain. After bludgeoning their character, he tells Timothy that it really is a means to gain… great gain. IF you put contentment into its proper place in the equation you end up much better off.

While I LOVE word studies, I do not in any way desire to argue about them. Instead, I hope that by considering what the words really are and what is really being said that we would all have better access to the truth.

Truth sets us free.

Freedom is a great place to travel to. Amen?

May gainful travel be yours in Christ Jesus and may He give you joy in the journey. Amen.

Mercy + Truth

In preparation for my next book chapter, I was looking at the word “truth” ( Strong’s number 571 – faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness, truth…what conforms to reality in contrast to what is false). Gotta love keeping it real, right? 🙂

Through my searching, a word combo kept popping up; truth was combined with mercy 15 times. Usually, Bible study veterans say repeated words are worth consideration. I think 15 times is practically yelling, “PAY Attention!” Lord willing, we will.

In each of these word combos, the word for mercy is Strong’s word # 2617 – hesed. Of the 26 times this word is used as loving kindness, we can add at least three more to this mercy–truth word combo. 18 times God says mercy is combined with reliable reality.

Sweet deal! Uh…not so much.

Mercy always get me in trouble. I can think of situations where showing kindness, going the extra mile, etc. has only cost me, not profited me. Too much of that one-way relational kindness stuff has the effect of discouraging kindness – in me at any rate. I’m a firm believer that givers need to be given to.

Ah, but mercy doesn’t mean what I thought it did.

Mercy is defined in this word combo as unfailing love, loyal love, devotion, and kindness. That is a special kindness. Handing this type of kindness to just anyone would be inappropriate. Loyalty is both earned and exclusive by an act of choosing. Devotion is willfully and thoughtfully ongoing bringing the emotion of love into every action. This mercy is a treasure not to be taken or to be given lightly.

This last defining tidbit of mercy is what caught my attention; #2617 Mercy is often based on a prior relationship, especially a covenant relationship. This is important to me..and to you… because being kind is exhausting and expensive. Investing this type of all-the-time relationship with everyone is relational bankruptcy waiting to happen. Knowing we can focus our resources and streamline our efforts to include only those with whom we have a committed relationship takes a lot of the burden… the heaviness of being kind … away and frees us up not to be fake about it either. That IS a sweet deal.

One act of kindness or loyalty is a stepping stone. You can get to the next one only after having first stepped on the one before it. They are sequential and in my mind’s eye I expect them to be reasonably set distances apart. I also often expect them to be well suited to my footfall. (not always the case but I still hold out for it)These stones across the water bridge one part of life to another. Acts of relationship are based on prior relational acts. Bad ones and good ones. Remember that reality-is-truth thing?

If we look at our relational journey as stepping stones across a brook, (the analogy falls apart so don’t think too hard.) Some of us hop delightedly along until we discover a stone is missing. At that moment in this hop-along-bridge, some important relational mercy-truth event just isn’t there. Life and time stand still.

We grieve over it. We stare longingly at the other side thinking to ourselves that the far bank is hopelessly outside our capability so we give up ever reaching it. More grief. We look at the water and begin viewing it every bit as formidable an obstacle as the great wall of China. (Perceptions can get crazy…amen?) Putting our feet in the water is not an option for all the imagined slippery footing beneath the crystal sheen of rippling current racing past; fear has begun to cripple our legitimate crossing.

Notice again, that this mercy is, by definition, restricted. While it might show up in any relationship, it predominantly works within covenant relationships. Focus is such a blessing. Covenant relationships are ones that are legally binding: God with the nation of Israel, Israel with the Levites and the temple, a husband with his wife, etc.

Some of my pathway’s bridges have missing stones. Human loyalty and devotion however cherished, are not always reliable and legally binding contracts get broken all the time but God’s mercy endures forever. The reality that God’s mercy is a forever kind of deal is repeated 38 times. Shall we pay attention? Please, please do.

If God’s loyalty and devotion to his children is reliable and certain (mercy + truth), then our anxiety about his mercy vanishes. Certainty wages war with anxiety and wins every time. Having annihilated anxiety, we enjoy a greater sense of awareness and calm with which to proceed.

So we look up. We hop.

Sometimes with one foot on a stone and the other outstretched reaching for the next. Sometimes by gaining enough momentum and height to plant two feet on a stone. Sometimes we stop on a particular stone to adjust our balance with arms and hands unconsciously working the air around us. Sometimes another hand grabs ours and lifts us to the next one.

Stones go missing for all kinds of reasons. There are two ways to cope: 1. get and place another stone, 2. have somebody help you get to the next stone.

If we find that a stone is missing, we can call on the Name of the Merciful One and He will carry each person across to the next stone. Other helpers might be found and might not but the LORD’s mercy endures…forever.

God likes to help people who call on his name. Perhaps He even enjoys our delight when we reach the other side and turn round to share the success with him before skipping off through the woods to our next grand, exclusive mercy-truth adventure.

Does God Listen?

Does God listen to His people? …To you? …To me?

Sometimes I swear he listens to my thoughts. There I am going about my day thinking to myself something … not bowing my head, not on my knees, not stretched out on the floor, not covered in sackcloth and ashes, not reciting liturgy, not fasting for any amount of time. Not doing any of that high sounding, on-purpose stuff that we often associate with talking to God …but He’s listening.

For example, last night. As a matter of habit I read the Bible daily. Yesterday I was reading in the book of Matthew, “So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.”

I was in the part of my day when I begin to think about preparing our evening meal. I hadn’t gone shopping this week. OK, I have the meat;Into the crock pot that goes. I have the veggies – no salad fixings but I have carrots and broccoli and potatoes – so I’ll boil those. Today I am making unleavened bread so even though I don’t have yeast, I don’t need it. What I don’t really have that I need is juice. But I continued on with my day not doing anything about it.

My pregnant daughter who has been craving broccoli walks in the door a few hours later toting our grandson cheerfully proclaiming, “Ryker and I thought we’d contribute to the juice tonight.”

Ahhh LORD GOD…. how you do listen and in your great mercy show loving kindness to us all.

Listening with God goes both ways; We listen to him, He listens to us.

I was taught that God always listens to any person who calls on His name. Is that true?  Let’s find out.

This two way listening can be broken. Sometimes we break it but sometimes God breaks it.

44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud
So that no prayer can pass through. Lamentations 3:44 (NASB)

When God breaks His connection with us, it is a serious thing. Here is a list of things that broke the listening relationship He had with His people in the Bible. If you click on the links and read the passages, you can learn along with me. Please do. 

• When they did not trust Him  ( I kind of think God was looking forward to fighting for them with great displays like He fought for them in Egypt but they got in the way because they were afraid they could not accomplish the task on their own. Duh. God knew that. Their job was to not be afraid and move forward.
• When they regarded sin in their heart  That word ‘regard’ is Strong’s word #7200 rā’â. To see, look view, realize, know, consider, to be selected / to become visible, appear, to show oneself/ to be seen/ to cause to see, show/ to be shown/ to look at each other, meet with. It is a general word for visual perception.If you keep the wrong things in front of your visual cortex for extended periods of time getting to know them pretty well, that blocks your listening relationship with your Creator. Makes sense to me.And another thing about this is when Ikeep bringing up past wrongs that God has already dealt with, he not only plugs his ears but my quality of life suffers a downward spiral– May this not be true in your life or mine but may fruitful qualities be yours in abundance.
• When God gives you an answer (and you need to make sure it is really Him) then do what he says. Not doing what God says ensures He will stop listening to you The “I” in this passage refers to “wisdom”. The wisdom we seek is wisdom from God and indeed all wisdom sprouts forth from Him.
• Along the same lines we have this passage
  
  9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9 (NASB)
  Keep in mind this listening is a hear it, obey it kind of deal.
• How husbands treat their wives  matters if they want God to listen to them.
• If they treated God badly (idolatry, breaking the covenant) He refused to listen to their crys for help
• The prophet was disallowed to pray for those among God’s chosen who treated God badly. Their awful fate was already decided  If you are petitioning God on behalf of someone who considers themselves to be a part of God’s family yet who treats God badly and your prayers seem blocked, realign your prayers with God’s promises.
• When they lied , saying God had forsaken them and didn’t see them, and chose to honor idols in the place He chose for His Name not even loud cries in his ears would convince Him to listen. When God’s people corrupt their worship of Him and teach others to do the same, He hates it. This would be a HUGE mistake for anyone in the house of God.
• When the celebrations He instituted among them became worthless offerings  The way out of that mess is in verses 16 and 17. Turn your life around. Every life is valuable – people... animals....  This was all part of what God told Noah and in verse 15 of Isaiah 1 God calls them to account.
• How you treat people around you makes God either smile or turn his face away.  I have trouble hearing someone if my face is turned away from them. Apparently so does God.

I was taught that God always listens to any person who calls on His name. After reading these passages, I’ve concluded that is just not the case.

Why is this important?

Healing.

Both for the Jew  and for the Gentile?  

You decide.

Epic Champions

The public spectacle of the cross during the feast of Passover was epic.

Deliverance from oppression was on everyone’s mind. Their champion was put to death.

How deflating is that?!

Jesus died.

All seemed lost. Despair wove its lethal tentacles through their very core. Hope for the people seemed to die with him. They were caving in, one broken heart after the other, to their perceived reality of Roman rule. With no Messiah from God it seemed like the only option…not pleasant but at least it was real.

So they ranted against their …uh…mistake.

He saved others but he cannot save himself… Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down… come down from the cross and we will believe you… Mark 15:25-39

Was it / Is it a mistake to trust in Jesus?

Some of the people of the Exodus got stuck in a similar frame of mind when Pharaoh not only refused to let them go to worship God in the wilderness BUT he made it his mission to make life harder for them. “…You are lazy. That’s why you want to worship God…” Offended with such a lie, the mistreatment and the even more difficult situation they now faced, they also ranted against their …uh..mistake.

19 The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble [a]because they were told, “You must not reduce[b]your daily amount of bricks.” 20 When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were [c]waiting for them. 21 They said to them, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made [d]us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Exodus 5:19-21 (NASB)

Was it a mistake to follow Moses?

Freedom seemed like a pipe dream. Hopes got dashed. Tempers flared. Life got harder.

Does it still work that way? I think so.

My guess is that they began to see God as an enemy for not making their lives easier. 

Was it a mistake to follow Moses out of Egypt? No.

Was it / Is it a mistake to trust in Jesus unto salvation? No.

God never promised us easy. He promised us rest. There is a huge difference.

28 “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is [b]easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB)

It’s still a yoke. It’s still a burden. Just not an oppressive one.

There is still work to do. There are still spectacular things to witness.

 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father
John 14:12  (NASB)

Life does not get easier when you decide to live according to God’s way. It may actually get more difficult. If you persevere it may also be beyond epic into the realm of spectacular splendor.

May the LORD make it so in your life and in mine. Amen.