Being Resolute Without Resolutions

It’s the time of year again when we begin making resolutions for the coming year. Even if we aren’t in the habit of making resolutions ourselves, the topic is on our minds. Resolutions, however, can be hard to keep because changing the year on a calendar changes little else about our lives, our issues, our challenges, and our weaknesses. New Years Day is a new day, but it is a new day like any other.

To be resolved is to be unwaveringly set in a purpose, and perhaps it would be better to develop ourselves into resolute individuals without worrying about the tradition of drafting resolutions. In the Bible, we see individuals who demonstrate resolute characters despite their issues and challenges. Three such figures are Daniel, Joshua, and Paul – people who were unwavering in their dedication to following God.

Examples of Resolute Living

In Daniel 1, we meet a young man living under Babylonian captivity, and verse 8 tells of his purposing in his heart that he would not defile himself while living at Babylonian court. He behaves resolutely in his youth and captivity, even under pressure from those watching over him. In the face of his surroundings, from the beginning of his book to the end, he shows a fierce determination we sometimes lack.

Joshua 24 serves as a commentary on Joshua’s entire life. In verse 14, he challenges God’s people to put away the idols and commit to God. He warns them time and again of the dedication such a commitment will take, and the book records that the people living during his lifetime follow after God’s word, as do those of his generation who outlive him. His resolute determination leaves a mark on all those around him.

In I Corinthians 9:18-22, Paul speaks of his efforts in evangelizing the gospel, and he says he works that by all means he could reach anyone he can. He goes on to an illustration of those who dedicate themselves to win awards in Olympic games, but Paul says his determination comes from the incorruptible prize before him. He calls on us to know what we are working toward, to have a purpose and a goal in our lives. Philippians 3:12 returns to this idea, expressing the continual effort this race takes – leaving our former lives behind to press forward with purpose.

Conclusion

Our prayer lives, our attention to God’s word, our priorities – we should be resolute in our following of God. Rather than concern ourselves with numerous resolutions, we should be determining to be resolute Christians. In Ecclesiastes, the author resolves to find purpose or joy in the things of this life, but his conclusion is that true purpose comes from resolutely fearing God and keeping His commandments. We may make resolutions, but they are nothing if we are not resolute in our service to God.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Finding God Where We Left Him

“Where is God?” This is a simple question that we should not be taken lightly or asked casually. In times of struggle, when we face trials and challenges, we ask, “Where is God?” In Judges 6, when an angel of the Lord comes before Gideon, God poses this question in verse 13. “If Jehovah is with us, why are these things happening to us?” In II Kings 18, Sennacherib and the Rabshakeh challenge Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem with a similar question. “Where is your god?” Joel 2:17 and Psalm 42 contain requests that Israel’s enemies not be able to ask, “Where is your God.” Finally, in Malachi 2:17, expresses frustration with their question His presence.

The problem is not that God moves away from His people of old or from us. Rather, they and we move away from God. In this lesson, we are going to consider three ways we can drift from God.

Moving Away from God

• We lose Him in lack of prayer. In Isaiah 44:15, the prophet speaks of the absurdity of building a god from the same wood he would throw into a fire. Isaiah pictures His people as praying to their idols, crediting them for God’s deliverance. Hosea 2:13 revisits God’s people praying to others instead of Him. They lose Him in a lack of prayer.
• We lose Him in lack of study. Hosea 4:6 calls God’s people destroyed for rejecting God’s knowledge. Malachi 2:7-8 chastises God’s priests for being ignorant of His word – the teachers are as ignorant as the learners. They lose God in a lack of study.
• We lose Him in our priorities. Malachi 1:6-8 illustrates the lack of import God’s people would place on His worship and sacrifices. Haggai 1:5-7 calls of God’s people to consider their ways in comparison to His word. Haggai 1 is a chapter about priorities, and God’s people lose Him in their misplaced priorities.

God Is Not Lost

We are the same. We give up on prayer. We fail to study God’s word. We get caught up in the priorities and standards of this world, giving God our leftovers. God is not lost. His power is not void. We simply distance ourselves from him. Paul, in Colossians 4:3, calls on Christians to pray for God to open doors of opportunity, and I Thessalonians 3:11 attests to God’s power to grow His people and direct our paths. In Philippians 4:19, Paul expresses confidence that God will supply his every need, and II Timothy 1:7 says God gives us a spirit of power, love, and self-control.

Finally, I Peter 5:10-11 credits God with the power to restore us, strengthen us, and establish us in His service. God is not lost nor is His throne vacant. It is we who lose Him in our lives, and we will find Him exactly where we left Him. When looking for something, we often ask ourselves where the last place was we had it. Perhaps we have lost God in our priorities, in our lack of study, or in our lack of prayer. We can find Him, however, in those very places where we left Him. God is there for us to find. We have but to look.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Connecting Judges to Ruth

God connects the details in His word to one another. Sometimes we wonder why God includes certain chapters, passages, or details in His Bible. Such chapters may be 17-21 in which terrible wickedness is recorded with little divine comment. Serving almost as bookends to these events are chapter 17:6 and 21:25, which both say basically the same thing:

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

More than a historical note, this passage reflects on the people’s rejection of God as king in their hearts. They seek to make Gideon king after God helps him deliver Israel from the Midianites. His son Abimelech then accepts that mantle as king for a time. The people try to have a physical king, but they are uninterested in a spiritual king.

The Contrast Between Judges & Ruth

The ungodliness in the story of Micah, a man of Bethlehem, in Judges 17-18 is overwhelming as he steals silver from his mother, returns the silver to praise only to have it forged into an idol. He finds a corrupt Levite and leads a region into adultery. In chapter 19, another Levite’s wife is unfaithful and run’s back to her father’s home in Bethlehem. Once reconciled, they are assaulted by a mob in Gibeah, which results in the rape and death of the Levite’s estranged wife. Justice remains unserved, and, in chapter 20, much of Israel turns and nearly destroys all of Benjamin. Then the Israelite forces go and slaughter cities who did not participate in battle, and they arrange deception to capture some virgins to give survivors of Benjamin.

We read these passages, and we think, “These are God’s people?” These stories demonstrate what happens when we reject God as king of our lives and set ourselves up as kings.

Then, as we begin Ruth, we meet Elimelech and Naomi from Bethlehem– where Micah and the Levite whose concubine was killed are from. Unlike Abimelech, whose name means “my father is king,” Elimelech means “God is king.” This family in Ruth serve as a stark contrast to these immediately preceding stories. Elimelech and Naomi live under the period of the judges, and, in some old manuscripts, the book we know as Ruth is part of Judges.

Conclusion

Ruth is a book full of tragedy and difficulty, but we see joy and happiness in those who acknowledge God as king compared to those who are ruled by their desires. Despite the rampant immorality surrounding Elimelech and Naomi, they remain unmoved. They do not let a wicked society dictate their godliness. Instead, they serve as a godly example to their children and their step-children. We don’t have to be like those around us. Godliness can exist in godless conditions. It does not matter what is going on in the world around us. We can face tragedy and challenges in this life and look forward to an eternal life of joy with our Father.

lesson by Tim Smelser

"Am I Your Enemy?"

Herman Edwards recently said of a certain sports figure fallen into scandal: “[He] needs a friend and he has needed a friend who would tell him the truth…that’s what friends do.” In Galatians 4:16, Paul asks those Christians, “Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth?” amidst his criticism that they have so quickly turned away from the doctrine of Christ. Far too often, we resent those who tell us what we need to hear, and we value those who tell us what we want to hear.

Those Who Vilified Truth

• In I Kings 12:4 records the people of Israel coming to the new king Rehoboam to lighten the load placed upon them by his father Solomon. His father’s councilors advised him to heed their request, but his peers advised him to make their burden al the heavier. He listens to those he wants to hear, and his actions result in the nation splitting in two.
• I Kings 21:20, Elijah comes to Ahab after the wicked king illegally and murderously acquires a piece of property. Previously, in I Kings 18, Ahab blames Elijah for the drought from God. He counts Elijah as an enemy for the truth Elijah delivers. Ahab values more those who tell him what he wants to hear.
• In I Samuel 20:28-33, Saul turns against his own son for pointing out the fallacy of Saul’s vendetta against David. He goes so far as to attempt murdering his own son. Jonathan tells Saul what he needs to hear, but the king turns on him for not telling him what he wants to hear.
• Throughout his book, Jeremiah battles against prophets who tell the people what they want to hear. His love for the people of Jerusalem drives him to weep in Jeremiah 8:21-9:1. He calls on them to distrust the lie that the presence of the temple assures them safety in chapter 7:4-7. Yet he is mocked, threatened, and contradicted throughout his ministry.
• In John 14, Jesus explain Herods’ fear that He is John the Baptist returned. Herod and his wife resents John’s stance that their marriage is unlawful. Because he tells them what they need to hear rather than they want to hear, John loses his life.

Valuing Truth and the Truthful

In contrast to these examples, Paul writes of a contention between Peter and him in Galatians 2:11. In this case, Peter is clearly in the wrong, and Paul corrects him for his hypocrisy. After this conflict, Acts 15 records the Jerusalem congregation gladly receiving Paul and his companions, and Peter would have been a member of this group. Later in the chapter, they side together against false teaching. Later in Peter’s life, he would call Paul a beloved brother in II Peter 3:15. Instead of begrudging Paul for telling him what he needs to hear, Peter grows in Christ, and he counts Paul as a friend.

I Corinthians 3:1, 5:1-2, 6:5, 11:17, 15:34 – these verses and more from this book reveal Paul sharing some hard truths to the Christians in Corinth. Their reaction to his chastisement in II Corinthians 7. They demonstrate godly sorrow, and they repent from their shortcomings. They do not harbor animosity or resentment. Instead, they value Paul for telling them what they need to hear.

All of this boils down to our reaction to Jesus. In John 14:15, Jesus plainly says that those who love Him keep His commandments. Luke 13:3-5 records Jesus speaking of the necessity of repentance from our wrongdoings. Time and again in His ministry, He tells us things we may not want to hear, but they are things we need to hear. We are His friend if we open our ears to His truth and heed His word. We are each other’s friends if we guide and listen to each other on the road to Heaven.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Suffering Before Glory

In I Peter 2, Peter describes what Jesus underwent on our behalf, and he holds up that sacrifice as an example to us. In verse 21-25, Christ’s suffering is the basis of our calling. Philippians 2 then gives a clearer picture of what Jesus would go through before His exultation. In his book, Peter relates suffering to glory. Our endurance and perseverance leads to God’ glory and our’s in Him. Paul, in Philippians, details that suffering, that endurance, that perseverance. In recognizing that God has highly exalted Jesus, we must first appreciate the extent to which he submitted Himself.

Christ’s Humility

II Corinthians 8:9 records Paul writing that Jesus made Himself poor, and he writes, in Philippians 2:7, that Jesus submitted as a servant. The Creator of John 1:1 becomes as the created – subject to pain, sorrow, frustration, sickness, and death. In Matthew 20:26-28, when Jesus’ disciples begin to argue over who should be highest in Christ’s kingdom, Jesus remonstrates them to put such thoughts aside, that they should seek servitude as He lives in service.

In Philippians 2:8, Paul writes that Jesus humbled Himself, and this humility would be prerequisite to His coming in the form of man, living in service, or submitting to obedience. In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul pleads for Christians to live in humility, and Ephesians 4:1-3 appeals to a walk of humility. I Peter 5:6 and James 4:10 call on us to humble ourselves before God. Jesus emptied Himself, became a servant, and He learned obedience in humility. In the gospels, He is obedient, even to a humiliating death on the cross.

Emptying Ourselves

Knowing these things and applying them are two different things.

• Where we would be full of ourselves, our Savior emptied Himself. Galatians 2:20 reminds us we must dethrone self and allow Christ to reign in our hearts.
• Where we would have others serve our interests, Jesus was servant to all. Whether foreign, poor, rich, sick – Jesus reached out to their needs. Our lives should be ones of service.
• Where we would exalt ourselves, Jesus humbled Himself. We need to start with humility so we can look to the needs and interests of others.
• Where we want to do things our way, Jesus willingly and unconditionally obeyed His father. We should have the same trust we see in His submission.

Conclusion

In I Peter 1:22, Jesus calls on us to love one another fervently, living and abiding in the word of God. When we can empty ourselves, humble ourselves, serve others, and obey God, we purify our hearts before the Lord. We should be amazed at what our Savior was willing to do for each of us. The one who knows all things and spoke all things into existence – He did much for us in humility. He faced endurance and suffering before glory and exaltation. We should expect and be willing to submit to no less than that.

lesson by Tim Smelser

The Choice of Sin

C.S. Lewis, a widely cited Christian writer, once said, “It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick.” He observes that all sin moves us further and further from God. Sometimes we take a Calvinistic or fatalistic approach to sin, leading us to tolerate sin we feel we are fated to do. We see it as an unavoidable product of human nature. Rather than seeing sin as unavoidable, we should see it as rebellion, a violation of God’s word, inexcusable by our circumstances.

Sin’s Nature

Sin is purposeful rebellion. Genesis chapters 2-3 illustrate the first recorded sin when Adam and Eve turn from God’s expectations and partake of the Tree of Knowledge. When Eve repeats God’s warning in chapter 3:2-3, it is clear she knows exactly what God expects, yet she goes on and makes a rebellious choice. In Genesis 9, God tells Noah and his descendants to multiply and disperse, but those descendants prefer the opposite in Genesis 11:4. They do not want to scatter. King Saul, in I Samuel 15:9, directly violates God’s commands of verses 1-3 . Each of these examples know precisely what God expects in their lives, but they consciously and purposefully do the opposite. They rebel.

Also, no matter the intentions, sin violates God’s word. Leviticus 10 records the sinful offering of Nadab and Abihu. In II Samuel 6:6-7, Uzzah perishes for the sin of laying his hand on the Ark of the Covenant, despite is good intentions to steady it on its cart. Saul, in Acts 8:3 and 9:1 as well as his account of himself in Acts 26:9, persecutes Christians with pure motivations. Sin is sin regardless of intentions, for it violates God’s law.

Finally, circumstances do not excuse our sins. I Corinthians 15:33 warn us about those with whom we associate, bout the circumstances in which we place ourselves. Job does not allow himself to sin because of his wife’s prodding or his friends’ discouragement. Adam cannot not blame Eve any more than Eve can blame the serpent for her choice. Saul, again in I Samuel 15, tries to justify his actions by blaming others. Then he tries to justify his actions by his intentions. He ignores and denies the problem through rationalizations and excuses.

Turning Away Again and Again

When I sin, it is my choice. I am not fated to sin. I am not born to sin. Our God is just and upright. He does not condemn us. We condemn ourselves. In Judges 10:6, God again gives Israel over to their sins and idolatry, and they again cry out to him. In this instance, God’s response is slightly different than before. He reminds His people how He has saved them time and again, and He makes it clear they have chosen that path one too many times. He tells them to cry out to their idols and to those they have turned to before. God finally delivers them when they choose to submit themselves to them and they put away those sins they had previously allowed.

We are too like these individuals in the book of Judges. We return to the well of sin too many times and them call out to God when our choices get us into trouble time and again. In Judges 6:16, we see a God hurt and saddened over the separation between Him and His people, and He does eventually deliver them when they truly repeat. We have to look at our own lives and our own choices, our seeking for answers away from God. Are we like these children of Israel, turning to God only when things get tough?

Conclusion

My sin is my own, and answers do not come from our violation of God’s will. David, in Psalms 32, writes of the pain in his life when he would hide his sin from himself and from God. In verse 5, however, he writes of his repentance and God’s forgiveness. David counts forgiveness as a joy. When we truly repent and turn from sin as the rebellion it is – regardless of circumstances or intentions – our God will forgive us and draw us toward Him again.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Making Excuses

We speak of our challenge in giving; giving monetarily, giving of our time, giving from our abilities, giving over our priorities, giving thanks. In theory, we agree that we need to give more, but we make excuses in reality. We can find reasons others need to give more of themselves, but we often find reasons to excuse ourselves from such sacrifices. We are very capable at making excuses.

Excuse Makers in the Bible

• One of the first examples we would probably think of is Moses. In Exodus 3, God is telling Moses that he will be God’s messenger to His people. In verse 11, Moses begins finding reasons to excuse himself. Moses wants to know what makes him special, how the people will disbelieve him, an dhow he is a poor speaker. Finally, in chapter 4:13, Moses simply asks God to send someone else. By the time Moses finishes, God is angry with him, and Moses fails to get out of the work set before him.
• Likewise, in Judges 6, Gideon makes some similar appeals to God. When the Lord’s angel appears to him, Gideon asks how God could be with him during this time of oppression. Then, he asks how he could save Israel and points out his lowly background. Again, he fails to turn God from appointing this task to him.
• In I Kings 19, Elijah looks for his own death. He cites his self-perceived ineffectiveness. He claims to be all alone in his work for the Lord. He feels his work has done no good, for his efforts have availed nothing but a death warrant. God does not accept Elijah’s reasons for despair but sends him back to his work, reminding him that he is not alone so long as God is with him.
• Acts 13 records John Mark going on a missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas. As they leave Crete, however, and come to the mainland, John turns back from the journey for Jerusalem. In Acts 15:36, Paul and Barnabas grow contentious over bringing John Mark on another journey because of his leaving them previously. We do not know John Mark’s reasons, but, whatever they may have been, it is evident Paul finds them unacceptable.

The Rest of the Stories

None of these excuses is where the story ends, though. We know Moses stands before Pharoah and leads God’s people out of Egypt. We know how Moses intercedes for the people time and again before God. Deuteronomy 34:10-11 eulogizes Moses by saying no other prophet is like him. Gideon, in Judges 6:25-32, begins turning Israel back to God in his own household, making a courageous stand for the Lord. Elijah gets back to work in I Kings 19 and begins to mentor Elisha. Elijah stands up to Ahab and Jezebel in I Kings 20, and he stands up to Ahaziah in II Kings 1. Finally, in Colossians 4:10, John Mark is named as one comforting Paul in confinement, and II TImothy 4:11 records Paul requesting Mark’s presence, calling him useful in the ministry.

Each of these individuals become useful and productive for God once they stop making excuses and get to work. We may say “I can’t,” or “I won’t;” we may see our reasons for not working harder for the Lord as valid and reasonable. We may feel justified in our excuses for not obeying God. We can make all the excuses in the world for our actions or inaction, but God still expects humble obedience. Excuses failed to excuse Moses, Gideon, Elijah, and John Mark from His service. Let us each put away our excuses and strengthen our resolve to work for our Lord.

lesson by Tim Smelser

We Don't Lie to Google

Earlier in November, writer Ben Casnocha wrote this on his blog:

Someone once told me that there is nowhere we are more honest than the search box. We don't lie to Google. Period. We type in what we're thinking -- good, bad, and ugly. There's probably no piece of information that would better show what's on someone's mind than their stream of searches.

We don’t lie to Google. Nowhere is this more evident than in a handy feature Google uses in its search box called auto-complete. You start typing, and Google begins making suggestions on how to complete your search. If you’re like me, maybe you ignore these suggestions, but paying attention to them yields some interesting results.

We Dont Lie To Google

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Google simply makes suggestions based on the most popular search terms to follow the words you or I enter. Sometimes, the feature is useful, but, other times, we get a peek into the collective minds of others using Google. We see the brazen bluntness with which we search. Sometimes we see the ridiculous questions on our collective minds. Other times, we’re left scratching our heads, asking, “Wait, those are the most popular search terms for those words?”

Why Do We Trust Google More Than God?
We are always honest with Google. It may be the anonymity. It may be the literal nature of search engines. Regardless the reason, we are more forthright with a search engine than we often are with others, with ourselves, and with God. However much we try, though, while we may be able to fool others and ourselves, we cannot fool God. Let’s look at a couple examples of people doing this in the Bible.

• Adam & Eve. In Genesis 3, God doesn’t give Adam and Even the answer they want regarding the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, so Eve allows herself to be persuaded by the serpent. Adam allows himself to be persuaded by Eve, and, in the end, they seek to blame God for their own error by verses 11-13.
• King David. In II Samuel 11, David commits adultery with Bathsheba, but that’s just a couple verses of the story. The rest of chapter 11 deals with David trying to cover his tracks, to the point, in verses 16-17, of conspiring to murder Bathsheba’s husband Uriah. He sinks deeper into sin to avoid others learning of his initial sin.
• Ananias & Sapphira. In Acts 5, this pair seek to look as impressive as the Christians in Acts 2:44-45 and 4:32-37 who give up much, if not all, to share with the brethren. Ananias and Sapphira try to make themselves look more generous than they really are, but their lies find them out.

We can turn to the anonymity of Google to find justification or vindication for almost anything we want. Anything we want to believe, justify, or desire – there’s a site for it. We may be afraid that God won’t give us the answer we want to hear. We may feel like others will judge us if they know about our struggles or sins. We may try to feel better about ourselves by making ourselves look better to others. We wear these façades and shroud ourselves in subtle deceptions to make ourselves more tolerable to ourselves and to others. In the end, though, the only ones we end up fooling are ourselves.

Honesty with Ourselves, Others, and God
This is not a lesson about the dangers of the Internet or the evils of Google. Google is a collection of algorithms, and the Internet is composed of writings, images, and other media created by people. They are what they are. Rather, this is a lesson about trust. It’s about being honest with ourselves and the challenges we face, relying on our brothers and sisters to carry us through difficult times, and ultimately trusting in God to deliver us from temptation and forgive us for our transgressions.

• King David. Psalms 3, 6, 11, 12, 19, 23, 25, 39, 51 – these and many more illustrates David’s complete trust in God’s word, His protection, and His forgiveness. Psalms 19 celebrates God’s word. Psalm 51 is a prayer for forgiveness after that sin with Bathsheba, and he demonstrates total submission and vulnerability before God. For this trust, God calls David a man after His own heart.
• Job. Throughout his book, Job is very honest with God and with himself. Job stays true to himself regardless of his wife’s or friend’s opinions. They judge him, but he knows his heart, and Job 31 stands as an example of self-accountability. He knows his heart. He knows how he treats others. Therefore, he can stand before God unspotted.
• Jesus. Where Adam and Eve reject God’s answer, Jesus submits in Matthew 26:36-42 when He says, “not as I will, but as You will.” His life of service culminates in an ultimate act of trust in God in His willing sacrifice on the cross. He knows God will deliver Him from death.

I Peter 5:6-7 exhorts us to humble ourselves and open up to our God. He cares for us more than any search engine ever can. Hebrews 4:15-16 assures us that our Lord relates to our challenges and shortcomings, and He is willing to lift us up if we only come to Him. Furthermore, Romans 15:1 encourages us to bear each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:1-2 reiterates this and tells us to be gentle with one another during these trials. We have a God willing to help us. We have brothers and sisters willing to help us, but we have to be honest with them and ourselves before we can heal.

Conclusion
God’s word will not always have the answers we want. We can find those answers all around us. It does, however, give us the answers we need. We all have faults. We all have challenges. We need to be honest with ourselves about those shortcomings so we can be honest with our brothers and sisters about them. We may fear judgmental attitudes. We may fear harsh treatment, but, if we love each other the way our God loves us, then we will bear each other up in patience and kindness. We should feel as open with each other and with God as we do with Google. Only then, can we truly begin to build the type of spiritual relationships we should have with one another.

lesson by Robert Smelser