A Daunting Task

We should seek to make their task easy and a joy.

"Private inspection or pastoral visitation is of necessity to the same purpose as the public administrations. Hence we have ministers described in Song of Solomon 3:3 as watchmen who go about the city; and it is observable what follows: They "found me," says the spouse. They found her, not she them, plainly intimating that the ministers of the gospel must diligently seek out and look up the wandering and the straying, and maintain a watchful inspection over their flocks, even as the Good Shepherd looks after His sheep, going about and taking particular notice of all. The husbandman walks about in his garden and fields to observe the growth and decay of things, and makes all needful and suitable applications. So ministers must arm themselves with a becoming courage and resolution, and shake off that false modesty, that tame and vicious dread of offending men, which too often wretchedly prevails to the entire omission or sorry performance of this necessary and important duty; and apply themselves with all fidelity and holy boldness hereunto. But they must take heed to manage all with utmost prudent caution and discretion, careful not to use the instruments of a foolish shepherd, but in all points to concert such measures and improve such means as are best adapted to answer the end, so that their work may succeed."

Thomas Foxcroft, The Gospel Ministry

Bind Don't Break

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Gal 6:1-3

Yet another command that flys in the face of our natural response. When someone we love sins, especially when that sin has consequences that hurt us, our gut reaction is to be angry, to pull away from them and (at least myself) to stew and fume about it. "How could they?" "What were they thinking?" But what does Paul say? Restore with gentleness? How am I supposed to do that? First easy (and painful) step is to look at yourself. Honestly. How can I be angry when I'm guilty of worse? When I've hurt others with my sin just as deeply as they have. When we see the depth and true nature of our sin, it pulls it all back into perspective and allows us to see the situation with God's eyes (albeit imperfectly of course) and makes the gentleness part make more sense. If He could look at me in my worst moment, and still lay His life down, how dare I act like the servant in Matt 18? He has forgiven much, we must likewise forgive much. And we must reach out to and love, go over and above to show our love for the hurting, bleeding, remorseful, consequence-bearing sinner, our brother, fellow heir, our familiar friend, the one-of-my-hug. We did enjoy sweet fellowship, and we will again. Betrayal hurts, it hurts more if we cut off the fallen brother. We wouldn't cut off our hand if our finger got hurt, we don't amputate parts of our body (normally) because of damage or brokenness, why would be do so with the body of Christ? We must follow our Master, bind up the broken, protect the smoldering wick, guard the bruised reed. Forgive, forget, restore and love. Simple words, hard to do, but blessed by His unfathomable power if we are faithful to walk in them. Love can indeed cover all.

In keeping them is great reward

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. Psalm 19:7-9

I guess I never read this Psalm with the right lens before, such a backwards and counter-intuitive mix of truth. When we see the word "law" do the words "reviving, rejoicing, enlightening" pop into your head right off? Is "delight" your first instinctual reaction? If you are anything like me the words that first spring to mind are words like "keep, break, fail, show my sin, forgive, grace". But the Psalmist says delight? How can the law, the harsh, sweaty, difficult, exhausting, nitpicky law that he knew so well, cause such glowing words? He wasn't living like us under the Law of Love. Or was he? He served the same God, who showed the same compassion, and poured out the same blessings, and gave the same grace to live uprightly before His face. Should his words really surprise us? The law IS reviving, He sets the high standard of holiness, unachievable, but also gives us the strength to meet it. His law IS cause for rejoicing, His blood has covered our sin, clothed and wrapped and close to our skin, we are enfolded by His love. His commandments ARE pure, we cannot see the nature of our own sin, without the glasses He places in our eyes, and we see not only our vileness and weakness, the true nature of our inadequacy, but also the faithfulness of His love for us. We can only revel and rejoice in His perfect law, because His mercy endures forever, His steadfast lovingkindness, His all sufficient grace. And out of that love, we can set our feet on the path of righteousness, grab the torch of holiness and run the race to the finish. 

Where Else Will You Go Child?

If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. When I thought, "My foot slips," your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. Psalm 94:17-19

There is so much that He shields us from that we never see or think about. All the temptations that would have overwhelmed that He deflected, all the sadnesses that would have broken our spirit, all the trials that would have driven us to despair. He knows our frame and He knows how much would edify and strengthen our trust in Him, and he knows what would be too much. Isn't this both amazing, and a great comfort. Not one single trial or temptation will ever come our way that He won't give us the emotional, spiritual and physical wherewithal to endure. And He not only gauges it perfectly for our good, He KNOWS how it feels, He KNOWS that heartache, the sinking feeling, the panic of soul, the anguished cry of "why God?". This truth, this incredible fact is the sweetest of comforts when the days are dark and the outlook bleak. Where else can we turn, in Him we can count it all joy! Why would we look anywhere else when perfect love and calm lie only a prayers-breadth away? Seek His face that He may be found.

Lost Our First Love?

Any time we are listening to a sermon, and we find ourselves critiquing the preacher we must recognize that we are critiquing the voice of Our Master. He has appointed the foolishness of preaching as a way for us to hear His voice. Not that we are to listen without discernment or to ignore Paul's command to be like the Bereans, that is certainly NOT what I am saying. However, all too often our own pride rears its ugly head and we can sit through an otherwise profitable sermon but instead of listening with ears hungry for the voice of Christ, our own selfish arrogance stifles and ruins the sweet words meant for our good. Like a naughty child smashing and stomping his destructive way across a table spread with a lovingly prepared banquet table, all is spoiled and sullied and our souls starve. In short, when we fail to be fed by a sermon, the fault lies with us, not the preacher.

I found these words from C.H. Spurgeon very useful on the topic:

"There was a time when every bitter thing was sweet; whenever you heard the Word, it was all precious to you. Now you can grumble at the minister. Alas! the minister has many faults, but the question is, whether there has not been a greater charge in you than there has been in him. Many are there who say, "I do not hear Mr. So-and-so as I used to,"—when the fault lies in their own ears. Oh, brethren, when we live near to Christ, and are in our first love, it is amazing what a little it takes to make a good preacher to us. Why, I confess I have heard a poor illiterate Primitive Methodist preach the gospel, and I felt as if I could jump for joy all the while I was listening to him, and yet he never gave me a new thought or a pretty expression, nor one figure that I could remember, but he talked about Christ; and even his common things were to my hungry spirit like dainty meats. And I have to acknowledge, and, perhaps, you have to acknowledge the same—that I have heard sermons from which I ought to have profited, but I have been thinking on the man's style, or some little mistakes in grammar. When I might have been holding fellowships with Christ in and through the ministry, I have, instead thereof, been getting abroad in my thoughts even to the ends of the earth. And what is the reason for this, but that I have lost my first love."