At New Hope, we’re back into our iLife spiritual disciplines series after a Holy Week hiatus. We’ve been talking about how to make our lives better. We all know there is always more depth to be had in our lives. Sometimes we live with the notion that as long as we are moral and ethical people, somehow God is obligated to bless our lives. This is patently and obviously untrue.
We looked first at what are known as the inward disciplines: meditation, prayer, fasting, and Bible study. These are habits which are mostly private—things that may not be seen by those around us. The evidence of such habits, however, will be seen. Now we move on to the outward disciplines.
In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul writes “But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his crafitiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” What is Paul talking about? Let’s look at Psalm 107.
The psalmist describes four situations people can find themselves within. In each situation the people are in distress and finally cry out to God for help. In verse 23, we find a person who realizes their life is out of control—like being in a ship at sea that is caught in a massive storm. They turned to God and He provided just what they needed. He calmed the storm.
Verse 17 describes a person suffering from their own foolishness. They have put themselves on a self-destructive path and nearly wind up dead. They too finally turn to God, and He heals them.
Verse 10 introduces a person who has rebelled against the Word of God. They think they know more than God about how to live their life, and so ignored God and His Word. Instead of gaining freedom, they find themselves trapped and feeling like they have lost all freedom. As with the others, they turn to God and He lifts them out of their situation by breaking their bonds of captivity.
Now, let’s stop and stay a while on verse 4. Here are a people who have “wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; they did not find a way to an inhabited city.” They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.” These are not bad people. They are not like the people in the latter verses who have rebelled against God. They’re not mean or nasty people, they haven’t run away from God. They’ve just wandered off. Scripture goes on to say “they were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.”
Imagine yourself in their position. Would you be frustrated by the way things have turned out? Do you think you would be at the point of being confused, wondering what you should do next? Would you be dissatisfied with your situation and with yourself.
You know what? There are good people sitting in the pews of every church in the world who feel the same way about how things are going in their own lives. They are frustrated with life, with their situation, and themselves. Let’s make some observations.
1. These people are in distress not because they don’t have any choices, but because they have too many. It’s like being in a desert where all you can see on all sides is sand. You have the freedom to go anywhere you want, unlimited choice, but which do your choose?
2. These people are in distress not only because they have so many choices, but also because they have no clear direction. How do you know which way to go? You’re lost with no map, no compass, and every horizon looks exactly the same. Many choices might seem like a blessing, but in this type of situation what good does it do? The problem with unlimted choices is when you don’t have a clear marker to show the best choice. When you don’t have a trustworthy guide, that’s when life gets frustrating, confusing, disappointing, and complicated.
When these people have had enough, they cry out to God, and notice what He does. In verse 7 “He led them by a straight way.”
It all goes back to one of the most popular “life-verses” in the Christian community, Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Pay special attention, though, to the next two verses. “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones.”
Finally, what is that one trustworthy guide? Matthew 22:37-38 says, “He said to them, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.’”
More on this topic later this week.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
