BETTER LEFT BROKEN

Better Left Broken

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise."

Psalm 51:17

God fixes things. Is He fixing you? Right from the beginning of the world He has been about setting things right. Adam was created first, without a wife, and the Lord said “it is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper (Genesis 2:18).” But our God’s grace in restoring and repairing is displayed even more vividly after man fell into sin. Our relationship with God was ruined by our rebellion. But God through Christ has undertaken to repair this by the Cross for all who believe: “For He Himself is our peace.” Where ruining sin abounded, restoring grace abounded much more. The whole of heaven and earth are even now awaiting this Divine Repair. God fixes things. It is, in fact, His name: “and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to dwell in (Isaiah 58:12).”

The Scriptures, however, speak of one broken thing which God will not try to fix. Everywhere else He makes gracious provision for repair. But here alone He, as it were, restrains His very nature and leaves this thing broken. He is pleased, if you will, by its brokenness. This thing, dear reader, is a broken heart. So says the Psalmist: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, you will not despise (Psalm 51:17).” A broken heart in man is a great delight to God. He draws near when He finds it. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart…(Psalm 34:18)” He who gives sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, strength to the lame and even life to the dead…comes to this broken heart and says, as it were, “ah…better, much better, if this is left broken.”  A broken heart is a beautiful thing to the eyes of God.

But what exactly is a broken heart? What do the Scriptures mean by a broken heart? How can I know if I indeed have a broken heart? These questions come to my mind. I suppose there are many more. At best we can scratch the surface of this important truth. But the answers to these questions should get us driving in the right direction.

A broken heart is, first of all, a sin-sick heart. A broken heart is broken under the weight and reality of its own sin. The holy law of God stands in righteous judgment over this heart that knows it is a sinner. “God be merciful to me a sinner” is the cry of a broken heart. This heart no longer seeks to justify sin. This heart no longer seeks to excuse its sin. This broken heart sheds holy tears of sorrow and godly repentance over his sin. Reader, does your own sin sicken you and sadden your soul? Does your heart cry, like Paul, “Oh wretched man that I am?” That, I believe, is a sign of a broken heart. God loves this broken heart because it is He, by His Spirit, who broke it. Charles Spurgeon, that great London Baptist preacher of the 19th century, said this in a sermon about the work of God’s Spirit in the heart of man: “The Holy Spirit lays bare his heart, lets him see the loathsome cancer that is there eating away his life, uncovers to him all the blackness and defilement of that sink of hell, the human heart, and then the man stands aghast.” A broken heart is a sin-sick heart. Have you, dear reader, stood aghast at the sight of your sin? If not, then I fear you have not a broken heart.

A broken heart is, secondly, a sin-slain heart. Knowledge of his sin and misery has left him helpless and hopeless of saving himself. He that has a broken heart knows he can do nothing to please God. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” He is, as Paul says to the Ephesians, “dead in trespasses and sins.” Reader, has your own sin crushed you and killed you? Or, in your own mind, is it not so bad as that. Every sin has death written on it. “The wages of sin is death.” Do you believe the words of this old and wise confession “All people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath, unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin; without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit they are neither willing nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to dispose themselves to such reform?” A broken heart is a sin-slain heart. This heart sings, with the hymnist, “nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.” A broken heart has given up all hopes of saving itself. Reader, do you believe this? If not, then I suspect you have not a broken heart.

A broken heart is, thirdly, a sin-surrendering heart. It longs to be rid of sin. “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” A broken heart longs for heaven, longs for God, longs for Christ. A broken heart wants be rid of all the remnants of sin within, “earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven (2 Cor. 5:4).” Dear reader, are you ready to leave every sin this very moment? The broken heart is like Moses who chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin…for he looked to the reward (Heb. 11:25).” The broken heart says, with Augustine, “Lord, save me from that wicked man, myself!” Do you desire to be saved from yourself, your sin, your corruption, and all your evil desires? If not, dear reader, you have not a broken heart.

Finally, a broken heart rests in the only Savior for sinners, Jesus Christ. Broken hearts come to Jesus Christ. They say, with the Psalmist “My flesh and my heart fail me, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26).” My dear reader, if you are seeking to deal with your sin in any other way than coming to Christ, you have not a broken heart.  It must be said of you, as Peter said to Sorcerer, “your heart is not right in the sight of God (Acts 8:21).” . Believe this: Jesus Christ only dwells in broken hearts. A broken heart is the closest thing to heaven on earth. God dwells there. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).” Listen to these words of the Puritan pastor Thomas Watson: "Faith lives in a broken heart. 'He cried out with tears, Lord, I believe.' True faith is always in a heart bruised for sin. They, therefore, whose hearts were never touched for sin, have no faith. If a physician should tell us there was a herb that would help us against all infections, but it always grows in a watery place; if we should see a herb like it in colour, leaf, smell, blossom, but growing upon a rock, we should conclude that it was the wrong herb. So saving faith always grows in a heart humbled for sin, in a weeping eye and a tearful conscience." God loves a broken heart. It is, in fact, the one thing that is better left broken.

10 TIPS FOR NEW CHRISTIANS

10 TIPS FOR NEW CHRISTIANS

“I have been young, and now am old…”

Psalm 37:25a

I don’t know how old David was when he penned those words above. Somewhere “over the hill” I suppose. Clearly he was mature enough to have gathered some experience and wisdom in the things of this life. "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread." David’s age and personal experience lend weight to his argument and appeal. Time can be a great tutor. We instinctively trust those whose thoughtful teaching is drawn from the deep well of a long life. The observations of those who are older are like road maps handed down to the younger in the journey of life.  Rejecting the good advice of older folks can be ruinous.  Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, went astray when he “rejected the advice that the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him (1 Kings 12:8).”

I gather from this that the experiences and observations of older Christians can and should be passed along to those who are younger in the faith. King David is saying in this Psalm, as it were, “allow me tell you what I’ve seen.” Those who have walked with the Lord longer should have something helpful to pass along to those that find themselves nearer the beginning of this path. Jesus seemed to have a special love for children. He gathered them around Himself saying “let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them.” Christians should love every believer, but especially those whose faith is young or newly born. Hence John, pouring forth loving counsel in his first epistle, in 5 short chapters does 9 times specifically address the “little children.”

I have been a Christian myself for just over 20 years. By some standards I’m still in the “young” category. Frankly, I still have much to learn and much more to grow. I certainly have not “arrived.” I deeply appreciate the good counsel and sound advice I have received along the way from those far more mature as Christians than I ever hope to be. Yet 20 years seems long enough to have something to say to the younger saints. Though not as old as some, I am older than some, and would thus like to pass along a few tips to new Christians. I am not going to defend each of these points with a Biblical text or with endless quotes. My purpose is merely to share a few observations and suggestions in the simple spirit of “I have been young, and now am old…” This is what I have seen. These suggestions are not arranged in any particular order of importance. I simply wrote them down as they came to me. The fact that there are “10” was mostly unplanned.

My advice for new Christians:

1. Find a good local church, join it, and get involved. Without getting into too much detail about what is a “good” church, suffice it to say that they will believe in the authority of God’s Word and teach it. The pastor will preach the gospel and tell you how to live as a Christian also. But my main point is this: join and get involved. Do not be forever shopping and hopping from church to church looking for that perfect expression of the “ideal” church you have in your mind. I have rarely found a mature Christian, active and useful to the Lord, that is not connected with and serving within a local church. Become a member and find something to do.

2. Make friends with an older Christian and get to know them. If you are male, find an older and mature Christian man to befriend. Ladies…find a mature Christian woman and get to know her. Ask them to meet you for breakfast. Find out what their interests are and see if you can strike up some common ground for discussions and friendship. This doesn’t have to be a Bible study. I am simply suggesting you find someone further down the Christian road than yourself, and learn to tag along with them when you can. Some of the most helpful experiences of my younger Christian life occurred while sitting across a breakfast table at a local restaurant with some older believers.

3. Begin the life-long habit of daily devotions. By this I mean that you should make daily time for Bible reading and prayer. Pick a time that you can be consistent. Use a Bible reading plan to help you make steady progress through the Word. In my eagerness as a young Christian, I actually wrote out my own plan for reading the Bible. I still have this in my Bible today. But you can use any number of plans already made. Church and good preaching are important, but I have never met a healthy growing Christian that is not regularly reading his/her Bible and spending time in prayer. How long every day? I will leave that for you to prayerfully consider. If you want to read the whole Bible in a year, it will involve reading about 4 chapters a day. But quality time is more important than mere quantity. While reading, think about areas of your life that need to change to match what God is saying in Scripture. If you do this, you will grow. By the way, if you don’t have a cover for your Bible, pick one up. Make sure it has a pocket or room for a little notebook and a pen.

4. Keep a journal/notebook. I suggest you keep a little notebook in which you keep track of your Bible reading and notes. If you always read in the same place, just leave this notebook there with your Bible. Otherwise, make sure it is small enough to slip into your Bible cover. Inside, record the date and what you read. If you have time, write down any specific verses that spoke to you and what thoughts came to mind. Take this notebook with you to church and any other studies you attend and use it to write down notes in. In the BACK, write down any particular things you are praying about. I wouldn’t include anything too personal or private, as this book could be lost. With that in mind, put your name and contact information inside the front cover, just in case. It might not seem important now, but over the years I believe this habit will bear fruit and you will find yourself more productive in your reading, diligent in your prayers, and generally more knowledgeable in your Christian walk. I can recall how I would write down my thoughts on particular verses that struck me. I still have this journal, and I still employ this method of learning and reading.

5. Memorize Scripture. I recommend, along with your little notebook, that you purchase some 3x5 lined note cards. When you read a verse that is especially helpful, write it down on these cards and begin to commit the verse to memory. Go slow. Have some cards with you wherever you go. Having God’s Word memorized will strengthen your faith and equip you to share it like no other discipline I know.

6. Get involved in some mid-week Bible study or group. It is a long time between Sundays. Meeting together, when possible, with other Believers ‘mid-week’ will keep you accountable, help you to keep in touch with one another’s needs, and allow you additional opportunities to study and pray. I can tell you from my own experience that long absence from any sort of weekday involvement with other Christians tends toward a drying and dulling of your spiritual life. One of the first signs that a Christian is beginning to backslide is their absence from the prayer meeting. If your job or schooling makes this impossible (and it might), and you cannot make any changes in your schedule to allow it, then at least try to contact another Christian by phone or meet for breakfast at some point in the week. If your church does not offer such a meeting, speak to your pastor, offer your own home or apartment as a meeting place, and volunteer to get the word out to others. Have a mature Christian lead a little study with you and a few others if necessary.

7. Get involved in some good works. Give a little time to helping a local charity. Volunteer some time with a food bank. Visit a homeless shelter. Write letters to someone who needs encouragement. One of the best ways to combat discouragement is to focus your attention on the needs of others. You are in a spiritual battle my friend. And one of the key strategies of our “enemy” is to get us absorbed in our own issues and struggles so that we are virtually useless to those around us. Plan to do something good for someone else every week.

8. Share your faith. Pray for and look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus Christ. Invite a friend to church. Take home a handful of tracts from church and have them handy so you can give them out when the opportunity arises. I have gone door to door with a Pastor, handing out information about the church. I have distributed tracts in a downtown area with a friend. Don’t be afraid that you might not know the answer to a question. You can always say “I don’t know.” Then ask someone who does. The very activity of telling others the gospel, about how you came to know the Lord, and inviting them to church will mature you and strengthen you in your walk. Don’t be discouraged with what appears to be limited results. Leave that with the Lord. Just keep spreading the seeds.

9. Read some good books. Just as befriending and older Christian will prove useful, I believe “befriending” some of the important Christian books of our past will go a long way in helping you mature as a Christian. I could recommend some. But really, I think you would do best to ask the advice of your own pastor or that mature Christian friend for some suggestions. Your church may have a library. If so, use it. Read something every day if you can. Keep 1 book in the car at all times, as you never know when you might be stuck somewhere and have some unexpected time on your hands. Write down what you are reading in that notebook that I suggested back in tip #4.

10. Remember the Lord’s Day. This one may seem strange to some Christians. But I would suggest to you that a careful remembering of the Lord’s Day (Sunday) to keep it special is an important element to your spiritual maturity and growth. Granted, this is largely forgotten today. At best, one hour on Sunday is reserved for church, and the rest of the day is typically spent on recreation or personal entertainment. I truly believe this is one of the key reasons why there is so very little true Christian maturity in our generation. You may disagree, and I don’t want to argue it here. But I can tell you from my own experience that Christians who generally treat Sunday like any other day – except for the hour they give for worship – rarely seem grow as quickly as those who improve this day by setting it aside for the Lord. Use this day to rest and refresh your body and your soul. Use this day to serve others and better prepare yourself to be a blessing to those around you. Habitually attending a morning and evening worship service is a very helpful way to protect this day from other encroachments. And if you must work this day, I highly recommend you pick some other day during the week and treat it equally as carefully and respectfully in honor of the Lord.

If you are reading this and are not a Christian, it is the sincere desire of my heart that you would embrace the provision God has made for sinners like you and I in the Person of Jesus Christ. The punishment that we deserve fell upon Him. This is the gospel: “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5) and “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. And if you are a Christian, particularly a new believer, then my prayer is that you may “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).”  My young friend...“I have been young, and now am old…” I hope you will consider these suggestions, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Your soul’s well-wisher,

Jason

EARRINGS AND EPHODS....HOW TO MESS UP A GOOD THING...

Earrings and Ephods

or

How to really mess up a good thing…

"Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder….then Gideon made it into an ephod [a statue or image] and set it up in his city…. it became a snare to Gideon and to his house."

Judges 8:24, 27

Grace made Gideon a godly leader and great judge. Hebrews 11 speaks of him, and others, who “out of weakness were made strong” (Hebrews 11:34). Though he began fearful, yet he became faithful. God made him into the man he needed to be. Soldiers followed him, enemies feared him, and they all cried “the sword of the Lord and of Gideon (Judges 7:20)!” Thus the Angel of Lord prophesied truthfully when approaching Gideon hiding in the winepress and saying of him “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor! (Judges 6:12)” So great was the esteem of Gideon in the eyes of Israel that they wanted to make him king. But Gideon would not submit, for he wanted all the glory to go to God. “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you, the Lord shall rule over you (Judges 8:23).”

But choice men sometimes make foolish choices. Gideon, being careless of the spiritual consequences, made an image of the earrings they had plundered and “set it up in his city.” These harmless adornments became the occasion of horrible decay: “it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.” The gold which was a token of God’s salvation became a temptation to Gideon’s soul.

What is the spiritual lesson here? I suspect there are many. But one thing that strikes me is this: we need just as much grace to manage our blessings from God as we do to manage our burdens from God. A special watchfulness over the heart is needed as much in triumphs as it is in trials. Satan took special note of Job’s wealth and health. While God is blessing, our enemy is planning. If the Devil cannot slay you in the battle, he may nevertheless snare you in the victory. Beware, Christian, of how you handle the success God gives you. This plunder was safe when it hung beneath the ears, but it became a snare when it was constantly set before the eyes. Boasting can quickly ruin God’s blessings. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).” When the earrings became an ephod the focus shifted from what the Lord had done for Gideon to what Gideon had done for the Lord.

Much is written, and rightly so, on managing conflicts and trials to the glory of God. We need grace to praise and thank the Lord while under the shadow of dark Providences. We must learn to humble ourselves under the mighty Hand of afflictions and bless the God who not only “gives” but sometimes “takes away [Job 1:21].” James teaches us to cultivate that spirit that will “count it all joy” when various trials and troubles come. But Christians must learn how to manage their triumphs, as well as their troubles, to the glory of God. We must learn “how to be abased” but we must also learn “how to abound (Phil. 4:12).” Oh my soul, be very careful with the gifts of God. Think often of Paul’s question to the Corinthians “What do you have that you did not receive? (I Cor. 4:7)” and his humble assessment of his accomplishments: “by the grace of God I am what I am (I Cor. 15:10).” Remember Mary who, though greatly blessed among women, “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19).” Success, to an unwatchful heart, may quickly become a snare.

Oh my soul…what are the blessings you enjoy this day? Pray for grace and a humble heart to manage them well, lest they become a snare to your soul. God’s blessings are sometimes trials in disguise. The “tree of life” was a blessing, but also a trial. The “manna” in the wilderness was a blessing to Israel, but also a trial and a test, as Moses told them “that He might test you to do you good in the end (Deut. 8:16).” Wise Solomon said to his soul “Come now, I will test you with pleasure (Eccl. 2:1).” The Lord may test us as much with pleasure as He does with pain. Even the unbeliever knows some of this testing by blessing, “not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance (Romans 2:4).”

Gideon was a man of faith, but he failed to manage God’s blessing well. Reader…how are you managing the Lord’s blessings in your life? It is possible to mess up a good thing. Grace sweetens trials and sin can sour blessings. Without taking time to develop these thoughts, allow me to just share in closing several cautions and directions. They are as much for my own soul as for yours.

1) Make much of God’s grace in all your blessings

 

2) Stay especially close to God’s commandments in the midst of your blessings

 

3) Take special care how you publish God’s blessings

4) Whatever your blessings, let the cross of Christ be your only boast

FRIEND, GO UP HIGHER!

“Friend, go up higher”

Luke 14:10

What a keen observer of human nature was our Lord Jesus Christ. He who made man, and had now become Man, was and is the greatest interpreter of man. Here He was a guest in the home of a Pharisee. Here, if ever, He might be excused for a few moments from serving souls. Here He might be allowed some remission from His relentless ministry to man. And yet as they came to be seated for supper our text observes that He “noted how they chose the best places (Luke 11:7).” Even when our Savior was not speaking, still He was always watching. The Psalmist says “His eyes behold His eyelids try the children of men (Psalm 11:4).” So it ever was with our Lord. Many foolishly flatter themselves. Some folks think that because they cannot hear God, therefore God cannot see them. Do not be deceived. “He who formed the eye, shall He not see (Psalm 94:9)?” Even when Christ was not speaking, yet He was watching.

And Jesus proceeded to teach them something. Yet it is, upon first reading, one of the strangest lessons of our Lord in all of Scripture. In the midst of such unconcealed pride we would anticipate a lecture like “the loveliness of lowliness.” Or perhaps He might develop a prolonged polemic on the “devilish disease of pride”. These hypocrites had cornered themselves with their own conceit. Christ could clearly score an easy point on His opponents. The puffed up Pharisees and lawyers were like sitting ducks in a pool of their own pride: “They chose the BEST places.” Yet strangely our Savior does not take the easy shot. They were like fish in a bucket, and Jesus seems to let them off the hook. Rather than aiming His arrow of rebuke at their arrogant hearts, He seems to present them with an even better way to secure their lust for honor. “When you are invited” He tells them “go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’” Jesus says to them, it seems, “if you want honor, recognition and praise…let Me show you a better way.” And having taught them this trick, He tops it off with “Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.”

What is the real meaning of this mysterious message? Why does He who said elsewhere “blessed are the poor in spirit” here tell this company the quick road to “glory in the presence of all?” Why does Christ seem to cater to their crust on this occasion? How are we to understand this strange sermon?

First, it seems there is a hint of sarcasm here. Christ appears to be telling these false-faced honor-loving lawyers and Pharisees that if what they really want is worldly respect….here…let Me show you a better way. It is a sobering truth that the Lord sometimes gives you exactly what you want. Be careful what captivates your heart, you may just get it. Israel wanted a king, and the Lord granted their foolish and rebellious request. They begged for meat in the desert, and the Lord gave it, according to Moses, “until it comes out your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you (Numbers 11:20).” If we love money, we might very well get it, and all the evil that comes with such a love as well. If we want fame, we may very well get it, and all the pressures and impurities that such prominence often produces. Christian…if what you really want from this life is more friends, more money, more influence, and more experiences…the Lord may let you have them, and it may cost you your soul. Want to be the most important person in your church? You may have it. Want to be the envy of your circle of friends? It may be within your reach. If the reward you want is glory now, Christ may grant it to you as to the hypocrite of whom He says “I say to you, they have their reward (Matt. 6:16).”

But I think the heart of this lesson lies somewhere else. Jesus is not really teaching us how to get what we want in this life. This story is not about worldly advancement or the secrets to social success. Christ is contrasting two radically different choices. The attitudes displayed around this table were typical of two entirely opposite ways of living in this world. Choosing “the best places” or choosing the “lowest place” is a metaphor for those who live for this life and those who live for the next. To seek the “best places” is the way of this world. To seek the “lowest place” is the way of Christ’s kingdom.  "The best places" are sought by those who "mind earthly things (Phil. 3:19)" but we are to have the "mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:16)."  Jesus is saying “take the low seat now.” Here, in the banquet of this world and this life, take the lowest seat. Don’t look for honor right now. Resist that natural pursuit of popularity. Be content with the humblest place, be satisfied with the station of a servant, and let others have the honors, glory and respect. Be willing to go unnoticed now. Moreover, be content to be mistreated, misunderstood and maligned. “Blessed are you,” said Jesus “when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven (Matthew 5:11).” The great danger we all face is that we want our heaven right now. But as Jeremiah said to his servant “Do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not (Jeremiah 45:5).”

Christ’s very life modeled the true meaning of this message. He took for Himself the most humble seat in the house of humanity. Though being God Himself, He “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:5).” His whole life was one of humble obedience, “even the death of the cross (2:8).” Had He chosen a throne on earth, no king could have risen and asked Him to step down. But He chose a cave in Bethlehem for a cradle and the epitome of poverty for parents. In birth, life and death Jesus came and sat down in “the lowest place.” But when Christ’s life was done, God the Father said to Him (as it were) “Friend, go up higher.” And then He was “highly exalted” and given “the name which is above every name (2:10).” And oh Christian soul, you who suffer and sorrow now, one day Christ shall say to you “Friend, go up higher!” Then all the sorrows of this world will be left behind, fears will be forgotten, groans will be gone. “For I consider” says Paul “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).”

Dear reader: which end of the table are you aiming for right now? Do you want the best places in this life? Do you want the world’s esteem, praises and honor? Are you ashamed to consider Christianity for fear of what your friends might think? Are you trying to fit in with the crowd? Those who choose honor now must face the shame of their choice later. Christ, in this story, mentions that some who aim high will be brought low. Oh the dreadful day approaches when Christ commands you to step down and “then you begin with shame to take the lowest place (Luke 14:9).” The lowest place on earth cannot compare to the lowest place in Hell forever. Oh humble your heart now and repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Then shall the true meaning of this message not be lost upon your soul. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11).” 

RANDOM THOUGHTS

I just started learning the guitar.  Those who have done so can feel my pain.  Chords hurt.  My fingers ache.  The very thought of forming an "A" or "G" or "D" on those steel instruments of torture creates a sort of dread in my sore hand.  There is a constant tingling that now goes on in the tips of my fingers.  Pressing the strings is agony.  They say it will get more comfortable when calluses are developed.  Until then: OUCH!  It strikes me that our consciences are like this with sin.  At first it hurts.  It bothers us.  It feels uncomfortable and wrong.  But persistent sinning builds calluses on our heart and conscience.  What bothered us at first now hardly impresses us at all.  Soon we sin easily, comfortably, skillfully.  Have you grown comfortable with some sin?  Have I?  Surely we have.  Pray for tender consciences.  Pray for more pain when we sin.  I want calluses to develop on my fingers, but I dread the calluses of my soul that allow me to sin without pain.  O Lord...make me hurt again!


I saw a dead chipmunk yesterday.  There it lay: lifeless and hopeless.  The maggots, however, were FULL of activity.  They were swarming, chewing, wiggling, moving all over the poor dead creature.  Oh my soul...don't ever be alarmed that dead religion seems to be surrounded with furious activity by its followers.  The truth sometimes seems to be moving slowly.  But the truth is alive.  False religion is dead religion, no matter how much activity seems to be going on around it.


Some seem to mistake reading MUCH with reading WELL.  I think I have fallen into this from time to time.  Don't confuse these.  Reading well is not the same as reading much any more than speaking well is the same as speaking much.  Just because one eats much, we do not say he has eaten well.  Seek to read well, not to simply read much.