Dealing with Unhealthy Anger

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed.... (Psalm 37:7-9)

Psalm 37 was apparently written by an older and wiser King David (I was young and now I am old… v.25.) If you know anything about the life of David as recorded in the Bible, you will know that David suffered through many trials and persecutions throughout his life. Many people hated him and tried to kill him throughout his lifetime, including government officials, “friends”, and even his own son. Psalm 37 deals with the heart of the issue of injustice in the world, and the anger it can produce in our life. He writes:

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. (Psalm 37:1-15)

Dealing with the injustices that we see in the world and in our own personal lives begins with a faith in God, believing that he created everything and has absolute control over his creation, including the affairs of man. “Evil men,” as David calls them, those who do not believe in or serve God, have no future either in this life, or in the life to come in eternity. God has a master plan. He has the last say. A long-term view of life sees that God and righteousness always win. So when we see injustice and things in life that are just “not fair,” we need to first understand that God sees it also, and he has a plan to make all things right, to bring everyone into an account for their actions someday. Having this understanding, our proper response is to wait for God to take action, and follow his leading in our life to accomplish his purpose in us, the purpose for which he created us. Anger is not a proper reaction, because it pre-supposes that God either does not exist, or that he exists and just doesn’t care; that he has no plan to take care of things and bring about justice. According to David, this incorrect view of God leads to anger and negative results in our life.

Look at the benefits, however, of trusting in God in these situations:

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:3-6)

What a wonderful promise he makes to us if we trust in him! With such a wonderful promise from someone who never lies and never goes back on his word, why would we ever have any reason to be angry at the difficulties life puts in our path? We know what the future holds, and we know that there is an all-powerful God who will make all things right.

Are you caught in a circle of anger and frustration over the “unfair” circumstances of your life, and your powerlessness to be able to do anything about it? If so, then be assured that you are right where God wants you to be, in a position to come to him in faith and helplessness and to “wait patiently for him.” Replace your frustration and anger by “delighting yourself in the Lord,” and you will soon experience the joy and peace that comes from trusting in God. If you are delighting yourself in the Lord, you will then find out that the things you desire in life are the things God wants you to have, and that he delights in giving them to you! All the reasons to be angry will then just fade away…

If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. (Psalm 37:23-26)

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Where does Healing Come From?

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life…’” Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.” (Isaiah 38:1-5,21)

The record of King Hezekiah’s life; his illness, his prayer, and what the Lord spoke to him, provide valuable insights for us regarding healing. Let’s take a look at some of the principles this historical account teaches us.

First, healing comes from God, the one who created us. God also controls the timing of our physical death. Hezekiah developed some kind of sickness, and God sent word to him through the prophet Isaiah that he was not going to recover – he was going to die. Hezekiah then cries and prays to God. God hears his prayer, and decides to add fifteen years to his life. After delivering this message from God to Hezekiah that he would recover, Isaiah then uses “a poultice of figs” to apply to his skin disease as a remedy. If Isaiah (or anyone else) had tried to use this natural remedy prior to the Lord declaring that Hezekiah was going to be healed, it would not have worked. God made the decision: Hezekiah and Isaiah just followed his directions.

Modern day science is based on the foundation of evolution, and the belief that the universe is a closed system. It sees the universe in primarily physical terms. To have such a belief, one is forced to not believe in God or creation. However, God does exist, and his existence is not limited to the confines of his creation, e.g. the universe. He also exists outside of it. Therefore the universe cannot be a closed system. God created it, and he interacts with it as he chooses. The historical records of the life of Jesus show that Jesus constantly defied what evolutionists would call “the laws of nature” by doing such as things as walking on water, turning water into wine, healing diseases, and even raising dead people back to life.

Unfortunately, modern day medicine and modern day naturalism/alternative health primarily base their systems of healing on the evolutionary foundation which believes in a closed system. Healing is believed to exist primarily within the physical realm. So the medical system trusts in its medicines, and the naturalist trusts in natural substances such as herb, nutrients, etc. That these physical remedies do indeed have therapeutic value cannot be denied, even as people during the days of King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah probably understood that “poultices of figs” also had therapeutic value. But as noted above, God had already spoken regarding Hezekiah’s condition, and no natural or man-made remedy could have changed that. Among all the medicines and natural remedies known to man today, none of them affect healing 100% of the time. People still get sick, and people still die.

The second major principle we can learn from this account of King Hezekiah, is that God hears people’s prayers, and he is moved by them. The fact that God can “change his mind” regarding future events is also documented in other places in the scriptures. One of the best stories is the one of the prophet Jonah. Jonah was sent to preach against one of Israel’s enemies and go to the city of Nineveh. He tried to resist God, but that was futile. So he entered the city and proclaimed the word of the Lord, which was that Nineveh was going to be destroyed within 40 days because of their great sin. But as was similar in the story about Hezekiah, prayer was offered up to God, and God changed his mind:

When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:6-10)

Could it be that in the case of Hezekiah God was allowing certain things he had sown in his life to take their course in his illness until Hezekiah humbled himself before God and came to a point of recognizing his own sins and shortcomings, much like what happened with the king and citizens of Nineveh? I think we have the answer in Hezekiah’s own words after he was healed:

Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. (Isaiah 38:17)

Hezekiah apparently saw his illness as an opportunity to humble himself before God and change his ways. He could not say “you have put all my sins behind your back” if he was not aware that he had sinned against God. His illness humbled him and made him aware of his failures before God, and he turned to God for forgiveness and help. That was a good thing, and it moved God to change his mind!

Contrast that with the way our modern culture approaches healing today. Starting with a presupposition of a universe that is a closed system and where God does not exist, we approach all illness as a result of “natural causes” that can be observed through empiricism. God is never considered, and any sins committed against God are considered only as part of religion, and certainly not part of modern day healing. Spiritual health conditions are almost never related to physical health conditions. Remedies are sought only in the physical realm, and restoring one’s relationship to their Creator is not considered.

As I have noted in other writings (see links below), such a narrow concept of health and healing is a recent phenomenon in human history. Even within ancient Greek culture, which brought to us empiricism and much of the beginnings of modern day "science" academic thought, they believed in a spirit world and approached healing from not just the physical realm, but also the spiritual. They looked to their Greek gods, such as Apollo and Zeus, for healing in addition to using physical remedies. They understood that there was a spiritual aspect of health also, and they sought the favor of their gods.

I have also noted in other articles that our personal sins are not always a direct cause of our sickness. Sometimes our health can suffer through the sins of others, or from direct causal relationships to things such as pollution or toxins in our environment. But the source of healing is always the same in all circumstances, whether we recognize it or not.

I am the LORD, who heals you. (Exodus 15:26)

Where do you see the source of healing coming from? Who do you turn to when you are sick? When you are healed, who do you give credit to?

O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. (Psalms 30:2)

The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. (Psalms 41:3)

Related Articles:

Do Doctors Really Heal?

What is Health?

Who is Responsible for Providing Healthcare?

Who do You Run to When You are Sick?

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The Key to Happiness and Long Life

Would you like to enjoy life? Do you want long life and happiness? (Psalms 34:12)

I come across articles and advertisements quite frequently within the world of nutrition, natural foods, and alternative health that advertise or make claims to supply “long life” and happiness. There is even a whole field of science today called “longevity” which studies ways of slowing down the aging process. While there is wisdom and good practical advice within this field, it comes up short of delivering what is promised or hoped for, because of the way our culture defines “happiness” and “long life”. Happiness is usually thought of as a life free of stress and troubles, and long life is concerned only with our short (compared to eternity) life here on earth.

When you study the writings of King David in the Psalms, you learn a lot about happiness and longevity. It is interesting that the prelude to Psalm 34 does not put David safe and secure in his royal palace at the time of writing this Psalm. It puts him in that period of his life where he was constantly on the run from King Saul, who was always trying to kill him. He had to hide in caves and constantly keep moving to keep King Saul and his forces from finding him. That meant at times going to foreign countries that were enemies of Israel, and trying to convince the leaders of these countries not to kill him also. At times he apparently pretended to be insane to these foreign rulers just to protect himself. Doesn’t exactly sound like a happy existence with a future, does it?

But David never defined happiness as the absence of conflicts or struggles. On the contrary, happiness was found in the midst of them. Psalm 34 gives us the keys to David’s contentment in the face of life’s difficulties, and he instructs us how to live a long life with happiness.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. (Psalms 34:4-10)

When David faced difficulties in life, he turned to his Creator for help. David had a relationship with God. He knew that God loved him, and he trusted God to take care of him through all of the junk life can throw our way! As David ran for his life during the years Saul was trying to kill him, look at the statements of health that he wrote in the verses above. He prayed to God, and God delivered him from all his fears. His confidence in the Lord made him “radiant” and his face displayed joy instead of shame. His experiences in the presence of God are described as pleasant to his senses, as he uses such words as “taste” and “see.” In his distress he did not suffer from hunger and weakness – the Lord provided for all his needs, because he looked to the Lord alone as the source of everything he desired.

David enjoyed life, even in the midst of persecution and tremendous difficulties. He also wanted others to enjoy life as he did, and live long on the earth, so he wrote the secret to enjoying life and living long on the earth:

Come, my young friends, and listen to me, and I will teach you to honor the LORD. Would you like to enjoy life? Do you want long life and happiness? Then keep from speaking evil and from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good; strive for peace with all your heart. (Psalms 34:11-14)

It is very interesting that the first thing David wrote as the key to happiness and long life is what comes off of our tongues! This is probably because our speech reflects what we believe and what is in our hearts. I have written about the healing power of words in another article. Our tongues have the power to destroy or heal others, and according to this statement by David it also affects our own life as well. If we are speaking things that are not true, we are out of step with our Creator and the purpose he created us. To be happy and live a long life on earth, we need to “Turn away from evil and do good; strive for peace with all your heart.”

The key to doing this is to understand that God is in control of all things, and that we don’t have to take things into our own hands every time something goes wrong in life. We have to trust that God has a master plan, far above and beyond everything we could possibly know, and that we just have to trust him. To think that life is meant to be free of troubles or concerns is a wrong perception of the truth and reality. So many people who are chasing happiness and longevity are pursuing an empty dream of something that does not exist in this life. This produces frustration and the desire to blame other people and other things for all our troubles. But David clearly writes here that happiness and long life are accomplished in the midst of troubles and difficulties in life, by having an attitude of trust and faith, and turning to God when we need help:

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all… (Psalms 34:15-19)

So the key to happiness and long life is not the absence of difficulties, but the proper attitude and response towards them. This attitude is much different than the world’s attitude of trying to control our environment and circumstances to produce a life free of troubles and difficulties, pursuing the false dream of something that does not exist in this life. Hence, our modern day culture has replaced faith in God with faith in science, technology, and medicine, foolishly believing that these man-made objects of our faith will produce happiness and longevity. The “naturalists” are not much different, concentrating mostly on the physical realm and simply replacing technology and medicines with vitamins, herbs, etc. But both approaches start out with the wrong presupposition about life (evolution) and the difficulties we face in life (survival of the fittest or ”advancing” in the evolutionary process), and how to deal with them, because they leave the Creator out of the discussion.

David then concludes this Psalm with this thought:

Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalms 34:21-22)

God has the last say. We are all mortal and we will all die a physical death and come face to face with our Creator. Those who have depended upon God and have gone through the spiritual rebirth process will not be condemned, because Jesus was condemned in our place. Those who trust in anything besides God throughout their life will suffer the consequences. So how you deal with life’s difficulties and pursue happiness and longevity in this life also affects what happens to you in the rest of eternity!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:16-21)

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The Health of Waiting

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.' Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.' Therefore your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill." Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:15-18)

The Jews were facing certain destruction at the hands of the Assyrian army. In the physical realm, it looked hopeless. The enemy was too strong! So they started to act in the way they thought was best, by looking to Egypt for help against a common enemy.

But God sent them a message through his messenger, the prophet Isaiah. The message: wait! The answer to their problem did not lie in alliances with other countries or by running away: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…” The solution to their problem did not lie in the physical realm. The answer was in their relationship to their Creator. They needed to repent of their sins, and then simply wait in quietness and trust.

Waiting is difficult, however. It is always easier to take action immediately and take matters into our own hands. Yet learning to trust in the Lord and wait for His timing reaps great benefits! The leaders of Israel, who listened to the word of the Lord and waited, saw great victory in the face of seemingly hopeless situations. Read about King Hezekiah who did just that in 2 Kings 18:17 through 2 Kings 19. The result was that “the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp” forcing their troops to withdraw from their attack on Jerusalem. The Jews never even had to fight! The words of Isaiah were proven true: “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (See above)

Isaiah the prophet had a keen understanding of the principle of “waiting” upon God, and wrote about it often. He stated that those who waited upon God could gain great physical strength:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (Isa 40:28-31)

This phenomenon of great physical strength was observed many times among the people who waited for God in faith. David waited on God for probably more than 10 years before he was installed as king over Judah and Israel, and all during that time he faced tremendous persecution and had to constantly hide from King Saul who sought to kill him. A couple of times David had the opportunity to kill Saul himself and end the madness, but he refrained, choosing instead to wait for God’s timing. David’s writings in the Psalms frequently attest to the great advantages of waiting for God:

A Psalm of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for you will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. Make me know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:1-5)

Waiting for the Lord is not strictly related to just the physical battlefield either. Waiting for God is related to faith in God, trusting that he controls all things and has a master plan where everything works out in the end to accomplish his purposes. Waiting is a kind of trust knowing that things as we see them now will not always be the same, because God controls the past, present, and future. This kind of waiting and faith takes away all cause for anger towards injustice, and the things in life that just don’t seem fair:

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. (Psalms 37:7-9)

Today, unfortunately, we live in a world that has no patience, and where waiting has no value. We are taught that “time is money,” and time is seen as a commodity that can be bought and sold, and something that should not be wasted. But time is also eternal, and in light of eternity, its value for the present becomes greatly diminished. Believing that one has no time to wait, or no time to spend getting to know our Creator, is a huge misconception. When our current culture approaches the issue of sickness, for example, we believe that we don’t have time to wait for our healing, or an extended period of time to rest and to seek the Lord for understanding about what his purpose might be in our illness. Viewing time as a commodity and something that should not be wasted in “unproductive” rest and waiting, we seek “magic” pills instead to make us feel better, never taking the time to wait and understand what the underlying cause of our illness is, and the long-term cure, because we believe we don’t have time to wait. How tragic! The result is that today, “properly” prescribed drugs (separate from the recreational use of drugs which is also a big problem) is now the fourth leading cause of death in the US, causing more than 106,000 deaths each year. Unfortunately, impatience often kills. Waiting on the Lord, however, can bring great healing. Are you willing to wait?

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion... Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18)

Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31)

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Do You Know Your Creator?

more precious than gold, than much pure gold… (Psalms 19:10)

When David finally took possession of the nation of Israel and was installed as king, he became a man of great wealth. When we read the Psalms he wrote, we see the things he valued most in life reflected in his writings. David valued his relationship to his Creator above anything else on earth. Knowing God was the most important thing in David’s life. As he wrote in Psalm 19, understanding God’s revealed word was more precious and valuable to him than gold or anything else life had to offer him.

Psalm 19 shows us three truths about how God communicates with us, and how we can know him. As I have written previously, the word “know” or “knowledge” has various meanings. One can “know” facts or truths about someone without ever meeting that person, such as reading books about the person. This is a different kind of knowledge than knowing someone through a personal relationship. The first two truths in Psalm 19 are concerning knowing about God, and the third truth is concerning having a personal relationship with God. So the first two truths are one-way communication of knowledge from God to us, and the third way is two-way communication between God and us.

Truth One: Knowing God through Observing His Creation (Science) - Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. (Psalms 19:1-6)

David starts out the Psalm by writing about how God speaks through his creation, specifically the “heavens.” The “heavens” here is referring to parts of creation we can observe in the sky, specifically the stars and the sun. According to Genesis 1, the stars, sun and moon were all created on the fourth day of creation:

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the fourth day. (Genesis 1:14-19)

We can see several purposes of the elements we can observe in the heavens from these verses: signs to mark seasons and days and years, to give light on the earth, and to separate the night from the day. David states in Psalm 19 that these signs in the heavens communicate with their own language, and that they “declare the glory of God.”

Throughout much of the history of mankind the concept of the word “science” meant to study the creation God had created and learn from it. As I have written in other articles, the English word for science used to be synonymous with the word “knowledge” before it took on its more narrow meaning in modern times. Much of early science was concerned with studying the heavens for purposes of navigation when the world still traveled around primarily in ships. We also read in the book of Daniel in the Bible that the Babylonian culture (and later the Mede/Persian culture) had knowledge in the study of the stars, as these “wise” men, which included the Hebrews Daniel and his friends, included “astrologers.” It was this knowledge that led the Magi from Persia many years later to follow the Star of Bethlehem to find the Messiah, the Jewish King, born as a baby in Bethlehem who was named Jesus. (There is an excellent documentary made on the Star of Bethlehem by Rick Larson which is worth watching: http://bethlehemstar.net/ )

In the Book of Romans in the New Testament portion of the Bible, the apostle Paul writes that the creation of God teaches us about God’s moral character, and that the truth of God and his existence is evident to all who look at the creation. God’s creation speaks to us and there can be no doubt that God created us, and that we have a responsibility to understand who God is:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20)

While observing the creation teaches something about God and leads us to seek out our Creator, the second way God communicates with his creation is through his revealed written word.

Truth Two: Knowing God and What He Expects of Us through His Revealed Written Word - Psalm 19:7-11

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:7-11)

Observing the universe that God created and learning from its language teaches us some things about God. But what God’s expectations and standards are for those of us who live in this world had to be revealed to man by direct encounters with God. Throughout the history of mankind God chose certain people to communicate these standards and directives. Many of them were directed to write down these messages from God, referred to in Psalm 19 by various words such as laws, statutes, precepts, commands, and ordinances. The Bible today is the best collection of the written record of these revelations from God.

Moses was the main person who recorded the laws of God in Old Testament times. God had made a covenant with Abraham, the forefather of the Jews, which is recorded in Genesis 12:

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3)

Israel was the chosen nation from which God would bless all other families on the earth. But during the days when Moses lived, the Israelites were slaves in the land of Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt miraculously, and then he revealed to Moses a system of laws and commands by which they were to live. These commands were dictated to Moses in his own language. This revealed law from God that Moses wrote down is contained within the first five books of the Bible that Moses wrote. It is this body of writing that King David is mainly referring to in Psalm 19:7-11, which he placed greater value than anything else that existed on earth. Notice how David describes God’s written revealed word:

• It is perfect, reviving the soul.
• It is trustworthy, making wise the simple.
• It is right, giving joy to the heart.
• It is radiant, giving light to the eyes.
• It is pure, enduring forever.
• It is sure, and altogether righteous.
• It is more precious than gold.
• It is sweeter than honey.
• It warns/protects us.
• There is great reward in keeping it.

Living and ruling the nation of Israel by this system of laws that God had revealed to Moses allowed David and the nation of Israel to prosper. A partial fulfillment of the Abraham covenant was fulfilled, particularly during the rule of his son King Solomon, where Israel had rest from all their enemies, and all nations of the world came to Jerusalem to worship God and learn the wisdom of King Solomon which was based on the written revealed word of God: The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. (1 Kings 10:24) Solomon wrote much of the “wisdom” literature contained in the Old Testament portion of the Bible, particularly the Proverbs.

The Old Testament Law is still valuable to us today in understanding God’s expectations and standards. It is still the basis of most legal systems around the world today. In the New Testament the apostle Paul wrote:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“Scripture” is another word used to refer to God’s revealed word in written format, and we use it today to refer also to the New Testament writings of the Bible. But when Paul wrote this, he was referring mainly to the Old Testament writings because not all of the New Testament writings had been recorded or collected yet. The laws of God are seen as “useful,” not only for rulers and legal systems of nations, but for the “man (or woman) of God” who wants to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Throughout history rulers and religious leaders have sought to keep the Bible from being translated into the common language of the masses, so that they could be kept “in the dark” and easily controlled. Many of these “dark ages” passed away after key reformers took on the task of translating the scriptures into the language of the common people in the face of terrible persecution, such as John Wycliffe (English) and Martin Luther (German). Their efforts transformed societies because of the great knowledge of the scriptures that was made available to the masses. In more modern times, the atheistic communist regimes have sought to keep the scriptures from being available to the masses of people during the “Cold War” period.

Truth Three: Knowing God on a Personal Basis – Psalm 19:12-14

Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:12-14)

While the written revealed word of God communicates standards and principles that God desires everyone to live and abide by, he wants us to move beyond knowing about him, and come into a personal relationship with him. David not only knew about God through looking at the creation and studying the revealed written word of God, he had a personal relationship with God, where God communicated with him on a personal level, guiding him and directing him according to the path that God had planned for his life.

What makes this kind of relationship possible is the act of forgiveness. While studying the laws of God teaches us what God expects of his creation, it also teaches us that we fall short of meeting those expectations, and that we are incapable of living by those expectations perfectly. Once we understand this, we understand our need to be forgiven by our Creator in order to come into a personal relationship with him.

Fortunately for us, God has provided a way for forgiveness that does not compromise his own character of holiness, purity and righteousness. Since God is both the law-giver and the law-ruler, he cannot pervert justice by allowing guilty people to go unpunished. That would violate his own character and the very moral fibers of the universe. In Old Testament times, a blood sacrifice was commanded to atone for sins. The writer of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament explains that the act of an animal sacrifice in and of itself did not atone for the person’s sins, but that it was their faith in God. Faith in God that he would atone for their sins was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, referred to as the “lamb of God,” whose sacrificial death on the cross atoned for the sins of the world. Forgiveness of sins is now available to anyone without the need for animal blood sacrifices. A desire to turn away from one’s sins (failure to keep the standards of the law) and find forgiveness, trusting in God’s provision in satisfying his demand for justice through the death of Jesus Christ, results in a person being born again spiritually and coming into a personal relationship with him. Do you know your Creator? Or do you only know about him? For more on the born again experience, read here.

Once our sins are forgiven and we have a spiritual relationship with God, we can communicate with him on a personal level, receiving wisdom and guidance from him that is specific to our life, and the plan he has for us!

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

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What does it mean to be a “Christian?”

The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts 11:26)

The name “Christian” carries a wide range of meaning and understanding today, as it has throughout history. It is obviously related to “Christ,” which is from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for “Messiah,” and refers to the person of Jesus Christ. A general definition of “Christian” then would be someone who follows the teachings or doctrine of Jesus Christ. The teachings of Jesus Christ are contained in the Bible, but how they are understood and what kind of people should bear the name “Christian” is highly debatable, and by no means universally accepted or understood.

It is interesting to note that the followers of Jesus during his lifetime on earth and shortly after did not refer to themselves as “Christians.” In the New Testament writings of the Bible, those who followed Jesus and his teaching referred to themselves as “disciples,” “believers,” “brethren,” and other similar terms. When they were gathered together in one place they referred to themselves as the “church,” which has a very different meaning in the way it was used in the Bible than it does in contemporary culture. It meant a gathering or assembly of people for a specific purpose. The word was used not only in a religious sense, but also in a secular sense such as in Acts 19:39 where the word is translated as a legal “assembly” in relation to the Roman government. The focus is on the people and their gathering together, not on the place or building they gathered in, or in some organization or institution, as the word has come to mean in contemporary culture.

The original disciples and followers of Jesus were all Jews. Therefore in the very early stages of the development of church gatherings in and around Jerusalem, which grew at a rapid rate where sometimes thousands of people were added to the assemblies at one time, the disciples were seen as a sect, or branch, of the Jewish religion which centered around the teachings of Jesus Christ. Sometimes the disciples were referred to as the sect of “the Nazarenes” by those who opposed them, because Jesus and many of the original disciples came from Nazareth. It was believed that no prophet or person of note would ever come from that area of Israel, so it was a negative term used by those who opposed the early believers. But they were still viewed as Jews.

All of that quickly changed, however, when non-Jews began believing in Jesus and joining the assemblies, and even starting their own assemblies. Non-Jews were called “Gentiles.” The first large assembly that quickly grew of mainly non-Jews was the one in Antioch. To refer to these believers as a sect of the Jewish religion or “Nazarenes” was no longer appropriate. Hence, the people living in that area began calling them “Christians.” It does not appear that the believers themselves were using this term: it appears that it was used by those outside the church, to distinguish them from Jewish believers. It is likely that like “Nazarenes,” the name “Christian” was used negatively.

Besides Acts 11:26, the word “Christian” is only used in two other places in the Bible. One is in Acts 26, when Paul is being held prisoner by the Roman Governor Festus before going to trial in Rome, and he appears before the Jewish King Agrippa and eloquently defends his faith in Jesus as the Messiah. King Agrippa then asks Paul: “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (Acts 26:28) Since the term “Christian” seemed to be only used for Gentile believers, the Jewish King’s question could be interpreted as a question of denying his Jewish faith. Paul does not give a direct yes or no answer, but instead replies: “Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:29) He basically avoids the term “Christian” altogether, since in his defense he mentions how strictly he adhered to the conservative form of the Jewish religion as a member of the Jewish Pharisee party. To “become like Paul” in this context therefore was to be like a strict conservative religious Jew who had accepted Jesus as his Messiah.

The final occurrence of the name “Christian” appears in 1 Peter chapter four. In this chapter the apostle Peter is explaining to believers that those who follow Christ will suffer hardships, and that this is normal. He draws a distinction between those who suffer simply from associating with Christ even though they have done nothing wrong, and those who suffer because they commit offenses against others. He writes:

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (1 Peter 4:12-16)

It would appear that within this context, again it is those who are opposing the believers that are using the name “Christian.” But Peter says that in such a situation we should not be ashamed of the name, since it includes the name of Christ. We should praise God in such a situation.

So should believers of Jesus Christ today use the name “Christian” to describe themselves, even though the earliest disciples did not? There is probably no right or wrong answer to that question. The answer really depends on what one wants to communicate by using such a name, and how the people you are communicating with understand the meaning of the name. The name “Christian” is understood in many different ways, especially among various cultures and languages around the world, since there is so much history and politics associated with the name. One should consider carefully how the name is understood within their particular context and culture.

Of much greater importance is the issue of what Jesus himself thinks about the use of names and associations. As I have pointed out in other devotionals, there is a vast difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing that person through personal association. One can say, for example, that they know the President of the United States, because they know the President’s name and know some things about the President and the political party the President is associated with. Such knowledge comes from reading what others have written, or listening to what other people have said about the person. The number of people who “know” the President this way could well number in the hundreds of millions, if not billions of people. But the people who truly know the President through personal association, who have actually met the President and spent time with the President, would be a far smaller number by comparison.

Knowing Jesus is the same way. Jesus strictly warned people that those who only know about him, including religious people, will have no place in his eternal kingdom:

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Just as there are very many people who know about the President of the United States but only a few people who truly know the President, so it is with Jesus. Bearing the name of “Christian” or believing in a certain doctrine will not impress Jesus when you meet him in eternity after your physical death, if that is the first time you are meeting him. Even those who live “good” lives and try their best to follow the teachings of Jesus and the Bible will not impress Jesus. Only those who truly know Jesus will enter into his eternal kingdom, and Jesus himself said that the numbers who enter will be few:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

Notice in the passage above how Jesus describes those who truly know him: “but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Jesus himself was the perfect example of someone who only did the will of his Father in Heaven, and never did things to serve his own self-interest:

I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does….. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. (John 5:19,30)

There is a God who is the Creator of the world, and who also created you. He has a specific will for your life. Everyone is either learning to follow God’s will for their lives, or following their own personal interests while ignoring God. Jesus knew God perfectly and perfectly followed his will. Those who know Jesus and are his disciples are in the process of learning how to deny themselves and their own personal agendas, and how to follow God’s will and plan for their lives.

Do you know Jesus? Are you one of his disciples? This question is far more important than what label you carry, or what other people call you. To know Jesus, we first have to meet him. We do this spiritually, by being born again spiritually. To learn more about the spiritual rebirth, read the foundational article here. Once we meet Jesus, our personal agendas in life need to be given up and laid at the feet of Jesus as a sacrifice, so that as disciples of Jesus we wait for his instructions to accomplish the will of God in our lives. Our will is sacrificed for his. We will find true health and fulfillment the closer we draw to him and follow his plan, as we get to know him better and remain in his presence each day accomplishing his will!

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:4-19)

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Joy within Sorrow: The Great Paradox of Life

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11)

The time of Jesus’ earthly ministry was drawing to a close. Soon he would have to walk that lonely road to the cross where he would be crucified, and separated from his family and friends. He knew that his family and friends would initially experience great sorrow over his execution and death, but he also knew what wonderful things were going to happen in the future on the other side of the cross, when he came out of the grave and rose again from the dead. So he takes some time with his closest disciples to try and prepare them for what is about to happen.

At the beginning of the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of John, we have the words of Jesus recorded that he spoke to his closest friends just before he was betrayed and handed over to the Jewish authorities to be arrested and executed:

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3)

Jesus’ words here contain an exhortation, and some promises. The promises are:

1. My father has a “house” with many rooms. This place is not in the current physical world, but in heaven.

2. Jesus was going to this place in heaven, and preparing a place for his friends.

3. Jesus is coming back to take his friends with him to this place in heaven.

These promises then formed the basis for his exhortation: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” Things were going to get ugly very quickly. A group of soldiers were on the way to arrest Jesus, and he was about to be tried and convicted, and then sentenced to execution. Things would appear to be hopeless. It would appear that they would be completely separated from Jesus, never to see him again, as they would watch him die a painful death being executed on the cross. But the truth of the situation was that his death was temporary. Wonderful things were going to happen as a result of his death, which was actually part of an overall plan to bring salvation to the world. So he takes this time just before he is arrested to comfort them with the truth, and exhort them to not let their hearts be troubled, but instead trust in him and the things he had taught them.

Our hearts represent the seat of our emotions. Our emotions can get out of hand and betray us, and sometimes we need our mind to take over and control our emotions. This is what Jesus was attempting to teach his closest disciples, and he further elaborated on this concept in John chapter 16, where he compared the current situation they were going through with the example of a woman suffering while giving birth to a child:

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. (John 16:20-22)

A woman can have joy in the midst of her pain and agony while giving birth to a child, because she knows what the result will be in the future after that event is over. The result is something very positive and joyful. Jesus stated that his followers would experience the same thing: a time of grief followed by great joy. This is the truth of the great paradox in life: the greatest joy is found in the midst of pain and suffering.

Outside of the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus explained in John chapter 15 that this concept of having joy within the midst of pain and suffering was an ongoing process – not just something that happens occasionally in life. It is God’s way of “pruning” us and keeping us connected to Jesus:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful… No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:1-11 italics added)

While the pruning can be painful, the outcome is “fruitfulness” and joy. The more we experience the love of God by remaining united to Jesus, the more joy we have. But along with that joy comes opposition by the world and the world system. This opposition brings pain and suffering into our life. But that pain and suffering should not snuff out our joy, because we know the outcome of our faith and what is in store for the future. Jesus overcame the world system that opposed him and led to his execution, by rising from the dead. He lives in heaven now, and his followers will also join him there.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

The world’s philosophy of life, built upon the faulty foundation of evolution, is in direct contrast to this paradoxical truth of joy in the midst of pain and suffering. If you are not joyful, their solution is to give you a pill and hide the pain and suffering. Their incorrect thinking is that the world is becoming a better place through science and technology, and that pain and suffering will one day be overcome through man’s superior intelligence and technical skills. They believe medicine will one day eliminate diseases, for example. Unfortunately, there is no true joy in this view of life, because there is no hope for the future, after physical death. Only despair. Science and technology are poor objects of faith to trust in when the pain and suffering of life hit you hard.

Jesus, on the other hand, is a person worthy of our trust and faith. He gave up his own physical life on the cross, and now offers a place in heaven in God’s house to all who trust in him. Knowing Jesus and his love for us, will give us great joy, and complete joy, during the times of pain and suffering in this life. He doesn’t remove the pain and suffering from our lives: he himself had to walk the road of pain and suffering to the cross. But he offers us strength, encouragement and hope, which leads to joy. Do you trust him? Do you have complete joy in your life?

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. (John 14:1)

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11)

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