No Fear

Jesus is fearless. 

 Mark 4:37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

I read that passage and marvel at His peace.  Jesus could sleep soundly even though the boat was being tossed by the wind and filled by the waves.  


Some people stress that the passage demonstrates the humanity of Jesus.  He was asleep because He was exhausted, after having taught the crowds that were chasing after him all day.  It's true that He suffered from the same exhaustion as we sometimes experience.  It's true that He is fully human while being fully divine.


But that's not what gets me when I read this passage.


What grips my heart is the lack of fear.


I don't care how tired I am, if I were in a boat that was foundering, with waves breaking over the sides and filling the boat with water, I'd be terrified.  I'd be crying out to God, praying for mercy, begging Him to take care of me.


Jesus didn't do that.


He knew Who was in control.


He had NO fear.  He had ALL faith.


As soon as they woke Him, He rebuked the wind and shut down the waves, then turned to the disciples and asked, "Why are you so afraid?"


Why, indeed?  You have the Lord of the Universe in the boat with you, guys.  He's completely at peace.  He's sound asleep.  If He's not afraid, what's wrong with YOU?


I marvel at the fact that I am in Christ, yet I worry.  I fret.  I fear.  I cry out to God, asking Him to intervene in my latest crisis.  I beg Him to calm the waves that threaten to break my world apart.  


I think He's still asking, "Why are you so afraid?  Have you still no faith?"


I am IN CHRIST.  His Father is my Father.  His control of the storms of life is the same now as it was then.  NOTHING is outside His power.  NEVER has He failed.  NO harm can ever come to me unless my God wills it for my good.  There is absolutely nothing to fear if you are a child of God. 


Almighty Father, Maker of Heaven and earth, 
Creator of the wind and the storms,
You control every molecule
                      every atom
                       every proton and neutron and electron
            And not one thing is outside of Your power.
So help Your children to rest in You, 
                                       to live in peace,
                                       to walk in faith and trust, 
               resting in Your strength and love,
So that the world will see that You are
                      completely trustworthy
                                         and that Your power 
        is demonstrated in our weakness strengthened by faith
In the name of Jesus, our Saviour and Brother and Friend.  Amen.

Worship = ??

The first half of this discussion is here.    Go there and read it before reading the following, if you haven't already done so.


The word most commonly translated "worship" in the New Testament, apart from the gospels and Revelation, is latreuein, meaning to serve. This service is to God, and is often expressed through serving God’s people. Thus, you serve God by serving his people. 


Let's look at some examples:

Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify  for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will  the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience  from dead works to serve the living God.

Christ's sacrifice has freed us from the law, and given us the freedom to serve. How do we serve the living God?

Romans 12:1, ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship’. The noun for worship here means service, and the context of this service is our whole lives.  The reasonable conclusion a Christian must make when he realizes that God preserved a remnant and grafted him in, making him part of God's family is that he must serve the living God.  

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 

.
God gave His chosen people eternal life.  He called them by His grace.  Paul has just explained that the Gentiles have been grafted in, wild branches into the cultivated olive tree.  When he thinks about the grace of God, he breaks into praise and says, 

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be glory forever. Amen

We are to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God, which is our reasonable service, or our reasonable service of worship. According to Romans 3:23, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  All deserve death.  But God provided a way for us to be at peace with Him.  He paid the price for our sins.  He causes all things to work together for our good.  

In light of all of this, it is reasonable for us to serve our Master.  Every moment of our lives should be spent in service to our God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Thessalonians 5:12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,  encourage the fainthearted, help the weak,be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Hebrews 12:28 – ‘Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship (‘serve’) God acceptably with reverence and awe’. The writer then spells out what this looks like for us (ch.13) and it includes loving each other, honoring marriage, being content, remembering church leaders, and so on.

Remember, in the last post we noticed that JESUS CHANGED EVERYTHING.

Before Jesus, 

• worship was duty
• the location of worship was the temple
• the manner of worship was proscribed specifically and included daily sacrifices

Now that Jesus has been raised from the dead,

• He has made us children of the living God
• We don't need to go anywhere to worship; He indwells us by His Spirit
• We are called to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice

All of life, everything we think, or say, or do, should be offered for His glory!

Too often we limit the significance of worship to what goes on in Church, or even to singing, commonly known as the ‘worship time’. However this skews the breadth of the Bible’s teaching on worship. 

To say you go to church to worship is as silly as saying you go to bed to breathe.  You don't start breathing when you go to bed... you breathe all the time!  You don't start worshipping when you go to church.  You are to be worshipping God with every thought, every word, and every deed!  All of the time, in every way, you are to glorify God.  You do so by serving Him and serving others.

Implications to ponder

1.  We ought never to refer to the church building as "God's House".  I know I did that when my children were little.  But God does not dwell in a building made by human hands.  The Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70, and there is no special building meant for worship.  WE are the temple of God.

2.  We ought not call Sunday gatherings "Worship Services".  There are negative implications associated with this practice:

• implies a special standing with God as we gather
• we can feel we have satisfied Him for another week by going to church
• we feel we've done our duty
• this encourages a legalistic, rule-based mindset

We gather to encourage one another, to love one another, to exhort one another, to pray for one another.  We gather because we need each other, and because it is a blessing to us!

All of our lives should be lived in worship.  God doesn't require one day per week to be set aside - He wants ALL of us.  

Consider tithing as an example.  Christians are happy with themselves when they tithe.  They check off their list, feeling pretty good about themselves.  But God doesn't want us to tithe.  He wants ALL of us.  He wants us to see that everything we own belongs to Him.  He wants us to dedicate all of our money, our time, our energy, our efforts to Him, for His glory and for the good of His people.  All of our lives should be lived in service to God.  It's our reasonable service.

3.  We ought not to think worship means coming, singing, praying, giving...    The New Testament shows us that we need to minister to each other.  Our gatherings should encourage that.  We should spend time together, sharing the difficulties and the joys of our week.  Don't just attend and pray and sing and listen and take notes, then scoot out the door.  Be involved.  Interact.  These people are your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Spend time with them.  Encourage them!

4.  We ought not to judge or evaluate the service by how we feel.  It can be very subjective.

Did I feel the presence of God?

Did the music move me?

Instead, we should be asking, "Why am I here?"

• to learn
• to praise
• to pray
• to minister

Our emphasis should be on ministering to one another.  We should be teaching and admonishing each other, addressing each other in song.  The goal is to glorify God by edifying each other to equip one another to face another week of spiritual warfare.

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

Ephesians 5 be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in v psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

We give the truth to each other when we meet together, singing the praises of God shoulder to shoulder.  We equip each other to face a difficult week full of trials and triumphs.  

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers,  since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

We have the confidence to approach God.  Everything has changed.  We have the greatest, best High Priest, who is always with us, always interceding for us, helping us to live for Him.  So our reasonable service, our act of worship, is to encourage one another, to build each other up in the faith.  This is worship.

Assignment: Go through the New Testament and write down what Christians did when they met together.  You'll be blessed.

Worship

What do you think of when you ponder the word, "worship"?  When I think about it, my mind goes back to my childhood.  My parents took me to a huge old church in downtown Quebec City.  Just walking through the massive oak doors inspired awe within me.  The sanctuary was decorated with stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible, with the names of donors who had died inscribed beneath each window.  The organ shone against the dark mahogany.  People spoke in a whisper.  Truly God was there, I thought.


When our children were young, we'd get them all dressed up to go to church.  We taught them that Sunday meetings were special, and that there was to be an attitude of reverence when we walked through the doors on Sunday morning.  After all, we were in God's House.  (If you click the link you'll see that referring to church as God's House is unwise.)


But what does the Word of God say about Christians gathering?  What does it say about worship?


Murray Campbell, a pastor from Australia, explains it well:

There are three main word-groups the Bible uses which we sometimes translate as worship:

1) The Greek word most commonly translated to worship is proskynein. This word speaks of homage or grateful submission. It literally refers to physically prostrating oneself before God or kissing his feet. This word occurs 288 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament this word mainly means a literal prostration, bowing the knee, rather than a metaphorical bowing. 

2) Another word group often translated as worship is latreuein, meaning to serve. This service is to God, and is often expressed through serving God’s people. Thus, you serve God by serving his people. 

3) Worship as reverence or respect (sebomai). This reverence or fear of God is essentially a matter of walking in His ways and keeping His commandments.

The word "worship", proskynein, to approach and fall down before someone, kissing his feet or the ground, is NEVER used in connection with Christians gathering.  It is used in the gospels, and in Revelation, but it is never given as a command to Christians.  It is only used twice in Acts and the epistles.  In one instance in Acts, it is Cornelius, an unbeliever, who falls down and worships.  In the other instance it is the Patriarch Jacob who is referred to in Hebrews as worshiping God.


As the church expands in the Acts of the Apostles, there is no mention of worship.  In the epistles, there are no instructions to the churches on how to worship.  


Why not?  Why would the word "worship" not be used?


It is very clear that something has changed drastically at the end of the gospels.


Take the time to read the story of Jesus and the Woman of Samaria.  It was unusual that Jesus decided to take a shortcut through Samaria.  The Samaritans were half-breeds, looked upon with disdain by Jews.  They weren't allowed to come to Jerusalem to worship, so they set up their own worship center on Mount Gerazim.  


Jesus engaged in a long conversation with this woman, gradually revealing who He was.  He told her, "You worship what you do not know."  He insisted, "True worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.  


Something was going to drastically change.


Jesus told her that the hour was coming and was now here...

 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Something was changing.


What hour was Jesus talking about?


The hour of His death.  


Something drastically changed at that hour.


The temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.  The entire Old Covenant system of sacrifice was wiped out.  Christ fulfilled it all.


All of a sudden, location didn't matter.  The temple in Jerusalem wasn't important.  The altar on Mount Gerazim was insignificant.

True worshippers would worship in spirit and in truth, no matter where they were.  

The reason?  Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who is the propitiation for our sin.

Hebrews tells us that He is the Ultimate Revelation from God.

• the better priest
• the better sacrifice

All of a sudden, we can worship wherever we are!   We don't need to go through a priest.  We don't need to go to a temple.  We have the confidence to boldly approach the throne of Grace.  We've become a kingdom of priests with access to God.  There are no more earthly holy places.  Wherever we go, Christ is with us.  The Holy Spirit indwells us.  

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For  God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

In the Gospels and Revelation, Christ is physically present.  It is entirely appropriate that believers would bow down and worship Him.  


But see the difference?  Now He is not physically present with us, so we don't bow down and worship Him.  He indwells us!  He is in us.  It's a mystery, and it's amazing.

Colossians 1 . . . the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are  the riches of the glory of  this mystery, which is Christ in you,  the hope of glory. 

Next post I will explain what it is that Christians are to do when they gather, according to the New Testament.  This post is taken from my notes on the sermon preached by Hugh Manary at GTCC last Sunday.

Open Rebuke is Better

Proverbs 27:5 says it.  Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Genuine love tells the truth, even when it means you must rebuke the one you love.  Hiding your love by being non-communicative is useless- you MUST communicate love to your spouse in ways he or she understands.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; 

Profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

The Collect:

God of Truth,
             Who sees all men's hearts
       and Who wounds with a purpose,
Help us to love genuinely
             to rebuke openly
             to wound faithfully
So that as iron sharpens iron,
          We sharpen the ones we're closest to, and
          We learn to walk circumspectly in this corrupt world.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

From a Slave to a Child; From Duty to a Choice

Love Constraining to Obedience

Chorus: To see the Law by Christ fulfilled,
To hear His pardoning voice,
Changes a slave into a child
And duty into choice.

1. No strength of nature can suffice
To serve the Lord aright
And what she has, she misapplies,
For want of clearer light.

(Repeat chorus)

2. How long beneath the Law I lay
In bondage and distress
I toiled the precept to obey,
But toiled without success.

(Repeat chorus)

3. Then to abstain from outward sin
Was more than I could do
Now if I feel its power within
I feel I hate it too.
(Repeat chorus)

4. Then all my servile works were done,
A righteousness to raise
Now, freely chosen in the Son,
I freely choose His ways.

(Repeat chorus)

©1998 Kevin Twit Music.

I was listening to this song on the way to church the other day.  

I asked the children (the three youngest of our twelve) if they understood
 the meaning of the words.

We were all required to obey God perfectly.  We were under the law,
and commanded to obey each precept.  We tried, and failed.
We toiled without success.

So God the Father gave His only begotten Son, who obeyed the Law
and fulfilled all of its requirements.

Then, He pardoned His children on the merits of Christ's finished work.  

All of our servile works were done in order to make ourselves righteous,
but it was an impossible task.

But JESUS did it.  

Now we obey God, not out of duty, but because of love's constraining power.  

We are no longer slaves, but SONS.  

More Collects - Psalm 117

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples.
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

The collect:

Almighty God,  Worthy of all praise,
Your steadfast love and faithfulness endures forever,
Grant that we may sing Your worth
                                  and give You honour
           as we lift Your name before all people,
So that You will be glorified in all the earth.
In the name of our worthy God and King, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Collects

Last month I read an article by Tim Keller which offered practical advice on how to pray in public and in private.  Tim had studied Thomas Cranmer's Collects - His short, pithy, doctrinally sound prayers,  move from

"a doctrinal basis (why we can ask for it) to the petition (what we want) to the aspiration (what we will do with it if we get it.) It is remarkable how this combines solid theology with deep aspirations of the heart and concrete goals for our daily life." 

Cranmer's Collects followed this design:

1. The Address - a name of God
2. The Doctrine - a truth about God's nature that is the basis for prayer
3. The Petition - what is being asked for
4. The Aspiration - what good result will come if the request is granted
5. In Jesus' name - remembering His mediatorial role

Here is an example of one of Cranmer's more famous collects:



Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid,
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit
That we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify Thy holy name,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

I have found the practice of writing collects of my own in response to my morning Bible reading to be of great benefit.  I will share some examples, listing the passage on which I based my prayers.

Psalm 116

Loving, Merciful, Gracious God,

Who always hears my pleas for mercy, and preserves my soul, and delivers me from death,

Help me to walk before You and serve You all the days of my life,

So that I can bring praise to Your name in the presence of Your people,

     and demonstrate thanksgiving and trust in Your provisions,

Through Jesus Christ, my Saviour and Redeemer.  Amen.

Jeremiah 50, Romans 3, Romans 8

Righteous and Just Judge of all the earth,

Who justified by the gift of grace all those who trust in Jesus
                             as the Propitiation for their sins,

Cause us to walk according to the Spirit,
                             mirroring Your righteousness to a lost and dying world,

So that Your name is glorified and Your reputation untarnished,

In the name of Jesus Christ Who is God over all, and blessed forever. Amen.

2 Corinthians 7

Heavenly Father,

Who indwells Your people and walks among us, and calls us Your sons and daughters,

Help us to cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit,

So we are sanctified, becoming more and more like our Beautiful Jesus,
                     who embodied holiness on this earth,
And in Whose name we pray, Amen.

Ecclesiastes 12

Creator God,

You number our days, and order our steps, and decide when our spirit will return to You,

Grant me wisdom and strength to use words of delight
              and words of truth 

                        to teach others while I still have strength,

So that Your people will be encouraged to persevere and 

                        to walk uprightly with knowledge and wisdom,

In the Name of Jesus, our Beautiful Saviour, Amen.

The Glorious Temple - Destroyed

The fall of Jerusalem is recorded four times in the Old Testament:  Jeremiah 39, Jeremiah 52, 2 Kings 25, and 2 Chronicles 36.  God wanted to make the event clear in the minds of the readers of His Word.

If you are at all familiar with the Old Testament, you know that God chose a people, the children of Israel, to be His own people.  He led them into Egypt and 400 years later He rescued them from the bondage of slavery.  He led them to the Promised Land, but they were prevented from entering because of the sin of unbelief, then were made to wander in the desert for forty years until that unbelieving generation passed away.  While wandering in the wilderness, God gave Moses clear instructions for building a tabernacle - a tent of meeting - a place where He would meet with His people.

The tabernacle was a foreshadowing of a greater place to worship - the temple.  After they'd settled in the land the people demanded a king so they could be like the nations around them.  The first king, Saul, was tall and good-looking, but his heart was far from God.  The second king, David, was a man after God's own heart, but he was a man of war.  God refused to give David permission to build the temple.  Instead, he promised David that his son Solomon would have that privilege.

The temple of Solomon was a grand and glorious building. 1 Kings 5 tells us about the preparations, and 1 Kings 6 describes the building of the temple, which took seven years.  Much of it was overlaid in gold; the articles of the temple were made of gold or bronze.  It was absolutely stunning!

It's hard to fathom that this glorious, beautiful building was completely destroyed.

The Temple Burned

 12 In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 13And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.

It's so sad to think about it.  The temple was burned and destroyed, and the articles of the temple were carried off.  When you take the time to read about the care and skill that went into building and decorating the temple and making all of the utensils and objects to be used in worship, it's a marvel.  Yet God allowed it to be obliterated.

So, what can we learn from this?

God does not live in a temple made with hands. God reminded Solomon with these words:

1 Kings 6:11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

God was looking for a people to walk with Him, to delight in Him, to obey Him and love Him.  The temple was a tool to point them to His glory, but it was a mere speck compared to God.  God still want to dwell with His people - in fact, in this New Covenant He INDWELLS us.  You can't get closer than that.  You don't need a temple to know the presence of God.  The Holy Spirit has been given as a down payment, a guarantee of future glory and dwelling with God.


This world is full of beauty, reflecting the glory of God on a daily basis.  We see it in the sky, in the clouds, in the lightning, in the setting sun.  We see it in the variety of flora and fauna that surrounds us.  Yet even though it is brilliant, and glorious, one day this earth will be burned up.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then a the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies  will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

This should not make us sad, any more than the destroyed temple should make us sad.

The important thing to remember is that we dwell with the Living God.  The world He created reflects His glory, but it is a mere reflection.  The person we desire to be with, to live with, to walk with is God Almighty, and He is the One we long for.

Let this truth be a comfort to you.  If something you enjoy breaks down, so what?  It's going to be burned up some day.  If you lose a precious item, so what?  It's going to melt with fervent heat.  None of it matters much.  The only thing that really matters is our relationship with the Living God.

That will never end.

John Piper on Memorizing Scripture

I am studying "Spiritual Disciplines" with my church family, and one of the Spiritual Disciplines we are working on is Memorization.  I shared yesterday that when I was younger, it was VERY easy to memorize.  I read a passage over a couple of times, then worked on it a bit, and before I knew it, I had it memorized.  Teaching verses to children was a great way for me to embed the Word of God in my head.

As I have gotten older, I have found that it is much more difficult to retain large portions of Scripture.  I prefer to memorize a number of verses - at least enough to get the gist of the passage and keep it in context - and sometimes whole chapters. 

That's really hard to do.  Maybe it's the brain damage from the accident I was involved in nearly four years ago.  Maybe it's just the process of aging.  I'm finding it a chore to memorize.

BUT don't think I'm going to stop doing it.  I know the importance of hiding God's word in my heart, and I am NEVER going to quit doing it.

John Piper tells us why it's so important.  He says it so much better than I do.



I have experienced how sweet it is to commune with my God, using His perfect and beautiful and gracious and life-giving, life-transforming words.

Have you?

Isolation

Once in a while I fall into the "depths of despair", as Anne of Green Gables would say.  Life with all of its disappointments just seems to overwhelm me, and I want to run away.

I had a week like that last week.

This week, I read the following Proverb from Chapter 18, verse 1.

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;  he breaks out against all sound judgment.

My pattern is this:  I get angry.  I look around and see that things are not as they should be.  The kids don't measure up.  My house is a wreck.  My husband doesn't spend time with me.  My church is too far away.  Finances are tight.  I am a failure...

The truth is that my depression comes from anger which comes from lack of contentment.  I am not contented with what the Lord has ordained for me.  I want a perfect house, obedient children, a marriage-made-in-heaven!  I want to pay all of the bills on time.  I want to dispense words of wisdom to those who ask for advice.  I want to be a great example to family and friends - a true woman of virtue.

The reality is that I struggle daily with sinful patterns, and I don't like them one little bit.

So, I get angry.  Then I get depressed.  And I want to run away.  I think about places I can run to.  I hide in my bedroom or sit on the computer.  I grunt when spoken to, or dissolve into tears.  All I can think about is how rotten my life is and how much better other people's lives are.

Hogwash.

The Proverb says, whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire.  He becomes self-centered, and all he can think about is self-gratification.  He breaks out against all sound judgment - even his own knowledge and wisdom.  He seeks advice from no one.

I did that.  I didn't want to go to church.  I didn't want to be encouraged.  I didn't want to read any spiritual blogs or listen to any good sermons.  I wanted to wallow for a bit in my own misery... I even didn't want my own sound judgment.

I am not saying that all depression follows this pattern.  But I'd wager that a lot of depression comes from anger that has its beginning in looking at one's circumstances instead of keeping one's eyes fixed firmly on Jesus.

Proverbs 18:14 A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

My spirit was crushed last week.  I believe the Enemy of our souls was working to destroy my influence - in my home and in our church.

The answer to any attack is to put on the armour of God.


The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.


Put on your armour the second you see that you're getting your eyes off of Jesus.  Put on your armour as soon as you start looking around at the mountain of laundry, the ton of weeds, or the never-ending tasks of daily life.  Tell yourself the truth - that Jesus knows your every need and promised to meet them... that He loves you enough to die for you and pay the price for all of your sin... that He understands your weaknesses and supplies His strength as soon as you abide in Him by faith... that He has invited you into His own family and will never forsake you, not even for a second.

You are never alone.  No use pretending.  No use trying to isolate yourself or play the fool.  Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, and keep looking at Him.  Know that He has given you everything you need for life and godliness.

And start living!