Category: Articles Page 6 of 11

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14)

One hymn we grew up singing in the church begins with this line, “Mixtures of joy and sorrow, I daily do pass through.” That is the reality of being citizens of a heavenly country passing through a foreign land, a world that’s filled with sin and sorrow. It’s inevitable in this life for us to experience great joy in the days of prosperity, but those good days are always tempered and closely followed with the days of adversity, as Solomon had fully experienced in his life. However, the final result of these contrasting highs and lows in the Christian’s life are “to this end” – that “God also that set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him”.

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“Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79)

As Zacharias begins to conclude his prophecy of Christ and then of his son, John the Baptist’s role in the gospel, he introduces Jesus as the “dayspring from on high” come down to visit us. Christ’s first advent was certainly the dawning of a new ray of light for the Jewish community of his day, but in a much more broad sense, Jesus and the light of the good news of the gospel is a light in a dark place for the children of God.

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“Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?” (John 21:20)

The Apostle John introduces himself in a curious way quite a few times in his gospel, as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. This might sound, at first blush, as almost a prideful statement by John, declaring himself as the object of Jesus’ love. However, John was not declaring any preeminence over anyone else, that he was the sole or primary source of God’s love. Instead, he simply viewed his primary identity as being loved by Jesus Christ. In like manner, we need to place our primary identity as being loved by Christ.

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“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” (Hebrews 11:8)

Abraham is called to a great act of faith in the Lord. He is commanded to leave and begin a journey to a foreign land but is not given the destination by the Lord beforehand. How did Abraham leave and journey with such uncertainty in his walk of discipleship? “By faith Abraham…obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Rarely in life will we fully see the final destination of the Lord’s will at the beginning of that journey. That’s just fine because our responsibility is simply to walk by faith, just like the example of Abraham.

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I have spent my last few Sunday morning messages considering different prayers and aspects of prayer. One theme that has really stood out to me throughout those studies and messages is this: one of the chief purposes (if not the main purpose) of prayer is to more fully conform ourselves to submission to the will of God in our lives.

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“And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he [blind Bartimaeus] cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called…” (Mark 10:48-49)

As Jesus passed through Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus cried after the Lord to have mercy on him and heal him. Jesus did not answer him at first and those in Jesus’ crowd told Bartimaeus to hold his peace, to be quiet, to which he responded by crying even more. Jesus took note of the tenacity and persistence of Bartimaeus’ petition. Jesus “stood still” and heard the cries of this beggar. Even when our prayers might not seem to be “getting through” to the Lord, we can always know that Jesus “stands still” to take note of the cries of his children.

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