Category: A Moment with the Master

I once heard someone say, “when in deep water, it’s good to keep your mouth closed.” That’s pretty good advice! If you’re in danger of drowning, the last thing you want to do is let more water in. Clearly this saying has to do with more than swimming.

One of the quickest ways we get in trouble is with our words. Often, when we’re in some difficult situation, we make it worse by not keeping our mouths closed. Sometimes we speak up when we don’t know what to say, which is a dangerous tactic. Peter once suggested building tabernacles for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, erroneously equating them. Mark writes Peter was scared during the transfiguration and didn’t know what to say.[1]When we don’t know what to say, then we shouldn’t say anything!

Other times to be silent include when we’re angry, defensive, being rebuked, and others. When wading through difficult situations, use wisdom and don’t compound problems with rash words.

[1] Mark 9:6

The gospel of Jesus appears strange to the world. And no wonder—Jesus’ kingdom turns things upside down. James 1:9-10 highlights this when it says, “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.” James’ instructions don’t make sense from a worldly perspective. To the world, the lowly (that is the poor, downtrodden, and servants) don’t have much to boast about, and they certainly are not considered exalted. However, in Christ, our treasure is not found in temporary wealth but in eternal life and salvation.

And to the world, riches are not a humbling thing. On the contrary, wealth is a reason to be proud and accomplished. But the Christian recognizes that riches will pass away and offer no eternal value, so why boast about them?

Whatever your lot in life—lowly or wealthy, remember that true riches and meaning are found in Christ, not the things of this world.

In Judges 6:10 God rebukes the Israelites because they had not heeded His instructions to “not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.” The instruction to not fear other gods has two applications. First, the Israelites served the one, true God, so there was no reason to be afraid of the false, man-made deities of the Canaanites. Second, the Israelites were not supposed to revere and worship the false gods of the Canaanites. Their reverence and obedience were to be for God alone.

Like ancient Israel, we need to be reminded to not fear the gods of the land in which we dwell. Oh, America doesn’t bow down to Baal or Ashtaroth. But what about the gods of capitalism or socialism? What about the gods of politics and power? Or perhaps the gods of money and materialism? Yes, our land has its gods. And Christians should neither be afraid of them, nor should we revere them. Trust in God and faithfully serve Him and Him alone.

In the old Disney movie, Jiminy Cricket gave Pinocchio the simple advice, “give a little whistle, and always let your conscience be your guide!” That’s pretty good advice, so long as one’s conscience is properly trained.

The Scriptures teach the importance of a good conscience. Paul told Timothy to wage his spiritual warfare by “holding faith and a good conscience.”[1] Peter exhorts Christians to always be prepared to defend our faith, but to do so with “gentleness and respect, having a good conscience.”[2] But how do we know if our conscience is good or not? The key is it must be shaped by and obedient to God’s Word. For example, Peter also says that baptism is “an appeal to God for a good conscience…”[3] Why is that? Because baptism is commanded by God. When we obey the Lord, we can have a truly good conscience. If our conscience is trained by God’s Word, then we can truly have a good conscience that is an able and effective guide.

[1] 1 Tim. 1:19

[2] 1 Pet. 3:16

[3] 1 Pet. 3:21

While traveling to the Promised Land, Israel struggled with complaining. In Numbers 11:4 the Bible says, “Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat!” The term “rabble” is rendered by some translations as “riff-raff.” Either way, it’s a pejorative term that highlights the nature of these people to complain and grumble. The fact that Scripture refers to such people this way demonstrates what God thinks about complaining. Recently freed from slavery, many Israelites still found reasons to complain. In this regard, Israel might be an awful lot like us.

God has worked to deliver us from even greater bondage—that of sin. He has blessed us in innumerable ways. And yet, too often, our words are filled with complaints and grumbling. Don’t be part of the riff-raff and rabble. Instead, reflect on God’s blessings, be content, and thank God for His gifts of mercy.

What makes a good encourager? Encouragement is a wonderful blessing to receive, but it can be difficult to know how to effectively encourage others. But the best way to be a good encourager is to simply say what God says!

After the death of Moses, Joshua was appointed as the next leader of Israel, which had to be a daunting task. In Joshua 1:17-18, the people said to their new leader, “Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.” This had to be very encouraging to Joshua! And what makes these words so notable, is God had already said most of these things to the man! When we speak as God speaks, it is then that we can offer the best encouragement.

In Matthew chapter four we read about the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. There is an important lesson found in Satan’s second attempt. After the first temptation, Jesus responded to Satan with an “It is written…” and a quotation from Scripture. Even if we aren’t surprised one victory didn’t thwart Satan, we might be surprised by how he responds. In verse six Satan says, “if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” That’s right—Satan quoted the Bible!

So what does this teach us? It reminds us that just because someone uses a verse from the Bible doesn’t mean they teach truth. Scripture can be misused and twisted. So, we must be diligent to study and know the Bible so we aren’t fooled by those who twist Scripture.

Titus chapter one contains a list of qualifications for men who would be elders in the Lord’s church. According to Titus 1:8, such a man must be “a lover of good.” That seems to be a generic qualification. What type of “good” is a Christian leader supposed to love? Is he a lover of good things? Good deeds? Good People? Well, yes! The qualification is probably supposed to be an all-encompassing one.

A spiritually mature Christian should love good things. The world is often allured by carnal or evil things, but the Christian should train the mind to love good, holy things. And a Christian should love good deeds. What types of things do you love to do? Sinful things? Or maybe things that aren’t sinful, but aren’t righteous either? We should develop a love for doing holy things. And we should love good people. Do you respect worldly, sinful people, or good, godly people more? Are you a lover of good?

The first chapter of Proverbs contains several warnings against forms of foolishness. In verse 32 the Bible says, “For the faithlessness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.” There are certain ways in which being simple or naïve might be acceptable. But regarding listening to and obeying God, simplicity and naivety may be forms of foolishness, for they lead to ignorance.

Now, Proverbs isn’t just being harsh about ignorance. These strong words are aimed at the cause of ignorance. It is complacency that causes one to be a fool. We all have more to learn about God’s Word. But could it be that we are ignorant of many Biblical truths because we are complacent? Could it be we are content with Biblical naivety and simple-mindedness? If so, then we are indeed foolish. God has provided His Word so that we might learn His way and be saved. Don’t be lost because of spiritual complacency.

The night Jesus was betrayed, He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He took Peter, James, and John with Him, but the three men couldn’t stay awake. Multiple times Jesus found them asleep instead of watching and praying. In Mark 14:41 He said, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” We might sympathize with the three sleepy disciples. Surely, they’d endured a long day, and their tiredness is understandable. But have you ever considered that while the disciples were too sleepy to do what was good, Judas had enough energy to betray Jesus?

Sometimes we claim to be too tired or weary to do good and righteous things, but somehow have the energy to do carnal, worldly things. Perhaps Jesus’ question, “are you still sleeping?” is an apt question for our spiritual condition.