Category: A Moment with the Master

Humans tend to struggle with waiting. But the Christian life is not one of instant gratification—it is a road of patient endurance. Following Christ requires us to trust that the best is yet to come.

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells and explains the Parable of the Weeds. In the parable, the kingdom of heaven is likened to a field with wheat and weeds. The wheat represents the righteous, while the weeds represent sinful and lawless people. At the end of the age, the weeds are gathered and thrown out. Lastly, Jesus says, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” What a powerful word “then” is. Satan would have you believe you can find true fulfillment here and now. But Jesus calls us to trust in His plan and timing. For now, we trust, labor, and even struggle. But when Jesus comes, then we will experience glory and eternal life.

The final chapter of Ecclesiastes exhorts young people to remember God before the challenges of old age set in and certainly before death occurs. Verses 6 and 7 poignantly describe death this way; “before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

In that final refrain, the Preacher has left metaphor and begun to describe reality. When we die, our body begins to decompose and return to dust, yet our spirit returns to God. That is either a beautiful or a terrible thought. If we have wasted the gift of life God granted, we will face His judgment. But if we remember our God, trust in Him, and obey Him, then what a wondrous day it will be when our spirit is reunited with our Creator!

Knowledge, desires, and actions are not always in harmony. Sometimes, we must wrestle with our wants to ensure proper action. And this is no light struggle. But rest assured, the Lord knows and understands the difficulty.

In John 12:27-28, Jesus said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Jesus knew the fate that awaited Him, which wasn’t something He looked forward to. It seems Jesus wanted to ask God to save Him from His hour of trial. But we know that Jesus did go through the terrible trial of becoming a sin-sacrifice for the world. Why? Because His greatest desire was to obey and glorify God. The Lord knows our struggles but also provides an example to follow. Instead of using our desires as a guide, we must trust in the Lord, obey His Word, and seek His glory above all else.

Why do we save things? Well, we do this so that we can use such things when there is a need. We set aside some of our earnings to make a bigger purchase down the road, cover an emergency, or simply plan for retirement. Maybe we gather supplies so we can have food and water in case of an emergency. In older times, food had to be stored up so there would be plenty through the winter. But what are we storing up spiritually?

Psalm 119:11 starts, “I have stored up your word in my heart…” The Psalmist treated God’s Word like a precious and vital resource—a resource to be gathered, saved, and stored. But why store up God’s Word? The verse continues, “…that I might not sin against you.” We may not always know when temptation will strike or how. But if we have stored up God’s Word in our hearts, we will be ready and prepared to overcome temptation when it arrives.

Embarrassment is a terrible feeling. Sometimes, when we feel embarrassed, we try to blame someone else. Perhaps we accuse others of making a fool of us. In Numbers 22, we find the fascinating story of Balaam the prophet. He was summoned to curse the people of Israel, but on the way, an angel stood in the way, ready to slay the man. Balaam’s donkey turned away and saved the prophet’s life, not just once, but three times. Each time, Balaam struck the donkey in a rage. Finally, God opened the mouth of the donkey, who spoke and asked Balaam why he struck her. Balaam’s response was, “Because you have made a fool of me.”

Here was a man seeking to curse God’s people for money, beating a donkey for saving his life, and talking to a donkey—he didn’t need help making a fool of himself. When we fail, let’s not point the finger at others. Let’s recognize our shortcomings, repent, and do better.

Genesis four records that the brothers Cain and Abel both worshipped God. While the Lord was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice, He did not accept Cain’s. Cain was upset, but God said, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” “Doing well” could be a good description of everyday living, but in context, God is speaking to Cain about worship. This brings up the question, do we worship well? Do we worship obediently? Do we follow the Lord’s instructions and Scripture’s revelation, or do we create our own methods of worship?

Do we worship in faith? Is our worship sincere and focused, or done out of habit and compulsion? And does worship change our lives? Does worship help and encourage us, or do we just go through the motions? How well do we worship God?

We should be planning for the future. Many folks are planning for the future, but not the right one. Knowing responsibilities lay ahead, young people live their youth wildly and recklessly while they can. Many people are concerned about their financial future and are doing everything they can to prepare for retirement. But these and many other outlooks are not helpful for the actual future that awaits us all—judgment and eternity.

In Luke 21:32, Jesus warns, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.”[1]We should guard our hearts in light of the Lord’s imminent return. Instead of weighing our hearts down and dulling our minds with worldly living, we should live soberly and righteously.  Instead of being worn down by life’s cares, we should eagerly await the Lord’s return. Are you ready for eternity, or is your heart weighed down with worldliness?

[1] NKJV

Love is not static. Just because we love something or someone today does not mean we will love that same thing or person in the future. Love can change. Now, this process of change is not outside of our control. I’m not talking about falling in and out of love. But our choices might change who and how we love over time. The same is true spiritually and is demonstrated by Solomon.

First Kings 3:3 says, “Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father…” But in 1 Kings 11, we read that Solomon “loved many foreign women,” that he “clung to these in love,” and that they turned his heart away from God. Solomon genuinely loved the Lord in his younger years. But bad choices and evil influences changed his love over time. If you love the Lord today, ensure you continue to love Him. Protect your heart against evil influence and choose to persist and grow in love each day.

While driving sometime back, I noticed the tires of the car in front of me. It looked to me like their tires were worn down and nearly bald. But as the car came to a stop at a light, I realized I was mistaken. Once the tires weren’t spinning, it was clear there was plenty of tread. Once the light turned green and the car began moving, the tread quickly disappeared, and the tires looked smooth again. It’s obvious what was happening. The faster the tires spun, the less detail I could observe.

You know, the same is true in life. Sometimes, we get so busy and move so fast through our day that we miss out on important details. Maybe we overlook a family member’s need for an encouraging word. Perhaps we miss an opportunity to encourage the downtrodden. Maybe we breeze past an opportunity to share the gospel. Try slowing down today and see what details you pick up on and what service you can render.

In this sermon, Nate Bibens considers the first of David’s three confessions in Psalm 23—”I shall not want.” This remarkable statement reminds us that Psalm 23 is not just a psalm of comfort but a reminder of contentment. But why can we trust the Lord so much that we can say with David, “I shall not want?”