Not Shaken

Do you ever read the Bible, especially the Psalms, and run across a portion of scripture that has been adapted into a song that you sing in church? Every so often, I do. I find it refreshing, and a bit rewarding, to find that because I’m familiar with the song, I’ve actually memorized scripture without even trying. Psalm 62 verses 5 and 6 is one such example for me. It says:

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

What a very encouraging verse. God is our rock. He is our salvation. He is our fortress. In him our soul can find rest. And if we truly put our hope in him - the God of all creation, the one who has the power to perform miracles, and the one who is able to save our soul from eternal damnation, our faith will not be shaken. How is your faith today? If it is weak I encourage you to put your trust in God. Remember who he is. Remember what he’s done, and put your hope in him. I encourage you today to let go of your fears and put your complete trust in God.

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Let us put our complete trust - our complete hope - in God to the point where we will not be shaken. There is no stronger foundation for our faith. Every other solution is flawed. We can’t trust men, we can’t trust fate, we can’t trust our government, and we can’t trust our financial security. All of these things can fail us. And none of these things are the solution in every situation. But God is. There is nothing to big for him and there is nothing impossible for him. Let us put our hope in the one who made us and everything that we know. Because when God is for us, who can be against us? I encourage you to put your complete faith in him to the point where whatever life throws at you, you’ll never be shaken.

Consequences

Have you ever heard the saying, “if you lay down with dogs, you’ll wake up with flees”? How about, “if you play with fire, you’re going to get burned”? Both of these sayings allude to the idea that if we sin, or dabble in something that we know is wrong or evil, then it will bite us in the end and we’ll have to pay a price for our actions. In the Bible there are more than a few proverbs that support this principle as well. One such example appears in Proverbs chapter 6, verses 27 through 29 which says: 

“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.”

The sin that is highlighted here is adultery. When we sin in a manner like this, and are not found out right away, we may believe that we’ve gotten away with the sin. But in fact, not only are there spiritual consequences, there are physical consequences as well. When we sin, there is a separation from God. The Bible teaches us that sin and God’s holiness do not mix. We grieve the Spirit and God turns his face from us. So when we sin and think we’ve gotten away with something we are only fooling ourselves. Though there may not be immediate earthly consequences, there certainly are immediate spiritual consequences. But also, as this proverb explains, there are earthly consequences as well. It says that “no one who touches, or sleeps with, another man’s wife will go unpunished.” So when you play with sin, you’re sure to get burned both spiritually and often times physically as well.

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Proverbs asks, ”Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?” In these verses we learn that sin leaves its mark; not only spiritually, but often times physically as well. We may not be aware of it immediately, but this proverb suggests that no one will go unpunished. And even though we can be forgiven by our Heavenly Father, often times we still have to pay a price for our transgression here on earth. That price can come in the form of a prison sentence, extreme guilt, divorce, broken trust, broken relationships, some form of restitution and in some cases even death. So I encourage you to heed this proverb. We can’t expect to sin and walk away unscathed. We can’t expect to walk on hot coals without our feet being scorched.

Flawless Words

Have you ever met individuals who call themselves “believers”, but in fact, they only want to believe the parts of the Bible that they are comfortable with or agree with their moral or spiritual code? And as our culture changes, their idea of “truth” changes as well. True believers know that God never changes. His word is perfect, it is flawless, and we should never presume to try and change the literal words or the intent of what God laid out in his holy scriptures. Proverbs warns us against this. It says in chapter 30 verses 5 and 6:

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

Why does it seem that so many times God’s creation thinks it knows better than God? God created us. He made the rules and he inspired the Bible. The Bible is God’s word, and Proverbs reminds us that every word in the Bible is flawless. When we decide to change, water down, or ignore what is written we are only deceiving ourselves. Proverbs says that God will rebuke us and prove us a liar. So I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Bible. Let the Holy Spirit teach you its meaning and its intent. Accept it as holy objective truth that will always be true no matter what the world says or what we ourselves experience, because no one wants to be rebuked and proven a liar.

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God’s words are flawless. The Bible will never require updating or correction. It was true when it was written, it is true today, and it will remain true until Jesus returns and life as we know it comes to a end. If our pride or our culture leads us to believe that we know better than God, then Proverbs tells us that God will rebuke us and prove us a liar. I pray that you and I take these words to heart.

Turned Hearts

Have you ever wondered why the Bible warns us not to closely associate with people of bad character? Or why we shouldn’t marry someone who isn’t a believer in Christ? Or why it encourages believers to meet often in gatherings we call “churches” and “small groups”? If you’ve ever wondered about such things, it is because as human beings, our hearts are prone to wander. For many of us, our hearts are easily turned. To insure that we maintain a healthy relationship with God, and to help us operate in obedience to him, it helps when we surround ourselves with people who are pursuing these same goals. King Solomon learned this lesson the hard way. The Bible tells us, in first Kings chapter 11, that Solomon loved many foreign women from many nations who didn’t worship the God of his forefathers. Verse 2 goes on to say:

“They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.’ Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.”

You might think that you are a strong believer and that no human being could cause your zeal for the Lord to change or to grow cold. But Solomon was a strong believer. He was the son of David, and he knew the truth. He spoke to God at the beginning of his reign and God gave him a wise an discerning heart. God gave him a wisdom that surpassed the wisdom of any man who ever lived and any man that ever will live. Yet with all of his wisdom, and with his initial zeal for the Lord, his heart was turned and he worshipped other gods. So I encourage you to heed this warning. If Solomon’s heart could be turned, I wouldn’t want to put my heart to the test. And I hope you wouldn’t either.

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The Lord told the Israelites that they must not intermarry with people from other nations, because they will surely turn their hearts after other gods. It never ceases to amaze me how weak humans are. Yes, we experience moments of strength, especially when we are in step with the Spirit. But in our flesh, we are exceedingly weak. Our hearts are fickle and God is a jealous God. When we invite influences that are contrary to God and his nature, when we closely associate with people who oppose him and when we marry unbelievers, there is a good chance that our hearts will be turned away from him. That is why the Bible encourages us to think on heavenly things, to read his word and to pray often. We need to be believers of character. We need to expose our hearts to more of God and keep our hearts away from those who oppose him.

Clouded Future

If you have been alive for any length of time, you are well aware that life is filled with both ups and downs. Both are bound to come, and often times there is nothing we can do about it. But I encourage you, when things are good, take time to appreciate what God has given you and how he has provided for you. Use that time to encourage others, to help them and to pray for them, because we’ll never know when our circumstances will change. God doesn’t always give us a “heads up” when calamity is around the corner. So, we should enjoy the good times and expect that there will be bad times, because no one knows their future. Solomon explains it this way in Ecclesiastes 7 verse 14:

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.”

I’ve said it before and I still hold to the same belief that any control we think we have over our lives is an illusion. God giveth and he taketh away. It doesn’t matter how righteous you think you are, it rains on the just and the unjust alike. Consider Job. I would dare to say that he was more righteous than most anyone on our planet today, yet he faced one of the worst calamities in the Bible. Like Job, we don’t know our future. But also like Job, we should trust God with our future. So I encourage you to hold loosely the control you think you have over your life, because just as Solomon explains, “a man cannot discover anything about his future.”

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Ecclesiastes reminds us that “when times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.” We don't know our future. Life can change on a dime. So, I encourage you to enjoy what God has given you now. Praise him for his provision now. Thank him for his protection now. Because tomorrow, things could change. If they do, remember to cling to the one who is truly in control. Cling to God.