testimony

The Law of the Lord

The day before I started the first full week of my new job, I walked and prayed for the Lord to take away my anxiety. He reminded me of all He’s done in my life and everything I’ve accomplished with His guidance and help. He has always been there, the ever-present constant. I have been the variable that has changed from one situation to the next. Sometimes I’ve trusted and other times I was overcome by fear. As I prayed this time, I had to decide who I want to be: a light for the Lord or a person who cowers in fear. After that day I went to work with the determination not to be anxious but to learn and try to the best of my ability. It doesn’t mean there aren’t trials and obstacles. It means that when those moments come, I choose to trust the Lord to help me through them and also ask for help. He has blessed me with a great team of people who are quick to provide assistance and guidance. I just have to be willing to ask.

A routine I’ve started each morning to help with anxiety and to get my mind right is reading the Psalms. The Psalms remind me of the humanity of each author as he faces trials and experiences moments of thanksgiving and joy. Even when there is despair, there is often a recollection of the Lord’s lovingkindness, strength, and wisdom. One of the Psalms I read this past week that stood out to me is Psalm 19, particularly verses 7-14 (NASB1995):

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;

Let them not rule over me;

Then I will be blameless,

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Prior to these verses, David writes about how creation itself tells of the glory of the Lord. Then he proceeds to explain why we can trust in the Lord’s law to lead us into righteousness. What captured my attention were the adjectives. The Law of the Lord is perfect (v. 7); His testimony is sure (v. 7); the Lord’s precepts are right (v. 8); the commandment of the Lord is pure (v. 8); the fear of the Lord is clean (v. 9); His judgments are true, righteous, and more desirable than gold (vv. 9-10). Each adjective is followed by a participial phrase, explaining how God’s laws and judgments impact us. David (the author of this particular Psalm) doesn’t just share God’s goodness for its own sake (which is enough in itself) but how His goodness changes us. 

The Law of the Lord restores the soul (v. 7). When we’ve gone astray from God’s will, His law restores us back to obedience. The testimony of the Lord makes wise the simple (v. 7). Too often our culture thinks wisdom is marked by how much education one has. But the Lord has been gracious to not only give us His testimony in writing but in His very creation. All people have the opportunity to gain wisdom as they remember what the Lord has done–whether disciplining the wicked (Ex: plagues in Egypt) or liberating the righteous (Ex: winning battles against Israel’s numerous enemies)–and learning from those moments. The Lord proved Himself repeatedly to the Israelites, but many perished who walked their own way instead of trusting in His testimony. Those who remembered what the Lord had done and trusted Him were blessed.

The precepts of the Lord make the heart rejoice (v. 8). Whenever we think about rules, our first reaction is probably not to rejoice. Rules imply following someone else’s directions rather than our own. But David, the ruler of Israel, describes the Lord’s precepts as right, rejoicing the heart. What makes our hearts rejoice is that we don’t have to guess what the Lord wants. His precepts are to help us remain in right standing with Him, and because of this, our hearts rejoice. Many other religions have “gods” who want to be appeased. Other nations in the Ancient Near East even sacrificed their own children, or they mutilated themselves to try to make themselves right with their “god(s).” But the true, living God has given humanity righteous precepts to be a blessing, not a burden, to us. For He is not a god who is far off but has chosen to live within those who have made the decision to follow Him.

The commandment of the Lord enlightens the eyes (v. 8). When the world has blinded us from righteousness by declaring its own set of rules and guidelines, the Lord’s commandments help us to see clearly. While the world says to place our hope in man, one of the Lord’s commandments says to have no other idols whether that’s money, fame, a physical object, work, or anything that is placed above the Lord in our lives. Many of us are more guilty of this than we probably realize. We are also bombarded with messages from the world each day that it becomes easier to believe them when we fail to dwell on the Lord’s commandments. After Israel split into two kingdoms, it became more wicked in the northern kingdom as they forsook God’s commandments. But even the kings of Judah had lost their way. It wasn’t until the reign of King Josiah (2 Kings 22) that the book of the law was found after many years of being lost. When the book was read to Josiah, he responded by tearing his clothes (as a sign of humility and mourning) and commanded men he trusted to inquire of the Lord concerning the words of the book (vv. 11-13). He said, “for great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of the book, to do all that is written concerning us” (v. 13). The result was that the Lord would bring evil on them because the people have forsaken Him, but because Josiah humbled himself after hearing the words, the Lord gave him peace the rest of his days. King Josiah also made reforms in response to the commandments in the law (2 King 22:16-23:27). The people thought they were doing right until God’s law was revealed. These commandments opened King Josiah’s eyes to see the wickedness around him and responded with sincere reverence and humility before the Lord. While the law had been lost and then found, God still held the people accountable. They were the ones who asked for a king when God was already their King. Many times those kings led the people astray, and even when a righteous king came to power, not everything was made right until Josiah. How much more are we held accountable when we have the law of God at our fingertips and choose to ignore it? Will we choose to be blind or to have our eyes enlightened to the truth of God even if it means humbling ourselves and making changes?

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever (v. 9). At first I was surprised to read the word translated as “clean” to describe the fear of the Lord, but as I dug a little deeper, the meaning of “clean” came to be understood as “undefiled” or “uncontaminated” in a spiritual sense, leading to the idea of holiness. Because it is undefiled, it will not decay, causing it to endure (or stand) forever. I believe a clear distinction is between fearing God or fearing man. David often makes that comparison in the Psalms, and Jesus also says in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” When the Lord spoke to the people at Mount Sinai, they trembled at “the thunder and lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking” (Exodus 20:18) and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die” (v. 19). Moses’ reply, along with what Jesus stated in Matthew, help us to understand the importance of fearing the Lord: “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin” (v. 20). There are two uses of fear in this passage. The first is telling the people not to be terrified that they shrink back from the Lord. The second is telling the people to have the fear of the Lord to remain with them so they do not sin. To fear the Lord means to remain in righteousness just as a child fears a loving father who disciplines his children when they do wrong. That discipline leads to repentance which leads to righteousness. Jesus, the Son of God, clearly states that it is the Lord who destroys both body and soul of those who have chosen not to fear Him. Too often people exchange “respect” for the word “fear” because it sounds nicer, but that is not accurate. The Lord chose to speak to the Israelites and show a glimpse of His glory so that they would not sin. They were truly terrified. “Respect” does not induce the same kind of fear. But if one maintains the fear of the Lord that keeps himself or herself from sinning, then he or she will endure with the Lord forever no matter what man tries to do. The fear of the Lord has eternal rewards. The fear of man is temporary, leading to a false sense of security.

The judgments of the Lord provide warnings and lead to great rewards by those who keep them (vv. 9-11). When we think of judgment, we don’t often get warm, fuzzy feelings. But Scripture describes the Lord’s judgments as true, righteous, more desirable than gold, and sweeter than honey. His judgments aren’t tainted by human error and emotion. He also provides opportunities for change and gives warnings. When Israel asked for a king, He gave them what they wanted but not before telling them exactly what would happen in 1 Samuel 8:10-18. However, the people refused to listen and asked for a king anyway. In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel reminded the people of past choices made and the outcomes for their rejection of the Lord. In sharing this he made it clear that if the people and the king fear the Lord and follow Him, the Lord will be with them. But if they do not fear Him, He will be against them. As generations went on, God’s judgments were righteous as the people took turns rejecting and repenting. We don’t want a Judge who is biased but who upholds His law for the sake of righteousness. Are we willing to submit to His authority and listen to His warnings so that we can be in right standing with Him?

In Psalm 19:12-13, David not only asks the Lord to acquit him from hidden errors–sins unknowingly committed–but also to keep him from presumptuous sins. These are sins committed with a person’s full knowledge of what he or she is doing. In other words, they are acting in rebellion to God’s commandments. David writes that he does not want his sins to rule over him so that he will be blameless before the Lord. What keeps our sins from ruling over us is following the Lord’s commands and fearing Him as this particular Psalm describes. The Lord is both loving Father and an all-consuming fire.

The final verse brings back memories as it was the benediction after every chapel during my undergraduate years: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (v. 14). While constant repetition of a passage can lead to lack of meaning, reading this verse again in light of verses 7-13 restores the appropriate response. When our hearts and minds are fixed on the Lord’s commandments that lead to righteousness, our words and thoughts should be a reflection of those precepts. The Lord delights when we dwell on the truth of His Word and our actions show it. We are a people without excuse, and we are a church in danger of the consequences of ancient Israel. Too often we forsake the Lord’s commandments for more palatable translations that allow us to maintain our sinful tendencies. We listen to people who tickle our ears rather than be convicted by the Lord’s double-edged sword: His Word. Will we be a church who fears the Lord who can destroy the soul, or will we ignore the numerous warnings and seal the fate of our own downfall? The Lord’s judgments are not hidden or encrypted. They are clearly stated, and as an effective Teacher, He has given us many examples of what we should and should not do. We have one choice to make as the body of Christ: Will we follow the law of our King, or will we be a church of anarchists?

©Lauren Demuth

Creation’s Testimony

 

There’s something about being in nature that makes me feel closer to God. With that being said, I’m not the typical outdoors person, and I believe it’s safe to diagnose myself with a case of arachnophobia. Because of my fears I tend to forget the effect of creation’s beauty, but when I finally take the time to relax and get out there I’m reminded again of how immense God is. Rather than that being a scary thought as it might be for some, I find it comforting.

This recent reminder began at the Creation Museum. I live close to it, but I made my first visit there a few weeks ago. It was marvelous! As you can probably guess, it’s not the typical museum. Rather than glorifying evolution as most museums do, it adheres to the Word of God and explains how events could have happened based on the testimony of Scripture. What’s ironic is that the explanations from Scripture are a lot less far-fetched than evolutionary ideas. But even more importantly, everything in the Creation Museum points to Christ, as all things should.

One of the most powerful scenes to me was that after the Fall, God had to sacrifice an animal to clothe Adam and Eve in their shame. This may not seem significant on the surface since we are used to eating meat or seeing leather goods, but before the Fall there was no death. Death did not exist until sin entered the world; therefore, God offered the first of many sacrifices to temporarily cover human sin. This continued until Christ became the ultimate sacrifice.

Even though we live in a sinful world because of mankind’s disobedience, God’s creation still testifies about Him. Every person is uniquely designed and created. Even identical twins can be so different (I know from being around a pair of identical twins all the time). Each one of us has the potential to offer something important in the kingdom of God. Our gifts and talents are a testimony of God’s design in us.

In addition to humanity, the rest of God’s creation is breathtaking. I love butterflies, and to think of the different stages they have to go through to become a butterfly is quite mindboggling. Everything has to be just perfect in order to work. Then there are so many different colors, shapes, and sizes that “beautiful” doesn’t seem to be the right word to describe it.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m scared of spiders, and when I see one in the house, I want it gone…permanently. But I can’t deny how special they are too. Just seeing how strong and intricate their webs are is a testimony of a divine Creator. They also eat mosquitoes so that’s a fair trade-off for letting some stick around.

We could travel the world and not even see a fraction of God’s creation, but by paying attention to what’s around us, we should be able to understand God’s love for us. This is what I mean: “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? … And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow, they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” (Matt. 6:26, 28-30 NASB). This passage talks about trusting the Lord in all things, including basic provisions, but it also testifies to how much He loves us. He takes care of His creation. The cycle of nature runs as it does because of God despite its sinful aspects. If we can witness the provisions from God to His creation, should we not also recognize how much He loves us and will provide if we trust in Him and follow His will? Jesus makes it clear in v. 33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God’s creation testifies that we are deeply loved if only we would take the time to see it.

Paul also writes about creation in Romans:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”  ~ Romans 1:18-25 NASB

Paul writes that the wrath of God is against men who “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” A person cannot suppress the truth unless he or she already understands it. And how does a person understand it? God made it evident through His creation. But what was supposed to point people to God–creation–became the object of worship. Paul is writing about when all of this first started, not long after the Fall. “For even though they knew God” they decided to make images of gods or idols to be worshipped. What is also important to understand is that God let them make these choices. Why? The uniqueness of humanity compared to the rest of creation is having free will. People rejected His truth that was already evident to them. They willingly chose to disobey God. Instead of seeing God in His creation, they twisted creation for their own purposes, and led themselves down a path of sin leading to death.

Continuing from the previous passage:

“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” ~ Romans 1:26-32

People’s disobedience and worship of God’s creation led them to sin which they willingly gave into. But it doesn’t stop there. Notice the shift between the past and present beginning with “and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (v. 32). Paul isn’t just talking about people long ago. He shares this truth with the church in Rome for a reason:

“Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to His deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” ~ Romans 2:1-11 (NASB)

Paul teaches everything in Romans 1 because the church in Rome (yes, the church) is practicing the same things. They have knowledge of God. They know the truth even to the point that understanding the consequence of the aforementioned sins is death. Yet they are practicing the same things and encouraging others to do the same. There is no sense in writing everything in Romans 1 if it doesn’t relate to the recipients. That would be costly and a waste of time. Rather, there are people in the church of Rome who are behaving like those who turned from worshipping God and worshipped the creation instead. The consequences of such defiance has led to a laundry list of sinful behavior, including everything from homosexuality to gossiping, which are all judged the same before God. If you continue to read through Romans, you’ll find that Paul spends much time explaining sin but not to that end. He discusses sin to such an extent not only to lead people to repentance but so that the church may grasp the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice.

As a result of accepting such an undeserving sacrifice, we also have been given the Spirit of God:

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh–for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” ~ Romans 8:11-25 (NASB)

Mankind’s desire to worship creation and reject God demonstrates the truth about human nature. We are not born righteous but sinful. Our desire is to follow the lusts of the flesh, and without the Spirit, we would do just that. But anyone who has accepted Christ wholeheartedly has the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh wage war until we receive the redemption of our body. The rest of creation groans with us; however, it does not have the Spirit. Rather, it testifies about God even for our benefit. May we appreciate it for how it can bring us closer to the Creator. May we also not fall into the same behavior as the church in Rome. As Christians, we know the truth. If we practice things that are against the truth, we act against God. If we suppress the truth, we act against God. It’s that simple. The evidence of God is in us and all around us. We are without excuse.

But thanks be to God who is rich in kindness and mercy and willing to forgive when we ask. Thanks be to God who demonstrates His miracles and power through His creation so that everyone can be a witness of His magnificence. He is worthy to be praised above all things!

Psalm 19

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

 

© Lauren Heiligenthal