A Faithful Messenger

"A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing."

 

Proverbs 13:17

 

 During the US-Mexican war, the future Confederate general Robert E Lee had an important message that was to be given to his general. He traveled over mountainous terrain covered with sharp, volcanic rocks during a storm in the night. When he reached the general's camp, he was told the general had moved on. So he re-crossed the awful terrain to where he was told the general had moved to. Yet again on arrival he was told the general was not there. So he again had to re-cross the difficult ground. This time he found the general and gave him the important message which helped the army gain victory. For his trouble Lee had cuts, bruises and weariness, but also the praise of his general who said of Lee's trek, " the greatest feat of physical strength and moral courage performed by any individual, to my knowledge, pending the campaign." This is an example and illustration of the proverb we are looking at today.

 

A messenger is someone who had great responsibility. His task is to go to whom he is sent and faithfully and accurately give the message entrusted to him regardless of what the reaction would be. His was not always a easy task, especially if the message was not a positive one. Often people take out their anger concerning the message on the messenger. Or, as in the case of David's messengers in 2 Samuel 10, the messengers could be mistreated because the message is misunderstood. The messenger's task was important. Failing in his task could have grave consequences. A messenger who changed the message or failed to deliver it could do much damage. A wicked messenger would surely be found out by the one who sent him. You can be sure that the messenger would lose his job or his life. Whatever would happen, trouble would come to him as the proverb says. There are great consequences for betraying someone's confidence in you. On the other hand a faithful messenger would find favour from the one who sent him. His faithful work would bring blessings to those who employed him. One who faithfully discharges his duties and responsibilities will bring a positive and healthy atmosphere, free from distrust.

 

The applications of this proverb can be two-fold. 1) It is important when we are given responsibilities to faithfully and honestly carry them out without regard for self. The greater the trust given to us, the greater our diligence to keep that trust. It is well that employees should learn this as it will benefit them much in the workplace. 2) This is a principle that can be applied to all Christians and then specifically to preachers, teachers and evangelists. All Christians are called to be ambassadors for Christ. We are given a message by God for this world. We have the responsibility to tell others of this gospel message.  We must get the message right without changing it in the slightest. We must give the message regardless of the consequences. This is not only applicable for evangelism, but also for the teaching of God's word. God has given us what He want us to know. We simply need to take that message and bring it to people. We can't pick which parts of the message we like or dislike--no, the whole counsel of God must be proclaimed. And when it is, then there is healing. Our hearts are sanctified by the truth of God's word. Lives, families, and churches are healed through the Holy Spirit working through His word. Souls find new life as the gospel is preached. But to the one who misrepresents, mistreats, abuses, or neglects God's truth, there can only be trouble ahead of him. God will deal with them as He sees fit. God has made us messengers and gave us His message, let us be faithful unto death to discharge our duties and we will receive a crown of life and a rich reward.

 

    -Brad-

Sinfully Selfish

Before I had children, I would not have thought of myself as selfish, at least not very selfish.

Five children later, I know I am selfish.

I know that I do not like getting out at night when I'm sleeping in a nice, warm bed.

I know that I do not like when the laundry mountain piles up and it never seems to end.

I know that I do not like when a new mess appears in minutes when I've just spent hours cleaning.

I could continue...

But, I don't think I realize how selfish I am. Even now.

When I read the Bible, when I read how God the Father sent his only Son to die for us--to take on Himself the wrath of God, I catch a glimpse of God's unselfishness--of his kindness, grace, and mercy.

It is then that I start to realize the extent of my selfishness--how deep it runs.

How sinful selfishness is. How sinful I am.

And it is then that I realize how much I need forgiveness--how much I need Christ's righteousness, because it is only through his saving work on the cross, through the Spirit dwelling in me that I can even start to fight my sinful selfishness.

"So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." -Romans 7:21-25

~fenna

 

 



Dancing Before the Lord

I have been making my way through the Psalms in my morning devotions for about a year and a half. 

This morning I arrived at Psalm 149. In verse 3 it says, "Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre." Praising the Lord with dancing was a curious thought to me. Now I am no dancer. I have two left feet when it comes to dancing. I feel rather uncomfortable when on the rare occasions I have danced. But here is a command to praise God with dancing. This is not the only time we are told this. In Psalm 150:4, it says, " Praise Him with tambourine and dance." There are two examples of praising God with dancing. In Exodus 15:20, Miriam and the women of Israel praised God with tambourine, dancing and singing for defeating the Egyptians and saving His people Israel through the Red Sea. In 2 Samuel 6:14, David "danced before the Lord with all his might' when the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem. On these two occasions, people danced because they were filled with joy and thankfulness due to God's love, mercy, faithfulness and saving power. Now to go back to Psalm 149 where we are told the reason we should praise God with dancing. "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people, He adorns the humble with salvation" verse 4. We should praise the Lord with music and dancing because in His love He has chosen to give us salvation. So in our lives of worship, there are times when praising God with dancing is good and proper. There should be times when we are so filled with adoration to our Savior and Lord that singing and music won't be enough. We'll need to express that joy with the entire body. Maybe it will be when we first find grace and forgiveness. Maybe it will be at the conversion of someone. Maybe it will be after an answer to prayer. Or maybe it will be after a fresh sight of the glory of God. Have you ever had times when you wanted to dance before the Lord or when you did?

Now this doesn't mean that all forms of dancing are good and to be used to worship. Many forms are to be avoided. But there is a form that is good and proper, otherwise God would not give a command to praise Him with dancing. I shouldn't be surprised to find that in the new heavens and earth, we will often praise God with dancing. God is worthy to be praised with every fiber of our being. So let's begin here on earth with singing, dancing, and making music, knowing we shall do this all the better in glory.

 

-Brad-