Limping Along

My wife mentioned to me a statement she read recently. “Don’t follow anyone unless they limp.” She stated the writer went on to say such a person would no doubt be familiar with pain. To which she added, “They would also be easy to keep up with.”

We see both of the above truths wrought out in the life of Jacob. I read that the place where God wounded Jacob, causing him to limp the rest of his days, was in an area of the body which would produce excruciating pain. Also, he told his brother Esau, “I will lead on softly.” The context showing those following him could stay up with him.

Until we experience a “Divine” wounding, we are of little use to ourselves or others. God must touch that place of strength in our lives before we will ever learn to lean on Him. Once Christ becomes our crutch, our walk becomes acceptable with God. And others will long to follow such a cripple.

The lame sit at the Kings table. Ask Mephibosheth!

The Measure of a Man

“Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate… and measured it round about.”

Whenever God measures the worth of a person, man or woman, He starts with the inner chamber of their earthly house. God always works from the inside out; the Pharisees, from the outside in. But they never seem to arrive at the core. Their outward lives are like a beautiful casket, but inside is a decayed life.

The people in Saul’s day saw him as a giant of a man, but God saw only a dwarf in a huge body. On the other hand, when observing David, with his small stature (he was swallowed up in Saul’s armour), who would have believed a man of such historic size, indwelt that house of clay. Many a common man and woman will never measure up to the greats of this world, but oh, the treasure they have within!

Jesus knows what it is like to be seen only as a “carpenter’s son,” while all the time God Almighty was dwelling in His earthly house!

In God's Own Good Time

I think of time as a parenthesis in God’s eternal sentence. Although He created time, He is not a product of it, “In the beginning God…” He was there before it began. He is outside of time, yet He enters it at will. He comes and goes as He pleases. And you can be sure whenever He does show up, you’ll know He has been there. He always leaves His calling card.

One example of God stepping out of eternity into time was when He brought His Son into the world. We are told, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son.” Not a day too soon, or a day late, GOD IS ALWAYS ON TIME. You can set your watch by Him. If He hasn’t shown up yet in your particular case, the problem, no doubt, is that your clock is fast!

“They shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”

The Plurality of God's Mercy

Paul uses God’s multiplied mercies in pleading with the Lord’s people to give Him that one thing in life most precious to them: their bodies. Just the common everyday mercies of God, not to mention those special times when we are in dire need of it, should be incentive enough to present to Him our most cherished possession. I can imagine the old “bond slave” saying to us yet, “I beg you, for mercy’s sake.”

We read of God’s mercies being great, rich, manifold, plenteous, abundant, sure, everlasting, tender, high as the heaven, filling the earth, and new every morning. Bunyan said, “All the flowers in God’s garden are double.” And so it is with His mercy, there is not a single mercy. They are found in clusters. Is it any wonder then that David tells us, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever.”

O, dear trembling child of God, fear not to approach His throne of mercy. As the Mercy Seat of old, it is still sprinkled with blood; but now, that of His own blessed Son, thereby giving us boldness to enter in. There is nothing little about our God or His mercy. It’s as big as He is. It can’t be measured! Let us learn then to no longer linger there, BUT TO LIVE THERE. Let we, who are “vessels of mercy,” pitch our tents at the foot of His mercy seat.

Breaking Our God's Heart

Jesus said to the man sick of the palsy, “Thy sins be forgiven thee… go thy way.” I find in dealing with people, as well as in my own life, that the problem is not asking God’s forgiveness, but believing He has and going our way. I like to stand around, once I’m back on my feet, and mull it over in my mind. You know, make sure I didn’t leave any “t’s” uncrossed, or “i’s” undotted.

I’m sure it brings great sorrow to God’s loving heart, when we doubt His abundant and merciful forgiveness. We need to learn, upon a simple childlike confession, to “go our way.” Unquestioningly! I call your attention to Joseph’s brothers. After he had forgiven them earlier for the wrong they did him, they asked forgiveness of him again for the same injury. Their plea was, “we pray thee, forgive…” Then we read, “And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.”

Have you asked God to forgive you? Then believe Him and go your way. Don’t break His precious heart by asking Him again.

He Said...We Say...

“For He hath said…So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear…”

Contrary to some who think of Hebrews as a book that contains only dire warnings, they have neglected to see, it is also one of the greatest books in the Bible on a Christian’s confidence and assurance. Warnings, yes; fearfulness, yes; but only to those who neglect the Word of God. But for those who feed upon it, blessed assurance and a settled confidence.

The boldness to say God is my helper, and that you do not fear, is based on the fact, “He hath said.” Boldness comes from His authoritative Word. Therefore, to neglect the Word is to lack boldness. For example, one will never come before His throne boldly without the assuring Word to tell us we can do so. Rather we’ll come with fear and trembling.

Dear child of God, at this very moment you can be as bold before God as His Word permits you to be! If we can truthfully say, “He hath said..." then “we may boldly say...”

Christians in Costumes

In Luke’s gospel, we’re told some men came to Jesus, and that they “feigned” themselves just men. Since I strongly believe the Word of God (K.J.V. 1611) is its own interpreter, we will let it tell us the meaning of the word “feign.” In 1Kings chapter 14, by comparing verse 6 with verse 2, you will find it is defined as “disguise.” In other words, acting like someone you’re not. I find it’s a difficult thing for mankind, in general, to be himself. I know little to nothing about psychology, and so I will not venture down that path. But, I do profess to know a little bit about human nature.

I find not only God, but people also are very forgiving of sins, faults, and shortcomings in an individual’s life. Those who profess to be no other than what they are. But our fellow man, as well as God, finds it a real problem with “shams.” One of David’s secrets in “wiggling” himself into the heart of God was the fact that David was just plain David. In Psalm 17, he asks God, “give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.” David didn’t act out his life before his God in the character of another. He, like Paul, could say, “I am what I am.”

We all need to remember, when God sees fit to display the supernatural, it is always on something that is natural, never on the unnatural.