The Lord’s prophet Samuel is credited for penning one of the saddest verses that can be found in the entire canon of God’s Holy Word, located in the book of Judges, written approximately 550 BC during Israel’s days of Babylonian exile:
Judges 21:25 (NKJV)
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Considering all the history humanity has experienced since this event and time, I am humbled and awed at how apt we today are just as easily prone to unwittingly make this same error here and now, ourselves.
In Hebrews chapter 12, the unknown author talks about us being surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses.” This reference isn’t about the ghosts of our deceased ancestors still being interested and involved with our current mortal worldly concerns, but rather references the historical works completed by previous people of faith, that have been documented in Scripture and discussed in the immediately preceding chapter. This historical record is a gift that has been left for us, so that we can easily learn and grow from their past experiences and avoid having to relearn the same truths through our own current pains and difficulties.
We, the church of today, are blessed with much more than these early believers. Not only do we have the completed canon of Scripture at our fingertips, we also have centuries worth of records and works by our ancestors in the faith from which to read and reflect. While the love of many today has grown cold as people, like uneducated barbarians, seek to satisfy their own itching ears, we, like civilized and educated children, can enjoy the fun and greater perspective offered by piggyback rides provided by shoulders of the spiritual giants of church history.
I’m personally grateful for the shoulders of our elder brother Matthew Mead as he wisely points out:
"You will suspect that man to be next door to a bankrupt, that never casts up his accounts nor looks over his book; and I as verily think that man a hypocrite, that never searches nor deals with his own heart. He that goes on in a road of duties without any uneasiness or doubting of his state, I doubt no man’s state more than his. When we see a man sick, and yet not sensible, we conclude the tokens of death are upon him. So when sinners have no sense of their spiritual condition, it is plain that they are dead.”
And soberly reminds us:
"The profession of religion will no more keep a man from perishing, than calling a ship the Safe-guard, or the Good-speed, will keep her from drowning. As many go to heaven with the fear of hell in their hearts, so many go to hell with the name of Christ in their mouths."
because it brings back to mind one of the Bible’s most serious warnings:
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
In order to encourage those new and insecure in the faith while simultaneously challenging and admonishing the blind and arrogant presumptions that have grown in some of us believers who have come to identify ourselves as Christians, Matthew, has left us with his biblically insightful work “The Almost Christian Discovered,” which is accessible here for your edification and benefit.
James Smith is another set of shoulders from which I particularly enjoy riding upon particularly at this specific time of year. In his 1862 autobiography, "Marvelous Mercy!" he wrote:
“On the last day of this year, I wrote in my diary as follows:
Through the richest mercy, I am now brought to the close of another year, let me therefore ask you, my soul--What are your improvements this past year?
Is Christ more precious?
Do His work, righteousness, and blood, appear inestimable?
Do you see more of His suitability, and feel a stronger attachment to Him?
Is His glory dearer to you, and His honor more precious in your sight?
Do you feel more devoted to Him, and find greater pleasure in His service?
Do you lie lower at the foot of the cross, and is Jesus more lovely in your eyes?
Are you more humbled before God under a sight and sense of your sinfulness?
Is your temper, disposition, and will--more subdued by grace?
Does grace reign, and sway its scepter over all your powers?
Is sin more hateful, death less fearful, and Heaven more desirable?
Is the Bible more prized, and are you better acquainted with its contents, living under the influence of its holy precepts?
Is holiness and entire devotedness to God more sought after?
Are you seeking to live nearer to Jesus, to trust more unreservedly to Him, and to leave all your concerns in His hands?
Are you more earnest in your desires to be made useful to His flock and family?
Are you more prayerful, more given to meditation?
Is it your one grand desire and aim, to crown Jesus Lord of all?
Speak, my soul--what answer can you give to these very important questions? Speak as in the sight of God, as though you were placed before the tribunal of the Most High God! Let the Holy Spirit, who searches all things, be your witness that you speak the truth, and nothing but the truth!"
In some ways 2018 has been a particularly challenging year for me. If you can relate, please do not lose heart:
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.
As Paul explained to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 4:13-18 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
So therefore let us trust our Loving Father, even in the midst of our life's problems and challenges. For even the most severe and tragic of these are what the Bible calls light and momentary troubles. Living through these, is a testimony to our future brothers and sisters, helping them to evidence the existence of a Loving God, and makes us more Christ-like, preparing us to be ready to be responsible for the room in His Father's house that has been prepared for us to one day inhabit.
Not only do we get the benefit of becoming more Christ-like, we then also get an opportunity to personally encounter the Jesus of the Bible and not an imaginary counterfeit created by some selfish and/or sinful impulses from the depths of our old fleshly selves.
It is upon the shoulders of Thomas Wilcox (1621-1687) from which I’ve received an uniquely beautiful view of our Loving Savior Jesus:
"If you have ever seen Christ truly, you have seen pure grace, pure righteousness in Him in every way infinite, far exceeding all sin and misery. If you have seen Christ, you can trample upon all the righteousness of men and angels, so as to bring you into acceptance with God. If you have seen Christ, you would not do a duty without Him for ten thousand worlds (1 Corinthains 2:2). If ever you saw Christ, you saw him as a Rock, higher than self-righteousness, Satan, and sin (Psalm 61:2), and this rock follows you (1 Corinthians 10:4); and there will be continual dropping of honey and grace out of that Rock to satisfy you (Psalm 81:16). Examine if ever you have beheld Christ as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Be sure you have come to Christ, that you stand upon the Rock of Ages, and have answered His call to your soul, and have closed with Him for justification."
To be able to be in His presence, and experience His comfort and love here and now, prior to us passing through death's door into eternity future.....Isn't that worth a few light and momentary problems now?
A couple of other worthy questions:
What if the power of transformation is ignited in questions, not statements?
How would life be different if the majority of the words we spoke were words that were spoken in prayer?
Anyway, the one thing about piggyback rides that I never appreciated as a child is that they eventually come to an end an I have to once again walk on my own two feet and make my way through the world with my more limited view and perspective. I would always want and usually get that one last ride for a few more minutes.
At this time, I can think of no better place to conclude that one last ride than J.R. Miller's shoulders as he shares these timely sentiments:
"We ought to make something of every year. They should be like new steps on the stairs, lifting our feet a little higher. We ought not to live any two years on the same plane. To be content with any attainment even for two days, is not living at our best."
“The new year on which we are about to enter is unopened and we know not what shall befall us; but if we follow Christ we need have no fear. So let us leave the old year with gratitude to God for its mercies, and with penitence for its failures and sins, and let us enter the new year with earnest resolve in Christ's name to make it the holiest and most beautiful year we have ever lived.”
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
