Turn to: Exodus 20:1-20 You become what you fear the most - fear God, revere Him - His persistent love for His children is committed to converting our hearts from “being afraid”, like the demons are, trembling in fright (James 2:19), to “fearing”, that is being overwhelmed by that which is most beautiful, things that are just “too wonderful for me” (Job 42:3; Ps 139:1-6; Pr 30:18-19), too hard, too much, too beautiful to believe. And the enemy, the one who sees himself as being the “beautiful one” the “angel of light” (Ez 28:12-15; Is 14:12-14; Pr 16:18), hates God’s real beauty and will do everything in his power to draw our eyes away from what is actually beautiful to his counterfeit beauty (2Co 11:14) - where nothing lasts. (Matt 6:19; 1Cor 7:31; 1Jo 2:17)
What is “real”? God’s loving truth. And, if God is what is real, then the enemy and his world and ways are counterfeit - they appear to have life but actually lead to death and destruction. They appear to give peace, but actually anxiety and fear; safety, but actually peril; life, but actually death - to everything.
John 8:44 “The devil… He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”)
What seems real, is not, and in fact, real is almost always the opposite, of what is seems…
If God is counterintuitive, it is not because He stands in contrast and contradiction to this world, but that this world and its ways stand in contrast and in contradiction to Him and His ways, the way of life - they are always in conflict with one another (Ro 7:15-18; 8:5 Gal 5:16-17)
Why is this important to know? Because the enemy wants nothing more than to convince us that God is wrong, He does not better, that He is holding something back from us, and that His word is restrictive. The enemy wants to know nothing about the benefits of forgiveness and peace with God, self, and others. No, he wants us isolated and resentful, bitter toward God and others. He wants us to be as ineffective as he can make us, and will try to convince us that the way to health is to hold on to…
You see, our Father in heaven wants something different for us: life and light, peace and freedom from encumbrances through being forgiven and forgiving - which is the essence of the kingdom.
I don’t know your story, but God does, and here is the beginning of relief:
God knows, and He is good, and He cares, and He longs to relieve us of our burden (Psalm 55:22; 40:17; 34:15; Proverbs; Jer 31:25; Matthew 11:28-30; 1Peter 5:7)
God knows and we can trust Him and His word… Jesus is imploring us to understand that we will not be released from the burden of our anxieties and fears, our most difficult struggles, and find true and lasting healing if we are able to place (a mustard seed of) faith in Him and His ways to have this “mountain” removed, this “valley” leveled, to have (Jesus) make for us a straight way. (Isaiah 40:3-5; 42:16; 49:11; 55:1-3; Lu 3:5)
What is that straight way? The way of righteousness: turn to Psalm 23 (Ps 37:5)
Where does that straightway take us? Take us…, take us…, take us…, you mean, this part of our journey? We are moving? Yes, yes, and yes. Remember, although this Psalm may be about our journey, it is actually about the One who leads us on the journey. Whose voice we hear, recognize, listen to, and follow? It is about the “Good Shepherd”, who is actually, our Great Shepherd, our is the “Shepherd of ours souls… living.” (Prov 12:28)
Yes, green pastures. Yes, quiet waters. Yes, on a path of righteousness…
But, where does that path go? Whose voice must we hear and trust, to Whom we listen and follow? Right through the valley of the shadow of death, into, through, to… a table; an anointing; to fullness and life overflowing; to a greater, deeper, realization of our Shepherd’s goodness: love and life in Him; and the hope of eternal life, eternal glory.
Who is there with us? Who is it that is leading us? How is it who remains and is waiting in the end? Who is it that set that table? Who is it that anoints my head, gives of His goodness, out of His goodness, and grants me like now and for eternity? Jesus, the Good Shepherd
Turn to: John 10:7-18
Listening to the wrong voice has happened before: listening to a voice other than God’s: Genesis 3:
· The voice of our own deceitful heart? The voice of our easily tempted flesh?
· The voice of the accuser - we need to ask “Whose voice is that and what is he saying? Who is he accusing?”
o “This was your fault”
o “You will never get past this”
o They do not deserve to be forgiven
o You can only control what’s happening if you hold on to this
o You’re getting them back, punishing THEM by not forgiving them
o Grumbling, and complaining, as we try to win others over to our thinking by getting them to feel sorry for us, commiserate with us, and join us in our accusations against… God: the nature of His Person; His goodness and wisdom; His love and care; His commitment to His promises: the effectiveness of His word, the power of His Spirit, the good and necessary fellowship of believers… the enemy wants isolated - to believe that the best place for you is to be separated from God and His ways, and alone—just the opposite of what God says and means.
o Accusing God: God’s way will lead to more hurt, more injury, more anxiety, more, more, more
Learning to discern the difference… to who’s voice am I listening? Here’s how to know:
· The voice of God expressed through
o His word
o His, Holy Spirit, which always speaks in line with His word
o The Body of Believers – those with whom we share the nature of God’s Spirit
Walking in faith, IS, learning to trust our Father’s goodness more and more, as we are more and more persuaded of the truth of His love… Trust God at the most difficult place - giving God room to… letting Him judge, and exert His wrath justly, goodly, faithfully, according to His truth
Do not fear forgiving… as strange as this sounds. Forgiving is hard, because, sometimes, trusting is hard.
Love God and immerse yourself in Him, His mercy, and His saving and keeping and sanctifying grace: Love sincerely - wanting God’s all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful best for them; Hate what is evil - not only what has been done to us, but what is done to others; Cling to what is good - God’s grace and truth
And in the meantime, here’s where faith in God and His wisdom and grace comes colliding into our heart’s desire:
Turn to Romans 12 - leaving room for God to do His work (Rom 2; John Jesus is the judge; therefore “do not judge, do not condemn (even we could), forgive and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:32-36; 11:1-4): Love your “enemy”; Feed them; Give them drink; Clothe them – let mercy administer justice…
Though God and His ways are most real, in our world, they seem, counterintuitive…. This is God’s counter-intuitive nature, the counterintuitive nature of the kingdom of Heaven, and we, truly are citizens of that Kingdom, under that King
What in my context does this look like? Who is that person? How do/I love them here and now? What is my fiery step? We honor by being patient, bearing up, and being kind. And honor God by trusting Him and His word enough to take a first step of faith - and that will be different for each one of this.
The first step: Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is. Then, and only then, do we show ourselves as His children doing the very, good, works that He is creating us in Jesus - His only begotten Son - to make us, His adopted children like imm - to do golf works prepared in advance for us to do - these very works, according to God's very good and wise and loving word
The second step: put your trust in God., knowing that: (Prov 8:8)
· God never commands us to do anything that he himself has not done… He has forgiven.
· God never commands us to do something unless it’s good and right and just - for the forgiver and forgive
· God never commands us to do something he has not equipped, enabled and empowered us to do
· God never commands us to go a place alone, but in fact, promises to be with us
We need to see that, forgiving is something God wants for us - and the idea that I will be forgiven as I forgive, is a profound statement - though I reside with God, hidden in Christ, forgiven, may, justified, the effects is the consequences of not forgiven bind me to the effects and to the one I refuse to forgive.
God knows the brutal effect of not forgiving, or being unwilling to forgive, and longs to release us from our not-forgiving
