Iron

The children of Israel were supposed to drive out the Canaanites, but what they ended up doing was putting them under tribute instead (see Joshua 17:13).

 The children of Joseph asked Joshua why he had given them "one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?"  (v. 14).

Joshua told them, "If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee." (v. 15). It seems the people were discouraged, for in replying they mentioned that their enemies, the Canaanites, had "chariots of iron," (v. 16).

Their commander assured them that they would "drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong." (v. 18).

In chapter 13:1, the LORD had told Joshua that, "there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." Joshua had faith in God and believed in His power, despite the apparent insurmountable difficulties. He knew that chariots of iron were nothing to God. As long as he and his people obeyed God's instructions, victories were sure; and they did gain them. "And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that He sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass." (Joshua 21:43-45, emphasis added).

I know that iron refers to Rome in prophecy (see Daniel 2 and onward), but I wanted to see whether it had any other significance. Speaking of "behemoth" in the Bible, God says, "His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron." (Job 40:15, 18). He told His people in Isaiah 48:3-4, "I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;" Iron appears to refer to something that is strong or hard, nearly unconquerable or impenetrable.

In fact, God told the prophet Jeremiah, "For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee." (Jeremiah 1:18, 19, emph. add.).

Yet the Bible reveals One mightier, the One Whom Joshua trusted. "Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:" (Isaiah 45:1-2, emph. add.).

Sometimes circumstances in our lives seem as formidable to us as the chariots of iron did to the children of Joseph—but if we trust God and obey Him, He will help us just as He did them. He will cut "cut in sunder the bars of iron" in our lives, just as He did for Cyrus in literal terms!

Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!

Blessings,
Jean

"Simon's Wife's Mother"

Recently I finished reading the Gospel of Matthew, and now I'm reading the Gospel of Mark. "And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell Him of her. And He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them" (Mark 1:29-31). Jesus had just delivered a man from an unclean spirit (vv. 23-26), so certainly He could cure a fever.

Yet, that wasn't what caught my attention this time. It was verse 31 (emphasis added). "And He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them." She served them as soon as she was well. I think there is a lesson we may learn from this woman.

I'm a disabled person, and I long to experience physical healing, to be like almost everyone else. That feeling is natural, I suppose; and maybe good as well. The Bible says, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 1:2). From this, we see that it isn't wrong to want to "be in health"—else why would the apostle John wish this for his friend—but our reasons for wanting this may be wrong.

The few Scriptures concerning Peter's mother-in-law don't give us much information about her—not even her name—but they do send one message through loud and clear if we're paying enough attention: she used the blessing Jesus bestowed upon her as a means to bless others, not to serve herself. This should be our main reason for wanting any gift from God, even the gift of health. Perhaps some of you reading this live largely in a wheelchair as I do, or maybe you're hindered some other way physically, and just want out of that situation. I understand, believe me; but instead of focusing on our desires and their fulfillment, maybe we all should focus on preparing ourselves daily to make good use of them if and when they are fulfilled (our desires aren't always the best for us, you know). Let's focus our attention on blessing others now, in whatever way we are able, so that when we receive greater privileges in the future (whether here or above), we will use them to bless others then as well, in a greater way than before.

Blessings,

Jean

"Behold, We Have Forsaken All"

"And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him. And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him" (Matthew 4:18-22).

Peter and Andrew did not stop to ask how about wages, housing, and so on. James and John did not ask what would become of their father. They simply followed, and left it all to their Leader.

Let us look at another event earlier in Jesus' ministry. After Jesus had finished His conversation with the rich young ruler and given admonition about riches, Peter asked, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" (Matthew 19:27, emphasis added).

"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My Name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life" (vv. 28-29). While Jesus' answer mentioned things material, we know that we must forsake even more. Like the rest of the disciples, Peter was slow to learn that he truly would have to forsake "all."

" Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:33, emphasis added).

 

"All that he hath" includes an unforgiving spirit—"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22).

 

"All that he hath" includes selfishness—"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee. But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matthew 16:21-23).

 

"All that he hath" includes self-confidence and boasting—"Peter answered and said unto him, Though all [men] shall be offended because of thee, [yet] will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. … Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before [them] all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another [maid] saw him, and said unto them that were there, This [fellow] was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto [him] they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also [art] one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, [saying,] I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly" ((Matthew 26:33-35, 69-75).

 

"All that he hath" includes slothfulness and indifference—"And He cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak" (vv. 40-41).

"All that he hath" includes rashness and insubordination—"Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?"

(John 18:10-11).

 

"All that he hath" includes worrying about what others are supposed to do—"Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what [shall] this man [do?] Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what [is that] to thee? follow thou Me" (John 21:20-22).

As we can see from Peter's life, Jesus wants us to be willing to give up not only positions, possessions, and people for His sake, but also undesirable traits of personality. It may seem like a divesting of individuality to some. Yet, would a man with a cleft lip refuse to have it fixed if he could because it was part of who he was? That would be utter foolishness to go around with such a deformity if there was the possibility of eliminating it. To refuse to surrender characteristics that make our lives and the lives of those around us unhappy is even worse because, unlike a cleft lip, it will have a poisonous influence upon everyone now and it will ruin our chances of going to heaven as well. Why don't we do as Peter did and forsake "all" for the Master?

Blessings,

Jean

All Glorious Within

I discovered something interesting from reading the Bible lately.

In 2 Kings, we read of Jehu, a man that the LORD had anointed to be king over Israel—while the king of Israel was still alive. It was the LORD's intention that Jehu should "smite the house of Ahab" (see 2 Kings 9:1-7). Jehu killed many royal people—including Jezebel, the wife of Ahab. She had great evil influence over her husband. "But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up." (1 Kings 21:25).

 

Jezebel was a heathen woman, and very wicked (see 1 Kings 16:31; 2 Kings 9:22). In light of this, look at how she prepared to meet Jehu. "And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window." (2 Kings 9:30). That would be the ancient equivalent of our putting on makeup and doing our hair. It makes me wonder, Should Christian young ladies be doing something that this pagan queen did as well?

 

If the example of Jezebel isn't enough to make any girl who desires to be Christ-like question this practice, then look at what it says in the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 23, God speaks of Samaria and Jerusalem as though they were two sisters, Aholah and Aholibah respectively. He tells of their unfaithfulness to Him, and in thus describing the deplorable condition of these places, He says, "Moreover this they have done unto Me: they have defiled My sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned My sabbaths. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of Mine house. And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger [was] sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments, And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set Mine incense and Mine oil." (vv.38-41, emphasis added). We see here that such activity is associated with apostasy.

 

In the book of Jeremiah is perhaps the most interesting way of referring to that subject. Speaking of the destruction that was to come upon Jerusalem because of idolatries, God refers to the city as a woman and says, "And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life." (Jeremiah 4:30, emph. add.). Again, God uses such comparisons to depict unfaithfulness to Him.

 

Notice the italicized part here, particularly the verb "rentest." It is a form of "rend," which means "to rip" or "to tear." What happens when something is ripped or torn? Generally, it is ruined. It would seem that in God's sight, wearing makeup ruins our faces. It would seem too, that the other things that tend to accompany it—jewelry and fancy clothes—are also condemned.

Could it be that this is because it focuses the attention on the outward appearance rather than on the inside? Peter was speaking to wives in chapter 3 of his first epistle, but his admonition goes for all women: "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (1Peter 3:3-4). Character matters more than face to God.

 

Not only in the New Testament is this idea expressed. He tells us in the Old Testament too. "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. …Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:10, 30).

 

"The king's  daughter is all glorious within:" (Psalm 45:13). May we be daughters of the King, "all glorious within".

 

Blessings,

Jean

Thoughts from the Life of Jesus, Part 6: The Two Blind Men

Note: Posts formerly entitled, "Thoughts from the Hour" will now be "Thoughts from the Life of Jesus"

After Jesus healed Jairus' daughter from the dead, "the fame thereof went abroad into all that land." (See Luke 8:41-42, 49-56; Matthew 9:26).

In the following verse, we are introduced to two blind men. "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us." These men were persistent; they followed Christ all the way to the house He was going to.

He then asked them a question. "Believe ye that I am able to do this?"

"They said unto him, Yea, Lord." (v. 28).

"Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened;" (vv. 29-30).

The actions of these two men give a living illustration of Hebrews 11:6. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." The two blind men believed that Jesus was. They believed that He was able to heal them—and that He would. They believed it in their hearts, because they kept persevering; asking not once, but again and again.

What happened? Jesus rewarded them with the gift of sight. How much more will He reward us with that spiritual eyesight, that heavenly eyesalve, if we seek for it as earnestly as the blind men did their physical eyesight?

Blessings,
Jean

Thoughts from Luke: "Wist Ye Not That I Must Be About My Father's Business?"

Note: I know I already focused on Jesus' childhood, but I wanted to share this thought.

Joseph and Mary had gone up to Jerusalem with Jesus to observe the Passover (Luke 2:41-42). After the feast, they began the journey home—but without Jesus. After traveling for a day, they discovered that He wasn't with their "kinsfolk and acquaintance." (see vv. 43-45). "And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions." (vv. 45-46).

Even though they were "astonished at His understanding and answers," they couldn't forget the grief they had felt while looking for Him. "And His mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." (vv. 47-48).

"And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (v. 49).

Mary felt as though Jesus had left her and Joseph; but in reality, it was they who had left Him. They had become so caught up in what they were doing that they had failed to notice He wasn't with them anymore. They hadn't kept Him in sight, and as a consequence they lost Him for three days. It is the same with us. If we don't take the time to make sure Jesus is with us, we will lose Him too. We will feel as though God has left us. We will feel sad and discontented. And why should that surprise us? David wrote, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11). We can't expect anything else when we leave behind the only Source of life and joy.

The question is how to find Him again. Jesus is always about His Father's business. That hasn't changed with the passage of time. If we seek to do God's will, we will find the Saviour. Any time we decide to do something besides this, we wander away from Him; but as long as we are about our Father's business, we will have Jesus' presence. Of that we can be sure.

Blessings,
Jean

Yet Another Pause: My Training School

Photo by Katie LeBlanc

The other day, I was talking with a new friend, who also has CP. I said that she her level of involvement reminded me of another kid I used to know. "And like me," I wrote, "he had an aversion to stretching!" She did too. I went on to say that the "normal" people always tell me they should exercise, but that most of the time, they don't--and I just don't see why I should have to. Again, she concurred.

The conversation continued, and later I went to Bible study. In my lesson, there was this quotation:

"The first pupils of Jesus were chosen from the ranks of the common people. They were humble, unlettered men, these fishers of Galilee; men unschooled in the learning and customs of the rabbis, but trained by the stern discipline of toil and hardship." Ellen White, Education,  p. 85.

The phrase, "stern discipline of toil and hardship" stood out to me. For a few minutes, I sat thinking about it, envying the disciples for the training they had received. It must have brought them many blessings, that helped them in developing strong characters. Where could I find such a training? I don't come from a posh background, but neither have I had the ability or opportunity to labor for my necessities due to my condition. How then, could I ever hope to learn the same lessons?

That's when it hit me once more, but with greater force than before: I had my own toil and hardship! What was it? Bettering my physical condition! I know it may be beyond the reach of an able-bodied person's full comprehension or appreciation, especially if they've always enjoyed good health; but it is no small feat. It has been about as difficult for me to dredge up the will to do something about it as it has for a normal person to do something about their problem.

That is, until I read that statement. It seemed clear to me then that God gave me these difficulties to teach me stern discipline and hardship. It seemed to me that this was my lot, my task, my training school, tailored to me. It had a vitalizing effect on me, and since then, I have been seeking to do something every day--mostly leg lifts and hand exercises, with some standing. It's not much, but it's a start, and it's actually enjoyable. I never thought I would say that. (If I have before, I don't remember).

What's your training school?

Blessings,
Jean