GOD'S SANDPAPER

Our Daily Bread -- God’s Sandpaper

Read: Proverbs 27:5-17
Bible in a Year: Psalms 40-42; Acts 27:1-26

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. —Proverbs 27:17

My friend’s words stung. Trying to sleep, I battled to stop mulling over her pointed comments about my strong opinions. As I lay there, I asked for God’s wisdom and peace. Several weeks later, still concerned about the matter, I prayed, “I hurt, Lord, but show me where I need to change. Show me where she’s right.”

My friend had acted as God’s sandpaper in my life. My feelings felt rubbed raw, but I sensed that how I responded would lead to the building of my character—or not. My choice was to submit to the smoothing process, confessing my pride and stubborn stance. I sensed that my bumps and imperfections didn’t glorify the Lord.

King Solomon knew that life in community could be difficult, a theme he addressed in the book of Proverbs. In chapter 27, we see his wisdom applied to relationships. He likens the sharp words between friends as iron sharpening iron: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (v. 17), shaving off the rough edges in each other’s behavior. The process may bring about wounds, such as the hurt I felt from my friend’s words (see v. 6), but ultimately the Lord can use these words to help and encourage us to make needed changes in our attitude and behavior.

How might the Lord be smoothing out your rough edges for His glory? —Amy Boucher Pye

Lord, this shaping process hurts, but I want to submit to the process. Mold me and smooth me.

The Lord allows our rough edges to be smoothed over through the sandpaper of life.

INSIGHT: The book of Proverbs has much to say about relationships (10:12; 16:28; 17:9-10; 18:24) and the importance of godly friends (12:26; 13:20; 14:7; 20:19; 22:5, 24-25; 24:1-2). In today’s passage Solomon extols the value of having a true friend (27:5-6, 9-10, 17). Trustworthy friends are those who love enough to confront and provide correction; they are not afraid to offer a painful rebuke in order to protect you from harm (vv. 5-6). Their heartfelt and honest counsel is welcomed like the delightful aromas of perfumes and incense (v. 9). A true friend is one who makes you a better person (v. 17). Sim Kay Tee

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TEST MATCH

Our Daily Bread -- Test Match

Read: Psalm 35:17-28
Bible in a Year: Psalms 37-39; Acts 26

How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. —Psalm 35:17

A test match in the game of cricket can be grueling. Competitors play from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with lunch and tea breaks, but the games can last up to five days. It’s a test of endurance as well as skill.

The tests we face in life are sometimes intensified for a similar reason—they feel unending. The long search for a job, an unbroken season of loneliness, or a lengthy battle with cancer is made even more difficult by the fact that you wonder if it will ever end.

Perhaps that is why the psalmist cried out, “How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions” (Ps. 35:17). Bible commentaries say that this was speaking of the long period in David’s life when he was pursued by Saul and slandered by the king’s advisors—a time of trial that lasted for years.

Yet, in the end, David sang, “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant” (v. 27). His testing drove him to deeper trust in God—a trust that we can also experience in our own long seasons of testing, hardship, or loss. —Bill Crowder

As time drags on and answers seem faraway, teach me, Father, to find my help in You and Your presence. Enable me to endure, and empower me to trust in You.

When your burdens overwhelm you, remember that God has His arms underneath you.

INSIGHT: David found strength to endure his trial by reflecting on and trusting in the character of God (Ps. 35:9-10). Three young Hebrew captives in Babylon—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, whose names were changed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan. 3)—are other examples of trust during difficult circumstances. The Babylonian ruler commanded them to dishonor God by bowing before a giant idol. They faced this challenge with hope because their past experiences with God taught them that He was worthy of their trust and confidence. Dread and apprehension turned to sure confidence and expectation because God had shown Himself faithful. Adapted from Hope: Choosing Faith Instead of Fear.

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IS THERE SOMETHING THE MATTER WITH OUR FAITH IF WE ARE NOT PERFORMING THE MIRACLES JESUS DID?

IS THERE SOMETHING THE MATTER WITH OUR FAITH IF WE ARE NOT PERFORMING THE MIRACLES JESUS DID?

For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

Should we routinely be performing miracles today like Jesus did? Some “word of faith” (WOF) preachers claim that we should. Do they have a Scriptural basis for this? They cite:

∑       “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever [of you Apostles?] believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12; ESV)

Well, why aren’t we performing “greater works” today? The WOF preachers claim that we just don’t believe the promises of Jesus – a serious indictment.

However, there are many reasons to conclude that Jesus’ promise was only extended to His Apostles. Elsewhere, He promised that it was only the Apostles, those who had been with Him from the beginning, who would be supernaturally equipped by the Spirit to carry forth His Word:

∑       But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

“Bring all things to your remembrance” could only refer to those who had been with Him. Likewise, “teach you all things!” If this promise only has an application to the Apostles,  Perhaps also John 14:12?

Paul too had been designated as an Apostle. How could the Church know this? Only through “signs and wonders”:

∑       For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. (2 Corinthians 12:11-12)

If all Christians were expected to produce signs and wonders, he would have had no way to prove to the Church that He had been called to be an Apostle. Instead, Paul had taught that not everyone was given a supernatural gift.

It was the Apostles alone who would perform “signs and wonders”:

∑       And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. (Acts 2:43; 4:33)

In this way, God had established the fact that the Apostles were His ordained spokesmen to spread His teachings. For the early church, there was no guess-work regarding who bore the Gospel of Jesus. Had all believers been performing miracles, there would have been lots of confusion:

∑       And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. (Acts 19:11-12)

∑       So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their [Barnabas and Paul] hands. (Acts 14:3)

∑       And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? (Acts 3:12)

God sent miracles to prove that it was the Apostles who had been commissioned to carry His Word:

∑       Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:12-13)

∑       For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:2-4)

∑       So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us [Apostles], either by our spoken word or by our letter. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

∑       When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. (Ephesians 3:4-5; 2:19-20))

∑       And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

∑       For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; (Romans 15:18-19)

Against this WOF idea that we should all be performing miracles if we believe Jesus, it seems that, instead, our Lord has purposed for us a miracle-lean diet. This leanness compels us to walk by faith instead of a constant flow of miracles:

∑       For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:24-25)

∑       For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Instead of relying upon a miracles-rich diet, our Lord wants us to live by faith, the unseen, and to even persevere in suffering:

∑       Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:10-11)

To walk in perpetual miraculous healings is not to “Always carry in the body the death of Jesus.” Perpetual miracles would make us spiritually lazy. We would not learn patience, faith, or how to meditate on the Word day and night.

I have attended numerous WOF churches without seeing the lame walk, the blind see, or the dead raised. Perhaps these are intended only as a rarity among us today.

I too do not want to miss anything my Savior might have for me. I also admit that I do not know what to pray for. However, He assures me that, even if I don’t, His Holy Spirit does, and He is intervening for us (Romans 8:26).

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THE WRONG HORSESSHOE

Our Daily Bread -- The Wrong Horseshoe

Read: Psalm 34:11-18
Bible in a Year: Psalms 35-36; Acts 25

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil. —Psalm 34:12–13

Napoleon’s defeat in Russia 200 years ago was attributed to the harsh Russian winter. One specific problem was that his horses were wearing summer horseshoes. When winter came, these horses died because they slipped on icy roads as they pulled the supply wagons. The failure of Napoleon’s supply chain reduced his 400,000-strong army to just 10,000. A small slip; a disastrous result!

James described how a slip of the tongue can do great damage. One wrong word can change the careers or destinies of people. So toxic is the tongue that James wrote, “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). The problem has increased in our modern world as a careless email or a posting on a social media site can cause great harm. It quickly goes viral and can’t always be retracted.

King David tied respect for the Lord with the way we use our words. He wrote, “I will teach you the fear of the Lord. . . . Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies” (Ps. 34:11, 13). He resolved, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth” (39:1). Lord, help us to do the same. —C. P. Hia

What do James 3:1–12 and Proverbs 18:1–8 teach you about a slip of the tongue?

Our words have the power to build up or tear down.

INSIGHT: The introduction to Psalm 34 identifies David as the author and describes the circumstances surrounding its writing: “Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek . . . .” David had just narrowly escaped King Saul’s attempt to murder him, and he had fled to the only place he felt was out of Saul’s reach—the territory of the Philistines (1 Sam. 21:10-15). After he arrived in Gath, David’s life was again threatened. He only escaped King Achish (Abimelek or Abimelech was a general title for Philistine kings) by pretending to be insane. This is the context from which David begins Psalm 34: “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Dennis Moles

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FREE FROM FEAR

Our Daily Bread -- Free from Fear

Read: Psalm 34:1-10
Bible in a Year: Psalms 33-34; Acts 24

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. —Psalm 34:4

Fear sneaks into my heart without permission. It paints a picture of helplessness and hopelessness. It steals my peace and my concentration. What am I fearful about? I’m concerned about the safety of my family or the health of loved ones. I panic at the loss of a job or a broken relationship. Fear turns my focus inward and reveals a heart that sometimes finds it hard to trust.

When these fears and worries strike, how good it is to read David’s prayer in Psalm 34: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (v. 4). And how does God deliver us from our fears? When we “look to him” (v. 5), when we focus on Him, our fears fade; we trust Him to be in control. Then David mentions a different type of fear—not a fear that paralyzes, but a deep respect and awe of the One who surrounds us and delivers us (v. 7). We can take refuge in Him because He is good (v. 8).

This awe of His goodness helps put our fears into perspective. When we remember who God is and how much He loves us, we can relax into His peace. “Those who fear him lack nothing” (v. 9), concludes David. How wonderful to discover that in the fear of the Lord we can be delivered from our fears. —Keila Ochoa

Lord, I’m aware of my worries and fears, and I place them in Your hands. Give me peace as I face the day.

Ask God to free you from your fears.

INSIGHT: In the Old Testament, references to the nature of life after death are obscure. Therefore, the Israelites often struggled to reconcile the injustices of life, since they believed what happened beyond the grave was uncertain. Another belief that influenced Jewish thinking about the afterlife was the principle of retribution that taught God blessed the righteous and judged the wicked—but only in this life. Three psalms focus on this concept. Psalm 34 explains the basic principle. Psalm 37 offers counsel to one who suffers without understanding. And in Psalm 73, the psalmist himself wrestles with the problem of injustice but sees an eternal solution. Bill Crowder

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HUMAN RACE

Our Daily Bread -- Human Race

Read: Mark 6:7-13, 30-32
Bible in a Year: Psalms 31-32; Acts 23:16-35

[Jesus] said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” —Mark 6:31

The alarm clock goes off. Too early, it seems. But you have a long day ahead. You have work to do, appointments to keep, people to care for, or all this and more. Well, you are not alone. Each day, many of us rush from one matter to another. As someone has wittily suggested, “That’s why we are called the human race.”

When the apostles returned from their first mission trip, they had a lot to report. But Mark did not record Jesus’s evaluation of the disciples’ work; rather, he focused on His concern that they rest awhile. Jesus said, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (6:31).

Ultimately, we find true rest through recognizing the presence of God and trusting Him. While we take our responsibilities seriously, we also recognize that we can relax our grip on our work and careers, our families and ministry, and give them over to God in faith. We can take time each day to tune out the distractions, put away the tense restlessness, and reflect in gratitude on the wonder of God’s love and faithfulness.

So feel free to stop and take a breath. Get some real rest. —Poh Fang Chia

Lord, I thank You today for all You have given me to do. Help me to truly rest in You—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

We do not rest because our work is done; we rest because God commanded it and created us to have a need for it. Gordon MacDonald

INSIGHT: When Jesus asked His disciples to go to a quiet place and rest (Mark 6:31), He was telling them to do something that He had often done with them. Jesus had withdrawn with His disciples to the lake (2:13; 3:7) or up on the mountain (3:13). Jesus was also in the habit of withdrawing from the crowds to a solitary place to rest and to spend time talking with His Father (Matt. 14:13,23; 26:36; Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 4:42; 6:12; John 6:15). The gospel of Luke tells us, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (5:16). Sim Kay Tee

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SELF-ACCEPTANCE vs. THE FLIGHT FROM THE SELF

SELF-ACCEPTANCE vs. THE FLIGHT FROM THE SELF

For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

To not accept ourselves as we are is to go into hiding, a refusal to see who we really are. It’s even more than a matter of hiding from ourselves; it also entails the creation of a new self to take the place of the real one. It is this new self that we hold up to the world—and even to ourselves—as the real thing, even though it is but a mere façade, a front, a mask. It is an image that we demand the world to accept in place of reality.

How do we construct this new image to make it believable? We do it in many ways: through the designer clothes we wear, money, success, influence, power, popularity, the clubs we join, and even our educational attainments. We will do anything that will hide the real self and promote the new, idealized self. One dear friend—I’ll call him “John”—even passed out recently when his real self, with all of its warts and failures, began to emerge in an embarrassing social situation.

This quest to prove oneself is endless and life-controlling. It pits the two selves against one-another in trench warfare. The real self, although suppressed, is always trying to emerge. It is like an air-filled-balloon trying to rise to the surface in the ocean as we strenuously try to keep it down and out of sight.

In The Significant Life, attorney George M. Weaver documents this endless struggle in many ways:

• Salvador Dali once said, “The thought of not being recognized [is] unbearable”…Lady Gaga sings, “I live for the applause, applause, applause…the way that you cheer and scream for me.” She adds in another song, “yes we live for the Fame, Doin’ it for the Fame, Cuz we wanna live the life of the rich and famous” (7).

Comedian Al Jolson had achieved fame, but it was never enough to insulate him from jealousy:

• According to his biographer, “He once had a team of performing elephants fired because he thought the audience liked them too much” (59).

Weaver also documents people who have committed heinous crimes, especially against celebrities, so that they too could achieve some degree of notoriety and significance.

However, all our attempts to establish a new and significant self are doomed to fail. Ultimately, in the process, we alienate ourselves from who we really are and even from others. Relationships require the common ground that only being real can provide. When we offer an image instead of who we really are, there is little of substance with which to engage. It is like inviting a friend over for an imaginary meal.

When we accept ourselves and are no longer interested in designing a bubble—a bubble which we will allow no one to burst—we are offering our friend a real meal.

However, self-acceptance—confronting and receiving the truth about ourselves after years of self-deception—can be nearly impossible. It can be so painful that we would rather pass out than take a deep look at ourselves. However, avoiding who we really are is not a viable option. If we choose to live this way, we are forced to live as creatures of the darkness and the lie.

The battle between the darkness and the light can also bring on severe depression. It did with me. I had tried desperately to hold on to my constructed, idealized image of myself. However, in the midst of failures and rejections, it had become increasingly difficult. These setbacks plunged me into deep depression. Meanwhile, I continued a fruitless and exhausting war to keep my real self submerged.

This struggle brought me to several psychologists. However, they did not know how to lift me from my rut. Instead, they confirmed and tried to restore my constructed, idealized image by building my self-esteem. However, this served no purpose other than reinforcing my defensive bunker against the assaults of reality.

My friend John was told that he would need a pacemaker to keep his heart beating normally and thus avoid passing out. He almost had the pacemaker implanted until another specialist advised him that a pacemaker would not really address his problem. His heart was perfect. Instead, he had a psychological issue.

John now understands that his real problem was a failure to fully accept himself—including his failures and inadequacies. He has also come to understand the answer to his dilemma. He explained that he now accepts the fact that he has failed at so many things and freely admits that he has some embarrassing weaknesses.

How was he finally able to accept this truth about himself? He had returned once again to the fact that Christ accepts him just the way He is. Yes, he is inadequate—just like all the rest of us—but he has now re-embraced the truth that he has a Savior who is entirely adequate. This Savior cries out:

∑       “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30; ESV).

We are all “heavy laden” and we all need His rest. Without this rest, we will continue to labor, fighting against ourselves, to maintain a costly self-delusion.

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