The Day of the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 3:11-13a,

"Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
    at the glint of your flying arrows,
    at the lightning of your flashing spear.
In wrath you strode through the earth
    and in anger you threshed the nations.
You came out to deliver your people,
    to save your anointed one."

As I read the words of Habakkuk's prophecy, I am moved by the deeds of old of the Lord as recounted by Habakkuk. At the same time I recognize the future implications of his prophecy: at some point future to us today, the Lord is coming to the earth to conquer all who stand opposed to him. The descriptions are vivid, bold, and at times frightful. Here is one such passage (of many):

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:11-17.

The day the Lord returns to planet Earth will be a frightful day for all who do not know him.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The Lord speaks to us! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 2:2-3,

"Then the Lord replied: 'Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.'"

Habakkuk brought a complaint to the Lord regarding the wickedness of Judah. When the Lord told Habakkuk he was going to use the Babylonians to bring his judgment against Judah, he voiced a second complaint: how could the Lord use a more sinful people to bring his judgment against a sinful people? The above verses begins the Lord's second response to Habakkuk.

I note the answer to Habakkuk's question is not for him alone, but for all. The Lord tells Habakkuk to reduce the prophecy to writing on a tablet so it can be brought to others.

Here is a microcosm of how our Bibles came to be. The Lord spoke to prophets whom he had write down what he had to say, delivering his message to all. Peter tells us a bit about this process, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21.

I will never cease to be astonished and amazed at the reality that the Creator of all, the One who brought the cosmos into being, has communicated through his prophets to us in the pages of Scripture! We can read his thoughts! We can know his intentions for us! We can find out what he is like! We can find out what he has done in the world, what he is doing today and what is to come! The Lord's flawless character and nature is laid out for us, his love for us is communicated, expressed and displayed for us al in the Scriptures.

When you give it some thought, it is just strikingly astonishing!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

An error in deduction - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 1:12-13,

"Lord, are you not from everlasting?
    My God, my Holy One, you will never die.
You, Lord, have appointed them [the Babylonians] to execute judgment;
    you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
    Why are you silent while the wicked
    swallow up those more righteous than themselves?"

The Lord tells Habakkuk he is going to send a more wicked people, the Babylonians, to destroy his own people, Judah, who have fallen into their own wickedness.

Habakkuk raises his perplexity with the Lord. It is based on what he knows of the Lord, and, given that, what he deduces the Lord would, or should do. While his knowledge of the Lord is without flaw, his deduction is.

In Habakkuk's mind, since the Lord is eternal and condemns evil, how could he possibly use a wicked people for his purposes, especially in judgment? How can he take a more wicked people to destroy a less wicked (but wicked nevertheless) people?

Habakkuk's perplexity arises from an error of deduction. I can identify with Habakkuk, I suspect many of us can. We know some things of the Lord as he has revealed himself in the pages of Scripture. However, as Habakkuk, we can deduce wrong things with our limited intelligence, knowledge and understanding - compared to that of the Lord.

We do it all the time today. Here is a fun example:

As Paul quotes psalms 14, 53 and Ecclesiastes 7, we read in Romans 3:10-12, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

From this quote in Romans 3, I have often heard the reasoning that since this is so, then no one who is not a believer has any interest in the things of God. Therefore, no one can respond to the gospel unless the Lord does something akin to dropping a "roofie" in their drink.

However, this is an error in deduction. While Paul's point is truthful, accurate and authoritative, he later goes on to say about his own unsaved (and without faith) countrymen, "Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge." Romans 10:1-2.

The truth about mankind's lost condition lies somewhere between both Romans 3:10-12 and Romans 10:1-2. Unfortunately, errors in deduction from what we read in the Scriptures abound, so we really can't be too hard on Habakkuk. We do the same thing all the time.

Paul's concern should come to bear here, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Faith and joy in the Midst of Trouble - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 3:17-19,

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights."

In Habakkuk's prayer, cast as a psalm, he reflects on the horror
coming to his homeland. The Lord is going to send the Babylonians to
crush Judah, due to Judah's willful estrangement from the Lord. As
Habakkuk contemplates the coming judgment, he reaffirms his faith,
trust and joy in the Lord in spite of the difficulties coming.

Habakkuk foresees the collapse of the market, the famine that is
coming and the loss of any possible affluence Judah has been
experiencing. They are going to be destroyed. As he anticipates these
things he proclaims his own personal fidelity, faith and joy in the
Lord, even in the midst of this destruction that is coming.

I think today we often have folks that fill churches who embrace the
Lord as long as things are going well. A message is preached that
since God loves us he wants us to "prosper", to be healthy and to
achieve "victory" in all aspects of our lives. Consequently, when
things go to hell in a hand-basket, many begin to question the Lord,
many begin to resent the loss of all they anticipated in "joining up".

Habakkuk was vexed by the sinfulness Judah had sunk to and asked the
Lord what he was going to do about it. The Lord told him he was going
to send the Babylonians, more wicked than the people of Judah, to
destroy Judah for her rebellion. As Habakkuk contemplated what was
coming, he reaffirmed in this prayer/psalm his confidence, his joy,
his faith in the Lord.

Nothing like a good disaster coming our way to prove those who truly
trust and love the Lord. As I read of the eschatological events (the
events headed our way in the future) we will face as this age draws to
a close, those of us who are alive and remain will have the
opportunity to express this very same faith in the midst of calamity
as did Habakkuk.

I am reminded my faith and joy does not rest on a steady stream of
goodies God may give, but upon his power and might to save us from his
own judgment as well as any difficulty we may be caught up in. Upon
his love that sent his Son to die for us, upon his demonstration to us
of his satisfaction of Jesus payment for our sins in his court through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Upon what we know of him, seen in
him, experienced from him in the Scriptures and in our lives.

May we all emulate the faith, the trust, the joy of Habakkuk when we
are caught in the midst of difficult times.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Our God is a consuming fire! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 2:16b,

"The cup from the Lord's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory."

This is the Lord's forewarning to the Babylonians who are coming - at the Lord's doing (unbeknownst to them), to destroy Judah and carry off a remnant into a captivity that will last seventy years. Habakkuk has questioned the Lord how he could use a more wicked people than those of Judea to judge the people of Judea. The Lord lets Habakkuk know that the Babylonians are going to have their day of judgment as well.

The phrase, "The cup of the Lord's right hand is coming around to you" is an absolutely frightful and horrific message! The certainty of it cannot be questioned as it is already headed their way. Nothing can possibly stop it, nothing can possibly delay it. In the Lord's time, "the Lord's right hand is coming around to you". The ferocity of it cannot be  measured. The dreadful judgment of the Lord means Babylon is done and will find its end in a fierce, frightful, furious and violent end.

As the fate of both Judea and Babylon are in view in Habakkuk's prophecy, who cannot think of the horrific judgment at the end of things for those who reject Jesus Christ? Just as the Lord's right hand of judgment was coming around to the Babylonians in Habakkuk's day, so the Lord's right hand of judgment is coming around to all mankind!

"Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15. Also, "the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8.

How true is the caution we read in Hebrews 10:31, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." We are reminded by the writer of Hebrews of Moses' words, "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." Hebrews 12:29, Deuteronomy 4:24.

How thankful I am that God the Father sent his Son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for all of our sins! How thankful I am that out of the bounty of his gracious love for all of us, all he asks of us is to place our faith and trust in him! That is all he asks of us to avoid his heavy hand of judgment and join his family.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The ultimate satisfaction in justice - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 1:12b-13,

"You, Lord, have appointed them [the Babylonians] to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?"

Habakkuk had voiced his complaint to the Lord about the wickedness he saw about him in Judah. The Lord answered him and told him he was going to send an even more wicked people, the Babylonians, to bring his judgment against Judah.

Of course, this brought rise of Habakkuk's next complaint: how can the Lord use those who are even more wicked to bring his judgment against those who are wicked?

Clearly, Habakkuk had a sense of fairness, a sense of justice, a sense of what he felt was appropriate, of right and wrong. What he was challenged with was addressing the Lord who is the very definition of ultimate, pure and unadulterated justice. Habakkuk did not understand how his Lord, that he knew to be just and righteous, was going to deal with the injustice he saw.

This is clearly why the Lord provided us the book of Habakkuk, that we might better understand how our God of justice carries out his agenda in a perfection of justice and righteousness.

The reality is we all have built within us a sense of justice. Just as the Lord created us in his image to be communicators, creatures who emote and operate within the sphere of our own volition, he has likewise built within us a sense of justice.

This sense of justice dwells with us as beings with a fallen nature. Often times a sense of perverted justice brings us trouble. For example, we see this when some take revenge for a perceived wrong. We might see it in a child as he or she stamps their feet and exclaims, "That's not fair!". We don't need to be taught a sense of justice, we don't need to learn it. It is embedded within us in the way our Creator has wired us.

This is not to say we do not have need for training in justice and righteousness. This is due to our sinful nature. Like everything else within us, things have gone awry with our understanding of true justice. The need for training is very evident when we witness this built in sense of justice being perverted and exploited with the popular notions in our pop culture of things like "social justice" and "political correctness."

In any event, we all have this sense of justice built within us. One of the many, many exciting and refreshing things believers discover when they embrace the Lord in faith is the exposure to true justice, true fairness, a truthful definition of what is right and what is wrong and the resolution of those things that are wrong. This, of course, can only be felt by those who know their sins and transgressions have been forgiven and are persuaded that God's justice for those sins has already been satisfied by Jesus Christ's atonement for those sins on that miserable cross.

There is very little in life that is more satisfying than knowing and experiencing the justice that God expresses. We sense it now, we feel it now, we perceive it and rejoice in the harbingers of what is to come at the end of the age.

How wonderful to know our Lord, who is pristine in his character and nature, without wrinkle or shadow in his dealings, will bring an entirely satisfying (and joyful!) resolution of all things that vex us today, just as in Habakkuk's day. It may take some patience, as it did for Habakkuk, but like a massive freight train headed for the station, it is on the way!

"'Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,'
declares the Lord." Jeremiah 9:24.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Is ISIS or Iran today's Babylonians?

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 3:16,

"I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us."

The people of Judah had rejected the Lord and Habakkuk complained to him about their wickedness. The Lord told Habakkuk he was going to send an even more wicked people than them, the Babylonians, to crush the people of Judah.

This would not be the end of Israel, even though the northern ten tribes had already been destroyed by this time. Through a captivity in Babylon, a remnant of Judah would eventually return to Palestine to prepare a people for the coming Messiah. In other words, the Lord was going to crush what was left of Israel at the time to prepare them for effective use in the Lord's own agenda of things: the coming Messiah.

Jesus Christ did come and he fulfilled what he came to do. He paid the penalty for our sins, making a way for us to be restored to God and not suffer his eternal punishment. What the Lord did with the destruction of Judah by the Babylonians helped fulfill his agenda for the whole world.

I note that Israel will again be prepared for another coming of the Messiah. Paul points out, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.' As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake [believing Gentiles]; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:25-29.

God is not done with Israel and the country still has a part to play in God's great agenda. Just as Israel was partially prepared through a ruthless slaughter (among other things) for the eventual first coming of the Messiah, so she will be prepared again for his second coming.

The question I have is how? How is the Lord going to prepare Israel for Jesus Christ's second coming? Paul tells us that as a nation, Israel will embrace Jesus Christ as her savior. Today it seems like something impossible. However, so did Israel's existence again as a nation-state prior to May 14, 1948. And, look what happened!

So far, after two millenia, it has not happened, but the Lord's second return still remains in the future. As we read the accounts of the Lord's interaction with Israel, when it came time draw the nation back to himself, he always used horrific tools, often the threat of surrounding hostile peoples.

Israel's embrace of Jesus Christ did not happen during the 1940's when 6 million Jews were slaughtered. What will the Lord use? Might it be the terror we see today, represented by Islamic jihad? Might it be what appears to be the inevitable nuclear armament of Iran?

Just musing here. I certainly don't know, but the events on the world stage today sure gets one to wondering.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Hang on! The end is coming! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 2:3,

"The revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

As Habakkuk makes his complaint about the sinful condition of Judah and is told a more evil people are to come (the Babylonians) to destroy the evil-doers in Judah, the Lord's answer gives rise to a second complaint by Habakkuk. Even thought there is wickedness in Judah that vexes Habakkuk, he is further confounded at the Lord's answer he is going to use a more wicked people than that of Judah to destroy them.

In response to Habakkuk's second complaint, the Lord tells him the Babylonians, too, will be judged by the Lord. "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

There is no question in my mind but that this is prophetic, not just for Habakkuk's day, but for our's as well. "it speaks of the end and will not prove false". We are to be patient, the day of reckoning will come. We find other passages of Scripture where the Lord tells those who are his to have patience and endure while the Lord carries out his agenda, prolonging the time before the wicked have their day with the Lord.

I am reminded of the fifth seal in the book of Revelation 6:9-11, "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, 'How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?' Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been."

In my younger years, I had a hard time imagining these kinds of things during my lifetime, martyrdom, believers killed for the sake of the gospel. Where Foxe's Book of Martyrs is filled with accounts of those who might fit right in with the complaint of those we read of in Revelation 6:9-11, I could not imagine in my lifetime those who might legitimately voice the same complaint. Not any more. With the horror many of us feel today, the words of Scripture jump to life right before our own eyes!

Habakkuk's prophecy was for the time leading up to the Babylonian captivity of the remnant of Judah... and also of the end of the age we live in that will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ for his own and the judgement of those who have rejected him.

Just fascinating!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The prophetic response of the Lord to evil - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 1:2-4,

"How long, Lord, must I call for help,
    but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, 'Violence!'
    but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed,
    and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
    so that justice is perverted."

Habakkuk voices his complaint to the Lord. As a contemporary of Jeremiah, he voices his concern, his frustration, the anxiety he feels as he observes the wickedness that dominates Judah. He is a man of faith and is vexed by what he sees taking place in the land.

This very remarkable short book of prophecy follows a pattern many of the other books of prophecy follow. Issues of the day are expressed, and often the Lord's response is given as to what he is going to do in a contemporary sense. Yet, at the same time, the Lord addresses what is to come in the future, even beyond our day. Where these events documented in Habakkuk were in play around 605 BC, they point to events we struggle with today and the resolution of these events in actions God has yet to take.

As a person of God today, who is not vexed by the rise of things like homosexuality, the embrace and defense of it in our culture? As Habakkuk expresses his impatience ("Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?"), we can certainly identify with Habakkuk's complaint.

As a believer, who is not vexed by the practice of abortion today in our land? Again, we can empathize with Habakkuk's complaint, "How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not save?"

The Lord will provide his answer to Habakkuk regarding his contemporary frustration. Likewise, as prophecy of coming things at the end of the age, the Lord provides us with answers to our current frustration. And, beyond that, we can also learn from the Scriptures as to why the long wait!

In Habakkuk's day, the Lord lets him know the Babylonians will come and bring an end to the current state of affairs in Judah. This happened in three Babylonian campaigns against Judah in 606, 597 and 586 BC. The result was a remnant of Jews carried off into a Babylonian captivity. This brought an end to the wickedness Habakkuk witnessed in Judah.

Peter, in like manner with Habakkuk, tells us about the judgment coming at the end of this age regarding the evil we see today. We read, "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this "coming" he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.'" 2 Peter 3:3-4. The Lord's judgment is foretold, as it was in Habakkuk's prophecy, "the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly... the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." 2 Peter 3:7-10.

The Lord, through Peter's prophecy, tells us why he is delaying this judgment of the evil that vexes us so, "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8-9.

The Lord always has his purposes. And, while we may be filled with anxiety and even rage at the wickedness we see all about us, the Lord's judgment is on the way. Just as in Habakkuk's day, the evil-doers will find their end in a frightful judgment by God. Like Habakkuk, we grow impatient for that time, but the Lord reminds us he is being patient, filling his family with those who will embrace him in faith.

As we await the judgment of this wicked and evil world, the Lord is building his family. In his certain justice, when that last soul arrives, who represents what the Lord considers a complete family, the invitation of the gospel will come to an end and the judgment will come, bringing an end to the wickedness we see all about us.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

It is all about faith - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 24:10,

"David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.'"

David ordered a counting of the troops to see how strong his military was. Seems reasonable, doesn't it? However it cost him dearly. The Lord put seventy thousand people to death through a plague because of David's assessment of his military strength. What goes on here?

We read in Psalm 33:16-18,

"No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love..."

It is the Lord who brings victory and it is in the Lord himself that he expects his people to find their strength, their ability to achieve victory: faith and trust in him. Recall the twelve spies that returned with a report on the promised land following the exodus from Egypt. Ten of the twelve complained the inhabitants were too strong for the Israelites to conquer them. They lacked faith in the Lord. This is what caused the Lord's judgment of them for the forty years of wilderness wandering. They had no faith in the Lord's ability to bring them victory even though he had promised it.

David, even though a man of faith, faltered in his faith by reasoning his military strength lay in his troop strength, as opposed to the Lord's own hand. Recall that Gideon's army was pared down to 300 troops just to show Israel that they could beat an innumerable force through their faith in the strength the Lord provides.

God taught Israel through Gideon they could find their victories by trusting in him. David faltered on this and so the Lord brought another lesson, a painful one.

It should go without saying that we need to find our strength in the Lord as Christians... not in other things. Our very salvation is based on the same criteria Abraham was acknowledged for, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Romans 4:20-25.

It is all about faith.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Be strong: no wimps in God's camp! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 23:8a,

"These are the names of David's mighty warriors..."

Documentation of the "mighty warriors" of David is made in this chapter. Men who performed incredible feats of courage, strength and prowess.

Josheb-Basshebeth is cited as killing 800 of the enemy with his spear in one encounter! Abishai is mentioned as one who had killed 300 men with his spear. Of the many exploits of Benaiah, mention is made of the time he went into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. He also killed a "huge Egyptian" by snatching away his spear and killing him with his own spear!

Other exploits of other mighty men are made mention of. I am reminded, particularly as I read of the "heroes of faith" in Hebrews 11, that the people of God are not milque-toast types. The strength and virility of both men and women are well-documented within the pages of Scripture.

How about Christians? Are Christians supposed to be wimps, impotent, weak, powerless?

When Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount he said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Matthew 5:6. In Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, he said, "in humility value others above yourselves", Philippians 2:3. Peter tells us, "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'" 1 Peter 5:5.

While Merriam-Webster's second definition for "meek" is "deficient in spirit and courage", the first definition is the one that hits the mark for the above verses, "enduring injury with patience and without resentment." I say this because as I read the exploits of David and his men, as I read of the exploits of Paul and Peter in the New Testament, as I read of the life of Jesus Christ, I don't see weakness. Yes, Peter denied the Lord three times. But he was convicted of it and his life following the incident was about as bold and brash as anyone can get. Meekness does not equal weakness.

Some folks equate humility as being a door-mat, allowing anyone to walk over them. Weakness with a failure to stand up for oneself is sometimes thought of when considering humility. Nothing could be further from the truth. Humility is "the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people", (as Merriam-Webster defines it).

Enduring injury with patience and without resentment as well as not thinking you are better than other people are entirely consistent with strength, power and might. It is a stronger person who does not lash out at the first sign of an offense. It is a strong personality that maintains an outlook of viewing others with respect as opposed to whining about what losers everyone around them are (a vain attempt to look better than others.)

If we were to emulate the early believers, the apostles, the great people of faith cited in Hebrews eleven, we would be the most virile, the most potent, the strongest of personalities. By these, I don't mean aggressive or hostile, but loving, kind, potent and mighty! Strong! A force to contend with!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Dreary obedience or expressions of adoration? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 22:31-37,

"As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord's word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield;
    your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way."

Here is a portion of the psalm David wrote in celebration of the Lord's deliverance of him from Saul and the rest of his enemies. This psalm is also seen in the book of Psalms, number 18.

What I note clearly in David's worship of the Lord is the extolling of God's wonderful character and nature, as well as the Lord's provision of protection and enablement for David. Any one of us believers can sing this psalm just as easily as David if we were to acknowledge the Lord as David did.

These words of David bring to my mind a disturbing approach to the Scriptures seen almost everywhere today. From behind the pulpit, to "Christian" periodicals, to commentaries, everywhere, I see a proclivity of folks to approach the Scriptures from the single perspective that they constitute "the rule book". It seems as though the chief concern of any approach to the Scriptures is obedience. We are to do what we are told to. We are to keep the commands of God, We are to clean up in our lives every vestige of that which does not conform to what the Bible tells us to do.

Let me be clear, obedience to God is imperative. We do not call Jesus Christ "Lord" for nothing and our obedience to him manifests his lordship in our lives. No question about that. What is disturbing to me at times is a failure to see that God's revelation of himself goes beyond only obeying "the rule book".

In this passage the obedience to God is not in view. Rather it is what should precede our obedience to God. Acknowledging the wonderful attributes of God, marveling at his wonderful nature, his love, his untarnished sense of justice as revealed to us in the pages of Scripture is what should prompt us to obey the Lord. It is what should provide us with the enthusiasm to live our lives in a manner pleasing to him, to observe those things in our lives that bring him delight.

If our only approach to the Scriptures is to find out what it is we are supposed to be doing as believers, without digesting from the Scriptures those delightful, enchanting and moving things that bring our love and adoration of the Lord - that move us as nothing else does - will only lead to a dreary rule-keeping in our lives.

David points the way. If we but recognize and delight in those wonderful things of the Lord that the Scriptures reveal, we will no longer need the pastor to spank us on endless Sundays with mono-toned messages that we need to do better. We will be without needing the prodding if we fall helplessly into a love and cultivate a passion for the Lord that only the Scriptures provide.

This will result in our obedience becoming our expression of worship - just like David!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

A harvest of judgment - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 21:9,

"He [King David] handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the Lord. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning."

These seven men were put to death to avenge the injustice done to the Gibeonites during the reign of Saul. Saul attempted to wipe out the Gibeonites in his zeal. Israel experienced a three year famine from the Lord because of the injustice done to the Gibeonites. In order to have the curse of the Lord lifted, the Gibeonites demanded the deaths of seven of Saul's descendants. 

I note the comment that these men were put to death at the time of the beginning of the harvest. While I don't see any connection with the harvest, other than it was a famine David sought to bring to an end to satisfy the Lord's judgment of Israel, I am nevertheless reminded that the Lord's righteousness will bring about a harvest of justice, of judgment, at the end of this age. We read of it in Revelation 20:11-15.

The frightening aspect of this judgment is that all mankind is destined for this "harvest." Except... the Lord has made a way! He has made a way for you and for me! He sent his Son to take my place in judgment when Jesus Christ died on that cross! All he asks of me to to embrace him in faith.

Where would I be except for that sacrificial act of love on my behalf and your behalf? How thankful and grateful I am for the love of God that sent his Son for me!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Road kill as lost opportunity - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 20:12,

"Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him."

Here is the ignominious end of Amasa: road kill. We first hear of him being placed over the army by Absalom during his revolt against his father David. (Joab was David's army commander prior to Absalom's revolt.) Later, Amasa was chosen by David to replace Joab as commander of his military forces after Joab killed David's son, Absalom (against David's wishes). "And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you are not the commander of my army for life in place of Joab.'" 2 Samuel 19:13.

However, Amasa's position as "commander of my [David's] army for life" was not for long as his tenure was ended at his own irresponsibility. "But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him." Joab saw his opportunity and killed Amasa when he went with Abishai to quash the uprising by a man named Sheba. (Following the accounting of these events, the list of officials in King David's court names Joab as the commander over Israel's "entire army" verse 23.)

A wonderful opportunity lost by failing to follow the directions of a king. While not intending to draw any similarity between the two (because none exists) I nevertheless am mindful of what opportunities I may miss or cut short myself by failing to follow my King Jesus Christ.

Yes, the Lord forgives, yes I enjoy his love and acceptance. But what opportunities might I miss out on due to my own irresponsibility - say, as with Amasa, taking too long to get something done? For him it was to gather the troops. But for me, it might be things like studying Scripture, spending time in prayer, sharing my faith, etc.?

Just a thought....

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

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Judgment is God's business, forgiving is mine - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 19:22,

"David replied, 'What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? What right do you have to interfere?'"

This statement, made by David to Abishai, was on the occasion when Shimei, a man who cursed David as he fled Jerusalem at the time his son Absalom rebelled against him, came to ask David his forgiveness. Abishai, Joab's brother, was one of three commanders David placed over his army to defend himself against Absalom.

Upon hearing Shimei ask for King David's forgiveness, Abishai told David, "Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the Lord's anointed." Verse 21. David responded to him by saying, "Don't I know that today I am king over Israel?" Verse 22. David made clear the decision to forgive or punish Shimei for his horrible treatment of himself was his and his alone. "What right do you have to interfere?"

As we read the account today, it is easy for us to agree with David's perspective. However, how often I have stood in God's place and attempted to take the right to decide how God ought to treat someone who may have wronged me or a loved one!

There is much in Scripture about this issue. In speaking about the potential for us to condemn other believers, Paul says, "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand." Romans 14:4.

There are plenty of related passages, such as 1 Corinthians 4:5, "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God." Also, "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." Romans 12:19.

Just as it was inappropriate for Abishai to interject his judgment against Shimei with David, it is likewise inappropriate for me to assume God's position and render my own "judgment" on some culprit.

I'm not suggesting we leave ourselves open and vulnerable to potential mistreatment by the sinful desires of others against us or our loved ones. But when it comes to judgment, that is God's business. My business, my responsibility is found in Colossians 3:12-14, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The emotions of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 18:33,

"The king [David] was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: 'O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!'"

Absalom's revolt against his father, David, ended when he was put to death by Joab and his armor-bearers. When David sent out his army to oppose the revolt, he asked that they "Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake." Verse 5. Nevertheless, Joab killed Absalom and David was bereaved.

I sometimes wonder about the emotions God the Father felt when his Son was put to death. The death of Absalom broke David's heart and I'm quite sure the death of Jesus Christ must have impacted his Father. The death of Jesus Christ was the intended plan by God when he entered the human race two millenia ago, to appease his own sense of justice - that he might welcome guilty sinners into his family. God sent his Son into the world to save the world, John 3:16. As John puts it in his first letter, "He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10.

We know that our ability to emote is because we are made in God's image. We feel because our Creator feels and he has made us this way. As a matter of fact, in some of the accounts of Scripture, we find God feels some emotions incredibly intensely. I have to think that although it was God's intent that Jesus die on that miserable cross to pay for our sins, and although that sacrifice appeased his sense of justice and made way for his love of us to be expressed and be completed, it broke his heart just as David's was over the death of Absalom.

Perhaps this helps us understand the incredible events that attended the death of Jesus Christ on that cross, "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, 'Surely he was the Son of God!'"

And, perhaps, this tells us something of the love our God has for us.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Meaning, purpose, fulfillment and satisfaction in life - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 17:27-29,

"When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows' milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, 'The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.'"

David was the Lord's anointed man to sit on the throne of Israel following Saul's disappointing performance. Saul's problem was he failed to place his faith and trust in the Lord, and instead, allowed his circumstances to dictate his decisions, actions and perceptions.

In that David was the Lord's anointed, and even given that the Lord allowed David's throne to be challenged by his son, Absalom, David's successful eventual return to Jerusalem would be consistent with the Lord's agenda. David was used by the Lord as instrumental in the life of Israel in preparation for the coming Messiah.

To participate in the restoration of David to his throne was to participate in the Lord's agenda of the things of the day. Shobi, Makir, and Barzillai all participated when David and his men needed refreshment and resupply as they prepared for the fight that would restore David to his throne. 

Much could be said of these three, but I am looking at their involvement in the return of David from another perspective. As they aided David and his men, employing themselves in the agenda of the Lord, their service had to provide each of their lives with meaning, purpose, fulfillment and satisfaction.

Aligning ourselves with the Lord's agenda (as opposed to attempting to align the Lord with ours) brings us something that so many today yearn for. As the Lord continues his purpose in reconciling people to himself through the gospel, building his kingdom, we can find the ultimate in fulfillment as we find a place to participate, utilizing all the capabilities the Lord has gifted us with.

Not to be overlooked for a satisfying and meaningful life! 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Humiliation and rebuke from the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 16:11-14,

"David then said to Abishai and all his officials, 'My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.' So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted."

David fled Jerusalem when his son, Absalom, mounted his revolt against David. As David fled, this man, Shimei, from Saul's family cursed David and threw stones at him. David could have had him dispatched in a heartbeat (and certainly seemed to have had a disposition that would prompt him to do so), but David endured the scorn and humiliation Shimei heaped on him as David was driven from his beloved city.

Why didn't David take up Abishai's suggestion, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head."? Verse 9. Moreover, why did the Lord allow David to suffer so? Why the humiliation, the defeat, the loss, the heartbreak over this undeserved and unjust action of Absalom and furthered by Shimei? Didn't the Lord love David? And, if the Lord did, why didn't he keep these difficulties from David?

David was a great man of faith. Of him, Paul quotes the Lord as saying, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22. David was among the group of the heroes of faith that the writer of Hebrews speaks of, "the world was not worthy of them." Hebrews 11:38, and "were all commended for their faith", verse 39.

David's reaction at his mistreatment by Shimei was, "Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to." David suffered and recognized the Lord's hand in it. Quite possibly David knew in his heart something the writer of Hebrews would later say of David and the others recognized for their faith in Hebrews 11,

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:13-16.

Possibly David had in mind a truth his own son, Solomon would observe, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Proverbs 3:11-12. This is the same thing Jesus had to say in his letter to the church in Laodicea, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." Revelation 3:19.

The next time you are struggling with difficulties, even to the point of feeling you are being rebuked by the Lord, remember, God rebukes and disciplines those he loves, even as he did David at the hand of Shimei.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The Lure of selfish ambition - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 15:1-4,

"In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city [Jerusalem] gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king [David] for a decision, Absalom would call out to him... 'If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.'"

Absalom suffered from the common ailment of lust for power. Presuming his unbridled ambition qualified him to supplant his father, David, as king over Israel. and wanting the throne for himself, he subsequently fomented a revolution which resulted in David having to flee Jerusalem.

The revolution did not get far as it was David that was anointed by the Lord (through Samuel) to replace Saul on the throne, not Absalom. In the fighting that ensued, Absalom was killed by Joab and his men when his hair got stuck on a branch as he rode his Mule. He was left swinging in the wind when he was found and put to death.

Paul tells us that selfish ambition is an expression of the sinful nature, Galatians 5:20, and that we are not to do anything out of selfish ambition, Philippians 2:3.

Nevertheless, there are always those whose only passion in life is to "rule the roost", to lord it over everyone else, even in the face of God's condemnation of doing so and his choice of others for positions of power.

Today we have those "elites" among us who pursue the very some thing. Progressives, who lay claim to care for "the little guy" just as Absalom did three millenia ago, and offer help as they promote themselves as our "betters" in some kind of fruit-loop utopia.

Believers in Jesus Christ obey the civil authorities today because he asks us to. He doesn't ask us to do so because they are better than we are, but because he establishes all authority as the only one in all creation with the position to do so. "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

Absalom's story is a cautionary one. One in which Absalom discovered the hard way what Paul had to say. We need to recognize the leaders the Lord has provided us and turn away from those he has not. And, surely, we must not be of those who would illegitimately challenge the authorities in an effort to supplant those the Lord has chosen. The challenge, of course, is to have the wisdom to see and know these things. May I introduce you to a book of the Bible that begins with:

"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
    and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
    the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction." 

Proverbs 1:1-7.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 14:7,

"Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well."

This is part of a story Joab gave to a "wise woman" of Takoa. The wise woman I take as an accomplished actress of the day. Joab constructed a ruse in order to effect a reconciliation between King David and his son Absalom. Absalom had killed his half brother, Amnon who had raped his sister. Absalom fled to Geshur and after three years David's "heart longed for Absalom" and Joab set about an attempt to manipulate this reconciliation.

The story Joab gave the actress was a compelling one in that it exploited a reality we are all too familiar with: people, who parade their "religious" convictions as a stratagem to gain what is in reality only selfish interests.

In the story Joab gave the actress, she had two sons, one killed the other and now the rest of the clan claimed to want justice in the matter by putting the murdering brother to death, which would be consistent with the law given by God to Moses for Israel. This claimed desire for justice was used to eliminate all heirs to the inheritance (the land, etc.) so they could have it for themselves.

In like manner to the story Joab provided, we see people who use religion to fill their own pockets. We live in a day today where charlatans, deceivers, liars, the wicked use a pretense of Christianity in order to separate the faithful from their money. Quite often, the demographic focused on by these deceivers are the most desperate among us. People who are sick and dying, or who have loved ones sick and dying, people who are experiencing financial difficulties and are threatened with bankruptcy, poverty, etc. are appealed to with the promise of "deliverance" from whatever their difficulties may be.

You know exactly who and what kind deceiver I am speaking of. "Just send in your faith-promise pledge of $1,000 or more and we will pray for you. God will deliver you. (After all, God loves you and doesn't want you poor or to suffer, right?)". "Just cast your bread upon the waters and watch God bless you abundantly." Along with these offers, however, is that you must send your check to them - not to your local church, not to the creditor that is breathing down your neck, not to the agencies that provide medical services. No… it must go to them. After all, they are interminably "expanding" their "mission work", their "help to the poor", etc.

Meanwhile, as they drive around in their luxury cars sporting "glam" that would make a Hollywood starlet blush, the fleecing of the flock continues. I am reminded of Jesus' caution to the Twelve, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." Matthew 10:16.

Sounds like good direction for us today! In any event, if we pay close attention to the wisdom the Lord has provided us in the Scriptures, we will arm ourselves against such deception. How wonderful the Lord has provided us all we need!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

In the company of dread versus the company of the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 14:5,

"There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous."

"They" in the above verse refers to the "evil doers" of verse 4; and the fools who say in their hearts "there is no God", verse 1. It is clear they are overwhelmed with the dread that comes from living in the camp that is estranged from the Lord. Compounding this dread is the realization that there are others who are not in their plight, but because these others have embraced the Lord in faith, they have the Lord's complete love and acceptance of them. The Lord has made his abode with them, he makes his company with them.

These others, who are overwhelmed with dread live in an animosity towards those who dwell in the "company of the righteous." Whether they particularly feel this dread in this life, or not until the next, they are all destined for it. God has reserved all who have failed to embrace him in faith for his judgment. "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15.

In the meantime, as I say, these "evil doers" and "fools" live in hostility toward all who reside in God's camp. In reference to these evil doers and fools, John says, "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." For John, these evil doers and fools are those that make up "the world".

Jesus explained why these evil doers and fools continue in their rejection of God, claiming there is no God. He told Nicodemus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.

Those who reside in the company of the righteous are those who have spurned the draw of their sinful nature to embrace Jesus Christ in faith.

It is not difficult to see why fools and evil doers live in dread and in an animosity toward the righteous, toward believers. Resentment and hostility springs from the condemnation felt by those who have had their choice for sin over the Lord rejected in the choice believers have made.

But as for me, a true evil doer and fool of the past who has found his way to the Lord, how I am stunned in grateful appreciation and adoration for my Lord who has made a way for a sinner like me into his company!

How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Joy, Excitement, Enchantment, Wonder in the Resurrection! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 13:36,

"...the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly."

The king is David and the bereavement was over the killing of his son Amnon. Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar and two years later, Tamar's brother, Absalom had him killed for it.

Amnon was a fool driven by the gratification of his own desires. The Scriptures paint an ugly picture of the man, but he was King David's son. Absalom, who had him killed was also David's son. We read in verse 39 that, three years after the event, David was eventually consoled for Amnon's death and he "longed to go to Absalom", who had fled to Geshur following the act.

Wickedness, rape, murder (well, some might call it justice), hatred, vengeance all led to sorrow and bereavement. Such is life in this lost and fallen world. We live in an age among people who are estranged from God, harbor a bent for evil and treat one another horribly at times.

The clear-eyed and unvarnished reflection of things in this life that we read in the Scriptures tells it like it is. This life can be a miserable place.

However, it is a place where God's loving hand of mercy and kindness has provided us sinners with a path to him and his family, to enjoy the life God always intended for us when he created us. He sent his Son to pay for all our sins on that miserable cross such that we have hope in a much better world to come.

I am mindful of Revelation 21:3-4, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

This, of course, provides for the joy, the excitement, the enchantment, the wonder of the life all believers look forward to in the resurrection.

I can't wait! How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Feasting daily at the Lord's table - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 9:7,

"... you [Mephibosheth] will always eat at my [King David's] table."

This incredible act of graciousness on the part of the king of Israel, David, toward the grandson of the previous king, Saul, displays David's character in keeping his promise to Saul. One day when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but spared him, as Saul was busy chasing David in his mad attempt to kill him, Saul asked David to give him his word that he would be kind to his family when David replaced him on the throne, 1 Samuel 24:16-22. Following Saul's death, David sought to fulfill his oath to Saul, (as well as for the sake of his remembrance of his friend Jonathan, Saul's son), 2 Samuel 9:1.

This very gracious act on David's part reminds me of another invitation to a dinner table. This table immeasurably greater than the table of King David is the Lord's table at which he invites us all to dine with him! Someone who was at dinner with Jesus in the house of "a prominent Pharisee" made the observation, "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." Luke 14:1-24.

Jesus Christ has invited us all through the gospel to join him at his table in the resurrection! All he asks is that we embrace him in faith.

I am also reminded that we do not have to wait until this great banquet, as we can feast on what the Lord has for us here and now. While some may figuratively limp from one "worship service" to the next in their walk with the Lord, there are many who feast every day on the things of the Lord. In a rich bountiful harvest of spiritual delights, the Lord meets us as we enjoy him and all he has for us in the pages of Scripture.

I recall Paul's words in Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." This hope springs from the endurance and encouragement the Scriptures provide us, as Paul mentions a few verses earlier, "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4.

This "hope" has a profound effect in our spiritual lives, providing a daily feast, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace." Colossians 1:3-6.

As David himself said in Psalm 36:8-9, "They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com