Here are three personal rules you may want to adopt for your ministry. First: “As a teacher, I should be sure of what I say, and say what I am sure of.” Second: “The more I know about those who oppose the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the less places they have to hide and fewer holes to crawl into when confronted with the truth.” Third: “As a preacher, I must never be afraid to say what I believe, and believe what I say.” – Dr. Robert R Seyda
I came across this while reading an ancient Jewish document that was written somewhere between 500-600 AD. It reveals what the commentator saw hidden in the text of God’s Word, which can be a lesson for us all. Look up these scriptures and read them with the thought in mind of discovering the same secrets that the writer found there:
How wonderful is the human heart! It speaks and sees (Eccl. 1.), it hears (1Kgs 3.), it walks (2Kgs 5.), it falls (1Sam. 17.), it stands (Eze. 22.), and it rejoices (Ps. 16.), it cries (Lam. 2.), it is comforted (Isa. 40.), and it grieves (Deut. 15.), it hardens (Exod. 19.), and it softens (Deut. 20.), it saddens (Gen. 6.), it is terrified (Deut. 28.), it breaks (Ps. 51.), it is haughty (Deut. 8.), it rebels (Jer. 8.), it devises (1Kgs 12.), it has imaginations (Deut. 29.), it indites (Ps. 45.), it thinks (Pro. 19.), it desires (Ps. 21.), it declines (Pro. 7.), it goes astray (Num. 15.), it supports (Gen. 18.), it is stolen (Gen. 34, it becomes humiliated (Lev. 26.), it is persuaded (Gen. 24.), it errs (Isa. 21.), it trembles (1Sam. 4.), it is awake (Songs 5.), it loves (Deut. 6.), it hates (Lev. 19.), it is envious (Pro. 23.), it is searched (Jer. 17.), it is rent (Joel 2.), it meditates (Ps. 49.), it is like fire (Jer. 20.), it is stony (Ezk. 36.), it repents (2Kgs 23.), it is hot (Deut. 19.), it dies (1 Sam. 25.), it melts (Jos. 7.), it receives fear (Jer. 23.), it gives thanks (Ps. 3.), it covets (Prov. 6.), it hardens (Pro. 28.), it is pleased (Judges 16.), it deceives (Pro. 12.), it speaks inwardly (1Sam. 1.), it loves bribery (Jer. 22.), it is written upon (Pro. 33.), it is mischievous (Pro. 6.), it receives injunctions (Pro. 10.), it is presumptuous (Obad. 1.), and it arranges (Pro. 16.) – From the Midrash Kohelet, p. 179.
So often we read God’s Word without seeing the whole picture because we concentrate only on one or two verses. This exercise may help you to comprehend what the Lord is saying in a whole new light.
COPE WITH HOPE –
After Moses led the Israelites through the channel provided by God in the Red Sea, he and his sister Miriam penned the song we find in Exodus 15. They end this psalm the same way they ended that song by acknowledging the LORD as the one and only true King; and unlike the Pharaohs of Egypt and the Kings of Babylon and Assyria, their heavenly King reigns forever and ever without end. After all, Moses was no ordinary man speculating on God’s greatness, he had been visited by the Most High and seen His glory in greater dimensions than any patriarch before him. It’s one thing to know about God, but it’s another thing to know God personally.
“Our LORD Eternal reigns, dressed in robes of majesty and authority; for it was He who placed the earth in orbit and designed it to be immovable. His throne is permanently established, and has always been that way. Raging rivers may roar, O LORD Eternal; they may roar like thunder as they rush along. But greater than the roar of a rushing river; and mightier than the sound of huge waves crashing on rocky shores, is the power of the LORD Eternal. That’s why we can put our trust in everything You say, O LORD Eternal; and Your holiness beautifies Your sanctuary forever!” Psalm 93:1-5
Reflection: A man and his wife sat in the hospital visitor’s lounge waiting for their first granddaughter, named Zoe, to be born. She arrived prematurely weighing one pound, seven ounces. The neonatologist told them that she stood only a 5 to 10 percent chance of living more than three days. When called to view Zoe, they found her in an Isolette in the neonatal intensive care unit. She had two IV’s in her navel, one in her foot, a monitor on each side of her chest, with a respirator tube and a feeding tube in her mouth. She was so small that grandpa’s wedding ring slid up her arm all the way to her shoulder. Because her biological father abandoned her, grandpa became the surrogate father for the next several months. The head-nurse gave him the following suggestions: “Come every day to visit Zoe; rub her body, legs and arms with the tip of your finger. As you caress her gently, tell her over and over how much you love her. This way she will be able to associate your voice with your touch.” Zoe survived, and it’s no wonder now that grandpa is Zoe’s favorite person to hold her and tell her he loves her. God knew that Moses and the children of Israel needed both His voice and His touch to associate with His presence. He wanted them to gain confidence that He kept watch over them as their heavenly Father and King. So when He opened the Red Sea for them to cross, He established Himself as their Sovereign keeper, the one who ruled over heaven and earth. Many in our world today want to totally eliminate God from the scene. They renounce any notion that He influences world events or has any plan for earth’s inhabitants. Therefore, He doesn’t really exist. But true believers know that He is real; they want His influence in all facets of their everyday lives. That’s why a personal relationship with Him and faith in His word and promises cause us to join Rich Mullins in the song he wrote, “Our God is an Awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom power and love, our God is an Awesome God.” I’m sure that Moses and Miriam would join in with a loud, “Amen!”
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SING ABOUT –
There was more than one occasion when Moses wondered where this would all end. He had enough headaches dealing with stubborn and hard-headed people to last a lifetime. But each time he visited with the Most High God, either on the mountain or in the Holy Tent, he came away more inspired than ever to remain faithful till the end. What the people didn’t know was, that Moses had been given God’s unfailing assurance that all these hardships would one day be over, but God’s truth and promises would still be standing for all to see.
“O LORD Eternal, it’s a joy worshiping the Most High God by praising You in song for who You are. To start and end each day talking about Your undying love, while playing music on the melodious strings of a harp. I am inspired by Your miracles and glorious creation, O LORD Eternal. Your handiwork is beautiful beyond description O LORD Eternal; and Your concepts are simply astounding. People without common sense and those who make no sense can’t comprehend this. Such characters sprout up and blossom like weeds, but they are easily dismissed. But You, O LORD Eternal, will forever be exalted, while those who oppose You will fade into oblivion. That’s why I feel like standing tall, because I’m drenched with Your anointing. I’ve seen what those who are against me have done, and I’ve heard all the threats about how they are going to do me in. But I also know that those who live right will blossom like a palm tree, yes, they will grow tall like a cedar. Because they have been planted on the estate of the LORD Eternal where they will flourish in the courtyard of our One True God. That’s why they will continue to produce fruit even in old age because they are kept vigorous and prosperous. This confirms that the LORD Eternal does things right, and that He is always there to be a rock of protection against life’s injustices.” Psalm 92:1-15
Reflection: In the 1950’s two Moody Bible Institute graduates, John and Elaine Beekman, felt God’s call to do missionary work among the Chol Indians in the southern Mexico State of Chiapas. To get there they rode mules and traveled by dugout canoes for days. Once there, they labored 25 years with other missionaries to translate the New Testament into the language of the Chol Indians. When these missionaries first arrived, they discovered that the Chol Indians did not sing. So they began teaching them how to sing hymns. After a while, those who had been born again became known as “The Singers.” When asked why only the believers sang someone replied, “They love to sing now because they have something to sing about!” Just like the Israelites who had been set free from Egyptian bondage, the Chol Indians being set free from sin had something to sing about. We must all remember that in order for worship to be worship, it must be directed to God; and if we are going to sing to God or about God, it must be about something that gives us a cause to rejoice. Too often worship becomes the entertainment of man, for man’s approval. But Moses felt that God and God alone should be adored and lifted up in praise, so that His glory might come down and fill our hearts and souls with joy. After all, just to know we are His children gives us something to sing about.
GOD DOESN’T TAKE CHANCES –
Each day Moses would enter the “Tent of Meeting” pitched just outside the encampment, where he went to meet and talk with God. After Moses entered the tent the Shekinah glory of God would descend like a cloud to guard the entrance as long as the two of them conversed inside. Whatever God said to Moses inside that holy place, it inspired him and his older sister Miriam to write this song of encouragement that God does not let His anointed walk alone, but He will be with them and protects them until their mission is accomplished. I’m sure that later on, those times with God in that tent made all the difference in how Moses coped with the huge task given to him. For him, I’m certain it gave new meaning to the term, “Spending time alone with God.”
“If you spend some time alone with the Most High, it will guarantee you the constant presence of the Almighty. Let me tell you this about the LORD Eternal, the One who gives me His blessed assurance; I’m talking about the One True God whom I trust completely: He won’t let you fall into any traps or become the victim of communal failures. He’ll be right next to you with His arms around you; and under His arm you will feel protected because you can depend on Him to always be on your side to defend you. That’s why you won’t lie awake at night dreading tomorrow, or afraid to go out during the day because you feel threatened; nor scared of being caught by some unforeseen epidemic, nor overwhelmed with sudden storms in broad daylight. Even though you see hundreds or even tens of thousands fail because of one thing or another, He won’t allow it to destroy you. Rather, you will be able to watch what happens when people start getting what they deserve. But because you trust the LORD Eternal to keep you safe, and making the Most High the one you run to in time of trouble, He will make sure nothing happens to you without His permission. His angels guide you and guard you as you walk life’s highway. You will be able to face your persecutors and detractors without fear; you will overcome those aggressively trying to bring you down or those who spread ruthless rumors. Here’s the Lord’s promise: ‘Because you put Me first in your life, I will put you first. I’ll put you where they can’t reach you, because you know who I am and what I can do. When you call out to Me, I will answer you; I won’t leave you in distress, but I will pull you through and give you honor. That way I will bless you with long life, so you can truly call me your Savior’.” Psalm 91:1-16
Reflection: After a terrible forest fire in Yellowstone National Park some years ago, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain side to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a small bird standing statuesque on the ground at the base of a tree. Moved by this unusual sight the ranger touched the bird with his stick to see if it was still alive. When he did, the bird crumbled into a pile of ashes as three chicks scurried out from under the dead bird’s wings. This loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, carried her offspring to the base of the tree and gathered them under her winds, instinctively protecting them against the toxic smoke. She refused to fly off to safety and abandon her babies. So when the blaze arrived and the heat charred her small body, she still remained steadfast. Because she was willing to die, it allowed those under the cover of her wings to live on. How much more will our heavenly Father who created the sparrow and instilled such instincts be even more protective of those He created in His image. One thing that gives the believer even greater hope lies in the fact that survival does not imply staying alive only here on earth, but also being alive in the world to come; that no force on earth possesses the power to take away. So let these words of Moses and the brave act of that little mother bird encourage us to walk with God each day, knowing He will be right next to us at all times, especially in times of trouble.
DIVINE TIME MANAGEMENT –
If anyone knew what it was like to wake up every morning expecting the unexpected, it was Moses. In dealing with the people he led out of Egypt, he came to understand the brevity of human life and how everyday trials and burdens can end up making it even shorter. He accepted the fact that life is given to us like a gift, full of perils and possibilities. It’s what we let God help us make out of it that counts, not how long we have in which to do it. When thinking back over difficult circumstances Moses may have said more than once, “I wish I would have known that when I was younger.” But he didn’t use that as an excuse to stop improving. He knew that God was not interested in how long he lived, but in how he live to carry out God’s will for his life.
“O Heavenly Master, You’re the One that’s been around as long as anyone can remember. You existed before mountains were formed; before there were people on earth; yes, from the eternal past to the eternal future You are in control. When you tell a person it’s time for them to die, they will immediately return to the dust from which they came. For You, a 1,000 years fly by like it was yesterday; it’s like a short nap. In fact, people’s lives are like a stream of water to You; when the rain stops, the stream runs dry. They are also like grass that sprouts and blossoms in the morning, but by evening it dries up and is mowed down. That’s what happens to those with whom You are not pleased, and the very thought of it terrifies us. Our weakness are not hidden from You in the dark because the light of Your face will expose them for all to see. When that happens it will all be over in a split second, and our last breath will be nothing more than a moan. We may reach 70, maybe even 80 years of age, but most it will be spent dealing with troubles. Then before you know it, it’s over and we soar away. No one knows what it would be like if You let everyone know how You really feel about them, nor the fear that such straight talk would evoke in men’s hearts. So teach us what to expect in life so that we grow smarter as we grow older. I think we’ve learned enough, O LORD Eternal, so there’s no need to continue Your punishment. Rather, it’s time for You to have compassion on those You’ve chosen to serve You. That way, when we wake up in the morning we will sense Your abiding love so that we can appreciate the rest of the day. Help us enjoy as many good days as bad ones, so we can be successful and our children can have a good life. I pray that You will be delighted with us O Heavenly Master, our One True God; and make whatever we put our hands to, a success.” Psalm 90:1-17
Reflection: U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon toured Calcutta, India with Mother Teresa and visited the so-called “House of Dying” where she cared for sick children during their last days; and the dispensary where the poor lined up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa ministered to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Senator Hatfield felt awestruck and overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers faced daily. “How can you bear such a load without being crushed by it?” Senator Hatfield asked. Mother Teresa replied, “My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful.” As we saw in the life of Moses, failure to follow instructions in being faithful to the job given to him by God. It ended up costing Moses his passage into the Promised Land, as well as those who rebelled against God because they did not understand or care to follow His ways. So let Moses and Mother Teresa help us learn the difference between trying to be successful while depending on fate rather than faith. The greatest words you will ever hear are: “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
WHICH GOD DO YOU TRUST –
Heman the Ezrahite, who wrote the Psalm 88, had a fellow musician in the temple named Ethan the Ezrahite. He may have read Heman’s piece and decided to pen a psalm of his own in response to what was going on at the time. This same Ethan later became better known as Jeduthun, the chief music director in God’s house of worship. No doubt he was also confused as to why God would allow these heathen kings to threaten His people without retribution. So Ethan wanted to remind God of what everyone thought of Him, perhaps in hopes of getting God to have mercy on His people out of a sense of guilt or responsibility. It’s obvious he felt let down by his heavenly Father, but what Ethan didn’t realize was that it was his own lack of trust in God that he describes, that was letting him down. His psalm teaches us never to take our eyes off God and be blinded by our problem.
“O LORD Eternal, Your undying love will forever be my theme song. Whenever I speak to young people I constantly brag about what a friend I have in You. I’ve told everyone: Your undying love is what makes the world go around. It didn’t happen all at once, You had it planned from the very beginning; it’s part of a promise You made to our ancestors, that You would be available to our children and our grandchildren for ages to come. The stars in the sky sparkle in agreement with what You said, and Your saints below lift You up in praise because of Your faithfulness to Your word. There’s no other being in heaven that even comes close to You, O LORD Eternal; can any heavenly creature be found that is Your equal? There’s only one Sovereign Being for whom the saints have such holy reverence when they gather; and there is none other that the angels who stand around You, hold in such awe. O LORD Eternal and One True God whom millions worship, there is no one who has Your power; not one who embodies Your faithfulness. Yet You have rejected, spurned, and angrily pushed away those You anointed. Yes, You voided Your covenant with the one who serves You, and took what prestige Your anointed had and threw it to the ground. I’m sure You know how short my lifespan is, and You know the purpose for which You created all mankind. There is no one who can outlive death, and no one who can keep his soul from the clutches of the grave. So I ask You, O Divine Master, where is Your undying love?” Psalm 89:1-8, 38-39, 47-49a
Reflection: On a chilly Wednesday afternoon, December 14, 1825, a group of Russian patriots gathered to spark and motivate an uprising against Czar Nicholas I. However, their efforts were crushed, and the Czar’s supporters put out the word that this group had been defeated and over 80 of these misfits were killed. Nonetheless, one of those patriots, Russian poet Kondraty Ryleyev, went around bragging that by some miracle he and others had been spared, and accused the monarchy of exaggerating the numbers that were killed. One of Kondraty’s fellow patriots, Alexander Bestezhev, shook his head in amazement and wondered why people like Kondraty would proudly go around rejoicing over the fact they got away without giving their all for the cause they espoused. Alexander commented, “They are so twisted in their logic that they count their failure as a glorious success. What fools!” No wonder then that Kondraty was arrested two weeks later and charged with planning the Czar’s assassination. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang. A noose was tied around his neck and the executioner pulled the lever, but the rope broke and Kondraty fell to the ground. Such circumstances were often interpreted as divine intervention and the person was let go. But as Kondraty pulled himself bruised and battered off the ground he joked, “In Russia they can’t do anything right, they can’t even make a good rope!” A report of the incident was sent to Czar Nicholas at his winter palace for approval to let Kondraty go because the rope broke. But when the Czar heard what Kondraty said about Russians not knowing how to make a good rope, he decided to prove Kondraty wrong. He was executed on Tuesday, July 25, 1826. While Ethan the Ezrahite does not come across as brazen and lacking in gratitude as Kondraty, they both were complaining that things were not working out in their favor. Kondraty mocked the Czar, and Ethan suggested that God was not as good as He had promoted Himself to be. Sometimes it’s easy to let this type of spiritual blindness that keeps the truth of who God really is from gaining access to our hearts and minds, leading us into the trap of unbelief. We should not allow the illusion that God is not acting the way we think He should from clouding our thinking. In other words, don’t rely on the god of our own creation, but on the God who created us.
God will not accept our excuse for doing nothing just because we don’t have what we wish we had in order to begin. We must use what we already have in order for Him to then supply what we need. So stop dallying, and start doing. – Dr. Robert R Seyda
The man who in 1881 almost single-handedly established, developed, and ran what would become known as the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers, now a prestigious university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, Booker T. Washington, in his personal odyssey, Up From Slavery, tells an interesting story of an incident that occurred when the Honorable Frederick Douglass, a well-known social reformer, orator, writer, and statesman, who after escaping from slavery, became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing, was on a train ride through the state of Pennsylvania. The train conductor forced Mr. Douglass, because of his color, to ride in the baggage-car in spite of the fact that he had paid the same price for his passage that the other passengers had paid. Some of the white passengers found out and went into the baggage-car to console Mr. Douglass. One of them said to him: “I am sorry, Mr. Douglass, that you have been degraded in this manner,” Mr. Douglass straightened himself up on the box upon which he was sitting, and replied: “They cannot degrade Frederick Douglass. The soul that is within me no man can degrade. I am not the one that is being degraded on account of this treatment, but those who are inflicting it upon me.” How true this is, and something we oft forget. What people do to others says more about them than it does the person they are doing it to. That applies both to those who do good and those who do bad. Booker Washington goes on to tell another story about the man from whom he chose to take his own last name, George Washington. It seems that General Washington was on the road when he encountered a black man coming from the other direction. The black man politely lifted his hat to General Washington, who lifted his own hat in a return gesture. Some of his white friends who saw the incident criticized Washington for his action. In reply to their criticism George Washington said: “Do you suppose that I am going to permit a poor, uneducated, colored man to be more polite than I am?” Said Booker, “My experience has been that the time to test a true gentleman is to observe him when he is in contact with individuals less fortunate than he is.” We all know how to be civil and polite to those who outrank us, but what do people see when we encounter someone that other’s generally regard as not worth anyone’s time or attention? We may not know who is watching. But we can know for sure that God is watching us, but are we sure He is pleased with what He hears and sees?
THE REST OF THE STORY –
Heman is thought to be the son of Joel and grandson of the prophet Samuel. He was known as a man of wisdom, and chief cantor of the temple choir ensemble. No wonder he felt rejected when Solomon’s son Rehoboam shunned his advice after taking over the throne. Most of his life Heman suffered from ill health, yet it did not keep him from advancing in the temple music ministry. But when Israel revolted due to Rehoboam’s heavy-handedness, many like Heman had to relocate from the north back into Judah; abandoning their pasture lands and property; leaving old friends and neighbors; going from the open spaces of Israel to the crowded confines of Jerusalem. He expresses his frustration in this psalm.
“O LORD Eternal, the One True God my deliverer; each day I beg You to send help. I don’t know if my prayers have reached You yet, or if You’re just not listening. I’m fed up with my misery and want to die; to some people I’m as good as dead anyway; they treat me like a terminally ill patient; suggesting that someone comfort me until I die. I feel like a corpse just waiting to be buried, and You don’t seem to be concerned or even care what happens to me. I know You are upset with me and are constantly reminding me of my shortcomings, but it is driving me crazy and I feel completely demoralized. All of this has caused even my best friends to stay away from me; they don’t want to see me or even talk to me; I’ve become a shut-in with nowhere to go and nobody to see. Yet, in spite of my eyes being swollen with tears of grief and misery, each day I still call out to You and lift my hands to You in prayer, O LORD Eternal, because You don’t perform miracles after someone is dead and gone; people can’t worship You after their spirit has left their body. What good is Your steadfast love after I’m lying in the grave? What meaning does Your faithfulness have after I’ve started to decay in the ground? There is no record of Your miracles being performed in the dark underworld, nor has anyone benefited from Your gracious deeds once they are gone and long forgotten. That’s why I cry out to You now, O LORD Eternal; yes, every morning as day breaks, I want my prayer to greet You.” Psalm 88:1-13
Reflection: Susie Brown loved to compete when making holiday meals. She decided one 4th of July to outdo everyone. So she decided to put thick mushroom-smothered steaks on her menu. However, she found out that the mushrooms at the store were too expensive. When she told her husband, he suggested she go down by the creek behind the house and pick some wild mushrooms. But Susie balked staying they might be poisonous. So he recommended that she watch and see which ones the animals ate, and pick those. So Susie decided to take a chance. She picked some mushrooms, sliced them up with bacon grease and feed them to the neighbor’s dog. He wagged his tail and ran off licking his chops, happy to get such a treat. She kept her eye on him the rest of the day and he was just fine. So Susie opted to go ahead with her plans and served a fantastic meal to her family and guests, they said it was first class. After the meal they all relaxed and sat around chatting. Suddenly her daughter came running through the door to report that the neighbor’s dog had just died. Susie immediately went into hysterics. She called the doctor and he had everyone meet him at the emergency room; there he ordered everyone’s stomach pumped out after she told him what happened. Once the uproar died down and everyone straggled back to the house, Susie’s daughter came up to her to tell her the rest of the story: the dog was hit by a car and the driver who ran over him didn’t even stop or slow down! You talk about overreaction! Susie’s mother didn’t wait for all the facts before she went into panic mode and brought on even more misery and grief, besides having her fantastic cuisine flushed down the hospital disposal. We should all learn from Heman and Susie not to rush to judgment. First we need to ask the LORD how He sees the problem before we judge it to be an emergency or a hopeless situation. At least Heman had the good sense of approaching the LORD after giving his bleak assessment, to see what God would do. He knew that if he let it drive him to the grave, he’d never find out what God intended or had in store, since he’d already be gone before the answer came.
