we don’t have to be afraid. We can go WHOLE-HEARTEDLY ahead!
We are continuing that idea as we look at a woman named Lydia who needed to take another step on her path – her faith journey.
The passage we’ll focus on is Acts 16:11-40. Here’s some quick context:
Paul, Timothy, Silas and Luke have just arrived in Philippi, a Roman colony and military station.
In places where there wasn’t a synagogue, Jews would frequent the riverbanks.
They would form “oratories” – which were commonly circular and without a roof and it was there they would pray.
So that’s where Paul and his companions went on the Sabbath, and they spoke to the women who had gathered there.
The fact that there were only women shows the significant absence of a Jewish population.
It’s here we learn about Lydia.
We know a few key things about Lydia. First, she was from the city of Thyatira (which you might recognize as one of the 7 churches addressed in the book of Revelation), and it was famous for its dyeing works, especially for purple or crimson. Second, Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth and third, she was a worshipper of God.
In Acts 16: 14, after Lydia had been listening to Paul and his companions speak, we see something incredible happen but if you blink you might miss it.
“The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”
Now wait, wasn’t she already a worshipper of God? Yes! Here’s how one commentator explained it:
“She had left the heathenish idolatry and owned the one and only and true God but as yet was unacquainted with the Gospel…” Matthew Poole
Lydia had turned to God, but she still needed to take another step – there was still more she needed to know and do in her faith journey.
TAKE AWAY #1 – Pray the Lord would help you take the next step in your spiritual life.
You see, it was THE LORD who opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. Paul’s job was to preach; the LORD’s job is to open hearts.
What does it mean that the Lord “opened her heart”?
“Her understanding was enlightened, her heart changed, she now loved what she before hated, and hated what she before loved.” Matthew Poole
Some would say that it means that the Lord opened her understanding and her will and that it corresponds to the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk. 24:45) and Lydia responded (or gave heed to). How did she respond? By getting baptized.
Apparently, she was baptized without delay and likely right there in the river where the Jews went to pray (it was usual to be baptized immediately on believing) – cf Acts 2:41, 8:31).
Not only that, she wasn’t the only one getting baptized, it was her whole household! There is no specific mention of a husband or children – it could be that her household or “family” meant female slaves and freed women she employed.
What happens after her baptism?
Lydia invites Paul and his companions to stay with her at her home. Here we see a few things:
Her large-hearted hospitality implies a certain measure of wealth, as does her occupation, which required considerable capital.
She appealed to the fact that they had recognized her faith by admitting her to baptism. If she was fit for that, was she unfit to host them in her home?
She also probably wanted further instruction in the doctrines of religion.
“Religion does not call us from our business in the world, but directs us in it.” Matthew Poole.
TAKE AWAY #2 – INVITE GODLY TEACHING INTO YOUR HOME
Even though she had just taken the next step in her faith, she didn’t want it to stop there. She wanted more. Oh, to be like Lydia in our spiritual lives – that we may always want more.
Paul and his companions agreed to stay at her home.
Remember from The Path We’re On, when you ask God to broaden your understanding, He will. Likewise in the book of James, when you ask God for wisdom and believe that He will give it to you, He does! Couldn’t we also then say that when you ask God to bring you Godly teaching and instruction, He will?
In the text, we take a little break from Lydia and have another situation that takes place before we see her again.
It gets serious though when Paul and Silas are stripped, beaten and thrown into prison.
You might think, oh no, that’s terrible, especially after such a wonderful time seeing growth in the life of Lydia and her household. However, Paul and Silas don’t see it that way. They are praying and singing in the middle of the night in prison.
There’s a violent earthquake that releases everyone’s chains. (AMEN!)
Skip down to v. 29 and the jailer wants to know what he must do to be saved.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved – you and your household.”
They spoke the word of the Lord to him and all others in his house…”
The jailer took them and washed their wounds (maybe at the river?); then immediately he and all his household were baptized (maybe at the river?)
Then they get released and go back to Lydia’s house where they MET WITH THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND ENCOURAGED THEM…”
The ones who had just suffered for their faith came and encouraged Lydia and those who met at her house? We’ll come back to that.
Lydia’s house appears to have been the meeting place (the church).
Who were the brothers and sisters? Probably some of the ones who were baptized by Paul. They are also the ones who later supported Paul by sending money, twice, when he was in Thessalonica and when he was in prison in Rome.
How do you think Paul and Silas encouraged them? Here are what some commentators say:
“They exhorted them and encouraged them to persevere, notwithstanding the opposition and persecution which they might meet with.” (Barnes)
“…by telling them what God had done both FOR them and BY them in prison.”
“…exhorted them to prepare for suffering, and to submit unto God in it, and to make a holy use of it.” Matthew Poole.
TAKE AWAY #3
As you keep taking those steps God wants you to take, it may lead you to suffering – but BE ENCOURAGED, WATCHING TO SEE HOW GOD WILL USE IT.
Remember we can trust God and forge whole-heartedly ahead – taking those steps of faith that He wants us to take. Can I encourage you to spend time in prayer this week, asking God to make known or make clear to you, the next steps He wants you to take?
Let us go be radiant as we take those next steps of faith.
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Today is Good Friday and it seems unfitting to call a day when Jesus was crucified on a cross after being severely beaten, “Good.” What Jesus experienced that day and what led up to it, epitomizes the concept of suffering, which we rarely, if ever, label as good. However, when we zoom out and see what God does after Jesus’ death on the cross, our perspective changes, doesn’t it?
God RAISED Jesus from the dead!
Romans 4 tells us:
23 “The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
Did you notice what verse 25 does? It gives a reason for Jesus’ death AND a different reason for His resurrection. His death was for our sins, however, His resurrection was for our justification.
Romans 5:1 gives us some additional insight, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,…”
What justifies us? Faith. Faith in what? In the resurrection!
According to the bible
It’s easy to believe that someone died but believing that someone was raised from death to life – that’s hard. Remember “Doubting Thomas?” He didn’t doubt Jesus died, he doubted that He was raised from the dead. See John 20:24-29.
Believing Jesus was raised from the dead requires faith – faith that the One who created the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them, raised Jesus from the dead. This is the faith that was, and still should be, proclaimed.
Paul, in Romans 10, explains the message of faith that he and his companions proclaim:
8 … “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e]
Not only does Paul speak of these things but notice what Peter does as he begins to preach the Gospel. Acts 1:21-22 stresses the need for finding someone to replace Judas, the betrayer, to “become a witness” of Jesus’ resurrection. There is no indication in the Bible that every apostle saw Jesus die on the cross, in fact, only John is mentioned by name. However, we do know that all of them saw Jesus after God raised Him from the dead.
21 “Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
Acts 10:39-43 emphasizes what we just read in Acts 1.
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.”
So as we think about “Good Friday,” let us remember that Jesus was crucified for our sins but He was raised for our justification. If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, the apostle Paul writes that we would still be dead in our sins.
1 Cor. 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
Let us rejoice that our faith is NOT futile, that we are NOT still in our sins, for us who believe, because God raised Jesus from the dead and it is no longer we who live, but Christ in us!
Let us go be radiant, reflecting this truth as we celebrate Easter this Sunday. Wishing you a very joyful Easter!
Have you ever been inspired by someone? There is a woman of the Bible named Hannah, and I find her to be a true inspiration of faith. We learn about her in 1 Samuel 1.
The story begins with a man named Elkanah, who was from the hill country of Ephraim. He had two wives, Hannah (who had no children) and Peninnah, who had children.
We can already see the foreshadowing and potential problems, can’t we? Two wives – one with children and one without.
Elkanah was a God-fearing man because we know from v. 3 that “year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh.”
We also know that when it was time for him to sacrifice, “he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. BUT to Hannah he gave a double portion BECAUSE HE LOVED HER and the Lord had closed her womb.” (vs. 4-5)
However, while her husband showed her love, Peninnah did just the opposite. Verse 6 tells us that “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.”
This is one of the ways I find Hannah to be so relatable. We’ve all had people in our lives at one time or another who have provoked us to irritate us, right? Maybe a sibling, a classmate, a co-worker. Unfortunately, this provoking wasn’t just an occasional annoyance. The Bible tells us it went on year after year (v.7). In fact, Hannah’s rival provoked her so much that she wept and wouldn’t eat.
Peninnah was provoking Hannah – reminding her of what she didn’t have – children. In a sense, Peninnah was really emulating what the Enemy does, right? The Enemy gets to us by pointing out what we don’t have, eating away at our what? OUR CONTENTMENT.
Elkanah would ask Hannah, “why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
We have to remember that culturally, it was very important for women in Hannah’s day to have children. We see other examples of that in Scripture, like Elizabeth in the New Testament for example.
Hannah kind of came to “enough is enough.” She came to the end of herself and brought her issue before the Lord. She knew it was the Lord who had closed her womb, so it would be the Lord who could open it.
Hannah, in her deep anguish, prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. “And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’” (v.11)
In a sense, she made a deal with God. The Bible calls it a “vow” but it’s an “if-then” situation.
What is so incredibly significant here is that Hannah was willing to give up what she was asking God to give her.
She had the right perspective – that everything is from God and belongs to Him. And we’ll find out later in the passage if she keeps her part of the deal.
Now Eli, the priest, saw Hannah praying. Her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. He mistakenly thought she was drunk and asked her how long she was going to stay drunk. He told her to put away her wine.
Hannah replied that she was not drunk. “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” (v. 16)
“Eli answered, ‘Go in peace,’ and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
There are a couple of important things to note here:
Eli tells her to “go in peace,” which is exactly what Jesus told the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years after she touched his cloak and was healed. Go in peace, knowing in faith, that He will do what you have asked of Him.
FAITH BRINGS PEACE
2. Eli didn’t even know what Hannah was praying for, but he said, “may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
When Elkanah returned home with Hannah, v. 19 tells us he made love to his wife. Now, not to get too steamy here, but I would call this faith in action 😊 because in the course of time, Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.’” (v. 20)
Later in the passage, we read that when Hannah had weaned Samuel, she took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh (where they offered sacrifices and worshiped the Lord). (v. 24)
Hannah took Samuel to Eli the priest and said, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. (vs. 26-28).
She kept her part of the deal.
In 1 Sam. 2, Hannah goes on to pray (sing) a beautiful prayer where she starts off rejoicing in the Lord – not in the gift He gave her, but in the Lord Himself.
*May we be reminded of that when we are tempted to love God’s gifts more than God Himself.
She also notes her deliverance from her enemy – though she doesn’t call Peninnah by name. She chose to take the high road there.
***May we, too, remember that we have victory over our Enemy!
In her prayer, Hannah goes on to say that there is no one like the Lord, no one besides Him, no Rock like our God.
God loves to be reminded of who He is and what He’s done because when we remind Him, we exercise faith.
What was the fruit from her faith, her righteousness?
God gave her what she asked – a son
That son, Samuel, went on to anoint the first 2 kings of Israel – Saul and, David, who was in the lineage of Christ! Isn’t that so incredible?!?
Every year, Hannah would make Samuel a little robe and take it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. She continued to clothe him, reminding him that he had been dedicated to the Lord’s service.
“Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, ‘May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.’” (2:20)
“And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.” (2:21)
As we look at this little glimpse of Hannah’s life, may we be reminded:
God is the One we go to
We go to Him in faith and prayer, believing He can do anything!
When He gives us what we ask of Him, we delight in Him more than the gift, recognizing every good and perfect gift comes from Him
I hope you’ve been inspired by Hannah just as I was. Let us go be radiant this week as we act in faith, possibly even inspiring others in the process.
I was speaking to a woman who has a couple of different, significant health issues. In the course of our conversation, she said, “I just need to touch Jesus’ cloak.” Her statement really impacted me. I could hear her longing for healing and her faith. It inspired me to study Luke 8:40 – 56.
Jesus has just returned from the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee, where he restored a demon possessed man.
A crowd is waiting there (likely in Capernaum) for Him and welcomes Him. A synagogue leader named Jairus, falls at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house. Why? Because his only daughter, a girl of about 12 is dying.
As I read this, I noticed something Interesting – Jesus doesn’t reply verbally, but we know He goes with Jairus because v. 42 says, “As Jesus was on his way…”
As we picture the scene before us, we know it’s completely crowded because the passage says the “crowds almost crushed him.”
While Jesus is on his way to heal a sick girl, something happens to cause him to stop and ask a seemingly unusual question. I call this: The Interruption.
A woman was there. We don’t know her name, but we do know:
She was subject to bleeding for years (12).
She had spent all she had on doctors.
No one could heal her.
Presumably, she’s desperate and in FAITH, she comes up behind Jesus (v. 44) and touches the edge of his cloak. IMMEDIATELY her bleeding stops
Here, in v. 45, is where Jesus asks a seemingly unusual question. “Who touched me?” All the disciples deny it and Peter chimes in, “Master the people are crowding around you and pressing against you.” I’m guessing Peter wondered why it even mattered until Jesus replied, which we read in v. 46. “But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that POWER has gone out from me.’”
Power had gone out from Him? We’ll come back to that.
We read in v. 47, “The woman, seeing she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of ALL THE PEOPLE, she told why she had touched him and how she had been INSTANTLY healed.”
That must have been so difficult for her, maybe even embarrassing to share that in front of such a crowd, but what a testimony. How powerful is it that she was instantly healed?
In v. 48 we read Jesus’ response, “Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your FAITH has healed you. Go in peace.”
Earlier we learned that this woman had spent all her money to try to be healed. But it wasn’t her money that healed her…it was her FAITH. She is now freed from her suffering and can go live her life in peace.
FAITH BRINGS PEACE.
At this point in the passage, we return to Jairus. Remember, Jairus was with Jesus because they were on their way to heal Jairus’ daughter.
In v. 49 we read, “While Jesus was still speaking, someone came to him from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ he said. ‘Don’t bother the teacher anymore!’”
In Mark 5:35, it says, “…why bother the teacher anymore?”
As I was reading this, I asked myself, why add this last part, the part about not bothering the teacher anymore? And then it hit me. Because the messenger thought it was too late – that there was nothing Jesus could do.
In V. 50, we have a glimmer of hope as Jesus speaks. “Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just BELIEVE, and she will be healed.’”
One commentator noted, “…in perfect faith there is no fear; the more we fear, the less we believe.”
Matthew Henry
We fast forward to their arrival at Jairus’ house. Jesus didn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother.
Verse 52 tells us, “Meanwhile all the people were wailing and mourning for her. ‘Stop wailing,’ Jesus said. ‘She is not dead but asleep.’”
Why would Jesus make the distinction here? Why would he say that she isn’t dead, but rather asleep? Let’s look at Barnes’ notes:
“Every possible evidence of her death had been given, and he acted on that himself, and conveyed to the people the idea that he raised her ‘from the dead.’ He meant to speak in opposition to their opinions. It is not unlikely that Jairus and the people favored the opinions of the Sadducees, and that ‘they’ understood by her being dead that she had ‘ceased to be,’ and that she would never be raised up again. In opposition to this, the Saviour used the expression ‘she sleepeth;’ affirming mildly both that the ‘body’ was dead, and ‘implying’ that ‘her spirit’ still lived, and that she would be raised up again. A similar mode of speaking occurs in John 11:11 ‘Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.’ The sacred writers often spoke of the pious dead as ‘sleeping,’ 2 Peter 3:4; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:6, 1 Corinthians 15:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15. The meaning of this passage, then, is, the maid has not ceased to ‘exist;’ but, though her body is dead, yet her spirit lives, and she sleeps in the hope of the resurrection.
Phew! I had to read that a couple of times. But it really helped shed a little light on that part of the passage for me.
Let’s return to Jairus’ house. Verse 53 tells us how the people responded when Jesus said the girl wasn’t dead. “They laughed at him, knowing she was dead.” In v. 54 we read, “But he took her by the hand and said, ‘My child, get up!’” And what happened? “Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.” V. 55.
In my last blog post, Awaking Tabitha, I recounted in the Biblical text that when she died, the disciples sent for someone. Who was it?
Peter, that’s right. And after Peter prayed, he said, “Tabitha, get up”, or “Tabitha, arise.” Peter heard Jesus say, “My child get up,” and watched the girl stand up.
Now think about what just happened with Jairus’ daughter in v. 54. Who was in the house with him? Peter! Jesus had modeled for Peter something he would do at a future time. Isn’t that so amazing?!?
In Luke 9, following this passage, Jesus gives the 12 power and authority to drive out all demons and cure diseases and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Jesus literally empowered the 12. Remember when Jesus’ prayed for the disciples in John 17? He prayed for their protection by the power of His name. There is POWER in the name of Jesus. Our God is OMNIPOTENT – All Powerful.
The next time you feel powerless in a situation, remember the God you serve. Remember who lives in you! Remember to reach out to Jesus, in faith.
Let us go be radiant this week, in faith, reflecting the healing power of God.
Maybe you’ve had a time in your life when you sensed God telling you to do something, but you felt reluctant because you didn’t think you had what you needed to accomplish what He wanted you to do.
Moses (read Exodus 3 and 4 for context) is a prime example of such a scenario. God had a mission for him: “So now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Ex. 3:10). What was Moses’ reply in the following verse? “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” As the story continues, Moses comes up with potential problems and other reasons why he doesn’t have what it takes to accomplish God’s mission.
Let’s fast forward to a time when Jesus had a mission for the twelve disciples he had been training. He was going to send them out to preach to the lost sheep of Israel. In Matthew 10:1, we read that the disciples were given authority to “drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” However, in vs. 9-10, we read that they were not to take the following: any gold or silver or copper (money/coins), a bag for the journey, an extra shirt, sandals or a staff.
Essentially, the disciples were given a mission and were to take next to nothing when they went. I don’t know about you, but reading that makes me a bit uncomfortable. I always have stuff with me. And I mean always! I want to be prepared for any and every situation. There is security and comfort when we have things with us, right?
So why did Jesus instruct the disciples not to take any of those things on their first mission? One commentator writes, “that they might be always unencumbered, free, ready for motion.”
Benson Commentary
I love that. It reminds me of David, when he was preparing to fight Goliath and he was given armor to wear that was way too cumbersome and heavy for him. There was no way he could fight Goliath being weighed down like that. He didn’t need that. No, he just gathered 5 small stones and used a light-weight slingshot (next to nothing compared to a full suit of armor) and it did the job.
What would do the job for the disciples as they went out per Jesus’ instruction? Wouldn’t they need something to defend themselves? I mean, Jesus warned them of the opposition they would encounter. But He also told them not to take a rod to defend themselves. I might have felt a little nervous about that.
Why wouldn’t He want them to have a rod? Perhaps “…because being the servants of the Lord, they were to be defended by his power as well as supported by his bounty.”
Benson commentary
They didn’t even have to worry about what words they would say when they were arrested. Matthew 10:19-20 says, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the spirit of your Father speaking through you.” God would even provide the words they needed! He provides everything we need to accomplish what He has called us to do.
Remember the feeding of the 5,000? How many loaves of bread and fish were there? It was next to nothing, right? The disciples knew it wasn’t nearly enough to feed everyone. And yet, astoundingly, there was an abundance of food.
God has a pattern of using little to accomplish much – from next to nothing to astoundingly abundant. Perhaps it’s to remind us that He is always with us—that He, alone, is enough. Perhaps it’s to help us exercise our faith and dependence on Him. Perhaps it’s to help us focus on Him and what He wants us to do.
My encouragement to you, in a world where the enemy sends messages like, “you’re not enough” and “you don’t have enough,” remember that God is with us and when we are with Him, we have everything we need, often in abundance, to accomplish His will.
Let us be faithfully obedient to His call and let us be radiant this week.
If you thought of other examples in Scripture like the ones I gave above, please comment below. I love hearing from my readers. Please also pass this along to anyone God brought to mind while you were reading this post.
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“Never feel sorry for raising dragon slayers in a time when there are actual dragons.” Dr. Georgia Purdy, of Answers in Genesis, made this statement at a conference I recently attended, and it left me feeling both daunted and inspired.
Whenever I think of dragons, I envision a time long, long ago, far removed from modern day. However, the more I see and hear about the atrocities taking place around the globe, I’m reminded that we are in a battle. As much as I like to think that my simple life with my husband and kiddos in the suburbs is just that, there is, in actuality, a battle taking place and I/we need to be prepared and proactive.
One of the biggest battles we are facing is the battle for Truth. We live in a postmodern world that has come to believe, ironically, that there is no absolute Truth. It’s all about “your truth.” Somehow, the concept of “truth” has been replaced with what we formally called, “opinions.” Sadly, now the two words appear to be synonymous. This detrimental way of thinking leads to an erroneous blurring of the line between right and wrong. Maybe it’s not even a “blurring” of the line, it’s more like erasing that line so that they are no longer opposites.
So what do we do? How do we stand firm as Scripture instructs us? Do we need a new strategy, new weaponry?
In today’s world, when we need to know how to do something, where do we turn? Typically, we turn to You Tube, right? In this case, the turning to the Bible is going to give us the examples, strategy, weaponry and answers we need.
Let’s look at how Jehoshaphat, King of Juda, responded when he was informed a vast army was on their way. If you have a few minutes, you can read 2 Chronicles 20:1-22, but I will highlight some key portions of it.
Upon hearing the vast army was on their way, Jehoshaphat was alarmed, but resolved to inquire of the Lord. Not only that, he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah (v.3). The next verse tells us, 4 “The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.” (Emphasis mine).
Jehoshaphat then prays corporately and in faith (vs. 5-12) to the Lord, recognizing who He is and His power. Then he says in v. 9,”If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.” (Emphasis mine).
In v. 12, Jehoshaphat says, “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
He knew the army that was coming was bigger and stronger. This was not about false humility. This was an honest cry for help because they did not know what to do. Can you relate? Have there been times in your life when you haven’t known what to do? Instead of wallowing in helplessness, King Jehoshaphat gathered his people together and they turned their eyes to God. When you don’t know what to do, look to God.
We see again their collective appeal to God in v. 13.
13 “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.“
In vs. 14-17, we are privy to how God responds to their plea.
14 “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15 He said: ‘Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” (Emphasis mine).
The Lord starts off by telling them not to be afraid or discouraged. The battle isn’t theirs, but they have to exercise faith by marching down against the enemy. They won’t have to fight, but they will have to take up their positions and STAND FIRM. Then they will see the Lord’s deliverance. He reminds them again, likely because the temptation is so strong, to not be afraid or discouraged. They can be assured the Lord will be with them.
Essentially, the instruction is: GO IN FAITH WITHOUT FEAR.
Faith listens to and does what God says.
Jehoshaphat encourages his people to have faith and they will be rewarded for it.
20″ Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.’” (Emphasis mine).
As we continue to read the passage, we see that Jehoshaphat appoints men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness (see v. 21). Why might he have done this? One reason might have been to help his people keep their focus off of their fears and on the Lord their God, reminding them of who He is. They weren’t praising Him for a soon-t0-be victory, it was all about His love and holiness.
The next verse shows us what happened when they began to sing and praise the Lord.
22 “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.”
What was Jehoshaphat’s battle strategy?
He looked to the Lord WITH the whole community
He prayed
He had FAITH and he instructed them to have faith
He obeyed – He did what God told him to do
He stood firm
He made sure the Lord was praised and thanked for his holiness and love (not even for the victory). Because of that great love, HE would SAVE them!
As I was studying this idea of “stand firm” in Scripture, I found so many passages that not only instruct believers to stand firm, but also passages describing things of the Lord that stand firm:
His love (Psalm 89:2)
His Word (Psalm 119:89)
His plans (Psalm 33:11)
His statutes (Psalm 93:5)
His solid foundation (2 Tim. 2:19)
Those are all things that we can stand on as we stand firm in the midst of the battles around us.
As we think about the importance of standing firm, how do we do that? What does that look like?
Phil. 1:27 says to stand firm “in one spirit.” (Sounds like Jehoshaphat and all his people)
Col. 4:12 says to stand firm “in all the will of God.”
1 Cor. 16:13 and 1 Pet 5:9 say to stand firm “in the faith.”
Eph. 6:14 says to stand firm with the “belt of truth buckled around your waist…”
Let’s read Eph. 6 starting in v. 10 and then we’ll look more closely at the armor we need for our battles, most specifically, the belt of truth. Priscilla Shirer’s book, The Armor of God, has some great nuggets I’m going share with you.
As she delves into the “belt of truth,” she starts off by talking about the core because that’s the part of the body in which the belt would wrap around. “A strong core helps with your balance, your stability, your resistance to injury, your stamina over time and under pressure.” (p. 40)
If your core is weak, which she likens to a “flimsy commitment to truth,” then “…you don’t even have a way to do a sit-up, much less a way to keep standing up.” (p. 46) This is true individually and collectively. If we have a weak spiritual core, we aren’t going to be able to stand firm when the wind and waves of lies come our way.
The belt a Roman soldier used when putting on his armor or “girding his loins,” it was with “…something more akin to a girdle than a belt.” (Shirer, p. 43)
“The Roman soldier’s belt or girdle served several purposes. One was to add support and strength to his core…another purpose was equally important: the belt secured several additional pieces of his armor and kept them solidly in place.” (Shirer p. 52)
God designed our spiritual armor to do the same thing. The “belt of truth” helps to secure the breastplate of righteousness.
Not only that, the girdle “…also bore some of the weight, relieving pressure from the shoulders. Without it, the soldier was forced to bear the full weight of everything…making him far less effective in battle. See the spiritual connection? Without the belt of truth, you’re left with the burdensome responsibility of carrying the full weight of your own ‘breastplate’—your own ‘righteousness…’ But with God’s truth strapped around your body, you’re relieved of that pressure. God’s Word—truth—reveals that righteousness has been given to you through faith in Christ …, freeing you from living with the weight of all that sin in you on your shoulders.” (Shirer p. 54)
I recently wrote a blog post about faith. In Eph. 6, we see the importance of the shield of faith as part of our spiritual armor. We are also instructed to put on the breastplate of righteousness. And now, as we talk about the belt of truth, we see how all these things come together to help us stand firm against the devil’s schemes.
Shirer states, “Truth is your core support. It provides the essential backing you need when you’re in the midst of spiritual war.” (Shirer p. 43)
She reminds the reader that, “…the enemy’s overarching device is deception. He shades reality with enticing and alluring colors, seducing us away from black-and-white principles.” She goes on to write, “His packaging is so clever that unless we know what’s true—I mean really know it, know it at our core—we easily fall prey to his ploys.” (Shirer p. 43)
What is truth? Shirer defines it as, “God’s opinion on any matter.” (Shirer p. 43) And that is the standard to which we hold ourselves. It’s our standard for everything. “Without concrete allegiance to and affirmation with this truth—with real truth—you’re left weak and susceptible to things that may look right and sound right yet actually aren’t right. But with the standard of truth in place, you can adjust everything else in your life—your ambitions, choices, and feelings; your mind, will, and emotions…” (Shirer p. 44)
So how do we realistically do this at a practical level? How do we put on the belt of truth so that we can stand firm against the devil’s schemes?
We don’t do anything new. We use the same strategy that king Jehoshaphat used:
We look to the Lord WITH the whole community
We pray
We have FAITH
We obey and do what God tells us to do
We stand firm in one spirit, in all the will of God, in the faith
We make sure the Lord is praised and thanked for his holiness and love
Here’s how Priscilla Shirer encourages us to do it:
“You uphold and affirm the standard—the truth and boundaries set by God in Scripture. You commit yourself to them and resolve to teach them to your family. You daily, systematically, repeatedly begin by letting God help you align your decisions and responses, even your attitudes and ambitions, alongside His benchmark of truth. You continually learn about the character and purposes of God—both from the Bible and from His Spirit. Then you unapologetically synchronize your convictions, even when you find it hard or unpopular to do so.” (Shirer p. 44-45)
I love that she uses words like, “daily, systematically, repeatedly and continually” because they emphasize the on-going, all the time importance of being fully aligned with God and the Truth we use as our standard for every aspect of our lives. “You cannot advance against the enemy successfully and keep from tumbling into error unless you are willing to submit to God’s truth.” (Shirer p. 55)
Shirer makes a good point when she writes, “Just because you read the Bible doesn’t mean you’ve chosen it as your standard for living—any more than a person with a gym membership is necessarily committed to using the equipment in the gym. The real test comes when the ideals and philosophies of our culture swing in the opposite direction, and yet we choose to stand strong and firm on the unchanging standard of God. The time has come for us to be women girded in truth.” (Shirer p. 45, emphasis mine)
Now, I’m not saying that any of this is easy. In fact, I think we need to be conscious of the things that “move” us from standing firm so that we can guard against those things.
1 Cor. 15:58 reads, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm (steadfast). Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Perhaps one of the main things that tries to move us is:
Fear (Ex. 14:13, 2 Chron. 20:17). Think about how many times in Scripture you see the words, “do not be afraid.”
We need pray and fight against fear. When we are completely aligned with God, His Truth and will, it helps us stand firm. Earlier this year, we talked about the importance of alignment. The enemy is sly in his “…attempt at compelling us to move forward without consulting truth, veering us off course and outside of God’s will.” (Shirer p. 61)
In several passages in Scripture, we see that there is a reward for standing firm. It brings deliverance, salvation and life!
Mt. 10:22 “…the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Lk. 21:19 “Stand firm, and you will win life.”
Whether you, like Jehoshaphat, are facing a vast army or whether you are facing modern day dragons, let me encourage you. Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged. Stand firm! The Lord your God is with you! In light of that, let us go be radiant as we fight for Truth.
If you’ve had a rough day, a tough week or a less than stellar year thus far, would you allow me to gently turn your eyes to a reason we can celebrate? Three words will help us get there. Ready? They are: He is Risen! Three days after Jesus’ death on the cross, God raised Jesus from the dead! What a reason to rejoice! While it doesn’t change any difficult circumstances in our lives right now, it does give us an encouraging eternal perspective and reminds us of the hope we have in Jesus.
We see this hope in the earliest portions of Genesis in the creation account. The Creation Museum, a place I had the pleasure of experiencing on my recent visit to Kentucky, stays true to its name and has displays, exhibits, short films and more, taking its visitors back in time to the days of the beginning of the world.
Genesis 2:7 tells us, “7 Then the Lord God formed a man[a] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
It was the Lord God who literally breathed life into Adam. Think about that for a minute. Our God is a giver of life, and not just a temporary life on this earth. His desire is for something far greater. He desires for us to have eternal life with Him in heaven. He sent His one and only Son to bring that to fruition.
John 6:33-35 says, “33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Jesus gives life to the world! In a time when our world is in distress, we know that those who believe in Jesus have hope.
John 10:10 reminds us, “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus desires abundant life for us and He tells us how to get it. He says in verse 9, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved…” He reiterates this same idea in John 14:6, “6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
We are given, by God, a way to experience eternal life. In the days of Noah, there was one way to be saved. There was one door on the Ark and those who entered it were saved from the destruction of the flood. Today, that door is Jesus.
Just before Jesus was arrested, in John 17:2-3, he looked to heaven and prayed,
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
The only TRUE God, who breathed life into Adam, is the same God who raised Jesus and brought Him back to life after 3 days!
If you, or someone you know has not yet looked to Jesus, be encouraged by what Jesus says in John 6:40: “40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Look to the Son and believe! He will breathe new life, eternal life, into you.
If you have already looked to the Son and believed, may you radiate His glory in your everyday life.
Let us go be radiant as we remember our Risen Savior and the LIFE He has given us. Happy Easter my friends.
Would you like to join me for a little boat ride on the lake? Wonderful! I must warn you though, the weather is going to get quite rough. Don’t worry; we’ll be just fine.
Can you imagine being on a boat when a furious storm comes up? Would you have faith in the captain to get you out of danger? Let’s look at the disciples’ faith when they encountered this situation.
23 “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27
In the midst of the storm, the disciples’ fear was greater than their faith.
Though it would be easy to blame the disciples for their lack of faith, I’m sure many of us have fallen into that same problem. During the storms of our lives, we allow our fear to grow instead of our faith.
Jesus points out the disciples’ “little faith” and asks why they are so afraid, right before He rebukes the winds and the waves to bring calm. What’s the lesson for the disciples, and for us?
Jesus has authority over nature – have faith in Him.
In Matthew 9:1-8, we see another example of faith. This time, it’s not “little faith.” In this account, we read about some men who bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. What does Jesus notice about them? Their faith! The fact that they brought this man to Him was an act of faith. It’s notable though that He doesn’t heal the man physically right away. What does He do? He forgives the man’s sins.
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son: your sins are forgiven.”
However, just as Jesus proved His authority over nature, here He proves His authority to forgive sins. Verse 6 reads, “’But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.’”
What was the lesson for the teachers of the law who thought Jesus was blaspheming and for us? Jesus has authority to forgive sins. Have faith in Him.
Our last example shows us an unexpected someone of “great faith.” You can read the account in Matthew 8:5-13.
A centurion approaches Jesus and asks Him to heal his servant who is at home, paralyzed and suffering. Jesus asks the centurion, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion humbly said he didn’t deserve to have Jesus under his roof. Instead, he told Jesus, “just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes…”
Now comes Jesus’ response, which is worth reading slowly. “When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such GREAT FAITH.’” (v. 10 emphasis mine).
What made this Roman soldier’s faith so great?
He didn’t consider himself worthy to have Jesus come under his roof (humility).
One commentator noted: “Humble souls are made more humble by Christ’s gracious dealings with them.”
The Centurion told Jesus to just “say the word.”
He had faith Jesus could heal by His word alone. This is what we see in the creation account in Genesis. God spoke and it was done.
The centurion had faith that Jesus has Divine power and command over all that is under him – the creatures of nature and nature itself. He recognized what so many of Jesus’ followers failed to recognize. Jesus not only has the ability to heal sickness, He has the AUTHORITY to heal sickness. The centurion had FAITH that whatever Jesus told the sickness to do, it would do, because He has authority over it just as the centurion was under authority and had soldiers under him.
As we think about how to live out our faith, we can learn a few things from the Centurion:
We can recognize the authority Jesus has over everyone and everything
We can humble ourselves
We can submit ourselves under His authority
I know the word “submit” can carry some negative connotations, so I would encourage you to read my post Surrender vs. Submit. And let’s remember that we are submitted to:
the One who created the heavens and the earth.
the one who loved us so much, He who was sinless, took on all sin and died that we might be reconciled to God.
the One who forgives sins.
the One who prepares a place for us in heaven, the One who gives us an inheritance that awaits us…and the list goes on.
Phew! What a boat ride we went on today. May we be people of GREAT FAITH, who trust our Captain, whether for ourselves or for others in the midst of storms, sickness and sin.
Are you a runner? I really admire runners. Runners have such dedication, commitment, endurance through good weather and bad, through rough terrain and smooth.
I always struggled with long distance running. When I had to run the mile in school, I thought I was going to keel over and die every year. It wasn’t just the physical part I struggled with – there was a psychological element too. As my heart pounded louder and louder and my legs ached with exhaustion, I remember thinking things like, “I’m never going to be able to do this, I can’t do this…”. I just didn’t have the confidence and I certainly didn’t have the perseverance. It might have helped if I’d had a coach or a trainer – someone who was an expert in running.
Now that you know this about me, you can probably imagine how I cringed ever so slightly as I read about the topic of faith (see my previous blogpost What is Faith?) in Hebrews and came across this passage:
12 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Hebrews 12:1-3
The author says “…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” Not only are the Hebrews instructed to RUN, but they are also to do so with “perseverance” and in a race nonetheless!
Have you ever wondered what that race is exactly?
I always assumed it was a generalized metaphor for the Christian life, but as I studied it, it’s actually more specific. One commentator writes that it is: “The persevering obedience of faith in Christ.” In the end, the Hebrews were either going to win the crown of glory or have everlasting misery. That was the “race” set before them.
If we, like the Hebrew believers, have the same “race” set before us, which I believe we do, then how do we run it well? Answering this question is key in helping us know how to practically and tangibly live out our faith on a daily basis.
Hebrews 12:1 gives us the first step:
By throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
What do professional runners wear? Hardly anything, right? They don’t want anything to slow them down or hinder them.
When we apply this same idea to our Christian lives, we need to remember that there are things in our lives that weigh us down. They might not even be sinful per se, but they might be influencing our ability to run well. What kinds of things in your life might be hindering your ability to have persevering obedience of faith in Christ?
We also have to recognize that our sins – whether they be from habits, circumstances, things we’re exposed to, or things we willfully choose, hinder us from running our race well. How? They entangle us so that we are flailing about instead of running with smooth, steady strides.
We need to throw off those sins, which requires intention and effort on our part. Would you allow me to encourage you to spend some time this week praying that God would reveal to you the sin that needs to be thrown off?
Our sins take away every motive we have for running the race. Who wants to run when they are weighed down or tangled up?
Not only that, our sins give power to discouragement. The author of Hebrews knew this and in chapter 10, he admonishes the believers to encourage one another. Like the Hebrews, we need encouragement to run the race, the persevering obedience in the faith, and we do that by getting rid of sin and spurring one another on.
The second step in how to run our race well according to Hebrews 12 is:
By fixing our eyes on Jesus
We are to look to His holy life; to His patience and perseverance in trials; to what He endured in order to obtain the crown, and to His final success and triumph.
Jesus is the AUTHOR and PERFECTOR of FAITH. The word “author” here indicates that He is the source, the cause.
He is the first and the last as an example of faith or of confidence in God – the most complete model that can be placed before us. He is above all.
The Hebrews, like us, are exhorted to look to him. One commentator noted that the idea of looking to Jesus was as if at the Grecian games there was one who stood before the racer who had previously carried away every victory; who had always been triumphant, and with whom there was no one who could be compared.
I envision running with Jesus right in front of me (He’s running backwards) and He’s making eye contact with me. “You’ve got this Suzie, keep your eyes on me. Don’t look over there.
Isn’t it easy to look at other people and what they have – such a nice house, ooh new car, I just love how she dresses, what a wardrobe!
Jesus is right in front of us giving us direction along the way – “keep your body aligned, don’t be distracted, remember your breathing – I gave you your first breath and I will continue to give you all you need to finish this race.”
We have to remember that WHATEVER Jesus asks us to do is ATTAINABLE!
Jesus is the Finisher of faith. This idea corresponds in meaning with the word “author” above. It means that he is the completer as well as the beginner; the last as well as the first. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last. He occupies this elevated position of being beyond comparison above all others.
The third step to running our race well is:
By fixing our thoughts on Jesus (Hebrews 3:1-6) – even more so when we are weary
3 “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
It’s easy to grow weary when running. When that happens the author of Hebrews instructs them, and us, to:
Recall the suffering Jesus endured, to save them and us from eternal misery.
Steadfastly look to Jesus, which brings strengthening and keeps carnal desires in check.
Frequently consider Jesus.
Living out our faith means running the race God has marked out for us. The running we do in this race, which is the persevering obedience of faith in Christ, is not something to dread like I did every time I had to run the mile. We actively throw off our sin and keep our thoughts and eyes on Jesus, our Coach, who runs with us, guides us and strengthens us. Our confidence comes from Him.
If your focus starts to blur or you feel yourself getting back into old habits of sin, talk to someone who will pray with you and encourage you to get your eyes back on Jesus.
Let us go be radiant as we run the race set before us.
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Go Be Radiant 