It’s the time of year again when we begin making resolutions for the coming year. Even if we aren’t in the habit of making resolutions ourselves, the topic is on our minds. Resolutions, however, can be hard to keep because changing the year on a calendar changes little else about our lives, our issues, our challenges, and our weaknesses. New Years Day is a new day, but it is a new day like any other.

To be resolved is to be unwaveringly set in a purpose, and perhaps it would be better to develop ourselves into resolute individuals without worrying about the tradition of drafting resolutions. In the Bible, we see individuals who demonstrate resolute characters despite their issues and challenges. Three such figures are Daniel, Joshua, and Paul – people who were unwavering in their dedication to following God.

Examples of Resolute Living

In Daniel 1, we meet a young man living under Babylonian captivity, and verse 8 tells of his purposing in his heart that he would not defile himself while living at Babylonian court. He behaves resolutely in his youth and captivity, even under pressure from those watching over him. In the face of his surroundings, from the beginning of his book to the end, he shows a fierce determination we sometimes lack.

Joshua 24 serves as a commentary on Joshua’s entire life. In verse 14, he challenges God’s people to put away the idols and commit to God. He warns them time and again of the dedication such a commitment will take, and the book records that the people living during his lifetime follow after God’s word, as do those of his generation who outlive him. His resolute determination leaves a mark on all those around him.

In I Corinthians 9:18-22, Paul speaks of his efforts in evangelizing the gospel, and he says he works that by all means he could reach anyone he can. He goes on to an illustration of those who dedicate themselves to win awards in Olympic games, but Paul says his determination comes from the incorruptible prize before him. He calls on us to know what we are working toward, to have a purpose and a goal in our lives. Philippians 3:12 returns to this idea, expressing the continual effort this race takes – leaving our former lives behind to press forward with purpose.

Conclusion

Our prayer lives, our attention to God’s word, our priorities – we should be resolute in our following of God. Rather than concern ourselves with numerous resolutions, we should be determining to be resolute Christians. In Ecclesiastes, the author resolves to find purpose or joy in the things of this life, but his conclusion is that true purpose comes from resolutely fearing God and keeping His commandments. We may make resolutions, but they are nothing if we are not resolute in our service to God.

lesson by Tim Smelser

“Where is God?” This is a simple question that we should not be taken lightly or asked casually. In times of struggle, when we face trials and challenges, we ask, “Where is God?” In Judges 6, when an angel of the Lord comes before Gideon, God poses this question in verse 13. “If Jehovah is with us, why are these things happening to us?” In II Kings 18, Sennacherib and the Rabshakeh challenge Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem with a similar question. “Where is your god?” Joel 2:17 and Psalm 42 contain requests that Israel’s enemies not be able to ask, “Where is your God.” Finally, in Malachi 2:17, expresses frustration with their question His presence.

The problem is not that God moves away from His people of old or from us. Rather, they and we move away from God. In this lesson, we are going to consider three ways we can drift from God.

Moving Away from God

• We lose Him in lack of prayer. In Isaiah 44:15, the prophet speaks of the absurdity of building a god from the same wood he would throw into a fire. Isaiah pictures His people as praying to their idols, crediting them for God’s deliverance. Hosea 2:13 revisits God’s people praying to others instead of Him. They lose Him in a lack of prayer.
• We lose Him in lack of study. Hosea 4:6 calls God’s people destroyed for rejecting God’s knowledge. Malachi 2:7-8 chastises God’s priests for being ignorant of His word – the teachers are as ignorant as the learners. They lose God in a lack of study.
• We lose Him in our priorities. Malachi 1:6-8 illustrates the lack of import God’s people would place on His worship and sacrifices. Haggai 1:5-7 calls of God’s people to consider their ways in comparison to His word. Haggai 1 is a chapter about priorities, and God’s people lose Him in their misplaced priorities.

God Is Not Lost

We are the same. We give up on prayer. We fail to study God’s word. We get caught up in the priorities and standards of this world, giving God our leftovers. God is not lost. His power is not void. We simply distance ourselves from him. Paul, in Colossians 4:3, calls on Christians to pray for God to open doors of opportunity, and I Thessalonians 3:11 attests to God’s power to grow His people and direct our paths. In Philippians 4:19, Paul expresses confidence that God will supply his every need, and II Timothy 1:7 says God gives us a spirit of power, love, and self-control.

Finally, I Peter 5:10-11 credits God with the power to restore us, strengthen us, and establish us in His service. God is not lost nor is His throne vacant. It is we who lose Him in our lives, and we will find Him exactly where we left Him. When looking for something, we often ask ourselves where the last place was we had it. Perhaps we have lost God in our priorities, in our lack of study, or in our lack of prayer. We can find Him, however, in those very places where we left Him. God is there for us to find. We have but to look.

lesson by Tim Smelser

And the angel said unto her, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

This is the day that many in the world set aside to consider the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.  It is important for us to take note that God never commands us to observe the birth of His Son, and we have no example from the New Testament of such an observance.  We do not even know the day of His birth – December 25 was fixed hundreds of years later, and more because of the pagan festivals that surround that date than anything from the Scriptures.  Since the shepherds were out at night with the flocks (Luke 2:8), it is most likely that He was born in spring or fall.

Nevertheless, the birth of Jesus is an important event.  It is the moment at which the Word becomes flesh and dwells among mankind (John 1:1, 14).  It is the occasion of the miracle of the virgin birth (Matthew 1:22-23).  It is also the beginning of the fulfillment of the hope of Israel– and it is the feeling of hope that is about to come to pass that makes the story of Jesus’ birth so memorable.  Isaiah spoke of the one who would prepare the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3-5) and Malachi speaks of the Elijah to come (Malachi 4:5-6); the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that his son would fulfill these things (Luke 1:13-17).

As a good Jewish girl, Mary would know all the predictions that were made about the Messiah – born to be the King, the One favored by God (cf. Isaiah 9:1-5, 11:1-10, etc.).  And then the angel Gabriel comes to her and tells her that the child she will bear by the Holy Spirit will fulfill these things.  He will be called great, the Son of the Most High.  He would receive the throne of David.  His Kingdom would never end.

These promises were no longer in the distant future.  They were here in the flesh.  God’s great plan was being realized in the flesh (Ephesians 3:11)!

The Good News of Jesus of Nazareth begins here.  In the messages of the angel Gabriel and the Holy Spirit through Zechariah, Mary, Simeon, and Anna, we learn how Jesus will overturn the way the world works (Luke 1:47-55), suffer and die (Luke 2:35), but would rule over a Kingdom without end (Luke 1:30-33), and would be light of revelation to both Jew and Gentile (Luke 2:31-32, 38).  Redemption was here!

Jesus of Nazareth was not born on December 25, but we can take advantage of the focus on Jesus’ birth to proclaim the message of His birth, life, death, resurrection, and lordship, just as Gabriel and the Holy Spirit did in those days of pregnant expectation so long ago.  Let us find our hope in God’s redemption through Jesus Christ, and proclaim the wonder of Jesus in our lives!

lesson by Ethan R. Longhenry

Herman Edwards recently said of a certain sports figure fallen into scandal: “[He] needs a friend and he has needed a friend who would tell him the truth…that’s what friends do.” In Galatians 4:16, Paul asks those Christians, “Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth?” amidst his criticism that they have so quickly turned away from the doctrine of Christ. Far too often, we resent those who tell us what we need to hear, and we value those who tell us what we want to hear.

Those Who Vilified Truth

• In I Kings 12:4 records the people of Israel coming to the new king Rehoboam to lighten the load placed upon them by his father Solomon. His father’s councilors advised him to heed their request, but his peers advised him to make their burden al the heavier. He listens to those he wants to hear, and his actions result in the nation splitting in two.
• I Kings 21:20, Elijah comes to Ahab after the wicked king illegally and murderously acquires a piece of property. Previously, in I Kings 18, Ahab blames Elijah for the drought from God. He counts Elijah as an enemy for the truth Elijah delivers. Ahab values more those who tell him what he wants to hear.
• In I Samuel 20:28-33, Saul turns against his own son for pointing out the fallacy of Saul’s vendetta against David. He goes so far as to attempt murdering his own son. Jonathan tells Saul what he needs to hear, but the king turns on him for not telling him what he wants to hear.
• Throughout his book, Jeremiah battles against prophets who tell the people what they want to hear. His love for the people of Jerusalem drives him to weep in Jeremiah 8:21-9:1. He calls on them to distrust the lie that the presence of the temple assures them safety in chapter 7:4-7. Yet he is mocked, threatened, and contradicted throughout his ministry.
• In John 14, Jesus explain Herods’ fear that He is John the Baptist returned. Herod and his wife resents John’s stance that their marriage is unlawful. Because he tells them what they need to hear rather than they want to hear, John loses his life.

Valuing Truth and the Truthful

In contrast to these examples, Paul writes of a contention between Peter and him in Galatians 2:11. In this case, Peter is clearly in the wrong, and Paul corrects him for his hypocrisy. After this conflict, Acts 15 records the Jerusalem congregation gladly receiving Paul and his companions, and Peter would have been a member of this group. Later in the chapter, they side together against false teaching. Later in Peter’s life, he would call Paul a beloved brother in II Peter 3:15. Instead of begrudging Paul for telling him what he needs to hear, Peter grows in Christ, and he counts Paul as a friend.

I Corinthians 3:1, 5:1-2, 6:5, 11:17, 15:34 – these verses and more from this book reveal Paul sharing some hard truths to the Christians in Corinth. Their reaction to his chastisement in II Corinthians 7. They demonstrate godly sorrow, and they repent from their shortcomings. They do not harbor animosity or resentment. Instead, they value Paul for telling them what they need to hear.

All of this boils down to our reaction to Jesus. In John 14:15, Jesus plainly says that those who love Him keep His commandments. Luke 13:3-5 records Jesus speaking of the necessity of repentance from our wrongdoings. Time and again in His ministry, He tells us things we may not want to hear, but they are things we need to hear. We are His friend if we open our ears to His truth and heed His word. We are each other’s friends if we guide and listen to each other on the road to Heaven.

lesson by Tim Smelser

While doing some studies in Ruth lately, I couldn’t help but wonder what her interaction with Boaz might look like if it happened in 2009 with some modern sensibilities.

***

Upon returning to Bethlehem, Naomi and Ruth found a homeless community that welcomed them. It was a shanty town on the edge of the big city with a large agribusiness compound just to the southwest. Naomi remembered the word of the Lord and said unto Ruth, “Do not stand at the street corners begging for coins from passers-by. Rather, go to yonder farm and glean from the wheat what the farmers have seen fit to leave.”

Obeying the voice of her mother, Ruth set out for the great fields but found nothing to glean. All was harvested clean. She found a young man in business suit and tie, and she asked of him, “Where are the gleanings? For does not your God command you to leave the corners of your field unharvested so the poor and the needy may not go hungry?”

The young man, named Boaz, looked at her scornfully, finding her appearance and obvious poverty distasteful. “What socialist nonsense is this?” he asked. “I have investors to answer to and profit projections to meet. I cannot spare any of my wheat for those who feel entitled to profit from my hard work.”

“Have mercy, sir,” begged Ruth. “I am but a poor Moabite who has traveled  with her mother-in-law who is too old to gather for herself. Let me take some food to her so her spirits may be lifted.”

“I can spare nothing,” Boaz answered, “for I must invest this quarter’s earnings into new farm equipment because the government is unfairly making me replace some combines that would leave trace (though nonlethal) deposits of asbestos and lead into my wheat. Also, I have to pay compensation to some workers who had to go and get ergot poisoning in my fields. On top of this, the data plan for my phone just went up.” He began dialing his phone furiously.

“If your mother-in-law wants food, she should pull herself up by her bootstraps and put her nose to the grindstone. As for you, I have no time for illegals looking for handouts. Good day!” He stormed away just as his call went through. “Hello, immigration? Yes, I’d like to…”

Ruth headed home to tell Naomi the terrible news, but she never completed her journey. She was seized on the road by immigration officers and deported to Moab. Naomi never knew what became of her and died alone on the streets that winter, and Boaz spent evenings watching the news and patting himself on the back for what a good citizen he was.

***

God’s law in the Old Testament was as much about generosity and kindness as it was about righteousness and morality. God’s blessings are available to all, regardless of background, race, economic status, or any other variable you can imagine. His love and kindness toward us is unlimited and conditional on only one thing: that we come to Him in humility and obedience. Others should be able to see that graciousness in us as easily as Ruth saw it in the real Boaz.

Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. For, “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: But the word of the Lord abideth for ever.”

And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you (1 Peter 1:23-25).

God has always found the imagery of plant life fruitful for comparison with spiritual things. Many of Jesus’ parables feature agricultural images. Since most people are at least somewhat familiar with plants, the value of this imagery is quite understandable.

When Isaiah wanted to encourage the Jewish exiles of the sixth century he turned to the frailty of grass and flowering plants (cf. Isaiah 40:6-8). They grow for a season and look beautiful and impressive for that season – but it does not take long for them to die when exposed to hot winds or freezing cold.

Isaiah compares people and their ideology to those plants. Sure, for the time being, the Babylonians who had conquered the Jews seemed impressive. Babylon was a large city with a great empire. The people boasted of their gods. The Jews were an oddity, believing firmly in their one God even though He had not saved them from Babylon’s hand. It would be very easy for the Jews to fall in line and believe just as the rest of the people believed.

But Isaiah knew that the day of the Babylonians would be short. The time of all flesh is short – humans live for a short period of time, in the grand scheme of things, and pass away. Another generation then arises, and it too shall soon pass. The ideologies of men tend to live a bit longer than an individual generation, but they also pass. The one constant, Isaiah notes, is the word of the LORD.

Peter writes to encourage his fellow Christians six hundred years after the height of Babylonian power. Rome is the new Babylon. Their empire was even more impressive than the Babylonian empire. Their military might was unequaled. The Emperor was hailed as a god, and even if the traditional gods of the Greeks and Romans were doubted, pretty much everyone else fell down before the Power of Rome. The Christians were very much the odd ones since they claimed that it was really Jesus who was Lord, not Caesar, even though Jesus was crucified in the days of Tiberius. As before, it would be very easy to fall in line and accede to Roman power.

Yet Peter wants to remind the Christians of the same lesson that Isaiah did: the word of the LORD, now enshrined in the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom, endures forever.

We now live almost two thousand years after Peter wrote those words. Even in the days of Peter, Babylon was a ruin. Its glories would only be re-discovered in the nineteenth century by archaeologists looking to better understand the word of the LORD found in the Old Testament of those very Jews whom the Babylonians mocked. Within three hundred years of Peter’s letter, Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire, and the Emperors who used to claim divinity for themselves now called Jesus of Nazareth Lord, at least in name. Today the Roman Empire is as distant of a memory as the Babylonian Empire, and their ideologies have been relegated to the interest of historians. And yet the word of the LORD, the Gospel of the Kingdom, is still preached throughout the world.

As assuredly as Babylon and the Babylonians rose and fell, and Rome and the Romans rose and fell, so too will America and Americans. The ideologies of modern society will have their day in the sun and then they too will pass away!

We would do well to heed the warning of Isaiah, Peter, and also John (cf. 1 John 2:15-17). It is very easy to trust in what contemporary society calls “common sense” and “the way things are,” just as it was easy to trust in those things 2600 and 2000 years ago. But, as John says, the world and its lusts are passing away. Only the word of the LORD will remain.

If we believe in Jesus Christ and seek to imitate Him and keep His commandments (1 John 2:3-6), we will demonstrate that we have been born again of that incorruptible or imperishable seed. Our minds, hearts, and actions will be conformed to how God would have us think, feel, and act, as was manifest in His Son (John 1:18, Romans 8:29). That way of living will not change with the winds of culture. If it is truly based in the imperishable seed, it will always endure.

But we must watch out for the corruptible or perishable seed of the world. It is easy for the “weeds” to take root and dominate in life (cf. Matthew 13:24-30). It is easy to allow worldly mindsets, attitudes, and actions to take over, either boldly in denying that which is divine, or more subtly by attempting to appear pious and holy. But its end will not be the fruit of the Spirit or anything conforming to Christ, but instead will at some point show its true worldliness (cf. 1 John 4:5-6). It will have to be cast away, either by this generation or a future one, for it cannot last!

Jesus says that we will be known by our fruits (Matthew 7:16-20). You do not get the imperishable plant from the perishable seed, nor do you get the perishable plant from the imperishable seed. If we think, feel, and act according to the ways of the world, we will pass away along with the world. But if we think, feel, and act according to the enduring, living, and abiding word of God, manifesting the Gospel of Christ in word and deed, we will obtain eternity (John 3:16). Let us cling to the incorruptible seed and reflect Christ to the perishing world!

lesson by Ethan R. Longhenry

God connects the details in His word to one another. Sometimes we wonder why God includes certain chapters, passages, or details in His Bible. Such chapters may be 17-21 in which terrible wickedness is recorded with little divine comment. Serving almost as bookends to these events are chapter 17:6 and 21:25, which both say basically the same thing:

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

More than a historical note, this passage reflects on the people’s rejection of God as king in their hearts. They seek to make Gideon king after God helps him deliver Israel from the Midianites. His son Abimelech then accepts that mantle as king for a time. The people try to have a physical king, but they are uninterested in a spiritual king.

The Contrast Between Judges & Ruth

The ungodliness in the story of Micah, a man of Bethlehem, in Judges 17-18 is overwhelming as he steals silver from his mother, returns the silver to praise only to have it forged into an idol. He finds a corrupt Levite and leads a region into adultery. In chapter 19, another Levite’s wife is unfaithful and run’s back to her father’s home in Bethlehem. Once reconciled, they are assaulted by a mob in Gibeah, which results in the rape and death of the Levite’s estranged wife. Justice remains unserved, and, in chapter 20, much of Israel turns and nearly destroys all of Benjamin. Then the Israelite forces go and slaughter cities who did not participate in battle, and they arrange deception to capture some virgins to give survivors of Benjamin.

We read these passages, and we think, “These are God’s people?” These stories demonstrate what happens when we reject God as king of our lives and set ourselves up as kings.

Then, as we begin Ruth, we meet Elimelech and Naomi from Bethlehem– where Micah and the Levite whose concubine was killed are from. Unlike Abimelech, whose name means “my father is king,” Elimelech means “God is king.” This family in Ruth serve as a stark contrast to these immediately preceding stories. Elimelech and Naomi live under the period of the judges, and, in some old manuscripts, the book we know as Ruth is part of Judges.

Conclusion

Ruth is a book full of tragedy and difficulty, but we see joy and happiness in those who acknowledge God as king compared to those who are ruled by their desires. Despite the rampant immorality surrounding Elimelech and Naomi, they remain unmoved. They do not let a wicked society dictate their godliness. Instead, they serve as a godly example to their children and their step-children. We don’t have to be like those around us. Godliness can exist in godless conditions. It does not matter what is going on in the world around us. We can face tragedy and challenges in this life and look forward to an eternal life of joy with our Father.

lesson by Tim Smelser

And the apostles said unto the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

And the Lord said, “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye would say unto this sycamore tree, ‘Be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea;’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:5-6).

The natural world provided Jesus with plenty of examples to help explain spiritual truths. He found great value in the illustration of the mustard seed and its growth pattern. Mustard seeds start out very small – about four millimeters in diameter – but they grow into a shrub-like plant, far larger than similar herbs. We have seen how Jesus described the growth of His Kingdom in terms of the mustard seed (cf. Mark 4:30-32). Let us now see how Jesus uses the mustard seed to describe our faith in Luke 17:6.

Jesus, in Luke 17:3-4, tells His disciples that they are to forgive their brother who sins against them every time. This was no easier for the apostles to swallow than it is for us. They felt that their faith was insufficient to accomplish that type of obligation; therefore, they asked Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5). Jesus’ illustration of the mustard seed is His response to this request.

We can certainly sympathize with the desire of the apostles. How nice it would be to have faith granted to us! How much simpler our task would be if God automatically provided us with the level of trust and devotion to Him necessary to accomplish His great work in His Kingdom! Alas, despite the views of many in the religious world, this is not the case. God does not dispense faith like a vending machine dispenses a candy bar. Faith is the expected response when we recognize who God is and how worthy He is of our trust (Romans 1:17, 5:1-2, Hebrews 11:1-40). Yes, it is easier for some to have faith than others; different people have different proportions of faith (cf. Romans 12:3, 6). But faith is not automatic, and as Jesus is indicating, it is not something that can just be granted.

It is easy to focus on the smallness of the mustard seed and therefore perhaps get the indication that Jesus could be talking about having a small measure of faith. That is quite unlikely. When Jesus describes the apostles as needing to have “faith like a grain of mustard seed,” He is speaking about how that faith starts– not how it continues or ends.

Our faith in God starts small. When we first come to God, we recognize that we are sinful and in need of redemption (cf. Romans 5:1-11), and trust that God will deliver us. But, at the beginning, that’s about it– we still trust in ourselves and rely on our own strengths to get through the difficulties of life.

If our faith stayed as the “grain of mustard seed,” it would not be worth much of anything. “Stillborn” faith cannot save (Matthew 7:21-23, James 2:14-26). Instead, just as a grain of mustard seed must take root and then grow to its expected size, so our faith must take root in our lives and then grow to overtake us completely!

Jesus has made this clear in plenty of images, including the parable of the sower (Luke 8:5-15) and the parable of the minas (Luke 19:12-27). We are commanded to grow in our faith (Hebrews 5:12-6:4, 2 Peter 3:18). Our faith may start small, but through growth, be it learning more of God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15), trials and tests (1 Peter 1:6-9), and through other experiences, it can grow until we can say, with Paul, that we have been crucified with Christ, and that it is no longer ourselves who live, but Christ in us (Galatians 2:20).

When our faith is in God and not in ourselves, God is able to accomplish great things through our service (1 Corinthians 3:4-8). We know that no tree can be uprooted physically and then planted in the sea, and so does Jesus. But Jesus also knows that what is impossible with men is possible with God (Luke 18:27).

Jesus makes it evident that faith is not something that you can just obtain in some miraculous or providential manner. Faith must first be a decision and then a growth process. The Apostles themselves experienced this: they recognized, based on what they could perceive, that Jesus was the promised Christ (cf. Luke 9:20), and they followed Him throughout His ministry. He then granted them the baptism of the Spirit and they began doing great things for God’s Kingdom as recorded in the book of Acts. They could not have just been granted faith. They had to walk with Jesus. They had to feel the shame of abandoning Him during His darkest hour (cf. Mark 14:27-50). They had to learn to trust God even though none of it made sense anymore after Jesus was killed, and then they had to experience the joy and exultation at His resurrection.

So it is with us. We can only become vessels of God’s power through us when we learn to let go of our ideas, our expectations, and ourselves, and allow our trust in God to overtake our lives. Let us learn from the mustard seed and allow faith to spring to life within us!

lesson by Ethan R. Longhenry

“Your words have been stout against me,” saith the LORD.

Yet ye say, “What have we spoken against thee?”

Ye have said, “It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?” (Malachi 3:13-14).

People tend to prefer and value instant gratification. Sure, there are some things for which people are willing to wait for a little time, but on the whole, we want results, and we want them now. We do not want to wait in line, we do not want to wait to buy things later, and we certainly do not like being held in suspension.

If humans cannot stand waiting, then it stands to reason that humans have an even harder time tolerating seemingly constant failure. In the minds of many, insanity is defined as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” In many facets of life, that statement is reasonable and accurate.

But what happens when it comes to waiting on God?

Human beings want things right now. They want change to have happened already. Yet God operates in His good time, for He is not bound to time like we are (cf. 2 Peter 3:8). We want everything right now, but God is patiently transforming those who seek to be His obedient servants (cf. Romans 8:29, 12:1-2). It does not happen overnight – but it does happen!

But how do we feel when we look out in the world and think that nothing is going right? What happens when it seems like things are worse for us because we try to serve God? How should we then respond?

We can see how the post-exilic Jews responded to this situation. By all accounts they were less sinful than their fathers, and yet while their fathers lived in a free and independent Judah, they remained under the hand of the Persians. It seemed to them that the wicked and arrogant prospered while the righteous were distressed and humbled (cf. Malachi 2:17, 3:15). Their response was natural: why bother serving God? In their eyes, it was vanity to serve God – they were no better off for it!

This response is as entirely understandable as it is misguided. It is the result of the myopic tunnel vision that we humans often experience– we focus on all of our challenges and difficulties and the oppression and the injustice in the world and declare God unjust, or believe that since we prayed fervently for some noble cause and yet still have failed that God has abandoned us, while all around us the blessings of God in life, both physical and spiritual, abounds (cf. Genesis 1:1-2:4, John 3:16, Ephesians 1:3). If we understand that God is the Author and Sustainer of Life, how could we even begin to think that it is vain to serve Him?

It is important for us to remember that our work in the Lord is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). It may not lead to the immediate results we desire, either in terms of our own growth and development or the encouragement of other souls, but its long-term impact may be vast indeed. Even if it has little impact on ourselves or others, it works within God’s greater plan and His great will (Ephesians 1:3-11), and that is glorious. As Jesus indicates in Luke 18:1-8, there is great value in persistence in prayer, and we should not assume that our prayers fail because we do not immediately see changes.

We may find that things seem to go worse for us once we have turned to righteousness and seek the will of God. But we must remember in such circumstances that it is only a reversal on the surface. Consider the image we see in Revelation – if you just read Revelation 13, for instance, you would have good reason to despair if you were one of the members of the seven churches of Asia. The world of Revelation 13 was the “real world” in which you would have inhabited. Nevertheless, the picture is given in Revelation 12, 14-19, of what else is going on, and that perspective changes everything: Satan’s hold on the powers of earth is his desperate last stand, and it too will fail in the end. No matter how bleak it might have seemed on the earth, God was still ruling in heaven.

And so it is with us today. It is easy to get lost in the surface matters and the temporary setbacks, get frustrated and discouraged, and wonder if there is any value in serving God. Yet let us remember that God is still ruler in heaven, that He is accomplishing many great things, and that our work in the Lord is never in vain. Let us be patient and faithful servants of God, knowing that He does all things well (cf. Mark 7:37)!

lesson by Ethan R. Longhenry

In I Peter 2, Peter describes what Jesus underwent on our behalf, and he holds up that sacrifice as an example to us. In verse 21-25, Christ’s suffering is the basis of our calling. Philippians 2 then gives a clearer picture of what Jesus would go through before His exultation. In his book, Peter relates suffering to glory. Our endurance and perseverance leads to God’ glory and our’s in Him. Paul, in Philippians, details that suffering, that endurance, that perseverance. In recognizing that God has highly exalted Jesus, we must first appreciate the extent to which he submitted Himself.

Christ’s Humility

II Corinthians 8:9 records Paul writing that Jesus made Himself poor, and he writes, in Philippians 2:7, that Jesus submitted as a servant. The Creator of John 1:1 becomes as the created – subject to pain, sorrow, frustration, sickness, and death. In Matthew 20:26-28, when Jesus’ disciples begin to argue over who should be highest in Christ’s kingdom, Jesus remonstrates them to put such thoughts aside, that they should seek servitude as He lives in service.

In Philippians 2:8, Paul writes that Jesus humbled Himself, and this humility would be prerequisite to His coming in the form of man, living in service, or submitting to obedience. In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul pleads for Christians to live in humility, and Ephesians 4:1-3 appeals to a walk of humility. I Peter 5:6 and James 4:10 call on us to humble ourselves before God. Jesus emptied Himself, became a servant, and He learned obedience in humility. In the gospels, He is obedient, even to a humiliating death on the cross.

Emptying Ourselves

Knowing these things and applying them are two different things.

• Where we would be full of ourselves, our Savior emptied Himself. Galatians 2:20 reminds us we must dethrone self and allow Christ to reign in our hearts.
• Where we would have others serve our interests, Jesus was servant to all. Whether foreign, poor, rich, sick – Jesus reached out to their needs. Our lives should be ones of service.
• Where we would exalt ourselves, Jesus humbled Himself. We need to start with humility so we can look to the needs and interests of others.
• Where we want to do things our way, Jesus willingly and unconditionally obeyed His father. We should have the same trust we see in His submission.

Conclusion

In I Peter 1:22, Jesus calls on us to love one another fervently, living and abiding in the word of God. When we can empty ourselves, humble ourselves, serve others, and obey God, we purify our hearts before the Lord. We should be amazed at what our Savior was willing to do for each of us. The one who knows all things and spoke all things into existence – He did much for us in humility. He faced endurance and suffering before glory and exaltation. We should expect and be willing to submit to no less than that.

lesson by Tim Smelser