The Irony of God

Posted on by Shannon

Irony often pertains to a sense of humor, but often it’s deadly serious. So it is with God. Read on.

When the spies returned and gave their cowardly report to Israel about the strength of their enemies, everyone cried out against Moses and God. They said they would all die if they invaded the promised land, and their children would become “plunder” (Num.14:1-3). God was listening!

They forgot God’s constant care over their 40-year desert journey and convinced themselves that all was lost. They let their human hearts deceive them. We’re told in Jeremiah 17:9-10 that “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” God warned in Proverbs 4:23 that each of us needs to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the springs of life.” The human heart can be a wonderful thing, but we can let it become sour and corrupt.

This is where God’s irony comes in. When our hearts lead us away, God may well deal with us in surprising ways. Israel cried out that their children would become plunder in the promised land. God replied, “Your little ones who you said would become a prey…shall enter there, and I will give it to them, and they shall possess it” (Deut.1:39). God always judges righteously, and with surprising effects.

Back in Jeremiah’s passage, God continued, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”

Guard your heart and keep it pure, for God searches what’s inside and deals with us appropriately. Israel didn’t, and suffered His precise and ironic judgment. Let that never happen to you.

– Tim Johnson

Great Friends

Posted on by Shannon

One of the greatest friendships we find in the Bible was that of David and Jonathan. From them we can learn what makes friendships work well. Both of them were soldiers and they appreciated weapons and strategy. In 1 Sam.18:4, Jonathan gave his sword and bow to David as a gift; very personal items. It’s the things people have in common that bring them together. It can be something as engaging as soldiers in the army, or something as simple as an interest in gardening.

These two men quickly found themselves in a tricky situation: Jonathan’s father, king Saul, was jealous of David and wanted to execute him. Friendship was tested by the complications that followed. Jonathan knew David was innocent of any deceit, so he stood by him in loyalty. Good friends do that for each other when difficulties strike. Loyalty should never waver between good friends. However, in real life we often suffer the pain of losing a good friend; loyalty can vanish sometimes. But the world is full of interesting people open to friendship and we may simply need to open up to them, putting the pain of prior friendships on the back burner. Never forget a friend even if they have turned their back on you. If you’re lucky, they may return someday.

If you read the last few chapters of 1 Samuel, you’ll find that Jonathan sacrificed for his friend David, who had a death sentence on his head. They sometimes met secretly to check on each other, challenge each other, and figure out what to do next. Jonathan would have suffered severely if his father found out. Strong friendships don’t mind sacrificing for each other. If you haven’t had a friend like that, maybe you should find ways to sacrifice for others. As someone once said, to have a friend you’ve got to be a friend.

Of all the things that help friendships flourish, there needs to be a strong common-denominator of conviction. Both David and Jonathan loved God and wanted to serve Him with all their hearts. This one over-riding quality gave these men the best foundation to stand on. It furnished them both with humility, common-sense, direction, and courage. Great friendships are built on faith in God and appreciation for each other.

There’s a tragic end to the story of David and Jonathan: the latter died in battle (1 Sam.31). David mourned for him and wrote his thoughts down in a piece called “The Song of the bow” (2 Sam.1). When David became king he honored his friend Jonathan by caring for the man’s handicapped son for the rest of his life (2 Sam.9). Real friendships are never forgotten.

– Tim Johnson

A Leaky Roof

Posted on by Shannon

Have you ever had one of those months when the house plumbing needs repairs, the wash machine breaks down, the furnace fails to start, and the car decides it doesn’t want to be left out of the break down game? With all that going on, you wonder if you should open up your eyes the next morning lest something else is broken!

We spend a huge amount of money each year to maintain the things we own. The Financial Post reported last year that Canadians spent $68 billion renovating their homes. A third of us spent on average about $15,000 in 2013 on home renovations, according to the CIBC bank. Another source said we spend on average $289 every time we take our cars in for servicing.

We hate to spend that kind of money just to maintain things, but if we don’t we soon find that our possessions deteriorate quickly. The classic example is the leaky roof that doesn’t get fixed. Water soon drips down through ceilings and walls, causing an awful mess in the rest of the house.

Some people neglect their spiritual lives just like they do a leaky roof. It takes work to stay strong in the Lord. We can hardly expect much good to come our way when we invest little time in prayer, or rarely pick up our Bibles outside of church meeting time. How can we encourage others when we only spend time with our brethren once or twice a month? Low maintenance means weak souls.

Peter said, “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.” (2 Pet.1:10)

Plug up the leaks and enjoy a strong spiritual life.

– Tim Johnson

People in the Way

Posted on by Shannon

A large crowd pushed its way through Jericho one day with Jesus in the middle. Leaders out front felt important as they shooed people out of the way, and hangers-on protected their positions close to the Lord. It would have been easy for Jesus to go with the noisy flow and get to his destination in good time. But He made the crowd stop.

A beggar on the side of the road was calling out for him. This was Bartimaeus, a poverty-stricken blind man. Despite efforts by the crowd to silence him, he cried out all the more – “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Lk.18:38) He was not a nuisance to Jesus. He spoke with him and, moved with compassion, touched his eyes and restored his sight. Only then would He allow the crowd to move on.

We’re living in a world that likes to act like that single-minded, pushy crowd. It’s as if we have our lives set on speed-control and we’re reluctant to back off. When others get in the way we don’t like it. Horns blare and people must scurry out of the way. It’s a selfish, arrogant way to handle things.

Jesus shows us a better way. I’m sure he was in a hurry at times, but he didn’t mind stopping for those who needed a hand. Don’t we want to be treated like that? Nothing is more important than a person. Jesus thought so. He was courteous to friends and foes alike. People felt his kindness and appreciated the fact he was interested in their lives. All we have to do is look around us at the many needs and hardships of people. You can’t solve everything, but you can care. “Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…” (Col.3:12). Bartimaeus isn’t far away.

– Tim Johnson

Into the Depths of the Sea

Posted on by Shannon

Perhaps you’ve been to Cape Spear, Newfoundland. There, a simple path leads from a parking lot to a small fence barring your way. This is the end of North America, for beyond it lies the Atlantic Ocean. There is no point of land any farther east than this spot, and for that reason the place is inspiring. For a few moments everybody on the continent is behind you. In fact, you can look directly east and you see nothing but water for 3,000 km; your next port of call would be Galway, Ireland.

The immensity of the ocean is astonishing. One airline has advertised a flight from Saint John’s, NF to Dublin in 4.5 hours, and that’s traveling at 550 mph! For hours you sit looking out that little round window and see nothing but water in all directions. From up there, huge ships look like pieces of floating rice. The average depth of this ocean is almost 11,000 feet – roughly 2 miles. It’s no wonder the remains of shipwrecks are so hard to find. It took over 70 years to locate the Titanic.

Ancient Jewish people were not known as sailors; they made their living off the land. The sea was a fearsome thing, a place into which one could disappear forever. When Jonah wanted to disappear, he chose to flee in a ship. In 700 BC the prophet Micah wrote the following about God: “He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Micah was struck with the capacity of God to forgive. Today, when someone repents and obeys the gospel of Christ, it’s as if their sins were picked up and thrown into the middle of the ocean where they will disappear forever. Praise God for his forgiveness.

– Tim Johnson