dependence

New Life In Christ

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5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. – Colossians 3:5-11 ESV

How were the believers in Colossae supposed to set their minds on things that are above, instead of things that are on earth? Was Paul suggesting they be so heavenly-minded that they were no earthly good? Paul has just challenged them to adopt a Christ-focused perspective that highlights the eternal aspect of their relationship with Him. Christ is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven, and one day He will return. His presence at His Father’s side demonstrates that He successfully completed the initial phase of His earthly mission. The apostle Peter addressed the significance of Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation when he delivered his first sermon to the crowds at Pentecost.

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us…” – Acts 2:32-33 NLT

Jesus’ death was efficacious. In other words, it accomplished the will of His heavenly Father and required no supplemental aids or add-ons to increase its effectiveness. Paul assured the believers in Rome that because Jesus died and rose again, they were assured of eternal life with Him.

We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. – Romans 6:9-11 NLT

Paul picks up the same theme with the believers in Colossae. He wants them to live according to their new status as spiritually transformed and fully adopted children of God. Jesus didn’t die so they could have their best life now but so that they might enjoy glorified life forever. However, Paul knew this future-focused mindset was challenging to maintain while living in the present. That’s why he provides them with practical guidance for navigating life in a fallen world. He is expanding the theme he began back in chapter two.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith… – Colossians 2:6-7 ESV

For Paul, it was always about faith. He firmly believed and persistently taught that faith was the key to our salvation and sanctification, and Jesus Christ is to be the sole focus of that faith. It is through Christ that we have access to the Father, and it is because of Christ that we have the assurance of eternal life. As Paul stated to the believers in Rome, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit was made possible because of Christ’s resurrection. Look closely at what Paul told the Roman believers.

Consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. – Romans 6:11 NLT

Their union with Christ gave them unprecedented power to live godly lives, even in the ungodly environment of Rome. The same thing was true for the Colossian Christians. Paul has already told them, “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world…” (Colossians 2:20 NLT).

Paul constantly admonished believers for their tendency to regress in their faith. They seemed to have no problem believing that Jesus could save them, but they had difficulty trusting that He could keep them saved and help them grow in godliness. So, they kept reverting to their old lifestyles based on human effort and self-righteousness.

So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? – Galatians 4:9 NLT

Paul was calling for complete separation from and dependence upon the things of this world. If Jesus was to be the believer’s sole source of salvation and sustenance, why were they continually turning to the world for satisfaction, fulfillment, significance, and hope? Their actions directly conflicted with their calling and their expressed commitment to Jesus Christ. Their behavior did not accurately reflect their belief in a transformed life. That is why Paul demands that they do an about-face, turning their backs on their former way of life and seeking things above.

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. – Colossians 3:5 NLT

Paul was well aware that his flock in Colossae was struggling with the ongoing presence of their sinful natures. He was not exempt from this internal battle between godliness and wickedness. In his letter to the Romans, he divulged his own struggle with indwelling sin.

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? – Romans 7:21-24 NLT

But Paul answered his own pleading question, joyfully declaring, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25 NLT). The solution to the problem of indwelling sin is Jesus. Because of Jesus, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to say no to sin and yes to God. His divine presence provides us with all we need to put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within us. Peter put it this way: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).

Peter was addressing the power and presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Godly living wasn’t a matter of self-control, hard work, and a commitment to keeping a list of rules and religious rituals. Self-effort can only produce self-righteousness. But the kind of righteousness God demands can only be produced by the Spirit of God. That is why Paul told the Galatian church, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16 NLT). He went on to say, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there” (Galatians 5:24 NLT).

Because of their relationship with Christ, their former sinful habits had been nailed to the cross with Him. But every believer knows how easy it is to breathe life into those old, dead habits and “resurrect” them again. So, Paul demands that they “put to death” those things. But how? Is he suggesting that this is an ongoing, daily action? Is it the fate of every Christian to live their entire earthly existence in a daily struggle to put sin to death? The answer is found in the grammar of Paul’s statement. When he states, “put to death,” he uses the Aorist Active Imperative (AAM) tense. The action described by the verb indicates that it is a past event. In other words, it has already taken place. Paul is stating that our old sinful habits have already been put to death on the cross. So, we must constantly return them to their rightful place: the cross. Our present action is based on a past reality.

The action Paul commands is a natural byproduct of belief. If we truly believe that Jesus “canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 NLT), then we should confidently return those sinful habits right where they belong. They are dead to us and no longer possess power over us. Paul is reminding the Colossians that their new life in Christ is meant to reflect a new way of living.

You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. – Colossians 3:7-8 NLT

They had been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and were now clothed in His righteousness. Yet, metaphorically,  they were constantly going back to the closet of sin and picking out old, soiled garments to wear. That’s why Paul reminds them that they had already “put off the old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:9 ESV) and “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10 ESV). It was a past action that required constant repeating in the present. But they were guilty of putting on the old self. In a sense, they were reaching into the closet of their past life and selecting one of their old, comfortably fitting sins to wear in public. 

In this passage, Paul describes the ongoing nature of sanctification or spiritual growth. The Christian life is not meant to be static or stagnant. Once saved, always saved doesn’t mean that there is no ongoing transformation in the believer’s life. Peter indicates believers are to “grow into a full experience of salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 NLT). Paul told the Ephesians that they were to grow “in every way more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).

Growth in Christlikeness is non-optional for the believer, but it is not a matter of hard work and determination. One of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to assist Christians in their knowledge of Christ and their ongoing transformation into His likeness. This transformation is for all believers, regardless of their ethnic or cultural background. Each is to individually experience the Spirit’s transformative power so that, together, we might reflect the nature of Christ and bring glory to God the Father.

…you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. – 1 Peter 2:5 NLT

Jesus made our salvation possible and ensured our ongoing sanctification. Our transformation into His likeness is a supernatural work of God that requires our participation but not our power. We must willingly cooperate with the Spirit by submitting to His will and obeying His promptings. We put off the old nature in His power, not our own. We live to righteousness in His strength, not our own. Our ongoing renewal and reformation is His work, not ours.

Father, thank You for making the process of sanctification not only possible, but completely doable in Your power. I can’t make myself more holy and You don’t expect me to. I do not have the strength to manufacture godliness, but You have given me Your Holy Spirit to ensaure that my transformation into the likeness of Christ is achievable. What an incredibe gift You have given to Your children. Never let me take it for granted or try to take on the responsibility for my holiness on own. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Fighting From Our Knees

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18 To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. – Ephesians 18b-20 ESV

Paul ended his description of the armor of God with a call to prayer, strongly advising his readers to “pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion” (Ephesians 6:18a NLT). Constant communication with the Father is essential for our spiritual survival. Prayer is not simply a tool we use to get what we need from God.

As Paul will show, prayer is not to be used for our own selfish desires either. Throughout this letter, Paul has been addressing God’s mysterious doctrine of the church, the body of Christ. In chapter one, Paul addressed Christ’s headship over the church, which He had earned through His sacrificial death and resurrection.

And he [God] put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. – Ephesians 1:22 ESV

And all believers are members of that body because they share a common faith in Christ, and that faith was a gift from God, “not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9 ESV). The church was the mysterious or previously undisclosed plan of God to miraculously join Jews and Gentiles into one body, “that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross” (Ephesians 2:14 ESV). 

It was God who made us “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19 ESV). And it is through the church that “the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10 ESV). It was Paul’s prayer that the Ephesian believers would “know the love of Christ” and be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19 ESV). Paul knew that God had a divine plan for the church. He also knew that the future success of the church, including all those who would become part of it through faith in Christ, was totally dependent on the work and glory of God. That is why he ended his prayer in chapter three with the following words:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV

The body of Christ, the church, is a powerful force, but only as long as it remains dependent upon God. It is a divinely ordained agency of change in the world, but only when it remains committed to the will of God and connected to His power made available through His Spirit. When we lose sight of the fact that God saved us and placed us within the context of the body of Christ, and begin to see our salvation as something individualistic and isolated, we miss the whole point.

A self-centered, what’s-in-it-for-me attitude has no place within the body of Christ. Even the armor of God is of little use to the Christian if worn in isolation and utilized as a one-man army. As Christians, we must come to grips with the fact that we are in this battle together. Even the best-equipped, most highly trained army will fall to its enemy if its members fail to fight as one. And without constant communication with and obedience to its commander, even the most powerful army will suffer defeat. So Paul calls the army of God to “pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 18 NLT).

There is a sense of camaraderie and co-dependent community in his words. We are to pray not only for ourselves, but for one another. We should desire that every believer on the planet live in the power of the Spirit and in accordance with God’s will. The body of Christ requires members who are healthy, whole, and committed to the cause of Christ. That is why Paul even asks for prayer on his behalf.

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. – Ephesians 6:19 NLT

Paul knew he needed the prayers of the saints to remain committed to the call God had given him. He coveted their prayers, and he longed for them to pray for one another.

What more selfless, loving thing can we do than pray for God to protect, guide, strengthen, and embolden our fellow believers? We must realize that our strength, while provided by God, depends on our unity with other believers. Together, we form a powerful force that can dramatically alter the landscape of the world in which we live. Solitary soldiers, even though well-armored, will have little impact “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV).

So we must pray. We must seek God’s face, determined to know His will, lift up our fellow soldiers, and rest in His divine strategy for ultimate victory.

Father, I am amazed at how prayerless I can be at times. My prayer life always seems to ebb and flow based on the severity of my circumstances. When times get tough, I turn into a veritable prayer warrior. But when things are going my way, I tend to go radio silent in my prayer life. In those moments are comfortable in my life, I talk with You less because I think I need You less. But nothing could be further from the truth. I desperately need You at all times, and prayer is not intended to be an emergency response system I use in times of trouble. That is why Paul said, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:15-17 NLT). And Paul reminds me that prayer is not solo-sport with me as the focus. It is a group endeavor. That is why he said, “Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18b (NLT). I am part of the divine team You have created and I fight alongside a host of other Christ followers who deserve my support and supplications. I need their prayers and they need mine, so that the body of Christ might remain strong, unified, and able to “resist the enemy in the time of evil” (Ephesians 6:13 NLT). Thank You for this much-needed reminder. Now, help me to live, not as an army of one, but as a prayerful and properly equipped member of the army of God. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Mindset of Mercy, Not Merit

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1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2 ESV

Here Paul makes a transition from talking about God’s relationship with the Jews in general to the conduct of believers in particular. He has been addressing the issue of justification or how to be made right with God, based on the grace of God and not the efforts of man. Whether Jew or Gentile, every man and woman is justified before God by faith in Christ alone; human effort has nothing to do with it. But Paul does not want to leave his readers with the false impression that behavior is no longer a part of the equation. The salvation God offers through the death of His Son should result in a dramatic change in how we live. Paul has already addressed this on two different occasions.

Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. – Romans 6:13 NLT

Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. – Romans 6:19 NLT

In light of all that God has done for us, our response should reflect our deep gratitude. In Chapter 5, Paul wrote, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT). Because of the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf, giving Himself as our sin substitute on the cross, we have been restored to a right relationship with God, and He alone made it all possible. He sent His Son to die on our behalf, sacrificing what was most precious to Him so that we could be given new life and a restored relationship with Him.

As Paul pointed out in Chapter 8, the benefits of this gracious gift of God are beyond measure.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. – Romans 8:1-2 NLT

Those who place their faith in Jesus no longer live under the Damocles sword of sin’s condemnation. With the threat of eternal separation from God eliminated, it no longer serves as our motivation for right behavior. Striving to live righteously to earn God’s favor is a thing of the past. Now, any attempts we make to live in a manner that is pleasing to God are done in the power of the Holy Spirit, not the flesh. We pursue righteousness out of thankfulness for all that God has done for us, not in some vain attempt to buy our way into His good graces.

Our desire to live for God is no longer motivated by fear, nor is it based on a hope that what we do can earn enough points with God to make Him accept us. In this lifetime, our behavior is not about earning God’s grace; it is about living according to the grace He has extended to us through the death of His Son. He has given us new life and is transforming us into new creations. We are already His children, adopted into His family and heirs of all that is His. We don’t have to make God love us; He already does, and the gift of His Son was the greatest expression of His love.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 NLT

So Paul urges us to present our bodies as “living sacrifices.” Our death is not required because the death penalty for our sins has already been paid in full. Our motivation for offering ourselves to God is His unmerited mercy and grace. Unlike most sacrifices, in which the one making the sacrifice seeks mercy from God, we are offering ourselves because of the mercy we have already received from God. God has shown us mercy by delivering us from condemnation. Rather than giving us what we deserved, He showered us with His grace, and we should be eternally grateful.

So what does our “living sacrifice” look like? How are we to conduct ourselves in this world as a result of all that God has done for us? Paul gives us a negative and a positive aspect to our behavior. First of all, we are NOT to be conformed to this world. The Greek word, syschēmatizō means “to conform one’s self (i.e. one’s mind and character) to another’s pattern, (fashion one’s self according to)” (Outline of Biblical Usage).

We are not to pattern ourselves after the ways of this world. When Paul refers to the “world,” he is speaking of the pervasive mindset of our culture that seeks to exclude God. It is a man-centered way of thinking that diminishes God and deifies man. Ever since the fall, humanity has attempted to make man the center of the universe. Our relentless pursuit of autonomy drives us to satisfy our self-centered passions.

But as followers of Christ, we are not to follow the example of this world. We have been separated from this world by God. As Jesus said, we are to live in it, but not be a part of it.

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” – John 15:19 NLT

We are to live separate and distinct lives. But how? Paul gives us a critical and non-negotiable requirement for pulling off this seemingly impossible behavioral transformation. It entails the “renewal” of our minds. We are to undergo a radical makeover of the way we think. When Paul spoke of renewal, he used the Greek word anakainōsis, which refers to “a renewal, renovation, complete change for the better” (Outline of Biblical Usage). It begins in our minds, the center of our thoughts. We must constantly remind ourselves of all that God has done for us. Not only was He responsible for our salvation, but He is the one who makes possible our sanctification. We must constantly consider the fact that our transformation into the likeness of His Son is His doing, not ours.

By focusing on the divine nature of our sanctification, we can begin to eliminate our self-help mentality and lean on the assistance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is as we live in constant dependence upon God and His transforming power that we begin to grasp His will for our lives.

As Paul so succinctly put it, “God’s will is for you to be holy…” (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NLT). That is His overarching objective for our lives. Nothing more, nothing less. And when we present ourselves as living sacrifices to God, we tell Him that we want what He wants. We express our desire to be used by Him, however He sees fit, for our good and His glory.

Father, we live in a merit-based society where getting what you deserve starts with hard work. We truly believe you can’t get something for nothing. You have to earn it and, when you’ve done all that was expected, you deserve to be paid in full for your efforts. But You operate on a different model. In Your ecomony, mercy trumps merit every time. In the world, it’s all about earning your way to the top. In the Kingdom, it’s all about accepting the free gift of grace that You have made available through faith in Your Son. Paul pointed out the difference in Chapter 4.

When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. – Romans 4:4-5 NLT

But it is so hard to let go our merit-obsessed mindset. Even after coming to faith in Christ, we keep trying to earn our way into your good graces. We have a difficult time accepting that Your love for us is not somehow tied to our behavior. When we fail to live up to Your holy standards, we become convinced that Your love for us has dimished. But, as Paul reminds us, “nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

The Battle Within

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13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. – Romans 7:13-20 ESV

In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul had to address some pressing issues within their local fellowship. Like a loving father confronting his wayward children, Paul took them to task for their spiritual immaturity, which had led to some less-than-godly behavior.

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ.  I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT

This passage is essential to understanding what appears to be Paul’s personal confession in Romans 7. There are those who would claim that Paul is speaking of his pre-conversion experience, but it seems that Paul is describing the condition all believers face every day. Even though we are set free from captivity to sin and death by Christ’s death on the cross, we still have our indwelling sin natures to deal with.

When Paul writes, “I am of the flesh,” he is saying that he still has his sarkikos or carnal nature. At salvation, we are not removed from these earthly bodies, and these earthly bodies are driven by earthly appetites. The Greek word Paul uses is sarkikos, and it refers to anyone who is “governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God” (Outline of Biblical Usage). To be governed by the flesh is to allow oneself to be controlled by one’s earthly appetites. It is the same Greek word that Paul used in his letter to the Corinthians. He wrote, “You are still sarkikos.” In other words, they were saved, but were conducting their lives as if they weren’t. Then he gave them examples of what being sarkikos looked like.

You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? – 1 Corinthians 3:3 NLT

Each believer maintains the capacity to live under the control of their sin nature or flesh. Yes, they have the Spirit of God living within them, but they must choose to live under His control or the control of their sinful nature (flesh). Paul makes this choice very clear in his letter to the believers in Galatia.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. – Galatians 5:16-17 NLT

It is a matter of control. In his letter to the churches in Ephesus, Paul used an interesting comparison to illustrate what it means to be controlled by the Spirit.

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. – Ephesians 5:18 NLT

To be drunk with wine is to allow yourself to be under the influence of the alcohol in the wine. It alters your behavior, speech, and thought processes. You act in ways that are contrary to your normal behavior, and that is exactly what happens when you allow the Holy Spirit to fill or control you. It is not a matter of getting more of the Spirit; we receive all the Spirit we need at salvation. But it is a matter of allowing the Holy Spirit to have more of us.

The dilemma we face as believers is exactly what Paul described.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. – Romans 7:18 ESV

Our flesh is sarkikos or unspiritual. But we are to live as spiritual creatures or new creations, because of Christ’s saving work and the Spirit’s presence within us. But our fleshly or sinful nature battles against our new spiritual nature. The flesh is of this earth; its appetites and desires are driven by the temporal things of this world. But we are no longer of this earth. We are citizens of heaven, which makes us aliens and strangers here. We are residents of God’s kingdom, which is not of this world. Even Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 NLT).

As believers, we must realize that our flesh stands opposed to all that is godly. It is natural and of this world and does not desire anything that is of God. It is driven by selfish, sinful desires. That is why Paul says, “I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave” (1 Corinthians 9:27 NET). And he encourages us to “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5 NET).

We must live with a constant awareness of our sinful nature. We can never allow ourselves to be lulled into a sense of complacency or overconfidence, thinking we have gained complete mastery over our sinful natures. They are always there, ready to take back control of our lives as soon as we let our guard down. So we must live in constant awareness of our need for the Spirit’s control, because while we may have the desire to do what is right, we lack the ability to carry it out on our own.

Father, it is comforting to know that even the great Apostle Paul struggled with his fleshly desires. He was not an automaton and immune from the temptations of his own indwelliing sin nature. Yet, he was able to put to death the deeds of his flesh because of his reliance on Your Holy Spirit. As Peter said, You have given us everything we need for living a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). We have Your Word, the body of Christ, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit at our disposal. So, there is no reason for us to give into the desires of our flesh — except that we want to. It is a choice we have to make everyday. I want to live increasingly more dependent upon You and under the control of the Spirit. Keep me in Your Word, surrounced by fellow believvers, and keenly aware of my need for the Spirit’s power, provision, and protection from Satan, the world, and my own flesh. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

The Paradoxical Power of Weakness

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2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 ESV

In verse one, Paul confesses, “I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.” He is letting his readers know that he is about to provide additional evidence to validate his apostleship and to set him apart from the false apostles who are dogging his ministry. His reference to visions and revelations suggests that what he is about to divulge is well beyond the usual arguments for his apostleship; it will involve the supernatural and direct communication from God. Visions are typically visible manifestations of God’s power. The Greek word Paul uses is optasia, and it means, “a sight, a vision, an appearance presented to one whether asleep or awake”(“G3701 – optasia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 20 Oct, 2016. https://www.blueletterbible.org).

Paul’s reference to “revelations” seems to indicate verbal communication from God. The Greek word is apokalypsis and it means, “a disclosure of truth, instruction; oncerning things before unknown” (“G602 – apokalypsis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 20 Oct, 2016. https://www.blueletterbible.org). Paul shares a personal experience that included a vision and word from God. He refers to himself in the third person simply to diminish the aura of bragging that comes from sharing such a story.

He says, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2a ESV). It is clear that Paul is referring to himself, because he later adds, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations…” (2 Corinthians 12:7 ESV). This was a personal experience that Paul had and one he shared reluctantly. He provides little detail and refuses to share exactly what he saw or heard. But fourteen years earlier, Paul had received a vision from God and was somehow transported to the “third heaven.” In the ancient mindset, there were three heavens. There was the sky or the visible atmosphere, and then there was the heavens containing the sun, moon, stars, and planets; what might be referred to as “outer space.” The third heaven or paradise was a reference to the dwelling place of God.

Paul recalls being somehow transported into heaven. He could not tell if it had all been a dream or whether he had actually gone there in his physical body. While there, he “heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.” (2 Corinthians 12:4 NLT). Paul spends no time describing the sights or sounds of heaven. He provides no insights into what “paradise” looked like. Not only that, he gives us no clue about what he heard; he only describes it as unrepeatable.

This one-of-a-kind, supernatural event clearly set Paul apart. Who else could claim to have been transported to heaven and given a glimpse of the sights and sounds associated with that remarkable place? But while blown away by the experience, Paul refused to boast about it. He would not allow himself to turn his divinely ordained experience into an opportunity to elevate his stature among the Corinthians. He would boast about “this man,” but when it came to himself, he would rather boast about his weaknesses. He explains, “I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message” (2 Corinthians 12:6 NLT). Paul wanted his life and message to fuel his reputation, not his supernatural vision.

It is interesting to note that earlier, Paul recounted a time when he had been saved from arrest by being lowered in a basket from a window (2 Corinthians 11:33). He prefaced this story with the statement, “I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am” (2 Corinthians 11:30 NLT). His disclosure of this rather ignoble event was meant to emphasize his weakness. He had been forced to suffer the humiliation of being crammed in a basket and lowered out a window. This would have been a blow to the ego for a man of Paul’s temperament. Yet, he viewed it as a reminder of his own weakness and God’s power.

But now he talks about having been raised by God to the very heights of heaven. This may have been what Paul meant when he wrote, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12 ESV).

Paul could have easily let this divine encounter produce a spirit of pride and spiritual superiority. He could have viewed himself as somehow more anointed and blessed by God. After all, who else could claim to have gotten an all-expenses-paid trip to paradise? But God wasn’t going to let Paul get a big head. In fact, Paul says, “So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT).

Paul does not say what this “thorn” was. The Greek word Paul uses is skolops, and it actually refers to a sharp, pointed stake. It was far more than a “splinter” or an inconvenient annoyance; it was potentially debilitating and described by Paul as “a messenger of Satan to torment me.”

Was it a physical disability or a spiritual weakness? Paul doesn’t say. Since Paul mentions “conceit,” it may have been a proclivity toward pride and arrogance. The constant harassment Paul faced from his ever-present adversaries could easily have driven him to boast of his superior calling and intellectual prowess. Paul was an educated man who had risen high in the ranks of the Pharisees. He was an expert in the Hebrew Scriptures. So, it would have been easy for Paul to develop a haughty spirit and arrogant attitude toward those who questioned his ministry. However, God lovingly kept Paul humble.

On three different occasions, Paul pleaded with God to remove this “stake” from his life, and each time God refused. But He reminded Paul, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a NLT). God’s grace was greater than Paul’s problem. His strength was far superior to Paul’s weakness in the flesh. And, more than 14 years later, Paul was able to say, “I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9b NLT).

Paul’s awareness of his weakness led him to appreciate God’s gracious love and power. Anything he accomplished in his life that was worthwhile or worthy of praise was attributable to God, not himself.

Paul would gladly suffer the humiliation of being lowered down the wall in a basket. He would willingly go through the pain of another stoning or the indignity of arrest and imprisonment, all for the sake of Christ. Through it all, he had learned the invaluable life lesson of “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV).

Father, I bring nothing to the table except my willingness to submit to Your will and rely upon Your strength. You do not need me and yet You lovingly use me to accomplish Your will. Your Holy Spirit empowers me. Your Word convicts and instructs me. You have provided the body of Christ, the church, to comfort, support, and encourage me. Yet, how easy it is to take credit for my accomplishments and to view myself as some kind of indispensible asset to Your Kingdom causes. Thank You for graciously and lovingly keeping me humble by constantly reminding me of my weaknesses. Indepenence is a dangerous thing for any Christ follower to embrace. Any time I think I can stand on my own by relying on my far-from-sufficient strength, I am doomed to disappointment and failure. But You love me enough to expose my inadequacies and call me back to a willful reliance upon Your all-sufficient power, and for that I am grateful. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Strength in Weakness

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29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 11:29-12:1 ESV

Paul has just finished saying, “there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28b ESV). He felt a strong sense of responsibility for all those in whose salvation he had played a part. He saw himself as their spiritual father, and they held a special place in his heart. He went out of his way to relate to them and to share in their lives. In his first letter, he described his attitude toward ministry.

When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. – 1 Corinthians 9:21-23 NLT

He echoed that same sentiment when he wrote, “Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?” (2 Corinthians 11:29 NLT). Paul had a deep desire to meet people where they were and to minister to them with empathy and compassion. He wasn’t some academically-minded, theologically-focused professor who loved to dump information, but was incapable of relating to his students. Paul was incredibly intelligent, but also remarkably relational. His love for people showed up in his willingness to come alongside them in their weakness and help them grow.

Some pastors and teachers struggle to relate to people because they fear opening up and exposing their own failures and weaknesses. They feel the need to present themselves as having it all together and being on top of their spiritual game. They seem to fear that if they share their struggles, they will lose the respect and admiration of those in their flock. But Paul was willing to brag about his weaknesses; he was an open book. He believed his life was a powerful testimony to God’s power made visible through man’s weakness. Which is what led him to write, “I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).

While his adversaries, the false apostles, were busy bragging about their qualifications and attempting to establish themselves as superior to Paul, he quietly and confidently gave another example of his “weakness.” On one occasion, while Paul was ministering in Damascus, the governor had the city surrounded in an attempt to seize him. To save himself, Paul escaped by being lowered in a basket outside the city walls. This event took place several years after his divine encounter with the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus. That life-altering experience had transformed Paul from a persecutor of Christians to a faithful follower of Jesus. And, according to Luke, it didn’t take Paul long to begin fulfilling the commission given to him by Christ.  Luke records:

For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. – Acts 9:19-22 ESV

Eventually, Paul left Damascus and headed into the Arabian wilderness, where he spent three years being prepared for his commission (Galatians 1:13-18). During his time in Arabia, it is likely that Paul evangelized the people who lived there. Eventually, he returned to Damascus, where he received a less-than-cordial reception from the local Jewish contingent. Luke records what happened to Paul upon his arrival in Damascus after a 3-year absence.

When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. – Acts 9:19-25 ESV

But Paul adds an important point of clarification.

When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him. – 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 NLT

Aretas was the King of Arabia, where Paul had spent three years preparing for the commission he had been given by Christ. The city of Damascus was part of Arabia, and it seems that King Aretas was unhappy about Paul’s evangelistic efforts in the towns and villages within his domain. He ordered the governor of Damascus to arrest Paul as soon as he arrived in town.

It had not taken long for Paul to discover that his commission to take the gospel to the Gentiles was going to be difficult and dangerous. He was a driven individual with tremendous gifts and capabilities, but he soon discovered that his natural attributes were no match for the spiritual warfare he would face as a spokesman for God. He was going to need spiritual power to fight what was a purely spiritual battle. It seems that in Damascus, not only was the governor out to get him, but the Jews were as well. He found himself in deep trouble and had to escape from town with the help of the local believers. But he lived to share the gospel again.

Paul was just a man, but he was a man who had been saved by Christ and given a job to do. He was flawed and had a sinful nature just like everyone else, and he struggled with the effects of indwelling sin and fleshly desires. And yet, even in his weakness, he found the strength to do what he had been called to do. His ministry was solely the work of God, and he had to rely on God’s provision just to meet his daily needs. He had to trust in God’s power to protect him from his growing list of enemies. He had to rely on the peace of God to fill him and calm his fears and doubts. He had to constantly depend on the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit to motivate him and minister to him.

For Paul, weakness was not something for which he felt ashamed; he wore his weakness like a badge of honor. The weaker he felt, the more reliant he became on the power of God. His weakness was not a detriment to God’s work; it was an essential prerequisite to being used by God. As Paul told the Corinthians in his first letter, God has a habit of using the weak and seemingly worthless to accomplish His will in the world.

God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NLT

Father, we see weakness as a liability, but You view it as an invaluable asset, because it is only in our weakness that we become dependent upon You. Paul gloried in his weakness because it reminded him just how much he needed You to accomplish his mission. I want to live with that mindset, but it is so easy to see my weaknesses as failures or faults. I have a difficult time grasping Paul’s comment, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT). I think it’s because I believe I must correct all my weaknesses before You can use me. But Paul saw it differently. For him, weakness was a prerequisite for usefulness. His awareness of his own inadequacies didn’t depress him, it actually motivated him. It created a dependence upon You that allowed Your power to shine through. I want to embrace the attitude that Paul had when he wrote, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT). When I am willing to admit my insufficiencies and inadequacies, it allows Your power to show up and shine through me — for Your glory and my good. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The LORD Is Our Portion

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A Song of Ascents. Of David. 

1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the LORD
    from this time forth and forevermore. – Psalm 131:1-3 ESV

1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
    when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
    life forevermore. – Psalm 133:1-3 ESV

These two Psalms are also songs of ascent, a collection of Psalms that were sung as pilgrims made their annual journey to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover. In Psalm 131, David places the emphasis on the individual by expressing his personal humility toward God. Though he was the king of Israel, he didn’t think too highly of himself or allow his high office and royal authority to go to his head. His robes and riches gave him an air of superiority, but he knew he was no better than any of his subjects.

But as one of his subjects, it might have sounded strange to hear your king say, “I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp” (Psalm 131:1 NLT). Wasn’t that part of his job? As the holder of the highest office in the land, wasn’t the king expected to surround himself with wise counselors and competent advisors who could help him deal with all the pressing matters that came with running a country?

But David isn’t declaring himself incompetent to carry out his role or disinterested in dealing with complex issues; he is trying to convey his dependence upon the LORD. It was Yahweh who said, “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word” (Isaiah 66:2 NLT). And David reflected his understanding of that truth when he wrote, “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God” (Psalm 51:17 NLT).

From his own experience, David learned that God rescues the proud and humiliates the proud (Psalm 18:27). There was no place for arrogance in the life of a godly person. In another of his psalms, David professed his disgust with and refusal to tolerate anyone who displayed prideful characteristics.

Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
    I will not endure. – Psalm 101:5 ESV

In this psalm, David describes himself as “a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk” (Psalm 131:2 NLT). This imagery is meant to convey his satisfaction with Yahweh. In English, the word “weaned” means “to detach from a source of dependence” (“Wean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wean. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025).  A weaned child is one who no longer needs his mother’s milk to satisfy his physical cravings; he has found another source of nourishment. For David, the LORD had become his sole source of comfort, provision, protection, and strength. He needed nothing and no one else to satisfy him. 

That is what led him to write, “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7 NLT). It was Jeremiah the prophet who wrote, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him” (Jeremiah 17:7 BSB). In the Book of Lamentations, Jeremiah repeats his unwavering confidence in the LORD.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” – Lamentations 3:24 BSB

The Hebrew word translated as “portion” is ḥēleq, and it conveys the idea of receiving a share of something significant, as in an inheritance. Jeremiah is saying that the LORD is all he needs. There is nothing else this life can offer that compares with having Yahweh as your portion. David used the very same word when he wrote about the wicked who seek their “portion” in this life.

Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
from men by your hand, O LORD,
    from men of the world whose portion [ḥēleq] is in this life.
You fill their womb with treasure;
    they are satisfied with children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants. – Psalm 17:13-14 ESV

David had been weaned from that way of life. He had discovered something better and encouraged his fellow Israelites to follow his lead and put their hope and trust in Yahweh.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD —
    now and always. – Psalm 131:3 NLT

In Psalm 133, he turns his attention to the communal aspect of his faith. He recognizes that he is part of a collection of individuals who, together, make up the family of God. But it is about more than community, it is about harmony and unity.

How wonderful and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in harmony! – Psalm 133:1 NLT

It’s impossible to have Yahweh as your portion and to live at odds with His people. David could boast of having a right relationship with the LORD, but it would mean nothing if he couldn’t get along with others. The apostle John expressed the non-negotiable nature of brotherly love among God’s people.

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. – 1 John 4:20-21 NLT

In an earlier chapter, John expressed the same idea in slightly different terms.

If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. – 1 John 2:9-11 NLT

David understood that his “portion” was not his own. He was destined to share that inheritance with the rest of God’s family. And that still holds true today. Unity and harmony are two of the highest priorities for the church. In fact, in His high priestly prayer, Jesus asked His Heavenly Father to bring about the unity of the body after His death, resurrection, and ascension.

“Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.” – John 17:11 NLT

“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” – John 17:21 NLT

Jesus prayed for our unity, harmony, and oneness. He longed to see His body, the church, united in their love for the Father and for one another. Long before Jesus prayed that prayer in the garden, He had told His disciples, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT). And that message made it to the ears of the apostle Paul, who shared it with the church in Philippi.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. – Philippians 2:1-5 NLT

He then goes on to describe the attitude that Christ had: One of humility, service, sacrifice, love, and obedience. Paul says that we are to have this same mindset. We are to pursue unity through humility.

In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul stressed the same idea:

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. – Ephesians 4:1-3 NLT

There it is again: Humility, unity, and oneness. Paul understood the wisdom in what David had written hundreds of years earlier. It truly is wonderful and pleasant when brothers live together in harmony. And because of what Christ accomplished on the cross and due to the influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can love as no one has ever loved before. We have the mind of Christ and can love as He loved, sacrifice, and humble ourselves in the same way He did, and give our lives away in selfless service to others, especially within the context of the body of Christ.

Before He went to His death on the cross, Jesus spoke these words to His disciples: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35 NLT).

Jesus commanded His followers to love one another. That would be the distinctive characteristic that they belonged to Him. It would prove their relationship with Him. Yet, it is amazing how much emphasis we put on the Great Commission, because it conveys our mission to go out into the world and make disciples. But we rarely, if ever, talk about Jesus’ command to love one another. This is no less an expectation of Christ for His church than the Great Commission. He is commanding us to love as He loved – to the point of death. But are we fulfilling that command? Does the world know we are His disciples because of our selfless love for one another, or is it because of our acts of charity, generosity, evangelistic zeal, or organizational effectiveness? All those things are good and necessary, but they can be done without love. Is it our love for one another that acts as honey to the bee or light to the moth? Are the lost attracted to our love for one another? Do they see in us something that is missing from the world?

Christ has given us the capacity to love and be loved. He has created a new thing called the church, the family of God. In it, we are to live out the character of Christ in the context of community. What good is it to express our love for the lost when we struggle to love one another? How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!

Father, as the church, we have failed to obey the command of Your own Son. We do not love one another as He has called us to love. We can be petty, selfish, divisive, competitive, and mean. We can attempt to do great things for Your kingdom while we refuse to love one another as we have been loved by You. Open our eyes and help us to understand that the church is a noun, not a verb. We are Your people. We are to live as such. We are Your children. We are to get along. We present You in the world. But if we can’t love one another, the Good News loses some of its power. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The LORD Is Faithful

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A Song of Ascents.

1 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—
    let Israel now say—
2 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
    yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”
4 The LORD is righteous;
    he has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
    be put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
    which withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand
    nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8 nor do those who pass by say,
    “The blessing of the LORD be upon you!
    We bless you in the name of the LORD!” – Psalm 129:1-8 ESV

As this psalm was sung by the pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem for one of the three annual feasts, it was meant to celebrate the many times Yahweh had delivered them from their enemies. The song begins with the repeated line, “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth…” This personification of Israel’s past difficulties was intended to remind the pilgrims that when the nation suffers, they suffer. By putting the words in their mouths, the psalmist drives home the point that, when the nation is delivered by Yahweh, they are the beneficiaries. They were Israel. 

It’s essential to recall how the nation of Israel got its name. It dates back to the story of Jacob, one of Isaac’s sons. After having cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright and then deceiving his father to receive the blessing of the firstborn, Jacob was forced to escape the wrath of his betrayed brother by fleeing to his mother’s relatives in Paddan-aram. On his journey, Jacob had a dream in which Yahweh delivered the following message:

“I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” – Genesis 28:13-15 NLT

While his stay in Paddan-aram was a lengthy one, and marked by further deceit and subterfuge, Jacob prospered. He ended up with two wives and 13 children, and, through a carefully planned strategy of deception, he amassed a large flock of sheep and goats that had once belonged to his uncle Laban. But in time, Jacob received another message from Yahweh.

“Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you.” – Genesis 31:3 NLT

As Jacob made his way home, he got into an argument with a stranger he met along the way. One evening, this “man” showed up unexpectedly and “wrestled with him until the dawn began to break” (Genesis 32:24 NLT). No explanation is given as to who the man was or why he picked a fight with Jacob, but the text states, “When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket” (Genesis 32:25 NLT).

This bizarre nocturnal wrestling match was a stalemate, and it was only when Jacob’s hip was dislocated and wrenched from its socket that he backed off. The man, attempting to bring the match to an end, said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” (Genesis 32:26 NLT). But Jacob refused and demanded to receive a blessing from his unidentified foe. 

“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” – Genesis 32:26 NLT

It is not clear why Jacob made such a demand, but his opponent responded by asking Jacob his name. Then he delivered the following message:

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” – Genesis 32:28 ESV

Not only did Jacob receive a dislocated hip, but he got a new name. In Hebrew, his name became yiśrā’ēl, which is derived from  śārâ, which means “to contend” or “to persevere,” and ‘ēl, which translates into “God.” There is debate over how to translate this new name, with some suggesting “one who struggles with God” and others opting for “God strives.” But the bottom line is that Jacob had gone to the mat with the Almighty and lived to tell about it. His entire life had been a wrestling match with God as he attempted to fulfill God’s promise through human means. Jacob had used deception and trickery to bring about the promise Yahweh had given to his mother.

“The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.” – Genesis 25:23 NLT

Yahweh had assured Rebekah that her younger son would receive the blessing of the firstborn. Despite being the second to exit the womb, he would end up with the birthright reserved for the eldest in the family. This news contradicted all the established protocols for distributing the inheritance. But Yahweh was letting Rebekah know that He had other plans for Jacob and his brother Esau. Yet, Rebekah would ultimately try to help Yahweh by devising her own strategy for securing Jacob’s future.  She and her son would ultimately resort to worldly means and deceptive plans to fulfill Yahweh’s will, and their scheme, while successful, would ultimately result in Jacob’s exile and a fractured relationship with his brother.

But Yahweh was not deterred by their actions. His promise remained in place, and His plans for Jacob were as solid as they had ever been. The exiled son returned home and eventually became the father of 12 sons whose descendants would become the 12 tribes of Israel.

The pilgrims who made their way to Jerusalem singing the words of this song were all members of one of the tribes of Israel. They were descendants of Jacob the deceiver. But Yahweh had blessed them despite this fact. Yes, they had suffered many things in their long history as God’s chosen people, but He had persevered with them. He had never forsaken them.

The psalmist describes the suffering of the Israelites using agricultural language.

The plowers plowed upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”
The LORD is righteous;
    he has cut the cords of the wicked. – Psalm 129:3-4 NLT

These agrarian people could relate to the sight of plow marks across a barren field. This image was meant to illustrate their own suffering at the hands of their enemies. The New Living Translation puts it this way: “My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.” But despite their suffering, Yahweh had proven to be their faithful deliverer.

But the LORD is good;
    he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly. – Psalm 129:4 NLT

Like their patriarch, Jacob, the Israelites were guilty of deception and dishonesty. They had failed to trust Yahweh and place their hope in His covenant promises. Instead, they had devised their own plans for living blessed lives. They replaced Yahweh’s will with their own and ultimately suffered the consequences.

This led the psalmist to call his fellow Israelites to place their hope and trust in Yahweh. Without Him, they would never have become a nation. Without His ongoing help, they would cease to exist as a nation. That is why he penned the words, “May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward!” (Psalm 129:5 ESV).

This refrain was intended to express the Israelites’ dependence upon Yahweh. It is a cry for Him to mete out justice and vengeance against all those who would wish harm on them. For anyone to hate Zion was like a declaration of war against Yahweh and His people. Zion was the mountain of God on which the Temple of the LORD sat. It was the location of Jerusalem, the city of David, and the capital of the Hebrew people.

This song begs Yahweh to continue striving on behalf of His people. It describes the enemies of God as seeds of wheat that blew onto the rooftops and sprouted, only to die in the heat of the sun. They were misplaced and “as useless as grass on a rooftop, turning yellow when only half grown,  ignored by the harvester, despised by the binder” (Psalm 129:6-7 NLT). 

The Israelites had no reason to worry about their enemies because Yahweh was in complete control. He would take care of their adversaries, denying all those who opposed His chosen people any hope of receiving His blessing.

…may those who pass by
    refuse to give them this blessing:
“The LORD bless you;
    we bless you in the LORD’s name.” – Psalm 129:8 NLT

Yahweh had reserved the blessing of the firstborn for Jacob, and He had promised Jacob that, not only would he be blessed, but he would be a blessing.

“Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go.” – Genesis 28:14-15 NLT

Yahweh had kept His word to Jacob, and He would keep His covenant commitment to Israel. They had been blessed by Yahweh and would continue to enjoy His presence, power, and provision because He was faithful and a covenant-keeping God.

Father, I am always amazed when I look back and see Your track record of faithfulness to Your people. The Scriptures are filled with example after example of Your unfailing love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. You are patient, persevering, compassionate, longsuffering, and wholeheartedly committed to keeping Your promises. Jacob couldn’t improve on Your promises, but he couldn’t screw them up either. The people of Israel did everything in their power to derail and disavow Your covenant promises, but You remained faithful. And You will continue to remain faithful until each and every one of Your promises is fulfilled. Thank You for who You are and all that You have promised to do. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Life Worth Living

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Taw

169 O LORD, listen to my cry;
    give me the discerning mind you promised.
170 Listen to my prayer;
    rescue me as you promised.
171 Let praise flow from my lips,
    for you have taught me your decrees.
172 Let my tongue sing about your word,
    for all your commands are right.
173 Give me a helping hand,
    for I have chosen to follow your commandments.
174 O LORD, I have longed for your rescue,
    and your instructions are my delight.
175 Let me live so I can praise you,
    and may your regulations help me.
176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
    come and find me,
    for I have not forgotten your commands. – Psalm 119:169-176 ESV

The psalmist has reached the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, bringing his lengthy poem to an end. Utilizing the pattern he has used throughout the psalm, he begins each sentence of these last eight verses with the letter taw or tav. This last strophe serves as the conclusion or coda of his psalm.

As he prepares to wrap up his song, the psalmist intensifies his request for deliverance, begging Yahweh to listen to his cry and prayer. He not only wants to be heard, but he wants to experience Yahweh’s intervention. Fearing death, he longs to live so he can continue to interact with God’s word. Throughout this psalm, the author has repeatedly expressed his deep love and affection for the Scriptures

I have rejoiced in your laws
as much as in riches. – Psalm 119:14 NLT

Your laws please me;
they give me wise advice. – Psalm 119:24 NLT

I long to obey your commandments!– Psalm 119:40 NLT

How I delight in your commands!
How I love them! – Psalm 119:47 NLT

Your instructions are more valuable to me
than millions in gold and silver.– Psalm 119:72 NLT

…your instructions are my delight.– Psalm 119:77 NLT

Oh, how I love your instructions!
I think about them all day long.– Psalm 119:97 NLT

How sweet your words taste to me;
they are sweeter than honey. – Psalm 119:103 NLT

Your laws are my treasure;
they are my heart’s delight.– Psalm 119:111 NLT

…no wonder I love to obey your laws! – Psalm 119:119 NLT

I stand in awe of your regulations. – Psalm 119:120 NLT

Truly, I love your commands
more than gold, even the finest gold.– Psalm 119:127 NLT

Your laws are wonderful.
No wonder I obey them!– Psalm 119:127 NLT

See how I love your commandments, LORD.– Psalm 119:159 NLT

I rejoice in your word 
like one who discovers a great treasure. – Psalm 119:162 NLT

I love your instructions. – Psalm 119:163 NLT

I have obeyed your laws,
for I love them very much. – Psalm 119:167 NLT

This isn’t hyperbole or pious-sounding rhetoric. The psalmist sincerely means what he is saying. Over his lifetime, he has grown to love the word of God because it has proven to be faithful, true, reliable, wise, and encouraging. While his life has not been easy, his reliance upon the Scriptures has provided him with hope because it reveals the character of his God.

The stories contained in God’s word portray His power, love, mercy, grace, justice, sovereignty, and righteousness. The Books of the Law reveal the righteous demands Yahweh has placed on His covenant people, but also outline the sacrificial system He provided to provide atonement when they failed to keep His commands. The psalmist had read the Books of History and seen how Yahweh had shown mercy and grace to His rebellious people. Yes, He had punished them for their sins, but He had also forgiven and restored them on more than one occasion.

The Books of Wisdom had provided the psalmist with insight into God’s nature, outlining the importance of godly wisdom and the need to pursue it with unbridled enthusiasm.

Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD,
and you will gain knowledge of God.– Proverbs 2:2-5 NLT

This has been the pattern of the psalmist’s life. He has taken to heart all the lessons found in Scripture and applied the many admonitions to make God’s word a priority. But he longs for more. He is far from satisfied and not ready to end his quest to know God better. That is why he cries out, “rescue me as you promised” (Psalm 119:170 NLT). He is not ready for death, but longs to experience more of life so he can grow in his understanding of Yahweh.

“Let me live so I can praise you” (Psalm 119:175 NLT), he pleads. For the psalmist, life was essential to experiencing God’s presence and power; it was also vital for responding in praise. The psalmist’s mindset reflects that of the prophet Isaiah when he wrote:

For the dead cannot praise you;
they cannot raise their voices in praise.
Those who go down to the grave
can no longer hope in your faithfulness.
Only the living can praise you as I do today.– Isaiah 38:18-19 NLT

Another psalmist shared this same sentiment when he wrote:

The dead cannot sing praises to the LORD,
for they have gone into the silence of the grave.
But we can praise the LORD
both now and forever!– Psalm 115:17-18 NLT

These men were not discounting the idea of an afterlife, but their doctrine of life after death was not fully formed. The ancient Hebrews did not have a well-developed understanding of the hereafter. They believed in some kind of post-death existence, but found it difficult to understand its exact nature. For them, life was the realm in which Yahweh’s blessings were experienced. Health, wealth, and prosperity were the signs of a blessed life. Suffering and sorrow were evidence of a disobedient life. That is why the psalmist is confused by the circumstances surrounding his life. He had been faithful and obedient to God’s commands, yet he was suffering.

Many persecute and trouble me,
yet I have not swerved from your laws.– Psalm 119:157 NLT

I am insignificant and despised,
but I don’t forget your commandments.– Psalm 119:141 NLT

The psalmist wanted to live because he was not done pursuing God’s word. He wanted to experience more of God’s blessings and was convinced they could only be experienced in life, not death. He believed praise to be the purview of the living, not the dead. He desperately wants to live, not so he can experience more of what life has to offer, but so he can continue to experience the life-changing lessons God’s word has to offer.

O Lord, I have longed for your rescue,
and your instructions are my delight.
Let me live so I can praise you,
and may your regulations help me.– Psalm 119:174-175 NLT

Suffering wasn’t enjoyable, and it didn’t always make sense. But, for the psalmist, it was an opportunity to seek Yahweh’s help and see His deliverance. The struggles of life drove him to his knees and made him increasingly more dependent upon the LORD. Problems were the launching ground for praise. Without a need for God’s assistance and deliverance, praise would become unnecessary. But God’s rescue has a way of making His people rejoice. When God shows up, His people tend to shout out His praises. And the psalmist wants to live so he can continue to witness God’s presence, experience God’s power, and respond in praise.

The psalmist closes out his song with a cry of complete dependence upon Yahweh’s help. He describes himself as a lost sheep who has unintentionally wandered away from the fold and find himself in danger.

I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
come and find me,
for I have not forgotten your commands. – Psalms 119:174 NLT

This lost-sheep motif is found throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. God used this analogy to describe the state of His covenant people.

“My people have been lost sheep.
Their shepherds have led them astray
and turned them loose in the mountains.
They have lost their way
and can’t remember how to get back to the sheepfold.” – Jeremiah 50:6 NLT

Speaking on behalf of his fellow Israelites, the prophet Isaiah confessed their self-imposed state of spiritual lostness.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.– Isaiah 53:6 NLT

The psalmist could relate to this imagery of wandering sheep, and he longed for the Good Shepherd to seek him out and restore him to safety and rest. He desired to be back in the fold, where he could continue to experience the love and protective presence of his Master. It isn’t farfetched to imagine that the psalmist had the words of David in mind as he concluded his psalm. It was the shepherd of Israel who wrote the following tribute to Yahweh’s faithfulness and love.

The LORD is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD
forever.– Psalm 23:1-6 NLT

The psalmist wanted what David described. He had experienced it before and was not ready for it to end. Life was worth living because it was the avenue through which Yahweh revealed Himself to men. Yes, life could be full of green meadows and peaceful streams. There were times of feasting and rejoicing.  But there were also dark valleys and fear-filled moments when the Shepherd seemed nowhere to be found. But, like David, the psalmist believed that God’s goodness and unfailing love would pursue him
all the days of his life, so life was worth living. He truly believed that life was the key to loving and praising God, and would have fully agreed with the words of Psalm 150:6:

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Father, I want to love life, not because of all the perks and benefits it provides, but because it is the platform upon which I get to see and experience Your power and presence. Too often, I see the trials and troubles as setbacks and unnecessary bumps on the road of life. I try to avoid them like the plague or pray them away when eluding them fails. But it is in the difficulties of life that You show up. It is in those moments when I have no more tricks up my sleeve or any other options to pursue, that I tend to turn to You. My weakness makes me aware of my need for Your strength. When times get tough, my prayer life improves. When I don’t know what to do, I am forced to turn to You. And when I do, You always show up. Thank you for life, not because it’s always perfect and free from trials, but because it is the place where my weakness gets exposed and Your power is displayed. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Necessity of Neediness

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To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering.

1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
    O LORD, make haste to help me!
2 Let them be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
3 Let them turn back because of their shame
    who say, “Aha, Aha!”

4 May all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy;
    hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O LORD, do not delay! – Psalm 70:1-5 ESV

Who knew David could be a man of few words, but in this psalm, we see him cut to the chase and make his point to God in record time. He doesn’t beat around the bush, but instead comes out and tells God what he wants. “Please God, rescue me!” (Psalm 70:1 NLT), and he asks God to do it quickly.

Evidently, David’s need was overwhelming, and he felt the need to demand immediate action by God. In a Psalm of so few words, it is interesting to note what David took the time to say. He expressed his need for God’s salvation, his desire for justice for his enemies, and, most importantly, his awareness of his condition.

This was not the first time David felt compelled to call out to God in a moment of distress. In fact, this rather short psalm is almost a word-for-word copy of a section of another psalm he wrote.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
Let those be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God! – Psalm 4-:13-17 ESV

Davi can’t be accused of plagiarism because he authored both works, but he does borrow heavily from his previous psalm. In both cases, he states, “I am poor and needy.” This short phrase speaks volumes about David’s awareness of his condition. There is no hint of pride or self-sufficiency. His self-disclosing statement exhibits no sign of arrogance or hubris. Instead, it reveals a man who is painfully aware of his status and unashamed to admit it to God.

David is the king of Israel who commands a great army and lives in a beautiful palace surrounded by wealth and opulence. But inwardly, David knows he is needy, destitute, and unable to meet his needs. Whatever his circumstance, David knows he can’t save himself; he needs God. So, he begs God to hurry to his aid without delay.

O God, hurry to me.
You are my helper and my deliverer.
O Lord, do not delay.– Psalm 70:5 NLT

The first step in seeing God work in our lives is recognizing our need for His intervention. We must come to grips with our deficiency and His sufficiency. But that is harder than it sounds for most of us. We tend to want to solve our problems and meet our own needs. When faced with difficulties, our initial reaction is to rescue ourselves and, if successful, pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. It is hard to help someone who refuses to see their need for help. But David had reached the point where he would no longer let pride stand in his way. He knew that God was his helper and savior. He understood that there was nothing he could do to solve his problem. He needed God, so he called to Him.

David knew from experience that those who call on God are seldom, if ever, disappointed. He had learned that dependence upon God was a sign of strength, not weakness. Confession of his own insufficiency may be hard on the ego, but it is well worth any pain his pride may have to endure. Calling on God in his time of need had always proven to be the right response.

May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you.
May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually,
“May God be praised!”– Psalm 70:4 NLT

In his second letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul shared a personal account about his own moment of crisis and need. Paul had just disclosed that he received “visions and revelations from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 12:1 NLT). He described being “caught up to paradise” where he “heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words” (2 Corinthians 12:4 NLT). Yet, despite these potentially ego-boosting experiences, Paul states that God graciously kept his pride in check.

So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. – 2 Corinthians 12:7-8 NLT

Paul provides no details concerning the nature of his “thorny” problem but states that he repeatedly begged God to remove it. However, he received the same response from God all three times.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

And Paul’s takeaway from this ongoing “need” was amazingly positive.

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT

Paul learned to see his problems as divinely ordained opportunities to witness God’s power in his life. His “weaknesses” proved to be positive and not negative. His insufficiency wasn’t a detriment but a blessing in disguise. This knowledge led him to make the seemingly contradictory statement: “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

From a human perspective, Paul’s words seem illogical and irrational. However, when viewed through Paul’s understanding of God’s power and sovereignty, they make all the sense in the world. His message of strength in weakness and joy in suffering was a regular part of his personal story and became integral to his pastoral message. He delivered a similarly nonsensical life lesson to the believers in Rome.

…we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. – Romans 5:3-5 NLT

Paul and David shared a common dependence on God’s power and provision. Both men knew that their insufficiencies were assets and not liabilities. They viewed themselves as little more than unworthy vessels through which the power of God flowed. Paul put it this way to his audience in Corinth:

…we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed, always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body. For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body. – 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 NLT

It is normal and natural to despise weakness. Nobody longs to be powerless, helpless, and hopeless. David cried out, “O God, please be willing to rescue me. O Lord, hurry and help me” (Psalm 70:1 NLT) because he wanted to be delivered from his distress. Three separate times, Paul asked God to remove his thorn in the flesh. But both men knew their weakness, while unenjoyable, was the perfect opportunity to see God work.

All those who believe in an all-powerful, loving, and compassionate God must recognize the reality of their own weakness and His strength. They must come to grips with their need for Him. There is no place for self-sufficiency in the life of the believer. Self-reliance is dangerous for a God-follower because it diminishes one’s need for His help. The confession, “I am poor and needy,” must precede the statement “You are my help and my deliverer” (Psalm 70:5 ESV). Failure to recognize and confess our own insufficiency will always diminish our dependency upon God. If we are capable, God becomes dispensable. But David and Paul would warn against such a self-reliant and self-delusional outlook. They would encourage us to sing the chorus to the old hymn, “I Need Thee Every Hour.”

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev’ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

Father, it seems the longer I live the more I recognize my true neediness. I guess it is that I am slowly learning the valuable lesson that I cannot save myself. I am not smart enough or powerful enough to rescue myself from the troubles of life. I need You. Thanks for the daily reminders of my own neediness. Help me to keep turning to You for help. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.