Question: Freedom vs. The Poor

What is more important?

That in fighting injustice and aiding the poor, we make sure that those who give aid do it voluntarily or that we make sure we aid the poor, even if we have to force people to do it?

So, in other words, which is the greater value -  maintaining freedom and voluntary action or ensuring that the injustices that the poor face are addressed?

Should we enforce morality in this area, as we do in many other areas of society?

Here’s some scripture for thought:

Leviticus 23:22 -  ²²And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” (ESV)

Acts 4:32-37 – ³²Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. ³³And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, ³⁷sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (ESV)

See also Acts 5, specifically v.3-4 – ³But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. (ESV)

Question:

If our forefathers were immigrants themselves, invaded North America, killed off the original inhabitants through genocide, raped the Native American lands, established their fortunes through slave labor as well as prolonged discrimination and colonialism, do we, who are living off of the privileges established by these means, really have any moral legitimacy in claiming the land, let alone, the right to deny other people from immigrating today for the supposed purpose of protecting our “sacred way of life”?

Child Soldiers and Child Actors…

I was checking out some movie reviews on Plugged-In and noticed an article entitled, “Hollywood’s Math Problem“. Turns out it is about the transition that Miley Cyrus is going through, from “squeaky-clean-Disney-star” to “sex-kitten”. The author basically gives a critique of Hollywood’s system for transitioning child-stars into “maturity” and points out that it is failing, big-time. I skimmed a bit of the article and it got me thinking… about child soldiers. With all of the atrocities that occur in both realms, the abuse of children in warfare and the abuse of children in Hollywood, are there any connections? Are the same means being used to achieve these different ends? Here is what came to my mind:

1. Wise and protective parents are often non-existent in both situations.

Many child soldiers are orphans. With no protection, children in third world war-zones are easy prey for recruiters. They are forced to join, either physically or for their own survival if joining the army is their only source of food. Child actors often have parents, but the amount of protection offered by their parents essentially makes the child an orphan. The parents, who are suppose to protect these minors by aiding them in decision-making, seem as though they are completely ignorant of the plan that Hollywood has for them and the previous disasters that have occurred in the recent past.

2. The victims are indoctrinated while they are vulnerable minors (they are especially vulnerable due to their lack of parents).

Child soldiers are brought into the army and taught to commit violent acts. With no one to protect them or to help them discern what they are being told, the children quickly adopt what ever their captors teach them. Child actors are indoctrinated while minors as well. They are taught that in order to mature, they will have to more sexually explicit. This then becomes the norm of their world since no one was there to help them think through the issues.

3. The children are often sexually abused.

With child soldiers this comes in many forms, but primarily rape. This is especially true of little girls who are captured by the armies. For child actors the sexual abuse may be more subtle. The system that leads them into maturity often involves sexual exploitation. This may include inappropriate photo shoots at a young age etc. Other times, it is not subtle. In the case of Miley Cyrus, a 40-year-old man took advantage of her when she performed a lap dance for him.

4. Ultimately, the children are used by adults for the adult’s own gain (the adults have full knowledge of the damage that will occur to the child in the process, but are willing to cause it to happen because it will give the adult some profit).

Child soldiers are useful for killing on behalf of their captors who know full well that the child will be harmed or killed in the process. Child actors are harmed for gain as well; just look at a few of the recent cases. There is one reason why Miley Cyrus is being pushed to make her transition into “maturity”: Money, which will line the pockets of her managers, legal agents etc.

Disclaimer/Challenge: In no way am I equating the severity of the abuses that occur in each realm. Using children in warfare is on par with horrors such as the Holocaust, but just maybe the abuse that children suffer under Hollywood’s system should be ranked a little higher on our chart of atrocities! I think our culture has made us numb and tabloids have caused us to join with the crowd in gawking at the spectacle. As Christians, we need to resist the flow and begin to see these children as people who need mercy, not as objects for our amusement. This will take a lot of prayer and heart searching, but it is the perspective that Jesus has.

Some sources:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/children/child-soldiers/page.do?id=1051047

http://www.pluggedin.com/upfront/2010/hollywoodsmathproblem.aspx

A Case for More Violent Games ~ A Response

(The author of the article noted under this image: "Viewing this screenshot evokes more violent thought than playing the scene."

IGN article: The Case for More Violent Games

This article caught my eye because of the many debates that go on surrounding violence in video games. Usually people argue that it is wrong, but here is someone asking for more of it! It would be best to read the entire article before commenting/arguing because the content of the article is not made up of your typical arguments in favor of violence (the violence is not real, it doesn’t have any real effect on people etc.) So, in other words, if the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about this issue is “They are just video games!”, you might as well find something else to read. On the other hand,  the comments on the article are very insightful all on their own!

I read this article and I will try to give the general gist of it. Basically the author argues that the current violence in video games does not match reality. There is no emotional impact on the player, there is no understanding of the background of the “people” you are killing, there is not the extreme psychological strain that occurs when someone takes another person’s life in “real life”. All the blood, headshots etc. in current games are basically just identifiers that the player is winning. The carnage a player creates is equatable to the positive jingle sound that occurs when Mario picks up a coin. All of this is simply feedback that the player is doing great! (The blood that splatters on the screen when the player’s character is being hurt is simply negative feedback that he or she is loosing).

The author then argues that the violence should be developed so that the player can experience the psychological effects of planning and committing a real murder or taking a real life. He uses the example of his experience of killing a chicken (catching it, holding it down, slitting its throat, gutting it and finally eating it) to argue that he felt some moral angst in making the choice to assert his will over the animal and justifying the taking of its life, simply because he wanted to, not out of the need for survival (he was going to eat that day even if he didn’t kill the chicken). He says that we should have at least some angst when we kill simulated people in video games for pleasure  (or as in the example the author gave,  some angst when we walk away from an execution, hearing the shots ring out in the background) if we feel angst over killing an animal. (I would like to note here that this killing should not be limited to “you are the good guy killing the ‘he deserves it’ bad guy.” These lines have been blurred so that many popular games involve the player taking on the role of the “bad guy” and killing innocents. Should this not cause us moral angst all the more?)

Anyways, the author finishes up by pointing out that we enjoy the pleasure of violent video games without actually considering the reality of what we are simulating or experiencing the emotions of the reality. He thinks we should embrace the dark side that is in us fully. We should build up the experience so it is much more real. Video games are becoming a source of expression of our culture, in the area of art. If we continue to create violence that causes us to “elicit amusement, competitive anxiety, and momentary disbelief” we will live in a world of lies. He states in reference to the emotions “None of those emotions could honestly be connected to the truth of what happens when one human kills another.”   In the end, this author says that the current violence is dehumanizing because it is detached from reality, therefore we need more emotionally realistic violence.

My thoughts/response:

I thought his argument that gore can become just a sign of victory or more points was insightful. At one point the author states that we give “high-fives for head shots.” I am guilty of that. I usually become quite oblivious to it once I get focused on winning. The author did not leave it here though, and neither would I. I agree that it does cause some dehumanizing. Using simulated violence for pleasure is the complete opposite of the pain and terror that occurs in real life.

I agree that we should have some emotional angst concerning our derivation of pleasure from the simulated killing of humans. (I thought the comparison to the chicken was great!). The use of the word “pleasure” is key. I don’t want my use of violent video games described in that way, it makes me uncomfortable, it forces me to think about what I am doing. I would ask the question, “If you don’t find pleasure in people dying, why do you play a game that simulates it and you are the killer?”

I am disturbed by the author’s worldview as it is expressed in his conclusion. His call for video games to re-humanize the killing by including the emotional elements that occur in a person who is in the process of taking another person’s life is disturbing. I think we should just take a step back from the violence all together. Also his assertion for players to embrace the darkness that is inside them, the desire to gain pleasure from killing, by desiring games that will give them the full emotional experience that occurs in a person when he or she takes another person’s life is disturbing. I understand that art should express the full scope of human experience, but I’m not sure that we need to express it to the point that we are simulating violence so that we can re-experience it.

I’m still trying to figure out where to stand on this issue. There is an obvious difference between the sadistic violence in games like the GTA series and the violence in a warfare simulator, but does that make a difference? I think it would be good to establish at least a maximum violence level. Anything in which a player is rewarded for harming innocents or glorifies criminal activity should be deemed inappropriate. Passages that come to mind are Phil. 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Also Rom. 12:1-2, “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. 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.” Pounding waves of violence are going to be difficult to fit through these grids.

The Flow of the Gospels pt.1: The Christian life of Faith

Subheadings, sometimes they are useful, other times they are not. I have run into their uselessness while reading the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. By ignoring the subheadings and just reading the narratives as single sections, I have come across some amazing teachings taught by the order of the individual situations/scenes.

Matthew 8: The Christian life of Faith

Jesus has just finished the sermon on the mount. After he makes his way down the mountain, a leper approaches him and in faith asks Jesus to heal him. Jesus does and it is a testimony of who Jesus really is – God. This also supports his ability to teach with authority (end of ch.7).

Keeping this situation in mind (focusing on the faith and proof of who Jesus is by the miracle), we next read about the Centurion. His faith in Jesus ability to heal his servant is so strong  that even Jesus is impressed. Jesus states, “Truly, I tell you , with no one in Israel have I found such faith” (v.10). By this and his statements in v.11-12 Jesus points out that being in God’s kingdom is not about genetics, but about faith in Jesus.

The next scene involves Peter’s mother. She has a fever and Jesus heals her. Word of Jesus’ miracles spreads around and soon Jesus is healing many other sick people and casting out demons.

At this point, here is what we have: Jesus is the Messiah, which is proven by his teaching and miracles. Our proper response to this is faith in him. It would seem that we should expect Him to heal us too. This looks like a pretty sweet deal! Jesus makes it clear who he is, we respond in faith and we are healed!

And you know what? That seems to be what the scribe thought as well. A scribe runs up to Jesus and says, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go” (v.19). With all the healing etc. just seen above, who wouldn’t follow Jesus wherever he went? This seems to be a typical human response and Jesus sees right through it. Jesus responds, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (v.20) Wow! So, it’s not going to be as easy as he thought. Healing yes, but there will be nights of exposure on the open road (so much for the prosperity Gospel). Then Jesus says to another guy, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead” (v.22). What?! We have to be so dedicated that we will follow Jesus over burying our parents?

These two small interactions are huge when it comes to properly understanding the previous sections. They serve as a built-in correction to an overly idealistic or “rose-colored” understanding of following Christ by faith. It is not going to be easy.

But the Gospel does not end there. As we keep reading we find ourselves out on the sea in a storm with Jesus and the disciples. Boy, Jesus was right! It’s not going to be easy to follow him. In fact this situation is so tough that the disciples start freaking out. “Save us, Lord; we are perishing” (v.25). But Jesus is asleep… why isn’t he freaking out? After the disciples wake him up, Jesus says, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (v.26). There it is again, faith. The disciples had a faith issue, they were not believing in who Jesus truly was. This is very clear by their statement, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (v.27). What do they mean, “What sort of man is this?” He is the God-man! But they missed it and that is why they feared in the storm.

So we see that we are to have faith in response to who Jesus is, as proven by his miracles. And through this we will be healed. But it will not always be enjoyable, we will face extremely intense problems and suffering. Yet we are not to cower in these trials. We are to hold to our faith in the God-man who is in control of ever single situation on our lives. By faith in him, we will not fear.

Oh, and just to make sure we get it, we can keep reading the next little section. As Jesus and the disciples approach the shore, they are confronted by two demon possessed men who are so out of control that no one can travel through the area. The demons in the men make no mistake about who Jesus is: “What have you to do with us, O Son of God?” (v.29). It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Jesus speaks one word, “Go”, and the demons leave the men and go into a heard of pigs. Clearly, Jesus has authority over all of the demonic realm.

So we live by faith in the Son of God. We will be greatly blessed by his healing, but it will be extremely hard to follow him sometimes. Yet, he is in control of all things and we can stand through the hardest trials because we have our faith in God.

Capitalism, Socialism, Politics and The Kingdom

I just finished reading a biography on Walter Rauschenbusch. He was probably the primary theologian in the Social Gospel movement of the early 20th century. It really opened up my eyes to a bunch of things: liberalism, the kingdom of God, socialism, capitalism, the social gospel etc.

Here is some brief stuff on Rauschenbusch:

• He believed in the gospel’s impact on the individual and the gospel’s impact on society.
• He was not a full-blown liberal as we define it today (still emphasized personal conversion, although not substiutionary atonement).
• He was post-millennial (but he thought we would just see pieces or small pockets of the kingdom on earth, with no full realization until the end)
• He was a Christian socialist
• He saw that Capitalism abused the poor
• He was a pacifist
• He believed in legislated help for the poor by the government as well as help from fellow citizens within the community.
• He lived in “Hell’s Kitchen” in some of the worst living conditions… wait that term “living conditions” is really a cover word so we dont feel the impact… kids were dying all around him, men worked 14 hour days, 7 days a week, no job security, disease was everywhere – oh yeah, there was a huge gap between the poor and the rich – and guess what? – the rich were protestant capitalists and the poor mainly immigrants, often Catholic. How should he respond?

Straight up: I am sick of people being afraid to talk about politics and Christianity together. I am also sick of how people freak out when you associate social justice with the substitutionary atonement. And finally I am sick of people being so ethnocentric that they still, even though they are born again, worship capitalism as though it was ordained by God! So, lets talk!

Some primers:

• Is pure capitalism really better than pure socialism? or is there something else…
• Did Jesus really have anything to say about social injustice?
• Why do we freak out about legislation/government enforced morality? or do we not? Why is it ok to enforce laws concerning Christian morality issues such as murder, stealing, abortion, homosexuality and not ok to enforce laws that demand you give money to the poor that are starving?
• Will enforcing moral laws on people, really make them think that they are righteous – and therefore harden them to the gospel? or Is it ok, in and of itself, to restrain sin (as we already do with murder, stealing etc.) by forcing people to conform against their wills simply because God is righteous and He hates the sin?
• Is God’s kingdom only spiritual? or is it displayed socially or maybe in the community of the Church?

Lets go!

Did God Really Mean For Us To Only Celebrate The Lord’s Supper 12x A Year?

Did God really mean for us to take communion only 12x a year?

The Primer:

Purposes of and motivations for participating in the Lord’s supper:

• To remember the death of Christ (what He did for us, in all its fullness, fruits and gifts.)
• It is a time primarily of joy and thanksgiving.
• It keeps the Gospel in our minds so we live more in light of the Gospel.
• It can cause guilt – spending the whole period of time previous (week/month) not living in light of the Gospel is something that convicts and should drive us to repent.
• It addresses our sin nature of our forgetfulness by reminding us of the Gospel!
• The previous two points cause the Lord’s supper to be a means of God giving grace to us – not saving grace, but He has given us this gift to help us remember = Grace!
• It is not just a tool to keep us from sin. It can serve that purpose. We will celebrate greatly when we finally break free from habitual sin by God’s power and can participate again! But it is a time of celebration of the Gospel in and of itself.

The Punch:

So why do we celebrate it only 1x per month?

I have heard that we do this to keep it from getting too familiar and trite.

So we do not abuse it, or become trivial in our participation in it etc.

Sounds totally logical right? Sounds really practical too. (Maybe we can’t afford to do it each week?).

But wait… is familiarity with it not its very purpose? So that the Gospel is continually before us? So that we will always be celebrating? Maybe it would help us keep from sin if we knew that we were going to remember the core of the Gospel in this way every week. If it is a means of grace – a way that God has given us to follow Him, by overcoming our fallen nature, our nature of forgetfulness – why do we not do it more?

Is not this idea of “triviality because of familiarity in the partaker” really a problem, a heart problem in the partaker? Not a problem with the frequency of the event? If spending a time 1x a week remembering the Gospel causes you to treat it with triviality because 1x a week makes it too familiar, then I don’t think you really get how awesome the Gospel is. The awesomeness of the Gospel makes it impossible for it to become trivial or too familiar – even if we meditated on it ever moment of every day! The problem is us.

Remembering the death of Christ is not just thinking about “Jesus died.” It is about the theology of His death – Christ died to save you from your sin, which made you an enemy and damned you to hell. Christ died to restore you to Eden – so you can know God and be His very child! He gave you eternal life, spiritual gifts, perfect wisdom for living now, union with Him, direct access to the ear of God, He lives in you…

Are you remembering this enough?

Matthew 26:26-29

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Luke 22:19-20

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

1 Cor. 11:23-32

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

Radical?

Ever wondered just how far you should take your whole Christianity thing? How far should you push it? How much should you do to reach the lost? What about your safety or reputation? Here is are some quotes I found from a few radicals:

“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” ~ The Apostle Paul, circa. A.D. 55

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled , saying, ‘This man recieives sinners and eats with them.’ So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” ~ The Apostle John, written about Jesus, circa. A.D. 85 

 ”After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” ~ Luke, written about Jesus, circa. A.D. 60s

“Consider him [Jesus] who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or faithearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” ~ Unknown, in the letter to the Hebrews, circa. A.D. 60-70

Welcome to the brotherhood of the radicals.

A Nice Dose of God’s Will!

Wondering what God’s will is for your life? Here is some:

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”(1 Thess. 5:12-18)

The phrase “in Christ Jesus” is awesome. When we are saved by the Holy Spirit’s power through the Gospel, we are unified with Christ. We are now “in Christ.” It is like we are part of Christ’s physical body (1 Cor. 6:16-20). Through this union, we receive all the blessings we have in Christ – Justification, Sanctification, Glorification, the Holy Spirit, life, wisdom etc.  So, if this is the will of God in Christ, and you are in Christ, than it is for you.

A Study of Psalm 119: Part 4 – Strength for the Beat-Down, Dust Eaters v.25-32

Doctrine: God’s Word gives strength (v.25-28) and imparts wisdom (29-32) to His Saints when they are experiencing trials (v.25,28,31).

²⁵My soul cleaves to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word.
²⁶I have told of my ways, and You have answered me;
Teach me Your statutes.
²⁷Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
So I will meditate on Your wonders.
²⁸My soul weeps because of grief;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
²⁹Remove the false way from me,
And graciously grant me Your law.
³⁰I have chosen the faithful way;
I have placed Your ordinances before me.
³¹I cling to Your testimonies;
O LORD, do not put me to shame!
³²I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart. (NASB)

Commentary:

Where do we go for strength when we are beat down? How are you going to pull yourself up when you have been slammed, face-first into the dirt? Our beliefs and values that make up our worldviews will define what our answer is. David’s worldview, which is firmly entrenched in a close relationship with God and His Word, screams at him to run to God and His faithful promises in order to find strength and wisdom.

David starts off this Psalm in a humbled, beat-down position. This is possibly due to the previous “princes” that have been speaking against him. The picture of a soul cleaving to the dust is very strong and reveals that David is in emotional distress. This is not an abstract concept to David; he is experiencing the stress and exhaustion first hand. When we face this kind of experience, we want relief. So what is David’s answer? Where does David look for relief? David cries out to God, “Revive me according to Your Word.” He is looking to God’s Word to give him strength and new life. But what in the scriptures gave him strength? He probably looked back on the promise God had given to bless him with an eternal dynasty. He may have also drawn on the faithfulness that God displayed to Abraham, by making his seed in to a great nation and delivering his offspring from slavery in Egypt. Think of all the miracles along the way to the promised land! Think of all the mighty acts of God through the books of Joshua and Judges! David had many testimonies that served as a strong foundation for his faith. David also viewed God’s commands as life giving. To follow God’s ways is the path to life. To disobey and walk a path of disobedience is a sure path to death. Disobedience is sin and sin, when it is fully grown, brings death.

In v.26 David reveals two critical differences between his God and the gods of the surrounding nations. His God hears him when he prays and answers his cries! This is not a mental/psychological process – this is real and supernatural! Oh, what hope and joy this should bring to us – that the faithful, creator  God hears us in our distress and answers the sound of our cries! After stating the fact that he spoke and God answered him, David asks God to teach him His ways. Who would not want to be taught by a God who hears their cry? The soul that experiences that goodness of God will naturally and passionately seek to know Him more! David goes on in v.27 to nuance this a little more. He, as he has many times in the past, asks God to make him understand His ways! Again, fallen man cannot understand the things of God, unless God himself reveals them! And David knows this will give him a desire to know God’s ways, because he will see them as “wonders”! Many people forsake complex subjects due to lack of understanding. This lack of understanding blinds them to the wonderful truths contained in the subject. You cannot be devoted to and enjoy something you do not understand – it will get old quick! David is not going to let this happen and cries out to God to do a work on his mind!

David bookends this “strength” section with v.28. He repeats that he is in great distress and names his cure by crying out to God for strength according to His word. Next, David transitions to v.29-32 which focuses on wisdom.

David is in-line with God. He rejects the false way; the way that is contrary to God. Yet, he does it in a prayer and asks God to replace it with His Law! When it comes to sanctification, there are two steps to holiness. The flesh must be put to death and replaced with actions/attitudes of the Spirit. We must forsake evil and cling to what is good! Yet, it is not in our strength, but the power of God working in us. It is always a prayer, never self-reliance. (For more on this see Mortification of Sin by John Owen). David continues to repeat that he is seeking God’s ways through v. 30-32. He speaks of choosing God’s way, placing God’s ordinances before him and clinging God’s testimonies. These reveal that David is making choices to conform his life to God’s ways. He is pursuing the wisdom that comes from God. But he always reiterates that he is relying on God’s power. After declaring what he has done in seeking God’s wisdom in His laws, David cries out to God to keep him from being shamed. David strives for holiness, but never at the expense of forsaking who the source of his wisdom and strength is.

All of this is beautifully summed up in v.32. David declares that he will “run the way of Your commandments.” Pursuing, striving and exerting himself towards following God’s ways is what David will do. By this he knows God will “enlarge” his heart. This is the same expression used to explain God giving Solomon wisdom in 1 King 4:29. David knows that he will gain wisdom through the working of God’s power in him as he walks in God’s law.

Application questions:

#1 – What is currently your source of strength during trials?

#2 – Where are you going for wisdom?

#3 – Do you believe that the Word of God will give you wisdom and strength?

#4 – Are you crying out to God for Him to give you understanding of His Word? You will not gain any strength or wisdom from the word of God if you do not understand the Word of God.

#5 – Are you walking in both steps of sanctification: putting the flesh to death and replacing it with walking in the Spirit? All the while remembering to cry out to God to do a work in you because He is the source of power?

Picture from: FreeDigitalPhotos.net