Guilt feelings do not go away easily. They are perfectly capable of raising their heads throughout a lifetime.
This was certainly the case with Josephas brothers. Years had pa.s.sed since they had treated their brother so badly. While they continued to look after their flocks, battling the elements and coping with the vicissitudes of their rugged lifestyle, Joseph had gone on to become the prime minister of Egypt. Famine had spread to his brothersa land, and they were powerless to stop its ravages. In fact, they seemed to have become so totally depressed and immobilized that their aged father rebuked them: aWhy are you standing around looking at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down and buy some for us before we all starve to deatha (Gen. 42:2).
In desperation the brothers arrived at Pharaohas court and unwittingly encountered their own brother. Joseph promptly recognized them, although they did not recognize him. Josephas treatment of them, including a brief jail sentence and strident charges that they were spies, led them to say to each other, aThis has all happened because of what we did to Joseph years ago. We saw his terror and anguish and heard his pleadings, but we wouldnat listen. Thatas why this trouble has come upon usa (42:21). Under the pressure of their circ.u.mstances, it did not take long for their guilt and shame to surface. And they quickly a.s.sumed that there was a real connection between their previous behavior and their subsequent difficulties, and that the link between the two must be G.o.d himself.
G.o.d was very much in the center of the brothersa thoughts when they eventually were allowed to return home, minus Simeon. On the way, they discovered to their horror that the money they had paid for the grain was still in the neck of their sacks (42:25). They realized that they would be charged with theft. Their immediate response was, aWhat has G.o.d done to us?a (42:28). They recognized their guilt before G.o.d, they felt his displeasure because of their actions, and they rightly saw their predicament before G.o.d as the consequence of their sin.
Guilty men are in deep trouble when they are no longer troubled by their misdeeds. They may have stuffed in their guilt feelings and gotten on with their lives to their own satisfaction, but the unresolved guilt will do its work in their souls nevertheless, haunting and hara.s.sing them at the most unexpected moments, depressing and debilitating them at others.
The only safe way to handle guilt is to face it, as Josephas brothers faced their guilt. Then confess it to the Lord, who knows all about it, and ask for his forgiveness. Then see him lift the load of guilt and give you joy and peace.
May 6
TO READ: Genesis 43:1-14
Generation Gap
When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, aGo again and buy us a little food.a But Judah said, aThe man wasnat joking when he warned that we couldnat see him again unless Benjamin came along.a Genesis 43:2-3
In the turbulent 1960s people talked about the ageneration gap.a There have always been differences between generations. It is an old problem, but during the 1960s it was given a new name and a lot of attention. Young people decided not only to take issue with their elders, but to reject what those wielding authority said. The result was a standoff between those who held the power and those who resented it being used to their perceived detriment.
Even as far back as Jacobas time, the gap between the generations was clearly in evidence. Jacob had long been in control of his family. He was used to telling his sons what to do and expecting them to obey. But as the days and weeks of the famine wore on, and the food supply diminished, it was obvious that there was going to be a showdown between the old man and his sons.
Jacob wanted his boys to return to Egypt to buy more food (Gen. 43:2). Judah, the spokesman for the younger generation, said, aThe man wasnat joking when he warned that we couldnat see him again unless Benjamin came alonga (43:3). He then added forcefully, aIf you donat let Benjamin go, we may as well stay at homea (43:5). For understandable reasons, Jacob was not prepared to listen to his sonas explanation. Jacob said that Benjamin was not going, and Judah said, in effect, that if Benjamin didnat go, no one was going, with the probable result that they would all die.
Sensing that he was between a rock and a hard place, Jacob amoaneda about his own pain and grumbled about the brothers even mentioning their other brother to the Egyptian ruler. With startling self-centeredness, Jacob asked, aWhy did you have to treat me with such cruelty?a (43:6). Judah, showing a lot of good sense, reasoned further with his father, gave personal guarantees, and reminded him that if they had acted when they ought to have, they could have made the journey several times over. Finally Jacob relented and yielded control to the younger men. He then gave them wise instructions for their journey, but Jacobas decision was hardly with great grace. aIf it canat be avoideda set the tone of his surrender (43:11). aIf I must bear the anguish of their deaths, so be ita dominated his thinking (43:14). This is not to suggest that the sons were always right and their father always wrong. Jacob understandably was having a bad day. Fortunately, his sons were doing better.
There comes a time for the older men to allow the younger generation to take the lead. If they hand over the reins with joy, they may watch with delight as the young men succeed. If they donat, they widen the generation gap into a gulf that becomes the grave for promising endeavors.
May 7
TO READ: Psalm 18
Gentleness and Greatness
You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand supports me; your gentleness has made me great.
Psalm 18:35
In the long and ill.u.s.trious history of the Jewish people, no man shines brighter than King David. His mighty victories against overwhelming enemies, his administration of the far-reaching kingdom, his concern for the true worship of Jehovah, his establishment and development of Jerusalem as the nationas capital, not to mention his amazing spiritual legacy in the Psalmsa"all these accomplishments point unerringly to his greatness, both as a king and as a man.
David was always ready to speak most warmly of the ways in which the Lord had intervened in his life. He wrote, aHe delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the Lord upheld mea (Ps. 18:17-18). Men who are in the process of celebrating great victories, as David was when he wrote this psalm, rarely speak about their weakest moments and how they were delivered from them! Men who win are more inclined to talk about what they did to accomplish their feats. David never downplayed the significant role he had played in the victories he won, but he always returned to his main theme: giving G.o.d the credit for working in and through him. aYou gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me as the ruler over the nations; people I donat even know now serve mea (18:43).
The secret of Davidas success was in the way the Lord had worked in his life. But Psalm 18 has a surprise for us. In the midst of all the dramatic language speaking of war and victory in this psalm, David said, aYour gentleness has made me greata (18:35). Gentleness? Making him great? That is a surprise! David testified to the amazing fact that his own greatness was directly due to the Lordas gentleness.
When we look at Davidas life and the way G.o.d worked in it, gentleness is not the first thing that comes to mind! But perhaps Davidas greatest moments were not when he was triumphant on the fields of battle. It could be that the most influential moments in Davidas experience of G.o.d were not when athe earth quaked and trembled,a or when athe foundations of mountains shooka (18:7). Perhaps David was at his greatest when he spared Saulas life, not once but twice (1 Sam. 24 and 26). Or when he took Mephibosheth, the crippled survivor of Saulas wrecked dynasty, into his own home (2 Sam. 9). Or when he protected the survivor of one of Saulas senseless ma.s.sacres with his own life (1 Sam. 22:23). This great warrior king had a great gentleness. It was a gentleness he had learned from the greata"and gentlea"G.o.d.
To this day, great men are gentlemen. And gentle men are truly great!
May 8
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
Reflections of the Creator
A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. . . . Now all of you together are Christas body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:7, 27
Perhaps the greatest mystery in Christianity is the doctrine of the Trinity. Attempts to explain how G.o.d is one and yet exists in three personsa"Father, Son and Holy Spirita"have usually been less than compelling. Part of the reason for this is that we explain something unknown by drawing an a.n.a.logy with something known. But nothing adequately explains the Trinitya"how G.o.d exists in a unity that is characterized by diversity. Yet it is true.
On the other hand, the created world in which we live is full of examples of unity in diversity and diversity in unity, and these examples are reflections of the Creator. Take, for example, the human body. As we know, it is made up of a great number of diverse parts. All of these parts have a special and unique place and function. In fact, the more we learn about the human body, the more complex and intricate we understand it to be. Paul observed, aThe human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one bodya (1 Cor. 12:12). This is an obvious point, but Paul made this point for a very good reason. He wanted to show how the churcha"the body of Christa"reflects the unity-diversity characteristics of G.o.d. Using the human body as a starting place, Paul added, aSo it is with the body of Christa (12:12).
Just like the members of the human body, all the members of the body of Christ have a unique role to play in the life and health of the church. Paul stated this explicitly: aNow all of you together are Christas body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of ita (12:27).
Not every member of the church has grasped that he or she is a aseparate and necessary parta of the church. Many feel perfectly comfortable playing no discernible role in the churchas lifea"except, perhaps, the role of spectator! But the fact remains that, as in the human body, each member of the church has been uniquely endowed not only with a role but also with the means to fulfill it. The enabling for service in the church is found in unique aspiritual giftsa given by the aHoly Spirit,a and these gifts are granted to aeach of us as a means of helping the entire churcha (1 Cor. 12:4, 7).
If the body, both physical and spiritual, is to remain healthy and function effectively, then each part of the body must fulfill its task. A church is healthy when all its members function as they were designed to function. Christ works best through his body!
May 9
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
The Greatest Thing
There are three things that will endurea"faith, hope, and lovea" and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Modern psychology does not always see eye-to-eye with the Bible, but in one area there is some agreement. Psychologists tell us that there are two main things that people need for full and effective lives. The first is the ability to express love, and the second is the opportunity to experience love. The person who cannot or will not love will be shriveled in his relationships. The man who is not loved, or who does not know what being loved is like, will be stunted in his own soul. We are made for relationships, so to be stunted relationally is to be impoverished personally, shriveled emotionally, and impaired socially.
The Bible uses different terminology but makes a similar point. The Corinthian Christians were very excited about their ability to use exotic spiritual gifts and engage in many exciting spiritual exercises. Yet Paul told them, aIf I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didnat love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbala (1 Cor. 13:1). Paul reinforced this point by asking, aIf I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didnat love others, what good would I be?a (13:2). He recognized that he would abe no good to anybody,a even if he could move mountains simply by speaking to them, if he did it without love (13:2).
Paul concluded, aThere are three things that will endurea"faith, hope, and lovea"and the greatest of these is lovea (13:13). The athings that will endurea are the timeless, fundamental factors of experience without which humans cease to function as they should. Faith is an instinctive part of our makeupa"we cannot survive without trusting. Hope is also necessarya"it is what keeps us going in times of despair and despondency. And there will never come a time when love is not paramount. Because love is the language of our relationships, both with G.o.d and with others, love is the greatest!
That being the case, a man is well-advised to acquaint himself with the Bibleas teaching on lovea"what love is and how it functions. Then a man should take seriously the apostleas instruction: aLet love be your highest goala (14:1). This does not mean, of course, that the gifts are insignificant, or that ministry is unimportant. It just means that love is what makes them effective. For that matter, love is what makes the world go round and our lives go forwarda"forever.
May 10
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 14:1-12
Communication
Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you talking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you some revelation or some special knowledge or some prophecy or some teachinga"that is what will help you.
1 Corinthians 14:6
I recently read about an old gentleman who had traveled out to the West Coast of the United States by oxcart as a boy who would return to the East Coast, at the end of his life, by plane. During his lifetime, dramatic changes had taken place in the Western world. It has not been so long since America was an agrarian society, where people lived on the land and from the land. Then came the Industrial Revolution, when steam and electricity were harnessed. In time, life became considerably easier. In recent years, we have moved into the communications eraa"information is power and wealth, and fortunes are made and lost in a matter of moments. Although times are changing, some things never change. Even though the means of communication change, the basic rules of communication remain the same.
That is why the things that Paul told the Corinthians about communication two millennia ago are relevant today. In the Corinthian church, the issue was speaking in tongues. It still is an issue today. On the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2), the disciples spoke about Christ in such a way that people who spoke all kinds of different languages were able to understand them. A miracle of some kind took placea"either a miracle of speaking or one of hearing (Acts 2:7-13). Subsequently, the Corinthian Christians discovered that they had a spiritual gifta"athe ability to speak in tonguesa (1 Cor. 14:2). Some believe it was the same gift that was in evidence at Pentecost. Others suggest that this ability was not related to earthly languages but that it was a gift of ecstatic utterance used in worship, understandable only by G.o.d and a person with the corresponding spiritual gift of interpretation. Whatever the nature of the gift of tongues, as it is often called, Paul was concerned about unbelievers coming in to the worship service where people were using it: aIf I should come to you talking in an unknown language, how would that help you?a (14:6). The first and greatest rule in communication has not changed through the centuries. If you want to get your message across, speak the language of your target audience!
One of the criticisms of the church is that it spends time answering questions no one is asking in a language no one is speaking. That is a contravention of the basic rule of communication. It is also an exercise in futility. Effective communication requires clear enunciation and perceptive listening. Without clarity, perception will not happen. Without perception, the clear enunciation may as well not happen. The churchas challenge is to use modern means of communication, to which modern people will listen, to speak the ancient message clearly.
May 11
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 14:13-25
Crazy Christians
Even so, if unbelievers or people who donat understand these things come into your meeting and hear everyone talking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy.
1 Corinthians 14:23
Being a Christian has never been easy. In the early days, Christians were treated cruelly, and large numbers lost their lives. Even when they were not physically a.s.saulted, Christians were often grossly misunderstood and misrepresented. For instance, they were accused of being cannibals because when they took communion they talked about eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Lord Jesus (see 1 Cor. 11:23-26). They were also accused of being atheists because they did not worship the pagan G.o.ds. Perhaps worst of all, they were charged with incest because abrothersa were marrying asisters.a Christians were basically defenseless against such charges. They lacked both the means and the power to stand against the authorities arraigned against them.
But in other situations, Christians could do something about the charges leveled at them. For example, people visiting the worship services where Christians were behaving in an apparently unrestrained and eccentric manner, were understandably confused and offended by what they saw. Paul said, aIf unbelievers or people who donat understand these things come into your meeting and hear everyone talking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazya (1 Cor. 14:23). In situations such as that obtained for the early Christians living in a hostile environment, there may not be a lot that Christians can do about charges of being wicked on the basis of misunderstanding or malicious misrepresentation. But they can respond to accusations of being acrazya when they conduct their worship without a thought of how they appear to unbelievers in their midst!
Paulas solution was straightforward. First, if G.o.d has given you the gift of ecstatic speech, then use it in worship, but not in such a way that unbelievers will think you are crazy. One way to do this, of course, is to exercise the gift in private devotion, but if the gifts are to be exercised in a public worship service and unbelievers are present, then at least explain to them what is going on. In modern parlance that means to be aseeker-sensitive.a Second, ensure that your worship services are conducted in such a way that unbelievers will be ministered to, so that aas they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship G.o.d, declaring, aG.o.d is really here among youa a (14:25).
Paul had unprecedented experiences of the Lord (see 2 Cor. 12:1-10), yet he was remarkably level-headed about corporate worship: aIn a church meeting I would much rather speak five understandable words that will help others than ten thousand words in an unknown languagea (1 Cor. 14:19). These twenty-four words should be borne in mind at all times in the contemporary church.
There is a place for private worship. There is also a place for public proclamation. Both should be dear to the hearts of G.o.das people and integral parts of their Christian walk. If people call you crazy for that kind of lifestylea"so be it. If they call you crazy for anything elsea"make changes!
May 12
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 14:26-40
Orderly Worship