Faith

October 12, 2015  by

Psalm 46

1. A Psalm for God’s People Together

When the Psalmist writes this Psalm, he does not say “I,” “me” or “my.” Rather the personal references are to “our” (v. 1), “we” (v. 2) and “us/our” (v. 7, 11). The Christian life is most certainly a relationship between the individual and God, but it is expected to be lived in community. We are in this together; this identification of himself with a larger body of God’s people was on the Psalmist’s mind, and so this is what comes out of his mouth.

God puts us together with other people, rather than in solitude, for many reasons. One is that it exposes our sins, our vulnerabilities and our need for grace. When I live all by myself, I don’t annoy myself or exasperate myself, so I conclude that I am pretty patient and self-controlled. But when I live with a roommate, a spouse, my children or my brothers and sisters in Christ, I begin to realize that I am not nearly as patient as I thought I was. Living together exposes who I really am, and I begin to see my need for grace and help from God. Or I think I am content, until I come into contact with people who are what I wish I was or who have some things I have an itch for, and then my discontent starts to rev up. I think I am loving and generous when I live in my own world, but when I am called to go out of my way and take my precious time to listen to or to help others, I can be annoyed with the inconvenience.

Another reason that God puts us together with other people is because it gives help and encouragement. On my own, I may be down and low, but then a brother comes along and gives a mere word or a hand upon my shoulder or an ear to my concerns. The result of his connection with me with an expression of concern is that I have a whole new outlook on life!

2. A Psalm for God’s People in Trouble

What’s going on in this Psalm? Very clearly, according to verse 1 (“a very present help in trouble”), the Psalmist is in trouble.

What kind of trouble? All kinds.

His world is experiencing physical upheaval. Verses 2 and 3 speak of geological cataclysms, the earth changing, mountains slipping into the sea, along with seas roaring and foaming. The Psalmist is in the midst of earthquakes and tsunamis!

Further, the Psalmist’s world is experiencing political upheaval. Verse 6 speaks of the nations (not just one nation) in an uproar. The political equilibrium and balance of power is threatened. Kingdoms totter. There is global insecurity and instability.

What does God offer and promise in such times of trouble?
God offers a place of safety and security. Where can I go in times of trouble? To God Himself; He is the refuge and strength we seek. God offers a place of unassailable security. Even if we are in jail, in a war, in an ambulance, in ICU, God is still accessible. You cannot take Him from me, or me from Him.

God also offers freedom from fear.

Now this is a radical statement. Remember the physical and political upheaval that is happening all around him. These are real threats, not computer-generated visual effects. What could be more calculated to induce fear? Yet the Psalmist says in verse 2, “Therefore we will not fear.” Why no fear? Therefore… Strictly because God is our refuge and strength.

Perhaps you struggle with fear, anxiety, or panic. I offer you an antidote. “We will not fear.” God Himself as your fortress, refuge and place of security. This theme pervades the Psalm.

God is in the midst of her (verse 5). God will help her when morning dawns. The help does not come immediately, though I might wish for that. Not now. Not yet. Now it is night, but dawn is coming; it always does. The sun will come up tomorrow. Wait for God.

See what God will do (verse 8). God can destroy what man builds. God can even make wars to cease. God breaks the bow, cuts spears and burns chariots. Wars and their widespread threat of destruction are completely under the power of God.

Relax (verse 10). Cease striving. Know that God is God. I am not my own Savior. I am too little, too weak to rescue much of anything or even escape my troubles. But God is God. He will be exalted in the earth as He exercises His strength and power.

This God is with us (verse 11). Therefore we experience freedom from fear.

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September 20, 2015  by

Going, Not Knowing

Hebrews 11:1-10
You probably know that Hebrews 11 is the chapter on faith in the Bible. So it is not surprising that the chapter opens with a concise definition of faith. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith essentially is assurance, conviction, or a certain confidence. But faith differs from other kinds of confidence in that what it is confident of is things that are not seen, things that can only be hoped for. Faith operates in the realm of things that haven’t yet been experienced. Faith is an assurance of phenomena that cannot be perceived by any of our senses, things that cannot be empirically validated, matters than cannot be scientifically verified. Yet faith is sure of them. Why? How can faith be so sure? What is the basis of this confidence?
Faith is based on the word of God (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:11, 13, 17). Because God has spoken, I take what He says as true, even if it runs contrary to what I am presently experiencing or feeling. I believe God, even when I don’t feel like it or when I can’t see my way out of my current dilemma.
God Calls Abraham
This is what we see Abraham doing in verse 8, when “by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” This refers back to the historical incident in Genesis 12:1-4. There God spoke to Abraham, saying, “Go.” God called Abraham to leave his home, his family, and his homeland and to go to a destination which was not yet disclosed. In other words, God calls Abraham to leave everything known and familiar behind him and to depart for a completely unknown destination. This was a tall order, don’t you think?
Abraham Obeys Unhesitatingly

How did Abraham respond? “Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going.” At the very point when Abraham heard God’s call (“when”), he unhesitatingly obeyed. He did not procrastinate. He was not indecisive. He did not look back (like Lot’s wife as she left Sodom and all that was familiar to her). Once Abraham clearly understood God’s word, he obeyed. He did not stumble at the high cost of obeying his God, reluctant to part with his past or his possessions. Abraham “went out.”
Notice how simple obedience is. God’s expectations really aren’t that complicated. God says, “Go.” Abraham “went out.” And that constitutes obedience to God.
Abraham – Going, Not Knowing
The challenge for Abraham did not just consist in what he had to leave. No, that was just Part One of the saga. The second part of the challenge is that God had not yet revealed to Abraham where the journey was to take him. God calls Abraham to leave all that is familiar, to face the perils of a journey in a barely civilized world, and to travel on without knowing where he is headed. Undoubtedly Abraham wondered if it was a one-week trip, or a one-month trip or a one-year trip. And how would he know when he got there? And what challenges would he face on the way? Did he have enough provisions for the journey?
How can you go, not knowing where you are going? But then, isn’t this the very nature of faith, trusting God when you cannot see? Abraham couldn’t see the destination, yet by faith he went out, in obedience to the word of God who was calling him to go.

As Luther says, “This is the glory of faith, namely not to know where you are going, what you are doing, what you are suffering, and, after taking everything captive – perception and understanding, strength and will – to follow the bare voice of God and to be led and driven rather than to drive.  And thus it is clear that with this obedience of faith Abraham gave a supreme example of an evangelical life, because he left everything and followed the Lord.  Preferring the Word of God to everything and loving it above everything, he was a stranger of his own accord and was subjected every hour to dangers of life and death.”
What Does Abraham Teach Us?
For those of us at Redeemer Ann Arbor, we believe God has called us. In fact, the call is strikingly similar to God’s call to Abraham. God says to us too, “Go.” (Matthew 28:18-20). So we go, but there is so much that we do not know about our destination, or the challenges along the path. We too are “going, not knowing.” What does God have us to do and to face? We, like Abraham, go by faith in the Word of God. God’s call to Abraham contained both a command (“Go”) and a promise (“I will bless you”), and God’s call to His church likewise contains both a command (“Go”) and a promise (“I am with you always”). We trust His word, obey his command, and believe in His promise.
For all who name the name of Jesus, God calls you to a life of faith like Abraham. You too will have to go when and where you do not know; this is the essence of living by faith.

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