Saturday, 19. July 2003
No Place to Hide mebrooks, July 19, 2003 at 5:00:00 AM BST
by Michael E. Brooks "From there he arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but he could not be hidden" (Mark 7:24). That is not exactly headline material. Jesus could not hide! Well, of course not. Not with news of his miracles being broadcast all over Palestine. And the authority of his teachings. And the controversies he created in confrontations with the leaders of the Jews. This was Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. Of course people took note of him. But it is not only our Lord who is noticeable. All of us have trouble hiding, at least at times. On Friday, March 14, 2003, I was in a van in Bangladesh on the way from Khulna to Dhaka. Halfway there we found ourselves in a huge traffic jam, waiting at a ferry ghat (landing) for the next crossing. There were several lanes of vehicles jammed together, with no way to move. Cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles were almost scraping each other. The ghat was on a flood plain, with no trees and only a few small sheds around it. Nowhere to go, no place to hide. What made this a rather tense experience is that this was less than one week before the U.S. would launch its attack on Iraq. Bangladesh is an Islamic nation. Over 85% of its population are Muslims. They are highly sympathetic towards Iraq or any other Muslim nation, which is, or might be, under attack by "infidels." Anti-war, anti-U.S. sentiment was especially high at the time. Would that translate into hostility towards Americans who happened to be there? No one really knew. But I could not help wondering. Nowhere to go, no place to hide! There is a more significant application of this dilemma however. No matter how well we might conceal ourselves from threats of a physical nature, there is One who is always watching. One who always sees us. There is never any way to hide from God. The Psalmist dealt with this at length: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, behold you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me" (Psa. 139:7-10). There are times when we would like to hide, even or especially from God. Times when we are troubled with guilt and shame (Gen. 3:8-10). Times when we desire to yield to temptation (John 13:26-30). Or simply times when we lack the desire to be close to God, or when we may feel smothered by his presence. But there is nowhere that God is not, nowhere He does not see. Nowhere to hide. But is that really a problem? The Psalmist found the answer: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psa. 139:23-24). The way to deal with our exposure before God is to invite it, and open ourselves to its benefits. God is not watching us just to judge or condemn. He is watching to protect and help. He is our loving Father, who "is not willing that any should perish" (2 Pet. 3:9). There is no reason for us to hide from him. So embrace his watchful care. Seek his help. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31). |
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Update on FMag Forthright Magazine continues, more dynamic than ever! We have groups created for FMag on Facebook and the Churches of Christ Network. Announcement blog is up and going on Preachers Files. Email lists about FMag and FPress are available both on Yahoo and GoogleGroups. And, to top it all off, we're twittering for both on Twitter.com. by randal @ 1/20/09, 11:55 AM How to Make Sure That Your Judgment Is Flawless by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 5:24--47 How to Make Sure That Your Judgment Is Flawless Yes, it is popular to say that we are not supposed to judge, but the truth is we all make judgments about many things daily. Otherwise, we would never succeed in life. The real question is what is our guide for judging. Why can we not simply follow the example of our Master and Lord? He said, 30 "I can of Myself ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:08 AM Do You Ever Feel Like Just a Name? by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read First Chronicles 1--3 Do You Ever Feel Like Just a Name? Think on the manner, in which the Book of First Chronicles begins, 1 Adam, Seth, Enosh (1 Chr. 1:1). In this way begins the longest genealogy in the Bible. The names continue to the end of the ninth chapter! Were these just names? Adam; who is he? You know there is more in the Bible than the mere mention of his name in ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:05 AM ...
by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 5:1--23 Jesus healed a man. Praise God! However, Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. Uh oh. Some people were ready to kill Jesus for this perceived violation of the Sabbath Law. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath (Joh. 5:16). Jesus did a good thing. Yet, people criticized Him severely for it. And they were not people ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:03 AM They Were His Servants by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Kings 24 and 25 They Were His Servants As the writer of Second Kings explains whom the Lord sent against Judah, the writer said that this was 2 ...according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servants the prophets (2 Kin. 24:2). Those great men we have honored for centuries were nothing more than servants of the Lord God. What does that make us? Do you do something ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:01 AM ...
by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 4:30--54 The disciples went into a town to buy food while Jesus remained out of the town. There He engaged a woman in conversation. When the disciples returned, here is what happened, 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know" (Joh. 4:31, 32). As you read the Gospel According to John, watch ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 4:59 AM Having a Tender Heart by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Kings 22 and 23 Having a Tender Heart When Josiah heard the word of God for the first time, he tore his clothes, knowing of the wrath that was upon Jerusalem for the idolatry of his forefathers. Therefore, he sent messengers to a prophetess to inquire of the Lord. He did have a message for Josiah. God said through the prophetess, 19 "...because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 4:56 AM
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