Sometime after my grandma Chaffin turned 90, she sent me a little note. Jokingly she wrote, “The pastor came by the other day. He said that at my age I should be thinking about the hereafter. I told him, “I think about the hereafter all the time. I walk into a room and ask myself, ‘Now what am I here after?’” I am only 60, and I have been doing that for decades. But on a grander scale, do not we all do that with life? Don’t we all seem to have times when we are really clicking with God, and then all of a sudden it is like, “What am I doing here?”
WE are not alone. Jehoshaphat is a great example of both of those extremes. Coming off of the humiliating defeat in battle when he allied with Ahab, the seer corrected him. (I wonder how many of his 1.16 million man army did he lose?) To his credit, Jehoshaphat takes it to heart. He personally forms a party and travels from the far south of the kingdom to the far north. As he goes from city to city, he exhorts the people to seek the Lord and appoints judges to judge according to the character of the Lord. A tremendous revival breaks out.
After every victory there always comes an attack of the enemy. Probably his loss with Ahab against Syria not only weakened his army but also weakened how the surrounding nations viewed his military strength. The years that he spent focusing upon the Lord rather than his military strength gave the nations to the east time to gather their armies together. They were able to ford the Dead Sea and establish a beachhead on the western shore near En Gedi. By the time Jehoshaphat heard about it, the beachhead was already established and the armies were poised to advance toward Jerusalem.
I wonder if Jehoshaphat thought, “If only I had spent more time focusing on the military.” The text does say that he feared. So, he called a fast and commanded everyone to seek the Lord. The Lord spoke clearly to them. They bowed in worship. Jehoshaphat greatly exhorted the people to believe in the Lord. The result was one of the most amazing battles recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures. They appointed singers to sing praise to the Lord. As they sang the high praise of the Lord, the Lord confused their enemies, and they began to attack themselves. By the time the army of Judah arrived at the battlefield, it was all over. The enemies of Judah had destroyed themselves and lay dead upon the ground. Wow! What an illustration to the people about the need to trust the Lord!
But after every victory there always comes an attack of the enemy. This time he did not use a foreign army. He used commerce. Jehoshaphat now had clear control of the lands of Edom and Moab all the way to Ezion Geber on the northern most point of the Red Sea, near the city of Aqaba of modern Jordan. Solomon had built a navy there that brought riches to him from around the world. They would set sail on a three year cycle. If Tarshish is to be identified with the assumed location near Gibraltar, it would take their ships on a mighty trading voyage around the Cape of Good Hope and then up the coast to Spain. It certainly could take three years to make the voyage as they stopped and traded at different ports along the way trading with the African kings (Yes, Africa did have kingdoms. We just don’t hear about them in our European-centric history courses.) Tarshish was also a term that referred to mighty ships used for commerce. In either case, it would be an expensive task to build and man a fleet of ships that could make the three year journey together and return unharmed by pirates or weather. Falling back on family to share the expense, Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with Israel.
What was he thinking? Did he go to Ezion Geber and say, “What am I here after?” Well, this wasn’t a battle. He was forming an alliance for trade. Trade is a significant thing. It is necessary for a healthy world economy. It is necessary for a healthy national economy. But to do it, he allied with his son’s brother-in-law, Ahaziah, a very wicked man, a follower of Baal, the son of Jezebel. But the Lord is merciful. He sank their fleet, and He sent a prophet to rebuke Jehoshaphat. Walking with the Lord is more important than a successful national economy. His glory is greater than armies. His glory is greater than riches. Whenever I stop to think, “What am I here after?” May I always answer, “For the glory of the Lord!” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PROVERBS 17
For many years I have been seeking to focus daily on the glory of the Lord. When it gets right down to the bottom line of life, does it really matter? Practically speaking, how does focusing on His glory help life right now? Does it really produce anything of value?
Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time seeking to better my life and my situation than to waste in meditation on His glory? As I have meditated, I look back on events of life that would have at one time put me over the edge in emotional turmoil. Instead of turmoil, yes there is pain, but instead of turmoil there is more often a lightening of the load, a peace that comes. I can only conclude, “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife.”
Wouldn’t it be better to avoid completely situations that test the integrity of my heart? But standing in the furnace of His glory, I am drawn to His fierce love. He lures me into the glory of His molten purity, in order to burn away the dross of my heart. It is not pleasant; the dross is not pretty, but the glimpses of His purity are worth every bit of discomfort. Yes, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts.”
Rather than minister to the poor, wouldn’t it be much more productive to minister to those of a higher socio-economic status? After all, it is the wealthy who will have the resources to provide for the poor. But as I gaze at the wealth of the glory of the Lord, I gain a conviction that, “He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.”
Wouldn’t it be better to protect my ‘rights’ so that no one harms me, or be sure that I am always vindicated? When someone does something that causes me discomfort, rather than bringing an accusatory finger, do I try to find out why the person did what he did and help them know how not to do that again, or do I rail against them in order to protest my injury. When shown the error of their transgression and they repent, can I become their friend? The glory of the Lord is that He has covered my transgression against Him. As I gaze upon that wonderful deed, I learn that He changes me toward His glory, so that I too, can cover those who transgress against me. He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. Sometimes covering a transgression is one-sided.
When in a disagreement with others, would it not be better to beat them to the punch? Jesus loves me even when I am feuding with Him. He reconciled the Father toward me before I began to reconcile toward Him. When my face was turned against Him, He brought peace into the relationship so that the war might cease. Gazing at His glory makes me see that and causes me to do the same toward others. “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. . . A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
These are all things that He has done for/toward me. As I gaze at His glory, I see those things. Gradually it begins to free me so that I can and will do the same. Daily spending time gazing at his Glory is time well spent. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
REVELATION 8
There are times in life when silence is the only appropriate response. Not far from Portland, Oregon is a viewing point called Larch Mountain. Laura and I went there many times when I was in seminary. Your could drive very close to the top, park in a lot and the walk to the summit. On the summit was a viewing platform that afforded a 360 degree view. On a clear day from the top, one can see far to the south Three Sisters (mountains), to the east-southeast Mt Hood, to the east-northeast Mt. Adams (I think that was its name-it might have been Jefferson), to the north what’s left of Mt. St. Helens and further north on an exceptionally clear day Mt. Rainier up by Seattle. It was a sight that inspired awe. I truly enjoyed standing there in silence and slowly turning and looking at all the sights around me.
The Lamb opens the seventh seal and silence prevails in heaven for about half and hour. The Lamb has brought the history of the Earth to an end. In awe of what He has done and what He is about to do all of heaven remains quiet. Seven angels are given seven trumpets of judgment. An eighth angel is given a censer to offer up the prayers of all the saints before God. Here are two aspects of the Lamb which demand occasional silence before Him. He is the just judge. He is also the One through whom our prayer arises before God and becomes effective. Through Him both justice and mercy are dispensed. To the believer mercy is poured out. To the resistant justice is ladled. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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