Pay now or later?

Pay now and receive blessings later.

OR

Pleasure now and pay later.

Those are crucial differences between obeying the Lord, and choosing sin.

We often talk about the blessings of obedience. There are many blessings, thrilling results of following our Lord. That will be a topic for another time.

Cost of Obedience

We shouldn’t discount that there are costs to obedience. In order to obey Him, we have to deny ourselves, refusing to do what we ourselves want to do, and we have to take up our cross, engaging in something we would not have chosen.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)

Your will be done. (Matthew 6:10)

Whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. (Mark 8:35)

The cost of following Christ happens first, with blessings coming later.

Cost of Disobedience

With sin, however, it is reversed. When we sin, there is immediate pleasure. We’ve gotten our own way. We’ve gotten whatever it is that looked great. But, following that, are the consequences of our sins, sometimes significant, and sometimes lasting for a lifetime.

But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. (Matthew 6:2, 23:5)

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled. (Matthew 23:12)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation. (Matthew 23:14)

To get to the blessings, you have to pay the cost

That is true in the secular world, too. My beloved grandmother used to say: “You have to suffer to be beautiful.” That was probably a retort to my complaints about sleeping in hair rollers (Yes, I’m that old!). But you can see it everywhere: Athletes who push their bodies over years in order to win the gold; People studying day after day to master a subject; Dieters who regulate their intake to get to the proper weight.

Be Alert

Remember, the cost of obedience is always less, always, than the cost of disobedience. (See Chapters 13 and 24 in When Storms Come: Will You Be Ready?)

Do you ever think someone else’s life is better than yours? That they have been given a better ministry? Better talents? Better goodies? Do they have green grass? Are you sure?

How about better problems? Do you think their problems are easier than yours?

As humans, we are prone to compare ourselves to others, leading, often, to envy or covetness.

We are more apt to compare what we see as blessings, though, than compare our problems to the problems of others.

Do you really want his or her physical problems rather than your own? Do you know the family, financial, or other problems they face? Do you want those problems?

God has given us our own grass for a reason

We have been given our blessings, including our problems, for a reason. God is at work in us—right now—to want to do His will, and to perform His will. He will continue His work in us until we are presented by Christ to the Father, holy and blameless.

It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

[Christ will] present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— (Colossians 1:22)

Our Green Grass

You and I have been given work to do in this life. In our own fields. However much green grass we have.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

Whether or not my grass seems green to me, it is my grass. It is the field my Father has given me. I have work to do, given to me by the Father. Lord, help me get with it.

Despair?

David was in despair, but didn’t know why.

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? (Psalm 42:5)

There was no answer to “Why?”

But we are given a remedy to despair.

Here is how to remedy despair:

Shift Focus by Remembering

1) Shift your focus from your misery and despair to focus on God. (See A Good Talking-To)

2) Remember what God has done:

If you are His child, He called you, justified you, is sanctifying you, and promises you eternal glory.

Review the ways He has been with you in the past.

3) Remember who God is:

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night. (Psalm 42:8)

Just as the Lord has been with you in the past, He is with you now, and will be with you in the future.

Remember He is our loving sovereign. He is in control and has a loving purpose for everything that affects you.

Hope Flows After

4) Hope in God.

Your current situation is temporary (See Not Forever, Just Until). God is eternal.

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. (Psalm 42:5)

5) Praise Him.

Give it a try!

A friend of mine had mechanical problems during a long distance road trip. They broke down within five miles of a mechanic who had worked on another issue several years before.

They (and I) had prayed for a safe and uneventful trip, which was not answered with a “Yes.”

But if they had known they would have mechanical problems, they would have prayed for those problems to happen close to that particular mechanic.

Unprayed Prayers

It sounds to me like an answer to the prayer they would have prayed if they had known.

How often is that the case? We do not know the future, but God does. We do not know what we will need, but God does.

In God’s miraculous providence, He uses a gazillion actions and events to bring circumstances together to accomplish His purposes. And, remember, He loves us and is fitting us for eternity.

In your life, where do you see the hand of God? Where do you think He prevented something, or caused something?

He is always at work, but we often don’t pay attention.

What are your answers to unprayed prayer?

Thank God for His answers to unprayed prayers

Thank God for His presence in your life, His constant lovingkindness, His mercies that are fresh everyday.

Thanks to our loving, sovereign God.

Jesus Healed the Blind Man

Jesus was walking away from Jericho, and a blind man cried out “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said: “Call him here.”

The blind man jumped up and came to Jesus.

Jesus then asked him what he wanted, and the blind man said: “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight.”

Jesus healed him, and said: “Go; your faith has made you well.” (Mark 10:48-52)

Here we see, of course, Jesus causing another miraculous healing.

What the Blind Man Did

But right now I am thinking about the blind man. The blind man:

1. Cried out to Jesus
2. Jumped up at Jesus’ call, and went to Him
3. Told Jesus what he wanted.

The blind man acted on his faith that Jesus could heal him. He acted.

What If

What would have happened if the blind man had not cried out?

What if he had cried out but didn’t go to Jesus when he was called?

What if he didn’t tell Jesus what he wanted?

Questions for you (and me)

Are you aware of Jesus’ presence?

Do you cry out to Him?

Do you go to Him in faith?

Do you tell Him what you want?

I know I don’t always, so this story is a reminder of what I need to do.

We need to act on our faith.

Faith without Works is Dead

James says faith without works is dead. (James 2:17) I’ve always thought about that in context of acts of service, or self-discipline.

But the blind man acted on his faith by going to Jesus, and that is also an example of “works.”

Lord, help me know You are with me, help me cry out to You, go to You in faith, and trust You.

Help us act on our faith.

God’s children, followers of Jesus Christ, are called to praise God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Praise and thanksgiving are part of our sacrifices to Him, and bring blessing.

Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15)

We should praise Him specifically for one or more of His attributes, His being. When a parent or supervisor praises the child or the employee, they like hearing you think they’re great. But they really like hearing something specific. I think God does too. You can say, “Praise God,” all day without knowing Him at all. When we know Him, we can specifically praise Him, for example, as creator, immortal, or faithful. (See When Storms Come, Chapter 16).

This is the start of a monthly series on praise: why praise Him, and some of His praiseworthy attributes.

The Abider

We are called to abide in Him.

And, for children of God, who abide in Him, He abides in us. (See Becoming a Child of God.)

He is the Abider.

“Abide” means God will remain with us: He’ll stick around; He’ll stay close; He’ll continue with us permanently. “Abide” means He will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

God the Father

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. (John 14:23)

By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (1 John 4:13–16)

God the Son

In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (John 14:20)

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

God the Holy Spirit

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (John 14:16–17)

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Praise the Abider

God—Father, Son, Holy Spirit—I praise You for abiding with me, with all Your children. You live in us, faithfully, eternally, and will never leave us or forsake us. It’s beyond my understanding how the eternal Creator made us His dwelling, His temple, His body. Yet that is what You tell us, and You never lie. I praise You, the Abider, for being in me and with me as I write this, as I go about the day You gave me. Help me be conscious of Your presence. I love You.

You may be anticipating something, good or bad. Or there may be a variety of possible events. How do you prepare for what’s coming?

Paul knew he was going to be executed. What he did helps us know how to get ready.

How to Prepare for What’s Coming

# 1 Walk in a manner worthy

The more you can closely follow the Lord now, the better you will get through whatever is in your future.

“I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience.” 2 Timothy 1:3

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

“Continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of.” 2 Timothy 3:14

Learn about the God you trust. Read His Word. Study. Meditate. Pray.

# 2 Anticipate: What might happen?

We may not be (probably are not) clear about what is going to happen. We may have to wait (See I Want it NOW). But, for me at least, thinking ahead about the range of possibilities helps me get ready in advance.

Paul had clarity; he knew he was going to be executed.

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7

While I think it is helpful to anticipate possibilities, it is crucial to reflect on our Lord’s loving sovereignty. He is the one in control of the future. He promises to be with us, and never leave us.

However, we still have responsibilities to follow Him. “Let go and let God” is hogwash.

# 3 Strategize: If x happens, what should I do? What kind of support do I need?

Again, Paul was clear about what he needed.

Paul longs to see Timothy, and soon, before winter. 2 Timothy 1:4; 4:9, 21

Paul also wants to see Mark, and asked Timothy to pick up Mark and bring him. 2 Timothy 4:11

Paul also wants his cloak and his books. He asked Timothy to bring them. 2 Timothy 4:13

When you think through what might happen, who or what do you need to weather your storm, or celebrate your victories? How can you prepare?

# 4 Pray: Get your head and heart straight spiritually

Paul knew why he suffered (because of Christ and the gospel Paul was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher) 2 Timothy 1:11-12

Paul was convinced He is able to guard what he has entrusted to Him until that day. 2 Timothy 1:12

Paul knew bad times were coming for Timothy as well. 2 Timothy 3:1, 12

# 5 Apply the Word of the Lord

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

For how to prepare, think about what Paul did. And pray.

You cannot have both.

Every choice eliminates the alternative.

You buy a particular book. With that money, you cannot also have a different book.

You choose to do a particular activity. You cannot also use that specific amount of time to do something else.

Regardless what you choose, that time is gone. The opportunity is over.

“If I go to school, I’ll be x years old when I finish.” “So…how old will you be in x years if you don’t go to school?”

Our Choices Have Eternal Impact

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24)

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

“If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth.” (1 Peter 1:17)

Choose Wisely

Choose what builds up (yourself and others)

“All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)

Make best use of your time and your opportunities

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16)

Be a good steward of “your” money

““But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)

Assess Your Choices

Assess yourself by looking at your checkbook and credit card statements. Did you use “your” money wisely?

Assess your use of time, using your calendar or monitoring yourself for a few days. (But don’t think you have to do something every minute—plan also to Rest For the Glory of God.)

Review your opportunities. Did you seize them, or ignore them?

We Are Accountable

We are accountable for our choices. Choose wisely.