To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Eph 6:18–20, ESV.
Isolation is not something we are wired for as human beings. The God who created us to “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever,” wired us for fellowship with Him and with one another. Now a small virus has driven many of us to a form of isolation—unable to spend time with many of the people we care deeply about. I believe this pain is especially poignant when Christians cannot gather often with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul understood isolation. He refers three times in the letter he wrote to the church in Ephesus to the fact that he was writing from prison (3:1; 4:1; 6:20). Paul, the missionary who traveled from city to city preaching Christ, starting churches, and encouraging the saints, was now prevented from travel. Paul understood isolation. In that isolation, Paul wrote the words we read above. He had just told the church to put on the whole armor of God. Now he tells them to be alert in this battle for their souls. They were to endure in their fight against the “schemes of the devil” (6:11). And when it comes to a specific battle plan, they were to pray. They were to pray for one another, and they were to pray for Paul the prisoner to also be Paul the gospel mouthpiece. These are good marching orders for those of us who are facing a form of isolation today. Pray for the saints. Do you miss being with your church family? Why not, whenever they come to your mind, pray for them! And after you pray for them, reach out to them with a text, a phone call, or a letter to tell them you are praying for them. Remember, they are in the foxhole with you in this battle of faith. And don’t forget to pray for the missionaries who are going through this world-wide pandemic and doing so far from home. Pray that they will remain bold for Christ! Need specific missionaries to pray for? Check out this page: https://www.imb.org/pray/. Your pastor is praying for you. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5–8, ESV.
Who does not need wisdom in these strange days? A threatening disease that attacks in silence; an upending of our daily routine; concerns for our financial future; maintaining a walk with Christ without the regular gathering of the saints; whole families at home all day and every day—we need wisdom. Christian, God has promised you wisdom—if you will but ask. God stands by, full of generosity toward His children and without a hint of rebuke toward the one who is coming for wisdom for the umpteenth time this week! God, with a divine smile toward you, desires to grant you wisdom. How do you approach the throne of this generous King for wisdom? You do it with faith. You trust the promise of James 1:5-8. You trust that God can be good to you because His Son died for you and the Father now sees you as He sees His Son. You trust that God is the Almighty who can do all things and that God is good to His children. As you come to the throne and ask God for wisdom this day, please lift up the leaders of your church and ask that God would grant them this wisdom, as well. Pray especially for those who are meeting this evening to reconsider the plan for dealing with this virus pandemic as Thompsontown Baptist Church. And be assured of this—we will be praying for you, too. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2–4, ESV.
While our days are not exactly the same as the trying days of persecution that James’s first readers were facing, these are indeed trying days. Thus, we are to “Count it all joy.” Of course, that does not mean that we rejoice because we enjoy sickness or death or financial turmoil. It means that our state of being is one of joy in the face of trying days. How can that be? James explains. He goes on to tell us that we can count it all joy by remembering what God is doing in the lives of His saints during these days. In trying days God tests our faith. This is not a test to see if faith exists. James is writing to Christians and all Christians are only Christians through faith in Jesus. Instead, this is a test that God uses to improve our faith—to produce steadfastness. When real faith faces trials, faith is driven to cling more to the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Faith that clings more to Jesus is stronger faith! Can you see that? As trials bring about steadfast faith, God is at work in you making you like Jesus—"perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." We call this sanctification. These are trying days. Nonetheless, God is at work in these days, in His people, making us more like Jesus. Let us rejoice in that! My prayer this morning is that you can see this to be true in your life and that you will rejoice in the Lord. |
From Pastor DonWriting about the Bible and praying that it will be of some good for someone. Archives
June 2021
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