Desert Attitudes

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, the destination was the promised land of Canaan – a land of abundance and rest. The route was through the desert – which by contrast was hot, difficult and filled with discomfort. As is so often the case, God’s good plans include a path through the desert. From the perspective of the New Testament our entire life this side of heaven can rightly be considered a path through the desert (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Hebrews 4:1-11; et al.). But in a microcosm there are many instances in this life that follow this larger paradigm. It might be one of the many painful paths that God utilizes in our lives to bring us to a new level of maturity. It may be the discomfort of an illness before the relief of restored health. Or it might be the painful financial struggles before a season of financial stability. Whatever the circumstance, we can learn from the poor example of the Israelites in their desert. Their monumental failure was how they handled the pain on the way to their relief. They whined and complained. They were bitter and angry. They longingly looked back at the fish and cucumbers of Egypt, instead of looking forward to the milk and honey of Canaan (Numbers 11:4-6). God would have us learn to patiently endure the hardship of our deserts with faith and hope. He has promised relief. In the meantime his Spirit is able to make us resilient and resolute. May we not have to look back from our next “Canaan” regretting our words and our attitudes in the desert

Regret

It is not uncommon to hear people say that they have lived their lives with “no regrets”. They often state that they would live just the same if they had it to do all over again. That sentiment is one hard to imagine coming from the mouth of a Christian. While we may affirm the truth that God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), there ought to be a true remorse for the times we have sinned against our holy and loving God. If reliving a situation were possible, I trust we would all want to amend a transgression that assailed our Savior, or maximize an opportunity to advance the cause of Christ. But the Bible is clear, we cannot. Thankfully, our iniquities and missed opportunities have been dealt with on the cross. And God of course, would have us live in the present and not the past (Philippians 3:13). He wants us to look ahead, not backwards. While our sinful histories rightly make us remorseful, the good news is our forgiveness is complete and more opportunities to glorify Christ lie before us. We can all admit we have regrets, but let us be quick to praise God that his grace is greater than our sin and today is a new day to live for Christ.

Daily Struggle

While we would all love to imagine a Christian life that is tranquil and calm, the truth is it’s not. The Bible is clear that this side of heaven every Christian has been drafted into battle. We are, after all, called to live for Christ in a world that is skeptical of our faith, disparaging of our values, and at enmity with our God. Add to that, we all must live for Christ in a physical body that is beset with a variety of selfish and sinful inclinations. Any hopes of tranquility will have to wait for a resurrected body and an address in the New Jerusalem. This, by the way, is why we find so much metaphorical use of military themes in the New Testament. When the Apostle Paul describes his fellow Christians and ministry colleagues he refers to them as “fellow soldiers” (Philippians 2:25; Phile.1:2; 2 Timothy 2:3). Near the end of his life lived for Christ, Paul looks back and writes, “I have fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). So if you are surprised by your daily struggle, don’t be. Let’s discover contentment as we accept the current forecast. Let’s grasp God’s promised peace amid the conflict. And whatever you do, don’t lose heart. God has promised us victory.

Hell

Hell. No one likes to think about it. The world attempts to dilute its force by using the word as an expletive or as an impertinent adjective. But much like tax day or a set of dire medical test results, not thinking about it or making light of it, doesn’t change its reality. While the biblical data on hell may be denied by the world and now even large portions of the church, it would do us well as Christians to take heed to what the New Testament has to say about the pending judgment of God on an unbelieving world. It is hard to acquire the proper motivation for biblical service or gospel evangelism until we accept the sobering words of Christ regarding sin’s eternal consequences. Attempting to dismiss the clear teaching of Scripture on this topic because it doesn’t fit our preconceived notions of God, or because we deem the whole concept archaic or severe will not do if we are going to let God define himself and if we claim his word to be the final arbiter of truth. We must grapple with this doctrine as we would any other, allowing it to shape our thoughts and our behavior. It will undoubtedly drive us to a deeper appreciation for grace and a more zealous involvement in advancing the cause of Christ.