Category: Kingdom Life

Writings to build up the Church, promoting Christian living and service, and helping with the challenges this will bring.

Posted on in Kingdom Life

Keeping A Tender Heart

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share a message with our church entitled “Leprosy of the Heart” from 2 Kings 5, and I asked the Lord to expose and cleanse us from a pervasive spiritual condition common among believers today that is fed by legalism, bitterness and pride. We observed how Jesus referred to this account of Naaman’s leprosy when confronting the skeptical and calloused religious crowd from His hometown of Nazareth who rejected Him because of over-familiarity and arrogance (Lk. 4:27) which He later describes to the church in Laodecia as being lukewarm (Rev. 3:16). After many years of serving in ministry, He has made it abundantly clear to me how quickly I can let the painful sores of life turn into rough callouses that I work hard to cover up with material success, prestige and performance. These sores often come from recurring disappointment, personal failure, betrayal, loss, insecurity and from laboring hard without seeing meaningful results. For this reason, I turn to God and rend my heart and not my garments.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. (Lk. 4:27 NKJV)

The most dangerous thing about leprosy of the heart is that it silently keeps us numb and unresponsive to the Spirit of God, but the new covenant promise is that He would cleanse us of our sin and put His Spirit within us—that He would give us a heart of flesh that is tender and responsive to Him (Ezek. 36:25-27).

14 “So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (2 Kings 5:14 NKJV)

I believe that it is clear from Scripture that God desires for us to have the “flesh” of a little child, which refers not to our maturity, but our faith, humility, innocence, and tenderness before Him (Matt. 18:3-4). Think of a child’s genuine excitement when they discover the simple wonders of life like the taste of sweet food, the sight of a rainbow across the sky, the sound of a flowing river and so forth. The result of having a tender heart and child-like faith is that we can worship, trust and obey God with an untamed purity, confidence and sensitivity to His presence that is fresh out of the river of first love, without being hindered by the prideful barriers of religious familiarity and formalism. Therefore, as a follow-up to the message I shared, I wanted to give some more practical application by highlighting seven areas we can submit to the work of the Holy Spirit within us and keep a tender heart before Him.

8 “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt. 15:8-9 NKJV)

7 WAYS TO KEEP A TENDER HEART:

  1. Revelation of the Gospel
  2. Deep & Practical Repentance
  3. Renewed Speech
  4. Unreserved Forgiveness
  5. Ongoing Faith and Joy in the Holy Spirit
  6. Persistent Prayer (in the Spirit) & Fasting
  7. Sacrificial Worship, Praise & Thanksgiving

Read Ephesians 4:17-32.

REVELATION OF THE GOSPEL. The Apostle Paul urged believers to no longer walk as the rest of the world walked in the futility of their mind past the point of feeling because that is not how they have learned Christ (Eph. 4:17-20). Keeping a tender heart requires that we rightly learn Christ, to hear Him and be taught by the truth that comes from Him alone (Eph. 4:21). Like the young Israelite maiden in the story of Naaman, the undiluted gospel sees past our armor of pride and prestige and offers an authentic solution to what is really eating at us. Surely Naaman, commander of the Syrian army, was well aware of the location of the murky Jordan River, but it wasn’t until he heard the compassionate word of the young maiden who should’ve hated him and obeyed the unusual word of Elisha that confronted his entitlement, that he learned for himself there was no God in all the earth, except in Israel (2 Kings 5:15). The gospel reveals who we are when we aren’t covered and still says, “I am willing; be cleansed (Mk. 1:40).” Even our numb, hardened, sin-sick hearts can still be touched by the revelation of the gospel. The answer is not “try harder” it’s “come and see.” It is not “climb higher” but “go lower.” By faith, we come back to the river that we may have passed by many times before and we ask the Lord to wash us with the water of His Word, that we might continue to receive the touch of His Spirit, grow in the revelation of the gospel and be transformed by the power of God (Eph. 1:17-23; 5:26). Meditate on His Word (Ps. 1:2-3; Ps. 119:130; Jn. 15:7). Ask for child-like eyes of faith. Remember the touch of His love, repent and do the things you did at first (Rev. 2:4-5; Rom. 1:16-17; 2 Cor. 3:12-4:6).

19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus…(Eph. 4:19-21 NKJV)

25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. (Matt. 11:25 NLT)

DEEP AND PRACTICAL REPENTANCE. Paul then tells us to put off our old ways of living and change our ways of thinking in accord with the truth that the gospel declares. He deals very directly with areas such as lust, anger, greed, lying, bitterness and corrupt speech. He warns us saying, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit,” which implies that we must still make practical choices to submit to Him (Eph. 4:25-31). When we repent, we push delete on our sin and commit to change our ways of thinking, speaking and doing, knowing our sin is forgiven and forgotten under the blood of Jesus. Understand that everytime we resist temptation and choose to obey Him, we are welcoming the river of His Spirit to come and smoothe-over the rough edges of our stony heart little by little, day by day. Spend daily time in honest, humble repentance before the Lord (Ps. 51). Beware that when we choose to walk in the counsel of the ungodly [passively receive influence from sinful sources, often from entertainment], it won’t be long before we are standing in the path of sinners [agreeing with, making alliance with sin, or hindering others] and sitting in the seat of the scornful [becoming advocates for sin, critical of God and His Word] (Ps. 1). We must actively know the truth, resist sin and submit to God. There is freedom in fighting the good fight of faith.

22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:22-24 NKJV)

RENEWED SPEECH. When continuing on about practical repentance, Paul especially highlights our speech, for Jesus taught that out of the overflow of our heart, our mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34). One of the greatest battlegrounds of our mind is fought at the gate of our mouth. Corrupt speech can come in all shapes and sizes—deceit, slander, gossip, manipulation, false commitments, foul-language, unrighteous anger, demeaning sarcasm, degrading remarks, condescension, disrespectful tone of voice and so forth. Though it’s small, the tongue can kindle the worst kind of destruction (Jas. 3:1-12). Therefore, we must commit to fight at the gate of our mouth by the power of the Holy Spirit. Be honest and true to your word, not making promises you will not keep (Matt. 5:33-37). Hold back the harsh words (Jas. 1:19; Prov. 10:19; 21:23). Don’t mistake meanness for boldness, but learn to speak the truth in love, with kindness, gentleness and compassion (Eph. 4:15; Col. 4:6; Gal. 5:22-26). Ask God for help and fair perspective (Matt. 7:1-12). Learn to let some things go, and entrust yourself to the Lord (1 Pet. 2:23-24; Matt. 5:39; Rom. 12:17-21). When appropriate, go directly to the person in love and humility to confess your wrong and/or make your appeal (Matt. 5:22-25; 18:15).

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Eph. 4:29 NKJV)

UNRESERVED FORGIVENESS. Unrenewed speech is fueled by our unwillingness to forgive. Bitterness, resentment, disappointment, frustration, annoyance…these are the types of things that will fester like a leprous sore on our heart and will make us calloused over time if left unchecked. The only antidote is unreserved forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn’t make them right, nor does it make their words or actions okay, but it does make you free. Forgiveness keeps your heart tender. Our strength to forgive comes from our revelation of the gospel, as we see how God in Christ forgives us. Only someone who is tender of heart by the power of God, like the young Israelite maiden, could look into the eyes of their captor and overflow with compassion. Like with Jesus on the cross, or with Stephen as he’s being stoned, we see the miracle of how God can help us to forgive those who deserve it the least. When they mistreat you, lie about you, spitefully use you, betray you, persecute you, dissapoint you or annoy you, pray for them, bless them, do good to them and forgive them anyway (Matt. 5:43-48; 18:21-35).

32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. (Eph. 4:32 NKJV)

ONGOING FAITH AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. Though it is important to look to the past from time to time, keeping a tender heart requires more than remembering what once was. Though determination is important, faithfulness is more than consistent attendance, discipline and duty. Keeping a tender heart requires a present-tense, ongoing, persevering faith that eagerly waits upon God (Isa. 40:31). We need the initial experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but we must also go on being filled with the Spirit—that we might continue to produce the tender fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Acts 2:38-39; Jn. 15:1-17; Gal. 3:3; 5:22-26). Even good fruit can rot over time, so we must keep tending, weeding, and feeding the garden of our heart. This requires faith that is living and active in our life today. When is the last time your faithfulness required faith? Are we trying to live our lives in such a way that we do not need to rely on the Holy Spirit? Ask the Lord to help you step out of your cycle of comfort and predictable routines, and find out where He wants you to take risks of faith for the sake of love. I believe that our joy in the Lord is proportionate to our revelation of His love and knowing that we are obeying His voice, which commands us to lay down our lives for others because of His love.

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit…(Eph. 5:17-18 NKJV)

52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:52 NKJV)

11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (Jn. 15:11 NKJV)

PERSISTENT PRAYER AND FASTING. Another simple way that we “dip in the river” is through persistent prayer and fasting, especially praying in the Spirit (Rom. 8:26; 1 Cor. 13:14-20; Eph. 6:18). Take the time, spend the effort, and risk the opportunities to get in the river of His presence. Starve the leprosy and feed your inner-man, building yourself up in faith (Jude 1:20). Get before your Father in secret and passionately seek Him with other believers. Weep in His presence again and let the tears wash the numbness off of your heart (Ps. 126:5; Joel 2:17; Matt. 9:15).

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints–(Eph. 6:18 NKJV)

SACRIFICIAL WORSHIP, PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING. I have found that it is dangerously possible for us to witness the power of God and still miss what is right in front of us. Instead of joining in with the celebration, many of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were indignant when they heard the praise of the little children as they openly declared Jesus as the Messiah (Matt. 21:15-16). Judas was offended by the sacrificial worship of Mary who poured out her fragrant oil on the feet of Jesus, arguing that it was wasteful and should be spent elsewhere (Matt. 26:6-13; Jn. 12:1-8). The older brother of the prodigal was deeply angered that his father would throw a party for the son who returned home after wasting his inheritance (Lk. 15:25-32). Cain went as far as to murder his brother Abel who sacrificed the best of his flock to the Lord, because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous (Gen. 4:1-2; 1 Jn. 3:12). I believe that the subtle yet consistent leaven beneath the surface of these events is that these men were filled with ingratitude and self-righteousness, which came out of them as anger, jealousy, greed and spiritual blindness. Gratitude confronts our deep-seated pride, discontentment, insecurity and entitlement that keeps us numb toward God and critical of others. Jesus dealt with this attitude very pointedly in His sermon on the mount (Matt. 6:25-7:6). After being cleansed in the Jordan River and having his skin restored like that of a little child, Naaman returned to the prophet Elisha with grateful joy and reverence for the one true and living God, committing to “bring his worship home” for Him alone (2 Kings 5:14-17). Sacrificial worship, praise and thanksgiving is about continually returning to express your love to God in the secret place of your heart, where only He sees and understands the worth of what you are pouring out. When it hurts. When it’s costly. When it’s unpopular. When it’s lonely. It’s about returning to Him with grateful faith instead of fearful grumbling.

17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Lk. 17:17-19 NKJV)

In summary, we are healed of leprosy of the heart by coming to Jesus Christ with child-like faith and humility. We come to the river of living water proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1; Ezek. 47:12). We come to be cleansed and renewed by the eternal power, person and presence of Jesus that we experience through the Holy Spirit (Jn. 4:13-14; 7:38-39; 13:7-11; 14:15-31; Acts 2:38-39). As Naaman was commanded to wash seven times, we highlighted seven ways we can submit to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit within us. Thus, keeping a tender heart demands that we are personally receiving and responding to the revelation of the gospel, putting on a new way of life in humble surrender to Jesus through deep and practical repentance, renewing our speech, offering unreserved forgivness to others, obeying God with ongoing faith and joy in the Holy Spirit, seeking Him daily with persistent prayer and fasting, and returning to Him always with sacrificial worship, praise and thanksgiving in response to His unending goodness, mercy, power and love. May we resist the pride and bitterness that comes from life rubbing us wrong, and instead we choose to open our heart before Him over and over again. May we come behold the Lamb of God, who pled for our forgiveness while being crucified for our sin, that our leprous hearts might be healed once and for all.

13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:13 NKJV)

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Posted on in Kingdom Life, Kingdom Ministry

The Midnight Song

25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:25, NKJV

From the missionary exploits of Paul, Silas and others, we can learn how our faith, love, obedience and sacrifice can pioneer the way for others to know the salvation of the Lord, especially when expressed through great adversity.

Without hesitation, Paul and his apostolic company had sailed to the shores of Macedonia in obedience to the Lord who called them in a vision to go and preach the gospel there, and they found themselves in Philippi where they continued to face obstacles to their mission (Acts 16:6-12). Faithfulness does not make us immune to trouble, but it does make an opportunity for the trouble to work for us, for the furtherance of the gospel and the glory of God. On the contrary, it should be unsettling if our faith in Jesus never leads us through places of discomfort and positions of difficulty for the sake of the gospel. For the faithful Christ follower, that which happens to you, actually happens for you.

12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…

Philippians 1:12, NKJV

While in Philippi, Paul and Silas planted the Philippian church at a prayer meeting by the river, as they spoke to the women who were there, namely Lydia, who was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira. Her and her household were baptized and immediately began serving the gospel by supporting the mission of Paul and his companions (Acts 16:13-15). The foundations of our faith are absolutely critical to the growth and endurance of our faith. Lydia and her household weren’t a part of some grand marketing scheme to grow the church, rather their hearts were opened to heed the words of Paul as they witnessed the tender faith, obedience and sacrifice of he and his team. Like begets like in the kingdom of God, therefore, the Philippian church would later be described by Paul as his “beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown” (Phil. 4:1). While in Roman chains, he would write to them: “Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only” (Phil. 4:14-15).

As Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke continued to meet for prayer in Philippi, they began to disrupt the demonic strongholds over the city (Acts 16:16-22). Not by focusing on the darkness, but by pursuing and walking in the light of Christ. Like Mary of Bethany who was sharply criticized by Judas for pouring out her very costly fragrant oil upon Jesus, their faithfulness exposed the faithless greed of the men of Philippi who relied on the spirit of divination (Jn. 12:1-8; Acts 16:16,19). The fragrance of our faithfulness will undoubtedly offend the faithless among us. This was in fact the very thing that caused them to beat Paul and Silas with rods and throw them into the inner prison with their feet fastened in chains (Acts 16:22-23).

The enemy wants us to feel punished by God for our obedience because that is how deep-seated bitterness and distrust begins to take root. He wants us blind to our surroundings and bound at our feet, so that we feel hopeless and useless to make a difference. But at midnight, Paul and Silas still lifted their eyes to God to pray and sing.

28 For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Psalm 18:28, NKJV

Oil is bought during the day, but lamps aren’t lit until the night (Matt. 25:1-3; Ps. 18:28). What came out of Paul and Silas in that moment was the overflow of their hidden faithfulness and fellowship with God that had been cultivated long before they found themselves in these chains. Their testimony teaches us what happens when faith finds its song, when our personal history of prayer with the Lord erupts into spontaneous praise in the most difficult seasons of life (Ps. 40:3). It is of utmost importance that every believer learns how to develop a life of prayer and praise before times of shaking, so that when it comes, it’s not our faith that is shaken, rather it’s our faith that is doing the shaking (Acts 4:31; 16:26; Heb. 12:25-29). In other words, what we know and believe about the Lord does not change based on our surroundings, rather we know that our surroundings have to obey His authority and serve His purposes. Our faith is “weaponized” in the midnight hour when we are in the darkest dungeon to preach the gospel, set captives free, heal brokenhearts, proclaim liberty to the captives and open prison doors to those who are bound in the name of Jesus Christ (Isa. 61:1).

26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

Acts 16:26, NKJV

Luke records that, “the prisoners were listening to them,” as they prayed and sang to the Lord (Acts 16:25b). Once more we see how our faith in the fire makes a way for many others to hear and be set free. The Sword of Truth cuts the deepest when the fire is the hottest (Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17; 1 Pet. 1:6-9). Upon seeing prison doors opened, the keeper of the prison drew his sword to kill himself, but at just the right moment, Paul called out to him to stay his hand. To the jailer’s complete shock he found that none of the prisoners escaped, and he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas saying, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved” (Acts 16:29-30)? Something infinitely more potent than his own blade pierced through his soul that night—The Midnight Song of Paul and Silas. The Word was preached not with mere rhetoric but with the testimony and demonstration of the power and love of God (1 Cor. 2:4; 13:1-3). As a result, the jailer and his entire household believed and were immediately baptized (Acts 16:31-34).

I want to conclude this article with a list of ten types of prayer and seven types of praise that we can find throughout Scripture to strengthen your own faith, so that you also have a midnight song to sing.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV
TEN TYPES OF PRAYER

Prayer is one of the foundational ways that we express our worship and trust in the Lord. Here are some of the ways that we talk to the Lord:

  1. Contemplative: be still and know He is God (Ps. 46:10; Matt. 6:6)
  2. Meditation: think deeply upon and pray the Scriptures (Phil. 4:8-9)
  3. Requests: petition the Lord for the things you need (Mat. 6:11)
  4. Supplication: ask earnestly, persistently, with fasting (Phil. 4:6)
  5. Intercession: prayer for other people (1 Tim. 2:1-2)
  6. Tongues: praying in the Spirit, spiritual gift (1 Cor. 14)
  7. Travail: the Spirit praying through us without words (Rom. 8:26-27)
  8. Tears: prayers without words, contrition, humility (Ps. 126:5)
  9. Thanksgiving and Praise: declare what God has done, who He is
  10. Singing: putting all these types of prayer to song and music

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Col. 3:16, NKJV

…be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…

Eph. 5:18-19, NKJV
SEVEN TYPES OF PRAISE

Worship begins inwardly in our heart, but must also be expressed outwardly in our attitudes, words and actions (Jn. 4:23-24; Matt. 15:7-9; 22:37; Rom. 12:1-2). Praise is another outward expression of our worship. In Hebrew, the english word for “praise” has seven unique meanings:

  1. Yadah: to revere or worship with extended hands (Ps. 67:3)
  2. Halal: to boast, celebrate, be clamourously foolish (Ps. 149:3)
  3. Zamar: to make music, to celebrate in song (Ps. 144:9; 147:7)
  4. Barak: to kneel, bless, bow (Ps. 95:6; 100:4; 1 Chr. 16:36)
  5. Tehillah: a hymn, a new song, a spontaneous song (Ps. 22:3; 71:8)
  6. Shabach: to address in a loud tone, shout (106:47; 150:6)
  7. Towdah: thanksgiving (Lev. 22:29; Ps. 50:23; 56:11-12)

3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Ps. 22:3, NKJV

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Posted on in Kingdom Life

Sit Down and Eat

READING: JOHN 6:1-14

“Sit down and Eat!” This was probably one of the most repeated phrases in my house growing up as a child, and now as a father with kids of my own, the same could be said about our house. My wife and I often get on to our kids for not eating, rushing through their meal, or making a mess around the house because they aren’t eating at the table. As parents, it puts us in a state of frenzy as we try to get them to sit and eat, yet I feel as though we are guilty of the same with our faith in Jesus Christ. I’m convinced that the reason many of us have become so prone to anxiety is because we have become so easily distracted by that which is temporary, and we endlessly worry about things we cannot change (Matt. 6:25-34). We feel this gnawing need to keep moving at a pace that we were never meant to sustain, a pace that is fueled only by the flesh and disconnected from kingdom vision and values. As a result, we quickly fall into the habit of only coming to the Word of God to look for cheap snacks and microwaved answers, while never taking the necessary time to sit down and eat the whole meal.

3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

JOHN 6:3

When we study the gospels, it will do us much good to not only pay attention to the well-known messages that Jesus spoke and the big things that He did, but also His subtle actions and small phrases. He invites His disciples to learn from His way of life, saying, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). Jesus worked hard and accomplished much in three and a half years of focused ministry recognizing that His time was short, yet He was never in a hurry (Jn. 5:17-19; Jn. 4:34). He was never restless, discontent or overcome by the fear-producing pressures of His day. In Matthew’s account of Jesus feeding the five thousand, He had just departed to a deserted place by Himself after He heard the news about John the Baptist’s death (Matt. 14:12-13). Mark and Luke add that He brought the apostles with Him as they returned from being sent out by Him to preach the gospel and heal the sick (Mk. 6:30-31; Lk. 9:10). The people still found Him, and He did not turn them away, for He was moved with compassion (Mk. 6:34). But even as the multitudes came to Him, He chose to sit down.

31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

MARK 6:31

Jesus told Martha that she was worried and troubled about many things, distracted with much serving, but one thing was needed, which her sister Mary had chosen–for she “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” (Lk. 10:38-42). We can all come into the same presence of Jesus, but not everyone will sit down. There will always be a table to serve, but serving must never take precedence over sitting at the feet of Jesus. One of the direct consequences of serving without sitting is that we begin to be overly critical of others, grumbling and complaining saying, “Lord, do You not care…” (Lk. 10:40; Isa. 40:27; Mal. 2:17; Ps. 37:7-8). May we learn to keep choosing that good part, taking our eyes off of all that appears to be in our way and lifting them to the One who is seated (Isa. 6:1; Rev. 4:2)–The One who is well aqcuainted with our griefs, who bore our sins, who makes intercession for us, who values our unnoticed obedience, who reigns over all that we fear, and who carries us through with His sufficient grace, wisdom, and power (Isa. 40:26; 53:4-5; 1 Pet. 5:7; Eph. 3:20).

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

EPHESIANS 1:19-23

There is most assuredly a time to walk, a time to run and a time to stand, but not before we learn how to sit. “Sitting” is a posture of repentance and humility because it communicates a willingness to receive and rely upon that which is given to us. It is an honest expression of what it means to be poor in spirit, to be meek, gentle and lowly in heart. It is a posture of faith which waits on the Lord. It is an action that communicates trust and readiness. Eagles do not fly higher by flapping harder. Instead, they simply spread their wings to catch rising air currents as they soar to higher altitudes. Likewise, we wait on the Lord by sitting at His feet, staying attentive to His voice, remaining ready to obey Him, praying and relying on the rising currents of His Spirit. Many times, sitting down and waiting upon the Lord begins with looking at Jesus who endured the cross, and it ends with us following His example to take up our own cross, surrendering that which we were never meant to hold on to (Heb. 12; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3; Rev. 5:6).

31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

ISAIAH 40:31

Then Jesus Said, “Make the people sit down” (Jn. 6:10). Our anxiety serves as a witness that we still have not learned to sit down. Therefore, because He is a Good Shepherd, there are times in our life when Jesus makes us sit down. As a father, sometimes the last thing I feel that I can afford to do is sit down, especially when it comes to providing for my hungry family–yet Jesus shows us that we can’t afford not to sit down. This has nothing to do with promoting laziness or apathy, but it has everything to do with bringing us into a life of peace and gratitude which will feed more people than we ever could in our own frantic exertion of strength. Jesus telling His discples to make the people sit down before He multiplied the loaves and fish gives us a picture of what our ministries should be doing today–leading people into such a place of rest in Christ where they learn to feed on His faithfulness, that they may truly run and not be weary, walk and not faint (Ps. 37:1-7; Gal. 3:1-3). The easy yoke is not inactivity, it’s right activity–which is produced by right relationship with Jesus (Matt. 11:28-30). The difficulty comes from trying to stay yoked to everyone and everything except Jesus, putting our effort into temporary things that oppose what He teaches us to value. I believe in calling people to respond with action, to pursue wholehearted obedience, to love God with all of our strength, but not apart from abiding in Him (Jn. 15:1-5). Are we helping others to sit down and eat or are we spreading our restlessness to them?

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures…

PSALM 23:2

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…

EPHESIANS 2:6

Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (Jn. 6:5). Jesus doesn’t ask us questions because He doesn’t know the answer. He asks the right questions in order to lead us into the right answer (Jn. 6:6). Phillip immediately starts counting out how much it will cost, but Jesus never asked “How?” He asked “Where?” When we are restless, we look for solutions based on what we have or don’t have instead of finding them within the One we are seated with. My wife knows that she can go to the bank and withdraw funds, not because of anything other than the fact that she has covenantal access through my name. What if we didn’t allow our problems to produce more anxiety, but we let them expose where we buy our bread? Jesus called out the fact that the multitudes sought after Him, not because they saw the signs, but because they ate of the loaves and were filled (Jn. 6:26-27). He alone is the Bread of Life who supplies everlasting life, therefore, let us repent for working for that which doesn’t fill, but instead work to find our delight in Him (Isa. 55:1-3; Jn. 6:33-35; Ps. 1). Let us seek after this fresh bread that comes only from Him, that we may have something truly satisfying to set before those who are searching, to give them the food of the Holy Spirit, of the message of His body that was broken for our sins, and of knowing Him and doing His will (Lk. 11:1-13; 22:19; Matt. 24:45; Acts 3:6; Jn. 17:3; Jer. 3:15; Jn. 4:34).

11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

JOHN 6:11

So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost” (Jn. 6:12). It’s helpful to note that this miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand took place near the time of the Passover, a time when Israel was commanded to commemorate how the Lord mercifully passed over them and did not destroy those who obediently applied the blood of the lamb over their door posts (Ex. 12; Jn. 6:4). The details of this feast would have been in the minds of the disciples and the Jews who were witnessing this miracle, indicating Jesus’ intentional timing. The Passover lamb, which was a prophetic picture of Jesus, was to be a male without blemish, one for each household, and they were to eat it in its entirety, letting none of it remain before the next morning. In light of this, I believe He had them gather up the fragments of bread to teach them why He multiplied the bread–He desires that nothing would be lost. Jesus would later go on to say, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day” (Jn. 6:39). Much like the bread from heaven [manna] which was not to be stored for the next day [aside from the Sabaath], Jesus wanted His disciples to visually learn that He does not let anything go to waste and neither should they (Matt. 4:4; 6:11). He is the True Bread from Heaven sent to give life to the world, so that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have life without end (Jn. 6:40). In other words, He is saying, “Who will sit down and eat, receiving all that I have provided?” and “Who will obey my voice to go and gather all who have been invited to come, that no one may be lost?” And as we sit with Him, this is how we eat: We see Him and believe in Him. Not part of Him, but ALL of Him. For each household. Who will take the time to realize the table that has been set before us in the midst of all that we fear and worry about (Ps. 23:5-6)? He is seated and waiting for us to come today, that we would see His new mercy for us this day, and to receive this day our daily bread. I believe this way of life will produce in us a gratitude that will crucify the anxiety and sin that so easily ensnares us (Heb. 12:1-2).

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.“

JOHN 6:35

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

ACTS 2:46-47

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

ACTION POINTS: Lord, we repent and ask that You would help us…

  1. Change Our Pace [sit down and rest]. Help us to resist the temptation to chase temporary riches and cares. Help us to rest in what You have provided and wait on what You have promised.
  2. Change Our Diet [eat and receive by faith]. Help us to resist the temptation to trust in our own strength and wisdom. Help us to rely upon Your grace and look to You as our source and our delight.
  3. Change Our Perspective [respond with gratitude and obedience]. Help us to turn our eyes from worthless things. Liberate us from the bondage of fear and victimhood. Help us see You in all of Your glory, to know Your beauty, Your goodness, Your power and Your love. Help us to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, that we might do our part in gathering up those whom You give us, that no one would be lost.

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