Tag: Perspective

Is Life Fair?

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Back in 20.4-11, Zophar said, basically, that the wicked get what is coming to them and die. Here Job responds with another probing question, is life fair?

Why do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?

Job 21.7

How do we accept things like this?

How do we accept that the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? If we are trying earnestly to live the life that God wants us to live, how can we accept the fact that those who are brazenly not living His life seem to be prospering (v.14)?

In a world where we (want to) control everything and everyone around us, this kind of deep moral contradiction seems to outrage us; he/she is bad…but they are doing well…this should not be so…

Deep down, this is a perspective issue. Do we think we are the ultimate authority and judge in the universe? Do we think that everything ought to be as we want it to be? Are we so detached from objective truth that everything is evaluated through our own lens of subjective truth?

Do you know what, sometimes life isn’t going to feel fair. People who seem to be wicked will seem to be prospering, people who do objectively bad things will seemingly face no consequence, and people who are diligently trying to follow God’s plan for life will be seemingly second best. 

The answer to this is perspective, to look beyond our brief physical habitation on earth. I read somewhere that one of the big problems with people and their assessment of life as unfair is that they only look at themselves and their earthly physical life. No thoughts of eternity, no big picture thoughts. That’s true, isn’t it.

We forget that we are made with eternity in mind.

We forget that we are not working towards earthly rewards and riches.

We forget that no eye has seen, that no ear has heard what is waiting for us.

We forget that we are created, finite beings, with a limited perspective.

We forget that we are not the centre of the universe and ultimate moral judges.

Sometimes life is not going to feel fair by your standards and expectations. When these feelings creep into your mind, turn to the timeless and objective truths of the Word of God, and slowly but surely begin to accept that His perspective is different, bigger, better, and ultimately how you want to see things. 

2 Timothy 3.10-11 – In // Over

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Today Paul draws a stark contrast between those with the spirit of the last days and his intended recipitient Timothy, and by application you and me.

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.

Pau begins with you, however…Maybe your Bible has the words ‘But you’, drawing an even clearer contrast, but even if they don’t the point is clear – what has gone is not for the believer, what follows is.

As a man so totally sold out to the cause of Jesus and building His kingdom, of making Jesus known to all he could, and of full-life devotion, Paul could say with a clear conscience that it was good for Timothy to have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings…He could say this because Jesus was at the center of them all. Paul’s teaching was Christ-centered, his conduct was Christ honoring, his aim in life was to preach Christ crucified, his faith was unshakingly in Jesus.

Do you have a leader like that in your life? Is there someone who you can follow (Hebrews 13.7) with clear conscience because you know they are 100% sold out to Jesus and His cause and His kingdom?

No matter what Paul has been through and was going through at the time of writing, he knew that the Lord rescued him from all. This is an interesting thing to say whilst in prison awaiting execution, isn’t it. See, Paul knew the difference between being rescued and given victory over his circumstances or in his circumstances.

The Lord never guarantees to rescue and deliver us from every situation that trials us. He does, however, promise to rescue us in spite of them, to rescue us despite what is going on around us unto eternal life with Him. Paul had the proper perspective here, and believed in a God that can work miracles to deliver His people, but never guarantees it. Paul knew that even though he was in prison, even though he was awaiting execution, that the Lord would never leave nor forsake him, would always be an ever present help in times of need, and even if earthly circumstances seem to have defeated him, that his Lord and Saviour had overcome the world and had something far greater waiting on the other side. 

Is that something you know?

Do you know that regardless of what is going on around you, this doesn’t change the fact that you are known by God, loved by God, purchased by the blood of His Son, and that He so desperately desires to enter into a relationship with Him?

If your earthly circumstances are telling you otherwise, I would encourage you to listen to this message, and to rest in the truth that you are known, you are loved, and that no matter what is going on around you, this will never change. 

Thinking Beyond Christmas

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

What did Christmas bring for you?

Did you get everything you wanted?

Did you get everything you needed?

We said last week that our greatest need as fallen sinful people is forgiveness, and we were given a Saviour, but, what does that mean, what comes with that?

2 Peter 1.3-4 tells us that it comes with everything. Everything to live the life that God made you to live. The life of love. The life focused on others.

Mark 2.17 tells us that it comes with perspective. Christmas, the incarnation, God piercing the space-time journey that we are on to take on flesh and live among us and die to atone for our sins shows us that really, we are not naturally good, we are not naturally strong, we are dependent, we are broken in spirit, depraved in thinking, by nature bound to choose the poor choice left to ourselves, and that we need Him to be, truly, all that we were made to be.

Luke 2.25-35 tells us that it comes with salvation. To receive salvation, all we have to do is take Jesus as Simeon did; personally, with the proper perspective that He is everything we need.

What did Christmas bring for you?

Everything, perspective, and salvation.

Surrounded (Fight My Battles)

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Some worship songs are so theologically rich and full of weighty substance that they simply must be sung in corporate worship when the church gathers together. Others are wonderful examples of Ephesians 5.19-21 wherein we read that we are to encourage one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.

Surrounded is a great example of an encouraging song that we can take into the day on repeat in our head to make melody to the Lord.

There are basically two lyrics sung over,

This is how I fight my battles

It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You

The song represents the victory that we have over our battles before we know the earthly outcome by trusting that God is going before us and He wins (NRT). This is how we fight our battles.

We can face our daily battles with more courage and strength because we know that the outcome is guaranteed to be based on His promise in Romans 8.28:

“God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”.

Michael W. Smith, who recorded this version, said this about the song,

When I hear the song I go back to the 2nd Kings Scripture and how Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened. It’s so incredible that the song has only a few lines and it catches fire and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to record it. It lights up the room when you sing it. He’s got your back. He said He’ll never leave you or forsake you. He’ll never leave you. God’s at work and we don’t understand it all. Even in the valley, He’s working for our good.

This is an attitude we must take forward into today and everyday; the blessed assurance that God will never leave or forsake us, that He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him, and that because He is outside of time, He is already there in our future having made a way, won the victory, and having fought our battle.

If you are walking through a season of difficulty and trial, please, listen to this and take comfort from knowing the Lord is walking ahead of you, fighting your battles, and that He loves you.

Amos 9.1-4 – God is everywhere

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Today in Amos we see a reminder of God’s omnipresence, His being everywhere. God is not localised to one place at one time, as you are or I am, so, as I am sitting at my desk right now I am not at home. If you are reading this at home you are not sitting in your office, you get the picture. But God is everywhere, all the time, we can never flee His presence (Psalm 139.7).

Amos is relaying the coming judgement of God, and paints a pretty thorough picture of all the places we cannot escape God; Sheol/hell and heaven (v.2), atop high mountains or at the depths of the ocean (v.3), and in captivity by enemies (v.4).

Obviously the context here is not wonderfully positive for the people; God is saying that there is nowhere to run to escape the judgement that is coming. But, if we consider His omnipresence from a different angle, we can view it as truly positive thing.

When we are struggling for motivation in the humdrum of daily life, God is there.

When we are pushed to the limit of frustration in our parenting, God is there.

When we are having some quiet alone time in prayer, God is there.

When we assemble as a church family to worship Him, God is there.

As with many things in the Christian life, God’s omnipresence is about perspective. If we are living contrary to the way He says we ought to be living, then His omnipresence will feel overbearing and ‘big brother’-esque.

But, if we are doing our earthly best to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, if we are doing our human best to love our neighbour as ourselves (and relying on the indwelling Spirit to help us go beyond our human limits), then His omnipresence will be comforting, inspiring, motivating, and reassuring.

So, God is everywhere. How do you feel about that?

Amos 7.1-6 – Perspective

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Recently I saw a really interesting video somewhere on the internet, and in it were sculptures that looked like one thing from one angle, but another from a different angle, like this; giraffes, or elephants?

Anyway, perspective is so important, isn’t it. When we have big decisions to make regarding our future, maybe you’re thinking of your next career move, or maybe you’ve been presented with two options at the job you’re at now, should we add more children/dogs/cats/horses/giraffes to our family (or whatever you like to fill your house with!)…whenever we have decisions to make, we should consider another perspective than ours.

We should consider God’s perspective.

Outside of time as we know and experience it, eternal, knowing all there is to know, God’s perspective is infinitely different and greater than ours.

Does He understand ours? Of course.

Do we understand God’s perspective? No!

Think of it like this; do you understand why your children shout/cry/meltdown? Of course.

Do they understand why that is the most frustrating thing in the world for you? No!

Our perspective, in that instance, is far greater than theirs. Multiply that by the biggest number you can think of and we still don’t come close to the difference between how we see things and how God sees things.

7 This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,

“O Lord God, please forgive!
    How can Jacob stand?
    He is so small!”
3 The Lord relented concerning this:
    “It shall not be,” said the Lord.

4 This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land.5 Then I said,

“O Lord God, please cease!
    How can Jacob stand?
    He is so small!”
6 The Lord relented concerning this:
    “This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.

Here in Amos we see the different perspectives at play. Amos receives a vision (v.1) of locusts eating the grass of the land after the King had taken his royal tax, meaning Israel were left with nothing. His second vision was of judgement by fire (v.4). In both circumstances, Amos prayed fervently for the people of God (v.2, 5), and in both circumstances it seems as if God changes His mind (v.3, v.6).

So, does God change His mind?

The Word of God speaks to us about this in Malachi 3.6, James 1.17, and Numbers 23.19, and, simply, no, God does not change His mind. So what is happening here in Amos? “The Lord relented…”, Amos saw a vision, prayed, and then God relented…did He change His mind?

Again, no, this is an example of an anthropopathism, where in “…the feelings or thought processes of finite humanity are ascribed to the infinite God.”

So it appears to us, from our perspective, that God changed His mind, so that must be the case…it looks to us as if God changed His mind from our perspective.

From His?

I would offer that God was teaching Amos, Israel, and us by extension the power and importance of prayer.

In both instances, Amos sees the coming judgement, prays fervently, and then the Lord ‘relents’. What a boost to the prayer life of Amos, and what a testimony to share with people! Rather than get lost in endless debates about whether this was eternally predestined to actually happen or not, let us appreciate the key things here; prayer is powerful, prayer works, prayer is effective, and although it may seem like one thing from our perspective, remember, God’s perspective is far greater than ours, in the same way His ways are not our ways.

Point to ponder today – What in my life do I need to see from God’s perspective?

Revelation 18.9-14 – Sad for self-interest

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Today two exclamations; one from the Kings of the earth, and one from an unnamed source;

9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

“Alas! Alas!

You great city, you mighty city, Babylon!

For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.

14 “The fruit for which your soul longed

has gone from you,

and all your delicacies and your splendors

are lost to you,

never to be found again!”

The Kings stand far away from the judgement of Babylon as they watch the righteous judgement of the commercially immoral. They see the smoke of her burning, and weep and wail over it. They had lived in luxury with her, with Babylon, they had grown rich and prosperous due to the commercial immorality of Babylon, of the unbelieving world, and now they weep and wail because it is over. What God sees as immoral and deserving of judgement, the Kings of the earth see as great, and mighty. Quite the perspective difference!

The second lament, or the second exclamation is most likely the voice from heaven of v.4, and this voice says, in a nutshell, that the fruit for which your soul longed, which is the long list of absolute non-essential luxuries found in vv.12-13, all of this stuff and the people involved are never to be found again. The things we chase for material gain, for temporary pleasure, for commercial success are, as they say, going to hell in a handbasket.

As we progress to the last couple of chapters of Revelation we will see the reward for those who stay faithful and true to the testimony of Jesus. Here we see the other side of the coin, we see what happens if we focus on the wrong things, pursue the wrong things, desire the wrong things. Friends, the choice is ours. We can chase the treasures of the world, or, fix our minds on things above and store up treasures in heaven.

Perhaps Psalm 51.10-12 should be our prayer for right perspective today, it’s especially poetic in the King James Version;

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God;

and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence;

and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;

and uphold me with thy free spirit.