“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.
This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:
‘I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being, I announce them to you.’” (Isaiah 42:1-9 NIV)
One can see it anywhere, but my context is the University campus and I see it every day: students who are blind to their value and purpose, imprisoned by their fears, held captive by their addictions, and swallowed up by the darkness of life without hope. If I am honest, it is often discouraging ministering in this context. The light is dim and the rays of hope seem diminished. There are a lot of “bruised reeds” and “smoldering wicks” inhabiting the dorms and walking around on campus. So reading the prophetic words of Isaiah this morning was much needed.
It is so easy to give up in the midst of such a daunting environment of hurt and hopelessness, when the helping hand is extended and ignored, when the light is provided to see the narrow path that leads to life and it is brushed aside in favor of an easier way, and when the hurts seem too deep to be healed. It is easy to reach the point of surrender to the elements and say, “So be it; I can do no more.”
But then the declarative statements of the Lord come from the page: “I will;” “I will not;” “I declare;” “I am.” There is no hesitation, tentativeness, or doubt in the face of the dark landscape that is our fallen world. Instead there is an unyielding conviction that the will of the Lord will not be thwarted, that Satan’s merciless grip will be pried loose, that justice will prevail, and people will be set free.
In a crisis, there needs to be a leader who will take charge, reassure the stricken, and help lead them from trouble to safety. This leader instills confidence, not in the situation, but in his ability to overcome it and thereby help others do the same.
This is what the Lord is saying through Isaiah. In a dark and hopeless world, He will overcome it, echoing the very words of Jesus 700 years later (John 16:33). He is not in the least cowered by the evils of this world, the despair, and the hopelessness. He presses on undeterred.
I needed to hear that this morning. How about you? Are you discouraged by the world around you, or about your own life? Are you ready to give up? Then know there is One who has stepped into the crisis and taken charge. Follow Him and His lead. He knows what He is doing and will lead you through the perilousness until you reach safer ground.
© Jim Musser 2017
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34 NIV)
A few years ago, my brother had a bad bicycle accident, the cause of which will remain a mystery. Why? Because he has no memory of it. He was knocked unconscious and awoke with no idea about what happened. And that turned out to be a very good thing. It enabled him, once he recovered, to get back on his bike without any hesitation or fear because there were no traumatic memories with which to contend.
Most of our memories are very good, particularly when it comes to sin. We tend to remember the bad things we’ve done, and those memories impact our lives. They often fill us with deep regret or bitterness and enslave us, holding us back from experiencing the freedom that comes with knowing God. But imagine if we had no memory of them. Imagine if we could somehow get on with life without our memories getting in the way.
What is striking about this passage is that God says, “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” My first thought is, surely not. But there it is, He will not remember our sins. This is the promise of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6-13), that through Jesus there is forgiveness of sin and, once forgiven, God will have no memory of them. Amazing!
So, like my brother, though we have fallen, we can get back up as if nothing had ever happened. There may be wounds needing to be healed, but the memory of our sin is gone. It is like it never happened.
Today, recognize knowing Jesus comes with the promise of not only having your sins forgiven, but for them to be forgotten as well.
© Jim Musser 2017
“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:9-16 NIV)
I recently had a conversation with a student who was struggling with feeling obligated to do things, particularly spiritually. She felt it was hypocrisy to do something—praying, reading Scripture, reaching out to a new student—if it were done out of obligation rather than from her heart’s desire.
I have found a lot of “spiritual purists” in recent years, ones who believe it is better to do nothing than do things out of obligation. Either have the right motives or don’t do it. Unfortunately, such thinking discounts the reality of what Paul says that we have an obligation as believers to live in the Spirit.
We can easily see the folly in this thinking by looking at a few of the major characters in the Scriptures. Did Moses have pure motives when he went before Pharaoh? No. He was obligated to go because that is what God commanded him to do, even though he was reluctant to do so. (Exodus 3-4) Did Jeremiah embrace fully what the Lord asked him to do? No. Rather, he complained vehemently. (Jeremiah 12 & 20) When Jesus first called His 12 disciples, is there a sense of excitement among them? There is not; rather it seems there is a lot of fear and a sense they had no choice but to follow. (Luke 5:1-11) And finally, there is Paul. On the road to Damascus, was his decision to obey Jesus anything but an obligation? Was his heart in the right place at that time? Unlikely. Rather, the power and authority of the Lord overwhelmed him. He obeyed because he had to. (Acts 9)
In our culture, we place a high value on feelings as our primary motivator. We believe we need to have loving feelings before we act in love. We need to feel compassionate before we act compassionately. We need to feel generous before we act generously. But the Scriptures point us to a higher value—obedience. If Jesus is Lord, then we are to obey Him regardless of our feelings. Is it better to obey with joy and excitement? Of course. But, too, it is always better to obey no matter how we feel than be disobedient.
What we often fail to realize is feelings most often fall in line after obedience. Good marriage counseling focuses more on actions than feelings. If couples are feeling unloving toward one another and are seeking help, they are not advised to try to conjure up more feelings of love, but rather to begin acting lovingly toward one another. Those who act lovingly will likely see their feelings of love begin to grow.
In the same way, if we begin to do the things the Lord commands us to do even if we don’t feel like it, in time we will likely begin to experience the joy that comes with obedience. But the first step is to obey.
Today, what commands have you been avoiding because they feel like obligations? Rather than waiting for a time when you have the pure motives to do them, start now to merely obey. What may surprise you over time is that your feelings fall in line with your obedience.
© Jim Musser 2017
“As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” (Acts 17:10-12 NIV)
During my long tenure in campus ministry, biblical illiteracy has always been a challenge in ministering to students. Most come from church backgrounds, but typically have little working knowledge of the Scriptures when they come onto campus. The University is often blamed for the massive exodus from the faith by Christian college students, which, according to most researchers, is minimally 50 % and likely much greater. Instead, I place the blame at the feet of the churches in which they were raised.
Long ago, local churches decided it was much more important that young people participated in their youth programs than on what they actually learned; numbers were the operative measure of success. So the emphasis was placed on programs being attractive to youth rather than being effective in giving them a solid spiritual foundation from which would emerge an effective defense against the lies of the enemy, which are routinely taught and spread on campuses throughout the country.
The result has been that high school graduates are totally unprepared to discern what is true and what is not. Unlike the Bereans to whom Paul and Silas spoke, they do not have the ability to reference the Scriptures to tell truth from fiction. They are like the proverbial lambs being led to slaughter.
But biblical illiteracy is not limited to young people raised in the church. I have met many adults who have attended church their whole lives who could not explain the gospel using the Scriptures. I have met elders and deacons who are functionally illiterate in the Scriptures. This helps explain why churches are so often spiritually weak and prone to error either in doctrinal matters or practice. Again, many have fallen to the temptation of viewing numbers as the measure of success, and have moved in the direction of emphasizing the appeal of their worship services and programs rather than teaching the truth of the Scriptures regardless how offensive or challenging they may be to those in the pews.
The Scriptures are, literally, God’s handbook on how to live for Him and in a way that pleases Him in the midst of a fallen world. If we think we can accomplish this without His explicit guidance, we are badly mistaken. Our instincts will inevitably lead us in the wrong direction. And the enemy will exploit our lack of familiarity with the Scriptures to lead us into lies and deceptions. This is why we all need to be scripturally literate.
Imagine you could not read. How would you function successfully in our world? The answer is you could not. The same is true with being a follower of Jesus in a fallen world. If you are not biblically literate, you will have a very difficult time functioning the way the Lord intends.
Today, consider how literate you truly are in the Scriptures? Could you defend the faith against the charges of an atheist or skeptic? Can you listen to a teaching from a pastor and be able to discern whether what is taught is actually in line with the Bible? Could you correct a brother and sister on their behavior gently using the Scriptures? Biblically literate people can do all these things. If you do not believe you could, then it is time to become literate. Functional literacy in the Word is not optional for a follower of Jesus. It is a necessity for each one of us.
© Jim Musser 2017
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (I Peter 5:6-7 NIV)
Our campus ministry association recently met with the university counseling center staff to discuss the latest trends and concerns for students on campus. They reported the number one problem for which students seek their help is anxiety. Causes ranged from family issues, such as divorcing parents, to relationship issues and academic pressures. They all agreed students are finding it increasingly more difficult to balance the demands and pressures of life in a healthy way.
Working with students as well, I, too, see this trend. But what I will often ask is: what difference does Jesus make? I work mostly with students who claim to have a relationship with Jesus, but I see them often getting swept along by the current of the campus culture which seems to elevate “stress-outtedness” to a badge of honor. Many times they seem to approach life’s difficulties no differently than do the students who claim no faith. So the question seems to be appropriate.
Jesus is supposed to make a difference in our lives, right? So why is it that it seems so often He doesn’t? I think Peter gives us the answer here. Humbling ourselves means acknowledging our weakness and our need for help. When my father died while I was in college, my grief was overwhelming, but I attempted to be strong and handle it on my own. It didn’t work so well because I refused to humble myself before the Lord and my brothers and sisters in the faith to ask for help. I tried to handle it on my own.
People are often crumbling under the pressures of life because they refuse to acknowledge their weakness. But Peter tells us (as does Paul—II Corinthians 12:8-10) this is the only way to manage what life throws at us. And we can do this with confidence because He cares for us. He’s not going to laugh at us or be annoyed with us because of our problems. Instead, He will take our anxieties and comfort us.
Today, as you consider your struggles, think about this: What difference does Jesus really make in how you are dealing with them? He should make all the difference in the world if you are willing to acknowledge you can’t handle your problems without Him.
© Jim Musser 2017
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV)
The key to a strong military is recognizing not only strengths, but weaknesses as well. The British knew they had overwhelming superiority over the colonists in terms of armaments and manpower, but their striking weakness was their inability to adapt to the colonists hit and run attacks. Their failure in this was one of the main reasons they lost the Revolutionary War.
As followers of Jesus, we, too, are soldiers in an army at war with a powerful enemy. And like any worthy opponent, he probes for weaknesses. The question is not will he find any, but rather will he find them totally unguarded.
As a young believer, one of my weaknesses was being totally controlled by my feelings. I would feel down one day and immediately conclude something was wrong with my relationship with the Lord. Or I would fall into sin and confess it, but still feel guilty and ashamed. Satan exploited this weakness and kept me on a spiritual rollercoaster for several years. Another was my insecurity as a man, which led me into relationships with women that were unhealthy. I was desperate for affirmation and approval and sought it through romantic relationships. Again, the enemy took advantage of this weakness time and time again before I finally recognized it.
It is the recognition of our weaknesses that is the key to winning the spiritual battles we face. When we do, we can shore up our defenses against them. They need not be fatal. The Apostle Paul, even though we view him as a spiritual giant, had weaknesses and he tells about one of them in II Corinthians 12. He pleaded with the Lord to remove it, but the Lord refused. Instead, He said this, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). Most likely, our weaknesses won’t be removed, but, with the Lord’s help, we can overcome them. But we must recognize them in order to successfully fend off the enemy’s attacks.
So what are your weaknesses? A sordid past that the devil keeps reminding you of? An uncontrolled temper? A bent toward anxiety or fear? Holding grudges? No matter what weaknesses you have, the Lord is more than able to help you overcome them.
Today, take some time to think about areas of your life in which you are vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. Make a list and take it to the Lord, asking Him for help in defending these vulnerable areas. This will not necessarily stop the attacks, but will insure that you are much better prepared to defend against them.
© Jim Musser 2017
“Now King David was told, ‘The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.’ So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, ‘How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!’ David said to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.’
And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.” (II Samuel 6:12-23 NIV)
There is man in our church who is mildly autistic. He does not like to be touched and he rarely will speak unless spoken to. But when the worship music is played, he never lacks expression. He raises his hands, claps, and, on occasion, he will go up front and dance during a song.
I am sure some people think it odd and maybe some are even uncomfortable. In the church we tend to prefer a more structured, dignified worship service. There is nothing wrong with preferences, but sometimes we can allow our preferences to dictate our feelings towards others who desire to worship in a different way. And then our preference can become a judgment.
David’s wife, Michal, serves as a warning of this. She thought David’s dancing in celebration of the Ark’s return to Jerusalem was undignified for someone of his stature and position. Her preference became judgment and turned her heart against her husband.
Satan is always looking for ways in which to disrupt the unity of the church and preferences in worship is one of them. I think what we can learn from this story is heart-felt worship will often seem undignified by traditional norms, but if it is an overflow of joy we would do well to respect it if not embrace it.
Today, recognize there are many preferences in worship. Some may seem odd, even undignified to you, but don’t be quick to judge. The expressions of a heart overflowing with joy can lead people to do some interesting things.
© Jim Musser 2017
