Whenever I wish God would hurry up over something, I console myself with the Bible teaching that God will not delay once He’s ready.
The main verse that helps me with this is Habakkuk 2:3. It reads: “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
Habakkuk lived in a day when one evil empire would take over from another, and neither would be good for God’s people. His prophecy assures us that God’s plans mature slowly, but that He is in full control.
The coming of Jesus into this world illustrates this well. For centuries God’s people had been longing for the voice of God to ring out clearly once again. After Malachi’s prophecies ended, shortly before 400 BC, there had been little or nothing. But God chose the right moment for His Son to be born into the world, God’s definitive word to humankind. The Bible faithfully records this and sets out its meaning for us.
Thank God we are free to read the Bible, with the precious comfort and promises which it gives! This year has been the 400th anniversary of the publication of that great landmark in English literature, the Authorised or King James Version. We have thought about the events leading up to its production: the people who had to suffer and die because the country’s rulers suppressed translations into English. William Tyndale, on whose work the King James Bible is largely based, was put to death by strangling and burning in 1536. His last words were, “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes.” Within four years, four translations of the Bible, all based on his work, were circulating with King Henry’s permission. This started a series of translations which led King James to order an authoritative version in 1604. The care that was taken over this is shown by the fact that it was seven years in the making.
The Puritan poet John Milton was a leading literary light shortly after those days. I cherish a hymn of his. Here are two verses from it:
The Lord will come, and not be slow,
His footsteps cannot err;
before Him righteousness shall go,
His royal harbinger.
Surely to such as do Him fear
salvation is at hand;
and glory shall ere long appear
to dwell within our land.
Saturday 19 November 2011
Saturday 12 November 2011
Over-protected?
As I fiddled with the key of the padlock to my garden gate for the umpteenth time, I thought how much simpler life would be if I could just lift the latch and walk through. Voices from the past run through my head: "We never thought of locking even our front doors in the old days." But I take these precautions because this is a different day. I am aware of possible intruders close at hand. There are children around who would think nothing of barging through my front door uninvited if I left it unlocked and my attention was somewhere else.
It is the same with the telephone. More often than not, when it rings, my space is being invaded by some stranger trying to get me to sign up for something. I find myself picking up the receiver in a wary and apprehensive frame of mind.
Yet with this mindset there comes a sense of guilt. As a church pastor, am I not supposed to be open to all types of people? Folk expect hermits and oddballs to pull up the drawbridge when someone approaches, but surely not a minister of a church!
To quote the catchphrase from an outreach campaign in time past, "What would Jesus do?" He certainly gained a reputation for approaching social misfits whom others shied away from. Centuries-old taboos around lepers, non-Jews and tax-gatherers meant nothing to Him. He proclaimed salvation to those with whom nobody else would spend time.
Even for Him, though, there were limits. In Matthew 7:6 He advises, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."
The Son of Man who had "nowhere to lay His head" still felt the need to give Himself space, to put a distance between Himself and time-wasters. We are right to protect our own interests. Even so, we should be on the lookout for someone, at least, who is by-passed in society yet who can benefit from a kind deed or a thoughtful word from us as Christians.
It is the same with the telephone. More often than not, when it rings, my space is being invaded by some stranger trying to get me to sign up for something. I find myself picking up the receiver in a wary and apprehensive frame of mind.
Yet with this mindset there comes a sense of guilt. As a church pastor, am I not supposed to be open to all types of people? Folk expect hermits and oddballs to pull up the drawbridge when someone approaches, but surely not a minister of a church!
To quote the catchphrase from an outreach campaign in time past, "What would Jesus do?" He certainly gained a reputation for approaching social misfits whom others shied away from. Centuries-old taboos around lepers, non-Jews and tax-gatherers meant nothing to Him. He proclaimed salvation to those with whom nobody else would spend time.
Even for Him, though, there were limits. In Matthew 7:6 He advises, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."
The Son of Man who had "nowhere to lay His head" still felt the need to give Himself space, to put a distance between Himself and time-wasters. We are right to protect our own interests. Even so, we should be on the lookout for someone, at least, who is by-passed in society yet who can benefit from a kind deed or a thoughtful word from us as Christians.
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