Forgiveness that never runs out

 Psalm 85:1–13 (ESV):  

1  Lord, you were favourable to your land; 

you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 

 2  You forgave the iniquity of your people; 

you covered all their sin. Selah 

 3  You withdrew all your wrath; 

you turned from your hot anger. 

 4  Restore us again, O God of our salvation, 

and put away your indignation toward us! 

 5  Will you be angry with us forever? 

Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 

 6  Will you not revive us again, 

that your people may rejoice in you? 

 7  Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, 

and grant us your salvation. 

 8  Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, 

for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; 

but let them not turn back to folly. 

 9  Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, 

that glory may dwell in our land. 

 10  Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; 

righteousness and peace kiss each other. 

 11  Faithfulness springs up from the ground, 

and righteousness looks down from the sky. 

 12  Yes, the Lord will give what is good, 

and our land will yield its increase. 

 13  Righteousness will go before him 

and make his footsteps a way. 

God not only provides one off salvation, but also offers forgivness and restoration to those who are His people but have gone astray, been disobedient and sinned. The sons of Korah recognise that God forgives completely. All sin is covered by Him, He leaves none left. Yet, our memories and behaviours do not always reflect this. We can still walk around as sinful people, or wearing the shame of a sinful past. Neither of these are necessary for this is known of God, ‘You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.’

However, it takes time for you and I to walk free from some things. There are some wrongdoings or habits in our lives which we know God would want us to be rid of, but we have to put in some personal, painful effort to overcome them. It can hurt and be hard work to strive for freedom from sin. I am sure that this is why the psalmists say, ‘Let me hear what God the Lord will speak’. To overcome sin, wrongdoing and bad habits we all need encouragement, comfort, support and strength. Listening to God gives you that. I imagine this phrase was said pleading or in desperation, ‘Let me hear what God the Lord will speak’! When the desires of the flesh seem powerful and the voices of others tempting, ‘Let me hear what God the Lord will speak’! It is easy to hear what we want, what others say and to feel the cravings of the body, they can be consuming. So it is of great importance at those times to seek God’s voice by exercising discipline and taking time to hear Him. You may hear God speak through; recalling scripture, or reading it, praying, worshipping, speaking with a fellow believer or by being still. Just ensure that you position yourself so that you hear God’s voice during the difficulty. 

When you know you need to walk free from something you need God’s support. It takes a lot of strength to break habits, addictions and sin. Yet you are not on your own in this strive for freedom. God wants to to speak to you and encourage you plus He has restored and forgiven you already and He will revive you again. So approach Him about what is going on, ask for His forgiveness and for His strength. Let God speak to you, ‘for he will speak peace to his people’. In the midst of trial and temptation, how much do you need that peace?! The Holy Spirit can provide what you need, you just need to ask God to help you. You cannot break free of these things effectively in your own strength. It is a physical and a spiritual battle so you need God to help you. His is for salvation and restoration and He promises that, ’the Lord will give what is good’. Even if you keep failing in the endeavour for freedom, you can continue to ask God for forgiveness and freedom for He wants good for you, so keep persevering. God’s forgiveness and goodness never run out, even though it might seem like a long, painful journey to freedom. The battle may be long, but how long is it in comparison to God’s salvation and steadfast love that last for eternity?! 

Repentance and forgiveness are free and everlasting, keep reminding yourself of that. The great and marvellous truth is that God, ‘forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. You withdrew all your wrath’. ALL sin, ALL wrath is covered by the blood of Jesus. Past, present, future and repetitive sin are dealt with by the sacrifice of Jesus. You are not good enough or strong enough to get through these things alone, but God is. So trust Him to equip you in overcoming habits, addiction and sin. Let God speak His peace to you, and allow yourself to accept His forgiveness and restoration.

As this psalm acknowledges, God has dealt with sin once and for all, forever. I know that we all get caught in sin, addictions and unhelpful and unholy habits. This is an age old problem, the Israelites in the Old Testament recognised it, and Paul puts it so well in the New Testament, ‘I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 1 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.’ (Romans 7:19-19) Paul goes onto say that with our minds we can know the law of God and desire to follow it, but our bodies have sinful desires that we are battling against. He cries out, ‘Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!’ It is a real battle within yourself that you need to keep on fighting. People throughout time have had the same difficulties. So instead of concerning yourself with your wretchedness, think about Jesus, the peace and goodness of God, and imagine the glory and the relief when one day this battle is ended as you’ve become free! Paul’s advice is, ‘to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace’ (Romans 8:6). This is not to say you should deny or ignore the fact that what you are doing is wrong - of course you should, you should repent and thank God for forgiveness and the strength to continue the battle. What Paul is saying though, is that you should spend less time worrying or ashamed about what you are doing wrong, and spend more time thinking about God - set your mind right. Think about what the Spirit of God has already changed within you, read the Word to see what else He can do. Put yourself in situations where you can, ‘hear what God the Lord will speak’ for ‘surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him’. Therefore when facing a stronghold in your life, grow in your understanding of the greatness of God, spend more time thinking about Him and His greatness than you do about the hardship. Pay attention to and focus on the goodness and grace of God, ‘set your mind’. You get to choose what you think about, so are you consumed with thoughts about sin, or thoughts about the enormity, love, grace, joy and forgiveness of God? 

Do not let situations dictate your faith, but let your faith dictate how you handle any situation!

 Psalm 43:1–5 (ESV): 

1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause 

against an ungodly people, 

from the deceitful and unjust man 

deliver me! 

2  For you are the God in whom I take refuge; 

why have you rejected me? 

Why do I go about mourning 

because of the oppression of the enemy? 

3  Send out your light and your truth; 

let them lead me; 

let them bring me to your holy hill 

and to your dwelling! 

4  Then I will go to the altar of God, 

to God my exceeding joy, 

and I will praise you with the lyre, 

O God, my God. 

5  Why are you cast down, O my soul, 

and why are you in turmoil within me? 

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, 

my salvation and my God. 

This psalm is rather similar to the previous one and ends with exactly the same verse therefore it is reasonable to assume that they have the same author, most probably David. As both of these psalms also reference sorrow, harassment and a desire to be in God’s presence it makes sense for them both to be attributed to the same circumstances and author.

As mentioned, this psalmist is suffering. Due to this they have considered their predicament, evaluating his own heart and actions in the process and wondered if he has erred or sinned.  After examining himself, he clearly finds nothing deserving of discipline or punishment and so his first words of this psalm are 'vindicate me'. Only someone who is innocent can be vindicated as this word means to prove righteousness, and so the author must have reason to be assured of their integrity and innocence. Yet what this person is experiencing right now seems punishment. Have you ever encountered a time when you have felt unfairly treated? Or when you are punished for something you haven't done? It is easy in those times to fight back and become adamant and indignant in your self-righteousness, and who can blame you? It is unjust and unfair. However this writer, although he knows he does not deserve this discomfort and pain, he calls upon God to support and clear his name. He does not blame God or take matters into his own hands, but trusts and relies on God to, 'defend my cause'. This in itself must have been painful! To not retaliate, to not fight his own corner, the internal conflict is real. Instead this psalmist has considered and concluded that this battle is not his, but God's. As a man of God who has done his best to live right, he calls upon God to vindicate and rescue him. The author knows that God can work out things better than he can. They know God can give; vindication, refuge, rescue, restoration, joy, truth, guidance, hope and salvation. What could they do that would offer a better result?! When you are caught in a battle, or in a situation in which you are an innocent suffering party, assess your own actions first, then know and trust can and will vindicate and defend you too. If you need; refuge, rescue, salvation, joy, truth, guidance and hope, you can call upon and trust in Him to redeem the situation in a way that cannot be achieved any other way, and it is worth waiting for. 

It is horrible to have to go through and endure these things, this psalmist understands, and seems to be reminding himself that he is alright with God and can rely on him even when he is surrounded by difficulty, feels stuck and ‘cast down’. Have you ever felt like that? If so, then you, like this writer, probably need to remind yourself of the truth of who God is and what He can do.

Difficult times can cloud over your heart and mind and cause you to start to believe in the lies and disaster around you rather than continuing to hope in God. Once you start to remember the truth of who you are and who God is as well as what you can expect from Him - you have already won! Changing your mindset is half the battle. This psalmist has begun to walk in victory already by trusting in the character and nature of God. You have the opportunity to do the same when you meet trials. When circumstances can no longer dictate your mental or emotional state. and you learn to depend on and honour God no matter what, you are victorious! You are just waiting for the final triumph and vindication to come, for restoration to arrive and light and truth to reveal the reality. You are already victorious and vindicated so you can live with that mindset even as suffer. During the tough times continue to praise and honour God. Be inspired to hope when everything feels oppressive, disastrous and difficult. Remember who you are to God, and who He is and what He has done already. 

You have God on your side even if everyone else around you abandons you or turns against you. You can, along with David encourage yourself to, ‘Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God’. Do not let situations dictate your faith, but let your faith dictate how you handle any situation!

Dealing with hypocrisy

 Psalm 41:1–13 (ESV):  

1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! 

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 

2  the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; 

he is called blessed in the land; 

you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 

3  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; 

in his illness you restore him to full health. 

4  As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; 

heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 

5  My enemies say of me in malice, 

“When will he die, and his name perish?” 

6  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, 

while his heart gathers iniquity; 

when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 

7  All who hate me whisper together about me; 

they imagine the worst for me. 

8  They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; 

he will not rise again from where he lies.” 

9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, 

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 

10  But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, 

and raise me up, that I may repay them! 

11  By this I know that you delight in me: 

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 

12  But you have upheld me because of my integrity, 

and set me in your presence forever. 

13  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, 

from everlasting to everlasting! 

Amen and Amen. 

In these verses we see how David starts generically talking about how God blesses, ‘the one who considers the poor’. He then applies this to his life and realises that considering those that have less or are weaker than yourself somehow leads to God’s blessing. Showing mercy, being courteous, kind and demonstrating compassion to those who need it means that in some way you earn God’s favour. If you do it with the right motives of course, as God sees the heart and intention of your actions. 

David then considers how this relates to his present position. He recognises that although he is very ill, yet, ‘The Lord sustains him’. Not only that, but he is aware that God is also; restoring him, has given him favour throughout his country, has not given up on him or given him over to his enemies. David acknowledges that despite the current pain and suffering, he is still blessed! God is still showing favour to him and David puts this down to the fact that he has shown kindness and compassion to those who are poor and needy, and has done his best to be a man of integrity living his life following God. David considers himself blessed even at this time when he is significantly ill and repentant. He is waiting for, yet assured of, the fact that God will restore him both physically and spiritually, because although he knows he is not perfect, he has lived his life doing his best to honour God and consider others. 

This season was not easy for David. Although he was assured of God’s blessing and mercy, he still had to endure the discomfort physically, spiritually and emotionally. It still hurt, he still suffered. David tells us that there are people that are visiting him that are awaiting his death and spreading news of his demise. Those that should have shown concern for his current illness are actually gathering to see if it will finish him off and then spreading rumours of his decline. Yet David knew that he was being healed and restored. Therefore there must have been signs of improvement but these people chose not to see it and certainly did not want it. These people, even close friends, went to see him pretending to have concern and compassion, but instead of trying to help or hope for his recovery they spread false rumours that, ‘he will not rise again’. These people weren’t just any visitors either for they have intimate access to the king. So they must have been trusted advisers, friends, courtiers, influential people in David’s realm. Not everyone would have access to the chambers of the king especially when he was weak, only significant people in the king's life would have the permission to see him. Yet these people abused their privilege and showed their real character through this time of David’s suffering. They revealed that they are not friends or trusted counsellors but enemies instead of caring for David and showing concern for his decline they revelled in it. What a heartbreaking situation to find yourself in. When those you care about, trust, love and have built life with, root for your destruction. Not only was David dealing with repentance, blessing and illness, he also had to deal with the emotional upheaval of changing relationships. They thought he would be able to do nothing about their altered attitudes as they waited expectantly for his death. Yet he knew their thoughts and actions and was given confidence that, ‘my enemy will not shout in triumph over me’. God must have shown David that his recovery was coming as he knew he was not as unwell as others desired. He was certain that God was upholding him because of his integrity, due to his behaviour towards God and others so he was assured that this season would result in full health and restoration and the blessing of God.

Times of trouble can reveal who is really for you and who is not. David began to recognise that some people were hypocritical and had transformed themselves from close counsellors into enemies. Yet he did not do anything about it whilst he was unwell. He waited. He did not throw them out or prevent them from coming to see him. Maybe he was waiting to gather further evidence to see if his concerns were validated. He did not react out of fear or anger, but knew that God would deal with them and that he would have an opportunity to, ‘repay them’. He had a God-given assurance that in good time, all would be made right. Even though experiencing hypocrisy is infuriating, it does not always need calling out and confronting straight away. Allow yourself time to consider the circumstances, the person and talk to God about it like David did. It will be frustrating, feel powerless and painful, but God will show you how to deal with such people. Their comeuppance is coming, you need to ensure that you continue to live with integrity and maintain your own good conduct and character. David was determined to do this - to maintain his right standing before God, to not respond until he was fully recovered and to allow God to influence how to deal with these deceitful people. So if you find yourself having to deal with a similar situation, do not rush to react or let your emotions get out of hand. Instead trust that God will reveal truth and restore you. He will not allow the enemies of His dedicated followers prevail. He didn’t allow that for David, and He won’t allow that for you. So, keep; praying, waiting and trusting that God sees and knows all. He will sustain and restore you too. So, when you suffer, when you have times of trial, when people disappoint and come against you - keep mindful about what God is doing, who He is and what you can expect of Him. Consider your relationship with Him and your behaviour towards others. David was confident that he would be restored and his name and integrity upheld. God will do the same for you as you continue to walk with Him, lead a life of integrity and care for the poor. Ensure that you live a life that allows you with full confidence to say along with David that God has, 'upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Beating pride

 Psalm 30:1–12 (ESV):  

1  I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up 

and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 

2  O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, 

and you have healed me. 

3  O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; 

you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 

4  Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, 

and give thanks to his holy name. 

5  For his anger is but for a moment, 

and his favour is for a lifetime. 

Weeping may tarry for the night, 

but joy comes with the morning. 

6  As for me, I said in my prosperity, 

“I shall never be moved.” 

7  By your favour, O Lord, 

you made my mountain stand strong; 

you hid your face; 

I was dismayed. 

8  To you, O Lord, I cry, 

and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 

9  “What profit is there in my death, 

if I go down to the pit? 

Will the dust praise you? 

Will it tell of your faithfulness? 

10  Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! 

O Lord, be my helper!” 

11  You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; 

you have loosed my sackcloth 

and clothed me with gladness, 

12  that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. 

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! 

This psalm of David’s tells of a time of great restoration. He was very unwell at one point of his life, so much so that people were preparing for his death. He himself thought he was going to die and his enemies were enjoying watching his demise. Yet, God brought David back from the brink of life to be restored, healed and forgiven. 

David acknowledges that the reason God brought him so low was because he had become too self and worldly-reliant. He had thought, “I shall never be moved” - nothing can touch me, I am doing well, life is good and nothing can change that. He had begun to feel proud of his achievements and wealth and felt secure in those things. Each of us can be guilty of the same thing, can't we? Being satisfied in oneself and your accomplishments without recognising that it is all due to God’s favour, is pride. Pride is dangerous as you can become self-reliant, over-confident and selfish. A proud person is not good in community and takes glory and honour away from God. All of us have to overcome pride, no-one is immune to it. Maybe it’s pride in; achievements, monetary gain, wisdom, family, heritage or renown. Whatever you have the propensity to be proud in - WATCH OUT! Proverbs rightly says that pride comes before a fall. David’s story in this psalm is proof of that, and I am sure you can recount stories of others who took their eyes off of God, became confident in other things and have paid a hefty price for it. 

Honour and blessings are great and can come from other places than God. When this happens this can cause a mindset of self-sufficiency and self-worth to build that takes the focus off of God and what He has done. When this happens people fall disgracefully. David found that as he prospered his mindset shifted from one of total dependence and reliance on God to feeling like he could rely upon the power, responsibility, influence and wealth that he had built. He came to trust in himself, his role, and his stuff. So a time of terrible, degrading illness came to remind him who really was in charge. 

 By your favour, O Lord, 

you made my mountain stand strong; 

you hid your face; 

I was dismayed. 

In order for David to realise that God was the source of all he had, and who really is worthy of glory, honour and trust, God, 'hid' His face. God turned away. Why? Because how can you teach, influence or even bless someone that has become proud? It can feel like hitting your head against a brick wall. Sometimes the best help you can give is give them space so that they realise absence feels like. That's what God did with David, and what He may do to you if you get caught in the same spiral. God wants to give you favour, but if you deny Him and start to believe in your own power, authority and gifting how can He? You need to remember who is the one who has built these things into your life and who should be honoured and thanked for them. 

Thankfully, you can always repent and turn back to God when you realise that you've become trapped in self-sufficiency and self-worth, where pride has taken control. David repented and was miraculously restored both physically and spiritually as, ‘his anger is but for a moment, and his favour is for a lifetime.’ When you acknowledge that you have fallen into the sin of pride, and want to be free of it, you can be forgiven and restored. God only remains angry for a little while, but His favour and blessing can last the rest of your life! You just need to turn back to Him, acknowledge where you've gone wrong and accept His forgiveness. It doesn't even matter if you keep getting the same thing wrong, and it seems to take you a while to learn often making the same mistakes. God does not remain angry with a repentant heart. His desire is to have a relationship with you, to be your father and pour out his lavish love and gifts upon you so that you can enjoy them and use them to glorify Him. So at your next success, honour, encouragement, promotion and blessing remember to be grateful to God. Remember who has helped you get there and give honour to God for it. This will save you from pride and ensure that you're living in His favour for the rest of your lifetime!

The Life

6*Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6.

Jesus is the Life. Life is an interesting word to define, even dictionaries seem to struggle with it. Some simply explaining that it is the period between birth and death, others describe it as a quality that makes things different to inanimate objects. The most scientific meaning tells us that life is the ability of an organism to metabolise, grow, reproduce and respond to stimuli. This is the dictionary definition of what life is, but, is that ALL that life is? 

Is that really the 'life' that Jesus is talking about here? Jesus says he IS 'the life", surely we could all say we have life if it is simply the act of being alive? So clearly Jesus must be speaking about something more to existence than metabolising or not being dead yet. Life has more to it than our next breath, the next heartbeat or reflexive response. It has more depth, more purpose, more adventure and this can be found when we take up Jesus’ offer of life. Jesus is inviting us into an existence where we truly live through understanding that he is the life that has freed us from the death we deserve due to sin.

As we read these verses we need to remember that Jesus was speaking to his disciples, we read them as a record of conversation. So in this passage, Jesus is talking to people who already have the dictionary definition of life. Therefore he is not just saying he is giving them that, Jesus was speaking to people who were already alive, so he must be offering them something more to life than they can experience without him in it. Later on in the same book of John we read that Jesus promised,’I have come that you may have life in all its fullness’. (John 10:10). The fullness of life is what Jesus offers. Not just having breath and the basic functions of life, but ‘fullness’. 

Are you living a, ‘life in all its fullness’? Not a life that is just full; full of stuff, things, events, people, duties, work, but a ‘life in all its fullness’? 

The life Jesus gives us has a sense of completeness and satisfaction, not of striving or constant discontent. One that has enough whether in wealth or poverty, a; contented, secure, growing and developing life. A life that has more to base its trust on than the; current economic climate, weather, people or job security. The life Jesus offers is an invitation to discover what your existence is about, your identity and purpose. A life in all its fullness is a life that is full because Jesus is in it and that is your confidence. Is this your experience? 

A life in all its fullness begins when you accept that Jesus is offering you a new life by being restored to God. Putting God first In your existence means that you can really live. Jesus demonstrated what being the 'life' was. He showed the way and the truth of life lived with God. His life was certainly full! Most of the things we read and know about Jesus happened in a short period of 3 years - the stories and teaching we can still hear and read about show that Jesus certainly had an adventure when his ministry began! He lived and demonstrated 'the life'. Jesus lived with a God first mentality, and he invites you to do the same. It is through Jesus that you can really live as a child restored to God the Father strengthened by the Holy Spirit. If you are not sure what that life involves then i encourage you to read about Jesus - see what his Earthly existence was like, what his character showed and what he taught. He knows life is more than being not dead, it has purpose, it has love and it can be full. Do you know that kind of life?

The Way

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. *2*In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? *3*And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. *4*And you know the way to where I am going.” *5*Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” *6*Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:1–6.

Jesus is ‘the way’. 

The way. This implies there is only one way, a particular one. There are not a multitude of ways or directions one can go, just one, in order to reach God. That way is Jesus. Jesus is the direction, the path to follow, the way to travel. It is like he is a giant signpost revealing the direction to travel in, and he models and demonstrates that way throughout his existence.

So, if Jesus is 'the way' -Where is he going?

Jesus is showing us the way to the Father - the way to be restored to God. Sin, wrongdoing, our own selfishness have all resulted in a broken relationship between us and God. Jesus came to reveal that there is a way in which that relationship can be restored, and that there are not lots of solutions; only one. There are no other routes to reconciliation with God. 

Only one person could have created the way for us to find the path to relationship again, and that is God’s own son, Jesus. Before him there was no pathway or free access to God. Jesus created an avenue for us to follow because only he could. He, as the perfect, faultless, sin-free, holy lamb of God sacrificed himself on the altar of sin so that all sin can finally be atoned for for all time. No-one else could have done that - only the set apart sinless son of God could. We cannot get in favour with God any other way. No matter how good you try to be, how generous and kind and self-sacrificial you are - it is still not enough. No amount of 'niceness' makes up for all the wrong. 

Sin deserves death - that's the only way to completely get rid of it, so that is what Jesus did. He took all sin upon himself and killed it. That was the only way. That is the only path to obliterating sin from our lives, by killing it. We have to do nothing more than accept that Jesus has done that for us. That is why he is 'the way' because he removed the barrier of sin between us and God, and now provides a pathway to Him. Jesus became the way out and the way to something else. 

If you follow Jesus today, then he will take you through forgiveness, past guilt and shame, and show you the Father. The more you get to know Jesus, the more you will know God. You can have access to heaven and a relationship with God that you don’t deserve, because Jesus has made a path to Him. 

This is the way made known to us (v4). Are you following it? Or are you going in your own direction? Any other way will not lead to God. So, if it doesn’t lead to God, where is it going? You can decide today which path you want to follow. 

Jesus showed us what going his was was like. It was not easy, but it did result in a loving, dependent relationship with the Father. Will you follow his way? 

Forgiveness and Restoration

As we have been reading through Daniel, we have seen how Nebuchadnezzar (the king of Babylon) has; conquered nations, acted in anger, been disturbed by dreams and had a period of mental illness. A lot has happened. A lot that he has been in control of, even the orchestrator of, and for the latter part, a significant period where he was not in control, not even of himself. 

That period of time has been reviewed in Chapter 4, and the consequences of that time are recorded at the end of the passage:

34*At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honoured him who lives forever, 

    for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, 

            and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 

    35*all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, 

            and he does according to his will among the host of heaven 

            and among the inhabitants of the earth; 

    and none can stay his hand 

            or say to him, “What have you done?” 

*36*At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendour returned to me. My counsellors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. *37*Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. 

Daniel 4:34–37.

These verses talk about the restoration of both Nebuchadnezzar, and the kingdom. Both have returned to their previous state with him as king, but clearly he is fundamentally changed. He now knows there's a king greater than himself, he now sees that he was walking in pride and self-sufficiency, and now realises that life isn't all about him.

Yet, as we read, we see that the scripture seems to have skipped over the, ‘seven periods of time’ that Nebuchadnezzar was without ‘reason’. It is mentioned, but there is no detail about what occurred for the nation during that period - it must have been quite a scary and unsettling time for a secure, conquering nation such as Babylon. Prior to this they were triumphant, capable and strong with a leader whom they held in high esteem. Then one day, this king became incapable of leading the nation, even leading himself, he started to act in strange ways, living with the beasts and without reason. That must have really rocked the stability of the leaders, the nation - the shock of seeing their king incapacitated for an undeterminable period of time. 

Then, it seems as suddenly as he lost his reason, Nebuchadnezzar is found to be in his right mind. His ‘reason returned’, so his leaders invite him back into his kingly role. This surprises me. It would have been known what had happened with Nebuchadnezzar, surely. The leaders and counsellors would certainly have been aware of the insanity of the king - fallen from glory, humbled to the level of the ‘beasts'. Yet, once they see he is returned to his right mind, they seek him to become leader again, they want him elevated again to his kingly role. What a demonstration of forgiveness and restoration! 

Not something the Babylonians are famous for, but the people give Nebuchadnezzar another chance. The lords and counsellors clearly still trusted in him and wanted him to lead even though they had experienced his downfall. 

What a lovely picture of hope that can give us - When we mess up, when we make mistakes, even when ignore what we know we should do, and turn our backs to God - there is hope of restoration. There is hope of forgiveness and purpose, even of regaining what we have lost through our own fault, our own ignorance, our own disobedience. If we, like Nebuchadnezzar, lift our eyes to heaven, bless, praise and honour the Most High, then we too can experience that hope, that forgiveness and restoration. 

God loves to give us a second chance, even a third or fourth …etc... maybe you need to hear that today, and give yourself another chance to get it right. Or, maybe there’s someone else or some others you need to give another chance. Like the people did for Nebuchadnezzar - they even sought to give him another opportunity. It must have been difficult when they had been hurt and let down, but they demonstrated forgiveness and restored him to his original status. 

It is an example of how God forgives and restores us too. When we lift our eyes to see Jesus on that cross, dying for all that we have ever done to turn our backs on God, we can know complete forgiveness, restoration and hope. 

Restored relationship

 they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. *9*But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” *10*And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” *11*He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” *12*The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” *13*Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” 

Genesis 3:8-13

This section of scripture shows us that God knows. 

If there’s anything you’ve done in secret, God has seen it. That should give you comfort if you are secretly serving, giving and praying or doing something good. God sees it, He knows what you’ve been up to.

If there are things you know you shouldn’t be doing, God also sees it. But don’t despair, because read on to see how God handles it.

Adam and Eve know they’ve done something they shouldn’t have, and God knows they’ve done wrong, yet, even though some may have you believe that God is fierce and harsh God; He doesn’t rant, He doesn’t rain down fire or pour out punishment, what does He do? God asks questions.

God knows they are not positioned as they usually are to meet Him, so He simply asks them, “where are you?” God knows, but He is still inviting them both to come and meet Him, God continues to desire their presence, did you notice that? These first people He made stuffed up, yet He still wants to see them, it is the same for you.

Once Adam answered, God could tell the man wasn’t feeling right about himself, Adam knew that something had changed in the relationship and he wasn’t committable about it, and certainly not comfortable about approaching God with his wrongdoing (nothing much has changed in the last few thousand years has it?!). 

God also realised that what Adam told Him was not the whole story, so God then made it clear that He knew the problem and gave Adam the chance to confess it. God is doing the same for you. He cares more about you and His relationship between you than the sin you get caught up in.

God still wants to be close to you if you’ve done something you know you shouldn’t, He still wants to enjoy the relationship you have. He won’t hurt you, but He will desire for you to clean up your mess. He wants you to admit there’s a problem, not hear a load of excuses. Are you ready to be honest with yourself and God? 

God will ask you what you have done, are you ready to answer Him? 

There may well be consequences, but ultimately God wants to restore you to Himself so that you can hang out again. That’s the whole reason Jesus lived, died and rose again. It was all about that relationship being made right. 

If you know your relationship with God is not in a good place, take a bit of time today to figure out why. Is there something you’ve done or not done that needs sorting out? You need to admit it to yourself and God, why? Well, don’t you want to be invited to walk with God? Don’t you want to be free from the secret sin and the guilt and shame?

Today is a new opportunity to walk with God in the garden, there may be some hard conversation to be had, but you can be restored.

Law v Jesus

In the 7th chapter of Hebrews, we are told that The Law is, ‘set aside because of it’s weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.’ (Verses 18-19) What do you make of that?

This is key for christianity; that the Law - the set of instructions from God that the Jews worked hard to live by - is here referred to as weak, useless and set aside.

To understand the relevance and impact of this, we first need to realise the purpose of The Law.
The Law is an extensive set of instructions given to the Israelites as a standard of perfection that they were to aim to live by in order to make themselves right and acceptable before God. It gives clear guidance about everyday life and sets a clear standard. By doing so it shows the many ways in which we all can offend God and separate ourselves from Him. Even in ways that we have no control over.
The Law also makes clear that we need to make amends for these offences and how we can do that.  Every human being that’s ever lived has done something offensive to God - that's why we needed The Law - to show us what was wrong, and how, eventhough we are separating ourselves from God in a  myriad of ways, God still yearns for a positive relationship with us. God doesn't want us to be separate from Him, yet we are.
This is the problem.
So, God made a way for mankind to be able to seek and enter His presence -  He put together The Law and gave it to us. The Law reminds us not only of the awesomeness of God, how holy and pure He is, but also the standard required by Him. We, then sadly see ourselves in stark contrast to that.
When we read The Law, it doesn't take long to realise that it seems unattainable. Due to our imperfections and sin, it is so easy to see how we do not measure up. We can never be fully righteous according to The Law - there is always the necessity for some restitution requiring an offering to be made, and not a one time offering either, the sacrifices and offerings required are continuous. Every time something comes along to remove us from God's perfect standard, another sacrifice is needed.

Yet, The Law did provide a way to get closer to God.
It gave us a standard to live up to, a manner in which to repent of our wrongs, a way in which to show worship and gratitude to God,  but it never completely made up for our iniquities. There was always the need for more sacrifice. Every time we sin, another sacrifice is required, every time we become impure, another offering needed.
The Law, as incredibly prescriptive and clear as it is, still does not allow us to obtain full perfection or full restoration with God. It does supply a temporary fix, but the offerings need to be repeatedly given and the rules constantly obeyed. Even then, humanity could still not attain complete perfection or holiness.

Therefore the Law is weak and useless.

It cannot repair what we have broken, it cannot put together God and mankind as they were intentioned to be at the beginning of creation. Therefore, even in it’s complexity and thoroughness, the Law is weak. The Law is useless at providing an eternal solution to the problem of sin separating us from the holiness of God.

Thank God for Jesus!

Now, because of the perfect son, the perfect, holy, and pure sacrifice of Jesus, we can realise that, ‘a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.’

Wow!

We now can, ‘draw near to God’.

All because of Jesus!!

The Law no longer has the power to separate us from God. When we put our hope and trust in Jesus; perfect, pure, Jesus, who offered his own life as the unblemished, holy sacrifice to atone for all of our weakness and sin; He makes a way for us to be made perfect in the eyes of God. He has restored the relationship between us and God forever. Nothing can diminish or destroy what Jesus has done. Jesus sacrifice is the once and for all sacrifice that was needed. Jesus has achieved what we, and The Law could never attain - He has brought about the hope that we can draw near to God!

Sceptre of Acceptance

When the king held out the golden sceptre to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king.
Esther 8:4.

The king holds out the golden sceptre to Esther again. He held it out so that Esther could regain her standing and rediscover who she was. Our King, the Lord our God also holds out the golden sceptre to you. Do you need to rediscover who you are? or recognise your ability to stand and be accepted by the King?

This Christmas, if you have found that you have lost a sense of self, feel weighed down or burdened, then reach out to the King, He has already reached out to you, all you need fo is accept the golden sceptre that is held out to you.
The king has His sceptre ready, He is prepared, He is ready to invite you into a deeper relationship with Himself, there is acceptance and forgiveness readily available to you, what are you going to do about it?

God, the King of all Kings, has already handed out His golden sceptre. He is waiting for you to accept it. God's sceptre was not some consecrated, bejewelled object, but came in the shape of a baby. God's son, Jesus was delivered to us one night in Bethlehem, born into filth, to exhausted parents in a dismal cave. He grew up amidst turmoil, in an average religious family, running away from persecution. God allowed His own son to do this, do you know why? Because He thinks you are worth it. This was God's demonstration of His wholehearted love for you. He sent His sceptre, in the form of a vulnerable baby, to live, love and grow into the man we know as Jesus. Jesus accepted all who approached him. God desires a relationship with us, that's the only reason for Jesus Christ liven and dying on Earth.

God’s stretching out of his hand with the sceptre was not merely the lifting of an object, but the gift of Himself. It required more effort, more love, more understanding than lifting a special stick. God’s offering, God’s stretching out of His hand is bigger, greater, more long-lasting than any other action of any other king, and He only did it because of YOU.

His power as a sceptre of acceptance is not a one time wonder. It is a gift to be received every day of your life. You need no appointment, no special clothing or attitude, just the willingness to bow down and recognise the mess of your own life without God in it. God has already reached out to you, are you going to reach back to Him?

If you accept the sceptre this Christmas, it will be the greatest gift you ever receive.
Jesus did come as a baby, He did live, He did die. He did it all for you, so that you could know God;s hand of acceptance stretched out to you - are you willing to take it?

Dealing with the fallout

After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 
 Esther 2:1

The problem with responding in anger is that you often regret your decision afterwards. The king clearly regrets his, yet he knows there’s no going back. Even if the king had wanted to return to his relationship with Vashti, and was able to overcome the new laws and his own pride, would Vashti have accepted?

Highly-charged emotional reactions, whether made in excitement or anger, effect more than our own lives, they effect relationships and possibly the choices we have in the future. It’s not only that, but everyone touched by our decisions has to bear the consequences and you can never truly go back to how things were before. Once words are spoken they cannot be unsaid and actions taken cannot be undone. That’s what Ahasuerus was finding out. It takes but a moment to break a relationship and it can take years to restore one, maybe even a lifetime.

Even if you are forgiven and never discuss the event again, the pain and memory still exist and trust has been damaged, sadly there’s no rewind button in life where you can just redo the scene again.

In this situation with Ahasuerus and Vashti, things are too far gone to be repaired. She has been banished from his presence, so even if they wanted to, they cannot get back together and work things out. It is sad isn’t it. There are ways to avoid this happening for yourself, ways to avoid the loneliness and the fallout, is there a change you need to make today? Is there a relationship in your life that needs restoration? Is there someone you need to forgive? And if you’re not sure how to get started, pray.

Prosperity and Adversity

'In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.' 
Ecclesiastes 7:14.

Solomon seems to like to make comparisons with opposing ideas. We have had death and life, mourning and celebration, now we have prosperity and adversity. Times of celebration and success versus times of trouble and struggle.

Solomon points out that prosperity and adversity BOTH come from God. We don’t really like to think of it like that do we? We quite happily accept that prosperity - all the good things, come from God, but adversity, all the bad things, too? God is good, right? So why would He allow the struggle and strife?

How do you feel about the fact that God brings success and calamity? Prosperity AND adversity?

We can see this demonstrated in the book of Job. Job, a faithful follower of God, devoted to Him even, suffers great calamity as his whole family dies, he loses all of his material possessions and then suffers physically too.
We see a conversation occurring about Job where the devil and God chat about him, and God gives permission for the devil to carry out these adverse times for Job. God has given authority for these things to happen. Why?
Why does God do that?

God ordains success and failure. He allows adversity as well as prosperity.
How does that fit with your perception of who God is?

Does your perception of God change whether you are in times of adversity or prosperity?
We tend to thank God for one and pray to get out of the other. We all want a relatively easy, happy and successful life.  We don’t want to suffer like Job, we don’t want to be alone, abandoned by friends, poor and hurting.
Yet, if you are, does it mean you have any less faith than anyone else? Does it mean that God has abandoned you? Doesn’t love or care for you?

The road to prosperity can often come through adversity.

How do we become prosperous? Is it by receiving the good things all the time? Getting our own way? Living the dream? Isn’t there some suffering that usually comes along before a breakthrough?

Well, let’s go back to Job, he had more than his fair share of adversity don’t you think? Yet, he held on, he kept his faith, I don’t know if I would of come through as assured of my own integrity and God’s existence as Job did. He truly held on to faith through the most appalling times. We can read the whole book in a matter of hours, but the whole season of life must of spanned years. Maybe you read this today and can relate to Job - years of strife and struggle with you holding on. If that is you - WELL DONE. You have achieved faith in greater measures than some of us will ever know. Like Job, you have endured and overcome great trials, and you have stuck with it.
Your time of prosperity will come - Job had all things restored in greater measure than he had before. God increased Job and his ministry because of his faithfulness. Yes, Job had a wobble and questioned God - he had a moan - who wouldn’t in that situation?! I admire Job. He endured, he questioned himself and his faith, yet he always knew the goodness of God was a reality. He grew in his understanding of who he was and who God is through it all. We know the end story of Job, but we don’t now the end story of our adversity. So, how will you handle it?
Will you hold on even if suffering lasts for years and you lose all you have? Will you trust in God even when He doesn’t seem to answer? Will you continue to believe in Him if God makes you go through it rather than escape it?

Times of prosperity are great, they are enjoyable and feel fulfilling, yet it’s the times of adversity that show the true colours of our character. There are areas in which we all need to grow and we know it, adversity is a great time to be stretched and grown even if we don’t like it. Adversity teaches us things, and can develop our faith if we set our heart to depend on God no matter what. Job did. He did not give up believing, he held firm and he was rewarded. Times of adversity can strengthen our faith, yes we have to persevere, we have to trust, we have to make the difficult decisions sometimes, but the end will be worth it for we DO serve a good God. He does want what s best for you, and sometimes that’s not having everything that you want. Sometimes that’s you being stretched, torn apart and rebuilt again. It’s painful, yet it is also a time of great richness. A richness of growth and dependence not on our own self, but on the One who sees the beginning and the end.

God brings prosperity and adversity, He knows what He is doing. We need prosperity, times of success, achievement and joy - we can turn our happiness into praise and gratitude, and we also need times of dependence and being at the end of ourselves otherwise what is our faith?

So in, ‘prosperity be joyful’ - appreciate the goodness, success, wealth given to you, be grateful for it and acknowledge it. It is nothing to be ashamed of, but it is to be enjoyed.
In, ‘adversity consider’ - contemplate the purpose of this time, your responsibility in it, what you should do. What part of your character is being reshaped right now? Is there something you are learning about yourself or God?