Many believers in our day are experiencing "dark days,"both because of the new political scene, which is also a view into the spiritual scene. When the world is darkest, greater is the need for "Light." Astronomers tell us that we can see 1096 stars in the night sky with the naked eye. Yet, in the morning, you can't see any of them. The brightness of the sun obscures the stars in the daytime. It is only when darkness falls that the stars are visible. Peter wrote to believers in a time of great darkness and persecution. Eventually, six million of them would be fed to lions, nailed to crosses, ignited as human torches, or boiled in oil. But Peter knew that the greater the darkness, the greater the light shiningfrom believers would be. When David was running for his life from Saul, he said in Ps.34, "I will bless the Lord at all times, His praises shall continually be on my lips, for I have tasted and seen in the midst of this difficulty that the Lord is good." Peter says, "What man is there that desires life? that he might see good days?" Who will love life and see good days? The world says the ones who live a problem-free life. The ones who avoid difficulty and adversity. But David says just the opposite. He says, "When you're wondering how you're going to make it, how you're going to pay the mortgage or the next bill or buy the next meal, or salvage that marriage, that it is in these times that God makes Himself most real to us.
David was trapped in Gath, acting like he was insane to avoid being killed by the Philistines. When we are trapped in Gath, we do much the same, feeling like maybe we are losing our minds. But it's when you are trapped in Gath that suddenly you will see God. It's in the day of difficulty that you are going to have the opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is good. We all know those who seem to be insulated from life's difficulties. They succeed in everything they try. They have good jobs, fat kids, large houses, new cars, and have everything one would want in this life, although they continually strive for more. Yet, the easier life is for them, the less real joy they have within. The challenge for them is not being bored, and this continually becomes more difficult because they are empty within. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee, O Lord." Peter says something shocking to our natural minds. In the midst of difficulties, suffeirng, and challenges, don't seek to fix the problem. Don't murmur, complain. You will find that you love life because God will meet you in your place of difficulty and that will be far more fulfilling than any type of fulfillment from this world. Choose to do good in hard times. Who can really harm you? The worst they can do is send you to heaven. You will be happy if you set your sights on heaven. The more chords that bind us to this earth that we can sever, the more we will be able to enjoy God. Good things are coming.
Psalms 108: As the foundation of the temple was being laid, the Jew's enemies were watching them. Like those early Jews, maybe you feel surrounded by the enemy of circumstances. But just as God was in control when the Jews laid the foundation for the temple, God is in control of our lives too. Vs. 13 says, "Through God we shall do valiently, for He will tread down our enemies." We can express our fears, doubts, questions. But in the end we can confidently say, "Lord, I know you will see me through." Heb.10:38; "The just shall live by faith. My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man's relationship with God, born of faith, and if he draws back and shrinks in FEAR, My soul has no pleasure in him." "Shrinking back". Not just talking about backsliding, but going back to depending on the OT sacrifices, the Law, our works. Thank God for His mercy. We don't have to feel like we have to "measure up" to some standard. That we have to be perfect. That's good because we never could. Or that we need to score enough points to earn God's favor, and that God is mad at us, disappointed with us, or is punishing us until we do. It's mercy, it's grace, which is our only hope of anything. A sign posted near a convent read, "ABSOLUTELY NO TRESPASSING. VIOLATERS WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW." --The Sisters of Mercy. But God's mercy is genuine. Thank God we won't be punished according to the Law--we'd be cooked. So don't "shrink back." Don't give in and go back to trying to earn God's favor. Don't "shrink back" and go back to your sin in discouragement. There is a great reward waiting for your faithfulness and steadfastness. A certain sheik in Saudi Arabia wanted to give his stockbroker a gift above and beyond her normal salary. She told him she couldn't accept it. But after much persistence she finally relented. When asked what she would like, she said, "I'm kind of getting into golf. If you want to get me a couple of clubs, that would be fine." The shiek came back a few months later and said, "I got you five clubs, but only four of them have pools and tennis courts. I hope that's okay." That which God has in store for us is far beyond any country club or gifts of this world. 1Cor.2:9; "But it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
Hebrews 10: Year after year the OT Jews brought their lambs for sacrifice to atone fortheir sins. But when Jesus came and sacrificed His life for our sins, once and for all, He said, "Do this in remembrance of Me." You don't have to remember your sin year afteryear, but remember Me, I've already paid the price. The devil loves to remind us of ourpast sins. But the Bible loves to remind us of God's mercy. It is still true with us today. We have a tendency to keep returning to our little sacrifices.How long did I pray today? How many verses in the Bible did I read? Then, when we can't keep our own standards and pledges, we feel like failures. That's why Jesus said, "I don't want you to remember your sins by a continual sacrifice; I want you to remember your salvation by continually rejoicing in it. Your sacrifices now are worth nothing. Do you feel like you're in a rut? Doing the same things day after day to please God? Then you're still under the old system, and like the priests of Old, your work is never done. I was raised in a false religion of legalism. You had to burn candles, it was mandatory to attend all services, you were continually fulfilling all the requirements of that religion, but it was never quite enough. Or you never knew how much was enough. Because when you're dependent on your own works, it never IS enough. Only the Blood is sufficient. Because the veil in the temple was torn open at Calvary, we can come into the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies stood the Ark of the Covenant. The Ten Commandments were there, which we had broken. Aaron's rod, budded in remembrance of a people who rebelled against God's leadership, was there. The pot of manna was there, that provded provision for the people who were continually grumbling about something. The Ark was a reminder of all our failures. But covering the Ark, hiding the broken Commandments, the rod of rebellion, and the manna of ungrateful unbelief, was the Mercy Seat. And so Jesus said to the Pharisees, who represented the Law and knew no mercy. "Go your way and learn of this that you might learn MERCY." He desires mercy, not sacrifice.
