WORSHIP

Dear friends, it is with profound enthusiasm that I approach this subject of worship. At the same time I realize that my enthusiasm far exceeds my ability; therefore, I have bowed low before the Spirit of God, deeply studied His Word, and referenced several commentaries. I feel that, as yet,  I have merely scratched the surface.

“In some form, worship is all but universal. Wherever on earth man is found there he presents to the Power above the offerings of his devotion. Doubtless there are cases without number in which worship has degenerated into mere superstition. Yet, where worship is at its best, it is one of the very highest manifestations and exercises of human nature. Much has been said by philosophers, by poets, by theologians, concerning the nature and the virtue of worship. But more light has been cast upon this subject by Jesus, in the few words recorded to have been spoken by Him to the poor Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar, than has been yielded from every other source. Few portions of our Lord’s discourses have been more quoted or more admired than this. But the world has still much to learn from these memorable sayings” (The Pulpit Commentary).

For a few weeks I have been focusing on the discourse of the ignorant, despicable, thirsty, Samaritan woman who sought for that which could assuage her thirst. Little did she realize her actual need. God did know and set up a series of events that would lead her to recovery.

I am so thankful that God has imparted wisdom to men (and women) to help us delve deeper.  The Pulpit Commentary has been my source for this meditation. (Ladies, I can’t impress enough the necessity of using a reputable commentary.)

The study of these thoughts from the Sychar experience focus on worship (cf. John 4: 5-24). Oh, how every woman of God needs to learn how to worship our Father in spirit and in truth!  The Word instructs us whom we are to worship, how we are to worship, when and where we are to worship, and why we are to worship.

Our portrait is not a pleasant one. We are poor, needy, helpless women, but we are the objects of God’s quest. To Him nothing is more precious than our souls. The Holy Spirit groans and longs to reach out to help us. Why don’t we find time to be in His Word so that He can teach us? Oh no, we will never merely find time. We have to ignite the discipline of making concentrated time.

It is hardly fair to make a need known without giving guidelines to help you in your study. That will be the touchstone of our next topics. In the meantime, please give time to think and pray about your involvement with the Lord and His Word covering the subject of worship -- to Whom, how, when, where, and why. He will teach you.

I have been spellbound by my study of Jesus’ and the Samaritan woman’s Sychar experience and so much want to share my study with you. Please pray for me as I delve into the riches of God’s gold mine.

Norma Whitcomb

JOY ~ Part 3

Joy is medicine to the heart, to the soul, and to the body. Joy is a “spa” to the physical and spiritual entities of life. Joy brings health and healing.

My morning Bible study for some time has been in the Book of Philippians -- and what a medicine it has been! My prayer is that you might take time to grasp the principles of joy that this treasure book provides. “If you master the truths in Philippians, you should be filled with joy as you live the Christian life,” suggests Warren Wiersbe.

The greatest joy killer is unbelief in God, in His Word, and in His promises. Peter provides the remedy. “(Jesus Christ) Whom , having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable” (1Pet.1:8). Thomas believed after he touched Christ’s resurrected body (John 20:29). Peter heard those words and now repeats them. That depth of faith brings joy because it gives confidence and assurance.  Have you ever thought that it would be more real if you could see Jesus, could touch Him, could hear Him speak? Probably. That brings us to the present joy of anticipation. Someday, by God’s time table! Glory!

What should we do until that day arrives? God’s inexhaustible gold mine gives us simple but not easy answers. As I turned the pages of my Bible the answer came. It is one that has carried me through many years. After my husband, Robert, unexpectedly died at the age of 43, I spent every opportunity that I could, searching Scripture to find answers and direction. I had two young sons to rear, a Master’s degree to complete, the responsibility to support three of us, and I was grieving the loss of the one dearest to me. God always gives answers to those who diligently, expectantly, and humbly seek. Phil. 3:13-14 was that direction.

Paul, who had the horrible memory of persecuting countless Christians did not live in his dispiteous past. He said, “ this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press [on].” In order to victoriously move on, grief could not be my focus. Grief could not consume me. But how could I forget eighteen years of marriage to the one with whom two sons were born, with whom eleven years were spent on the mission field (the fulfillment of our heart’s desire), the one whom I helped support through seminary, and so much more?

This is how I put Phil. 3:13,14 to work for me. I did not want and I could not possibly forget numerous day-by-day precious memories. I would treat them like a book to be put high up on a  shelf. To know that book was there was a comfortable feeling; however, I would not take it down and open its pages. There were numerous books to be read and profited by and enjoyed. But only the Word of God, the will of God, and the purposes of God would lead me step by step into the then unknown future. I  opened my heart, my mind, my will, and my focus on Jesus. I would move onward and upward with Him and for Him.  He has not failed.

“Lord, disperse my sin and sadness. Speak salvation to my heart.      
 Then I’ll serve with joy and gladness. Then I’ll show how good Thou art.”

JOY ~ Part 2

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). Thank you Lord! The 8th chapter of Nehemiah is extremely important because it tells of spiritual revival among God’s people through Ezra’s public reading of God’s Word. The people were weeping when they heard God’s laws and how far they had strayed from His instructions. Nehemiah, Ezra, scribes, and others told them they were to be filled with joy because the day was a holy day. This was to be a celebration day. They were to take their eyes off themselves, even their sinful selves, and think about God and about others. “‘This day is holy unto the Lord, your God’ ... Then Ezra said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared [those in need] for this day is a holy day unto the Lord. Neither be ye grieved; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’”

This instruction caused me to blink several times before I could accept it. Perhaps you are wondering as well. The people were right in taking the Word of God seriously. There is a proper time and place for everything. But the people were not to be overwhelmed with grief. This was a celebration. The celebration feasts were to be kept with joy. Of all their yearly celebrations, only the Day of Atonement was for mourning and fasting. Note the ratio. One celebration for mourning and several feasts for rejoicing.

 There is a time and place for everything as we walk in obedience to God and His Word. We don’t badger ourselves when God has a positive purpose for us to experience, grow from, and enjoy. Long terms of discouragement, frustration, murmuring, complaining, downcast spirit, and turmoil will wreak havoc with our health. Worse than that, it displeases God Who has provided freedom from all such sins. Jesus Christ is at God’s right hand interceding for us. Oh joy, joy, joy!

As I have mentioned before, the application of scripture must go through the grid of my own heart before I dare share with you. How are we to deal with sin in our lives? We may have a period of deep sorrow and confession, but there is a next step. “If we confess our sin, He[God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn.1:9). We repeat that so glibly. There are reams of insights in that verse! Think about it. We confess and we are set free! Why should we not celebrate?

    CHRIST HAS FOR SIN ATONEMENT MADE -- WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR
 
                     REJOICE WITH JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF GLORY

Joy

A keen observer once said, “You Christians seem to have a religion that makes you miserable. You handle your Christianity like a man with a headache -- he does not want to get rid of his head, but it hurts him to keep it.”

That startling statement gives a person reason for serious pondering! It sent me to the Word of God via a commentary and I was awestruck when I clustered the OT joy pearls together. Reference is made to trees singing together (1 Chr. 16:33). Job speaks of the morning stars singing together and causing the sons of God to shout for joy (Job 38:7). God causes the dawn and the sunset to shout for joy (Psa. 65:8). Meadows and flocks sing for joy (Psa. 65:12). Mountains shout for joy at the name of their Father God (Psa. 69:12). Rivers clap their hands (Psa. 98:8). The Psalmist admonishes all the earth to shout and sing praises of joy  (Psa. 98:4). Did you know that? I had never thought it through.  Now that I have, it boggles my mind.

One big question loomed up, i.e., if the Lord God uses inanimate objects to sing and shout for joy, what is wrong with Christians (myself included) who so often seemingly have nothing to rejoice about? Why don’t we exude the joy of the Lord all the time? Yes, when children stray; when separation occurs; when we are jobless; when a loved one dies; when our cat is lost; when a tire goes flat? Certainly we are people with emotions. Is that the only reason? Could it be that our focus is misplaced?

Perhaps one of the first verses that comes to mind when we think of joy is James 1:2, which stands as a conundrum until we give it serious and biblical application. Certainly, we don’t rejoice because we are in a comfort zone. We ought to look to God’s purpose for allowing affliction rather than to the affliction itself. When we set our mind on Christ, the answers to all things come together.  He immediately whispers (or shouts) the assurance that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. It is then that I can assuredly sing , as does all the earth, “Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art.”

Let’s further look into James chapter one and verse two. What are the benefits /graces/blessings of suffering? Psychology may instruct us to be calm under our troubles, but God tells us to rejoice  knowing that they come from a loving and not furious God. Even Job testified, “Happy is the man whom God correcteth” (Job 5:17). God, in His expressions of love, has other blessings in correction. “I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake you, nor relax my hold upon you--assuredly not” ( cf. Heb. 13:5). Faith comes from focus on the promises of our heavenly Father.

The trial of faith works patience (v.3). “The trying of one grace produces another; and the more the suffering graces of a Christian are exercised, the stronger [the Christian] grow[s].” When has patience had its perfect work? “When we bear all that God appoints, as long as He appoints, and with a humble obedient eye to Him, and when we not only bear troubles, but rejoice in them, then patience has its perfect work.” It is then that we shall  be perfect and entire and wanting nothing (v.4). That spells J-O-Y.  May we work towards its perfection in 2014.        

CHRISTMAS ~ MUSINGS OF MARY

God chose Mary to be the mother of His Son, the Lord Jesus. Doesn’t that boggle your mind?

When did God choose Mary to be the mother of the Lord Jesus? Revelation 13:8b tells us that the “Lamb (Jesus) [was] slain before the foundation of the world.” Mary must have been chosen way back then. Mary was the “virgin” of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa 7:14) which was written hundreds of years before Christ was born. God prepared and committed this most delicate task to Mary. Mary was in the mind of God before the world was created. You and I were in God’s mind that far back also (Eph.1:4). Unfathomable but wonderful!

Why did God choose Mary? Again God’s prophecy gives us the answer. Both Mary and Joseph, her legal protector, were descendants of David (Luke 1:20,36). This fulfilled the prophetic requirement. Mary was a Jewish princess, but the royal line was not ruling at that time so she considered herself of “lowly manner” (Luke: 1:48).

God endowed Mary with the beauty of humility. She was the absolute one for such an honor as were Ruth, Sarah, and others. Doesn't that encourage us as we note how God has chosen faulty material to accomplish great things? It is all of God’s grace; not our worthiness.

As we look at Luke 1:38 we see another endowment of Mary which prepared her to be a worthy vessel of the Lord’s choosing. Mary was submissive.  “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word”. What must have crossed her mind as she uttered her words of surrender, “according to [your] word?” Realize the embarrassment of her position. Think of her stigma of unwed motherhood. How could she explain this to Joseph? Certainly he would realize that the child to be born was not his. She would be accused of adultery by everyone. Adultery was an offense punishable by stoning (Deut. 22:13-21). Yet she graciously submitted to God’s will.

As we turn to the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), we are impressed that Mary’s heart and mind were saturated with the Word of God as she quoted from the Old Testament. If she had not been familiar with O.T. scripture would she have realized that she was part of God’s plan to send the Messiah? Her knowledge of God’s Word led her to give up her plans and follow God. Are we so prepared?

From the human standpoint let us consider what Jesus’ birth cost Mary. Nagging thoughts must have put question marks in her mind. Will Joseph believe my story? Or will he allow my stoning?   What will the townspeople think? Then there was the trip to Bethlehem which must have made her cringe. At birthing time there was no privacy: only hard ground, unpleasant smells, no medical help, no friends, and an unsanitary environment. But there were compensations. An angel chorus announced the event and shepherds came to worship the Jesus.

“Christmas was a costly affair to God.” We are the beneficiaries. “He (Jesus) came to pay a debt  He didn’t owe, because we owed a debt we couldn't pay.” His Christmas gift to us. Let us rejoice and thank the Giver of such a costly gift.

THANKSGIVING -- AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” Psa: 118:24. “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice” Phil. 4:4.

As I sit down at my computer this morning, I am going to bare my heart as God directs, trusting that He will bless your heart as He has mine during these past three weeks while I have been on a spiritual roller coaster.

Too many times we hide our feelings, our emotions, and our thoughts because we are afraid that people will judge our spiritual tenor if they find out. If we first go to others instead of the Lord, we have gone to the wrong source. God’s Word assures us that He has the answer. My many years of walking with Him assure me of that also. We must evaluate our motives. Is it pride that keeps us from baring our heart, or are we taking our need to our heavenly Father because we know that there is no one who knows just how we feel? Because we are convinced that God has the answers? That God will help us through?

The last three weeks have been different from any that I have ever experienced. My husband has been in the ER three times and has had surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. I stayed with him in the hospital for five nights. My weariness affected my emotions. I knew that my Father was where He always is -- on His Throne, caring for me, aware of my need, and that He would restore me in His own perfect time and way. Each morning I told Him that I was claiming His promise, “As thy day so shall they strength be.” There is a verse on our kitchen door that confronts me every time I go to our garage -- “Be still and know that I am God” Psa. 46:10. That was all I could do and that was all that I needed to do. “Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desire of thine heart” Psa. 37:4 My desire, my desperate need,was joyful peace. In the meantime, I clung to fact, not to feeling. I knew He would restore me in His own perfect time. And He did! Oh, how great is our God! He will restore our soul.  

Why am I telling this to you? Reason: perhaps you need to be restored, encouraged, assured. The nights are dark and long. Your days and night flow into one long muddle. Your bones ache from weariness. Your heart is downcast. You are discouraged and in despair. Don’t allow yourself to stay there. Read the Word whether you understand it or not. Pray to your heavenly Father even if   you feel like it or not. Even if you think He is not listening. He has not left His Throne. He has not forgotten you. He is ready and waiting to work His perfect work in you. Believe His promise that He will never leave you or forsake you. He will restore you to gladness and rejoicing in His own perfect time and way. You will have a new song to sing and a strong testimony of victory that only He can give. Other troubled ones need to hear you.

PRAISE HIM FOR HIS CARING, MIGHTY POWER. HE IS ON HIS THRONE.

P.S. My dear husband is growing stronger each day. Praise the Lord.

HIGH AND LOFTY THOUGHTS

“For thus saith the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa. 57:15).

It was while my husband, Robert, and I were missionaries in the Philippines with the China Inland Mission (now Overseas Missionary Fellowship) that we received this letter from our director, J. Oswald Sanders. It is rich and needy today. I want to share it with you.

“This spacious text which expresses the attitudes that are compatible with the greatness of our God, tells us four things about Him. His Transcendence. ‘The high and lofty one.’ What had surprised Isaiah was the elevation of His throne, infinitely higher than any earthly throne. He learned that God is greater than our highest conception of Him, greater than all majesty. ‘He is ABOVE all,’ said John. ‘God OVER all,’ said Paul. His Holiness ‘whose name is Holy’ and His name is His nature. His throne is the blazing centre of all moral purity. His is a holiness that dazzles and blinds and prostrates. Perhaps the reason that we are not dazzled is that cataracts may be growing over the eyes of our soul. His holiness should awe us, and will certainly reveal the tawdriness of our highest attainments in that realm. His crystal purity is in startling contrast to our dinginess. The glory of His absolute holiness, meditated upon and presented to our hearts with power by the Holy Spirit, cannot but make us humble and contrite. His Eternity ‘which inhabiteth eternity’ ‘I fill heaven and earth.’ These claims are infinitely more intelligible to us than to any previous generation -- a universe vast beyond all imagining.

A recent authority wrote: ‘The stars and planets exceed in number all grains of sand on all seashores.’ How insignificant is man! How great is God! Man, a prisoner of time and space. God, the uncreated Master of eternity. His condescension. Our God who is great beyond all imagining, deigns to take up His abode in a humble and contrite heart. ‘God has two thrones,’ said the old Puritan, ‘one in the highest heaven and one in the humblest heart.’ The Infinite condescends to become the intimate, terrible and yet tender. The immensity of His stoop staggers the imagination but warms the heart. Let us love, and sing, and wonder that the Transcendent God who fills eternity makes Himself small enough to fill my heart when it is humble and contrite. ‘Contrite’ means ‘pulverized, shattered’ -- self-reliance broken. ‘Humble’ means that all illusions about self are gone. Are we longing to see God work? He tells us the type through whom He delights to achieve His purposes. ‘TO THIS MAN will I look, even to him that is of a humble and contrite heart, who trembleth at my Word.’ Lord make me a man [woman] like that!

“Why does the high and lofty One dwell in the humble and contrite heart? ‘to restore ... to revive.’ Is this our need? Here is the panacea.”’

Have you been smitten by this Self-portrait and Self-revelation of God before you as I have been? Have you lost yourself in wonder, love, praise, and thanksgiving? Thanks for responding.