Author: Bibs

Reflection on Faith

A little faith

Bibs

Walking on water with Jesus – Gospel of Matthew

There is so much that could be said on the topic of faith. Without it we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6) and with it we can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). It is a word that is mentioned in the NIV bible translation 236 times (the word “believe” is mentioned 148 times). And more profoundly it is the very essence, along with God’s grace, that makes up His gift of salvation:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9

By grace and through faith… what a profound statement. Yet I have spent the last 10 years of my Christian life not fully grasping the true meaning of the words grace and faith. This doesn’t mean that I wasn’t believing in God or that I was discarding His grace. It means, that I understood “faith” to be my mind’s conviction that God was real (synonymous with believing), and “grace” to be “receiving what I do not deserve”. These notions I held for the past 10 years may not be “wrong” as in contrary to God’s truth, rather they are like pieces of an incomplete puzzle. While I certainly don‘t dare to claim that I have a comprehensive picture now, I still would love to share a beautiful glimpse of the truth I found in His word concerning “faith” – another piece to the puzzle.[1]

 “The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing, but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ the very things, he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do.” – The Pursuit of God (A. W. Tozer)

In his book “The Pursuit of God” A. W. Tozer expands on the nature of faith as he encourages us to fix our gaze on Jesus Christ. When I read this, multiple stories in God’s word, which display faith as an act of looking to Christ, sprang to mind.
The one I would like to share with you is the famous story of Peter’s walk on water.

The scene is set with Jesus’ disciples out on the lake at night, with waves buffeting their boat. Jesus had sent them ahead so that he could be alone in prayer back at the mountainside. Now instead of meeting them at the other side of the lake, Jesus makes an amazing entrance by walking out on the water towards them. The disciples, terrified of his appearance on the lake, struggled to believe that it was Jesus walking on water. And this is where a beautiful picture of faith unravels with Peter’s request:

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” – Matthew 14:28-29

How amazing this moment must have been for Peter! His feet hit the water, yet did not sink in – he found himself doing the impossible. Do we read of Peter hesitating or asking the others, if this was a good idea? No. He heard Jesus‘ command and went right out walking on water towards his Lord. I find that this passage already shows fundamental aspects of faith:

  • Faith and knowing God: Peter stepped out of the boat because Jesus called him. He knew Jesus and trusted him. Faith is born out of our trust and knowledge of God and Christ Jesus. The writer of the book of Hebrews emphasizes this by declaring:
    “Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2
  • Faith and obedience: Peter did not hesitate to obey Jesus’ command. Our faith is displayed by our obedience, or, put another way, our obedience to God’s commands is evidence of our faith. It is faith that enables us to obey. We see this also with Abraham:
    “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” – Hebrews 11:8
    The importance of our obedience, acting on faith, is further emphasised in the book of James:
    “But some will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” – James 2:18
  • Faith comes from Christ: it’s Jesus’ call to Peter that opens the door to faith in action. We read about Jesus as “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). And that it is from Christ and through what He speaks that we receive faith – just as Peter did:
    “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” – Romans 10:17

We may conclude that faith, the way we see it in the story of Peter walking on water, is born out of Christ, through his words, and displayed in our obedience. Yet there is another aspect I would like to share with you, it is found in the latter part of the walk-on-water experience.

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” – Matthew14:30-31

What just happened? One moment Peter was walking on water and the next he finds himself sinking and in need of rescue. Jesus challenges Peter: “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”.

When did his faith shrink? The moment he looked at his situation – “but when he saw the wind, he was afraid”.

Fear and doubt, they creep in when we shift our focus to the situation we find ourselves in. The wind and waves were there when Peter first stepped out onto the water, but his focus and gaze was on Christ. He didn’t step out of the boat trusting that he, Peter, could walk on water, no. He saw Jesus stand on the waves, and heard Jesus call him, and had faith in Him.

It comes back to what A. W. Tozer points out in his book. It is in the very act of looking to Christ, His ability, His power and His words, that faith finds it‘s source, and all things become possible. I have often found myself, like Peter, in a place where my initial faith faded when I began to look and consider the situation I was in. It is not enough to step out of the boat in faith. We need to keep our gaze on Christ, and trust that it is because He is able, that we will walk and not sink.

“For we live by faith, not by sight.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7

Maybe we need to start closing our eyes to the situations we are in and decide to believe the words spoken through Christ. For what we see – the waves and winds – they don’t determine if we can walk on water or not. Jesus shows us that when we look to Him, believe his words and obey – there is no storm that can speak louder than His truth.

May these thoughts inspire you to dig deeper into God’s word; find the truth of the situation you may find yourself in; redirect your gaze to Jesus Christ and all He is. All your doubts and fears, they diminish in the light of Him. May you grow in knowledge and insight of His truth, through His Holy Spirit.

[1] «Grace» I will surely write about in another blog – as there is much to say about it as well.

Reflection on the Word

My garden within – my personal “Eden”

Bibs

Exploring a captivating garden within –
reading in Song of Songs chapter 4

Imagine a beautiful garden: A garden filled with life and colour; A little stream, chirping birds, big beautiful trees in bloom and bridges that cross the rushing waters; a fresh breeze and the dancing of the rays of sunlight between the leaves. Or a beautiful open space with fresh green grass and flowers in every splendour and colour, mighty oak trees and bees humming in the spring sun. Can you see it?

Whatever garden you can imagine, how much more glorious must that first garden “Eden” have been. A garden planted by the chief gardener, God himself. A garden filled with life and wonder – a place of communion, fellowship and refreshment.

“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.” – Genesis 2:8-10

As I browse through scripture, I notice the reoccurring theme of trees and gardens as God speaks of our spiritual growth and his rest (Jeremiah 17:8; Ezekiel 47:12). Songs of pastures he promises to lead us to and refresh us (Psalms 23:2). The garden, a place Jesus retreats to pray and spend time with his heavenly father (John 18:1).

Gardens are sacred and captivating places of beauty and life. In them we can be refreshed, uplifted, and find rest for our soul and mind.

Now, what if there was a garden within? What if, there was a spring of life and rest within?
It was when I read Song of Songs (Solomon’s famous poetry on love) that I was captivated by this imagery of a garden within:

“You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates […] You area garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon. Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.” – Song of Songs 4:12-16

Read it again.
In these verses Solomon describes this garden within his love (an unknown woman he pursues), that seems to be everything we ascribe to such a wonderous place. What’s more, its mere fragrance is alluring and spreads forth from within.  So, what if gardens are not just bound to geographical locations, but a beautiful expression and metaphor for the places within us? What if the gardens we read about, such as “Eden” reveal not only God’s glorious display of beauty but a desire for a beauty and “Eden” within? A place of fellowship with our creator, a place that bears witness to his works in our life and his spring of life.

I have been captivated by this imagery, as it seemed to resound with my heart and stir a joy deep within. And so, I began to seek the garden within, asking myself:

  • What does my garden look like? Is it in full bloom and full of life?
  • Is it a source of refreshment and peace? What fragrance spreads forth from this garden?
  • Who is in the garden?

Allow me to share some thoughts…

What does my garden look like? Is it in full bloom and full of life?
Is it a source of refreshment and peace? What fragrance spread forth from this garden?

When it comes to the condition of our hearts or spirit, Jesus often referred to the fruits on a tree. With this he would emphasize that the inward condition of a person could be seen by the fruits (actions, attitudes, etc.) the person displayed on the outside.

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Luke 6:43-45

  • So, when we look at our actions, the words we speak – what trees can we find? Do we find the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) or are there patches of messy wilderness?
  • King Solomon emphasizes the urgency to check our heart’s condition when writing: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). And as we read in scripture, we can see this truth emphasised in Gods care for what is within rather than what appears on the outside: “The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1. Samuel 16:7)
  • And what fragrance spreads forth from within you? Fragrance can attract and captivate. A fragrance can be pleasing. So, what fragrance does God desire us to spread forth?
    “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2. Corinthians 2:15) Are people drawn to Christ through us or is there a different fragrance we share with those around us?

A garden left unchecked and unattended can grow into a messy wilderness – at times even impassable for anyone. Its true beauty is revealed when a master gardener is at work…

Who is this in this garden?

As I meditated on this garden within, I got a deep sense of God’s work in my life. Every fruit and tree that bears witness to Him and all the patches yet to be redeemed by his work. But not only can I see his tender care but His deep longing to share in fellowship with me in this garden.

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:3-4

From the first book (Genesis) with “Eden” to the last book of the Bible (Revelation), scripture captures a God who desires to dwell among his people. A Jesus who was in the garden with his disciples and spent intimate moments with them. He is not only the gardener and source of life and any good fruit; He is the one who desires to dwell within this garden.

In this entry I focused on a garden within in relation to the creator himself. However, it’s interesting to also consider the garden in a romantic context between two lovers. Within this the question concerning the sacredness arises: Is the garden sealed, only open to the one love?

May these thoughts inspire you to dig deeper into God’s word; inspire a desire to invite God into your heart and reflect on what is within. That you may grow in knowledge of the truth and insight through His Holy Spirit.

Reflection on the Word

Obedience, a godly work-ethic, and God’s favour

Bibs

Reading: Daniel 1-6, 1 Samuel 16-31 and 2 Samuel 1

While reading in the book of Daniel, one thing that stood out to me was his loyalty toward all the rulers that were on the throne during his lifetime serving in Babylonia. The Israelites had been taken captive by the Babylonian empire and the story of Daniel starts with him being taken into the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. That’s where we begin to find a pattern of Daniel’s obedience to God within the kings demands, his exceptional work-ethic and God’s favour which flowed from it.

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” – Daniel 1:8

Orders had been given by the king to recruit young able men for his service. Daniel was one of those recruited and placed into a 3 year training program, in preparation for a life of service to the king. This entailed the men eating and drinking food and wine from the King’s table. However, Daniel, not wanting to defile himself, by eating food which contradicted Jewish law, was shown favour by his guard. He granted the request to test for 10 days, whether there would be any decrease in physical appearance / health, from Daniel and his friends being given a diet of just vegetables and water. God came through and after ten days Daniel and his friends appeared healthier and better nourished, than the young men who were given the king’s food. From here on, they received God’s favour and the king took them into his service.

Not only was it Daniel’s obedience towards God that opened the door to favour with the king, but throughout the book, his actions and loyalty toward the Babylonian kings and God changed the hearts of those he served in a profound way.

Likewise, the behaviour of Daniel’s friends – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – who refused to worship an idol made of gold and were consequently thrown into the blazing furnace. The miracle that followed evoked a change in the king’s heart.

“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” – Daniel 3:28

This change of heart was later completed when God brought in a transformational experience to the king, bringing him to his knees in reverence of the God of Israel.
I love how we can see this pattern of obedience, God’s favour and providence, and the resulting change in hearts throughout not just in the book of Daniel, but also in the life of King David.

David, before he ascended the throne, was anointed by the prophet Samuel while Israel’s king Saul was still reigning. This didn’t go down too well with Saul. Not only that David was anointed and chosen to be the future king, he also grew to become a war hero in Israel (having slain Goliath and fought in Saul’s army). So, in his jealousy Saul began to persecute David and tried to kill him. What stands out here is not Saul’s actions and rage, but rather David’s persistent dedication and service to his king, his obedience towards God and the immense favour which ended up flowing from all of this.
David’s persistent reverence for God’s chosen authority came to a climax when David was hiding from Saul in the Desert. Saul, in his pursuit to kill David, unwittingly walked right into the cave where David and his men were hiding. While this seemed like a God-given chance to take matters into his own hands, David stayed obedient to God.

“This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed’.” – 1 Samuel 24:10

David’s loyalty towards God’s anointed is also displayed in his reaction upon Saul’s death, for we find no rejoicing at his deliverance from the one who tried to kill him, but rather deep sorrow and weeping for his fallen king. This is not where it ends, there are multiple occasions that follow where David makes an effort to honour the fallen king; for example, by extending favour towards Saul’s family. We see God’s immeasurable favour during David’s reign and miraculous victories as long as David remains in obedience and honour towards God. 

What stuck with me from the example of these godly men found in His beautiful word:

  • God desires us to honour those he puts in places of authority. We may not understand why God placed those people in charge, but He expects us to honour Him by honouring the ones put in place. “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For ALL authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So, anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished (…)” – Romans 13:1-5
  • Our work-ethic should be of exceptional excellence. We see this in Daniel’s life when reading: “(…) they could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” – Daniel 6:4. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” – Colossians 3:23-24
  • Our ultimate authority is God, and obedience to Him can cost us a dear price when it opposes those in power. Our God is faithful when we are faithful in obedience to Him.
    “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” – Daniel 3:17-18
  • I find this declaration of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego also illustrates that our obedience towards God’s word should not be dependent on our circumstances or His favour, or absence of such. For if God was going to rescue them or not, their determination was to stay faithful to Him. 
  • How we conduct ourselves at work, or in general, towards those in places of authority not only honours God and open possibilities for his favour and blessing, but it also makes way for God to work in and transform the hearts of those we serve, ultimately blessing those in places of authority.

May these thoughts inspire you to dig deeper into Scripture and read through these stories (and others) for yourself. God’s truth is alive and speaks to us in a unique way when we read it with the help of his Spirit. Be encouraged that God can move powerfully in the place of service you find yourself in, as you walk in obedience to Him.

For a further study on godly work-ethic and God’s faithfulness, study the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-47).

Reflection on the Word

His Word

Bibs

A fire for God’s word and the power of truth

A purpose or vison I have for this blog is to inspire a generation of believers to seek after God’s truth through his word and to experience scripture come alive and transform.

His word is a living source of wisdom, guidance and truth and has the power to speak and pierce our inmost being.

I used to read scripture as an act of spiritual discipline or daily routine. And while there is nothing wrong with spiritual discipline, I lacked a true passion for scripture. It felt more like studying for an exam than discovering the living word of God.
A little while back, my life had gotten very confusing and I needed direction. But even more than direction, I was desperate to hear and experience God. Most of my days were darkened by struggles with sin and a sense of failure. One evening, deeply saddened by a new wave of defeat, I took God’s word and opened it at random. I began reading in Ezekiel and like oil, the words began to calm and sooth my soul. At first there was no particular passage that spoke to me, but the mere presence of God in scripture brought me peace. And then I read the following passage which stirred something in me:

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.”- Ezekiel 34:11-13

I remembered a passage in Isaiah that also spoke of the sheep and quickly searched for it (Isaiah 40:10-11). As I then read through Isaiah, I began seeing the promise of Christ in these scriptures. Suddenly these passages and other scriptures started to connect in my mind, pictures began to form and in me arose an excitement for the treasure I had just discovered.
From that moment on, a fire and passion for God’s word had ignited and I decided to begin reading the Bible from start to finish (Genesis to Revelation). While I had read the entire Bible before, it seemed like a whole different word this time. I found my heart jumping for joy at certain passages, while others brought in deep conviction, repentance or healing. I was consumed with pondering scripture I had read in the morning during my day-to-day life, while the Holy Spirit began to reveal things I had previously missed or not understood. A deep passion for His truth started to take over. Since then God has not only lead me into deeper truths in scripture but in the process, He has transformed my mind, heart and soul.

He has given me a new perspective, deepened my understanding of His will, love and grace and is taking me on a journey into knowing Him.

During the last weeks, there has arisen a new urgency in my heart to understand and know scripture. In the context of this fast-changing world, a lot of prophecies, end-time messages and general uncertainty has been spreading within Christian communities and even my non-Christian circle of friends. At first, I felt myself being helplessly exposed by all the messages and new “theories”. Then, God’s word began stirring in my soul, giving me a strong sense of direction, as the Lord reminded me of the following passage:

“Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed […] At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” – Matthew 24:4-14

I realised that without knowledge of His word, we are much more vulnerable to any and every message that is shot our way. Therefore, I felt a great urge to call out to fellow believers, to not just settle for pre-digested messages of the Gospel (weather in the form of books, blogs, sermons, or teachings), but to return to God’s word and to search His truth. Now, I don’t mean to imply that Christian books, blogs, sermons, or teachings aren’t a valuable source for spiritual growth, wisdom, and inspiration.
But how are we to discern truth from lies, if we have no basis of truth to stand on?

It is my hope, that you will read my blog and be inspired to dig into the treasure of scripture; that my thoughts may provoke a deeper search for His truth and a redirection to God’s ways. I encourage you to see the beauty in God’s words and ways, to embark on your very own adventure in discovering the wonders of God’s word come to life and to enter into a deeper relationship with your creator, saviour and Lord.
I pray that the transforming power of God’s word that has renewed my mind and brought beauty into my life through knowing Him, may be poured out onto your soul as you open your heart to what God wants to speak to you.
For He is eager to be sought after, to reveal his will and heart, and eager to be a never-ending source of life within us.

I want to leave you with this though, especially for the times when scripture may seem confusing or you are tempted to reason or argue with God’s word:

A man was sitting on a porch stroking a cat which was on his lap. Another man passed by and stopped as he saw the cat being stroked from tail to head. He spoke and said: “Sir, I believe you are petting your cat the wrong way around”. The man with the cat looked at him and answered: “No I am not. Let the cat turn around, and his fur will be unruffled when I stroke him.”

I heard this short story in a sermon, and it has been my constant companion and reminder whenever, I struggle to understand scripture. For it reminds me that God is God, and His word is truth. And If I struggle or feel irritated by scripture, it is not for God to change who He is or what He says, but for me to search deeper, submit and search my heart for the source of my irritation. So, when we read God´s word, let us read with open hearts and minds, with the help of his Holy Spirit and with great anticipation that in our reading, we will discover truth and a personal relationship with the author of life. 

Sara Groves captures a heart for God’s word in a timeless melody.

“I’ve done every devotional
Been every place emotional
Trying to hear a new word from God
And I think it’s very odd,
that while I attempt to help myself
My Bible sits upon my shelf
With every promise
I could ever need”