by R. Herbert | Nov 30, 2014 | Positive Living, Strategic Articles
A wise man once said that the first things we do in life are to map our world and to want what we don’t have.
But do those things bring us happiness when we get them? In this season of frantic holiday buying and wanting, many find no real happiness in getting.
But human beings were clearly made to want things – with desires that are not satisfied by “things.” Our article “What Do You Want?“, uploaded today, looks at the story of human wanting and at some of the things that we can want that do bring happiness to ourselves and others. Read the article here.
by R. Herbert | Nov 26, 2014 | Gratitude
“Surely you have granted … unending blessings…”
Psalm 21:6
Normally, we speak of “counting our blessings” when considering the many good things with which we have been blessed. But for many of us privileged to live in areas where those good things are abundant, “calculating our blessings” with the help of an adding machine or calculator may be more appropriate!
In fact, perhaps the analogy is one that holds true for all of us. This is because when it comes to looking at the blessings we have been given, it is very human for us to look around at what we have in the here and now. Yet when we look back and consider the blessings we have enjoyed over time, for so many of us the numbers begin to require calculating help.
Our perspective begins to change when we realize that many of the things we may take for granted are only occasionally enjoyed by a large percentage of Earth’s population. Think, for example, of the statistic that if we can afford to eat three meals a day for three weeks in a row, we are among the top 15% of the richest people in the world. Even if they are not starving, we should realize that the majority of people in this world do not get food all the time. But if we take our three meals a day, getting out a calculator and multiplying that number by the number of days in our lives might help us better realize the number of blessings in our lives – in that one area alone.
But the same truth applies in so many areas. The doctor’s and dentist’s visits we may grumble about having to fit into our schedules seem different when we realize the very occasional access so many have to medical or dental care – if they have it at all. If we have a steady job, the number of days for which we get paid adds up quickly compared to those without or unable to work – time for the calculator again. And what about the gift of life itself? The resting human heart beats some 60-80 times per minute. If we try to multiply that rate by a day, a year, or our lifetime so far, we definitely need that calculator.
And so we could go on. But the point we are talking about here is obvious enough. For those of us in the United States who wish to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with a genuine spirit of thankfulness, we should remember to look further than only at the blessings that surround us on the Thanksgiving table. Sometimes we look around in times of economic downturn or other problems and feel less thankful because we only see the things we have now when we should perhaps try to look more at the blessings we have been given all the way to this point, and the many more that we trust lie ahead.
Perhaps it would be good, as we take stock of what God has given us on the Day of Thanksgiving, to do a little math regarding any one of the ongoing blessings we enjoy. We don’t really need to get out a calculator to try to add up the huge numbers of blessings we all have received, but then again, I may put a calculator on the table this Thanksgiving meal – just to remind myself that if I tried to add up all those blessings I would need it.
by R. Herbert | Nov 23, 2014 | Discipleship, Warriors of the Way
Most of us are used to lights. Bright lights. They are all around most city dwellers to the extent that a candle or small lamp might seem insignificant indeed. Even from space, city and village lights on earth are clearly visible, while at ground level in many areas it’s hard to see the stars anymore because of the brightness of the ambient light.
As Christians we are all aware of Jesus’ instruction to “let our light shine” (Matthew 5:16), but even though we realize our light is “reflected from Christ,” it can still be a little daunting, especially for those new to the faith, to think of ourselves as “lights.” We read the biblical stories of great men and women of faith, we see some of the things accomplished through those of faith in our own age, and it’s pretty clear that we are still at the candle power stage compared to what may seem to be the spiritual floodlights God has used and is using now.
But if we do feel any lack of confidence in this regard, we should perhaps remember just what an effect a single candle can have. For one thing, the light of an average wax candle can be seen at amazing distances – and I’m talking about miles, not yards! Because the earth’s surface curves below the line of sight at 3.1 miles, or 5 kilometers, you can see a candle in clear dark conditions at 3.1 miles at ground level. But from an elevated position you can actually see a candle much further – on a dark night, in fact, the human eye is able to see a single candle flickering up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) away.
The only reason we are not aware of the amazing reach of a tiny light such as a candle is because of the bright lights that are often around us. But that’s the same reason city dwellers often can’t see many stars because of the ambient light, although the stars are, of course, billions of times brighter than the lights around us. Brightness seems relative to surroundings – if you are on a floodlit stage your candle or mine may seem not very bright at all. But where most of us live our daily lives – away from the spiritual floodlights – even a small candle can make a huge difference in the surrounding darkness.
The point of this analogy is just that if we allow Christ to work in our lives and to “shine” in us, we need never be concerned that our light is not bright enough, that we are not knowledgeable enough, good enough, spiritual enough. He supplies the light, not us, and even the smallest amount of light can be seen.
What Jesus said about the fact that a city on a hill can’t be hid (Matthew 5:14) also applies to our lowly candles. We don’t have to shine like a city – we don’t even have to be particularly bright. Physics teaches us that a little light can go a long way, and especially when there is no other light around, a little spiritual light can make a huge difference.
by R. Herbert | Nov 16, 2014 | Love, Relationships
“Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way … must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged” (Numbers 5:6–7).
The concept of restitution in the Old Testament is often said to refer to repayment of stolen property, but Numbers 5:6-7 makes it clear that the principle is broader and should be applied if we wrong another “in any way.” We also have other Old Testament scriptures specifically showing restitution for any type of loss we cause. For example: “If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies … he must make restitution” (Exodus 22:1, 3-6, 14).
Certainly, if we have intentionally or even unintentionally defrauded anyone of anything, we should make restitution for what we have taken. We see a clear example of this in the New Testament where Luke tells us that when Jesus was passing through Jericho, “A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy” (Luke 19:2). Unfortunately, some of this man’s wealth may have come from overcharging on the taxes he had power to collect. But Zacchaeus told Jesus: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8).
Zacchaeus doubtless knew that the law only commanded him to repay with an additional fifth of what he had taken, but he was glad to pay back with even greater restitution. Jesus welcomed this repentant attitude and stated that salvation had come to the tax collector that day (Luke 19:9). Clearly, Jesus approved of Zacchaeus’ attitude of restitution, and the New Testament records the tax collector’s words for our edification.
So is there a principle in these biblical verses from which we can learn and one we can apply today? How about the item we borrowed from a friend and damaged in some way before we returned it? Or what about the time we were over at our friend’s home and accidentally knocked over a vase or spilled a staining beverage on their new carpet? It’s often considered polite for the host to gloss over such accidents, but as Christians we should always consider the principle of restitution – to insist on paying to clean the carpet we have stained or to replace the item we damaged. If the person whose property we have damaged will not accept direct restitution, then a gift of something else might certainly be appropriate according to the spirit of the principle of restitution.
While people may say the damage we have caused does not matter, humanly, it often does matter. Restitution can help others not be upset as they may feel deep down that the right thing would be to have insisted on paying for our damage. As Mark Twain candidly noted in a different context: “When a man says it’s not the money, it’s the principle of the thing – it’s the money.” Even when people are gracious about loss we cause them, the principle of restitution is the application of love and the “golden rule.”
So consider applying the principle of restitution in your own life. Did you lose or damage a borrowed item? – Why not replace it with something better? Did you borrow a friend’s car? – How about returning it with more gasoline than it had when you started out? There are many ways we can apply the principle of restitution. It may not be a “law” we are obligated to keep, but it’s a principle we should want to follow.
by R. Herbert | Nov 12, 2014 | History & the Bible, Problems
Hezekiah is often remembered as the best king in the checkered history of the divided monarchy of Judah and Israel. While a great many of the successors of David and Solomon turned from true worship to the pagan religions of the nations around them, Hezekiah is remembered for his faith and faithfulness:
“He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered” (2 Kings 18:5).
We remember not only the story of God’s healing of Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-6), but also numerous other details of the king’s reign, such as his successful destruction of pagan idolatry and other figurative and literal enemies including the story of how God defeated the Assyrians on Hezekiah’s behalf when they attacked Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:32-36). He even survived, at least temporarily, the enemy of death (2 Kings 20:1). All these events show a Hezekiah who was truly an individual who followed God and who was blessed in being able to overcome his enemies.
Yet there was one enemy which appears to have remained, that even Hezekiah was apparently unable to overcome. A final undefeated enemy is evident in the record of Hezekiah’s last years. When the king of Babylon sent diplomatic messengers to Hezekiah, the king unwisely showed the Babylonians every part of his kingdom and its treasures. We do not know whether this was the result of pride or just lack of strategic wisdom, but as a result the prophet Isaiah warned Hezekiah that this foolish action would result in the Babylonians eventually attacking Judah and destroying Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:12-18).
It is in Hezekiah’s reply to this word of God that we see what was perhaps the king’s last undefeated enemy: “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, ‘Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?’” (2 Kings 20:19). The king’s words seem humble and accepting on the surface, but his recorded thoughts reveal an incredible degree of selfishness: that despite the horrors he had been told he had brought upon his country, Hezekiah’s attitude was “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” Unlike the incident in which the king turned to God in weeping supplication regarding a problem that applied to him directly, when he had unwittingly triggered disaster for others, Hezekiah’s reaction was one of selfish lack of concern – of “Why should I care?” – of “Whatever!”
It is clear that despite his many righteous deeds and the many enemies he overcame, Hezekiah’s last recorded enemy – the reality of his own unconquered selfishness – was one he did not overcome. The biblical record of this king’s reign essentially ends at this point, with Hezekiah’s thoughts recorded as a poignant lesson to us all. Whatever the victories we may have accomplished, they do not matter much in terms of the fulfillment of God’s purpose for us if we are not dedicated to overcoming the enemy of selfishness. Hezekiah’s story should remind us all not to let our lives – or even a single day – end in an attitude of “Whatever!”
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