At some point, when I would be most receptive to the truth that conflicted with my own ideas, the Holy Spirit was graciously
guiding me to the answer to my nagging question; He reminded me of a passage in
Zechariah when Yahweh spoke to this prophet to relay a message to Zerubbabel
(Zech 4:6a), a descendant of David who was appointed governor of Judah by the
Persian king, Darius I (Hag 1:1).
Not
by might [the
strength of many, like an army] nor by power [of one man], but by my Spirit,
says Yahweh of hosts (4:6b).
Zerubbabel,
as a leader of the tribe of Judah, was dispatched in 538 B.C. to Jerusalem from
Babylon for the purpose of supervising the daunting work of rebuilding the
Temple of Solomon which had been lying in ruins since ca. 587-586 B.C. Zerubbabel’s Temple, by the way, is often
referred to as the “Second Temple.”
Yahweh
wanted Zerubbabel to oversee the rebuilding of the temple until it was completed
(ca. 516 B.C.), not in his own strength but by divine enablement (cf. Zech
4:9a). Yahweh never gives us a task to do without help from His Holy Spirit.
I
gleaned from this that I was trying to serve God in my own strength (nor by power) and without His help.
I recalled Jesus’ words to His disciples in John 15:5,
I
am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears
much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing [unable to bear any spiritual fruit].
Well, I would say that this strong double negative
given to Jesus’ disciples, apart from Me
you can do nothing, is all-inclusive! It reveals a positive truth familiar to many: Php
4:13,
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
The choice was clear: abide or disconnect. If we abide in Him, we bear much fruit; apart from Him, we are fruitless, spiritually speaking. Sounds simple enough, yes? Apart is the antonym of abiding. If we (the branches) fail to abide (staying connected to the Source) in Christ (the vine), there is a persistent state of inability to produce any spiritual fruit – you can do nothing. The spiritual value of staying connected to the Vine (Christ) is readily apparent.
On a side note, we should not attempt to make this analogy walk on “all fours.” It is impossible for a believer to disconnect from God once grafted into the vine through spiritual regeneration (cf. Rom 8:38, 39). Disconnection (apart from Me) is breaking fellowship with Yahweh (the remedy: 1 Jn 1:9).
Being
a part of the body of Christ has nothing to do with being intelligent,
possessing physical prowess, having a disciplined mind and body, or being a
part of a cadre of an elite fighting force with extraordinary capabilities. As a soldier of Jesus Christ, our Commander, who is the most
powerful Being in the universe does things quite differently than those in military
service. It is not all about death and destruction but life (Jn 10:10b; 14:6)
and spiritual growth (Rom 12:2).
We
do not boast in the former things (like being a Navy SEAL, for instance)! Consider
our invitation,
(1Cor
1:26) For
you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are called.
(1Cor
1:27) But
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and
God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which
are mighty;
(1Cor
1:28) and
the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen,
and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
(1Cor
1:29) that
no flesh should glory in His presence.
(1Cor
1:30) But of
Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption –
(1Cor
1:31) that,
as it is written, HE WHO GLORIES, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD [cf. Jer 9:23-24].
I
have learned that obeying the great commandment, loving God with all of my
heart, is the prime directive of all of Scripture, bar none! The
question I was asking God was in reality arrogant and demeaning to Him; I was
literally comparing apples to oranges. I understood His reticence.
In my ignorance, I was trying to inject fleshly thinking into something that was very
sacred and spiritual, as if it that was the standard, the best that could be
done: the zeal to be a SEAL! Obviously, I did not advocate that for others but
only for myself.
Yahweh
could have responded, “What you are asking Me is rooted in fleshly thinking and
offensive. You are only concerned with a quality of performance (the zeal to be
a SEAL). Your love for Me is expressed in willfully obeying my commandments. Your question is
missing the mark.” And it was, looking back. His silence was more eloquent and
effective. I was suffering from a zeal without knowledge; there was no doubt!
In Yahweh’s impeccable timing, I received a divine communique, per se,
“Why do you arrogantly assume that I want your love and service for Me to be according to your ‘zeal to be a SEAL?’ What if I told you that I wanted something far greater from you as was spoken by Me through Zechariah the prophet to Zerubbabel (Zech 4:6) – but by My Spirit? Even in your zeal to be a SEAL, it is woefully inadequate for it is by individual power, the power that you have determined on your own on how to seek to love and serve Me! The great command (Deut 6:5; Mk 12:30) is great because there is nothing greater, demanding more than the zeal to be a SEAL because love and service to Me are only possible in the power of the Holy Spirit. A soldier of Jesus Christ is a higher calling, and there is a greater demand expected than merely a fleshly zeal to be a SEAL as a biblical standard for love and service to Me!”
My question was answered. I was burned to a blessing!
My
dear reader, for 2021 and forward, barring the rapture, what is the question
that is holding you back from loving and serving Yahweh in a biblical manner,
with the totality of your being? I do not ask this of you as if I have arrived
that would make me out to be a hypocrite. Loving and serving God with the
totality of our being has its challenges, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, we
can overcome them all that is preventing us from obeying the prime directive!
Failure to abide produces only one fruit that I know of – nothing!
When
Beverly and I finally reached the trailhead at Tullahoma that day, she was wearing
Chaco classic sandals for the hike. Unfortunately, she had accidentally stepped
into a fresh healthy pile of doggie droppings in the middle of the trail of all
places! Sometimes, avoiding tripping hazards can get you into the thick of it! You
know what was the positive thing emerging from this unfortunate and aggravating
incident? It wasn’t elephant deposits!
It
was funny to me to see Beverly raking her hind feet vigorously like a dog in
the grass in an attempt to remove it. Her hind paws were still soiled; thankfully,
we had some ALDI bags in the back of the car; so, we sacrificed one of those
dollar bags to store her soiled sandals on the way home. It was a good investment
for the sake of our nostrils!
This mishap reminded me that apart from Him, there is no spiritual fruit or benefit from a faulty love and service to God that leads us down those well-worn paths of the sons of Adam fraught with hazards. We invariably get into big doo when we do! Sin has soiled our steps because we are comparing apples to oranges from our own misunderstanding! Our steps are directed by us.
We abide in Christ because of our love (agape) and total commitment to God. Bearing much fruit is indicative of that. It is always in the unbeaten path less taken where the Holy Spirit leads. And those that take that rare trail rightfully know the answer to the question,
“Is my walk (lifestyle) pleasing to God?”
It really depends on how bad we want to avoid stepping into sin and dealing with the avoidable consequences of failing to love and serve Yahweh with all of our heart?
Here
is a great spiritual road map,
(Prov
3:5) Trust
in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
(Prov
3:6) In
all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
I want to ask you a question; how bad do you really want the answer to the question, “Is my walk pleasing to Yahweh?” Try not to muddle it up like I did! Yahweh knows precisely what with all of your heart means for every one of His children better than anyone, including ourselves (Jer 17:9-10)! We need to understand and comply with Yahweh’s meaning of with all your heart, yes? So, He will tell you if you really want to know the answer to the question, one way or another! <><
____________
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do
His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all
who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and
obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy
in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow
can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His
smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt
or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide
while we trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and
obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy
in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Then in fellowship
sweet we will sit at his feet.
Or we’ll
walk by His side in the way.
What He says
we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear,
only trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and
obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Trust and Obey, by John H. Sammis (1887)
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