Check out my latest article on Glorifying and Enjoying ourselves at Ref21.
Is Your Life About Glorifying and Enjoying Yourself?
New Posts on The Heritage
Hi there, Reformation Heritage Books has published a series of blog posts related to my book on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. This is bonus material in addition to our book Glorifying and Enjoying God. Check these out (ones I wrote):
You can get the whole book on Kindle for less than $10.
Cover photo from RHB.
New Book!
Thankful that Reformation Heritage Books is publishing my new book (with Jonathan Cruse and Bill Boekestein), a devotional based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism: Glorifying and Enjoying God. Check out our interview about the book!
New Article: Hope in Tragedy
Check out my latest article over at the Gospel Coalition.
New Article! “God’s Cancel Culture and Ours”
Check it out over at New Horizons!
Like a Horse Plunging into Battle
Jeremiah 8:6-7 6 I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. 7 Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules of the LORD.
The recent movie “War Horse” notwithstanding, Alexander the Great’s mighty steed Bucephalus is one of history’s greatest horses. The horse’s name itself, “ox-head” (βοῦς “ox” and κεφαλή “head”), testifies to its determination. Alexander would name a city after his great horse, and one can only imagine, as in The Virtues of War, how Bucephalus plunged into battles bearing one of history’s most accomplished figures on his back.
God himself, speaking to Job from the whirlwind, describes the power of the war horse:
Job 39:19-25 19 “Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? 20 Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying. 21 He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons. 22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword. 23 Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin. 24 With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. 25 When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
As vividly as you might be able to imagine the war horse charging headlong into battle, Jeremiah’s words jar us. He compares the powerful and determined war horse to the sinner. As the horse continues on his course, undeterred, so the sinner continues to rebel against God, unless God intervenes.
As a parent of small children, I witness them double-down on their rebellious behavior, stubbornly continuing in their tantrum even when it is clearly not working. I am no different.
Matthew Henry comments,
They did not so much as take the first step towards repentance; they did not so much as say, What have I done? There was no motion towards it, not the least sign or token of it. Note, True repentance beings in a serious and impartial inquiry into ourselves, what have we done, arising from a conviction that we have done amiss. (2.) They were so far from repenting of their sins that they went on resolutely in their sins: Every one turned to his course, his wicked course, that course of sin which he had chosen and accustomed himself to, as the horse rushes into the battle, eager upon action, and scorning to be curbed.
Praise the Lord that he intervenes, turns us aside, makes us “come to our senses” (Luke 15:17), see our sin, and seek the Savior who sought us out. None of us has earned God’s grace—”Everyone turns to his own course,” and this means he gets all the glory, transforming stubborn sinners plunging to their deaths into those who know their Savior’s voice and listen to his commands.
More than Conquerors
Yesterday as I reflected on Isaiah’s amazing words, it struck me that God’s promise to be with us in the fire and waters changes the way we look at the fire and water – the trials of life. We don’t fear them.
But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:1-2
This seems to me much the same sentiment as Romans 8’s glorious statements that we are more than conquerors:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39
A conqueror has victory. Being more than a conqueror means triumphing through victory and defeat. It means you aren’t dependent on traditional victory.
This is why James can call Christians to actually rejoice in the midst of trials.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1:2-5
This gives us insight into how believers hold up under fierce trials. We deeply need this perspective. Note that James tells us to ask for wisdom, not for steadfastness. Steadfastness is the result of wisdom—it comes as we view our sufferings in light of God’s goodness. So when you feel like giving up, ask that God would transform your view of your trials!
This truth deeply impacted me as a teenager watching the movie The Matrix. The main character, Neo, was living in a false reality, a computer program. He became unconquerable when he started seeing the false reality for what it truly was. This was epitomized in the dialogue: “Are you telling me I can dodge bullets?” and the response: “I’m telling you that when you’re ready, you won’t have to.” When he starts seeing the bullets for what they truly are—computer code—they are no longer a danger to him. It is an imperfect illustration. While we don’t want to downplay the real pain of suffering, when we realize that God works through suffering, it is not something we have to “dodge” with every fiber of our being, as unbelievers do. We don’t play by the “rules” the world does (Col. 2:21).
This is a specifically Christian wisdom. Unbelievers cannot have the same perspective, they cannot see trials as anything but destructive (true, there is the “whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” mentality, but that minimizes suffering–and the fear is always what does kill you). In contrast, Christians can rejoice even in trials as God gives them a wisdom that knows nothing can separate them from the love of God. He is with us even in the waters and fire.
A Higher Power at Work
My children and I are enjoying listening to Where the Red Fern Grows together. After the boy gets his puppies, he reflects on God’s providence:
Still mumbling names over and over, I glanced up. There, carved in the white bark of a sycamore tree, was a large heart. In the center of the heart were two names, “Dan” and “Ann.” The name Dan was a little larger than Ann. It was wide and bold. The scar stood out more. The name Ann was small, neat, and even. I stared unbelieving—for there were my names. They were perfect.
I walked over and picked up my pups. Looking at him, I said, “Your name is Dan. I’ll call you Old Dan.” Looking at her, I said, “Your name, little girl, is Ann. I’ll call you Little Ann.”
It was then I realized it was all too perfect. Here in this fishermen’s camp, I had found the magazine and the ad. I looked over at the old sycamore log. There I had asked God to help me get two hound pups. There were the pups, rolling and playing in the warm sand. I thought of the old K. C. Baking Powder can, and the fishermen. How freely they had given their nickels and dimes.
I looked up again to the names carved in the tree. Yes, it was all there like a large puzzle. Piece by piece, each fit perfectly until the puzzle was complete. It could not have happened without the help of an unseen power.