God-ordained sexual healing

“Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a girl” (Proverbs 30.19). 

Songs of Songs vividly shows God’s enjoyment of lovers doing what they do best: loving each other. Whether it’s verbally or physically, its pages are filled with beautiful scenes of a man and woman consumed with their love and desire for one another.  One of the main things that struck me was how concerned the man was with his lover’s self-image.  Each time she would downplay her beauty (1.5,6; 2.1) or speak more highly of another (3.6-11?), he would reply without hesitation with words of affirmation.  He tells her of her physical beauty: “You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you” (4.7), of her effect upon his life: “You have ravished my heart, my bride” (4.9) and of his commitment to her: “There are 60 queens and 80 concubines, and maidens without number.  My dove, my perfect one, is the only one” (6.8,9).  Each time he spoke tenderly of his love, she replied with words of appreciation and acts of physical love.  Essentially, through continually reaffirming her of her beauty and his love and commitment, he was able to quiet her insecurities and win her love, which she gave to him freely.

 
Application comes easy on this one.  Men, we must continually (daily) affirm our “beloved” of her beauty, worth and of our love.  More than ever, they are bombarded with images of what beauty is and how they don’t quite measure up.  It is our God-given responsibility to quiet her insecurities through a continual outpouring of words of affirmation and affection.  Women, feed off of your “beloved’s” words and reward him for the love he shows you.  Allow him to enjoy your beauty. 

It is so clear from this book that God has created man and woman (in an exclusive relationship, ie. marriage) to feed off of their desires and longings (emotional and sexual) for each other and seek fulfillment in one another (emotionally and sexually).  Embrace and cherish this gift.

Steady perseverance

The first word used to describe Daniel is “resolved”(1.8). From looking at the snapshots of his life given in his book, it seems like this was a prevailing characteristic throughout his entire life. He is resolved not to completely abandon his godly heritage by defiling himself with unclean food. He is resolved to speak truth, regardless of what it may cost him (4.19-27). He is resolved to be obedient to God, not wealth and power (5.17). He is resolved to live a righteous life (6.4). Finally, we see him resolved to pray openly to his God, even though he knows it means certain death. From his early adolescence to his 70’s or 80’s, Daniel lived a life determined to serve God and God alone. Through his unwillingness to waiver in his faith, he was plotted against and betrayed, but he was also richly blessed (1.17; 2.48; 5.29; 6.28), “greatly beloved” by God (9.25; 10.18), and two pagan kings proclaimed the sovereignty of the God over the entire world (4.34,35; 6.26,27).

Merriam-Webster defines resolved as reaching “a firm decision about something.” It is a concept seen in the lives of NT figures as well. Stephen (Acts 7), Paul (Acts 14.19,20; 21.13,14), Jesus (John 5.16,17; Luke 9.57-62) and all of his disciples (John 6.66-69) demonstrate a resolute (“marked by firm determination”) faith lived out in the midst of persecution. Application for us is far-reaching. So often we approach our faith based on circumstance and emotion. Our personal convictions waiver depending on the moment, and our passion for Christ is as fickle as the South Dakota weather or Big Island surf. According to the examples listed above, this is not to be the case. Our devotion to God and his law is to be our priority (singular), regardless of how we feel or what our circumstances entail (Eph. 6.14; Gal 5.1; 1 Cor 15.58). How does this play out in everyday life?

Have your “quiet time” with God every day, regardless of how you feel, what is happening at home, or what was on TV the night before. Stand up for Jesus at work when your coworkers bash Christianity for the umpteenth time. Limit yourself based on the conviction of the Holy Spirit (alcohol, TV, Pinterest, Facebook, swearing, etc.) even if you don’t want to. Show love to everyone. Living a resolute life is played out in the decisions that seem small in the moment, the ones that we are required to make countless times in a day. It is a life based on utter devotion to God, not because we understand everything that he asks of us, but because we know that he is good and ultimate truth is found only in his ways (Psalm 16.2,11).

The undefinable God revealed

The prophets make up nearly a 1/4 of the entire Bible.  They are described as "men of God" and his "servants."  They were ordinary men who were given specific calls by God that required radical obedience in the face of total social opposition.  Men like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, etc. stood up against the evils of their nation and proclaimed "the word of the Lord" no matter how taboo their message was.  They primarily spoke against Israel's sin, pronounced utter judgment against Samaria and Jerusalem, and predicted the beautiful and merciful restoration that was to follow (and some that is still to come).  Because they were direct spokesmen for God himself, their words are his and, therefore, allow us to get an unparalleled glimpse into the character of God.  Below is a short, incomplete list of the glimpse we have been given:
 

• How people’s actions affect God – Ezekiel 6.9; Joel 2.18,19

• How God feels about his people – Isaiah 46.3,4; Ezek 16.8-14; Hosea 11.1-4,8,9
• How God treats the proud and humble – Isaiah 57.15; Ezek 17.24
• How God feels about people going to hell – Ezek 18.32; 33.11
• How God feels about the sin of his people – Ezek 16.15-34; ch 23; Jerermiah 44.22 (and 75% of all the prophets)
• God’s desire to lead his people in ways that are good – Isaiah 48.17-19; Ezek 34.11-16; Jer 44.3
• God’s foreknowledge of a person’s life – Jer 1.5
• What God delights in – Jer 9.23,24
• How God judges people – Jer 11.20
• God’s intimate knowledge of people – Jer 17.10
• God’s immensity and power – Isaiah 45.18; 51.15; 55.8,9; Jer 23.23; Amos 4.13; 5.8; 9.5,6; Nahum 1.3b-5
• God’s feelings about destroying his people – Isaiah 54.7,8; Jer 42.10
• God future plans for his people –Ezek 37.24; Hos 2.19,20; 14.4-9; Micah 7.18-20; Zephaniah 3.15-20 (and so much more)
• Why God causes people to suffer – Amos 4.6-11

Mediate on a passage or two.  Remember that this is not a commentary on God but his actual words.  God, our creator, has revealed himself to us in very specific ways and wants us to understand his character.  Take some time and get to know him.

Small adjustments to intracracies of life

The historical setting of Jeremiah is Judah on the brink of utter annihilation.  The Northern Kingdom had been obliterated 120 years prior, and Babylon is knocking on the gates of Jerusalem.  Jeremiah has been crying out for 20+ years that the judgment of God is at hand, yet the people’s hearts are hard, idolatry is rampant and social injustice is the norm.  In the midst of this utter rejection of God and his law at a heart level, God gives the people an ultimatum: Keep the sabbath holy, and I will restore the glory of King David to Israel.  Don’t, and I will utterly destroy Jerusalem.   He didn’t command them to tear down their altars to Baal, kill the false prophets and priests, and give all their greedy gains to the poor.  He simply tells them to honor the sabbath, and all destruction will be avoided.  What the…?

One explanation: God, in his mercy and love, wanted to give them a command that was small and measurable, a place for their repentance to start.  He understood that complete change wouldn’t take place overnight so he gave them a simple instruction that they would either chose to follow or not.  How many times in our lives have we felt a prompting to make a small change?  Stop talking poorly about others; watch less television and read more Bible; buy flowers for your wife on the way home or do the dishes while she takes a nap; instead of drinking 3 beers, only have 1; get up 30 minutes earlier every morning for time with God; etc.  Our lives may not be on the edge of complete destruction, but there is no way to know the impact of small forms of obedience.  Sometimes God asks us to make small adjustments so that he can make big changes in our lives.

Peaceful waters when storms rage (or some other Christian cliche)

I have always been troubled by the notion of “peace that passeth all understanding.”  To me, it has seemed fake or forced, completely devoid of emotion.  It is like punching someone in the face and telling them they are not allowed to cry.  It is something expected of Christians and to feel otherwise is unChrist-like.  However, Habakkuk, “the complaining prophet,” has given me a different understanding of that eternal peace.  The first 2 chapters consist of Habakkuk filing his complaints with God, and God calmly explaining his plan and why Habakkuk can trust him.  The prophet starts off like so many us, overwhelmed by the heartache of his present calamity. He is bitter towards God for not swooping in and immediately saving the day.  God tells him of his plan and Habakkuk responds by doubting its validity.  He is so caught up in his own logic that he forgets who he is talking to.  Sound familiar?  Something strange happens by the end of chapter 3, though.  Habakkuk poignantly states that regardless of what horrors come, he will rejoice in the God of his salvation (Hab 3.17-19).  What changed?

First, Habakkuk was willing to openly express his emotional angst to God. Second, he waited for God to respond and actually listened to what he said.  Third, he remembered the goodness of God displayed throughout history.  Application for us?  1. Bring your complaints before God.  He is God of the universe; he can take it.  2. Listen for God’s response.  This requires taking time out of the chaos of life to simply listen. Also, humility is needed to accept whatever answer he gives as truth. 3. Think about the ways God has shown himself to you in the past.  His character doesn’t change so his goodness will continue to be accomplished in your life, even if it doesn’t fit your timetable. 4. Hold onto whatever revelations you are given and wait, trusting in God’s consistency, for “the righteous live by faith” (Hab 2.4).

It seems that deeper, incomprehensible peace is not something that comes easy.  Rather, it comes through an open processing of our emotions and a willingness to tell God that everything is not okay.  It is born out of a profound awareness of who God is. It is a quality of the humble, who have lived with adversity, fought anger and doubt, and realized that God is bigger still.

The fabric of humanity

As life will an inevitably do from time-to-time, I found myself completely overwhelmed.  I was emotionally wrecked do to the intensity of this program, my computer, which I use as much as my Bible, was on its way out, and our car was on the fritz. The perfect storm had converged over my reality, creating a feeling of frustration and hopelessness.   As I tried to keep my world from crumbling, I felt totally outmatched.  I was fighting so hard to maintain control but finding myself unable to even put one foot in front of the other.  Then God intervened through a thought: you need to ask for help.  My pride flared up, but I knew I had no other choice.  I called my family for prayer and made my technological troubles known to a few members of our community.  Within two days, I was emotionally stable, had money for a new computer and the expertise of an auto mechanic, who fixed our car for $20.

Through this experience, I have begun to understand the importance of community.  Paul referred to it as the "body of Christ...from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love" (Eph 4.16).  I realized two important lessons: 1) we are all created to live interdependent on others.  It is how we are designed because it is who God is (Father, Son, Spirit). 2) helping others is not just a matter of giving them money.  Our responsibility to the "body of Christ" is not fulfilled through our tithes.  Rather, promoting "the body's growth" requires each of us to live out our individual talents, while being intimately aware of the rest of the body.  In other words, it is a matter of using our natural gifts and abilities to help others.  But in order to help others, we must know what they need, which requires moving beyond superficial conversations, being willing to be vunerable, and realizing the need to not be self-sufficient. 

Through simply being willing to ask for help and others doing what they are naturally good at, my entire reality went from terrible to good in a matter of days. Today, right now, - in what ways do you need help from others? Do you know what those around you need? How can you use what God has gifted you with to enrich the lives of those around you?

The dominoe effect of decisions

Every day we are given the same basic choice.  Do I trust God or do I trust…emotions, others, my own logic, media, my pride…. The type of fulfillment we seek changes (security, approval, emotional, etc.) but the choice of a provider doesn’t.  In Hosea, Israel is displayed as an unfaithful wife, whoring after other lovers because she thinks they give her what she needs (food, money, protection, nice things).  God is portrayed as a jealous husband longing desperately for his bride to realize that he is the true fulfiller of her needs.  In order to teach her this lesson, he is willing to “strip her naked” (2.3), removing all the things she thought fulfilled her, and “uncover her shame in the sight of her lovers” (2.10).  Essentially, God removes his goodness from Israel and lets them depend on the idols they so frantically sought.  The result is destruction and complete exile for 10 of Israel’s tribes.

Fast forward 2700 years… Due to the unchanging character of God (Heb 13.8), we can assume that he operates towards his people in the same way today.  I think of my past moments of desperation; the times when my entire world seemed to drop out from under me.  Days and weeks of realizing that I was in no way thriving but simply getting by.  Through the lens of Hosea, I can now see that it was a byproduct of my idols coming up short.  Because of his deep love for me, God allowed me to experience the true power of my idols; he allowed my trust in things other than him to play itself out.  Essentially, God allows us to experience the natural consequences of our infidelity.

But fortunately for us, and Israel, God doesn’t stop there.  Hosea 2.14-23 shows God “alluring” his bride and “speaking tenderly to her.”  He gives her back everything that was taken, restores her integrity and takes her as his “wife in righteousness, justice, steadfast love and mercy forever.”  To use the Hosean illustration, God picks us up out of the gutter, covering our nakedness.  He brings us from the back alley into his bedchamber. He assures us of our self-worth and beauty.  He heals our wounds and provides for our needs.  Why? Because his “heart recoils within him” at the sight of our desolation, and “his compassion grows warm and tender” (11.8).  There are few things more beautiful than that.

Challenge: Reflect upon the decisions that you make and ask yourself, "Does this demostrate a trust in God or in something else?" It is one or the other.