Stepping in the Light

“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.” Ecclesiastes 11:6

The instruction in this verse is about consistent, thorough, indiscriminate effort. The picture this verse brings to mind is one of a farmer who has a very large field that needs to be seeded. Some parts of the field will bring forth more abundantly than others, but when the field is freshly plowed it all looks the same. The farmer cannot always tell by the shades of color in the dirt which areas will be most productive this year. If he could, he might be tempted to skip the areas that will not bring forth much fruit. In life, we can’t always tell which endeavors will be successful. We go from one responsibility to the next, not knowing which will be productive and which will fail. Solomon is telling us that we need to give our best to each task all day long because we never know which one will bring forth a great result.

Jesus used the example of a sower to teach us about sharing the gospel with others. In His parable, the sower sowed everywhere, even on the pathways. When we go out to share the gospel, we should share it with everyone. We need not look at a situation and try to predetermine whether the people will be receptive to the plan of salvation. There is no way to tell who will listen and receive Christ, so everyone needs to hear.

“Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.” Ecclesiastes 7:10

Is there a time in your life that you would like to go back to? Perhaps there was a time in your youth that you would like to revisit. Occasionally, I hear people talking about the “good old days.” This discussion usually includes things like the price of gasoline, the price of milk, or when a certain interstate highway was a dirt road. Solomon said that this kind of talk was not wise. There are advantages and disadvantages to every time period in the history of mankind and every phase of our individual lives. Our tendency is to point out facets of life from another time that seem to have faded away and have been replaced with things that are less desirable, less enjoyable, and less advantageous to our purposes. This seems reasonable on the surface, but the problem is that we are ignoring all of the negative things that have been replaced with positives. We are overlooking all of the great reasons to be alive today. No matter what we do, we cannot travel back in time to the “good old days.” They are gone. The only time we have is the present, the only day that we have is today. God has given us this day for a reason. It will present us with opportunities that we could never have experienced in the “good old days.” We must endeavor to please God and serve Him today, because it is the only day that we have. We ought to thank God for the day He has given us and revel in the good things that we enjoy now.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” II Corinthians 12:7-10

Paul described a physical ailment with which he suffered as a thorn in the flesh. He said that God sent it to him to keep him humble. Paul prayed that God would remove the physical problem from his body, but the Lord spoke to Paul and told him that His grace was all that Paul needed in order to keep going. The Lord told Paul that he did not need to be healed and that his physical suffering had a purpose. God said that His strength and power were made perfect in weakness. When Paul was weak and feeble, it allowed the power of God to work through his life. Paul said, “When I am weak, then am I strong.” We worry so much about our weaknesses, and we think that they will keep us from accomplishing God’s will in our lives; but just the opposite is true. God wants to work through our weaknesses so that He can receive the glory for everything that is accomplished.

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6

The word pure here carries with it the connotation of the refining process used in working with gold and silver. When these metals are purified, it increases their value, strength, usefulness, and desirability. The refining process for these metals takes time and effort; therefore, the value of a pure gold coin is much greater than a piece of gold jewelry that has other metals mixed in to strengthen the metal alloy. The scripture says that “every word of God is pure,” not that it is being purified. In other words, it is completely true, with no error mixed in. That makes it totally reliable for us. That is why it says that God is a shield to them that put their trust in Him. You can depend upon God’s Word being true. One reason that we know God’s Word is true is that He is omniscient. God knows everything, and He is perfect; therefore, He cannot make a mistake. If you pick up any science textbook, it will contain mistakes because it was written by human beings. No matter how intelligent the professors who wrote the book were, they could not possibly know every fact that related to their subject before they began to write. After a number of years go by, the book will need to be replaced because we will have learned more about science. God’s Word is pure because He knows everything, and His Word will never need to be revised. You and I can rely completely upon the truth of the Bible.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5

We are constantly enveloped in a spiritual battle. As Christians, our enemies are the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our carnal nature pervades our thinking to the point that we cannot depend upon our own thoughts, even after we are saved. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Therefore, we cannot trust our own thoughts completely, but we must constantly compare them with the Word of God. Paul said in Romans 8:6-8, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” We must be extremely careful about what we allow ourselves to think. Paul said in the passage above that we must cast down or destroy every imagination that is against God and bring every thought into obedience to Christ. This should be our plan of attack every day. It is a constant process because we are sinful creatures by nature, but it is a weapon that is “mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” II Corinthians 9:6

In context, the Apostle Paul is speaking specifically about giving financially to the work of God; but he is utilizing one of the laws of nature as an illustration. When planting seed, the rate of return will vary based on factors like soil quality, temperature, sunlight, and rainfall; but you will always reap in proportion to the amount you sow. The more you sow, the more you will reap. If you like the result of reaping and you want to reap more, then you must find a way to sow more. You must somehow obtain more seed and invest more effort, energy, and time in the process of sowing the seed. Paul was pointing out that this particular law of nature also applies in the spiritual realm. If you want God’s financial blessings, you must learn to give. In Luke 6:38, Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” This applies to giving to those in need as well as giving to the work of God. If you want to see souls come to Christ, you must go out and share the gospel with the lost. If you want to see Christians grow in grace, you must work to share the truths of God’s Word with them in a way that they can understand them and apply them to their hearts. Determine what it is that God would have you to sow and sow bountifully!

“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 22:3

One of the most important rules of driving safety is scanning the road ahead for potential dangers. If you are driving down the freeway at 70 miles per hour, your vehicle travels over 100 feet per second. The average overall stopping distance on dry pavement at 70 miles per hour is 315 feet, which is longer than a football field. Experts suggest looking ahead 10 to 15 seconds for possible hazards as you drive, so at highway speeds, you should be looking about a quarter of a mile ahead of your vehicle. This gives you time to react appropriately and avoid a potential collision.

This particular driving skill is an excellent illustration of the biblical principle of prudence mentioned in the passage above. Prudence is the ability to foresee potential problems in life and govern our decisions and actions accordingly. A prudent person is one who makes good long-term decisions. He is thinking about the potential effects of any given action and making decisions based on any future ramifications rather than the immediate results. A prudent person foresees the evil of living in poverty and works to provide for the present as well as saving for the future. A prudent person sees that living in sin, though it may seem to be pleasurable in the moment, has disastrous consequences and takes steps to avoid the sin and protect himself and his family. Are you living with prudence?

“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that has been diagnosed in young people in one form or another since the 1970s and has been a source of great debate with regard to its definition, its causes, and what is considered proper treatment. One of the characteristics that often leads to a diagnosis is difficulty paying attention. Some deny that ADHD is actually a mental disorder, while others insist that it is real and that medications should be administered regularly as a proper treatment. Regardless of our opinions of ADHD, it is true that many people struggle to pay attention in certain situations. We can attribute this to a lack of interest, a lack of focus, or even a lack of character; but sometimes it can be caused by a spiritual problem. Our thoughts are an indicator of our spirituality. “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways,” (James 1:8). The Bible has a lot to say about controlling our thoughts (see Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 23:7; 25:28, and II Corinthians 10:5), but this passage approaches the issue from the opposite direction. It says if we commit our works to God, our thoughts will be established. This requires a mental decision to allow God to set the direction for our lives. As we commit our works to God, we set new goals, and those new goals establish new thought patterns for us. When we find ourselves confused in our thinking, we can clear our thoughts by centering our focus on the work that God has given us to do.

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” II Corinthians 5:20-21

An ambassador is a representative. We normally think of an ambassador as a person who represents his country’s government to the leaders of another government. An ambassador facilitates communication between his country and other world leaders. He works as a “go-between” to bring people together, diffuse conflicts, minimize differences, and work through problems. He meets with foreign leaders and presents the position of his superiors on critical issues. He listens to those foreign leaders and asks well-prepared questions to help him understand any issues that they may have, and then returns to his own country and carefully explains to his own government’s leaders what those issues are and what the foreign leaders believe would be necessary to resolve them. Paul said that we are ambassadors for Christ; we represent Him. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. God wants every person to be saved, and our job as Christians is to be the representatives that help people come to Christ. It is our job to communicate the gospel to the lost and help them to understand God’s love for them. And then as we learn about their questions and issues, we must go to God on their behalf and ask Him to help us guide them to the truth.

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” II Corinthians 4:8-10

Paul’s life as a missionary was full of peril and hardship. As if the physical rigors of travel were not enough, Paul was mocked, scorned, hated, persecuted, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, and left for dead; but he continued to press on in his efforts to reach the lost. There was trouble on every side, but he was not distressed. At times, he was perplexed, but never in despair. When he suffered persecution, he knew that he was not alone because God was with him. Many times he felt he had been cast down, but he never allowed himself to be destroyed. Paul recognized his troubles, but he refused to let them get the best of him. It was impossible to ignore the negative in his life, but he remained focused on the positive. He said, “I’m not distressed, not in despair, not forsaken, and not destroyed.” That sounds like someone who is determined to make the best of his situation. All of us face discouragement. We all have our hardships and difficulties. But we never have to allow ourselves to be defeated. We do not have to quit. We do not have to allow Satan to destroy us. Paul said that the challenges he faced made it possible for other people to see the life and power of Jesus Christ in his life. When you continue on in spite of hardship, others can see Jesus in you.