Eric E. Wright's Blog, page 26

The Cruelty of Oppressors – Why Suffering, #2

A terrible virus traced back to Wuhan in China has unleashed a wave of almost unprecedented suffering on our world. Was the source of this virus bats sold in a wet market? Or was it a release from the laboratory in Wuhan that was investigating corona viruses in bats? We may never know. We do know that they withheld information for at least six weeks.

The cruelty of the oppressive Chinese communist party is well known. Consider Tienanmen Square. Consider their response to the Hong Kong freedom demonstrations. Consider their destruction of churches. Consider the detention of a million Uighur Muslims in re-education camps in W. China.

When we try to understand suffering, we would be wise to realize that oppressors are one of the main sources. As long as there has been television news, it has projected stories of suffering inflicted by the oppression of powerful and cruel men. Two years of warfare in Syria claimed 60,000 lives due largely to the [image error]intransigence of President Assad. Meanwhile, the Taliban in Afghanistan continue to spread fear by targeting innocent villagers while pretending to want peace. As long as genuine participatory democracy fails to take root in Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the future looks bleak—unless God should step in.

“You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted;…defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more” (Psalm 10:17,18).

But let’s think closer to home. In 2008 powerful institutions in the US manipulated the mortgage market and precipitated the worst recession since the thirties–until now. The suffering of hard-working Americans who lost their homes was incalculable. Indeed, the whole world felt the fallout. Then there are criminal gangs who promote drugs, prostitution, and gambling. [image error]

“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker” (Prov. 14:31).

Powerful multi-nationals run rough-shod over the rights of aboriginals in many parts of the world. Greedy industrialists pay workers a pittance to labor in terrible conditions producing consumer goods. Landlords keep tenant farmers in perpetual debt in Pakistan.

James warns the oppressive rich. “Weep and wail…your gold and silver are corroded…Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you…have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty” (James 5:1,3,4).

Religious groups are not immune. When religious men gain unbridled power, they often abuse. Consider the crusades, the Inquisition, oppression in reformation Geneva, abuses in Puritan New England and in first nations’ residential schools. Islamists today use suicide bombers and threat of terror to intimidate whole populations. Boko Haram has created devastation among Christians in Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso. Villagers in Pakistan try to coerce a young Christian boy to recite the Muslim creed.

Oppressors have bloodied history with their atrocities. Remember Sennacherib of Assyria (2 Ki[image error]ngs 18:13ff), Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (2 Kings 25:8,9), and Genghis Khan. But the effects of 20th century dictators Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, and others are unparalleled in their ferocity. An estimated 100 to 180 million died during the heartless depredations of these oppressors.

Power corrupts, whether it is in the hands of an abusive husband, a king, or an industrialist. In the west we are very fortunate to have democratic governments, subject to an independent judiciary and a system of checks and balances. [Unfortunately, our western democracies are weakening.] The development of democracy can be traced to the Protestant Reformation with its acknowledgement of God as the Judge of all the earth, not some priest or pope or king. The Reformation revived a sense of individual freedom under God and of responsibility to God. In France where the Reformation was weak, their revolution resulted in a period of terror. In England where the Reformation was strong, a constitutional government of checks and balances developed.

Instead of blaming God for suffering, let’s lay much of the blame at the feet of oppressors. And let’s determine to personally fight for justice and abhor all forms of intimidation and coercion. “Redeem me from the oppression of men” (Psalm 119:134).

Only in coming to know Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour can we find the spiritual resources necessary to prosper in an unjust world. The hope of His return creates within us the expectation of that future reign of righteousness promised by Jesus. “Even so come Lord Jesus.”

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Why Suffering?

[image error]Why suffering? The Covid-19 virus has introduced suffering on a global scale. Not that suffering is new, but this pandemic has intensified the loneliness of Alzheimer’s patients, led to canceled surgeries and cancer treatments, introduced new levels of  financial hardship for small businesses and disrupted the functioning of  governments. Add to this, the terrible agony of those on respirators and the fear and uncertainty unleashed on the world.

This pandemic dredges up perennial questions. Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why do those who serve God seem to suffer as much or more than others? Why not just give up and wallow in misery? This is the first of six or so blogs on this subject that will grapple with these questions. Of course, it is probable that there is no completely satisfactory answer. It is like trying to find a rational reason for irrationality.

Suffering leaves us with a narrow range of options. We could choose to ponder karma as our Hindu and Buddhist friends urge. In that case suffering is the result of past personal sins. Or we could look in the Quran and Haddith for explanations of Allah’s inscrutable and unfeeling but absolute will. In an age where materialism or naturalism is dominant, we could ponder suffering as the result of the random, unfeeling clash of material elements. But that doesn’t leave us with much comfort. I’d rather explore the Bible, 66 books written by 40 authors over 1500 years. Yes, in there we have at least the experiences of Job, of David, and many others. We see Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazurus and suffering on the cross.

As we tackle this subject, we might ask first if the cause of personal suffering can be found in the sufferer? Where those who have died of Covid-19 more guilty than those who survived?

The catastrophes that burst on Job led his friends to search in Job’s life for some root of rebellion [image error]against God, some sin that would cause God to judge him. They were wrong in thinking that Job brought it on himself. The reasons were not to be found in Job but in a clash between God and Satan. Ultimately, God vindicated Job but did not explain why he lost his sons and his wealth. Instead he called upon him to trust in the infinite and inscrutable wisdom of God, the creator.

The story of Job tells us that we will rarely understand why suffering occurs. The cause is not often found in a specific person or place. The cause may be rooted in the rage of Satan in the heavenly places. (Read Job 1) The devil knows that his time is short. He hates God. He hates God’s beautiful creation. And he especially hates all God’s redeemed children. As we draw closer to the return of Christ we can be sure there will be terrible plagues as predicted in prophecy. Living as we do in a conflict zone, we must learn to trust in God and put on his full armor. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”(Eph. 6:12).

[image error]Asaph had a similar quandary in Psalm 73. He was astonished at the arrogance and prosperity of the wicked in the light of the sufferings of the righteous. Why do they have so few struggles? Why are they so healthy? While, “all day long I have been plagued” (Psalm 73:14). It was only when Asaph took the long view that he saw the doom toward which the wicked were racing—the judgment of God.

In the midst of suffering let’s remember that if we believe in Christ as our savior, we “are aliens and strangers on earth” (Heb. 11:13). May God help us to live by faith like Abel, Enoch, Abraham and Noah along with the whole catalog of the faithful in Hebrews eleven. They were, “longing for a better country—a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:16). Jesus has promised to prepare that heavenly place for us. (See John 14:1) And what about our aching, failing bodies? Jesus rose from the dead to be the first-fruits of all those who will inherit an imperishable, immortal, glorious body [image error]free from pain, a body like unto His. (See 1 Cor. 15:50-57.)

While faith and hope give us glimpses of a glorious future, let’s not forget to look back to the beginning for the real cause of suffering. Remember, “the sting of death is sin” (1 Cor.15:56). Where did sin come from? I’ll tackle that question in a subsequent blog.

Meanwhile, as Mary Helen and I self-isolate and struggle with physical ailments, we remind ourselves that spiritual health is more important than anything. “Be very careful how you live—not as unwise but as wise…understand what the Lord’s will is…be filled with the Spirit…always giving thanks to God the Father…put on the full armor of God” (Eph. 5:15,17,18,20; 6:11).

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(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca  Facebook: Eric E Wright  Twitter: @EricEWright1  LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Living A Daily Life — 5, Persevering through Hope

Pandemic updates dominate the news. Worry about the future availability of toilet paper governs shopping. Shelves are empty in many grocery stores. This panic about having enough stuff is but a window into deeper worries. Our confidence in a dependable future is seriously shaken.

We all hope the spread of this virus will slow and die out. We hope a vaccine will be found soon. We look to health-care professionals to win this viral war. And generally, they’re doing a great job. We need to pray for them. But this hope is not what Christian hope is. This “hope-so” hope merely exposes the fragile nature of human life, international trade, the limitations of science, the vagaries of the stock market, and governments’ limited abilities to cope with crises.

Christian hope is an assurance about the future that is based on the rock-solid promises of the infinite, all-powerful God. And those promises are the heritage of every single person who responds to the gospel. All who confess their sins, turn from them, embrace Jesus as their sin-bearer have a secure future. That security and the hope it produces is a product of salvation.

The apostle Paul reminds us that the gospel he proclaimed produced concrete results among the Thessalonians. It led to “your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3).

Gospel salvation generates faith and love which promote godly labour, kindness, gentleness, compassion. But Christian hope provides the endurance needed to keep on carrying on. We’re tired. We’re discouraged. We see so little happening. But we keep on. Why? “Because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). Not one act of compassion will be wasted. Not one prayer fall to the ground. Not one witness be wasted. Not one drop of water given to the thirsty evaporate. Not one visit to the lonely be in vain.

Why hope? Because Jesus said, “I give them [my sheep] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). Believers will be saved from the wrath of God that is to be poured out on a sinful world for “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). All genuine believers stand robed in the perfect righteousness of Christ. They are justified!

Why hope? Whatever crisis we face, Christ is there with us. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39).

Why do we have hope? Because dying is going home; it is embracing Christ in heaven. Although Paul wanted to stay with his disciples to help them, he longed to be in the presence of Christ. “We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, … and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (Corinthians 5:6-8). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Absent from the body is present with the Lord!

Why does hope keep us persevering? Because no matter how many times we stumble or fail Christ will pick us up. He will sanctify us delivering us from the corrupting power of evil in this world and helping us overcome the temptations that may lay us low. The result—glorification. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…and those he predestined, he also called, those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29,30). The end result of this amazing process of sanctification will be Christ-likeness.

Why have hope? Because, “in my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Just think, a place prepared not by an architect or a builder, but by the creator!

Why hope? Because, “God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).

Why? Because Jesus is coming again. “The Lord himself will come down from  heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call God” (1 Thess. 4:16).

These are of a few of the reasons for the Christian hope, a hope that does not disappoint! (Rom.5:5). That hope stiffens our resolve and arms our expectations with confidence. The hope we have in a present, resurrected Savior, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the sovereign Father arms us with the perseverance we need to press on. So led us continue on to glory. Nothing, not even, a pandemic can hinder that journey!

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Oil, Blockades and Canada’s First Nations – Musings

Here in Canada we’ve just endured over 18 days of rail blockages that have halted all freight and passenger traffic in Eastern Canada. While the main blockage has been taken down and rail traffic is slowly returning, other demonstrations and blockages continue to appear across the country. Environmental, anti-oil and climate-change activists have joined many of the protests in sympathy with the first nations.

Why? What is going on? As a non-indigenous Canadian, my first reaction was anger and frustration. Don’t they realize how good we have it in Canada? Don’t they use gas and oil? Why block a pipeline that will transport natural gas in an underground, safe way instead of shipping it across the country by rail? We’ve had many trains de-railed with resultant fires and spilled oil. Shipping by rail is not as safe as pipelines. Besides why hold a whole province, Alberta, hostage? Why import unethical Saudi oil?

As to our use of fossil fuels, I still don’t have much sympathy with those who want to immediately ban them. Ninety per cent of our energy comes from non-renewables like oil. Sure, we want to encourage the innovation of renewable ways to create energy. But without oil we will not be able to power our society, create concrete, make steel, or manufacture most of our products for decades. Making concrete produces 8% of CO2 world-side. Steel production creates 7 to 9 %. Then there is the CO2 produced by plastic production, etc. etc. The banning of oil and gas is not possible in the foreseeable future without initiating a new dark age of primitivism.

But back to my attempts to understand the indigenous position, I listened to four different debates moderated by Steve Paikin on TVO and seen on YouTube. Each program had guests from First Nations and researchers on our Canadian history. During this marathon, I learned shocking truths about the Indian Act, passed in 1867. Truly, I as a typical Canadian was ignorant of many facts. Consider a few provisions of the Indian Act.

The Indian agent, acting for the Department of Indian Affairs could choose a European name to replace an individual’s indigenous name. He could enter Indian homes at will. Their children could be forcibly removed to residential schools. What created the residential school scandal.

Portions of reserves could be expropriated for roads, railways and other public works, or the whole reserve could be moved to another place if that was deemed expedient. In spite of the many treaties made with our indigenous people, they have been often cheated out of their land. Money designated for their welfare was often squandered.

It denied women status and denied men the right to vote until an amendment in 1960. It forbade the formation of political organizations, the speaking of the native language, the celebrating of traditional potlatchs, the wearing traditional dress in a public dance, and the hiring of lawyers to pursue land claims, etc.

Leaving the reserve required as pass. Selling on or from the reserve required special permits. Property on reserves could not be owned by the occupants of a house or sold. The Act also included many other provisions.

Amendments in 1951 and 1985 deleted the ban on ceremonies and allowed the pursuit of land claims. (My understanding of the Indian Act is admittedly limited.)

Clearly, non-indigenous Canadians are largely ignorant of our history of discrimination against those who were here before us. It way past time to right these wrongs and honour treaties. If we were in their shoes, we’d be angry too.

Let me be clear on what I am saying. For the immediate future we need oil and gas unless we want to heat our houses with wood and light our houses naturally. We need pipelines. And without deifying the earth as some of our indigenous friends seem to, we agree with them that we treat our natural resources with care. God calls us to creation-care. And we need to honour indigenous treaties.

Note, I am not denying climate-change but questioning what we can do about it pragmatically.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Living A Daily Life – Part 4, Living by Faith

“What ifs” can quickly demolish our tranquility. What if I get cancer? What[image error] if we don’t have enough money for retirement? What if I lose my job? What if it ices up and I slip and break an arm?

It’s natural to worry about tomorrow and beyond. With the TV news full of tales of tragedy, why should we expect to escape trouble? After all, we probably know half-dozen people who are trying to deal with atrial fibrillation, cancer, dementia, or find an affordable apartment.

But stop! This kind of thinking is harmful. And if we are Christians, we have a Bible crammed with wisdom urging us to prayerfully live one day at a time. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6).

In several recent blogs I’ve been pondering how to live life[image error] one day at a time. That certainly involves a life of prayer. It also means living a life of faith. Now, faith doesn’t mean we deny facts. No, but faith reaches beyond visible facts to fill in where sight ends. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1, KJV). Believing in things unseen is not an irrational faith. Why? Because biblical faith is grounded in attested promises, and statements of truth that affirm realities beyond our sight.

Sixty-six books by 40 different authors have attested the veracity of biblical truth. Four gospels have affirmed these truths. Peter, John, and Paul among thousands of eye-witnesses to Christ have attested their truth. Millions of Christians over 2000 years have affirmed the authenticity of biblical promises. And if we have been born again by the Spirit we can look back over our own lives and see how unseen realities have been proven true. We’ve had answered prayers, guidance in our decision-making, change in [image error]our lifestyle, and God’s help in diverse situations.

Promises are just words on paper, until we believe them. And if we have believed them, we know that we have been saved from condemnation, forgiven, and declared righteous through the blood of Christ. We have been adopted into God’s family. Our heavenly Father has shown he cherishes us by touching our hardened hearts with love, by providing for us, protecting us, sustaining us in trouble. Will he then fulfill the final promise—to keep us until death and take us home to heaven where his Son is preparing a special place for us? With a lifetime of fulfilled promises behind us, why would we doubt this one?

Faith! It all boils down to trusting the Triune God. The Gospels record the trustworthiness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Old Testament records the trustworthiness of God, especially of the Father. “The Lord God is a sun and a shield, no good thing will he withhold from them who walk uprightly” (Psalm 85:11, KJV). The book of Acts records the trustworthiness of the Holy Spirit.

So when we read; “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28) we are challenged to trust that whatever happens, God will overrule it for our [image error]good. Faith in God calls us to trust in his providence—today. It calls us to trust in his sovereign rulership of the universe—today. Meditation on God— infinite, eternal, unchangeable in his being wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth—lifts us above our circumstances, today. “Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is set on THEE” (Isaiah 26:3 KJV). “This is the DAY which THE LORD HATH MADE, we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24 KJV).

But if today, we are feeling too much pain to be glad or to think clearly, then let us at least pour out our hearts to God. He is touched, today by our pain. No matter how feeble our faith, he surrounds us with his love. He will carry [image error]us through.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Am I Illogical to Expect Logic to Prevail?

[image error]I continue to ponder the religious apathy of the generation in which we live and their unquestioning belief in evolution and other theories. But belief in chance as the cause of all is so illogical. And belief in a Creator God is so logical. The evidence of His design is everywhere. And yet, in spite of the likelihood of our intricate ecosystem coming into existence through the random interaction of random particles over billions of years being astronomically impossible, people still believe it all evolved or happened somehow.

Sure, flowers that can only exist through the pollination of hummingbirds [image error]that came into existence at the same time! Sure all the intricate dance of bees evolved over billions of years! Sure, all our systems can be traced back to the primordial slime! Where is the logic to discount a Creator?

Logic is important. I often wonder how atheists and the ‘nones’ can logically hold to their ideas that out of nothing came a formed universe, intricate natural laws, incredible creatures, consciousness, moral imperatives and creativity. Just a random clash of elements? A billion years of monkeys typing on keys to produce one sonnet of Shakespeare? OK, then let me tell you how cars and pianos and cell phones and laptops evolved without any designer.

[image error]But maybe I’m on the wrong track expecting logic to lead to faith.

Os Guinness has written the following in a long piece in Just Thinking. (Os Guinness, Just Thinking, Vol 27.4, p. 16) “Western thinking and faith have been heavily influenced by the Greeks, and many people therefore tend naturally to discuss God using philosophy. They think about God and understand faith through philosophical arguments and proofs, using logic and building a case from nature (for example the famous theistic proofs for God).

Yet the Jewish people have long pointed out that God is introduced in the [image error]Bible through history rather than philosophy, and that faithfulness (or reliability and loyalty) is central to the notion of faith…encounters in experience, in history. The Jews knew God unmistakably because he rescued them from slavery in Egypt, and they saw and experienced his majesty at Mt. Sinai.…The stress on history rather than philosophy is behind the vast difference between what Pascal described as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ who is not the god of philosophers and scholars. A truth well-lived outweighs both a truth well-stated and a truth well-argued.”

[image error]Guinness goes on to say, “The reality of God is better demonstrated in the story of the life, work, death, and resurrection of Jesus than in a thousand arguments about the existence of God.”

Here is a correction to my lament for logic. I have always endeavoured to think logically about God and proofs for His existence. But when it comes right down to it, looking back on Mary Helen’s and my life, it has been God at work in the key events in our lives that has [image error]been the most important thing. It was He who gave us faith to believe. It was reading about Him in the Scriptures, especially about the life of Christ that impacted our lives. And as we recently wrote our memoir, it was God in the key events of our lives that demonstrated His reality. God is alive.

[image error]I guess that is what our memoir, Surprised by Grace¸ is all about. God is here, in our history, to guide, to provide, to re-direct, to protect, to heal, to bless. He is the God of history and providence. As someone has said, History is His story. Now if only we could get people to test Jesus challenge. “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:17). Put it to the test and find out!

[image error](Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Who are the “Nones?”

[image error]Why are there so many unbelievers, those who tick the “none” box on surveys in what used to be thought of as “Christian countries”? In a recent Canadian survey, 23.9 % said they were non-religious. A Pew survey indicates that 17% of the US population now classify themselves as non-religious. Why is this category growing?

Timothy Larsen writes that, “Often enough, Christianity wasn’t rejected outright—either intellectually or emotionally. Rather, it didn’t take hold because it wasn’t successfully passed down.” Much of this is related to social changes. “First for good theological reasons, Christians gave up trying to coerce people into believing.” Coercion is never successful in creating genuine believers.

Secondly, he notes that the worldly benefits of being a professing Christian disappeared. In our culture, people no longer need to go to church to be viewed in their communities as respectable and moral. The rise of relativism means that many look upon morals as an individual matter. ‘If it’s good for you it’s good.’ There is a widespread decline in the west in belief that there are absolute moral values revealed by God on Sinai and in the Bible.

Thirdly, the rise of leisure opportunities, modern transportation and media mean that people have multiple choices to escape boredom. They can golf or go to the beach or watch a movie. In an earlier era going to church was a “welcome break from a boring, cooped-up life at home.”

“Fourthly, was the rise of permissive parenting. Mom and Dad no longer had the nerve to insist that Johnny get up and go to Sunday school, whether he wanted to or not. The parents had not stopped believing in God; they just neglected to give their children a spiritual formation.

Repeat the cycle just once, and you have a generation that hasn’t necessarily rejected religion—but, in all likelihood, hasn’t been initiated into it. …Many of the ‘nones’ don’t know how to pray for the same reason they don’t know how to read Roman numerals: No one taught them when they were young, and so they now assume it must not be worth learning. Maybe, Jill doesn’t believe in God because her grandparents let her parents stay out late on Saturday night and then sleep in on Sunday morning.”

And so, we have a generation that is either apathetic toward the Christian faith or question the need for a faith. Clearly, our western countries need evangelism in its most basic forms. In some ways, people with an antagonistic faith may be easier to reach that those with no faith. At least antagonists, such as Muslims, will talk about their beliefs. How to break through apathy is the big question!

We also need to inspire Christian families to pass on the faith to their children with love, enthusiasm, and creativity.

(Quotes from Timothy Larsen’s review of Alex Ryrie’s book, Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt. Christianity Today, Dec. 2019, page 55)

[image error](Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Living a day-by-day life

Part Three – Gaining A Heart Of Wisdom

I waste so much time! But isn’t that okay now that I am retired…and tired…and have a few other challenges? We can’t travel much, except to doctor’s appointments. International insurance is prohibitive. And I don’t feel like sky-diving like the 90-year old I heard about. Nor do I really enjoy watching sports all day or playing board games. Okay, I enjoy reading a good novel and watching spy movies on Netflix. But…

[image error]Now, I really don’t think God wants to spoil our fun. He isn’t committed to load us down with guilt about taking life too easy in what our culture calls, “the retirement years.” There is some indication that God recognizes a period of retirement from active service. “The Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more” (Numbers 8: 23-26. See also 4:3,47). This is not decisive, since Zechariah served in the temple at an advanced age (Luke 1:7) and advances in health care mean we live longer.

But whatever our age, God did give us some good advice through his servant Moses. “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

This admonition urges us first of all to realize that our days are precious. [image error]They are not given us to squander. Each day is a gift. We will retire each evening contented if we have done something useful that day.

Secondly, an important daily pursuit should be to “gain a heart of wisdom.” Since fear—reverence for the LORD—is the beginning of wisdom, we could ask the Holy Spirit to help us increase our God-centredness and reverence. Meditation on the attributes of God will aid in this pursuit. As the Westminster Catechism declares, “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his [triune] being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.” (See: http://www.shortercatechism.com/resources/wsc/wsc_004.html)

[image error]Whatever stage of life we are in, meditation on the excellencies of God will powerfully enrich our days. Considering the goodness of God alone, could occupy us until He calls us home. God’s kindness, His gentleness, His love, His forgiveness, His grace, His patience. And all that goodness aimed at sinners like us!

Speaking of patience, gaining a heart of wisdom, might also include pondering our degree of fruitfulness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22,23). I often ask myself why “patience” on my tree of life seems so often shriveled.

Thirdly, the pursuit of wisdom surely means learning a bit more each day about that depository of wisdom, the Bible. Am I weak on understanding Chronicles? Or Hebrews? Or Revelation? With so many resources online these days, gaining more biblical wisdom is convenient…but to do so we have to “number our days”. Along with this, can we not pray for opportunities and the ability to shine the light of the [image error]Gospel from our lives.

Fourthly, I think gaining a heart of wisdom includes growing in our understanding of the world in which we live. With so much on the Internet we have a priceless opportunity to expand our general knowledge. We can keep up on world news and pray through the crises of the day. We can think through all the hullabaloo about climate change. We can ponder the contrast between socialism and capitalism. We can study why blaming everything on white patriarchy is a croc. We can learn about other countries. And if we can’t travel, we can visit places through the Internet.

Lord, help us to gain even a tiny bit more wisdom today.

[image error](Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Learning to live one day at a time

Part Two – Rediscovering God’s Love and Grace.

‘How can we learn to live joyfully, one day at a time without worry about [image error]tomorrow? Moses has some advice for us. Yes, that Moses who led Israel from Egypt through 40 years of wilderness wandering and rebellion. Can we imagine a more worrying job?

In ten verses of Psalm 90, he relates some of the hard facts of life. We came from dust and are destined to return to dust. Between these two extremes, our lives are full of trouble and sorrow, much of it caused by our own secret sins. [See Psalm 90:3-11.] He sounds very pessimistic! Moses would not have been invited to host a motivational show.

But then he tells us his secret. “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). What a way to beat pessimism!

He urges us to pray that the LORD might help us to begin our days with a settled sense of His unfailing love. That we KNOW with certainty that whatever a day may bring, the love God has for us will not disappear or change. If we have been saved by God’s grace through Christ, we can know God’s love will surround us today.

How much love does God have for us? Paul prays that the Ephesians, and all[image error] Christians, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being…being rooted and established in love, …may grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (See Eph. 3:16-19). In other words we need to let the sense of God’s indescribable, unfathomable, infinite love permeate our souls.

How much am I loved? A hymn writer exults, “The love of God is greater far, Than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell.…

Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made;

Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.

[image error]But what if we fail, which we will? What if we sin? What if the day is a mess? What if, like Moses, we are vilified or deserted or stretched beyond our capacity to endure? Will God love us still? Will his arms surround us? Will he still be our rock?

I’ve recently concluded that our temperaments are so attuned to try and please God by our works, that we need to relearn grace almost every day. We keep thinking we have to earn His love. We have our jobs…until we retire. If we do a good, honest job, won’t God be pleased? Yes, but His love will not increase or diminish depending on what we do.

After retirement, we have our to-do-lists. If we complete our daily devotions won’t God be pleased? If we call on the sick, or attend church or pray, won’t God be pleased? Probably, but His love will not increase or decrease depending on our accomplishments or lack of them. His love is showered upon us as an act of divine grace—His undeserved, unearned loving forgiveness for our sins and reception of us as His children does not vary. “It is by grace you are saved and that not of yourselves.” And it is by grace[image error] that we are kept.

Moses tells us that the more we are satisfied in the morning with God’s love the more we will sing for joy and be glad all our days. But our emotions fluctuate from cheerfulness to discouragement and outright despair depending on the circumstances of our day. Reading Moses’ history, I doubt if he sang through every day. Some days he was angry and in despair over Israel. Probably, living a joyful life uplifted by a focus on God’s love is a work in progress. Something we must grow into. However we feel, we can know that God’s love for us does not change with the weather.

Wade Robinson writes, “Loved with everlasting love, led by grace that love to know. Spirit breathing from above. Thou hast taught me it is so!…In a love which cannot ce3ase, I am His and He is mine.” [I’ll continue this blog series about living a daily life.]

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca; Facebook: Eric E Wright, Twitter: @EricEWright1 ––)

Living Today Without Worry, Part One

[image error]This blog is for me; well, maybe not just for old geezers like me. Everyone deals with worry. My challenge is to live life one day at a time, joyfully, and without worry about the future.

This is not an appeal for us to blunder into the future with starry-eyed optimism. Planning is important. But worry is destructive.

It’s not the climate crisis that worries me. No. I’m of an age where colleagues and friends are passing on. I stare mortality in the face. Blocked arteries, arthritis, and artificial knee joints that are aging. Worry that the dreadful “C” might hide in my tomorrows? Or that my increasing forgetfulness hints at the terrible “D”? And what about my ability to care for my life partner and the challenges she faces?

Almost as challenging is not feeling useful, needed, and productive. Sitting[image error] back, way back on the shelf somewhere. After living busy lives how do we deal with no schedule except a couple of naps, maybe some shopping, and checking our Facebook?

First, Christ commands us not to worry. “Do not worry about your life…about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:25,34). Clearly, worry won’t change tomorrow. Worry fills our imaginations with monsters that don’t exist. Worry ruins what could be a good day or makes a challenging day even worse. Worry destroys our faith in the LORD of all our tomorrows. Worry opens the door to fear and pessimism.

Basically, we must decide if we believe Jesus who said, “And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Do we believe the Triune God who declares, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose…if God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom. 8:28, 31). [Take the time to read again all the incredible promises of Romans 8.]

[image error]Instead of living lives of worry, as Christ describes unbelievers as doing, what should our daily purpose be? In verse 33 of Matthew six, Jesus states the alternative; “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things [the things we need for daily life] will be given to you as well.”

Until the visible kingdom comes at Christ’s return, the invisible kingdom comes whenever by the Spirit, a person repents of sin and makes Christ the Lord of their life. How can we contribute to this happening? By being a gospel witness. But, you say, I don’t have evangelistic gifts. No, I don’t either. But we can ask the Spirit to bring opportunities our way. And as an old geezer, perhaps one of my key tasks is to pray for my community and for the missionaries extending the kingdom around the world.

The second thing Jesus asks us to do today, is to seek his righteousness. What did he mean? We can’t improve on our position in Christ, for “this [image error]righteousness from God, [perfect righteousness] comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Rom. 3:32). It is a gift. But we can seek holiness of life. We can grow in grace. We can commit ourselves to practical sanctification. That will mean asking God to help us produce more of the fruit of the spirit; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, godliness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22,23). I don’t know about you, but even after having been a Christian for 64 years I find I’m lacking in all of these. But if we try to be all of these, we may give up in despair. I find it helpful to concentrate on one of these fruits at a time. In my case, I’m asking God to help me to be more patient.

“This is the day that the Lord has made.” Not a day for worry but seeking his kingdom and his righteousness. [I’m planning on continuing this series in a couple of future blogs.]

[image error](Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)