See the Good
Seeing the Good
Hebrews chapter 11 is a testimony to those who lived by faith and were not let down by God. The names are a Who’s Who of the Bible. Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Gideon, Samson, and David are just a few of the men and women of faith mentioned. What is not mentioned, are the times when these men failed to walk in faith. When they took matters into their own hands and were disobedient. Some of them committed some whopper sins and were anything but faithful at those times. And yet, the author of Hebrews, moved by the Holy Spirit of God remembered them as people of faith.
Nehemiah, in chapter 13, of his book records a prayer. One thing he prays for is found in verse 31, the last verse of the book, “Remember me, O my God, for good”. He desires that God remember him for the good he did in the kingdom and not for the times he messed up. I would guess that Nehemiah was just like us. He was far more able to recall the times he messed up than the times he did well. It just seems that those times of failure tend to remain more vivid than the times of faithful obedience. There are several reasons for that. One is that we understand that when we are faithful it is because of the uplifting ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We give him the glory and credit he deserves and so we do not toot our own horn. When we fail we realize that it is all us. That failure, to us, is who we see ourselves as, people who are prone to wander. Nehemiah prays, and I believe that God answers, to remember the good he has done and to wash the negative away. It is a prayer answered by Paul in Ephesians 1 when Paul shares that we are, in God’s sight because we are in Jesus, holy and acceptable. God sees the blood of Jesus and the work Jesus has and is doing in our lives...he does not define us by our failures.
Eugene Peterson had a quote about the church which I have grown to love. I do not remember it exactly and so I apologize to Mr. Peterson as I butcher his quote but he said, basically, “I have stopped apologizing for the church. I am not surprised when we fail. I am just amazed that we ever get it right”. If you think about that statement enough I think you get the encouragement that it was meant to be. The church is not different because it is perfect. It is different because it is the only institution that ever has a hope of getting it right from time to time. Focus on those amazing times when the work of Jesus in your life comes together and you serve him faithfully, when you are used in the lives of others, when you put God first, or you love like Jesus. Those times are proof of the work that Jesus is doing in your life. Those are supernatural times when your new nature in Christ is producing the fruit of the Spirit in and through you. Those times are gifts from heaven and proof that one day we will be glorified and perfectly faithful to him. Don’t be amazed when you sin and are unfaithful...be amazed when you walk by faith and know that God remembers the good and refuses, because of Jesus, to condemn you for the failures.
Hebrews chapter 11 is a testimony to those who lived by faith and were not let down by God. The names are a Who’s Who of the Bible. Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Gideon, Samson, and David are just a few of the men and women of faith mentioned. What is not mentioned, are the times when these men failed to walk in faith. When they took matters into their own hands and were disobedient. Some of them committed some whopper sins and were anything but faithful at those times. And yet, the author of Hebrews, moved by the Holy Spirit of God remembered them as people of faith.
Nehemiah, in chapter 13, of his book records a prayer. One thing he prays for is found in verse 31, the last verse of the book, “Remember me, O my God, for good”. He desires that God remember him for the good he did in the kingdom and not for the times he messed up. I would guess that Nehemiah was just like us. He was far more able to recall the times he messed up than the times he did well. It just seems that those times of failure tend to remain more vivid than the times of faithful obedience. There are several reasons for that. One is that we understand that when we are faithful it is because of the uplifting ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We give him the glory and credit he deserves and so we do not toot our own horn. When we fail we realize that it is all us. That failure, to us, is who we see ourselves as, people who are prone to wander. Nehemiah prays, and I believe that God answers, to remember the good he has done and to wash the negative away. It is a prayer answered by Paul in Ephesians 1 when Paul shares that we are, in God’s sight because we are in Jesus, holy and acceptable. God sees the blood of Jesus and the work Jesus has and is doing in our lives...he does not define us by our failures.
Eugene Peterson had a quote about the church which I have grown to love. I do not remember it exactly and so I apologize to Mr. Peterson as I butcher his quote but he said, basically, “I have stopped apologizing for the church. I am not surprised when we fail. I am just amazed that we ever get it right”. If you think about that statement enough I think you get the encouragement that it was meant to be. The church is not different because it is perfect. It is different because it is the only institution that ever has a hope of getting it right from time to time. Focus on those amazing times when the work of Jesus in your life comes together and you serve him faithfully, when you are used in the lives of others, when you put God first, or you love like Jesus. Those times are proof of the work that Jesus is doing in your life. Those are supernatural times when your new nature in Christ is producing the fruit of the Spirit in and through you. Those times are gifts from heaven and proof that one day we will be glorified and perfectly faithful to him. Don’t be amazed when you sin and are unfaithful...be amazed when you walk by faith and know that God remembers the good and refuses, because of Jesus, to condemn you for the failures.
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