Children and Confusion

Berean Baptist on March 5, 2018

Psalm 127

In the 127th Psalm, the first verse is a pithy comment on the futility of what we do unless God is in our plans. Spurgeon made an interesting comment on this verse by noting how those who built the tower of Babel said, “Go to, let us build a city and a tower,” to which God promptly replied, “Go to, let us go down and confound their language.” We would surely save much frustration and wasted time if we made sure God is in our plans before we proceed. This works on a personal level and certainly on the corporate church level.

The first verse, however, is not what caught my eye. Verses 3-5 speak of the blessing of children—not just children but lots of them. According to the psalmist, the more you have the better it is. I suppose some would say he was not a mother! I also suppose this is true of grandchildren because you get the love and affection from them and when that part is through you can send them home. Obviously, the parent does not have this luxury.

When visiting our daughter Clarissa in San Diego, I wonder how she makes it work with six children. She doesn’t get any relief since seven days per week they are home. They are home-schooled which means there must be a strict regimen to make sure everything gets done decently and in order. Without observing how her home runs, you may think she wonders how verse 2 fits with the rest. She rises very early in order to have some time for Bible reading, study and prayer. Early bedtime is neither usually an option.

Does God understand these things? He does. He never steers wrongly with bad advice. Most people cannot understand what is going on with God. When visiting the market, there are many stares from those who are thinking, “What in the world is wrong with that woman? What was she thinking?” But that’s not just the world’s reaction. It’s also the same in the church. Initially it was the same from us. “Are you crazy? What could possess you to have six kids?” as if such a preposterous thought must be from the underworld. Here it is—it is biblical. It is as much a part of the word of God as John 3:16. If you can believe one part, can’t you believe it all?

The truth is she likes being a mom. She is fulfilled by motherhood which is eminently biblical. God made the woman for motherhood not corporate boardrooms (or president…). This is the rub in our society. Being parents is not as fulfilling as it should be. The more selfish you are the less time you will want to spend on the hard stuff of building a family. Most of our planning stages do not end with being fifty years old and with young children. Get them grown, get them out, and get it over.

Perhaps we need to take a step back to see if God knows what He is talking about. But don’t forget verse 1. The Lord must be in it which rules out the unconverted and the unfaithful. For members of the church, the Lord does not want many children from those who don’t care to raise them to serve Him. God is never in a plan that does not put Him at the head of every list.

Thankfully, this is what I see in my daughter. She rises early to start her day with the Lord. God is in this plan and it will not fail. Whatever you seek to build just pray you have included God so that He doesn’t say, “Let us go down and confuse them.” You will know the difference. The outcome without Him is chaos and confusion.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Is Psalm 23 for You?

Berean Baptist on August 31, 2015

The LORD is my shepherd… (Psalm 23:1a)

 Psalm 23 is probably the most well-known text in the Holy Scriptures. This is a most beloved psalm and has been quoted in almost every conceivable venue where people need hope. Many a soldier has carried it into battle or placed it next to his heart in a frightening foxhole. Hospitals and funeral homes are also often places of recital. There was a time when every school child would learn it and say it as a daily routine. Sadly, those days are mostly gone because of our government’s hatred of all things godly. However, disdain for the Bible does not diminish the spiritual impact made by its words.

Although the psalm is loved and quoted by nearly everyone that claims to be Christian, and by some that do not, the message is not generic and it does not apply to everyone that claims it. It begins, “The Lord is my shepherd…” Is this really true of everyone? Does the Lord direct everyone that claims these words? I remember hearing them at state funerals in the National Cathedral said by political figures that were instrumental in keeping God’s word out of our classrooms and the Ten Commandments out of our courtrooms. These are not people led by God. They are defiant against the one they claim leads them. In times of deep sorrow and distress, they are quoted by those with no intentions of surrendering their lives to the Lord. They are troubled for the moment and they need help, but they have never been led by God nor do they intend to be afterwards.

The one who wrote this psalm had an abiding relationship with the Lord. David was not always obedient and there were times when he sinned greatly, yet the difference between him and other sinners is that he always recognized his sin and he came to God in deep contrition asking to be restored to fellowship. David was a man with a regenerated heart. He knew his God personally and called upon Him affectionately. His relationship to the Lord was never to do as he pleased and live daily as if God did not exist—or only exists for times of trouble. He felt God’s presence on a daily basis and this is why he was easily convicted when his heart was not right.

The last verse of the psalm says, ”Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” This is a claim that can hardly be made by a false professor. Even while David wrote this psalm, his enemies were planning their next attack. What would motivate him to make this claim? It could only be that his relationship to the Lord and his belief in God’s sovereignty was such that he knew nothing would befall him that was not in the divine providence. This is reflected in the preceding verse as he says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” Who can write such words without perfect confidence in God?

Those that have not claimed salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ have no right to this psalm. Their claims are not valid though they may quote with all feigned sincerity. God does not stand by anyone that rejects the sacrifice of His Son. The difference is false hope versus good hope. Good hope belongs only to the righteous that have bowed the knee to Christ and received Him as the Shepherd who guides ALL of his life. This is what makes Him the God of your valleys who leads you through to green pastures and beside still waters. You can make the claim “The Lord is my shepherd” only if you have truly committed to follow where the Shepherd leads.

Pastor V. Mark Smith