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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
The time was almost eight centuries before Christ (BC). The powerful nation of Assyria was breathing out threats to all who stood in her aggressive ways. Israel was no exception. However, in spite of the fact that Israel was steeped in sin and stood under God's condemnation for her worldly ways, God's warning to Assyria stood fast. He was going to use Assyria to teach Israel a lesson, but their military success was not to be mistaken as a sign of God's approval. It was in this context that Isaiah wrote about Assyria, saying, “Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For God is with us.” (Isaiah 8.10).
The principle here is a timeless one. It can be restated as follows: Man can plan all he desires, but if God determines otherwise, those plans will not come to pass. Turn it around, and it would go like this: If God determines that a thing will come to pass, all of man's plans cannot prevent it from occurring. There are many, many passages which teach these same principles. There are also many corollaries to these principles. Paul recognized the logical consequence of these truths when he wrote, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8.31). John, on the other hand, stated it from the standpoint of the Christian victory over the world. He wrote, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4.4).
Another side of this coin can be observed in the writings of the Psalmist. Specifically, “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 'Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.'” (Psalm 2.1-8). The early church knew that this text was but a prophecy of Christ and the collusion that was afoot to prevent His reign over mankind (see Acts 4.23-31). However, as God proved, the grave could not hold Him down nor could all the powers of the earth! The Lord held the powers of the world in derision and He made a show of them openly by rising in triumph from the grave!
Perhaps some of the most important lessons from these principles arise in our day to day lives. While we are expected to use our God-given intellect and talent to succeed in all that we do, how frequently do we fret and worry about outcomes! It is not the winning of the race for success that matters, it is the trying that distinguishes the honorable from the dishonorable. Or to put it as did the famed sportswriter, Grantland Rice, “For when the One Great Scorer comes To write against your name, He marks - not that you won or lost - But how you played the Game.” I really do think that we, as a culture, knew this at one time, but I fear that it has been lost on many of the modern generation. It is this loss of direction that feeds the frenzy for success that causes so many prominent role models (movie and media stars, politicians, athletes, business leaders, etc.) to go astray in our world. They forget this most fundamental of all principles!
I sometimes worry about the contempt with which Christianity is viewed in our culture. I sometimes fret over the rise of false christs and fear that they will cause irreparable damage to the Faith and the cause of Truth. Then I remember, “God is with us,” and “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Questions:
1. In Isaiah 8, what nation plotted against Israel but was warned that their plans would not succeed?
2. Who plotted against the Christ? How were their plans brought to nothing?
3. Who is the One Great Scorer in Grantland Rice's poem, Alumnus Football?
4. Does God's measure of success differ from the culture's measure of success? If yes, in what way? What measure of success would you?
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