Tuesday Reflection – July 07, 2020God is Always By Your Side

In my over thirty years of ministry I have met many persons who were banished from a congregation in which they worshipped because of disagreement with those in leadership. I have never felt justified in making any such decision because it is my firm belief that we will have members of our family with whom we do not agree, but we ought to do our very best to live together in harmony with everyone. I grew up with my parents reinforcing in me the idiom, ‘family stick together no matter what’. For me that has always included church family. Our church has always disciplined members which allows continued care and spiritual nourishment as well as the hope of reinstatement. Here’s something else I always wondered about. If you expel someone from your congregation, they automatically become a member of another congregation so what happens when everyone meets in heaven? Hmm! Today’s watchword is the cry of David, believed to have been written as he was being pursued by King Saul. He was feeling the pangs of being banished from his people and place of worship. I had said in my alarm, ‘I am driven far from your sight.’ But you heard my supplications when I cried out to you for help. Psalm 31: 22 

The situation is that David had fallen into Saul’s bad grace because of the king’s jealousy of the younger, more popular warrior. King Saul vowed to kill David and this had set David on the run. Bear in mind that prior to this David had been Saul’s son-in-law and living in the palace. For the next four years David is pursued by Saul and they have close encounters. David could have killed Saul once when Saul went into a cave in which David and his men were sleeping to relieve himself. Instead of hurting Saul, David cut a piece from Saul’s clothes and later showed it to him as proof that he meant him no harm. At another time when Saul had David and his men surrounded, David believed that it was his end and lamented, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) Right then and there, a messenger came to Saul to tell him of an attack by the Philistines and Saul had to move out immediately, leaving David. (1 Sam 23:26 – 28). When we look at the two statements of David quoted above, both believed to be referring to the same event in his life, we get a glimpse into his mind at the time. Chased by Saul for four years, David was banished from the city where the Ark of the Tabernacle was. He could not go to worship as he was used to doing having been banished by Saul. He felt far away from God’s presence. Yet even in that place of deep spiritual despair, he called out to God, ‘why have you forsaken me?’ and God heard and came to his rescue. Persons may banish us from the physical temple but not from the spiritual presence of God. We are the only ones who can keep ourselves away from the spiritual temple, away from a good and beneficial relationship with God. As Paul states in Rom 8: 28, nothing can separate us from God’s love.  Friends we learn from David that there will be times when our path to God may seem obscured, whether by what others do or by what we are experiencing. During such times however we should not be afraid to seek God’s presence. David had a sense of being kept away from God, unable to gather for worship, unable to fellowship with his religious family, unable to sacrifice as required. This however did not stop David from stating his case to God, to call out to God for help. It tells us that when we are faced with situations that leave us feeling far away from God, God will still be close to us, providing for us and protecting us. In David’s own words we find security. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23: 4. We also learn that in life we will face many moments of uncertainty. What we ought to realize however is that it is never about what we face but who faces it with us. Jesus promised the disciples in Matt. 28:20 I am with you always, to the very end of the age. This presence gives us strength and courage. We can rest easy knowing that regardless of what we face or where we find ourselves, God will be with us. This is what God has promised to all who trust in Him. Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10. Indeed God is always by your side dear friend. 
Bevon White

Today the Moravian Church worldwide commemorates one of our Festivals – The Martyrdom of John Hus. Hus was burnt at the stake on July 6, 1415 on his 46^th birthday for having led a movement against the false teachings and corrupt practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church had Hus killed because he challenged the status quo and defied the edict designed to silence him. As I reflected on the life of John Hus and the reflection of last Monday which was titled ‘Defiant Daniel’, it struck me again that Hus was defiant as he demonstrated a daring, open and bold resistance to authority.

While Daniel was defiant against the orders of King Darius who decreed that whoever prays to anyone, except him, for thirty days would be thrown into a den of lions, Hus was defiant against the beliefs, teachings, practices and systems that he believed were contrary to the principles of the Bible. Daniel was defiant against the political powers that threatened his worship life to God. Hus was defiant against the religious powers that threatened and undermined the authenticity of the gospel of Christ.

Today’s Watchword brings to the fore one of the main challenges that Hus had with the practices of the Church. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.” The Church then was engaged in the corrupt practice of selling indulgencies, where one could pay for their sins being forgiven by a priest. This irked Hus and he could not remain silent. He disagreed and proclaimed that only God could forgive sins; no priest or human had the authority or capability to forgive sins. There was no need to pay for one’s sins to be forgiven for Jesus had guaranteed our forgiveness of confessed sins, by his shed blood on the cross. He knew that only God could remove our transgressions from us. He also knew what Paul says in Romans 5:20, “Where sin increased, God’s grace abounded all the more”.   

We learn from the life of Hus and the Scriptures that there is grave danger in being gullible, easily trusting everyone and everything, and being tossed to and fro by every wind and sound of doctrine, cunning craftiness and deceit (Ephesians 4:14). We must test every spirit by being armed with the word of God – the sword of the Spirit – and the indwelling and enabling power of the Holy Spirit. We learn from Daniel and Hus that we must be prepared to stand up for our faith and for the right, or we will fall for anything. Fortunately, Daniel survived the lion’s den, but Hus died for standing for the right. Reality check – we will not always survive standing for truth and righteousness. Some things will cost our lives. Even while being tied to the stake, the authorities persuaded Hus to recant and he would be spared. But he said that it is better he died for the truth than lived for a lie. He embraced the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”   

Thank God that the forgiveness of our sins rests solely in His hands and His grace abounds and multiplies. Let us march forward with deep guts defying everything and everyone that opposes the sovereignty and principles of God, fully prepared to face whatever the cost. We press on guided by the Moravian motto, “Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him!”Jermaine Gibson