arrogant abomination

Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD;

be assured, he will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 16:5

Sinful pride is something God will never overlook. Arrogance that exalts self will be punished by God. And in a self-driven, “looking out for number one”, self-promotion, “follow your heart”, selfie obsessed culture, can arrogance NOT take deep root? It is truly the mark of our days, in many circles applauded as an achievement. And nothing can be further from the heart of God.

Arrogance worships personal autonomy. Arrogance celebrates personal sinful expression. Arrogance runs on a philosophy that “I know best”. Arrogance awards self-promotion and rolls out the red carpet for ego as the celebrity. Arrogance makes personal willful pride the defining personal characteristic above all others. Arrogance needs no other master than individual will. Arrogance fights and ridicules. Arrogance disregards the Word of God as an antiquated set of limiting rules… the ultimate offense against self. Arrogance defies God.

But humility is what brings the heart to God. Humility is the opposite of arrogance. Humility accepts the damage to self that sin has done. Humility celebrates the power and grace of God. Humility praises the God Who stoops to save and redeem broken lives. Humility raises hands in worship of God. Humility knows we need the Lord of Heaven to rule over us completely. Humility embraces the will of God. Humility loves the Word of God for the life-saving standards and gracious wisdom God gives. Humility adores God and repents of selfish attempts at individual autonomy.

Mighty God and Lord,

You will punish arrogance in my heart. You must rule this heart. And so I ask that You keep me aware of my own arrogant drifts. May Your Spirit and Your Word keep me humble, I pray!

Amen

declaring the gospel

Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Titus 2:15

Paul encourages the young pastor Titus to be bold in speaking and teaching the Word of God in a difficult cultural climate. What are the “these things” Titus was to declare? In the preceding context (Titus 2:11-14), we see “these things” are the gospel… specifically some important elements of the gospel:

• Grace. The grace of God has appeared in Jesus.
• Salvation. It is offered to all people.
• Holiness. The gospel trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.
• Character. We live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives right now, not just in eternity.
• Hope. We obey, live holy, and wait for Christ’s return. It is a “blessed hope” and a great motivation in and of itself.
• Future. Jesus WILL return as Great God and Savior.
• Redemption and Purification. We are now a people who are Jesus’ own possession.
• Zealous. We are passionate to do good as Jesus does.

How was Titus to declare these elements of a well-rounded gospel?

• Exhortation. This is the encouragement that comes through the preaching and teaching of scripture. It moves beyond knowledge to practical application and life choices made with God’s wisdom.
• Rebuke. And when someone is resistant to God’s Word in Christ’s church we have to tell them they are wrong and urge them to repent, relying on the truth of scripture and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.
• Authority. If we do not dilute God’s Word with personal opinion (easier said than done), we have the absolute authority of God’s voice leading us. Don’t add to it. Don’t take away from it. Let God’s authoritative and sufficient Word speak!
• Unbending. Don’t let those opinions that reject God defeat you as His messenger. Be confident that God is saving through the gospel of Jesus Christ and that the Holy Spirit is indeed working, even in hearts that show you no outward acceptance of the gospel.

better is a little

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD

than great treasure and trouble with it.

Proverbs 15:16

Lord,

You take care of me

provide all my need

keep my soul

make me whole

I fix my eyes

on what You provide

not on the world’s stuff

that would never be enough

just a little from You

will see me through

in what You provide

my soul will thrive

the hope that I have

comes from Your hand

in gracious measure

You will be my treasure

my God I will fear

my life You will steer

shelter, clothes, and food

will all be for my good

from worldly riches I turn away

to trust in You, Lord, today

worldly wealthy will rust

it’s You I will trust

trouble comes, You are there

providing mercy and care

it isn’t about material greed

when You take care of all I need

economies fail and rearrange

but You will never change

so a little with fear of the Lord

brings abundant life in Your Word

Amen

what we devise

Do they not go astray who devise evil?

Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.

Proverbs 14:22

The word “devise” generally means to plan, invent, or give careful thought to something. And with that clear understanding that careful attention and intention mark our lives (even the most carefree or lackadaisical of lifestyles intentionally chooses whimsy) we can understand what is being communicated in this proverb.

There are people, sometimes even our own selves when we are consumed in a sinful pattern, who devise what is wrong routinely. This is evil. It is a default setting on every human heart. And when this is multiplied by culture, selfishness magnified exponentially, and by Satan’s own devious planning, it is no wonder that evil is regularly observed in the world. But the end of these kinds of plans leads astray. They don’t get anywhere on track. Sin always misses the mark. And those who give careful thought to sinful plans may find short-term fulfillment at the price of eternal destruction. This is the path our world is on. It has been ever since Adam and Even gave careful thought to directly disobeying their Creator’s command.

There is an encouragement though to give careful thought to what is good. And the source of ALL goodness is God. It would follow that His Word can thus show us what is good and right. And the outcome explained in this proverb is quite appealing. Those who give their attention to what God reveals as good will find grace (steadfast love) and a faithful God supplying what is needed in His good and perfect way.

So, we can meet a good end or a bad end. What will we choose to set our minds upon? Careful thought to the gospel, to good news that Jesus saves us from sin and changes us so that we are empowered to reject evil and embrace God’s holy goodness and truth, will be rewarded. Christians must be committed to devising what is good. It starts with what our hearts choose to plan. Plan to carefully follow Jesus and His Word!

the tension of laughter and grief

Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and the end of joy may be grief.

Proverbs 14:13

It is good to value laughter and fun. Joy in life is a gift from God and worthy of celebration. One of my high values is humor and having a fun time. But there is more to life. Humor isn’t good as an escape in itself and is lousy at coping with some of the evil, broken realities we face in the world.

No comedian is going to lighten the heavy grief of a school shooting. No joke will get our minds off the devastating reality of war. No zinger has a punch line to take away the pangs of poverty. No chuckle can bear the burden away of guilt or shame over sin. There are many experiences in a broken world that lead to heartache and legitimate grief. Wise people know this and balance joy and sorrow. And Jesus gives us, through His saving work, the means to do so.

Jesus is the Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief. He knows pain. He knows heartache. He grieves. He carried our sorrows and our sins to His cross. In His passion for us we can see that He knows suffering, pain, and death on an unimaginable scale.

Jesus is the joy of every longing we have ever had or ever will have. He is the Deliverer. He is the delight to all who love Him. He, the joy of the Lord, is our strength. He nicknamed His friends, shared meals with all who would break bread with Him, welcomed children with blessing, reached outcasts others ignored, made the lame dance, the blind see, the deaf hear, and the mute shout for joy. The Man of Sorrows is also the Joy of our hearts!

Jesus,

Help me to hold in tension with my eyes on You both the joy of living in You AND the pain of living in a world You are still redeeming. While I hurt in the brokenness I will not just lament, but also trust in Your grace and know joy greater than mere laughter.

Amen

quick reminders from an urgent call

As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

2 Timothy 4:5

There are four quick reminders to Timothy of the urgent call to ministry. Two questions asked of this text help us understand what is being said here.

1) Why is this call to ministry urgent? Paul is facing his own execution at the hands of Rome and is giving Timothy a solemn charge (2 Timothy 4:1). He has already committed him to intense ministry of the Word (2 Timothy 2:2): Preach the Word of God; preach it when it is both convenient and inconvenient; reprove and rebuke those whom the scriptures clearly show as wrong; encourage those who are committed to Jesus by teaching them God’s promises in His Word; and be patient as you teach God’s Word. The Word ministry will need to be accompanied by other strong personal ministry commitments. It is a solemn calling.

But not only is the task solemn, but the opposition is solid. Paul warns that divisive false teaching is unfortunately too common and always a threat to gospel ministry (2 Timothy 4:3-4). People will eventually not endure sound doctrine. They will replace it with what they want to hear and passion-led false teachers readily arise to tell people a message that placates their selfishness: “you will be wealthy, happy, problem-free… and there is no need for careful teaching of the Word of the Lord.” But authentic believers, and gospel preachers, will cling to the truth of scripture alone.

2) What is this urgent call to ministry? We live in “wandering-off” times. An applicable short summary for gospel seriousness looks something like this:

• Sober-minded. Now is not the time for anything less than clear gospel teaching. No gimmicks with the gospel, please!
• Endurance. Preach the Word. Stay committed to sound doctrine and gospel essentials. Always preach Jesus but be ready… suffering WILL result.
• Evangelize and make disciples. Keep Jesus’ commission the focus and don’t drift from it. Make disciples of the nations, TEACHING them to follow Him, not other people, no matter how convincing their words may be. If a teacher’s words are not the Word of God, reject them!
• Fulfill ministry. Don’t give up! See it through! Keep at it! There in no retirement until Jesus is in front of you and rewards you in His kingdom with a high five and a smiling “well done”!

Like a Child

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.

Luke 18:17

Like a child

I must come to You

implicitly accepting what You do

as all that I need

Acknowledging my need

Surrendering my will to my Lord

believing the gospel word for word

I must have faith

In childlike faith

I lean into my Savior’s arms

trusting deliverance from all harm

I find a secure life

Living in faith

like a child I must

lean into Jesus with all my trust

without a worry or a care

Confident in Jesus

I now in faith stand

still like a child, now a man

I acknowledge my constant need

Never losing childlike faith

I live my life trusting You

needing my God for me in all I do

serving, loving, living into eternity

A kingdom waits

for every child who believes

and rewards we will receive

reigning with the King of Kings!

four reasons I need to listen

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 12:15

I can’t succeed in life alone. I never could and I never will. God has created Christian community to offset the foolishness sin has put into my heart. It is a wise thing to seek the advice of others.

I need to listen because my own heart is a sinful echo chamber. I will fixate on either a problem or a perceived solution at the exclusion of other ideas. And then a kind of tunnel vision can get me focused entirely in the wrong direction. The wisdom of Christian community combats this singular fixation.

I need to listen because I struggle with pride. I need to accept that I don’t have all the answers. I need God’s Word spoken to me and applied well in the lives of others to humble me. Pride leads me to trust self —- a sure path to failure. Humility values advice.

I need to listen because I need to grow and change. I am always in need of maturity in some part of my life. Having the helpful insights of trusted Christian friends and leaders helps me follow Jesus better. I can identify the things that aren’t pleasing to Christ. I can apply God’s truth to places where I have been believing lies. I can repent of sin, put on righteousness, and find true life ONLY in the community of fellow followers of Jesus. 

I need to listen because of the noise of the world. I live in a culture of deafening high volume sinful propaganda. And sometimes I imbibe it… even without realizing that I have. And this impossibly twisted culture cannot speak righteousness. So I need to be immersed in the teaching of God’s Word and listen to the voices of Christian encouragement and admonition to overcome the crazy cultural cacophony.

I’m so thankful for the wise call to listen to God’s wisdom. I’m so thankful for the many Christian voices that God has placed around me by His grace! I need to listen.

What I say and do

From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,

and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.

Proverbs 12:14

What I say matters.

There are no mere words or sounds.

Intention, connection, and creation of my desires all come out of my mouth.

So what I say matters.

And it should align with the wisdom of God so that it will please God and be blessed by God.

What I say matters.

What I do matters.

There are actions, work, and things I do and make.

Production, content, and fruit that lasts is established in my life.

So what I do matters.

And my works should be so surrendered to Jesus that I can do the work of God to promote the kingdom of God.

Because… what I do matters.

My life is shown by what I say and do.

What I say matters.

What I do matters.

“My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness”

a song to keep us believing

The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us;

if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13

How we continue to trust Jesus matters. The gospel is much more than just a “one and done” assent to some facts about Jesus. It is about a life with Him that is richly rewarding. Paul chooses to sing what many scholars think was a first century Christian hymn to make his point. In the song are four facts that keep us in faith in our Savior.

First… we died with Christ in order to live with Him. This is our present faith at work. We follow Jesus. We died with Him to an old life of sin that we might now live in a new holy life of worship and service to our King.

Second… we endure circumstances now to reign with Jesus in the future. Paul wrote these words to heavily persecuted Christians. Many had died. Almost all were paying some sort of cultural, economic, or family price for Christian commitment. But endurance is rewarded both in relationship with Jesus and ruling under Jesus.

Third… apostasy and denial of Christ are serious and reap eternal loss. Those who completely deny Christ never really believed and are subject to His final judgment. Ironically, they will still answer to Jesus. Those cases should soberly motivate us to be serious in our own examination of faith. Apostates ultimately turn away.

Finally… faith struggles show us the keeping power is IN CHRIST, not in ourselves. Yes, there is an apostasy that is hell bound. But there is also a type of struggle to believe that is not apostate. Jesus lovingly recognizes and continues to help carry us through as we struggle. It is like Peter taking his eyes from Jesus as he walked on the water. Like that… sometimes we feel ourselves sinking. But Jesus is faithful and with a strong arm picks us up from the waves of doubt and struggle. He is the Keeper of all who come to Him, even as they occasionally struggle. He reaches out and calls us back. He keeps His own.

better words to build up

Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,

but a man of understanding remains silent.

Proverbs 11:12

I’ve been guilty of it: a quipped joke at the expense of another person. In an attempt to get a laugh, win over someone else, or just make myself feel like others might like me, I’ve regrettably belittled another person that God wonderfully and powerfully created in His image. It is easy to do this if you forget we are all created by God to reflect His glory. Couple that with a wicked sense of sarcasm and wounding words can easily roll off my tongue.

The simple truth of this proverb is that the wisdom of God does not do this. It is not rude, insulting, selfishly ridiculing, or disrespectful of people that God has called us to love with His gospel. When you truly treat other people with respect, it is part of truly respecting our Creator. Simply lashing out is not what God does. Neither should I. Even if I think it is good for a cheap laugh. Even if I think they are acting foolishly.

My prayer is that God will help me to wisely keep silent rather than damage with sarcasm. Better yet, I hope God might actually share words of hope and encouragement instead! My hope is to see that obedience in this matter would draw me into a deeper appreciation of God and what He does. O Lord, help me guard my words, fill my heart and my responses with Your grace as I love my neighbor as You have called me to do.

Amen

wisdom’s stronghold

The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless,

but destruction to evildoers.

Proverbs 10:29

For those who love God, repent from their sinful ways, and find forgiveness in Jesus, following Christ is a strong way to live. They find perspective over everything. They find faith beyond their capacity. God provides when things seem desperate and impossible otherwise. They face the future with hope, serve Him willingly in the present, and have all the wrongs of their past forgiven and freed. The way of the Lord is their stronghold… a place of safety, support, and strategic living.

Yet the God Whose ways provided that stronghold for those who trust Him will simultaneously frustrate those who reject Him. This is the truth being contrasted in this little proverb: The same God is both stronghold to the blameless AND the destruction of the wicked. And that truth is timeless… still applicable to our times today.

The wicked are undone by their insistence in rejecting “the way of the LORD”. They try to make their own way. They don’t find forgiveness, but stew in the bitterness and strife of depravity, just finding more and more negativity and meaningless to their lives. They trust in what falters… temporary strength, worldly force, and the whims of the cultural clownish crowd. They may even briefly appear to prosper and convince themselves they are happy in their smug selfishness, but God will not be mocked. Their way ends ALWAYS in ruin. Evildoers will experience the crumbling of their sand castles. God’s stronghold holds strong for eternity!

O Lord,

Keep my safe in Your stronghold. May Your wisdom guide me to be blameless in the saving work of Jesus, the knowledge of Your ways, and the light of Your Word as Your Holy Spirit leads me to obey Your ways.

Amen

robust theology

…he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:15b-16

Paul prays a very robust theology here. It is worth examining to remind ourselves of just how great God truly is. I know I really need to pray like this! There are seven theological truths Paul spontaneously prays here:

1) God is both good and sovereign. He is the “blessed and only sovereign”. We can trust all that He does is for His glory and ultimately our good.

2) God rules over all. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. The context of the prayer is the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ in His future advent (1 Timothy 6:14) and He rules and will once again physically reign.

3) God alone offers eternal life. He has “immortality” and is our only hope for eternity.

4) God is holy. He dwells in “unapproachable light”. We are privileged to enter His presence through prayer by the work of Jesus.

5) God is unseen. He has revealed visions of Himself and His glory, but cannot be in the presence of sinful humanity. Jesus is thus the only mediator between this awesome holy God and us.

6) God deserves honor. We should have our HIGHEST respect, honor, and obedience for God and His Word above everything else.

7) God will eternally rule. He alone deserves to control the universe in every aspect… past, present, and future. We will forever know this.

Wisdom’s Invitation

Leave your simple ways, and live,

and walk in the way of insight.

Proverbs 9:6

Beside her seven pillared home

Lady Wisdom extends her hands

inviting all to understand

a feast at her table to eat

to all people she offers a seat

so that the simple need no more roam

The Woman Folly is whorishly loud

offering nothing, she seduces

but her way to ruin reduces

in her house or on the street

she sashays to a seductive beat

winning over the stupid, sinful, and proud

Lady Wisdom offers the only way to live

infinite resources within her holy dwelling

pointing to her Creator most compelling

her hands outstretched offer a true embrace

all who love her find great grace

real life and light is hers to give

Turn from Folly seen everywhere

and find shelter in Wisdom’s invitation

peace for your soul and eternal salvation

Lady Wisdom is God’s gift of grace

she cries out to all of the human race

“Come and find freedom in my care!”

modeling repentance

O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.

Ezra 9:15

Ezra modeled for the people he led just how to confess sin. There were those men among the returning Jewish exiles from Persia who began inter-marrying with gentiles in Jerusalem. This was just the sort of disregard for the covenant that Ezra knew had gotten the Jews exiled in the first place. Ezra recognizes the guilt of this before the people and his candor (even though Ezra personally was not guilty of intermarriage), led the nation back to repentance. The book ends with people publicly weeping in repentance and officials that are guilty of this sin being identified.

Ezra’s prayer still stands as a good model of real repentance. These details are helpful as we confess our own sin:

1) Recognize the balance of the justice and the grace of God. Ezra holds these in a healthy tension by both adoring God’s justice and celebrating a remnant God has graciously restored to Jerusalem.

2) Recognize your guilt concerning sin. Although Ezra himself had not intermarried, the statement “we are guilty before You” is a statement of the responsibility of everyone to repent of a national sin and disgrace.

3) Accept the consequences. Ezra knew until this sin was confessed, forsaken, and turned from, the nation would not worship God in the temple they had restored.

4) Actions follows confession. The story in chapter 10 continues with a public repentance service that was followed by the identification of those guilty (especially leaders and priests). This shows that God’s Word was believed and taken seriously to be followed once again.

This helps me frame how to pray over societal sins. They aren’t other people’s sins. They are sins WE ALL must confess and weep over. I need to take some responsibility. We are guilty of racial injustice in this country. We are guilty of killing the unborn. We are guilty of denying justice. We are guilty of mistreating the poor. We are guilty of selfish destruction. We are guilty of worshiping a plethora of false gods. And God is also just and gracious with us so that we are not destroyed. How we need to plead His mercy and repent of our evil!

some will depart

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…

1 Timothy 4:1-2

Here is a warning of what it expect when people desert the Christian faith. A couple of questions are answered here and in the immediate context. First question: Exactly what is “the faith” from which people depart? Immediately before this Spirit given prophetic warning Paul quotes an ancient creedal hymn in 1 Timothy 3:16 - the mystery of godliness: 

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated by the Spirit,

seen by angels,

proclaimed among the nations,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.”

There are six characteristics of this orthodox declaration of the gospel:

1) Jesus came in the flesh.

2) The Holy Spirit vindicated Jesus.

3) Angels were part of His ministry… it was spiritual.

4) His gospel is to be proclaimed to the world.

5) Jesus must be believed on in the world for the world to be saved.

6) Jesus is now ascended into heaven.

Denial of these essentials is what it would mean to “depart from the faith” to what is false.

A second question from this text: To what do those who “depart the faith” wind up committing? There are four characteristics to consider:

1) They do still believe/“devote themselves” to another belief system. There is no such thing as “no faith”. Even atheism is a commitment and a statement of belief.

2) They are deceived. And that deception is demonic. So all alternate choices away from Christianity also have a “spiritual” origin.The spirit is Satanic.

3) They are indoctrinated. It takes false teaching to “deconvert”. It does not happen in a vacuum. Someone else’s teaching is being imbibed.

4) They are led by insincere liars. False teachers KNOW they are deliberately lying. They don’t care.

So when we see someone popularly “deconstruct” their Christian beliefs, know this: The apostles warned this would happen and it is called apostasy. Satan is behind it. It is tragic. And it should call us all the more to proclaim, hold fast, and love the gospel as the mystery of godliness is greater than the heinous heresy of apostasy. 

devious distractions

Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

Proverbs 4:25

Pay clear and focused attention to the wisdom God gives in His Word. Why is this direction given here in Proverbs? Because so many things in the world, both the outright wicked things, and the more devious diversions, can so quickly put us on the wrong path. We have broken, sin-bent hearts that are easily deceived and bent to doing what they desire, which is by nature sinful. Read Jeremiah 17:5-10 for God’s masterful primer on the dangerous default settings we are all born with and must work against carefully. Suffice it to say the common phrase today of “trust your heart” is not only very bad advice… it is a recipe for personal disaster. You have to instead set your attention to the path of God’s wisdom and anchor every step firmly forward in the direction wisdom leads.

There are a lot of diversions and distractions, many running parallel to that path. Even more so these days where self-driven opinions abound both in traditional media and in the nauseating echo chamber of social media. (By the way, the irony of me blogging this and posting it to a social media platform is not lost on me). We must only pay attention to the voices we hear clearly proclaiming the unedited, untwisted, un”spun”, crystal clear Word of God.

I believe many Christians are dangerously low on discernment these days precisely because they have trusted the voices of human beings rather than the Word of God. This is because the church is guilty of sinfully creating a “Christian” sub-culture that is more culture than Christian. A cult of celebrity personality, marketed curriculum, and apish sub-culture that is just worldliness wearing a cross on a gold chain has taken over much of the Christian world in the West. The gospel is often supplanted with emotionalism, politicalism, guru-ism, and materialism wrapped in a thin veneer of Pharisaical moralism. I’ve seen this develop over four and a half decades and it breaks my heart, even as tentacles of it still can wrap themselves around my heart.

O Lord,

Call us to the shining truth of You and Your Word’s wisdom. Revive our hearts as we gaze directly forward at You. Purge any idolatry from us so our gaze is straight on the path of wisdom that has us look ONLY upon You, Lord Jesus!

Amen

praying in hard days

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

1 Timothy 2:8

This is the second call to prayer in 1 Timothy 2. And it should be understood in the context of the first call to pray found in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. In that first call the apostle Paul categorizes types of prayer and people to pray for. Prayers come as worship prayers, supplications asking God to work, intercessions on behalf of others in need, and thanksgiving to God for His past powerful provision and gracious answers. 

And who do we pray for? First on Paul’s list was the government (kings and authorities)… specifically that Christians could lead peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified lives. In an era of hostile persecution felt by all (Paul was, after all, writing these words from prison), this involved gospel-changed perspective and faith. This attitude in prayer Paul describes as “good” and “pleasing in the sight of God”, reflecting God’s own desire that all people be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.

It is with that kind of prayer that Christian gatherings are conducted according to Paul. We can lift holy hands, not complaining, grumbling, or trying to counter our circumstances under our own power. Instead, we must trust God to Whom we lift up our intercessions to keep us from harm, help us spread the gospel attractively, and lead peaceful, quiet lives in Christ’s kingdom. And so we should pray today, turning our disillusionments, our pains, our needs, and our persecutions over in trust to God Who is doing more through them because He ALWAYS does what HE WANTS even if His Kingdom succeeds against opposition. Our prayers lift up God’s agenda and place ourselves under Him.