Reluctant Retiree

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” Matthew 1:22-23

God has authority over all of human history, to the extent that He can speak through the prophet Isaiah and foretell the birth of Jesus hundreds of years before it occurred. Not only did he predict the birth but the “virgin” birth.

The child was to be called Immanuel, which means God with us. That is because God interrupted human history to take the form of a human and dwell with us. But His presence with us did not end with Jesus’ return to heaven. God gives His Holy Spirit to dwell in the lives of those who believe in Jesus and trust Him for salvation and redemption.

God is with us, not in some vague ethereal way, but rather living inside His children. He promises to never leave or forsake us. He goes before us as our guide, He stands on our right and left to provide power, He follows behind us to protect us, and He is above us to give us wisdom. He is actively working all the time to provide for us and enable us to bear fruit in glorifying His name.

I have never had the opportunity to speak with a king. I imagine that would require a special protocol. I would have to wear fine clothes and learn the courtesies that such an occasion necessitates. Many attendants and officials would oversee the event and I would only be allowed in certain rooms, and then only with an escort.

Why do we consider prayer with any less circumspection? When we pray, we are coming before Almighty God, the King of all kings, and the Lord of all Lords. Yet sometimes we may make flippant requests without much thought of Him. The truth is that coming into God’s presence does require certain protocols. We cannot enter without the blood of Jesus purifying us for entry. Then Jesus is our high priest taking us before the Father. Jesus, in fact, is our Intercessor and Advocate with the Father. The Holy Spirit speaks on our behalf with groanings too deep for words, because we don’t know how to make our requests.

Psalm 5:1-2 says, “Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.” The psalmist understood that he was not worthy to make his requests before God. He remembered that God was King over all. And, therefore, he made his plea before Him. Before we begin our prayers, we must remember with whom we are speaking. We must come humbly before Him, depending on the blood of Jesus and His presence as our Advocate and Intercessor. Starting our prayers with praise can help us remember with whom we are approaching to speak.

“So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit.” Genesis 37:23-24

Joseph was seventeen when his brothers betrayed him and threw him into a pit. Their initial plan was to kill him out of their jealousy, as Joseph was clearly their father’s favorite child of the 12 brothers. Instead, they sold Joseph into slavery and he was taken to Egypt. In Egypt, Joseph had many ups and downs. He was put in control of his master’s house, but was wrongly accused of making unwanted advances toward the master’s wife. He was thrown into jail, only to be put in charge of the prison affairs. He interpreted the dreams of two cellmates, only to be forgotten by them when they were freed. Later, he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was made ruler over the kingdom. A famine hit the land and Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt for food to save their families. Joseph had the power to kill his brothers for their evil works. Instead, he provided the food for them, not once but twice, thereby saving them.

Joseph later addressed his brothers and said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Joseph had a heavenly perspective on the events of his life. He knew that God is sovereign and can use evil intentions of a few people to bring about good for many people. Joseph persevered through the dramatic downtimes of his life, because he trusted God to bring about good.

We can go through times when we feel like we are in a pit. Despair may come knocking at our door. In those times, we must have confidence in the God who knows all things, even events far into the future. We can trust Him, knowing that He is good and able to do good, even when we can’t see it.

Most of us have achieved some accomplishments of which we are proud. It may be small like winning a spelling bee in elementary school. Or may even be a big event in our lives like scoring the winning touchdown in the championship game. These achievements brought exceeding joy at the time. But this joy fades quickly over time as fewer and fewer people care about our past glory.

Psalm 51:6 says, “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” Outward achievements satisfy us for only a short time. But growth in wisdom provides long term benefits for us. By God’s wisdom we grow in peace, love, joy, and righteousness; attributes that improve the quality of our lives. These same attributes bring praises to God as we increasingly become more like Him.

Where do we go to determine the truth? Do we study textbooks on the subject? Do we go to encyclopedias or the internet equivalent? Do we seek out family members or trusted counselors? Are there reliable sources that consistently deliver trustworthy, unbiased truth? There are some areas of life where we absolutely need the truth.

Paul preached the gospel in Berea after he was chased out of Thessalonica. Acts 17:11 says, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” The Bereans trusted the Scriptures as God’s truth. When Paul’s teaching was delivered, they didn’t just reject it as opposing their current belief system. They examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true.

If you are not yet a believer in Jesus Christ, please take the time to examine the Bible to see what it says. Don’t just reject Jesus because faith in Him does not coincide with your current beliefs. If you are a believer, search the Scriptures earnestly to know what you believe and understand how the truth should affect your life.