Text 763, 93 rader
Skriven 2005-12-05 04:35:32 av Bob Hoffman (8:8/2)
Ärende: High Places of Defense
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Faith's Checkbook

December 5

High Places of Defense

"He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks:
bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure" (Isaiah 33:16).

The man to whom God has given grace to be of blameless life dwells in perfect
security.

He dwells on high, above the world, out of gunshot of the enemy, and near to
heaven. He has high aims and motives, and he finds high comforts and company.
He rejoices in the mountains of eternal love, wherein he has his abode.

He is defended by munitions of stupendous rock. The firmest things in the
universe are the promises and purposes of the unchanging God, and these are the
safeguard of the obedient believer. He is provided for by this great promise:
"Bread shall be given him." As the enemy cannot climb the fort, nor break down
the rampart, so the fortress cannot be captured by siege and famine. The LORD,
who rained manna in the wilderness, will keep His people in good store even
when they are surrounded by those who would starve them.

But what if water should fail? That cannot be. "His waters shall be sure."
There is a never failing well within the impregnable fortress. The LORD sees
that nothing is wanting. None can touch the citizen of the true Zion. However
fierce the enemy, the LORD will preserve His chosen.

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Going the Wrong Way Down a One-Way Street

Because most of us do not like to admit that we have sinned, we tend to
conceal, deny, or rationalize our wrongs. If we cannot completely cover up what
we have done, we try to minimize our wrongdoing by saying that we simply made a
"mistake" or an "error in judgment." Another way to avoid responsibility for
our sins is to shift the blame to others or to say that they made us act the
way we did. When our wrongs are too obvious to ignore, we practice what I call
the 40/60 Rule. It goes something like this: "Well, I know I'm not perfect, and
I admit I am partially to blame for this problem. I'd say that about 40% of the
fault is mine. That means 60% of the fault is hers. Since she is 20% more to
blame than I am, she should be the one to ask for forgiveness." I never
actually say or think these exact words, but I often catch myself resorting to
this tactic in subtle ways. By believing that my sins have been more than
canceled by another's sins, I can divert attention from myself and avoid
repentance and confession.

Taken from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by
Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) p. 120.

Food for Thought: "It's two-way street, you know ... I did stuff, but he did
stuff, too! Why aren't we talking about HIS stuff?" These words, which were
spoken in the midst of an actual conflict, reflect another variation of the
40/60 rule Ken mentions above. We say it's a two-way street, but the problem is
that in reality we still treat it like a one-way street. "When the other person
is willing to
'drive' to me, only then will I think about confessing my part of
the conflict."

But that's not the way Jesus spells things out in Luke 6:41-42. There he gives
his famous words on "getting the log out" of your own eye first, before you
ever get around to removing the splinter from your brother's or sister's eye.
And just a few verses earlier, Jesus tells us to love our enemies, and do good,
and lend, expecting nothing in return. (Luke 6:35)

What about the confessions we make? Do we withhold our confession until we have
assurance that the other person will confess his or her part? Or are we willing
to confess "expecting nothing in return"? It is a two-way street, but the
responsibility that God calls each of us to is all one-way.

PeaceMeal is a weekly e-publication of Peacemaker Ministries
(www.Peacemaker.net). All Rights Reserved.

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