3-Legged Stool of Stability for Difficult Times – Summary & Conclusions
God, because of His nature, cannot be unkind, cannot make a mistake, and cannot be surprised! Considering these truths, the only logical conclusion we can come to is that we can rest!!! We can be tranquil in an ever-changing, stressful environment. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:5-7 NIV). “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).
There is an old hymn that says, “Our times are in Thy hands, Father we wish them there.” If He were not both loving and wise, we would dread His control. If He were not sovereign, He would be incapable of control. But since He is who He is, we want Him to be in ultimate control. The beginning and end of one Psalm says, “You are my God and protector. ... I can lie down and sleep soundly because You, LORD, will keep me safe” (Psalm 4:1a, 8 CEV).
Perfect love, infinite wisdom, and absolute sovereignty. God is too loving to be unkind, too wise to make a mistake, and is in total control—therefore I can rest!
Visualize a three-legged stool with its three legs providing absolute stability even on uneven and rough ground. These legs are God’s sacrificial love, His infinite wisdom, and His absolute sovereignty. The seat of the stool is labeled peace. The ground below is uneven, but as long as we are seated on the stool, the three legs provide tranquility unknown to the world around us.
In my introduction to this three-part series I mentioned that since these three attributes were impressed upon my mind I have found that others have also come up with three critical aspects of God’s nature and the practical significance of them. There are remarkable similarities in all of them.
A.W. Tozer wrote: With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack?
Thomas Eskine put it this way: How reasonable it is to trust ourselves to the keeping of God’s infinite love, and infinite wisdom, and infinite power.
In 2004 I learned that Chuck Swindoll had written on the Book of Job where he states that God is too kind to do anything cruel… too wise to make a mistake… and too deep to explain Himself.
Finally, I found the following saying but without reference or credit to the writer: Lord You are perfect love and want only what is best for me. You are perfect wisdom and You know what is best for me. And You are perfect power and You are able to make it happen.
Sleep well!
CONTEMPLATE: Suppose someone asked you to explain the structure of the book of Psalms. How would you reply?
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tri-Rx for Fear or Worry – Part 2 of 3
3-Legged Stool of Stability for Difficult Times – The Three Legs
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT) The key is to have your thoughts focused on God.
The three attributes of God which the Spirit of God repeatedly uses to bring calm to me are God's sacrificial love, His infinite wisdom, and His absolute sovereignty. Understanding what each of these attributes means and how they are intrinsic to God’s nature and integral with each other brings peace and tranquility.
Sacrificial Love. John, “the apostle whom Jesus loved,” was apparently in a closer relationship with Jesus Christ on earth than others. It is John who tells us “God is love.”
Consider what the Scriptures have to say about God’s Sacrificial Love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:34-39 NKJV).
What would be the consequences of a god who lacked love—even a god who possessed both wisdom and sovereignty, yet lacked perfect sacrificial love? Such a god would be unpredictable and fearsome. Yet our God is complete and perfect and we read “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18 NIV). A god without perfect love could be cruel or vindictive! The practical implication is that the God of sacrificial love is too loving to be mean. Because of who He is and His nature, He cannot be unkind!
Infinite Wisdom. God is the source of all truth and the origin of all wisdom.
Think for a moment about the God of Infinite Wisdom. “O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions” (Psalm 104:24 NKJV). “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33 NKJV). “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25 NKJV).
What if we worshipped a loving and sovereign god who lacked wisdom? Without complete and accurate insight to guide his action, we would have a god who did not fully understand circumstances, events, and relationships. In other words such a god could exercise bad judgment! Because of God’s Word we can be assured that the God of infinite wisdom is too wise to error. Because of His divine nature, He cannot make a mistake!
Absolute Sovereignty. Sovereignty means control. The Scripture tells us that God is in total control.
Another attribute of the trio is the Absolute Sovereignty of our God. “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17 NIV). “And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring’” (Acts 17:25-28 NIV).
What would be the impact of a god who lacked sovereignty but possessed great love and wisdom? Such a god would be a powerless god—an ineffective god, a god who meant well but was incapable of carrying out his desires. God’s absolute sovereignty assures us that He is in complete control, therefore nothing can catch Him off guard. His absolute sovereignty assures us that He cannot be surprised!
CONTEMPLATE: The three identified attributes. Are there other aspects of God’s nature that would be equally effective in dealing with anxiety?
Next time we will look further into the implications of this trio of attributes.
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT) The key is to have your thoughts focused on God.
The three attributes of God which the Spirit of God repeatedly uses to bring calm to me are God's sacrificial love, His infinite wisdom, and His absolute sovereignty. Understanding what each of these attributes means and how they are intrinsic to God’s nature and integral with each other brings peace and tranquility.
Sacrificial Love. John, “the apostle whom Jesus loved,” was apparently in a closer relationship with Jesus Christ on earth than others. It is John who tells us “God is love.”
Consider what the Scriptures have to say about God’s Sacrificial Love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:34-39 NKJV).
What would be the consequences of a god who lacked love—even a god who possessed both wisdom and sovereignty, yet lacked perfect sacrificial love? Such a god would be unpredictable and fearsome. Yet our God is complete and perfect and we read “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18 NIV). A god without perfect love could be cruel or vindictive! The practical implication is that the God of sacrificial love is too loving to be mean. Because of who He is and His nature, He cannot be unkind!
Infinite Wisdom. God is the source of all truth and the origin of all wisdom.
Think for a moment about the God of Infinite Wisdom. “O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions” (Psalm 104:24 NKJV). “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33 NKJV). “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25 NKJV).
What if we worshipped a loving and sovereign god who lacked wisdom? Without complete and accurate insight to guide his action, we would have a god who did not fully understand circumstances, events, and relationships. In other words such a god could exercise bad judgment! Because of God’s Word we can be assured that the God of infinite wisdom is too wise to error. Because of His divine nature, He cannot make a mistake!
Absolute Sovereignty. Sovereignty means control. The Scripture tells us that God is in total control.
Another attribute of the trio is the Absolute Sovereignty of our God. “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17 NIV). “And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring’” (Acts 17:25-28 NIV).
What would be the impact of a god who lacked sovereignty but possessed great love and wisdom? Such a god would be a powerless god—an ineffective god, a god who meant well but was incapable of carrying out his desires. God’s absolute sovereignty assures us that He is in complete control, therefore nothing can catch Him off guard. His absolute sovereignty assures us that He cannot be surprised!
CONTEMPLATE: The three identified attributes. Are there other aspects of God’s nature that would be equally effective in dealing with anxiety?
Next time we will look further into the implications of this trio of attributes.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tri-Rx for Fear or Worry – Part 1 of 3
3-Legged Stool of Stability for Difficult Times – Introduction
“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28 NIV)
During a difficult period in my life that lasted about a year and a half, the Lord impressed upon me three attributes of His nature. Together these three attributes helped me keep things in perspective—and without all three, the stability that I needed would not have been complete. It is for this reason that I have come to think of these three aspects of the uniqueness of God as a tri-Rx for anxiety, worry, or fear. I also think of it as a three-legged stool of stability.
Following the tragic events of 9/11 when international terrorism reached within our borders, these three divine attributes returned to my thinking, bringing peace and calm in a turbulent environment. I am confident that they will have a calming effect on any Christian who reflects upon them. When we focus on what the Word of God teaches about each of these divine attributes, we see things with a long-term perspective and are therefore able to handle any crisis that comes our way. Remember, we have the promise from God that if we know Him, He will not tempt or try us beyond that which we are able to endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). Understanding this divine tri-Rx for fear has enabled me to work through difficult circumstances without losing confidence in my Creator, Sustainer, and Provider.
Consider the analogy of a three-legged stool. First the importance of three legs to a stool. With two legs a stool would fall over without constant effort to balance it. With four legs each leg must be precise in length and angle or the stool rocks back and forth as the weight shifts on the stool—and of course on uneven ground it is unstable. Only a three-legged stool remains steadfast regardless of circumstances or the setting where it is placed.
Certainly we know that God has many more than three important attributes. But the Spirit of God has repeatedly impressed upon me the importance of three particular sustaining attributes—and as He has, my thinking has been clarified about these attributes. Over the years as these three attributes have become precious to me, I have found writings of others who discovered a similar strength from three attributes—and the similarity, yet differences, of thought has been remarkable. I will mention those later. Finding some common threads from others has also helped me sharpen my explanation of the three.
The subject of this blog will be broken into a 3-part series.
Introduction
The Three Antidotes for Fear and Worry
Summary & Conclusions
Please note that I deliberately do not number or imply rank to the three attributes. In a three-legged stool each leg is as critically important as the other two and each is absolutely essential. In this compound Rx each ingredient is equally vital.
CONTEMPLATE: Suppose a brand new Christian, who knows very little about the Bible, came to you with the following question: “I read that God will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3), but I have a lot of worries. What should I dwell on to help settle my anxiety?”
Next time we will identify and describe three vital antidotes for fear and worry.
“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28 NIV)
During a difficult period in my life that lasted about a year and a half, the Lord impressed upon me three attributes of His nature. Together these three attributes helped me keep things in perspective—and without all three, the stability that I needed would not have been complete. It is for this reason that I have come to think of these three aspects of the uniqueness of God as a tri-Rx for anxiety, worry, or fear. I also think of it as a three-legged stool of stability.
Following the tragic events of 9/11 when international terrorism reached within our borders, these three divine attributes returned to my thinking, bringing peace and calm in a turbulent environment. I am confident that they will have a calming effect on any Christian who reflects upon them. When we focus on what the Word of God teaches about each of these divine attributes, we see things with a long-term perspective and are therefore able to handle any crisis that comes our way. Remember, we have the promise from God that if we know Him, He will not tempt or try us beyond that which we are able to endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). Understanding this divine tri-Rx for fear has enabled me to work through difficult circumstances without losing confidence in my Creator, Sustainer, and Provider.
Consider the analogy of a three-legged stool. First the importance of three legs to a stool. With two legs a stool would fall over without constant effort to balance it. With four legs each leg must be precise in length and angle or the stool rocks back and forth as the weight shifts on the stool—and of course on uneven ground it is unstable. Only a three-legged stool remains steadfast regardless of circumstances or the setting where it is placed.
Certainly we know that God has many more than three important attributes. But the Spirit of God has repeatedly impressed upon me the importance of three particular sustaining attributes—and as He has, my thinking has been clarified about these attributes. Over the years as these three attributes have become precious to me, I have found writings of others who discovered a similar strength from three attributes—and the similarity, yet differences, of thought has been remarkable. I will mention those later. Finding some common threads from others has also helped me sharpen my explanation of the three.
The subject of this blog will be broken into a 3-part series.
Introduction
The Three Antidotes for Fear and Worry
Summary & Conclusions
Please note that I deliberately do not number or imply rank to the three attributes. In a three-legged stool each leg is as critically important as the other two and each is absolutely essential. In this compound Rx each ingredient is equally vital.
CONTEMPLATE: Suppose a brand new Christian, who knows very little about the Bible, came to you with the following question: “I read that God will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3), but I have a lot of worries. What should I dwell on to help settle my anxiety?”
Next time we will identify and describe three vital antidotes for fear and worry.
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