Afterwords -- steadfast
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)
April 22, 2023
Dear friends,
Today is Earth Day, which began as a national observance in America in 1970. I helped to lead the first observance at Virginia Tech that spring many years ago. Though I have given up some of the beliefs I had at that time, yet I still see the vital importance of being good stewards of God's creation. In a recent TGC article, Andrew Spencer wrote about how Christians should take proper care of God's creation, not just physically but spiritually. He notes that the benefits of technology "...are good. Yet even such goods should be pursued virtuously—with patience and self-control." In other words, the fruit of the Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom and restraint necessary in using the world and its resources.
READING PROVERBS. I'm reading through Proverbs these days. Sometimes, at first reading, it seems that many of the sayings have been thrown together haphazardly. Individual proverbs appear unrelated to the others nearby. But by carefully noting the repeated words and themes we can begin to see patterns among the seemingly random collections. For example, when reading the proverbs of chapter 18, we can ask ourselves, among other questions, what do these proverbs have to say about our speech, how we use it, and how it affects others? There is an ongoing contrast of how wise and foolish people use words, and what are the resulting consequences. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue..." (18:21a).
BEING STEADFAST. In Proverbs chapter 19 the issue of wealth and poverty is repeated, and we are shown how these conditions affect relationships. This morning when my wife and I were reading this chapter, we lingered on verse 22: "What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar." (ESV) In the NLT it is translated, "Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest." The word translated "steadfast love" (ESV), "loyalty" (NLT), "loyal love" (NET), or "unfailing love" (NIV) is חסד (hesed). This very rich word refers to that firm and loving commitment to work for the good of another. It's associated with the principle of covenant, that is, fulfilling our promise to always be faithful and kind to another. The point of the proverb may be that it's better to be poor and faithful, rather than wealthy and deceitful (merely saying you are faithful). A nearby proverb relates to this same idea: "Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" (20:6)
"BYDAND." We discussed the recent passing of a woman who had been a blessing to us many years ago. She was a working mother who raised three children. She was also a supporter, encourager, and mother to many of us in the Son House ministry to youth in the 1970s. She was truly a "mother in Israel." When I think of her, I think of steadfastness and faithfulness. She was a humble constant in a world of proud variables. Such virtue seems rare these days! This reminded us of the old Gaelic word, "bydand", which is the motto of the Scottish clan Gordon, from which my wife is descended. [The Gordon crest is pictured at the bottom of this newsletter.] The word "bydand" is translated, "remaining, abiding, or steadfast." It's a great motto, and that word is related to our English word "abide", which also means to continue or remain. As Jesus said,
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." (John 15:7-8)
I'm so thankful for those people through the years who have demonstrated such steadfastness, and especially, the faithful commitment to love the Lord and others over the long haul!
MISCELLANEOUS.
-- "Finishing well means finishing with the fewest regrets." (Mike Minter, on "3 Stages of a Pastor's Life")
-- Neoconservatism is "the intellectual or social scientific discovery that most of the things your grandmother told you were not just true, but wise." (Jonah Goldberg) Read "In Praise of Normalcy" here.
-- Our CRC lunch group is studying the book of Revelation, and listening to the messages of S. Lewis Johnson on this book. So very good! Here's an excerpt.
-- Are you familiar with the NET Bible? It's one of the very best (and free) resources available for Bible study today. Also, it has now been incorporated into the Olive Tree Bible software. Here's more on the NET Bible, and here.
-- My friend Ed asked me this week, "What are you writing with today?" At that moment, it was a Diplomat Aero (filled with Waterman's Absolute Brown ink), which he found to be a bit too heavy. Today, I'm writing with a Sailor Magellan (filled with Edelstein Jade), a much lighter pen. I'm afraid Ed prefers the Bic Stic!
FINAL QUOTE. "Just like a dog or a bird sees a palace with stones and wood and mortar, and perhaps color, but neither comprehends nor understands anything of the building’s architecture or style, nor the purpose of its rooms and windows, so we stand with darkened understanding before the temple of creation. We see the parts, pieces, and elements, but we no longer have an eye for the style of this temple. We can no longer guess its architect, and so we can no longer understand this temple of creation in its unity, origin, and destiny." --Abraham Kuyper, Wisdom & Wonder (CLP, 2011)
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
