Staying Untangled

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”

2 Corinthians 4:7–10

I read that years ago the giant British retail chain Tesco placed an advertisement for seasonal help during the Christmas season. They were not looking for greeters, or stock people, or checkout clerks. Instead, they wanted people who would help untangle their massive quantity of Christmas lights. The ad specified that the people they were looking for had to be “passionate about Christmas” and be able to “untangle three meters of Christmas lights in under three minutes.”

Though Christmas is a joyous season, it is also a time of great stress for many people. There are financial pressures, family ruptures, time crunches, long lines, backed up traffic at stores, and many other worries that can easily tangle up our lives and make Christmas a time of defeat and hassle, instead of joy and celebration. Too many people go through the holidays like Ebenezer Scrooge before he learned the importance of Christmas instead of like Tiny Tim. The key to avoid becoming tangled up is found in our source of power.

The Christian life cannot be lived in our own strength. The power for successful living can only come from God. And when we have that power, it does not matter if we are troubled, perplexed, persecuted, or cast down. We will still be at peace. We will not be distressed, in despair, forsaken, or destroyed. This is the key to peaceful living not only during the holidays, but every day of the year. Rest in God’s strength rather than your own.

Today's Growth Principle
As long as we are working and living in God’s strength instead of our own, we can be victorious.

Old Testament Reading

Jonah 1-4

CHAPTER 1

¹ Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ² Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. ³ But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

⁴ But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. ⁵ Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. ⁶ So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. ⁷ And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. ⁸ Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? ⁹ And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. ¹⁰ Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

¹¹ Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. ¹² And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. ¹³ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. ¹⁴ Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. ¹⁵ So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. ¹⁶ Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. ¹⁷ Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

CHAPTER 2

¹ Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, ² And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. ³ For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. ⁴ Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. ⁵ The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. ⁶ I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. ⁷ When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. ⁸ They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. ⁹ But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

¹⁰ And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

CHAPTER 3

¹ And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, ² Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. ³ So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. ⁴ And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

⁵ So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. ⁶ For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. ⁷ And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. ⁹ Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? ¹⁰ And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

CHAPTER 4

¹ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. ² And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. ³ Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. ⁴ Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?

⁵ So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. ⁶ And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. ⁷ But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. ⁸ And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. ⁹ And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. ¹⁰ Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: ¹¹ And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

New Testament Reading

Revelation 10

CHAPTER 10

¹ And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: ² And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, ³ And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. ⁴ And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. ⁵ And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, ⁶ And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: ⁷ But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

⁸ And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. ⁹ And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. ¹⁰ And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. ¹¹ And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 19

¹ Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. ² Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. ³ The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD. ⁴ Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. ⁵ A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. ⁶ Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. ⁷ All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. ⁸ He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. ⁹ A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. ¹⁰ Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. ¹¹ The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. ¹² The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. ¹³ A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. ¹⁴ House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. ¹⁵ Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. ¹⁶ He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. ¹⁷ He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. ¹⁸ Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. ¹⁹ A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. ²⁰ Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. ²¹ There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. ²² The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. ²³ The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. ²⁴ A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. ²⁵ Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. ²⁶ He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. ²⁷ Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. ²⁸ An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. ²⁹ Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.