27 May 2010
Psalm 37:1-18; Prov. 21:30-22:6; 1 Tim. 4:1-16; Matt. 13:24-30

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, can avail against the Lord. Ever tried reasoning with God in prayer? Job tried it and then God showed up and asked a great many questions and suddenly Job realized there was just no reasoning with the One who created all things. What he realized is what Isaiah said for God in his prophecy, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The sovereignty of God is a comforting reality, He’s got the whole world in His hands. The long view of life, from eternity and into eternity if you will, allows us to rest in that thought. Trusting in the one whose thoughts and ways are higher than ours and who has declared the depth of His love for us in the death of His only begotten Son should allow us to be comforted and have peace from our fears.

The master in the parable takes the long view. The parable is a devastating one in that there is a mixed crop now in the field and they look alike with one important exception, at the time of harvest the weeds or tares are barren. The stalk and leaves look the same as they grow but there is no fruit produced. At that time it is a simple matter of removing the tares and destroying them. The workers have anxiety over what the enemy has done while the master is calm and collected and patient. As the old commercial for Paul Masson wines said, “We will sell no wine before its time.” So the master in the parable waits to discern, content to allow the tares to remain among the wheat until it is obvious which is which. The Lord knows the difference between the two but He waits until it is obvious to all.

Paul comforts Timothy concerning false teachers, reminding him that such were prophesied for the end times, in which we have lived since the coming of Jesus. All that was before Him was prelude and all that follows is postlude. Paul tells his disciple how to live in that time awaiting His coming, trusting in the word of God and the Spirit of God to discern between spirits, devoting himself to the reading, exhorting and teaching of the Word. He also reminds Timothy that training in godliness is, in fact, practice for eternity. He urges him to take the long view, keep his eye on the goal and not concern himself with the tares. Paul always remembered that there was but one thing needful and kept his focus no matter what the external circumstances of life.

I will trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
I will delight myself in the LORD,
and he will give me the desires of my heart.