In II Corinthians 1, Paul discusses what must have been one of the lowest points in his life, a time filled with deep feelings of anxiety and despair. He reports that in Asia he was “burdened excessively, beyond… strength” so that he “despaired even of life”, having the “sentence of death” within himself (II Corinthians 1:8-9). He spoke of how he had “no rest” for his spirit, how he was “afflicted on every side”, “conflicts without, fears within” (II Corinthians 7:5). Have you ever felt this way? Have you known this kind of pressure? As Paul reflected upon his sufferings he made several observations that will help each of us when we go through similar times of suffering.
Suffering causes us to trust in God rather than ourselves. “For indeed we have the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead” (II Corinthians 1:9). How powerfully suffering reminds us of our human weakness! Our inability to remove suffering points to the need to trust in God. How hard it is for us to learn that lesson! Often we have to be put flat of our back before we start looking up!

Suffering prompts us to pray. Paul had learned what a great help prayer was in suffering. He reminded the Corinthians that deliverance from his afflictions could be found through their prayers (II Corinthians 1:11). In chapter 12, when he spoke of his thorn in the flesh he mentions how he prayed repeatedly to the Lord. And so we are encouraged to do: “Is any among you suffering? Let him pray!” (James 5:13).

God has the power to deliver us from suffering. In contrast to man’s weakness Paul describes God as one who can “raise the dead” (II Corinthians 1:9). He who can raise one from death can also deliver one from it. In this assurance Paul affirmed that God had not only delivered him in the past but would do so in the future in keeping with his will (II Corinthians 1:10-11)!

God has the power to strengthen us while suffering! Not all God’s comfort comes through the removal of that which makes us suffer. When Paul prayed for relief from his “thorn” (II Corinthians 12) God said, “My grace is sufficient for you” (II Corinthians 12:9). To know that we are Christians, that we have the hope of heaven, that we live in his favor provides sufficient strength to endure for Christ’s sake whatever may be our lot in life. “For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison…” (II Corinthians 4:17).

Our sufferings make it possible for us to comfort others in their afflictions. Paul hoped to comfort others in their afflictions just God had comforted him (II Corinthians 1:4). What a great attitude he had! Rather than complain about his problems, he rejoiced that they provided him with the power and compassion to help others who faced similar circumstances. Who can be a better comforter to the suffering than the one who has experienced suffering and overcame it?

From the day Paul rose from baptism to serve Christ (Acts 9:18; 22:16), he learned as Jesus had foretold “how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” And yet in them all, Paul kept the faith. Throughout his life, he demonstrated unswerving commitment to Christ and patient hope of living with him someday. All of us can have that same hope — that whatever life may bring, God will be there to help us remain faithful and to deliver us to world where pain does not exist. Be comforted by this promise.

This past week, I noticed that the sign in front of the Presbyterian Church in Rogersville said, “Love God. Love others. The rest is doctrine.” The message was plain. Loving God and loving others are essential things, but doctrine is not essential. In other words, it doesn’t matter what you believe or teach, as long as you love God and love others. This sentiment, implied in the message on the church sign, reflects what a lot of religious people in America believe.
Now I am second to no one in my conviction that loving God and loving others are the greatest commandments. Jesus Himself said so explicitly (Matthew 22:37-39). If we get those things right, we will get everything else right as well, because “on these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:40). However, when doctrine is relegated to the status of non-essential, unimportant and not relevant to man’s salvation, there is a lack of understanding concerning the nature of love! If a person really understood what it means to love God and others, he would know that believing and teaching sound doctrine is an essential part of loving God and others.

In John 7:16, Jesus said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” Now if doctrine is unimportant, why would Jesus bother to inform us that the Source of His doctrine was His heavenly Father? Does anyone really believe that Jesus could have taught any doctrine He pleased and still laid claim to being God’s loving and obedient Son? His love for God bound Him to teach His doctrine.

Doctrine matters!

Obeying the right doctrine frees us from sin. The Romans obeyed a specific form of doctrine in order to be freed from sin. “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18).

Teaching the wrong doctrine invalidates our worship. In Matthew 15:9 Jesus said, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” The fact that so many denominational groups teach as doctrines the commandments of men no doubt explains why they want to convince us that doctrine is unimportant. Most denominational groups must get everything from the names of their denominations, organizational structure, manner of worship, titles of church leaders and programs of work from MEN, because they sure can’t find them in the Bible.

Following the wrong doctrine results in departing from the faith. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (I Timothy 4:1).

Whoever does not stick with the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (II John 9).

To summarize, following the right doctrine frees us from sin, but having the wrong doctrine makes our worship useless, causes us to depart from the faith and separates us from God.

What attitude will we have toward doctrine if we love God? If we love others, how concerned will we be about teaching them only doctrine that is correct and sound? The apostle Paul told Timothy to “charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (I Timothy 1:3). Maybe Paul didn’t understand that doctrine was unimportant. Or maybe, Paul loved God and man so much that he wanted only the one true doctrine to be taught.

by Steve Klein via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, August 26, 2007

If you needed encouragement and someone encouraged you, how would you be different? Having been encouraged, what would be the difference between the “before” and “after”?

Unfortunately, most people would say that being “encouraged” mainly means they “feel better” emotionally. In an age of subjective individualism, where human feelings are the ultimate value and highest authority, nothing is more significant than how we feel. So problems like discouragement are defined primarily in terms of feelings. To be discouraged means to feel “down,” while to be encouraged means to feel “up.” And in this cultural milieu, “encouraging preaching” usually amounts to some variation of “Don’t worry, be happy.”

Now, feelings of defeat and depression are certainly unpleasant, and we like to avoid them whenever we can. But these feelings, which often accompany discouragement, should not be confused with the problem itself. The real problem lies deeper and has to do with our will rather than our emotions. What we need is to be jolted into action.

Look at the word “encourage.” You can see the root word “courage.” The basic meaning, then, is “to impart courage to.” And as any soldier can tell you, courage is more than a feeling; it’s an action.

So test yourself. Did you find last Sunday’s sermon “encouraging”? Was it “encouraging” to have that heart-to-heart talk with a friend? Be careful how you answer. If you say yes, but all you mean is that you feel better, I would suggest that you have not been truly (or at least fully) encouraged. In the deepest sense, you will have been encouraged when you do what is right — and you keep on doing it.

There is no more encouraging book in the New Testament than Hebrews. Written to Christians whose faith was wavering, this powerful treatise says one thing: don’t give up. I read the entirety of Hebrews to a church one time as my last “sermon” to them. I wanted to encourage them, and I could think of no better way to do it than to read Hebrews. “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus , the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1,2).

So to those of us who teach, preach, and write, let’s be careful in our definition of “encouragement.” If the result of our work is that people simply feel better but they are still too afraid to jump that dangerous chasm in front of them, we have not really “imparted courage” to them. So let’s be truly — and deeply — encouraging. Let’s embolden people to take those scary steps that faith would take, even if their hearts are quaking. Courage, as has been said, is not the absence of fear; it is going ahead and doing the right thing even when our feelings are failing us.

Gary Henry / WordsPoint.com

While many turn from God due to some perceived problem with God (e.g., allowing evil to exist), I have found that just as prominent is a problem that they have with those who call themselves Christians. Because Christians have been hypocritical, unloving, divisive and abusive, some have walked away thinking that if this is what Christians are like, they want no part of them. We might respond, “But our faith resides in God, not people, so turning from God because of people isn’t justified.” While that is correct, we do need to factor in what the Lord said about His disciples and their relationship to how the world perceives Christians:

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35, CSB)

“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me.” (John 17:20-21, CSB)

Jesus indicates that the world sits in some form of judgment on whether disciples reflect their Lord. If they see a lack of love, they may conclude that we are not really disciples of Jesus. And let’s be honest: who really wants to be around those who lack love while calling themselves something they are not? Then, if we are divisive and fail to reflect the unity to which Jesus calls us, the world may conclude that Jesus is a fraud (“that the world may believe you sent me”). Do we think about that when we are fighting and fussing with each other?

We have a great responsibility as citizens of heaven to walk worthy of the gospel (Phil 1:27). If we know that our actions demonstrate that we are not serious about our calling and that our divisions might turn people from Christ, then we need to think deeply about how we interact with both the world and one another. We might comfort ourselves with a technically correct concept, but can we escape the consequences of our actions that may contribute to disbelief?

While many have overcome the problem of people and stayed true and faithful to the Lord, that is not an excuse to misbehave, for the next person we influence might stumble. If our actions contribute to this issue, then we will be called to account (see Matt 18:6). May God help us if we act so unbecomingly that we turn people off to the gospel! If people are going to be offended and put off, let it be by the gospel itself and not our unrighteous behavior (cf. 1 Cor 1:18ff).

There is more, though, and this is confession time. If ever there is something that makes me question what I know is right, it is the “problem of people.” It is not the veracity of Scripture, the identity of Jesus, or the character of God that makes me wonder. And here I am not just talking about the people of God. I am talking about people in general. Why are people so stubborn, so mean, so selfish, so oppressive, so…? You get the idea. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 is a catalog of the types of behaviors and attitudes I am talking about. Why are people this way? Why are we so set to continue in evil while we run roughshod over fellow human beings? The world would be great were it not for people. And, as we sometimes hear, the church would be great were it not for people. (That generally leads to very hesitant chuckles.)

I am one of those people, and there’s the rub (as Hamlet would say). It’s easy to point fingers and talk about why “others” are so terrible, but the truth is that I am the one. The words of Nathan ring in my ears: “You are the man!” And now the problem of people takes on another dimension, for the question I have is not why God allows people, or me, to behave so badly.

The question is, why God is so kind to bad people? Why does God provide such grace to people like me? Why does He act in mercy toward people who have been so stubborn, selfish, and wicked? Why would He send Jesus to die for us knowing that we would continue to behave in insolence and rebellion? Why does He have to be so good? Why can’t He just leave us alone in our badness?

It is precisely because of God’s actions toward us — His kindness and mercy — that brings me back around to Him. How can I reject the One who showed such mercy to me when I could in no way expect it from Him? The problem of people is real, but the bigger question is how God can continue to be gracious to any of us? That breaks me. I will serve Him!

If this doesn’t ultimately bring us back to God, we are indeed most miserable.

Some writers have called Psalm 88 the most mournful of all the psalms, and with the exception of the first verse, the message is one of despair and complaint. The suffering which was endured was personal in nature, and pointed to a life of long continued suffering. Some commentators believe the writer was afflicted with leprosy, still others see it as a cry of despair over the destruction and captivity of Judah. There is no way to know the specific events leading to the writing of the psalm; but in spite of it’s bleak and mournful tone, Psalm 88 contains some valuable insights for Christians today.
The first point to consider is the condition of the writer. Apparently, he was in distress both physically and mentally. In verse 3 he wrote, “my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.” When a person is experiencing severe physical problems, that suffering will often affect the inner peace of a person. In this case, the psalmist had experienced such problems from his youth (verse 15), apparently he was confined and felt that his friends had left him (verse 8). His main question was “Why!? Why is this happening to me!?”
In times of distress, Christians often ask the same question. It certainly happened in the early church. In many of the inspired letters in the New Testament scriptures, the problem of how to deal with suffering and distress was discussed at length, and the reason was the same – people wanted to understand the “WHY” when something bad happens.
When problems arise, the Christian must understand that the Lord can use such events as a means for a person to mature. James wrote in James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Suffering and trials can also be used as discipline. “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness”. (Hebrews 12:11)
In addition, the Christian has a promise that the writer did not have. The Lord has PROMISED to never give a Christian more than he, or she, can handle or bear. Throughout the New Testament scriptures, a message of confidence, inner strength and assurance is found. These allow a Christian to weather the storms of life.
There is another message in Psalm 88 that is even more encouraging for a Christian. In verses 10-12, the psalmist questions what would happen after his death. “Will You perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah. Will Your loving kindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?” For the people of the Old Testament covenant, there was no clear message as to their fate after death. They had to simply trust in the Lord God’s will.
Christians also trust in the Lord’s will, but with that trust is a message which rings out strong and clear. Yes, there is life after death! Yes, God does show his wonders and declares his love to those who leave this physical world! From the New Testament scriptures, there is no question about the fate of those who die in the Lord Christ Jesus and those who die outside the Lord. Christians live by faith, but it is an informed faith in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ! The wonderful reality of the blessed assurance found in Jesus was not known to the writer of Psalm 88. How blessed are Christians today!
A final point can be seen in the first verse of the psalm. In spite of the writer’s apparent terrible situation, and in spite of the despair and depression found in his words, he did turn to the Lord. He did recognize that God was his only hope of salvation. His understanding was incomplete, and there was little hope in his words, but he WAS holding on. One of the key qualities for God’s people is Endurance – the ability to persevere in the face of great trials.
If the writer of Psalm 88 could demonstrate a faith in the face of adversity, how much more faith, endurance and maturity should Christians have today? This IS a psalm of despair; but within these words can be found a stubborn trust in God.
“Thank you Lord for your love for us and the hope we can have in Jesus Christ!”

Thinking people know that God exists. The universe as well as this world in which we live reveal the fact of His existence, His intelligence, His power and creativity Ps.19:1-4; Acts 14:17; Rom.1:18-25.  While observing these things tell us of the existence of an all-powerful, intelligent being they tell us nothing of His nature or character. Since we know such a being exists, wouldn’t we like to meet Him?
 
We know He exists, but He is an invisible Spirit Jn.4:24; 1.Tim.1:17 and as a Spirit He does not have flesh and bone Lk.24:39 so no one can touch Him, hear Him or talk with Him personally 1.Tim.6:16. Yet He wants us to meet Him and know Him, so He has given us a way to meet Him.  
 
So, how can we meet God if He is invisible, and we can’t see or talk with Him personally? Let’s go back to the time of creation. When God created us humans, He created us “in His own image.” This was not a physical image, but a spiritual image. He created in us something that was not in other living creatures. He gave a mind (the ability to think, to reason, to communicate) whereby we could meet Him and know Him. But how would this help man to meet God?
 
Along with a mind God gave us His inspired word 2.Tim.3:16-17. When man uses his mind to read the inspired word and has it implanted in his mind Jas.1:21 man will not only know who God is but will also know what God expects of us human beings who have been created “in His own image.”  
 
This is how we meet God, through His word. Every time one reads or thinks on God’s word one meets God. When one receives His word and believes it faith in God and His Saving Son is developed Rom.10:17 which leads one to be saved when the word is obeyed Matt.7:21-23; Jas.1:22-25.
 
Have you met God? If not, why not do so by studying His word? If you have already met Him, how often do you continue to do so?
 
DOES LIFE WORK FOR YOU?
 
Have you ever heard someone say, “Nothing ever works out for me.” Or “I can’t win for losing.” These are statements of frustration of one who is really saying “Life is just not working for me.” People making such complaints fail to understood who God and that He gave man the gift of life and a world of good things in which to enjoy it.  
 
Why doesn’t life work for some people? One reason is they don’t really know their purpose for God giving them life is that they might honor, glorify and serve Him. They are out of step with God, trying to guide their own steps instead of listening to God which is foolish Jer.10:23; Prov.14:12. Some allow the god of this world to blind their eyes to the love and mercy of God. They love the material world thinking that will satisfy them, not knowing that the things of the world are temporal and will soon be destroyed 1.Jn.2:15-17. Others follow the majority doing things that are evil and end up suffering dire consequences.
 
All the above reasons can be summed up in one major reason. The basic reason life doesn’t work for many people is that they are out of step with God. When God created man His intention was for man to honor and serve Him as Creator/ Instead man chose to sin, and not only did they bring shame and disgrace along with suffering to mankind they also brought separation from God Isa.59:1-2..God wanted man to be “holy even as He is holy” 1.Pet.1:15-16 and until man rights himself with God and is made holy and reconciled to God life will continue to not work for people.
 
Life will work for you when you are made holy by being reconciled to God through His Son 2.Cor.5:17-21; Heb.5:9.

This reconciliation takes place when one is made a new creation by being born again and regenerated Jn.3:3-5; Tit.3:5; Gal.3:27  In Christ one learns to let God direct His steps knowing that God will work all things for good to him who loves the Lord Prov.3:3-6; Rom.8:28.

The first thing that comes to mind when you think about Jesus and His enemies is, why would He have any enemies?  All He did was go about doing good by healing the sick, making the blind to see, raising the dead to life, casting out demons, feeding the hungry, and restoring the strength of the crippled to walk again.  He also spoke of a place He was preparing that was forever free from pain, sorrow, death, hunger, evil, disease, decay, thirst, darkness, and fear.  Why would anybody say, “well that’s not for me?”  How could anybody in their right mind with the ability to reason and logically conclude say that?
    Jesus told us the reason why people have that reaction to what He speaks of and the place He has prepared.  Jesus speaks of those who react to Him this way as the ones who do not want Him to reign over them.  When Jesus gives commands to what a person must do in order to enter this place which He calls the kingdom of heaven, they turn away and follow Him no more.  It is a natural reaction for people not to like those who want to tell them what to do.  Have you ever heard a person say, “they’re not going to tell me what to do; who do they think they are?”
Jesus also spoke of another reason why people do not follow Him, and that is because of unbelief.  People did not believe that He was who He said He was.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).  After Phillip said for Jesus to show them the Father, He said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (14:9).  When Jesus calmed the sea, His disciples asked, “who can this be, that even the wind and sea obey Him” (Mark 4:41)?  It was hard for people to believe that Jesus was God who possessed all power and resources, Creator of the heavens and the earth.  Even some that He was standing by and talking face to face with did not realize who He really was.
    Jesus reacted to His enemies like no one has ever reacted before.  Jesus loved His enemies.  When He was hanging on the cross, He asked His Father to forgive them, for they did not know what they were doing.  He also said that they were like sheep without a shepherd, meaning they were wandering aimlessly, searching for green pasture.  Jesus had compassion on His enemies who were like the blind leading the blind.  He longed to gather them to Himself like a mother hen gathers he chicks under her wings, but they were not willing.  Jesus loved His enemies to the point that He gave His own life for their sins by being crucified on the cross for their salvation.  He is not willing that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance.  
    May we all love our enemies as Jesus did, knowing that when it comes to love, it does not count the cost.  And may we all realize that Jesus is our example to follow, knowing that as Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those spitefully use you and persecute you; rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matt. 5:44,12). < Marc Hyde >

I went to the dentist Wednesday. I dreaded it because I hadn’t been in several years. Actually, I would have felt the same way about it even if I had been the day before.
A lot of things run through your mind when you’re staring up at the ceiling, trying to answer the questions of a person who is spraying water into your mouth. One prevalent thought that kept coming back to me was how being a Christian is sometimes like going to the dentist’s office. I extracted these truths from my time in the chair.
You can’t make up lost time. The night before my appointment, I brushed, flossed, rinsed, polished and did everything to my teeth that I knew the dentist would ask me about. These were things that I should have been doing all along. But I tried to cram them all in right before the test.
One of the reasons time is so valuable is that once you spend it, you can’t get it back. There are only 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. If you choose to spend those in a way that you later regret, that is a loss you cannot recover. Paul encouraged the early Christians to appreciate this fact by “redeeming the time” (Eph. 5:16) and “making the most of the opportunity” (Col. 4:5).
While I can decide to do better and make better use of my time from this day forward, that won’t give me back the days I have misused. That’s why it’s important to not waste one more. “Teach us to number our days,” prayed Moses (Psa. 90:12). Just like your teeth, every one of them is important.
Ignoring your problems won’t make them go away. It was easy to put off going to the dentist because I was afraid of what he’d find. The right side of my mouth had become sensitive to cold drinks. I just knew that the diagnosis was going to involve a root canal, oral surgery, and thousands of dollars. So I drank more hot coffee. When I had to have something cold, I tilted my head to the left a little so it wouldn’t hit the sensitive spot. I treated the symptoms, but I still had the problem.
Even for a Christian, life has its difficulties and trying times. You can try to “treat” them by pretending they don’t exist, avoiding certain people, or ignoring phone calls, but when you wake up the next morning, they’ll still be there. Why not take care of what needs to be done and relieve your conscience? “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Rom. 12:18). You can’t control what other people are saying or doing, but you can do your part. If that means praying for forgiveness or making things right with a brother or seeking help from the church, take care of it. Otherwise, it is a pain that won’t go away on its own.
Things are seldom as bad as you make them out to be. My cold sensitivity was caused by natural “tubules” that form in your teeth over time. No surgery or root canal needed. And the thousands of dollars needed to fix it? “Just switch to a toothpaste for sensitive teeth,” the dentist said. “I have some samples you can take home with you.” All I could think about in the car on the way home was how much I wished I had gone in sooner. All that discomfort and all that worry over something that never even happened.
Worry is a thief. It not only robs you of time and energy that could be used in productive ways, it often keeps you from doing what is right for fear of the consequences that will come. What if the prodigal had done that? He could have let his imagination run wild and prevented his return from the pig pen. But he would have missed out on the mercy, compassion, and celebration of his father who rejoiced and said, “this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found” (Luke 15:24). Consequences do follow choices. But don’t listen to the devil and assume the worst in every situation. Do what is right and you’ll say to yourself, “I wish I had done that sooner.”
After Wednesday, I made up my mind that I’m going to start getting regular checkups from now on. I’m willing to endure a little discipline along the way to avoid the place at the end of the road where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

He saw it happen but somehow it didn’t register in his mind. The peanut butter was in the cart, but somehow it never made it to the conveyor belt that carried it by the cashier. The bag boy just picked it up, unpaid for, and put it in the paper sack. And a few seconds later everyone was out the door, into the car, and headed down the street toward home. Just outside the parking lot, the man realized what had happened. He checked the ticket to make sure and, sure enough, he had not paid for the peanut butter. This presented a character test. What does he do? Likely no one even saw it happen. He’s certain that the cashier didn’t see it. Even the bag boy probably didn’t realize the mistake he had made. But the man did. What to do?

Option one: Don’t think about it any more. Carry the peanut butter home and make your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, eat, drink your milk, and enjoy. It’s not a great expense. The store will never miss the inventory. More than one jar of peanut butter has been destroyed on the floor. It was as much their mistake as yours. And the things are over-priced anyway. They call it rationalization.

Option two: (and the right one): Turn the car and the restless kids around. Explain to them why you have to go back to the store. Listen to their moans. Go into the store slightly embarrassed. Explain to the cashier what had happened. Pay for the peanut butter. And go home to eat (and sleep) with a clear conscience.

That’s a lot of fuss over one small jar of peanut butter, you say? Maybe so. But the peanut butter is not the real issue here. The issue is character. Integrity. Honesty. Jesus said, “He who if faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much” (Luke 16:10). If a person would, however innocently it may occur, take a jar of peanut butter without paying for it, you certainly couldn’t trust him with the company store. Integrity has no price tag, whether small or great.

I once read that character is what you are when no one is looking. I like that. It’s first an issue within you. It is how and what you decide that you are going to be. It is the principle by which you live. And, in another sense, you either or a person of character or you are not. And you are the one who decides.

I wouldn’t take anything for the lesson I taught my children when I turned around and carried that peanut butter back into the story to pay for it. Actually, I couldn’t do anything else at the time. But this was an opportunity to state in unmistakable terms something about the kind of person I wanted to be … and it said something to them about the kind of person I wanted to be … and it said something to them about the kind of person I wanted them to be. I also like the impression it made upon that cashier. I didn’t know her. But I think I made her day. I have often wondered if , in her quiet and meditative moments, she ever recalls the men who returned to pay for the peanut butter?

Now, lest you think that relating this is self-righteous on my part, I want you to know that I have probably, in my own spiritual weakness, failed more character tests than I have passed. But I did pass this one. And there’ll be another.

I have written this for the purpose of provoking your mind to think about character. What it is, and its importance as we discuss the topic of leadership whether religious or civil. Character is the essential foundation of good leadership. It is the indispensable quality of a good role model.
by Jim Deason – via The Jackson Drive Reporter, Nov. 15, 2009

In the first part of this short psalm, or song, the writer praised Jerusalem. For the nation of Israel, Jerusalem was special, because it was within the walls of Jerusalem that the Lord God had chosen to dwell with His people in His temple. The words “holy mountain” and “Zion” were descriptions of Jerusalem.

The praise was for a physical location, because the covenant God had made with Israel was a physical covenant. The people were promised land and children. The signs and symbols of that covenant were physical in nature. Faith was joined to sight. The temple could be seen and touched, the city physically existed, the growing population was tangible proof of God’s promise to Abraham. All of these were essential to the faith of Israel.

From the first words of praise, the psalmist expanded the picture to consider other nations as well. In verse 4, the word “Rahab” was a poetic name for Egypt. Notice that all the historic enemies of Israel would eventually acknowledge the Lord. The psalmist could see that one day, all nations would accept Jerusalem as a special place.

In verses 6 and 7, the message was that the Lord would designate, or set apart, those who are HIS people. Throughout the Old Testament scriptures the message was stated that God would know, protect and accept His people.

In arid lands, water was survival and a source wealth. Without water, a person could not hope to survive. The discovery of water was good news and great blessings. For the Israelites, their survival and wealth was found in God. Eventually, others would realize that their own survival and salvation would come from the true headwaters of life – the Living God.

For the Christian, the imagery in this psalm carries a double meaning. Israel’s hope was a physical hope. But for every promise within this psalm, the Christian can say, “If Israel was blessed in such a way, how much GREATER is my blessings?!” Jerusalem is special for a different reason. Jesus Christ died there and was resurrected there. Throughout the New Testament scriptures, Jerusalem (Zion) is a symbol of the NEW covenant established through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:18-24). Where Israel had a physical temple, the church is the temple of God. The world is hostile, but will be forced to acknowledge the good done, the special place of God’s family. If Sod’s people are known, God’s CHILDREN are certainly known by their Father. If Israel looked to water for survival, Christians look to the “living water” which flows into every Christian.

Psalm 87 is a song of praise and reassurance of the care and promises of God. What a blessed assurance Christians have through Jesus Christ – Lord, King and Savior!