Would People Notice if You Were Sad?

By Jeff Curtis

In Nehemiah 2:1-2, we read; “And it came to about in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of king Artexerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So, the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.

Nehemiah’s job as “the cupbearer to the king” (Neh. 1:11) required him to hide any negative emotions he might have felt. He had lived up to that requirement until this day, when he displayed his sadness – grief caused by the destruction of the wall of Jerusalem. In the conversation that followed, the king of Persia gave him permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild its wall.

Apparently, Nehemiah had served the king for years without being “sad in his presence” (Neh.2:1). How often do others see us looking sad?

Of course, nothing is wrong with being sad (or looking sad) when a person has a reason for grief. We ought to be willing to share our sorrows and troubles with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

However, if a Christian constantly displays a sad face, something may be wrong with his or her understanding of the gospel of Christ. The message of the New Testament is “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). A child of God who is always sad has not recently counted his blessings.

Would people notice if one day you showed up at work or worship service with a sad face? Would that be different from your usual demeanor? Some Christians always look as if they have just lost their best friend. They are like one little old lady who was visited by a singing group. When asked what she wanted the group to sing, she replied, “I don’t care, as long as it’s sad.”

Let’s not be like that. As a rule, let us display joyful expressions. We have great reasons to smile, because God loves us.

Not Ashamed of the Power of the Gospel

by Leland R. Ping

One of the most quoted and powerful verses of Paul’s letter to the saints in Rome is found in Romans 1:16 when the inspired apostle wrote the following: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Packed into this short passage are three valuable lessons that apply to us today.

First, there are ZERO reasons to be ashamed of the gospel. But, because we’re humans, we are sometimes prone to “shying” away from it and perhaps wanting to substitute its simple message for a man-made set of ideas. The gospel message of salvation for all men is simple, straightforward, and easy to grasp. But, we as men sometimes complicate its simplicity.

Second, the power of the gospel is the gospel itself. Not you – not me. You may be good at presenting its contents and I may be talented in explaining it all. But the credit belongs to the Lord and His good news. That’s where the power lies – always has and always will be.

Finally, the gospel’s power does not discriminate. We might show partiality as humans and, we sometimes do. But not the good news of the Lord and Savior. It is powerful enough to see through race, gender, cultural differences, and the like. We must remember this fact when we think about teaching someone or inviting them to study or worship. Let’s be aware of the gospel and its great power to save all – and that means ALL – mankind.

God’s Mysterious Ways

By Jeff Curtis

According to the first chapter of Ezra, in about 538BC, the Persian king Cyrus the Great issued the that allowed the Jews to return to their own land after they had spent many years in captivity. What can we learn about God and His dealings with man from Ezra chapter 1?

God’s Power is Sovereign: Cyrus issued the decree that allowed the Jews to return, but God caused him to do so. This is made clear in the text; “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom” (1:1). Isaiah predicted that God would use Cyrus to bring His people home, calling the ruler by name almost two hundred years before Cyrus began his rule (Isa. 44-45). Jeremiah by inspiration had predicted that, after 70 years in captivity, the Jews would be allowed to return to their own land (Jer. 24:11; 29:4-10). God brought fulfillment of these prophecies through Cyrus.

Today, Christians can take comfort in knowing that even when evil seems to reign on the earth, God rules over the rulers and allows them to rule only because it suits His purposes. In the end, because God is sovereign, His cause will triumph.

God Keeps His Promises: The text says that Cyrus allowed the Jews to return “in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah” (1:1); Jer.29:10). God had promised to bring back His people from captivity in 70 years, and He kept that promise.

This, of course, is a constant characteristic of God. “The promise of the Lord proves true” (2Sam. 22:31; 2Pet.3:9). God kept His promise to Abraham, even thought twenty-five years passed between the time He made His promise to and the time that the promised son Isaac was born. God kept His promise to bring Israel into Canaan, in spite of Israel’s sins. In the same way, we can be sure that God will keep His promises now and in the future. He will save those who obey the gospel (Acts 2:38; 2Thess.1:6-10). He will take into heaven those who are faithful to Him (Rev.2:10).

God Accomplishes His Purposes: In the case of Cyrus and the Jews, God’s purpose required that the Jews return to their own land. This emphasizes the connection between the land that God gave Israel and the promise to bring the Messiah into the world. When the Messiah came, the purpose was accomplished; therefore, from New Testament times on, Israel has had no special God-given right to the “Holy Land.”

God Works in the World Through His Providence: In Bible times, God sometimes worked in the world through miracles. Miracles were real. They were historical; they happened at certain times in definite places. However, even then God sometimes worked non-miraculously, or providentially. Joseph’s experiences provide examples of both the miraculous and the non-miraculous, or providential, working of God to accomplish His purposes.

Ezra chapter 1 teaches us several important truths about God: He has power over the kings of the world, He keeps His promises, He accomplishes His purposes, and He works through His providence. Knowing these truths, Christians can rest better at night, even when evil seems to be winning on every hand, even when the days are dismal. They know that behind the blackness of the hour stands the Almighty God, who will ultimately – as He did in the days of Ezra – triumph over the evil one, win the victory, and bring His people home.