There are times in life when someone says something to you that brings resolve or comfort to a situation in your life.
To the husband who works hard to take care of his family but seems to never bring enough money home, "I know how hard you work to provide for us," can be the most encouraging words a wife could possibly give to her husband in that moment of frustration. Those are precious words.
To the sinner who feels defeated when looking at their repeated failure to overcome sin in their life, hearing "Jesus Christ's saving work is powerful enough to save even a sinning Christian," can make you cheer for God and lift you to praise for grace. Those are precious words, too.
To the one who is grieving over the loss of a loved one, knowing that "death has lost it's sting in Jesus Christ," brings hope, encouragement and gratitude for the empty tomb. Those are much needed precious words in times of death.
Today I heard some precious words. I don't ever want to forget them. They made me weep for joy. They helped bring some resolve to a past situation in my life. They made me grateful to God.
In order to help you understand the gravity and preciousness of these words, I must share something from my past. I share, not to ask for pity, nor to vent, nor to bad mouth anyone. I simply share to recognize the hand of God in my family as He grows us in the knowledge of His grace.
Several years ago I was asked to resign from the church I served at. For all practical purposes, it was a firing. And that is ok. I fully recognize God's sovereignty in the situation and understand that He was in full control of the situation. The reason for my being asked to resign was because of my growing understanding of the doctrines of grace and reformation theology. At that time, I didn't know what reformed theology was. I really didn't. I thought reformed people were people who practiced infant baptism and had a different view of communion. I just knew that what I was learning was feeding my soul and making me more vigilant in my evangelistic endeavors. What I was learning created more zeal in my preaching and more concern for the church of God. What I was learning made me want to be a better pastor who elevated God as much as I possibly could from week to week. Knowing how I was growing, I wanted others to grow too. So I taught what I learned. And why shouldn't I have done that. I wanted the teens in our student ministry and the adult leaders to get a taste of what was going on in my mind and in my heart. So I tried to pass it on.
Doctrines like God's sovereignty, the doctrine of election, God's decrees, His wisdom, justification, imputation, sanctification and a host of others were being taught to me by people like A.W. Pink, John MacArthur, Mark Dever, Charles Spurgeon and a host of other godly men--living and dead. These doctrines were just the start of it...the tip of the proverbial iceberg, if you will. I hungered for more and felt like I had been revived from a spiritual stupor that I didn't even know I was in. So I kept on teaching and teaching and teaching. I kept on learning and learning and learning. And I took what I got, digested it, and tried to feed it to others like a momma bird does to her little birdies....gross image, I know. But I wanted our student ministry to get this, our student leaders, our whole church, and my own wife.
As time went on, it became clear to those in authority that I was moving in a different direction as the rest of the church. I didn't see it that way. I figured that as a shepherd, my duty from God was to help the church grow and be corrected where there was error or shortcomings. That's what us pastor dudes do with God's Word. We feed it to the sheep and the sheep get healthier. I did this for several years and was pleased to see others growing as I was growing. Yet I didn't realize the full implications of what would befall my family for teaching what I was teaching. Not being able to see the future, I didn't know that I would eventually be asked to resign. In those final months, my eyes opened and I knew it would be a matter of time before I was asked to leave. But what could I do but continue to preach what I was Scripturally convinced of. I knew that it would mean that I was going to have to put my family in harms way. That's a tough pill to swallow.
Well, I was finally asked to resign. I remember that night vividly. I was asked to have a private meeting with the pastor and a deacon after youth group on a Sunday night. In my gut I knew it was my final night. So sitting next to some student leaders after our youth group meeting adjourned, I looked over at them before heading off to my meeting and said to them, "It was great serving with you." One leader said, "Shut up! What are you talking about?" I said, "I'll be seeing you around." I walked away from them and before exiting the room, I turned around and took one final look at the people I served for nearly six years....one final look at the room in which I had faithful served God during that time. What would happen next? I wasn't too sure of. But something was about to change.
I contended for the truth and sometimes that is not always met with applause. (I wish someone would have told me this ahead of time, but oh well.) This is something we should expect in the Christian life. I had never experienced anything like this but it was good for my soul. It was really good for my soul. I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world.
So this brings me back to the precious words I just heard. They were so precious that I had to actually get up out of bed and come post this before my thoughts became muddled. My wife and I were laying down in bed talking and talking. We were talking about how good God has been to us and how He has protected us from silly decisions we've made and how He has even protected us when standing firm in the faith.
We were recalling the events I just mentioned to you and I asked her what she was thinking during those final months. Here's a summary of what she had to say:
"I kept thinking to myself, 'Why do you have to create these waves? Am I married to some fanatic who has just gone over the edge?' She continued, "I just kept telling myself, 'I have to trust my husband. I don't understand what's going on, but I have to believe that he's doing the right thing or he wouldn't be teaching this stuff.'"
During those final months, she confessed that she was very scared and nervous about what might happen to our family. As we were laying in bed, my heart hurt as she said this. I don't ever want to do something that would put my family in a tough spot. Nevertheless, there are some things that are worth suffering for--even when it includes your own wife and daughter's suffering. What makes it harder is when those suffering don't know why their suffering...they just happen to be along for the ride. As my heart broke, I was simultaneously encouraged by her vote of confidence in me during this time. I recognized in greater depth the grace that God has shown me in giving me this kind of supportive wife. Her feelings of being married to a fanatic made me chuckle a bit, too.
At that moment I rolled over and put my arm around my wife and started to worship God for putting me through this trying experience and I began praising God for the wife He gave me. It was incredible. He turned my mourning into dancing. He used my pain for His praise. This spontaneous worship arose from something that happened over three years ago.
Knowing that three years had elapsed since that dark period in our life--and knowing that my wife has learned much during these past three years and has grown alongside of me--and knowing of her former confusion, I said to her, "I'm so sorry for what had to happen...but do you now understand what all that was about? Do you see the importance behind what we're now teaching our church and why I couldn't stop back then?"
And she said some of the most precious words I've ever heard. "Back then I didn't get it. But now I understand."
"Now I understand." Those words brought an increased joy to my heart and I thanked God for bringing my wife out of the dark. I thanked God that He kept my marriage intact during what must have been utter confusion to my wife. That moment of trial has led to my family being much more solid in God's Word. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I rejoice for it. And those three words--now I understand--showed me the grace of God in contending for the truth.
Yet even those three words, as fabulous as they are to my situation, even those three words don't compare to the most precious words of all......
His Word is bearing fruit in my family and in my marriage and in my church. His Word does not come back void! His Word is so precious. Those are the most precious words of all. Cherish them. Rejoice in them. Relish them. Bask in them. Let them enrich and feed your soul. They are beautiful words...wonderful words...wonderful words of life.
photo credit: Jeff Martin
