February 10, 2020--Psalm 119:110--Faithful Christians avoiding the snares of the wicked

The wicked have laid a snare for me,

but I do not stray from your precepts.

Psalm 119:110 English Standard Version

You are a nurse in a hospital that routinely performs abortions on one floor of the hospital and on another floor there is a neo-natal intensive care unit. The government has just required you to take a rotation on the abortion floor because it refuses to acknowledge its own conscience clause in the charter of rights and freedoms. Do you just take the shift and keep quiet in order to keep your job? Do you protest? Do you refuse and potentially lose your job?

You are at the ballot box and all the candidates you can choose from support Medically Assisted Death—and are opening up this possibility to teen-agers—including teens who suffer from debilitating depression. How do you vote?

There is a very attractive woman at work. She is lingering a little too long at the coffee station whenever you head there. She is signaling her interest in you. As you reach for your coffee and continue your chit chat with her, you realize she is not a Christian. You know it is against the will of God to date a person who is in rebellion against Him. As a follower of Jesus Christ you know she is off-limits. But your brain needles you, telling you that you have been single far longer than you’d ever expected. All your friends are getting married and settling down and raising families. She is pausing a second or two longer still, wondering, “is he going to ask me out or not?”

Our lives are filled with situations where the snares of the wicked are carefully laid out for us. It is not hypothetical. It is real. It is a challenge for believers of every generation. When we turn our lives over to Jesus Christ and choose to follow Him, we will see the traps and snares of the wicked all around us. Do not lose heart, fellow believer. Do not think God has suddenly abandoned you and what you are facing is more than a believer is expected to face.

Note the psalmist’s response to the snares of the wicked. He affirmed the precepts of God. Remember that the precepts of God are the things He commands believers to do. The precepts of God are right in every generation. The directions He calls us to go in are suitable no matter the cost. Our desire to walk in the fear of the LORD means we have fixed our eyes on Him. Our souls are consumed with longing for Him at all times (verse 20). We recognized the accursed, insolent ones are those who know the commandments of God and wander from them—who intentionally, stubbornly seek their own pleasure (v. 21). Even if a government official or ruler opposes you, when your conscience is stirred to obedience to Jesus Christ, then no other course is acceptable but staying true to Him. Obedience delayed is disobedience. The psalmist wrote he hastens and does not delay to keep God’s commandments (verse 60).

When you read the information collected by Census Canada, you get the distinct impression there are supposed to be millions of Christians in Canada. I wonder. How can it be that millions of Christians do not protest in the streets against abortion? Against medically assisted death? More importantly, if there were millions of Christians who actively are obedient to their Lord and King, then wouldn’t the precepts of God shine through in every level of society? It is my guess that the number of Christians must be sifted and sorted into categories that help us understand this disparity between what things should look like and how things are in our beloved country.

I can’t remember from whom I heard this, but it stuck with me. The vast majority of people when taking a census will write Christian. For them that is a better option than say, “Buddhist” or “Atheist”. However, what they mean is grandma used to take them to church, years, maybe even decades ago. They are not even sure if that building is still in use, or where exactly it is. Maybe they’ll visit there the next time they are in town.

Then there are Christians who identify as such on a census form because they attend church at Christmas and perhaps for a wedding. They know the location of “their” church—and attend once or twice a year. My favourite term for them is “CNE’ers”=Christmas ‘n Easter attenders.

Then there are Christians who attend a church regularly. They may even get involved in the church. But for them it is a social club. They like the sense of fellowship they get. However, they do not carry their faith to the ballot box. They don’t think religion should interfere with their daily living and decisions like: who they should date or marry. According to them, the rules of God and His just precepts are fine for the religious folks who are crazy zealous.

Finally after all the others have been sifted out you come to the small circle of believers. They have committed themselves fully to the LORD and find He is their joy and song. No matter the consequences, they follow Him.

Recently I heard a sermon where the preacher noted, “of course Christians are not the majority. Of course they don’t have political power. They don’t have influence. What they have is God Who is great and mighty.” That’s right. It is the LORD Who acts. It is the LORD Who rescues. It is the LORD Who lifts us from our dire circumstances when all the snares are laid for us. By His Word and Spirit He reminds us, He alone has the ultimate power. He is working in history and kneading into all parts of it the marvellous salvation of Jesus Christ so that all will behold and at the judgment throne declare: “There is no god but YHWH! There is no victory but His! He alone is just and true!”

Spirit of the Living God, work out Jesus’ salvation into every part of our hearts. Let the beauty of and the vigilant guardianship of the Word protect us in the way everlasting. Father in heaven, let Your salvation touch many, many people in our land this day. May ‘census Christians’ become evangelized by faithful believers in Jesus Christ and so tenderly discipled in the way everlasting so that they live out loud for Jesus. Spirit of God we plead for the CNEers. Bring them to church and break their stubborn resistance so that the glory of the LORD rises over their hearts and Jesus is the Daystar of resurrection life for them. Father of all mercies, change those who are weekly attenders into humble, holy servants Who delight to carry out Your will in every area of their life: public and private, work and play. Triune God, let the Splendour of Jesus’ work be broadcast far and near across our globe so that many will be brought into His fold and sealed by the Spirit thereby be made known as sons and daughters of the Living God. Amen.