The Training Table: What was God doing on “9/11”?

Welcome to the Training Table where you can depend on some spiritually-nourishing chow, carefully prepared, to help you run the Godly and good race! For what good is a good race, unless it’s a Godly race (1 Corinthians 9:24), right?

Lest you be kept in suspense for too long, the answer to what God was doing on “9/11” is this:

What God was doing on “9/11” is exactly what God was doing on 9/12, 9/13, 9/14, 9/15, 9/16, 9/17, 9/18, 9/19, 9/20, 9/21, 9/22, 9/23, 9/24, 9/25… 12/25, 1/1, 4/15, 5/21, 6/6, 7/20, 8/30, 9/11… Each and every day… Eight days a week… 365… 24/7. All the time… until Jesus Christ returns “to make all things new” (Revelations 21:5).

This is about acknowledging the utter and universal omniscience of God made personal in those who love Him by means of His Son’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, and the Spirit’s heart-changing regeneration—and the disciple’s act of everyday gratitude by always aiming to cleanse his or her re-born and precious heart!

Under the complete and trustworthy sovereignty of God, when the tiniest transition, trying trial, or tumultuous heartbreak occurs in life or death, God is being and doing essentially and practically the very same thing. Let’s chew on it…

The 2014 Anniversary of “9/11”…

As God would have it, during the course of time that the anniversary of “9/11” occurred this September, I had begun to reread a sermon by Jonathan Edwards. The title and very rich, wide, and deep content of the sermon is, “Christian Cautions: The Necessity of Self-Examination.”

And even though it would be fair to say that there are a handful of perspectives one might offer in so far as the very legitimate and answerable question, What was God was doing on “9/11?” [or during any times of suffering or heartbreak of any kind], I was deeply convicted that the content of this particular answer and Edwards’ sermon was a very important perspective to feast on at the Training Table… Each and every “Today…” (Psalm 95:7-8).

So, let me be explicit about what God was doing on “9/11”… And has been doing, is doing, and will do until Jesus Christ returns to make all things new by bringing heaven down to earth and restoring creation as God [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] made it very good “In the beginning…” (Genesis 1,2).

When ANY tragedy, triumph… or the everyday blessing of simply being alive and doing life… occurs in life, this is how God most desires that we respond:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

Here’s simple yet profoundly important and familiar action and word picture we can ALL relate to:

“Look!”, the Pointer Finger says, “The world is shaken by the brokenness therein! Look here! Look there! Look everywhere! Just look!”, Pointer Finger exclaims.

But, as my thumb points UP to God, and my three fingers named “Know. Grow. And Sow.” point back at ME…

I cry out to God, “Please begin within me… Please help me know my own heart; change my heart FIRST so that I can be the change MOST needed in this increasingly-dark and fast-decaying world! Lest You change ME, I cannot be the change most needed… by anyone.”

“In fact, O God, devoid of BEGINNING with “Know. Grow. And Sow.” I can do nothing but serve the world, my own flesh, and the devil… and make things much worse! Devoid of Your refining me, all I can add is refuse, division, power-grabs, and poison to any problem.”

Let’s be honest, Beloved of God, in slavery to idol-pride, addiction-ego, and arrogance-pretense, we always, instinctually, firstly respond to every problem by pointing outwardly… and never [if rarely] get around to searching within our own hearts… FIRST: Before God, within self, and then to neighbor.

What was God doing on “9/11”? Hoping and delighting that we would respond by FIRST saying, Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

What is the paradigm God most desires? And, more specially, What exactly is your personal “9/11”?

“Look at the Twin Towers imploding!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the brokenness in my family!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at what a victim I am!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the abuse that controls my life” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the dysfunction in my business!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the hardness of my heart!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the addiction of my workaholism!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the confusion in Ferguson, MO!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the millions of the most innocent dying in the womb!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the poor leadership all around!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the Ivy League college that turned me down!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the silence in my home!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the waywardness of my children!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the disunity with my church!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the lack of civility all around!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the pornography everywhere I turn!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the commonality of lying as the normal course of things!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the narcissism that destroyed my home!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the isolation of so many hearts!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the generations of youth living in depair!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at how thin and beautiful all the most popular people are!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look at the bullying I’m enduring!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

“Look, look, look (What is impacting your heart?) in my life!” Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

[As an aside, please… I beg you… be patient, heartfelt, intentional, and humble as you read the words and language Jonathan Edwards uses. It’s Old English and the King James translation of the Bible. It requires we not be lazy, that we slow down, that we read and re-read, that we kneel under its authority, and, very importantly, that we share it among those we know who love Jesus in order that it be more deeply internalized.]

Jonathan Edwards’ full and amazing sermon [See “Resources” below.] is outlined in this way:

SECTION I—All men should be much concerned to know whether they do not live in some way of sin.

SECTION II—All men should be much concerned to know whether they do not live in some way of sin.

SECTION III—What method we ought to take, in order to find out whether we do not live in some way of sin.

SECTION IV—Particular subjects of self-examination –The Lord’s day –Gods house.

SECTION V—Self-examination concerning secret sins.

SECTION VI—Self-examination concerning our temper of mind towards our neighbours—and our dealings with them.

SECTION VII—Self-examination respecting charity towards our neighbours, and conversation with them.

SECTION VIII—Self-examination respecting the families to which we belong.

SECTION IX—Awakening considerations for self-examination.

…but please allow me to address the two [only two…] races of humankind God and Edwards is addressing: “Christian Cautions…” 90% bona fide, repentant, born-again, newly created Christians; and Unsaved people… 10% unbelievers—those who have not recognized the true, real nature of their own hearts, God’s righteousness, and Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice for their sin in salvation [as Savior] and discipleship [as Lord].

God sees all of humankind as one or the other “race”: Believers and unbelievers. Saved or unsaved. Alive or dead. Worshipers or idolaters. Born of Adam or reborn of Jesus Christ [the second Adam]. Light or darkness. Surrendered… or at war with God.

1) “Search me, O God… so that I’m sanctified and more like Jesus” or,

2) “Search me, O God… so I see my sin, repent, and beseech You to save me… so that I’m sanctified and more like Jesus.”

Allow me to grab a VERY small portion of Edwards’ sermon to make my… God’s… point.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

A) To those who have placed their trust in God: 90% of the content of the Bible and Edwards’ sermon is devoted to the Christian.

The Psalmist [faithful believer] prays that God would search him by his discovering light; that he would lead him thoroughly to discern himself, and see whether there were any wicked way in him. Such figurative expressions are often used in Scripture. The word of God is said to be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Not that the word itself discerns, but it searches and opens our hearts to view; so that it enables us to discern the temper and desires of our hearts. So God is often said to try men. He doth not try them for his own information, but for the discovery and manifestation of them to themselves or others.

If those who call themselves Christians, thus [knew their own hearts and sins better, repented and…] walked in all the paths of virtue and holiness, it would tend more to the advancement of the kingdom of Christ in the world, the conviction of sinners, and the propagation of religion among unbelievers, than all the sermons in the world, so long as the lives of those who are called Christians continue as they are now. For want of this concern and watchfulness in the degree in which it ought to take place, many truly godly persons adorn not their profession as they ought to do, and, on the contrary, in some things dishonour it.

For want of being so much concerned as they ought to be, to know whether they do not walk in some way that is unbecoming a Christian, and offensive to God; their behaviour in some things is very unlovely, and such as is an offence and stumbling-block to others, and gives occasion to the enemy to blaspheme. (Christian Cautions: The Necessity Of Self-Examination, Section I, #2.2, emphasis, parathesis added)

Beloved of God, fellow feasters, this is huge and requires your and mine utmost attention “TODAY…” (Psalm 95:7-8)!

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

B) To those who have NOT placed their trust in God, through Christ, by the Spirit: 10% of the content of the Bible and Edwards’ sermon is devoted to the non-Christian… Those not yet saved who need to know their heart as well:

We ought to be much concerned to know whether we do not live in a state of sin. All unregenerate men live in sin. We are born under the power and dominion of sin, are sold under sin; every unconverted sinner is a devoted servant to sin and Satan. We should look upon it as of the greatest importance to us, to know in what state we are, whether we ever had any change made in our hearts from sin to holiness, or whether we be not still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity; whether ever sin were truly mortified in us; whether we do not live in the sin of unbelief, and in the rejection of the Saviour.

This is what the apostle insists upon with the Corinthians, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves; know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” Those who entertain the opinion and hope of themselves, that they are godly, should take great care to see that their foundation be right. Those that are in doubt should not give themselves rest till the matter be resolved!

Every unconverted person lives in a sinful way. He not only lives in a particular evil practice, but the whole course of his life is sinful. The imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually. He not only doth evil, but he doth no good, Psal. xiv. 3. “They are altogether become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no not one.”

Sin is an unconverted man’s trade; it is the work and business of his life; for he is the servant of sin. And ordinarily hypocrites, or those who are wicked men, and yet think themselves godly, and make a profession accordingly, are especially odious and abominable to God. (Christian Cautions: The Necessity Of Self-Examination, Section I, #1, emphasis added)

What was God doing on “9/11”? Delighting as those who BELIEVE and those who DO NOT BELIEVE… E.g., the entirety of the human race… who responded by FIRST saying, Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

But, as my thumb points UP to God, and my three fingers named “Know. Grow. And Sow.” point back at ME…

You know something, my fellow feasting marathoners for Christ? God has made His Plan of Redemption blindingly simple, obvious, and utterly intuitive and resonating to our deepest desires… but it has been shrouded, cloaked, hidden, confused, and masked by the many sorts of sin that blind the world [by nature] and even the church [by legalism or antinomianism] to see it.

Please consider a principle and process that I referred to above: When… not if… the foundations shake, DO NOT be blinded by the Pointer finger’s distraction of “Look here! Look there! Look everywhere! Just look!”

Rather, always, in all-ways, go FIRST to the three fingers pointing back at you and me:

1) Know—“Search me, O God, and know my heart SO I KNOW MY HEART…” Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Luke 10:27; knowledge: Proverbs 1:7; 8:10; 15:14; 18:15; James 1:5)

“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, lead me to the likes of Jonathan Edwards’ [Your Bible and other Saints] heart, preaching, and teaching to guide me, instruct me, exhort me, warn me, and encourage me in the many ways I need to KNOW You and my own heart… so that… The falsehoods, deceptions, and sinning of my heart will be seen and vanquished and Your True Truth and Love will then move in and reign all the more! Lest I know, I will not grow.”

2) Grow—“…try me… and see if there be any wicked way in me…” “Then, and only then, can I see more plainly, more repentantly, more openly, more unashamedly, more un-condemned, more trustingly and maturely the specific, personal ways that I can grow to be more holy, more wise, more pure, more in love with You and my neighbor as myself… More into the likeness of my Savior and Lord Jesus! Lest I grow, I cannot sow the seeds of Your True Truth and Love!” (growth: 2 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 5:12-14; 6:1; 2 Corinthians 13:5-7; 1 Timothy 4:15)

3) Sow—“…and lead in the way everlasting.” “Father God, Savior Jesus, Sanctifier Holy Spirit, You have blessed me by the sanctified suffering and pain and [therefore] in the increase of my KNOWING and GROWING for the purposes of SOWING and SERVING. As it appears in Your Word, in so many times and lives, and in so many ways, “Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:28; 51:14; 71:8, 24)!

“Because You.h God, have provided me the grace, perseverance, command, and fellowship of the Saints in this trial, my heart is more known to me—as YOU know my heart, my sin, my blind spots, my idols, my hiddenness, and my hardness of heart—I now have a heart more like the heart, emotions, and will of Jesus so that I can run… not stroll, saunter, distract or delay… towards the chaos where my Pointer Finger is pointing! For then and only then can I say… can we say… amidst the chaos of life, ‘Look at the trail and tumult of life! I will walk int the chaos and offer my testimony and life about, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16; “sowing”: Luke 6:38; 1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 4:15)!”

What is God doing everyday as we live in, and respond to, the unavoidable brokenness, destruction, and decay of this “partially-redeemed and yet still-fallen and insufferable world”?

1) Transforming DISCIPLES more and more into the likeness of His Son and,

2) transforming the still as yet DECEIVED and unbelieving by mercifully encouraging each and every human being to cry out: Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV)

What is the world, the flesh [our own sinful desires], and the devil doing in response? Any and everything to thwart these two things.

Even though I know that Jonathan Edwards’ sermon [below] is long, deep, wide, and especially appropriate for where so much of God’s church is in our day, please take the time to print it out, read it, mediate on it, write on it, journal about it, and share it with one, two, three, or a dozen of other Saints who will be mightily blessed by your doing so!

Lastly, please remember that this portion of the most wonderful, universal and personal Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 139:23-24, is two verses of the totality of Psalm 139. Please read it… “Know, Grow, and Sow It” FIRST inside your own heart… as well. There is no other God like our God, and the eternal now we live in is being used to set us up with Him for a very long and awesome eternity… “Above all else, steward your heart well, for from it flows the springs of temporal and eternal life” (Proverbs 4:23, slightly adapted).

JohnDoz

Resources:
CHRISTIAN CAUTIONS: THE NECESSITY OF SELF-EXAMINATION

Don’t Waste Your Life, by John Piper

A Hole in Our Holiness, by Kevin DeYoung

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, by Timothy Keller

Whatever Became of Sin?, by Karl A. Menninger