Archives by: Gary Hoag

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

“The Christian has a spring of comfort, which he cannot lose; and therefore never wants something to support him. If one have all his riches in money, robbers may take these away, and then what has he more? But though the landed man be robbed of his money, yet his lands remain for his support. They that build their comfort on worldly goods, may quickly be comfortless: but they that are united to Christ, shall find comfort when all the streams of worldly enjoyments are dried up.”

Thomas Boston (1676-1732) in Human Nature in its Fourfold State (Falkirk: Patrick Mair, 1787) 206.

In the days of the Puritans, a “landed man” referred to a person who worked diligently and relied on God to cause his faithful labor to bear fruit. This person trusted God’s design for living, giving, serving, and loving and, as a result, enjoyed a spring of comfort despite the ups and downs of life.  This person was set in contrast to those who accumulated wealth and trusted in what they stored up. That path may seem right but it actually leaves people comfortless because their trust has been misplaced.

My mind went to Jeremiah when reading this quote because the comfort Boston speaks about only comes to us when our trust is rightly placed in God. Where’s your trust? The heat and drought will come. For example, we had a large unexpected car repair bill this week. Perhaps you have experienced a recent loss or trial. Friends, God sees and knows all we are going through, and He invites us to trust Him while continuing to live generous lives. Thank you Lord for the springs of comfort we find in you!

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He scattered abroad, he gave to the [working class], His righteousness endures forever.” Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11

“Christianity requires the greatest diligence: if we look up to God, what a multitude of things are required of a Christian, to carry himself as he should; a spirit of faith, of love, of joy, and of delight in God above all: and if we look to men, there are duties for a Christian to his superiors, a spirit of subjection; to equals he must show a spirit of love; and to inferiors, a spirit of pity and liberality: if we look to Satan, we have a commandment to watch, and resist the tempter: if we look to the world, it is full of snares, there must be constant spiritual watchfulness, that we be not surprised: and if we look to ourselves, there are many duties required, to carry our vessels in honour, and to walk within the rules of the Holy Ghost, to preserve the peace of our consciences, and always to walk answerably to our dignity, as being the sons of God, and coheirs with Christ. The Christian must dispense with himself in no sin, must be prepared for every good work, and must refrain from no service that God calls him unto. The life of a Christian therefore continually abounds with honorable and profitable employment.”

Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) in Divine Meditations and Holy Contemplations 178 (London: J. Buckland, 1775) 64-65. Sibbes was an Anglican theologian at Cambridge, a preacher in London, and a leading voice among Puritans.

In today’s Scripture, we learn that God blesses faithful workers to be a blessing and that He will continue to supply their generosity or “liberality.” We often miss that in the English reading where the Greek word, penes, is translated “poor” rather than “working class.” Working class is a much better rendering of penes, which describes those who work, as we say “from paycheck to paycheck,” in contrast to the ptochos which are the “destitute poor.”

In Divine Meditations and Holy Contemplations, Sibbes reminds us that “honorable and profitable employment” is to diligently fulfill our Christian duties, and among them, is liberality or generosity to those in need. This is our prayer for our son, Sammy, who graduates today with honors (and no debt!) with a bachelors degree in biology from Colorado Christian University, finishing in only three years. Congratulations, Samuel David Hoag!

If you are anywhere near Littleton, Colorado, join us today for Sammy’s graduation party. Reply and I’ll email you our townhouse address. Whether or not you can make it, remind the graduates in your life likewise to pursue such “honorable and profitable employment,” which is far more important than any job, because we are workers for God, not for money. Fair wages are only a byproduct of faithful work and liberality is the mark of a Christian worker.

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

“Christ is such a golden mine of wisdom, grace, and glory, that neither saints nor angels can ever fathom their depth in Him; there is both fullness and sweetness. Nor does a Christian need necessaries — in Christ he has unsearchable riches.”

Thomas Watson (1620-1686) in Puritan Gems or Wise and Holy Sayings of the Rev. Thomas Watson, A.M. (London: Snow & Ward, 1850) 17.

While reading “Puritan Gems” I stumbled on this one. I needed to hear it today. “Nor does a Christian need necessaries — in Christ he has unsearchable riches.” It sent me back to the Sermon on the Mount which reminded me that Christ is the only “necessary” for every single person!

In Christ we have everything have ever needed, everything we need, and everything we will ever need in the future. Alternatively, the pagans, that is, those who don’t know any better, spend themselves to acquire “necessaries” they think they need to live. Let’s show the world Christ is our all sufficiency!

Father in heaven, thank you for Jesus Christ, in whom we have unsearchable riches. Remind us, by your Holy Spirit, to mine His unfathomable depths in our times of need. Help us do this so the world sees and knows your fullness and sweetness. Amen.

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25

“Wealth in the hand of a worldling is like blood in the hand, which is good for nothing; but wealth in the hand of a charitable Christian is like water in the hand, which may be of use both to a man’s self and others.

By what has been said, there is nothing more evident that this: that men of public spirits, and men of charitable spirits, of all men on earth are (1) to be most highly prized; (2) most cordially loved; and (3) most greatly honored.”

Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) in “Epistle Dedicatory” in The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, ed. by Rev. Alexander Balloch Grosart (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1866) 247.

The language of the Puritans is colorful. This is the third or fourth writer I have explored in the last week that has used the term “worldling” to describe people who follow the thinking of the world. Here Brooks contrasts the worldling to the “charitable” follower of Christ.

I love his use of the word “charitable” because any wealth that we possess is a gift of “grace” for us to enjoy and share (charis in Greek means “grace”). Those who live charitably are prized, loved, and honored. Do you live charitably? It means to give generously to others whether they are deserving or not.

This is the season of graduation ceremonies here in the States. My prayer for graduates today (our son Sammy included) is that each one will chose to live not as a worldling, but rather, as a charitable Christian. Let’s model the way for them, shall we?

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

“The Lord will stand by His people, and deliver them, when it shall be for His glory. Now, till we come to this courage and constancy of mind, and fearlessness of men, we never have the generosity of Christians…

It goeth near to the hearts of worldlings to part with their necessary and convenient earthly comforts; but to a believer it is more easy, for heaven is infinitely better and more precious than all the wealth of the world.

If the world be our darling, or any created comfort be overvalued, it will fill our hearts with sorrow to be deprived of it. A Christian, that hath heaven in hope and reversion, cannot be poor; he is richer than all worldly men, though God’s providence hath given him little, or left him little.”

Thomas Manton (1622-1677) in Sermon II on John 14:1 in The Works of Thomas Manton (London: J. Nisbet & Company, 1874) 354.

Do you have this constancy of mind? Only when a Christian believes that he or she has everything in the Lord, can he or she let go of earthly comforts. The key is not to overvalue anything here on earth as “worldlings” do. Easier said than done.

Notice Manton said it is not easy but “more easy” for the believer to grasp this because, while we cannot comprehend heaven and the rewards that await us, we have a glimpse of it. It’s infinitely better than anything we can acquire, better than “all the wealth of the world.”

Manton’s advice for us today is clear: we will never have the generosity of Christians if we don’t hold fast to the notion that the Lord is our Helper. Is the Lord your helper? Or perhaps, if I asked a close friend or family member if the Lord is your helper, what would that person say?

Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. Proverbs 16:8

“There is a secret dew of God’s goodness and blessing upon him in his estate that others have not: and by all this you may see the meaning of that Scripture, Proverbs 16:8. A man that hath but a little, yet if he hath it with righteousness, it is better than a great deal without right; yea better than the great revenues of the wicked…Not only the good things that he hath, he hath the dew of God’s blessing in them, and they are very sweet to him; but all the afflictions, all the evils that do befall him, he can see love in them all, and can enjoy the sweetness of love in his afflictions, as well as in his mercies.”

Jeremiah Burroughs (1600-1646) in Sermon III on Philippians 4:11 in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (London: W. Bentley, 1651) 30.

I am fly fishing with my son, Sammy, today!

We are starting the celebration early as this coming Saturday he will graduate with honors from Colorado Christian University in three years with a biology degree. While he’s had his share of ups and downs, enjoying both times of sweetness and affliction, he is learning to see God’s love and mercies through it all, which is cause for even greater joy that getting a diploma. In the words of Jeremiah Burroughs, he sees “the secret dew of God’s blessings” covering everything in his life with God’s love and mercies!

What’s this got to do with generosity?

While life will be filled with joys and disappointments, those who choose the path of righteousness (think: “God’s way”) find themselves free to live, give, serve, and love because they get their role in God’s plan is not so much to do things for God but to model life with God. That’s where Sammy is at. He has no debt, a great education, and a “little” money with righteousness as Solomon put it. And as he lives faithfully, God will likely entrust him with more and expand his territory.

What’s this mean for the graduates in our lives?

Remind graduates these days who have worked hard and have an exciting future ahead of them that more important than the “diploma” is the seeing “the secret dew of God’s blessings” in life — seeing how His love and mercies cover everything — and urge them to be faithful with the “little” that they have. In academic terms, this is the prerequisite to greater stewardship responsibilities in God’s economy. It’s also the pathway that leads graduates to live generous lives!

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

“By its being thus ordered, that the creature should have so absolute and universal a dependence on God, provision is made that God should have our whole souls, and should be the object of our undivided respect. If we had our dependence partly on God, and partly on something else, man’s respect would be divided to those different things on which he had dependence. Thus it would be if we depended on God only for a part of our good, and on ourselves, or some other being, for another part: or if we had our good only from God, and through another that was not God, and in something else distinct from both, our hearts would be divided between the good itself, and Him from whom, and Him through whom, we received it. But now there is no occasion for this, God being not only He from or of whom we have all good, but also through whom, and is that good itself, that we have from Him and through Him. So that whatsoever there is to attract our respect, the tendency is still directly towards God, all unites in Him as the centre.”

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in a sermon entitled “God’s Glorified in Man’s Dependence” in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, A.M. edited by Edward Hickman (London: Ball, Arnold & Company, 1840) 6.

One blessing from my time with my daughter, Sophie, while driving nearly 1,100 miles together these past two days has been (in the words of Jonathan Edwards) her “undivided respect” for God. She mentioned numerous times how thankful she is that “God causes all things to work together for good” in her life. Today’s Scripture has been formative for her. Her dependence and trust in God is the bedrock for her generosity toward others. It’s beautiful to see.

Edwards discerns keenly that if there be any thread of independence within us, that is trusting ourselves or anything or anyone apart from God, our hearts will be divided between God and that other thing or other one. How can we see if we have undivided respect toward God? That’s not an easy question for any of us to answer honestly. A glimpse at things like our bank accounts, our credit card statements, and our schedules may offer clues.

Perhaps take a few minutes today, and ask God this question: Is there anything or anyone in my life that I am depending on in addition to or other than God? Friends, it’s easy to follow the path of the Israelites who worshiped the golden calf instead of the God who gave them the golden calf (cf. Exodus 32-34). Whatever comes to mind, let go of it. Make God the center of your trust. And find peace in the care of the God who works all things for our good.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3

“The wisdom of providence is also greatly revealed in the manner of dispensing our portion to us. Many times it allows our wants to pinch hard, and many fears to arise, with a design to magnify the care and love of God in the supply of them (Deut 8:3). Providence so orders the case that faith and prayer come between our wants and His supplies. The goodness of God may be more magnified in our eyes by it. And now let me beg you to consider the good hand of providence that has provided for and suitably supplied you and yours all your days, and never failed you up to now. Labour to walk suitably to your experience of such mercies.”

John Flavel (1630-1691) in The Mystery of Divine Providence (London: W. Baynes & Son, 1820) 47.

I flew from Denver to San Diego yesterday and took this new header photo looking down on my home (pictured somewhere in the bottom left corner of the photo). Sophie and I are part way home and praying to make it back today. Safe travel is one of many gifts of God’s providence.

Sophie and I will have lots of windshield time for conversation. These are a few of the questions I have for her: How have you learned about God’s goodness through tough times and good ones this year? What has been the role of faith and prayer in your life and in your relationships? For what suitable supply are you grateful at this juncture of your journey?

Jenni and I are thrilled by all she’s learning in school, through her service at church, and in her growing, God-honoring relationship with her boyfriend, Peter. What we really get excited about is how she is is learning to “labour to walk suitably” as a result of her experiences.

What about you? We have found that when we live in obedience to God, we learn humble dependence on God. It’s only through the ups and downs of life that we learn how to live godly lives.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

“Spend most of your studies in confirming your belief of the truth of the gospel, the immortality of the soul, and the life to come, and in exercising that belief, and laying up your treasure in heaven; and see that you content not yourselves in talking of heaven, and speaking for it; but that your hopes, your hearts, and your conversation be there; and that you live for it, as worldlings do for the flesh.

Flatter not yourselves with the hopes of long life on earth, but make it the sum of all your religion, care, and business, to be ready for a safe and comfortable death; for till you can fetch comfort from the life to come, you can have no comfort that true reason can justify.

Live as in a constant war against all fleshly lusts, and love not the world, as it cherisheth those lusts. Take heed of the love of money, as the root of manifold evils: think of riches with more fear than desire; seeing Christ hath told us, how hard and dangerous it maketh our way to heaven. When once a man falls deeply in love with riches, he is never to be trusted, but becomes false to God, to all others, and to himself.”

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) in “Farewell Sermon at Kidderminster” in Practical Works of Richard Baxter, ed. by Rev. William Orme (London: James Duncan, 1830) 233.

I’ve turned my attention to Puritan writers for the next week or two. In a conversation with our daughter, Sophie (with whom I will spend this weekend in a car, driving her back from completing her second year at San Diego Christian College) earlier this year, she asked about my favorite Puritan writers. I started the list with John Owen (whom I cited yesterday) and Richard Baxter. Others will follow in the coming days.

The “world” is the word used throughout Scripture as the embodiment of fleshly lusts which can cause a person to miss “heaven” and all God desires for us. It is fitting then, that in Baxter’s “Farewell Sermon at Kidderminster” (about 40 pages at the link above and worth reading), he would exhort us to focus on belief in the truth of the gospel and laying up treasure in heaven. He urges us to live for heaven while the “worldlings” live for the things of this world.

Baxter reminds us of this because we won’t be here on this earth long and while we are here we must be preparing for a “safe and comfortable death” which of course is our peaceful entrance to eternity with Christ. So while we are here, we are living in a constant war. As the Apostle Paul proclaimed in today’s Scripture, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood.” We are bombarded with lies calling us to love the world and to love money, which offers tangible power in the world.

Baxter then rightly and soberly reminds us of how truly dangerous money is for those who desire to make their way to heaven, and makes this strong statement: “When once a man falls deeply in love with riches, he is never to be trusted, but becomes false to God, to all others, and to himself.” Jesus said we can’t serve two masters and those who try, become false to God, others, and themselves.

Let’s live not as “worldlings” but as citizens of heaven and show it by how we handle money! Let’s talk about this with those we love, with those we serve, and with our neighbors, lest any of us be overcome in this constant war that is going on all around us!

Again and again they tested God’s patience and provoked the Holy One of Israel. Psalm 78:41

“God doth not take it well to be limited by us in anything, least of all in His grace. This He calls a tempting of Him (Ps. lxxviii. 41), a provoking temptation. This He could not bear with. If there be any pardon with God, it is such as becomes Him to give. When He pardons, He will abundantly pardon. Go with your half-forgiveness, limited, conditional pardons, with reserves and limitations, to the sons of men. It may be, it may become them; it is like themselves. That of God is absolute and perfect, before which our sins are as a cloud before the east wind and the rising sun.”

John Owen in “The Generosity of God” in The Golden Book of John Owen: Passages from the Writings of the Rev. John Owen, edited by James Moffatt (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1904) 124.

Throughout Psalm 78 we see God’s people fail to follow His ways, and yet, God’s mercy and grace abound. Today, He wants us to learn from this and follow His ways. As Owen put it: “It becomes Him to give.” He desires this for us too.

Our generosity is merely human generosity when we half-forgive, half-pardon, measure things with conditions, reserves and limitations. Thankfully, God did not use such measures toward us. To exhibit Christian generosity means that we abundantly pardon, we abundantly forgive, and we use no reserves or limitations in extending grace toward others. Possible? Only with God! Rather than provoke God today, let us pardon like Him. Rather than test His patience, let’s imitate it with His help.

Father in Heaven, may our generosity toward others not be measured by human standards but by the abundant standard you used with each of us. In your mercy, hear our prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.