Isaac of Ninevah: Dazzled by the power of God’s providence

You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. Job 10:12

“Be occupied with the books of God’s providence intensely…Let thy mind be strengthened by them and though wilt acquire enlightened impulses from their subtlety; then thy mind will go its way with a clear consciousness towards the aim of understanding…Read in the two Testaments which God has destined for the instruction of the whole world, so that it should be dazzled by the power of His providence in every generation and be enveloped in wonder…

Behold, how many signs of grace happen to a man from providence. Sometimes a man will be on his knees at the time of prayer, his hands spread out or stretched towards heaven, his face looking to the cross, and so to speak, his whole emotion and mind stretched towards God in supplication; and while absorbed in these beseechings and pains at this time, a sudden fountain of delight will spring from his heart…”

Isaac of Nineveh (c. 630-700) Mystic Treatises by Isaac of Nineveh, translated by A. J. Wensinck (CreateSpace: 2012) 34, 40-41.

Today and tomorrow I am facilitating a spiritual discernment retreat with the National Christian Foundation Colorado executive board in Eagle, CO. The components of this retreat are solitude, Scripture, sharing, and supplication. We are getting away for about 24 hours to spend time with the LORD together.

Isaac of Nineveh reminded me today that God’s generosity flows so abundantly that every generation can trust in God’s providence to meet us in silence, to teach us from His Word, to enlighten us in community do His work, and to meet us in our supplications. Do we tap into this infinite supply of goodness?

Pray with me that coming out of this discernment retreat that the NCFC executive board will not have a strategic plan but spiritual clarity that will shape the work of NCFC, not because of me or anything I do, but because we have been dazzled by the power of God’s providence.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 Kings 11:4

“Let those whom temporal adversity humiliates take joy from hope of an eternal inheritance, since divine providence would not curb them in order to educate them under the rule of discipline . . .

Those, therefore, who in respect of the temporal things which they covet, are wearied with the labour of adversity are to be admonished to consider carefully how for the most part even the righteous, when temporal power exalts them, are caught by sin as in a snare . . .

Who then can without harm seek wealth, or power, or glory, if they proved harmful even to him who had them unsought? Who in the midst of these things shall be saved without the labour of a great contest, if he who had been prepared for them by the choice of God was disturbed among them by the intervention of sin?

They are to be admonished to consider that Solomon, who after so great wisdom is described as having fallen even into idolatry, is not said to have had any adversity in this world before his fall; but the wisdom that had been granted him entirely left his heart, because not even the least discipline of tribulation had guarded it.”

Gregory the Great (c. 540-604) in Pastoral Rule 3.26. Gregory received the label “the Great” because he was a deep Christian thinker and a prolific writer.

As you may recall, “providence” is my word for 2017. I am tracing it through church history linked to generosity. We have made it to the seventh century.

Here Gregory urges those experiencing temporal difficulty to adopt the “rule of discipline” and not seek after wealth to save them, but trust in “divine providence” as their deliverance.

It’s fascinating that idolatry marked the demise of the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon. Gregory advises us that we cannot “without harm seek wealth.” Paul echoes that wisdom in the NT (cf. 1 Timothy 6:6-10).

What’s the lesson for us today?

We must avoid (at all cost!) seeking after wealth as the answer to our problems, lest it betray us. Instead, seek after God (cf. Matthew 6:33). Let that be our “rule of discipline” for we can trust in “divine providence” to care for us.

God’s got us! He’s got you. He’s got me. Let’s live like we believe it!

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:32

“Let all things be common to all, as it is written. And let no one call or take to himself anything as his own. But if anyone should be found to indulge this most baneful vice, and, having been admonished once and again, doth not amend, let him be subjected to punishment.”

Benedict of Nursia (480-547) in The Rule of St. Benedict 33. If you have never read Benedict’s Rule it’s worth reading. It represents what he determined it meant to follow Jesus in community about five centuries after Christ.

At this Stewardship Summit wraps up (some fifteen centuries later), we have reminded each other that acting like owners of that which we possess leads to disaster. Lest “this most baneful vice” destroy us, we resolve to view things as belonging to God, which means they are gifts to be enjoyed and shared as common to all.

Just in case you think that one person determining to live this way can’t make a difference, Benedict of Nursia founded the Benedictine order of monks who have been known for their generous sharing ever since.

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” Acts 20:32-35

“[The Apostle Paul] left us a weighty example in his manner of life, as he testifies that he not only wrought what would supply his own bodily wants alone, but also what would be sufficient for the needs of those who were with him: those, I mean, who, being taken up with necessary duties, had no chance of procuring food for themselves with their own hands. And as he tells the Thessalonians that he had worked to give them an example that they might imitate him, so here too he implies something of the same sort when he says: I have showed you all things, how that so labouring you ought to support the weak, whether in mind or body; i.e., that we should be diligent in supplying their needs, not from the store of our abundance, or money laid by, or from another’s generosity and substance, but rather by securing the necessary sum by our own labour and toil.”

John Cassian (360-435) in Institutes, Book 10, Chapter 18 “That the Apostle wrought what he thought would be sufficient for him and for others who were with him.” What a joy to participate in the Stewardship Summit in Phoenix this week! Like the Apostle Paul, the speakers and participants are peers that have served as weighty examples to me.

John Cassian would encourage each of us to be like Paul. Are you a weighty example? Does your life challenge others to work hard, to care for your personal needs as well as the needs of others? Do you urge those who can work to get to work? In 2017 and beyond, let us commit to serving as weighty examples so that others will be inspired to live, give, serve, and love like Jesus when they look at us.

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. Matthew 23:2-3

“Do not let your deeds belie your words, lest when you speak in church someone may say to himself, ‘Why do you not practice what you preach?'”

Jerome of Stridon (374-419) in a letter as recounted in Parade of Faith: A Biographical History of the Christian Church, ed. Ruth A. Tucker (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011) 85.

I am flying to Phoenix this morning for the Stewardship Summit slated for 11-13 January 2017. It’s a great “iron sharpens iron” event with faithful fellow servants in the Christian stewardship space.

Why attend this event and speak on one of the days? Each of us must constantly be growing and learning in our stewardship journey so our lives exhibit not the kind of generosity that is celebrated in our culture, but the kind of generosity that was modeled by Christ. In the words of St. Jerome, we do this so our practice matches our preaching.

Ironically, Jesus told His disciples not to follow the example of religious leaders of his day. Why? They were hypocrites. Are you a hypocrite? Would Jesus tell people not to follow you? When our words align with what God’s word teaches and our actions match up, people will follow us as we follow Christ. Just yesterday, a dear friend graciously said, “Gary, I am following you, as you follow Christ” (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:1). Humbling. No pressure! Only possible with God’s help.

God help each of us practice what we preach with regard to generosity lest we be labeled hypocrites who lead people astray and bring dishonor to your name. 

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. John 12:25

“So let us learn then, brothers and sisters, how to truly love our own souls. Every pleasure provided by the world is going to pass away. There is a love that is useful and a love that does harm. Let love be hampered by love; let the love that does harm retire, and the love that is of use take its place.

But it’s because people don’t want to retire from that sort, that this other sort can’t gain entry to them. They are full up so they can’t hold anything else. They must pour something out, and then they can hold some more. They are full, you see, of the love of sensual pleasures, full of the love of this present life, full of the love of gold and silver, of the possessions of this world. So those who are full in this way are like jars. Do you want honey to gain entry into a jar from which you haven’t yet emptied the vinegar?

Empty out what you have, in order to take and hold what you don’t yet have. That’s why the first step is to renounce this world, and then the next is to turn back to God. When you renounce, you are emptying out; when you turn back to God, you are being filled – but only if it’s done, not merely with the body, but also with the heart.”

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) in Sermon 368.3 entitled “Whoever Loves His Soul Will Lose It” as recounted in Essential Sermons by Saint Augustine (New York: New City Press, 2007) 412-416. Augustine is one of the four doctors of the Western church, and I love reading his sermons. Get this book if you like to read a sermon when you miss your local weekly worship gathering. It’s great!

For Augustine, providence leads people to give thanks for the good things that God gives to all creation in general and people in particular. He adds that many people, however, credit themselves for their many blessings and direct the love of their hearts as well as their worship and service to good things rather than to God who gave them the good things.

How do we love our own souls rightly? We must empty ourselves of loves linked to pleasures and possessions in this present life, and instead ask God to fill us with love for Him and the things He loves. His focus is on the attachments of our hearts. When our hearts are attached to the wrong things, everything will go wrong. When our hearts are attached to God, all will be ordered rightly.

What does this have to do with generosity? When we have God’s love within us, we tap into an abundant spring from which flow fruits such as kindness, goodness, and love. Basically Augustine brilliantly notes that if your heart is right, the rest will follow rightly, and so he beckons people to renounce the world in our hearts and return to God. Only then can we become generous conduits.

Father in heaven, forgive us for loving our souls wrongly by loving pleasures and possessions in this present life. We renounce and turn from these loves. Help us by your Holy Spirit to relate instead to things as gifts from you to enjoy and share. Fill our hearts with your love so we can generously extend your kindness to the world. Make it so we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. Matthew 6:1

“Man requires money for money, and this is not always at the debtor’s command. God demands the affection of the heart, which is in our own power . . . Prayer, fasting, and tears are the resources of an honest debtor, and much more abundant than if one from the price of his estate offered money without faith . . . For God requires not money but faith . . . For what would the giving of one’s whole property benefit without charity? There are some who aim at the credit of generosity for pride alone, because they wish thereby to gain the good opinion of the multitude for leaving nothing to themselves; but whilst they are seeking rewards in this life, they are laying up none for the life to come, and having received their reward here they cannot hope for it there.”

Aurelius Ambrosius (c. 340-397) a.k.a. Ambrose of Milan, in On the Duties of the Clergy, 2.9.81-84.

We have made our way to the fourth century (and I am thankful to be home). I hope you are enjoying this fresh journey through church history looking at providence and generosity.

Ambrose was known for his candor. Here he shines light on the fact that many people give for pride or praise rather than from humble hearts filled with love. What about us? Let us give the gifts of prayer, fasting, and tears so that our hearts are right before God. And when we give property, let’s be sure we do it with charity. Remember, God is not looking for money. He does not need it. Man looks for money. God’s looking for people with faith that demonstrates itself through generosity with humility and charity. He not only loves such givers; He will reward them greatly in heaven.

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? Luke 12:20

“Let the desire of gain be broken when we have that which is enough. For what madness is it to labour in heaping up those things which must pass to others, either by robbery, or theft, or by proscription, or by death?”

Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (c. 240-320) a.k.a. Lactantius of Rome, in Chapter LXII of The Epitome of the Divine Institutes entitled “Of restraining the pleasures of the senses.” Lactantius served as spiritual advisor to Emperor Constantine and tutor to his son.

Christianity in the Roman Empire was influenced significantly by leaders like Lactantius. If he was our visiting professor or guest preacher today, here’s how I think he would instruct each of us regarding money. He’d be very direct. He might ask us: Will you become a joyful distributor of God’s blessings or, like the rich fool in today’s text, will God have to relieve you of your duties? He would shake us to wake us.

I am praising God that the weekend seminar with Northern Seminary students went so well. God broke “the desire of gain” in their hearts because they came to learn that in Christ they have enough! Thanks for praying for them. They now grasp life in God’s economy and can’t wait to help others integrate their faith and finances. Sometime in 2017, the material we used will be published by Seedbed (stay tuned for a release date).

In God’s providence my layover in Cleveland en route to Chicago was cancelled by weather and my preaching today was postponed too, so I get to fly to Cleveland to see my folks this morning en route back to Denver. The more I explore God’s providence, the more I see the faithful hands of Christ at work around me, and sense the Holy Spirit stirring within me. It leaves me in awe that I ever thought I needed anything (like money) in addition to Christ.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21

“For I myself have witnessed the end of those who lately harassed the worshipers of God by their impious edict. And for this abundant thanksgivings are due to God that through His excellent providence all men who observe His holy laws are gladdened by the renewed enjoyment of peace. Hence I am fully persuaded that everything is in the best and safest posture, since God is vouchsafing, through the influence of their pure and faithful religious service, and their unity of judgment respecting His divine character, to gather all men to Himself.”

Eusebius Pamphilius (263-339) in Chapter XII of Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine, entitled “He declares that, having witnessed the Fall of the Persecutors, he now rejoices at the Peace enjoyed by the Christians.”

Eusebius saw the end of the Roman persecution of Christians and attributed this victory not to Christians winning a battle but to God’s excellent providence for the gift of peace. I’ve been moved by the hearts of my Northern Seminary students this weekend. They care deeply about faithful financial stewardship, while also desiring to be agents of “pure and faithful religious service” in a world filed with injustice.

What does this post have to do with generosity?

Eusebius uses an expression that is virtually lost in modernity. He says “since God is vouchsafing.” That literally means, “since God is giving in a gracious manner” or “since God is generous in a gracious manner.” There’s a message here for all those who are suffering today and wondering whether they should give up hope or stop trusting in God and His providence: Don’t be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good…since God is vouchsafing…

How often is God at work, but we can’t see Him? Most of the time we don’t understand His ways. Perhaps our suffering is lasting so long we feel like we can’t take it any more. We must not lose heart. Let us rely on the fact that “God is generous in a gracious manner” and give thanks that He has been gracious to us and that maybe our generosity today is to endure suffering while God extends grace to someone else. Meanwhile, we get to persist in pure and faithful religious service.

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Matthew 19:21

“A blind love of one’s own property has deceived many; nor could they be prepared for, or at ease in, departing when their wealth fettered them like a chain. Those were the chains to them that remained — those were the bonds by which both virtue was retarded, and faith burdened, and the spirit bound, and the soul hindered; so that they who were involved in earthly things might become a booty and food for the serpent, which, according to God’s sentence, feeds upon earth …

If they laid up treasure in heaven, they would not now have a domestic enemy and assailant. Heart and mind and feeling would be in heaven, if the treasure were in heaven; nor could he be overcome by the world who had nothing in the world whereby he could be overcome. He would follow the Lord loosed and free, as did the apostles, and many in the times of the apostles, and many who forsook both their means and their relatives, and clave to Christ with undivided ties.

But how can they follow Christ, who are held back by the chain of their wealth? Or how can they seek heaven, and climb to sublime and lofty heights, who are weighed down by earthly desires? They think that they possess, when they are rather possessed; as slaves of their profit, and not lords with respect to their own money, but rather the bond-slaves of their money.”

Cyprian (c. 200-258) served as bishop of Carthage and was a prominent Christian writer. This excerpt comes from Treatise 3 “On The Lapsed” 11-12.

I am really enjoying this exploration of providence and generosity in the early church fathers as a starting point for considering how saints through church history commented on these ideas. I hope you are too. I must honor Peter and Edwina Murphy today. Peter is my mate (dear friend) from Down Under (Australia). I am thinking of them today as Edwina did her PhD on Cyprian, and Peter supported her through the research journey.

Cyprian was downright prolific! Consider his profound insights regarding those who in the words of Jesus are not “complete” because their riches are stored up in the wrong place. Having them stored up here is like having a “domestic enemy and assailant” which possesses those who think they can hold on to possessions. They are are “slaves of their profit” who are not “loosed and free” but “weighed down” by the things of this earth and unable to “seek heaven” as a result.

Yesterday was eventful. It took over 12 hours to get to Chicago due to canceled flights from the winter storm in Denver. Today and tomorrow I lead a “Faith and Finances” two-day retreat for Northern Seminary’s Bellevue Scholars (and many will be joined by their spouses). Pray for me and for them. Specifically, if riches are hindering them in any way from seeking heaven, pray that the Holy Spirit will loose and free them from any strongholds that riches have in their lives and help them become “complete” disciples.