NOTHING IS POWERFUL

NOTHING IS POWERFUL

How much do know about nothing? Usually not much is said about nothing, but today I am going to say a lot about nothing. After all, we are all acquainted with nothing. In fact, nothing is largely responsible for most of the good in this world. 

‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is You who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You.’
Jeremiah 32:17

NOTHING LIKE WINTER GARDENING 

 As Autumn fast draws to a close, Kim and I are considering what winter vegetables we should plant. Winter is a strange time for gardening. In winter, most flowering plants are flowerless; all deciduous trees are leafless; and pruned roses look like thorny sticks. In winter, what looks for months like nothing — just bare soil or even, simply, grass — may actually be a hive of daffodil activity. Spring reminds me that what often what appears to be “nothing happening” in winter was not the case at all. In fact, this is one of the most valuable lessons we can learn from nothing: what we can see (nothing happening) is not always the true picture.

NOTHING LIKE RECUPERATING

My son recently had surgery. Kim went down to Hobart to collect him so that he could recuperate with us in Legana. He was in a lot of pain after his operation and was unusually tired. He spent a lot time resting which he found frustrating. For five of the seven days that he was with us, he did nothing. But if we asked his surgeon if Tyrone was doing nothing while he recuperated, the surgeon might respond with a medical lecture about how, after surgery, the human body is very busy rebuilding muscle tissue, reestablishing blood flow, repairing skin cells, and producing sufficient T-cells as part of it auto-immune system to prepare for any resulting early-stage infection. “Nothing?!” he might retort, “A person recuperating from surgery is hardly doing nothing!” This then, is our second lesson about nothing: inactivity is not the same as doing nothing.

NOTHING LIKE A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

A couple of years ago I was referred to a specialist pain clinic. The pain specialist examined me and gave me some not-so-good-news. But, he said, one of the best ways to reduce your pain levels is to get more sleep. Obviously he didn’t know how busy I was and just how impractical it would be for me to waste what little time I had in my day by napping and sleeping. Perhaps perceiving my unspoken reply to his suggestion, he went on to explain how therapeutic sleep was. While we are asleep, our body’s get to work repairing what it can, sometimes even rebuilding what it can, and helping stressed muscles trying to do what the spine is no longer able to do, he said. When you are always tired, he informed me, your body is having to divert its maintenance systems into sustaining you. This then results in further injury and pain. Despite my unwillingness to comply with this specialist’s directives, I soon found that my body was involuntarily complying (which is why my weekly Pastor’s Desk is now much later than it used to be). Since then, I have learned that despite sleep appearing like I was doing nothing it was actually an important part in my body’s recovery — not to mention that it was an invaluable occasional spiritual encounter (have you ever noticed how often God came to people in their dreams?). Thus, the third lesson we can learn about nothing is: sleep might appear as if we are doing nothing and that nothing is being achieved, when in fact, it is while we are asleep that we can sometimes see things more clearly and that some of our bio-systems are at their busiest.

It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for He gives to His beloved sleep.Psalm 127:2

NOTHING LIKE WAITING

 I have mixed feelings about waiting. There are times when I don’t mind waiting. I especially feel this way at the moment about supermarkets. With the current social-distancing restrictions in place, waiting in the checkout queue is now even longer. But I’m OK with this as I consider that there are parts of the world where they either don’t have supermarkets, or their supermarkets are nearly bare. (But there are times when nothing bugs me more than waiting on hold to business or government agency. A week ago I think I was on hold for two hours before I eventually hung up.)  It might surprise many though, who get to know me, to discover that I generally don’t mind waiting. This is especially the case when what I am waiting for has great value. I waited to get married. I waited for us to be able to have children. I waited seven years to complete my doctoral studies. Today I went into Koorong to find a book I need for some research I am doing. Laura told me that her store didn’t have it, but she could it from another Koorong store and sent directly to me. “How long would that take?” I asked. “About two weeks” she replied as her face resigned to the fact that I would baulk at such a wait. “Fine” I replied, “I’d like to order it then.”

I’m trying to teach Ruby how to wait. We bought her something for her birthday (at her request) which arrived a few weeks ago. When it was delivered she excited unwrapped the package and was interrupted by Kim who told her, “You’d better ring Dad first.” When she rang me she asked if she could start using it now as an “early birthday present” (her birthday was not for another two and half months). As any dad would who wants his children to develop sound character traits, I said, “No, you can’t have it until your birthday.” To which she replied, “But Dad!…” (you don’t need to know the … was). Because waiting for something is a measure of its true value, I know that when her birthday arrives she will appreciate it even more. This is the fourth lesson that we can learn from nothing is: it may appear that waiting is achieving nothing, but waiting fosters the virtue of patience and magnifies something’s value.

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

NOTHING LIKE GOD’S PLAN

There are times when it seems like God is doing nothing. The Psalmist expressed this frustration in Psalm 10 –      

¶ Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Psalm 10:1

Even in the Law, it seemed like God was commanding His people to have sacred moments of nothingness –

Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.
Exodus 31:15

But the sabbath was never about doing nothing. The sabbath was about recuperating, resting, waiting, and worship. It is in the times when it seems that we can do nothing that the God who never sleeps or slumbers (Psalm 121:4) is often at work on our behalf even though we cannot immediately detect His activity –         

The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
Exodus 14:14

And perhaps when we tie all of these lessons about nothing together, we begin to realise that our very salvation is based on nothing –

• Nothing but the work and sacrifice of Jesus can save us (Hebrews 9:26)

• Nothing can we add, contribute to, or bring to, the salvation that Christ offers us (2Tim 1:9)

• Nothing did we do to merit, earn, or achieve this salvation that God offers us through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8)

• Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39)

• Nothing can be achieved unless the believer remains connected to Christ (John 15:5)

Nothing more needs to be said except to make a correction to the title of this post. Rather than Nothing Is Powerful, I should correct it to read, Nothing Is As Powerful As God, but now I think about it, both titles are equally apt for these few thoughts about nothing.

 Pastor Andrew

I'MPATIENT

Waiting is always the key to success. No surprise then, that the masters of waiting are the richest people in the world. People who have discovered the potent delights of waiting enjoy what evades most. Waiters have found that far more is achieved when they wait than if they rush. They have learned that there is often a dire difference between taking the best available option and waiting for the best option. If you wait a moment, I'll explain what they know.

Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
Psalm 25:3a

About seven years ago I started a project I thought would take a few months to complete. As I undertook this, it soon became apparent to me that this Boreham Project - to make a documentary series of one of the greatest preachers and essayists of all time - would take a little longer than three months. After six years, four parts are completed (but still have to be re-edited and closed-captioned) and there remains one more concluding part to make. I have travelled to Victoria, New South Wales, New Zealand, and Canada to research, film and interview for this project. 

¶ Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
James 5:7

Along the way to assembling this project, I have had to deal with several crises and other unexpected issues. These included taking on the leadership of one of Australia's premier regional Christian Radio Stations (WayFM), the increased demands of leading ICI Theological College (which has quadrupled in student population over the last few years), and an invitation to be a founding National Leadership Team member of the Acts 2 Alliance. None of these are diversions from my God ordained mission - they are an expression of it. Added to this has been increased number of weddings I've been invited to do over the past few years (even though as these couples discover I don't do good weddings because my focus with them is about their marriage not so much about just the first day of their marriage) and each couple requires around 9 months of preparation involving monthly, fortnightly and weekly meetings as we approach their wedding dates. And lately I've been involved in a city-wide effort to hold a majorfestival at Easter. My Boreham Project has had to wait. In the midst of this waiting I discovered an ancient secret.

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Genesis 29:20

Waiting is proportional to value. I must confess that I do not know if this was ever intended to be a secret. But it must be a secret because so few people know it. We live an instant-messaging, fast-food, microwave world. This impatience and tendency to rush has even impacted relationships. Such bizarre practices as "speed dating" may be amongst the most innocent expressions of this impatience while domestic violence and forced divorce are undoubtedly among the most damaging effects. It seems that the world is not prepared to wait anymore.

The modern reader is shocked by such Old Testament statements as Jacob waiting and serving seven years for the opportunity to marry the woman he loved. The secret to waiting is that the more valuable the prize the more prepared one is to wait for it. Jacob prized Rachel. His waiting seven years "seemed to him but a few days" - because to him, the prize was great. Impatience always diminishes something's value. Always. In a rare moment of Ecclesiatical correctness, Solomon shares the secret this way-

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Ecclesiastes 7:8

What are you waiting for? This is often the world's summons to not wait. But I wonder if we shouldn't have a short list ready to answer the question? What are you waiting for? Knowing that the greater the wait the greater the value of the prize, I think more of us should wait up. This year marks our twentieth anniversary at Legana. Before I commenced as the pastor of Legana, the Lord spoke softly into my heart about His plans for our church. Even though we only had 17 members when we started, thousands of dollars of debt, and no facilities, the Lord showed me a church of over 300 worshipers making a "significant" difference in our State. I honestly thought the Lord would do this in just a few months or maybe, at the outside, a few years. I have too long been impatient about most things. Now, twenty years later we are beginning to see the fulfilment of this softly spoken word. The wait will have been worth it.

The ancient secret is: the greater the wait, the greater the value of the prize. This is why the people who wait best are the wealthiest people in the world - and in a far lesser way, but not too infrequently, they also become wealthy financially. F.W. Boreham tells the story of travellers who stayed some nights in a English manor. They had heard that the surrounding forests was home to some of the most exotic English wildlife. Despite their best efforts, they had seen none. As they told of their disappointment over the manor's grand breakfast table, the son of the laird quietly interjected that he had seen several very rare species of this wildlife not far from where these travellers had been shortly before they had been there. They asked him how this possible. He said that it was important to sit very still and wait. They assured him that this is indeed what they had done. He then said, "Well after the fourth or fifth hour you should have seen some of these rare animals." Their problem was never a lack of the prized animals but of their relative impatience to see them. The greater the value of the prize, the greater the wait to possess it. In light of this waiting secret, Scriptures profoundly tell the worshiper of God to-

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD!
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
Psalm 31:24; 37:7a 

Scripture tells the worshiper to wait for (on) God more than anything else. Because the value of the prize is so limitlessly great, the wait through delay, adversity, trial, obstacle, or disappointment is insignificant in comparison - it seems "but a few days". The apostle Paul called these kind of circumstances during our worship wait for God, "momentary light affliction" (2Cor. 4:17 "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison"). God is infinitely worth the wait.

"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31

If you're impatient, learn to wait. Of course, while waiting certainly requires patience, it doesn't idleness (just ask any professional waiter at a restaurant). While we wait, we are trusting. While we wait, we are resting. While we wait we are serving. We do this for a prize. For me, I'm waiting to complete my Boreham project. I'm waiting to see all that God has for our church in the time that He has us here. I'm waiting to see how my children blossom. I'm waiting to see our State turn to Christ. What are you waiting for? Please wait.

Ps. Andrew

WHEN

Success in any field of life whether it be sport, business, politics, art, relationships, religion, or academics, is rarely just a matter of hard work. In fact, the most successful people in their particular field may not necessarily be the hardest working in their field. When someone has natural ability and divine gifting, it often means that this person has to work less! While nothing substitutes for hard work, there is something that leverages a person's hard work like nothing else can. If you can figure this out it can turn your frustration into adulation.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
Galatians 4:4

Success in life, relationships, work, business, church, sport, school, more often than not belongs to those who understand when. Like millions of other people around the world, I'm watching Wimbledon at the moment (as I have done every year for the past 36 years). This Grand Slam tournament has not always been won by the best player in the field. And not every final at Wimbledon is the best match of the tournament. The players who win it have an ability to 'peak' at the right times. To win Wimbledon a player has to win 7 main draw matches in a row - but the most important of these matches is the 7th! If a player exerts themself too much in a match, they may not have much left for their next match.

The God we are in awe of, is a God who does things when the time is right. One of the key reasons His Son was a sucessful Saviour, was because He came to earth at the right time (Gal. 4:4). And when Christ came to earth, He understood the appropriate time for what to be done. He could have appeared in His public ministry from the age of 13, but He understood that the right time was when He was 30. He could have chosen to minister for 10 years to give His disciples the best possible training and grounding in Kingdom principles, but He chose to publicly minister for a year or two and spend only three years with His disciples. Knowing when seems to be one of the most important elements of success.

Rom. 5:6 ¶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Mark 6:31

We recently remembered the gallant sacrifices made on D-Day (June 6th 1944). This is the day the Allied Forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. The planning for this day commenced in 1943. The timing of D-Day was imperative to its success. If they had landed in exactly the way either a day earlier or later, they would not have been successful and the loss of lives would have been inestimately higher.

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
John 11:32

God understands perfect timing. Remember that the next time you're looking to Him in prayer. And as you ponder His awe-inspiring timing and worship appropriately, consider that worship transforms the worshiper into the likeness of the One worshiped. Thus, your worship of the impeccable God will transform your concept of waiting from 'doing nothing' to one of the most important aspects of right timing. As Dr. F.W. Boreham has written, there is a great deal of difference between being still (waiting) and doing nothing. He tells of a man who had an uncanny ability for coaxing wildlife out where others had said there was no wildlife to be coaxed out. Asked how he did it, he responded that he always started early and found a suitable bush to hide in or behind, then he would wait. "For how long?" he was asked. "Usually after four or five hours some animals appear." Understanding timing involves grasping the importance of "When?" and the immense value of waiting.  

When I was young, I contracted Scarlet Fever. It meant I was off school for several months one particular year. Whether it had a lingering impact on my physical stamina or not, I'm not sure, but coincidentally from that time, I had chronic stamina issues that led doctors to wonder whether I was now hypoglycaemic. Up until this year I have been able to avoid bouts of exhaustion. But this week, I was again overcome with exhaustion (my second bout this year). When I suffer this kind of exhaustion I feel useless. I understand those who experience their bodies and minds doing involuntary things. I have great sympathy for those who battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. My normal strategy is soldier on and press through. But this week I didn't have that option. I had to be still. In my stillness I was very aware that God uses these seasons to produce something that only these seasons can. Being still is not the same as doing nothing.

"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
Psalm 46:10

The most successful churches understand together the power of when. They know that there are times to tackle certain issues, and there are times to elave them alone. There are times when Sundays should be given to special outreaches geared toward the non-churched and under-churched. But there are also times when a church must help its people go deeper into appreciating God's Word. There are times when a church has to concentrate on training the next generation and make allowances for people as they have a go and make mistakes.

¶ I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
Psalm 130:5

In your life, I could confidently say that there has been unfairness. You've had times when you've worked hard and worked long for very little to show for it. This is frstrating. By learning that being still and waiting on God - is notwasting time, but is critical to success in life, love, family, work, business, sport, and with God, you begin to see thatright timing is not always easy to achieve but wrong timing is far too easy to find. Thinking about right timing reminds me of the story of the father who took his young son to the symphony. The son sat amazed at the vast array of instruments on the stage but none caught his imagination as much as the man with the cymbals. As the orchestra commenced, the starry-eyed boy gazed at the man in the suit with a cymbal strapped to each hand in the corner of the orchestra. Yet throughout the whole show the man with the cymbals did nothing. As the concert was coming to an end, the orchestra got louder and more passionate as they built toward their final crescendo and then suddenly the man in the tuxedo with the cymbals stood to his feet and separated his arms. The climax of their performance reached its most exciting point when suddenly the man with the cymbals smashed his cymbals together! The father took his son back stage to meet the orchestra. The boy met the man with the cymbals and asked him why he only got to use his instrument once. The man assured him that the secret to being a great cymbalist was knowing how towait and when to act. And I suspect that this advice is not limited to the realm of cymbals.

Ps. Andrew