Help Is on the Way (Prov 17:17; 18:24; Phil 4:19)

 

Help Is on the Way (Prov 17:17; 18:24; Phil 4:19)

Dr. Paul Manuel—2022

 

Text:

Prov 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Prov 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Phil 4:19 God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Outline:

      I.    A few are attentive to your needs some of the time.

             A.    A close relative

Prov 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

             B.    A good friend

Prov 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Application: You should not avoid seeking help from people God may bring your way expressly for that purpose.

 

     II.    The Lord is attentive to your needs all of the time.

Phil 4:19 God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

             A.    He will meet them.

             B.    He will exceed them.

Application: Unlike your savings account or credit card, you will never be overdrawn or reach a credit limit with God.

 

Introduction: One of my favorite internet commercials—and there are some clever ones—is for Geico Insurance. It relates the conversation among some teenagers running from a menacing-looking individual in a hockey mask. They must decide between several options: Seeking refuge in the attic or basement of an abandoned house, hiding behind a row of hanging chain saws [?], but they reject the best option—simply driving away in an already running vehicle. Finally, they decide to head for the spooky cemetery. An announcer concludes that when you are in a scary movie, as they apparently are, you make bad decisions. Get a quote from Geico. Don’t make bad decisions.

 

Background: In contrast, it is important that you make good decisions, especially when it concerns choosing your associations. The book of Proverbs contains a host of pithy sayings about making good decisions, including about the value of proper friendships. We will consider two proverbs and one passage from Paul’s letter to the Philippians that address proper relationships. From Proverbs we learn that…

 

      I.    Some people are attentive to your needs some of the time.

             A.    A close relative

Prov 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

      The second half of this verse indicates that one responsibility of a brother is to meet another brother’s needs.[1] It is a responsibility that extends beyond having a host of mere acquaintances. While a person may not consider helping a sibling to be his raison d’etre, the reason he is here on earth, God considers rendering such aid to be significant, even necessary.

      Nevertheless, not all relationships, even family ones, are responsive to such interaction. Some relatives reject help, though they may need it, while others are glad to accept help but squander whatever they receive. The adage that “You can pick your friends, but you can’t choose your relatives” is true in that some relatives are more welcome than others. Those who are welcome also exhibit a quality absent in many friendships, even familial ones: love. This proverb is about relatives you would welcome, relatives you would want to be around.

      Cain and Abel are the most well-known brothers in the Bible, but their interaction is not a model for sibling relationships, given that one brother murders the other. A better example is when Joseph, having risen to high rank in Egypt, protects his brothers and their families during the adverse conditions of a famine. Because of his help, the nation of Israel survives an experience that might have destroyed the people of God and derailed His great plan.

 

    Dave, my younger brother, lives on LI several hours away from us, and he comes to visit once a year. He plans his vacation around it. I am sure he would rather be going somewhere else, but he takes this responsibility from God of being a brother seriously. His visit is not just for companionship; he does a host of chores while here. I do not know if our being bedridden counts as “adversity” as this verse states. Moreover, adversity is not the main feature connecting our family as it often is for other families. God has been very good to Linda and me. Still, our not being able to get around does limit what we can do for ourselves, and much we would like to accomplish remains undone. When Dave comes, though, he often fills that desideratum.

    Dave is married and has his own family. I doubt that he views his raison d’etre to care for us. But when he visits, he sets aside the demands of his job and whatever tasks he has planned at home, to focus on our needs. It is immensely helpful to us, and we would be poorer without him. Dave is a close relative attentive to our needs some of the time.

 

    In addition to a close relative, we have…

 

             B.    A good friend

Prov 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

     “It is better to have one good, faithful friend than numerous unreliable ones” (Ross:1029). It is not enough to be popular or to have a host of followers (“many companions”) on Facebook. Such a plethora of friends may actually be a detriment, because they can give you a false sense of comradery, making you think you have more support than is really there. They will not necessarily help you.

     The adage, “A friend in [a time of] need is a friend indeed” (Euripides) is true of very few, only those closest to you. They alone stand with you “when the going gets tough” (K. Rockne), when a situation is difficult (Manuel 2014). Relying on other people is often unsatisfying, because they are unwilling or unable to help when you need them. They are not a reliable source of aid, not really so close a good friend.

 

     Joe, a friend in TX astonishes me. MS prevents my offering him much of anything. Yet when he flies to the east coast for business, he often stops to see us (despite his being very allergic to cats). While here, he looks for ways he can help us and does a host of chores around the house, things we can no longer do. Simple tasks like adding salt to the water softener are not possible for us. We cannot even get down the steps to the basement. Yet Joe comes and does jobs like this easily. Moreover, his positive attitude makes whatever he does seem effortless. He is more than willing to do them; he is happy to do them. Joe is a good friend, attentive to our needs some of the time.

 

Application: While you should not take undue advantage of others, you should not avoid seeking help from people God may bring your way expressly for that purpose.

 

    Even better than a close relative and a good friend, from Paul’s letter to the Philippians we learn that…

 

     II.    The Lord is attentive to your needs all of the time.

Phil 4:19 God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

             A.    He will meet them.

    However helpful a close relative and a good friend are—and they are helpful—they cannot be with you all the time. They can act only on some immediate needs, which limits the help they offer. God is not so limited. As Jesus says to his disciples…

I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matt 28:20)

That is the promise of his presence all the time, because God’s help extends beyond the immediate. Moreover, His promise of provision also goes beyond expectations.

 

             B.    He will exceed them.,

 

    The phrase “according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” refers to “the heavenly glories that Christ enjoys” (Kent 1978:157), which are very significant and which he will share with you. As Paul tells the Corinthian church:

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor 9:8)

God’s resources are limitless (“all” 4x); they are inexhaustible. They never run out or bottom out, and He does more than you can imagine. As Paul tells the Ephesian church:

He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. (Eph 3:20)

How much can you imagine? …God’s resources are greater still, and He will share them with you.

 

    Linda cannot get out of bed without difficulty, and even when she does, she cannot stand for long. I cannot get out of bed at all. Consequently, what we can do for ourselves is extremely limited. What a pair we are!

    Thankfully, God provides for many of our daily needs through Community Life, a Medicare-funded organization that aids seniors with basic tasks like meal preparation and personal care. We are grateful for such help, but we are under no illusion that it occurs in isolation, independent of all God provides to us. Be it food or anything else, we recognize that whatever help we receive is part of a much larger package, because the Lord is attentive to our needs all of the time. Moreover, if Community Life were not available, we are confident that God would provide for us in some other way.[2]

 

Application: The Lord has unlimited resources. Unlike your savings account or credit card, you will never be overdrawn or reach a credit limit with God.

 

Conclusion: It is appropriate to look to others for help, especially when you are in need. Such help may come from personal sources like a close relative or from a good friend. Ultimately though, whatever aid you receive comes from God, because He cares for you at all times and in every situation. Moreover, He is willing and able to help. You only need to ask, and “Help Is on the Way.”

 

 

Bibliography

 

Kent, Homer A., Jr.

     1978       “Philippians.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 5. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.

Manuel, Paul http://paulwmanuel.blogspot.com

     2014       “That was then; this is now.”

Ross, Allen P.

     1991       “Proverbs.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 5. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.

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[1]The author does not have parents in mind, devoting other proverbs just to them:

Prov 6:20 Keep your father’s commands, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Prov 23:2 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

As Paul says, it is children’s responsibility to care for their parents when they get older:

1 Tim 5:4 Children…should learn…to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents…for this is pleasing to God.

If one’s parents are no longer available, the Bible identifies others often in need of special care:

Exod 22:22 Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan.

Jms 1;27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress

Apart from these individuals, immediate family has the priority claim on giving attention to needs.

[2]Even if you exhaust all other sources, the best is yet to come:

Phil 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

What to pray (2 Chr 20:1-13)

WHAT TO PRAY (2 Chr 20:1-13)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2019

Sometimes you face a difficult situation and know that you should pray but do not know how. In an act of desperation, you might compose a limerick like this student writes the night before an exam.

As I sit me down to study,
I pray the Lord I won't go nutty.
If I should fail to learn this junk,
I pray the Lord I will not flunk.

But if I do, don't mourn at all,
Just lay my bones in the study hail.
And tell the prof I did my best,
Then pile my books upon my chest.

Now I lay me down to rest,
And pray I'll pass tomorrow's test.
If I should die before I wake,
That's one less test I'll have to take.

Sometimes you face a difficult situation and know that you should pray but do not know how. King Jehoshaphat faces a difficult situation, and he may wonder What to Pray. He does not compose a limerick, though, but voices something that is effective in resolving his difficult situation.

After the Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria, and King Jehoshaphat rules the remaining Israelites in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, a federation of local governments decides to exploit Judah's weakness and invade the land. As these hostiles position troops at the border ready to attack, the Jewish monarch knows he is outmatched and appears before his people to enlist their aid in asking God for help.

I. The nation faces a coalition of enemy forces (2 Chr 20:1-4).

2 Chr 20:1 The Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army2 is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

A. The enemy readies to pounce.

When Assyria invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel, enemy troops spared the Southern Kingdom of Judah, leaving that nation intact as a buffer with the Egyptian empire further south. Now that Assyrian troops are no longer in country, Judah faces a coalition of Moabites and Ammonites together again as they were when Israel was in the wilderness on its way to the Promised Land. At that time, God had instructed Moses to avoid them and not to engage with them militarily:

"I know that my Redeemer lives..."

BLESSED ASSURANCE (Job 19:25-27)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2018

When you have to be someplace at a particular time, you may want the assurance of a proper start to get you there.

Lisa's youngest child was thrilled when her turn came to enter kindergarten. To make sure she had plenty of time on that first day to get dressed, eat breakfast, and drive to the school, Lisa woke everyone up early, so early it was still dark. As her daughter was getting dressed she came into her room looking troubled. "What's wrong?" Lisa asked, mustering as much cheerfulness as she could at that early hour. "This is your big day!" "You didn't tell me," her daughter blurted back, "that I was going to night school."

When you have to be someplace at a particular time, you may want the assurance of a proper start to get you there. Likewise, when you face the finality of death you may want the assurance, the "Blessed Assurance" of a proper start to get you there.

Job, a contemporary of Abraham (c. 2000 BC), is a wealthy herdsman who has a reputation for being righteous. That reputation attracts Satan's attention who attempts to turn Job away from God. Satan's attack not only knocks Job back on his heels, it causes Job to question his understanding about how God exercises mercy and causes Job to wonder if he is still a recipient of it. The counsel Job receives from those around him is not encouraging: "His wife said to him, 'Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!'" (Job 2:9) Nevertheless, Job's commitment to the Lord does not flag.

Even as Job defends his integrity to those who should be supportive, he twice issues strong assertions of faith. Despite friends' questioning his integrity and the strength of his allegiance to God, Job says: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" (Job 13:15). Later, and as they continue to express doubts, Job issues another statement, this one expressing his belief about a future with God:

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

This second statement is an early and strong assertion about belief in a life after death in general and about a resurrection from the dead in particular.

Most people in the Ancient Near East have some belief in an afterlife. It is populated by other spirits as well, both benevolent and malevolent. Whether the next life is pleasant or unpleasant often depends on one's status (rich or poor) and one's conduct (good or bad) in this life.

God's people in the Ancient Near East also believe in an afterlife. It is populated by angelic beings, both benevolent and malevolent. Whether the next life is pleasant or unpleasant depends on one's decision for or against God in this life. When a person makes that decision he seals his fate, because "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Heb 9:27). Job has made that decision which, despite his very unhappy present state, gives him a "Blessed Assurance" about his very happy future state.

I. Job is absolutely certain (Job 19:25).

Job 19:25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

This is one of few Old Testament passages that gives insight into how an Old Testament saint understands his eternal state. There are many things he does not know, details the New Testament will reveal, like the identity of the messiah. But he knows the essentials, that he needs a savior, and that....

A. He has a living redeemer.

...whatever his name may be. The redeemer's name does not become manifest until much later, as does his resurrected state, yet Job knows that redeemer "is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (Heb 7:25). Moreover...

"Though He slay me..." (Job 13:13-16)

A DELICATE BALANCE: NOT SILENCE BUT CONFIDENCE  (Job 13:13-16)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2018
 

Different environments pose different challenges to maintaining order and cleanliness.

Keeping Jill's old farmhouse clean was a constant challenge. Muddy boots, socks embedded with straw, dirt blowing through the windows, grandchildren, cats and dogs, even the occasional newborn calf warming up on the porch all contributed to her daily routine of sweeping, shaking, vacuuming, and washing. She thought she was pretty neat and tidy until a friend from the city with no kids and no pets complained about how dirty her house would get. "How bad can it be?" Jill asked. "There are just the two of you living in a new house." "Well," her friend explained, "have you ever noticed how much dust flies into the air...when you pull a tissue out of the box?"

Different environments pose different challenges to maintaining order and cleanliness. Similarly, different arguments, like the one Job advances, require different responses in order to maintain "A Delicate Balance: Not Silence But Confidence."

 

Job is in a difficult position. He has a reputation of being a righteous man, but he is suffering a debilitating malady that many people attribute to divine judgment for being unrighteous. Despite appearances, however, Job has chosen to maintain his faith. In fact, he makes the bold assertion, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him (Job 13:15a). Indeed, the repeated testimony of God affirms Job's impeccable character:

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8)

[Again,] the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." (Job 2:3)

Even Satan admits it:

"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 1:9-11)

[Again,] "stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 2:5)

In all this, Job's faith remains unshaken:

[Job] fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:20b-22)

[Again,] he replied...."Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2: 10b-c)

Nevertheless, through all his trouble, even to the end, Job remains unaware of Satan's involvement in his suffering or of God's instigation.

 

Although God gives him no incentive to believe one way or another, Job must have had an earlier encounter with God that shaped his faith and prepared him to deal with the challenge he would face later, as the book that bears his name records. In it, the narrator explains the rationale behind Job's faith, the thought process that compels him to adopt his particular viewpoint of trust and that enables him to cope with the problem of theodicy (a vindication of divine goodness despite the existence of evil):

Job 13:13 Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may. 14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands? 15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. 16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him!

Job does not simply accept his plight and suffer in silence. He knows he is innocent of any great sin that would warrant the punishment he is experiencing, and he argues with God over the injustice of it all.

My life verse -2018

MY LIFE VERSE (Ps 119:173)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2018

May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.
 

I do not recall precisely what compelled me to choose this particular passage as the verse on which I would base my life. I had recently come from a session with the minister of our church, having told him that I felt God wanted me to do more than just teach Sunday School. He asked me what I thought I should be doing. Since I was enjoying very much my most recent endeavor, I said "teaching." Then he expressed the news I dreaded most: "I think you'll have to go back to school."

I had already dropped out after one failed semester of college. Higher education was for smart people, not for me. Besides, I had a good job, was recently married, and just bought a house within a mile from my parents' home, the church, and both our places of work. The prospect of leaving all that did not thrill me. Moreover, a Bible college seemed to offer the only degree that would enable me to do what I thought I should: prepare for a career teaching Bible in secondary education, and there was no Bible college in our area.

I devoted three days to fasting, prayer, and study, the fruit of which was God's direction, leaving the decision up to me whether to stay or go—"You choose," He seemed to say—and pointed me to this verse.

May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts (Ps 119:173).

So, we packed the house, rented a truck, and moved from Long Island to South Carolina, where I would attend Columbia Bible College, still uncertain about how we would pay for this new adventure or even if I would be successful academically. After all, my previous attempt at college did not go well.

Linda got a job, though not as good as the one she had in New York. Still, she only worked for a year before starting school herself after we calculated that between the generous school policy that allowed the spouse of a full-time student to attend classes free, and our two federal grants, it was more economical for her to be a student than to work.

By my second year I was confident that I could succeed scholastically and already had my sights set on grad school. Eighteen years and five degrees later (a B.A., three M.A.s, and a Ph.D.), it was time to use all that training. Yet I did not enter academia as I thought I would. God had other plans for me. The interim pastorate I took after graduation was only supposed to be for three months, but it lasted three years. After that, I remained in the pulpit and did not enter the classroom.

Did my life verse fit my life? Indeed it did, even though my life did not turn out quite as I planned. It did turn out (and is still turning out) as God planned. While I enjoy teaching, the pastorate has allowed me to do some of that as well as providing the freedom to write about a variety of subjects that interest me rather than only subjects that are necessary for a job. Thanks to a good friend in Wisconsin who created a blog for me, my studies and sermons also have a wider audience than I might have garnered had I published as a teacher alone.

Looking back, I realize that God has always upheld His part of the equation: His hand has always been "ready to help me." Perhaps the most obvious expression of His aid is His placing beside me a wonderfully supportive helpmeet who has made possible whatever success I have achieved, both academically and professionally. My life would be infinitely poorer without Linda. As I look back, I also realize that God's word has always served to guide me in upholding my part of the equation: "for I have chosen Your precepts." The decision to heed His instruction pertains to many matters, from observing the Sabbath to maintaining our marriage, from adopting biblical dietary laws to our serving a particular congregation. In all these ways and more God has provided guidance in the optimum way to go, a way that is both eminently satisfying and eternally rewarding.

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Getting what we deserve? (Ps 103:10)

"JUST DESSERTS" (Ps 103:10)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2018
 

It is disconcerting for a driver when he sees a patrol car's flashing lights in his rearview mirror, specially when he realizes that those lights are directing him to pull over. His eyes immediately check the speedometer. Can he talk his way out of a ticket?

A fellow was speeding along the highway, feeling quite secure since the rest of the traffic was traveling at the same pace. Passing a speed trap, he was tagged by a radar detector and subsequently pulled over. After the patrolman handed him a ticket, the driver said, "Officer, I may have been speeding, but this just doesn't seem fair. There were lots of cars around me traveling just as fast. Why did I get the ticket?" "Have you ever gone fishing?" the patrolman asked. "Uhhhh, yeah," the driver replied, a bit puzzled. Grinning, the officer continued... "Did you try to catch all the fish?"

It is disconcerting for a driver when he sees a patrol car's flashing lights in his rearview mirror. God does not issue speeding tickets, although you might prefer that He did, especially when you are in line to receive your "Just Desserts."

 

We assume that God is eminently fair, that unlike man He is not capricious in His dealings with us, and there is considerable Biblical testimony for such a view:

All his ways are just....Upright and just is he. (Deut 32:4)
The leaders of Israel and the king...said, "The LORD is just." (2 Chr 12:6)
The works of his hands are faithful and just.... (Ps 111:7a)
God is just. (2 Thess 1:6)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.... (1 John 1:9)
Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. (Rev 15:3c)

The down side of God's fairness is that He demands accountability from His creatures, those who are volitional beings and should know right from wrong. The Apostle Paul has repeatedly said that people who commit sin (i.e., everyone), who violate the standards of behavior God established, are accountable before Him:

Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.... There is no one righteous, not even one.... For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:9-10, 23)

We will all stand before God's judgment seat.... Each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Rom 14: lOc, 12).

We also read that God metes out punishment according to a preordained and calculated metric, and that it is wrong when such equity is absent:

That servant who knows his master's will and...does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. (Luke 12:47-48)

There is something...meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This...I say, is meaningless. (Ecci 8:14)

Nevertheless, God will treat some people more harshly than others for their disobedience:

If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.... If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over.... If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over.... If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. (Lev 26:18, 21,23-24, 27-28).

While He is indeed not capricious, neither is He rigidly fixated on a strict tit-for-tat policy. He does not throw down lightening bolts from heaven in answer to each transgression. There is a leniency in His response to man despite his sin.

Funeral: "A cheerful look" (Prov. 15:30a)

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "A CHEERFUL LOOK" (Prov. 15:30a)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2011

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

When Solomon, David's son, assumed the throne of Israel, he knew that with great authority comes great responsibility, and that if he were going to rule well, he would have to rule wisely. To that end, he asked the Lord for "a discerning heart" (1 Kgs 3:9). It was a prayer God answered in abundance. So great was Solomon's wisdom that he authored "three thousand proverbs" (1 Kgs 4:32), many of which appear in the biblical book by that name. A proverb is a short, pithy saying that captures a practical and often obvious truth, expressing it in a memorable way.

Among the many observations Solomon made are those that describe the effect a person's attitude can have on him. For example, on the one hand...

An anxious heart weighs a man down (Prov. 12:25a).

 On the other hand...

A happy heart makes the face cheerful (Prov. 15:13a).

In other words, a person's attitude, whether negative or positive, can affect him in other ways, including his appearance.

Another observation Solomon made described the effect one person's attitude can have on other people. Most notably...

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart (Prov. 15:30a)....

Here Solomon is stating that one person's appearance can affect how other people feel.

When I met the deceased, she and her husband were spending winters in Florida, so my contact with them was limited and sporadic. After her heart attack, they decided to remain in PA, and I was able to see them more regularly. Whenever I visited, her husband did most of the talking. The deceased was quiet and reserved. It generally took some effort to engage her in conversation. Otherwise, she seemed content to listen. After her husband's passing, she spoke a bit more but mostly to answer my incessant questions.

Despite her taciturn nature, though, she always seemed genuinely happy to see me and greeted me with a smile. In fact, that is what I looked forward to seeing when I came. Even when she was not feeling her best, she always managed a smile, and I always left with my spirit lifted a bit. It illustrated the truth of Solomon's proverb.

Prov. 15:30a A cheerful look brings joy to the heart....

For the deceased, it was a simple act, but it demonstrated how a positive appearance can have a positive effect on others—a good lesson for anyone, including a minister.

For a pdf see here.

Funeral: "Reflections from Psalm 139"

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "REFLECTIONS FROM PSALM 139" (Psalm 139:1-10)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2001

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

When I visited with the deceased, I would often ask if he had a favorite Bible passage that I could read. He usually left the choice to me, saying that he liked them all. As I wondered what passage to use in my meditation today, I asked his daughter if I could borrow the deceased's Bible, thinking that he might have marked a passage I could use. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at what he marks in his Bible. What I discovered was not much help, not because the deceased did not mark his Bible, but because he marked it so much. It was testimony to the time he spent reading God's word, testimony to the priority God had in his life. I settled on Ps 139, a section he marked completely and, as I read it, I understood perhaps why he found it so significant.

 

In Ps 139, David offers some reflections on his relationship with God. What impresses the biblical author is how much God knows. "In particular," he says...

 

I. God knows me (Ps 139:1-4).

Ps 139:1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

That God knows us is not news. Omniscience is part of being God. What amazes David is the detail of God's knowledge, and that He is even interested. The psalmist says...

A. He knows my schedule.

He is aware of every moment, however common or casual. He knows "when I sit and when I rise." David also says...

B. He knows my thoughts.

If you live with someone, you become familiar with how that person thinks, and you can even begin to predict it. My wife often knows what I'm thinking but not always, and only when we are together, not long distance. God, however, never misjudges, and He can "perceive my thoughts from afar." The psalmist says further...

C. He knows my activities.

He misses nothing, even what I think no one notices. God knows not just some of what I do but "all my ways." Finally, David says...

Funeral: "The Lord is your guardian" (Ps 121)

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "THE LORD IS YOUR GUARDIAN" (Ps 121)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2009

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

The deceased was aware that God was caring for him. Throughout his life here, the Lord was watching over him. That is the theme of his favorite biblical text, Ps 121. What stands out in this passage is the simple yet compelling way the author uses repetition to underscore his conviction that God keeps those who belong to Him.

 

The author is on a journey to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the festivals. He will traverse some difficult terrain and may encounter any number of dangers along the way. Therefore, he is understandably concerned about...

 

I. The Issue of Security (Ps 121:1-2)

 

...and he opens the poem with a question in v. 1:

A. Who will help me?

This is not unreasonable. The mountains lie between him and his destination, and he knows that much can go wrong as he travels over them. So he asks...

I shall lift up my eyes unto the mountains. From where does my help come? (v. 1)

The question, though, is not for his benefit but for that of other travelers. He already knows the answer, which he offers in v. 2, asserting...

B. The LORD will help me.

My help comes from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth. (v. 2)

The psalmist's experience has shown God to be a dependable protector—committed to His people, involved in their lives, and faithful to His promises. He is the "maker of heaven and earth," which is an important title, because a traveler faces many natural dangers, and it is comforting to know that these dangers are not outside the Lord's control.

 

The deceased was on a journey, the same journey every child of God is on, not to an earthly Jerusalem but to a heavenly one. This journey, too, is fraught with danger, and as we look at the mountains before us, we may ask: "Who will help me?" Like the psalmist, the deceased knew the answer to that question: "The LORD will help me?" The deceased spoke out of personal experience, but even if that journey from his time in Viet Nam to his recent collapse in the pond, and he would have recommended that answer to any who wondered about their own journey.

Funeral: "To praise the Lord" (Ps 117)

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "TO PRAISE THE LORD" (Ps 117)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

I did not have the pleasure of knowing the deceased well. She had moved to State College several years before I came to the church in Salemville. I met her, though, when she would return to visit friends and would arrange those visits so she could also attend a service here.

 

She may have had several favorite biblical passages, perhaps some in the Psalms I have already mentioned. I have chosen Ps 117 to help us reflect on her life and on our own. Ps 117 is the shortest in the Psalter—only two verses—and easy to skip, but it expresses some fundamental truths about God and about His relationship to His people.

 

I. Call to Praise the LORD

 

The psalmist begins with a call to praise the LORD, inviting others to join with him:

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. (Ps 117:1)

II. Cause to Praise the LORD

 

Then he gives two reasons that God deserves such acclaim:

Great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. (Ps 117:2)

A. His love

God's love is one of the most prominent themes in all of scripture. It is one of His chief attributes, coloring so much of what He does that the apostle John says, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Yet equally important, at least from our perspective, is that God has shown His love "toward us." He does this in many ways, of course, but the most important way is the one Paul identifies in his letter to the church in Rome:

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

John also speaks in his gospel to the greatness of God's love in Christ what is probably the most familiar passage of the New Testament:

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

This is the ultimate benefit of God's great love—to gain eternal life with Him. The deceased knew this, and she is now enjoying the fulfillment of her faith.

B. His faithfulness

The other reason God deserves praise is that He is faithful, dependable, reliable. We can count on Him to do what He says He will do, to act according to His loving nature, to keep His word to us. God's promises have no expiration date. This is so different from what we experience in other areas of life, where the relationships we form are quite fragile and often suffer from a lack of faithfulness. When we turn to God, the relationship He establishes with us is permanent because it relies on His utterly dependable character. We can then have confidence that "he will never leave [us] nor forsake [us]" (Deut 31:6, 8). This is the assurance the psalmist and the deceased had.

 

This psalm joins the attributes of God's love and faithfulness, the very qualities that make it possible for us to know Him...in this life and the next. There is sorrow at the deceased's passing, yet there is also comfort in knowing that she is, even now, in the presence of God, extoling Him for His great love and eternal faithfulness.

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. (Ps 117:1-2)

For a pdf see here.

Funeral: "Bless the Lord" (Ps 103:1-5)

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "BLESS THE LORD" (Ps 103:1-5)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2010

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

Who is God? What is He like? ...Some people go their whole lives without even considering those questions. Other people spend their whole lives in search of an answer. For those in that second group, those who want to know God, He promises success in their quest. He says...

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jer 29:13)

King David was such an individual, someone the Bible describes as "a man after [God's] own heart" (1 Sam 13:14a; Acts 13:22b). He knew God well, and he wrote extensively about Him. One of those descriptions is in Ps 103, where David calls others, including us, to Bless the Lord.

 

While other psalms of David hint at the reason he wrote them, this one offers no such clues. It is likely there was no specific occasion; it was simply in recognition that because of God's presence with David, life is good. In the opening verses, the reason he does give for his optimism is...

 

I. The Character of God (Ps 103:1-2)

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits. (vv. 1-2)

David had a deep and abiding relationship with God, developed over many years. During that time, the king had come to know what God is like, including the one particular divine trait mentioned here, that God is good.

 

If we were familiar only with the later years of David's life, we might think that he had it relatively easy, especially given what the biblical author writes:

David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts [was] with him. (1 Chr 11:9)

Were that a descriptive of his whole life, his positive attitude in this psalm would be quite understandable. God had favored him with success and prosperity, and David recognized it. But that passage in Chronicles was not descriptive of his whole life, only the latter part. Earlier, he faced numerous hardships and heartaches, from his persecution and banishment by King Saul to his loss of family and friends. David had a difficult life, but through it, he learned about the character of the God he served, that He is good. Despite whatever hardships God's people face, He favors those who serve Him. That was David's confidence, and God responded positively, enabling him to get through those difficult periods.

 

I came to know the deceased later in her life, and her sweet spirit impressed me. Our conversations in church and in her home indicated a person who walked long with the Lord. Only later did I learn that, like David, her earlier journey included numerous hardships and heartaches. The deceased, too, had a difficult life, and those of you who have lived here longer than I, may be familiar with some of the details. Yet, also like David, through it, she learned about the character of the God she served, that He is good. Despite whatever hardships God's people face, He favors those who serve Him. That was the deceased's confidence, and God responded positively, enabling her to get through those difficult periods.

Funeral: "Reflections on God's protection" (Ps 91)

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "REFLECTIONS ON GOD'S PROTECTION" (Ps 91)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2002

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

Although it was only in the last few weeks of her hospitalization that I came to know the deceased, I appreciated the times we had together. On one such occasion, she mentioned her enjoyment of the Psalms. When I asked which were her favorites, she cited Ps 23, which we heard earlier. Then she read Ps 91 to me, which speaks about God's protection, and I thought that might be an appropriate text for some reflections as we remember her. What attracted the deceased to this psalm? What did she find compelling or comforting in this portion of God's word? Let me suggest a few reasons, some that she might have recommended to us. We do not know who wrote this psalm. Tradition ascribes it to Moses or to David. Whoever the author might have been, he was well-acquainted with God's protection, probably from his own experience in distressing situations, and he begins with a confident assertion:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" (vv. 1-2)

I. God's protection is selective (Ps 91:1-2).

 

Here we see that God's protection is selective. Although God offers it to all, not everyone benefits from it—only those who dwell and abide with Him. This may seem impossible, given that God is in heaven and we are on earth, but it is a metaphor, a figure of speech. The psalmist explains that having God as a refuge and fortress is not a matter of being in the right place but of trusting in the right person. The deceased trusted in the right person. She knew that, while the hospital may have been the right place to treat the physical difficulties she was having, God was the right person to trust with her future.... The psalmist continues...

For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. (Ps 91:3-4)

II. God's protection is steadfast (Ps 91:3-4).

 

It is not just God's ability that makes people seek His protection, although He is certainly a very capable champion, it is also His dependability that they find attractive. God's protection is steadfast. No matter what happens, He will stand by those who put their trust in Him. Unfortunately, this is not something we learn well just by reading about it. Only by experiencing it does this truth make a full impression upon us. Only as we need God's protection repeatedly, do we come to appreciate the reliability of His care. The deceased certainly had ample opportunity to test this principle. As she experienced one physical problem after another, she could have given up hope, yet she did not.... The psalmist goes on to say...

You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. (Ps 91:5-6)

Funeral: "God is the source" (Ps 90:1-12)

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "GOD IS THE SOURCE" (Ps 90:1-12)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2003

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

The sudden death of a loved one can raise many questions:

• Why did this happen?
• Could it have been prevented?

Some of these questions can become personal:

• Why did God allow it?
• Should I have done something?

In time, we may discover the answers but, until then, we may wonder how we should respond. Thankfully, there is both solace and guidance in scripture.

Moses, who encountered many difficulties, including the sudden loss of family members, wrote in Ps 90 some reflections on his experiences, and his words can offer comfort and perspective when we encounter difficulties. He begins with a reminder that...

I. God is the source of our protection.

Ps 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.... 4a For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by....

Moses says of God that...

A. He has been with us for a long time.

"our dwelling place throughout all generations." Each generation, though, must seek God's shelter. Children cannot rely on the faith of their parents or their grandparents.

I did not know the deceased, but God did. A friend of the deceased said to me that the deceased had turned to the Lord earlier in his life, and that this friend had been encouraging him to turn again, to make the Lord his "dwelling place" (Ps 90:1). We do not know how God may have been working with the deceased, but we can be confident that God will do what is right for him. We can also be confident that God will do what is right for us, if we make Him our "dwelling place." He has been with us for a long time, patiently waiting for us to seek His protection.

Funeral: "A temperament of contentment" (Ps 86:12)

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "A TEMPERAMENT OF CONTENTMENT" (Ps 86:12)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2006

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

Some people are oblivious to what is happening around them. They are content to drift along with no particular direction. Others are aware of what is happening around them and are unfazed by it. They are content because they have direction, not a course they control but one under the sovereign hand of a loving God. The deceased was among that second group. Despite the twists and turns he or others he knew encountered, his response to a troubling situation was the same: "It will work out."

 

The deceased was not a fatalist, resigned to endure what life threw at him. He was an optimist, ready to embrace what God had for him. What enabled him to face uncertainty and change with such aplomb, such composure? There may have been several reasons, but one we can cite with some certainty is that the deceased had A Temperament of Contentment, the assurance that someone larger and more powerful than he is directing events to a good end. This did not mean that the deceased sat back and simply watched things unfold. He knew he had to be involved in the process, but he also knew there was a limit to what he could do...although he sometimes pushed that limit beyond what others thought he could do.

 

Many Christians have a "life verse," a biblical passage especially meaningful to them that expresses their approach to life. I do not know if the deceased had such a verse, but if I were to select one based on what I know about him, it might be...

I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and [I] will glorify Your name forever. (Ps 86:12)

This is from "A Prayer of David," a plea that God would answer the petition of an "afflicted and needy" person (Ps 86:1). We do not know what David's problem was, but punctuating his pleas for help are profound expressions of his confidence that the God who had helped him in the past would also meet his current need.

 

David's confidence enabled him to say that, no matter what circumstances he might encounter,

 

I. He was committed to giving unconditional thanks to God.

I will give thanks to You...with all my heart (Ps 86:12a).

Despite his situation, David was not only grateful for what God had done, David was ready to tell God and to hold nothing back in the process. That was the deceased: grateful for what God had done and willing to hold nothing back in expressing it. One of his favorite hymns was Count Your Blessings, which is an admonition to list the good things God has done for you. It is an exercise designed to stir the heart in gratitude, an exercise the deceased must have employed regularly, because he was grateful for what God had done, and he expressed it with all his heart... often at the top of his lungs. Like David, the deceased was committed to giving unconditional thanks to God.