‘I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.’ (v5) Psalm 130:5–8
An ambassador’s role and we are all appointed God’s ambassadors is waiting. Choosing the ideal moment for intervention, as well as the nature of that intervention, always proves critical (2 Cor. 5:20).
The context in which we are to present the gospel is subject to continual change. As Billy Graham stated, we are always to be geared to the times, whilst anchored to the rock. Scripture records that the men of Issachar were ‘men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do’ (1 Chron. 12:32), a useful gift for any ambassador.
It’s challenging to stand firm on God’s truth, whilst navigating fast-changing social mores. If we simply rely on a traditional framework to communicate God’s truth, like a sandcastle before an incoming tide, we will be washed away. It’s not that we abandon God’s eternal, Bible truth, but that we reframe it so that we can be both heard and understood within the prevailing culture to which God has sent us as witnesses.
Too often the Christian community surrenders ground unnecessarily because it fails to understand both the battlefield and the nature of the battle it is engaged in. David could not defeat Goliath wearing Saul’s armour, but did by utilising his learned skills, demonstrating that Yahweh is Lord of all.
RELATED SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: Isa. 43:10–13; Acts 3:15–20; 5:29–42; 17:16–31.
AN ACTION TO TAKE: Take some time to consider how you can present God’s eternal truth in ways that connect with contemporary society in general and your peer group in particular.
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, train me to be one who understands the times and can communicate as a witness anchored to the rock whilst still geared to the times. Amen.’
