You cannot Live with a Tumor

In 2003 when a CT scan found a tumor in Steve Jobs’ pancreas, doctors urged him to have an operation, but Steve chose alternative remedies. Nine months later, when the tumor had grown, he agreed to surgery, but by then, the cancer had spread to his liver. Though a liver transplant bought him a few years, ultimately his battle strategy failed.

You will recall that God's strategy for dealing with cancerous idolatry in Canaan was total annihilation.  Sadly, Israel compromised, choosing alternative remedies. Fast forward 4,000 years, and we now have two generations of Americans who have grown up without another world war. Our strategy has been diplomacy: peace at all costs. However, recent unofficial talks by our government with Iran seem to be demonstrating a national naiveté that we can make peace with an avowed enemy.

Canaan illustrates the necessity of a good battle strategy against the enemies of our soul—both within and without.  Coincidentally, we are living at a time in history when God's People are being asked to make peace with a sensually-driven culture. But it is a strategy as perilous as living with a tumor.

Banqueting on the Battlefield

When I grew up, I didn’t learn how to deal with conflict. As a result, like many of the people I’ve counseled over the years, I hated conflict and tried to avoid it. Recently I was reading a commentary on Israel’s conquest of Canaan. The author said “Canaan is characterized by conflict.” Yet Moses had told them they would find rest in Canaan (Deut. 12:10). The “rest” Israel had was not a rest ‘from’ conflict; it was a rest ‘in’ conflict. I believe that's what you call a paradox—conflicting and resting at the same time.

In Psalm 23, David says God prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies—that is to say, while you are in the middle of your battle, you will find God and be comforted. It’s hard to reconcile the image of soldiers banqueting on the battlefield. They are fighting for their lives! Soldiers just want to be done with the battle and go back home. (Sound familiar?) But David paints a different picture. In the midst of warfare, David finds peace and rest in God, describing it as a banquet.

If you're in the middle of some intense warfare, look for God’s table. It’s right there on the battlefield. When everything is going well, we tend to take God's presence for granted. But when the battle is on, we seek and find His presence. You will find Him sitting at the Banquet table. And there’s a place set for you.

What Do You See?

Have you been in a conflict with a close friend or relative that seemed irreconcilable because you can’t seem to get on the same page, to see things the same way? One of the challenges of relationships is that others don't always see things the way you do. But what really matters is not my view or yours, but to see what God is doing.

When Elisha’s servant saw the hordes of soldiers surrounding Jerusalem, Elisha saw God's horses and chariots of fire. When, as the Egyptian armies thundered on them, the Israelites saw the Red Sea as a dead end, Moses saw God’s clear path of deliverance. When the exiled Jews returning to build the walls of Jerusalem encountered obstruction and harassment, Nehemiah saw opportunity for unity and communicated a vision that resulted in the people seeing the finished project.

When others don't see what you see, or can’t, do what Elisha, Moses, and Nehemiah did. Look to see what God is doing. Yes, you should communicate what you see with clarity and conviction, but with a teachable spirit. And trust that the Holy Spirit will cause you both to see God's will and way. In the end, it isn’t my view or your view that matters. So when we find ourselves in one of these irreconcilable conflicts, let us pray as the Psalmist did: "open my eyes" (Ps. 119:18).