Is It Okay To Be Anxious, If I know Suffering Is Coming?

Mike Leake

tonik-U0wwiY6nRGA-unsplashThere’s a sermon illustration that I love. I think it first came from Randy Alcorn. It involves intricate marching bands. You ever see those? The marching band comes together and looks like a giant football player kicking a field goal. (Here is an example).

They are super awesome. But I bet they don’t look so cool when you’re on the field and view things from that perspective. When we view things from the ground instead of the grandstand we often miss the beauty and brilliance of what is going on. The same is true of life.

If you can see the whole picture, or know the end of the story, then it creates a bit of calm for us today. I think about this illustration as I’m preaching through Daniel. I’m convinced that those visions are given to the prophet in order to provide a bit of comfort as they go through exile. I suppose its a similar thought which leads Iain Duguid in his commentary to say about Daniel 7:

After all, the purpose of the passage is not to give us nightmares but to calm our nightmares. The focus of Daniel 7 is rather on the coming day of divine judgment, when these monsters will finally receive justice and God will win the final victory. (Duguid, Daniel REC, 112)

We know the end of the story. Jesus wins. God reigns, not whatever scary monster we are facing. Relax. No panic. No alarm. Don’t be anxious about the days ahead.

One Problem

As I was preaching through Daniel 7 last week that is the path that I wanted to take. But I couldn’t do it, not entirely. There was just one sticky little problem. Daniel 7:28,

Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.

If what is supposed to happen with Daniel 7 is to calm Daniel and the people, to move them from alarm to tranquility, then why doesn’t it happen? Why does he come to the end of the explanation and everything and still is color-changingly terrified?

It’s beautiful, really.

Daniel’s still alarmed because he’s a person just like you and I. And the Bible is realistic with the reality of human suffering. Scripture is more honest with human suffering than we like to be. It’s gritty. It’s gutsy. It’s honest.

Yes, the big picture of Daniel 7 is that God reigns. The Son of Man conquers. The Ancient of Days sits on the throne. But Daniel is still terrified. Why?

‌Because suffering hurts. The beast at times will be victorious. The world system will sink its teeth into you, chew you all up, and then spit you out. That hurts. When Daniel sees this—he doesn’t just see the victory parade. He sees all the suffering getting there.

How is this helpful?

Yes, it’s helpful to know the end of the story. I’ll still keep using quotes like this one from John Newton:

Suppose a man was going to New York to take possession of a large estate, and his [carriage] should break down a mile before he got to the city, which obliged him to walk the rest of the way; what a fool we should think him, if we saw him ringing his hands, and blubbering out all the remaining mile, “My [carriage] is broken! My [carriage] is broken!” (Memoirs of Newton, volume 1, page 107)

Yet, there is more to be said than what Newton is saying here. Part of following Jesus is learning to cast our anxieties upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). That means first acknowledging that we do have anxiety. It’s a natural response to the reality of suffering. It’s realistic.

If you’re walking through a field of hungry lions wearing a meat necklace—anxiety isn’t stupid, it’s a God-given reality. And what do you do as you walk through that field? You take that anxiety to the Lord. “I’m scared, Lord. I’m not sure what the future holds, Lord. This is painful, God.” That is authentic faith. 

It’s important to let Daniel’s remaining anxiety speak to us. God included it in his word for a reason. It’s a dual reminder. First, it’s a reminder that the Son of Man does conquer. The beast, the devouring lion, the little horn, every human kingdom will fall before the mighty King Jesus. Justice will be done. Righteousness will win the day.

And yet, it’s also a reminder that this victory comes through suffering. Real authentic, painful, soul-crushing suffering. And it’s not a lack of faith to sometimes quake at that reality. Daniel did. His alarm doesn’t negate his redemption, though. And that’s why even if we do grieve with Daniel, we grieve as those who have hope.

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Proverbs 4 Today

Mike Leake

proverbs4today.logoFor years I’ve read a chapter of Proverbs almost daily. If today is the 11th, that means I’ll read Proverbs 11. Not only reading Proverbs, but living out the wisdom found in Proverbs is life shaping.

Proverbs is incredibly practical. That’s awesome and helpful, but it also means the sheer practicality of it can encourage us to application without considering Christ. Just as with any text, to accurately read and apply the Proverbs they must be read with a Christ-centered lens.

I believe that reading the Proverbs daily—and reading them from a Christ-centered perspective—will be life-changing. To that end I am launching a new Substack called Proverbs4Today.

At Proverbs4Today we will send a Christ-centered devotional to your inbox every weekday. They will be short devotionals which encourage not only the reading of Proverbs but also relevant and engaging application.

You can sign up here.

Just As He Is

Mike Leake

pietro-de-grandi-6U4wogjLArk-unsplash

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

When Just As I Am plays I immediately feel as if I’m at a church service and some pastor is giving an altar call. Many churches will skip a verse or two when singing a hymn. This baby seemed to get all six verses and sometimes on repeat.

We love the concept of God accepting us just as we are. We don’t have to clean up. We don’t have to start spiritual disciplines, join a church, or really do anything to make ourselves worthy to come to Christ. We can’t. We just come as we are. Period.

And the Lord Jesus accepts us. Warts and all.

A Strange Detail

I stumbled upon an interesting verse today. It’s a strange little detail. I don’t want to make more out of it than is there but it sticks out like a sore thumb. Mark 4:36.

36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.”

Now, I think what Mark is telling us is that Jesus didn’t make any special preparations for the trip across the lake. Nor did he take a nap before he went. He was physically exhausted.

“Just as he was.”

Mark is the busiest gospel. And here we see the toll it has taken on our Lord. He falls asleep on the stern of a tiny boat in the midst of a crazy thunderstorm. He got into the boat (or stayed in the same boat if you read it that way) just as he was. 

Why does Mark tell us this? Why tell us that he went “just as he was”?

Just As He Was

In part, I think Mark is showing us the humanity of Jesus. Because it’s the humanity of Jesus that is a real stumbling block to the disciples in the midst of this storm. They need God in the boat. They need the One who could part the sea.

But what they are confronted with is a sleeping Savior—the Suffering Servant. They wanted mighty, powerful, dead-man raising, demon-casting Son of God. But in this moment that’s not what they got. They get peacefully asleep Jesus. Tranquil in the face of their terror.

“Just as He was.”

That’s why we are in this mess. Tired Jesus. No preparation. No planning ahead. Not waiting until morning. Not letting us get a good night of sleep. He just sent us out onto this lake and then fell asleep.

Ever feel like that?

Ever get mad at Jesus because He’s not doing what you want or being who you think he ought to be?

The disciples took Jesus onto the boat “just as He was” but they didn’t rest there. They attempted to rouse Jesus to becoming who they thought He should be. And this is why he says, “Have you still no faith?”

Because at this moment they have a “Just as I am” faith. Terrified. Anxious. Frightened. Overwhelmed. Angry. Questioning. Wondering if God really cares. They come to Jesus—just as they are. And He does what He does—he rescues them. Because this is who He is.

It is necessary that we learn to come to God just as we are. But that’s not where faith stops. It grows. Eventually it comes to the place of “just as He was”. Where we come to accept the Lord for who He is and not who we want Him to be. Where we learn to trust in His timing and not our own. Where we relish Christ however He appears.

Samuel Rutherford said it this way:

It is your part now to believe, and suffer, and hope, and wait on; for I protest, in the presence of that all-discerning eye, who knoweth what I write and what I think, that I would not want the sweet experience of the consolations of God for all the bitterness of affliction. Nay, whether God come to His children with a rod or a crown, if He come Himself with it, it is well. Welcome, welcome, Jesus, what way soever Thou come, if we can get a sight of Thee! And sure I am, it is better to be sick, providing Christ come to the bedside and draw by the curtains, and say, ‘Courage, I am thy salvation’, than to enjoy health, being lusty and strong, and never to be visited of God. (Samuel Rutherford, Letters of Samuel Rutherford, p18-19)

Just as He is.

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Will AI Help or Harm Content Creation?

Mike Leake

possessed-photography-U3sOwViXhkY-unsplashI’ll tell you at the beginning that I don’t know the answer to that question. But I do know that as with every tool, the wise and the foolish will use it differently. Therefore, whether it helps or harms content creation will be determined by which path we take. Will we take the path of fools or the path of the wise?

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“Write a popular level article on the impact of artificial intelligence on content creation”. I gave this prompt to ChatGPT. It wrote a solid article with a compelling introduction, six succinct points, and this solid conclusion:

The impact of artificial intelligence on content creation cannot be overstated. AI algorithms empower creators and businesses to streamline their workflows, unlock new creative possibilities, and deliver highly personalized content experiences. From automating mundane tasks to enhancing the overall quality of content, AI has revolutionized the way we create, consume, and engage with information. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect AI to play an even greater role in shaping the future of content creation, enabling creators to push boundaries and captivate audiences in unprecedented ways.

“Your future is bright,” says our robot overlords. It’s not entirely wrong. AI can be used to accelerate content creation. But is that a good thing or a bad thing?

For that, I turn to Proverbs. In Proverbs 21:5 we read:

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

The word here for “hasty” is one that give us the picture of a person running swiftly to nowhere. You don’t know where you are going but you’re making great time. This is juxtaposed by the person who diligently plans out their steps. One leads to abundance, the other leads to poverty.

What does this proverb have to do with AI and content creation? Quite a bit.

AI and Time-Saving

First, we’ll likely begin with the notion that AI will save us time. But in reality it will only help us accelerate content. The “time” we save using AI will only accelerate the expectations upon us. There will be a hasty way to use AI.

But the wise will view the acceleration of content differently. There will be a diligent way in which this powerful tool is wielded. I think here of the wise words of Tony Crabbe. He gives us a picture of the opposite of busy:

“The opposite of busy in today’s world is sustained, focused attention. It is deep engagement in activities that really matter to us, or in conversations with those we care about. It is taking the time to think, to amble and to plunge into the moment. It is to be found in the way we use our attention, not time; in how we think, not produce; and in how we engage, not acquire. (Tony Crabbe, Busy, xxiii)

Sustained, focused attention is the goal. Or to use the language of the proverb, “The plans of the diligent lead to abundance”. How so?

AI and Wisdom

Secondly, whether AI leads to poverty or abundance will be directly proportional to what we feed the machine.

We are already over-saturated with content, drowning in information. But we are starved for wisdom. If we use AI to help us churn out hasty product, it will ultimately harm us and we will experience poverty of meaningful and helpful content.

But if we diligently plan and feed wisdom into the machine, then it will be a helpful tool. AI can’t make you wise. But it can enhance the impact of those who are wise. Yes, AI can help you cut corners. But this, according to the proverb, will only lead to poverty.

Conclusion

Whether or not AI helps or harms content creation is largely up to us. Will we be people of wisdom? Or will we be people of haste? AI will be whatever we feed it.

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