• Numbers 6:26
  the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
• Job 14:20
  You prevail forever against him, and he passes; you change his countenance, and send him away.

I was surprised to find that the word countenance only appears twice in the ESV.

The reason this article is entitled chess is because I was at one time a competitive chess player.

I gave it up because I discovered my drive to win produced an undesirable countenance. I lost friends because of it. I turned friends into opponents and therefore the enemy. Friends do not appreciate being treated like enemies.

This is in line with recents posts about being competitive. We cannot win friends by treating them like the enemy. We cannot win lost sinners to Christ by pointing out their sin.

Many of us have failed in following the advice “love the sinner but not the sin.” Perhaps that is because we arrive to help while being competitive. We might not even be aware of how combative that feels to the lost.

The only time I can remember Jesus being combative was when non-jews were denied a place to worship God in the temple in Jerusalem. The marketplace where the stalls were set up to sell sacrifices to worshipers that came great distances was done in the only area of the temple where non-jews were allowed to worship.

It is true that Jesus called them a den of thieves but what was being stolen from God was an opportunity to be worshiped by non-jews. God could care less about the money, He is in the soul saving business.

Luke 20:25

He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Salvation belongs to God, do not fight Him over it.

Following up where we left of yesterday, allow me to say this life of faith is not turning our back like this either.

Luke 10:25-37 English Standard Version

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

A priest, a lawyer and a sinner walked into a bar.

That is no joke, nor is this life of faith. We will find ourselves given the opportunity to be merciful if we do not see ourselves as being too important or too busy to stop what we are doing when we are needed. Verse 31 begins with “now by chance”. Which of those words best expresses this life of faith? I believe it is the word now.

Once we walk away from those opportunities for mercy, now is over and cannot return.  We need to be instant before opportunity leaves us.

Romans 12:12

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;