Deeply Rooted

 

“He shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.”

—Psalm 1:3

Trees fascinate me. I love the variety, the shapes, the different leaves, and how the trees and leaves look in different seasons. Trees have often seemed like major décor in God’s world: decorating and defining space, shading, and quietly fluttering in the breeze.

I am impressed that, quite often, the writers of Scripture use trees to teach us, to describe a characteristic, and to liken the trees to some quality in our lives. In the verse at the beginning of this blog post, we see the offspring of a healthy tree: leaves and fruit. Often these elements supply life-sustaining food for humankind and animals. They also give evidence to us of health, strength, usefulness, and beauty.

Yet, we don’t often see the most important part of the tree because that part lies deep underground. In a healthy specimen, more than half of a tree can remain beneath the surface of the ground. There, it reaches out for nourishment from the soil and for deep springs of life-giving water.

Trees that have stunted roots, those that grow quickly and sprout early, often do not have the stabilizing power of those that have grown over many years. Jesus uses this principle in His well-known “Parable of the Sower” found in Matthew 13:5, when He teaches about the farmer’s seed:

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Our growth in grace follows a similar timeline. God plants His Spirit in us. But, God wants to grow us deeply into the “soil” of His written Word. If we immerse ourselves in Scripture, we will grow in our knowledge of, and relationship with, God and with His church.

We must not expect that our Christian lives, or our churches, or our ministries to “spring up overnight.” Rather, we must allow time, difficulties, and the seasons of life to develop God’s process of deeply-rooted spiritual growth.

Seeds of vegetation scattered on a soil with rocky places will spring up quickly and die off quickly because they haven’t grown deep roots into the nourishing soil. Likewise, our personal Christian spiritual formation that develops too rapidly—with unnatural enthusiasm and without putting deep “roots” into God’s written Word, without cultivating faithfulness to a local church, and without spending time with mature fellow Christians—will ultimately run the risk of burning out and of failing to produce useful spiritual fruit.

Instead, let’s find a beautiful large tree. And, let’s think of the seasons of its life and how deeply its roots must have reached. Then, let’s allow God to mature us spiritually in the same way. We must remain patient and look forward to the sweet fruit and beautiful leaves which will surely appear, if we remain patient in our pursuit of holiness.

 

 

The Child Proclaims The Parent

 

“Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

—Matthew 5:16

When people observe a male child, we often hear them remark: “He looks so much like his father.” Within a family, we can even more closely see the presence of family resemblances. “Aunt Roberta’s hands remind me of Grandma’s.” Or: “I see that Joey is losing his hair at just about the same age as his father did.”

During my years as an elementary and middle school teacher, I heard the following comment after colleagues met parents at conference time: “Well, the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree!” Our children do not only carry the physical characteristics of their parents. They also often carry the personality traits and life style traits, as well.

The sentence from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” that is stated at the beginning of this blog post, speaks to us in a similar vein. When people see our good deeds, they shouldn’t praise us, but rather they should praise our Heavenly Father.

Do we often think of the loving Creator-Sustainer God when we see His good works in the people that we know? Does our own behavior cause people to consider what we have done, as though Christ Himself is living His life in us and through us? Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones puts it this way: ¹

The child tells us a great deal about his parents, does he not? The child not merely tells us things about himself, he tells us much more about his parents. As you watch the behavior of a child you are really learning a great deal about the discipline, or lack of it, at home. The child proclaims the parent.

Referring to Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus speaks about loving our enemies, blessing those that curse us, and doing good to those who despitefully use us and persecute us. Why should we do all these things? We should do these things, so that we may be known as children of our Father, who is in heaven. Again, Dr. Lloyd-Jones writes: ²

That is why we have to do it, that we may be like our Father, that we may proclaim the family to which we belong … So the next time you are in doubt about some course of action, whether you should do a certain thing or not, do not spend your time arguing with someone as to whether it is right or wrong, simply ask, “Is that sort of thing worthy of my Father’s son [or daughter]? Is it consistent with the family to which I belong, the Father who has put His own name on me and whom I represent among men?”

Parents hope for their children to represent the family well, to make them proud, to have others observe what the years of training, disciplining, and loving have produced. In the same way, our Heavenly Father looks at us and desires that we represent well the spiritual family into which He has placed us. Out of sheer gratitude, we should apply ourselves, more and more, to look like Him!

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1 Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. God’s Way of Reconciliation. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1972. p. 334. Please note that whenever a citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog, such a citation is given strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

2 Ibid.

 

 

Not An Easy Game of Telephone

 

“Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”

—Joel 1:3

Nearly everyone has played the “Game of Telephone.” A simple phrase gets secretly passed in a whisper from one person to another. This continues around a circle until the last person receives the phrase and then proclaims it aloud. To the enjoyment of everyone, the phrase has often drastically changed from the original whisperer, as each person hears what the previous person told him or her, and then passes the phrase onward. The game seems more fun, the more outrageous the change that takes place in the course of transmitting the original phrase.

When the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ passes from one generation to another, we should aim at total accuracy above all else. We all know people who come from a long line of faithful Christians, but over the course of their upbringing they may have heard a particular twist to the gospel story that changes them into doubters or cynics of the faith—sadly, or even deserters from the faith. Other voices intervene in the transmission of God’s truth. In fact, one who sows lies joins the circle and, before long, the last hearer receives a message that completely distorts what the first person heard and understood.

How do we keep the children of this generation from being negatively affected by those who would try to influence them away from the true Gospel, the Truth of the written Word of God? Parents can’t always prevent their children from hearing wrong voices. However, if the parents have carefully orchestrated whom their children hear most often, and find ways to introduce them to winsome Christian family members and Christian friends, this latest generation will hear and carry on the faithful truths of the great heritage we have in Christ Jesus.

Please let me offer an example:

When I taught elementary music in a public school, folk songs became the major element of my curriculum. Not only did these folk songs supply the musical elements I taught, they also provided students with the “mother tongue” of their heritage as Americans. Scripture is the “mother tongue” of our Christian heritage. Our children need to hear faithful preaching and faithful teaching of God’s written Word. Our children need to come to know faithful Christians in the church, and our children need to observe these Christians’ lives of service and devotion to Christ and His Kingdom.

Yes, children need to see and hear people who have made the Christian life a firm foundation for their lives, and children need to see and hear people whose lives they can emulate. The children also need to learn the songs and hymns of their Christian heritage.

At the end of Moses’ life, as recorded in Deuteronomy 31, he wrote a song and instructed the Israelites to teach it and to sing it, as a testimony of God’s work. In similar fashion, Psalm 78:1-6 speaks of writing parables, in order to teach the next generation. Excerpts of those verses state:

I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old … We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord … he commanded our forefathers to teach their children so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

Not only has God given us the means to teach the next generation, He can give us the courage, wisdom, grace, and all else that we need in order to do so. Let us pray for this current generation of children. And, let us pray for those who not only begin their lives surrounded by the message of Christ, but who will carry it on throughout their lifetimes.

 

 

Appropriate Luggage

 

But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

—2 Corinthians 10:12 RSV

Christian speaker and artist, Joni Eareckson Tada, in her devotional book, Pearls of Great Price, ¹ recounts a thought she had while traveling:

I have been at countless airport carousels, watching as bags innumerable drop from the chute. Some of those pieces are very nice. Smart leather trim. Clean. New. In my daydreams I wonder what would happen if I swapped my old, scuffed-up luggage for one of those fancy pieces? I wouldn’t of course, But if I did, what might I find inside? Elegant clothes that don’t fit. Shoes I don’t like. Makeup that doesn’t match my skin tone. Jewelry that’s clunky and overdone. And what might I lose in this hypothetical deal? I’d lose my speaking notes, my favorite dress jeans, and treasured personal jewelry. I would lose the devotional book I love to read in the morning. In fact, while the bag I took might look better on the outside, it’s a no-brainer that the stuff on the inside wouldn’t be a good fit at all.

It’s easy to look at others and wish we could be like them: to have their talent, or their trim figure, or their jewelry collection, or whatever. And sometimes, all this comparison leads us to commit the sin of covetousness.

God has given each of us our own perfect milieu in which to live our lives. If He has made us to be a stay-at-home mom, He may not have given us the ability to speak in public. If He has made us to speak in public, He may not have given us children. God planned the whole package when He created us.

We must learn to see ourselves as God sees us: a perfect blend of everything He needs us to be. Even those things we consider weaknesses, He can use for His glory. Instead of looking longingly on what He has given others, we need to say with the Psalmist David, as found in Psalm 139:14, 16 NIV:

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well … All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Let’s look in the mirror today, and thank God for all He has given us. And, let’s pledge to Him that we will willingly use all our gifts in service to Him! What a joy!

______________________

1 Tada, Joni Eareckson. Pearls of Great Price. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2006. Devotional for September 6th. Please note that in each case, citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

Overflowing Blessing

 

“Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.”

—Proverbs 11:11

Does God’s blessing overflow to others like a cup overflows into the saucer? Apparently it does. Please note these examples:

Joseph, son of Jacob, who served in Potiphar’s household, was blessed by God with favor and success in everything he did, but God also blessed Potiphar, as recorded in Genesis 39:5:

The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.

In the life of Daniel, the commander of the king’s guard intended to execute the wise men of Babylon because they could not interpret the king’s dreams. Because God’s blessing rested on Daniel, and because God gave him the answer to the king’s questions, Daniel pled with the commander to not execute the wise men. Instead, as recorded in Daniel 2:24-49, the king put Daniel in charge of all the wise men of Babylon.

The Apostle Paul, on a ship bound for Rome, found himself in a deadly shipwreck. The crew had given up all hope of being saved. In Acts 27:24, Paul announced to them what God had told him:

“Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.”

As we drive our vehicles throughout the day, we should think about times when God has graciously spared us from an automobile accident. Did He not also spare others whom we didn’t even know? Have we been the recipient of blessing because God had His good hand on an employer of ours, or a public school teacher, or someone else whom God placed in a position of authority over us?

Eugene Peterson, in his book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, makes this statement: ¹

Blessing has inherent in it the power to increase. It functions by sharing and delight in life.

When Christians live under God’s blessing, those around them enjoy the positive effects of that blessing. As we process the impact of this reality on our lives, let us ask God today for His blessing, and watch to see how He blesses others around us, too!

______________________

1 Peterson, Eugene. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Please note that, in each case, citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

Return to Your Rest

 

“Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”

—Psalm 116:7 NKJV

What does the Bible say about the Christian’s customary position? Hebrews 4:9 says:

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.

I believe that Scripture teaches that Christians should normally live in a “resting” position. This place of rest shows reliance on God, joy, divine peace, and trust in God’s care.

I like the New King James Version of Psalm 116:7 because it uses the word “return.” God’s peace and rest remain our normal position.

In Psalm 116, the Psalmist had been overcome by trouble and sorrow. (His words.) He apparently had come close to death and God had spared him. In response, he speaks to himself and says: “Return to your rest.”

What kinds of things can you recall that have taken you out of your resting position? Maybe it was a deadly disease, a close call, a period of great stress, or the multitude of times when you just don’t know how a problem will turn out. Sometimes these “tempests in a teapot” can cause great strife in our lives.

When we turn to God in these times, more often than not, He hears our prayers, answers us, and “tends and spares us”—as the hymn “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven” teaches us: ¹

Father-like, he tends and spares us;
   well our feeble frame he knows;
In his hands he gently bears us,
   rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely as his mercy goes.

So, as we experience the turmoil and terrors of daily life, and after asking God in prayer to see Him do some wonderful things, let us remember to praise Him. Let us also meditate on the many times He has answered our prayers. And, let us record in our journals those times in our lives, so we can return and remind ourselves of them in the future.

Then, let us rejoice in His goodness. He will allow our souls to return to their natural position of rest in Him.

______________________

1 Lyte, Henry F. “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.” Public Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the particular Hymnal. Please take note that, in all cases, citation of copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

Act of God

 

The Lord said in his heart, … “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

—Genesis 8:21-22

With great sadness, we mourn the loss of life whenever a so-called natural disaster strikes anywhere in the world. In our helplessness, we are quick to explain such events as an “Act of God.” Yet, when we look up a legal definition of what some people call an “Act of God,” we find this authoritative definition:

An event that directly and exclusively results from the occurrence of natural causes that could not have been prevented by the exercise of foresight or caution, an inevitable accident. ¹

It’s quite amazing to find that humans think what they call “Acts of God” are actually proclaimed to be inevitable accidents! Yet, when we speak of the four seasons of the earth’s climate that have never ceased since the creation, nor the periods of productive time we call “day and night,” we credit so-called “Mother Nature” for the natural order of things and the way those things should happen.

Is it not more wonderful for humans to observe the absolute regularity of natural things and give appropriate credit to the creative commands of the creator Triune God? I love the entire Psalm 104 that expresses so beautifully the way God has designed the order of things. Here’s a taste from Psalm 104:5-8, 12-14, and 24:

He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them …

The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sings among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth: …

How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Now, those events described by the Psalmist are truly “Acts of God!” So too are the terrible tsunamis and earthquakes. None of the events that happen in nature can truly be called “an accident.” We have a God who not only created the earth and ordered every aspect of it, including its weather, but we also have a God who sends the storms and knows the boundaries for them. Even as we wipe away our tears of sorrow at the loss of life certain events may cause, relying on the truth God has revealed to us in His written Word, we can exclaim, as the Psalmist does in Psalm 71:16:

I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord;

In His great mercy, grace, and love, may God comfort the families of those who suffer injury and death whenever the disasters of our sin-cursed world occur. And, even as we mourn, may we remember that God’s divine will remains perfect, and that His immutable power reminds us that the Prophet Isaiah declares in Isaiah 55:8-9:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

______________________

1 West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 2nd edition. Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group, Inc., 2008.

 

 

Never "Lost in Translation"

 

“But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”

—John 16:13

At a public meeting, or on television, have you ever watched one of those interpreters for the deaf and wondered if they were delivering the exact message correctly? If the interpreter had an agenda other than to clearly express what the speaker was saying, it would be quite dangerous, right? Well, we have an enemy, Satan, or the devil, about whom 1 Peter 5:8 says:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Satan makes it his mission to misconstrue, mistranslate, misrepresent, and otherwise distort the truth, replacing the truth with what often merely looks like truth. The Apostle John, both in his gospel and again in his letters, speaks often about the importance of understanding the truth, and the way in which our enemy likes to derail that truth. In fact, in John 8:44b, the Apostle writes:

He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Throughout Christian history, churches and groups of Christians have been led astray from the truth by Satan’s wiles and distortions. They may have been well intentioned, even believing that they were devoted to the Kingdom of God. But, somehow they managed to get taken in by false doctrines that ultimately ruined their faith.

We’ve all heard of cults, whose members have been derailed from the truth by strong and manipulative leaders. Those leaders, much like their father, Satan, have schemed and lied in such clever ways as to persuade a whole group of people to follow in an ungodly direction.

Do we consider how dangerous a distorted interpretation of God’s written Word can be? Do we seek to avoid such distortions as the Apostle John warned? And, how do we keep from getting tricked into believing wrong doctrine and a misinterpretation of the truth?

When Jesus left earth in order to return to heaven, He told His disciples about the Holy Spirit, the “Counselor.” He is the one whom the Father promised to send to us.

Jesus taught, as recorded in John 10:1-21, about the true “sheep” who would know the voice of their true Shepherd. He urged them to listen clearly.

We too, gullible and weak—perhaps even more than the first disciples—need to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit when reading God’s written Word, and when listening to those who claim to preach and teach God’s truth. We need to weigh what we’re being told against the whole counsel of God’s written Word. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

Oh, Lord God,

Please keep all those of us who truly desire to follow hard after You to know the truth You share in Your written Word. Protect us from error, and help all who teach Your written Word to do so with integrity and clarity.

In the midst of the lies and confusion of our present world, may Your timeless truth come to us in these days with the power and the authority of the Holy Spirit.

We pray in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

 

When God says "No!"

 

He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

—Luke 22:41-43

God does miracles in response to prayer! He is able! If you agree, can I get an “Amen”?

Most of us, if we’ve lived long enough, can say that God has performed miracles in behalf of us, or in behalf of people we know. He has spared us against impossible odds. He has come to our rescue with resources we didn’t have, or couldn’t see. He has healed those we love, even after doctors did all they could do and after the results they hoped for didn’t come. As a result of faithful prayers, those miracles came with a resounding “Yes!” answer from the God who loves us.

It is important to note that Jesus believed, as we do, that God always heard His prayers. In John 11:41-42, Jesus ended His earnest prayer with these words:

“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me …”

But, while we always look forward to a “Yes!” when we ask God for something in prayer, in contrast, we must clearly understand that if God answered “No!” to what Jesus prayed in the garden at Gethsemane, certainly, we can also expect that sometimes He will most properly—and for our own good—say “No!” to us, as well.

As we watched my sister die of multiple myeloma, we prayed, in faith, fully believing that God had the power to heal her. She prayed that prayer, too. Yet, when we realized that God had said “No!” to our prayers for healing, we watched her—patiently resigned, submissive, and full of grace—bow to His perfect will for her and take her home to be with Him.

Did God still perform a miracle? He did, indeed! The magnificent way in which she endured her suffering and death had a profound effect on countless numbers of people who watched her yield to the perfect will of the God who loved her. Instead of saying “Yes!” to my sister, and to all of us who prayed for the miracle of healing for her, God sent incredible grace, beauty beyond compare, and a witness to all who knew her of the Resurrection power God had given her, and will give to anyone, who trusts in His provision for our sin.

Instead of saying “Yes!” to Jesus in the garden at Gethsemane, God sent angels to minister to Jesus. God gave Jesus power to face death. And, God gave His precious Son, Jesus, the power to shout victory over sin, death, and Satan on Resurrection morning. Through God’s perfect plan, God used the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus to bring with that victory the way for all of us to know God and to ultimately triumph over our earthly death.

As recorded in Luke 1:38, the young virgin, Mary—frightened, alarmed, and perhaps even shamed upon hearing about her one-of-its-kind pregnancy—instead of praying to have this burden removed, responded to the angel of God by saying:

“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

We can have the assurance that when God says “No!” to our prayers, in another more perfect sense, He always says “Yes!” to His power to work His perfect will in ways we could never imagine. From Jude 24 we read these words:

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior, be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore. Amen.

 

 

In the Hands of the Master Carpenter

 

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

—2 Timothy 2:20-21

I have several articles made of wood that were finely crafted. They are among my prized possessions because of their beauty, even though they each have a useful purpose, as well. I can imagine the carpenter beginning with a rough piece of wood in which he spied some beauty even before he started. As he sawed and chiseled, rubbed, and finished the piece, it took hours of delicate and expert work.

Imagine a fine violin, a carved piano leg, an exquisite jewelry box, and Indian canoe, each built for a “noble purpose.” But, think of what the piece of wood has been through to get to the place of beauty and purpose. Can you see the floor under the carpenter’s bench, full of sawdust and wood shavings? The wood has gone through a complete transformation under the artistic hands of the master carpenter. He has cut out imperfections, chiseled away knots, and rubbed down and smoothed every inch to get rid of splinters. He has covered the piece with a carefully chosen finish.

We Christians resemble a piece of wood, carved and sanded by our Master. Theologians call this process “sanctification.” God sanctifies—or “makes holy”—those of us whom He has already called and justified. He has chosen us, not because of something He sees in us, but because He wants to fashion an instrument for His use out of our rough origins.

The process of sanctification, like the work of a carpenter, appears to us as torment and distress. Sometimes we think God has left more “shavings” on the floor than He has left the remainder of us to use. But, He understands the process much better than we, and can see the finished product: an instrument for noble purposes—His purposes.

Trusting Him in this lifelong process of sanctification, and co-operating with His means to get us there, will yield for Him the person He wants us to be. He will use us in noble and in ordinary ways to glorify Him, our Master Carpenter.

 

 

Trees

 

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

—Psalm 92:12-15

I love trees. I always have. I remember as a child lying in the grass under the huge maple in our front lawn and watching the leaves dance under the blue sky. As a teacher, I admired a line of trees that I observed every day on my way to school. I enjoy looking at the various shapes of trees, and marveling at the “perfect” contour of some of them.

As noted in the passage of Scripture at the beginning of this blog post, Psalmists particularly like the image of the tree in their poetry. In addition, the Book of Genesis speaks of two very important trees (Genesis 2:9). And, the Book of Revelation describes the River of Life in the Heavenly Kingdom with the Tree of Life on either side of the river yielding fruit. (Revelation 22:1-2).

In some places we are referred to as “oaks of righteousness.” (Isaiah 61:3). But, in the passage of Scripture at the beginning of this blog post, the righteous in Christ are likened to a palm tree. These trees are graceful and erect, standing like sentinels.

We are also compared to cedars of Lebanon. These trees exhibit strength and majesty, and of course, fragrance. Both the palm tree and the cedar tree are planted—established—in the house of the Lord. What an honored place of protection.

I love the part that says they will still bear fruit in old age, fresh and green. No craggy, dried up, fruitless boughs here! They still declare that the Lord is upright, a Rock, with no wickedness in Him. They still praise Him to all, whether verbally, or in the strength of grace that keeps them still tall and valuable to the King.

This week, let us notice the trees. Wonder at the age and glory of each one, the unique fruit, the leaves, the beauty they possess. May they remind us of our Christian sisters and brothers of all ages, and the importance they carry in Christ’s Kingdom.

 

 

God: the Mosaic Artist

 

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.”

—1 Peter 1:6 AKJV (emphasis added)

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

—1 Peter 4:10 AKJV (emphasis added)

“O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.”

—Psalm 104:24 AKJV (emphasis added)

Someone once told me that in the Bible the word “manifold” means “many-colored.” Having never studied Hebrew or Koine Greek, I can only assume that this defnition is correct. But, it has often made me consider the beautiful way in which God artfully uses His grace to meet the various—or manifold—needs and trials of His people.

God perfomes very much as a mosaic artist, who chooses exquisite tiny tiles that He can see as He works. God can also envision the full masterpiece and how all those tiles fit together. He chooses the crystalline white stones that glint and shine with the light. He chooses the colorful clays that catch the eye and make us happy. He chooses bright turquoise, the brilliant reds, the sparkling purples, and the rich greens. He also chooses the inky black tiles that set off the other colored tiles, in order to lend variety and luxuriant contrast to the whole mosaic picture.

He sees the objects created by these various tiles in the picture that we never see—even though we may get just a hint of them in our lifetimes. But certainly, God envisions the total picture for which we have no eyesight, and He plans a masterpiece made from the pieces of our lives: manifold graces for the manifold trials. As 1 Corinthians 13:12 states:

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

We can be thankful that God will sometimes allow us to see the intricate work of His loving hands, as He makes something beautiful out of our confusing and seemingly helter-skelter experiences of this life. Once we graduate to heaven at the end of our lives here on earth, I can’t wait to see the many mosaics of the lives of the many believers gathered there. Then, each of us will see the artwork God is creating now, and we will surely adore the Artist, as we view His workmanship in the most magnificent gallery ever!

 

 

Harrowing Predicaments

 

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

—2 Chronicles 20:12

On November 12, 2014, two window washers became trapped 68 floors up at One World Trade Center in New York City, when their scaffolding came loose. We hear of such events because they rarely happen: a person’s parachute doesn’t open; a trapeze artist dies from a fall because he had no net beneath him; a bridge collapses, plunging cars to the river below; or other such terrible events.

We humans try to cover all eventualities, to make sure we are never caught without the help we need in any situation. We live in a country with regulations for every “worst-case scenario.” We use seat belts in our vehicles, have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in our homes, receive weather alerts, equip our boats with life preservers, fly on planes with all the safety technology available: all to keep people safe in an emergency.

Regardless of the lengths to which we go in order to avoid trouble, we can’t avoid it entirely. We must deal with scary diseases, horrible accidents, injuries from war, and a host of other maladies outside of our control. We need reminding of how many times in Scripture we read the words: “Do not fear” or “Be not afraid.” Nearly every Book in our Bibles has something to say about fear in the face of overwhelming odds.

We can’t get ourselves out of serious trouble any more than those window washers could save themselves. We must learn to trust in a God who has promised to care for us, and who will show us goodness and mercy every day of our lives. This bare-knuckled kind of faith comes to us hard, and only through severe adversity. It tests our dependence on God, as well as His ability to help us.

In a book of Puritan devotional readings, I came upon this paragraph by Thomas Lye: ¹

Faith is the antidote and healer of all diseases. It allows a believer to live in the midst of death. God has extraordinary means to bear us up when ordinary ones fail. He can turn poisons into antidotes, hindrances into furtherances, and destructions into deliverances. The ravens give Elijah food. A whale becomes Jonah’s ship, and pilot too. An Almighty God can work without means. God often brings his people into such a condition that they do not know what to do. He does this that they might know what he can do. God is with his people at all times, but he is most sweetly with them in the worst of times.

God can speak peace to us in the midst of terrible circumstances. He can bring help from strange places. Quite often, those things we often fear never happen, or come in a different form than we expect, so that we are able to bear them. Hear God say, “Trust me in this. I love you!” and experience His peace that passes all understanding.

______________________

1 Lye, Thomas. In Richard Rushing (Ed.) Puritan Sermons in Voices from the Past. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 185.

 

 

In Spite Of ...

 

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

—Habakkuk 3:17-18 (emphasis added)

Faith is belief in spite of—the contradiction of sight and reason. In the Gallery of the Faithful, recorded in Hebrews 11, we read of many courageous, Spirit-filled saints, who lived out faith in spite of. A hymn reflects this sentiment: ¹

Faith of our fathers, living still,
in spite of dungeon, fire and sword.

Faith like this does not come to those who “dabble” in Christian belief. That is, those who call themselves “Christian,” or “Christ’s-ones,” but rarely work it out in powerful prayer, or by courageous action. Instead, God calls to trust Him those who will devote themselves to faithful discipleship and who will acknowledge His all-powerful hand, which He can use in response to His people’s faith. Puritan writer, Thomas Manton, states: ²

We give up the visible for invisible rewards. We do not look at the things that are seen, but unseen … Faith provides invisible supplies to endure visible dangers … Sense judges only the outside of God’s dispensations, but faith looks within the veil.

Even if everything for which we pray does not come to pass in exactly the way we hope, the truly faithful look for God’s hand and trust His ultimate wisdom in every situation. Psalm 23:4 reminds us:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

God still works miracles. We may see His power in miraculous reversals of circumstances and health. But, when we trust Him in those in spite of times, He gives miraculous grace to sustain us, to give us peace, to give us courage, to give us joy, and to give us a grateful spirit. His grace allows us to see His hand above all the circumstances. Hymn writer William Cowper wrote the following: ³

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
and rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
but trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
and scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
and He will make it plain.

God reserves His awesome power and grace for those who place their faith in Him, who pray, and then, who leave the working out of all things to Him. As we walk our walks of faith, let us determine to rely on God’s power, in spite of.

______________________

1 Faber, Frederick. “Faith of Our Fathers!” Public Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of anyone claiming Copyright protection of this material, citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

2 Manton, Thomas. In Richard Rushing (Ed.) Puritan Sermons in Voices from the Past. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 59.

3 Cowper, William. “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” Public Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of anyone claiming Copyright protection of this material, citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

Please note: In all cases, any citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder, if any.

 

 

Flying Debris

 

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

—Mark 4:41

Many of us watched the movie Twister that came out in 1996. Remember the flying cow? The story made for good entertainment. But, it also showed the deadly nature of the damage that flying debris from such a storm can cause. People in this movie became fascinated with tornadoes and that fascination continues in real life today. I even found a website devoted to facts about such storms. Did you know that every tornado has its own color, sound, and shape?

In 1931, a tornado in Mississippi lifted an 83 ton train and tossed it 80 feet from the track. And, speaking of flying debris, a tornado destroyed a motel in Oklahoma and people later found the motel’s sign in Arkansas!

Sometimes life can feel like a tornado. We can feel that we are caught in the path of “flying objects” that threaten to kill or maim us, and threaten to change forever the way of life we’ve known. Often, in such a “storm,” we don’t know where to run or hide. Nothing makes sense. And, even the familiar landmarks we had always used to guide our way seem to have disappeared.

The story of Jesus calming the storm, found in Matthew 8:23-27, tells us that the storm came “without warning.” Meteorologists struggle to predict tornadoes and other such deadly storms. These storms appear suddenly with little time to warn people in their path.

So, what does Scripture tell us about surviving storms, whether we get hit with flying debris or not? Jesus rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith. He wants us to trust Him and remain at peace—hardly an easy task when we see the terrifying objects swirling around us.

In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus told His disciples:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Notice Jesus insists that in order to stay standing when “the winds blow and beat against the house,” we need to build a strong foundation of hearing God’s written Word and obeying it.

I like the story of Elijah who had fled to Horeb. He was fleeing a “storm” in his own life. But, the Lord had an even bigger lesson for this prophet. In 1 Kings 19:11-12 we read:

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [that is: a still, small voice].

Sometimes it seems that storms come one on top of the other. And, we cannot get our bearings, even enough to hear what God says to us. But, we can be assured that He will stay with us in the boat. He does cover us in the wind and in the earthquake and in the fire. Eventually, we will hear His voice speaking peace to us: “Everything is under my control. Don’t fear the flying debris. My love surrounds you!”

 

 

Stitch by Stitch

 

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior and my hope is in you all day long.”

—Psalm 25:4

Having spent fifty-plus years of my life in a school setting, I tend to think like both a teacher and a learner. My natural bent toward learning forces me to think in a sequential way about understanding, processing, and retaining knowledge. And, on top of that, my experience as a musician reinforces the notion that learning is longitudinal—that is, over a period of years.

No one has ever received the maximum benefit from learning a musical instrument if they take a lesson every six months and rarely practice. Nor, can a person enjoy success by taking lessons from one teacher for a brief time and then jumping to another teacher. The budding music student must carefully and deliberately follow a long, slow process, in order for learning to properly progress from foundational, to detailed, and onward to become specifically more complicated, as time goes by.

How should we study the Scriptures? In the same very careful and deliberate way: in a long, slow, sequential manner over many years. In Psalm 1:2, the Psalmist says that the blessed man …

… delights in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Creative teaching, with a carefully crafted and enjoyable methodology, will tend to produce eager learners, who don’t mind the perseverance they need to complete the process. And, the deliberate process will increase the effectiveness of the learning.

I note that during Colonial times in America, out of necessity, women taught their daughters to sew. The women would have their daughters practice by doing counted cross-stitch patterns with thread and cloth. These patterns taught not only useful stitching, but also taught letters, numbers, and Scripture verses. Each such lengthy project would allow these young girls to concentrate on God’s written Word, while they slowly improved their sewing skills.

I’m not proposing that we all learn to cross-stitch in order to learn God’s written Word. But, I am suggesting that each of us should make an effort to discover a pleasant way that will help us learn more effectively. Then, we should use that method to “meditate day and night” on God’s written Word.

Most people learn best using one of three ways: visually, aurally, or physically. Something learned in the style best suited to the individual will help him or her retain what he or she intends to learn. Some learn best by journaling, or in some other way that uses their hands to learn. Others like to listen to God’s written Word as they work or exercise. Others learn best by reading aloud, or by quoting passages of Scripture as they drive. I’ve known still others who like to paraphrase portions of the Bible to hide the written Word deep inside themselves.

The Apostle Paul, writing in Philippians 1:6 and speaking about God, tells us that:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

God, our ever present heavenly Tutor, wants to partner with us as we learn His written Word and put it into practice. “Stitch-by-stitch,” day by day, God opens His truths to us. Just as, over time, many children enjoy the learning process, may we each make time to find the exquisite delights of learning God’s written Word all the days of our lives.

 

 

It Takes All Kinds

 

God does not judge by external appearance.

—Galatians 2:6

I remember Cordelia as a woman from my childhood who attended my little country church. Cordelia stood out among the farm women in the congregation. As she sat in the pew, Sunday after Sunday, her trim figure displayed showy, colorful clothing, topped off with large stylish hats. Cordelia’s husband wasn’t a farmer like most of the men of the congregation either. They lived in a tidy little ranch house at the edge of the small nearby town. Cordelia painted in oils, and she had quite a reputation for her artistry. Yet, here she sat with her red fingernails, in her mink stoles that intrigued me with the mink’s beady eyes, and her “just-so” demeanor.

I wonder if the Early Church, described in the Book of Acts, had characters like Cordelia—just a little out of place style-wise, but perfectly at home in God’s house. I think I’ve found such a woman in Acts 16. Her name was Lydia. She was a Gentile from Thyatira in Asia. She was known as a “seller of purple.” She apparently had means, influence, and a large enough house to serve as the church meeting place in Philippi.

This woman, if not the very first, must have been one of the first converts to Christianity in the continent of Europe. As soon as the Lord opened her heart, she and her household were baptized, and immediately she offered hospitality to the evangelistic team who had come to their region. Her life had been changed by her coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ, through the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Sometimes Christians pre-judge others by their outward appearance, by how they “fit in and look the part.” Writing in Galatians 2:6, the Apostle Paul makes it clear:

God does not judge by external appearance.

Also, in 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord said to Samuel:

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Wouldn’t it be fun to find a “Lydia” right smack-dab in the middle of our church who doesn’t “look” like we might expect her to look? Be alert! There probably is a one-of-a-kind, genuine, disciple there, who doesn’t look the part—at least as we would see it. God may have some wonderful surprises ahead. We must remember that God doesn’t see things the same way we do.

 

 

Space to Grow

 

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 1:6

I laugh about it now, but when I was five, having to wear high top black PF Flyers for gym class embarrassed me to death. Since I was the oldest child in the family, and my mother had no knowledge of what “gym shoes” should look like for little girls, she drove me to the country store and picked out a pair that would fit me for two or three years. I could “grow into them.” Remember, too, that in the 1950s little girls never wore slacks to school. So, my sporty look—offset by these odd gym shoes—while it might be very “in” today, mortified me then.

My mom expected me to grow. She never questioned whether my feet would eventually fit properly in those shoes. In fact, if I hadn’t matured appropriately by age seven or eight, my parents would have spent all the money they had to find me a doctor to help me develop like normal children.

God expects us to grow, too. In fact, Paul wrote the following in Philippians 1:6:

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

God will provide opportunities for our growth. And, He will help us along. In 2 Peter 3:18, the Apostle Peter instructed believers to:

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Similarly, in Luke 2:52, Jesus, Himself, was said to have grown:

… in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. …

Spiritual growth, then, is a normal expectation for believers. Yet, there seems to be many people who claim to be Christians, but lack the evidence that they have grown into their own spiritual “PF Flyers.” If we find ourselves in this group, we must understand that some of the onus falls on us for this lack of growth. The author of the Book of Hebrews scolded Christians in his day by stating in Hebrews 5:12-14:

Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!…Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

What better evidence of a healthy child are growing feet? What better evidence of a healthy Christian is step-by-step growth into mature faith?

If we feel in need of a “growth hormone,” we should start by setting a regular time for reading the Bible and for daily prayer. We should determine to make it a habit to be in church for both Christian Education class and for the Worship Service every week. These steps are critically important because while God provides the means for growth, we remain responsible to take full advantage of what He provides for us.

 

 

The Wail

 

“And he [Joseph] wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.”

—Genesis 45:2

“With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.”

—Mark 15:37

Other-earthly; prolonged and deathly; loud and terror-ridden—this sound came from Joseph’s body, up from the depths of his soul, when he revealed himself to his brothers. This unnatural act of forgiveness came with a terrible cost: months and years of heratbreaking turmoil.

Philip Yancey perfectly expresses this occasion: ¹

The brothers Joseph struggled to forgive were the very ones who had bullied him, had cooked up schemes to murder him, had sold him into slavery. Because of them he had spent the best years of his youth moldering in an Egyptian dungeon. Though he went on to triumph over adversity and though with all his heart he now wanted to forgive these brothers, he could not bring himself to that point, not yet. The wound still hurt too much.

I view Genesis 42 - 45 as Joseph’s way of saying, “I think it’s pretty amazing that I forgive you for the dastardly things you’ve done!” When grace finally broke through to Joseph, the sound of his grief and loved echoed throughout the palace. What is that wail? Is the king’s minister sick? No, Joseph’s health is fine. It was the sound of a man forgiving.

Now, change the scene. In your mind, see Jesus during the last twenty-four hours of His life. During Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane, He fought in prayer with His Father:

“Would You possibly take this dreadful task away from me? If not, I will bow to Your will.”

Jesus prayed until He could agree with the Father’s will. This pain had to run its course. This death had to take place. There was no other way. In order to fully love us, Jesus willingly agreed to the Father’s plan. On the cross, in tortuous agony, Jesus gave Himself for the sins of all the people who had ever lived, all the people who were currently alive, and all the people who would ever live on the earth.

What is that wail? Listen! Hear that horrible sound! The terror of Jesus’ outcry graphically illustrates that He was born, would live, and willingly died for us all. The wail revealed the sound of the only Son of God, this perfect Man, forgiving—forgiving us!

Jesus asks us to forgive others as He forgave. We bow in prayer during this day after the celebration of Christ’s resurrection to ask for His grace that will allow us the healing that comes from His wail and from our own.

______________________

1 Yancey, Philip. What’s So Amazing About Grace? Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997. Pp. 84-85. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

What Will We Do?

 

	“Leave her alone.” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me …  She did what she could. She poured perfume for my burial.”
	—Mark 14:6, 8

Jesus reprimanded those who complained about this woman’s gesture and told them that what she had done in anointing His body for burial would be remembered wherever the Gospel is preached. This passage of Scripture makes it clear that: “She did what she could.”

In John 19:23-24, we find these words:

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

We don’t know the source of that seamless garment, but it must have been the finest of all of Jesus’ possessions. Jewish tradition called for a mother to make a robe like this for a son just before the time when he left home. Did Jesus’ mother, Mary, make it for Him? Indeed, if she did: “She did what she could.”

In Luke 23:50-53, the Scripture records:

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

This man had come at the risk of his own life and and at the risk of his credibility with the Jewish leaders. With determination and without fear: “He did what he could.”

In the events of this momentous week—Holy Week—we also read in Mark 16:1-2:

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb.

They rose early in the morning. Ministering the rite of burial to Jesus’ body was the foremost thing on their minds. It could most certainly be said of these women that, out of deep love for Christ: “They did what they could.”

Just as Jesus gave Mary from Bethany the honor of being remembered wherever the Gospel is preached, so Joseph of Arimathea and the women at the tomb are honored with their stories that will cause them to be remembered for all eternity. At the time, they probably thought each gift they gave was an insignificant part of the story. But, we can be certain that God saw and rewarded each one of them.

Out of love for Christ and for His sacrifice for us, what gift of obedience, time, talent, and treasure will we give? Will it be said of us: “We did what we could”?

 

 

Access

 

“He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

—Ephesians 2:17-18

It’s not much of a perk, but I have security access at the hospital where I volunteer. Yes, my badge will get me into wings of the building where visitors cannot go. Similarly, those who have business in highly secured government buildings must go through lengthy security clearances, so that they can have access to all areas where they must enter. They must show a badge or other certified proof of their right to enter.

When Jesus died on the cross and cried in a loud voice His final words, Matthew 27:51 records:

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

But what did the tearing of the temple curtain have to do with Jesus’ death? D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains: ¹

The temple at Jerusalem was divided into different places or courts. The most important place was the “holiest of all,” the innermost sanctuary, where the presence of God was revealed in the Shekinah glory over the mercy seat. And into that “holiest of all,” into the very presence of God, only one man was allowed to go. That was the high priest, and he only went in once a year.

Then there were the courts. The outermost court of all was called the “Court of the Gentiles.” They were the furthest away from God! They were not even allowed into the “Court of the People,” the Court of the Jews. The ordinary Jews were not allowed to go where the high priest went … They who were furthest away have been brought in, have been made nigh, in a most amazing manner … This is the position of all who are Christian.

For us who have been born anew into God’s Kingdom, what does this statement above mean? We now, by the gift of God’s grace, have an “access code” to the Father without any human intermediary. Jesus Himself became the eternal intermediary, in His role as our very own High Priest.

Hebrews 10:19-22 gives us this good news:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.

Jesus, by way of the cross, changed His “Throne of Judgment” into a “Throne of Grace.” We may, at any time—along with any Jews or Gentiles who claim Christ’s clearance—go to the Father directly in prayer. We no longer are treated as strangers, but rather we are welcomed as sons and daughters. We have access into the Holy of Holies, and have fellowship with God. What a wonderful Easter gift!

______________________

1 Lloyd-Jones, D.Martyn. God’s Way of Reconciliation. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972. p. 182. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

The Cup

 

“This is what your Sovereign Lord says, your God, who defends his people: See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again.”

—Isaiah 51:22

Often in our culture, we lift a cup in celebration. That use of a cup signifies light-hearted camaraderie. Not so the cup in Scripture. Here, most often, the cup represents suffering arising from the wrath of God. In Matthew 20:20-22, the mother of Zebedee’s sons, James and John, came to Jesus, asking if He would grant her the honor of having her sons sit on either side of Him in His Kingdom. His response:

“You don’t know what you are asking.” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, we read in Matthew 26:39:

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

The cup indicates the retribution for sin that God needed to “pour out” on Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. He, the perfect and sinless Lamb, obeyed God’s plan and drank that cup for us.

In our Christian tradition, we pass the cup to one another during the celebration of the Lord’s Supper—the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We are part of the Body of Christ, and we need each other in the suffering of discipleship.

From Seek Treasures in Small Fields by Joan Puls, ¹ I read the following:

Draining the cup of suffering is the final test of our sincerity in claiming discipleship. We can expect no right or left hand seats of honor, no prerogatives of power or monopoly on truth, no thrones, no outsiders. But we can have the privilege of holding one another, broken and bruised, in the embrace of our circle, of keeping watch with the dying or keeping vigil with the condemned, of walking alongside the exiled and the weary, of standing at the foot of the cross, not in despair or in bitterness, but open to the miracle of the pending resurrection.

Because Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath for us, in the presence of our community of faith, we can drink our own cup of suffering that connects us to Him.

This Lenten season, when you take the cup, as part of the Lord’s Supper, feast upon His obedience for our sake, and commit yourself to accept the cup He has given you, as part of the fellowship of His sufferings. May we be able to say with Paul, as he wrote in Philippians 3:10:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

______________________

1 Quoted in Shawchuck, Norman and Rueben P. Job. A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God. Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 2003. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

All Will Be Well

 

“Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever.”

—Deuteronomy 5:2

When everything seems to go wrong, when life gets really hard, when disappointment and pain accompany us every day, do we, as adults, just wish our loving parent would come and soothe our worries by taking over and making things right? We long for these words: “Everything will be okay.”

When my younger sister learned she had a very aggressive cancer that might take her life, she said to her weeping grandchildren, “I’ll be okay. And, even if I’m not, everything will still be okay.” In other words, God will work everything out as we hope. Or, He will work out everything to go well, just as He has planned.

We read in Isaiah 3 about the judgment God was about to bring on Jerusalem and Judah. He warned them that supplies of food and water would dry up, the military, legal, and governmental supports would become destroyed. He warned about oppression and disaster. Yet, He tells His people this in verse ten:

“Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.”

Even when all seems hopeless, we can trust God to bring good out of any evil. In His goodness, He rewards our faith with joy and peace. Our Heavenly Father comes and assures us that He has everything under His control. And, because this is so, it will be well.

Let us allow this hymn text to encourage our faith today, no matter what our circumstances might be: ¹

Through the love of God, our Savior,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favor,
All, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us,
All must be well.

Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Ours is such a full salvation,
All, all is well.
Happy when in God confiding,
Fruitful if in Christ abiding,
Holy through the Spirit’s guiding,
All must be well.

We expect a bright tomorrow,
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well.
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus ev’ry need supplying,
Or in living or in dying,
All must be well.

______________________

1 Peters, Mary. Through the Love of God, Our Savior. Public Domain. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

 

Becoming a Bridge

 

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”

—Psalm 68:19

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

—Galatians 6:2

Did you ever stop to think what your life would be like without bridges? People who live near rivers, or even swamp land, would have a nearly impossible time getting to work, or to common shopping areas, without the bridges that span the water. We can all be grateful for the continual burdens that bridges carry to allow us ease in our daily lives.

Have you ever been a bridge for another person? As such, you became their help in traversing a tough spot in life, or helped them move on to the other side of a difficulty. I can’t help but think of the Paul Simon lyrics from a song ¹ on the 1970 Simon & Garfunkel album, Bridge Over Troubled Water:

When you’re weary, feeling small.
When tears are in your eyes, I’ll dry them all.
I’m on your side, oh, when times get rough,
And friends just can’t be found.
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down.

Certainly, we followers of Jesus should act as a willing bridge for those who need us to help carry them to wholeness. After all, we have the example of a God who bears us through this life, and of a Savior who bridged the gap on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

Sometimes it even becomes necessary to act as a covered bridge for others: protecting them from more winds of adversity and from the cruel and bitter sting of sin and shame. Such people need the hospitality and healing of a safe and guarded place. And from time to time, God calls us to offer this solace to His hurting children. As Jesus told us in John 15:13:

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

The next time you drive over an expansive bridge, or see a covered bridge, remind yourself that, just as we sometimes need bridges to arrive at our next destination, so Christ may have need for us to become a bridge for someone else on their journey through life.

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1 Simon, Paul. “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” New York: Sony Music Publishing LLC, 1970. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

Buried Treasure

 

“If you look for it [wisdom] as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”

—Proverbs 2:4-5

Don’t we all remember stories from our childhood about buried treasure? Reading such accounts, we wished we could be surprised to find some rare and expensive fortune in our backyards. Yet, God clearly entices us to search His written Word for jewels that He has waiting for us within those precious pages.

To find most buried treasure takes work. Those seeking the treasure must search diligently and, hopefully, dig up that treasure. Similarly, it takes work for us to diligently comb the depths of the Scriptures and “dig up” the marvelous truths stored there. Puritan writer, George Swinnock, puts it this way: ¹

Precious things cannot be had without the greatest difficulty. They that desire great reward must run through many dangers. Nature herself will not bestow her precious treasure without much labor. Dirt lies common in the streets, but gold is buried deep in the earth. Stones may be found everywhere, but pearls are hidden in the bottom of the sea.

As with buried treasure, to find the deep truths in Scripture we need the element of discovery. Please let me illustrate this truth:

In 2 Kings 22, we read that a young King Josiah instructs his men to supervise the renovation of the temple in Jerusalem. Verse 8 of this passage describes that as they worked:

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.”

What follows this verse is a description of the revival and renewal of the covenant that took place among God’s people. The discovery of God’s written Word literally changed the society in which these people lived.

Today, not only should we seek the hidden truths of Scripture, but we should also meditate, rejoice, and determine to follow what we learn there. In the longest chapter of the Bible, Psalm 119—which line-upon-line expounds the glories of God’s written Word—in verse 11, we read:

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.

Beyond just discovery, there exists the obligation for us to obey what we find in God’s written Word. We discover the treasure, not to merely enrich ourselves, but in order to purposefully live out the precepts given there, in order bring glory to God.

As an exercise of “digging for buried treasure” in God’s written Word, let’s take one loaded verse we find and meditate on each word within that text. Then, seeking definitions and exploring the ramifications, let’s look for examples in Scripture that make that particular verse come to life. Next, we should pray the words of the verse. Finally, we should memorize the text from that verse: planting God’s truth in the depths of our hearts and minds.

As we spend time doing this spiritual discipline, uncovering deep truths, we will very likely exclaim as Hilkiah the high priest did: “I have found it!” Have fun digging!

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1 From “Works” by George Swinnock, as quoted in Rushing, Richard, editor. Voices from the Past. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 308.

 

 

The Gourd and the Worm

 

Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish… [Jonah] answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

—Jonah 1:3, 9

Jonah was proud of his Hebrew heritage, and he considered himself a prophet of the Most High God. Yet somewhere, as he traveled the road of his life, he lost his way. Jonah’s attitude changed, and he began to care less about God’s will than he cared for his own selfish will.

Yet God, in His faithfulness—faithfulness not only to the Ninevites to whom He had sent Jonah, but to Jonah himself—took extraordinary measures to discipline his servant Jonah. The Hebrews hated the Ninevites and would have rather seen them destroyed by God than saved. Jonah bought into this cultural opinion. Therefore, Jonah turned away from helping the Ninevites in prophesizing to them and facilitating their return to God in repentance. Instead by ship, Jonah headed in the opposite direction.

Even after God called Jonah a second time and he reluctantly obeyed, Jonah became very angry that the people of the wicked city of Nineveh turned and repented. So, he sat down outside of the city and pouted.

In kindness, as Jonah experienced the extreme heat of the day, God provided for Jonah by causing a gourd with large foliage to protect Jonah from the sun and scorching wind. This vine became the only thing in this story that made Jonah happy. Then, God did something that again made Jonah angry: God sent a worm to eat the gourd, causing the foliage shading Jonah to wither and die.

God went to extreme lengths to call His wayward servant, Jonah, back to Himself. What a readjustment Jonah needed! God used a storm, a fish, a gourd, and a worm to call Jonah back into the center of God’s will for Jonah’s life. If God would do this for Jonah, we can be assured He will not let us disobey and turn from what He has called us to do. God is faithful. He will keep us from going and straying away from Him. Please note the Scripture passage found in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 that tells us:

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

God expects of us, His servants, today the same thing He expected of Jonah: complete obedience to God’s perfect will for our lives. And, God will not let us focus more on our own comforts than we focus on His sovereign plan for us. God will direct us to the best that He intends for us, even if He has to provide a “gourd and a worm” to do so!

 

 

Our Inheritance

 

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

—2 Timothy 4:8

My mother wrote my name on a label attached to a baby blanket that she had kept for me from my Grandmother’s items. My other Grandmother put my name on a pendant watch that came from my Great Grandmother’s estate. Although I never sacrificed to pay any price for them, I claimed them as my own. Why? Because my name appeared on them.

If we call ourselves “Christians” because we believe in the work of Jesus on the cross, we all can lay claim to an inheritance that consists of salvation from our sins, and of the blessing of eternal life because the blood of Jesus has placed our names on these great gifts from God. Although we did not sacrifice to pay any price for these precious items, they have become ours, as a gift of God through His Son, Jesus.

As Charles Haddon Spurgeon explains:

There is one crown in heaven which the angel Gabriel could not wear; it will fit no head but mine. There is one throne in heaven which Paul the Apostle could not fill; it was made for me, and I shall have it. ¹

The Psalmist David assures us, too, of our inheritance—some of which we may even enjoy in this life. Read these words from David, as he speaks to God, found in Psalm 31:19:

How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.

Whenever we travel, it reassures us when we hear that someone has reserved a room for us, or has put our name on a rental car reservation, or even has bought us a ticket to an event. We will have every right to claim those items when we arrive. In just the same way, God is storing up for us a place. Along with that place, He has reserved special items that will surprise us. He has reserved these special gifts out of the inheritance planned before the foundation of the world. As the Apostle John shares these words of Jesus, found in John 14:1-3:

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Truly, when we see our names written in “The Lamb’s Book of Life” by our Savior, we will rejoice in the goodness and amazing love our Lord has shown toward us. Praise His name!

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1 Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Morning and Evening. McLean, Virginia: MacDonald Publishing Company, Public Domain. p. 20. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.