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.

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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.

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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.

 

 

Enjoy the Simple Gifts

 

“How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all … When you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.”

—Psalm 104:24, 28

Out the children came: mouths open, tongues out, excitement showing on every face. I stood by the front door of the school doing my daily end-of-the-day bus duty. As though playing from some script, over and over again, the children ran out of school into the newly fallen snow with the same reaction: cries of delight, eyes skyward, they couldn’t have been happier.

The adults—teachers, aides, custodians, and bus drivers—reacted with far less joy. We complained and worried about the drive home. Snow offers a challenge and we found nothing so gleeful in it.

Thinking about those long-ago days, I wonder which group pleased the Lord more. God must have looked with pleasure, as the children enjoyed this gift He’d brought to an otherwise ho-hum school day.

As I watched the children’s reaction and delight, God reminded me of the many simple gifts we receive from His wonderful creation. And, I also remembered His kind and gentle way with children. God gives us the happy spirits of children to remind us of life’s simple pleasures, and to remind us of the beauty He constantly provides around us.

Watching the joy of the children, I breathed this simple prayer:

“Thank you, Lord, for revealing the beauty that I wouldn’t have seen except for these gleeful children.”

As we live through the gray, lifeless, even challenging days of winter, let us determine to look for the beauty and wonder that the children see. When we do so, we may find that we, too, can find enjoyment in God’s simple gifts.