The Kidron Valley

 

“The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king [David] also crossed the Kidron Valley.”

—2 Samuel 15:23

“When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley.”

—John 18:1

The Kidron Valley, and the brook that flows through it, still holds its place as a renowned location in the area around Jerusalem. King David—in fleeing from his son, Absalom, who had usurped King David’s power and proclaimed himself king—sorrowfully crossed this brook into the desert in order to mourn. David prayed that God would allow him favor to let him again see his beloved city of Jerusalem and the Tabernacle of Jewish worship.

The King of Kings Himself took the same path on His way to the cross. He left, with Peter, James, and John, to spend the night in prayer on the Mount of Olives. Mark 14:33-34 describes Jesus’ spirit:

He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them.

Jesus gives all of His followers a “Brook Kidron” to cross. Sometimes, He give us many such “Brooks.” Just as our Savior had to suffer, He gives us a path of suffering. Philippians 3:10 offers us this testimony of the Apostle Paul:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing His suffering.

As God did with King David, and also with our Lord Jesus, He uses our “Brook Kidrons” to achieve His good and perfect will in us. I like the way that Charles Hadden Spurgeon describes it: ¹

The King of Kings himself was not favored with a more cheerful or royal road. He passed over the filthy ditch of Kidron, through which the filth of Jerusalem flowed. God had one Son without sin, but not a single child without the rod. It is a great joy to believe that Jesus has been tempted in all points like as we are. What is our Kidron? Is it a faithless friend, a sad bereavement, a slanderous reproach, a dark foreboding? The King has passed over these. Is it bodily pain, poverty persecution, or contempt? Over each of these Kidrons the King has gone before us.

What results did God plan in the face of all these sorrows? David returned in triumph to his city. Christ arose triumphant from the grave. Thus, we have Spurgeon’s encouragement to us: ²

Courage, soldiers of the Cross, the King himself triumphed after going over Kidron, and so shall you.

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1 Spurgeon, Charles Haddon. Morning and Evening. McLean Virginia: MacDonald Publishing Company, Public Domain. p. 304.

2 Ibid.

 

 

With Passion

 

“The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

—James 5:11

Christ was full of compassion—“com - passion”: with passion. What a wonderful picture of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, as He faced the cross. How many times does Scripture indicate that Jesus had compassion? So often we find the phrase: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion.” ¹ And, of course, compassion motivated Jesus, along with His love, to die in our place in such a horrifying manner.

In the Old Testament, compassion was symbolized by the Mercy Seat within the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle. Once a year, the High Priest entered this sacred place to offer a sacrifice for the sins of God’s people. The Mercy Seat—the “hilasterion”—indicated to the people of God that He fully sympathized with their sin, their pain, and their sorrows. The New Testament Greek text of Romans 3:25 KJV reads: ²

[Jesus Christ] Whom God set forth to be a propitiation [mercy seat] through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

The moment Jesus took His last breath, Scripture records that the veil in the temple was torn in two, so that we all now have access to the mercy and love of Christ.

When we show compassion to others, we reflect Christ to them. When we take on someone else’s suffering, we put ourselves in their place, just as Christ did for us. When we invite others into our lives, we show the hospitality of Christ.

The mercy of God should flow through His people to others, just as it flowed constantly through Jesus’ earthly life. God the Father has compassion, Jesus the Son has compassion, and through the Holy Spirit, we can have compassion for others.

I am reminded of an old hymn that talks about the mercy seat. The mercy seat being a place of prayer, or a place of congregated believers who show forth Christ’s compassion.³

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish;
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel;
Here bring your wounded hearts,
Here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure,
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot cure.”

Here see the Bread of Life; see waters flowing,
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above;
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heav’n can remove.

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1 To name just a few: Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, and 20:34

2 Quoted by Beth Moore in Moore, Beth. A Woman’s Heart. Nashville: LifeWay Press, 1995. p. 181.

3 Moore, Thomas and Hastings, Thomas. Come, Ye Disconsolate. Public Domain.

 

 

Dead Flies

 

“Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor.”

—Ecclesiastes 10:1 NKJV

Something ruined! And, it was something with such an intentional, pleasure-causing purpose as an expensive perfume. Now it’s ruined! And, by what? A stray fly coming through the palace window into the boudoir of a wealthy maiden. The perfume—created with such skill by a talented expert artisan, skilled in the art and science of perfumery—totally spoiled by the ugly presence of a filthy, common fly.

When compared to the witness of a fine Christian, we are reminded that even this witness can be spoiled by the entrance of a foul, habitual sin. I appreciate the way that Charles Haddon Spurgeon describes it:

No matter though the vase be alabaster, and the perfume the most delicate, dead flies would destroy the precious nard, and even so minor faults will spoil a fine character. Rudeness, irritability, levity, parsimony [stinginess], egotism, and a thousand other injurious flies have often turned the exquisite perfume of a Christian’s life into a pestilent odor to those who were around him. ¹

In comparison, the Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, expresses God’s intent for us to live in such a way so that those around us effectively “smell” the sweet aroma of Christ. The Apostle offers this declaration:

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are perishing.

God’s intention for us—to live in such a way that we spread His Presence like a fine perfume—can be ruined by the entrance of our sinful sloppiness, as though we left the lid off the bottle of perfume and flies entered, ruining the liquid. We can only remedy our sin by coming to Him with confession and repentance, so that we may receive His forgiveness and His restoration, thus giving us a new start under the power of His Holy Spirit.

During this time of Lent, let us examine our lives for those “dead flies” that mix in the stench of sin with the life-giving perfume of Christ that He created us to exhibit. May He spread abroad His love through the fragrance of our lives, purified by His precious blood.

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1 Spurgeon, Charles Haddon. Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1964. p. 325.

 

 

Become the 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 our lives would be like without bridges? People who live near rivers, or swamp land, would have a nearly impossible time getting to work or getting to common shopping areas without bridges. We can all be grateful for the continual burdens 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? The Simon and Garfunkel lyrics from the 1960’s come to mind:

When you’re weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes, I’ll dry them all (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. ¹

Certainly, if people without an eye to pleasing our Savior can think that way about their friends, how much more should we—who have the example of a God who bears us through this life, and of a Savior who bridged the gap on the cross for our sins—act as a willing bridge for those who need us to help carry them to wholeness?

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.

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!

______________________

1 Simon, Paul. “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” ©1969. All Rights Reserved. These lyrics remain the sole property of the copyright owners. Included here under the “Nonprofit Educational Use Provision” of Section 107 (2022 Edition) of the United States Code, 2018 Edition, Supplement 4, Title 17 - COPYRIGHTS.

 

 

Hidden Treasures

 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

—Matthew 6:19-21

I have a beautiful photograph of my maternal grandmother as a teenager. What a treasure! I also have a Waterford crystal apple given to me by my music colleagues on the occasion of my retirement from teaching. Again, what a treasure! Once in awhile I take the opportunity to look at my various pieces of furniture, jewelry, dishes, photographs, and paintings that I consider true treasures and I marvel at these “things” that God has so graciously given me.

I don’t think Jesus was opposed to earthly treasures. But instead, He wants us to put them into proper perspective and use them as an illustration of the greater things He wants us to value. Even more than the way we take out our keepsakes and admire them, I believe He wants us to set aside the time, once in awhile, to admire the eternal treasures He gives us. Is there a better opportunity than during the Season of Lent for us to do just that?

Do you have familiar passages of Scripture that you memorized a long time ago, or learned as a child, but which have slipped into the background of your thinking? Why not take those Scripture passages out, dust them off, and reclaim them? For example, how long has it been since you have read and meditated on Psalm 23? Or, perhaps the Lord spoke to you and changed you through some other passage of Scripture that you haven’t looked at in some time. Take the time during the Season of Lent to read that passage in another translation, to study it verse by verse, word by word. If you do so, I believe you will discover that a treasure awaits you!

Another source, in my personal “glass case of memories,” comes through the hymns and spiritual songs that I have sung over and over throughout my lifetime. These hymns hold treasured phrases and living images of God’s truths. To review them brings me renewed blessing, challenges, gratitude, and love for my Lord.

If you journal your spiritual progress, like I do, the things that God teaches us daily, in our quiet time with Him, reveal a fortune of riches. I encourage you to join me in taking a look back through our journal entries. See how He has blessed us through the day-to-day revelation of His presence. The times He has met with us, answered prayer, and taught us about life with Him should truly make us rejoice in the treasures He has given to us.

So, I am suggesting that we all pull out the treasures we have stored in our hearts—treasures of Scriptures and spiritual songs, treasures of the day-to-day remembrances of His presence. We need to slowly turn them over in our minds and hearts, admiring the prized truths that bring our Savior closer and help us adore Him, the greatest Treasure of them all!

 

 

Behold the Lamb!

 

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

—John 1:29

References to Jesus as “the Lamb of God,” come up often in the New Testament Scriptures—from His baptism by John, all the way to Revelation, the last book of the Bible. Most often the image of the Lamb refers to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and His disposition as He made that sacrifice.

The challenge for us, who follow the Lamb during this Season of Lent, comes when we humbly acknowledge how far we fall from His standard.

The British evangelist and author, Roy Hession, refers to an address he heard in London in the 1940’s by a Mr. Marshall Shallis, who spoke of Jesus as:¹

1. The simple Lamb—helpless and dependent.
   
   
2. The shorn Lamb—of His rights, His reputation, His position.
   
   
3. The silent Lamb—never defending Himself or explaining Himself.
   
   
4. The spotless Lamb—no resentment, no grudges, no bitterness.
   
   
5. The substitute Lamb—carrying our sins, the scapegoat for us, scarred and humble.

If we make it our goal to be like Jesus, we need to consider how the Holy Spirit continually urges us to allow Him to accomplish more of these characteristics of the Lamb in us. We should accept the challenge during this Season of Lent to join in meditating on the love that led Jesus to become the Lamb for us. Then, let us listen as the Holy Spirit urges us to ask what qualities He would like to see blossom in our lives.

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1 Hession, Roy, The Calvary Road. London: Christian Literature Crusade, 1950. Pp. 60-64.

 

 

Welcome

 

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

—Matthew 11:28 KJV

I know that plenty of children do not find their fathers approachable—especially when connecting with their dads means reporting on some bad news. Having borne the brunt of numerous angry, abusive responses, they shy away from intimate relationships with their fathers.

This phenomenon is not limited to childhood. Even approaching people with whom we work, or with whom we volunteer, or to whom we are related can produce the same kind of reticence. If the individuals we intend to approach have rebuffed us in the past, we may stew a bit before we try to connect with them. I think of two Bible stories that clearly demonstrate this kind of fear:

• In certain chapters of Scripture—Genesis 27 - 33—we read the stories of Jacob and his first-born brother Esau. Due to Jacob’s deceptions, he received the blessing of his father instead of Esau. This resulted in anger and hatred from Esau and a plan to kill his brother. Jacob eventually moved to Hiran, to get away from his brother and with the intent of finding a wife.
  
  After leaving Hiran many years later, richer and blessed with sons and daughters, he struggled when he considered whether or not to arrange a meeting with Esau again after all the intervening years. Jacob prayed and wrestled with God all night before the confrontation with Esau the next day.
  
  God heard his prayers and Esau greeted Jacob with a warm welcome. However, because Jacob feared that his brother would seem unapproachable, Jacob suffered great fear of that meeting.
  
  
• As recorded in the Book of Esther, the queen feared the king because of the edict he had issued that no one could come into his presence without his invitation. Anyone violating this decree would be killed. But, Queen Esther had agreed to approach the king on behalf of her people, the Jews. So, Queen Esther prayed and fasted, asking God to preserve her as she approached the king. God heard and answered her prayers.
  
  

Our God does not treat us in such a way that we need to fear coming to Him with our requests. A. W. Tozer writes: ¹

God never changes moods or cools off in His affections or loses enthusiasm. His attitude toward sin is now the same as it was when He drove out the sinful man from the eastward garden, and His attitude toward the sinner the same as when He stretched forth His hands and cried, “Come unto me.” … He is always receptive to misery and need, as well as to love and faith. He does not keep office hours nor set aside periods when He will see no one.

When it comes to approaching God in our times of need, His open arms will always greet us. Yes, He welcomes us, just as various Scripture records that He did in both Old Testament times and in New Testament times—as He welcomed the beggars and the sick, and as He welcomed the children in Mark 10:13-16.

We must never consider that we are interrupting God to come to Him. We must never consider that our needs are too small for Him to meet. Instead, we must accept His gracious welcome and know that He never changes.

______________________

1 Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1961. p. 53.