Barabbas... and me on Good Friday

          (Apology: this entry is longer than usual.  Sorry, but this is based on something I shared at Bible study the other day, and I thought I might include it here.)

      Good Friday: the hinge of history and the hope of humanity on this terrible, horrible... glorious day.  An innocent Man willingly went to the cross and became guilt that we, the guilty, might become innocent.  

 None truly comprehended what that God-Man was doing that awful, wonderful day... except perhaps, just perhaps, one man.  For you see that horrific day, there was one man who knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was guilty. That he was condemned. And that he deserved to die for his guilt that day. 

     Barabbas.  Interesting that his name means “son of a father”--and who of us is not a son or daughter of a father?  We are all Barabbas.  So his story, well, it’s actually our story as well.   

     Pilate, still trying figure out a way to free Jesus since he knows He’s innocent, hits upon a seemingly foolproof plan.  He recalls that there’s a tradition of permitting the Jews to ask for the release of one prisoner at the time of the Passover festival.  So Pilate offers them a choice: I’ll either release Jesus or release Barabbas.   Pilate’s certain, of course, that they’ll pick Jesus.  This is what you call a no-brainer.  Barabbas is notorious--a murderer, a robber, and the leader of a violent insurrection against Rome that could have gotten all the Jews killed.  

     Pilate knows when offered this choice, the people will choose the Prince of Peace, the King of the Jews, rather than this violent, wicked rebel.  

     But they don’t.  They shout “Release Barabbas” and “Crucify Jesus!”  And so a rebel, an insurrectionist, goes free and an innocent man takes his place on the cross.  

    The great preacher, Donald Grey Barnhouse, imagined how it might have happened:

    “Barabbas must have looked at the palms of his hands and wondered how it would feel to have the nails ripping through the flesh.  He must have remembered scenes of crucifixion death, and the slow agony of the victims who suffered at times for a day or two before merciful death came to release them.  He must have awakened with a start if he heard a sound of the clanging hammers that would bring death near to him.  And then, in his prison, he heard the vague murmuring of the crowd that roared outside like the murmur of a troubled sea.  He thinks he hears his own name.  He can tell that there are angry cries, and fear rises in his heart.  Then he hears the sound of a key in the lock, and a jailer comes to him and releases him from the chain that is wound around him, for the Bible tells that he was bound.  He must have thought that his time had come, but the jailer takes him to the door and tells him he is free.

    In his stupefaction he moves toward the crowd.  There is little welcome for him, and he senses the deep preoccupation of the people.  It he meets one of his old companions in the crowd, he is greeted with but a moment’s word, and then he hears the surging roar, ‘Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!’  In modern language he would say to his companions, ‘What’s the pitch?  Give me the lowdown!’  And he would be briefly answered that the roar is against Jesus and that He is to be crucified, and that the crowd had cried out for the release of Barabbas.

    Stunned, he walks nearer to the center of the scene and sees the man who is to die in his place.  Finally the procession begins toward Golgatha.  He follows and sees Jesus fall under the weight of the cross.  He sees Simon of Cyrene pressed by the soldiers to fall in line and carry the cross, and finally they arrive at Calvary.  What must have been in his thoughts?  He hears the echoing blows of the hammer striking the nails, and looks down at his own hands.  He had thought that this would be his day.  He had thought that the nails would tear his flesh.  And here he is breathing the air of springtime and looking at the dark cloud that is gathering in the sky.  Does he say, ‘Those hammer blows were meant for me, but He is dying in my place?’ He could have said it in literal truth that day.

    The cross is lifted up and he sees the silhouette against the sky.  The sun grows dark and he hears voices that come to him like thunder.  ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’  The centurion passes near Him and seeing the look on His face, says, ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’  And Barabbas, more than before, looks with wonder and amazement at the Man who is dying for him.  There comes a cry. ‘It is finished,’ and a little while later he sees the soldiers take down the body and put it in its temporary grave.  He goes back to the city, and all the little things that he had expected to see no more come before his eyes with the freshness of new creation.  ‘He took my place. Jesus took my place.  They released me, Barabbas, who deserved to die, and they crucified Jesus instead of me. He took my place.  He died instead of me...”

     Barabbas wasn’t the only guilty, condemned man whose place Jesus took on the cross that day.  For you see, I’m a rebel and you’re a rebel.  We’ve all led a one-person rebellion against God.  We’ve all betrayed and denied Jesus.  We’ve all been haters or hypocrites or gossipers or liars.  We’ve all essentially told God, “I’m staging a take-over, I have a better plan, and I’m going to run this show.” 

     And for all that, Jesus said, “Lord, take Me instead of her.  Release her and crucify me.  I’ll take her guilt and You give her My righteousness.”

     That’s the divine exchange and that’s what happens every time someone puts their faith in Christ.  

                           A rebel is set free.  

      A.W. Tozier writes that “God thru Christ turns rebels into worshippers.”  And that’s who we are--at the heart of it all, we’re rebels and the verdict is “Guilty!”

      But Christ!  But Christ! 

      The only difference between a rebel and a worshipper is Christ, and He has taken our place as guilty rebels and set us free to be innocent worshippers.  And for this divine exchange, this incomparable gift of glorious grace, what can we do but say “Thank You, thank You, thank You, Jesus!”

     That is all I know to do--me, this guilty rebel now made clean and free.   Worship the King who took my place on the cross that horrific, glorious Good Friday.  

                           To God--the glorious, gracious, good Savior--be all the glory.

Maundy Thursday

      Maundy Thursday--the day we remember Jesus and His disciples sharing the Last Supper together in the Upper Room.  The last night of the earthly life of the Son of God, the Creator of the Universe... and He chose to spend it kneeling in the dust, washing filthy feet.
      It's thursday evening right now.  After a long, busy day, I finally can sit down for a few moments and reflect. Sure, I've had a lot to do today, but can it compare to walking miles along dusty roads while teaching, healing, forgiving, loving, rebuking... all the while walking inexorably to the cross?  No, my day suddenly comes into clearer focus and I realize I have no room to complain.  Indeed, when should we ever have room for anything but gratitude?
      But what if I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that these next few hours would be my last here on this earth, with my family, with my friends--what would I say?  What would I do?
     We know what Jesus said and did. "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. (John 13:1).
     He loved.  
     And He loved to the very end, loved to the "uttermost," some translations read, by removing His outer garment, picking up a towel, and slowly, lovingly cradling grime-encrusted feet in His soon-to-be pierced hands and washed.  Is that what I would choose to do?  To serve rather than to be served?  To wash rather than to be waited upon? To kneel rather than to know peace and comfort?  To be abased like a lowly servant rather than to be applauded and appreciated as someone superior?  
     It's easy to forget to love in the midst of busyness and accomplishing and hurrying and pushing.  But if we're not loving, then we're not following the Savior's leading.  And if we're not loving, well, we're missing it... and missing Him.  Because He will be wherever costly love is being extended.
     The term "Maundy" comes from a Latin root that means "commandment."  "Commandment Thursday" we might call this day.  And the Lord Jesus makes His commandment crystal clear on this night of Maundy Thursday: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
     A new commandment--to love.  And love is service.  Love is willing to be inconvenienced.  Love is happy to get dirty and messy and tired and uncomfortable.  Love is sacrifice.  Love is action.
     Love is following the Savior, for love is the Savior.  Love holds out it's hands and willingly takes the nails.  Love says, "I forgive you... even when you don't deserve it and can never earn it."  Love takes the initiative and extends grace and mercy... even to the ungracious and unmerciful.  For such were we.
     So Lord, on this Maundy Thursday, we wonder and rejoice as we remember a Sovereign washing and a King kneeling, and a Savior loving all the way to the end... from a cradle to a cross to a crown.  Help us to love as Jesus loved.  It's just that simple--love as He loved, serve as He served, forgive as He forgave.  To God be the glory.  

Walking with our Big God

     "And every day He was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet.  And early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.
     Now the Feast of the Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put Him to death, for they feared the people.
     Then Satan entered Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.  He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of a crowd."  (Luke 21:37-22:6)
     Most believe these are the events that occurred on Wednesday of Holy Week.  My big plan had been to write about each day of Holy Week.  Well, today is Wednesday, which means so far, I've only missed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of Holy Week.
     So much for my big plans.
     What a snapshot, is it not, of our constant tendency--make big plans, but fail first to come to the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe and ask Him, "Father, what are Your plans for me today?  What is Your will?  Father, would You lead me today... would You, in Your mercy and grace and power, use me for Your Kingdom for however many hours You give me today?  And if I make it to the end of these next 24 hours, if You have not yet taken me home to be with You, then Lord, would You keep me faithful?"
     Because here's the thing: He doesn't call for us to make big plans.  He calls for us to make Him big.
     In whatever way He leads us for that day--make Him bigger.  In whatever arena He places us in the hours He gives us--make Him bigger... and bigger... and bigger.
     And that means walking with Him.  He's already walking with us, beside us, behind us, before us.  But are we keeping pace with Him or are we too busy with our "big plans" for the day that we run ahead, busy, efficient, organized and ready to get on with all we've got to do?
      Or maybe we start lagging behind--gazing at other people or places or pleasures, preoccupied with the things that tend to detract us from keeping pace.  Sometimes it's such simple stuff, isn't it, that can cause us to lag behind and lose sight of our Savior walking up ahead of us.  We open our computers quickly in the early morning, just to check for an email, but then we check something on the internet (for me, that's usually Amazon) and the next thing we know, the time has flown and there's just not a moment left to slow down and savor a moment's stroll with the Savior.
     I wrote about it the other day--Jesus kept walking.  And He is walking still and longs for us to walk with Him.  And see the sights. Delight in the beauty of His creation in His Word, in His Person, in His peace.  Chat with Him about whatever weights on our hearts... and listen to whatever He wants to tell us to lift those burdens.  Walk with Him wherever He chooses to go and savor His presence and soak in His love.
     A dear friend, Holly, and I chatted yesterday on our way into Bible study.  We feel like we've been running a race the past week. Homework and activities left us no time to stroll with Jesus and savor the gift of Holy Week, the Passion of Christ, the love of the Father for us.  No time to sit with our families and talk about what this really all means.  How what Jesus did everyday of this very week changed everything.  Everything.  Changed all of history.  Even more miraculously, changed our hearts.  O forgive us, Father.
     So today, might we all slow our pace.  If we're busily running ahead of the Savior, preoccupied with our big plans, let's slow down and savor the Savior.  Ask the Father to help us this day to make the One who came to save the world the BIG One.  O Lord, forgive our tendency to want to be big--might You be bigger and bigger and bigger.
     And if we've been lagging behind, maybe even wandering off the path, losing sight of Jesus completely, well, it's never too late.  He's just up ahead.  Can't you see Him now, turning around, smiling and laughing, and saying, "Hey, come on!  I've got so much to tell you.  Come tell Me all about it.  Let's walk through this day together and discover all that the Father has in store for you.  And trust Me, it's gonna be big.  Because He is the Biggest and the Best.  And we'll do it all together, just you and I Am."
     Thank You, Lord Jesus, for walking with us. And whether we run ahead or lag behind, You're ready to quicken Your pace to catch us or slow it down a bit to find us back there where we ran off the road.  And You'll pull us out of the ditch and clean us up and love us just as much... because Your love is big.  Big as a cross that stretches throughout eternity.
     To God, our BIG BIG BIG GOD, be all the glory.

Keep Walking

     "When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face for Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51)
     Jesus "set His face for Jerusalem," knowing all that was before Him.  Knowing the bruising and beating and mocking and betraying and abandoning and humliating.  Knowing it all... He set His face for Calvary.  For a cross.  For us.
     As He walked those dusty roads, step by step, closer and closer towards His torture and death, He walked resolutely for one reason: His love for us.  Thank You, Lord Jesus.
     You kept walking, knowing all the agony and suffering that was before You. You kept walking, knowing that soon You would experience the weight of  all sin, all shame, all guilt for all time upon Your slender sinless shoulders and Your perfect holy heart.  You kept walking, knowing that on that terrible Friday, for the first time in all of eternity, You would be separated from Your Heavenly Father, separated by all that sin You bore.  You kept walking, knowing that instead of Your Father's infinite love, You would experience His infinite wrath, for You would become sin for us and bear the curse of that sin.
      And You kept walking,  knowing that all--literally all-- hung in the balance for those You came to save in these momentous days before You.  We simply cannot begin to imagine such pressure... but You kept walking, resolutely... for us, all for us.  Who can comprehend such strength?  Who can fathom such love?  "Love divine, all loves excelling..."
      But Lord Jesus, if You kept walking, then we can keep walking too.
      No matter what any of us may be facing today, it cannot compare to what our Savior faced.  Whatever suffering, whatever sorrows, whatever separation... He understands, for He's already endured infinitely worse... all for the love of you. And if He kept walking... then you can too.  Because you do not walk alone.  He walks right beside you, before you, behind you, and within you.
     And if He walks with me and in me and for me, then whom or what need I fear?
     Lord, You kept walking faithfully for us... keep us walking faithfully for You.
    To our resolute, forever faithful Savior be all the glory.

That the world may know

      We have been studying John 17 in Bible study--Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer,” and His prayer has challenged and convicted me on so many levels.  I could write all day about His remarkable words, but just to focus on one of the things we talked about the other day has to do with the part of His prayer focused on all believers.  (In the first part of His prayer, He prays for Himself; in the second part, He prays for His disciples; and in the third part He prays for us!--for all believers.)

John 17:20-21,23: “I do not ask for these only, [meaning His disciples] but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they [that us!] may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me... I in them and You in Me, that they [us!]  may become perfectly one, so that the world may know  that You sent Me and loved them even as You have loved Me.”  Wow!

Think of that--we are to be one as Jesus and the Father are one, and we are LOVED as the Almighty Father infinitely loves His Son!  What love God has for us!  I don’t know what that does for you, but it should make your gratitude and joy go through the roof!  But Christ’s words should and must also affect our behavior--and especially our unity.  We may belong to different churches, different political parties, different Bible studies.  We may have differing tastes in music or dress or habits... but if Jesus is our Savior, we belong to One Lord, and we are to love one another and thereby experience true unity.  And God intends that our unity would then be a visible, tangible demonstration to the world of the beauty and glory of our Savior.   

Yet, tragically we can often completely mess this up, can’t we?   We’re willing to die on some little molehill of insignificance when it comes to church--whether it’s the type of music or the decor or the informality of the dress code, and the result is rancor and disunity.  Or perhaps we allow some little root of irritation with another believer to develop into bitterness, or some difference of opinion to stir up anger.  So often the destructive disunity that results began over something insignificant or even silly, but the damage can be terrible. And all the while satan laughs as the world witnesses not how good and great our Savior is, but the misplaced anger and irritation that has divided God’s people.  

The Puritan preacher, Thomas Brooks, wrote: “Discord and division become no Christian.  For wolves to worry the lambs is no wonder, but for one lamb to worry another, this is unnatural and monstrous.”  And for centuries, great theologians have reiterated: “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; and in all things charity.”   

Yes, we stand strong and immovable upon the essential truths--those are mountains worth dying upon--but not upon superficial stuff or selfish preferences  or personality conflicts.  Forgive us, Father, when we fail to reflect true unity with one another that reflects the perfect unity between the Father and the Son.  We cannot demonstrate the love and grace of Christ to a watching, wary world if we are just as messed up and mean-spirited as everyone else in the world.  They don’t know better... we should.  We must.  

And what’s the basis of true Christian unity?  It’s the Person and work of Jesus Christ and His glory.  We must stand strong on Truth--the Truth of God’s written Word, the Bible, and the Truth of His living Word, the Lord Jesus.  But we do it in love.  We do it in grace.  “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; and in ALL things love.”  

And as with everything else, we cannot do this on our own!  I can’t make it one hour without thinking some critical or ugly or selfish thought.  It’s apparent I can be one hot mess, and why on earth God chose me as one of His children, well, I’ll never get over the incredible joy and wonder of it!  

But guess what?  You can be a hot mess too!  Sure, you may be better organized with a better hair-do, better behaved children, and a better yard--but seriously, let’s be honest here--deep down, sometimes you’re just as selfish and unkind and silly as me, just in different ways.  But God loves you extravagantly anyway and wants to hear from you... in fact, you’re the apple of His eye, even in all your mess!  

So since we’re all a mess, but Jesus chose us, died for us, and is crazy about us anyway, well then, it’s high time we be unified in our love for Him and for one another... and thus help win a lost and desperate world.  All this week, the phrase “that the world may know... that the world may know” kept ringing in my ears.  How will the world know unless we not only tell them but SHOW them by the way we are one in our love for Him and for one another?  

If Jesus is our Savior, then we’re beloved sons or daughters of the King.  Let’s start living like who we are in Him, by loving and showing grace to one another in Truth-based unity rather than fussing and fretting and criticizing ... that the world may know how good and great our Savior is.  

To God be the glory.

Splashes of joy

                      Just a few random splashes of joy:
      The Broughton Caps basketball team in the State finals in Chapel Hill.  We lost in a hard fought, close game, but, we got there!  There's great beauty in giving your all and leaving it all out there on the court.  Not to mention the joy it brought so many of us who cheered them on.  Way to go, Caps!

     And then there's the joy of taking pictures of our Broughton Caps golf team today on a sun-drenched March afternoon.  Here's just one with a couple of the guys and one of our coaches--trust me, it's hard not to love these guys!  (But there are a lot more of them to love--these are just a few of them--Stephen, Court, Harrison, Coach Elsaesser, and Kirkland)

      And there's our city league basketball team, the Hawks, coached by the world-famous, coach extraordinaire: John Hogan.  City League Champs!!  All the boys on both teams fought hard, were great sports, and all the fans cheered their hearts out but also were nothing but gracious and kind to one another.  One of those days that restored your faith in humanity!  Go Hawks!

   I have to include this one of the peanut gallery.  This is actually the golf brigade that came over to cheer for the Hawks in the finals!  What can I say--another splash of joy!

  And continuing with the sports theme, there's also that very forgettable game when the Duke Blue Devils demolished our beloved Tar Heels... on our home court no less.  I'm trying hard to think of something positive to say.  umm, both teams had very nice uniforms and the warmups and the singing of the national anthem before the game began were fabulous. After that, it was all downhill.  But still, we love our Heels... and God is sovereign.  So thank You, Father, for the good and the... terrible.  But this was a sweet moment (before the game began... but there's always ice cream later so life is good)--

     My favorite picture from yesterday I'm thinking I better not include--since my daughter might kill me.  But imagine it: Janie sunbathing in the driveway with Moses sprawled out right beside her.  He looks even and happier and more relaxed to be soaking in those rays than she does.  But believe me, it's a picture that screams "Life is good!"--and I don't take it for granted.  Not one moment--all those little common splashes of joy that almost make us ache with the gift of living and breathing and seeing.  Nothing extraordinary--just reminders that each day is an irreplaceable, never-to-be-repeated gift from His hand.  Help us not to miss them, Lord.
     Thank You Jesus for the privilege of living in this world and enjoying Your goodness.  Thank You for splashes of joy.  Remind us in the darkness of all the light You have given us in the past... and will give us again.  Until You return, help us to live for Your glory and shine Your light.  Might we splash Your joy on those around us.  To God--our Joy Splasher--be all the glory.

Sovereign

     Okay, I'm hoping someone will fess up--I have no idea who dropped this off at our house yesterday afternoon!  But isn't it beautiful?  A crown atop a bed of flowers and palm branches.  I have it sitting right in the middle of our dining room table where I spend a lot of time working on Bible study lectures (and trying to monitor homework--HA!).  So whoever brought this, please let me know so I can THANK YOU SO MUCH!!  What a reminder sitting right in front of me--"Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne..."
     He is the King... and He is sovereign.  And the older I get, the greater the joy of knowing that --
     He. Is. Sovereign.
     As Caroline McMahon said last week, "He is sovereign... whether we like or not!"  But the more we come to know and love the Savior, the more precious, the more comforting this great truth becomes.  The truth that our King is King over all.  Absolutely all.  King over the good and the bad, the high and the low, the marvelous and the mystifying.
      Right now I'm listening to Chris Tomlin's beautiful song, "Sovereign," and the words express it all:
Sovereign in the mountain air
Sovereign on the ocean floor
With me in the calm
With me in the storm
Sovereign in my greatest joy
Sovereign in my deepest cry
With me in the dark
With me at the dawn
In Your everlasting arms
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end, I can trust You
In Your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way, I will trust You.
God whatever comes my way, I will trust You.
     Jonathan Parnell has written that "Humans tend to like the idea that we are captains of our own destinies.  Motivational glib like that will pack out self-help seminars.  But sooner or later, and hopefully sooner, we learn how bankrupt it all is.  We are not in charge, and that's a good thing.  Any peace and hope we have in our lives right now can be traced back to the fact that God alone is God, that He is the sovereign power behind everything."
     And John Piper explains: "God's sovereignty is... an invincible hope for tomorrow.  God's sovereignty means the good He intends for His children will not be deterred.  This means we can face anything.  All His promises to us will be fulfilled."
     Thank You Lord that You are KING and that You are sovereign.  Sovereign from the highest mountain to the deepest sea.  Sovereign from the first dawn that broke upon Adam's perfect garden to the last rays of sunset that will one day fall upon this broken planet before Christ redeems and restores it.  And sovereign in and over and through and upon all the places and people and moments in between.
     Sometimes I forget, Lord, and think I know better.  But I don't.  Never have, never will.  Only one King, and He is sovereign... over all.  "In Your never failing love, You work everything for good.  God whatever comes my way, I will trust You."   In You, the King, forever.   To God be the glory.

A sunday's pause

                                       Food for weekend thought:
     Yesterday was so beautiful--spectacular really.  Warm and sunny and spring seeming to be bursting at the seams.
     But today, it's deceptively cooler, cold actually.  And windy and grey.  Part of me wants to complain--about the weather, about the Tarheels losing today, about the Broughton Caps losing last night (our high school basketball was in the state high school finals).
     But then I realize as I sit here, my hands gripping a big mug of warmth, our dog happily at my feet, and all of us living in freedom and safety, well, I've got absolutely no cause for complaint.  Indeed, thank You Lord for the peace of this moment--a quiet sunday afternoon.  A moment's pause... and time to take a deep breath and simply be.  And thank.
     "Contentment... is the soul's enjoyment of that peace that passes all understanding.  Arthur Pink
     "To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is to be my symphony."  William Henry Channing  (a 19th century clergyman)
     Thank You, Father.  Help us to be such a symphony.  To God be the glory.

Beauty from ashes

       "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." (Rom.8:28)
      How many times have we heard that verse or quoted that verse?  The words can flow lightly off our tongues, but when it really gets down to the nitty gritty of life, do we truly believe it?  Do we truly believe that God is moving and working and orchestrating all of life's brokenness and heartache and disruption and failure and sorrow for ultimate good?
     Well, all I can say is that the more I've aged (and aged and aged) and experienced or witnessed the inevitable accompanying difficulties or disappointments or even disasters that come with life, the more convinced I am that our God truly does make a way out of no way and miraculously, sovereignly, ultimately brings good out of all things.
     Some things, however, we may not see this side of heaven.  Some tragedies we may never understand until we leave this underbelly of heaven and get to the real deal.  But I know,  I trust, that one day we will see and understand fully and rejoice that even that tragic accident or that cancer or that whatever was used by an Almighty God to birth far greater good and glory.  We may not see it here... but we trust we will there.

         Behold our beautiful garden.  Yes, as a dear friend once confided, when we go to the nursery to buy some plants, the poor innocent little flora shrink back in fear and try desperately to hide behind the bigger braver plants.  "O no, not her!  She kills everything!"  When I choose a flower or shrub, I can almost here the weeping and wailing of the plant's little cousins and siblings--"I'm so sorry--but you've had a good run. We'll miss you.  Maybe she'll give you away--you might still have a fighting chance at life!"
      So, as my husband says, I just like the idea of a garden... but I don't actually want to work in the garden and remove weeds and all that mess.  Hence this lovely photo.
     But there's a little something different about these brown, tangled, dead looking stalks.  In about a week or so, we're going to push the lawn mower over them... and then they'll look even worse.  Just some sparse looking dead brown stalks barely poking up their sad heads above the dirt.  Looks pretty hopeless, doesn't it?  And it's about what you would figure from our gardening skills.  Time to pack it in and give up on this little section of our destroyed garden, right?
     Wrong.  Because if you come back a few weeks later, you will begin to see life emerging.  Against all odds, against all evidence to the contrary, you will see tender green stalks beginning to emerge from the wreckage.  Beauty from ashes, as the Word says.
     And within just a few short weeks, those tender shoots will grow into giant, splashy, vivid green stalks.  I have no idea what they are!  Day Lilly's, perhaps?!  I told you I'm not an official gardener--I leave that up to God: if He grows it, we rejoice.  If not, well, He had a better plan.
      Back to our Day Lilly's--or whatever they are--they are marvelous!  Right near the kitchen door so you can't help but smile when you go by them--so thick and profuse and bright.  And our old black lab, Moses, really really really loves them.  His favorite activity is to go sit in the sun for a while and warm up his old bones and then move to the middle of the mystery flowers and enjoy the coolness and fragrance of spring encasing him.  Doesn't do much for the Day Lilly's, I must say.  They get all smashed down in the middle, but that's okay.  Just adds to their charm.
       But the point is, right about now, it looks hopeless and hapless and horrible!  Certainly nothing good could possibly emerge from this pile of mess... O but it does.  Every single year.  Beauty from ashes, with absolutely no assistance or encouragement from the brown-thumb Fountains (save the lawn mover--but that doesn't count because that always appears initially to make them look worse.  Another example of how God uses pain in our lives, isn't it?).
      I seen it over and over again in my life and the lives of those I love.  Some sorrow, some disappointment, some failure, even some tragedy that seems to spell nothing but doom and devastation and dead-ends and that somehow, someway, incredibly begins to birth new life and new dreams and new--incredibly--hope.  We've lived it with Janie's accident.  We've seen it with good friends (and with us as well) when a child suffered some setback or some injury--and God used it to allow special, sweet time with that child or to bring about something remarkable and good in their lives and in their child's life.  We've all seen it and experienced in ways too numerous to count... but it happens over and over and over again on this sometimes harsh and unpredictable planet.
     And I guess what we need to do with the really big, hard, perplexing things that  happen, where we simply can see no way out, no way in the world God could possibly bring good out of that tragedy or that death or that whatever, we choose to remember and trust.  Remember those other places where God wrought life out of death.  Remember when He brought forth tender shoots of life in the broken places.  Remember when the cross preceded Easter.
     And when we remember, we can then trust that if He did it there and there and there... well, then He will somehow, someway do it here too.  We may not see it till we reach the shores of glory, but we will see it.
      It's March... but April's coming.  It's ashes... but beauty's coming.  It's crucifixion... but resurrection's coming.  Always.  Always.  Always.
      To our great and glorious and good God be all the glory.
 
     

Again and again...

     This is how my day began: I slept in--which means 4:25 for me.  I ambled into the kitchen dreaming of hot tea and quiet with Moses by my feet as I would begin work on my next lecture--on prayer.  But instead, I suddenly hear my cell phone ringing on the kitchen counter--a jarring sound at 4:25 a.m.  I rush to answer it, and it's my daughter, Janie.  She's upstairs, feeling sick... again.
     So I take a deep breath, already realizing God has a different plan than mine for this sweet new dawn, and I trudge upstairs.  I've noticed He has a way of doing this--but I'm also learning (albeit slowly) that our interruptions are His opportunities to fill in that newly emptied space with His grace... and grace beyond all reason.
    Bless her heart.  She has been awake since 2 a.m. unable to sleep with chills, a completely stuffed up nose and blocked sinuses (presumably another sinus infection), and a pounding headache.  Discouraged by yet another bout of sickness: "Will I never be well again?" she cries to me.  And my first thought is, "Seriously, Lord?  Can you not give her a break here?  Again?  Sick again?"  She has already been through 3 or 4 rounds of antibiotics for the lung and sinus infections--which also compound the headaches--and it can be draining, to say the least.
      But in His infinite grace, the Lord immediately checks my heart--and reminds me of His never ever ever failing faithfulness.  Of His presence.  Of His power.  And of the extraordinary gift of the very thing we are studying next in Bible study--prayer.  Right now--I can call upon the Almighty right here and right now, in this dark bedroom just as surely as in church or in a hospital or on a battlefield or by the side of the road... or knee-deep in laundry or mess or fear or helplessness.  How could I have forgotten, even for a millisecond?  Thank You, Jesus.
      And so I prayed the prayer that never fails--help us Father.  Knowing that God is the God who always finds a way even when there is no way.  Knowing that He is with us and for us... now, in this very moment.  We prayed for relief from the pain and for healing and for help, God's help.
      When I finally trooped back downstairs after locating a new box of Kleenex and advil and hot tea, I  open my Daily Light and read today's verses:"O my God, my soul is cast down within me."(Ps.42:6)  Yep, I get that one.  And "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength." (Isa.26:3-4)  Yes, Lord, thank You that I can fix my mind upon You in the midst of altered plans and disruptive moments.  Then "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you." (Ps.55:22)  Gee whiz Lord, well thank You and here's the burden.  I'm giving it to You, because I know You've totally got it.
     And "He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard."(Ps.22:24)  Are you believing this, I want to shout to the listening stars?!  What a God we serve--and He hears the cries of His weakest, most undeserving children.  Then "Is anyone among you suffering?  Let him pray." (James 5:13)  What can I say?  Praying, listening, filling, overflowing while I still stand in the kitchen, slack-jawed with wonder at our Sovereign Savior who hears and knows and loves and answers even before we ask.  And "Let now your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:7)  Okay, Lord, now You're just showing off.
     In You, in You alone I put my trust.  And with our God, we can rise to fight another day.  Yes, sick again.  But yes, mercy again.  Yes, grace again.  Yes, love again.  Yes, strength again.  With the eternally great and always present, I AM,  it's always again and again and again... all the way till we meet Him face to face.
     And so I just keep talking with Him,  thanking Him, but asking for continued help and wisdom and strength while I go to tear off the page on our little daily calendar of quotes on the kitchen counter.  Sometimes the quotes are pretty crummy.  But here was today's: "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again."  Nathanael Greene, American Revolutionary.  O my stars!  I stammer to Peter later this morning--do you know who he is?  That's who Greensboro (my hometown) is named for since he fought a decisive battle in Greensboro.  He didn't really win that skirmish, but he slowed the British down enough and wore them down, so that they surrendered shortly thereafter at  Yorktown.
     That was the story of the Revolutionary War--lose, but get back up again... only to lose again and again.  Losing all those battles... and all the while God was working to win the ultimate war.
      So now,  I'm just living in the surfeit of His grace and goodness and glory.  We're heading to the Doctor's now (God bless Dr. Jeffers and Dr. Mann and Dr. Wooten and Dr.Jones and Dr. Tucci and Dr. Ewend!  Thank You Jesus!), but I know "Who goes before me, I know who stands behind, the God of angel armies is always by my side.  The One who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine.  The God of angel armies is always by my side" (one of my favorite songs by Chris Tomlin).  
     Whatever you're facing right now, He's right there with you.  He hears.  He loves.  He answers.  He's working and moving and His perfect plans will never be thwarted. "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other." (Isa.45:22)
     Yes, He is and always always will be--again and again and again.  To God be the glory.

"On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur"

     "So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."  (2 Cor.4:16-18)
      We have a number of very dear friends whose mamas are enduring a mighty tough season of life right now.   Just for the record, this aging thing is not for the faint of heart.  The reading glasses that worked beautifully last week suddenly seemed to have lost their effectiveness.  Creaky knees.  Failing memories.  Increased exhaustion.  Not to mention the wrinkles.  O mercy.
     And aging means seeing your children grow up and move away.  Not a plan I like one bit.  I think of my Heavenly Father willingly sending His Son--away from Him, away from fellowship, away from glory.  And the Father watched Him arriving upon an inhospitable planet that would do nothing but mistreat and murder Him.  Yet the Father gave His Son knowing all this, planning all this, for us--His often disobedient, undeserving children.
      Thank You Father.  I would not willingly give any of my children--not a one of them, not for a moment.   But You did... for us.
     But surely one of the hardest challenges of aging is seeing your beloved parents struggle and suffer with aging.  As my daddy always said, "Old age isn't for sissies."  And it's not.  And as a child, it's doubly difficult to see someone you love diminish before your eyes--and you are helpless to stop it or alleviate the suffering.
      But  in the words of Paul from 2 Corinthians, "we do not lose heart."  Because while these old shells are wearing away, God is inwardly renewing and preparing that eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all.  Our problem is simply that we cannot see that which is unseeable--but just as real-- as this chair in which I'm sitting.
     I can't see the cell phone waves that carry my various conversations to friends and family--but those invisible waves are there, and they enable us to talk away to one another!  I cannot see my daughter in Charlotte nor my son in Davidson, but they are there.  And right there with them is  the Holy Spirit enabling and helping and guiding and undergirding them just as surely as the Spirit is with my friends' mamas and my friends and all who call upon Jesus by faith.  We can't see Him--but He is there, just as surely as that sun that is shining behind the thick clouds.
     The sun is always there... but sometimes the clouds and rain hide it from our sight.  Does that which obscures the sun from our sight make that flaming star any less real or powerful?  Just because we cannot see it or feel it, does that mean the sun is no longer there?  Of course not!
     When we cannot see God's hand, we can trust His heart.
     The question is: will we believe even when we cannot see?  Do we trust that the sun has not vanished from the universe just because we have several days of dark, rainy weather?   Will our circumstances determine our faith or will our faith be fixed upon our forever faithful Father?
     We have the choice every single day--see with our faith or see with our feelings.  Trust not in what we see but in what we do not see, because we trust the One who is eternally worthy and glorious and faithful.
     "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Heb.11:1)
     This all reminded me of one of my favorite books growing up--The Little Prince--by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.  The fox in this tale teaches the little prince a very simple but profound lesson: "On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur"--"One sees clearly only with the heart.  Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."
     O Lord, give us hearts that see and remember!  Give us faith even when we cannot see and the darkness is closing in--that the sun still shines unabated behind those clouds, and You are on Your throne, working all things out for our ultimate good and Your greater glory.  Help us to recall that "Anything essential is invisible to the eyes" and enable us to see clearly because we see with hearts of faith.   Keep us focused, Lord, upon You.  We choose to place our hope in You, for we are certain of what we do not see.... and we will not lose heart.  To God be the glory.  

Tozer on idolatry

                              Food for weekend thought:
     From A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy:
          "Let us beware lest we in our pride accept the erroneous notion that idolatry consists only in kneeling before visible objects of adoration, and that civilized peoples are therefore free from it.  The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.  It begins in the mind and may be present where no overt act of worship takes place.
           'When they knew God,' wrote Paul, 'they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.'
          Then followed the worship of idols fashioned after the likeness of men and birds and beasts and creeping things.  But this series of degrading acts began in the mind.  Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which the polluted waters of idolatry flow; they are themselves idolatrous.  The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true."
     It all begins in our minds, doesn't it?  As John Calvin once famously said "The human heart is an idol factory... Every one of us from our mothers' womb is an expert in inventing idols."
    We make idols of our pleasures, of our desires, of our comforts,  of our goals.  Even the good things in our lives can slowly and subtly becomes enslaving idols.   In our hearts and minds, we elevate the created over the Creator, the gifts over the Giver, for we fail to see our great and glorious God as He truly is... we entertain "thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him."
     Lord, forgive us for settling for those pale, ugly substitutes that become idols in our lives rather than pursuing a relationship with the all-sufficient, all-satisfying Lord of the heavens and the earth.  As John Piper has always said, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."  No idol will ever ultimately satisfy--they only steal.  Steal our contentment; steal our joy; steal our hope; steal our peace. And steal away our worship of the all worthy, glorious Lord.
     Only God fully satisfies.  Only God never disappoints.  Only God is infinitely wonderful and worthy of our worship.  Might we seek to know and love and worship Him above all else.
     To God be the glory.
   

Take Heart

Some verses seem to jump off the page... nearly shouting at you to slow down and savor.  They stick with you and in you and warm your heart like that first sip of hot tea on a cold day.  

Like John 16:33:  "I have said these things to you that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart.  I have overcome the world."

The other day I was busily working away when Janie suddenly came downstairs and handed me this:

She had just made it.   Apparently if you take crayons and apply a lot of heat to them, they melt and make magic... creating something that looks like oil painting. 

 Isn't it something what heat can accomplish?  Tribulation.  Sorrow.  Affliction.  The heat of suffering in our lives can bring great beauty in it's wake.  God allows that heat to purify and prune and refine and reveal.  Sometimes we have to search through all those broken places, though, to find the beauty shining through the cracks.  

I had heard Janie's hair dryer humming away upstairs but just assumed her hair was obviously going to look terrific that day--although we are not the big hair-do/hair dryer types in our house.

Who knew hair dryers could be put to such productive use?  I've got her painting right in front of me where I study...as a reminder.  Of His faithfulness.  Of His grace.  Of His never failing promises.

Janie had never mentioned what this verse meant to her.  But it is her story: "In this world you will have tribulation."  Yes, she has already experienced the harsh reality of that in her young life.  The accident reminded all of us that we live on a broken planet.  A place that can be full of sorrow and fear. Disappointment.  Defeat.  Even despair.

"But take heart.  I have overcome the world."

That is what He has done--in His infinite mercy and grace--for her.

But also for all of us... in different ways, of course, but His words prove true for all His own.

Those words pierce the darkness.  Shatter the thick ice of our fear and resentment in suffering.  

He has overcome the world.

He has overcome our sins by His death on the cross.

He has overcome our selfishness, our pride, our hatred, our indifference.

He has overcome satan and death.

And in Him, we can take heart.  For the Overcomer is with us and in us and for us. 

He sustains and strengthens in the midst of the brokenness.   And right in the heart of that brokenness, right in it's midst, He is working, always working...and creating beauty.  

Beauty from the broken crayons.  

Beauty using heat.

Beauty that will never fade.

Beauty taking broken, sinful people and bringing glory to His name.  

So today, if you are in the furnace--"Take Heart."  Not my paltry words--His eternal words.

  He is with you in the furnace.  Right there. Never closer.  

And He has overcome it all. And is using it to create a masterpiece--with you and in you. 

A masterpiece that will proclaim forever the wonder of His love and the glory of His grace.

So today, take heart.  He's overcome.  The beauty is coming.  He's promised.

To God, our glorious Overcomer and Savior, be all the glory. 

Raising our gaze

     I do not know what is going on with my computer!  Or is it our internet?  sigh.  Once again, somehow things I've written and think I've posted don't appear on the blog.  What's up with that?  Something or other is wrong, but I could just as well fly to Mars as figure out what it is and what on earth to do about it.
      Can I just say the technology world leaves me perplexed and befuddled... and, well, inadequate.  I simply do not understand how it works or what to do when it doesn't work.  My computer skills are abysmal... sort of like my directional abilities.  The Lord somehow or other determined I would not need the gene that enables me to read a map, find my way around anywhere, or if I did somehow figure it out, would not remember it the next time.  He's blessed me with a husband who does, thank the Lord, but that's no help when you're driving in the middle of nowhere by yourself and your cell phone refuses to cooperate.
     Okay, I'm being negative, but it's just been one of those days.  Or weeks.  Nothing horrible, not at all, but just some of those little minor defeats or tiny setbacks in life that can tempt you to look at yourself and say, "What on earth?  Will you never learn?"  You know, it's things like opening that drawer and thinking, "O brother.  I cannot believe I still have not cleaned that out!  and that closet.  and that freezer.  and that attic... and, O gracious, I should have been helping my son study for his test rather than working on my lecture... what a terrible mom... and speaking of, there's way too much junk food in this house.... boy, I wish I were a better cook... and organizer... "  And so it goes and goes ever deeper.
     Our minds can spiral downward in a heartbeat when we are focused upon, what else but "me, myself, and I."
    Mother Teresa once said, "All our troubles come from looking around rather than up."  So true, for we can be so stinking earth-bound, can't we?  So wedded to the things and standards of this world that all we can see are the multiple ways our lives are not quite measuring up.
     Forgive us, Father.  Forgive me, Your so very forgetful child.  When we stare insistently around rather than up, our vision inevitably grows selfishly myopic.
     And we miss the innumerable evidences of the extravagant love and grace of our Lord.  We forget the comfort and joy and wisdom of His Word that sustains and strengthens even amidst the messiness of life.  We forget His love as poured out upon us not only in the Person of our Savior but also in the people He's placed in our lives.  Sure, those people can add to the mess sometimes--but that pales in comparison to the joy!  We forget the gift His Holy Spirit--O my.  Always with us, teaching us, leading us, convicting us, encouraging us, helping us.  And we forget the privilege of prayer--to be able to talk it all out with the God of the universe, anytime, anywhere.
     And then, of course, there are His common, daily blessings... sweet, old Moses snoring at my feet right now.  The sound of the frigid, rushing wind outside--while I'm happily ensconced inside with a hot mug of tea.  And the promise of spring just around the corner (or maybe a few corners).  And that relentlessly blooming camellia even amidst these cold gales.  And the gift of having children home from college or work for a few days.  And chatting with friends.  And watching a city league basketball game--the fun of cheering loud and laughing long with the other parents.   And seeing the hawk soar above the tall pine trees.
      Or chocolate. There's always chocolate.
     And there's the never ending wonder of grace.  The grace of an Almighty Lord who knew we would forget Him sometimes and fail Him sometimes... but who adores us anyway and sent His Son on the ultimate rescue mission of redemption... O the glorious cross!
      When we see the cross, we see nothing but love and grace and glory.  And suddenly looking around loses it's suffocating grip while looking up brings nothing but overwhelming gratitude.  And joy.  True, abiding, deep joy, not the world's pseudo-joy.  
      So, I may never figure out technology or directions or gourmet cooking.  Organizational nirvana may never grace our home... but I pray that His glorious grace will.  And His infinite love.  And His true joy.  And His perfect peace.
      For that will be way more than enough.  In fact, that will be heaven on earth.
     Thank You, Lord Jesus, for raising my gaze and restoring my joy in You.  Keep us looking up rather than around.  To God be the glory.  

The good or the best

                       Just a little food for weekend thought:
     This is from Lilias Trotter, missionary in Algeria for 38 years in the late 19th century.  Lilias was an extraordinarily gifted artist.  In fact, the great artist, critic and social philosopher, John Ruskin, discovered her and took her under his wing to teach and encourage her art.
     But Lilias also loved the Lord and devoted much of her time to missions work in the streets of London.  Finally Ruskin gave her an ultimatum--she needed to stop dividing her time and energy and instead devote herself to her art.  If she did, he told her, "she would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be immortal."
     Lilias struggled mightily with her decision and prayed that God would make His calling clear.  She loved art and knew God could use her influence in the art world for His Kingdom purposes.  But in the end, she realized "I see as clear as daylight now, I cannot give myself to painting in the way he [Ruskin] means and continue to seek 'first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.'"
     But here are the words she later wrote about all this (and what convicting, searching words they are):

               "Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once--art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on.  And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the 'good' hiding the 'best.'...
                It is easy to find out whether our lives are focussed, and if so, where the focus lies.  Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning?  Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day?.... Dare to have it out with God... and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His glory...
                How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics?  Not by looking at the things to be dropped, but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out.  Turn your soul's vision to Jesus, and look and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him."

     Lord, only You know our (or at least my) persistent tendency to wander and to settle for the busy good in our lives rather than seeking Your ultimate best.  Give us perceptive vision to see where "our thoughts settle" and then give us ruthless focus in weeding out the detritus in favor of, in the words of Oswald Chambers, giving "our utmost for Your highest."  For only in that pursuit will we find our greatest joy and fullest satisfaction for which our hearts long.
     To God be the glory.

Abiding in the Power Source

     You know it's funny.  When I opened up the blog yesterday, I discovered that my post from the other day never posted (or whatever techno-term I'm supposed to use).  I wrote the entry on waffles on tuesday,  hit the publish button, but it apparently never appeared on the blog.  What on earth?
      I'd noticed at the time that my computer kept sending me little "Warning!" messages that indicated the blog was somehow or other not hooked up to the internet, but, as usual when it comes to computer issues, I ignored it. I didn't understand it anyway, so I just figured it would somehow go away on it's own.  Never a good plan.  It seems that AT&T, our internet provider, has been experiencing some intermittent glitches the last couple of days, and our internet has just been a lot spottier.  I'm sure that's an excellent technical analysis of the problem, and I'm equally certain it has nothing to do with my abysmal computer skills.
     Anyway, the funny part has to do with what we're studying right now in John 15--the vine and the branches.  Jesus is talking to his disciples on the last night of His life.  He's washed their feet; Judas has left;  they've finished the Last Supper, and now Jesus is sharing His heart.  He's preparing His disciples for the onslaught ahead--thought they clearly do not catch on--and sharing the deep riches of His love and wisdom with His own.
     And in John 15, Jesus gives them the analogy of the vine and branches.  "I am the Vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)  I won't go into great detail here, but I've really been pondering what it means to abide in Jesus.  How does this look in our lives?
     Then, I discovered the glitch with the blog.  And it hit me--that was a failure to abide!  God was teaching me what it means to abide by a negative example of non-abiding.
      I was not connected to the power source... or at least not well connected.  Service was spotty, so when I tried to do something, nothing happened.  Here I had done all this work--all this thinking and typing and sharing... and nothing, nada.  Not one thing appeared--because my computer had not been abiding in it's connection to the power source of the internet.
     O, I had had warnings, but I just ignored them and soldiered on.  Just kept working away, assuming I was bigger and better than an internet computer issue.  HA!
     Nope, in order for my work to count and to last, I had to be connected--and well connected!--to the power source.  And if I wasn't, it didn't matter one iota how much I typed or labored--not one person, including myself,  would ever read it or see it.  Lost and gone for good.  Imagine if this continued day after day?  I'd be exhausted, frustrated, and failing to fulfill my God-given tasks.  What an exercise in futility!
     Yet isn't that frequently how many of us live?  Busy, busy, busy from dawn to dusk, but never taking time to plug into the One who gives eternal, abundant Life.  Sustaining, strengthening Life.
     We've got to slow down and make sure we're connected with the ultimate Power Source--that we're abiding in the One with all wisdom, all joy, all ability, all energy, all love, all grace, and all hope.  And if we're abiding, we will produce fruit--He's promised.  Only this will be fruit that stands the test of time.  This will be fruit that lasts and nourishes others rather than just a bunch of nothingness--as Shakespeare put it, "all sound and fury, signifying nothing."   And along the journey, we'll discover joy even in our labor rather than continual frustration and exhaustion.
     So Lord, thank You that You are the Vine, the infinite source of all that we need and all that we are.  Might You, through the Person of the Holy Spirit, continue to flow unabated through us this day.  Keep us close and constantly communicating with You, Father.  Remind us of Your Word. Continually fill us  with Your love so that it overflows and splashes all over those around us.  Check our spirits when our sin threatens to cut off the flow.  Might we be fruitful branches for You, Lord.
     To God, our Vine, be all the glory.