"Stand fast in the Lord" (Phil.4:1)--Part II
"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong."" (I Cor.16:13)
As I shared the other day, God used this verse, and several others like it, to greatly encourage my weary heart. Boy, there is nothing like God's Word, and there is no better way to begin your day than a dose of His supernatural, attitude-altering, strength-giving Word! But I did want to share three very brief, very simple thoughts that these verses and weariness brought to mind.
And here these three are: when you're weary, allow it to lead you to God's Word, look up in prayer, and lean in the Lord. (I told you they were simple! But sometimes when we're struggling--especially with exhaustion or weariness--we need something really simple to remind and preach to ourselves.) Just briefly--
First, lead you to God's Word. There's nothing more reviving to our hearts and minds than God's Word. How often have I opened His Word out of habit or even duty, and yet God, in His grace, speaks to and encourages me in a personal way. Or He gives His wisdom, His strength, His conviction, His forgiveness, His grace through something in His Word. Never ever underestimate the power of God's Word.
Second, look up in prayer. Again, duh, you're thinking. But seriously, how often do we simply fail to pray! We figure a little dose of chocolate will revive us, or some online shopping, or some mindless entertainment, but we fail first to pray! Corrie ten Boom always said, "Is prayer was steering wheel or your spare tire?" Make it your steering wheel--go to God and tell Him your problems, share your exhaustion, ask for the help and provision only He can give.
Third, lean in to the Lord. In other words, depend on Him! That's the part of the verse I love--stand fast in the faith, stand fast in the Lord! In our faith in Him. In HIM! He has all the power and provision and grace and hope and joy and love and strength we will ever need. So lean in and depend upon Him.
That's it--told you it was short and simple! But remember it the next time weariness hits--let it lead you to God's Word, look up in prayer, and lean in to the Lord in dependence. He's there and He's able!
To God be the glory.
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Stand fast
Last night, by the time I fell into the bed, a real weariness had settled upon me. Not just tiredness--who isn't tired by the end of the day?--but a deeper weariness. Since I'm a morning person, however, I figured it was time to go on to bed and when I awoke, I'd surely feel like a new person...because after all, tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start, and His mercies are new every morning (and afternoon and evening).
But when I woke up this morning in the peaceful, predawn darkness (which is always my favorite time of the day), that weariness still pressed heavy on my heart and body. Weary is simply the word that came to mind. Here's how Miriam Webster defines it: "exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor or freshness; having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted." Hmm. Anybody been experiencing a bit of that recently? Well that certainly described some of what I was feeling this morning--exhausted in strength and freshness and exhausted in patience and tolerance.
The worst part of it was I have absolutely no reason to complain. Right now, our family and friends are still healthy. And none of us are bravely battling this virus on the front lines like our courageous health care workers--oh praise God for them and please help, empower and protect them, Father. Nor are we essential workers who are unselfishly keeping all the rest of us going by delivering mail or stocking grocery store shelves or working in factories producing our goods or manning pharmacies or driving delivery trucks. Again, thank You, Lord and bless and protect them all. But the point is--my weariness was compounded by shame that I felt weary! Forgive me Lord, when others are sacrificing and confronting so much.
Well, I dutifully (and I mean dutifully--as in, I didn't feel one iota like doing it but did it simply because it's a habit I've tried to cultivate) refused to look at my phone or anything else until first spending a few minutes with the Lord. As I've shared here often, my early morning habit is quite simple and brief--first a few minutes in God's Word (I read Daily Light and a short Charles Spurgeon devotional), then write down a few things I'm thankful for from the day before in a gratitude journal, and then pray.
But upon opening the Daily Light, I read these words at the top of the page: "Stand fast in the Lord." (Phil.4:1) Thunderclap--that alone was sufficient to arrest my weary spirit. It was if the Holy Spirit spoke directly to my heart--"Stand fast in ME, Emily. Don't quit. Your job isn't to come up with the strength--that's the Lord's job. Your job is to make the choice to stand fast in HIM. Choose to look to Him."
The next verse declared "My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside." (Job 23:11) Don't we each want to be able to say that when all this is over? Again, our job isn't to know the way ahead or to forge the path into an unknown future. Our job is simply to hold fast to HIS steps. We follow Him and His way. And He's already been this way before, so He knows exactly where we each need to step and how we need to proceed.
This morning was one of those times when each word jumped off the page. Every verse shouted of God's faithfulness and provision--and also of my, of our, need to make the choice to stand fast in Him, cling to Him, endure through Him. "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." (I Cor.16:13) Again, did you notice? Stand fast in the faith. Not stand fast in your own strength. Not stand fast by drumming up lots of strength and perseverance. Not stand fast by bucking up. Not stand fast by being the perfect Christian or displaying the perfect perspective or being the perfect parent or spouse.
Absolutely not! We are to stand fast in faith in Him. Stand fast in faith in the Savior who has all power, all strength, all perseverance, all wisdom, all hope, all love. He is our Power-source. He is our Perfect Enabler, Equipper, Encourager.
Not us, but Him.
A bit more on this in a day or two (as I had three specific thoughts based on this last verse) but for now, can I just encourage you today to "Stand fast in the Lord." Maybe you're slaying it today and your attitude sings of strength and joy, but we all know this virus is a grinding, hard marathon. We're all going to experience some pretty good days...some more challenging days...and some downright crummy days. And that's okay, because we're all doing the best we can to navigate these difficult times.
But remember what's eternally true--our God is still and forever on the throne. He conquered sin and death and rose from the dead to new resurrection life. His purposes and plans cannot be thwarted or defeated. And as James Bryant Smith says, "We live in the strong and unshakeable Kingdom of God. His Kingdom is not in trouble and neither are we."
Yes, our world might be shaking, but Almighty God's Kingdom is not. So we can stand fast in Him. He will not fail us or forsake us...not ever.
Today, stand fast in the Lord. He's got you.
To God be the glory.
But when I woke up this morning in the peaceful, predawn darkness (which is always my favorite time of the day), that weariness still pressed heavy on my heart and body. Weary is simply the word that came to mind. Here's how Miriam Webster defines it: "exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor or freshness; having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted." Hmm. Anybody been experiencing a bit of that recently? Well that certainly described some of what I was feeling this morning--exhausted in strength and freshness and exhausted in patience and tolerance.
The worst part of it was I have absolutely no reason to complain. Right now, our family and friends are still healthy. And none of us are bravely battling this virus on the front lines like our courageous health care workers--oh praise God for them and please help, empower and protect them, Father. Nor are we essential workers who are unselfishly keeping all the rest of us going by delivering mail or stocking grocery store shelves or working in factories producing our goods or manning pharmacies or driving delivery trucks. Again, thank You, Lord and bless and protect them all. But the point is--my weariness was compounded by shame that I felt weary! Forgive me Lord, when others are sacrificing and confronting so much.
Well, I dutifully (and I mean dutifully--as in, I didn't feel one iota like doing it but did it simply because it's a habit I've tried to cultivate) refused to look at my phone or anything else until first spending a few minutes with the Lord. As I've shared here often, my early morning habit is quite simple and brief--first a few minutes in God's Word (I read Daily Light and a short Charles Spurgeon devotional), then write down a few things I'm thankful for from the day before in a gratitude journal, and then pray.
But upon opening the Daily Light, I read these words at the top of the page: "Stand fast in the Lord." (Phil.4:1) Thunderclap--that alone was sufficient to arrest my weary spirit. It was if the Holy Spirit spoke directly to my heart--"Stand fast in ME, Emily. Don't quit. Your job isn't to come up with the strength--that's the Lord's job. Your job is to make the choice to stand fast in HIM. Choose to look to Him."
The next verse declared "My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside." (Job 23:11) Don't we each want to be able to say that when all this is over? Again, our job isn't to know the way ahead or to forge the path into an unknown future. Our job is simply to hold fast to HIS steps. We follow Him and His way. And He's already been this way before, so He knows exactly where we each need to step and how we need to proceed.
This morning was one of those times when each word jumped off the page. Every verse shouted of God's faithfulness and provision--and also of my, of our, need to make the choice to stand fast in Him, cling to Him, endure through Him. "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." (I Cor.16:13) Again, did you notice? Stand fast in the faith. Not stand fast in your own strength. Not stand fast by drumming up lots of strength and perseverance. Not stand fast by bucking up. Not stand fast by being the perfect Christian or displaying the perfect perspective or being the perfect parent or spouse.
Absolutely not! We are to stand fast in faith in Him. Stand fast in faith in the Savior who has all power, all strength, all perseverance, all wisdom, all hope, all love. He is our Power-source. He is our Perfect Enabler, Equipper, Encourager.
Not us, but Him.
A bit more on this in a day or two (as I had three specific thoughts based on this last verse) but for now, can I just encourage you today to "Stand fast in the Lord." Maybe you're slaying it today and your attitude sings of strength and joy, but we all know this virus is a grinding, hard marathon. We're all going to experience some pretty good days...some more challenging days...and some downright crummy days. And that's okay, because we're all doing the best we can to navigate these difficult times.
But remember what's eternally true--our God is still and forever on the throne. He conquered sin and death and rose from the dead to new resurrection life. His purposes and plans cannot be thwarted or defeated. And as James Bryant Smith says, "We live in the strong and unshakeable Kingdom of God. His Kingdom is not in trouble and neither are we."
Yes, our world might be shaking, but Almighty God's Kingdom is not. So we can stand fast in Him. He will not fail us or forsake us...not ever.
Today, stand fast in the Lord. He's got you.
To God be the glory.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Don't miss the gifts
"But Joseph said to them, 'Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people would be kept alive, as they are today.'" (Gen.50:19-20)
Many years earlier, Joseph's brothers had hated him, betrayed him, and sold him into slavery. They assumed he was dead, but Joseph was alive in a foreign land in Egypt where he first served as Potiphar's loyal, servant, then was imprisoned for ten years in an Egyptian dungeon, because he was accused of a crime he did not commit. Yet through it all, even though he surely felt utterly abandoned, Joseph remained faithful and true to his Lord. And remarkably, he was eventually elevated to Pharaoh's second in command and saved the world--and ultimately his own family and people--from starvation.
It's sometimes referred to as "The Genesis 50 Principle"--what the enemy intends for evil, God can and will use for good. As Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."
I don't begin to pretend to understand all the pain and suffering that COVID-19 has inflicted. The illness, death, financial struggles, job loss and on and on are undeniably terrible. There are no pat, easy answer for the sorrow caused by this pandemic.
But this I do know--God is sovereign, in complete control, perfectly good, completely wise, and infinitely loving. And somehow, someway, He is going to use all of this for our greater good and for His glory. He will use what the enemy wants to use to steal, kill and destroy and instead bring out of it life more abundant. (John 10:10).
And so today, I choose to remember that even with this terrible virus, God is giving us some gifts, all sorts of unexpected gifts. For many of us--
The gift of time to ponder, to read, to study God's Word, to get outside into God's magnificent creation.
The gift of unexpected time with family to talk, to walk, to laugh, to share meals together, to ask questions and really listen to the answers.
The gift of savoring the beauty of nature. I don't think I've ever appreciated the happy pinks of the dogwood blossoms or the scarlet red of the cardinals or the smell of fresh cut grass more than I have in recent weeks. Somehow this crisis has birthed a new appreciation, a renewed sensitivity to the astounding wonder of the world around me. What a creation and what a Creator!
The gift of disruption that causes us to question our constant busyness and materialism. What needs to go? What is truly necessary? How can we simplify? In this forced simplicity, many of us are finding a sense of renewed peace and tranquility.
The gift of reading or writing or gardening or cooking (I'm still working on that sourdough bread! More on that another day!) or taking up some kind of life-giving hobby.
And the gift of margin--most of us simply don't have anywhere to rush off to! All those meetings--cancelled. All those children's sporting events--cancelled. All those get-togethers--cancelled. All those appointments--cancelled. Now I'm not saying that's all good. Of course not. But it does give us the gift of margin in which we can slow down, pause, breathe deeply, look around, savor, appreciate.
So my encouragement to all of us today is to take advantage of these gifts. Ask the Lord to show you how He wants you to grow, to learn, and to use these gifts of time, family, nature, disruption, margin. What might He be teaching us? What new dreams might He be birthing in us? What new visions might He be giving us?
To help illustrate this idea, I wanted to close with a wonderful piece I heard not too long ago entitled "Welcome to Holland," by Emily Pearl Kingsley. She wrote--
"I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help
people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would
feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a
bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David.
The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go.
Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in
Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of
pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And
you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've
been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice
that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about
what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's
where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a
very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free
to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland."
I don't want to miss the gifts of Holland...or time...or family...or simplicity...or disruption...or bread-baking...or anything else God has for me in this season. Might I, might all of us, be present and awake to all the Lord is doing in this challenging season. Might we be faithful, loving, giving, serving, listening, praying, and worshipping. For our God is worthy, and He is working, even when we cannot see it.
To God be the glory.
Many years earlier, Joseph's brothers had hated him, betrayed him, and sold him into slavery. They assumed he was dead, but Joseph was alive in a foreign land in Egypt where he first served as Potiphar's loyal, servant, then was imprisoned for ten years in an Egyptian dungeon, because he was accused of a crime he did not commit. Yet through it all, even though he surely felt utterly abandoned, Joseph remained faithful and true to his Lord. And remarkably, he was eventually elevated to Pharaoh's second in command and saved the world--and ultimately his own family and people--from starvation.
It's sometimes referred to as "The Genesis 50 Principle"--what the enemy intends for evil, God can and will use for good. As Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."
I don't begin to pretend to understand all the pain and suffering that COVID-19 has inflicted. The illness, death, financial struggles, job loss and on and on are undeniably terrible. There are no pat, easy answer for the sorrow caused by this pandemic.
But this I do know--God is sovereign, in complete control, perfectly good, completely wise, and infinitely loving. And somehow, someway, He is going to use all of this for our greater good and for His glory. He will use what the enemy wants to use to steal, kill and destroy and instead bring out of it life more abundant. (John 10:10).
And so today, I choose to remember that even with this terrible virus, God is giving us some gifts, all sorts of unexpected gifts. For many of us--
The gift of time to ponder, to read, to study God's Word, to get outside into God's magnificent creation.
The gift of unexpected time with family to talk, to walk, to laugh, to share meals together, to ask questions and really listen to the answers.
The gift of savoring the beauty of nature. I don't think I've ever appreciated the happy pinks of the dogwood blossoms or the scarlet red of the cardinals or the smell of fresh cut grass more than I have in recent weeks. Somehow this crisis has birthed a new appreciation, a renewed sensitivity to the astounding wonder of the world around me. What a creation and what a Creator!
The gift of disruption that causes us to question our constant busyness and materialism. What needs to go? What is truly necessary? How can we simplify? In this forced simplicity, many of us are finding a sense of renewed peace and tranquility.
The gift of reading or writing or gardening or cooking (I'm still working on that sourdough bread! More on that another day!) or taking up some kind of life-giving hobby.
And the gift of margin--most of us simply don't have anywhere to rush off to! All those meetings--cancelled. All those children's sporting events--cancelled. All those get-togethers--cancelled. All those appointments--cancelled. Now I'm not saying that's all good. Of course not. But it does give us the gift of margin in which we can slow down, pause, breathe deeply, look around, savor, appreciate.
So my encouragement to all of us today is to take advantage of these gifts. Ask the Lord to show you how He wants you to grow, to learn, and to use these gifts of time, family, nature, disruption, margin. What might He be teaching us? What new dreams might He be birthing in us? What new visions might He be giving us?
To help illustrate this idea, I wanted to close with a wonderful piece I heard not too long ago entitled "Welcome to Holland," by Emily Pearl Kingsley. She wrote--
"I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help
people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would
feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a
bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David.
The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go.
Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in
Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of
pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And
you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've
been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice
that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about
what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's
where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a
very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free
to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland."
I don't want to miss the gifts of Holland...or time...or family...or simplicity...or disruption...or bread-baking...or anything else God has for me in this season. Might I, might all of us, be present and awake to all the Lord is doing in this challenging season. Might we be faithful, loving, giving, serving, listening, praying, and worshipping. For our God is worthy, and He is working, even when we cannot see it.
To God be the glory.
Monday, April 13, 2020
Disappointment the day after...
Disappointment the day after...
We just celebrated the holiest and most wondrous day of the entire year for believers--the joyous celebration of Christ's resurrection and victory over sin and death. Of course, this Easter was like none other as we are mired in a deadly, terrible pandemic. But even while desperately missing family, friends, and church fellowship, yesterday still was a day of joyous worship and a happy respite from all that's been happening. I went to bed still basking in that glow.
Until the day after...
Only hours after Easter, I struggled to sleep and awoke early, bleary-eyed and jittery. Outside the heavy dark clouds glowered, the wind pummeled the trees, and soon the rain began pounding. It was if the weather reflected my anxious, antsy heart. I couldn't even put my finger on it--after focusing on Holy Week all last week and experiencing God's peace and joy despite the world's circumstances, it was if it all evaporated in an instant.
Moreover, two of our children who are here right now and working from home, were both experiencing extremely stressful work issues today. I tiptoed around, trying not to disturb them, even as I fussed and fumed inwardly at myself for not being more productive and getting all those myriad projects done (or at least started!) that I was sure I'd get accomplished with all this "extra" time at home.
Sigh. I don't know where on earth the days go, but let me just say, I'm terribly disappointed in myself. I've yet to spring clean my whole house...nor declutter every room and closet (oh help me, Jesus!)...nor learn to play an instrument and speak a new language...nor become an accomplished cook like Julia Child.
I have managed to finally try (emphasis on the word "try") making sourdough starter and homemade whole wheat sourdough bread. And let me just say for the record--GOOD GRIEF! I thought kneading dough was supposed to be relaxing and therapeutic. Nope. Maybe it would have been if I hadn't created such a colossal mess making and feeding the sourdough starter. Instead, all that went through my mind was "What on earth was I thinking of taking this on?!!" I guess it didn't help that the final products could also be used as doorstops. But I guess those brown bricks might prove handy in all this wind.
It seemed like all the "What if's" and "What then's" of this virus started storming the citadel of my heart and by lunchtime today, Resurrection Sunday seemed like a million miles away. My anxious, fretting thoughts were flitting and flying about like those wind-tossed pine branches in our backyard...
...until the Lord, in His great grace, sent His Word to my troubled, antsy heart. "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." (Ps.62:5)
Such a simple word, and yet the Lord used it to immediately arrest my disobedient thoughts and anxious heart.
"Calm down, soul," His Word said to me. "Be still anxious thoughts. Wait on God. He's in control--not you, not the virus, not our jobs, not our to-do lists, not anything or anyone but God alone. And place your expectation and hope in Him alone--your Redeemer and Sustainer and Deliverer and Helper and Encourager and Strengthener."
And it occurred to me--of course the enemy would assault our hearts and minds today--the day after the most joyous celebration of the entire year for believers. Silly, amnesiac that I am, I had forgotten that we're in the midst of spiritual war. Yesterday marked our annual happy remembrance and celebration of Christ's victory over satan, sin and death. The enemy surely hates being reminded!
And this world isn't a playground but a battleground where the enemy wages war against our hearts and minds as much as our bodies and lives.
So we should expect days like this--days of discouragement or defeat or disappointment. And by the way, isn't it funny how often those kinds of hard, difficult days seem to immediately follow a time of great joy or victory or celebration?
Maybe nobody else out there is experiencing disappointment "the day after" like I am, but just in case you are, let me remind you and me--we know the One who is really in control. And we know the One who has already won the war. And we know that He has promised that He's using all things for our ultimate good and His greater glory. And we know that He loves us beyond all reason, and nothing can separate us from His love. And we know that "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. (II Cor.4:17-18)
And so, we can wait on Him and place our hope and expectation in Him, even as get back to work, doing all that we can, the best that we can, but doing it all for His glory and entrusting the results to Him. We won't get it all done...and that's okay, because He's already finished the ultimate work so we can look to Him and rest in Him.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for defeating our greatest enemies of satan, sin and death. Since You already defeated the absolute worst that we could or will ever face, we know that You will also make a way and give us the grace to deal with anything this day brings us.
To God be the glory.
We just celebrated the holiest and most wondrous day of the entire year for believers--the joyous celebration of Christ's resurrection and victory over sin and death. Of course, this Easter was like none other as we are mired in a deadly, terrible pandemic. But even while desperately missing family, friends, and church fellowship, yesterday still was a day of joyous worship and a happy respite from all that's been happening. I went to bed still basking in that glow.
Until the day after...
Only hours after Easter, I struggled to sleep and awoke early, bleary-eyed and jittery. Outside the heavy dark clouds glowered, the wind pummeled the trees, and soon the rain began pounding. It was if the weather reflected my anxious, antsy heart. I couldn't even put my finger on it--after focusing on Holy Week all last week and experiencing God's peace and joy despite the world's circumstances, it was if it all evaporated in an instant.
Moreover, two of our children who are here right now and working from home, were both experiencing extremely stressful work issues today. I tiptoed around, trying not to disturb them, even as I fussed and fumed inwardly at myself for not being more productive and getting all those myriad projects done (or at least started!) that I was sure I'd get accomplished with all this "extra" time at home.
Sigh. I don't know where on earth the days go, but let me just say, I'm terribly disappointed in myself. I've yet to spring clean my whole house...nor declutter every room and closet (oh help me, Jesus!)...nor learn to play an instrument and speak a new language...nor become an accomplished cook like Julia Child.
I have managed to finally try (emphasis on the word "try") making sourdough starter and homemade whole wheat sourdough bread. And let me just say for the record--GOOD GRIEF! I thought kneading dough was supposed to be relaxing and therapeutic. Nope. Maybe it would have been if I hadn't created such a colossal mess making and feeding the sourdough starter. Instead, all that went through my mind was "What on earth was I thinking of taking this on?!!" I guess it didn't help that the final products could also be used as doorstops. But I guess those brown bricks might prove handy in all this wind.
It seemed like all the "What if's" and "What then's" of this virus started storming the citadel of my heart and by lunchtime today, Resurrection Sunday seemed like a million miles away. My anxious, fretting thoughts were flitting and flying about like those wind-tossed pine branches in our backyard...
...until the Lord, in His great grace, sent His Word to my troubled, antsy heart. "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." (Ps.62:5)
Such a simple word, and yet the Lord used it to immediately arrest my disobedient thoughts and anxious heart.
"Calm down, soul," His Word said to me. "Be still anxious thoughts. Wait on God. He's in control--not you, not the virus, not our jobs, not our to-do lists, not anything or anyone but God alone. And place your expectation and hope in Him alone--your Redeemer and Sustainer and Deliverer and Helper and Encourager and Strengthener."
And it occurred to me--of course the enemy would assault our hearts and minds today--the day after the most joyous celebration of the entire year for believers. Silly, amnesiac that I am, I had forgotten that we're in the midst of spiritual war. Yesterday marked our annual happy remembrance and celebration of Christ's victory over satan, sin and death. The enemy surely hates being reminded!
And this world isn't a playground but a battleground where the enemy wages war against our hearts and minds as much as our bodies and lives.
So we should expect days like this--days of discouragement or defeat or disappointment. And by the way, isn't it funny how often those kinds of hard, difficult days seem to immediately follow a time of great joy or victory or celebration?
Maybe nobody else out there is experiencing disappointment "the day after" like I am, but just in case you are, let me remind you and me--we know the One who is really in control. And we know the One who has already won the war. And we know that He has promised that He's using all things for our ultimate good and His greater glory. And we know that He loves us beyond all reason, and nothing can separate us from His love. And we know that "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. (II Cor.4:17-18)
And so, we can wait on Him and place our hope and expectation in Him, even as get back to work, doing all that we can, the best that we can, but doing it all for His glory and entrusting the results to Him. We won't get it all done...and that's okay, because He's already finished the ultimate work so we can look to Him and rest in Him.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for defeating our greatest enemies of satan, sin and death. Since You already defeated the absolute worst that we could or will ever face, we know that You will also make a way and give us the grace to deal with anything this day brings us.
To God be the glory.
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Resurrection Sunday
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
This has surely been an Easter like none other for many of us. Yet, praise God corona virus, quarantine, and social distancing cannot change the astounding, destiny-altering reality that Jesus is alive. And because Jesus lives, sin and death have been defeated. And because Jesus lives, our loved ones who have died in Christ, live. And because Jesus lives, we will live. And because Jesus lives, we have no reason or cause ever to despair. And because Jesus lives, even if corona virus does it's very worst and kills us or those we love physically, we still win...and live.
Countless words have already been said about this most glorious event in history, so there's not much I can add, save, thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord and praise You, praise You, praise You, Jesus!
I recently heard David Jeremiah point out that the world gives promises that are ultimately full of emptiness; but Christ and His resurrection gives us emptiness that is full of promises. Surely corona has revealed the emptiness of the world's promises: health, prosperity, job, busyness, popularity--none of these give us lasting peace and happiness. They can all crumble with a mere invisible virus that can destroy livelihoods, health, and even life itself. The world's promises are empty.
But the God gives emptiness that is full of glorious hope and brings us His unchanging, wonderful promises. The cross is empty. The grave clothes are empty. The tomb is empty. And Jesus is alive and every promise in God's Word is "Yes!" in Him. Yes to peace. Yes to hope. Yes to joy. Yes to forgiveness. Yes to grace. Yes to eternal, abundant life. Yes to heaven.
And so this day, might we simply worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He has conquered sin and death, risen from the grave to glorious resurrection life, reigns on high forever, and lives with us and in us through His Holy Spirit, and prepares a perfect place for us in heaven.
"'Why are you looking for the living among the dead?' asked the men. 'He is not here, but He has risen!'" (Luke 24:5-6)
Praise You Lord that we need no longer look for the living among the dead. You are alive. Our loved ones who have died in You are alive. And when we draw our last breath on this earth, we will truly live. We might still live in the land of the dying, but we are headed for the land of the living, so help us to live this day and everyday with gazes locked on You, with great hope and joy in our hearts, and with glorious eternity in view.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! To God be the glory.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
This has surely been an Easter like none other for many of us. Yet, praise God corona virus, quarantine, and social distancing cannot change the astounding, destiny-altering reality that Jesus is alive. And because Jesus lives, sin and death have been defeated. And because Jesus lives, our loved ones who have died in Christ, live. And because Jesus lives, we will live. And because Jesus lives, we have no reason or cause ever to despair. And because Jesus lives, even if corona virus does it's very worst and kills us or those we love physically, we still win...and live.
Countless words have already been said about this most glorious event in history, so there's not much I can add, save, thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord and praise You, praise You, praise You, Jesus!
I recently heard David Jeremiah point out that the world gives promises that are ultimately full of emptiness; but Christ and His resurrection gives us emptiness that is full of promises. Surely corona has revealed the emptiness of the world's promises: health, prosperity, job, busyness, popularity--none of these give us lasting peace and happiness. They can all crumble with a mere invisible virus that can destroy livelihoods, health, and even life itself. The world's promises are empty.
But the God gives emptiness that is full of glorious hope and brings us His unchanging, wonderful promises. The cross is empty. The grave clothes are empty. The tomb is empty. And Jesus is alive and every promise in God's Word is "Yes!" in Him. Yes to peace. Yes to hope. Yes to joy. Yes to forgiveness. Yes to grace. Yes to eternal, abundant life. Yes to heaven.
And so this day, might we simply worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He has conquered sin and death, risen from the grave to glorious resurrection life, reigns on high forever, and lives with us and in us through His Holy Spirit, and prepares a perfect place for us in heaven.
"'Why are you looking for the living among the dead?' asked the men. 'He is not here, but He has risen!'" (Luke 24:5-6)
Praise You Lord that we need no longer look for the living among the dead. You are alive. Our loved ones who have died in You are alive. And when we draw our last breath on this earth, we will truly live. We might still live in the land of the dying, but we are headed for the land of the living, so help us to live this day and everyday with gazes locked on You, with great hope and joy in our hearts, and with glorious eternity in view.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! To God be the glory.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Holy (Silent) Saturday
Holy Saturday...Silent Saturday
This day of Holy Week has always held an especially tender place in my heart. Yes, it's known as "Holy Saturday," but I've always considered it Silent Saturday. Why? Because the Gospels are all but silent on this mournful, barren day, bereaved day.
The only reference to this day after Good Friday when Jesus was crucified is in Matthew 27:62-66. In these few verses, we're told that the chief priests and pharisees went to Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first."
Pilate answers them in words that are, unbeknownst to him or these religious leaders, remarkably ironic. "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." (As if an entire battalion, or an entire army, of soldiers would be able to stop the Son of God from rising from the dead! They could try to "make it as secure" as they possibly could, but it would all be for naught. But that's for tomorrow.) So the religious rulers "made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard."
Incredible. Jesus' disciples, utterly overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, are hiding out in fear. They have obviously forgotten about Jesus' words that He would die and then rise on the third day. Anguish and terror have a way of doing that to us, don't they? When we're heartbroken, we seem to forget God's promises or His presence. All we can see around us is an ocean of misery and sadness that threatens to drown us. And so we forget God and His promises...or we simply lack the energy or the desire to even try to remember.
Even as we grieve over the crucifixion and death of Jesus, we still cannot put ourselves in the shoes of those who loved Him so dearly, because we know the end of the story. We know that somehow, someway, Sunday is coming and Jesus is alive, praise God! Oh but try, try to imagine how utterly bereft of hope those disciples and loved ones of Jesus felt.
The One they adored, the One they were certain was the Messiah who would lead Israel to freedom, the One who loved them, ate with them, laughed with them, walked with them, taught them, performed miracles in front of them, lived everyday life with them...was gone. Forever. They would never again hear His voice or His laugh. They would never again feel His touch. They would never again learn from Him. They would never again experience the wonder of His love and compassion.
And on this Saturday, all they heard was...silence. Nothing from God. Nothingness, only anguish and despair. How could God allow this? How could this happen? What was the Lord doing? Didn't He care? Didn't He love His people? How could God be good and allow this most horrific of all outcomes? And with every haunting question, silence.
Anybody ever been there? Overcome by grief and heartbreak? Stunned by the shock of the unexpected death of someone you love? Desperate to hear from God, to try to understand why God could allow this. Yet seeing nothing, nothing, nothing happening.
That's why this day has such a tender place in my heart, because we have all been there. We've all lost people or friends or family that we loved deeply, and our sorrow feels endless and barren. We've all experienced times of wondering how God could allow some tragedy or why He didn't seem to answer our prayers or what on earth He is doing in this mystifying silence or seeming inactivity with our "Silent Saturdays."
And yet, look at what God was doing on this particular Silent Saturday over two thousand years ago. He was preparing to resurrect His Son. The angels in heaven surely stood on tiptoe in anticipation. The demons surely roared with sickening glee, thinking they had won...but all the while, wondering and watching, much like those religious leaders. Jesus would rest in that grave for only a few brief hours before all of the earth, heaven, and hell would be shock with the joyous, glorious wonder of a stone rolling away and the Son of God rising from the dead. Soon all would hear and know and see that sin could not defeat Him, death could not conquer Him.
Yes, yes, yes, God was moving and working in a million different stunning and wondrous ways on this Silent Saturday. Just because those disciples couldn't see it, just because they couldn't understand it, didn't mean it wasn't happening. God was good, is good, and will forever be good. And yes, it's Silent Saturday, but Resurrection is coming. It's coming and nothing and no one can stop it or stop the Savior.
So if you're mired in the midst of a Silent Saturday, remember this day and trust the One who is sovereign, all-good, all-loving, all-wise, all-kind, all-forgiving, all-powerful, all-compassionate, all-glorious. Just because you cannot see Him, doesn't mean He's not there. He is...and He's working and moving and bringing all things together for good for those who love Him.
Keep remembering. Keep trusting. Keep looking up. Sunday is coming.
To God be the glory.
This day of Holy Week has always held an especially tender place in my heart. Yes, it's known as "Holy Saturday," but I've always considered it Silent Saturday. Why? Because the Gospels are all but silent on this mournful, barren day, bereaved day.
The only reference to this day after Good Friday when Jesus was crucified is in Matthew 27:62-66. In these few verses, we're told that the chief priests and pharisees went to Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first."
Pilate answers them in words that are, unbeknownst to him or these religious leaders, remarkably ironic. "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." (As if an entire battalion, or an entire army, of soldiers would be able to stop the Son of God from rising from the dead! They could try to "make it as secure" as they possibly could, but it would all be for naught. But that's for tomorrow.) So the religious rulers "made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard."
Incredible. Jesus' disciples, utterly overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, are hiding out in fear. They have obviously forgotten about Jesus' words that He would die and then rise on the third day. Anguish and terror have a way of doing that to us, don't they? When we're heartbroken, we seem to forget God's promises or His presence. All we can see around us is an ocean of misery and sadness that threatens to drown us. And so we forget God and His promises...or we simply lack the energy or the desire to even try to remember.
Even as we grieve over the crucifixion and death of Jesus, we still cannot put ourselves in the shoes of those who loved Him so dearly, because we know the end of the story. We know that somehow, someway, Sunday is coming and Jesus is alive, praise God! Oh but try, try to imagine how utterly bereft of hope those disciples and loved ones of Jesus felt.
The One they adored, the One they were certain was the Messiah who would lead Israel to freedom, the One who loved them, ate with them, laughed with them, walked with them, taught them, performed miracles in front of them, lived everyday life with them...was gone. Forever. They would never again hear His voice or His laugh. They would never again feel His touch. They would never again learn from Him. They would never again experience the wonder of His love and compassion.
And on this Saturday, all they heard was...silence. Nothing from God. Nothingness, only anguish and despair. How could God allow this? How could this happen? What was the Lord doing? Didn't He care? Didn't He love His people? How could God be good and allow this most horrific of all outcomes? And with every haunting question, silence.
Anybody ever been there? Overcome by grief and heartbreak? Stunned by the shock of the unexpected death of someone you love? Desperate to hear from God, to try to understand why God could allow this. Yet seeing nothing, nothing, nothing happening.
That's why this day has such a tender place in my heart, because we have all been there. We've all lost people or friends or family that we loved deeply, and our sorrow feels endless and barren. We've all experienced times of wondering how God could allow some tragedy or why He didn't seem to answer our prayers or what on earth He is doing in this mystifying silence or seeming inactivity with our "Silent Saturdays."
And yet, look at what God was doing on this particular Silent Saturday over two thousand years ago. He was preparing to resurrect His Son. The angels in heaven surely stood on tiptoe in anticipation. The demons surely roared with sickening glee, thinking they had won...but all the while, wondering and watching, much like those religious leaders. Jesus would rest in that grave for only a few brief hours before all of the earth, heaven, and hell would be shock with the joyous, glorious wonder of a stone rolling away and the Son of God rising from the dead. Soon all would hear and know and see that sin could not defeat Him, death could not conquer Him.
Yes, yes, yes, God was moving and working in a million different stunning and wondrous ways on this Silent Saturday. Just because those disciples couldn't see it, just because they couldn't understand it, didn't mean it wasn't happening. God was good, is good, and will forever be good. And yes, it's Silent Saturday, but Resurrection is coming. It's coming and nothing and no one can stop it or stop the Savior.
So if you're mired in the midst of a Silent Saturday, remember this day and trust the One who is sovereign, all-good, all-loving, all-wise, all-kind, all-forgiving, all-powerful, all-compassionate, all-glorious. Just because you cannot see Him, doesn't mean He's not there. He is...and He's working and moving and bringing all things together for good for those who love Him.
Keep remembering. Keep trusting. Keep looking up. Sunday is coming.
To God be the glory.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Good Friday--a day of weeping and worshipping
Good Friday
Good Friday--the most terrible, tragic day in history...and yet, for us, also the most wondrous, destiny-altering day of all days. The Son of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Good Shepherd was illegally tried, humiliated, beaten savagely, stripped of clothing, and finally nailed to a cross until He--the One who gave us breathe--breathed His last. How could that day possibly be called "good?"
Yet, for us, lost and hopeless sinners that we all are, "good" is far--infinitely far--to weak a word to describe it. For us, this shameful, sorrowful day brought us salvation. The word "good" doesn't even come close. For us, this could also be called "Eternally, Wondrously, Gloriously Good Friday." That means that even through our tears of deep mourning, we also rejoice with overwhelming gratitude.
As the hymn puts it, "Man of sorrows, what a name, for the Son of God who came. Ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah! What a Savior." Ruined sinners--that's you, that's me. Every lash of the whip, every cruel taunting word, every pounding of the nail was not only from you and me but also for you and me.
We are the hateful crowds screaming "Crucify Him!" We are the soldiers spitting in His face. We are Peter denying Him. We are even Judas betraying Him--because that's fundamentally just like our sinful, selfish, prideful hearts. I know it surely is mine.
But we are also the ones who should be bearing that scourging that rips flesh down to our spine. We are the ones who deserve that mocking and humiliation. We are the ones whose hands and feet should be ripped apart by the spikes and hammer blows.
And yet, "In my place condemned He stood. Now His nearness is my good. Hallelujah! What a Savior." Jesus bore the shame, the sin, the suffering for you and for me. Oh please don't let this Good Friday slip by without recognizing and acknowledging the agonizing, immeasurably high and terrible cost that was paid for your sin and mine.
Because when we truly see the price--His price, His precious life--that was paid for our sin, we cannot help but want to repent deeply, and even more, to thank, praise, and worship extravagantly. Forgive me, Father, and thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus.
"Who is a God like You, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever [Jesus bore that righteous wrath on our behalf], because He delights in faithful love. He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18-19)
Hallelujah, praise to the One
Whose blood has pardoned me
Oh what a Savior, Redeemer and King
Your love has rescued me.
On this terrible, horrible, wondrous, glorious Good Friday, might we both weep and yet also worship the One who gave His all for us. Might we consider the awful cost of our sins and yet also contemplate the wonder of a Savior who bore those sins. Might we remember the unbreakable chains of our sin...and remember that, because of Jesus, those chains are gone.
Lord Jesus, words fail me, but thank You, thank You, thank You for bearing my sin and shame. On this most terrible of days, I confess and repent of my hideous sin that cost You an unfathomable amount of suffering and death. How can I ever praise You enough for taking the punishment I deserved and for the wonder of the truth that by Your stripes I am healed? I simply and humbly beg that, by Your grace and for Your glory, You would enable me to live a life worthy of Your great and glorious name.
Yes, Jesus, Hallelujah! What a Savior You are! To God be the glory.
Good Friday--the most terrible, tragic day in history...and yet, for us, also the most wondrous, destiny-altering day of all days. The Son of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Good Shepherd was illegally tried, humiliated, beaten savagely, stripped of clothing, and finally nailed to a cross until He--the One who gave us breathe--breathed His last. How could that day possibly be called "good?"
Yet, for us, lost and hopeless sinners that we all are, "good" is far--infinitely far--to weak a word to describe it. For us, this shameful, sorrowful day brought us salvation. The word "good" doesn't even come close. For us, this could also be called "Eternally, Wondrously, Gloriously Good Friday." That means that even through our tears of deep mourning, we also rejoice with overwhelming gratitude.
As the hymn puts it, "Man of sorrows, what a name, for the Son of God who came. Ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah! What a Savior." Ruined sinners--that's you, that's me. Every lash of the whip, every cruel taunting word, every pounding of the nail was not only from you and me but also for you and me.
We are the hateful crowds screaming "Crucify Him!" We are the soldiers spitting in His face. We are Peter denying Him. We are even Judas betraying Him--because that's fundamentally just like our sinful, selfish, prideful hearts. I know it surely is mine.
But we are also the ones who should be bearing that scourging that rips flesh down to our spine. We are the ones who deserve that mocking and humiliation. We are the ones whose hands and feet should be ripped apart by the spikes and hammer blows.
And yet, "In my place condemned He stood. Now His nearness is my good. Hallelujah! What a Savior." Jesus bore the shame, the sin, the suffering for you and for me. Oh please don't let this Good Friday slip by without recognizing and acknowledging the agonizing, immeasurably high and terrible cost that was paid for your sin and mine.
Because when we truly see the price--His price, His precious life--that was paid for our sin, we cannot help but want to repent deeply, and even more, to thank, praise, and worship extravagantly. Forgive me, Father, and thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus.
"Who is a God like You, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever [Jesus bore that righteous wrath on our behalf], because He delights in faithful love. He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18-19)
Hallelujah, praise to the One
Whose blood has pardoned me
Oh what a Savior, Redeemer and King
Your love has rescued me.
On this terrible, horrible, wondrous, glorious Good Friday, might we both weep and yet also worship the One who gave His all for us. Might we consider the awful cost of our sins and yet also contemplate the wonder of a Savior who bore those sins. Might we remember the unbreakable chains of our sin...and remember that, because of Jesus, those chains are gone.
Lord Jesus, words fail me, but thank You, thank You, thank You for bearing my sin and shame. On this most terrible of days, I confess and repent of my hideous sin that cost You an unfathomable amount of suffering and death. How can I ever praise You enough for taking the punishment I deserved and for the wonder of the truth that by Your stripes I am healed? I simply and humbly beg that, by Your grace and for Your glory, You would enable me to live a life worthy of Your great and glorious name.
Yes, Jesus, Hallelujah! What a Savior You are! To God be the glory.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Maundy Thursday--four simple thoughts
Maundy Thursday
This last Thursday of Jesus' earthly life was a day marked by countless momentous events. Jesus and His disciples share the Passover meal together; Jesus washes His disciples' feet; Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper; Jesus confronts His betrayer, Judas; Jesus teaches His disciples; Jesus and His disciples go to the Mount of Olives where He prays with great desperation and earnestness to His Heavenly Father (but the disciples utterly fail Him by repeatedly falling asleep); and finally, a mob of soldiers led by Judas come to the Mount of Olives with swords and flaming torches in order to arrest Jesus.
There's so much here--so much depth of sorrow, wisdom, grace, weakness, love, compassion, and sin displayed here that I can't begin to put words to it. I'll just limit my thoughts to four particular words that came to mind as I read of these powerful, convicting, shocking, astounding, troubling events.
These are simple words and simple lessons, but they're what the Lord was teaching me today as I read. Those words are supper, servant, second chances, and song.
1. Supper. These events begin around a supper table. We're told that "When it was evening, He [Jesus] reclined at table with the twelve." And so began their supper and Passover meal. And just the day before, Jesus was anointed with perfume by Mary of Bethany in an extravagant act of worship, while He was reclining at a table. Another meal. Consider how often in the Gospels we hear of Jesus and the disciples eating or even feasting. God's Word is replete with references to meals and food and eating. And, of course, the most glorious meal of all will be the Wedding Supper of the Lamb in heaven. What a celebration that will be!
But here's the point--meals and food matter to God. He created them. He crafted every olive tree, grape vine, and wheat field. And Jesus enjoyed eating and sharing meals with His friends and with people in general. Food is one of God's greatest gifts, and He made it for us to savor and to share and to enjoy in fellowship with others. Seriously, I don't think there's much I love more than eating a delicious meal with people I love! But God purposely made it to be that way, and this is clearly reflected throughout Jesus' life, even down to the very last night of His earthly existence.
We've all be doing a ton of cooking lately, haven't we? I'm an awfully mediocre cook, but how I long to be better, and boy, these days I'm getting lots and lots of practice. But the thing is, we can get mighty tired of all the cooking and cleaning day after day, night after night. Not to mention, with children, it seems like it takes us hours to prepare it but only minutes to inhale it...and then, boom, it's all over and time to clean up all that mess. Whew.
Yet this reminded me that being able to cook and share food with people I love is a gift. It's sacred even, and we need to approach it with gratitude in our hearts, diligence in our hands, and joyful willingness in our attitudes. Sure, it's a lot of work, but it's important, God-honoring work. So let's ask the Lord to give us thankful hearts and joyful spirits as we cook and clean.
2. Servant. Jesus washed His disciples' dirty feet that night at the table. That was the job of the most menial of slaves, and yet Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, willingly took up a towel and lovingly washed the muck and mire from His disciples' feet--including those of the one who would betray Him.
And He gave the command that as He, the Master has done, so should we do as well. And later He commands His disciples, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34). That's where the name Maundy Thursday comes from--Maundy comes from the Latin word meaning "command."
So I had to ask myself, how well am I serving those around me? Am I serving them with love and joy? Or am I serving grumpily or even resentfully? We are here to serve with joy--all of us. And we have the perfect model--our Lord Jesus--who served and loved even though He deserved to be constantly served and honored and worshipped. But instead He took the form of a servant. How can we do any less? And when we serve, we honor our Savior and reflect His image.
3. Second Chances. As the disciples are eating their supper with Jesus, He essentially confronts Judas, His betrayer, when He says that one of His disciples will betray Him. The stunned disciples question, "Is it I, Lord?" But Jesus answers, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with Me will betray Me." (Mt.26:23) When Judas asks, "Is it I, Rabbi?" Jesus responds, "You have said so." (Mt.26:25) And shortly thereafter, Judas leaves and heads out into the night to betray His Lord.
As I read these chilling, tragic words, I couldn't help but be stunned by the mercy and grace of Jesus. He is giving Judas one more chance to turn back from his wicked plan. In confronting Judas, Jesus essentially pleads with him not to take this horrific step. Jesus warns, "woe to the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." (Mt.26:24) In other words, Jesus is begging Judas, "Don't do it! Repent! It's not too late to turn back and not go this wicked, horrific way."
That's grace. Unimaginable grace for one who is betraying His Lord for a few silver pieces--the price, in fact, of a slave. Jesus has done nothing but teach, equip, help, lead, and love Judas. But Judas will not turn back. He will not repent. And his eternal destiny was tragically settled as he hurried out into the darkness alone. Forever.
4. Song. Just a short little verse about what happened after they finished their supper. "And when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Mt.26:30) Jesus knew all that lay before Him. He knew the excruciating pain, the unfathomable weight of all that sin, the agony of being separated from His Father for the first tine, He knew all the horrors that lay before Him. And yet, He sang. He sang a hymn.
Moreover, Jesus and His disciples would have been singing from the Hallel. Perhaps they even sang from Ps.118 which contains the verse, "This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (v.2) And what was that day? It was the day that the Savior would sacrifice His life in order to secure salvation and abundant life for all who would believe. It would be a terrible, awful beyond all imagining day for Jesus...but a glorious, wondrous beyond all imagining day for us.
And so Jesus, knowing all that lay before Him, could sing. He could rejoice in music. Not because He wanted to go through all the horrors of the hours ahead, but because He loved you, loved me, loved us so so much that He willingly would go to the cross.
If Jesus could sing under such circumstances, what is our excuse? How can we not rejoice and sing with gratitude and trust even when life is not has we want it to be? What is keeping you from singing today? Can we not look to Jesus and be convicted and encouraged afresh to find a song of worship and thanksgiving to the One who gave His all for us?
Thank You, Jesus, thank You. Help us to keep our gazes fixed on You as we live and love today and everyday to Your glory...as we cook, as we serve, as we forgive others and seek forgiveness, and as we sing and choose gratitude over grumpiness and worship over worthy. For You are worthy.
To God be the glory.
This last Thursday of Jesus' earthly life was a day marked by countless momentous events. Jesus and His disciples share the Passover meal together; Jesus washes His disciples' feet; Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper; Jesus confronts His betrayer, Judas; Jesus teaches His disciples; Jesus and His disciples go to the Mount of Olives where He prays with great desperation and earnestness to His Heavenly Father (but the disciples utterly fail Him by repeatedly falling asleep); and finally, a mob of soldiers led by Judas come to the Mount of Olives with swords and flaming torches in order to arrest Jesus.
There's so much here--so much depth of sorrow, wisdom, grace, weakness, love, compassion, and sin displayed here that I can't begin to put words to it. I'll just limit my thoughts to four particular words that came to mind as I read of these powerful, convicting, shocking, astounding, troubling events.
These are simple words and simple lessons, but they're what the Lord was teaching me today as I read. Those words are supper, servant, second chances, and song.
1. Supper. These events begin around a supper table. We're told that "When it was evening, He [Jesus] reclined at table with the twelve." And so began their supper and Passover meal. And just the day before, Jesus was anointed with perfume by Mary of Bethany in an extravagant act of worship, while He was reclining at a table. Another meal. Consider how often in the Gospels we hear of Jesus and the disciples eating or even feasting. God's Word is replete with references to meals and food and eating. And, of course, the most glorious meal of all will be the Wedding Supper of the Lamb in heaven. What a celebration that will be!
But here's the point--meals and food matter to God. He created them. He crafted every olive tree, grape vine, and wheat field. And Jesus enjoyed eating and sharing meals with His friends and with people in general. Food is one of God's greatest gifts, and He made it for us to savor and to share and to enjoy in fellowship with others. Seriously, I don't think there's much I love more than eating a delicious meal with people I love! But God purposely made it to be that way, and this is clearly reflected throughout Jesus' life, even down to the very last night of His earthly existence.
We've all be doing a ton of cooking lately, haven't we? I'm an awfully mediocre cook, but how I long to be better, and boy, these days I'm getting lots and lots of practice. But the thing is, we can get mighty tired of all the cooking and cleaning day after day, night after night. Not to mention, with children, it seems like it takes us hours to prepare it but only minutes to inhale it...and then, boom, it's all over and time to clean up all that mess. Whew.
Yet this reminded me that being able to cook and share food with people I love is a gift. It's sacred even, and we need to approach it with gratitude in our hearts, diligence in our hands, and joyful willingness in our attitudes. Sure, it's a lot of work, but it's important, God-honoring work. So let's ask the Lord to give us thankful hearts and joyful spirits as we cook and clean.
2. Servant. Jesus washed His disciples' dirty feet that night at the table. That was the job of the most menial of slaves, and yet Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, willingly took up a towel and lovingly washed the muck and mire from His disciples' feet--including those of the one who would betray Him.
And He gave the command that as He, the Master has done, so should we do as well. And later He commands His disciples, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34). That's where the name Maundy Thursday comes from--Maundy comes from the Latin word meaning "command."
So I had to ask myself, how well am I serving those around me? Am I serving them with love and joy? Or am I serving grumpily or even resentfully? We are here to serve with joy--all of us. And we have the perfect model--our Lord Jesus--who served and loved even though He deserved to be constantly served and honored and worshipped. But instead He took the form of a servant. How can we do any less? And when we serve, we honor our Savior and reflect His image.
3. Second Chances. As the disciples are eating their supper with Jesus, He essentially confronts Judas, His betrayer, when He says that one of His disciples will betray Him. The stunned disciples question, "Is it I, Lord?" But Jesus answers, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with Me will betray Me." (Mt.26:23) When Judas asks, "Is it I, Rabbi?" Jesus responds, "You have said so." (Mt.26:25) And shortly thereafter, Judas leaves and heads out into the night to betray His Lord.
As I read these chilling, tragic words, I couldn't help but be stunned by the mercy and grace of Jesus. He is giving Judas one more chance to turn back from his wicked plan. In confronting Judas, Jesus essentially pleads with him not to take this horrific step. Jesus warns, "woe to the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." (Mt.26:24) In other words, Jesus is begging Judas, "Don't do it! Repent! It's not too late to turn back and not go this wicked, horrific way."
That's grace. Unimaginable grace for one who is betraying His Lord for a few silver pieces--the price, in fact, of a slave. Jesus has done nothing but teach, equip, help, lead, and love Judas. But Judas will not turn back. He will not repent. And his eternal destiny was tragically settled as he hurried out into the darkness alone. Forever.
4. Song. Just a short little verse about what happened after they finished their supper. "And when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Mt.26:30) Jesus knew all that lay before Him. He knew the excruciating pain, the unfathomable weight of all that sin, the agony of being separated from His Father for the first tine, He knew all the horrors that lay before Him. And yet, He sang. He sang a hymn.
Moreover, Jesus and His disciples would have been singing from the Hallel. Perhaps they even sang from Ps.118 which contains the verse, "This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (v.2) And what was that day? It was the day that the Savior would sacrifice His life in order to secure salvation and abundant life for all who would believe. It would be a terrible, awful beyond all imagining day for Jesus...but a glorious, wondrous beyond all imagining day for us.
And so Jesus, knowing all that lay before Him, could sing. He could rejoice in music. Not because He wanted to go through all the horrors of the hours ahead, but because He loved you, loved me, loved us so so much that He willingly would go to the cross.
If Jesus could sing under such circumstances, what is our excuse? How can we not rejoice and sing with gratitude and trust even when life is not has we want it to be? What is keeping you from singing today? Can we not look to Jesus and be convicted and encouraged afresh to find a song of worship and thanksgiving to the One who gave His all for us?
Thank You, Jesus, thank You. Help us to keep our gazes fixed on You as we live and love today and everyday to Your glory...as we cook, as we serve, as we forgive others and seek forgiveness, and as we sing and choose gratitude over grumpiness and worship over worthy. For You are worthy.
To God be the glory.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Wednesday--worship and betrayal
Wednesday of Holy Week
Sometimes known as "Spy Wednesday," today we continue walking with Jesus in this final week of His earthly life. The day before, on Tuesday, Jesus came to the temple in Jerusalem for the last time, and He would spend His time all that day teaching. Oh that they, that we, would listen to and heed His words. Tragically, the pharisees and temple leaders rejected everything He said--every word of wisdom and life that He shared--and instead fixated only on how they would ensnare and kill Him. Tuesday was a day filled with many words and with the hatred and anger of those adamantly determined to destroy Jesus.
On this Wednesday before His death, however, life is quiet and calm for Jesus as He is in Bethany at the home of His dear friend, Simon the Leper. While Jesus is there, reclining at a table, Mary of Bethany (the sister of Lazarus) approaches Jesus with an extraordinarily expensive flask of perfume. She breaks this valuable flask and pours it's ointment on Jesus' head and feet. Mary loves Jesus, and she's trying, in the most extravagant way she knows how, to worship Him, to demonstrate her great love for Him, to comfort Him. So she takes by far the most valuable treasure she owns and she literally pours it all over Jesus. (Mark 14:3)
Yet what contrasting responses we see to this lavish act of worship and love. Some of the disciples indignantly and harshly demand, "'Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.' And they scolded her."
Worship of Jesus a "waste?" Really? Is that how we sometimes view worship and praise of the King of Kings who gave His life for us? How could that ever possibly be a waste?
Jesus, on the other hand, rebukes His disciples, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.'" (Mark 14:6-9)
Jesus prepares to bear upon Himself the unimaginable weight of all the sin of all the world for all time, and Mary "has done what she could" to love and worship and adore Him.
How about us? In the midst of all that is going on in the world right now, have we spent time daily loving and worshipping the One who died to give us life? The One who is with us and for us and will never ever leave or forsake us? Just today, what priorities have we allowed to take precedence over spending at least some time at the feet of Jesus worshipping Him? The world will never "give" us time to do it. We must make time. We must choose to lavishly spend that most valuable of all our resources--our time--worshipping and loving our Savior.
But there is another sad, significant event that occurred on this day--and that's where the name this day is sometimes referred to by--Spy Wednesday--derives. Tragically, on this Wednesday, after seeing Mary's act of "wasteful" worship, Judas goes to the chief priests to betray Jesus. When Judas makes his offer, we're told that the chief priests "were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him." (Mark 14:11)
What chilling words--"they were glad." They were glad to plot the betrayal and execution of the Messiah--their Messiah. The One who would die for their sins, their schemes, their hatred. To be glad of such sin, such ugliness, such hideous hate. To think Judas would forsake the love, the comfort, the companionship, the peace, the joy of being with Jesus and the other disciples and go to such a den of animosity, manipulation, lies and hostility. And they were glad.
What a stark contrast between Mary's act of worship and Judas' act of betrayal. One would bear beautiful fruit for all of eternity; the other would result in tragic destruction and desolation forever.
And yet, Jesus died for Judas just as much as for Mary. He died for those plotting pharisees just as much as for the disciples. And He died for the very best of us just as much as the very worst of us. Because every single one of us is a sinner in need of forgiveness and grace.
On this Wednesday of Holy Week, might we simply fall at Jesus' feet and worship Him extravagantly. Love Him deeply. Trust Him expectantly. Confess to Him freely. Pray to Him boldly. And know that even as we grieve during these hard, dark days, Resurrection is coming. It is coming and will not be stopped...because Jesus cannot be defeated.
To God be the glory.
Sometimes known as "Spy Wednesday," today we continue walking with Jesus in this final week of His earthly life. The day before, on Tuesday, Jesus came to the temple in Jerusalem for the last time, and He would spend His time all that day teaching. Oh that they, that we, would listen to and heed His words. Tragically, the pharisees and temple leaders rejected everything He said--every word of wisdom and life that He shared--and instead fixated only on how they would ensnare and kill Him. Tuesday was a day filled with many words and with the hatred and anger of those adamantly determined to destroy Jesus.
On this Wednesday before His death, however, life is quiet and calm for Jesus as He is in Bethany at the home of His dear friend, Simon the Leper. While Jesus is there, reclining at a table, Mary of Bethany (the sister of Lazarus) approaches Jesus with an extraordinarily expensive flask of perfume. She breaks this valuable flask and pours it's ointment on Jesus' head and feet. Mary loves Jesus, and she's trying, in the most extravagant way she knows how, to worship Him, to demonstrate her great love for Him, to comfort Him. So she takes by far the most valuable treasure she owns and she literally pours it all over Jesus. (Mark 14:3)
Yet what contrasting responses we see to this lavish act of worship and love. Some of the disciples indignantly and harshly demand, "'Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.' And they scolded her."
Worship of Jesus a "waste?" Really? Is that how we sometimes view worship and praise of the King of Kings who gave His life for us? How could that ever possibly be a waste?
Jesus, on the other hand, rebukes His disciples, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.'" (Mark 14:6-9)
Jesus prepares to bear upon Himself the unimaginable weight of all the sin of all the world for all time, and Mary "has done what she could" to love and worship and adore Him.
How about us? In the midst of all that is going on in the world right now, have we spent time daily loving and worshipping the One who died to give us life? The One who is with us and for us and will never ever leave or forsake us? Just today, what priorities have we allowed to take precedence over spending at least some time at the feet of Jesus worshipping Him? The world will never "give" us time to do it. We must make time. We must choose to lavishly spend that most valuable of all our resources--our time--worshipping and loving our Savior.
But there is another sad, significant event that occurred on this day--and that's where the name this day is sometimes referred to by--Spy Wednesday--derives. Tragically, on this Wednesday, after seeing Mary's act of "wasteful" worship, Judas goes to the chief priests to betray Jesus. When Judas makes his offer, we're told that the chief priests "were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him." (Mark 14:11)
What chilling words--"they were glad." They were glad to plot the betrayal and execution of the Messiah--their Messiah. The One who would die for their sins, their schemes, their hatred. To be glad of such sin, such ugliness, such hideous hate. To think Judas would forsake the love, the comfort, the companionship, the peace, the joy of being with Jesus and the other disciples and go to such a den of animosity, manipulation, lies and hostility. And they were glad.
What a stark contrast between Mary's act of worship and Judas' act of betrayal. One would bear beautiful fruit for all of eternity; the other would result in tragic destruction and desolation forever.
And yet, Jesus died for Judas just as much as for Mary. He died for those plotting pharisees just as much as for the disciples. And He died for the very best of us just as much as the very worst of us. Because every single one of us is a sinner in need of forgiveness and grace.
On this Wednesday of Holy Week, might we simply fall at Jesus' feet and worship Him extravagantly. Love Him deeply. Trust Him expectantly. Confess to Him freely. Pray to Him boldly. And know that even as we grieve during these hard, dark days, Resurrection is coming. It is coming and will not be stopped...because Jesus cannot be defeated.
To God be the glory.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Monday
Monday of Holy Week.
We know from the Gospel accounts that after Jesus and His disciples spent the night in Bethany, the following morning they headed back to Jerusalem. On the way, Jesus was hungry and seeing a fig tree covered with leaves, he approached it to gather some figs. But though the tree looked promising with its leaves, it had no fruit. Jesus declared "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." (Mark 11:14).
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus began driving out all those who were selling and buying in the temple and overturned the moneychangers tables and the seats of those who sold pigeons." (Mark 11:15) How appalling that this place of prayer and worship had been hijacked by unscrupulous sellers who were charging exorbitant fees for the purchase of sacrificial animals to the weary arriving pilgrims! Jesus, in fact, declared, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?' But you have made it a den of robbers." (Mark 11:17) As a result, the infuriated chief priests and scribes continued plotting and scheming on how to destroy Jesus. Amazing, these "men of God" were relentlessly plotting murder, because Jesus threatened their power and position. Moreover, this was murder of their long-promised Messiah.
Two quick thoughts on this day. First, my prayer is that we can simply walk with Jesus through the events of this week, and on this day, Jesus reveals His authority in two unique ways: by cursing the fig tree (which we will see tomorrow withered to its very roots) and by cleansing the temple of the long-entrenched, thieving money changers and sellers who were polluting God's holy place of prayer and worship. Yet in doing this, Jesus knows full well that He will further invoke the ire and fury of the temple rulers and leaders. But the Savior is undaunted, courageous, determined--His face set like flint to head to the cross for their sins...and for ours. Thank You, Jesus, thank You.
Secondly, how can we not be struck by the primacy and importance of prayer? Jesus cleanses the temple because this was God's house of prayer. And we'll see tomorrow the impact of Jesus' words on the fig tree, for He will declare "..whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." I don't even begin to understand all that this statement implies. When it comes to prayer, I'm a novice...no, I'm a baby beginner!
But this I do know--God calls us to pray.
We may not understand it. We may not feel like doing it. We may think that we do a horribly inadequate job at it. But we know that while on this earth, Jesus prayed constantly. We know that our Heavenly Father hears our prayers. We know that He has all power and all wisdom. We know that nothing is impossible for Him. We know that His Word overflows with countless promises about prayer. We know from His Word that Jesus prays and intercedes for us right now at the throne of God. And we know that He commands us to pray.
Because all those things are true, we need to pray. The power isn't in our perfect command of words. The power isn't in our great ability or goodness (because we don't have any!). The power isn't in saying just the right words or liturgy. No, the power is in Almighty God. And if says to pray and promises that there is enormous power in prayer, then we need, we must, pray!
If you're anything like me, then this corona virus is making you feel mighty helpless when it comes to trying to physically, tangibly help others, because we all need to do our part and stay home. But we can pray! Staying home doesn't prevent us from praying. And nothing is more powerful or important than our prayers.
As Priscilla Shirer says, "Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth. It is kryptonite to the enemy and to all his ploys against you."
So as we walk with Jesus throughout this Holy Week, let us recommit to prayer. Praying for our family and friends. Praying for our nation. Praying for our world. Praying that God would stop this plague. Praying for all the courageous, wonderful health care workers. Praying for those stocking our grocery store shelves. Praying for all our brave men and women in the armed services giving their lives to protect us. Praying that many, many people across the world would turn to the Living Lord Jesus and find salvation through all this. Praying that our Heavenly Father would show us ways we can help and be a blessing and encouragement to others. And praying that our great God would use it all, all, all for His glory.
Lord, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You...and so we lift up our hands in worship and in prayer. We ask for Your mighty and supernatural redemption. We ask that You would work and move as only You can. Please help us and save us. We love You and we trust You.
To God be the glory.
We know from the Gospel accounts that after Jesus and His disciples spent the night in Bethany, the following morning they headed back to Jerusalem. On the way, Jesus was hungry and seeing a fig tree covered with leaves, he approached it to gather some figs. But though the tree looked promising with its leaves, it had no fruit. Jesus declared "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." (Mark 11:14).
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus began driving out all those who were selling and buying in the temple and overturned the moneychangers tables and the seats of those who sold pigeons." (Mark 11:15) How appalling that this place of prayer and worship had been hijacked by unscrupulous sellers who were charging exorbitant fees for the purchase of sacrificial animals to the weary arriving pilgrims! Jesus, in fact, declared, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?' But you have made it a den of robbers." (Mark 11:17) As a result, the infuriated chief priests and scribes continued plotting and scheming on how to destroy Jesus. Amazing, these "men of God" were relentlessly plotting murder, because Jesus threatened their power and position. Moreover, this was murder of their long-promised Messiah.
Two quick thoughts on this day. First, my prayer is that we can simply walk with Jesus through the events of this week, and on this day, Jesus reveals His authority in two unique ways: by cursing the fig tree (which we will see tomorrow withered to its very roots) and by cleansing the temple of the long-entrenched, thieving money changers and sellers who were polluting God's holy place of prayer and worship. Yet in doing this, Jesus knows full well that He will further invoke the ire and fury of the temple rulers and leaders. But the Savior is undaunted, courageous, determined--His face set like flint to head to the cross for their sins...and for ours. Thank You, Jesus, thank You.
Secondly, how can we not be struck by the primacy and importance of prayer? Jesus cleanses the temple because this was God's house of prayer. And we'll see tomorrow the impact of Jesus' words on the fig tree, for He will declare "..whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." I don't even begin to understand all that this statement implies. When it comes to prayer, I'm a novice...no, I'm a baby beginner!
But this I do know--God calls us to pray.
We may not understand it. We may not feel like doing it. We may think that we do a horribly inadequate job at it. But we know that while on this earth, Jesus prayed constantly. We know that our Heavenly Father hears our prayers. We know that He has all power and all wisdom. We know that nothing is impossible for Him. We know that His Word overflows with countless promises about prayer. We know from His Word that Jesus prays and intercedes for us right now at the throne of God. And we know that He commands us to pray.
Because all those things are true, we need to pray. The power isn't in our perfect command of words. The power isn't in our great ability or goodness (because we don't have any!). The power isn't in saying just the right words or liturgy. No, the power is in Almighty God. And if says to pray and promises that there is enormous power in prayer, then we need, we must, pray!
If you're anything like me, then this corona virus is making you feel mighty helpless when it comes to trying to physically, tangibly help others, because we all need to do our part and stay home. But we can pray! Staying home doesn't prevent us from praying. And nothing is more powerful or important than our prayers.
As Priscilla Shirer says, "Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth. It is kryptonite to the enemy and to all his ploys against you."
So as we walk with Jesus throughout this Holy Week, let us recommit to prayer. Praying for our family and friends. Praying for our nation. Praying for our world. Praying that God would stop this plague. Praying for all the courageous, wonderful health care workers. Praying for those stocking our grocery store shelves. Praying for all our brave men and women in the armed services giving their lives to protect us. Praying that many, many people across the world would turn to the Living Lord Jesus and find salvation through all this. Praying that our Heavenly Father would show us ways we can help and be a blessing and encouragement to others. And praying that our great God would use it all, all, all for His glory.
Lord, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You...and so we lift up our hands in worship and in prayer. We ask for Your mighty and supernatural redemption. We ask that You would work and move as only You can. Please help us and save us. We love You and we trust You.
To God be the glory.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Palm Sunday...worry or worship?
"And as He rode along they spread their cloaks on the road. As He was drawing near--already on the way down the Mount of Olives--the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!' And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples.' He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.'" (Luke 19:36-40)
Palm Sunday.
Yes we're mired in the fierce jaws of a worldwide pandemic. It's a time full of uncertainty, isolation, sorrow, fear. I awoke this morning anxious, heavy-hearted, agitated. But then I immediately remembered this is Holy Week. Today is Palm Sunday. How I miss being able to worship together with our church, with our people. And we have to acknowledge and grieve all the losses and the deep fear.
But if ever there was a time when we have to take our frightened hearts and counsel them to make the choice to turn from our anxiety and sadness and look to the Savior, this is that time. I must choose, we must choose to look to His Word. Look to Jesus. Tell ourselves to exchange our self-focus for Savior-focus.
Look to the One who "set His face like flint" to head to the cross, knowing full well the unimaginable suffering ahead. Not just physical torment--though that would be horrific--not just the deep sorrow of betrayal, denial, and desertion by His closest companions, but the cosmic suffering of the unfathomable weight of sin--all our sin--and of separation from His Heavenly Father.
Yet knowing everything that lay ahead, Jesus resolutely, joyfully even, sat upon that colt and entered the place where He would be tortured and killed. We must, I must, choose to move my gaze from myself and my worries and look to Him. Be awed by Him. Love Him. Thank Him. Worship Him.
And so on this Palm Sunday, we have the choice. Will we worship or will we worry?
Will we be like those disciples praising and rejoicing, because our King has come? Or will we be like those frowning, despising, worrying Pharisees, demanding that Jesus tell the people to stop their nonsense and be quiet. Stop their praising. Stop their rejoicing. Stop their worshipping.
You know, in many ways, their world was no different from ours. Maybe they weren't dealing with a hateful virus, but they faced a hateful enemy--imperial Rome. They were downtrodden, subjugated, poor, and constantly in danger of being killed by an enemy that despised them and ruled with an iron fist. Their's was a hard, uncertain, fearful world. How dare they praise and rejoice in such a world?
And yet they did...at least for the moment (because we all know how fickle the crowds can be). The Pharisees could choose to frown and despise and rebuke and plot their murderous schemes, but the disciples would praise and worship Jesus.
So the question is, how about you? Today, will you worry or worship? Will you fixate on the latest grim news or will you focus on the greatest Good News that the world has ever known?
It's been said that "Anxiety is imagining the future without Jesus in it." Well, let me declare to my own fickle, forgetful heart and to the world, Jesus is in the future. Jesus is in the present, even amidst this virus-sick world. Jesus is coming back to reign in glory forever and ever. And Jesus is on the throne and in control of all, all, all things. He is my King and our King and the world's King. Might we worship Him, for He is worthy, worthy, worthy.
Hallelujah!
To God be the glory.
Palm Sunday.
Yes we're mired in the fierce jaws of a worldwide pandemic. It's a time full of uncertainty, isolation, sorrow, fear. I awoke this morning anxious, heavy-hearted, agitated. But then I immediately remembered this is Holy Week. Today is Palm Sunday. How I miss being able to worship together with our church, with our people. And we have to acknowledge and grieve all the losses and the deep fear.
But if ever there was a time when we have to take our frightened hearts and counsel them to make the choice to turn from our anxiety and sadness and look to the Savior, this is that time. I must choose, we must choose to look to His Word. Look to Jesus. Tell ourselves to exchange our self-focus for Savior-focus.
Look to the One who "set His face like flint" to head to the cross, knowing full well the unimaginable suffering ahead. Not just physical torment--though that would be horrific--not just the deep sorrow of betrayal, denial, and desertion by His closest companions, but the cosmic suffering of the unfathomable weight of sin--all our sin--and of separation from His Heavenly Father.
Yet knowing everything that lay ahead, Jesus resolutely, joyfully even, sat upon that colt and entered the place where He would be tortured and killed. We must, I must, choose to move my gaze from myself and my worries and look to Him. Be awed by Him. Love Him. Thank Him. Worship Him.
And so on this Palm Sunday, we have the choice. Will we worship or will we worry?
Will we be like those disciples praising and rejoicing, because our King has come? Or will we be like those frowning, despising, worrying Pharisees, demanding that Jesus tell the people to stop their nonsense and be quiet. Stop their praising. Stop their rejoicing. Stop their worshipping.
You know, in many ways, their world was no different from ours. Maybe they weren't dealing with a hateful virus, but they faced a hateful enemy--imperial Rome. They were downtrodden, subjugated, poor, and constantly in danger of being killed by an enemy that despised them and ruled with an iron fist. Their's was a hard, uncertain, fearful world. How dare they praise and rejoice in such a world?
And yet they did...at least for the moment (because we all know how fickle the crowds can be). The Pharisees could choose to frown and despise and rebuke and plot their murderous schemes, but the disciples would praise and worship Jesus.
So the question is, how about you? Today, will you worry or worship? Will you fixate on the latest grim news or will you focus on the greatest Good News that the world has ever known?
It's been said that "Anxiety is imagining the future without Jesus in it." Well, let me declare to my own fickle, forgetful heart and to the world, Jesus is in the future. Jesus is in the present, even amidst this virus-sick world. Jesus is coming back to reign in glory forever and ever. And Jesus is on the throne and in control of all, all, all things. He is my King and our King and the world's King. Might we worship Him, for He is worthy, worthy, worthy.
Hallelujah!
To God be the glory.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Remember to remember
The other day, one of our daughters shared a text with our family about a wonderful biography she's reading by David Mccullough about the life of Harry Truman. It's an incredibly powerful book about a remarkable man and leader who led our country during a particularly perilous and challenging time. But even well before becoming president, Truman served as a artillery lieutenant on the front lines during World War I. (He was, in fact, the only U.S. president to see active combat during the first World War.) Even then, Truman demonstrated remarkable courage and leadership during a time of horrific fighting.
Our daughter shared one passage from the book, however, that focused not particularly on Truman's leadership, but on the impact of the deadly Spanish flu that hit the entire world during the first World War. Mccullough writes,
"When news of the influenza epidemic at home reached camp, Harry became so alarmed he hardly knew how to to contain himself. Bess [his wife] and her brother Frank had both been down with the 'Spanish flu,' he learned... 'Every day nearly someone of my outfit will hear that his mother, sister, or sweetheart is dead,' he wrote. 'It is heartbreaking almost to think that we are so safe and so well over here and that the ones we'd like to protect more than all the world have been more exposed to death than we.' By the time the epidemic ran its course, vanishing mysteriously early in 1919, the number of deaths in the United States reached 500,000, including 25,000 soldiers, or nearly half the number of American battlefield deaths in the war."
Did you catch that? 500,000 lives were lost to the Spanish flu in the U.S. alone and that included 25,000 soldiers, nearly as many as were lost during combat. And worldwide, there were an estimated 50 million deaths due to the Spanish flu.
During another horrific pandemic in the 14th century, 25 million Europeans died--which constituted at least 48 percent of the entire European population.
Then there were the plagues in the 2nd, 3rd and 6th century, suffering, again, unimaginable losses of life. But during all these horrific plagues, it was the Christians who literally ran into the places of sickness and death in order to love and care for those sick and dying while the Romans and others fled.
The point? People, we have been through worse...through much, much, much worse. It's one of the reasons it's so important to read history: as we see the challenges, tragedies and difficulties past generations have endured and persevered through, it gives us perspective, courage, and hope for our own day. If they could endure and persevere, why not us?
Is their God not our God?
Is their Source of strength and love not ours as well?
Is God's power or grace just as certain and changeless today as it was then?
Is our Savior still able to sustain and save?
Yes, a thousand times yes to every question! As Hebrews 13:8 declares, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." He is changeless...and omnipotent...and omniscient...and overflowing with grace, love, forgiveness, joy.
So in these very challenging days, we need to remember. Remember His supernatural Word. Remember who our God is. Remember what He has done in His Word, in history, and in our lives. And Remember He is still and forever "able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us." (Eph.3:20)
We must remember to remember. And remember that He is still here, still working, still able. He is God and there is none other.
"O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: You with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. " (Ps.44:1-8)
Here's how Tim Keller put it: "The psalmist remembers the times of the ‘ancestors’ (verse 1) as a period of national flourishing. We have a direct link to the mighty deeds of the past, because they were exploits not of our ancestors but of God Himself, and that God is still with us. Christians should never look at church history as if it contained some great race of heroes that has vanished irretrievably. Their God is our God...And He is still here."
Yes, we're going through an unbelievably challenging time, but our God is still here, still powerful, and He still works best in graveyards.
I don't know how or when this will all end. I don't know what the terrible toll will ultimately be in lives lost and how life as we know it will be transformed in really hard ways, but this I do know: we have a God who left the infinite glories of heaven to come Himself to this sin-sick, disease-ridden world. And who, out of His infinite love for us, allowed Himself to be misunderstood, humiliated, betrayed, denied, tortured, and killed all so that we, the very ones who did the torturing and denying and hating and killing, might be saved. And I do know that because He conquered sin and death and rose victorious from the dead, all who believe in Him will receive eternal, abundant life. And we, too, will one day rise to eternal glory.
And so in the meantime, we keep our hands to the plough, loving and caring for others to the best of our ability and loving God and living for His glory. But all the while we keep our gaze locked on Jesus and on His sure and certain promise of the disease-less, sin-less, death-less, pain-less, eternal, joyous, perfect glory ahead.
So in case you needed some reminding today, hope this encourages you to remember to remember. And when I need reminding, I hope you'll do the same with me. Because we're all this battle together....but our mighty Lion of Judah is in it with us as well. And He has won, is winning, and will win the battle.
"We do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You.” (2 Chron.20:12)
Aslan, I think I can hear You roar. Come Lord Jesus.
To God be the glory.
Our daughter shared one passage from the book, however, that focused not particularly on Truman's leadership, but on the impact of the deadly Spanish flu that hit the entire world during the first World War. Mccullough writes,
"When news of the influenza epidemic at home reached camp, Harry became so alarmed he hardly knew how to to contain himself. Bess [his wife] and her brother Frank had both been down with the 'Spanish flu,' he learned... 'Every day nearly someone of my outfit will hear that his mother, sister, or sweetheart is dead,' he wrote. 'It is heartbreaking almost to think that we are so safe and so well over here and that the ones we'd like to protect more than all the world have been more exposed to death than we.' By the time the epidemic ran its course, vanishing mysteriously early in 1919, the number of deaths in the United States reached 500,000, including 25,000 soldiers, or nearly half the number of American battlefield deaths in the war."
Did you catch that? 500,000 lives were lost to the Spanish flu in the U.S. alone and that included 25,000 soldiers, nearly as many as were lost during combat. And worldwide, there were an estimated 50 million deaths due to the Spanish flu.
During another horrific pandemic in the 14th century, 25 million Europeans died--which constituted at least 48 percent of the entire European population.
Then there were the plagues in the 2nd, 3rd and 6th century, suffering, again, unimaginable losses of life. But during all these horrific plagues, it was the Christians who literally ran into the places of sickness and death in order to love and care for those sick and dying while the Romans and others fled.
The point? People, we have been through worse...through much, much, much worse. It's one of the reasons it's so important to read history: as we see the challenges, tragedies and difficulties past generations have endured and persevered through, it gives us perspective, courage, and hope for our own day. If they could endure and persevere, why not us?
Is their God not our God?
Is their Source of strength and love not ours as well?
Is God's power or grace just as certain and changeless today as it was then?
Is our Savior still able to sustain and save?
Yes, a thousand times yes to every question! As Hebrews 13:8 declares, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." He is changeless...and omnipotent...and omniscient...and overflowing with grace, love, forgiveness, joy.
So in these very challenging days, we need to remember. Remember His supernatural Word. Remember who our God is. Remember what He has done in His Word, in history, and in our lives. And Remember He is still and forever "able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us." (Eph.3:20)
We must remember to remember. And remember that He is still here, still working, still able. He is God and there is none other.
"O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: You with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. " (Ps.44:1-8)
Here's how Tim Keller put it: "The psalmist remembers the times of the ‘ancestors’ (verse 1) as a period of national flourishing. We have a direct link to the mighty deeds of the past, because they were exploits not of our ancestors but of God Himself, and that God is still with us. Christians should never look at church history as if it contained some great race of heroes that has vanished irretrievably. Their God is our God...And He is still here."
Yes, we're going through an unbelievably challenging time, but our God is still here, still powerful, and He still works best in graveyards.
I don't know how or when this will all end. I don't know what the terrible toll will ultimately be in lives lost and how life as we know it will be transformed in really hard ways, but this I do know: we have a God who left the infinite glories of heaven to come Himself to this sin-sick, disease-ridden world. And who, out of His infinite love for us, allowed Himself to be misunderstood, humiliated, betrayed, denied, tortured, and killed all so that we, the very ones who did the torturing and denying and hating and killing, might be saved. And I do know that because He conquered sin and death and rose victorious from the dead, all who believe in Him will receive eternal, abundant life. And we, too, will one day rise to eternal glory.
And so in the meantime, we keep our hands to the plough, loving and caring for others to the best of our ability and loving God and living for His glory. But all the while we keep our gaze locked on Jesus and on His sure and certain promise of the disease-less, sin-less, death-less, pain-less, eternal, joyous, perfect glory ahead.
So in case you needed some reminding today, hope this encourages you to remember to remember. And when I need reminding, I hope you'll do the same with me. Because we're all this battle together....but our mighty Lion of Judah is in it with us as well. And He has won, is winning, and will win the battle.
"We do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You.” (2 Chron.20:12)
Aslan, I think I can hear You roar. Come Lord Jesus.
To God be the glory.
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