A Canopy of Protection

If we could see the big picture instead of the tiny snapshot-through-a-window that we think we see, I wonder how much we'd realize we take for granted. I'm guessing we would begin a seemingly never-ending list. There's so much we could list with just considering the tangible alone, and that the more we find to make our lives and daily tasks easier, the more there would be to list. But, of course, there's so much more besides, things that are even more important than the things we can see and touch.

The Lord's protection of His children would rank high on such a list. Oh, we trust in Him for it all the time when we know there's danger around us; indeed, we pray for it. But how often does He supply it and we don't even realize it because we aren't even aware of the danger that had surrounded us? Or how often do we thank Him because of what might have been?

This past Wednesday was a wonderful reminder of how precious it is to have such an One looking after us. My dad had asked my brother to keep our younger siblings occupied so he could concentrate. Since they were already in my room, Kevin decided it would be a good idea to keep them in there (and it would have been if it weren't for the clean laundry in piles to put away, the ironing board in the middle of the room, and some miscellaneous things taking up floor space).

So my 3 siblings are in there with me, I'm taking a moment to relax with a book, and Kev is annoying me. Soon a faux tug-of-war ensued between he and I, but when I eventually let go, his footing wasn't sound, and he's thrown off balance. In the very next instant, glass from the ceiling light fixture is raining down into every corner in the room, in all shapes and sizes, including the entryway that should have been shielded by an outcropping wall.

Yet none of us were hurt. Despite the fact our younger sister was standing under the light and glass fell all around her, or that both little ones looked up when they heard the crash. Nor Kev even though evidence shows a good amount showered toward him. Nor myself.

Almost a week later, I'm still cleaning up shards of glass that serve as a reminder of just how bad things could have been. And to think that this is just one instance when it was obvious the Lord was covering us. How else could one explain that, despite glass shattering everywhere, no one in the room was hurt, neither was there any trace of glass found on us? It would be pointless to try finding another explanation.

Psalm 145 is a beautiful psalm that speaks of God's goodness, power, & mercy, and I can't think of a better way to conclude than meditating on a few of the treasures found in the passage.

I will extol thee, my God, O king;

and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

Every day will I bless thee;

and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;

and his greatness is unsearchable.

I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty,

and of thy wondrous works.

The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion;

slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The LORD is good to all:

and his tender mercies are over all his works.

All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD;

and thy saints shall bless thee.

The LORD upholdeth all that fall,

and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways,

and holy in all his works.

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him,

to all that call upon him in truth.

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him:

he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

Psalm 145:1-3, 5, 8-10, 14, 17-19

The Resurrection and the Life

We read a beautiful promise in John 11:25-26. While the passage it is in is of Mary and Martha's grief over their brother's death, Jesus' response addressed the physical issue at hand and the spiritual life of those who believe in Him. "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

We can claim that promise because of what we commemorate today: Jesus' resurrection. What a wondrous thought that God would provide our salvation through Himself! He had to come to earth as a man (one hundred percent man, yet still one hundred percent God!) to provide that Way, the only Way. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Paying the price for our sins came at a high cost: He had to give His own life for us on the cross. A painful death, the death of a criminal with the shameful sentence of capital punishment. Not only that, but because my holy God can't look upon sin, and because Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, God the Father had to turn His back upon God the Son until it was finished by Jesus' death. Then Jesus was buried. For 3 days and 3 nights He was in the sealed tomb, and by the time Mary Magdalene came with spices at the dawn of 4th morning, He had risen just as He had said. Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead was the completion of His work on the cross, and by it He conquered death and hell.

Because of Jesus' triumph, those who place their personal, permanent trust in Him may say, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:55, 57) Death has no sting, the grave has no victory over us because Jesus has redeemed and justified our lives, and even when our lives on earth shall end, we shall be with Him for the rest of eternity. Our Redeemer lives, and so shall we. And that's a promise for forever.

Happy Resurrection Day!

Bubbling in My Soul

Do you ever stop to ponder some of the things you think about when you're in the midst of some of the tiniest daily tasks, and why? I do! Sometimes, it's simply amazing. Other times, interesting... Or laughable.

This time, I was bringing a pan of water to a boil, and it triggered a memory I hadn't thought about in a long while. It was of me in my younger days when my mom would ask me to boil water for her. I would stand by and watch it until it did, and when the water was finally at a rapid, hard boil, I would sing a favorite childhood song:

It's bubbling! It's bubbling!

It's bubbling in my soul!

There's singing and laughing, (ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!)

Since Jesus made me whole.

Folks don't understand it,

Nor can I keep it quiet.

It's bubbling, bubbling, bubbling, bubbling -

Bubbling day and night!

Even now, I can't help but smile when I hear the song. It's such a fun little song, and so very true!

It's bubbling day and night! The Christian life really is like that: a picture of true joy. When we trust Jesus to be our Saviour, He gives us a deep inner joy, an abiding joy. No matter what the circumstances may be, true joy still floods our soul day and night because it is not dependent upon the world around us. It is dependent upon one thing: our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's no better place to be than when we are allowing the Lord to guide us, following His leading, walking in His will.

Folks don't understand it. This, too, is true. Those who don't know Jesus as their personal Saviour, don't know what "all the fuss is about". The world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (I John 3:1b) Because the world knows Him not, our joy is an anomaly. So are we... and that's okay. Why? Because we have Jesus as our Saviour and no one can take that joy away.

Nor can I keep it quiet! When we are excited about something, it's so easy to tell people about it. In fact, we can't wait to share it with someone else. Salvation and the joy thereof is something to be excited about, something that ought to thrill our souls so that we can't keep quiet! Even if those around us don't understand it, we can still share with others. Our testimony and our personal joy can be what the Lord uses to draw others to Himself because they see a difference in us.

Do we manage to keep quiet, or is our joy in the Lord so precious to us that we can't wait to share it with others? Do we love the Christian life so much that we want the world to know the saving grace of Jesus, too? Do we love Jesus that much? He loved us so much that He willingly endured the cross, and I hope that we, as Christians, can't keep quiet. That we feel the need to share with others. That we will boldly proclaim the love of Jesus.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
~ Galatians 5:22-23 ~

True Love

Yet another Valentine's Day is here again, and I think it's so special that it has fallen on a Sunday this year. On this day that we focus on those we care about deeply, we ought to remember the greatest love of all and the One whose love is so vast.

Agape, the love that is unconditional, nonreciprocal, and non-withheld... forever. There is only One who completely fulfills the qualifications of such a love, and He is the Lord God of heaven and earth.

We read in the greatest Love Letter of all, the Bible, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) It would take a great love indeed to be willing to die for someone. Yet that is what Jesus did for us. First, He came down from heaven to be born of a virgin. Then He grew up, living a perfect life without sin. He allowed Himself to be falsely accused and to be put to the death of capital punishment, that He being made the curse for us could take our sins upon Himself. Then He rose from the dead to conquer death and hell. All so that we who ask Him can be saved, which is the greatest valentine of all.

Because true love is so important, the Bible has much more to say about it.

In I John 3:18 we are exhorted, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." In other words, true love is doing, not just saying. Our actions should be living proof that we love God, and that we love others just as the Lord Jesus Himself has commanded us: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34)

Then there's the famous "Love Chapter", I Corinthians 13, which tells of how empty our actions are without true love. It defines what true love is and is not, and concludes that true love surpasses everything else.

Through the Holy Spirit (whom He has given to dwell in us upon our salvation), the love that surpasses everything else is passed on to the believer. It is humbling to think that He has given me the capability of loving others just as God loves me... and you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Redeeming the Time

I just want to take a moment to publicly honor my grandmother. Today she celebrates 90 years of life! When she sees her cards and gifts, she doesn't always believe us that she's 90 ... 40 or maybe 60 - and that's a BIG maybe - is more like it. But that's okay. And when she does believe us, she laughs and says she doesn't feel 90. And that's a good thing.

Helping provide my grandma's care every day has taught me so much. Patience, for instance. I know there have been times when I have chosen, whether subconsciously or unintentionally, to suppress and ignore such spiritual lessons, but they are lessons all the same. Back in 2001, if I had tried to think ahead to the years to come, I think I would have said that 90 is so far away. Yet 90 is here today! And I wouldn't trade these years away.

90 years is a long time... and yet it's not. Compared to eternity what is 90 years? James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Life, the length of our lives, compared to eternity is a vapor. Not even a drop in the proverbial bucket! The Psalmist accurately says, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten." What a blessing the Lord gives us when our lives surpass that number! The Shepherd-King David goes on to say in Psalm 90, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

What are we doing with our years? I'm 24. I'm almost halfway to 50. If I live to be 72, a full third of my life has passed! Where has the time gone? I'm not really sure how it has gone by so fast. And so I wonder, "What have I done with my life thus far? Have I done anything important, that truly matters?" I hope so. I think I've strived toward that goal. More importantly, I hope that when I look back I can say I truly did redeem the time I have been given.

Psalm 90 concludes, "And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." In order for the work of our hands to be established, then we have to be doing the Lord's work. We must be walking in wisdom and redeeming the time as the apostle Paul says in Colossians 4:5 & Ephesians 5:15-17, "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

Redeeming the time, an important thing to do. I pray that we seek after it.

Teach me, Lord, to number my days.

Growing Deeper, Richer, Fuller

This whole month I have been thinking a great deal on this past year and this new year. So much happened in such a short amount of time ... and now the cycle has begun again. But before I start with some thoughts on this year, a few moments of reflection would be nice.

At the beginning of last year, after reading The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards, I came to the conclusion that resolutions are a very fine thing if they are done in God's power and not our own, much like Mr. Edwards says in his preface: "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will for Christ's sake." So, for the first time in a very long time, I resolved to resolve. It was indeed by God's grace that He allowed me to stand as firmly as I did. I know that I haven't been perfect; in fact, there were times I failed. Thankfully, that's not how our Lord looks at us. That is to say, that He isn't waiting and watching to see how often we fail so that He can then say "I'm done with you." No, instead, when we fall He will pick us up (if we let Him), say that we are forgiven, remind us His grace is sufficient, then let us carry on with Himself walking beside us once again. And that's what He did for me. I know that, in my own power, I could never be as true to Him as I'd like to be, that's why He tells us to come to Him. And in looking backwards, His promises were true throughout the year, He drew me closer to Him, allowing me to grow closer into His image.

Well, now for the year ahead.... Resolutions one the first day of the year are nice, but there is another thing I like about Mr. Edwards' resolutions: they weren't necessarily written on the first of the year, for the duration of that year, and then it was okay to quit. No, Mr. Edwards' resolutions were from that point - that day, whichever day that might have been - from then until the end of his life. And I truly think that's a God-honoring way to live our life. Spiritually we should never quit striving for something, because on this earth we can never fully attain.

So, at this moment, this last day of the month, dated January 31, 2010, I shall add onto the list as found in II Timothy 2:15 & I Peter 3:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" This year and in the years to come, but especially this year because it's an area that needs strengthening, it is my goal to dig deeply into the Word of God. Not because I've neglected reading His Word because there are studies I'm involved in, but my own personal study needs to be deeper, richer, fuller. For myself, yes, very much so! Because for as much as I grew closer to my Lord, I yearn to grow closer still to the One who loved me first. And also that I may be able to further tell others about the Lord Jesus and to be able to answer any questions they might have about spiritual needs.

And just like I saw in the year past, I know I will see that my Lord - all that He is, all that He has said and promised - is again true in the year ahead.

He Shall be Light and Glory

In recent years, I have been struck by a portion at the end of the most commonly read Christmas passage. Interestingly enough, this part of the passage that isn't always read, but it pauses me every time I read it. Jesus is born, and just shortly after is seen by Simeon, of whom we read:

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

~ Luke 2:25-32

Jesus, the Promised One, the Messiah of Israel was finally born! Yet this Anointed One is proclaimed "a light to the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel." I am stilled by Simeon's proclamation which announces that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies in yet another way, specifically the prophecy in Isaiah 49:6 foretelling that the Messiah is to be the Saviour of the whole world, not only Israel. All the love, peace, and comfort Jesus offers is for everyone. He was promised to the Chosen People, a promise that is spoken of over and over in the Old Testament, but the rest of the world was no after thought.

How marvelous that God's plan included a Way for everyone, most especially His people, but also all other nations as well! How wondrous that Jesus would choose to leave heaven and all its glory to come here to a sin-filled earth, all the while knowing the suffering He had ahead of Him! And He really thinks we're worth it. What an amazing thought, and a what an tremendous love the Lord God must have for us! His purpose for coming to earth was to give redemption and eternal life to all who ask, and that is something money cannot buy and death cannot take away. What a truly indescribable gift God has given us through His Son!

Let us not forget that, while it is His birth we celebrate at this time, the reason He came is because of His love for us. As you contemplate this precious Gift, I hope that your heart will truly be filled with the wonder of all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you.. just as the wonder of it all has filled mine.

So, as we commemorate the birth of Christ today,
May the light of His Word shine in your hearts,
And the glory of His presence be very real to you.
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And may you never forget the Christ in Christmas.
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