He’s Calling You!

I came home Monday from an early morning birding excursion with a fresh awareness of bird songs and calls and of my own ignorance of them!  Standing and listening motionless to birdsong for 15 minutes at a time is an exercise I hadn’t tried before.  Apparently birds sing most in the early morning.  They have songs and calls which are generally unique to their species.  It is primarily the males which sing the songs as a means of attracting a mate and establishing their territory.  Calls are simpler and less musical and used by both male and female to keep in touch, to sound a warning, to beg, and to intimidate enemies… I am learning these things.

But I must admit this first outing was a little like a blind man seeing for the first time.  What’s that? was my most pressing wonder. Only I couldn’t ask for fear of disturbing the birdsong. I can identify  the sounds of so few birds that by the end of that first outing I must admit I had turned to the more familiar and was snapping pictures of flowers and reading trailside plant identification signs.  I am not a good auditory learner. 

We were listening specifically for just a handful of species.  But birdsong was everywhere.  In contrast to my ignorance, the birding expert I accompanied had jotted down the names of at least half a dozen species at each stop.  We had not seen them necessarily, but her ears were quick to hear them.  Her job was to give an account of the birds in the area under study.  And for this job it’s the hearing that really matters. If you’ve learned to listen even the secretive unseen types can be counted.

Well, so that was all very interesting and I hope to be invited out again and to hone my listening skills.  But fresh on the heels of that experience, with bird songs and calls on my mind, I came home and  opened to the day’s Bible reading, the story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar in Mark 10. He had no choice but to be an auditory learner!

There he was sitting at the dusty roadside, listening,  hoping for the pity of passers-by, hoping they could spare a shekel…His ears were no doubt attuned to the sounds of sandal traffic..Suddenly there was a great crowd approaching.  “What’s going on?” It wasn’t a feast day, why all the traffic?  He listened acutely to the snatches of conversation around him. “It’s Jesus, from Nazareth!” somebody hollered as feet raced by to meet the approaching crowd.  Hope surged in his heart.  He had heard the stories of this man.  He taught and acted with authority unlike any teacher before him.  Demons obeyed him. He made the sick well, the deaf to hear and way up North a blind man had regained his sight.  Had Bartimaeus heard this story too?  Perhaps. 

One thing he had heard somewhere, somehow, was that this man Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, ‘the Son of David’.  He believed it.  And over the noise and bustle of the approaching crowd he began to cry out at the top of his lungs:  “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” 

What more could he hope for than mercy?  He was despised, a useless tramp, dependent on the alms-giving of the pitying public.  in fact his cries embarrassed them, annoyed them.  “Shut up!” they said, as if to put him in his place.  He cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” hoping somehow to be heard above the clamor of the crowd.  If only Jesus could hear him…

I have a hunch Jesus would have made a stellar birding companion.  He wouldn’t have missed a ‘cheep’ or a ‘tut’.  After all it was He that composed the songs that come chortling in the early morning,  He that designed language and gave the birds their calls, to each kind its own.  Then He walked our dusty trails and noticed little fallen sparrows and circling vultures.  He knew the habits of a barnyard hen gathering its chicks and heard the early-riser rooster. He saw the seeming innocence of cooing doves.  None of these escaped His notice.  Nor did Bartimaeus.  Obscured and nearly drowned out  by the crowd, his voice still came to Jesus’ ear.  Since Jesus could not make his way to the man for the press of the crowd He called to him to come.  And the next thing beggar Bart knew, people were no longer telling him to be quiet.  In fact they were saying the unbelievable:

“Take heart. Get up; he is calling you!!!”  They probably couldn’t believe it either.  But Jesus had stopped in his tracks and was waiting for this scruffy blind beggar to feel his way through the crowd to Him.  He didn’t have to wait long.  Bart leaped up flinging off his cloak and the crowd parted and drew him forward till he was standing right in front of Jesus. 

The next words he heard were: “What do you want me to do for you?” The Messiah was offering to serve a beggar--calling him to Himself, extending the very mercy the man had hoped for.  This is our Jesus. 

Just prior to this incident, His own disciples, James and John had come with their mom to ask Him a big favor.  And He had said to them also:  “What do you want me to do for you?”  They had asked to share His glory in the coming Kingdom, to sit one on his right hand and one on His left.  Their request was denied, not being His prerogative to grant.  He told them they did not know what they were asking! When the rest of the disciples heard their presumptuous request they were indignant.  A teaching moment followed in which Jesus told them clearly that servanthood was to be the mark of His disciples.  “…and whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” Mk.10:43,44

Jesus was no exception: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” he had gone on to say. (Mk.10:45)  Next thing you know, they are on the outskirts of Jericho and a blind beggar is crying out to be heard.  What followed was an object lesson for Jesus’ disciples.  He turned from the fawning crowds who would soon be hailing him their King and offered His services to a helpless beggar:

What do you want me to do for you?

Bartimaeus respectfully asks for his vision to be restored.  And Jesus, pleased by his faith, and his humility (Have you noticed how the two go together?)  grants him his request saying, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” But Bartimaeus doesn’t go.  He leaves his roadside rags and follows Jesus on His way to Jerusalem. This would be the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry in which He would demonstrate ultimate servanthood, laying down His life ‘as a ransom for many’.  Bartimaeus would be a part of that week because Jesus had heard his cry for mercy and called him to Himself.

And still He calls.  It doesn’t take a birder’s trained ear to hear.  We do not need a course in listening, or a book, or an advisor, anymore than a bird needs an Audubon guide book to identify his own species calling.  God’s voice is the one we are wired to hear; we are made in His image.  Adam heard it in the Garden, God in the cool of the day coming to walk with him, calling him by name: “Adam, where are you?”  He cringed. He had sinned.  He was in desperate need of mercy, like the blind beggar on the roadside. We too are  designed for fellowship with God.  We hide like secretive marsh birds because sin has broken that fellowship, marred that image.  But Jesus is near, calling, listening for our cry for mercy.  He calls us to come to Him.  He will do the rest.  He has come to seek and to save the lost, to open our eyes to the hope of our calling, to free us to follow Him…

Isn’t this the heart of the Gospel—this news that God has made a way for man to come near to a Holy God?  Whether we find ourselves in the place of Bartimaeus, the blind man crying for mercy, or in the place of the people in the crowd who brought Bart the good news: “Take heart, get up, He’s calling you!” we have a calling from God. 

For those of us who have long since had our eyes opened and have answered the call to follow Jesus, this story reminds us that Jesus hears our heart’s cries still.  Though we have left behind our rags to follow Him, He doesn’t expect that we will cease to need Him for even a moment.  Still He calls us to take heart and clamber out of the ruts we fall in from time to time.  Still He calls us to relationship with Himself when we stray.  Still He offers to serve us:  “What can I do for you?” and He knows when to say “Yes” to our requests and, mercifully, when to deny them because we don’t really know what we are asking. 

We are the ‘called out’ ones who have gone from being roadside beggars ‘having no hope and without God in the world’ to being ‘brought near by the blood of Christ’, reconciled to God with access in the Spirit to the Father, ‘no longer strangers and aliens but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.’  Ours is now the song of the redeemed.  And like so many songbirds who cannot help but sing, we are wired to sing His praise with our very lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcHw_rkSdqc

Let my lifesong sing to You!

--LS

‘…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you’ (Eph.1:18)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  I Pet.2:9,10

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Eph.3:20,21

==========

[This old hymn came to mind as I was writing today.  It seems so fitting I pass it on…—LS]

Jesus calls us o’er the tumult

1 Jesus calls us: o'er the tumult
of our life's wild, restless sea;
day by day his sweet voice soundeth
saying, "Christian, follow me."

2 Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world's golden store,
from each idol that would keep us,
saying, "Christian, love me more."

3 In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
"Christian, love me more than these."

4 Jesus calls us: by thy mercies,
Savior, may we hear thy call,
give our hearts to thy obedience,
serve and love thee best of all.

--Cecil F. Alexander (1852)

Safely Home

The best part of a bad dream is when you open your eyes, and you're home--safe and snug in your bed, untouched by the perils you dreamt of. Whew! I had a particularly harrowing ride in the wee hours the other morning. I hung on to the side of a monstrously big truck, squeezing by, scraping through, narrowly missing…on my way to some unknown drop-off point where I needed still to find my car (and my keys) and get myself home…And then I opened my eyes. Ah—I'm home already! Whew!

I'm often lost in my dreams--on convoluted highways trying to choose the right exits to get me safely home. Or down long hallways of doors, none of which opens to my room. Or on elevators which go not only up and down but also sideways—very confusing. [I think this nightmare harks from my short and troubled career as a candy-striper in a big hospital—charged with collecting blood and urine samples from every possible department and getting them to the lab in a timely fashion… and then sorting and delivering the internal mail. I would gladly have stayed in the mailroom forever sorting and popping mail in slots. How I disliked those meandering halls and elevators.]

I am a homebody at heart, never so at rest as when I'm home with familiar walls around me and mundane predictable tasks to accomplish. Even an empty nest is a cozy place to be.

Likely that's why so often my dreams, and my prayers, are about someone finding the way home—safely.

I pray this for my Dad who is lost in the ever worsening confusion of Alzheimer's still. How long Lord, before you rescue him from this dysfunctional body and bear him safely home?

I remember the day my Grandma (his mom) died—and the comforting relief that came with the thought that now she was safely home beyond the reach of harm, beyond the confines of an aging body. She was the classic farm Grandma--the indispensable family hub we wished could stay forever. She collected eggs, kept the cookie tins full, hosted family picnics and well, she worried about all of us. This was her besetting weakness. But it seemed legitimate, the grandmotherly thing to do. She loved us, right? So whenever our family was away she would sit up late in her rocker, watching the road that ran by down at the foot of the farmhouse lawn. She would wait for us to pass. Then she'd know we'd made it safely home from our travels and she could go to bed…

Are such traits inheritable? Or is this just part of the human condition? Was my relief at her death for her benefit, or for mine in no longer needing to worry what might befall her?

I pray too for black sheep, or if you prefer, lost sheep, wishing them safely home—family and friends who have somehow lost their way and distrusted the wooing voice of the Good Shepherd. In shunning hypocrisy they have missed the reality of life in Christ altogether.

An uncle lives on the streets of a cold city this winter without even a birth certificate to call his own, or a homeless shelter's welcome. Somehow he was derailed from the Kingdom in his youth despite his God-fearing parents' devotion. We long for him to be brought safely Home.

Question: When are we safe this side of eternity?

When our children are young we hover and protect, thinking we can keep them safe. As they grow we train and warn, hoping they will play it safe with life. When they are 'all grown up' we watch and hold our breaths. But when do we get to breathe again? When is there nothing to worry about? When are we safe this side of eternity? Is there a magic age or stage that we reach and then it's smooth coasting, no worries?

What a nonsense phrase 'No worries' is! Who are we trying to kid? There is always something that can be worried about. And who better to do it than a mother?!

"I wouldn't worry about it", the husband says.

The wife's retort: "That's why I have to!"

But it occurs to me that in my longing for all I love to be 'safely home' I am left with a dilemma not resolvable till death! Ridiculous. My refusal to rest from anxiety till each is 'safely home' is little more than a death wish. For as long as there is life there will be uncertainty of circumstance. Risk. Danger. And even bad dreams that won't go away. In this lifetime there is ample reason to fear for their well-being, if I'm dependent on worry and faithless prayers to see them through!

What is the value of a faith that doesn't dispel such fears and live at peace?

Home is our destination, but it's the walk of faith that takes us there. And in this life we will always be sojourners, never having quite arrived. Thus the need for faith—that assures us of things hoped for but not yet seen (Heb.11:1).

This week's Sunday sermon challenged us to consider how our lives give evidence of such faith. The proverbial chair that we say we believe will hold us up, is sitting there. Will we sit down in it? Or do we stand idly by boasting of the faith we possess but unwilling to put it to the test? James wrote: "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." He demonstrated that 'faith apart from works is useless' (James 2:20) by citing the life of Abraham.

I went back again this week to Abraham's story noting the things he did by faith.

He left with God the responsibilities that were God's. But he paid close attention to each thing God required of him in the process of fulfilling His purposes for Abraham.

So, what did Abraham actually do to be commended for his faith?

First and last, he listened to God's voice, with a heart willing to do whatever He said. In the middle, he obeyed and waited.

Contrary to some popular teaching, listening to God isn't a matter of just tuning in to a voice that's always speaking and immediately responsive to our every inquiry. But God does speak in ways we can hear. After all, He designed us to commune with Him. And in Christ that fellowship is restored so that by His Spirit living in the believer, He speaks.

The question is, how am I at listening? Am I 'slow of heart' (Lk.24:25) to believe what He says? I know I can be hard-hearted, resistant to trusting God's direction, preferring my 'tried and true' solutions sometimes. Ideally we will have soft hearts that purr with 'Yes, God, anything You say I will do. I trust You completely. All your ways are good.' Abraham had this kind of heart. He believed God. And God spoke to Him.

God said out of the blue: "Go, to a land I'll show you." (Gen.12) Abraham could have responded with: 'Who are You, anyway?' or 'Why?' or "No, I'm happy here." But he didn't. He got up and went, leaving his comfortable life and home behind to spend the rest of his life living in tents. [Question: Was he living in tents before this time? I don't know.] He went, listening all the while for where to go and when to stop! He trusted God.

Little by little God's plan for him unfolded. Little by little he obeyed. There were questions: How will I have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky if I have no children? Will my servant be my heir? But when God answered, Abraham believed Him and set his heart to wait for the fulfillment of God's purposes. That's the second thing I noticed that Abraham DID to give evidence of His faith. He waited.

He only got into trouble when he gave in to fear ('She's my sister'—Gen.12) or when he listened to Sarah's voice rather than God's (Gen.16). She had such an innovative plan for accomplishing God's will! (We women can be good at coming up with these!) Wrong plan. Wrong heir.

No, a big part of Abraham's obedience was waiting God's timing. He was 75 when he packed his bags to live the rest of his life in tents in a strange land. Eleven years  passed before Ishmael was born! Now he was 86. Then there was silence for another THIRTEEN years while he and Sarah just got older and older…increasing the impossibility of fertility even further! Sometimes waiting on God is the very best way to show that we believe.

Then came another opportunity to act. God said: Circumcise all the males in your household. And Abraham did it 'that very day' (Gen.17). He was NINETY-NINE by then. But no dawdling. He was a 'doer of the Word' (James 1:22) if ever there was one.

Shortly thereafter came the big announcement, and another opportunity for Abraham to take action. God said: This time next year your wife will have a son. (Gen.18:14) Here was a part for Abraham to play—making love to his ninety year old wife—yet another step of obedience in the fulfillment of God's purposes.

You get the idea, there were actions Abraham took because he had faith. He moved. He waited. He circumcised the males in his household. And he had sex with his wife. But the fulfillment of the seemingly impossible promises was entirely up to God.

"Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Gen.18:14)

Andrew Murray puts it this way, in his reflections on Psalm 37:
"Do what God asks you to do; God will do more than you can ask Him to do." (Waiting on God, p.65)

God doesn't ask us to do the impossible, only to believe that He can and will in His good time. We show we believe by doing the things He asks of us on the way to fulfilling His purposes.

As I studied this story again this week I prayed, "Lord, let me not be a Sarah, figuring out ways to make things happen that you have promised." I can be like that, chafing that I'm not 'doing anything' to make things change or to bring about what I perceive to be God's will.

If it's up to me to make things happen, when am I ever 'doing enough'?

I can even use prayer in this way—like a juggling feat—as if the success or failure of those I pray for is contingent on my keeping the oranges up in the air…If I don't pray enough, they're doomed. Yes, intercession is important, but it must be Spirit-driven and empowered by the faith that He supplies! A false sense of my indispensability, even in prayer, is a case of misguided significance at best, arrogance at worst! Faith trusts God to direct even my prayers. It leaves with Him the means by which He will accomplish all that is in His heart.

Meanwhile faith waits with a ready posture, humbly willing to obey. It neither rushes ahead to do things my way, nor lags behind overcome with disabling doubt.

"I am God ALMIGHTY—walk before me and be blameless"

This was God's call to Abraham (Gen.17:1). Isn't this what He has called all believers too? We too are sojourners in a world not made to be our home. We walk through it by faith in our God to guide our going and our staying, our acting and our waiting, and ultimately to grant us our last breath and take us safely home. For all this we can trust Him.

The ultimate test Abraham is known for was his willingness to give up his only son, his promised heir, as an offering to God. He trusted God could raise him from the dead if necessary. Perhaps in a lesser way, this is the test of every parent—to yield our offspring up to God's purposes, for Him to care for, discipline, and direct through their life's journey. Their destinies are in His hands, not ours.

But richer still is the true symbolism shown in Abraham's offering up of Isaac, that is, God sacrificing His own Son for the life of us all. And yes, He did raise Him from the dead as Abraham supposed he could! He was "delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Rom.4:25) Think on that. What more is there?

And just as Abraham was declared righteous because he was 'fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised' (Rom.4:21) so are we who believe that God raised Jesus from the dead on our behalf. It's all pre-figured in the life of Abraham and precious to consider again. In light of such a testimony of faith, my anxieties for those I wish to see 'safely home' are laid to rest, again. The God of Abraham is my God. My destiny and that of those I care most about is with Him. He's not asking that I accomplish their rescue but that I trust Him to do it while I listen for His directives…

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Rom. 8:32-34 ESV

But getting back to an answer to the sermon's question: How does my life give evidence of saving faith?

--By my willingness to sit down in the chair of God's provision, and to rest there without fear or nightmare of how we all shall get 'safely home'. I will trust Him to do it while I listen for His bidding, ready to obey.

--LS

"You were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." I Pet.2:25

[May] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thess. 5:23

Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Ps.107:30,31

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
II Tim. 4:18 ESV

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24,25 ESV

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…to bring about the obedience of faith-- to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Rom. 16:25-27 ESV

--------------------------

P.S. May I urge you to sit and enjoy Abraham's story for yourself? Watch for the voice of God and the response of Abraham—Gen.12-25; Rom.4; Heb.11).

--And if you have a prodigal, consider Abraham Piper’s own story and suggestions here.

Sharing life over tea

A hot cup of tea with a bit of sugar and some real cream is such a wonderful relaxing, friendly thing to share.  I’m sitting here this evening with the tea things still out and the house suddenly empty and quiet as the mom and her young tribe that came to share some sips and look at all my give-away books has evacuated, a box of homeschool books in tow.  It is Thursday, my quiet evening to ponder and write alone.

Why the door?  It reminded me of the passage I was pondering this morning, that one where Jesus stands at the door knocking, inviting anyone who hears his voice to open the door.  He’s just waiting for the invite to tea—well, to a meal together really.  Who wouldn’t open the door?  Why was it shut with Jesus on the wrong side in the first place?

Although this verse (Rev.3:20) is often used to describe opening one’s heart to Jesus at salvation, the context is not quite that.  It was this context that brought me here this morning.  Jesus is addressing a church that has lost sight of its need for Him.  “You say, I am rich , I have prospered and I need nothing”.  When in reality they are ‘wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked”! Jesus counsels them to come to him for true treasure—for gold refined by fire, (symbolic perhaps of a faith that perseveres through trial; see I Pet.1:7),  and for His righteousness (white garments) to hide their shame.  And for salve to heal their blinded eyes.

He reminds them His reproof is driven by love and urges this lukewarm church to get zealous, not about doing good works, but about repentance! It is out of this context that the words pop out: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”

Jesus was on the wrong side of the door perhaps because the Laodiceans felt they were no longer in need of Him.  They are ‘doing very well, thank-you’.  But Jesus’ own teaching makes it pretty clear that it’s not the one who never visibly wandered but the one who returns home, this one that is blessed.  It’s not the ‘righteous persons needing no repentance’ but the sinner who repents that causes all Heaven to party!  It’s not the ‘very well, thank-you’ but the sick, that Jesus came to heal.

As you can see, I haven’t quite shaken that ‘elder brother’ lesson from my mind—the goody-goody brother that never left home but somehow still missed enjoying a healthy relationship with his dad, you know the story.  Well, being ‘good’ dies hard.  I’ve been preaching to myself this week I guess and thinking about those words of Jesus—about all heaven rejoicing far more over the one sinner repenting than over the 99 who feel they are above repentance…

The thing to be celebrated it would seem is repentance, not one’s conscientious ‘goodness’. 

I hear it in the story of the rich young ruler too, approaching Jesus confident that he’s on the right track to eternal life, just needing a bit of assurance, or one more official ‘to do’ and he’ll have it.  What assignment does Jesus give?  Sell all you’ve set your heart on and follow me.  Make me your god, not your own self-sufficiency.  It’s as if he were saying, it’s not your righteousness that matters, but mine.  There’s no premium on ‘goodness’ when it comes to gaining eternal life.  We’re not saved because of it, not favored because of it, not loved more because of it.  It’s His goodness that counts, His name that is to be hallowed, His glory that is to shine through any good that comes from our lives.

I guess that’s why Jesus was always inviting people to Himself: follow me, abide in me, take my yoke and walk with me, come to me, open the door and let me eat with you…Where did I get the idea that my calling was to ‘be good’?  How many times have I admonished my kids to do likewise? 

I came across a blog this week by Emily Freeman that set me thinking more about this business of ‘being good’: 

one thing your daughter doesn’t need you to say

It made the case for NOT pressuring our kids to be a good example!  Because this could just be a primer to believing that  “being a Christian means having it all together, saying all the “right” things, staying a few steps above everyone else.”

She pointed out that requiring our son/daughter to be a good example may set her up to become  “a person people look up to, but …[not] someone they can relate to.” It continued:

“She may be successful at managing her behavior, but she will always struggle to manage people’s opinions.”

“She may have a great reputation, but her character will be clouded with bitterness and anger.”

“She may be a good church-goer, but she will not know how to be a good friend.”

“This may keep her out of trouble, but it will suffocate her soul.”

The author seemed to read my objections (and perhaps yours) “But what about holiness?”  What about being a light in a dark place?  She then points us back to the reality of whose goodness we’re representing.

What’s the alternative to ‘being good’ on the outside and keeping a lid on the rest ‘for example’s sake’?  What truth is missed in this scenario?  Precisely this, that: “Her light comes from Jesus, not from her awesome behavior.”

I found this to be good food for thought, not just for my daughters (and sons) but for myself. Because so easily being ‘good’ can be about my reputation, my appearance, my credentials, my standing before people. Being known as ‘nice’ or ‘sweet’ or ‘quiet’ or any of those bland descriptors used of people we hardly know…What’s the value of all that?  Does it point anyone to Jesus as the One who’s so incredibly good that I owe all I am to Him?

And I sit sipping my tea with all these thoughts as a backdrop.  I pore over my frustrations at not knowing what to do to ‘fix’ situations, at not feeling sufficient for those who ‘need’ me to ‘do something’.  I find myself wishing this knocking were more audible and this conversation over tea with Jesus more literal.  But maybe that’s what faith is for?

It’s soon time to get up and get breakfast going whether I’ve got the advice I’d hoped for or not.  I didn’t, at least I didn’t think so at the time.  But one thing I take away from this encounter with the Living Word is that I think I’m always meant to need Him. Never meant to think myself ‘good enough’ or responsible enough  to do life without Him, never intended to bear the weight of that, to close the door and sort things out in solitude-- doing my best to figuring out what to say, what to ‘do’ because surely somebody’s got to do something(!). I’m not meant to rely on my cleverness or find answers by scratching my own head! 

Could it be He hasn’t called me to be ‘good’ (or clever or responsible)  but to be open to Him, to be ever dependent--inviting Him into my messes, to be ever repentant and forgiven, to be ever listening for His voice.

Mercifully, He keeps knocking when I forget these things.  He’s seems intent on sharing His life with me.

--LS

"I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer…” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves.” …"This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Lk.22:15-20 

“Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;” Is.55:2,3

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
I Pet.1:8,9

“But you are…a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” I Pet.2:9

--------------------------

You may want to visit Emily at www.chattingatthesky.com  She has some timely words of grace for the ‘good girl’ in need of relief. Her article, “One thing your daughter doesn’t need you to say” is here.

Witch Hunts and the Glory of God

The very best chunk of the day is that delicious morning part before the rest of my 'world' gets up—when all is quiet on the home front and I slip out of bed on tiptoe to curl up with my favorite fleece and my Bible, and yes of course, with my journal and pen. It gets even better in the summer especially on cloudless mornings when the sun is also just rising above the mountains. My favorite perch at such moments is the back step with a cushion for a seat and the sliding glass door at my back…And yes, with my favorite fleece, at least until the sun coaxes me to shed it. I breathe the cool freshness, gaze out beyond the overhang of our giant willow into the beyond of my own green acre so enshrouded with trees it appears to have no ending…and I reflect on the Word and the issues of my heart that it exposes…

I seem to hear God best before breakfast has wakened me to all my daily duties, before I've entered into conversation with mere mortals—my best loved mortals! Maybe my heart is more open, nearer the surface, more vulnerable to being engaged with Truth. I don't know, but mornings are good. Unfortunately I also like evenings. They also are quiet and the duties of the day are now behind…But my mind is not so agile, my heart not so tender; my eyes begin to droop. I wander into other's thoughts and goings on rather than wrestle with my own. Everything becomes virtual until I'm idling my should-be-sleeping hours in perusing Facebook for latest quips or photos--robbing myself of precious morning moments… That by way of confession. Summer's laid back schedules makes this yo-yo of nights vs. mornings much more pronounced. Night usually wins while mornings garner extra sleep. Precious reflections are strewn throughout days….

But there are beach moments with a timely book. And there was yesterday morning—a long quiet perusal of the Word and an 'additive'—good words in a book titled The Explicit Gospel. ¹ And there was a missionary speaker from Israel last night…And there are these conversations with my wise husband… God is not limited to my pre-breakfast routine! His Spirit is not saddled by my need for quiet alone spaces of time. So what is He saying these casual summer days?

I'm reminded lately that even a watchdog needs downtime. Or to change idioms, an unending witch-hunt will sooner or later bring up innocent victims if there is not a balancing reflection on positive truth. If you've followed my thoughts for long, you know they tend toward finding what's wrong in my world. Whether it be my inner world or the outer one of the Body of Christ. I don't often get as far as pointing out what’s wrong in the bigger world. It's all messed up. I figure the Body has just what the world needs if we stay on track. So ferreting out truth and error seems to be my bent. But there's this hazard of becoming overwhelmed by the wrong-headed, the mixed-up, the false-but-enticing and the misled—overwhelmed so that cynicism begins to erode hope of truth ever rising to conquer nonsense.

I've been in a season of sniffing about suspiciously and growling. There's illegitimate teaching everywhere. (At least it seems that way…) And there are excellent books written that synthesize Scriptural truth and apply it to present-day anomalies. The Other Side of the River ² is such. I devoured it on our last sailing trip, processing it alongside Scripture and then writing a review to hopefully alert others to its relevance.

Then I launched into Hunt's (now there's a good name for a watchdog!) Beyond Seduction ³ midstream. My initial enthusiasm, sparked by an excellent section mid-book on the nature of genuine faith, was tempered by overstated 'truths' in another area…reminding me that no author has it all right, none but the Bible is 100% trustworthy. Another sharp-shooting book of recent months was Wandering Stars.⁴ Wow and Ouch. The author's done some serious research and Scripture sleuthing. Good stuff.
But as my truth-loving bent is drawn to writing of this nature I see its potential to become almost addictive—it feels so good to be 'right all along', to 'have the corner on truth', to 'catch a brother in the wrong', to 'be in the know'. What begins as 'speaking the truth in love' can become an offensive elitism devoid of love. Knowledge puffs up. Love builds up. In know way do I mean to imply that these authors are guilty of such, but I see in myself this tendency to get so 'gung-ho' about right and wrong that cynicism begins to displace the love of the brethren that was my initial motivation!

All that by way of explaining that I'm reminded these days that a watch-dog needs down time. A witch hunt needs boundaries. And I've been realizing (again) lately that my reading and learning and the focus of my life must be God-ward, not always pointed toward error. It is no testimony to the glory of our Almighty God to be overwrought by the deceptions of fallen man…as if man were the measure of all things and God had lost control…

Toward this end I add to my 'plate' books that celebrate God's triumph over evil, books that speak of His supremacy, His remedy-- 'big picture' books. Of course the Bible presents the big picture best from Genesis to the grand finale! Revelation tends to set our times in perspective. Jude and Peter and Paul warn that 'perilous times will come' but they aren't the whole story. And they won't triumph over the true Church of God. She will be a radiant Bride at Christ's coming. Though the love of many will grow cold. Though a great falling away is certain, despite our sincerest yearnings for a mass revival… yet God is in control. The Gospel needs no fortifications. In it lies the power of God for the salvation of anyone who will cast in their lot with Christ. The Bible says all this but I do appreciate teachers who write books synthesizing Scriptural truth into thought-bites that get me chewing it all again and again… You know the adage: "Repetition with variety is the key to learning." Teachers and pastors in the Body do this for us.

For example, I've recently finished David F. Wells superb book: The Courage to Be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World.⁵ It's both an indictment on the modern church and a rallying cry to return to the foundational doctrines of God, of Christ, of Self and of the Church. Tremendous writing. Daunting to think of writing a review with so much underlining to summarize! Someday soon I hope. And intermittently I dip into: The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World ⁶ by John Piper and others. The title says all. But this week a bright gem came to my door to turn my heart from what's wrong to what is so gloriously right in the world! It's title: The Explicit Gospel. ¹ First chapter title: God.

As author Matt Chandler lays a foundation for his presentation of the Gospel in its fullness and yet simplicity, he expounds on Paul's impassioned cry beginning: "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Rom.11:33-36) His thesis is that in order to fully appreciate what God has done at the Cross, we must first be awe-struck by the glory of God Himself. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to turning our attention to the importance of the glory of God. I read such statements as:

"God's glory is what drives the universe; it is why everything exists." (24)…"The Bible is for us, but it's not about us." … "We are allergic to the idea that everything exists, including us, not for ourselves but for the glory of God." (34)… "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things." (Rom.11:36)  God's aim is His own glory and the 'endless ever-increasing joy of His people in that glory.' (quoting Piper, 35)…"When you understand the driving force behind everything, all of a sudden there's an eternal amount of joy at our disposal because everything we do is enlightened and enlivened by the endless glory of the eternal God." (36)
"Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?" (Rom.11:35)

And as I reflect on these thoughts and turn to investigate the Scriptures from which they stem it's as though a refreshing breeze is blowing. It whisks away pre-occupation with myself as vigilante of truth, as indispensable defender of the faith, as...as in fact an entity intended for anything less than, more than or other than God's pleasure and glory! This is a relief. It puts the burden back in God's hands, the burden of all that's wrong in the world, the burden of needing to fix it, the burden of myself! A fixation with God's glory—my chief end being to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever-- puts my small 'world' and calling in right perspective.

When life gets in the way of my soul looking to God in gratitude and awe, I have let life loom to large. My focal point is wrong.

I turn often to the Lord's Prayer. It says all this in a few words. Our Father. In Heaven. Hallowed by Your Name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, just like it is in Heaven. Here is a God who is very much in control of Heaven and of earth. He calls me to submit my wishes to His will, done in His way, in His timing, in everything. There's no cause for desperation here that the world (or the church) is 'going to Hell in a handbasket'. We pray for revival. Are we willing for judgment, beginning with the house of God? (I Pet.4:17) Ananias and Sapphira weren't. It seems the fear of God had ebbed in the giddy enthusiasm of the early church. God corrected that. "And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things." (Acts 5:11) Do we mistakenly clamor for the 'feeling' of His 'presence', forgetting the weight of this Glory, forgetting that it is "a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”? (Heb.10:31) Do we mistake emotional fervor for worship, carnal insatiability, for the Spirit's moving? I wonder about these things. And I return to the Lord's prayer…

Just give us what we need for today, our daily bread. That is enough. We are your bondservants. We rest in your care. I read of the disciples in Acts 4 as persecution had begun. I see the way they prayed, not for the opposition to dissolve, but for boldness to speak in spite of it, their daily bread--courage. They rested their case with the God who had overseen Jesus' crucifixion at the hands of those who "were gathered together against [Him]…to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place." (Acts 4;27,28) They trusted God to accomplish His will through them however He chose, for His glory above all else.

And I think again of Jesus' own prayer in the face of His greatest temptation—He could have called legions of angels to His rescue. He could have saved His own skin. He could have prayed: "Father, save me from this hour." Instead he said, "But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." (Jn.12:27,28). Hallowed by Your Name… Jesus lived by the Father's design, for the Father's glory. He calls us all to the same. He graces us all to fulfill His design. He supplies the strength, we the yielding. Thy will be done on earth…

To the persecuted church in exile Peter writes: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins…" What will that love look like? It will be different for each of us as we serve one another with our individual gifts, "as good stewards of God's varied grace…by the strength that God supplies"  But what will be the common thread and the end result? "…that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." (I Pet.4:7,8)

"To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
(I Pet.4:11)

So as you and I reflect on the glory of God, whether it be on boats, or beaches or in our own backyards, let us find consolation and courage in this One who 'sits in the heavens and laughs' at those who oppose Him, for 'blessed are all who take refuge in Him.' (Ps.2:4,12) Come what may, He will win the day!

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Hab.2:14

--LS

¹ Chandler, Matt. The Explicit Gospel. Crossway Publ.2012. 237pp.

² Reeves, Kevin. The Other Side of the River. Lighthouse Trails Publ. 2007. 222pp.

³ Hunt, Dave. Beyond Seduction: A Return to Biblical Christianity. Harvest House Publishers, 1987. 264pp

⁴ Gibson, Keith. Wandering Stars: Contending for the Faith with the New Apostles and Prophets. Solid Ground Christian Books, 2011. 312pp.

⁵ Wells, David F. The Courage to Be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World. William B. Eerdman's Publ.,2008. 253pp.

⁶ Piper, John and Justin Taylor, eds. The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World. Crossway Books,2007. 179pp. Contributors: David F. Wells, Voddie Baucham Jr., J.Piper, D.A.Carson, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll

Voice Overload

(and the Call Waiting that changes everything)

****

Lord, I'm a little confused. So many voices give instruction for my path. Obedience is the latest. Just obey—but don't see His commands as burdensome.

T.M. Moore talks about the necessity of fearing God and delighting in His commandments, not seeing them as obsolete. I’m not there yet.

Voddie Baucham contends that striving to do more good than bad and hoping for the best outcome is what ‘religion’ is about.  It doesn’t work since we’re by nature depraved.  That's why the spotless Lamb died on our behalf. 'You are powerless—but that's okay because you were purchased’ is how he sums it up.

John Piper has written a book considering all the imperatives of Jesus. He talks about his personal desolation in being exposed as a hopeless sinner, and the relief of the Gospel’s offer—"the Son of Man came to give his life a ransom for many," (Mk.10:45) "not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Lk.5:32).**  I need to grasp all this more fully.

A couple of our friends focus on 'walking in love' as the ultimate test of whether or not we know God. And they work hard at not gossiping so that they can count on their prayers being answered. 

All these voices have good things to commend yet I sit here a little mystified…it's not clear to me where I'm obeying and not obeying, or just what the next step is… I just feel deafened by the clamor.

I remember our long-ago neighbor Eugene—he, the lonely widower, fixing our whole family a wonderful homemade meal—fried chicken, potato salad and the fixin's and even delivering it..  He took The Golden Rule quite literally: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (hint, hint) I asked him once if he was a Christian? His response, a little taken aback that it wasn't obvious, was: 'Well, I sure try to be one'.

Yet another friend is sure what I need to be doing is evangelizing everyone my life intersects with. It is after all a command, not a choice….

The advice goes on…

Use your gifts.

Mentor a younger woman.

Be mentored by an older one.

Encourage one another. Avoid discouraging words…

These too are voices I've heard this week.

Then there's the forget-about-religion crowd. They write books and blog but tend to downplay the value of the written Word of God. Just get to know the 'real' Jesus. He's great. You'll love him. He's playful. He's with you in the moment. Cool coincidences will prove His nearness. Don't worry about the 'letter of the law' just enjoy Jesus. What He said needs to be reinterpreted in terms of his tone of voice, His wink, His 'just teasing' nature. Don't take life/Jesus/Scripture so seriously.

That's me, serious. Let's see, how shall I change that? Just do it. Right.

“Prophets” of a new stripe are a dime a dozen these days too and everyone's got an 'encouraging word'—a promise of good things to come, a 'word' for your future. Never mind repentance. Obedience? What's that? Just go with the flow. Follow your impressions. Learn to hear the voice and follow. Throw caution to the wind. It's a 'new thing'; don't expect to find it in Scripture….

The super-achiever bio I'm reading doesn't help. A blind prodigy. A super mom. The message: Talent, Determination, Vision, and Confidence will take you places you'd never dreamed of going…Cambridge, Hollywood, TV, American Idol, maybe even a fat Bio all about your accomplishments… And as I read the sinking feeling grows that it's too late for me and mine but just think what could have been… (Failing to consider, that I don’t desire these ends anyway!)

Amid all these voices, I am feeling tired and apathetic, longing only to hear from the One that knows my heart, and knows my inability to carry one more 'should' today…He knows too my self-satisfied pride and my Pharisaical hardness. He knows the fear that holds me back from taking radical responses to inner nudges.

"Call her up and see how she's doing?"

--That might be awkward. I don't know her that well…

And the indecision that leads me to conclude it wasn't a divine nudge, just a 'should' I invented myself and can as easily let go… except I don't. (I feel guilty, and still wonder how she's doing…)

And He knows the actions I do take, because they're all I know to do with this truth that burns in my bones. I am not always diplomatic, not always encouraging. Sometimes truth just jumps out. Offense is taken. I can't remain a 'pleaser' and still a lover of truth. It isn't working.

My Savior knows all these things. His voice is the one I need most to hear. Numbed by message overload. Dulled by physical weariness. Daunted by so much deception at work in the world. Discouraged by my own powerless posture. Today I have no words. But I am listening. I am indeed hopeful. The Way, the Truth, and the Life is not lost and has posted no 'change of address'. He still lives here. In me, with me and for me. He died to redeem me for His Kingdom's sake. He's got the plan. All is well.

------------------Those were my pre-breakfast rumblings---------------------

At breakfast Jim's response was to remind me that the Holy Spirit is sovereign. He works in us to accomplish His good purposes in His good time. There's no rushing ahead of His plan. We are dependents in need of His enabling always and we are ultimately not in control of our lives…

And there was a “call waiting” all the while, a “voice mail” running through the back of my mind that I needed to look up:

Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, [and] my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. Ps.119:7-9

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you [me!] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil.1:6

As breakfast got cleared away and the day had officially begun this confession rose in my heart---I believe He is the Christ, Son of the living God—It's a glorious refrain to a folksy tune by Andrew Peterson. Listen here and rejoice  with me that really all is well when we hold onto what we know to be true while we wait for the ‘what next’ in our walk with Him…

Here’s an excerpt from his lyrics:

And every step of the way his grace is making me;
with every breath I breathe, he is saving me. And I believe.
So when my body's weak and the day is long,
when I feel my faith is all but gone, I'll remember when I sing this song that I believe.
I believe he is the Christ, Son of the living God, my Lord, my Savior. Oh, Hosanna, I believe.***

And yet another Scripture rose as a reminder of where to plant my feet and how to pace myself today in the numbness and confusion of too many voices…

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Prov.3:5-8

And I am glad for the living God and his living Word that breathes life into my deadness and hope into my apathy. Aren't you?

So I picked up the phone and called that friend-in-the-making.  We’ve got plans to do lunch.  All is well.

--LS

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Heb.10:23

_______________________________________________________

*Voddie Baucham, “Truth and the Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World” in The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, p.65-67

**Interview in The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, eds.John Piper and Justin Taylor, Crossway Publ.,2007, p.149-50 discussing the book: What Jesus Demands from the World.

***Andrew Peterson: "The Good Confession" from Resurrection Letters, Vol.II

****Original illustration is mine but entirely inspired by Olivier Dunrea’s Gossie & Gertie, Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

Listening…

"Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live.” Is.55:3

I sat in the back yard this morning—my very own retreat center—savoring sunshine, and the quiet that is not quite silence… mulling over the Word and my reactions to it, reading, cat-napping, and just relishing this being a living temple for Almighty God to inhabit by His Spirit.

Incredible reality.

This phrase “incline your ear” is rolling about in my mind of late. I love the picture of it. Can you see it? Like a good sheep-dog, one ear cocked, ready, listening. Like young Samuel—“Speak Lord, I’m listening.” It’s the part of prayer that we sometimes overlook. The part where we need say nothing.

How many times did Jesus say, “Let him who has ears hear…”? And in Luke He adds: “Take care how you hear!” (Lk.8:18) In the parable of the sower and his seeds, the good soil is commendable. It represents the one who upon hearing the Word ‘holds it fast in an honest and good heart, and bears fruit with patience’(8:15) Oooo I like that. Hanging onto God’s words, whether they ring true for me or not. Hanging onto them because He promises that His Word “will accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is.55:11)

His words are spirit, they are living and active (Heb.4:12); they are life-giving. Do I really believe that?! Then why do I sometimes cringe, turn a deaf ear, harden my heart, not want to hear what God will say to me next… while He’s saying: “Hear me, that your soul may live!”

Hmm… so I’m mulling over these things this morning. And what it is the Gospel has to offer the cringing deafened ear… cringing lest a command be given that will be too hard to obey or too unpleasant or too fearful a thing… What does the gospel have to offer? Repentance and forgiveness of sins, for saint and sinner alike; for we are alike but for the living breathing spirit of God in our beings making all things new.

His Word mirrors to me who He is, who I’m not. It offers me the correction I need to hear, and the reassurance. It breathes new life into my deadened hard spots. It invites me to come, to call, to fear not, to know and believe my Redeemer is strong enough for even my weaknesses. And yes even I can be a witness to His being alive.

“Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

I do not stand condemned but shown a better way, encouraged, emboldened to ask…and reminded that yes, I’m chosen to be His witness, a witness to who God is, not who I am. He is strong in my weakness, able without my strength, a Redeemer who turns all things to good, who speaks life and peace, who restores joy and invites me to be of good courage, for He has overcome the world. I need only follow Him, one ear cocked to hear His voice, eyes wide to watch the way He does it.

Funny, I see this generation following after us, but not exactly in our footsteps. This is at first alarming, but when I look more closely I see them choosing different steps, getting to know the world, the people in it, not just believers. Listening to people. Walking and working with people. Caring. And finding Jesus’ way with people. He enjoyed people. He spent time with them. They enjoyed being with Him too. And in the process life was breathed into dark places. Hope was born. Healing granted. Freedom and forgiveness found. And there was joy.

This is the by-product of listening to Him. Not only do we find life, but we reflect who He is.

Ah, Lord, you’ve chosen us to know you and made us witnesses to the Life you are to us. You are the Redeemer. Redeem our weaknesses. Shine through our cracked places. Be glorified in our lives from generation to generation…

--LS

“Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.” Deut. 32:46,47

"But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Is.66:2

Taking Darshan

 

One of the lovely things about summer is the long uncharted days when duty doesn’t call so loudly and it’s possible to slip away to a sunny spot with a good book.   I am particularly interested in biographies and find writer’s own autobiographies to be a real treat, because they are so well written!  A British author, Rumer Godden, caught my attention earlier this year when I read her London based story, An Episode of Sparrows, aloud  with Rachel.  I went on to thoroughly enjoy her short somewhat autobiographical fiction, The River. It is set in India where she grew up, the child of British parents.  Rumer’s evident love for the natural beauty of India and her respect for its people gave me a whole new appreciation for this place I mostly think of as squalid, wicked and needy.  It also peeked my interest in the autobiography of her childhood and early years of motherhood there—A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep, which became one of my summer reading projects.  I’ve been ruminating on a tidbit from this book lately, a remark about the Hindu practice of ‘darshan’.  See if it reminds you of something as it did me ( :

‘Indians have a custom of taking ‘darshan’’ of significant holy places or revered people or even a renowned view such as the Himalayan snow peaks which means ‘they will travel miles, make pilgrimages simply to take ‘darshan’ of that person or place, not trying to make contact or speak—certainly not taking photographs as we do—but, simply by looking, to let a little of the personality, sainthood, holiness or beauty, come into their souls. They go away, usually without speaking and so keep it for the rest of their lives.’ (p.100)

Is it just me, or do you hear Paul echoing:
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another”(2Cor.3:18).
I love this concept-- transformed from who I seem to be to who He is—from glory to glory—till He is seen in me. (My family could get excited about this too I think!).

One catch in this gazing with reverence though… the object of our awe is Himself invisible!  Not like a mountain or a Ghandi or a molten image, but invisible.  Where do I look?!  Now, to a point there is something of God to be seen in His creation.  I can sit quietly beside Powell Lake for instance hearing the lap of rippling water, looking and listening to know and be known… Last week I could be found nestled on a mossy seat up  the side of Scout Mountain looking out to the horizon through sinuous arbutus branches and fir boughs feeling the

Fresh breeze of fall
Intoxicating rush
A Lover’s gift
Wrapped round with Son…

God was there, this custom gift of a beautiful moment clearly communicated to my soul through His creation.  Is this what it means to behold His glory?  How do we ‘fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith?’

I ran into a couple tourism ads lately, one of which is now stuck to the front of my new Teacher Notebook.  It depicts a serene lakeside view stretching off to a horizon strung with clouds of sunset hue and in the center of the picture the words:   " Come as YOU ARE
                   LEAVE a changed person. "

Oh, so even our culture recognizes the virtue of solitude and silence in the midst of God’s creation…

Or how about this one:

   ‘In UTAH you will discover…a part of yourself you never knew existed.
    Your life is Changed.
    You are Elevated!’

Wow, so maybe we have this concept of ‘darshan’ too?

But there’s got to be more to it.  There are rumblings in the Church nowadays to go back to some neglected practices—things like solitude and silence—and I’ve been hearing some anxious feedback that this stuff could be dangerous…So when are these practices ‘safe’ and even productive for the genuine God-follower?  What would a Christian version of ‘darshan’—a gazing with awe and being transformed in the process—look like?

This transformation is clearly our destiny:
“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.  And those whom He predestined He also called…justified…(and) glorified!” Romans 8:29

And the process is clearly His work, even if it will not be perfected until we see Him at His coming:
“When He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” I Jn.3:2

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face…” I Cor.13:12

So in the meantime?  What’s our stance to be?

I guess it starts with looking UP—setting our minds on things above, where Christ is (Col.3:1).  No mention here of navel-gazing to see if I’m measuring up. Hmm… this is a hurdle for me.

It’s also about learning to set our hope on what is unseen, ‘waiting for it with patience’, rather than all the stuff we can see (Rom.8:25).  Next time I say, “I sure hope…” maybe I better listen in on my heart and get it in for a Tune-up!

Gazing in awe at the Unseen One has everything to do with walking by faith, not sight, keeping step with the Spirit—listening for His prompts, walking with my mind set on His business (Rom.8:5). 

For me that’ll include lots of quiet times in God’s creation with His Word at hand ‘cause that’s how I hear His whispers best.   In these moments I learn to tune into things above and let go of my preoccupation with external cares and internal woes. 

But somehow it’s also got to mean keeping an eye God-ward in the nitty-gritty of my day:
--believing God’s at work in every little thing and refusing to be discouraged.
--praying without ceasing when groaning seems more natural.
--and smiling a whole lot more, as if God truly were a very present help and His joy my strength!

Every day can be full of ‘darshan’ moments as I gaze at what’s before me through His eyes—a holy thing meant for my transformation. And could it be God gazes back with a Father’s delight in His eyes at the prospect of what this eager bumbling child is becoming, all because of His love?  I hope so ( :

Thanks for ruminating along with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts…

--Linda

White Noise...

Silence is to me a wonderful thing.  My brain waves can run along without interference.  I can read with comprehension, write with clarity and actually think!  A little background music is ok  too but no lyrics please or I shall never be able to compose a coherent thought. My energy will be mostly spent tuning it out alternately with listening to the message of the song (even if my kids assure me the words don't matter!) And no driving or mesmerizing beats either or my brain waves turn to mush! I love silence best.

Problem is, even in  the silence I recognize a background buzz. And I don't mean the inevitable hum of the fridge and all things electric, or even a literal tinnitus of the ear-- but a mental buzz created by my subconscious I suppose.  Problem is it's hard to put a finger on it or hear exactly what it's saying. It just buzzes away interfering with my ability to hear what's important or respond quickly to the still small voice I most want to hear.  It's like  a 'white noise'  of the soul.

Have you heard of 'white noise'?  I had to do a little research to figure out what it is and then more  to figure out why  people like it.  First off I had a 'listen' to white noise. If you were to close your eyes and imagine the roar of a  great waterfall... then turn down the volume till you have a nice background roar you will have approximated the sound of white noise, not unlike the static of a poorly tuned radio station. [Listen here]

Curiously enough white noise is  a wonderful thing to many people--the purer the strain, the better. You can actually go buy yourself a  white noise generator or just download an MP3.  But why?  Well, by definition  white noise  contains the whole range of sounds audible to the human ear--all sounding at once mind you.  When played in a steady stream this  white noise actually  masks other disturbing noises.  So, if my neighbor tends to yell a lot, or the street noise is maddening, or that crazy dog just won't quit, or I'm trying to get some sleep and the household is not-- well, white noise has proven to be just the thing.   

So is it all that bad if I have a 'white noise' of the soul going on in the backdrop of my life?  Yes, and no. Depends on whether I want to mask the voices around  me I guess.  For instance, suppose God should want to nudge me to call a friend or visit a neighbor or take time out for a chat with someone under my very own roof... and as He whispers in my ear that loop of white noise hisses 'but what if... what if... what if....'  drowning out His still small voice with its fuzzled and irrational apprehension.

And what is that droning  that deafens me to His 'loud singing' over me with gladness for the sheer joy of my belonging to Him? (see: Zephaniah 3:17) [Listen here to "Amazed"] 

I have a feeling there's a whole bunch of things God wants to communicate to us straight out of His Word that we haven't ears to hear because of the 'white noise' of accumulated life experience and our responses to it.  Or maybe the 'white noise' is voices from my past that I've believed... or maybe it's just the noise of non-stop busyness...Whatever it is I'm all for turning it off rather than letting it lull me passively to sleep and missing out on hearing the truth that will transform my days!

...The Word of God is living and active--sharp, piercing, discerning--before it are exposed the thoughts and intentions of the heart...Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts...the message they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in those who listened...Watch out for an evil, unbelieving heart that will lead you to fall away from the living God...Enter my rest...*

Seems to me the key to de-activating the white noise generator that runs on automatic pilot in my soul is attending with faith to the Word of God till it comes to life in my soul silencing all else that buzzes there.  'Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart' (Ps.51:6) That's my aim for my quiet times this new year--to attend with faith to what God is saying to me, to trust that His words come from a heart that's rejoicing over me, intent on quieting me so I can hear His singing!

The Lord is in His Holy Temple--[I am that temple]--let all the earth keep silence! (Hab.2:20)

 

*quotes taken loosely from Hebrews 3 & 4