Anticipating With Fear or Joy?

 

“But who may abide the day of His coming and who shall stand when He appeareth, for He is like a refiner’s fire. And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.”

—Malachi 3:2-3

Most musicians will recognize these famous verses as the source for the words from the Christmas section of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. The alto soloist begins with an air, followed by the chorus. The words portray not a joyful expectation of the coming of the Redeemer, but one of fear: “Who can stand the scrutiny of His coming?”

Anticipating the first Advent of Christ meant allowing God to purify sinful hearts, especially those of the priestly tribe of Levi, who served night and day in the Temple. In some ways, it seems rather backwards that God would especially put His own Temple servants through the hard process of refining, until they were able to reveal the glowing image of their Lord and give to Him offerings acceptable to such a Great King.

It is reasonable for us to ask: “Does God expect the same of His servants who anticipate His Second Advent?” The sobering reality of this future Great Day comes to us in 1 Peter 4:17:

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Yes, just as God’s people looked forward to His first coming with joy and anxious anticipation, we too should watch and eagerly wait for His second coming with expectation and with joy.

But, we also must remember, that as it was when John the Baptist came shouting: “Prepare the way” for Jesus’ Galilean ministry, we must also prepare to meet Him with hearts purified by His written Word and purified by His work of sanctification. And, as with Anna the prophetess, who met the infant Jesus in the temple on the eighth day, we should be faithfully on watch, day after day, for His return.

As you hear the strains of Handel’s Messiah this Christmas, along with the joyful tidings and great joy, please also recall this sobering section about allowing God to refine you, so that you can offer to Him that which He deserves: offerings in righteousness.

 

 

What If ...?

 

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

—Matthew 1:20

Fears come to all of us. For this reason, Joseph and Mary certainly must have had tremendous apprehension after both of them had a separate visitation from the Angel of the Lord. They no doubt felt, in the depths of their spirits, one of the most common thoughts that we have as humans: “What if …?”

Joseph must have considered:

• “What if my reputation is ruined?”
  
  
• “What if I can no longer make a living in this town to support my wife and child?”
  
  
• “What if I am the only one to help Mary deliver her baby?”
  
  

Teen-age Mary must have questioned many things and wondered:

• “What if my parents don’t believe the word the angel gave to me?”
  
  
• “What if the baby comes while we are on the way to Bethlehem?”
  
  
• “What if there is no place where we can stay when we get there?”
  
  
• “What if robbers overpower us and take all we have?”
  
  
• “What if I have trouble in childbirth?”
  
  

Vaneetha Risner, in her book, The Scars That Have Shaped Me, develops this theme in one of the chapters. She reminds us: ¹

People in the Bible were unsettled by what-if questions, too. When he was told to lead the Israelites, Moses asked God, “What if they don’t believe me?” Abraham’s servant asked about Isaac’s future wife, “What if the young woman refuses to come with me?” Joseph’s brothers asked, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us?”

In the development of her book chapter, Risner wonders if instead of asking: “What if …?” we should declare: ”Even if …” because we can be assured God will be there with us. As a positive example of this, she uses the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were not guaranteed deliverance from the fiery furnace.

Faced with imminent death, just before King Nebuchadnezzar sentence them to be placed into the fiery furnace, these three men replied to the King, as recorded in Daniel 3:17-18:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it … But even if he does not, we want you to know … that we will not serve your gods.”

Risner sums up their change of thinking with these words: ²

Even if. Those two simple words can take the fear out of life. Replacing “what if” with “even if” in our mental vocabulary is one of the most liberating exchanges we can ever make. We trade our irrational fears of an uncertain future for the loving assurance of an unchanging God. We see that even if the very worst happens, God will carry us. He will still be good. And he will never leave us.

Job came to a similar conclusion. In Job 13:15, the Patriarch states this about God:

“Though [even if] he slay me, yet will I hope in him;”

We get a hint that the virgin Mary must have had this mindset, too. Though she didn’t share the words “What if …?” or “Even if …?”, she did express her faith by speaking to the angel these words recorded in Luke 1:38:

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”

As we live through frightening days and we ponder scary thoughts, we hear within our minds, these words:

Let us decide to trust in the God who will keep us even if our worst case scenarios happen.

May we boldly stretch our faith in His power and love, by holding very tightly to His mercy and grace. Amen.

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1 Risner, Vaneetha Rendall. The Scars that Have Shaped Me. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Desiring God, 2016. Pp. 115-116.

2 Ibid. p. 118. Please note that in each case, whenever citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

Simmering

 

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving;

—Colossians 4:2 RSV

How many pots do you have simmering at the moment? Oh, I don’t mean literal pots on your stove. I’m referring to the “spiritual pots” of your unanswered prayers. Cooking professional, James Peterson, says this about “simmering”: ¹

Unlike the French, who are gifted with a vocabulary that describes the stages of a liquid about to boil—(such asfremir, which means to tremble or shake)—we have no equivalent words to describe variations in simmering. But for most purposes, a “simmer” is the stage when the water is in motion but almost no bubbles break the surface; they’re trying to, but the water’s surface tension holds them in place.

Some days, when we spend time in prayer, we feel that God will break through with an answer at any time. We feel we can almost see the “bubbles” on the surface. Yet sometimes, when we have laid our petitions before the Lord for many weeks and months, there comes a time when our “simmering liquid of prayer” seems at the point of “boiling dry.” We become tired of praying for the same things and begin to feel as if we have lost our zeal. We find ourselves at the point of giving up. Yet God’s written Word encourages us to hold on and to not give up. Notice this instruction from Hebrews 6:12:

… imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

We simply cannot rush God’s sovereign plan for us, and His plan for those for whom we pray. He knows just how long the “simmering process” must continue.

The verse at the beginning of this blog post tells us to watch the “simmering pot of prayer”—and be thankful while doing so—believing that God will answer according to His will, and also because of His incredibly all-knowing love for us. He has a feast planned for us that requires the long, slow-cooking process.

When we are tempted to feel that God isn’t listening to our prayers, we must know that He watches over us with pleasure as we “watch” for His answers and wait on Him. He smells the fragrance of our prayers. He sees and knows the best time to bring that “dish” to completion. With great anticipation, let us thank Him for His amazingly wonderful answers, even before we see any indication of them!

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1 Peterson, James. Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making, Fourth Edition. Harvest Books/HarperCollins Publishers, 2017. Please note that in each case, whenever citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

Meditate

 

May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.

—Psalm 104:34

When we counsel fellow believers to spend time each day reading Scripture, we often use the additional encouragement to not only read but to “meditate” on God’s written Word. Have you ever wondered what we mean by the word “meditate”? The dictionary defines the word “meditate” as follows:

… to think deeply or carefully about something; to focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes, or as a method of relaxation.

So, when we encourage a fellow believer to spend time each day reading, studying, and meditating on God’s written Word, we intend to encourage that one to not only read very carefully and study intently the Scriptural text, we also seek to motivate that one to think deeply about what God desires to communicate with us through the text He has inspired the various biblical writers to share with us.

The Puritan writer, George Swinnock, has written often about the subject of what it means to “meditate.” For example, drawing from just one passage in the somewhat exhaustive five volume collection of Swinnock’s writings, we find this helpful passage: ¹

Meditation prepares the heart for prayer. Meditate on your sins and hunt them out of their lurking holes; this helps in our confession. Meditate on your needs, for God is fully able to supply them. Consider what you need—pardoning, mercy, strength for victory, power against sin—that you may entreat God to give them to you. Meditate upon His mercies to you from birth. Look at the dangers you have been delivered from, the journeys you have been protected in, the seasonable help He has sent you, the suitable support He has afforded you in distress, the counsel He has given you in doubts, and the comforts He has provided you in sorrow and darkness. These are present with you by meditation.

Every breath in your life is a gift of mercy. Do not forget the former favours bestowed on you and your family. An empty perfume bottle still smells when the perfume is gone. Then meditate upon your present mercies. How many do you enjoy—your house, family, body, and soul, are all fully of blessings! Think of them particularly. Spread them out like jewels to you view. Meditate on how freely they are bestowed, on their fullness and greatness.

But O, your soul’s mercies—the image of God, the blood of Christ, eternal life, and seasons of grace! Your whole life is a bundle of mercies. These stir us up to bless the Giver.

Then meditate on God to whom we pray. O how we are ashamed of our drops when we stand by this ocean! Meditate on His mercy and goodness. These like Moses’ strokes will fetch water our of a rock.

God delights to be sought and found. He delights to see men joyful in the house of prayer. God will not send you away sad. When you have by meditation put the wood in order upon the altar, you may by prayers set fire to it and offer up a sacrifice of sweet smelling savour.

As we move through the days ahead, let us determine to set aside time to read, to study, and to meditate on God’s precious written Word. As we allow the words of our God to wash over our beings, we will arise from our time with Him, finding that our minds and hearts have truly been refreshed and renewed.

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1 Swinnock, George. Works of George Swinnock. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1992. Volume 1, Pp. 111-117. Please note that, in each case whenever citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

Re-formed by God

 

But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

—Jeremiah 18:4

Imagine, in your mind, that you are watching a skilled potter as she throws a pot on a spinning potter’s wheel. Notice the strength, skill, delicacy, and purposefulness that flows from the hands of that potter, as a mere lump of clay is transformed into a beautiful clay pot. The potter must feel free when creating this art to know that if the pot comes out wrong, the potter can re-form it by simply adding a little water and starting over. However, the time to reshape and change the final look of the object does have a limit. Once the pot’s clay hardens, re-forming the pot becomes almost impossible.

In the passage of Scripture at the beginning of this blog post, the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah used the image of the potter, and of the clay that God gave the potter from the ground, as a narrative to warn the nation of Israel about the danger prescribed by their hardened and rebellious hearts. Through Jeremiah, the Lord literally cried out to His people to allow Him to re-form them as He pleased, in order to make them a nation that He could use for His glory.

If you use your English dictionary to look up the meaning of the word “re-form,” you will find descriptive words like:

“… to form again or in a new configuration; to come back together as a group …”

How does a potter take a clay object and re-form it? First, and most importantly, the clay must remain soft and pliable. To correct the flaws in a piece of pottery, the potter can rub out the mistakes. The potter can even change the originally planned object for a use other than the use the potter first intended. This re-formation takes place within the potter’s hands. But, to truly re-form clay into something wholly worthwhile, it most often takes an artistic and a creative touch by a skilled potter, who takes special care. If the clay pot hardens before the process has finished, the potter can no longer re-form it. Instead the potter has to break it into pieces and begin again with a new slab of workable clay.

Similarly, the Prophet Jeremiah knew the hardness of the hearts of the people of Israel. In Chapter 19 of the Book that bears Jeremiah’s name, the Lord tells him to use as an illustration a new clay jar. God instructs Jeremiah to break it into pieces while the people watch. And then, warn them that He will smash the nation of Israel in such a way that it simply cannot be repaired.

As followers of Jesus, God serves we “Christ-ones” in the role of our Potter. We become the clay in His creative and artistic hand. If we allow Him to hold us lovingly in His hands and to then mold us into whatever shape He desires, God can more readily use us for His divine purposes. But, in contrast, if we allow our hearts to harden, and if we turn away from the Potter, He can only use us if He first breaks us. How much more easily the course of our lives will unfold, if we willingly allow the re-forming process by our Potter, the Greatest of All Artists.

I am reminded of the words to the hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” by Adelaide Pollard. ¹

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

As you consider these thoughts I’ve shared, I invite you to please pray this prayer with me:

Heavenly Potter, please mold us into the people You wish us to become. Re-form those of us who have pliable hearts and make us into useful vessels. Re-form our gifts and our energies for Your glory. Re-form our churches, re-form our desires, and re-form our plans. Help us to willingly submit to You and allow You to have the freedom to re-form us anew, according to Your good purpose and grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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1 Pollard, Adelaide. “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” A hymn in the Public Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that in each case, whenever citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

Everlasting Abba

 

And he will be called … Everlasting Father.

—Isaiah 9:6

God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

—Galatians 4:6

What’s in a name? In the Bible, names take on a specific meaning for the individual. A person’s name offered a unique label for the person to whom it was given. This is much more true for the names given by God for Himself. The lovely name, “Abba,” holds a special place in Scripture, as one of the very few Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic terms that scholars have not translated for us into English.

In 21st century Israel, the appellation “Abba” still holds much the same place as it did in ancient usage. This directly relates in the same way the word “Daddy” does in our current American milieu. Little ones in ancient times also related to their fathers in this lovingly familiar way.

However, in New Testament times when referring to their fathers, the term “Abba” was used by adults equally as much as the term was used by children. In the spiritual world, the term “Abba” contained the sense of God as the Holy One, Revealer of Mysteries, Creator, and more—yet one who had a relationship with a devoted, obedient son or daughter. Thus, “Abba” became a more grown-up term of deep respect and honor with the affection of a personal relationship added into the meaning.

In her book, The Scars That Have Shaped Me, Vaneetha Rendall Risner ¹ writes a chapter titled: “How to Pray When Life Falls Apart.” In this chapter, she looks at Jesus in His most agonizing moments and the way He teaches us to pray in our worst dilemmas. She quotes the verse from Mark 14:36:

“‘Abba,’ Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Here Jesus used the most intimate of familiar names for His Heavenly Father and called Him “Abba.” In this one word, Jesus testified, not only of His love for the Father, but of the love the Father had for Him.

When we come to God in prayer during our times of greatest anguish and pain, using the name “Abba” for our Father reminds us of the relationship we have with Him, as His dearly loved children. During these times of difficulty and distress, we need that relationship the most. In many cases, fear accompanies the days when we experience trouble. In Romans 8:15, the Apostle Paul reminds Christians of an important fact:

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.”

In our pain, we must go to God. If we hold an intimate relationship with Him, we have every right to call Him “Abba.” Remember, that even Jesus, in His fear and agony, needed His “Abba,” too.

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1 Risner, Vaneetha Rendall, The Scars That Have Shaped Me. Minneapolis: Desiring God, 2016. Pp.57-58. Please note that whenever a citation of Copyrighted material is made on a post of this blog, such a citation is given strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

 

At the King's Table

 

He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love.

—Song of Songs 2:4

During these days, we hear a lot about a peaceful “transition of power” within our own country. We also observe the destruction that happens in third-world countries when one party stages a coup to overturn an election and forecefully place their party’s chosen government in power. And sadly, we even experience violent resistance from some groups of individuals when power transitions in our own country—in spite of the careful provisions the founders of our nation made in the Constitution of the United States of America.

As we study the Bible, we read of hundreds of transitions of kings, judges, and empires. Never was there a more unusual turnover than when King David began his rule in Jerusalem. Please let me share this background information:

You may recall the stories of King Saul, David’s predecessor, who in jealous rages attempted to kill David on various occasions. Yet David, already anointed by God to serve as king, returned grace for hatred. David did this even though he had several opportunities to retaliate. David had formed a strong bond of deep friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, and deeply grieved his death when Jonathan was killed.

After King Saul went against God’s will and eventually died, Saul’s loyal army crowned his son, Ish-bosheth, king. David struggled against this opposition until God eventually gave David victory.

As newly crowned king over all of Israel, David asked this question, as recorded in 2 Samuel 9:1:

“Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

When he was told about King Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, David called him to come. Then, as recorded in 2 Samuel 9:7:

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

This picture of grace should reinforce for all of us the way in which God treats us for the sake of His Son, Jesus. We also have been invited to sit at God’s table all the rest of our lives.

When we consider God’s grace to us, we should rightly worship Him, rejoice in His portion and in His riches that He has given us. And, we should vow to give ourselves in fealty to Him by living in grace toward others—just as He has given His grace to us. The Puritan, George Swinnock, wrote: ¹

The believing soul feasts like Mephibosheth at David’s table continually. In his presence is fullness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore … His love is infinitely better than life itself. Exalt him in your heart as your chiefest good, and he will make the gift of himself to you. Here is God, there is the world; here bread, and there husks; here substance, there a shadow; here a paradise, there an apple; here is fulness, there is emptiness; here a fountain, there a broken cistern; here are all things, there is nothing; here is heaven, there is hell; here eternity of pleasure, there eternity of sorrow and pain. Now, is not this an infinite reason to choose God for your portion?

Today, let us meditate on the way God’s abundant grace allows Him to look at us. Though He may see us clearly as unlovely and poor sinners, nevertheless He lavishly bestows us with His presence and His riches, through Christ our Lord. May His kindness demonstrate to us the way in which He would have us show kindness to others.

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1 Swinnock, George (author) and Richard Rushing (editor). Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Reading. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 270.

Please note that whenever a citation of Copyrighted material is made on a post of this blog, such a citation is given strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.