wondering about all this light business...

Being light is hard...

In a dark world... light reveals a lot of evil... and much of it does NOT welcome light...

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness

did not comprehend it.

John 1:5 NASB

"...And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world,

and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ..."

John 3:19 NASB

And it's just hard... to reveal what's dark...

and have someone refuse... to receive the light...

People who by the world's standards... don't look evil...

walk in and embrace the darkness... by God's standards they are evil...

It makes a heart hurt...

I wonder about one in particular...

completely closed off to "religion"... church... of any sort...

Thinking about him this morning... reading about the Light...

the eyes of my heart see just how much this new friend... with heels dug in the dark...

would just love the Light... if he opened up to know Him... for who He is...

It makes me sad...

Then those who know Him... have seen the Light...

when you shed light in their direction... and they reject it... well...

It makes a heart break...

My heart is feeling heavy today...

seeing darkness all around...

when there is Light so near...

and I wonder...

Did He get weary...? burdened...? with being Light...? in a very dark world...?

...so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey,

was sitting beside the well.

John 4:6 ESV

Jesus... the Light of the world...

journeyed through life in this dark world...

and it wearied Him...

The Greek here means... to grow weary... tired... exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief)... (Enhanced Strong's Lexicon)

His disciples left Him at the well where He could rest...

while they went to get food... they didn't experience the same exhaustion... burden... 

You can hear the weariness in His voice... as He laments over Jerusalem...

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets

and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have

gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood

under her wings, and you were not willing! ..." ---Jesus

Matthew 23:37 ESV

In the gospel of Matthew... this follows His tirade against the scribes and Pharisees entrenched in the dark... His list of woe to you... still echoing in the air...

Yes... I believe He was burdened... grieved... saddened...

by being a Light... many refused to receive...

The prophets described Him even before He was born in a manger...

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief...

Isaiah 53:3 ESV

I'm feeling a bit sorrow-full and grieved myself today...

yet unlike Him... I'm sure I've failed to shed light perfectly...

sinned in my anger... grief... frustration...

Praise Him...!

Who shines Light perfectly...

grieves without sinning...

loves unfailing...

Praise Him...!

Through whom all things are possible...

and calls us to rejoice in Him...

not be anxious...

and pray...

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds

in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7 ESV

returned gifts...

I had some gifts returned yesterday...

though it was a surprise...

it wasn't a bad thing...

One gift returned was my flute...

the one I played in high school...

I'd given it to my nephew several years ago...

when he wanted to pursue the flute...

This semester... he graduated with a masters degree in music...

he owns his own superior flute now... and a piccolo...

Yesterday... in the kitchen he brought them down...

opened them up... and asked me to play...

I had no idea if I could...

and mostly I couldn't...

I also couldn't believe how much I'd forgotten...

fingerings... notes... and how to make a clear sound...

But he patiently coached...

reviewed keys and notes...

and for a bit... we played part of a Christmas carol...

The master's educated musician... encouraged me to take my flute...

the one he learned on... the one I had given him...

to re-learn to play...

a gift returned... with gratitude...

The musician's brother was there too...

who I hadn't seen in over a year...

not since he was married...

He too returned a gift...

one which also surprised...

When they arrived...

I gave them hugs...

expressed how good it was to see them...

Then later... when things were quiet...

he descended on me again...

with a big bear hug...

Sorry... it's just been so long...

he says... as we hug...

and in the background I hear his mom say...

He loves his Aunt Carol...

And I wonder at the hugs and the words...

never knowing... he felt such love for me...

Both returned gifts...

revealed an unknown impact...

I made on those I love...

The gifts I've offered over the years...

may have looked one-sided...

but somewhere along the way...

a shift was made...

Gifts of love... no matter how small...

are never wasted...

and one day...

when you least expect it...

they just might be returned...

in a good way...

...give, and it will be given to you. Good measure,

pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.

For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."

Luke 6:38 ESV

Have you had any returned gifts lately...?

Christmas... one more word... love...

Love...

The Word wrapped up in the manger...
is the greatest expression of God's love...
for the one's He created...

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,

that God sent his only Son in the world, so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:8 ESV

Even though we rebelled...
and broke everything...
He made the way through Jesus...
for us to return to Him...
and for Him to make all things new...
in and around us...

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ --

by grace you have been saved...

Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV

I pray you see His love...
know His love...
today and every day...

Have a very blessed Christmas...
Carol...

2 words till Christmas... give...

Give... an Advent word...

the word given... with just 2 days... till Christmas...

The Christmas tradition of give...
is born out of the Nativity story...

God gave Mary the blessing of bearing His Son...
she gave Him herself for His use...

"Behold, I am the servant of the Lord,

let it be to me according to your word."

Luke 1:38 ESV

Joseph gave up his reputation...
to give the Savior a flesh and blood dad...

...Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame,

resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things,

behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream...

Matthew 1:19-20 ESV

The shepherds gave encouragement...
by going to see what the angel revealed...

And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been

told them concerning this child. ... Mary treasured up all these things,

pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:17, 19 ESV

And the wise men... they gave gifts...

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother,

and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures,

they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 2:10-11 ESV

Sometimes I think I've created a monster... when it comes to giving Christmas gifts within my immediate family...

In recent years... I've tried to pull back on the material...
focus more on the spiritual...
the true meaning of Christmas...
but giving gifts... has deep roots...

When I was little...
my mom made Christmas BIG...!
presents... presents... presents...
under the tree...
from Santa...
stocking-stuffers...

With both parents raised in the Great Depression...
making sure their children had more...
was important...

Jesus...
even though He should have been the center of attention...
was relegated to the shadows...
in a small hand-carved Nativity scene...

We didn't attend church as a family...
no Christmas Eve service...
no communion...
no Nativity story read from the Bible...

But gifts... they were front and center...
so that's how it went with my kids...
give a BIG Christmas...

Now it feels out of control...

Gifts have started piling...

None of these are from me...
my adult children... now connect Christmas... with giving gifts...
(and... Yes... these should be under the tree...
but it's still not decorated...
and... Yes... I know it's 2 days till Christmas...
and... Yes... it's still messy...!)

The wise men's giving of gifts... was an outpouring of worship... to the newborn King...

they fell down and worshiped him... 

opening their treasures...

they offered him gifts...

John Piper... in his daily readings for Advent... emphasizes this view...

The gifts are intensifiers of desire for Christ himself in much the same way fasting is. When you give a gift to Christ like this, it's a way of saying something like this:

The joy that I pursue is not the hope of getting rich with things from you. I have not come to you for your things but for yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things in the hope of enjoying you more, not the things. By giving to you what you do not need and what I might enjoy, I am saying more earnestly and more authentically, "You are my treasure, not these things."

--- John Piper, The Dawning of Indestructible Joy

The wise men didn't give because He needed...
the wise men gave because they desired Him...

The give of Christmas...
is not about the material...
it's about love...
because the One who started it all...
gave...

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but in order that the world might be saved through him. ..."

John 3:16-17 ESV

God wrapped up His Son... Himself...

the Infinite... Uncontainable... Creator...

into a tiny gift... a Babe...

in order to give the world... a Savior...

because He loves us so much...

He couldn't leave us lost...

He desires us to come back... to Him...

He gave... and still gives...

to reveal His great love...

And I suppose that's what's at the heart of all the crazy buying and giving in my family roots... the desire to show love... to bless... to make happy...

But the real question in all this giving...

What are you giving...? to show your desire...? for Him...?

because... really... without Him... we have nothing...

We love... because He first loved us...

and we give... because He gave...

rest... in His love...

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears

has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:18-19 ESV

My morning starts off different than most...

a flurry of activity...

making morning coffee...

unloading the dishwasher...

loading the dishwasher...

cleaning the kitchen...

left a mess the night before...

The alarm to wake my husband...

goes off in the kitchen...

I'm still in bed... asleep...

Usually I'm up before him... 

I'm his alarm...

but I have to set one or I forget...

The strange noise wakes me...

It's time for you to get up...

he doesn't move...

I roll out of bed...

into the kitchen...

still in nightgown...

usually workout clothes come first...

The flurry of activity begins...

besides the kitchen...

other things come to mind...

getting dressed...

making the bed...

starting laundry...

shopping online for Christmas...

I pursue these activities... with a bit of guilt...

this is not how I like to start my day...

the coffee making... yes...

but the rest...

and the shopping...

I feel like it's distracting me from Him...

He is the One I sit with first in my mornings...

with coffee... devotional... prayer journal...

praise... and His Word...

a time to sit... rest... begin the day right...

So this morning...

everything felt wrong...

out of order... out of sorts...

but I continued with the flurry...

until it felt complete...

I sat with Him...

feeling stirred...

like I failed Him...

put Him on the back burner...

until I read...

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you;

he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV

He was with me in the flurry...

in the out of sorts waking...

He went before me in this day...

beginning with online Christmas shopping...

The fear I felt... came from my flesh...

my desire to do things right...

to please Him...

I realized as I sat... pondering His presence... His love...

Instead of being fearful... I should be thankful... and joyful...

He made the way... to get things done...

things I didn't know how they would happen...

After the guilt-ridden flurry and fear of failing Him...

I find myself filled with thanks...

resting in His love for me...

His direction in my day...

even if it seems off to me...

He was before and with...

and loving me all the way...

Father God... help me to remember the lesson of resting in Your love...

trusting You are near... going before me in my day...

no matter how it goes...

rest... in thanks giving...

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who by understanding made the heavens,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who spread out the earth above the waters,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who made the great lights,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

the sun to rule over the day,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

the moon and stars to rule over the night,

for his steadfast love endures forever...

Psalm s 136:1-9 ESV

Today a day... to rest... in thanks giving...

Finding rest in giving thanks for His great wonders...

all motivated by His steadfast love... which endures forever...

Give thanks to Him...

find rest...

Note...

I thank Him for those of you He's led to this table to read...

it is a great wonder... anyone comes...

have a blessed day of thanks giving...

wait on Him... Jude 17-23...

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions

of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you,

"In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own

ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people,

devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up

in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep

yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our

Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy

on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire;

to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained

by the flesh.

Jude 17-23 ESV

Another Word on waiting in the last time...

there will be scoffers... worldly... Spirit-less people...

dividers... both in the church... and outside the church...

They will follow their own passions... and not God...

we wait with these people...

and in a way... wait on...

Through holy faith... and Spirit-filled prayer...

we prepare to wait...

offering mercy to doubters...

snatching some right out of the fire... by our love and witness...

showing fearful mercy... to those whose garments are stained...

remembering to love the person... but hate the sin of the flesh...

Through faith and prayer...

we keep ourselves in love with God...

who enables us to love as He does...

to truly love... with Spirit-filled godly love...

and not the perverted sympathetic love of the flesh...

True love sees right from wrong...

let's God define sin...

and hates to see anyone led astray from His Truth...

Love does not allow a child to play in the street...

Love does not allow a brother in Christ to play around with sin...

both deadly games...

We now reside in the last time...

waiting on Him...

How are you at loving scoffers...?

being merciful to the lost...?

offering love to those with ungodly passions?

The temptation I've faced lately...

one pointed out to me recently...

is to check out... back off...

quit offering what I have...

because nobody seems interested...

in Truth... in His Word... in His Way...

As the thought flew threw my mind Why continue...?

He quickly brought to mind His Word...

"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar

or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter

may see the light. ..."

Luke 11:33 ESV

Light... those of us who know Him...

have Him shining in our hearts...

have an obligation... to let Him shine...

share Him with others...

even the scoffers...

the uninterested...

and those who don't want it...

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts

to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

That's what we're called to do...

in the last time... in a dark world...

shine with all the faith He blessed us with...

This last time message...

is the last in the series of...

wait on Him...

So now I wait...

to see what's next...

Amen...

wait on Him... Psalm 31:23-24...

Love the Lord, all you saints!

The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays

the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!

Psalm 31:23-24 ESV

Love the Lord... all you followers of Jesus...

only in Him... can we be called saints...

He is our Lord... so serve Him wholeheartedly...

obey Him... for this is love for Him...

Loving God means keeping his commandments,

and his commandments are not burdensome.

1 John 5:3 NLT

Those who love Him... who faithfully obey...

He preserves... protects...

but those who act in pride... following their own way...

will not fare so well...

I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity;

I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,

and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.

Isaiah 13:11  ESV

Those who wait on Him...

can take courage... be strong... in the wait...

He is faithful to those who are faithful...

He is just... and will keep His promises...

Wait on Him... 

Love Him...

He will come through...

The Journey Readings: Week 139... and nothing matters without His love...

We spend countless hours and resources in our culture rehabilitating... reaching out... to the lost... the broken...

We do this on a large scale... through programs...
individually... in the lives of loved ones...
all for the sake of helping people live better lives...

But the reality is... if the love of Christ... is not the sole motivation for transformation in an individual's life... it's all for nothing...

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,

I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers,

and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith,

so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,

but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV

Because apart from Christ...

His love planted in our heart's by the Holy Spirit...

there is no life...

Nothing matters without His love...

This week's readings...

Monday                  2 Corinthians 3-4

Tuesday                  2 Corinthians 5:1 - 6:13

Wednesday             2 Corinthians 6:14 - 8:24

Thursday                2 Corinthians 9-10

Friday                     2 Corinthians 11

lean on Him... Psalm 13:5-6

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13:5-6 ESV

Trust in God is based on His steadfast... unfailing... love...

His love that sent His Son to die...

when we were the ones that deserved to...

His love that causes the sun to rise and set...

seasons to come and go...

producing food for all...

whether you love Him... or deny Him...

His love that seeks the lost...

when they don't want to be found...

or don't even know they are lost...

His steadfast love that holds all things together...

when we should be falling apart...

When we trust in Him... in His steadfast love...

our hearts rejoice... in His salvation...

We see and know... He has dealt bountifully with us...

far more than we deserve...

and... so... we... sing...!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...

Amen...

after time away... a prayer of thanks...

Time away... reminds me...

You are everywhere... 

not just in my little corner...

Your love is so big... covers all people... 

not just those I know... and see... in my community...

You created all things... a vast array of landscapes... 

not just the one in which I reside...

You are with me wherever I go...

no matter how many miles... or how many days...

You are near...

Thank You for the blessing of time away...

for fresh reminders... upon returning home...

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, you are very great!

Psalm 104:1 ESV

too much truth (?)... in an unexpected place...

Another movie while away... filled with unexpected truth...
but it came like a time bomb... almost twenty hours later...

The movie... Deep Impact... picked from the bargain bin...
looking for action-adventure to please my dear spouse...

By the time it was over... I announced...
I hated it...! Too many people died... too sad...
Why couldn't more have survived...?
At least some of the heroes could've returned...!

Movies with happy endings are my thing...
I can take action... and adventure... but just let it all come out all good in the end...
good according to my definition of good...

The truth exploded the next day...
sitting quietly... resting with Him...
soft breeze blowing... blue sky... dotted with white clouds...

Thoughts of cataclysmic events came to mind...
scenes from the movie... stirring fears of my own...

In response... I praised Him...
for knowing... never being surprised... caught off guard...
for His love... for His sovereignty and faithfulness...
in all things...

Then truth comes...
That movie you didn't like... was a love story...

And I realize... no less than seven main characters... risked their lives to save others...
six died... so millions could live...
a picture of love incarnate...

"...Greater love has no one than this,

that someone lay down his life for his friends. ..." ---Jesus

John 15:13 ESV

Conviction set in for not seeing it earlier... for desiring to see mankind control... reverse... cataclysmic... out of control... scenarios...

I see my own warped sense of trusting in man and his abilities...

at least when it comes to fiction and my personal entertainment...

The truth is... we live this way each day...

in a world out of our control...

one which will one day be destroyed...

by a cataclysmic event... 

But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist

are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment

and destruction of the ungodly.

2 Peter 3:7 ESV

In the movie... the president of the US professed faith in God...

he prayed for the nation... for God to bless...

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26 ESV

No one else mentioned faith in Him...

The eternal destiny of those who loved... remained unknown...

But the bigger picture is...

we have One who loves us...

laid down His life...

that we might live eternally...

Those in Him... need never fear...

any cataclysmic event...

rather look for opportunities... not to control...

but to love... like Him...

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Psalm 46:1-3 ESV

A further truth... is to remember the precarious nature of life...

and how little control... power... we have over our world... and its events...

This truth should make us look at others from an eternal perspective...

seeking to save those who are lost... connect with those He calls us to...

be prepared... to risk our lives... even if its just a little embarrassment in an awkward moment... to introduce others to Him who loves them... or love in a way that reveals Him...

Yes... changing my mind about the movie...

and wondering about unbelief still rooted in my heart...

Hmmm... a little more truth than I bargained for...

thoughts on service...

At the shop... we try to make service... and excellence... our goal...
keeping margin in our work... so we can serve those... who need it same day...
and we try... to do things well... really excellent...

But service... is something I don't always do well at home...
those I care for most... are at times... hardest to serve...

So I think on what the Word says about serving...

... through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13 ESV

Through love... His love... we serve...

This one's tough... when we look at His definition of love...

it's patient... kind...

not envious... boastful... arrogant... rude...

it does not insist on its own way...

not irritable... resentful...

doesn't rejoice in wrong...

rejoices in truth...

it bears all things... believes all things...

hopes... and endures...

Love... it's hard to give...

when it's something I want... feel lacking in...

Of course I only feel lacking... because I'm seeking love from the wrong ones...

The ones I'm called to serve in love... my family...

are the ones I want to love me... serve me...

Yes... it's ugly... I know... but it's true...

I can't serve at home as well... because I want to be served...

As I serve at the shop... I'm learning to serve better at home...

He reveals how I fail... to lay down my life for those I love...

lay down my wants and desires... for theirs...

and how I fail so often... to be satisfied... by His love...

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,

that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14 ESV

and so I can serve... freely...

For you were called to freedom, brothers.

Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,

but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13 ESV

Amen...

convicted...

I found myself convicted today... for complaining...
a mild complaint... but a complaint nonetheless....

The complaint centered on something that should only bring joy...

Self-centeredness... the root of complaint...

As I write... I'm reminded for what I have been set free...

For you were called to freedom, brothers.

Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,

but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13 ESV

I suppose all complaints... or most to be sure... are rooted in selfishness...

His love... frees us to serve others... in love...

therefore should free us from complaining...

Do everything without complaining or arguing.

Philippians 2:14

Grateful to be set straight...

Grateful for the Holy Spirit who convicts...

Grateful for the freedom to serve... in love...

Have you complained today...? 

Perhaps it's time to examine its root...

sing to the Lord all the earth...

He sings a song of love...

to His who are beloved...

Do you hear it...?

My beloved speaks and says to me:

"Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,

for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come..."

Song of Solomon 2:10-12 ESV

He sings His song through creation...

His creation sings back...

psalm 103... and Easter perspective... part twelve...

Nearing the end of Psalm 103...
continuing to view it from the empty tomb...
verses 17 and 18...

But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord's love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children's children---

with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

Psalm 103:17-18

Everlasting to everlasting...

it's not about others remembering our place in this world when we're gone...

it's about us remembering our place before Him...

When we remember who we are... 

short-lived dust...

and whose we are... 

God's...

He remembers us... loves us...

into eternity... 

Jesus made the Way for us to be remembered...

for us to be established eternally...

as children... heirs... of the Creator...

Again... fear of the Lord... understanding who we are... and who we are before our Creator... is the key to receiving... accepting His love... His righteousness...

We must remember His precepts... 

keep His covenant...

in order to be kept eternally...

This is all made possible... when we know Jesus...

fall in love with Him... 

on account of what He's done for us...

and follow Him...

The man who says, "I know him,"

but does not do what he commands is a liar,

and the truth is not in him.

But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly

made complete in him. This is how we know

we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him

must walk as Jesus did.

1 John 2:4-6

When we live out His love for us through obedience...

our children... our children's children...

see and know the Truth...

His righteousness is with those who know Him...

not just go through the motions...

not just check the boxes... church... devotional... prayer...

not just follow the rules...

Those who know Him love Him all day long...

in all sorts of ways... 

and those ways... infiltrate the hearts of those around us...

from everlasting... to everlasting...

generation... to generation...

Do you love Him...?

Do you know who you are before Him...?

Do you know who He is...? and what He's done for you...?

Everlasting to everlasting...

the Lord's love... is not a box to check...

it's a relationship to enter in...

child to Father...

servant to Lord...

beloved to the Lover of our souls...

Father God... grow me to love You...

with all my heart... soul... mind... and strength...

I desire Your love... from everlasting to everlasting...

psalm 103... an Easter perspective... part nine...

About halfway through Psalm 103... wondering what we will see today...

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions for us.

Psalm 103:11-12

Love greater than the distance between heaven and earth...

Transgressions removed farther than we can even imagine...

Yet... this love... this forgiveness... reserved for those... who fear Him...

Let's look at what this fear of the Lord is about...

The biblical conception of fear embraces a much wider dimension than does our common English word, which simply denotes dread or terror. While this meaning forms an essential part of the scriptural picture, it is by no means the primary significance, especially when the fear of God --- an awe-inspiring reverence --- is referred to.

There is, of course, a legitimate place for the fear of God in the lower, anxious sense. We are told, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb 10:31, RSV). Jesus taught that we should fear God because he has the power to punish sin and consign people to utter destruction (Lk 12:4-5). Fear has a constructive role to play in enabling men to realize both the degeneracy of their souls and their need of divine forgiveness.

---Tyndale Bible Dictionary

Jesus showed us the greatness of God's love...
Love greater than we can fathom...

He came and made a way... for sins to be removed...
blotted out... cast east and west... never to return...

But there were... are... those who reject His love...
disregard His forgiveness... for they have no fear of Him...
no understanding of what Jesus revealed...
our need for a Savior...

Those who rejected Him... crucified Him...
Those for whom He prayed for forgiveness... spat on Him...
Those who preferred their own light... to the Light of the world... stayed in darkness...

"... And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world,

and people loved the darkness rather than the light

because their works were evil. For everyone who

does wicked things hates the light and does not come

to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

But whoever does what is true comes to the light,

so that it may be clearly seen that his works

have been carried out in God." --- Jesus

John 3:19-21 ESV

To truly know God... 

even an inkling of the reality of Him...

is to fear Him...

Jesus came... to reveal the reality of His love...

mercy... compassion...

Where fear of the Lord drives us to follow the law...

His love... compels us... to follow Him...

His love... enables us to trust...

trust enables us to walk out of the darkness...

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant?

Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light,

trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

But now, all you who light fires and provide

for yourselves with flaming torches,

go, walk in the light of your fires

and of the torches you have set ablaze.

This is what you shall receive from my hand:

You will lie down in torment.

Psalm 50:10-11

Those who refuse to fear the Lord...

see Him for who He is... and who they are before Him...

will not receive... experience... His love... or... forgiveness...

Those who fear Him... know Him... trust Him... receive...

love beyond comprehension...

forgiveness unimaginable...

all in Jesus's name...

Father God... fill me with a proper fear of You...

without You I'm lost in the dark...

I trust You... Lord... show me the Way...

use me to shine Your Light in the life of others...

that they may find the Way too...

psalm 103... an Easter perspective... part eight...

Here we go... another piece of Psalm 103... seen in light of His work on the cross...

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

Psalm 103:9-10

We stand at a miraculous time in history... the year of the Lord's favor...

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Luke 4:18-19

(emphasis added)

These words of Isaiah... Jesus read in a synagogue on a Sabbath day in Nazareth... after reading He sat down... and said... Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing...

Jesus made it clear... He is the One Isaiah prophesied about... hundreds of years earlier...

The fulfillment of these scriptures... proclaim the year of the Lord's favor... the amazing time in which we now live...

Jesus preached His good news to those poor in spirit...

He proclaimed freedom for those imprisoned by sin...

He opened the eyes of those spiritually blind...

He released those oppressed by the enemy...

He not only proclaimed the year of the Lord's favor...

He brought it to pass... via the cross... the tomb... the resurrection...

As Believers... we live in bodies of flesh... continually stumble over temptation... yet know... rely on... the grace... the favor... of the resurrected Jesus...

A place... and time... where we sin...

yet go forth unaccused...

Sin and grace...
daily intertwined...
in those who know Him...

The wrath... anger... of God... which we deserve...

has been poured out on the Son...

Jesus took the brunt of what we deserve...

By His grace... punishment forgoes us...

Our iniquities... need no repayment...

He footed the bill... paid the ransom...

By His wounds... we... are... healed...

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,

that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

No... He does not treat us as our sins deserve...

He pours out Himself... in grace... and... love...

Lord Jesus... let this truth sink in deep...

may it transform my heart and soul...

to pour out my life... for You...

psalm 103... an Easter perspective... part seven...

Seven day's into looking at Psalm 103 from an Easter perspective...
what more can we see of Him...?

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

Psalm 103:8

Jesus... the embodiment of God's compassion and grace... His patience... His love...

Father God couldn't bear to see His creatures... those He made in His image... suffer... die... under penalty of sin...

He sent His own Son...

to reveal His love...

walk out His compassion...

pour out His grace...

healing... loving... forgiving...

all the way to the cross...

His slowness of anger... seen in Jesus...

Hundreds... thousands... of years...

spent bearing agony... while retaining affection*...

waiting for the perfect time...

the fullness of time...

for Christ to come... and pay the price for our sin...

a price we could not bear...

But when the fullness of time had come,

God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

to redeem those who were under the law,

so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-5 ESV

He stooped low... that we might be lifted up high...

His abounding love... revealed still...

in the awaiting return of His Son...

to set things right...

to fix them...

the way they were meant to be...

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,

as some understand slowness. He is patient with you,

not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone

to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

God loves the world...

not wanting any to be lost...

He sent His Son...

not to condemn... but to save...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have

eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world

to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ..."

John 3:16-17

Compassionate...

gracious...

patient...

abounding in love...

that is God...

embodied in Jesus...

Father God... thank You for bearing with Your creation...

Teach me to appreciate... but not take for granted... Your patience...

Enable me to receive Your love and grace... with humility...

Thankful... ready... willing to share Your love with others...

*Note... This idea... these words... came from Timothy Keller... writing about our loving Father... expounding on the parable most often referred to as The Prodigal Son... in his book...  The Prodigal God...

Ordinarily when our love is rejected we get angry, retaliate, and do what we can to diminish our affection for the rejecting person, so we won't hurt so much. But this father maintains affection for his son and bears the agony.

---Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God (my emphasis)

This picture of God's loving patience... has stuck with me... grateful for His patience... I strive to live the same... maintaining affection... bearing the agony... with those who reject me...

psalm 103... an Easter perspective... part three...

Continuing the journey through Psalm 103... as seen through Easter...

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits...

...who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion...

Psalm 103:2, 4

Jesus... the Lamb of God... the perfect sacrifice of atonement... redeems our lives from the pit...

Pit... in this case... when looked at in the Hebrew... is the grave...

Because He chose to bear the crown of thorns...

we are blessed with a crown of love and compassion...

Because He chose to bear the burden of our sin...

we no longer are doomed for the pit of death...

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,

so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

Lord Jesus... You are my Redeemer...

I praise You for Your love and compassion...

a undeserved blessing of grace...