As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.

“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.” 

A Meditation on John 15:9

David S.

 

I’ve read this verse for almost forty years, but I’m not sure I have let myself hear what Jesus is actually saying.

Why? Because I don’t want to blaspheme, or even come close to it.

No way do I want to dishonor God by crossing that line.

So when I’ve come to John 15:9 over the years in my reading, I think I’ve unconsciously put spiritual asbestos between me and the text.  Why?  To insulate myself from the radiance and heat of five simple words that are almost too good to be true:

“…so have I loved you.”

Surely He can’t mean…

Think of it—how does the Father love the Son?  With absolute, unreserved, everlasting, unwavering, joyful, affectionate, radiant, glorious love beyond all imagining.  Words fail.  God is love.  The Father, Son, and Spirit, by definition, enjoy an eternal state of infinite love within the holy Trinity.

“As the Father has loved Me…”

This is the love for One who is infinitely worthy from One who is infinitely holy.  Jesus absolutely deserves it. God joyfully gives it to Him.

But to me? To You?

I realized I have unconsciously softened the words of Jesus, taking them to be a metaphor. You know, the love the Father has for the Son is similar in some ways to the love the Lord has for me.  Similar, but obviously, different.  It can’t be the same in kind, or if it is, it can’t be the same amount, or intensity, because I’m not Jesus.  Only He is worthy of that kind of love.

Wouldn’t it be unthinkable for God to focus the Divine love for the Divine—the love enjoyed within the Trinity between Father, Son, and Spirit—to focus THAT love outside the Divine, toward creatures? Toward you and me? Yes, unthinkable, except for those five words from Jesus:

“…so have I loved you.” 

Just contemplating the possibility prompts me to draw back. I want to say along with Peter, “Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man.”

I want to say along with Isaiah, “Woe to me, for I am undone.  For I am a man of unclean lips.”

Maybe we should give ourselves some slack for being so careful to not be presumptuous about John 15:9.  Because we know that our culture is awash in self-centered Christianity. The default human setting is always self, but born-again hearts love giving glory to Christ alone.

So how do we square that with John 15:9?

We let Scripture interpret Scripture.  We let God tell us what He meant.  God gets to decide what’s blasphemy and what isn’t.  So we become like the Bereans and we examine the Scriptures carefully to see what interpretation is correct.

So with my Bible open, I’m asking:  How does the Father love Jesus?  And how does that line up with how He loves us?

Below are just some of the passages I could have listed. Statements about the Father’s relationship to the Son are in bold. parallel statements about God’s love for us are in italics.  (I’ve underlined key words so as not to miss the parallels):

“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.” (John 3:35)

“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?”  (Romans 8:32)

“The Father glorifies the Son.”  (John 8:54)

“…those whom He justified He also glorified.”  (Romans 8:30)

“The Father is in Me, and I am in the Father.”  (John 10:38)

“In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

(John 17:20)

“The Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He Himself is doing.”

(John 5:20)

“I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15) 

“Father, …I know that you always hear Me.”  (John 11:42)

“Whatever you ask of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you…Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”  (John 16:23-24)

“The Father who sent Me has Himself given Me a commandment—

what to say and what to speak.” (12:49)

“As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”  (John 20:21)

“The Father who dwells in Me does His works.”  (14:10)“If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”  (Romans 8:11)

“Whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do.”  (John 14:12)

“The Father loves the Son…” (John 3:35)

“You (Father) loved them even as You loved Me.”  (John 17:23)

“He is the image of the invisible God,” (Colossians 1:15)

“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.”  (2 Corinthians 3:18)

“This is My  beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  (Matthew 3:17)

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  (Luke 2:14)

What if God is right this moment restraining Himself from tearing the sky open over your head and shouting with joy, “This is My beloved child, with whom I am fully pleased?” What if that’s exactly His attitude toward you? What if He delights in you like that?

“He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you by his love;
He will exult over you with loud singing.”
– (Zephaniah 3:17)

Jesus is telling us “as the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.”

Where are the disclaimers warning us not to misunderstand and take all of this too far?  Where are the gentle reminders that these statements are not to be taken literally?  Why were Jesus and Paul and John and Peter not careful to guard against overzealous interpretation?

Could it be because God has held nothing back?

“…will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

I used to wonder why rulers in the Old Testament would often take an oath, saying to some underling, “I will give you up to half my kingdom…”  What king would give half his kingdom?  That’s crazy.  That makes the other person your equal, doesn’t it?  50/50 partners.  Maybe those tales are included in the Bible in part to give us a point of reference.

Because God takes it so much further. Jesus does not say, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s pleasure to give you up to half His kingdom.”

God gives the whole kingdom.

Yes, you may say, but to be given the kingdom means to be given entrance into the kingdom as a subject.

No. it’s far more than that.  As co-heirs with Christ, we get what He gets.  All of it. We will reign with Him. (2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 20:6).

“The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”  (Revelation 3:21)

Just to stand before the throne of God is honor and glory beyond all imagining.  But to sit with Jesus on His Father’s throne?

This is the throne angels can’t even look at. Even the seraphim have to cover their faces before the throne of God.

But we, with uncovered faces, will sit with Him.  Facing the same direction.  Ruling and reigning with Him.

This is the gospel.  This is the good news.  This is our destiny in Christ.  This is what the cross was for.

Check my math on this– As far as I can tell, the ONLY thing the Lord has withheld from us is divinity itself.

Everything it is possible to give us He has given. Every gift within His omnipotent power to bestow, He has bestowed.

We get it all.  As the Father loves Jesus, He loves us.  Is it any wonder Christians through the centuries can’t stop singing?

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Savior’s blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain?

For me who Him to death pursued?

Amazing Love!

How Can it be?

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

No condemnation now I dread

Jesus and ALL in Him IS MINE

Alive in Him my living head

And clothed in righteousness divine

Bold I approach the eternal throne

And claim the crown through Christ my own

Amazing love!

How can it be?

That Thou my God shouldst die for me?

Hear it again, my soul, and rest in this word from Jesus today:

“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.”  (John 15:9)

Amen.

Glory to God.

Thank You, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

By |2021-10-16T17:43:35+00:00October 16th, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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The Lord’s Prayer

A Meditation

by Rob Shaver

Our Father…

…possessing all the best qualities of a father, perfect as a father.  Our images of God are strongly shaped by our fathers.  But our fathers – and we who are fathers – are flawed and imperfect, so that we often have – and often give – a wrong idea of who God is.  Help us to understand what it means to call you ‘Our Father’ in all its perfection.  You give us life, protect us, provide for our needs, teach us, and guide us, as a father should.  You love us.

Who art in heaven…

…as distinguished from our earthly fathers.  You are our king, and the creator of heaven and earth, yet Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father.”  We can approach you, the king of all creation, the high king of heaven, as our father because you have adopted us into your family and have made us your sons, with the rights and privileges thereof.  We have great freedom and great responsibility.  We do not serve you as slaves.  Rather, as sons of the most high king who reigns over this world, our interests are your interests.  What you want is what we want.  We are your emissaries to the lost of this world.

Hallowed be Thy name…

…sacred, revered, adored, honored, most precious, is your name to us.  Our salvation was bought with the sacrifice of your only begotten son, and so we honor you and hold you in the highest esteem.  May we never bring shame to your name, by which we are known.

Thy kingdom come…

Much like Simeon, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel when Jesus was born, so we look forward to the day – and we pray for it – when your kingdom will come to the earth, when all people will acknowledge you as their king, when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…

In heaven all is as it should be because your will is done.  Here on earth we disobey, we are stubborn and arrogant, we think we know best, and the results are evident.  Our willfulness leads to suffering.  We long to live in a kingdom where your will – your good, pleasing, and perfect will – prevails, to the blessing and delight of all.

Give us this day our daily bread…

You know what we need before we ask for it, yet Jesus instructs us to ask you for it anyway.  We entrust ourselves to you for today’s needs, and we will entrust ourselves to your keeping again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.  We look to you to provide for us today and you do not fail.

And forgive us our debts…

Is it ‘debts,’ ‘trespasses,’ or ‘sins’?  ‘Debts’ implies that something is owed, and certainly that is true.  For the wages of sin is death, and we are surely sinners.  But you, Dear God, sent your only son to pay that debt, to redeem us from death and give us life, for which we owe you everything.

‘Trespasses’ implies violation, a line which has been crossed.  By disobeying your word, we have crossed over from right to wrong, trespassing against you.  Certainly, Adam and Eve went where they were not supposed to go when they took and ate the forbidden fruit.  They had been given all the fruit of the garden except the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, the one line they were not to cross.

Likewise, ‘sins’ implies a wrong has been done, a rule has been broken, and so again, we are guilty.  We are sinful from birth and need your forgiveness.

No matter which word we pray, it’s clear that we stand condemned and need your forgiveness, for which we pray, and which we receive with gratitude and confidence.

As we forgive our debtors…

What right have we to refuse forgiveness to those who have wronged us when we have received forgiveness from you, who owes us nothing?  Help us, Lord, to follow your example of grace and mercy, forgiving as we have been forgiven.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…

Lead us in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake.  We are weak and prone to disappoint you.  Protect us from Satan and from our own sinful desires, because we can’t live a holy and pleasing life without your help.  We have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness where we were slaves of the Evil One.  We are now your subjects in the kingdom of light.  Help us to shine as a beacon of hope that will lead others from darkness to light.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever…

“All hail the power of Jesus’ name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all!

“O that with yonder sacred throng

We at his feet may fall!

We’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all!”

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

A Meditation

Rob Shaver

Our Father…

…possessing all the best qualities of a father, perfect as a father.  Our images of God are strongly shaped by our fathers.  But our fathers – and we who are fathers – are flawed and imperfect, so that we often have – and often give – a wrong idea of who God is.  Help us to understand what it means to call you ‘Our Father’ in all its perfection.  You give us life, protect us, provide for our needs, teach us, and guide us, as a father should.  You love us.

Who art in heaven…

…as distinguished from our earthly fathers.  You are our king, and the creator of heaven and earth, yet Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father.”  We can approach you, the king of all creation, the high king of heaven, as our father because you have adopted us into your family and have made us your sons, with the rights and privileges thereof.  We have great freedom and great responsibility.  We do not serve you as slaves.  Rather, as sons of the most high king who reigns over this world, our interests are your interests.  What you want is what we want.  We are your emissaries to the lost of this world.

Hallowed be Thy name…

…sacred, revered, adored, honored, most precious, is your name to us.  Our salvation was bought with the sacrifice of your only begotten son, and so we honor you and hold you in the highest esteem.  May we never bring shame to your name, by which we are known.

Thy kingdom come…

Much like Simeon, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel when Jesus was born, so we look forward to the day – and we pray for it – when your kingdom will come to the earth, when all people will acknowledge you as their king, when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…

In heaven all is as it should be because your will is done.  Here on earth we disobey, we are stubborn and arrogant, we think we know best, and the results are evident.  Our willfulness leads to suffering.  We long to live in a kingdom where your will – your good, pleasing, and perfect will – prevails, to the blessing and delight of all.

Give us this day our daily bread…

You know what we need before we ask for it, yet Jesus instructs us to ask you for it anyway.  We entrust ourselves to you for today’s needs, and we will entrust ourselves to your keeping again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.  We look to you to provide for us today and you do not fail.

And forgive us our debts…

Is it ‘debts,’ ‘trespasses,’ or ‘sins’?  ‘Debts’ implies that something is owed, and certainly that is true.  For the wages of sin is death, and we are surely sinners.  But you, Dear God, sent your only son to pay that debt, to redeem us from death and give us life, for which we owe you everything.

‘Trespasses’ implies violation, a line which has been crossed.  By disobeying your word, we have crossed over from right to wrong, trespassing against you.  Certainly, Adam and Eve went where they were not supposed to go when they took and ate the forbidden fruit.  They had been given all the fruit of the garden except the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, the one line they were not to cross.

Likewise, ‘sins’ implies a wrong has been done, a rule has been broken, and so again, we are guilty.  We are sinful from birth and need your forgiveness.

No matter which word we pray, it’s clear that we stand condemned and need your forgiveness, for which we pray, and which we receive with gratitude and confidence.

As we forgive our debtors…

What right have we to refuse forgiveness to those who have wronged us when we have received forgiveness from you, who owes us nothing?  Help us, Lord, to follow your example of grace and mercy, forgiving as we have been forgiven.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…

Lead us in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake.  We are weak and prone to disappoint you.  Protect us from Satan and from our own sinful desires, because we can’t live a holy and pleasing life without your help.  We have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness where we were slaves of the Evil One.  We are now your subjects in the kingdom of light.  Help us to shine as a beacon of hope that will lead others from darkness to light.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever…

“All hail the power of Jesus’ name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all!

“O that with yonder sacred throng

We at his feet may fall!

We’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all!”

Amen.

By |2021-09-09T20:07:25+00:00September 9th, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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My Fear Has No Vote

My Fear Has No Vote

A Meditation on God’s Kindness to Us in Times of Distress

David S.

I said in my alarm,

    ‘I am cut off from Your sight.’

But You heard the voice of my pleas for mercy

    when I cried to You for help.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

    all you who wait for the Lord!

(Psalm 31:22,24)

God leads His people, from time to time, far beyond their own capacity into deserts of various kinds.  If you feel like He has left you, that’s normal.  Tell him.  Say in your alarm, ‘I am cut off from Your sight.’  The Psalms are a handbook on how to talk to God.

For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.  But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

‘God will not give you more than you can handle’ is a lie.  Yes, He will. He will take you to the end of yourself, and then far beyond that.  This is normal discipleship.  Paul’s experience included being overwhelmed even to the point of despairing of life itself.  There will be times when we also will feel that things God has allowed are far beyond our ability to endure.

O Lord, how many are my foes!

    Many are rising against me,

Many are saying of his soul,

    There is no salvation for him in God.

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,

    My glory, and the lifter of my head.

(Psalm 3:1-3)

Satan always accuses God’s people, trying to make us believe we are not really the Lord’s. He will tell you that your fear is evidence that you have no faith.  He will tell you that your anxiety is proof that you don’t have the Holy Spirit. These are lies. But the Lord Jesus always lives to intercede for us.  He Himself is our shield.

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10)

My fear has no vote in determining outcomes.  If I say I will be overcome and lost, it doesn’t make it so.  God determines my steps and my destiny.  He is my Shepherd.  It is for Him to set times, seasons and boundaries. My fear cannot alter the faithfulness of God or nullify His purposes for me.  My anxiety has no power to determine what will become of me.

If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,

And the light about me be night,’

Even the darkness is not dark to You,

The night is bright as the day,

For darkness is as light to You.

(Psalm 139:11-2)

I need not fear a darkness I cannot find my way out of.  Jesus knows the way. He can see in the dark.

When my heart was grieved
   and my spirit embittered,
 I was senseless and ignorant;
  I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
   you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
   and afterward you will take me into glory.

(Psalm 73:21-24)

Even if I become like a wild animal, like Nebuchadnezzar did—out of my mind, incapable of sound reason—even then I am always with Christ.  He holds me no matter my condition.  Alzheimer’s, dementia, depression, or other mental illness cannot alter God’s love.  I don’t have to think clearly enough for God to hold me.  I don’t have to keep my emotions stable enough for Him to love me and stay with me.  I cannot mess up badly enough that it would cause Him to let go of me.  Even if I forget my own name, the Lord will remember me. “Never will I leave you or forsake you.”

My confidence is in God. “From now on we put no confidence in the flesh.”

Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

(Isaiah 40:27-31)

God knows we will feel like He has forgotten us. He understands.  And so, like a loving Father taking a trembling child in His lap, He invites us to pour out our hearts to Him because He cares for us.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you.”

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.”

(Psalm 73:25-26)

………………………………………………

If you belong to Christ by faith in His cross, take courage today.  The Lord promises to be with us always, even to the end of the age.  You are in the palm of His hand. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ.

If you have not yet come to Jesus, is today your day?  Confessing your sin, receive by faith His forgiveness and cleansing, casting all your confidence on the grace of God.

His righteousness is given freely to all who trust Him for it.  It is a gift you could never earn or deserve. You don’t have to get your act together first, any more than you need to clean up before taking a shower.  All you have to do is lay down your excuses and your pride, and surrender to the Savior.

“Come to Me, all who labor and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

By |2021-08-06T22:28:11+00:00August 6th, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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He Who Keeps You Will Not Slumber

He Who Keeps You Will Not Slumber

A Meditation On Psalm 121:1-4

David S.

 

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?

Circumstances drive us to question whether help is coming. Is God trustworthy?  Does He care?  Has He forgotten me?

If you feel the need for help, and wonder if it’s coming, you’re in good company. 

My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Faith argues with sight. When the horizon of hope is a blank, faith wells up and trusts the Lord anyway. 

Not for just any help, but “my help,” tailor-made by the One who created me.

He knows His sheep by name and knows what you need before you ask Him. 

I’m thankful this psalm says the help comes, because it means there was a time when help had not yet arrived.  There was a time of looking for it and seeing nothing.

Waiting comes first. So much of life is waiting for God to help. I’m thankful for this reminder that experiencing need without relief is normal.  It’s part of “Jesus School.” 

Normal Christian life is an ebb and flow of need and provision, hunger and fulfillment, fatigue and rest. 

The waiting will sometimes become intense.  At some point we will probably find ourselves questioning God’s faithfulness, His kind intentions, His promises.  Maybe even His existence.

From where does my help come? 

Maybe you are questioning right now.  Maybe you can’t see any sign of His help on the horizon. Hold on, child of God, your help comes from the Lord.

He will not let your foot be moved;

Jesus said, “I shall lose none of all that the Father gives Me.” 

He will not let your foot be moved. His plans to bring you safely to His eternal glory cannot fail.

Your seasons of doubt and questioning will not lead to unbelief.  Your foot will not ultimately be moved from the path of life.  He will not let it happen.

He guards the path of His faithful ones.  “From everlasting to everlasting, the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him.”  He loved you from eternity past, loves you now, and will love you for eternity future. 

“Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus”.  

How do you know your faith will not fail?  How can you be sure you will make it safely to the Lord’s presence in glory? How can you be confident you will endure to the end?

This is how: The Lord is your keeper.

he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

For our Father, every night is a sleepless night spent watching over His own.

This is not a burden to Him.  “It is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

He surrounds you, encamped like a powerful army, protecting you.  “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty warrior who will save.” 

But like Elisha, we can’t see the army protecting us.  Often we can’t feel the everlasting arms underneath, holding us up and holding us together.  Faith and sight are at odds.

Fear comes in the middle of our sleepless nights. In the dark, doubt and unbelief whisper dreadful things.  You may think, “Surely God is weary of putting up with me”.

No, He is not weary of us.  He needs no slumber or sleep because He never tires.  “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

His compassion and affection toward you are infinite, omnipotent, everlasting.  Wait for the Lord.  Help will come as surely as the sun comes up in the morning.

 

The Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who saves.

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will renew you in His love.

He will exult over you with loud singing.”  (Zephaniah 3:17)

By |2021-06-09T22:03:13+00:00June 9th, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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There Is No List

“He cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.”  Colossians 2:14

 

………………………………………………………..

 

 

There is no list anymore.  Yes, your guilty conscience and mine keep a list of our sins and shortcomings.

 

God does not.

 

Praise the Lord. The list of my offenses has vanished.  Vaporized. (Could it really be gone?)  God “set it aside, nailed it to the cross.”

 

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, he did more than bear our sins (1 Peter 2:24),

He became sin. “He who knew no sin became sin for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:21)

 

(What does that even mean? How is that possible?)

 

He didn’t just bear the curse. “He became a curse for us.” (Galatians 3:13) The Holy and Righteous One, chose to let go of infinite joy with His Father, to become vile in His Father’s eyes.  To become anathema.  

 

(How can God oppose God? How could perfect Divine Unity experience even the slightest hint of discord within Himself, let alone this?)

 

From absolute love, Father to Son, to immeasurable wrath, Father to Son.  Unthinkable.  Incalculable.

Why would He do it?

 

For us.

 

Because He became sin for us, our accuser has no case.  There is no evidence against us.  “He disarmed the rulers and authorities.”  The prosecution shows up in court looking stupid. More than that, it says our enemy is put “to open shame.” What might this mean?

 

Remember the story of Haman’s humiliation as herald to Mordecai after Esther’s triumph?  The enemy of the Jews was forced to march through the streets ahead of Mordecai proclaiming, “This is what is done for one in whom the king delights.”  Surely Haman’s humiliation is nothing compared to Satan’s.  Could the Haman story be a foreshadowing?

 

Imagine the enemy of your soul standing before the Judge, forced to proclaim your innocence.  (It’s the ultimate bait and switch).  Fumbling around, trying to find the list of offenses, he comes up empty-handed.  The list does not exist.

 

But it’s better than that.  You are not only made innocent by the work of Christ, you are made holy.  As holy as Jesus Himself. “He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

Picture the serpent compelled to lead a procession in your honor, heralding, “Behold, a beloved one in whom the Father is fully pleased!  This is the Righteousness of God!  The Righteousness of God!” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

 

Instead of you being charged with treason and executed, (as justice would demand), Jesus was charged in your place with treason and executed.  He got justice, you receive mercy. “Mercy triumphs over judgment!”  (James 2:13).

 

The cross turned the cosmic tables and the books were cooked in a wondrous re-ordering.  When Jesus breathed his last, Justice and Mercy kissed, (Psalm 85:10).  It was more than the earth could handle.

 

Rocks split, graves broke open, and dead people staggered out of darkness into light, (squinting and a bit  confused, no doubt), as the ground rumbled beneath their feet.  (Matthew 27:51-52) Yet this physical manifestation was nothing compared with the countless spiritual resurrections to come.

 

Christ Jesus is “our righteousness and holiness.”  (2 Corinthians 1:30).

 

It would be good enough news that God holds no grudge, that the list of your wrongs is done away with.  But incredibly, God has declared you to be perfect in His sight, and then treats you that way.  “For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”  (Hebrews 10:14).

 

The Lord is fully pleased with you right now.  There is no barrier of guilt to hinder your relationship with Him.  Don’t  shrink back because you don’t feel worthy.  Don’t even shrink back because you feel bad for shrinking back.  Draw near.

 

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience…”  (Hebrews 10:22).

 

God isn’t keeping score.  There is no list.  We can stop keeping score, too.

By |2021-03-03T22:18:06+00:00March 3rd, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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What Are You Seeking?

What Are You Seeking?

A Meditation on John 1

David S.

 

“What are you seeking?”

These are the first words of Jesus in the gospel of John.

It’s a good question, because, honestly, from time to time I find myself wondering, What is it I’m wanting from God?  What did I expect out of this? 

Unanswered prayers stack up over time.  Disappointments with God’s providence accumulate.  Character flaws remain in myself and others.  Church experience is always a mixed bag. Middle class American life with its endless comforts, entertainments, and gadgets can at times feel completely disconnected from anything in the New Testament.

“What are you seeking?”  Of the countless ways John could have chosen to introduce things Jesus said, he chose these words.

Then the next words John records from the mouth of Jesus are, “Come, and you will see.” (John 1:39)

In the immediate context, He’s telling two disciples they will find out where He’s staying.  But the book of John is a carefully crafted composition, so this invitation to “come and see” also underscores John’s dominant theme of spiritual sight.

Light and Sight

Chapter one of John’s gospel, echoing the Genesis creation account, opens introducing Jesus as “the light of mankind,” (John 1:4), testifying, “we have seen His glory.”  (John 1:14)

The chapter closes with a promise of sight: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”  (John 1:51)

So the bookends of John 1 are light and sight.

I wonder if John had Isaiah’s words in mind: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2)

 

The whole opening chapter of John functions like an overture, introducing many of the main themes of the book, including the new creation, grace, the Lamb of God, truth, the Holy Spirit, and discipleship.

But the structure of the overture itself, opening with light and closing with sight, highlights John’s dominant motif: seeing the light of the glory of God in Christ.

John wants us to see.

 “…I came into this world that those who do not see may see…” (John 9:39) 

So I’m back to pondering:  What am I seeking?  What did I expect to get out of this?  It would be good if my answer to what I’m seeking were to line up with what God wants me to find.  John’s gospel is helping to recalibrate my heart’s desires to align with God’s promises of spiritual sight:

 “Whoever sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  I have come into the world as a light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness.”  (John 12:45-46)

“Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.”  (John 14:9)

“The world will not see Me, but you will see Me.”  (John 14:19)

God is patiently reminding me that seeing the light of God’s glory—seeing Christ—is how the Christian life begins, what it is for, and where it is going.  This is what I can expect from Christianity.  This is what I was born again for.  This is the Lords’ desire for me.

‘Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see my glory…” (John 17:24)

Jesus could have come scolding, asking, “What’s wrong with you?”  He could have come angry, saying, “Don’t you know better?”

But as I read John 1 today, He came to me gently, patiently asking my restless, discontented heart, “What are you seeking?”

Lord, I want to see.

 

………………………………………………………

“The sun shall be no more your light by day,

Nor for brightness shall the moon give you light;

But the Lord will be your everlasting light,

And your God will be your glory.”

(Isaiah 61:19)

By |2019-10-16T20:46:16+00:00October 16th, 2019|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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A Hidden Gem of Encouragement For Those Who Have Blown It

If you have ever had a sense of failure in serving the Lord, or know someone who is struggling with that right now, here’s a quick note of encouragement based on a hidden gem of Bible geography in Acts chapter 1. 

After His resurrection and just before His ascension, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to His disciples and commissions them to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. Here’s the hidden gem:  This happens on The Mount of Olives. (Act 1:8)

The Mount of Olives – why does Luke bother to tell us about the geography? Why does the location matter? 

I had always passed over that detail.  But recently as I read Acts, I paid attention and looked back in the gospels.  It turns out the last time the disciples were with Jesus on the Mount of Olives, they not only failed to bear witness, they abandoned Him and fled.  (Mark 14:26,50)

Standing there with Jesus in the place of their greatest failure, less than two months later, they would have vividly remembered the soldiers, the torches, and the terror. It would surely have stirred up feelings of shame at their cowardly betrayal of the Lord. 

In our culture, we have the saying, “If you fall off the horse, get right back on.”  But what if you murdered the horse?  What’s the saying for those people?

Jesus reinstates the disciples into ministry as their feet are standing on the place where they proved their unworthiness.  The message is unmistakable. The past is forgiven.  Forgetting what is behind, they can now strive for what lies ahead, this time in His strength instead of their own.

There is so much grace in the geography of this story.

Have you noticed that restoring failures to useful service is a pattern with the Lord?

·       Moses (a failed deliverer, sent by God to deliver His people)

·       Abraham (produced an heir by human effort, later given an heir by the power of God)

·       Isaiah (a man of unclean lips, made fit to speak and write the very words of God)

·       Jonah (a rebel who refused the call of God on his life, restored to useful service)

·       Peter (a cowardly denier of Christ, preached to thousands on the day of Pentecost)

·       Paul (a zealous enemy of the Christian church, became its primary champion)

God resurrects not just people, but their usefulness to Him. 

Is the Lord prompting you to accept His forgiveness and His restoration to the area of service you failed in? 

The story is the Lord’s to write. 

Is He writing you another chance?

By |2019-08-28T22:23:23+00:00August 28th, 2019|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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A Lament

Chronic illness feels unfair.

“Who made man’s mouth? 

Who makes him deaf, or mute? Who makes him blind?”

 I struggle to accept it.

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide Your face from me?”

My understanding of God strains under the load of unyielding weakness.

“Why are you sleeping, O Lord?”

Have genetic flaws contributed to my suffering?

“You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Did environmental factors contribute to weakening me?

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”

Is it my fault because of choices I’ve made?

“Do not be discouraged, for The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Why must I be so hobbled?

“For Your arrows have sunk into me, and Your hand has come down on me.”

I long to pray from a heart full of joy, but the truth is I’m weary of being ill.

“There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”

I fear it may never end.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.”

Praying for relief doesn’t seem to do any good.

“I pleaded with the Lord that it should be removed from me.”

Does God hear?  Does He care?

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,” for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Is this punishment?  Do I deserve this because I’ve been bad?

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this is to display the glory of God.”

I feel useless.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

What if I can’t handle the future?

“My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

 ………………………………………………………………….

Lord, I need help.

Teach me the cross. Help me die again to self, and the expectation of good health.

Protect me from anger, self-pity, envy, and bitterness.

In my weariness, be my endurance.

In my anxiety, be my peace.

In my suffering, be my fourth man in the fire.

Walk with me, Lord Jesus.

With you I can do all things.

Apart from You, I can do nothing.

Teach me to be content whether abounding or in need.

Whether healthy or sick, strong or weak.

Give me eyes to see what You see,

to love what You love,

to hate what You hate.

Take my life – take this weakness –and make it count somehow for Your glory.

Thank you for your promises.  Please give me strength to believe them.

Thank you for your faithfulness.  Please help me to trust Your heart.

Thank you for the blood of my Savior.

Thank you, Jesus, for taking my sin as Your own

and giving me Your perfect holiness as my own.

Please help me be content with weaknesses and hardships, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, help me be content.

All glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus.

…………………………………………..

“For God alone my soul waits in silence;

from Him comes my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

(Psalm 62:1)

 

 

 

I’m sharing this personal struggle with God because God uses overheard prayers to  build up His children (1 Corinthians 14:16-17), filling the Bible with written prayers for us to “overhear,” including the entire book of Psalms.

The point isn’t to highlight my personal suffering, (which is not special or unique). I hope that by listening in on my honest struggles with God, you may take heart that in yours, you are not alone.  “Through many trials we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22).

I’m trusting the Almighty Father, that as we pour out our hearts to Him, both privately and in the hearing of our fellow travelers, we will find rest for our souls, though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. 

“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

(John 14)

–          D.S.

By |2019-04-11T15:18:45+00:00April 10th, 2019|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Don’t Try to Make Your Suffering Produce Hope

“Through Him [Christ] we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:2-5)

Don’t Try to Make Your Suffering Produce Hope

A Meditation on Romans 5:2-5

 Romans 5 says we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. What could make hope in the glory of God even better?  How about more hope?

Good news:  This passage also says God made a way for us to experience even more hope. 

So how does our loving Father increase our hope?

Suffering. 

Wait, what?  “Suffering produces…hope.”   

More good news:  this passage is not an exhortation to rejoice in suffering.   It doesn’t say, “We should rejoice in our suffering,” it says, “we rejoice in our suffering.”  We find it happening in us, in spite of ourselves. 

If you have your Bible-head screwed on properly, you may be thinking “OK, but there are plenty of exhortations in the Bible.”  Yes.  James 1 comes to mind:  “Consider it pure joy, my brethren, when you face trials…”  It’s worth meditating on how God uses exhortation to change us.  But that’s for another time.

Here in Romans 5, it’s made clear that there’s only one reason why your suffering doesn’t snuff out your hope in God, but instead multiplies your hope in God: 

God. 

The passage says “…hope does not put us to shame (fail us or let us down or evaporate under duress), because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” 

He pours His love into our hearts as we are suffering, through His Spirit, as a gift. 

He pours. His love. By His Spirit. 

This is not an obligation we must do, it’s an observation of something God does–a supernatural gift we receive.  It’s not an exhortation, it’s an exultation. 

It can be easy to read the Bible as one gigantic homework assignment.  Or a character evaluation we are constantly failing.  Have you been there?  Me too.

Passages like this remind me that the Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ, not a list of requirements I must meet. 

We do not sustain ourselves, we are carried the whole way.  “Underneath are the everlasting arms”.

So don’t try to make your suffering produce the fruit of hope.  Instead, praise God for what He promised to do in you.  It’s a gift.

Are storms blowing and beating against your house of faith, making it feel like it may collapse?   If you are in Christ, this passage says you won’t lose hope in the glory of God.  It can’t happen.  But not because you will hold yourself together. 

“Because God…”

He will hold you together.  He is the Author and Finisher of your faith.  He is the giver and grower of hope.  Because of the cross of Jesus, your suffering will give you more hope. God promised. He is faithful and He will do it. 

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone.  He alone is my rock and my salvation. He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation, my honor, depend on Him.” (Psalm 62:5-7)

By |2019-02-09T16:37:57+00:00January 29th, 2019|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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