His Comforts from Psalm 94

Unless the LORD had been my help, I would soon have dwelt in [the land where there is] silence.

When I said, "My foot is slipping", 

Your mercy and loving-kindness, O LORD, held me up.

In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me, 

Your comforts cheer and delight my soul.

Psalm 94:17-19 amp

What a beautiful reminder that God helps us when we feel overwhelmed, when we feel ready to slip and fall into despair. What I really love is where it says, "Your comforts." Comforts is plural. This is where I can look at my life and see so many things to be thankful for. God's Presence being number one. This is when my anxious thoughts settle down and "peace that passes understanding" sets in. I can be kind to myself and I quit looking down. I can look up. I can listen to what God may be speaking to my heart. This may come as a kind word from a friend. It can come from taking a walk and noticing the display of God's creation all around me. A flower pressing through a crack in the sidewalk proclaiming life and beauty in spite of the pinch of cold hard cement all around it. It can come from reading God's Word and applying it to my life. I am able to shift my focus and gain a new perspective. I can look to the LORD, with gratitude for His great mercy and loving-kindness toward me.

This is the week between Palm Sunday and the cross, a week where Christians from all walks of life consider the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for all mankind. Even for Judas and the thief on the cross who mocked Him. Even for the soldiers who cast lots for His clothing.  Even for the self-righteous religious men who wanted Him dead. He went willingly to die, for all of us. We all fall so short of the glory of God. We all have need for a Savior. Our feet slip so easily. 

This psalm is about the just nature of God. The psalmist is crying out for vengeance. He identifies the wickedness that goes seemingly unnoticed by God. But the psalm goes on to say that the One who created the ear hears. The One who fashioned the eye sees. 

For the LORD will not cast off nor spurn His people, 

neither will He abandon His heritage. 

For justice will return to the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Psalm 94:14-15

Jesus came and died to bring justice to the world. Jesus is the one and only flawless man Who ever walked this earth. Full of mercy and grace, He paid the price for the sin of every human being ever born.  We feel so bad when we are betrayed, when we are being treated unjustly. Jesus took on all the sin of all of mankind, freely and willingly.

He knew He would die an ugly, painful, humiliating, brutal death on the cross. Death on the cross is one of the most evil things conceived of by man. It inflicts incredible suffering. This is how our perfect, loving, kind, merciful, Jesus died. No wonder he sweated drops of blood the night before. He knew exactly what He was about to suffer. This what He came to do. This was why He came to live among us. He did it for all of us. He did it out of love. Perfect, selfless love. 

This is the gift of God. This sobering event is culminated in the celebration we call Easter. The resurrection. Justice served. Death overcome. Life wins. Jesus. The Way, The Truth, The Life triumphs.

Yes!

The LORD has become my High Tower 

and my Defense, and my God 

the Rock of my Refuge.

Psalm 94:22

You are the One I run to. You are the One I turn to. You cheer and delight my soul. I praise and worship You Jesus!

And They Rested

The women who had come with Jesus 

from Galilee followed Joseph and 

saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it. 

They they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. 

But they rested on the Sabbath 

in obedience to the commandment.

Luke 23:55-56

I have been thinking about this passage for 3 days now. The women who followed Jesus. Have you noticed them in the background of the gospels, the  group of women who followed Jesus? They followed Him closely. They followed Him faithfully. They fed Him, they served Him, they worshipped Him. Devoted to Him, they followed Him all the way to the cross where they watched Him die.

After His death, the followed His body. They were relentless in their pursuit of the Lord. Undoubtedly, they didn't understand what they just witnessed but they kept after Him. After they saw their Beloved laid to rest in a cold tomb, they went home to prepare burial spices. They continued to serve Him, even in death. They continued to serve Him, not knowing what was next.

Isn't that how it is with us? Isn't that our ultimate faith journey? To follow our Lord even when we don't know what is next? When we don't understand? When we hurt?

What really impresses me, is when these faithful, loving women rested. They paused in their grief, their heartache, their shock and horror and they rested. They rested because their lives were disciplined to the ways of God. They were still true to Him even after the devastation of losing the One most dear to them.

God was giving them the opportunity to rest in the midst of the tension of not knowing what was around the corner. Joy was on it's way but they didn't know that. And they rested anyway. He has that rest for me as I trust Him. He has it for you.

Lord help me to follow You as closely as these women did, the ones who got to see you face to Face. Help me to live in the tension of not knowing. Help me to know deep within my heart, that You know all things concerning my life and in that I can truly rest. I thank You Lord because You are good!

The Jesus Way

The Most High God. Our Refuge, our Strength, our Joy, our Peace. King of Kings, Lord of Lords, our Creator. Ruler of all things, seen and unseen. Lord of hosts seated on the throne forever. Full of glory. Majestic, all powerful. Almighty. Holy.

Jesus, God's Son, the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His Being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.

When they came to the place called the Skull, 

there they crucified Him, along with the criminals

-one on His right, the other on His left. 

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, 

for they do not know what they are doing." 

The people stood watching, 

and the rulers even sneered at Him.

Luke 23:33-35

Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, hung on a cross. The beloved Son of God, His life ebbing away, humiliated, spit upon, a spectacle only evil could conceive of. And He prayed to His Father to forgive them. Oh the mercy and grace we see in this moment. Sacrificial love on display for all of creation to witness. 

His life, a model for us, exemplified the way of forgiveness. 
He knew that love wins. He knew that light shatters darkness. He knew the radiant, piercing light of love penetrates the darkest of places, in the world and in our souls. He knew because He is that Light, that Love.

The glory of that moment and they cast lots for His cloths.
Oh Lord, help me to see You in each moment, lead me in your Way. Forgive me for casting lots, for trying to get my way, for looking down. Forgive me for not looking to You, to see You and Your way in all circumstances. Help me to choose love and life, this day. I praise You and thank You for the sacrifice You made to light the way for me and for all of mankind.

"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday by the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
C.S. Lewis from The Weight of Glory

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, 

even as I am fully known. 

And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love. 

Follow the way of love...

1 Corinthians 13:12-14:1

He is Always at Work

Yesterday I was reading in Exodus 32, about Moses when he was on Mount Sinai. It was here he received  the two tablets of the Testimony, which were inscribed by the finger of God Himself. On these tablets were were written the law and commands for God's people. They were written for their good.

Moses was with God on the mountain for forty days. The Israelites grew weary of waiting for him. They were scared and frustrated because they were far from home and their leader was missing in action.  Now take note that "home" was Egypt, where they lived in bondage as slaves. Oh how easily we yearn for what is familiar, no matter how bad it is! 

God had rescued these people in miraculous and mighty ways. He was leading them to the bountiful land, long promised to them. But they were loosing hope and patience. They were in the waiting room.

So what did they do? They created a golden calf to worship. They distracted themselves with lesser things. Much lesser things. Degrading and unholy things. Moses went from seeing God Himself, Face to face, undoubtedly ecstatic about the incredible plans God had for these people, to this debauchery. Moses, in a moment, was plunged from the heights to the depths. There are those moments in life.

My thought for now is about how the Israelites gave up. They needed to trust that God would see them all the way through even when they didn't have Moses, their leader, there to guide them. Couldn't they see that God didn't bring them that far just to let them languish in the desert? A verse in John 5 comes to mind, where Jesus says, 

"My Father is always at His work to this very day, 

and I, too, am working."

That is what God is speaking to me. He is at work even when I don't understand what is going on.  I can trust and even rest, knowing He is always working out good things for my life, even when I don't see it. This morning in Psalms 77:19 I read 

"Your path led through the sea, 

Your way through the might waters, 

though Your footprints were not seen." 

Again, the reminder that God leads and guides me, even when I am unaware of it. What a joy!

Most often we don't see what God is doing. Yet we can trust that He is constantly at work and has our best in mind. The promises He has for us will come to pass. We don't need to distract and comfort ourselves with things that will only harm us in the long run. We can soak in His Word, find encouragement, and walk in hope when we are in the waiting room. 

The reality is we are always waiting for something. Yet the time is coming when we will live in the beautiful and bountiful promised land with our God. Our faithful Lord has promised  us that. In the meantime, we can find peace, knowing that He is always at work.

The Parable of the Heart

Luke 8 and the parable of the soil. The parable of the heart. The parable of the Farmer Who sows good seed. 

We are so blessed the Farmer wants to make our lives into something beautiful, something fruitful. I am so thankful that He has scattered His precious seed into the soil of my heart, my life.

I pray Lord that you help me to cultivate that soil, that it would be tender and rich with nutrients from Your Word. I pray that You would help me get rid of the rocky places of bitterness, unforgiveness, hopelessness, arrogance and indifference. I pray the soil of my heart doesn't get hard and dry, that the gentle showers of your love and grace seep deep into the entire field of my life. I pray Your precious seed is watered so that crops might grow and bear good fruit. I pray that You protect me from the "birds" that would come and snatch the seed away and that you would protect me from those things that trample my heart.  I pray my heart is receptive and fertile as You water, till, and even let me lay fallow at times.

And as for the crop. I need to remember it is Your crop. You know what you are planting and how it will benefit Your Kingdom. Help me yield as I have no knowledge of the landscape, the big picture view that only You can see from high above. You see the patchwork quilt of our lives and how they fit together to make the world a more beautiful place. A garden fit for a King. A kingdom of beauty and love.

Thank You for you seeing fit to tend to me. Help me do my part (with your help and guidance) in keeping the soil of my heart a place where You can grow beautiful things. Thank You that I can be a little part of your glorious Kingdom.

He Comes to Me

The juxtaposition of my scripture reading this morning was amazing.  Mind blowing really. I was reading in Psalm 24 about the King of Glory, the LORD Almighty. The LORD Who is strong and mighty in battle. The One Who made and owns everything. I was meditating on the grander and majesty of God. His immenseness. Psalm 24 paints a picture of the LORD that is all powerful, magnificent, and exalted above all things.  That was my Psalm reading.

Then I turn to my gospel reading and I find myself in Matthew 21. Jesus is preparing to ride into Jerusalem where He knows the fate that awaits Him. Part of the reason why He was born. His death is eminent. A brutal death on a cross. Many Bibles call this passage the title The Triumphal Entry. It was kind of a bittersweet entry I would say.

And then it says, "See, your King comes to you…..gentle." I was stopped cold. He comes to me. This All Powerful God Almighty comes to me. I am being asked to "see." Do I see that God comes to me, ever so gently? He could have come soaring on the wings of the wind or He could have mounted a cherubim to come  (see Psalm 18:10). But no. He came humbly on the colt of a donkey. He came as one of us and made this grand entry that reflected His heart of humility.  It started with birth in a manger and continued throughout His life on earth. Humble. Lowly and meek. Our King. And He comes to us that way still.

All of it is so much to wrap my head around.  The utter humility of this God made man. The grace of His coming to us knowing we aren't wired to go to Him, with our pride , our fears, our self seeking ways.  He exhibited love every single day on earth as He interacted with every sort of person He crossed paths with. Not to mention the sacrifice He made for us on that cross.

And He crosses paths with us still. He comes to us, gently, humbly. Do I see? Do I notice Him in my life? Do I acknowledge His grace? Revel in His love? That is what I am being asked today. He wants me to see, to know, that He is with me.

My response? Utter gratitude. Awe. Thanksgiving.

Remembering

I woke up thankful this morning. Thankful because last night I went through some of my old journals and I found treasure there. I was reminded of the many things the Lord showed me in moments when I needed them. I have been dwelling in Psalm 145 recently.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

You open Your hand and satisfy the desires 

of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways

and loving toward all He has made.

Psalm 145:15-16

His grace towards me is involves timing. His timing. He knew how to encourage me back when I wrote in those journals. And He knew exactly when I would open those journal again to read. He knew I needed that exact encouragement again.  Right now. He knew I would look back and remember how He came alongside of me and walked me through all of the things that concerned me. He reminded me that His hand of love and guidance is  always with me. 

And so in remembering, I learn it deeper. What I learn from Him isn't measured in breadth. It is measured in depth. It just keeps going deeper and deeper into my soul. Slowly.....I learn to trust. To surrender. To rest.

There is a rhythm of His grace and faith in my life. I come to Him. He sends me out. I keep coming back because I don't have it down. I struggle and strain trying to get hold of the reality of Who He is in my life. The reality of His Presence which is always with me.

Thank You Lord for Your patience, Your grace and Your incredible words of encouragement. Thank you that You often remind Your people to remember. We are so quick to forget.  Thank You that you keep teaching us, undeterred by the wanderings of our restless souls. 

 Be strong and courageous! 

Do not be afraid or discouraged. 

For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9b