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Respite For the Weary
All too often, we choose to keep our dirty clothes on. We're too comfortable; we're too guilty; we're too passive; we're too self-righteous; we're too afraid to take the risk. If we really knew what it meant to wear his robe we would not hesitate to have Jesus himself wrap us in it. He's holding it up for us to put one arm in, then the other. Will we?
Who needs grace, raise your hand.
My hand is up high. I need grace upon grace!
In my newly released children's book Christmas Morning, a little girl unwraps her final gift. She opens a box to find...a crimson red rode. It's velvety soft, and on the pocket, her name is monogrammed in white. After all the other gifts she has opened (see previous posts) she is humbled that this exquisite robe was hand-stitched, made uniquely for her. When the little girl puts the robe on, she feels like she is wearing love itself.
Symbolically, the name of this gift is the robe of amazing grace and it is meant for each one of us who knows Jesus as Savior.
Can you believe the King of kings took off his royal robe and gave it to you and me? But even before he did this act, he, in his lovingkindness, first took off our own filthy garments. All our sin was removed and placed on him at the cross. He dealt with it there completely. It is finished.
Then he robed us in his righteousness. Now that's amazing grace!
Here are a few verses that speak into this truth:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness... Isaiah 61:10
Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” Zechariah 3:3-4
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9.
And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants,‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. Luke 15:21-24
All too often, we choose to keep our dirty clothes on. We're too comfortable; we're too guilty; we're too passive; we're too self-righteous; we're too afraid to take the risk. If we really knew what it meant to wear his robe we would not hesitate to have Jesus himself wrap us in it. He's holding it up for us to put one arm in, then the other. Will we?
In the story, I chose crimson red for the robe because it represents royalty. When we accept Christ, we belong to a kingdom that will out last and out shine anything this world has to offer.
Become the little girl in Christmas Morning. Marvel at his amazing grace and humbly wear his robe. It's yours--your name is monogrammed on the pocket.
You are his.
I have to say, Spring is my favorite season! However, when October rolls around, you might find me saying the same thing about fall. It’s a beautiful toss-up between the two.
In the cold silence of the long winter, it seems as if nothing is happening underneath the ground, no life, no fruit; everything is bare and bleak. But now, as the days are getting longer, the sun is shining brighter, and faint shades of color are attempting to make their entrance from the bushes and the trees, a bud appears, and there’s hope! Something was happening underneath the grave silence after all! Once again, God uses His creation to speak words of truth to our hearts…let’s take hope in what God is doing in our lives “behind the scenes”.
Are you in a place of waiting right now? Do you feel like there is no progress in your ongoing quiet struggle? I encourage you to look at the buds on a tree limb or flower. Learn from their beauty. Study how intriguing this stage is: a vessel of expectancy, a compression of hope, a bowl of pending brilliance. The bud is not quite developed enough to make its grand entrance onto Spring’s stage. The finishing touches of growth need to take place in its protective capsule. Underdeveloped, forced blossoming would only rob the flower of its deserved performance. Learn from the bud of a flower. Rest, mature, be patient; your time is coming.
As you wait to “blossom”, hear the Lord speak His truth to you:
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me, you can do nothing. John 15:4-5
You are not alone in your maturing capsule, my friend. Your Creator is with you and knows exactly the right time for you to blossom.
Trust Him in the waiting, and then flourish in His most glorious appointed time.
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
Psalm 62:5
I came across a very familiar story in the book of Mark and it caught my interest again, but in a new way.
The disciples were in a boat arguing with each other over which one of them forgot to pack the lunch for the trip; all they had with them in the boat was one loaf of bread…
…and Jesus.
Interestingly, Jesus, only hours before this boat-ride with his buddies, had miraculously fed 4,000 people with a mere seven loaves of bread. All the people ate and were satisfied. Jesus’ questions now to his hungry disciples were as follows,
Why are you talking about having no bread?
Do you still not see or understand?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?
And don’t you remember? (Mark 8: 17-19).
I am convicted by these questions because so often I am like the disciples: grumbling, doubting, not understanding, and forgetting. I’m thankful for the Lord’s patience towards the disciples, and I’m thankful for His patience towards me. Through this true story, He is teaching me to simply “be in the same boat with Him.” Just rest. He’s the Know It All, I’m not.
As I have envisioned this picture, I have found myself worrying less about the problems that I’m holding in my lap, and contemplating more on the One who is sailing along with me. This One happens to be the Creator of the sun and sky, and the Commander of the wind and the waves. And this One is sitting by my side? How Majestic and Merciful at the same time. With these thoughts, my heart softens, my eyes see more clearly, my ears hear more distinctly, and I begin to understand. Jesus is Lord of All!
As a result, the answers to His questions are met with my declarations:
*To even be in the same boat with Jesus is an honor. It is amazing grace.
*I must not forget who He is, nor forget the great things He has already done.
*I must keep my eyes fixed on Him, not on my problems at hand; because when the Captain of my boat has my heart’s devotion and my mind’s attention, He can then do impossible things through my simple loaf of bread.
During the holiday season, Madelaine Singleton and I presented a wreath that bore spiritual significance with each of its elements. (See my post: Christmas Wreath of Hope). Now, we would like to share our Winter Wreath of Peace. Our hope is that you can easily construct one for yourself and be reminded every day of God's life-giving truths even in the midst of the cold and barren winter months.
After assembling your wreath, hang it on your front door or over your mantle so you can be reminded of God's promises even when times seem both bleak and barren. Allow His gentle and kind Spirit to enter in both your heart and your home and be willing to share His good news with all those who admire your Winter Wreath of Peace. It is your very own memorial to the Lord. Savor the sight, and embrace its truths.
For some reason, I have had a picture on my mind, one that I drew years ago for my kids when they were all "in the nest". I dug it up from a journal and want to share it today in hopes that it is a blessing to you. The verse that goes with this picture is Matthew 23:37:
Jesus said, "How often I wanted to gather you children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...".
Other verses to visualize concerning "His wings" are these:
He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4
For You are my help; I will sing of joy in the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 63:7
After thinking about these verses, can I just rest in the fact that I am a "little chick in a big barn yard" who has the sweet opportunity to be pulled inside and protected underneath the warm wings of a mighty "mother hen"? There I will find both peace and joy; there the clamor stops and the security starts. Why do I sometimes choose to go chirping about in blind forgetfulness, turning this way and that, anxious for nothing? What else "out there" could be more inviting than the blessings found underneath His wonderful wings?
We get pulled out by so many distractions and temptations. Let us refocus out gaze on our Provider, the One that loves us most, even more than we love ourselves. He knows us best, and gives us what we need, when we need it. His best is there for the taking...underneath His wings. The movement with Him is the movement that brings us most life, not the self-scampering we tend to do alone out in the far corner of the barnyard.
With this image in mind, little chicks, let's choose to chirp out loud a prayer in unison today:
Dear Lord, Thank you for your loving care that is found underneath Your merciful and mighty wings. Cause our hearts to long for You above all else. You move us about with Your loving guidance and sweet freedom. There are so many lures that want to pull us outside of Your protective love, but give us the foreknowledge that these are mere temptations with no end benefits. Pull us inside of Your wings, and become our refuge from this culture, our protection from ourselves, and our shield from the enemy. Give us what we truly long for, which is "Your love that is better than life" (Psalm 63:3). Yes, hide us, sweet Savior, in the shadow of Your wings. Amen
While I was walking the country roads the other day with my friend, I spotted a stagnant pool of water. It had just rained heavily the day before so a flowing stream was actively moving right alongside of this mirky pool.
Because I am a visual learner, I love to picture Scripture. Jesus tells us: He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' (John 7:37) Ahh, did you catch the words "flow" and "living"? When we claim Christ as our Savior through faith, His very-much-alive Spirit enters in! He takes up residence within us; in Him we live and move and exist (Acts 17:28).
The question I posed to myself (and now to you) as I looked at the active stream flowing next to the stagnant pool was, "Which one am I?" and, "How do I keep living and moving and existing in Him?". The answer is not a complex one. As a matter of fact, it makes perfect sense: His living word is our living water. Just as we literally drink water for our physical bodies to operate efficiently on a day to day basis, our souls, too, need daily spiritual doses of His living and active word (Hebrews 4:12). Let us choose to drink and drink and drink!
We drink by reading His word. Then we meditate on it, believe it, and obey it through the power of the Holy Spirit. Reading it only, and not applying the other basic principals is like taking a sip of water and not swallowing it. After a while, it becomes a stagnant pool resting in one's mouth, supplying no benefit to the body whatsoever. His word and His Spirit are meant to move us in ways and measures beyond what we ourselves can imagine. My friends, drink (read) ...and swallow (meditate, believe, obey), because if you do, your life will resemble a flowing stream, powerfully living, peacefully moving, and beautifully existing.
When thinking of the age-old Christmas story, one of the most familiar portions of Scripture is when the angel greets the shepherds in the darkness of the night. This passage is read so repeatedly each year that the event becomes a common scene in our minds. But goodness, how uncommon this real-life event must have been! First, one angel, then, a host of angels suddenly appeared, proclaiming the promise that had been held behind a divinely closed curtain for thousands of years. Yes, the wait of the great reveal had been put on sovereign hold since Adam and Eve's exit from the garden.
God's people suffered much, but they held onto the hope of their future Messiah. Here is only one of the many promises:
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them...For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest of His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:2,6)
This particular promise came 700 years before the fulfillment of it. Here is a challenge for you and for me: at some time in the busyness of this celebratory holiday, let's take 7 uninterrupted minutes to sit quietly and...wait. Might I suggest to wait in the darkness of a silent night? While waiting, add faith, add hope, add love. His promise is for you too.
And now...join the shepherds. Put yourself there on the hillside with them:
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them...and said, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:9-14)
The long awaited suddenly happened. Jesus, the anticipated Promise, appeared.
He is the only valid answer to this sometimes weary, sometimes confusing, sometimes sorrowful life. In Christ, you never have to wait without hope.
Good news, He is the answer to eternal life as well. One more time, there will be another long awaited suddenly. In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…we will be changed (1 Cor. 15:52).
Until then and while waiting, take time to see His glory in the quietness of your Silent Night.
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7
Dear Lord,
Keep our eyes fixed on you, the only living hope. Turn our heads and hearts away from any false security. As we cry out to you, may we lean into the truth found in your word and the peace found in your Spirit. Amen.