View from the Sparrow's Nest

Our Christian life is marked by paradox. We gain our life by losing it. We are made strong through our weakness. We are lifted up by humbling ourselves.

Our access to God is also marked by two opposing responses. In Jeremiah 5:22 God asks, “Should you not fear me?” And then again, “Should you not tremble in my presence?” The obvious response is, “Yes!” And yet Paul urges us to come boldly – reminding us of the joyous access we have to the throne of the Almighty.

Isaiah also reveals this same paradox: “The Lord Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread, and He will be a sanctuary.” The very One we are to fear offers Himself as our safe place. A clear image of this is found in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.* As Lucy is about to meet the magnificent lion Aslan, she asks if he’s safe.  Mr. Beaver sums up the paradox simply by explaining to Lucy that of course Aslan isn’t safe, but he is good. She could meet him boldly, but with fear and trembling.

We must never forget that God is God – trembling is an appropriate response. But the wonderful news is that God’s own Son purchased the right and privilege for us to come into His presence with boldness. It’s the privilege of burying my face in Aslan’s mane while never forgetting that he’s a fierce lion. What a blessed paradox!

*For those of you who aren’t familiar with The Chronicles of Narnia, rather than explain I would urge you to read them for yourself.

One of the most powerful and well-loved hymns in Christendom is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” by Isaac Watts. It’s one of the few to survive the transition from hymnbook to power point as it ministers to a new generation. The words of this great hymn never fail to speak to me – to make me ask myself some serious and important questions.

Recently one of those questions has come as a result of the phrase, “All the vain things that charm me most…” I’ve been asking God to show me those things – to reveal to my heart the vain things that take my time and attention away from Him. And He has done that. My list of vain things may be different from yours, but the answer is still the same – they need to be “sacrificed to His blood” – put in their proper place in our lives in light of Calvary’s sacrifice.

As I get older, I sense the urgency of these days in which we live. There isn’t time to waste on vain things, no matter how much they charm us. When you look up “vain” in the dictionary, you see words like “worthless,” and “useless.” It’s very possible that Isaac Watts had in mind an older definition which implied something foolish or silly. Listen to that line again: All the worthless and useless, the foolish and silly things that hold my attention and affection, I sacrifice them to His blood.

God loves to bring joy into our lives. He loves to see us enjoying this life, and doesn’t expect us to spend every minute of it in church with a pious, somber attitude. But the greatest joys in this life come when we de-clutter and sacrifice “all the vain things” in order to experience those blessings and joys that come from His hand. And how can we not want to do that when we “survey the wondrous cross”?

Today I found the Good Friday story in a surprising place.  And, as is often the case, when we find something in an unexpected place it seems to have more impact. I’ve been preparing for our Good Friday service so I’ve been very focused on the events leading up to the Lord’s death, and I’ve been reading in Isaiah in my quiet time. Suddenly, the two came together. Here was a New Testament event recorded (prophetically) in the Old Testament – and I was struck by what I read.

Isaiah does more than give us a glimpse into Christ’s suffering – he reveals the heart of our Savior with these words in Isaiah 50:6: “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.” He offered! Those words are the reality of His declaration in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

This reminds me of the words in John 18:4: “Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, stepped forward.” He didn’t draw back in an attempt to avoid the suffering of Calvary, but He stepped forward – forward to the beating, forward to the humiliation, forward to the excruciating pain and agony of Calvary, forward to having His holiness marred by our sins, forward to the unbearable rending of His intimacy with the Father.  He stepped forward and offered Himself.

I don’t know any other way to respond to this glimpse into the heart of Christ than to bow in worship and say a humble, but very inadequate “thank you.”

Have a blessed Easter!

I love the Bible! I love the fact that after years of reading familiar Scripture, suddenly the Lord will reveal something new and exciting. That happened to me in my quiet time this week. I was reading words that I’ve known since I was a little girl – words that are often read at Christmas time. In fact, I have spoken from these same verses. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” The Scripture goes on to give us the wonderful names by which He’ll be known, and the nature of His eternal reign. And then these words: “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6, 7)

I have read those words many times over the years and have always thought of it in terms of God’s power. God’s power would accomplish all of this: a virgin who would produce a Son who would be our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father, and our Prince of Peace. Mary’s child would also reign on David’s throne with justice and righteousness for all of eternity. Certainly something that God’s power alone could do.

But it doesn’t say “God’s power.” It says, “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” The dictionary defines zeal as: “eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something; fervor.” Let me reverently rephrase those words from Isaiah 9:7: “The eagerness and ardent interest of God will accomplish this with intense feeling.”

His zeal – His enthusiastic anticipation, His passion in purpose brought all of this about. God didn’t just exercise His power; He accomplished all of this with excitement and passion. That adds such a new depth to those verses. It wasn’t an impersonal God exercising His power to do what had to be done, but a loving God who was excited to bring all of this about for us. I’m so glad that He had the power to do all of this for our salvation, but I am also so thankful for the zeal that prompted His heart. “For unto us a child is born…”

God has been stretching me. He’s been stretching my mind to take in greater thoughts about who He is, and my heart to receive greater depths of His love. In this process I’ve begun to realize something. I’ve realized that the more I understand His greatness – His absolute holiness, His infinite wisdom, His sovereignty and power – the more I am overwhelmed by His love.

I realize that Calvary stands as the ultimate demonstration of that love, but I believe the words in John 17:23 are the ultimate declaration of that love. Jesus (who never lies) says that His Father, this amazing and glorious God, loves us as much as He loves His own perfect Son. You read that right. It is a stunningly profound comment and truth. I understand the love of the Father for His Son – for Christ – what’s not to love? But I can’t understand that same love (“even as” the Scripture assures us) being directed towards me – what’s to love? And yet, that’s really what true love is all about – what God’s love is all about. It’s not based on the recipient’s worth, but on the heart of the One who loves.

I’m not a big fan of physical exercise. I don’t deny its value – I’m just not a big fan. But being stretched by God is the best exercise there is. God, who is infinitely above the sum total of my thoughts about Him (even when my mind has been stretched), loves me and is stretching my heart to received more and more of that love.

I would like to introduce my pastor and “guest blogger” – Rev. Wayne Muckel. I am privileged to sit under the preaching of this man of God each Sunday, and the fact that he is also my brother-in-law just adds to the blessing. A couple of weeks ago he shared this in his sermon, and I have asked his permission to pass it on to you.

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him…” (Psalm 8:3,4)

I too have stood where the Psalmist stood and have been filled with awe on a dark, clear night – so clear I felt like I were looking out into an almost eternal space, where the stars seemed to hang down close to the earth, and the sky was packed full of millions of lights! And in that heavenly sanctuary my heart leaped up to worship the One who made it all possible!  Then too, like the Psalmist, my mind took me to stand on a dirty, noisy street in New York City (where I had stood many times). The noise is deafening, the light breeze swirling pieces of trash along the sidewalk, the stench and sounds jarring my senses, and what’s left of a man stretches himself out against a building, gagging in his own vomit. And I muse, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” And while my mind cannot completely wrap itself around that question, and my heart is torn within, the wonder of wonders is that “God so loved (this kind) of world, and sent His only begotten Son.” This man, like all men, became the supreme focus of the Creator God! As mysterious as the heavens above are, the greater mystery is how the God Who created them could care enough to reach down and rescue all of us in our miserable sinful condition. How could God pick us up and hug us to Himself, and transform our lives, cleaning us up from the inside out, and set us on a straight path toward heaven? Mystery of mysteries, indeed!

I’ve tried to think of an excuse to show this picture of my newest grandbaby from her recent dedication. Then I realized that I’m a grandma – I don’t need any other excuse. So…here is my adorable little Xury wearing the dress that I wove for her big sister’s dedication 14 years ago.

What a privilege to be able to share in this moment, and to join the commitment of her parents to love (easy) and pray faithfully for this precious little girl. The pastor made it a very meaningful time as parents, grandma, sisters and brother, and church family were all challenged with our responsibility to this little one.

I love being a grandma. My husband and I share 19 grandchildren together - the best, of course! But I do take very seriously my role in their lives to live in a way that makes Christ real to them, and to pray faithfully for each one of them. Oh, and to do a little spoiling along the way.

I’ve given up on resolutions. Resolutions begin with good intentions, and I have those, but they also require follow-through, and that’s another story.  Imagine, if good intentions were enough we would all be thinner, healthier, more disciplined, and free from all vices.

So I have no New Year’s resolutions to share, but I do have some words that have become my personal prayer and goal over the years. I first found these words by F. Brook during my freshman year of college. While many priorities and goals have changed for me since then, this one has remained. These are not my words, but they are the echo of my heart.

“My goal is God Himself – not joy, nor peace,
Not even blessing, but Himself, my God.
‘Tis His to lead me there, not mine, but His –
‘At any cost, dear Lord, by any road!’”

I realized while writing those familiar words that, while they are still my prayer, they are also becoming my testimony. He is leading me there – not always by roads that I would have chosen, but always by roads that have led toward my goal. And so I continue to trust God for the unknown roads of 2012 – content that whatever they may be, they will lead me closer to God Himself.

I’ve been thinking a lot about worship recently as I’ve been preparing for Christmas. The shepherds came to Bethlehem to see the Christ child and fell down and worshipped. The wise men traveled many miles and many days to find the new King and bow before Him in worship. What the Lord has been teaching me is that true worship always takes place when we take the time to come into His presence.

Imagine if the shepherds had just stayed in their fields and discussed all that they had just heard. They would probably have had some very sincere and meaningful conversations, but they wouldn’t have had worship.

Imagine if the wise men had stayed in their own countries and written scholarly reports on the star and its significance. They may have written some important documents, but they wouldn’t have worshipped.

A familiar Christmas carol (one of my Dad’s favorites) says, “Come, and worship.” What I’m wondering this Christmas season is how often we try to worship without taking the time to first make the journey  into His presence. For the shepherds and the wise men it was a physical journey; for us it’s a journey of the heart. For the shepherds and wise men it led to a baby; for us it leads to our victorious and risen Savior.

It wasn’t the angel choir or the star that brought the shepherds and wise men to their knees in worship – it was Jesus.  It won’t be the lights and trees, the carols and pageants that bring us to our knees in worship – it will be Jesus.

“Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King.”

I had a frustrating shopping experience the other day. The things I thought were on sale weren’t. My coupon was only good on things I didn’t need, and not on what I wanted to buy. And then something rang up at the register at a different price from what was advertised, adding to my frustration.

When I got home, I spent some time in prayer, confessing my frustration and impatience to the Lord. (I had already apologized to the clerk before leaving the store.) It was then that I found these words in Proverbs: “…a man of understanding is even-tempered.” I thought about those words for awhile and began to realize that there were some things I had needed to understand during that shopping experience.

First of all, I needed to understand that God was in control. I was frustrated because I had no control over some of these things, but my Father was in control and as His child I could rest in that.

I also needed to understand that some things simply didn’t matter. I was allowing things that were temporal, and in-the-long-run unimportant, to matter – actually, to matter a great deal.

But, most importantly, I needed to understand that the people I came in contact with were more important than things – certainly more important than whether or not I got something a few dollars cheaper. My frustration was not directed at the clerk, but it was certainly evident to him.

The Bible is such a practical book. Solomon’s words are still true and applicable to our daily lives. To paraphrase Solomon… “the shopper who understands that God is in control, that some things simply don’t matter, and that people are always important, will be even-tempered – even when Christmas shopping.