Things That Are Not

“…the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.”  

Romans 4:17b

Things that are not. 

Interesting.

I don’t think I would describe myself that way very often.  I like to think of myself as something.

But that phrase comes up in I Corinthians as well.  

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”  I Corinthians 1:27-29

That phrase has always stuck out to me...but God knew that I needed to hear these verses this afternoon.  Sometimes I get caught up in thinking that I need recognition – the pat on the back or the words of praise.  Or sometimes it's just not wanting someone to whisper negative comments about me or my work.  And then God reminds me…that He is everything.  And if it wasn’t for Him – I would just be something that is not. J

I was reading in A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God a few weeks ago and loved this passage:

“Let us examine our burden…First, there is the burden of pride.  The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed.  Think for yourself whether much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking slightingly of you.  As long as you have set yourself up as a little god to which you must be loyal there will be those who will delight to offer affront to your idol.  How then can you hope to have inward peace?  The heart’s fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest.  Continue this fight through the years and the burden will become intolerable.  Yet the sons of earth are carrying this burden continually, challenging every word spoken against them, cringing under every criticism, smarting under each fancied slight, tossing sleepless if another person is preferred before them.

Such a burden as this is not necessary to bear.  Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is His method.  The meekman cares not at all who is greater than He, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort.  He develops toward himself a kindly sense of humor and learns to say, ‘Oh, so you have been overlooked?  They have placed someone else before you?  They have whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all?  And now you feel hurt because the world is saying about you the very things you have been saying about yourself?  Only yesterday you were telling God that you were nothing, a mere worm of the dust.  Where is your consistency?  Come on, humble yourself, and cease to care what men think.’

The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority.  Rather, he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself.   He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life.  He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels.  In himself, nothing; in God everything.”

Isn’t that always the key?  We are nothing.  God should be everything.

So, to bring it back around – let’s look at a larger chunk of the I Corinthians passage:

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” 

I Corinthians 1:27-31

May we always boast in the Lord. 

Let’s face it.  Without Him – we’re just not. J

Seeing & Remembering

“Child, perhaps you do not see quite as well as you think.  But the first step is to remember.”

Aslan

 

I’ve been reminded this past week by John Piper that “beholding is becoming”.  What I spend my time looking at the most is what I will eventually start to resemble. 

I totally agree with John Piper.  Seeing is important. 

I also agree with C.S. Lewis.  Sometimes we do not see quite as well as we think. 

In The Silver Chair, one of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia series, C.S. Lewis describes the interaction between a girl named Jill and Aslan, the Great Lion.  Aslan has just given Jill a set of very important instructions for her journey into Narnia.  In response, Jill weakly says, “I see.”  To which Aslan replies:

“Child, perhaps you do not see as well as you think.  But the first step is to remember…

Repeat to me the four signs.  It is important for you to remember them as I’ve said them…

Remember.  Remember.  Remember the signs. 
Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night and when you wake in the middle of the night.  And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs.

And second, I give you a warning.  Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly.  I will not often do so down in Narnia.  Here on the mountain the air is clear and your mind is clear.  As you drop down into Narnia the air will thicken.  Take great care that it does not confuse your mind.  And the signs which you have learned will not look at all as you expect them to look when you meet them there.  That is why it is important to know them by heart.  And pay no attention to appearances. 

Remember the signs and believe the signs.  Nothing else matters.  And now, daughter of Eve….farewell…”

I couldn’t help but think of analogies as I heard these words.  (Yes, I was listening to the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre version J). 

1.       Jill is being sent out on a mission for Aslan.  Our lives are a mission for God.

2.       Jill tries to “see”/understand – but doesn’t quite grasp the big picture.  We try to “see”/understand – but don’t always understand how God is working.

3.       Jill is told to remember Aslan’s words – to memorize them – so that she is not confused when she is away from him.  We are told to remember God’s words – to memorize them – so that we are not confused in the midst of our mission.

As much as we try to “see”, sometimes we are only capable of remembering. 

The reason C.S. Lewis’ words hit me so strongly today was that I realize even in my deepest efforts to focus on Jesus…I struggle.  Whether it’s a tragedy that blinds my spiritual eyes with tears or a victory where pride blocks my view of my Savior….sometimes I miss out on seeing God in everything.  Sometimes I just don’t understand.  I get captured by the present and miss out on the big picture.

But in all of that – I know I can always remember.

I can always go back to the cross.

And when I look at Jesus on that cross – even if I can’t see exactly how He’s working in the present situation – I can remember that as He gave His life for me He trusted God the Father’s plans.

And as I take that first step of remembering, I am confident that I will begin to see more clearly the Father’s plans for me, too.

 

Sweet Jesus

 “And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’  And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.”  Exodus 15:22-27 

Sometimes when we cry out to the Lord, he doesn’t give us great words of insight.  Sometimes God just shows us a log, like He did for Moses.  Someone pointed out the other day that the word log in the verse above is the same word for “tree”. 

A tree can change everything…because it was on a tree our Savior Jesus died.  THAT tree, when thrown into our lives, makes everything sweet. 

Just this past week I was a chaperone on the senior class trip to Washington, D.C.  As we walked through the National Cathedral, I took in the beautiful stained glass, the intricately carved stone and wood, the statues and organ pipes…but what struck me the most was a small statue.
 

 

It’s supposed to represent Jesus as a young boy.  And, as you can see by the wearing of the metal, everyone touches His hands.  I'm sure they want to touch His hands for many reasons - maybe even because everyone else seems to. 

But it is funny that even in a building where they are trying to be so accepting of different faiths and systems of belief – where there are statues and pictures of many different things - that people really want to hold Jesus’ hands. 

His cross makes life sweet.

His hands comfort us.

His love fulfills us. 


He is true.


As A.W. Tozer said:  “All our lives long we might talk of Jesus, and yet we should never come to the end of the sweet things that might be said of Him.”

So may we, in our busy lives, not forget to remember that cross, those hands, and that love. 

When life seems full of bitterness and we cry out to God - sometimes He just shows us a tree. 

A tree that reminds us of someone altogether lovely.  Our sweet Jesus - whose love can make anything sweet.

Fathom

"Can you fathom the mysteries of God?  Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?" 

Job 11:7

Do you know what the word "fathom" means?

According to Dictionary.com, it means:
1.  A unit of length equal to 6 feet, used chiefly in nautical measurements
2.  To measure the depth of by means of a sounding line; sound
3.  To penetrate to the truth of; comprehend; understand

But what I thought was even cooler...I learned from Encyclopedia Britannica:

"old English measure of length, now standardized at 6 feet (1.83 metre), which has long been used as a nautical unit of depth. The longest of many units derived from an anatomical measurement, the fathom originated as the distance from the middle fingertip of one hand to the middle fingertip of the other hand of a large man holding his arms fully extended. The name comes from the Old English faedm or faethm, meaning outstretched arms."

Uh...neato!  I like plays on words - so it got me thinking about fathoming the deep love of Jesus...which can truly be measured by His extended arms...on the cross.

So, I wrote a little song.  And recorded it.  (And I'm really hoping that there wasn't another song stuck in my head whose tune I stole!  It's possible...I'm not the most musically gifted person in the world...:))  So, in case you can't understand my singing, the words are below.  May we all be amazed by His love!  It's unfathomable. :)

Link to me singing:  Fathom

Fathom

 

How deep are Your riches of wisdom and knowledge

How vast are Your thoughts that we can’t understand

We plumb the depths of the world’s deepest oceans

But to fathom Your love?  Oh, our hearts never can.

 

You can’t be contained by the highest of heavens

Stars in their orbit are but part of Your plan

We use instruments to take in Your wonders

But to fathom Your love?  Our hearts never can.

 

You’re deeper than all the deepest oceans

Higher than all the stars we see

To think on your grace fills us with wonder

We can’t fathom your love so free.

 

On Calvary You showed us the depth of Your passion

In love You took nails in Your feet and Your hands

It’s from outstretched arms that we get the word fathom

But to fathom that love?  Oh, our hearts never can.

 

You’re deeper than all the deepest oceans

Higher than all the stars we see

To think on your grace fills us with wonder

We can’t fathom your love so free.

 

How deep are Your riches of wisdom and knowledge

How vast are Your thoughts that we can’t understand

We plumb the depths of the world’s deepest oceans

But to fathom Your love? Oh, our hearts never can. 

Bronze Pillars

Have you ever wondered why the Bible goes into such detail when describing seemingly unimportant things?  The book of Numbers in the Bible is filled with names upon names upon names.  Leviticus gives detailed instructions on how to perform the many different sacrifices.  There are many chapters in Exodus and Kings and Chronicles dedicated to the description of the tabernacle and temple and the furnishings found within.

But these aren’t unimportant details.  It shows that we serve a precise, detail-oriented God, who not only knows our names but who also cares about the minute details of our lives.  It also shows that we worship a God who is a great Storyteller – One who weaves deeper truths into seemingly unimportant details.  The sacrifices and tabernacle and temple are filled with types or pictures of Jesus.  It’s almost overwhelming when you really start to study.  But, this evening, I was struck by a picture in the temple of someone else.

I am now reading through the book of I Kings, and just read chapter 7.  Verses 13 – 51 describe the furnishings in Solomon’s temple and go into great detail on the two bronze pillars made by Huram of Tyre.  Here’s what I gathered about the pillars:

1.       Bronze, cast in clay molds (7:15, 46)

2.       Tall – approximately 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference, topped by a 5 foot capital (7:15-16)

3.       Decorated – especially the capital, with chains of pomegranates…the whole capital being in the shape of a lily (7:17-22)

4.       Located in the portico of the temple (7:21)

5.       North pillar named Boaz; South pillar named Jachin (7:21)

 Interesting, eh?  They were BIG.  Solid.  Beautifully decorated.  I mean, that makes sense – God deserves to have beautiful things in His presence.  But I wanted to learn a little more.

 BRONZE SCULPTURE:  I knew very little about the casting of bronze articles in clay molds.  So, I looked it up.  After looking at a few websites, I think I can recount the process to you...an ancient process, in fact.

In simple terms, it’s beeswax à clay à bronze.  But there are some really interesting details. 

 

1.       It seems that artists used to create an original sculpture in beeswax. 

2.       They would then cover the sculpture in liquid clay (a process now called “investment”), and cook it in a fire.  The wax would melt out of the clay, leaving a hard shell ready to fill with molten bronze. 

3.       In order to make sure this mold was good, it was tested with water.  Any cracks, leaks, or imperfections found were patched until the mold was ready. 

4.       Once ready – both the bronze and the clay mold were heated.  (Bronze for melting purposes, clay to keep the melted bronze from “seizing” when it comes in contact with a much cooler temperature.) 

5.       Then, the bronze was poured.  (Nowadays, it takes three artisans to complete a mold.  According to ModernSculpture, the “lead pour” manages the controls for the crucible of molten bronze, the “deadman” manages the crucible balance, and a third nameless artisan scrapes away the dross and slag on the surface of the molten bronze.) 

6.       Once cooled, the “devesting” process takes place – and the clay is removed.  This can now be done with hammers and power chisels and sandblasting.  I’m not sure what they would have used in King Solomon’s time…but something similar.

7.       Lastly, the sculpture would go through “chasing and finishing” – a process or removing all signs of the casting process so the sculpture would look like the original.

Isn’t that cool?  I love learning new things!  But what makes this even cooler…is Revelation 3:11-12, in which Jesus says to the church in Philadelphia:  “I am coming soon.  Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  Him who overcomes I will make like a pillar in the temple of my God.  Never again will he leave it.  I will write on him the name of my God and name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God, and I will also write on him my new name.”

WHOA.  We could be pillars?  In the temple?  So….like, HUGE BRONZE PILLARS?

Let me back up for a second.  The passage in I Kings 7 gives us lots of details about physical characteristics of these pillars:  how tall, how they’re decorated, etc.  It doesn’t specifically say that they have any spiritual significance.  But this verse in Revelation sure gets the wheels turning in my brain.  So, let’s just roll with this hypothetical idea that King Solomon’s pillars are a small picture of Christians.

And if we do…it’s pretty beautiful.

I’m only going to go into #1, #4, and #5 on my list of interesting facts about the bronze pillars as a comparison.

 

#1.  Bronze, cast in clay molds.

Clay reminds me of our humanity…and the process of “investment” seems like the building of a human shell around our souls.  (I could even jump out on a limb and say Jesus made an “investment” by becoming human…but let’s keep with our original thought here of the pillars being a picture of believers.)

This clay coated wax is put in the fire…losing its original substance (the wax melting out)…but it waits for something better to fill it.  (old nature melting out, perhaps?)

The clay is tested with water, looking for cracks and leaks…and is patched up where needed. (like a Christian’s growing process?  hard times in life?)

Then it is put into the fire again so that it can be filled with a precious metal.  (our new nature?)

Clay is chipped and sandblasted off.  (death?)

But the bronze remains…chasing and finishing remove the signs of casting so it looks like the original (aren’t we meant to look like “little Christs”?) 

#4.  Located in the portico of the temple.

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple.”  Psalm 27:4 

Revelation 3:12 says that never again will Christians, like those pillars, leave the temple.  Awesome. 

 

#5  North pillar named Boaz; South pillar named Jachin.

Jachin means “He shall establish”.  Boaz means “in Him is strength”.  Ummm….whoa.  Jesus says that he who overcomes will be like a pillar in the temple.  And we are told that these are the names of the pillars:  HE SHALL ESTABLISH, IN HIM IS STRENGTH.  Our “bronze strength” is all dependent on Jesus.  He helps us overcome.

 

I don’t know if all of this will strike you with the same sense of wonder as it has hit me with tonight.  Maybe I’m over-spiritualizing these pillars, but even just the names of them (Boaz & Jachin) are an encouragement.  Throughout our lives – the good and the bad times – God is molding us to be strong and established. 

To recognize that God is telling us so much about His love and His purposes for us – even in seemingly mundane details of temple furnishings is exciting to me. 

May we never stop being amazed by Him…and His creative ways of sharing His heart with those He loves.  And, may we submit to His molding process, knowing the result will be beautiful.

Gallery of His Goodness

Just the other night I spent over an hour scrolling through pictures I’ve taken over the past years.  I’ve made a new folder on my computer and have been transferring pictures into it.  I’ve copied pictures of sunsets and sunrises, of family members and friends, and of tangible answered prayer requests…

I’m really excited about the idea of someday decorating a room in my house with all these pictures, and calling the room:  “The Gallery of His Goodness”.

Over the past few weeks I’ve re-read and read for the first time quite a few books by Robin Jones Gunn.  Her books were a blessing to me when I was a teenager, and they continue to be a blessing to me in my late 20s.  They are easy reads, full of good story lines – but also full of pearls of wisdom.  (Sometimes fictional stories are the perfect way to deliver nuggets of truth….)  I would honestly love to sit down and have tea with Robin.  I’d love to have her as a mentor and a “forever friend”. J 

The idea for my gallery is from Robin’s book called Finally and Forever.  It’s the last book in the Katie Weldon Series, and in it, a woman named Callie is sharing with our fictional friend Katie what she learned while her husband was kidnapped and missing.  Callie went through struggles but came out with treasures of truth on the other side.  Quoted straight from Robin’s book – I hope these paragraphs are as much as an encouragement to you as they were to me:

“I discovered that when God wants to draw us into a place of deeper intimacy in our relationship with him, he undoes everything we previously knew about his ways to show us a different side of himself.  When that happens, you end up confused and afraid because you thought you knew God and knew how he worked in your life…but then you tell the fear to go away…

“And you lean in closer to the Lord.  You listen very closely, and when you don’t hear a single word from him, not a sound, you wait.  But here’s what I learned all this while we were waiting…You don’t wait in silence.  During that stretch of time…I couldn’t sleep, eat, or think.  But I could remember.  And as I recalled all of the things God had done for us in the past, it was like I wasn’t alone in the waiting room of my heart any longer.  I hung every one of those memories like pictures on the wall, and then I would look at each one of them in my mind’s eye and say, ‘Thank you, God.  Thank you.’  I started to praise God instead of question him…

“…what happened was that when I started to praise God and to thank him, I broke through the darkness.  My heart ended up on the other side of the fear.”

“You’re in a waiting room right now…

“Go ahead and cover the walls with memories of all the things God has done, and then walk through the gallery every day and tell him thank you, thank you.”

How blessed we are when we remember God's goodness to us - and what a blessing it would be to have tangible reminders of that goodness!  

Regardless of whether we actually create tangible photo albums or hallway/room galleries or not, I know that we can decorate the waiting room of our hearts with pictures of His goodness.

Walking through such galleries will give us the confidence to rest contentedly in Him – no matter what we go through.

He. Is. Good.

Fullness

“…Him who fills everything in every way.”  Ephesians 1:23

 

Sometimes, I am struck by how ridiculous God’s love for us is.  Maybe ridiculous isn’t the right word.  It’s amazing…incredible…unbelievable…unfathomable. J  He can love us – and fill us – and fulfill us in every way!

 

I am on a new Bible reading plan this year.  I call it my “Book-Bag”.  It’s not very scholarly…but basically I wrote all the names of the books of the Bible on little pieces of paper, stuck them in a sandwich bag, and will read them in the order I pick them out!  I’m actually quite excited about it.  I’ve read the Bible straight through, and chronologically, etc – and this is my new method of reading through God’s word.  And I have the feeling that He’ll guide me right to the books I am supposed to read at that time.

 

The first book I picked today was Ephesians.  I only got through one chapter and was overwhelmed by how good God is.  Check this out:

·         “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”  Ephesians 1:3

·         “In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to His pleasure and will…”  Ephesians 1:4-5

·         “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace which He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”  Ephesians 1:7-8

·         “And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ…”  Ephesians 1:9

 

Whoa.  Not only has God given us EVERY spiritual blessing, but He redeems, forgives, adopts, and reveals the mystery of His will to us.  And if that’s not enough – He didn’t do it grudgingly or with reservations.  It was according to His pleasure and will, with all wisdom and understanding.  I never really noticed the “according to” phrases before. 

 

God knows and understands us – yet He is pleased to offer us fullness of life – at great cost to Himself.

What a great way to start a new year – God reminding me of His great love!  There’s so much sorrow and sadness and emptiness when I look only at present conditions here on this earth.  I’ll be traveling to my grandmother’s funeral tomorrow.  I’m sad that she’s gone – she was absolutely wonderful.  And realize that without the hope of Christ, life down here would seem to be so pointless…so empty. 

 

And yet we can know it’s not.

 

Ephesians 1:17-23 is a prayer – and one that I want to echo for myself this year:

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised Him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in this present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under His feet and appointed him to be the head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”

 

In the midst of ups and downs this year, may we better know the hope, riches and power of God – and may all be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:14). 

God truly can fill everything in every way.  Even us.

Happy 2013!