“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Jesus, in Luke 12:32)
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:17b-21)
“Whenever I’m upside down, if ever I’m turned around, I will pray. And when I wake up smiling, the world’s a different place; only when I choose, only when I use my eyes to see Your beautiful face…Help me to let go of all these distractions, leave them far behind, and dream again.” (Phil Keaggy)
For many of us, so far this has been a summer of loss and sadness. From tragedies involving children, to neighbors and loved ones succumbing to disease before what we would consider “their time,” our hearts have been heavy. In the midst of our necessary grieving and letting go, I believe the voice of the Lord would speak to us, gently but clearly, with a message of fresh hope: This is not the end, child. Continue to trust in Me. Feel the warmth of My embrace. Fix your gaze on My goodness. Remember My faithfulness. All is well, and will be well. Lift your eyes to dream again—to envision the “good plans” that I have for you in the coming season as you walk with Me. I will be with you always.
“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to shore. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly to venture on wider seas where storms will show Your mastery; where losing sight of land we shall find stars. We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes; we ask You to [lead us into] a future of strength, courage, hope, and love.” (Sir Francis Drake, 16th-century English sailor; courtesy Dan Miller)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Father and His Children
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship [adoption]. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ ” (Romans 8:15)
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)
“Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:1-2, Holman CSV)
“If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child and having God as his Father…For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God the Father.” (J.I. Packer, in Knowing God)
In the wake of Father’s Day, consider that Jesus, during his earthly ministry, related most frequently to God as “Father” in a way that we might say “Papa” or “Daddy.” This new, intimate approach to the Most High was radical, even revolutionary. Jesus opened the door not only for us to receive salvation and eternal hope, but also to know God more closely than had been previously imagined—to know Him as Heavenly Father. If our relationship with our earthly father has been stormy, strained or even nonexistent, it can be difficult to embrace God as a “father.” God knows this, and His heart of tender love and compassion is full to overflowing for the “fatherless.” Even if we’ve had a great dad on earth, the fatherhood of God is far deeper and richer still. All of us can come to know God more intimately as we soak ourselves in the many Scriptures that describe His incredible love and tenderness, His instruction and correction, His wisdom and guidance, and His embrace of all who are in Christ as “sons and daughters.”
Heavenly Father, we call you Father and thank you for lavishing your unfathomable love on us. For sending Your only Son as a sacrifice to rescue us from the power of sin and death, we are eternally grateful. We bless you and seek to glorify your name today. Amen.
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)
“Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:1-2, Holman CSV)
“If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child and having God as his Father…For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God the Father.” (J.I. Packer, in Knowing God)
In the wake of Father’s Day, consider that Jesus, during his earthly ministry, related most frequently to God as “Father” in a way that we might say “Papa” or “Daddy.” This new, intimate approach to the Most High was radical, even revolutionary. Jesus opened the door not only for us to receive salvation and eternal hope, but also to know God more closely than had been previously imagined—to know Him as Heavenly Father. If our relationship with our earthly father has been stormy, strained or even nonexistent, it can be difficult to embrace God as a “father.” God knows this, and His heart of tender love and compassion is full to overflowing for the “fatherless.” Even if we’ve had a great dad on earth, the fatherhood of God is far deeper and richer still. All of us can come to know God more intimately as we soak ourselves in the many Scriptures that describe His incredible love and tenderness, His instruction and correction, His wisdom and guidance, and His embrace of all who are in Christ as “sons and daughters.”
Heavenly Father, we call you Father and thank you for lavishing your unfathomable love on us. For sending Your only Son as a sacrifice to rescue us from the power of sin and death, we are eternally grateful. We bless you and seek to glorify your name today. Amen.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Expanding Our Vocabulary
Over and over, the Scriptures instruct us to offer the highest praise to God, whose greatness is unmatched, whose love is unfathomable, whose grace is unlimited, whose compassion is unfailing, and whose mercies are new every morning. Meditating on the timeless, living Word of God helps us to build a rich vocabulary of praise that we then offer back to the LORD. As we internalize passages such as the ones below, we find that praise, gratitude, and a deep sense that all is well begin to replace fear, anxiety and despair. We become less self-centered and more other-centered, motivated to spread the love that we ourselves have received as a free gift from God...
Psalm 111
Praise the LORD.
I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate…
The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.”
Jude 24-25
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our LORD, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Revelation 7:11-12
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
Heavenly Father and Mighty LORD, we praise you this day for every attribute of your greatness. As we draw near to you and seek to expand our vocabulary of praise, may the honor and glory that is due your name be continually on our lips. Amen.
Psalm 111
Praise the LORD.
I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate…
The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.”
Jude 24-25
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our LORD, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Revelation 7:11-12
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
Heavenly Father and Mighty LORD, we praise you this day for every attribute of your greatness. As we draw near to you and seek to expand our vocabulary of praise, may the honor and glory that is due your name be continually on our lips. Amen.
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