Monthly Archives: January 2021

Still With Us Amidst the Thorns

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The child’s toy was broken…and there were tears.

The bone was fractured, ending an athletic moment…and there were tears.

The car careened off the road and was demolished…and there were tears.

The rains came, the flood waters rose, and all that was “life as they knew it” was underwater until it was not…and there were tears.

The relationship was broken, trust shattered, hope tenuous…and there were tears.

The medical tests revealed a broken body…and there were tears.

The baby longed for has not come to be…and there were tears.

In this fallen world, there are thorns. We are incapable of “fixing” many things we would like to make new or return and “re-do.”

It reminds us that we are but dust. That is said not with a sigh of resignation; rather, as a reminder that, while we think we can control our lives and destinies, doing our own thing again and again; or while we think we have been “good” enough to not experience pain, we are living between the now and the not yet.

We are created in the image of God; yes, we are created and are not the Creator.

Tears fall and life is often hard.

But we can lean even harder on the One who is able and, when our strength is such that we can hardly even lean in, He will carry us.

“(The Lord God) tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.” (Isaiah 40:11)

It may be an “It is what it is” situation, but our response can, by God’s grace, be an “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24) reply.

The pain may be fully evident.

The brokenness may be seen or simply known.

The “what is to come” may be unknown.

But we can hold to the One who sees, who knows, and who will make known in His time.

And, we can say with Sarah, “You are the God who sees me…” (Genesis 16:13), my El Roi!

For the broken body, He may heal in the present or He may have a purpose we either can’t see or must wait to see; but always He is seeking to draw those hurting into His presence and provide a clearer view, not necessarily of the circumstances, but of El Shaddai, God Almighty, our Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals both the body and the soul though sometimes not fully until eternity; always He is our Shalom, our peace.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

For the broken relationship, it is His purpose that light shine into the dark places not to destroy but to reveal His path of redemption, to bring repentance and restoration, for broken trust to be reestablished and a deeper oneness to be formed; or He may reveal to protect one from a walk down a harder path.

But, always, He will draw those involved deeper into Himself – for His child a return to the truth or, for the unredeemed, the offer of new life.

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” (Luke 8:17)

“And now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful (or were grieved), but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)

And, in the midst of the thorns, David reminds us to tell ourselves of what is true about us and what is true about our God:

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust…But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him…” Psalm 103:13-14,17

That’s not a devastating thing; it is a tender thing for He knows our frame. He knows all there is to know about us, more than we even know ourselves and He is mighty to save and bring in the new.

He knows our weaknesses, but He doesn’t leave us to make them our identity or claim them as the burden we must bear or the sin we get to coddle, knowing that to do so destroys us and others.

He knows our frailties and He weeps with us even as He comforts us. He is not blind to our sorrows; no, He has “…kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8)

So, we can say with David, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust, I will not be afraid.” (Psalm 56:3-4)

He knows the wounds we have from others and He gives us the ability to forgive, even if need be, minute to minute, one day at a time.

He knows when our worlds have turned upside down and will provide for His children; He may extend our bounty following a material loss or give us just what we need; either way, it is for us to see His provision and give Him praise as our God Who provides, our Jehovah-jireh!

All this life is intended to give Him praise!

The joy and the sorrow.

The healthy and the broken body.

The steady and the wounded relationship.

The abundance and the lack of material wealth and goods.

All come from the hand of the one true God, who is making all things new!

“Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.”

Psalm 145:3, 18, 21

Weeping with those who weep yet resting in Him amidst the thorns,

Dawn

 

 

 

 

Snow Day…All Things New Again!

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I went to bed with little expectation of seeing much of the “white stuff” when I woke up the next morning, a dusting perhaps.

God gave me a stunning surprise – the view out my window in the pre-sunrise moments looked promising. But when the morning began to shed its light on my yard and neighborhood, what I saw was total beauty!

Now for those of you for whom snow is a chore or to whom a foot or more is a daily or even a seasonal occurrence, you would laugh at what ended up being an inch and a half to two; but for those of us who rarely see snow in a winter, I was giddy for I am always in wonder of its beauty. A smile instantly comes to my face as the first snowflake falls, increasing into many more.

And yes, I love a good snowball fight, a little snow cream, and my feeble attempts at making a snowman. But so many other things also flooded my mind yesterday as I saw what had transformed my yard over night and then as more blew in, heavy yet softly, quietly spreading a comforting layer on our barren ground.

Winter had taken its toll on our land and the day before yesterday it was looking rather bleak, brown and muddy with a patch of bright green where we have a garden of lettuce. But as I stood and watched the transformation, I was struck by the newness, the fresh reality that filled my sight.

It was the same piece of land – nothing had been done except that with which our awesome God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, had chosen to delight us. He had gloriously crafted each snowflake and let them blow over the cold, grey day after ten days straight of frigid temps that threatened to tamp down the mood of many I came across…including my own.

It was His hand that created the freshness and led to a lifting of the heart! Though it was short lived, the moment was not lost on me, and it did much to renew our spirits. It was temporary joy that brought with it eternal perspective.

At times, we can view our lives through the same lens. Either we get caught up in the daily-ness of it all and become tyrannized by the urgent so that we miss and/or forget the truly important. Or we grow weary because of circumstances – our own choices, that of others, or any number of “hard things” that come with living in a fallen world. Our spirits can be “tamped down” by those “frigid” circumstances that sometimes make us feel immobile.

But God is not unaware.

Our fears can weigh us down as we focus on the “what ifs” instead of looking to and embracing the God who is I AM and who holds all the “what ifs” in His hands; He Who knows the final outcome has promised to never leave or forsake His own. We can begin to see life in the greys instead of the rich hues hidden beneath the mundane, the sorrow, or the fear.

Throughout the Bible, God reminds us that He has made and is in the process of making all things new! We can look on situations in our lives and in the world and culture around us and grow discouraged, even fearful of the dismal prospects at times.

As we look through a glass darkly, we often miss the wonder of Revelation 21:5-6: “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’  He also said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” HE is faithful and true!

It is a promise; it is a fact! He who is able to “wash me (so that) I am whiter than snow!” (Psalm 51:7) is able to bring a fresh perspective, a richer view of circumstances, yes; but, He is also in the process of transforming me more and more into the likeness of His Son and of doing astounding things we cannot see. 

Greater yet, as He transforms me – His redeemed child – He is increasingly showing me more of Himself, creating in me a greater wonder and awe of the God who spoke all things into being and who continues to sovereignly order each aspect of His creation for His glory.

Just as the snow fell quiet in the night and transformed my little piece of the world into a place of wonder that lasted for less than a day, our God is actively working to do the remarkable but with an eternal exclamation point!

Habakkuk 1:5 says, “Look at the nations and watch–and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

Though this was written hundreds of years ago to a different people, God has not changed and He is still powerfully and lovingly at work in a world crawling with terrible situations! We don’t have to doubt that or wring our hands in fear.

We work, yes. We act, indeed. We do all that He calls us to do because He equips us to do so, and then we rest in Him and in the plan He is unfolding regardless of what we see before our eyes.  We do not waver because He “has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)  

We trust Him, we fear Him, and we wait in expectation! (Psalm 5:3)

Our winter yard is again brown and muddy for the sun returned and quickly melted away the snow. But my heart holds to the visual picture of truth that God gave me yesterday in the midst of our brief winter precipitation that will be indelibly marked upon my heart and that will be brought to mind as I view the pictures again and again.

That truth is more significant and far more eternal than a fleeting snowfall – that the everlasting God of the universe has, through the work of Jesus Christ, made me “whiter than snow” through the forgiveness of my sin and is continuing to change me for His glory; that this same God is the Lord over all aspects of my life as well as that of nations and rulers.

I am given occasions every day for fresh beginnings and a greater awareness of His love and power to make all things new! 

Praying for eyes to see those opportunities and a heart to see and seek Him and what He is up to in my corner of the world and beyond!

(Although this blog was originally written and posted in 2013, just a couple of days ago we experienced the same thing; the amount of snow was similar and the photos look very much the same.  It is also true that, though the circumstances of these days in which we live are, in many ways, harder, the truths espoused in this blog post remain the same because God Himself remains the same, His character and the Truth found in His Word!)

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“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:17)

“To HIM be dominion forever and ever!” (I Peter 5:11)

Circumstances may cause us to tremble, but in Christ we can stand, unshakable.

God is calling His children to humbly submit to Him and to stand faithful in whatever circumstances we find ourselves and whatever is happening in the world around us.

He is the One who equips us to do so. We can trust that He walks with us through fire and draws and refines His own.

We can humbly ask Him for wisdom and discernment and the ability to trust Him and live out His will in spite of whatever we “see.”

If you are not a child of God, trusting in the work of Christ to redeem and transform you, surrendered to the King of Kings, “call to Him (humbly and in faith and repentance) and He will answer you and tell you wonderful things that you did not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3) Today is the day you can know Him, not just know about Him.

Even if the world “shakes,” God will not be shaken, He reigns and is steadfast.

Mercy. It is what we receive when we come to Christ. But it is also what we are to pray for in the midst of judgement and discipline.

Regardless of any “outcomes” – politically, medically, relationally – God is at work, and He is calling us to a faithful rest and walk in Him.

We can weep yet still trust.

We can wrestle faithfully yet still rest.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Colossians 1:9-12

We can have eyes to see and ears to hear?

On this day and the days ahead, let us walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and so give Him the glory, show the way to the living hope to those without, and increase our joy and steadfastness.