As the rain and snow

Having lost both parents, I have dealt with inheritances–meaningful, helpful, even useful  gifts left behind from one who has passed away. The Bible addresses them in the case of the Levites, and challenges where our true treasure lies.

“At that time, the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless his name. Therefore, Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The LORD is his inheritance.” “In [Jesus] we have gained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will , so that we might be to the praise of his glory.” Deuteronomy 10:8-9; Ephesians 1:11-12

What does it mean that the LORD Himself is my inheritance? It means that He is of inestimable value, He is lasting while all else fades away, His presence is gloriously sufficient and always brings to remembrance His good nature and ways.

What does this mean for my day-to-day? Knowing that my inheritance in Him is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, my earthly perspective on work, effort, accumulation, even perceived security comes into focus. Whatever I do, whether in word or deed, I am to do in the name of the Lord Jesus, working heartily as for him and not for man, knowing that from the LORD I will receive the inheritance. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (1 Peter 1:4; Colossians 3:17,23-24; Matthew 6:19-21)

Lord, set my heart on You, my very great reward. Enlighten the eyes of my heart to know the riches of my glorious inheritance in the saints, that I might hold loosely the things of this world. You are enough, my dearest Treasure. (Genesis 15:1; Ephesians 1:18)

“Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,                                                                               Thou mine inheritance, now and always.                                                                                    Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,                                                                                        High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.”                                                                                  –Irish hymn, 8th century

 

I have just come through a six-week season where, over the last nine years, I have lost both parents, a brother-in-law, a close friend in ministry, a father-in-law, and a grandson. I have cleared out, packed, and moved 5 homes, three representing over 80 years of life and family. Poignant memories abound around these dates, which happened to coincide with a very dry season at home. Plants languish without rain, as does the heart without hope. But the faithful, great and awesome God in our midst promises renewal! (Deuteronomy 7:21)

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Waters break forth from the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. And the ransomed of the LORD shall come with singing; everlasting joy shall be on their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:1-2,6 -7,10

My father used to awaken us each Sunday morning with a cheery, “Rise and shine!” and I know my heavenly Father bids me the same. Indeed, “Weeping may tarry for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

Father, thank You for death that brings resurrection, grief that brings comfort, brokenness that brings healing. Thank You for seasons of drought that make all the more glorious Your gifts of water and life. You alone slake the parched tongue. Whatever the heartache, Lord on high, may I arise, shine, for Your light has come! (Isaiah 60:1)

 

“And when the LORD your God brings you into the land–with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant– and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD.” “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.” Deuteronomy 6:10-13; 8:16-17

How easy it is to expend ourselves and our resources on earning, attaining, building, pursuing, collecting, saving, and forget that without the Lord, our efforts are in vain. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing. Kings and kingdoms, civilizations and our earthly riches, will one day pass away; only what is done for Christ shall last. We have no profit if we gain the whole world but lose our souls. (John 15:5; Mark 8:36)

When David brought from his great wealth to contribute to the construction of God’s temple, he rejoiced greatly at what he and all the people had been able to contribute, due to God’s generosity to them. He blessed the LORD in the assembly: “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, and praise your glorious name.” (1 Chronicles 29: 9-13)

O Lord, may I take care not to forget You are my treasure and very great reward. May I, rich in this present age, ever set my hope on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. (Genesis 15:1; 1 Timothy 6:17)

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”      James 1:17

“A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” John 3:27

The gifts of creamy pink camellias, vermillion poinciana canopy branches in full bloom, variegated greens of grass and ground cover, a bee sucking nectar from a purple flower, earth tones of stone, sand and dirt, regal aspen trees, water lilies, electric brights of tropical fish, a giraffe’s patterned long neck and a cheetah’s spots; the gifts of savoring combined flavors and textures of nuts and blueberries and feta cheese on a crunchy salad, and smooth dark chocolate on the tongue; the gifts of rhythmic ocean waves, a cardinal’s chirp, a cicada and tree frog symphony, a child’s familiar cry, a Bach concerto, a parent’s “I love you,” a lullaby; for all these, I thank Thee.

The gifts of sensing which way the wind is blowing, of soul-peace, or ominous danger; of a heart that aches in grief, swells with love, yearns for holiness, leaps at the sight of dolphins; of anticipating a reunion with old friends, deep all-face-and-twinkly-eyed smiles, uncontrollable laughter, hugs that communicate forever-love, sorrow upon parting, and missing another during absence; of smooth wood, Dusty Miller leaves, the firm ground, feet in powdered-sugar sand, a held hand, a tender kiss; for all these, I thank Thee.

“When all Thy mercies, O my God,                                                                                                  My rising soul surveys,                                                                                                          Transported with the view, I’m lost                                                                                                     In wonder, love, and praise.”                                                                                                                —Joseph Addison (1672-1719)

Keep me ever thankful, Giver of all that is good.

 

I love the hymns of Revelation. Chapter five lifts my soul this morning: ” ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.’ I heard living creatures and elders and the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying in a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them, saying, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!'”

How can I but lift my hands in adoration at this vision of heaven, of people from every corner of the earth, creatures from every habitat praising the Lamb at the center?  He is worthy of laud and praise! None of this worship is man- or creature-focused, none begins with “I” or “we.” True worship begins and ends with You, the only worthy One.

Lord, may You increase and I decrease, that I may offer You the glory due Your name. Captivate me, my attention and all my affection, to worship You in the splendor of Your holiness. You of infinite worth alone are worthy.

After being sold by his brothers to a band of Ishmaelite traders, and by them to be Potiphar’s slave in Egypt, Genesis 39 tells us Joseph was blessed by the Lord. “His master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. The blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field.” As a hired attendant in a foreign land, Joseph clung to his Lord, Who abided with him.

Then things got worse. He was wrongly accused of seducing Potiphar’s wife, and put in prison, “but the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

No matter a hard place, an abandonment of affection or companionship, a difficult work, pain caused by misunderstanding, a grim prognosis, confusion in chaos, the LORD is present and His love will not leave. He brings deep blessing and favor amidst the pain of circumstances, simply because He is with us.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35,37-39

Wherever I am, Lord, You are there also. May I trust, even thrive, in the truth that You are good, your steadfast love endures forever, your faithfulness to all generations. May I keep your steadfast love before my eyes and walk in your faithfulness. (Psalm 100:5; 26:3)

An octogenarian friend who has had great influence on my husband and me, and hundreds of others, in and since college, has cancer. He has been widowed over 20 years, and spends every day sharing the love and truth of Jesus. We hurt because he hurts.

I received this message as we await news on his chemotherapy regimen. “This morning Daryl asked me to join him for a Bible study at his church. It was a special time as I saw his church family here [California] encourage and pray for him and each other as they studied God’s word together. What a privilege it is to be bound to so many circles of believers through his ministry among us!” How wondrous is the Body of Christ! Across the country, and world, we are united in the Body by the Spirit, in prayer and concern for our beloved brother.

And in our own cities and communities, we gather together as did the early church, “devoted to teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. All who believed were together…attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes.” (Acts 2:42,44,46) In Revelation 2 and 3, in his letters to the seven churches, John gives different aspects of the Body of Christ, His living church. It is a wellspring of works of love, faith, service, and patient endurance. In the church we learn discernment, undergo testing and tribulation that yields faithfulness, and are spurred on to hold fast to Jesus’s name, keep His word, and not deny our faith. It is in the Body we are loved, reproved, disciplined by God to repent, be zealous, and not lose heart. As members of His Body we can together heed His charge to hold fast, endure, and conquer!

Lord, thank You for the Body of Christ, and for the privilege of being a part of its unique, organic fellowship. As recipients of Your manifold blessings, may Your Body “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:23-25) Amen and amen.

“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold O am alive forevermore.'” Revelation 1:8,17

I remember going to Europe as a student in high school and being overcome at the age of the beautiful buildings, cities, even roads– far older than the U.S. that was about to celebrate its bicentennial. Yet, they were inanimate, and all new at one time in history. It is impossible to imagine anything we know that is living being ageless, without end, and especially without beginning. Only God is. May ‘our hearts approve with gladness what our reason cannot fully comprehend.’ (A.W. Tower) 

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am. Say “I AM has sent me to you.”‘” “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'” “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Psalm 90:2; Exodus 3:14; John 8:58; Hebrews 13:8)

Everything around us is marked by mortality and change, but God “has put eternity into man’s heart;” our longing for permanence and eternal life is satisfied only in the Eternal One. He alone is in control of all things. He knows all, never changes in any of His attributes, is always present, is never surprised or ‘thrown’ at what is occurring in any place at any time, and works all things to His ends. Why should I be shaken? He who knit me together in my mother’s womb and has known the number of my days when as yet there were none of them, is constant. “I am God, and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done, saying ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.'” (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Psalm 139:13,15-16; Isaiah 46:9-10) I can rest, I can live and serve and work and worship in a constantly changing and uncertain world, confident that God remains the same, forever.

Ancient of Days, eternal God, You are my dwelling place. To You, King of Ages, immortal,  the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (Deuteronomy 33:27; 1 Timothy 1:17)

 

In Mark 9:1-10, Peter is at his impulsive best again. When Jesus is transfigured in indescribably splendid light next to Elijah and Moses, James and John stand amazed, but Peter had to speak. “‘Rabbi, let us make three tents for you.’ For he did not know what to say.” Then why did he say anything? God’s unmistakeable voice from heaven quieted him.“This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” I imagine they could have heard a pin drop. Jesus knew Peter well—“as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

We do not know if Peter heeded that admonition, but we do know he was gradually transformed from an impulsive, albeit well-meaning, fire-cracker into a passionate, effective leader in the early church. He later wrote, “Be self-controlled and sober-minded. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God. Be examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 4:7,10-11; 5:3)

What do I miss because I speak instead of listen? What triggers my tongue into thoughtless action? In what situations do I need an extra measure of that beautiful fruit of self control?

“Oh, that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom!” “When words are many, transgression is not lacking; but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” “Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” (Job 13:5; Proverbs 10:19; James 1:19)

Lord, hold my tongue, and attune my ears to listen to You.

The sky is all thick oils this morning, no watercolors for tropical depression Alberto. I know the sun has risen because it is light out, and I know it will continue to shine as it gets dark here tonight because I know by its gravity we are kept in orbit. Its power, its pull, its warmth are ever present, though today we cannot see the grand fiery ball we call the sun.

“God is a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. You with your arm redeemed your people. The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side. The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.” Psalm 77:11-15,17-19

Ever present, often unseen. Ever present, never failing.

This is our God, the great I AM, all-sufficient, almighty, omniscient, lovingkind, always good.

Lord God, You are present and near. May I be fully present to you.