Just Because

Have you read Genesis lately? The part about the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

This year I'm realizing all over again what a mess they were. None of them had what we would call peaceful domestic circumstances, what with wives fighting for rights or exploiting the husband's fading eyesight and appetite for stew. The children were no better, swindling inheritance or selling little brother into slavery and pretending he was killed by wild animals. All of them displayed a penchant for lying to keep out of harm's way or even just to get what they wanted. They did eventually arrive at a place of faith and obedience, but not by a straight road.

All the same, God chose these men, checkered histories and all, as the founding fathers of a new nation. He explains the reason for the whole Project Israel to Moses later on:

“The LORD was devoted to you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt" (Deut. 7:7-8, HCSB).

Why did God choose and redeem Israel? Why did He love them? "Because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore." He loved them because He loved them, not for anything great in themselves, but "just because." Once the oath was sworn to Abraham, He would prove faithful to keep it, but it was His sovereign, inscrutable choice to swear that oath to begin with.

Lest I think I'm above all this and somehow earned and must work to keep His favor, His God-breathed Word testifies in the New Testament, as well, that His love is not earned and our messy selves do not disqualify us.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (Eph. 2:4-5, NASB).

He loved us, He loved me, even when we were dead in our transgressions. Our perfection or efforts toward it do not save us and give us eternal life; His love, mercy, and grace do.

Beloved, if this finds you despairing of all the ways you fall short of your standard or God's, if you feel perhaps you have messed life up too badly for God ever to love or use you, may God encourage you as He is encouraging me: He loves you just because He loves you. Let us lean into that love He showed us in giving His only Son Jesus on the cross for our redemption, that love He continues to pour out on us every day in more ways than we can number. May the Creator of heaven and earth open our eyes to all the ways He's saying, "I love you," today.

Some of the ways He's loved me this past week:
2872. The gift of hearing His voice in His Word
2873. The second doctor confirmed that whatever's going on with my knees is not serious
2874. Decreased knee pain
2875. A fresh prescription for several more PT sessions in February
2876. Prayers wrapping me up in God's peace
2877. A book gift arriving in the post
2878. My sister's journey north to serve a grieving family by providing music for her friend's funeral
2879. Believers dying in faith and honor
2880. The joie de vivre and devotion  to family and church exemplified by my husband's late uncle
2881. "All clear" on a non-routine routine lab test
2882. A friend's companionship during the test and waiting for results
2883. More laughter with a girlfriend than I've had in quite some time
2884. One last birthday luncheon
2885. Beautiful, pseudo-spring weather
2886. Grace for a hard conversation
2887. "I am with you always"
2888. A new tv making husband grin
2889. A good home for the old one


The reading schedule I'm following this year was developed many years ago by Robert Murray M'Cheyne and can be found here: http://www.esv.org/assets/pdfs/rp.one.year.tract.pdf
If you would like some creative gratitude prompts for February, Ann Voskamp has provided a beautiful, printable list here:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FebruaryJoyDare.pdf

Thou Art the Same God {Part Two: God of Today}

This is part two of a three-part poem. Part one is here; part three should publish next Wednesday.

II.                    The God of my today: darkened, not distant

YOU ARE

Not a tame Lion. . .

“Of course, not safe, but good. . .”

“Both good and terrible at the same time. . .”

Thou art good,

And doest good;

Teach me Thy commandments.

YOU ARE

The Lion who has torn me to pieces,

And then. . . what?

Forsaken me?

Megenoito![1]

“I will never leave you or forsake you.”

In wrath, remember mercy!

“Thou art the same Lord,

whose property is always to have mercy.”

YOU ARE

Sometimes hidden,

Never absent,

The Lion in the fog

Between the path and the abyss.

You hem me in, behind and before;

Your love has laid hold of me

And will not let me go.

“I AM; do not be afraid.”

I fear no evil,

For YOU ARE.

---

[1] Greek, “May it never be!”

He Giveth More Grace {guest post of sorts}

beauty from Brandee's heart and hands

Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932) entered my life during my freshman year at university. At least daily, sometimes more frequently, I would work out my troubles in a practice room with a hymnal and a piano. During those therapy sessions, I discovered Miss Flint, in particular her hymn "He Giveth More Grace." Although none of my church homes over the years have included it in corporate worship, it deeply blesses me in private worship. Over the last two weeks it has sung often in my heart and given comfort.


When I searched for a little biographical information to share with you, I discovered that she suffered from severe, disabling arthritis. In fact, she only turned to composing poetry when her illness excluded her from teaching. Isn't it a kind encouragement of our Lord to bring us together with those who have preceded us along a particular road of affliction? Without further ado, here is her poem-hymn. May God give you grace through these words.

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, 

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase; 

To added affliction He addeth His mercy; 

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance, 

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, 

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, 

Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision, 

Our God ever yearns His resources to share; 

Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing; 

The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure. 

His pow'r has no boundary known unto men; 

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, 

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

Glory and thanks be to God for the many graces He has given this week:
~confession, forgiveness, reconciliation
~knee injury initially diagnosed as a minor complaint that only requires rest to heal (consultation with specialist to follow this afternoon)
~opportunity to trust God's ability to care for my back even in a month off from PT homework and walking while knees heal
~exceptionally light meal preparation week, due to weekend leftovers, Mom's leftovers, and a misdelivered extra entree at a restaurant
~courage and stamina for the first session of a local women's Bible study on James
~one especially kind young woman there making me welcome
~friends' emails and prayers buoying me up in a challenging week
~cheery letter from a friend just out of reach for visits in person
~beautiful handmade gift from a bloggy friend to bring me joy
~less pain at week's end than week's beginning
~tears for others with greater needs than mine
~stunningly pleasant experience with medical staff at routine preventive-care screening
~discovering Christian sisters in unexpected places
~instant rapport with book talk
~application submitted for disabled parking placard while knees heal
~laughing at Larry's silly songs
~sunny, unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon for my fellas to play in the park
~real cards and tea from a true friend who happened to come my way through blogging
(counting gifts, #2788-2805)

Thou Art the Same God {Part One: God of Yesterdays}

This is part one of a three-part poem written a decade ago. The other sections should post the following two Wednesdays while I adjust to some changes in schedule and circumstance. Lord willing, I will read your comments and pray for you, but thank you for understanding if I am unable to interact with you as I prefer and enjoy to do.

I.                    The God of my yesterdays:  memorial stones

YOU WERE

The Lion,

Whose pursuit struck terror

In my runaway heart

Until my legs crumpled in exhaustion,

And You picked me up with velvet paws

And whispered in my ear

That You were shorn and slain,

The Lion a Lamb

For this black sheep.

YOU WERE

The Lion,

Who carried me on Your back

Through labyrinthine doctrines,

Hedged about with cliffs and shadows,

Into Your truth and love.

You opened Your book

And told me Your story,

My story.

The Lion a Shepherd,

Teaching me to trust You.

YOU WERE

A Lion still,

And bared Your claws to wound me,

Drops of tears and blood

Commingling in the pain

Until my legs crumpled beneath me,

And You picked me up with velvet paws

And whispered in my ear

That only weakness draws all eyes

To Your radiant strength.

True Trust {Repost}

This early post from October 2010 has returned to my thoughts these last few days. Perhaps  someone else needs it as much as I did today. There are still medical issues without solutions, but the asthma problem referenced in the article has stabilized, so that's progress. This year I'm using a different reading schedule with different juxtapositions teaching me how much more there is to learn of our God. Without further ado, here's the post from the archives.

This morning's Scripture portion in my Bible read-through calendar for the year juxtaposed Isaiah 20 and Jeremiah 28-30.  Reading these two in one sitting illuminated common themes I might otherwise have missed: true hope vs. false hope (or trust) and true prophets bringing bad news.

In the Isaiah reading, Israel has put their trust in African military might to rescue them from Assyria, and Isaiah gets to depict the disappointing news that their allies will not protect them.  In Jeremiah, a false prophet preaches quick liberation from domination by Babylon, and Jeremiah is commissioned to tell the people of Judah that restoration will come, but it will take a lifetime, so they need to settle in and work for good in the land of their exile.  In both these cases, contrary perhaps to our expectations, the true prophecies say things will get worse before they get better; the true hope is in God, not in human helps or a happy turn of events.  The ultimate expression of this true hope is in Jeremiah 30:22:

"'You shall be My people, 

And I will be your God.'"

As I was considering asking for your prayers for my next doctor's appointment Friday morning (asthma/allergy doctor), these readings changed the content of my request.  The Scriptures showed me that my trust is not as true as it needs to be on the medical issues we're still working out.  Last week the lupus doctor seemed frustrated because my medication level was up and my activity tolerance was down.  His frustration discouraged me, and I realize now that I was hoping in my doctor and hoping for short-term good news.

If God moves you to pray for me, would you pray first for true trust? That my hope would not be in the skill of my physicians, my own analysis and presentation of symptoms, medications, or compliance with doctors' instructions, but in God's character and Word?  He is the one who gives wisdom and insight to the doctors and who ultimately determines the efficacy of their prescriptions.  He has not promised me good health now, in this body, but He has promised good.  He has also promised that the tough times are not for always, and that body-soul-spirit wholeness is coming, even if it takes a lifetime.

Also, would you pray that my life, attitude, and words would proclaim truth about God?  True trust will (or should?) produce a hope and peace that don't vary with the circumstances but stay firmly fixed on God's constancy and faithfulness.  My community is pretty small right now, but I long for God to be glorified in my interactions with my doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and family and through this blog, notes, and e-mails.  Sometimes that requires courage to say what is needful even when it is not what is desired.  It always requires confident dependence on the Lord, and so I ask your prayers..

As always, thank you so much for sharing your day with me in this place.  Thank you also for your prayers.  Please feel free to let me know in the comments or by e-mail how I can pray for you, too.