I Have Seen the Light

Light. 

The Bible is filled with references to light, from its creation in Genesis 1:3 

And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light 

to our eternal destiny in Revelation 22:5 

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 

Nothing so pierces the darkness as the tiniest glimmer of light. Darkness causes fear and stumbling, while light suddenly makes our way clear. Have you ever tried to make your way through a lightless campground without a flashlight, or found yourself suddenly in a dark house during a power outage? There’s a moment of panic – the lack of boundaries, the fear of the unknown. The moment you light that candle or flip the switch on the flashlight you feel a physical sense of relief, a comforting awareness of objects around you, the confidence of where to place your next step.

Into a dark, dark world, Jesus was sent to illuminate our hearts and bring an everlasting light.

Matthew 4:16, which echoes the words of Isaiah 9:2 says, ”the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

The following verses speak of Jesus as the true Light:

John 1:4-5

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

John 8:12

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 

John 12:46

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 

Just as the bright star in the sky led the Magi to seek and worship, so His light today draws us into his Holy presence.

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 

Many of our Christmas traditions revolve around lights – a twinkling Christmas tree, bright light displays on houses, and my favorite – Christmas-y scented candles around the house and in the windows. Each of these traditions help us to remember the One who was sent to bring true Light into the world. As we enjoy every glowing light this Christmas season, let us pause to thank Him for bringing the light of salvation into this world. And may our lives be a reflection of the light that is within.

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

Let All Things Give Thanks

Psalm 69:30

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. 

Our song this week gives praise to our Creator God – our protector, our Savior, our Almighty King. Just the being of God and His relationship with us gives us a lifetime of thanksgiving. This is the easy part.

It’s much harder to remember to give thanks for the little stuff, the day-to-day life stuff, the hard-to-see-God-in-it stuff.

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

Wait…but if you’re praying for something, what is there to be thankful about?

You may have heard the story of Corrie Ten Boom.  During the holocaust, she was the only member of her Dutch family who survived the Ravensbruck concentration camp after being arrested for hiding Jews in a secret room in their house.  The lessons that she learned and wrote in her book The Hiding Place are always good to hear again.

     "That's it, Corrie! That's His answer. 'Give thanks in all circumstances!' That's what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!"

     I stared at her, then around me at the dark, foul-aired room.
     "Such as?" I said.
     "Such as being assigned here together."
     I bit my lip.  "Oh yes, Lord Jesus!"
     "Such as what you're holding in your hands."
     I looked down at the Bible.  "Yes!  Thank You, dear Lord, that there was no inspection when we entered here!  Thank You for all the women, here in this room, who will meet You in these pages."
     "Yes," said Betsie.  "Thank You for the very crowding here.  Since we're packed so close, that many more will hear!"  She looked at me expectantly.  "Corrie!" she prodded.
     "Oh, all right.  Thank You for the jammed, crammed, stuffed, packed, suffocating crowds."
     "Thank You," Betsie went on serenely, "for the fleas and for -----"
     The fleas!  This was too much.  "Betsie, there's no way even God can make me grateful for a flea."
     "Give thanks in all circumstances," she quoted.  "It doesn't say in pleasant circumstances.'  Fleas are part of this place where God has put us."
     And so we stood between piers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas.  But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.

Later in the story, Betsie comes to this realization and shares it with her sister:

     "You know we've never understood why we had so much freedom in the big room," she said.  "Well---I've found out."
     That afternoon, she said, there'd been confusion in her knitting group about sock sizes and they'd asked the supervisor to come and settle it.
     "But she wouldn't.  She wouldn't step through the door and neither would the guards.  And you know why?"
     Betsie could not keep the triumph from her voice: "Because of the fleas!  That's what she said, 'That place is crawling with fleas!"
     My mind rushed back to our first hour in this place.  I remembered her thanks to God for creatures I could see no use for. *


What are the fleas in your life and are you thankful for them? Does your life reflect a habit of thanksgiving - pausing often to say thank you for the big things, the little things, and even for the hard things?

This month, I followed the example of some of my friends on Facebook and committed to give thanks for something every day during the month of November and then share it. What a difference it has made in my perspective! It’s hard to dwell on the stress of the day when you’re considering something to be thankful for.

This attitude of thanksgiving is truly blessed by the Lord. He delights in the praise and thanksgiving of His people.

Jeremiah 30:19

From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained.

*Excerpt from The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill.  Published in 1971 by Spire Books, Old Tappan, New Jersey.

Lord, Have Mercy

Psalm 86:5-7 (NIV)

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, 

abounding in love to all who call to you. 

Hear my prayer, LORD; 

listen to my cry for mercy. 

When I am in distress, I call to you, 

because you answer me. 

Kyrie eleison – Lord, have mercy
Christe eleison – Christ, have mercy

These two phrases have been an important part of liturgical church services for hundreds of years. They represent an acknowledgement of our sinful state and a humble request for forgiveness.

The origin of these words comes from Luke 18:9-14 – The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

 
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

Gulp.

How often do I compare myself to others and think, “I’m not THAT bad.” How quick I am to compare, to criticize, to judge others…and for what? To put myself in a higher position before God? Absolutely NOT. In fact, the pride that brings me to that point of judgment is one I need to humbly confess before the Lord.

In my Bible study this week, we learned about the legalism that threatened to divide the early church. My teaching leader posed this question: “Is my spirituality focused on myself and others (keeping a scorecard of rights and wrongs) or on Christ and being a grace-giver?

Do I lift myself up like the Pharisee or do I allow God to lift up my head as I bow before Him in humility.

Lord.  Have.  Mercy. 

And He offers it…unconditionally.

1 Peter 1:3 (NIV) 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… 

Thank you, Jesus, for your mercy and your unmerited gift of salvation.

They Who Wait Upon the Lord

The Red Sea Place

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,

Where, in spite of all you can do,

There is no way out, there is no way back, 

There is no other way but through?

Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene 

Till the night of your fear is gone;

He will send the wind, He will heap the floods, 

When He says to your soul, "Go on."

Like the first line says, “Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life”? Are circumstances in your life leaving you emotionally exhausted? Is physical pain making you weary and unable to face daily tasks?

The poem above was written by Annie Johnson Flint, a woman who encouraged and inspired countless people through her poems and hymns. A woman who knew very well what it meant to wait on the Lord.

As a very young woman in her second year of teaching, she was diagnosed with severe arthritis that, within just a few short years, took away her ability to walk. Having already suffered the loss of her parents as a child, she was now faced with a devastating future.

And so she started to write. Her swollen, aching fingers penned beautiful, poignant words and phrases – all giving glory to God, and offering hope to the afflicted. As I read some of her writings, I saw that she surely found comfort in Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Although her body remained weak, her ability to write brought her life strength and purpose. The power in her words influenced generations of believers. 

 

The words in another poem by Annie Johnson Flint illustrate the strength and power that she found as she waited on the Lord.

The Threefold Promise

Oh, wonderful promises given

To those who wait on the Lord;

Strength for the faint who have fallen,

Power for weakness outpoured.

Blessed the threefold assurance

Thrilling the soul like a song:

They shall mount up as the eagles

On wide wings and swift wings and strong;

Run with the stride of the racer,

Leaping unwearied and free,

Till he comes to the end of his journey

And the crown of his effort shall see.

But the word for the worn and the weary,

Who know not the rapture of wings,

Who know not the joy of the runner,

What infinite comfort it brings!

Walk and not faint; the slow steppings,

The plodding dull round of the days,

The toil and the heat and the burdens,

The wearying halts and delays.

Oh, promise for those who are walking,

Who falter and stumble and fall,

The courage, the strength and the patience,

This is the sweetest of all.

I Can Pray

A few years ago, I got to know Judy - a new teacher at our school. She started attending Bible study with me, and, through her study of God’s Word, learned that God wanted more than just church attendance and tradition – He wanted a relationship with her. One morning, she pulled me aside to tell me that she had prayed with her Bible study leader the night before and had accepted His invitation to be her Savior. With tears in both of our eyes, we rejoiced in her new life in Christ. Through the next couple of years, I prayed for her as she faced the recurring storm of infertility, ending with the joyful news of a pregnancy. Another storm hit when she found out that both she and her husband were carriers of the gene that causes cystic fibrosis. She shared this news with me with tears in her eyes, but with the calm assurance that the same God who created life in her womb would take care of their little one. Days later, the doctor called with the news that there had been a mistake – her husband was not a carrier. Aimee Juliette was born in September, and Judy and her husband thanked God for their beautiful gift. Last week, I received a text message from her asking for prayer again. The newborn screening had tested positive for cystic fibrosis and they would need to take her into the hospital for further testing.

Another storm. Another call for prayer. Another chance for God to comfort this young mother and strengthen her growing faith.

Yesterday, I received this message:

Good evening my dear friends. As some of you know, we had the sweat test today to Aimee to confirm that she has cystic fibrosis. Just to let you know that children that test positive in the newborn screening – 99% of the cases, children end up having the disease and there is that 1% which is rare. Well let me tell you, Praise the LORD he made a miracle. Aimee has tested negative. She will still be in observation. When I get a chance I’ll explain things better but as of now she does not have it. God is miraculous. He has heard your and our prayers. Thank you thank you for your support and friendship. May God bless you all.

God's people prayed and He answered.  Do you have a similar story of answered prayer?

My Bible study teaching leader spoke about prayer last week and she shared a quote by Jennifer Kennedy Dean, director of The Praying Life Foundation, that said, “What God wants to do on earth He will often do through His intercessors.” We see examples of this every day - healing, financial provision, safe travels, unexpected blessings. Sometimes we experience relief from our storms, and other times we experience peace as we walk through them. God is at work through it all.

In Acts chapter 12, we read about Peter’s miraculous escape from prison. Acts 12:11 says, “Then Peter came to himself and said, 'Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.'” Peter was in prison, God's people prayed, and prayers were answered. Thomas Watson is quoted as saying, “The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.”

God gives us this mysterious, miraculous opportunity at any minute of every day – an invitation to humbly enter the throne room with our praise, our thanksgiving, our confessions, and our petitions.

2 Chronicles 7:14 

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Pray, pray, pray and God WILL answer. Sometimes He will calm your storm and other times he will wrap His loving arms around you and calm your spirit. He knows, he hears, he cares. And all we have to do is pray.

Joy, Joy, Joy

Lately I have enjoyed introducing some of my favorite childhood movies to my daughter.  Last week, we sat down to watch "Pollyanna" together.  In the movie, Pollyanna teaches us how to play the "Glad Game."  She explains that her father made up the game when she received a disappointing pair of crutches in the missionary charity basket instead of the doll that she had requested.  Her father told her that instead of being sad about receiving crutches, she could be happy that she didn't need to use them!

What a wonderful gift for a father to give his daughter - the gift of gladness.  And how much more does our Heavenly Father shower us with gifts of happiness and true joy.

Psalm 19:8
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Light to the eyes.  An old English proverb says that "the eyes are the window to the soul."  Does Christ's joy so fill my soul that others can see His light in my eyes?  My prayer is found in Romans 15:13:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Put your trust in Him.  Give it up.  Let it go.  

Let your Heavenly Father teach you to play the "Glad Game" and live a life of evermore increasing joy.

P.S.  If you'd like to read more about laughter and joy in heaven, here is a great article by Randy Alcorn:  http://www.epm.org/blog/2008/Oct/4/laughter-in-heaven-plus-brian-regan-video

EnJOY!

Beautiful Body and Blood

I’ve spent a lot of extra time listening to this song, trying to get these tricky rhythms!  The most difficult section (and it’s repeated, so it’s important to get it right) is where the words say:

Born to be broken and spilled out for us;

And as I was practicing that over and over, the power in those words suddenly hit me. He was born to be broken.

Mothers and fathers have dreams for their children and we spend our lives figuring out what we were born to do. Thomas Edison was born to give us the ease of a light switch. Johannes Gutenburg was born to bring us the gift of reading God’s Word for ourselves. And Jesus, the King of Glory, was born “to take the nails and wear the thorns.”

1 Timothy 1:15 

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. 

In Peter's message to the crowd on the day of Pentecost, he had this to say about his Lord: 

Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death. (Acts 2:22-23)

Acts 3:18 

But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 

Christ’s beautiful, selfless love for us meant that he would take on flesh and step into this sinful world for the sole purpose of suffering an excruciating death to atone for our ugly sin. It was God’s plan from the beginning.

The sacrament of communion is a vivid reminder of Christ’s beautiful sacrifice for us. We are given a time of quiet, purposeful reflection while holding in our hands a visual representation of His body and blood.

Dr. Sam Storms, author and founder of Enjoying God Ministries, wrote an essay regarding Christian sacraments. In his essay, he closes with this thought: “The Spirit works profoundly at the time of communion to awaken in my mind and to impress upon my heart the eternal significance of Christ’s finished work at Calvary and his love, not merely for people in general, but for me in particular.”

As we open our hands to hold the elements on Sunday, may we open our hearts to the beauty of Christ’s sacrifice - that he was born to suffer for us.

You Are My All in All

About a month ago, Erik and I took the kids on a treasure hunt. It's called "letterboxing" and clues can be found online to lead you to a hidden box containing a journal and a stamp. Those who are really into letterboxing carry their own journal and stamp so that they can stamp their journal with the hidden stamp and then stamp the hidden journal with their own stamp. But we were newbies, so we headed into Walnut Creek Park with only our clues. Our particular clues were actually scripture references. The first clue was from Luke 13:24.

Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. (We noticed that there was a narrow gate out of the parking lot leading to a footpath.)

Another clue later on in the hunt was from Psalm 62:3.

How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down - this leaning wall, this tottering fence? (Soon after reading this, we saw part of a fence that was falling down.)

In the end, we never found our treasure, but BOY did we work hard looking for it! We were focused and united in a common goal - finding the hidden box - and we left disappointed that we didn't find it. As soon as we got home, I emailed the person who had hidden the box and he kindly offered us one more clue. We are eager and excited to head out again SOON!

Our family treasure hunt came to my mind often as I thought about the words to our song this week.

You are my strength when I am weak,

You are the treasure that I seek.

You are my all in all.

Seeking you as a precious jewel,

Lord to give up I'd be a fool.

You are my all in all.

I had to ask myself, "Do I really seek the Lord with the same enthusiasm, focus, and dedication that I put into seeking out a box hidden in the woods?"

Proverbs 2:1-6

My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Donald Whitney, in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, wrote, "Just as we cannot believe and love Him of whom we have not heard, so we cannot grow in our faith and love of Him if we do not learn more about Him. We will not grow much in Godliness if we do not know much of what it means to be Godly. We will not become more like Christ if we don't know more of what Christ is like."

Like the clues that led us along Walnut Creek Park, the Word of God is truly our treasure map, and His precepts are precious jewels to be sought after and prized. Any day that we miss out on opening His Word to find these treasures should leave us empty and disappointed, and eager to come back into His presence.

Colossians 2:2-3

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

As we prepare to share the words of this song, consider this quote by Charles Spurgeon: "Prayer and praise are the oars by which a man may row his boat into the deep waters of the knowledge of Christ."

Our prayer - "Jesus, Lamb of God..."

Our praise - "Worthy is Your Name."

"You are my All in All!"

Freedom Still Rings

Where were you the morning of September 11, 2001? My memories of that day are vivid. I woke up to talk radio that morning, and I heard the hosts talking about airplanes and buildings. At first I thought they were joking (although it seemed that their joking had “crossed a line.”) Once I realized the horror of what they were talking about, I ran into the other room and turned on the TV. I saw smoke pouring out the side of a building, then the collapse of one building, then another. The rest of the day was filled with shock and disbelief – TVs were kept on in the teacher’s lounge with that horrible footage looped over and over again. More details unfolded…the Pentagon…a field in Pennsylvania…and our nation began to grieve the loss of thousands who went to work that morning, who boarded a plane, who answered an emergency call for help, and never came home. We also grieved the loss of the feeling of security and safety within the borders of our own country.

The evil that we witnessed that day was born out of the sin in a man’s heart. And the shock and sadness that we felt that day should be magnified 1,000-fold when we consider the deadly impact that sin has daily on our world, in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. Sin – that ugly desire to rise above God’s plan for us – always ends in destruction and death.

In the days that followed 9/11, our country sought ways to reclaim the freedom that was threatened. Some fought, some prayed, some sought new ways to reach out to others, and together we worked to preserve the freedom upon which this country was built. So, the question is, are we fighting, praying, reaching out, and working together to preserve the true freedom that God calls us to as believers?

Psalm 119:45
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

What a promise! Not only are we blessed to live a life of freedom in this great country, but we are also offered a much greater gift - freedom from sin, death, and ultimate destruction.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set up free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.