by His design

In a Perfect World

“In the last days…many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths… And He will judge between the nations…and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks…and never again will they learn war. Come house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:2-5).

Ever start reading a novel and then decide to look at the last page, or the last chapter? I do, I’ll admit, but I know I’m not alone. It’s only natural, though, when we get bogged down in the  mystery or a little bored with the plot development, we want to see where we’re headed, and if the ending is satisfying. Only then do I decide to invest more time in the book and go back to where I left off.

Reading the prophets of the Old Testament is a little like that. Things appear out of order, and we’re not sure where we are in the story. Isaiah reads like a panorama of history—past, present, and future, though not in that order, always. But the great part is knowing how the story ultimately ends. All the turmoil and confusion comes full circle and God restores His people.

The incredible part is that “all peoples,” in every nation, will find their way to the mountain of our God. “The mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills and all the nations will stream to it” (v. 2b). As if a homing device has been set off, people everywhere will desire to leave the day-to-day rat race and find truth in the living God and His ways. Zion will draw them.

This, however, is after centuries of doing it all wrong. What the Bible calls “idols” fill our lands, yet we’re not tired of them. “Their land has been filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures…They worship the work of their hands, that which their fingers have made” (v. 7-8). Until we turn from our pride and seek “the splendor of His majesty,” we can expect more of the same. But the prophet says, “And the pride of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men will be abased, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (v.17). Some day, sooner than later.

Just as Jesus’ birth was foretold many centuries before, so will God’s word be established in all the land, and its resulting effects will dramatically alter the way we’ve been living life. As I see events unfold in my time and in my own land, I’m not surprised that life is becoming increasingly difficult—government turf wars with little wisdom in evidence, financial bankruptcy on a global scale, and dangerous tensions in many quarters, resulting in unrest. Can you feel the acceleration? It’s all going to come to a head some day.

But until that time, what can we do to not be afraid or lose hope? Let me suggest what many Old Testament and New Testament writers recommend:  Know the outcome and live the Still Life following after the Victor. He has it all planned out with the end in mind. Humble ourselves and listen to His voice. It will guide us Home. We are on the path when we walk in His light. The outcome is sure, and it will be upon us before we know it.

Prayer for a New Order

Father, Lord of all, thank you for revealing the end of Your story to us. It is, however, not the end, but a chapter called, Earth Time. May we trust in Your faithful love, wisdom, and power to get us through this part with You. May we make a difference in our times because of Your Son’s life in us, drawing others to Himself.

Let me humble myself daily in Your presence and listen to Your voice. Help me to recognize idols when they present themselves and release my grip on them. And finally, may I see that blessed time when all nations come to Your holy mountain to be taught by You. I look forward to a different order, all planned for. In Christ’s name, Amen.  

Draw me Nearer –Fanny Crosby

“I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me; but I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to Thee…(chorus)

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the power of grace divine; let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in Thine…(chorus)

Oh, the pure delights of a single hour that before Thy throne I spend; when I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend to friend…(chorus)

There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea; There are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with Thee.

(chorus)

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side.”

Can’t Lose

“according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:20-21).

Until we are willing to die, we can’t understand what it means to live. The apostle Paul was writing this statement from prison. Another version says, “…everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m His bounty…I can’t lose” (MSG).

After facing several losses in a short period of time and clinging to what the Scriptures teach, I concur with Paul. It really makes no difference. If I continue my life on earth, I have opportunities to bring my Lord glory. Others watching my struggle and God’s marvelous support can’t miss the fact that God is at work in me. But if I’m called home, I get to be with Jesus and the Father face to face, along with countless loved ones. How can I lose? Christ’s Spirit gives me courage and supernatural desire to proclaim daily truths I’m learning to live out. I’m so grateful for His blessed presence, I can’t help myself.

Mary’s Walk

Recently, my husband and I attended a memorial service for my grandmother, who died at ninety-five. Though not a blood relative and my grandfather’s third wife, she was the only grandmother I’d known on my mom’s side. She and my grandfather were married nearly fifty years, though she wouldn’t have been considered a young bride. By the time he found her, she’d already begun her career as a beautician and was self-supporting.  After he died while they were living on the East Coast, her nieces and nephew brought her to the West where she started. That’s when I got to really know Mary. I’d pick her up for an outing to one of several museums in the metro area and lunch, or some other little-known, but interesting attraction, like the candy factory or a small petting zoo. We’d always have a great afternoon, even after she became challenged by dementia.

After her death, though, I learned a significant piece of information about Mary. During WWII she traveled to L.A. to work on planes for the war effort. She was petite and could fit into tight places, so the work suited her. One thing I’ll remember about her is that she didn’t complain or appear frightened when life was hard. She was a pragmatist and had faith in her God. She just knew He would take care of her. I loved that about her.

Safely Home

 At her service I wasn’t surprise to see a contingent of women from Curves, complete with their red long-sleeve t’s, and others from Mary’s more recent past. No matter what phase of life Mary was in, she could make new friends.  But the most inspiring part of the memorial was when, for the first time, I heard the Steve Green song, “Safely Home.” Its lyrics hit home:

“…This life is merely shadow. Today there’s sorrow, but joy tomorrow…O hear Me, come draw near Me…They’re strong and free. They’re safe with Me…One day you’ll join them. All together. This time forever. Safely home.”

Oh Father, I’m drawing near to You more and more each coming day. I can’t live this life unless You’re close. Thank you for caring for us throughout this life and into the next. Just like when I watched Mary grow old and then go home, let my walk show others the way. No pretense, only grace. According to my earnest expectation and hope, let me not be put to shame. Let Christ be exalted in this body, because to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Hind’s Feet on High Places

I love how the Bible uses word pictures. In Psalm 18 David uses images for God’s protection—“my fortress, my shield, my stronghold, my rock in whom I take refuge, my deliverer. He calls the Lord his “strength and the horn of his salvation.” And that’s just in the first two verses. David was a man used to warfare and conquest. He didn’t seek it at first, but he couldn’t avoid it. Whether it was standing up to Goliath, or the years of outwitting King Saul, who became his mortal enemy, or after, when he was King of all Israel, casting out its enemies from among them.

In the remainder of Psalm 18, David paints scene after scene of terror, eminent death, and distress. And when David cried out to his God, he tells in graphic, Cecil B. DeMille terms what it was like to have Almighty God come to his aid:  “Then the earth shook…and the foundations of the mountains were trembling…because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils and fire from His mouth devoured…He bowed the heavens…and came down with thick darkness under His feet…” (v. 7-9) It reminds me of the feeling a parent gets when her child comes home with a tale of a school bully. What parent hasn’t marched to the principal’s office or the home of the offender to straighten out the matter? On a much grander scale, here, we see God come down to intervene for his child, “The Lord thundered…and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them. And the flashes in abundance routed them” (v. 13-14).

Deliverance Comes from Thee

And finally, the deliverance, when God plucks David from an impossible situation of attack on every side: “He drew me out of many waters…delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me on the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay (v. 16-18, italics mine). David gives all credit for his rescue to God, who placed him “in a broad place… because He delighted in me” (V. 19). Because David was intimately acquainted with his Lord and could cry out in his helplessness, God rescued him. Further, David attributes God’s reason to His delight in His child. God also prepares His children for the battle and is present with them.

David concludes his testimony with this, “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock…” (v. 46) There is much here to mull over. It’s God who gives strength, draws us up from our trouble, makes us walk in righteousness, anoints our way before him and others, and takes care of our enemies. The lesson is this:  when we are afflicted, we must turn to God and His ways, not look to our own devices. It is He who illumines our darkness (v. 28).  But to the proud (“haughty and crooked”), God turns away. His Word keeps us from being proud. He gave “great deliverance to His king, and showed lovingkindness to His anointed” (v. 50). Even kings need God.

The Horn of Salvation

David’s story is our story, too. Is the battle at your doorstep today? Are you “encompassed by the cords of death” and the “torrents of ungodliness?” Call upon the Lord…and be saved from your enemies. Let David’s words serve as your courage and guide. By the way, I checked to see what the “horn of salvation” literally meant. Unger’s Bible Dictionary said it was the projections at the corners of the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense, and by laying hold of them, a criminal found safety if his offense was accidental. Zacharias, John the Baptist’s father, after John’s birth said, “Blessed be the Lord of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David, His servant” (Luke 1:67-69). This amazing passage refers to God’s plans from the beginning, and His covenant of peace toward those who believe.

Psalm 18 tells of God’s faithfulness and loyal love throughout generations. It would be one to commit to memory and teach to our children’s children.

His Love Knows No Bounds

I love Thee, too, Lord, my strength. Be my rock and my deliverer, as I take refuge in You. I am also Your anointed, because of the promise You made ages ago. Let me never forget that You are my stay, and delight in me. In my dark times light my lamp, and let my heart still sing the wonder of Your name.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

The Great I Am

I wanna be near, near to your heart;
Loving the world, hating the dark.
I want to see dry bones living again--
Singing as one

Hallelujah, Holy Holy, God Almighty, Great I Am.
Who is worthy, none beside Thee,
God Almighty, Great I Am.

The mountains shake before Him.
The demons run and flee
At the mention of the name, King of Majesty.
There is no power in hell, or any who can stand
Before the power and the presence of the Great I Am.

Who’s the Greatest?

When was the first time you realized you weren’t all there is? Was it when, as a pre-schooler, an older sibling snatched back a toy you had claimed for your own? We have grainy home movies of my slightly older brother and I playing tug-of-war with our push car, a replica of a ’53 Pontiac. The greed is written on both our faces. Or maybe you were the older sibling having to make room in the family for others, sharing your room, a bunkbed? Could it be when someone in grade school beat you at flashcards? Or in the spelling bee? Or at recess, cleaning up at marbles or out performing you in double-dutch? How did it feel to be brought down a notch or two? Sooner or later all of us will meet our match, but that’s nothing compared to sizing ourselves up against our Creator. However, some people never do admit they have a rival for greatness.

Every now and again, Scripture plainly provides this perspective. It says, “Do not to think of yourself more highly than you ought…” (Romans 12:3) or “For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work…and not in regard to another” (Galatians 6:3-4). At the risk of offending, Paul is saying, first there’s God and all that He gives us, and then comes men and women who are responsible to Him for what they do with what He gives. Without putting God over all, we cannot appreciate our place is this world. Our confidence will be misplaced, and our efforts will be in vain.

That’s the starting point. When talking to the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, Paul recognized their tendency to exalt themselves over others. He also was guilty of this before his Damascus road experience with Christ. Then Paul became the first missionary to the Gentiles. In Romans 11 he painstakingly explains to the Jews how God will join all peoples:  “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation…” He it is again. We want to be top dog, at the expense of others. But later in the chapter, Paul gives a context for greatness which settles the matter once and for all:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (v. 33-36).

Bowing Down Before Him

Lord, there are really no adequate words to offer in praise for all of who You are. Our daily lives don’t usually afford dramatic opportunities to measure ourselves aright. We get lulled into certain thinking patterns or habits that serve to keep us ignorant. In Your mercy, You give us the grace to live holy before You. We were not born that way. You forgive all our sins—past, present, and future, and give us the power to forgive others. We are acceptable in Your sight, not because of what we do to earn that privilege, but because of Your great love. What a mystery beyond our understanding. Glory be to Your name, forever and ever, Amen.

God is Great

“How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God.

Age to age He stands,
And time is in His hands,
Beginning and the end,
Beginning and the end.

The Godhead Three in One,
Father Spirit Son,
The Lion and the Lamb,
The Lion and the Lamb.

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God.

Name above all names,
Worthy of our praise,
My heart will sing
How great is our God.”

Open Our Eyes

What do you do when you’re surrounded and don’t see a way out? It might be in finances, in relationships, in a job situation, or a combination of circumstances that has you walled in. Elisha, the prophet and “man of God,” Woke up one morning to the news that the enemy of Israel, King Aram and his great army, had surrounded Dothan. They had come secretly at night. Listen to the response of Elisha’s servant upon discovering this intimidating situation, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” Do you hear the panic in his voice? He woke up like any other day, looked outside (like many of us do) and saw the army of his enemy parked on the lawn as far as he could see.

Notice how Elisha, living the Still Life, didn’t react in kind. Elisha responded, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Much later that same truth was echoed by Jesus to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). He also said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). John, himself, re-enforced this fact when he wrote, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4).

Then Elisha did a significant thing. He prayed for his servant, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see” (II Kings 6:17). And look at what he saw, “And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw…the mountain was full of horses and chariots and fire all around Elisha” (v. 17b). Those chariots were God’s messengers, angels prepared for battle, which outnumbered the enemy forces. After that Elisha asked God to use an usual battle tactic, “Strike them with blindness…” which He did. Then Elisha was able to lead the enemy all the way to Samaria (and to the King of Israel) before he asked God to restore their sight. Elisha supernaturally took them captive without resorting to bloodshed.

The king of Israel, flabbergasted at this sight, asked Elisha what to do with them. Whereupon, Elisha calmly advised him to feed them and send them home. In other words, he showed them grace. And did they turn and go home? Yes, in fact, it’s recorded that “the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel” (v. 23b).

That’s what happens when we approach our problems, the armies of our enemy, in faith. We invite God, our God, into the fray and let Him open our eyes to His possibilities. Then we watch Him work supernatually. It happens over and over. Elisha had been surrounded before. He had practiced faith in overwhelming circumstances and proved God sufficient for anything. Can we do the same? We have the Word of God as our guide.

Surrounded

Lord of All, Almighty, Everlasting Father, open our eyes when life is scary, and we don’t know which way to turn. Remind us by Your Spirit to bring our problems and those things that threaten us to You. Let us not waste time worrying, fearing, or running. You have us surrounded by Your forces, and we have only to exercise our faith to see them. May we count on supernatural help, rather than human devices. In Your name we pray, Amen.

God Will Make a Way

"God will make a way, where there seems to be no way.

He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me.

He will be my Guide, hold me closely to His side.

With love and strength for each new day,

He will make a way,

He will make a way."