Redeemer Memphis Prayer: October 2013

DAILY D

September 5, 2013

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and

forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your

life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your

youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. -Psalm 103:1-8

I love this beautiful statement of God’s character and purposes. It was motivating for David: one could

argue that this theology was the driving force of his life (at least in his better moments). Why praise

God? Look at what he’s rescued us from! Iniquity, diseases, the pit. Look what he’s provided for us!

Steadfast love and mercy, good, renewal, righteousness, justice. Look at his character! Revealing

himself to his people, displaying his works, righteous, just, always gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and

abounding in steadfast love. Surely he is worthy of all of our praise, and all of our allegiance!

September 6, 2013

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always

chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us

according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love

toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions

from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear

him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

-Psalm 103:8-14

The picture of God revealed in these verses must have seemed almost impossible to believe for the Old

Testament Israelites. Just too good to be true. How could God remove sins so completely? Could we

really believe that he relates to us as a father to his children? But Jesus removes all doubt. God’s justice

was completely satisfied with Jesus’ death as payment for sin – for all the sin of all those who believe.

Now we live in such a state of grace that it would, in fact, be injustice for God to hold our sins against

us, so thorough was Jesus’ atonement for us. And John tells us in chapter 1 that, “to all who did receive

him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Amazing

grace. Sins not counted against us, thoroughly and forever removed. Our new status: children of the

King, the Almighty. What a solid foundation! This is the only true and lasting source of comfort in life

and death.

September 7, 2013

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole

city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and

cast out many demons… [many days pass] And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors

and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the

scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his

disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them,

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the

righteous, but sinners.” -Mark 1:32-34, 2:15-17

There are two big issues that jump out to me from these verses. I’ll address one today and the other

tomorrow. First, if we consider ourselves well, then we place ourselves outside of Jesus’ reach. It is the

sick who need a doctor. Therefore if I am to come to the Great Physician, I must come on the basis of

my need. I don’t come offering him anything good of myself. Even my coming is an acknowledgement

of my own deficits. One of my favorite pastor/writers was a man named Jack Miller. He used

illustrations to show how, as we grow in our understanding of our own brokenness and need, we grow

in our appreciation for the awesome power of the cross. When I make my sin out to be a small thing,

then Jesus and his work appear small. But when I recognize the depth of my lostness, I can begin to

understand the infinite power and grace that he unleashed on the cross.

September 8, 2013

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole

city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and

cast out many demons… [many days pass] And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors

and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the

scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his

disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them,

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the

righteous, but sinners.” -Mark 1:32-34, 2:15-17

The second thing that jumps out is our calling as believers. As those who have been redeemed by

Jesus, we must willingly go where the need is. Christ redeemed me at infinite cost. Therefore no one

is beneath my notice. When I see the poor and the sick, I don’t merely pity them. Rather, I identify

with them, because I, too, am infinitely needy before the throne of God. But Jesus, through his poverty,

made me rich toward God by giving me his own identity. Therefore I can pour out my life – yes, pour

out my life – for those who have need. As his follower, I must go to the sick, to the sinners. That is

where he found me, and that is where he still goes, where his kingdom is moving forward.

September 9, 2013

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is

disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint

and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their

strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and

not faint. -Isaiah 40:27-31

This passage is written directly to those struggling with doubt and fear. We humans find ourselves in

that place a lot. We don’t understand what is going on. We are suffering. We have come to the end of

ourselves – our strength, our ability, our understanding. We conclude that God has forgotten us. But

here, through the mouth of the prophet, the Lord himself gives us two amazing promises. First, God is

God! He is never tired. His might, his power, his understanding, his concern, his attention – they never

falter. That is the God we can trust. He sees our situation, he cares, and he has the power to help.

Which brings us to the second promise: he helps those who trust him. He will renew our strength. Yes,

we will come to the end of it, but he will renew it. Yes, running is difficult, but he will refresh us so that

we don’t cycle into weariness. On our own, we would fall exhausted, but that is when we are called

most urgently to wait for the Lord. How do we do that? I still have a lot to learn, but I think it begins

with prayer, with meditation on his word, with worship, with seeking out wise counsel. It is a continuing

cycle of give and take: expressing ourselves to God and then taking his truth into our hearts to let him

transform us.

September 10, 2013

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious

throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a

shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on

his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the

kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I

was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed

me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer

him saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when

did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or

in prison and visit you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the

least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” -Matthew 25:31-40

Here is a passage where Jesus summarizes what righteousness looks like. Far from stuffy rule-following,

those identified as “the righteous” have been active in the service of the least. The righteous have been

radically focused on others, certainly sacrificing personal comfort in order to meet the needs of the

hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, and the prisoner. This is the pattern of Jesus’ own life and

ministry. He is the Righteous One, and we are to follow in his steps. There is also another layer here:

when did we see Jesus in these positions of need? When he hung on the cross – naked, abandoned,

rejected, dying. It is those who see the Son of God on the cross, and recognize that he was pierced for

our own transgressions, who experience the transforming grace of God and begin to live the way Jesus

lived. Let us welcome the Savior who made himself broken and needy on our behalf. Let us recognize

our own brokenness and need, and cling to him for grace. Let us identify with those we see in need, and

pour ourselves out to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. Because that is what it means to serve

the One who has loved us so deeply. That is his definition of righteousness.

September 11, 2013

Lord teach us to pray. -Luke 11:1

The disciples asked Jesus how to pray and he gave them the Lord’s prayer as a model. For many people

these days, including me, prayer is difficult. We are so focused on doing that we have forgotten how to

be. The Quakers conceptualize prayer and worship through what is called “centering down”. This time

of silence is used for focusing the mind and body on authentic communion with God. In order to have

abundance in life, we have to go the Source! So communion with God is the most important aspect of

prayer, but what does it do? It does at least two things: it helps us regain perspective and it helps us

declare God’s dominion over this world. Dietrich Bonheoffer kind of humorously states how he regains

perspective through prayer, “I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter

how much trouble he causes me.” Prayer gives us the same priorities as our Father, like not hating a

brother. Second, prayer gives us loving dominion over this world. In a world where evil and struggle is

everywhere, feeling out of control is only natural. But as we pray to our all-powerful Father, we regain

some his power and push back the evil in this world. Prayer accomplishes things in this world by tying

our hands together and letting God show his powerful hand.

September 12, 2013

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as

it is in heaven. -Matthew 6:9-10

It is easy to read this familiar prayer and to overlook the way it is both revolutionary and comforting.

First, we are to pray as a community. The word “our” teaches us that we are not be like the Pharisees

who pray to be seen (like the paragraph says right before this), but we are to pray together to

strengthen our dependence on our Father. Since our Father is unseen, he gives us each other to become

his presence. Paul says (Colossians 1:24) that he is “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” by

suffering for the church. What is lacking in Christ’s suffering? Physical presence. When Paul wrote

Colossians he was physically suffering for the church there and living out Christ’s sacrificial love in his

body. So as Christians, when we suffer and pray for each other we are reenacting the cross to each

other, displaying again and again the sacrificial love of Jesus.

September 13, 2013

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as

it is in heaven. -Matthew 6:9-10

The next thing we learn from this model prayer is that worship precedes kingdom work. “Hallowed be

your name” is a statement of worship. Some related English words to the old dusty term “hallowed”

are health, healing, holy, and wholesome. When we worship God we first realize that he is the source

of wholeness and healing. We often think that our agendas will restore us to health and happiness, but

worship realigns us with the truth that all good in this world comes from our Father. As we realize this,

his health is imparted to our lives. In other words, worship heals us so that we can heal others. This is

the essence of his kingdom coming to earth.

September 14, 2013

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as

it is in heaven. -Matthew 6:9-10

A major theme of a Christian’s life and prayer should be “your kingdom come”. God’s kingdom coming

to earth is directly tied to the ancient Hebrew concept of Shalom. Shalom is a deep concept worthy of a

lifetime of study. Theologian Cornelius Plantiga said, “Shalom is the webbing together of God, humans,

and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight…. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere

peace of mind or cease-fire among enemies. In the Bible shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness,

and delight.” Jesus’ mission is to bring universal flourishing to earth just like there is in heaven now. He

calls us to be a part of his mission of mending the torn fabric of his creation back into the beauty it once

was.

September 15, 2013

Give us this day our daily bread. -Matthew 6:11

Jesus’ ministry is full of references to food—he feeds the five thousand, he fasts in the wilderness for 40

days, he celebrates festive meals with sinners, and as the gospels reach their climax we see him sharing

a Passover meal (his final meal) with his friends. It seems that when Jesus wants to communicate the

deepest truths to us, he appeals to our most basic instincts; and I think his appeal to food in this prayer

is no exception. In its most basic meaning, which is no small matter for many people around the world,

this request is about depending on God for our daily provisions. Jesus came to this earth to feed us.

“His kingdom come” is about meeting people’s needs both body and soul and therefore experiencing

wholeness on this earth. N.T. Wright says, “Bread follows from and symbolizes the kingdom.” It

symbolizes the kingdom by showing us our daily need for his provisions of grace and his willingness to

give it; and it follows from the kingdom by sharing the portions we have received with others in need.

As we eat our meals each day, may we all be reminded of God’s goodness to us and remember that

sharing his bounty is at the heart following Jesus.

September 16, 2013

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. -Matthew 6:12

The more I walk with Jesus the more I realize that his grace is never abstract. Oftentimes, we want

to spiritualize what he says so that his words won’t make such serious demands on our lives. To pray

“forgive us our debts” is first to admit our wrongdoings and our deep emotional flaws. (This, of course, is

next to the supposition for daily bread because as often as we need food we also need his forgiveness.)

At the same time we recognize our shortcomings, we are accepting his offer of free forgiveness and

unconditional love. These two things are hard to keep in balance except when we look at the cross.

Take a moment and celebrate how immense his love is!

As we do this we are to remember what Wendell Berry says, “The world is the confluence of soul

and body, word and flesh, where thoughts become deeds, where goodness is to be enacted.” His

forgiveness is not conditional on our actions, but the badge of membership in his family is to forgive

others as he forgives us. Thank God for his forgiveness, let it sink down into your soul; and then go out

and offer it to the world. (Consider today what specific grudges you hold and ask God to save you from

that burden and help you live in the freedom of forgiveness.)

September 17, 2013

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. -Matthew 6:13

Just as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and faced the evil of the crucifixion, so we are walk in this

world of temptation and evil. As Jesus said, “A student is not greater than his teacher.” We should

expect hardship and sacrifice as his followers because that is the road that he took. His life and message

show us that evil is not conquered by imperial power and violence but through self-sacrifice, which

is not the easy road. So when difficulty arises in our lives what do we do? Do we give up and say,

“Evil has won,” or do we say, “This is my lot in life, poor me,” or do we model this prayer and ask for

his deliverance through hardship. The ultimate example of this is the resurrection. Faced with death,

Jesus asked for deliverance in the Garden of Gethsemane and was seemingly denied – until Easter

morning came. The pattern we are to live in is death and resurrection. When we face difficulty we

feel that death is upon us and is going to overtake us, but we trust God in the darkness and he reveals

resurrection. What seems hopeless to you today? Imagine how God is going to resurrect it.

September 18, 2013

[I pray] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through

his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being

rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth

and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may

be filled with all the fullness of God. -Ephesians 3:16-19

This is Paul’s prayer for a church he loved. Clearly, the focus is the love of Jesus. 1 John 4:8 tells us that

God is love, and this passage describes how that impacts the life of the believer. We call on him in faith.

He supplies the power through his Spirit to strengthen us, root and ground us in love, enlighten us with

understanding, and fill us with the very fullness of God. Maybe these verses were the inspiration for

this hymn: “O the deep, deep love of Jesus – vast, unmeasured, boundless, free! Rolling as a mighty

ocean in its fullness over me.” This imagery acknowledges that the love of God is powerful, compelling,

and not something we can control. God has his way with us, not the other way around. Yet, again, he

is love, so we can trust him to look out for our good. So when we come to the end of ourselves, and

realize that we don’t know how to move forward or even which direction to go, we can surrender to this

powerful, compelling love and trust him to fill us, to guide us, to strengthen us, and to take us where he

wills.

September 19, 2013

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about

your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at

the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds

them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to

his span of life? -Matthew 6:25-27

It is so easy for all of life to become about me and meeting my needs. Of course that was true in ancient

Israel, where most of Jesus’ listeners spent all of their time attending to their basic needs – poverty

forces people to focus on food and clothing almost constantly. Yet humans all tend to focus on self, no

matter their financial situation. We move up the ladder a bit, and find that different needs consume all

of our attention: goals for personal and career fulfillment, responsibilities to work and family, managing

our household. These are all good things. Yet they are not ultimate. Jesus’ listeners knew that

eventually they would all die – perhaps from lack of basic needs. And someday all of our responsibilities

and plans will come to an end. That doesn’t mean God hasn’t been faithful. He sustains, he gives, and

he takes away. But hear the tender word: “Are you not of more value than they?”

September 20, 2013

Therefore do not be anxious saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we

wear?” For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the

day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:31-34

Another gracious word from Jesus about worry: “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them

all.” God does not call us to asceticism. He made our bodies, made the physical world. He placed us

in families, societies, gave us responsibilities. But my life is only a small part of a bigger story. In this

passage Jesus is calling us to get in touch with his kingdom – the big work God has been planning from

the beginning, which was set into motion when Adam and Eve sinned and he first promised redemption.

His kingdom is very much about the physical world, but it is not about my drive for success. It is

about bringing peace and renewal to a broken world. I can only be truly fulfilled when I join him in his

purposes, when I use the life and the resources he’s given me to love him, to love other people, and to

work for healing and justice. He never promised it would all work out to be easy in this lifetime, but he

guarantees resurrection! He is calling us to leave behind anxiety and trust him, knowing that he can and

will accomplish his good work in our lives, in the physical realm and in the spiritual realm.

September 21, 2013

For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a

house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our

heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this

tent we groan, being burdened – not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed,

so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God,

who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. -2 Corinthians 5:1-5

I think the apostle Paul understood suffering about as well as anybody. In numerous passages (Romans

8 is another famous one, also Philippians 1) he expresses his desire to die and be free from his suffering.

That indicates two things: that his life was difficult, and that his hope was in the life to come. Even

so, he also had a strong sense of his calling to do the work of Jesus in this present age, and we’ll look

at that in the rest of 2 Corinthians 5. Here we can see that Paul was able to give his life in service to

the kingdom of Jesus precisely because he was convinced that God had made him an eternal home.

He knew that all the suffering in his life, and all his groaning over the brokenness of the world, was

temporary. I love the way he describes the life to come – not being unclothed (as in removed from the

body and the good things of the physical world), but further clothed and “swallowed up by life”! The

new heavens and the new earth will be far more real than the world we know. Our resurrection bodies

will be more solid, our pleasure in the good creation of God far deeper and more comprehensive. That

is what God is preparing us for – for the fulfillment of all that is good and the deepest desires of our

souls.

September 22, 2013

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded that one has died for all, therefore all have

died; and he died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their

sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even

though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if

anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

-2 Corinthians 5:14-17

In yesterday’s passage, Paul spoke of mortal things being swallowed up by solid, eternal life. In that

section he was looking forward to the resurrection of the body – when the new heavens and the new

earth, the kingdom of God, come fully and finally. But this passage today shows us that God is already in

the process of making things new and whole. The kingdom is coming now, and it will be here completely

when Jesus returns. How do we participate – right now – in the life of the kingdom of God? First of

all, we must understand that we no longer live for ourselves. Jesus lived and died for us – to bring us

salvation, to reconcile us to God, to make us whole, to restore the goodness of his creation. Now, as

his people, we are already part of his new creation. We are citizens of his kingdom, and we must live

in light of that reality. In Colossians 3:9-10, Paul explains that we “have put off the old self with its

practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its

creator.” And, famously, in Galatians 5, he enumerates characteristics of the new self, the fruit of the

spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. What a

beautiful kingdom he is building, with citizens who reflect the very goodness of God! Isn’t that the kind

of world we all want to live in? Let’s ask him to fill us with his Spirit and shape us to be more like him.

September 23, 2013

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of

reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses

against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for

Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For

our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of

God. -2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Lest we think the kingdom of God is something we have to work up in ourselves, we find these gracious

words at the end of the chapter. Just when we start to feel the weight of our calling, just when the

commandment to live as part of this new creation seems an impossible task, Paul reminds us that God

reconciled us to himself in Christ. In other words, though we had made ourselves God’s enemies, he

himself did all that was necessary to forgive us and bring us into his own family. God took our sin and

put the full weight of it on the Sinless One. Jesus came into the world not just to teach us about God,

but to be the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried

our sorrows… he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5). And thus the great transfer occurred. God himself

paid our debt, and we are now clothed in the righteousness of Christ. It is his power that accomplished

our salvation, and his power will work through us to enable us to live as his new creation.

September 24, 2013

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions,

and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the

heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is,

there will your heart be also. -Luke 12:32-34

These are some very challenging words from Jesus. But I don’t think God means them to feel hard;

rather, they are incredibly liberating. How? Look at the tenderness in that first verse. “Fear not, little

flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He tenderly calls us his “little” flock,

his little children. He calls God our Father, and tells us he delights to give us what is good. So, don’t

fear! Abandon yourself to him. One of my favorite preachers, Tim Keller, says there are two basic kinds

of relationships in this world: family and business. You are born into family relationships, but business

relationships are contractual, where each person is required to uphold certain terms and conditions

for the relationship to continue and thrive. (He says friendship is a hybrid.) So, if God is our Father

(and Jesus repeatedly tells us he is – see the Lord’s Prayer, for example), he is not basing his feelings

about us on our fulfillment of contractual obligations. He has set his love on us, and will seek our good

regardless of our performance. That brings confidence. We do not have to fear that he will kick us out

of the house, like a renter who is behind on payments. Rather we know that we are his little children,

for whom he will provide everything needed, because of his great love.

September 25, 2013

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions,

and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the

heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is,

there will your heart be also. -Luke 12:32-34

Annie still has trouble sharing some things at times, but she is remarkably generous with snacks. Why

would she stuff her delicious goldfish in another child’s mouth? Because she has no doubt that Mommy

and Daddy will supply all the goldfish she needs. She has never known us to run out of food. She is so

confident that we will meet her needs that she willingly, and without a second thought, shares her food

with others. And that is the spirit in which we are to “sell [our] possessions, and give to the needy”. Of

course I can share; my Father will supply all my need through Christ (Philippians 4:19). And see how this

liberates us from worry: “treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no

moth destroys”. When I feel threatened by forces beyond my control, here is an anchor for my soul.

Things may go terribly wrong in my life, yet God is keeping safe the eternal things.

September 26, 2013

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them

from afar, and having acknowledged they were strangers and exiles on earth. For people who speak thus

make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land from which they

had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that

is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a

city. -Hebrews 11:13-16

C.S. Lewis said, “If we find ourselves with a desire which nothing in this world can satisfy, the most

probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” These verses in Hebrews describe

people who had recognized that their primary desire was for something in another world. They were

able to acknowledge that they were “strangers and exiles on earth” because they knew their deepest

desires would be met in their true homeland, where God “has prepared for them a city”. So, when I

find myself longing for something that I can’t even explain… when I am disappointed yet again by how

things always come up short and my desires are never quite fulfilled by the things I hoped for… when

Christmas morning is over and the afternoon feels empty… when the fly in the ointment dulls the joy of

a wonderful vacation, the Lord is calling me to “desire a better country”. I must put my hope in Jesus.

You see, we were created for a homeland more glorious that we can imagine. It was lost when Adam

and Eve sinned, but Jesus came so that he can restore it. And he will restore it when he makes all things

new. The process is beginning now, as he teaches us to trust him and brings healing in small ways, little

foretastes of what is to come. When a sick child gets the right medicine and is restored to life. When

a broken relationship is mended. When the beauty of God’s creation strikes a fresh chord in my heart.

When we trust him and delight in his promises. These are just hints, shadows of what is to come.

September 27, 2013

And when he [the Lion of Judah, looking like a Lamb who had been slain] had taken the scroll, the four

living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp, and golden

bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “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, and you have made them a kingdom and

priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” …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!”

-Revelation 5:8-10, 13

There is so much going on here – and it is literally going on now. This is a picture of what is happening

in God’s throne room now, even as we go about our daily lives. Jesus is the Lion, and he has won God’s

great victory by becoming a Lamb and being slain. Now he is opening the scroll, carrying forward

God’s purposes in history. And we are participants – notice the role of the prayers of the saints, and

the affirmation that he has made us a kingdom and priests to our God, and that we will reign on earth.

In his commentary Revelation for Everyone, N.T. Wright points out that the last verse here is a clear

assertion of the divinity of Jesus. But it comes only in the context of the work of his kingdom. As Wright

says, it is useless for us to claim we believe that Jesus is God if we are unwilling to accept his agenda

for the world: “We discover, and celebrate, the divinity of the lion-lamb Messiah only when we find

ourselves caught up to share his work as the royal priesthood, summing up creation’s praises before

him but also bringing his rescuing rule to bear on the world.” Revelation is all about Jesus’ work of

putting the universe right – destroying all the forces that have been destroying his good creation. And,

gloriously, that is what our lives are to be about as well.