Our last house was all cedar shingles. So when we moved to a newer house with vinyl siding I was delighted. Of course, there is still the trim. Right now we are in the throes of painting the trim, which takes quite a bit of time, lots of paint, scraping, and , of course, the big mega, serious extension ladder. I intensely dislike standing on a sloping roof, and though I am not a great fan of heights, I can paint on an extension ladder. I can, but I am not very comfortable doing it.
Don’t look down, don’t look down…
So there I am painting the very highest peak on the house, maybe only 25 feet up. I take each rung one at a time, one foot on, the next foot on. I can not bound up the ladder as I do the stairs. The ladder shakes. As I am up there painting, twenty five feet closer to 94 degrees, I am pressed into the ladder so hard that the imprint of each rung is on my legs. I find it very difficult to let go of the ladder … I have to hold on to at least one side, which makes painting very cumbersome and time consuming. I just cannot stretch as far when I am gripping one side of the ladder.
About the third day of doing this, this clinging and hanging on for dear life, it occurs to me that clinging to the ladder probably does not make me any safer. The safety issue is pretty much determined as I, or my husband, as is usually the case, set up the ladder on level ground, test it, bang it against the house a few times, and find that the ladder is stable. The steadiness and sureness of the ladder is not in my clinging to it. The steadiness and sureness is in the set up and in the ladder itself. The fact is, I can be clinging hard to the one side of the ladder all the way down to the ground if the ladder isn’t steady and on level ground.
For sure, I FEEL better when I am clinging hard to that one side. I somehow FEEL that I am safer, or that I am more secure if I am hanging on.
Perhaps you have seen a child clinging to a parent during a thunder storm. Head burrowed into the parent’s shoulder. Arms wrapped so tightly around the neck it becomes hard to breathe. Eyes screwed shut. Until the storm is past. The fact is, the parent is holding onto the child. It is the parent holding the child, but the child is hanging on, clinging to the parent…for dear life. It does little good to say “there , there, you don’t need to choke me.” The child needs to do so, until the storm is past. I suspect, my children too felt better, safer, more secure in hanging on so tightly, in clinging to us during the storm. No amount of reason, rationale or logic could persuade them to let go. They needed to not only know the storm would pass, they needed to FEEL safe, secure, until the storm was past.
Sometimes, I just need to feel safe in the Lord. I know I am. I preach to others, and to myself, we are safe in the Lord. But, oh sometimes, I so need to FEEL that safety. And God is patient. Even though I am hugging Him so hard His divine face might turn blue, He won’t let me go, or try to give me logic and reason in place of the safety and security. He lets me cling so hard to Him that I wear the very imprint of His face on mine, I feel His arms around me tightly holding me, and I cling to His neck, because while I dislike walking up a high ladder, I can do it, all the way up, whistling all the way.
One other thing, by the fifth day, I could actually climb up to that peak, look down and think “wow, I’m pretty high” and then I could let go and hold two brushes, or the paint can if necessary. It was amazing to me. Not that I was confident in myself, I found my confidence in the ladder and the level ground on which it rested. I knew, even if I let go of the ladder, it was still bearing me.
Beloved, if you’re on a faith ladder right now, know that the ladder is secure, strong and will not fail you. The ladder, if resting on Jesus, is on a sure and steady foundation. Second, if you feel better clinging to the ladder, if you feel safer holding on tightly, rest assured He doesn’t mind…and besides, the tighter you cling to Him, the more you will bear the imprint of His face on yours.
Not bad for a summer lesson.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
I'm Waiting
It has been too long and my apologies to anyone out there who actually looks for this blog on a regular basis. I have been in a waiting line. I don’t mean the kind at the WalMart. There, at least there are twenty clerks who might be able to serve me; in addition, there are the self scans now which means I get to do it all myself: select the merchandise, scan it myself, bag it myself, and pay for it. And no, I am not even in a store where there may be only one clerk, but at least there is a ticket machine which allows me to know exactly how many people are in front of me. Then I pray that the five people in front of me will give up and leave, which will, of course, put me way ahead in the line. No, I am in a waiting room, with only one Person who can help me, only one line and no ticket machine. I hate waiting.
However, since I am waiting anyway, lately I have been thinking a lot about the Israelites and how long they waited.
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
That long period…how long? 430 years. Now that’s a long wait. And for the poor Israelites, during that time period, they went from the days of Joseph,: prosperity, land, prominence and favor to slavery.
Frankly, my own waiting period feels like it could be 430 years. When I look behind I see a lot of pain and trial. I see little ahead. And then I feel like the Israelites: slaves, forced labor, ruthless oppression, lives bitter with hard labor. It wasn’t pretty, nor was it easy. So they did what they could: they worked hard, made bricks, suffered oppression, cried out to God and groaned.
But, there is good news: right there in the Bible, right there in the middle of slavery, in the middle of oppression. Their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. And do you know how my God answered them?
God heard their groaning
He remembered His covenant with Abraham
So God looked
God was concerned.
He heard, He remembered, He looked, He was concerned.
That the King of all glory, the King of the universe would hear, remember and look. Not only that, but He was concerned.
I find great comfort in that. Pretty simple really. While we are waiting and crying out, God hears, remembers, looks and is concerned. Now here comes the really interesting part. In His concern, He sets into motion the plan He has had all along.
7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
Isn’t that bizarre? Look at the italicized text above: I have indeed seen, I have heard them crying, I am concerned, I have come down to rescue them, So now go, I am sending you… I am sending Moses. Uh, is there anyone else?
He picks a Moses. We all know, or probably many of us know that God could not have chosen a less likely hero. Why would God choose a shepherd to lead three million people? Why would God choose a man who stuttered to speak to a king? Why would God choose a murderer to speak encouragement and life to slaves? Why would God choose an insecure man to be the emissary for the King of the universe? Who knows? For His glory. So He gets all the glory.
I’m good with everything right up to that last part. Moses. Moses! This is my point…who is God sending to help you? Are you crying out? Are you waiting? Are you in bondage? What if it’s you that God is sending to help? What if it’s a Moses that God is sending to help? Do not despise the plan of God.
By the way, allow me to point out one last thing about Moses: unlikely hero that he was. It says in Exodus 3:6 that when God introduced Himself “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” Wow. Talk about an unlikely leader. An unlikely savior. An unlikely deliverer. An unlikely hero. But oh, friend, after trials, hardship, disappointment and wandering in the desert, this is the truth about Moses: “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” He answered the call and was willing to be the man God called him to be and became a man he never expected to be; he became one with whom God would speak as a man speaks with a friend, face to face.
My friend, your place of waiting is holy ground. Take off your shoes and listen for the voice of the Lord. And while you are waiting, turn on your ipod and listen to this song from Fireproof.
I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord. And I am hopeful I’m waiting on You, Lord Though it is painful But patiently, I will wait I will move ahead, bold and confident Taking every step in obedience While I’m waiting I will serve You While I’m waiting I will worship While I’m waiting I will not faint I’ll be running the race Even while I wait. I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord. And I am peaceful I’m waiting on You, Lord Though it’s not easy But faithfully, I will wait Yes, I will wait I will serve You while I’m waiting I will worship while I’m waiting I will serve You while I’m waiting I will worship while I’m waiting I will serve You while I’m waiting I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord.
Amen. I’m waiting and my God hears my cry, He hears your cry, He sees, He remembers, He is concerned, He will come to rescue and if we will accept it, He may even send us a Moses.
However, since I am waiting anyway, lately I have been thinking a lot about the Israelites and how long they waited.
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
That long period…how long? 430 years. Now that’s a long wait. And for the poor Israelites, during that time period, they went from the days of Joseph,: prosperity, land, prominence and favor to slavery.
Frankly, my own waiting period feels like it could be 430 years. When I look behind I see a lot of pain and trial. I see little ahead. And then I feel like the Israelites: slaves, forced labor, ruthless oppression, lives bitter with hard labor. It wasn’t pretty, nor was it easy. So they did what they could: they worked hard, made bricks, suffered oppression, cried out to God and groaned.
But, there is good news: right there in the Bible, right there in the middle of slavery, in the middle of oppression. Their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. And do you know how my God answered them?
God heard their groaning
He remembered His covenant with Abraham
So God looked
God was concerned.
He heard, He remembered, He looked, He was concerned.
That the King of all glory, the King of the universe would hear, remember and look. Not only that, but He was concerned.
I find great comfort in that. Pretty simple really. While we are waiting and crying out, God hears, remembers, looks and is concerned. Now here comes the really interesting part. In His concern, He sets into motion the plan He has had all along.
7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
Isn’t that bizarre? Look at the italicized text above: I have indeed seen, I have heard them crying, I am concerned, I have come down to rescue them, So now go, I am sending you… I am sending Moses. Uh, is there anyone else?
He picks a Moses. We all know, or probably many of us know that God could not have chosen a less likely hero. Why would God choose a shepherd to lead three million people? Why would God choose a man who stuttered to speak to a king? Why would God choose a murderer to speak encouragement and life to slaves? Why would God choose an insecure man to be the emissary for the King of the universe? Who knows? For His glory. So He gets all the glory.
I’m good with everything right up to that last part. Moses. Moses! This is my point…who is God sending to help you? Are you crying out? Are you waiting? Are you in bondage? What if it’s you that God is sending to help? What if it’s a Moses that God is sending to help? Do not despise the plan of God.
By the way, allow me to point out one last thing about Moses: unlikely hero that he was. It says in Exodus 3:6 that when God introduced Himself “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” Wow. Talk about an unlikely leader. An unlikely savior. An unlikely deliverer. An unlikely hero. But oh, friend, after trials, hardship, disappointment and wandering in the desert, this is the truth about Moses: “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” He answered the call and was willing to be the man God called him to be and became a man he never expected to be; he became one with whom God would speak as a man speaks with a friend, face to face.
My friend, your place of waiting is holy ground. Take off your shoes and listen for the voice of the Lord. And while you are waiting, turn on your ipod and listen to this song from Fireproof.
I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord. And I am hopeful I’m waiting on You, Lord Though it is painful But patiently, I will wait I will move ahead, bold and confident Taking every step in obedience While I’m waiting I will serve You While I’m waiting I will worship While I’m waiting I will not faint I’ll be running the race Even while I wait. I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord. And I am peaceful I’m waiting on You, Lord Though it’s not easy But faithfully, I will wait Yes, I will wait I will serve You while I’m waiting I will worship while I’m waiting I will serve You while I’m waiting I will worship while I’m waiting I will serve You while I’m waiting I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord.
Amen. I’m waiting and my God hears my cry, He hears your cry, He sees, He remembers, He is concerned, He will come to rescue and if we will accept it, He may even send us a Moses.
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