The children still talk about it, and I can even laugh about it now after five years. When we first moved to Columbus, we went on a hunt for the local library. My husband had given me “sort of” directions but had accidentally forgotten the second half of a two name street. Not ever seeing the two name street, I never turned and ended up looking for the library in an industrial park, probably about ten miles away, two hours, many wrong turns, and much frustration later. How many times can you listen to “Hey Mom, I think we already passed this but it was on the other side of the street before.” As it turns out, the library is six minutes and four turns from our house. I had spent a lot of time driving in circles, and every conceivable geometric design, getting to someplace very far to a place which was very close.
However, after months, years, of driving in circles, getting lost and generally gorging myself on map quest and google maps, I am getting to know my way around. In fact, after a while, I find that I’ll be driving down a street, find that it intersects another, and think “This looks vaguely familiar. Oh, I didn’t know this street connected with this.” Or “Wow, I had no idea that these two roads ever met.” “Hey, I didn’t know I could get here from there.” It comes from years of driving in the same neighborhoods and, frankly, being willing to get lost on the road and driving until I get to where I need to be. The getting lost is never fun for anyone but the accidental exploration of the familiar territory is exciting…for me, anyway.
Sometimes when I am reading a verse in Scripture, I think “hey this sounds familiar, but it was on the other side of the page the last time.” Or, “hmm, does this Scripture connect with this other one over here?”
Pretend you are in the car with me. Driving straight
Psalms 12:5 & 6: “Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the Lord. I will protect them from those who malign them. And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.”
Furnace of clay…purified seven times…
Take a soft left turn
Daniel 3. This is the account of three young men who feared God in a foreign land even more than they honored the king. King Nebuchadnezzar, the head of the Persian empire around 600 B.C., had built a rather ostentatious statue to himself and had set up a handy schedule by which all in the empire would know the proper time to turn, face the statue, fall down and worship the statue. “But there [were] some Jews whom [he] had set over the affairs of the province of Babylon-Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego-who pay no attention to [Nebuchadnezzar]. They neither serve [his] gods nor the image of gold [he had] set up.” [Daniel 3:11, 12] The other wise men had ratted out these three young captive leaders and they were brought before King Nebuchadnezzar to account for their failings. They refused to bow and were willing to suffer the consequences of their faith in God. “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." [Daniel 3:16-19]
Stay with me, I’m still driving…but no longer in circles. I am seeing familiar signs. My turns are a little less random
Nebuchadnezzar was furious (vs 19) He ordered the furnace (getting closer) heated SEVEN TIMES HOTTER than usual. Hey, this Scripture intersects with Psalms12:6! The very high, very hot, seven times hotter than usual heat, which Nebuchadnezzar intended to incinerate the young men to ashes, was the same heat which God intended to purify these young men, as silver is refined seven times.
Take a hard right here…because I think I am on to something.
Why does Nebuchadnezzar feel like the furnace has to be heated up seven times hotter than normal? Uhm, wouldn’t the fire have burned up these young men in their “robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes” anyway? Nebuchadnezzar heated up the furnace so hot “that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.” The fire, seven times hotter than normal, was intended by Nebuchadnezzar to decimate the men. God intended it to purify them, like silver in a furnace of clay, intended that they would come forth as a testimony of His grace, power and protection, without even the smell of fire on them. [Daniel 3:27] And when they got out of the furnace Nebuchadnezzar said: "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." [Daniel 3:28, 29]
Does it feel like you’re in a furnace right now? Getting hot? Consider this possibility: you are a letter, a testimony if you will, written on His heart, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. [2 Cor 3:2 & 3] You are His word, His letter, refined in a furnace of clay, stoked seven times hotter than normal. But so also will you be purified seven times, for the display of His splendor.
Was that too many left turns?
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Gawking at the Sky
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? (Acts 1:8-11)
Well, why do you think? Jesus had just given them the most significant, challenging, important and life altering job assignment they would ever receive. He was talking about power, Holy Spirit, Samaria, witnessing, Judea and suddenly, He was gone. Whoosh. Like a David Copperfield magic act, Jesus was gone. Was He coming back? When would He appear again? What were the disciples supposed to do next? Wait? Leave? What?
For the disciples, Jesus’ sudden disappearance was just one more strange event in the series of strange events of the past two months.
1. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Disciples think: woohoo…we are in good with this extremely popular guy who is going to rule Israel and conquer the Romans!)
2. Jesus’ death on the cross and burial in a borrowed tomb (Disciples think: oh no…we don’t really want to be seen with this guy.)
3. Jesus rises from the dead (Disciples think: Having a hard time with this.)
4. Jesus appears now here, then there, sometimes to one, sometimes to all, for forty days. (Disciples wonder: Are you staying?)
The context of the particular incident is a conversation between Jesus and the disciples. The disciples were thinking about power and ruling over the Romans, the restoration of a kingdom. They wanted to know times and dates. They wanted everything to happen now. Jesus just patiently answers, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (One can almost feel the spirits of the disciples sag as Jesus said this.)
Imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as He was saying this. Jesus was talking about power from the Holy Spirit, being His witnesses. He told them they were going to go into Samaria. Samaria. What was that about? No one even walked through Samaria. They had always been taught to walk around Samaria. Besides, Samaria was a good five days of hard walking. Then, to make matters more complicated and confusing, Jesus told them they would go to the ends of the earth, wherever THAT was. And how long would it take for them to walk there? They needed to know, because, as far as they understood, once they had gone to the ends of the earth, He would restore the kingdom of Israel. And now, before He could tell them just how far the ends of the earth was, suddenly, He was just somewhere else.
Why wouldn’t they be staring intently at the sky? I picture the disciples with their heads up, gawking up at the sky where they had just seen Jesus ascend, with their mouths hanging open, in a rather undignified fashion.
Recently, my husband and I felt called by God to start a new ministry necessitating our leaving a very safe and comfortable job. We have four children one of whom is about to be launched to university. A home with a mortgage. And we like to eat. We have had jobs as a project manager, lawyer, pastor. Now He was calling us to something totally different. This was the biggest assignment of our lives. There was the rush of the excitement of the new calling, the fears of leaving the familiar, the pain of change and transition, the joy of confirmation in the call and then, suddenly, he was hidden from our sight. A cloud hid Him from what we could see. Confusion immediately swept in like a flood. What? Jesus, where are you? Was that you? Did you really say these things to us? If so, then where are you now?
Beloved, have you ever felt like Jesus was hidden from your sight by a cloud? Maybe when you have gone through a painful situation. Perhaps the job for which you moved across three states and yanked your children out of school just laid you off. Perhaps you have been betrayed by your spouse. There could be any myriad of circumstances that would have you confused, bewildered, angry, disappointed, or just plain lonely, abandoned even.
I can remember when we were about two months into the new thing and I was staring intently at the sky, as if staring at the sky would force Jesus to appear, hold my hand and assure me all was well. As if looking at the sky with intensity and anticipation would force His hand. I wasn’t waiting for His instruction, it was His presence that I wanted. Then the Lord, in that wonderful still, voice of His reminded me of one truth: I am with you. I'm in the cloud.
“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)
Regardless of our feeling of abandonment, of desperate aloneness, of confusion, bewilderment, the truth is God is present. He has promised us: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 He’ll never leave us, but sometimes He may hide within the cloud. The very cloud which hides Him from our feeble fleshly eyes, is the cloud wherein He dwells. Don’t despise the cloud. Don’t curse the cloud which hides Him from your view. The cloud is actually the sign of His presence with you. Follow the last instruction He gave, remember His promise to never leave you, and don’t just stand there, gawking at the sky.
Well, why do you think? Jesus had just given them the most significant, challenging, important and life altering job assignment they would ever receive. He was talking about power, Holy Spirit, Samaria, witnessing, Judea and suddenly, He was gone. Whoosh. Like a David Copperfield magic act, Jesus was gone. Was He coming back? When would He appear again? What were the disciples supposed to do next? Wait? Leave? What?
For the disciples, Jesus’ sudden disappearance was just one more strange event in the series of strange events of the past two months.
1. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Disciples think: woohoo…we are in good with this extremely popular guy who is going to rule Israel and conquer the Romans!)
2. Jesus’ death on the cross and burial in a borrowed tomb (Disciples think: oh no…we don’t really want to be seen with this guy.)
3. Jesus rises from the dead (Disciples think: Having a hard time with this.)
4. Jesus appears now here, then there, sometimes to one, sometimes to all, for forty days. (Disciples wonder: Are you staying?)
The context of the particular incident is a conversation between Jesus and the disciples. The disciples were thinking about power and ruling over the Romans, the restoration of a kingdom. They wanted to know times and dates. They wanted everything to happen now. Jesus just patiently answers, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (One can almost feel the spirits of the disciples sag as Jesus said this.)
Imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as He was saying this. Jesus was talking about power from the Holy Spirit, being His witnesses. He told them they were going to go into Samaria. Samaria. What was that about? No one even walked through Samaria. They had always been taught to walk around Samaria. Besides, Samaria was a good five days of hard walking. Then, to make matters more complicated and confusing, Jesus told them they would go to the ends of the earth, wherever THAT was. And how long would it take for them to walk there? They needed to know, because, as far as they understood, once they had gone to the ends of the earth, He would restore the kingdom of Israel. And now, before He could tell them just how far the ends of the earth was, suddenly, He was just somewhere else.
Why wouldn’t they be staring intently at the sky? I picture the disciples with their heads up, gawking up at the sky where they had just seen Jesus ascend, with their mouths hanging open, in a rather undignified fashion.
Recently, my husband and I felt called by God to start a new ministry necessitating our leaving a very safe and comfortable job. We have four children one of whom is about to be launched to university. A home with a mortgage. And we like to eat. We have had jobs as a project manager, lawyer, pastor. Now He was calling us to something totally different. This was the biggest assignment of our lives. There was the rush of the excitement of the new calling, the fears of leaving the familiar, the pain of change and transition, the joy of confirmation in the call and then, suddenly, he was hidden from our sight. A cloud hid Him from what we could see. Confusion immediately swept in like a flood. What? Jesus, where are you? Was that you? Did you really say these things to us? If so, then where are you now?
Beloved, have you ever felt like Jesus was hidden from your sight by a cloud? Maybe when you have gone through a painful situation. Perhaps the job for which you moved across three states and yanked your children out of school just laid you off. Perhaps you have been betrayed by your spouse. There could be any myriad of circumstances that would have you confused, bewildered, angry, disappointed, or just plain lonely, abandoned even.
I can remember when we were about two months into the new thing and I was staring intently at the sky, as if staring at the sky would force Jesus to appear, hold my hand and assure me all was well. As if looking at the sky with intensity and anticipation would force His hand. I wasn’t waiting for His instruction, it was His presence that I wanted. Then the Lord, in that wonderful still, voice of His reminded me of one truth: I am with you. I'm in the cloud.
“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)
Regardless of our feeling of abandonment, of desperate aloneness, of confusion, bewilderment, the truth is God is present. He has promised us: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 He’ll never leave us, but sometimes He may hide within the cloud. The very cloud which hides Him from our feeble fleshly eyes, is the cloud wherein He dwells. Don’t despise the cloud. Don’t curse the cloud which hides Him from your view. The cloud is actually the sign of His presence with you. Follow the last instruction He gave, remember His promise to never leave you, and don’t just stand there, gawking at the sky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
