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You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

You have recorded each one in your book.

Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

Thou tellest my wanderings;

put thou my tears into thy bottle;

are they not in thy book?

Psalm 56:8 (KJV)

You’ve kept track of every toss and turn through the sleepless nights,

Each tear entered in your ledger,

each ache written in your book.

Psalm 56:8 (MSG)

What beautiful words.  Words of comfort.  Words of reassurance.  Words of life.  Words of love. These words have hugs built right into them.  Arms wrapped.  Holding.

Our tears flow freely over life, trying to wash away all that would cause us pain.  They are full of hurt, fear, loss, longing, disappointment, brokenness, separation, pain, illness, and even death.  I don’t have to tell you that life is hard.  You’re living it.

Whether our tears fall in big round drops or in salty streams, every bit of moisture is collected.  The mother’s tears for a son are collected.  The wife’s tears for a husband are collected.  A child’s tears for a parent are collected.  A friend’s tears for a friend are collected.  Think about the number of tears shed in a single day on this earth.  God surely has a huge reservoir in Heaven – an ocean of tears.

“Where have you laid him?” he asked.  “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.  Jesus wept.

John 11:34-35

What a comfort to know that He who collects my tears also shed tears.  That’s right.  Jesus wept.  Jesus was sad, broken, grieved by the loss of his friend.  I marvel at that.  Jesus, the One.  Jesus, the Healer.  Jesus, God of the Universe.  The One who could dry every tear experienced pain, loss, grief.  His tears fell too.  What does that say to me?  Jesus knows exactly how I feel.  How you feel.  Exactly.

“Why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  She glanced over her should and saw someone standing behind her.  It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.  “Why are you crying?” Jesus asked her.  “Who are you looking for?”

“Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

“Mary!”  Jesus said.  She turned to him and exclaimed, “Teacher!”

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!”

John 20:11-18

Mary’s tears were collected too.  But guess what?  In the midst of her tears, she saw Jesus.  She was looking for Him and, He called her name.  He appeared to her.  I don’t know if He will visibly appear to us – He has the power to do that, you know.  But I do know this, that in our tears, through our tears, while they are being collected, He calls our name.

So what do we do about this thing called life that causes so much pain for so many?  We look to the One who chose to experience what we experience.  We look to the One who knows what we’re going through.  We look to the One who will guide us through the pain.  We look to the One who calls our name.

We are told there are only two things we can be sure of in life – death and taxes.  That’s not true, at all. We can only be sure of Jesus.  He has promised us his unfailing love, forever.  I can’t promise you that life will be easy, but I can promise you – He promises you – that whatever causes your tears to fall, whatever course your life is on, He knows what you’re going through.  He is collecting every tear that slides.  He’s calling out – Mary.  He’s calling out — your name, My child,  it’s Me!

There will be a day when no more tears will fall for those who know Him…

I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Look, the home of God is now among his people!  He will live with them, and they will be his people.  God himself will be with them.  He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  For the old world and its evils are gone forever.”  Revelations 21:3-4

Until then…Through our tears do we turn to Him?  Do we look to Him for the answers?  Do we look to Him for the comfort?  Do we look to Him for the healing?  Do we look to Him, the only One we can be sure of?  Can we say we have seen the Lord?

I was sure by now

God you would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say “Amen,” and it’s still raining.

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear Your whisper through the rain

“I’m with you”

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

And I’ll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I’ve cried

You hold In Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

I remember when

I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to you

And you raised me up again

My strength is almost gone

How can I carry on

If I can’t find You

-Casting Crowns

No question they’ve got the morale, they’ve got the spirit, they’ve got the leadership. They’ve demonstrated form with great successes last year and I’ve no doubt they will prevail but we shouldn’t assume they will prevail in one go. General Richard Shirreff

General Shirreff was being interviewed on a middle of the night PBS news show. He’s the former Defense Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. As if that title was not enough, he had also been knighted so technically his title is General Sir Richard Shirreff. That’s a whole lot of title to carry around and to live up to, kind of a lot of weight to bear.

I saw this one night when I was having trouble sleeping and was vacillating between praying and planning. Ever do that? Pray and then plan? Bounce from leaving at the altar and then scooping it right back up? Trusting and doubting? Prayer – trusting God for a solution. Planning – doubting and Beth making her own plans.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

Anyway…This statement by General Sir Shirreff struck me. So much so that it took about five minutes of rewinding to get it written down. Clearly, he was being interviewed about war. Specifically, the war in Ukraine. Anyway…

Regardless of the side you’re on, we have this physical war going on (many worldwide), but I kept thinking at the time, this physical war is happening because of the spiritual war being engaged in the world. Remember, it’s being fought in the heavenly places?

What I’m struggling to articulate clearly is that this statement by Sir Sherriff could easily be applied to the spiritual war being fought by God against Satan. As Christians we have the morale (If God is for us, who can be against us?). As Christians we have the spirit (Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you?). As followers of Christ, we have the leadership (Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding. Acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.) As Christ followers we are overcomers (He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.) And in this spiritual battle, we will ultimately prevail because God prevails (Amen).

But in the midst of the battle, you know, the here and now on earth, just like in every physical battle, in order for us to prevail we cannot do it alone. Wars are not fought alone, they are fought with armies. Wars are not fought without planning. Wars are not fought willy-nilly, they are fought strategically. God has a perfect plan for the battles we’re engaged in.

Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. Romans 12:12

Notice the operative word in Romans is “always.” This is the key to winning the war and the battles of this world. You know, fear, anxiety, financial battles, relationship battles, family battles, faith battles, work battles, marriage battles, school battles, emotional battles, spiritual battles, food battles, kid battles, all battles! Good soldiers always take orders from their Commander. Who’s your commander?

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat! Listen all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, by God’s…Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the LORD is with you! ” 2 Chronicles 20

We also can’t do it in “one go.” We must continue to move forward, to press on. This battles requires perseverance and endurance. This battle requires preparation. We will no doubt prevail because God wins.

But those who endure to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:13

Franklin Graham recently said: “The world has deteriorated so quickly. We cannot be deceived and we can’t be fooled. We need to be ready and be prepared.”

So demonstrate great form. Hold on, hold tight, be patient, prepared and prayerful, there’s no doubt God will prevail.

You know a lot of people like to go to attractions where famous people have been.  Visit the Hollywood Walk of Stars.  Sleep where George Washington slept.  Follow the Chissolm Trail.  Head out on the Road to Emmaus.  Walk the Via Dolorosa.

The beach has a main attraction too, and that’s why we visit – the ocean.  An incredible roaring expanse of water that covers thousands of miles and carries water from another coast right to the tip of our toes.  It is quite a sight to see.  It was created on the third day, by the way.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.  And it was so.  God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called the “seas.”  And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:9-10

But, the waters were there from the very beginning.  Chew on that.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Genesis 1:1-2

Did you see that?  Over the waters.  What was over the waters?  The Spirit of God.  Take just a minute and process that.  The Trinity.  This is what makes the beach the main attraction.  It’s where land and water meet.  Where the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters, from the very beginning.  It’s kind of cool to think about when you look at the ocean.  The Spirit of God hovered over the ocean.  Doesn’t that alone make it a tourist attraction?   Anyway.

If you’ve ever been to the beach, you know how loud, how vast, how constant the ocean sounds.  It’s so loud you can hear it behind closed doors. In fact, it is so powerful a presence that you think you can hear it when you can’t.  Ever put a conch shell to ear?  Folks find this sound so relaxing, so calming, that they make wave machines to help put you to sleep – no kidding. 

As we were heading out one day, I remarked that it was awfully noisy at the beach and I wasn’t talking about the ocean.  Folks were yelling, music blaring, mowers were mowing, construction was happening, equipment was beeping,  leaf blowers (sand blowers) blowing, car alarms alarming, trucks were trucking, sprinkler systems sprinkling, dumpster dumping.  It just seemed so strange to me that the most calming sound, one of the reasons everyone was there, was being drowned out, kind of assaulted by the noises of life.  Yet, if you strained your ear, you could hear the whisper of waves, the steady unceasing voice of the ocean, God’s Spirit hovering.

Isn’t this just like our daily lives?  Because we are His, the Sweet Spirit of God is living in us.  It is bold, vast, loud, constant, kind of like the ocean.  But, just like the beach noises drown out the ocean, or make it harder to hear, our life noises do the same thing.  Doesn’t mean it’s not there.  The Spirit of God is always hovering.  Just means we don’t hear it. 

Just as the waves lap at the shore, God’s Spirit is moving, calling, talking, beckoning, constantly.  Can we hear him?

…and you will hear a voice say, “This is the way; turn around and walk here.”

Isaiah 30:21

I bet my bottom dollar that He has spoken those words to me so very often and because of the din of my life, I can’t hear Him.  I can hear everything, but what I need to hear.  He reminds us…

Be sure to pay attention to what you need to hear.  The more you do this, the more you will understand – and even more besides.  To those who are open to my teaching more understanding will be given.  But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.

Mark 4:24-25

Pay attention to what you need to hear.  His words always sum it up so clearly.  What do we need to hear?  His Voice.  What happens if we do.  We gain more understanding.  What happens if we don’t?  We lose what little understanding we have.  When the waves of life are making too much noise.  We need to pay closer attention.

We’re vacationing for a few days at the beach.  Of course, one of the huge draws of the beach is the sunrise.  It is a mighty thing to see.  People gather early on to claim their sand spot to watch it happen.  Even folks who don’t usually darken the sandy shore turn out for it.  Folks throw their towels east and take a seat, remove their flip flops, or stand in place in anticipation, almost at attention, reverence, awe — think holy ground.  As folks are readying, they pull their phones out and adjust them for the big moment.  Some even put their backs to east and take selfies with the pink sky in the background. 

Those who come to watch the sunrise have gone to a bit of effort to do so.  Waking early, traveling to the beach, seeking out the best view, all before 6:17 am.  It may seem like a good bit of effort for a brief moment in time. Luckily, our place at the beach has a balcony that looks out onto the ocean so I can sip my coffee and sea (get it!) the wonders of God. It is quite magnificent. 

One thing I noticed though 6:17…6:18…6:19…6:20…6:21…6:22…6:23..6:24…

By 6:22 you can slide a slip of paper between the sun and the ocean.  Bam!  In a matter of 6 minutes, the view has gone from a pink hint, to up in the sky fully reflected, to obscured by the clouds.  By 6:24 time is unfrozen, towels have been shaken, chairs folded, flip flops on, and the figures in the sand move on to the next part of their day having left no evidence of their presence .  But, part of the phenomenon of the sunrise is that if you stare at the sun, which we know what our momma’s said, but if we do, we can actually see it moving.  It happens just that fast.

It’s a great reminder of another event that will happen just that fast, the return of the King:

This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him concerning the events that will happen soon.  Revelation  1:7

Soon, or which must shortly come.  The Greek word for soon is tachos and it means the speed or the pace with which something will happen.  It means a brief space of time, haste, quickly.  It’s not a length of time.  It doesn’t mean when something will happen but how something will happen.  This verse means the events that Jesus is speaking about will happen in quick succession.  In a blink of an eye. Kind of like the sunrise.  One minute you’re looking at a pink sky, a hint of things to come and the next minute the Son is here.  There’s no time to get ready, no time to spread out our towels, open our chairs, remove our shoes, or take our selfies.  When the Son arrives, it will be too late.  There will be no second chances to prepare for His arrival.

Against this beautiful picture of hope, this does sound a little like a doomsday message, doesn’t it?  Well, it is.  For those who are unprepared, those who are willful, stubborn, defiant, selfish, idolaters, evil, (which we all were before we followed Christ – remember, it’s all in or all out, no walking the fence), and if we’re honest, some of which we easily slip back into if we’re not careful, when the Son appears, there will only be darkness. Final darkness. No pink in the sky. No hint of reflection. No beautiful picture of hope. Forever darkness.

Wow, how’d we get from a most beautiful sunrise to all darkness, you say?  She’s a Debby-downer, you say?  Jesus is love, you say?  Jesus is kind, you say?  Jesus will take care of my problems, you say?  All of this is true, however, if you haven’t turned your life over to Christ, if you haven’t repented of your sins and asked for forgiveness, if you only dipped your toe in the Living Water, you are living in darkness.  Plain and simple.  Sure, we think we can go on living in this world and His world all at the same time, but we can’t.  Light and dark cannot coexist.  If we put off living in the Light, we may just be caught unprepared for the arrival of the Son.

You see, there’s no guarantee the sun will appear in the sky day after day.  But, there is a guarantee that the Son will appear again one day.  It’s a promise.  If we are not ready, it will be too late.

Look, I am coming soon!  Revelation 22:7

See, I am coming soon.  Revelation 22:12

Yes, I am coming soon.  Revelation 22:20

Those are red letters.  Straight from Jesus lips.  Look. See. Yes. He is coming again.  But, until He comes, there’s still time to prepare.  There’s still time to open your chair and pull it up to the table.  There’s still time to shake out your towels.  Remove our shoes to stand on the holy ground. There’s still time to run to the shore.  Think about it.  The Son will appear, don’t just wish you’d been ready – prepare now so you don’t miss it!

Is there oil in your lamp?

I heard this question a few weeks back.  I’ve thought about it often.  Is there oil in your lamp?  I’ve thought about what it means.  Of course, the first thing that comes to my mind is the kids chorus I learned back in felt board time.  This was considered a praise and worship song back in the day.   You may remember it too:

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Keep me burning ’til the break of day

Sing hosanna, sing hosanna
Sing hosanna to the King of kings
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna
Sing hosanna, to the King

Give me fuel to make my light burn for others.  May I keep burning for all to see.  Sing hosanna.  Keep me burning ‘ til the break of day. Sing hosanna. There’s another verse asking to be made a fisher of men.  Sing hosanna.

The question also reminded me of the parable of the 10 maidens, bridesmaids, or virgins.

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.”  Matthew 25:1

In those days a wedding was a big to-do lasting every bit of a week.  The groom would go to the bride’s home for the wedding ceremony.  After the I do’s, they’d hop onto his camel, all decked out with tin cans and a Just Married sign, and he’d take her to his house.  All the wedding guests would follow the newlyweds in a great parade or procession to the groom’s house where they would party hardy for a week or so and then the lovely couple would live in great happiness forever.  Sing hosanna.

So these 10 ladies had hoped to be part of the great wedding procession, they were definitely invited.  The problem was that only 5 of them were prepared.  You see, it could sometimes be quite a while before the happy couple left the bride’s home to head to the groom’s home to live.  We’ve all been to weddings, and rarely do they start when we expect them to.  It was no different with this wedding.  Maybe the flowers hadn’t arrived.  Maybe the ring went missing.  Maybe there was a problem with the dress.  Maybe all the guests had not arrived. We don’t exactly know.  But what we do know is that the groom didn’t come when they thought he would. 

When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.  “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’  “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps.

Behold He comes…at midnight!  A very unusual hour, a time when most would have been sleeping, a time when most would have been surprised, caught unawares, unprepared.

But, can you just imagine the great celebration?  The Bridegroom emerges from the bride’s house to cheers, trumpets blaring, a joyous celebration, dancing with all their might, singing, let the party begin!  Sing hosanna!

So the girls hopped up, trimmed their wicks and lit their lamps.  But there was just a small problem.  Only five of them were ready.  Only five of them had enough oil in their lamps.  Only five of them could participate in the procession, only five could attend the wedding.  Only five of them could go the distance.

Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

“But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’  “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

By the time the ladies had returned from purchasing oil, it was too late.  The feast had started and you can’t join the party after it has already started.  It’s very unfortunate for these ladies.  You see they didn’t have the excuse of being too young, too immature, not knowing the process of the wedding.  Although these ladies were not yet married, they were also not children.  They had no excuse for not being prepared.  They simply chose not to be ready for the Groom.  It is a choice you know.  We all get to decide whether we will be ready when the Groom comes, whether we will participate in the wedding feast.

The world, Satan, will lie to us.  He’ll say we have plenty of time – not so.  He’ll say you can live the way you want and still attend the wedding – not so.  He’ll say you’ve got plenty of time Jesus isn’t coming soon – not so.  He’ll say you don’t have to be prepared for the wedding, you can rely on those who are – not so.  He’ll say you only have filthy rags to wear – not so.  He’ll say your kind isn’t invited – not so.  He’ll say that you don’t have a worthy gift to take to the wedding – not so.  He’ll say that this wedding is just not a big deal – not so.  He’ll say that there will be no wedding – not so.

When Jesus comes back…Sing hosanna…we must be ready.  We can’t beg, borrow or steal to get into the feast.  We have to be ready all on our own.  We can’t rely on someone else’s relationship with Jesus or someone else’s heart to be able to attend the marriage feast. We can’t rely on attending church to be able to attend the wedding. Are you ready?  Is there oil in your lamp?  Is it burning, burning, burning?  Can others see it? Do you need to come to Jesus now and say Lord, give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, I want to be ready for the wedding?

I don’t have a mansion just over the hillside, but from the cottage below, this house intrigues me. There are tons of folks building mansions on top of North Mountain. Now that the trees are leaved, they are a little less conspicuous, but there is one that makes me curious. First of all, it looks pretty big, maybe several stories high. I can only imagine the views from atop. But the thing that really sticks out to me is that the house is sort of sideways on the mountain. It’s crookedish.

I mentioned the crookedness of the house to Tony one day and he said they built it facing south for the sunlight — solar power. Who knew? How smart is that? So, the front of this house is pointing due south. If you have a glass front house, building in the right direction to make use of the sun, to receive its warming rays and collect all that solar power just makes sense. Between the power of the sun and the great ventilation up there, that house is positioned correctly.

That led me to the thought — am I positioned correctly? Am I positioned to receive the most direct Sonlight, to absorb the solar power of the Son? Have I oriented myself to gain the most power from my Most High?

Just like these folks had to consciously decide to position their house in the most beneficial direction, we must do the same. Yes, if we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior and are obedient to His Word we have the same power that rose Jesus from the grave. Too, just like that mansion on the hill, we have the solar battery pack (our hearts) but if we are not pointed to the Son, being fed by the Son, absorbing His rays, positioned correctly, those power packs won’t be any use. In fact, if they are being used and fed, corrosion will cause what’s inside that battery to become hard, lifeless and useless. The Son Light gives power which converts the packs into useable energy. Another word for energy? Spirit. Hmmm. If the packs are not charged, they will be lifeless, without energy, without power. We all know that dreaded sound of a dying battery winding down.

If we are not oriented correctly, if we do not put ourselves in the right position, we will not be able to receive all the power He has to offer. Spending time with Jesus, spending time in His Word, spending time talking to Him, spending time encouraging and being encouraged by other Jesus People are all ways the Son shines His Light — all those things generate, each a ray of the Son, the power we must have in order to be energized for Him. There’s only one way to be energized by Him, to get the power directly from Him. Not in our strength but in His.

As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us t receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature. 2 Peter 1:3-4

So, are you position correctly to receive all that He has to offer His Children?

I made a statement at work a couple of weeks ago that I spent more time on my knees in 2020 then I think I have my entire life combined.  True, but sad, but convicting.  Thirteen days in, 2021 doesn’t look to be any different. In fact, my knee time in 2021 could quite possibly surpass my knee time in 2020, and it should.

Each passing year, despite the circumstances of the world, the happenings in our country, the motion of our own little tiny universes, our knee time should increase.  As we grow in our relationship with Jesus and persist in living in His presence, our communication with Him should increase exponentially.  Frankly, He should at some point be all consuming.  In fact, I(we) should have the consciousness of His Presence even when I(we) don’t hear His voice.  Chew on that a minute. We don’t need to hear His voice to know He is present, to sense His presence, to experience His presence, to be in His presence.  We need only persist.

One day Jesus told His disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up.  Luke 18:1

How much clearer could it be?  The need for constant prayer is so important that Jesus told them a story to convince them.  Read it in Luke 18, it’s a beautiful illustration of persistence in prayer.  We know, of course, that we are to persist in all our prayers, but the way in which it is used here is prayer for deliverance, rescue, salvation, in times of trial.  It means simply, as 1 Thessalonians tells us  “Keep on praying.”  It doesn’t mean we have to pray harder or pray longer, it means we keep our requests before God continually, confident that He will answer.

Some of you may have read the other day in Jesus Calling:

When you bring Me prayer requests, lay out your concerns before Me.  Speak to Me candidly; pour out your heart.  Then thank Me for the answer that I have set into motion long before you can discern the results.  When your requests come to mind again, continue to thank Me for the answers that are on the way.  If you keep on stating your concerns to Me, you will live in a state of tension.  When you thank me for how I am answering your prayers, your mind-set becomes much more positive.  Thankful prayers keep your focus on My Presence and My promises.

Sarah Young

So, in 2021 we pray for deliverance from the times of trial – physical, mental and mostly spiritual — knowing that Jesus will surely answer, because He said He would, and in this day and age, as in days and ages past, His Word is the only thing we can count on as true.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Colossians 4:2

So with persistence we devote ourselves to prayer, and enter into the sweet presence continually, with a thankful heart, a heart of praise.  We know that praise always precedes the miracle, and answered prayers are miracles – salvation, healing, comforting – miracles because they are only answers that God can give.  For that we are thankful.

Sweet hour of prayer
Sweet hour of prayer
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known
In seasons of distress and grief
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By Thy return, sweet hour of prayer

Sweet hour of prayer
Sweet hour of prayer
The joys I feel, the bliss I share
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for Thy return
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face
And gladly take my station there
And wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer

Sweet hour of prayer
Sweet hour of prayer
And wait for Thee
Sweet hour of prayer

I know not why God’s wondrous grace

To me He hath made known,

Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love

Redeemed me for His own.

I know not how this saving faith

To me He did impart,

Nor how believing in His Word

Wrought peace within my heart.

I know not how the Spirit moves,

Convincing men of sin,

Revealing Jesus through the Word,

Creating faith in Him.

I know not what of good or ill

May be reserved for me,

Of weary ways or golden days,

Before His face I see.

I know not when my Lord may come,

At night or noonday fair,

Nor if I walk the vale with Him,

Or meet Him in the air.

Ah…the thoughts of man.  It is some slight comfort to know that Major Daniel Whittle had some of the same thoughts I’ve rolled around in my brain, 136 years ago.  You know what I mean, right?  Of course you do, the I know nots…I know not why…I know not how…I know not what…I know not when…

Guess who else did?  Father Abraham!  You see, God made a promise to him.  What was that promise?  That Abraham’s offspring would be as numerous as the stars. 

“This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”

Genesis 15:4

What was Abraham’s response to the covenant, to the promise?

Abraham believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6

Did you see that?  He didn’t miss a beat.  Abraham didn’t know the why, the how, the what, the when.  The only thing he did know was the promise.  Look how Brother Paul recites it for us:

Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith, believing that he would become “the father of many nations”. He relied on the word of God which definitely referred to “they seed”. With undaunted faith he looked at the facts–his own impotence (he was practically a hundred years old at the time) and his wife Sarah’s apparent barrenness. Yet he refused to allow any distrust of a definite pronouncement of God to make him waver. He drew strength from his faith, and, while giving the glory to God, remained absolutely convinced that God was able to implement his own promise.

Romans 4:19-21

Oh sure, of course he had faith, we’re talking about the Big A here, Mr. Faithful.  We can say we don’t have that kind of faith, we can talk about the I know nots…why, how, what, when?  But I am so encouraged.  You see, God used Abraham, just an ordinary man, he was far from perfect – remember that Sarah’s my sister thing?  But I’m far from perfect too!  Hey, you too!  I love this verse.  What sets Abraham apart is not his perfection, it’s  his unwavering faith.  You see, Abraham believed that God would do what He said He would do.  He didn’t waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God.  See what it says?  He was strengthened in his faith.  Abraham was fully persuaded, completely convinced that God had the power to do what He promised and that He would do what He promised.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to do infinitely more than we could ever dare to ask or imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

He is able to accomplish anything!  That’s the key.  He is.  Abraham believed the promise because of the promiser – God!

Here’s the zinger – Do I believe the promises He has made?  Do you believe the promises He has made?  Work that out in your mind.  It just might be time to reclaim the promises of the Promiser. 

Major Whittle did.  Abraham did.  Paul did.  Countless other names in the Bible did. 

But “I know Whom I have believed,

And am persuaded that He is able

To keep that which I’ve committed Unto Him against that day.”

The deliverance of the Israelites, God’s chosen people, from the Egyptians was not only a physical deliverance, it was a spiritual deliverance as well.  The Israelites were not only delivered from pagan influences but the deliverance also consecrated the Israelites to the service of God.

For the Jews, this physical and spiritual deliverance is a deeply Holy, significant observance.  And while Passover begins today for our Jewish friends, it should be no less important and given no less significance in the life of Christians.

The Exodus from Egypt was not only one of the greatest events and epochs in the history of the Jews, but one of the greatest events and epochs in the history of the world.  To that successful escape, Europe, America, and Australia are as much indebted as the Jews themselves.  And the men of Europe, the men of America, and the men of Australia might join with us Jews in celebrating that feast of the Passover.  C.G. Montefiore

We all know well the story of the first Passover.  The details given in Exodus 12, the Word from God to the people of God, tells of the significance.  I marvel at the step-by-step instructions given by God to His people for their deliverance and protection.  Instructions and commandments that are still reverently observed today.  Does that not speak to their importance?  But, that’s not just in Exodus, is it?  It is the theme of the entire Word of God.  Our Deliverer is coming.  Our Deliverer has come.  Our Deliverer will come again.  Hallelujah!

The first Passover and the Passover roughly 3400 years later, are strikingly similar.  These two separate events in history allegorically, metaphorically and symbolically, rival Revelation.  That should really come as no surprise to us Word of God people as the entire Holy Book points to Jesus’s coming, arrival, and returning. The Alpha and the Omega from the alpha to the omega.

In the tenth day of this month they shall take until to them every man a lamb…Your lamb will be without blemish, a male of the first year; ye shall take it from the sheep or the goats; and ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation shall kill it at dusk.  And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it.  And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire…Eat, not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof…And thus shall you eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and you staff in your hand; and shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover.  For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born, in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments:  I am the Lord.  Exodus 12:1-12 (Hebrew Text English Translation of the Pentateuch)

I encourage you to take your own plunge into the profound, there are mirrors upon mirrors in the Passovers. Here are a couple of my own aha’s from this text.

First, the cooking instructions for the lamb.  They were told to prepare the meat by roasting.  That would not necessarily be how we prepare roast lamb today.  They would have prepared the roast lamb, out of doors, on a spit over an open fire.  The profound plunge for me was that the spit most likely would have been made of a perpendicular and transverse pole.  Two poles in the shape of a cross.  Think about that.

The second aha moment came with the two side-posts and the lintel.  The text does not say doorway or door jam. It specifically describes the structure.  Two side-posts supported the lintel, which is a load-bearing construction element designed to support openings.  A lintel is also described as a horizontal beam, a crosspiece, or headpiece that spans (a stringer) an opening.  Wow!  The importance of the lintel is that it carries the weight of the structure!  Wow, again!

My visual is that I’m the left doorpost (sin), God is the right doorpost (Righteousness), and Jesus is the crossbeam (the mediator, the joiner).  Because God and I could not coexist due to my sin, Jesus bore the load, took on my burden, spanned the opening.  The only way God could get to me was for Jesus to die for me.  Outrageous as it sounds, it is Truth.  Don’t let anyone tell you different.  The blood on the lentil and door-posts of the first Passover is the same blood that bridges the span between God and me.  The blood of the first Passover lamb delivered the Israelites.  The blood of the second Passover Lamb delivers us all.  Think about that as we head into the Christian Passover.

God sent His son
They called Him Jesus
He came to love
Heal and forgive
He bled and died
To buy my pardon
An empty grave
Is there to prove
My savior lives

And because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
All fear is gone
Because I know
He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives

“…Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me?  Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”  “Caesar’s,” they replied.  “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”  His reply amazed them, and they went away.

Matthew 22:15-22

After hearing this verse on the radio, I had to dig into it a little because something about it stirred my mind.  This is the first in a series of three questions posed to Jesus by the Pharisees and Herodians, and Sadducees.  We know that the Pharisees had lost their minds about Jesus and these questions were meant to trap him.  Jesus’ and His message of salvation was growing in popularity, and they were at a loss to stop Him.  We know eventually that they could see the writing on the wall and this man Jesus simply had to go.  Eventually, the plan was hatched for His death and, of course and as usual, things did not go as they had expected.  Isn’t that always the case with evil?  God can turn into good what is meant for evil.

These plotters thought they had a fail-safe question.  “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?”  On it’s face, it sounds  like a legit question, however, the catch to the question wasn’t necessarily the question itself but the askers.  On one hand the Pharisees would say to pay Caesar would be against God, and on the other hand the Herodians would say to pay God would be against Caesar.  Seems like quite a dilemma. But Jesus…

What caused a stir in me in these verses?  The coin.  The coin was a denarius which was payment for about a day’s work. Jesus says, “show me the coin.”  I visualize Him taking the coin, rubbing his fingers over the raised stamp of Caesar’s face, turning it over and examining it back to front, front to back, looking on it in a contemplative way as He is pausing for effect, the silence deafening.  I can almost see the askers leaning in on tiptoe, breathless with anticipation and with joy in their hearts because they think they have finally outmaneuvered Him.  Then Jesus responds to their question with a question “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”  They answer and Jesus looks up at them and drops the mic.  The scriptures tell us they were amazed, silenced, and they went away.

Jesus asked them specifically, whose face is stamped, who’s image, who’s marking, who’s inscription, who’s title, is on the coin?  My mind went to my heart.  As a follower of Christ, my life bears God’s image.  Lord and Savior is stamped, marked, inscripted, impressed on my heart.  Just like the coin belongs to Caesar, our hearts belong to God.  Not just a portion, or a piece, or a little, but the whole thing.  We can’t have half a stamp, part of a mark, or a partial title on our hearts.

God says to me “show me the coin.” I visualize Him taking my heart, rubbing his fingers over the raised stamp of His face, turning it over and examining it back to front, front to back, looking on it in a contemplative way as He is pausing for effect, the silence deafening. He says give to Me what is Mine.

Maybe we need to examine our own hearts the same way God does, contemplate the inscription, roll them around a little, look at them front and back and ask…Do I give to God what is God’s?

Lord, I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I live for you alone.

Every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake, Have your way in me.