Monthly Archives: September 2016

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Comfort In Affliction

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For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.  Romans 8:24-25

I love music.   One of my first memories is being cradled by my father as he sang me to sleep…something I would later do with my own children and occasionally with my grandchildren.  Music energizes me.  It helps me refocus when my thoughts start spiraling out of control.  Aside from God’s handiwork that has brought to my knees in worship, few things stir my soul like great music.  In that light, I’d like focus my discussion around “When My Heart is Torn Asunder” by Phil Wickham.  It is a song that has blessed me on many occasions.

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The Prisons We Build

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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.”  Luke 4:18

Last week was an interesting week.  First, I met with a new GI doctor who is clearly the first specialist to look at my medical history in total rather than just his area of expertise.  The result is that he feels that the diagnosis that has governed my care for the last 23 years is probably inaccurate.  In short, it is too myopic and does not consider that there is possibly an underlying problem that ties my various health issues together.  While I should be ecstatic that he cares enough to take a fresh look at things, it is unsettling to go back to the world of “undiagnosed” and start the diagnostic process over.

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Reminders

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“Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’  then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”  Joshua 4:5-7

God knows us and how forgetful we can be.

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Bond-Servant of God

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“Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, ‘You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’”  Mark 10:42-45

I find it interesting that Philippians, Titus, James, 2 Peter, Jude and Revelation all begin with a description of the writer as a bond-servant of God.  Culturally, the concept of servitude is undesirable.  We are told that independence, self-service and personal comfort should rule our perspective.  Yet this is not God’s design for civilization.

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The Lion and The Lamb

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And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.  Revelation 5:5-6

This morning one of the devotionals I read was about God the Father’s joy in Christ as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God.  Later as I was working around our house, my IPod shuffled to “Come Unto to Me” (by Nicole C. Mullen) which is a favorite of mine.  Consequently, throughout the day I pondered these two images of Christ and what they mean for us as Christians.  On the one hand, we have the powerful conquering Lion while on the other we have the meek, yet perfect Lamb of God. 

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