Monthly Archives: May 2015

The Signs’ Convergence

Psalm 23

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

I love the book of Psalms, it contains both the depths and the heights of following after God through this fallen world. While reading them we travel along with the psalmist as he wades through the swampy mire of desperation grappling with the harsh realities of life. Then often within the same Psalm we are brought up to the tops of mountains amidst the clouds catching glimpses of the heavenly courts above as the psalmist gives praise to the only One who can help. And it is there that we witness signs of the path from which His help would come.

Psalm 23 brings us on a journey with the psalmist as he envisions the depths of the providence of the LORD. He begins by considering himself as a sheep and the LORD his Shepherd. Like a Divine Realtor, this Shepherd brings His sheep to beautiful riverfront properties. These places provide such refreshment and tranquility, they restore the soul. A sign was then set in place, for an even greater water was to come and whoever drinks from it will never thirst again, John 4:13-14.

He then showed the psalmist paths that lead further into His presence; further into where restoration can truly begin. Like a Cartographer of the soul, He lead the way to places deeper than what can be experienced outside; for one can be surrounded by beauty but if peace is not within then even the most tranquil of places cannot be enjoyed. When followers of this Shepherd align their lives with His will, He leads them to paths that refine as they teach, paths that lead to where Wisdom dwells; they find that there is indeed a right way to live. Another sign was then set in place, for One was to come and bring fulfillment to these paths so that His followers might become what they could never otherwise achieve: the righteousness of God, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

The psalmist then followed the Shepherd into a darkened place; it is there that we are brought face to face with evil and death. We notice though that the psalmist did not stumble, lose his step, or even slacken his pace. Confidently he marched onward, noticing it with as much attention as one would show to an interesting historical landmark. We are told what gave him such boldness. One cannot simply pass by a lion that is devouring people left and right, one cannot so casually dismiss an incoming tidal wave or an erupting volcano, unless that is, you walk with One who is stronger than the lion, Daniel 6:22, mightier than any wave, Psalm 93:4, and can make mountains skip away or melt like wax, Psalm 97:5. Like a sheep trusting in the shepherd’s rod and staff for safety while it follows Him through a valley, so the psalmist depended on God, his Vanguard, in the face of fear. A third sign was set in place for though the psalmist was to walk through this valley, another was to come and conquer it. For Death is doomed to be swallowed up in victory, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57.

The path opened up ahead; it had taken on a festive livery and the psalmist was greeted with a curious sight: a table with a seat prepared just for him. The Shepherd, that Divine Realtor, Cartographer, and Vanguard, turned into a Maitre D’ as He escorted the psalmist to his table. Others were also present but they were not there to join in with the merriment. They were the enemies of the psalmist and God had something He wanted them to see. In their hunger, they witnessed the psalmist seated at a table and presented with a bountiful feast. They watched as he was honored in kingly fashion anointed with oil. And in their thirst, they watched as his cup overflowed with drink; it splashed on the table and fell to the floor. A fourth sign was then established, for One was to come and give His followers an even greater seat in the heavenly realms, Ephesians 2:6, and even greater power over the enemy, Luke 19:10.

With a toast to his Host, the psalmist concluded his journey with a raise of his goblet and said,

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6

It is at the house of the LORD that the signs converge. He gave to the world His Son who would fulfill all things written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, Luke 24:44. His Son Jesus was the One who opened the door for it is He who offers living water, He who gives His righteousness to those who enter in, He who defeated death and rose again, and it is He who seats us with Him in the heavenly realms giving us power over the enemy. Goodness and love came down and is the Savior of all mankind, Titus 3:4, and by Him we are ushered into a greater celebration, a greater feast:  the supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19:9.

Jesus is the depth of the Providence of the LORD, Ephesians 3:17-18. Wide are His arms and long is their reach. High He lifts us from no matter how deep. May His goodness and love lead you to salvation in Him for He is the Good Shepherd who did not run from danger; He laid down His life for all of us. Come and join Him at the table, He has a seat waiting for you.

 

 

No Frankensteins

Lord, people say that sometimes the idea of something is better than the real thing, but not with You.  You alone know the beginning and the end, for You are the Alpha and the Omega.  There are no Frankensteins with You; no ideas that begin with a virtue and end with a curse.  When we trust in You, we are putting all of life into alignment.  Future generations centuries from now can experience the blessings from what You are doing at this very moment.  You alone tie up all loose ends from the beginning of time to the cross to when Jesus comes again.

You know the plan, You know my heart, You know I’m Man, You know my part. 

May I play it as I am able, beyond my reckoning, its all on the table. 

May You reveal to me my daily portion, not too much or I’ll forget my lines, not too little or I’ll lose focus and try to play parts I was never meant to.  For when I come to a door that is shut, its not enough to simply knock, it never is.  I knock, then knock, then knock again.  If knocking doesn’t do it maybe forcing it will.  Might as well call me Abraham and the door Ishmael because when I break through, a mess I will make.  Thank You for the grace that teaches me to wait.

Tell the Future

Are there dreams yet to be fulfilled?

Is there a problem we can put our efforts into solving?

A frontier yet to be explored?

That is the lot of each coming generation.  Working to dream it, solve it, explore it gives us meaning, it gives us purpose.  Solving it fulfills our dreams, our imaginations, and proves our worth.  Exploring it opens the door to new possibilities and gives us new dreams, let alone provides the plot for a tv show.  Who knows what could be behind that door?  Will we finally achieve something that will be a self-sustaining continual victory?  Or will there be just another problem for the next generation to solve?  If there isn’t what will become of them?  If there is no problem, if we have finally achieved nirvana what will be our fate?  Who knows, maybe success will become the problem and someone will want to turn back the clock and start over.  But how far back do we go?  We know so much now, but if we don’t tell our kids how will they know?  The future still depends on us playing our part, that we tell the ones to come what has happened, what we have done about it, and what is still needing to be done.

Only one thing has been done that’s effects will reach to the end of time, and only one thing has been done that will reach even further.  Both are complete with nothing left undone.  Adam and Eve’s sin cursed all mankind, Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection lifted it from us.

May future generations be told of You Lord, told of Your love for them.