Reflections for my friend:
“Thou hast taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Thy bottle;
Are they not in Thy book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me.” Psalm 56:8-11
He, the Creator of all worlds,
He, the Alpha and the Omega,
He, the Master of the universe…
…takes into account my wanderings?
…captures my tears and puts them in His bottle?
…He – is for me?
I am overwhelmed by these thoughts. God sees my wanderings through this life. I do not wander alone; nor do I wander out of His sight. Not only does He see my journeys, He takes them into account – He notes them, recognizes them, understands them. He remembers them as He interacts with me.
God also sees the pain that I struggle with. He doesn’t just observe my tears, He collects them. My tears do not flow unheeded or without response. God gathers them and stores them in His own bottle; they are valued by Him.
Why does God care about my wanderings and tears? Why does He take the time to relate to me on this level? It is hard to comprehend.
But David goes even further in this Psalm. David boldly declares, “God is for me.”
God is for me.
O, God, grant that I may know – deep within my soul – that You are for me!
In another passage, David is reflecting on similar truths: God knows when he sits down, when he rises up, what he is thinking, what he speaking. God knows it all.
The truth is that God knows all about me. God knows all of me, yet He still loves me. And He still is for me. I exclaim, as David did, when reflecting on these thoughts, “Such knowledge is to wonderful for me: It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” Psalm 139:6
Incredible.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
More Musings on Heaven
I am still thinking about how meditating on Heaven enables us to live well now.
In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis says,
If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. [p. 118]
A contemporary person who lived with Heaven in view was Nate Saint, one of the five missionaries who sought to befriend and evangelize a savage Ecuadorian tribe. The movie The End of the Spear (2006) tells the story of these missionaries and their families who reach out to this tribe.
There is a particularly poignant scene between Nate and his son Steve right before they go to meet the Waodanis. Steve is anxious about his father going to met them. Fearing that the Indians might try to kill the missionaries, he asks his dad, "Will you defend yourself? Will you use your guns?
Nate replied, "No. We can't shoot the Waodanis. They are not ready for Heaven. We are."
Nate and the other four missionaries meet their Lord that day. But through their efforts and the efforts of their families, the Waodanis did hear and respond to the gospel. Now, they, too, are ready for Heaven.
I regret that my internal dialogue when I was hearing the movie for the first time was, “of course, we will defend ourselves.” I was more concerned about my personal safety than the eternal souls of the Waodanis. It is good that it was Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and Pete Fleming who went out to meet the Waodanis that day. May my own faith grow until my thoughts of Heaven make me of the same earthly good.
In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis says,
If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. [p. 118]
A contemporary person who lived with Heaven in view was Nate Saint, one of the five missionaries who sought to befriend and evangelize a savage Ecuadorian tribe. The movie The End of the Spear (2006) tells the story of these missionaries and their families who reach out to this tribe.
There is a particularly poignant scene between Nate and his son Steve right before they go to meet the Waodanis. Steve is anxious about his father going to met them. Fearing that the Indians might try to kill the missionaries, he asks his dad, "Will you defend yourself? Will you use your guns?
Nate replied, "No. We can't shoot the Waodanis. They are not ready for Heaven. We are."
Nate and the other four missionaries meet their Lord that day. But through their efforts and the efforts of their families, the Waodanis did hear and respond to the gospel. Now, they, too, are ready for Heaven.
I regret that my internal dialogue when I was hearing the movie for the first time was, “of course, we will defend ourselves.” I was more concerned about my personal safety than the eternal souls of the Waodanis. It is good that it was Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and Pete Fleming who went out to meet the Waodanis that day. May my own faith grow until my thoughts of Heaven make me of the same earthly good.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Eyes on Heaven
As I have been looking at verses on Heaven, I see that it is our orientation toward Heaven that enables us to live well now. When our eyes are fixed on earthly things, we become consumed by what we have, what we need, what we think will bring us pleasure.
Paul contrasts living with our eyes set upon earthly things with living with our eyes set upon Heaven:
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us [living for the Kingdom].
For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
[But] our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. [Phil. 3:17-20]
The writer of Hebrews lists for us the deeds of believing men and women that do not make sense if those deeds are measured against earthly wisdom.
But these men and women chose to live by faith – by the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [Heb. 11:1] They confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth and that they desired a better country, that is a heavenly one. [Heb 11:13, 16]
Living with Heaven in view, they were able to live fearlessly upon earth. They could set aside the distractions of the world. They no longer lived for themselves or sought after their own personal interests. They could empty themselves and be poured out for the faith and welfare of others.
When we live with Heaven in view, the problems we have today are brought into focus.
- We can endure hardships - for with Heaven in view, we see they only last a short while.
- We can take courage in difficult situations - for with Heaven in view, we know they will eventually be resolved.
- We can set aside our own desires - for with Heaven in view, we find the grace needed to live for others rather than for ourselves.
May I keep my eyes on Heaven so that I may live well while on earth.
Paul contrasts living with our eyes set upon earthly things with living with our eyes set upon Heaven:
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us [living for the Kingdom].
For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
[But] our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. [Phil. 3:17-20]
The writer of Hebrews lists for us the deeds of believing men and women that do not make sense if those deeds are measured against earthly wisdom.
But these men and women chose to live by faith – by the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [Heb. 11:1] They confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth and that they desired a better country, that is a heavenly one. [Heb 11:13, 16]
Living with Heaven in view, they were able to live fearlessly upon earth. They could set aside the distractions of the world. They no longer lived for themselves or sought after their own personal interests. They could empty themselves and be poured out for the faith and welfare of others.
When we live with Heaven in view, the problems we have today are brought into focus.
- We can endure hardships - for with Heaven in view, we see they only last a short while.
- We can take courage in difficult situations - for with Heaven in view, we know they will eventually be resolved.
- We can set aside our own desires - for with Heaven in view, we find the grace needed to live for others rather than for ourselves.
May I keep my eyes on Heaven so that I may live well while on earth.
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