I remember visiting a large church in the inner city of Chicago to trouble-shoot their newly installed media-system. I’d been instructed to get there as quickly as possible, so I did. When I walked in, however, I found that a funeral was about to begin, and the projection system was in use. Rather than excuse myself and re-schedule, I stayed in the control booth so I could observe. Maybe the system would do again what they’d described on the phone. I hoped not, because it would be distracting during the service. But if it did, I wanted to be there to see it happen.
One of the speakers at that funeral, an 85-yr old preacher, didn’t waste any time starting in.
“Some of you maybe have said this week that Brother (I’ll call him) Thomas’ number came up this week.” “That God called his number and he had to go.”
The congregation responded to his delivery and soon the call and response was in full swing, the organist helping things along. We who attend white congregations have no idea how energizing this is — sometimes I wonder if we’d get it right, even if we tried. I remember smiling when I heard him say in poetic rhythm, the spirited Hammond organ backing him up:
“Brothers and sisters, God didn’t call no number this week.
Thomas don’t HAVE a number.
Thomas has a NAME!
God didn’t call out a number,
and Thomas look down at some ticket in his hand
and say “Well look-it there. That’s me.”
No, Sir,
He called Thomas by NAME!
And Thomas answered
“Here am I, Lord”
“Come on UP here, Thomas” God said.
Thomas always obeys the Lord, we know that.
So Thomas went.
We’ll miss him, we ALL will.
But WHO
in his RIGHT mind
would want Thomas to come back
… From HEAVEN?!
I’d gone to a part of the city where there’s a wrought iron fence around the facility to keep things safe through the night. A watchman is on duty around the clock. It’s a church that reaches out to its community, and tries to make a difference. I went there to find what was wrong with their technology and fix it if I could. Instead was reminded by an energetic old preacher:
God knows my name.
I may have to verify the last four digits of my social security number when I’m calling customer service, I may have to use a lot of numbers filling out applications and forms, but God knows my name. He knows when it’s best to call me Philip – even use my middle name. And he knows when to whisper “Phil – rest a minute. It’s OK.”
Do you feel like a number sometimes? I do.
You’re not a number. Not with God.
You have a name – and God knows it. When you pray, He knows who you are and He invites you in close if you’re His child, and listens.
He knows your name. Don’t lose heart when it feels like you’re resume number 87 in a stack of 125. God knows your name, what you need, when and where.
Keep telling Him what you need. He’s listening. He knows your name when you call.
Would that I could let you see these lines in beautiful calligraphy. The beauty of pen and ink slowing our eyes so these rich, rich words by Stuart Townend could soak in like a gentle summer rain:
How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure
That he should give his only son, to make a wretch his treasure
How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turned his face away
As wounds which mar the chosen one, bring many sons to glory
—
Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished
—
I will not boast in anything: no gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ; his death and resurrection
Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart: his wounds have paid my ransom
For the story behind this hymn, in Stuart’s own words, continue [ here ].
I’ve been playing on the piano here at our house an old song written by Gordon Jensen, “Tears Are A Language God Understands”.
I have in my home a daily calendar called “The Grace of Encouragement” by Charles Swindoll. I’ve used this calendar for over 10 years now, and love the quotes and the verses it presents day after day for me to think about.
Today’s quote: “I wonder how many tear bottles in heaven bear your initials. You’ll never have many until you let go and let a little tenderness run loose.”
Today’s verse: “Record my lament, list my tears on your scroll, are they not in your record?” Psalm 56:8 (NIV)
There were times when my feelings were hurt as a child and I cried; there were other times when an adult friend was hurting and I cried as I hugged them and let them cry. The time I cried the hardest and the longest was when it finally hit me that it was my Dad we were talking about, my Dad who had the inoperable brain tumor, and my Dad who only had 3-4 months left to live. I went to my husband’s outstretched arms and he held me and just let me cry. We cried as a family the night my Dad stepped inside the pearly gates. My brother read Psalm 23 and there was not a dry eye in the room.
No matter what you are going through today, God understands, and He understands your tears. When you’ve cried for a while, wipe the tears away and say to yourself, “Although what I’m going through right now is very painful, I know I still serve a God who makes no mistakes!” And believe it!
And remember Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV)
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
When I moved my blog to WordPress in September of ‘06 I had no idea what you’d do with it. I just knew I needed to share the things You and I talked about in the Quality Lab at GE with some who might want to read in.
We passed the 50,000 visitor mark this week, Lord, and I couldn’t help but notice and reflect a minute.
Thank you for Jack’s recommending WordPress when I was looking for a new home for my blog. Thanks for the WordPress team’s committment to making this free. Thanks for some excellent, tasteful, artsy templates that fit my style.
But most of all, God, thanks for You.
Your love compelled you to give Your only Son to die for us, and redeem us. Your determined grace and mercy takes care of our sin completely, removing it as far as the East is from the West. Your compassion You shed on us daily, and you expect us to share it with those we know.
I joke sometimes that you probably walked this earth before electriciy and technology so you wouldn’t have to deal with the frustration it can cause, but I’m so thankful Jesus came when He did, and that the invitation to receive eternal life is still open to all who believe.
Thank you for my wife – what a gift she is.
Thank you for the families that helped mold and shape us through the years, and encourage us as adults today.
Thank you for my/our children, and all you have in mind for them.
Thank you for Spring Creek Church, the home church I mention here on occasion. For our friends and acquaintances there.
Thank you for the friends we have across America, from places you’ve let us serve through the years.
Thank you for never losing sight of me, even when I lost my way in the fog and nearly totalled all You were trying to do through me. Thanks for your restorative work. Thanks for mercy. Thanks for grace. Thanks for the opportunity, including this place, to share with people around the world, what You’re doing – and what You’d like to do. Thanks in advance for our next assignment, whatever and wherever that may be.
Help me, Lord, to always – and I do mean ALways – lift You up here. Draw attention to You. Encourage the weary. Point people to You. Comfort the uncomfortable. And disquiet the complacent.
Have you ever asked God for something, imagined with Him how great it would be, all the good it could do, only to have Him say “no” ?
It’s hard to keep our spiritual heads on straight when that happens, isn’t it? We catch ourselves thinking “Lord, you said…” and quote the verses we’ve been claiming. “I really thought this would honor You. How come?!” “I don’t GET it!”
The moments after “No” —or days, maybe weeks— reveal a lot about our view of God, our theology. I’ve found over the years that one of two things happens after “no”. Either I stay just like I am and God becomes smaller in my thinking or God remains God and I become less, realizing my thoughts of late have not been His thoughts.
I’ve come to deliberately choose the latter when it happens. God always has been, is, and always will be God.
His no’s are always related to the famous five W questions; who, what, when, where and why.
Not you. I have someone else in mind for that task, or I have someone else I want you to serve with, someone else for you to be your life partner, business partner, associate, etc. I’m sorry, but it’s not you.
Not that. I have something else in mind for you, my child, something you will appreciate and enjoy more than this one — once you see it.
Not now. I know I’m never early by your clock but I’m never late, either. Keep trusting me. Don’t lose heart. I will take care of you, probably not the way you expect me to.
Not there. I need you somewhere else, and I hope you’ll be as eager to follow me there as you were to go with me where you’ve been considering. But it isn’t there. I’ll show you when the time comes.
And I know it’s hard, but I’m not giving you all the reasons. Not yet. You’ll be able to see some of the whys as you look back on things, but not all. Eventually, from Heaven’s shore you’ll be able to, but by then you’ll be with me and all this won’t matter as much. but I know right now it’s huge. Trust me. Stick close to me. I know exactly what I’m doing. –GOD–
Don’t let God become a disappointment when He says no. I can tell you first-hand the results of thinking that way are devastating. It’s impossible to worship a disappointment.
Look to Him. Look for His eyes. Anticipate His look of love. Ask Him to carry you through this. That’s what childlike faith does, and we know how God feels about that!
Have you ever wondered why new parents skip right over “Ahab” in their search for baby names? There’s a reason his name isn’t in the top 10!
What a brat. Yesterday I read about Ahab’s adult tantrum over his neighbor Naboth’s vineyard. Curled up on his bed, his face to the wall, refusing to eat, he whimpers “Naboth won’t give me his vineyard. He won’t trade me. He won’t even sell it to me!”
“Oh, Sweetie, don’t you worry, I’LL give it to you, Hon’” So Jezebel sets him (Naboth) up, brings in false witnesses, and Naboth is falsely accused, convicted and executed by stoning for something he didn’t do — all so Jezebel’s Dear Hubby could have his little vineyard. The details are in 1 Kings 21 if you haven’t been there recently.
Can you spell “spoiled” with four letters? How about A H A B
God was not pleased. Not at all. He sent Elijah to Ahab with a message. “You have provoked me to anger.” I wonder if God wanted to call him “chump” or something … or if that’s just something I’d do. “In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood — yes, yours! . . . Jezebel too. By the wall of Jezreel.” In addition Elijah let him know there would be no surviving male descendants from Ahab & Jezebel. “Disaster is coming, Pal, this is the end of your family name. You are being yanked from the gene pool, Ahab. Finito.”
Ahab repented and put on sackcloth (the outward expression of repentance and remorse). He fasted. He went around meekly (1 Kings 21.27).
This morning I noticed God’s response to Ahab’s actions and am mulling it over as I go about today’s tasks. It’s in verse 29:
“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”
It sounds like God said “Not now, later.” Instead of you being the end of the line and disaster coming to your family, we’ll let it conclude in the next generation. Your son will be the last. Ahab’s repentance delayed God’s sentence, in a way. Deferred judgment. I’d call that mercy, wouldn’t you? Strange mercy, but mercy nonetheless.
I once heard a definition for Servanthood as “Doing something for somebody else … the way THEY would like it done.”
Just recently I thought about one of the first times I remember seeing servanthood in action. It happened when our family of five was visiting my Grandpa and Grandma a couple states away.
When my Grandpa was young and working on the farm, he lost his right arm just below the elbow in a corn picker. Sometimes he wore his hook, but many times he just folded his long sleeved
shirt over the end and put a loose rubberband around his elbow joint to hold his shirt sleeve in place and went about his day as normal as possible. As a small child I remember visiting their house. As part of breakfast Grandma served a half of a grapefruit in a bowl. There was one at each place setting. She took the time to cut around each section so that we were able to eat it easily by sliding our spoon under the section of grapefruit and popping it in our mouth for that first bite of sour fruit. After the first bite it wasn’t sour anymore. What I remember most is that Grandma would take extra time on Grandpa’s bowl of grapefruit, and she would not only cut around the sections like she did for everyone else, she would also take the sections out of the rind and place it all in a bowl, making it easier for him to eat. She did it for him because she loved him and wanted to make his life easier in whatever way she could. My Grandma’s servanthood was a silent one. I’m sure she did much more for him, that I never knew about, but it was never done with pomp or fanfare. Grandma made it as easy for him as possible, doing those little tasks that would be difficult with just one hand. Although my Grandma is in heaven now, I’m thankful for her unselfish example of being a servant … in the middle of every day life … and doing it for her husband … and her Lord.
I avoided Psalm 119 as a kid. “It’s too long!”
But it’s rich. I love it now.
Our church is in a summer series on Psalms and last Sunday we were in Psalm 119 again. I’ve been reflecting on it this week, reading in an old Bible of mine, enjoying the notes and underlined sections from previous meanderings through this Psalm. This time through I’m noticing how often he says “Teach me Thy statutes!” I feel the same as the author; constantly learning – always needing to.
I began to note how many reasons for needing to know His statutes, looking at things in a devotional, non-analytical way. Impressive and comprehensive reasons!
I’ll not be ashamed when I look on your commandments.
I will give thanks with uprightness of heart.
They (your testimonies) are my counselors.
I’ll understand they way of your precepts.
I will be strengthened
I’ll observe your ways to the end.
I’ll observe your law and keep it with all my heart
I’ll be revived.
I will walk at liberty
and that’s just in the first third of the psalm… How rich!
I remember the first time I heard the song, Moses. We hosted the Chorale from Grace College in Omaha, Nebraska one Sunday; I was the church’s Minister of Music. The chorale’s conductor and I got along great and the more I learned about him the more I found myself looking forward to the concert he and the Chorale would be giving in our sanctuary. It was a great room for choral music, nicely-live acoustically, but not too much.
This song was the last on the program and it took me by surprise – caught me off-guard. I was first impressed with the musical skill required to do this selection well, then with the storytelling ability of these 36 singers and one skilled accompanist at the piano! What focus, energy and emotion! When they came to the song’s conclusion I was moved. Everyone in the room was. Silence prevailed. It seemed inappropriate, somehow, to break the silence with applause. The conductor and I exchanged glances, silently agreeing to let the moment linger so God could finish the work He was doing in our hearts.
When the time finally came to thank the Chorale for their ministry with us the applause was loud – and long!
Here’s the song, performed by the composer, with full orchestra.
Press play
Turn it up if you won’t disturb anyone nearby
– let the song finish.
(The video slips out of synch after a while; close your eyes and lose yourself in the song)
See if hearing it once is enough. (My guess is it won’t be.)
Above all, listen to see if God whispers anything to you while you listen:
Have you ever noticed the verbs in Psalm 23? Most are things God does, and nearly all are ACTIVE verbs!
Read slowly, notice the verbs. God is actively involved in our lives; how easy to respond to Him! (formatting and emphasis are mine)
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousnessfor his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Only two “passive” verbs in the entire Psalm, and they are about God. He IS my shepherd, you ARE with me. I think I’ll “accept” that there’s no movement on those, no change, no reason to wonder if He’s still the same!
The others are “active” verbs; God is at work and involved on our behalf.
Take a minute and re-read the Psalm, taking a moment to let the meaning of those words soak in like a gentle all-day rain.
My response is the same as David’s – at least it should be -
I will not want, I will fear no evil, I will dwell with Him.
How encouraging. How reaffirming!
No wonder we call Him “The Good Shepherd” (see John 10 for more)
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