Sometimes

Sometimes there is a window that you can only find through the mystery of pain and suffering. Annie Johnson Flint not only found that window and looked through it, but she shared with others what she saw. Her's was a life of pain. But though the pain caused her body to be crippled, by faith her spirit soared through that open window into a world of grace. Spiritual truths were the reality in which she lived.

Come and look through the window that Annie opened.

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendest more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trails, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow'r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!
Annie Johnson Flint

Sometimes with the mystery of pain and suffering comes the mystery of Redemption.

https://youtu.be/93D1S0BztJ8

With Unveiled Faces

I brought a linen napkin for each one in class. I had each person cover their faces with the cloth. Looking through the cloth represented how our vision is shrouded by the worries and concerns and difficulties of life. I too covered my face. My vision was blocked and in a room filled with people I could feel the smothering, isolating effects of looking through a shroud. Next, I instructed everyone to slowly lift the veil as I read, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

So how do we lift the veil from our eyes, how do we let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, and exactly what are we to be thankful for? We have examples of those who have gone before us. "Women received their dead raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain another resurrection, and others experienced mocking and scourging, as well as bonds and imprisonment." (Hebrews 11:35-36) What these men and women saw with their physical eyes would filled their hearts with dread but they were living with their spiritual eyes wide open. With the eyes of the spirit unveiled by faith they were able to be sure of what they hoped for and confident about what their physical eyes couldn't see.

When I allow my vision to become shrouded by my failures or the failures of those around me I become blinded to spiritual truth and my focus becomes myopic. However, I have found that when by faith I open my heart to a spirit of gratitude I begin to see more clearly. As I open my spiritual eyes with thanksgiving I become aware that I am part of a bigger story. Keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus I realize that He is not only the author of my faith but He is perfecter of it. The more I am aware of what He has done for me the more I am filled with gratitude. The more I am filled with gratitude the sharper my spiritual vision becomes.

When I turn to the Lord the veil is removed. It is the Lord who removes the veil from our faces in the same way that the bridegroom lifts the bride's veil. "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Lord Jesus, with a heart filled with gratitude I come to You. Please let me by faith continue to lift my unveiled eyes to you.

Darkness Surrenders to the Light

In the beginning the darkness surrendered to the light. The light was given a name when the light overcame the darkness. It was called "day" and the the darkness was called "night". The first day began in darkness until God said, "Let there be light."

"Because of the tender mercy of God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:78) Once again the darkness surrenders to the light. The night gives way to day. God's mercy is new every morning reminding us day after day with the rising of the sun that light has been given to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death that there is a light that shines to guide us into the way of peace.

In the fullness of time, wise men came seeking a king. They came because they had seen his star in the east. The morning star rises in the east and heralds the coming of a new day. The star led them to the place the child was. Darkness attempted to extinguish the light when Herod tried to kill the child. But Jesus had come as a light that shines in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it.

When Jesus began his ministry he went to his own hometown, opened the book of Isaiah and read, "The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."(Matthew 4:16,17) The light had dawned, the power of darkness was broken and an invitation issued.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the declaration in the last chapter or the Bible that you are the bright morning star. You are the true light.

Peace Beneath His Wing

We were talking about what peace looks like and my friend shared with me the story she had told the children at church. She spoke of an art contest to illustrate peace. Many people entered the contest some with beautiful pastoral scenes, some showed pictures of people playing along a seashore but the picture that won the contest portrayed a violent storm. All around there was chaos and confusion produced by the howling winds and the turbulent waters but in the corner of picture a mother bird sat on her nest in the cleft of a rock with her protective wing sheltering a baby bird who was sleeping peacefully oblivious of the storm raging all around.

I believe this is the kind of peace God invites us to experience in the midst of the turbulence we often find in life. Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts you." This doesn't speak of an absence of trouble but of a mind that is staying focused on something other than the insecurity that comes the tempestuous storms of life. In fact Isaiah goes to tell us that we are to trust in the Lord forever, because the LORD God is an everlasting rock. He is not only our place of protection but He Himself is the LORD of the storm. He will give us the peace we crave when we give Him our trust.

Being still in the middle of a storm is not natural. I have know what it is to cry out in the night overwhelmed by threatening circumstances beyond my control. I understand how a small child feels who is awakened in the night by the crashing sound of thunder and the blinding sight of a lightning flash. However, I also know the comfort that a child feels when her cries are met with the kind and comforting presences of her father. In Psalms I find an invitation not only to trust in the Lord at all times but also to pour out my heart to Him. I can trust Him and I can pour out my heart to Him because, "God is out refuge." (Psalm 62:8)

I see the storms not only in my own life but in the lives of those around me. I want to call out from this place of safety that there is a peace that surpasses all comprehension. This is a peace that is not only found in the quiet places in our lives but also in the places that bring with them deep anxiety. There is a rock of salvation who offers us a hiding place. Christ Jesus stands with arms opened wide offering the peace of God to all who will put their trust in Him. Though the storm of life is raging all around us He will guard both the heart and mind of those who seek shelter beneath His wing of protection.

Prophetic Perspective

 "I have never really read the "Revelation."' I could tell she felt a since of embarrassment in this confession yet I also understood her hesitation to open the door into the world of prophecy. There are two things that draw me into this book. The first is the way the book begins, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place." The word revelation means, an unveiling, uncovering, revealing. I open the book with the anticipation that my spirit will also be open to this unveiling, uncovering, revealing, this revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to me the things must soon take place.

The second reason I plunge myself into this spiritual place is the promise I find in the third verse. "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and those who keep what is written in it, for the time is near." Without this blessing I'm not sure I would have the courage to venture into this unseen world where spiritual truths and judgments are revealed.

When an infant is born into the world they do not come fully comprehending the mystery of language. Words wash over them but in time they begin to connect meaning to the sounds they hear. Parents understand that the process of revealing their thoughts to their children will take time. Like a child I do not fully comprehend the mystery set before me but I put my trust in the one who has promised a blessing and I listen and I read and I let the words of the prophecy wash over me.

John was told in Revelation to write the things he saw, and the things which are, and the things that were to take place in the future. John wrote as the Spirit led unveiling to those who read aloud and to those who hear all these things from a prophetic perspective. The natural mind cannot comprehend the Spiritual truths reveled in Revelation. However, to those who have called on the name of Jesus as Savior He has given to them His Spirit. It is through the Spirit both blessing and understanding comes for all who will open the book and read.

The MMP Test

I held the old cat on my lap as we made, what I thought would be, it's last visit to the vet. As I rubbed my hand along his fur I could feel the unpadded bones of the cat. When we got to the vet Steve gently took Mistletoe from my lap. When the vet finished her examination we waited to hear the results. I was stunned when she said she didn't think Mistletoe needed to be put to sleep. Instead she explained that we had an MMP, a multi-medical problem-ed cat. I thought that meant dead cat but when I saw the kind and gentle expression on my husband face I knew otherwise.

For weeks now I have been studying, memorizing and meditating on Colossians chapter three but it seemed like God had chosen a cat to test me concerning this passage. At the heart of this passage it talks about qualities we are to put on; compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other. I had a complaint I thought it was time to put the cat to sleep and I could feel the anger rising up in me.

On the return trip from the vet with cat on my lap the question rose in my mind, who was right me or my husband? Is it right to keep a MMP cat alive or when a cat starts having multi-medical problems is it time to put the cat to sleep? I came to the conclusion that it simply depends on who you talk to. When situations like this arise it can cause marital strife. Someone has to let go of their right to be right.

My sister said that it is good for the soul to take care of a old pet, my sister is a nicer person than I am. However, I want to be a more compassionate person. I want to be kind not always having to have my own way. I want to be gentle and patient and so I choose to put on these qualities as I make room in my life for a MMP cat whose name is Mistletoe.

Lord Jesus, in life's laboratory where I make choices in how I respond to the circumstances I find, please help me put on love which binds everything together. Help me remember that as I yield my right of choice to my husband I am not only choosing to be kind and compassionate to a cat I am also choosing to be kind and compassionate to my husband.

Saints in Light

She sat across from me in her specially made wheel chair. When we began to pray she began to weep. I could not understand her words but I could see the compassion of her heart as she poured out her prayer. Her mother, who was beside her, stood and embarrassed her. I saw in them the qualities of both compassion and kindness.

After our prayer time was over I went to Rachel to ask what she had been praying about. She told me that she had heard about children, who had been born with special needs like hers, that were abandoned. Her heart was touched in a special way because she understood what it was like to be helpless and dependent. Her compassion turned to kindness as she brought their needs before the throne of grace.

The children were not the only ones she wept for, she also felt compassion for the mothers who abandoned their babies. She spoke through a voice choked with tears about how great their grief must be to have a child they felt incapable of caring for. That night her mother had been leading a Bible study on the third chapter of Colossians. We had talked about what it means to put on compassion and kindness. I saw that night in both Rachel and her mother saints in light who illuminated for me the meaning of the words compassion and kindness.

Rachel began to weep again as we talked together but this time her tears were tears of gratitude. She told me how very grateful she was for the love and care that she had been given. I wrapped my arms around her aware that I had been given a special gift that night. God had allowed me to see the words I had read only moments before fleshed out in the lives of both Rachel and her mother.

Lord Jesus, thank you for Your saints in light that illuminate the truth of Your word.  Teach me by their example!