Thrive Through Thanksgiving

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Pete

A couple of weeks ago I encountered a psalm that I thought was particularly suited for this season. A song helpful when it came to sheltering in place as it invited me to also shelter in the shadow of the Almighty. This morning I’m hovering over another song that looks particularly suited for this continuing time of quarantine. But not just because it helps me cope with “Stay at Home” directives which have been extended again, but because it actually provides perspective on how to thrive in this crazy, socially distanced way of life. Seems to me, if I’m picking up what the songwriter is laying down, we can thrive through thanksgiving.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

(Psalm 107:1-3 ESV)

The redeemed of the LORD . . . love that term! Only used twice in my Bible. Those who have been ransomed. Those who have been bought out of bondage with the price paid in full. If anybody has a story to tell, and thanksgiving to give, it’s the redeemed of the LORD. The ransomed of Jehovah!

And that’s what Psalm 107 is, a bunch of stories.

Some of these redeemed were rescued from wondering aimlessly in the desert (107:4-9). So hungry and thirsty for real bread to eat, and living water to drink, that their souls fainted within them. Unable to find any place to land, they eventually cried out to the LORD. And He delivered them. Led them in the way. Brought them to a place where they could settle down. And so, says the songwriter,

Let them thank the LORD for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man!

(Psalm 107:8 ESV)

And that’s just the first story. It’s followed by the story of those who were prisoners of darkness because they had rebelled against the words of God (107:10-16). In bondage, chained with irons, but determined to go their own way, they were bowed to the ground by the Most High. And with noses to the ground and none to help, they too cried to the LORD. And He delivered them also. Brought them out of darkness. Burst their bonds apart. And they too are encouraged by the songwriter to thank the LORD for His steadfast love and for His wondrous works to the children of men.

Then there’s the story of the fool determined to follow the way of his sinful nature (107:17-22). And eventually the way that seemed so right in his own eyes led him to staring death in the face (Prov. 14:12). And guess what? In his story he too cries out to the LORD in his trouble. And God delivers him, as well, from his distress. And how come? Because of the LORD’s steadfast love and His wondrous works to the children of man. So what to do? Let them thank the LORD!

And then there’s the story of those just going about their daily business (107:23-31). Commuting to work like they’ve always done. Filling their schedules with the sort of things people are wont to fill their schedules with, they were busy . . . really busy . . . just doing life. Sure, out of their peripheral vision “they saw the deeds of the LORD”, but they were too busy, really, to respond. So, God “commanded and raised the stormy wind.” The going got tough. And the tough stuff just kept on going and going. And it got to the point where they “were at their wits’ end.” You know what they did? You guessed it, they cried out to the LORD. And He delivered them. He made the storm be still. He brought them to their desired haven. So whaddya do?

Let them thank the LORD for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol Him in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.

(Psalm 107:31-32 ESV)

The redeemed of the LORD. We’ve all got our story of redemption. Everyone, a tale to tell of God’s deliverance by His steadfast love in our past, able to evoke songs of praise and thanksgiving in our present. Even if there’s no congregation of the people to join us in our thanksgiving at this current time.

The Redeemer of yesterday’s story, the same redeemer today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

We can noodle on the past, and be empowered for the present.

Even as we shelter in place, we can thrive through thanksgiving.

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

(Psalm 107:43 ESV)

By His grace. For His glory.

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Stay Awake

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Pete

It’s a mystery. How God the Son, who is one with God the Father, doesn’t know something the Father knows. How God the Son, who is fully God, and thus is omniscient, is all knowing except for one thing. How God the Son, who one day will come “in clouds with great power and glory” (Mk.13:26), doesn’t know what day that will be. Honestly, I don’t really get it. But then again, if this mortal, earthbound mind could fully comprehend how the Triune God is wired and functions as Three-In-One, He’d probably be more a God of my making than the God who made me. So, for now, by faith, I’ll marvel that the Son doesn’t know when the day of His return will be.

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning — lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” ~ Jesus

(Mark 13:32-37 ESV)

The Son may not know that day or that hour, but if repetition is the megaphone of God’s word (and I think it is), the Son knows what His followers need to hear. “Keep awake . . . stay awake . . . and what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” Don’t fully get the Trinity, but I think I’m picking up what Jesus is laying down here.

Be watchful. Be vigilant. Give strict attention to. “Take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake you” (Online Bible Greek Lexicon). Make sure your head’s in the game.

It’s a command, not a suggestion. It’s in the active voice, something that Jesus’ disciples are expected to be doing not thinking about doing. It’s present tense, for the here and now. Not something to put off until a more convenient day or when I find a bit more time to schedule it in.

Heads up! Jesus says in effect. I’m coming. In power and glory. At any time, though I don’t know exactly when. It might be in the evening. Could be at midnight. Maybe one morning when you’re just starting to rub the sleep outta your eyes. But know this, I am coming and I don’t want you snoozing when I do. And that, for your good, and for My glory.

Yup, lot of stuff about the Godhead I may not get. But this ain’t one of them. Jesus is coming again.

Jesus Is Coming Again

Marvelous message we bring
Glorious carol we sing
Wonderful word of the King
Jesus is coming again

Forest and flower exclaim
Mountain and meadow the same
All earth and heaven proclaim
Jesus is coming again

Standing before Him at last
Trial and trouble all past
Crowns at His feet we will cast
Jesus is coming again

Coming again, coming again
Maybe morning maybe noon
Maybe evening and maybe soon
Coming again, coming again
Oh what a wonderful day it will be
Jesus is coming again

John W. Peterson © 1957. Renewed 1985 John W. Peterson Music Company

Yes He is! Stay awake.

By His grace for His glory.

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Paul’s Anxiety

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Pete

Busted! Found out! Tripped up by his own words. If CNN were around then they’d be playing the sound bite over and over again. And, at the bottom of the screen the ticker tape banner would scroll from right to left:

. . . Apostle Paul, who said, “Be anxious for nothing,” admits he suffers from daily anxiety . . .

Scandalous!

Meditating on 2Corinthians 11 this morning. Particularly the section where Paul allows himself to be drawn into comparing himself with those who were messing with the church at Corinth as self-acclaimed “super-apostles” (v. 5). And in his boasting, Paul not only matches his credentials against their proclaimed pedigrees (v.21b-22), but also presents “far greater labors” (v.23) he’s endured for the sake of the gospel.

More imprisonments. Countless beatings. Dangerous missionary journeys. Hardship, insomnia, hunger, and thirst. Paul lays out the list (v.23-27). And then caps it off with the “CNN sound bite.”

And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

(2Corinthians 11:28 ESV)

Paul, who exhorted the church at Philippi to be anxious for nothing but to always pray (Php. 4:6), now tells the church at Corinth that he is constantly anxious and feels the pressure every day. And that the weight of these cares was comparable to all the other things he had suffered as a steward of the gospel. Worthy of the list of Paul’s “greater labors” was the constant, internal “crowding upon me” concern for all the churches God had established through Paul’s ministry.

So what drives the guy who knows we should be anxious for nothing to experience daily anxiety?

For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

(2Corinthians 11:2-3 ESV)

Paul was concerned that the church of Corinth would be “led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” So, if this was worthy of Paul breaking his “no anxiety” rule, how much should we also care about this ourselves?

A sincere and pure devotion to Jesus. Free from pretense and hypocrisy. Singularly focused. Open, honest. Not self-seeking. Wholly desiring Him who “loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to Himself in splendor” (Eph. 5:25b-27a). It’s worth caring about, says Paul. Worth caring about a lot!

Often, the conversation had with those I’ve been staying connected with over these past weeks of self-isolation has been about the opportunity for the church to come through this pandemic different than when she entered it. And that, even as we anticipate the economic aftershocks to come and the marathon before us, through it God would continue His work of preparing a pure bride for His Son.

A good thing to be anxious about? Apparently.

A good thing to be praying about? Definitely.

By His grace. For His glory.

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The Weapons of our Warfare

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Pete

Got one of those 911 type of calls from a friend last night. Potential for some stormy weather on the homefront. Earlier in the day a fuse had been lit and, knowing himself, he didn’t want to throw any gas on even such a small fire. “Talk me down,” he asked. So we talked.

And as we talked, we talked about our enemy. Not that we want to see the devil behind every disturbance, but also not wanting to be “outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (2Cor. 2:11). And recognizing “his designs” isn’t all that hard sometimes, for our foe isn’t particularly creative in his approach. After all, he’s called “the accuser” for a reason (Rev. 12:10).

And a couple of verses in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians hit me this morning as an “Amen!” to last night’s brief conversation.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

(2Corinthians 10:3-4 ESV)

The weapons of our warfare. That’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

A reminder that while the skirmishes may ebb and flow, there is always a battle going on. Even when times are good and the pressure is off, every morning I awake and the old nature within me is ready to butt heads with the Spirit within me (Gal. 5:17). Apart from any external influences, apart from any supernatural interference, there is always an internal struggle.

But the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh.

Then throw into the mix an adversary who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1Pet. 5:8), and the potential for some pretty serious flare ups shouldn’t be surprising. Add to the mix a lying destroyer (Jn. 8:44), often masquerading as an angel of light (2Cor. 11:14), who loves to chirp untruths and misquoted scriptures into our ear (Matt. 4:1-11), and the battle can get pretty intense pretty quick.

But the weapons of our warfare have divine power to destroy strongholds.

Sometimes it’s a cage match and often we’re not even aware of when we entered the cage. An MMA fight (Mixed Metaphysical Attacks) and we haven’t even changed out of our street clothes yet.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

(Ephesians 6:12 ESV)

But we refuse to wage wage according to the flesh.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

(Ephesians 6:11 ESV)

The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, they are the armor of God. The belt of His truth. The breastplate of the righteousness credited to our account. Shoes able to endure for however long we must tread the battlefield as they endure through the gospel of peace. The shield of faith able to deflect anything and everything thrown our way. The helmet of salvation protecting our mind, confident that the work God has begun in us He will complete in us. Along with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, able to pierce through all our enemy’s lies. And praying in the Spirit providing the air cover needed and sufficient for every battle, great or small. (Eph. 6:13-18)

And so, last night, we talked a bit. We prayed a bit. And we entered our different battles with the weapons of our warfare.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Distressed, In Debt, Discontent, Oh My!

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Pete

He was the man who would be king but, for now, was a fugitive. The man who had been promised the throne, but who now set up court in a cave. And from there he would build his army.

We know David is a type, a picture, of the Son of David, Jesus the Christ. We know that the promise made to David, of a forever throne to be forever inhabited (2Sam. 7), points to Him born of the line of David who, one day, will be confessed by all to be King of kings and Lord of lords. But what was hard to grasp for all those who awaited the promise of a kingdom come, was that before the throne there must be a cave. Before the glory, humility. Before ruling in sovereignty, experiencing suffering. Before wearing the crown, enduring the way of the cross.

And what grabs me this morning is the army that David built. The material out of which he would form his “mighty men” (2Sam. 23:8).

David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

(1Samuel 22:1-2 ESV)

Those in distress. Those in debt. Those bitter in soul, or as the other translations render it, discontent. Those were the ones who gathered to David.

In distress. In dire straits. Trapped in a narrow place. Oppressed with no seeming way of escape. In bondage with no hope of breaking loose of their chains on their own. Desperate, they flee to the cave and to the man who would be king.

In debt. Owing a price they could never pay. Their creditors ready to extract usury at an exorbitant rate. Extortioners who effectively demand their lives in order to service their debt. Without means, they flee to the cave.

Discontent. Bitter in soul. Exasperated under the tyranny of an unjust ruler. Trapped in a no-win situation. Waking every morning to inner turmoil, turning out the lights at night with no hope in sight. Looking for rest, they flee to the cave.

Distressed, in debt, discontent. Oh my!

Those where the types of people who found solace in a cave under the leadership of a man who would be king, but who looked anything but a king.

And he became commander over them.

So, if David is a type of Jesus, then are those who fled to David reflective of those who flee to Jesus? I’m thinking.

I am the distressed, in debt, and discontent who goes to Jesus “outside the camp” to “bear the reproach He endured” (Heb. 13:12-13).

Distressed. In dire straits, cornered by sin. Desiring to do what is right but without the power to carry it out (Romans 7:18).

In debt. Unable to atone for the guilt. Unable to service the usury of shame demanded. No way of redemption in myself. Needing another to deal with the wages of my sin.

Discontent. A soul designed to bear the image of its Creator but without the ability to do so. Eternity wired into my heart but powerless to procure it. Always off balance. A thirst beyond satisfying with anything on earth.

But when I found the cave . . .

When, by God’s grace, I believed in the One who would be King and found refuge in the shadow of His cross . . .

Then, like that rag tag bunch of David’s day, this member of the distressed, in debt, and discontented was received into the ranks of a glorious band, to be made into a great army, known forever as His mighty men and women.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

(1John 5:4-5 ESV)

Praise God for the King who invites us to Himself in the cave.

By His grace. For His glory.

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God’s Dealing with Us

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Pete

Hovering over Psalm 103 this morning. A familiar friend. A welcome reminder. A catalyst for worship.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

(Psalm 103:1-2 ESV)

Who the LORD is (His holy name), and how He has dealt with with us (all His benefits), are inextricably linked and, when pondered, prime the pump of praise. The living water of the Spirit deep within pours forth from the heart as a river of humble appreciation, adoration, and acclamation (Jn. 7:38-39).

For, while He is the God whose throne is established in the heavens and whose kingdom rules forever over all (v. 19), and while we are but dust whose days are as fleeting as a flower which flourishes but for a short time (v. 14-16), the steadfast love of the LORD in heaven is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him (v.17). So, how do you love forever those which are fleeting? By providing a way for them to live forever too! Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Thus, the LORD who works righteousness and is compelled by justice (v. 6), not only makes a way for the unrighteous to justly stand before Him, but also to eternally, and effectively thrive through Him. He forgives all our sin, heals all our heart-born disease, redeems our lives from the pit, crowns us with unfailing love and mercy, and satisfies us with His own goodness so that daily we are renewed with supernatural renewal (v. 3-5).

And how is all this possible?

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.

(Psalm 103:10-12 ESV)

He does not deal with us according to our sins. That’s what I’m chewing on this morning. That’s what I’m thankful for this morning. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Instead, He deals with us according to His steadfast love. His great and unfailing, unfaltering love. The love with which God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (Jn 3:16). So grateful this morning for the cross. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

And what comes to mind is Paul’s desire that God’s people would be “rooted and grounded” in that great love. Able to comprehend the love of Christ which is incomprehensible. Being able to lay hold of its “breadth and length and height and depth” (Eph. 3:17-19). Seems Psalm 103 helps give some definition to those dimensions.

The steadfast love of the LORD is as high as His throne in the heavens above. It is as deep as the corrupted, frail flesh of every man, woman, and child on earth below. Its breadth from everlasting to everlasting. And its length as far as the east is from the west.

He does not deal us according to our sins because of the length to which His love has removed our sins from us — as far as the east is from the west. And, unlike heading north will eventually become heading south, the east never meets up with west. Our sins, having been forgiven through the finished work of cross; our transgressions, having been atoned for by the shed blood of the Lamb; are put away. All of them — past, present, and future — put away forever. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Forget not all His benefits.

Because of grace. For His glory.

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The Way and The Walk

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Pete

Spurgeon sees it as the sort of song a “man after God’s own heart would compose when he was about to become king in Israel.” A psalm written in that time between his anointing for the throne and his ascension to the throne. So, in a sense, it’s a song sung in the green room before going on stage. A self-administered, melodic pep talk in the locker room before entering the big game. A prayer prayed in the back room before taking the pulpit.

The newly anointed king is ready. He’s lived under the failings of the old king. Seen what not to do. Experienced the bad decisions that come from a self-serving approach to governing. Witnessed the consequences of not obeying the voice of the Lord. And so, as much as lies in himself, David aspires to be different.

Ten times in these eight short verses the man who would be king declares, “I will.” Purposing to pursue that which is righteous and just, and to put down that which is unrighteous and wicked. And what catches my eye this morning, in particular, are two I will’s at the center of his holy determination.

I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will You come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house.

(Psalm 101:2 ESV)

While David waited for the kingdom, while we waited for God to come to him, he would give attention to the way and he would act accordingly from the heart. This morning I’m chewing on the connection between the way and the walk.

David, according to the ESV, pondered the way which, before God, would be blameless. Other translations say he paid attention to it (CSB); gave heed to it (NASB); behaved wisely concerning it (NKJV); lived carefully according to it (NIV).

While in the wings, sort of speak, David did his homework. Becoming increasingly familiar with the ways of His God, the One who had set him apart for the throne. Regularly feeding on the word of God. Intentionally seeking counsel as to the wisdom of God. Getting his head in the game. His focus on the prize. Pondering the way that is blameless.

And where there is laser focus on the way, there’s the opportunity for it to translate into a wholeheartedness when it comes to the walk.

David longed to walk with integrity of heart. And that would start “within his house.” His family witnessing it long before his subjects would. How he would behave in public would first be modeled in the confines of his home. Because he had focused on the way, his heart would be aligned to the way. And because his heart was aligned to the way, his walk, whether private or public, would reflect the way.

And so, because I can’t help but put almost everything I read through a quarantined filter, I wonder if we shouldn’t view this time in our homes as sort of being in our own locker rooms before we’re called back again into our own games. Our own green rooms before taking again the stage. A time and place where many distractions have been removed and we’ve got the time to ponder the way that is blameless. And confess how insufficient we are in our own strength concerning that way. But reminded afresh that Jesus died for our insufficiency and rose again so that we might know His power.

And having pondered the way, it’s going to impact the walk. A heart saturated with the way, is a heart that is going to direct the walk. Whether that walk is just me in the presence of my God, or me before my family, or me when I’m again rubbing shoulders with those who, for now, are socially distanced.

Integrity of heart. Isn’t that what we want fueling our motivations, setting our priorities, determining our actions? I”m thinking . . .

So, is it as simple as focusing on the way in order to impact our walk? Maybe. Maybe not. But you gotta think it’s a good start while we’re waiting to once again get in the game.

By His grace. For His glory.

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For We Know

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Pete

For many of us, uncertainty adds points to the stress chart. Oh, we know that no day dawns with any guarantees, but we’re most comfortable when this dawn breaks with expectations that the day ahead of us will be much like the day past. A day that, Lord willing, our desired rhythms will repeat, our managed schedules will schedule, and our preferred plans will play out. We know we’re not in control, but we’re most at peace when God’s will syncs up with our ways.

In this current season, though today’s probably going to look at lot like yesterday, our patterns have been forced upon us and our plans are confined to a much narrower set of options. What’s more, we don’t know how long it will be before “normal patterns” will return. Even more what’s more, there looms the unknown of some form of economic tsunami ahead of us even after this current virus tsunami is past us. So, uncertainty about tomorrow becomes increasingly the certainty of today.

Kind of a powerful reminder that we really are not, and never have been, in control.

And so, the Scriptures bring much comfort and encouragement this morning as, in the midst of all this uncertainty, they remind me of what is certain.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened — not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage.

(2Corinthians 5:1-6a ESV)

For we know . . .

That’s where I need to focus. Away from all that which is uncertain and towards that which is certain. Not stressing on what I don’t know but chewing on what I do know.

We know that right now we’re only tenting here on earth and that God has a house ready for us “eternal in the heavens.” That this is the journey not the destination. That we’re just passing through on our way to a promised place.

We know that while now we groan and are burdened with the effects of mortality, that one day “what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.” Think we were living the “good life” before COVID-19? We ain’t seen nothing yet! We know that Jesus came to give us life and life to the full. That whatever we might think is the good life here is but a small sampling of life in His presence.

And we know that God is preparing us today for a glorious tomorrow because of the “deposit” He has left us with. His guarantee for our future, the Spirit inside us. Chew on that in a time of such uncertainty. We have a guarantee! A down payment from One who is able to payout in full. A pledge from One whose promises never fail. Who doesn’t want a guarantee? Who doesn’t want something they can count on? Especially when everything else is so uncertain.

Uncertainty abounds, but this we know.

“So,” Paul writes, “we are always of good courage.”

Always confident in our future. Sure amidst the uncertainty. At peace not because our plans play out but because His promises are sure.

For we know . . .

By His grace. For His glory.

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Drinking Deep at an Oasis

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Pete

It occurs to me this morning that some portions of Scripture are like an oasis. When times are good, when there’s lots of rain in the land, it’s easy to pass right by them. Sure, you take notice of their beauty, thankful that there’s water there but, because things are going pretty well, at most you might just sip on them a bit. But come upon an oasis when you’ve been trekking through the desert, when it’s been pretty arid, when you’re parched and wonder how you can keep on keepin’ on, well then, the oasis is life-giving. You find yourself drinking deep of its water. And your eyes brighten, the load lightens, and you’re ready for another day.

2Corinthians 4 is such a passage for me. Whenever I come across it I’m always blessed by the reminder that I’m but a jar of clay so “that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (4:7). But when it’s encountered in a season that feels like the Sahara, and this jay of clay fears it’s starting to crack up, then I pause, go to the knee, and drink deep. Lapping up the reminder that my calling is by the mercy of God (4:1a). Gulping down refreshment for my soul which keeps me from losing heart (4:1b). Turning my face heavenward to receive healing rain and, with mouth wide open, taking in perspective which allows an “outer self” that feels like it’s wasting away, to know an “inner self” being renewed day by day (4:16).

If you’ve followed my posts for awhile, you know that sometimes I go into my archives to minister to myself with past meals. Did that this morning. Here’s some thoughts from when I visited this oasis a couple of years ago.

Honestly, do the math and it doesn’t seem to add up. Afflicted in every way + Perplexed + Persecuted + Struck down + Bodies so beat up they look more and more like Jesus’ when He died . . . add it all up and, says Paul, it equals “light momentary affliction.” No way! How’s that even possible?

I’m hovering over 2Corinthians chapter 4 this morning. Chewing again on what it means to be a “jar of clay” (4:7) carrying the treasure of “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (4:6).

And I get, by the very nature of being a jar of clay, we’re going to pick up a chip or two along the way. That, if the jar is being used for its intended purpose to any degree, that it’s likely to develop a few cracks and breaks. And I also get that, in order for the light to shine out from inside the jar, the jar needs to be broken and split open a bit, that these cracks and fissures are needful to expose what’s inside. But call them “light momentary afflictions?” Really?

And I understand how important that perspective is if you’re doing what Paul’s doing, and going through what Paul’s going through in order to do what he’s doing. Hey, I even get how important it is if you’re not Paul and just trying to deal with the things life beats you up with normally. Who doesn’t want to declare with integrity and double conviction, “So, we do not lose heart?” (4:1, 16)

But again, do the math. How does it all add up to “light momentary affliction?” Where are the deposits coming from that offset those kind of withdrawals? What’s filling the tank that’s being drained so regularly that it allows Paul to honestly assert, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day?” (4:16).

It’s not found in doing the math. Instead, it comes from being reminded of the comparison.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

(2Corinthians 4:17-18 ESV)

Eternal Redemption vs. Transient Realities? No contest.

Things That Are Unseen vs. Things Seen? Not even in the same ballpark.

Eternal Weight of Glory vs. Being Afflicted, Perplexed, Persecuted, and Struck Down? Beyond all comparison, Paul says. And as such, makes those other things seem like a light momentary affliction.

Paul wasn’t fixated on doing the math, instead he was energized by considering the comparison. Rather than mull over the troubles around him, he set his gaze on what lay before him.

Whatever burden he was called to bear in the here and now, was light compared to the weight of glory that would be his to carry in the there and then. He anticipated the awe and it offset the angst. He set his mind on things above, and the Spirit put the things below into perspective.

So, we do not lose heart. We keep on keepin’ on. And more than just keepin’ it together, our inner man is being renewed day by day.

Oh, that we would so allow the Spirit to set our hearts on things above. That we would remember we’re not home yet. That we would, even now, sense something of that eternal weight of glory, so that whatever we are dealing with today might be considered but a light momentary affliction.

An eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

By His grace. For His glory.

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A Reminder

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Pete

We interrupt our regularly scheduled pandemic for this important reminder . . .

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 the Spirit.

(2Corinthians 3:18 ESV)

That’s what reading 2Corinthians 3 is for me this morning, a reminder.

A reminder at the beginning of a day that will seem, in many ways, like the many other days before it. More counts of cases reported. More counts of deaths in the last 24 hours. More counts of those unemployed. More speculation of when and what it will look like to re-open the economy. More tensions in anticipation of opening up the economy. More time alone. More of what’s become our regularly scheduled programming.

But then, the glory of God breaks through the monotony. The glory found in the gospel. And it’s manna for the soul.

We’ve been working our way through Exodus on Sunday mornings for the last couple of years, so the ministry of Moses is kind of fresh in my mind. And, as Paul says, it was a glorious ministry. Sure, it had its bumps along the way, but at its best, it was a mountain top ministry, literally. And from that mountain top came a covenant. A rock solid covenant. Again, literally. Written by the finger of God on tablets of stone. And when God’s messenger came down the hill “the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory” (3:7).

But it was a fading glory. It was a covenant that revealed the need for a better covenant. For the covenant at the center of Moses’ ministry was not only written in stone, it was as cold as stone — unable to bring life, unable to deal with unrighteousness.

Cue a new covenant. A better covenant. The good news covenant. The gospel of Jesus Christ.

Written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. Not on tablets of of stone but on tablets of human hearts (v.3).

A covenant more glorious than what Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai because it is a covenant founded on the Son of God who descended from heaven itself. The glory of the new covenant far exceeding the glory of the old.

The new covenant able to make known God’s multi-faceted glory, because it is founded not on the letter of the law which kills but on the Spirit of God which gives life (v.6). The gospel glorious because it unleashes the ministry of God’s life giving Spirit (v.8). Glorious for it is a ministry which has power to bring righteousness (v.9) to those who are unrighteous, “for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith'” (Rom. 1:17). Glorious, with an unfading glory, as it is a permanent ministry (v.11) — the work begun by God, accomplished through God, as promised of God (Php. 1:6).

The gospel having a greater glory because it is transfixing and transforming.

Transfixing us, setting our gaze continually upon the glory of the Lord. The glory come down. The Word becoming flesh, dwelling among us — “and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14). For He is the radiance of the glory of God (Heb. 1:3). And, as Paul says this morning, we all, with unveiled face, behold the glory of the Lord.

Transforming us, re-wiring us from the inside out to be, ourselves, reflectors of the glory of the Lord. The life giving Spirit conforming us more and more “into the same image” of the Son “from one degree of glory to another.”

And, it seems to me, this greater glory, whether it be transfixing us or transforming us, is realized, at least in part, through our regularly scheduled programming. This day, as much as it might be like yesterday, a new day to behold Jesus and to be made like Jesus. This continuing crisis a continuing opportunity to be further crafted in His image. This pressure a crucible for our purification. Today’s uncertainty a catalyst to fix our minds on tomorrow’s hope.

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 the Spirit.

A reminder by His grace. A reminder of His glory.

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