I will not leave your orphans
John 14:18
It had been a wild, unpredictable adventure. Danger, constant travel, mystery and political intrigue were interspersed with victory, breath-taking excitement and surprises. Now, the disciples who had followed Jesus for three and a half years were weary, tense and suspecting that everything they longed for was about to come to pass. Success was out there, just past their finger tips, waiting to be grasped. Then, as was often case, Jesus did and said things that made them know they were as clueless as babes. They had gathered for what should have been a celebration dinner. But, it didn’t turn out that way.
The first thing Jesus did was to kneel and wash their feet, showing in that silent service how real love behaved. Then, He shook them to the core by saying He was going to leave them. He had made statements like these many times before, but this time He said it with a finality that alarmed, confused and saddened.
I can sympathize with those feelings. There have been times when I felt like Jesus was leaving me, too. And, if these feelings quickly followed some foolish vanity on my part, it’s been easy to believe that He is forsaking me because I am unworthy of His attention.
That night, long ago, Jesus looked around Him at sad, confused faces then said emphatically, “I will not leave you orphans!”
There are two ways to become an orphan. Either someone gives you birth and cannot take care of you or they give you birth and choose to abandon you. In the first case, the parent may have love but not enough strength to provide care. In the second, they have plenty of strength, but no love. Neither of those was true of Jesus. He had all the strength of the Creator of the universe and was Himself the source of all love. No, they would never be orphans.
Neither will we.
Yet, His statement must have seemed contradictory to those who first heard it for He had just told them He was going away. How could He both leave them and not leave them? The answer was rooted deep inside the mystery of the triune Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Son (who was God) would return to heaven but the Holy Spirit (who was God) would come to dwell inside believers and be their Comforter.
I can almost see the confusion on the faces of the disciples. How could this mystery be? Forty days later, they knew. They experienced the reality of the Spirit’s coming with power and joy. They were not orphans. His promise was true. Jesus was no longer physically present, but He had not left them alone!
Like the disciples, I too sometimes wonder about the mystery. How could God be with me if I don’t see Him? That’s when I take a moment to reach inside and feel the Spirit’s presence. I risk believing its true, and suddenly I don’t feel like an orphan at all.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Rewarder
[Those] who come to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6
One of the hardest things about waiting is the trial of faith. The tempter comes close and whispers that prayer and patients are useless. We hear a hiss of accusation from the shadows saying that God either doesn’t care or that our own inadequacies make us unworthy of His attention.
Have you ever been there? I certainly have. Looking back, I can see Satan’s prints all over such thoughts as these and sense again the dark nights of loneliness brought on by listening to such whispers.
I also see the cunning skill of my enemy for if he can get me to listen—even for a moment—to such suggestions, he can close the door between heaven and my soul.
The author of Hebrews lists the two requirements that are absolutely necessary before anyone can approach God: (1) we must believe that God is real and (2) that He cares enough to reward those who seek Him. So, when the way gets rough, it is often good to pause and ask ourselves how firmly our faith remains rooted in those two concepts.
Do we still believe God is real?
The routine of daily living can dull our sensitivities. Marriage partners drift into taking each other for granted. Children that were once our joy become our chore. Gratitude dissolves into restlessness. Even the wonder of God’s reality slips out of focus as day by day mundane routine forces an awareness of Him into the background.
It may be days ago or years ago that you placed your petition before God. Do you still believe that a real Being out there can actually hear you?
If that belief has slipped, perhaps it is time to reevaluate why you prayed in the first place. What made you hope He was there? Remembering may give fresh wind to your spirit. Is the world here by chance? If you have drifted into thinking so, spend a half-hour contemplating the nearest tree.
What about the second requirement for those who approach God? As you wait, do you believe He will answer? At this level of faith, God becomes personal. It is not just that God can answer prayer, but that He is willing to answer your prayer.
As Jesus drew His sermon on the mount to an end, He invited, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find. [ . . . ] What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [ . . . ] If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?” [1]
Do we still believe that? Failure to believe is to question the character of God.
If the enemy is whispering to you this week, go back to the Word. Remember why you first hoped in His reality. Remember His character and His loving assurances. Jesus has His reward with Him [2] and He will reward YOU.
[1] Matthew 7:7-11, edited
[2] Revelation 22:12
Hebrews 11:6
One of the hardest things about waiting is the trial of faith. The tempter comes close and whispers that prayer and patients are useless. We hear a hiss of accusation from the shadows saying that God either doesn’t care or that our own inadequacies make us unworthy of His attention.
Have you ever been there? I certainly have. Looking back, I can see Satan’s prints all over such thoughts as these and sense again the dark nights of loneliness brought on by listening to such whispers.
I also see the cunning skill of my enemy for if he can get me to listen—even for a moment—to such suggestions, he can close the door between heaven and my soul.
The author of Hebrews lists the two requirements that are absolutely necessary before anyone can approach God: (1) we must believe that God is real and (2) that He cares enough to reward those who seek Him. So, when the way gets rough, it is often good to pause and ask ourselves how firmly our faith remains rooted in those two concepts.
Do we still believe God is real?
The routine of daily living can dull our sensitivities. Marriage partners drift into taking each other for granted. Children that were once our joy become our chore. Gratitude dissolves into restlessness. Even the wonder of God’s reality slips out of focus as day by day mundane routine forces an awareness of Him into the background.
It may be days ago or years ago that you placed your petition before God. Do you still believe that a real Being out there can actually hear you?
If that belief has slipped, perhaps it is time to reevaluate why you prayed in the first place. What made you hope He was there? Remembering may give fresh wind to your spirit. Is the world here by chance? If you have drifted into thinking so, spend a half-hour contemplating the nearest tree.
What about the second requirement for those who approach God? As you wait, do you believe He will answer? At this level of faith, God becomes personal. It is not just that God can answer prayer, but that He is willing to answer your prayer.
As Jesus drew His sermon on the mount to an end, He invited, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find. [ . . . ] What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [ . . . ] If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?” [1]
Do we still believe that? Failure to believe is to question the character of God.
If the enemy is whispering to you this week, go back to the Word. Remember why you first hoped in His reality. Remember His character and His loving assurances. Jesus has His reward with Him [2] and He will reward YOU.
[1] Matthew 7:7-11, edited
[2] Revelation 22:12
The Rewarder
[Those] who come to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6
One of the hardest things about waiting is the trial of faith. The tempter comes close and whispers that prayer and patients are useless. We hear a hiss of accusation from the shadows saying that God either doesn’t care or that our own inadequacies make us unworthy of His attention.
Have you ever been there? I certainly have. Looking back, I can see Satan’s prints all over such thoughts as these and sense again the dark nights of loneliness brought on by listening to such whispers.
I also see the cunning skill of my enemy for if he can get me to listen—even for a moment—to such suggestions, he can close the door between heaven and my soul.
The author of Hebrews lists the two requirements that are absolutely necessary before anyone can approach God: (1) we must believe that God is real and (2) that He cares enough to reward those who seek Him. So, when the way gets rough, it is often good to pause and ask ourselves how firmly our faith remains rooted in those two concepts.
Do we still believe God is real?
The routine of daily living can dull our sensitivities. Marriage partners drift into taking each other for granted. Children that were once our joy become our chore. Gratitude dissolves into restlessness. Even the wonder of God’s reality slips out of focus as day by day mundane routine forces an awareness of Him into the background.
It may be days ago or years ago that you placed your petition before God. Do you still believe that a real Being out there can actually hear you?
If that belief has slipped, perhaps it is time to reevaluate why you prayed in the first place. What made you hope He was there? Remembering may give fresh wind to your spirit. Is the world here by chance? If you have drifted into thinking so, spend a half-hour contemplating the nearest tree.
What about the second requirement for those who approach God? As you wait, do you believe He will answer? At this level of faith, God becomes personal. It is not just that God can answer prayer, but that He is willing to answer your prayer.
As Jesus drew His sermon on the mount to an end, He invited, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find. [ . . . ] What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [ . . . ] If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”[1]
Do we still believe that? Failure to believe is to question the character of God.
If the enemy is whispering to you this week, go back to the Word. Remember why you first hoped in His reality. Remember His character and His loving assurances. Jesus has His reward with Him [2] and He will reward YOU.
[1] Matthew 7:7-11, edited
[2] Revelation 22:12
When God Sees Me
Then she called the name of the LORD,“You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees”
Genesis 16:13
If I had been in Hagar’s shoes, I think I would have run away, too. Being a slave in a foreign country was bad enough, but being suddenly promoted to second wife of the master then within months demoted back to the status of a slave would have been too much.
It’s a familiar story. God had promised children to Abram but the years passed and his wife, Sarai, didn’t conceived. So, she decided to use her maid as a surrogate. Hagar would be the one pregnant but Sarai would own the baby.
I suspect Abram treated Hagar well, for she became quite proud and letting everyone know that she was better than her mistress. Things became heated and Sarai roughly reminded Hagar that she was a slave and would never be anything more. Humiliated, Hagar took off preferring to face death in the desert than hanging around the tent with Sarai.
I don’t blame her. The situation was very unfair. But, she must have been lonely and frightened out there in the desert. She had no resources, no safe place to go, no friend to lean on. Then, the Angel of the Lord showed up giving her instructions, offering comfort and assuring her of a good future.
In amazement, Hagar—who evidently knew little or nothing of God—coined a name for the One who spoke to her. She called Him, “You-Are-The-God-Who Sees.” Realizing that the Creator of the universe saw her and cared about her plight deeply touched her heart and changed her life. Such careful love gave her strength. She returned to Sarai and waited out the rest of her pregnancy. It was a difficult assignment, but with assurance that God was watching over her, she finished her course and became the mother of a great nation.
As I read the story again, I was fascinated anew by the name Hagar used for God. What must it have been like to have your primary concept of God be one of an all powerful Being watching your ever move? Curious, I began to look up references about the eyes of the Lord and what He sees as He looks down. The passages were abundant.
God sees me---
When my days are ordinary, [1]
When I my efforts go unnoticed, [2]
When I need to talk with a friend, [3]
When I am confused and not sure which way to turn, [4]
When I am sinning, [5]
When I’ve been mistreated, [6]
When my reputation is questioned, [7]
When my situation is the very worst I can imagine. [8]
Even when I doubt the reality of His presence, God still sees me. [9]
The idea of God’s continual watching could be uncomfortable. After all, we might not want our every deed and word exposed. It is only when we also know Him as the God of love and grace that His “watching” becomes “watch care,” and we find our hearts snuggling into the peace of His every present, benevolent gaze.
[1] Psalm 14:2; Psalm 102:19; Psalm 33:13 [2] Acts 10:3-4; Genesis 6:8 [3] Psalm 34:15 [4] Psalm 32:8 [5] Proverbs 15:3 [6] Deuteronomy 26:7 [7] Luke 1:25 [8] II Chronicles 16:9 [9] Psalm 94:9
Genesis 16:13
If I had been in Hagar’s shoes, I think I would have run away, too. Being a slave in a foreign country was bad enough, but being suddenly promoted to second wife of the master then within months demoted back to the status of a slave would have been too much.
It’s a familiar story. God had promised children to Abram but the years passed and his wife, Sarai, didn’t conceived. So, she decided to use her maid as a surrogate. Hagar would be the one pregnant but Sarai would own the baby.
I suspect Abram treated Hagar well, for she became quite proud and letting everyone know that she was better than her mistress. Things became heated and Sarai roughly reminded Hagar that she was a slave and would never be anything more. Humiliated, Hagar took off preferring to face death in the desert than hanging around the tent with Sarai.
I don’t blame her. The situation was very unfair. But, she must have been lonely and frightened out there in the desert. She had no resources, no safe place to go, no friend to lean on. Then, the Angel of the Lord showed up giving her instructions, offering comfort and assuring her of a good future.
In amazement, Hagar—who evidently knew little or nothing of God—coined a name for the One who spoke to her. She called Him, “You-Are-The-God-Who Sees.” Realizing that the Creator of the universe saw her and cared about her plight deeply touched her heart and changed her life. Such careful love gave her strength. She returned to Sarai and waited out the rest of her pregnancy. It was a difficult assignment, but with assurance that God was watching over her, she finished her course and became the mother of a great nation.
As I read the story again, I was fascinated anew by the name Hagar used for God. What must it have been like to have your primary concept of God be one of an all powerful Being watching your ever move? Curious, I began to look up references about the eyes of the Lord and what He sees as He looks down. The passages were abundant.
God sees me---
When my days are ordinary, [1]
When I my efforts go unnoticed, [2]
When I need to talk with a friend, [3]
When I am confused and not sure which way to turn, [4]
When I am sinning, [5]
When I’ve been mistreated, [6]
When my reputation is questioned, [7]
When my situation is the very worst I can imagine. [8]
Even when I doubt the reality of His presence, God still sees me. [9]
The idea of God’s continual watching could be uncomfortable. After all, we might not want our every deed and word exposed. It is only when we also know Him as the God of love and grace that His “watching” becomes “watch care,” and we find our hearts snuggling into the peace of His every present, benevolent gaze.
[1] Psalm 14:2; Psalm 102:19; Psalm 33:13 [2] Acts 10:3-4; Genesis 6:8 [3] Psalm 34:15 [4] Psalm 32:8 [5] Proverbs 15:3 [6] Deuteronomy 26:7 [7] Luke 1:25 [8] II Chronicles 16:9 [9] Psalm 94:9
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