..obscurity beckons..

A text worthy of meditation…

‎”And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.” 1 Samuel 12:20-22

Sweet for my soul…

This passage was particularly encouraging to me today. After Israel had sinned in requesting a king, they asked Samuel to intercede for them because they feared the Lord. Samuel encourages them with these words… 

1 Samuel 12:20-22:
And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.  For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.

I love this passage. Samuel reminds them: Yeah guys, “You have done ALL this evil…” He doesn’t just gloss over their sin and get to the good part… YET… there is great hope! This is what makes the gospel so beautiful.  It is when we realize the evil we have done, God’s grace looks so much more glorious.  

I found great comfort in this. I am constantly turning aside from the Lord.  ”prone to wonder, Lord I feel it…” as the great hymn writer confesses.  I run after empty things, even when I know that they will only satisfy my temporal desire.  As I think through daily sin that so easily entangles me, it results in fear and shame before the Lord. I am grateful when conviction comes by the Holy Spirit, I should be afraid when it doesn’t, but there is so much more!  Don’t forget the hope!  Samuel tells the people not to be afraid but keep following the Lord. Keep your head up and stay faithful. “Serve the Lord with all your heart…”

How often do we fall to sin, perpetual or spontaneous, and we hang our head in complete an utter shame?  I know that there are times in my life that I am caught under the great weight of my sin, that I forget the other part of the gospel. I serve a faithful, loving and forgiving God.  I look at Israel and think how accurately my sin parallels theirs.  I will never understand why “the Lord will not forsake His people.”  It would make perfect sense for him to do so and He would be completely just.  But He does it for His great name’s sake and because it pleases the Lord to make a people for Himself.  

I sit astounded and in overwhelming  thankfulness to my great God who will never forsake me and will continue to make us into a people that please Him. Lord, thank you for your faithfulness, mercy and forgiveness. 

Sinner, drink and be refreshed.  

Praise and Thanksgiving

A prayer from the“Valley of Vision”

 ”O my God,

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
 for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language
to express,
for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time 
and eternity.”

Playing the Whore

The story of Hosea is a beautiful one.  One man, longing to be obedient to God, does exactly what God tells him to do… he marries a prostitute.  In Chapter 2, Gomer, (sexy name, I know) goes after her lovers who she thinks will provide for all her needs.  All the while, her faithful husband waits at home for her return.  

Consider Israel of the Old Testament.  How often did Israel run after their own desires?  Carrying idols with them across the Red Sea as God was leading them away from captivity.  Constantly not trusting the Lord enough and seeking Kings to rule them instead of the one true God.  Disobedience in the wilderness… and so on.  

How does this then remind me all to miserably of my own life?  How often do I go after the things of this world that I think will satisfy my heart? idols I have created. Tangible affections that are all too superficial.  

As Gomer ran out of prospects and no longer was receiving what she wanted from her whorish ways, wouldn’t it make sense that she would have hung her head low in deep and utter shame.  Coming unclean before her husband, begging for forgiveness for the fallacies she had just committed… that is not what happened at all.  God tells Hosea “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” (3.1) 

Wouldn’t it make sense for Israel to repent before the Lord with weeping and sorrow for the way that they had treated the Lord? It doesn’t make sense that when the Lord speaks of His mercy toward Israel He says, “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.” (2.14) To draw them as a husband draws a wife. With tenderness, compassions, mercy, love… He promises to betroth Israel to Himself and makes a covenant with them. 

Wouldn’t it make sense that I would realize my whorish ways and crawl back to the throne of grace?  It will never make sense to me why the Lord chooses to pour His grace on me in such a way that draws me and lures me to Himself.  His word is a love story written for my heart. A tale of forgiveness that counts the cost and willfully crushes His son on my behalf that I might stand in righteousness.  A love so deep that His kindness draws me to repentance. 

It would make sense to say that Gomer, Israel and Samantha all pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and walked back to Jesus when they had enough of their whorish ways.  What will never make sense to me is that while Gomer was in the act of adultery, Israel faithless and failing and Samantha in the midst of her self-sufficiency and pride, God would enter into the fray and the ugliness of sin and lure His bride out to Himself. 

Far beyond anything that makes sense, I thank you Lord that it glorifies yourself to be merciful to me.  I thank you that you take great pleasure in lavishing your grace on your undeserving child.  I thank you that your love far surpasses my knowledge and that your forgiveness is real and unending.  You are so so faithful when I am not. I pray that you would continue to sanctify my heart to look like yours. 

“Come let us return to the Lord; for He has torn us that He may heal us; He has struck us down and He will bind us up.” Hosea 6:1 

Contentment

“He who deserves nothing should be content with anything.” -Spurgeon

Grace…

The grace that draws

me to my knees 

is the same grace that

arrests me. 

The grace that tests me, 

I confess Thee, 

You are all I need. 

My heart cries Abba 

Father and love for You

drifts farther into the

reaches of my soul that 

I have not yet known. 

But You’ve shown Your

goodness towards me 

in the way that You work

and my gratitude 

will lurk on my praise-filled

tongue for as long

as I shall breathe. 

It’s Your deeds that draw 

me to bended knee.

This love arrests me

til my affections lie

with none other

than Thee. 

-SH

Lead me with strong hands…

I was praying for my future husband this evening as I was driving and this song by Sanctus Real came on the radio and I got a little emotional… 

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying…

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They’re just children from the outside
I’m working hard, I tell myself they’ll be fine
They’re in independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying…

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I’m called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won’t You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can’t
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, ‘cause I can’t do this alone

Father, lead me, ‘cause I can’t do this alone

So as I was listening to this song, my prayer became a bit more clear.  I long to submit to a husband who can cry this prayer with humility.  When the song ended I said, “God, I want a man like that, for Your glory.” 

Too often Christian women settle for temporary satisfaction when biblical manhood is left to the “super-spiritual.”  Lord grant me patience as I wait for the man you have for me… In Your strength, for Your glory.