Remembering the Works of God, Part 2

I am a reflective person, liking often to be still and ponder my recent experiences, to chain events together and muse over them.

I remember dates and years of events important to me, which fill each new year with grateful memories and happy anniversaries. “Do you remember what we were doing on this very day four years ago?” A delightful conversation follows, as we piece together our memories of the day. Or I may say to a friend, “I saw you for the very first time this very day one year ago. Do you remember?” Smiles and laughter dominate our conversation as we remind each other of the preciousness of our friendship, and are amazed to rediscover the insignificant details that occasioned us to form a close bond. Or in a more sober tone, I may say to Mother, “This time two years ago, we were going through this; it seemed so hopeless, but now look how utterly the Lord has turned this around for our good! Praise the Lord!”

Many forget the past over their focus on present and future, but when an hour of darkness comes, when nothing but blind faith in the unseen, when the present seems hopeless, and the future only more so, the memory of God’s unfailing work in the past and the understanding that God knew this time was coming and has been preparing you for it – oblivious though you were – will give you the bold faith to take that step and the unshakable joy to know that this will be yet another testimony of God’s goodness and mercy in your life.

I can only say this because I have found it to be true. When the storm rages in the blackness of night, and I cannot see the Lord for the storm, I know He has me right in the palm of His hand. He covers me with His feathers and under His wings do I trust. For when the storm ceases and the morning awakens, like a quiet sunrise after a hurricane in the night, I arise, safe, unharmed, to behold the destruction and marvel at how untouched I have been. Nay, but rather blessed by the abundance of rain, which is producing for me a harvest of a hundred-fold. The Lord has used the bitter trial to shower me with blessings beyond my understanding.

But will I remember? Or will the next storm, perhaps more violent than the first, invoke an even greater fear?

“Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth..." (Psalm 105:5).

My Daddy's Going Home Celebration, Part 1

It was suggested that my siblings and I speak at our father’s funeral. I unhesitantly agreed to do so, for how I could refuse this opportunity to rise up and call my father blessed, to praise him also, and in so doing glorify my Heavenly Father, who commands children to honor their parents?

Utterly exhausted from my night watch the eve before, that night I lay down and slept very soundly; but in the early hours of the morning I unwontedly awoke, and all the events of the day before filled my mind. You would think that at such a time all I would experience is anguish and hopelessness, but God – oh, how gracious He is and full of compassion! – began bringing numerous things to my remembrance, a little incident here, a word spoken there, decisions made great and small, all that revealed to me of how He knew beforehand and was preparing me for this time, even when I knew it not nor expected it.

Oh, yes, so very many things that I cannot recall them all! Eventually I felt compelled to get up while I had them all so clear in my mind and begin composing what I would say. But the written words just wouldn’t come. I thought and typed and backspaced. I had no idea of what to say; my thoughts were jumbled; clarity and conciseness had escaped me. 

We were staying at my older brother's house, and I wished myself at home where surely I could find something I already written to give me some inspiration. Ah, Facebook! I logged into my week-old account, where I had already posted a few “Notes.” 

Aside from two new paragraphs and some editing, I drew entirely from things I had posted online just days before. I still cannot believe how it came together. My God is amazing! 

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33).

However, my biggest concern was, “Will I really be able to say all of this without choking on tears or perhaps even breaking down in sobs?” Even as I was writing it, I had hardly been able to focus on the screen because of my unceasing flow of tears. But I wanted to say it all; I felt that it was what God would have me to say.

I consulted my older brother, asking him to read it; he said it would indeed be impossible. Ah, perhaps I could film myself speaking and show it on the projector? The next afternoon when I finally had some time to do so, I took myself outdoors with a tripod. The video looked awful; my red, tear-stained face looked awful. Still, from running through the printed page a few times, I almost knew it well enough to speak it word-for-word.

That night I received some much-needed encouragement from some dear friends who had experienced the loss of close family. Both strongly assured me that I would definitely be able. It was a relief.

I look back at the wake and then the funeral with unexplainable delight and joy. All those things that God brought to my remembrance that night, plus others that He had shown my friends and family, were bits and pieces of a wonderful testimony that I shared with every person I spoke to. There were over seven hundred people who came to the wake, I am told, and I tried to talk to every single one. I am naturally quiet and reserved in large crowds, but I completely lost myself and all self-consciousness in my desire to give praise to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with a strong earthly father. It was an amazing feeling. 

I was very hoarse afterward, another obstacle to sharing the speech I had put together. It was awful to have so much to say and no voice to say it with. It’s funny to think now of such little, insignificant things, but I drank lots of lemon and honey and gargled lots of salt water in order to be able to even enunciate with any kind of clarity.

But not one tear broke my voice, nor the slightest bit of nervousness interfered. I shared with unwonted boldness all that I had written. It was a testimony in the weeks to come, as person after person came up to me and said how very blessed they had been by my speech. I can’t take credit for it, not even an ounce, for it was undeniably God’s work and not my own.

I thank God for counting my family worthy to be entrusted with such a testimony as we have.

I’ll post the speech tomorrow.

Click here for Part 2.

Remembering the Works of God, Part 1

A year: three hundred sixty-five risings of the sun; fifty-two meetings of precious fellowship with the Body of Christ; the round of holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries… What great things can be accomplished in a year!

But of all things I could have resolved to accomplish this year, I chose to read the Psalms every day. You’d think a book read daily would get old by September, but can I tell you I find more delight than ever in drinking from them each day! They are inexhaustibly refreshing! I want to know them, I want to memorize them, I want them to be in my heart and on my tongue. Such a shame that they are no longer included in our public worship, as they were exclusively centuries ago.

Today I read Psalm 105:

“Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth… He hath remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations” (Psalm 105:5, 8).

Wow! This was an astonishing revelation: We expect God to remember and fulfill to us the promises He made 2,000 years ago, but we do not remember the works He did for us last week!

What importance this attaches to documenting the God’s works throughout the course of our lives. Today I examined both Psalm 78 and 105 with new eyes, asking, “If God wrote a tale of His works in my life, of my unbelief, lust, and pride, and of the grace and mercy with which He worked all things for my good, what would it say?” Someday I'd love to take the time to look back and consider the turning points of my life, the circumstances surrounding them, my heart and my attitude, and tie all together for God’s glory, writing it out in the style of these two Psalms.

As the first anniversary of that precious day (Psalm 116:15) my father ended his pilgrim journey draws nigh, I find myself reflecting on this past year, my first year without Daddy. To think I may live forty or fifty years more without him… that’s a hard thought. That’s why it’s so important for me to remember. I was just thinking tonight on the way home from church, of how I thank God for the long ride because of the unforgettable conversations I had with Daddy every time we rode together.

I love to go back and read the truths God was revealing to me in the weeks that followed us facing the death of husband, father, protector, provider, and head of the home. In such times, priorities are much clearer to us than during the daily grind of life. God can teach to me more in a day through hurt and tears than I can learn alone through years of studying. I will soon be sharing here* on my blog some of the things I wrote during that time.

*To read, click these links: Oct. 14, Oct. 23, Nov. 4, Nov. 9, Nov. 29, and Dec. 7.

Delighting in HIS Story

I love history.
 

History: The narration of the redemptive plan of God Almighty throughout time; the story of His providence, mercy, and judgment in the lives of men and of nations, ending finally with the triumphant return of Christ to claim His bride.
 

Fathers are commanded to teach history to their children:   

“We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments: and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God” (Psalm 78:4-8).

This generation is stubborn and rebellious. Their heart is not right, but tied up in lust, temporal pleasures, and immediate gratification. They know not the works of God, neither keep His commandments; and therefore, judgment may come upon them.

Except they repent. Except the Lord have mercy. Except the men of God stand boldly and courageously for truth, and convert the sinner from the error of his way, saving his soul from death and hiding a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20).

History is overflowing with examples of great men and women who rose to the defining challenges of their day and broke through to glorious victory; “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight…” (Hebrews 11:33-34).

I have long admired their strength and resolve – men such as Washington, who admonished his troops, “The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage of THIS ARMY... We have, therefore to resolve to conquer or die.” 

What has become of such men?

For some time, I feared they had disappeared! But praise God, He has His faithful few laboring diligently for the sake of Him and His Kingdom. These strong, visionary leaders have taken the narrow path, refusing (as oft is possible) to contribute their time, their money, and their children to the State for its unrighteous ends. On the contrary, all these things are devoted to the Lord and His work.

Most importantly, these culture-challenging followers of Christ are committed to raising up the godly seed. They are training and discipling their children, AND THEY ARE MULTIPLYING! Praise the Lord! Their children are well-educated, respectful, and thankful, their sons brave and adventurous, and their daughters joyful and industrious.

They are the hope of our nation and the hope of our future, and I sat with some of their mothers this afternoon, as around the table we exchanged ideas for seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. These beautiful ladies are hosting a brunch three Saturdays hence to mentor younger women in the faith, teaching them "to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed" (Titus 2:4-5).

We are - you are - a part of history: the story of HIS plan to redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14).

 

May God bless our efforts.

Delighting in the Paths of Righteousness

A story of centuries ago tells of two children whose daily walk to school is bordered on one side by a gigantic hedge of thorns. Immediately above the hedge rises the generous branches of a prolific apple tree, amidst the glorious expanse of the western sky.

Desiring the forbidden fruit and deploring the hindering thorns, the wayward brother daily expresses his dissatisfaction with the path before him, eventually resolving to break through the hedge into freedom. His credulous little sister listens in wonder.

And so he begins his struggle to cut through. His arms scratch and bleed, yet he remains undeterred.

“Now, sister, try to get through the Hedge first, for you are the least, and I will follow.”

The sister crawls a short space before she cries out fearfully against the darkness and thorns. In a fit of passion and disgust at her timidity, he thrusts her further, but her cries grow louder, “My brother, my brother! The thorns, the thorns!” Hastily dragging her out, he finds to his horror a face pierced and bleeding!

Poor, ignorant children! The very object of their discontentment, the restrictive hedge, has barely rescued the little girl from a violent death, for it sits next to a deep ravine where it was planted decades earlier to prevent young children from falling.

Oh, blessed thorns that keep the wayward soul from sin and destruction! Blessed thorns that keep us on the path of righteousness!

God in His providence has provided “hedges” to deter His followers from straying from the path of eternal life. These restrictions are not to harm us, stifle us, or enslave us, but actually to check our tendency to choose the destructive path of sin.

Those who rebel against the hedge and struggle against the thorns will be pierced with pain, sorrow, and eventually death; but the thorns are seldom felt by those who patiently walk in the paths appointed them, without attempting to break from them, either to the right or to the left.

“Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them” (Proverbs 22:5).

The very things we chafe under, that seem to stifle our freedom, are sometimes actually a means God is using to restrain us from sin and make clear to us the direction He wants us to follow. These “hedges” can be so many things: the strictness of parents, the expectations of elders, sickness, handicap, poverty, death of family or friends, unreasonable in-laws, a wayward child, ailing parents, etc.

When I struggle with discontentment, I like to picture myself as one of these children. The way was so plain before their eyes, so uncomplicated, so protected. Why must they draw aside to injure themselves with the thorns? Why must I grab after what is beyond my reach – Ouch! Let me thrust the thorns out of my way – Ouch! I will fight more fiercely; I will conquer them – Ouch, ouch, ouch!

Oh, God forbid! May I have the faith to say yes to Him, in total surrender, and so never feel the wounding thorns! Let this ever be the thought of my heart:

“I delight to do Thy will, O my God; yea, Thy law in within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).

Delight. What thrill this word stirs in me! Does aught other word express a joy so rich and lasting, so satisfactory?

Webster defines:

DELIGHT: “To affect with great pleasure; to please highly; to give or afford high satisfaction or joy; as, a beautiful landscape delights the eye; harmony delights the ear; the good conduct of children, and especially their piety, delights their parents. ‘I will delight myself in thy statutes.’ Psalm 119.”

Yes, I delight in His will! I will rejoice in the way He has chosen for me. I am journeying on the narrow path to everlasting glory. “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).