I've thought how when Scripture says "every" or "all", or similarly when it says "never" or "nothing", it is often a challenge to consider what it actually means. When Jesus says in John 15 that we must abide in him because apart from him we can do nothing, what does the "nothing" mean?
Does it mean that anyone who isn't in Christ is a paraplegic, unable to move? Obviously not. But that is the most apparent plain meaning of "apart from me you can do nothing" that comes to mind.
If we look at the context, he is talking about bearing spiritual fruit. "No branch can bear fruit by itself ... Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
Here is my attempt at stating what it means. "Apart from me, your life will just not work right. Your triumphs will be too empty, your defeats too upsetting, and your abilities to endure and persevere will not get you to the end of your messy situations."
Ezekiel's vision explained
At church we're starting a Bible study in the book of Ezekiel. We discussed chapter 1 last night, where Ezekiel describes his vision of the four beings with four faces, and God seated upon the throne above them. Before we started, I asked our pastor if he was going to explain what the four faces (man, lion, ox, and eagle) meant. He laughed, but in the end he did. He showed how so often in chapter 1 Ezekiel used the phrases "looked like," "something like," or "the appearance like." He said this showed how Ezekiel was seeing something he didn't have words to describe really. He had to make analogies and comparisons. And ultimately, that is the real explanation -- when Ezekiel saw the glory of the presence of God, it was literally indescribable. He had to use a variety of analogies and comparisons to try to capture it. "It was kind of like this, and at the same time like this." We don't understand, but that is the point. The fullness of God is something we cannot understand, at least not in this life.
Another thing that impressed me was the complexity of the vision. Most of the description has to do with the four beings, which I assume are archangels. God is the one seated on the throne, the brilliant figure like glowing metal or like light. Why did Ezekiel spend more time describing the archangels than God? Another aspect of asserting the reality of God's presence is indescribable, I'm sure. But also, it shows that God's vision or presence is more complicated than we often give credit for. The four archangels are there, not because God needs their help to move his throne around, but because he graciously has given them a role to play in participating with and enjoying his glory. The glory of the presence of God is not God in splendid isolation because no one else can compare with Him, but God surrounded by a worshipping community. God the One and Only, yes. But God the One and Only who brings His creation into community and graciously gives them roles in celebrating who He is.
Ezekiel Chapter 1
Another thing that impressed me was the complexity of the vision. Most of the description has to do with the four beings, which I assume are archangels. God is the one seated on the throne, the brilliant figure like glowing metal or like light. Why did Ezekiel spend more time describing the archangels than God? Another aspect of asserting the reality of God's presence is indescribable, I'm sure. But also, it shows that God's vision or presence is more complicated than we often give credit for. The four archangels are there, not because God needs their help to move his throne around, but because he graciously has given them a role to play in participating with and enjoying his glory. The glory of the presence of God is not God in splendid isolation because no one else can compare with Him, but God surrounded by a worshipping community. God the One and Only, yes. But God the One and Only who brings His creation into community and graciously gives them roles in celebrating who He is.
Ezekiel Chapter 1
Permanent vs momentary grace
The other day I was reminded of Jeremiah 2:13:
“My people have committed two sins:
“My people have committed two sins:
I think much of the dynamic of the spiritual life is we long for and seek permanent good conditions; a cistern so full of water that we can never drain it dry. But God wants to train us to trust him for momentary good conditions, to see that he is a spring that never runs dry. We often ask God to give us a whole and full cistern, but he wants us to learn he is the ever faithful spring, the constant giver of ever new moments of grace.
Love-hate for the promises?
A blogger I'm following, Lisa McKay, said a startling thing: she has a love-hate relationship with Paul's promise that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
How dare she say that? What's wrong with her? And yet, in a fallen world where we are all still groaning, with the rest of creation for our full redemption, maybe she's right. How can you not struggle with the promises of God if you are not either ignoring what the promises really say, or ignoring what is really going on in your world?
Lisa has had three medical crises this year, any one of which would be a significant challenge. First, her one year old son broke his leg and was in a cast for over a month. Now, she has a broken foot and her husband needs major back surgery. And that brings up Paul's promise in Romans. What is the good in this?
“Oh yeah?" her rebellious self wants to ask, "What about drunk driving and cancer and war? What about kids dying in Syria and Sudan and movie theaters in Colorado? Huh? Just try to talk to me about good in all of that."
"And yet," she writes, "Great hope lies in those words, doesn’t it? Even when I’m feeling confused and resentful I can still often draw solace from that promise. I can’t believe that statement blindly, without doubt or questions, but I guess you could say I believe it enough to draw strength from it – to trust that dark clouds will be gilded with silver. Somehow. Eventually."
This paradox is what I wanted to describe in Covenant of Hope. In the messy situation of a church splitting in two, Jim and Sophie can't figure out how this is happening. Jim was tempted to think there must be a quick fix, if he just had the right kind of faith, but that didn't work either. Yet Jim, Sophie and the others learned to have hope in God's promises, even in their mess.
Lisa wrote a novel about hope in messy circumstances -- actually "messy" is an understatement. In her My Hands Came Away Red, a young woman goes on a short term mission trip hoping to find solace for the confusion she feels about her personal life, but instead she sees people being killed for their religion. The short-termers have to flee into the jungle for their own safety. Some days later they safely return to the capital city and fly out back to their North American homes, but the heroine is shaken by the experience and weeks later has not got over it. The story ends with her still knowing she's not over what happened, yet she has hope someday she will be over it.
I think this kind of story is quite realistic, and unfortunately rather rare in contemporary evangelical fiction. We have many stories where whatever difficulties arise are resolved by the end. Scripture does have stories where a problem is suddenly resolved by God's power. But it also has stories of thousands of years of waiting, of people believing in promises yet not receiving what they had hoped for, because the fruition comes much later. Do we prepare ourselves to have that kind of faith?
How dare she say that? What's wrong with her? And yet, in a fallen world where we are all still groaning, with the rest of creation for our full redemption, maybe she's right. How can you not struggle with the promises of God if you are not either ignoring what the promises really say, or ignoring what is really going on in your world?
Lisa has had three medical crises this year, any one of which would be a significant challenge. First, her one year old son broke his leg and was in a cast for over a month. Now, she has a broken foot and her husband needs major back surgery. And that brings up Paul's promise in Romans. What is the good in this?
“Oh yeah?" her rebellious self wants to ask, "What about drunk driving and cancer and war? What about kids dying in Syria and Sudan and movie theaters in Colorado? Huh? Just try to talk to me about good in all of that."
"And yet," she writes, "Great hope lies in those words, doesn’t it? Even when I’m feeling confused and resentful I can still often draw solace from that promise. I can’t believe that statement blindly, without doubt or questions, but I guess you could say I believe it enough to draw strength from it – to trust that dark clouds will be gilded with silver. Somehow. Eventually."
This paradox is what I wanted to describe in Covenant of Hope. In the messy situation of a church splitting in two, Jim and Sophie can't figure out how this is happening. Jim was tempted to think there must be a quick fix, if he just had the right kind of faith, but that didn't work either. Yet Jim, Sophie and the others learned to have hope in God's promises, even in their mess.
Lisa wrote a novel about hope in messy circumstances -- actually "messy" is an understatement. In her My Hands Came Away Red, a young woman goes on a short term mission trip hoping to find solace for the confusion she feels about her personal life, but instead she sees people being killed for their religion. The short-termers have to flee into the jungle for their own safety. Some days later they safely return to the capital city and fly out back to their North American homes, but the heroine is shaken by the experience and weeks later has not got over it. The story ends with her still knowing she's not over what happened, yet she has hope someday she will be over it.
I think this kind of story is quite realistic, and unfortunately rather rare in contemporary evangelical fiction. We have many stories where whatever difficulties arise are resolved by the end. Scripture does have stories where a problem is suddenly resolved by God's power. But it also has stories of thousands of years of waiting, of people believing in promises yet not receiving what they had hoped for, because the fruition comes much later. Do we prepare ourselves to have that kind of faith?
Jeremiah's secrets of the heart
Jeremiah wrote one of the most pessimistic assessments of
the human heart: “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who
can understand it?” (Jer 17:9) But Jeremiah also records how committed God is
to renewing our hearts. “I will give them a heart to know I am the Lord … they
shall return to me with their whole heart.” Jer 24:7. The promise of the New
Covenant (Jeremiah, 31:31-35) is that God will write his law on our
hearts.
A surprising contrast. But I think the take-away is we can trust our
hearts to God and we need to trust our hearts to God. We can ask him for his
help to cure the deceit, and guide our hearts to the place God wants. We can
cry out to God with what is in our hearts, because he knows our hearts yet does
not reject them.
Is God your problem solver?
Most people conceive of God as a miraculous problem solver. Believers have faith he will solve their problems as they come, unbelievers don't believe such a wondrous person exists since there are so many problems in the world.
In Scripture we do see God miraculously solving problems. We also see God leading people into problems, and using problems to refine them. God can suddenly lift a problem out of my life, but also (and I think this is more common) he gives me the courage and hope to carry on in the face of the problem.
How can we better celebrate God the giver of peace in the midst of problems?
In Scripture we do see God miraculously solving problems. We also see God leading people into problems, and using problems to refine them. God can suddenly lift a problem out of my life, but also (and I think this is more common) he gives me the courage and hope to carry on in the face of the problem.
How can we better celebrate God the giver of peace in the midst of problems?
Thorns: faith in really trying circumstances
I've just watched the video of Steve Saint talking about having hope in his recent paralysis.
He recited a poem called "Thorn" by Martha Snell Nicholson who apparently lived for years with four different chronic diseases, but kept hope in God.
That reminded me of another video by Jennifer Bute who has Alzheimers and considers it a gift of God. I have a hard time imagining finding contentment while losing your memory, but she shows it's possible.
This makes me think I've only begun to scratch the surface in learning to find joy and contentment in God in difficult circumstances. But I suppose I should find hope in that. Life isn't always pleasant, but I can find joy. Life could get a lot worse, but I could still find joy. May I remember that.
Jennifer Bute Introductory video, Website
The Thorn poem
Steve Saint's recent testimony
He recited a poem called "Thorn" by Martha Snell Nicholson who apparently lived for years with four different chronic diseases, but kept hope in God.
That reminded me of another video by Jennifer Bute who has Alzheimers and considers it a gift of God. I have a hard time imagining finding contentment while losing your memory, but she shows it's possible.
This makes me think I've only begun to scratch the surface in learning to find joy and contentment in God in difficult circumstances. But I suppose I should find hope in that. Life isn't always pleasant, but I can find joy. Life could get a lot worse, but I could still find joy. May I remember that.
Jennifer Bute Introductory video, Website
The Thorn poem
Steve Saint's recent testimony
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