Twilight Thoughts

The God of the day has vanished,
The light from the hills has fled,
And the hand of the unseen Artist
Is painting the west all red.
All threaded with gold and crimson,
And burnished with amber dye,
And tipped with purple shadows,
The glory flameth high.

Fair, beautiful world of ours!
Fair, beautiful world, but oh!
How darkened by pain and sorrow,
How blackened by sin and woe.
The splendor pales in the heavens,
And dies in a golden gleam,
And alone in the hush of twilight,
I sit in a checkered dream.

I think of the souls that are straying,
In shadows as black as night,
Of hands that are griping blindly,
In search of a shining light.
Of hearts that are mutely crying,
And praying for just one ray,
To lead them out of the shadows,
Into the better way.

And I think of the Father’s children,
Who are trying to walk along,
Who have dropped the hand of the Parent,
And wander in ways unknown.
Oh, the paths are rough and thorny,
And I know they cannot stand,
They will faint and fall by the wayside,
Unguarded by God’s right hand.

And I think of the souls that are yearning,
To follow the good and true;
They are striving to live unsullied,
Yet know not what to do.
And I wonder when God, the Master,
Shall end this weary strife,
And lead us out of the shadows,
Into the deathless life.

— Ella Wheeler Wilcox

My Love of Flowers

Truth shall be told: my love of flowers - for each particular petal - is such, that no thirst after scientific knowledge could ever prevail upon me to tear the beautiful objects in pieces.

I love to see the bud burst into maturity; I love to make the deepening tints with which the beams of heaven paint the expanded flower; nay, with a melancholy sort of pleasure, I love to watch that progress towards decay, so endearingly bespeaking a fellowship in man’s transient glory; which, even at its height, is but
as ‘the flower of grass.’

I love to gaze upon these vegetable gems - to marvel and adore, that such relics of paradise are yet permitted to brighten a path where the iniquity of rebellious sinners has sown the thorn and the thistle, under the blighting curse of an offended God.

Next after the blessed Bible, a flower-garden is to me the most eloquent of books - a volume teeming with instruction, consolation, and reproof.

. . .

Oh! what a day that will be, when every noxious thing is uprooted, and cast forth from the fair garden of this renovated earth! The figure is of constant recurrence in Scripture. ‘Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree.’ ‘The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad because of them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.’

Before that day of the Church’s triumph and blessedness I shall be gathered among the clods of the valley; and the bright offspring of the soil, which now soothe and cheer my heart, will be blossoming over my head, and telling forth to others the same precious truths that they declare to me.

It is not supposed to be that such a book has been spread before man for six thousand years in characters illegible to those who glanced upon it. Isaac’s meditations in the field at eventide may have partaken of the same nature, as the gorgeous blossoms of Eden unfolded their glowing tints around him. David, from considering the starry heavens, may have turned his regards to the flowers of the earth, and read their declaration of the glory of God in terms no less emphatic than the voiceless testimony of the skies.

The skill that hung those elegant pendents on their slender stalks, and arranged a drapery of foliage around them, had a meaning in the act. I will not reject the comfort, nor disregard the instruction that they seem designed to yield me.

What my gracious Lord and Saviour has invited me to consider, I will not overlook; what He tells me that Solomon in all his glory could not equal, I will not refuse to admire; and what He represents as being clothed by the hand of God, as a symbol of His providential care over me, I will not fail to recognize as among the sweetest tokens of His Love.

— From ‘Chapters on Flowers’ by Charlotte Elizabeth, p. 1-2 & 324-326

A Lord’s Day Prayer

O God, how we wrestle with You at times. And as Your servant, Jacob, we come away blessed and changed, beautifully weakened and limping. Might we too prevail in this seemingly impossible battle?

How we long for Shalom now. We don’t want to wait for our every longing to be fulfilled. Nay!

O Lord, may we not be driven to despair for we are Yours, engraved on Your hand, forever loved by You who truly are Good itself. May we learn to please You in spite of the overwhelming Ache? Would You show us how to love well those to whom we’ve been given, that we might move toward them in a posture of humility and tenderness?

O Lord, strengthen us, protect us, give us eyes clear of sin to see this world and all who dwell within it as You do. Though we often stumble, please, please don’t let us fall. Give us pure hearts, that we might see You in all Your splendor and majesty.

May every bit of pain here only help us to know more fully Christ crucified. And may every bit of Beauty here only serve to capture our wandering hearts and bind us more firmly to You, our Beloved King.

May we walk, Together, every step of the way, trusting His will and His ways, even when we don’t understand a lick of it. And O Lord Jesus, please come quickly?

How we long for the Great Day!

Amen.

Daily: Life, Death

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

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He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

—Hebrews 1:3

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Beloved?

In a way, each day, feels like a lifetime, yes?

On the one hand, it’s short. On the other hand, it’s quite long.

In the morning, we’re born again. We take on a new sense of consciousness – we’ve been breathing all night, really, but suddenly we’re aware that breath has been, once again, given to us by our Creator. We were dead, as far as we were concerned - we had surrendered our will, our efforts, our soul the night before. Miraculously, our bodies, our mind, and our spirit were all kept alive somehow, even without our influence. In one way, this is shocking, surprising…and yet, when we consider all things, when we think of Him, we realize how foolish such a thought is: of course He can, and does, sustain us without our involvement.

And so…even though our eyes were shut, we open them again. He recalibrates our mind, our hearts – He sets the dial where it should be for the current day. There’s some residue, of course, from the previous day – some pleasant memories, some painful ones. These slowly begin to resurface, not all at once, mind you, and not necessarily in the order in which we expect or desire them to take shape; and yet they too, are revived along with the rest of us, bit by bit.

He lovingly restores us. He tenderly, carefully, deliberately, mends our wounds. We’re often restless, during the day. He engages with us, while we live, yes. But…some work can only be accomplished while we are at rest. He can, then, with His gentle hand, do His work of repairing our tears. (pondering) The word “tear” (the pulling apart of body and spirit) is spelled exactly the same as “tear” (the liquid sorrow that flows from our eyes). He considers both, and redeems our soul – safely securing that which is most precious to Him, keeping it hidden, even from our view, here and now.

In some ways, each daily life of birth is similar, but none is alike. Each one is a gift, graciously bestowed. He is still creating. He isn’t finished yet.

For purposes partially unknown to us, sometimes, He chooses to start off the day – this lifetime of a day – with us born atop a precipice. Right from the beginning, it seems, the world is against us: traps are set, an ambush is awaiting us with eager expectation, trials are intricately designed and meticulously crafted – perfectly suited for us – unique in every way, for this day. He’s…taking us on a journey, perhaps, a perilous journey. He’s leading us, guiding us. At times, it’s as though we’re meant to “fail” this life – this day of life. Or, it feels that way. Although, He’s with us, for He said He would never leave us. And yet, for His glory, and our good, sometimes…for reasons we cannot fully know – perhaps, it’s due to our lack of faith, our disbelief, our blindness, or our faintness of hearing? – we cannot see Him or hear Him; it’s as though His presence has escaped us. We’re never alone on these days – not verily – but sometimes we feel alone. We trust this type of day, this life - these circumstances, these afflictions, this grief – are all carefully planned by our loving God. These days soften our hearts, they frighten us so we return, they help us see more clearly our need and desperation for Him.

Other days begin with sharp contrast: we awake to the sound of birds singing, the mind is clear, the heart is at rest, and it’s as though we were breathing in Peace Himself with our every breath. The pathway is smooth, and pleasant. The sun welcomes us with a gentle kiss on our cheeks as we go forth. We smile, and gratitude is the fragrance that compliments us all throughout this daily life. His presence is more known, on days like this. The wounds we inflicted in days past, slowly start to heal. Love is tasted. Hope is renewed. There are still shadows, but the shadows are only made up of beautiful clouds above..they aren’t really even shadows per see, not darkness like days past…just more brilliance of shaded variations of light. Life is bright and glorious, vivid in detail and splendor. He is always good, but His favor is more readily felt on days like this. There is a sacred preciousness to these types of days. They come with a sort of tenderness and gentleness that is…unexpected. It’s quite possible, that these types of days can only and ever be enjoyed because of the great and diverseness of life.

At last, every day – each day of life –comes to an end. This can invoke fear in us, aye, it does often (sorrowful); for we wonder so many things: we question our worth, we doubt His love, we – weak and afraid – tremble. But…

Beloved? (gentle) He is the beginning and the end. Remember how he sustained your body, your mind, your soul as you slept the night before? And the night before that? He, steadfast in His love, has already brought you from life to death and back to life again countless times – thousands of times. Do you know? (gentle) He can, and will, do it again. And…beloved? He has already passed through death itself, and is alive! He has gone before you, even in this, and He sits (at rest) at His Father’s right-hand side, in power and strength. He loves you. He says to you: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.” You…achy, weary, sad (weeping) do come, even now: this day. Not in your own strength, but in His.

Therefore, come, let us return to the Lord, beloved, this day, and every day; in life, and in death. Aye—He has torn us (weeping), but not without cause. He has done so, so that He may heal us. Aye—He has most certainly struck us down. But, O my soul (said faintly, yet determined)…He will bind us up. He has given us His word. There is nothing in life or death that is more sure, more lasting, more definite, more comforting than His most precious word.

Greatly Loved

…man greatly loved…

— Daniel 10:11

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How beautiful and pleasant you are, O loved one, with all your delights!

— Song of Solomon 7:6

—

Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’

— John 11:35-36

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Child of God…has your unbelief made you forget that you are greatly loved? Surely you must have been greatly loved to have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot? When God crushed His own Son for you, what was this but being greatly loved? You lived in sin and rooted in it; surely you were greatly loved for God to have been so patient with you. You were called by grace and led to a Savior and made a child of God and an heir of heaven. Doesn’t this all prove a very great and superabounding love?

. . .

Since that time, whether your path has been rough with troubles or smooth with mercies, it has been full of proofs that you are greatly loved. If the Lord has chastened you, it was not in anger; if He has made you poor, still in grace He has made your rich. The more unworthy you feel yourself to be, the more evidence you have that nothing but unspeakable love could have led the Lord Jesus to save a soul like yours. The more disapproval you feel, the clearer is the display of God’s abounding love in choosing you and calling you and making you an heir of heaven.

. . .

Now if such a love exists between God and us, let us live in the influence and sweetness of it…We should not approach our Lord as though we were strangers or though He were unwilling to hear us — for we are greatly loved by our loving Father. ‘He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us All Things?’

. . .

Come boldly believer, for despite the whispers of Satan and the doubts of your own heart, you are greatly loved. Meditate on the exceeding greatness and faithfulness of divine Love this evening, and then go to your bed in peace.

— Morning and Evening (Charles Spurgeon) - October 2: Evening

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O, beloved.

You are greatly loved, do you know? (gentle)

Do you see yourself with eyes like I see you, eyes like He sees you? (tender)

You are His joy, beloved. He weeps over you because He longs to be with you. Your beauty delights Him!

And to live in the knowledge of that great Love, beloved? Do you see the sweetness in that? (tender)

All He does, He does from a place of Love, beloved. Even that which He withholds. Let us not believe the whisper that says, like the serpent in the Garden - If He really loved you, He would not forbid this one thing…Nay! We can rest in the truth that we are greatly loved by our Beloved. He delights in us, delights to give good gifts to His children!

May we never doubt His Love for us, please? (gentle) May we, even this day, find such peace as we remember Together that we are sustained by His Love, and that He is at work, revealing this great Love to us in the very smallest of things, beloved - clouds, trees, tears, words, warmth, light, contrast, insects, wrinkles, smells, birds…We only need to look around us with eyes of faith, to see His Love made manifest.

You are a man greatly loved, a man after His own heart, beloved. You are! See how Jesus loves you? (tender) He whispers words of Love to your spirit even now, my love. Listen, please. And you will hear, and be at peace.

I Will Not Doubt

Jesus immediately reached out His hand
and took hold of him, saying to him,
‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?

— Matthew 14:31

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I believe; help my unbelief!

— Mark 9:24

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Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and He has become my salvation.

— Isaiah 12:2

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I will not doubt, though all my ships at sea
Come drifting home with broken masts and sails;
I shall believe the Hand which never fails
From seeming evil worketh good for me;
And though I weep because those sails are battered,
Still will I cry, while my best hopes lie shattered,
I trust in Thee.

I will not doubt, though sorrows fall like rain,
And troubles swarm like bees about a hive;
I shall believe the heights for which I strive
Are only reached by anguish and by pain;
And though I groan and tremble with my crosses,
I yet shall see, through my severest losses,
The greater gain.

I will not doubt, though all my prayers return
Unanswered from the still, white Realm above;
I shall believe it is an all-wise Love
Which has refused those things for which I yearn;
And though at times I cannot keep from grieving,
Yet the pure ardour of my fixed believing,
Undimmed shall burn.

— Selections from ‘Faith’ by
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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O, beloved.

I know it’s hard. (gentle)

Day after day, choosing to trust, choosing to believe, in that which we cannot see.

Reading the promises over and over again in His Word, clinging to them, to Him, even as we ache.

Learning, ever so slowly, to hold loosely, that only He can truly satisfy.

Dying in a thousand little ways.

Surrendering, grieving, submitting in patient obedience, out of Love.

Trying and failing and having to start all over again.

It hurts, most all of the time, yes, beloved? (tender)

And yet…

He is surely taking us, who are Little-Faith, and hammering, forging us into Great-Faith as we cry out to Him again and again- ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’ He is causing us to know more of His pain, yes, beloved? As the Head so the Body? We tread the same path as our Beloved.

He is our strength, our song, our salvation, beloved. (gentle) The One who saves us and bestows grace upon grace on us, in His great mercy. He is worthy of all honor and praise and glory! He deserves our trust, my sweet one. He is the Lord, the God of All. He created all things, knows all things, is making all things new, even now, beloved. We can trust Him. We can, surely.

We believe in an all-wise Love who has, for a time, refused those things for which we yearn…and though we cannot keep from grieving, we are determined to believe, are we not, beloved? (gentle) Yes, my love. For to whom else could we go?

Please, beloved, may we Together pray against doubt? Pray against doubting His goodness and His promises? Pray against doubting His will and His ways that are not ours and seem, oftentimes, so very wrong to us? May we beg our Beloved for an increase of faith and trust in Him? May we ask Him fervently for patience, to be able to wait well, in a way that is pleasing to Him?

O, beloved…we see so little now. We understand so little. We writhe in pain and flail about. We cry out - ‘Lord, how can this be? How can you withhold Beauty and All Good Things from us?’

But beloved? (gentle) He is not withholding our greatest desire from us forever, but only for a season. And seasons…they’re short, my love! Winter turns to spring and spring to summer and summer to fall and fall back to winter…just like that!

Soon, beloved.

We will practice trusting our Good Shepherd King day by day, until One Day, perhaps when we least expect it, our every longing will be fulfilled! And this, here…all the heartache, it will seem like a dream, beloved. A short, silly dream - not worth all the fuss. No, my love. (gentle) Not when we are standing Together in the fullness of His glory and radiance! Not when Life has truly begun and this wilderness has long been traversed.

No need to fear, my little one. No need to fret! (tender) He is working All Things for our good and for His glory, even now, as you breathe in and out this very day, as you surrender yourself once again into His tender care.

He cherishes you, beloved (even more than I - if that were possible). He will sustain you. He will reassure you over and over again of His unending Love for you. As many times as you need Him and go to Him, He will meet you, just as you are, arms wide open, ready to hold you close.

Together, we wait upon Him. In Him we can trust. We can rest in Him, and be at peace, my love, from this day forth and forevermore. It’s true!

Please, let us cease this doubting and praise Him with all the life and the breath He has given us? We do so in His strength, not in our own, but always, ever, Together, beloved, please? (tender)

May it be so.

Amen

Precious, Puzzling

…the strongest emotion was that life was as precious as it was puzzling. It was an ecstacy because it was an adventure; it was an adventure because it was an opportunity. The goodness of the fairy tale was not affected by the fact that there might be more dragons than princesses; it was good to be in a fairy tale. The test of all happiness is gratitude.

— Orthodoxy (G.K. Chesterton)

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Beloved? (gentle)

Look around you –please. Open your eyes.

Whether it be shame, disappointment or sorrow, lift your head O child of God.

What do you see? What do you hear?

When you look up at the clouds, what is it that most captures your heart? Sure, they’re beautiful…they’re amazing. But, why do they make your heart sing, when you feast your eyes upon their glory? Isn’t it because you marvel at their testimony? They speak truth.

When she looks at you, and you lose your breath; when you kindly receive her tenderness, her love – consider this: He must be good.

O, my soul. What sense is there in charting your own course? What gain can be had in desperately trying to grasp after something of which hasn’t been given?

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)

Beloved, trust in God. Be grateful. Sing His praises.

Wait upon the Lord. Invite the puzzling mysteries, revel in them, and be in awe of His steadfast Love.

Fear not, my beloved.

He will restore all things.

Nothing is lost.

God Can, God Will

Dearest Lord, I blush to think how slender, at times, my faith is!

When I read of the acts of those heroes in the gospel, who ‘through faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,’ and the like, I am ashamed of my unbelieving heart.

Did Joshua bid the sun and moon to stand still? Did Peter call Tabitha from the dead, by faith in Jesus?

And am I so much at a loss, at times, to fear that I will one day perish at the hand of the enemy? I beg You, Lord, strengthen my soul in this grace, that I may never more question Your divine faithfulness.

Blessed Jesus, pour in Your resources upon my poor forgetful and unbelieving heart when doubts, fears, and misgivings arise. Help me to see that in all my journey past, You have brought me through difficulties and dangers.

Help me to see that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.

What is difficulty, when Jesus steps in for His people? The challenge, be what it may, is more for the display of Your glory, and the exercise of my faith.

Help me then, Lord, to look to You — and not to the difficulty, because I have nothing to do with it. It is enough for me that my God has promised.

You can, God, and You will.

How will You do it, Jesus? That is Your concern, not mine. You are faithful. You have promised. And that is enough for me. There is no doubt. Yes, Lord! I know Your hand is not weak, and that all You have said must come to pass. Because ‘He who calls you is faithful, and He will surely do it!’ Amen.

— Robert Hawker

A New Morning Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for sustaining me throughout the night, and ushering me into this new day, that You have made. O, Lord, You are so very gracious!

Thank you for restoring my mind, body, and soul; for mending my wounds, for binding me up. Thank you for delivering me from darkness. You are my Light.

Thank you for Your new-morning mercies!

O, Lord, You are so faithful, so good; Your steadfast Love is everlasting, from generation to generation! You amaze me! I am in awe of You!

Please go before me and behind me, this day – please lead me, and guide me in the way that I should go. May your Words be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Make me tender, soften my heart – mold me and shape me according to Your design.

Abide in me, through Your Holy Spirit, and please, open my eyes and my ears, so that I may be attentive to Your call.

Thank you for showing me Beauty, thank you providing a second witness to Your Love. Thank you for this Gift: my beloved, this tender flower, my love, my joy.

I am grateful for this Time here…I am grateful for You revealing yourself to me in and through the variety, the contrast, the uncertainty of this life.

Thank you for giving me another day: this day—full of opportunity, a day with life and breath, a day…lived by faith. This faith is yet another gift most precious to me—thank you for giving me eyes to see You and ears to hear You from afar!

Thank you for creating me, O Lord! May my thoughts, my words, my actions, this day, be pleasing and honoring to You. I give You all glory, all praise!

Please hold me, Father. I am Your child. Never let me go. Even when my body is returned to dust, remember me, please. Cover me, Jesus—may Your blood restore me to Life everlasting and my lips will forever sing Your praises!

One thing I ask, one thing I seek after: You. I long to be with You, O Lord, fully. I long to be in your Presence. I long to gaze upon your Beauty. I long to worship You and praise You unhindered. Save me from my sin, O Lord! I am so very desperate for You.

I am yours, now and forever. May your will be done, may your Kingdom come. You are my Lord, my King, My Savior, my Shepherd, my Beloved—my All.

Call me by name, O Lord, when You are ready, and I shall come. I wait upon You, O God.

I love You.

Amen.

Under The Sun

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

…

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

…

…a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

…

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

— Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 4, 5b, 7b

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As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.

— 2 Timothy 1:4

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Beloved? (gentle)

We’re still under the sun, yes? And so…there will be seasons – there will be highs and lows, a continual ebb and flow to this life, here.

He meant for it to be this way. We cannot see exactly how, or why, but we know He ordained it to be such. My! such contrast, such variety, such uncertainty. (bewildered) He has most definitely succeeded at disrupting any possible notion of self-reliance, yes? Aye. (tender)

And so, what shall our response be? (pondering)

Perhaps, a renewed sense of trust? A persistent, child-like faith? He is good, we know that to be true. And so, we…with a wee bit of holy stubbornness and determination say: “He is still good.“

I reckon, each new day gifted to us, here and now, will only further the intensity of our perceived weakness, our continued reliance, our complete hopelessness apart from Him. We’re gradually letting go of our old nature, our trusty binky - as babes. It’s…scary, and painful, and wrought with fear.

But, beloved? (extra gentle) Let us, Together, bow our body, mind, and soul low to the One who is Love, and may we put our trust in Him this day. This day is all that we have set before us now. He has given us His body, His Life for sustenance; He has already provided. May our weaknesses be His strength.

Please, peace be with you, now and always.

I remember your tears. I long to see you, that our joy may be full.

Grace For the Weary

Lord, we know your words, “The Lord God has given me a well-taught tongue, so I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.”

I am one of those wearied souls, Lord. I am wearied with my temptations, wearied with inward trouble.

So now, Lord, speak a word in due season to this poor, wounded, and wearied soul.

Let me serve you, Lord—that is all my desire. Let me see you as you please, when you please.

I am done, Lord, I am done. I have questioned and questioned my condition these many years. And I see there is no end of such questioning. I get nothing by it.

I am a poor, weak creature, and fear I will never be able to bear testimony of the truth of Jesus Christ. But you have said, “I will give power to my two witnesses.” I am one of your witnesses. Now then, Lord, give power to me, for I am poor.

I see the sinfulness of sin, so let me also see the graciousness of grace, and the fullness of Christ. I come to you for righteousness, because I see my sin is exceedingly sinful.

O Lord, keep my soul in the ocean of your free love.
Amen.

— William Bridge

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O, beloved. (gentle)

You are weary. You are sad. You are weak, and poor; helpless.

Aye.

And yet…beloved? (tender)

That is not all. No. That isn’t the whole picture. It’s but a fragment, a small sliver of reality. It’s you, it’s me. It’s all of us really.

But, O my soul! He…our precious Savior…He is mighty! He is Life, and Power, and He is our All. Whatever we lack, He is for us.

O, beloved. (extra gentle) He is gracious, and kind, and compassionate, and gentle, and…He can empathize with us! For He is a man, with flesh and blood, like us! He knows what it’s like to be weary, and sad. He is the Man of sorrows, yes? He knows.

Please, beloved. Please don’t lose hope. He is our Hope. He isn’t far off. He dwells within us, through His Spirit. We are never alone.

Whenever we feel despondent, we must remember that our life, whatever life we have even now, whether it be our breath, our blood, or our eternal life everlasting…it’s His, it’s Him living in us – sustaining us, holding us.

You are loved. Just the way you are, right now. Do you see? You lack nothing.

From Every Angle

Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved.

— Song of Solomon 1:16

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From every angle, our Well-beloved is most fair. Our various experiences are meant by our Heavenly Father to provide new vantage points from which we may view the loveliness of Jesus. How friendly are our trials when they allow us a clearer view of Jesus than ordinary life could afford us!

We have seen Him from the mountain peaks, and He has shone upon us as the sun in His strength, but we have seen Him also from the lions’ dens, and even there He has lost none of His loveliness. In the experience of suffering and pain, from the borders of the grave, we have turned our eyes to our soul’s spouse, and He has never been other than ‘beautiful.’ Many of His saints looked upon Him from the gloom of dungeons and from the martyr’s flames, yet they never uttered an ill word of Him but died extolling His surpassing charms.

To keep our gaze on the Lord Jesus is noble and pleasant employment. Is it not unspeakably delightful to view the Savior in all His works and to perceive Him matchless in each? To shift the kaleidoscope, as it were, and to find fresh combinations of matchless grace? In the manger and in eternity, on the cross and on His throne, in the garden and in His kingdom, among thieves or in the midst of cherubim, He is everywhere glorious in His beauty.

Examine carefully every little act of His life and every trait of His character, and He is as lovely in the minute as in the majestic. Judge Him as you will, you cannot censure; weigh Him as you please, and He will not be found wanting. Eternity shall not discover the shadow of a spot in our Beloved, but rather as ages revolve, His hidden glories will shine with even more inconceivable splendor, and His unutterable loveliness will continually ravish all celestial minds.

— Morning and Evening (Charles Spurgeon) - May 22: Evening

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Ok, beloved! (excited)

What if - just what if…part of this life here is about learning to see our Beloved from every angle?

What if every word we read, every conversation we have, every interaction with creation, every relationship, every emotion, every tear, every desire…it’s all meant to turn the looking glass just ever so slightly, to allow us the opportunity to see Christ in new ‘colors,’ new ‘shapes,’ new glory?! ‘New vantage points from which we may view the loveliness of Jesus?’

We’re to gaze on Him, beloved, yes! But not on Christ, a cold, colorless ‘symbol,’ stagnant and lifeless, like a block of stone or a wooden idol. Nay! Rather, we’re to gaze on the One our soul loves and longs for, the One who remains unchanged in character, yes - but whose work in us and in the world is in constant motion, the One whose beauty shines forth in a wonderful array of mystery and variety and contrast, does it not? Darkness and light, barrenness and fruitfulness, poverty and riches, fasting and feasting, dying and living, suffering and glory…He reveals the treasures found in His word and His world and His body by letting us experience ‘shades’ of ‘color,’ day by day. And all for the purpose of giving us a chance to know more of His loveliness, beloved, that we might be in awe of His great gentle power and bow down to kiss His feet in humble adoration!

We’re to examine Him, beloved - to study Him, every last inch of Him! We know what a delight it would be to study every last inch of our ‘little b’ beloved, yes? (gentle) To have the time to let eyes linger and fingers caress slowly and bodies join Together as One, becoming more and more alike - body, mind, and spirit? Well, just think (amazed) - this is our time to do just that with our ‘big b’ Beloved! These days that, at times, feel meaningless and never-ending…they’re not, beloved. They’re His gift of time to us - so He can shape our perspective and offer us as many different ‘views’ of Himself as possible - our eyes lingering on Him, our fingers caressing the pages of His Word, our very selves becoming more and more One with Him as we seek Him here - before we are ready to see and know Him fully There, yes?!

What if God had placed us in a world that was already perfect in every way, beloved? A world without darkness, without cold, without pain - where all was Beauty all the time? What if we never knew sickness or longing or fear or death? What if we never knew what it was to be in need? If we never had fires or waters through which to walk? Our Creator God, He could have made things that way. He could have ‘saved us’ from all that we believe to be difficult in our humanity. He’s all-powerful, after all. But beloved? (gentle) If all we’d ever known, ever experienced, was perfection, would we treasure Him? Would we see our need for Him at all? Would these lenses that we call ‘eyes’ ever be lifted off of self for even the very briefest moment? And would we even want life to be that way, truly? A life without contrast, without mystery, without change? A life of stagnation? And if this perfect Beauty was our reality now, would we even be capable of enjoying and appreciating the perfection that is promised us in the Life, in the Love, yet to come?

‘To find fresh combinations of His matchless grace,’ beloved. This is our aim, our quest during our days here. We trust that He will use each slight turn of the glass to reveal more and more of His glory to us. And as we view Him, over and over and over again, ever from a nearly imperceptibly different angle, through the passage of many years and many experiences, we have faith that He will ravish us with His goodness, His grace, His tender Love, and draw us ever closer to Himself, do we not? (tender) And where else are we truly safe and known and held tenderly than in the presence of our Beloved?

‘To keep our gaze on the Lord Jesus is noble and pleasant employment’ indeed, beloved. Let us seek to do so, Together, for our good and for His glory, now and always.

Amen.

Longing To Dwell With Him

Blessed Lord, my soul rises to You in a flame.
You have said you are coming quickly, and I reply, ‘Amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus!’ Come! I long to be done with the burdens and sorrows of this life. Come! I long to ascend to Your presence, and see You in your courts above.

Death is transformed when I see it in this light. I no longer fear the king of terrors when the King of Glory and Grace is so near. I hear with pleasure the sound of Your feet approaching, nearer and nearer. Draw aside the veil whenever You please. Open the bars of my prison, so my eager soul may spring forth to You and I may throw myself at Your feet - at the feet of Jesus.

Though I have not yet seen Him, I love Him, and I am filled with inexpressible and glorious joy. Lord, You will show me the path of life, and You will guide me to the place where there is fullness of joy. You will give me a place with Your faithful servants, whose spirits live with You now while their bodies sleep in the dust…

Blessed Redeemer, I look forward to that nobler and more glorious hope, and when I am there I will look forward even more to the Day of Your final appearance. There I will long even more to see You vindicated, Your triumph displayed, and the dust of Your servants brought back to life. There I will see the final enemy, death itself, swallowed up in victory. I will long for that greater honor You have reserved for me, and the complete happiness waiting for all Your people.

All the millions of Your saints, saved by Your grace, will say, ‘Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!’ Their words will mingle with the songs of paradise. In the meantime, Master, accept the worship and praise my grateful heart offers You now. You have inspired me with glorious hope. You have given me joy, and raised my soul to this place. Otherwise I might have been groveling in the lowest trifles of the here and now, looking with horror to the hour that now excites me so.

Be with me always, even to the end of this mortal life. And while I await Your salvation, help me follow Your ways. Strengthen me and keep my light shining for You. Keep my ears tuned to the wonderful signal of Your arrival, so my glowing soul springs to meet You with pleasure. Strengthen and prepare me in death for those visions of glory which this feeble body could never endure. Amen.

-Philip Doddridge

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How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise! Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of Your anointed! For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in You!

— Psalm 84 (ESV)

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O, beloved.

I’m well, truly.

My heart is full. I can see beauty in the world today. I’m finding consolation and joy in His Word. I’m pouring myself out to Him in prayer as best I know how.

But even still…I’m longing to be with Him, fully.

I know, beloved (gentle)…‘Only today,’ I can hear you whispering to me.

He will provide.

Though I am weary, He is not now and never shall be. Though I am confused, He knows all things. Though I think surely it must be time for Him to come and set everything right already…He requires waiting. And more and more and more waiting.

And so, we wait. Patiently, gladly, aye?

We wait for Him to come and take us to dwell with Him. For Him to gift us our true Home, our true Rest, our true Love. How I long for such a thing, such a place…with you.

Soon.

Surely, soon?!

We trust, Together, even when we can see so little, experience so little, understand so little.

For our God, He is a good God.

He delights to give good gifts to His children, yes?

Yes. It must be so.

Enough For Today

The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.

— Exodus 16:4 (NIV)

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Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

— Matthew 6:34 (ESV)

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The day’s portion in its day: Such was the rule for God’s giving and man’s working in the ingathering of the manna. It is still the law in all the dealings of God’s grace with His children. A clear insight into the beauty and application of this arrangement is a wonderful help in understanding how one, who feels himself utterly weak, can have the confidence and the perseverance to hold on brightly through all the years of his earthly course.

A doctor was once asked by a patient who had met with a serious accident: ‘Doctor, how long shall I have to lie here?’ The answer, ‘Only a day at a time,’ taught the patient a precious lesson. It was the same lesson God had recorded for His people of all ages long before: The day’s portion in its day.

It was, without a doubt, with a view to this, and to meet man’s weakness, that God graciously appointed the change of day and night. If time had been given to man in the form of one long unbroken day, it would have exhausted and overwhelmed him; the change of day and night continually recruits and recreates his powers. As a child, who easily makes himself master of a book, when each day only the lesson for the day is given him, would be utterly hopeless if the whole book were given him at once; so it would be with man, if there were no divisions in time. Broken small and divided into fragments, he can bear them; only the care and the work of each day have to be undertaken, — the day’s portion in its day.

The rest of the night fits him for making a fresh start with each new morning; the mistakes of the past can be avoided, its lessons improved. And he has only each day to be faithful for the one short day, and long years and a long life take care of themselves, without the sense of their length or their weight ever being a burden.

Most sweet is the encouragement to be derived from this truth in the life of grace. Many a soul is disquieted with the thought as to how it will be able to gather and to keep the manna needed for all its years of travel through such a barren wilderness. It has never learnt what unspeakable comfort there is in the word: The day’s portion for its day. That word takes away all care for the morrow most completely. Only today is thine; tomorrow is the Father’s.

The question: What security thou hast that during all the year in which thou hast to contend with the coldness, or temptations, or trials of the world, thou wilt always abide in Jesus? is one thou neediest, yea, thou mayest not ask. Manna, as thy food and strength, is given only by the day; faithfully to fill the present is thy only security for the future. Accept, and enjoy, and fulfill with thy whole heart the part thou hast this day to perform. His presence and grace enjoyed today will remove all doubt whether thou canst entrust the morrow to Him too…

God has gathered up the moments and bound them up into a bundle, for the very purpose that we might take measure of them. As we look forward in the morning, or look back in the evening, and weigh the moments, we learn how to value and how to use them rightly.

And even as the Father, with each new morning, meets you with the promise of just sufficient manna for the day for yourself…, meet Him with the bright and loving renewal of your acceptance of the position He has given you in His beloved Son. Accustom yourself to look upon this as one of the reasons for the appointment of day and night. God thought of our weakness, and sought to provide for it. Let each day have its value from your calling to abide in Christ. As its light opens on your waking eyes, accept it on these terms: A day, just one day only, but still day, given to abide and grow up in Jesus Christ.

Whether it be a day of health or sickness, joy or sorrow, rest or work, of struggle or victory, let the chief thought with which you receive it in the morning thanksgiving be this: ‘A day that the Father gave; in it I may, I must become more closely united to Jesus.’ As the Father asks, ‘Can you trust me just for this one day to keep you abiding in Jesus, and Jesus to keep you fruitful?’ you cannot but give the joyful response: ‘I will trust and not be afraid.’

The day’s portion for its day was given to Israel in the morning very early. The portion was for use and nourishment during the whole day, but the giving and the getting of it was the morning’s work. This suggests how greatly the power to spend a day aright, to abide all day in Jesus, depends on the morning hour. If the first-fruits be holy, the lump is holy.

During the day there come hours of intense occupation in the rush of business or the throng of men, when only the Father’s keeping can maintain the connection with Jesus unbroken. The morning manna fed all day; it is only when the believer in the morning secures his quiet time in secret to distinctly and effectually renew loving fellowship with his Saviour, that the abiding can be kept up all the day. But what cause for thanksgiving that it may be done! In the morning, with its freshness and quiet, the believer can look out upon the day. He can consider its duties and its temptations, and pass them through beforehand, as it were, with his Saviour, throwing all upon Him who has undertaken to be everything to him.

Christ is his manna, his nourishment, his strength, his life: he can take the day’s portion for the day, Christ as his for all the needs the day may bring, and go on in the assurance that the day will be one of blessing and growth. And then, as the lesson of the value and the work of the single day is being taken to heart, the learner is all unconsciously being led on to get the secret of ‘day by day continually.’ (Exodus 29:38).

The blessed abiding grasped by faith for each day apart is an unceasing and ever-increasing growth. Each day of faithfulness brings a blessing for the next; makes both the trust and the surrender easier and more blessed. And so the Christian life grows; as we give our whole heart to the work of each day, it becomes all the day, and from that every day. And so each day separately, all the days continually, day by day successively, we abide in Jesus.

And the days make up the life: what once appeared too high and too great to attain, is given to the soul that was content to take and use ‘every day his portion’ (Ezra 3:4)., ‘as the duty of every day required.’ Even here on earth the voice is heard: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over few, I will make thee ruler over many: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.’

Our daily life becomes a wonderful interchange of God’s daily grace and our daily praise: ‘Daily He loath us with His benefits;’ ‘that I may daily perform my vows.’ We learn to understand God’s reason for daily giving, as He most certainly gives, only enough, but also fully enough, for each day. And we get into His way, the way of daily asking and expecting only enough, but most certainly fully enough, for the day.

We begin to number our days not from the sun’s rising over the world, nor by the work we do or the food we eat, but by the daily renewal of the miracle of the manna, — the blessedness of daily fellowship with Him who is the Life and the Light of the world. The heavenly life is as unbroken and continuous as the earthly; the abiding in Christ each day has for that day brought its blessing; we abide in Him every day, and all the day. Lord, make this the portion of each one of us.

-Andrew Murray, ‘Abide in Christ’ - p.99-105

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O, beloved!

Do you know how much comfort this brings? We only have ‘to be faithful for one short day, and the long years and a long life take care of themselves?’ And ‘without the sense of their length or their weight ever being a burden?’ O, beloved! What comfort! What consolation! What joy!

So much of the fear and the despair come in when all the rest of our days here seem to stretch on out in front of me like a never-ending road, like this nearly impossible quest for obedience and holiness, of which I’m not qualified to undertake; I’m not up to the task. To see life here that way, beloved…it’s…wearying.

But no! (gentle) We’re only called to abide in Christ today. We’re only called to surrender our wills, our desires today. We’re only called not to grasp, to wait upon Him, our palms extended upward as we anticipate His good gifts, today, beloved. It’s not forever. It’s not for decades, or for years, or even for a week. But only for today. (content sigh) We can do that, can we not? (tender and hopeful)

He knows our weakness. He knows we are too small and too dim-witted to be able to cope with life here as one long, unbroken song. So He graciously breaks time into small, digestible chunks that He knows we can handle, beloved. He lets us practice dying each night and being resurrected each morning. He provides manna, grace sufficient for the day. He feeds us little bites of His Word, just the right size for our small mouths to chew on.

And our daily life then becomes a give and a take, of His giving us grace and us giving Him praise! Like breathing out and breathing in, beloved! And we begin to measure our days, not in terms of hours or minutes or the sun rising or setting, but in terms of our fellowship with Him, our communion with the living God who calls us His beloved children! This very moment, we can praise Him! This very moment, He is giving us grace upon grace! (John 1:16)

And ‘each day of faithfulness brings a blessing for the next, makes both the trust and the surrender easier…’ As we learn and grow and practice, beloved, we’ll get better at this! He’s at work, chiseling away at us! He’s slowly, precisely, forming us into people fit for heaven, beloved! Day by day, He’s doing so! It’s hard for us to see - aye! - because our eyesight isn’t all that great yet, and because we’re standing so close to His work in our hearts that it’s difficult for us to ‘step back’ and view it all from His perspective…but He’s doing it, beloved! He’s fitting us to be with our Beloved Father, our Good King! We’re not ready yet, beloved, but He is dedicated to making us ready - what a gift!

Beloved? (gentle) Let us not think about the many years that may be stretching out before us here on this earth. Let us not feel hopeless and despairing about our own sin and weakness. Let us not dwell on all that we must surrender and live without as we seek to obey Him out of Love. Please?

Instead, may we, Together, think only on this day, the one before us, right here, right now…this one, short little day…and may we seek to abide in Christ as best we know how today? Savoring His Word? Bowing before Him in humble submission? Voicing our concerns to Him in prayer? Entrusting one another to His safekeeping? But only for today. For that is enough.

Sweet Redemption

…lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

—Luke 21:28b (KJV)

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…even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

—Romans 8:23b (KJV)

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And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

—Revelation 14:3

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The cross is evidence that in the hands of the Redeemer, moments of apparent defeat become wonderful moments of grace and victory.

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Consider the cross of Jesus Christ. Could it be possible for something to happen that was more terrible than this? Could any injustice be greater? Could any loss be more painful? Could any suffering be worse? The only man who ever lived a life that was perfect in every way possible, who gave his life for the sake of many, and who willingly suffered from birth to death in loyalty to his calling was cruelly and publicly murdered in the most vicious of ways.

…

This moment of sadness welcomed us to eternal joy of heart and life.

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The same God who planned that the worst thing would be the best thing is your Father. He rules over every moment in your life, and in powerful grace, He is able to do for you just what He did in redemptive history. He takes the disasters in your life and makes them tools of redemption. He takes your failure and employs it as a tool of grace. He uses the “death” of the fallen world to motivate you to reach out for life. The hardest things in your life become the sweetest tools of grace in His and loving hands.

So be careful how you make sense of your life. What looks like a disaster may in fact be grace. What looks like the end may be the beginning. What looks hopeless may be God’s instrument to give you real and lasting hope.

— March 31st - New Morning Mercies (Paul Tripp)

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Beloved? (gentle)

When we’re tempted to despair, lose hope…when we consider all near and dear to us to be lost: let us, Together, remember Him—His way.

We are God’s children now, beloved. And, although what we will be, has not yet appeared, we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.

I’ve been pondering this quite a bit lately. I’ve been mulling over, chewing on each and every Word, as if each morsel was my very last to be had.

“What we will be has not yet appeared.” — what great comfort this is! For, what we see with these eyes and feel with this heart, here and now, is…lacking, yes? Aye. We truly live in the “already, not yet” do we not, beloved? We already hold, by faith, everything we could ever wish for, everything we could imagine. Furthermore, we have in abundance what we cannot even imagine. Even the hidden desires of our hearts are satisfied in Jesus. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, yes? And yet, they are not fully realized, not yet.

But, we live as those with hope, beloved! Not only because we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is, but Him going before us…His sacrifice, His atoning Love, His compassion, and mercy, and grace…is the testimony, the proof that He can and will, and has redeemed all things! Yes? (gentle) Even though we may be surrounded by darkness, perceived hopelessness, sadness, sorrow, grief—heartache. He isn’t finished yet. Not quite yet. We’ll see. We’ll see Him as He is, one Day. And then…THEN we’ll be like Him. Aye. We’re not like Him now, beloved. (sigh)

But we know He can and will redeem all things. What is impossible with man is possible with God. What we thought was lost, can, and will be found one Day. Put your trust in God, O, my soul. Wherefore else can you go? Wither to will thou goest?

Stop. (gentle) Hush. Be at peace, beloved. Rest in Him.

All is well—truly.