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
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.