We really do live in a wonderful
world full of so much life and beauty everywhere. The masterful Creator God has
dressed the daffodils with dainty skirts and poured a vividly bright array of
colors over the birds of the air. The planets, stars, moons, comets, meteors-
even black holes- and all the other inhabitants of the cosmos shimmer with the
incandescent light of His glory. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” (as
Psalms 19:1 tells us.)
And out of all of God’s wondrous creations- the majestic mountains, the sandy shining shores on the beaches, the tremendous trees of the forests, the truly amazing animals of the world- who does God make “a little lower than the angels”? (Psalms 8). The clay Playdough figurine and Lego lady were given the breath of life and the flesh combined to make living, human beings, male and female- both made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) And while God pronounces all His creations good, on the sixth day, He surveys His creative output and declares it very good. (Genesis 1:31)
What is man that You should care for him, Lord? Though we’ve done nothing to make ourselves worthy of such extravagant love, You choose to bestow it upon us anyway- and You give it, not in spades, but in hearts. (Psalms 8; Ezekiel 36:26) And were one to compile the number of the grains of sand on those beautiful Caribbean ports in a pile with the Pacific islands’ stores of sands and all the other beaches of the world- the number would still fall far, far, far less than the number of Your thoughts for me- and for every individual individual who has ever or will ever exist. This is a thought too wonderful for me to comprehend- but then, Your thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than mine. (Psalms 139; Isaiah 55:8-9). Yet, You have given me the mind of Christ- which is available to all believers in and followers of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16).
And You have made all things beautiful in Your time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) And though You made us to be upright, we have gone off in search of many schemes. (Ecclesiastes 7:29) Poison pervaded Your Paradise on Earth, back when our founding father and mother were eating us out of house and home. The lowdown snake in the grass recoiled from his long fall to earth and struck in vengeance with a forked tongue that only gave half the story, if that. But of course, half-truths are still whole lies. Yet even before You had put forth Your words and commanded the nothingness to transform itself into something- You had all these things planned and You already had the Sacrifice for our salvation said and done before anyone else had said and done anything. (Genesis 1-3; Revelation 13:8)
Then, in the fullness of time, The Divine took on our image and face; Your Greatest Gift encased in flesh- and we beheld His glory. The paradoxical mystery of Grace and humility that ever confounds the wise and learned- The King of Kings became the Suffering Servant. Love marked Your path down a straight and narrow road- the Via Dolorosa- the way of suffering that ended in a crossroads at the side of the highway. You created the off-ramp from the broad way of destruction so that we might cross from death to life by crossing the bridge You made. Though You submitted to its ghastly reign for three days and our punishment You took as Your own for our peace, The Love stronger than death arose again victorious forever. The curse is reversed, the poison cured, and death itself and its minions all eternally defeated. (John 1:1-14, Galatians 4:4, Philippians 2:1-11, Song of Solomon 8:6-7)
Though beset with trial, troubles and tribulations, the tried, tested and true path of righteousness is available to all the poor, beleaguered pilgrims- the rotten, ragged ragamuffins who dare to admit their own poverty and meekly accept Your gift that comes through faith. The path may vary in its length for each traveler, but never varies in its route- a Spirit-led journey assured of its celestial end. Though we are hapless fools who doubt, question, berate and betray You before You gently return us to our senses, You remain forever faithful and remind us that You are the One who has always been moving our legs forward e’er since we first stepped on Your path with a willing heart of trust. And even that is Your gift- we boast of nothing but a Love that wilt not let us go. (John 15:5, Romans 11:29, Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Jude 1:24-25)
And when at last the faith becomes sight when Your clarion call carries us to Your lovely dwelling place, whether at the last of days or the last of our days, we will bow in Your holy presence, amazed at Your beauty and stunned speechless at Your welcome arms that would even deign to allow us in the midst of Your perfection. But then we recognize the Everlasting Arms that have always held us and even now envelop us all at once, with each having an equal amount of Love embodied and personified, rocking us gently as a baby in a cradle. As we join with the living creatures and angels- cherubim and seraphim; all of ‘em- singing praise to our God who sits on the throne forever, Who alone holds salvation and is forever praised- the brilliance of colors we have never seen bedazzle but pale in comparison to the purest white all of eternity has ever witnessed. And a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language of which we are delighted to be in that number, in robes made white from the blood of The Lamb, wave palm branches before The Lord God- The Only King and forever sing Your praises. You alone are worthy, Lord. Mere feeble words fail miserably to describe the indescribable majesty of Your glory. Lord Jesus, You alone are God. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We will forever sing Your praise. (Psalms 16:11, Psalms 84:10, Psalms 87, Colossians 1:10-23, Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 21-22)
Help us to ever live it out now. (Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:12-13, 1 Peter 2:9-12).
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. I am The Alpha and The Omega, The Beginning and The End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. “ (Revelation 21:1-9)
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17)
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of The Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)
And out of all of God’s wondrous creations- the majestic mountains, the sandy shining shores on the beaches, the tremendous trees of the forests, the truly amazing animals of the world- who does God make “a little lower than the angels”? (Psalms 8). The clay Playdough figurine and Lego lady were given the breath of life and the flesh combined to make living, human beings, male and female- both made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) And while God pronounces all His creations good, on the sixth day, He surveys His creative output and declares it very good. (Genesis 1:31)
What is man that You should care for him, Lord? Though we’ve done nothing to make ourselves worthy of such extravagant love, You choose to bestow it upon us anyway- and You give it, not in spades, but in hearts. (Psalms 8; Ezekiel 36:26) And were one to compile the number of the grains of sand on those beautiful Caribbean ports in a pile with the Pacific islands’ stores of sands and all the other beaches of the world- the number would still fall far, far, far less than the number of Your thoughts for me- and for every individual individual who has ever or will ever exist. This is a thought too wonderful for me to comprehend- but then, Your thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than mine. (Psalms 139; Isaiah 55:8-9). Yet, You have given me the mind of Christ- which is available to all believers in and followers of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16).
And You have made all things beautiful in Your time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) And though You made us to be upright, we have gone off in search of many schemes. (Ecclesiastes 7:29) Poison pervaded Your Paradise on Earth, back when our founding father and mother were eating us out of house and home. The lowdown snake in the grass recoiled from his long fall to earth and struck in vengeance with a forked tongue that only gave half the story, if that. But of course, half-truths are still whole lies. Yet even before You had put forth Your words and commanded the nothingness to transform itself into something- You had all these things planned and You already had the Sacrifice for our salvation said and done before anyone else had said and done anything. (Genesis 1-3; Revelation 13:8)
Then, in the fullness of time, The Divine took on our image and face; Your Greatest Gift encased in flesh- and we beheld His glory. The paradoxical mystery of Grace and humility that ever confounds the wise and learned- The King of Kings became the Suffering Servant. Love marked Your path down a straight and narrow road- the Via Dolorosa- the way of suffering that ended in a crossroads at the side of the highway. You created the off-ramp from the broad way of destruction so that we might cross from death to life by crossing the bridge You made. Though You submitted to its ghastly reign for three days and our punishment You took as Your own for our peace, The Love stronger than death arose again victorious forever. The curse is reversed, the poison cured, and death itself and its minions all eternally defeated. (John 1:1-14, Galatians 4:4, Philippians 2:1-11, Song of Solomon 8:6-7)
Though beset with trial, troubles and tribulations, the tried, tested and true path of righteousness is available to all the poor, beleaguered pilgrims- the rotten, ragged ragamuffins who dare to admit their own poverty and meekly accept Your gift that comes through faith. The path may vary in its length for each traveler, but never varies in its route- a Spirit-led journey assured of its celestial end. Though we are hapless fools who doubt, question, berate and betray You before You gently return us to our senses, You remain forever faithful and remind us that You are the One who has always been moving our legs forward e’er since we first stepped on Your path with a willing heart of trust. And even that is Your gift- we boast of nothing but a Love that wilt not let us go. (John 15:5, Romans 11:29, Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Jude 1:24-25)
And when at last the faith becomes sight when Your clarion call carries us to Your lovely dwelling place, whether at the last of days or the last of our days, we will bow in Your holy presence, amazed at Your beauty and stunned speechless at Your welcome arms that would even deign to allow us in the midst of Your perfection. But then we recognize the Everlasting Arms that have always held us and even now envelop us all at once, with each having an equal amount of Love embodied and personified, rocking us gently as a baby in a cradle. As we join with the living creatures and angels- cherubim and seraphim; all of ‘em- singing praise to our God who sits on the throne forever, Who alone holds salvation and is forever praised- the brilliance of colors we have never seen bedazzle but pale in comparison to the purest white all of eternity has ever witnessed. And a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language of which we are delighted to be in that number, in robes made white from the blood of The Lamb, wave palm branches before The Lord God- The Only King and forever sing Your praises. You alone are worthy, Lord. Mere feeble words fail miserably to describe the indescribable majesty of Your glory. Lord Jesus, You alone are God. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We will forever sing Your praise. (Psalms 16:11, Psalms 84:10, Psalms 87, Colossians 1:10-23, Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 21-22)
Help us to ever live it out now. (Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:12-13, 1 Peter 2:9-12).
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. I am The Alpha and The Omega, The Beginning and The End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. “ (Revelation 21:1-9)
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17)
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of The Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)
This blog entry is largely inspired by the events I talked about in this blog entry: http://wordapplelyspoken.blogspot.com/2014/03/every-tribe-nation-language-tongue.html
ReplyDeleteAwesome description of what the Scriptures say!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kevin. God's Scriptures are incredible to ponder... :-)
ReplyDelete