Many things in this life are uncertain, causing even the faithful to struggle and doubt. Even at such times, or maybe even more so then, I am thankful that God has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me.
I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV).
When times are tough, may this triolet remind you of your faithful Savior Jesus.
My Faithful Savior
My faithful Savior will always be near
In my struggles and pain, when I doubt
that anything will ever change
My faithful Savior will always be near
I know someday He will exchange
the tears I cry for a glorious crown
My faithful Savior will always be near
In my struggles and pain, when I doubt
“Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.”
1 Kings 10:20
These statues had to be remarkable. They seemed to stand guard, everyone who entered had to pass by them. Symmetrically and aesthetically, they would’ve been placed six on the right and six on the left. Each lion was placed at the end of the step. Over the centuries, lions are a wonderful symbol of sovereignty , and in them, like nothing else, we can hold concepts of strength, dignity and royalty.
Lions are emblematic of ‘rootedness’ and stability. Those who ‘wear the lion’ are intentionally connecting to this ‘strength’ and are stating they admire and respect all that the lion represents. King Solomon intentionally chose the lion to guide the kingdom and give direction.
Lions cannot be domesticated. They serve no one. They cannot be made tame or docile. Being carnivorous their appetites are something to be aware of. (Lions have a tendency to be a tad irrational when hungry.) But in spite of this they are amazing animals. Fierce and intense, when they need to be, they watch over each other. They do not mingle with other species of animals. They are set apart.
For the Christian believer, there is a definite ‘lion connection’. We know Jesus as ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’, (Rev. 5:5). His majesty and power have been intentionally referred to by believers throughout the centuries. Jesus exhibits all the good attributes about lions, and none of the bad.
I wonder where the lions are? Where are those who would stand against the evil we see today? John, the Baptist stood in the light, and he would not take a step back. We see him boldly confronting the wickedness of his day, and in it all, he would not bend; and yet it seems that’s what others thought he should do.
The lions, where are they? There is a boldness that is missing in our churches. It seems as if the lions on the front steps have been taken from us. We haven’t even noticed, but they are not there anymore. Even if the lions were returned to us, there would be a whole scale rejection of such fanaticism. Lions are simply not ‘in style’ for the modern American believer. Lions defy so much of the protocol and etiquette of this present moment. They are simply not ‘politically correct.”
But what will we do without the lions? Their absence may seem somewhat minor. We don’t need them to give us authority or moral courage, after all we really should do this on our own. But we must receive a boldness and decisiveness from the Holy Spirit. He has the ability that we need to follow Him. We need men and women to live their lives as ‘spiritual’ lions.
“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 13:52, NIV
“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,”
Ephesians 5:18, NLT
Most old houses used to be heated with radiators. They were cast iron monstrosities that radiated steam to warm the house. You could come inside from the cold and lay your mittens on them to dry. They are now more or less, obsolete. But for the longest time were ubiquitously common; I guess new technology has replaced them.
But in a way, Christians are radiators of the Holy Spirit. Just as the heated steam from the boiler room flowed into them, so we too receive from the Lord specific ministry for others. We provide “heat” to the people around us. We simply share what He has given us. The radiator’s source of comfort comes from another source. All it is, after all it it is us becoming a receptacle for the steam.
It is the Spirit that gives us warmth. We are basically hollow until He fills us. In ourselves, we are nothing. It is Jesus inside that makes the difference. Without His presence we just take up space and gather dust. We’re just in the way unless we are used. But a radiator is a good thing to have.
Holy Spirit, full me up.
Perhaps we need a reminder of who we really are. We must make ourselves wholly available. Being filled with the Spirit is never a one time experience, but rather, a way of life. Someone once asked a preacher why he kept preaching on the filling of the Holy Spirit. His reply was classic, “Because I leak.”
Dear one, seek to be filled with Him today. Set aside your own agenda and allow Him to enter in. Apart from Him, you can do nothing. Let us pray with St. Augustine,
“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.”
10 “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Ephesians 3:10-11, NIV
3 “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of manycolors.“
Genesis 37:3, NKJV
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“The complaint that church is boring is never made by people in awe.”
R.C. Sproul
This word “manifold” is very curious and quite engaging. In the Old Testament this particular word is used to describe Joseph’s coat of many colors. I can only imagine that it was striped like a rainbow, or maybe even tied-dyed. Whatever it was, Joseph was quite distinctive as he wore his colorful coat.
Joseph’s coat
Paul in Ephesians 3, intentionally borrows this word to explain “the manifold wisdom of God.” Paul’s use of this dramatic imagery of Joseph’s coat to describe God’s wonderful wisdom that has saturated the Church. There is something variegated in this wisdom (balance, comprehension, understanding) that infuses His Church.
We are people of color. There is wisdom given to each believer. This defines us, and portrays us. God’s own wisdom, defined quite incredibly in our hearts and spirits, describes our coloration and hue.
Some are merciful, and others are bold. Some are very gentle, and others are “prophetic” and sharp. A few are wise, and others can endure much. But our personal coloring should never threaten another. Those who see only blue– should never be shaken when another sees yellow.
Our fleshly attitudes would militate against this understanding. We seem to insist that everyone be green, or yellow even. But this isn’t how God through the Holy Spirit comes to our spirits. We should receive each brother and sister, in the wisdom that God has chosen, to flow and grow. It seems we are each a “prism” that reflects a certain light.
We can see the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. They are distributed (but definitely never ‘dumped.’) They come out in many ways through many different personalities and backgrounds. But it seems we are slowly learning that each believer has a definite place and purpose.
I suppose that pride confines us into something that is restrictive. We definitely prefer ideas and proclivities we can control (or maybe label.) Perhaps, it is we that need to be adjusted. We should see the broadness of God’s grace, and how each one is touched and shaped.
The Church is God’s unique reservoir of wisdom and grace for the world. We gleam with the certain light of His presence and goodness. Each believer, radiates an aspect of grace from the heart of God.
Broken Believers 