What does God want from us? Does He have a beef with our religious practices? He may! He answered that question when He spoke these thoughts to the nation of Israel:
“I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”(Psalm 50:5-15 (NLT2)
God has “no complaint” with religious acts and traditions (sacrifices or burnt offerings) when used as proper worship symbols. However, if these become rote, religious duty or are used for feel good, self-righteous performance, they are meaningless. And if they are elevated to be the object of worship itself or become substitutes for sincere obedience and true gratitude, they are totally unacceptable. God said, “I do not need” them any more than I need more cattle!
Humanity is deeply indebted to God for His patient care. “God is love”. The historical narrative of God’s relationship with Israel demonstrates His immense compassion for Israel and for us. In spite of their abuse, neglect, and rejection, God repeatedly, patiently, graciously and mercifully forgave Israel as they repentantly turned back to him. He has given His heart to humanity with a love which is desperate, extreme and immeasurably vast. (Romans 8:28,38-39). Christ’s “sacrifice for us is the undeniable proof of that profound “agape” love. He “loved us to the end” by paying the gruesome, ultimate price for our redemption, bearing our sins upon the cross, and enabling our broken spirits to reconcile with God. (John 13:1)
Sincere gratitude and its resultant obedience to what is best are the “sacrifices” which demonstrate that we love Him. The author of Hebrews speaks of “sacrifices of praise to God” which include “the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name” , doing “good “ and sharing ” what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” These are the marks of genuine worship.
God wants our hearts! Our lives of repentance and trust! Our love!
These lobster buoys appear trapped and remind us that, at some point, most of us hit the proverbial wall from which there is no apparent exit, no obvious way back or forward. We long for the apparent unobtainable. Sometimes that is reality, but often it’s perception that ensnares us. We may believe ourselves captive to the helplessness and hopelessness of poverty, lack of education, abuse, addiction, financial distress, hatred , prejudice and bias, injustice, failure, or the consequences of bad decisions and behaviors or moral failures, or some ethical dilemma. We may be trapped in painful, dysfunctional bodies or caught up in a world-view that lacks meaning and promises only a “dead end” ahead.
However, our biggest dilemma is spiritual and universal. We are all imprisioned or enslaved by our natural inclinations and desires which are not always pure or good and which result in selfish behaviors that range from rude to abhorrent. We have no capability or possibility of transformation without help.
Failing the ultimate ethic of loving God and our neighbors as we should becomes the basis for the Biblical doctrines of sin, of spiritual deadness and lostness, and of our need for redemption. Lostness is all inclusive. Nobody escapes it. We need a rescuer, a redeemer , an advocate to extract us and to reconcile us to Holy God. That is why God gave us Christ, who through his purity and righteousness could pay for our sin. In his humanity, he experienced life’s struggles, its sadness, pain, and temptations, yet he did so with joy and purpose and has a unique empathy for our weaknesses and needs. Christ does not condemn but empowers. So, then we can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16) He bids us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
Christ is for us, not against us. Once he said,“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” (Luke 4:16-19 (NLT2) He also said that he had come “to seek and to save the lost.”(Luke 9:10) And he promised that those who believed in him would “not perish but have everlasting life.”(John 11:25)
We do not have to live entrapped by bitterness, anger, depression and hopelessness. Faith brings meaning and hope and frees us from anxious living, self loathing, fear of dying and eternal condemnation. We can live forever free… He said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
One of God’s names is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider. He is the ultimate source of wholeness and joy and all that is good and meaningful. He is faithful, trustworthy and the One in whom we can be confident, the God of hope. (Romans 15:13) We are never outside of his deep love and care for us. His grace lifts us up and forward.
Perhaps the reason so many of us enjoy gardening is because God planted a very “good” garden “eastward in Eden” and turned its stewardship over to humanity ! (Genesis 1:10-12; 2:8,9,15; 3:18)
April 22nd has been observed as “Earth Day” in the United States since 1970. Although long standing, conflicting ideas about humanity’s responsibility for the environment vary (from a “Who cares?” attitude, or a utilitarian approach in which resources are garnered and used for profit and prosperity, to environmental worship) the resultant slowdown in human and economic activity during this pandemic has demonstrated that human actions cause measurable changes in the quality of our air and water.
Regardless of how one views the Biblical narrative of creation, it is much more than an ancient story. It holds profound implications about human stewardship of the earth. Detailed discussion is far beyond the scope of this little blog, but a few basic points might generate some thinking on this subject:
1.God is creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1) 2. God pronounced His creation to be “very good.”(Genesis 1:31) 3.Creation declares God’s nature and magnifies His glory (Psalm 19:1;Psalm 97:6;Romans 2:18) 2:18) 4.Creation belongs to God alone. Humans are only travelers walking through time under God’s authority. (Psalm90:10)(Ps24:1) 5.God created man to share God’s character and to display His glory, and He appointed man to care for creation and to have dominion over it (Genesis 2:8,9,15,19-20; 3:18) (Psalm 24) 6. Because man corrupted the goodness and power and image given Him, he has a broken, fallen relationship with God and lives in a world corrupted by sin, disease and disaster. (Genesis 3:6-23) 7. In spite of humanity’s rebellion, God loves mankind so much that He provided a means of redemption, reconciliation, and spiritual renewal for man and for ultimate restoration of all of creation. (John 3:16)(1 John 4:9-11) (Romans 8:20-23)
If God values the world and the people in it that much, shouldn’t we also? Although solutions to earth’s sustainability and livability may be complex and complicated by selfishness, pride, politics, corruption, physical confrontations, geographical and geological boundaries, prejudices, and spiritual warfare, a sincere love for God and caring attentiveness to what He has given us and to those with whom we share this planet would be a great start toward preserving life and fulfilling the mandate of the moral Law. People of faith should have a stewardship perspective that goes far beyond religious tradition and ritual. Christ spoke forthrightly to religious leaders about their hypocrisy because they were overemphasizing trivial matters and not paying attention to the “weightier matters.” …for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. (Matthew 23:23)
Notable in Christ’s list of “weighty matters” “left undone” is faith. Genuine faith carries a message, an obligation and an action of love which require a conscious, compassionate, intentional awareness and understanding of people’s needs and a willingness to address the root cause of their needs whether environmental, physical, emotional, or spiritual. It means not only sharing the crucial “Good News” of salvation to all peoples as Christ commanded his disciples to do but also means making this world sustainable and livable for all by ministering with mercy and justice and love and generosity all the time to everyone.
“The earth is the Lord’s… and all who live within it.” (Psalm 24:1) (1 Corinthians 10:26)
Scripture is clear that the Universe is God’s. He is its Designer, Creator and Redeemer. Because evil has broken into our world through mankind’s fallen, sinful nature, God’s love for humanity may not always seem evident to us. However, even those who do not believe in God are beneficiaries of His common grace because everything “good” in this life comes from Him! (James 1:17) Furthermore, both the Old and New Testaments confidently assure people of faith that God’s grace is very personal and that wherever they go they are never outside the circle of God’s thoughts and love.
The Psalmist’s sang, “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”(Psalm 139:1-12 (NLT2)
And there was no doubt in the Apostle Paul’s mind about God’s goodwill toward us when he asserted “… that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 ESV)
There is no escaping God’s love for this ” world”, a convincing fact that becomes evident when we consider the life and sacrificial work of Christ on our behalf. (John 3:16)
Watching his beloved father become weakened by age and illness, Dylan Thomas lamented that “ Old age should burn and rave at close of day ” and wrote the untitled poem with the well known quote “ Do not go gentle into that good night.” In that poem, he observed the end-of- life ruminations of different people-types. “Wise men” realized that their wisdom had had no major impact (“had forked no lightning”). “Good men” perceived that “their frail deeds” might have had effect in different and better circumstance. “Wild men” had sung “the sun in flight” and regretfully learned “too late” that their time had been spent frivolously, that they had “grieved (the sun)on its way. And then, “grave men” realized in their last moments that their lives could have been brighter and gayer! His poem identifies our regretful inability to recognize purpose and find ultimate meaning or to leave some final, lasting contribution or legacy. So, he urges one to “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” to struggle against becoming lost in the shuffle from life to death.
At some point, we begin to realize how transitory life is, that we have invested our lives in many ineffective efforts and lost purposes, and that, although raging against dying might encourage us to live differently, few of us will achieve anything of lasting historical significance. Those thoughts need not be depressing! Is it really important that we leave traces of ourselves on this orb? Our worldviews are significant for how we answer that question as we struggle for meaning in the material, emotional, and spiritual aspect of our lives. Is life about us and what we want, or is it about who we are meant to be?
Christ said the “work” which God recognizes and accepts is “…, that you believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29). He taught us that our lives are not about “gaining the world” but about soul-work, about being “rich toward God” and laying up “treasure in heaven.”(Matthew 6:19-21).
The prophet Micah helps us understand God’s heart and the difference between religiosity and faith pleasing to God. “Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:6-8 (ESV)
Being “rich” toward God is not performance or practicing ritual or tradition but is possessing a repentant heart, vibrant and passionate with the passions of God. Christ told us the way to that relationship is through belief (John3). He taught us the attitudes of faith in the Beatitudes (merciful, peaceful, humble, repentant seekers of righteousness) (Matthew 5) He showed us that the practice of faith is fulfilling the moral law by loving God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-38) True faith is rendered from a heart that is tender toward God and humanity.
Lived in that light, we will pass on a God-purposed legacy of values, works, purposes, and hope and can confidently “ go into that good night” knowing ” that (God) rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Life continues. Its treasures are not left behind but lie ahead!
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)
The idiom “blood, sweat and tears” is usually associated with hard work and not with poultry! That saying has often been attributed to Winston Church in his address to the UK in 1940 and was also the name of a 1960’s brass-jazz-rock group. But the term predates Mr. Churchill and rock bands. It was used in the early 1800’s by Christmas Evans, a Welch preacher, in a sermon referring to Christ’s passion.
Although beautiful in a strange way, hens are not high on my list of wonderous creatures or favorite birds unless it is a culinary list. Most likely, this bias is due to my early experience with cleaning out our hen house! However, Scripture elevates a mother hen’s care and protection of her chicks as an appealing simile of Jesus’ great compassion, love and desire to protect the peace of the holy city of Jerusalem and its chosen but rebellious, oppositional people. Looking at the city, he once lamented,
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! “(Luke 13:31-35 (ESV)
On Palm Sunday, the Christian community annually commemorates Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It initiates a week of remembering the mixture of madness and miracles, hatred and love, and grief and joy surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. His sadness over Jerusalem was very evident during his final return to the Holy City. He wept while others celebrated him!
As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” …….And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! ” (Luke 19:35-45)
The crowd sang Hosanna’s, but Jesus’ heart was heavy. He knew the fickleness of human hearts, the upcoming betrayals, and the the agony ahead. Nonetheless, his angst was not for himself. His distress was not because of personal rejection but was for the lostness of his people and the consequences of their rejection of God’s peace and protection! He had come to Israel to offer them restoration to the glory which God had chosen for them. He had come to his own, but they had not received him .(John 1:11) He was sad. He wept for them but was not bitter for himself.
On the night of his betrayal, Jesus agonized in prayer. He was apprehensive but not from fear of dying a gruesome death. Luke tells us, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-45 (ESV) His terrible anguish was because “he who knew no sin (would become) sin for us.”(11 Corinthians 5:21). His distress was about the awfulness, the heinousness of humanity’s sin and about the guilt and shame he would have to bear to redeem mankind. It was about the terrifying consequence of separation from his Father, who would turn his face from him and the terrible, wickedness he would carry. He would lose the awareness of his ever present Father’s presence! Life without God is hell. His sorrow was about the spiritual hell he would personally endure. But there was no other way to give mankind redemption! So, in agonizing sweat, he submitted in total obedience and commitment to the purposes of His Father.
Sin is so awful that it requires the most extreme solution. “… without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”(Hebrews 9:22) At his last Passover supper, Christ called to remembrance the importance of blood when the Angel of death swept over Egypt sparing only the first born where blood was on the lintel. While presenting the symbolic cup of wine, he said, “…this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) The following day, Jesus shed his blood as he was brutally and cruelly abused and tortured in his travail for us- from beatings and lashings, from a crown of thorns, from nails impaling his hands to the cross, and from a sword that pierced his side. With love and grace, Jesus did that arduous work to attain forgiveness and righteousness for us. He made the way for us into the Kingdom because we cannot do it on our own. “ To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.”(Acts 10:43)
Truly, Jesus showed the depth of his passion for us and for our redemption through his tears, sweat, and blood.
Long view of the Acadia Mountains from East Blue Hill, Maine
It is interesting how our perceptions of places, events, or ideas depend on our interests and the angles from which we look. There are many influencers on how we view life, ranging from family and social environments and cultural mores to the values we learn in our schools and churches and synagogues. These either haunt us or help us through life. Sometimes, we find reason to depart from them , but more commonly we tend to adhere to familiar, comfortable ideas and standards of behavior. Often, we just want “truth” to match up to what we want it to be and do not critically think through our beliefs. One of the characters in Richard Paul Evan’s novel, The Noel Letters, makes the statement that ”…you will discover that most people don’t want truth. They want confirmation.”
We all have opinions about truth, which means we have opinions about God. We may not have given Him much consideration, but our philosophy of life either includes or excludes Him. Secular humanism is a non-religious worldview in which humans determine the nature of truth and set individual values. This contrasts with the Christian worldview in which reality centers around God, who is the source of life and morality and to whom humans are responsible. That reality is expressed through the person, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who claimed to be Truth, God’s revelation to us.
Obviously these opposing views of reality treat certain facts and ideas from different perspectives and engender different philosophic outcomes. Unfortunately, hardcore advocates endeavor to confirm and justify their stances while fiercely discrediting contrasting views. That results in intellectual snobbery clashing with an intolerance for the folly of human wisdom even though scientific revelations and Scriptural revelations are not at odds with each other. It is what we have chosen to do with facts that has become adversarial. For example, even though the debate about the origins of man is contentious, science and Scripture both agree that humanity appears late in the development of the “animal kingdom” and is the crowning development or creation among living creatures. Beliefs on origins are essentially a matter of faith! The deal breaker is God and beliefs around whether life can be properly understood apart from Him or only with Him. This leads to questions about Jesus!
Each year as Christians prepare to celebrate Holy Week and Jesus’ bodily Resurrection, questions about Jesus are resurrected as well and vary from whether he actually existed to whether he is reality! Controversy always surrounded him. The crowds who heard him teach or saw his miracles had different takeaways; even the twelve disciples initially had different perspectives on who Jesus was. Some of us believe he was a good man who was a worthy, brilliant, Eastern teacher and philosopher and nothing more; others believe he is the living Savior of the world.
The important question is how each of us views him? Is he the delusional blasphemer and charlatan that the religious leaders of his day wanted to see? Or is he the redeemer that his followers believed and for whom they were persecuted and killed as they lived and proclaimed their faith. Did they create a delusion and then die for a lie? Do we agree with the Apostle Peter when he confessed to him, “Thou art the Christ”? Or do we reject him as an imposter as Judas did and value the material world more? Is Jesus some Christian myth, or does he have pertinence to your life and mine?
Our answers will lie in our view of humanity and whether we believe mankind can save itself through self improvement and doing good or whether we believe the experientially obvious fact that man’s nature is so broken that redemption is possible only if it comes from an external source.
If Jesus is not who he said he was, if he is not the resurrected Christ, then as the Apostle Paul said, Christians “… are of all men most miserable.”(1 Corinthians 15:12-19) If he is who he said he was, then our soul’s eternal destiny depends on what he did for us on the cross, on God’s mercy and grace and transforming power of love and forgiveness.
Who is this man Jesus? He invites us to consider him when he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear. He who has eyes to see, let him see.” We really must decide.
Early morning and ” a tree planted along the riverbank \” of Middle River, Marshfield, Maine
From within the confusing cacophony of voices inundating us, hear the ancient Psalmist’s song and timely advice:
” Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do……. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” (Psalm 1:1-6)
“Blow, blow, thou winter wind.” That was my Grandmother’s lament on cold, windy, winter days and the only line I remember from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” However, those words had a different meaning when sung by Shakespearean actors. They were a simile for the bitter disappointment of a relationship ruined by disloyalty: “Blow, blow, thou winter wind,/Thou art not so unkind/As man’s ingratitude;/Thy tooth is not so keen,/Because thou art not seen,/Although thy breath be rude.”
King David also knew the angst of betrayal. His friend, whom he thought to be a person of integrity and with whom he believed he had shared a special, deep, intimate friendship had been disloyal and dishonest and had “violated his covenant”, had maliciously manipulated David, and had deserted him. Like Shakespeare, our Psalmist King mourned his loss in song. Note his vulnerability and sadness: “For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him.” (read Psalm 55: 12-23)
David also knew the pain of judgmentalism. After experiencing a moral failure, he had turn to Holy God in repentance and confession and had found mercy. (“I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” (Psalm 41:4). But sadly, his “close friend” did not offer mercy but turned his back and walked away from him. He “lifted his heel “ against him. (Psalm 41:9)
Taking our hurt to God applies not only to wounds inflicted by difficult relationships but also self-inflicted pain resulting from our own wrongdoings and moral failures. Those offenses against God and our own conscience cause guilt and shame and often have consequences for others. Forgiveness should be sought from both God and those harmed, but God, as the Great Physician, floods our repentant souls with the balm of unconditional acceptance, love, forgiveness, redemption, renewal and hope. Life may not be “jolly” but can be lived with joy when God forgives us whether or not others do.
It is odd when we flawed and ungodly people can be so critical, uncompassionate and cruel to others caught in their vulnerabilities! Although friends never should condone or enable bad behaviors, love obligates us to restore each other, not to destroy with contempt and condemnation. King David’s disingenuous “friend” inflicted deep, gaping soul-wounds with pretense, judgmentalism, and malicious gossip. Sometimes, love and loyalty are lopsided and misplaced in a relationship.
Our responses to inflicted pain vary by our choosing. When we have been wronged, harmed, or shamed, forgiveness seems totally unfair. Why would we even consider mercy when a serious offense logically deserves retribution? Abuse, abandonment, unfaithfulness, dishonesty or even more heinous behavior may be excruciating to bear and cause scars on the soul. We may choose to give in to bitterness and anger, to strike out, to withdraw and be distrustful, or attempt to stuff hurt deep inside and deny ourselves the fullness God intends for our spirits. Shakespeare’s singer became bitter, cynical, sarcastic and chose denial! “Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly/ Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:/Then, heigh-ho, the holly!/This life is most jolly.”
Ultimately sin is against God. An “eye for an eye” form of justice perpetuates the ungodly cycle of ill will, anger, or even violence! It is counter productive, giving no relief to either the abuser or particularly the abused. Scripture teaches that vengeance is the specific domain of the Lord, that He will vindicate His people. (Deuteronomy 32:35-36) Not only did the King Psalmist recognize that God holds the unique, ultimate solution to all injustice, He is the only One who can fully heal unjust wounds. It is not retribution but God who “redeems my soul.” He did not “hide” his deep pain and anger but took it to God. “Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, ” He had faith in God’s ultimate justice and left it there, “You, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction…”(Psalm 55:12-23)
King David’s sound recommendation is to “let go and let God.” “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” In His mercy, God gives us dignity, purpose, and love, and the ability to understand divine forgiveness and the strength to give grace to others. Why forgive? An unwillingness to forgive is spiritually destructive.
As we move toward Easter, consider what Jesus taught us about reconciliation and restoration and what he revealed to us about abandonment, betrayal, abuse and hatred as he fulfilled God’s divine purposes by dying as a murder victim in a blatant miscarriage of justice and bigotry. He showed us how to forgive even the greatest offenses by responding with joyful forgiveness for his deserting friends and his tormentors and killers. (Hebrews 12:2) With a bruised, broken body and nails driven through his hands, his outstretched arms lovingly embraced the greater good for humanity as he asked His Father to “Forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.” .
The greatest reason to forgive much is because we have been forgiven much! As God’s image bearers, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)
Jesus’ humility and unimaginable, atoning sacrifice for our sins enables God’s forgiveness and absolves us from our wrongs against God when we believe. That is a choice we make. Similarly, all we can do in our human experience is willingly offer forgiveness. It is imperative that we let God handle unrepentant sin.
The winter winds will blow all kinds of brokenness our way, but “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” (James 1:20)
One of the bright moments during Maine’s late, cold winter months arrives when the seed catalogues do. They not only inspire dreams of fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers but also astound with the awesome awareness that a variety of plants are stored in tiny seeds, varied and peculiar to the hidden plant! Packed within each seed lies potential, some for great and alluring beauty and some for tasty fruit, but there is no transformation until the seed is sown. Only then, from a very tiny poppy seed, can a beautiful poppy grow! And only a poppy!
Amazingly, a seed’s size isn’t a measure of its plant’s bigness! Jesus used the simile of a very small, mustard seed as being like the Kingdom of Heaven. As the realities of God, His grace, and His authority grow and mature in individual believers, they become Kingdom dwellers. And as generation after generation reseeds this reality, the community of believers is perpetuated into a mushrooming, eternal Kingdom.
Although a plentiful, pleasing harvest may emerge from whatever and wherever seed is disseminated, proper nurturing and caring guarantee the best results. The Psalmist poetically tells us that “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” (Psalm 126:5-6 (NLT2),
That is true of living and sharing the Gospel. Wherever tiny seeds of grace, forgiveness, love, peace, redemption, reconciliation, dignity, meaning and purpose are compassionately sown, they will feed a spiritually hungry world and eventually produce an abundant and timeless harvest. James reminds us that “…those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:18 (NLT2)
Sweet Words from Maine 