Pain without Grace

Lately, I've noticed a concerning trend on my news feed. See if you can pick up on it:

"This light is freakin' long! #firstworldproblems"

"I wish people would be more considerate! Sheesh."

"Feeling lonely today. #foreveralone"

"This song speaks to me. [posts "Human"]"

If you're like me, you probably caught a deep lack of grace. Unfortunately, though, these posts aren't coming from unbelievers. They're coming from Jesus' followers.

Before I start sounding like I'm complaining about complaints, let's get some facts straight.

Pain is real.

Friends, if you ever find yourself in a painful, confusing, or frustrating situation, the last thing I want you to do is minimize it, or even worse, pretend you are full of grace, when in reality you just want to yell at the world. I know that pain exists, and it hurts. So please, don't fake it. Of course, I appreciate it when you choose not to rant to hundreds of people on a public network, but if you do it, I'm not going to judge you.

God's grace is more real.

Yes, I'll admit, I do believe some things are "more" real than others, in the sense that they can be experienced at a deeper level than other things. That's exactly what I hold to in terms of pain and grace. As I said earlier, I believe that pain can be so incredibly deep. However, I also believe that God is sovereign and omnipotent at the same time as he is loving and full of  grace. Because of this, I can know that his grace is perfect, and filled with his power. And he has all power. That means that his grace is perfect in power. It is mighty. It is unbeatable. It is beautiful.

And I believe that no matter how deep your pain is, whether you want to express that by venting over a stoplight, or feeling something much darker, God's grace has more than enough power to transcend that. God is a god of miracles, a god of compassion, a god of power, a god of justice, a god of love, a god of grace.

So, that's my problem with statuses and attitudes like I so often see. Let me be clear that I am so often guilty of this exact problem, probably more frequently than any of you. And yet, when I see this incredible reality, that God is so full of grace he sent his only son to die for ME, you can bet I realize I have a problem. I fail to see the whole picture.

I've been stuck at lights when I'm running late. And God's got me there for a reason.

Both my parents have been terminally ill. And I've come out stronger by God's grace.

I've had huge disappointments. And God has given me bigger visions than ever before.

Try to get this picture: An infinite, almighty, powerful, perfect being is so creative and loving and joyful he creates a universe, with innumerable stars, planets, and galaxies. In one of those galaxies, in a certain solar system, centered around a single one of those innumerable stars, he creates a planet. And he fills it with plants, water, animals, mountains, valleys, insects, and lots of beautiful, unique minutia, each with their own DNA. Then, he creates humans. Because he's perfectly loving, he gives them a choice to follow him or not. When they choose not to, he's so full of grace and compassion that he gives his son up to the worst kind of humiliation and death, in order that both his justice and grace may be fulfilled in bringing people back to communion with him. And then he fills them with his own spirit, so that they can live in ultimate joy and peace with him. Meanwhile, he's preparing an incredible new world for all of them to live in for all eternity. And through all this, he's managing every little detail of the universe, and loving you like you're the only person alive.

That love is so deep, so rich, and so perfect, that nothing -- not hell, not demons, not death itself -- can separate you from it. It transcends everything.

My friends, you are only human. You do experience incredible disappointment. But you have the opportunity to be a part of the one story that is older than time, the one love that will never fail, the one relationship that will always satisfy, the one dream that will truly be greater than your wildest imaginations: the one, pure, holy, undeniable grace of God.

Rest in him.

~Meridian

Gladness, Hunger, and Glory

Anyone who knows me remotely well is very aware that my deepest desire, other than to see my Savior in his glory, is to end the killing of innocent children in America. I've probably concocted a hundred plans in my mind since I was very young on just how I'm to accomplish this: writing, film, medicine, education, statistics, pure politics...you name it. And recently, I've had cause to rejoice at the incredible victories being won across various states on this pressing issue. Yet, there is so much work that is still unfinished, in an area where my talents could help fill the void. And that, my friends, is why I wrote this post.

One of the many godly people in my life is very fond of quoting Frederick Buechner, who once said, 

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.

I'll admit it: the first time I heard that quote I wasn't sure how well it settled with me. What about people who are called to be janitors? Fishermen? Something, well...simple?

And then I read Martin Luther:

All our work in the field, in the garden, in the city, in the home, in struggle, in government-to what does it all amount before God except child's play, by means of which God is pleased to give his gifts in the field, at home, and everywhere? These are the masks of our Lord God, behind which he wants to be hidden and to do all things.

 And it all made sense. You see, God is a God who uses means. I post a lot about his infinite sovereignty over all things, but it's rare that I'll post on the doctrine of vocation because it is just so simple. God can, and in fact, does control the whole world. And yet, he chooses to use means. He chooses simple people, like you and like me, to accomplish things big and small. In the end, he uses every action for his great glory. How cool is that? You and I get to be part of a bigger plan, a bigger purpose...It's like any great saga: Each of the characters, regardless of their silent presence or hugely noticeable dialogues, serves a purpose. Yet this is a thousand times better, because you and I are wrapped into the tale of all history. That is, his story.

The question begs, then, what is each of us to do? It's a question which has been on my mind almost perpetually these last few months, as my friends and I are choosing our various paths in life. One friend is choosing dance, another neuroscience, another education, and still others are undecided. I've realized more than ever that I'm so dependent on my Savior's grace. And it's caused me to ask myself who I am and where I'm going.

One of my favorite teachers, Mr. B., once taught me rhetoric. And there he taught me something which left me in a contemplative mood for weeks:

Theorein (verb, Greek): To gaze intently.

Mr. B. explained that this word is often the word used in the Bible to describe people who have seen the face of God. He then showed us this image, pasted on my mind for weeks:

God showed Moses his face. And, in the Greek translation of the manuscript, Moses did theorein: he gazed intently, in total awe and amazement of Yahweh. Once he had seen this, he was given a command to lead the people of Israel out of their captivity. Notice his response:

 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[b] will worship God on this mountain.” 

 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[c] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

And, after a few more complaints raised by Moses, and many more assurances from God Almighty, these are the Lord's words:

Then he will let you go.

My friends, each of us has a deeply ingrained, God-given passion. Whether it's engineering, teaching, politics, medicine, or art, you have it, and you know it. If you don't know it, you have only to ask.

Sometimes it's so difficult for us to understand the words of 1 Peter 2:9, yet I think they address the issue at hand:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may declare the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

If you are in Christ, you are part of that. That is your heritage.

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness, the world's deep hunger, and, I might add, God's deep glory meet.

Soli Deo Gloria.

~Meridian

Who You Are

My last post was all about who God is. The God who created things like what you see on the left (Mt. Everest). But I thought maybe it was time to talk about who you are...because of God. Yeah, I figured you'd know there was a catch. :)

Last night I had a brief conversation with one of my friends from debate. It was just a casual conversation about his public school sports teammates, but one little side comment he made struck me, caught me like an unsuspecting fish going for the bait. "If I hadn't been homeschooled, or hadn't been in the family I'm in...I..." Well, the rest was fine too, but that little statement just did a Hallelujah Chorus in my mind. If I hadn't. Wow.

So much theological meatiness to jump on there. So much philosophical questioning. So much certainty of the present. So much to praise God about. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's start with the word, "If." The Bible is pretty clear that God is sovereign over every teensy tiny little detail of the whole universe, but he paradoxically acts this way without being a robot operator. Most Christians agree that God knows everything that will go on, but doesn't mandate it. I understand how those conclusions are reached (believe me, I used to think something pretty close to that), but let's dissect that a bit. If God knows everything (which we all agree on), and God is sovereign (which we usually agree on), then God cannot possibly have known everything without having some hand in it. That's the most basic academic argument for God's sovereignty, other than "the Bible says so" (which, by the way, it does).

However, there's another argument that may hit home a bit more for you. Let's put it this way: God knows everything that will happen. He knows, then, that bad things will happen. But he is the God of all justice! If he truly upholds justice, is he going to just let things slide? No. Clearly throughout Scripture God issues judgement upon sinners. But he cannot possibly just fix all the problems. Then he'd have a little more power than your local plumber. God is all-powerful...let's just say he's got the whole world in his hands.

If that's true, then you and I are not random. In fact, the Bible *clearly* indicates that we were designed for a purpose, something the Westminster Catechism summarizes when it says that "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." Not only does God have a purpose on earth, he has an eternal purpose: that every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the God the Father. In a very glorious and mysterious way, God has already determined who will spend all eternity with him. That is, anyone who puts their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And of course, Paul made it clear that anyone who does so does it only because of the quickening of the Spirit. That is, God chooses to wake you from being dead in your sins to being alive in Christ. Nothing you do can make it happen: only God in his glorious mercy.

Whoa. Mind. Blown.

If God really has this great and awesome purpose for you, though, then he has not placed you in your circumstances randomly. You are not just the child of random Joe: you are firstly the child of the one living God, and secondly the child of the earthly parents God has bestowed you with. Whatever your situation, God has placed you there for a reason.

So now I'm guessing I've pretty well clarified that "if" isn't possible. But it gives those kind of statements so much greater meaning. If you don't follow, allow me to expound.

Since "if" is not possible, it means that you are in exactly the right situation for you right now. I'm not saying it's perfect: God's said that the world will not, and by God's very nature of righteousness cannot be perfect until he returns to set the world right. However, you and I can rest in the knowledge that God has a big plan for us, and that he chose this for us for a reason. Take my friend. He's homeschooled, he's from a great Christian family. God did not place him in some other family. He is not in a public school. If God had him in those circumstances, his plans would have been just as good and holy and righteous. But God placed him here. And that means that he gets to do what God is uniquely calling him to do.

In my own life, this is a very relevant issue. Sometimes I struggle with comparison of my circumstances to other friends' circumstances. Or I just wonder "what if." But that God placed me in the Paulton family, with the exact friends I have, the exact knowledge I have, the exact skills I have, right here in Colorado is amazing. It doesn't mean I won't go on and do other things: it means that I can go on and do those other things, because I was uniquely designed to do them.

There's a reason that Paul compared the Church to a body.

² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves^[d] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts,^[e] yet one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸ And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

 Maybe you are called to be a doctor. A pastor. A missionary. A politician. A writer. A teacher. An engineer. A musician. An artist.

Whatever you're called to do, the way God uses you will be unique. But here's the cool thing: regardless of what you're called to do specifically, we're all called to do one thing generally: proclaim God's great name, and make it famous in all the earth. Probably one of my favorite verses of all time, one I quote to myself multiple times daily, is 1 Peter 2:9 --

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may declare the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

 That's you and me. This is where we talk about the next part. If we were. Here's where it get's hard. The book of Romans puts it better than any other: before Christ, we're dead in our sins. That means that all the people out there who don't know the love of the Lord are dead. Corpses. Rotting souls. That sin that you see is just the maggot coming out. I don't want to be grotesque, but that's what deadness amounts to. Total lifelessness. Because Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

We may not know who God has chosen, but we know that he has chosen us to proclaim his glory. Peter isn't the only one who got this. Listen to Jesus himself in Matthew 28:

¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Some doubted, but then he said that he has all authority. And with his authority we are to go out and preach the Gospel to our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, our world. When light pierces the darkness, it is a dramatic thing.

Our lives ought to be as Christ's, who though he was pierced, rose again, and lives for the glory of the Father:

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Can you imagine if you were born in a different circumstance? Maybe. But the thought of that drives us to an even greater realization: that we were born in the circumstances we were born in. That we serve the God we serve, and that we are his chosen people. Out of all the people he could have chosen, of the option to kill us all out or create other beings, God chose to live and die and live again for US. You. Me.

Even those in different circumstances are there by God's divine will, perhaps just so that He can use us as light, because HE is God. 

And, even though this post is titled, "Who You Are," I think you'll have to agree with me that this is more about who God is, and who we get to be as a part of it.

Relish in God's goodness, friends, and celebrate your brand-new identity in Christ!

Soli Deo Gloria!

~Meridian

When God Smacks You in the Face

Alright, so he doesn't smack. God doesn't deserve to be turned in for child abuse. Actually, he loves us pretty incredibly deeply- infinitely -and I think that's deep enough for me. So, no, God doesn't really *smack* you in the face, but sometimes he gives you a revelation that's so obvious you think you might have been smacked.

I had one such revelation this weekend: perseverance. Before you close out this tab, though, and think, "Lame. Old topic. There is just not anything new here," allow me to set you straight: There is nothing new here, but I want to shed some new light on it. In just a few moments you will be done, and maybe you'll have some new inspiration to keep going.

The first thing I'd like to recommend is a book called, The Traveler's Gift. This book, of all the boatloads of books that I've read, has by far been one of the most inspiring and refreshing. Andy Andrews takes the reader on a crazy journey through time with a man who's not so sure he wants his life anymore, or if his dreams ever can become realities. In the process, seven phenomenal truths are laid out that will absolutely change your life forever if you take them to heart. As you might have guessed, perseverance is incorporated in there. But, since I don't want to spoil anything, I'll move right along to the next thing that stunned me: the Bible.

If you are at all familiar with the Gospel of John, you'll know that it is one power-packed book. I've been reading through it over the past few days, but one passage shocked me a little, simply because of it's profound truth: "I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (John 4:38)


Wow. We get the benefit of those who have gone before us, and all we have to do is reap! So, why shouldn't we persevere? 


One final thing hit me, and it hit me hard: Jesus isn't giving up, so why should we? This was one of the main points of the sermon our pastor gave on Sunday. Essentially, he showed us our desperate need as sinners for a king, and presented the method of the King in saving us: the Gospel. Finally, he encouraged us, letting us know that our God isn't a quitter. He's not giving up. This battle may rage on, and be miserable, brutal, and cruel, and still our God will not quit. Simply put in the winsome words of Winston Churchill, "If you're going through hell, keep going."


I don't know what you are facing today, whether it's a joyous spring break, the death of a friend, a dream on the verge of breaking, or a dream just beginning to sprout, but whatever it is, embrace it, and keep going. Build that dream and run with it. Write that book. Travel to the ends of the world. But, as Winston Churchill (again ;D) said, "Never, never, never, never give up."


Meridian

Some things I want to do in my lifetime...

...possibly in this order.


-Become proficient at singing and piano and perhaps one or two other instruments
- Go to a God-honoring college and major in English and/or History, with possible minors in Music, Education, Physics, and/or Government.
-Become fluent in Latin and possibly Greek
-Consider going to Law School (but most likely, don't actually attend unless I love the prospect)
-Run long-distance
-Work in the political world
-Attend the University of Oxford for at least one term for the experience, or possibly longer for a MA in History
-Somewhere in between the above steps, or shortly thereafter, get married to a Godly, intelligent man, and love him well
-Be a missionary for 6 months or a year
-Have kids any time after getting married, love them as dearly as old Mrs. Sowerby in The Secret Garden, and teach them to fear God and to love his precepts and creation
-Teach a handful of other eager students these same things
-Create a peaceful home where love is abounding and learning is encouraged
-Have a large garden (after all, I'll have plenty of little hands around to help! :D)
-Run a home business of tutoring or something like that to help aid with the family income
-Begin to grasp the things I love
-Paint in Italy
-Spend some time writing in Switzerland
-Possibly publish a scientific paper
-Throughout all of this, finish an epic poem or fantasy novel worth reading regardless of era


Underlying thing to do: Serve my God and be willing to add things to this list, and take them off just as easily, according to his will, and my submissiveness first to my parents, and then my husband. ;)


Meridian

Children, Artwork, and the Providence of God

Today was such a beautiful day. Such an extraordinary, glorious, wonderful day. I had a piano recital, ran errands, and rode my bike. When it was getting late in the afternoon, I suddenly had an urge to paint watercolor. Eagerly, I ran up to my bedroom, dragging my heavy, over-sized box -- filled with my portfolio, paints, paper, pencils, brushes, and palettes-- down to my front yard, where the sun was gradually getting lower in the sky. I tore out a piece of my watercolor paper, and prepared the page for my paints. In a hurry to work while there was light, I splashed blue paint on both sides of the sheet, adding a nice swipe along the top. Then I carefully mixed my greens and my blues in my palette to create a nice color for the evergreens I was painting. Layering this on top of the blue on the sides, I formed the base for my trees. Applying layer after layer, my little landscape was starting to come together. Just then I heard the sweet voice of a young girl, and the heavy, uncoordinated footsteps of a seven-year-old boy. Glancing up, I saw our two next-door neighbor kids come romping on over to see what I was doing.


I love those kids. They make me laugh...every time. At seven and five years old, they are the sweetest little creatures ever. A bit crazy, yes, but still human beings created in the image of God. Nicholas is the quiet one. Samara, his little sister, says everything for him. But regardless of their personalities, they are just fantastic. Their family moved in about two months ago, after our neighbors of nine years left. Theirs is not a Christian home, from what I can tell. Yet God still writes his fingerprints on them.


Anyway, back to my story. Nicholas and Samara came over to check on what I was doing. When they saw that I was painting, they immediately wanted to do so as well. Laughing, I told them they could, and sent Matthew (my brother) inside to get some supplies for them. Making sure they didn't mix the paints, I showed them how to use water to create new colors and add variety to their paintings. I had been out on the grass that is currently dry, and, considering that I am ten years older than they are, my mess was far less significant than theirs. At the end, I packed up my paints and was done due to the darkness and cold, but the two neighbor kids just hopped up and left, taking their little masterpieces with them. At times, that would frustrate me, but not tonight. All I could do was smile, and pick out the dead grass from their messy palettes. These two children, who really are quite untidy, hyper, and chaotic, have been a huge blessing to me. Sometimes, they come knocking on my door at the most inconvenient times. You know, those sort of days where you are practicing piano while reading your homework assignment, and as soon as you are done you jump up and rush out the door? That's what I'm talking about here. At other times it means when I am having friends over to watch a movie. Very inconvenient. Or other days where I'm just in a bad mood. But when I actually do take the time to play with these children, and enjoy them, they are great, and are such a huge blessing to me.


For a long time, I've really wanted to be a teacher. One of my goals is to take a few children, and give them an education in exactly the way I've been thinking about since kindergarten. :) Then I want to try to get all this information into their heads, get them to read a million great books, and still have them love it. Ultimately, I want them to learn to see life as a gift from God's hand, and to want to embrace the true life that comes only from him. But for the past couple of years I've really been dying to gather up three or four "guinea pigs" to try my methodology on. I know I'm too young, though. About three or four months ago, I was praying about this, because I really do want to start working on this a little more closely, but I need kids I can do it with. And not my siblings. They are already smart, and are a bit too old to start working with right now. Plus, they're my siblings. :) Interestingly, a few weeks later, the new neighbors moved in. They had these two kids, and almost immediately, the kids came over to introduce themselves. The second time I met them, I was playing piano, and they came in with Mandy (my sister) to get water. Samara was a little taken with whatever it was I was playing right at the moment, and hopped down next to me on the piano bench. "Wow...I want to do that!" she said. I wasn't sure what to say, but I asked her if she wanted to learn. Sure enough, she did. So I sat down and taught her to play a C-scale, and identify a whole note. She was thrilled, and began "composing" her own music.


The music didn't really sound all that great, but it was cute. And I was struck by her desire to learn new things. The next time I saw Samara, I was standing in my garage. She marched in with her brother, and asked me to play. I said yes, and asked her what she wanted to play. She didn't know, so I showed her the pogo stick. "Do you know how to use this?" I asked her. She shook her head no, but said (again) that she wanted to learn. Cautiously holding her on, and ensuring she was wearing a helmet, I directed her in jumping up and down. She giggled, and it was rather amusing. The next time, I told her a story. That's just how it goes. And Nicholas is starting to catch on. God has provided me with two children, who just need a little love and attention, right next door! It's interesting, because I never would have thought to teach a little girl the random things I've taught her. Yet, it is exactly what I need to do. And I am still getting to practice my teaching ability, and try out my teaching methods. Maybe someday I'll really get to teach her what I want to. For now, though, I'll teach her what I can, and pour my heart into it, because that's what matters.


God, in his Providence, has placed this little girl right here at exactly the right time. I am thrilled to get to play even a small role in God's work. So, tonight, as I was painting, and laughing at the funny mistakes the two neighbor kids made on their artwork, I just had to stop and reflect. God is amazing. I also found out something really obvious, but random: if you spray your painting with water, and leave it out in the cold, it actually freezes right on your painting. Rather appropriate, considering that I was trying (and miserably failing) at painting a frozen lake. If those kids hadn't come over, I would have gone in sooner, and my painting never would have frozen. But, when Matthew was helping me clean up after them, he noticed the ice. I was amazed, and decided to stick my painting in the freezer to preserve the cool effect. Yet another of God's small providences. :)


Meridian

Changing the world through our daily struggles

Have you ever felt like you are reaching for something you will never quite get your hands on? It's right there, waiting to be done...You want to change the world. You want to do something great. Hold that certain job. Write that award-winning novel. Visit Antarctica. But you are so bogged down by daily life, it seems it will never happen. Things keep getting in the way. Or maybe it's just that the right opportunities aren't there. Whatever your case, you aren't alone. Countless others have faced this same plight. But, God is his gracious sovereignty will fulfill your dreams when he fulfills your dreams. As I brought up recently, St. Augustine once said that, "He serves you best who is not so anxious to hear from you what he wills as to will what he hears from you." Sometimes, we must surrender dreams, and exchange them for God's will, which is always the most glorious path in the long run. Quite honestly, I don't even know why I am posting this today. Perhaps it is because I recently heard that one of my friends, Sarah, who has had a life-long dream of going to Oxford, is going to be attending this coming semester. Maybe it is because of the music I'm listening to. I don't know. But, at any rate, I just felt like I needed to share a few things with you.

First, this passage after David realizes that his dreams will be fulfilled I by his son Solomon. It is interesting to note David's reaction to this knowledge. Rather than being frustrated, saddened, jealous, or even passively submissive to God, he ensures that it will be all ready for Solomon to take over.

1 Chronicles 22

 ¹Then David said, "Here shall be the house of the LORD God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel."

David Prepares for Temple Building

 ²David commanded to gather together the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to prepare dressed stones for building the house of God. ³David also provided great quantities of iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for clamps, as well as bronze in quantities beyond weighing, ⁴and cedar timbers without number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought great quantities of cedar to David. ⁵For David said, "Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it." So David provided materials in great quantity before his death.

Solomon Charged to Build the Temple

 ⁶Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. ⁷David said to Solomon, "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. ⁸But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. ⁹Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. ¹⁰ He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.' ¹¹"Now, my son, the LORD be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he has spoken concerning you. ¹² Only, may the LORD grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the LORD your God. ¹³ Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. ¹⁴With great pains I have provided for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents^[a] of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. ¹⁵You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working ¹⁶gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The LORD be with you!"
 ¹⁷David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, ¹⁸"Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and his people. ¹⁹Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the LORD." 


Isn't this remarkable? David got everything ready for Solomon.

In this second example I want to share with you, it is a movie trailer. But it is as true a story as the story of David. If you haven't seen Amazing Grace, stop reading this and go watch it.

Wow. That's all I can say when I think about this man's life. Realize God's plans, and let them be your dreams. You may just change the world.

May God bless you in your pursuit to follow him!

Meridian

Give Me Your Eyes

Look down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight

Touch down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos

All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what’s underneath

There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work, He's buying time


Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see


I’ve been here a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
I need a second glance
Give me a second chance
To see the way you’ve seen the people all along

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Isaiah 55: Pt. 5- Listen that you may succeed

Listening. One of the hardest things to do, but one of the greatest and most beneficial skills one can learn. Try it sometime. :)

Isaiah 55

The Compassion of the LORD

 ¹ "Come, everyone who thirsts,
   come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
   without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
   and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
   and delight yourselves in rich food.
³Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.
⁴ Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
    a leader and commander for the peoples.
⁵ Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
   and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has glorified you. ⁶ "Seek the LORD while he may be found;
   call upon him while he is near;
⁷let the wicked forsake his way,
   and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
   and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts.
 ¹⁰ "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
   and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
¹¹so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
   it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
   and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
 ¹² "For you shall go out in joy
   and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
   shall break forth into singing,
   and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
   instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
   an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Vs. 10: Rain and snow. Beautiful weather conditions, but sometimes they give us problems. Driving along a road in the midst of a whiteout blizzard can actually kill us. Likewise, standing in the middle of a torrent of rain for an extended period of time can make the human body very sick. On the other hand, these conditions can be a blessing. At Christmastime, when everything is rather bleak and dry, that little bit of snow adds moisture and beauty to the surroundings. In a hot, dry summer, a good rain is welcomed most thoroughly. God's spoken word is like these conditions. His words can be dangerous, and can cause our lives to be lived on the edge. Yet, despite the extremities, his words can be welcome, and add beauty to our broken world. In fact, his words don't just add beauty: they are the essence of beauty. God's words are not sent down from heaven only to be pulled back up again. He loves us, keeps his word, and wants his word to take root in the hearts of all his creation: especially his chosen people.

Vs. 11: God is all-powerful. When he says he is going to do something, he does it. With his words he shows us who he is and how we are to respond to that. Ultimately, God reminds us in this passage that his word will succeed at whatever it sets out to do. When I was titling this post, I thought through this success factor, and its relation to listening. When I formed the title, I was concerned that it might sound like some sort of health and wealth prosperity gospel. Then I realized that this is the truth: we must listen in order to succeed. For isn't it true that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me?" At the same time, the opposite is equally true. Essentially, we cannot do all things without Christ who strengthens us. Listening to, and obeying God, are the key to true success. This is because Biblical success is not defined by how much money you make, how famous you are, or even how good of a family life you lead. Success, in God's Book (literally!), is defined by God's success, and how closely you are following to his mission. Considering that the Bible is the ultimate authority, it might be wise to take this seriously. If, at the end of your life, you can say that though you certainly have not had a perfect, sinless, life, you have, by the grace of God sought at every moment to please him in every way, and to follow him in perfect obedience to the best of your human ability, then you have been successful, because we have seen a purpose bigger than ourselves, and as big as the God who created the entire universe. No one, of course, is perfect, but we can do our best as God gives us grace to live humbly with him every day. In the end, then, to listen is to succeed.

Tomorrow: Worship that joy may abound.

Seeking to listen to Him,

Meridian