LAVISH!

My hardy front door flowers--in snow

Whew! We have gotten past Kommercial Kwis-mas with all its alluring advertisements to give the world's very most and very best. The latest and the most lavish. A year ago, just before Christmas, I shook my head in disbelief at the full-page newspaper advertisements for a woman's diamond pendant necklace. Of course, the picture showed just her petite chin and smiling lips, and the masculine hands carefully draping the jewelry around her neck. I wondered how many diamond necklaces the company had to sell to pay for that ad and the models' fees. Hmm, they didn't call me to be the photo model for this ad. But then, jewelry hasn't really been my “thing.” And my chin is no longer model-worthy.

But I like that word—lavish. Our English word comes from the French lavasse or lavache, meaning “a torrent or rain, deluge.” Or it may derive from Italian, just across France's border, where lava also means “a torrent or stream” from the Latin lavare, “to wash.” If you're thinking about the Italian volcano Mt. Vesuvius, you're on the right track.

On a more ordinary level, in late summer and fall, a lavish perennial blossom clump sprouts in the barrel planter by my front door. Well, “lavish” for my poor gardening skills. But when new blooms come up each spring from the soil where last year's flowers die, I am reminded that God delights in such displays of creation.

I started to do some thinking about our English word “lavish.” We connect it with profusion, like “lavish spending” or “lavish giving.” (Cue up the holiday mall music.) It also might ring a bell of the uncontrolled spending (“lavish living”) of the Prodigal Son. Or of his father's over-the-top celebration (a party complete with the fatted calf) for his son's return. And, below that story line, an illustration of God's lavish love for us, His wayward sons and daughters.

But there's another Biblical word about “above and beyond” that recently got my attention. It's the Greek perisseuo, which means “over and beyond.” Think: Jesus' miracles of feeding the multitudes in Luke 9 and John 12. The crumbs of bread and bits of fish fed thousands, and when the leftovers were collected, they amounted to a miraculous heap. The feeding was a perisseuo—over-and-beyond—miracle of God's care and provision.

How great and deep is the Father's love toward us? We cannot measure it. All our materialism and gifting are a pittance in comparison to all God does to show His love for us.

Take a minute to sing along with this contemporary praise song by Stuart Townend (b. 1963) about God's lavish love:

HowDeep the Father’s Love For Us - Lyrics, Hymn Meaning and Story(godtube.com)

REAL LOVE

This décor plaque at a local store reminded me of

Ephesians 3:18 and our relationship with God

Oh, the stories associated with Valentine’s Day. Nobody knows for sure who was the original St. Valentine, though the name (from words for bravery or “valor”) connects well with one ancient priest’s bold decision to marry couples to help the bridegroom escape military service. Some histories mention fertility festivals of old. No record exists of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day until a 1375 poem by Chaucer which linked courtly love with St. Valentine’s feast day. In that poem, Feb. 14 is the day birds and humans find mates.

Today the holiday seems to have overrated human (and passion-oriented) love. Oh, that instead of “Roses are red-etc.” we’d focus on this as a theme verse:

 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

Being truly related to the God of all creation is knowing true love. Seeing the cross on which Jesus died as a personal payment for my sinful condition is embracing true love.  Living for Jesus “in all that I do” (to quote an old hymn) is living out true love. Waiting for true love—a God-fearing spouse, not a flimsy substitute because nobody else came along—is trusting the God who loves us more than we can realize.

Several years ago my church was pastored by a man (and wife) whose three daughters and son set the bar high for “good kids.” After they left, we kept in touch via mail, pleased to hear of their social skills, academics, implicit trust in Jesus, servant hearts, and, most of all, a God-focused present and future. His kids are awesome! With two older daughters now  in college, the third one finishing high school, they're approaching the years when young men take notice of them. I am thinking, “Are there men out there worthy of these outstanding young women?”

Recently the dad wrote a book about the seven letters to ancient churches that open the book of Revelation. Those churches had a common problem: failing to live 100% for Christ. Many were okay with compromising their values so they’d fit in better with their community. We’re not any different if our pastors compromise the Gospel to a “Jesus can be your Best Friend” message, sidestepping Scripture’s command to “take up your cross and die” (Mark 8:34).

This book is titled Seven Words: How the Seven Letters of Revelation Speak to Us Today (XulonPress), and in it Pastor Joshua Brooks (dad of those awesome kids!) shared another author’s hypothetical illustration of a dad looking for a husband for his daughter. Would he “make it happen” by advertising her in newspapers (or even a love site on the internet), putting up a billboard, or passing out tee-shirts begging someone to choose her?  Absolutely not. This would cheapen his precious daughter. The man worthy of his daughter would have to be prepared to offer her his absolute best.

And so it is for us. First and foremost must come our love relationship with God. John wrote in the same passage: “Everyone who has this hope [of someday seeing the risen Christ, v. 2] purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). That connects right into the idea of being “rooted” in Christ, and growing in love and devotion to Him:

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18).

That’s real love, far greater than the “valentine” clichés.

THOSE THORNY QUESTIONS

Buds are emerging on our rose stems, but oh, the thorns!

Why is life at times so thorny? I’ve asked myself that many times in the past few years—and not just during my spring rose-pruning duties. Thorny problems and relationships are part of our sin-filled world. We usually complain about them. But I was recently reminded of the better perspective expressed by Dr. George Matheson (1842-1906), a renowned Scottish preacher who endured life blind:

My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorn.  I have thanked thee a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn.  I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory.  Teach me the value of my thorn.

Of course, any reference to a “spiritual thorn” leads inevitably to Paul’s use of that term. At some time (perhaps when nearly stoned to death?) he had a vision of Heaven, too wonderful to express in earthly terms.

But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud.  Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.  Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need.  My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 NLT)

What was the thorn?  Nobody knows.  Some ideas: malaria, epilepsy, an eye disease (inferred from Galatians 4:13-15). Whatever, it was chronic and debilitating, interfering with his ministry. Its presence kept Paul humble and dependent on God to just get through the day.  Somehow, seeing Paul’s strength in weakness inspired those around him who had their own version of a disabling “thorn.”

And these lessons still apply. We’re tempted to rely on our own cleverness or abilities to get by in life. But when we’re faced with our true selves, we have a choice: curl up and complain, or trust God for His will in His time.

I sense that lesson in Dr. Matheson. When he aspired to become a pastor—just as his sight was going—naysayers probably suggested it wouldn’t work out. But God provided a way through his devoted sister, who herself learned Greek, Latin and Hebrew to help him in his theological studies. Throughout his life she helped with his pastoral and calling duties.

Most hymnals still include “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go,” whose lyrics came to him with such fluency and speed one night that he attributed it to “a dayspring from on high”—the Lord’s inspiration.  The key words of its four verses are “love,” “light,” “joy,” “cross.” All remind me of the Lord Jesus, the One who showed us God’s love.  Who called Himself the “Light of the World.”  And who, “for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

All because of a Love that will not let us go.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Love lights

"It makes a circle!” my three-year-old grandson declared as he played with a flashlight he pointed at the ceiling. I chuckled over how he was showing off his command of “shape” words. If only he knew how the study of light has baffled and intrigued scientists for ages! Maybe, if he takes a bent toward art, he will find enjoyment in portraying light patterns.

Recently, as I prayed over and grieved a dark situation with people I know, I sensed the Lord pushing me to read again the “light” verses of First John. I’d already been thinking about “light,” after my husband “romanticized” our evening meal of leftovers with a candle in a Haitian-made clay pot with cutouts, a gift from a friend who did mission work there. Initially, it reminded me of this scripture:

For God who said, “let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God, and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).

As a “clay jar” I try to reach out to others with God’s grace and light.  But sometimes it's hard to shine before others. I think that’s why I recently felt a God-nudge to reread the counsel of the apostle John, written before his old-age death:

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.(1 John 1:6)

If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)

By the way, “brother” is a gender-neutral term for someone in the family of God, whether or not they’re blood related. I find these verses very sad because they highlight the alienation that results from broken relationships.

But it doesn’t have to be that way:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

I’d rather be in that type of a “circle of light”!

Tablet talk

When my first grandchild was born, a friend gave me this erasable tablet with the suggestion that I use it to teach him to write his name. As you can see, we’re not making much progress when he’s on his own. But I’m guessing that in the next half year (he is now 3 ½) we’ll see an attempt at spelling J-O-S-I-A-H.

My greater concern is that he gets it “right” on his Proverbs 3:3-4 “tablet”:

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (NIV, an identical verse is in Proverbs 7:3)

            Although the proverb names just two characteristics, they’re powerful:

            Love conveys kindness and mercy, the type of outlook that seeks justice for others.

            Faithfulness expresses loyalty, behaving responsibly.

The “bind them around the neck” conveys the idea that such behavior will be as noticeable as wearing a richly ornamented necklace. Talk about fashion coming full circle since Bible times! (How “fashion” changes.  When I graduated from high school in the ‘60s, girls wore demure single pearls on fine chains!)

So where does one shop for the “love” and “faithfulness” necklaces? That’s where the next verse, so much better known, comes in:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  (vv. 5-6)

These days of the electronic revolution have brought a new meaning to the word “tablet.”  In Bible times, a “tablet” was usually a clay plaque inscribed with a sharp instrument. When I was a child, “tablet” referred to a thick notebook of glue-bound newsprint with wide-apart writing lines for little learners. What did these cost?  Twenty-five cents?  Fifty cents?

 And now we have mini-computer$ (dollar sign intended) even smaller than those newsprint “tablets.”  Because they can download virtue as well as vice, they bring new meaning to that old verse. We make the choice of what is dumped into our minds.

 It comes back to this:  Trusting God. Acknowledging Him in our behavior and life choices. And making sure that unworthy scrawling is erased through confession, so that God can write His imprint on our lives.