Friday, April 30, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Farm Dreams
I think there lies in me somewhere a farmer's wife waiting to be. The thought of living off the land, working outdoors, reaping harvests of home-grown produce and grains is appealing in so many ways. I think it corresponds to the growing desire in me for simplicity - for a paring down to the essentials. I seem to be in a never-abating battle against clutter and complexity - aren't we all? A dear friend loaned me some books about the farm life - one by Gladys Taber and the other, Patricia Penton Leimbach. They are books that nourish my soul - that allow me, for a few moments at the end of the day, to slip into the country, to smell the fresh-tilled soil, to dream of what might be.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Bread of Life
Continuing on the theme of finding our complete and ultimate satisfaction in Christ, and in what He provides, namely Himself.
Matthew 4:4 “… Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Quoted by Jesus – original text in Deuteronomy 8:3,4 “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Hunger – Heb. Raeb – to hunger; - (suffer to) famish
I wonder if there is anything that we think we desperately need, think we cannot live without, are suffering for lack of, are starving for, are crying out to God for – things that seem good, and reasonable and right and even necessary, much like bread, food in the desert. Perhaps it is a spouse, or children, or money for our basic needs – or perhaps joy or faith, or healing. And I wonder if sometimes it is not of His hand that he causes us to suffer from need of some sort, in order that He himself may give bread from heaven to satisfy, that we might know that indeed, it is His words that we live upon – that truly we can be satisfied in no other way – Oh, that we would rather starve to death than partake of that which is not from His hand!!
What does it mean to live on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord? What is this manna from heaven?
The word bread from Matthew 4:4 is the Greek word artos, which means bread, and is derived from the Greek word airo, meaning to lift, by implication to take up or away; compares to the Hebrew word,nasa, or nacah, to expiate sin: away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up).
This is so very interesting when we consider that we don’t live by bread alone but on every word – and who is the word – Christ is the Word, and what is Christ called, He is the Bread of Life. He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world – who expiates sin, who carries, who lifts up, who looses that chains of bondage, who removes our sin as far as the East is from the West. He is the unleavened bread, whose body was broken for us, that we may partake and live. (Unleavened because He was perfect and without sin, yeast being symbolic of sin, and how a little yeast (ie. Sin) works through the whole batch of dough) Perhaps He is the manna sent from heaven.
Moving to John, where Jesus feeds the five thousand – breaks the bread, and satisfies the multitudes. Then the next day, the crowds inquire, “What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but is tis my Father who give you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”…Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Then later on, verses 48 – 51 (John 6), “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die, I am the living bead that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
He the bread of life – He is our satisfaction in all things. He is the answer to every cry, He is the One we must feed upon – He is our sustenance. We must partake of Him. Every need, every yearning, every lack, or perceived lack is answered in Him – not answered by Him, but with His very self – with the very body and blood of Christ. “The earth has nothing I desire but Thee.” He is the answer, He is the fulfillment, He is the culmination of all our hopes and dreams, He is the end all, and one bright and glorious day we will be swallowed up in His fullness – we will be joined with Him from whom our very beings originated and came from, and brought back into full fellowship with the Divine circle of Life – the Father and Son and Spririt.
So, it seems, the whole reason we can be content with our lot, our portion, is because He is our portion – that the circumstances we are in, our lot in life is irrelevant to our satisfaction – and in fact, our circumstances may be divinely appointed to drive us to our true satisfaction, that is, Christ. May we ever be cognizant of the fact that it is His gracious hand which allows us to be in the difficulties we are in – for in them we are drawn to the fountain of Life – in the midst of our greatest difficulties we are fed from heaven – the divine life of Jesus. I would not trade all the riches and comforts of this world if it meant forfeiting the riches of His body, his Presence, his Life – Life eternal.
Matthew 4:4 “… Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Quoted by Jesus – original text in Deuteronomy 8:3,4 “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Hunger – Heb. Raeb – to hunger; - (suffer to) famish
I wonder if there is anything that we think we desperately need, think we cannot live without, are suffering for lack of, are starving for, are crying out to God for – things that seem good, and reasonable and right and even necessary, much like bread, food in the desert. Perhaps it is a spouse, or children, or money for our basic needs – or perhaps joy or faith, or healing. And I wonder if sometimes it is not of His hand that he causes us to suffer from need of some sort, in order that He himself may give bread from heaven to satisfy, that we might know that indeed, it is His words that we live upon – that truly we can be satisfied in no other way – Oh, that we would rather starve to death than partake of that which is not from His hand!!
What does it mean to live on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord? What is this manna from heaven?
The word bread from Matthew 4:4 is the Greek word artos, which means bread, and is derived from the Greek word airo, meaning to lift, by implication to take up or away; compares to the Hebrew word,nasa, or nacah, to expiate sin: away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up).
This is so very interesting when we consider that we don’t live by bread alone but on every word – and who is the word – Christ is the Word, and what is Christ called, He is the Bread of Life. He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world – who expiates sin, who carries, who lifts up, who looses that chains of bondage, who removes our sin as far as the East is from the West. He is the unleavened bread, whose body was broken for us, that we may partake and live. (Unleavened because He was perfect and without sin, yeast being symbolic of sin, and how a little yeast (ie. Sin) works through the whole batch of dough) Perhaps He is the manna sent from heaven.
Moving to John, where Jesus feeds the five thousand – breaks the bread, and satisfies the multitudes. Then the next day, the crowds inquire, “What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but is tis my Father who give you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”…Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Then later on, verses 48 – 51 (John 6), “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die, I am the living bead that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
He the bread of life – He is our satisfaction in all things. He is the answer to every cry, He is the One we must feed upon – He is our sustenance. We must partake of Him. Every need, every yearning, every lack, or perceived lack is answered in Him – not answered by Him, but with His very self – with the very body and blood of Christ. “The earth has nothing I desire but Thee.” He is the answer, He is the fulfillment, He is the culmination of all our hopes and dreams, He is the end all, and one bright and glorious day we will be swallowed up in His fullness – we will be joined with Him from whom our very beings originated and came from, and brought back into full fellowship with the Divine circle of Life – the Father and Son and Spririt.
So, it seems, the whole reason we can be content with our lot, our portion, is because He is our portion – that the circumstances we are in, our lot in life is irrelevant to our satisfaction – and in fact, our circumstances may be divinely appointed to drive us to our true satisfaction, that is, Christ. May we ever be cognizant of the fact that it is His gracious hand which allows us to be in the difficulties we are in – for in them we are drawn to the fountain of Life – in the midst of our greatest difficulties we are fed from heaven – the divine life of Jesus. I would not trade all the riches and comforts of this world if it meant forfeiting the riches of His body, his Presence, his Life – Life eternal.
Repent and Follow
Jesus begins His public ministry and His first words are, “Repent” and then “Come follow me.” Repent is, of course, turning away from. Away from what? Sin, certainly, and a turning towards God. But more broadly, a turning away from our own way. The first disciples called had to turn away from their nets, their profession, their way of life – the way of life that they had always known. Their way of doing life. Those early disciples were called to physically leave their lives, and follow Christ. Most of us are called spiritually to leave our former way of life, and turn in a new direction. Peter and Andrew left a life whose primary focus was the physical realm – a profession which provided for their families, which met physical needs and embarked on a life whose focus was spiritual – “I will make you fishers of men.” When we repent, and turn toward Him, the purpose of our lives is raised from a mere physical survival, to the higher plain of spiritual purpose. It may mean that when I wash the dishes or vacuum once more, it is not merely a physical act, but one of obedience that serves a spiritual purpose – one of serving my family, of loving my family as Christ loved us, of setting aside my desires (maybe to read or shop or sit) in order to meet the needs of those around me. Is this over-spiritualizing life? I don’t think so. For what did Jesus show us when he came to earth? He invaded our very world, walked in the dirty dust with us, broke bread and ate among us, set His hands to the same daily tasks as us, and said He did nothing except what He saw the Father doing. All our acts take on a Holy significance when we are surrendered to Christ. But what is the Way? The early Believers were called followers of the Way. What exactly does that mean for us today? “Follow me,” Christ calls daily – where are we going? The cross – the way of Christ was headed straight toward the Cross. And He beckons us Come. What is the Cross, but denial of self – it is the death of all that is me, and an awakening of all that is Him. It is hard, it is painful – it is contrary to every fiber of my being, to all my wants, even my needs, to every natural desire, to my will. It takes a conscious act of the will to say, “not my will, but Thine.” So the call to us is to come and follow Him today. Leave behind your way of doing life, and enter into His Life. Sit at His feet and hear His Words. Let him teach you the Way. The Way in this moment, this day, and then follow.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Cravings
I read a Psalm this morning that I found so interesting after our conversation last night about finances. Psalm 78, verses 17-31 in particular, though the whole Psalm is really powerful. The phrase “by demanding the food they craved” (NIV v. 18) struck me - how often are we not satisfied with what the Lord has provided, and demand more? The word “crave” is desire, longing, lust, or delight – can be both for good or evil. I wonder how often our spending is motivated from a craving for more – or from a dissatisfaction with what God has already provided. I was reminded also of the “prosperity gospel” and thought what a dangerous thing it is to be craving after the things of this world – to be lusting after temporal pleasures – to be pursuing the things of the flesh. Is it not our duty to be walking in simple thankfulness for His abundant provision, no matter what it looks like or in what form it comes? Is it not a grievous sin to grumble about what we have, and wish for more? It is a contradiction to say we trust in Him and have faith that He will provide for our every need, and yet continually be seeking more of things – of stuff to fill an almost indiscernable void deep within. In the Psalm, the Lord gave them what they longed for and complained for, but “even while it was still in their mouths,” they were slain. The original story in Numbers 11 says they named the place where this happened Kibroth Hattaavah, which means “graves of craving.” “because there they buried the people who had craved other food.” It is also interesting that the same Hebrew word is used in Genesis 3:6, when Eve saw the fruit as an object of desire. She desired something that God had not provided for her, and the result was death. This is rather lengthy, but I love this piece from the Matthew Henry Commentary: they provoked God “By desiring, or rather demanding, that which he had not thought fit to give them…God had given them meat for their hunger, in the manna, wholesome pleasant food and in abundance; he had given them meat for their faith out of the heads of leviathan which he broke in pieces, Ps. 74:14. But all this would not serve; they must have meat for their lust, dainties and varieties to gratify a luxurious appetite. Nothing is more provoking to God than our quarrelling with our allotment and indulging the desires of the flesh.” I so long to be fully satisfied in God alone – to be like a child in utter trust and simplicity of heart, desiring no thing other than what He has provided. Isaiah 26:6: “Your name and renown are the desire (yes, the same word as “crave”) of our hearts.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Labor and Wait
I read a short little book by John Piper the other day entitled When the Darkness Will Not Lift: Doing What We Can While We Wait for God and Joy. Certainly the most succinct and thorough book I’ve encountered on the topic of melancholy, or depression, or spiritual darkness, whatever name we might give it. One of the ideas that struck me was the call to work – to labor at the things we have in front of us – wether it be an occupation, housework, childrearing, service or ministry. There is healing in work – in keeping our hands busy at something. Not only a healing, but a safekeeping as well – what is that saying? Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. So we live in this tension between work (not to be confused with busyness) and waiting; between labor and resting. Let our hands be busy on the tasks before us, let our hearts be still as we wait upon Him. Is that not the challenge though: To be still in our core – in the center of our being – and attentive to the voice of the Spirit at every moment, at every turn, while still attending to our duties? We are plagued, particularly in modern America it seems, with an insane level of busyness which does not constitute the work which Piper exhorts us too, but is rather the result of a high-paced society, or an unholy ambition for recognition, or a lust for the wealth of this world. It would behoove us to search our hearts and allow Him to show us which activities must fall by the wayside, and which things to put our hands to. My heart echoes the call of Longfellow: “Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate, Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.”
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