He could have called ten-thousand angels

"The night that Satan thought he had me,

the night he planned his victory,

as his servant Judas kissed me

I walked the road to Calvary."

"The rough arms came,

reached out, and seized me.

My dear friend drew his sword to fight.

Put back your sword, I had to tell him.

It has to be this way tonight."

"Oh don't you think I could withstand them

without your help if I did try.

Oh don't you know ten thousand angels

would be at hand with just a cry."

"But lead me on that way to Calvary.

It's time.  

It's God's appointed hour.

I'll walk along, no need to drag me

for I won't use my heavenly power."

"Oh I could call ten thousand angels

if I wanted to be free.

Oh I could call upon my Father,

but my love won't let that be."

"Oh I could call ten thousand angels, 
but I will not, don't you see?    
 I have come to die in your place. 
 I have come to set you free."

For love of us, He died on that Good Friday.

Separation

 

You may have been separated from someone you love deeply, or the people who love you, at some time in your life.  It may have been restful – for a short time, maybe a time to get your bearings and to think about important or unimportant things – or just a time not to think, or do, or be.  But more than likely, if the separation was unplanned, or permanent, or unwanted - you felt as if it was almost impossible to bear. 

That's one of the things I’ve been thinking about during this time as we remember our Savior's crucifixion.   I've been thinking of the words of His cry on the cross. 

In Matthew 27:46 we read. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,

 “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (ESV)

The terms used in other translations, such as “why have you abandoned me,” “left me,” “deserted me,” may tell of your own personal separation.  But they truly describe to us the pain of THAT cruel separation – Jesus was alone on that cross.  Not only was He alone, but He was carrying a burden that was not meant for Him, it was ours.  He didn’t deserve to be there – we did.

“My God, My God,
why hast thou forsaken me?”
He cried aloud from that cursed tree.
 
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
words of despair men heard Him cry.
 
The cry rang out!  Feel the pain - the cost
to the Father who’d given His Son on that cross.
 
He could have stopped it.
 
He could have held that soul in His arms protecting Him from this terrible harm.
 
It could have been that Christ felt Him there
easing the burden of the sins He would bear.

No! That wouldn't pay the price that was due -
the price for salvation for me and for you.
 
For the only price
that could save the lost was the separation
of God on the cross
from God in his heaven - the Father and Son
to be torn from each other - a tearing of one.
 

That day on the earth,
the darkness that reigned,
came not from the soldiers,
came not from the pain.
 
It came from God's heart tearing in two
hurting much more than any could do.
 
Loving so much, that it broke his own heart,
The Son on the cross, and the Father, apart.
 
Separation!

The price that was due 
as He died on the cross
alone, just for you.

 

Diane Gruchow rev 2022

Thoughts today about a lion

I love reading, especially fiction, some of which seems meant to bring me truth.  Much of the time the writer portrays in a new way, something very familiar.  In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, we read the following quote.

Many of us have enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis.  And many of us have pictured Lewis’ description of Aslan, as a representation or a picture of our Savior, Jesus.

 Those are interesting thought pictures.  Were they correct?  Is Lewis’ Aslan really representative of Jesus?  Is Jesus safe (tame); is Jesus good?  Of course, there is no question in my own mind that Jesus is God and God is good and God is King!

 Since the question of a “good” God keeps coming up in discussions of tragedy and pain, I decided to consider the idea of trusting God in His “goodness.”  Must whatever we believe comes from God,  match our own limited view of “goodness”? 

Do we think that “Good” means being good for me at this present time – good, as in pleasant, or harmless, or painless? 

We cannot understand the mind of Christ. We are not God. The key is found in scripture.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  Isaiah 55:8 (KJV)

But, if we ask whether God is safe, as Susan asked, referring to the lion in the quote above, the answer is definitely yes. God is safe.  Safety is found nowhere else.  We can appeal to Him.  We can ask for His help.  We can ask, and He will grant those things that He knows are “meant for His good.”  

But God is not tame – He cannot be led around, manipulated, or trained.  He is definitely not tame.  He is God – The King. 

Lewis’ writings are not scripture, but as with other writings by excellent authors, we may be able to learn something, or possibly picture something that wasn’t clear to us before reading them.  In addition, the questions asked in a particular story are questions that people ask in many different ways, questions to which we sometimes erroneously believe the easy answers. 

Is God good, can we trust Him?  Yes, the scriptures tell us that God is good!  He is kind.  He is upright.  He is our place of refuge, and He blesses us.  We read in the scriptures: 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
Psalm 118:29 (NASB) 

“Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore, He instructs sinners in the way.”
  Psalm 25:8 (ESV) 

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”  Psalm 34:8 (ESV) 

This scripture decries the notion that God can be tamed.  He cannot be controlled.  He is beyond our human understanding. 

“By His breath the heavens are cleared; 
His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.
Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; 
And how faint a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”  
Deuteronomy 32:4  (NASB) 

“Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”  
Isaiah 40:28  (ESV) 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9  (NIV) 

Whether C.S. Lewis endeavored to describe our God in his writings, 

I don’t know.  I do know that God shows His works and His worth in many ways.   But without a doubt, God is not a lion, a fictional character, or any man or woman’s idea.
 
He is
 the almighty, eternal,
invisible, creator,
the one who loves each one of us - His children.
And He is Good.

The Window Pane

Wow, the dining room window on the east side of the house is dirty!! 

When the sun shown on that window yesterday, I was frustrated because I couldn’t see much beyond the pane.  It’s spring and we should be able to enjoy the beautiful mornings - to enjoy the sun shining on the new green grass, and see the flowers poking their heads up to say hello.

I promised myself I would clean windows last week, and I didn’t.  I threatened to do that yesterday - and I didn’t. So today, I haven’t done it either.  But I have thought about what it means to look at a dirty window, and not what is beyond it.

If you walk out on the front porch, you see the sun, the forsythia bush with its yellow blooms and the grass that’s greening up.  You see small spikes from the bulbs that have been buried all winter, and you smell the fresh morning breeze.  That’s a great start, isn’t it? All because I stopped trying to look through a dirty window and moved out into the world.

     Look beyond dull window glass.

     Yes, look beyond the pane.

     Look beyond perfection’s loss 

     and see more than the stain.

     Look beyond the prickly thorn 

     and smell the yellow rose.   

                    Because

   When we look beyond the cloudiness

    we'll find contentment grows.

We read a bit about that in the Bible.  Paul is talking about peace, and he tells us that the peace comes when we look beyond the negative and think about the good and true and beautiful. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Philippians 4:8

I don't know about you, but I sure need to remember that.

Memory's Mirror

It's about five weeks until Resurrection Sunday - people call that day Easter. 

About five weeks until we say together, 

"He is risen!"

He is risen already.  All those years ago, Jesus, the Christ, rose from the dead to proclaim that He has paid it all.  He had suffered the separation and death that we, human people, have earned by our sins.

Today, I was looking at the mirror of my heart.  I was thinking about what I truly believe was my part in His suffering - my sin.  The price that Jesus agreed to pay with His death should have been mine.  That thought is so convicting, isn't it?  

Have you ever been the cause of another person's pain or suffering, or death?  If you have, you found, as I have, that when you receive their forgiveness, although it's beautiful and good, it's still hard to bear. Sometimes there is almost more guilt to feel when they forgive you, since forgiving your own self is so difficult.

But God doesn't want us to wallow in our guilt.  He just wants us to acknowledge it, and accept with joy, His forgiveness and love.  So I'm working on that part.  I hope you are too.

It’s so hard to see the picture that the One who made me saw
when He painted all my features in His mind.

And it's hard to see His plans for me - His perfect will displayed, 

when I look in memory’s mirror,
and I find 

a messy tarnished drawing that is filling up the space,
as sin’s dark, blotted shadows aim to cover up my face,
reflecting there a picture of my sin and my disgrace.

The image there can’t show God’s love.  It overlooks His grace. 

Instead, 

the Heavenly Easter mirror shows
God paid sin’s penalty.
Since as I look into that glass
a different view I see.
The dark and blotted shadows
have been cast into the sea.
And in that glass I find God's love
has taken them from me.
 
Now I faintly see the picture that the one who made me saw
As He fashioned my own features in His mind.
I faintly see His plans for me, His perfect will appears 
when I look into the mirror He left behind.

He arose - the tomb is empty.  His Children are forgiven.

The Curtain - The Veil

The Veil - It was there in the Old Testament Tabernacle

It was there in the Temple where sacrifices were offered, and prayers were said.

It was there – separating common man from the presence of Almighty God.  

Mankind had stepped away from the holy presence of God and decided to be their own gods.  They determined to live their lives apart from Him.  And the separation began.

But the Holy Almighty God knew that this total separation would not work for the good of His people, so He allowed worship in a “veil cloaked” world.

The wonderful Word tells us that when Jesus poured out His life on that cross on the hill, the veil in front of the Holy Place was split.  God did that – a 60 foot tall, 4-inch-thick barrier was split from top to bottom. 

When God split the curtain, the veil, He opened to all believers the opportunity to enter His presence.  He offers us the opportunity to talk to Him – to approach His throne – to pour out our pains and praises to Him - to the only one who can possibly do anything about our world. 

And we are now given the opportunity to be adopted into His family; to become acknowledged as daughters and sons of the King.  Through the sacrifice of Jesus on that cross, the barriers to a life as children of The King have been destroyed.  God dwells with His people.

God destroyed the barrier between Himself and the people who worshipped Him.

The Veil was torn by the almighty hand - 

the masterful hand of the King.

From the heaven to earth,

From God’s throne to man’s heart,

Came the dawn of a blossoming spring.

 

It wakened a new life - a life of new joy

As God beaconed us near to His throne.

Since God’s Son loved us so, He was willing to die

And open the door of His home.

 

Yes, the Veil was torn from by the hand of our King

Giving His life on this earth in our place.

He would pay off the debts of dark sin in our lives

And bring in the “light” of God's grace.

 

Jesus is the light of the world!

He says "Have Faith in Me."

Don't you sometimes wish you had the eyes of a cat and could see in the dark, or the agility of a cat and could land on your feet at the most awkward times?  

There are so many things that God put into His furry creatures - abilities that are amazing and different.  

All of us wander in the dark, and walk along unknown paths.  No person has even the smallest conception of what is waiting for us around the bend. 

There are valleys that loom in our unknowns.  Mountains, rocks and darkness may await us.  There are also beautiful vistas to see, warmth to feel, and pleasure to experience.

Do you wish you knew, wish you could see what lies ahead.  We can't, - it's that simple.

But we CAN know that there is someone who does see, who is watching our steps and cares deeply for us.  Our Father God knows and cares.  The Bible tells us. 

Cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you.  

1 Peter 5:7 

〰〰〰〰

This is something that I hear God saying to me when I cry.

〰〰

Just for the present moment, God says, "Have faith in Me.
 
The clouds around you gather, but in those clouds I'll be.
The storms of life assail you and trials round you see,
but for the present moment, my child, have faith in Me.
 
The darkness may surround you, don’t let it bring you pain
when things don't go as you plan -
I hold the sun and rain.
The cares of life assail you and doubts are running free.
But for the present moment, my child
have faith in Me.
 
Just give me your tomorrows, the fears and cares of life.
And the worry’s about your loved ones,
your husband, child or wife.
 
'Cause don't you see my dear one, I care so much for you.
And I care about your loved ones as you could never do.
Those precious ones in your life are my precious ones you see.
So for the present moment, please give them back to Me.
 
I know at times you worry that you won't have the strength
to walk the road before you, to travel down its length.
But child the road before you is rougher don’t you see
when for the present moment
you don't live faith in Me.
 
Tomorrow starts this moment.  Its tasks and cares abound
but if you need my help, child, I’m there.  Just look around.
My answer there awaits you, although you cannot see.
So for the present moment
my child, have faith in Me.

By Diane Gruchow rev 2020