TEACH US YOUR WAYS


TEACH US YOUR WAYS



                Facebook randomly picked this article that I wrote back on May 22 of 2015. I decided to repost it because it is rather beautiful and represents a precious time with the Lord. It also reminds me of how times have changed. Each year that passes makes past years seem more innocent as we move deeper into end time territory.



                Now it feels like we lost our innocence when Donald Trump became president… not because of Donald Trump per se, but because our nation was divided in a more sinister way and those who once called us the haters, have become the haters. They have become relentless in their drive to destroy, to defame, to impeach, to tear down every remaining vestige of godliness and truth from our nation. And I perceive in my heart that it is not exactly about Trump, but it is a hatred of those who put him into office and a hatred of the principles that moved us to do so. It is now easy to comprehend the idea of persecution even in America.



                And so I share this article from yesteryear as a way of showing that even in the midst of the storm, we can have these times of peace and wonder in the presence of the Lord.



TEACH US YOUR WAYS



                I stand transfixed by the glory of Your presence. Wave after wave of love breaches my soul. How could I have missed it in times past? It floods over the walls and through the veils until I stand, naked and trembling before your unchanging eyes.



                What have I done to deserve your attention? You see so far beyond my skin, beyond my pretenses, beyond my limited thoughts. You see something beyond my own imagination… a perfect sinless being, dressed in robes of shimmering white. A crown of gold that glitters with stars… what is this you see in me? Noble and upright… immortal… a king in a future time and place… how can this be?

               

                But I am not alone in this dazzling scene. Around me are those who have shared the journey. We struggled together to understand, to grow, to pierce the veils of separation and to behold Your face. We sought meaning in the many puzzle pieces. We didn’t understand the picture until we saw You.



                Then the picture came together in all of its radiant beauty. All of the pieces now fit together. Even the dark shadows now served only to add contour and dimension. Light is best seen against a dark background, but here in this place even the shadows flee away. You don’t need them. In You there are no contrasts… only bright and shining love.



                But what is this I now see? A new aspect… a fierce love that burns like an unquenchable fire… it surges through my soul. Every hint of potential danger, every vanity, every work that is not of You is suddenly set ablaze and blown by an August wind. You have strafed me with your Spirit until all that is not of You has vanished. All of the worthless stone has been chipped away until I look like… I look like You.



                I don’t deserve this Lord. Don’t you remember all of the times I dishonored Your name? Don’t you remember my failures, my outright rebellion… my drunken stupors, my self- pity? Don’t you remember my running… my flight through the wastelands? Don’t you remember the darkness of my miserable heart? It was You that rescued me, in spite of myself. It was you that chased away the demons and cleaned up the mess I had made. And now you intend to make of me a king… a priest?



                I fall at Your feet. I say, “Take these friends of mine Lord. Surely they are more innocent than I. Surely they have sought you with purer motives. If I am to be a king, then they must be kings and queens as well. I recommend them highly Lord for we have fought this fight together.



                Purge us with your holy fire Lord Jesus. Call us out of the boat to walk on the water with You. Bestow upon us the miracle of true Christianity. Go all the way to the center of the matter and give us your heart, Your love… the kind of love that You showed us on the cross.



                I am no longer standing… and just when I fell to the ground I do not know. But this time it was a good fall… the kind that comes from repentance and humility… the kind that comes when we are overwhelmed by your love. Your love is not the kind of love that would leave us unchanged. And so we worship You in this quiet moment of time… the peace before the storm… the last minute advice…the calm reassurance of your hand. We are not alone. We have caught a vision of our destiny and we are satisfied that the troubles ahead are no match for the splendor that awaits us on the other side.


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