You Are My Beloved Son, You Are My Delight

 

You Are My Beloved Son, You Are My Delight (Mark 1:4-11)

“Then one day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John there in the Jordan River. The moment Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens open and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descending on him, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my beloved Son; you are my Delight.” (Mark 1:9-11)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I find myself among the throngs of people who have come to see this man, John -- the one they call the Baptizer. Everybody says he’s the Next Big Thing, maybe even the one for whom the world has been longing. 

We are all longing for something, aren’t we? We are longing for meaning and purpose in life. We are longing for acceptance. We are longing to be part of something great.

Deep down, even if we can’t put our finger on it or don’t want to admit it, we are longing for God. 

How can I satisfy these deep longings of my soul? Where can I turn? Who will give to me that which my soul truly desires? I look for love in my marriage and family; and as beautiful and wonderful as they are, still there is more that my heart wants. I pour myself into my work; and as much as I love what I do, still it’s not enough to satisfy my restless soul. I ride the waves of people who lead our nation and who promise to set things right; but, alas, they have only let me down time and again. And again.

How can I satisfy the deep longings my my soul? Where can I turn? Who will give to me that which my soul truly desires?

Then I see him. Jesus, that is his name. He, too, was among the masses of people who came to John to be baptized. Only, his baptism was different. Heaven opened up for Jesus, literally. And I heard it – the voice of God speaking to this man, Jesus! “You are my beloved Son; you are my Delight.”

Oh, how I long to hear that spoken of me! Oh, how I long to bask in the love and delight of my heavenly Father! Oh, how I long to know that I am a beloved child of God!

If I want what Jesus has, maybe I should follow him. If I want to know the unconditional favor of God, maybe Jesus will show it to me. Maybe, if I walk with Jesus, my restless heart will finally find that which gives it the rest it seeks.

That’s it, then. I’m going to walk with Jesus and see where this takes me.

As I walk with you, Jesus, let me never forget that my true identity is that of a child of God, dearly loved.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the season of Lent, I am "walking with Jesus" through the Gospel According to Mark. Feel free to join me on this walk, so together we can discover what it is like to witness Jesus' miracles, to experience his powerful and compassionate presence, to watch as he confronts those who distort the ways of God, and to learn what it is to follow him, to walk with him, to believe in him. You can come back to this blog every day, or if you would like to have these daily reflections sent directly to you, you may enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

I'm Ready for Some Good News

 I’m Ready for Some Good News (Mark 1:1-8)

“This is the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I’m ready for some good news. Tell me some good news, O God.

Everywhere I turn, I only see what's wrong with the world. I see an unclean spirit, and I do not like it: I see a world that pursues happiness in ways that only result in emptiness and discontent; I see cutthroat, me-first behavior; I see fits of rage; I see a world indifferent to the plight of the poor, the oppressed, those who are cast out to the margins; I see a spirit and an attitude that dehumanizes people who are different, who are on the other side of some arbitrary lines that we draw. 

Even within myself, I am shocked at what I see, for many of these same ways of the world that leave me aghast – I know that I, too, have something of that bad spirit within me.

I’m ready for some good news. Tell me some good news, O God.

I hear you speaking to me: “My child, the good news that you want – it begins and ends with my Son, Jesus. Jesus is the One in whom you will find the good news that you seek. Jesus is the One who will replace the unclean spirit that so bedevils you, with a spirit that will issue in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Jesus is the One who will transform your spirit and who will transform the spirit of the whole world.

“But if you want to walk with Jesus, you have to get ready for him. You have to prepare your heart, because the journey with Jesus requires you to devote your entire self to him. You have to turn away from this old way of life which leaves you so empty, and turn toward Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And you will receive forgiveness and renewal in return. Are you willing to do that?”

Yes, Lord, I want to walk with Jesus. Because I’m ready for some good news.

Dear God, I need some good news. Direct my heart, today and every day, to look to your Son, who is Good News for all the world. Amen.

Gray Skies and Winter Flowers

 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases..."  

(Lamentations 3:22)

Winter can be dreary and depressing, am I right? Most trees have lost their leaves and have become little more than naked branches against a backdrop of gray skies. The grass has gone dormant, leaving the ground a drab palette of brown shades. The chill in the air penetrates into the bones as the wind blows.

But even on the grayest, most dreary days, there are pops of color from winter flowers. Here in the south, we enjoy an extended season of daffodils, camellias, and other flowers that burst forth in bloom.

Winter flowers tell us that winter is almost over. They are a foretaste of what awaits us when spring erupts in new life.

Winter flowers bring joy in the moment, and hope for the future.

When my dear biblical friend Jeremiah scanned the landscape of Jerusalem after it had been sacked by the Babylonians and the people of Judah had been torn away from their homeland and taken into exile, Jeremiah saw nothing but devastation, destruction, and despair. He provided a journal of his own depression and dismay in the book of Lamentations. If ever there was a winter season of the soul, Jeremiah was going through it: “Remember my affliction and bitterness, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.” (Lamentations 3:19-20)

And yet, in the very next breath, Jeremiah finds his own winter flower: 

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’”

(Lamentations 3:21-24)

All of us experience winter seasons of the soul, times when despair, sorrow, and depression are what define our days. But even in the winter of the seasons of our lives, never is there a moment when God’s love and mercy are not being poured out upon us. God’s love is like that winter flower that breaks through the gray and dreary days with bursts of color. God’s love is like that winter flower that promises us winter is not going to last forever, that a renewal of our spirit lies ahead of us. 

I wouldn’t dare to minimize what anybody is experiencing during the winters of their soul. But to those who are going through such a season, I would find a way to help them see the winter flower of my faith: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, God’s mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.

When the skies are gray and the trees are barren, and when the chill of the wind pierces you, look for the winter flowers.

In the Wilderness

 “At once the Spirit sent [Jesus] out into the desert, and he was tempted in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan.” (Mark 1:12-13a)

In the wilderness, it’s only you and God.

In the wilderness there are no cars, there is no internet service, there are no modern-day creature comforts and conveniences. 

In the wilderness the path that you must walk is arduous – loose stones to twist your ankle, exposed roots to trip you up.

In the wilderness, all pretenses are stripped away; it is just you, and God.

But God is enough. More than enough.

Just you and God – that’s the whole point of the wilderness experiences in the Bible. When the people of Israel were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years, it wasn’t so much a punishment for unbelief as it was a lesson in faith and trust in God for the rising generation. 

The wilderness is where we learn what it means to trust God for life.

Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan. We think of Jesus as being all alone for those forty days, just him versus Satan. But Jesus wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by the Holy Spirit. God was with him throughout every moment of those forty days.

The temptations that Jesus experienced were meant to test the determination and direction of his faith. Whom would Jesus trust for life? Whom would Jesus worship and serve? Into whose hands would Jesus entrust himself?

The season of Lent, which begins today, is modeled after the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness. Historically, Lent has been observed as a period of preparation for the celebration of Easter. During the season of Lent we intentionally reflect, not only on the glory and majesty of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but even more we reflect on the reason for which Jesus had to die and be raised in the first place. During the season of Lent we take seriously our own sinfulness, and we are called to renew our faith in Christ and our determination to be his faithful followers.

I urge you not to rush to Easter. Let these forty days be for you a time in the wilderness. During these forty days, be mindful of the choice that is always before us: Whom will I trust for life? Whom will I worship and serve? Into whose hands will I entrust myself?

Let these forty days be a time when it’s just you and God in the wilderness.

Because God is enough. More than enough.

The Longest Night (part 2)

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; 
        those who lived in a land of deep darkness – 

        on them light has shined." 

(Isaiah 9:2)

 

Can you spot the conjunction?

I want to pick up where I left off yesterday. Darkness is real, and we would do well to acknowledge the heavy toll that darkness takes on the human soul.

 

But darkness, real and agonizing though it is, is not the reality that defines us. Darkness is not God’s ultimate intent for us. You don’t have to go any farther than the third verse in the Bible to know that darkness is not what God intends for us, for the very first words God speaks in all creation is “Let there be light.” So while we acknowledge the darkness that is common to all human experience, we also affirm that God breaks the darkness with the light of his glory and love.

 

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) The words of the prophet Isaiah are affirmed and underscored by the apostle John when he speaks of Jesus in this way: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) The Good News that we proclaim in the darkest season of the year – and in every season, for that matter – is that in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God answers the darkness with light. 

 

Light, which dispels the darkness. 

Light, which guides us through the darkness. 

 

And darkness did not, has not, cannot, nor ever will conquer the light. Not ever.

Yesterday was the winter solstice, the longest night. Last night was also the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the convergence of Saturn and Jupiter. So, of course I had to go and take pictures. As the sun set, the two planets began to appear side by side on the southwest horizon. And as the night became darker, the two planets appeared even brighter.

 

In the darkness, light was shining.

 

An interesting tidbit that I learned from this weather guy I follow on Facebook: Jupiter is 550 MILLION miles from earth, and Saturn is one BILLION miles from earth. Think about that for a second. The light we see from Jupiter and Saturn travels through hundreds of millions of miles of darkness to get to us.

 

The light shines, and the darkness did not, has not, cannot, nor ever will conquer the light. Not ever.

 

Light is the answer to darkness. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world – and the Light of the world – is God’s answer to our sorrow, our suffering, our broken hearts, our misery, our pain.

 

Not even the longest night can keep the light from coming to us.

It never has, and it never will.

Gratitude for a Renewed Heart

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

(Psalm 16:8-10)

I praise you, good and loving Lord,

for the ways that you have filled my heart

during these forty days.

Your presence has

  strengthened me,

  comforted me,

  encouraged me,

  filled me with hope,

  convicted me of my sin 

          (and that’s not a bad thing),

  inspired compassion, mercy, and grace within me.

  given me peace.

Oh, that wonderful peace that only you can give!

And in this past week, as my heart has

meditated on your passion,

I am humbled by the magnitude of your love.

"Love so amazing, so divine,

demands my life, my soul, my all!"

I thank you for these forty days of Lent.

I have needed them.

But then again, you knew that long before Lent began.

Sometime last year, you began to whisper to me,

"My child, you need prayer. 

You need to open your heart to Me."

I offer this prayer in the shadow of the cross.

I have left the tomb, with you wrapped in burial cloths.

I know how this ends, so I cannot spend my Saturday 

in mourning and fear.

I know that Sunday is coming.

I know that death cannot hold you in the tomb.

And because death did not hold you in the tomb,

then I also know that death will not hold me there, either.

For you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

     nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

Over these forty days

you have shown me once again

that you are God,

  and that you are gracious and compassionate,

  and that you are forgiving,

  and that you are always with me,

  and that your blessings are more than I can count,

  and that though I cannot know the future,

        I can know you.

And that is enough.

That will always be enough.

You, Lord, will always be enough.

I love you, Lord. I really do.

My heart is glad, my tongue rejoices,

and my body will rest secure,

in You.

Amen.

To the God Who Hears Our Cries

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy...

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

(Psalm 130:1-2, 5-6)

Surely you hear the cries of your people, O Lord.

Surely you hear the cries of

  anguish,

    despair,

      longing,

        confusion,

          fear.

Surely you hear the cries of

  the unemployed,

    the lonely,

      the sick,

        the poor in our communities,

          the business owners.

Surely you hear the cries of

  overwhelmed leaders,

    exhausted medical personnel,

      school children and their teachers and administrators,

        frustrated shoppers among empty shelves,

          families forced into separation and isolation.

Out of the depths we cry to you, O Lord;

    Lord, hear our voice.

Let your ears be attentive

     to our cries for mercy.

We wait for you to answer us.

We wait for you to

  heal us,

  restore us,

  comfort us,

  strengthen us,

  fill us with your presence.

We wait, O God,

anticipating your goodness and mercy.

Because that’s who you are:

Gracious and compassionate, 

abounding in steadfast love.

We wait, as intently as the night-watch 

waits for the morning

with deep longing,

awaiting the first signs of dawn,

and the new day.

Out of the depths we cry out to you, O Lord.

Dispel the darkness, we pray.

Shine your light,

and bring us to a new day.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Faith That Declares, "Nevertheless"

But I will hope continually,
    and will praise thee yet more and more.

(Psalm 71:14)

I wonder, O Lord, what these days mean.

The earth is at a standstill,

our world has come to a screeching halt.

People are scared, and with good reason.

An invisible enemy has crippled us,

and the only thing we can do

is withdraw, separate, isolate, quarantine.

I wonder, O Lord, what these days mean.

Restaurants reduced to carry-out,

businesses shuttered,

entire cities closed down,

massive layoffs and sudden unemployment,

leaders struggling to find answers to questions

nobody ever thought would be asked.

Ever.

The pain is real for your children, Lord,

all over the world.

This virus is afflicting sickness and death

upon your people, Lord,

all over the world.

     Grief

     Fear

     Panic

     Despair

     Anguish

     Sleeplessness

     Doubt

These aren’t just words, O God.

These are what we’re feeling.

Right. Now.

I wonder, O Lord, what these days mean.

And yet, in spite of my questions,

and in spite of the troubling days

your people are living,

still I turn to you, and with all confidence

I say,

NEVERTHELESS!

Nevertheless, I will hope continually,

and I will praise you more and more.

For the midst of chaos, 

in the midst of trouble,

in the midst of sickness,

in the midst of grief,

in the midst of deep darkness,

is You.

You, O Lord, are my hope.

You strengthen me by your presence 

Right. Now.

There is no chaos out of which you cannot

create entire worlds.

There is no trouble which you cannot put to rest.

There is no sickness which you cannot heal.

There is no grief which you cannot comfort.

There is no darkness capable of extinguishing your light.

You, O Lord, are my hope.

And that is enough.

Though I may experience all forms

of misery and trouble,

NEVERTHELESS!

I will hope continually,

and I will praise you more and more.

Blessed be you, indeed, O God,

Father of my Lord, Jesus Christ,

who by the power of the Holy Spirit

comes to me

and fills me with hope.

I may always wonder, O Lord, what these days mean.

But this I will always know:

You are my God. And that is enough.

Because you are my God and my Hope,

praise will ever be on my lips.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am “Praying with David,” using prayers from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.