Looking To Our Saviour

At a funeral when I was a kid, I remember hearing about the departed "looking down from heaven on us," lifting a drink in a celebratory salute.  The one who shared this perspective seemed comforted by the thought, and encouraged us that our loved one was in a much better place.  I wondered how one could arrive to such a conclusion, and if it was indeed possible.  As I have grown a bit in understanding concerning the biblical view, the idea suggested runs contrary to the revelation God has provided in His word.

I do not profess to know exactly what departed believers are doing at this moment, for God has not told us.  But it would be altogether inconsistent for anyone in the presence of the Almighty God in heaven to turn their focus from God worthy of worship and look back towards earth with longing.  We long for those who have gone to God, and it is a foreign concept for those in His presence to desire to be anywhere else.  When Jesus spoke of the rich man and Lazarus in Sheol it was the condemned rich man who desired Lazarus to be sent with a warning of the eternal torment awaiting those who die in their sins.  Lazarus, who was finally comforted, did not even address the suggestion.  Perhaps he didn't even hear the rich man begging because he was completely, totally at peace in the presence of the LORD that will never grow old.

The idea of a redeemed soul looking back to earth (if it is even possible) reminds me a bit of Lot's wife who looked longing back to Sodom.  In a vision on Patmos John caught a glimpse of the activity in the throne room of God Revelation 4:8-11:  "The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" ⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ¹¹ "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."  These living creatures do not grow weary of offering glory, honour and thanks to God, for all things are created by God for God.  These beings understood what we can be ignorant of:  the awesome splendour and worthiness of God to be praised.

On earth people drink because they are thirsty, to meet a physical need:  in the presence of the God Who gives Living Water in a glorified, perfected state we will discover afresh how much we need Him and want to thank and praise Him.  In Him all our thirsts are satiated and our hunger satisfied.  In the presence of the awesome God it will require a summons from Jesus to return to this earth after the rapture, because we will never be content to be apart from Him.  While thinking about those who have passed looking down upon us may provide a degree of comfort for some, the greatest comfort and help in our sorrow is to do as Hebrews 12 says, to be looking unto Jesus by faith who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.  When our eyes are fixed on Him as we rest in His goodness, mercy and grace, we discover comfort, help and perfect peace not found anywhere else.  In the presence of our Saviour who is our all in all, all else is put in proper perspective.

God Remembers

About 11 years ago a video went viral of a man in Yosemite cheering and weeping over a "double-rainbow" before him in the valley.  Amid the awe and wonder (perhaps heightened by chemicals) the fellow asked, "What does it mean?"  The man recognised the beauty of colour, design and symmetry, and for the question he asked the Bible provides the answer.  It is more than a natural phenomenon explained scientifically but proof of a Creator with a distinct purpose in mind.

After God judged the world with a great flood of water, He remembered Noah and his family and made a covenant with them and the earth.  Genesis 9:12-16 reads, "And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: ¹³ I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. ¹⁴ It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; ¹⁵ and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶ The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

Growing up, whenever there was a visible rainbow we brought it to the attention of the whole family.  I remember many times my mum saying something like, "Hey kids!  Come quick and look!  A rainbow!"  My brother, sister and I would run over the window or go outside to see the rainbow for ourselves.  I love how God says He looks upon the rainbow and remembers the promise He has made between Himself and every creature of the earth.  There have been many floods since that day long ago, but none that brought global destruction and death.  Rainbows are not always visible to us, but when they are they have been set there by God and He created and sustained us to see them.  The birds and beasts do not notice the rainbow, but people made in the image of God do--and cheer over the beauty without realising the divine message and promise behind it.

Whether a rainbow is seen in the cloud, over a scenic valley, from the mist of a garden hose or in the refraction of a prism, it is a reminder for me of God's promise He looks upon and is faithful to keep.  White light from the sun is a combination of the whole visible spectrum of light, and a rainbow is when the different wavelengths of light are divided so each can be seen individually.  So it is with the truth of God's word:  the more we read, listen and consider, the more we see and appreciate the beauty of our LORD and His goodness to us all.  He is the source of all that is beautiful, and He gives us the capacity to rest in awe of His glory.

Take and Give

I remember counsel I received as a new pastor, how the role requires an ability to "take it."  This was not speaking of the call to pastoral ministry but what is required at times when dealing with conflict and problems.  Ministry involves people, and every person is a sinner--including me.  When Christians were taking their personal gripes before secular courts Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:7, "Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?"  There is a point when we must humbly choose the high road when someone is giving you a piece of their mind and does not know the whole story.  People in leadership will find themselves criticised, questioned, judged and opposed.  Those who cannot accept this reality are better off doing anything else than fighting for respect or trying to justify yourself.

It was good advice to receive as a young pastor up front, and I later learned an important second part of the same:  after I had taken it, I needed to give it to God.  It is one thing to feel like a whipping boy, and it is another to remember Jesus was scourged for my sins.  Jesus was able to bear the sins of the world upon Him, and I could not bear the weight of my own iniquity!  "Tell someone who cares," people say.  Believe me, Jesus does care more than anyone I know.  1 Peter 5:5-7 says, "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." ⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."  Sometimes we hear of problems and suffering that burdens us greatly, and only Christ can sustain and uphold us.  More than merely being a confidant, all our confidence and hope is in Him. 

A wise man will take on board counsel and advice given from others, and there is always a risk we will take offence.  Sometimes we can be offended because of malicious or hateful speech towards us and others, yet offense can occur when our expectations are unmet.  The disciples were offended a woman would waste precious oil by anointing Jesus when He commended her for doing a good thing.  The townsfolk of Nazareth were offended because of the wise words Jesus said in their synagogue.  We can be confident whatever God has us take, we can give to Him because He cares for us.  I have found this to be a good practice with commendation and praise as well.  When we are complimented, it is good to humbly receive it and quickly give it to the LORD because He is the deserving one.  Holding praise close to our hearts fills us with pride and works to strip us of reliance upon God as our source of wisdom and strength.

In a world of give and take, I have found when we must "take" it is healthy (and helpful!) to give.  Praise the LORD He is longsuffering to bear with us, and continues to care for us.

Strength for Life

There is beauty in simplicity.  When we read and share the word of God we must avoid the trap of oversimplification.  Attempts to simplify can remove critical information to aid our understanding of God, ourselves and our situation.  For instance, I have heard many people criticise the prophet Elijah for despairing of life after he was threatened by Jezebel.  "After seeing the miraculous power of God provide fire from heaven and the great victory over the prophets of Baal, why did Elijah flee because of Jezebel?"  Oh, I think we could look at our own lives and find contradictions concerning faith in God and fear of man.  The trouble is, this hardly touches on what was really going on in Elijah's heart, and we can know this without a doubt because Elijah himself said so.

Whilst it is true the murderous threat of Jezebel prompted Elijah to go into the wilderness, this wasn't the half of it.  Remember what Elijah had endured to this point:  he had been pursued by king Ahab, had survived a drought with a woman and her son, and witnessed a nation in severe spiritual decline over many years.  Elijah showed symptoms of depression as he left his servant behind and 1 Kings 19:4 says, "But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"  Elijah and others had fought tenaciously against idolatry, resisted wicked rulers who led God's people astray and yet there was no visible change.  The fickle people would go back to Baals, and new prophets of Baal would be ordained by Ahab and ruthless Jezebel.  Elijah finally reached an end of his strength and resolve.

The passage in 1 Kings 19 then follows an intriguing pattern:  and angel touched Elijah and told him to eat and drink because the journey would be too much for him.  This happened twice.  Then after Elijah traveled 40 days to Horeb God asked, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" and Elijah repeated the same answer twice.  Elijah responded in 1 Kings 19:14:  "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."  Jezebel's threat upon Elijah was a culmination of many things which preoccupied the mind and heart of Elijah for some time.  His zeal, righteous example and godly exhortations had been ignored.  He was deeply grieved because God's people were guilty of forsaking God's covenant, destroying His altars and killing His prophets.  Notice Elijah does not say "she" (Jezebel) but "they," the children of Israel being a main subject of his complaint.  The corrupt, wicked government had many spies among the people and Elijah was exhausted, depressed and felt all alone:  "I alone am left."  I am sure many of God's faithful people can identify with feeling like Elijah did.

1 Kings 19:15-18 says, "Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. ¹⁶ Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. ¹⁸ Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."  While Elijah focused on the problems of the nation, his own inability to do anything about it, he felt alone and like giving up, God had all in hand with a plan that included Elijah.  God would have him anoint two kings:  Hazael over Syria and Jehu over Israel.  They would be God's instruments of justice upon the wicked rulers of the nations.  Elijah was to anoint Elisha a prophet in his place, and little did he know Elisha would have a double portion of the Holy Spirit!  Elijah felt all alone, yet God reserved a great remnant of 7,000 people who were faithful to God with whom Elijah shared this common ground.  By faith in God Elijah continued on, despite the threats of Jezebel and the idolatrous condition of the people.  God knew all about everything, and in God Elijah found sufficient grace to press on in obedience.

When the angel touched Elijah and told him to rise and eat "because the journey is too great for thee," Elijah found baked flatbread and a jug of water to drink.  This fits well with the picture of Jesus being the Bread of Life who gives the Living Water of the Holy Spirit who refreshes us during our pilgrimage on earth.  Without death threats we can easily be overwhelmed by the same things which troubled Elijah, the least of which was feeling alone in doing his best to honour God.  The depressed prophet prayed to die rather than live, yet God provided Himself as the reason for choosing life in obedience to Him.  You are not alone, believer, and God has great plans.  We are safe, and the future is bright in His hands.  Though wickedness and darkness at times seem to prevail, when we look to the LORD we find strength and endurance for the road ahead wherever God leads.