“O, Lord, my God … when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made …”
That’s part of the first verse from a song I love very much … How Great Thou Art. I love every verse of that song … I love to sing it — it’s both a praise and prayer at the same time.
But this morning, the phrase above was particularly speaking to me. “…when I consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made…” — and, yet, I am so blessed just by this one little world the Lord has given me!
It’s around 30 degrees here … but the sun was shining, it’s the blue-est sky I’ve seen in a long while … and I heard the birds singing. I sat on the cold concrete of the back porch step (the yard chairs are still covered for the winter.) I gazed up at the blue sky, felt the sun bathing me in its warmth, watched three squirrels just having the time of their lives … and then I saw it.
My first cardinal of the pre-Spring season! So beautiful and stately … red and confident — looking right at me.
“…I see the stars; I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”
This world that we’ve been given is filled is limitless wonder … little blessings that are granted to us each morning — if we’ll just take the time to notice and be thankful. Life isn’t perfect … it can be hard and painful. Things don’t always turn out the way we would have imagined or hoped.
But the beautiful cardinal I saw this morning is nothing but a reminder of how much more I am blessed … I have a Heavenly Father who loves me to distraction. He loves me so much that I sent His Son to pay the price for my shortcomings … for my sin. Jesus died on the cross for me … “…that I might have life and have it more abundantly” — blue sky, squirrels, cardinals and all! (John 10:10)
“My God … How great Thou Art!”
I’ve been reading an excellent book by Michael Frost, The Road to Missional: Journey to the Center of the Church. In it, he talks about the Celtic thought of “thin places.”
… a thin place is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is lifted and one is able to receive a glimpse of the glory of God.
That’s what I was experiencing this morning … a thin place — catching a glimpse of God’s glory. And my heart overflowed.
But I know so many family and friends who don’t take that opportunity to experience thin places. They’ve put on blinders, closed their ears and eyes, and have barricaded their hearts. They don’t see thin places because they’ve built up layers and layers of doubt and blame … all they have are “thick places.” And my heart weeps for them.
If I don’t point out the thin places … if I don’t declare God’s kingship … if I don’t speak of His unfailing love — who will?
In Hosea 10, we’re admonished to … “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers righteousness on you. (v. 12) The instructions are pretty clear:
- Sow righteousness … do what’s right; not just what’s easy — show mercy and forgiveness — speak for those who don’t have a voice — serve the world with a “basin and a towel” — be a Follower of Christ, not a fan
- Reap unfailing love … you can’t reap / harvest what you don’t plant — what kind of seeds am I planting? mercy and forgiveness or blame and guilt? … am I serving because I think it will win me points with God or because I truly care for His children — all of them? … do I give others a listening ear or a condemning attitude? … do I look to the heart or fixate on the appearance? … do I cast the first stone or do I see all the stones lying at my feet?
- Break up your unplowed ground … I’ve been given a task — no one else can reach those the Lord has placed in my path — “my unplowed ground” — quite like I can … I’ve been sent to them for a reason — there are no coincidences … plowing unbroken ground can be hard and painful work … if the ground is particularly hard, I may have to go over it again and again — no instant satisfaction … but if I don’t plow — if I don’t prepare the soil — how can planting or harvesting take place? … will I share the Good News that has been given to me?
- Seek the Lord until He comes … sometimes the day is short and the night is long — will I hold fast to my faith? … He is coming — that’s a promise … will I take the time to see Him, to hear Him? … seeking isn’t passive; it’s active … will I stand ready when He comes? will He find me about the Father’s work?
I think back on the cardinal flying away and the trio of squirrels cavorting in the early morning sunshine. They had no cares … yes, they had to work to make it through the winter months … they prepared, gathered their nuts, looked for their seeds. There were days they were cold and hungry. I’m sure they wondered at times if they were going to make it to Spring.
But they know the Master — they know their Creator. They live within the thin places … constantly seeing and experiencing the glory of God. I felt it this morning and I want it for everyone who the Lord has placed in my path — whether family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and people I pass in the grocery store. I have been given “life more abundantly” … I want that for you.
“Then sings my soul, my Savior, God to Thee … how great Thou art; how great Thou art!”
“May everything we say and do be pleasing and acceptable in His sight.”
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