 Abraham is often referred to as the Father of the Faithful. The first patriarch, he is a model of faith and steadfast trust in God. God called Abraham to leave everything he knew and to lead a nomadic life, all the while believing that God would fulfill the promises He had made to him. In Abraham's life, we read about four important altars.
Abraham built his first altar to God after God had made the first part of His covenant with Abraham. He built this altar in a place called Sichem, a name that means shoulder (strength). The name of the place reflected the situation Abraham found himself in. He had a journey ahead, the journey of a lifetime, in fact, and he needed strength from God to continue on the pathway. There is something so powerful about an altar. While we often think of the altar as a place to repent (and indeed it is a wonderful place for repentance), the biblical altar is so much more. In Abraham's case, the altar he built to worship was not built out of shame for a sin he had committed, but rather it became a place for him to gain strength. In living for God, it is vital that we have altars in our lives. It is at the altar where we receive strength -- for the day, the week, the year, and beyond. It is where we gain courage to face the struggles of life. It is where our weakness meets God's might, and we gain all that we need to continue on the path He has set before us. In the articles to come, we will explore the remaining altars of Abraham and how they continue to impact our lives today.
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 The timeless hymn, "Love Lifted Me" offers a beautiful reminder of how Jesus can save from even the stormiest seas life can throw at us.
He saved Noah from the raging waters through preventative measures. Noah built an ark and never had to experience the feeling of being overtaken by the waves. He saved Peter from the raging waters even as the disciple walked to Him across the sea. Peter stood in a place of transition, partly atop the waves, and partly under. And yet Jesus still was able to reach him. He saved Jonah from the raging waters even though he had fallen far beneath the ocean's surface. When Jonah thought he had fallen too far, that he might never see the sky again, God prepared a fish to keep him safe even in the deepest and darkest waters until he could find a place of repentance and mercy. We experience the same raging waters on many levels in our own lives. Sometimes we are able to prevent falling prey to the flood. Sometimes we are walking on top of the water, making our way to Jesus. Sometimes we make mistake after mistake and feel completely inundated with the stormy seas of life. We worry that we have fallen too deep, as if God's arm cannot reach quite that far. But Isaiah 59:1 offers us the beautiful reminder, "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." God sees us, and He can save no matter how far above or below the storm you may be.  In these few lines I want to explore some things that the Bible states that God is looking for. John 4:23,24 tells us that God is seeking true worshippers. What is a true worshipper? Verse 24 declares that they worship in Spirit and in truth. This is balanced worship, Spirit and Truth, the two mighty wings with which we soar into His presence!
1 Samuel 13:14 God is looking for “a man after His own heart.” Another verse says that man look on the outward appearance but looks on the heart. The proverb declares “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” There is a sure link between our thoughts and our heart. God is looking for people with a pure and compassionate heart like His. John 15: 8 God is seeking fruitful Christians. Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Ezekiel 22:30 God is looking for intercessors, prayer warriors that break through Satan’s and sin’s barricades to snatch the lost from death and destruction. Prayer is powerful! (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. The entirety of the Bible is the love story of redemption, how God came to restore His lost creation and save lost humanity through Jesus Christ. He came here seeking for you!  It was an unusual coronation day in Judah. The robe and crown were ready, but they were much smaller than usual, sized to fit the tiny head and small shoulders of an eight-year-old king. Josiah, the child king of Judah, was faced with a difficult situation. His people had turned away from God after generations of wicked leadership.
Josiah needed help. He could have sought out the greatest warriors to keep the kingdom safe. He could have sought out the greatest spokesmen to inspire the people. He could have sought out inventors to bring about a technical revolution. But Josiah knew what the nation needed most was a teacher. As he began to restore the temple that had fallen into ruins, Josiah came across a set of scrolls, the divine Scriptures that had long been forgotten. They needed someone to interpret the words of God, and so Josiah sent for a teacher named Huldah, a woman who he hoped would be able to guide him. Huldah was not the woman his advisors wanted, but she was exactly what the kingdom needed. She taught the young king about his heritage and, more importantly, about his God, and her teachings inspired and equipped a young boy to lead his nation back to God. He could have chosen anyone: a warrior, a spokesman, an inventor, but he knew that if he were truly going to turn his world around, it would take a true superhero: it would take a teacher.  Deep in Sonoma County, California, a potter named Hugh Hope paints invisible designs on the surface of a platter. It looks odd to the casual observer, this artist who sits alone with his vessel, painting patterns that no one can see. The magic of Hope's work, however, is revealed when he begins the second step of the process.
Once the timing is right, he dips his brush into a bit of red iron oxide and gently grazes the platter. The scarlet hue spreads across the surface, coloring the vessel, but, more importantly, revealing the secret design that Hope painted with his invisible wax. The designs rest quietly on the surface, unseen by the average observer, until the master potter applies the color. The iron oxide suddenly reveals the potter's artwork in all its beauty. So often when we are on the Potter's wheel, it is easy to look at other vessels and wonder what God is doing with us. We can see Him working, but it does not seem like anything is happening. It is easy to get impatient and even disheartened. Sometimes we start to question what He is doing in our lives. But the work of the Master Potter is not always apparent on the surface. He works with deft hands and skilled practice.So many of His most beautiful designs are the ones He creates with invisible wax, painting intricately and invisibly, until the moment He applies the iron oxide, and suddenly our eyes are opened to the masterpiece He has been crafting us to be.  Far away in the Land of the Rising Sunlives lives a school of Japanese potters who specialize in the art of kintsugi (golden journey). Their art form does not focus on forming perfect pottery with beautiful patterns or shapes, but on repairing broken pottery to highlight the journey of each piece. The beauty of their work is in the brokenness. After gathering up the broken pieces, they restore the vessel with gold, silver, or platinum lacquer. They use the most costly minerals on earth to bind the broken places.
The beauty of a kintsugi vessel is in the striking maps of its broken places. The art of kintsugi tells us so much about how God sees brokenness. One of the most beautiful passages in the Bible on the topic of brokenness is Psalm 51, wherein David the king falls on his face before God in repentance. He has just realized how much he has failed God, his people, and himself. He stands before his Lord, utterly broken. But in the midst of his brokenness, he lifts his voice in faith, declaring, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart— these, O God, You will not despise" (17). Indeed, God did not turn David away simply because he had failed. He repaired and restored him, just as He continues to do with us today. Brokenness does not exclude us from God's love, power, or plan. He simply asks that, instead of trying to hide it in the shadows, that we bring it before Him so that He can do what He does best: lovingly repair us, not hiding the cracked and chipped places, but showcasing them in beauty so that our lives will forever testify of Him.  “You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8) I love hanging out with four-year-olds. They are funny, creative, and full of questions. Anyone who has spent much time with a four-year-old can tell you their most common question is, “Why?” We joke about how kids ask so many questions, but in my experience, adults are just as likely to question things. Whenever life doesn’t seem fair, whenever tragedy strikes, whenever we are passing through seasons of pain or suffering, one of the first things we want to ask is, “Why?” So many of life’s “whys” are not easily answered (which is why I love the old song that says, “We’ll understand it better by and by”), but I do believe it helps to be able to take a step or two back and look at the precision involved in God’s work. In the case of the prophet Jeremiah, God allowed him to do just this. God told him to go to the potter’s house and watch the him work. He saw the potter put down a flawed piece of clay and pick up another that would work best for his design. God then told Jeremiah that the house of Israel was like clay on the potter’s wheel. When it seems life is chaotic and we cannot find answers for our whys, may we find some comfort in the fact that the divine Potter is still at work in our lives! For the next few weeks, we will join Jeremiah in the potter's house and see what lessons we can glean from the potter's wheel.  We have an excellent example of fatherhood in our Heavenly Father:
 Paul, the aged apostle of Jesus Christ recognized he was nearing the end of his earthly journey. Just as Jesus commissioned His disciples to “…go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” Paul fervently wished to pass the vital torch of the truth to Timothy, his “son in the gospel.” He admonishes Timothy to be “a good soldier of Jesus Christ” and gives him certain perimeters for guidance.
First, he tells him to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Grace is God’s favor, anointing (divine enablement), protection and provision. As God told Paul, His grace is all sufficient for all things. Secondly, as a recipient of this great saving gospel, Paul tells Timothy he must teach others also. (If each one won one and each one won, won one we could reach the entire world in one generation). Then Paul reminds Timothy that he must “endure hardship.” Soldiers lead a life of sacrifice and often must deprive themselves of ordinary creature comforts. He reminds Timothy not to “entangle himself in the affairs of this life.” Jesus also warned us not to be overcome by the cares and anxieties of life. Lastly, Paul reveals the principle motive of a true soldier of Jesus Christ: to please the Lord that called him to be a soldier. This old song expresses well the Christian soldier’s determination: “It's a battlefield, brother, not a recreation room; it's a fight and not a game. Run if you want to, run if you will, but I came here to stay.”  The Biblical book of Psalms is the hymnbook of the Old Testament. It 150 songs address every sentiment and encompass a vast awry of events. It is the longest and most diverse of all the books of the Bible, culminating in Psalm 150, a primer (an an elementary and fundamental explanation) about the art of praise.
Psalm 150 begins with the exhortation, Praise the LORD! The first word declares the purpose of the Psalm: praise! Then it declares the Person worthy of our praise, the LORD! We are to praise Him in His sanctuary (on earth) and in the firmament of His power (in heaven), in other words praise Him everywhere. We praise Him for His mighty acts, giving thanks for all that He has done. We praise Him according to His excellent greatness, the quality of our praise. We praise Him for all that He is, His attributes, character and essence. It also addresses the quantity of our praise: we praise according to how great we think He is! We praise Him with musical instruments that we have created to amplify our praise, wind instruments, percussion instruments, stringed instruments. We even praise Him in our dance! The final verse proclaims, Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Humans are uniquely gifted with intellect, reason, will and choice. Our praise is made more precious to God because we offer it from our free will and choice. Praise the LORD! |
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