Our Days Are His

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26-27, ESV).

      She was a young girl, a virgin when the angel appeared to her. She wonders about the details of the child that she was to carry and asks how this “Son of the Most High” will come in her body but she accepts in perfect trust the assurances of the Word delivered by an angel. What is remarkable about her response; is the fact that her simple trusting faith is drastically different then the response of Zachariah the father of John the Baptist on his visit by an angel recorded just earlier in the same gospel. Zachariah doubts. Mary believes. Mary asks, “How will this be …” and Zachariah asks, “How shall I know this?” Mary looks ahead with an expectation and wonder at God’s power while Zachariah looks at the impossibility of the event happening given the circumstances. Mary was not a religious priest but her faith dwarfs Zachariah’s lack of belief even if he seems the more the logical choice of the exemplar. Zachariah is quieted of all possible speech by the hand of God while Mary by answering, “Behold I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” is noted for her faith. A living faith in a mighty God that would evidence itself a short time later in her beautiful and powerful proclamation, recorded for the ages as “The Magnificat.” Joseph was unsure in response to his situation with Mary, but after his encounter with an angel, he simply does what the angel directed him to do. Elizabeth gives direct credit to God for His favor when she realizes a miracle has happened. What do these interactions between the realms of God’s provision of sovereign grace and those He wishes to involve in the implementation of His plan, bring to the Christmas story? What are the lessons of the contrasts in faith that we see here in the lives of Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zachariah?
God’s divine incarnation plan which is sometimes called “The Christmas Story” with all its twists and turns; radiates the power of grace in coming to earth. God’s grace cannot be held up by the lack of faith in any one of the participants or by any other action or inaction. Since God is the Creator of the universe … all that is created, including all the human beings and all nations is melded and used in His graceful purposes in redeeming the world. God can use the accepting or the unbelieving and even the hostile to bring about His purposes. On the other hand; that Mary is chosen shows God’s omniscient knowledge as to His intimate familiarity of all His children. Mary was specially chosen for a role of honor by God Himself. Still the story is not about the people such as Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zachariah but the incarnation event of God coming in human form that brings salvation.

It was this great event, the birth of Jesus coming as a baby in whom God delivered His only begotten Son in a fullness of grace unseen before on the created earth, that the world would find salvation and life. God’s amazing grace would lead to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ to redeem all sinners who would believe in Him. He came for those that might doubt at first, those that believe in an instant and for those who had waited for centuries for their salvation to come as a Messiah for all nations. In the Incarnation, God delivers in the presence of His Son, the fulfilled promise of favor, peace and grace as a gift to all of creation. We often talk of how Jesus freely offers salvation to the poor or the rich but the inclusiveness of the gospel extends beyond monetary conditions or social classes to include all persons for all time. No one is left out. Anyone who believes and would desire the gift found in the Christmas story will not be excluded from salvation through the Son. The gift is the Son and in the Son is the salvation of the world. The salvation of the world is the real message in the event that happened so long ago in a stable in the town of Bethlehem so long ago.

“For nothing will be impossible with God …” (Luke 1:37, ESV).

Suggested Reading … Luke 1 & 2

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, NKJV).

         As we reflect in this season on the coming of the Christ child we encounter an array of names, prophecies and paradoxical events set in some contradictory places. If we just look at the name of this child who is promised both to Mary and Joseph by divine message carried by angels we start to see the some of the names that this favored child would be called. The angel Gabriel speaks to Mary and tells her that she will bear a son after the Holy Spirit comes on her, and he will be called “Jesus.” He will be great and shall be called the “Son of the Most High” reigning over the throne of David and house of Jacob and his kingdom shall have no end (Luke 1:28-35). An angel who is unnamed comes to Joseph in a dream as he struggles with a dilemma over what to do with Mary, the woman to whom he was engaged to, that was with child by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is told to fear not and to name this son “Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.” This is a fulfillment to prophecy as to child being born that shall be called “Immanuel which means ‘God is with us’ ” (Matthew 1:18-25).

Before this child is even born many names are upon him. In addition this child would certainly as soon as he was born be called “Jesus son of Joseph” or “Yeshua ben Yosef” which is the Jewish tradition as well. The name of Jesus is the Greek form of the name Yeshua which is better known as the English word Joshua which means “salvation or ‘the LORD saves’ ” which Matthew directly refers to (Mt. 1:21). He will later be acknowledged as “the Christ” which is the Messiah that all of Israel for has waited centuries to come and deliver them and become their Messiah King and the Messiah to the world because of God’s great love. As he is later crucified be mockingly labeled by the sign on the cross as the “King of the Jews” in three languages (John 19:20). In addition to these names, there are many other titles and descriptions given to Jesus Christ, from Wonderful Counselor, Shepherd and Saviour.

In the countless languages of the world, Jesus Christ is translated into many names and He alone is our salvation as God coming in the flesh, much more than a man because a man cannot save the world. Only God could save us by coming as one of us to save us. Jesus was eternal God (The Word) and now He came to save us, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” and this is the only way that salvation could come to a fallen world (John 1:14). His love and faithfulness allowed Jesus Christ to be the “Lamb of God” and only He can take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

It wasn’t just His name that took away our sins. It was the person He was, and is and is to come. Our praise, thankfulness and worship begin at the manger but they must include our repentance at the cross and the living celebration of the same Spirit in us that raised Christ from the dead. We rejoice in the coming among us, of God in Jesus Christ during this Christmas season even as we await our living with the glorious King of Kings for eternity. It is really quite a gift to us that was first promised to Mary and Joseph and was born in a stable. Hallelujah, what a gift of “peace and favor.” Hallelujah, what a Savior!

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; for those that live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2, NLT )

It could be said that the world at the time of Jesus was a time that mighty nation of Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem had lost their way. They were having a hard time understanding that Jesus was the Messiah and he could release them from their bondage under a foreign government. The past was troubled and there were few possibilities of hope with many frustrations all around them. The difficulties of their lives were ever present and the answers were ever illusive. They were stumbling in the darkness of their understanding and unaware that their feeling of heaviness came from their own sinful pride. It might be said even today: we cannot understand all there is to life, as we struggle with the weight of the past, the difficulties of the present and the uncertainty of the future. We struggle with the darkness of not understanding the little frustrations in our lives but also with the huge unanswerable questions. We drift into darkness with our flirtations with sin and pride stumbling to find our way out of those places. We get depressed with our failures, frustrated with our unfulfilled dreams and saddened with our frailties as we face disease and death. We are staggered by storms in our lives and constantly wish we could see ahead and grasp the future. In some ways our understanding of things seems to be lit with an inadequate faltering light.

What will Jesus do with all this darkness of unknowning and all of these lingering doubts? There is a constant inability in all of us to see what is ahead and at the same time there is an endless desiring in us to understand what is behind us, around us and ahead of us. It is the human condition. The ancient peoples struggled in the human condition when God sent His Son and it remains a difficulty for us today.

The Son who was to be the Savior, entered the world as a tiny child in the room fit for animals and this did not seem to be the answer. On the surface it looks like a most fragile of promises. Yet this Jesus came as Light and Life. He would shine in the darkest of moments bringing a new light to the world. He shines now for all those who will open their eyes to the hope He brings. He is the One who knows everything and we should trust Him with our past, present and future. He is the One who could with His voice calm the sea and we can trust Him with our fears. He is the One who penetrates our darkness and we should look to Him for understanding. He was and is the Light of the world and in Him all will find a way in our darkness. He is waiting to shine the light of His presence towards you, behind you, in front of you and all around you. In that light you find God’s wondrous love that came as baby in a manger and later gave His life as the answer for your sin and mine. The true light of Christmas isn’t colored and electric but pure and powerful. The light that Jesus Christ brings is able to penetrate the darkness that we all face, providing true answers to every question and a love that heals our greatest pain. May we always and forever be a people who “see a great light.”

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’” (John 8:12, NLT)

Suggested Reading … John 8

A Simple Prayer in the Unexpected Return of Winter

Heavenly Father … Thank you for the beautiful fall of warm breezes and the deepest and most vibrant of colors. Those days of blessing were a wonderful reminder of your faithful grace in the changing seasons in our living. Now Dear Father … humble our hearts and help us to be grateful as You have blanketed a new season of Your blessing in the realization of Your abiding presence in the beauty of the snow upon the prairie. Out of Your storehouses, You freely give in abundance, even when we struggle to see your giving for the gift that it always is. Clear our eyes of our hearts to see your grace in all things and in all seasons and gently move our spirit to be truly thankful in remembering Your steadfast love in all Your beautiful gifts and provisions in life. Amen

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven – A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, NASV).

Our lives unfold each day, new and unknown yet to be intertwined with unique moments, unexpected joys and challenges and endless social, business, personal and relational involvements and activities. Every event, whether seemingly insignificant or staggering in its importance will flow into a season of developing and evaporating time and be woven into the legacy of our having lived a life on this earth. Thus we have times and seasons for both planting and harvesting, building and tearing down, searching and finding, holding and letting go, finding and losing, effort and reward and joy and sadness. The seasons of our lives are many but they are also fleeting as we spend and appreciate the times for scattering and gathering, affection and loneliness and silence and speaking. Many seasons are followed by reflections, adaptations and changes through the events and moments being experienced at the time or having just pasted by into our memories.

So an intriguing and yet disconcerting question often lingers around our days of living … bouncing around our senses like the contrasting taste of bitter and sweet or the colors fading or brightening in beginning or ending of a day. The question floats about us as we feel fulfilment and satisfaction but taunts us a bit like a tiresome bully as we go through regrets and failed expectations. The unassuming and yet complex question is ancient yet relevant to each spontaneous moment and every intentional act and purposed direction. The question is and will always be … “Is our life, simply the time, made of all the moments and events; or is there a deeper meaning to our lives than simply the times of our living?
The writer of Ecclesiastes struggles alongside each one of us as he assesses life and its meaning. He identifies the ageless and unifying quandary of all human existence by proposing a staggering truth in his redacting assessment of the futility in our living out our days in the vapor-like eluding and passing of the seasons in our lives. “”Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2, NIV).

Yet, in the frustrating hopelessness, there is something more. There in the midst of the death of seeing and sensing nothing of meaning, something is alive in the going beyond. Something is budding in the slight touch of green cracking open in new hope. Life is always present midst the dying. A bird sings in the new morning because there is always life beyond the time which has past. There is always new life in life.

It was in the dying of our Savior, that we were given life. The Gospel will always bring new life, restoration and redemption from all hopelessness. The meaning of life is in the continuance of the abundant life our Lord brings. His life comes to us in His abiding and His abiding continues into eternal life. Meaning in life is found in His ways and that meaning extends into a time beyond the times of our lives.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, NIV)

A re-post of earlier thoughts but we often need to reminded of these simple truths.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20, ESV)

      There is a restlessness that comes to all Christian believers in the tension of living between belief and functioning reality. We can live out our days filled with our living, leaving faith to float around in our minds longing for connection in the interactions of plans, intentions, interruptions and circumstances. If our self-determining and self-directing living is completely consumed with ourselves; where is the space for faith to stop floating about in our minds and be of connecting significance?

      Sadly this is the issue with many people; faith is left without a space to lodge. Faith is left, designated to this floating wandering territory by the inactivity of involving it with our daily living. Sure we may give it momentary lodgings from time to time but we do not give it a permanent home. It becomes more like a trophy or a defining name instead of being a motivating and empowering dynamic allowed living and growing in our life. True faith in Christ is not a plaque on the wall or gold toned plastic award on a shelf, noting a conversion or a simple belief in Him. Although being a Christian does require conversion and belief; they are just notations in the endless unfolding of Christ being present, loved, acknowledged, trusted in every moment of our living and in all our days.

      Christ longs to be present with us in all things and in all ways. He did not give His life to be noted only as the Savior in our conversion or acceptance of Him. His grace is not just a key to the door at the gates of heaven but a living, liberating and empowering creative and redeeming presence in our lives. He stands at the door our lives, not just come in for just one meal by simply saving us but to fellowship with us in all our daily moments and abide with us forever.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11, ESV)

Suggested Reading … Psalm 16

“So encourage each other and build each other up …” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV).

They were young, so very young … when last they saw this land. In fact they were just babies when their eyes barely would have noted the lushness of the green hills edging the sprawling Guatemala City basin. Their memories were hardly formed when they first left behind their homeland.

Our two brown eyed Latin cuddly bundles of joy had grown up in spite of our tensioned desiring they would stay little forever. They are now, beautiful young women of uniqueness, laughter and character. How would they react to the homeland they could not remember? How would they connect to the people they had never known? Would they find a joy here midst the unknown reasons and separations from their birth family? Would they sense deep lingering questions or find some mysterious answers to longings not yet identifiable? Would our time here, open up emotions tucked away in their hearts or fill their hearts with new emotional attachments? Even beyond all of this, how would they react to the dozens of children who are now just as they were, many years before … waiting for a family to love them?

So to Guatemalan, our girls came and partook of life … life in their homeland, midst the children at the orphanage and alongside the people of Guatemala. Our girls warmly opened up and loved the children with smiles and hugs coming quickly and without hesitation as affection flowed back and forth naturally. Our hosts welcomed our girls and our family to their land with  genuine love and thoughtfulness. They answered to the serious and probably the annoying questions with honesty and help. They showered us with insight and perspective and came to our aid countless times as we struggled to convey and communicate with those around us. They filled us with the joy of the flavors of Guatemalan food and culture and touched our souls as we joined them in service to the people of Guatemala.

So deep were the connections; that we talk of going back to Guatemala as if the journey were just a few miles instead of thousands. We talk of the many parts of Guatemala that we have yet to see, as a yearning we long to satisfy. We mention the children we miss and shed a tear for each of them who are attached to the most special parts of our hearts. Our daughters long to go again and look for their family unknown and undiscovered. Our girls also fondly connected with the family who walked us through all the legal aspects for them to come to the Maas family in the first place so many years ago. We talk of ways to help and share with the many in need in this place. We have been changed by our time in Guatemala. Our daughters were profoundly encouraged by these friends who made Guatemala more than just a homeland to them. The encouragement from these friends new and old have made their homeland, a home to them. A place you long for and will always desire to go back to; again and again because it is a place of love.

All the photographs have been processed, all the mementos have been put away on shelves and the colorful and traditional fabrics have been laid upon the tables as fond reminders of our trip but the loving connecting pictures in our minds of the children, mothers and friends overflow in our hearts alongside the gifts of smiles and thousands of feelings so bright and varied … and these will always be the priceless and timeless treasures we will hold most dear in our hearts from our time in Guatemala.

Sometime we tend to think of encouragement as momentary word or passing thought expressed to another. Encouragement is not just a simple statement but an involvement, an interest, an investment and a desire to come alongside another person with genuine love and dedication. Real and simple acts of encouragement given to others, really do great and remarkable things. So encourage someone today, it will make a difference in their life and yours.

We say, “Muchas Gracias,” to our dear friends Pablo, Abel, Dr. Castro, Thelma, Thelma, Roger, The Special Moms and the many children, we dearly love, who sincerely encouraged the Maases during our time in Guatemala.

 

 

“An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand” (Isaiah 1:3, NASB).

     The confines of the familiar field were now forgotten as the small brown horse realized she was in the open territory on the other side of the fence. In the moment, she realized there were no perimeters holding her from recklessly venturing into the beckoning unknown. She could sense she had the freedom to run with the wind as far as her stout and sturdy legs could travel. Racing along the busy highway unaware of the dangers of speeding vehicles, she just ran and ran with abandon.

     The drivers on the roadway saw her, and became worried about the little horse with her flowing wheat colored tail and mane, darting and trotting along-side them. They wondered who to call or what to do, to return the mare to the safety of her pen.

     The little horse became scared of the sounds, smells and even of her freedom itself. I tried to call her name, but she would not listen. I tried to coax her to follow me, but she would not come. Instead she headed at full speed for steep cliff on the edge of the deeper woods. She was far and away faster than my human legs could travel. I slipped and fell numerous times as I tumbled down the treacherous bank through the briars and musky timber. At the bottom of the hill midst the thorns, burning nettle and damp mire … she stood panting. There was our little horse with her huge dark eyes finally recognizing me as her friend.
She came and nuzzled her sweating head against my right leg. I put my hand on her neck just behind her ear and tried to soothe her with some quieting words, “It’s okay … we’ll go home.” Now she only wanted to be close to me, as her face persistently nudged my leg during the uneventful journey home.

      We should know our loving Heavenly Father as a simply and significantly as any animal knows its master. Yet we like any horse, can become intoxicated with the freedom beyond the confines of His designs for our safety and protection. We sometimes run with abandon in our selfishness and sin venturing into the unknown, naïvely unaware of the dangers along the highways of life. We do not know that we do not know and in those moments we do not understand His provision and purpose. So we plunge over the cliff ending up very unsure and scared midst the briars, muck and burning nettle.

      What a joy to have our Heavenly Father come and find us and gently walk beside us as we journey back home to be with Him. There is nothing anywhere in the world like the mercy, compassion, grace and love our Heavenly Father gives to us over and over when we have gone astray. Thanks be to our Heavenly Father who loves us with such a great love.

“‘Come now and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; through they be like crimson, they will be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18, NASB).
Suggested Reading – Isaiah 1

 

 

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7, ESV).

      The Lord is our strength and our shield and in Him we exult and find joy. Not just momentary happiness because joy is more than happiness! Happiness comes from joy and joy can be the result of happiness but joy is deeper. Joy holds when the emotion of happiness fades away in the change of the moment or circumstance. Those that trust in the “Joy of the Lord,” love the Lord above all else and they trust Him in every way and in every situation, circumstance and difficulty.They are not focused on the situation, circumstance or the difficulty because their eyes are focused on their Savior and they are trusting in Him for their joy!

      For the “Joy of the Lord” to be our strength and our shield we simply live in the joy of the Lord. The joy in the Lord is both a Holy Spirit guided, faith infused perspective and confidence in our Lord as Savior and a deep delight and fulfillment in what He did, does and will always do for us. This anchoring trusting faith of the true disciple thus finds joy exclusively in the Lord regardless of any situation, place, difficulty or circumstance they might encounter in their life.

A Prayer to the Lord

LORD, You are my strength. Thank you for anointing me and building a fortress around me to protect and shield my life. Thank you for saving me and blessing me as your inheritance. Be my Shepherd in all things and carry me forever. Oh Lord, You are our joy! Amen. (Adapted from Psalm 28:7-9)