Echoes from the Wilderness

“The LORD spoke…in the wilderness…” Numbers 1:1a

I’m excited to begin a new Bible Study on the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. I’ve never studied their rescue and journey through the words of the Book of Numbers because it begins with census records. Name upon name, birth upon birth, relation upon relation does not read for plot building and context. But I will trust Lauren Chandler, author of With Us in the Wilderness as she relates it to her on wilderness. Her pastor husband was diagnosed years ago with a brain tumor that came with a grim prognosis. The Lord gave them victory and healing but gave them an even greater treasure… ‘a deeper trust in clinging to the Lord and His cross during this appointed season of valleys and storms.’ Introduction, p. 1. At the back of the study is a map of the area that is based on rescuing the Israelites from Egypt and delivering them to Canaan, the Promised Land. I was struck again this morning by the direction God took them. The most direct route would have taken only 11 days to reach their destination but for various reasons, God took them around the peripheral of the wilderness which was a 40-year trek.

I am sure that I am not the only one who is living out a peripheral journey around a promise God has given. God can do anything…any way…at any time…and as far as I can see, the fulfillment of the promise He gave me should only take 11 days, and yet I have walked 16 years around the promise with no destination in sight. But what I can say without a doubt is that I have never walked alone. God has shown me things in the wilderness about both Himself and myself. He has taught me how to sense His presence…see His movement…recognize His ways. Just like with the Israelites He has kept His presence very close to me. Just like the Israelites I have grumbled…I have been frustrated…I have been devastated…I have been impatient. I have changed in ways that only God could have produced through this journey. If I am not at my destination of promise then I am still being prepared for received it. However, at some point, He has become enough for me without seeing the destination up ahead. In the wilderness, we develop an intimate knowledge of Him. In the wilderness we grow into Him and out of ourselves. In the wilderness, we see the wonders and marvels that enlarges our faith and builds our confidence in His complete provisions. I love the quote from J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Fellowship of the Ring, ‘Not all who wander are lost.’

No matter how lost you feel you are right where God has placed you, and His desire is to become your God. He has a furious longing to be our everything and has all the time in the world to wait on our desire to turn to Him.

When Love Builds a Bridge

“Where sin [and death] leaves a canyon, love builds a bridge.” The Bridge, Casting Crowns

When I was around ten years old, Mother and Daddy took me and my sisters to Grandfather Mountain on a vacation. One of the things we did while there was to walk across a bridge overlooking the mountain. The Mile High Swinging Bridge is a highlight of Grandfather Mountain beckoning all to ‘walk it’s planks’ across a deep canyon. The 228-foot suspension bridge spans an 80-foot chasm at more than one mile in elevation. I began my walk across with confidence and excitement until I got half way and stopped. As I hesitantly looked down and gingerly stepped forward, I felt sick to my stomach and became paralyzed with fear. I remember thinking why was I even on that bridge? How do I get here? When would I be on safe footing again? “Why…How…When?” I looked behind me thinking it would give me comfort and confidence but instead it showed me that the walk ahead of me was the same distance behind me. I was stuck in the middle between normalcy and terror. Obviously, as an adult now I know that Mother and Daddy would never have led me into a situation that would have placed me in danger. They knew the bridge was sturdy and would hold up against the weight of those passing on it.

We also have a Bridge that crosses over canyons of grief and sin that can be trusted for times when our hearts are heavy and our journey feels impossible. When Christ laid down His life, the Bridge was erected and is more stable than any other mode of travel. We spend our lives either walking towards the canyon unaware of the challenges up ahead or walking across the canyon praying to God to get us to the other side. Christ’s work on the cross ensured that God would never leave us…that He will walk the bridge with us through our disparaging journeys. The key is to never stop moving with Him…to never take your eyes off of Him…to look up in prayer instead of looking down in fear.

I love the last line of Casting Crowns’ song above. When I heard it, I thought of the bridge on top of the mountain from yesteryear. No matter what I have gone through…a prodigal child… a divorce…sin and shame from secret spending…grief from the death of my loved ones…the Bridge always held. I’m so thankful that Love built the bridge for you and for me and that neither sin nor death can separate us from that Love.

A Gentle Breeze

 “And…there was a strong wind…breaking in pieces the rocks…there was an earthquake…after the earthquake a fire…after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing…And behold, the LORD was passing by!” 1 Kings 19:11

It was June of 2000 and it had been a tumultuous couple of years. Year after year, I had watched all of my daughter’s friends mature into responsible, goal-driven, and excited young adults. Their lives laid out before them, and their journeys included exciting jobs and college adventures. It was the weekend of her high school graduation that she would not be attending. While other parents were adjusting their children's tassel I was adjusting my dreams. It had been a very public walk of darkness in our little farm community. Parents of graduates were so thoughtful to invite us to graduation parties but how could I attend something that was so glaringly heartbreaking for me? I remember stopping by a friend’s house the day before graduation to drop off a gift. As I drove up the drive-way I noticed that tents had been erected and preparations were being made for the following day’s celebration. The mom’s eyes met mine and tears spilled over onto both of our faces. There was nothing to say, but the tight and long hug said it all. The next morning as I anticipated the dreaded hour when my little girl was supposed to be walking across the stage, I decided to take some music and go sit on our deck. It was like I was waiting for the moment my heart would finally break after all the shattering that led up to that day. But then, the Lord unexpectedly passed by!

This beautiful song of comfort and love came on and at the moment of the graduation commencement I felt the Lord was singing over me. The song stopped and suddenly I could hear a symphony of birds singing all together. But the most precious gift was the gentle blowing of the breeze onto my face that I instinctively knew God was right there. He opened my mind to something that ushered in a truth of freedom for me. There would be no more comparisons…there would no longer be the public scrutiny of the teenagers. God showed me in that moment that finally each young adult would all engage in their own new and unique way. Some would go to work, some would go to college, and some would move away. In my heart, I was experiencing tornado force winds…life-shaking earthquakes… devastating fires. But in that small and gentle blowing God gave me freedom and lifted my despair. It would be another 4 years before I had my precious daughter back, but the work the Lord did in both her heart and my heart will always be one of our greatest faith experiences.

Whatever you are facing that feels like the end of the world, God is passing by and inviting you to a new season. He has new life and new hope in His message, and His desire is that you will take the hand that He is reaching out to you. ‘Detecting God’s presence in these quieter ways require patience and a keen spiritual ear, the kind He’s developing in you…His voice will draw you out of the caves of despair, disillusionment, and discouragement and will usher you into a freedom and newfound reverence for Him, a renewed and hopeful outlook for the future.’ Elijah – Faith and Fire, Priscilla Shirer, p. 212.

Leaving the Cave

“Elijah came there to a cave and lodged there…the Word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” 1 Kings 19:9

Elijah couldn’t get further away from his life and finally found a cave in which to lie down. There is so much application in this one exchange between him and God. Elijah was not only running from Queen Jezebel but was also running from God. Elijah detoured from walking in the light to sitting in the dark. His desire for everything that used to bring him joy and purpose was gone. His perception and focus were squarely rooted in his circumstances instead of his faith. But like us, Elijah couldn’t run and hide from God. God was not about to leave Elijah in the self-assigned cold, damp, and lonely cave. God knew it would take courage for him to come out of the dark and face the light. God knew that Elijah would need reminders that even within the intimidating and heartbreaking circumstances of life, God remained in the small still voice to bring him back into the engagement of life. And so, in God’s great love for His servant, he posed this question, ’What are you doing here?’

‘Divine inquiries are never for our Father’s benefit; He poses them with the intention of helping us see the truth of our situation…be honest with ourselves…’ Elijah – Faith and Fire, Priscilla Shirer, p. 204. When devastation finds us in this life, there is no place we can run…detour…hide where God is not with us. If we have His Spirit inside of us, God is wherever our feet and hearts take us. God poses questions to us during the most difficult life events to re-engage us with Him. When we lift our tear-stained faces up and meet His gaze, He asks ‘What are you doing here?’ He asks out of deep love and concern for us instead of any condemnation of us. He wants to help us realign our feelings with His promises. But He will always require us to take that first courageous step out of the dark cave and into His light. He will give us the courage and strength required to leave the loneliness and step into new life. He will readjust our focus to set our vision once more on Him. ‘Elijah had become a shell of whom he once was. Faith had taken a back seat to fear. Hope had been overshadowed by hopelessness.’ p. 207.

What are you doing here? God wants to re-engage…to bring light into your darkness…to give you the courage to step out and return to life. ‘God has all the time in the world. He can wait us out and lovingly, carefully probe us by His Spirit and through His Word until we see Him and His perspective more clearly.’ p. 209.

Defeating the Message

 “Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’ He arose and ran for his life…” 1 Kings 19:2

For 3 years Elijah had been the powerful and confident mouthpiece for God. He had accomplished one spiritual success upon another living and moving through intense adrenaline. Just at the moment life was at its highest, the message he received from his adversary sent him crashing down in fear, disbelief, and paralyzing discouragement. His life changed in that very instant and he lived by the queen's threat for the rest of his life. Most likely she knew where he was but cunningly, she understood that the threat does much greater harm than the actual revenge.

We have all been there! Running on adrenaline…just trying to get through the present set of circumstances…believing in the best-case scenario. And then the worse-case scenario settles into our lives and the enemy begins talking to us. Satan chips away at our vulnerable mind and heart…he slithers around in our emotions with the message that God is bad…God doesn’t care…God isn’t loving. And because we were for hungry for a different outcome, we feast on the bait just like Elijah did. I wonder how many nights he laid awake recalling the words of the message. I wonder if he fully believed that he would never experience joy and peace again.

A few thousand years might separate us from Elijah’s story but the same enemy connects us. Our most fragile and vulnerable emotions come when the adrenaline has dissipated. We are guaranteed of a major let-down after the experience is over. ‘We’ll crash. We’ll spiral into an emotional tailspin… crippled by insecurity, giving into overindulgence, loneliness, and even paralyzing sadness. This vulnerability is what can become a gateway for further issues…It can crack open a door that gives the enemy unique access to our heart and mind, to the driver’s seat of our soul’ Elijah – Faith and Fire, Priscilla Shirer, p. 194. Elijah’s predicament was the same as our predicament may be. If the message can make us afraid enough, we just might forget what God has previously done for us.

What message is being told to you in your vulnerable state? Are you believing the message that you will never find a job…never find a mate…never be healed…never be happy again? Don’t give Satan a foothold in your mind and heart. The Word is full of the beautiful promises of what God does on our behalf and we must replace the enemy’s message with God’s truth.

‘Defeat the message, and you’ll defeat the messenger!’ p. 198

A Journey Too Hard

 “‘Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.’ So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food…” 1 Kings 19:7b

I think it is safe to say that Elijah must have had expectations that failed to materialize. He had followed every detail that God had established to bring His people back to Him. He had courageously gone through the experience displaying total and inspiring faith. He had publicly called on God to act on his behalf and show Himself mighty to all who had watched. And yet, Elijah found himself all alone after the fact dejected…disillusioned…disgusted…despaired! I wonder if he chose to withdraw from praying for a bit after experiencing the lack of success he perceived. Afterall, hearts did not turn…the king and queen were not impressed…his life was threatened instead of rewarded. I wonder if there was a part of him that felt like the previous experience was all in vain…void of any gain.

Aren’t we the same when we feel God has somehow failed us? He has the power to change everything but sometimes change is not His will. I have always felt that the greater the faith, the more painful the sting when God doesn’t move in the direction we want. There are things that we will never understand on this side of heaven, but thankfully the Maker of all things fully understands our pain. He beckons us to arise…to lift our eyes to heaven…and eat and drink…to receive the comfort of nourishment only He can provide…He acknowledges that the journey is too tough to move through it without Him. How tender is our God and how understanding is His heart. Through this exchange in the time that followed the failed expectation Elijah had, God was concerned with soothing his soul, nourishing his body, and encouraging his spirit despite Elijah's emotions.

‘God is not mad at you because your body is tired or your mind is frayed or your soul is heavy – not after the kind of project you’ve just finished, or the difficulties you’ve just endured, or the emotional marathon you’ve just run. He isn’t agitated by the limitations of your flesh. Instead, He stands patiently ready to minister to you, to work through those deficiencies, and to nourish you as you recover from them.’ Elijah – Faith and Fire, Priscilla Shirer, p. 193

Our Reserved Blessing

“He [Elijah] went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, ‘I have had enough! LORD, take my life…’” 1 Kings 19:4

After coming off one of the most successful spiritual experiences Elijah had ever had, he found himself on the run from Queen Jezebel who wanted to take his life. God instructed Elijah to kill all the prophets of Baal which made him a target for the Queen. Elijah found himself in the wilderness frightened, exhausted, and depleted. It is astonishing to me that one who had the faith to move mountains also was the one who asked God to take his life all within a day. Before we judge him, we must remember that from the beginning of time all of humanity has its breaking point.

There have been 3 separate seasons in my life when I very well qualified for being at my breaking point… when my emotions screamed louder than my faith…when my physical body didn’t operate like a temple of God. But in retrospect I know that God surrounded me with the same blessing with whom He surrounded Elijah… ‘Then the LORD said to him, Go, return on your way…I have reserved seven thousand in Israel…’ 1 Kings 19:18. Before Elijah experienced one moment of exhaustion…one ounce of fear…one day of despair, God had already put people in place to help him…to encourage him…to sustain him.

Who are the people God has reserved for you to help you through a tough and troubling time? Are you reaching out to those who can remind you that God has not left you? God heals many hearts through those men and women who seem to be on the peripheral of our lives. They provide a million different moments that encourage the soul…that feeds the spirit…that fulfills the loneliness.

Reach out to those who are reaching out to you. They are divinely ordained and assigned to walk you through these times of devastation and discouragement. God does some of His best work through those who have hearts to serve others. 

Audience of One

“But as he came closer…and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.” Luke 19:41

This morning I grabbed a cup of coffee, my blanket, my air pods, and my phone and began my morning like I always do. While drinking my coffee, I listen to my worship music and scroll through the headlines until my brain awakens for prayer, meditation on the Word. This morning I saw a headline that said Carrie Underwood performed a medley of old hymns last night at the American Music Awards. I went to YouTube to see if I could find it and there she was…looking like an angel… accompanied by talented CeCe Williams for a bit…standing in front of a display of stained glass…robed choir surrounding her…the instruments building more with each note as if it would explode if it couldn’t release the music. I listened with my eyes closed thinking about the Lord hearing this beautiful string of melodious offerings. Suddenly, this verse came to mind and I began to cry. I recalled all the headlines I had previously scrolled through intentionally not reading them. Murder…riots…hatred…divisiveness… spiritual apathy… What happened to one nation under God?

It’s hard to look over the landscape of our nation and not ‘begin to weep.’ I miss the stained-glass backdrops of our churches. I miss the days when Sunday meant the majority was in church. I miss the huge revivals of yesterday where people waited in long lines to accept Christ as their Savior. I miss how despite our political parties, people honored each other and their views instead of spewing hatred. I miss potluck dinners and homemade ice cream at the church on Sunday nights. We are a nation of hate and have allowed the enemy to infiltrate our hearts and minds. When will we stand up against the culture’s definition of truth? When we will individually and collectively turn our hearts back to the Kingdom of God instead of the kingdom of the USA? God sits above our nation longing for hearts to return…spiritual boldness to arise…revivals to explode…His people to return. He has all the power to light the fire in each of our hearts and awaken His sleeping family.

I pray today everyone will take 5 minutes to listen with fresh ears…to behold the beauty of the Ancient of Days…to remember who God is in relation to who we are. At the end of the YouTube performance, I noticed all that passion…all those words…all that power looked as if it was delivered to an empty music hall. But then, I remembered she was singing to the same audience we sing to…a faithful God…a holy Creator…an audience of One.

https://youtu.be/B-Ryd6xwTn4

Packing our Bags

 “Therefore do not worry…For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…do not worry about tomorrow.” Matthew 6:31-34.

Priscilla Shirer, author of Elijah – Faith and Fire gave a great illustration in her video of keeping our eyes on our destination instead of our present situation. She was going on a trip to Australia from Dallas, Texas where it was currently hot as fire because it was summer. Australia was experiencing the coldest part of its winter. So, standing in her flip flops and tank top, she packed her suitcase full of clothes that would sustain her where she was going, not where she was standing. If left to our emotions in our current circumstances, we could be in danger of not having what we need when we arrive at our next set of circumstances.

God never intended on us to stay stuck in one season and miss out on His blessings in a new season. Whether we are stuck in unemployment…grief…sickness or any other devastating situation we must believe in tomorrow. God has given us over 8000 promises throughout His Word so why aren’t we claiming them? One of my favorite promises is Isaiah 43:2 which states, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you…’ I love this one because He is saying, ‘Don’t stay in the waters but pass through them with Me.’ We must pass through the waters of today to get to shores of our tomorrow. We must pack our bags for a destination of promise and blessings from God instead of our garments of exhaustion and despair.

‘Don’t allow your current reality to dictate your present actions. Live with tomorrow in mind. Make your choices based on where you are heading. What is laying on your horizon based on the promises of God?’ Priscilla Shirer, Elijah – Faith and Fire, video session 6.

Not one person on the other side of this screen is exempt from the promises of God. We all have the freedom to choose what to pack to carry into our new season. As we zip up our luggage and walk into tomorrow, may it be full of hope, promise, and courage to leave today behind.

Panic or Peace

 “…and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon…but there was no voice; no one answered. …they leaped about the altar…they cried out with a loud voice and cut themselves…they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. ‘O, LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.’” 1 Kings 18:36-37

If I could open my folding chair and watch this scene unfold, I don’t know whether I would feel completely overwhelmed from watching chaotic panic or spiritual sadness that they had the choice to also call on God but failed. The lengths that the Bible went to in giving details about this day reminds us that we can learn from every story in the Bible. He didn’t breathe His holy fire into Scripture to fill up the pages but rather to fill up our hearts. So much of God’s will is centered around turning our hearts back to Him. His greatest desire for each of us is intimacy with Him and fellowship through prayer. The ear of God is most attuned when our prayers are rooted in relationship instead of platitudes or panic.

There have been many times in my life when I was desperately seeking my will over His will. My prayers were filled with panic and pleadings instead of praise and peace. Like the Baal worshippers I was more interested in the fire falling – my will be done - than in the fellowship with the One who provided the fire. God invites us to pray in His name for anything our hearts desire, but that invitation comes through an active fellowship with Him first and foremost. Prayer is one of the greatest gifts given, but rarely do we see it as a divine gift and privilege. Our prayers can be lukewarm and boring if we are honest with ourselves. But even if we don’t feel like praying, we must push through our feelings and seek fellowship with the One who deserves our time…our words…our hearts. When we approach Him with our will stamped in our mind and on our heart, we miss the target all together. Prayer is not a place where deals are made and negotiations are formed. Prayer was never intended as a means to get our way, rather intended as a means to experience our God. Everything else is the overflow of that relationship.

‘Prayer itself is a gift, not an entitlement. It is God’s gracious idea for giving us a divinely orchestrated mechanism through which we can have ongoing fellowship with Him and where He allows us to be active participants in the outworking of His purposes on Earth.’ Elijah – Faith and Fire, Priscilla Shirer, p. 168.

Walking the Maze

 “You comprehend my path and…are acquainted with all my ways…You have hedged me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me…Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:3-10

This is without a doubt my favorite chapter of the Bible. The danger of familiarity always lurks in the back of my mind when reading my favorite portions of Scripture. I want it to fall fresh every time it falls off my lips since Scripture is alive…active…breathing. This morning as I was reading this aloud the Lord placed a maze into my mind. I couldn’t help but to be grateful a new image fell into my heart while reading on old passage. I couldn’t wait to google images of mazes and loved the one chosen below. The center structure seems like arriving at heaven at the end of the journey. God forms and creates us with love, thought, and purpose. Through our births we enter a maze designed by God just for us, and He places us in families who will walk the maze with us. At some point, our fellow sojourners detour leaving us to walk without them. Some walk the maze ahead of us and enter into that center dwelling at the end of their lives. 

Just like the maze, God hems us in ahead, behind, and within but He never takes His eyes off of us. He sits high above our lives where the view is perfect, and the guidance is essential. Sometimes we are allowed to stay stagnant in one season of our lives, but that doesn’t mean it is without gain. Some of my most mundane seasons have taught me the discipline of being still…seeking God…hushing the noise. I picture God in all His grandness…His enormity…His emerging Presence standing above the maze watching our every move. But I also see Him within the maze walking by my side holding my hand. Some seasons He has had to carry me as I moved within the walls because I was too weak…too sad…too exhausted…too heartbroken.

Where can you go to get away from God? Nowhere. Where can run off from the present and active touch of God? Not one place. Whether you are scared…heartbroken…angry…lonely…abandoned… even there His hand is upon you while His other hand is holding you.

Sending the Fire

 “And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones…and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD…Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘LORD God…let it be known this day that You are God…and I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.’ Then the fire of the LORD fell.” 1 Kings 18:30-38

If there was some type of spiritual time travel vessel available to me, I would crawl into it and direct its destination to Mount Carmel on the day Elijah stepped forward and prayed. If you have never read this story, it is definitely one of the most sparkling gems in the crown of God’s Word. The scene is the showdown of the challenges of all challenges. Four hundred and fifty worshippers of the god of Baal have been praying, screaming, crying, and cutting themselves trying to get their god to send down fire to set their offering ablaze on the altar. This hysteria went on all day long until they exhausted themselves. As I look around the grounds in my imagination, I see the blood, sweat, and tears of failure. I see those onlookers lower their head, turn, and walk away realizing that the things they trusted in were futile. And suddenly I see a small and humble man walk over to a broken altar, an altar in disarray. It is the altar of the Lord that the current culture has torn down…there are broken stones everywhere and weeds are growing up through the brokenness. As Elijah picks up a broken stone, he begins piling one upon another, stacking each stone tightly next to each other. He steps forward inviting others to help rebuild what the culture has dismantled. God’s truths have been torn down and replaced with man’s idea of god. Elijah rebuilds…Elijah repairs…Elijah recalls…Elijah prays…and the fire emblazons the restored altar!

Wait a minute! I could have sworn that I asked for time travel to Mount Carmel, but I fear I never left home. I only have to watch the news, scroll through social media, or listen to many conversations going about my day to realize that our culture has also dismantled God’s altar. No wonder we don’t see God’s fire falling from Heaven. While we are looking for His fire, He is looking for hearts who will repair altars. He is looking for those who are willing to step forward out of the blended crowd and who will pick up the broken pieces of God’s priorities using God’s truths as the building stones.

It takes courage to challenge people who have erected false gods in their lives. It takes humility to recognize when our own altars are broken. It takes intentionality to step forward and begin rebuilding our faith. And lastly, it takes prayer to ask God to send His fire back into our families…our work…our churches…our nation…our hearts. God is constantly looking for rebuilders, restorers, and resurrectors. If we build on His promises, He will send the fire.

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Ch 16:9

King in an Apron

 “The master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table, and he will serve them.” Luke 12:37

 

One of my most favorite and long-awaited events is finally here and I can’t wait!  My daughter Kristen always rents a gorgeous house in Florida to take my grandchildren on Spring Break.  I am always invited to join them and she takes care of everything.  She won’t allow me to pay for hardly anything and I am a guest and passenger in her car both coming and going.  She always rents a place including my own bedroom although I’ve offered to share a room many times.  Yesterday, I received a phone call from her telling me upfront that I was not to argue with her on my sleeping arrangements.  The grandkids ended up inviting friends and my son-in-law has also decided to come so the beautiful 3-bedroom home has less room for more people.  She asked me if they could borrow our blow-up mattress which I was happy to lend.  She then told me that she was giving me the master suite and she would take the inflatable bed or the couch.  I argued for a while but eventually conceded.  In my mind I just kept feeling that she had paid an enormous cost for that house and deserved the best room…the best view…the crown of the house.  I still feel that I definitely do not deserve the room but I will joyfully receive it because she asked.

 

And that is what Jesus did for us.  The Thursday before He paid the ultimate price for our souls…our freedom…our future He arranged a dinner for those He loved most.  He deserved to be served that evening instead of serving others.  He deserved to be the guest of honor instead of host moving from person to person…attending to their culinary needs.  And then, as if that wasn’t enough Jesus stood up after they had all eaten, ‘took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.   After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.’ John 13:4-5. Can you just see His face looking up at you and me as He lifts our dusty feet?  Picture his eyes meeting yours…feel the water being poured on your feet…hear His words speaking just to you…feel the hands drying your tired feet with the hands that would soon be pierced and scarred.  We don’t deserve that and we did nothing to earn it.  But He wants us to receive it because the cost was exorbitant and to reject it would offend and sadden Him.  Through His sacrifice we get the master suite!  We get all of the beautiful spiritual amenities that He deserves.  

 

‘It is the Lord’s table you sit at.  It is the Lord’s Supper you eat…When you are called to the table, it might be an emissary who gives the letter, but it is Jesus who wrote it.  It is a holy invitation.  A sacred sacrament bidding you to leave the chores of life and enter his splendor.  He meets you at the table… And when your burdens are lifted, it is because the King in the apron has drawn near.’ The Final Week of Jesus, Max Lucado, p. 90