Wearying and wondrous, this wondering way.
I have heard of a place of rest,
Where beggars become princes
And ever-deepening joys are endless
A kingdom that welcomes all who seek it,
All who long to know it's King,
He who beckons us, "come and see".
The one who makes a heart to sing.
My eye sees many paths twisting and turning,
Over the mountains, Across the great divide,
Only one will take me there,
That place where my heart resides.
There come traps, dangers and lost companions.
Pains, sorrows and joys... every kind.
There! I see that sweet, sweet bastion
At the end of this path, this narrow line.
Bruised and broken I trod this difficult track
Bleeding but not beaten, Hoping in my hope secure.
Though it be painful and my hardships many,
I have fountains of joy forever more.
Yet, there is a snare, much worse than the pain,
The wonders of this world can easily distract,
Making my heart grow lame.
Be careful, my eyes, to see the wonders for what they are...
Merely signs the Great King has posted,
To bring His sons and daughters from afar
My heart be heavy and my soul laden
With just enough hope for today...
Knowing that this is not my home,
Only a wearying and wondrous, wondering way.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
A Dog and the Gospel
My dog, Buddy has been such a wonderful companion to me over the last 11 years. I found out today that he has Pancreatic cancer and wont live much longer. I wept harder than i have in a long time for my companion and my friend. Many people think its crazy to love a dog so much. Some may even think they are just animals and they don't really matter. I don't think God sees it that way though.
Proverbs 12:10 says that a righteous man cares for the life of his beast. This doesn't mean that because you care for the life of your beast that you are righteous, but that this is a characteristic of a righteous man. Righteous, meaning that which is pleasing to God and is seen as good in His sight. So it seems that God does care for the animals of this world and wants us to as well.
Also in 2 Samuel, chapter 12, David ("a man after God's own heart") became enraged when the prophet Nathan told him of a wealthy man who stole a poor mans lamb (one that he loved) and killed it to feed a guest that came to his home. Both David's rage and the prophets appeal do not indicate that they thought it was stupid of this man to love his lamb. On the contrary, they both feel the weight of the travesty of the crime told in this parable and David feels this conviction of his own offense through it.
There seems to be a magnetism between man and animal. Unless we are on our guard not to, we tend to love them. Why is there such a strong draw between man and beast to form such a bond? Perhaps it's to paint a picture of the Gospel... C.S. Lewis said once that we love dogs so much that they become almost human... in the same way, God loves a man so much he becomes like a son. Maybe the God of the universe put this ability in our hearts, so that we might feel as He feels. To know what it is to bestow grace on the undeserving, to give them unmerited love. To see their feeble attempts at obedience as evidence of their affection for you. To do what's best for them, even if it's not pleasant at the time. To find joy in the animal being joyous over you. To feel pain when they are in pain.
My relationship with Buddy has been an imperfect picture of the Gospel, but a picture no less. I am thankful for every moment God has given me with him, and for bringing him back from the edge of death last week to spend a little more time with us. I hold out hope that God would be so good as to give us eternity with our beloved pets, that the resurrection would look like the picture John Piper paints in his beautiful poem, "Glorification"...
"...And in the twinkling of an eye
The saints descended from the sky.
And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took
A glance across the golden grass,
And saw my dog, old Blackie, fast
As she could come.
She leaped the stream-
Almost-and what a happy gleam
Was in her eye.
I knelt to drink,
And knew that I was on the brink
Of endless joy."
-John Piper
Oh, what a wonderful day that will be... to stand on the brink of endless joy in Christ Jesus. Come Lord Jesus, Come!
Proverbs 12:10 says that a righteous man cares for the life of his beast. This doesn't mean that because you care for the life of your beast that you are righteous, but that this is a characteristic of a righteous man. Righteous, meaning that which is pleasing to God and is seen as good in His sight. So it seems that God does care for the animals of this world and wants us to as well.
Also in 2 Samuel, chapter 12, David ("a man after God's own heart") became enraged when the prophet Nathan told him of a wealthy man who stole a poor mans lamb (one that he loved) and killed it to feed a guest that came to his home. Both David's rage and the prophets appeal do not indicate that they thought it was stupid of this man to love his lamb. On the contrary, they both feel the weight of the travesty of the crime told in this parable and David feels this conviction of his own offense through it.
There seems to be a magnetism between man and animal. Unless we are on our guard not to, we tend to love them. Why is there such a strong draw between man and beast to form such a bond? Perhaps it's to paint a picture of the Gospel... C.S. Lewis said once that we love dogs so much that they become almost human... in the same way, God loves a man so much he becomes like a son. Maybe the God of the universe put this ability in our hearts, so that we might feel as He feels. To know what it is to bestow grace on the undeserving, to give them unmerited love. To see their feeble attempts at obedience as evidence of their affection for you. To do what's best for them, even if it's not pleasant at the time. To find joy in the animal being joyous over you. To feel pain when they are in pain.
My relationship with Buddy has been an imperfect picture of the Gospel, but a picture no less. I am thankful for every moment God has given me with him, and for bringing him back from the edge of death last week to spend a little more time with us. I hold out hope that God would be so good as to give us eternity with our beloved pets, that the resurrection would look like the picture John Piper paints in his beautiful poem, "Glorification"...
"...And in the twinkling of an eye
The saints descended from the sky.
And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took
A glance across the golden grass,
And saw my dog, old Blackie, fast
As she could come.
She leaped the stream-
Almost-and what a happy gleam
Was in her eye.
I knelt to drink,
And knew that I was on the brink
Of endless joy."
-John Piper
Oh, what a wonderful day that will be... to stand on the brink of endless joy in Christ Jesus. Come Lord Jesus, Come!
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