In An Attempt to Define God’s Love…

For several years, Pre-Africa, I taught a neighborhood Good News Club for any of the kiddos who lived on our street.

Every Thursday after school, we gathered at my friend’s house (she hosted, I taught), and served snacks, played games, then had a brief program where we sang fun kids songs, taught stories about missionaries from by-gone-days who’d left their mark on the world, memorized Scripture verses, and, of course, I taught a Bible story weaving in the gospel of Jesus Christ (hence, “Good News” club). 

We had quite a group of students from Kindergarten up to about 4th grade. 

I mostly remember how they loved to sing - - enthusiastically and LOUDLY (like screaming loud on particular songs, which I may or may have not encouraged with an, “I can’t hear you…”). 😇

One such song taught them this truth:

“God’s love is like a circle, 

A circle big and round.

For when you see a circle,

No ending can be found.

And so, the love of Jesus

Goes on eternally,

Forever and forever, I know that He loves me.”

God’s love.

That mysterious, untranslatable, undefinable word I began to study and research last week: HESED.

So simple, we can write a children’s song about it, that I pray those little ones never forget; but, so profound theologians can’t find one single word to define it.

The more I dug into some books, commentaries, and a Hebrew/Greek Dictionary, the more I realize the word is very much like a magnet around metal filings.

HESED seems to gather other words to itself without exerting any energy of its own. 

It grabs onto words like “faithfulness,” as in Genesis 24:27, 

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness…”

Here are a few of some of the main ones we often see tagged onto God’s HESED: goodness, truth, mercy, compassion, covenant, justice, favor, and righteousness; and, so the magnet drags these other words along with it to try and bring fulness to its meaning. 

So, trying to come up with my own explanation, I went back to the first time the word is used in the Old Testament to see if it would clarify for me, at least some simplification (as much as is possible for me to wrap my mind around). 

HESED is first used in Genesis 19:19. 

Lot has been told to flee for his life up into the hills away from Sodom and Gomorrah, because the Angel of the Lord plans to destroy it for its wickedness, and its lack of mercy toward the poor. 

Lot asks if the Lord would allow him to simply run to the next city, instead of up into the mountains (he must have been out of shape…I can relate). 

Lot has absolutely no reason to expect God to grant his request, and God has no reason to do so, either. 

He had already given his instruction.

Why should he give in to Lot, and why should Lot even think he had a right to ask. 

I’m not sure I would have dared cross God, or make any other demands, simply out of gratitude for giving me a chance to escape.

It wasn’t as if Lot was a stellar kind of guy (after all, he had just offered up his two virgin daughters to the men of Sodom, if they would leave the visiting angels alone - this is quite a shocking story right at the beginning of our Bibles). 

Yet, the Lord, in His love for His children, His patience, His slow-to-get-angry-character, and in His kindness, grants Lot’s request. 

There it is - the first concept I can actually wrap my head around regarding HESED; and, if asked begin to explain it this way:

HESED: when I deserve nothing from God’s hand, but He blesses me anyway, simply because of His character. 

God is HESED.

❤️ 

And, that love never fails. 

It goes on and on forever and a day.

Because of the Lord’s HESED, we do not perish, for His mercies never end.

Lamentations 3:22

True Love (say it like you heard it in Princess Bride)

 

True Love (all i can hear is the line in Princess Bride)...

It's that time of year, when thoughts of love fill our heads,

Hearts are sprinkled about everywhere,

Songs of romance are in the air,

and, we're reminded of all things pink and red...

All this Valentine's emphasis is almost staggering....

However, what is overwhelming is trying to put words to the greatest love of all time.

 

It's so mind-blowing there is no real word in the English language for it. 

Through the years, artists have tried to portray it.

Song-writers have attempted to put music and lyrics to it.

Authors fail trying to bring expression to it.

And, small-time-blog-writers (aka: me) find themselves totally mind-boggled by it.

Theologians come the closest to a description. 

Their words for this love is "inexpressible," "mysterious," and "sacred;" but, even they fall short of defining it. 

It's simply too esoteric, I think; but, I would love to comprehend it more (word-nerd-me). 

Old Testament writers used one favorite word to describe this amazing love. 

Of course, I've run across this expression for years in the Scriptures. 

It's used prolifically.

Depending on which "expert" you ask, it's written 248-253 times, and 128 of those show up in the Psalms.

Since I'm praying through the Psalms this year, I'm frequently bumping into the word, and it has piqued my curiosity.

In Hebrew, the word is HESED, 

pronounced "kheh-sed."

So, for the rest of this "💖 love month 💖," I'll be exploring its depths (I've picked up a couple books as guides). 

For now, let's just say that one author I'm reading gleaned insights for his book from two, 1500 page notebooks. Not to worry, I am not that prolific, nor do I wish to be. 

With this as an introduction, you should be aware...Hesed is translated with 8 different words in the King James Version, 12 in the NIV, 13 in the ESV, 15 in the New Living Translation, and a whopping 46 different ways in The Message.

God's great, magnificent, sacred, mysterious love for each of us will require a lifetime of learning, and will never be fully KNOWN until we get to live each day experiencing it in real-time and in real-life...

...but, what fun to TRY (especially as we move toward the Lenten season beginning on March 5)!

For now, this I know is true (ponder it with me):

The End.

I just re-read last week's blog post, which actually concluded a look into the life of John the Baptist. 

Living with John in my head for a significantly long time, I've examined what the life of a Jesus-follower might look like as we live between two Advents, one that was and one to come. 

John's life role-modeled "LIVING IN THE WAITING" incredibly well. 

Allow me to summarize the last four months of blogs with THE SHORT LIST.

This "Miracle of Mercy," created in the image of God (as all of us are), and, born to Elizabeth and Zechariah at the end of 400-years-of-darkness (God's silence) showed us:

A faithfulness in living life solely for the glory of God.

A commitment to serve and surrender (even unto death) - mixed together with a large dash of boldness, courage, humility (He must increase, while I decrease), contentment (to be upfront or behind-the-scenes), and with an enduring stubbornness.

A willingness to be "different" - odd for God's sake, uncompromising, feisty, often misunderstood.

A determination to walk daily in his purpose - preparing the way for the Savior who will come again, leveling the path for His arrival, being an instrument of THE WORD (a voice of TRUTH), and allowing the Lord to use us as a window into HIS HEART FOR ALL MANKIND (to allow THE ONE WHO IS THE LIGHT TO SHINE THROUGH TO A LOST WORLD).

A celebration of joy (in spite of the difficulties) - talk about living with HOPE, John leapt for joy over Jesus before he was even born, and continued leaping with peace and hope throughout his life. He was what Augustine called an "Easter People," even before there was a Resurrection (and, HALLELUJAH was his song).

A confidence in whose he was and who he was - John knew his identity as he was taught by his parents at a young age, then went forth, and radiantly lived it out.

I'm absolutely challenged by John's enigmatic and intriguing life; utterly convicted by this mysterious figure who, in reality, was the last of the Old Testament prophets. 

Each of the above list has become for me a prayer of my heart. Each morning I ask the Lord to remind me throughout the day exactly what it means to live faithfully committed, walking out my calling with steadfastness and confidence, but most of all living in celebration ("internally leapy" with Great Joy) over the Lamb of God, who took away my sins.

HOWEVER...

Two other things jump out at me about the life that John the Baptist lived, and, which I believe are critical for those of us who want to pilgrimage well all the way heavenward on this path of life...

One of those is the strong belief that John lived out his name... 

John: God is a gracious giver. 

"The Lord gives grace."

So, every time he walked into a room, people were reminded of the character and the grace of God. 

Is this true of us? When we walk into a room, and people recognize us by name, are they reminded of the Lord? 

I constantly pray the Lord shows me every single way I obscure His name.

The other is a recognition that John the Baptist was not perfect. 

He certainly was great (even Jesus said so), but he was human, which means he was inherently flawed. 

I love that the Lord gives us a peek into the weakness of this Biblical character, especially into his doubts and discouragement. 

I'm reminded not to expect perfection in my own life, reveal my vulnerabilities, and, learn from them...

I'm also reminded not to expect perfection in others, and, to allow room for God to work in the hearts of those living in confusion and doubts, as well (and I pray they will grant me the same grace). 

We live in an era, where we need more willing, passionate, faithful followers who live life with the same intent of this incredible figure, preparing the way for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

This is where I need to put one last period on the life of John the Baptist.

What a guy!

The End.

New "focus" next week.

Living Between Two Advents: Be GREAT!

Rather frequently, this past week, I found myself thinking about my mother-in-law.

Most likely, that's because we are very close to the anniversary of her death on February 3rd of 2019 - almost six years without her.

Gramma Dot, as she was known to everyone, opened her heart and home to multitudes. 

From her I learned what biblical hospitality looked like. 

She taught me what it looked like to serve others with joy and WELCOME...never grudgingly, always with loving kindness. 

If anyone modeled serving others for Jesus' sake, it was Gramma. 

I won't go on, because days before she passed, I wrote a full blog about my mother-in-love.

When I take time to look at what's being read on this site, that particular blog gets at least one hit EVERY WEEK.

Even after six years.

I reckon the other reason, she's been on my mind, has to do with John the Baptist.

Huh? 

Jesus said these words about John, and they have definitely brought Gramma to mind as I've pondered them:

Among those born of women there is none greater than John!

BUT.... (pay attention to those conjunctions in the middle of sentences, something better might be coming)

Look at how The Message translates this passage -

"Let me lay it out as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses (the greatness of) John the Baptist, but in the kingdom he prepared for you, the lowliest person is ahead of him (Luke 7:28)."

John, in the eyes of Jesus, is considered greater than Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah...all who had come before, whom God used mightily. 

Yet, even those the world considers "lowly," are greater (Lowly. Least. "Mikros." Small - either in stature, rank, or influence).

John preferred to be behind the scenes, serving, preparing the way, being a voice (an instrument of words) in the wilderness (nobody loves the wilderness, but John did). 

This "serving" others for Jesus' sake is what made John great. 

Again, Jesus' words: 

In the Kingdom of God, greatness is measured by one's willingness to serve. 

It is not measured by the amount of money one gives, power, authority, or even how "upfront" (seen by others).

As greatness goes, John the Baptist hit the mark; Dorothy Barnes Forrest did, too. 

As we live from Advent to Advent, from The Coming to THE COMING of Jesus, the standard for living has been established by John the Baptist (and followed by my mother-in-love):

SERVE WILLINGLY.

See a need? What can I do to meet it? What might you do?

Oh, and just to be clear - it's even better, as I heard this past weekend in Sunday's sermon, if we do what we do in SECRECY (not even our left hand knows what our right hand is doing). 

Jesus-Followers we need more greatness!

BE GREAT!

Lucky? Unlucky? Or?

Shortly after John the Baptist sent a couple of his disciples to Jesus to simply confirm Jesus' identity, John found his head on a  chopping block (literally) and delivered to Herod on a platter (the recipient of an angry woman's revenge). 

What a horrible, macabre end to a life lived wholeheartedly committed to the Lord. 

So, last week, in the middle of a conversation with a friend who'd been following the John-blogs, she commented, "What an unlucky end for John..."

I scrunched my forehead...something didn't sit right with that sentiment.

Then, Sunday morning as I listened to the teaching-pastor at our grandson's church, there in the midst of a biblically solid message, this comment flowed: "Lucky for me, at the time, I was sitting right over there in that spot, when..." 

Lucky for me...

Unlucky for John...

🤔

I frequently hear Jesus-followers use these words (or various synonyms of the same sort) in conversation and find my eyebrows lifting in question; and, admittedly, I've begun cringing (the kind of cringe that comes when you hear a fork scratch across someone's teeth). Oy!

Here's why it's become such a big deal for me.

First, words matter. We best know what they mean and how they fit into the plumb line of Scripture.

As a student, still learning what Scripture tells me, I am completely convinced regarding the Sovereignty of God. To me, it is is an indisputable fact. 

If this is so, then there is nothing that touches our lives that the Lord is not aware of...and allows. 

Everything from life to death and in between...that affects us...does not happen by chance. 

If I believe in chance, then I can not truly believe God has a perfect will for my life (Romans 12:2)...

"Luck and God's will?" - The two can not go hand-in-hand. 

I believe one or the other, I can't believe both (not luck, not chance, not fortune)...

And...

if I believe in chance/luck, then what happens to faith? 

There's no need for faith.

No need for trust...we just resign ourselves to how the dice will land when they are thrown.

What a terrible way to live!

Were I to believe in simple good-fortune, or bad-fortune (as the case may be), I'd wake up each day living out the course of the day in nothing but fear. 

I don't, though.

I live each day with the faith that God is still on His throne...still looking ahead...knowing assuredly His plan will never be thwarted (and it's a GOOD PLAN, which we may not always see or understand at any given moment). 

God's Sovereignty does one more thing for me.

Not only do I not live in fear, but knowing the kind of God who is in control of my life (His character, His grace, love and mercy), makes surrender to Him, and His plans for me, easier (note: easier, not necessarily easy). 

Because of God's Sovereignty, making friends with the hard-stuff finds a place in my world. 

So, should things go south, turn pear-shaped, not go according to my expectations - I can be at peace and settle into true rest within my soul. 

Were we to sit down and record a podcast with John the Baptist, I believe he would tell us the same thing ToDaY (!) about the end of his life: 

Yes, while horrible and macabre - it was not a matter of good luck or bad; but, it was all part of God's plan to 1) remind us Jesus truly was the Lamb of God; 2) there's always a purpose we can't see, even in the hard stuff; and, 3) even in death, God will use us as a witness to His Sovereignty. 

So, if I could wave a magic wand and eliminate one word from the vocabulary of a Jesus-follower, that would be the word (and anything similar to it): 

LUCK.

For me, there is No! SuCh! ThInG!

In the Middle Between Disappointment and Despair

 "Are you the One to come, or should we look for another?"

-John the Baptist-

(Luke 7:19)

There he sat.

Imprisoned in Herod's cruel confines, John waited with uncertainty. Who knew with Herod what John's upcoming fate might be? 

Twiddling his thumbs, he had nothing but time on his hands, as he looked back at this life God ordained for him, and wondered at what the future held.

This wasn't what he'd expected, nor how he'd imagined the end of it all.

So, as I looked deeply at this picture, the furrowed brow, the dark eyes squinting (as if trying to foresee the future), I find myself deeply comforted (of course, the cross made by the iron bars in each of the corners also helps). 

However, I imagine if we interviewed John right now, he'd assure us that he's glad to bring us a measure of comfort, hope, maybe even joy as his weakness is unveiled in Scripture.

It makes me think of the Apostle Paul and these words from him:

If you're like me, the last thing you want to brag about are your weaknesses...

Paul (and John the Baptist) disagree.

For it is in our greatest weakness that the power of our Savior is revealed to all mankind.

He shows Himself off best when we are not strong (so we CAN'T brag, in and of ourselves).

In the Luke 7 passage (in fact, go and read verses 18-35), John's wondering about his lot in life...and, his disappointment has led to doubt. 

Doubt lies half-way on a dangerous journey toward despair. 

Disappointment leads to discouragement.

Discouragement leads to doubt.

Doubt to distrust.

Distrust to depression.

Depression to despair.

Despair is the bottom of the barrel. 

It's where suicide generally finds us. 

We are all like John (after all, his human existence puts us in the same club, where it is easy for doubt to find us). This is what I find most comforting. Even the prophet Elijah, whom John often imitated, found himself on the journey toward despair (again, a comfort...we aren't alone!). 

It's not sin to doubt; the sin comes when we allow ourselves to wallow...

The goal, of course, is to deal with disappointment and discouragement before we ever get to doubt, but doubt is subtle and creeps up on us before we even know it.

So, even though John's disciples are reporting on the amazing ministry of Jesus (they'd just returned rejoicing in the healing of a soldier's son and a widow's son - the latter from death to life), his heart needed something more. He wanted confirmation from the One that he's declared to be "The Lamb of God," Himself.

Two of his disciples went to Jesus with John's question.

Jesus does just what we'd expect.

He rebukes John, scolds him for his unbelieving heart, and tells the disciples to go back to their rabbi and say, "Buck up, Buttercup! Remember how you leapt for joy at my arrival before you were even born? Of course I'm the ONE!"

Nope!

That's not what I read in the Scriptures.

Jesus responds with patience, kindness and a WORD OF TRUTH...

...That WORD came directly from Isaiah (chapter 35): 

That is all it took to turn John's journey back to one of hope and joy - one prophecy fulfilled, one good word spoken, one truth to remind him all was not in vain.

The comfort I receive abounds when I remember, 1) I am not unlike the one who Jesus declared to be the "greatest" of those born among women (Luke 7:28) - - - if we are human, we will doubt from time to time; and, 2) at any time on the spiral downward to despair, I can stop that Merry-go-round with a Word from the Lord found in His Holy Scriptures. 

Instead of wallowing in my own little pity-party, I can make a choice to start the climb out of the pit, one rung at a time, as I dwell on the TRUTH, and renew my mind. 

ANOTHER TRUTH IS: maybe somewhere in the middle, between someone else's disappointment and despair, we will be able to offer the same kind of comfort with which we have been comforted!

Thank you, John!

A Piece of the Puzzle

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through Him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

John 1:6-8 (underline emphasis mine)

In two verses, the same word is used to describe John the Baptist three times: 

witness

In each dictionary I checked, the word is, first, a noun...not a verb; so that tells me, "I am" before "I do;" John, then, followed up with living it out. 

Witness was John's identity before it was John's work.

Truthfully, we would be hard-pressed to separate the two, but the sequence is important: first, be; then, do.

God sent (indicating intentional purpose) John to become evidence that proved Jesus as Messiah, the Light of Men. 

And...John contented himself with being a piece of the puzzle that pointed the way to Jesus. 

Once he understood his call, John opened his mouth, became a voice, and brought forth a word of testimony. 

The witness became a witness. 

Living between two advents means I, too, am willing to be a simple piece of the puzzle that points to our soon-to-come-again-Savior, along with readying others for the Kingdom.

But, the word "witness" means far more than I once realized (as the Word-Nerd-in-me steps to the forefront, don't give up, just yet - this is pretty important).

The word, which we translate as witness, is transliterated from Greek as "martyria."

It's fairly obvious that this is where we get our word for martyr. 

In first century AD, to be a witness for Jesus, you recognized the fact you risked death. The two concepts were significantly inseparable. This new sect called "Christianity" came with HUGE political and religious tension.

With that said, it isn't at all surprising that John the Baptist became one of the first New Testament martyrs as he "made straight the way of the Lord Jesus." 

If I claim to be a Jesus-follower, I am also called to be a witness.

Jesus makes it clear:

"Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20)."

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8)."

Like John, there must be a resolve, a willingness, (and, yes) a contentedness that comes with our being "sent out." 

Like John, and, like Jesus, there's an attitude in us standing and declaring, "not my will, Father, but Yours be done," and with that resolution moving forward into the purposeful calling of God...even if it might mean death (a little more on this next week as we look at John the Baptist's moment of doubt).

XXXXX

Just before sitting to work on this morning's blog, I happened to be upstairs doing some clean-up after our Christmas-company. 

Dusting the shelves, my eyes rested on stacked blocks that have been there for years (you know how sometimes something sits for so long we forget it's there? Exactly!). Here's a picture.

I

DIE

DAILY

From God's sending of John to the day of his actual beheading, this truly was the man's theme.

It was the apostle Paul's, as well...

"For me to live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)."

You know, sometimes, I recognize that I just throw those words out there in the blogosphere, but what does it mean, really, to die to self?

Well, there's another sign on my wall, crafted and sand-blasted years ago by a dear friend:

Absolute surrender! That's what it means to die daily...

Dying-to-self is simply to surrender in obedience to the Lord: His will, His way, His when, His where...

I'll close with this little prayer that is hand-written and taped to the back of my phone today. It comes from the prayers of early Puritans in the little book, Valley of Vision:

All-good-God,

Help me to see how good Thy will is in all; 

and, even when it crosses mine, 

teach me to be pleased with it. 

Amen.