In Thy Light We See Light

Psalm 36:9  "For with You is the fountain of life:  In Your light we see light."

Psalm 43:3  "Oh send out Your light and Your truth!  Let them lead me; ..."

Psalm 27:1  "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?"

Genesis 1:3 "Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. 

II Corinthians 4:6  "For God, who said, 'Let there be light in the darkness," has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.  But this precious treasure--this light and power that now shine within us--is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies.  So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own."  NLT

LIGHT–noun1.something that makes things visible or affords illumination

Out in the night and darkness crying
Fumbling and groping trying to find
Some way out of my frightening blackness,
Can't see my way--desperate, dying.
 
Fear grips me now, in madness raving 
Stumbling and falling, finally I cry,
Lord, please help me now out of my blindness
I need your hand--rescuing, saving.

Then come the words, yes illumination
Stilling and freeing , "Let there be light!"
God takes over and all things are clear
I find Him strong-- life in formation..

Light takes my hand, with guidance twining,
Trusting and yielding, I see the truth.
God's glory blazes bright in Christ's face,
He fills my frame--enlightening, shining,

I have this treasure, Almighty's radiance
sparkling, yes beaming out of my life
My heart's the lamp and He is the flame.
God and mankind, holy alliance.
                                   --Patti Lofgren

Prodigals

FLEEING FROM YOU

Fleeing from you,

nothing he sees

of Your preceding

as he flees.

Choosing his own path

how could he know

Your hand directs

Where he shall go.

Thinking he's free,

"free at last,"

unaware that Your hand

holds him fast.

Poor prodigal!

seeking a "where"from

"whence,"

how does one escape

Omnipotence?

Waiting for darkness

to hide in night,

not knowing, with You

dark is as light.

                                                                         --Ruth Bell Graham

                                          

"I can never escape from your spirit!  I can never get away from your presence!  If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.  If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.   I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night--but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.  To you the night shines as bright as day.  Darkness and light are both alike to you."  Psalm 139:7-12   (See also Luke 15)

"O my people, listen to my teaching.  Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable.  I will teach you hidden lessons from our past--stories we have heard and know, stories our ancestors handed down to us.  We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord.  We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did."  Psalm 78:1-4 NLT

"I don't want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, what happened to our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. ...These events happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did or worship idols as some of them did.  ...All these events happened to them as examples for us.  they were written down to warn us, who live at the time when this age is drawing to a close."  I Corinthians 10:1,6,11 NLT

What a blessing that we have the wonderful stories of the Old Testament showing us God's heart and how He dealt with people.  We will benefit from reading and rereading them learning the lessons God has in them for us.  Also we are to pass them on to our children.  The Bible is the very best and most important book we can bless our children with.  Over and over I have noticed in my reading these past months that God is credited as the force behind the history.  He raised up kings and prophets and turned their hearts to do His will.  I'm in II Kings right now and an example of this is in 14:26 "For the Lord saw the bitter suffering of everyone in Israel, and how they had absolutely no one to help them.  And because the Lord had had not said he would blot out the name of Israel completely, He used Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, to save them."  There are many examples of times he raises up the king of Israel or Judah to go to battle and be destroyed in punishment for their idolatry.  These little key phrases attributing these things to the Lord have been jumping out at me.  God is sovereign - He directs the heart of the King like a waterbrook says the Psalms.  What a comfort to have a God in charge who is directing the affairs of man for His glory.  The question is if I value His glory, too. 

I have also been pondering the idea that our personal history and God's workings in our lives are also valuable family stories that bless our children both with our failures and our successes in following God.  Times of seeing how He carried us through crisis and where our journey of faith has been can be a stepping stone for them and be informative for wisdom in their own lives.  With that in mind I've been reminiscing about some of God's workings in some of our early experiences. 

When Dad (Brian) and I first married he was in school and I supported us financially.  Later we both worked while we waited to have children, but we put aside my income in the bank so that we wouldn't become comfortable on two incomes.  Those days of careful frugality were foundations for what God knew would be a pattern of our lives - enough but never an abundance.  When we had Nate I quit working outside the home for good, and Dad became our sole breadwinner.  He had just finished school and we didn't have much money coming in.  It was a stretch to make the money go around.  I remember the Lord giving me Matthew 6 emphasizing verse 33 as a promise to me,  (31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  (34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow:  for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."  Precious words and instructions for a young couple!  "Trust me, worry about My Kingdom and I will provide the earthly things you need."  I can say that after 30 years we have always had something to eat and something to wear.  I have had further lessons in not seeking after earthly things as we Gentiles are so prone to, of valuing what is truly important and sometimes I was forced to admit that what I thought was a need, God must see as a "want" because He wasn't providing for it.  I must confess that the lessons in trust continue to the current moment.  Last winter when Dad didn't have work I am sad to admit that I sometimes murmured and led you in worry rather than faith and I pressured Dad who was seeking to trust God to look around for work without the guidance of God.   Each new day needs its own daily bread and each new situation requires a new trust in the ever faithful God, but His provision all these years does make trusting easier.  I hope that the lessons of this past year and some of it's miraculous provisions will make the coming winter easier.  I also hope that Dad's courageous stands on not spending what you don't have and being grateful for what you have rather than murmuring about what you don't have will be patterns you seek to follow.

Late Blooms

Rachael returned from the Ukraine last Fall with two Dahlia rhizomes, a precious gift from Ludmilla. They looked like two small elongated potatoes.  Ludmilla said to plant them in the Spring like you would potatoes.  I suggested Rachael keep them in the refrigerator through the winter.  In the Spring they looked shriveled up and dead.  We feared we had ruined them, but  decided to plant them anyway, just in case.  After several weeks there was still no sign of life, and I lamented to Rachael that they were dead.  Some time later when I was working in my flower bed I saw two small shoots coming up and yelled to Rachael to come and see!!  We were thrilled to see life coming from Ludmilla's tubers.  All summer long those plants grew and grew, but never a blossom.  There were stems and leaves in abundance, but no blooms.  Finally when the rest of the garden was about done, and things were starting to go into dormancy, the Dahlia got buds and then slowly they began to open up.  Now when it's the very end of the season (many years we would have had frost by now) the Dahlia is in full bloom!!  Beautiful dark pink blossoms in profusion!!  We've put them in vases around the house and yet there are plenty left in the garden.  When I showed a friend she could hardly believe that all that plant and bloom came from just two little tubers.  It set me to thinking about my children's spiritual life and how sometimes I am tempted to give up too soon because they aren't showing much sign of life, perhaps the best blooms will come late.  

Watching with Thee

"Then saith He unto them, 'My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death:  tarry ye here, and watch with me. '   ...And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, 'What, could ye not watch with me one hour?'"  Matthew 26:38,40

Lord, today I see my grief

as a loving gift from you.

A welcoming call to share your travail.

A partnership I won't rue.

When I ache and long and pray

for those that have gone away

I am crying along with you, my God,

for my wayward ones gone astray.

Is this the way you feel, my Lord,

About all your children dear?

Who have left the fold and followed the world

And want You no longer near.

What would it be to see, O God

Never to turn away;

To know all the pain, the filth, the sin;

Watching the world night and day.

Mercifully my little stage, O Lord

Can only play my small life

I can't imagine what you must feel

Carrying the whole world's strife.

Lord that you welcome me to join

Taking me by the hand

Ask me to watch and pray awhile

Gladly I will stand.

How could I do any less, my Friend

You've already made the way.

Grief a gift to help keep me awake,

Gratefully I will pray.

                                           --Patti Lofgren

We seek them with Thee

              SAVE THE CHILDREN

O save our children, Lord, we come to Thee,
Nor can we rest till they are gathered in.
O save them lest they wander carelessly;
Save them and keep them from the power of sin.

Grant they may hear Thy love's persuasive call,
Good Shepherd, who for our dear chldren died.
We seek them with Thee, till Thou find them all,
And Thy long travail has been satisfied.
                                               --Amy Carmichael

                                                  --Painting by Holman Hunt

Tiny Fingers Curled Round Mine

Tiny fingers curled round mine,

Fuzzy head and eyes that shine

Silken skin that smells so new

Baby, how I treasure you!

Steps that wobble, falling down

Tries again without a frown

Smiling big so sweet and smart

Toddler you have won my heart!

Learning numbers 1 2 3,

Saying letters "A B C",

New ideas, learning's fun:

I love you from sun to sun!

Adolescence here we come

Hormone's challenge -- I'm undone!

Yet I still through tears can say,

"I love you more every day!"

Growing up and sprouting wings

Jobs and weddings - joyful things.

I'm so proud of all you are

Can you feel it?  I love you!

Courtship, marriage, babies start

Flowing in to fill my heart;

Prayers of thanks and eyes that shine

Tiny fingers curled round mine.

                                                         --Patti Lofgren

Photo credit:  Ryan Hosher