From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. // Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 61:2-3, Psalm 62:8 NIV)

God is alive. And He is active. And He is loving.

Consider the ramifications of those simple statements. If He is alive, then we must ask what His existence means for us. If He is active, then we would be blind, foolish, or selfish to not notice what He is doing. And if He is loving…well…what is one to think of a God like that? Is it indeed possible to both be in awe of Him and draw close to Him at the same time?

If any or all of those simple statements are false, what’s to be done except pity the people who believe them to be true. Those misguided dreamers.

If only the first is true, what real honor is now due Him? If just the first and second are true, why should we not live our lives in deepest terror of what He might allow next? But if all three are true, that changes everything.

On to another claim. We are made in the image of God. Marvelously. If one doubts it, I invite that person to kindly explain all the mysterious intricacies of a human being to me.

Take for example, the ear. Made to hear sounds that delight and warn and educate. But also made to capture words so we can listen from the heart.

There are two simple observations about the design of the ear that strike me today. One is how the outline of a single ear is very similar to half of our traditional heart shape, and if we are to put the outline of two ears together, facing each other, it forms a whole heart. I also love how when the head is tipped to the side, water and other solutions can be poured into the ear to flush it clean, the ear becoming like a tiny well.

I see a connection between these two simple observations and the verses quoted above. We are made in God’s image, and in whatever way He does it, He hears us. When we call, our cry lands upon His ear. And when we pour out our hearts to Him, our thoughts, needs, and longings trickle down into the depths of His heart.

We may be afraid to say things that we think or feel. And sometimes, when we do dare to say them, it seems like no person around us is listening.

But be encouraged, and rest assured. For we can tell God anything. And when we tell Him, we are surely, and lovingly, heard.

The very first thing God ever made was light. Does this mean there was no light before He created it? Yes and no.

There was no physical universe, and no light in that physical universe, before He created those things. But everlasting light, in the sense of God and Heaven and His Spirit, has always been and it will always be.

It is the Light that is everlasting (both from forever-past until now AND from the past and now on until forever). It is this Light that both encompasses Jesus as a part of the Trinity and also encircled His human being while He chose to walk the earth inside the bounds that bind us.

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” (Jn. 1:4-5, 9 – NIV)

The words for today’s art are inspired by a hymn, one written by a man named Rusty Edwards. His original first line says, “Praise the One who breaks the darkness with a liberating light.” I chose to change the words slightly, however, because I think there is a difference between seeing God’s light as “a liberating light” and as “the everlasting light.”

There are multiple ways one can think of that, but I will focus one viewpoint today. To me, God’s light as a liberating light focuses on the freedom we find in this life and world, certainly for our souls from fear of death and bondage to sin, but also for our bodies from addictions and pain, and for our minds from ignorance and pride. And God’s light as the everlasting light focuses on all those things outside this life and world that we cannot really see and know (at least a taste of) until we get to Heaven.

Both levels or aspects of this light we need are so important.

We need the first light to give us hope and strength in this life, to believe that new life in His light and freedom in the face of our humanity are each present-day possibilities…indeed, chooseable actualities.

And we need the second light to help us glimpse the possible reasons behind all the things we can’t see clearly now. For if we trust that everlasting light and the goodness of Providence, we will have hope and strength to face all the things we are not, for some reason, set free from in this earthly journey — and all the things we cannot comprehend this side of Heaven.

After all, isn’t faith ultimately being certain of what we cannot see with these human eyes? (See Heb 11:1.) And doesn’t one need light to see anything at all?

“God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 Jn 1:5b – NIV) Light to liberate now? Yes. Light to shine through the dark clouds of our weakness and limitations when struggles sometimes remain? Yes. Light to help us see and know fully even as we are fully known when the bounds of time are no more? Yes.

To the One who both is the Light and maintains the Light — without making a mistake (though I cannot fathom Your ability now): praise be.

How do we handle the challenges that come from within and embrace more effective personal growth when cooperating with God’s Spirit?

If you get to know me very well at all, you’ll know I am a detail person. It is a blessing when I want to experience an event with full sensory delight or when I need to edit a manuscript. It feels like a curse when I notice a tiny troublesome element that distracts me from enjoying everything else or when I review the published draft and see the small mistakes I missed.

Why is it important to notice details? The focused answers range widely, from needing to report a crime and find a suspect…to recommending the supreme restaurant with the best steak due to unique nuances…to pinpointing the root of a medical or relational issue so healing can come. Imagine a surgeon who didn’t care where he reattached the end of your detached tendon or a mother who didn’t pay attention to how much hot sauce she dumped into the casserole for her small children.

But a critical — and often-avoided — area where details need to be accurately and frequently noticed is the area of our personal growth. These details need to be observed and addressed accurately because it is easy to either be overly critical and doubtful of our ability to grow OR too quick with and lenient on ourselves. And they need to be observed and addressed frequently because the greatest positive growth happens with a slow steadiness that brings lasting improvement while the best correction of negative tendancies happens when such things are caught early.

There are several keys to undergird more meaningful noticing in this critical part of our lives, including all areas: the spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional.

We must ask God to help us see what He has already seen. Most people don’t naturally look for all the details or notice them successfully. We gain this skill through training and practice. Who better to train us than the One who has seen everything already? And who better to help us practice this habit than the One who is supremely patient?

We must be discerning when we listen to others. People around us may see things differently or more clearly than we do. So keeping wise company and listening when that company speaks are two very important habits to maintain. At the same time, we are all limited in our humanity, and so we must learn to think carefully about the observations and advice of others, in terms of our own growth.

We must remember that there are still (and will always be) clear lines of right and wrong as well as true measures of what is helpful and harmful. Culture has changed over time, but eternal truth hasn’t. And the latter is what guides us best on this road of holistic learning.

We must desire humility and rejoice in every day where we live to see justice and mercy embrace each other a little more in our lives.

God has seen everything about us, in our past and our present and our future.

And He still loves us so much that He is willing and desiring to draw us close and protect us.

At the end of this Psalm, the Psalmist invites God to see him again and know him deeper still.

The choice to invite Him in, to remain and to want Him to see us, in every aspect from our joys to our terrors, for an entire life’s journey: I know of no greater sign of trust and dependence.

I wonder what it was like from the angels’ point of view that Maundy Thursday night?

First, to see the final necessary Passover feast eaten by the Lamb who would redefine the whole tradition. Then, to see the Man with divine DNA wrestle with His destiny to the point of truest agony. And then, to witness the chaos of a sword-wielding defense and guards trying in vain to capture more than One prisoner.

I wonder, if angels have feelings, how they felt when the garden was once again silent and empty, and the moonlight shone upon the spot where they had strengthened Him.

And did they, to any greater degree than the scattered, bewildered disciples, know what was coming next?

“In that day, you will say, ‘I will praise you O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.’ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day, you will say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord. Call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.'” (Isaiah 12, NIV)

The final week of the series and these days leading to the Passion will focus specifically on Christ the Messiah and delighting in the truth, magnificence, and beauty of what he did for us all.