Grace is the God Who Stoops

Sometimes it’s hard for us to picture God.  I read about a little girl who went with her family to see a beautiful fireworks display.  After it was over. Her Daddy pointed at the stars and said to her: "Look, sweetheart, those are God's fireworks."

After thinking for a minute the little girl said: "I know why God made them so high in the sky?"

"Dad was fascinated, He asked, “why did he do that?" She put her hand on her hip and said – Daddy, don’t you know, God’s the only one who can reach up there."

Our God is sure big, isn’t he?

Recently I either heard or read the following phrase; “Grace is a God who stoops.”

That really hit me, because God, the Holy, Almighty, Eternal, King and Ruler of the stars, of the entire universe, sometimes shows himself to us as the God who stoops down and reaches out to His people.

In Philippians 2:5 (NIV) we read,

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! 

The verse says that He humbled himself.  - Jesus stooped.  He bent down. He reached out.  He came down.

Can you imagine God almighty on the throne of the Universe –

• Coming down to earth from the glory of heaven to be placed in a manger in Bethlehem, to become the created along with the creator.
  
• Or Bending down to write in the sand when the woman was about to be stoned to death.
•  Or Reaching down to the Leper who was pleading to be healed.
• Or Stooping  down– to wash the feet of His disciples.
  
  

See Jesus, in the presence of God.  A place that we cannot even imagine.   Jesus. at His Father’s right hand with angels ministering to Him.  Beauty beyond belief.

And yet He came to earth. 

And It was for love of man that He came down to earth from that realm of Glory.

In John 8 (NIV) we read of Him bending down.  Jesus was in the temple teaching and ….

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.  In the Law. Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”  They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

Can you picture her looking around and seeing everyone gone.  She answered

“No one, sir,”

Jesus said to her

“Then neither do I condemn you,” . . . “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

He bent down to help the woman who needed His love as much as His correction.

It was for love of that sinner that He bent down.

In Matthew 8 (NIV) we read that

Jesus was with a large crowd of people when a man who had leprosy came and knelt before Him and asked, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 

It was for love of the hurting that He reached down.

John 13 (NIV) tells us an amazing event in which Jesus stooped to wash the feet of His disciples.  Jesus – the Rabbi, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus washing dirty feet.

It was just before the Passover Festival. . . .  The evening meal was in progress, . . .  Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, 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.”

He was showing them how they should humble themselves and love each other.  Can you imagine the grace that Jesus displayed in stooping to wash the feet of these men?

It was for love of His followers that He stooped down to teach them in such a way.

Jesus is the God who stoops, who reaches down, who bends down – the God who came down from Glory to show us how much he loves us.

He reaches down and touches us with His healing love.  He bends down and offers us forgiveness.  He stooped down to show us by example how to love others.  He came down to give us eternal life.

Tomorrow and forever

I like to think of Easter as the dawn – as a new beginning for this world.  When Christ died on the cross and rose again, He gave us all the opportunity for a new beginning, a brand new start.

We know that God created man perfect - and mankind sinned.  God is perfectly holy and has said that we must be holy as well. 

So we obviously needed a new beginning. 

But, what can we do about it on our own?  We can’t become holy and perfect – sin is in this old world and that makes it impossible. 

But there is a way; God provided the only way.  One perfect human would die for the sins of all of us.  And the only way that would work would be for God himself to come into our world as a human and live a perfect life and take all of our sins on himself – but that would mean his death.  And as you know, that’s what happened.

When we think about His death we need to remember that Jesus was fully human and fully God.  As a fully human man, He felt pain and sadness and disappointment just like we do.

When I think of Easter, the picture in my mind that most touches me, and exemplifies the price he paid for us, is the one of Him in the garden, on His knees, praying with all His heart, even to the point of sweating drops of blood.

After praying for some time, He went back to his friends and found them asleep – He had asked them to watch and pray with Him.  Don’t you believe He was disappointed?  I wonder if His eyes were full of tears as He went back to pray some more.

We read that, as Jesus prayed He asked His Father if there was possibly any other way to bring us back to Him – another way than for Him to die with the sin of the world on His body and soul.

We can’t possibly know what Jesus was feeling, but if the intensity of his prayers is any indication – it was terrible.  If the disappointment that we hear in those words to his disciples “couldn’t you watch for one hour?” is any indication, Jesus was full of loneliness and heartfelt pain.

Even though He asked for another way, He was still willing to die for us.  He said, “Not My will, but Yours, Father.”  Jesus knew that He would have to pay the price for us all, and He was still willing.

That really humbles me.  Jesus went down on His knees to His Father and prayed – He asked His Father if they could find another way. 

Why is that is so important?  

Because, if Jesus hadn’t asked His Father to take the cup away, if he hadn’t asked Him to take away the suffering that He knew was in store for Him, I’m not sure we would have as clear a picture what it cost Him to love us.

 

The price was higher than we can ever imagine.

We’ve read the accounts of His suffering – the beatings, the cross, and the crown of thorns, so we have a tiny idea of the pain He went through, but what about His loneliness - have you thought about that? 

Yes, there were people around, some of His followers and His mother who cared about him.  There were this enemies, and the soldiers and the two other men who were crucified at the same time.  But even with all this going on, Jesus was entirely alone in this world.  Even His Father could not partake in that aloneness.  

The price for our sin was not only a physical death, but it was separation from His Father.  When He cried out, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me,” I believe that His Father God hurt like He had never hurt before in all of eternity.

 

I believe God could have stopped the suffering of His son, but He would not – He loved us too much.  I believe He could have made sure that His Son knew He was there for Him, but He did not.

 

It would have been easier if Christ felt Him there,

easing the burden, the sins He would bear.

But that wouldn't pay the price that was due –

the price of salvation for me and for you.

No, the only price that could save the lost

was the separation of God on the cross

from God in his heaven - the Father and Son,

to be torn from each other - a tearing of one.

That day on the earth, the darkness that reigned,

came not from the soldiers, came not from the pain.

It came from God's heart tearing in two,

hurting much more than any could do.

Loving us so much, that it broke His own heart,

The Son on the cross and the Father apart.

Separation – and death were the price that was due,

as God hung on the cross paying ransom for you

B U T

It didn’t end there!

Thank God it didn’t end there!  Spring was coming – a new day was dawning and God knew what He was doing. 

It was only a matter of days until the story made a remarkable change. In only a short time, sorrow turned to gladness.  

In the darkness of our world the sun was shining because in a blink of an eye the whole history of man moved from darkness toward dawn. 

Christ burst from the tomb, and the heaven was filled with singing.  It was a new day, a new beginning. 

Jesus’ disciples changed from the timid, beaten down, men they were  to real men who spoke out, who were willing to stand up and be counted as followers of Jesus. 

And the world would be changed forever because of this one event in history. 

I pray that Easter (Resurrection day) will mean more to you this year than it ever has before.  And that you may believe with all your heart that He loves you.    

Waves

Are you a water person?  I’m not, Oh I love to look at a beautiful peaceful lake, and I like to take a good warm shower – but I’m not thrilled about being in a swimming pool, and I’m scared to death of being in a lake where I can’t see the bottom, or the ocean where the waves push me around.

I remember one time we were out on a lake with some friends.  They were all swimming around, and jumping off the side of the boat.  Being the chicken that I am, I said I’d rather stay in the boat.  That didn’t go over well with this particular group of friends and after a whole bunch of badgering, I consented to get in the water – with a life jacket, and an inner tube. 

At that point, though, the fear took over and I struggled to stay afloat – I know, if I’d just relaxed I would have been fine, but as it was, I went under, due to all my panic and splashing.  That’s pretty amazing to almost drown with a life jacket on and holding on to the inner tube for dear life.  Sometimes our fears in life are just as unreasonable. 

When you’re on a beach looking at waves coming in to the shore, or when you look at a picture of the ocean, do you think of those waves as more than water? 

Waves, one after another, wash up on the shores of our lives.  They are the events that come unrelentingly, minute by minute, day by day (like the waves do.)  They may change their shapes, but seem to go on forever.

Some are turbulent, some calm, some destructive, or some refresh you with their coolness. 

Think about the waves of your life. 

You were a baby, a child, an adult, a senior citizen – you’ve lived through moves, marriages, children, illnesses, and death of loved ones.  These events were the waves washing up on the shore of your life.  Sometimes they were gentle and pleasant waves, and sometimes they played havoc with your world. 

But one big thing that we need to remember about this ocean of life is that someone is in control.  That someone – our Father, creator, watches the waves. 

Sometimes He changes the course of their flow.  Sometimes He shields us, if the waves would be hurtful.  At those times He’s the rock that we can stand on – the safe place in the storm.  Sometimes God stands beside us on the sand and steadies us so that the particularly violent waves don’t wash our feet out from under us.

 And sometimes He carries us out of the way when the tidal waves of our world would destroy us. 

Sometimes He revels with us in the cool refreshment of gentler waves.  He’s there to help and to guide, but He’s also there to enjoy the relationship we have with Him. 

Do you ever think about God walking through this life with you – splashing through the waves with you?  Do ever think that He actually enjoys being with you? 

Picture yourself on the seashore; you’re sitting on the sand as the waves come in.  It’s a hot day and the cool ocean brings refreshment.  God is by your side and you’re laughing and talking about the stuff the surf is bringing as it washes over you. 

Then picture the waves bringing something that’s not so much fun, that’s even maybe pretty awful. Picture the waves washing over you threatening to cover you, to pull you out into the ocean.   But you aren’t afraid.  After all, the one who is with you in the waves is the one who made that ocean – there is no need to fear.

He made the waves – the waters

Remember Genesis 1 (NIV) "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

God created the ocean, the waves, and the water. 

And God can control the waves – the waters. 

Mark 4 tells us how Jesus calmed the storm.

Also remember that He is with you in the waves, in your life, on your walk. 

Isaiah 30:31 (NIV) says

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 

Because He cares for you, you don’t have to worry about what the waves will bring into your life.

In 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV) we read  ^"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. . . . "

So as you think about the waves in the ocean and lakes, and you think about the waves that have washed up on the shores of your life, changing it – be sure to remember - 

He made the waves – He’s the creator

He can control the waves – He’s all powerful

He’s with you in the waves – it’s a relationship

He cares for you – It’s His love

Empty

Do you ever feel empty – like there’s nothing in you anymore?  Sometimes I do.  It’s like my heart doesn’t have any energy to live or love, or even feel.

But today I want to look at that feeling – that feeling of emptiness in a different way. I feel that being empty is not always a bad thing. because we find that 

when we’re empty handed, God fills our hands.

when we can’t do something, God can do anything.

when we don’t have the strength, God does. w

hen we're empty we find that we depend on, and get to know our loving Father.

When I think about being empty, I think about a cup of coffee.  I love my coffee.   If the cup is ½ full and it’s been sitting around and cooled off, when we fill it up with fresh hot coffee – it makes all the coffee in the cup luke-warm.  But when the cup is empty and we fill it with fresh hot coffee – it’s wonderful.   So maybe we need to empty ourselves – to get rid of the idea that we can handle things without God’s help.  We struggle to solve our problems ourselves, when resting on God’s goodness and love is really what we need to do. So much of the time we have the idea that we can do it on our own.  Maybe when we realize that we don’t have the answer to the troubles that haunt us – when we realize that our storehouse is pretty empty, then we can open our hearts and minds to what God wants us to know so that He can fill us.

When you think you’re in control, you become so full of yourself that there is no room for God to come into your heart and fill you.

We read in John 4 that Jesus talked to a woman at the well.  When He asked her for a drink, and she wondered why He, a Jewish man, would ask her, a Samaritan woman for water, this is what John writes.

Jesus answered her. "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself,. . . ?”

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water (in the well) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus said that if we fill ourselves with Him, we will never be empty.  He will become our spring of water welling up to eternal life.  As we fill our minds with the knowledge of our Savior, as we trust in Him to provide Love, and friendship, comfort, strength and peace, we will feel the warmth of His unfailing care and we will be filled.

Empty is when there is nothing left but God and you discover that God is all you need.

Well my friend there is an answer to the yearning for a meaning,for a reason - for a purpose.  The answer comes in emptiness.

That empty place within your heart -

unoccupied by pride in self,

is ready now for Christ to fill,

is ready now to know His will.

Unless we give control to Him

the zest for life is stilled.

Unless we know our helplessness

we never will be filled.

Excerpts from a Touching Lives devotion by Diane April 2015

Come and Dine

Do you remember Mephibosheth?  He was the grandson of Saul, the King of Israel.   He was also the son of David’s dearest friend, Jonathan.  When David became King after Saul and Jonathan died, the family of Saul, thinking that David would have them killed, ran away taking Mephibosheth with them. 

During the escape Mephibosheth was injured in such a way that he would always be lame.

Many years went by and David remembered a promise he had made to Jonathan.  The promise was that David would always do kindness to the family of Saul so he sought out any relatives who were still alive.  They found Mephibosheth and brought him in to the King.  He appeared, trembling and bowing.  This is how the conversation went.  

“Mephibosheth!"

"At your service,” he replied.  

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “who am I” that you should notice a dead dog like me?”  2 Sam 9:7 (NIV)

That’s how he thought of himself, as a dead dog – but David didn’t see him that way, David saw him as the son of his dearest friend.  And I can believe that David was looking forward to seeing him every day at dinner time. 

The fact that David made the first move to rescue Mephibosheth reminds us that it was God who reached out to us  - He made the first move.  We were estranged from God and enemies of God, yet He loved us and sent His Son to die for us.  The scripture tells us in Romans 5:8

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us".

For David to restore Mephibosheth cost him very little, but for God to restore us and bring us into His family, Jesus had to sacrifice His life. 

We weren’t entitled to eat at His table any more than Mephibosheth was entitled to dine at David’s table. But because of a promise, he would spend the rest of his life in the presence of the king.  And we will sit at God’s table as well, because of a promise He made long, long, ago.  

The promise was that He would send a savior to redeem us, to pay the cost of our sins, so that we could spend eternity at God’s table.

What an honor!  Even to be able to serve Him at that table would be enough.  Or it would be amazing to even peek in the door and see the meal eaten – that would be more than I deserved. 

We don’t deserve it - not by anything we have done, it’s an honor that God bestows on us because Jesus died for us and we are now God’s adopted children.

Mephibosheth was very aware of David’s position in the kingdom – David was the king.  And we need to be aware of God’s position as Creator, Master, King of the universe - so that we can understand the honor He bestows on us when He invites us to dine at His table.

An amazing thing is that Jesus wrote out the invitation for us.  He bought and paid the price.  He will be sitting at the right hand of the Father at that meal and we’ll be there because of His sacrifice.

Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV)

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,

 for he satisfies the thirsty

    and fills the hungry with good things.

Hunger for God, hunger for His love, hunger for home – they will all be filled at His table in our eternal home.

The Least of these

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:34 – 40 (New International Version)

Have you ever wondered just who would be the least of these that are mentioned in this scripture?

                                                                                                              

He asked us to take care of them,

to feed and clothe and visit them. 

So could you tell by looking?

Explain now if you please -

can you even picture who God calls one of the least of these?

Did you see him on that busy street,

a man – “the least of these”?

Unsteady steps in front of me –

a heavy load I could not see.

He doesn’t stand out in a crowd, but blends in with the scenery,

He looks too much like you and me to be one of the least of these.

A mother in the checkout line,

she’s one – “the least of these.”

She counts her money carefully.

Her smile is forced, not calm, or free.

But then you might not notice her returning this - and these.

She looks too much like you and me to be one of the least of these.

With graying hair and fading sight,

she’s one – “the least of these.”

Alone, though in a crowd she’ll be.

She’s here, but without family.

With just a cane to hold her hand, she walks on gingerly.

Forgotten yes, by you and me, she’s just one of the least of these.

They cross our paths most everyday

But sometimes no one sees.

Hunger, thirst and those who need a bit of help somewhere,

the stranger who calls out for love - for someone else to care,

the sick, the aged, or those trapped in prisons of the soul,  

all need the contact of a friend to help them be made whole.

They cross our paths most everyday

Will we walk in the Master’s way and help the least of these?

Diane Gruchow January 2015

Courage

How courageous are you?

Do you remember the lion in “The Wizard of OZ?”  He wanted to have courage and went through a whole lot of trouble seeking it. 

Remember that the wizard finally told him, "You have plenty of courage. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger.  True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid. . .  “

Well, it’s not just in facing danger that we need courage.  There are things that we’re afraid of for no reason at all.  I have to tell you about a dream I had the other night – but first you need to know that I have a fear that I know is silly – but it’s still there.  I’m afraid of birds of any kind.  I’ve been known to know over lamps getting to the door when someone’s pet bird is loose in the house. 

So that’s what makes the dream I had so strange.

In the dream people were rioting and everything was bedlam.  In the middle of that there were some chickens that were going to be hurt if someone didn’t pick them up and rescue them.  At that point, (big brave me) I picked up a baby chick, held it close and protected it from harm.  Ok I woke up after that, before the baby chick could scratch my eyes out.

But the point is that, not all of our fears are rational – they are just fears and sometimes we need courage to face even the least of them.  We also need courage to face the trials of life, suffering, loneliness, or just living.  We need courage every single day.

The Bible does have answers for us.  Courage doesn’t come just because we work at it – courage comes as a gift from God.  Let’s look at what God’s word says about fears and about courage.

The Apostle Paul needed courage when he was in prison.  He wondered if he would live to continue his work.  

Look at Acts 23:11(NIV)  “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

David needed courage when he faced Goliath. 

If you’ve ever fought a giant you can identify with David in this event.  His giant was a Philistine soldier 10 feet tall, but your giant could be anything that was so big that you knew you couldn’t handle it on your own. 

Well, David couldn’t handle Goliath on his own and he knew it.   This is what he said to his giant.

1 Sam 17:45 – 47 (NIV)   “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.   This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands,  . . . and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.”

He talks about the army and then he goes on –

“And the whole world will know that there IS a God in Israel.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s,”

Our battles belong to God as well – because He loves us and will fight by our sides. 

Peter needed courage.  Remember when Peter was afraid of the wind and the sea only because he took his eyes off Jesus.  Otherwise he would have been able to do something no one on earth was capable of – walk on water.

Peter was also afraid on the night that Jesus was crucified?  He was so afraid that he denied even knowing his Lord. 

But that changed entirely after Jesus was raised from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit to give Peter and the other disciples’ courage. 

We find that the priests and leaders of the people threatened Peter and John telling them not to speak of Jesus or they would be killed. 

They prayed to God and this is part of their prayer.  

In Acts 4:29 (NIV) we read;  “Now, Lord, consider their threats (the threats of the leaders of the people) and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. . . . (Parenthesis mine)

The Holy Spirit gave them courage and many, people heard the word and believed.

I think it’s interesting that the disciples asked for courage to speak boldly, not for the troubles to go away.  That may be a lesson for us as well.

But we need to remember that we can be courageous because God goes with us and will never leave or forsake us.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified ….., for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

We can have courage because God is strong, He is our strength and defense and salvation.

Isaiah 12:2 (NIV) “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

You can have courage because you are worth so much to God.

Luke 12:7 (NIV)“Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.”

It’s amazing how many times the Bible says, “Don’t be afraid.”  It’s sometimes very hard to do, but there’s something else I want to add here. 

When we think of courage it sounds so strong - Like the voice of a lion – which people

generally see as a courageous beast – roaring loudly. 

Courage isn’t like that, it doesn’t always roar, sometimes courage comes as a timid voice at the end of the day saying.  I will try again tomorrow.  I will awake in the morning and I will allow God to give me courage to face whatever is in store for me today. And if you truly believe that Proverbs 3:24 will surely apply to you.

Proverbs 3:24 (NIV)  “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

 Jesus tells us

John 14:27 (NIV)  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Courage – it’s a gift from God, let’s take His hand and let Him be courageous for us.