1 October 2008
11:10 pm
Joburg

I awoke this morning to shrieks of fear: my roommates had encountered a ‘tarantula,’ that is a spider of great proportions. After much ado and carrying of kitchen utensils to the upstairs bathroom, I believe the creature met its demise and the girls calmed down enough to stop yelling. :) What a way to greet the morning!
After I wriggled out of my bed/cocoon, quite reluctantly, I noticed the beauty of the day I had just encountered. The sun was shining in through my window, and it was warm, and I heard laughing in the other part of my house. A gift, I thought, this day is a gift from my Father. He loves me, and is greeting me with this wonder. :) That is a way to greet the day!
I must admit that I am, far too often, a complainer. I don’t get things my way, so I like to point out how unhappy I am with the arrangement. I try to be positive, but I fail on a daily basis. If we are being honest, I’d say we all are that way from time to time. More likely, it’s most of the time. We are a race of discontentment; our humanity causes us to always want more, or better, than what we have. The ‘American Dream’ tells us to reach for status, monetary success, prestige, security… fill in the blank. And we won’t be satisfied until we have what we are looking for. But is that what really matters? Really?
Is anything you accomplish in this world, or anything you attain, or achieve, going to last? Forever? Nothing will—except the work and will and purposes of Christ, the eternal and mighty God of creation. John Piper said: “It isn’t you. It’s what you’re gripped with.” Are you gripped by the world, or the One who is holding it in His hands? Galatians 6:14 says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Boast only in the cross. John Piper:“If you boast in the hope of glory, let your boasting in the hope of glory be a boasting in the cross. If you boast in your health, your family, your friends, your tribulations, let your boasting in these things be a boasting in the cross. Bring all other boasting under your boasting in the cross. When Christ died, He purchased for sinners everything they enjoy that is not part of their condemnation. We are sinners all. The only thing we deserve is condemnation. That’s all we deserve. Therefore, every beat of your heart, every word, every movement, every step, every friend, every joy is a blood bought gift which you would NOT have if He had not died. Therefore, if you boast in any of these things, if you glory that you have eyes or hands or friends, then it is a glorying and boasting in the cross, because He bought them for you on the cross. The cross is everything! You would not have anything but judgement if it was not for the cross. God made you, and you are not deserving of anything good from God. If you get anything good, as you do, everyday, then it was bought for you by Jesus.”
That thought hit me square in the face: that everything I have is because Jesus died on the cross. I am learning more all the time what it means to be embodied by the Spirit of God, to live for Him with a passion and to die to self daily. I have by no means mastered anything, but God is surely mastering and teaching me. There is such a difference in just knowing that Jesus is your Saviour and really knowing Him. That’s really the point of it all, coming to know our Lord more. He loves us infintely, and works all things for the good of those who love Him. He is constantly caring for us and seeking us and reaching down to us. He is an amazing and wonderful and all-knowing and sovereign King. He holds everything in His hands; nothing surprises Him. He is just fantastic beyond words. He knows us, and He wants us to know Him and seek Him and follow Him with our whole hearts. It’s about faith and trust and knowing that His plans for you are far greater than anything we had planned for ourselves. He can, and will, do great things in you and through you if you just surrender to Him what He gave you to begin with. A life in His hands is an astounding thing. He fed five thousand with a few loaves and fishes that He blessed with His words and broke with His hands! How much more can He do with you, His beloved, if you give yourself up to Him? It’s all about Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour and King.
I love you, my Redeemer and Triumph and Strong Tower. Thank you for taking hold of me every day, and keeping me close to You. You are greatly to be praised!

Only one life,
‘twill soon be past.
Only what’s done
for Christ will last.