Hidden Saints

Every so often in my job I come across some of the most amazing saints tucked away in small, dingy apartments. They have little contact with the outside world, and sometimes, their family doesn't even realize the treasure that they are. I cannot tell you what a profound pleasure it is to sit in their presence and know with utter certainty that God is making Himself known to me as they speak. Today, I met Mrs. T. She was a Katrina evacuee last year. She and her daughter and grandson escaped New Orleans just hours before the storm hit and have relocated their entire lives to Fort Worth. Only, you can't really bring your "life" with you. They left behind family and friends and a community they'd known forever. I felt guilty (and elated) as I entered Mrs. T's bedroom this morning because her daughter told me as I headed down the hall that Mrs. T was "just" reading her Bible. What I found in that room caused my eyes to water before she ever uttered a word. A precious, aged, black woman in a rumpled house dress sat in a wheelchair facing her nightstand with her Bible laid out, halfway in her lap, halfway on the table under the lamp, open to Psalm 52, her crooked finger tracing every word as she read. I sat beside her and efficiently asked all of my job-related questions. As I finished the interview, I just couldn't help myself. I folded my papers and set them aside before smiling at her and asking what she was reading. I wish I knew how to convey the light in her eyes or the tenderness of her voice as she began to speak to me about the Psalms. She loves the Psalms. She meets God there, in those pages. She quoted to me from Psalm 121, Psalm 91, and many others. When I mentioned to her that I was involved with a group of college-age girls, going through the Psalms and seeking to learn more of God's character through them, she grew so animated. She spoke to me then of the goodness of God and of His good plan for all who would believe on Him. She spoke the entire message of the Gospel to me quoting Scripture, running precious passages and promises of the Bible together, weaving the beautiful story with such confidence. She told me that she'd been trusting Jesus since 1962, and He's never let her down. She talked to me about how she trusts Him and how He speaks to her, interjecting "'Cause you knows His sheeps hears His voice. That's in John." Oh, don't I know it. She told me how she learned a long time ago not to question Him, just to obey, and how she knew that faith in Him is what helped rescue her and her family from Katrina last year. She didn't question the prompting in her spirit to leave, she just obeyed. It would have been an imense honor just to sit with her and hear her story, but there was so much more to it than that for me today. You see, all week, the Lord's been speaking to me, telling me that I am going to have to trust Him beyond what I can see, to believe Him even if circumstances appear otherwise. I'd been feeling convicted about having an unwaivering obedience. Then, this morning, I had a song based on Lamentations 3:22-24 stuck in my head. It says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness!" As Mrs. T finished her stories of God's goodness to her, I spoke the words aloud, "because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed. His mercies are new everymorning," and she finished for me with a triumphant grin, "Great is His faithfulness!" I knew then that it was time for me to go, and I kissed her cheek and thanked her for sharing her story, for speaking wisdom to me from the Word of God, for being a faithful saint. She held my hand, invited me to come back again soon, and spoke words of blessing over me as I left, and I passed her nurse coming to check on her as I moved back down the hall and out the front door.

Follow Me?

In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul wrote this ... Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. I am so challenged by this exhortation. What is it like to follow the Lord so wholeheartedly that you can confidently say to others, "Hey, follow me while I follow Jesus!" Whew! I'm getting ready to launch into a couple of new areas of ministry and the joy of being used to serve others is absolutely thrilling, but the sense of responsibility, of knowing that others are watching even if Ididn't tell them to, often leaves me trembling. I've spoken with several friends recently about what it is to lead a live that others can imitate. What does it mean to strive for that obedience? What does it mean to trust the Lord, to truly count his lovingkindness as better than life? To let go of all that I hold dear in order to reach for a Reward I do not fully understand? Tonight, as I prepare for sleep, I am reminded of a song I only vaguely remember the tune to. I haven't heard it in years, but the lyrics make me want to be bold.

Let It Be Said of Us: Words and Music by Steve Fry

Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion,
that with gladness we bore ev'ry cross we were given;
That we fought the good fight, that we finished the course,
Knowing within us the pow'r of the risen Lord.

Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song, by mercy made holy,
by the mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong.
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song 'til the likeness of Jesus be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song.

Let it be said of us we were marked by forgiveness,
we were known by our love and delighted in meekness;
We were ruled by His peace heeding unity's call,
joined as one body that Christ would be seen by all.

Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song,
by mercy made holy, by the mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong.
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song
'til the likeness of Jesus be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song.

Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song.

He Does Not Disappoint

A few weeks ago, I was having a particuarly difficult day of struggling with contentment in life. I was feeling restless about absolutely everything and frustrated that life wasn't going the way that I thought it should. I was reading and journaling that morning, doing my best to honestly confess my frustration to the Lord, when I heard these words so clearly. "I do not disappoint." I knew it was the Lord. I was home alone, and they hadn't come from anywhere else. I'd heard a similar message about a year ago, and it was sweet to me then, so oh so much sweeter this second time. And, I knew it was true. I may not like how things are going today. I may not understand the way something is working out. But, I can know with utter certainty that when the final story is written, I will not be disappointed in the least with how God has done things. He does all things well. I shared this experience with a couple of friends the next day, but I'm always hesitant to explain those "knowing" experiences. It didn't come from anything I'd read, scripture or otherwise, so how could I be so certain it was from God? Then, two days later, I was reading in Psalm 22. You know what Psalm 22:5 says? Let me tell you what it says! "To you they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED." I shared that reference with another friend that night, and he pointed out that his Bible said "they were not ashamed." You know what? Either translation is encouraging, but how precious it is to me that God would allow me to find it that morning in the one that used the words "not disappointed." He's so sweet to us. So generous with his patience and grace. Last week, I was still mulling over some of these issues of contentment as Chip Ingram was sharing a story on his radio program. I don't remember the whole story, but I remember when he got to the part where he talked about Romans 8:32 ... "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" And, the lesson in it for me was this. If God did not hold back His own Son from death in order to bring us into right relationship with Him, why in the world would I ever worry that He might deny me any thing that He deems good for me? No, indeed, He does not disappoint!

Hallelujah

It's been a while since I posted the lyrics to a good song for you. Every now and then, though, a song grips me in a special way and the musician sings the words in my heart back to the Lord. I met with a dear friend for coffee this morning, and as we shared the things on our hearts and turned them over to the Lord in prayer, I was so encouraged. Of course, such conversations are also an opportunity to disect all the things that have been rumbling around in my heart and mind over the last few weeks. Because we talked about everything from work and church to relationships, school, and exercise, I walked away with all kinds of new things to surrender to God's good plan for my life. I've been struggling with that recently, choosing to rejoice over His answers, even when they aren't what I want to hear. It's so easy to get excited about His good faithfulness when He says "Yes! That's a great idea, Kristen! Go for it!" But, shouldn't I be just as greatful when, in His sovereignty, He steers me clear of something that is less that His best for me? Is He any less good and faithful when He says "No"? Of course not! It is in those times that I rejoice just to know and hear His voice. So, as I got in my car this morning, these are the lyrics that were playing ...

"Hallelujah"

Who can hold the stars
And my weary heart?
Who can see everything?

I've fallen so hard
Sometimes I feel so far
But not beyond your reach

I could climb a mountain
Swim the ocean
Or do anything
But it's when you hold me
That I start unfolding
And all I can say is

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
I'll choose to sing hallelujah

The same sun that
Rises over castles
And welcomes the day

Spills over buildings
Into the streets
Where orphans play

And only you can see the good
In broken things
You took my heart of stone
And you made it home
And set this prisoner free

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
I'll choose to sing hallelujah

By Bethany Dillon