Linnea's Lines

The Challenge of Love and Justice

If his love is as high as the sky and beyond 
and his wisdom deeper than the sea, 
why am I so hesitant to trust him? 
It has to be that I  don’t get it. 
I cannot wrap my mind around infinity. 

Since his love goes on forever, with no end,
always strong, rooted in his greatness,
I know he’ll always welcome me,
faulty and weak as I am.
I can sit by him, forgiven, and pour out my heart.

The biggest challenge for me is this:
If I am to be like him—act justly, love like he does—
what will it take to transform me to that level?
I know it’s only possible since he lives in me.
His Spirit is my strength, my guide, my hope.

Teach me, Lord, to love your love, and live it!

The Scripture verse that incited this poem is Micah 6:8:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Mic. 6:8 NIV)

This is a requirement that dates back centuries, and we humans who know about it have been constantly struggling to fulfill it. Justice, mercy and humility sound fine until you try to apply them yourself in each situation, or even when you try to react appropriately to headline news. And how should they be acted out when Jesus’ followers are supposed to love like he does (cf John 15:12)?

How do justice and mercy work together? If someone has done wrong shouldn’t they pay for it, even be kicked out? These questions require thoughtful answers. What kind of wrong is unforgivable? One of those questionable instances that is being brought up by those concerned with immigration is the “crime” of missing an appointment, or of being brought into this country as a child or birthed here. What is true justice, executed with mercy, in such a case? Or perhaps a friend insults you in a way that is truly out of line. Should they be pushed out of your life, or should you show mercy and work for reconciliation?

When we are unjust and unmerciful, we are touting our own right to judge without reference to our Lord’s standards. We are not at all walking “humbly with our God”! Instead we are relying on ourselves rather than even asking his advice. This self-reliant pride succumbs to the voices around us instead of taking God’s Word seriously, asking him for the wisdom and mercy that we desperately need:

⁶ Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa. 55:6-9 NIV)

So, since he knows what is right and we do not, our one hope of figuring out how we should act is to go to him for guidance, and ask him how to apply justice, mercy and humility in each case before us. Only by turning to him can we expect to live this out, taking his requirements seriously and learning what they mean.

I am constantly amazed at the way the Old Testament documents the multiple times that God’s chosen people turned their backs on him. They thought that they had more wisdom than he has, that they could have more power by acting on their own or devoting themselves to “other gods” who seemed to do magical things for their neighbors. Did God turn away? He did judge them. Often it meant turning them over to their enemies, even exile. But he kept on calling them back, waiting with love for them to recognize their foolish sin and return to him. The prophet Micah also wrote:

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. ¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. ²⁰ You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago. (Mic. 7:18-20 NIV)

Micah was listening to God and had great faith in him. His world was in chaos and he was well aware of the evil all around. But he urged his people to listen to their God and repent of their willful sins, knowing that the God of love would forgive.

God never changes. He is still our source of wisdom and loving forgiveness when we walk humbly with him. Jesus assured his disciples that those who love him will obey him, and that his Spirit would teach them and empower them. His Spirit is given to those of us who are his disciples in this day and age as well. Let us listen to him and obey what God says—let’s act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God!

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. ²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (Jn. 14:23-26 NIV)

He Comes Through

When your hands are tied, 
when you’re powerless 
and at the mercy of circumstance, 
that’s when God excels. 

His strong hand of action 
is waiting to move; 
he has the authority to conquer 
in every situation. 

He is paying attention,
he never stops working.
His strength is truly sufficient
to accomplish anything.

When you’re at a loss,
just turn to the Master.
And he, the Almighty God,
will always come through.

His love and his power
show up in perfection
if you yield yourself to him,
just as he promised.

If you don’t ask,
if you choose your own way,
you pay the consequences:
you fall or you stray.

Over and over our God has promised in his Word that he will defend us, strengthen us and guide us when we are walking with him. So what happens when we turn away and do our own thing?

I’ve been reading 2 Chronicles lately, and there are clear answers to that question! King Asa, for example, spent 35 years of his reign as king in submission to Yahweh, his God. He removed the altars to false gods and commanded his people in Judah to seek Yahweh and obey his commandments. After 10 years of rest, the Ethiopians attacked them.

¹¹ And Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” (2 Chr. 14:11 ESV)

Since he relied on Yahweh, they defeated the huge army of the Ethiopians!

A prophet came to warn King Asa how crucial this submission was:

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, ² and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” (2 Chr. 15:1,2)

As a result, Asa became yet braver and destroyed yet more idols. Then he gathered all the people together to enter into a covenant to seek Yahweh their God “with all their heart and all their soul” (v.12). Asa even removed his mother from being queen mother because of her worship of Asherah, a false god.

You would think that this was how he continued to act, but no! In the thirty-sixth year of his reign when the northern kingdom, Israel, came to attack Judah, he never even asked his God what he should do. Instead he took treasures from the Temple and sent them to the king of Syria, begging him for help. It seemed to work—together they defended Judah. But then another message came to him through Hanani the seer, who told him:

“Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. ⁸ Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” (2 Chr. 16:7-9 ESV)

This reveals that Asa was now self-confident, proud of his status and power. When he heard this rebuke he was so angry that he actually put Hanani in prison, then afflicted some of his own people too! Pride does go before a fall (Prov. 16.18). Three years later his feet became severely diseased, but even then he never asked the Lord Yahweh what to do. He died two years later.

If we seek our Lord, we too will find him:

But if you seek the LORD your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul. (Deut. 4:29 NET)

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. (Matt. 7:7 NET)

Jesus himself spoke those words handed down to us by Matthew and also Luke. But we must do that search for the right way forward sincerely, relying totally on him to answer us and guide us.

If we rely instead on our own strength and wisdom, we will stumble and make the wrong decision. Let’s not fall into that trap of proud self-sufficiency! Instead, let’s constantly turn our hearts to God, get to know him, listen to his voice and do what he says—in every situation! He will indeed always come through.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:5,6 NIV)

On Nests

Once you were grown , Lord,

you had no constant home.

You passed up married coziness

to tramp the long dirt roads

between the towns on foot,

depending on a company

of followers, your friends,

to meet your needs.

You shared with your disciples

and the greedy crowds,

then stretched out on

a mountain slope to pray

and get some rest.

No pillow for your head!

“Family” became everyone

who joined you on the Way.

I have a nest, just like the birds.

My bed has extra pillows.

Two guest-nests are prepared.

My kitchen is a playground

with a freezer stocked with meat,

frozen fruit and vegies,

provisions for the family

or a friend who comes around.

Ah yes, I have a nest – two nests.

I’ve led a slingshot life

across the sandwiched ocean!

I’ve wheeled along the roads

and flown the airways

to my goals, yanked about

but ending up inside

the known, the loved,

the home sweet home

shared with my dear mate,

companion as we build our nest.

Sometimes the treasured children

scattered far, are gathered in.

Their presence lights the day

with laughter, love and play.

They too have other nests

and year by year they grow

into Third Culture siblings

in the service of the King.

The ones that live nearby

come over to find respite

or an evening feast, and games.

They also fill our hearts

with gifts of warm embrace

and by sharing their life stories.

We store up this nutrition

for when we are apart.

We have a nest. We are so blessed!

I wrote a first draft of this poem 14 years ago, having left “home” in the U.S. once again to go “home” to Ferkessédougou, Côte d’Ivoire. Today I revised it. Life has changed: we are semi-retired, still involved overseas even while we are here in Detroit, sometimes traveling over there. We have adult “kids” here, and then one of them that lives in Norway with her husband and five kids. They were just visiting us as well as other dear ones in their various former homes this side of the Pond, and we treasured every moment.

It was fun to see the way that their four years in Norway have developed their blend of cultures: American family backgrounds (and MK life in Africa for daughter Ariane), years in Canada, and now Norway. This blend is called a Third Culture, and it is rich. In the featured photo they are doing the Norwegian “Row!” that cheered on their team during the World Cup, sitting on our porch in Detroit.

We have been questioned at times about how we could choose to leave parents, or our son and daughters, or be distant from grandchildren. As you know, it is not only missionaries who find that their life path leads to these separations. We each must follow the plan that our Lord God lays out for us. When he came to earth as a man he experienced these separations too, and did it for love of the Father and for humans. It may be difficult to understand sometimes, but love gives itself for the loved one. For some it may mean keeping a secure nest in the space where God has placed them. For others it may be learning to nest where God has another purpose in mind. In every case, the parents and their “children” need to learn to let go but maintain love, finding new ways to keep the bond strong.

I am so grateful right now for days with this family now nesting in Norway, and for those living here with whom we share mutual comfort and support.

Birds do migrate too, but they know where each home is!

The Legacy of Chalet Shalom

It grips my heart every time

we return to Chalet Shalom:

the essence of loved ones that

lingers on in what they left behind.

They are gone. But it’s their song

they carefully recorded here

in this lakeside home, built

and put together as a legacy

for us. And that it is.

This space is hidden inside

a cluster of birches and pines

on land sloping gently down

to Piatt Lake, which stretches

east to west with lagoon fingers.

This is true Michigan, where

Mom and Dad grew up.

Their roots held strong

even though they left.

They knew God had sent them

far off, to Africa, to spread his love

in Congo and then Côte d’Ivoire.

Now this retreat, Chalet Shalom,

blends aromas of those dear lands

with their piece of “pure Michigan”.

This fragrance is unique, and speaks

through treasures gathered gladly

during decades of hither and yon.

An elephant herd charges us

over the flames of the fireplace

framed by stones and shells

mapping travelers’ trips and delight

in creation’s colors and designs,

collected and mapped to summarize

discoveries made on mountains

and beaches, oceans and spaces

around the world they roamed.

Our father, Dwight, loved photos as art—

ways to capture time and faces

of dear ones he saw everywhere.

He made this house a true museum,

a collection that triggers our memories.

When others step in, they incite wonder.

Africa, Europe, the U.S.A. are melded

together, a testimony to their becoming

a blend of cultures and so many stories.

A wooden elephant and long croc

rest on the organ’s shoulders, listening.

A tiny ceramic lighthouse faces

the bright little hummingbird

guarding the quiet on the antique desk.

Sunrise photos of Piatt Lake

sit beside mud huts and graceful palms,

a painting of lifestyles that they cherished,

a village where they spent time.

A hand-crafted wooden old mens’ chair

is bordered with reptiles, birds and fish.

It is angled across from the comfy nook

where that Grandpa and Grandma

spent hours and days reading the books

that linked them with worlds

they had traveled, wars and peace,

lessons learned, science and history,

biblical truths and philosophy.

American crystal, African pottery

stack the cabinets that subtly evoke

our mother, Barbara, and her love for

shades of blue, aqua, burgundy.

Her home was a haven with open doors

to welcome the family or traveler.

It was handy to have huge platters

and bowls, plus an extra long table

prepped to honor each special scene.

Her remnants of a landmark set

of dinnerware that Dad and I found

in a Lebanese store in Korhogo, a gift

back in our early days of beginning

new life in the Côte d’Ivoire

are white ceramic with dusky beige roses

now fading, scraped away over time

by so many knives and forks, these

herald recovery from losing Congo.

Some treasures cry out to be treasured,

not left behind or hidden in places

where no one knows what they really mean.

So we come up north when we find the time

to sit among these and so much more,

enjoying the heritage left to us.

They offer these artifacts as warm hugs,

the kind they gave to us and to others–

the poor, the sick and the marginalized.

We also sit outside on the deck

absorbing the scenes that called them here:

elegant evergreens, chirping birds,

water rippling with water lilies, squirrels

foraging for their food, kayaks and boats

and children laughing, swimming, splashing

in the “shalom” of Mom and Dad

and the Shepherd they served so well.

A peaceful legacy it is!

That Unnoticed Pulsating Joy

You start a new day feeling neutral: 
much to do, energy low. Where is joy? 
But then you feed on the Bread of Life, 
contemplating the words of the Son, 
and strength infuses your soul. 
You bow your heart to the Holy One,
grateful and reaching out in praise,
remembering all he’s done for you,
all that he is doing through you.

You ask for wisdom and guidance,
and love for others, his command.
He said you must live his way
in order to bear the kind of fruit
that never spoils, always nourished
by the Living Water from the Source
of hope, truth, and yes: joy!
Attached to the Vine, you turn your heart
to contemplate him, drinking in his love.

Then it soothes you: the surging pulse
of true belonging, precious purpose
and satisfaction as you are filled
with ebullient force, always there—
refuge that you tend not to notice.
He is here, in you, your song in the night
and your radiant Light every day,
showing you the way to shine.
Yes! The joy of the LORD is your strength!

I often wake up like that, sluggish and wishing I had fewer concerns and more joy. When it happened the other day, I went back to contemplating what Jesus said in John 15:

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (Jn. 15:9-12 NIV)

These words hit me in a new way: we must know what Jesus commands us to do and then follow through in obedience. That leads to staying attached to him and his love, full of his joy—which was to do his Father’s will. By his obedience he stayed firmly one with his Father. Now he was urging his disciples to do the same. If they did, their joy would be complete!

This reminded me of that verse in Nehemiah 8 that I learned to sing when I was a child: “The joy of the LORD is my strength!” This declaration came in the context of exiles returning to Jerusalem, rebuilding what had been lost, and then gathering to hear the Law of Moses read to them—they had not heard it during those years in a foreign land. It even had to be carefully explained by the Levites for them to understand it! But when they grasped what it meant, they grieved and mourned. They were realizing the extent to which they had broken those laws and were deeply repentant for their sins. That was when they were told that on this day that was set apart for celebrating their heritage of God’s Word they should not mourn, but rejoice!

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” ¹¹ The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.” ¹² Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. (Neh. 8:10-12 NIV)

God’s words now had deep meaning to them! This was a gift; now they knew how to live as he wished. The result was great joy! It reminds me of the response of Nyarafolo villagers to the Word when they heard it or learned to read it and responded with delight, never having understood it before. It underlined what a treasure it is and increased my passion to translate it into their language.

Nehemiah told the people that the joy that comes from walking with Yahweh, “LORD” in most English Bibles, is their “strength.”[1] In Hebrew that word has the meaning of “place of refuge, stronghold.”[2] His protection from the consequences of sin is his grace, and that brings relief and joy.

We too are blessed with the joy of secure relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through our acceptance of his gracious forgiveness. When we understand what he requires of us and we follow through by obeying it, we have that joy that is our refuge from distress. We are his and he is ours! Jesus’ prayer to his Father in John 17 underlines how this amazing joy is given to those of us who are set apart for him, “sanctified”. It comes from knowing God’s word and doing what it says! Notice the emphasis on joy, protection, the truth of the Word, and mutual love (unity):

¹³ “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. ²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one– ²³ I in them and you in me– so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (Jn. 17:13-23 NIV)

It is deeply touching that he made it explicit in his prayer that this truth was not just for his current disciples, but for all of us who believe in Jesus. To have the full measure of his joy is to be protected, and by knowing God’s Word and following it we have the delight of being united with him and also with each other! May we live this out and be full of that underlying, constantly pulsating joy!

[1] The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) translates Nehemiah 8:10b this way: Do not grieve, because the joy of the LORD is your stronghold.

[2] See Holladay, Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the OT (HOL), מָעוֹז: p. 205.

My Psalm of Praise

I will sing about you and to you, Yahweh, 
worshiping you in good times and hard times.
When I tell others how you have acted on my behalf,
may those with little hope be encouraged to trust you.
May their faces light up with hope and joy!

So come, friends! Let’s lift him up in praise, let’s sing!
He has paid attention to my cries for help— 
he is my constant Rescuer, always with me.
I’ve been scared, in deep despair, emotionally injured.
When I told him about it, he healed my heart.

He rescued me from war, from distractions,
from deadly sickness, from intense conflicts.
If you run to him for help you will experience this too!
Open your soul, your heart! Look to him!
Run with relief into his arms of infinite love!

His essence is goodness. He feeds your soul
with all that strengthens your life and health.
He takes care of his own, provides what they need.
Let me underline this: if you want true life,
follow him, respect him, do what he says!

Make your words compatible with his values:
justice, honesty, encouragement and peace—
no pretense or rudeness, only what he wants you to say!
Make sure that all you do aligns with his love.
You will have trouble, but he will hold you.

Pour out your heart to him when in distress!
He will hear you, he will listen and respond.
He only turns away from those opposed to him.
There is no moment when he is not watching over you;
he is always and forever your one safe place!

This is my personal rendering of Psalm 34, expressing my own experience of rescue and my own words of praise. It was written at a women’s prayer retreat last Saturday at my church (GraceWay Bible Church), when we were given three psalms to choose from for contemplation. One application that they encouraged us to do was to write a personal version of that psalm, and I was delighted when I saw that the third one was Psalm 34. If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’ve been contemplating this psalm this month, ever since it was a worship song for the choir that I sing in. The Lord knows how to underline a theme for us to digest and apply—I am so grateful to him!

Magnify!

“Magnify the LORD!” they said, 
“Exalt his name together!” 
“Which name?” I asked, 
to understand this better. 
‘He has a great collection
all explaining his perfection!”
And “magnify?” Can I make letters
bigger, clearer, bright and legible?

I stretch out the arms of my soul
holding a magnifying glass,
straining to understand
the many pieces of the whole:
the essence of the Trinity,
gracious love, infinity,
delightful creativity 
that’s building a new world
where all will be made right.

Come join me in this song!
Let’s project what we have found!
May it leap into the sky
like fireworks shooting high,
reverberating sound
that cannot be ignored!
This is God, the LORD, 
whose name denotes “forever”,
the great I AM, our Yahweh,
beloved and adored!

My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! (Ps. 34:2,3 ESV)

Isn’t it reassuring to know that boasting can actually be a really good thing? It depends on what you are boasting about, personal accomplishments or those of the Most High God, the LORD. It is the humble, those who are not proud, who want to honor him rather than themselves. And those who hear the boasting and are thrilled with it are those who need encouragement: the oppressed, the afflicted, those who cannot help themselves (often translated “humble,” as in ESV). This whole verse contrasts self-focused conceited people with those who are deflecting praise to the one who deserves it, the LORD.

And then we hear that invitation to “magnify the LORD” with the psalmist! The first meaning of the word “magnify,” according to Merriam-Webster, is this: “To magnify means to make something appear larger than it is—such as through a lens—or to make an actual situation seem more important or intense.” Applying that use of the verb to how we talk about God is ridiculous—we cannot make him appear greater than he actually is. In fact, we wrestle with honoring him as we should, running out of words, unable to do it well. Applied to God in this spiritual sense, “magnify” is “archaic” according to the same dictionary: “Archaic: To formally praise, glorify, or extol (e.g., “to magnify the Lord”).”

That is why some newer, less literal translations try to make this more relevant to our times:

Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me; let us exalt His name together. (Ps. 34:3 CSB)

Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. (Ps. 34:3 NLT)

Thinking this through, when we gladly laud God for what he has done for us, our “boast” is recognition of the person who actually accomplished that rescue or provision—not us, but the LORD himself. Our humble souls are deeply grateful, and so are those who hear the news. It brings joy!

And when we invite others to join us in the praise with the call to “magnify” the LORD, we are proclaiming his greatness, the attributes that he is demonstrating for us in what he has done and is doing. We are expressing our worship of the Almighty, detailing what he has shown us about who he is! In that way, we are clarifying who he is, kind of like the way a magnifying glass helps us to see small print.

That leads us to the next urgent invite or command: “let us exalt his name together!” In other words, we lift up to the attention of others the glory of his name and its extreme importance. One problem is that our translations have covered up which “name” is being underlined as worthy of this exaltation. Whenever they capitalize LORD, the name behind it is Yahweh.

Why do they not use the name that is in the original Hebrew text? For a clear historical explanation, go here: https://bibleproject.com/articles/god-name-many-actually/ . In Hebrew it was YHWH, and in the 3^rd or 2^nd century the Jews began to cover it up with their word for “Lord”, adonai, out of reverence for its holiness and so as not to slip and irreverently use God’s actual name. The word “God” is not his name, but rather the word for a divinity, THE Divinity for us. In Old Testament times (and around the world today) many “gods” were worshiped. Those who believed in the Most High God used it specifically for him, and he received many other names to describe his character and sovereignty.

The name YHWH, probably pronounced Yahweh[1], is his true name, the one that he shared with Moses at the burning bush:

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” (Exod. 3:14 ESV)

This name refers to his eternal being: HE WAS, HE IS, HE WILL BE. Always! The Alpha and Omega!

Praising and honoring him do not make God greater, but these practices are part of true worship that spreads the good news about who Yahweh is. And the commands to “magnify” or “proclaim” his character and identity should incite us to truly do so with all that is in us! This can definitely lead others to understand more clearly God’s character.

[1] If you would like to know why “Jehovah” is not the recommended reading of the name, see https://www.logos.com/grow/nerd-jehovah-in-bible/ .

Morning Praise

As I wake up to morning—

to the last bat ping,

first bird song,

paling of the sky—

let my heart wake up to you,

open wide to take in light,

listening for the welcome

in your voice and then

breaking into praise!

Is praise the first impulse that sunrise and a new morning brings to you? I often find my mind preoccupied with remembering 1) what day this is and 2)what is on my to-do list. But joy comes when I turn my heart to praise the One who made this day. Yesterday may have been full of challenges. But if I remind myself that God got me through that (maybe I even saw him intervene in a particular way as a result of my prayers), then when I lift my heart to thank him for that relief and forthis dawn I feel my apathy and apprehension dissove.

I sing in the choir at GraceWay Bible Church, and a song that we came back to this past Sunday is one based on Psalm 34. During practice and during the service it brought calm to my swirling concerns—I could sweep them away and focus on all God means to me and has done for me. This Sunday praise is now leading me to contemplate what “praise” actually includes depending on the context and the Hebrew word used in the original text.

In Psalm 34, where it says “I will bless the Lord” the Hebrew phrase is (ʾ^aḇārēḵ YHWH)^[1]:

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Ps. 34:1 ESV)

I will praise the LORD at all times; my mouth will continually praise him. (Ps. 34:1 NET)

Many English versions translate this as “bless.” You can see in the New English Translation above it is “I will praise the LORD”! I always wondered how I, a human, can possibly “bless” Yahweh, the Sovereign Lord. I know that he has blessed me! So I’ve looked up the background to this phrase.

It turns out that the first praise word in that psalm, ḇārēḵ, means “knee” when it is a noun. When I looked up its meaning as a verb, I found that depending on the context it can mean “to kneel down,” a position of worship, or as in Psalm 34.1, to praise him, to thank him for what he has done. The way this Psalm begins shows that this sense of gratitude definitely is included:

Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. (Psalm 34.1 NET)^{^[1]}

David was humbly vowing to not forget to thank God in reverence for saving his life: he would never stop praising him, but would do it “at all times,” meaning all the time, always. Even when times continue to be hard, we are to be thankful for God’s presence , what we have seen him do in the past and his promises. We are urged to do this in the New Testament too:

. . .give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess. 5:18 NIV)

David underlined that he would be singing a praise song constantly (it would be “on his mouth/lips”). The second word in the sentence evoking praise is תְּהִלָּה a “song of praise”. That word is used in the introduction to Psalm 145:

Song of Praise. Of David. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. (Ps. 145:1 ESV)

Here it introduces the musical term for the psalm, then the word “bless/praise” comes after the part that emphasizes giving honor to the Sovereign God, extolling him.

So what does all this communicate to us? I am struck by the example of reverently thanking God for who he is and what he has done, and letting my heart sing! So here is a way to put it into practice;

Following David’s example, when you rise in the morning and notice the blessing of a new day, you can thank him for all that you can bring to mind: creation, health, or what he has done in your life to bring you to this point. Bow your body or your heart to him and launch a moment of praise. Recognize the self-control that he gave you in a tense situation, or the access to medical care that you had when you really needed it—whatever you have experienced. Then think of a praise song if you can! Here is one that hails from my youth:

“This is the day, this is the day that the LORD has made, that the LORD has made,

I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it . . .” (cf.Psalm 118.24)

When I leave the house for my morning walk, if I look at the lacy silhouette of tree leaves against the sky (whether it is gray with clouds or pearly clear blue) and notice the birds or flowers, then I can add thanks to him for his creativity. When my phone rings and the voice on the other end is my daughter who lives far away, I rejoice that we have this modern-day connection, a gift from God. There are so many reasons to “bless” Yahweh, to acknowledge his ongoing involvement in our lives and to sing to him! Let’s do it! Let’s sing that well-known song that was my younger sister’s theme as she wrestled with leukemia and then joined her Lord, “Ten Thousand Reasons”:[2]

Chorus Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy Name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I’ll worship Your holy Name.

Verse 1 The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning; It’s time to sing Your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, Let me be singing when the evening comes. (Chorus )

Verse 2 You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger, Your Name is great and Your heart is kind; For all Your goodness I will keep on singing, Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find. (Chorus)

Verse 3 And on that day when my strength is failing, The end draws near and my time has come; Still my soul sings Your praise unending, Ten thousand years and then forevermore.

Chorus Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy Name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I’ll worship Your holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy Name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I’ll worship Your holy Name.

^[1] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Ps 34:title.

[2] Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin

Cloudy Sunrise

Sunbeams gleam across the field
as the invisible orb rises,
traced only by the way
the clouded sky goes luminous,
unable to completely mask the light.

The grasses glow, lit by the current
and transformed to green lampposts,
arms lifted in silent praise.
A breeze blows through, dancing them,
unable to hold back from joining the joy.

This morning I saw this happen in a different venue—I was no longer in my courtyard in Ferke, Côte d’Ivoire, where this poem sang itself onto paper. Now I am in the city of Detroit, with my third-floor “Skyhouse” window looking east. There were gray clouds hovering over the horizon. As the sun rose behind them, the edges of their dark shapes became gilded. Then suddenly rays of light were streaking into the gray and dawn became visible!

This reminds me of what it is like when the Light that is Jesus breaks through sorrow, anxiety or cultural barriers to bring hope. Have you seen that happen? When his Light shines on his people they reflect that light, like the arms of green grass that seemed like lampposts that morning. The actual light source may seem invisible but it still has impact through the objects on which it is shining.

At least that is what we Jesus followers are supposed to be like. Jesus himself said to his followers:

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:14-16 CSB)

We are not to cover up the Light that has come to give us life! When Jesus was comforting the woman caught in adultery, whose male accusers had left one by one after Jesus confronted them with their own sins, he said this to her and everyone else listening:

¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (Jn. 8:12 CSB)

Even that sinful woman could have that light if she turned from her wandering to follow Jesus! So those of us walking with him always have his light of life with us, even if the world around us is full of chaos and darkness. He lights up the path before us so that we know where to go and are protected from stumbling. This was a theme that Jesus kept bringing up. When his friend Lazarus was dying, and Jesus delayed going to heal him, he knew that he was going to reveal his own life-giving power. And the “night” that includes death would be lit up by his light:

Jesus answered. “If anyone walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ If anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him.” (Jn. 11:9-10 CSB)

Death does not rule us, Jesus does. When we are walking with him, we know that his light is with us all the way, through days of health and days of sickness, through peace or war or other danger. If we keep ourselves filled with his light, heart-eyes fixed on him, we are walking in the light.

That should make us stand out like the leaves of grass or city rooftops lit up when the sun rises. His light is in us, and this transforms us so that we become “the light of the world”! What does this mean? Jesus said not to hide this light that comes from him, but to show it “through your good deeds.” This does not mean that we should boast about the ways he has used us, elevating our own goodness. Instead we are to share what will bring honor to our Father in heaven! All praise goes to him! We are to point out his fingerprints in each situation where we are led to help someone in distress, or to meet a need, or to love someone hard to love. These “good deeds” do not elevate us. Instead, they show the way the Lord works through his loved ones to shine his light on others. We are to find the appropriate avenues to be sure that he is honored.

There are thousands of blades of grass in a field. When they are all lit up togther, there is startling bright green that glitters and lifts each one toward the sky. When we work together in company with others who are shining Jesus’ light, we become like bright neon lights pointing Up. And in a bare space with just a little hand of grass sprouting, when we are in a dark place with little hope around, then that light is a beacon of hope to those who see it. Either way, we are only “the light of the world” when we are walking in the light, his light filling us and reflecting off us. Let’s shine!

Sensing God

We worship in a cloud, unfocused 
though we strain to see and feel 
yet worship what we know 
within unknowing, all our senses 
clamoring for the Real: 

-- the One who touches hearts 
with joy, whose fingers reach to heal 
the blinded eyes, deaf ears; 
who feels our hurts because he hurt 
as human-Godson, heart and soul. 

-- the One who sees me,
eyes alert to know and care for me,
penetrating always to the core,
not fooled by the hypocrisy
I put on like a suit, looking good.

-- the One who hears me,
bending down to listen to my ramblings,
sorting out the whimpers from the whines
and hearing what the heart
most surely needs for health.

-- the One who smells 
the fragrance of my praise, and blends it 
with the songs of angels to concoct
aromas that unfurl in galaxies
and waken dances in the stars.

-- the One who made 
the amber sweet of honey, salt’s allure,
hid cinnamon and coffee in the plants 
along with things like pepper’s hot surprise, 
and calls to me to taste his treats.

He is the God of all the senses,
never numb to what is happening
to his own.  I pray.  He comes,
he hears, he speaks, he enters me
and holds me in his never-ending love!¹

We cannot see him, but we believe—so we are blessed! He often appeared hidden in a cloud, throughout Scripture, and we may feel that a cloud continues to bar us from a true understanding of our God. But we are blessed! Yes, in John 20:29 Jesus’ own words are preserved to give us this hope, some of his last words to his disciples after his resurrection:

Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (Jn. 20:26-31 ESV)

Having life in the name of Jesus is a gift that will last forever, and some day believers will all see him face to face. But how about now? The wonderful truth is that his Spirit lives in us, maintaining an intimate relationship and communication with God. We have to learn to notice his Presence, using the spiritual capacities he has renewed within us.

He is the Creator who made us with five senses. The use of our senses to know him has been urged even before we were given this precious advantage through the Spirit:

Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him! (Ps. 34:8 NET)

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! . . . Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. ³ Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. (Isa. 55:1-3 NIV)

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. (Ps. 73:23 NIV)

He also treasures fragrance. He underlined that it delighted him when his people brought offerings in recognition of his holiness and reception of their worship (11 times in Leviticus and 18 times in Numbers): they were a “pleasing aroma” to him. Then he assured that even his own people who turn back to him have that kind of fragrance:

As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. (Ezek. 20:41 ESV)

We are made in God’s image, which includes our senses; he communicates with us through them. Even when we struggle to listen, see, smell, taste, and feel him, he is right here, right with us. He is enjoying the efforts of his loved ones to pay attention to his touch, his words, his actions—his very essence. He feeds us with nourishment that builds us up and strengthens us for the challenges of life. And he notices and receives our humble attempts to respond with every facet of our being:

Praise the LORD, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name! (Ps. 103:1 NET)

He made us and knows us completely, intimately. He loves us. He lives in us! He has given us his Word that instructs us, teaches us, and his Spirit as constant Counselor. Even though we cannot see him physically, we can see his hand at work to accomplish his purposes. We can feel his comfort and the joy of true worship. Yes, we “worship what we know

within unknowing, all our senses clamoring for the Real”—and every effort we make to enter into yet deeper worship leads to greater understanding of the wonder of knowing him even now! We worship as though in a cloud but there is the Light of the World shining through!

He is the God of all the senses,
never numb to what is happening
to his own.  I pray.  He comes,
he hears, he speaks, he enters me
and holds me in his never-ending love!

¹Linnea Boese, When He Whispers: Learning to Listen on the Journey. You can find my book of poetry on the discipline of listening at the following marketplaces:

Direct from the publisher, WestBow Press: https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/824658-when-he-whispers

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/When-He-Whispers-Learning-Journey/dp/1664224106/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=when+he+whispers+learning+to+listen+on+the+journey&link_code=qs&qid=1620606002&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-1

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