Written by His
Grace,
Kevin K. O’Connor
Sep. 10, 2004
Main thought: to
explore the beauty of God’s Almighty, All sufficient, Delivering Power for all
of our lives
Through the muck and the mire
Psalm
40:1-3 1 I waited patiently for the LORD ; he turned to me and heard
my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and
mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and
fear and put their trust in the LORD .
for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked
are brought down by calamity. (Whole Chapter: In
context: )
Have you heard the line “You can’t keep a good man down”? I
just did a google search for that phrase and found many links with that exact
phrase. There’s a reason for that saying, because it’s true. There’s something
about goodness that all of the garbage this world can throw at it just doesn’t
affect. Kind of like air trapped under a bunch of mud. No matter how heavy all
of that water and muck is on top of that air, it just can’t appose the force of
the air to get to the surface. And most of us know the force of the deepest
ocean and how it can crush things, and yet place the tiniest bubble at the
deepest ocean and watch how freely it flows all the way to the surface. As easy
as these physical examples are to understand, there is also a human example.
His name is Jesus Christ who bore the weight of the entire world’s sin upon His
own shoulders. And even after we (yes we – all of us for it was all of our sin
that nailed Him to the cross not just the Roman’s and Jew’s physical hands)
beat Him, mocked Him, laughed at Him, tortured Him, and then finally killed
Him, that He still just rose to the surface and all the power of hell couldn’t
oppose Him! God is looking for those today who desire to be more than they were
born with, those who aspire for great things. But in all of our looking for how
to be great we need to take time to consider the smallest bubble in the deepest
ocean and the ocean’s inability to stop the air from rising. The air doesn’t
get to the surface through any effort of its own, but it does get to the
surface only because of what it is. In the same way we cannot obtain eternal
life through any effort of our own but through taking time to listen to the
expression of God’s heart, Christ His Son, we become transformed into His
image. And just as the whole world couldn’t keep Him down, neither will it us!
And just as we look in wonder at how a tiny bubble can oppose the force of the
whole ocean to rise to the surface, so will the world look in wonder at those
who have grown into the image of Christ despite the trials and tribulations
this life had to offer us; 1 Peter 1:6-8 6In
this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to
suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your
faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by
fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when
Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love
him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled
with an inexpressible and glorious joy, God help us to rise up out of our physical concerns and
ourselves and enter into His presence so that we may realize that this life is
not it. Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and Daniel of old who could
see beyond themselves, this life, and its comforts to see the heart of God. In
His Presence is fullness of Joy, Peace and Rest. He is the One Who is our Life
and our Deliverer and who will by His Grace, Power, and Authority deliver us to
Himself. Just as it is the air in the bubble that takes it to the surface, so
is it Christ in us the Hope of Glory who will see us through; Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known
among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory. (Whole Chapter:
Colossians 1 In
context: Colossians
1:26-28) It’s
only the emptying of ourselves that the beauty of God may then come in and fill
us. And it’s only in learning how to listen to Him that our hearts can hear.
So, as we begin to see life, others, and ourselves as they were meant to be
seen, it will not be due to any wisdom on our parts but because of wisdom
revealed to us from Him. The
deepest truths are reserved for those with the deepest desire for relationship
with Him. The moment our focus is on those revelations, or His Blessings rather
than Him, is the moment those depths of revelations cease. God and God alone is
the One from whom all blessings flow and to whom they will all return. May
every heart hear His Word that tells us in 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and
have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who
is in the world. (Whole Chapter: 1 John 4 In
context: 1 John 4:3-5)
Greater is
He! Amen. And He will Bless and protect all of those who take refuge within His
Love and lift us up above any and all trials we are to face here below. God
bless every downcast heart to hear His voice of Love for them. There is coming
a day and coming soon that every child of God will shine as the stars in the
sky unto His Glory, Honor, and Praise. And, although they’ve had to endure much
sorrow and pain here below, they will rise to the surface above this world with
shouts of Joy and enter into His Presence. So for now we may have to face the
muck and mire of this existence but take heart, our day is coming!
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Precious Son who bore the
muck and mire of this world and Who now sits at Your right Hand. Teach us how
to live in Him and allow Him to live in us so that we may rise above this world
as He has. In Jesus Glorious Eternal Name, Amen.
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