Planted By Living Water
Planted by living water.
Last month in the Tri-Cities, there was a dazzling light show. It was caused by the fire that was contained in the Columbia delta by Richland. It was stunning to see the red-orange glow late into the night, and we prayed for the safety of the first responders and anyone caught up in the inferno. Theo still believes it was some volcano that erupted lava in the area regardless of how many times I tell him it was only fire. Thankfully the fire only consumed brush and some groves of Russian Olive trees, and the river contained the more dangerous elements of fire to some islands dotted throughout the water. Based on the intensity of the flames, I would have imagined that the fire would have consumed all vegetation on the island, but it only affected the smaller brush. The proximity to the water is responsible for the durability of the other plants and trees on the islands. It reminds me of this passage from the writings of the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 17:7-13
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
10 “I the LORD search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”
11 Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,
so is he who gets riches but not by justice;
in the midst of his days they will leave him,
and at his end he will be a fool.
12 A glorious throne set on high from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary.
13 O LORD, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.
The person described in this passage is the person I want to be. I want to be known as a person that trusts in God. Observe how Jeremiah describes this person; they stay alive, vibrant, and do not become anxious even in difficult times. This passage comes from the greater narrative regarding the narrative of Judah’s failings. This interior passage contrasts the behavior of Judah, choosing to trust human abilities, and ultimately trusting God. If we rely on only our skills or the people around us, we will fail, and they will let us down. There is only one way to acquire our outcome, and that is by trusting in God.
People have remarked how impressed they are that our family can stay positive without receiving our household goods. I suppose it is remarkable, but I don’t see this as an opportunity to live begrudgingly but to realize that this is an opportunity to trust in God. Even if we never see our “stuff” again, God has taken care of us. Not only are we blessed spiritually speaking, but the worldwide church (even people we have never met) have blessed us financially and have showered us with so many things; it is hard not to be anything but grateful. And so, even in a difficult time, my attitude is not resentful or bothered but thankful.
Having an attitude like this is what it means to be planted by a stream, placing our trust in God. We know that whatever happens, God is still sitting on His throne. He is the fountain of living water; in Him, we will trust.
I’m All Better
I’m All Better.
I am not a perfect parent. This realization has always existed; I think most people appreciate how imperfect and unqualified they are when their child enters the world. I felt inadequate almost immediately, and I have carried this thought daily, although there are moments when I feel up for the task of childrearing. But mainly, I fluctuate between inept and overwhelmed. For a while, I felt up to the challenge of being a parent; then, we moved into an apartment. It is not the size of the apartment that makes being a parent difficult it is a concern for our neighbor’s happiness that worries me most. Having our three boys run and roughhouse on the third floor makes this conscientious dad squirm. Frustrations mount and tensions flare, a cranky dad emerges, and the cacophony of noise dies down for a moment.
About a week ago, the noise was far less boisterous; our boys had a slight head cold, runny noses, and congestion mellowed them out. Two elements make sick kids difficult. No one likes being sick, for starters, and little people struggle to express how they feel, and they wouldn’t understand it anyway. Secondly, as a parent, there is only so much a person can do to help them feel better… and the continual blowing of the nose only goes so far.
It is difficult to relate to God. How can we even begin to understand the character and nature of a being so far above us? I continually struggle with His glory. Either I fail to think of His divine attributes or underestimate His abilities, and most of the time, I entirely undervalue His qualities. Through inspiration, the biblical authors try to demonstrate who God is and what would make Him worthy of praise. One such passage is found in Psalm 103. In this poem, David wants us to grasp the reality of God. As you read this, I want you to interpret the rest of this psalm with verse 13, “As a father has compassion on his children.”
Psalm 103
1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children —
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, my soul.
This psalm tugs at my heartstrings because I can visualize God having compassion on us, His ill and uncomfortable children. Knowing that we are like dust, and whither like grass, we are just far feebler than He is. We need Him like a child who needs a father, and we are drawn to the compassionate God that is slow to anger and abounding in love. We cry out to our God that heals us and removes our sickness. Like a two-year-old doesn’t understand why they feel like crud, we humans do not fully understand what sin-sickness does to our lives. And here I see a God that has the compassion of a father, holding our hands and trying to help us feel better, attempting to give us the only medicine that can help. As an earthly dad, I can only do so much for my children’s “colds,” but God can heal fully and completely. When I stop and reflect on these qualities of God and know that His compassion is even greater than my own, I am humbled, and then I am exceedingly grateful for a God who I can call my Father. A Father that sees my infirmities and has healed me perfectly.
Can’t Muscle It
Grace
A week ago, the Stevens took my family on their boat for a day on the Snake River. It was a fantastic day; it is incredible how beautiful these river canyons are tucked into the vast farmland and rolling hills. If you did not know, the Stevens are avid water enthusiasts and recreationists; the newest trend in watersports is wake surfing. If you are not familiar, you have a specially designed surfboard that allows you to ride the wake of the boat you are riding in. After watching a few spectacular demonstrations, they asked if I would like to try; I obliged and got out of the boat into the chilly spring runoff water. There were multiple take-offs and subsequent wipeouts (some quite exquisite), but I couldn’t get the hang of it. The seasoned veterans of the waiter assured me that it takes a little getting used to and not to feel discouraged. Then my wife tried. She started surfing almost immediately (second attempt, in fact); she seemed to be a natural, effortlessly gliding on top of the waves.
I have never been good at watersports. I’m a landlocked mountain kid and feel more comfortable with the “terra firma” under my feet. Exasperated and exhausted, I tried once more to get the hand of wake surfing, and after countless attempts, I was able to stay on top of the water for about 10 seconds (probably less if someone would have timed me). Afterward, in the post-surfing brief, the Stevens told me that women usually pick up these activities faster. They said it’s because women don’t typically fight the process as much as men and let the surfboard do the work for them. Thinking back on the results, I was trying exceptionally hard to muscle my way around the water, which only led to me being exhausted and sore from the day’s activities.
Romans 3:21-31
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Paul continues his thoughts from chapters one and two, namely that God is righteous and that everyone else is a sinner. The only hope for us is that we would somehow obtain the same righteousness that God has. Paul concludes this passage with a straightforward premise that the only way for us to receive this righteousness is if God were to extend a gift of grace to justify our iniquities. This justification cannot be accomplished by “muscling” through it, either by upholding the law or works (v 27). Both Jew and Gentile are justified by faith and that it is God’s grace that justifies us. Verse 30 is the key; Paul states that God justifies the Jews “by” faith, and the Gentiles “through” faith. Faith can only be made evident through actions (James 2:14-26); meaning the Jews were justified “by” their faith in the God who gave them the law to live, and thus they upheld the law, whereas the Gentiles will be justified “through” the lives that are born out of faith in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Making our faith independent of our ability to uphold the law, we rely on God’s grace to justify both parties.
Why do we depend on God’s grace? Because we would never be able to live righteously enough, it is impossible. Just like my experience on the surfboard, the more I think I can do it on my own the more exhausted and defeated I would become. All of us must at some point realize that it is only God that can justify us. Our justification has already been accomplished by Jesus paying the price for our unrighteousness. Our response is to walk according to this reality by faith in the grace freely given to us.
Jesus did the work. God bestows grace. Now I need to live like it.
