"I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."

From Passion 2011: Words that brought clarity and conviction out of confusion

Tonight as I sat in the carpark after hearing this sermon, I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, reminded of how gracious and good God is to a sinner like me. These 7 truths showed me afresh the truth that God makes much of me BY freeing me to make much of God. In other words, by being God-centered in how He loves me, God is loving me most. Loving God is the highest joy there is, and God loves me most when He guards His own glory and the source of my joy. While this may sound complicated and philosophical, it was a fresh blessing to my soul to taste this truth from Scripture again. 

In addition God also makes much of me in Christ. Piper preached magnificently on this topic too, showing that the truth that God makes much of Himself and that He makes much of me are two compatible and complementary, if not, mutual-affirming truths, when one understands that the second is fulfilled IN the first. These 7 truths blew my mind, and brought me to tears as I was so amazed by how much God has in store for me.

Helpfully, Piper referenced John Newton’s analogy of the man going to receive a million dollar inheritance but suffered a punctured tyre in his chariot. Muttering the whole way, “I have a puncture in my tyre. I have a puncture in my tyre,” the man acts like a fool failing to anticipate his joy and great inheritance. That’s how we live our lives, most of the time! Look forward to the great inheritance, the great reward that is in Christ Jesus. These are the 7 things that God used to soothe my soul and demonstrate His love for me in Christ:

 1.) God makes much of us by being pleased with us and commending our lives.

2.) God makes much of us by making fellow heirs with His son who owns everything.

3.) God makes much of us by having us sit at the table when Jesus returns and he serves us as if He was the slave and we were the masters.

4.) God makes much of us by appointing us to carry out the judgement of angels.

5.) God makes much of by ascribing value to us and rejoicing over us as his treasured possession.

6.) God makes much of us by giving us a glorious body like Jesus’ resurrection body.

7.) God makes much of you by granting you to sit with Christ on His throne.

Source: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/getting-to-the-bottom-of-your-joy

Man, like the grass

Into the woods and o’er the hills
The path rolls on and ever still
Flanked thus by shrubs and gentle flow’rs
I walked and walked and walked for hours.

I recalled the Book says man, like grass
Is here today, but will not last
Beyond three score years and ten
Before man is one with grass again.

So walking on the wide, green earth
Considering man’s little worth
I asked the Maker, God of all
To show mercy on those who from the Fall

Lost immortality, and life eternal
When the first gardeners, paternal
Adam and maternal Eve
Sinned in sin, and brought in grief.

So through these woods and o’er these hills
We dwell in petty, temporal thrills
For threescore years and but ten more
Knocking relentless on Eden’s door.

What hope have we who dwell in time?
What hope is there then that is mine?
Until Redemption comes to make things new
And promises made are promises true.

Could it be that God has made
Hope for the disconsolate and afraid?
In the life of His only Son
He hides the death of Many in One.

Yes, on a cross of wood, and upon a hill
The limpless body of a dead man, still,
Flanked by thieves and wicked men of wrong
Was where the Righteous One did not belong.

But because they took Him out of the camp
And hung Him on a molding plank
God ushers us into courts of gold
And seats us there with the Kings of old.

You see, sustained by vinegar, wretched taste
He drained wrath’s cup for now and always
Pierced by a spear, and scourged to shreds
The Prince of life joined with the dead.

Because the sinless Savior died
God’s peace treaty was ratified
His wounds - God signs His name in blood
His tears - God pours forth Mercy’s flood.

So now when I pass through wood and hill
And remember that this life is still
A short, frail threescore years and ten
I see the Cross, and remember my friend

Whose blood bought life beyond this life
Whose agony freed me from strife
In Christ I have a hope so pure
It sustains me from year to year.

And so I walk from year to year
And facing all my fears and tears
In life, threescore years and ten
With my life in Christ, and my hope in heav’n.

"I plan
And expend
The efforts of men
I plan and I plan and I plan.
I scheme
And I dream
Till what will be has been
I scheme and I scheme and I scheme.
I plot
Quite a lot
And I plot till I’ve got
What I plot and I plot and I plot.
So I plot and I scheme
And I plan and I dream
And I hope and I pine
And I work and I whine
And I pray and I fall
Till the end of it all
Means I’ll fall and I’ll fall and I’ll fall."

"To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."

Prayer for light out of darkness

Though dark be all the eye can see,
Help me feel light is all my plea.
Though no one see and no one tell,
Help me faithful to the gospel.
Though no one hears and no one knows
Help me be true to what I’ve been told.
Though no one thanks and no one cheers,
Help me feel Your presence dear.
Though no one joins and none follow,
Help strengthen my weak knees to go.
Though it be a cross and not a crown
Help my soul look up, and never down.
Though the road be lonely and long,
Help my heart to make joyful song.
Though Calvary’s road may bitter be,
Help my eyes fix on eternity.
Though the world be cruel, dark and vain
Help my sufferings not be in vain.
Though no fruit be borne upon the vine,
Help me take up the cross that’s mine.
Though I feel like often, giving up
Help me see Christ drained my cup.
Though my tears be food and all the day
Help me to trust Your will and way.
Though Satan’s darts be cast at me,
Help me, by faith, to mighty be.
Though disappointments fall like rain,
Help me to see, grace falls the same. 
Though there be pains in every step,
Help me see that in Christ, I’m kept.  

Prayer to the God who is bigger

Heavenly Father, 

times like these remind me that You are so much bigger. You stand exalted above all the earth, You hold the universe in Your hands. When I consider the heavens, the works of Your fingers, the moon and the stars that Thou hast ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him - the son of man that You care for him? In Your majesty and greatness, You sustain all of creation by Your powerful Word. You speak and it is done. There is nothing that does not follow Your will and command. Earth itself does not fly into a million million little atoms simply because You will it to be so. The kingdoms and nations of the earth, the United Nations, the councils of great politicians, business leaders, statesmen and economists combined could not pose a threat to Your throne. You are bigger, the great God of heaven and earth. Your wisdom is unsearchable, Your plans, inscrutable, Your power, incalculable, Your might, incomparable, Your mercy, undeserved, Your goodness, incorruptible, Your rule, unassailable, Your glory, unfathomable, Your brilliance, immeasurable. You alone are God, the LORD God.

How amazing it is then, that we can say that You are our strength and our refuge. How amazing that we know You, that we call You our Father! You who did not spare Your own Son, but gave Him up for us all, through whom we have redemption and forgiveness and justification and adoption. Because You abandoned Your Eternal Son, You claimed for Yourself men from every tribe and tongue and nation. How amazing that we should be allowed to gaze upon You in Your temple, and behold Your glory in the face of Your Son, the Word became flesh and dwelt and among us. We have seen His glory, full of grace and truth. O God, You have revealed Yourself to us. You have graciously self-disclosed all that we know of You; all that we can conceive of You comes to us because of Your revelation. Thank You for letting us know You, the omnipotent one. 

Father, I pray that you show us Your power and Your glory. Help me to see with clear eyes Your magnitude and Your rule over these things. I ask O God, that You in Your sovereignty, show that You are larger and that these things these fears and anxieties are nothing but pygmies in comparison to You. Remove the illusions of the world’s power, remove this false sense of paralysis and fear. Remove the anxiety and the fear of man. Replace it with the holy awe and fear of the living God, whose eyes blaze like fire, and whose hands span the universe. Show me Your radiance and power, grant me heavenly visions of You, visions of hope, of rapture, of heaven and of glory. Give me a vision beyond this petty, clay world, and help me see the myriads and myriads of angels worshipping You. Help me to see, O Lord. Show me this O God, and show me Your awesome glory, I ask. Like Moses of old, show me Your glory. Hide me in the cleft of the rock as You pass by, but I pray that You rejuvenate my faith, showing me that You are indeed sovereign over all things, ruling in power over this world in rebellion. You are the mighty God, and in You is fullness of joy. 

I pray all these in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Turn of the year

Darkened visage, shards of longing
Burdens’ weight, the sighs and mourning-
These that cumber, load and press
These mem’ries that steal the hope of rest-
No more follow, no more stay!
I leave you in the year before.
And turning faceward to tomorrow
The sun’s warmth melts passing sorrow
The road ahead is winding, and
In each path and creeking bend
Adventure springs! And wondrous things
Await! The bright, glad tidings sing!
I’ll see you soon, when I pass that way
I will not look back anymore.