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| The beach in Galveston, Texas, where 3 generations are meeting. GLORY be to God for dappled things -- for skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings; Landscape plotted and pieced -- fold, fallow, and plough; And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim. All things counter, original, spare, strange; Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?) With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise Him. -- Pied Beauty by Gerard Manley Hopkins (This was our son/brother's favorite poet - Things that may seem mundane or commonplace in life are sometimes where the richness of God's glory is found. It begins with God and ends with God.) |
Three Generations Share Their Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings
Turning the Tables - Shades of Joseph and Daniel - Esther 9 and 10 - Haman's proclamation for all Jews to be killed and their possessions plundered, has been turned on its head. Haman's plot has been revealed by Esther to the king, Haman has been hung on the very gallows he made for hanging Mordecai, Haman's house has been given to Esther, and Haman's position in the government is now Mordecai's. Esther and Mordecai have sent out a proclamation, with the king's seal, to all the provinces that the Jews may gather and protect themselves from any attack. The prior genocidal proclamation from Haman cannot be rescinded, but the Jews can and do protect themselves. During the 2-day fight in Sushan, the citadel, 800 of the attackers of the Jewish people are killed. In the provinces 75,000 are killed. "On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred,in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them...and Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen."
Lessons and Applications From 3 Generations:
From the Octogenarian: 1) They meant it for evil, but God mean it for good - just like in Joseph's life. 2) Like Gideon, the army, though much smaller than the opposition, was too large for God's purposes, "not by might or power but only by God's spirit." The Jewish people in Esther were also surrounded by enemies with power, but God used one woman and one man to defeat evil. Stand against the evil of the day. God works through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary feats. She was just a little Jewish girl who became queen and was used to save her people.
From the Twenty-Something: 1) Perseverance in faith - staying the course regardless of what is going on around you. 2) Am I running the race marked out for me? Do I remember I am made - in this place - for His purpose? This is like David and Goliath. No one is too small, too insignificant to make an impact in this world. Don't be afraid to speak up or stand up for what you believe, but make sure you are guided by God's wisdom and truth rather than that of the world.
From the Sixty-Something: 1) Power of one life to make an impact for God's kingdom and for His people. 2) Standing alone for right and for God even when you may likely lose everything - including your life. Am I able, when all the circumstances seem hopeless and destroyed, to remember that Christ can use even this for His glory, and even this for His kingdom work?
Alive in Christ; Dead to Sin - Romans 6 - "We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life...knowing this...that our old man was crucified with Him...that the body of sin might be done away with...that we should no longer be slaves of sin...but slaves of righteousness." (Ellipses are mine and used for contemplation.
Lessons and Applications from 3 Generations
From the Octogenarian: 1) Jesus came as a servant - not to be served but to serve. That is our mission - to serve as our Savior did for others. It is all about others before self. Serving the Savior - being a slave to righteousness - may mean praying with those who are convalescing or going through deep trials. So many things happen in the body of believers, where we are to be Christ to others. "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. It all comes back to being born spiritually. We are not the same once this happens. We are a "new man." The "old man" is gone. Your spirit bears witness with His spirit.
From the Twenty-Something: 1) the power of transformation through Christ, 2) living by, through, and for Christ alone - understanding that material things are for enjoyment and are not inherently evil in and of themselves; but remember - they are from God and are only gifts from God and can be taken from you at any time or become curses - they are only gifted to you as blessings and are only secondary in importance in life; God is always of primary importance. 3) There are no entitlements in Christ - only blessings. We are not entitled to wealth, to blessings. We are promised eternal life through belief in Christ - not that we won't have trials in life. Living through Christ is giving thanks to Him when things are good. We tend to forget about Him when things are going well. We must give praise to Him in all circumstances - in both the good, the bad, and the mundane. The lesson of Solomon is the ultimate example of this Romans passage - except for Christ, of course. As a young king, he did not ask for wealth or blessings, only for God's wisdom in leading His people well. As an older king, he became entangled by fleshly lusts. His life was an archetypical testament of slavery to righteousness and slavery to sin.
From the Sixty-Something: 1) I am a new person in Christ. My thoughts, my motives, my actions, my speech, my dress, my walk will all reflect this change. It is not legalism; it is a circumcised heart. It is the new perspective through Christ within us. It is an inward change that reflects itself outwardly to the world to His glory. The world will see us as being different, as being separate. The Bible calls this holiness. Does my walk reflect my talk? Is Christ honored and glorified in my life?
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