Dispeller of Shame

One day, long long ago, a baby was born.

The baby's birth was celebrated as only the birth of a King's son can be.

Loving arms and royal affluence withheld nothing needful or desirable for the child.

His name? Mephibosheth.

A difficult name to pronounce was perhaps the first indication that an easy life was not to be for this dear child.

His loving father, however, hid a nugget of hope in the meaning of the name he bestowed upon his son -- 'dispeller of shame'.

It was the child's grandfather, Saul, that brought the shame upon his life. The child was only five years old when disaster struck the house of King Saul.

News of the deaths of Mephibosheth's father and grandfather reached the palace causing an immediate panic as everyone fled for their lives.

The young child's nurse could not bear to leave her charge behind and snatched him up in her arms to carry him with her. Somehow, an accident happened, perhaps she stumbled and dropped the boy, who at five years of age would have been heavy. His legs were injured in the fall leaving him permanently crippled.

We hear nothing more of this boy through the rest of his childhood and into his adult life until years later.

Then one day, someone came to Mephibosheth's door asking for him by name.

Not someone he recognized - it was a stranger who commanded Mephibosheth to immediately accompany him. The King was demanding that he appear before him!

Mephibosheth was terrified. He knew the stories of how wickedly his grandfather had treated David and how he had tried many times to take his life. Now David was king and obviously wanting to even the score -- take his just revenge!

Trembling, he was brought to the throne on which David sat. Not even daring to raise his eyes, he fell on his face pleading that he was a willing servant.

Imagine how his trembling fear turned to disbelief - when he heard the king kindly say ... "Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for Jonathan, your father's sake and I will restore to you all the land of Saul , your grandfather !"

That was unbelievable enough .. but then came the promise....

"YOU shall eat bread at my table continually!"

Mephibosheth, having lived with shame all his life was unable to grasp the 'dispelling' of it and questioned ... "WHY?? why would you do this, why even look at a dead dog such as I?"

But it was true... the King's blessings were poured upon Mephibosheth and he was treated as one of the King's sons, sharing the King's table for the rest of his life.

(II Sam. 4 and 9)

A beautiful story of love, is it not?

When I reread the story recently, I thought of how the story is really a picture of our own experience!

Adam and Eve stumbled in the garden of Eden and each of us fell as a result. Each of us has been crippled under the shame of sin.

We lived fearful of the judgement we deserved.

Then one day, we heard the Good News that God was calling for us ! That He had, in fact, chosen us for the sake of His Son !

We approached Him hesitantly, afraid to believe, and yet .. It was true !! God's offer of love and salvation would 'dispel the shame' we had carried all our life.

His countenance smiles upon us in love, exchanging our shame for His righteousness and joy !

He calls us sons and daughters, inviting us to eat at the King of King's table forever !!

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.." I John 3:1

".... that you may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom..." Luke 22:30

The Wedding Feast

It is a sure thing that one day every person will cross that bridge that takes us from this life into eternity.

I am in the process of reading Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven". In the book he tells a true story, that very vividly brings home a scriptural teaching.

I don't think the author will mind if I share the story with you .

Following, is the excerpt from his book.

************* Ancient cities kept rolls of their citizens. Guards were posted at the city gates to keep out criminals and enemies by checking their names against the list. This is the context for Rev. 21:27 “Nothing impure will ever enter (the city) nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life”

Ruthanna Metzgar , a professional singer, tells a story that illustrates the importance of having our names written in the book. Several years ago, she was asked to sing at the wedding of a very wealthy man. According to the invitation, the reception would be held on the top two floors of Seattle’s Columbia Tower, the Northwest’s tallest skyscraper. She and her husband , Roy, were excited about attending.

At the reception, waiters in tuxedos offered luscious hors d’oeuvres and exotic beverages. The bride and groom approached a beautiful glass and brass staircase that led to the top floor. Someone ceremoniously cut a satin ribbon draped across the bottom of the stairs. They announced the wedding feast was about to begin. Bride and groom ascended the stairs, followed by their guests.

At the top of the stairs, a maitre d’ with a bound book greeted the guests outside the doors.

“May I have your name please?”

“I am Ruthanna Metzgar and this is my husband Roy.”

He searched the M’s. “I’m not finding it. would you spell it please?”

Ruthanna spelled her name slowly. After searching the book, the maitre d’ looked up and said, “I’m sorry, but your name isn’t here.”

“There must be some mistake, “ Ruthanna replied. “I’m the singer. I sang for this wedding!”

The gentlemen answered, “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you did. Without your name in the book you cannot attend the banquet.”

He motioned to a waiter and said, “Show these people to the service elevator, please.”

The Metzgars followed the waiter past beautifully decorated tables laden with shrimp, whole smoked salmon, and magnificent carved ice sculptures. Adjacent to the banquet area, and orchestra was preparing to perform, the musicians all dressed in dazzling white tuxedos.

The waiter led Ruthanna and Roy to the service elevator, ushered them in, and pushed G for the parking garage.

After locating their car and driving several miles in silence, Roy reached over and put his hand on Ruthanna’s arm. “Sweetheart, what happened ?”

“When the invitation arrived, I was busy,” Ruthanna replied. “I never bothered to RSVP. Besides, I was the singer. Surely I could go to the reception without returning the RSVP!”

Ruthanna started to weep – not only because she had missed the most lavish banquet she had ever been invited to, but also because she suddenly had a small taste of what it will be like someday for people as they stand before Christ and find their names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Through the ages, countless people have been too busy to respond to Christ’s invitation to his wedding banquet. Many assume that the good they have done, -- perhaps attending church, being baptized, singing in the choir, or helping in a soup kitchen - will be enough to gain entry to Heaven … but people who do not respond to Christ’s invitation to forgive their sins are people whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. To be denied entrance to Heaven’s wedding banquet ill not just mean going down the service elevator to the garage. It will mean being cast outside into Hell, forever.

In that day, no explanation or excuse will count. All that will matter is whether our names are written in the book. If they are not, we’ll be turned away.

Have you said yes to Christ’s invitation to join him at the wedding feast and spend eternity with him in his house? If so .. you have reason to rejoice – Heaven’s gates will be open to you !!!!!

**************

Shadows

This weekend was a lovely weekend to be outside enjoying nature. My husband and I did just that, enjoying a walk around a local lake. Of course I walked camera in hand and as I enjoyed the quiet and the views, my attention was caught by shadows.

Look for them in a few of my photos .....

As I observed the shadows I captured in my photos, I thought about the fact that if I taken my photos an hour or two later or earlier in the day my images would have been different. On a cloudy day, they could disappear all together. Capturing the shadow of something is a fleeting thing, it is true only at the moment you are observing it.

Imagine that you could not see the 'thing' casting the shadow. That all you knew about 'this thing' was observable only in its shadow. How ever changing would be your mental grasp of what it really was. Just when you thought you had it figured out, the shadow would move and with it's moving crumble your understanding of the object the shadow reflected.

As I walked along the lovely forested path surrounding the lake... observing the dancing shadows I thought of this verse...

Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

"NO shadow of turning!"

Did you ever stop to consider that since God is invisible all we can see of Him are the shadows He casts?

He cast His shadow in His creation and in the God/Man Jesus and in His Word.

And He says ... "The shadow that I cast does not move or turn ... because 'I change not' !!"

What does that mean to us ?

It means that God does not cast Himself one way in the morning and another way at noon.

It means that what He said thousands years ago is the same as what He says today.

It means that there is NOTHING that can affect His shadow... it is as solid as the One who casts the shadow.

It cannot be affected by time, by fashion, by custom, by man's opinion, by new information, by popular demand, by the enemy's influence, nor by earth shattering disasters or circumstance ! There is no power great enough to change by the slightest degree of turning the shadow God casts of who He is !

I found this very neat verse in Job 23:13 "But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires that He does!"

Unique... One of a kind is our God ! the One and Only !! There is no one like Him!!

Whatever His soul desires ?? And what does His soul desire ?? I once did a search of scripture seeking out the passages that declared the desire of God's heart. A study I would recommend!!

And if we know it is God's desire to give us what we have need of, with what confidence can we ask .... if God offered it once, He still means it today!

My favorite 'shadow' of 'God's delight' .... is that God says He desires us to KNOW HIM !

Jer 9:24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.

Really? I think of the crowds that waited for hours for a glimpse of future King William and Kate... and those who got to 'touch' them or speak a word or two were thrilled to death !! How much greater is the King of all Kings -- and He desires to KNOW US ?? !! WOW !

Alongside the study of seeking out what delights God, I recommend you also seek out the things God hates.... If He hated them once, He still hates them! The shadow has not turned !

In knowing someone, not only do I want to know what they LOVE, I also want to know what they HATE.

I am someone who loves things to stay the same - (except for the things I don't like, of course..smile) But I love the things I love not to change.

I loved my last pair of glasses, they were so comfortable and fit my eyes perfectly. At my last optometrist visit my doctor prescribed new lenses and looking at my glasses very kindly said... "I'm not sure how much longer these are going to last!"

"Oh ??" I responded ... "I haven't had them very long!"

She looked at her records and said.. "Hmm .. its been 6 years !!"

I was surprised, but she was right .. a few weeks after my visit my glasses broke. I would rather they have just lasted forever.

Aren't you happy to know our God never gets 'old', never 'breaks' ? That He is Forever ? and unchanging in who He is ? We can TRUST His shadows - when nothing else in our world stays the same for long!

The Old Covenant God says ... Mal 3:6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change."

The New Covenant God says... nothing has changed.... Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

There is a warning in Prov. 24:21 It says.. My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those given to change;

Why does God warn us about those 'given to change' --- because if someone changes easily we can't trust them. We don't know if what they say today will hold for tomorrow. Their promises have an expiry date attached.

But not God's ... His promises NEVER change! His word is forever established.

I am so thankful that in a world trembling in the face of change and coming darkness I know that My Redeemer lives and His shadow is without turning ! I can TRUST His Shadow completely!

The Purple House

our Purple Lupin lined path

******

The little house, recently sold, was non-descript no more.

Whereas for many years it barely got a passing glance from by passers, now it was the talk of the town.

What changed ?

The new owner, a painter by trade, decided to use the little old house as an advertisement for his skill. The new house colour was purple with red gables and yellow/green trim. I’m not talking muted designer colours, I’m talking primary - out of a child’s crayon box ! It looked like a larger than life child’s play house.

The purple house stood on a long country road that I travelled most days to and from my own home.

One day I was taking my daughter’s teen friend to our house. . We small talked and then she asked me a question. “How will I know the right man for me?”

I thought a minute and realized the perfect answer lay on the road before us.

I said, seemingly changing the subject, “On this road there is a very unusual, one of a kind house… Point it out to me when you see it.”

She answered, “What is unusual about it ?”

I replied.. “You will know when you see it .. if you have to ask .. its not the one!”

She looked out the car window carefully scrutinizing the houses we passed. One had an unusual roof line and caught her attention… “Is it that one?” she asked. I smiled… “You are asking , so no .. that is not the one.”

Several more times she , with varying degrees of convictions pointed out a house that had a number of unique features. Each time my response of “Are you sure?” brought doubt.

We were nearing the purple house… It barely came into view… when my young friend gasped and with unwavering conviction in her voice said … “THAT ONE!” I asked her if she was sure, but there was no moving her this time! .

I said.. “Just as you recognized the unusual house when you saw it, is the same way you will know the right man for you. When you meet him, you won’t have to ask… ‘is he the one?’

I was reminded of this purple house the other day and how it provided such a great learning lesson for my young friend.

But then I was thinking how it can be an even greater lesson to all of us.

So often we face challenges, choices, decisions. Our life path could go several ways.

We are advice seekers.. We ask professionals, we ask our friends, we ask anyone we think may have some wisdom to impart that will enable us to make the right decisions - large or small.

But do we look for the ‘purple house’ ??

Seeking professional or especially godly advice is a good thing and the bible commends those who do it.

But the ‘purple house’ is when we seek and find God’s word on something.

Then we need no one’s advice… we know that we know that we know the right thing to do. The ‘purple house’ of scripture’s “Thus says the Lord…. “ ends all discussion.

How diligent are we in finding the purple house of God’s thoughts or commandments… or are we content with man’s opinions as they fit with our natural inclinations? Do we try to find the one who speaks a comfortable ‘interpretation’ of God’s Word or do we seek to know what God plainly says.

I love a little motto I had on my fridge door for years …

“God said it, I believe it, And that settles it for me!”

“ The entrance of Your words gives light….Direct my steps by Your Word …I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure ! “ Ps. 119:133,147,162