The tangled cords

I was sitting quietly this morning (which can be amazing) and was thinking about life. I had this picture come to mind - my tangled headphone cord. I had to use it last night while I was sitting at a meeting that Penny had in Corning. I was just the driver so I sat in the back of the room reading and listening to music.

This morning, those tangled headphones popped into my mind. What a mess they were. I remember taking them and nicely winding them up so that they would be easily used later. And there they were, all tangled up. I had to spend time untangling them before I could use them.

And I thought - I am just like those headphones. The Lord takes me into His hand, neatly puts me together for His use, and there I am. Should be easy to remain so nicely put together. But somehow, I wind up all tangled up - in sin. I know how it happens. It is my sinful nature, the world around me and the temptations that come my way that tangle me up. I get all twisted up in my sin. I become a mess once again.

Like my headphones, I can't untangle myself. I look those headphones and think, "What happened to you. Untangle yourself." And they DON'T! They do not untangle themselves. They just lay there in my hand, a tangled mess, looking up at me as if to say, "I can't." That is me. I am those tangled headphones. Once put together so neatly only to tangle myself up in temptation and sin. I become a mess and I cannot untangle myself. I am a mess that just lays there. I might say, "I want to make things right. I want to be untangled." But that doesn't change the fact that I cannot. Like my headphones, I am a tangled mess.

Then the Lord takes hold of me and begins to lovingly untangle the mess of my life. I am not so loving with my headphones. I just untangle them, grumbling all the time.

The Lord doesn't grumble or complain about the mess I have become. He loves me. He cares for me. Little by little, knot by knot, He untangles me. He shows me the depth of His love for me as He lovingly takes apart my sinful mes and untangles me until I am whole again. I am then ready for Him to use me in His service, even as my headphones are ready to be used by me.

Thank You Lord, for continually showing me Your love by untangling the mess of sin that I get into day after day. You are so caring, so loving, so wonderful to me. I rest in Your hand knowing that You will continue to take care of me.

This time, Lord, I will not become tangled. (Yeah, right. Here I go again.)

A glimpse beyond the gate

I don't know about you, but I would like to be able to take a glimpse beyond the gate that leads into heaven. What will it look like? Who is going to be in there? What will happen there? So many things that I think about when I think about heaven.

This coming Sunday at St. John Lutheran Church, Clarinda, IA, we will be remember All Saints Day. This is the time when we can remember and give thanks to God for those believers who have gone before us into heaven. They are seeing the very thing that I would like to see. They see what it is like beyond the gate. 

When will I get to see beyond the gate? It is for sure that I will see beyond the gate on that day when I breath my last here on earth and I enter into heaven itself. But at this time, when I long for a glimpse beyond the gate, I turn to Scripture itself.

In Revelation 7, I read "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:9-10)

There, beyond the gate, I see this great multitude, this number of people in white robes. Who are they? They are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation (John is told). These are the ones who have lived here on earth, held in the hand of God, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. These are the ones who have lived in faith and died in faith in Jesus. 

Why are they in white robes? They have been washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ. They are there because of the grace and mercy of God rather than for anything that they have done. Washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, shed upon the cross. 

As I read this passage from Revelation, I realize that I am receiving that which I wanted, a glimpse beyond the gate. What a joy it is to have John give us this glimpse. Heaven is real. Believers in Christ are in heaven. They rejoice in the presence of the Triune God. 

Oh, to have that glimpse beyond the gate. Lord, You have given that to me. I thank You. Those of my family and friends who have died in the faith, are now part of that wonderful multitude before the throne. There, right there, is my mother. There is Pop. Yes, there are the ones I love. 

Life Isn't Fair

"It isn't fair." That is what you hear from a child that doesn't get his way. "It isn't fair." That is what the adult says when things don't go his/her way. "It isn't fair." That is the truth. Life isn't fair. I said that to my children many different times. Life isn't fair. Don't expect it to be fair. The boss will treat you unfairly. The people at the top will fire you from a position for no real reason other than that they want to get rid of you. Friends will turn on you because of what you have (or perhaps haven't) said. Life isn't fair.

Why? We live in a sinful, fallen world. Someone will want what he/she wants in order to get what he/she wants and will treat you unfairly. You will say something that others will not like and will turn against you. You will post a picture on FB and you will draw criticism from all sorts of people, even those you thought were friends. You will work hard in your life and the other person will get the position and the pay increase. You will work to be healthy, watching what you eat, exercising daily and you will develop a disease that will take your life. I remember we tried to preserve one of our vehicles, wanting to keep it for many years, doing all that we can to save on miles driven only to have it destroyed in a hail storm. Life isn't fair?

Truth. But let me tell you this, God is fair. God treats each person exactly the same. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do for a living. It doesn't matter if you are male or female. It doesn't matter what your ethnic background is. The Lord treats each person the same. Each person is lost in their sins. Each person, whoever you are, can't make yourself right with God. Your sin separates you from a holy God. He hasn't turned His back on you. Your sins takes you from Him.

Then He sent His Son for everyone. EVERYONE! Not just for one nation or one type of people. His Son took upon Himself your sin. He took your place. He carried your sin. He paid your price. He died and rose for you. Fair? Nope. Here was the sinless Son of God being put to death upon the cross for that which He did not do. Very unfair. But He was willing to take your punishment, and in return gives to you His righteousness.

God treats each one of us the same. He gives each person forgiveness in the same way - through faith in His Son. He gives love to each person in the same way - through His Son. He gives salvation to each one in the same way - through His Son.

Here is a God that treats each person the same way. He saves them in the same way. He loves them in the same way. People might claim that He is unfair. He is not unfair. He treats all the same. When it feels like He is unfair, stop, look at it from a different perspective - not from your perspective but from His perspective. He has already done all that is needed for you and for all people. People in the world will still be unfair. People will still be self-centered.

When you feel like saying God is unfair, stop and realize this: The world is unfair, but God is fair. Always. Forever.