Not surprising to those of you who read my blog regularly, but a line in one of the worship songs ("Desert Song" by Hillsong Worship) jumped out at me in church a few weeks ago . The line is "I know I'm filled to be emptied again." This line does a good job of describing one aspect of the ebb and flow of life to me. At times life seems relentlessly coming at me and asking for more than I have to give. I feel empty, dry, and thirsty. However, I can look to the prophet Jeremiah who was given "the word of the Lord" expressed in the book of Jeremiah. In it he refers to God as "the spring of living water (2:13). This living water quenches my thirst, refreshes my soul, and fills me so that I can be emptied again as I share with others.
This past Sunday, Rich Nathans (Vineyard Columbus) shared that writing and the rhythms of life bring us closer to God. He spoke about how many times God told his people to write on stones and scrolls and doorframes and even "on the tablet of your heart" (Proverbs 7:3), thus we have God's word preserved for us today. He also spoke about the many rhythms of life established by God...the Sabbath, the festivals, times of prayer, and other remembrances of God such as communion. "Filled to be emptied again" is another part of the rhythm of life.
Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is "a season for every activity under the heavens." It mentions "a time to mourn and a time to dance... a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them" along with many other "times" that illustrate the rhythms of life. So, too, are there times when our cup is overflowing and times when we are out of fuel. The point of all this is the reason; we are filled to overflowing so that we can pour into the lives of others, that's how we glorify God. We show what we have been given, the relationship that is the key to our joy, so that others will see God in us and desire that same relationship.
"Desert Song" speaks of our times in the desert, in the fire, and in the battle, times that drain us physically, mentally, and even spiritually. Through it all, though, the chorus stands firm. "I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here"
As Job asked, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10). When trouble comes, we can be assured that it is part of the ebb and flow, the rhythms of life, and God is near. Later, "times of harvest, when favor and providence flow" will come and we will be "filled to be emptied again."
Rather than asking if the glass is half empty or half full. The important question is what is your cup filled with and how is it being emptied. I hope your cup is overflowing right now; if not, I hope this has encouraged you to stand firm in your faith and realize along with the singer,
"All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship"
Here is the link to "Desert Song": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3l1z7bXY9Y
*And just above is where I thought the blog was to end, but over night, on the 27th, at 1:30 in the morning Chicken Little's words came true...the sky was falling. To be more precise, the ceiling in one of the bedrooms fell down. The tarps that were covering our house because the shingles were being replaced, blew open in the fierce storm and our upstairs bedroom ceilings started to fill with water. The next day, the water from the collapsed ceiling bled down to the living room and started to leak. The next night another ceiling fell in a second bedroom. Other things have happened to try to discourage us along the way these past few days, but I'm declaring what I saw on a friend's t-shirt a while back..."Not Today, Satan." I am choosing to stand firm in my faith and live with peace and joy in the midst, not in my own strength, but with the strength explained in Isaiah 40.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.