As a Tender Plant

"For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground...." (Isaiah 53:2)

This Christmas I've been blessed in considering the great condescension of the Savior to be born as a baby, "wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." There is no human condition so weak and vulnerable as a newborn baby, is there? And not only that, but a child of the poor working class, with no worldly resources or position to give him any of the "extras" of life. They were hounded by taxation and made refugees by an evil king... certainly not ideal circumstances for anyone to be born into, let alone the Son of God. Jesus could have had a palace... servants... glory and honor. But He took that lowliest of places to show us something that was so much more profound and wonderful. 

Do you see what I see in that manger bed? A baby resting peacefully, under the watchful care of the heavenly host. What all the world might consider neglect, poverty, distress and disgrace is the darkened background that reveals the glory of a life of perfect faith. When all the props and powers of our life are stripped away, the future looks grim, and human help has failed us... God is there. Not only has Jesus experienced it and understands how it feels, but it was the place Divinely appointed for Him to grow up in. "As a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground." In the difficult, yea, impossible circumstances. That's where Jesus grew up. Do you see how much the loving heart of God, our Father, can be trusted? 

Sometimes it can be so easy to think "if only" and give ourselves an excuse for why we are fretful, worried, careworn... perhaps even depressed or despairing. But Jesus walked out in the fields and saw the love of His Father for the wild birds and flowers. He was just as cared for and He knew it. "Freely ye have received, freely give" was a keynote of His life. Do we praise the Giver and honor Him with our faith as we ought to? Jesus stripped himself of every rightful power and privilege to serve us. Did He live a beggar's life or bemoan the drudgery of His existence? No, rather He surprised people by His confidence, peace and joy. He lived as a Son of the Highest, revealing to us what that truly means. How about you and I? 

A recent update from brother Lawrence shares his trust in God's providence for the needs, both physical and spiritual, that they continually face. After expressing the blessing of relying on God's promise to "go with thee, and... give thee rest" after the difficulties he's experienced this past year, he writes:

True to His promise, the Lord has blessed Makindu saints this year and has given them enough rains so far. The crops look very good and if only they get rains in the next week, there will be enough food for them until next season, judging from the wonderful crop in the farms now.  Bro. Dominic Malonza and his wife, Jane, have been raised up by the Lord to take up the ministry here at Makindu, whereas my family has been preparing to go down to Malindi to settle there and minister to the coastal congregations that the Lord has set up. Malindi is central and will serve these congregations best. Please, pray that the Lord provides for us to settle down there. We are prayerfully waiting for His providence. We are praying that the Lord helps us to start a school there for our upkeep, and so that we could earn enough to build our residential house there. Please, pray with us for this need.... The burden for the coast is so heavy on my heart. My wife, too, is very burdened for them....
 
As tender plants, needing so much, let us look to the bountiful hand of our God and rest all our cares with Him.

The LORD Reigns

Psalm 97 begins, "The LORD reigns." A simple, but powerful fact that should fill our minds with wonder and our hearts with confidence. That is, if we have peace with God. (Romans 5:1) The response of the Psalmist reflects this: "The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice!" Are we rejoicing today in the assurance that God is in control and His ways are just and right? Do we delight in His watchful care and loving interest for our inmost thoughts and desires?

Perhaps you are tempted to doubt such statements. You want to live for God and trust Him... but it is easy to get shaken up. After all, things can go dreadfully wrong. Sometimes it seems like we are forsaken at our most critical hour of need. Where is God then? Is He taking a break - sitting back while the devil has his heyday? Look again. The Bible is full of crisis situations, suffering and evil - and the LORD reigns over them all. He is never defeated. Human plans and hopes often are. So the question really is, are we wanting God's will to triumph in our lives - or our own comfort and plans?

After spending much of the spring in the coastal regions of Kenya, brother Lawrence wrote: "We have been witnessing wonders at Mpeketoni, in Lamu County.... The blessings, freedom and joy God has given us as we minister here is tremendous. We move from home to home, study the word, pray and sing praises to God on a daily basis. ...Glory, glory to God. It so thrills my soul to be where there is this wonderful enthusiasm and joy in the service of the Lord... If the Lord keeps us so burdened, we will have to go down there and settle, but we are still praying and waiting. We started building a school in the area using local material... and will have it running in January next year, the Lord willing and blessing." He went on to describe how "wonderfully blessed" the area was, which has encouraged many to immigrate there with offers of jobs and land. With such favor, it is easy to rejoice in the Lord's reign.


A few days later disaster struck Lamu County, Kenya. The terrorism made international headlines. Mpeketoni had been targeted by a militant Muslim group and death and fear filled the news. But it wasn't just "somebody else" that was killed, as a hurried line from Lawrence revealed. These same rejoicing saints had been faced with sudden life-threatening persecution and several had died in the attack. The concerned minister, just recovering from a bout with malaria up at Makindu, hurried to the coast to offer consolation and to help with funeral arrangements. Destruction... dashed hopes... and opportunity to become offended. (Matthew 13:20-21) The enthusiasm and joy were over. Now it was time to prove where their hearts really were. 

A month has passed. Brother Lawrence's recent update reflects his confidence in God, reigning and triumphant, despite all opposition:
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. (Ps. 48). 

Our guaranteed satisfaction is only in Him. After serious illness for nearly two weeks, I am rejoicing in His wonderful love. I am now well again and only awaiting to be revived in strength and resources again to continue as before and even better.

Instability has now befallen the Lamu congregations and fear has gripped so many around the county.... Many have fled the area and those saints left are now gathering together in one congregation. Please, pray that those going forth may be brave enough to witness boldly for the Lord. Truth has to march on while the enemy rages in his wrath. ...Food for them is a problem now that it is hard to get jobs, and even to go to work in open fields, because of the current insecurity and fear. Please, pray for these."

 
God's Word says that He will have a tested and tried people, who will put their trust in Him (Zeph 3:12, 1 Peter 1:7). It is easy to rejoice when things go well. But when they don't - when God allows our health and finances, our homes and families to be targeted - do we humble ourselves under His mighty hand? Will we look up and say with a trusting heart, like Job, "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD"? Do we believe in His goodness despite all appearances?

I am glad that God reigns in the midst of the crises of our lives. He is not overwhelmed or outmaneuvered by the enemy. He is not discouraged by the setbacks and disasters that befall us. He is God, and He knows how to carry out His perfect purposes through it all. Because of it all. When we come to the end of our resources and hope, He has just begun. (Matt. 19:26; 2 Cor. 9:12) The LORD reigns. Isn't that a glorious reason to rejoice?

To Be Strong

There is a great need to be strong today. Not just having physical strength to meet the many demands in our lives, but the emotional and spiritual strength as well. Have you noticed how hard and impossible things look when you feel weak? And there are many things that make us weak...

      - poor health

      - poor habits

      - the problems from our past

      - the obstacles before us

      - someone else's failure... or our own

      - the never-ending needs

I'm sure you could add more to the list. But looking at the obstacles just weakens us more. Optimism, determination, denial all may work for the short run. But if we aren't facing the real need, then we will never have real strength. And the reality is that we don't have what it takes – no matter how much will power or positive thinking we exert.

Recent reports from the ministry in Makindu remind us that we all face the same need. Brother Lawrence has faced weakening illness, discouraging failures of others, continuing crises and calls for help... all demanding more need of strength. Yes, we want to solve the problems and see real success. But the reality is that we don't have enough power or resources. 
 

I'm so thankful for another reality that gives us reason to hope: “...but the people that do know their God shall be strong” (Daniel 11:32). Did you catch the significant “know” in there? We usually know quite a bit about our troubles. We have learned ways to deal with them – and we know where our limits are. But these things don't make us strong. They just inform us about our weakness.

Do you know the God that is strong? Do you know Him as your God? This is the key after all. When I feel a need of strength to face my day, my problems, my impossibilities, do I look to God as my answer? Do I know Him as my answer? Someone has said, “He will be God of all, or not at all” and there is some truth to that. Especially when it comes to us experiencing His power.

God shows His might in the daily sunrise, in the enduring mountains, in the crashing waves. At a personal level, we live and breathe at His command. But to know Him as our God, as the Almighty Answer for today's problems and needs, we must get more involved than that. We must personally turn from all other solutions. We must stop worrying and reasoning. We must be still and know He is God. The All Powerful. The I AM. The All Knowing. The Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace. The Lord of Life and Light. For me. For you.

“And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you; and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you. For the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him.” (Isaiah 30:18)