Rest in the LORD. Wait patiently for him
(Ps.37:7)
There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.
Thus the reading on our Oswald Chambers calendar this morning confirmed this should be my next “blog story.”
One night just after arriving in Ireland I retired early, only to awaken and see the digital display read;
11.29.
I sensed I was to rise and was subsequently lead on a journey through John’s gospel. The Spirit began by pointing out that the first and twenty first chapters were like a prologue and postscript. Then working towards the middle I noticed in that both chapters 2 and 20 there was a MARY to whom Jesus brought a “timing” adjustment; “My hour has not yet come” (2:4) and “Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” (20:17). “Slow down! Slow down!” He seemed to be saying.
I was then lead to read the first sentence in each chapter. I found the ‘movement’ in chapters 3-10 pointed me forward, and in 12- 19 pointed me backwards. So I then went to the middle Chapter, #11 and then calculated the middle verse. There I read,
” …..When MARY heard this, she rose up quickly and went to him.”
I then realized this verse in John was:
11:29
The time I had been wakened and the verse in the scripture, were one and the same!
I looked at the first sentence in this central chapter, and realized it alone contained the word:
“NOW”!
It was as if Father was saying this is the point at which you are NOW in redemption history….the time when a prepared and adjusted MARY company….. will be invited to…..rise up quickly to meet him!
So what does it mean to be part of this company?
To me the abiding image of MARY, the mother of Jesus, is her disposition;
“Be it unto me according to your word.”
Total SURRENDER…..yield fully to Him.
To me the abiding image of MARY, Martha’s sister, in Jesus’ words;
“You have chosen the better part.”
Sit STILL.…. focus fully on Him.
It was only after this experience that the last ‘blog story’ with our MARY in Donegal transpired!!!
The double witness for this came on our very last day in Ireland, through our good friends Roy and Rosemary Millar. Roy is a ‘patriarchal’ figure in the Irish church who has ‘fed the sheep’ over the years with the deep insights he has been given into God’s word. His magnum opus has been a commentary on the gospel of John for which he was seeking a publisher. So on 10th October we called to return a lamp Hilary had borrowed from Rosemary to sew a maternity coat for our daughter Abby (Even as I type these seemingly insignificant details I’m made aware of the prophetic significance of it all!!)
Roy greeted us at the door with a wide grin (wide for Roy!) and the news, “I’ve got a publisher for John.”
The other “book end” to my initial revelation was in the title he’d been lead to, and publisher for the commentary;
“COME AND SEE” by “INSTANT” Apostle BOOK “QUICKLY” rose up to “BE WITH HIM”
The imagery of both bookends points me toward the words concerning the coming of the Lord in 1 Cor. 15:5 ff and 1 Thess. 4:13 ff……“in the twinkling of an eye….to meet the Lord.”
The key to entering into this reality even HERE and NOW?
…………..coming to a complete (human) stand-STILL and SURRENDER to Him.
………as He continues to write his ‘current’ story – through the BOOK of our lives.
Rest in the LORD. Wait patiently for him.
P.S. This truth was personified for me in two remarkable servants of the Lord I have just met with: a spiritual Mom and Dad. Maureen in Ireland is 90 years old, Bud in Minneapolis is 95. Both are physically restricted to wheelchairs. Both tell stories of feeling ‘useless’ because they are no longer able to ‘do’. Maureen told us about crying out in frustration to the Lord the morning we visited, and then with a grin, “Then at breakfast a lady came over to me and asked ‘Maureen would you pray for me?'” Both carry God in their ‘being’. They reminded me of Jesus final words in John’s gospel both to Peter, about his coming physical restriction, and to Peter about John, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”