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They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Psalm 19:3
Go outside on a clear night. Get away from the city lights and look heavenward. See it? Stand and gaze for a few moments. Perhaps even lay down on the cool, soft carpet of grass below you. Look intently and listen. Do you hear it?
It’s the sound of the heavens. Oh, you won’t hear actual words. Angels sang to announce Jesus’ birth, but there haven’t been many heavenly choirs. This sound is different because this sound is not distinguishable to the human ear.
Take a look at their song though. Those stars over there? They’re the Baptist stars. Staunch & stoic they stand silent in the night boldly proclaiming the truth of the creation and the creator. The Pentecostal stars are over there. They’re the ones shining brightly and seem to dance in their heavenly place against the black backdrop. The Lutheran stars are off to the left (not sure if they are having a pot luck or not).
The Spanish speaking stars are over there right next to the English speaking stars. The French speaking stars are next and so on down the line.
You may be thinking, “What sky is he looking at?” You may be wondering what color the grass is in my world as well.
You’d be right of course. You see, all of heavens speak one language. Stars, planets, asteroids, moons and all the other celestial bodies join in perfect harmony to praise their creator. We humans have a hard time understanding each other. We have a difficult time dealing with people from different economic, cultural or religious backgrounds. But when we look at outer space even the atheist stands in awe at its complexity and enormity.
The language of heaven is a language of praise and unity. It’s a language that is understood by all and heard by none. Not a single star needs to speak praise for the creator. It simply shines, and all its buddies join in.
What would our world be like if we as Christ-followers shone in unity and as brightly as the stars you see as we lay here in the grass looking up at them? Would anyone be able to doubt the power and majesty of our Creator? I think not.
The Psalmist writes, “The Heavens declare the glory of God. They do it without seminary training. They do it without allegiance to any organized group. The heavens declare God’s greatness in silence, yet it’s a message we all can hear and understand. Live in peace and unity. Proclaim God’s glory without saying a single word by living a life pleasing to God.
PRAYER: I stand in awe of your majesty my Lord. I confess that we as your creations have been pulled apart by all sorts of things that don’t really matter. Empower us by your Spirit to shine forth to the world. Amen.
For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:27
When natural disasters strike we are drawn to the people who give of themselves to help the victims. Movie stars, athletes and other celebrities are held in high esteem for the sacrificial work they have done to help humanity. Those who don’t have much money, but have a passion for a particular cause will join together for marches and walks and vigils to bring attention to the victims of disease or some other calamity in hopes that their cause will be noticed by those who can help in even the smallest way.
I’m in no way minimizing the efforts of these people. They are to be applauded for their work. Some have given their own lives so that others can live and that is a noble gesture indeed. However, the one factor in all these efforts that has to happen for them to be effective is that success comes from gaining public awareness. As good of intentions as these heroes of society have, their work would not be as effective if no one notices. In fact, celebrities are sought out to sponsor a cause for that very reason.
That’s what makes Jesus’ teaching even more astounding. In the hot, dusty streets and paths of Israel, no one was less recognized than the servant who washed people’s feet. It was the dirtiest and lowest job anyone could have. The servant delegated to foot-washing was noticed more if he/she wasn’t there than for the job they did. Never a thank-you. No tips. No appreciation or recognition of any kind. If you were a foot-washer it was unlikely that anyone at Wal-Mart would stop you in the aisle and say, “Remember me? You washed my feet last week. Thank you so much!” That wasn’t going to happen. Ever. Period.
Jesus used the example of washing feet for basic reasons. First of all, he did that to show me how important I am to him. That person with the towel around his waist, kneeling before me on a hot, dusty day, to wash my smelly, calloused, crusty feet was the creator of the universe! He was the one that hung the stars in place. He was the one that created the wonder we call conception and birth. He was the one who formed the massive mountains and the fruitful plain and filled the massive ocean. Then he turned around and place hundreds of thousands of life forms in them. Yet there he was washing my feet. To the King of Kings and Lord of Lords I am held in higher esteem than he holds himself.
A second reason Jesus kneels before me is to show me how to treat others. True heroes do the little things that make others, who deserve it the least, feel like kings! As you go through the journey of life, you may come in contact with hundreds of people who largely go unnoticed for the things they do. The clerk at the gas station. The barista at Starbucks. The greeter at Wal-Mart. The list goes on and on.
So ask yourself this question. At the end of the day, have the people you come in contact with left your presence feeling like a king or a servant?
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. The visual of you kneeling before me to wash my feet is humbling. The fact that you would think so much of me that you lowered yourself to that leaves me without words. I ask that you would empower me with your Holy Spirit to see the unnoticed in my daily walk. Help me leave them feeling like kings, just as you see me. In your name I pray, Amen.
You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. Psalm 139:1-2
With the popularity of the internet and various networking sites, like FaceBook and Twitter, the concept of ‘knowing someone’ has become somewhat clouded. We can ‘know’ someone from other countries who we have never met anywhere but in cyberspace.
In Psalm 139, King David makes the statement “You know me” concerning God. The knowledge God has of us is so much more intimate than we can imagine. I can choose what information I let you know about me. I can tone down the bad stuff about me and put a nice coat of frosting on the good stuff to make it even better.
I can choose to hide the things I don’t want you to know, those hidden thoughts, dreams and fantasies or those opinions of you (and others) that contradict the smile on my face. I can try to hide the pain, shame and embarrassment of how I really feel about me as well. In fact, most times, people we see as happy-go-lucky and conceited are really insecure and looking for something good to grasp onto about themselves.
God knows me. Think on that for a minute. The Creator/Sustainer of the universe, not just my world, not just the galaxy we live in, THE universe, knows me. He and He alone, sees clearly behind the mask we use to show people the person we’d like to be. The walls we build to protect ourselves and keep others at a distance do nothing to keep Him from entering in and looking around.
Every thought, every emotion, every hurt and pain, every time you’ve been emotionally or physically abused has been seen by Him and He feels your pain. He hears your unspoken prayers, sees your unseen tears and walks with you through the fearful times when everyone else thinks you are strong.
Remember one more thing. King David was not a pleasant person. He was a murderer. He slept with a married woman and got her pregnant. He ignored the time one of his sons raped one of his daughters. He lied. He cheated. Yet in all this God calls Him a man after His own heart. God saw through all David’s weaknesses and failures and loved him anyway. He does the same for you.
PRAYER: Once again I am in awe of Your love O God my Father. There is no hiding with you. You know my deepest longings and pain. You cry with me and celebrate with me. I praise you for who you are and ask that you would help me, as I go through my day, to sense Your love and presence during the dark times of my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Built with Grace 