Wow! Look up!

There is always a story we are telling others - in the way we walk, how we respond emotionally, and in our tone of voice. The story is more than words - it is 'acted out' in each and every move we make. Is it any wonder we can look at the things God has made and see how much he displays about himself in them? Even the things within nature declare the character and love of God. Consider for a moment the beauty of the rose. It comes from a stem riddled with thorns capable of tearing apart human flesh, yet it has the softest of petals and most magnificent odor. What seems harsh produces something so sweet and delicate. Isn't it just like God to take some of the 'harshest' of things life sends our way to produce the sweetest and most delicate responses within us? 

The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God. (Psalm 19:1-2 TLB)

The heavens are vast - you really cannot comprehend their beginning, nor their end. They are what we might refer to as 'limitless' - kind of like the grace of God. The grace he displays is oftentimes very hard for us to comprehend, yet it comes and keeps on coming, as though there can be no end to it. The heavens are also what we might call 'expansive' - with a wide range of possibilities in one vast expanse. In the east we may see clouds, while the west may be clear blue and the overhead be burning hot with the sun's bright rays. The possibilities are limitless - much like the love of God. 

Even the colors of the sky tell us so much about the God we serve. Stop to imagine nothing but blue sky - as far as you can see there is nothing but rich blue expanse. As you look at the calm blue sky, you might think also of the way the Word of God can open up before you, bringing calm and peace into your lives. If you see the grayness of winter skies you might think of the lean times when God is still ever present, although it seems like coolness and things you cannot fully see begin to obscure the 'fullness' of view you'd really desire to have instead.

The richness of a summer night's radiant gold, magenta, and vivid orange make us think about the beauty God bestows. Considering the vastness of those skies upon which this scene is radiantly displayed, isn't it befitting to recount the many ways he continues to display himself, allowing us moments to just bask in his presence in the awe of his wonder? The sky is painted so vibrantly bespeaking his vibrancy and strength. The speed at which the many hues come on display and are suddenly changing before our eyes gives us insight into the speed at which God can change things within our lives.

Even the night sky, filled with tiny twinkling stars, sometimes shooting across the sky and at others just stationed in their resting place high up into those heavens, show us the care God takes to adorn each of his creations in just the right way. None of us is without the display of his greatness and care; not even the darkest of moments can refuse to shine forth some beauty. The skies tell of his glory, but they also tell of his certainty - they don't fall or fail, nor do the wither or die. They are consistently there as is he. Just sayin!

A Whet Stone and Some Fire - Bring it on!

We have all probably heard the saying, "This is a little bit of heaven..."  What someone is really trying to convey when they use this expression is that at this very moment, the thing they are experiencing or enjoying is giving them just a little glimpse of awesomeness!  It might be because the chocolate is soft, sweet, and just the right little "pick me up" for a late afternoon snack. It could be when a long awaited vacation away from the hubbub of daily life finds you with toes buried deep in warm sand.  Or maybe it is because you are held close in the arms of someone you love very dearly, just enjoying the moment at hand.  A little taste of heaven....indeed.  I wonder how many of us realize how much God wants to whet our appetite for what he has in store for us?  I think he may be constantly giving us "little tastes of heaven" just so we "stay hungry" for more and more of him!

The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.  (2 Corinthians 5:5 MSG)

Did you realize the very first definition for the word "whet" is really a "sharpening process" whereby grinding or friction produces a sharp edge? Does that give you just a little bit of perspective of what it might just mean to have your appetite whet for just a little bit more of God?  We automatically go to the idea of having our senses made a little keener, more aware, or even eager for something God has for us, but when we consider it in light of being "sharpened", we can begin to see how God begins to prepare us for even greater things he has in store.  He uses the present stuff to "sharpen" us - making us ready for the next opportunities he will unveil.

Sharpening is a process - you have to run the object repeatedly over a surface with just enough abrasiveness to present a little friction with each pass of the object.  In enough time, the shape, feel, and even the look of the object passed repeatedly over the abrasive object begins to change, doesn't it?  It is the repetitiveness of the passage which actually begins the work of changing the object being passed.  There are times I think we might just complain a little about seemingly having to "pass this way again".  If we begin to put this "passage" into perspective, it could just be each time we "pass this way again", there is a certain "sharpness" being developed in us which only comes by the friction we are experiencing.

I don't think God wants us to feel like we are under pressure all the time.  In my knife drawer, I have two knives I go to ALL the time.  One is my old standby, good for almost everything knife.  The other is a little nicer knife, so it is goof for carving when I need to cut into a turkey, roast, or the like.  There are probably a good 8-10 other knives in the drawer, each "okay", but not my favorites!  Why?  They don't hold an edge very well.  They get dull quickly.  I have to repeatedly sharpen them using my whet stone.  They require me to sharpen them way too often, and they don't hold their "sharpness" very well.

The two I use the most hold their edge, requiring less and less passage over the rough stone. Yet, they occasionally get a little duller than I'd like them to be - making me work a little harder to slice through meats, dice fresh veggies, etc.  When this occurs, I break out the sharpener and give them one or two swipes.  That little passage against the rough stone is enough to return their edge.  They perform at their best (and I do too) when they are the sharpest! What makes those two knives different?  I think it is the grade of their steel! They are a little more "tempered" than the other knives - so they hold their edge better.

"Tempering" is a process which gives strength - but it comes as heat is applied, followed by a little pounding, shaping, and repeated return to the heat.  There is a strength produced in the work of tempering the metal of the blade and a stability given when the blade is sunk deeply into the handle. The stronger the blade, the nicer the edge.  Maybe God doesn't want to crush us with the repeated opportunities to shape our character, but instead, he wants to give us the ability to "hold a sharp edge" a little longer!

Most would not associate either the tempering or the whetting process as "a little taste of heaven", but when you consider what is produced by both, you might just reconsider!  Just sayin!