In a Garden
1st Thursday Connect
Last fall, we read Genesis which begins in a garden.
And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen 2:8-9 ESV)
We conclude the school year with a new garden in Revelation.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Rev 22:1-5 ESV)
It seems appropriate to finish off our final 1st Thursday Connect for this season with a picnic in a garden! Come enjoy fun together and teaching from Revelation. Bring your own picnic supper, a blanket or chair, and meet in the Haugen yard at 6:30 PM. In the case of rain, we will meet at New Life Church, West Linn. Contact Marcia at 503-720-7197 with questions.
Thursday, July 1, 6:30 PM
14343 Clackamas River Drive Oregon City, OR 97045
Drinks and dessert provided
Isaiah 40
As we memorize Isaiah 40, these excerpts from the commentary Isaiah: God Saves Sinners by Raymond Ortlund are provided for your education and enjoyment. We will be memorizing verses 29-31 in July, and then we are done!
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31 ESV)
God wants to get involved in our subjectivity by making his power perfect in our weakness. The word group “faint” and “be/grow weary” is the key to this passage, occurring seven times. God is speaking to weak, tired, discouraged people. Who are “the faint” in verse 29? They’re the complainers quoted in verse 27. So, how are these people faint and weak and weary? They’re weak in faith. Their fatigue is spiritual. They’re weak in courage. They feel like quitting. And it’s weaklings like them (and like us) who receive the power of God to live with our heads held high and with a lively confidence in a big God, because we can see in his promise a bright future for us out there beyond the barbed wire. People who find their reasons for living in God have an uncanny resilience about them.
Isaiah’s point in verse 30 is blunt. Human strength at its best, in its prime, will inevitably fail. We’re no match for the demands of life. But we’re not doomed to our own potential. There is a power beyond ourselves, and we can experience it.
In verse 31, Isaiah is not merely saying, “God enables those who draw strength from his promise.” He is saying, “God enables those who draw strength from his promise to do the impossible.” The weak sore like eagles and run without tiring and walk without quitting. Their confidence in God will not let them lie down and give up. It’s not a matter of willpower but of expectancy.
The key is the word “wait.” What does it mean? To wait for the Lord means to live in confident, eager suspense. It means to live with the tension of promises revealed but not yet fulfilled. This waiting is not killing time. It isn’t sitting around, drumming your fingers. It is waiting on tip-toe, waiting with eager longing….
Some translations of the Bible say that our part is to “hope” in the Lord. That isn’t wrong. But the ESV is wise to use the word “wait,” because waiting is an important part of our faith. Waiting is what faith does before God’s answer shows up. God gives us great and precious promises, and then he calls us to wait. And Isaiah’s point is that such bright expectancy is the psychological leverage God uses to empower us…. Are you willing to wait?… If so, your heart will be endlessly renewed until that great day. If not, you’re on your own….
We sometimes look for hope in the wrong places…. What we need is a clearer vision of God and a keener passion for his glory…. Christianity is not a way to cut a deal with God for an easier life now….
We have to ask ourselves two questions. First: Do I believe that God can take a quitter like me and make him into a hero?… Most of us would probably agree that Almighty God in heaven can do even that…. Second question: Have I deliberately shifted the loyalty of my heart from the false glory of this world to the coming glory of the Lord? God has promised that Christ will bring us salvation with his overwhelming glory. Is that where I have staked my happiness?
It will not do to put my faith in God while I keep my heart on this world. God will not underwrite my worldliness with his power…. Waiting for the Lord means not only that I trust him to be true but also that I admire him as stunning….
We’re all weak. But we don’t have to be supermen. God simply calls us to believe what we believe and to set our hearts on things above. If we will, that longing for God is the channel through which his power will lift us and renew us and cheer us all the way there.
Links
Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!
Do Not Delay—@ The Palest Ink. “To delay is to disobey.”
Are Tattoos Worse Than Adultery?—by Trevin Wax @ TGC.
Our Hiding Place—@ Gentle Reformation.
He Will Come—@ A View of the Lake.
Revelation—@ Spotify, a playlist.