Words from the Tomb

Once my heart was empty, and I had to guard the secret, so I
Kept a stone sealed tight in front to hide my inner void.

Unexpected, one day Jesus came to spend some time within me!
I am ever changed because He redefined my life...

Just in case the question should arise if He has pow'r to conquer,
Angels rolled the stone to prove that Jesus had shone out!

Now I'm just as empty, still as empty, as I ever was, but
Here's the diff'rence: now I'm not ashamed to show the world.

After all, I'm nothing on my own, I have no special value,
Just that I was chosen as a dwelling place for Him.

The Rock that is Higher than I

When I was a girl, we sang a hymn whose chorus was based on Psalm 61:3, where David pleads with God to "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."  I've been thinking about that, wondering what David means by asking to be led to a rock that's higher than he is.

     Standing next to such a high rock would give him security.

     Scaling such a high rock would give him a challenge.

     Viewing the landscape from such a high rock would give him perspective.

     Hiding behind such a high rock would give him protection.

No matter which purpose David has in mind, only a huge rock will do.  And the hugeness of that rock isn't measured in spans or cubits, but instead is measured relative to the size of David himself. He wants, he desires a rock that will dwarf him.

I want the same thing - a gigantic "rock."  I don't need one that I can carry around, or one that I can ignore.  Deep down inside, I am looking for the security, challenge, perspective, and protection that I cannot offer myself.  As God makes Himself real in my life, He brings me people and experiences and tasks that are bigger than I am, and that is good.  


My earthly desire is to be in charge, to be the best, to win, and certainly I can do pretty well at some things.  But in my innermost heart, my contentment is found not by winning, but by being won.  Not by conquering, but instead by being overwhelmed by the tangible evidence of a God who leads me to a Rock that (oh, what relief!) is higher than I.

Psalm 61 (English Standard Version)

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!   Selah


For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations!
May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
So will I ever sing praises to your name as I perform my vows day after day.

Bricks or Rocks

Here in Houston, you can see houses made of all kinds of materials.  Today we drove around the neighborhood and saw plenty of stucco and wood (or pseudo-wood) siding, but the great majority of the houses were made of wood or brick.  Although our own house is mostly pinkish brick, I really wish it had some stone somewhere...

Stone is made by God, even if shaped by men.  Brick is all man-made.

Stone is unpredictable.  Brick is expected, regular.

Stone takes thought to piece together.  Brick is easy.

Stone is expensive.  Brick is much much less.

While there's nothing wrong with having a house out of brick, I can't get away from this idea that stone is somehow ... more real.

That whole thing reminds me of the way I might build my life.  It's tempting to take the quick way out, the predictable path, and build using the materials that are of my own making.  It's less expensive and so much easier to slap up a life-wall that is made of ho-hum habits and no-risk choices. 

But what is fascinating is taking a slow, piece-by-piece approach, asking God what the next component should be, and how he wants it all to fit together. Even if those building blocks are irregularly shaped, costly, and unpredictible, it is worth it to have a finished project that has a compelling reality. 

May my life be built of stone!


Note:Folks who are around me a while know I admire a scholar named Peter Leithart.  Here's something he recently wrote about brick-making:

Bricks

by Peter J. Leithart on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 3:50pm

Babel is the first brick construction in Scripture (Genesis 11:3). They burn earthy clay to make it into building material for the city and the tower that reaches to heaven. Egypt also deals in brick, and puts Israel to work making the bricks for its storage cities, its neo-Babels (Exodus 1:14; 5:7, 8, 16, 18-19).

The next time bricks are mentioned in Scripture is Isaiah 9:10, where the men of Ephraim respond to the collapse of “bricks” with the plan to build instead with hewn stones (Isaiah 9:. They are Babelites, constructors of a new oppressive Egypt, from which the faithful remnant will have to be redeemed. In context, the word “brick” (lebenah) puns with the “great hearts” (leb) of the men.

What are they building from bricks? The only other use of the word in Isaiah may help: Isaiah 65:3 refers to idolatrous offerings of incense upon “altars of brick.” In chapter 9, they are building brick altars; Yahweh makes them “fall” by His word that “falls” on Israel (v. 8); no matter, say the brick-hearted Babegyptians of Samaria, we’ll build it again, better this time.