For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:24-26
Every Monday morning, I awake thinking of my duties. It is my cleaning day, so that checklist runs through my mind. But it is also the start of another week—with school days, extra-curriculars, meals to plan, etc.
Mondays sometimes[for me] feel a little daunting. There are times when I wake up physically and emotionally drained before the week has even started!
Webster’s defines duty this way: something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.
Hebrews 9 gives us a glimpse into the regular duties of the high priest in the Old Testament context. He was responsible for everything from supervising daily morning and evening sacrifices, discerning the will of God for the people and even maintaining the Temple. He inherited this duty and held it for life.
Annually(and arguably most importantly) he was required to go on Yom Kippur(the Day of Atonement) behind the veil into the Holy of Holies, where he sprinkled the blood taken from the sacrifice(made on behalf of himself and of the people) on the Mercy Seat. In this way, he atoned for the sins of the previous year.
As I considered my own duties this morning, I couldn’t help but marvel at the kindness of Christ.
For believers, he is our foremost High Priest. Unlike the priests of the Old Testament, he assumed this role willingly, on behalf of those he foreknew and predestined to be His(Romans 8:29). He did not come due to moral or legal obligation, nor did he come because he was expected to by the Father. He came out of His kindness and love(Titus 3).
And while the high priest offered annually for the sins of the people, this better High Priest offered his own life once and for all, to put away sin that his people might be redeemed.
It was not his duty, yet He came. He lived among us, suffered horribly and humbly, and died alone. And this changes everything.
So, while my actual duties threatened to overwhelm me before the day’s beginning, this was a needed perspective shift.
I can perform my duties(however menial and insignificant they feel at times) to the glory of God, in freedom because of the One who assumed the highest duty voluntarily on my behalf.
May the Holy Scriptures govern every part of our lives, and regulate the discharge of all our duties so that we may adorn thy doctrine in all things Valley of Vision
I confess that my prayers aren’t usually the most eloquent. Mine are mostly the breathless utterances of a longing spirit all throughout the day. I know that the Lord receives those prayers(Romans 8:26). However, most mornings I love borrowing the prayers of those beloved saints who have gone before–in this instance, the Puritans.
Today I’m sharing one from a book which has quickly become a favorite, Into His Presence, by Tim Chester. My dad introduced me to the Puritans back in high school, and I have been challenged and blessed by their words ever-since:
A Prayer for the Coming Day
Eternal Lord, you are the great fountain of being and of happiness. As from you my being was derived, so from you my happiness directly flows; the nearer I am to you the more delicious is the stream.
For with you is the fountain of life; in you light we see light. Psalm 36:9
To you may my waking thoughts be directed. May my first actions be consecrated to you, O God, who gives me, as it were, every morning a new life. Enable my heart to pour out itself before you with a filial reverence, freedom, and endearment. May I read your word with attention and pleasure, and may my soul be delivered into its mould. Animated by the great motives in your word, may I renew my dedication to you through Jesus Christ your beloved Son. May I derive from him new supplies of your Spirit, whose influences are the life of my soul.
Then Lord, lead me into the duties and events of the day. In the calling to which you have called me, may I abide with you, not being slothful, but fervent in spirit, as one who serves Christ. To your glory, O Lord, may my labours be pursued; and to your glory may my refreshments be sought.
May I be watchful to observe mercies from you; and may gratitude add a savour and relish to all. And when afflictions come, as in this life they must, may I remember that they come from you. Make me aware, I pray, of my own weaknesses, that my heart may be raised to you for present communications of strength. When I am in the society of others, may it be my desire to do and receive as much good as possible. And when I am alone, may I enjoy the pleasure of your presence. May I end each day with a right fear of you, Lord, and when I review my conduct, may I be impartial. May I resign myself to sleep in sweet serenity, conscious that I have lived to you in the day, and cheerfully persuaded that I am accepted by you in Christ Jesus my Lord.
“Mama, I had another bad dream. But I didn’t want to wake you because I know how hard you work and how badly you need sleep”
This was a recent comment from one of my daughters after another hard night. I have always encouraged all of my children to come—whenever—to my bedside. But this daughter–often the one who doesn’t want to inconvenience or burden others–did not come. At first, I felt sad. I wanted her to know that no time was an inconvenience. But when she mentioned that she had prayed and fallen asleep[probably nestled underneath one of her favorite books]I knew she was OK. Two things occurred to me in that moment:
I’m thankful she didn’t come to me first.
Trust is a discipline.
In our world today, fear is on trend. Especially in the midst of an election season and an ever-shifting culture, one has reason to feel unsteady. There are wars and rumors of wars, floods, riots, death…Not to mention the regularly unwholesome discourse I’ve seen on social media. The world is fragile, broken and deteriorating right before our eyes. Of course there is cause for fear!
In Psalm 56:1 David cries out, Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.
At first glance, this sounds hopeless. David, the anointed king of Israel is on the run from a man who desires his death. He has fled to a Philistine king in hopes of finding refuge, but quickly realizes that this king knows his true identity. His only defense at this point is to fake madness, “making marks on the door and letting saliva run down his beard” 1 Samuel 21:15)
And the Philistines–usually described as an aggressive, war-mongering people–were evil. So when David speaks of being attacked and trampled by many enemies, he wasn’t exaggerating!
But the text doesn’t stop there. God, in his kindness, has given us more:
When I am afraid,I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:2
Immediately, there is a transition. It is as if David knows he could spiral[to use popular verbiage] so he must discipline his mind[and therefore, speech].
John MacArthur says it this way,
This psalm expresses the kind of confidence in the Lord that believers should exude when they find themselves in terrifying circumstances. David’s natural reaction was to panic(vv. 3, 4, 11). But he demonstrates in this psalm that the believer can replace potential terror with the composure of trust.
MacArthur Bible Commentary
But in verses 5-7, it’s as if David returns to the panic.
All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps as they have waited for my life. For their crime, will they escape? In wrath, cast down the peoples O God!
What is he saying here? He has gone from reciting truth to reflecting on his terrors; on his enemies! And what fruit has this reflection produced? Anxiety. Worry. A desire for vengeance.
In short: nothing good.
Are you tired yet? Just reading David’s struggle[quite literally] for sanity leaves me feeling weary.
Haven’t we all been here before? Haven’t we wrestled with our thoughts, circumstances and feelings until we’re absolutely listless. Until we are weary and ragged and not even sleep restores?
David doesn’t stay here, though. He recounts God’s specific goodness– that He has kept count of his tossings and tears. He remembers he isn’t isolated.
David then moves into a posture of remembering truth, and cultivating praise and thanksgiving. Herein lies this discipline of trust(vv. 10-13)–
In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of my life.
I’m encouraged that David faced terror, too. He knew danger. He wrestled often with the threat of hunger, attacks, betrayal, mutilation, abuse, etc…sometimes to the point of death. In some seasons, David could have been tempted to live in fear. David was human, too. And there were times when he doubted the very nature of the God to whom his heart was knit.
But the Lord gave David three mercies in the midst of this suffering:
His presence
courage to carry on
A malleable, yet disciplined heart
Number 1 is obvious, isn’t it? David is groaning before the Lord. Right at the beginning, David approaches God with questions and complaints. He has raw honesty. He is crippled with anxiety.
And David does not wallow. He recalls truth:
The Lord knows my suffering(v. 8)
The Lord will have vengeance(v. 9)
The Lord is for me(v. 9b)
I have been delivered from eternal death(v. 13)
What’s the common thread? THE LORD.
David shifts his focus. And this shift produces heart change:
praise(v.10)
trust(v.11)
courage (v.11)
thankfulness(v. 12)
Yes, I have felt fear so intense that it threatens to consume my being. But the glorious truth about scripture is it’s sufficiency. We can always go to God and to His word knowing that we will find truth and hope. And scripture so rightly informs our minds that we are not left disparaging.
So even though I was initially saddened by my daughter’s hesitance, I’m thankful she went to the Father. I’m grateful she certainly has come to me on other occasions. But the sobering truth is I won’t always be around. My prayer is that the Eternal God would be the refuge(Deut. 33:27) to which she does run.
And I pray that she trusts God and his word so desperately that she knows how to respond when the harder days come.
Redeeming the Mundane 