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Morning Thoughts |
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Psalm 106:4-5, "Remember me,
O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy
salvation; That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the
gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance. This morning, ease of communication lends to lack of close familiarity. One might think that easier communication would tend to help us know more about each other and learn more with one another. In a great many ways, however, today's modern communication has merely heightened the trivial aspects of our life and suppressed the truly meaningful parts. In olden times when people visited with each other, how often did they get to have such occasions? With the rarity of those circumstances, they partook in meaningful conversations, discussed the truly important things of life, and supremely enjoyed the fleeting moments they had together. With the advent of e-mail, telephone, and other instant mediums, we talk more about less with one another. Also, due to the ease of modern communication, we tend to refuse to believe the "too good to be true" news and want to latch onto the "so bad it has to be true" news. When looking at the subject of visitation, we see that good visitation happens when we are observant, pay attention, and number up things (in a sense of reckoning) that occur during that time. For example, when my natural family gathered with extended natural family during a vacation, reunion, etc., there was much time spent in gathering or numbering information as everyone got "caught up" on what was happening in each other's lives. What was the news? After extended periods of conversation, these things were reckoned up as the important aspects of our time together. How much more when we receive visitation from on high? What truly should garner our conversation with our Lord? What is the most intimate subject matter that we could get "caught up" on with Him? Today's internet and e-mail mediums are attacked quite often by people posing as someone or something that they are not. Have you ever received an e-mail claiming to be the FBI director, an ambassador from some foreign land, or another form of dignitary? Most often, these so-called dignitaries have vast sums of money at their disposal that could be yours if you would just help them with one little detail. These pleas are quickly passed into the cyberspace version of file 13, but consider how hard it might be if you really were one of these dignitaries trying to convey that through these impersonal mediums. What would one of them have to do to convince you that they really were who they said they were? Should they really have good news - like vast sums of money that would be yours - what would it take for them to convince you that it was on the level? Furthermore, should you know that one of these dignitaries was real and really going to interact with you, how would you prepare for their eventual visit? Knowing that the interaction would eventually move from the impersonal to the personal, what steps would you take to ready your house for their visit? Again, how much more should our belief and preparation be from our Dignitary on High? Far better than any earthly king or magistrate, our King of glory visits with His people with the greatest news that the world could imagine. This visitation is preceded by evidence and proof of the Giver, and the attendance from on high is validated in every point. While modern day communications have ease of conveyance, most are still impersonal at best. God's communications quite easily convey messages, but they are quite personal as well. God has no problem conveying the message of His law and precepts to the heart of His children in the new birth. After that great work, He has no problem conveying the impression of His Spirit to us by His providence. While we, His people, do not always listen to the impression as we should, the communication is not hard. On the flip side, communicating with Him is not nearly as difficult as one might think. Do you want an audience with the president today? How many levels would you have to go through to "maybe" get to see him for just a moment of the day? The King of Glory is always available with just the simple approach of a humble, heartfelt prayer of yearning. (Romans 8:24-27) Having established the ease AND personal aspect of communication with our King, the interaction gets sweeter still. The Psalmist here implores visitation from the King. This visitation is more than just a whispering in each others' ear through prayer and interaction. This visitation has an end result in mind. Of all the people that visit with the president this day or a king of another land, how many just want to talk with him, and how many want an end product from their meeting? Most probably want the latter. Our visitation from God does have an end product in view, but we should desire both aspects of the visitation. Whenever we went to a family reunion, my natural father always wanted to see the people he had not seen in a while, but he also hoped for some strengthening of family bonds that needed building up. As our wayward and weary steps of life sometimes shake the fortitude of our minds, we need renewal of things that are truly important. Therefore, we need the visitation of God to strengthen our family bonds. Not that we are in any danger of falling out of the family, but we need to see and be reminded once again of the love of this family, the exalted nature of this family, and the wonderful end of this family. The Psalmist declares the salvation in "seeing the good thy chosen," "rejoice in the gladness of thy nation," and "glory with thine inheritance." Far more than receiving tens of millions of dollars, may we implore visitation from God to once again delight in the glorious sight of the "end product" of the family of God. What is our good as His chosen people? Where is our inheritance? Our inheritance is in heaven waiting and prepared in all things for the elect family of God. (I Peter 1:4) The gladness in the nation comes when we see the end in sight - through the mind's eye of faith - and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2) So our visitation from God desires the end result of a renewed and aligned sight of our inheritance and the beauty of God's work. But, our visitation also desires that close kinship of interaction that sadly is lacking more and more in today's world. Moving into the preparation of visiting with our King, what are the particulars about this? Have you ever been in someone's house and seen the prominent displays on the walls and otherwise? Did you think that these things meant the most to them? For years, my grandmother had in her house a prominent picture of President Ronald Reagan that contained his signatory and personal note from him. She was quite proud to know him and be on a somewhat "familiar" level with him. That picture was displayed where all could see upon entering her home. Should the president have ever visited her, he would have immediately seen her affection for him. When we prepare for visitation from on high, our house (this tabernacle of clay), needs to be prepared in such a way that He is the most prominent in it. Peter declares that we should sanctify the Lord God in our hearts. (I Peter 3:15) This means that our heart should have Him exalted above all else, and when He visits, the first thing He sees is Himself! To exalt Him above all things, our minds and hearts need to be cleared from bitterness, evil speaking and thoughts, and such things from which we should turn away. By so doing, the image of His Dear Son will appear more vividly as He comes and comforts us during our pilgrimage here. Finally, unlike the improbable percentage of ever being visited by a natural dignitary, the visitation from God can be enjoyed daily and consistently. The enjoyment of the rich scene of God's salvation and our ultimate eternal can be looked forward to daily and enriched by God as our souls yearn for that time. Unlike the fake dignitaries of e-mail that assault the inbox daily with "too good to be true" stories, our hearts should be ready to dine with the King about things that are way too good for this world to contain but are most definitely true. The many infallible proofs that we have of these things is that His visitation is corroborated in His word, and the precepts and laws written in our heart verify that both the written word and this impression from on High are all verily true and amen. May our days be enriched by His visitation so that we look forward more to the endless day of eternity with Him and live more closely and unified with Him here.  In Hope, Bro Philip |