“Come up here, and I will show you…” (Rev. 4:1)
Lord Jesus, every day—no exceptions, you speak these reorienting, reframing, renewing words to us: “Come up here into the heavenlies where I have already seated you (Eph.2:6). Get thee hence into the summit of my grace, the pinnacle of providence, the throne room where I reign over all things.” Hallelujah, and thank you.
For we have a limited, skewed, us-centered, myopic perspective on just about everything. Sometimes our lives and the world feel like a giant field of weeds—filled with crabgrass, kudzu, poison ivy, and ragweed. But from the vantage point of the Gospel, you show us that we’re actually living among huge redwoods of grace, surrounded by mountains of mercy, while rivers of providence are steadily moving history and us closer and closer to the Day of all things new and beautiful (Rev. 21:1-22:6). This isn’t groundless hype; it’s our living hope.
We need your perspective more than we need people, circumstances, and anything else to change. On this Darlene and my 54th wedding anniversary, both of us praise you for freeing us from the foolish “perspective” if we had married the right person, marriage would be easy, fun, and exciting most of the time.
That’s more like the promises in brochure for a cruise in the Caribbean Islands than what you intend for a couple called to grow in grace, intimacy with you and each other, and more Jesus-likeness. Thank you for not letting us settle for a 10-day cruise. Thank you for 54-years-and-counting of your mercies and grace.
And thank you for constantly giving us—and calling us back to the “much-more-ness” of the Gospel, the incomparable wonders of your love and beauty, and a hope-fueling vision of your work in the world and the meaning of all history. We still sing—and louder than ever, “This IS My Father’s World,” “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun,” and “Amazing Grace (How Sweet the Sound).”
Jesus, we are yours now and forever. You ARE currently making all things new. One Day the earth WILL BE filled with your glory. Hallelujah, “Yea!,” and So Very Amen.
