(a picture of Christmas time this year)
As I reflect on the story of the birth of Christ, this is the imagery that comes to my mind this morning.
I imagine the world going about their normal lives, except for a few... Mary, Joseph, the 3 wise men who are following this scary path of trust. I imagine God conducting this great symphony in the sky, aligning the stars and planets as he created the Bethlehem star (which was actually Jupiter- the "planet of Kings" and Venus-"the mother planet" coming in such close conjunction which became the brightest star man had ever seen) and all the math of the orbits lining perfectly to lead the wise men to find Jesus.
I imagine it being a great symphony telling the story of the climax of history, the entrance of the coming savior into the world, The King of Kings entering as a baby... in such a way we would never expect. No one understanding the grand-ness of what all is going on, it is all behind the scenes, above their heads... but God is conducting something powerful.
Maybe these few people can hear the melodies faintly like when you hear sound coming from someone else's headphones. But if one were to put them on they would hear clearly the drums, the thousands of strings, the deep bass, and high pitches coming together creating a symphony.
To the eye you see a manger and a few people and a baby. In reality it was the pinnacle of everything we have ever hoped and longed for entering our world. Our perfect God coming to our sin-stained earth in such a humble way that transcends all understanding.
The reason this imagery holds so much value to me right now... is because God has given this to me for my own life. I have been so worried and filled with anxiety lately. Thoughts and fears of God forgetting me. And over this past week, he has filled me with a peace I cannot explain. A peace that "transcends all understanding". He has given me a confidence that he is conducting something behind the scenes, above my head, he is orchestrating some story and I have no idea the greatness. I can hear it faintly like headphones I have not yet put on. So I am filled with hope, trust and praise. "Hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight and prayer to praise." (a few lines from the hymn, "Jesus I my cross have taken")
"Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." ~ phil 4:7 (msg)
He is so trustworthy, he is working something out in all our pain, all our uncertainty, and all our hopes. He is good. He is worthy of praise even when his work feels faint in our lives. Praise is the deepest form of trust.
"Praise almost seems to be inner health made audible." ~ C.S. Lewis.
Imagine our trusting praise mixed with his grand symphony. Faint to the ear, powerfully audible to the soul.
4 comments:
Thank you for sharing this today. Wow... how often we, like the rest of the world at the time of Christ's coming, miss what God is doing behind the scenes. But He is a good God and is always working His plan to give us good gifts, to prosper us, and to give us hope and a future. Merry Christmas, Molly!
yes, yes, yes. Praise IS the highest form of trust. Thanks for the reminder Molly. God is orchestrating things which the eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.
The only way I can describe what I felt when I read this blog, is by sharing the conversation I had after it:
Scott: But check out Molly's blog. It was really good.
Me: Just read it.
Scott: And...
Me: Wow...
I love you blogs Molly. That was so powerful. It reminds me of that song by Switchfoot, "Your Love is a Song". God's work is so beautiful, like a well played symphony that directs each gear of life, every movment is a well planned melody. It's just beautiful to close your eyes and think about. Thanks buddy!
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