December 14
DebDay 275: Strength to Strength
"From strength to strength" is an old English way of saying, "keeps on getting stronger." It may apply to an athlete, or a business tycoon, or an ever-advancing politician.
But it's not something we hear often. More likely, and impacting our own world view, we're more inclined to hear "From catastrophe to catastrophe," or something similar.
It's been easy, especially this year, to think this way. The year has been filled with one disappointment after another; one hassle after another; one restriction after another; one announcement of bad news after another. We're so very aware of what was bad, or didn't happen, or what we were denied.
We're thus all inclined to count our losses, instead of our gains. Leaving us with complaints and unmet expectations, some of which we know will never be fulfilled. Take a moment to scan through Ecclesiastes, and you get the idea.
In fact, in my weaker moments, I can only think of one thing I've gained this year. Weight. And maybe higher blood pressure.
Reading Genesis 22 this morning, I am again astounded! Abraham has finally been given a legitimate son, an heir of promise. This kid was essential to the future fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham. Some pretty big promises.
And then God tells Abraham to sacrifice this same kid. On an altar. Like a lamb. We who are parents can only just begin to contemplate how hard it must have been to hear that.
But Abraham does what he's told. And moments before Isaac's blood is shed, Abraham is stopped just before the knife blade does what is intended.
An angel stops Abraham, saying "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him." This is the exact opposite of what God had previously commanded. If I'm Abraham, I'm confused and relieved all at the same time.
The angel continues: "...for now I know that your fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
Some observations. Abraham's obedience was a direct result of his "fear" of the Lord. His high and reverent respect for God's authority.
Second, Abraham was willing to give up his most dear possession. No potential idol would be permitted to get in the way.
Third, this was no ordinary angel. The angel did say, "...from me." I have to believe this was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ.
And fourth (if we read just the next verse) God provided for Himself (and Abraham) an alternate sacrifice. A ram with its horns caught in a sticky bush. The ultimate and final sacrificial ram would be Jesus Himself.
So what does Abraham's story have to do with going from strength to strength? Abraham feared the Lord. The Lord visited him, stopped him from harming his own son, and provided a substitute sacrifice.
And from that time forward, Abraham continued, even increased in his fear of the Lord. This is kind of how grace works. God's grace is what makes us willing and able to believe and follow Jesus.
And that same grace, perhaps even in greater measure, is what keeps us willing and able to believe and follow Jesus.
"Enough grace for today" is just that; enough for today. Tomorrow we need more grace, especially when we are encountering so much negative.
But living as a product of grace, empowered by God's grace, also leads one to grow in grace-capacity over time. We grow in our awareness of how much we need grace; more than we ever thought before. And we grow in our capacity to exercise the grace we've been given as we grow in our fear of the Lord.
Meaning, our grace-capacity is observably growing when our joyful obedience to God is growing. Strength to strength.
-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau
