Abundant Grace

“A wretched, poor, and helpless worm, On Thy kind arms I fall.” These are the words found on the tomb of William Corey, brought to my attention by John Piper. As I read up on Corey I found that he is considered the father of modern missions. He was a poor man of poor health, in an era that decidedly didn’t believe in evangelism. Something changed in him though, a fire in his bones that made him want to be different, it made him passionate for telling others about Jesus. People thought he was mad, surly there were points where he thought he was going mad. Amazingly, it was his literal blood, sweat, and rivers of tears that forced open the gate of evangelism in India. He is one of my hero’s.

At first his epitaph horrified me, then it challenged me, finally it comforted me. I found that it is part of Hymn 2:90 by Isaac Watts. More importantly though, I spent an entire worship service bawling in absolute joy and gratitude, that I too; a wretched, poor and helpless worm, am able to fall with complete peace into the kind arms of my Lord. Even to death, when this life is over, and what little worthless rags I had I have offered to my God, He will wrap me in his arms and say “Well done, good and faithful servant”(Matt 25:21). What part of me is good? What part faithful? However, in Him I am covered in the blood of Christ, through Him I am good. May he never stop making, shaping, and changing me. May I never find myself at a lack of grateful love for His abiding goodness and mercy! Thank you Lord

More on Corey: http://www.donelsonav.org/pocket/pp-991003.html 

Fragrance

Fragrance

It is amazing what God can teach us through little everyday ordeals. Today I found myself standing, frustrated, and staring condescendingly at a small glass perfume container. The large gemstone that usually sat proudly on top, no longer furnished its sheik exterior. Furthermore, once found, it adamantly refused to be put back in its place. I lingered there, looking at the bottle with grim dissatisfaction. Luckily (before I decided to waste my time attempting to superglue it back on) I realized that the gaudy plastic stone meant absolutely nothing to me. Surprise! It was a sudden fit of clarity that reminded me how little the stone mattered in comparison to what was inside the bottle. I had hardly bought the perfume for its container, or the ornaments on it. I had, in fact, purchased if for the sweet smelling contents.

I smiled at my own foolishness as I threw the rock out. How often do I judge even myself on my outside appearance, or my presentation of myself? I am so careful to make good impressions; to be considerate and not to insult anyone. Why do I care so much what people think? If people are around me I hope it is for my inner sweetness, and the light of Christ in me, pouring out when it is needed. That they find pleasure in who I am, under all the pretense on the outside. Not to say I don’t need an outside, any more than my perfume doesn’t need a container, but it is useless if what is inside isn’t sweet and of far less importance.

This led me to another thought, if I could no longer access the perfume inside; should the mechanism break, the entire thing would be no use to me. If the sweetness inside is no longer accessible to me in any way (no matter how pretty the exterior), I would have no further use for it. It would still be perfume; however it would be making no more difference than undrinkable water in a jar. This idea is mirrored in many places in the Bible (ex. Matt 5:13-14, 23, John 15:2). This is something we need to be wary of in our own lives! We need to remain in God, and Him in us (John 15:4) and let our life shine as a light for others (Matt 5:16).

God forgive me, I know how often I sit before you showing you that same presence I show others, like some silly useless plastic rock, when all you desire is the sweet fragrance of my praise when I finally open up to you! May my life be like the perfume Mary poured on your feet, giving all as a sweet fragrance to you!