Hier een klein stukje van mij. De afgelopen weken hebben we de Advents- en Kersttijd gehad en ons in die tijd gericht op de komst van Jezus. Terugdenken aan zijn eerste komst in het vlees in nederigheid. God werd mens en leefde onder ons en met ons als Immanuel en nu leeft hij nog steeds onder en in ons door Zijn Geest als verheerlijkt mens bij Zijn Vader in de hemel.
Maar ook uitzien naar zijn wederkomst, zijn tweede komst in heerlijkheid als Koning van hemel en aarde.
De donkere tijd van Kerst kent gelukkig ook Licht, namelijk de Heer, de Messias, Redder van de wereld die is geboren en zijn geboorte hebben we dan ook gepast gevierd.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
In de Adventstijd stond de ezel waar Jezus op reed en Jeruzalem binnen ging nogal centraal en daarbij dat ons leven een dienstbaar leven mag zijn, dat we als het ware een ezel zijn, de last dragen die ons wordt opgelegd.
Als illustratie vonden we het volgende verhaal (helaas voor sommigen in het Engels) dat erg toepasselijk is en weergeeft waar onze gedachten op gericht waren de afgelopen tijd.
"Carried By The Presence" (The Donkey’s Race)By David Costello
"The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong…"
The ways of the world are not the ways of the Kingdom. Some use the term “upside down kingdom” when referring to the ways of God. It does often seem that way, does it not? What appears to make sense in this world is not the way of the Kingdom, and the ways of the Kingdom seem foolish to the world. As human beings we all struggle on a daily basis with these issues - giving away what we need the most - loving our enemies - being weak so as to walk in strength etc... etc.
"The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong…"
The ways of the world are not the ways of the Kingdom. Some use the term “upside down kingdom” when referring to the ways of God. It does often seem that way, does it not? What appears to make sense in this world is not the way of the Kingdom, and the ways of the Kingdom seem foolish to the world. As human beings we all struggle on a daily basis with these issues - giving away what we need the most - loving our enemies - being weak so as to walk in strength etc... etc.
Some years ago I had a dream. It was a short, simple dream and I would not have given it much thought except for the heavy presence of the Lord I felt upon awakening. The dream has stayed with me all these years - It has taken root in my spirit, and has been a calming force to my sometimes willful, striving nature.
In the dream I was standing in the middle of a horse race track, I was looking at the starting gate that was not too far from me. There were many (perhaps 10) gates with horses at the ready, waiting impatiently for the starting gun. As the gun went off the horses shot out of their gates, racing by me (or through me). The ground shook under the thundering might of their powerful hooves. They were all extremely fast and strong.
As the dust settled, I could once again see the starting gate and I noticed that one gate did not open. As I remained there looking, the gate quietly opened and out trotted a little donkey. He proceeded towards me quite calmly and I think he gave me a little smile as he passed by. I turned around to see him go down the track, as I did so, my vantage point shifted to the back of his head, almost as though I was riding him. As in a video game, I could just see over a little tuft of hair on his head, my vision framed by his ears on either side. His pace was not strained in any way yet there was a supernatural swiftness in his movement.
At this point I realized that the donkey was actually humming a little tune. Even more surprising was the fact that he was gaining on the horses ahead. In total serenity and peace, humming a tune, he started passing the horses one by one. In the midst of the thundering herd, the little donkey kept humming - kept passing. Unaffected by his frantic surroundings, he kept his steady, easy pace. Soon we were in the clear, having left all the horses behind. Without breaking a sweat we approached the finish line - Victorious!
God speaks to us in dreams. The spirit of a man is open to receive what the mind often rejects as foolishness. It is no wonder then that God uses the night season, when our minds are “off”, to speak into our spirits. So what is the Lord’s message in this dream? I believe it is a two pronged message. Remember that the Lord entered Jerusalem on a donkey - the donkey was a carrier of the presence. The donkey’s easy run to victory in my dream was because he ran with the presence of the Lord. The second component, but no less important, speaks to the posture of waiting. The donkey in my dream did not bolt from the gate as the horses did. He was waiting on the Lord, for his presence to come - for His Presence to go before him. The Lord’s message to me in that dream is clear; “Don’t rush on ahead of Me. Don’t strive in your own might, but wait for Me to carry you.”
The Apostle Paul wrote of running a race. And yes, the race we run will have its troubles and dangers, but we are not running alone. If we wait on Him, run as donkeys, we will be victorious. If we take the time to stop and take His hand, He will see us through. He did not promise to deliver us from all our troubles, but He will deliver us through them. Waiting is often a very hard thing to do. It looks foolish to the world and it exposes us as being reliant. Waiting places us squarely in the center of a place called “When”, and it simply strips us of any personal agenda. The Lord honors one who waits. Time is the most precious thing we have to give Him, and He just loves it when we spend it on Him.
Waiting on the Lord is an ancient practice, rich in benefits. It doesn’t necessarily mean a time of doing nothing, and times of waiting can be filled with activity. I personally have been in a time of waiting for the past two and a half years, yet its been a very active season for me. As an artist I rely entirely on the Lord for his leading and direction concerning my work. If He’s not giving me anything to draw, I simply will not draw - I just don’t see the point in it. I enjoyed a very productive 13 years, but 2 1/2 years ago, while putting the finishing touches on a work entitled “Breakthrough”, he placed a desire in my heart concerning my artwork. I asked him for something greater and He promised me it would come - so I wait. I will not move from this posture of waiting until that which He promised has come - or He releases me. It has not been an easy wait for me, but the prospect of moving forward without His Presence is unthinkable. A deeper, closer relationship with God is a natural result of waiting. Restless hearts find Rest, we grow richer in the Fruits of the Spirit and our hearts become fine tuned with His. I love what Thomas Merton wrote: “If you send me work I shall embrace it with joy and it will be rest to me, because it is your will. And if you send me rest, I will rest in you.”
A donkey and a stallion look quite different. One would naturally choose the stallion over the donkey in a race, but the race we run is a marathon, and if the Presence is on the donkey... well - no contest. Yes, I know that we are in a battle, and I know there is a lost and dying world to be won for the Kingdom, but ultimately the victory is His. We, as soldiers, can only share in that victory by leaning on The Presence, waiting, and listening to His heartbeat. Sometimes that means being still.
I am convinced that the Lord’s victorious army will look quite different from what we might expect. It is only natural to envision mighty warriors on powerful horses, but I suspect it will be an army of meek and humble lovers. And yes, of course - we’ll be riding donkeys.
David CostelloLexington MA - USA
Op deze laatste dag van 2008 wens ik jullie alle goeds toe voor 2009. De aanwezigheid van Hem die ons leven draagt. Dag aan dag draagt Hij ons, die God is ons heil.
Joop