Star

“John, my own cousin, the one I grew up with, partners in heart, but John! You doubt! But blessed is the one who is not offended by me. And this generation! Like children sitting in a marketplace, I can do nothing right in your eyes—if I play the flute, you do not dance; but if I sing a dirge, you declare the time not right for mourning. And woe to you, Chorazin, Bethsaida! Will you not let the miracles at least open your eyes?” (from Matthew 11)

“At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children…’” (Matthew 11:25, ESV).

At that time.

Yes, then. His cousin doubting and in prison. Seeds of rejection rising in the crowds. Friends murmuring. Job in vain. Where is the fruit? Where is his breakthrough? Where is his honor, reward? Where is his recognition?

I, we, would let discouragement set in.

But Jesus— “I thank you, Father…”

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11, ESV).

Jesus’s soul was already in anguish (John 12:26). He knew: Cross. Denied. Betrayed. Stabbed in back by a kiss. Mocked.

I, we, would make excuses why joy is not possible. Not now.

But, “…my joy…”

Where is my answer? Healing? Breakthrough? New job? New circumstance? Answer to prayer? The blessing? Light at the end of the tunnel? “God? God!!! God???”

Sometimes, our emotions reveal a hard truth: Faith has become more about me than God. I want God because I want X and Y. Without X and Y, discouragement shame, despair, anger.

“Give me more strength! Let me do this! God, fix my spouse! Give me a new job! Heal me!” Not bad petitions—God is a God who delights in the welfare of his servant! (Ps. 35:27)—but the gauge is, “Do they control our emotions?” When things don’t go our way, do we still abide in the peace, love, and joy that God gives?

God’s value like the stars shines brightest against the black backdrop. The spotlight on the black curtain. The diamond on the black velvet. When we can say, “I’ve got empty hands but I’ve got God,” he shines out. Yet we cloud God’s value, placing the light on our circumstances, jobs, inner emotions, needs, this, that. We read Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” and subtly justify our lack of peace by so many rationalizations. “Yes, the Christian life should be peace and joy, BUT in my situation, BUT, BUT…” We live by our own logic and thinking, subtle, subtle. But Satan’s lie in the Garden was subtle.

But Jesus—“I thank you, Father…” Before the cross, “My peace I give you” (Jn. 14:27). Before the cross, “My joy I give to them” (Jn. 15:11). Before the cross, “I pray for them” (Jn. 17). From the cross, “Forgive them” (Lk. 23:34). Thanks in the face of rejection. Peace. Joy. Forgiveness. In the crucible of crucifixion.

Oh, my heart! Do not undermine and replace the Father’s love!  

Oh, my soul! Do not be swayed by mere circumstances when I have Jesus!

Oh, my spirit, do not be dictated by logic, passions, and self-desires when I have the Spirit!

Oh, do not doubt and fear, me of little faith! For if God did not spare his own Son, how will he not graciously give me all things?

Oh, do not fear, for I have the Spirit and all his fruit of love, joy, peace!

Not enough income? But I have the Provider, so do not be discouraged! I value God more than what I can’t afford to buy! I have God Infinite Himself!

Not healed? But I have the Father who loves me, who still is working for my good, who is still the miracle worker!

Not my ideal job? But I have a purpose to still shine him out!

Plans didn’t work out? I don’t have to be frustrated, I don’t have to be in control, for I have a sovereign One who is working out eternity!

Our very black circumstances make God shine brighter! The stars are brightest against the dark, the diamond brilliant against the black velvet.

Yet—I hear my flesh say, “But I’m only human. But my circumstances. But. But.”

But this, this, this is beauty! Jesus.

Jesus was human (not to undermine his deity).

Jesus lived by faith. 

Jesus lives in us.

The same Spirit that filled Jesus (Mat. 3:16) fills us.

We follow in our Master’s steps.

By faith we can have peace, trust, joy in discouragement because we have God the Father, Son, and Spirit.

By faith, we live in the Son of God and the Son of God lives in us (Gal. 2:20; Jn. 15).

Our Christian walk is supernatural.

Jesus, too, suffered when he was tempted. Was tempted to be cranky when hungry. Must have been tempted to get some recognition by his miracles. Tempted to complain when the rock underneath his head just wasn’t a comfortable pillow (Mat. 8:20). Tempted—but did not sin.

Oh! See the beauty! I do not conjure up peace. I do not stoicly set myself to realize joy. Spirit in me. Jesus’s mind granted to me. Eyes set on the Father. I can have this supernatural, otherworldly, against logic, against my self-pity and selfly growls and groans and grumbles and grumples love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control no matter whether I have X or Y, no matter whether life is giving me A and not giving me B.

I am not saying we are sinless. But I am saying when we realize, see, grasp who God is and how God is for us, who Jesus is and who Jesus is in us, who the Spirit is and who the Spirit is in us, and who we are in him and who he is in us discouragement will fade. There will be peace and joy and no rationalizations of our grumbling and despair because it’s-impossible-in-my-circumstances and woe-is-me. We’ll focus on him. We’ll focus on him in us, focusing on the fact we are created for him—not for our own desires, although he is a God of blessing! Life! Shalom! But in this already-not-yet world we:

In the darkness we are to proclaim him:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may PROCLAIM the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9)

In the bleakness of discouragement we are to display him:

The Lord says, “Your people shall all be righteous… the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might DISPLAY MY BEAUTY…The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me…to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives…that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might DISPLAY HIS BEAUTY” (Isaiah 60:21, 61:1, 2, 3, footnote variant reading)

In the lack we are to spread him:

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and THROUGH US SPREADS the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

In the ebony and fog we are the display of his praise:

^“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… to the PRAISE OF HIS GLORIOUS GRACE…[that we] might be to the PRAISE OF HIS GLORY…. to the PRAISE OF HIS GLORY” (Ephesians 1:3, 6, 12, 14).

Not to proclaim to the world our lack, our needs, our discouragement, our wants met or not met, ourselves, our selfly whatevers. We are created for him and are purposed to shine him. He shines brighter. He is brighter. He is the Light in us, giving us this supernatural peace. We are not alone. We have this Treasure, our great Treasure, God, our Star in the dark.