"In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory...and for a spirit of [justice] to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate." Isaiah 28:5a, 6
That God is our crown of glory, the only thing we have to boast in, is a thought that must filter down into every aspect of our lives. That God is our all and all through Christ is a lofty idea, but it can be easily lost in the muck of the nitty-gritty of everyday life. Plans are laid, expectations are set (by you and others), circumstances go awry, problems arise, fears set in, and at every turn it is the most natural thing to look to ourselves, to "believe" in ourselves, to place ourselves as a crown upon our heads--we are our own symbol of power. Consequently, we are never strong or wise enough to meet all that comes to us, and so we sink into despair and self-pity at the sight of it all.
Those who "believe" in themselves, who set themselves as their ultimate end and trust, are truly lunatics. There is nothing more maddening than believing solely in yourself when everything around you goes to pot. You have nothing to fall on but yourself, and you have already fallen; you have nothing to count on but your own character and will, and you have already failed. To continue to believe in yourself when everything has proven you to be impotent is true madness: it is a complete disconnect with reality.
Believing solely in God makes more sense: the Bible reveals Him as more than merely another being, but as the source of all things, including strength and wisdom. He is the inspiration behind our work and the strength to do it (Philippians 2:13). To trust in God is to be in touch with reality, because God is Reality, and we are only truly sane when we are connected to Him, when He is our crown of glory and spirit of justice and strength.
"Jesus, Crown above all crowns,
Spirit of Justice,
Strength of my heart,
There is no other Hope like You..."
-Jon Vowell
That God is our crown of glory, the only thing we have to boast in, is a thought that must filter down into every aspect of our lives. That God is our all and all through Christ is a lofty idea, but it can be easily lost in the muck of the nitty-gritty of everyday life. Plans are laid, expectations are set (by you and others), circumstances go awry, problems arise, fears set in, and at every turn it is the most natural thing to look to ourselves, to "believe" in ourselves, to place ourselves as a crown upon our heads--we are our own symbol of power. Consequently, we are never strong or wise enough to meet all that comes to us, and so we sink into despair and self-pity at the sight of it all.
Those who "believe" in themselves, who set themselves as their ultimate end and trust, are truly lunatics. There is nothing more maddening than believing solely in yourself when everything around you goes to pot. You have nothing to fall on but yourself, and you have already fallen; you have nothing to count on but your own character and will, and you have already failed. To continue to believe in yourself when everything has proven you to be impotent is true madness: it is a complete disconnect with reality.
Believing solely in God makes more sense: the Bible reveals Him as more than merely another being, but as the source of all things, including strength and wisdom. He is the inspiration behind our work and the strength to do it (Philippians 2:13). To trust in God is to be in touch with reality, because God is Reality, and we are only truly sane when we are connected to Him, when He is our crown of glory and spirit of justice and strength.
"Jesus, Crown above all crowns,
Spirit of Justice,
Strength of my heart,
There is no other Hope like You..."
-Jon Vowell
No comments:
Post a Comment