if you have received the marshall Christmas card you may have read that my word for this upcoming year is LIFT. if you haven't received the card... hold on. it may be coming (if you aren't on the list then it will be coming to the very blog soon.)
i loved the one verse in psalms about LIFT but didn't include it in my card because it is not from the hebrew word "nasa'" and i only used verses with that specific word for LIFT in them. but this is a good one...
psalm 3: 1-6
Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.
But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory,
the One who lifts my head high.
I call out to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear though tens of thousands
assail me on every side.
the word LIFT in that psalm is the hebrew word "ruwm" to exalt, to raise up (as in growing up children), to set on high, make lofty.
i love this idea of God lifting my head. not me being prideful but in my worst moments, my war moments, Him gently lifting my head and telling me that He esteems me. that He sees His Beloved Son when He looks at me.
i read this blog post from carlos whittaker yesterday and it blew me away...
it is entitled "ever wonder what God's face looks like?"
he uses this photo taken at the paralympic races of a blind runner, terezinha guilhermina and her guide, guilherme soares de santana crossing the finish line. the guide knows that his runner is about to take the gold medal in a world record time. and look at his face. she has no idea that she is about to win and break a world record...
this is some of what carlos wrote...
Sometimes we have no idea.
We follow the direction the Lord sets us on and run.
We run hard.
We run.
We have no idea whether or not we are even close to victory.
But the image above tells us so much about our walk with the Lord...
The look on the Lords face if you have followed His lead well and are running hard is probably exactly this.
He is overjoyed with the victory that is coming your way.
We are blind to so much of His plan.
But He promises us victory if we just trust Him and run hard.
He is overjoyed Ragamuffins.
Run Hard.
run hard. He will lift your head. He will say "well done. well run." one day we will stand arm in arm at the finish line together. He will have lead me all the way. He will have LIFTed my head when i couldn't look up. He will have won every victory for me. answered every promise Yes in Christ Jesus. i just couldn't see it all until that moment. then i will see face to face... and i really hope that He has a look similar to that on His face. because it will make me laugh. a joyful Godly laugh...
2 timothy 4: 7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
