After a long season of rain and clouds, sopping mud and mopey countenances, the sun has burst upon us like a strong man running a race, singing in the heavens as we revolve around it, over and over, just as all things revolve around Christ.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5
More glorious is the dawn after a pitch black night, full of strange noises. More exhilarating is the warm breeze, sweeping down from the hills, after a period of incessant rain. The most satisfying meal is only eaten after a day of intense work under the glaring sun.
These are the simplest of observations. Something a child makes when they yell in delight at the breakthrough of the sun through the all surrounding gray.
Here are a couple simple questions:
Question: How many hours are spent searching for the hidden faults that are seemingly bringing God’s righteous frown down into our daily lives?
Question: How often do we labor under the *Son* only to be turned away when we hold out our palm for the day’s wages?
We were dirty rags, filthy, unfit for anything but destruction, but God chose to weave us into His divine tapestry that spreads itself over and across the heavens, encompassing all of life. We were pieces of coal but He is refining us into diamonds, to shine for eternity in a crown. The fire burns hot, but the fleshly sin burns away, revealing the pure white of Jesus Christ beneath our putrid efforts and attempts. Every which way we turn, we are going to find more of this refinement cutting into our hours and moments. It’s not so simple as laying on a bed of thornless roses, and having God wave a wand, declaring us sanctified.
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7
Working in a field is backbreaking, thirsty work. God has much mercy, though, and often sends us our own Gunga Dins, with lifegiving water. That is, there are some people who come along us at the hardest times to encourage and exhort us in the faith. But if we aren’t working to point to Christ, and to bring glory to Christ, our laborings are in vain. They are vain, and proud, when they are meant to direct attention to us; we will always feel empty and dissatisfied with the attention that we accept. An example would be, working under the assumption that we are contributing to our salvation. A few more good works and we will be assured of our going to Heaven. Then God frowns, because we are putting ourselves under the judgment of the law again AND saying there is something good in us, even if it be a smidgen. We are to accept only Christ’s sacrifice, not our own.
God is also a harsh, and temperamental God if He cradles us beneath His wings one day, but casts us aside the next. God is eternal and unchanging, once saved we are always saved, but He will require us to shed our old skin, just as Eustace did in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, to reveal the new man. Deeper, we need to go, till we shine in the glory of that new man.
My last thought is this: How often do we labor only to be turned away when we hold out our palms for the day’s wages, only to be given much more than we expected? Ruth only asked to be allowed to gather the heads of grain that fell from the sheaves, but Boaz granted her much more than that. Life is full of sorrows and is much, much harder for those in countries where their Christianity is sure to bring loss, torture and even death, than for us; their reward may not be recieved in full until Heaven. But, God will and does bless His children on this earth, even if that blessing is not what it appears.
My thoughts are just crumbling fragments of a whole picture, but Spurgeon, I knew, would have something applying to my thoughts this day from Morning and Evening:
April 24, Morning,
“And because of all this we make a sure covenant” Nehemiah 9:38
There are many occasions in our experience when we may rightly, and with benefit renew our covenant with God. After recovery from sickness when, like Hezekiah, we have had a new term of years added to our life, we may fitly do it. After any deliverance from trouble, when our joy buds forth anew, let us again visit the foot of the cross, and renew our consecration. Especially, let us do this after any sin which has grieved the Holy Spirit, or brought dishonour upon the cause of God; let us then look to that blood which can make us whiter than snow, and again offer ourselves unto the Lord. We should not only let our troubles confirm our dedication to God, but our prosperity should do the same. If we ever meet with occasions which deserve to be called “crowning mercies” then, surely, if He hath crowned us we ought to also crown our God; let us bring forth anew all the jewels of the divine regalia which have been stored in the jewel-closet of our heart, and let our God sit upon the throne of our love, arrayed in royal apparel. If we should learn to profit by our own prosperity, we should not need so much adversity. If we would gather from a kiss all the good that it might confer upon us, we should not so often smart under the rod. Have we lately recieved some blessing which we little expected? Has the Lord put our feet in a large room? Can we sing of the mercies multiplied? Then this is the day to put our hand upon the horns of the altar, and say, “Bind me here, my God; bind me here with cords, even for ever.” Inasmuch as we need the fulfillment of new promises from God, let us offer renewed prayers that our old vows may not be dishonoured. Let us this morning make with Him a sure covenant, because of the pains of Jesus which for the last month we have been considering with gratitude.”
Gracie
It sounds silly to get excited about learning how to “meter,” but I’m overjoyed to finally be able to grasp this concept. 
