Resurrection Hope: Not greyscale, but in colour
In the month of April, we had a Lenten series to prepare our hearts in this season. Though Good Friday and Easter are over, we continue to reflect on the significance of the death and resurrection of Christ. Bibianna uses Psalm 107 for her meditation on God's character and work, and what it means for us.
A while back, I came across an article by Wired that suggested that activating the greyscale mode on phones can make us use our phones less. This mode was originally designed as a feature to aid those with colour blindness. By making our screens black and white, the idea is that our phones are made less fun to use. Phones become more functional, rather than fun devices.
Sometimes, the regular events in the Christian life – Christmas, Good Friday and Easter – can be viewed through "greyscale" lenses. Familiarity could remove our wonder.
WORSHIPPING A GOOD AND FAITHFUL GOD
This past weekend, I found Psalm 107 helpful in fleshing out and shaping my praise and thanksgiving for God's wondrous work in salvation. The psalms opens with a call to worship and thanksgiving. Why worship? Who is to worship? The psalmist does elaborate.
The redeemed of the LORD, those God has redeemed from trouble and gathered from all the lands (Ps 107:2-3) are to do so. These are people that have undergone a change in identity, moving from trouble to security in the LORD. God's redemption is also far-reaching. This in itself is cause for praise, but the psalmist also sees that this points to God's character. God's faithfulness is wrapped up in His name, the LORD, the God who makes covenant. He is also good, and His steadfast love endures forever.
Saved by a good and faithful God
The rest of the psalm unpacks these qualities of God as experienced in different circumstances. Those who cry out to God in their trouble ((Ps 107:6,13,19,26), He rescues and the psalmist calls the redeemed to "thank the LORD for his steadfast love" (Ps 107:8,15,21,31). He rescued:
Those who were lost, hungry and thirsty (Ps 107:4-5), and led them to a place of rest and satisfied their longing soul, filling their hunger with good things (Ps 107:7-9).
Those in darkness and death, brought to that state by their own rebellion and spurning of the Lord (Ps 107:9-12), and broke their bonds (Ps 107:14).
The fools who suffer as a result of their own iniquities (Ps 107:17-19), healing them and saving them from destruction (Ps 107:20).
The self-sufficient who went about doing their business in great ships yet faltered in the face of a storm (Ps 107:23-27). He calmed the storm and brought them to safety (Ps 107:29-30).
This definitely describes some of our experience of God. Reading this in light of the cross and resurrection of Christ, we are also reminded that God's salvation and deliverance is not merely for the close shaves of life -- a problem here, a conflict there. He has dealt with our biggest problem, sin, and with it the death that befalls us all. In doing so, our thirst, hunger, foolishness and pride have all been dealt with. His steadfast love was demonstrated so vividly on the cross. This love that endures forever is true even today because Jesus was resurrected!
Walking with a good and faithful God
I chanced upon this hymn and it provides a wonderful imagery of life springing forth from a "buried grain" and how Love brings about growth again:
Now the green blade riseth, from the buried grain,
Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.In the grave they laid Him, Love who had been slain,
Thinking that He never would awake again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.Forth He came at Easter, like the risen grain,
Jesus who for three days in the grave had lain;
Quick from the dead the risen One is seen:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Jesus' touch can call us back to life again,
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.
The last verse is especially poetic, and is a lovely reminder of the resurrection hope for our broken hearts. If we have professed faith in Christ, we have been redeemed by a faithful God who showed His love for us and whose steadfast love endures forever. Dear Christian, we can cry to God in our troubles, and when God acts, He brings about life from death and causes growth from barrenness.
Or perhaps, you have questions about this God or what faith in Him means. Speak to a Christian friend or come by our services to chat with us. We would love to share more about what knowing and loving this good and faithful God is all about.
Psalm 107:43 provides us with a great exhortation at the end of the psalm: "Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD." Let us, too, consider God's enduring love and goodness. There's always more of God to discover, experience and be thankful for and certainly not in greyscale, but with vivid and high-definition colours.