Suddenly I
could see in my mind the scenario of Jesus visiting in the home of Martha and
Mary. Luke tell us that, “Mary…
sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.”[2] Jesus’ assessment of Mary’s choice of action was, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which
will not be taken away from her.”[3]
What struck me
as such a beautiful note of comfort and joy was that Mary, sitting at Jesus’
feet, and losing herself in the words he was speaking over her soul, must have
known what it felt like to have the sound of divine music sung into her heart.
It had to have felt like the long-awaited Immanuel,[4] the
“God with us”[5]
Savior, sitting in the midst of his friends. It had to feel to her heart as if
the Mighty One had come to save his people. It had to have felt as if she had
found the one who had found her, the Shepherd who had come into her world to
bring her home, and that he was rejoicing over her, over his friends, with a
gladness that she had never heard anyone ever express to her before.
It surely had
to feel to Mary like her Gentle Shepherd was singing to the heart of his little
lambs and quieting their anxious and troubled souls with his love. It had to
have some sense of the sound, and intent, and feeling, and experience of the Savior
who was exulting over his found ones, his redeemed ones, his chosen ones, his
beloved ones, as though the loudest, smoothest, richest singing was pouring the
ointment of joy over wounded souls that had been waiting for him for a very
long time.
And then, it
was as clear as anything I have ever thought, or felt, or understood, or known,
that this God, who promised more than twenty-four centuries ago that his people
would feel him in their midst, would know that the Mighty One had come to save,
would feel his joyful gladness flowing over them, would feel his love quieting
their anxious souls, would hear the exultation of the divine heart in his loud
singing over the outcasts and sinners he had turned into his friends, that this
God would draw me into his presence on a quiet morning so that I would know
that I was sitting at his feet, and hanging on his every word, and trembling at
the sound of divine singing, and bearing his wonderful affirmation and
commendation and overwhelming encouragement that such as choose to accept his
invitation to climb up onto his lap, and surrender to his divine arms holding
them, and carrying them close to his heart, find the greatest joy and rest as
any soul could ever experience.
And so, it is
true in testimony as it is true in God’s word,[6]
that the weary and burdened who come to Jesus for rest, who take his yoke upon
them and learn from him, who come to know him as the gentle and compassionate
and humble-hearted Savior, experience a rest for their souls that touches them
with feelings that cannot be fully held in any basket of words.[7]
Thankfully,
words fail us long before our satisfaction in Christ is diluted by the busyness
of another day. His mercies are new every morning.[8] He
welcomes his children into his arms, into his home, near to his heart,[9] as
often as we will stop our busy and maddening self-focused and self-protective
pace, and sit at his feet, and listen to his words, and rest in his love.
These are the
times that we feel the sudden and loving discipline of realizing that Jesus had
not failed to sing over us the way his ancient and constant promise had
declared; but, that we had been too busy, and to self-centered, and too
determined to do good by him, that we missed out on the good that was coming
from him the whole time.
However, then
the kindness of God’s love that brings us to repentance[10]
for removing ourselves from the sound of his singing, this kind and compassionate
love washes away all the unrighteousness of our childish, immature, ignorant
little hearts, and brings us to feel rest, and delight, and satisfaction, and
wonder in his presence as though we had never missed a stanza of the divine
song.
And so, our
little hearts sit at Jesus’ feet in wonder, wondering how a heart that had
missed a lifetime of hearing his singing would hear the song that, even in this
joyful singing over a little soul, feels that all the lost years are redeemed
in each note, and each word, that Jesus sings over us.
Now, as far as
I know, no one else in the house heard all this. However, my faith heard it
very well, and will hold it dear to my heart whatever else this day presents
for my growth in the Lord Jesus Christ.
From my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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