Bass-line Trials

I was reading my daily devotional book by CH Spurgeon the other day and one of the sentences really stood out for me. The Lord has been playing it over and over in my heart so I thought I would share it with you all. I posted the photo of the quote to Facebook, here it is again.

Isn't that just amazing imagery?? I love how Spurgeon sees the world. His poetic descriptions make me smile. This one in particular. 

I love the thought that our trials are the bass line in our life's song. Imagine a song with no bass line. It is empty, shallow and without real colour. The music is unbalanced. Actually, for me, it becomes even a little boring and irritating. 

But when the bass kicks in there is an immediate change in the depth of the piece of music. I love how the bass adds colour, fullness and rounds out the music. It becomes almost multi-dimensional. 

My daughter Aimée is learning to play cello and it is a beautiful instrument. The richness of the bass notes it plays is truly heart-warming. Even when it is played less than perfectly, there is a beauty in the deep, resonance that flows from it. 

I think that is what Spurgeon had in mind when he said that griefs are the bass part of our life's song. Our trials do not take away from the melody of our life. Trials and griefs add dimensions that are not possible to know without them. Imagine a life that is only ever good. While most of us think we want that, we would end up being very one-dimensional people. I believe God allows trials to round out our character, to bring about depth and fullness in us just as the bass does in music. 

Our trials do not lessen our praise before God. If anything, surely it must gladden God's heart to hear His children praise Him in the midst of adversity? I imagine it does. There is a depth and balance to the worship that flows from a heart that has known griefs yet still turns to God in praise. 

I thank God for the bass line that He has allowed in my life. Without it my song of praise to Him would be much emptier and much less balanced. Life is like a symphony that ebbs and flows from highs to lows. Every instrument is necessary to create the full, multi-dimensional song of praise that God alone deserves. 

My griefs will not mar my song, instead I will use them to make even sweeter music unto my God. 

God bless xx

Feeding the 5000 - A Picture of the Local Church

Mat. 14:14-21, Mark 6:32-44, John 6:5-13, Luke 9:10-17

In this well-known event in the Bible we see Jesus perform an amazing miracle but there is more here.
I love to read the gospels paying particular attention to what Jesus was teaching to the disciples. I believe that everything He did before them was to teach them something that they would need after He had returned to Heaven.

This passage is no different.
We begin with watching a crowd of people coming to hear Jesus speak and to watch Him heal the sick. The people were enthralled with Jesus and stayed later than was practical (at least for the disciples anyway).
Jesus used this as a teaching opportunity for the disciples. Remember these same disciples would be used in building and establishing the foundations of the Church that was to come.

Look at  Jn. 6:5-6
'When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.' Jn 6:5-6

Jesus already had a plan for these people. The Church has always been the plan on His heart.
I hear you ask 'how has this anything to do with the Church?' 

 The people have come to hear Jesus. They have come to find healing and rest. They have stayed beyond the normal time and now the disciples have to act. However, the disciples have no idea what to do with all these tired, hungry people. They wanted to send them away to find food and rest for themselves. But it was not Jesus' plan for the people to fend for themselves.

In Mark 6:37 Jesus says “You give them something to eat.” This is a strange thing for Jesus to say when He knew that the disciples had nothing to give. But therein lies the lesson - in and of themselves, the disciples had nothing to give to weary, hungry people. They were empty of physical or spiritual food and rest for the people.

Jesus then took the loaves and fishes that the young boy brought and proceeded to teach.
Mk 6:39-41
And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all.

What I see here is Jesus showing a pattern of local churches. The people are broken up and seated in manageable groups. I imagine these groups were made up of friends who came to see Jesus together, and people from the same families/towns/communities. When these groups went home after this amazing event, it is likely that a lot of people from the same family/village had been grouped together that day. I wonder did they continue to meet as a group of believers from then on? 

Jesus then does a miracle of providing ample food for everyone and He gives it to the disciples to distribute.
What are local churches if not smaller groups of believers within an area gathering together hear from and to receive blessing from the Lord?
He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; Surely this is a picture of the local church leaders, to whom the Lord continually gives fresh bread to distribute to the church.

Mk.6:42 says 'They all ate and were satisfied'. Everyone was filled. In this setting the people were manageable for the disciples.What began as overwhelming for the disciples ended up being a successful provision for the crowds.
The lesson the disciples learned was that when they had huge crowds of people who were spiritually hungry they needed to group them together and turn to the Lord for provision. This is exactly what they did all over the known world after the death and resurrection of Jesus and the scattering of the believers. Local churches were set up wherever the disciples went. Titus 1:5 'For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you'

The lesson is still the same today. There needs to be local churches dependent upon Jesus for provision. Jesus is the provider for the church. He is the only One who distributes the provision in a way that leaves everyone satisfied. He is the Shepherd of the people (Mk.6:34) and He knows what each one needs. Even the distributors (local church leaders/pastors) are provided for when Jesus is the source. v.42 and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish.

The local church is God's heart. I am sure of it. We all belong to the worldwide Church but it is important to belong to a single, local gathering of believers where the provision of the Lord can be distributed to satisfy all who hunger.
Heb. 10:24-25 'let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.'
 Being part of the local church is such a blessing and I am glad that it is God's heart for me :)