OVERCOVER AGENTS

For over all the glory there will be a covering.

(Isaiah 4:5)

 

If ever my son asks me to define, in a single word, the essence of manhood, I think I’ll be ready. I’ll take him to Isaiah, read him this enigmatic prophecy of the coming Kingdom of God, and underline the one crucial word: covering.

But I’ll have to explain that I didn’t actually learn the lesson reading Isaiah. I learned it when an unexpected providence made me manager of our local Christian bookstore.

Suddenly, a callow young man with neither business nor administrative experience found himself responsible not only for the smooth and profitable operation of a thriving store, but also for the guidance and safety of several other dedicated employees—all of whom happened to ladies!

Looking back, it seems to me that somehow, in my day-to-day relationship with these women, God quietly but unalterably granted me a revelation of the gist of manhood: to be a man, I discovered, was to stand for the Father in his world, and to cover—that is, to protect and provide for—the creatures he entrusts to our care, especially women and children.

The revelation came, I am sure, in the little things: figuring out how to schedule lunches or days off so that the ladies wouldn’t get needlessly tired or miss events that were important to them; sending them home sick, even when they wanted to stay; lifting heavy boxes from their arms; stepping in between them and difficult customers; even coaxing the owner to give them a raise!

And what was the payoff in all these little chivalries? Well, beyond the love and respect of my staff, it was simply this: I experienced my manhood. Why? Because I experienced my God covering these women through me, his man. Having granted me a small stewardship of his authority and loving oversight, he fulfilled me as a man.

If we are Christians, the Kingdom that Isaiah foresaw is here, though we do indeed groan till it appears in fullness. Therefore, over all our assemblies —over our personal walk with Christ, our home, our place of work, our church, our chosen sphere of service in the community—a glory should be seen: an orderliness, an integrity, a beauty, a holy joy.

But it can only be seen if there is a covering over the glory.

And there can only be a covering if God can get his men.

Father, you know how difficult it is for men to be men, especially in our day when the world has turned gender roles upside down. You know how difficult it is to lead when we would rather follow; to stand and fight when we would rather run. At a time when so many have been abandoned by the men in their lives, help your sons to become “overcover agents.” Help us more and more to provide and protect, whether spiritually or physically; to cover the weaker vessels whom you are pleased to entrust to our care. In the Name of Him who showed us the way. Amen.

 

LEST ISRAEL GLORY AGAINST GOD

And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’”

(Judges 7:2)

 

Fantasy # 1

I have just died (hopefully it didn’t hurt too much). There is a small gathering at church, with friends and family in attendance.

The presiding pastor opens the meeting for comments. My dear friend Lawrence steps up to the podium, offers some gracious remarks, and closes with this:

“You know, whenever I would call Dean and ask how he was doing, he would say, ‘Pretty good for a guy who’s still trying to figure out what he’s going to be when he grows up.’

“Well, now he knows.”

—————–

Don’t laugh. I can’t begin to count the times I’ve found myself in the fetal position—spiritually AND physically—groaning before God, wishing, hoping, praying that I might see a straight path—a clear life course— spreading out before me. Alas, it’s going on 40 years since I first met the Lord; and yes, by his precious grace I’ve definitely had the pleasure of doing a few things in his name. Yet somehow I still don’t feel I’ve gotten the complete picture; that I have seen, or said, or accomplished . . . enough.

Do you ever experience this malaise? If so, our text from Judges—and a few others like it—may be of some help.

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And Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table.

As I have done, so God has repaid me.” Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

(Judges 1:7)

 

I recently received an invitation to take a stroll down the Avenue of the Giants. No, the promoters did not have in mind a walk in one of our nearby redwood forests. Rather, they desired that I should join them at a dinner party to celebrate the outstanding careers and accomplishments of a number of alumni from my high school.

The roster was impressive. It included a renowned filmmaker, two Pulitzer Prize winning journalists, a medical researcher, two physicists, two mathematics professors (one at Cal, the other at Stanford), and the founder of popular non-profit advocating for environmental protection.

God bless them all. And God be praised for whatever good any of them have been able to accomplish, for every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17).

But brothers and sisters, before ascribing too much glory to the sons of men—and certainly before envying them—let us take a cautionary lesson from the life of Adoni-Bezek.

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LORD, LIFT UP YOUR FEET!

Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.
The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.

(Psalm 74:3)

 

Years ago on a family ski trip my little brother fell and tore the ligaments in his right knee. It was a nasty fall and a nasty injury. When it happened, he let out a cry heard all across the slopes. My father, who had reached the bottom of the hill where we were skiing, heard it too, and instantly turned and headed back up. I can still see him, lifting up his skis, climbing the hill as fast as he could. I can still hear his voice, too: “Hold on son, I’m coming!”

That memorable event supplies a powerful picture of our redemption, as does the text before us. Psalm 74 is the cry of one of God’s children, pleading for help because the enemies of the nation have entered the land and are laying waste to God’s inheritance. All is in desolation. The people are under a severe discipline from the LORD, against whom they have sinned. Like my brother so many years ago, they are down for the count. The psalmist knows they’ll never get up again unless God lifts up his feet and races to their aid.

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SNAKES ON A ROCK

There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I do not understand:
The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.

(Proverbs 30:18-19)

 

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how many of God’s creatures like to bask.

Our pet rabbit likes to lie on the grass, stretch out his fore and hind legs, and bask in the sun.

The seals down at Goat Rock, braving the gawkers on the beach, will lie on the sand at the river’s mouth for hours on end and bask in the sun.

Basking sharks, I assume, enjoy swimming near the surface of the water so they can bask in the sun.

Mulling all of this, I suddenly remembered that Solomon, too, was intrigued by baskers. As he thought about the four wonders mentioned above, he knew there was a spiritual significance attached to each of them—and that he couldn’t see it.

But we who are in Christ can!

That’s because the New Testament repeatedly tells us that Christ is our Rock; and also that we—who once had a nature and a standing like that old serpent, the devil—are nevertheless loved by God, who lifted us out of our holes in the earth, and set safely upon the Rock of His Son.

We’re snakes all right. But thanks be to God, the Father no longer sees us that way. Because we’re in Christ, he sees us as sons. Therefore, we can bask in the healing and warming light of his love, with no fear of getting picked off!

So next time you’re feeling low and mean—even downright snakey—take a lesson from the rabbits, the seals, the sharks, the lizards, and all the other baskers.

Remember that you’re on the Rock—and then spend a little time just basking in the Father’s love.