SHATTERED and GATHERED

9/30/11 Life can happen in "shattering" ways. Blots on our life's pages.
Interruptions abounding. Often we are caught unaware.

Revelation 1:17 speaks of the Lord as the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. I like the way the prophet wrote of that concept in Isaiah 52:12. For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. As our Alpha, he goes before us----our paths and stage are set by Him as we follow Him. As our Omega He is there in eternity. Amy Carmichael's devotional book, Edges of His Ways, opened my eyes to this glorious truth. Rotherham phrased it thus, "For your Van-guard is the Lord." "He who begins, finishes." (Edges, 9/29) God's there first and He's there as our rear guard. He is first and last and every where in between.

So what's the glorious truth? For me, it was not just the guidance we receive from the One who goes ahead, nor the protection we receive from the One who defends and brings up the rear. It was the job description of the rear guard that had me gratefully seeing Him as Gatherer. The rear guard follows after "to gather us up if we flag and are weary." (Edges 9/30) He gathers up----that's my favorite thought. My rearguard gathers up my mistakes, my bumbling intentions, all the detritus that I have left on my life's path and He takes care of them. He is first and He is last, and we are gathered up in-between, as in great arms of eternal lovingkindness. (Edges, 9/29) So, as we travel on into another month we need not fear: Eternal love is our Vanguard, the glory of Eternal Love is our Rearguard. (Edges, 9/30) His everlasting arms will gather us up.