We are the rescued.

I (Lisa) have had some thoughts tossing around in my head the past few days/weeks.  Just thought I'd process by writing it out.  There is an adoption update at the bottom so feel free to skip there if you would rather not read my ramblings. :)

"We care for orphans, not because we are rescuers. We care for orphans because we are the rescued." -David Platt

My goal in January 2012 was to read the Bible in a year.  I selected a Bible reading plan and jumped in.  I decided to read it chronologically this time.  I thought I could make it in one year and was excited to give it a go.

One year later, in January 2013, I was just finishing up the Old Testament, falling several months short of my goal. But I was struck at the timing.  I felt so grateful that the end of the Old Testament wasn't the end of the story.  There was some major rescuing to be done and as I finished up Nehemiah (which is the end chronologically) , I found myself longing for more, longing for God's people to not stay where they were, longing for God to come, and seeing how I am just like those Israelites.  I am a filthy rag, unable to keep God's laws.  They needed someone. something. some rescue.  I need that same rescue.


Nehemiah is not the end of the story, though!  Jesus came!  He came, he lived the perfect life, he died a terrible death, and he reconciled his people to his Father.  All of the ways Israel fell short and all of the ways I fall short, Jesus makes right.  I fall short. I fall gigantically short of God's standard.  I am a mess of a sinner.  But, I don't have to fear God's law.  Instead, I can delight in it.  "Only because Jesus obeyed the law perfectly in our place can we delight in the law of the Lord rather than despair." (-Nancy Guthrie)  And, I feel that. I feel that at the end of the Old Testament, I would be in despair if I didn't know there was more to the story.  

The Rescuer came quietly, small-ly, simply. And he fulfilled the law completely.  I am so happy to be in the New Testament reading about his life.

I know that even the end of the New Testament isn't the end of the story.  We are still here on earth with sickness, sorrow, pain, and death.  The "end" (I don't think eternity has an "end") will be when Jesus returns, wipes every tear from every eye, executes his judgement, and draws His people close.  Death will have no more sting.  Our good king will be worshiped rightly.   That is the "ending" that I know is coming.

All of this ties into adoption so beautifully in the Platt quote above.  It is because of this rescue, our rescue, that we care for orphans.  The more I meditate on my own rescue and the rescue and hope I can tell my kids and neighbors about, the more my heart is stirred to get involved with the 147 million orphans worldwide.  My heart longs to tell them this true story of rescue, redemption, mercy.  I want to tell them about The Father to the fatherless.  I can hardly sit still, I am so excited to at least get to teach this to one orphan.  He won't be an orphan for long, though.  He is our son and we are coming for him.








Adoption update:  We are still waiting for our home study to be finalized.  We really thought that this step would have been complete about a week ago, but it is not.  So we wait and try to be patient.  We are hoping to have our home study finalized next week.  Then we submit immigration papers.  Hoping to have a more detailed update soon!