Photo Credit - Jessie Bush. Website We The People
Psalm 81:16 ... & He will feed you with the finest of wheat, & with honey from the rock He will satisfy you.
I love the photo above. It was taken in Switzerland by Jessie Bush and for me it captures something slightly magical. Grazing cattle bring to mind the rich creamy delicious milk that goes into making Swiss chocolate. The mountain pastures look lush and beautiful. The cows look fat and healthy. I can just make out a cow bell worn around the neck of the beauty in the foreground indicating that the cattle belong to someone but are allowed to wander these slopes.I see fences and a dry stone wall. These things all tell me that there is care for this land, it belongs to someone.
There is a wisp of cloud over the far slopes of forest which adds a gentle depth to the scene. A softness to the lighting.
The outdoor table is laid up for what I would imagine will be a substantial meal. This is not a meal for one or two, but a gathering of 8 or 9. The wine glasses reveal that this will be a fine dining experience.
When I first saw the Bible verse above and this photograph I quickly put them together. When I look at that table I think of fine dining & honey from the rock. That is the way my mind thinks.The scene then became a picture of SUBMISSION. Very obvious to me but in need of some explaining!
The verse that explains this picture is from the Bible in Psalm 81:16
... & He will feed you with the finest of wheat, & with honey from the rock He will satisfy you.
It was written about Israel and the word submit is mine. I wrote it on my blackboard next to this verse. The Psalm is a summary of what happens if you try and fix things yourself compared to if you will submit. It is written to a nation but it is rare now to find whole nations making decisions together. It is even rare to find families making decisions together. We operate more as individuals, so I take this psalm as a piece of advice for successful living.
As I looked at the photo I began to see that it was a vision of provision. It is the perfect image of what happens when you stop trying to do it all yourself. It is a picture of being looked after by someone else. It is a picture of extravagance and attention to detail. It is a picture of excellence, of the finer things in life. It is a picture of someone tenderly caring and providing for a group of people. It is a picture of community, fellowship and all set in the stunning beauty of the mountains.
For me the opposite of this picture would be a selfie of a self made individual. An image set against a backdrop of synthetic colours & lighting. Possibly very luxurious but totally manmade.
Submit is scrawled on my blackboard! It is not a word that I hear very often these days. It is probably too militant because it implies a denial of my own freedom. I could have used the word co-operate but I don't think it is strong enough.
The word SUBMIT is very rarely used in conversation. I don't think I've heard it used in years. No-one wants to be submissive and appear weak. It is a word that is especially damaging if you are a woman and happen to use it.
When I use the word SUBMIT I will be frowned upon. Submission has been linked to oppressors. Oppressive male figures, oppressive political regimes and oppressive systems including the church.
I understand why the word SUBMIT has fallen out of fashion. I understand why we have fought for our rights against the abuse of personal freedom. But at some point we tipped over board and our world became obsessed with ME, ME, ME and stopped living under the authority of the One who alone can really fight for us and look after us well.
We kicked out the idea of submission and replaced it with independence.
And it is this self made, self absorbed, free democratic world of prosperity and choice that is killing me. I can't escape the exhausting barrage of advertising and individual choices to be made every day even though I try very hard. A world that exhausts me, offering so much but delivering so little. Deceiving me by hiding the truth in the small print. A world that snares me with huge promises but then spits me out dry and burnt out.
Jesus said it very clearly in the passage down below ....
"Are you tired?
Worn out?
Burned out on religion?
Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover life.
I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. "
Matthew 11: 28 - 30 ( The Message Translation)
That is what I am looking for. Real rest and real life.
I had a couple of afternoons last week on Dartmoor and went for a dip in a bubbling brook. I felt like I had struck gold. I felt like I was eating honey from the rock. (Psalm 81:16) I immersed myself in cool clean water, I sat on rocks covered in moss & lichen. I looked out across the soft colours of the moors with sheep grazing and the dramatic contrast of the gorgeous dark skies.
It was all free, not something I could buy with money or make for myself. Even the caterpillar I found trundling along a leaf looked better dressed in it's rich colours than any designer coat. He was a tiny bundle of spiky perfection.
All of that experience was freely given and unexpected. It showed me how rich my Creator is and what real rest & real life actually is.
I was enjoying ... the unforced rhythm of grace.
Unlike oppressive male authorities, the One I am submitting to has invested His life in me. He is willing to die for me.
He is a genius. He is the wisest individual to ever exist.
I am happy to submit to someone who can look after me better than I can look after myself. I will continue to hunt down and surrender to Jesus, the source of life, the kindest, most fun, interesting, flamboyant, creative individual I know.
I enjoyed my perfect afternoon in creation. I felt like I was being fed honey from the rock and the finest of everything. I was walking with my best friend, learning to live light and free.
It was unexpected, it was life and it was rest and it came from the rhythm of grace.