A righteous remnant jump into the next dimension of life and begin a Joyous March into the Interior. With much laughter and great excitement they hasten to keep step with the gorgeous golden beast, Aslan – Lion among lions - son of the Emperor Beyond the Sea. The glorious creature is now bounding across Spring-time hills, while at the same time diving into deeper dimensions of eternal perfection. They all skip and leap ever upwards, quickly ascending mountainous heights, making concentrically sweeter headway. All the while he spurs on those who chase with beckoning delight - Higher up! …Farther in! … Higher up! … Farther in!
This is the final scene of The Chronicles of Narnia – an allegorical fantasy series. The climax of the final book, The Last Battle, marks the conclusion of Time and the opening up of a glorious chapter in human history – a new tale where God and man walk in perfect friendship throughout forever. This is what God is saying to us, His people, in this very climactic stage of human history – Higher up! … Farther in!
I am often inspired by the images and principles from the Narnia series. Just before leaving Trinidad to come to Japan, the words “higher up, farther in” came back to me. They are still echoing in my heart today. As I move into deeper dimensions of who God is, I walk under the tutelage of God-inspired experiences of a varied sort. Through the windows of my heart, I look out and see walls of clear glass. These crystal-clear sheets seem to intersect in an arbitrary pattern, creating a beautiful, transparent maze of translucent gold. The warm, shimmering dazzle of sunny glory beams through this lucent beauty. You can see right through into far off and forever.
In this season, as I step into new dimensions of who God is, I am learning:
That God is kind and rich in mercy
That God is gentle and tender-hearted
That God is slow to anger
That patience proves all things
That a man’s wisdom gives him patience
That God blesses both the righteous and the wicked
That, yes, even the wicked can be shown mercy
That praise and thankfulness usher us into His courts
That thankfulness must fill my heart and fountain forth
That I must become perfectly patterned after God
These days, in my mind, I see a home of glassy charm. The furnishings are crystal clear with tasteful trimmings of silver. I see a floral bouquet of rosy pinks, sunny yellows, and tangerine hues set on a low glass table. It is the only thing of colour … yet I know there is colour all around. Crystal clarity is the treasure of my heart, touched with the fragrance of joy and sunbeams of grace.
I recently saw a beautiful Alaskan Husky – a creature of grim, wolvish beauty. Its silvery sheen was pure splendour, but most stunning was its piercing gaze. Its eyes were as clear as marbles, and as beautiful as they were penetrative; mesmeric - a transparent gaze of startling stillness and intensity. It was a gorgeous creature of solemn stateliness; perfectly poised; breathtaking. It has made me think of God. He is both watching us and watching over us. He is our Faithful Guardian and He is also the Awesome One – beautiful and kind as He is also wondrously terrible.
Higher up … farther in …there are deeper dimensions yet; as we walk through the endless maze of who He is, we become blissfully lost in the wonder of His world; and along the way, as we peer into the golden-glass walls around us, we see who we are, and find there is still more breathtaking landscape beyond. In Him we live and move and have our being …Higher up! Farther in!
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