Archery
Careful what you aim for.
I found myself standing on an archery range, crossbow and arrow at the ready, being coached by none other than Jesus himself.
“You’re a hunter?” I asked. His mirthful response was, “I came to seek and save that which is lost. If you call that hunting, then yes.”
Before me was a large target ringed with concentric circles with a small blood red dot in the middle. He pointed me towards it and told me to take careful aim and shoot.
My first shot missed completely. He shook his head as he looked at my grimy hands. I was appalled to see how truly encrusted with dirt my hands really were and suddenly realized that my heart was filthy, too. “If you’ll give me your hands and heart, I will make them clean. You cannot ascend the mountain of the Lord or stand in his holy place without clean hands and a pure heart.”
He took my dirty hands into his own and, as he touched me, my dirt became his dirt. It transferred from my hands to his hands, from my heart to his heart, and then it was gone. I was suddenly clean.
Again, he pointed me towards the target. I accidentally grasped the tip of arrow and it pierced my hand. I screamed out in pain and, while he touched the point of my pain, I noticed a horrible scar where his hand and wrist connected. I realized I had just been given a small taste of the sufferings of Christ. His was a full spike that pierced him through completely, all for the love of us.
Though I was still wincing from the pain, he pointed me – again – towards the target face and stood beside me as both my coach and my target captain, judging the value of each shot, all the while reproving, instructing, and exhorting me.
Initially, I placed my arrow on the string, took aim, pulled and released and managed to hit the outer ring which was marked “The Faith That Saves.” My arrow stuck and Jesus smiled and said, “Well done.” Thus began my training for reigning with arrows.
Sometimes I would miss and get frustrated and other times I would hit consecutive target ring after target ring. One target area ring labeled, “Love Your Wife Even As Christ Loved The Church,” seemed to come up again and again. I’m not sure any husband ever gets this one completely right.
Still, I began to regularly hit target rings like, “He Who Wins Souls Is Wise,” and “Pray Without Ceasing.” And sometimes I missed. Once, after a particularly spectacular failure he instructed me, “Don’t stand tall,” he said. “To pierce this darkness, you need to take this particular shot from your knees.”
I began to learn that the most important thing was to listen to his voice. As I yielded to his voice, my shots got better. After one particularly good shot, he pinned a small medal to my very heart that read, “Psalm 18:34, ‘He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.’”
Though still a student, I was becoming a master of archery and, at times, he would pull back on the bowstring with me as we learned to shoot together as partners in the great hunt.
My target paper was beginning to fill up with arrows though I noticed ruefully all the arrows of all the times I missed that had fallen to the ground. He said, “Don’t worry about those missed shots. On the great day of your judgment, all those will burn in a flash as I judge your works and only that which was of me will endure. Those failures will turn to ash and never bother you again.”
Whoa. Judgment is a thing to look forward to?
So many target rings, so many victories to celebrate with Him. And then I again noticed the small center, the blood red dot. I motioned towards it to the Lord and asked, “What exactly is that blood red dot? I’ve missed it every time (though I did come close a few times).”
The smile left his face and he said very soberly, “Most everyone misses that mark. Go read.” I walked to the target and in the very center on the blood red dot were the words, “The Glory Of God.”
He stood beside me and said quietly, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory. And I paid the full price precisely so you don’t have to stay short of my glory for I came to bring many sons to glory. I invite all my brothers and sisters to this place of total surrender and identification with me - but most will not.”
I bowed my head in sorrow.
He said, “Son, look up, for your redemption draws nigh. If you will aim for nothing but the center of this target board, aim for nothing but The Glory Of God, you will gain the entire board. That one shot will be worth more to me than the thousand good shots you have already taken. Are you willing to live for, serve for, and die for nothing but The Glory Of God?”
He lifted my head up as I took a deep, sobbing breath and responded in the words of Isaiah, “Here Am I. Send me.” He smiled and pinned another medal into my heart which read, “Isaiah 49:2, ‘He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.’”
And, as it can only happen in a dream or vision, he then picked me up perfectly fitting me to his bow string. Taking careful aim for the blood red center, he shouted for joy as he pulled and released, “Son, you are one of my polished arrow!” He sent me flying straight and true toward the little blood red dot, the center of all things holy and true, the only thing worthy of living, serving, and dying for, The Glory Of God!
This invitation goes out freely to any and all who call in faith upon His name.
Bryan Hupperts © 2009
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