Circling back to Myrrhseas, myrrh has historically been a spice used in burial and was 1 of 3 costly gifts given to Jesus by the MAGI, along with gold and frankincense. The gift of the bitter spice of myrrh foreshadowed the very reason Jesus came, to give His life a ransom for many and to destroy the works of the devil by defeating sin and hell and conquering death when he rose from what became an empty tomb! Jesus bought with His blood people from every tongue, tribe and nation, to be a kingdom of priests to serve God. Through the ministry of massage, I have had the opportunity to come alongside women who are walking through seasons of deep sorrow and grief, that often unfold into a lifetime of ongoing sorrow and grief, as they await the day that every tear will be wiped away. Through that ministry, and through sorrow and grief of my own, the promise "His mercies are new every morning" has been much relied upon as "myrrh'seas" (which I picture as wave upon wave of bitter tears) have also been my welcome on many new days. There have been days that I "wake up crying" as the sorrow runs so deep that I cannot even open my eyes to the light of morning, without wet grief rushing down my cheeks. Rehearsing his promise of "mercies new every morning" through those tears, I formed the word "myrrhseas" and in the beautiful way that God brings beauty from ashes, gives the oil of joy for mourning, and garments of praise for the spirit of despair, I have also come to see "Myrrhseas" as so much more!
Myrrh symbolizes the bitterness of death and the costliness of a redeemed people, purchased with the very life blood of the one who made us in his image, and chose us before the foundation of the world, ordaining us to good works. We are his body, his purchased body, from every tongue, tribe and nation, and from this I have made yet another word picture, through yet another word, Bought'TEA! Bought by the blood of Jesus. TEA! is an acronym of 3 Greek words, Ta Ethne Alleluia! which means "All Peoples Praise The Lord!" There are many of these "all peoples" who have not heard the 'Good News Of Great Joy For All People' like we have---many people of every nation, tribe and tongue, who live "By The Sea" or beyond the sea or who come from a land far away. Many of those people travel and many of those people live among us! Jesus told his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send our workers into his harvest field"....."Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."
Always, there are more and more things for us to see! Or shall I say, Myrrh &Muir!?
