Friday Five: Refuge

He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

2 Sam 22:31

How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalms 36:7

The LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Psalms 147:11

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

John 11:25-26

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Romans 1:16

(This painting and similar ones can be viewed at The Genesis Project.)

The path of truth

The conversation, like the midday sun, was as warm and sunny while we stood outside my front door chatting. She had brought a Bible and a pamphlet, wondering if I'd like to read articles about how the Bible was true and the foundation for our lives.

I told her that I read the Bible daily and depended on it for life. "But I think we're on different spiritual walks," I said. "I believe Jesus is my savior and that he is God. I don't think you do."

She gently shook her head. She put the pamphlet away as I said, "I love Jesus and I don't think your booklet would do me much good."

"I am so glad you read the Bible," she said. "I know many don't and I don't know how they get along."

So for another five minutes, a follower of Jesus and a Jehovah's Witness discussed the value of God in a cold and dark world. We agreed that a life denying God is an empty, purposeless existence.

As she drove away, I thought of plenty more to say. I would have asked her how I could pray for her. I would have asked how her relationship with God strengthened her and where she found comfort in the Bible during those frightening night hours. I would have asked her how her spiritual choices had changed her life. And eventually I would have asked how she found salvation without Jesus.

Once I was afraid to have a Jehovah's Witness at my door, for fear they'd stump me. Actually, for fear they knew more about the Bible than I did. In my next stage, I thought I had to win the debate with them. After that, I was sure I was to convert them in one quick conversation.

But that day, as two women enjoyed the warm fall sunshine and discussed the value of God's Word, what I wanted to do was love her and hear her heart. She was a person, not an icon for a religious philosophy.

Jesus sat in mid-day at a well and chatted about religious ideas with a Samaritan woman. He wasn't afraid of her misinterpretation of the law. He showed her kindness and a path to truth.

These days, that's what I'd like to do when a Jehovah's Witness stops by. Love, listen, and show them truth.

Words of the will

The moments when I truly live are the moments when I act with my whole will....Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it, not necessarily physically, but in will.

—My Utmost For His Highest

Sweet or sweaty

I can make a silk turn from green to red and I can restore a paper heart shredded to pieces. But they are all gimmicks, tricks that look stunning at the start. But I could teach them to you in moments and you could shortly do them, too. Practice is short and sweet.

I know an illusionist who spends hours every day spinning cards. He can snap a card the length of a football field and hide it in mind-boggling places.

He could show me in a moment his secret but it would take years of hard work to duplicate what he does. Practice is tedious and sweaty.

Lately, I’ve had a few encounters with atheists who, although polite, think of God as a hobby. One explained, “I don’t collect coins so why would I go to a coin collector’s meeting? They might be nice people, and really interested in what they’re doing, but it’s just not my thing. That’s how it is with God. I am just not into God.”

I’m still contemplating my response. I want to rush to the attention-grabbers of our church culture. We’ll hold a barbecue and you can come to see how nice we are. We’ll have a daycare for your kids in the park and you can come to see how nice we are. We’ll bring in games and food for the whole block so you can see how nice we are. It’s short and sweet.

That works sometimes, like my silk tricks. Other times, not so much.

Do I know God like the illusionist knows his cards? Do I walk in Jesus’ steps like the illusionist manipulates his cards, with fervor?

Jesus walked among the skeptics and the lowly and the unclean out of love and mercy. He heard their words and he knew their needs. It was tedious and sweaty.

When someone reduces God to a hobby, he has missed the very essence of God’s nature.

We have work to do. We aren’t doing well communicating God’s character – maybe because it’s easier to show the world how nice we are than to do the years of sweaty work. I think people were changed by Jesus’ passion and I think they’ll be changed when we, too, are zealous. Not zealous for niceness but for sacrifice and love. Gimmicks work sometimes but I need passion for our Savior to learn his nature.

Like that illusionist knows his cards.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heb 12:2

Family

The family had a car wreck on the day she was born, but we forgave her and moved on. She was a skinny little red baby when I expected a cooing round-cheeked cherub but we moved on.

Later, stealing the football from the middle of a game got her plenty of attention. As the thundering players drew near, she’d fling the ball high in the air. The decision was whether to maul the fleeing thief or retrieve the ball. The ball always won. And we moved on.

We once drew a line down the middle of our room so that her messy side didn’t touch my less-messy side. And one night, we argued over who would turn off the light. We both stubbornly refused to get out of bed but she won: she fell asleep. We moved on.

Once, in the middle of an argument, I said, “You’re silly” and she responded, “Don’t call me names, you big ape!” It’s become one of our rallying cries. We moved on.

I taught her the mystery of f-stops and shutter speeds; now she has far outdistanced me with a camera. Yep, we moved on.

We’re typical sisters: we’ve had our scrapes and tussles but we talk nearly every day. When I want an honest opinion, I ask her. I know that she can be honest because our history is long. Family stands with family. At least, that’s our motto (after “don’t call me names….”).

When I read Paul’s words about our adoption into the family of God, it is meaningful to me.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:17

Thanks to my sister, I understand something of sharing in suffering and sharing in glory. Our family tussles and forgives. We tease and trust. Nobody can kick us out of the family.

No family is perfect and many are shattered. If our earthly family isn't warm and loving, our heavenly family is. The picture in Romans 8 is of our adoption into God’s family, an image of mercy and forgiveness. We relax in that context.

Today is my sister’s birthday. In celebrating with her, I get to reflect on our place as children of God. We’re all family and it’s pretty special.

Friday Five: the Breath of Life

God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!

Gen 2:7

And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

Acts 17:25

The Spirit of God made me what I am, the breath of God Almighty gave me life!

Job 33:4

The skies were made by God's command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out.

Psalms 33:6

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

John 3:6

("Hovering" is part of the Genesis project, an artist's contemplation of creation. Check out the display of paintings there.)

So why signs?

The music was upbeat and the images bouncy, but I just didn’t get it. What were they trying to sell in that ad? Style drowned out the image for me. That’s because I’m an outsider to the cool world branded by the marketers.

Fortunately, that’s not the case with John’s writings. In his book, he tells us exactly why he wrote.

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31

This week we’ve discussed the link between knowledge and belief. In a variety of settings, John showed us people who thought they knew because they have seen miracles. But their belief didn’t stick.

Today, we don’t get to see Jesus walking into Cana and bring a dying son back to life. But we do get to read about it. For the nobleman who had to choose between sight and Jesus’ words, the decision was agonizing. But in taking Jesus at his word, the father saw the gift of life.

It’s more important to believe Jesus’ word than to see his miracles.

Miracles happen today, bringing encouragement to those who follow the King. But don’t we long for more – to see the miracles from Jesus’ hand?

We don’t get to see those signs firsthand, but that didn’t produce enduring belief for the first-century observer anyway. The privilege of reading God’s Word is ours and by believing we have life in his name.