Two Sons--the Same only Different

I recently heard a speaker say that the prodigal son found everything he had been looking for when he returned to his Father's house. I had to ponder that a bit.

Seems to me that the runaway son was looking for love, a sense of significance and, dare I say, fun? He exhausted himself and his resources without finding lasting satisfaction. Until he returned to his Father's house, that is.

The older brother never left, but seemed to have the same hunger. He was existing right in the middle of all that he craved, but he was living like he still needed to earn it. It was his Father's desire for him to know he was loved and significant. His Father longed to for him to enjoy their relationship, to live in joyful celebration.

Many live like one or the other of these boys. Some are in constant pursuit of pleasure and significance from the stuff of this world. It's an insatiable hunger that never gets satisfied. Others sit in their Father's house never knowing that all He has is already theirs--they don't need to earn it. They are hollow-eyed with hunger as they sit in the presence of plenty

It's when you know that you are the beloved, treasured child of your Father that you find significance and contentment. We need to stayed tucked in close to Him to keep that awareness fresh in our minds...otherwise, we seem to wander and begin to search for it elsewhere. When we really know it we're not so quite so devastated when others don't recognized how lovable and significant we are. When we really know it life becomes fun.

Look into His face and you will see that you are loved--no matter what you may have done or not done. You can't earn it, and you can't lose it.

The Lord your God is with you;

His power gives you victory.

The Lord will take delight in you,

and in his love he will give you new life.

He will sing and be joyful over you...

(Zephaniah 3:17)

You can find the whole story of the two sons in Luke 15:11-31.

The End of the Story

We're definitely fans of Narnia around here. Starting with the now-tattered copies of the books I received for my birthday in 1977, to the unabridged Radio Theater version my kids have practically memorized, to debates over the merits of the recently-released movie versions...we know Narnia.

When The Voyage of the Dawn Treader came to theaters and a friend gave us two-for-one coupons we decided to take the kids to see it--an unprecedented treat! However, the decision wasn't made without some hesitation. We knew there would be some fairly intense scenes. My son scoffs at my concern that he could possibly be frightened, but we've sat up many a night with one of the girls after watching a movie that was a bit too much for her. She insisted she would be fine.

Sure enough, she was. Through all the excitement and drama, we sat with wide-eyed enjoyment until the final climatic struggle with the sea serpent. My little one buried her face in my shoulder a few times, but never for long. She would inevitably be drawn back by her longing to see this huge enemy defeated. After the movie, I expressed my surprise that she was able to watch all of that action.

"It was okay, Mom. I was a little bit afraid, but I knew the end of the story," she declared with enthusiasm.

I know the end of the story.

Sometimes I get afraid. And weary. Sometimes it seems like that serpent is beating me down. Or taking out people I care about. It'd be easy to give into discouragement, despair, or even outright panic! But I know the end of the story. I need to remind myself of what is going to happen.

"Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one.
I died, but look--I am alive forever and ever!
And I hold the keys of death and the grave...
It has come at last--salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God...
The accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down...
they have defeated him...
Look, God's home is now among his people!
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
All these things are gone forever.
Look, I am making everything new!
There will no longer be a curse upon anything.
Come.
Let anyone who is thirsty come.
Come, Lord Jesus!"

Reading these words strengthens me and I'm ready to reenter the fray with a shout of victory!!

Today we hang a new calendar. Twelve pages of the unknown. But I'm not afraid--I know the end of the story!

House of God

There's a fellow who goes to my church who is a giant of a guy--at least I feel like a dwarf when I stand beside him. He's got some fascinating tattoos and piercings and a giant-sized heart too. All week long he works with homeless and destitute people. He drives a fair bit to get to our little church to sit in a traditional wooden pew within spitting distance of men in suits and ties.

It's human nature to prefer to hang out with people most like ourselves--people who dress like us, think like us, and like what we like. Christians could possibly be the worst offenders when it comes to this. I asked my friend why he chooses to come so far to hang out with people he could easily judge as being "stuffed shirts". His response thrilled me: I feel loved here.

The human race may have descended from one man, but they're an irregular, variable, and quirky lot--just the way God planned it.

You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.

(1 Peter 2:5a)

Living stones, not bricks. Each one completely unique, not out of the same mold.

Sometimes we act like His plan is to build His home out of uniform bricks and we try to squish everyone into the same mold. We seem to think it'd be more comfortable and it probably would be more tidy, but it wouldn't have the same kind of allure. A master craftsman knows how to emphasize the beauty of individual stones. The finished product is breathtaking and one-of-a-kind.

There's a special kind of mortar required to hold all these irregular stones together. It's not tolerance. Tolerance is the best idea humans could come up with and it's a noble one, but it's mere cotton candy compared to the real thing. "God's love in us..." (I Cor. 13 MSG) is the real deal. It's something supernatural and amazing, not of our own strength, but of our choosing to align ourselves with His will and His thoughts. He regards each unique "stone" as created in His image and worthy of His love.

You are members of God's family.

Together, we are his house...and the cornerstone is Jesus himself.

We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

Through him you...are also being made part of this dwelling

where God lives by his Spirit.

(Eph. 2: 19-22)

That "unconventional" stone that's been making you uncomfortable is exquisite in the eyes of the Master. He may have plans to chip away the odd corner, but that's His job and His motivation isn't to make you more comfortable--He wants to enhance the natural beauty of that "stone" and thereby make His home more lovely. He feels the same way about you: you're beautifully unique and an essential part of His home.

Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God

and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

(1 Cor 3:16)

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,

by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to live in harmony with each other.

(1 Cor. 1:10)

Good Gifts

This afternoon my husband and I had a quiet, kid-free hour together so we started plotting and planning what we'll get the kids for Christmas. We brain-stormed different ideas, weighing one against another, picturing each of our unique children and trying to imagine what would best suit each one. It was fun. We had a sense of joy driven by an unspoken anticipation of Christmas morning and the moment when they'll open their gifts...

We have a Father who has been planning delights for us before the world was even created. (1 Peter 1:20) He knows exactly what you like. He knows that you're unique, and not quite like any of His other children. He knows the desires of your heart that you've never even told anyone else. Way back when He was dreaming up snowflakes and the Grand Canyon, He had you and the desires of your heart in mind. He smiled as He planned treasures for you.

It's not all "spiritual stuff" either. He created you body, soul, and spirit. He delights in all the parts of you and has blessings that touch every facet of your being.

Sometimes we can't believe that He has amazing gifts stored up for us because we're nursing resentment about the gift we didn't get. Like the monkey trapped with his hand in the jar we need to "let go" so we can receive the good gift planned for us.

Sometimes we have a hard time believing such things about our heavenly Papa because our experiences with humans have taught us not to expect too much... I bless you with knowing the truth about the abundant nature of your Heavenly Father.

Live in anticipation of receiving good things from your Papa. Anticipation is not whining or demanding, but an alert trust that His plans for you are good. When your anticipation meets the longing of His heart to heap blessings on you amazing things happen!

Every good gift and every perfect present
comes from heaven;
it comes down from God,
the creator of the heavenly lights,
who does not change or cause darkness by turning.
James 1:17 GNT

Inches to Miles

"Can I just read one more chapter and then turn out the light?"

"Okay."

"Can I read two chapters?"

Sigh. "I give you an inch and you take a mile! One chapter and turn out the light."

It's a dialogue that's been repeated throughout generations. My parents said it to me and I've said it to my kids. I give you an inch and you take a mile! Perhaps it's because we were created to long for more.

I met a pretty girl with long brown hair and a pain in her heart. I wanted so badly to tell her that God loves her, but how do you do that with a complete stranger? What if I did and she was angry? What if I couldn't find the right words? I begged God, "Please let me tell her that You love her. Please make the way and give me the words."

He did and it was amazing! She didn't yell at me--she simply got tears in her eyes and walked away. I knew Truth had touched her heart. It was enough. I wanted to shout with joy: "Wow!! That was fun! Can I do it again?"

Immediately good manners collided with my heart's longings... You didn't even thank Him for answering your prayer! I give you an inch and you take a mile! However, those thoughts weren't from Him. He was delighted. He gives us a taste of His glory just hoping we'll want more. In fact, He challenges us to press Him for more.

What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize? (Psalm 2:8 MSG)

Ask and you'll receive. (Matthew 7:7)

He's able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Eph 3:20)

What is your heart longing for? Ask! He dares you... He's hoping the answer will leave you longing for more.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:4-5

Liberation

My father was born in an occupied country. Life was lived as the enemy dictated. Hunger and anxiety were constant companions. All of that was normal, the only life he'd known. He remembers enemy soldiers taking the little food they had and soldiers sleeping in their barn. He remembers huddling with his father against a wall while bombs were being dropped all around. The only life a five-year-old had known until one day...

The best memory, the one that's poignant and stands out above all others, is of the liberation celebration and his first piece of chocolate. A whole bar of chocolate wrapped in shiny gold and blue paper--all his. A smiling Canadian soldier in a green uniform. Music playing. Girls in white blouses and orange sashes. Exuberant joy! A whole new beginning.

Things didn't change overnight. Reconstruction took years, but the atmosphere was transformed by freedom.

We too were born into "occupied territory". Restlessness, dissatisfaction and anxiety are normal. Most live according to the dictates of the enemy. They've heard that a Liberator came and signed a Freedom Proclamation, but they don't believe it. There's so much evidence to the contrary. Collaborating with the enemy seems like their best hope of satisfaction. Some believe, but they don't think they'll experience freedom until "someday" and so they huddle in darkness hoping to survive until the Liberator returns.

Others have seized the Proclamation and claimed it as their own. They are shouting and waving it around, singing songs of freedom. This Resistance band is determined use the weapons provided by the Liberator to push back the enemy, to be part of the reconstruction, and to live according to the truth of the Proclamation regardless of evidence to the contrary until the Liberator returns.

May you be like the little blond boy receiving with wide-eyed wonder the shiny morsel of gold-wrapped truth that Freedom has come. Taste its sweetness. Be revived and celebrate. Declare it to those still sitting in darkness--He has come! Your freedom has been won!

You were dead because of your sins
and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
He canceled the record of the charges against us
and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.
He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
Colossians 2:13-15

Delight in the Details

I have a friend who's dealing with some big stuff...the kind where healing has been a long time in coming and a sometimes painful process. She recently went out on a date with her husband wherein they'd gone to a restaurant, to a coffee shop and for a walk. When she got home she discovered that one of her earrings was missing--a special one given to her by her husband for their 25th anniversary. You can imagine her feelings--sometimes things have a way of feeling like the "last straw". The next day her husband went back to the city and retraced their steps...no earring at the restaurant or coffee shop. Would you believe it that he found it in a gutter between the two places?

This story reminds me of one of my favorite verses:

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand."
(Psalm 37:23-24)

Life is full of big challenges. Sometimes they're the result of our own choices, sometimes the choices of others, and sometimes for no reason that we can understand. We'd love to be zapped out, rescued, "Beam me up, Scotty!", anything! We just want the pain to end. It's pretty normal to wonder at these times, "If God really cares..."

The glorious hope of the Gospel is that He does care. He invades our pain with kindness. While we wait for the answer to the Big Questions, He whispers of His love and delight in the small details of our lives. Rather than abandoning us to the consequences of sin, He sets us free, brings redemption, and heals our broken hearts.

His delight in the small details boosts my faith, renews my hope and helps me hold on. May you be blessed today by recognizing His love in the details of your life. May you be blessed with a desire to seek the face in the Father in the midst of the struggle. May He give you eyes to see His goodness. As you dwell on His loving kindness, may your heart be infused with courage to hang on.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!"
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
Lamentations3:22-26