Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

October 1, 2010

Waiting in the Mine
Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. - 2 Corinthians 5:4

What happens when rescue means you're found, but not yet free?

For the 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine, this is reality - an unexpected, inadvertent and completely experimental reality. They've been trapped in the collapsed mine since August 5, and no one even knew if they were alive until two weeks later. Today, they constitute a psychological experiment so extreme that it could only happen as a freak accident. The men now subsist with a regimented schedule, work groups, hot meals and letters dropped through an inches-wide tunnel from more than 2,000 feet above. Rescuers think it will be months before they can finish a tunnel and bring the miners back to the surface.

"It is incredible. What's more staggering is that they have at least two more months to wait. They have broken records already. Everyday they create a new record. No one has ever survived underground this long," ABC News' Jeffrey Kofman said. Even that's an understatement.

These miners live in a strange world - they know they will be rescued, but daily life until that moment has forced them to play a psychological waiting game. They're alive, but their circumstances don't allow them a very full life. They can talk to their families by phone, but the hugs-and-tears reunions are weeks away. They must work, staying on guard against rock slides and preparing for the rescue shaft to break through their ceiling. But these tasks serve as reminders of where they are.

Believers should see a profound metaphor in the circumstances of these miners: they are living "now and not yet" paradox of salvation. These men are certainly found, safe, and certain to come home. Just not yet.

In the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32), Christ describes Christian growth in increments. The work of grace reaches the heart and begins to grow and produce change immediately. That seed of faith continues to grow throughout a Christian's life, manifesting God's continuing work. But, as Matthew Henry's commentary points out, no change will be complete until it is "perfected in heaven." Salvation's work isn't complete until we meet Jesus face to face.

Doctrinally, this progression includes several stages. First, salvation by justification - when we, like the Chilean miners, find that someone has reached the pit we're trapped in and saved us from death. Second, sanctification - call it the long interlude between the hallelujah of being found and moment of seeing the sun again. During this time, everything we do prepares us for that reunion. Finally comes glorification - this is the beautiful moment when, after being trapped in a dark world, we arrive in the arms of the One who loves us beyond compare.

I can only imagine how much these 33 men yearn for the sun, their families, and a full life again. Do we have that same desire for our reunion with Christ?

Intersecting Faith & Life:  If you're a Christian, you too are living in the twilight world of the miners. But that doesn't mean we sit around waiting for the rescue shaft to break through. We get to work, taking care of our temporary home and those around us. That way, when the final rescue comes, we emerge not as atrophied shells, but as people who have learned to appreciate the sun even more.

Further Reading

Mark 4:30-32

The Conversation: Electricity, Running Water and Life Underground for Trapped Chilean Miners

 

[Judy Harder]

October 4, 210

The Quest for Perfection
Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5: 48

The Scripture above is one most of us would read with some perplexity. As Christians we know we're sinners in need of a Savior. Every Sunday at church we thank God for His divine intervention through Christ's death on the cross.

Yet the very One sent to die for us seems to be asking us here to be that which we know we can't: perfect. Not just really, really good. But perfect in the way God is perfect.

Now if you're a perfectionist like me, you may already have your pen out to list all your weaknesses so you can strategize the best plan to eradicate them from your life.

This isn't a bad exercise, but I've often become easily frustrated and tired when I set out to perfect myself. That's precisely the problem with this approach - it's all about me, myself, and I. An old friend of mine, in his quest to eliminate his selfish attitude, would often exclaim with much exasperation: "I keep trying to get rid of my selfishness but in the process of trying to improve myself, I end up focusing on my self all the time!"

It's hard to stifle a smile at his candor. It seems God has something better in mind for us than a glorified self-help program.

Perhaps the verse above is easier to understand when cast in a different light. Peter doesn't use the word "perfect" but instead calls believers to "holiness":

" ... but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct: since it is written 'you shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1: 15 - 16)

Holiness transcends what someone does (or doesn't do) and ties directly into who God is. As believers, we aren't necessarily called to be "perfect" by the world's standards, but instead to reflect God's nature to others. His goodness, truth, strength, and love.

The only way we can accurately reflect God to others is to strive daily to know God. To be in His presence. To meditate on His Word. Unlike the futile self-help approach, the more we focus on God, the less self-focused we become. And the more available we make ourselves to His transforming grace in our lives.

"Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self." ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Do something this week that requires you to "forget" yourself and your struggles. Serving those in need is usually a good way to do this.

Further Reading

2 Samuel 22: 31

Matthew 19: 21

[Judy Harder]

October 5, 2010 

How I Came to Enjoy Raisins 
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. -- 1 John 2:10

Worst advertising slogan ever: "Two scoops of raisins in Kellogg's Raisin Bran." Blech. But apparently it worked on my mother, who bought the stuff like it was going out of style, while referring to delicious breakfast desserts such as Lucky Charms and Crunchberries as "cardboard." So unfair. So there I sat, choking down my raisin bran, or even oatmeal cookies with raisins in them, always suffering the same horrible fate: the bran or cookie part would be chewed and swallowed before the gooey chewy raisins, leaving me a mouthful of not-nearly-as-tasty goop.

I despised raisins. Thought about writing Kellogg's and telling them that backing off to one scoop would be plenty (nothing like getting to the bottom of the bowl and finding no flakes, only 10 little black things. Ew).

Flash-forward a quarter century. I'm having a similar issue to the raisin problem with people. Specifically, I'm loathe to admit, some Christian people. No, I haven't been eating them, but sometimes, I do find us hard to swallow. Part of the problem, ironically, is my job! Here at Crosswalk we often receive angry emails from fellow Christians who don't like the movie we reviewed, the way we said something, the ad we ran, or the author we allowed to appear on the site. Criticism's fine, even justified; I just have a hard time when it comes with a "You call yourself Christian?" or a "Have you even read the Bible?" punch to the gut. Sometimes it feels as if we Christians are concerned more with hammering home universal truth no matter how bluntly, or railing against _(fill in the blank)_ than genuinely loving people and meeting needs. Of course, the obvious irony here is that I then, looking in the mirror, find myself in short supply on genuine love myself. Which is not where Christ wants any of us to be. In fact, in Revelation 12:10, the title "Accuser of the Brethren" is given to our enemy Satan at his judgment. Yikes. Do I really want to claim that monicker for myself?

So what does this have to do with raisins? Well, recently I discovered I kinda like the shriveled little things! I pack 'em for snacks, and eat them with the kids. I like the nutritional value, the fiber, the chewiness. What's changed? My tastes? No. The raisins? No. Not the packaging, not the flavor, not even my effort (I'm not choking them down because they're good for me, I genuinely like them). I realized that what has changed is my perspective. It didn't happen overnight, but about the time "Craisins" (dried Cranberries) came on the scene, I began enjoying all sorts of dried fruits. And here's what I noticed: I like cranberries, ergo I like dried cranberries. I like apricots, therefore I like dried apricots. I love grapes, so obviously I... hate raisins? That didn't seem to make logical sense. Maybe it was time to give raisins another try. Maybe I shouldn't even think of them as raisins. Maybe I should just think of them as "dried grapes!"

That may sound extremely silly... but it worked! I felt like I had come into the light. The texture was suddenly different. The way I savored them changed... everything. And a fun new world of food possibilities has re-opened to me, simply thanks to a different way of looking at something.

1 John Chapter 2 is all about Light, who it comes from, what it helps us do, and what it shows about us when we walk in it. Light is a perspective-changer. It reveals the true nature of hidden or darkened things. It doesn't change them, but it can and does change how they appear, how they are perceived, and the details we notice. Our verse today says, "Whoever loves his brother lives in the light," and I think it also works backwards: "Whoever lives in the light loves his brother." It's not going to be easy for me to see fellow redeemed sinners - especially the angry ones - as Jesus does, but it's clearly possible, and commanded, and in the raisin example it wasn't about my efforts anyway - just turning on a light.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Who's got your goat? Have you ever tried seeing that individual, group, or faceless internet personage in a different light, from a different perspective, or even as God sees them? Have you considered how you might look different to others in a new light? Try filling these blanks in for yourself: "I like ____(x)_____, therefore I like even __________  _____(x)_____."

Further Reading


John 1: 4-11
Light and the Nature of God, by Regis Nicoll
How to Deal with Angry People, by Gary Chapman

 

[Judy Harder]

October 6, 2010

A Stubborn Intolerance for Joyless Christianity
Alex Crain, Editor, Christianity.com

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:17-18

Should one's relationship with the infinite and personal living God be joyless? Francis Schaeffer didn't think so. Yet there he was, a joyless man. Technically, he was theologically sound, but there was no denying that he had become a completely joyless Christian man. If that had continued, no one would be speaking of Schaeffer or his writings, or his legacy today. Thankfully, he was stubbornly intolerant of joyless Christianity.   

In True Spirituality, Schaeffer tells how the spiritual reality, which would become the hallmark of his life, came about only after a time of great personal crisis. It was 1952. Schaeffer had become a Christian from agnosticism years before. After that, he had been a pastor for ten years in the U.S. and was now a missionary in Switzerland living with his wife and young children. Over a period lasting several months, Francis worked through the disturbing gap that he saw between the large amount of Bible data he claimed to believe and the lack of genuine spiritual joy in his life.   

One significant and challenging question that caused Francis to ponder long and hard is recounted by his wife, Edith, in her book, The Tapestry, p. 356 ff.)...   

"I wonder what would happen to most of our churches and Christian work if we woke up tomorrow morning and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer were removed from the Bible? I don't mean just ignored, but actually cut out—disappeared. I wonder how much difference it would make?"     

Apparently during that period, it was making no difference in Schaeffer's life. His doubts had cut the nerve of faith. And over those months as he walked in the mountains, Francis re-thought the doctrines of the Bible, the reality of the Holy Spirit, and each of his reasons for being a Christian.   

At last, he declared... 

"Gradually the sun came out and the song came... I saw again that there were totally sufficient reasons to know that the infinite-personal God does exist and that Christianity is true. 

"In going further, I saw something else which made a profound difference in my life. I searched through what the Bible said concerning reality as a Christian. Gradually, I saw that the problem was that with all the teaching I had received after I was a Christian, I had heard little about what the Bible says about the meaning of the finished work of Christ for our present lives.   

"Interestingly enough, although I had written no poetry for many years, in that time of joy and song I found poetry beginning to flow again—poetry of certainty, an affirmation of life, thanksgiving, and praise. Admittedly, as poetry it is very poor, but it expressed a song in my heart which was wonderful to me."   

          (from True Spirituality, p. 196 in The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer, vol. 3 © 1982 Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois). 

That time of crisis—and more importantly, his rediscovery of the meaning of the finished work of Christ for his present life—settled the crucial issue of spiritual reality for Schaeffer. Francis saw and believed that the finished work of Christ really is the source of the Christian's life. Rather than pursue the trappings of Christian leadership while personally being a joyless Christian, he determined to wait for a greater reality of knowing God. With such a solid spiritual basis for his own life, he went on to become a great source of help for countless others.

Intersecting Faith and Life: 
Are you stubbornly intolerant of joyless Christianity in your own life?

What would happen if you woke up tomorrow morning and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer were removed from the Bible? Not just ignored, but actually cut out... How much difference it would make in the way that you live?

How can you grow to become a greater source of spiritual help for others?

Further Reading:
John 6:68
Ephesians 4:17-24
Ephesians 5:18-21

[Judy Harder]

October 7, 2010

The Sisyphus Complex

John UpChurch, Editor, Jesus.org

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10, ESV)

I used to have nightmares about King Sisyphus—not really the wake-up-in-a-sweat dreams of childhood, but more the kind of gut-punching thoughts that plague the daytime. Those are worse because you don't wake up.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, let's talk about who this king was. According to Greek mythology, King Sisyphus was the Machiavellian politician of his day. While responsible for a number of advancements in navigation, he also made a name for himself by inviting potential rivals to stay at his place and then killing them off to boost his own influence. He had enough wit to stay ahead of the game for many years—until he got caught.

His punishment for all his misdeeds, according to the story, was to push a heavy rock up a hill for eternity. He heaved and puffed and shoved and moved the massive boulder inch by inch up the slope. Then, just as the top came in sight—no matter what the wily king did—the boulder slipped from his grasp and rolled right back down the hill. Sighing, Sisyphus plodded after it and started all over. Heave, puff, roll, sigh. Heave, puff, roll, sigh.

During my younger days, when I fooled myself into thinking the universe had no Creator, that's how I envisioned my life: a useless toiling toward a goal that didn't exist. I pressed forward . . . toward nothing. I strived . . . for nothing. I aimed . . . at nothing. All I knew was the effort. There could be no ultimate goal. My rock went up; my rock came down. As I said, it was a walking nightmare.

After God took the rock of my own efforts and smashed it with the sledgehammer of His grace, I somehow imagined Christianity would be easier. I envisioned taking up this cross He spoke of and skipping through daisies toward the celestial city. I assumed the narrow path went straight to the gates without the least resistance.

What can I say? I was naïve.

My real awakening came from studying the history of the church. After the resurrection of Christ, there's one theme you don't find in Acts and the epistles: You don't find an easy-go-lucky jaunt up the hill for the followers of Christ. You find Stephen being stoned to death, and Peter being saved from prison at the last minute. You find Paul heading from one city that hates him to another that loathes him—with associated beatings, whippings, and shipwrecks. You find James telling people that persecution is a good thing because of the endurance it produces.

When John tells us about the future of the world, he doesn't describe fields of poppies and smiley faces. Let's summarize his vision: pain, death, more death, and then, when nearly all hope has been sucked from the world, Jesus.

I really shouldn't have been surprised by this. But coming from a background of unbelief and purposeless toiling, I carried false assumptions. This was mainly because I didn't know my Bible.

Jesus, however, gives it to us straight. You're blessed when you suffer for His name and for righteousness. You'll notice the statement isn't a conditional. He didn't say if we're persecuted; instead, He said "those who are persecuted" (check out Matthew 5:11 for more). In fact, if everything seems too easy and the road flattens out, that's when you need to worry.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

You may receive blessings here in this world, but the real end, the real finish line, the real rest after carrying the cross up the hill is obtaining the kingdom. His yoke is easy; his burden is light; and His reward is beyond compare. Just don't expect those daises.

Further Reading

Hebrews 4

James 1

[Judy Harder]

October 8, 2010

Don't Spoil Your Supper!

Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

"Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." Luke 14:15, NIV

When I was growing up, on Sundays after church and right before lunchtime, my mom would routinely chastise me for trying to snack too much. "Don't spoil your supper!" she would say. 

That was in the day before microwaves or crock-pots, so either leftovers had to be warmed up on the stovetop or in the oven or something had to be made from scratch for that day's lunchtime meal.

If it was the latter, well that meant that lunchtime was going to be a loooooong time from when we got home from church. And when you're a kid, that's an eternity—especially when you're hungry. You don't want to wait for the good stuff, and you're looking for whatever's available right now to ease your hunger and help you get by.

Usually, my big sister and I were allowed to munch on a carrot stick, drink a glass of V-8 tomato juice (remember that?) or nibble on something else nutritious that wouldn't fill up our tummies too much—so that we'd have room to intake whatever my mom was preparing for us to eat.

Now if it had been left up to us sisters, we would have chosen to snack on the "exciting" food that was already ready—like ice cream or cookies or whatever else would have sugar-shocked us into temporary good times and happiness.

But we obeyed. And waited. And waited. In the living room, Dad was content reading the Sunday paper, but our little tummies were grumbling. How were we supposed to keep ourselves occupied and focused in the meantime? We had needs, and we were looking to satisfy them.

Once the meal was finally ready, though, we were never disappointed. The food was always delicious, as my mom was (and still is!) a wonderful cook. She took great care in making sure each meal was balanced and that all of the food groups were represented. I never left the table hungry or wanting more. I was always satisfied, even if I didn't care for the occasional peas or lima beans so much.

It's a great lesson in learning what to feast on when it comes to food. What we choose to consume (and when) makes a big difference in how we feel physically. I'm so thankful that I learned this at a young age.

Feasting spiritually follows suit as well.  I thought about that when I heard my pastor recently preach on "The Parable of the Great Banquet" from Luke 14. And one of his statements really stood out to me: 

"We are feeding ourselves so full of the world that we are not hungry for Jesus."

As I sat listening to the rest of his sermon, I thought about what was a part of my daily spiritual diet. Or rather, what wasn't a part of it. I won't detail it for you here and now, but will challenge you to do what I did: consider what you are feeding on, what you are filling yourself with, each day in your life. Too much television? Too much gossip? Too much work? Too much ... nothingness?

We are what we eat, literally and spiritually. Today, consider what is filling up your life. Don't spoil your supper—your spiritual feast—with too much that is empty, hollow and not healthy for you. Revamp your spiritual diet now and make room in your life for that which is good for you and will prepare you for the "Great Banquet"—when one day you will feast in the kingdom with your King.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Not sure if you're feeding on what is good for you? Try this: spend a week not praying, not reading your Bible and not spending any time with other Christians (that includes any church service, class, small group or Bible study). Then, see how you feel. Remember, when we feast on prayer, God's Word and fellowship with other believers, we will never walk away feeling empty.

Further Reading

Isaiah 25:6, NIV

Matthew 26:26-30, NIV

Revelation 19:9, NIV

[Judy Harder]

October 11, 2010

Are You a Hoarder?
Katherine Britton

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ... Philippians 3:7-11

Have you ever visited the house of a hoarder?

Maybe not. But if you've ever flipped by the TV shows "Hoarders" or "Hoarders: Buried Alive," you probably feel a sense of revulsion at the term. Hoarders are those people who, to put it mildly, get carried away with keepsakes and other "stuff." Spoiled food, broken tools, old shopping bags, baby clothes for grown children, you name it. These people can't psychologically let go of almost anything, so the stuff piles up around them and anyone unfortunate enough to live with them. Soon, a hoarder is literally wading through piles of accumulated junk, so anything of real value gets lost.

I've watched a couple episodes, but I think I'm swearing off the depressing show. The junk horrifies me, sure. The truly frightening aspect of hoarding, however, is psychological. Even though their houses become more unsafe by the day, hoarders never fail to justify the crammed quarters.

Many of them cling to an unrealistic future - perhaps their stuff is worth thousands of dollars, or they'll use the tools and materials to do some home improvement, or maybe even give those still-in-bags purchases away as gifts. They rarely execute these plans. Instead, their loved ones run from the hoarder's house, chased away claustrophobia and the smell even as they tell the hoarder they want to help. Watching an old woman pick her stuff over her daughter "because my stuff if always here, and you're not," really messes with your heartstrings.

Once in a great while, however, a hoarder's blindness falls away. He recognizes that - surprise - he needs serious help. That's when the professional organizers, cleanup crews, and even psychologists all descend on the house at the direction of this wannabe-reformed hoarder.

Tears, sweat, and tortuous hours of decision-making follow, as the hoarder tries to reverse a thought process that poisoned the mind for years. Getting rid of their precious stuff is literally torture. But for the few who succeed at clearing out the rat's nest - it's all smiles. Those who realize they're drowning in temporal treasures find that coming up for air is worth it. They walk through their like-new houses saying, "Wow! This is amazing! The kids will love this!" Surrendering their stuff opens up a new world for them - a world of freedom.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

In Philippians, Paul says he counts "counts as rubbish" all earthly things. That's as dramatic a change as a hoarder releasing a lifetime of stuff. In a sense, we all "hoard" -- not only possessions, but compliments, skills, accomplishments, even others' love (have you ever felt jealous when a close friend begins spending time with someone else at your expense?). We have to surrender all these things to experience true freedom. Let's fill up on the spirit instead of stuff, shall we?

Further Reading

Ephesians 5:8

[Judy Harder]

October 12, 2010 

How Many Angels Can Stand on the Head of a Pin? 
Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editorr

And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."
John 1: 51

We recently celebrated a little-known feast day on the Christian calendar: the feast of the Archangels. This feast day originated in eastern Christendom before making its way onto the western calendar. This points to a commonly cited difference between East and West: eastern Christians often focus on the unseen supernatural or mystical aspects of the faith more so than their western brothers and sisters.

Modern westerners, immersed in a culture that prizes concrete, scientific observation, are often uncomfortable with talk of angels or miracles. Some modern scholars are so uncomfortable with the spiritual events in the Bible they've dedicated their careers to seeking a practical explanation for every single verse. (They've yet to succeed).

Of course, being "spiritual" doesn't necessarily mean you are wiser or holier. There are plenty of misguided individuals in the world who claim to tap into the spiritual realm. In the book Finding Calcutta, Professor Mary Poplin echoes Paul's words to the Ephesians when she points out "spiritual is not synonymous with good; spiritual forces may be good or evil, healthy or destructive."

So what can God's Word, our most trusted source, teach us about angels and the spiritual realm? While we can't cover everything here, let's take a closer look at two angels specifically named in Scripture: Michael and Gabriel.

Michael: The name "Michael" means "Who is like God?" We first meet Michael in the Old Testament book of Daniel where he is called "one of the chief princes" (Dan 10: 13) and is identified as a protector of God's people (Dan. 12: 1). Some scholars believe Michael was the angel who stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians in the parting of the Red Sea. We later see him in the book of Revelation as a warrior who commands an angelic army in battle against Satan and other evil spirits (Revelation 12: 7-9). Michael's mightiness mirrors God's strength and justice.

Gabriel: The name Gabriel means "Strength of God." Scriptures reveal him to be a messenger of God who consistently played a key role in announcing the coming of the Messiah. Like Michael, he first appears in the book of Daniel where he predicts the coming of Christ (Dan 8: 16 - 26). In the New Testament, Gabriel appears to the priest, Zechariah, informing him that he and Elizabeth will miraculously conceive John the Baptist. (Luke 1: 19). But his most famous appearance is to the young, virgin Mary of Nazareth to deliver one of the greatest messages in human history.

Beyond these two special angels we read of countless unnamed angels throughout Scripture -- protecting the Israelites, singing on Christmas night, comforting Jesus before His agony, and accompanying our Lord on his return at the end of time.

What can we learn from these biblical accounts? Well, we'll probably never have the answer to the centuries-old debate over how many angels can stand on the head of a pin, but we do know:

There is a spiritual realm, and much of God's plans for heaven and earth unfold beyond our five senses.
God loves us so much that at certain times He employs his heavenly court to come to our aid.
Evil spiritual beings exist - some of them fallen angels like we read in Revelation - and we must be careful to focus our lives on God and His grace to avoid the influence of evil.
Intersecting Faith & Life:  You and I are definitely not angels, but we are called to do God's work here on earth. Be someone's "Michael" this week by defending or protecting them. Be someone's "Gabriel" by sharing the good news of the Gospel.

Further Reading

Ephesians 6: 12 - 18

Reference: Parente, Pascal P. The Angels. Chapter 6: "Proper Name of the Angels." Copyright © 1998 EWTN

[Judy Harder]

October 13, 2010 

Mini-Miracles
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor


So they all ate and were filled. Mark 6:42

The title of my devotional today strikes me as oxymoronic. Miracles, after all, are defined as acts of God, amazing and marvelous events, and "seals of a divine mission" (Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary). Generally speaking, there's nothing small about them. 

What I'm talking about then, are instances of heavenly intervention in the lives of believers that impact what we would consider "minor" areas of our existence, the things that cause us to make statements like: "It showed me that God cares about even the small things in our lives," always as if that's a profoundly shocking proclamation. Nobody ever responds by saying, "Well, duh..."

I think that's because it never stops being a mind-blowing concept - the Creator of the universe, who hears the prayers and praises of billions simultaneously and loves each one the same, provided, perhaps, just the right amount of money for a struggling single mom to buy her child a pair of shoes. It's not the parting of the Red Sea to preserve for Himself a people, or the resurrection of His son to purchase the redemption of humanity. It's, for lack of a better term, a mini-miracle. 

I remember one time in our Adult Bible Fellowship class my friend Karen stepped in to teach our continuing series in Mark's gospel. We were in Chapter Six, focusing primarily on the Feeding of the 5,000. As she began her lesson, Karen admitted that she'd never quite been able to visualize this scene, or understand exactly what the miracle was meant to show. I mean, there is the lesson of provision, but the human body can go without food for quite some time. Jesus Himself fasted in the wilderness for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-4). So it's not like life and death were hanging in the balance if the people who had followed Him to this "desolate place" went without dinner that night.   

It could be, Karen suggested, Jesus just didn't want the people to go away - He had just suffered the death of His cousin John the Baptist, and recently endured the "amazing unbelief" (Mark 6:6) of those from His hometown of Nazareth. It could be Jesus took immense delight in this multitude foregoing their bodily needs to attend to His Word. It very well could be our Lord simply wanted to do something "just for them."

Maybe, Karen said, that's why she always tended to overlook this miracle a little bit. "You know how sometimes when God does something that you know was 'just for you,' and you tell someone else about it, and they're like, 'That's cool and all,' but it just doesn't carry the same meaning for them?"

I knew exactly what that was like, and I liked where she was going. I could see an even greater personalization in mini-miracles, in God drawing delight from blessing our socks off in ways that speak to our individual hearts. The idea also gave me greater permission to attribute to the Lord all sorts of transpirings that I had chalked up to my own efforts, happenstance, or even worse, had gone without noticing.

If, for instance, I told you about the time we thought we'd lost my wife's keys - including several costly ones - only to find them sitting precariously on a single steel beam of the trailer behind our moving van, maybe you'd respond the way my friend Scott did: "You got lucky, dude." Yeah, well, that's why Karen says sometimes these events are "just for us." I saw those keys, I knew the bumpy route we had traveled, I was astounded, I was humbled. I decided that giving credit to the Lord for things that bless you is never wrong, as suggested by James 1:17.

I just don't do it enough.

I wonder how many mini-miracles I've missed out on by being impatient, angry, or inattentive. Donald Miller, in Blue Like Jazz, has Moses tell those worshipping the golden calf: "Your problem is not that God is not fulfilling, your problem is that you are spoiled" (92). Romans 1:20 would seem to indicate that the Lord's hand is evident everywhere - "people can clearly see His invisible qualities." I like that verse very much, because I like to think of myself as on the lookout for God.

But that brings me to the other ways to miss miracles - by not accepting them or expecting them, by resenting them or wanting to earn them. I quote from Blue Like Jazz again, where Miller admits, "I love to give to charity, but I don't want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace" (84).

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Can we get past the affront of accepting a free gift? If we can, we might see the Lord trying to say through the Feeding of the 5,000 and even today, "Here I Am, stay here, spend more time, no need to go away, please accept this, put yourself in My hands, keep your eyes open, I love you."

After all, says Matthew 7:11, "If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?" (Matthew 7:11). Mini-miracles are the treats God brings home to His kids, those who seek him with childlike faith, those who consider themselves "the little things in life." Well, duh...

Try bringing something small home to a loved one today to remind yourself of how much joy the Lord gets from giving. 

[Judy Harder]

Oct. 14, 2010 

Final Inspection before Departure
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"I will make every effort so that after my departure
you may be able at any time to recall these things."
2 Peter 1:15 ESV 

Our crowded 737 jet sat motionless at the gate as we baked inside the cabin under the July Texas sun. Passengers fidgeted and sighed impatiently as the last bits of cool air evaporated from the locked-down cabin. Several moments passed, then suddenly a voice crackled through the speakers...

"Um, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Unfortunately, we've discovered a malfunction with our navigational systems and we need to change planes..." The upshot of groans and murmurs drowned out the rest of the his words as the long process of transferring passengers, luggage and crew began.

Inconvenient, yes. Definitely not the greatest way to start a journey. But, looking back, everyone on that plane should have been relieved that the plane's problem was discovered on the ground rather than in the air. Thank goodness for a crew that took a routine inspection seriously.

And before we take the next leg of the journey through Francis Schaeffer's classic book, True Spirituality, we have a final inspection before departure as well.

At the close of chapter one, and with a degree of seriousness that's a bit unexpected, Schaeffer specifically calls his readers to either embrace the truths laid out in chapter one, or just stop reading the book altogether. There were four main truths to consider at the onset of our journey with him toward authentic joy in the Christian life. Apparently, these truths are as essential for us as wings, engines, charts and landing gear are to flight. Schaeffer says...

"There is no use even beginning to talk about experiential freedom from the bonds of sin or about an experiential reality of the Christian life, of true spirituality... if this is not in our minds, ...at least in some poor comprehension and at least in some poor aspiration.

"Anything else is trifling with God; and because it is trifling with God, it is sin."

Then he gives the recap of the four truths:

(1)   True spirituality in the present life means more than being justified and knowing that I am going to heaven. It does not mean just that I have been born again.

(2)   My desire must be for a deeper life, not a looser life. The Bible presents to me the Law of Love, not a list of taboos.

(3)   True spirituality is not just outward, but it is inward—it is not to covet against God and men.

(4)   But it is even more than this: it is positive—positive inward reality, and then positive in outward results. It is not just that we are dead to sin, but we are to be alive to God. We are to be in communion with Him, in this present moment in history.

"These four points are what the Bible says we should mean when we speak of the true Christian life, of freedom from the bonds of sin.

"Anything less than this is trifling with Him who created the world, and trifling also with Him who died on the cross."

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

If you're seeking a genuine relationship of joy in God, are you missing, or in disagreement with, any of the four elements above?

If you are in agreement then prepare for take-off! We continue our journey through Schaeffer's True Spirituality on October 22, 2010.

Further Reading


Hebrews 12:28-29 says "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Also, revisit previous devotionals based on the book True Spirituality that have been run so far on Crosswalk the Devotional...

A Stubborn Intolerance for Joyless Christianity 10/6/10

Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life, 9/28/10

Restoring Authentic Joy 9/20/10

Good without God? 9/10/10

"Liberty," Lists, or Love  8/25/10

Pop Quizzes 8/17/10

Romans 8:28 Does Not Mean Giving Thanks with a Plastic Smile 8/9/10