SGF: Epiphany - Day 52

The Bible Reading today is from John 5. It's the story of a disabled man who sat by the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. The man had been an invalid for 38 years. 38! That's almost unfathomable to me (probably because I haven't even been on this earth for that long). I wonder what his life was like. I imagine it was pretty bleak. The passage tells us that "a great number of disabled people" would lie by the pool - "the blind, the lame, the paralyzed". I doubt the mood around that place was joyful in any way. These people probably spent their days commiserating with each other, comparing their lives to those of the healthy people that walked by them every day (and probably ignored them). They also seemed to be in competition with each other, as the story was that an angel stirred the waters of the pool every day and people could be healed if they entered the waters. The man told Jesus he had no one to help him into the pool and when the waters were stirred someone always went in ahead of him. It seems all of these disabled people hung out by the pool in the hopes of being healed. But I wonder how many of them actually believed they would be. Probably it was more likely that this was their last chance that they didn't really believe in anyhow, but there weren't any other options so what could they lose?

So I wonder what it was like for this man, truly, to get up and walk. I imagine it must have been unbelievable, even to himself, even as he (presumably) felt the strength return to his legs, even as he actually picked himself up and began to walk. It must have felt surreal, like a dream. He must have pinched himself. Because really, when you think about it, how amazing is it that this man's muscles were able to hold him? He didn't have a physiotherapist or doctor to help him keep his muscles in shape even though he wasn't using them. We're talking 38 years of atrophy here. Talk about a miracle! Yet I imagine it wasn't all wonderful. Perhaps it was overwhelmingly wonderful and joyful in that moment, when he realized he really could walk again. But later, the reality of his healing would have sunk in. He'd have to find a job, a "normal" life. He couldn't just mope around feeling sorry for himself anymore (which was probably a habit after 38 years). He couldn't live off the charity of others anymore. He was healed. He was whole. He was healthy. He'd have to find new friends. There may even have been some guilt - the Bible doesn't tell us that anyone else was healed that day (which doesn't mean it didn't happen but it seems unlikely that Jesus would have healed everyone at the pool that day simply because it's not mentioned) - so he was leaving behind friends, people he'd spent every day with for years. Perhaps he asked himself, "Why me?" I wonder if it was easy for him to leave his friends behind. Or perhaps he didn't much care for these "friends" and he was happy to leave them behind. Maybe he felt they deserved it or maybe he just didn't want to think about them anymore because they reminded him of a very dark time in his life. Whatever the case, it couldn't have been easy for him.

And therein, I think, lies a lesson and a reminder for us. Bible stories are often told very matter-of-factly, without a lot of detail or description, so we tend to read them quickly, respond to them on a surface level, and move on. But when we stop to think about what these stories must have been really like to the people who were living them, they take on a whole new level of meaning. Take this man. I know that for me, in the past, I've read or heard this story and thought, "Cool! How amazing is that?" and "How awesome for that man - he must have been so happy!". It's easy to think this is a "happily ever after" tale. But is it really? As I sit here and really think about this story, I realize that this man's life didn't get easier. In fact, I'm convinced it got harder, for all the reasons I've mentioned and for many more. The story tells us that Jesus saw the man again later (we're not told how much later) at the temple. And He tells the man, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you". The assumption is that the man hasn't been living the life Jesus intended him to when He healed him. Now the man has to try harder, live better, be a better man, or the consequences will be dire. (And for the record, I have a hard time knowing what is worse than being an invalid for 38 years...) So his life from now on will not be easier than it was as an invalid. Does it get better? Absolutely. But not easier. And isn't that what life as a Christian is? Once we submit to Christ our lives get better. But not easier. Thankfully, although it will be harder to live for God, we're not asked to do it alone. He will give us what we need to begin and live a new life.

SGF: Epiphany - Day 51

Invitation: "One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4). What a great reminder that it is my responsibility - no, my privilege - to tell Abi about what God has done, continues to do and will do.

I love the passages (specifically the Bible Song and the Bible Reading) that Phil Reinders chooses each day, because they complement each other, but not in an obvious way, so that I end up noticing things in each passage that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. The passages speak to each other by making connections.

Today's Bible Song is from Psalm 53 and the Reading is from John 4 (the story of a royal official's son healed and that official's faith that Jesus' word was enough).

Psalm 53 is a bit depressing. The psalmist says, "God looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one" (v. 2-3). There are two separate ideas here that stand out to me. One comes back to what I was discussing yesterday - the idea that we often don't seek God and as a result fail to understand Him (although I believe we will never fully understand God, I think it's important to try). The second is the more obvious one - what does the speaker mean by saying "no one...does good, no even one"? Really? But there are a lot of "good" people in the world - Christians and non-Christians - who do really good things. People take care of others, help out in times of need, give money, time, and resources, say nice things, take care of the planet, and so on. So how is it possible that "no one...does good"? Firstly, I think the psalmist is disillusioned. He looks around and sees corruption. He's discouraged by the people's lack of faith and their lack of desire to seek and understand God. Secondly, and I know some people will disagree with me, I believe that as human beings we are incapable of doing good apart from God's grace. (This is an idea called common grace in Reformed thinking.)

In John 4, Jesus says, "Unless you people see signs and wonders...you will never believe" (v. 48). It seems odd that this is in response to a royal official begging Jesus to come and heal his son, who was nearly dead. It is especially confusing when you read the whole story and see the faith of this royal official. After asking Jesus to come see his son, Jesus says, "go...your son will live" (v. 50). The man's response? He "took Jesus at his word and departed" (v. 51). Now that's faith! So why does Jesus seem to berate him by telling him that unless he sees signs and wonders, he will never believe? It seems to me that he already believed. At least enough to have faith that Jesus could and would heal his son even without seeing him. Yet the story ends with the man and his whole household believing because his son was healed at the exact time Jesus said, "your son will live". So Jesus was right - the royal official did need a miracle - a sign or wonder - to believe. The man's faith in Jesus' ability to heal was not the same thing as believing that Jesus is God's son and his saviour. An interesting and important distinction.

The Connection: So the connection I made between these two passages is this. The psalmist says that when God looks down on the human race he is looking for "any who understand, any who seek God". Jesus says people need to see signs and wonders to believe. When I consider these two ideas together, I am filled with hope. It's as if God is saying to me - if you try to understand me by seeking me, I will show you signs and wonders. I think it's easy to dismiss miracles today. We don't see people getting healed the way Jesus healed people when He walked on earth. When was the last time you went to a wedding where water was turned into wine? We tend to think those days are over, past. But are they? I think miracles just take a different shape these days. We hide them behind medical advancements (or medical mysteries), behind an act of human kindness (God's grace at work!), behind scientific laws and patterns, behind the lie that if it happens every day, it's nothing special. But the whole world is a miracle. Just look around you. Babies are born every day, but each and every one is a miracle - think about the complexity of a human body and how each one grows from a tiny mass of cells in just 9 months! Spring is just around the corner and when those first shoots poke their heads out of the ground, when the grass turns from brown to green, when the sun warms the air and the ground, creation is practically screaming, "I'm a miracle!". People are still being healed from diseases or injuries that should kill them. Just because modern medicine aids in their recovery doesn't make it any less of a miracle. God works in and through the things around us to make today's signs and wonders happen. All we have to do is look for them and when we find them, use them to help us believe and understand Him better.

SGF: Epiphany - Day 50

One of the things I really love about reading Seeking God's Face is that I'm reading excerpts and stories of the Bible that I've read many times before and that I supposedly "know" well. But I'm seeing them with new eyes because I'm taking TIME to read, re-read, reflect and listen. Today's reading was inspiring and thought-provoking for me in a number of ways.

Inspiring: Psalm 52 was the Bible Song today. In it, the writer says, "your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor" (v. 2). Ironically, or perhaps providentially, this idea of a tongue that cuts, draws blood, and causes pain has been bumping around in my head as the topic for a new poem. I love that this idea originates in the Bible; I know it's not a new idea (there's nothing new under the sun right?) but it's compelling and I believe it can be presented in a new way. I'm inspired to work on this poem with more discipline now and I'm convinced the idea has merit and will make a decent little poem (or maybe even better than decent).

Thought-provoking: The Inspiration today is from Psalm 145, in which I'm reminded, "his greatness no one can fathom" (v. 3). How often do we try to fathom His greatness? Often, I think the modern-day Christian (myself included) is guilty of not fully acknowledging the greatness, the power, the awesomeness, and the take-off-your-shoes-for-this-is-holy-ground and fall-on-your-face-before-Him holiness of God. We have no problem calling him "father" and "friend" - which is good, don't get me wrong - but we sometimes forget that He is GOD and we really cannot fathom how great He truly is, even if we spent the rest of our lives meditating on it. The other idea that stood out to me comes from Psalm 52 (v. 9) where the writer tells God, "For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people". This got me thinking: isn't that the easy part? To praise God when with people who believe in Him and follow Him? The hard part is praising God when you're interacting with people who don't believe in Him and/or aren't concerned with living their lives for Him. The even harder part is finding a way to acknowledge your love for God and your desire to praise Him and please Him without being preachy or judgmental or condescending to the people in your life who don't believe as you do. This is a constant struggle in my life. How do I communicate the importance of what I know to be true to those who don't understand without offending them or turning them off? I'm convinced the answer begins with loving them for who they are and where they're at no matter what.

Interesting Tidbit: The Bible Reading today is from Matthew 16. I didn't realize that the old adage "Red sky in the morning, sailor's take warning; Red sky at night, sailor's delight" had its roots in the Bible. See what Jesus says in verses 2-3.

Finally, I love today's Prayer from the Belgic Confession: "Revealing God, open my eyes to see you in the stunning book of the universe, finding in atoms and animals, plants and physics, the letters that journal your power and divinity. Open my ears to hear your voice calling in the story and song, commands and prophecy of the book of Scripture. Open my heart to embrace you and honour you as Lord" (BC 2). Why don't we ask God more often to reveal Himself to us in His creation and through His word? Why don't we go looking for Him more often? He wants so badly to be that "Revealing God" and show Himself to us. All we have to do is ask and seek.

Seeking God's Face

As a community, those of us who attend New Hope Church in Calgary are reading a daily devotional book entitled Seeking God's Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year, written and compiled by Phil Reinders. I haven't been the most diligent in reading it every day, but I'm making an effort, and it's getting easier to make it a priority. Funny how habits work that way, hey?

I thought a good way to respond to and process what I read each day would be to blog about it. So I'm going to try. It seems like a good way to combine two things I wish I did more of, devotions and blogging, and maximize my inspiration.

The book explains that "Each day of prayer contains a number of different elements - an invitation into God's presence, times of quiet, Scripture, free prayer, a set prayer, and a closing blessing" (17). Each day I'd like to respond to whatever stands out to me - this might be one, some, or all of that day's elements. Sometimes I may just reflect on the feeling that day's reading evokes in me. I don't want to structure it; I'm just going to RESPOND - as a reader, a pray-er, a writer.

If you decide to join me on this journey, I hope you'll be blessed by my musings. If you want to read the book, you can find it here.