Parables in Everyday Life: The Light of the World

The drive home from the evening service at Gateway Baptist Church tonight was a long, dark, narrow, and winding way through the rain and misty fog. Even with our fog lights on, it was hard enough to see even six feet in front of us in many spots. Being in the country as we are, I was fully expecting a deer to jump headlong in front of us and I knew my reaction time would be greatly impaired given the weather conditions and wet roads. Nevertheless, home we went. Slowly, carefully, and ever watchful.

It seemed like forever when we finally turned down our quiet, dark dirt road, and then onto our driveway. The sight that I beheld almost left me breathless....

Light!

 A light in the darkness that, for us, signaled an end to our long and trying journey; rest for our weary bodies and minds. Hope, joy, and peace. 

Isn't that the meaning of the season? 

Hope. Joy. Peace.

At this wonderful sight of home, this light in the darkness, the echoes of the evening service we just left that little bit ago resounded in my head. The words of another Light in the darkness:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

~John 1:1-14 

 The Light of the world that came to earth that evening in Bethlehem of Judea. With no room in the inn, the only place our blessed Savior could be born into this world was in a lowly stable, and the only place our wonderful King had to lay His precious head was in a rough and dirty manger. 

In the stillness and darkness of night came the Light, our redemption song, to take away the sins of the world that would crucify Him in the most brutal way, and to receive us back unto Himself through His undeserved Grace alone. 

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The light that announced the birth of our Lord, Savior, and King was but a shadow compared to the Light of the Word that had come to dwell among us in the dark of night.

The wise men knew it that night that the light in the night sky appeared. They knew the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Mid'i-an.
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 9:2-7

The Light had finally come! Into this dark and twisted world, the Light came to guide us home!

Our Savior came to give us hope, joy, peace, and rest in HIM!

From the humility of the manger to the disgrace of the cross, it all pointed to the glorious future that we would have in Him. 

Hope in eternity.

Joy in His salvation.

 Peace in His promise.

Rest in His bosom.

Where are your eyes fixed this Christmas season? 

Have you been traveling a path that is long, difficult, and burdensome?

I know of One who can give you  rest. 

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Matthew 11:28-29

In the busyness of this Christmas season do not forget to be still and simply rest in Him. Take a moment to stare at the stars and simply stand in awe of the Creator who, from nothing, created light, and then became our Light to guide our way Home.

The Light shines brightest in the dead of night.

So Jesus shines for us in our darkest hours. 

Seek His face, seek His embrace.

DO go towards that Light, fall at His feet and, basking in His everlasting glory, give your burdens to the One who has already overcome the world. Let the One who has already won the victory over sin and death carry your heavy load, just as He carried that heavy cross to Calvary, and take up His yoke, which will never be a burden to carry.

Rest in Him.

Parables in Everyday Life: On Spoons and Forks and Such

While washing dishes I stumbled across a playful metaphor as I stood, feet and back aching, staring at the last little bit in my sink. The silverware. Exhausted, I was tempted to just give up and say, "I'll take care of these later. It's not really that much anyway..." as I had so often done before. It really isn't that much in the grand scheme of things. I mean, what is thirty pieces of silverware compared to the plates, cups, pots, and pans I had just finished scrubbing? Compared to the fifteen minutes that I had spent cleaning the rest, what was another two? I mean, individually, these things are small and wouldn't take more than three seconds to wash. What it is about this task that draws me away after all that I had already invested? It just seemed so tedious, repetitive, and boring. The big stuff was really no biggie because progress was easy to see and results were more satisfying, but these... this compilation of many little things, was it really just too much? Or was it not enough? Was it not enough of a challenge to satisfy my quest for accomplishment? Was it a simple nagging inconvenience? Or was it just to trivial and insignificant to warrant my attention?

Perhaps this is why many grow away from the Christian faith after being redeemed and receiving the indwelling of the Spirit?

Prayer.

Bible study.

Church attendance.

The simple foundation works of our faith. Individually they are small in the grand scheme of things yet are they such HUGE tasks that we cannot seem to find the time in a day to devote to them? Or is it something deeper?

Prayer may take less than five minutes or more than thirty depending on the situation. Why do so many slack of in prayer; real communication with a real and living God?

Bible study could be as simple as taking a Psalm, or even one meaty verse, and meditating on it throughout the day with the initial investment being less than five minutes as well. Why do so many never seem to find the time to open their Bibles during the day?

Church attendance is a good thing at the right church. Uplifting, edifying, even convicting at times. During the one hundred and sixty eight hours of the week, church may request but a measly three, maybe four hours of your time? Yet, so many can't find the time to go even when they are off of work. Now, present them with tickets to a main attraction and that may prove a different story. Suddenly they will move mountains to be able to go. ;-)

So what is it about these small, seemingly insignificant things that make it so formidable and time consuming that time in a day is naught to be found?

Perhaps it goes back to the heart of the matter.

Perhaps prayer seems so unfulfilling and unrewarding because results are not immediate and noticeable.

Perhaps Bible study seems so insignificant because we already know how to live a good life, right?

Perhaps church doesn't seem so important because, well, what does one miss by skipping an hour of preaching, really?

OR

Perhaps it's just that simple underlying heart matter.

When I wash dishes for my family, there is a little part of me that does it so that my husband will come home and see that, hey, I did the dishes! That little part of me that wants him to reach for a clean plate, bowl, or cup and find it, then think of me. In a small, almost unnoticable way, I do it for....

ME....

So that when it comes down to the seemingly insignificant parts of the whole, what does it really matter? They are so small, my husband probably wouldn't even notice if some of the forks and spoons and such weren't washed, so what is the point? Why go through three more minutes of feet and back aching chores if no one will really care?

The difference is, I can SEE my husband and his reaction to my accomplishments, else some days I likely wouldn't do things at all! My husband is also flesh and blood man (surprise!) so he doesn't always see everything, and likewise doesn't always take notice of my intentions in his heart.

Our Lord is another story. He, I can't physically see. Not yet at least. I do not get the luxury of seeing His all knowing, all seeing reactions to my work for Him. Maybe this is why all these "big" little things always seem to take a back burner, that heart matter, that I won't get recognition, so what's the point?

Perhaps I need a little less me and a little more HIM in my daily walk.

I can find time to play on the PC (Facebook), blog, and all, but I can't find time for God? Really?

If I have learned anything in life, one thing is that we never have time for anything that we don't MAKE time for, and we never make time for anything unless it is important to us.

Perhaps we just need to do a little priority rearranging coupled with a little humbling thought, with faith the God DOES see the bigger picture, and rewards as is deserved in due time. It's not about me, not really. It's all about

"Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

That child that was born in Bethlehem. The King of the whole world who made Himself flesh, born of woman, so that He might redeem mankind back to His bosom. That King who humbled Himself to a servant's dirty work, and who walked that bloody path the Calvary to be made a curse being hung on a tree for ME, even when I cursed Him and hated Him.....

It's about Him.

And if the Creator of the heavens and the earth can wash His disciples feet without accepting anything in return, I can most certainly wash those spoons and forks and such with a joyful heart.

And if my Lord and Savior can spend those agonizing hours in prayer that night in Gethsemane, sweating blood for MY cause, even as I was about to crucify Him and spit in His face with my filthy sin, then I can most certainly make time for THE most important person in the entirety of creation in the form of prayer, Bible study, and church attendance.

Because it's all for HIS glory, not mine. I want JESUS to be glorified in the works of my hands, not myself. And if Jesus can receive glory for me finishing the task that I start, as He finished His work on the cross at Calvary, then that is something I can work for.

"She... worketh willingly with her hands" (Excerpt from Proverbs 31:13)