Do you remember those puzzles they used to make (I don't know maybe still do) that the words were blurred into the background and you could only read them clearly if you put that red plastic thing over it? That's the way I sometimes think of faith. Like, having faith is a means to understand the mysteries of God and of living in this world. I was looking at a 3D movie without the special glasses, but I put on my faith goggles and suddenly I can see. My best friend's husband just got contacts. (He finally realized that there are probably letters on road signs - sorry, Carter) It has been kind of funny to watch him "see" everything now. He said it feels like his eyes got HD. It wasn't that he couldn't see before but now everything is clear. Now it looks like it should. He sees what the rest of us see.
Is this the job of faith? When we view faith as the special goggles that make life completely understandable what do we do when we just can't make sense of loss, tragedy, and unthinkable disaster. Have we lost faith? Or worse has it failed us? I like simple answers. I thrive on complicated questions, but I want simple answers. I like to understand. But faith is not a pair of magical goggles that makes everything clear. "Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1) Yes, faith in Jesus Christ and our relationship with God through His death and resurrection allow us to be filled with knowledge and wisdom, but until our salvation is perfected in glory we can never really make out all the letters on the chart under that big E. Do not be discouraged by life's blurrier moments, let them spur us to hope because of faith.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Taste This
I have a sickness. For some reason I think it is my job to make people eat and love all of the things that I love to eat - especially if it something weird like a deep fried Oreo. Yes, I am "that person" that plunges a fork in your mouth saying "try it" without giving an opportunity for rebuttal. I don't know why except that when I like something I want other people to get to like it too. I do not want anyone to miss out on what I consider are wonderful things. I am as delighted to cook something delicious for someone else as I am to eat it myself because I have on some other occasion tasted that it is good. (sometimes great!)
Recently, I have been reading 1 Peter. As I was reading through chapter 2 of 1 Peter, verse 3 jumped off of the page at me "if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." I must have been reading on autopilot because it was as if I had suddenly been awakened or perhaps that I was suddenly reading in a language I understood. I HAVE tasted the kindness of the Lord. So often. He is so good. So I backed up to read what was before the "if". "Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
If we are in Christ then we have tasted the kindness of the Lord and rather than be satisfied we are to crave Him and His word all the more. We are to clear out and cast away all that is bad and impure that we may be properly nourished. Malice and deceit and hypocrisy and slander sullies the taste of the pure milk of God's Word. I have tasted His kindness and like really good brownies want to share that goodness so that others might know.
Recently, I have been reading 1 Peter. As I was reading through chapter 2 of 1 Peter, verse 3 jumped off of the page at me "if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." I must have been reading on autopilot because it was as if I had suddenly been awakened or perhaps that I was suddenly reading in a language I understood. I HAVE tasted the kindness of the Lord. So often. He is so good. So I backed up to read what was before the "if". "Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
If we are in Christ then we have tasted the kindness of the Lord and rather than be satisfied we are to crave Him and His word all the more. We are to clear out and cast away all that is bad and impure that we may be properly nourished. Malice and deceit and hypocrisy and slander sullies the taste of the pure milk of God's Word. I have tasted His kindness and like really good brownies want to share that goodness so that others might know.
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