An Unusual Child

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

Friday, February 21, 2020

It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born.  They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.  It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.  It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger.  He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.  It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.  Hebrews 11:23-28[1]

There was something about their child that was unusual, and it affected the way Moses’ parents acted.  Unusual is the last word we want to hear from the doctor that delivers our child, but Moses’ parents understood that meant a sense of the divine had entered their lives.  They were filled with faith to protect his young life even if the king ordered otherwise.  And that attitude turned into the atmosphere of Moses’ life, a life of service that defied the rule of earthly kings and pharaohs and followed the still, small voice from above.

Faith hardly makes for an easy life.  Following the unseen into the unknown means swimming upstream in even the everyday routine of life.  For most people that is a challenge.  It’s not easy by any stretch; I find it exhausting!

I hate the unknown.  I’m a person who loves to have things planned, laid-out in an orderly, sensible, scheduled track that’s simple to follow…just do the next thing.  But faith is different than my preferences.  My go-to example is Abraham.  God called him to begin the journey without so much as a call to Triple-A for a map, let alone a GPS on his phone.  It was C’mon, Abe…I’m gonna show you this place.  And Abraham did it!  He notified the wife and family and all the servants to gather up all the stuff of his household, saddle up and hit the road, without so much as a word about where the road would lead.

We had a similar experience in 1980; we didn’t have a burning bush experience or any camels, but we packed up two pre-teens and a toddler, two cars and a U-Haul with every bit of our worldly goods.  We moved nearly 600 miles to seminary.  I had quit my job, and we had no idea how we’d earn a living while going through school.  We didn’t know a single person in Louisiana, and we hadn’t ever been west of Florida or so far from family.  It was fearful, full of I-don’t-knows, lots of doubt, and the adventure of a lifetime!  There were a lot of tears, some because of homesickness and fear of what bill would go unpaid that month, and some because we saw so many ways God blessed our lives. 

Now, 40 years later, it is easier to see with the eyes of hindsight some of the things I’d probably do differently…but that’s not faith…that’s sight and human thinking.  The fact that we followed the unseen God into our unknown future…THAT was faith!  That was us being like Moses, unusual children of the Most High God.

For You Today

Has God ever said anything to you like, Hey…wanna see something?  Maybe it’s time to listen more and be busy less.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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[1] For another post on Hebrews 11:23-28 see God's Mountain; Moses' Faith 

NEW!

[1] 

January 1, 2020

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.  And the sea was also gone.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.    I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people!  He will live with them, and they will be his people.  God himself will be with them.  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.”  And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”  And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”  And he also said, “It is finished!  I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End.   To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.  Revelation 21:1-6

There is a sense within that resonates with new.  Everyone loves the thought of replacing the old clunker we drive with something that smells fresh off the assembly line.  We would prefer a fresh hairstyle instead of the bad hair month in which we dwell.  A new recipe, new friend, new space, new job, or a new anything gives a sense of getting a chance to start fresh; who doesn’t love having a clean slate (as long as we can keep the good stuff we gained with the old slate).

If you look at John the Revelator’s metaphors, new soars out from the throne in every direction.  The “old” heavens and earth are history.  The sea (representing chaos and danger) are gone.  In their place we see the gift of New Jerusalem, a holy city, as fresh, innocent, and beautiful as a new bride.  The city is a gift from God Himself, Who is in the center of the city, guarantee of His desire to live with the people who dwell there.  It is a new thing, and it plucks the strings of joy for anyone who has seen the reality of the fading nature of earthly beauty and strength…and even breath.

New is something to which we all aspire; yet we cling to the old with a ferocity of which lions and wolves can only dream.  It is fear of the unknown that makes us cling to what we know, even in its present pain, rather than face uncertainty.  But even our clinging link with the past is a wisp of smoke that vanishes when we lean our full weight on it.  Nothing in this life outlasts death.  But the promise of God is that nothing in death can persist in His presence; even death gives way to new life. 

So the promise of all things new is a change, not merely (or even) of location from planet earth to some ethereal, heavenly cloud-walking, harp-strumming tedium of unsmiling, unfeeling, tea party-like formality of servitude around the throne; this promise is the one always new reality of joy unspeakable and full of glory! 

That’s how the apostle Peter described God’s new life:

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.                1 Peter 1:8

For You Today

Even just contemplating the notion of stepping out of the familiar into the unknown causes one to draw a deep breath; it’s hard to let go of what gives us comfort and stability.  But it’s hard to receive anything new if our hands are locked in a death grip on what we think we possess.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com      Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©