December 16, 2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1.27)

“Enter through the narrow gate because the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction. Sadly, many enter through it, journey on it and find the sorrow of their venture.  But it does not have to be so with you. Do not fear the gate that is small and the road that is narrow which leads to the life that is abundant and eternal in its blessing. Sadly, only a few may find it, but oh that more so would and be at peace.” (Matthew 7.13-14)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

I suppose I should know how many times it is recorded that Jesus said some variation of “do not fear.” I will look into that today. It is said that the phrase in some variation is spoken 365 times throughout scripture. That would amount to nearly one for every day of the year…except for leap year, of course. So, every four years we are given a day to be afraid? Hmmmm, I wonder. What if that were true? Then we could store up all those anxieties, fears, phobias, worries, inuendoes, judgments and defense mechanisms for that one day every four years and let them all out of the box. Imagine, the whole world deciding they could be afraid only once every four years. The other 365 days times 4, the whole world would not be afraid, walk with confidence and sincere boldness and become (as well as help others to become) the people we are meant to be. I wonder how we would teach our children from birth and all future generations to live in such a manner. How would we convince ourselves in this moment and all generations that exist today to live in such a manner? It would take FAITH! It would not take just any faith but faith in the One who is in control of all things from start to finish. I do not mean the “one” the world thinks God is as a manipulator of lives and souls as if humanity were marionettes on a string trying to run with scissors in an effort to free themselves of such entanglements. I believe we have lost sight of what “God is in control” actually means. And if you, as I will, seek out those mentions of “do not fear” just in the gospels you would discover, as I already know, that God does not act that way because He loves us. We do have responsibility for ourselves, our words and our actions. We may be afraid of “the unseen” as if our eyes are blinded to the truth and we are left to our imagination of powers and forces beyond our control. But, by faith, and not by sight, we are able to walk knowing that God is with us and has not forsaken us. In a dark, weary and troubled world frenetic and frantic about today and the future, the confident expressions of God’s spoken and demonstrated care leading His flock through these “valleys of the shadow of death” in the past should shine a light on the path before us. In fact, this is what scripture teaches us in Psalm 119: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light on my path. And I would add the teaching of Jesus as John remembered it, which says: But if I do them, even though you do not believe me [and My words], believe the works that I do so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” (John 10.38)

Of course, there are many times that I have forgotten I am in possession of faith even as small as a mustard seed. I get afraid at times as do we all. I have to gather myself, take a deep breath, remember Immanuel (God with us and with me) and move forward trusting God in all things. Sadly, I have grown into a fear of tight places. I suppose I have always had it but didn’t know it. I first experienced it in the cleft in the rock at Garner State Park near San Antonio, Texas. Over the millenia, the rock which makes up what remains of a mountain, split and the force of weight widened the cleft so that you could sort of scoot along in it for a way. I do not know how far personally because all of a sudden (I was twelve or thirteen at the time) I felt the world closing in on me and in fear I moved quickly out. Satisfied that I had “done it,” I never went back again. But, in the past eight years, I have undergone numerous surgeries. This requires submission to anethesia so that the doctors could do the work needed to correct problems and effect wellness. At least that is their hope. One surgery was for severe polyp impacting of my nasal cavities on the left side of my head. I had not been able to breathe correctly for a long time. The problem had become so severe that headaches and sleeplessness were ruling my night. The night before my surgery, I had a dream that I was drowning. I was being swallowed up and couldn’t breathe. I knew I was not going to wake up. I did. I had the surgery. It all went well. I breathed through both nostrils freely for the first time in I don’t know how long. But, with each surgery after that there was this lingering fear from that first night. I continue to battle it to this day. The loss of control and safety is something most all of us have; even those who claim to be daredevils. I think they are simply trying to prove to themselves they are not afraid.

It is with this background in my own life that I read Jesus’ words: “Do not fear the narrow gate nor the narrow road.” That closed in and narrow space seems to have the desire to capture me. Balaam on his talking ass experienced it when the donkey could see the Angel of Death wielding the sword of truth and the walls of the road rose up to prevent escape. David experienced it more than once in valleys and caves where King Saul and his men were in pursuit. Jesus experienced it in the Garden of Gethsemane as the moment of truth was no longer far off. But, it was not a loss of freedom that was the concern. It was what might be on the other side. Jesus knew that what was on the other side was the glory of God. His determination to do God’s will, His Father in Heaven’s will, allowed Him to squeeze through and come out on the other side better than before. Like the sands of an hour glass which must push, fall, pass through a narrow way, so we must do the same. And what is promised to us is a kingdom of life without end in such perfection that we cannot truly imagine it. But, we must feel the squeeze of the narrow gate, the narrow passageway and the closeness of what is against us. But they are evidences that there is a “way, truth and life.” As in the words of Isaiah, “Those who dwell in darkness will see a great light.” Jesus is that light. It is the light of glory which brings wisdom, understanding, confidence and ability to do the right thing, say the right thing and be the right thing. We just have to believe it, have faith in it and surrender to it. The closeness we may be feeling in those times may actually be the embrace of God who is in control saying “I’ve got this. Let’s do this together.”

PRAYER IN LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD:

Father, You have revealed to us best in Jesus the Christ. By Him and Him alone shall we gain this eternal life and our place in eternal rest, living for You always. Show us more and by Your Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go, the truth we should reveal and the life we shall live with you forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.