Midweek Message: Winging It

Midweek Message – Winging It

Psalm 57:1      Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

I can remember my old pastor preaching part of this psalm to me when I was about twelve years old. It left me confused, not because of what he said, which was all about security and refuge in God, but because of the mistaken image that I had concocted from what the psalmist wrote. You see I tried to picture God having wings, but I couldn’t decide whether they were the soft, white wings like a dove, or the mighty, golden wings of an eagle.

My problem arose because I was trying to interpret the Bible verse literally. I got so hung up on picturing g the image that I missed what was really important in the psalm – that of knowing God as my refuge in times of trouble.

I also fell for the same mistake when I was at seminary. This time it wasn’t the wings that caused my confusion, it was the shadow of the wings. I reasoned that in order for a shadow to be produced, light has to be behind and above the object in order to cast it on the ground. “How could anything be above and behind God?” I argued. Again, I was taking the text too literally and just using it for the sake of debating with my professors and peers.

The Bible helps us to understand about who God is and how He intervenes in our lives. However, if we take the scriptures too literally, as in the case of this image, then we will miss the point altogether. The Bible guides us towards God and reveals to us His plan of salvation through Christ. It is sacred and gives us a better understanding of the holiness, power, and grace of God, but the Bible is not meant to be fanatically idolized or worshiped like God.

Point to ponder: What biblical images of God mean something special to me?

Prayer: Lord God, when we take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, we know that it means we can find a haven and sanctuary in You. As we rely upon You for everything in our lives, encourage us to read more from the Bible, so that we can learn more about You in order to faithfully and thankfully worship You. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

For Such a Time as This

For Such a Time as This

2 Samuel 22:31   This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (ESV) 

In such a time as this, it’s difficult to keep believing that things will get better. Our current leaders are obsessed with breaking everything within a few months that took decades to fight for and achieve. Our Civil Rights have not just been challenged, they have been intentionally diminished with the sole purpose of destroying them forever. This political subjugation and marginalization of minorities is being ruthlessly pursued by those who hate diversity, equity, and inclusion. They now brazenly oppress people who are different because of their race, gender, orientation, or origin rather than share power, prosperity, or prestige. They seek to protect their privileges rather than diminish their elitism. 

They also use the old reactionary mechanism of ‘divide and conquer’ by pitting one less powerful group against another. We see this all over Appalachia in impoverished and isolated places that are full of people who keep voting in representatives and leaders who do nothing to improve their communities, but as long as they are sticking it to the other side, then Appalachians will just put up with the hardship they endure. It’s sad to see so many rural communities who fall into this Machiavellian manipulation. Their elected officials couldn’t care less about diminishing USAID or FEMA, even though it’s their constituents – farmers, miners, and rural workers whose lives are shortened, whose children’s education is diminished, and whose economies will hardly improve. Their elected leaders can send their kids to private schools, receive gifts and bribes from lobbyists, and end up rich, famous, and financially secure. In private, these appointed representatives are both laughing at their poor misguided and misinformed voters, as well as all the way to the bank. 

Just like generations before us, the only way to improve our rights is to fight for them, to speak out for the voiceless, and stand up for the marginalized. Things will never get better if we acquiesce to the arrogance, bigotry, and hatred of those in power. It will take courage and determination to oppose those who seek to divide, diminish, and conquer. It will also require us to confront the vast amount of falsehood and lies that our leaders, representatives, and spokespeople constantly spew. If we align ourselves to the truth, then we are allying ourselves to God and the goodness He seeks for people on earth, as well as our nation. It will not be easy, but then again, fighting for freedom and living for liberty has always been difficult. 

May God bless us all as we stand for the truth in the Lord’s love, which is abundantly diverse, sacredly equitable, and graciously inclusive.

Pastor John

 

 

Midweek Message - Divine Conclusion

Psalm 51:10   Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (NIV)

 Have you ever seen the old French film called ‘The Red Balloon’? It was made in Paris a year before I was born and tells the tale of a young boy who is befriended by a red balloon. The balloon and the boy become inseparable, and it follows him all over the streets of Paris. The film only lasts about 35 minutes, and it has been my favorite movie ever since I first saw it as a young lad.

 The film depicts both happiness and sadness in simple ways and even when a tragedy occurs, there is a wonderful sequence of hope being renewed at the end of the movie. As I write this devotion, I can still see the beautiful conclusion in my mind’s eye. I won’t give it away – you’ll have to watch the movie yourself and be pleasantly captivated by it.

 Sometimes I think that our individual lives are movies that only God can see. He knows all of the things that we have done, the moments that have impacted us deeply, the joys we have experienced and the sadnesses that we still carry. There is nothing hidden from God, so He could be justified in separating Himself from us after death, but instead He wants to give us a beautiful conclusion where we become reunited and restored to Him forever. That’s why King David, in today’s highlighted verse, prayed to God to clean his heart and renew his spirit: he wanted that beautiful conclusion which only God’s grace and forgiveness could bring.

 Perhaps you feel as though you’ve done something which will separate you from God. Maybe you have a deep regret about a deed that has caused some distance between you and God. If so, then please know this – God can and will forgive you, just by asking Him to do so, even now as you read this. As the apostle Paul once wrote long ago: ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ – Romans 8:38-39.

 Point to ponder: Am I willing to hand over my regrets to the Lord and be cleansed with God’s Love?

 Prayer: Lord God, create clean hearts within us and renew our spirits this day. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

 PS: If you’ve never seen it, you can freely view the movie online at this link: The Red Balloon.

 

 John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor, now living in Knoxville, TN.