MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAPLAIN 6-23-2020
God’s Breadcrumbs
“O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed;
you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed…”
(Jeremiah 20: 7)
What kinds of things appeal to you? Something like a good sandwich when you’re hungry or a tub of popcorn at the theater with lots of butter, maybe a hug from a friend when you need it, or, perhaps, someone to love you just the way you are. God does this. He finds, meets and loves us where we are at in any given time or place. He shows up even when we don’t think we need Him. It is almost as if He places little enticing breadcrumbs along our life journey for us to pick up and let us know that He is there. Those little morsels that lead to something better as a bird is lead to the bird feeder for more food. We may not recognize it, but when we think about it, we can’t help but know that it was God. He does this for all of His creation. It’s His way of saying, “I love you today, tomorrow and always.” Can you think about some ways that God has whispered to you, or placed you in the path of something (a class, a picture, a person, an experience, etc.) that you couldn’t say, “No” to and you didn’t really understand why? The other day an older man who was bent over and having trouble walking with a cane came into the area where I was seated while waiting for a friend. He spoke to me for no particular reason and I responded kindly. I felt a pull to pray for him and sitting there I followed that leading. It was the Holy Spirit enticing me to do something for someone else. It wasn’t for me to question, but to obey. A breadcrumb.
In another story, a young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend. The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend's sermons, but he heard them often.
One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were all off, but as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by. The young man climbed up to the highest diving board and as he turned his back to the pool on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The shadow of his body in the shape of a cross. Instead of diving, he knelt down and asked God to come into his life. As the young man stood, a maintenance man walked in and turned the lights on. The pool had been drained for repairs.
This diver was compelled to look at his shadow on the wall. Truly, he must have seen it hundreds of times before, but this time was different. He saw what was needed to be seen at that specific time, a cross. Because of this, his life was saved. God will give us what is needed to become closer to Him. Why does God do this? One big reason is that He loves us. As disciples, when we come to the point in our relationship with God that we can begin to trust His love, we begin to want to “…understand more about what Jesus is seeking to teach us and what we need to learn from it.” (Emilie Townes)
Jesus’ first act on Earth was a huge breadcrumb. The Apostle John speaks of this in chapter 2 at the wedding in Cana where Jesus performs His first miracle. The beautiful morsel, of course, was turning water into wine. Two things happened here; obedience occurred and the crumb was dropped. What was it about Jesus that made the servants obey? We don’t really know, but could come up with some good guesses. God always seems to catch us at just the right time to see the enticement of what has been placed in front of us, choosing to follow where it leads and wishing to do what is bided for us to do. We are not beaten into submission. We are loved into submission and we choose to obey.
In our obedience, we choose to hear, trust, submit and surrender to God and his Word. We are asked by Jesus to trust him. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Jesus was the perfect representation of obedience and He wants us to be like Him. Obedience to God shows our love for Him and our faith in Him. It is also a way in which we show an act of worship. Obedience emerges from our hearts with gratitude from the grace that we receive from our Lord. We are also rewarded in our obedience as well. “But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.” (James 1:25)
Our lives have been filled with morsels from Christ. Sometimes we see them, or maybe trip over them, sometimes we seek and find them. But always they are there showing us, compelling us, enticing us closer to the One who created us. Follow the breadcrumbs Jesus leaves for you and obedience to His ways will become more natural as you become closer to Him. You will continually be blessed in all your endeavors and be richer for it. Your journey has only just begun. Let God prevail.
Blessings, upon blessings, upon blessings,
Pastor Elizabeth