Good evening, dear ones.
The day is spent at 10:10pm. I’ve just returned from the Clackamas County Jail where I went in with John Patrick. I didn’t quite get this done before going—so now, with groggy head, I try to finish it up and send it off.
There were lots of warning out there of how today was supposed to bring a big wind storm. Yes, there has been some wind and rain, but no big deal—not far from normal. No damages that we know of around us.
Blessings. Sleep tight. Good night. Ray.
I was smitten with two little bursts of inspiration as I read this passage again this morning. Perhaps I’ll briefly touch on both.
FIRSTLY, the first words of Jesus spoke in this reading were this: “No one lights a lamp only to place it under a basket or under the bed. It is meant to be placed on a lampstand” (v. 21, TPT). In immediate response, I wrote these lines in my notes: “No one goes to the trouble and expense to install a light in a place where no benefit is rendered from that light.” I suppose a silly example could be to place a light or lights in the crawl space under your house—so as to illuminate the activities of all the spiders, snakes, and rodents. Of course Jesus is intending this reasoning within the physical world to have spiritual meaning. In that regard I added this to my notes: “Accepting Christ as Savior and Lord is not just a matter of personal benefit to the believer, but this salvation gift comes with a binding job and function description that benefits the purposes of the Giver—TO BE LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD.” That, of course, is consistent with the Matthew account where Jesus adds, “Your lives light up the world. Let others see your light from a distance, for how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light. So don’t hide your light! Lit it shine brightly before others, so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, TPT).
SECONDLY, I was impacted by the rhetorical questions Jesus lays on His disciples after He both calms the storm, then calms their stormy emotions while crossing the Sea of Galilee. He said, “Why are you so afraid? Haven’t you learned to trust yet?” (v. 40, TPT). Wow! In this fallen world in which lots of difficult and painful stuff regularly happens to even good people, I cannot imagine a more appropriate question to continually ask ourselves for the purpose of reining in our own fears and emotions and keeping our personal faith on track. If we can accept our premier responsibility to LOVE THE LORD OUR GOD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS, and to TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS, why should we not confront our fears and feelings with that question? So, when the doctor announces my diagnosis of liver cancer with only an estimate of two months to live, Haven’t you learned to trust yet?” When I’m fired from my job because I refuse to comply with corrupt practices, Haven’t you learned to trust yet?” When my house with all my worldly possessions burns to the ground, Haven’t you learned to trust yet?” When my sweetheart of 50 years is taken from me and I’m overwhelmed with the grief of that loss, Haven’t you learned to trust yet?” We could go on and on setting for unbecoming circumstances. Just go ahead and imagine the humanly worst thing that could ever happen to you—then ask yourself, Haven’t you learned to trust yet?”