Divine Care

Divine Care

We are all a divine work of art. We are not like a sketch created by a child, but a creation of art done over our lifetime. Have you ever imagined yourself as a divine work of art? Who are you? What are you becoming? Who is the creator of your divine work of Art? In his book on “Problem of Pain”, C. S. Lewis says not metaphorically but in truth God is molding our hearts and minds to become a certain character. It is when we turn to Christ, when we give ourselves completely to Him, we begin to have our own true character. From the time of Adam and Eve we live in a fallen world and there is a never ending battle between good and evil being waged within us that extends to all of humankind all over the world. The famous theologian Jonathan Edwards says, “The strength of a good soldier of Jesus Christ appears in nothing more than in steadfastly maintaining the holy calm, meekness, sweetness and benevolence of his mind, amidst all the storms, injuries, strange behavior and surprising acts and events of this evil and unreasonable world.” Here this theologian succinctly says the character that we should strive for is holy calm, meekness, sweetness, and benevolence of mind.

Our lives can get messy. We may not always know what life has in store for us tomorrow or five years down the line. How do we step forward with confidence in this uncertain world? We do so because of the blessed assurance of God’s unconditional love for us. The Psalm 137 is a poignant reminder of how the Israelites felt in captivity in Babylon. It is to these broken people that in Isaiah 49:15-16 the prophet asks, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast? Can she have no compassion for the child she has borne?” God’s love for us is greater than the love of a mother for the child she bore. Jesus wounded hands, remind us of the verse the prophet goes on to say, He has engraved us on the palm of his hands. We look at the nail pierced hands as it reaches out to all of us captive and free, big and small, rich and poor, young and old. Jesus said that God knows what we need. If we come to Him in prayer. He will give, just as parents give to their children (Matthew 7:7-12). We believe in a God who is loving, trustworthy, faithful, and powerful. All things are ultimately ordered and governed by God towards a divine purpose and plan (Romans 8:28). A God who is still on his throne. God has given us free will to make our own choices. He works with our good or evil deeds to make them all a part of His divine purpose and plan for His kingdom. We come to God with open empty hands to transform our hearts and make them into his gracious likeness.

Isn’t it amazing that God sent his only begotten son into this world when it was embroiled in turmoil and violence. The prophets foretold it; the faithful were anxiously awaiting it. God over the centuries prepared the nations for the coming of the Messiah.  To a chosen few God sent His angels to proclaim the Good news. At the time Christ was born, there was great joy in the hearts of those who understood the importance of his birth. It was the coming of the Messiah, the Son of God. Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 7:14) and said that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son, and He would be called “Immanuel”. Immanuel means “God with us”. Jesus said, God gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life (John 3:16). What a price Jesus had to pay to give us this gracious gift of eternal life. He suffered and died one of the cruelest and gruesome deaths nailed to the cross disgraced like a criminal. But he did so willingly and fully sure that, only through his death and resurrection can we all have the gift of eternal life. Do you struggle with the problem of pain and death? God molds us through our suffering and pain to become something that is in conflict with our natural selves. God refines us through periods of suffering to become an imitation of Christ himself. God’s divine care and mercy is so deep it is beyond our human understanding.

Jesus‘s birth has been shrouded in mystery.  It never ceases to amaze us, that if we look at the birth and life of Jesus, it is awesome that God chose Mary an ordinary young girl and Joseph a humble poor carpenter to be the parents of his son Jesus. When Mary told her fiancé Joseph that she was carrying a child, he was flabbergasted. He may have wondered what a mess their lives had become. His natural instinct was to question whose child it was? Seeing Joseph’s dilemma God sent an angel in a dream (Matthew 1:20) to instruct him to take Mary as his wife. The angel proclaimed that Mary was carrying the Messiah. If God had not intervened at that right time, would Joseph have abandoned Mary? She may have been stoned to death as required by the Jewish law for conceiving a child outside wedlock. Yet we see a man of good character, listen to the angel and obey God’s will no matter what the consequences. The holy couple were under the divine care of God who works for the good of those who love him and follow him.

God’s Son was born in a stable; the poorest and maybe even the dirtiest place for the Messaiah to be born. The Savior of the world was placed in a lowly manger, a crib for feeding cattle. God chose to reveal the Good news to poor shepherds who were awake with their flock at night. The poorest of the community of believers, often considered as out casts and unclean, came rejoicing to welcome and worship the Savior. Their presence and message of joy from the angel, welcoming the Messiah must have filled Mary’s heart with great joy that God had sent these men to welcome her child when there was no family or friends around to witness his birth. Wasn’t this an affirmation that God did not care whether you were a poor shepherd from the fields nearby or a wise man from the Far East, the good-news was for the whole world. They were under the divine care of God who surprised them with joy with two entirely different types of visitors.

Mary and Joseph lived at a time when Roman rule was heavily resting upon the Jews. Although Herod was their king, they were still overshadowed by the presence of Romans all over the kingdom. It was a difficult time in their history when they did not have any independence. Herod was quite a tyrannical ruler and levied a heavy burden of tax upon the people. Further when he heard that a King had been born in Bethlehem he was overcome with jealousy. He even tried to find out the whereabouts of the child from the wise men (Matthew2:1-12). Although he feigned a desire to worship the child, he in actuality wanted to have Him killed. The wisemen were overjoyed when they finally found the baby Jesus and they gave him treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The holy couple were under the divine care of a God who showered them with blessings and protected them from the evil shadow of death cast by Herod.

At the time of Christ’s birth there was great joy, but also great tragedy. When Herod realized that the wise men had left without informing him where the child was, he decreed that all boys below the age of two be put to death in Bethlehem and its vicinity. The whole of Bethlehem was thrown into chaos and confusion as Jewish parents lost their babies and young children due to the birth of the Messiah. In midst of these dangerous times, an angel of the Lord appeared before Joseph in a dream and told him to flee to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23). Joseph took his family to find refuge in Egypt, the same country that the Israelites had fled from thousands of years earlier. Here again God’s hand led them from the dangers of the tyranny of Herod to safety. When Herod died an angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph and told him to return to Nazareth in Israel. They were under the divine care of a God who brought them safely back to Israel.

Does God really care? There are so many times we feel empty and forgotten, by family and friends. God seems so far away. If we open the eyes of our hearts, we see God is by our side, he watches over us, he knows our needs, and discerns our thoughts. Do you find life a struggle? Are you pessimistic about your future? God will help us and protect us in times of trouble (Psalm 115:9-11). We build our faith, hope and love for God praising Him through all the twists and turns in our life (Psalm 115:18). Let us continue to live in hope to see fresh revelations of God’s kindness, goodness and mercy. Our life today in reality is only the beginning to God’s divine plan to give us eternal life, where there will be no evil, sickness or death. In Psalm 115:14 the Psalmists says the Lord assures us that he will richly bless us and our children. What an amazing promise to build our faith.  God has entrusted our children into our care, and we have a responsibility to love them, nourish them, and ensure that they are well prepared to face the world when they grow up. It is in nurturing and raising our children do we begin to understand how much God loves us and cares for us. They are the works of our hands upon whom the favor of the Lord rests (Psalm 90:17). God our Father will guide and help us and this is the promise we pass on to our children and grandchildren. Jesus said that to those who ask He will generously give the Holy Spirit to be a source of comfort and strength to all of us through out our earthly lives. Let us cast all our care and anxieties in Gods hands just as Mary and Joseph did when Jesus was born, for God’s love for us is marvelous and his care for us is divine.

Watching and Waiting

There are many of us who have sensed a void in our hearts, especially during very frustrating and infuriating times in our lives. The dimensions of this emptiness, when we are left to wait all alone, are so wide and deep that they cannot be measured. It is a spiritual emptiness that nothing that this world has to offer can fill. Have you sensed fruitlessness, worthlessness, deprivation, or abandonment that exposes a void deep within you?

The Killer in the Amish settlement had crammed himself with much hatred and anger over the years. He responded with violence and murder. The path of violence results only in more violence. The only thing that darkness cannot oppose is light. The only thing that will overcome hatred and anger is love.The best way to deal with emptiness is to fill it with the presence of God and with activities that will draw us nearer to His presence. If we can recognize this emptiness as a longing or thirst for the Spirit of Christ, then we will no longer feel empty. As we pray, reflect, and study God’s word our emptiness is slowly filled with God’s presence. When we discipline ourselves to do so regularly we begin to sense a joy and love for life that we did not have before. If we invite the Spirit of Christ to dwell within us, we will find ourselves brimming with love, joy, patience, hope, and peace.

Zachariah and Elizabeth had prayed earnestly for many years for a child. They were both descendants of priestly families. They were considered to be righteous in the eyes of God, as they had been faithful and sincere in following every regulation of the Jewish law. Why they were not blessed with children is puzzling. For many years they had endured the pain and disgrace within the community of Elizabeth being barren and had reached the point of no hope of ever having a child. When Zachariah went to the temple to serve his two weeks in the temple, hardly did he realize that it was going to be a life-changing experience. As the faithful gathered and watched the incense smoke that he burned rise heavenward as a sign of their prayers going up toward God, an angel of the Lord appeared before Zachariah in the inner most sanctuary. Zachariah was dumbstruck with an angelic vision of the good news that his wife Elizabeth would bear him a child.

In what had seemed like an unfavorable situation, God rewarded them with a child who was declared by Christ to be the greatest man born of a woman on earth (Luke 7:28). What the angel said brought great joy and cheer to hearts that had been waiting patiently. John was described as being filled with the Holy Spirit, with spiritual powers comparable to Elijah. He would herald the coming of the Messiah. Zachariah must have greatly rejoiced for he, as a faithful Jew, had also prayed for the coming of the Messiah. When Zachariah asked the angel for a sign, the angel said he would not be able to speak until the baby was born. Was Zachariah’s silence the sign that heralded the birth of his child? When Elizabeth delivered the baby, she rejoiced and said that God had shown them great favor and taken the disgrace she endured away from her. Their patient wait had led Elizabeth and Zachariah to receive one of the greatest honors in Christian history.

King David was anointed as King by Samuel when he was but a young boy. However he had to wait for many years before he became King. Davids psalms of prayer and praise have been a blessing to the faithful during their long period of waiting (Psalm 40, Psalm 23). He even had to endure the persecution from King Saul who tried many times to kill him. Patience is the ability to endure all kinds of hardships and monotonous situations until we are able to realize God’s purpose for our lives. The author of Ecclesiastes says there is a time and purpose for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). We must accept the reality of the situation that just as it takes times to grow physically; it takes time to grow spiritually.

It is the hard and trying times in our lives that truly test what we are made off. It is these times that shape and mold us into responsible and experienced people. The bottom line is that we should not get annoyed or disappointed. Christ said that if we are patient we will gain our lives (Luke 21:19). What do we hope for? What do we love? What do we have faith in? What is it that occupies our thoughts? Where does our heart lie? St. Paul (1 Timothy 6:6-12) says in his letter to Timothy that we should not get snared by senseless and harmful desires that will destroy us. He encourages us to pursue righteousness, faith, love, patience and gentleness. It is when we fight the good fight of faith that we win the race of life. Paul says that if we emulate the attitude of Christ toward each other, then God will give us the patience and encouragement we need to live in harmony with each other (Romans 15:5-6).

To invite the Holy Spirit into our lives is likened to springs of living water that well up within us with a new burst of life. To those living in darkness it is light, to those who are lost it is to be found, to those who are poor it is to be rich, and to those who are sick to be well. He quenches our thirst and feeds our hunger to do God’s will. He changes and transforms us to be more like Christ. Christ said that we should surrender all our worries and anxieties into the hands of God. It is only when the Holy Spirit comes and fills up, and cleanses all the dark crevices in our lives that we begin to lose that empty feeling. In Christ we find forgiveness for our past blunders and mistakes (Colossians 1:9-14). He gives us a new vision of what He wants us to be. If we watch and wait, God will reveal His plan and purpose for our lives. Christ offers us a new life in Him (Matthew 16:24-26). As the popular hymn goes, near the cross I will watch and wait, hoping trusting ever, till I reach the golden strand, just beyond the river.

Outstretched Arms

Over the Thanksgiving weekend we had the opportunity to visit an Amish settlement. The first signs of our proximity to the Amish settlements were the traffic signs on the highways warning us to drive carefully because there may be horse buggies on the road. As the Amish do not drive motorized cars, even the local Walmart has a separate parking area for horse buggies. While asking for directions to the Amish settlements I was told by one of the girls in one of the local country inns that we were not to take any photographs of the Amish. The Amish do not take photographs of themselves as they are convinced that a photograph is the image of a man or women that may be idolized by them or others (Deuteronomy 4:15-31). The men have long beards, unusual hairstyles, and specially prescribed clothing. The women cover their heads with white prayer caps at all times. The Amish have only an eighth grade education and then go into farming or find a craft that can earn them a living serving the community. 

We visited a cheese factory where the cashier and the some of the staff were Amish. Later we visited a furniture store, run by the Amish, that had beautiful furniture and fittings (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). There were many references to Christ carved into their furniture and fixtures. For lunch, we ate at a restaurant and were served by an Amish lady. The countryside was full of lush green meadows and farmlands. The Amish through dedication, prudence, and perseverance, have excelled in the age old profession of farming. Their farmlands are some of the best, most productive, and highly priced in the country.

They value simplicity and self denial over comfort, convenience, and leisure. Their way of life deliberately separates them from the world, yet they maintain self sufficient lives. St. Paul says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate (1 Corinthians 6:14-18).” Can they work for a boss who does not have the same values as they do? What does the Christian do when a person of another faith gets one of their own priests to bless the business in the name of another god?

When tragedy struck the Amish settlement in Pennsylvania their response was quick and effective. A killer walked into the Amish community school and shot six of their children.The Amish forgave the man who shot six of their children, and embraced his wife and children in their time of sorrow and tragedy. Moments before the killer committed these heinous crimes, he spoke extremely apologetically to his wife and said that he was overcome with hatred and anger toward God and mankind. The memories of a still born baby girl, and some deeds done through incest in his younger days, haunted him greatly throughout the last years of his life. The spiritual emptiness inside of him was so unbearable that he felt forced to commit these crimes. What makes a man so angry with life and toward God that he is driven to murder innocent children in broad daylight?

The Amish are a community of people who live humble lives of peace, order, and tranquility. Their faith and family are their cherished possessions. Their communities are so peaceful that they do not have police stations in their neighborhoods. Their faith lays great emphasis on practice of their beliefs. They clearly said that in a crisis like the one described above, they will not resort to violence. The Amish community live in fear of God’s judgment and wrath, for Jesus said, “That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (Fool), shall be in danger of the council (court): but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire (Matthew 5:22).”

What they hope is that the world at large will have a glimpse of the love of Christ in their peaceful and loving response. It is said that for the funeral of the killer there were more Amish than civilians. The families of the girls that were murdered invited the widow of the killer for their own children’s funeral. The money that was given for the assistance of the Amish families was shared with the widow of the killer. The Amish did not appear on television condemning anyone. The schoolroom that was the site of the murder was razed to the ground and a field has been set in its place.

Through their actions of forgiveness and reconciliation the Amish made peace with the killer, his family, the community, and the world at large. Their Christian witness stands out in a time when there is so much of unrest all over the world. The Amish look to the life (Philippians 2:5-8) and witness of their only advocate between God and humans, who is none other than Jesus (1 Timothy. 2:5, 1 John 2:1). By remembering the forgiveness that was so generously given to them at the cross, they were able to preserve their peace with God and the world at large. Although not quite understanding why the innocent had to die, they follow the gospel message of Christ to the world leaving the judgment in God’s hands (Deuteronomy 29:29). Here we see hearts full of love toward God and their fellow beings. The Amish strongly believe that they should embrace their enemies with outstretched arms of love. (Matthew 5:44).

The People’s New Testament Commentary describes the language of salvation in three dimensions (Romans 5:1-10). The first dimension is the past where we see Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross. The second dimension is the present where we experience this forgiveness and reconciliation to God through Christ. The third dimension is the future when we will all be saved through Christ from the wrath of God. The killer of the Amish children felt alienated from God. He was living in hostility toward God. He had no peace in his life. The Amish follow the path of reconciliation through suffering as shown by Christ, where they are able to preserve their state of Shalom (Colossians 1:20).

Paul goes on to say that life does not make any distinction between sinner and saint. We all have to learn to face our share of stress and adversities in life. He exhorts us to remember that Christ died for us even while we were in our state of sinfulness. He shows us that the purpose for our lives is to find this peace and joy that has been so freely given to us by the grace of God in Christ. If the Amish had stressed on their own emotions then they would have exalted their own selves and not Christ (Exodus 20:4). The Amish revealed the image of Christ in their lives by showing compassion, mercy, and forgiveness.

This ministry of reconciliation has been given to all of us as Christians to go out into the world and be reconciled with God and humans (2 Corinthians 5:18). To a chosen few are given the way of the cross through great suffering and hardships (Ephesians 2:16).