A servant to whom?

 Over the past four weeks we have been talking about the Old Testament prophet Elisha and his sick (aka “awesome”) faith.

Elisha is known to have preformed a great number of miracles, second only to Jesus. One miracle that I mentioned but didn’t expand on in this series was that of Naaman.  

Naaman was a respected commander of the army and he had leprosy. Read the story here.

Though Naaman gets the spotlight in the story of his miraculous healing, none of it would have been possible without a young unnamed girl.  This girl, as part of the spoils of war, was taken from her homeland but she remained faithful to her God. We know very little about her except that she now served Naaman’s wife.

This unnamed servant girl knew that a prophet of God was in Israel. In verse 3, her simple sentence was actually a strong testimony of faith.

She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

She knew that where God was, there was always hope. She dared to think that God cared for all people and she had the audacity to inform her mistress, who in turn told Naaman. That simple, bold, courageous sentence would change their lives.

I find this story fascinating. Not only does God, through Elisha heal Naaman of his leprosy, but the entire story of Naaman’s cure is possible because of servants. 

-       A servant tells him about Elisha, 

-       A servant tells him what to do for a cure, and

-       Naaman’s servants convince him to follow through with the instructions. 

Almost everyone in this story is a servant to someone:

-       Naaman to his king, 

-       A young girl to her mistress, 

-       Elisha to the Lord God. 

And don’t miss this, in the end, Naaman becomes a servant to the true God.

You and I are also are called to serve.  We are called to serve the one true God, our Lord. And like the young servant girl, wherever we are we can boldly testify to what we know—that our God is a God of love and grace.

Don't be a caterpillar!

Have you ever found yourself on one of those hamster wheels? Not literally, of course, but just busily doing, without even thinking.  It might be at home with children or at work outside of the home. We are doing, doing, doing. We can even find ourselves on that wheel at church, right?  We can get so busy with church activities that we can neglect the most important life giving activity of all, spending time with God in God’s Word and in prayer. 

It reminds me of something I read years ago about a certain type of caterpillar.  The story goes like this:

A famous French naturalist, Jean-Henri Fabre, conducted an interesting experiment with Pine Processionary caterpillars. He took several caterpillars and placed them in single file around the rim of a flowerpot. Each caterpillar’s head touched the end of the caterpillar in front of it so that the procession formed a full circle. Fabre placed pine needles, which are the favourite food of the caterpillars of this type, in the middle of the circle formed by the procession. What makes a Processionary caterpillar special is the instinct to blindly follow the caterpillar in front of it. All caterpillars went in circles hour after hour, day after day, night after night thinking that the caterpillar in front of them was heading to the food. In 7 days, all the caterpillars died from hunger and exhaustion although food was just 6 inches away from them and the only thing they needed to do to get it was to change the direction of movement.*

Imagine, these poor caterpillars just going around and around and around and around, their sustenance within reach, but they were so busy going in circles that they missed it.

Just like those caterpillars, it is so easy for us to go around and around in circles, starving ourselves of life-giving time with God. 

This week take a moment out of your busy day and stop. Go to your Bible app, (if you don’t have one consider this https://www.bible.com) and read the verse of the day. It only takes a moment. Or pick up your Bible — yes, go old school — and see what God has to say to you. (If you don’t have a Bible, please come see me, I have one waiting for you!). I promise that if you will stop and listen, God will have a life giving message for you that will nourish your soul. 

*Sedniev, Andrii (2014-07-25). The Achievement Factory: How to Fulfill Your Dreams and Make Life an Adventure (p. 62).

Perfect love drives out fear!

Tonight is Halloween, a night full of zombies, goblins, witches and other scary things. Honestly, I have never been a fan of Halloween.  Sure, I like the candy, particularly those mini Caramilk bars.  I used to love making sure my kids’ stash was safe by being the chocolate taster. It’s a real thing! I was a modern day Nehemiah! But other than that, Halloween is a little too dark for my liking. 

The verse that is prominent for me at Halloween is this:

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… (1 John 4:18)

Halloween is rooted in fear.

Did you know that Halloweenbegan as the festival of Samhain, which was part of the ancient Celtic religion in Britain and other parts of Europe. It was believed that on one particular night at the end of summer the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.  

According to Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, some of the Celts wore ghoulish costumes so that wandering spirits would mistake them for one of their own and leave them alone. Others offered sweets to the spirits to appease them. 

In medieval Britain, supplicants moved from door to door asking for food in return for a prayer for the dead, it was said that they would carry “hollowed-out turnip lanterns, whose candle connoted a soul trapped in purgatory.” (Halloween — From Pagan Ritual to Party Night) Others say that the lanterns were used to ward off evil spirits. During the 1800’s in North America, pumpkins replaced turnips because they were plentiful as well as easy to hollow out and carve. 

Halloween is rooted in fear. 

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…

In 1 John, we are told that perfect love, God’s love, drives out fear.  When you and I are certain of God's love, we don't have to be afraid anymore, and not just at Halloween! It’s as if God is the parent who comes in at night and tucks us in, turns on the night light, and tells us that there are no monsters. In God's great love, all fear melts away.

As we think about our fears now, I pray that you will know that just as God protected and redeemed those who have come before us, God will protect and redeem us, too – even from death itself!

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10).

Join us this Sunday as we continue our sermon series on Elisha.  I must say I have been encouraged by the number of emails and calls regarding this newest sermon series on the Old Testament prophet Elisha.  It seems clear that God is on the move at Amberlea.  

Thank you for sharing with me how relationships are being restored, new projects are beginning, and the numerous ways that you are faithfully moving towards God, trusting that God will move towards you in faithfulness.  

I have been encouraged, humbled and blessed. Praise God.