God Is Gracious

"If you ever take your neighbour's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. ²⁷ For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious."

Exodus 22:26-27

God cares about people, even the poor who lack basic necessities.  As a kid when I went to the neighbourhood recreation centre to give them an identification card or my wallet as collateral to play Foosball, table tennis, or pool.  Once I returned the supplies to the attendant my property was returned to me.  A similar method was used in ancient times, where people would give a loan of money and hold their cloak as collateral.  God placed a stipulation that if a garment was taken as a pledge to secure payment on a loan, by law it was to be returned "before the sun goes down."  This would afford him warmth on a cold night.

The last part of the verse grabbed me:  "And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious."  God is a gracious God, having mercy and compassion on poor debtors.  He does not chide such a one for their poverty, the decision to take out a loan, or say of the shivering man, "Serves him right!"  God is gracious, a phenomenal characteristic and remarkably rare for a king (or anyone else under the sun, for that matter).  Kings typically reward loyalty and are harsh against any who rebel against them.  Kings who intend to keep their thrones do not promote those who have not been absolutely trustworthy in the past.  Their allies are the wealthy, the ones upon whom they have bestowed titles and lands - not the shivering poor crying at night.

When we come to God in our poverty, crying out to Him in sorrow, sadness, or because of injustice God will hear because He is gracious.  In the darkness when no one sees, in the cold we cannot escape, we can enter into the presence of the Almighty God who is KING OF KINGS.  His grace is seen by the audience He has freely given us and in taking action for our good.  We are all sinners before God and unworthy of His care, but all who trust in Jesus Christ have been redeemed, adopted as children, and exalted to be co-heirs with Jesus Christ.  That we could be grafted into the body of Christ as a viable part through whom God desires to work!  Having received such grace, let us also be gracious as our heavenly Father is to all who cry out to Him.

The Green Room Experience

A "green room" is defined as "a room in a theatre or studio in which performers can relax when they are not performing."  It is a place to hang out and rest with comforts and amenities provided.  Before the show there is a palpable sense of excitement complete with some nerves.  For musicians and actors it is the final moment before displaying the culmination of hard work to do the thing they have worked towards their entire lives.  I have met with people to pray before a church service in a "green room" of sorts, and there was no dread in the air but expectancy God would work and whatever God does is amazing.

For Christians, death beds are similar to a green room.  Instead of sitting on plush or comfortable furniture, those preparing to depart this world lie upon stark hospital beds.  These rooms are not located adjacent a world-famous auditorium but in living rooms, trailers, hospice and aged-care facilities.  There is no murmuring of the adoring fans gathering in the hall but the whirr and beeping of medical equipment and the hushed tones of a visitor or two.  Instead of rehearsing lines or riffs scripture is read aloud, prayers are offered, and tears are shed.  There is no set hour for departure from this spiritual green room, but at the hour only known by God the graduation to glory occurs in an instant.

I remember visiting my Grandad after he had a stroke and seeing a friend in intensive care who was in an induced coma after contracting flesh-eating bacteria.  I held my aunt's hand as she drifted out of consciousness in her living room and sang songs around my Grandmother before her passing surrounded by family.  In these largely quiet and always sacred moments these dear souls had little physical movement besides the drawing of breath, but I am convinced they eagerly awaited release from the body to enter into the joy of the LORD.  In my mind's eye I seem them sitting next to me as I spend a few last moments looking at their tired bodies, and they are on the edge of their seat ready to be ushered by angels into God's presence.

Does the song of your heart echo the words of the Johnny Cash song?  "Let us labour for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, let us talk of all His wondrous love and care, then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done, and the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there."  The only way any of us will leave this earthly green room and enter the presence of the LORD is by faith in Jesus Christ.  No one earns the right to be a child of God by their own efforts, and there is no curtain call for applause from men.  At the appointed time we will all be freed from the husk of these failing bodies and into heaven, or be shackled and cast into outer darkness and eternal torment.  For those dead in sins it is like awaiting a second death, but the "green room" experience is one of exhilaration because Christians were born again for the moment to be called up on stage for life everlasting.

Be Mine!

It was customary for me in primary school to hand out "Valentine's Day" cards with messages that read "Be Mine" or to give out boxes of chalky Sweethearts candies with each classmate's name written on them.  It was a simple tradition which did not lead to romantic interest (as far as I know).  It was the one time an easy opportunity was given to share feelings about someone, though cards or candy were brought for all.  In my youth the exchange of Valentines was polite and innocent, without any promises of commitment.

God's love and grace is not fickle like the hearts of people who have a crush on someone one week and then affections can shift dramatically.  God offers His favour and blessing to anyone who will have Him.  In a way God asks every person, "Will you be mine?"  All who consent to this relationship can count on the enduring love and the complete commitment of God forever.  When I handed our Valentine's Day cards I did so only for my classmates, but Jesus has come and invited all people to follow Him - not only as servants but as friends.  God is not desperate for attention or needy, as if He needed anyone to validate or appreciate His existence, but because He truly loves.  Love is never content to remain at a distance but seeks unity and intimacy.  This love is not based in sexual desire or selfish control.  Having demonstrated God's love through dying on the cross, our response to Christ's love is the voluntary yielding of our will in recognition of who God is and all He has done - as a child before a loving parent.

This equal opportunity for God's favour was shown to the kings of Israel.  After the people demanded a king, God chose Saul.  He was a handsome, humble, a man head and shoulders taller than all others.  David is described as a "man after God's own heart" whom God brought out of the sheepfold and set him on the throne of Israel.  God then established the throne of Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived.  Finally (for the sake of this example), God revealed to the hard-working Jeroboam He would make him king over 10 tribes of Israel.  What God promised to Saul, David, and Solomon He promised similarly to Jeroboam in 1 Kings 11:38:  "Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you."  If Jeroboam would be God's man, God would be with him and establish him.  But if Jeroboam rejected the LORD as Saul and Solomon in their later years, God would strip the kingdom from him and his house.

God made a conditional promise to all of these kings, and only David - the man after God's own heart - continued following God faithfully.  This shows us a royal bearing, great wisdom, and an industrious work ethic are not enough to keep our hearts from wandering from God.  We must have transformed hearts after God's own through the power of the Holy Spirit to keep walking in God's ways, giving honour and glory to Him as is His just due.  That is the prime distinction between David and the other three first mentioned:  the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit of God was with David from his anointing by Samuel until the end of his days.  This blessing and promise of the Father is not for kings or Jews only but even to all people from every nation under heaven.  When God says "Be Mine!" and you gladly submit to this, He will be yours as long as you will have Him.  Praise the LORD, for He delights to abide in us forever!

The Home of the Brave

I was born and raised in the United States, the "land of the free and the home of the brave."  Freedom has been one of the great hallmarks celebrated by many in American culture:  freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms, freedom to assemble, freedom of religion, and more lately freedom for gays to marry.  A potential landmark case is being heard in the U.S. Supreme Court which seemingly pits religious freedom against discrimination.  A baker who declined to make a cake for a same-sex wedding in Colorado ran afoul of State law and appealed his case to the Supreme Court.

I remember as a kid reading signs on the doors and windows of restaurants which said, "No shirt, no shoes, no service!"  It makes sense if an entrepreneur decides to own and run a restaurant which serves the public, it is their rightful place - ultimately for the good or bad of the business - to place restrictions on the conditions of service.  A CNN article says the baker also refused to make Halloween cakes, but apparently he was not taken to court over it.  The Supreme Court now is tasked to weigh the right of religious freedom against a "license to discriminate," as an ABC article puts it.  A quote from the ACLU lawyer concluded the article:  "I worry about what the world looks like if the bakery prevails."  I do not worry, and I hold the opposite view.  What will America look like when an entrepreneur is only free to say yes?  What kind of warped freedom is this?

One thing is for certain:  if the baker does not prevail, America can no longer claim to be the land of the free.  It is truly said freedom is never free.  But there are many who are brave to stand up for what they believe to be true.  Their bravery, as this courageous baker who has paid dearly for his refusal to earn money by compromising his principles, will continue to be on display in America and across the world where the tyranny against God reveals itself.  The Supreme Court contrary to God's Law made a ruling to legalise same-sex marriage in America, and now the same Court may decide a man cannot legally refuse to perform a service in the public sphere.  This is not surprising or shocking.  This is the world we live in, when governments and courts legislate godless morality and those who fear God must make the brave choice.

I commend this baker and many like him who have chosen to honour God at a high personal cost.  His brave approach to this ongoing saga - which will not end when the gavel comes down - embodies the courageous and fearless heart which truly fears God.  It is admirable for a man to stand for what he believes even when he stands to lose much he has laboured for, knowing his future is safe in God's hands.  By God's grace I too am prepared to lovingly stand for my Saviour.  This freedom and power afforded us in Christ no government, court, or legislation can take from us.  When we freely stand up for God there is none who can stand against us.  Even in the face of death, the God who abides in us empowers us to be brave and strong.  Like William Wallace said in the movie "Braveheart," "They may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom."