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A light came on early this morning – not in the way you might expect. It was around 5 a.m. when I began reading. As many of you know, I haven’t really read/finished a book since 2006. A few days ago, I went out and purchased Seeing is Believing – Experience Jesus through Imaginative Prayer by Greg Boyd. I’ve referred to him on occasion because he is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read most of his works. In fact, it is because of my interest in his ministry that I have connected with so many of you.
It was pitch dark outside as I began reading. To make matters worse, the lighting in the living room was terrible. Last month the bulb in the ceiling fixture went out. My roommate added a low-watt bulb; for whatever reason, he didn’t take the old one down. He just left it in the other socket. Well, that is a little annoying, as I am kind of picky about things like that. Still, I didn’t want to get a chair; reach up and unscrew the light fixture; remove the defective bulb; only to throw it away and replace the fixture, so I left it alone. We try to conserve on power, being good environmental stewards. But I’ve got to admit, this new bulb was extraordinarily dim and equally vexing.
As I lay on the couch, I struggled to read the text in those shadowy surroundings. What I was reading was really good, but I found myself getting increasingly irritated as I was trying to focus on some things I found particularly important. I said to myself, “I really wish there was more light so I could see better.” Within milliseconds of my having “said” that, the old bulb – the one that has not lit up in over a month – suddenly kicked in and cast its radiant beams all over the room. The whole room shone with white brilliance. That, in and of itself, is miraculous to me.
But what I want to share with you is the passage I was reading when this illuminating event occurred. “The Father does nothing less than place the believer ‘in Christ Jesus’ (Rom. 8:1; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 1:3). If we understand what this entails, we’ll see that there is in truth nothing greater God the Father could ever do for us than what he has already done for us by placing us in Christ” (27; emphasis mine).
This early section of the book takes up the theme of who we actually are in Jesus Christ. I have “preached” this topic to others for years. I know it is important to understand and realize these in-Christ realities. But what happened this morning has challenged me to revisit this truth. The above-italicized words are something I know God has spoken afresh to me. He wants me to chew on these things like cuds. God literally elucidated these words as I read them. The light literally came on in both the room and in my head.
I will not pretend to know the fullness of what God is trying to teach me here. I could wax long on the many things I think I know about these words. But I realize in my heart, whatever I know, it is deficient. Right now, the only thing I can do is ruminate on these things until God gives me a revelation. I need to contemplate them. Somehow, I know this is what God wants me to do. He literally had to flip the light on so that I would not miss this. He is marvelously gracious.
Keep praying for me.
