Kissed by the Spirit

“How do you know me?”

Nathanael asked. 

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

John 1:48-49 (NIV)

That brief, mysterious first exchange between Nathanael and Jesus shows us how deeply moved he was when Jesus said the words, “I saw you under the fig tree.” 

We don’t  know what Nathanael was thinking or doing under that fig tree, but we do know that he didn’t think a Messiah would ever come from the town of Nazareth. When Philip first invited him to come and meet Jesus of Nazareth, he skeptically replied, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Most people expected the Messiah to come from a city of noble background and history, which Nazareth was not. 

Jesus knew Nathanael as well as his thoughts, and to prove it, He said, “I saw you under the fig tree”. Those words were significant since Jesus wasn’t anywhere near him the day he sat under that fig tree.

Knowing how overwhelmed, sad or frustrated Nathanael was, Jesus’ words revealed that He loved and cared for him, long before he ever knew who He was. Scripture never tells us what was on Nathanael’s mind. Maybe Nathanael questioned whether God sees or hears him at all. Whatever it was, the defining moment happened when Jesus told Nathanael that He “saw” him, even though He wasn’t physically there at the time. Those words convinced him that He surely was the Messiah. 

If we think about it, we’ve all had fig tree moments. It might have been a time after receiving fearful news, or a serious diagnosis for ourselves or a loved one, or having to take on a challenging responsibility. It’s in those times that Jesus finds a way to show that He knows what we are going through, and cares for us. He is near to us in our pain, because He already suffered in every way that we do. 

I’ve had many fig tree moments, but the most recent ones were related to my son’s traumatic brain injury. This may be a repeat story to some readers, but while Jon was in a coma for two weeks after his motorcycle accident, I used to go to the UPS store to pick up his mail on the way to his hospital. One day a person who I never saw before, was at the front desk. He brought me Jon’s mail, and said, 

“I want you to know that I have been praying for your son every day.” Hearing this from a total stranger, was for me, a sign of comfort sent by God. That was one fig tree moment for me.

There was another incident, on the day I brought legal documents for guardianship to the bank. I was telling my banker about Jon’s accident, and a total stranger in the bank, came up to me, saying that she overheard me talking, and asked my son’s name so that she could pray for him. That was another fig tree moment. 

Fig tree moments remind us that God sees us in the times of our greatest distress, and just when we feel alone, wondering if God is near, He sends a sign to remind us that He sees us, and loves us. So, when we think no one knows what we are going through, Jesus sends a person or a sign that speaks to our heart, as if to say,

“I saw you under the fig tree.”

Lord, thank you for loving us by sending us signs confirming that you are always with us. Open our hearts to trust you through all the fig tree moments of our lives. Amen

“So, as the Holy Spirit says:

Today, if you hear his voice,

 do not harden your hearts.”

Hebrews 3:7-8 (NIV)

When I was in my early twenties, I had a fun job working in the Merchandise Mart of Chicago. Long before I went into the medical field, I managed a one person commercial furniture showroom, giving price quotes to dealers, architects and designers. 

It was an easy, good paying and  stress free job. One of the perks was an annual furniture show, where every company in that industry, showcased their newest designs to professionals in the field. There were social events to follow each evening of a three day convention, where I met many people in the commercial furniture sales and designer industry. 

After meeting some of the sales people who came in for the convention, I remember sitting and talking with one salesman, in particular, whose name was Woody. He was from a nearby midwest state and as we briefly  chatted, I felt a strange urging to bring up the subject of my faith, but it just didn’t seem like the right time or place to talk about God. 

I ignored the prompting, and went on to socialize with other people.

I was probably too self absorbed at the time, to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit amidst the noise in the room that day.

A few weeks later, I was shocked and saddened to hear that Woody committed suicide. I felt horrible and since then, sharing my faith with others, became a passion, since I regretted ignoring the Holy Spirit and missed my cue to share my faith with Woody. 

Fast forward twenty years later, when I worked in health care at a local hospital. It was a very slow work day, so a coworker and I were sitting in the Neuroscience lab, talking. He was telling me how difficult life was for him as a parent of a disabled daughter, who required a lot of specialized care and attention. He and his wife were overwhelmed with work schedules and trying to care for their daughter.

I had no experience or advice to offer him, but took the opportunity to pray with him right there, in that empty lab where we worked. I had no idea how that prayer would change his life, but I wasn’t going to miss any cues again, as I did with Woody.

Since that day and that prayer, he wholeheartedly invited Jesus to take over his stress filled life and was so grateful. He and his family moved out of state, where he found a better job and a more affordable cost of living, making it possible to provide better care for their daughter. He sent me a letter saying how his family’s lives have changed for the better, because of their renewed faith in Jesus. I was astounded that it all began with a simple prayer in the lab that day. 

The Spirit was obviously drawing his heart closer for some time, and I just happened to be there at the right moment to pray with him. When Jesus said to go into the world and preach the gospel to every person, He wasn’t speaking  only to ordained pastors, deacons or priests. He sends all who know Him to share their faith with others along the way. We don’t need special credentials to do this, but only to listen to the Spirit, speak and pray as prompted. 

That missed opportunity with Woody still makes me very sad, but I use it to motivate myself to listen to the Spirit, despite the noise of this busy world. I am still learning over time, to hear the Spirit’s voice and not harden my heart, knowing we are all God’s work in progress. 

When I reflect on these past experiences, I am more aware of the possibility that whoever I meet today, might have been sent into my life for a purpose. 

God intended for all of us to build each other up in the faith, and to hear His voice amidst this world’s noise.

Lord, thank you for loving and holding on to us, despite our failures. Help us to share your love with those who are sent into our lives for your purpose. Amen

“The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, who will sing joyfully because of you.”

Zephaniah 3:17 (NAB)

Zephaniah tells us everything we need to know to inspire us to worship. He says that our Mighty Savior is in our midst, and He rejoices over us and renews us in His love. In essence, we worship God for how good He is, and how He loves us, more than for what He does for us. 

Jesus renews us in His love, and everyone needs constant renewal. Problems, worries, illness and pain can spiritually wear down all the faith, hope and love that we have. We need to be regularly renewed in God’s love, and that happens through worship. 

I remember once being in a church where a beautiful worship song was frequently sung. The lyrics say, “surely the presence of the Lord is in this place…I can hear the brush of angel wings, I see glory in each face….” The song reminds us of many unseen realities. We need to remind ourselves that worship is ongoing in Heaven.  

Worshipping God is every angel’s sole desire, so when we worship, it attracts angels to us. We can worship God anywhere, but there is something sacred about the gathering of a group of believers in church. Jesus said that when two or more people gather in His name, He is in their midst. When we worship in church, we should have a heightened awareness of His presence. 

This past weekend, while I was in church, the bread and wine was being consecrated, reciting the words that Jesus spoke. I was sitting in the end seat of a pew, with no one bedside be, and at that moment, I felt a gentle puff of air, a breeze brushed by me as if someone quickly passed by. I looked at the aisle on my right, to see if anyone was there, but there was no one. Then I looked up to see if there was a vent in the ceiling, that may have blown air on me, but there were no vents. I know I felt a fresh breeze of air, so I wondered if it was an angel or angels walking toward the altar of the church, at that sacred moment.

There is an entire world of beings that we do not see, and I thought about how the presence of God is always with us, but especially in church. So much is happening in the invisible realm, even though we are unaware. We could be chatting, distracted or even thinking about what we need to do after church, and all the while, oblivious to the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I was not super focused on that invisible realm at that moment, until I felt that mysterious breeze brush by me. It reminded me that Heaven comes down to join us in worship. Angels, though unseen, may be standing at the altar of our church each week. Worship evokes action from Heaven, and they respond to our worship, if only we had eyes to see it or ears to hear it. 

The apostle John had a detailed vision of Heaven. He described all kinds of action that goes on 24/7.  Revelation records that there were twenty-four elders bowing down before the Lamb, who is Jesus. Each of those elders were holding a harp, as well as golden bowls full of incense, which contain the  “prayers of the saints.” Scripture often uses the word saints to refer to all believers. (Revelation 5:8)

According to John’s vision, our prayers are collected in golden bowls, burning fragrant incense before the throne of Jesus. It all revolves around worship, where there is kneeling, bowing, singing,  fragrant incense, harps and other instruments playing to worship God continuously.

The scripture today is a reminder that Jesus, our Savior, is in our midst and He rejoices in gladness over each one of us, renewing us in His love. If we can keep our focus on those words and John’s vision, we can redirect our focus to unite with Heaven and worship the Lamb when we are in church. 

I wasn’t very focused on that unseen realm, until I felt the puff of air or an angel brush by me in that moment. If we could be more aware of His presence and all that is taking place in the amazing but invisible realm around us, we might have a richer experience in church during worship. After writing this meditation, I found the attached video, someone made  at a nearby church, showing angels present. 

Lord, thank you reminding us that so much is happening in the invisible realm all around us. Increase our faith to always focus on your presence when we worship. Amen

(A video taken at a neighborhood church)

Angels caught on camera at St. John Brebeuf Church Niles Il – YouTube

(The worship song )

Surely the Presence of the Lord is in This Place – Don Marsh (Lyrics) – YouTube

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 

Isaiah 6:8 (RSV)

Isaiah was once transported to visit Heaven and later described everything he saw and heard, as strange as it sounds to read about it. What an awesome feeling it must have been to stand in God’s presence, but he also felt very unworthy, confessing that he is a man of unclean lips. 

After Isaiah said that, a Seraphim angel picked up a burning ember with tongs and touched Isaiah’s lips with it, declaring him purged from his sin. That burning ember was taken from the altar of incense that burns in Heaven. Isaiah’s visit shows us that the fire that comes from Heaven, does no harm, only good.

Then Isaiah heard a thundering voice that echoed throughout, asking “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” He immediately responded, saying, “Here I am, send me!”

The Holy Spirit seems to always appear at different times in scripture through some form of fire, yet not a destructive fire, but a fire which forgives, heals, purges, speaks wisdom, lights the way and empowers people for action. 

In all the fiery manifestations of the Spirit, whether it was the burning ember that touched Isaiah’s lips, or the burning bush which spoke to Moses, or the pillar of fire that lit the Israelites’ path at night, or the tongues of fire that appeared over the heads of those filled with the Spirit on Pentecost, each moment of fire required an action from the people who were there.

The Holy Spirit seems to look for action, more than words. He asked Isaiah, 

“Who will go for us?” 

When Moses encountered the fiery bush, the voice of God said,

“Now, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt.” 

When the Israelites arrived at the sea, and Pharaoh changed his mind, by chasing after them, that huge pillar of fire positioned itself between the people and the Egyptian army. Despite the amazing protection of God’s fire, the Israelites were not meant to stand still. They were sent into action, and told to go toward the sea. Moses acted by lifting his staff over the water, and the sea parted miraculously for them. In each case, action was required by people, as the Spirit led them.

On Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Spirit, after a flame of fire appeared over each one’s head. Peter addressed the crowd and preached his best sermon ever. Between Peter’s sermon and the disciples speaking in many unlearned languages, thousands of foreigners in the crowd believed in Jesus, on that day. The only action required by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, was to open their mouths and speak. 

As I wrote this meditation, I didn’t plan it to be a theme about taking action, but the Holy Spirit kept redirecting the message and reminding me of scripture passages about taking action. 

I don’t know what action He is asking us to take, but He is calling each of us through His holy fire, asking, “Will you go for Me?”

We are guided by the same Spirit as Isaiah, Moses and all the disciples at Pentecost. When we find out what action He requires  of us, we can respond in the spirit of Isaiah, saying,

“Here am I, Lord, send me.”

Lord, we pray to receive the fire of your Spirit, which forgives, heals, purges, speaks wisdom, lights our path and empowers us, to take whatever action you want us to take. Amen

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.”

(Psalm 23:4)

I know nothing about herding sheep, having grown up in the city of Chicago. Those who grew up in rural settings are blessed to have a natural understanding of how a shepherd uses his staff to comfort his sheep. So, I decided to do a little research to learn more about it.

The shepherd’s staff can be used as a weapon against predator animals, or as a tool to break up the underbrush and open a path for the sheep to walk or graze more freely. 

The hook shaped part of the shepherd’s staff is called the “crook.” The average Chicagoan knows a different meaning for the word, “crook,” but those who raise sheep, know very well that the shepherd’s crook is used to lift the sheep’s head up when they look down and wander off. 

I learned that sheep have a sense of misguided independence when their heads are looking down, and that downward gaze causes them to wander away from the flock, and into various dangers, possibly falling off a cliff. 

When a sheep wanders too far, the shepherd uses the crook portion of his staff, to gently place it around the sheep’s neck, in order to pull its head upward. Sheep startle easily, so it takes special skill to use the crook to gently guide and not startle the sheep. Once its head is pulled upward, the sheep can be easily led back to the flock. 

David once wrote in Psalm 3:3, 

“Lord, thou art a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” 

By understanding the shepherd’s crook, it gives clearer meaning of the “Lifter of our head,” but there’s more.

There is an area around the sheep called the “flight zone.” It’s the personal space of the sheep, and if the crook is placed around the sheep’s neck, from a point inside that flight zone, the sheep will panic and run. The shepherd needs to extend his staff from a certain distance outside flight zone, and gently pull the sheep’s head upward. The calmer the sheep, the easier to manage.

We all have a flight zone around us, an invisible shield of thinking. When something triggers us, within our flight zone, it may lead to fear and anxiety, whether it’s in something we hear, see or feel. 

Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd, and He never gets tired or loses patience in lifting our head, because it’s what a good Shepherd does. He speaks peace to us, and since we belong to Him, we hear His voice, and in knowing He is near, we will fear no evil. 

The crook of His staff is a hook, but it’s a hook of love, always drawing our gaze upward toward Him. It’s an image that represents trusting Him completely, with our eyes on Him, instead of overthinking a problem, with our head down in worry.

If we think back over our lifetime, we will find that our Shepherd has always been there, to faithfully comfort, guide and protect us with His staff, over and over again. 

Lord, thank you for the comfort of your staff that lifts our head and calms our fears, always restoring our gaze toward you, who are the source of everlasting comfort. Amen

“Remember not the former things,

 nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 (RSV)

When I visit the residents at the Nursing Home, there are two in particular that I have formed a bond with. One is a lady with a history of drug abuse, who has two adult children that refuse to have anything to do with her. She has renewed her faith in God and prays every day. She still tends to fluctuate emotionally, often feeling that God must be angry at her, but I keep encouraging her.

The other resident is a man who has struggled with depression most of his life, since being abused as a child. He has a current diagnosis of heart failure, which causes him to dwell on his fear of death. He has a beautiful faith in God and is easily uplifted by prayer, but he often drifts into the sorrows of his past, submitting  to feelings of depression. 

In spite of their emotional ups and downs, I can see that they both have a rock solid belief in Jesus, with deep humility, and I know that God will use them to be a great inspiration to others. 

Both of these friends tend to be asking the same questions that many people ask- Why does God permit suffering?

I remind them that we don’t get to know the reasons, as one minister once put it, 

“We live by God’s promises, not His explanations.”

Since we live by His promises, we can be sure that He is always with us, because His word says so. I try to encourage them to look forward, and not get stuck in the memories of their past. 

Whatever deep waters, fires and storms we have been through in life, God has always been there. He raises us up afterwards, to see the new mission He has for us, which fulfills our joy by helping someone else who is going through what we once suffered. 

It’s how ministries are born. This is what happened in the life of an Iraq war veteran, named Ben. 

Ben was a faith filled believer since his high school years, but later he joined the military and was deployed to Iraq. It changed him from within, in seeing so much death. He had a group of soldier friends, who were all killed in one day. Then he witnessed first hand, wounded and dead children, after a school was attacked by a suicide bomber. 

Ben’s spirit was crushed, by the time he returned home, and he suppressed all his feelings. He began to lose his faith, while suffering with PTSD, and even contemplated taking his own life. One night, with a hand gun in one hand, he called an old friend who was once his mentor and advisor in the Christian faith. His friend answered the phone and told Ben to hang in there, because God is about to give him a spiritual resurrection and a victory over all that he suffered. Thankfully, Ben put his gun away that night, and revived his search for God.

After he resumed his prayer life, received counseling, and kept in touch with a supportive Christian community, he was able to share  his feelings and memories. He began gaining inner strength, renewing his relationship with Jesus, who led him to see that he had a new mission to accomplish. His true story is not an unusual one, because statistics show that soldiers are nine times more likely to die by suicide than in combat. 

Ben started an organization called, “Engage your destiny,” a faith based group to help veterans confront their mental scars and traumas, promoting mental and spiritual health, and free them of suicidal thoughts. God doesn’t want us to be controlled by a painful past, but to see the new thing He is doing in us and through us. When the Lord shows us a path through the wilderness, that path always leads to others.

God wants us to perceive the new mission He has for us. It can simply mean listening, responding and encouraging someone, who is suffering in a way we are familiar with. The qualifying credentials needed to start a new mission, is our faith and having been through the deep waters, fires and storms of life, ourselves. 

Lord, heal all war veterans and raise them up to find purpose in helping others. Keep us from dwelling on the negativity of our past, so that we may perceive the new mission you are leading us to. Amen

“What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. And from then on he looked for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.”

Matthew 26:15-16 (NIV)

I’m sure everyone has at least one story about being betrayed by someone at some time in their life. Jesus was betrayed by His friend, Judas, which probably was a shock to the apostles at the time. Betrayal is never expected, which is why it is so painful, but even worse if it ends an innocent life. 

I once heard a true story from an anesthesiologist I worked with, about a betrayal that his family suffered. It occurred during the Holocaust, when Hitler’s Nazi regime committed the largest systematic genocide in history, by forcing Jewish people from their homes and putting them in camps. 

In hearing rumors about death camps in those days, many parents were looking for ways to save their children. I know from another friend that his mother survived by being hidden in a convent by nuns during this horrible period. 

Two eight year old Jewish girls, who were first cousins, were living in Poland at the time, and their parents were looking for a way to save their daughters. One family found a woman who was willing to hide one girl in her home, for payment of a wrist watch and a certain sum of money. 

The parents of her cousin found a different family that was willing to keep their daughter in their home and hide her as well. It was a desperate effort, so both sets of parents sent them to live with strangers, trusting and hoping for the best. 

By the time the war ended, and the Nazis were defeated, both sets of parents had been sent to the concentration camps and killed. In 1945, Russians forces were the first to liberate Auschwitz, freeing the 15% who survived that camp, as the US liberated 30,000 survivors at the Dachau concentration camp. 

The little girl who was safely hidden in a Polish family’s home, sadly learned that her parents, aunt and uncle were all dead after being sent to camps. Her only hope now was to reunite with her cousin at the home where she was staying. Russian soldiers took her to that home, in an effort to reunite the two orphaned girls. When they arrived, the woman of the house denied ever knowing about any Jewish girl living there. The little girl recognized the watch on the woman’s wrist, telling the soldiers it was her family’s watch given as payment to hide her cousin.

As the soldiers further questioned the woman, she finally admitted to trading the girl to the Nazis for a two pound bag of sugar. She told them that Nazis went from house to house offering rare goods in exchange for the surrender of any hidden Jews. The woman apparently wanted that sugar so much, that she traded the girl she was paid to protect, for a bag of sugar.

My coworker, the anesthesiologist, shared this true but heartbreaking story with me, because the surviving little girl became his mother, who later emigrated to the US, and lived to 93. Her missing cousin was never found and presumed dead. It’s a sad story, but it is his story, which needs to be heard. It happened many years ago, but we should never forget the 1.5 million children who were killed during the Holocaust. When I first heard his story, I thought there is no positive angle to write about a girl who was sold for a bag of sugar. 

Stories of betrayal, are something Jesus can certainly relate to. He was also an innocent victim, sold for a price. According to scripture, Judas looked for an opportunity to hand Jesus over, which he did for a payment of thirty pieces of silver. There is a common message in every story of betrayal, which is about opportunity. 

Everyone in these stories had the opportunity to do good or evil. Death camps like Auschwitz and Dachau could only exist because someone had the opportunity to make an evil choice. A Polish citizen had the opportunity to do good, to protect a little girl who grew up to live a long, fulfilling life. The other woman, like Judas, may have started out with good intentions, but they both settled for something they valued, more than a human life.

Jesus would have died whether Judas betrayed Him or not, because He stated that no one takes His life from Him, saying that He lays it down voluntarily, doing it for us and our redemption. Jesus had the opportunity to willingly become our sacrificed lamb, which He did for us.  (John 10:18) 

We all have opportunities to make good choices that can change a person’s life, or change an entire trend in history. May God give us the courage to always stand up and speak for the innocent lives who are either being traded, trafficked or undervalued in any society today. 

Lord, we pray for any enemies who have betrayed us, and for all the innocent lives who are victims of some kind of betrayal in the world. Give us the courage to use any opportunity to do good. Amen

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

Ephesians 3:17-18 (NIV)

If we could grasp the depth, length and width of the love Christ has for us, it would benefit us in every aspect of our lives. I’ve noticed that when someone cannot grasp the love God has for them, they drift into a mindset of self condemnation, depression and other unhealthy ways of thinking. God wants us to know how much He loves us, or there wouldn’t be over 300 scripture verses throughout the bible, saying so. 

The main message that the apostle Paul was teaching the Ephesians, was to stay rooted in the love of God through Christ, which is longer, wider, higher, and deeper than they could ever think or imagine.  

David is a great example of a Bible character who stayed rooted in knowing God loves him, despite his flaws and shortcomings. David struggled and fell into disobedience at times, but he always rose back up again. Because he was rooted so securely in God’s love, he was able to trust and rely on His mercy, over and over again.

Since David was called “a man after God’s own heart,” it’s worth learning why he received that title. He surely didn’t earn it through a life of steadfast obedience, but he did have  steadfast trust in the abundant mercy of a loving God, throughout his life. God wants us to trust Him as David did. 

God loves us as a father, and He will discipline or prune those He loves. One time during David’s reign as King, he neglected to follow God’s instructions, and a prophet named Gad came to tell him the possible consequences. David was then asked to choose his consequence:

He was given a choice of either three years of famine, three days of a plague or three months of fleeing from human enemies while being pursued. 

David answered, “I am greatly distressed. But let us fall into the hand of God, whose mercy is great, rather than into human hands.” 

(2 Samuel 24:14)

David chose the three days of plague, rather than being at the mercy of a human enemy. He placed himself and his people into the hands of God, hoping and praying that He would show them mercy by shortening those days, which He did. The plague ended after only one day, instead of three. The story teaches us that even when we mess up, trusting in God’s mercy can change everything.

I know this is a strange story, in David being given such a choice, but there is a lesson in the story for all believers. David was being pruned by God, which is also a part of our Christian life, as once described by Jesus. He told us that every good gardener prunes branches in his garden, in order to bring new growth and produce more fruit. We are all branches abiding in Jesus, the vine. If He is pruning us, it means we are bearing fruit because we belong to Him. He is not punishing us, but pruning us, to make us more fruitful. (John 15:2)

Because of God’s love for us, He is always looking for ways to make us better, and His pruning cuts away whatever is necessary to make us more fruitful. He is working all things together in our lives for our ultimate good, so we can relax and trust Him.

We may not always grasp the  benefit of the pruning process that is happening, but we can trust that the love and mercy of God is deeper and greater than we could ever think or imagine. We learn from David, to always place ourselves into the hands of our loving, heavenly Father, whose mercy is abundant.

To know the love that God has for us, as David knew it, is to know that we will always fare better, by placing ourselves, our loved ones and everything else, into the hands of  God, who is a fountain of infinite mercy.

Lord, help us to grasp your love for us, in the midst of whatever pruning we may be going through, as we trust that all will be well, by placing ourselves into your loving hands of mercy. Amen 

“Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)

The Christian life is compared to running a race. We are told to throw off anything that hinders us, so that we can run freely. We can get emotionally weighed down by various kinds of losses, or by people who offend us, or tragedies that distract us from staying focused on Jesus and the finish line. 

Whatever is encumbering us while running this race, needs to be given to Jesus, or we will end up wearing our troubles like a heavy garment. A heavily burdened, distracted runner will eventually slow down and lose sight of the finish line all together. 

The marathon race metaphor is meant to remind us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Anyone who has run a marathon knows not to be distracted by the activities happening on the side lines. Jesus is the author of our faith since He began a good work in us, and He is the finisher of our faith by inspiring us to focus on the finish line, at all times.

Scripture tells us that God will never allow any trial to push us beyond the limit of what we can handle. If He permits it, we can endure it. 

(1 Corinthians 10:13)

We can trust Jesus to be with us and get us through whatever we are facing, because He gives us His strength and peace.

One way to stay focused is to share with others the good things that God has done. Whenever we speak about God’s goodness to others, we not only encourage them, but ourselves, as well. It’s a way of keeping our focus on Jesus and the finish line. 

One of the most inspiring true stories of a person who suffered, but kept her focus on the Lord, is a young lady named Ali Truwit. Her story was on the news a few years ago. She is a bright, athletic twenty three year old, who was on the Yale swim team. After graduating college, she went on a Caribbean vacation with her friend to celebrate. While swimming in the water near their boat, Ali suffered a sudden shark attack. 

With her left foot and part of her lower leg bitten off, Ali had the fortitude and soundness of mind to swim 50-75 yards as fast as she could, to get back to the boat. 

As shocking as it was, she did not freeze in panic and extreme pain. 

She didn’t resign herself to stay still and wait for help, nor did she give up and expect to die. She swam away as fast as she could, without the lower part of her left leg, heading straight to the finish line, which, on that day, was the safety of her boat. 

As I read more about her, I learned that Ali was raised in a family of strong Christian faith, who believed in keeping their eyes on the Lord at all times. Her faith prepared her to stay focused and act quickly, but her story doesn’t end with that horrific shark attack. One year later, with a prosthetic left leg, Ali swam for the US in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she won two silver medals. Nothing can distract, slow down or discourage Ali, because her eyes are always fixed on a finish line.

Today, she visits hospitals, to inspire children who are learning to live with a prosthetic limb. Losing a leg could have been overwhelming enough to lead her into a deep depression, and lose her focus. Instead, Ali kept her eyes on Jesus, and today she inspires others to do the same. 

A Bible verse that she relied upon during the hardest times is: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 
 (Philippians 4:13)

Jesus is leading all of us to our finish line, while a great cloud of witnesses in heaven, watch and cheer us on. We may reach several kinds of finish lines in our lifetime. A finish line could be a single decision of faith put into action, putting us on the right path, or a long term goal that is finally achieved, or the ultimate finish line of arriving in Heaven one day and standing before Jesus, face to face. We don’t need to lose a limb to know that life requires all the endurance and focus we can muster up, to keep our eyes on Him. 

Jesus, saints and myriads of angels rejoice from Heaven, watching all of us run this race of faith, as we keep focused, believing like Ali, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and He is with us forever.

Lord, thank you for believing in us, and giving us strength to focus on  reaching our finish line, by keeping our eyes on you at all times. Amen

Ali Truwit

“Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

2 Kings 5:2-3 (NAB)

A young girl was taken captive by a band of raiders. She was removed from her homeland, her family and her way of life, to become a servant to the wife of a high ranking Syrian military officer. The nameless little girl was raised in the faith of the one true God of her people, the Israelites. She believed in the God who did many miracles for her people. 

Now she was far away from her family, her freedom and her home, but she managed to keep her faith through the calamity of war, human slavery, and adjusting to a new culture of people who did not know her God. In her new life as a servant, she had no choice but to make the best out of where she was living. 

Instead of pining away in loneliness, thinking of her past and her family, as a captive in a strange land, she sought the heart of God, believing He was with her wherever she went. The little girl developed compassion for the people in her present life and circumstances. She told her mistress about God and all the signs, wonders and miracles He has done through their prophet, Elisha. 

The husband of the girl’s mistress was the high ranking Syrian officer, Naaman, but his life drastically changed on the day he found out he had leprosy. Naaman heard his wife’s servant girl speak about their prophet Elisha, who raised the dead and called fire down from heaven. Naaman went to his king and asked him to arrange for a meeting with the renown prophet. 

The meeting was arranged and when Naaman arrived at the house of Elisha, with an entourage of servants, horses, chariots, and payments of gold and silver, Elisha was asked to heal Naaman’s leprosy, but he did something that no one expected. Elisha told Naaman to go plunge himself seven times in the Jordan river. That’s all the prophet said and then went back into his house. 

A man of power, pride, and prestige doesn’t take well to the advice of

“Go jump in the river seven times.” Naaman wondered if it was all a joke, an act of vengeance or a payback for conquering their nation. Driven by his ego, he was about to give up and walk away, but he had a humble Hebrew servant, who pleaded with him to do exactly as Elisha advised. The people of Israel knew the power of their God and how He worked through the prophet, so the servant finally persuaded Naaman to obey Elisha.

In this story the servants were the true heroes of the faith. It started with the young girl as a messenger of hope and then with Naaman’s servant, who persuaded him to put faith into action and obey. It all culminated with Naaman plunging in the river seven times, and on the seventh plunge, his body came out of the water, completely healed of leprosy. It was a happy ending for all, and Naaman and his household believed in the God of the Israelites.

The servants were both in the places they were, not by their own choice, but as captives, being conquered by the Syrian people.  By faith, they found a way to adapt to a new culture, yet retain their faith, and live out their captivity as servants of God. 

Everyone, at some time in their life, finds themselves in a place that isn’t what they would ever choose. Like those servants, we need to find a way to adapt right where we are. It’s easy to become discouraged when things don’t go as planned, but God is still working His divine purpose through us. 

The servants in the story looked for the heart of God in their calamity. The more they searched for God’s heart, the more compassion they had for the people in their present circumstances. As they permitted God to renew their minds, the more He used them to help others to have faith. God works in unexpected ways, but it usually starts right where we are, instead of where we wished to be. We all tend to ask God to change our circumstances, but He is trying to change something in us through our circumstances.  

This story reminds us to be more like those two servants, to embrace our faith in the place where we are at, and allow God’s truth to transform us during any calamity that feels like captivity. Both servants in this story are nameless, but their examples have shined throughout the centuries, teaching generations after them. 

Lord, help us to live by faith during any calamity so that we may bring praise and glory to your name, in the places and circumstances you lead us into. Amen