THE EMBRACE OF CHRIST

1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4; Acts 24:1-27; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 18:16-18

“A few days later Felix came back with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. ‘Go away for now,’ he replied. ‘When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.’”

“Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord. Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.”

It is as if today’s Psalm was written for this exact time, isn’t it? Reread that last paragraph. Don’t give in to the hopelessness and helplessness of the world. Let go of the anger. Instead, breathe…, deeply. Several times. Feel the Spirit’s caress and comfort. Let Christ take away your burdens. If only for a brief moment, release the tension. Take a few minutes to intentionally reopen your heart to God. In this time, let nothing else matter but your relationship with Jesus and the security of your eternity. Quiet your soul. Listen. Allow God to speak and just accept what He says as Truth.  There is no need to argue, and the logic of the world does not apply. You are in communion with the Great I AM; what He says is what is, and what will be. Relax in His grace and love. Your path and His plan are both surely for the good, even if you can’t see that right now. Arise in confidence. Carry Him with you today, and let His power be your first response….

How could such a message of reconciliation and hope ever be inconvenient? What is there to recoil from, or to fear, in those words? It’s hard to see, but if we are honest, it’s a lot easier to feel. First, there’s just no denying the fact that many of us have simply forgotten how to unplug from the busyness of our worlds. We get so carried away with the supposed need for immediate response and the energy behind being able to provide it that we actually do regard even five minutes of “down” time as a distracting inconvenience in our otherwise “completely productive” days. Secondly, though, and much more fundamentally, many of us just find being that close to the Spirit uncomfortable. This may or may not have anything to do with guilt. Surely, most of us feel unworthy of Christ’s presence from time to time. But for today, consider only how we feel about actually being on intimate terms with our Creator. Isn’t it easier, don’t we feel less vulnerable and exposed, when we keep Him at arm’s length? Not far enough away, maybe, that we actually feel separated or alienated, just far enough away where the dirt and grime of our lives isn’t quite so obvious….

If we think for a second that we can keep the Spirit at arm’s length and still have His companionship and sanctuary, we are only fooling ourselves and are destined to live in frustrated impotence. Besides, Who – or what - do we think we’re hiding or protecting ourselves from? There’s nothing about us the all-knowing Lord doesn’t already understand better than we do, yet he continues to offer Himself to and for us. How can we expect Christ to heal what we will not let Him touch?

Waiting for a miracle behind deliberately locked doors is not just unreasonable; it’s madness. Jesus is clear that He will not invade our personal space without an invitation. He stands at the door and knocks. It is up to us to take the time to deliberately turn away from what we are doing, or what we are obsessing about, to open the door and our hearts to His presence. If our hearts are calloused over from the hurts and pains of this world, we may have to wait patiently for His entrance while His fingers gently remove the scar tissue. But in any event, we have got to remain in contact. There is no other source of peace and power capable of sustaining us. Only Christ can empower us in new ways to deal triumphantly with the difficulties of life. In a nutshell, we can never be complete, or completely healed, without giving ourselves over to the loving embrace of the Savior.