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Death had wrapped its ropes around me, and I was almost swallowed by its flooding waters. Psalm 18:4 (CEV)
Recently we went to a local museum to see a display on the ‘Real Pirates of the Caribbean’. It was an interesting display of artifacts from history and from the bottom of the sea.
There was one display that caught my mind and Psalm 18:4 reminds me of it. Hanging in one display was a metal cage approximately 8 feet long and in the shape of a human body. The corresponding sign told that this cage was used to execute pirates.
The man (or woman) was placed in the cage and the cage was subsequently staked in the sandy beach. As the tide came in, the cage would remain in place, the water would inch up the bodies of the victim and eventually submerge them. Death by drowning.
Imagine being in that cage as a pirate. You knew how unforgiving the sea was. You knew the tide and how it worked. You stood there in your cage and watched the tide grow closer. You felt the cold water inch up your body. You knew death was imminent and that there was nothing you could do about it. The cold ocean water reached your knees, your waist, your neck and finally, painfully you breathe your last.
History tells us that those living close to the shore would often hear the screams of the condemned begging for help, begging for someone to rescue them. Of course, even if some compassionate soul would try to rescue them, there was no hope, no way to stop the tide; no way to unlock the cage; no hope to bring them safely ashore. The very thing that brought them riches (the sea) was their ultimate demise.
Horrific as that scenario may be, we are surrounded by people who, like the executed pirates, are living in cages of their own. Some are cages they have built themselves on lie, on rebellious choice, one broken promise at a time. Others are victims of the brutality imposed on them. The reason for their cage is unimportant. The result is what is important.
For the pirate, there was no hope; no one with a key to open the cage and offer them freedom. For us we have someone who not only has a key to unlock the door, but will bring us safely ashore.
If you feel like the pirate; if you feel the cold waters of the ocean rising up your body; if you feel your own destruction is at hand and there is no hope, know that Jesus Christ offers you the escape you need to break free of your prison. His forgiveness is all you need to find new life.
The key to unlocking the door is simply asking him to forgive you of your sin and to empower you to live a life free of the despair and pain of your past.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you for rescuing me from the destruction and despair of my past. Forgive me of the sins of my past. Empower me by your Holy Spirit to live life in the freedom only you can offer. Amen.
My friends, the blood of Jesus gives us courage to enter the most holy place. Hebrews 10:19 (CEV)
Augustine once said, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”
The heart is a restless animal, a predator on the prowl to satisfy a hunger deep within its soul. Unlike the lion or the hawk, the heart doesn’t know what prey will satisfy the hunger deep within.
That, in a nutshell, is the great struggle of the human spirit. The restless heart is never satisfied outside the presence of its maker. In reality, its entire purpose in life is to be reunited with God.
But we are an erratic people and the heart is a fickle leader. In the Garden of Eden the heart was fulfilled and content. It walked in perfect harmony with its Maker. But it was deceived and as a result, the perfect, passionate relationship was destroyed.
Ever since the exile from the garden the heart has sought reconciliation, but in it’s deceived state was unable to find a home. The Father tried to draw the heart home with the Law but although the law was perfect, the heart was not. The wall of the Tabernacle was too impenetrable.
Ironically, while the heart desperately searches for meaning and fulfillment, the Father was seeking reconciliation. Like two lovers seeking each other but unable to connect, the cat and mouse game continued for centuries, indeed, it continues today. We say seek him and you will find him, but we overlook the fact that all the while we are seeking Him, he is calling us to himself.
Our hearts will remain restless until we reconnect with the one who loves us beyond measure. The only way to that peace is through Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. Even then, our heart yearns not only for the peace of knowing his love and forgiveness; we long for that time when we shall see him face to face.
Jesus brings our restless hearts one step closer to home. No longer are we separated by a curtain, we can enter the holy of holies, the very presence of the living God through his living Son. It’s a reunion he is has been looking forward to since that last walk in the Garden of Eden.
PRAYER: Father, my heart yearns for you. Like a deer that pants for water on a hot summer day, my heart longs to be rid of the struggle to press on. I long for the day when I shall see you face to face and my restless heart is once and forever complete. Amen.
Israel, I won’t lose my temper and destroy you again. I am the Holy God—not merely some human, and I won’t stay angry. Hosea 11:9 (CEV)
The difference between punishment and discipline hinges on the desired outcome. When a wrong is done, the human response is revenge. Those who do wrong must pay. It’s Justice.
What is it that gives the parent freedom in the courtroom to forgive the drunk driver that killed her child? What is it that empowers the father to visit the man in prison that molested his daughter? How can a spouse forgive when he/she has been cheated on, abused or humiliated? How can you forgive a God who claims to be loving but allows famine, cancer and war to tear the lives of people apart?
The answer boils down to a single word: value. It’s a matter of mercy over justice. Man seeks justice because justice demands repayment for sin. Punishment is the motivation for justice, but punishment will never fully repay for actions done.
To the mother that forgives the drunk driver, all the pain, all the anger, all the hatred and all the prison time in the world will never bring her daughter home. There is no amount of time in prison that will heal the scars the molester leaves on the life of a young girl. There is nothing that will heal a broken heart.
Man’s punishment is never intended to improve the life of the perpetrator. On the other hand, God seeks to amend, to build up, to correct. His actions are intended to correct an error so that the guilty person can continue on the journey stronger, more confident and more useful.
That’s not to say we should never send anyone to prison, or that justice should never be served. The justice system, flawed as it may be, is designed to physically protect us from those who would harm us, but that system was never intended to deal with issues of the heart.
God’s dealing with us is a simple case of mercy over justice; of natural consequences over penalty; of value over revenge. The two may look the same in some cases but one destroys value the other is intended to build character. One is motivated by love, the other by anger; one frees us, the other enslaves us; one brings eternal life, one brings eternal separation from a holy and loving God.
Whether you are sitting behind physical bars of a prison or emotional bars made from the scars of a life gone wrong, know this. The God of the universe isn’t into punishment for the sake of punishment; his goal in allowing you to go through whatever you are going through is to build character in you. He values you far beyond anything else in the world.
PRAYER: Lord, even though you have freed me through Jesus there are still times I want to keep others in the prison of their souls. There are times I live entrapped by my own guilt and shame. Help me to see the value you have in me and pass that value on to others. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 