If God can speak through an ass...

“I’ve gotten away from the traditional faith,” my new friend commented at lunch. She no longer considered herself strictly a Christian but believed in many ways to God.  We continued our lunch and some of her views were refreshing.  For example, she completely removed herself from judging others and had very little fear in her life.  We talked about spirituality, God, our dreams and I believe we honored each other despite our lack of agreement on the subject of Jesus.  When I left our lunch, God gave me a little peek into my friend’s thought process.  I heard her heart question, “How can I love Jesus who I’ve never seen?”  Wow!  Good question. 

A story unfolded in my mind.  A mother in labor.  There was a choice.  It was her life or the child’s and the mother gave her life to save the child. 

I saw a movie many years ago called The Seventh Sign.  An old Demi Moore movie before she got boy crazy over Ashton and lost her darn mind. Anyway, it’s a fairly good movie...not “biblically sound" but if God can speak through an "ass," I guess He can speak anytime...anywhere...and through who He chooses.   

(Numbers 22:28 King James Version And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?)

 I saw a picture of God’s heart towards us within the movie:  Medical reasons prevented Abby (played by Demi) from bringing babies to full term.  The pain of the multiple losses of her “almost” children…of the what could have been…the hopes being dashed time and again left her fragile….to the point where death seemed like a release.  In the movie, Abby was so tormented that she tried to end her life but lived.   

Abby was pregnant again and began having issues again in her last trimester.  She would do anything to save her baby. The man who loosely portrayed Jesus turned Abby’s wrists over and pointed to the place where she had dug in with the razor and said sadly, “How can one who cared so little for life give hope to the world?”
Abby said, “I do care.  I want to try.” 

The baby was born…not breathing…dead.  The doctor held the still baby.  

Abby flashed back to Jesus being beaten by the roman soldiers.  The man who would crucify Jesus shouted at her, “Will you die for him? WILL YOU DIE FOR HIM?!”  

Abby lifted up from her hospital gurney and said, “Yes, I will die for him.”  Her finger touched her sons unmoving and tiny hand.  Abby heard her son cry and saw him begin to move as she closed her eyes.   Abby gave her life for her son to live. 

The movie ended there but that’s where the heart cry of my friend could be answered.  Say she was that child.  She could no longer physically SEE her mother but she would be told stories of her mother’s sacrifice…of a love so complete for her that her mother would willingly give her own life to see her live. 

That’s what Jesus did.  Maybe I can’t see him on this Earth because HE DIED giving me eternal life…Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and it is all sufficient. I could never take His place. He didn’t just leave me though.   He came to Earth for a purpose to save me and then He went back to heaven where I will spend eternity with Him. Like an internal GPS, He left His Spirit is within me while I walk this Earth so I can always find Him when I look for Him.  Jesus isn't like "Where's Waldo."  We don't have to look here and there for someone who loves us to the death.  It is Jesus. It is finished. If we ask, we have access to Him, His peace, His love, His comfort.

Will you pray with me?  

Good, you’re still here :)  

Jesus, I am united with you through your Spirit that is within me…just like a mother’s DNA, I carry you in every fiber of my being.   I pray that I would know, feel and experience your love, peace and comfort.  Set eternity in my heart so I know this life is not the end.

John 3:16-17 For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life. Here’s the point. God didn’t send His Son into the world to judge it; instead, He is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction…” No one who believes in Him has to fear condemnation

John 10:17-18  The Father loves Me because I am willing to lay down My life—but I will take it up again. My life cannot be taken away by anybody else; I am giving it of My own free will. My authority allows Me to give My life and to take it again. All this has been commanded by My Father.