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- Written by: Don Goulding
But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant … (Hebrews 12:22-24)
In rural Pakistan, I smiled at young girls playing with primped Barbie Dolls. The Middle Eastern layout of their dollhouse caught my attention. Cardboard boxes were separated inside a miniature walled compound. The Barbie mother was all beauty as she entertained royalty on a mat in the courtyard.
It dawned on my ethnocentric brain that, of course, the home would be fashioned like an extended family compound—what else had the darling builders ever known? Barbie didn’t notice anything was amiss as she carried out her perfect life, as she does in every child’s world.
Humans are born with a universal capacity for fantasies of love, victory, and heroism. Boys envision battles while girls dream of romance. Even our music and art reflect our imaginings of grandeur. We yearn for something more than this monochrome existence.
Because of Christ, we no longer need to deceive our hearts with science fiction or airport romance books. Our yearning for a bigger life is actualized. Instead of milking drama from the television, I am named as a character inside the most riveting storyline ever to exist. The Christian faith allows me to intertwine with ultimate beauty and bring down monsters through prayer.
It turns out that old, insignificant me isn’t so boring after all. Jesus pulls me into an epic drama where good defeats evil in unearthly dimensions.
Prayer: Valiant Jesus, with you the fantasy is real.
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- Written by: Don Goulding
“Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?” (Matthew 6:25-26)
Food and water, check. Sleeping bags and pillows, check. Extra toilet paper, check. On our first mission trip to Mexico, we were nervous about the big three—food, beds, and toilets. For mealtimes, we ate from tin cans. At night, we crawled into our van and shut the doors. And we wrinkled our noses at the bathrooms. The orphanage children must have thought we were loony.
Now I travel for months with only a knapsack. I’m learning that my bond with Jesus is defined more by my trust in his provision of basic life needs than it is by success in global ministry.
If I live on more than $2.50 per day, then I’m richer than half of the world’s population. The poor have a trust that develops through the contact required to live out of God’s hand. The half of us who have more than $2.50 miss that primal relationship.
To live out of God’s hand means I pray through my needs instead of trying to fix everything with money. It means I know my value to my Father, embrace his faithfulness, and wait on his generosity. Taking each necessity from his hand reminds me that his touch is near. I can rely on him for breakfast this morning, for money to pay bills tomorrow, and for life in the full through eternity.
In addition to increasing my trust, perching on God’s hand also infuses me with the courage to help the impoverished half of the world.
Prayer: Loving Father, may I trust you today like the birds of the air.
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- Written by: Don Goulding
Finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble. Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9)
Secret agents of grace live among us. Their mission is to infiltrate our world with acts of redemption. Every day, they reverse some of Satan’s evil. Where there is hatred, they inject peace. Where there is sickness, they dose with hope. They sing healing over the seas, and cleansing for our polluted lands.
Although they radiate inner light, these agents appear quite average on the outside. They have crooked teeth and unassuming clothes. They blend in every way. Nothing about them would give away their true assignment. They are single mothers, hunched grandfathers, and polite doormen. Blending allows them to slip into the very grit of our lives and minister there.
Most are unaware of the agents of grace. Yet, if they were recalled from duty, extracted in mass, the world’s lunacy would go unchecked. Pain would have no answer. Brutality would stand unopposed. The secret work of the agents is all that prevents hell from overrunning earth on this very day.
A distinguishing mark of the agents of grace is their refusal to claim recognition. They continually deflect praise, saying they never gave anything that wasn’t undeservedly given to them.
Who are these incognito agents? They are any who follow Christ by choosing to love as they have been loved.
Prayer: Father, let me spread grace today.