Any Color Except Blue…Oh Really?

I’m a bit of a gemstone geek. You know me and shiny things. Well, I heard that there are blue garnets. To those of you who are not in the geeky gem world that may not mean a whole lot but to those of us that are, this information is quite profound. You see, gemologists have always said, “When identifying gemstones, if it’s blue rule out garnet. Because garnet can come in any color except blue.”

That is until the late 1990’s when in the country of Madagascar a find of blue color changing stones were determined to be chemically garnet. Wow, all those learned doctor type of gemologist had to concede that they were wrong. This little gemstone had been lying under the dirt since its formation just waiting to be discovered. Just waiting to prove that the wise people of this world were not as wise as they thought they were.

  

We, Christians, are like blue garnets. The world may consider us uninformed, radically ignorant, absurd, and you know what we've been called.  But, yet, we have since the resurrection of Christ proclaimed that He is the God of creation that lives in us. We have doggedly held the faith that belief in the Messiah Lord Jesus Christ and His forgiveness will lead us through this life and the next to eternity. We rely wholly on the Bible as the very words of our God to us. We have lived in ridicule, exile, and given our lives for this devotion. We are blue garnets.

1 Corinthians 1:18   For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Verses 20-21   Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom. It pleased God through what they consider foolishness to preach and to save those who believe.

Verse 25   For the foolishness of God is wiser than men

Verse 27   But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.

(That’s us, little blue garnets.)

Geologist and gemologists went on their merry way through the centuries proclaiming that there was no such thing as a blue garnet. I imagine God in heaven laughing to Himself saying, “Just you wait until I choose to let you see you are wrong. Any color except blue….oh really?”

So when the world pulls out all of its worldly wisdom to debate our belief in God, Stand proudly little blue garnet. They don’t know the wisdom of God. They don’t know we have the wisdom of God given to us.

And God in heaven laughs and says,

“Any color except blue? Oh really?”

Another Beach Story

I just bought a necklace. Those who know me are not surprised. I love sparkly jewelry. At this year’s beach trip my sister gave me a koozie for my Diet Cokes that says, “Easily distracted by shiny objects.” And I am. I got this necklace, however, to remind me of a little bird family that lived under the top deck of our beach house. It doesn't hurt that the necklace is sparkly though.

Shortly after we arrived at the beach and began enjoying the first floor deck we noticed a squeaky racket that came from the corner of the deck above us. It was a little bird family and the mother and father kept going in and out with food for the baby squeakers. The mother stayed until the father came back with food. Then she left and the father stayed until she came back with food. The nest was well hidden. We tried to see it but couldn't. And well protected. The dogs, though interested at first, finally gave up chasing the parent birds. The babies were safe and sheltered.

Anyway, this led me to Psalm 91:4.

He will cover you with His feathers 

and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield of protection for you 

and a wall of defense.

(This whole part is related the bird family.) I am sheltered and hidden in the care of my God. I can trust in His care for me. He will give me what I need and protect me from anything that will bring me harm. He will surround and cover me with His feathers to keep me safe. If I stay under His wings I will be sheltered and have a secure sanctuary.

At the beach I was feeling a little vulnerable and alone. (Ever feel like that even among family?) I was approaching what would be a wedding anniversary but without my husband. Of course this is bittersweet. I was a little sensitive about some things and I’m afraid I took it out on my family. I was close to tears many times. Alone, alone. But God used the little birds to remind me that I’m not alone. I’m not vulnerable to the elements of this world. I’m covered by the wings of the almighty God. Covered, covered.

My necklace has a pendant of two wings that come together at the bottom tips to form a heart. This is a symbol and a reminder that I’m well protected, loved, and never alone. He will cover me with His feathers and under His wings I have refuge. His faithfulness to me is a shield of protection and a wall of defense around me.

                          Just another beach story 

                But it has given me a new outlook on life.

               And the wonderful news is that there is room 

                         under His wings for you too!

Not A Working Fireplace

The “fam” went on vacation. We all converged on a three story 5 bedroom 5 bath beach house. It was fully loaded with Coastal Living inspired décor.  It had every amenity you could possibly think of. Ah…..except for one. There was a sign on the mantle that said, “Not a working fireplace.” Now, granted, we didn't need a fireplace in May but it still was obvious that it was not available at all.  I could not ignore the lack of a working fireplace because all of the living room furniture was crowded around it. It was the focal point of the room and it was not working.

 It was like what I was reading in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 in my Bible study

                                                     

                                                   Do not quench the Spirit.

                          Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.                          

Do not extinguish the Spirit.
  Don't put out the Spirit's fire.

Paul says that the part of God in you, the Holy Spirit, can be extinguished or put out like a fire is extinguished. Oh the Holy Spirit is still in you. He’s just not working in you or through you. 

When you purposefully ignore God’s word and prompting in your heart then you have just created a nonworking fireplace. And it’s obvious to those around you that your focal point, Jesus, has been ignored.

We sat around all week when we were inside staring at the sign “Not a working fireplace.”  And we knew it was no use counting on that as a help in any way.

Just like when we have extinguished the Spirit’s power in us. There is no use in counting on us to be of any use for God and His work. And people will notice when the Holy Spirit has been stifled in you.  You might as well wear a sign that says, “Not a working Christian.”

Paul’s warning to us is to keep the fire burning.

Keeps the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through you.

Keep listening for and following God’s plan for your life.

Be a working fireplace.

Children of the Light

Hey, I learned a new vocab word this week – metonymy (mi-ton’-uh-mee). I’m always up for improving my vocabulary and this was a new word I had never heard before.  It means a figure of speech in which its attribute is given as the name of something. It came up in my Bible study in 1 Thessalonians 5:5

You are all Children of the light

My commentary said that “light” was a metonymy for Christ. So you know me, I had to find out what a metonymy was.

Light (His attribute) was used as the name for our Messiah Jesus Christ in:

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come.

John 3:19 Light has come into the world.

Then Jesus clarified by saying:

John 12:46 I am the light that has come into the world 

so that everyone who believes in me will not live in the dark.

OK, I know this is sounding like a Bible school lesson but what can you expect from a former teacher? And there’s more…..

The Greek word used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 for light is “photos.” Yes, we still use that word for the pictures from our camera. Our camera photos were first formed by use of light. This Greek word,” photos, “means the source of light, illumination, and radiant energy. And that is the attribute that describes Jesus.

He is the source of light in our life.

He illuminates God the Father so we can know and understand Him better.

He is the radiant energy from God that produces light in us.

He is light.

If we believe in Jesus and are following Him as our Lord then we are His children and possess His light. We are children of Light.

So if you see me and I say, “Hey, come here you child of light you,” you’ll understand the metonymy. (How’s that for using my new vocabulary word?) Bible lesson over.

We are children of the light.