This morning I awoke to the sound of silence. The darkness of the pre-dawn morning was a shade darker this morning. You don’t really know how much extra light the alarm clock gives off until the power goes out.
Praise the Lord that my wife was up a few minutes before me…just enough to press start on the coffee machine before the power went out. So, I found my way to the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, and had a time that was quiet. I didn’t spend time in the Word. I just don’t like reading with a flashlight. No, I spent time fellowshipping with my Father. Oh, why don’t I take the opportunity to visit with Him more?
As I sat and prayed, the Lord put before me the gospel. He had me sit and meditate on its true meaning. He reminded me that the gospel is about atonement more than example. It is about my sin and Jesus’ righteousness. It is a about the gift of a reconciled relationship with God…one that I was enjoying at that moment.
In my time that was quiet, the Father reminded me that He is my true Father and I am His true son. He had me sit, in the quiet, dark house, and be with Him. It was all a gift. Sometimes it takes a gift of a power outage to slow us down, and to remind us of the essence of the gospel.
I fear that too often I lose sight of the simplicity and beauty of the gospel. I fear that too often my focus is on what does the Word of God have to tell me about ISIS. Too often our Christianity is centered on cultural norms, or which political party is appropriate. All of these are important discussions, but what does the gospel have to say about them?
I fear that too often we lose sight of the gospel in our effort to identify with a certain group of people. Or maybe its just me. All I know is that this morning, the Lord gave me the gift of time in His presence. There, He seemed to remind me that the gospel is not about those things. It is about my need for a Savior, of His redeeming love for me, and that though my Father is big enough to create all matter by merely speaking, He still desires a few moments of silence with me.