True Living

And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” John 11:44 (NLT)

Jesus had just called to Lazarus. “Come out!” And the man who had been dead for four days responded to the voice that can penetrate even the darkness of death. Lazarus was awakened from his deep sleep, from his final darkness, to live again.

I wonder what it must have been like to die and to be called back to life. I wonder what Lazarus experienced as his eyes opened and he got up. What he must have thought to see himself wrapped in grave clothes? How do you get your mind around that? How did life change for him after he came back to life?

I can ask us the same question. Each and every one of us was/is dead. Dead to God. Dead in our hearts until Jesus called us. The difference is instead of being physically dead, we were/are spiritually dead and we are content to live like that. Grave clothes made not of material but of our choices. A coldness in our bones not from physical death but from the sins of this world seeping in and slowly eating away at our souls.

And Jesus called us. He said “Come out!” He breathed life back into the hearts that were stone. He touched us and filled us with warmth and love and joy. Jesus is still raising people from death back to life. He is still in the business of restoration. Jesus still, each and every day, is calling your name, my name, and saying “Come out!” Come out of where you are, come away from where you have been and start a new life. Start a new life with me.

He is calling us to experience what it is like to be fully alive. How will your life change after you respond to Jesus call to truly live?

Repairing Our Wall

Above the Horse Gate, the priests repaired the wall. Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house. Nehemiah 3:28 (NLT)

Jerusalem was in ruins. The walls were broken down, the gates had been burned with fire. It was a mess. Nehemiah received permission from the king and went home to help rebuild. During that time he faced lots of opposition. There were people outside who didn’t want him to continue. There were people inside who grumbled. But, he stayed the course, rallied the people and they eventually completed the work.

As I read this story, particularly the Scripture above, I think about our world. There always seems to be fighting. There always seems to be discord. I don’t even like to watch the news anymore because honestly, it feels more like a soap opera than actual news.

It makes you wonder “What could I possibly do to help my world, my country, my town, my community?” How about do what Nehemiah did? He broke the work down into bite-sized pieces. “Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house.” What if we did that? What if we looked around us and took care of the people in our immediate vicinity?

How about the neighbor next door whose daughter has cancer? How about the family member that just needs a helping hand on Sunday? How about the co-worker who needs someone to share a meal with and listen?

There is nothing wrong with knowing what’s happening in the world. But often we stop there. We watch it, comment on it and then do nothing to help it. There is more than enough to restore in our own backyard. Pick a part of your wall and start building.