What's on Your Doormat?

Maybe you wait for the postman to call before you venture out in the mornings.  Or maybe you battle against what he has left in order to open your door in the evening.  Whenever you set eyes on your post, there is usually quite a variety to it.  There are brown envelopes and white, rectangular and square ones, poly-bags with labels and occasionally some that are not 'Post Office Preferred'!  There may be bills, business letters, a generous slice of junk mail, and perhaps something you have ordered on line.  On very rare days, there may even be that special envelope with a stamp and handwritten address - a personal letter!

All of these are communications of some sort.  Perhaps the sender is trying to convince us of the worthiness of his particular 'good cause', to sell something to us, or let us know what is on at the theatre.  Other items tell us what we owe on a credit card, or perhaps it's simply a regular newspaper or magazine to read.  Some we have been waiting for, or find useful; others we could cheerfully do without.

Have you ever considered how the daily postal delivery mirrors God's attempts to communicate with us?  There are several differences, though.  From God there is no junk mail, for a start: everything is relevant, if we take the trouble to see how.  There are no bills: God's gift of salvation is absolutely free - all we have to do is accept it.  And there's no agonising wait for a mail-order delivery, either.  God is ever-present with us, and His grace is always on tap.

But the best of it is, it's all personal.  Each of us lives a life that is our own, specially designed with us in mind.  As I thought about this divine mystery, my mind rested on the words of a hymn by Alfred B. Smith and Eugene Clarke (catch it here).  Sometimes our doormat bears surprises.  We don't know what there is ahead of us, what joys or griefs there might be, or how long we have left to enjoy (or suffer) them.  But we can be sure that, whatever betide us, we can rely on a special blend of comfort, guidance, protection and strength that's tailored just for our needs - God's love.

It's a thought worth remembering next time you pick up your post!

The Way Forward

The other day I was refitting my SatNav in the van after a regular update.  It was refusing to stay stuck onto the windscreen, and in my impatience, I asked it, “do I really need you?” 

I’ve long since stopped relying on a box of maps, waiting for the opportunity to stop and have a look at one of them.  Instead I have a calm voice telling me regularly to ‘turn left,’ ‘take the second right,’ or ‘perform a U-turn when possible.’  From time to time I’ve noticed that there are both similarities and vast differences between this inanimate object and the Almighty.  Many preachers seem to realise these twin phenomena as they use two kinds of illustration in their sermons. There are those that say ‘God is like this’, and there are those that say ‘... but God’s not like that!’

Let’s consider first some of its God-like qualities.  SatNav can be trusted to get you there ... eventually.  I find I can’t always fathom out just what route it’s going to take, but it always works.  Meanwhile, I have free will: if I don’t like what’s on offer I can go my own sweet way confident that, if I get lost, there’s always SatNav’s way out of whatever pickle might result.  And whatever I might fear to the contrary, there’s no recrimination for disregarding the advice it gives.  The machine never takes umbrage, or gets angry at being ignored.  There’s just that same calm voice telling me the recommended adjustment to my course.

‘But God’s not like that.’  SatNav is powerless to create anything, or to perform any function at all, unless I first switch it on, and key in the required destination.  I can determine whether I am to be offered the fastest route, or the shortest distance, which can take up to twice the time.  I have no such power over my Lord! When I finally get to the end of my journey, it’s not unknown for SatNav to tell me, ‘destination on the right,’ when, after due investigation by torchlight, or interrogation of the neighbours, I discover that it’s actually on the other side of the road.  By contrast, whether I realize it or not, God is always right.

And another thing ... God’s batteries never run low!

I suppose it all boils down to one fundamental truth.  Nothing can completely, comprehensively, reproduce or replace our Wonderful Creator.  Little surprise, then, that the preacher uses both like and unlike to explain His nature, His power and His love. 

God or SatNav? I know which I’d rather have in a crisis – how about you?