Finding Certainty

   “Keep that light before your eye, and go directly toward it, and then you shall see the gate, at which, when you knock, you will be told what you are to do.”

    So I saw in my dream that the man began to run. Now he had not run far from his own door when his wife and children, perceiving his departure, began to cry out to him so that he might return. But the man put his fingers in his ears and ran on crying, “Life, life, eternal life.” So he did not look behind him, but rather fled toward the middle of the plain. (Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress)

 In the Gospel of Luke he begins, "Many have undertaken. . . ." In spite of the many, we all need to undertake this brave venture for ourselves. In spite of the many, we must draw up our own accounts of what has been fulfilled in our lives, what our lives have been filled up with. In the end we all will enter into the account that Luke started from those who saw and heard God made flesh. Our accounts will tell of what we thought of that one account.

So we see that Luke explaining, "I myself have carefully investigated." So, we find we do not undertake this venture in spite of the many before us, but informed by them and even spurred on by them. This venture begins and continues with careful investigation. Those who seek will find. For those who knock, the door will be opened. We do not seek mere facts in order to be right, but signs of God's graceful hand in order to be rescued. And his work shines most brightly in the life, words, and presence of Jesus among us.

All of this, "so that you may know the certainty." The end result of this investigation is not only faith in God, but knowing God the Father and Jesus, whom he sent. Only then will we know we have been taught well. Only in this intimate relationship with Jesus can we find the certainty we long for, a place to stand in a sinking age.

What is the account of your life with God? Is he a forgotten memory, a distant light, or a true friend? How might Luke's account affect your account? What sort of things do you carefully investigate? What motivates you? Are you certain of anything? Do you think you can find certainty in anything?

What Binds It All Together

Your strong love, O True God, is precious.

     All people run for shelter under the shadow of your wings.

In your house, they eat and are full at your table.

     They drink from the river of your overflowing kindness.

You have the fountain of life that quenches our thirst.

     Your light has opened our eyes and awakened our souls.

(Psalm 36:7-9, The Voice)

The pursuit of satisfaction in a world where immediate gratification is top priority seems like it would be easy. If you want it, you not only can get it, you should get it. There is a moral imperative to getting it all. It is now right, good, and even healthy. And yet, we remained unsatisfied. Desire only leads to more desire.

The only way desire can lead to satisfaction is by taking a back seat. The two primary methods of pushing desire back are the essentials of the worship of the true God: thanksgiving and sacrifice. With thanksgiving we take our eyes off of what we want and what we have received to admire and take pleasure in the Giver of all such things. We can experience his love and find true satisfaction. 

With sacrifice, we have our desires frustrated by our own hand or by someone else's. Instead of responding with resistance and anger, we let go of the desire and cling to God the Rescuer. He saves us from run-away desire and focuses our eyes back on him and his ability to take care of us and fill us. We can experience the deep satisfaction of surrender to the One who loves us and that we adore.

All of this is only possible when God's love is the most precious thing in our lives. This is not love as a concept that we admire nor is it a transaction that we cash in. This love is an active experience that we live. We daily find shelter in this love. We sit at the table of conversation with this love. We find continuous kindness that quenches our thirst for deep acceptance. It is the fountain of life. It is the light in our eyes. This is what binds all the pages of desire and experience together into meaning - one soul, one life.

Nothing is sweeter than love,

Nothing higher, nothing stronger, nothing larger,

nothing more joyful, nothing fuller,

and nothing better in heaven or on earth.

For love descends from God,

and may not rest finally in anything less than God.

A lover of God flies high, runs swiftly, is merry in God,

is free in soul, gives all for all and has all in all,

rests in one high goodness above all things,

from whom all goodness flows and proceeds.

The lover of God beholds not only the gift,

but the giver above all gifts.

(from True Serenity, selections from The Imitation of Christ)