Friday, September 19, 2008
Proverbs 30:28 A lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.
THE LIZARD: A LESSON IN PERSEVERANCE
My grandfather was a pastor in New Mexico for a time and I remember visiting there once as a child. On a Sunday afternoon, we arrived at a place where church services were to be held. Getting the room ready for worship, we pulled the cover off the organ and a lizard scrambled out and away across the floor. It startled us all.
In the dry climates, it is not unusual for lizards to find their way into houses. They are not strong or powerful creatures. They can be caught by the hand and let out the door again, but no matter how many times you put them out, they will find their way back in again. They persevere in their attempts to gain entrance. Even the rich and powerful cannot keep them out of their houses as the proverb indicates.
Can we be lizard-like Christians? The Bible encourages us to persevere as well -- to persevere in the faith. Revelation 2:10 reads: "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." As Christians we will not have easy lives. Others will ridicule us for our belief in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The devil will tempt, try, and challenge us. We will most surely encounter many obstacles as we pilgrim through this life to our heavenly home.
When these times come, let us not crumple to the ground in despair, but rather crumple to the ground in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to grant us strength to remain faithful Christians. With God's word in our hearts and on our lips, may we persevere so that at the end we can say with the Apostle (2 Timothy 4:7): "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
