A Powerful Rest
"One of the most universally recognized pieces of music of all times is Beethoven's 5th Symphony. You know the one: dun dun dun dunnnnn...dun dun dun dunnnnnn. You know the song, but what you may not know is that the song starts with an 8th note of rest. A song that begins with a rest! As strange as that is, it creates a uniquely powerful melody.
The strategic 8th note rest continues through the entire song."
A rest is a highly unusual way to begin a piece of music. But realize that the Christian life also begins with a rest. Before God can make a beautiful symphony of our lives, we must first find complete rest in His Son.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
Illustration Exchange
Looking For Loopholes
“Before the start of the Persian gulf war,” reports Shepherd, Kohut and Sweet, “Israel’s Chief Rabbi Mordechi Eliyahu ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jewish men could break Jewish law forbidding men from shaving in case of an Iraqi chemical attack so gas masks could fit properly over their beards. Eliyahu urged bearded men to carry scissors in their pocket in case they needed to shave quickly.” They continued, that “although Jewish law regarding the Sabbath forbids even simple physical activities, such as turning on the radio, the threat of Iraqi missile attacks . . . sent Israel’s chief rabbis scrambling to the Scriptures for a loophole so Orthodox Jews could listen to the news for warnings. The rabbis ruled that leaving the radio on during the Sabbath was permissible— provided it was on low volume."
“If there is a real alarm, you can turn up the volume, explained Religious Affairs Minister Avner Shaki, “but in a nonconventional manner, with a stick or with your elbow. Controlling the volume in a different manner still marks the Sabbath as different from the rest of the week.”
This story begs the question, why would God give Israel Sabbath laws that make her vulnerable to the threat of attack? The answer is that these laws were never intended to operate outside the divine protection promised in the Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 28-30). According to this contract, as long as Israel walked in faith and obedience, she need not fear her enemies.
How about you? How are you doing with the faith part of the journey of faith? Do you believe that God will take care of you so long as you obey and trust in HIm? Or, do you, out of fear and uncertainty, search for loopholes?
For example, when Jesus asks you to offer your enemy the "other" cheek, is that what you do? Or, do you look for a loophole that allows you to take matters into your own hands?
Rather than search for loopholes, we would all do better to search our hearts and make sure we are walking by faith.
"But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39).
Saved by the Bell
There is a fascinating histroy to the phrase “Saved by the Bell”
Today, this expression is commonly used to refer to any event where someone is rescued, just in time, by circumstance.
Did you know its history traces bact to an event in 1696, involving a guard named John Hatfield stationed at Windsor Castle in England?
In that era, a guard’s duties were taken very seriously, which essentially meant remaining fully alert.
However, Hatfield was accused of sleeping on duty and neglecting his post. He was put on trial for this charge. Hatfield defended himself by claiming he hadn’t slept at all; instead, he said he heard the bells of St. Paul’s Cathedral—some 20 miles away in London—ring thirteen times. [Of course, that would be a rather uncommon claim, since bells don't ring beyond the 12th hour].
It was an extraordinary defense, and Hatfield was still found guilty. In those days, guards found guilty of dereliction of duty faced the death penalty by hanging.
Fortunately, a kind or curious soul—or perhaps both—pondered Hatfield’s remarkable defense long enough and decided to investigate. This person discovered that yes, the bells at St. Paul’s Cathedral had indeed rung thirteen times. Others in the community also heard and counted the thirteen bell strikes.
Hatfield’s sentence was ultimately postponed, and he lived to the age of 102. Truly, Hatfield had been “Saved by the Bell.”
This story echoes a deeper spiritual truth: we, too, stood guilty, unable to defend ourselves from the weight of our sin. But just in time, grace rang out—not from a bell tower, but from a cross on Calvary.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
Jesus intervened right on time. Not because we earned it, but because God, in His mercy, made a way when none seemed possible. Just as John Hatfield was saved by a bell that validated his innocence, we are saved by the cross that validates God's love.
And even when life accuses us or we feel condemned:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1 (ESV)
So, the next time you hear the phrase "saved by the bell", remember: you’ve been saved by something far greater—by a Savior whose timing is perfect and whose grace is enough.
Truly, it is an uncommon defense, but our ONLY defense, offered by our Great Defender, indeed our Advocaate before the Father!
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1, NIV).