Sometimes it takes things to go wrong for us to learn a lesson and last week we had a problem with our television. The picture suffered interference and the whole thing kept glitching like it was having fits.
The seriousness of the crisis might be appreciated more if I tell you my wife couldn’t watch ‘Location, Location’ or ‘Grand Designs’. We couldn’t watch Wimbledon or get the weather forecast. Disaster!
A knowledgeable friend called round and directed us to the satellite dish outside, the heart of which is the aforementioned ‘Low Noise Block’, a technical component which ensures a smooth signal. Ours had perished through sun and rain, years of heat and cold and most recently a spider making its home there.
Once the part was replaced normal service could be resumed. My wife is back with Phil and Kirsty and we can rejoin the nail-biters witnessing the action on Centre Court!
The Apostle Paul in the opening chapters of Ephesians spells out the bad state we were in before we became Christians. Sin had caused serious damage and our connection with heaven was broken. But God is loving and far more gracious than we deserve. Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the presence of the Holy Spirit He has cleaned out the mess and given us a new heart, restored to full power!
Paul uses some wonderful expressions like ‘saved’, ‘redeemed’, ‘adopted’, ‘sealed’ which are all worth exploring in more detail. If it helps, just think of our new ‘Low Noise Block’ making everything so much better!
Whatever illustration we might use, let’s remember to thank our Father God, trust in and always welcome in our hearts and daily lives the Lord Jesus and follow the wise prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Power on!