Raiders of the Lost? Ark

2 Timothy 1:12 ...I...am convinced that he (God) is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

Great movies are often made in threes. Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and even Toy Story have proven that true. One of the great trilogies is the Indiana Jones series. With its' thrilling adventure theme of seeking objects of immeasurable worth, these movies are still immortalized in a stunt show at Disney World's Hollywood Studios theme park.

I visited there this month. Except this time I sat in that theatre to watch dancers from all over the country compete for the coveted prize of being crowned best in the nation. It was eye opening to see just how many talented dancers there are in this country. As one remarkable group after another took the stage, I realized their performance was ill-placed on that stage.

Indiana Jones represents that which is one of a kind. As amazing as each group was, they were just one of many whose talent shined on that stage. Indie's life pursuit was to locate the exceptionally rare, such as the ark featured in the first Indiana Jones installment.

The ark of the covenant housed three objects - the tablets of stone on which the hand of God had penned the Ten Commandments, Aaron's (Moses' brother) staff and a jar of manna. Each of these were symbols of God's miraculous delivery of His people from Egypt and their eventual delivery into the land which God promised to them. The ark symbolized God's watchful eye over Israel and His great and care for His people.

Only it went missing. Some scholars believe it was carried off to Babylon during the captivity there around 600 BC. Others believe it was hidden in the hills surrounding Jerusalem. No one knows for sure where it is...or do they?

This morning's reading is Revelation 11. Future events continue to be unfurled before John's eye. Two impenetrable witnessed testify about God in Jerusalem for three and half years. They are protected by fire that protrudes from their mouths and consume all who rise against them. Even the writers of Indiana Jones couldn't come up with characters this mystifying. As the chapter concludes, John finds himself once again in heaven. There he sees that within God's temple lies the ark of the covenant (Verse 19).

God is not scratching his beard as He searches to and fro for the "lost" ark. He has not misplaced it or forgotten where He put it. His watchful eye and perfect plan has kept the ark exactly where He has ordained it to be.

The same is true for me. Sometimes I am hesitant to entrust the deepest desires of my heart to God's hand. I'm not certain of what I am afraid. God has proven Himself throughout all history to be trustworthy. He is far more capable than I of holding that which I deem sacred and bringing it about to pass.

Jesus, I can with confidence approach the throne of grace and lay all the hidden longings of my heart before You. You are so able to guard that which I entrust to You. The dreams bottled inside me are precious to You. You will not mishandle them. Today I choose to give them to You knowing You alone are able to bring them to pass.