THE DOVE

THE DOVE

                Noah let three doves out of the ark; two of them returned and the third one did not return. Where did he go? Well, he fluttered through history touching lives, looking for a safe place to land. He touched Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He touched Moses and the priests and prophets, giving them the hope and promise of a coming Messiah. He tried to land upon the children of Israel at Sinai, but they rejected him and so he fluttered on through history touching lives, giving visions and dreams yet finding no safe place to land.

                Then one day he fluttered by the Jordon River where John the Baptist was baptizing people in the river. He touched John and opened his eyes and John said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” And as Jesus came up out of the water, the dove landed… and there he finally found rest.

                He stayed with Jesus throughout His entire ministry, touching people’s lives through Jesus. He had found his place of rest. He had found someone whom He could fully trust.

                Then one day something terrible happened. The people rejected Jesus and put Him on a cross. The dove was horrified. Something was terribly wrong. His trusted servant had suddenly become the worst of sinners. In agony the little dove took flight. He didn’t know what to do or where to go. There was no place to land. And even as the little dove took flight, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

                But somehow the dove realized that the sin of this man was not His own. He was bearing the sins of the world, He was bearing their guilt… their shame… and so the little dove waited, fluttering nearby… waiting… waiting. Then God said “Go.” And the little dove flew into the grave and landed upon the dead body of the Messiah. He breathed life into Jesus and brought Him forth from the grave. Finally they were reunited. The Dove shouted for joy.

                When Jesus went back to heaven, He took the little dove with Him and invested Him with all power and all authority and then sent him back to earth to seek and to save all who would receive Him. So the Dove came down once again to find a resting place.

                Has the Dove found rest in you? Has He found a safe haven, a willing heart, where He might make His abode? I pray that He has found safety in you and in me. We have so far to go, but I understand that He will settle for a willing heart.

PRAYER

                Come Lord Jesus. Make us into Your dwelling place. May the Dove of your presence find safety in us. Take these hearts of stone and fashion them into a place where You can dwell forever. Search our hearts, erase what needs erasing and strengthen those things that You want to build on. Let this be the year that we finally take the things you offer and live by them. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven… and let it begin with me. We are desperate for You Lord. We need your love, Your forgiveness, Your power and Your presence in our lives every moment of every day. These things we ask, being eternally thankful for what You have done and what you are doing to prepare us to be with you. May your Holy Dove find rest in us. Even so, come Lord Jesus.