Grace like the Sun
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." –Dueteronomy 31:8
Hebrews chapter 11 refers to many ‘heroes’ of faith that the early Christians looked to for inspiration – and in Hebrews 12 they are referred to as the ‘great cloud of witnesses’. It’s as if their lives and stories not only serve to inspire us, but because they are somehow alive with Christ, they are watching us and even cheering us on in our faith-walk. We can relate to this personally when we think of our spiritual mothers and fathers who have nurtured our faith in our own lifetimes. We know their names and can see their faces and remember the sounds of their prayers.
Our cultural memory leaves a massive Gap between those ancient believers and those who immediately came before us in our lifetimes (even many so-called “church history types’ can’t name a single believer who passed on the faith in the nearly 1500 years between Paul and Martin Luther… I know because at one point i was one of those….). That gap is filled with stories of remarkable souls who, despite their temporal and cultural and even geographical distances from us, shine as beacons of inspiration. I personally have been deeply challenged and inspired by the faith of men and women who have followed Christ throughout the millennia since Jesus ascended, and I find special satisfaction when I turn over a rock of history and uncover gems that I’ve never seen or heard of before. Margery Kempe, a woman born in England in 1373, is one of those recently discovered characters for me.
In a fuel letter I don’t have time to share her full story – so you’ll have to look that up if you are interested. In short, powerful and personal encounters with Christ led her to a deep sense of repentance and devotion, and also compelled her to weep frequently as an act of worship. Her weeping often led to words that convicted those who heard them to produce repentance in their own lives. However, a lot of the people who she met didn’t get it. Margery had to face many enemies and hardships and difficult seasons, but remained faithful to the end. Shockingly for the middle-ages, she wrote her own story and revealed some of the things that Holy Spirit would speak to her in her autobiography.
In one of her encounters with Christ, she heard the words, "Daughter, there was never a child so buxom to the father as I will be to you, to help you and to keep you. I fare sometimes with my grace to you as I do with the Sun.” She goes on to explain the beautiful metaphor that Christ revealed to her: Sometimes, like the sun beaming its brilliance, we feel God's grace vividly, and it illuminates our path. Other times, just as clouds veil the sun's radiance, we might find ourselves in moments of hidden grace. In those times Christ invites her to remember that “yet is the sun never the less in its heat nor in its brightness…”. Similarly, God's grace is constant, regardless of whether it's immediately apparent to us.
As mission leaders, the road may stretch before us, occasionally shrouded in clouds of doubt, weariness, or uncertainty. At times, we might feel hidden from God's guidance, even as if we walked in the darkness or a shadow. Kempe's metaphor encourages us to embrace this paradox. Just as the sun's glow persists beyond the clouds, God's grace is, in fact, unwavering. It's during these obscured moments that our faith deepens, and our character strengthens. Our trust in Christ actually grows – in a way that is similar to an infant that ceases to cry at every slight hunger pang, trusting that its loving and capable mother will satisfy its needs in due time. The hidden grace shapes us, molds us, and readies us for the tasks that lie ahead.
This truth resonates with the promise of Deuteronomy 31:8. "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." This promise envelops us, just as it enveloped her in her time. Whether in the splendor of sunlight or the veiling shadows of clouds, God's presence remains constant.
May your hearts find solace in these words as you continue to walk with unwavering dedication, and to shine the light of God's grace wherever you go.
With deepest admiration and encouragement,
Wildfire Network
(This edition of Fuel was written by Taylor Rogers)