Perhaps you recall previous Reflections issues where I have written about the creatures in the storm water retention pond that is out back of our home? More than once I have compared the silly geese to the state of most Christians I know, including myself. Some new residents have moved in to supply new material. Beavers (or a beaver) have decided to make their home on Beaver Creek Crescent. First, we noticed a tree laying over in the water. At first neighbourhood children were maligned for being who they are. “Kids will be kids” someone was heard to say. Binoculars revealed a different story. The tell tale sign of a tree trunk gnawed to a point gave us suspicion that Canada’s national animal and emblem was gracing our ken. Sure enough, a few days later a larger tree suffered the same fate and was soon denuded of all its leaves and branches. The level of the pond is staying at its high point and I imagine that city workers will soon find that the spill way has been dammed. It will be either flooded homes or the culprits will be moved to a new pond somewhere away from civilization.

“Busy as a beaver” is, as we have noticed, a true description of our national rodent. We all know that it will be necessary to move these busy creatures away (or worse) in order to solve the problem. They will never give up doing what they must do. It is their nature – it is who they are. They are persistent in their work. Sometimes we sinners are as busy as beavers with our transgressions. We just keep at it and although the Lord God almighty brings us His Son to smash and dissolve the dams of sin that we keep building - we keep building! Unlike the noble beaver we build dams of failures, hardships, and other difficulties which serve no good to ourselves or to anyone. Our edifices of sin build up persistent feelings of guilt or regret to the point where we tend to want to give into the flood. We are driven to the place where we think we can’t believe the forgiveness Christ earned for us in His death and resurrection.

We must change our actions of self-doubt and recrimination around so that our persistent business is that of faith and strong belief. It is time to turn to the Word of God and to trust what it says to get us out of the spiritual jams which we have manufactured. One busy in faith person is a wonderful example and guide. It is the women who persisted after Jesus as written in Matthew 15: 21 – 28.  She insisted that Jesus deal with her according to His Word. She begged Jesus to heal her daughter, but He seemed to ignore her. Finally Jesus responded to her and what He had to say was hard to take. The answer to her plea appeared to be a rejection. But the women had strong faith and believed Jesus for who He was and what He could do. She absolutely trusted and took Jesus at His Word.

Most of the time all that we see is the log jam of sin, guilt and regret that we have constructed.  It looks so bad that we start to believe that not even God can deal with the mess. Every one of those terrible things which we recognize as our own has been dealt with. They are forgiven.

Our faith in the forgiveness of sins is what we can count on. Being busy as beavers in trusting the One who can and does know how we feel and has already smashed every obstacle.  According to His Holy Word He will neither leave you nor forsake you. Do you doubt that you can deal with all the minutiae piled up and offered in persistent temptations? Let your life busy in prayer be that of a faithful child of God. Trust in His Word because according to His Word He is the giver of all the faith you need.  “Because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13: 5b)

Rejoicing in His days
Pastor Krestick