We are a blanket family. I’m literally mesmerized by stores where walls breathe thick towels, floors are spongy with throw rugs, and blankets spill off shelves. Blankets, though, entice me and even though my family laughs at me over it, they are all blanket people too. Walk into my house, it doesn’t have to be winter; it doesn’t even have to be a cold spring, or cool fall. In any season we cocoon in plush, wraparound blankets, the ultimate comfort zone. My whole family might not be quite as enamored with blankets as I am, but if you ask, they will agree that blankets are cherished gifts – I think blankets are like comfort food for the soul.
I wonder if that’s why I love Linus. You know, the philosophical character in the Peanuts gang whose blue blanket seems to be part of his anatomy. Linus is rarely without the icon of security enveloped in his arms. He is faithfully devoted to it. Snoopy is often on a quest to persuade Linus to give up his blanket, and sometimes he reaches the line of possession, but Linus, realizes his adoration and dependence on his treasured blanket and pulls back before Snoopy can claim victory.
I can relate to Linus; not just because he is captivated by his blanket, but because of his passionate belief in his need for it. It’s not the same, but Linus and his unshakable faith in his security blanket paints a picture of the unshakable faith I should have in the God of the universe; the one who is in control of every detail. Ephesians 1:20 (the Message) “All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything.”
When I feel perplexed and uncertain, I can be like Linus and grasp onto the Lord for security because he isn’t just powerful, he is power. And God is not of questionable character, nor does he ever make mistakes. Look at these verses in Job 36:22-25 “Do you have any idea how powerful God is? Have you ever heard of a teacher like him? Has anyone ever had to tell him what to do, or correct him, saying, ‘You did that all wrong!’? Remember, then, to praise his workmanship, which is so often celebrated in song. Everybody sees it; nobody is too far away to see it.” I don’t know about you, but when things start migrating downward to the pit, I remember job. His adversity caused his friends and even his wife to blame God. But Job didn’t. Job latched onto his security blanket and made it part of his spiritual anatomy. Jeremiah recognized God’s power too and wrote about it in Jeremiah 32:16-17 “Dear God, my Master, you created earth and sky by your great power—by merely stretching out your arm! There is nothing you can’t do. You’re loyal in your steadfast love to thousands upon thousands.” God can do more than I could ever ask.
One of my favorite things to do is help others. I took a class on spiritual gifts a while ago and discovered why my natural tendency is to help, and it doesn’t feel like work to me at all. I have the gift of helping. I’m still working on the strong faith part but I like what Romans 15:1-2 says in the Message translation. “Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?” When I’m criticized for helping too much, I remember the One I am really doing it for and who I am serving.
Today, what can we do to wrap ourselves in the spiritual security blanket so evident in the character of Linus? Remember what David prayed in Psalms 139. Go ahead and read the entire chapter, but here is Psalm 138:7-8 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”
And now here is a special verse for those of us who are celebrating the first day of spring with a snowstorm. I couldn’t resist sharing this with you. Job 37:6-7 “He orders the snow, ‘Blanket the earth!’ and the rain, ‘Soak the whole countryside!’ No one can escape the weather—it’s there. And no one can escape from God.”
This was first published here on March 20, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DG9NeP0CLc
Because of Grace we Press On