Soaking in Jesus – an Illustration from a Recommended Book
How do you make a pickle? This is not a question that I usually ask because I really I don’t like pickles. But I do understand the process.
Step #1 – find a cucumber.Step #2 – get a brine and vinegar solution together.
Step #3 – get the cucumber in the mixture.
Step #4 Wait.
“If we dip the cucumber in the solution and quickly pull it out, all we will have is a baptized cucumber. In order for it to become a pickle, it needs to soak in the brine for six weeks or so. Slowly and imperceptibly, the solution works its way into the cucumber, changing it to a pickle.”
I have just finished James Bryan Smith’s The Good and Beautiful God (IVP, 2009). The last chapter has this brilliant analogy about the spiritual life and the need for long term spiritual growth.
Do we really think that transformation will come to our lives without really soaking in Jesus?
Don’t we need to stay in his presence and immerse ourselves in His teachings and ideas to bring lasting renewal.
Two scriptures come to mind immediately -
- Mark 4:26-29 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain– first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.“
- John 15:4 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
Great and Beautiful God is an easy read that will challenge you to grow spiritually. What I like most about the book is that it is accessible. You will not find a lot of technical jargon here. In its place a lot of practical “soul training” exercises. These are simple, everyday practices that will get you rethinking your priorities and ideals about God.
Reading this book would be better with a small group of friends. There are plenty of discussion questions that go along with each chapter as well.
May you soak in Jesus today – staying longer than you thought you might in His presence. May your heart be open to the challenges that He will bring your way. May you be a blessing to someone else because the light of the world has saturated your soul.
One good thing about pickle making is the ability to make the inedible edible again. Of course the best pickles are made from the best cucumbers, but in case they have been left on the vine too long and gotten too tough to eat raw they can be pickled. Cut into pieces and pickled, perhaps with some onion and green peppers they again become tasty.
How similar are we? Have we gone too long to be “like these little children” in our attitudes and ability to accept Jesus as our brother, Lord, and Savior? Maybe that’s why we run into some of the problems we have. He’s trying to get our attention so He can soak into us and make us tender again.