I rarely watch an entire movie at home as I am usually trying to multi task. A year or two ago we were given a largish second hand TV by some friends that made it possible for me to glance successfully at the screen from the kitchen. This is now broken, or at least suffering from old age, and we are back to the smaller one. Focusing on it is like trying to look at an enlarged postage stamp- probably a good thing to discourage too much teenage viewing, but not good for my attempts at multi tasking. As we were watching the movie, “Prince Caspian” on Christmas day, the large TV developed a fuzzy picture and when we switched to the smaller one, I was forced to sit down and focus. It was worth the time and I needed the rest. “Prince Caspian” reminded me that if we do not seek God’s help, and instead try and do things in our own strength, we will fail.

In the movie, the youngest of the three Pevensie children, Lucy,  has the most faith in Aslan, the lion, who represents Jesus. Aslan waits for the children to seek him and he does not force himself upon them. Lucy’s oldest brother, Peter, is eager to take control and leads the Narnians into battle against the Telmarines. The battle is doomed to disaster as he does not seek Aslan’s help. The rivalry between Peter and Prince Caspian is indicative of lives which are not relating to God or in “Prince Caspian”, lives that are not seeking the help of Aslan. Many of the brave Narnian creatures are killed and the stress is unbearable. In our lives, do we encounter unnecessary stress and difficulty because we do not seek the help of Jesus? Do we argue and compete with those who should be our allies? These problems are consequences of avoiding Jesus’ help, of forgetting that Jesus is king and He wants to help us.

Finally in “Prince Caspian” the children seek Aslan’s help and suddenly, dramatically, the Narnians are successful in battle. The river powerfully washes many of their enemies off the bridge, somewhat like the Red Sea (in the book of Exodus, in the Bible) parting to let the Israelites flee from Egypt, only to move back over the land in time to engulf the Egyptians who were pursuing them.

Do we realize that God offers those who believe in Him “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We have access to God’s wisdom and power through Jesus. As Christians we should not be stumbling in the dark, relying on our limited senses. Rather, we need to reach out to Jesus seeking His help. Paul writes to the Ephesians, commending them for their faith and their love for other Christians. However, Paul is not content for them to stop there. He writes: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”(Ephesians 1:17)

Paul also prays that they would know “God’s incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms….” (Ephesians 1: 19) What greater power could there be than God’s  power that  raised Jesus from the dead? God can dramatically affect the course of our lives. He can change our hearts, heal us, protect us from danger and give us the right words at the right time to change a life.

God wants to shower us with blessings. If we entrust our lives to Jesus we can ask for His wisdom and supernatural power. We have been adopted into His family and God is our Father who is generous with His gifts. Let us not be like Peter in “Prince Caspian” who relies on his own strength for far too long. Instead let’s kneel before the throne of grace seeking God’s power and wisdom. In this challenging year when it is hard to find work we may be reminded that relying on Jesus  is the best way forward. We may never acquire as much money as we would like but God offers us much more than wealth. He offers us great spiritual riches including peace, hope, forgiveness, wisdom, joy, salvation and a warm friendship with God Himself.

To be honest, I am a bit daunted about my role in 2009. I want to spend as much time as possible sharing the good news about God’s greatest gift to us: Jesus. I also need to contribute more financially so that we can pay our bills. I know that Jesus will provide wisdom, direction and power to show Martyn and me what to do and what to avoid. As you seek Him, I believe that He will direct you too, in His perfect way, and as we seek His path for us we will get to know Him better. Nothing could be more valuable than a more intimate walk with God.

May you receive many blessings from Jesus this year.

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