Are you in a cave? Not literally, but have you ever felt like Aladdin?
Tricked and left for dead at the bottom of this dark and unfamiliar place, all Aladdin has going for him is his furry friend, Abu, an aerodynamic rug, and a junkie lamp. With nothing to lose, Aladdin gives the lamp a quick shine, and out pops the Genie like an ancient jack-in-the-box.
Instantly, Aladdin is gifted with three wishes. There are a few rules, like he can’t wish for more wishes, and Genie can’t make anyone fall in love or bring people back from the dead…even Disney draws the line at a Zombie Apocalypse!
So this is all Aladdin could ever want, right? He’s hit the jackpot – won the lottery – the ultimate payday has landed in his lap!
How much time and energy do you spend playing the “if only” game? If only you made more money…if only you’d finally realize that windfall…if only. The “if only” game is a drain where every ounce of joy flows straight down the pipe, and some people play it for their entire lives.
What if I told you there was something out there better than a Genie? You don’t even need a magic lamp. While I happen to love a musical, and there’s not much better than the Genie singing, “You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like Me!”, what if your best friend was not quite so blue, and waiting patiently for you?
You will never have a better friend than Jesus. As cliché as you may think that sounds, it is absolutely true. He says it Himself:
I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give to you. (John 15:15-16)
Really? Really! He doesn’t even limit you to three wishes!
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
You ain’t never had a friend like Him! The works been done, He’s chosen you, and has eternal patience to wait for you to notice Him. All He wants is a relationship with you and it doesn’t need to be perfect or fancy. Look how He entered our world for goodness sake – in a feeding box!
Start small. Spend some time with Him:
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)
As your friendship grows you will find that not only is He in the business of restoring love, He can also bring people, even Himself, back to life (Luke 7:13-15, Matthew 9:25, John 11:43-44, Matthew 28:5-7). Genie standards need not apply here!
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)
No matter your past, no matter your present circumstances, no matter what cave you are in, God is big enough to handle it all, and small enough to fit into the “lamp” of your heart.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. (Psalm 40:2)
Stop believing you’re a “street rat” and enter the palace already!