The Basement – February 17, 2019

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”–but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10

The Basement

In 2004, author Susan Shaw published a work of fiction with a dark title. She called her book, The Boy from the Basement.

The Boy from the Basement is the story of a 12-year-old boy named Charlie. Charlie has lived his entire life in the basement of his home, kept there by his psychotic and abusive father. He knows nothing about the world beyond his basement walls. In fact, he fears it. He accepts his miserable existence as normal.

That all changes when the city authorities discover his plight. Before long, Charlie’s entire sense of reality is different. He moves into the home of a foster family—a foster family that is caring and kind, affectionate and patient. From there he discovers things he has never known before. He discovers the telephone. He discovers learning. He discovers Christmas. He discovers friendship. Most of all, Charlie discovers unconditional love. Although the road is difficult and long, in time Charlie does find healing. The boy from the basement is in the basement no more.

Before the arrival of Jesus, you and I were in a basement. It was a basement of our own making. It was the basement of our own sin. Because of that basement, you and I could not see what was beyond it. Left to ourselves, you and I would have accepted our basement as reality and lingered there until we died.

But God changed all that. He sent his Son. Through his life and death on our behalf, Jesus destroyed our basement of sin, wrapping us in the blanket of his forgiveness. And now his Holy Spirit speaks to us by the power of his Word. He describes all the things we may now enjoy beyond our basement walls. And he tells us that even better things are on the way.

Yes, the road for us can still be difficult and long. But our healing has come. We are in the basement no more.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have rescued me. Thank you. In your Word, help me to discover more and more the wonderful things I now have in you. Amen.