Last night, I stayed up reading half of a book, authored by a sister in our church family.  Marilyn Peters wrote Paw Prints of the Tiger (ACW Press, 2006).  Her latest is Stripes of the Tiger:  Paws for Reflection (Xulon Press, 2007).  Halfway into the first book and I confess to you – I’m hooked on Marilyn’s devotionals.  Of course, I am biased.  Marilyn is one of the most sensitive and tender sisters you will ever meet . . . and a crucial prayer intercessor in Idaho Falls. 

Gaining her permission this morning, I provide for you one of her devotional entries from Paw Prints of the Tiger:

 The Real Thing 

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3)

Our Christmas tree in Bangladesh consisted of a cluster of branches from a casuarina tree.  Daddy tied the branches together on a center pole, stuck the pole in a pail of sand, and voila, it almost looked real!  He added a few lights and my sister and I decorated it with homemade paper chains and strung popcorn.  Our bearer chuckled, for he had found us the branches after seeing pictures of real trees on our Christmas cards.  He had solved for us the riddle of what to do, as there are no firs nor pines in this tropical country, and the ubiquitous banana trees didn’t lend themselves to the occasion.

The tree symbolizes for me artificial attempts to appear as Christians to the world.  We act the part, look like the real thing and so deceive ourselves with outward good deeds, church activities, and profession of faith.

If one dials a real phone number on a toy telephone, and says “Hello,” no one answers.  One can go through the correct motions, say it has no power.  A lot of people are like the toy telephone or the tied-together tree.  They may read their Bibles, they may pray and say right words, but there is no connection, no power in their lives.

John 1:12 tells why:  “But to all who received Him [Jesus] who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God.”  The conditions for becoming connected are 1) believing and 2) receiving Jesus.  Trying to live the Christian life without being connected to Christ is like trying to make a real tree out of a fake one or trying to make a toy telephone into a real one.  Unfortunately, such attempts are contrived, like tying apples on a dead tree or pinning wings on a worm to form a butterfly.  Only by becoming born again can one be conformed to the image of Christ and be His true witnesses.

May be we humble enough to hear Your words and believe them, Lord, especially concerning the imperative to be born again.  For we have no right to call You “our” Father until we become Your children.