Characteristics of the Divine Life (Part 1)

Thursday night’s ministry series commenced with fellowship via burritos and salsa. Each of us passed through the assembly line of name tag makers, burrito handlers and water distributors, and then moved in to share spiritual “daily bread” with old and new-found friends. First one student, then another, and then two more would trickle in so that all the seats in a ring of chairs were occupied with hungry people.

In our lively motion and activity, we prepared to worship and learn about a greater life – life in itself, and concealed, as His people, within the very life of God: ZOE.

Zoe, the Greek name for life in its highest, eternal form, has six characteristics. We started with the first three.

Daily

They gathered it morning by morning, each one according to his eating…

–Exodus 16:21

The divine life grows within God’s people on a daily basis. God commanded the Israelites to gather manna every morning of every day. No one was allowed to stock pile a week’s supply of manna. Like them, we need to find our spiritual supply in God’s word everyday. The Bible is primarily a menu, not a manual. We should long for the guileless milk of the word so we can grow unto salvation.

Small

Who has despised the day of small things?

–Zechariah 4:10

As we first put on a name tag, then decided between a beef or chicken burrito, took a glass of water, and chose a seat, we participated in a series of seemingly uneventful, unimportant motions. We might have expected to be served caviar and rib-eye by moustached waiters, and be disappointed that it was not so…just kidding. But similarly, as Christians, we at times expect our walk in Christ to be an explosion of miracles and signs and grandeur. Elijah was no different so God showed him that He comes not through the wind, earthquake, or fire but in a gentle quiet voice (1 Kings 19:11-12). Our walk in Christ is made up of many SMALL, normal events. For one beautiful, full-grown life in God is really a collage made up of many small moments.

Slow

The earth bears fruit by itself: first a blade, then an ear, then full grain in the ear.

–Mark 4:28

The third characteristic of zoe is slow. It is a long process for our hearts to be molded to the shape of our Lord’s and for us to be refined and purified as by fire. According to Mark 4:26-28, the kingdom of God is like a field bearing corn. God’s life grows in us slowly- incrementally and imperceptibly. He promises in Galatians 6:9 that “in the proper season we will reap if we do not faint.” If we can abide in our Lord for the slow, refining process, we will surely grow and have a great reward for our endurance.