Christian Living

Spiritual Life

The Spark of Life

“In Him was life, ...” John 1:4 (NKJV)

Sitting in our backyard having breakfast, I peacefully watched my palm trees as they were stirred by mountain breezes.

The diversity of life was amazing: our hummingbirds tried to scare their competition away from the feeding jars; a huge tropical blackbird took his morning spa in the bird bath. 

Suddenly, I had an insight when honey bees appeared and began to take morning sips from the cascading fountain next to our breakfast table. The pattern that had overwhelmed me was that both the birds and the bees had the spark of life. 

Hardly able to continue eating my pancakes and bacon, I paused, trying to understand this discovery. 

As uniquely different as the creatures were, they were all the same — they were alive. When one of the honey bees suddenly began to drown, I became sad and tried unsuccessfully to save him. I felt more loss than I expected. I felt as if the world had become a bit less without his being in it. This was a new feeling for me.

Every living creature, I suddenly realized, has a treasure: they are alive, and then they are dead. They have the spark of life, and then it disappears.

My hummingbirds weigh half of an ounce and live a year or two. My blackbirds weigh more and live longer. My bees live a season. My hibiscus, bougainvillea, and roses have seasons then they lose their bloom. They all lose their spark of life.

A human is one breath away from death. Their physical spark of life will immediately disappear as they take the last breath. All of what is physically living is here ... then it is not. 

Thankfully, John 3:16 reveals that Almighty God’s never-ending love for life gives eternal spiritual life to those who believe in what Jesus did on the cross. Confession of our sins and turning away from them as we open the door of our heart allows Jesus to step in with His Word and Spirit. His coming in to live within then gives guaranteed eternal life to our immaterial spirit. What a joy it is to have been given life and life more abundantly at our second birth birthday party.

What is the spark of life? Where does it come from? What happens to it? My heart craved to know the answers to these questions.

The inspiration of the Holy Spirit then answered my heart’s question. The Bible's clarity tells mankind that Jesus has provided and maintains the spark of life.

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, ...” John 1:3-4 (NKJV)

It also told me that Jesus sustains life.

“… who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, …” Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV)

Perhaps the answer to my questions is summarized by this verse:

“... The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21 (NKJV)

Nothing happens without the Lord either causing it or giving permission for it to happen; Job learned this abiding truth through experience.

Almighty God is the Sovereign source of every spark of life.

Our hearts are a bonfire where the living sparks of the Spirit lie dormant, waiting for the Father’s breath. Let us ask Him daily to please blow on our spark of life that we may experience and share the Holy Spirit’s Fire. Amen and Amen.

Copyright © 2017 Bob Segress Ph.D. Used by permission.

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