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Daily Readings by Wild at Heart: Daily Summaries Delivered
by John Eldredge
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- Today4 min
A Sage Draws Us to God
We live now in a culture of expertise, so completely second nature to us that we don’t give it a second thought. Cutting-edge advances in science and technology—ever sharpening, ever thrusting forward—are now available to anyone with an Internet connection. If our doctor gives us grave news, we naturally get a second and third opinion from specialists. Businesses regularly hire consultants—experts—to help them get the edge over their competitors, and churches have jumped on the bandwagon as well. It’s become one of our shared assumptions, this reach to “find the expert,” and I wonder if it’s part of the reason we do not under- stand or recognize a true sage. In business circles experts are sometimes even called sages.They are worlds apart.A sage differs from an expert the way a lover differs from an engineer. To begin with, expertise quite often has nothing to do with walking with God, may in fact lead us farther from him. For the expertise of the specialist gives us the settled assurance that he has matters under control, and that we will also, as soon as we put our trust in him. That is why we love him. “The reason your church is not growing is because you’re not marketing yourselves properly to your intended customers.” On a human level, that might be true, might produce some results. But wouldn’t it be better to inquire of God why the church is not growing? The psychology of expertise comes indistinguishably close to the psychology of the Tower of Babel. “We have matters under our control now. Expertise has given us power over our destinies.” And we know how God feels about that.Now of course, there is nothing wrong with expertise—per se. I’d be the first one to find the best heart surgeon in the country should my son need heart surgery. And yet, why is it that we seem to have so few sages in our midst, that most of us have witnessed the sage only in stories like those I’ve recounted? Is it that they don’t exist, or might it be that our near-worship of expertise has pushed the sage to the sidelines? And what are we to make of the passage that tells us, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23 NIV)? Whatever, whenever, wherever we place our hopes and confidence in something other than God, that is sin. Given mankind’s inexplicable reluctance to rely on God, and nearly limitless ability to rely on anything else, can you see how the culture of expertise actually plays right into our godlessness, despite all our protestations to the contrary?The sage, on the other hand, communes with God—an existence entirely different from and utterly superior to the life of the expert. Whatever counsel he offers, he draws you to God, not to self-reliance. Oh, yes, the sage has wisdom, gleaned from years of experience, and that wisdom is one of his great offerings. But he has learned not to lean upon his wisdom, knowing that often God is asking things of us that seem counterintuitive, and thus his wisdom (and expertise) are fully submitted to his God. Humility might be one of the great dividing lines between the expert and the sage, for the sage doesn’t think he is one. “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Prov. 26:12 NIV). Thus we might not know we have a sage at the table, for he will remain silent while the “experts” prattle on and on.The experts impress. The sage draws us to God. He offers a gift of presence, the richness of a soul that has lived long with God. Want more? Order your copy of Fathered by God today.
- Yesterday2 min
The Biggest African Lion I’ve Ever Seen
Our local zoo had for years one of the biggest African lions I’ve ever seen. A huge male, nearly five hundred pounds, with a wonderful mane and absolutely enormous paws. Panthera leo. The King of the Beasts. Sure, he was caged, but I’m telling you the bars offered small comfort when you stood within six feet of something that in any other situation saw you as an easy lunch. Honestly, I felt I ought to shepherd my boys past him at a safe distance, as if he could pounce on us if he really wanted to. Yet he was my favorite, and whenever the others would wander on to the monkey house or the tigers, I’d double back just for a few more minutes in the presence of someone so powerful and noble and deadly. Perhaps it was fear mingled with admiration; perhaps it was simply that my heart broke for the big old cat. This wonderful, terrible creature should have been out roaming the savanna, ruling his pride, striking fear into the heart of every wildebeest, bringing down zebras and gazelles whenever the urge seized him. Instead, he spent every hour of every day and every night of every year alone, in a cage smaller than your bedroom, his food served to him through a little metal door. Sometimes late at night, after the city had gone to sleep, I would hear his roar come down from the hills. It sounded not so much fierce, but rather mournful. During all of my visits, he never looked me in the eye. I desperately wanted him to, wanted for his sake the chance to stare me down, would have loved it if he took a swipe at me. But he just lay there, weary with that deep weariness that comes from boredom, taking shallow breaths, rolling now and then from side to side. For after years of living in a cage, a lion no longer even believes it is a lion ... and a man no longer believes he is a man. Want more? Order your copy of Wild at Heart today.
- 2 days ago1 min
The Connection of These Two Hearts
The book "Killing Lions" is a conversation between John and Sam Eldredge about the trials young men face.[Sam] Are there some things we should do that might not come easy to build a relationship with God, or can we find him in whatever we prefer to do on our own and he will “meet us there”? [John] Again, because we live in such a subjective climate, where “spirituality” can mean anything, let’s be clear on what it is we want to cultivate. The Christian faith is at its center an invitation to intimacy with God. He is an actual person, with a personality and a heart just like you, and just as in any other relationship it is the connection of these two hearts that matters above all else. This is where we separate from religion, and this is what will rescue us from slipping back into it. Friendship with God is the heartbeat of it all; nothing else can substitute (though many things will try). So, the question is, how do you cultivate friendship and intimacy with God? (Isn’t that more refreshing than, “How do I get more serious about my religion?”) Simply ask yourself, “What would I do to cultivate a deeper intimacy with Susie, or with any of my friends?” Time together, talking about life, processing both your inner and outer experiences—it seems painfully obvious but it honestly is that simple.Want more? Order your copy of Killing Lions today.
- 3 days ago3 min
Intimacy With God
Whatever else we might believe about intimacy with God at this point, the truth is that God knows us very intimately. He knows what time you went to bed last night. He knows what you dreamed about. He knows what you had for breakfast this morning. He knows where you left your car keys, what you think about your aunt, and why you’re going to dodge your boss at 2:30 today. The Scriptures make that very clear. You are known. Intimately.But does God seek intimacy with us?Well, start at the beginning. The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, knew God and talked with him. And even after their fall, God goes looking for them. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:8–9). What a beautiful story. It tells us that even in our sin God still wants us and comes looking for us. The rest of the Bible continues the story of God seeking us out, calling us back to himself.The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you. (2 Chronicles 15:2)I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. (Jeremiah 24:7)This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Return to me,” declares the LORD Almighty, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 1:3)Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8)Let us draw near to God. (Hebrews 10:22)Intimacy with God is the purpose of our lives. It’s why God created us. Not simply to believe in him, though that is a good beginning. Not only to obey him, though that is a higher life still. God created us for intimate fellowship with himself, and in doing so he established the goal of our existence—to know him, love him, and live our lives in an intimate relationship with him. Jesus says that eternal life is to know God (John 17:3). Not just “know about” like you know about the ozone layer or Ulysses S Grant. He means know as two people know each other, know as Jesus knows the Father—intimately.Want more? Order your copy of Walking with God today.
- 4 days ago1 min
An Unfathomable Honor
We've all heard the story and missed the miracle—God begins his greatest work by including us. Even though we bungled it so badly the first time, back in Eden. Once again he shares in the excitement. Come with me, you have a part in this—the re-creation of the world.Everyone who hears about Jesus hears about "the Twelve" and can probably name Peter, Matthew, James and John, certainly Judas. Jesus and "his disciples" go hand in hand. Right here from the start, he acts like it's not all about him. He shares the stage, shares the spotlight. He shares his glory: "I have given them the glory that you gave me" (John 17:22). He even shares his suffering. The crown of thorns, the cross—is this not the noblest part of his whole life, the very thing we most worship him for? Even in this he offers to us, "the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings" (Philippians 3:10). It is an honor I cannot begin to fathom.Want more? Order your copy of Beautiful Outlaw today.
- 5 days ago2 min
The Thief Wants It All
Any movement toward freedom and life, any movement toward God or others, will be opposed.Marriage, friendship, beauty, rest—the thief wants it all. So, it becomes the devil’s business to keep the Christian’s spirit imprisoned. He knows that the believing and justified Christian has been raised up out of the grave of his sins and trespasses. From that point on, Satan works that much harder to keep us bound and gagged, actually imprisoned in our own grave clothes. He knows that if we continue in this kind of bondage... we are not much better off than when we were spiritually dead. (A.W. Tozer)Sadly, many of these accusations will actually be spoken by Christians. Having dismissed a warfare worldview, they do not know who is stirring them to say certain things. “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1). The Enemy used David, who apparently wasn’t watching for it, to do his evil. He tried to use Peter too. “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things ... Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan!’” (Matthew 16:21–23). Heads up—these words will come from anywhere. Be careful what or who you are agreeing with.When we make those agreements with the demonic forces suggesting things to us, we come under their influence. It becomes a kind of permission we give the Enemy, sort of like a contract. Some foul spirit whispers, I’m such a stupid idiot, and they agree with it; then they spend months and years trying to sort through feelings of insignificance. They’d end their agony if they’d treat it for the warfare it is, break the agreement they’ve made, and send the Enemy packing. Want more? Order your copy of Waking the Dead today.
- 6 days ago1 min
Separate Journeys: Head and Heart
The sense of being part of some bigger story, a purposeful adventure that is the Christian life, begins to drain away again after those first-love years in spite of everything we can do to stop it. Instead of a love affair with God, your life begins to feel more like a series of repetitive behaviors, like reading the same chapter of a book or writing the same novel over and over. The orthodoxy we try to live out, defined as “Believe and Behave Accordingly,” is not a sufficient story line to satisfy whatever turmoil and longing our heart is trying to tell us about. Somehow our head and heart are on separate journeys and neither feels like life.Eventually this division of head and heart culminates in one of two directions. We can either deaden our heart or divide our life into two parts, where our outer story becomes the theater of the should and our inner story the theater of needs, the place where we quench the thirst of our heart with whatever water is available. I chose the second route, living what I thought of as my religious life with increasing dryness and cynicism while I found “water” where I could: in sexual fantasies, alcohol, the next dinner out, late-night violence videos, gaining more knowledge through religious seminars—whatever would slake the thirsty restlessness inside. Whichever path we choose—heart deadness or heart and head separation—the wounds, the Arrows win, and we lose heart.This is the story of all our lives, in one way or another. The haunting of the Romance and the Message of the Arrows are so radically different and they seem so mutually exclusive they split our hearts in two. In every way that the Romance is full of beauty and wonder, the Arrows are equally powerful in their ugliness and devastation. Want more? Order your copy of The Sacred Romance today.
- 1 weeks ago1 min
There is a Way Things Work
Look, let’s go ahead and name the elephant in the room—some prayers work, and some prayers don’t. Why does that surprise and irritate us? Some diets work, but most don’t; no one is really surprised by that. We simply keep looking for the one that will work for us. Some investments produce, others don’t; you look for the program that works for you. Some schools are effective, others fail badly; hopefully you can find the situation that is right for your child. There is a way things work. Can you name anything in life where this isn’t so?And so it is with prayer. We just want it to be simple and easy; we want it to go like this:God is loving and powerful. We need his help. So we ask for help, as best we know how. The rest is up to him. After all—he’s God. He can do anything.The uncomfortable truth is this: that is a very naïve view of prayer, on a level with believing that all a marriage needs is love, or that we should base our foreign policy on belief in our fellow man.That simple view of prayer has crushed many a dear soul, because it ignores crucial facts. There is a way things work.Want more? Order your copy of Moving Mountains today.
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About Daily Readings by Wild at Heart
Daily Readings are a daily excerpt from books and teachings from John and Stasi Eldredge and Morgan Snyder.
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