Scotland's butterfly

When Scotland's Susan Boyle stood in front of a cynical crowd at Britain’s equivalent of American Idol, I was reminded of how wonderful it is when that which is despised, suddenly stops the mouths of a proud and conceited world.

It is an astonishing twist of nature when the grub turns into a butterfly. Such is the case with the despised Savior of the world. No other name in history has ever been used as a cuss word to such an extent. Try and think of one. No other name has been spat out of Hollywood’s blasphemous lips with such utter contempt, as the Name of Jesus Christ.

But the time is coming when He will manifest His unspeakable glory to a God-hating, cynical and evil-loving world. Scripture (which must be fulfilled) says that every knee will bow to Him as Lord (see Philippians 2:9-11). What an unspeakable vindication that will be for those who love God and that which is right and just.

The song Susan Boyle chose was "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables." The words are very powerful:

I dreamed a dream in time gone by,
When hope was high
And life worth living.
I dreamed that love would never die.

I dreamed that God would be forgiving.
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted.
There was no ransom to be paid

No song unsung, no wine untasted.
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart

And they turn your dream to shame.
He slept a summer by my side.
He filled my days with endless wonder.
He took my childhood in his stride,

But he was gone when autumn came.
And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together.
But there are dreams that cannot be,

And there are storms we cannot weather.
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I’m living,
So different now from what it seemed,
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

Should you make it through to old age, this will be your song. There storms of life are coming and you cannot weather them, if you haven’t been wise and built your house upon the rock (see Matthew 7:24). A godless life will leave you disillusioned, bitter, fearful, with nothing but shattered dreams.

So many of today’s generation have grown old prematurely and are already angry and deeply cynical about life. But this need not be. We need not “dream” that God is forgiving. He is rich in mercy to all that call upon Him, but that forgiveness is alone in the One He provided as a despised Savior (see Isaiah 53:3-4). Repent and trust in Him and you will share His reproach.

Thank God, there is no ransom to be paid, because it was paid 2,000 years ago when Jesus of Nazareth suffered for our sins, rose from the dead defeating death and proving God’s love for sinners such as us. Today, make peace with Him because you are not guaranteed old age.