A Game Of Cards.

Many, many years ago, when I was a lot younger, and lot more foolish than I am now, I got into a game of cards. It wasn’t organised or planned. I just happened to be walking home late one night when I called into an all-night shop for something to eat. There was no one else in the shop save the two guys behind the counter.

One guy had a deck of cards in his hand and he was shuffling them. Nowadays kids have fidget spinners. This guy just shuffled cards. I asked him if he’d like to see a card trick that I knew. I showed him it and then showed him how I did it. To cut a long story short we ended up playing cards.

After a couple of games the money became involved. Not a lot. Just a few quid to pass an hour of time. But eventually I cleaned him out. Won all of his money. As I lifted the money he asked, “Lend me a couple of quid so that I can have a chance to win my luck back”. I said, “Mate, You haven’t had much luck up to now. What makes you think things are gonna be any different if I lend you some money?” I left the shop and never thought any more about it.

Until the next evening.

After our family evening dinner we were relaxing and watching TV. Then my Dad said to me, “Were you playing cards in that shop last night?” I looked at my Dad in astonishment. “I was. But how did you find out?”

He jut looked at me and gave me one of those imperceptible nods that parents give their children which says ‘I hear things, son’. Obviously someone told him. He grew up along with the people from that road. They all knew him and he knew them too.

That was more than 45 years ago and to this day I still don’t know how my Dad found out.

The memory caused me to think of Nathanael in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. The account is recorded from verse 43 onwards.

Jesus wanted to travel to Galilee. On his way there one of his disciples, Philip, started talking with a guy who was resting under a fig tree. His name was Nathanael. We don’t know the full text of the conversation but at some point Philip said to Nathanael v45“We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Nathanael replied, v46“Yeah, right. Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come on and I’ll show you”. (paraphrased)

The text goes on to tell us that Nathanael met with Jesus and at some point he asked Him, v48“How do you know me?” and Jesus replied “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you”.

I like to think that Jesus looked at Nathanael with that same knowing look that my Dad gave me all those years ago. It was the kind of look which said “Don’t worry. I know where you’re going. I know things about you. I’ve got your back”.

And it reminds of the words of our Saviour in John ch10 v27-28….

27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

28And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out  of My hand. 

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Your hand has provided:
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
 

TheseLivelyOracles@hotmail.com

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