I’ve long been a big action adventure movie fan. I remember when the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie first came out back in the early 1980’s. I was fascinated with it and also with the other two sequels when they came out as well. I think I still have all three movies on VHS tape, but I no longer have a VHS player!

In the early 80’s my spiritual life was just picking up from where I left it, somewhere back in the 1970’s. Like a lot of people, I was raised up going to church, made a profession of faith at a young age, then turned away from Christ in my teens and early twenties and pursued my own way of living.

Then in the early 1980’s I began my journey back toward God. Looking back now, I can see I was spiritually immature back then. I remember thinking that The Raiders of the Lost Ark movie was a Christian movie! After all, it was about the Ark of the Covenant, right?! Ha! Actually the movie wasn’t biblical, and it wasn’t about the true story of the Ark of the Covenant. It may have somewhat touched on the power and holiness of God, but in reality and overall it was just a good action/adventure film.

The actual Ark of the Covenant was built by Moses. as commanded by God, to hold the Ten Commandments, which was in the form of two stone tablets, as told in the Book of Exodus.

Recently I came across the following quote from Charles Spurgeon’s devotional, Morning and Evening, and it introduced me to another way of thinking about the “Ark.”

“Reader, can you find rest apart from the ark, Christ Jesus? Then consider that your religion may be in vain.”

Charles Spurgeon speaks here of Christ as the Ark: Christ as the source of our happiness and the source of true rest in Him. Christ, whom we can not live without and the one who feeds our souls. Christ, to whom our soul can sing!

Although I didn’t refer to Christ as the Ark at the time, I did find this “Ark” when I turned back to Christ in repentance and faith back in the 1980’s, and what a difference he’s made in my life ever since. It was not until I saw the sin in my life and called out to Him to forgive me that the difference actually began in my life. Looking back, I really don’t recall growing in Christ in my teens and early twenties, but I do recall growing in Christ after I repented of the sin in my life. So, it is possible my profession of faith as a young immature 12 year old was not genuine, and/or that it was in vain.

Spurgeon further elaborates along this line of thought when he says:

“Reader, can you find rest apart from the ark, Christ Jesus? Then consider that your religion may be in vain. Are you satisfied with anything short of a conscious knowledge of your union and interest in Christ? Then woe to you. If you profess to be a Christian while finding full satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is probably false.”

A gentle but sober reminder that growing in Christ should be the Christians primary source of satisfaction, interest, and place of rest. If this isn’t true in your life, ask yourself why not. Actively seeking and growing in God is the business of believers, and if you’re not, well, that’s probably a big red flag….

“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.” 2 Peter 1:10