Merriam Webster defines cunning as “dexterous or crafty in the use of special resources (as skill or knowledge) or in attaining an end <a cunning plotter>.”  We see Jesus as love and peace and understanding.  How many of us see Jesus as cunning?!  Read John Eldridge in “Beautiful Outlaw” after citing the parable of the wily manager in Luke 16:1-9.

“Jesus is more impressed with the cunning of ‘the people of this world’ than he is the naïveté so common to ‘the people of the light.’  And then – back to the doves and snakes analogy[1] – he urges us to be cunning: ‘I want you to be smart in the same way. . .not complacently just get by on good behavior’ (v. 9, The Message).  There’s a certain charm to a Forrest Gump naïveté, the kind your grandmother had as she wore her white gloves to church – but is that the kind of person you could trust with your life?

“Setting eternity in our hearts was cunning, so that every last one of us would be haunted all our days with unmet longings that would cause us to seek the only Fountain that can quench our thirst.

“Sex was cunning.  Given the selfishness and self-centeredness of mankind, how else to get people to commit to the daily-sacrifice-for-a-lifetime called parenting?

“I think the movement of the Spirit in the church is cunning – first here, then there, keeping men from systemizing it, keeping the enemy from squelching it.  It’s like a game of rugby.

“Jesus is holy and cunning – it’s part of what makes me love him.”



[1] Matt 10:16

A common argument for spending time with God, "having devotions," having a "quiet time," is that it is like meal time for the soul, the spirit.  The analogy is that we would not think of starting the day without eating a good breakfast in order to make sure that our physical bodies are properly nourished.  Likewise we should not start the day without making sure that our spiritual bodies receive spiritual nourishment as well.

On mulling over this analogy I think that it misses an essential part.  Imagine, if you will, coming up with similar reasons to be with your spouse.  Can you see yourself teaching other people that the reason you need to spend time with your spouse is to make sure that your soul is fed?  How would that go over?  It is not about relationship or love for the other person, it's about making sure that you stay emotionally healthy?!  Can we now see the difference.

God is not primarily food for the spirit.  Jesus is not fundamentally wine for the soul.  Primarily, He is a person!  We spend time with Him, listening to Him, talking with Him (not to Him) because we like being with Him, just enjoying the fact that He is there with us.

Now we are freed from obligatory ritualistic "devotions."  There is a time for disciplined ritualistic form -- when we are learning something new or performing a standardized task.  But we do not do this with the ones we love, with those who are truly our close friends and relatives.  We look forward to the times when we can be together.  We relish time spent catching up on what has happened.  Most of all we just like being in each other's company.  And when something keeps us from being able to do that, we really miss it.  But it is not because we have "missed a meal."  It is because we have missed a person, a loved one.  And that is what "devotions" should really be all about.