Spiritual Truth Found at the Movies

Recently we watched a really old, black and white, award-winning movie called "Rebecca."

It was about a young, immature woman who amazingly married a very wealthy widower and moved into his palatial home by the ocean. There were several spiritual analogies that came to mind as I reflected on this Alfred Hitchcock suspense tale.

First, the new wife reminded me of immature believers, she could not believe that this polished, successful man really loved her, since she was ordinary and not polished or glamorous at all. The matronly head housekeeper fueled this perception by telling her about how beautiful and brilliant the previous wife was and how much her husband and everyone else loved her.

This all added to her insecurity, making her think that she was unable to compete with this ghost of the past. There is even a scene where the housekeeper whispers in her ear that she should just end the futility of it all by jumping from the window to her death.

Second, the vile housekeeper reminded me of the devil, the perpetual “accuser of the brethren” who is “prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (Revelation 12:10, 1 Peter 5:8). He looks for weakness and pounces. Discouragement, defeat, depression are just some of the flaming darts he throws at us.

That is why we are told in Ephesians 6:11-12 to take up the whole armor of God, especially the shield of faith, to be “able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” Truly “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

The third parallel is to God’s love for us. The story had a dramatic climax when the new bride found out that the widower had not loved his first wife at all. Apparently Rebecca the first wife was an evil, vindictive woman who made his life nearly unbearable. They kept up appearances for the family name’s sake, but there was no love between them.

This new knowledge of her husband’s genuine love for her, transformed her into a much more confident and mature woman who stood by her husband in the face of possible imprisonment. Their love was the key to both of them being transformed into the people they needed to be.

How often in our Christian walk are we like the insecure, immature new wife? Not really sure of God’s love for us and wooed by the devil into believing that we are worthless and unacceptable to God. We live defeated lives, maybe even thinking suicidal thoughts spurred on by the devil, until we finally hear the truth and believe what God says in His word, that He truly loves us (Jeremiah 33:3; 1 John 3:1,4:16).

Like the bride in the story, we go through an amazing transformation when we live in God’s genuine, unconditional love. We can rise above the lies of the devil and stand on the promises of God. We can now step out in faith with confidence in God. He will fill us with His power to do whatever He calls on us to do. We can now walk in the works he planned before the foundation of the world for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). We can now pray with new boldness because we know God hears our prayers. He delights in the prayers of the upright (Proverbs 15:8b).

“Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive . . . for the Father Himself loves you.” John 16:24, 27