Life Sucks and then you die
Hey, was just thinking today of the fact that even in the midst of suffering and discouragement and trials, we have an assurance of HIM and ETERNITY.
I can't imagine going through life in this broken world without Him. For those living without Christ, there must be a dread at the very core of their being, a hopelessness that no amount of money, no amount of sex, no amount of status or popularity can cure. Read the verses below with new eyes today ok? Because we've seen them so many times, it would be easy to breeze through them.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Jan 25, 2012 at 9:35 7 Comments
Reader Comments (7)
Yesterday and today have been the toughest days of the fast. Its not even that I am hungry. I just miss eating food. I miss how it smells and how it tastes. It sucks to watch other people enjoying food and I am stuck watching them eat. I am also a little sad that I wont be able to eat any of the meals this weekend at the Youth Retreat.
Even though I don't have food I still have a job, car, roof, friends, family, my health, my wife and of course my God. I still have a pretty good life. The truth is that if I had to, I could go without all of those things I just mentioned except for God. God is the driving force that makes all of those things worthwhile. People complain about not having enough in so many areas of life. If we had everything and not God we would always be lacking but if we only had God we would have everything we need.
Is life hard without food? Not as hard as life would be with food without God.
Yes, it is so nice to have hope in Jesus when we go through trials especially. How do people go through them otherwise?
Last night at Small Group one of the girls played us this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY&feature=related It's about how Jesus is different than religion. The video was floating around facebook so you might have seen it, but if not you gotta watch it!
REFLECTION
James 1:23-25 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.
2 Cor 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Proverbs 27:19 As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
I have to ask myself, what am I reflecting to the world today?
2 Cor 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us….
It’s not about me, it’s about WHO I am reflecting….. God please purify my heart so I can be a pure reflection of you.
LOVED what Brock had to share today.
I thank God for what he's doing in each of us. I feel so much unity among us. With unity comes effectiveness, productivity - winning back ground from the enemy. If God be with us, who can be against us? Take a bunch of people, desperately seeking God, driven by purpose and vision - watch what happens.
I've started reading Romans again, one of my favourite books, and these verses in Romans 1 stood out to me today: 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
This passage made me think about whether or not I actually look for God's qualities in the things around me. Sure, I look at the snow-covered mountains out my window and think "Wow, God. Good job making those!" But do I actually look at them with the intention of seeing God's character or "invisible qualities?" I know God made everything, but I often view the things around me superficially.
Also, I love what Brock posted today. Too often I think that things like food and shelter are required for my survival so therefore God HAS to give them to me. I still thank God for those "necessities" but in more of a "thanks God for giving me the basic needs to survive..." kind of way. Whereas if I view God as my only need and the only person/thing that sustains me, then I view those other "necessities" as real gifts that God gives to me, not because he has to, but because he WANTS to. I owe God a much better "thank you" than I have been giving him.
Working in the church whether for a living or as lay leader you sure can swing from loving your people to wanting to kill them....slowly. I know my tendency is to think I get it and they don't (which is true) and to think my homies and I get it and the rest don't.....that is called a cult a lot of the times! So when we lead we try desperately to see these people with God's eyes not our own. If I think of how hopeless and futile their lives are I deny God's amazing power to transform.This is a God who doesn't even delight in the death of the hopelessly wicked Ez 18:23! Pastors, keep the faith, by loving God he gives you the ability to love his people.Is my life SO much more together than anyone else's?
Today I was in Proverbs 2:1-8.
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
"Wisdom's starting point is God and His revealed Word, the source of knowledge and understanding."
I want to keep pressing deeper and deeper into God. Seeking Him - crying out to Him. In verse 4 "searching as for hidden treasure" reminds me of one of Doug's favorite movies, "Treasure Island" which I have watched with him over and over and over. People kill for treasure, they betray for treasure, they are driven and will not stop until they have the treasure. Even today it takes a priority in the lives of people. It can encompass and overtake every part of their lives.
That's how God wants me to seek after Him and his wisdom. God wan ts that same earnestness from me. Seeking Him with everything that is in me.