All the political news these days is pretty grim: the whole middle east in turmoil and threatening to coalesce into a caliphate; South American countries become more communist and anti-American; unions organizing to fight for their own interests, no matter what the interests of the country might be; strong anti-Christian and anti-Israel sentiment around the world; our debt mounting and China, who holds most of it, not exactly a friend of the US; threatening collapse of the dollar. What is the answer to times like these when one might seriously think that the end times may come in one's lifetime?
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, not rulers, nor things present, nor things yet to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)
I worry a lot. I am just a fearful person by nature. I am not an optimist. So this encouragement in the face of today's news comforts me.
"I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me and set me in large places. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me? The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me." (Psalm 118:5-7)
This is the antidote to my fear: call upon the Lord in my distress. No matter how bad things might get, I can always call upon Him.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT PATH: Reflections on how faith and political realities combine.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sleeping Dogs
I was reading in Isaiah 56:9-12
All you beasts of the field, come to devour- all you beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. The shepherds also have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. "Come," they say, "Let us get wine, let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure."
Does this passage not describe Americans today? To be fair, many people all over the world. We are slumbering, not paying any attention to those beasts who come to devour us, easily catching us off guard. We are concerned with our pleasures. We think that how it is is how it will always be. No need to worry about the future. We are full of pride, thinking no one will challenge us, no one will come to take away what we have. And our leaders are without vision, oblivious because they have their own agenda, each trying to increase his own power and influence.
What of the righteous? "The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands." (Isaiah 57:1) In this culture, Christian people are ignored as being 'not with it' so no one cares if they are cut off.
The rest of this chapter talks about all the ways the culture is turning from God: deceitful, lustful, worshiping the world, shameless, looking everywhere for new things to tantalize - even as far as hell, finding new strength in new sins. God questions, "Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not give me a thought? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and so you do not fear me?" (verse 11) How many go about their lives taking no thought of God? Many, many of our children, my own included, think that faith in God is unnecessary; their lives seem to be going along just as they like without God. Verses 17 and 18 "Because of the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry; but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart." This generation is enamored with stuff; everyone's closet are full and many have to rent storage units to contain all the things they have but don't even use. God must heal these slumbering dogs.
But as for the wicked, solidified in their evil ways: "But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked." In this world there are many wicked people. They strive for their own gain and power. They think that eventually they can rule the whole world, as in the days of the Tower of Bable. God alone is fit to rule the world.
Beware, therefore, things will not always be as they have been; never in the history of the world has this happened. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Get wisdom.
All you beasts of the field, come to devour- all you beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. The shepherds also have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. "Come," they say, "Let us get wine, let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure."
Does this passage not describe Americans today? To be fair, many people all over the world. We are slumbering, not paying any attention to those beasts who come to devour us, easily catching us off guard. We are concerned with our pleasures. We think that how it is is how it will always be. No need to worry about the future. We are full of pride, thinking no one will challenge us, no one will come to take away what we have. And our leaders are without vision, oblivious because they have their own agenda, each trying to increase his own power and influence.
What of the righteous? "The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands." (Isaiah 57:1) In this culture, Christian people are ignored as being 'not with it' so no one cares if they are cut off.
The rest of this chapter talks about all the ways the culture is turning from God: deceitful, lustful, worshiping the world, shameless, looking everywhere for new things to tantalize - even as far as hell, finding new strength in new sins. God questions, "Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not give me a thought? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and so you do not fear me?" (verse 11) How many go about their lives taking no thought of God? Many, many of our children, my own included, think that faith in God is unnecessary; their lives seem to be going along just as they like without God. Verses 17 and 18 "Because of the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry; but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart." This generation is enamored with stuff; everyone's closet are full and many have to rent storage units to contain all the things they have but don't even use. God must heal these slumbering dogs.
But as for the wicked, solidified in their evil ways: "But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked." In this world there are many wicked people. They strive for their own gain and power. They think that eventually they can rule the whole world, as in the days of the Tower of Bable. God alone is fit to rule the world.
Beware, therefore, things will not always be as they have been; never in the history of the world has this happened. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Get wisdom.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Retired?
I didn't expect this. I thought that it was surely several years off. But instead it has come like falling off a cliff. I am still in free fall. I don't know where I will land or in what condition. Some days I feel positive, seeing signs that God is caring for us and some days I am scared witless, feeling like I am staring into a black hole where I might at any moment run smack into the bottom with no warning.
More than anything this is a journey of faith. God quietly shut down our business but He has not yet revealed what shall be for us. He preserved my husband's life with a triple by-pass which prevented a certain, fatal heart attack, so we know He has a plan. It is so hard to be still and wait for the Lord. Patience and fortitude, gifts of the Spirit, needed now.
More than anything this is a journey of faith. God quietly shut down our business but He has not yet revealed what shall be for us. He preserved my husband's life with a triple by-pass which prevented a certain, fatal heart attack, so we know He has a plan. It is so hard to be still and wait for the Lord. Patience and fortitude, gifts of the Spirit, needed now.
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