Why? Why?

As I was meditating, I begin reflecting on why all the problems why all the hassles in life. Don't get me wrong I have been truly blessed in life, and in general have a wonderful life. But each day is always filled with a hundred little hassles, worries that try to grab my time. Then I read:

Romans 8:38 (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)

For I have come through a process of persuasion to the settled conclusion that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things about to come nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A process of persuasion just maybe that is what this is all about, I am going through process of persuasion so that I can come to the settled conclusion that nothing can separate me from HIS love. It does appear to be working.

Thank You LORD

Hope for Me

Matthew 17:24-28 (New Living Translation)

24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the tax collectors for the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?"
25 "Of course he does," Peter replied. Then he went into the house to talk to Jesus about it.
But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the foreigners they have conquered?"
26 "They tax the foreigners," Peter replied. "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free!
27 However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a coin. Take the coin and pay the tax for both of us."

When Peter told them yes my master pays the temple tax, he spoke hastily. He did not take time to talk with Jesus. He just opened his mouth and spoke. Afterwards Peter does not bring this to Jesus whether it was because he knew he had spoken wrongly or because he did not consider it significance we do not know. What the consequence of Peters action with the tax collectors would have been we do not know. We do know Jesus considered it important enough to speak to Peter and then take care of the situation.

SIGNIFICANCE

One of the main problems of growing old is that a person loses all sense of significance. Their significance has been dependent on their job or their family. Now when they retire from their job and are no longer needed as a parent, they lose their sense of significance and worth.
The solution to this loss of personal significance is Jesus. To experience the solution the person must accept the death of Christ as payment for his sins, this bridges the gap between him and God. Then a person must acknowledge Christ's right to direct and control his life. When he does this he brings his life in line with the Creator as His obedient creature.
When a person has done these two things he is put in a position where he can center his life in the context of God's will. The person becomes alive to God and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who is working God's will in him. Now each moment of the person's life is part of a meaningful whole, the context of which is the eternal purpose of the sovereign God of the universe.
So the person's life as a whole and in every detail has significance, in the will and purpose of God. This significance will not fade with retirement from a job or with the departure of one's children. Jobs will come to an end. One's children will grow and leave, but God and his will, always will give significance and meaning to life.

Dependant

2 Chronicles 14:8-20 (New Living Translation)

8 King Asa had an army of 300,000 warriors from the tribe of Judah, armed with large shields and spears. He also had an army of 280,000 warriors from the tribe of Benjamin, armed with small shields and bows. Both armies were composed of well-trained fighting men.
9 Once an Ethiopian named Zerah attacked Judah with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. They advanced to the town of Mareshah,
10 so Asa deployed his armies for battle in the valley north of Mareshah.
11 Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”
12 So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled.
13 Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar, and so many Ethiopians fell that they were unable to rally. They were destroyed by the Lord and his army, and the army of Judah carried off a vast amount of plunder.

King Asa had a large army 580,000 man over a half a million, that is allot of warriors. But he also had a problem, the Ethiopian army had 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. So he was out numbered almost two to one. Then it says King Asa cried out to GOD "no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty!" then GOD did it. I am struck by the word "So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah". It did not say that GOD gave the army of King Asa the ability and each warrior killed two Ethiopian warriors and they all ganged up on the 300 chariots. It says the LORD defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of King Asa army. All glory and honor and power belong to the LORD alone.

Just a Thought

One night while my wife and I were walking at the lake, seeing all the people who were walking with their dogs I felt it would be neat to walk with my cat at the lake. After a brief moment I put logic to my thought and realized how stupid it was. My cat has in thirteen years never has been outside except when traveling in her cage. She has never known anything but carpet under her paws, the biggest world she has ever known is about 1500 square feet. If I took her to the lake she would freak-out there would be to many different smells, sounds and people. If she could see the real world she could not handle it would be too much. If I tell her she is not in Texas but now lives in North Carolina it means nothing to her. She cannot understand there is no way to communicate these things to her. I discard my idea of walking at the lake with my cat. Then my thoughts turned to how much of the real world do I understand and experience. My cat thinks a 900 square foot apartment is reality. I think the life I have experienced here on earth for the last 55 or so years is reality. But something will happen one day and I will see reality.

1 Thessalonians 4: 16 – 18

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words

1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known

Again and Again

I read Psalm 106 the story that has repeated again and again.

6 Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted Wickedly!
7 Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.
8 Even so, he saved them— to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power.
9 He commanded the Red Sea to dry up. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.
10 So he rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes.
11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived.
12 Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise.
13 Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!
14 In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.

God showed me this story during the first year of my christian walk and now thirty-three years later I still repeat it in my own life. I complain then God does a great miracle I complain. How quickly I forget the great miracles God has done in my life. It is only what are you God going to about the thing that makes me uncomfortable today.

As Paul says to Timothy in chapter six

6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

Contentment something I have seldom known. Oh Lord forgive me and help me to be content with what you have provided and to be thankfully for you have already done. It has so much more than I ever deserved or expected out of life.