Good Tuesday morning! Most of the flat spaces in this house are available to the cats, but I do hold the kitchen counters off limits. In every other case, the cats will jump up wherever they can, if they can see at least some of what's going on up there. This morning, the Capt looked at one particular spot, but couldn't see enough room to leap. Flat spaces in the house also tend to collect things that I don't want to carry with me. Cats will of course try to look before they leap as the old saying goes. Then we have Jesus.
We hear about the Word, the life-saving Way, and the awe-inspiring Wonder of Jesus, but we want to look at things up on that high shelf. We don't want to just leap up there. Jesus told his disciples to count the cost of following Him, and tried to tell them about what was ahead for those following Him. One time He even said that they would forget what He had warned them about, but then remember that He had told them when it happened. That sounds so like us, doesn't it?
We try to count the cost, and we try to look up there where Jesus is leading us. We hear our Lord say, "Trust me!" Then we try to look just one more time before following Him up the narrow way. We have to learn to trust in our Lord completely. We always want to read the completion as the start.
Eh? "Completion as the start?" Paul told us that he had learned to be content in all situations. Fine, we say, but we read it as "have always been content in all situations." Paul didn't gain his contentment at salvation, never to worry about things ever again. Paul learned to be content. That means he did the same as all learners. He looked at where he was and came to the conclusion that he had much to learn; then he began the step by step journey toward contentment in all situations. Trusting in Jesus requires that same learning, as does love, patience, kindness, and the many other fruits of the Spirit.
The first steps of learning are always humbling. We look at Paul's contentment and look at our constant whining, and wonder if we will ever learn to be content in all situations. Don't be fooled by the lies of the adversary. No doubt the Holy Spirit has brought you far in your journey toward Heaven. I am sure that even at the end Paul was assaulted by thoughts, whispers in the spiritual ear, about how things could be better. When we believe in Jesus, we will gain the attention of the adversary and his minions. Take the opportunity to learn complete trust in Jesus. When the hot lies of the devil poke at you, call out to the Lord! There is enough room in His heart for all of us!
Bucky
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