Good Thursday morning! With around 40° of difference in the temp between yesterday morning and now, we feel a little bit spunky so far this morning. Even the cats are up and at 'em today. New England on the other hand... well New England has a buncha' more snow, on top of that other stuff they were going on about around New Year's. Hmm, there is so much more activity going on out there this morning that one cat may have to spend the morning outside if'n it don't stop soon. The question for us this morning is: How much do you trust Jesus?
Do you trust Jesus to save your eternal life as in John 3:16, but then turn to your own abilities when it comes to financial matters? Do you trust Jesus when the ghost story leaves you trembling under the covers, but then despair in your weakness over the vague pain in your body. Do you trust Jesus in words, but then trust only in your own actions? If you are guilty of that last one, then no doubt you have felt the despair of having no action to take. When a child is suffering from a sickness that even the doctor's don't fully understand we are left helpless. Without placing our faith and trust in God, the financial forces of the world will overwhelm our ability to manage money, our savings, and even our homes. Without complete trust in God, we may be left unable to get out of bed until an earthquake sends us scrambling to get out of the house. Without God's help, we might be unable to get out of bed due to some unforeseen illness, earthquake or not. People have become fitness fanatics only to die of heart failure well before old age. People have tried to find a chemical fountain of youth only to die of old age. Religious people the world over have come up with systems and methods to save themselves, but only one man could say, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." The one man who could save himself, and in fact didn't need salvation, chose to die for the sins of the world. Why do we keep trying to save ourselves in diverse ways and truths?
Without God's constant protection, none of us would be where we are now. Yet so few acknowledge Him and are content with where God has placed them and what God has provided for them. Tragedies and trials come and we cry out, "Why me, Lord?" What would happen if we trusted in God and asked, "Why not me, Lord? For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" That turning of our faith from our weakness to God's strength may be difficult during a trial. But who do we call out to when things are at the worst? Does it really help to tell yourself that YOU can do it when the you already knows that it ain't gonna happen? Christians have often been accused of various mental deficiencies when we have that faithful attitude of gratitude that says, "I can do this through Christ in HIS name!" But many of us have discovered long ago that our own strength is just not enough in this world. Oh, we do continue to fight the desire to be strong in our own right until one by one, our strong towers are knocked down by the world. A person blessed by good health and long life will feel the approach of death and old age. A person blessed with superior financial abilities will face worry and possibly ruin when the economy "heads south" as they say. An athlete might be on top of the world until an injury sidelines him for the remainder of his life. There is only one strong tower that is sufficient, and it ain't in me!
At some point those who believe in Jesus are helped along by the fact that like Thomas we have no idea how to get to the afterlife, much less that place where Jesus went. Dying is only the end of this life, not a pathway that we can follow to Heaven. Not only did Jesus tell us that he is the Way, he also told us that he is the gate and the Good Shepherd. Looks like all of us poor, weak, and blind sheep don't have to worry about following a path through the wilderness. The Good Shepherd will take us in by the Gate, lead us in Truth on the Way, and bring us to Life in His Heavenly Home! What do we have to do to earn all this favor? Believe in Jesus, the Son of the Living God!
Sounds too easy. As a man who has believed in Jesus for many years, I can tell you that the journey is not easy and this life is indeed a wilderness. The start of that journey, that first coming to belief and faith in Jesus is not easy for many either. So difficult is it to turn from the world and our own abilities that many will never take that first step toward surrender to Jesus. Personal success in the world is perhaps the most difficult of all things to overcome. Of course a person who has wealth, strength, and health will find it easy to believe in their own ability! Now we know why the trials and tragedies come in this life: God has to get our attention somehow, else all of us would merrily bounce down the wide path to Hell and eternal destruction. The next time some small or large trial arrives in my life, I will remember to pray a prayer of gratitude that once more this hard world has reminded me that God is right here with me. In Christ, the best efforts of the world and its prince to crush us only serve to remind us of our Lord Jesus and His redeeming love.
Have a much better day in Christ Jesus!
Bucky
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