Good Wednesday morning! Spring marches on, or in our case, blows right on by through the night. Word has it that if we want any spring, we will once again have to chase it down today. Yesterday, I learned that wheelbarrow wheels come in different bearing sizes, and that it works better if you have the correct one. I did manage to get the correct wheel and tire size, but didn't quite have all the numbers I needed when placing the order. Of course, without a wheel, you just have a barrow; a thing apparently only good for planting your body in. However, if you have two wheels, you also get a barrow and can then become a street vendor in jolly old England. I'm not sure if some joke is implied there, but two wheels - barrow; one wheel - wheelbarrow; no wheels - barrow. If you can't figure out the English language, don't worry you ain't alone!
Jesus was placed in a barrow, the ancient burial place that is, for a brief time. I have often thought that our symbol should be the empty tomb, but I don't have the artistic ability to draw one, at least not one that anyone would recognize. People would say, "What is that?" to my drawing of an open tomb or barrow. Funny thing is they say much the same thing about my drawings of crosses. Have you ever noticed that we all desire to do everything well? We have a desire to be the greatest artist: "Your stick figures really speak to my lighter emotions! I take it the little triangles denote the female characters then?" We also want to be the professional baseball player: "I wrote a nice novel while you ran to first base there. It's not every day you see the batter thrown out at first by the left fielder!" Maybe a jet fighter pilot is your dream: "Wow, I've never seen someone eject before taking off before!" Not all of our dreams work out as we wanted them to in our youth.
In your life, you may have been told quite a few things that you cannot do. I have been told many times that I cannot drive without my corrective lenses. They even print the restriction on my driver's license. I beg to differ. If someone would be kind enough to clear the streets of traffic and parked cars, lock up all the kids and small animals, and stopped the trains, I could probably drive down to the courthouse and prove to them that my driving without glasses or contact lenses is in the realm of possibility. However, they might also find me several hours later stopped in the street waiting for a tree to cross the road. Sometimes it is better if one person accepts his 'cannot' for the safety of all other persons involved. Sometimes a 'cannot' is not entirely true. I could play baseball, but at the professional level people pay to watch those who are really good at what they do; I do not fall into that category when it comes to baseball. I could also pilot a jet fighter for a little while, probably even manage to get it off the ground, but again governments are about the only organizations who have enough loot to buy jet fighter planes and they typically don't want to lose them on the first flight. It is much better for the taxpayers if I am kept well away from the fighter planes. Mostly because unlike professional baseball, if I had access to a jet fighter I might be tempted to give it a try. Some 'cannots' need to be reinforced by higher authority.
God gives us several thing that we are not allowed to do. Obeying these ground rules will not save any of us from Adam's sin, only Jesus can do that. On the other hand, obeying God's rules for living is better and safer for us. Sexual immorality results in all manner of dire consequences. Without sexual immorality we would not have terms like sexually transmitted disease, or cheating on a spouse, or adultery, or infidelity, and the list goes on. God doesn't give us his "do nots" for his own good, but for our benefit. We strive to obey our Lord not because we have to, but to show our love for our Father in Heaven. When we take up the challenge to obey God, we are in for the war of our lives. Not only will we fight the Adversary, but we will war against the urges of our own flesh. That doesn't seem like a fair fight.
And it wouldn't be if we had to do it in our own strength. The Spirit reminds us of scripture in this: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) Who is this person in the world? Both the Adversary and your own physical lusts. Who is in you? Both the Holy Spirit and your own heart. While we are still here in this world, we have the war within us. John is telling us that our desire to obey and the Holy Spirit within us are greater than our lusts of the flesh and the temptations from the Adversary. We are not alone in this fight! Trust in God and take up the fight to do right. With the Spirit in you, you are stronger than you know!
Bucky
No comments:
Post a Comment