Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Feel a Bit Whiney?

Good Wednesday morning! Bright, sunny morning here; the storm missed entirely and now we can enjoy the aftermath without the math. Sounds just wondermous! The roof is finished and the cats have calmed down once more. I think that the valley of death's shadow must sound like six men with hammers pounding on your roof with no sense of rhythm or melody. The cats would agree with me on that one! The wood frame construction of the homes we have does not lead one to substitute words like 'fortress' or 'castle', nope just ain't gonna happen. A man's home is the one that creaks in a stout breeze? Nope, doesn't have the same ring to it. Yet we count ourselves blessed because a thatched hut would stand up to even less, and a bed on the bare ground is not good even for sleeping most of the time.

A blessed life is a contented life. I don't mean that contentment that comes from tallying up the disadvantages either. Realizing or rationalizing that a castle is not desirable because castles are expensive to heat is not really contentment. Not wanting a bigger house because bigger houses are too much to clean is a poor kind of contentment too. How are we to become content then if finding disadvantages to some other situation is off limits? We can start with God. Are you content with God? I kind of feel guilty for even writing or thinking such a thing! However, I know that God is quite above my little questions. I cannot make our Lord any less than He is simply by asking the wrong questions. How can you and I not be content with the Almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, and all-wonderful Creator of the heavens and the earth? Well, He gave us the curse and it is so hard to live under.

God took care of that too! Salvation, freely given by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, is ours for the asking. We didn't earn it, can't buy it, don't have the strength of will to achieve it, and are in all ways unqualified to even claim it. Yet, Jesus died for our sins that we might have it freely. Complain against God? Shame on me for even having such thoughts in my little brain! Yet, God will answer our complaints, even those that we shouldn't have, and gave us His Word that we might read of other times when our heroes of the faith didn't feel or act very heroically. Paul didn't like his thorn in the flesh and wanted God to remove it. Peter probably didn't like putting his foot in his mouth several times, and he might wonder if we need to tell that bit about the rooster and the three denials in so many sermons. In our lives we might think or do the wrong things at times. We might even come up with a major whining complaint against God at some point. Don't try to hide it; bring it before God and let Him answer the charge. Above all, let the Holy Spirit comfort you. Jesus didn't send the Comforter because we are going to feel good all the time.

Have a blessed day in Christ, and listen to the comfort of the Comforter!

Bucky

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