“…chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven–things into which angels long to look. Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (I Peter 1:2-13 NASB)
Month: July 2011
The Rock
When I was a boy, my family and I would travel from Columbia, S.C. to Clinton, S.C. on a regular basis. I can’t remember now exactly where it was; but, there was this huge rock off the shoulder of the interstate, and people would paint it, write on it, and so on. All through my childhood, down through the years, I would always see that rock when we traveled. I changed, my family changed, but the rock was a constant.
David referred to the Lord as his “rock”. I don’t know about you, but when I think of a rock in light of David’s appropriation of the term, I think of an immovable object, something strong and durable which remains constant though the landscape around it changes.
The landscape of our lives change all the time. The dynamics of relationships, our roles within certain situations, you name it, it all is subject to change; and, change can be unnerving to say the least. We like things to remain constant; we are creatures of routine and habit who view change with suspicion. This brings me back to The Rock.
When our lives are built upon relationships, jobs (ministries), money, etc…, a sudden, unexpected change can send us spiraling into fear and uncertainty. A life founded upon The Rock can endure and remain unshaken even though everything around it changes. Simply put, if my life is built on “things”, I change when they change; however, if my life is built upon Jesus, the consistency of my life is ensured in that He NEVER CHANGES. The Bible says that “we are hidden in Him”, hidden in that strong, durable, immovable Rock. So, when change comes (and it surely will), we have a solid foundation in Christ. He is the Constant!
“…Behold, I lay in Zion a Choice Stone, a Precious Corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” (IPeter 2:6 NASB)
Preach it Lebron
I don’t know if he meant to, but Lebron James provided true insight with his post game comments after failing to win the NBA Championship. When asked if it bothered him that so many people wanted him to fail he replied:
“Absolutely not,” James said. “Because at the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live . . . They can get a few days or a few months on being happy about not only myself but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal, but they have to get back to the real world at some point.”
No matter what we turn to to derive some happiness, some fulfillment ,or some diversion from the grind of just being alive, eventually it’s over and we are left with “the real world”. Preach it Lebron.
Check out what Jesus has to say: “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
And again,
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
To we who live in a country where we have any form of diversion or amusement you could dream of, Jesus invites us to come and drink from reality- Himself.
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