Good Morning,
My desk is a little cluttered as I write today and that is needs to change later today, My cup of Door County Creme Coffee has a secure place on the desk and now it is time to write.
I have been watching a middle aged man make changes in his life that are for the good. He has decided to give a better effort in following the Lord. But as he tries to align himself with the Word of God some of the changes he is attempting to make are at times painful. Yet they are much needed. When this man, like many of us also do, reaches a fork in the road and has to make a choice, he often tends to choose the road easiest to take and the one most to his liking. He will endure the hardships the wrong choice of his brings with it. He fails to see the importance of total surrender to God and living for His will and not his own.
This has been painful to watch and has caused me to look back on my life and see that some of the calamity I endured was brought on by myself. I think we can all point to a time or forty when we did the same thing. You could call it our "days of rebellion". In some instances we choose to shirk responsibility because it brings some discomfort, pain, or irritation.
Have you ever considered that you are worth a whole lot to God? And that you deserve the best. The best is the road traveled with Him directing your way. Yet He allows us to choose the path we want to take and waits on us to come back filled with guilt, frustration and despair. He cleans us up and forgives our rebellion, then sets us on the path we should have taken to begin with. The "I told you so" comes from within our hearts through our own repentance, shame and guilt.
I want to look at two passages today that are often spoke of but the burning intent is often brushed off.
Matthew 6:10 They Kingdom come, They will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.
This is often said while reciting or praying the Lord's Prayer. Although said often, it is easily not taken seriously. Heaven is a perfect place with no pain or sorrow. Only the perfect will of God is observed there. That is how it remains perfect and peaceful. Several angels decided to try and impose their will in heaven and were booted out never to return. To observe and practice "Thy will be done" takes patience, love for the Father, and discipline to surrender to His leadership.
Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses it for my sake will find it.
In this passage we see that those choosing to lead our own life, often has us spending much time on the wrong path and could actually say that we have lost a portion of our lives to our own folly. Yet those on the path led by God, find life's choices blessed with God's attention, direction and peace even during trying circumstances. And either way there will always be trying times. But we can have a Guide through those times.
Not following God and His will sure can help us to waste a lot of time.
Friday, food for thought.
Marty
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