Job 1:20-22

“So long as we live in this world we cannot escape suffering and temptation.”
Thomas a’ Kempis

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
In you, O God, I place my trust
Do not let me be put to shame
Nor let my enemies triumph over me
My hope is you
Show me your ways
Guide me in Truth
In all my days
My hope is you
I am, O Lord, filled with your love
You are, O God, my salvation
Guard my life and rescue me
My broken spirit shouts
My mended heart cries out...
My hope is you
Show me your ways
Guide me in Truth
In all my days
My hope is you

Lyrics by Mac Powell / Music by Third Day
From the recording: Conspiracy No. 5, Track #7.

Romans 8:31

 

“When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without whom he can do no good.”

            Thomas a’ Kempis

 

How many classic stories of good vs. evil are built around some sort of invincible charm, potion, weapon, amulet, or talisman?  Too many to count.  You can almost hear the villain, “As soon as I get (fill in the blank) - I will rule the world!!”  Invariably, someone stands up to them.  Some unexpected and almost unwilling hero rises to the occasion to defeat the evil.  “Lord of the Rings,” “Spiderman,” “Batman,” “X-Men,” “Shakes the Clown,” even movies like “Lethal Weapon” are built on this plot line.  Every Jesus follower has the potential to be a hero of this caliber with consequences that will reverberate through eternity.

 

Paul writes the thoughts referenced above and too many times they are taken out of context.  For God to be for us, we have to be for Him.  That is the way it works.  God tells that if we do A, He will step in and do B.  That is a simple explanation of a covenant, but that is how it works.  We have to step out in faith - trusting and believing that He will be there.  Ten times out of ten, He will be there.  That is just who He is.  He asks us to trust in Him, do something about it, and then see how He fills in the unknowns.  That is just how God rolls.

 

It starts with us realizing how much we need Him.  We can try and fill our lives with things and people and stuff we shouldn’t do, but it will never be enough.  The only one who is enough to fill that space inside is God.  He made us that way.  He wants us to want Him.  He will never force Himself on anyone.  Realizing that true happiness and satisfaction and peace can only be found in a deep, growing relationship with God is the greatest thing one can ever discover.  Only in the power that comes from Him can we change our world in ways we may never know until we all show up in Heaven.  Only in Him.

Genesis 39:20-21

“It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory.”
Thomas a’ Kempis

Yesterday it was Sam, today it is Aragorn. By far, my favorite character from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Viggo Mortensen portrayed the reluctant king so well. He is the rightful heir to the throne, but he chooses a life of obscurity in the borderlands instead of claiming what is rightfully his. He has his reasons, but from what we can learn from the books, he just doesn’t feel worthy. Now, I am not coming close to comparing myself to Aragorn or Joseph in Genesis, but a little humility is something that will do anybody good.

One of things that I think God is trying to teach me as of late is just that - I need to work on my humility. I need to work on putting the needs of others well before mine. I need to shut my one mouth and use my two ears, two eyes, two hands, and two feet more. Coming to grips with the fact that following Jesus is built on not just loving people but showing them that love with concrete actions. Doing that takes work. It is hard to go against everything our society tells us. So many are telling us to do whatever makes us feel good. What about doing something to make someone else feel good?

God wants me to be full of Him, not me. Being full of me is going to make me a pretty shallow and obnoxious person. Being full of God is going to keep my eyes on Him and give me a heart after His. The things that make Him sad will make me sad. The things that make Him smile will make me smile. Having that heart, that focus, that life is what following Jesus is all about. That’s what I want to be about. I want to be about Jesus. What do you want to be about? What are you going to do about it today?