Sunday afternoon we attended the 5th Sunday Fellowship at Shiloh Baptist Church in Waterloo. (A gathering of Southern Baptist churches in the northeast association get together every fifth Sunday at a different member church for song, praise, worship, food, fellowship.) We went early as well to sit in on an Introduction to Disaster Relief. It was all very interesting and left me with wanting more ... more information, more fellowship, more listening, more of God.
Shiloh's pastor, Darin Ulmer gave a thoughtful message, "Blessed be the name of the Lord," from Job 1: 6-21. In sad times, bad times, not just the good times, we are to bless the Lord. Even when things don't turn around the way we desire them too. Job lost all - his animals, his servants, his children, even his health left much to be desired, but he never gave in. He continued to bless the Lord. In verse 21, Job says, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Today's devotional, titled "Waiting for Joy," took me to 2 Corinthians 4:8-18. Verse 18 says, So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."
Scripture says our troubles will "soon" be over, but that word soon is relative. Frequently, soon can't be soon enough. It's in God's thinking. To God our troubles will soon be over, because to Him 1000 years is as 1 day and vice versa. We can be afflicted with much Trouble* - physical, emotional and mental health covering the gamut from housing, employment, transportation, friends, family. In our way of thinking and dealing with it, it sometimes lasts a long time, maybe years. And we are to bless the Lord through all. God wants us to think on eternal things, focus our minds there, rather than on the trouble here ... eventually the wait (ing) will be over and our joy will be fulfilled ... when we depart from our earthly bodies to our heavenly bodies. When there will be no more pain or sorrow. Until then, however, we are to strive to stay focused on the Lord Jesus, no other. Focused and obedient. Thankful and blessful.
Tis hard. But the results, the eternal reward tis so worth it.
*Trouble - I received an email in this morning from The Society of Professional Obituary Writers, stating: "Andrew McKie, no longer obits editor at Daily Telegraph," a newspaper in London. Comments could be left on the Obituary Forum. People will always die, death is a fact of life, and someone has to write about them,... don't they? No job is safe, even though you may think differently. Changes are on the upswing. Change is also a fact of life.
We are still to bless the Lord in all of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment