I went away on vacation recently. But don’t you know, dear reader, that you can’t take a vacation from God? What I mean is, you can temporarily change your location and you can take a break from your daily routine…but when God has something for you to do—you just can’t get away.
In times of trouble and when faced with certain danger, it is so encouraging to know that God is there. And when we are walking in His way and serving Him the best way we can, we are so welcoming of His presence. But what about those times when we aren’t quite living up to our call? Are we as anxious to stand before Him?
I am reminded of Psalm 139, where David so eloquently states, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.” Of course, this is not a frustration with the omnipresence of God, but an overwhelming awe of the fulfillment of His promise to never leave or forsake us. Yet, when we are out of His will, this may take on a new meaning for us.
For example, when Jonah was called to preach against the city of Nineveh, he decided to decline God’s assignment. So he packed his bags and went on vacation! Well, sort of. He ran away toward the city of Tarshish. He never made it, though, as he was swallowed by a big fish while en route. So much for getting away, huh?
And if you remember way back in the beginning, after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, they tried to hide from His presence. But in the Garden of Eden, there was no place to hide their faces from Him. And even when they received their just punishment—banishment from the garden—God still watched over them.
Whether you work in ministry or serve from the pews, there may come a time where you feel like “taking a break.” It may come in the form of falling off from your responsibilities, or just getting lax in your prayer and Bible reading. The truth is, we can’t take “time off” from being Christians. Nor can we “get away” from the call on our lives.
Paul, who was a great worker in ministry, understood our human limitations. He encouraged the churches and warned them often to “faint not.” In 2 Corinthians 4:16, he offers the following words of encouragement, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” The irony is that our daily renewal, our very strength, comes from doing the very things that our bodies and minds are telling us that we’re too tired to do!
Next time you feel the urge to “get away” from the Lord’s will, try a staycation: Stay in prayer, stay in the Word, and stay in His presence. He will fill you with joy—and the joy of the Lord is your strength!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The End of Days
Birds fall from the sky. Dead fish wash up on the shores. Sickness and diseases strike in epidemic proportions. Wars and rumors of wars spread worldwide. For those who are Bible readers, these events sound pretty Apocalyptic. Could this very well be the end of days?
Depending on which news source you read, there’s a very good explanation for the recent sudden death of thousands of birds and fish worldwide. It’s either a natural phenomenon that humans have just happened to witness recently due to greater urbanization—or it’s an unexplained mystery that may be a sign of the upcoming end of the world. In recent years, there have been quite a few events that have caused folks to take a pause:
• Weather phenomena, such as El Niño, Hurricane Katrina, and the Indian Ocean tsunami
• The outbreak of the AIDS and SARS epidemics
• The rise and scope of terrorism, such as the September 11th attacks
But are these signs of the end of the world? The danger is that there tends to be 2 basic reactions: Too worried or completely apathetic.
Besides losing sleep and literally worrying themselves to death, those who are too worried run the risk of taking on a destructive outlook on life. Why bother to pursue one’s goals when the world is going to end anyway? Worry is a crippling state of mind. That’s why Matthew 6:25-34 warns us not to be consumed by such anxiety.
However, those who are completely apathetic may be overlooking an opportunity for salvation. With a “we’re all going to die, one way or the other” attitude, they may rarely stop to think about what happens afterward. But being “ready to die” is not quite the same as being prepared for eternal life. In Luke 17:26-29, Jesus mentions how people were obliviously going about everyday life in the days of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah, before great destruction overcame them all.
So what is the right balance? As Christians, we are certainly to look forward to the day of Christ’s return. And we know that destruction of the sinful world soon follows. But instead of getting caught up in things over which we have no control, we should focus on getting our lives right. And reach out to help others find salvation. Because when the end of days does come, we want to ensure that we’re on the right side of eternity!
Depending on which news source you read, there’s a very good explanation for the recent sudden death of thousands of birds and fish worldwide. It’s either a natural phenomenon that humans have just happened to witness recently due to greater urbanization—or it’s an unexplained mystery that may be a sign of the upcoming end of the world. In recent years, there have been quite a few events that have caused folks to take a pause:
• Weather phenomena, such as El Niño, Hurricane Katrina, and the Indian Ocean tsunami
• The outbreak of the AIDS and SARS epidemics
• The rise and scope of terrorism, such as the September 11th attacks
But are these signs of the end of the world? The danger is that there tends to be 2 basic reactions: Too worried or completely apathetic.
Besides losing sleep and literally worrying themselves to death, those who are too worried run the risk of taking on a destructive outlook on life. Why bother to pursue one’s goals when the world is going to end anyway? Worry is a crippling state of mind. That’s why Matthew 6:25-34 warns us not to be consumed by such anxiety.
However, those who are completely apathetic may be overlooking an opportunity for salvation. With a “we’re all going to die, one way or the other” attitude, they may rarely stop to think about what happens afterward. But being “ready to die” is not quite the same as being prepared for eternal life. In Luke 17:26-29, Jesus mentions how people were obliviously going about everyday life in the days of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah, before great destruction overcame them all.
So what is the right balance? As Christians, we are certainly to look forward to the day of Christ’s return. And we know that destruction of the sinful world soon follows. But instead of getting caught up in things over which we have no control, we should focus on getting our lives right. And reach out to help others find salvation. Because when the end of days does come, we want to ensure that we’re on the right side of eternity!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
$86,400
I recently came across a very interesting proposition in my church bulletin. The question was, “What if someone deposited $86,400 into your bank account daily? What would you do with it?” Of course the mind begins to race and one begins to imagine all that could be accomplished with this amount.
As I read on, I found that whatever you don’t use at the end of the day gets deleted from your account. The next day, you begin with $86,400 all over again. You can’t save from the day before or borrow against tomorrow’s deposit. So, to make the most of your daily allotment, you would have to spend wisely.
Oh, and by the way, I read that the deposits can end at any time, without any warning. Well, that made the proposition a little more interesting!
How would you handle your daily deposit? Would you spend it on the things you need? Would you give some away to worthy causes? Would you invest it in long-term initiatives? Would you waste it on nonsense?
They say “time is money” and this helps bring that analogy to life. The $86,400 represents the number of seconds we have in a day. Each day, you get a new deposit and you have to decide what to do with it. In reality, each of us gets the same amount. How do you choose to spend yours?
This year, let’s make the most of our daily deposits. Some of us have made resolutions for the things we want to accomplish in 2011. Well, we have 86,400 seconds each day to make it happen.
A great start would be tithing some of it back to God. Remember to set aside time daily to go before the Lord in prayer, spend time reading His Word, and listen to His guidance. When you turn it over to the Lord, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish with your 86,400!
Happy New Year, readers!
As I read on, I found that whatever you don’t use at the end of the day gets deleted from your account. The next day, you begin with $86,400 all over again. You can’t save from the day before or borrow against tomorrow’s deposit. So, to make the most of your daily allotment, you would have to spend wisely.
Oh, and by the way, I read that the deposits can end at any time, without any warning. Well, that made the proposition a little more interesting!
How would you handle your daily deposit? Would you spend it on the things you need? Would you give some away to worthy causes? Would you invest it in long-term initiatives? Would you waste it on nonsense?
They say “time is money” and this helps bring that analogy to life. The $86,400 represents the number of seconds we have in a day. Each day, you get a new deposit and you have to decide what to do with it. In reality, each of us gets the same amount. How do you choose to spend yours?
This year, let’s make the most of our daily deposits. Some of us have made resolutions for the things we want to accomplish in 2011. Well, we have 86,400 seconds each day to make it happen.
A great start would be tithing some of it back to God. Remember to set aside time daily to go before the Lord in prayer, spend time reading His Word, and listen to His guidance. When you turn it over to the Lord, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish with your 86,400!
Happy New Year, readers!
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