Light dawns in the darkness for the upright. He is gracious, merciful and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends. Who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved. He will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news. His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. (Verses 4-7)
Comme ci comme ca. Que sera, sera. What goes around comes around. You gotta take the good with the bad. Easy come, easy go. Life is a crap shoot. You are what you think...or eat. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Religion is the opiate of the masses.
I've heard several people lately discuss the meaning of life, or rather the meaninglessness of it. Especially in terms of its ups and downs. A few of my friends are influenced by Eastern religious thought. Guided by Buddhist teachings, fascinated by the multitude of Hindu gods. Or just convinced by the vicissitudes of life that it's rather random. That we need a pattern of thinking that will get us through somehow. And that is why we make up God...or gods. To make sense of what is nonsensical and confusing about living on Earth. It seems to them that we chart the course, for the good or the bad. We make lemonade or drink the bitter offerings handed to us by a desultory universe. There might be guiding principles, certainly Buddhism abounds with them, to prod us to live in the moment, to meditate and quiet our busy interior selves down. Hindu gods reveal themselves in yoga asanas. Group chanting makes the experience corporate and soothing. But the expectation isn't that one will find life purpose this way. At least not according to my friends. The purpose is to be able to live in the present - the now. To cope. And if there is understanding of the broader universe, it is in relation to finding the interior strength to live today in a world awash with various pleasures and pain and the peace is an end in itself.
I love my friends, so this isn't a diatribe about Eastern religions. It's only a simple comparison. With my God. With His world view. To reveal there is, in the mind and heart of the God of the Bible to whom I am privileged to relate as Father to daughter, true Light in darkness. True purpose in pain. A plan for each life that is intricately woven into the fabric of history with an imprint as infinitely unique as is each snowflake--each fingerprint. My God is intentionally relational. He doesn't just spout esoteric one-liners for my edification and His glory. God, my Father, takes my hand and walks with me through this life He's given me. Yes, there are things God desires of me. Statutes that make me better able to live in the now...and forever. But I'm not left to chant them into my heart or meditate over them for meaning. If I wake to meditate in the early morning hours, I'm speaking to the One True God Who hasn't hidden Himself in the forms of idols nor divided Himself into smaller, lesser gods. I have relationship with God because He loves me...and you...personally. Has known us since before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1). Life isn't a crap shoot. It sometimes feels like it. Even to Christians, but that is why our hope is so important. Why prayer is more than the rote chantings of religion. It's my heart-to-heart with the One Who controls it all.
So when bad news comes, and it does to everyone, I have an anchor. I know some think I made Him up so I could survive the bad times. My opiate to keep from thinking more deeply about this world and its pain. That couldn't be further from the truth. First of all, I'd never make up a god who is my father. I wouldn't even think to do that. My god would have to be all powerful, therefore vengeful and angry with everything that angers me. He'd give me whatever I asked for. He'd be very small minded because I am. But my God challenges me personally every day, just like any good father. Corrects me. Leads me. Loves me. Sings over me. Holds me. Teaches me. Guides me. Laughs with me. Cries with me. Walks with me. Talks with me. He is not my opiate. He is my iron lung. He is my beating heart. It is He Who whispers in my ear, "Go this way."
What if I am right...and the Bible is correct...about this God? Then every life has purpose and each of us is precious to the God over all gods. He lives to bring us to Him. Promises that even the bad times work for our good and His glory (Romans 8). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit living within us enabling us to navigate the life expected of us by our God. It is an amazing package. Christianity. Why would anyone settle for less? A loving God who deals justly with injustice, Who empowers us to live in a confusing, out of control world, by indwelling our very souls, a Father Whose purpose is to grow us up and bring us home to His glorious dwelling place, and a path that is lit for us as we endeavor to walk it hand-in-hand with Him. If' I'm wrong, I will have lived for more than getting through, because if all the gods are a product of our desiring to cope with planet Earth, mine wins, hands down.
Comme ci comme ca. Que sera, sera. What goes around comes around. You gotta take the good with the bad. Easy come, easy go. Life is a crap shoot. You are what you think...or eat. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Religion is the opiate of the masses.
I've heard several people lately discuss the meaning of life, or rather the meaninglessness of it. Especially in terms of its ups and downs. A few of my friends are influenced by Eastern religious thought. Guided by Buddhist teachings, fascinated by the multitude of Hindu gods. Or just convinced by the vicissitudes of life that it's rather random. That we need a pattern of thinking that will get us through somehow. And that is why we make up God...or gods. To make sense of what is nonsensical and confusing about living on Earth. It seems to them that we chart the course, for the good or the bad. We make lemonade or drink the bitter offerings handed to us by a desultory universe. There might be guiding principles, certainly Buddhism abounds with them, to prod us to live in the moment, to meditate and quiet our busy interior selves down. Hindu gods reveal themselves in yoga asanas. Group chanting makes the experience corporate and soothing. But the expectation isn't that one will find life purpose this way. At least not according to my friends. The purpose is to be able to live in the present - the now. To cope. And if there is understanding of the broader universe, it is in relation to finding the interior strength to live today in a world awash with various pleasures and pain and the peace is an end in itself.
I love my friends, so this isn't a diatribe about Eastern religions. It's only a simple comparison. With my God. With His world view. To reveal there is, in the mind and heart of the God of the Bible to whom I am privileged to relate as Father to daughter, true Light in darkness. True purpose in pain. A plan for each life that is intricately woven into the fabric of history with an imprint as infinitely unique as is each snowflake--each fingerprint. My God is intentionally relational. He doesn't just spout esoteric one-liners for my edification and His glory. God, my Father, takes my hand and walks with me through this life He's given me. Yes, there are things God desires of me. Statutes that make me better able to live in the now...and forever. But I'm not left to chant them into my heart or meditate over them for meaning. If I wake to meditate in the early morning hours, I'm speaking to the One True God Who hasn't hidden Himself in the forms of idols nor divided Himself into smaller, lesser gods. I have relationship with God because He loves me...and you...personally. Has known us since before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1). Life isn't a crap shoot. It sometimes feels like it. Even to Christians, but that is why our hope is so important. Why prayer is more than the rote chantings of religion. It's my heart-to-heart with the One Who controls it all.
So when bad news comes, and it does to everyone, I have an anchor. I know some think I made Him up so I could survive the bad times. My opiate to keep from thinking more deeply about this world and its pain. That couldn't be further from the truth. First of all, I'd never make up a god who is my father. I wouldn't even think to do that. My god would have to be all powerful, therefore vengeful and angry with everything that angers me. He'd give me whatever I asked for. He'd be very small minded because I am. But my God challenges me personally every day, just like any good father. Corrects me. Leads me. Loves me. Sings over me. Holds me. Teaches me. Guides me. Laughs with me. Cries with me. Walks with me. Talks with me. He is not my opiate. He is my iron lung. He is my beating heart. It is He Who whispers in my ear, "Go this way."
What if I am right...and the Bible is correct...about this God? Then every life has purpose and each of us is precious to the God over all gods. He lives to bring us to Him. Promises that even the bad times work for our good and His glory (Romans 8). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit living within us enabling us to navigate the life expected of us by our God. It is an amazing package. Christianity. Why would anyone settle for less? A loving God who deals justly with injustice, Who empowers us to live in a confusing, out of control world, by indwelling our very souls, a Father Whose purpose is to grow us up and bring us home to His glorious dwelling place, and a path that is lit for us as we endeavor to walk it hand-in-hand with Him. If' I'm wrong, I will have lived for more than getting through, because if all the gods are a product of our desiring to cope with planet Earth, mine wins, hands down.
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