WARNING
PREACHY
I am
overwhelmed when I really think of it: Why do I seem to have the blessing of God
when most of the rest of the world does not?
Why do I
live in America and born in a time of such prosperity? I have never known hunger, I have access to
the best medical system in all of the world (even before Obama-Care), and when I compare my station in life to
those born in the Middle East or Rwanda I recognize that I have it very
good. (No matter what others might try to lead me to believe.)
Do you
remember the photograph of the starving child who has collapsed of hunger
framed with the Buzzard that seemed to be waiting for the child to die?[1] I look at this image and recognize that I
could have been that child. So I struggle
with myself of how God can truly be “Faithful” while innocent children starve
to death; while wars, civil wars, and genocides are a part of this world. How can a “Faithful” God allow such
suffering? It angers me that human
suffering happens and it seems only logical for me to blame God. And in my guts I do shake a fist to the
heavens and cry out; “Why are you allowing this to happen? Why are innocent children allowed to
suffer? Why do you seem not to care?”
But then I
view this reality with the eyes of faith. By faith I have learned that things are not as
they seem to me. I remember that suffering
is the result of the devil and his human minions. We humans are the ones who pull the trigger,
we humans are the ones who allow children to starve, we humans are the ones who
are more concerned with our own well-being that the well-being of others[2]. For God has faithfully provided a way of hope
for us men. A promise that the evil in
this world has been met and dealt with and now it is just a matter of time
before all is returned to order.
God has
given us a picture of another reality, a reality not of a buzzard but that of a
lamb. In God’s picture he is well aware
of the suffering and destitution of men and thus becomes one of us in order to
show us the way[3]. The picture of the lamb is
every bit disturbing as the picture of the buzzard but which picture do we
choose to focus on? It is difficult to understand
our world with the eyes of faith so the majority of us simply wallow in the
world of the buzzards.
Truly God
is faithful because despite everything else he submitted to the Cross in order
to defeat Sin and death of our world.
When we look back on history we see that our lives are quite short [5]and we
should pay more attention to lambs than to buzzards.
Today, try
not to be turned-off to Jesus because of the so many religious “Christians” who
have made our stomachs sour at the very thought of Church. Rather, consider your life not destined to
the buzzards but rather in the hope that we have because of Jesus[6], the Lamb
of God.
---
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness"[7]
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my
Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
[1] https://i0.wp.com/iconicphotos.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/kevin-carter-vulture.jpg
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+58&version=NIV
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-38&version=NIV
[5] Why,
you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a
mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14)
[6] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+2%3A8-15&version=NIV
[7]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Is_Thy_Faithfulness
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