Run Around in Circles

II Peter 3:3-4  “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?  for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

     

The perception of stability in the physical realm has to rank as one of the greatest.  Folks tend to observe history and notice the passing of one age into another, however, will live their lives as though the present reality on the ground will go on and on.  We tend to reach adulthood, plan out our career path, marry, raise families, retire, move to Florida, and play shuffleboard.  (Sorry; I couldn’t resist the cliche)   While we may acknowledge, verbally, that change is an ongoing part of life, we tend to live as though the present status quo will be in place for the duration of our days under the sun.  Thus we fall into a predictable pattern of life without pondering the possibility that tomorrow could find everything under the sun, that we have placed our confidence in, vanished.  (The last day, prior to the flood, was almost identical to every other day prior to the flood)

Job 3:25-26  “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me.  I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.”

Job was a man who sought the Lord with all of his heart.  He was aware that things could turn on a dime, even before the trial of his faith.  When that which he feared was made manifest, he was distraught, however, he knew the difference between that which is eternal and that which was only for a season.  Despite the loss of all physical property, offspring, and health, coupled with the discouraging advise of a wife who didn’t know what to make of the sudden turn of events, he remained faithful to God.  When his physical world was turned upside down in seemingly every way possible, he never questioned God.  This next passage, I have mentioned more times than I can count, but it shows where Jobs heart was at.  (This passage also “transformed” the way that I look to the future)

Job 13:15-16  “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.  He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.” 

Job had determined in his heart, long ago, that he would hope in the God of all that is, regardless of what came his way.  While he had great abundance, his hope wasn’t in the stuff that one carries around with them while they abide in the realm of atoms.  When all of the stuff vanished, his faith remained intact.  I wonder to myself, if I have the the same resolve as Job.  I’ve never been faced with anything even remotely comparable to what Job went through, and yet, we may awaken tormorrow and find that all of the wood, hay and stubble that people place their hopes in has vanished.  It’s imperative to have our hearts set on that which is eternal and not the things which have an expiration date. 

Revelation 1:8  “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

“Running around in circles” is something that we’re really good at.  When things are running smooth, we tend to fall into a holding pattern of doing the same things day after day, and year after year.  The holiday season is a prime example of this.  Each year, many folks will display the same configuration of decor as every other year because “that’s just the way we’ve always done it.”  A guy at work whose house I drive past daily, has been using lights to write “Merry Christmas” on his fence for years and years.  (If it were me, I would occasionally misspell it, just to break up the monotony.)  We fall into predicatble patterns and become stuck in a rut as familiarity becomes an attempt to keep uncertainty at bay.

When calamity hits, people do what they’ve been practicing for years.  “Run around in circles.”  Only now it’s a “what am I going to do?” circle of confusion.  Any catastophic event, such as massive flooding, hurricanes, or what have you will be followed by reporters interviewing survivors.  Most of them will ponder “I don’t know what I’m going to do!  Everything that I’ve worked my whole life for is gone.”  It’s a natural response when person doesn’t have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and their only goal is to reach retirement so that they can enjoy their “golden years.”  For those who are born of the Spirit, it’s imperative to not place undue confidence in this world; not only for our own selves, but for those around us who will undoubtedly want to know why circumstances don’t affect us.  When the unexpected transpires, it’s a great opportunity for others to see firsthand that our God is real and their god is not. 

Most will remember the recent outbreak of wildfires in southern California.  In the midst of the usual news coverage, one reporter was talking with a lady who had lost everything and was probably expecting the usual “what am I going to do” kind of interview.  Instead, this lady replied, “Well, we lost everything that we’ve been working for.  To be honest, it’s almost like a cleansing; most of the stuff wasn’t that important anyway.”  I can’t remember the exact phrase, but this is the basis and to be honest, she seemed to better grasp the temporal nature of things here than many christians. 

Psalm 18:30  “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” 

We have a sure foundation in Jesus and should be apprehensive about nothing in the natural realm.  This runs contrary to the old nature, and as such it requires hiding the word of God in our hearts and abiding close to him in prayer.  These are things that most of us are well aware of, but always good to be reminded of.  Almost every post is on a topic that I need to hear about as well.  That we would keep our eyes on Jesus and not become sidetracked by the plethura of distractions in this world.  He is our life and peace.  Christ in us; the hope of glory.  Until the next time, I wish to all, a most blessed day in Jesus.