Often when I am exhausted, frustrated, and discouraged I think I need to "get away". Being a homeschooling mother of four kids, wife, keeper of the homefront doesn't really afford me that opportunity too often. On top of that - sometimes "getting away" only means the Starbucks down the road which offers quite a few distractions. Living in the city is challenging if one needs to feel like they are "alone" or to enjoy nature. I am realizing that the world often makes us think we have to travel afar - go to the ocean - be "away" from our children to really be refreshed. Maybe not.
I have not been feeling well for several days and this morning decided to stay home from church just to "catch my breath" and REST......therefore: a little coffee, music, QUIET, my bible. Pretty soon after searching the scripture the Lord is still able to speak to me - regardless of the fact that there are dirty dishes in the sink, unmopped floor, no idea what I am feeding my family for lunch and that I am sitting on my old couch looking out the window at my neighbor's house instead of a beautiful mountain.
My study over the past few days has been on the state of man or the depravity of man......the corrupted ways of thinking, man's outward behavior which flows from his corrupted thinking, his general hostility toward God and His word. It is distressing - the evil that abounds, the sickness, the hurts, the failures, the difficulty of maneuvering about life here on earth. Sometimes it makes me want to roll over and not get up in the morning. But there is reason to press on:
" Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." ESV 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
There is hope for mankind - but it will not be found in ourselves or by anything WE can do.
" And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother." And he said to him "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "how difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." Peter began to say to him, "See, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last first." ESV Mark 10: 17-31
All things are possible with God. Because of his great love for us, Go who is rich in mercy, will make us alive with Christ even when we are dead in transgressions - he will save us by his Grace!
We can praise God in ALL circumstances because of who he IS - we can praise him in good times, hard times, in the mountains, the desert, in church.......and on my couch with dirty dishes in the sink.
2 comments:
Great thoughts Tracy. Jesus said in Mark 14:7 -- For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.
My very very loose translation for you is -- For you always have dirty dishes with you, and whenever you want you can do them. But you will not always have time alone with the LORD.
You chose wisely, and the Lord gave you great encouragement.
Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks for the quiet encouragement. My kids and I are memorizing I Corinthians 10:13 right now, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful: he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out, so that you can stand up under it." It was helpful to read your post, because I often feel stymied and suffocated in the midst of these busy days at home with little ones. Even when there isn't a quiet day in the mountains to retreat to, God's sweet word ministers to us in quick sips when long drinks are lacking.
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