Life

Life is a wonderful thing... more wonderful some than to others for obvious reasons.

Here in America, the USA rather, if you are in reasonably good health and have a source of income other than welfare, life may be very good to you. You are free and you can seek avenues of pleasure and enjoyment to satisfy the need for some of these things. A need which most citizens of the USA have developed, mostly from Madison Avenue telling us that we want/need this to be truly happy.

There are many people in third-world countries which Madison Avenue has no access to and therefore they don't realize how deprived they are. Some have never known a family structure, i.e. father, mother, home, food, toys, etc. It is never missed because it was never known.

There could come a day when we blessed ones are in a different situation. Those who are severely deprived have learned to be happy and content with what they have. Paul said he was content... He was content because he found his joy, peace, and satisfaction in his relationship with the Lord. If you begin to lose your joy when gas prices rise, or inerest rates fall on your investment, or the stock market struggles, all you have to do is to remind yourself that His Kingdom is intact and flourishing.

I heard a preacher on TV say that church membership was failing and Islam was growing and he was concerned about the trend. I want the church I pastor to grow, but church growth is not a legitimate indicator of the growth of the Kingdom of God. It is an internal Kingdom. It does not attract the casual man of faith. It isn't showy or flambouyant. Its believers rest in the supremacy and sovereinty of God.

Life is short. Just the other day I was a young man enjoying my youth. Today I am 69 years old. I can't believe it. But for the past 40 years my faith has held me close to the Savior. Now my life is certainly closer to the end than the beginning, but I have a hope that reaches beyond my circumstance. In other words, I am closer to being with Him every day. Psalm 16:11 says it all... cling to this, "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

jack