My thoughts can get a little edgy at night. Possibly even deep. Reflecting on almost a half century of life. Some of it better than I would have imagined in my youth. Some not.
All in all I am glad that this present life is not all I have been given from the hand of God. At night I tend to wonder what it will be like to be on the other side of death's door.
According to the Reverend Gary Davis "Death don't have no mercy in this land." Thank God, Jesus does. Two or three mild strokes and a minor heart attack over the last 6 years could well have something to do with the way the stream of my consciousness flows.
Not melancholy thoughts. Thoughts of a hope and future God has prepared for me beyond the valley of the shadow of death. Makes me want to do right and be appreciative of what He has given me on this side of the valley and yet not to pin all my hopes and dreams on family and friends and the things that make life enjoyable in the present.
There is a day of reckoning and a day of rewards coming which will fit all of us out for eternal life. James, the brother of Jesus says it much better than I could hope to.
James 4:13-15 Weymouth NT
Jam 4:13 Come, you who say, "To-day or to-morrow we will go to this or that city, and spend a year there and carry on a successful business,"
Jam 4:14 when, all the while, you do not even know what will happen to-morrow. For what is the nature of your life? Why, it is but a mist, which appears for a short time and then is seen no more.
Jam 4:15 Instead of that you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we shall live and do this or that."
I need to learn humility. I wrote "we need" first but decided that was a cop out. This isn't a lecture, it's me sitting here in a nice warm quiet room, comfortably reflecting on the nature of human life.
What is the nature of human life? Nothing substantial, whether it's you, me or Michael Jackson. We live our lives from day to day and at any moment our breath could be terminated and our next conscious thought would occur before the presence of almighty God.
This life which seems so concrete to us is no more solid than a mist or vapor, a fog we walk through while heading towards God's light. That doesn't mean it is unimportant but it is impermanent and insubstantial compared to the life awaiting beyond the confines of incorporation.
Instead of steadfastly setting our faces towards our own plans and purposes, there I go with that "we" business again. You have to figure this out for yourself, you can't ride on my revelation of impermanance.
Anyhow, here's my thought:
I have some things I want to do and accomplish while still in the body, but I need to learn to temper my desires with the the fact that, "If it is the Lord's will, I shall live and do this or that." If it is not His will then I will be moving on to bigger and better things in the presence of the Lord.
Peace.
About The Author
Pastor Ray Stark
Celebration Christian Chuch
After a half century of life
30 years of marriage
22 years of pastoral and missionary work
and 20 years of parenting I hopefully have something helpful to pass on to you. Peace.
website: http://www.celebratingjesus.org
blog: http://www.celebratingjesus.org
best cleaning company Highland Park ..We want to hear from God so that we may... Read More
At the start of your dream journey, one of the... Read More
Actually I have 'helped' exorcize spirits more than once but... Read More
Judgement; What does this mean? The encyclopedia definition is, "The... Read More
My lady Lydia was a Hawkins of the ancestry of... Read More
Enlightenment, which is as varied as each individual's fingerprint, is... Read More
Let's say that you have discovered your purpose but you... Read More
Your guardian angel is your link to the divine. The... Read More
I cringed lower into the seat of my grey metal... Read More
Recently it has come to my attention people are noticing... Read More
Be still, and know that I am God; I will... Read More
A Tarot card deck typically consists of 78 colorful cards... Read More
Animal spirit totems can be viewed in different ways according... Read More
There is an old tradition song called, The Lighthouse and... Read More
Prior to the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United... Read More
Ecclesiasts 5:18 Then I realized that it is good and... Read More
You are a Creative Worker:God carries on creative work through... Read More
The concept of integrity has arisen often in discussions of... Read More
Many may wonder what is God's will, or how do... Read More
Every soul that is currently experiencing life on any level... Read More
At any given moment, there are 'things' occurring within the... Read More
I would like to tell you the story of a... Read More
Oceans... There's water in 'em! :-)It may seem a bit... Read More
Many people are awakening today to the idea that the... Read More
Recently, I received a postcard from Ireland. Without reading the... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..What does the story of your life say about you?... Read More
While there are alot of warnings and admonishments regarding what... Read More
'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom... Read More
I want to share with you something that happened to... Read More
In Corrogue, Celtic mythology helps me live a wonderful life.As... Read More
"We're one, but we are not the same."-Bono, U2Once I... Read More
For some of us, EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN!!! If you... Read More
Since I awoke from my three month coma in August... Read More
I was recently asked how I interpreted the Mayan and... Read More
Let Your Family and Friends Know That You Are A... Read More
Many of you already own several lucky charms or talismans.... Read More
Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food franchise, has a new ad... Read More
What really binds us to any negative emotional state in... Read More
Whadda ya know?Seriously. With absolute certainty, what do you know?... Read More
Let's take a look at all these aspects. The bible... Read More
(Channeled)Roy-when does the end of physical life come? Is it... Read More
Because of the bright lights behind me, the golf balls... Read More
"You have not handed me over to the enemy but... Read More
It is within us to... Read More
Until recently, miracles were usually credited to a supernatural power.... Read More
The Angelic realms have been very active throughout the human... Read More
Throughout history, what is portrayed in all religions as being... Read More
The time has come for the mass population on Earth... Read More
Green Principles: SoulBestABeing aware here now My path is progressive.... Read More
When God first unveils a business or ministry vision that... Read More
Spirituality |