|
Introduction
In the life of each
individual, the development from
babyhood to maturity, there
necessitates many decisions. Some
are made for us, others are minor,
and others very important, i.e. who
should I marry or what profession
should I pursue?
At times, perhaps when the
individual is contrasted to another,
there begins thoughts such as, “Am I
of any importance?” I remember as a
child (under 10 years of age) being
told, “If you are half as good as
your father you will be all right.”
These statements and thoughts can be
self fulfilling and one can slip
into a life of being unconcerned.
Because the saint has triple foes
enroute to his final abode, those
being the world, the
flesh and Satan, the
struggle can become very intense.
At times saints do get depressed.
This is not an indication of poor
spirituality for David knew
depression when he said, “Why art
thou cast down, O my Soul? (Psa.
42:5). Elijah knew depression when
sitting under the juniper tree and
requested to die (1 Kgs. 19:4). In
those dark periods of life is when
Satan will seek to depress us even
more. It is very hard to see any
light.
Being a believer does not shield one
from the degrading and behind door
criticism of other saints. Saints
can be made very inferior by being
sidelined or unjustly treated (1 Cor.
12:21). Paul wants the saints of
God to be assured each one is vital,
each is a part of the body of Christ
(1 Cor. 12:3-15) and each one has a
role to play. It might not be a big
role, but every function from God to
each individual is vital. One
Sunday night I met a woman who was
just walking around giving out
English and Arabic tracts.
No saint should ever lose the
confidence that God's grace toward
the individual in salvation was not
to have them be nothing. In grace,
there has been given to every saint
a work whether they are male or
female. In the building of the
Tabernacle the women, as well as the
men, were involved in the
construction (Ex. 35:22, 25). So
with the local church, each saint
has been given a task. Some are
public and others private; some are
fitted for a platform and some for
personal; some for the mission field
others to stay at home; some make
clothing for babies etc. in mission
outposts; others at mission stations
assist the people with the clothes
which
assists in the reception
of the gospel.
Again, due to the changing of our
bodies through the years, there may
come a time when we can no longer do
that which we once did. Paul was
imprisoned for two years (Acts
28:30-31) and one may ask, “How
could that have been a blessing?”
Yet it was, for surely it was such
for those who came to visit hear
him. In prison he wrote the
epistles of Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians and Philemon. What a
loss if Paul had been out
ministering and never written those
books. Life had changed, God had
different work for him to do, a work
that would outlast his life and have
eternal blessings to countless
others.
Life changes, and with it our work
for God. It can be very hard to
accept the change and even harder to
be grateful to God for it. At times
it could be the death of a spouse, a
child, a mum or dad and life is
never the same. One of the hardest
decisions to make is the
full-hearted cheerful acceptance of
the moving of God. It is easy to
sing, “His way is the right way, His
way is the best way”
when things are going our
way, but in reality, it can be very
difficult to accept His loving
wisdom without inward strife and
follow the Shepherd to the still
waters and green pastures.
In the progress of time or the
failing of the body a door wide open
for years closes. It can be
difficult to take heart and stop
reminiscing about the former days.
It may be already open but we have
not recognized it as such. It may
not open for a time because we are
not ready to make the decision or it
may be moving out of our comfort
zone. I think of Peter in the
boat. It a not exactly a comfort
zone but it was better than being
without cover on the troubled sea.
The Lord tells Peter, “Come”. Had
that been me I would have called for
a prayer meeting with the disciples
and watched to see if the waves and
winds had subsided a little. I
would have thought of the news in
the Jerusalem
Tattler
of my foolishness walking on the
sea. If I did get out of the boat,
I would have been holding on with
one hand just to be safe. It meant
leaving a comfort zone, but the Lord
had called him. The door of the
ship was closing and a new door was
opening when Peter would, in the
storm, learn a lesson he would never
forget.
Even in advancing years, even as
dementia
beclouds our minds, we can still
pray. In our hearts we can sing to
the Lord and rejoice in His
salvation, we can have joy in the
Lord. Praise can ascend to Him
while this present tabernacle is a
crumbling tent. We can sing the
hymn of Rusty Goodman.
This old house I'm livin’
in is needing repair,
The windows and the
shutters are letting in the cold
cold air,
I say to myself I'm gonna fix them
when I can get the time,
But all I've been getting lately is
leavin’
on my mind.
Lately all I've got is leavin' on my
mind,
Seems that's all I'm thinkin' about
Most of the time, soon and very soon
I'll
Leave my troubles far behind, lately
I've got leavin ’
Leavin’
on my mind.
I guess I should be
looking for a better place to live,
I can't seem to get excited about
this world and what it can give,
I couldn ’t
care less if I could buy it all with
a solitary dime,
What good would a
world down here do with leaving on
my mind.
Take heart dear saints of God, no
matter what damage others have done
to you, no matter how they have
slighted you, the race is nearly
over and then rest in
eternal
bliss and yearn to hear Him say,
“Well done, good and faithful
servant” (Matt. 25:23).
That will be glory and be worth
every curve on the road.
|
