Our Lives Are Mere Shadows
2008-01-12

Psalms for today: 12, 42, 72, 102, 132

(As long as my math skills hold out, this is pretty easy.)

The words of the LORD are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.--Psalm 12:6



Day 51

read

1 Chronicles 29:12-19

David is giving praise to God, as he acknowledges that God is the giver of all things. Even all of the materials that have been to build a house of worship for God, were given by God.

think

David speaks of our lives as "mere shadows." And basically everything we have in our possession is "borrowed" from God.

How does that strike you?
Actually, at this point in my life, I'm kind of glad to read something like that. Life is so fragile, and, at times, just flat hard. If it were anything more permanent than a "shadow," I think we might all be clinically insane. And perhaps it is just those people who do think that that are. I'm fully aware that everything that I see around me in this room, in this house, even the room and the house, are temporary. "It's all gonna burn!" Heh. But it's true. All these people working so hard to "save the earth..." I've read the end of the book. Earth doesn't make it. It's all borrowed. Granted, we could be better stewards of what we have borrowed. I'll give you that. So could I.

What item do you own, or what relationship do you have, that you hold more tightly than you would a shadow? Be honest.
Be honest?? Dang. Well...most of my stuff is just that. "Stuff." I don't hold too tightly onto stuff. There are a few things that I would be relatively upset about if something happened to them...my guitars, my keyboard. I do love my records, too. But I think sometimes about my "collections." Because what use is a collection? I collect records and books. But I rarely listen to the records (for those of you who are younger than the age of 20 or so, "records" are these large discs made of vinyl, usually black in color. They spin around on a large turntable at a painfully slow speed. A needle is placed in the groove on the vinyl, and, miraculously, sound comes out of the speakers. Many of us still think that records are better than cds because life happens in analog, not in digital.), and I haven't read many of the books. That basically makes it "clutter." Which is totally useless. Especially in the big picture of what God is doind in my life.
So what am I saying? That collections are basically a waste of time and space.
As far as relationships go, I don't have very many. I have my wife and two daughters, and our parents. My wife has a sister and a niece. I don't have very many people that I would call good friends. But my definition of who I consider a "friend" is a lot stricter than most. Am I holding on to these relationships? Would I be happy if Jesus came back today?

Absolutely. No question about it. It doesn't matter that neither one of my daughters have had a chance to raise families of their own. It doesn't matter that I don't have grandchildren. All of the people that I love will come with me if Jesus returns today. Even the majority of my diaryand "buddies" (I do love you people...and I mean that...I've grown quite attached to you, in a "digital" kind of way) would be along, as well.

And what do I have that will come with me?

Nothing. Nada. Zilch. "It's all gonna burn."

pray

Here's a good exercise. Picture yourself approaching God in prayer. See yourself bringing along something that you hold onto too tightly. Talk to him about what keeps you attached to this thing. Don't try to manipulate things so that you let go at the end. Talk honestly to God while holding this thing. Let him know why it's so important to you. If you are still holding it at the end, that's okay.

It's kind of funny. As I approach God with a pile of records and books, I can't come up with a reason why they are important to me. Some of them have nostalgic meaning. That's a sign of holding onto the past. That's no good. I do have a reason for holding onto the instruments. I use them to praise him. But I would still have a voice. Even if my physical voice fades, I still have a mental voice. And when he comes back, I will get an even better physical voice. I can't wait to sing to him in heaven.

Heh. I just looked over at my record collection. The first one that caught my eye was one I didn't even remember I had. It's by Sinead O'Connor. It's called, "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got."

AHAHAHAHA.....

Do you think God's trying to tell me something??

live

I'm asked to reflect a little longer on talking to God about my stuff.

Do you feel guilty or uncomfortable, or do you have trouble being honest with him? Why might that be?
I have never had any trouble being honest with God. Because long ago, I accepted the fact that he knows it all anyway, so what's the point in trying to lie. You can't decieve God. Might as well be honest. And...he's the only friend I have that won't snub me when I am honest. He is the only true friend we have.
Now, I might feel a little guilt, because I still have trouble laying some of this stuff at his feet. I still know that it's just "stuff," and that I can't take any of it with me. I just like having it around right now.

Someday, that will change. I feel sure of this.

But it all goes back to yesterday's entry and the one quote that keeps coming back to my mind.

We are far too easily pleased.

Grace and peace, y'all!



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