What leaves you speechless? There are so many things happening around us today that we never thought we would see. The list is long and troubling; men pretending to be women and competing in their sport. Confused children that take hormones that will confuse them even more…and then change their God-given bodies; and blatant crime that was once punished, is now overlooked and dismissed. These are just a few of the many radical changes we see. Change in itself is good and needful, but not when it becomes good vs evil.
I often think back to my paternal grandparents, Frank and Cora. They were born at the turn of the century. My grandmother Cora was born in 1899! Grandpa Frank was born in 1900. These were the horse and buggy days, no cars on the road yet, but they lived through two world wars, the Vietnam war, the space race, and many modern inventions that never existed when they were growing up; such as electric washing machines, dishwashers, and cars with cruise control! What would they say if they were alive today? The conveniences are one thing, but the immoral cultural change is entirely different. In our quest to make life easier and save ourselves time and energy, we’ve lost something valuable along the way.
There is something to be said about hard work, and the sweat equity that produces gratitude and purpose in our lives. We certainly don’t have to go back to using a washboard to clean our clothes to find our value system again; but there is definitely something to be said about reconnecting with the simple and uncomplicated “chores” in our lives. The things that we can do without constant technology. Like what you may ask? A simple walk without being connected to headphones. Try walking with barefoot around your yard. Go somewhere without using your GPS! What if you get lost? Pray and let the Holy Spirit lead you.
Most of us are creatures of habit. We get up and follow a set schedule and travel the same route everyday. Yes, we have jobs and responsibilities, and we cannot ignore what is needful; but what if we allowed ourselves to get off the beaten path just a bit? What if we chose a different route just for the sake of different scenery? We could use it as a step in faith, asking the Lord to use us in a new way, as we step into a new path. As we do this in the physical realm, we should expect Him to open up opportunities and situations in the spiritual realm. People and places that we have not seen….yet believe will become God-orchestrated possibilities for the miraculous.
Peter reminds us that the genuineness of our faith is more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tested by fire. Anything genuine is worth the trial we go through, because we believe in what we have not yet seen! “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” What is believing? It is to put one’s faith in, to trust with actions based on this trust. This believing in what we cannot see with our physical eyes, fills us with a joy that is unspeakable! It literally means that we cannot fully express the joy that is overflowing on the inside of us! We certainly give voice to it with our praise and worship….but these are merely inadequate words that cannot be fully translated to another person; however, our Heavenly Father knows our intimate language of joy.
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let s come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us hour joyfully to Him with psalms.” Psalm 95:1