Crisis on the East Bank
by Jonathan Barker
Do you ever feel like watching one more movie or TV show can’t really make you happy? Or that buying one more cool piece of clothing or technology won’t really solve anything? Or that one more night of partying or barhopping will just be a repeat of so many other nights?
In college I partied a lot of weekends. It was usually fun but every now and then I would be driving to a party on Friday night and wonder if the days, weeks, months, and even years of my life were slowly passing away. Was I really getting the most out of life? It probably didn’t help that at the time there was a really nice woman in my life who didn’t party and I was slightly too shy to ask her out.
Ultimately, partying was easier than asking her out—so I never got around to it.
In the Bible the people of Israel run into a similar dilemma. God wants to bring them into the Promised Land—a land of goodness and great abundance—yet there are serious obstacles in the way. There are several alternatives if the people decide they are too fearful. They could go back go Egypt where they had been abused slaves or they could wander out into a desolate wilderness—although barren there wasn’t anything to fear there.
Unfortunately, the people chose the wilderness. Fortunately, God follows them out into the abyss. These people don’t loose out on God but they do loose out on enjoying the goodness of the Promised Land. (Numbers 13:1-14:25)
For my friend Elizabeth following God came down to choosing between God’s good will for our life or our own mediocre plan.
At the most basic level being a Christian is willing to trust that God will illuminate a path in a dark and confusing world.
A Daily Prayer of Dedication:
LORD, please help me to see the path you have laid out for me today and please give me the strength and courage to take it.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment