July 14, 2011

• Crawling Off the Altar!

   
  

  toward the people of Israel after they had been rescued from Egypt; "I was provoked--oh was I provoked! ‘Can’t they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?’" (Psalm 95:10 [MSG]). In a sense, David verbalized this same frustration from his own–(human) perspective: "God teach me lessons for living, so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me--my whole [e. m.] life one long, obedient response . . . . Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way" (Psalm 119:33-34 & 37 [MSG]). It is really a prayer--a deep seated longing that he might escape this irresistible proclivity for short sightedness and inconsistent devotion.

  It is with ease that we get side tracked from job ONE toward insignificant, even frivolous and useless enterprises that accomplish little or even the opposite of what we have intended. It is a battle of daily proportions because it is an inseparable part of our humanity. A significant portion of Romans 7: addresses this very conflict. In extreme frustration Paul concluded; "I find then . . , that, when I would do good, evil is present with me . . . . O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from [this] body of death? With the next stroke of a pen, Paul restored the only appropriate focus that can guarantee the peace of a troubled heart; "Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25)

                                                                                                                                                  

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