So Much to Offer, So Much to Take, So Much to Loose.
The average person today has so much available to them that it is not difficult to become overwhelmed and caught up in the moment. We are being blasted on every side with marketing campaigns attempting to separate us from our money, time, energy, and values.
In Matthew 25 Jesus shares a parable of ten virgins invited to meet the bridegroom. Five wise virgins take not only their lamps, but extra oil as well. The foolish five take only their lamps. The hour grows late and they all slumber. “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him,” comes the shout from the one who is not slumbering, the watchman (Matthew 25:6).
The moment of truth: they arose and prepared. The foolish are caught. No oil. They need to go find some oil, so depart. But as they go out the five wise virgins went in to the feast and the door closed.
Without Ceasing
Difficult at first glance is Paul’s command to the church in Thessalonica states to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). How can I ever do that? Day and night, week after week, to keep praying without stopping. I just can’t picture myself doing as some, repeating a repetitious litany of words, taking on a mechanical form of prayer.
Jesus gave what some would call a formula for prayer and is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 11, verses 2 – 5.
And He said unto them, "When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."
But rather than repeating this prayer endlessly, may I take a moment to consider a different, more intimate perspective of this passage and how my life can be transformed into unceasing prayer.
Wood Cutting
Some years ago I was far more ambitious than now. To cope with the cold winters it was not uncommon to cut eight to twelve cords of firewood to help keep our home warm.
Early one Saturday morning a group of us headed north to what seemed to be a prime firewood-cutting area. For me this was the third trip; easily finding an abundance of wood each time. We left very early that morning, hoping to get back before day was too spent. As we drew close to the target location we left the paved road and turned onto a dirt forest service road. The darkness was overwhelming and our headlights seemed to illuminate so very little. Hundreds of yard of winding roads turned into several miles, all the time only the bottom five or six feet of trees were visible. |
The Way, the Truth, and the LifeEarthquakes. Street gangs. El Nino. Terrorism. Poor economy. Health issues. Inflation. There are times that we seem to be surrounded by the news of despair. Everywhere we look there is trouble and affliction mounting as if a great, coordinated enemy attack. But through all this there is hope. Read on for the Word's of Jesus, spoken nearly two-thousand years ago, but just as applicable today as then.
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