What a Way to Go

Good morning!

Sunday mornings will usually find my husband and me in church.  We had noticed, upon checking in at the Thunderbird Lodge, that there was a notice about church services.  We picked one and decided to go yesterday morning.  It was a wonderful time of worship.  There were few people present.  The worship was led by an acoustic guitarist and a cellist and one other vocalist.  It was very simple and precious.  They sang some of our favorite songs, both classics and newer favorites as well.

Most of the time this blog will be expository.  That is, I will be sharing with you from the Scriptures.  But, I have felt led to share with you about the sermon I heard yesterday.  The pastor appeared to be in his late forties; his son was the guitarist in the worship band.  When the pastor got up to speak he said that he was warning us in advance that he might break down.  He said that he was going to preach on one of his favorite psalms and that, after recent events, he would never look at that psalm in the same way again.

A couple of weeks prior his father-in-law, also a man of God, had been preaching a funeral, with the text as the 23rd psalm.  At the end of the funeral, after the prayer, the man held his Bible aloft and adamantly proclaimed, "Folks, listen to this Book.  There is not one thing I can add that God has not already given you in His Word!"  He then walked to the front row of the church seats and, while the 500 or so people were adjourning the service, keeled right over and died.

The son-in-law, who was preaching yesterday, focused on verse 6 of Psalm 23.  He talked about how his father-in-law had walked with God and how, upon his passing, stepped right into his Lord's presence, where he would dwell forever.

The Old Testament King David was an old man when he wrote Psalm 23.  He had seen a lot and done a lot, some of it he wished he had not done.  That can be said of all of us, can't it?  Yet, here at the end of his life, David is affirming that God's goodness and His mercy would follow him to the end of his days here on earth, and that, when this earthly life is over, David would "dwell in the house of The Lord forever."

This verse emphasizes the continuity of the Christian life well-lived.  As a Christian, you can choose to nibble around the edges of your relationship with Jesus.  You can let it limp along.  You can keep God at arm's length.  Or, you can take a great big bite of God every day, throughout the day.  You can feed yourself from the Word of God each day, pray to God as you go about your daily activities.
You still have free will; it is up to you how much you want to let God have His way in your life here on earth.  I encourage you to yield to Him, and not pursue your own self-centered agenda.

Don't miss this: the Christian life begins as you are here on earth and it continues when you cross over into eternity.  There is no "time" with God, as we humans understand time.  God is not bound by time.  That is why when you accept Christ Jesus as your Savior, you are forever changed, and eternally secure.  Your sins are forgiven, past, present and future.

But, how do you want the rest of your life to be lived?  What do you want to leave as your legacy?
None of us knows when his or her life will end.  Only God knows.  I don't know about you, but when my time comes, I want to be found being faithful, doing exactly what He has created me and called me to do.

Dear Father, I thank you for the testimony of this man of God I heard about yesterday, and I thank you that he is with you in Heaven at this moment.  Oh Lord, I am so encouraged by his testimony!  Thank you for creating me, saving me from Hell and gifting me with the unique spiritual gifts you have given me.  I ask that your Holy Spirit rage in me today like an uncontrolled burn, like the fires often burn in this Western part of the US.  Fill me up today, Lord, and use me to further your kingdom, in whatever way you see fit.  I look forward to that day when I shall dwell in your house, forever.  Amen.