“The only way to free ourselves from the destructive influence of counterfeit gods is to turn back to the true one. The living God, who revealed himself both at Mount Sinai and on the Cross, is the only Lord who, if you find him, can truly fulfill you, and, if you fail him, can truly forgive you.”
4Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. (112:4)
1 CORINTHIANS 1
26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him.
JOURNAL
I have always loved the underdog. Sometimes probably too much. I confess, I often, while watching sporting events, will privately change allegiance mid game to pull for the one who is behind. I just love seeing a team, a person etc. overcome the odds. The Bible is full of those stories...here Paul even confirms that God makes fools of the wise by using the foolish. To me this is so cool and troubling.
Does this mean that God is not the God of the successful, the beautiful, the wealthy? Does this mean that God intends to destroy the "favored" and give to the foolish? Does this mean God is a socialist?
I think the answer is yes and no. But it all comes down to the heart and who and what holds the number one position in the heart and life of the human in question. There is one thing that I have discovered over and over in scripture and that is the question that God asks of man. Who or what do you serve? It is the question of all questions. In essence God is asking...Who or what is your God?
The answer to this question sets the entire course and future of every life. Until it is answered nothing else really matters. Joshua asks this of the Israelites when he tells them to "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve". This question is not about lip service...because man is designed to serve a God. We will choose one to follow...it's how we were designed...if we abstain then the default will become an object, a person or lastly ourselves. Either of these 3 options will produce addiction, obsession or narcissism...neither of which have a favorable ending.
It is more and more apparent that life is rigged in a way that choosing anything other than God ends up destroying the heart and soul. I think this is at the core of these verses...God makes good of anything that fully surrenders to him. No matter how the world judges it...because God is the ultimate redeemer.
Does this mean that God is not the God of the successful, the beautiful, the wealthy? Does this mean that God intends to destroy the "favored" and give to the foolish? Does this mean God is a socialist?
I think the answer is yes and no. But it all comes down to the heart and who and what holds the number one position in the heart and life of the human in question. There is one thing that I have discovered over and over in scripture and that is the question that God asks of man. Who or what do you serve? It is the question of all questions. In essence God is asking...Who or what is your God?
The answer to this question sets the entire course and future of every life. Until it is answered nothing else really matters. Joshua asks this of the Israelites when he tells them to "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve". This question is not about lip service...because man is designed to serve a God. We will choose one to follow...it's how we were designed...if we abstain then the default will become an object, a person or lastly ourselves. Either of these 3 options will produce addiction, obsession or narcissism...neither of which have a favorable ending.
It is more and more apparent that life is rigged in a way that choosing anything other than God ends up destroying the heart and soul. I think this is at the core of these verses...God makes good of anything that fully surrenders to him. No matter how the world judges it...because God is the ultimate redeemer.
14“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
- JOSHUA 24:14-15
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