Proverbs 1:7 (English Standard Version)
7(A) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;fools despise wisdom and instruction.
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It is one week away, the move to Waco, TX and the start of my grad school career... Bittersweet??? MUCH. I have been reflecting a lot, this summer, on my life and where the LORD has brought me. YES, without the LORD I would not be here today; nor anywhere close. From my dramatic high school life to my restorative college experience I have now found myself at the feet of the LORD, knowing it is HE who brings me through all things. I have learned what it means to have a zeal for the LORD; and I have also learned what life is like without this zeal. Knowing that I am leaving for a different journey, one in which I feel as though I am starting with only GOD to turn to, I have craved spending time with friends and especially family. New friendships and old friendships I have cherished and I know what is to truly love people.
Recently an acquaintance from high school took his life and although we were not entirely close my heart breaks for his family and close friends. His close friends are some of my close friends. Seeing them in so much pain is so hard. Why does such tragedy exist in such a world as this? Why must this be allowed to happen? Why should anyone be brought to the point of such horrific emotions and actions? WHY?! The LORD, I do not fully understand. HE is not for me to fully understand.
The LORD is for me to fully fear. In situations such as this the LORD is at work saving those whom HE loves from the pain of this sinful world. Reflecting on my recent mission trip to Costa Rica I remember seeing so much pain and not even thinking that it was possible to live in such a place. The pain and sufferings I not only heard about but witnessed was indescribable. Coming home, things were happy go lucky and refreshing... for a while. Then the routine came back and apathetic emotions consumed my Mon-Sat life while Sun was still the "holy day" where church, communion and tithing were not optional.
This routine was the same up until last night while I was at church. A different church than I normally attend but still one that I have attended in the past. I contacted a good friend to see if they were attending church this evening and they proceeded to inform me of our friend's tragic weekend. I sat through the sermon very distracted by what had just been made known to me and heard, by quantity of what the pastor said, very little. In magnitude of what he said, I heard more than enough. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7......
Do I fear the LORD? Do I value my faith enough to have a zeal for the LORD and share him passionately with all of those whom I call my close friends??? What is this life if but short? The pastor also pointed out what little time we truly have and how much more we realize this the older we get. The brevity of this weekend, if but only one evening, has changed my perspective on my faith. It is not something to take for granted nor is it something that I can passively dismiss as able to be procrastinated. Life is too short to take anything for granted, especially faith.
At the end of the service, Romans 8:31-32 flashed up on the screens and I wrote it on the back of my hand. As I lay in bed last night I took notice of this writing and looked up the verses. I read the whole section of where these 2 verses were located and have now pasted it below. I have emphasized verses 31-32 and 38-39 in light of this past weekend; I hope it can bring comfort to those whom it is directed.
Romans 8:28-39 (English Standard Version)
28And we know that for those who love God all things work together(A) for good,[a] for(B) those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he(C) foreknew he also(D) predestined(E) to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be(F) the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also(G) justified, and those whom he justified he also(H) glorified.31What then shall we say to these things?(I) If God is for us, who can be[b] against us? 32(J) He who did not spare his own Son but(K) gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?(L) It is God who justifies. 34(M) Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—(N) who is at the right hand of God,(O) who indeed is interceding for us.[c] 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,
(P) "For your sake(Q) we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
37No, in all these things we are more than(R) conquerors through(S) him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A sad thing to read about. How much more sad would it be if suffering and pain were meaningless, inexplicable, and irredeemable? At least Christians have a hope and a future.
ReplyDeleteThe passage which gives the pain you write about some context is a little above the bit you quote in Romans 8. The groaning of the creation, subjected to futility, is the groaning of birth pains.
When Paul says that he considers that "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" he teaches a valuable lesson of hope for the believer.
cf http://caughtnottaught.blogspot.com/2008/11/2-corinthians-1-8-11.html on the issue of the present suffering in the world, and http://caughtnottaught.blogspot.com/search/label/Fear%20of%20the%20Lord on the Fear of the Lord.