Shade Tree Wisdom 10/4/13

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel

Of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners,

Or sit in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on

His law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by the streams of waters,

Which yields its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does

Not wither.

Whatever he does prospers” Psalm l, 1-3 NIV

         

St. Peter’s final word to the Christians “scattered” throughout the world is “now you, dear friends, are warned. Be on your guard. Don’t let men without principle sweep you off your feet by their errors, but grow in God’s love and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3, 17.18.

          It does seem strange that in this age of discovery and fresh insights in the way things work, things seems to be going so wrong. We are addicted to email and twitter and texting; we have machines that has the coffee ready freshly brewed when we awaken; we set our TV to record programs we are not at home to watch. Yet we tend to regard TRUTH as something sort of relative. Our attitude seems to be “truth is what I want it to be”.

          Josh Billings of another generation had it right, “It’s Better not to know so much than to know so many things that just ain’t so”.

          That is especially true in things religious. Everybody is an expert here, and the attitude seems to be “And what’s your feeling on this?” So everything said caries the same weight because there is no touchstone by which to measure.

         

          So, may I ask, “what is your guiding principle? What is your North Star. What directs your daily life and sets your footsteps on the way you are walking? And are you sure? St. Peter calls on believers to be “ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it, but make your defense with gentleness and respect.” v.15. He is asking us to explain why we believe as we do. Tell the story of Jesus Christ plainly, why He came, why He died, and why he rose again – all to pay for our sins.

          And so long as we are living in the world, but not “of the world" we have it to do. There is TRUTH, Jesus Christ is our Savior. That is the word we cherish, that is our guiding principle. That is the word we have for this sick culture we live in as “Shining lights of the world.” God bless that life.

GPD 10/4/13