A Temporary Journey

Psalm 39:4 (NRSVue) - “Lord, let me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.

Psalm 39 is a prayer.

It is a prayer for mercy and forgiveness.

The Psalmist prays to be reminded that we are here temporarily.

He prays, “let me know how fleeting my life is.”

Paul understood that, in the grand scheme of things, we live for a brief time.

But he also knew that physical death is not the end.

Death is a transition.

Paul explained this to those living in Corinth in his second letter.

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NRSVue) - For we know that, if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Believers understand that our citizenship is in heaven.

But we sometimes lose sight of this.

This is easily done when we become distracted.

It is easily done when circumstances seem to be against us.

In the grand scheme of things, our lives are indeed fleeting.

Each of us journeys through this world for a time known only by God.

We are born.

We live.

And yes, we die.

But despite that, we still have hope.

Through the resurrection power proven by Christ, we will have a new body.

We will have a new life.

Best of all, we will have a home.

Like citizens who have traveled abroad, we will wander no more.

We will go to the home planned for us from the very beginning.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 5, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, May 12, 2023

Being Still

 

Exodus 14:14 (NRSVue) - The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.

Moses led God’s people out of Egypt to the sea.

As Pharoah’s chariots approached, the people were certain the end was near.

The end was near, but not in the way they expected.

Moses told them God would fight for them.

All they had to do was keep still.

The people obeyed, and God did fight for them.

In the end, their pursuers drowned.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, shared a similar sentiment.

In the fifteenth chapter, Paul writes about the resurrection of Christ.

He then discusses the resurrection of the dead.

Paul then discusses the resurrection body.

Paul knew this concept caused people a great deal of confusion.

He understood that we, as creatures of flesh and blood, could not possibly enter the kingdom of heaven.

A transformation is required.

That transformation is only made possible through Jesus.

God will grant us this victory.

All we need to do is to keep still.

1 Corinthians 15:57 (NRSVue) - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Keeping still in today’s world is perhaps harder than it ever was.

We are bombarded by distractions throughout our busy day.

Then come the days when the distractions seem impossible to overcome.

Perhaps we have lost our job.

Perhaps we have received sad news.

Perhaps we have been injured in an accident.

Perhaps a loved one has died.

Perhaps a natural disasters or a conflict has turned our predictable world upside down.

It is during such times, even though it seems difficult or impossible, that we remain still.

That means trusting God completely.

The Psalmist understood this as well.

Psalm 46:10 (NRSVue) - “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth.”

Keep still and let the Lord fight for you.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 21, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, April 28, 2023

The Need For Stillness

 

Deuteronomy 26:15a (GNT) - Look down from your holy place in heaven and bless your people Israel;

In this chapter, the people are instructed about harvest offerings.

If the offerings are acceptable, the people can be assured of God’s blessings.

But these offerings must involve a relationship.

It is not enough to simply go through the motions.

In Luke 2, we read of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.

A man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem.

He was a man who loved the Lord and was awaiting the Deliverer.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, he was assured that he would not die until he beheld the Deliverer.

The Spirit led him to the Temple just as Jesus was brought in.

Simeon took the child into his arms and gave thanks to God.

Luke 2:30-32 (GNT) - With my own eyes I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel.”

Simeon was truly blessed.

He was blessed because he recognized the child Jesus as the Deliverer.

But he was also blessed in his love for the Lord and his relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Where the Spirit led, Simeon obediently followed.

His obedience was rewarded.

One of the things I frequently discuss with my students is how easily distracted we have become.

We feel we must always be doing something, watching something, or even listening to something.

As a result, we become easily disconnected from each other.

The pandemic has also encouraged this.

But just as we easily lose our connection with each other, we also disconnect from God.

We need to heed the advice of Scripture and take time to “be still.”

For it is during the quiet moment, free from distraction, that we connect with God.

Psalm 46:10 (NLT) - “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

We must take the time to “be still.”

We must set aside the distractions.

Then, the Lord will open our eyes and ears.

We will then recognize that He is with us and all around us.

He is within everyone and everything.

That is when we experience Him anew.

We can then experience this relationship regularly.

We can raise our voices and praise Him sincerely.

Most importantly, we will not just be going through the motions.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 21, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, October 28, 2022