May the mumbling commence!
As I was reading from the last two chapters of
Ecclesiastes, I came across a verse that makes me think of the exchange between
Jesus and Nicodemus in John chapter three.
Read the verse from Ecclesiastes chapter eleven below:
God's ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind,
and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother's womb. (Verse 5)
God’s Ways – the Ways of the Spirit – are hard to
discern. They are like the pathways of
the wind and the formation of a tiny baby in the mother’s womb. So are, Jesus says, the ways of people of the
Spirit. Read a part of the conversation
between Jesus and Nicodemus from John chapter three:
Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God."
"What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus.
"How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born
again?"
Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water and the
Spirit. Humans can reproduce only
human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at my statement that
you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can't
tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how
people are born of the Spirit." (Verses 3-8)
Now I wonder if Jesus had this passage from Ecclesiastes
in mind as he spoke to Nicodemus. Makes
you think, doesn't it? Let’s seek this
kind of Spirit-led life. And beware of
those people who do not live in this way… even amongst your church family. Read from the end of Jude:
But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles
of our Lord Jesus Christ told you, that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in
life is to enjoy themselves in every
evil way imaginable. Now they are here, and they are the ones who are creating divisions among
you. They live by natural instinct
because they do not have God's Spirit living in them.
But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue
to pray as you are directed by the Holy
Spirit. Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait
for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give
you.
Show mercy to those whose
faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There
are still others to whom you need to show
mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins.
And now, all glory to God, who is able to
keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious
presence innocent of sin and with great
joy. All glory to him, who alone is
God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to him, in the
beginning, now, and forevermore. Amen. (Verses 17-25)
Let’s not look to our own pleasures. That leads to an evil path that causes
divisions. It may seem natural and feel
good, but it’s NOT.
Instead, let’s stand firmly upon the foundations of our
faith. That means prayer. That means showing mercy to other
people. That means waiting well for the
coming of our Lord Jesus. That means
rescuing other people with their salvation in Christ in mind… while avoiding
being drug down into sin.
That means
relying on God to keep us… to be our rear guard. And that is giving all glory to God… because
that is a Spirit-led life.
Enough
mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment