[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Tuesday, January 28, 2014

[Paul]

Hello and good day to most of you on this Tuesday.  I hope that you are all doing well.

And now, before we post the article for today, here's the answer to our little Bible poem from Sunday.  The answer was Psalm 66.

Our contributing author for today is one that I've not had the pleasure to read previously, but what she wrote makes a lot of sense.  Her name is Paula Geister, who has written numerous articles for Christian publications and also volunteers in her local soup kitchen.  Today her submission is entitled "Choosing Abundant Life" and is rendered as follows:

One afternoon I came into the kitchen to find my daughter sitting at the table with her head in her hands, forlorn as she could be.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"I'm waiting for life to show up," she said.  To this little nine-year-old, life consisted of playing with her friends and being carefree.  But apparently, there were no friends around to play with and she was alone.  The present situation had obviously stolen her joy.  So for her, existence was "lifeless."

Ironically, there was a lesson for me in what my daughter said.  I saw in her words that we can become bound by our circumstances and get discouraged too.  We have expectations of what should be happening for us and when those things don't happen, we become disappointed with life.

Over the years I've experienced trials that have tested how I would respond as a Christian.  I've spent frustrating months looking for employment.  I've struggled with physical challenges while recuperating from illness.  Family crises have broken my heart.  Friends tell me stories that are no different, and some that make mine pale in comparison.

We could respond as my daughter did all those years ago.  If we allow ourselves the unlovely luxury of it, we could sit with our heads in our hands, bemoaning our state.  We could let the cares of the world take us over and become unmoving and self-pitying.  We could take the attitude that the trial is overcoming us, believing our existence is "lifeless."

But we don't have to wait "for life to show up." We can choose to show up for life even in the midst of our trials.

On the night He was arrested, Jesus talked to His disciples about many things.  He prayed a prayer for them and for future believers stressing unity, joy and love.  He spoke of the work of the coming Holy Spirit, future persecutions facing the disciples, and praying in His name.  It was as if He had much He wanted to say to them and He couldn't get it all in.

He also made it clear that, although we will have trouble, He has overcome the world (John 16:33).  Our relationship with Him can be so intimate that when trials come, our burdens are carried by the One who set us free.  We can have our "life show up" every moment through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus came so that we could have abundant life in Him.  There's never a reason to become so disappointed with our present circumstance that we fail to show up for life each day.  Are you claiming what He so generously offers?

And there you have Paula's article which I hope was a blessing for you.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be yet another Daily Thought message for you.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul