Feeling Ambitious

Bodies lying around

When I am feeling really ambitious, I get out the vacuum cleaner. While I vacuum I listen to music, sing, talk to myself, and whatever I happen to make disappear with my handy dandy corner attachment, kinda like this "Oh that was a good one! I got you, you little bugger. You aren't allowed to live here making those webs, and leaving all those dried up bodies lying around! " 

My lip curls at the thought of the creepy crawlies that roam freely in my house at any given time, that I haven't felt frequently ambitious enough to nozzle up with the hose. 

The void

I am going to segue here, and confess that while the devil was trying to vacuum me up, because he sees me the same way I see creeping and crawling things with too many legs, I was a little too big for the attachment he was using! He thought he could get me like he used to, by clicking onto the end of the hose a very narrow piece that pulled on my righteous indignation; he attempted to draw me into believing that punitive punishing wordy judgment was my due, my right in times of turmoil. Alas, it worked for a brief moment in time, a couple of days, but the power got cut off quickly, when God told me you have the switch. With one press of the button, that suction to the void will be immediately eliminated. I flipped that switch from on to off, and the devil dropped into the abyss, for now. 

Unsuspecting susceptible

The void is a place we go when helpless hopelessness feels immensely overwhelming. It is a stupefying netherland of emptiness, and by God, it is a horrid place to visit, and an even worse place to stay. It is the domain of the wicked iniquitous, those that pleasure in the pain they impose on unsuspecting susceptible victims.

I am not unsuspecting, but I am susceptible. To suggest otherwise would be foolish, since I live in a sin soaked society that not only disobeys God, but denies Him altogether, in favour of worldly lusts. When I am not diligent, I can get just as easily pulled into worldly ways as those that know not the Saviour. 

Couldn't get a grip 

I heard a preacher share his views about Jesus and politics and it got me thinking. Jesus scared the heaven right out of those that used laws wickedly. They simply could not stand to hear Him speaking and spotlighting their dastardly deeds. They would become enraged, and try to grab Him! I think it very entertaining, that He would be in close proximity, wearing a grab-able garment, a robe for goodness sakes, and they couldn't get a grip! 

When it was His chosen time, He did what He came to do, and everyone else did as they were bid to do too. The chosen vessels of wrath fulfilled prophecy, and Jesus accomplished His mission, conquering the grave in the most astounding way, by coming back to life by the power of The Father, and the Holy Ghost! The three in one God is beyond magnificent to contemplate. 

God is love: yes this is true. He is just: this is also true. All of creation sings His praises, but alas, wicked men sing their own, until they are heard from no more:

What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction (Romans 9:22)

AND, he has a marvellous merciful plan for those that belong to Him 

... and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory (Romans 9:23)

Creepy crawling

I am learning not how tolerant God is, because that goes without measure, I am learning yet again, what His longsuffering looks like! 

He could vacuum up all the creepy crawling kinds of humans in an instant, or open up the earth to swallow them alive like He has in the past for their obvious transgressions and rebellion against His Authority: 

And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods (Numbers 16:32)

But he allows the webs and dead bodies to accumulate, with nasty nests in this corner of the room, or that apex where the ceiling and wall meet; or the windowsill that is hard to reach and clean! He lets our sin get all webby and gross, until we just can't stand ourselves or other people's creepy crawling ways, and we have to DO something about it! Which somehow brings me to this thought ... bear with me as we walk to a close.

Absolutely NOT

I really don't like the expression, you have made your bed, now lie in it. It sounds a lot like, you have made your bed, now suffer and die in it! Absolutely NOT

And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutyshus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed (Acts 20:9-11) 

A young man sits in a third story windowsill listening to Paul preaching and teaching and falls not only asleep, but to the hard ground below. He dies on impact. Paul goes to him and falls onto him. He embraces Eutyshus while comforting the watching crowd, and brings him back to life! They carry on with the gathering returning upstairs, eating and talking until the break of day, when Paul finally departs. It seems like there are some pieces missing here ... like hello, break out the champagne and let's toast to the power of the Holy Ghost surging through believers to restore life! Woohoooooo!

Looks like they just carried on as though this was the most natural and common occurrence: and maybe, knowing the living God will give us the same ease, with His power to take life, give it back again, and conquer the fear so many have of death. 

Moral of the story

I realize I have the moral of our story sitting in front of me, waving with a broad grin. The power of life is not in the hands of the wicked, they have the power to kill and destroy when given the go ahead from God: they also have a false sense of buffed and puffed up pride, because the earth can open up and swallow them whole, like it did Korah and his wicked cohorts, at any given God designated time. The power of life abundant and eternal, is the domain of the Sovereign, and He chooses the circumstances every time. 

And here is the driving point, dear reader ... all of it, every last bit, is for His glory! We can be partakers in the glory of God! If that doesn't pull you up to a standing straight and tall position of confidence, I don't know what will!

... and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory (Romans 9:23)

Break out the champagne. We have some celebrating to do!