Thought for Today
Job 28:28 'Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'"
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.
Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“If there's something strange in your neighborhood/Who you gon' call? (Ghostbusters!)
If it's something weird, and it don't look good/Who you gon' call? (Ghostbusters!)” (www.bing.com)
This morning, as I looked at the plaque atop my dresser showing, “Joshua 24:15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD," obviously, the theme song from the movie Ghostbusters came to mind. Whether or not you saw that movie or remember that song, that song and Joshua’s words to the freed Israelites capture the most basic question in life, “Where do you, I, everyone else turn for help?”
With all due respect to Julie Andrews and Maria Von Trapp, there are issues in our lives, situations and events which “brown paper packages tied up in string” will not solve, ameliorate or resolve. One of the most basic truths of life is that ‘stuff happens.’ Some of that stuff is simple and easy to solve. Some of it is far beyond any human paygrade.
Any study of human history and/or sociology will include learning about the origins of homo sapiens as well as their development over time. Our earliest ancestors-in-the-faith captured much of that in the story of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. When Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden they received the disappointing news that they were no longer God’s gardeners (Genesis 2:15) Now , Adam was told, “3:19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground,” Eve was to “3:16 bring forth children.” The human development from hunter/gatherers to agriculturists is captured in “Genesis 4:3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions.”
Our ancestors learned the benefits of shared labor. Hunting and gathering were more easily accomplished in groups. Agriculture requires different people raising different crops. Individuals were more successful in families, families more successful in tribes, etc. Driving it all was the reality that survival demands cooperation. It is true that, one of the most basic truths of life is that ‘stuff happens.’ Some of that stuff is simple and easy to solve. Some of it is far beyond any human paygrade. Sometimes, what an individual cannot accomplish alone, a family, tribe or nation can accomplish working together.
But, what about that stuff, those events, issues and problems above our human paygrade? When we encounter those things, who are we going to call? In the psalmist’s words, “121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills-- from where will my help come?”
Shakespeare was not quoting God in scene 1 act 5 of Hamlet when he wrote, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” However, there are things in God’s Creation that are beyond anything we have dreamt of in all our mathematics and science.
When we encounter those things, who are we to call? From where will our help come? Joshua told the Israelites. The psalmist tells us, “2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Calling the Ghostbusters isn’t the solution. Jesus told us to ask, search and knock. Jesus promises us that if we do, we will receive, find and the door will be opened to us. What’s behind that door? The LORD, who made heaven and earth!
Serve the Lord, ask, search and knock, trust God,
Pastor Ray