Such A Time As This

I have several thoughts running on a parallel line this morning, and all have to do with the Bible. Most come from Sunday morning’s service where our Pastor spoke from several verses, most in II Timothy, but he started in Psalms 119:9. My eyes landed on:

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalms 119:11 KJV)

An excellent reason for Bible reading – and retaining verses to use as guideposts in life. As Pastor described it, the “word” is a couple of things. First, John defines it for us:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:1-5 KJV)

Jesus, the Christ, is God’s Word. That is exactly what John was describing. Are you also familiar with the full armor of God? Review it in Ephesians 6:13-20, while paying attention to one specific verse:

. . .  and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17 KJV)

Yes – the very word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword and a discerner of thoughts and intents. Yes, the Spirit knows the very intent of our thoughts, not simply what we say. The Spirit knows why I am typing this – and why you are reading it. The results should be a better understanding of what God has in mind for us during such a time as this. A perilous time we are living through that matches scripture in II Timothy 3.

Are we prepared to do God’s will during these perilous times? They certainly aren’t the first in the world. Our Youth Minister spoke of Esther this morning, reading Mordecai’s words:

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14 KJV)

Our example for what to do is Jesus. We should not ask “What would Jesus do,” we need to read what Jesus did and follow His example, not doing what appears to be right in our own eyes. Yes, that should sound familiar. There are several verses with that phrase – I believe this one most appropriate:

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2 KJV)

What did Jesus do? I wrote of that just recently in earlier blogs, “Walk With Me For A While” and “Talk With Me For A While.” Look for what Jesus did, and emulate Him, as a young man did in Decatur, Texas, Sunday afternoon, as one witness wrote:

I witnessed a young man so bold and strong in his faith standing out by himself holding a sign that said “ALL LIVES MATTER TO JESUS CHRIST” I saw his own peers trying to get him to cross that line to go to the protesters side, but he stood fast in his stance and beliefs and love for ALL LIVES. He pointed to each one of them and told them he loved them. Sure at first they yelled back at him angry, but I stood and watched as he kept on and he broke their walls down. They started to yell back they loved him. Then THEY came to HIM and hugged HIM. AMAZING!! This young man is so full on fire for God he asked everyone to come and pray with him and he gathered around 15 people and he said one of the mightiest prayers that would probably put grown men to shame.

Decatur is a country county seat. A citizen had to drum up business for a protest march, and there were definitely differing opinions. It could have caused hard feelings – but there were some people there teaching what Jesus told us to teach to all nations.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Share what Jesus did when we walked this earth just as we do – with pain, anger, injustice, but created and filled with God’s love. What we do with our time here determines our eternity – even in such a time as this.