There is Always HOPE

It's easy to listen to the news and weep for the persecuted people in the world, to be overcome with grief, throw your hands up and pray for Jesus to come back and end it for good, to live in fear, wondering how much worse it will get, wondering when it will come to America, wondering if there is no hope.We live in a nation founded on Christianity with a leader who mocks it. I worry about my kids. What was I thinking? What kind of existence have I brought them into!   They have no idea of the horrific cruelty going on in this world that appears so safe to them. Often well meaning people will post things on social media to create awareness of the state of this world and I think in reality it creates more fear and hopelessness, at least it does for me. At times I awake in a near panic and have to pray myself back to sleep.

This is what God has been teaching me through all of this. I read that the Christian men from Egypt were asked to deny Christ before they were killed and they wouldn't. In fact, they died singing. God kept His promise. He gave them enough grace exactly when they needed it. Not to say they weren't afraid, but they knew in a matter of moments they would be with Christ and they died praising Him just like the Apostles- just like Stephen when he was being stoned to death while Paul stood by and watched.  They experienced the same strength by the same God. 

The Babylon captivity was a scary and seemingly hopeless time for the Jews. Do you know what Jeremiah told the fearful people? "The world is going to end. All hope is lost!" No, he told them to keep living life. He told them God has a hope and a future for them. 

Every time in the history of the world when Christians have been under persecution, more people turn to God. If these things were being done quietly they wouldn't have the impact that they are having. He can bring great good out of persecution. He's done it before. Where is our faith that He can do it again?

In a more personal way it has renewed my desire to point my kids toward Christ. I was getting lazy in that department and now I'm making it more of a priority. It has also given me opportunity to cry out to Jesus. It has driven me to Scripture and self examination.  He has reminded me that He has not given us this spirit of fear. He wants us to live with hope and endurance and faith. I don't think God wants us to throw in the towel and sit around waiting for Him to come back. He doesn't want us to preach doom and gloom to each other. He does want us to weep with those who weep and He wants us to be broken over sin, but He also wants us to lift each other up to do good works. God's not dead, and as of this moment, we have our religious freedom so seize the day!


"These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon......
  
     It said:  “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.  Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.  But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.  For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,  for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."

Thoughts on American Gods

I recently read Gaiman's book, "American Gods" .   It's about the ancient gods coming to America with the people that believed in them and they go to war with the modern gods such as technology, sex, money etc.  The ancient gods need people to continue to believe in them to stay "alive".  I thought is was a really interesting concept.  We tend to look down on these primitive people who worshiped gods in ancient times. "How foolish to worship a statue and sacrifice lives! We are a much more evolved people now." But, we aren't so different with our modern gods.

What about the god of food. This god fights for our attention. They all do. This god will show up on Pinterest in the form of recipes, at parties, when we're alone. This god comforts us, celebrates with us, keeps us company, helps us deal with stress.  Sometimes this god is delivered to us by a well meaning friend or co worker.  This god demands more and more until it consumes us.

 I watched the documentary, "Maxed Out" a couple years ago. It's about credit card debt. There were stories of people who committed suicide because they were so far in debt that felt there was no hope. They sacrificed their lives for the god of consumerism.

What about church? That's a good god to worship, right? You give your life over to the church. You get involved in everything you can. You are there whenever the doors are open unless you're sick, but sometimes even that won't keep you away.  Your children grow up and you find you don't really have a relationship with them. You realize you offered your children as a sacrifice to the god of church ministry.

 What if we worship our children? We pour our lives into them. We neglect our health- no time for exercise, sleep or eating what we should.  We grow up to find out we sacrificed our financial future, our strong, healthy bodies, our relationship with our spouse.  "How do we pay for retirement? Where did my health go? Where are the children?  Where are my friends?"

 I use these examples, but there are many gods- education, furthering our careers, the internet, sports. It's a battle for our lives. They promise to fulfill us and satisfy our desires, but they just want to consume us. They lie. If we stop worshiping them, they cease to exist. They let go. We're free.

We are all designed to worship. It's impossible for us not to worship something. Even Atheist worship a god of some form- perhaps humanity, ambition or life itself.We all live for something

There is only one God who doesn't go away when we stop believing. The God of the Bible is also demanding. He demands a perfect life and He demands justice. But in His grace He provided the perfect life in Himself to take our place. He understands our weakness. He still wants our life. He paid a great price for it, but He says, "Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest." Above all, He commands us to love Him and love others. He is the only god who wants us to live a balanced life with all things in moderation, and in doing that, all other gods die.

Where do our thoughts wander? Where do we spend our money? Those are the modern gods who are fighting the hardest. Are they worth it?

I appreciated Gaiman's book because it made me think in a different way and brought the modern gods to life for me. I feel myself being pulled in different directions. I tend to get obsessive or over indulgent in one area of my life only to get that under control to become obsessive and over indulgent in another area. How do you escape when you feel a modern god pulling you in, taking over your life?  I don't recommend the book, "American Gods" to everyone due to some of the content, but I appreciated it because of the creativity and the depth. It made me think and that's what I'm looking for when I open a book.