ISDAMan
08-05-00, 01:12 AM
Howdy Y’all,
It’s that time again and boy oh boy has God been working on me! He’s really been reminding me of the things that we have gone through here. I’m talking about the stuff in this book and in the Romans study too. He just had me to read the “Friday Night Sermon ---> Ecclesiastes 1-4 Application Part 2” again and compare it to our last lesson and then to my life. I still have a problem with my measurements. Try it yourself too. What about you? Monday, I went into work and I was a bit on the blah side, you know, kind of down, because I no longer had the camp kids around and because there’s still one incredibly fantastic dream that my heart will just not seem to let go of easily. I was hardly a blessing to anyone that day. There was even this co-worker, the wonderful big-hearted Saint of God that she is, that took the time to try and befriend me because she saw that I was a bit down. You know what I did? I said next to nothing to her. I shut her out. It’s too far between that you will find a person willing to truly care about what’s eating you to not take the opportunity to be a friend in return and share. So, I blew that one big time!!! Anyway, where does this tie in with anything we’ve been studying? I’ll tell you. It’s about the measure of our worth. This book points at this truth so very much that you eventually just have to face it. God would not have it shown again and again and again if it were not important. I had to face this fact, that same night, in response to a wonderful e-mail from a friend. Thanks Jon!
We all have at least one great secret fear. God seems to be bound and determined to make me face mine. He does that sort of thing you know. Don’t laugh now. My fear, I guess, is being known, personally that is. I have trouble believing that I am good enough. My weaknesses and my flaws seem, to me, to be like a beacon that no one could miss or overlook or care to go beyond. At times I have even wondered why anyone would ever even want to take the effort to know me more. Now, I know that I’m not alone in this. There’s so much, “I’m too much of this and not enough of that in our minds.” Most everyone here can relate to all that I have just said. The thing is that we’re all too fearful to admit it. I’m no less scared typing this. All I can do is trust God that He will make good out of this and that the burden of this revelation will never be too much to hold up. The reason that I did not put any real effort into answering this wonderful woman was because I couldn’t imagine opening up to tell her what I really felt. After all, in the mind of a man measuring himself short, “How could it do her any good to bother with my trivial things? ” That kind of thinking is far off base! God saw fit that a fellow Sister In Christ, a person I trust and admire, a woman of wisdom and Love for God, would offer the hand of comfort to me and I pushed it away. I did not only shun her. I also shunned God. She was His good provision but, He was the provider. Many times, because we are having a hard time seeing the same value in us that God sees in us, which is a lack of trust in God, we pass up His blessings. We let the good things that He has planned for US go to OTHERS. We have got to see each other, and ourselves, as beautifully as God sees us! Let’s look together at how God shows that He sees us.
Eph 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Col 3:10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
2Co 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
You see, when we don’t see ourselves the way that God sees us, well do all sorts of things to make ourselves feel as though we would have ourselves to feel. We are always trying to be part of an image. God, however, is not in the feel good business. The good feelings are just a bi-product of the REAL GOOD He does in us when we conform to His image. We look to people, money, and pleasures to bring us to those measurements we are striving for. We let the things that afflict us and the things we wish we had in our lives but, couldn’t and don’t, distract us from the good work of God. Never the less, it’s all for naught. It is all vexation! First thing’s first. We’ve got to get our identity straight with God. Sure we say that we are His but will we allow Him to measure us off like He does His great city in the book of Revelations? Are we willing to let Him be the creator and the caretaker of our bounds? Will we accept His touch as He bangs out the rough spots? Can we live within the ground that He roots us in being the situations that He places us in and still excel by way of continued trust in Him? If you’ll just trust God and do His work, He’ll show you your worth in ways you could not have dreamt of; the chance to help someone, a child’s hug, someone caring enough to come along side and be a comfort to you, new converts because you shared Christ. These things are little marks of our worth. Sometimes we strive for things that God never intended for us to receive. The funny thing is that He, at times, does intend for us to strive for them and not reach them. Sometimes, it is a part of our own hearts that is as the boy about to be sacrificed only to have God stop the blade before it can strike. He does send hard times and hard choices so that we can learn by His instruction before we end up with the experiences of the writer of this book. We need not end up having amassed every sort of pleasure and still be empty inside. In all of your circumstances in life, look to see what God would have to say about it. I think that is one of the greatest rights we can commit. The writer of this book failed at this. I know that I’ve failed at this. Abram failed this and so did many others we read about in the Bible. Yet, when these people turned to God, that was when the Heavens opened up with blessings and despite the consequences of their former actions. God will give you success and the measure of your worth if you will simply go to Him to see what He thinks. Nothing else but God can tell you what God thinks. We need to stop first running to head shrinks, beer taps, daily meds, and singles clubs and seeking new spice in our lives. There’s a better flavor in your life if you’ll just let God simmer you slowly.
KJV
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. 13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. 14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. 15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. 16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? 17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. 19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. 20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
NLT
12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night's sleep. 13 There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, 14 or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one's children. 15 People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day they were born. 16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, and angry. 18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, and enjoy their work – whatever they do under the sun – for however long God lets them live. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – that is indeed a gift from God. 20 People who do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has given them reasons for joy.
I think it’s obvious that, if you’ll work hard, and in God, and I know this to be true because I’ve tried with and without, you’ll be at ease in your life. You’ll not need to amass things or have the adulation of hoards of people around you. Your true worth will not come from human relationships or the lack thereof. The car you drive and your bank statement won’t be the mark of your success. As a consequence, you’ll be able to make it through the ups and downs of life and, when yours comes to an end, you’ll be satisfied. How do you enjoy money, relationships, status, and power? You go to God first. Get it from Him. Do with it what He says and, by His promise, it will all work for good. That includes the ups and the downs and even those things that God would have you to strive for and not receive. No man is an island. Our lives are all alike. Truly, nothing is new under the sun. Today, I leave you with an assignment. Go to the very last Christian Brother or Sister on your “I Care For List” and tell them that you Love them. Offer, to that person, friendship. If you will not, then, you likely consider yourself above this and your understanding of your measurement in relation to God is skewed.
Because God Love Us First,
ISDAMan
It’s that time again and boy oh boy has God been working on me! He’s really been reminding me of the things that we have gone through here. I’m talking about the stuff in this book and in the Romans study too. He just had me to read the “Friday Night Sermon ---> Ecclesiastes 1-4 Application Part 2” again and compare it to our last lesson and then to my life. I still have a problem with my measurements. Try it yourself too. What about you? Monday, I went into work and I was a bit on the blah side, you know, kind of down, because I no longer had the camp kids around and because there’s still one incredibly fantastic dream that my heart will just not seem to let go of easily. I was hardly a blessing to anyone that day. There was even this co-worker, the wonderful big-hearted Saint of God that she is, that took the time to try and befriend me because she saw that I was a bit down. You know what I did? I said next to nothing to her. I shut her out. It’s too far between that you will find a person willing to truly care about what’s eating you to not take the opportunity to be a friend in return and share. So, I blew that one big time!!! Anyway, where does this tie in with anything we’ve been studying? I’ll tell you. It’s about the measure of our worth. This book points at this truth so very much that you eventually just have to face it. God would not have it shown again and again and again if it were not important. I had to face this fact, that same night, in response to a wonderful e-mail from a friend. Thanks Jon!
We all have at least one great secret fear. God seems to be bound and determined to make me face mine. He does that sort of thing you know. Don’t laugh now. My fear, I guess, is being known, personally that is. I have trouble believing that I am good enough. My weaknesses and my flaws seem, to me, to be like a beacon that no one could miss or overlook or care to go beyond. At times I have even wondered why anyone would ever even want to take the effort to know me more. Now, I know that I’m not alone in this. There’s so much, “I’m too much of this and not enough of that in our minds.” Most everyone here can relate to all that I have just said. The thing is that we’re all too fearful to admit it. I’m no less scared typing this. All I can do is trust God that He will make good out of this and that the burden of this revelation will never be too much to hold up. The reason that I did not put any real effort into answering this wonderful woman was because I couldn’t imagine opening up to tell her what I really felt. After all, in the mind of a man measuring himself short, “How could it do her any good to bother with my trivial things? ” That kind of thinking is far off base! God saw fit that a fellow Sister In Christ, a person I trust and admire, a woman of wisdom and Love for God, would offer the hand of comfort to me and I pushed it away. I did not only shun her. I also shunned God. She was His good provision but, He was the provider. Many times, because we are having a hard time seeing the same value in us that God sees in us, which is a lack of trust in God, we pass up His blessings. We let the good things that He has planned for US go to OTHERS. We have got to see each other, and ourselves, as beautifully as God sees us! Let’s look together at how God shows that He sees us.
Eph 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Col 3:10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
2Co 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
You see, when we don’t see ourselves the way that God sees us, well do all sorts of things to make ourselves feel as though we would have ourselves to feel. We are always trying to be part of an image. God, however, is not in the feel good business. The good feelings are just a bi-product of the REAL GOOD He does in us when we conform to His image. We look to people, money, and pleasures to bring us to those measurements we are striving for. We let the things that afflict us and the things we wish we had in our lives but, couldn’t and don’t, distract us from the good work of God. Never the less, it’s all for naught. It is all vexation! First thing’s first. We’ve got to get our identity straight with God. Sure we say that we are His but will we allow Him to measure us off like He does His great city in the book of Revelations? Are we willing to let Him be the creator and the caretaker of our bounds? Will we accept His touch as He bangs out the rough spots? Can we live within the ground that He roots us in being the situations that He places us in and still excel by way of continued trust in Him? If you’ll just trust God and do His work, He’ll show you your worth in ways you could not have dreamt of; the chance to help someone, a child’s hug, someone caring enough to come along side and be a comfort to you, new converts because you shared Christ. These things are little marks of our worth. Sometimes we strive for things that God never intended for us to receive. The funny thing is that He, at times, does intend for us to strive for them and not reach them. Sometimes, it is a part of our own hearts that is as the boy about to be sacrificed only to have God stop the blade before it can strike. He does send hard times and hard choices so that we can learn by His instruction before we end up with the experiences of the writer of this book. We need not end up having amassed every sort of pleasure and still be empty inside. In all of your circumstances in life, look to see what God would have to say about it. I think that is one of the greatest rights we can commit. The writer of this book failed at this. I know that I’ve failed at this. Abram failed this and so did many others we read about in the Bible. Yet, when these people turned to God, that was when the Heavens opened up with blessings and despite the consequences of their former actions. God will give you success and the measure of your worth if you will simply go to Him to see what He thinks. Nothing else but God can tell you what God thinks. We need to stop first running to head shrinks, beer taps, daily meds, and singles clubs and seeking new spice in our lives. There’s a better flavor in your life if you’ll just let God simmer you slowly.
KJV
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. 13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. 14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. 15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. 16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? 17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. 19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. 20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
NLT
12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night's sleep. 13 There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, 14 or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one's children. 15 People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day they were born. 16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, and angry. 18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, and enjoy their work – whatever they do under the sun – for however long God lets them live. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – that is indeed a gift from God. 20 People who do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has given them reasons for joy.
I think it’s obvious that, if you’ll work hard, and in God, and I know this to be true because I’ve tried with and without, you’ll be at ease in your life. You’ll not need to amass things or have the adulation of hoards of people around you. Your true worth will not come from human relationships or the lack thereof. The car you drive and your bank statement won’t be the mark of your success. As a consequence, you’ll be able to make it through the ups and downs of life and, when yours comes to an end, you’ll be satisfied. How do you enjoy money, relationships, status, and power? You go to God first. Get it from Him. Do with it what He says and, by His promise, it will all work for good. That includes the ups and the downs and even those things that God would have you to strive for and not receive. No man is an island. Our lives are all alike. Truly, nothing is new under the sun. Today, I leave you with an assignment. Go to the very last Christian Brother or Sister on your “I Care For List” and tell them that you Love them. Offer, to that person, friendship. If you will not, then, you likely consider yourself above this and your understanding of your measurement in relation to God is skewed.
Because God Love Us First,
ISDAMan