There Is Hope, Even When Death May Be Around Every Corner
Posted by preparedcitizens on November 16, 2008
[it is Sunday, it's my blog - so I am going to tell it like it is]
Striving to save lives. That doesn’t adequately describe why I do what I do. Prepare this, prepare that, for what reason do we do this. And why focus so much on it when certainly there are more important things to be doing. Why urge people on? I ask myself this often.
I am not doing this so that lives may be saved. Though I suppose lives may be temporarily saved as a by-product of what I do. This life is a passing gift.
I am not doing this so that when the day of trouble comes we can all be a lot more comfortable and happy, although I suppose that may be a by-product of what I do. But that too is a temporary fix.
I am not doing this so that we can advance world peace or even a spirit of cooperation, who am I but a woman at a keyboard, that all seems so lofty, though I suppose it could be a by-product of what I do. But when the wind blows, that will change as it will.
I am not doing this so that people can read my words and find salvation, although that may be a result I suppose, though certainly not because of me or what I say or do. I can save no one.
I think that there is a danger in focusing so much on the value of human life that it becomes an idol. We have a reverence for human life that sometimes seems to be elevated above our reverence for God. We focus on ending misery by alleviating suffering all over the world. We focus on ending starvation, poverty, abuse, all noble deeds, unless we have lost the reason for why we do these things.
Of course, I cannot answer for anyone else. I can only explain the motives of my own heart in a clear way. I say this knowing even that it angers some.
We are all sinners who deserve hell. Every single one of us. Rich, poor, none of us even deserve life let alone a good and pleasant life. Not one of us is righteous. Not one of us deserves to be forgiven. And so many of us are not even bothered by this. This is an insult to God and so many today do not care about this at all. I say this because I know where anger towards me comes from, it comes from enmity with God. I am small, who should care what I think or say? If there truly is no God, why does He stir up so much in the human heart?
What is the primary care and concern today is our happiness. Too often what motivates us is the thought, “How can I be happy even though the rest are suffering.” We try to look noble in our motives. And I have met quite a few good folks who truly want to help others. With some I would want to ask is it because not helping others makes them feel miserable?
Too often over the years I have heard people express the thought is “how can I hide my ‘treasure’ so that thieves cannot come and steal it from me.” Too often the thought came up, “I will kill whoever tries to take what is mine.”
What we are not seeing in this is our utter selfishness, our self centeredness, our hedonism, is what is killing us now. For surely our soul is dying a little bit more with every step that we take away from the source of all goodness, God. We are insulting the Creator, our Heavenly Father, and so many just do not care. This old fashioned thinking of mine seems to make them feel bad about themselves and who wants that in this pleasure seeking, ego driven, society?
So many are not bothered by their insult toward God.
Remember God?
I remember God.
So what I do, I do, because I love God.
I blog about the pandemic, plague, pestilence, whatever you want to call it because I want to bring glory to God, through service. By serving God, a by-product may be that I end up serving my fellow man, as God pleases.
Whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.
Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 1 Corinthians 10:24
I know not to let my life be a stumbling block to others.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. ~1 Corinthians 10:31-33
I know the miracle that I have experienced in my life. Because I know this miracle, that has changed my life, bringing glory God means everything to me.
As far as the pandemic is concerned.
There is nothing man-made, man planned, man designed, that can save us from what is ahead.
And sometimes a pandemic seems such a small part of what the next few years will bring.
Do I think that some of our plans and efforts will help people, will relieve suffering, will make us better individuals, stronger families, stronger communities, I hope so.
I suspect that for the most part many have spent the better part of 5 years planning for a pandemic in order to keep our society, our world, functioning with as little a hitch as possible not because of good stewardship but because our pleasure in this world is threatened. We are afraid to suffer.
The truth is…
We are planning to throw antivirals, antibiotics, vaccines, and all manner of things at this and it is all like spitting into the wind if we have a severe pandemic.
A severe pandemic some say is too big for government to handle, they say “you are on your own”, and of course they are right. No government could take care of the needs of everyone during a pandemic.
A severe pandemic will be too big for local government to handle, and of course they are right too.
A severe pandemic is also too much for businesses to handle, and the truth of our massive incapacity to overcome this as human beings is frustrating so many people.
So what is the point?
I think the point is to get to the point where we are no longer bargaining or trying to make a deal with God (or death).
I think that the point is to get to the moment of decision.
Who do you serve, God or man?
Do you serve God or Mammon?
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth. ~Matthew 6:19-24
I think that the point is to get to the point where every one of us decides what the meaning of their life is. And the point is to reach this moment of decision before their life ends and there is no turning back. To me, this is the reason for this season.
The only way for God to get glory is for us to be willing to give up our life by obedience to God. I embrace the cross of Christ not because of what I get out of it, I embrace the cross of Christ and suffer the anger and hatred of those who hate my words because I know that in giving up my life, and it does feel like that sometimes, I know that Jesus Christ is glorified. He has pardoned me. He is my advocate and my judge. To me this is the greatest joy on earth.
So even with knowing that a pandemic is snapping our jaws at our heals, I have found hope, joy and peace. But I found it when I was willing to give it the only pleasure that I knew, human pleasure for delighting in God.
That is the point.
There is hope, even when death may be around every corner.
Our hope is found in God.
