tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822869016413307981.post2902186936361399020..comments2024-03-28T18:40:51.572-04:00Comments on Tilting at Windmills: Sunday message- the Big picture againCWMartinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06798867734074134647noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822869016413307981.post-11575448875393028732016-03-20T16:53:43.876-04:002016-03-20T16:53:43.876-04:00My mother and I talk with regularity about "h...My mother and I talk with regularity about "how things are going down here," and she feels like this ole world has really taken a turn for the worse. On the one hand, I understand her POV. She is speaking from a place of expectation. She has/had high expectations for what being an American meant. She believes in the freedoms afforded to us by the Founding Fathers. AND she has never known poverty. <br /><br />My response tends to be something like: I don't believe there has ever been a time in history when the world (as a whole) had it easy. Even if one aspect of the population seemed to have it pretty good that wasn't the case for the world at large. In many cases, it was pretty bad for the world at large.<br /><br />I remind her that even when Christ was living the Jews were under Roman occupation (and didn't have it so good). And still... and yet... Jesus didn't come here to save them from that (though I'm sure many thought he did and were sorely disappointed when that ride into Jerusalem didn't result in revolution and a crown being put onto his head). And that tells me that God simply doesn't care about these sorts of things. He doesn't care who is running the country or countries or world. <br /><br />And it's not that God doesn't care about our problems or sickness or times of great trial. It's that God knows that it requires these things to hone our faith. We can all be faithful when the sun is shining. The question is thus: what about when it's raining hail upon our heads and there's no shelter in sight. What then? <br /><br />Big Picture.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14932408372240147454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822869016413307981.post-37458276616881636102016-03-20T11:14:27.968-04:002016-03-20T11:14:27.968-04:00Chris:
In many ways, and on this day (more than mo...Chris:<br />In many ways, and on this day (more than most) you and I are of "like minds"...<br />And that's a good thing (and a personal blessing).<br /><br />The "big picture" you speak to is (many times for me) like one of those "paint-by-number" sets I recall from my youth. <br />Too often, there's a lot of the "going outside the lines' and making a mess of things. That's called being a big RUSH.<br />As for happiness?<br />Let's just say CONTENTMENT reigns a lot more, although there are those precious moments of happy stuff.<br />(kinda like the everlasting "preview")<br />I do believe that continual happiness or even contentment is NOT to be found in this life. That doesn't make me a cynic (I just play one in our neighborhood), but rather a REALIST.<br />In THAT alone, one can find a smattering of that elusive happiness, provisionally-speaking.<br />You hit on a LOT of great points to that end.<br />To look to God as a granter of wishes and desires isn't going to net you ANYTHING in either this life or eternity...them's just the FACTS (sorry).<br />But such things as FAITH...and GRACE...and TRUST are the basis for real and lasting joy.<br />But, that's just what I've come to know in my walk with HIM.<br /><br />Very good post.<br />Stay safe up there, brother.Bob G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09222203353717749897noreply@blogger.com