"Stand Your Ground"

"Thou hast rebuked the heathen, Thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out their name for ever and ever." (Psalms 9:5) When it comes to being separated unto God, we that are called into His kingdom are set apart for a special calling; not that we are special in any way; but that we are ones who have heeded His call upon our lives. Some of the most miserable people I know, are those who had once received a call upon their lives, and then have since turned away from that call for something else; whether it be riches or worldly lusts, they took the low road instead of the high road, and are miserable over that decision. On the other side of this, we see those that are prosperous and seem very happy in their quest for all that the world has to offer; not wanting to confuse matters with even a serious thought of God, or especially a God who rules and reigns; for they have placed their trust in fortunes, and live for the comforts of this world. As we draw closer to the day when Jesus will return, I believe that the contrast between what is right and what is wrong shall be more clearly defined; not in the worlds view of things, but in the hearts and minds of those who are God's children. With that said, we should realize that those who are lukewarm in their love for God, will most likely gravitate towards the way of the world; not because they choose to be drawn in that direction, but because that is the way that seems most comfortable to the life that they have chosen. I am reminded of the movie called "Time Changer", and if you have not seen this movie yet, it is a good one to put on your list to watch. The general premise of the movie, is that sometimes we can't see the effect that the world has upon our lives, until we are given large doses of the sharp contrast all at once; it is then that we see the importance of putting Jesus first in our lives, and holding firm upon the Living Word of God! We can learn a lot by studying the actions of the children of Israel in the wilderness, and how they longed for those comforts that they had while in Egypt, yet being in bondage there; because while they were in bondage, they longed to be set free and delivered, but once they were set free from that bondage, they longed for the pleasures of Egypt, not caring about the bondage that came with the pleasures. It is kind of like 'the grass is always greener' kind of mentality; one which looks to the pleasures of the other side. The key to this verse that David is saying, is that of "for ever and ever"; for in this, we can take away something which is far more long lasting than this world; we are talking about eternity, because, for ever and ever is a very long time. When Jesus said, "Lay up your treasure in heaven", He was speaking about making choices which last towards eternity, and not those which shall pass away with this world. This is particularly important when it comes to matters of the heart; matters that deal with our hearts reaction to what the world does verses what we should do; in other words, it is easy to accept a wrong reaction within our heart, that is based upon what is normal and well accepted among the world, because it is justified by something or someones else response. But, when we are talking about eternity, and what matters most towards that destination, such things seem so trivial and really don't matter very much at all, compared to life everlasting. This is really what Jesus was saying, when He spoke of turning the other cheek, or walking two miles when asked to walk one; because the temporary discomfort is nothing compared to the eternal reward. Besides; look at the things which shall happen to those that are wrong; sure, they may have the temporary comfort, or the quick upper hand; but we have Life Everlasting!!! So who's really already won? End of argument!!!