"Constraint" -2

"For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quite in the land." (Psalms 35:20) Something I think is important to note, is that, for those of us that are children of God, this is not our land; we are but Pilgrims trying to do the best we can in the harvest, yet also trying to keep our focus on the place we call home, which is heaven. As Pilgrims, do we really keep our focus on heaven, or are we always busy talking about and getting involved in situations happening here "in the land"? Guilty as charged, is my answer; although I have tried to back away from getting too involved with heavy discussions about the shape of things going on in the world, but rather use that as a springboard to share the gospel. Besides, Jesus said there would be days like this, so why should we get all upset about something that is bound to happen? If we really want to change something about what is happening in this world, then let's change our view towards home; forgetting about that which we cannot change, and focus upon the change that God has made in us. And if we have some people in our lives that we want to be spared from the wickedness of this world, we don't try and remove the wickedness, but rather, we pray for them, that God would change them, pulling them from the wickedness. We cannot do that, nor can we change any one's heart; that is up to God to do, by the power of His Holy Spirit. Now then, regarding that peace I spoke of yesterday; the only thing that can take away the peace which we should have, is if we are holding onto things that we should not be holding onto; things which are not ours to begin with, are usually the things that we worry most about losing. Maybe it's because they don't belong to us, and we actually know that, but because we enjoy them so much, we worry that we may lose them; or maybe we have just put too much value on things, and less value on heaven. If you have ever seen the movie The Jerk, then you might remember the scene when he left the mansion, talking odd stuff on his way out the door; most of which he could not use, nor did he have any real use for; just stuff, much of which just weighed him down as he traveled down the road. That is what most of our stuff is to us, just stuff that weighs us down, actually keeping us in bondage to the maintenance of that which is not ours to begin with. Anywho; let me get back on focus. The peace that the Lord gives us is not peace that involves this world, nor the things that are in this world; just the opposite actually: for the peace that Jesus gives is based upon our home in heaven, which is the place that He is preparing for us; which will actually be ours to inherit, for all eternity... "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the window be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: or ever the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8)