"Understood"

"All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten Thee, neither have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant." (Psalms 44:17) I see, said the blind man; or so the saying goes. But how often do we understand our real standing in this world? Jesus said,"He that loveth his life shall lose it: and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life." (John 12:25) It is one thing to believe in what you are, it is another to come to the understanding of it; for we are only here for a very short while, and we truly need to get that through to our heads. The "covenant" which is being spoken of is that of serving other gods, which is expressed by the statement, "we have not forgotten Thee". Now I know that we can get a little sideways in our plans and our goals for daily living, because I have been there many times; but when we start making plans that involve earthly treasures, say like houses, boats, cars, etc., we really need to be careful about whom we are serving in the process of planning. Really, it comes down to what is the most important thing in our lives; is it pleasing God? or is it pleasing ourselves? The flip side of what I am saying, is to be stripped of everything, taken captive, and forced to serve those that do not know God, which is what has happened to the children of Israel more than once; which is only to give us a contrast of how cruel the world can be to us, verse how faithful and true that God is to us. Basically, it all comes down to us understanding Who it is that we serve; knowing that there is nowhere else we want to be but in His house, as His servants, and hoping in His protection... "Your words have been stout against Me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against Thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shalt ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not." (Malachi 3:13-18)