"Let's Get Serious"

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer." (Psalms 61:1) First of all, I love this Psalm; I have sang this Psalm many many times, at least the first three verses; and usually in times when I feel all alone, this is the song that comes into my heart. To be truly confident in God's protection, I believe there are three basic principles that need to be established in our hearts: one, that He is, and that He is Mighty; second, that He chose me, I did not choose Him; and thirdly, that He loves me unconditionally. You get those three basic principles established in your heart, and having confidence in God's protection is yours; now all you need to do, is to stand your ground; and no matter what might be happening, you continue to stand upon those three basic principles of your faith in God's protection of your eternal soul. Oh, did you think I was going to say life? as in, my life here; as if God's protection is to be upon all my worldly goods and concerns. Why would we think that, seeing how Jesus has shown us how little these things matter? James had something to say about this, and I believe James had some first hand knowledge when it came to having our eyes on the wrong things; for James, although he was the eldest half-brother of Jesus, he did not believe who Jesus was until after His resurrection. Funny how a resurrected life can change your perspective on the Truth! In James 4:3, he says, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your own lusts." If you are totally honest with yourself and God, you know this is true of you; as I know that it is true in my own life. How many times I have asked God for something, expecting to receive it because I obviously deserve it in my own mind, yet it never happens; it never happens, because it is lusted after in my heart! God's unconditional love for us is not a gateway to unconditional blessings. God is more concerned with our eternity that He is with keeping us comfortable in this life; as a matter of fact, He does not want us to get too comfortable in this life, because this life can take our focus off of Him. Jesus put it this way, saying, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) When we pray, what are we more focused upon, this world or the next? Seriously...

"Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from our sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)