"Emptiness"

"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken me in thy way." (Psalms 119:37)

  If there was anything gained from that, it was hopefully our need to keep our eyes on Jesus. I will refer to that question as a "Polar-Bear-Alert." If you know what I mean, great; if not, then listen on. Maybe it has been a long time since your heart had been searching for answers; as with me, I was searching for hope in all the wrong places. Coming from broken home, one that had one too many sleepless nights, fearing whether or not death would come knocking at my door; I can recall how anything that brought any sort of temporary pleasure was better than nothing, and disappointment seemed to be the thing I became most familiar with growing up. And then I found Jesus! I know, it might not be politically correct to say that, because the people who forget where they came from seem to think that it was God who found them. No, I found Him; He had always been there from the very beginning, I just needed to open my heart and let Him in! This word for "vanity" speaks about emptiness, more than anything else. It touches upon the wickedness and iniquity, but it has the basic motivation behind those as a false hope to find pleasure in anything else but God. Can you recall what that looks like? If there is anything different about my life now compared to then, it is that hope is no longer disappointed. This faith that we get to share in is not, so called 'blind faith,' it is proven and well documented faith in our Risen Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus! There is no emptiness in this hope we have in Christ, it is amazingly full and quenches even the strongest hunger and thirst. Solomon was right, everything else under the sun is vanity, which means, it is emptiness! Only God can fill the humungous void in our hearts; a void that we were all born with, needing to fill. Now, as to the term, "Polar-Bear-Alert," it comes from a book by Jay Carty, called "Counter Attack." Basically, the premise he put across was one of filling our minds with that which counters the attack from the enemy, primarily by thinking upon the verse from 2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Just as with the question presented to J. Vernon, about the girl in a miniskirt, with that, Jay would have presented as a case for the "Polar-Bear-Alert." It is not just a matter of memorizing a verse; it is a matter of practicing our putting Christ first and foremost. There is no other way to tear down the strongholds in our lives, then to put Christ first and foremost, above all else. Just is case you did not know where the strongholds come from, they are built by you! It takes years and years of practice, but each and every time we allow the enemy to win, we add one more brick to the wall. I think that is why Paul added that little statement after, "And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when you obedience is fulfilled." Just as with the second part of this verse, we must fight back, not just be defending our minds; as with a runner who is training for a race, always push yourself harder than you think you can go...

"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." (Proverbs 4:20-27) NLT