"Never Out of Sorts"

"Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!" (Psalms 120:5)

  Let's be honest, this is a reality for the average Christian at almost every event, whether we are talking about office parties or family gatherings; if there is a gathering of "sorts" then you are bound to feel a little discomfort, or 'drawing out,' and a little bit of the 'dark.' That said, what kind of life is lived for Christ if we cannot be amongst those that need Christ? If you know anything at all about what Jesus did, you would know that He was known for hanging out with sinners. The Jews were constantly giving Him a hard time about it, saying things like, "How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?" (Mark 2:16) But, the Bible shows us something throughout, even from the very beginning, as God spoke to Cain about his heart towards his brother, saying, "Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door: and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." Jesus spoke to this simple little problem as He ministered to the 'Woman at the Well,' saying, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24) Which, by the way, is another perfect illustration of how Jesus worked, on so many different levels! First off, He needed to go through Samaria, a place where everyone that tried to be a perfect Jew avoided to go. Secondly, He goes to a woman for a drink; a woman of Samaria; and not just any woman, but one that had a pretty busy life of relationships. I don't know why, but when I think of that, I think of the time Samson set those foxes tails on fire and then sent them through the fields of the Philistines. Whatever makes the flames spread the quickest? You think about that for a moment, because there is something very powerful at work in the life of someone that goes from sinner to saint..

"For the Scriptures say, "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil." Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it." (1 Peter 3:10-15) NLT