light & momentary

I don't know that I have ever written a blog post on the morning we go to our homeschool group.  This is a hard morning for us to get out the door, but on this morning, I think the Lord had me up at six.  I feel like He often has me up early.  It's my best time with Him, before the day gets busy and before distraction takes my focus off of Him.

Anyway, right before I woke up, I was dreaming of a Bible verse.  (I know.  Weird, right?)

The verse was this:

"For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:17-18

When I first woke up, I had the thought of how nice it was of God to remind me of that verse this morning.  (I fell asleep practically crying last night, because my dog jumped on the bed with me and landed on my foot.)  God sees all and hears all, you know, so it was no surprise to me that He would have this verse come to my mind.

But as I sat here and listened to the disarray this world is in, I'm thinking it wasn't so much for me, but for someone who might feel overwhelmed by all that's going on in this dark world.  (I also know some believers who are struggling with this, as well.)  All of this~this world we are living in, these violent things we hear about happening more and more~it is light and momentary.

God does now want us to live in fear.  (2 Timothy 1:7)  The enemy, on the other hand, does want us to live that way.  We need to be in constant prayer ("prayed up", my choir director said last night, because we don't know when our last moment will be) for ourselves, for our unbelieving family members, friends, neighbors, the world around us.  We need to be the light amidst the darkness.

I'm afraid (not really, I'm figuratively speaking) that things aren't going to get much better, my friends.  I think that things are going to get worse and worse until the return of Jesus.  If you read the Bible at all, look at how horrid the world was when the flood occurred in Genesis.  People were so bad that God actually regretted creating mankind (Genesis 6:6), and He was grieved in His heart.  I personally think it's not that bad here yet.  There are still pockets of light that shine among us believers, pockets that are big and noticeable.

The solution?  There is no solution.  Taking away freedoms we have now isn't going to stop all the madness going on around us.  I think that'll all make it worse, actually.  The only solution is the return of Jesus.  Be the light in the darkness.  Pray.  Show others the love of Jesus.

I love what Jesus says in the book of Matthew:

"You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  (Matthew 5:14-16)

Let it shine, my friends, and bring glory to God the Father in so doing.  Now is not the time to shrink away in our faith.  Now is the time to be bold.  Fearless.  A warrior who fights the battle in prayer.

Love to all.