When troubles or confusion over the issues of life present themselves, we must immediately turn to God and ask for His point of view for He is God! –and we are not Him.  We cannot see what He sees now and far into the future generations. We cannot know what to expect when things do not appear as we once thought they were and confuse what we were once taught to believe. We cannot hear who cause the rumors of war, the gossip of the populace, or the words of those seeking more power and control. 

But one thing is for certain and forever—God has not given up His authority and sovereignty over all He has created.  We can be sure God knows, He cares, and still loves us faithfully and forever.  God has not left the building of our souls for our good and His glory!  God is God and not one else is God.  In the beginning was God. God is now. At the end of the story of life on earth, still God.  God’s plan for His Son, Jesus to redeem us victoriously always has and always will the way to God. All believers who commit their lives to God daily to develop a self-controlled discipline of following what God says are victorious even in the worst circumstances with the rewarded gift of eternal life!

Fools say there is no God.  I am not a fool.  I know God is real, active and alive in my life. I’ve seen with my own eyes and felt His love for me.  When we love God back, surrendering our will, what we think we want, to seek His best, pleasing and perfect will, all the details of our lives transform.  God gives us a new heart, renewed mind, and refreshed soul. God opens our eyes to see life as He sees it in the wide open spaces of His love, mercy, and grace.  God fills our minds with ways of becoming like Him  and we watch in amazement to see ourselves grow in His character because of all the time we spend walking and talking with God.  The Apostle Paul named God’s Holy Spirit character traits as the fruits we begin to bear in our own behaviors of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  Paul meant we don’t need a law to be like Christ taught us!  There is no limit to possessing and bearing all these characteristics of God in us!  Paul went on to remind the church then which is relevant for us now;

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”  Galatians 5:22-26

THIS is real life!  This is the Life Abundant and Free that humanity seeks but does not always find because they are looking in all the wrong places—places where they allow evil to foolishly take them.  But walking with God brings clarity, focus and a new perspective to life that I cannot and will not turn my back on for my thoughts and ways are much more confusing, complicated, distracting and leads only to self-destruction.  Humans seem to lean toward a rebellious control of their lives but holy self-control leans on God’s wisdom, insight, and understanding.  Fools follow whoever has the best idea at the time. I don’t want to be a fool.  I rather have Jesus in my heart as I walk with Almighty God who created all, knows how all things work for good, is in all and over all. 

The Psalmist knows God, how about you?

Psalm 53, The Message

For the director of music. According to mahalath. A maskil of David.

^1-2 Bilious and bloated, they gas,
    “God is gone.”
It’s poison gas—
    they foul themselves, they poison
Rivers and skies;
    thistles are their cash crop.
God sticks his head out of heaven.
    He looks around.
He’s looking for someone not stupid—
    one man, even, God-expectant,
    just one God-ready woman.

³ He comes up empty. A string
    of zeros. Useless, unshepherded
Sheep, taking turns pretending
    to be Shepherd.
The ninety and nine
    follow the one.

⁴ Don’t they know anything,
    all these predators?
Don’t they know
    they can’t get away with this,
Treating people like a fast-food meal
    over which they’re too busy to pray?

⁵ Night is coming for them, and nightmare—
    a nightmare they’ll never wake up from.
God will make hash of these squatters,
    send them packing for good.

⁶ Is there anyone around to save Israel?
    God turns life around.
Turned-around Jacob skips rope,
    turned-around Israel sings laughter.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Decide and follow the One and Only who has our names written on the palm of His Hand.  God is personal and His Ways are Perfect. God seeks those committed to Him and desires a personal relationship with us that is the most important relationship we will ever have—for eternity!

Lord,

I surrender all to you again today.  You are in charge whether I believe it or not.  I do believe, however and I have entrusted my life to You for You are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen