You can never be quite sure – what life is going to throw at ya’ next.
It can be challenging sometimes.
One of our former older members used to say, “It’s a great life, if you don’t weaken!”
You can never tell…
Nor can you adequately be prepared…
You have to be strong.
Confidence helps.
Being grounded is good.
Having a good foundation is everything.
Being secure in yourself helps.
But for me personally, it is faith that is the imperative. Being faithful in all things. Faithful in the good times. As well as being faithful in the not so good times. It is knowing where your source of strength lies.
I can honestly say, that it is my faith that has gotten me this far. I do not know what I would do without my faith? I cannot imagine! Nor would I ever want to imagine being without it.
How is your relationship with God? How familiar are you with his Word, with the Holy Scriptures? With his Son?
What about your children and your grandchildren…are you giving to them a foundation for their future? Are you here for them?
I am not sure if this is still true today, but at one time – in order to train Federal Agents –how to spot counterfeit money – they would place them in rooms for days – and have them count real money.
After several days of counting real money – a counterfeit bill would be slipped into the mix.
More often than not the agent would be able to spot the phony bill immediately.
Why?
Not because they knew so much about counterfeit money, but because they were so familiar with the original.
That’s how we need to be.
We need to be so familiar with Jesus and with our God relationship, that when false promises or pseudo-saviors show up, we can spot them in an instance for whom and what they are.
You have to get to know Jesus in the deepest and most personal sense. He is your savior, your friend, your rock and your God.
You have to have faith and trust in him…and in his word. You must believe he is with you always…in all the circumstances of this life.
I am forever thankful that my parents and my grandparents raised me up in the church. They knew the value of a good strong foundation. It was important for them. It is important for me.
I hope and pray it is important for you.
You know as well as I do, that the distractions of this world are many.
Many voices call for our attention. We can be pulled in so many directions.
I know it’s hard.
I know sometimes it seems impossible.
But we must attempt to maintain a single focus.
I suggest – we focus on our God.
According to the scriptures: Jesus maintained a single focus: the cross.
He would not deter.
He would not be distracted by the obvious problems.
Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, the High Priest himself, Pontius Pilate, King Herod, the death of John the Baptizer…all of these were threatening problems…
Besides these were the healings, the teachings, the miracles and the preaching…and constant needs of others…
While all of these things were important – they could not stand in his way…
Do you remember that scripture that says, “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.”
Or the prophetic words of Isaiah, written hundreds and hundreds of years before, “Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.”
We must never allow the problems of this world to distract us from the real source of our power and strength.
Problems will always be with us. They will come and they will go.
The one constant in our lives is our God relationship.
It is important. It is vital. It is crucial. It can carry you through whatever it is – that lies ahead…
And for sure, stuff is going to happen – you can count on it – that’s just the way life is sometimes…
Amen.