Waking up from the “Dreaming”…

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Last Wednesday I was in California… taking a ride on the 1 – the CA 1… heading toward Big Sur. Breathtaking beauty in both land and sea. Amazing examples of human determination to challenge the power and fierceness of nature. The humbling of one such as me to look and know that I am weakest of the weak… of no threat to man or beast. I admire those that have come before and those that are now and to come, that do battle with anything that stands in the way of mankind subduing/enjoying the fullness of the earth, however, I am as clueless and powerless as the little anchovies that the BIGGER mammals live on in the sea.

For some, this realization would be a nightmare, not a dream. For me, though, the waking is humbling (only because I insist on pretending I AM when I am NOT), the dream reality of God’s eternal power and divine nature as seen in His creation, becomes the basis for my hope.

I can pretend to be bigger and more mature and cooler and wiser and more perfect than I am, so what, I’m still just a LITTLE fish! My hope is not on me or any other created being or thing.

My hope is on God and the opportunity to see Him up close and personal in the California portion of creation, added to the fullness and clarity of my eyesight and understanding of Him.

Joshua 24:15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We all must choose… every one of us. There are some who smile at this little anchovy, thinking that I made make my choice without any thought or intelligent reason. There are those who believe they are the BIGGER fish and have few, if any, natural enemies, so the gods (little g) they choose will eventually serve them. And then there are the few who believe there are no gods (big or little g) so they believe they are the only choice for the position… they will serve themselves… and choose the most demanding and insatiable god of all – SELF.

Everyone of us must choose… but what knowledge and wisdom do we use to make such a life-altering, life-sustaining, life-determining choice.

The knowledge and wisdom of me, myself, and I… this is for making the choice that “there is no choice”… we are all just one long or short novel. When the end comes, there is no sequel… “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die”. There is no reason for worry, no purpose for morality except to make this life “happier”, and no need for commitment to anyone other than self. Convenience, happiness and self-concern replace the vows of love for a lifetime.

The knowledge and wisdom of the super stars of this world… this is for making the choice that “The easy way is the only way for me”. All you need is the recipe… the ABC’s of the god of happy, healthy and wise. This is the Hollywood version of your long or short novel – the difference here being that there is indeed a choice and you can be the author and perfecter of the ending. There is no reason for struggle, no purpose of patience and no need for sacrifice. Image, ideology, and idolatry replace the worthiness of being loved and loving in return.

Or… the knowledge and wisdom of the One who created life, sustains life, and determines life… Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!… 7:6  For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth… 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

Israel, and all of us Gentiles who have been grafted in, are taught to OBSERVE and REMEMBER all that God has done, is doing, and will do. We are not told to close our hearts, minds and souls to anything or anyone and “just believe”. In fact we are told to… Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good;

THIS… tasting and seeing… is the knowledge and wisdom I use in making my choice of who I serve. And the more I know… the more I understand God’s love for this little anchovy. It is not my love for Him that makes my choice righteous but His love for me that makes no other choice acceptable for LIFE.

We all… every one of us… must choose. We all… every one of us… DO choose.

I’d like to say it stops there and each of us gets on with the life our god gives us. NOT… then comes… “as for me and my household”…

I wish I could say that I am in control of the choices of those I love (and even those I don’t love) make. I’d like to have the words and/or actions that convince all to MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE! I’d like to do more than just swim in patterns with the other anchovies to avoid being eaten by the bigger fish who seem to know I am their appetizer du jour.

But… as I said at the beginning… along with the dreaming came the humbling. I am the weakest of the weak… that’s the good news…

The GREAT news… Philippians 2: 13 for it is God who is at work in you (and me) both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 

That my friends is the ultimate Ministry of Encouragement to all the anchovies of this world!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible