Need to Remember
This isn’t originally mine but it is important enough I will share: “People need to remember, if God wants you to leave this world there isn’t any amount of hand sanitizer going to save you.”
I have seen too many people who say they are ‘sheltering in place’, when in fact they are hiding in fear. I can understand this partially if a person hasn’t taken hold of the horns of the altar, so to speak. If a person hasn’t taken the steps to salvation, but I see this among God’s people as well.
I wouldn’t encourage anyone to live dangerously. Jesus addressed this problem when he speaks to Satan:
“And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matthew 4:6-7 KJV)
No, I am not advocating that we all line up for sky diving lessons, or hang gliding 101. Even if the problem hasn’t suddenly developed the current pandemic has certainly highlighted it.
People are so afraid of dying they aren’t living. It was interesting that one of the media bogeymen was those congregants in the few churches that came down with the virus. So, out of the thousands of congregations that came together the highlighted few were a warning to the rest? Hmm.
Many have begun asking questions, and rightly so. Historically we have had many sicknesses that are much worse, much more deadly, yet they haven’t shut down the entire world, as this one that has a much higher recovery rate. Not saying there hasn’t been death and sickness with this, not making light of the suffering, but honestly, we know that this world is full of trials and tribulations.
Is this an effort to turn us all into snowflakes? Where are the adventurous amongst us? We need to reread the founding of America. We’ve been ancestor shamed so long by an agenda of lies that we need to step back and reread and realize that whether voiced or not the reason the Separatists came to a new land was for liberty. The same as Patrick Henry when he said:
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?” As he spoke, Henry held his wrists together as though they were manacled and raised them toward the heavens. “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty”—Henry burst from his imaginary chains and grasped an ivory letter opener—“or give me death!”
Old Fuzzy and I are in our sixties. That puts us in the ‘at risk’ group, and we are semi-aware of this. I don’t have the energy to get out and dig ditches any more, so I don’t. I live the kind of life I can live where I am amongst family and friends. Yet if a person can go to a grocery store for food, they can also justify attending worship on Sunday. If I can go to Walmart, I should be able to attend worship, and also go to a local small business. Actually, worship and small businesses are better bets…
What I’m saying is, if there is still breath in your body, stop dying and get back to living life while you still can. Remember who gives us life and breath—don’t take God for granted.
“For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;”
(Acts 17:23-25 KJV)