No Joke
If we observe the natural world we won’t see nature refusing to do what it was created to do and to be.
I can identify wholeheartedly with the thoughts of the writer, Tim Suddeth here when he says: “There is a popular saying that says when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
I hate that saying. When my going gets tough, I want to break for ice cream. Because, truly, I’m not all that tough. When the Lord leads me through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I look for a detour sign.”
The older I get the less confrontation, the less hassle, the less drama I want. I’m a cranky old person and if you’ve got issues, my thought is you may take them somewhere else. They aren’t welcome here.
Life is not just good times. As the old saying goes, there is no bad that doesn’t bring some good. I probably butchered that thought, but in looking through even horrible events, there are incidents where something good was shown.
I remember the saying being used in one of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books when there was a horrendous hail storm that destroyed Laura and Manly’s wheat crop. Someone picked up the ice chunks and they made ice cream.
In dark times is when the goodness and righteousness of people, shines the brightest even if only a few people at the time. There was a movie titled “Shindler’s List” that portrayed a man during the holocaust rescuing Jews.
But there were others, most of them quietly, who actively did righteous deeds at that time. Throughout history, there have been similar examples of bravery and heroism during other events.
But life isn’t a joke. Our pain, our sorrow, and our suffering in this life isn’t a joke, and the downside does happen to everyone.
“Ecclesiastes 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.”
The difference falls under the phrase: When the Lord leads me through the Valley… We know, or should acknowledge that when the Lord leads we should follow.
Most of us have a level of rule by Me.
I have read, and I’m not going to attempt to remember where or who, that if we observe the natural world we won’t see nature refusing to do what it was created to do and be.
For instance, you won’t see a tree that decides one day, “You know I don’t think I’ll be a tree today. Or an animal or bird deciding to stop being an animal or bird.”
We don’t see a cow or a horse refusing to go out and do cow and horse things.
To allow the Lord to lead is a monumental task.
“Jeremiah 29:
27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.”
