Getting ready for Teresa to come over and do some canning tomorrow.  Carla and I will start preparing the relish this afternoon since it takes 24 hours or so before it can be processed and canned.  We have to grind zucchini, peppers and the onions up and then salt them so they sit overnight and start whatever they are supposed to start in preparation to making the relish.

We also have some ripe and green tomatoes so she can make salsa.  It will be a busy day tomorrow.  

Isaiah 33:5-6 The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

⁶ And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.

God is deserving of our love and worship.  He is God.  In Him everything we have, we know, we see, we smell, we taste, we feel – physically as well as emotionally, are because of Him. 

We must understand that God is God.  God is far higher than we can fully appreciate. 

We give homage to men here on earth for good deeds, yet their deeds are but a small part of millions of others who have done good deeds.  We give tribute, honor and respect for men who have sacrificed for us, yet their sacrifice, while noble and worthy of thanks, it is but a small part of what millions of others who have also sacrificed.

We give our allegiance to men we feel are worthy our allegiance and we obey their commands, but those in power are temporal and others will soon take their place.  Their contributions may be grand with influence on new generations, or forgotten after they leave their position – but their contributions, too, are just a small part of what millions have done.

Statues are erected; history books contain their names and deeds but even those are short lived as future generations remove the statutes and change history.   

However, try as many are doing today, and as many have tried in the past, they cannot change God.  God is God.  He does not change; He is the same today as He was yesterday, as he will be tomorrow.  He is a constant in an ever changing world where man tries to say God does not matter.

But God does matter and eventually every man will learn that, either through their facing God on His judgment seat, or here on earth by accepting Him and His Son.

Colossians 1:15-17  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Verse 19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

God sent His Son to earth as a man.  He gave Him all the attributes of a man who must struggle with the realities of living here on earth.  His Son gave up all His glory and status in heaven to walk among us, teaching us of God’s love and grace and then dying in a manner that guarantees we will have access to Him and His Father for all time. 

Christ came in obedience to God.  He came from a position of influence and glory to the humbleness of a man – and that man was not wallowing in wealth and power, but under the direction of His Father He was born in a manger and lived a life of hard work and deprivation.

It would be like a mighty King giving up his castles, his wealth, his power and influence to become a farmer working in the fields alongside others who till the soil by hand.  As long as he was alive he would not go back to that lavish lifestyle, but remain working in the fields, getting dirty, getting callouses, getting tired and sore doing what needs to be done to make a living. 

And instead of looking back with fondness, would look ahead with determination to do the will of his superior and never question why he should have to go through all of this.

I cannot begin to stress, enough, the importance of God and Christ’s roles in our lives.  Because we get so busy with just living and God is not a visible entity that we encounter as we walk we often forget about Him.  Out of sight, out of mind is an old saw that often would be an apt description of our life with Him.

God IS GOD!  He deserves better than that.  We should never allow Him out of our presence.  He should be as much a part of us as our heart, always beating, always present working inside us to make sure we can get the job done.

As I study today another truth comes to me – one that can be very devastating to those of us who want to serve God to the fullest, but may forget Who we serve and we ourselves become the emphasis of what is being done.  We forget, God is God.

1 Thessalonians 2:5-6   For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

⁶ Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

Another phrase, “He believed his own press clippings” is used to talk about those people who have demonstrated excellence in some endeavor – most often sports.  They get a lot of accolades and become fixated on themselves, forgetting that others contributed to their success.  They become so full of themselves they become arrogant and demeaning to others.  They become demanding and when they don’t receive what they perceive as their ‘just do’ they can be vindictive.  Eventually their world will come crashing down upon them.  Most will blame others for their demise and not accept accountability for their own actions.

This is the time of year where people are putting out political ads asking for your vote and telling us why they should be elected.  I always laugh when I hear a Representative of Congress talk about how he prevented such and such, or caused such and such to happen – as if he alone was responsible.

They are but one of 435 members of Congress and 1 of 100 members of the Senate and to pass a law there must be majority of those voting.  While they may have contributed to the debate unless they took a leadership role and pushed for the legislation their only contribution was to vote – one of 535 to do so.  

Yet, they take credit as if they were the only ones.  They give lip service to helping others and try to make themselves appear a ‘man of the people,’ when in effect they are often just self-serving and desiring of the rewards and power of the position.

Being in a position of power, small or great, can be a heady experience and if the person is not careful they can become so enamored with their own importance they forget that they have responsibilities to their office and constituency.  The longer they are in the position the more danger there is to think they are invincible and play lose with the law.  Instead of being of service to those that placed them in the position (public or private) they believe they are the final arbiter and do not have to answer to anyone.

Many of these people may sincerely have had altruistic reasons for seeking the position but if they are not careful that very good reason for seeking it can be overcome with the corrupting power of the position itself.

The same can be said of many Christians.  We see, all too frequently, where a leader, who very well may have been true to Christ to begin with, has fallen.  Instead of remaining humble and concentrating his energy to serve God, he began taking advantage of the fame and glory that was attached to his ministry and forgot it was God who should have been receiving it, not him.

But that falling away is not limited to the Christian leader, we start to feel superior, we forget that it is God working through us not our own skills that have accomplished things for Him and we start listening to those that give praise to our work.  We start ‘reading our own press clippings’ and believing them.

Paul recognized this very human trait and warned the early church and us, about succumbing to satan’s wiles of self-gratification. 

Colossians 1:25   Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

Paul pointed out while he was MADE a minister of God, it was God that did it and He did it that Paul could serve HIM.  By serving God, Paul served the early church as teacher, conscience and an example of what God can do with a willing heart – we of course are also beneficiaries of Paul’s words.

God is God.  His Word tells us what He expects of us.  It is important we keep in touch with Him through His Word in the Bible and His individual walk with us.  It will help us remember that not us, but God in us, accomplishes all we do.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again