Psalm 83:1-2 Song or Psalm of Asaph. Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
In our world of strange media events, it is almost expected that the "trash mongers" will be out there digging in the Devil’s Waste Landfill to find and expose any obscenities of life in an attempt to take our hearts away. They position their own rotting corpse right near the cesspool of human failure and tragedy, just waiting for some flaw to bubble to the surface. At which time they will scoop the mess out of the mire and race it to the spin doctors of shame to make it even more obnoxious (publishing discouragement has never been more profitable).
With a bundle of the "Spew News" in hand, Hell's Paper Boy arrives in the market place ready to do his barking to sell "the latest steamy edition." To his dismay on this particular day he finds a crowd of the strangest sort. (Get your imaginations on) As he enters the market place, his senses are assaulted by a crowd hopping and stumbling around - all, every single one of them, wound to the max, foot to head, wrapped tightly with the rags of the grave. Their Mummy-like appearances (flipping, flopping, weaving, wobbling ... every individual totally helpless to even try a defensive or an offensive maneuver) litter the grounds ... with so many appearing to be groping, to be unwound, to be loosed and to be set free. BUT HOLD ON, are my eyes deceiving me??? THE CROWD IS NOT WANTING TO BE SET FREE ... even the Paper Boy is dumbfounded by what he sees: THE CROWD DOES NOT WANT ANYONE TO DISTURB THEIR SITUATION - Listen closely to their pitiful pleas: "We like our captivity, we like our stink, we love our immobility, we don’t want a vision ... don’t touch us, please do not disturb our peaceful deathlike existence." With all the garbage news that they have had pumped into their lives, can you truly blame them for wanting to wrapped and left alone?
"Cease, cease my son to hear the instruction that causes thee to err from the words of knowledge." Some of the most horrendous tragedies in human character have come because of man’s insatiable desire to hear and listen to discouraging and disheartening news. The Enemy is real good at being loud and obnoxious forcing us not only to hear but also to listen. The enemy takes aim at our sore spots and scars as we openly expose them through our whining and complaining. Then, he will stoke the fire of restitution anger, snuff out any fragile coals of forgiveness, and make sure we are so numb with disappointment that there is absolutely no room for grace to be extended to an offender. At this point we will do our best to maintain a firm grip on our tightly wrapped grave clothes, so as not to have to face the Voice of God.
What to do? We live in a day when leadership is arrogant and abusive, servants are squandered or plundered, human life is devalued, the Bible is questioned, prayer is purported to be powerless, kindness is seen as weakness, mercy is for cowards, righteousness is old fashion, love and lust are synonymous, faith is scorned, and God is vilified. All the while God’s people are silent in the work place and the market place. Momentarily we may rise up against an enemy that threatens our temporal security. Momentarily we may cry out and stand up to defend life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
We may even raise enough backing and support to stop an enemy in his tracks, but what then?
Do we begin to examine the cause? MY SIN ... MY SORROW!
Do change the direction of our daily actions? HIS GRACE ... MY SALVATION!
Do we commit to a greater resolve? ALL THINGS ... TO THE GLORY OF GOD!
Do we now begin anew to undergird and nurture the key relationship that has the keys of death and Hell? LISTEN AND LEARN ... HE IS NOT SILENT!
Do we draw closer to the only One who can open and no man shuts, or shuts and no man opens? DRAW NEAR TO HIM ... HE HAS DRAWN NEAR TO YOU!
Do we remember from whence we are fallen and return to the courtship of our First Love? LOVE JESUS OPENLY!
Humble yourselves and allow the Grave Clothes to be removed so you can truly live, move and breathe!
HLFA,
Jeff