Recreation

Friday, ‎September ‎9, ‎2022

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Memory verse: Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Today's reading: PROVERBS 3-5 2 CORINTHIANS 1

Recreation

In seminary, I was surprised to find that they had an entire recreation department-a department in a seminary with the purpose of teaching folks how to recreate. I did not comprehend it then and still don't.

As I have written before, I grew up in a culture that worked all the time. I did not know what a vacation was until about the third grade when I heard a new girl tell of their trip to some national park. I still had no desire to leave home to go and see great things.

I would walk out our backdoor and walk into my park. We were not wealthy by any means but we had a creek and I had a shotgun and with friends we would run up and down the creeks and pastures around us and see amazing things-in our imaginations or in nature. Birds, fish, snakes, turtles, cattle, sheep, ducks-floods, snow drifts, draughts-machines that move the earth and those that plant, cultivate, and harvest crops from the earth. I could fly on the back of a horse or watch my grandpa help deliver a lamb. There were churches and socials and friends and there was war and the thought of being drafted. There was love.

Yes, there were hard times-plenty of hard times-but working through them was what people did and kept on working and living and loving. What is a vacation? Why is a vacation? Life is a trip.

Now, I know there is someone out there who is saying that ignorance is easily amused and that we simply did not know any better. OK, but I wish more people could enjoy such ignorance.(Life is hardest when God's truth is ignored.)

Life is what God makes it but we seem to always have to find more.

A.W. Tozer said, "Modern mankind can go everywhere, do everything and be completely curious about the universe. But only a rare person now and then is curious enough to want to know God." Men Who Met God, 121-122,127

It's all in the attitude that knowing God brings. Life is a park-but not a national park(which are wonderful things, I guess, I still have not been to one)-but God's divine presence in us and all around us. Jesus died to reunite us with God after sin separated us from Him and the 'Garden of Eden'. Reunited with God in Christ to me is living in that garden-if you know Jesus, He is the gate to the green pastures and still waters and the only thing that stands between us and all this splendor is sin. So, get in front of God and deal with it!

I am still being treated for cancer and have had multiple surgeries and other illnesses and have lost family and friends to death and have been fired and hired and laid off. I have family who are struggling in pain and friends who are on hospice. Some would look at my life and say, "Well, bless his heart...what a shame".

That is not how I feel. The place where I live is God's and though I often fail and sin, My God never remembers my confessed sins and covers me with grace and hope and I am free in Christ Jesus.

Time off?-some would judge me to be 'off' all the time.

Vacation? I live in God's garden...

Does your attitude need fixing? God fixes things. That's what He does. He fixes things in His righteous and divine way through Christ Jesus and His indwelling Holy Spirit and He will fix you if you seek Him and his kingdom in His righteousness.(Matthew 6:33)

Life is hardest when His truth is ignored.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me, Father, for not looking to You for everything-even recreation. Help me to see what Your Sabbath rest really is.

God of recreation and complete peace,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen