Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16
"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007
 

TOO GOOD FOR THIS WORLD, Part 5

Print the article

This entry was posted on 04-14-2009 and is filed under FAITH.

"They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground" (Heb. 11:38 NIV).

Here is how it reads in Eugene H. Peterson's The Message: "...vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless - the world didn't deserve them! - making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world." Doesn't that grip your heart? Can't you just feel what they must have felt? Wanderers. Homeless. Friendless. Powerless. The disenfranchised. And why? Because of their faith. This is why I have no time for the "health and wealth" gospel or even "faith only" teaching. Faith is always on the move, even if you have to move ahead with nothing on your back but some animal skins. True believers know nothing of cheap grace or easy believism.

The New English Bible calls them "refugees." They were driven from civilization to waste places, lonely places - the deserts and mountains. It gets extremely cold at night in those places. A fire would give them away to their enemies. So they took refuge in caves - and even "holes in the ground." In my travels to Russian and Poland I have met with believers who told me what it was like to live as Christians under Communism. I have heard stories of believers who literally met in forests for the Lord's Supper and preaching. Some even met in the darkness and dankness of cellars - the equivalent of a hole in the ground. And in some churches in America we gripe because the thermostat is set too high (or low), the pews are not padded, or the sermon goes too long! May God forgive us!  May the sturdy faith of these wanderers challenge us to never again whine or complain. Truly, they were "too good for this world!"

Hymn: "Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might, Thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight; Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light: Alleluia! Alleluia!" (From "For All the Saints" - William W. How).
 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
Trackback specific URL for this entry
  • Trackbacks are closed for this post.
Comments
    Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

    • 04-14-2009 Gary Bryant wrote:
      Vic...This really grabbed my attention. As you know I attend all three Sunday morning services at HCC. I communicate with stage callers, ushers, servers, video and sound ministries. I guess I sort of direct traffic. Anyway, I hear a lot of complaints from those attending our services about it being too warm or too cold in our worship auditorium. The next time I hear such a complaint I will think of this devotion...Thanks
      Reply to this
    Leave a comment

    Submitted comments are subject to moderation before being displayed.

     Enter the above security code (required)

     Name (required)

     Email (will not be published) (required)

     Website

    Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.



      
    Copyright . http://HONEYFROMTHEROCK.POEMINISTRIES.ORG. All rights reserved.