God thoughts

Really Living Life
9/16/2008 7:59:14 PM by: Elsi

When Brad said tonight’s topic was “living the Word,” based on Psalm 119, I felt a bit overwhelmed. What an enormous subject—to really live God’s Word! I must admit, personally, I tend to prefer fantasy. I like Tolkien’s ents, the talking beasts from Narnia, and the colorful minor dragons Donita Paul writes about. Much of the time I find the “real world” hard to live in, full of difficulties and distractions, too painful and awkward for comfort. BUT, I’m discovering (and trying to keep in the forefront of my mind) that we live in a world better than anything even C. S. Lewis could imagine! A world where plants and animals praise God in song: Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds. (Psalm 148:7-10) The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. (Psalm 65:12-13) Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD! (Psalm 96:11-12) A world where our God created not only everything we see, but also dinosaurs and, yes, even dragons! Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron. He ranks first among the works of God. (Job 40:15-19) I will not fail to speak of the leviathan, his strength and his graceful form. Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle? Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth? His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted. His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn. Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth. (Job 41:12-21) Sometimes I get a glimpse of that world—when the fall leaves are in full color, for example, I all but hear them as a flourish of trumpet calls. A friend’s hug offers God’s love and forgiveness. A well-constructed piece of writing (hey, I’m an author!) paints the world with vibrant colors and shapes straight from the art museum. Oh, what a life I could live, when I look with holy eyes! It’s similar with Communion, I think—we eat a bit of bread (that would certainly taste better with jelly on it) and sip a scant mouthful of grape juice (I’d really prefer diet Coke). But when I look at the reality of it … the real meaning behind this tradition … the glorious world of forgiveness and an eternity of God’s presence … everything’s transformed …see what I mean?