Monday, 3/8/21 – Pressing on… Hatchet throwing lessons anyone?

Hatchet throwing lessons anyone?

I was visiting with a friend this past week, a “bubble” buddy, and in the background TV game shows played. Excited contestants dressed in bizarre attire leaped and screamed at being selected to vie for concealed prizes both big and booby. Among these were

• A half-dozen hatchet throwing lessons
• An undersea shark adventure off some Caribbean island
• A top of the line bedroom suite
• A games room complete with boom blaster sound system
• A shiny new sports car
• A richly jeweled “man purse,” evidently known as a “murse”
• A skiing holiday week at Aspen
• A week-long fishing trip with luxury accommodations
• A home sauna…

On and on it went, contestants wild with glee, waving their arms, dancing and jumping with excitement at even the possibility of these material rewards.

The truth is there is no one who truly needs any of these items. All are luxuries, enticements which too often distract us from our real needs of soul and spirit. They too easily focus our minds and hearts on temporal pursuits. Their glitz and glamour, technology and trendiness boggles us into believing the happiness we seek is just round the corner of the next great purchase, or win.

In this, Satan accomplishes his goal: to shift our focus from others to self and to defer our own spiritual needs to some soon sometime.  

“Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” God asks us through the prophet (Isa. 55:2). Instead we ought seek that fullness which comes as we feed another. “I have food to eat that you know nothing about,” said Christ to His disciples (John 4:32). “’My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” (v.34).

The Master’s food is to be the disciples food also. This is the true “fast” of which Isaiah further speaks,

“to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke… to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Isa. 58:6-7).

The denial of self for the needs of others. This is true discipleship and true Agapé love.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:3).

More tomorrow…

You can link to the message “Spiritual Awakening And Showing Gods Mercy” by Carter Conlon” HERE.