Gain Our Soul
Good Morning Friends,
The gospel reading below is one that you want to throw back and fish out another one. For a moment I desire to go back to sleep until another scripture comes along to spark my writing. Maybe Ephesians 4 or John 17 or 1 Corinthians 12. Those are ones to soak ones soul in but then this one about end times and the destruction of the Temple is this week’s reading for many. And it follows on a day I met with many people about the realities and opportunities for Haiti and its people in Haiti and its Diaspora…all those effected by the devastating earthquake of a few years ago. The passage is filled with really frightening images of earthquakes, famines, pestilence, fearful events, and persecution. Then comes this thought that through fearless endurance we Gain Our Soul.
Scripture: When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.
Luke 21:5-19 (NIV)
Message: The harder the course, the more rewarding the triumph. That is the deal. The times when we feel our faith tested, the times when we feel we are crawling along the valley floor, crushed by life, are the very times when God is closest to us, even though we often don’t realize it at the time. When our world seems to be collapsing around us God stands firmly in the midst of the rubble. And Jesus says that is the way it will before he returns. Why the anger we ask? Maybe it is because we worship other gods; maybe it is the injustice to the oppressed, the poor and the aliens that we tolerate; and maybe it is because we are so self-righteous. The nature of God revealed in the Old Testament is the same nature as revealed by Christ when he stated that all of the law and the commandments are summed up in the exhortation to love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. By placing God first, caring for the poor, and releasing our pride and self-righteousness, we can begin to live according to God’s commandments. We can begin to rebuild out of the rubble communities of love.
Pray we are not to be deceived into departing from the place of truth. Pray we are not frightened into failing to be a witness for Christ. Pray we are not distracted into living as if this life is all there is. Pray we not ignored the warnings all around us. Pray we turn to God in repentance. Pray we not drift alone with the prevailing culture, living lives characterized by the attitudes of the day. Pray we embrace something amazingly beautiful.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 