And Just When

Just when I feel like yelling at God, at throwing a nice tantrum and telling Him all this isn't fair, just then the Apostle Paul speaks to me from beyond the pale. No no, don't start thinking I'm channeling or communicating with the departed, only reading the written Word. 

1 Corinthians 15:1, "Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand." Thank you very much, but I didn't want a reminder! I wanted to feel sorry for myself and needed someone else to blame for it. No, Paul wants to remind me of the gospel he preached, which I received and on which I have taken my stand. 

It's good to get those reminders. Good to have my attention drawn back to the gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ. To be reminded that is on this that I have taken my stand. I've planted my feet on the good news of Jesus and chosen to stand there. One of the luxuries of that stand is that I'm not bound by self-pity anymore. Yes, that's a luxury! I don't have to go through the misery, the despair, the pain of a pity party. Sure, the enemy would be more than happy to drag me back there. Sure, he likes to bill it as a "right", as something I'm "entitled" to. He even stoops so low as to whisper, quite convincingly, that God has big shoulders and won't be offended by my lashing out and yelling at Him. 

While that may well be true, as a father I think I can confidently say, He takes much more pleasure in me not throwing a tantrum and walking victoriously. So while God can handle me being angry at Him, He and I are both much happier if I choose not to. 

It's good to be reminded of the things I've chosen as my foundation. Something about the word 'foundation' that kind of makes me think I really need to stand there. Wandering back and forth with the slightest wind really doesn't lend itself to the whole concept of foundation. I guess I best climb back up on that Rock!

(Which reminds me of an image God gave me Sunday morning. It was of His hand being beneath me, shielding every step from the surface below. It was as if He was saying, "you don't need to concern yourself about the condition of the path, just keep stepping in My hand and you'll be just fine.")